
Retreat at Minling Lotus Garden
In the summer of 2025 at Mindrolling Lotus Garden, the long-awaited consecration of the newly built temple, Mindrol Gatsal, took place. Mindrolling Lotus Garden sangha members gathered from around the world to take part in this wonderful occasion. The process began with the elaborate po chog, the ritual for transferring the sacred contents, blessings, and siddhis from the old shrine room to the new temple. The po chog was held on the 16th of August, 2025. The ritual centers around the melong, or mirror, that serves as the physical support to gather the jnanasattvas and their blessings that the old shrine room has been imbued with over years of practice, studies, teachings, and transmissions. The melong is then covered in cloth in the colors of the Five Buddha Families and brought in a ceremonial procession from the old temple into the new temple.
Fragrant smoke from the incense and the sound of the sacred ritual instruments filled the land as the procession was led by Minling Dungse Rinpoche, Minling Jetsün Rinpoche, Minling Jetsün Khandro Rinpoche, Minling Jetsünla, the senior Mindrolling umdze, khenpos, senior monks and nuns. The melong and all sacred representations of body, speech, and mind of the buddhas, various offerings, tormas, auspicious symbols, substances, and victory banners were carried in the formal procession from the old shrine room to the new temple.
The ritual continued in the main shrine room of the new temple named Ngedon Gatsal, the Joyous Garden of Definitive Meaning. The mirror was uncovered and the jnanasattvas and their blessings were dissolved into the representations in Ngedon Gatsal, thus ensuring the seamless continuity of the wisdom beings’ presence.
At the conclusion of the po chog, Rinpoche addressed the gathered assembly and the many sangha members who joined the online live stream. Rinpoche particularly thanked Jetsünla for her great vision, leadership, and tireless efforts for the sangha of Lotus Garden, Britton la for his wonderful dedication in overseeing the temple construction project, the many monks and nuns who have worked tirelessly in ensuring the completion of the temple, and the core members of administrative team for their service to the lineage and to Lotus Garden.
Rinpoche also thanked the donors whose generous contributions made the construction of Mindrol Gatsal possible and all the members of Lotus Garden who contributed in so many ways. The sangha then enjoyed a celebratory afternoon, and all felt immense gratitude to Minling Jetsün Khandro Rinpoche without whose constant guidance, teachings, and care the temple could never have even been started.
The temple project is still ongoing. The murals and detailed artwork are yet to be painted in the shrine rooms, and while much of the surrounding Four Immeasurable gardens have been landscaped and planted, further landscaping work, the butter lamp offering shrine and other aspects are future projects still to be completed.
With the blessings and guidance of Minling Jetsün Khandro Rinpoche, Minling Jetsünla, and senior monks and nuns, the po chog and rabne of Mindrol Gatsal were completed this year. The official inauguration will be held in July, 2026. The Mindrol Gatsal inauguration will be a joyful occasion for the Mindrolling International sangha to gather and celebrate the opening of Mindrol Gatsal and the start of the next phase of Minling Pema Gatsal as the seat of Mindrolling in the West.
Practice Intensive Retreat
On the first day of teachings, after the sangha offered the mandala and ten sum (body, speech, and mind offerings) to Rinpoche, the Practice Intensive retreat began in Mindrol Gatsal. For 13 days, the annual Practice Intensive Retreat continued as Rinpoche bestowed teachings and instructions intertwined with practice days in the format of gar, dharma encampment.
As Lotus Garden and the sangha continues to grow and mature, Minling Jetsün Rinpoche and Minling Dungse Rinpoche also have begun to take their seats and presided over many of the practices and other sangha occasions at this year’s retreat.
Birthday of Minling Jetsün Khandro Rinpoche
The Birthday of Minling Jetsün Khandro Rinpoche was celebrated on the 19th of August. Minling Dungse Rinpoche and Minling Jetsün Rinpoche offered mandala, ten sum, and the entire assembly of monks, nuns, and western practitioners made extensive prayers for Rinpoche’s long life and vast unobstructed Dharma activity.
Opening of the Eyes of the Sacred Representations in Mindrol Gatsal
On the 26th of July, the ritual of opening of the eyes took place, as the statues in Ngedon Gatsal received the final stroke of paint filling the eyes by Minling Dungse Rinpoche and Minling Jetsün Khandro Rinpoche.
Rabne – Consecration Ceremony
Parallel to the Practice Intensive Retreat, the many khenpos and senior monks of Mindrolling together with chöpons of Pema Gatsal began the preparation for the rabne ritual, the actual consecration of the temple. The new shrine rooms were filled with abundant offerings and tormas, and the elaborate mandala was created as the support for the practice. One continuous zung thag (mantra thread) was tied around every shrine and sacred representation in Mindrol Gatsal and then around the entire temple itself.
This most extensive rabne ritual, accomplished according to the tradition of Terdag Lingpa, comprised three days of intensive practice, beginning on the auspicious 8th lunar day of the 7th lunar month. Hundreds of sangha members joined in the ceremonies including over a hundred members of the local Virginia Tibetan community. The final day of the rabne fell on the auspicious Guru Rinpoche Day (the 10th lunar day), and to the great good fortune of the gathered assembly, His Eminence Dzigar Kongtrul Rinpoche presided over the rabne ritual on this auspicious.
It was a wonderful celebration as the ritual was brought to conclusion. The gathered Rinpoches, monks, nuns, and lay practitioners practiced together in harmony and joined in the sincere aspiration that Mindrol Gatsal will be a place to hold and support the practice and transmission of the authentic Buddhadharma far into the future. The auspicious and joyful sedreng and blessing rituals were performed, and the entire environment blossomed fully with blessings and auspiciousness. This event marks an extraordinary landmark in the history of Mindrolling and the establishment of Mindrolling in the West. The vision of Mindrolling as the source of pure Dharma, a vessel for authentic and unadulterated transmissions, a place for deepened studies and practice, and wholehearted training manifested on the land of Pema Gatsal.
Dzöd Dün
Through the following days proceeded the lung—oral transmission of the Dzöd Dün, the profound texts called the Seven Treasuries composed by the omniscient Longchen Rabjampa. His Eminence Dzigar Kongtrul Rinpoche in his immeasurable compassion, recited tirelessly and melodiously, connecting the sangha to the profound blessings and wisdom of this great master in an unbroken lineage of oral transmission.
The transmissions concluded with Jetsün Khandro Rinpoche expressing deep gratitude to His Eminence Dzigar Kongtrul Rinpoche and the offering of mandala and ten sum to His Eminence by Dungse Rinpoche and Jetsün Rinpoche.
Lopöns and Teachers for the Sangha
Rinpoche also expressed appreciation to the Lopöns of Lotus Garden who have for many years served the sangha and guided students in their practice and studies. Rinpoche also announced the new teachers who will take on the responsibility of guiding the sangha under Rinpoche’s direction. The new generation of teachers were appointed with the titles of Acharyas, Upa-Acharyas, and Dharma Instructors and entrusted them to now serve the Dharma and the sangha of Mindrolling. The formal entrustment of the new generation of teachers will be held in 2026.
Conclusion
This summer was a wonderful step forward for Lotus Garden and the Mindrolling International sangha. With the powerful and constant blessings of the gurus and the lineage, the sangha has continued to mature and develop as practitioners, deepening practice and accomplishment, holding pure commitments and vows, and upholding conduct in accord with the Dharma. The outward growth and flourishing of Minling Pema Gatsal is a wonderful mirror of the inward growth of the sangha, and may all sangha members now joyfully embrace the shared responsibility for holding this container of such excellent qualities.
Through this year’s activities at Minling Pema Gatsal, may the gurus live long and continually manifest enlightened activity, may Dharma take deep root and flourish throughout the ten directions, and may the sangha, endowed with bodhicitta and the purely held vows, continue to accomplish the path and become the pristine vessel that holds the authentic Dharma.
Through the inconceivable blessings of the lineage may this land of Pema Gatsal be an ever-flowing source of pure Dharma.
May the gurus never cease to shower blessings.
May disciples have devotion and courage to fully tame their minds.
May this Joyous Garden of Ripening and Liberation bring benefit to all mother-like sentient beings!
