Dzogchen Center - Live Virtual Retreats & Events

Live Virtual Meditation Retreats & Events

The Live Virtual Meditation Retreats and Offerings

Our live virtual meditation retreats focus on providing an online container for the transmission of insight led by Lama Surya Das.
They offer an ideal opportunity to engage with powerful instructions, teachings, and practices of the Dzogchen tradition
in the comfort and convenience of your own sacred space.

Lama Surya Das is one of the most highly regarded meditation masters in the West, and an authorized and empowered teacher
in the Dzogchen Tibetan Meditation Tradition and the NonSectarian Practicing Lineage. Lama has spent over twenty years in retreat,
studying with many of the most profound and honored Tibetan masters of his time. He is the author of 14 books– including the international
bestseller Awakening the Buddha Within— and has an extensive corpus of teaching and practices, experience and realization from which he draws.

The instructions and practices offered come directly from decades of teaching experience leading retreats and workshops worldwide.
Lama is known for his innovative adaptations of these invaluable wisdom teachings, making them accessible and applicable to daily life.

All of our retreats and events are open to new and seasoned practitioners in any spiritual tradition.
We hope you'll invite a friend!

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Day-Long Live Virtual Retreats

Awake and Aware
Twenty-six hundred years ago the Buddha himself
said anybody could become awake, liberated, enlightened.

Saturday, April 27, 2024
Dharma Live, Living Dharma

The living flame of sacred wisdom Dharma comes down to us from on high, from within, and
through the realized lineage masters of old until now. Come and get it, as Buddha said. Help yourself.

This daylong retreat will include Lama Surya’s accessible, practical Dzogchen teachings and
pith instructions, stories from the path and teaching tales, guided meditations and Q & R.

REGISTER

(register here for April 27th, or both retreats and save 10%)

Saturday, June 8, 2024
Sangha Live, Living Community

Thich Nhat Hanh says the Buddha of the future, Maitreya (loving-kindness, friendliness),

is the Sangha Community. What could be more inclusive and egalitarian than that?
Sangha practice and community are like the third jewel of the Buddhist Refuge we rely on.

This daylong retreat will include Lama’s teachings and Sangha stories, lessons
of the past and possible futures, guided meditations, sangha practice, with Q & R.

REGISTER

(register for only June 8th here)

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Cost and Financial Policy

Day-Long live virtual retreats are $99 for members / $125 for non-members (unless bundled pricing is available.)
Weekend live virtual retreats are $199 for members / $245 for non-members (Advanced Retreat is $249 and restricted to only members.)
Special offerings are priced individually.

If you need financial assistance, please contact our director Kathleen Albanese at kathleen@surya.org.
Registration does not include compensation for Lama- 100% of the fees support the Dzogchen Foundation’s staff, free offerings, and our scholarship program. All live virtual retreats are recorded and available to registrants.

Testimonials

Don’t take our word for it...

One-day virtual retreats are a great idea! I hope they will continue.
Valuable and authentic teachings.
I like the informality of the retreat combined with Lama’s extensive experience and knowledge.

They are well-run and offer us the opportunity to meditate and study with Lama.

I thank the foundation and the Lama on the ability to migrate to virtual retreats. It has opened up and made accessible access to a teacher that otherwise would have been limited by physical location. Thank you and great work.

This was a wonderful way to begin the New Year. I am grateful to all of you who made it happen. Thank you!

The Lama’s teachings are incredible and a source of great optimism for me during difficult times.

I do wish the virtual retreats were longer.

Thanks to everyone who made this retreat happen. Very much appreciated in these intense times. So much care and attention in making it a meaningful retreat.

Gratitude to everyone for making this possible.

The retreat allows for movement to higher level of understanding of light and joining/union that cause a shift in your vibration level.

Preparing Your Home

In order to prepare for a home retreat, try to set up a solitary space. Having a dedicated distraction-free space is important to support focus during
the guided sitting periods and teachings. It is also advised that you set up a shrine, with a couple of meaningful objects, candles, and incense.

Sitting for intensive meditation practice takes training and getting used to. The most important thing is that your body is comfortable and supported.
Sitting up on your couch is fine but you should be sitting upright with good support for your back. Minimizing discomfort is essential.

Here are some of our students' of home spaces.

Virtual Retreat Formats

We offer virtual day and weekend retreats via Zoom. The formats model our residential retreats, which over three decades, have been finely tuned.

Each day in the live virtual retreat is composed of two sessions – a morning and afternoon. Each session includes live teaching, group meditation,
and appropriate breaks to get up and stretch, which reduces computer screen fatigue.

Sample Day-Long Live Virtual Retreat Schedule:

Morning Session
9:00 AM – 9:15 AM Welcome and Announcements (15 min)
9:15 AM – 9:45 AM Guided Group Meditation (30 min)
9:45 AM – 10:00 AM Break (15 min)
10:00 AM – 10:45 Refuge (45 min)
10:45 AM – 11:00 AM Break (15 min)
11:00 AM – 12:30 PM Lama Surya Teaching with Q & R (90 min)
12:30 PM – 1:45 PM Break (1.25 hr)

Afternoon Session
1:45 PM – 2:15 PM Guided Group Meditation (30 min)
2:15 PM – 2:30 PM Break (15 min)
2:30 PM – 4:00 PM Lama Surya Teaching with Q & R (90 min)

Sample Weekend Live Virtual Retreat Schedule:
(Friday evening through Sunday afternoon):

Friday Evening Session
7:15 to 8:00 PM Meditation & Chanting with Lama Surya Das (45 min)

Saturday/Sunday Morning Session
9:00 AM to 9:45 AM Tibetan Energy Yoga (45 min)
9:45 AM to 10:00 AM Break (15 min)
10:00 AM to 10:45 AM Refuge
10:45 AM to 11:00 AM Break (15 min)
11:00 AM to 12:15 PM Lama Surya Das Teaching with Q & R (75 min)
12:15 PM to 1:45 PM Break (1.5 hr)

Saturday Evening Session
6:40 PM to 8:15 PM Music and Teaching with Lama Surya Das

Saturday/Sunday Afternoon Session
1:45 PM to 3:00 PM Dharma Talk (75 min)
3:00 PM to 3:15 PM Break (15 min)
3:15 PM to 4:00 PM Open Q & R (45 min)
4:00 Pm to 4:15 PM Break (15 min)
4:15 PM to 5:15 PM Lama Surya Teaching with Q & R (60 min)

Any Questions?

You can reach us at retreat@dzogchen.org