The Light of the Path (LOP) is an intensive retreat that includes advanced Tibetan Buddhist practices, discussion groups and teachings. The root text for the course is Lama Atisha's Lamp for the Path to Enlightenment. Anyone is welcome to attend this year's retreat, even if you are a beginner or have not attended previous Light of the Path retreats.

 

For both new and previous LOP participants, Lama Zopa Rinpoche has repeatedly emphasized the need to review what he has taught in previous LOP retreats, so that at the upcoming Light of the Path retreat he can move forward through Atisha’s text. FPMT has developed Rinpoche's teachings from earlier LOP retreats into an online program,  Living in the Path  for easy study and practice.  To prepare for LOP 2023; participants can access the modules of the program here. Alternatively, participants can prepare by watching the videos of the previous LOP teachings, listening to the MP3 recordings, or reading the unedited transcripts.

 

 

Kyabje Lama Zopa Rinpoche, will teach the LOP afternoon sessions. Lama Zopa Rinpoche is one of the Founders, and is the Spiritual Director of the extensive worldwide network of centers, projects and services that form the Foundation for the Preservation of the Mahayana Tradition (FPMT), which he founded with Lama Thubten Yeshe.

 

 

This year, Venerable Tenzin Legtsok will be Lama Zopa Rinpoche's retreat assistant. 

Tenzin Legtsok is a Buddhist monk in the nineteenth year of the Geshe Studies Program at Sera Jey Monastic University in Karnataka, South India where he studies classic Indian Buddhist treatise and their Tibetan commentaries in the tradition of ancient Nalanda University. He was ordained by His Holiness the Dalai Lama in 2011. Born in Virginia, USA, in 1973 he obtained a Bacehlor of Arts from Kenyon College in 1995.

 

 

Retreat details

REATREAT DATE: 3rd to 17th September 2023

TEACHERS: Lama Zopa Rinpoche and Ven Tenzin Legtsok

 

OPTION 1: ACCOMMODATION AT KOPAN - FLAT FEE IN A DORM ~ US$ 450

From 3rd to 17th September

- What is included: this price includes the LOP retreat facility fee from 3 to 17 Sep, all meals, a free book and accommodation at Kopan Monastery in a dormitory. The price covers the practical expenses of hosting the retreat, it is not charging for the teachings.

- Who can apply to this option: students attending the whole two weeks.

- Accommodation: students can stay in a dormitory or in single, double and triple rooms with private or shared facilities. There is an extra charge for rooms that are not a dormitory, please click here and use the red column to know the daily room charges, you will need to add these room charges to the Flat Fee of US$ 450. The booking spreadsheet will give you three room options. We cannot guarantee you will be accommodated in your first room choice, rooms are allocated by order of booking and are confirmed upon arrival, we cannot confirm before. Please be aware that we have very limited single rooms. When the registration is open, please book with this in mind, check if you will be willing to accept the room that has been allocated to you upon arrival.

- Check-in time: is on the 3rd of Sep from 9am to 3pm latest. The first introductory session is at 5pm, please make sure to be here at that time.

- When to come/leave: you are welcome to come two or three days earlier, and leave one or two days later, check out time is on 19th Sep at 11.30am at the latest, unless you are planning to stay and participate in the Foundational Service Seminar (FSS), click here for more information. To check the extra cost of these extra days please click here. Our reception opens at 9am and closes at 5pm, arrivals are due to be done only within these times. 

- Monastic Monks & Nuns: receive 20% discount of the total amount in this option.

- Deposit: once students bookings have been accepted, they will be asked to make a non-refundable deposit of US$ 180 to secure their place. Information about the deposit will be sent by email by 20th of July.

- Payment: The rest of the full payment can be done upon arrival, we accept Nepalese Rupees, US$ and credit cards. There is an ATM cash machine just outside the monastery.

 

OPTION 2: RETREAT FEE ONLY ~ US$ 250

From 3rd to 17th September

-What is included: this price includes the LOP retreat facility fee from 3 to 17 Sep, all meals and a free book. The price covers the practical expenses of hosting the retreat, it is not charging for the teachings.

- What is not included: it does not include accommodation in Kopan Monastery.

- Accommodation: Students can stay outside Kopan and attend all the retreat sessions. Students may choose staying at Kopan Nunnery, for room charges information click here, please contact and liaise with them directly to book your room. Kopan will organize early morning and late evening buses from the Kopan Nunnery to Kopan Monastery, not from or to other places.

- Check-in for the retreat: is on the 3rd of Sep from 9am to 3pm latest. The first introductory session is at 5pm, please make sure to be here at that time. 

- Monastic Monks & Nuns: receive 30% discount of the total amount in this option.

- Deposit: once students bookings have been accepted, they will be asked to make a non-refundabledeposit of US$ 100 to secure their place. Information about the deposit will be sent by email by 20th of July.

- Payment: The rest of the full payment can be done upon arrival, we accept Nepalese Rupees, US$ and credit cards. There is an ATM cash machine just outside the monastery.

 

OPTION 3: RETREAT FEE ONLY ~ US$ 125

From 3rd to 10th Sep OR

From 10th to 17th September

-What is included: this price includes the LOP retreat facility fee for one week, all meals and a free book. The price covers the practical expenses of hosting the retreat, it is not charging for the teachings.

- What is not included: it does not include accommodation in Kopan Monastery.

- Accommodation: Students can stay outside Kopan and attend all the retreat sessions. Students may choose staying at Kopan Nunnery, for room charges information click here, please contact and liaise with them directly to book your room. Kopan will organize early morning and late evening buses from the Kopan Nunnery to Kopan Monastery, not from or to other places.

- Check-in for the retreat: is on the 3rd of Sep from 9am to 3pm latest. The first introductory session is at 5pm, please make sure to be here at that time. 

- Monastic Monks & Nuns: receive 30% discount of the total amount in this option.

- Deposit: once students bookings have been accepted, they will be asked to make a non-refundabledeposit of US$ 50 to secure their place. Information about the deposit will be sent by email by 20th of July.

- Payment: The rest of the full payment can be done upon arrival, we accept Nepalese Rupees, US$ and credit cards. There is an ATM cash machine just outside the monastery.

 

 

Group bookings

Please note that we don't take group bookings, each individual is to do their own individual booking. 

 

 

Notice from FPMT Budget Policy

Monastic Monks & Nuns and students should never be prevented from attending teachings because they cannot afford to. Please let us know if you cannot afford the retreat facility fee, we will find alternative ways for you to contribute to Kopan.

 

 

Retreat Schedule

The first introductory session is on Sun 3rd Sep at 5pm, please make sure to be here at that time.

The daily schedule begins at 5.30am and finishes at 9pm.

Participants are required to attend all session.

Silence is kept from 9pm until after lunch the next day.

Mobile phones and other internet connectable gadgets need to be checked in at the reception for the duration of the course. Read more on course discipline.

During your stay at Kopan, please follow our strict dress code, check if you are dressed appropriately for a monastic environment.

The retreat concludes on Sun 17th Sep at 11.30am with lunch.

Find a template of the schedule here.

 

 

Retreat Material

 

 

Translations

The teachings and practices will be all in English. We will be offering translations in these languages only, if you need translation please bring a manual FM radio:

- Spanish

- Italian

- French

- Mandarin