Teaching Issue
Volume 10, Number 12 / December 2010
Awakening the Sacred Body
An Excerpt from Tenzin Wangyal Rinpoche’s New Book
According to the wisdom tradition of Bon, by nature the mind is open and clear. This is who we are, fundamentally. Openness is the source of our being, and in openness we are connected to all of life. What obscures us from recognizing this source is similar to the way clouds obscure the sun. The sun is always shining, but from our vantage point – namely, our identification with our problems – we don’t recognize the radiance. We are simply more familiar with identifying and dwelling on problems, and we’re used to solving them with our conceptual mind. But it is through nonconceptual awareness that we are able to directly experience the mind’s openness. The purpose of this book is to support you in becoming more familiar with the power More> 
‘A Dream Come True,’ by Lourdes Hinojosa
Reflections on the Inner Consecration of the Great Bon Stupa for World Peace
On December 4, 2010, as many as 1,000 people attended the celebration of the Internal Consecration of the Great Stupa for World Peace in Chamma Ling, Valle de Bravo, Mexico. In the days before the event nearly 700 people attended dzogchen teachings on Heart Drops of Dharmakaya in Mexico City with Yongdzin Tenzin Namdak Rinpoche, Khenpo Tenpa Yungdrung Rinpoche, and Geshe Tenzin Wangyal Rinpoche. Lourdes Hinojosa, Mexican sangha member and long-time student of Tenzin Rinpoche, served as Spanish-English translator during these events; below, she shares her personal reflections.
My experience of the consecration of the Great Bon Stupa for World Peace at Chamma Ling, Valle de Bravo, Mexico, is not easy to express with words … More >
The Three Doors Update
Application Period for Directors Academy Has Been Extended Until Jan. 21
We recently discovered that many people who are interested in applying to the three-year Directors Academy training in the United States didn’t receive the updated application information. So, we have extended the More >
International Sangha News
Students Report From Around the World
Sangha member Natali Hromin of Croatia responds to VOCL’s invitation to students to share their experiences in relation to the question: Have you ever experienced someone’s death and dying in a way that was a real teacher for you, as a way to open the heart? More >
End-of-Year Reminder
Make the Most of Your Gift Giving
As the year’s end approaches, we offer a brief reminder that Ligmincha Institute is a 501(C)3 nonprofit organization. We rely on the generous support of sangha and other friends to continue our work to preserve the sacred teachings of the Bon Buddhist tradition of Tibet. Your donation of any amount is most welcome and is tax deductible.
Donate now/learn more >
Upcoming Retreats
Ligmincha’s Serenity Ridge Retreat Center
The retreats described below will take place at Serenity Ridge, Ligmincha Institute’s retreat center in Nelson County, Va. To register or for more information, click on the links below, or contact us at This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it or 434-263-6304.
Dec. 27, 2010 - Jan. 1, 2011
Dzogchen: The View, Meditation, Behavior, and Result
The Experiential Transmission of Zhang Zhung, Part 3
With Tenzin Wangyal Rinpoche
The Experiential Transmission of the Zhang Zhung Masters is the centerpiece of Geshe Tenzin Wangyal Rinpoche’s dzogchen teachings and is presented at Serenity Ridge each year at our winter retreat. Prerequisite: Practitioners who have already received the Part 2 or higher-level teachings in a previous cycle of these teachings are warmly invited to attend this retreat.
Learn more or register >
Extend your stay! You may stay up to three days after the winter retreat for personal retreat time. For more information or to register for an extended stay, contact the Ligmincha office at
This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it
or 434-263-6304.
April 13 - 17, 2011
Living With Joy, Dying in Peace
Gaining Comfort and Intimacy With the Dying Process
Annual Spring Retreat With Geshe Tenzin Wangyal Rinpoche
Denying our own mortality not only separates us from the vibrancy of living in the moment, it also leaves us ill equipped for the critical moment when death comes to ourselves or to our loved ones. The Bon Buddhist tradition is rich with knowledge and methods for using this Great Moment wisely. Through teachings and guided meditations, in this five-day retreat Geshe Tenzin Wangyal Rinpoche will help us to: recognize death as a doorway to opening the heart and achieving self-realization; prepare for our own death; and learn how to promote a more peaceful, uplifting dying process in others.
Learn more or register >
May 18 - 22, 2011
Self-Purification Through the Five Enlightened Bodies
With Khenpo Tenpa Yungdrung Rinpoche
Please join us this May for these special teachings with Khenpo Tenpa Yungdrung Rinpoche, abbot (khenpo) of Triten Norbutse Monastery in Kathmandu, Nepal. A powerful means of purifying oneself on all levels of experience, these teachings from the ancient Zhang Zhung Nyen Gyu cycle of dzogchen teachings have never before been offered at Ligmincha.
Learn more or register >
June 11-24, 2011
Summer Work Retreat
Free of charge. Whether you join us for one afternoon, one day, one week, or the entire two weeks, this is a wonderful time to share with sangha and to be of joyful service. Our work retreat includes vigorous work periods, daily meditation practice, and ample time for a swim in the pool or a walk along the Rockfish River. Participants are provided with free air-conditioned accommodations in Garuda House and free meals. For those who participate in one full week, there will be a 50 percent discount on one week of the summer retreat. If you participate in both full weeks of the work retreat, there will be a 50 percent discount on two weeks of the summer retreat.
For more information or to register, please email Ligmincha at
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or call 434-263-6304.
June 24, 2011 (Friday), 4-8 p.m.
Fundraising Dinner at Serenity Ridge
A special evening with His Holiness Lungtok Tenpai Nyima Rinpoche
and Geshe Tenzin Wangyal Rinpoche
Proceeds from this dinner will benefit the orphans under the care of His Holiness at Menri Monastery in Dolanji, India.
Learn more or register >
June 25 - July 15, 2011
A View From the Heart: Purifying Your Vision Through the Practice of the Six Lamps
Annual Summer Retreat With Honored Guest H.H. Lungtok Tenpai Nyima Rinpoche
and Geshe Tenzin Wangyal Rinpoche
Online registration is now open! Everyone is cordially invited to join us this summer for a rare and unique opportunity to receive teachings and transmissions from His Holiness Lungtok Tenpai Nyima Rinpoche, the 33rd Menri Trizen; and Geshe Tenzin Wangyal Rinpoche, founder and spiritual director of Ligmincha Institute. Ligmincha's annual Summer Retreat is open to newcomers and longtime students alike. You may attend one, two, or all three weeks of the retreat.
Learn more or register >
To register for any of the above retreats, or for more information about teachings in the Bon Buddhist tradition of Tibet, please contact us at
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or 434-263-6304, or go to:
