Kathy Wesley (Lama Gyurme Chötsö) has been a student of Khenpo Karthar Rinpoche since 1977. She participated in the first three-year retreat led by Khenpo Rinpoche at Karmé Ling Retreat Center in upstate New York, and thus earned the title of ‘retreat lama.’ Now, Kathy serves at the Columbus Karma Thegsum Chöling as its Resident Teacher and travels to other Buddhist centers throughout the country to share the dharma. Kathy is a graduate of Ohio State University with a bachelor’s degree in journalism. She lives in Newark, Ohio with her husband, Mike Wesley.

Please register here: https://www.zeffy.com/en-US/ticketing/retreat-weekend-with-khenpo-tenkyong-september-19-20--2026

Saturday, September 26

- 9:30 AM - 9:55 AM: Meditation

- 10:00 AM - 12:00 PM: Dharma Talk & Practice

- 12:00 PM - 1:30 PM: Lunch

- 2:00 PM - 4:00 PM: Dharma Talk & Refuge Ceremony

Sunday, September 27

- 9:30 AM - 9:55 AM: Meditation

- 10:00 AM - 12:00 PM: Dharma Talk & Practice

- -12:00 PM - 2:00 PM: Lunch

- 2:00 PM - 4:00 PM: Dharma Talk & Practice

Khenpo Tenkyong is a dynamic teacher committed to protecting nature and spreading dharma blessings to children and adults everywhere. As a bridge between ancient ways and modern needs, Khenpo Tenkyong meets students where they are in order to build strong foundations for strong practice. Skilled in meditation, yoga, and understanding precious nature, Khenpo Tenkyong’s passion for life can be felt in all of his teachings.

Khenpo Sangye Trinley is a respected lama and a qualified teacher of the Karma Kagyu tradition of Tibetan Buddhism. After going through many years of Buddhist studies and practices under many great masters, including H.H. the 17th Gyalwang Karmapa, Guru Vajradhara the 12th Chamgon Tai Situ Rinpoche and the previous Kyabje Dilyak Dazang Rinpoche, Khenpo Sangye Trinley became qualified as a respected Buddhist teacher and had been teaching Buddhist philosophy, meditation and ritual, as well as Tibetan and English languages in Dilyak monastery for more than two decades in Kathmandu, Nepal.

The Dallas KTC sangha will travel to KTD monastery in Woodstock NY to do a Ngondro Retreat. Ngöndro is a set of Buddhist practices that one chooses to complete at the request of one’s lama. Ngöndro can be translated as “to go before” It is therefore known as the four preliminary practices or the four uncommon or extraordinary preliminaries. The full practice may be compared to earning a bachelors degree in meditation as the practices usually take years to complete and when one is finished one normally receives a Yidam practice from his or her lama as sort of a graduation gift. Yidam means mind bond and is usually a lifelong practice. I will be describing the Karma Kagyu Chag Chen Ngöndro from the Ninth Karmapa here as this is what I practice.

The Ngöndro consists of four and sometimes five practices the four practices are:
1. Refuge and Enlightened Mind (prostrations)
2. Vajrasattva (diamond mind)
3. Mandala Offering
4. Guru Yoga

Khenpo Tenkyong is a dynamic teacher committed to protecting nature and spreading dharma blessings to children and adults everywhere. As a bridge between ancient ways and modern needs, Khenpo Tenkyong meets students where they are in order to build strong foundations for strong practice. Skilled in meditation, yoga, and understanding precious nature, Khenpo Tenkyong’s passion for life can be felt in all of his teachings. Khenpo Tenkyong is a resident lama at KTD Monestary in Woodstock, NY.