Drikung Namgyal Ling

Sunday Mornings at the Center
2016-11-20 09:30 (America/Phoenix) | Drikung Namgyal Ling Center, 1135 West Twin Buttes Road, Sahuarita, AZ, 85629, United States
Drupon Thinely Ningpo
For this special Sunday, Drupon Thinley Ningpo will join us for Ngondro session for the AM and afternoon session. Our schedule will be as follows:
-Refuge in English 10 am – recitations and prostrations
-Vajrasattva in English 11am – recitation, meditation, and purification
– Lunch Break – 12 to 1pm please bring your own sack lunch
-Refuge in Tibetan chant 1pm
-Vajrasattva in TibetanChant 2pm
For those of us who are completing Ngondro, have a love for these practices, or have questions or curiousity about these preliminaries, this Sunday is a special opportunity to do the practice along side this excellent retreat master and to ask questions.
In samsara, there are three types of suffering – suffering in the making, the suffering of change, and the suffering of suffering. Ones should meditate with fierce renunciation in the knowledge that the intrinsic nature of these three is like a building blazing with fire. Having established the difficulty of obtaining the freedoms and advantages, ones should train in the ordinary preliminaries, and then undertake them.
The founder to the Drikung Kagyu lineage of Tibetan Buddhism, Lord Jigten Sumgon stated, “Ngondro is even more important than the higher practices.” It has also been said that sincerely practicing only Ngondro will lead to enlightenment since all mind training techniques leading to enlightenment are included within it!
If you have always wanted to complete the preliminaries, but needed the support of a group, or are new and want to deepen your understanding and commitment this Sunday practice is for you.
Beginners are very welcome at this practice.

Sunday Mornings at the Center
2017-01-01 10:00 - 11:30 | Drikung Namgyal Ling Center, 1135 West Twin Buttes Road, Sahuarita, AZ, 85629, United States
Please join us for a very special New Years Practice:
Achi Practice followed by the prayer of Kuntuzangpo.
Achi Chokyi Drolma is the great Dharma protector of the Buddha’s teachings 3Ú4 and the emanation of Vajrayogini 3Ú4 the embodiment of the wisdom and activities of all the Buddhas. Achi is revered throughout Tibet and her sadhana is practiced by all lineages of Tibetan Buddhism. She was the grandmother of Jitgen Sumgon, the founder of the Drikung Kagyu Lineage. Whosoever will practice the sadhana of Achi Chokyi Drolma with full devotion and certainty, will be freed from all kinds of unfavorable circumstances and obstacles in this life, as well as obstacles connected with Dharma practice, and will finally achieve perfect enlightenment.
The Prayer of Kungtuzangpo (Tibetan), also known as the Primorial Buddha Samantabhadra (Sanskrit) instructs the sincere student about the View, Meditation an Action of the Nature of Mind and how we stray from this Unchanging Goodness in our day to day lives.
10 am – 11:30

Beginners are very welcome at this practice.
* After the practice we will have an optional pot luck lunch for those who wish to enjoy the good company and quietude of the Sahuarita location. *

Sunday Mornings at the Center
2017-01-08 09:30, 2017-01-15 10:00 - 12:00, 2017-04-02 10:00 - 12:00 | Drikung Namgyal Ling Center, 1135 West Twin Buttes Road, Sahuarita, AZ, 85629, United States
By popular request we will practice Ngondro every Sunday. Our schedule will be as follows:
-Refuge 10 am – recitations and prostrations
-Vajrasattva 11am – recitation, meditation, and purification
In samsara, there are three types of suffering – suffering in the making, the suffering of change, and the suffering of suffering. Ones should meditate with fierce renunciation in the knowledge that the intrinsic nature of these three is like a building blazing with fire. Having established the difficulty of obtaining the freedoms and advantages, ones should train in the ordinary preliminaries, and then undertake them.
The founder to the Drikung Kagyu lineage of Tibetan Buddhism, Lord Jigten Sumgon stated, “Ngondro is even more important than the higher practices.” It has also been said that sincerely practicing only Ngondro will lead to enlightenment since all mind training techniques leading to enlightenment are included within it!
If you have always wanted to complete the preliminaries, but needed the support of a group, or are new and want to deepen your understanding and commitment this Sunday practice is for you.
Beginners are very welcome at this practice.
* After the practice we will have an optional pot luck lunch for those who wish to enjoy the good company and quietude of the Sahuarita location. *

Mahamudra Practice Instruction and Open Retreat
2017-01-21 10:00 - 2017-01-28 17:00 | Drikung Namgyal Ling Center, 1135 West Twin Buttes Road, Sahuarita, AZ, 85629, United States
Mahamudra Practice Instruction and Open Retreat

With Drupon Rinchen Dorje Rinpoche
Saturday-Saturday, January 21-28, 2017

We are pleased to announce a very special teaching and practice retreat with Drupon Rinchen Dorje Rinpoche in the beauty and tranquility of the desert southwest. This open retreat will take place in late January during Tucson’s mild and very pleasant winter months.
Rinpoche will be teaching from the extensive Mahamudra chapter
included in the famous Words of Vajradhara Dharmakirti: A Record
of Instructions on Five-Fold Mahamudra by the 17th century
meditation master, Lho Trinley Namgyal. These instructions have
been the main Mahamudra instructions received and practiced in
Drikung Kagyü three-year retreats for centuries. We are extremely
fortunate to be able to receive these from a retreat master who has received and realized such traditional training.
Some of the main topics included in these extremely profound mahamudra instructions are: Calm Abiding, Special Insight, Becoming Certain about the Various Appearances of the Mind, Cutting Through Misconcep- tions About the Energy of the Ground, Introduction to the Nature of the Mind, Introduction to the Co-emergence of Thoughts, Introduction to the Coemergence of Appearances, Introduction to the Co-emergent Nature of Mind, Explanation of the Faults of Meditation, Recognizing the Fresh Ordinary Mind, Way to Take Things on to the Path, Four Yogas of Mahamudra, and Enhancing Realization.
Teaching Location (see directions to the center, below): Drikung Namgyal Ling Center
1135 West Twin Buttes Road
Sahuarita, AZ 85629
Retreat Fee – Retreat-ants in Residence (Includes lodging and meals.):
– $350 non-members for entire 8 day retreat – includes lodging and food
– $250 for full 8 day retreat (Supporting Members & above), Foundational Members are Free
Per Session Fee:
– $35/session for non-members
– $25/session for Supporting Members or above – Foundational Members are free

Retreat Schedule (January 21 to 28):
– AM/PM Sessions (10am-12pm, 2pm-5pm): Teaching and Practice Instruction – Evening Session (7pm-9pm): Practice and Q & A on the Day’s Teaching
Lodging and Meals at the Center:
The center has dorm-style (room sharing) accommodations for 10 retreat-ants. Attendees may also car camp or erect a tent on the property grounds. Individuals attending the full retreat will be given priority in booking both dorm and camping space.
Accommodation costs are included in the full retreat fees. For those attending only a portion of the retreat, the cost accommodation is $20/night indoor and $10/night for camping.
Indoor accommodation must be reserved prior to the retreat, and is otherwise available only as space permits. Please contact us to ensure your accommodation needs are met.
Three (3) vegetarian meals/day will be prepared daily by center members, with the requested assistance of retreat-ants as needed in meal prep and clean-up. Attendees with special dietary needs or desires may bring their own food. All meal costs are included in full retreat fees. Individual meals are available for $5 donation/meal.
For More Information on this Event:
Brennan Washburn 520-977-2136, brennan@drikungtucson.org
Pati Stein, 520-465-1882, pati.c.stein@gmail.com

Achi Chokyi Drolma Empowerment and Practice Instruction
2017-03-18 10:00 - 17:00 | Drikung Namgyal Ling Center, 1135 West Twin Buttes Road, Sahuarita, AZ, 85629, United States
Empowerment: Saturday, March 18, 10am
Teaching: Saturday & Sunday, March 18/19, 10am-12pm & 2pm-5pm
Drupon Thinley Ningpo will grant the Achi Chokyi Drolma empowerment and then guide us to a greater understanding of Achi deity practice. Achi, chief protectress of the Drikung Kagyu and an emanation of Vajrayogini, is also the great grandmother of Lord Jigten Sumgon, founder of the Drikung Kagyu Lineage. As such she “liberates the thoughts of beings to suit the dharma.”
Born in 11th century Tibet, from an early age Achi displayed auspicious powers such as teaching mantra to others by the age of three. In essence her manifestation in the human realm embodies the wisdom and compassion of all the Buddhas, the great mother of the Buddhas (http://www.rigdzindharma.org/achi-chokyi-drolma.html). “According to a prophecy in the Cakrasaṃvara Tantra, it is said, “The head of the Karma Dakinis will come to the area of Tidro cave in Drikung. This will be a nirmanakaya manifestation of Vajrayogini” (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Achi_Chokyi_Drolma).
Achi practice is a particular favorite for our sangha. Please join us in paying homage to her for the benefit of all beings, the Drikung Kagyu lineage and for the benefit of our fledgling dharma center.
This particular practice was written by Lord Jigten Sumgon, and translated into English by Khenchen Gyaltsen Rinpoche. Drupon Thinley Ningpo will explain not only explain the text in particular and how to practice it, but will also offer commentary on the meaning of empowerment and of deity practice in general. Copies of the practice will be provided.
To pre-register for this event, please click here.
Teaching Fee: $75 for this weekend, $35 for Sustaining Members and above.
Foundational Members may attend for free.

Weekly Meditation Practice
2017-03-22 19:00 - 20:30 | Drikung Namgyal Ling Center, 1135 West Twin Buttes Road, Sahuarita, AZ, 85629, United States
Tara Embodies the female wisdom activity of the mind. She is often called the mother of all the Buddhas. White Tara offers peace, prosperity, health and long life through her enlightened activities. In reciting her mantra and making a connection to her, we draw closer to developing her enlightened qualities in ourselves.
This event is free and beginners are welcome.
1135 West Twin Buttes Road
Sahuarita, AZ 85629
(Click here for a map)

For More Information:
Pati Stein: 465-1882

Mandala Offering Practice
2017-03-25 10:00 - 17:00 | Drikung Namgyal Ling Center, 1135 West Twin Buttes Road, Sahuarita, AZ, 85629, United States
As Vajrayana Buddhists we diligently practice the 2-fold accumulation of merit and wisdom. To accumulate wisdom we engage in meditation to deepen our understanding of emptiness and the innate purity of all phenomena. To accumulate merit we engage the other 5 perfections, starting with the perfection of generosity. Mandala practice combines meditation, mantra, and purification into a single very powerful act of generosity, and serves as a method to accumulate merit quickly.
With each mandala offering we offer the entire universe, our world and the inconceivably vast universe, in brief, the entirety of the glorious dharmasphere, to all beings and to the Buddhas and Bodhisattvas. In doing so we overcome our basic tendency toward self grasping and greed by purifying it with loving kindness and compassion. In the context of Ngondro, or preliminary practice, offering 111,111 mandalas is recommended. So just as we repeatedly polish our offering rings, we correspondingly polish the mirror of mind.
Our beloved Drupon Thinley Ningpo will show us how to practice the mandala offering as taught in the Drikung Kagyu tradition. He will explain not only how to perform the mandala offering — the ritual materials and 37 point step-by-step process — but will also explain its inner significance, how it builds merit, purifies negative karma, and ultimately blossoms as the most valuable benefit of all, Buddhahood.
Mandala practice texts will be available to use during the teaching weekend, and will be available for purchase in the dharma store. If you own a mandala offering set, please bring it with you. If you do not own a mandala set, we will provide as many simulated sets as needed, and vats of rice to fill the mandala, so that everyone can participate and learn the practice hands-on.
To pre-register for this event, please click here.
Teaching Fee: $75 for this weekend, $35 for Sustaining Members and above.
Foundational Members may attend for free.

Sand Mandala Final Dissolution
2017-04-08 11:00 - 13:00 | Drikung Namgyal Ling Center, 1135 West Twin Buttes Road, Sahuarita, AZ, 85629, United States
Join Drupon Thinley Ningpo as he ventures to Madera Canyon to offer the final vase of sand from sand mandala dissolution on April 6th. We will first meet at the Drikung Namgyal Ling dharma center, then together travel to the nearby Santa Rita mountains.

Mahamudra Meditation
2017-04-09 10:00 - 12:00 | Drikung Namgyal Ling Center, 1135 West Twin Buttes Road, Sahuarita, AZ, 85629, United States
Practice Mahamudra meditation with Drupon Thinley Ningpo, who will also offer insight and instructions. We are extremely fortunate to be able to receive these from a retreat master who has received and realized the traditional training. After the meditation we will have a potluck lunch.

The Precious Treasury of the Basic Space of Phenomena
2017-05-26 14:00 - 17:00 | Drikung Namgyal Ling Center, 1135 West Twin Buttes Road, Sahuarita, AZ, 85629, United States
Khenpo Yeshi returns to Tucson for the 12th year straight, and this time he will lead us on a journey into Longchen Rabjam’s famous treatise, The Chö Ying Dzöd, The Precious Treasury of the Basic Space of Phenomena and its accompanying commentary. By elucidating this text, Khenpo Yeshi will simultaneously introduce us to the work’s essential instruction on the profound Dzogchen practice of Trekchö or “cutting through.”
What do we cut through? Conceptual delusion. In the context of Dzogchen, we cut through the flimsy fantasy world of self-grasping and we do so swiftly, emboldened by the simple recognition of the innate incorruptibility of our own primordial awareness or Buddha Nature.
As dharma students in 2017 we can celebrate the auspicious good fortune of not only this masterpiece having been translated into English, but also the special insight of Khenpo Yeshi. A scholar in both Tibetan and English languages, Khenpo Yeshi has received extensive trainings, both academic and spiritual, too numerous to list here, and completed three-year meditative retreat under the guidance of the renowned Dzogchen master, H.E. Tulku Urgyen Rinpoche. He currently lives in California and attends Berkeley as a PhD student.
Since, during the course of one weekend, we will we only have enough time to cover the first few chapters, this teaching will become the first of a multi-year series. Please join us as we begin this cycle of Dzogchen teachings with Khenpo Yeshi at Drikung Namgyal Ling.
Texts will be available in our dharma store.
————————-
Teaching Location (see directions to the center, below):
Drikung Namgyal Ling Center
1135 West Twin Buttes Road
Sahuarita, AZ 85629
Teachings Fee – 3 days teachings
– $85 non-members
– $60 Supporting Members & above
– Foundational Members are Free
Per Session Fee:
– $20/session , $40/day for non-members
– $15/session , $30/day for Supporting Members or above
– Foundational Members are free
– Work Study Positions are available but require prior arrangements. Please contact us 2 weeks in advance
Schedule (May 26 to 28):
-May 26: 2pm-5pm
-May 27-28 : 10-12 am and 2-5 pm

The Precious Treasury of the Basic Space of Phenomena
2017-05-27 10:00 - 2017-05-28 17:00 | Drikung Namgyal Ling Center, 1135 West Twin Buttes Road, Sahuarita, AZ, 85629, United States
Khenpo Yeshi returns to Tucson for the 12th year straight, and this time he will lead us on a journey into Longchen Rabjam’s famous treatise, The Chö Ying Dzöd, The Precious Treasury of the Basic Space of Phenomena and its accompanying commentary. By elucidating this text, Khenpo Yeshi will simultaneously introduce us to the work’s essential instruction on the profound Dzogchen practice of Trekchö or “cutting through.”
What do we cut through? Conceptual delusion. In the context of Dzogchen, we cut through the flimsy fantasy world of self-grasping and we do so swiftly, emboldened by the simple recognition of the innate incorruptibility of our own primordial awareness or Buddha Nature.
As dharma students in 2017 we can celebrate the auspicious good fortune of not only this masterpiece having been translated into English, but also the special insight of Khenpo Yeshi. A scholar in both Tibetan and English languages, Khenpo Yeshi has received extensive trainings, both academic and spiritual, too numerous to list here, and completed three-year meditative retreat under the guidance of the renowned Dzogchen master, H.E. Tulku Urgyen Rinpoche. He currently lives in California and attends Berkeley as a PhD student.
Since, during the course of one weekend, we will we only have enough time to cover the first few chapters, this teaching will become the first of a multi-year series. Please join us as we begin this cycle of Dzogchen teachings with Khenpo Yeshi at Drikung Namgyal Ling.
Texts will be available in our dharma store.

Schedule (May 26 to 28):
-May 26: 2pm-5pm
-May 27-28 : 10-12 am and 2-5 pm
Teaching Location (see directions to the center, below):
Drikung Namgyal Ling Center
1135 West Twin Buttes Road
Sahuarita, AZ 85629
Teachings Fee – 3 days teachings
– $85 non-members
– $60 Supporting Members & above
– Foundational Members are Free
Per Session Fee:
– $20/session , $40/day for non-members
– $15/session , $30/day for Supporting Members or above
– Foundational Members are free
– Work Study Positions are available but require prior arrangements. Please contact us 2 weeks in advance
Schedule (May 26 to 28):
-May 26: 2pm-5pm
-May 27-28 : 10-12 am and 2-5 pm

Prayer of Kuntuzangpo Teaching
2017-06-24 10:00 - 17:00 | Drikung Namgyal Ling Center, 1135 West Twin Buttes Road, Sahuarita, AZ, 85629, United States
Where can we find the unobstructed enlightened mind? “This self-arising great expanse, beyond expression, has neither the name samsara nor nirvana. Realizing this you are a Buddha. Not realizing this, you are a being wandering in samsara.”

The Prayer of Kuntuzangpo (Tibetan), also known as the Primordial Buddha Samantabadra (Sanskrit) instructs the sincere student on the view, meditation and conduct of the nature of mind and how we stray from this Unchanging Goodness in our day to day lives.

This ancient and pithy prayer from the Dzogchen Ati Yoga Tantras was hidden by Guru Rinpoche and discovered in 1366 by the Great Awareness-Holder and tertön, Rigdzin Godem, in a cave of Zangzang Lhadrak in Tibet. It is from the 9th chapter of the Gonpa Zangthal or Northern Treasures.

Khenpo Konchok Molam, a highly educated Lama in the Drikung Kagyu lineage, will help us to unravel its profound wisdom. Currently a resident lama at the White Lotus Buddhist Center, he has taught extensively at the Kagyu College in Dehra Dun, India, and received extensive instruction under the guidance of his root guru, Khenchen Thupten Ozer.

Hevajra and Six Yogas of Naropa Teaching
2017-07-01 10:00 - 17:00 | Drikung Namgyal Ling Center, 1135 West Twin Buttes Road, Sahuarita, AZ, 85629, United States
His Holiness, The Drikung Kyabgön Chetsang Rinpoche, has made it a priority to revitalize the tradition and practice of Hevajra in the Drikung Centers around the world. In May of 2016, he did exactly that in Tucson, Arizona, when he blessed us with an Hevajra empowerment and teaching.

Once the main deity practice of none other than the renowned master, Marpa Lotsawa and his consort, Nairatmya, transmission of this lineage practice had ceased for several hundred years until H.H. Chetsang Rinpoche restored the tradition. To deepen our understanding of this rare and precious tantra, which includes instructions on the Six Yogas of Naropa, Drupon Thinley Ningpo returns to Drikung Namgyal Ling. We will study both the root verses and detailed explication contained in the text, Coermergent Hevajra and Six Dharma of Naropa, by Rigdzin Chokyi Dragpa.

Copies of the text, a spiral-bound edition specially printed to celebrate His Holiness’s visit to Tucson, will be available for $25.

Nyungne Retreat with Drupon Rinchen Dorjee
2017-09-16 - 2017-09-18 | Drikung Namgyal Ling Center, 1135 West Twin Buttes Road, Sahuarita, AZ, 85629, United States
Schedule (Sept 15, 6pm to Sept 18, 7:30 am):

Friday Sept 15 6-9pm – Empowerment and instructions on the practice
Saturday/Sunday – three sessions per day
Monday – early morning session to end at 7:30am (we can then share a nice breakfast)

Location (see directions to the center, below):
Drikung Namgyal Ling Center
1135 West Twin Buttes Road
Sahuarita, AZ 85629
Retreat Fee – 3 day retreat
$108 non-members
$75 Supporting Members & above
Foundational Members are Free
⊕ Work Study Positions are available but require prior arrangements. Please contact us in advance
PLEASE READ

Attendees must participate in the whole retreat – from Friday evening to Monday morning.
Space is limited – please reserve your space early
Attendees will be fasting and silent from Saturday afternoon to Monday morning – no eating, drinking, speaking for this time period.

Register for Nyungne Retreat
Description:
The Nyungne practice of the eleven-faced, thousand-armed form of Chenrezig (Avalokiteshvara), the Buddha of compassion, is for purifying negative karma and accumulating merit and wisdom in a short but intensive retreat setting. This intensive practice requires maintaining the eight Mahayana precepts on the first day and on the second day adding vows of fasting and silence (fasting begins after the noon meal on the first day and continues until breakfast on the third day). Meditation sessions include prayers, offerings, prostrations, and extensive mantra recitation, cultivating all three vehicles of Buddhism. Practicing Nyungne with great devotion increases peace in oneself and the world, brings happiness and good fortune, and leads to rebirth in Buddha Amitabha’s Pureland of Dewachen.
It is said in the text called the Collection of the Intentions of All Tantras that if practitioners of the Mahayana do a nyungne even once, they will purify all the wrongdoing accumulated throughout forty thousand eons and achieve rebirth as either a human or deva. If done eight times consecutively, the state of a stream enterer is attained and rebirth in Dewachen is guaranteed. If performed twenty-five times, the state equal to a once-returner is attained and all wrongdoing of the previous eighty thousand eons is purified. Performed fifty times the state equivalent to a non-returner is achieved and all wrongdoing for the prior eight hundred million eons is purified. If the nyungne is performed 108 consecutive times, arhatship is attained and all the wrongdoing and obscurations of the past one billion eons is purified and birth in Dewachen in the direct presence of Buddha Amitabha is assured.
—————————-
Lodging and Meals at the Center:
The center has dorm-style (room sharing) accommodations. Attendees may also car camp or pitch a tent on the property grounds.
The cost of accommodation is included in the retreat fee.
Indoor accommodation must be reserved prior to the retreat, and is otherwise available only as space permits. Please contact us to ensure your accommodation needs are met.
The following 3 meals are provided: Saturday breakfast and lunch, and Monday breakfast. Meals provided will be simple and vegetarian. If you have special food needs or preferences you are welcome to bring a meal or use center’s facilities.
After Saturday lunch time attendees will take a vow of silence, and of fasting. Attendees will not eat, drink, or talk from Saturday at 2pm to Monday morning at 7:30am as part of the practice.
What to pack and bring:
Suggested Personal Items to Bring:

Sleeping bag or bedding
Pillow, blankets
Alarm Clock
Ear plugs
Towel, Toiletries (soap, shampoo, toothbrush, etc)
Practice items – cushion, mala, dorje/bell
Comfortable clothing
Medication, vitamins, supplements
No perfume or heavily scented products, please

For registration or question:
Pati Stein – 520-465-1882

Weekly Meditation Practice
2017-10-18 19:00 - 20:00 | Brennan Washburn Residence, 4201 E. Oxdord Dr, Tucson, 85711, United States
Tara Embodies the female wisdom activity of the mind. She is often called the mother of all the Buddhas. White Tara offers peace, prosperity, health and long life through her enlightened activities. In reciting her mantra and making a connection to her, we draw closer to developing her enlightened qualities in ourselves.
This event is free and beginners are welcome.
4201 E. Oxford Dr
Tucson, Arizona 85711
(Click here for a map)

For More Information:
Pati Stein: 465-1882

Buddhism 101: A Deeper Understanding of Fundamentals w/ Venerable Drupon Thinley Ningpo
2017-12-02 10:00 - 17:00 | Drikung Namgyal Ling Center, 1135 West Twin Buttes Road, Sahuarita, AZ, 85629, United States
Can you name the 4 thoughts that turn the mind, or describe the outer and inner preliminaries and their importance? Whether a new student or seasoned practitioner, clearly understanding the fundamentals of the path dispels confusion and serves as the basis for all stages of the path to enlightenment.
By drawing on classic texts such as The Jewel Ornament of Liberation, Words of my Perfect Teacher, and 37 Bodhisattva Practices, Drupon Thinley Ningpo will oer his own heart instruction on the basics of Buddhism, how to gain a firm understanding of the path to enlightenment and where to begin the journey. Introduction to the Buddha, Dharma, and Sangha, the outer objects of refuge, will be accompanied by the refuge ceremony itself in which all students are welcome to take the important 1st step toward transforming the mind of afflictive emotions and self-grasping into a mind of loving kindness and utter lucidity.
New students will nd his immense wisdom and warmth a true lamp to light the path, and long term students will have a chance to brush up the basics and gain new insights on old knowledge. If you have been looking for a way to get into Buddhism, and start at the beginning, this precious opportunity cannot be missed.
Students be able to take home printed hand-outs and other training materials, and the root texts mentioned above, such as The Jewel Ornament of Liberation, will be available in the bookstore.
Drupon Thinley Ningpo
Venerable Drupon Thinley Ningpo has accomplished both the practice Five-fold Mahamudra and the profound
path of the Six Yogas of Naropa. He has also received the entire body of Drikung Kagyu empowerments, transmissions,
and instructions for advanced practice. In this way he completed the process of advanced training in
all the profound and sacred traditions of Drikung Kagyu Buddhism and earned the title of Drupon “master of
spiritual attainment.”
Drupon now travels extensively with the blessing of H.H. Drikung Kyabgon Chetsang, teaching the precious
Dharma and leading Dharma students in retreat, and has established dharma centers in Wesley Chapel, Florida
and Tucson, Arizona. For more information: drikungtucson.org/our-teachers/drupon-thinley-ningpo-rinpoche/
Download Event Flyer

3-Day Chenrezig Drupchen
2017-12-08 - 2017-12-10 | Drikung Namgyal Ling Center, 1135 West Twin Buttes Road, Sahuarita, AZ, 85629, United States
Drupon Thinley Ningpo will return December 8th-10th for our semi-annual Drupchen. This is a 24 hour practice over three days. The Drupchen will begin on Friday at 6pm, followed by 4-hour practice sessions ending on Sunday at 5pm. Chenrezig is renowned as the embodiment of the compassion of all the Buddhas, the Bodhisattva of Compassion. Whenever we are compassionate, or feel love for anyone, or for an animal or some part of the natural world, we experience a taste of our own natural connection with Chenrezig.
Although we may not be as consistently compassionate as some of the great meditation masters, Tibetan Buddhists believe that we all share, in our basic nature, unconditional compassion and wisdom that is no dierent from what we see in Chenrezig.
Drupchen means vast accomplishment and is a form of intensive group practice. The practice continues uninterrupted, day and night, through three days. Our Drupchen will have 6 daily practice sessions beginning promptlya at 8am – 8pm, with 3.5 hour night sessions from 8pm-11:30pm, 11:30pm-3am, 3am-6:30am
Participants are welcome to practice through the entire weekend or drop in for individual sessions. Those practitioners wishing to stay overnight may use the back yard for tenting. Space can be limited, so if you wish to attend the entire weekend or participate in meals, please contact us soon at brennan@drikungtucson.org.
Drupchen Location:
Drikung Namgyal Ling Center
1135 West Twin Butte Sahuarita, AZ 85629
Schedule:
Friday, December 8th, 6pm to Sunday, December 10th, 5pm
Sessions 8am – 8pm, with 3.5 hour night sessions from 8pm-11:30pm, 11:30pm-3am, 3am-6:30am

Per Session Fee:
– $20/session, $40/day for Non-members
– $15/session, $30/day for Supporting Members or above
– Foundational Members are free
Retreat Fee (2 Days):
(includes housing & meals)
– $85 Non-members
– $60 Supporting Members & above
– Foundational Members are free
– Foundational Members are free
– Work Study Positions are available but require prior arrangements.
Download Event Flyer

Sunday Mornings at the Center
2017-12-17 11:00 - 12:00 | Drikung Namgyal Ling Center, 1135 West Twin Buttes Road, Sahuarita, AZ, 85629, United States
Every Sunday we will practice together the Chenrezig practice known as A Concise Daily Practice of the Exalted Lord Avalokiteshvara. The practice will include recitation of “Drupon’s Heart of Advice for Practice” as well as an extended period of quiet sitting meditation.
Chenrezig is renowned as the embodiment of the compassion of all the Buddhas, the Bodhisattva of Compassion. Whenever we are compassionate, or feel love for anyone, or for an animal or some part of the natural world, we experience a taste of our own natural connection to Chenrezig. Although we may not be as consistently compassionate as some of the great meditation masters, our basic nature of unconditional compassion and wisdom is no different from what we see in Chenrezig.
This event is free, copies of the text will be provided, and beginners are welcome.
Please call or text Pati at (520) 465-1882 for additional information.
Drikung Namgyal Ling
1135 Twin Buttes Road
Sahuarita, Arizona 85629
May all beings benefit!

Compassion and Wisdom - Practice and Study
2018-01-14 10:00 - 11:00 | Drikung Namgyal Ling Center, 1135 West Twin Buttes Road, Sahuarita, AZ, 85629, United States

Steps on the Path to Enlightenment: Exploring the Lamrim
2018-01-14 11:00 - 12:00, 2018-03-04 11:00 - 12:00 | Drikung Namgyal Ling Center, 1135 West Twin Buttes Road, Sahuarita, AZ, 85629, United States
The lamrim genre of Tibetan Buddhist texts is a practical and comprehensive way of organizing the Buddha’s teachings into a sequential method of practice leading to the ultimate goal of Enlightenment. Lamrim is like a map which helps us understand how, why and where the many different concepts and practices we may encounter fit together into a complete Buddhist path. We know where we are, where we’re going, and how to get there. It serves as a guide to our own journey, and is itself the inner Buddhist worldview we develop in our own minds, which aids us in overcoming the sufferings of samsara, and in developing the ability to help others do the same.
The lamrim literature originated with Atisha in the 11th century, was spread by the early Kadampa masters at that time, and different versions developed within all the Tibetan schools. The underlying topics are the same, but the formats vary, emphasizing different points and categories. Thorough grounding in the lamrim topics is the basis for all higher practices, without which they do not lead to the intended result. Gampopa’s classic, The Jewel Ornament of Liberation, combines the Kadampa Lamrim tradition with Naropa’s Mahamudra tradition. Khenchen Konchog Gyaltsen calls it a critically important text to study as a foundation for the three year retreat. It is too lengthy to study in detail here within this short timeframe, but can serve interested students as a valuable expansion on the topics covered in this series.
An overview of the lamrim will be presented in a sequence of eight talks — a walk on the path through the forest, with out every detail of each individual tree. Discussion and meditation on the topics will be included, and time allowed for questions. Lamrim is suitable for all levels of students.
This event is free.
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Ven. Lhundub Daychen is a western Buddhist nun ordained in 1998, who has engaged in study and practice for over 30 years, primarily at the Deer Park Monastery and Buddhist Center near Madison, Wisconsin, and also at the University of Wisconsin. She has received many teachings from His Holiness the Dalai Lama, HE the Ganden Tri Rinpoche Lobsang Tenzin, Geshe Lhundub Sopa Rinpoche, Khensur Donyo Rinpoche, Lama Zopa Rinpoche and other Gelug masters over the years, and more recently from HE the Karmapa, and Mingyur Rinpoche.
Drupon Thinley Ningpo, spiritual director for Drikung Namgyal Ling, has asked Ven. Daychen to give these talks to help deepen our understanding of the path, and she has graciously accepted.

Introduction to the Drigung Kagyü Practice Traditions of Five-Fold Mahamudra and the Six Yogas of Naropa with Eric Fry-Miller
2018-03-25 10:00 - 17:00 | Drikung Namgyal Ling Center, 1135 West Twin Buttes Road, Sahuarita, AZ, 85629, United States
At the very heart of all the vajrayana traditions in Tibet is the Kagyü or whispered oral lineage that was transmitted by the Indian Mahasiddhas Tilopa and Naropa and then brought to Tibet by Marpa the translator. Of all the Kagyü traditions that flourished and spread from Marpa’s great yogi student Milarepa to this day, the Drigung Kagyü presentations of Five-Fold Mahamudra and the Six Yogas of Naropa distill the very quintessence of the vajrayana into highly accessible sets of meditation practices. Five-Fold Mahamudra includes meditation on bodhichitta or the awakened mind, the yidam deity, union with the mind of the outer, inner, secret, and ultimate teacher, mahamudra, and dedicating practice for the awakening of all beings throughout the universe.
The Six Yogas of Naropa consists of special methods that allow us to experience awakening directly in our own physical bodies and minds in all states of reality through learning to control our breath and subtle energy, our deep sleep, dreams, waking perception, and our minds at the time of death and beyond. These six practices are known as inner fire (Tummo), luminosity, dreams, illusory body, phowa, and the bardo. Together, the methods Five-Fold Mahamudra and the Six Yogas of Naropa represent a complete path that can lead to complete awakening in one lifetime if properly studied and practiced.
Led by Eric Fry-Miller, this will be a candid discussion in modern English about what these practices of ancient India and Tibet can mean for us here in the 21st century. The goal of these talks will be to impart a clear understanding of how these practices were both practiced extensively in the past and how we might practically apply them here in our daily lives and in our meditations.
This event is open to all and free of charge. Donations welcome.
Sunday, March 25th 2018
10am-Noon and 2pm – 5pm
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Eric Fry-Miller has been translating written Tibetan texts and live oral teachings by Tibetan Lamas for fifteen years. In that time he has completed a traditional three year retreat on the Drigung Kagyu practices of Five-fold Mahamudra and the Six Yogas of Naropa. He has also spent additional years in retreat focusing on the Dzogchen practices of the Nyingthig traditions.

Dzogchen Treasure Traditions of Drigung Introduction to the Khandro Nyingthig and Yangzab with Eric Fry-Miller
2018-04-01 10:00 - 17:00 | Drikung Namgyal Ling Center, 1135 West Twin Buttes Road, Sahuarita, AZ, 85629, United States
In addition to the Kagyü traditions of Drigung, there were a number of Dzogchen treasure cycles that were discovered in the Shotö Tidro cave at Drigung Thil and subsequently flourished in the lineage. According to legend, at the time of the Tibetan empire at the end of the 8th century, the rainbow body master of Oddiyana, Padmasambhava, along with the help of the primordial wisdom dakini Yeshe Tsogyal bestowed infinite empowerments, transmissions, and oral instructions to guide beings throughout the past, present, and future. Many of these teachings were then hidden to be discovered by future incarnations of their. In particular, there was a princess, Pema Sal, who Padmasambhava resurrected, and her brother, the prince Lhase Mutig Tsenpo, who went on to rule Tibet. The princess and prince both received essential blessings and instructions, which were hidden for them to discover for the benefit of future generations. In the 14th century, the incarnation of the resurrected princess became known as Padma Ledrel Tsal, who revealed the Khandro Nyingthig, Heart Essence of the Dakinis, at Drigung. His next incarnation, the great Dzogchen master Longchenpa, taught the Khandro Nyingthig along with his own mind treasures, the Khandro Yangthig, to a select few, including his own son Dragpa Özer.
Centuries after that, the incarnation of both the prince Lhase Mutig Tsenpo and Dragpa Özer took birth as the great Drigung master Rinchen Phüntsog. Rinchen Phüntshog received and practiced the Khandro Nyingthig when he was young and this led to his own discovery of the famous Yangzab treasure cycle from the same Shotö Tidro cave of Drigung. In these directly interrelated treasure cycles are the heart of the generation stage and completion stage practices that emanated directly from mind of Padmasambhava. In particular, the Dzogchen practices of cutting through concepts into the naked nature of the mind (Tregchö), separating samsara and nirvana (Khorde Rushen), and directly crossing into the experience of the three enlightened bodies of awakening (Thögal) are explained in presented in detail with many secret oral instructions.
Led by Eric Fry-Miller, this talk will be a candid lucid presentation in modern English about what these ancient visionary treasures of the sacred land of Drigung can mean for us here and now in our lives and meditations. There will also be an emphasis on how we might effectively and sustainably train in these practices to follow in the footsteps of those like Padmasambhava and Yeshe Tsogyal, who hid these instructions in the past for us in the future and beyond.
This event is open to all and free of charge. Donations welcome.
Sunday, April 1st 2018
10am-Noon and 2pm – 5pm

Eric Fry-Miller has been translating written Tibetan texts and live oral teachings by Tibetan Lamas for fifteen years. In that time he has completed a traditional three year retreat on the Drigung Kagyu practices of Five-fold Mahamudra and the Six Yogas of Naropa. He has also spent additional years in retreat focusing on the Dzogchen practices of the Nyingthig traditions.

Teachings on Ritual Music with Drupon Thinley Ningpo
2018-04-15 10:00 - 17:00 | Drikung Namgyal Ling Center, 1135 West Twin Buttes Road, Sahuarita, AZ, 85629, United States
Drupon Thinley Ningpo will teach us how to play traditional Tibetan ritual instruments, such as drums, cymbals, and damaru. Music has been used in Tibetan Buddhist rituals for centuries, and can enrich our daily practice as an offering to the Buddhas and Bodhisattvas. We will have the opportunity to play these instruments, and also how to incorporate music into our practice, so PLEASE bring your personal instruments to the teaching.
Suggested Donation

$15.00 for morning session
$15.00 for afternoon session
$25.00 for full day of teachings

Schedule
April 15, 2018
Music Teaching
10am – 12pm
Lunch Break
12pm – 2pm
Music Teaching
2pm – 5pm

Workstudy
No one is turned away due to lack of funds. Work-study is available in limited amounts and must be approved prior to attending. Please email us to request a work-study position

Teachings on Tibetan Medicine with Drupon Thinley Ningpo and Amchi Konchok Karma
2018-04-21 10:00 - 17:00 | Drikung Namgyal Ling Center, 1135 West Twin Buttes Road, Sahuarita, AZ, 85629, United States
Amchi Konchok Karma is a highly accomplished monk and practicing doctor of Tibetan Medicine in the Drikung Kagyu Buddhist tradition. Amchi Karma will be teaching and holding interviews with practitioners at Drikung Namgyal Ling on Saturday, April 14th and Sunday April 22nd, and as availability permits.
Limited interview spaces are available. Interview sessions will take about 20-30 minutes and cost $45. Medicine will also be available at additional cost. Please contact Pati Stein (pati.c.stein@gmail, 520.465.1882) to schedule an interview appointment with Amchi Karma.
During the morning of Saturday, April 21st Drupon Thinley Ningpo will teach on the basics of healing through balancing the energies of body and mind. Drupon will also give instructions on Mahamudra meditation, and guide the sangha on how to integrate body-mind through meditation practice. In the afternoon, Amchi Karma will give introductory teachings on the Gyud-Shi, or the Four Medical Tantras. It is said that the Gyud-Shi was originally transmitted by Buddha Shakyamuni in the form of Medicine Buddha. The Gyud-Shi is revered as one of the most important texts in tradition of Tibetan Medicine, and holds teachings on the basic sciences for healing the body-mind.
Tibetan medicine is the traditional medical system of Tibet. It uses a complex approach to diagnosis, including techniques such as pulse analysis and urinalysis, and the recommendation of behavior and dietary changes, and organic medicines, such as natural herbs and minerals. Tibetan Medicine also recommends the use of physical therapies (acupuncture, body movement) to treat illness.
Tibetan medicine understands the body to be composed of three primary energies, bile, wind, and phlegm. Wind regulates the nervous and sensory system, and also breathing. Whereas bile regulates the heat in the body, and phlegm regulates the cold in the body. When the energies are imbalanced by emotions, distress, or seasonal changes, individuals will experience physical disease.

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Amchi Konchok Karma began his monastic education in 1994 at the prestigious Drikung Kagyu Institute in Dehradun. In 1998 he continued his studies at the Chambord Tibetan Institute in Darjeeling, concentrating on the spiritual aspects of healing. He completed his studies successfully with the title of Doctor Of Tibetan Medicine. Beginning in 2004, he taught and researched at the Songtsen Library in Dehradun and advanced his knowledge of medicine and buddhism, which has helped him become a well educated doctor and accomplished Buddhist monk. In 2013, Konchok Karma was appointed Secretary of the Office of HH Drikung Kyabgön Chetsang Rinpoche. At the same time he visited several countries in Europe and Asia giving lectures on Tibetan medicine. Konchok Karma shares his knowledge and expertise of Tibetan medicine with an intelligent mind and open heart for the benefit of all sentient beings.
Suggested Donation

$20.00 for morning session
$20.00 for afternoon session
$35.00 for full day of teachings

Schedule
April 21, 2018
Tibetan Medicine with Drupon Thinley Ningpo
10am – 12pm
Lunch Break
12pm – 2pm
Tibetan Medicine with Amchi Konchok Karma
2pm – 5pm

Workstudy
No one is turned away due to lack of funds. Work-study is available in limited amounts and must be approved prior to attending. Please email us to request a work-study position

Teachings on Preparing Torma
2018-04-22 10:00 - 17:00 | Drikung Namgyal Ling Center, 1135 West Twin Buttes Road, Sahuarita, AZ, 85629, United States
Following our weekly sadhana practice, Drupon Thinley Ningpo will teach us how to prepare torma. Torma is a handmade ritual cake, molded from butter, barley flour, and various other substances, and often used as an offering in Tibetan Buddhist practice. In his teachings, Drupon Rinpoche will demonstrate how to properly prepare and offer torma. During this teaching, participants will prepare and make their own torma. PLEASE bring Moldable Clay or Play Doh for your torma. PLEASE NOTE that although Play Doh is useful for practicing torma, it will shrink and change shape over time and therefore will not be useful as an offering.
Suggested Donation

$15.00 for morning session
$15.00 for afternoon session
$25.00 for full day of teachings

Schedule
April 22, 2018
Prayers and Sadhana Practice
10am – 12pm
Lunch Break
12pm – 2pm
Torma Teaching
2pm – 5pm

Workstudy
No one is turned away due to lack of funds. Work-study is available in limited amounts and must be approved prior to attending. Please email us to request a work-study position

Vajrayogini [Tummo] Practice Retreat
2018-04-27 - 2018-04-29 | Drikung Namgyal Ling Center, 1135 West Twin Buttes Road, Sahuarita, AZ, 85629, United States
Vajrayogini [Tummo] Practice Empowerment and Retreat with Venerable Drupon Thinley Ningpo and special guest, Amchi Konchok Karma
Friday, April 27th – Sunday, April 29th, 2018

Tummo is the foundation of the 6 Yogas of Naropa. It focuses on controlling the bodies’ energies and transforming them into bliss, often referred to as “inner heat.” The purpose of Tummo, a completion stage yoga practice, is to gain control over the subtle body winds, channels and drops, thus furthering one’s goal of achieving enlightenment. While previous dharma training helps, this retreat is open to everyone.
Drupon Thinley Ningpo will instruct us in the practice of Tummo (a completion stage practice) using Vajrayogini as a support. Vajrayogini is a female Buddha who embodies one’s innermost essence and is associated with the mother tantras of anuttarayoga tantra.
Venerable Drupon Thinley Ningpo will conduct this retreat with special guest, Amchi Konchok Karma.Retreat practitioners must attend the entire retreat, from Friday to Sunday. Pre-registration is required as well as attendance to the entire retreat. No prior experience is required. Please email or call with any questions, or if you would like to register.

Schedule (April 27th, 7pm – April 29th, 5pm):

Friday April 27th 7-9pm – Empowerment and practice instructions
Saturday, April 28th – three sessions, 8am – 9pm
Sunday, April 29th – three sessions, 8am – 5pm

Retreat Fee – 3 day retreat
$108 non-members
$75 Supporting Members & above
Foundational Members are Free
⊕ Work Study Positions are available but require prior arrangements. Please contact us in advance
Location (see directions to the center, below):
Drikung Namgyal Ling Center
1135 West Twin Buttes Road
Sahuarita, AZ 85629

Please contact Brennan Washburn (brennan@drikungtucson.org, 520.977.2136) with questions or to register.
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Lodging and Meals at the Center:
The center has dorm-style (room sharing) accommodations. Attendees may also car camp or pitch a tent on the property grounds.
The cost of accommodation is included in the retreat fee.
Indoor accommodation must be reserved prior to the retreat, and is otherwise available only as space permits. Please contact us to ensure your accommodation needs are met.
The following 5 meals are provided: Saturday breakfast, lunch, and dinner and Sunday breakfast and lunch. Meals provided will be simple and vegetarian. Snacks, coffee and tea will be available throughout the retreat. If you have special food needs or preferences you are welcome to bring a meal or use the center’s facilities.

What to pack and bring:
Suggested Personal Items to Bring:

Sleeping bag or bedding
Pillow, blankets
Alarm Clock
Ear plugs
Towel, Toiletries (soap, shampoo, toothbrush, etc)
Practice items – cushion, mala, dorje/bell
Comfortable clothing
Medication, vitamins, supplements
No perfume or heavily scented products, please

The Precious Treasury of the Basic Space of Phenomena - Part 2
2018-08-04 10:00 - 17:00 | Drikung Namgyal Ling Center, 1135 West Twin Buttes Road, Sahuarita, AZ, 85629, United States
The Precious Treasury of the Basic Space of Phenomena – Part 2
With Khenpo Yeshi
Saturday-Sunday, August 4th and 5th, 2018
Khenpo Yeshi returns to Tucson for the 13th straight year, and this time he will continue to lead us on a journey into Longchen Rabjam’s famous treatise, The Chö Ying Dzöd, The Precious Treasury of the Basic Space of Phenomena and its accompanying commentary. By elucidating this text, Khenpo Yeshi will simultaneously introduce us to the work’s essential instruction on the profound Dzogchen practice of Trekchö or “cutting through.”
What do we cut through? Conceptual delusion. In the context of Dzogchen, we cut through the flimsy fantasy world of self-grasping and we do so swiftly, emboldened by the simple recognition of the innate incorruptibility of our own primordial awareness or Buddha Nature.
As dharma students in 2018 we can celebrate the auspicious good fortune of not only this masterpiece having been translated into English, but also the special insight of Khenpo Yeshi. A scholar in both Tibetan and English languages, Khenpo Yeshi has received extensive trainings, both academic and spiritual, too numerous to list here, and completed three-year meditative retreat under the guidance of the renowned Dzogchen master, H.E. Tulku Urgyen Rinpoche. He currently lives in California and attends Berkeley as a PhD student.
This teaching represents the third installment of a multi-year series, each year traversing a few more chapters. Please join us as we explore this cycle of Dzogchen teachings with Khenpo Yeshi at Drikung Namgyal Ling.

Teaching Location (see directions to the center, below):
Drikung Namgyal Ling Center
1135 West Twin Buttes Road
Sahuarita, AZ 85629
Teachings Fee – 2 days of teaching

$55 non-members
$40 Supporting Members & above
Foundational Members are Free

Per Session Fee:

$20/session , $30/day for non-members
$10/session , $20/day for Supporting Members or above
Foundational Members are free
Work Study Positions are available but require prior arrangements. Please contact us 2 weeks in advance

For More Information on this Event:

Brennan Washburn
(520)977-2136
brennan@drikungtucson.org

Directions to the Drikung Namgyal Ling Center
From Central Tucson (Freeway route):
1. South on I-19 to Sahuarita Road.
Sahuarita Road is about 17.5 miles south of the I-19/I-10 Interchange.
2. Right (West) on Sahuarita Road for 1/2 mile.
3. Make a Left turn (South) onto South La Canada Drive.
4. Make a Left turn (East) onto Twin Buttes Road.
5. Drive past Camino De Las Quintas.
6. House is second on the right.

From Central Tucson (non-Freeway route):
1. Take Valencia Road to Old Nogales Highway.
2. South on Old Nogales Highway to Sahuarita Road.
Sahuarita Road is about 13 miles south of Valencia Road and Old Nogales Highway.
3. Right (West) on Sahuarita Road for 1/2 mile.
4. Make a Left turn (South) onto South La Canada Drive.
5. Make a Left turn (East) onto Twin Buttes Road.
6. Drive past Camino De Las Quintas.
7. House is second on the right.

From East Tucson (non-Freeway route from Tucson East side):
1. South on Houghton Road past I-10 to Sahuarita Road.
Sahuarita Road is about 19.5 miles south of I-10.
2. Right (West) on Sahuarita Road for 13 miles.
3. Make a Left turn (South) onto South La Canada Drive.
4. Make a Left turn (East) onto Twin Buttes Road.
5. Drive past Camino De Las Quintas.
6. House is second on the right.

Lodging and Meals at the Center:
The center has dorm-style (room sharing) accommodations .Attendees may also car camp or erect a tent on the property grounds.
The cost accommodation is $20/night indoor and $10/night for camping.
Indoor accommodation must be reserved prior to the retreat, and is otherwise available only as space permits. Please contact us to ensure your accommodation needs are met.
Meals are not provided but you are welcome to bring a meal or use center’s kitchen facilities for preparation.
Lodging in the Sahuarita/Green Valley Area:
For attendees seeking housing outside the center, Sahaurita and Green Valley offer a number of inexpensive short-term options, available just a few minutes away:
Vagabond Inn (Rate: $72/night+)
19200 S Frontage Rd, Green Valley, AZ 85614
(520) 625-0900, vagabondinn.com
Comfort Inn (Rate: $94/night+)
90 W Esperanza Blvd, Green Valley, AZ 85614
(520) 399-3736, choicehotes.com
Best Western Green Valley Inn (Rate: $107/night+)
111 South La Cañada Drive, Green Valley, AZ 85614
(520) 625-2250, bestwestern.com
