The Importance of Retreat: A Note from Lama Döndrup

Written By Lama Döndrup

Attending Sukhasiddhi Foundation’s annual retreat offers a unique opportunity to step away from the responsibilities and complexities of our daily lives. It is a time to let go of distractions and immerse ourselves in the simplicity and depth of meditation, deepening our experience and our aspiration to awaken for the benefit of all beings. As practitioners, it is essential that we set aside periods for intensive practice, allowing us to experience deeper fruits. We then bring new stability, connection, insight, and opening into the context of our daily lives as we embody the view and practice.

During this retreat, we are blessed with the time to engage in the “Extraordinary” practices of the Shangpa tradition. These direct and powerful methods transmute our subjective and objective experiences and our emotions into awakened energy. The effectiveness of these practices depends on the gradual stabilization of the Extraordinary Shamatha practice, which paves the way for a deeper, transformative experience of the Extraordinary Vipashyana practice. Together, these practices serve as the gateway to the profound experience of Mahamudra. There is no substitute for the dedicated, uninterrupted practice time that a retreat setting provides, allowing us to fully settle into the practices and let them unfold continuously.

Our retreat will be held at the Santa Sabina Center, an exquisite garden setting infused with the heartfelt intentions of countless contemplatives who have meditated there. This serene environment, combined with the power of practicing together as a sangha, enhances our experience. The retreat is a rich time when all the various branches of Sukhasiddhi’s classes and depth practice programs come together, intermingling and strengthening our collective intention and dedication. This collective energy propels each of us to new depths in our meditative practice.

Lama Palden and I warmly welcome and encourage everyone to join us for this transformative retreat, where together we will deepen our practice, support one another, and experience the profound benefits of dedicated meditation in a truly special setting.

~ Lama Döndrup

Lama Döndrup

Lama Döndrup has been practicing and studying in the Buddhist tradition since the mid-1990’s. After five years of Theravadin Buddhist training, she immersed herself in the teachings and practices of the Shangpa and Kagyu Vajrayana lineages. In 2005, she completed a traditional three-year retreat under the guidance of Lama Palden and Lama Drupgyu with the blessing of her root guru, Bokar Rinpoche and was authorized as a lama. Upon her return to Marin County, she began teaching at Sukhasiddhi Foundation. In January 2020, as Lama Palden’s successor, she stepped into the role of Resident Lama, guiding the Center’s ministerial work. Lama Döndrup’s teaching style is thorough and clear yet with light touch as she supports the natural unfolding of each student’s innate wisdom and compassion. She aims to preserve the authenticity of the tradition while making the teachings and practices relevant and accessible to the lives of 21st century Westerners. In addition to her Buddhist practice, Lama Döndrup trained the Ridhwan School’s Diamond Approach for seven years and has a Masters of Fine Arts degree in piano performance. She is an active classical pianist and teacher in the San Francisco Bay Area.

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