Kopan Downunder - Annual Lam Rim Retreat with Ven Kartson and Ven Choekyi

Our annual lam-rim (Graduated Path to Enlightenment) retreat is affectionately called Kopan Downunder as a nod to the iconic Kopan Monastery, Kathmandu, where the first lam-rim courses for westerners were held in the seventies with our founders, Lama Zopa Rinpoche and Lama Yeshe. This year our Lam Rim will be a completely integrated experience with daily yoga, teachings, meditation, discussion and sacred art experiences. It will be taught in English by experienced sangha dedicated to help you put the teachings into practice. Why choose to go on a lam-rim retreat? Lama Zopa Rinpoche explains: The most unbelievably important thing in our life is lam-rim. The practice of the three principal aspects of the path is the most important thing. This is the most important, more important than a job, money, or anything else in our life. It is the most important thing. You will be able to experience daily life in our thriving Buddhist community, and discover the relevance and freshness of traditional Buddhist teachings to your own life. The lam-rim has been greatly appreciated many thousands of people as an excellent means for clarifying their direction in life, no matter their religion or philosophy. Lama Zopa Rinpoche has explained that even one syllable of a lam-rim teaching is powerful and can be seen by the practitioner as a personal instruction towards achieving enlightenment. Join us at the start of the New Year for this wonderful retreat, and discover ways to transform your own life. All welcome! Monday 2nd January, 6.30 pm - Sunday 15th, 1.30 pm. Facility fee $550. 10% discount for members and concession card holders. Meals and accommodation also discounted 10% for those attending the full retreat. Meals in the Big Love Cafe are available separately, and must be booked before 9:30am on the day of the event. Ven. Kartsön has been living and working as the main translator for the spiritual program at Chenrezig Institute since 2005. Originally from Israel, he met Buddhism in 1997 during his first visit to India. He spent four years in India before joining us in 2005 - training as an interpreter between English and Tibetan language. In the years he’s been with us at Chenrezig Institute he has worked closely with our resident lamas, studying with them and translating 10 years of our advanced study program, masters program, and now additionally tutoring this program. He has also taught and translated for lamas in India, Israel, Singapore, Taiwan and China.  Having met the Dharma in 1990, Venerable Chokyi ordained with Kyabje Zopa Rinpoche in 2006. Venerable Chokyi lives at Vajrayana Institute where she has been studying the Basic Program for the past ten years. Venerable Chokyi is Program Coordinator at Vajrayana Institute where she has been leading meditation and teaching foundation Buddhist studies, such as Discovering Buddhism, for some years. Venerable Chokyi has been the Director of Liberation Prison Project since 2010. Prior to ordination, she taught at university and in the community sector for over 20 years.