Cultivating Compassion in Daily Life
Serkong Tsenshap Rinpoche II
August 16, 2025
We are incredibly fortunate to welcome the highly revered lama, Serkong Tsenshap Rinpoche II, back to Vajrapani for a daylong retreat! We are delighted to have Rinpoche teach, as he is known for his warmth and humor as well as his ability to transmit profound and complex Buddhist concepts into accessible and practical advice for living for all students.
Serkong Tsenshap Rinpoche II will join us to explore the profound wisdom of The Bodhisattva’s Garland of Jewels, a concise yet powerful guide to cultivating compassion by the great 11th-century Indian master, Lama Atisha Dipamkara Shrijnana (980–1054). In this daylong, Serkong Tsenshap Rinpoche II will give a commentary on Atisha’s essential instructions for living with compassion, so you can create a happier and more joyful life.
Don’t miss this chance to receive the profound teachings of Serkong Tsenshap Rinpoche II as he guides students on the path to enlightenment. Register now!
Rinpoche will also be at our sister center Land of Medicine Buddha for a special insight retreat from Aug 18-24, called Path to True Freedom: Register Here
Who is this for?
This retreat is for anyone looking to cultivate practical advice for developing greater compassion, wisdom, and resilience in their daily lives. Whether you are new to Buddhism or an experienced practitioner, this daylong will bring immense benefit to your life. Don’t miss this precious opportunity to engage with one of our lineage’s greatest masters.
Registration Closes
August 9, 2025
Tentative Schedule for In-Person Teachings
- Arrival is at 9:00 AM on August 16th, please leave plenty of time to arrive and get seated before the teaching starts
- 10:00 AM- 12:30 PM Teachings with break
- 12:30 PM -2:00 PM Lunch Break
- 2:00 PM-4:00 PM Teaching session with break
- 4:00-4:30 Closing Talk, Group Photo
- Departing approximately 4:30 PM after the daylong retreat ends
About Vajrapani Institute
Vajrapani Institute for Wisdom Culture was one of the first Tibetan Buddhist Retreat Centers in America. Vajrapani aims to provide a friendly and conducive environment for people of all nationalities to learn and put into practice the teachings of the Buddha and connect with other Dharma practitioners. Located on 70 acres of secluded land within the redwood forests of the Santa Cruz mountains, Vajrapani Institute has been an immersive space for people of all backgrounds to find and deepen their spiritual practices, with the main goal of bridging the gap between the head and heart of practice.
Teacher’s Offerings
Traditionally, spiritual teachings are considered priceless; offerings to our teachers are not included in the fee information detailed on this page. Instead, we invite you to consider bringing a cash donation with you to express your gratitude for the teachings.
The Buddha encouraged the practice of generosity as it develops non-attachment, loving-kindness, and compassion and deepens the awareness of our interconnectedness. Offering Dana to our teachers, a Pali word for “generosity,” is said to benefit both the giver and the receiver, helping the giver to practice generosity and the receiver to practice acceptance. Your offering of Dana can be whatever feels generous to you in your heart and your particular financial situation. If you can’t afford to give a cash offering as Dana, a thank you note is perfectly generous.
Participants will get a chance to present a cash offering to the teachers on the last day of the retreat and this is supplemented by a donation from Vajrapani Institute. Please note that we don’t offer a credit card option for Dana.
Financial Aid/ Scholarships
We want to make retreats available to everyone. With this in mind, we will gladly work out a payment plan with you if needed. If more assistance is necessary, we offer several scholarships. Please note that the scholarship deadline is one month before the retreat begins.
- For detailed information on setting up a payment plan, please see Financial Aid: Payment Plans
- To see if you’re eligible for a scholarship, and how to apply for scholarships, please see Financial Aid: Scholarships
Our utmost goal is to help as many beings as possible to have the gift of retreat. If you have additional questions after reviewing the guidelines for payment plans and/or scholarships, please email the Office at office@vajrapani.org.
Teacher
At the age of two, Tsenshap Serkong Rinpoche II (1984 – present) pointed to the photo of the recently deceased Assistant Tutor of the 14th Dalai Lama and said, “That’s me!” Recognized as the reincarnation of the former Tsenshap Serkong Rinpoche, the young tulku received his Buddhist training initially at Ganden Jangtse Monastery in South India. After deciding to continue his work for the Dharma as a layman, he completed his education at the Institute of Buddhist Dialectics in Dharamsala. On the advice of the Dalai Lama, he has now completed two years of intensive study of English in Canada…
Learn more about Serkong Tsenshap Rinpoche II