Kunsangar North continues to be an important and active place for practitioners of the Dzogchen Community. On New Year’s eve, a practical retreat on the Dance of the Song of the Vajra was held at the Gar with instructor Tanya Gerasimova from St. Petersburg, and on December 31, the Gakyil invited the entire Russian-speaking community to celebrate the New Year. For this occasion about 100 practitioners came to the Gar. Many had not seen each other for a very long time, and Kunsangar once again united everyone. All night long we danced on the Mandala, sang around the campfire, and recalled the precious moments spent with Rinpoche.
In January, Vitya Krachkovsky successfully conducted an in-depth retreat on Yantra Yoga. The Gar also hosted educational and practice retreats under the guidance of our precious Vajra Dance instructors. In February, Anya Neiman came to visit us from Italy, and we were very happy to finally meet her on the Mandala. Together with Tanya Pronicheva, they conducted a training retreat on the Vajra Dance that Benefits All Beings and in parallel, Anya conducted a retreat on the study and practice of steps and timing in the method of contemplating the Dance of Space of the Song of the Vajra (Khalongdorjeikar).
Before the Tibetan New Year, on an auspicious day, we took down all the old lungtas and put up new ones with the intention that peace and harmony prevail in the minds of all beings. We celebrated Losar with continuous practice, dedicating all the merits to establishing peace and joy on the whole Earth and among all sentient beings, and continued with a very intensive practice of Jnanadakini Mandarava.
To maintain energy and develop knowledge and understanding of Chögyal Namkhai Norbu’s teachings, Kunsangar North regularly conducts practices in Zoom: practice of the Guardians with Sasha Pubants on Tuesdays, practice of advanced pranayamas with Oni McKinstry on Saturdays, practice of Khaita Joyful Dances on Saturdays, led by Khaita instructors from different countries.
There is a very large living area at Kunsangar North: buildings, facilities, a canteen, retreat houses, teachers’ houses, and a boiler room. It is very difficult to maintain it all. The task of the Gakyil during this period has been to try to correctly allocate resources for repairs and develop a strategy for preserving the Gar in this difficult time. If the Dzogchen Community stays together and sticks together as one team, then we will definitely manage to do it.
In winter, there was a heavy snowfall at the Gar and our groundskeepers had a very hard time, but they successfully cleared the entire territory. Despite the fact that we have an excellent canteen at the Gar, we decided to restore the kitchen for the members of the Dzogchen Community. Now we have the opportunity to cook our own food and eat it as if at home.
Our Gar also has the second largest stupa in Europe with a height of 14 meters. Inside there is a spacious room with an altar where we can come to do personal and collective practices.
We try to remember how rare it is to meet a real Dzogchen master, to receive innermost knowledge and how important the Three Jewels are: the Teacher, the Teaching and the Sangha. We are in the same boat until full realization.
We are waiting for everyone to come here for retreats and practices, or just come and relax. We also invite karmayogis to the Gar. Write to us if you would like to participate in the life of the Gar.
Looking forward to seeing you here!
With love,
Gakyil of Kunsangar North
