Cultivating Compassion in Daily Life: A Weekend Retreat
Serkong Tsenshap Rinpoche II and Dr. Alexander Berzin
August 15 - 17, 2025
***Retreat Update: Expanded Weekend with Serkong Tsenshap Rinpoche II and Dr. Alexander Berzin**
We’re delighted to share that what was originally planned as a daylong retreat with Serkong Tsenshap Rinpoche II has been expanded into a full weekend retreat! This allows for additional teaching time with Rinpoche! We’re also honored to welcome Dr. Alexander Berzin, who will offer a public talk and Q&A on Sunday.
We are incredibly fortunate to welcome the highly revered lama, Serkong Tsenshap Rinpoche II, back to Vajrapani for this very special hybrid weekend program! Rinpoche 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 weekend retreat, 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.
Special Public Talk with Dr. Alexander Berzin- “Serving Serkong Rinpoche Across Two Lifetimes”
We are deeply honored to announce a special Sunday morning talk with Dr. Alexander Berzin—esteemed Buddhist scholar, translator, and founder of StudyBuddhism.com—who will be joining Serkong Rinpoche during his upcoming visit to the Bay Area.
In this rare public talk, Dr. Berzin will reflect on his extraordinary experience serving both the late Tsenzhab Serkong Rinpoche (1914–1983), one of His Holiness the 14th Dalai Lama’s closest tutors, and his recognized reincarnation, the current Serkong Rinpoche, who continues the spiritual legacy of his predecessor.
Dr. Berzin served as the principal interpreter and close student of the senior Serkong Rinpoche for many years in India and has maintained this relationship across lifetimes. This brief talk by Dr. Berzin will be followed by a Q&A session. Attendees are encouraged to submit questions in advance to SPC@vajrapani.org.
Don’t miss this rare opportunity to hear firsthand reflections on a lifetime of spiritual service across generations.
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 retreat will bring immense benefit to your life. Don’t miss this precious opportunity to engage with one of our lineage’s greatest masters.
A Sneak Peek into Rinpoche’s teachings: “What is Compassion?”
Registration Closes
August 9, 2025
Register now, and you will receive Zoom and in-person attendance instructions.
Tentative Schedule (Bolded teaching times are Hybrid, schedule subject to change)
Friday, August 15th
3:00-5:00PM: Arrival
5:30-6:30PM: Dinner and cleanup
7:00-8:30 PM: Introduction with Serkong Tsenshap Rinpoche
Saturday, August 16th
7:15-8:00 AM Meditation (Leader TBD)
8:00-9:00 AM Breakfast and cleanup
9:30-11:00 AM Teachings with Rinpoche
11:00-11:30 AM Tea Break
11:30-12:30 AM Teachings with Rinpoche
12:30-2:30 PM Lunch and Cleanup
2:30-4:00 PM Teaching Session with Rinpoche
4:00-4:30 PM Tea Break
4:30-6:00 PM Discussion Session with Rinpoche
6:00-7:00 PM Dinner and Cleanup
7:15-8:00 PM Meditation (Leader TBD)
Sunday, August 17th
Early Morning Rinpoche departs for LMB
7:15-8:00 AM Meditation (Leader TBD)
8:00-9:00 AM Breakfast
9:30-10:30 AM Dr. Alexander Berzin: Serving Rinpoche Over Two Lifetimes
10:30-11:00 AM Tea Break
11:00-12:00 Dr. Berzin Q&A (questions may be emailed to Vajrapani beforehand)
12:00-12:30 Vajrapani Close, Picture, and Khata offering to Dr. Berzin
12:30-1:00 Lunch
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: Info Here
Additional Information
- Check-in is between 3:00 and 5:00 PM on the first day of the retreat
- Departing approximately 2:00 PM on the last day of the retreat after the group lunch
- FAQ page – helpful information for preparing for a group retreat and living on the land
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, 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.
About Retreat Fees (includes accommodation, 3 meals a day, and facility costs)
The collected registration fees include all accommodations, 3 nutritious vegetarian meals a day, and general facility/operating costs. Retreat registrations help support the center to keep everything operating, allowing us to invite so many precious teachers, and to hold this precious space of 70+ acres of secluded redwood forest to allow guests to have the quiet, contemplative space to continue spiritual growth.
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.
About the Teachers
Serkong Tsenshap Rinpoche II
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 […]
Learn more about Serkong Tsenshap Rinpoche II
Dr. Alexander Berzin
Dr. Alexander Berzin is a renowned Buddhist scholar and translator whose pioneering work has played a key role in introducing Tibetan Buddhism to the West. Born in New Jersey in 1944, he earned his PhD from Harvard before spending nearly 30 transformative years in India. His journey began on a Fulbright scholarship in Dharamsala and […]
Learn more about Dr. Alexander BerzinCategory : Public Retreats