THE VOICE OF CLEAR LIGHT
News and Inspiration from Ligmincha Institute
Volume 4, Number 10
October 2, 2004
**************************
For easy reading, we recommend that you print out "The Voice of Clear
Light."
**************************
IN THIS ISSUE:
"Practice of the Heart" - an edited excerpt from oral teachings given
by Tenzin Wangyal Rinpoche in 2002.
"Heart to Heart" - His Holiness Lungtok Tenpa'i Nyima responds to a
student's question.
His Holiness Lungtok Tenpa'i Nyima to teach in the U.S. in October
and November.
The Student/Teacher Relationship - excerpts from the writings of
selected Buddhist teachers.
Winter Retreat at Serenity Ridge: December 27, 2004 - January 1, 2005.
Yongdzin Tenzin Namdak Rinpoche to teach in New York City, November
19-21.
Sangha Sharing
"Introduction to Trul Khor in 2002 - One Student's Experience."
Ligmincha Store announces the new 2005 calendar!
Don't forget to vote!
**************************
Mon, Oct 3, 2005 11:59 AM
Page 2 of 10
"PRACTICE OF THE HEART" - an edited excerpt from oral teachings given
by Tenzin Wangyal Rinpoche in 2002.
For most of us on the spiritual path, it is very important to follow
some kind of method, one that is based on our own conditions. As
well, it is very important for us as human beings to follow a
teacher. When we open our hearts and have devotion to a teacher, we
have established the ground for receiving blessings. And those
blessings will be the cause to realize the essence in oneself.
When there is the connection between a student and teacher, there is
a warm quality, a very human quality in the relationship. Everyone
who has a heart values these qualities of warmth and humanity.
Devotion is basically the practice of the heart; the practice of the
heart is very important to naturally awaken, to spontaneously awaken.
The power of prayer is related to the very devotional quality of this
heart connection. In prayer, there are the beautiful qualities of
being, of abiding, of feeling, of opening. These also are the
qualities of devotion. These qualities are fundamental qualities of
the base, as well.
The connection to the master is a human one. This connection is very
important in our spiritual development; and in the human sense, it is
good to have a place that you can connect your heart to in specific
ways. That relationship is very very important. And that
relationship may not be very easy to find anywhere else than with
one's master.
**************************
"HEART TO HEART" - His Holiness Lungtok Tenpa'i Nyima responds to a
student's question.
QUESTION: Would it be appropriate for His Holiness to speak of some
experience His Holiness has with his teachers?
HIS HOLINESS: For me, there are many ways to understand the teacher.
A teacher can be anyone from the person who taught you the alphabet
to the one who introduces you to the nature of mind. All those are
teachers, preparing you to get to the place of receiving and of
recognizing the nature of mind. It is a special person who
introduces you to the nature of mind. So it is important for you to
feel grateful on a daily basis to the one who has introduced you.
When you meditate, you feel gratitude and blessings and thankfulness
and experiences of inspiration, devotion. It is not as though these
experiences are benefiting the Master, rather they are important in
order for you to develop your practice.
Mon, Oct 3, 2005 11:59 AM
Page 3 of 10
If one cannot do a form of Guru Yoga every day then just before you
go to bed at night, feel the blessings and gratitude and joy and
dissolve the Master through the crown into the heart, feel the Master
in your heart, and go to sleep. You will have better dreams and a
more peaceful sleep, and when you wake up in the morning those
energies can come out from the top of the head, that liveliness, and
you can begin your day in the right way.
Even at the end of a day that was not the way you wanted it to be,
the dharma gives you a means of processing it. When people have no
connection, they get depressed, they fall asleep and that is that.
But when you have the dharma, if your day was bad, you can consider
that some karma has been exhausted. If your day was good, think of
the blessings of the Master and feel gratitude for the causes of your
good day and then you will have a better relation to your
experiences. Those better ways of relating make you continuously
grow.
***
[EDITOR'S NOTE: This is an excerpt from the edited transcript of oral
teachings given by His Holiness and translated by Tenzin Wangyal
Rinpoche during the Seventh Annual Summer Retreat at Serenity Ridge,
1999. Transmission is required to obtain the complete transcript.]
**************************
HIS HOLINESS LUNGTOK TENPA'I NYIMA TO TEACH IN THE U.S. IN OCTOBER
AND NOVEMBER.
The Bon Foundation would like to invite everyone to take advantage of
this unique opportunity. On his first North American teaching tour,
His Holiness Menri Trizin Lungtok Tenpa'i Nyima, 33rd Abbot of Menri
and the spiritual leader of the Tibetan Bon Religion, will be
presenting the Preliminary Practices of A-Khrid meditation. One of
three Bon Dzogchen lineages, A-Khrid is an integral part of the Menri
teaching tradition. The Dzogchen "Great Perfection" meditation
system is considered to be the most advanced and direct practice,
with the potential to bring practitioners to the liberated state of
Buddhahood in a single lifetime.
His Holiness is the current lineage holder and exemplar of these
teachings, which have been transmitted through an unbroken lineage of
lamas whose biographies are well documented.
You can participate in this special opportunity to attend one or more
of the three-day retreats taking place at the following locations:
Mon, Oct 3, 2005 11:59 AM
Page 4 of 10
OCTOBER 15-17 - Garrison Institute, Garrison, N.Y.
OCTOBER 29-31 - St. Joseph Christian Life Center, Cleveland, Ohio
NOVEMBER 12-14 - Headlands Center, Sausalito, Calif. (San Francisco
area)
Please visit The Bon Foundation website for more information about
these retreats and for information on how to register:
www.bonfoundation.org.
*****************************
THE STUDENT/TEACHER RELATIONSHIP - excerpts from the writings of
selected Buddhist teachers.
From "The Tibetan Book of Living and Dying" by Sogyal Rinpoche:
"When we have prayed and aspired and hungered for the truth for a
long time, for many, many lives, and when our karma has become
sufficiently purified, a kind of miracle takes place. And this
miracle, if we can understand and use it, can lead to the ending of
ignorance forever. The inner teacher, who has been with us always,
manifests in the form of the "outer teacher," whom, almost as if by
magic, we actually encounter. This encounter is the most important
of any lifetime.
"Who is this outer teacher? None other than the embodiment and voice
and representative of our inner teacher. The master whose human
shape and human voice and wisdom we come to love with a love deeper
than any other in our lives is none other than the external
manifestation of the mystery of our own inner truth. What else could
explain why we feel so strongly connected to him or her?"
***
From "Reflections on A Mountain Lake" by Ani Tenzin Palmo:
"The traditional analogy to describe the role of the teacher uses the
example of the sun. The sun is huge and powerful, and it illuminates
and warms the whole earth. Yet if one were to put a piece of paper
on the ground in the sun, even in the midday sun, at the most the
paper would dry out a bit and maybe get a little crinkly. It would
certainly not catch fire. But if we were to place a magnifying glass
between the rays of the sun and the paper, the sun's rays would be
focused, increasing their intensity. Within a very short time the
paper would begin to turn brown, then it would start to smoke and
Mon, Oct 3, 2005 11:59 AM
Page 5 of 10
shortly afterwards burst into flame. Likewise, it is said that
although the blessings of the buddhas and the bodhisattvas are
infinite and incredibly powerful, it is difficult for them to
transform us directly without the intermediary of a spiritual teacher
because of our defilements and obscurations. A qualified teacher
embodies the blessings, power, compassion and wisdom of all the
Buddhas within a human form. Like a magnifying glass, he or she can
condense and transmit those blessings, igniting realizations in the
disciple. This is because the guru has a human form and this is a
mind-to-mind transmission. You see, the guru doesn't give us
anything - he or she merely allows this inner opening to take place."
***
From "Tibetan Buddhism From the Ground Up" by B. Alan Wallace:
"How shall we regard our spiritual mentor? Buddhist tradition offers
a variety of answers to this question, but a suitable attitude in the
beginning stages of practice is this: regard the teacher as a
representative of the Buddha. We cannot have the historical Buddha
as our personal mentor, so the closest approximation is a qualified
teacher to whom we should devote ourselves, since he has been trained
in an unbroken lineage of the Buddhadharma. Such a person has become
a vessel of the Buddha's words and represents for us his wisdom and
compassion.
"It is the teacher's responsibility to transmit the Buddhadharma
without distortion, and to adapt its form to make it meaningful to
the lives of his students. If this is done, it is quite possible
some of his students may gain deeper realization than himself, for
the Dharma he has transmitted may contain knowledge beyond his own
limited experience."
*****
SOURCES
Palmo, Ani Tenzin. "Reflections On A Mountain Lake." Ithaca: Snow
Lion Publications, 2002, p.205.
Sogyal Rinpoche. "The Tibetan Book of Living and Dying." Edited by
Patrick Gaffney and Andrew Harvey. San Francisco:
HarperSanFrancisco, 1993, p.134. (Available at Ligmincha's
Bookstore. Visit www.ligminchastore.org, or call (866) 522-5269.
Wallace. Alan B. "Tibetan Buddhism From the Ground Up." Boston:
Wisdom Publications, 1993, p.88. Available at Ligmincha's Bookstore.
**************************
Mon, Oct 3, 2005 11:59 AM
Page 6 of 10
WINTER RETREAT AT SERENITY RIDGE: DECEMBER 27, 2004 - JANUARY 1,
2005.
"The Experiential Transmission of Zhang Zhung"
Part Three Teachings with Geshe Tenzin Wangyal Rinpoche
Ngondro Practice with Geshe Lungrig Gyaltsen Rinpoche
**EARLYBIRD REGISTRATION DATE IS OCTOBER 13.
PART THREE: Chapters Four, Five, Six and Seven of the Chag Tri
The View, Meditation, Flexible Behavior, and Result of Dzogchen
With Geshe Tenzin Wangyal Rinpoche
This year Tenzin Rinpoche will continue to teach from Part Three,
which Rinpoche originally received from his first root master, Lopon
Sangye Tenzin Rinpoche. Part Three now includes chapters four, five,
six and seven of the Chag Tri (Nyam Gyu Dru Gyal wa'i Chag Tri).
During this year's winter retreat Rinpoche will focus on the
essential pith instructions and supporting practices for each of the
four chapters comprising Part Three: how the base of naked seeing
provides the self-introduction and view; how the path of experiencing
the clear light is the meditation; how the secondary causes of
challenging the practitioner to bring every experience to the path
are the behavior; and how the fruition of developing confidence in
the three kayas and finding one's own place is the result.
Tenzin Rinpoche invites all students who received Part Two teachings
at last year's winter retreat to join the returning sangha of
students who received Part Three teachings last winter. Students who
received teachings from chapters two and beyond under the old
structure are warmly encouraged to join the community of committed
students who continue to study and practice these profound and
ancient Experiential Transmission teachings. Through the brilliance
of these teachings and Rinpoche's renowned capacity to make them
accessible, these powerful Part Three instructions and practices will
deeply support the continuing growth and development of our sangha of
authentic dzogchen practitioners in the West.
Register for the Winter Retreat Part Three by the earlybird date of
October 13 for the cost of $400, by November 18 for $450, or after
Nov. 18 for $500. Contact Ligmincha Institute at (434) 977-6161 or
This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it .
***
NGONDRO PRACTICE RETREAT WITH GESHE LUNGRIG GYALTSEN RINPOCHE.
Geshe Lungrig Gyaltsen Rinpoche recently completed his September
teachings of the Experiential Transmission Ngondro, and we are happy
to announce that Geshe-la will extend his visit with us through the
Mon, Oct 3, 2005 11:59 AM
Page 7 of 10
winter retreat. While Tenzin Rinpoche is presenting teachings from
Part Three of the Chag Tri, Geshe Gyaltsen will simultaneously lead a
ngondro practice retreat.
Tenzin Rinpoche highly recommends this retreat for those students who
received the ngondro teachings from Geshe-la in September as well as
for all other students who have received ngondro transmission in
recent years and are practicing in preparation for Part Two of the
Experiential Transmission.
This ngondro practice retreat offers a unique opportunity to
experience the benefits of intense group practice within the boundary
of our blessed and protected retreat land. The guidance of Geshe
Gyaltsen Rinpoche, supported by the presence of Tenzin Rinpoche and
students engaged in study and practice of the Chag Tri, will add a
powerful support for deep engagement with these beautiful and
essential foundational practices of our lineage.
Register for the Ngondro Practice Retreat by the earlybird date of
October 13 for the cost of $300, by November 18 for $350, or after
November 18 for $400. Contact Ligmincha at (434) 977-6161 or
This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it .
**************************
YONGDZIN TENZIN NAMDAK RINPOCHE TO TEACH IN NEW YORK CITY,
NOVEMBER
19-21.
"Dzogchen Teachings from the Bon Tradition"
Sponsored by the New York Dzogchen Community
Yongdzin (Lopon) Tenzin Namdak Rinpoche, renowned dzogchen teacher
and principal master of the Bon monastery Triten Norbutse in
Kathmandu, Nepal, was born in Kham, Tibet in 1926. In 1992 Yongdzin
Rinpoche published "Heart Drops of Dharmakhaya," a handbook of
dzogchen meditation practices. In 1991 in New York, he was chosen by
H.H. the Dalai Lama to give nature of mind teachings as a
representative of one of the five major religious traditions of Tibet.
DETAILS:
WHERE:
Auxiliary Public School Auditorium, 198 Forsyth St., New York City
(between Houston and Stanton Streets, east of 2nd Avenue).
WHEN:
Fri. night, November 19, 7-9 p.m. Suggested donation $35.
Sat. morning, November 20, 10 a.m.-12 p.m. Suggested donation $35.
Sun. morning, November 21, 10 a.m.-12 p.m. Suggested donation $35.
All three days $105; pre-registered, $100.
Mon, Oct 3, 2005 11:59 AM
Page 8 of 10
Pre-registration is encouraged. Please make checks payable to NYC
Dzogchen Community. Mail checks to 220 Manhattan Ave., #7A, New
York, NY 10025.
Contact: This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it . Please keep questions to an absolute
minimum. NYC Dzogchen is unable to assist with housing for these
events.
**************************
SANGHA SHARING
"Introduction to Trul Khor in 2002 - One Student's Experience."
It must have been some inner urge for balance that had led me to sign
up for the "Introduction to Trul Khor Retreat" in the fall of 2002.
I had attended my first retreat at Ligmincha a few months prior to
this and I had fallen in love with the place, the people, the teacher
and the teachings. Part of the reason I wanted to go back so soon
was to find out if it had all been real, like having a second date
after a dream-like first date - was it really love? That third week
of summer retreat in 2002 was for me a huge energetic experience
during which I had experienced a great deal of expansion and bliss
coupled with emotional clearing and bodily discomfort and twitching.
There was more I needed to explore with this path, so off I went.
The "Introduction to Trul Khor Retreat" was quite different from my
experience in the summer although I would say it was no less
valuable. First of all there fewer people, so we each could take up
a little more space in the Gompa. This gave me more ease in
maintaining a peaceful state and gave me a chance to get comfortable
and settle in. Our teacher was Alejandro Chaoul-Reich, a senior
student of Tenzin Rinpoche. Alejandro's warmth, devotion and love of
the practices were genuinely communicated to us. He gave us
permission and space to ask all our questions and responded with
respect, wisdom and humor. Attending this retreat with me were Bon
practitioners with all levels of experience as well as some who were
at Serenity Ridge for the first time.
The practices we covered in the introductory retreat included: a
focused breathing using the channels, more in-depth practice of the
Tsa Lung (vital breath exercises) that we did at the summer retreat,
and two sets of Trul Khor movements (11 of the 39 total movements
taught during four separate retreats over the course of two years).
Never having done Tibetan yoga before, I did not know what to expect,
so I was happy to have more guided instruction and practice with the
channels and breath. Although some of the movements in Trul Khor are
vigorous and challenging to the joints, the atmosphere is one of
acceptance and not pushing oneself and the movements can be adapted
Mon, Oct 3, 2005 11:59 AM
Page 9 of 10
if needed.
The Trul Khor movements are said to clear obstructions and
negativities and balance the channels. What was so remarkable to me
was how pliable and vital my body began to feel after just the first
day. I experienced a grounded flexible state in my body and mind. I
slept like a happy baby at night and I don't remember twitching even
once. Some of the movements are dual purpose: The same movement is
said to calm agitation or to energize when sleepy. For me they were
clearing and stabilizing. Now I am convinced of the importance and
power of these physical practices and am glad I have a set to use as
I continue to deepen my meditation practice.
-Jennie Makihara
***
EDITOR'S REMINDER: This year's "Introduction to Trul Khor" will
take place at Serenity Ridge, November 10-14, with Alejandro Chaoul-
Reich. Visit Ligmincha's website for details: www.ligmincha.org.
Register by October 11 for $350, or after that for $400. Contact
Ligmincha Institute at (434) 977-6161 or This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it .
**************************
LIGMINCHA STORE ANNOUNCES THE NEW 2005 CALENDAR!
This year's 11" x 8 1/2" black-and-white calendar has 12 full-page
images of original calligraphy by Tenzin Wangyal Rinpoche. Included
is a glossary of the dzogchen terms that describe the meaning of each
beautiful piece of calligraphy. For the third year in a row,
Ligmincha offers the full Tibetan calendar (in Tibetan and English),
as well as Bon and Buddhist auspicious dates and major U.S. holidays.
The calendar will be available on October 15. Pre-order yours now!
Price: $12.95 plus shipping. Visit www.ligminchastore.org or call
toll-free (866) 522-5269. (In the Charlottesville area, call 434-220-
0060.)
In practicing calligraphy, one develops a deep relationship with the
seed syllables. These syllables represent the subtle flows of energy
and deep, inner qualities. The enlightened beings themselves emanate
from these syllables. Gazing at these syllables, or painting them, is
a powerful form of meditation through which one develops many subtle
qualities such as doubtlessness and self-confidence. - Geshe
Tenzin Wangyal Rinpoche
Mon, Oct 3, 2005 11:59 AM
Page 10 of 10
DON'T FORGET TO VOTE!
A reminder: People who are attending the October-November retreat at
Serenity Ridge, either for all eight days or for the second part,
need to get an Absentee Ballot Application from their local Board of
Elections.
Google search: Board of Elections, Your County, Your State.
You can have them mail the application form to you and then receive
the ballot by mail.
***********************
The Voice of Clear Light is a free, e-mail publication of Ligmincha Institute. Your suggestions and
contributions to the Voice of Clear Light are welcome. To contact us, simply reply to this message and
your email will reach the VOCL editor.
Anyone may subscribe to the VOCL by sending a blank e-mail to
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To unsubscribe, send an email to:
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*************************
For more information about Ligmincha Institute, the teachings of Tenzin Wangyal Rinpoche, or retreats at
Serenity Ridge or our regional centers, please contact us:
Ligmincha Institute
313 2nd St. SE Suite #207
Charlottesville, VA 22902
434-977-6161 fax 434-977-7020
This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it www.ligmincha.org
*************************
For books, tapes and transcripts of teachings by Tenzin Wangyal Rinpoche as well as other books and items
supportive to Bon and Buddhist practice, please visit the Ligmincha's Online Store at
www.ligminchastore.org or contact the Ligmincha Store at 434-220-0060
or This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it .
News and Inspiration from Ligmincha Institute
Volume 4, Number 10
October 2, 2004
**************************
For easy reading, we recommend that you print out "The Voice of Clear
Light."
**************************
IN THIS ISSUE:
"Practice of the Heart" - an edited excerpt from oral teachings given
by Tenzin Wangyal Rinpoche in 2002.
"Heart to Heart" - His Holiness Lungtok Tenpa'i Nyima responds to a
student's question.
His Holiness Lungtok Tenpa'i Nyima to teach in the U.S. in October
and November.
The Student/Teacher Relationship - excerpts from the writings of
selected Buddhist teachers.
Winter Retreat at Serenity Ridge: December 27, 2004 - January 1, 2005.
Yongdzin Tenzin Namdak Rinpoche to teach in New York City, November
19-21.
Sangha Sharing
"Introduction to Trul Khor in 2002 - One Student's Experience."
Ligmincha Store announces the new 2005 calendar!
Don't forget to vote!
**************************
Mon, Oct 3, 2005 11:59 AM
Page 2 of 10
"PRACTICE OF THE HEART" - an edited excerpt from oral teachings given
by Tenzin Wangyal Rinpoche in 2002.
For most of us on the spiritual path, it is very important to follow
some kind of method, one that is based on our own conditions. As
well, it is very important for us as human beings to follow a
teacher. When we open our hearts and have devotion to a teacher, we
have established the ground for receiving blessings. And those
blessings will be the cause to realize the essence in oneself.
When there is the connection between a student and teacher, there is
a warm quality, a very human quality in the relationship. Everyone
who has a heart values these qualities of warmth and humanity.
Devotion is basically the practice of the heart; the practice of the
heart is very important to naturally awaken, to spontaneously awaken.
The power of prayer is related to the very devotional quality of this
heart connection. In prayer, there are the beautiful qualities of
being, of abiding, of feeling, of opening. These also are the
qualities of devotion. These qualities are fundamental qualities of
the base, as well.
The connection to the master is a human one. This connection is very
important in our spiritual development; and in the human sense, it is
good to have a place that you can connect your heart to in specific
ways. That relationship is very very important. And that
relationship may not be very easy to find anywhere else than with
one's master.
**************************
"HEART TO HEART" - His Holiness Lungtok Tenpa'i Nyima responds to a
student's question.
QUESTION: Would it be appropriate for His Holiness to speak of some
experience His Holiness has with his teachers?
HIS HOLINESS: For me, there are many ways to understand the teacher.
A teacher can be anyone from the person who taught you the alphabet
to the one who introduces you to the nature of mind. All those are
teachers, preparing you to get to the place of receiving and of
recognizing the nature of mind. It is a special person who
introduces you to the nature of mind. So it is important for you to
feel grateful on a daily basis to the one who has introduced you.
When you meditate, you feel gratitude and blessings and thankfulness
and experiences of inspiration, devotion. It is not as though these
experiences are benefiting the Master, rather they are important in
order for you to develop your practice.
Mon, Oct 3, 2005 11:59 AM
Page 3 of 10
If one cannot do a form of Guru Yoga every day then just before you
go to bed at night, feel the blessings and gratitude and joy and
dissolve the Master through the crown into the heart, feel the Master
in your heart, and go to sleep. You will have better dreams and a
more peaceful sleep, and when you wake up in the morning those
energies can come out from the top of the head, that liveliness, and
you can begin your day in the right way.
Even at the end of a day that was not the way you wanted it to be,
the dharma gives you a means of processing it. When people have no
connection, they get depressed, they fall asleep and that is that.
But when you have the dharma, if your day was bad, you can consider
that some karma has been exhausted. If your day was good, think of
the blessings of the Master and feel gratitude for the causes of your
good day and then you will have a better relation to your
experiences. Those better ways of relating make you continuously
grow.
***
[EDITOR'S NOTE: This is an excerpt from the edited transcript of oral
teachings given by His Holiness and translated by Tenzin Wangyal
Rinpoche during the Seventh Annual Summer Retreat at Serenity Ridge,
1999. Transmission is required to obtain the complete transcript.]
**************************
HIS HOLINESS LUNGTOK TENPA'I NYIMA TO TEACH IN THE U.S. IN OCTOBER
AND NOVEMBER.
The Bon Foundation would like to invite everyone to take advantage of
this unique opportunity. On his first North American teaching tour,
His Holiness Menri Trizin Lungtok Tenpa'i Nyima, 33rd Abbot of Menri
and the spiritual leader of the Tibetan Bon Religion, will be
presenting the Preliminary Practices of A-Khrid meditation. One of
three Bon Dzogchen lineages, A-Khrid is an integral part of the Menri
teaching tradition. The Dzogchen "Great Perfection" meditation
system is considered to be the most advanced and direct practice,
with the potential to bring practitioners to the liberated state of
Buddhahood in a single lifetime.
His Holiness is the current lineage holder and exemplar of these
teachings, which have been transmitted through an unbroken lineage of
lamas whose biographies are well documented.
You can participate in this special opportunity to attend one or more
of the three-day retreats taking place at the following locations:
Mon, Oct 3, 2005 11:59 AM
Page 4 of 10
OCTOBER 15-17 - Garrison Institute, Garrison, N.Y.
OCTOBER 29-31 - St. Joseph Christian Life Center, Cleveland, Ohio
NOVEMBER 12-14 - Headlands Center, Sausalito, Calif. (San Francisco
area)
Please visit The Bon Foundation website for more information about
these retreats and for information on how to register:
www.bonfoundation.org.
*****************************
THE STUDENT/TEACHER RELATIONSHIP - excerpts from the writings of
selected Buddhist teachers.
From "The Tibetan Book of Living and Dying" by Sogyal Rinpoche:
"When we have prayed and aspired and hungered for the truth for a
long time, for many, many lives, and when our karma has become
sufficiently purified, a kind of miracle takes place. And this
miracle, if we can understand and use it, can lead to the ending of
ignorance forever. The inner teacher, who has been with us always,
manifests in the form of the "outer teacher," whom, almost as if by
magic, we actually encounter. This encounter is the most important
of any lifetime.
"Who is this outer teacher? None other than the embodiment and voice
and representative of our inner teacher. The master whose human
shape and human voice and wisdom we come to love with a love deeper
than any other in our lives is none other than the external
manifestation of the mystery of our own inner truth. What else could
explain why we feel so strongly connected to him or her?"
***
From "Reflections on A Mountain Lake" by Ani Tenzin Palmo:
"The traditional analogy to describe the role of the teacher uses the
example of the sun. The sun is huge and powerful, and it illuminates
and warms the whole earth. Yet if one were to put a piece of paper
on the ground in the sun, even in the midday sun, at the most the
paper would dry out a bit and maybe get a little crinkly. It would
certainly not catch fire. But if we were to place a magnifying glass
between the rays of the sun and the paper, the sun's rays would be
focused, increasing their intensity. Within a very short time the
paper would begin to turn brown, then it would start to smoke and
Mon, Oct 3, 2005 11:59 AM
Page 5 of 10
shortly afterwards burst into flame. Likewise, it is said that
although the blessings of the buddhas and the bodhisattvas are
infinite and incredibly powerful, it is difficult for them to
transform us directly without the intermediary of a spiritual teacher
because of our defilements and obscurations. A qualified teacher
embodies the blessings, power, compassion and wisdom of all the
Buddhas within a human form. Like a magnifying glass, he or she can
condense and transmit those blessings, igniting realizations in the
disciple. This is because the guru has a human form and this is a
mind-to-mind transmission. You see, the guru doesn't give us
anything - he or she merely allows this inner opening to take place."
***
From "Tibetan Buddhism From the Ground Up" by B. Alan Wallace:
"How shall we regard our spiritual mentor? Buddhist tradition offers
a variety of answers to this question, but a suitable attitude in the
beginning stages of practice is this: regard the teacher as a
representative of the Buddha. We cannot have the historical Buddha
as our personal mentor, so the closest approximation is a qualified
teacher to whom we should devote ourselves, since he has been trained
in an unbroken lineage of the Buddhadharma. Such a person has become
a vessel of the Buddha's words and represents for us his wisdom and
compassion.
"It is the teacher's responsibility to transmit the Buddhadharma
without distortion, and to adapt its form to make it meaningful to
the lives of his students. If this is done, it is quite possible
some of his students may gain deeper realization than himself, for
the Dharma he has transmitted may contain knowledge beyond his own
limited experience."
*****
SOURCES
Palmo, Ani Tenzin. "Reflections On A Mountain Lake." Ithaca: Snow
Lion Publications, 2002, p.205.
Sogyal Rinpoche. "The Tibetan Book of Living and Dying." Edited by
Patrick Gaffney and Andrew Harvey. San Francisco:
HarperSanFrancisco, 1993, p.134. (Available at Ligmincha's
Bookstore. Visit www.ligminchastore.org, or call (866) 522-5269.
Wallace. Alan B. "Tibetan Buddhism From the Ground Up." Boston:
Wisdom Publications, 1993, p.88. Available at Ligmincha's Bookstore.
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Mon, Oct 3, 2005 11:59 AM
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WINTER RETREAT AT SERENITY RIDGE: DECEMBER 27, 2004 - JANUARY 1,
2005.
"The Experiential Transmission of Zhang Zhung"
Part Three Teachings with Geshe Tenzin Wangyal Rinpoche
Ngondro Practice with Geshe Lungrig Gyaltsen Rinpoche
**EARLYBIRD REGISTRATION DATE IS OCTOBER 13.
PART THREE: Chapters Four, Five, Six and Seven of the Chag Tri
The View, Meditation, Flexible Behavior, and Result of Dzogchen
With Geshe Tenzin Wangyal Rinpoche
This year Tenzin Rinpoche will continue to teach from Part Three,
which Rinpoche originally received from his first root master, Lopon
Sangye Tenzin Rinpoche. Part Three now includes chapters four, five,
six and seven of the Chag Tri (Nyam Gyu Dru Gyal wa'i Chag Tri).
During this year's winter retreat Rinpoche will focus on the
essential pith instructions and supporting practices for each of the
four chapters comprising Part Three: how the base of naked seeing
provides the self-introduction and view; how the path of experiencing
the clear light is the meditation; how the secondary causes of
challenging the practitioner to bring every experience to the path
are the behavior; and how the fruition of developing confidence in
the three kayas and finding one's own place is the result.
Tenzin Rinpoche invites all students who received Part Two teachings
at last year's winter retreat to join the returning sangha of
students who received Part Three teachings last winter. Students who
received teachings from chapters two and beyond under the old
structure are warmly encouraged to join the community of committed
students who continue to study and practice these profound and
ancient Experiential Transmission teachings. Through the brilliance
of these teachings and Rinpoche's renowned capacity to make them
accessible, these powerful Part Three instructions and practices will
deeply support the continuing growth and development of our sangha of
authentic dzogchen practitioners in the West.
Register for the Winter Retreat Part Three by the earlybird date of
October 13 for the cost of $400, by November 18 for $450, or after
Nov. 18 for $500. Contact Ligmincha Institute at (434) 977-6161 or
This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it .
***
NGONDRO PRACTICE RETREAT WITH GESHE LUNGRIG GYALTSEN RINPOCHE.
Geshe Lungrig Gyaltsen Rinpoche recently completed his September
teachings of the Experiential Transmission Ngondro, and we are happy
to announce that Geshe-la will extend his visit with us through the
Mon, Oct 3, 2005 11:59 AM
Page 7 of 10
winter retreat. While Tenzin Rinpoche is presenting teachings from
Part Three of the Chag Tri, Geshe Gyaltsen will simultaneously lead a
ngondro practice retreat.
Tenzin Rinpoche highly recommends this retreat for those students who
received the ngondro teachings from Geshe-la in September as well as
for all other students who have received ngondro transmission in
recent years and are practicing in preparation for Part Two of the
Experiential Transmission.
This ngondro practice retreat offers a unique opportunity to
experience the benefits of intense group practice within the boundary
of our blessed and protected retreat land. The guidance of Geshe
Gyaltsen Rinpoche, supported by the presence of Tenzin Rinpoche and
students engaged in study and practice of the Chag Tri, will add a
powerful support for deep engagement with these beautiful and
essential foundational practices of our lineage.
Register for the Ngondro Practice Retreat by the earlybird date of
October 13 for the cost of $300, by November 18 for $350, or after
November 18 for $400. Contact Ligmincha at (434) 977-6161 or
This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it .
**************************
YONGDZIN TENZIN NAMDAK RINPOCHE TO TEACH IN NEW YORK CITY,
NOVEMBER
19-21.
"Dzogchen Teachings from the Bon Tradition"
Sponsored by the New York Dzogchen Community
Yongdzin (Lopon) Tenzin Namdak Rinpoche, renowned dzogchen teacher
and principal master of the Bon monastery Triten Norbutse in
Kathmandu, Nepal, was born in Kham, Tibet in 1926. In 1992 Yongdzin
Rinpoche published "Heart Drops of Dharmakhaya," a handbook of
dzogchen meditation practices. In 1991 in New York, he was chosen by
H.H. the Dalai Lama to give nature of mind teachings as a
representative of one of the five major religious traditions of Tibet.
DETAILS:
WHERE:
Auxiliary Public School Auditorium, 198 Forsyth St., New York City
(between Houston and Stanton Streets, east of 2nd Avenue).
WHEN:
Fri. night, November 19, 7-9 p.m. Suggested donation $35.
Sat. morning, November 20, 10 a.m.-12 p.m. Suggested donation $35.
Sun. morning, November 21, 10 a.m.-12 p.m. Suggested donation $35.
All three days $105; pre-registered, $100.
Mon, Oct 3, 2005 11:59 AM
Page 8 of 10
Pre-registration is encouraged. Please make checks payable to NYC
Dzogchen Community. Mail checks to 220 Manhattan Ave., #7A, New
York, NY 10025.
Contact: This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it . Please keep questions to an absolute
minimum. NYC Dzogchen is unable to assist with housing for these
events.
**************************
SANGHA SHARING
"Introduction to Trul Khor in 2002 - One Student's Experience."
It must have been some inner urge for balance that had led me to sign
up for the "Introduction to Trul Khor Retreat" in the fall of 2002.
I had attended my first retreat at Ligmincha a few months prior to
this and I had fallen in love with the place, the people, the teacher
and the teachings. Part of the reason I wanted to go back so soon
was to find out if it had all been real, like having a second date
after a dream-like first date - was it really love? That third week
of summer retreat in 2002 was for me a huge energetic experience
during which I had experienced a great deal of expansion and bliss
coupled with emotional clearing and bodily discomfort and twitching.
There was more I needed to explore with this path, so off I went.
The "Introduction to Trul Khor Retreat" was quite different from my
experience in the summer although I would say it was no less
valuable. First of all there fewer people, so we each could take up
a little more space in the Gompa. This gave me more ease in
maintaining a peaceful state and gave me a chance to get comfortable
and settle in. Our teacher was Alejandro Chaoul-Reich, a senior
student of Tenzin Rinpoche. Alejandro's warmth, devotion and love of
the practices were genuinely communicated to us. He gave us
permission and space to ask all our questions and responded with
respect, wisdom and humor. Attending this retreat with me were Bon
practitioners with all levels of experience as well as some who were
at Serenity Ridge for the first time.
The practices we covered in the introductory retreat included: a
focused breathing using the channels, more in-depth practice of the
Tsa Lung (vital breath exercises) that we did at the summer retreat,
and two sets of Trul Khor movements (11 of the 39 total movements
taught during four separate retreats over the course of two years).
Never having done Tibetan yoga before, I did not know what to expect,
so I was happy to have more guided instruction and practice with the
channels and breath. Although some of the movements in Trul Khor are
vigorous and challenging to the joints, the atmosphere is one of
acceptance and not pushing oneself and the movements can be adapted
Mon, Oct 3, 2005 11:59 AM
Page 9 of 10
if needed.
The Trul Khor movements are said to clear obstructions and
negativities and balance the channels. What was so remarkable to me
was how pliable and vital my body began to feel after just the first
day. I experienced a grounded flexible state in my body and mind. I
slept like a happy baby at night and I don't remember twitching even
once. Some of the movements are dual purpose: The same movement is
said to calm agitation or to energize when sleepy. For me they were
clearing and stabilizing. Now I am convinced of the importance and
power of these physical practices and am glad I have a set to use as
I continue to deepen my meditation practice.
-Jennie Makihara
***
EDITOR'S REMINDER: This year's "Introduction to Trul Khor" will
take place at Serenity Ridge, November 10-14, with Alejandro Chaoul-
Reich. Visit Ligmincha's website for details: www.ligmincha.org.
Register by October 11 for $350, or after that for $400. Contact
Ligmincha Institute at (434) 977-6161 or This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it .
**************************
LIGMINCHA STORE ANNOUNCES THE NEW 2005 CALENDAR!
This year's 11" x 8 1/2" black-and-white calendar has 12 full-page
images of original calligraphy by Tenzin Wangyal Rinpoche. Included
is a glossary of the dzogchen terms that describe the meaning of each
beautiful piece of calligraphy. For the third year in a row,
Ligmincha offers the full Tibetan calendar (in Tibetan and English),
as well as Bon and Buddhist auspicious dates and major U.S. holidays.
The calendar will be available on October 15. Pre-order yours now!
Price: $12.95 plus shipping. Visit www.ligminchastore.org or call
toll-free (866) 522-5269. (In the Charlottesville area, call 434-220-
0060.)
In practicing calligraphy, one develops a deep relationship with the
seed syllables. These syllables represent the subtle flows of energy
and deep, inner qualities. The enlightened beings themselves emanate
from these syllables. Gazing at these syllables, or painting them, is
a powerful form of meditation through which one develops many subtle
qualities such as doubtlessness and self-confidence. - Geshe
Tenzin Wangyal Rinpoche
Mon, Oct 3, 2005 11:59 AM
Page 10 of 10
DON'T FORGET TO VOTE!
A reminder: People who are attending the October-November retreat at
Serenity Ridge, either for all eight days or for the second part,
need to get an Absentee Ballot Application from their local Board of
Elections.
Google search: Board of Elections, Your County, Your State.
You can have them mail the application form to you and then receive
the ballot by mail.
***********************
The Voice of Clear Light is a free, e-mail publication of Ligmincha Institute. Your suggestions and
contributions to the Voice of Clear Light are welcome. To contact us, simply reply to this message and
your email will reach the VOCL editor.
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*************************
For more information about Ligmincha Institute, the teachings of Tenzin Wangyal Rinpoche, or retreats at
Serenity Ridge or our regional centers, please contact us:
Ligmincha Institute
313 2nd St. SE Suite #207
Charlottesville, VA 22902
434-977-6161 fax 434-977-7020
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*************************
For books, tapes and transcripts of teachings by Tenzin Wangyal Rinpoche as well as other books and items
supportive to Bon and Buddhist practice, please visit the Ligmincha's Online Store at
www.ligminchastore.org or contact the Ligmincha Store at 434-220-0060
or This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it .
