Practice Weekend at The Great Stupa
September 12–13, 2025
Buddhist Path, Front Page Featured Programs, Meditation & Mindfulness, On Land Retreats
Program Arrival Date & Time: September 12th – 5:30 pm
Program End Date & Time: September 13th – 7:00 pm
Whatever your connection is to the Great Stupa of Dharmakaya and Drala Mountain Center, we invite you to come together to practice and deepen connection to the community. The land is full of the blessings of generations of dharma practitioners, invoking the magic of the ancestral and lineage Dralas in our high mountain valley. The special focus of this retreat will be the Great Stupa of Dharmakaya, celebrating the blessings of Tibetan Buddhism and the Shambhala wisdom tradition.
Stupas are architectural structures for community gathering and meditation practice, expressed in a perfect form from the pure nature of enlightened mind. They were built thousands of years ago in Asia and are said to have a positive influence on the power field of the whole universe by contributing to the preservation of peace in the world.
Our own Stupa is imbued with the energy of the dralas; the blessings of Chogyam Trungpa Rinpoche; the love and devotion of artisans and patrons, practitioners; the Ute, Arapahoe and Cheyenne indigenous traditions; and the many visitors from all over the world who naturally feel the power of this land. This is not just a place of practice. It is a living presence—a field of lineage blessings, a wellspring of clarity and peace.
In the morning, Judith Simmer-Brown will gather the community at the Stupa for supplications, circumambulation, meditation, and Lhasang smoke offering. With her exceptional scholarship that is based in her own practice and direct experience, Judith will teach us about the power of stupas and the how they invoke blessings for peace in the world.
In the afternoon, Judith will teach and lead meditation in the formless tradition of Mahamudra, opening to the blessings of lineage and land.
Program Schedule
Friday, 9/12
- 1:00-3:00 – Check-in. Arrival time can vary depending on individual schedules. Lunch is at 12:30 in the main dining room, if anyone would like to come earlier. We can also adjust check-in times, as desired
- 3:00-4:30 – DMC tour
- 4:30-5:30 – Rest / Free time
- 5:30 – Orientation in the Ridgen Shrine Room
- 6:00-7:00 – Dinner at Ridgen Lodge Community Room with walk or drive to the Stupa
- 7:15-9:00 – Introductory talks at the Great Stupa
Saturday, 9/13
- 7:30-9:00 – Breakfast in the main dining room with walk or drive to the Stupa
- 9:00-12:00 – Talk and practice at the Great Stupa
- 12:00-12:30 – Free time
- 12:30 – 1:30 – Lunch in the main dining room
- 1:30 – 2:00 – Free time
- 2:00 – 5:30 – Mahamudra talk and practice in the Ridgen Shrine Room with tea break at 3:30
- 6:00 – 7:00 – Dinner in the main dining room for anyone who would like to stay. There is the option to stay a second evening as well.
If you’re not attending the full retreat but would like to join us for the Saturday day program and evening fundraiser, you’re welcome to register for that option here. It’s a beautiful opportunity to connect with the community, receive teachings, practice at the Stupa, and enjoy a celebratory banquet in support of Drala Mountain Center. A suggested donation of $54 is requested to help cover food and teacher gifts for the day.
Retreat Faculty
Judith Simmer-Brown
Judith Simmer-Brown is Professor Emeritx of Religious Studies at Naropa University, where she has been in the faculty since 1978. She has practiced Tibetan Buddhism for almost 50 years and is senior dharma teacher in the Shambhala Buddhist lineage. She also serves on the steering committee of the American Academy of Religion’s Contemplative Studies Group. Her […]
