Summer 2025 Seminar with Chokyi Nyima Rinpoche and Post Seminar Two-Week Retreat
Sat Aug 30, 2025 at 04:00 PM to Sat Sep 06, 2025 at 10:00 AM
Timezone : Europe/Paris
Rangjung Yéshé Gomdé Pyrénées, La Bastide, France
Rangjung Yeshe Gomde Pyrénées joyfully invites you to the upcoming summer seminar offered by our beloved teacher, Chokyi Nyima Rinpoche from August 30th until September 6th.
We also invite your to remain at Gomde for 2 weeks following the seminar to put the instructions into practice and deepen your experience in the post-seminar Sphere of Refined Gold retreat led by Drubpon Lama Tenzin Sangpo. Dates for the retreat are September 6th through September 21st.
SUMMER SEMINAR
The seminar will start on August 30th after dinner with welcome and conclude on September 6th after the morning practice. Rinpoche will teach from August 31st to September 5th. Drubpon Lama Tenzin Sangpo and Khenpo Pema Namgyal will also offer instructions that we can immediately put into practice in the ideal setting of our mountain retreat center.
Rinpoche will generously offer practical instructions based on the practice instruction text, The Sphere of Refined Gold terma with commentary by Jamgon Kongtrul Rinpoche. He will share core instructions on recognizing and gaining stability in the nature of mind. In additions, Rinpoche will give advice for those who plan to practice in the two-week and three month Sphere of Refined Gold retreats offered by Gomde Pyrénées as well as for those who are interested in coming to know the natural state. Rinpoche frequently recommends that nature of mind practitioners purify obscurations through the practice of Sangtik Dorsem (Vajrasattva) and thus he will also kindly bestow the empowerment for that practice.
The official arrival day for the seminar is August 30th and the program will begin in the evening after dinner. If you intend to arrive earlier than August 30th please book additional days below and let us know your dates by writing to us at retreatinpyrenees@gomde.fr.
The official departure day for the seminar is September 6. We will begin the 2- week Sphere of Refined Gold in the afternoon of that day, so we ask everyone is not staying for the retreat to check out of their room in the morning of September 6. We appreciate your understanding that we need some time to prepare the spaces for people to do retreat.
Prerequisites: The most important prerequisite for attendance is genuine trust and faith in the Dharma and the wish to practice the teachings. It is best if one has taken refuge, previously practiced meditation in the Buddhist tradition for an extended time, and received mind nature teachings previously from Chokyi Nyima Rinpoche or another teacher in the tradition.
ACCOMMODATION DURING SEMINAR
Due to our limited space, beds in the Gomde house in shared rooms are only available for those who are attending the full seminar from August 30th-September 6th. All our rooms will be converted into triple rooms and all bathroom facilities are shared.
You are very welcome to camp on our land either in one of our tents or in your own tent, but we will need you to register for that here as well. Our tent camping also has dry toilets and shower facilities.
There are also limited options in the gites in the village of La Bastide. These gite options are shared apartments with several bedrooms, a kitchen, and an attached bathroom. Some of the bedrooms are only set-up with a double bed to sleep a couple.
Finally, there is the option of the gite dormitory. This is very basic accomodation with bunk beds in two adjoining rooms. There is a very small kitchen and one bathroom.
Please read the accommodation options carefully to make the most suitable choice.
POST SEMINAR TWO WEEK SPHERE OF REFINED GOLD PRACTICE RETREAT (ONE WEEK OPTION)
From September 6th until September 21st we have the opportunity to deepen our practice and internalize the teachings received from Rinpoche with a structured retreat led by Drubpon Lama Tenzin Sangpo.
The retreat will end on 20th of September in the late afternoon after we practice the Calling the Guru from Afar together. We have planned transport for leaving for the morning of the 21st of September.
Please also register for the post-seminar retreat below. Participants for the retreat should be prepared to stay on-site at Gomde in order to maximize the practice opportunity.
We would like to stress that noble silence is encouraged during this retreat and participants can wear badges that indicate they prefer not to engage in any conversation. In teachings on the nature of mind, Chokyi Nyima Rinpoche and Drubpon Lama Tenzin often mention that remaining in silence allows for the meditation experience to develop. We encourage all participants to take this unique opportunity to learn how the rare practice of silence can be beneficial.
You can also stay for one week but for accommodation in rooms at Gomde, preference will be given to people who will stay the full 2 weeks retreat.
Anyone is welcome to practice in the open air around Gomde main house or a small walk away or in the meditation hall. We understand that it will need a bit more discipline and ability to deal with distractions but it can also be an amazing possibility to practice in the mountains. This can be particularly important for those who are staying in tents, as it allows you to experience the benefits of the vast vista.
You can also stay for one week but for accommodation in rooms at Gomde, preference will be given to people who will stay the full 2 weeks retreat.
Anyone is welcome to practice in the open air around Gomde main house or a small walk away or in the meditation hall. We understand that it will need a bit more discipline and ability to deal with distractions but it can also be an amazing possibility to practice in the mountains. This can be particularly important for those who are staying in tents, as it allows you to experience the benefits of the vast vista.
CANCELLATION POLICY
It takes a lot of effort and resources to plan a seminar with Rinpoche. Therefore if you cancel less than 30 days to the start of the seminar we regret that we cannot refund your fees.
If you want to insure yourself against the risk of needing to cancel, Billetweb offers an event insurance option during the checkout process while registering. This is managed by Billetweb and Gomde has nothing to do with it but a number of prior participants have had success with this method.
TRANSPORT
We will arrange transport from and to Barcelona Airport and Perpignan on the dates and times you can see under tickets. The times might change a bit to suit all the people best.
We will contact you about the details of the pick-up and drop-off latest 2 weeks before the event. If you have any questions about the transfers, you can write to shuttles@gomde.fr.
We ask that you purchase a transport ticket if you will need a ride to Gomde from Perpignan or Barcelona Airport. Please purchase it at least 1 week in advance.
For other arrival or departure times, you will need to make your own arrangements with public transport or taxis in Barcelona or Perpignan. We appreciate your understanding of our remote location. There are many different options for bus and train travel from Barcelona to Perpignan (Check Flixbus, BlablaBus, trainline.com).
There is also a cheap option with Public transport on 29th, 30th of August and 6th, 20th of September. Please find detailed information regarding public transport options to Gomde and how to make the reservation in this document: https://tinyurl.com/get-to-Gomde-Pyrenees
We can pick you up by car from La Bastide or Valmanya if you write an email to shuttles@gomde.fr at least 2 days in advance with your arrival date, time and the size and number of luggage.
We can pick you up by car from La Bastide or Valmanya if you write an email to shuttles@gomde.fr at least 2 days in advance with your arrival date, time and the size and number of luggage.
Date and place
Sat Aug 30, 2025 at 04:00 PM to Sat Sep 06, 2025 at 10:00 AM
Timezone : Europe/Paris
