Summer Half Dathun Retreat
June 21–July 5, 2026 at Drala Mountain Center
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Dathun was developed by the Chogyam Trungpa Rinpoche to bring together the Kagyu and Nyingma meditation style with the Zen approach of silent group meditation intensives. It is not widely known in the west that silent group meditation was not particularly a feature of the Tibetan system. Chogyam Trungpa felt that for westerners, a solid ground of sitting meditation was important.
Dathun (meaning moon session) was traditionally a month long. Although this retreat will be two weeks, we will maintain the forms and traditions developed for Dathun, which are as much a part of the retreat as the meditation itself.
Dathun was a prerequisite for Vajradhatu Seminary, the program formally introducing students to Vajrayana practice. 3 Yanas: Entering the Vajra World is the current iteration of this. However, Dathun is a tradition unto itself and is regarded as one of the most important innovations the Vidyadhara contributed to establishing the dharma in the west.