Söpa Chöling - The Three-Year Retreat Center at Gampo Abbey

welcome to the Sopa Choling site

Söpa Chöling is the three-year retreat center at Gampo Abbey in Nova Scotia, Canada. It was envisioned by Chögyam Trungpa Rinpoche and founded by Thrangu Rinpoche in 1990.

The first three-year retreats were designed and taught by the great Buddhist master, Jamgön Kongtrul, Lodrö Thayé (1813-1899) who even today continues to be a dominant influence on the practices of Vajrayana Buddhism. The three-year retreat remains one of the most important institutions of Buddhism. This retreat of solitary meditation within a group has tremendous power to clear away the obscurations that prevent the clear recognition of mind's essence.

Söpa Chöling is the premier group retreat facility within our sangha. In a word, it is simply "perfect." The environment is completely suited and supportive for the deep training that retreat provides. The energy of the group discipline is very helpful. One has only to inhabit it, and all one's needs are provided...You have nothing at all to do but to apply yourself to the practice...

Acharya Larry Mermelstein

Second Annual
Vajrayogini Druppa
Sept 22 to Oct 5, 2013

Registration is now open for our next Vajrayogini druppa.

Click here for details.

Mahamudra with
Khenpo Lhabu
Drupon Rinpoche
Nov 2 to 10, 2013

Söpa Chöling has the very great honour to host the Mahamudra Master Khenpo Lhabu Drupon Rinpoche for his first visit to North America. Registration is now open for his Mahamudra program.

Click here for details.

Interested in doing a three‑year retreat?

Our next group (Group H) is now forming.

Click here for details.

Thangka from His Holiness, the 17th Karmapa

Söpa Chöling was given a thangka last year by His Holiness, the Seventeenth Karmapa during an interview with Dr. John Barnhill and Nancy Huszagh, Söpa Chöling's retreat master. They told His Holiness about the three-year retreat starting in September. He said that he was very glad to hear about it and that he would keep us in mind.

The thangka is a copy of one painted by His Holiness of the entire Kagyü lineage including all of the Karmapas. The center figure is Düsum Khyenpa, the first Karmapa. There are two hand prints of His Holiness on the bottom, which were on the original. At Nancy's request, he signed near the hand prints.

Take a look at this photo album of the thangka, created by Les Ste Marie.