Ten-Day Dzogchen Retreat in France 2019

In August 2019, the Kalachakra Centre in Paris invited Doug Veenhof to lead a ten-day program at its retreat center in the countryside to explore the "Great Perfection" of Tibetan Buddhism. With a range of techniques from mindfulness of breathing to merging mind and space, this unique approach to meditation aims to unlock the potential of the present moment to discover the nature of mind and appearances of reality.

Class Videos

1.1 Introduction to the Dzogchen prayers recited each morning before breakfast

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1.2 Line by line explanation of the Dzogchen prayers recited each morning before breakfast

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1.3 The lineage of these teachings, the three thoughts that turn the mind to dharma

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1.5 Guided Meditation: Developing stability and promoting clarity with short frequent sessions

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1.6 Mindfulness of breathing with attention focused at the nostrils

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1.7 Guided meditation: Mindfulness of breathing at the nostrils. Evening Q&A

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1.4 Level 1 of shamatha: Directing attention to a chosen object with intention

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2.1 Using awareness rather than focused attention in Asanga’s Mindfulness of Breathing

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2.2 Working with awareness in the Dzogchen Approach to Mindfulness of Breathing

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2.3 Guide Meditation: Dzogchen Approach to Mindfulness of Breathing

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2.4 The role of introspection in stabilizing mindfulness

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2.5 Guided Meditation: Attention Focused on Tactile Sensations of the Breath. Q&A

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3.1 The Architecture of the configured mind

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3.2 Guided Meditation: Viewing the activity of duality from substrate consciousness

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3.3 Working with stillness and motion in Taking Aspects of the Mind as the Path

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3.4 Guided Meditation: Recognizing the difference between stillness and motion

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3.5 Guided Meditation: Return to the soothing practice of Asanga’s Mindfulness of Breathing. Q&A

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4.1 The main practice: Taking appearances to the impure mind as the path

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4.2 The beginning of samsara and becoming lucidly awake

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4.3 Guided Meditation: Simultaneous Stillness and Motion

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5.1 Vipashyana, the investigation of the nature of the mind that has settled in non-conceptuality, luminosity and bliss. And Guided Meditation: All Appearances Are Mind

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5.2 Mind is Empty. And Guided Meditation

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6.1 Emptiness is spontaneous actualization. And Guided Meditation: The Four Points of Taking Appearances as the Path

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6.2 Identifying rigpa. And Guided Meditation: Vividly Knowing the Ultimate Nature of Mind and Appearances

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6.3 Guided Meditation: Yangthang Rinpoche’s Pith Instructions for Accessing and Resting in Pristine Awareness. And Q&A

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7.1 Contemplating your heart’s desire and advice for returning home

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