Contents

Editor’s Preface

1. Friday, October 26: Combined Jorchö and Lama Chöpa Puja

• Extensive offering practice
• Renewing the bodhisattva and tantric vows
• Samayavajra practice
• Rejoicing
• The Eight Verses
• Dedications

2. Friday, October 26: Retreat Preparation

• Motivation: impermanence and death
• Blessing of the seat
• Blessing of the body, speech and mind

3. Saturday, October 27: Discourse Before Medicine Buddha Preparation

• The solution is lamrim
• A letter to President Bush
• Four basic ways to help
• Benefits of Medicine Buddha practice
• Dedications for the retreat

4. Saturday, October 27: Preparation For Medicine Buddha Initiation

• Medicine Buddha preparation
• The false I
• How time exists
• Analyzing body and mind
• The root of samsara
• The dangers of self-cherishing
• Cherishing others
• Medicine Buddha preparation
• Dedications

5. Saturday, October 27: Medicine Buddha Session

• Simple visualization
• The power of mantra
• Counting mantras
• The main point

6. Sunday, October 28: Discourse Before Medicine Buddha Initiation

• Geshe Lama Konchog’s story
• The root of samsara
• Bodhicitta motivation
• Dedications

7. Monday, October 29: Final Medicine Buddha Session

• Thirty-five Buddhas practice
• Making requests to the Medicine Buddhas
• Action Tantra mudras
• Making offerings
• Motivation for mantra recitation 
• End of mantra recitation
• Tea offering to the protectors
• Dedications 

8. Tuesday, October 30: Final Medicine Buddha Session

• Thirty-five Buddhas practice
• Dedication of session
• Mudras with prostration verses
• Making offerings
• Seven-limb practice
• Meditating on emptiness
• Motivation for mantra recitation
• Tea offering to the protectors
• Dedications 

9. Wednesday, October 31: Final Medicine Buddha Session

• Meditating on emptiness
• Motivation for mantra recitation
• King of Prayers
• Dedications 
• Benefits of holy objects
• Dedications
• The Bendigo Stupa

10. Thursday, November 1: Final Medicine Buddha Session

• Requesting prayer
• Aspects of the Medicine Buddhas
• The nature of omniscient mind
• Benefits of holy objects
• Meditating on emptiness
• Motivation for mantra recitation
• Protector prayers
• Dedications

11. Friday, November 2: Final Medicine Buddha Session

• The power of compassion
• The causes of abuse
• The benefits of living in vows
• Dedications
• Using abuse to develop compassion

12. Saturday, November 3: Final Medicine Buddha Session

• Benefits of Medicine Buddha practice
• Multiplying mantras

13. Sunday, November 4: Final Medicine Buddha Session

• Motivation for Thirty-five Buddhas practice
• General confession
• Taking refuge
• Meditating on emptiness
• Form is empty
• Motivation for mantra recitation
• Divine pride and clear appearance
• Visualization during mantra recitation
• Meditations during mantra recitation
• The meaning of retreat

14. Monday, November 5: Final Medicine Buddha Session

• Palden Lhamo
• Benefits of Medicine Buddha practice
• Dedications

15. Tuesday, November 6: Final Medicine Buddha Session

• Dangers of wrong views
• The nature of mind
• The views of the four schools
• Dedications 

16. Wednesday, November 7: Final Medicine Buddha Session

• Motivation
• How the mind exists
• Teachings on the Perfection of Wisdom
• The Diamond Cutter Sutra
• Life in Solu Khumbu
• Benefits of The Diamond Cutter Sutra
• Dedications
• Tasting tsog on precept days
• Final dedications

17. Thursday, November 8: Final Medicine Buddha Session

• Medicine Buddha’s prayers
• Making extensive offerings 
• Medicine Buddha’s prayers
• Dedications

18. Friday, November 9: Final Medicine Buddha Session

• Combining lamrim with sessions
• How dharmakaya manifests
• Piero’s story
• Wish-Fulfilling Golden Sun
• What makes an action virtuous or nonvirtuous?
• Dedications 

19. Saturday, November 10: Combined Jorchö and Lama Chöpa Puja

• Extensive offering practice
• Dedications

20. Saturday, November 10: Final Medicine Buddha Session

• Bodhicitta motivation
• Overcoming anger and ego
• Benefits of Medicine Buddha practice
• Tsog offering
• Protector prayers
• Dedications 

21. Sunday, November 11: Final Medicine Buddha Session

• Ceasing samsara
• The problem of desire
• Saving the lives of animals
• Dharma is the only solution
• Harming others
• Taking Mahayana refuge
• The four immeasurable thoughts
• Dedications

22. Monday, November 12: Final Medicine Buddha Session

• New York air disaster
• Identifying the object of ignorance
• The problems of desire
• Identifying the object of ignorance
• Dedications

23. Wednesday, November 14: Final Medicine Buddha Session

• Bodhicitta motivation
• Benefits of Medicine Buddha practice
• Dedications 
• Break-time practices

24. Saturday, November 17: Combined Jorchö and Lama Chöpa Puja

• The importance of Lama Chöpa
• Gomo Rinpoche’s wisdom mother 
• The importance of Lama Chöpa
• Extensive offering practice
• Taking bodhisattva and tantric vows
• Requesting prayer to the lineage lamas
• Rinpoche’s name mantra
• Dedications
• Mani pills

25. Saturday, November 17: Final Session

• Geshe Jampa Gyatso
• The protector issue  
• Fire puja
• Benefits of Medicine Buddha retreat

Appendix 1. An Open Letter to President Bush

Appendix 2. Benefits of Reciting the Seven Medicine Buddhas’ Names

Bibliography