Andrew Holecek

ONLINE • Death and the Art of Dying: The Luminous Bardo of Dharmata

Andrew Holecek

August 24–31, 2022

Price
  • $400.00 – Program Price
From a spiritual perspective, death is the crowning moment of life. The karma that brought us into this life is exhausted, and the bad habits that will propel us into our next one have not yet formed. This gap (bardo) provides a golden opportunity for rapid spiritual progress — if we are prepared. This bardo is where the peaceful and wrathful deities appear, which represent the archetypal aspects of our own mind. “Dharmata” means “suchness, reality,” and refers to the enlightened state. All of manifest reality arises out of this bardo, and returns to it. It is the womb and the tomb of existence.
Because of the subtle nature of this bardo, this program is more advanced. Some familiarity with the bardo teachings is recommended.

Some Topics We Will Cover

  • How to remove all fear of death
  • How to help others at the end of life
  • The Tibetan Book of the Dead
  • What continues after death, where do you go
  • Where near-death-experiences fit in
  • The “primordial distraction”
  • Contemplations and meditations that help you prepare
  • How dream yoga and sleep yoga help you prepare
  • The role of psychedelics in preparing to die
  • The problem of proof
  • What happens to those who don’t recognize this bardo
  • How this bardo relates to nonduality and enlightenment
  • How this bardo manifests in daily life

 

Who Should Attend?

This program is for anyone seriously wanting to prepare for the end of life. It is a no-nonsense deep dive into the profound teachings of Tibetan Buddhism. While it describes the spiritual preparation from a Buddhist perspective, the teachings are for anyone interested in a non-materialistic approach to death. This retreat is for those interested in exploring meditations that prepare you for death, and to “die before you die” — to discover states of mind that do not dissolve at the end of life. This program is also for those wishing to help others during the dying process, either personally or professionally, from both a spiritual and practical perspective.
This is a hybrid program and you are on the registration page to attend at your home, online. If you prefer to attend in person, at DMC, you can find that registration page at this link.

Tentative Program Schedule

All times listed are in the Mountain Time Zone.

August 24th

7:30 – 8:00 pm Orientation

8:00 – 9:00 pm Opening Session

August 25th – 30th

9:30 am – 12:30 pm Session

4:00 – 6:30 pm Session

7:30 – 9:30 pm Session

August 31st

9:30 am – 12:30 pm Session

Of course, you may join from any timezone.

Scholarships

If you would be unable to attend without financial support, we do have scholarships available for those who would like to attend the online portion only. These scholarships have been made possible by partnering with Andrew Holecek. Please apply here by August 12th.

Recording

The talks and program sessions will be recorded. Registered participants will have viewable access to the recordings for 14 days after the program concludes.

Registration

Registration closes two hours before the start of the program.

Attendance

For those attending online, we encourage you to participate in the way that works best for your schedule and time zone.

Presenter

Andrew Holecek

Andrew Holecek offers seminars internationally on meditation, lucid dreaming, and the art of dying. He is the author of many books, including Preparing to Die: Practical Advice and Spiritual Wisdom from the Tibetan Buddhist Tradition; Dream Yoga: Illuminating Your Life Through Lucid Dreaming and the Tibetan Yogas of Sleep; Dreams of Light: The Profound Daytime Practice of Lucid Dreaming, and The Power and the Pain: Transforming Spiritual Hardship into Joy. Dr. Holecek is a member of the American Academy of Sleep Medicine and the author of scientific papers on lucid dreaming. His work has appeared in Parabola, Lion’s Roar, Tricycle, Utne Reader, Buddhadharma Magazine, Light of Consciousness, and many other periodicals. He holds degrees in classical music, biology, and a doctorate in dental surgery.

Program Details

This is an online program that will be conducted on Zoom. After registration, you will receive an email with simple instructions for downloading and using Zoom on your computer, laptop, or other device. At least 24 hours before the start time, a link to join the retreat will be sent to you via email.

IMPORTANT NOTE: Please be sure to add "onlineteam@dralamountain.org" to your email address book, to ensure that these emails don't get blocked as spam.