Vajra Dakini Nunnery

Khenmo’s Message to the Sangha While in Retreat.

I wanted to leave you with some thoughts on Retreat while I am in six weeks of seclusion. The Drikung Kagyu lineage is considered a Retreat lineage. There’s an understanding that the direct experience of the stages of Mahamudra come most easily and simply during solitary retreat where the conditions support continuous mindfulness and multiple meditation sessions a day. 

I have been fortunate to receive a Tara Fellowship from the Hemera Foundation. Their generosity has allowed me to come to the Garchen Buddhist Institute in Arizona, which is truly a Buddha field. It is the residence of one of our lineage’s greatest bodhisattva teachers, HE Garchen Rinpoche who is considered to be an emanation of Tara. Here there is a palpable field of Bodhicitta; one experiences the pervasion of Bodhi mind when meditating in this setting. It feels like the sun is my neighbor or that there is an electric field that I can plug into that supports and enhances my own meditation capacity. It is truly a blessing to do even a short retreat in this sacred place.

In particular, I have been preparing the last few years to create a Vajrayana program for the Vajra Dakini students. In discussions with His Holiness Chetsang Rinpoche we agreed on a particular Tara Sadhana that His Holiness had just given the empowerment for in Shravasti, India. To offer the practice to others special retreats are necessary for me. It has become a heart practice for me that I know is worthy of a lifetime of practice.

Views from Khemo's Hut

Khenmo’s practice in such a profoundly sacred place, alive with Bodhicitta and in the presence of HE Garchen Rinpoche, fills us with gratitude and inspiration. Her devotion, the depth of her practice, and the teachings she shares make the Dharma accessible, touching each of us in unique ways. We look forward to her return and to receiving the wisdom and guidance she brings back, reminding us of the transformative power of devoted practice and the way it can awaken clarity, compassion, and loving kindness in our own lives.