Bokar Mahamudra Seminar 2026 - Zoom Only

With Lama Eric Triebelhorn, Lama Sonam, and Lama Kathleen

Kyabje Bokar Rinpoche began this program for the benefit of modern practitioners who have busy lives but also wish to travel the path to awakening. The curriculum progresses through instruction on shamatha in year one, vipashyana in year two, and the union of these two in year three. This year, we are pleased that Lama Sonam Dargye and Lama Kathleen will also provide support for the retreat.

The core of the program is establishing a commitment to a daily practice, and this has proven very beneficial to assist many in cultivating a stable meditation practice. In the first year of the program, there is a different shamatha technique for each day of the week, but with a progression of resting more and more in open awareness meditation. One also engages in a brief daily contemplation on one of the four thoughts that turn the mind to dharma which hone our motivation or a loving-kindness and compassion practice called taking and sending (or tonglen) which further opens our hearts. Practitioners are further encouraged to do 100,000 Chenrezi mantras—om mani padme hum—over the course of the year.

In the second year of the program, participants begin working with vipashyana, where one begins to investigate the nature of this mind that is resting in shamatha. This is the gateway to insight into the nature of mind. And for the third year, one begins instruction on joining these two techniques of stable resting and insight.

Traditionally, the preliminary practices (ngondro) of the mahamudra tradition are also done. These meditations remove obstacles and create positive conditions that allow practitioners to engage more deeply in shamatha and vipashyana. These include refuge and prostrations, the one hundred-syllable mantra of Vajrasattva, mandala offering, and guru yoga. These take about 40 minutes each day, but for those who are not drawn to these, this time can be spent with more shamatha or vipashyana. For those interested, one can aspire to 5,000 or 10,000 of each of these practices per quarter.

Who Should Attend
Practitioners at all levels are welcome to join the seminar. It is an especially skillful program for people wishing to create a meaningful daily meditation practice in the mahamudra tradition. This retreat is held as a shared practice container, and we ask that everyone who registers plan to be present for all sessions. Recordings will be available as a support for those attending, but not as an alternative way to participate. In addition, we ask that those who join be willing to take on the accompanying practice commitments for one year. Participants should have already received the vow of refuge—the formal act of becoming Buddhist—or be ready to take it. The refuge vow will be offered during the seminar and can be taken over Zoom.

The Seminar
The day will begin with calm abiding meditation and end with the Chenrezi practice. There will be detailed instruction for all of the practices to be done over the course of the year and plenty of time for questions and discussion. With Lama Sonam and Lama Kathleen present this year, we will have more time for special breakout groups for the various levels of practice. The daily schedule will be fairly full but will also allow for ample stretch breaks and time for rest and reflection. This retreat will be held in partial silence, with silence maintained each morning until lunch. In addition, several days will be held in full silence to help create a supportive atmosphere for practice.

The Founder and Teachers of the Program

Kyabje Bokar Rinpoche
Kyabje Bokar Rinpoche (1940-2004) was a renowned master of the Karma Kagyu lineage and the principal lineage holder of Shangpa Kagyu, which he inherited from his root guru, Kyabje Kalu Rinpoche. Drawing from a lifetime of study, intensive meditation, and many years of experience as a retreat master, Bokar Rinpoche first offered this program in 1992.

Khenchen Lodrö Donyö Rinpoche
Khenchen Rinpoche was nearly inseparable from Bokar Rinpcohe for his whole life and assisted him at all of the seminars. Since the passing of Bokar Rinpoche, Khenchen Rinpoche has assumed responsibility for the program and skillfully nurtured it.

Lama Eric met Bokar Rinpoche in 1996 when he offered the seminar in Portland. He later did retreat in India and was asked to begin sharing these teachings in 2018 and has served as KCC’s Resident Lama since January 2020.

Lama Sonam Dargye was a dharma brother of Lama Michael, and they participated in the same three-year retreat. He was one of the early westerners to participate in Bokar Rinpoche’s program and assists at our sister dharma center in Eugene, OR.

Lama Kathleen also met Bokar Rinpoche in 1996 and practiced under the seminar’s guidance for well over a decade before her three-year retreat at SCOL under Lama Michael and Lama Tara.

To learn more about the history of the Mahamudra Seminar, click here.

Book Recommendations

The Torch of True Meaning by Jamgon Kongtrul Lodro Thaye
A classic guide to the preliminary practices (ngondro) of the mahamudra tradition which include refuge and prostrations, Vajrasattva, mandala offering, and guru yoga. Paper copies of the book and a free ebook are both available.

Turning Confusion into Clarity by Mingyur Rinpoche
This is a contemporary presentation on these preliminary practices which is very useful to help you understand more about the practices. It also offers many techniques that one can use to keep one’s engagement with these meditations fresh.

Ocean of Definitive Meaning by Thrangu Rinpoche
Transcripts of Rinpoche’s teaching on the 9th Karmapa’s text of the same title. Wonderful descriptions of the preliminary and main practices of shamatha and vipashyana in here.

Ocean of Certainty by Traleg Kyabgon
Traleg Rinpoche’s oral translation/teachings on the 9th Karmapa’s Ocean of Definitive Meaning. Very helpful for the shamatha and vipashyana teachings of the seminar.

Retreat Schedule
The retreat opens on Friday, Sept 11, with an evening session and ends on Saturday, Sept 19, with a closing session.

For retreat days, the schedule will be as follows:

6:30 – 7:30 am Group meditation
7:30 – 9:00 am Breakfast break
9:00 – 10:30 am Teaching and meditation
10:30 – 11:00 am Tea break
11:00 – 12:00 pm Self-guided practice

12:00 – 2:30 pm Lunch break
2:30 – 4:00 pm Meditation and discussion
4:00 – 4:30 pm Tea break
4:30 – 5:30 pm Teaching and meditation

5:30 – 7:00 pm Dinner break
7:00 – 7:45 pm Chenrezi practice