02/12/2015 - Mingyur Rinpoche reveals what happened during his four years as a wandering yogi

BY LION'S ROAR STAFF| NOVEMBER 27, 2015    

Rinpoche, What gave you the idea to do this kind of wandering retreat, living on the streets with sadhus in India and meditating in caves in the Himalayas? 
I had done a traditional three-year retreat, but since childhood I have had a very strong longing to do a kind of wandering retreat. I like mountains, I like caves, and I have been very inspired by the great meditators of the past and some of my own teachers, such as Nyoshul Khen Rinpoche, who have done retreats like this.  

Why didn’t you tell anyone what you were planning to do?
My father, Tulku Urgyen Rinpoche, told me that he had wanted to go on a solitary wandering retreat like this. But when he tried to do it, his students begged him to return to his monastery and his teachers encouraged him to stay there. He told me that if I really wanted to do this, I shouldn’t tell anyone about it. He said, “Don’t tell anybody what you’ve been doing until you come back.” more...