Membership of the Dzogchen Community is both our commitment to the teachings as well as the practice of generosity. The life of the Community and Kunselling are vital and unique resources for the survival of the Teachings and the development of our practice. Apart from specific fund raising activities, we rely on membership fees and generous donations for all of our running costs and overheads.
Members receive free newsletters and online copies of the Mirror as well as discounts on the cost of accommodation at retreats. In order to participate in many Community activities, including the use of Kunselling as a retreat facility, membership is required. Members receive voting rights at AGM’s and EGM’s after 3 full and continuous years of membership.
Membership of the Dzogchen Community in the UK includes membership and benefits of Merigar (our Western European Gar in Italy). Lesser discounts are also available to Merigar members attending retreats in other parts of the world. 45% of all membership fees from Lings in Western Europe go to Merigar in order to provide the webcast infrastructure, publications archives and many other community facilities of the Gar.
Membership Options
We have a variety of different membership packages that are mainly your way of choosing how much you would like to contribute to the Dzogchen Community but they also give various discounts. If you can please consider becoming a global or meritorious member to give more support to the community. You do not have to become more than an ordinary member but please remember we depend on people applying the principle of generosity, as explained by Chogyal Namkhai Norbu, to make running the Dzogchen Community possible. You can read one of Chogyal Namkhai Norbu’s talks on generosity here: The Virtues of Generosity.
Paying Membership Subscriptions
New Members
Once you have decided which membership type you would like please fill out the form below, including the Gift Aid section as this provides us with a substantial 25% boost to your donations, then pay using one of the four payment options, then email the Membership Secretary, then register for international membership to complete your membership and get access to webcasts. Alternatively you can email the Membership Secretary and he will go through the process with you by email.
The membership year starts on January 1st and runs until 31st December. To encourage new members to join, the UK Community allows a special late join date of 1st June requiring a half payment for your first year.
The best option for us is for you to set up a monthly or annual standing order. If you choose monthly please be able to make a commitment to pay for at least 12 months since we have to pay 45% of members annual fees to Merigar so can make a loss if you cancel early. If you want to pay your membership annually please set up your standing order to renew in January of each year. For this year you can pay the full amount or a half payment to start form 1st June. Other payment options are by cheque, bank transfer and paypal.
Renewing Members
Choose one of the payment options below and email the Membership Secretary to inform him you have made your payment. Please do not register internationally again. You are already registered (lapsed members are not removed from the the International Dzogchen’s Community’s Membership Database) – if you do re-register it will produce a duplicate registration that compromises the functions of the Database.
1. Enter your details here
2. Make Payment
1. Annually or monthly by standing order via internet banking or at your local branch. Use the bank details provided in option 3 below when making the standing order including your full name as the reference. This is the best option for us so please consider doing this.
2. By cheque made out to ‘Dzogchen Community UK’ and post to: ‘The Membership Secretary, 3 Polygon Road, Bristol, UK, BS8 4PA’.
3. Bank Transfer using internet banking, including your name as the reference, please pay:
HSBC 176 Camden High Street, London NW1 8QL
Sort Code: 400203
Account Number: 61162829
Reference: [your full name]
4. Payment by Paypal (we have to pay a 2.6% transaction charge to paypal if you use this option)
3. Email the Membership Secretary
After you have completed the online form and made payment please email the Membership Secretary and let them know your method of payment.
4. Register Internationally (Requirement)
Please complete your membership by registering with the website below. This completes your membership with the International Dzogchen Community and will also give you access to the webcast and webcast replays. Once you have done this and our Membership Secretary has confirmed your payment you will receive your membership number. There is no need to make a payment again on this site.