Summer at Kunsangar North was hot – the temperature sometimes reached 34°C, a sultry wind blew. It was like a gift from heaven after a long cold winter. The Gar was protected from the heat by the crowns of tall pines. We happily swam in the famous Klyazma river or in a picturesque lake. There were many different berries in the forests, and beautiful flowers and fragrant herbs in the fields. So we enjoyed the heat and the sun a lot. And, of course, we practiced together.
Vajra Dance practice and retreats are especially popular. This summer there were two big retreats with international instructors Adriana Dal Borgo and Prima Mai. And now mandalas are constantly spread in the Gar and Vajra Dances are practiced almost every day. Many people began to come from Moscow and other cities to dance, conduct a personal retreat, or relax and enjoy the beauty of the place. It is very mesmerizing when the harmonious sounds of the Vajra Dance or the melody of the Song of the Vajra of Space (Kalongdorjeikar) are heard throughout the forest.
Khalongdorjeikar dance retreat with Prima Mai via teleconference
Group photo after the retreat with Prima Mai
Yantra Yoga instructors also delight us with in-depth instructions at the retreats where people from all over the country gather. Recently, we held a retreat with Viktor Krachkovsky on the practice of kumbhaka and its application in pranayamas of 3-4 groups and the 7th lojong.
Yantra Yoga course with Viktor Krachkovskiy
In addition, we started holding practice retreats led by practitioners without an instructor. Recently we finished a wonderful retreat on the practice of purification of the six lokas with Vajrasattva. We practiced 4 thuns a day at Rinpoche’s house. It was a very successful experience. Now the members of the Community ask to hold similar retreats as often as possible, so that there is an opportunity for deeper collective practice.
In September, we plan to hold an interesting retreat on the basics of thangka painting with the world famous thangka painter and our Vajra brother Nikolai Dudko. Many people are looking forward to this unique event.
We also continue to actively conduct online retreats. Changchub Dorje’s phowa retreat with Zoltan Czer was very successful. People from different countries joined. And at the weekend retreat with Igor Berkhin there were about 200 connections!
With the help of karma yogis, a very complex and painstaking work is underway to restore our beautiful Stupa of Perfect Victory. Already now it is very popular not only among Buddhists and very soon it will be included in the number of sights of the city and tourists from different cities will come to us. Emaho!
Restoration of the Stupa of Perfect Victory is underway
In order to make everyone who comes to the Gar feel comfortable, we continue to repair the dormitories: we completely renovated 4 shower rooms, restored the stairs in one dormitory, updated the ventilation in the dining room, and repaired the boiler room. So we try to develop the place in all directions and develop ourselves.
Looking forward to seeing you all at Kunsangar North. Let’s practice and enjoy together!
With love,
Gakyil of Kunsangar North, Russia
