There are several hundreds of practice and study sessions published monthly on Sangha App by single practitioners or by gars and lings. Out of these, 94% are recurrent online practices. Retreats spanning several days average 22 every month. Very few are taking place only in person.
Following the example of Rinpoche, whose retreats were always webcast, our community started organizing more online events, in the context of the travel limitations of the pandemic. How does it work for them?
What do practitioners say?
Among the benefits of online courses, practitioners say, are the reduced time and costs, being more relaxed and focused, and integrating the teachings into daily life.
According to a Yantra Yoga practitioner from Ukraine, it is very useful to connect online with a teacher who can see you and make sure you are practicing correctly. He also considers that Rinpoche is present with us, even in online practice.
A volunteer translator of online courses estimates that the online option brings three to ten times more participants than the in-person option. She participated in 30 courses over two years, covering multiple areas of interest.
Another volunteer translator explains that when he is attending an online retreat, he sets up his schedule according to that of the retreat. Luckily, he has a flexible job, so he can avoid overlapping. He is able to fully listen, not to work, cook or clean the house at the same time.
He believes that the benefit of the courses actually depends on one’s own relationship to the Dharma. For some people it is like learning a foreign language 5 minutes a day with Duolingo: fun, but not not committed. Not all practitioners apply the practices autonomously, but still, they enjoy listening to the teachings, sometimes over and over again.
Many other practitioners expressed that they simply don’t manage to focus and feel that online education is not for them. They participate one or a couple of times a year, in-person. These occasions allow practitioners to relate more deeply than with online interaction. They also support the physical existence of the Gars and Lings that we would like to imagine as lively, inhabited places.
What do the teachers say?
Elias Capriles, SMS teacher, considers that online courses have a positive impact from an ecological point of view, reducing the impact of travels. In that sense, it is better if the teachers travel to meet local practitioners, rather than the other way around. Otherwise: “from the point of view of practice, there is no comparison. Practice is definitely more effective in person because there is the empathic aspect. That is a very important aspect of teaching. And that is lost.”
While teachers are supportive of online options for their courses, they also agree on the importance of meeting and practicing together in person.
Russian teacher Evgheni Shamrov notices how the financial burden of participating in face-to-face events courses is unequal, given the income difference between those living in big cities and those from rural areas. From his experience, only few people have such a high capacity that it doesn’t make a difference if they are online or offline. He believes that the effort put into traveling and stepping out of the comfort zone, multiplied by interest in Dharma, produces a better result – at the level of the assimilation of knowledge in the flow of mind.
SMS teacher Arnaud Coquillard says that he would prefer to hold face-to-face courses, to create a first live contact, then follow up in online sessions. At the same time, he employs state-of-the-art software to strengthen communities of practitioners through a more constant communication.
At a meeting in 2015 in the U.S., Chögyal Namkhai Norbu indicated that he had authorized instructors from all over the world so that they could meet the students, noting that all in-person practice should not be replaced with online teaching.
Our Teacher, Namkhai Yeshi, also underlined the importance of face-to-face practice, making it a necessary part of the transmission of the mantras of secondary practices. In the last 6 months, since we received this indication, important retreats took place in this formula (recordings of Rinpoche, in-person explanation and practice).
A few suggestions for good online retreats
Students:
- Block time and do not do something else in the meantime.
- Keep your camera on.
- Don’t keep it exclusive; go physically to Dzogchen community places as much as possible.
Teachers:
- Leave space for questions and create a dialogue.
- Have good lighting and an expressive way of speaking, imagine speaking to the actual persons, not to a screen.
- Keep in contact with your students through online platforms and think of it as a long-term relationship.
Sangha App offering help
Sangha App is a great tool for remaining in contact with people with transmission, and with course participants. One way to do it is by creating practice and discussion groups: https://www.mahasangha.net/together/private-practice-or-leisure-groups/
We also offer a global tool to access events in the Dzogchen Community. Here is how you can easily filter online and in-person retreats:
