If you possess the economic freedom

to engage in a thirty day,

self-guided meditation retreat;

I recommend three books:

.

.

.

FIRST – Heart Treasure

of the Enlightened Ones,

(Dilgo Khyentse, Patrul Rinpoche),

.

.

.

SECOND – Chenrezik the Lord of Love

(Bokar Rinpoche) and

.

.

.

THIRD – The Union of

Mahamudra and Dzogchen

(Chokyi Nyima Rinpoche,

Karma Chagmey).

.

.

.

The FIRST and the THIRD

each contain a Root text and a Commentary,

and (as is often the case)

the former is superior to the latter.

.

.

.

The Dalai Lama gushed

over the FIRST describing it

literally as a “complete path”

.

.

.

and figuratively

as “like an elixir for reviving the dead.”

SORRY – zombies not included.

.

.

.

The FIRST is an excellent

guide to contemplation,

the sixth chapter of the SECOND one

is a good meditation guide,

.

.

.

for which an excellent synopsis

can be found in the THIRD one’s

“phase of completion” chapter.

.

.

.

Some Tibetan retreatants

practice four study sessions

and four practice sessions per day ie:

.

.

.

5am study, 6am practice,

9am study, 10am practice,

1pm study, 2pm practice, and

5pm study, 6pm practice.

.

.

.

To really get the most out of your retreat,

in the months leading up to it,

study and meditate once every twelve hours.

.

.

.

The first week meditate

for five minutes every twelve hours.

.

.

.

Add an additional five minuets

to your practice session every week

.

.

.

and by your thirteenth week

you could have grown comfortable

with 60 minute meditation sessions.

.

.

.

If you run into any difficulties

reach out to me over Reddit chat. _/\_