The Root of All Attainments:

Lama Chopa Puja & 50 Verses Guru Devotion

An 8-Session Course Based on the Heart of the Vajrayana Path:
Guru Devotion

Why This Course Is Being Offered Now

Khentrul Rinpoche has specifically requested that we offer this training again for the benefit of both new and existing students. This is because guru devotion is not a beginner topic that can be understood once and set aside. It is something that must be revisited, deepened, and clarified again and again. In Vajrayana Buddhism, everything depends on understanding the Guru correctly. Without this foundation, even sincere practitioners can remain uncertain or blocked in their progress. This course is being offered to establish a clear, stable, and authentic understanding of guru devotion—the root of all attainments—within the context of the Jonang Kalachakra tradition.

The Heart of Vajrayana
Let us go directly to the truth of Vajrayana practice:
The Heart of Devotion—the Guru is the Path.

This is not simply about finding a faster way to enlightenment. It is about understanding the core of Vajrayana itself. Without guru devotion, tantra does not function. With it, realization becomes possible. A highly respected scholar from Larung Monastery, deeply regarded by Khentrul Rinpoche, explains:

“Unconditional love is the highest form of desire.
 Ultimate Bodhicitta is Buddha-nature, the Guru.
 As we increase this Love and Bodhicitta, our awareness increases.
 Devotion to this cause is devotion to the ultimate Guru, the ultimate love.
 Devotion is simply keeping the view.”

This points to something essential. Devotion is not blind belief. It is the stability of the view—remaining connected to awakened awareness itself.

Guru Devotion as a Complete Path
Guru devotion is often misunderstood as a single idea or emotional attitude. In reality, it is a spectrum of practice that unfolds across the entire Vajrayana path. 

At the beginning, it may arise as respect, inspiration, or a cautious openness to learning. At this stage, it is essential to examine carefully, develop discernment, and establish a grounded and healthy relationship with the teachings and the teacher.

As practice deepens, devotion becomes more integrated. It begins to shape how we practice, how we see the path, and how we relate to our own mind. It becomes an active method for transforming perception—not just something we think about, but something we rely on.

At the highest levels—within Highest Yoga Tantra and especially the completion stage practices—guru devotion is no longer separate from meditation. It becomes inseparable from the direct recognition of mind’s nature. The Guru is understood as the very display of awakened awareness, and devotion becomes the continuity of that recognition. The classical text The Fifty Verses of Guru Devotion, attributed to the great Indian master Ashvaghosha, presents working with a Guru in a precise and structured way. This training is designed to help students understand the full breadth of guru devotion—from its careful beginnings to its deepest realization—within the living context of the Jonang Kalachakra tradition.

How the Course Will Unfold
This is an 8-week course, meeting once per week, designed to build understanding and experience progressively.

Each session will include:

  • Guided study of The Fifty Verses of Guru Devotion (Ashvaghosha)

  • Explanation and practice of the 7 Limb Prayer

  • Instruction and practice of the Jonang Kalachakra Guru Puja

  • Practical integration of devotion into daily life and meditation

The structure is cumulative, allowing each week to deepen and expand upon the previous one.

Course Format:

  • Weekly live sessions over 8 weeks

  • All teachings are recorded and made available in the Dzokden Learning Center

  • Recordings allow for ongoing review and deeper contemplation

Private Live Q&A:

  • Each session concludes with 15 minutes of questions not included in the recording. This creates space for open, personal, and candid discussion. Often when this topic comes up people have questions they are nervous to ask and are best kept private or in a container that feels safe to explores worries, concerns, fears and aspirations. 

  • Who is this course for?

    This course is for those who want to understand the heart essence of all tantra paths and the fastest way to accumulate merit. You do not need to have a current Guru to whom you are devoted. You don’t need to take the Guru as your path just yet. If you want to explore and understand the ultimate path of Vajrayana, this course offers a good introduction.

  • What will you learn?

    In this course, you will learn to examine and understand the three levels of the Guru while gaining clarity on the process of Guru devotion, exploring both its maximum and minimum aspects. Additionally, you will train your mind and heart through the practice of Guru yoga and the Jonang Kalachakra Guru Puja.

  • How will this benefit you?

    This course will benefit you by helping you gain a clear understanding of how all aspects of the Kalachakra tantra path are connected to the Guru. You will learn to approach this path with honesty and clarity, while engaging in discussions on pure view and discerning between authentic and inauthentic Gurus, deepening your connection to the practice.

Instructor

Yeshe Wangmo (Chloe Bregman)

Dzokden

=Yeshe Wangmo is the co-founder and CEO of Dzokden and a devoted practitioner of the Jonang Kalachakra lineage. She has dedicated her life fully to preserving, practicing, and supporting the transmission of these rare and precious teachings. Since 2015, she has studied closely with Shar Khentrul Jamphel Lodrö Rinpoche, serving as a senior student, assistant instructor, and ritual coordinator. Since 2017, she has organized and assisted with Kalachakra Empowerments and major international teachings, arranging the majority of Rinpoche’s rituals and supporting the flourishing of the lineage worldwide. Yeshe Wangmo has received nearly every empowerment, transmission, and major teaching Rinpoche has offered, including the Second Vajra Yoga Transmission. She is an authorized teacher of the Jonang Kalachakra Ngondro and guides students with integrity, clarity, and deep reverence for the lineage. Her training reflects a genuine Rime spirit. In addition to her primary grounding in the Jonang tradition, she has received teachings and empowerments in the Gelug, Nyingma, Sakya, and Kagyu lineages. She has also trained in the Burmese Mahasi Sayadaw meditation tradition under Kenneth Folk, cultivating a strong foundation in insight practice. Earlier in her life, she undertook extensive study in yoga and contemplative disciplines, completing over 650 hours of yoga teacher training and teaching within the Kalachakra Tantra tradition. She also trained in meditation under John Yates (Culadasa). She currently resides at Tashi Gadu House in the United States, where she continues to serve the vision of a Golden Age rooted in authentic Dharma. With deep gratitude to her teachers — especially Segyu Chopel Rinpoche and Khentrul Rinpoche — she remains committed to ensuring these teachings endure and benefit future generations.