These Dharma protector practices are performed annually before Losar to avert obstacles for the year ahead. Led by Lama Alasdair. Saturday 14th, Sunday 15th, and Monday 16th of February at 2:30 pm each day. Lunch is only available for House & retreat guests, unfortunately we cannot cater for day visitors. Please also be aware that parts of the Bartlow Road may be closed, so it is advisable to leave extra time for your journey. There is parking available at Marpa House. Lama Alasdair has been a student of Kyabje Chime Rinpoche’s for over fifty years and was Rinpoche’s resident Lama at Kagyu Cho Khor Ling in the Black Forest. We are absolutely delighted that he’s leading these practices for us.

Tibetan New Year: Year of the Male Fire Horse. Celebrations led by Lama Alasdair Losar Tashi Delek! Losar is a wonderful holiday and time of celebration. We will have a bonfire, offer khataks and practice ‘Calling the Lama from Afar’ together. We hope you can join us for an auspicious start to the Tibetan New Year! Our love, best wishes and aspirations for the New Year, may all beings be peaceful and happy and may loving kindness and wisdom prevail. Lama Alasdair has been a student of Kyabje Chime Rinpoche’s for over fifty years and was Rinpoche’s resident Lama at Kagyu Cho Khor Ling in the Black Forest. We are absolutely delighted that he will be with us for Losar. Join us at the House from 2:30 pm. There is very limited parking at Marpa House for our Losar celebrations, so please use the alternative parking option below: Ashdon Primary School, Ashdon, Saffron Walden CB10 2HB. Please consider our neighbours and do not park anywhere else in the village, and also be aware that parts of the Bartlow Road may be closed, so it is advisable to leave extra time for your journey. Please note that this event is in […]

Starting 21st February Suggested Min. Donation: £10 each session Starts at 10am Dates for further sessions to be confirmed. We are absolutely delighted that Sean has very kindly agreed to lead a regular in-depth practice group exploring this core text of the Kagyu tradition. The Jewel Ornament is one of the classic Kagyu study texts for any student or retreatant seeking to better understand the entire Kagyu path. Gampopa himself said that studying the Jewel Ornament of Liberation “is the same as meeting me.” We will be using Ken Holmes’ translation: ‘Ornament of Precious Liberation’, published in 2017. To participate, you will need access to Zoom with a camera and a microphone. Please email the Secretary at mail@marpahouse.org.uk to register or for more information. Ven. Sean Price (Gelong Ngawang Tenzin Jamchen) became a monk in the Tibetan Buddhist tradition in 1994 and has since studied at various monastic institutes in India and Nepal; he has resided at Shechen Monastery, Nepal, since 1999, where, under the guidance of Kyabje Shechen Rabjam Rinpoche, he has worked on locating and preserving rare Tibetan books and on translating practice materials – mainly from the termas of Kyabje Dilgo Khyentse Rinpoche. He has been the […]

Bonfire and Tea Party led by Lama Alasdair Losar Tashi Delek! Losar is a wonderful holiday and time of celebration. For anyone who cannot attend on Losar Day itself, please join us for a bonfire and tea party on the closest Saturday. We will also offer khataks and practice ‘Calling the Lama from Afar’ together and have a bonfire. Our love and good wishes for the New Year, may you and all beings be peaceful, healthy and happy, and may we swiftly realise our true nature! Lama Alasdair has been a student of Kyabje Chime Rinpoche’s for over fifty years and was Rinpoche’s resident Lama at Kagyu Cho Khor Ling in the Black Forest. We are absolutely delighted that he will be with us for Losar. Please bring (vegetarian/vegan) food to share for the tea party. Join us at the House from 2:30 pm. There is very limited parking at Marpa House for our Losar celebrations, so please use the alternative parking option below: Ashdon Primary School, Ashdon, Saffron Walden CB10 2HB. Please consider our neighbours and do not park anywhere else in the village, and also be aware that parts of the Bartlow Road may be closed, so it […]

Sunday 1st March 10:30 am & 2:30 pm Free of charge Lunch is available at extra cost but should be booked in advance with the secretary (£7). Meditation Sunday – These sessions are suitable for meditators of all levels, with guided meditation from experienced sangha members, and are offered free of charge. We hope you can join us. Shamatha (or ‘Shi-Neh’) is the foundation for all further meditation practice. It is designed to create the calm, stable, supple mind necessary to work with other meditation techniques as well as being a practice in its own right. 

We will be offering a day of Green Tara practice together at the house for Rinpoche’s long life and good health. In person only at Marpa House. Contact the House Secretary via mail@marpahouse.org.uk or call on +44 (0) 1799 584 415 for more details.  

Sunday 5th April 10:30 am & 2:30 pm Free of charge Lunch is available at extra cost but should be booked in advance with the secretary (£7). Meditation Sunday – These sessions are suitable for meditators of all levels, with guided meditation from experienced sangha members, and are offered free of charge. We hope you can join us. Shamatha (or ‘Shi-Neh’) is the foundation for all further meditation practice. It is designed to create the calm, stable, supple mind necessary to work with other meditation techniques as well as being a practice in its own right. 

Free meals and accommodation in exchange for some hard work! Day volunteers are also very welcome. We welcome enthusiastic volunteers to help our hard-working staff spruce up the House and garden. No special knowledge or skills required, and tools are provided. Please come and join in! It is a rewarding way to spend time at Marpa House at no cost. It is also an excellent opportunity for those considering a staff role to get a taste of what it might be like! 10:00 am until 4:00 pm each day. Please do not hesitate to contact the secretary at 01799 584415 or email mail@marpahouse.org.uk for further information.

Saturday 25th April and Sunday 26th April Sessions 10:30 am & 2:30 pm each day £40 each day (£70 weekend) We are delighted that Khenpo Tseten has accepted our invitation to come to Marpa House in May. More information and how to book will be made available closer to the weekend. For now, please save the dates. Khenpo Tseten was born in Thimpu Bhutan in 1974. In the early 90s, Khenpo-la joined Shechen monastery in Nepal. In 2000, he brilliantly completed his studies at the shedra (monastic college) of the monastery. Kyabje Shechen Rabjam Rinpoche then later entrusted to him the responsibility of the same shedra, which he held for three years. In 2006, Rabjam Rinpoche asked him to run a centre in France, and during a visit to Shechen in 2009, enthroned him Khenpo (Master of studies and of monastic discipline). Khenpo-la has many years of teaching and guiding westerners. He teaches fluently in English and travels frequently to teach and lead retreats in Belgium and Portugal. He also regularly teaches at Kyabje Chime Rinpoche’s annual summer school in France and here at Marpa House. We are absolutely delighted and honoured to welcome him again.

Sunday 31st May 10:30 am & 2:30 pm By donation Lunch – available at an extra cost and must be booked in advance with the secretary (£7). Saga Dawa is a sacred month, and the 15th lunar day is particularly auspicious, celebrating the birth, enlightenment, and Parinirvana of Buddha Shakyamuni. We will be doing a sang offering and other practices together for Rinpoche’s good health and long life! We hope you can join us.

The House will be closed to regular visitors between June 27th and 28th 2026, for a private event – a family weekend. If you are interested in joining, please get in touch with us to be put in touch with the organisers. The Family Weekend is an opportunity for students with young children to spend a weekend at the House, participating in family-friendly, Dharma-infused activities and games, while also engaging in the House’s daily routine and catching up with cherished friends or making new ones. Youngsters can gently explore the House, ask questions about Buddhism, learn, play in the garden, and experience its essence.