The first retreat started on September 20th, 2024, led by Khenpo Karma Wangyel. Gangteng Rinpoche came and blessed the retreat center and five practitioners entering the retreat on the 28th-29th of August 2024.
Even if you were to practice day and night with unflagging diligence for a full twelve years and still fail to have even one good dream, you must never lose heart. Recognizing that this is due simply to the strength of your own obscurations, you must be confident that neither your teachers nor the teachings will ever let you down.
(Dilgo Khyentse’s Rinpoche’s advice to three-year retreatants)
INTRODUCTION TO SAMTEN LHÜNDRUP GATSEL, THE DELIGHTFUL GROVE OF SPONTANEOUS CONCENTRATION
First time in the West, Gangteng Tulku has established a retreat center for his students (in Europe and elsewhere) in a small village of Umbusi in the middle of Estonia. The first batch of retreatants (five practitioners) started the retreat in September 20th, 2024 (follow the updates on our website).
Details about the retreat facility
Retreat Center’s name is Samten Lhündrup Gatsel, The Delightful Grove of Spontaneous Concentration- This name was given by Sungtrul Rinpoche in 2018 when he was leading a land taming ritual here.
Retrat center consists of five private cottages at the moment. The size of th cabins is 24-26 m2. Each cabin has a small kitchen, toilet and shower room and a living room with a large altar. Just before the start of the retreat, a smaller kitchen and utility building (20m2) was also completed (smaller than previewed but performs its function well). Inside the building, thee is a small temple room that can accommodate about 7-8 people. There is also a small oven, washing machine and additional refrigerator in the kitchen area. The house also houses the hub of the electricity and water system.
The houses are heated with an air source heat pump, but the center can also use a solar park – when the sun shines, the main electricity comes from there. The solar park is especially effective in spring and summer.
The wastewater system of the center is solved with the help of a bio-purifier.
In addition, water and electricity are available on two cottage plots, which can be quickly built in the future.
Next to the retreat center, there is Khenpo Karma Wangyel’s house under construction that still needs funds of around 7000 euros to be completed.
