Description: Each year, Palyul Ling offers one special weekend when visitors may come on site and stay overnight in a tent pitched for this purpose. This allows visitors to experience the atmosphere of retreat without making a deeper time commitment. The program includes outdoor picnic meals, prayers with the monks, and, most years, a culture show that often features well-known names from the Himalayan entertainment community as well as talented amateurs. This year there will not be any cultural dances except for the Lama Dance and the evening program will include a talk by one of Namdroling’s seniormost Khenchen’s, Khenchen Tsewang Gyatso Rinpoche and Chod practice with HH Chogtrul Gyangkhang Rinpoche.

Palyul Ling’s primary purpose is to carry through the Summer Retreat yearly, from July 10 through August 10, as established by our founder, His Holiness Pema Norbu (“Penor”) Rinpoche. However, His Holiness always welcomed anyone who wanted to come and receive the blessings, whether they were ready for retreat or not. In this spirit, we have been offering this program for many years.

For visits in the “off-season” please read here.

Retreat Environment Visitors should understand that this is still a formal retreat environment. The retreatants are happy to welcome visitors who wish to come for blessing and experience the fresh air and open spaces of the center. Some areas and sessions are open to visitors, while others are reserved for registered retreatants only. Please follow posted signs and staff instructions during your visit.

Visits are also possible during certain parts of the Summer Retreat. Scroll down for information on doing so, or click on the “Registration” link here or in the top navigation.

Costs for the guest weekends held during retreat – we must register in advance for accommodation and meals:

Adult: $75

Teen: $50

Child: $25

The 2026 schedule below is provided as an example of the program (and is subject to change according to the needs of the retreat and the guidance of the lamas). Scroll past the image gallery to review the schedule.

Saturday, August 8, 2026

7:00 AM — Sang and Vajrakilaya Guru Yoga in the temple with the monks (Note: this is done daily.)

8:00 AM — Breakfast for Friday night arrivals and Retreatants in Main Dining

8:45 AM — Gather for Guru Yoga (Lama’i Naljor) with the masters in the Temple

10:00 AM — Temple closes for retreatant class; please do not disturb practice classes

12:00 PM — Lunch; temple reopens for blessings

2:00 PM — Green Tara Wang

4:00 PM — Lama Dance

5:00 PM — Picnic dinner under the tent (visitors should not go to the Dining Room as that will be used by Retreatants only)

6:45 PM — Gather in the Temple for a Talk with Khenchen Tsewang Gyatso Rinpoche followed by Chod with Chogtrul Gyangkhang Rinpoche

Sunday, August 9, 2026

6:00 AM — Wake up

7:00 AM — Early Morning Practice: Sang Offering; Vajrakilaya; Green Tara

8:00 AM — Breakfast

8:45 AM — Morning Practice: Bodhisattva Vow; Guru Yoga

10:00 AM — Practice by class

12:00 PM — Lunch / Rota

2:00 PM — Guru Rinpoche Tsewang (Long Life Empowerment)

4:00 PM — Rota / Individual Practice / Packing

5:30 PM — Supper / Rota

7:00 PM — Test for Tsa Lung students; Final practice by class; Clear out practice huts

10:00 PM — Lights out

Monday, August 10, 2026

6:00 AM — Wake up

7:00 AM — Early Morning Practice: Sang Offering; Vajrakilaya; Green Tara

8:00 AM — Breakfast

8:45 AM — Retreatants off a Rigzin Dupa Tsog and Mandala Offering; Visitors may attend but please do not approach the shrine

12:00 PM — End-of-Retreat Banquet with the Lamas

2:00 PM — Clean the Retreat Grounds; Departures begin

Visitor Notes

Visitors may attend public ceremonies and programs only. Retreat classes, tests, individual practices, and other retreatant-only activities are not open to visitors. 

The temple and practice areas may close to visitors at certain times so that retreatants can complete their practices and classes.

Please remain in areas open to the public and observe the retreat center’s guidelines throughout your stay. Do not go to the private huts in the woods that you have not been told you may visit.  This may lead to extremely negative consequences for you.

Visitor Rules and Responsibilities

Palyul Ling is a retreat center and monastery. We ask all visitors to help care for the land, buildings, and practice environment during their stay, so that all who come may receive the peace, blessings, and benefit of this sacred place. During the Culture Show weekend, we have retreatants who have been at the center for over three weeks. They maintain the center for their practice and we should not expect them to clean after us.

In order to preserve the merit of the space, we request all to please observe the following rules:

• No pets are allowed at the center during retreat. Trained service animals, as defined by the ADA, are permitted. Visitors who travel with pets should make arrangements with a nearby kennel before arrival.
• No smoking in rooms. Preferentially, no smoking at all as His Holiness Penor Rinpoche taught, these are harmful to the sacred energies within one’s body.
• No alcohol, recreational drugs, or intoxicants are permitted on the retreat center grounds. His Holiness Penor Rinpoche also taught that our goal is to tame our mind and these will not aid us in this endeavor.
• No weapons are permitted, other than equipment used for sports archery with prior permission. No target practice is allowed outside designated areas.
• Food may be kept and eaten only in the kitchen and dining areas. This helps prevent mice and other pests. Some local mice may carry hantavirus, so keeping food out of rooms and practice areas is important for everyone’s health and safety.
• No hunting. Palyul Ling is a place dedicated to prayer, practice, and non-harming. To help protect the retreat environment and avoid creating the conditions for harm and negative karma in a sacred place, hunting is not permitted on retreat center property, and visitors may not bring hunted game, fish, or other animals back to the center during their stay.
• Clean before you leave. Visitors are responsible for cleaning their own accommodations before departure. This includes vacuuming carpets, washing center sheets and blankets, cleaning any kitchen areas used, removing trash, and leaving the space ready for the next person. There is no housekeeping staff, and careful cleanup helps protect the time of the monk volunteer service team who care for the center.
• Please do not move retreat center furniture. If furniture must be moved, it must be returned exactly as it was found.

Please leave your room or tent clean, remove all personal items, dispose of trash properly, and return shared spaces to good order. This helps keep the center clean, safe, and peaceful for everyone who visits, practices, and serves here.

Visiting at Other Times During Summer Retreat (July 10 – August 5, 2027)

Those wishing to receive blessings from the teachers and shrine, attend empowerments, or visit during the summer retreat program in 2027 should register in advance using the retreat visitor registration form. Weekend empowerment visitors and overnight visitors must register through the retreat visitor process. During the summer retreat season, visitor costs follow the applicable retreat fee schedule, not the off-season visitor rate. If you are coming for the day and have questions, you may call 607-656-9640.

Retreat Visitor Registration Form can be found from “Registration Links” when registration reopens in 2027.