Foundations of Vajrayana Buddhism:
Seven Day Retreat with Dr. Nida Chenagtsang
September 17 - 24 2025
Pure Land Farms, Topanga, CA
This very special retreat organized in honor of the release of Dr. Nida’s new book by the same name and arrival of new Yuthok statue at Pure Land Farms is a deep immersion into the profound healing path of the Yuthok Nyingthig and includes empowerment, reading transmissions, teachings, and guided practices.
Vajrayana, the "Diamond" or "Indestructible" Vehicle of Buddhism, aims to rapidly transform ordinary perception into enlightened awareness. It offers profound tantric methods that allow the dedicated practitioner to achieve Buddhahood in a single lifetime through skillful engagement with the mind's fundamental nature. Rather than deny complex human emotions, experiences, and suffering, Vajrayana invites us to understand and integrate them into our spiritual path as fuel for transformation and spiritual growth.
Within the various lineages of Vajrayana Buddhism, the Yuthok Nyingthig presents a unique path of healing for oneself and others, rooted in the timeless universal healing wisdom of the Medicine Buddha, with practical applications in a modern context.
The foundation of Vajrayana Buddhist practice is Ngöndro, commonly known as the Preliminaries. These practices offer profound opportunities to purify karma and accumulate merit, gradually and safely transforming the mind altruistically through a structured set of embodied meditations. In the Yuthok Nyingthig, special emphasis is placed on Guru Yoga, where a series of four distinct Guru Yogas are practiced as the Yidam (Deity)/Creation Stage, forming the foundation of the path.
In this retreat, Dr. Nida will guide students through foundational ngöndro and guru yoga practices of the Yuthok Nyingthig within the context of Vajrayana Buddhism, leaving participants with a clear path forward to embark on the healing journey of the Yuthok Nyingthig.
Empowerment and reading transmissions will be given to ground the practice within the profound blessings of the unbroken lineage of the Yuthok Nyingthig.