Volume 23, Number 1/ February 2023
Letter from the Editors
Being Closer to Your True Self
Dear Friends,
We hope the New Year is treating you well! In this teaching excerpt, Tenzin Wangyal Rinpoche shows us how to use our thought-filled, story-making, serious minds and emotions, which are always quite good at stealing the show, as a means for coming back home to the spacious awareness that is the source. Our gratitude, Rinpoche, for this timeless wisdom that is beyond words. E MA HO.
Happy Losar! Celebrate the Tibetan New Year on February 21. More
Finding Freedom of Mind in the Tumult of Mental Activity
An Excerpt from Tenzin Wangyal Rinpoche's Teachings, Winter 2022
This mind of ours is active all of the time. And it is in that activity of mind, the thoughts, emotions, memories and sense perceptions, where we lose ourself. So the idea is to look at the activity of your consciousness, your mind, because this is where you exit, this is where you lose the point. And this is where we've been continuing to lose the point throughout all of human history. The teachings show that through all of this craziness of mind, we have a chance to go back to the source, to the mother, to the base, and to rest in that infinite space, that infinite awareness or infinite light. More
Heart Drops of Kuntu Zangpo
Serenity Ridge Spring Retreat with Tenzin Wangyal Rinpoche
Join Tenzin Wangyal Rinpoche in person at Serenity Ridge or online on Zoom for this special retreat on Heart Drops of Kuntu Zangpo. This core dzogchen teaching, also known as Heart Drops of Dharmakaya, provides methods for introducing the nature of the mind, which remains hidden behind clouds of thoughts and emotions until a master directly points out the source, the essence, the Heart Drop. More
Tenzin Wangyal Rinpoche's Worldwide Teaching Schedule
February to August 2023
Here is Geshe Tenzin Wangyal Rinpoche's teaching schedule. Rinpoche will be traveling a lot beginning in February with retreats in Costa Rica and in Houston, Texas. In March through August, he will be teaching in California, Mexico, Virginia (twice), the Netherlands, Italy, Switzerland, Austria and Germany, with more retreats soon to be added. More
Sherap Chamma and Abiding in Refuge
Simultaneous Retreats with Marcy Vaughn and Gabriel Rocco in February
For the first time, Serenity Ridge will host two simultaneous retreats from February 16-19, Sherap Chamma with senior teacher Marcy Vaughn and Abiding in Presence with senior teacher Gabriel Rocco. Both retreats also will be available online via Zoom. More
Special Summer Retreat at Serenity Ridge June 24-July 8
With Honored Guest His Holiness the 34th Menri Trizin Rinpoche
Mark your calendar for this year's special two-week summer retreat at Serenity Ridge June 24-July 8! We are looking forward to having honored guest His Holiness the 34th Gyalwa Menri Trizin, Lungtok Dawa Dhargyal Rinpoche, spiritual head of the Bon tradition. He will be with us for both weeks of the retreat, along with Tenzin Wangyal Rinpoche. More
Upcoming Ligmincha Learning Courses
Three Heart Mantras, Ngondro, Sleep Yoga, Five Elements
Ligmincha Learning is offering several online courses with Tenzin Wangyal Rinpoche this February and March 2023. These online courses feature beautiful video teachings, guided meditations, readings, journal writing activities, and the opportunity to interact with senior mentors and classmates from around the world. More
Upcoming CyberSangha Events
Full Moon Practice February 5
You are warmly invited to join Tenzin Wangyal Rinpoche, invited guests and fellow participants for any or all of these upcoming online events. Free and open to all, these events are part of the Month of the Mind in Rinpoche's free yearlong program Bring Body, Speech & Mind to Life. Stay tuned for more information about a new yearlong program, to be launched in early February More
Thank You, Gram Slaton!
Serenity Ridge Operations Manager Moves On
All of us connected with Ligmincha and Serenity Ridge Retreat Center offer our thanks and appreciation to Gram Slaton, Serenity Ridge's operations manager. Gram began working at Serenity Ridge in July 2021 and did amazing work reopening Serenity Ridge after the center had been closed for two years due to the pandemic. More
Support Ligmincha International's Practice Group Leaders
First International Practice Retreat for Umdzes Set for March
Umdzes, or practice group leaders, play an important role in our Ligmincha sanghas, presenting and guiding the practices of the ancient Tibetan Bon spiritual tradition. In the international Ligmincha community, umdzes in 25 countries are authorized to offer regular online and in-person practice and other programs in their own languages. More
New European 3 Doors Academy and Pre-Academy Retreat
Meet New 3 Doors Teacher Nicolas Gounaropoulos
The 3 Doors is happy to announce a new European 3 Doors Academy and Pre-Academy retreat and introduce you to one of the four teachers for these retreats, Nicolas Gounaropoulos. This is the third European Academy to be offered, and it will begin in September 2023. A Pre-Academy retreat for those new to The 3 Doors will be held March 22-26, 2023, near Budapest, Hungary. More
An Update on Chamma Ling Poland
With New Water System Renovation, Center Moves Forward
In a Voice of Clear Light special announcement last November, assistance was asked for problems with Chamma Ling Poland's water system. With the help of many donors from all over the world, the water pipes have now been replaced, a new well dug and a new house for storing the water built. Ton Bisscheroux talked with Ligmincha Poland board members Basia Baczyńska and Jacek Trzebuniak. More
Discovering Your Inner Wisdom Through Practices of Waking and Sleeping
GlideWing Online Workshop Begins February 11
GlideWing is pleased to offer Discovering Your Inner Wisdom Through Practices of Waking and Sleeping, a three-week online video workshop with Tenzin Wangyal Rinpoche from February 11-March 5, 2023. Participants will practice from their own homes, at their own schedule, with guidance from Rinpoche. More
Sharing the Timeless Joy
From the Archive of VOCL Newsletters
Did you know there are now more than 30 years of Voice of Clear Light newsletters in the Ligmincha archives? Lots of great articles and interviews, sangha sharing, history, knowledge and some beautiful pictures, too. We had fun looking back and choosing some favorites to share with you, now and in future issues. This article is from the printed VOCL Fall 1994 newsletter, written by Bill Gorvine after attending the 1994 summer retreat. More
Student and Teacher
Together on the Path
Tenzin Wangyal Rinpoche responds to a student's question about cutting through one's pride and pain identity, from the 2022 spring retreat at Serenity Ridge.
Student: In my practice it feels like the pain identity has a pride element to it. How can I be assertive and cut through this pride without developing anger or aversion toward it? More
Spanish Translation of VOCL
Link to December 2022 Issue Now Available
Look for the translations of Voice of Clear Light newsletters at the top of the VOCL website.
