The Jewel Maker: The Reverberation of Sound May 22 - June 20

The 2026 Annual 30 Day Dzogchen Retreat led by Lama Michael

This summer, we will enter a truly rare and transformational retreat, The Jewel Maker: The Great Tantra on the Consequence of Sound, a 30-day Dzogchen retreat guided by Lama Michael.

This retreat offers a rare opportunity to step out of daily distraction and remain within a continuous field of practice—where the teachings are not studied conceptually, but directly experienced.

📅 May 22 – June 20, 2026

📍 Pemako Retreat Center, San Diego or Online Live via Zoom and Recorded on Teachable

🔹 Four extended daily practice sessions

🔹 A complete retreat environment — silence, rhythm, and continuity

🔹 Direct guidance from Lama Michael (tri)

🔹 A structured container supporting continuous recognition

Within the Nyingthig lineage, this tantra is regarded as a pinnacle expression of Dzogchen, revealing sound itself as the living radiance of awareness

It states without hesitation

“The king of the Tantras is the Consequence.

The most secret and unsurpassed teaching is right here. Period. Believe it.

Anyone who reads this Tantra and holds onto it… will be practicing the service of all the Buddhas.”

This is not symbolic.

It is a direct pointing.

The Focus of This Retreat

At the heart of this year’s retreat is the Reverberation of Sound Tantra, a root tantra of the Seventeen Tantras of the Dzogchen Menngagde (Esoteric Instruction) lineage.

Within these teachings, sound is not approached simply as something heard.

It is understood as an expression of awareness itself.

The tantra presents Dzogchen view and practice through the direct experience of sound, including the principle of nāda, or primordial sound.

It teaches that all spiritual teachings and all appearances arise as expressions of this primordial sound, not as theory, but as something that can be directly recognized.

Methods such as semdzin (“holding the mind”) support the stabilization of this recognition.

As this deepens, realization is not separate from its expression.

Traditionally described in relation to nirmanakaya, this points to the spontaneous expression of awareness within lived experience—where activity, relationship, and the welfare of others arise naturally from recognition itself.

Teaching and Transmission

The oral transmission (lung) of this tantra will be offered within the retreat.

The retreat is guided, taught, and structured by Lama Michael Gregory, who will provide the practice instructions (tri), leading participants into direct recognition through sustained immersion and lived experience.

The Nature of the Retreat

This is not a conceptual training.

It is a sustained immersion into:

• The indivisibility of sound and awareness

• The spontaneous presence of all phenomena

• The direct recognition of the natural state

Here, nothing is cultivated.

Nothing is improved.

Nothing is abandoned.

Sound itself becomes the path,and the realization.

Structure of the 30 Days

The retreat is designed as a complete container for continuous practice and recognition:

• Four practice sessions per day (approximately two hours each)

• Silence maintained throughout, except

for Q&A and essential communication

• No phone or internet use during the retreat

• Observance of the Five Precepts

• Vegetarian meals (for in-person participants)

• Karma yoga to support the retreat environment

• Integration across waking, dreaming, and deep sleep

Full participation from May 22 through June 20 is required, as the teachings are cumulative and build progressively over the 30 days. Exceptions may be made in regard to timezones and medical needs but please contact us to inquire.

Participation Options

Online Participation

• Live teachings, guided meditations, and Q&A

• Access to recordings and materials

• Structured support for practicing within your home environment

In-Person Participation (Pemako)

• Accommodation for the full retreat

• Daily vegetarian meals

• Immersive, dedicated practice environment

• Direct support within the retreat container

Prerequisites

This retreat is intended for students with an intermediate to advanced background in Dzogchen practice.

If you have not attended previous retreats with Lama Michael, or are unsure whether this retreat is appropriate for you, please reach out before registering.

Registration

This retreat is offered through suggested donation to support the retreat center, our Lama community, and scholarship access for students.

May 22 – June 20, 2025

Pemako Retreat Center (San Diego) or Live via Zoom

Limited to 30 in-person spaces. Early registration recommended.

Online

$899 (Members) | $999 (Non-members)

In-Person (30 Days, all-inclusive)

Shared: $1,699 | $1,899

Private: $1,999 | $2,299

Payment plans are available.

Limited full and partial Scholarships are offered, please kindly email us to apply.