New Projects on the Horizon

Letter from Ligmincha International President Rob Patzig

Dear Sangha and Friends,

The year 2018 has begun with an extraordinary event! Last fall we entered a period of mourning and reflection as on September 14 His Holiness Lungtok Tenpai Nyima Rinpoche, the 33rd Menri Trizin Rinpoche, passed away. And while no one can replace His Holiness Lungtok Tenpai Nyima Rinpoche, we rejoice in the appointment of his successor, the 34th Menri Trizin, His Holiness Geshe Dawa Dhargyal Rinpoche.

Under the auspices of the 34th Menri Trizin, and with the wisdom and guidance of our own Geshe Tenzin Wangyal Rinpoche with Rob Patzigprecious teacher and spiritual director, Geshe Tenzin Wangyal Rinpoche, we must all continue to work together to keep the Bön teachings alive for as long as there are sentient beings in need of them. To that end, you will see many new programs arriving this year from Ligmincha. Among the highlights are:

Rinpoche will release a new book by the fall: Spontaneous Creativity: Meditations for Manifesting Your Positive Qualities. When we are not driven by our pain or fear, we can open fully to whatever each moment of life has to offer us and to the treasure what we have to offer life. The gifts and potentials that arise spontaneously from within us are far more authentic and alive than anything our strategic mind might plan. Not bound by our limitations and agendas, we are more flexible, more aware and more productive – more successful in every way. This book helps us access this inner source and allow its authentic expression in our creative work and everyday lives.

We also will be releasing new courses this year on Ligmincha Learning. The first will become available starting March 2: a nine-month study and practice of the ngöndro, or preliminary practices, of the Experiential Transmission of Zhang Zhung. In “Ngöndro: The Foundational Practices,” videos of Rinpoche’s 2014 ngöndro retreat at Serenity Ridge are supplemented by support videos with Serenity Ridge resident lama Geshe Tenzin Yangton, print materials, a discussion forum, and monthly live practice and discussion sessions with John Jackson. To our knowledge, this is the first time this teaching has ever been offered online. This is a very special opportunity to connect with and prepare oneself for dzogchen teachings. Other new courses will follow later in the year. 

Under the direction of Tenzin Wangyal Rinpoche, Geshe Tenzin Yangton and several of Rinpoche’s more senior students are putting together criteria and support materials for starting small practice groups. All around the world we hear of people interested in creating local sanghas, or practice groups. We will soon launch a program for “hosts,” people who open their homes or offices to groups for practice, to learn how to succeed in such activities. We will offer videos and other materials on things such as preparing a shrine; how to select topics, books and videos to watch together; how to practice together, and more. Our goal is to make it easy to start a group to study the Bön teachings and learn and practice with Rinpoche and other Ligmincha teachers.

Finally, we have a committed group of technically savvy students who are taking responsibility for planning and improving our online activities. From our websites to social media to Ligmincha’s YouTube channel, all of these will become easier to use and work with.

As always, these projects are impossible without donations of time and money from practitioners like you. At this time we have a special need for support of our online programs. In particular, we need volunteers to help catalog and assign key words to the recordings at our Ocean of Wisdom website. We are also seeking a person who can help us upload to our YouTube channel, another who can help manage the channel, and someone with experience in social media marketing who can help us further the reach of Rinpoche’s TWR LIVE broadcasts. The above positions require at least five years of experience with Tenzin Wangyal Rinpoche’s teachings and a consistent daily practice. Other needs include a detail-oriented person who can transcribe Rinpoche’s Facebook live recordings.

For more information about these volunteer needs, please email the social media committee.
If you would like to volunteer for other kinds of projects, please This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it .
To make a financial contribution, visit our donations page.

In Bön,
Rob Patzig, President
Ligmincha International