The Special Gomdra Program at Shenten Dargye Ling monastery in France.

Our beloved master and living Buddha, Yongdzin Rinpoche established the traditional four-year meditation school, Gomdra, at Shenten Dargye Ling in 2009 to give western practitioners the opportunity to deepen their practice and learn meditation and philosophy in the same systematic way the monks do at the main Bön monasteries. The 70-day Gomdra retreat focuses each year solely on teaching and intensive practice.

The full duration of the Gomdra Program will last for four years and each year the participants will do 70-days of intensive practice at Shenten Dargye Ling. The daily program consists of four practice sessions, one hour teaching and the practice of the four generosities: Sangchö, Chutor, Surchö and Chö.

The first four-year Gomdra program started in September 2009 and the teaching and practice was based on the Atri Dzogchen Cycle. The second Gomdra started in September 2014 and the teaching and practice was based on the Zhang Zhung Nyen Gyud and its commentary called Gyalwa Chagrti. The third Gomdra started in September 2019 and the teaching and practice was based on Drakpa Korsum and its extensive commentary called Yangtse Longchen.

The Fourth Gomdra Program

The main four dzogchen cycles of Yungdrung Bön will be completed by this fourth Gomdra, which is based on the teaching and practice of the Yetri Thasel Dzogchen Cycle and its commentary called Namkha Truldzo (the Treasure of Space) and the preliminary teaching, Ngöndro, called Drangdon Munsel Dronma (the Lamp Dispelling the Darkness of Ignorance).

The first year started on September 4, 2025, and focuses on the preliminary practice with nine accumulations according to the text Drangdon Munsel Dronma (the Lamp Dispelling the Darkness of Ignorance). The practice includes the experience of the realization of the Natural State instructed in a traditional way by searching of mind, Semtsol, and fixation of mind, Semdzin.

The second year of the Gomdra will start on September 3, 2026, and the focus of our practice is on Trekchö. First, we will do the Six Loka Purification Practice, second, the Phowa Practice, and then we will concentrate on the main practice Trekchö. I am really looking forward to seeing you all at Shenten in September and continuing our practice together.

The Congregation Shenten Dargye Ling

Hello

During this retreat, we will explore the profound practice of Phowa, as transmitted in the Dzogchen Atri cycle. Teaching sessions will alternate with guided meditations, allowing participants to integrate understanding through direct experience.

Phowa is a traditional yogic discipline widely practised in Tibet, often included among the foundational trainings. Through the power of visualisation and specific breathing techniques, practitioners can experience a tangible and verifiable result — one that strengthens confidence in both the inner yogic methods and our innate capacity for transformation.

Known as the “transference of consciousness,” Phowa is a practice that prepares us for the moment of death by guiding consciousness through the central channel. In doing so, it opens the possibility of liberation from karma and the cycle of rebirth, inspiring direct recognition of our own true nature.

Lama Sangye Mönlam is a highly experienced monk of the Yungdrung Bön tradition, known for his deep understanding, gentle manner, and great empathy towards all beings. Having trained extensively under accomplished masters in both monastic and meditative disciplines, he embodies the living wisdom of the ancient teachings. Lama Sangye shares his knowledge with clarity and warmth, guiding students through subtle practices with patience and genuine care, making complex teachings accessible and directly meaningful in daily life.

We are pleased to announce that Khenpo Akarpa Rinpoche has agreed to come again this year to continue his teachings

Tsa Lung & Trülkhor

Khenpo Akarpa Lama Rinpoche presents a new course that offers an in-depth synthesis of Tibetan yogas. Distinct from the Zhang Zhung Nyen Gyud transmissions, this curriculum was designed by Rinpoche on the basis of his own research and expertise in Tibet’s diverse yogic lineages.

Tsa Lung and Trülkhor refer to inner tantric practices and purifying physical exercises that support the Dzogchen path. These methods were traditionally used by tantric yogis of the Himalayas, Zhang Zhung, and Tibet.

The programme covers in particular :

• Breath purification – techniques for releasing blockages in the tsa (channels), harmonising the five winds, and promoting physical and mental health;

• Body purification – methods for balancing the five elements, stimulating inner heat (tummo), and treating disorders caused by imbalances;

• Mind purification – approaches for calming the mind, removing obstacles, and developing single-pointed concentration.

These practices aim to purify body, speech, and mind, dissolve obstacles, and foster overall well-being. Participants can expect increased vitality, radiant health, and deep joy while cultivating compassion and wisdom.

Khenpo Akarpa Lama Rinpoche

Ordained at the age of five, Akarpa Rinpoche is regarded as one of the eminent Buddhist masters of our time. With more than thirty years of experience, he is a meditation teacher, accomplished Dzogchen practitioner, and scholar of the Sūtra, Tantra, and Dzogchen corpora.

True to the rimé (non-sectarian) approach, he has received major transmissions—Dzogchen, Ma Gyü Thukjé Nyima (Mother Tantra), Vajrakīlaya, Kālacakra, Guhyasamāja, the Six Yogas of Nāropa, and the Six Doctrines of Niguma—from masters within the Yungdrung Bön, Sakya, Gelug, Kagyü, Nyingma, and Jonang traditions.

Since 2008, he has spent several months each year studying and practising with Yongdzin Tenzin Namdak Rinpoche, receiving one-to-one instruction unequalled in the past two decades.

He also completed four years of study in Chinese Buddhism at the Minnan Buddhist Institute (China) and developed a keen interest in Zen, which he explored in Japan, where he led meditative tea ceremonies.

When not in retreat, Rinpoche teaches Tsa Lung, meditation, and other spiritual disciplines across China and Europe. In June 2017, he presented Tsa Lung to nearly a thousand Gelug monks at Ganden Monastery—the first public teaching of this Tibetan yoga to such a large monastic gathering. The same year he taught it at Menri Monastery at the invitation of Lungtok Tenpai Nyima Rinpoche, the 33rd Menri Trizin.

“The purpose of spiritual practice is never the religion itself, but the transformation of our being”, Rinpoche often reminds us.

Renowned for his wisdom, sincerity, and courage in facing modern challenges, he inspires students through his compassion, accessible teaching style, and profound understanding of contemporary struggles.

Please note: this retreat is now offered on-site only. There will be no online stream.