Dear Friends,

We are so fortunate to have a teacher who shares the ancient wisdoms and truths from the Tibetan Bön Buddhist tradition in way that applies directly to us and our real-world, modern-day experiences. In this issue’s teaching excerpt, Tenzin Wangyal Rinpoche brings to life the essence of the teaching on Mirror-like Wisdom and asks us to explore our ability to rest as this unbiased wisdom awareness that hosts all experience perfectly without grasping, just as a mirror effortlessly hosts any and all reflections that appear there. Enjoy.

Please see the new details and registration for Ligmincha’s annual summer retreat beginning in June with Tenzin Wangyal Rinpoche. Due to travel restrictions, His Holiness, the 34th Menri Trizin Rinpoche, will not be able to be at Serenity Ridge but will instead be giving two special teachings from Menri Monastery in India. There are several ways you can attend the retreat including a new weekend option.

More news and events at Ligmincha:

• Starting soon! Spring Wellness Retreat: April 9-12, available both in person and online.
• Registration opens April 3rd for the Annual Summer Retreat June 26–July 11, 2026.
• Tenzin Wangyal Rinpoche’s 2026 retreat schedule.
• Five Elements Certification Program with Tenzin Wangyal Rinpoche begins in April.
• Read Rob Patzig’s letter on fundraising to support Ligmincha in 2026.
• Three Ligmincha websites have been upgraded and improved for easier use.
• Sangha Art Showcase invites your creativity on the five elements. Artwork due by May 23!
• Ligmincha Learning’s online courses offered in April: Five Elements, Sherap Chamma & Sleep Yoga.
• Upcoming GlideWing course on The Healing Power of Sleep begins May 9.
• The 3 Doors events & programs include International Practice Day, four introductory retreats and the 3 Doors Academies.
• Spanish translation of the February VOCL

In Bön,
Aline and Jeff Fisher

In the Dzogchen tradition there are the teachings on what are known as the five wisdoms. One is called Mirror-like Wisdom. In a very simple way, Mirror-like Wisdom can be described as an awareness that sees the truth, not of something specific, rather it is more like being open and aware and being able to accommodate your experiences, and being able to host them openly, without getting identified or trapped, or confused or angry with those experiences.

You are not what you think. You’re not what you do. You are not what you own. You are definitely not your pain. Yet all of these experiences are simply there in our life. Mirror-like Wisdom is able to see the ceaseless manifestation of appearances and energy in that boundless space. It is able to perceive, to witness, to experience them in the same way that images arise in a mirror. That is a very simple way to understand what the term Mirror-like Wisdom refers to.

To illustrate, I use the example of the mirror that’s located in the public bathroom within a busy airport. Thousands of tired, hurried people will stand in front of that mirror. And many will then walk away dissatisfied with their appearance in the mirror, or they will try to fix their appearance there in the mirror. But does the mirror have any issues with any of those people? No, the mirror is all good! Kuntuzangpo! The mirror is able to accept everybody as they are. The mirror neither complements nor criticizes as you are standing there regardless of your appearance in it, and importantly, regardless of whatever it is that your pain identity or ego is saying about that appearance. The mirror allows you to be just who you are without judging how you appear in it. The mirror always holds that Mirror-like Wisdom quality for every single appearance that arises in it.

One simple exercise instruction would be, just be like a mirror. And sometimes in meditation you can be like that – being just like a mirror – aware but not judging.

Take a look and see, right now in this moment in your life, are you being that mirror? Are you being cognizant of that nonjudgmental boundless space of awareness, that mirror, or are you getting caught up and attached to one single image in that mirror? Can you see your ability to host, to accommodate, to observe, to guide, and to transform the images and stories that are arising? And can you see your ability not to be affected or destroyed by any of those arisings? Where does that strength come from? It comes from awareness, which in this case is called Mirror-like Wisdom. And the qualities that manifest if you are in that state of the mirror instead of its reflections would be that you are non-judgmental and non-grasping, rather than holding on to what arises, sticking to it like glue.

And if I feel that I am accommodating what arises; if I feel that I am a good host; if I feel that I allow my appearances; if I feel that my are appearances are not me and therefore they’re not affecting me; if that is my identity, then every single appearance arising is called an ornament signifying that it is simply the display of the empty-awareness nature of the mind. And that is why in the teachings it says that the mirror is the one that shows the truth. The one that shows the light. The one that shows what is.

Okay, so you are probably seeing right away that, theoretically, it makes sense – our being the Mirror-like Wisdom awareness and not the images. But experientially in your meditation, can you actually separate yourself from those particular reflections appearing as your challenges, your threats and your pains? And can you experientially separate yourself from the reflections appearing as particular events, and stories, and persons within your life? Do you find that you can do that? Because, you are not any of those. Rather, you are a great host to all of them; you are a great mother to all of them. You are the witness of all of your experiences.

Someone may say, yes, but it’s not possible to remain as the witness all of the time. Okay, but if you can be the witness some of the time at least, then it’s a clear sign that you can be the witness. And if that is the case, then you also have the opportunity of becoming that witness more and more frequently. And then with that growing familiarization, you will be able to be the witness, the mirror-like awareness, at those times in the future when it is absolutely necessary, and when you need it most.

So, it’s important that you not treat these ancient teachings simply as dry, theoretical subject matter, valuing them only in terms of your intellectual understanding, which you then store away somewhere in your head. Rather, the way that you actually come to learn this teaching is through its manifesting more and more in experiences in your life. And again, it needs to be able to manifest in any moment that you really need it to manifest and really need to understand it. And unless that happens, it’s just simply stored information, which in the midst of those crucial moments will no longer be that important to you.

When we were growing up in the monastery, we memorized a lot of things – many, many pages worth. And of course that is great. It’s fine. However, I’m trying to bring those teachings more alive – more into our everyday lived experience. And as a result, the more I feel an effect and a shift occurring in me and around me. And the more I am seeing some of these shifts and changes in others, as well. At least, that is clearly where my intentions are.

So how was your meditation in the session that we did a few minutes ago? Are you like the mirror, or are you the reflection in the mirror? Do you feel that you are like that mirror; do you feel that you are like that boundless sky? And although all of the various kinds of weather are occurring there in that sky-self, none of them are affecting it. All of these experiences are happening and you can see that they are not you. You are simply a great host, no matter what appears.

Join Tenzin Wangyal Rinpoche April 9-12 for a rejuvenating long weekend Wellness Retreat of meditation, movement, connecting with nature, and holistic wellness practices—highlighting the Five Elements. Invite friends and family for renewal and inspiration.

Activities include: sunrise meditation, Tibetan yoga, forest bathing, sky gazing, nature walks, bonfires, journaling, nourishing plant-based meals, guided relaxation, and optional cold plunges.

Available both in person and on Zoom
Learn more/register

Deepen your dzogchen practice at a rare summer retreat with Tenzin Wangyal Rinpoche. Explore the nature of mind, clear obstacles to meditation, and cultivate lasting clarity, awareness, and compassion in a supportive and immersive retreat environment.

His Holiness the 34th Menri Trizin Rinpoche, spiritual head of the Bön tradition, will join us online from Menri Monastery in India for two special teachings, on the mornings of June 27 & 28.

During the first week, Tenzin Wangyal Rinpoche will offer direct pointing-out instruction, introducing the Nature of Mind. In addition, Rinpoche will bestow the Rigpa Tsal Wang (empowerment of the Dynamic Energy of Awareness) from the Zhang Zhung Nyengyü Bon Dzogchen tradition.

The second week will be a silent retreat, following the guidance and practices Rinpoche teaches during the prior week. Step back from the noise of the world, and turn inward for a nourishing week connecting with the stillness, silence and spaciousness within.

With four options:
Weekend only: June 26–28
First week: June 26–July 4
Second week: July 4–July 11
or join us for the full retreat from June 26–July 11

More details coming soon.

Registration opens on Friday, April 3rd.

In-person and online.

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.

• April 2–5, 2026: Chöd – Ligmincha Mexico 
• April 9–12, 2026: Spring Wellness Retreat – Serenity Ridge Retreat Center
• April 14–19, 2026: Five Elements Training Program – Serenity Ridge Retreat Center
• April 22, 2026: Evening Talk – San Francisco Dharma Collective
• April 25–26, 2026: Chöd, Part 1 – Ligmincha Berkeley
• May 1–3, 2026: Topic TBA – Ligmincha Berlin
• May 9–10, 2026: 6 Lokas, Part 2 – Ligmincha Austria
• May 16–17, 2026: The Heartdrops of Dharmakaya – Ligmincha Netherlands
• May 24–25, 2026: Topic TBA – Ligmincha France & Suisse Romande
• May 29–31, 2026: Ignite Your Inner Fire: Tummo Retreat – London, UK
• June 26–July 11, 2026: Summer Retreat – Serenity Ridge Retreat Center 
• August 7–9, 2026: Topic TBA – London, UK
• August 11–16, 2026: Topic TBA – Ligmincha Poland
• August 17–23, 2026: Topic TBA – 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: Silent Dzogchen Meditation Retreat – 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: Topic TBA – Esalen Institute
• January 1–9, 2027: Winter Retreat – Serenity Ridge Retreat Center

Beginning this April, Tenzin Wangyal Rinpoche is offering a new three-year training program in 2026: Healing the World, Healing Ourselves: The Five Elements and the Living Universe. This groundbreaking program will combine in-person retreats and online teachings, guiding participants through the study, reflection, meditation, and practice of the five elements—Earth, Water, Fire, Air, and Space—at their physical, energetic, and innermost levels.

• Year One will focus on healing our relationship with the natural world. Participants will learn rituals to honor the elements, restore balance in the environment, and harmonize the elements within themselves. This year also includes the practice of working with the elemental goddesses (khandro).
• Year Two will emphasize the energetic dimensions of the elements.
• Year Three will explore the profound perspective of dzogchen, opening the way to the deepest realization of the elements.

Those who complete all three years will be eligible for certification to share these practices with others, extending the benefits of this training into their communities.

We warmly invite you to be part of this new program and to embark on a transformative journey of healing and discovery with Rinpoche in the year ahead.

The schedule for the first year is as follows:
April 9-12, 2026: Spring Wellness Retreat (Five Elements Training Program participants are strongly encouraged to attend) 
April 14-19, 2026: Five Elements in-person training at Serenity Ridge

Watch the interview with Tenzin Wangyal Rinpoche and Rob Patzig discussing the Five Elements Training Program

Learn more/register

In a world shaped by uncertainty—where instability, conflict, and rapid change affect all our lives—the need for inner refuge and authentic connection only grows. The wisdom of the Bön tradition as shared by Tenzin Wangyal Rinpoche and Ligmincha International offers transformative methods for cultivating awareness, compassion, and resilience in the midst of all this uncertainty.

Rinpoche’s lifelong dedication to protecting this ancient lineage while making it meaningful for contemporary life is the heart of Ligmincha International. Through these teachings, people are supported in discovering greater ease, deeper presence, and a more compassionate way of engaging with themselves and others.

We often focus on what life could become, chasing possibilities. But without first acknowledging what is—whether it’s joy, fear, pain, or uncertainty—we lose our footing. If you’re experiencing fear, embrace it fully. In that embrace, the path to genuine hope emerges. True, compassionate action arises when we stand firmly in the present. By fully seeing what is, we find the courage for what can be. Start with what is, and the possibilities will follow.
— Tenzin Wangyal Rinpoche

This work is only possible through the ongoing generosity of our global community. Monthly giving provides a strong and dependable foundation that allows us to plan responsibly, care for Serenity Ridge Retreat Center, support our lamas, teachers and students, and continue expanding access to teachings in meaningful ways.

For 2026, we seek to raise $250,000 to sustain and strengthen our work. A key part of this goal is growing our circle of monthly supporters. Even a modest recurring contribution creates lasting impact when joined with others across our community. 

With your support support we can:

• Offer stronger care and continuity for participants in both online and residential programs
• Provide financial assistance so that teachings remain accessible to those in need
• Expand digital offerings to reach a wider global audience and in multiple languages
• Maintain and improve Serenity Ridge, including essential updates to the Lama House
• Strengthen communication and connection across our international community

Becoming a monthly donor is one of the most powerful ways to support this mission. It creates stability, sustains momentum, and ensures that these teachings remain available in a world that deeply needs them.

To begin a monthly gift or make a one-time contribution, please visit Ligmincha.org/donate.

Thank you for your generosity and for being part of this living tradition.

With gratitude,
Rob Patzig, President
Ligmincha International

In response to feedback from sangha, we are excited to announce significant upgrades to the Ligmincha International homepage, our online course platform at Ligmincha Learning and Windhorse, our store. The changes are meant to make your experience on our sites better, faster and easier. 

At ligmincha.org, we’ve implemented a new calendar that can be searched and sorted by teacher, topic, date, location, whether an event is in-person, online or free, and more. Our goal with the new calendar is to make it easier for students to connect to programs and events that interest them and fit their needs. You will find featured events right on the homepage, links to Rinpoche’s world-wide calendar and our full global calendar of events with all teachers and programs. And when you open the information for a specific event, you will find details of the location and teaching topic, with a link to learn more and register. 

At Ligmincha Learning, we’ve changed our homepage to better show our available courses and the dates when they take place. We’ve also made a lot of changes to the backend of our system that will allow students to better track the courses they take, and improve the overall experience for participants. 

Finally, at Windhorse, we are completely rebuilding our online shop. The site loads quickly and it’s easier to find the products you are looking for. We are adding our in-store inventory from our shop at Serenity Ridge Retreat Center, to our online shop. This means that there are far more Bӧn dharma items to choose from. Malas, protection amulets, statues, thangkas, shrine and ritual items, incense and more! The changes at Windhorse are ongoing, but we invite you to come see the new online shop and watch our progress. 

We invite you to explore and enjoy the upgrades to our websites. If you have feedback about any of our platforms you are most welcome to write to Rob Patzig at r.patzig@ligmincha.org or to Sean Quinn-Parziale, at info.tech@ligmincha.org. 

Join in a new creative initiative on the theme of The Five Elements, organized by the Windhorse Store in partnership with Serenity Ridge Retreat Center.

You are invited to submit your art for a chance to be featured in a brand-new Five Elements postcard pack — sold exclusively at The Windhorse Store! Artwork is due by Sat., May 23, 2026.

How to Participate
Allow your senses to flow into the theme of The Five Elements: Earth, Air, Fire, Water, and Space.
Interpret the theme in any way that inspires you!
You may focus on one element or all five. Your art can be in any medium, including: writing, photography, drawing or painting, embroidery, collage.

Submission Guidelines
Deadline: Sat., May 23 2026
Size: Must follow a 2×3 ratio (e.g., 4” x 6” – standard US postcard)
Format: Must be 2D (flat artwork)

Quantity: No limit – submit as many pieces as you’d like!

Learn more about details on mailing your artwork and how work will be chosen.

Ligmincha Learning is pleased to offer these online guided courses beginning in April, 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

The Five Elements, Healing with Form, Energy and Light
April 24- June 7, 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

Sleep Yoga
March 28 – April 25, 2026 with Tenzin Wangyal Rinpoche
The course will introduce simple techniques to enter into sleep in a healthy, balanced way. Even if we do not consistently enter into clear light sleep, we can benefit from a refreshing, relaxed sleep that gives us deep renewal. This is supported by breathing techniques, physical postures and guided visualizations. Tenzin Rinpoche will also provide meditations to wake up in a beautiful way, feeling the blessings of sleep and stepping into our day with serenity. Through these simple practices we can transform our sleep to be one of tranquility and awareness.
Learn more

Sherap Chamma, Mother of Wisdom and Love
April 10 – May 10, 2026 with Marcy Vaughn
In this online course, participants will learn a beautiful and simple meditation practice enabling each to directly connect with the divine feminine energy. Within the support of the group, we create an environment to promote profound healing of physical, energetic, emotional, and spiritual dimensions of life. With visualization, the sound of mantra, and deep contemplation, we make a personal connection to this sacred form of the universal mother, Sherap Chamma, and are guided through this connection to our innate wisdom and the love and compassion that naturally radiate from that wisdom. Those experienced in meditation as well as those who are beginning are warmly welcomed.
Learn more

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

All GlideWing online video workshops listed below also feature personal support and guidance throughout from Tenzin Wangyal Rinpoche. Please note that some of the dates have changed.

May 9-31, 2026, The Healing Power of Sacred Sleep
Join Tibetan Lama Geshe Tenzin Wangyal Rinpoche as he merges the timeless practices of the ancient Tibetan teachings with latest insights on the science of sleep. Rinpoche’s compassionate yet powerful approach addresses not only the surface symptoms of sleep difficulties but also the root causes, including anxiety and deep-seated physical and emotional tension as some of the most significant contributors to insomnia. By combining science and ancient Tibetan wisdom, this course offers a transformative path toward restful sleep, inner peace, and improved overall well-being.
Learn more/register

June 13-July 12, Awakening the Sacred Arts
Learn more/register

July 25-August 16, Tibetan Meditation: Achieving Great Bliss Through Pure Awareness
Learn more/register 

August 29-September 20, Healing from the Source
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.

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!), Four Introductory Retreats with 3 Doors Senior Teachers, The 3 Doors Academies in North America and Europe.

Two Introductory Retreats with 3 Doors Senior Teachers

Awakening Vital Energy through Movement with Tsa Lung
Sunday, May 3, 2026, 11am – 4pm with Alejandro Chaoul
Online via Zoom
In English with Spanish and Portuguese translation

In this interactive 5-hour online retreat, esteemed meditation and Tibetan yoga teacher Alejandro Chaoul will introduce the Tsa Lung practice in a way that is approachable and transformative. You will be guided through a series of five seated movements that dynamically activate energetic channels and centers in the body. As awareness, movement, and breath are united, physical, emotional, and mental restrictions begin to dissolve. A new internal harmony and strength of clarity emerges. There is a sense of awakening.
Learn more

Engaging the Voice for Healing with the Five Warrior Syllables
Saturday, May 16, 2026, 10am – 3:30pm with Marcy Vaughn
Online via Zoom
In English with Spanish and Portuguese translation

In this interactive 5.5-hour online retreat guided by seasoned meditation teacher Marcy Vaughn, you’ll be introduced to the Five Warrior Syllables, a powerful meditation practice with roots in the Tibetan Bön tradition. This practice helps us connect with five energetic centers in the body. Through breath, sound, and awareness, we meet and metabolize limiting habits held in the body, breath, and mind and discover fresh and open spaces within that support presence, creativity, and resilience.
Learn more

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

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

If you are interested, write to Emily Light, Program Coordinator, at emily.light@the3doors.org to express your interest and be added to the list to receive future 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