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!