End-of-Year Letter from Rob Patzig
Very Active Plans for 2024
Dear Sangha and Friends,
As we come to the end of 2023, Ligmincha International and Serenity Ridge are looking forward to a very active 2024. Many of these plans involve programs that will begin at Serenity Ridge Retreat Center only to turn into programs that may be held at other retreat centers, or online for our global community. But first, there are two major changes to the Ligmincha International calendar that I would like to share with you.
From October 9-13, 2024, Ligmincha International will host a retreat in Kathmandu, Nepal, with Tenzin Wangyal Rinpoche! Rinpoche will teach the practice of Chod: Awakening Confidence by Taking Fear as a Path. The teachings will be taken from the Ma Gyu and from Laughter of the Dakini by Shardza Tashi Gyaltsen. Details are being worked out, and information will become available early in 2024. Students will book their own travel and accommodations, and we encourage participants to spend extra time in Nepal. Pilgrimage, trekking and more possibilities will be available, and we will be making recommendations for hotels, touring agencies and more as plans take shape.
Kathmandu
Triten Norbutse MonasteryA tea offering at Triten Norbutse Monastery also is being planned for October 14, following the retreat, where we also will join for blessings from H.E. Yongdzin Rinpoche. This retreat means that we will not have our annual fall retreat at Serenity Ridge in 2024.
Another special opportunity takes place much sooner, in April, at Serenity Ridge. Unlike past spring retreats which take place on Friday through Sunday, the spring Wellness Retreat will span four full days, from April 11-14, 2024. Join Rinpoche and other special guests as we discover methods for wellness of body, mind and spirit from the Tibetan tradition. This retreat will give you tools and techniques that you can take home with you to strengthen and nourish body and soul. Along with teachings and practice, we will have time to be in nature, walk Serenity Ridge's expanding trail network, and draw on other modalities such as massage, pulse reading and more to truly and deeply relax.
Summer retreats at both Serenity Ridge and at Chamma Ling Poland in Wilga will be the culmination of a four-year cycle of tummo teachings. These retreats will be in person only and will not be available on Zoom. They are open only to students who have had some prior experience with the practice of tummo. As a support for all students interested in attending these summer retreats on Tummo, Part 4, or just deepening their existing knowledge of tummo, Geshe Yungdrung Gyatso will be leading a three-day and seven-day practice retreat from January 4-11, 2024 in person at Serenity Ridge and online via Zoom. Even if you were not able to attend Tenzin Wangyal Rinpoche's Tummo, Part 3 teachings this past summer, attending this January practice retreat will allow you to attend Tummo, Part 4.
Also coming up at Serenity Ridge in 2024, and on Zoom, will be the winter retreat in December, Experiential Transmission of Zhang Zhung, Part 5. The culmination of the five-year cycle of Experiential Transmission teachings, based on the Chag Tri by the great adept Drugyalwa Yungdrung, provides complete instructions for those aspiring to the path of dzogchen, the path of self-liberation. This year in the Part 4 teachings, Rinpoche and participants will explore, enhance and reinforce the practices of the five postures, the five gazes and more.
The new year also marks the beginning of a new era for Serenity Ridge Retreat Center. Ligmincha's amazing resident lamas, Geshe Denma Gyaltsen of Ligmincha Texas, Geshe Yungdrung Gyatso of Ligmincha Poland, Lama Kalsang Nyima and Lama Yungdrung Lodoe, both of Ligmincha Mexico, each have agreed to spend about two months per year at Serenity Ridge for at least the next five years. Each resident lama will lead retreats, offer community programs, and be available for rituals and private consultation. Geshe Gyatso is initiating the new Lama Residency Program with a stay from November 2023 to January 2024. During that time he will support Tenzin Rinpoche's winter retreat, teach a weeklong tummo retreat in January, and more.
The tentative schedule for the lamas is:
- November 2023 through January 2024, Geshe Yungdrung Gyatso
- March through April 2024, Lama Yungdrung Lodoe
- June through August 2024, Geshe Denma Gyaltsen
- August through October, Lama Kalsang Nyima
- November 2023 through January 2024, Geshe Yungdrung Gyatso
As a part of our Lama Residency Program, each lama will be developing one or more training programs, with the goal of teaching western students how to perform various rituals and practices from the Bon tradition for themselves.
Geshe Gyatso will develop and teach programs for the Yang Kuk (hooking of wealth). This ritual can help attract prosperity, energy and abundance in one's life. The ritual brings peace, tranquility and the sources of wealth. Geshe-la also will teach the Rabney ritual, a blessing or space clearing ritual for homes, offices, business, etc.) This ritual clears unwanted energies, dullness and instability in a space by cleansing the space and inviting positive energies to bring peace, harmony and prosperity. Finally, he will teach the Dharchok Charwa (hanging of prayer flags). Hanging prayer flags is a common and important tradition in Tibetan/Himalayan culture. Prayer flags especially Lung-ta (Windhorse) flags, are raised to mark auspicious occasions and encourage positive quality to oneself, relatives and in the community. But there are many aspects that must be considered when hanging them, including day, time, location and purpose. And the hanging involves a number of prayers and rituals to ensure that the flags are fully empowered with blessing energy.
Geshe Denma will teach the DU TRI SU Drib-Jong rites (an essential practice for purification of karma and karmic imprints that one has accumulated.) These are rites related to the mantra A KAR A ME. The mantra and its rites are common within Yungdrung Bon and can be performed for both the living and the deceased.
Lama Kalsang will teach the Lha Lu ritual for retrieving life force energy. This is especially powerful for restoring or repairing lost lung, prana or chi for oneself and others. It is also a powerful tool for healing from illness and physical injury.
And Lama Yungdrung will teach us Tibetan Sachey (feng shui), to determine the suitability of land for auspiciousness (not just for building a house or buildings. The Sachey ritual also helps the environment, brings longevity and prosperity, clears obstacles and uplifts the spirit within one's family, with relatives and in the community.
These programs will become certification programs. Students with a deep interest in one or more of them will have the opportunity not only to learn how to incorporate them into their personal practice, but may pursue authorization to perform them on behalf of others. In the coming year we will work with Rinpoche, Khandro Tsering Khymsar and our resident lamas to develop and plan the programs. We hope to begin making them available in late 2024 or early 2025.
There is so much that we want to accomplish in the coming year, and we need your help! If you would like to assist in manifesting these programs, or help continue to enhance and expand our existing programs, please write to This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it . There are opportunities to come to Serenity Ridge for weeks or months at a time, to live and work and practice at the center; and there are also opportunities to work on these projects online.
May your practice nourish you, and may it help to heal this world and all of its suffering beings.
In service,
Rob Patzig
President, Ligmincha International
