Winter Seminar with Phakchok Rinpoche

Lotus Essence Tantra

Rangjung Yeshe Gomde California is deeply honored to once again welcome our revered lineage master, Phakchok Rinpoche, for our Winter Seminar. This is a rare and precious opportunity to receive direct transmission, teachings, and retreat guidance from one of the principal lineage holders of the Chokling Tersar within the sacred environment of Gomde California.

For this year’s Winter Seminar, Phakchok Rinpoche will teach on the Lotus Essence Tantra, a profound hidden treasure teaching (terma) of the Nyingma tradition. Revealed by the great 19th-century tertön Chokgyur Dechen Lingpa, the Lotus Essence Tantra condenses the essential meaning of Vajrayana and Secret Mantra practice into a concise and accessible text.

The Lotus Essence Tantra is part of The Guru’s Heart Practice, Dispeller of All Obstacles cycle, one of the great treasure cycles of the Chokling Tersar and regarded as a heart essence of Guru Padmasambhava’s teachings. The text presents the essential points of the ground, path, and fruition, pointing to the natural state of phenomena and the inseparability of emptiness and awareness. Its profound instructions connect with the views and practices of Mahamudra and Dzogchen, offering a direct presentation of the nature of mind and reality.

Traditionally, the Lotus Essence Tantra is also regarded as a powerful text of liberation through contact. Its blessings are said to benefit practitioners through reading, hearing, chanting, remembering, or even carrying the text. Receiving these teachings and their transmission directly from Phakchok Rinpoche provides a rare opportunity to connect with this precious lineage and bring its profound instructions into personal practice.

During the seminar, Phakchok Rinpoche will kindly bestow a series of empowerments connected with the practices of the Three Roots—the Guru, Yidam, and Dakini. More information about empowerments will be included closer to the date of the seminar.

Check-In and Schedule

January 8: Check-in from 3:30–5:30 pm, followed by dinner and orientation.

January 9-10: Teachings on The Lotus Essence Tantra

January 11th and 12th: Empowerment and Pujas

January 13th: Morning teachings

Accommodation

Due to limited winter housing, most of our facilities will be organized as multi-person lodging spaces. If you prefer a single-person space, we encourage you to look at off-site lodging options.

Please note that Gomde California in the winter is essentially a rainforest. For this reason, we cannot offer the usual Tent Cabin accommodations that are available during the summer months. If you opt to bring your own camping gear, please be fully prepared for a winter camping experience. We will not be able to accommodate you in indoor facilities at the last minute due to weather or other circumstances.

To learn more about each lodging option available for the program, click “Register Now.”

If you would like to stay on-site but your preferred lodging option is not available, please write to coordinator@gomdeca.org and you will be added to our on-site lodging waitlist on a first-come, first-served basis.

If you choose to stay off-site, we encourage you to check with local AirBnB’s and hotels around Gomde California as soon as possible. Here are links to several hotel options:

• Big Bend Lodge (about 9 minutes from Gomde)
• Redwood River Resort (about 11 minutes from Gomde)
• Benbow Historic Inn (about 25 minutes from Gomde)
• Budget Inn in Laytonville (about 25 minutes from Gomde)

Local AirBnB’s:

• Redwood Castle Single Room
• Redwood Castle Master Bedroom
• Redwood Castle’s Dorgi’s Suite
• Redwood Castle’s Tiny House in Leggett
• Redwood Castle Luxury 2 Bed Vacation Home

Additional off-site options are available in the bottom half of the accommodations page on our site.

Work-Exchange and Scholarships

A lot of work and generous financial support go into running and developing a retreat center of Gomde California’s size. Despite Gomde California’s significant operating costs, the we continuously strive to create conditions for everyone to be able to connect with and study the authentic Dharma. We have Work-Exchange and Scholarship opportunities for sangha members who wish to attend the teachings, but who can only do so with a discounted rate. If you are interested in a work-exchange please fill out this form:

https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSd1uEnYdyndSxlIxCe155-pixp-NroDrZnblikge3uUhr9AuQ/viewform?usp=publish-editor

If you are in need of a scholarship for these teachings, please write to coordinator@gomdeca.org.

Online Streaming

This program will also be available to attend online. More information and online registration details will be announced at a later date.

We look forward to warmly welcoming our sangha members, and new folks from all backgrounds, to the retreat land of Gomde California.