Announcements Issue

Volume 13, Number 2 / April 2013

A Note from the Editors

Amazing First Daylong Webcast with Rinpoche!

To Geshe Tenzin Wangyal Rinpoche and all others who made the free full-day live webcast on March 23 happen, we are grateful beyond words! We know we speak for many people—an estimate of at least 1,500 and possibly more who joined in this great cyber-retreat—in thanking you for doing this. Truly a gift!

To be able to tune in on our computers for a whole day was an amazing experience, an exciting new cyber-connection that was going on around the world. The daylong teachings on “The Gift of Inner Refuge” were translated live into nine languages, with an average of 800 computers logged on from 28 different countries.

We’d like to offer huge thanks to Lourdes Hinojosa of the Mexico Sangha for coordinating with international sanghas and translators to help make this day possible, and to Marcy Vaughn for her beautiful guidance during the two meditation sessions. And of course, we offer immense gratitude to Rinpoche for his tireless efforts and infinite generosity in making these precious teachings available for free to the worldwide sangha and others who viewed and participated, as well as to those who watch the recording webcast, which now lives online.

A sweet behind-the-scenes moment was captured as Rinpoche began getting ready for the early morning teaching (6 a.m. his time) helped by his son, Senghe, who straightened his head for the camera and whispered in his ear. Rinpoche tells us later what Senghe told him, so we won’t spoil that part. Be sure to watch the recorded teachings and practices and you will see this moment captured, too, in a clip during Part 4 of the videos.

While Rinpoche has done many 90-minute webcasts with simultaneous translation into as many as three different languages, he was thrilled to be able to offer this first-ever daylong webcast and to have nine live volunteer translators around the world Rinpoche spoke of our need to connect and to let this daylong online retreat be one way to refresh our practice and reconnect with our teachers, ourselves and our cyber-sangha. He asked us all to share with others this news of our way of connecting viewers around world to the teachings.

There is more to come in the future! Two upcoming free daylong cyber-retreats are scheduled: one July 6, broadcast during the summer retreat at Serenity Ridge, and another on Dec. 14.

Rinpoche would like to remind everyone that these full-day live webcasts are an incredible opportunity for individuals to come together to listen to his teachings and participate in guided practice. If you live close to other sangha members or Ligmincha centers, please consider gathering together in a group—large or small—for the July 6 and Dec. 14 teachings.

See more about the upcoming webcasts, online workshops and many other exciting announcements below!

Best in Bon,

Aline and Jeff