Letter from the Editors
On the Horizon
Dear Friends,
Thankfully over this past difficult year of the pandemic, there have been many opportunities for connection and growth to help keep us focused on the important truth of the dharma—recognizing our own true nature. The advantages of attending any of Tenzin Wangyal Rinpoche's numerous online retreats and talks are many, but the chance to all be together again for in-person retreats is finally on the horizon!
While many details about how to do that are still being firmed up, the first retreat at Serenity Ridge will take place in the fall, when the 3 Doors Academy holds several events including the start of a new North American Academy. (See the article below.) Because Serenity Ridge Retreat Center has been closed for more than a year now due to the pandemic, much needs to be done there before we can once again host in-person retreats there. If all goes as planned, the annual Experiential Transmission retreat in December with Tenzin Wangyal Rinpoche will then take place in person at Serenity Ridge, as well as online. Ligmincha International will hold its annual online auction starting June 21 to support reopening Serenity Ridge, and three weekend service retreats are planned for June, July and August. Read about it all below.
For now, we still have opportunities to attend several Zoom retreats with Rinpoche. One is the annual two-week Summer Retreat, which is right around the corner, with Dream Yoga beginning June 20 and Sleep Yoga starting June 27. See all the details below as well as a listing of Rinpoche's live teachings through August.
While we all are cautiously looking forward to more retreats, get-togethers, outings, travel and projects—both work and fun—we also need to take Rinpoche's advice to relax and just BE, as he reminds us so well in this issue's teaching excerpt, despite our tendencies to do, do, do! We are groomed for this busy-ness starting as kids, losing touch with an essential element of our realization and our happiness: coming to rest in being, where from that place of stillness, silence and spaciousness all that arises is perfect as it is. Thank you, Rinpoche!!
As many of you know, a fundraising campaign was initiated by Rinpoche and Ligmincha for a few weeks in May to help with Covid relief in India, where the disease is still wreaking havoc, and we wanted to share with everyone that more than $90,000 has been raised (as of this writing) thanks to so many generous, compassionate people. May this effort bring great relief and benefit to many people!
Don't miss the special interview by Ton Bisscheroux with Jorge Valles, president of Ligmincha Mexico, about what has been happening at Chamma Ling Valle de Bravo, the Great Bön Stupa for World Peace and Retreat Center in Mexico. So inspiring!
Also in this issue: Ligmincha Learning announces big website improvements making it much easier to use mobile devices to take courses offered; and do check out the three courses that begin this summer through Ligmincha Learning: “Three Heart Mantras” starts June 11, “Sleep Yoga” starts July 16 and “Sherap Chamma” starts August 6. Look for I Am No One, a new poem by Rinpoche with the video presentation and the text in 13 languages, plus upcoming CyberSangha events; and a new GlideWing workshop on the topic “Who Am I”; and, as always the Spanish translation of the April VOCL.
Relax and enjoy!!
In Bön
Aline and Jeff Fisher
