Sakya Changlochen Ling – Retreat Centre in the Dordogne, France
Sakya Changlochen Ling: A Peaceful Retreat Centre in the Heart of the Dordogne
Nestled in the beautiful Perigord Noir region of South West France, Sakya Changlochen Ling is a dedicated retreat centre for the study and practice of the Sakya tradition of Tibetan Buddhism. Founded in 1990 and guided by Lama Jampa Thaye, the centre offers a serene environment for deepening meditation, receiving initiations, and exploring core Sakya teachings—away from the distractions of daily life.
Our annual summer courses (typically held in August) bring together the Dechen sangha for two weeks of profound teachings, empowerments, and community practice, often led by Lama Jampa Thaye and featuring visits from Sakya lineage holders. These immersive retreats have been a highlight for practitioners worldwide.
Relive the inspiration of past gatherings through our photo galleries of previous summer courses below.
Dechen European Summer Course
16 - 28 August 2026
Lama Jampa Thaye will give teachings and initiations over the course of two weeks of daily group study and practice at the Dechen centre of Sakya Changlochen Ling. For further details and to book please see the local website.
-
2024: Mind Training and Vajrayogini
During the first week, Lama Jampa taught ‘The Seven Points of Mind Training’ using a new commentary called ‘Dispelling the Darkness of Suffering’ by Karma Thinley Rinpoche. During the course Lama Jampa also bestowed the initiations of Manjusri and Namgyalma. For the second week, Lama Jampa Thaye taught Rinpoche‘s own commentary on Vajrayogini practice entitled ‘The Sweet Drops of the Blooming Lotus of Great Bliss’ together with bestowing the blessings of the goddess. This was the very first time that the transmission of these detailed and extensive teachings has been given in the West.
-
2023: Visit of His Holiness the Sakya Gongma Trichen
Wish-fulfilling jewels in a pure land – news from France
Friday 18 August 2023 saw the culmination of two very special weeks of teachings and initiations at our retreat centre in France, Sakya Changlochen Ling. This year, the summer course opened with Lama Jampa, his family and over 100 students welcoming HH Sakya Gongma Trichen Rinpoche, making this His Holiness’s 14th visit to our centres across the Dechen community. On this occasion, His Holiness gave the rarely given and precious initiation of the female deity Red Saraswati, whose practice cultivates the wisdom to both understand the teachings and to realise the true nature of things. As His Holiness remarked, all the seen and unseen qualities on the Buddhist path arise from wisdom. We were all delighted to spend time with His Holiness and look forward to welcoming him again soon.
-
2023: Lamp of the Path
From 17 to 29 July, Lama Jampa led two weeks of teachings and group practice at Dechen’s European retreat centre, Sakya Changlochen Ling. This much-anticipated course was the first major event here since summer 2019. Under blazing blue skies, over 80 people came from far and wide to further their own dharma practice and connect with friends both old and new.
Lama Jampa opened the course with the initiation of Manjushri Arapatsana, a deity renowned for increasing the wisdom of practitioners. This was the ideal way to start this first week of teachings, which featured the extraordinary work on the graduated path to buddhahood by the 11th-century Indian master, Atisha. Entitled ‘The Lamp of the Path to Enlightenment’, Atisha gave this teaching at the request of a Tibetan prince, who wished for a text that brought together all the aspects of the Buddhist path, without omission, whilst being sufficiently short and straightforward to understand
