Participant Information

This busy, grasping mind, always latching onto things, let it be given a break to recognize itself instead.  ~  Tsoknyi Rinpoche

REGISTRATION

Registration Dates

Registrations open on the dates listed on the Program pages. Please check each program for specific registration information. No early registrations are possible. Registration is done by credit card through our website.

Payment for Retreats

To be registered for a retreat, the online registration form must be completed and applicable fees paid using our secure online system. We are unable to accept personal checks for retreat payments. For those who choose the two payment plan, (deposit and final payment due 30 days prior to the retreat start date) you will be officially registered when the second payment is received.

If you are an ordained Buddhist monk or nun, it is our policy that there is no tuition fee to attend a retreat. You are responsible for your lodging and meals. You must meet the basic eligibility requirements listed in the retreat description. Please email our registrar with your name and the retreat you wish to attend and your qualifications for the specific retreat you are registering for.

Registration Notification

Once you have completed your initial registration, you will receive an email confirmation with a receipt from the Registrar. If you do not receive an email confirmation within 72 hours of completing your registration, remember to check your spam/or promotions folders on your email program for Pundarika communications first. If you do not see your confirmation in those folders, please contact the Registrar (time is needed for payments to clear). We have found that foreign credit cards can take longer to clear, so please allow one full working week for this.

IN-PERSON RETREATS

On-site Payments

We can accept checks (personal, travelers, or money orders) and credit cards at the retreat sites for donations, katas (blessing scarves), books, photographs, and other articles that may be available.

Full Retreats and Waiting List Policy

If a retreat (either in Crestone or the East/West Coast) is full, a waiting list will be enabled on the program page of that retreat. As openings occur, individuals will be contacted by the Registrar in the order in which they joined the waiting list to see if they still want to attend.

Membership Policy for In-person retreats

Due to the large number of students applying for Rinpoche’s in-person retreats in the U.S. we can no longer give preferential treatment to students in the Membership Program. 

For more information about Pundarika Membership visit this webpage: https://tsoknyirinpoche.org/membership/

Drop-ins and Full Retreats

In general, drop-ins are not allowed in the closed retreat setting. However, students of Rinpoche who cannot attend a full retreat often request to “pay respect” by hoping to come to one (1) session of a teaching. If a retreat is full and with unavailable space, then visiting students cannot be allowed to attend if students registered for a retreat are displaced. Always check in advance with the Registrar or Retreat Manager.

 

RETREAT CANCELLATION POLICY

Purpose

The purpose of our cancellation policy is to acknowledge that retreatants’ future plans can change unexpectedly and at the same time protect Pundarika Foundation from costs it incurs due to commitments to various vendors and payment for support staff time.

Policy

Full payment of all retreat fees is due 30 days before the first day that a retreat begins.

If you cancel more than 30 days prior to the first day that a retreat begins, you will receive a refund less a $65.00 cancellation fee.

If you cancel between 15 and 29 days prior to the program start date, you will receive a refund less a $125.00 cancellation fee.

No refunds will be given two weeks before the retreat begins.

Certain programs have unique cancellation policies that supersede our general policy, and they are described on the program registration page on our website for that particular retreat or program (normally these are non-Crestone retreats where host facilities have their own cancellation policies).

Procedures

Cancellations must be requested by contacting the Registrar by e-mail (registrar@pundarika.org).

Refunds through PayPal will be credited to the same credit card with which your retreat fees were paid. Once the cancellation period is over, refunds are not possible and forfeited funds are considered “fee-for-service” payments (according to IRS) and are not considered eligible for tax-exempt status. In other words, they cannot be considered donations.

 

QUALIFICATIONS FOR RETREATS

There are three types of retreats that Rinpoche offers: open, intermediate, and advanced, each with different qualifications.

Open Retreats

Open, foundational, six or seven-day retreats are open to everyone with no prerequisites for attendance.

Intermediate Retreats

The requirement to attend an intermediate retreat is to be a student of a Vajrayana and/or Dzogchen master. Pointing out instructions are not required.

Advanced Retreats

These retreats require students to be a student of a Vajrayana and/or Dzogchen master and pointing out instructions. If you did not receive pointing out instructions from Tsoknyi Rinpoche, you are asked to watch an open retreat teaching to become more familiar with his use of terms and style of teaching before attending the retreat. Once you register, a link will be sent to you by the Registrar.

Please contact the Registrar if you have any questions regarding the above. (Registrar@pundarika.org)

Please Note:  Occasionally Rinpoche will require a certain number of previously attended retreats (including at least one open retreat) to attend a particular advanced teaching.

 

 

 

GENERAL INFORMATION

Daily Schedule

Retreats can be either 6 or 7 days in length. Retreats consist of one 2 hour dharma teaching by Rinpoche and four (4) sitting periods per day, or two 1-1/2 hour dharma teachings by Rinpoche and three (3) sitting periods per day. Retreat schedules will be emailed after registration.  During all retreats, small groups meet with Rinpoche to address students’ questions, especially as they apply to practice in our daily lives and retreat.  Retreats are held in silence to deepen the contemplative experience.

Audio and Video Recording

Individual recording of retreat teachings is not possible. Master recordings of teachings are made by Pundarika Foundation for possible future sale, archiving and distribution, if Rinpoche releases them. Most of the retreats you attend will be video recorded and available through the Membership Program (located on the home page of the Pundarika website). https://tsoknyirinpoche.org/membership/

Permission to Video Record

We will be video recording Rinpoche’s retreats. If you do not wish to be filmed, please let the Retreat Manager know when you arrive.  Please see the “Media Release” located in the General Release and Waiver. https://tsoknyirinpoche.org/retreats/participant-information/general-release-and-waiver/

Hearing Assistance

Pundarika provides hearing devices for those who require hearing assistance.

Pets

The retreat environment does not allow pets.

Camping

Camping facilities and RV parking are not available at the Crestone retreat venue. If you want to camp or bring an RV, please go online and research campsites in the Crestone vicinity. Some retreat locations on the East coast do allow camping. Check the program page for specific retreats for information about each location.

Children At Retreats

Given the practice-intensive nature of these retreats (silence for six or seven days, extensive daily sitting meditation practice requirements, and attending all teaching sessions, which can be 3 to 4 hours or more each day), children are not allowed at these retreats. If a young person is 16 or over and can fully commit to the requirements as noted above, they can attend as a registered retreatant.

Pundarika Rideshare

You can easily find or offer a ride to or from Pundarika Retreats and Programs. We invite you to share resources, get to know other dharma students traveling to our retreats, and help the environment. View the https://tsoknyirinpoche.org/crestone/housing-ride-share/ now.

Crestone Information

Please visit https://tsoknyirinpoche.org/crestone/getting-to-and-from-crestone-co/ for more information on directions and transportation. Participants in Crestone retreats will need to find their own housing. For a list of housing choices please visit this webpage. https://tsoknyirinpoche.org/crestone/housing-for-retreats-in-crestone/

The parking lot for the Yeshe Rangsal retreat land is at the Stupa of Enlightenment located in Chalet 1, off Camino Baca Grande to the east, between Rendezvous and Hilltop.

SEE A MAP OF THE RETREAT PARKING AREA

General Release and Waiver

Please see the General Release and Waiver.

Scholarships

Partial scholarships are available for Pundarika-sponsored retreats. They are administered according to the following three criteria:

• Serious or life-threatening medical problems causing financial hardship;
• Currently enrolled students in a higher education or professional training program without the resources to pay in full;
• Other serious financial needs.

Financial need is defined as the inability to pay the full tuition fee for the retreat, based on an individual’s total financial situation (this should include assets and cash flow). The total number of scholarships and amount of each is determined on a retreat by retreat basis dependent on enrollment, facility costs, and related expenses.

If you have received a retreat scholarship from Pundarika Foundation one or more times in the past, this will also be considered with priority given to new applicants.

Scholarship applications will be reviewed by a scholarship committee consisting of the retreat Registrar and the Director. Please read the Scholarship policy for criteria.

If you are chosen to receive a scholarship your award will be applied to the balance of your tuition. The remaining balance is due 30 days before the retreat begins.