MELVIN MCLEOD: Thank you all. I think it’s ideal to have a panel of the three of you who, I would say, are among the most highly trained Westerners in advanced Vajrayana/tantric practices.
Perhaps, Lama Yeshe, we could start with you telling us a bit about your background as a practitioner of advanced Vajrayana practices.
LAMA KARMA YESHE CHÖDRÖN: I began my practices of Vajrayana with much more philosophical and linguistic studies: studying the Tibetan language, the typical monastic college curriculum on a scaled-down basis at Rigpe Dorje Institute at Pullahari Monastery in Nepal. Then, after spending some time studying and doing some translation work for the khenpos there, I went into a classical, three-year retreat in the Karma Kagyu lineage, a Mahamudra retreat in Crestone, Colorado, headed by Kyabje Thrangu Rinpoche. And that curriculum was fairly standard for a Mahamudra retreat: basically a year of ngondro (preliminaries), guru yoga, and Mahamudra practices, a year of yidam practices, and then nearly a year of the Six Dharmas of Naropa. And I teach more basic-level practices of Vajrayana—so Chenrezig, or Tara—that are commonly presented at different Tibetan Buddhist centers throughout the Americas and in Europe.
MELVIN MCLEOD: Lama Justin, you are someone who has not done the standard three-year retreat.
LAMA JUSTIN VON BUJDOSS: Thank you, Melvin. That’s correct. I began a yogicstyle practice under the late Kyabje Bokar Rinpoche, beginning with the practice of Vajravarahi in the Karma Kagyu tradition, under his guidance completing the standard outer, inner, and secret levels of this.
When he passed away, I moved on to study with His Eminence Goshir Gyaltsab Rinpoche. Under his guidance I continued with this and then studied in practice the Six Dharmas of Naropa, and Mahamudra, under him. I also studied Mahamudra under Bokar Rinpoche. Then I was ordained as a repa under His Eminence Goshir Gyaltsab Rinpoche’s kind support.
Over the past six, seven years, I’ve been practicing Dzogchen, mostly within the Yuthog Nyingthig with Dr. Nida Chenagtsang, including the practice of dark retreat. I’ve done five dark retreats over the past few years, and I’m in the process of developing a dark retreat center with Dr. Nida Chenagtsang, and have received ngakpa (nonmonastic Dzogchen and Tantra ordination) under him in the Yuthog Nyingthig as well recently. I teach primarily Dzogchen and Mahamudra these days. Out of the Six Dharmas, bardo yoga, phowa, and illusory body practice are the yogas that I teach, usually within the context of death and dying.
MELVIN MCLEOD: Lama Drupgyu, I believe you are a three-year retreatant as well?
LAMA DRUPGYU: Yes. I became a student of Kyabje Kalu Rinpoche, the previous Kalu Rinpoche, early on, and took part in the first three-year retreat for Westerners. That took place in France from 1976 to 1980. I was then appointed lama in Paris and instructed to learn French, which I did. After two years in Paris, I was appointed druppön, retreat master, of three-year retreat on Salsbury Island.
And so I led a couple of retreat groups on Salsbury Island before going to India to participate in the translation of the [by Jamgön Kongtrul Lodrö Thayé (1813–1900)]. Around 2000, I was instrumental in founding Tsadra Foundation, of which I’m vice president and continue to be involved in terms of teaching. More recently, I got involved with Sukkhasiddhi Foundation in Marin and San Francisco, California, founded by Lama Palden, and
