From Wednesday 24 December 2025
To Wednesday 31 December 2025

Location: Main Gompa

In the Mahayana lineage, the very essence of the Dharma path is to transform one's attitude from instinctive self-cherishing to genuinely always putting others first, and that there are no actual obstacles to practice, as every difficulty can be viewed with the right perspective as a blessing and a boost to one's practice.

Intellectually these teachings are very easy to understand, but we all know that's not easy to do. Thus, mind training is considered the quintessence of the path to Buddhahood.

The Seven Points of Mind Training is one of the most influential works of mind training composed in Tibet. This very succinct text was composed by Chekawa Yeshe Dorje (1101–1175) according to the Kadampa tradition of Atisha Dīpaṃkara. Through such texts, Atisha's teachings suffused throughout all traditions of Tibetan Buddhism to come down to us today.

The seven points cover:

1. preliminaries
2. main practice
3. transformation of adversity
4. life-long application of the practice
5. measures of progress
6. commitments
7. precepts.

Format of the course will incorporate:

• Dharma teachings
• review / question and answer sessions, and
• guided meditations.

Teaching Resources

• Sé Chilbu Chökyi Gyaltsen. (2006). A Commentary on the “Seven Point Mind Training” pp. 87–133). In T. Jinpa (Trans. & Ed.), Mind training: The Great Collection (The Library of Tibetan Classics, Vol. 1). Wisdom Publications – PDF (file size ~ 32 MB)
• Sé Chilbu Chökyi Gyaltsen. Commentary on the “Seven Point Mind Training" (Tibetan original text) – PDF
• Lamp for the Path to Enlightenment – Notes on the Wisdom Chapter – by Geshe Tenzin Zopa – PDF
• Shamata Meditation – A Daily Training Guide by Geshe Tenzin Zopa – PDF

Teacher

An esteemed teacher with a strong connection with the Foundation for the Preservation of the Mahayana Tradition (FPMT), find more about Geshe Tenzin Zopa's depth of knowledge and experience on our page – visiting teachers and course leaders.

Schedule

Wed 24 Dec
1:15 pm->	Check-in
6:00 pm	Supper
7:00 pm	Introduction to the retreat by Spiritual Programme Coordinator (SPC)
7:30 pm	Viewing the documentary, "Unmistaken Child"
Thu 25 Dec	Tue 30 Dec
6:45 am	Morning meditation
7:30 am	Breakfast
9:00 am	Teachings with Geshe Zopa
10:15 am	Tea break
10:45 am	Teachings with Geshe Zopa
12:00 pm	Lunch
2:30 pm	Discussion groups
3:30 pm	Tea break
4:00 pm	Teachings with Geshe Zopa
6:00 pm	Supper
7:00 pm	Evening Meditation
Wed 31 Dec
6:45 am	Morning meditation
7:30 am	Breakfast
8:30 am	Room check-out before the last teachings
9:00 am	Pilgrimage to Mahabodhi Temple with Geshe Zopa
12:00 pm	Big Lunch
2:00 pm	Tour of Root Institute and introduction to the social service projects – Maitreya school, Shakyamuni Buddha Clinic and the Stupa Garden.

 

Note: This schedule is subject to change.