100,000 Songs of Milarepa

With Trungram Gyalwa Rinpoche

A DHARMAKAYA CENTER RETREAT

This retreat offers a rare chance to explore the teachings of Milarepa, Tibet’s revered enlightened master, through his celebrated songs and poetry. Known for presenting profound Buddhist wisdom in a direct and accessible way, Milarepa shared the path through 100,000 songs that continue to inspire practitioners today.

Guided by Trungram Gyalwa Rinpoche, recognized as an emanation of Milarepa, participants will study eight of these songs as the basis for the weekend teachings. The experience includes group singing and meditation on Milarepa’s messages, creating a format that is both engaging and deeply meaningful.

ONLINE OPTION : To make these teachings more widely available, Rinpoche is also offering the program via live-stream.

PROGRAM DESCRIPTION

Milarepa, known in Tibetan as the Lord of the Yogis, is remembered as someone who transformed a life of great wrongdoing into one of complete realization. Despite having killed 35 people, including family members, he attained enlightenment in a single lifetime and became one of Tibet’s most beloved teachers. His gift for turning every teaching into spontaneous song remains one of his most enduring legacies.

Across four weekend sessions, Rinpoche will teach on two songs in each session, and the group will sing them together. As he explains, singing and reciting these texts brings far more depth than reading alone, allowing the teachings to be absorbed more fully and understood from within.

Since Milarepa’s original melodies were not preserved, new contemporary music has been created for this program and is available in advance to help participants prepare.

For each song:

• Rinpoche introduces the setting: where Milarepa was, who he was singing to, and what was happening
• The group sings together with accompaniment from 3 musicians
• Rinpoche teaches on the song’s meaning and context
• The song is sung again, now with a deeper connection
• Rinpoche answers questions from retreatants

By moving through this process, participants gain a richer understanding of Buddhist teaching and of Milarepa’s luminous legacy through song.

THE GANACHAKRA FEAST

A ganachakra feast is a ceremonial gathering in which practitioners sing, make offerings, and share a meal as part of their spiritual practice. During this retreat, the feast will be held twice. The meal is symbolic and will include a small cookie and a few sips of wine as amrita.

2026 SONGS

The songs featured in the 2026 program are listed below. Participants are asked to listen in advance, become familiar with them, and come ready to join in.

• Seven Things It Is
• Compassion for the Yaksha Spirits
• I Feel Good
• Realization Atop the Cave
• Teaching at Dritse Snow Mountain
• Do as You Please
• Clearing Hindrances and Enhancing the Practice
• Union of View, Meditation and Conduct
• Vision of Marpa in a Cloud

The texts are drawn from 100,000 Songs of Milarepa by Tsangnyon Heruka, translated by Christopher Stagg. The music consists of original compositions created for this program and orchestrated using Suno AI, allowing participants to hear the songs in a fuller form before the retreat. During the event, 3 musicians will provide live accompaniment.

EVENT HIGHLIGHTS

• Intimate setting with personal access to Rinpoche
• Interactive sessions with question and answer periods
• Small group discussion
• Group singing
• Tsa-Tue yoga practice
• Ganachakra Feast
• Delicious all-vegetarian meals with locally sourced ingredients
• Option to extend stay on Personal Retreat
• Extensive library of dharma books
• Expansive wooded grounds with walking trails

OPEN TO ALL

No prior experience is required, and the program is open to everyone. Music and lyrics will be provided in advance so participants can prepare. Percussion instruments will also be available during the retreat, though guests are welcome to bring their own.

PRE-READING

There is no need to study beforehand, though the following books are recommended for those who would like to prepare. The retreat texts and songs will be drawn from:

• 100,000 Songs of Milarepa
  Tsangnyon Heruka, translated by Christopher Stagg
• The Life of Milarepa
  Tsangnyon Heruka, translated by Lobsang P. Lhalungpa

SCHEDULE

(subject to change)

Friday, May 29

• 3:00 PM
  Check in begins
• 6:00-7:00 PM
  Dinner
• 7:15-7:30 PM
  Welcome and Introduction
• 7:30-9:30 PM
  Milarepa's Story and Songs, with Rinpoche

Saturday, May 30

• 7:00-8:00 AM
  Breakfast
• 8:00-10:00 AM
  Milarepa's Story and Songs, with Rinpoche
• 10:15-10:30 AM
  Ganachakra Feast
• 10:30-11:30 AM
  Tsa-Tue Yoga
• 12:00-1:00 PM
  Lunch
• 2:00-3:00 PM
  Woods walk (meet outside Milarepa Hall)
• 3:30-4:30 PM
  Small Group discussion
• 4:30-5:30 PM
  Solitary Meditation and singing of vajra songs (around campus)
• 6:00-7:00 PM
  Dinner
• 7:00-9:00 PM
  Milarepa's Story and Songs, with Rinpoche

Sunday, May 31

• 7:00-8:00 AM
  Breakfast
• 8:00-10:00 AM
  Milarepa's Story and Songs, with Rinpoche
• 10:15 AM
  Ganachakra Feast
• 10:45-11:45 AM
  Closing Ceremony
• 12:00-1:00 PM
  Lunch
• 1:00 PM
  Checkout and Departure

Teacher

Trungram Gyalwa Rinpoche

H.E. Trungram Gyalwa Rinpoche is the founder and spiritual director of the Dharmakaya Center for Wellbeing. A scholar, teacher, and meditation master to thousands of students worldwide, he is also the first incarnate lama to earn a PhD in the West, completing his doctoral studies in Indo-Tibetan Buddhism at Harvard University in 2004. He leads the Trungram lineage, including its monasteries, meditation centers, schools, dharma centers, and groups around the world. One of the highest tulkus of the Kagyu lineage, he is a Rime master who has received teachings from great masters of…

Learn more about Trungram Gyalwa Rinpoche