Lishu Institute’s Fall Curriculum

Sangmo Yangri Discusses Bön Lam Rim

The June issue of VOCL contained an article about the new curriculum of Lishu Institute starting this fall. Lishu, founded by Tenzin Wangyal Rinpoche, is Ligmincha’s residential retreat center in northern India dedicated to intensive practice and study of Tibetan Bön Buddhism. Here, Lishu’s resident translator and teacher Sangmo Yangri discusses one of the texts that will be studied during the fall 2018 session.

In September 2018, within the framework of a new curriculum, Lishu Institute will offer during the fall 2018 session a new teaching, on the Bön Lam Rim combined with an intensive Zhang Zhung Nyen Gyü Ngöndro (preliminary practices) retreat practice. 

The text of Lam Rim, written by the great 11th century Bön master Me sTon Sherab Woser, contains foundational teachings in the Bön tradition. Yet, it is generally not well-known in the West. This article contains a condensed biography of Me sTon Sherab Woser and gives an overview of the teaching contained in the Lam Rim text. (For the complete biography, see Ligmincha Europe Magazine, Spring 2018.

Me sTon Sherab Woser

Me sTon Sherab Woser was born in 1058 A.D. to a nomad family in a region Taklung Ra Wa Marpo from the “Me” clan. Given the name Namdrag, he was the youngest son of Yungdrung Nyen (father) and Gur Za Dhar Re (mother). When he was born, he had a circle of hair between his eyebrows, in the middle of his forehead like a fine feather of vulture. At the time of his birth, the sky was filled with light and rainbows. The earth was trembling and blissful sound was echoing from everywhere. Witnessing all these auspicious signs, the villagers generated a great devotion. When he was young, he was calm and inherited a great nature of wisdom.

When he was 6, he learned to read and write, and received several sacred instructions from his grandfather. By age 11, he had attained a great understanding in all the higher texts. Over the next years, he studied Tibetan sciences and received many sacred instructions from various masters.

When he was 21 years old, he received teachings from master Drol Wa Shen Gyal from Zhu clan, followed by seven years of more study in the monastery. He also recorded all of his master’s (Drolwa Shen Gyal ) teachings in a written form and spread them throughout Tibet.

At age 27 he received lay practitioner vows. He sometimes did retreat in monasteries and sometimes practiced living a life like a mendicant. When he heard that the great master Je Gong Zod Ri Trod Chenpo was in the Shang Phug Le region, he traveled to meet him and received several sacred dzogchen instructions. He practiced dzogchen consistently and had a great experience of the awareness of the nature of the mind. At age 29, he received novice monk vows from his master and was named Sherab Woser. He received further vows from other teachers and worked to preserve their teachings.

Returning to his homeland, he gave all his property and land to his brother and practiced in a cave to cut through the connection to worldly affairs and people. He then turned the wheel of doctrine three times to his devotees in his homeland Tag Lung. As one of the four disciples of Je Gongzod Ri Trod Chenpo, he was entrusted with all of the teachings. According to the needs and request of his disciples, he gave 9 to 15 teaching sessions a day. He died in 1132, at age 75, while preaching to his disciples.

The Teaching

Among Me sTon Sherab Woser his many great commentaries, one of the most popular was revealing the great method to accomplish the stages of the path to enlightenment. Though there are many commentaries available on the 320 root verses of this teaching, Lishu has chosen to teach next fall from the commentary of Shen ton Namkha Gyaltsen (A.D 1088–1163), a close disciple of Me sTon Sherab Woser.

Jangchub Drub Thab Lam kyi Rim Pa literally means “a great method to accomplish the stages of the path to enlightenment.” Through the diligent practice of this teaching, the disciple will be able to enter the path of enlightenment and reach the ultimate liberation. This text provides a complete map to follow, starting from the very beginning of the journey. It reveals the different stages of the path and explains the methods to apply.

The teaching will cover the following topics:

1. Relying on (qualified) teacher
2. Revelation of the precious human life
3. Revelation of the fault of samsara
4. Revelation of the great aspect of devotion
5. Revelation of the refuge in triple gems
6. Revelation of the adopting and abandonment of virtuous deeds and nonvirtuous deeds
7. Revelation the afflictions and its antidotes
8. Revelation of the generating the mind of enlightenment
9. Revelation of the contemplation
10. Revelation the lack of inherent existence of self and phenomena
11. Revelation of the sacred oral instruction

Although this text is based on the higher sutric vehicle, these are fundamental teachings that also are found in the preliminary teachings of tantra and dzogchen. The former great masters as well as our current masters have insisted that these teachings are crucial, as path on their own but also as opening door to high tantric and dzogchen teachings and practices.

The view from Lishu’s back balcony

Sangmo Yangri with students

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