An Update to Ligmincha's Code of Conduct

New Section on Additional Commitments of Teachers

Ligmincha President Rob Patzig shares information about Ligmincha International's revised Code of Conduct.

In almost every retreat, Tenzin Wangyal Rinpoche speaks directly about the importance of serving others and about sacred community. Sacred community can be within one's family, at work, at school and especially within a community of practice. In such a community, our vision for ourselves as wise and compassionate beings with the skillful means to be of benefit to others can find expression.

In 2019 the Board of Directors of Ligmincha International began to see a need to clearly articulate Rinpoche's vision for the sacred community that is Ligmincha. In November 2020, a Code of Conduct based on the 10 perfections of the Bon tradition was drafted. It articulated a vision for how we as a community of practitioners aspire to be in our relationships with one another. This document was a collaboration with Rinpoche, Ligmincha International board members and a selection of western instructors from around the world. At the same time Ligmincha established a Conduct and Care Council to hear, review and address concerns and complaints within the sangha about teachers, instructors, umdzes and staff. The Council also is able to hear and work toward conflict resolution among sangha members within the space of our retreat centers and practice groups.

Since that time, the document and the Council have provided valuable support to practitioners and instructors on several occasions. There has also been a lot of learning in the past three years. In response to Ligmincha and the Council's experiences during that time, as well as reflecting on the crises that have affected several dharma and religious organizations in the past few years, the Code of Conduct has been revised. A new section, Additional Commitments of Teachers, has been created to clarify the roles and responsibilities of Ligmincha instructors, umdzes and practice leaders worldwide.

The changes to the Code of Conduct emphasize a shift in tone. Because the perfections on which the code is based are aspirational, we wanted a document that also was inspirational. The new version brings more warmth and clarity into the language, and it also provides more clarity as to why these values are so important to us.

Additional Commitments of Teachers gives voice to the responsibilities of those who teach or guide practice within Ligmincha. This document was created in collaboration with Ligmincha instructors from Colombia, France, Germany, Mexico, Poland and the United States, with much direct involvement by Rinpoche, the International Board, and the Conduct and Care Council. It was shared publicly for the first time this March at the practice leader retreat in Valle De Bravo, Mexico.

Both documents are on the Ligmincha website and can be found in multiple languages here (in the left column below the photo).

You can watch Rinpoche and Rob Patzig introduce Additional Commitments of Teachers here.