Purification through Joy:
A 3-day Online Vajrasattva Retreat
with Michael Lobsang Tenpa

The practice of Buddha Vajrasattva is a powerful meditation technique of the Indo-Tibetan tradition, used primarily for purifying negative compulsions (negative karma), but sometimes also employed as a method for uniting our mind with its deepest potential (the practice of guru yoga) or manifesting pure vision.

Vajrasattva’s purification practice incorporates all the quintessential elements of Buddhist training—taking refuge, training in wisdom, training in compassion and love, strengthening our ethics, training in mindfulness—and supplements those with four powerful psychological states known as the four opponent powers.

In this 3-day online retreat with Buddhist translator Michael Lobsang Tenpa, we will explore Vajrasattva’s purification practice from the ground up, gradually building our confidence with regards to this profound method. 

Starting with a general explanation of visualisation techniques in Buddhism, Tenpa will guide us through the symbolism, logic and benefits of Vajrasattva meditation, through different ways of chanting (or reciting) Vajrasattva’s mantras and praises, and through certain additional techniques that can be used to make the purification process more powerful and joyful.

The online retreat will be firmly practice-oriented. This means that every session will include some meditation, supplemented by explanations and additional activities (such as journaling and Q&A). 

The end result for all the participants will be a deeper understanding of Vajrasattva practice and way to use it for greater eudaemonic wellbeing. 

Throughout the retreat, we will also make an emphasis on the quality of joy, using it to make our practice more meaningful and more aligned with the name of Vajrasattva’s (and Akshobhya’s) pure land – Abhirati, or “Manifest Joy”.