About Lama Lena
Lama Lena (Yeshe Kaytup Rinpoche) is a teacher of Direct Mind Perception meditation (Dzogchen & Mahamudra) and a lineage holder of several Tibetan Buddhist lineages. Read more HERE.
There is no formal way to become a student of Lama Lena’s. It happens organically and non-exclusively. Lama Lena suggests checking out the teachings that interest you online, joining a teaching group, participanting on the forum, volunteering, and taking part in online and in-person retreats to get a deeper sense of your fit with her teaching style, of the community, and of yourself as a practitioner. You’re also encouraged to seek out other teachers based on your unique interests – there’s no monogamy here!
Please see instructions for contacting Lama Lena HERE.
Probably! Lama Lena teaches where she is invited. If you’d like her to teach in your area, coordinate with your local centre, sangha, or teacher to invite her formally.
About Dzogchen
The short answer is yes. Nothing ventured, nothing gained. Please read about these risks HERE and take them seriously. Seek out a qualified teacher and make a connection with them. Don’t walk the path of Direct Seeing alone.
In the Dzogchen tradition, the teacher introduces the student to the nature of mind through pointing out instructions. These instructions include words and symbols, but they also include a mind-to-mind component, known as a “wang” in Tibetan. This direct connection is essential to the student’s progress. Without it, only conceptual understanding arises in the student’s mind and this can actually act as a hinderance to further progress.
Historically, transmissions were given only in person, when teacher and student were in the same place, at the same time. Today, technology has sped up the pace and connectivity of the world and some Dzogchen Lamas have begun live-streaming their pointing out instructions. This is an experiment to see if the connection can be made across distances. A step further – and even more tentative – is the question of whether the connection could also be made across time (for example, via pre-recorded video). Currently, most Lamas suspect that transmission does not work this way and that student and teacher must at least be participating at the same time.
If pointing out instructions are a requirement for a particular retreat, it will be listed on the retreat info page.
Attending Teachings
Each retreat will have different pre-requisites, ranging from none at all (in retreats for beginners) to significant experience and practice. In addition, there may be practice commitments that you are required to make before embarking on a retreat. These requirements will be posted in the retreats section of this site and reiterated in the sign-up process. For the benefit of your own practice and to respect other retreat participants, please be honest with yourself and make sure you can participate fully in a retreat before signing up.
All online retreat participants must have the following:
- Zoom software version: 5.0 or later
- A reliable Internet connection
- A working microphone, speakers, and camera. Lama Lena requires that all participants in a closed retreat can be seen and heard clearly.
No. Lama Lena requires that all participants in a closed retreat can be seen and heard clearly. You must have a working microphone, speakers, and camera on your device.
Some retreats will have translation available depending on need and availability of translators. When you register for a retreat, please be sure to indicate your need/preference for a translator on the form. We will use this information in planning the retreat.
Costs & Donations
In traditional Buddhist culture, dharma teachings are offered freely and students give an amount that is suitable for them. Giving dana helps us to develop the paramita of generosity and the spirit of bodhichitta. You’re welcome and encouraged to offer dana within your ability for any classes you attend. You can do so via the Dana section on this site.
You can offer dana to anyone who teaches you or helps you access and understand the teachings.
This can be Lama Lena, the other teachres and Lamas in our community, and the translators who help you understand the teachings.
To find someone’s dana information, check here: lamalenateachings.com/give-dana/
Teachers sustain themselves on the generosity of students and practitioners. When deciding how much to give, consider what you might pay for similar classes offered elsewhere at a set price. Please also consider your own income and the proportion of it you can reasonably spend on teachings. Most importantly, dana should come from the heart in a spirit of gratitude and generosity.
Lama has taken a vow not to charge for her teachings and to receive voluntary dana instead. This is, however, her sole source of income by which she sustains herself and her family in San Francisco, where even the cost of simple living is high. Though this practice is habitual in Asia, where people are accustomed to giving generously for dharma teachings, here in the West students may need a little more guidance.
If you’re wondering how much to give, please consider what you might pay for similar teachings and retreats organized by other spiritual or coaching programs. Consider also that during these retreats, Lama not only teaches but holds space, gives transmission, and responds to your emails – all of which takes significant time, effort, and energy. Lastly, consider the rarity of these teachings and how few teachers are able to give them today, in a contemporary language, from an authentic, unbroken lineage.
Of course, all of these factors should be taken in consideration with your own income and the proportion of it you can reasonably spend on receiving Lama Lena’s valuable support and teaching. Most importantly, dana should come from the heart in a spirit of gratitude and generosity.
Lama has taken a vow not to charge for her teachings and to receive voluntary dana instead. This is, however, her sole source of income by which she sustains herself and her family in San Francisco, where even the cost of simple living is high. Though this practice is habitual in Asia, where people are accustomed to giving generously for dharma teachings, here in the West students may need a little more guidance.
If you’re wondering how much to give, please consider what you might pay for similar teachings and retreats organized by other spiritual or coaching programs. Consider also that during these retreats, Lama not only teaches but holds space, gives transmission, and responds to your emails – all of which takes significant time, effort, and energy. Lastly, consider the rarity of these teachings and how few teachers are able to give them today, in a contemporary language, from an authentic, unbroken lineage.
Of course, all of these factors should be taken in consideration with your own income and the proportion of it you can reasonably spend on receiving Lama Lena’s valuable support and teaching. Most importantly, dana should come from the heart in a spirit of gratitude and generosity.
Getting Involved
Once you’ve begun a daily practice, you can join one of the monthly Teaching Groups that Lama Lena hosts on Zoom. These practice-specific groups give practitioners the opportunity to interact directly with Lama Lena, ask questions, and discuss with fellow practitioners.
CHOOSING A GROUP: You can only join ONE group. Choose the group that corresponds most closely to your main practice. You might also like to consider the current number of people enrolled in each group – there’s more opportunity for individual attention in the smaller groups.
If you need help choosing, either write to Lama Lena or join the most relevant group and ask for guidance there. Lama Lena will help you sort it out.
MONTHLY GROUPS:
- Mahamudra (Monday)
- Tantra (Monday)
- Dream Yoga (Monday)
- Kurukulle (Monday)
- Ngöndro for those practicing prostrations (Wednesday)
- Ngöndro for those practicing Vajrasattva (Wednesday)
- Beginning Trekchö (Thursday)
- Intermediate Trekchö (Thursday)
- Experienced Trekchö(Thursday)
FREQUENCY: Groups will rotate, occurring once every 4 weeks. Please check the calendar.
REGISTER: Please register using THIS FORM
If Lama Lena suggests a change in group, please notify Jan (janowenchico @ gmail.com) to get the correct Zoom invite.
The forum is a space for community members to ask questions, support each other’s practice, and share conversations and creative writing. If you have participated in at least one online or in-person teaching with Lama Lena you can email Lama Tasha (info @ lamalenateachings.com) to request an invitation.
At the current time, the best way to help is to transcribe a talk. We have a large catalogue of recordings that need to be transcribed so they can be turned into books and practice pdfs and made accessible for differently abled practioners.
We are always looking for audio and video recordings from teachings from over the years. Please send an email without attachments to Lama Tasha (“info @ lamalenateachings . com”).
Find the right contact for your qustions here: lamalenateachings.com/contact