Dear Friends,

During the recent spring wellness retreat, Tenzin Wangyal Rinpoche shared his new Prayer of Secret Refuge and how it relates to our taking care of ourselves. Trusting the support of refuge and finding joy can directly impact how we take care of ourselves in a healthful and joyful way. As Rinpoche keeps telling us, when we rest in our nature and our awareness is open and clear, the body is able to accommodate and better host the stresses & challenges in life. Enjoy!

More news and events at Ligmincha:

• Register soon for the Summer Retreat with Tenzin Wangyal Rinpoche, June 26–July 11, in person & online. See all the details below.
• Join Tenzin Wangyal Rinpoche on June 12 on Zoom in honor of the one year anniversary of the parinirvana of H.E. Yongdzin Tenzin Namdak Rinpoche.
• Requesting gifts of Bön dharma donations for Ligmincha’s summer auction
• Tenzin Wangyal Rinpoche’s 2026 retreat schedule.
• Upcoming free CyberSangha events.
• June 13-July 12: The Tibetan Yogas of Dream and Sleep, an online retreat hosted by Shambhala/Prajna Studios and produced by GlideWing.
• Ligmincha Learning’s upcoming courses include Tsa Lung and Five Elements.
• The 3 Doors events & programs include International Practice Day, Compassion Project and more.
• Spanish translation of the April VOCL

In Bön,
Aline and Jeff Fisher

One’s taking refuge is a principle practice within the Tibetan Bön-Buddhist tradition. Generally, when we take refuge, we are seeking help and a higher support and more clarity. While there are different forms of refuge in the various doctrines of Bön and Buddhism, it always comes down to the same idea: that we are seeking support from somewhere that we can truly trust.

Recently I wrote a short six-line prayer called Prayer of Secret Refuge. It’s actually not a new concept, nor something that I have created. It already exists within the tradition, but it’s not highlighted or emphasized enough. As you know, I have been emphasizing the Inner Refuge Prayer for many years. I wrote this refuge not to replace that one, but to give you another option if you resonate with it. I feel that both of these refuge prayers are well-suited to the dispositions of those here in the West.

Prayer of Secret Refuge
I take refuge in the vast sky of being.
I take refuge in awareness, clear light.
I take refuge in the union of being and awareness.

From this union, may compassion spontaneously arise.
May all obstacles be cleared in service to others,
And in service to others, may I come home.

You’ll notice that there is a space between the first three lines of this refuge prayer and the last three lines. I recommend that you recite the first three lines regularly, and then you can add the last three lines as often as you would like.

This morning I will explain just a little bit about only the first three lines, but not in the context of religion or a specific faith, but rather more in the sense of a universal awareness; something that underlies all movement and every change. Then I will show you how important their effect is on our making lasting improvements along our health and wellness journey, the theme of our retreat.

If we consider what the essence of the teachings is – it is what this refuge prayer is pointing to – being, awareness and the union of being and awareness. These lines are not referring to Buddha, or Allah, or Christ. Rather, being, awareness, and the union of being and awareness are universal.

The first line is, I take refuge in the vast sky of being. Here being points to who we are. And rather than giving you an introduction to dzogchen or the nature of mind, what I want to do is at least to instill doubt in you – doubt about who you think you are. This is important because most of the time, when people refer to themselves in a very strong way, they don’t have any doubt about it whatsoever.

For instance, when they say, I am sick. I am confused. Or, I am lost, they say it with so much confidence. However, they are wrong. They are absolutely wrong. They’re not sick, or confused or lost. Rather, they are having some moments of experience of that. And you should be very careful about how you define and label that, and also how you integrate it on a deep psychological level. Because, when you say I’m sick, and then you begin to identify as I’m sick for any length of time, then I guarantee that it will interfere with the process of healing. You don’t realize it, but those words and that kind of language have a power, because deep inside us, our inner psyche doesn’t distinguish them as simply just words. No, the words have a power.

In the first line, when it refers to being, I would like you to at least come to have doubts about the pain identities that you have habitually identified with. And then you can come to reflect in yourself: when I say I am not well, should I say that? No, I am having experiences of that. It’s not me that is unwell. I am well. I am good. I am happy. I am at peace. I am endowed with all of the spontaneous enlightened perfected qualities.

That is the I am. That is being. And on any journey, we at least want to have some sense of that, and reflect: I have a desire, a longing, and I’m seeking to have a connection with that sense of me. No tradition should have a problem with this idea. Would anyone here happen to feel any conflict with that idea? No. That’s the power of this first line of the Secret Refuge Prayer: I take refuge in the vast sky of being.

The second line is: I take refuge in awareness, clear light. These days people speak a lot about attention. Our attention is so important in our life. And considering the subject of attention further, we can come to a deeper level of its meaning – that of awareness. You bring your focus of attention to various objects, but awareness is a deeper understanding of whatever you are turning your attention to.

At any given moment in your life, there are an infinite number of possibilities for where you can place your attention. And of course, everybody has unconscious patterns for where they will place it. Unfortunately, though, many people are not putting their attention in the right places. The right place means in the optimistic place, the one where the glass is seen as half full rather than half empty. Or the one where our life is seen as not bad rather than as miserable. There will always be something that you can turn your attention to that makes you unhappy. And as I said, it is a very unconscious process that leads you to doing so.

Unless of course, you become more conscious about yourself, and you are aware and clear on some deeper level that you have choices in every given situation to see it one way versus another, and that you can simply choose differently. Then you will naturally come to know that you can always choose differently – and you’ll see that you can shift your perception of yourself and of how you feel in a single second. The result will be that your perception and your understanding of what you are seeing is interpreted in a totally new and different way.

Now, the third line of this refuge prayer says, I take refuge in the union of being and awareness. That means that if being is beautiful, and if the awareness is very clear and effective, then just imagine what the union of those two will do. There’s really not much that can go wrong there. Because if you are in that place, then spontaneously, thoughts, feelings, emotions, and your perceptions of self, and your voice, and your ideas, and your kindness and your compassion – they will all manifest from that union. The Bön Dzogchen master, Dawa Gyaltsen, taught in his five-fold teachings that the product of this union of being and awareness is bliss. It’s a joy. It’s an optimistic direction, for sure. And if there is that bliss, if there is that joy, if there is that warmth, then behavioral changes will be much easier to make.

This retreat is primarily focused on wellness. And improving one’s wellness has to do with behavioral change, because there is no way that you can become healthier unless you change your behavior. Now, behavior change may sound like it’s an easy thing for you to do. However, changing one’s behavior becomes much harder when it’s just for the sake of your needing to change, rather than because you are actually finding a joy in changing that particular behavior. Otherwise, it becomes a hard project, a painful journey and an effortful thing. The only way that any health journey can really work is when you discover a joy in it.

So, health and well-being have something to do with behavioral change, and behavioral change has something to do with attention, awareness and identity, which has something to do with discovering joy in the right places, which means healthy places. For instance, you discover joy in sleeping rather than in playing games into the evening or chatting, or going out and partying.

We talk a lot about suffering in Buddhism, don’t we? The Four Noble Truths and the recognition of suffering, and so on. Does suffering have a place in life? Absolutely. Will people suffer? Yes, there’s not even a question of that. But most of the time people do more of it than is necessary. And I don’t encourage anybody to suffer more.

Rather, I encourage you to look for joy – but specifically, joy in the right place. How do you define what the right place is versus the wrong place? Well, from the viewpoint of the ultimate truth, the base, it doesn’t matter whether you habitually eat a big sugary breakfast, or have a very healthy, savory breakfast. Either way we will all die. But from the conventional-truth point of view, you have this biological body, and there are very clear biological rules that govern this body. And what matters to us directly is this body – this conventional truth. Therefore, this body needs to be respected. So come back to this body, and allow the body to tell you what the right ways and the wrong ways are to find the joy, rather than listening to what your pain mind tells you, and certainly not what your addiction tells you.

But given the very deteriorated health within our society today, many people are listening to their addicted pain identities and just speaking from there. Oh, I love ice cream! Okay, who is it in you that is saying that? It’s not you. However, if at that moment, it feels like you, then you must ask the question, is there anyone else in me who doesn’t like ice cream? That is your self-discovery, not the self-discovery of finding the Buddha nature in you. Rather, it is to at least discover another and better pain identity in you that can help you sustain this body better. And the good news is that if you can identify with one pain identity, then you can certainly identify equally with another one. And this body will clearly tell you which of those two pain identities is the right one for you.

With the results of blood tests and the biomarker measurements that are readily available today, you can find out directly from each organ and each system in your body what the right ways are for you to find joy. Checking these results over time, they will tell you, if you measure them. And every biomarker is affected by your behavior.

At the end of the day, though, I think that all of these markers are related to inflammation and stress. And the stress is very much related to your pain identity, and to your attention and to the degree of awareness that you have. You may find yourself in a very difficult situation, but not stressed out; your body is not responding to it with stress. Rather, the body is feeling okay. This is a very difficult situation that I’m in at this moment, but my body is feeling fine. The body is able to accommodate, because of your mind. Your inner attention, your inner awareness is able to pay attention to those things and it’s able to host them. It’s this being, attention, awareness, and joy that is able to create more space to host, and it gives a different perspective and is able to accommodate differently.

And I have experienced this directly, and have come to see, that it’s a joy to respect my body. And it is very much a compassion to take care of my body. And, that it is also a joy and respect for my family and my children, too, because I will have more time to spend with them. And it is also a respect for my community, because I can serve them over more time in my life. And it is a respect for myself, that I can explore whatever new fun things that I find. Respecting my body is something that is a gift for all. And that is the relationship that we want to have with our taking care of ourselves. Okay?

Join Tenzin Wangyal Rinpoche for a rare summer retreat. Explore the nature of mind, release meditation obstacles, and cultivate clarity, awareness, and compassion in a supportive, immersive environment. Open to beginners and experienced meditators. You can attend in person at Serenity Ridge or online on Zoom. Rinpoche will be teaching from excerpts of two sacred dzogchen texts, the Twenty-One Nails and the Six Lamps. We hope you can join us!

Retreat Dates & Registration Options:

Full Retreat: June 26–July 11, 2026
Weekend only: June 26–28, 2026
Week 1: June 26–July 4, 2026
Week 2: July 4–July 11, 2026

Retreat Highlights

Teachings & Empowerment:

June 27-28: Special morning online teachings from His Holiness the 34th Menri Trizin Rinpoche, with Tenzin Wangyal Rinpoche translating for His Holiness.

July 4: For those attending at Serenity Ridge, Tenzin Wangyal Rinpoche will give the empowerment of the Dynamic Energy of Awareness (Rigpa Tsal Wang) from the Zhang Zhung Nyengyü Bon Dzogchen tradition.
July 5: For those attending at Serenity Ridge, Rinpoche will give Pointing Out Instructions to the Nature of Mind.
July 6-9: Four days of silence during the 2nd week.
July 10: Celebration of Rinpoche and Tsering la’s 25th Anniversary.

Practice: Learn Trekchöd (cutting through confusion and conceptual thoughts) and Tögal (practices of ‘clear light’), clear inner obstacles, strengthen meditation confidence, and integrate mindfulness into daily life.

We are happy to announce that Lama Kalsang Nyima, Resident Lama of Ligmincha Mexico, will be joining us for this special summer retreat.

Experience this transformative opportunity to connect with the living Dzogchen lineage and integrate lasting insight, openness, and clarity into your practice.

Learn more/register

On June 12 at 12 noon New York time, we mark one year since the parinirvana of His Eminence Yongdzin Tenzin Namdak Rinpoche, the most senior teacher of the Bön tradition and beloved root teacher of Tenzin Wangyal Rinpoche.

On this sacred day, Tenzin Wangyal Rinpoche will share personal stories of his teacher — a master whose boundless wisdom and compassion continue to guide us all.

We warmly invite the entire sangha to participate:

In the days leading up to June 12, we encourage you to write and be ready to share — heartfelt prayers of devotion, poetry, memories, or stories that honor his precious life and teachings. Please feel free to post them on Ligmincha International’s Facebook page.

Together, we will:

• Recite the Prayer to H.E. Yongdzin Rinpoche
• Listen to the recording of Yongdzin Rinpoche himself reciting the Invocation of Tapihritsa
• Meditate together on this profound and sacred text

May our prayers, devotion, and practice carry his blessings to all beings, and may his wisdom remain with us always.

Translation will be offered in: Polish, Portuguese, and Spanish

Register now

Dear Sangha and Friends of Ligmincha,

During this year’s summer retreat with Tenzin Wangyal Rinpoche, we are holding the Ligmincha Summer Auction, an opportunity to come together in support of our practice community and the preservation of the precious Bön tradition.

We warmly invite you to contribute by donating Bön-related Dharma items for the auction by June 10. Suggested offerings include:

Sacred texts, statues or thangkas
Ritual items such as drums, bells, or malas in good condition
Artwork or shrine items
Handcrafted spiritual objects, or unique Tibetan cultural items
Services or experiences related to practice or wellness

This auction will support improvements to Serenity Ridge Retreat Center and, in particular, the Lama House (Rinpoche and our visiting lamas’ residence at the center). Proceeds will directly benefit Ligmincha’s ability to offer authentic teachings and practice opportunities in a supportive environment.

Contribute Items by: June 10, 2026
Auction Date & Time: July 3, 2026, 3:30 p.m. New York time
Location: at Serenity Ridge Retreat Center and Online

If you are moved to offer an item, please contact us at auction@ligmincha.org. We kindly ask that all donations be submitted by June 10, 2026. They can be mailed to:

Ligmincha Auction
554 Drumheller Lane
Shipman, VA 22971

You can also make a donation on Ligmincha’s website HERE

Your generosity is deeply appreciated. Together, we help sustain the ancient wisdom of Yungdrung Bön for future generations.

With heartfelt thanks and blessings,

Rob Patzig
Ligmincha International

Here is Geshe Tenzin Wangyal Rinpoche’s upcoming teaching schedule for 2026. You can find the latest listings and any changes in the Events section of the Ligmincha International or Serenity Ridge websites. Updates will be provided on the website as they become available.

• June 26–July 11, 2026: Summer Retreat – Clear Light, Natural Mind: The Direct Path of Dzogchen – Serenity Ridge Retreat Center 
• August 7–9, 2026: Tummo, Part 2 – London, UK
• August 11–16, 2026: Gyalwa Chaktri, Part II: Introduction to the Nature of Mind – Ligmincha Poland
• August 17–23, 2026: The Journey of the Elements – Ligmincha Germany 
• August 29–30, 2026: Embracing the Unknown: A Journey of Trust and Transformation – Ligmincha France & Suisse Romande 
• September 5–6, 2026: Dream Yoga – Ligmincha Hungary
• September 25–27, 2026: Sky Gazing and Sun Gazing – Chamma Ling Colorado
• September 29–October 4, 2026: Sherab Chamma, Mother of Wisdom and Love – Serenity Ridge Retreat Center
• October 6–11, 2026: Bardo Teachings: Living with Joy, Dying in Peace Fall Retreat – Serenity Ridge Retreat Center
• October 16–18, 2026: Chöd, Part 2 – Ligmincha Berkeley
• November 2–6, 2026: Sleep, Dream, Death and Liberation – Esalen Institute
• January 1–9, 2027: Winter Retreat – Serenity Ridge Retreat Center

CyberSangha’s online events are always free and open to all. Here’s what’s coming up in late May, June and beyond:

Friday, May 29, 2026, at 12 noon New York time
“Resting in Inner Refuge”: Free Interactive Online Class
This interactive one-session class, designed to accompany the Full Moon Practice, is open to all. Through guided meditation and dialogue, we will explore what it means to come into and rest in inner refuge through the doorways of stillness of body, silence of speech, and spaciousness of mind.  
Learn more and register now

Begins Saturday, May 30, at 10 a.m. New York time
24-Hour Full Moon Practice, “Finding Refuge Within”
The next Full Moon Practice begins soon! Join us via Zoom at any time during the 24 hours — drop in whenever you can, for one or more practice sessions — as we acknowledge both personal pain and our collective challenges, all while abiding in the open, clear warmth of presence. This is a chance to discover the space of inner refuge: the ultimate protection and a source of genuine compassion.
Learn more and register now

Fridays, June 5, 12 & 19, at 12 noon New York time
Three-Part Series, “Opening to Your True Nature”
Rooted in the essence of dzogchen, the Prayer of Secret Refuge guides us to connect deeply with our greatest source of protection: spacious awareness inseparable from our deepest nature. Join senior meditation teacher Marcy Vaughn for a three-part series of live online broadcasts exploring this simple yet profound prayer, recently introduced by Tenzin Wangyal Rinpoche.
Learn more and view live

Tuesday, June 9, at 12 noon New York time
“Mindful Diplomacy: Inner Resources for Global Challenges” 
Join us for a Science & Spirituality Dialogue featuring Jon Kabat-Zinn, Ph.D., professor & founder of the Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction movement; Rhonda Magee, Ph.D., professor & founder of the Center for Contemplative Law & Ethics; and Mara Arizaga, from the Office of the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights. Hosted by Alejandro Chaoul, this conversation explores how mindfulness and contemplative practice can support the people working for human rights, diplomacy, and social transformation. We’ll consider how dignity, care, and connection can become a lived reality in everyday life.
Learn more and view live

Thursday, June 11, at 1 p.m. New York time
“Resting in Being: A Guided Mindfulness Meditation, Part 8”
This mindfulness practice, guided by Aleezé Sattar Moss, is in support of the inner refuge meditations we engage in each month during the 24-Hour Full Moon Practice.
Learn more and view live

Begins Monday, June 29, at 10 a.m. New York time
24-Hour Full Moon Practice, “Finding Refuge Within”
Join us via Zoom at any time during the 24 hours — drop in whenever you can, for one or more practice sessions — as we acknowledge both personal pain and our collective challenges, all while abiding in the open, clear warmth of presence. This is a chance to discover the space of inner refuge: the ultimate protection and a source of genuine compassion.
Learn more and register now

Join the Community!
CyberSangha’s community app, our dedicated social media platform, serves as a primary gateway for meeting like-minded individuals, staying updated on upcoming teachings and other events, and accessing live and recorded broadcasts, free classes, and more. Feel free to explore the app’s features, engage with content, share feedback, and participate in polls.
Explore or join the app now

Explore the transformative nighttime practices of the Tibetan Bön tradition in an immersive online retreat with Tenzin Wangyal Rinpoche. Over four weeks, you’ll be gently guided — through eight video lessons, guided meditations, live Q&A sessions, and interactive forums — to discover how dreaming and deep sleep can become powerful gateways to healing, clarity, and awakening, rather than just unconscious rest.

Participants will learn practical, step-by-step methods for bringing awareness into both day and night: releasing limiting emotional patterns, strengthening clear intention before sleep, cultivating vivid and meaningful dreams, and deepening meditation through the night so that every 24 hours becomes part of the spiritual path.
Learn more/register

You can also receive a free 20-minute guided meditation related to these teachings here: The Tibetan Yogas of Dream and Sleep course – Free Teaching Sign-up.

Upcoming: July 25-August 16, 2026, Awakening to Your True Nature
Learn more/register 

Ongoing: Tibetan Sound Healing is a self-guided course available now; A Journey to Self-Realization is a self-guided course available now. Focusing and Calming Your Mind, The Tibetan Practice of Zhine is a free two-week self-guided online workshop.

Ligmincha Learning is pleased to offer these online guided courses beginning in June and July, as well as several self-paced courses and free courses, open at all times. These online courses feature beautiful video teachings, guided meditations, readings, journal writing activities, and the opportunity to interact with senior mentors and classmates from around the world. See the entire 2026 Course Calendar. We hope you enjoy the changes on the Ligmincha Learning website!

GUIDED COURSES

Meditation, Breath and Movement: Tsa Lung External Internal and Secret Practices
June 26 – July 26, 2026 with Alejandro Chaoul
Tsa Lung is a series of ancient yogic practices that brings balance and harmony to our physical body, energy, and mind. The term Tsa Lung can be translated as the energy-winds (Tibetan: Lung, Skt. Prana, Chinese, Qi) in the Channels, for these practices are designed to open the subtle channels, guiding the healthy flow of the energy-winds so that we can enjoy good health and reconnect with more calmness to a quiet, peaceful mind. These exercises are easy to perform, and are suitable for everyone.
Learn more/register

The Five Elements, Healing with Form, Energy and Light
July 10 – August 23, 2026 with Tenzin Wangyal Rinpoche
This course provides a thorough introduction to the Five Elements practices of the Bön tradition, which bring a life filled with balance and harmony. The Five Elements pervade our lives, are the essences of our being, and can be sources of profound healing. We will explore how the elements affect your state of being, and how working with them can help you to nourish, revitalize and balance your life. Based on nearly seven hours of educational videos created by Tenzin Wangyal Rinpoche, this course works through many levels and techniques to support your self-discovery and realization. 
Learn more/register

SELF PACED COURSES

Tibetan Sound Healing
Who Am I: A Journey to Self-Realization
Raising Lungta with Prayer Flags
Treasures of Bön: History, Lineage & Practices

FREE COURSES

Starting a Meditation Practice, From the Bön Tradition of Tibet, Part 1
Starting a Meditation Practice, From the Bön Tradition of Tibet, Part 2
The True Source of Healing
Living with Joy, Dying in Peace

Learn more at ligminchalearning.com

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 Bön tradition. Upcoming opportunities include: International Practice Day (free!), the Compassion Project, Fall Online Event with Tenzin Wangyal Rinpoche and 3 Doors Teachers, 3 Doors Academies in North America and Europe.

International Practice Day
Saturday, June 6, 2026, 10:00am – 3:00 p.m. New York time
Online via Zoom
For beginners and experienced practitioners
Available in English, Español and Portuguese. More languages to be announced soon.
Come together with a global community of practitioners for a free day of guided meditation practice.
Learn more and register

The Compassion Project
A comprehensive 9-month meditation program that transforms your capacity to care for yourself while caring for others. 
Taught by Senior Teachers Gabriel Rocco and Marcy Vaughn, and 3 Doors Teacher-in-Training Rebecca Ergas
October 2026 – June 2027
Online via Zoom
Open to all
Available in English
Learn more and register

3 Doors Online Weekend Retreat and Dialogues with Tenzin Wangyal Rinpoche and 3 Doors Senior Teachers
Save the dates! More information coming soon
November 21-22, 2026
Online via Zoom
Open to all 
Available in multiple languages

The 3 Doors Academy
The 3 Doors Academy is The 3 Doors’ signature program, an immersive 2 ½ year course that provides participants the opportunity to engage deeply in the process of self-discovery and transformation. Participation involves both online and in-person components, including monthly group Zoom sessions, individual mentor sessions with the teachers, personal retreats, and six in-person week-long group retreats. 

8th North American Academy
We are excited to announce the dates for the next North American Academy. The six retreats will take place at Serenity Ridge in Virginia. 

• Retreat 1: April 27 – May 3, 2027
• Retreat 2: October 26 – November 1, 2027
• Retreat 3: April 25 – May 1, 2028
• Retreat 4: October 3 – October 9, 2028
• Retreat 5: April 24 – April 30, 2029
• Retreat 6: October 23 – October 29, 2029

Learn more and sign up for updates

4th European Academy
We also have dates for the next European Academy beginning in the spring of 2028 at Chauteau Frandeux, Rochefort, Belgium. 

• Retreat 1: April 21 – 28, 2028
• Retreat 2: September 29 – October 6 2028
• Retreat 3: March 16 – 23, 2029
• Retreat 4: September 28 – October 5, 2029
• Retreat 5: March 15 – 22, 2030
• Retreat 6: September 13 – 20, 2030

If you are interested, please write to: info.eu@the3doors.org

See the entire list of 3 Doors programs here

Read VOCL in Spanish
View all translations