Retreat center – YESHE KHORLO ESTONIA

NEW 3-YEAR RETREAT IN ESTONIA STARTING SUMMER 2028

according to the Pema Lingpa Lineage at the Samten Lhündrup Gatsel (A Grove of Effortless Concentration) Center, Estonia, Europe.
Retreat Master: Khenpo Karma Wangyel

Gangteng Rinpoche has said: “Staying in a retreat house is not like staying in an ordinary house; it is a house of awakening—awakening in a three-year retreat is possible!”

INQUIRIES AND REGISTRATION
To express interest or inquire about practical details, please contact:
Email: yeshekhorloest@gmail.com (www.yeshekhorlo.ee). Alternatively, you may contact Khenpo Karma Wangyel directly.

CANDIDATE PROFILE

Approval from Gangteng Tulku Rinpoche or Khenpo Karma Wangyel
Mental & Physical Stability: A stable mental state and good physical health suitable for long-term isolation.
Practice Experience: Previous experience with long recitation and preliminary practices (Ngöndro) or silent sitting practices. Candidates should have experience with shorter retreats (1–3 months or more) and a solid knowledge of the Buddhadharma.
Commitment: Ability to adhere to strict retreat discipline and lineage instructions.
Dietary Awareness: Maintaining a mindful diet to support energetic balance.
RETREAT STRUCTURE
The 3-year retreat follows the traditional stages of the Pema Lingpa lineage under the guidance of the Retreat Master:
Preliminary Practices: ngöndro.
Generation & Completion Stages: Training in the Three Roots (Lama, Yidam, Khandro).
Advanced Training: Dzogchen practices according to the Pema Lingpa tradition.
FINANCIAL & PRACTICAL DETAILS
Retreat Fee: €10,000
Covers general maintenance (repairs, grass cutting), fuel costs, and food delivery. Also includes travel expenses and teaching fees for Rinpoche, Khenpo, and other teachers, as well as funds for future construction (teaching hall and retreat houses).
 Refund Policy: If a participant leaves during the first year, €5,000 will be refunded. No refunds will be issued for departures after the first year, as costs (maintenance, heating, teaching costs etc.) are shared equally among all retreatants to ensure the center’s
continued operation (being a group retreat, new participants cannot be accepted if somebody is leaving in the middle).
Personal Costs:
 Food (price can be very variable, starting from 100 euros per month) are at the practitioner’s own expense. Food is cooked by retreatants themselves;
 electricity and heating costs (minimal in summer (max 5 euros per month from June to September), 40-80 euros per month in winter, might change in the future).
 health insurance
Food Logistics:
 Standard food delivery is organized once every 14 days. Due to the bi-weekly schedule, practitioners must maintain a modest diet and a flexible attitude toward available items (during prostrations’ period we try to bring as much as everybody likes, it is easy to become exhausted)
 If necessary, participants may order not easily perishable food online.
 Ideally, candidates should have experience living in simple (or non-Western) conditions, where the temporary satisfactions of a consumerist society are not readily available.
Additional Deliveries: If more frequent delivery is required, we can make private arrangements.
Communication: An internet connection is available in the service building/temple for urgent communication (emails or contacting Khenpo-la or caretakers).
ACCOMMODATION & LIVING CONDITIONS
The retreat is held at the Samten Lhündrup Gatsel Center, a 1.8-hectare fenced area outside of Umbusi village. The remote location ensures a quiet environment for the duration of the retreat.
There are five private cottages (approx. 25 m²) designed for long-term solitary practice. There is a possibility to quickly build two more cottages (electricity, sewage system and water connections are completed).
Each cottage is fully equipped for isolation, including:
 A meditation room with a large altar and a bed.
 A kitchenette (stove, sink, and fridge), bathroom with toilet and shower.
 A small terrace.
 Air-source heat pumps and solar energy.
The center also features a service building with a communal washing machine, additional fridge and storage space, and a small temple for essential group practices

Update about construction works of Khenpo Karma Wangyel’s house (26th of Sept)

Much work has been done over the last few days, with some minor works and cleaning of the house and the surrounding area. A few volunteers came to help over the weekend! A big thank you to them.

Ceiling insulation – done. Bathroom’s water connections together with necessary equipment installation – done. We have almost managed with the donations we have received, but a little more is still needed for the road work and one more task for the house—rain gutters (600 euros)!

Thank you for your continous support! If you can, please support us a little bit more:

Receiver: YESHE KHORLO EESTI MTÜ Name: Yeshe Khorlo Estonia Account: EE212200221065708346 SWEDBANK, SWIFT code/BIC: HABAEE2X

PayPal: yeshekhorloest@gmail.com

Happy Losar!

As the Tibetan New Year approaches, Yeshe Khorlo Estonia expresses heartfelt gratitude to everyone who has helped make the three-year retreat in Estonia a reality.

Also, the fundraising through Chöd teachings in January was a great success—we managed to raise over 6,000 euros for Khenpo Karma Wangyel’s house.

A few dedicated Sangha members continue to support this project so that we can provide food for those in retreat. However, additional support would be greatly appreciated, as we had to rely on the retreatants’ personal funds to cover the final construction costs.

If you feel inspired by this meaningful endeavor and wish to accumulate merit, you are warmly invited to contribute via our bank account or PayPal.

Every donation makes a difference—just 20 euros provides ten days of food for one retreatant!

Sarva Mangalam!

The first snow on the retreat land! (23.11.2024)

The first snow this week on the retreat land! But not too cold yet – around minus 2 during a day. With this post we just remind you that you can have an opportunity to accumulate good merit by donating for the retreat people to whom we should pay back the money we took from them for the last bills. We have received 185 euros of donations in November and we are so thankful! Also, one Sangha friend sent to everybody a precious gift parcel with hand made things and more inside! We do not need so much now but it is good if we keep in mind our Sangha’s practitionners in retreat:) Also, our Sangha’s translator Andrzej is now translating one text (sku gsum sgrub pa – an explanation manual of Lama Norbu Gyamtso practice) that is necessary for the retreat people after a few months. If possible support also this translation project! And every week, we do some works in the retreat master khenpo Karma Wangyel’s house (we need around 7000 euros to complete it. Half is done! Our account details: Paypal: yeshekhorloest@gmail.com;

Bank Transfer Details:

Receiver: YESHE KHORLO EESTI MTÜ

Account: EE212200221065708346

SWEDBANK, SWIFT code/BIC: HABAEE2X

Bank address: Liivalaia 8, Talllinn, Estonia, 15040.
SWEDBANK, SWIFT code/BIC: HABAEE2X

The beginning of the three-year retreat: 20.09.2024

On the 20th of September 2024, five practitioners from Yeshe Khorlo Sangha started the three-year retreat in Estonia, in Umbusi village in the three-year retreat center called Samten Lhündrup Gatsel (The Pleasant Grove of Spontaneous Concentration). The retreat master is khenpo Karma Wangyel. Gangteng Rinpoche gave personal advice to those entering the retreat during several days when he was in Estonia. There will be three tsamyogs- helpers who deal with practical questions and translation, if necessary.

It is very rare in the western countries that there is an oportunity to do the Dzogchen retreat, and it is the first time in history this retreat is done according to Pema Lingpa’s tradition outside of Bhutan. We, the members of Yeshe Khorlo Estonia, are very happy that we have managed to make this retreat happen.

We still miss around 10 000 euros to pay the last bills (we have had a great help from several donors, but we also had some thousands of euros of more costs (finishing the gate, fence and other works related to kitchen-storage-temple room).

Our very recent helpers: Dariusz – 4000 euros, Katrin: 1000 euros, Ulrike: 500 euros, Marje: 750 euros, Hanna: 500 euros, Raivo: 200 euros. We are so thankful! We also thank Tanel, Bori, Marc, Andrus, Merle, Mari, Jonas, Dominique, Jannus and Monica for (continous) support!

For the next three years, the gate will be closed but whoever can, a little support for practitioners in retreat is always great and very helpful – most of them gave most of their money in the beginning of retreat and very big part of it has gone for the construction works.

Temple room got ready just before closing the gates

The three-year retreat will start very soon! Last works and preparations

Time has passed very quickly after the departure of Gangteng RInpoche and khenpo Karma Wangyel (who will be back after a few days though). Meanwhile, the kitchen house is almost finished, the ceiling insulation done, bathroom works almost completed (now, just shower curtains have to be put on place). Today, the retreatants also moved from Umbusi Buddhist center to the retreat center. We are soso thankful to so many people who have supported us recently (some of you again and again!): Rimo, Andrus, Monica, Rein, Veiko, Viivi, Anneli, Jannus, Reine, Mikk, Raivo, Kenno, Liis, Katrin, Leeve, Kaia-Kaire and Hedi from Estonia (2295 euros altogether), Dariusz (2000 euros), Marion (so many more euros), Aurelie and Edith from France (together 1000 euros), Birgit, Yeshe Khorlo Deutchland, Ines and Marina (main support for Thujila: around 8000 euros), Lupita, Alexis (1000 euros, again), Dechen and Pema (1500 dollars), Rovshan (500 dollars), and some more through Paypal (monthly payments and others), as well as some who do not want their names to be mentioned (another 5000 dollars).

The only problem in the end, like always, is that there are some unexpected bills, higher costs than we thought of some works, so we still lack around 10 000 euros to pay the bills (and some works, mainly in the kitchen, are still going on). We try to do everything as cheap as possible (the furniture is so-called B-quality, with some defects but perfect for us, we have found all the fridges from the second hand market, we have got most of the home items from our friends or second hand shops, and as said before, bathroom tiles were for free (though looking very expensive, the floor material is marmoleum but we got leftover pieces mainly (7 euros per m2).

PayPal: yeshekhorloest@gmail.com

Aadress: Umbusi village, Põltsamaa parish, Jõgevamaa county, 48026.

Bank Transfer Details:

Receiver: YESHE KHORLO EESTI MTÜ

Account: EE212200221065708346

SWEDBANK, SWIFT code/BIC: HABAEE2X

Progress of construction works (09.08.2024)

One week has gone again and we can modify a little bit to do list, some works are done!

Construction of the inside walls in two houses – 70% is done.
Plastering, painting and wallpaper works in two houses: lime plaster done in main rooms, kitchens have to be finished. One main room painted, one to be done, wallpaper works to be done.
Outside boarding: mainly done! (ten boards are missing, because material finished, we will get it).
Gate work: needs to be completed: just work, not much new material needed. Roof of the gate done! Doors have to be done.
Fence: most of the material bought, needs to be done. Help needed! Update: 08.08.2024: 300 meters of poles done, 100m of fence done (altogether it will be 500 meters. It is not 2 meters high and non trasnparent, but it works as a limit of the retreat center. Spruces that we planted last year, will grow soon and cover the view.
Installation of 13 doors (3 exterior doors and 10 interior doors: 2000 euros). We can almost manage. Doors are on the way.
Finishing the kitchen-storage room’s roof and ceiling, intallation of windows and a door. Windows and roof material almost there (some roof material needs to be bought. Lot of help needed. In front of the kitchen storage house a terrace has to be done to cover the part of the foundation we could not manage to build. These works have started.
Kitchen windows for each house (5), installation of them. Little money and help necessary.
Outside gardening works, excavator’s works where it could have not been done earlier. Some more flowerbeds done, other works not yet. (can be around 500 euros)
Floor works (half og the material is there). Help needed.
Assembly of IKEA kitchen furniture (arrived). Needs help from voluteers.
Installation of the pump in the deep-drilled well (includes also the cost of the pump): 2500. Done by a company. Water is there! Finishing of the bathrooms (two not yet done at all) toilets and showers have to be bought (no money for that right now).
Construction of wind boxes for houses, installation of gutters (no money for that work).
Ceiling: heating material and installation (at least 1200 euros)
Construction of stairways and a small terrace in front of each house (we start preparation works from tomorrow.
Finishing of electricity works everywhere.

view

Update about the works (22nd of July 2022)

Lot of time has passed since the last post, but also lot of work done (the main work is still done by Yeshe Khorlo board members, some friends have come help us but we have had to hire also some more workforce to do some works that we do not know exactly how to do).

There are five houses now, a gate as well. In three houses, painting works are in progress (lime plastering works are done), one wall got the Tibetan style wallpaper (the abundance of Vajrayana) bathroom works will start from Monday 23th of July (preparations are done by ourselves).

In two houses, last layer of insulation has to be put on place, then the construction of the inside walls can start.

Also an excavator will come on the 24th of July to clear everything around the houses.

We still have some money left but the works are progressing fast and every day, we need to pay several bills, thousands of euros (material for outside boards: 700 euros, works related to external lining installation: 1700 euros, and several other smaller bills of hundreds of euros (paint, fence material, moisture barrier for bathroom, material for the gate, bush cutting works – sorry, we got too exhausted to do this ourselves:). We are very-very grateful for the donations but to whomever it is possible, please send us some more (excavator’s work next week, bathroom tile works (tiles we got for free).

Update about construction works (April 25th, 2024)

We have meanwhile received almost 20 000 euros of donations- we are very thankful! We still only need around 15 000 euros to complete all the five houses! We also need to complete the kitchen-gathering hall (there is just a foundation right now), but probably in a smaller scale. We have installed all of the electrical cables in the three houses, the wall insulation, taping and installation of special membrane on the walls is almost completed.

We still need very much everybody’s support to complete these works!

Khenpo Karma Wangyel in Estonia, Oct 2023

Khenpo Karma Wangyel visited again Estonia and the three-year retreat center. Besides, he gave teachings in Estonia in two different places (Pärnu and Tallinn). In Tallinn he taught the profound meaning of vipashyana, highest seeing, and in Pärnu, he taught the paramita of wisdom, and the Heart Sutra.

This time, also lopön Thuji, who is now residing in France, came also to Estonia as she will be one of the participants of the first three-year retreat here, and she brought her things already here. Khenpola also marked the foundations of the other houses that will be eventually necessary for the first retreat (it depends on the number of participants but the plan is to have at least six houses ready). We have received around 3000 euros of donations in September ( we installed the doors for four houses (around 2000 euros, and got the final 9 windows (100 euros each – extremely cheap, but very good quality – triple layers and fully ready made) for the houses (a very little used windows from Sweden, high quality and at least triple layer of glass), but around 80,000 is still missing! Please donate (check our bank details under contacts).