English

Karma Tekchen Yi Ong Ling

»The Mahayana place, where wishes get spontaneously fulfilled«

‘Karma Thekchen Yi Ong Ling’ is the German retreat center of His Holiness the 17th Gyalwang Karmapa, Ogyen Trinley Dorje. Spiritual guidance is provided by the Venerable Khenchen Thrangu Rinpoche. Retreat Master is Lama Kunga Dorje. Halscheid Retreat Center is located just outside the village of Halscheid, in the Windeck region of Germany 80 km. east of Cologne /Dusseldorf, and is easily reached by regional train or car in an hour’s time. With its panoramic view of beech and pine forests, rivers, farmlands, and distant villages, the hilltop Center is a tranquil and inviting home for engaging in the traditional meditation practices of Tibetan Buddhism.

Recognising the realities of contemporary Western life – earning a living, raising a family, living in a busy modern society – Thrangu Rinpoche has sanctioned a more flexible approach to the traditional Tibetan retreat format, in order to provide as many people as possible the opportunity for guided serious spiritual practice. The Center therefore offers a unique program of retreat options (from few days and month-long retreats up to the complete traditional Tibetan three-year retreat).

At the Center one may engage in a completely guided retreat practice either partially, in stages, or all at once. A knowledge of Tibetan is not necessary for the different practice sequences of the traditional Kagyu three -year retreat, as all texts required for the program are available in English.

allowing the practitioner to complete the full traditional program in intervals according to his or her individual time schedule.

Personally appointed by Thrangu Rinpoche, Lama Kunga Dorje has been Retreat Master of the Halscheid Center for over a decade. Lama Kunga provides all the necessary teaching, practice instructions and guidance with patience, compassion and a unique understanding of the Western practitioner. The retreat program at Halscheid includes the possibility of taking part in the full three-year traditional retreat, doing the traditional retreat in 6-month phases, doing only one phase of the traditional retreat (for example Ngöndro or Yidam practice), taking instruction during regularly-scheduled special workshops, or doing a shorter or longer individual retreat under guidance from the Center.