My very dear Carolyn,
I hope you are well. It is a great opportunity to be able to do retreat, please do it with bodhicitta. However, the best one is to do it with the thought of impermanence and death. At the beginning of each session think: “ I may die today, even in the session, today, or by the end of the week.”

Please dedicate the merits to His Holiness' long life and for all his holy wishes to succeed. Please also make dedications for all the obstacles to receiving funding for the Maitreya Project to be removed, as well as all the obstacles to receiving funding for all the FPMT projects, and that may all the projects that I have planned for the FPMT be successful. If you can, dedicate at the beginning and end of each session. Also, dedicate the merits so that the projects may illuminate the world, that all sentient beings’ sufferings may end, and that sentient beings may achieve enlightenment as quickly as possible.

Regarding your question, there are two methods:

1) According to the fifth Dalai Lama, recite 400,000 of the main deity’s mantra. Then you don't need to recite the entourage mantras.

2) The normal way, because we are in degenerate times, is to recite 400,000 of the main deity’s mantra, or, if you cannot do that or do not have enough time, then it is OK to recite 100,000 of the main deity’s mantra, then 10,000 of the entourage mantra, and 50,000 (half the number you recite of the main deity’s mantra) for the mother.

I checked and, according to my observations, you should recite 10,000 entourage mantras—this would be the best. For the main deity’s mantra, you decide according to your time (ie 400,000 or 100,000).

With much love and prayers...