Grounding into our radically awakened power
Difficult times sometimes require strong spiritual medicine. These times in particular offer a variety of challenges to our ability to stay grounded and resilient in our connection to our path of awakening as well as our work to be a benefit to others. In such times sometimes care, love and wisdom can be found within the arms of the wrathful mother.
Within the tantric Buddhist tradition Palden Lhamo Dudsolma and Troma Nagmo offer two profound examples of the power, wisdom and skill of the wrathful mother. Troma Nagmo is sometimes known as the ‘secret’ form of Vajravarahi, an important female Buddha who represents the wisdom of awakened bliss/emptiness. In this secret wrathful form, Troma Nagmo constelates and helps to introduce the practitioner to the vast spacious freedom that lay at the core of our being – a freedom beyond self without center or edge. Palden Lhamo Dudsolma is an enlightened female dharma protector who manifests a fierce wrath that cuts through outer and inner obstacles to settling into the awakened state. In a way, both Troma Nagmo and Palden Lhamo are quite similar to Kali and may have a similar root within the context of possible origins in much older wrathful mother practices that existed on the Indian sub-continent in earlier times.
These two practices originated from two incredible early Indian mahasiddhas, or tantric yogins. This particular lineage transmission of Troma Nagmo originates with the great 11th century South Indian Parambuddha Padampa Sangye who brought many spiritual practices to Tibet during his three main journeys to the Himalayas. This particular lineage of Palden Lhamo Dudsolma comes to us originally from the great 8th to 9th century mahasiddha, Virupa, along a yogic lineage to the famed mahasiddha Naropa who passed it on to the Tibetan translator Marpa who brought it to Tibet in the 11th Century. These two practices come to us in an unbroken lineage through Lama Justin.
During this 7-Day retreat the empowerment for the dharma protector Palden Lhamo Dudsolma and the wrathful form of Vajravarahi known as Troma Nagmo will be offered by Lama Justin von Bujdoss.
The retreat will begin with the initiation ceremony into both of these powerful tantric Buddhist practices followed by the reading transmission for these practices and teachings on these two dynamic wrathful female buddhas. Over the course of the period of the retreat we will lay a solid foundation around these practices, including practical advice on formal meditation practice as well as informal engaged practice that can be done in the midst of one’s daily life.
Our 7-day retreat will also include microdoses of the plant medicine Iboga within the container of the Missoko Bwiti (Bwété) tradition. This traditional spiritual path traces back to the very beginnings of human history, originally birthed by the Babongo people of Southern Gabon. These simple but direct teachings help us to reconnect with “nature,” ourselves, and the direct experience of the present moment.
Iboga is used by Bwiti practitioners as a guide and tool that cuts through the patterns of confusion we have created throughout our lives, restoring us to the truth and our nature. It is said that you cannot have Bwiti without Iboga, and Iboga without Bwiti. To learn more about Iboga, you can read here.
The microdoses, orientation, and brief Bwiti teachings will be given by Ryan “Ghenigho” Rich who is the founder and a lead facilitator at Root Healing Iboga Retreats. He is initiated into the Missoko Bwiti tradition and is empowered to facilitate Iboga and numerous other spiritual practices from the tradition.
Logistics
All-inclusive food
We are only 30-40 minutes from the airport and will provide an airport transfer once we have your flight itinerary.
Dates: February 25th to March 2nd
Pricing: Starting at 3500 euros. All proceeds go towards supporting Yangti Yoga
To book or learn more, email ghenigho@roothealing.com
About
Justin Von Budjoss
An American vajrayana Buddhist teacher, writer, and the co-founder of Bhumisparsha an experimental Buddhist sangha along with Lama Rod Owens. He is the author of Modern Tantric Buddhism: Authenticity and Embodiment in Dharma Practice published by North Atlantic Books, and contributor to Buddhism and Whiteness: Critical Reflections published by Lexington Books. From 2016 until December 2021 Justin served as the Executive Director of Chaplaincy and Staff Wellness for NYC Department of Correction where he also served as Staff Chaplain supervising over 30 chaplains and guided wellness programming for staff. Justin also has professional experience in home hospice and hospital settings as a pastoral caregiver. Justin was ordained as a repa, a lay tantric yogin in the tradition of Milarepa, by His Eminence Gyaltsab Rinpoche, one of the heart sons of His Holiness the 16th Karmapa. Lama Justin has presented on Buddhist practice at Harvard, Princeton, Yale, University of Chicago, Wellesley, Columbia University, has been a visiting instructor at Union Theological Seminary, and is a senior teacher at Pure Land Farms. Justin is passionate about helping to create the conditions for authentic embodied tantric Buddhist spiritual practice in the West.
Yangti Yoga
Arising from the vision of Dr. Nida Chenagtsang and Lama Justin von Bujdoss, the Yangti Yoga Retreat Center is envisioned as a place for spiritual practice and awakening rooted around the practice of Yangti Yoga, or dark retreat. We focus on primarily on Yangti Yoga practice based upon the the Yuthok Nyingthig tradition. The Yuthok Nyingthik lineage is the source of Sowa Rigpa (གསོ་བ་རིག་པ་།), the Tibetan language term for the traditional medical system of Tibet, translated into English as “the Science of Healing”. While we specialize in the presentation of Yangti Yoga meditation, or Dark Retreats, in which participants retreat in complete darkness for anywhere from 1 day up to 7 weeks, we are also dedicated to the presentation of the Ati Yoga practice traditions of the Karma Nyingthik and Konchok Chidu. Yangti Yoga Retreat Center offers retreats, workshops and educational programming suitable for the general public as well as the seasoned practitioner along with high quality, spa-like services for all of our guests so that they can go deeply within themselves to connect with the inner light which exists in all beings.