Volume 24, Number 4 / August 2024
Letter from the Editors
Opportunities to Grow
Dear Friends,
We all have many opportunities to grow. To recognize them is the key. As Tenzin Wangyal Rinpoche teaches, instead of being drained by our pain identity and caught up in our various personalities, we can recognize them, breathe out, and host and accommodate them, opening to our spontaneous awareness and creativity. We can realize they are not me and rest in the truth of who we are. Enjoy this teaching excerpt from the recent retreat in Italy!
We dedicate this issue to Vickie Walter who passed away at the end of May. She was a longtime dzogchen practitioner, student of Tenzin Wangyal Rinpoche's, and for many years our colleague here at the Voice of Clear Light. Friends and sangha members who knew Vickie have shared heartfelt words about her, which we present in an article below.
More news and events at Ligmincha:
- See Tenzin Wangyal Rinpoche's upcoming teaching schedule.
- Mark your calendar for upcoming CyberSangha events.
- Great news about the Fall Retreat in Nepal on Chod; learn more about the practice of Chod with Geshe Denma Gyaltsen.
- Announcing the annual Winter Retreat at Serenity Ridge & online: A Dzogchen Practice Retreat.
- New Training Program with Geshe Denma Gyaltsen & Khandro Tsering Wangmo Khymsar on the Du Tri Su Practice Manual beginning in March, 2025 at Serenity Ridge.
- Learn about Soul Retrieval with Lama Kalsang and the new program planned for Serenity Ridge beginning October, 2025.
- Read an interview of Tenzin Wangyal Rinpoche by Study Buddhism
- Read the Student and Teacher article on why Rinpoche suggests a fitness tracking device.
- Try an online course offered through Ligmincha Learning.
- An In-depth online course on Dream Yoga starts August 30.
- Sangha Sharing: Experiencing Serenity Ridge, plus a song from the heart.
- Upcoming programs with the 3 Doors.
- View the Spanish translation for the June VOCL.
In Bon,
Aline and Jeff Fisher
Opening the Door of Spontaneity through One's Awareness and Breath
An Edited Excerpt from Teachings Given by Tenzin Wangyal Rinpoche in Italy, Spring 2024
In order to have spontaneous creativity manifest, the basic understanding is to first bring more awareness into your life. Spontaneous creativity, spontaneous joy, spontaneous manifestation or spontaneous awareness do not happen unless you recognize your multiple personalities and go beyond them to reconnect to yourself. However, please understand that I'm not using this term multiple personality in the clinical way that western psychology uses it. I'm using the term to point to the assortment of pain identities that manifest in one's daily actions of body, speech and mind. It is important to become aware of these different personalities.
However, here at the outset, let's narrow our focus to two major core personalities that I believe are important to understand: the self-constructive personality and the self-destructive personality. These qualities can manifest in relation to one's physical body or one's behaviors, resulting in either healthy behaviors, or unhealthy, addictive behaviors. We all have these two different core personalities, and it's important for you to become aware of your own particular ones to see them clearly.
Again, in order to experience spontaneous creativity, spontaneous manifestation, spontaneous remission, spontaneous life, spontaneous joy, spontaneous laughter, spontaneous humor and all of the effortless spontaneous qualities that can appear in your life - it's important to first recognize your different personalities. You must take a close look at your own life and recognize your own destructive and constructive personalities. You can begin by looking at all of the things that you wish you were doing, and then look at all of the things that you actually do, paying particular attention to those behaviors that run counter to what would truly be beneficial and constructive in your life. Whatever they are, it's okay, just simply be aware of them. This knowing itself is crucial, because the knowing - the awareness - has the power to change things.
You can think of it this way: there is someone in you who knows how to be: I should do this and not do that; I should say this and not say that; I should think this and not think that; I should feel this and not feel that. The one in you that understands that is more intellectual, and when you are calm and in a good mood, then you have a lot of clarity about those things. However, when you are in the midst of living your life, you may do the complete opposite:I'm doing what I'm not supposed to do; I'm saying what I'm not supposed to say, and I'm thinking or feeling what I'm not supposed to think or feel. And that's because you have specific pain identities that each manifest their own distinct actions of body, speech, and mind. And as a result, you end up being ruled by those pain identities, rather than being guided by the more balanced view. And the resulting actions can be very destructive.
So let's look at these two core personalities, and then also look at a third core personality, which is the one that observes both of them. There are also many other sub-personalities, which you can bring into focus later, like the lazy personality. When you become aware of all of these different parts, then what arises is a more dynamic communication between them with more exchanges of energy.
My main point is to really understand these different personalities, and the more that you are aware, then the more flexibility you have. By seeing directly that you have many personalities, you can come to realize that none of them is exclusively you.
Let's say that up until now you've identified often with a personality that's prone to angry outbursts. But with a growing recognition of your having more identities than just this angry one, then you will come to have less and less identity with the anger. And becoming aware of more of your personalities will reduce your identifying with any one of them in particular. And it's very nice when you recognize that. Then, when you again encounter the situations that would have caused you to get angry in the past, you will say, Oh this text message from that person would have driven me crazy, but now I feel quite okay. Oh wow! And you recognize, I feel a lot of space here. Even in situations where I would have anticipated getting angry, I am actually feeling quite cool and calm. I don't have to act now - I don't have to text back right away. I can give a space to all three doors: body, speech and mind.
So the expansion is there more. And that's a very important part. For example, when you identify with anger, then it's very difficult to love; or when you identify with weakness, then it's very difficult to be strong; or when you identify with conflict, then it's very difficult to find solutions. However, when you recognize that you have many personalities, then it immediately opens the door. But you need to somehow come to know that none of this is me.
I often speak about identity. Most of you have a drivers license, it's your identity for driving. You may also have a federal identity, a government ID, and maybe a military ID. You can also have an insurance identity, or a student identity. You have so many identities, and most of them are roll-based. But are you really any of those?
There is also a sense of identity related to your age, and also one related to your feelings. For instance, you can say, I'm a happy person, or I'm a sad person. You are identifying with how you are feeling. You can also identify yourself with how you think, and many of you identify yourself with what you do. And worse, you may identify with what you have. You can find excuses to identify with a thousand different things. But none of them is you! In dharma, the only journey is to understand that. None of this is me. That understanding leads to the biggest achievement - liberation.
So in this process of your recognizing these different personalities, you will also see that, internally, someone is knowing that you are many different personalities. That knower is your refuge, your protection. In the dzogchen teachings, we talk of self realization. Self realization means knowing the source from where all of these different personalities are manifesting, a source that is not any of these personalities. Does that make sense?
So, we arrive at the place of reflecting in our life, and trying to see these core kinds of personalities in us: the self-destructive ones versus the more constructive ideas, and the third that is seeing both. Just be aware of those three.
There is a form of deep breathing, a technique called the 4 and 8 breath, where you breathe in through the nose for 4 seconds, and then breathe out for 8 seconds. Scientific research has shown that daily deep breathing exercises like this are a promising intervention that can lower resting blood pressure and reduce stress and anxiety in adults.
What I will add to this practice of deep breathing is to imagine and try to see your destructive personality. See it and really know about it, how exactly this destructive personality shows up day or night to try and pull you into familiar negative habits of body speech and mind. See it clearly. It's like a spirit. So now when you are doing this breathing practice you say, May this personality leave my system. And you breathe it out like this [Rinpoche breathes in deeply through the nose for about a count of four, and then exhales fully through the nose for about a count of eight.] So in this way you are not only breathing out bodily toxins and carbon dioxide, but you are also breathing out the destructive personality, your destructive pain identity. Is that clear?
Lately, I have been referring to the work of a contemporary tech guy in the U.S. named Brian Johnson. Some of you might have seen him and some of you may like him and some of you may not. Either way is fine by me. He is not a dharma practitioner, for sure. However, in his personal quest for optimal health and longevity, he has reached his goals by paying close attention to his destructive identities. For example, he says that he fired his 7 p.m. personality, the closet junk-food-addict personality, that always shows up in the evenings to tempt him to secretly cheat on his healthful diet. If you don't like his use of the word fire for what he does to his destructive personalities, don't worry about it. You can say transcend them, or liberate them, or purify them - it's referring to the same thing, the words are not important. THe word that you use for this can be gentle, soft and sweet, or it can be harsh and scary. In the end, though, as long as you're beyond that personality, then it doesn't matter.
In any case, let's experiment now and see directly how, by our being beyond our destructive identities, a natural expansiveness and creativity can arise in us. You can then turn that creativityinto anything. If you're an artist, then you manifest that art from your joy, from that connectedness, from that spontaneity, from that effortlessness, from that liveliness. Or, if you're a parent, then you do the parenting from that place. Or if you're in a relationship, then your relationship comes from that place.
And it all starts with bringing awareness to, and gaining a clear recognition of, your own destructive personalities, and then with the 4 and 8 breath, breathing them out with each 8 second, slow, deep outbreath. That's what we'll do as a larger part of our practice today; simply being aware of those destructive personalities, seeing those, and breathing them out and liberating them. We'll do that now. Then we'll talk more, okay?
Tenzin Wangyal Rinpoche's Worldwide Teaching Schedule
Upcoming Retreats
Here is Geshe Tenzin Wangyal Rinpoche's upcoming teaching schedule for August through December. Rinpoche will be teaching in Poland, Germany, France, Hungary, Nepal and Virginia in the upcoming months.
You can find the latest listings and any changes in the Events section of the Ligmincha website or the Serenity Ridge website. Please register for these online retreats through the specific Events box on the website. Updates will be provided on the website as they become available.
- August 13-18, 2024. Wilga, Poland. Tummo, Part 4
- August 19-25, 2024. Buchenau, Germany. Discover Your Inner Light, Part 2
- August 31-September 1, 2024. Bourg-en-Bresse, France Dream Yoga
- September 6-8, 2024. Budapest, Hungary. The Healing Practice of Sherab Chamma
- October 9-13, 2024. Kathmandu, Nepal. Fall Retreat: Chod: Awakening Confidence by Taking Fear as a Path
- November 8-10, 2024. Bangkok, Thailand. TBA.
- November 16-17, 2024. Online: 3 Doors Weekend Retreat
- December 27, 2024-January 4, 2025. Serenity Ridge Retreat Center, Shipman, Virginia. Rest in the Wonders of the Natural Mind: A Dzogchen Practice Retreat
Update on Fall Retreat in Kathmandu, Nepal October 9-14
Teachings on Chod with Tenzin Wangyal Rinpoche
Join Tenzin Wangyal Rinpoche in Nepal! For the first time in 25 years, Rinpoche returns to offer a retreat in Kathmandu, a city steeped in many ancient spiritual traditions and cultures, including Yungdrung Bon. This retreat will include 5 days of teachings on the practice of Chod and a one-day pilgrimage to the great Bon monastery, Triten Norbutse.
We have good news to share that for those registered for the retreat, Ligmincha will be coordinating visits to His Eminence Yongdzin Lopon Tenzin Namdak Rinpoche on October 15 & 16. Groups will be driven to the place where he is staying and be able to offer their respects from a distance. Details of the additional costs and logistics will be shared with people who have registered as soon as they become available. See the links below for registration, and helpful information about travelling to Nepal and a link for a recent talk on Chod, given by Geshe Denma Gyaltsen.
Chod is a skillful method for transforming the fear, aversion and attachment that obscure our true nature, and the qualities of love, compassion, joy and equanimity. These afflictions give rise to illness, depression, anxiety, addiction, self-recrimination and become our "demons" driving us toward suffering upon suffering. When we nurture the sources of our pain with compassion, we discover the empty nature of our inner enemies and transform them into wisdom. Tenzin Wangyal Rinpoche will teach us to meet our challenging emotions and experiences, not with anger and judgment, but with a warm embrace, and reconnect to the natural state: open, awake, and fearless.
The retreat will present the chod text composed by the famous Bonpo dzogchen master Shardza Tashi Gyaltsen Rinpoche, who attained the rainbow body in 1934 at the age of 75. Traditionally, parts of the text are sung by the practitioner and accompanied by the chod drum and bell. Tenzin Rinpoche will emphasize the core understanding of the principles and practice.
Along with his wonderful sense of humor, Rinpoche has a gift for making ancient wisdom accessible and relevant today. This retreat is open to everyone and has no prerequisites.
Useful information for traveling to Nepal
View a recent talk on Chod given by Geshe Denma Gyalsten
Annual Winter Retreat at Serenity Ridge & Online
Dzogchen Practice Retreat with Tenzin Wangyal Rinpoche
Join Tenzin Wangyal Rinpoche for the annual Winter Retreat: Rest in the Wonders of the Natural Mind: A Dzogchen Practice Retreat, beginning December 27, 2024. This year, Rinpoche is generously opening the retreat to all who wish to deepen their dzogchen practice. The retreat will be held in-person at Serenity Ridge and online on Zoom.
Participants can choose between a nine day retreat from December 27-January 4, 2025, or a weekend option from December 27-29, 2024.
This year marks the 5th year of the five-year cycle of teachings on the Experiential Transmission of Zhang Zhung, a profound Dzogchen practice manual. In previous years, this retreat was restricted to those who had attended the fourth year's teaching.
Registration will open on August 7, 2024.
More details will be available soon on Ligmincha's website.
Remembering Vickie Walter
Some Reflections from the Sangha
In honor of Vickie Walter, who recently passed, we share heartfelt words from students and friends, along with wisdom from Tenzin Wangyal Rinpoche on the impermanence of life.
This life is very rare and precious, and it does not last very long. Every moment that passes never returns. We don't want to waste these precious moments by worrying, being sad or arguing. Instead, we can use each of them as an opportunity to be aware, to grow and to share our gifts with others. - Tenzin Wangyal Rinpoche
*****
Tributes from sangha and friends:
Vickie was a friend, colleague and dharma sister. I am not sure when we first met, but it was at Serenity Ridge. We attended many retreats together. She was always warm, knew many people and was an easy person to talk to about the teachings. Dharma (and editing) was a topic very close to her heart. It was not always easy to work with Vickie, but that was because she was truly an expert in her field and she took her work most seriously. She expected the same from everyone else. Vickie was instrumental in aspects of the publication of the Voice of Clear Light, and she was also instrumental in the creation of many of our books published by Sacred Sky. Living Wisdom,our tribute to His Holiness the 33rd Menri Trizin, The Seven Mirrors and the A-Tri were all marked by her skills, and the books were better for her attention. For me, Vickie was above all a friend and I miss her. I pray that she recognizes all visions of the Bardo as illusion and realizes her own self-arising innate awareness. -Rob Patzig
I remember when Vickie first came to retreats at Serenity Ridge, so many years ago, she quietly let us know that she had some experience with newsletters and would be happy to help. Vickie's wish to help came to span so much of our early communications, including helping in the design of our websites. Later, she assisted in editing transcripts of Rinpoche's teachings, which are now available through Ligmincha's Sacred Sky Press (and on lulu.com). Vickie had an amazing eye for detail, and always wanted to see what was written was clear and direct. Her big heart and wish to be of service to Rinpoche, the sangha, and in support of the teachings flows through all that she did. We are grateful for all she did for all of us. - Sue Davis-Dill
2019 Interview with His Holiness 34th Menri Trizin Rinpoche, Khandro Tsering Wangmo, Vickie Walter, Jeff Fisher & Aline Fisher. Photo by Melissa Katz.Vickie was a dear part of our Voice of Clear Light family. We shared many beautiful experiences, such as interviewing His Holiness 34th Menri Trizin Dawa Dhargyal Rinpoche during the 2019 summer retreat, while Khandro Tsering Wangmo translated. It was an honor meeting with His Holiness as the sun was setting that evening on Serenity Ridge. We were all seated around him on the floor of his bedroom in the Lama house, and he was kind enough to allow time to thoughtfully answer some questions about his life, his current activities, and his vision of the future of Bon; it was an unforgettable time together. Vickie was always very thorough, striving to be clear, honest and accurate and in turn a real inspiration for the both of us. We all helped each other develop, and though it was challenging at times, we all were the richer for it. And so a familiar rhythm developed in putting the newsletter together, one that came about through many years of collaboration, since 2012 when she joined our VOCL team and dedicated her time and energy to being Ligmincha's communications director. We honor the memory of our dear heart friend, Vickie. Liberated from the body, may identity with the unutterable ground of being, the natural Clear Light, arise. - Aline and Jeff Fisher
I was deeply saddened to learn of Vickie's passing, my dharma sister and friend. I'm personally grateful for her volunteer work as Ligmincha's director of communications, and for the many years she dedicated to steadfastly polishing and purifying the words of Ligmincha's websites and newsletter, benefiting so many. Although Vickie is no longer physically with us, her quiet, spritely presence remains here in our hearts. - Polly Turner
I knew Vickie through the NA5 Academy (The 3 Doors 5th Academy) and the Gift Committee, which we both worked on. I have many memories of Vickie. I was impressed with Vickie's writing abilities - she was a gifted writer and modest about her writing accomplishments. I also appreciated that she stepped up to the plate when things needed to be done, and was thoughtful and reliable about carrying out what she committed to. But above all I remember her physical presence a tall woman (like me) I found myself standing up taller and straighter and more confidently, as I matched my energy to hers. I will miss her. - Louise Allen
Vickie and I were in the 3 Doors Academy together. Her dedication to the teachings and practices were always so clear and her reflections on how they were shaping her experience of her life were always expressed with gentle strength, curiosity and wonder. What a gift. - Temple Crocker
We shared so many rides to and from Serenity Ridge retreats over many years, had conversations about everything under the sun, completed 3 Doors together in the same small group, and developed deep friendship. May her travels through the Bardo be easy and peaceful, and may she be supported by all the deities of Bon lineage! Vickie is in my thoughts, prayers and dedications. - Iris (Irina) Dobrina
I began working with Vickie in March 2017, preparing for the April 2017 edition of Voice of Clear Light. She was strict yet kind and patient qualities I truly value in a person. I will miss her in the future. May she find true peace, happiness, and freedom. - Lucian Giurescu
I cherish my connection to everyone in our sangha and Vickie was a special one, who first mentored me when I joined our volunteer group. Her dedication and steadfastness will be missed. She was so stoic and didn't complain about her condition so I didn't know that it apparently came back. I am saddened, and am praying that she would have left her pain body this time for good and now reaching better shores. - Tran Kimbel
Inner Smile of the Heart, More
Upcoming CyberSangha Events
Following our next Full Moon Practice on August 19, join Tenzin Wangyal Rinpoche and Guy Desbiolles on September 4 for a fascinating discussion of cardiac coherence, a practice that offers wide-ranging benefits for our health and well-being. View the broadcast at the link below, on Facebook, or on the CyberSangha Community App. Those who RSVP on the app receive a helpful notification before the broadcast begins. If you haven't explored the app yet, you can do so here.
Monday, August 19, 10:00 a.m. New York time
24-Hour Full Moon Practice: Finding Refuge Within
You're welcome to join our monthly online gathering at any time during the 24-hour period. In this sacred space we acknowledge personal pain and societal challenges while abiding within the open, clear, warmth of presence who we truly are. The practice begins with a guided meditation led by Marcy Vaughn and continues with 24 hours of silent contemplation alternating with periods of guided meditation. Attendance is via Zoom and is free and open to all.
Learn more & register now
Wednesday, September 4, 2024, 12 noon New York time
Inner Smile of the Heart: Being in Tune with Cardiac Coherence
In an online broadcast, HeartMath practitioner Guy Desbiolles and Tenzin Wangyal Rinpoche come together to discuss cardiac coherence, a practice that relies on simple breathing exercises to bring the nervous system into a state of equilibrium. How can we use this simple, effective tool to manage stress, control our emotions, and experience other benefits to our physical, emotional and mental health? Hosted by Alejandro Chaoul, Ph.D.
Learn more & view live
We hope to see you online soon!
The Lamp that Dispels Darkness: The Practice Manual of the Du Tri Su
With Geshe Denma Gyalsten, Assisted by Khandro Tsering Wangmo Khymsar
Ligmincha is happy to announce a new training program on The Lamp that Dispels Darkness: The Practice Manual of the Du Tri Su to be taught by Geshe Denma Gyalsten, with assistance by Khandro Tsering Wangmo Khymsar. The 5-part training program begins in March, 2025, at Serenity Ridge, with the 2nd and 4th sessions being online. The benefit of this ritual text is the purification of obstacles for self and others, the living and the dead, as well as for the attainment of the actual fruit of buddhahood. The Du Tri Su Drip Jong cycle is a powerful, skillful means to guide the consciousness of the deceased and protect it from the terrors of the bardo experiences.
The Drip Jong cycle consists of three parts: the ritual, the jang chok, and the sur chod. The bardo, or intermediate state, is the time between the consciousness leaving the physical body and taking a new birth, normally lasting 49 days. Each week, the deceased has experiences related to one of the six realms of existence. Through the power of the ritual and guidance of the consciousness of the deceased, this ritual closes the doors of rebirth into the lower realms and facilitates rebirth in the higher realms of cyclic existence, or release from cyclic existence completely. This ritual also protects the consciousness from wandering in these realms during the intermediate state. The ancient practice of death rituals were taught directly by Buddha Tonpa Shenrap and have been held continually until the present day.
About the Teaching and Training
This teaching and training offer a special opportunity to learn and practice a powerful ritual from the ancient Yungdrung Bon tradition. The Du Tri Su Drip Jong, jang chok, and sur chod rituals have been practiced for thousands of years in order to guide the deceased.
Participants will learn:
- Preparation for the Du Tri Su ritual, including making the required tormas
- The meaning and purpose of this powerful ritual
- How to conduct the ritual and learn the melodies of each ritual section
The dates for this training program are:
Session 1: March 12-16, 2025
Session 2: September 10-14, 2025
Session 3: March 11-15, 2026
Session 4: September 9-13, 2026
Session 5: April 8-11, 2027 - Final Test (4 days only, not 5 days like the other sessions)
*Programs 1,3 and 5 will be at Serenity Ridge. Programs 2 and 4 will be online.
More details coming soon!
Learn about Bon Ritual of Soul Retrieval with Lama Kalsang
New Program to be Offered at Serenity Ridge
What is soul retrieval? Where did it come from? Why is it important?
At last month's summer retreat at Serenity Ridge, Lama Kalsang Nyima shared details about the ancient Bon soul retrieval ritual and the new in-depth program that Ligmincha will be offering beginning next year: Soul Retrieval from the Bon tradition. Lama Kalsang will be assisted by Khandro Tsering Wangmo Khymsar. Lama Kalsang explained that the purpose of this Tibetan ritual from Zhang Zhung is to retrieve and bring health to one's soul and life force, or for another person. He said that through this beautiful practice, one develops connection and can be lifted up; one can improve one's health, spirituality and longevity. It is also an energetic and meditative way to heal illness.
This two-year program will include four in-person retreats at Serenity Ridge and includes options for students who only want to learn the practice for themselves, and a certification process for those who want to be able to perform the rituals on behalf of others. The first session of a the two-year program will begin in October 2025. The program will include aspects of the sacred arts of making tormas and namkhas, and learning to use the ritual drum, cymbal and damaru, all in a process that offers a way of deeply connecting to oneself. Lama Kalsang will be assisted by Khandro Tsering Wangmo Khymsar.
The preliminary schedule includes these dates and topics:
Session 1: October 1 - 5, 2025
La Lu or Soul Retrieval
Go step-by-step through the order of the text
Make tormas
Learn melodies
Learn to play instruments (optional) or practice making tormas
Session 2: April 8-12, 2026
Review Session 1 topics
Learn about Chi Lu or Death Ransom
Practice with instruments or make tormas
Session 3: October 7-11, 2026
Review Soul Retrieval & Death Ransom
Mantra Accumulation
Practice with instruments or make tormas
Session 4: April 21-25, 2027
Review of all topics
Test the participants who applied for the Certificate to Perform the Ritual for Others
Lama Kalsang, a resident lama in Mexico, assured everyone: We will learn the details one by one. And we will develop our connection that way. All will be written in English. If you are interested in learning more, all are welcome. It is a beautiful practice, and we will have fun.
More details will be coming soon. Stay tuned!
View video of Lama Kalsang's talk on soul retrieval
An Interview with Tenzin Wangyal Rinpoche by Study Buddhism
Exploring Some Core Principles of Bon
In an interview by Matt Linden of the Study Buddhism website, Tenzin Wangyal Rinpoche discussed several aspects of the ancient Tibetan Bon tradition and its practices. The interview took place in Helsinki, Finland, during a break in Rinpoche's teaching tour in Europe. Some of the topics covered were how to make the most of the third of our life that we spend sleeping, and how to balance the five elements, and what simple meditation Rinpoche would suggest for daily life.
In this brief excerpt from the interview, Rinpoche was asked about his view on why, even today, practitioners often get very attached to their beliefs, as has been the case throughout history with the many branches of Buddhism. Rinpoche responded in his familiar, clear and meaningful way:
The core teachings, like the realization of emptiness, are about changing your ego, your self-grasping, to transform them fully, to liberate from them. That's the purpose of meditating on emptiness, shunyata. It's not to develop a personality, it's to dissolve the personality.
What I would recommend to people is to not get trapped by these fundamentalist views of there being one correct version, the view that myversion is the correct version. Because when you begin to think in that way, you are trapped into that personality, into that identity, which the teachings are supposed to help you loosen up! So, my advice is to not get trapped in those stories. Apply the true teachings in order to dissolve your self-pain identity, your ego, your personality, your individuality. Because every moment that you feel pain or discomfort is directly connected with your identity. Address that identity through the teachings, don't just build up a different one!
Upcoming Ligmincha Learning Courses
Six Lokas, Three Heart Mantras and Five Elements
Ligmincha Learning is pleased to offer a seven-week online course on Transforming Our Emotions Through the Six Lokas with Tenzin Wangyal Rinpoche September 6-October 27, 2024. Coming in October, two online courses will be offered with Rinpoche, The Three Heart Mantras beginning October 4, and The Five Elements beginning October 18.
Transforming Our Emotions Through the Six Lokas
September 6-October 27, 2024 with Tenzin Wangyal Rinpoche
At one time or another, each of us suffers strong emotions that throw us off balance, cause us to act in ways that we later regret and make us lose touch with our true nature. Centuries ago the masters of the Bon lineage developed the meditations of the Six Lokas specifically to remedy this situation, to help us live our lives in a balanced and relaxed way.
The meditations focus on the root causes of our suffering: anger, desire, greed, ignorance, jealousy, pride and laziness. Through each meditation we examine our habitual patterns so that we may recognize them, then through the enlightened energy of the Buddhas to purify and transform them so that we and all other beings might not continue to suffer in this way. The practices have a deep healing and transformative power, and are traditionally practiced at length as a preliminary to dzogchen contemplation.
Learn more/register
The Three Heart Mantras
October 4-November 10, 2024
The Three Heart Mantras are used in many different meditations in the Bon tradition and play a major role in the ngondro practices. They are said to be the essence of enlightenment in sound and energy, and as we sing or chant the mantras our awareness is transformed to be in union with the Buddhas. They are used for purification and protection, and as primary practices toward self-realization.
Learn more/register
The Five Elements: Healing with Form, Energy and Light
October 18-December 1, 2024
This course provides a thorough introduction to the Five Elements practices of the Bon tradition, which bring a life filled with balance and harmony.
Learn more/register
Free courses; enroll at any time. Starting a Meditation Practice; The True Source of Healing; Living with Joy, Dying in Peace
Learn more at ligminchalearning.com
Dream Yoga Online Workshop Begins August 30
Expanded Course Offered through Wisdom Academy & GlideWing
Tenzin Wangyal Rinpoche's popular Dream Yoga workshop has been updated and expanded into an eight-week course, August 30 through October 25, 2024, offered by Wisdom Academy in collaboration with GlideWing. This online course provides a unique opportunity to explore the ancient Tibetan practices of lucid dreaming and sleep yoga. Participants will learn how to harness the power of their dreams for spiritual growth, healing, and personal transformation.
The course covers various aspects of Dream Yoga, including techniques to induce and stabilize lucid dreams, methods to overcome obstacles in dream practice, and ways to integrate dream experiences into daily life. Rinpoche's teachings draw from the rich traditions of Tibetan Bon Buddhism, offering participants a chance to deepen their spiritual practice and gain insights into the nature of mind and reality. With guided meditations and interactive elements, this course promises to be an immersive and transformative experience for both beginners and experienced practitioners alike.
Ongoing and free:Focusing and Calming Your Mind, The Tibetan Practice of Zhine, a two-week self-guided online workshop.
Learn more at glidewing.com
Sangha Sharing
Experiencing Serenity Ridge & Song from the Heart
We are happy to share several students' writings in this issue. The first two are about Serenity Ridge Retreat Center, written by Hieke Grootendorst from The Netherlands, Marleen Aelbrecht from Belgium and Linda Moore from California after their time attending the recent summer retreat. The second features the lyrics of a little song shared by Tonny Maas in the Netherlands, written after the death of her brother-in-law. (VOCL invites you to share something about your experience that has arisen through your connection to Bon. Please limit your writing to 40 lines or less. Please simply send it to our
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.)
What a fabulous retreat center! Located near the Blue Ridge Mountains. The center lives up to its name, so serene and peaceful. Deer graze in front of your room. You can feel that this is the headquarters, the senior teachers are amazing. We visited during summer retreat from Belgium and The Netherlands with the idea of a one-time visit but we will return here for sure. A big advantage is the duration of this retreat, which is longer than one week and allows you to dive deeper and progress in your practice more.
The breaks gave a chance to visit Charlottesville and Shenandoah National Park. Our morning walks were a great opportunity to get to know Rinpoche, his wife and the visiting lamas better, and to ask them questions in an informal way. Travelling there is quite easy with the right preparation. The sangha is very welcoming, helpful and mature. It is also small if you compare it to other sanghas which makes it very intimate. They explain more about all the ceremonies and rituals. The accommodation is clean and very well maintained. The food is buffet style with a lot of choice and every meal was healthy and very tasty. What a great experience. The trip is costly but precious!
- Hieke Grootendorst from The Netherlands and Marleen Aelbrecht from Belgium
Serenity Ridge is a welcoming retreat center in the beautiful, green mountainous countryside of Virginia. The sangha members are open-hearted, kind people who are both fun and interesting. They come mostly from the northeastern U.S., with some representing Mexico, England and other parts of Europe as well. The physical facility is beautiful, with buildings designed to showcase nature and are well-maintained.
Tenzin Wangyal Rinpoche, the Geshe and the Lama are the source of the openness and kindness of the sangha. The two retreats I attended were practice-oriented which is what I like. The environment is supportive, and the collective singing and chanting is nourishing, building harmony which is good for practice. I recommend Serenity Ridge and the retreat experience it offers.
- Linda Moore
*****
Water flows by
Water flows by,
Able to shine
Looking into, you'll see your face
Diving into, you'll hear your name.
Water flows by,
Mirrors the sky
Looking into, you'll see the world
Diving into, it will unfold.
Water flows by,
Dissolves this I
Diving in to, I've touched the base
Bowing to this, I've found my face.
Water flows by,
- Tonny Maas
3 Doors Compassion Project Begins October 2024
Academies in Europe & Latin America, Online Retreat with Tenzin Wangyal Rinpoche
The 3 Doors is pleased to announce details about the upcoming programs: the Compassion Project, a nine-month online program beginning in October; two 3 Doors Academies - the European Academy starting in November, 2024 and the Latin America Academy starting in March, 2025; as well as a special online weekend retreat with Tenzin Wangyal Rinpoche to be held in November, 2024. The 3 Doors is an international nonprofit organization founded in 2010 by Tenzin Wangyal Rinpoche with the mission of transforming lives through meditation practices grounded in wisdom and compassion from the Tibetan Bon tradition.
Compassion Project: Open for Registration
The Compassion project, a nine-month program, will be held online via Zoom from October 2024 to June, 2025. It will be taught by senior teachers Marcy Vaughn and Gabriel Rocco in English, Patricia Vigil and Lourdes Hinojosa in Spanish, and Tonny Maas in Dutch. It is open to all.
The Compassion Project offers a comprehensive exploration of meditation as a pathway to compassion for self and others. This course offers a welcoming and inclusive community providing clear instruction for those new to meditation and support for those looking to deepen their practice. Through nine months of online teaching, guiding, group discussion, self-study, and personal reflection, students will find support to build a meditation practice that enlivens their well-being and activates inner resources to meet life's challenges.
Learn more
The 3 Doors Academy
The 3 Doors is offering its signature program, the Academy, in Europe and Latin America. The 3 Doors Academy is an immersive 2 1/2 year program that provides participants the opportunity to engage deeply in the process of self-discovery. Participation involves both online and in-person components, including monthly group Zoom sessions, individual mentor sessions with teachers, personal retreats, and weeklong, in-person, group retreats.
3rd European Academy starts November 2024
The first retreat of the Academy begins November 1st, 2024 at Chateau Frandeux in Mont-Gauthier, Belgium, with teachers Raven Lee, Tonny Maas, Nicolas Gounaropoulos and Walter Hofmann.
Learn more
The 3rd Latin American Academy
The first retreat of the training begins in March 2025 in Brazil with teachers Alejandro Chaoul, Rosario Arellano, Lourdes Hinijosa, Patricia Vigil, and Carlos Villarreal. More information will be announced soon. To learn more contact
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.
Online Weekend Retreat with Tenzin Wangyal Rinpoche
November 16 & 17, 2024
Join the 3 Doors community for a dynamic online weekend retreat with 3 Doors Founder Tenzin Wangyal Rinpoche. Translation will be available in multiple languages. Open to all.
Learn more
Read a teaching excerpt from last year's retreat with Rinpoche
Student and Teacher
Together on the Path
Tenzin Rinpoche, Lama Kalsang and Geshe Denma Gyaltsen show their fitness devices.Tenzin Wangyal Rinpoche's passion about health and wellness has grown significantly over the past few years. He has shared with students and friends scientific research and facts that he has gathered from many experts on various ways to improve our health, and especially our sleep. During the recent retreat in Italy, Rinpoche shared why he recommends to those interested, getting a fitness tracking device as a way to help learn more about one's own state of health and sleep.
Student: Why do you suggest that I get a fitness tracking device?
Tenzin Wangyal Rinpoche: You all know that when you get a good sleep, you wake up fresh, you wake up clear, you wake up with a focus, you wake up wanting to give, you wake up willing to tackle challenges. That's how you want to wake up every morning. For those of you who are open and willing to try a fitness tracking device, I would recommend it. I'll explain why. When you are getting the data from your device every morning, then you can know to some extent what's going on in your body. And it's not 100% accurate, but accurate enough to help you. It's like having healthcare technicians and services observing your heart and breath all night, and in the morning when you wake up, you're given a nice report. I am not saying you should be conditioned by it, but be willing to know what it is telling you about yourself.
I've been encouraging some friends to get one of these devices, and it's very interesting the range of reactions and responses that I've gotten from them. Sometimes I see fear. They don't even want the possibility of being able to know more about their health. It's interesting how ignorance works. It's willing to destroy itself, and in the process, it doesn't want to know how it's destroying itself.
I would rather know and be aware of a problem. For me, it is fun to be in the West with its easy access to so many gadgets. I'm having fun, lately, being obsessed about it. I want to go to the extreme and get everything perfect. Then, I want to be able to back off slowly, letting go of regulating each aspect of my current regimen, one at a time, to eventually come back to everything being imperfect. And yet, still find the same quality of sleep! That's called integration.
At the same time, I also know that in the end it does not matter. Look at those in India, for example, where it is 104 degrees Fahrenheit, and people are outside on the highway with all of its pollution and smoke, and still many are able to have wonderful sleep.
That said, it is also very important to pay attention before it becomes too late. I'm sure that if you sleep more, you will be more productive in your life, than if you sleep less. And you will be a nicer person and much more kind if you sleep more. So, pay attention. And then for us practitioners, we also have the practices of Sleep Yoga. So not only do we have sleep as a means for our good health, we also have sleep as a means for our enlightenment.
(Rinpoche has been posting some of his Whoop results, good days and bad, on Facebook and wanted to also make it clear that he has no business or financial relationship with the Whoop or Oura Ring companies. His intention is purely to bring more awareness to sleep health, especially within our own sangha community.)
Spanish Translation of VOCL
Link to June 2024 Issue Now Available
Look for the translations of Voice of Clear Light newsletters at the top of the VOCL website.
Read VOCL in Spanish
Flight of The Bön Monks
Chod Drum
Melong
Picture Jasper Mala
