Besides regular collective practices – Monday´s Khaita Joyful Dances devotedly led by Petra Zezulková, regular Yantra Yoga practice on Tuesdays and Vajra Dance with Milan Polášek on Thursdays – at Kunkyabling in Prague we also had a small workshop on making Namkhas in May, under the guidance of Pavel Rusinko, and in October we had a weekend of listening to Chögyal Namkhai Norbu´s webcast recording from the Prague retreat in 2016.
Fijalka Sable Turzíková led a course of Yantra Yoga for beginners 21 – 22 October and next year in January we will host her for a course of Kumar Kumari Yantra Yoga for parents and children, with the intention to involve parents in the class so that they will be able to regularly do the exercises with their children at home.
With joyful expectations of Yeshi Namkhai´s Dzogchen teaching retreat in June, we have been thinking about how to support people interested in receiving the transmission of the Dzogchen teachings and who are also interested in our community activities and the teaching of Chögyal Namkhai Norbu. In March together with Santi Maha Sangha instructor Lukáš Chmelík we opened a course called the “Art of Meditation” with the intention to provide support and some answers to newcomers and also to create an open space where we, community members, can meet together with them based on the principles of Santi Mahá Sangha. Learn, practice and together deepen and develop the base on which our practice should stand firmly.
These meetings are taking place over 6 weekends during 2023-2024 and are intended for the education and training in the Buddha’s teachings, the practice of meditation and are based on Five points for open courses by Master Chögyal Namkhai Norbu. This year we have already had 3 courses – in March Essence of the view, meditation and conduct on the path of dharma – Naturally relaxed mind (also with a short talk by Enzo Terzano, who connected to one of our sessions through ZOOM), in June – Calm abiding meditation – shamatha/shine and at the end of September Friendship to ourselves and good heart for others – Practice of the Four Immeasurables in Buddhism and Dzogchen. In January we will follow up with the 4th part on the theme Profound and liberating principle of transcendent wisdom – emptiness and The Heart Sutra.
Art of Meditation with Lukáš Chmelík in Kunkyabling, 29th September – 1st October 2023
At last our Ling welcomed Igor Berkhin, who led a weekend retreat on The Function of Sound in Dzogchen teaching, 10th – 12th November.
In the Czech Republic there are small local sanghas in the towns of Tábor, Plzeň, Brno, Olomouc and Třinec. People meet together for ganapujas, Vajra Dance and other practices. They also do some very nice “mini-retreats” together and under the guidance of SMS instructor Lukáš Chmelík (onsite or zoom). This is a very nice support for those who cannot travel to our lings and who wish to stay connected.
There was regular Tsetar practice – the summer pheasant and autumn fish release.
Also, we would like to inform the Community that this year we did not have enough people willing to join the gakyil. To maintain harmony, we had to decrease the number of gakyil members from 9 to 6. We would like to thank very much the members of our gakyil who are leaving for their long work and support of the Czech Dzogchen Community: Martin Erhardt (blue), Nikolet Illieva (red), Jana Tvrzová (yellow). We wish them all the best.
From January 1st 2024, the gakyil members of Kunkyabling will be:
Blue: Kateřina Drajsajtlová, Michal Sodoma
Red: Matěj Bošina, Monika Vrtišková
Yellow: Marcela Boučková, Jiřina Vlčková
Gekö of Kunkyabling: Martin Erhardt
Gekö of Phendeling: Květoslava Švédová
Featured photo: The Function of Sound with Igor Berkhin.
