The focus of the work at the Ligmincha of California is the practice and dissemination of the Dzogchen , or Atiyoga, teachings of the Yungdrung    Bon lineage ( Bon is the indigenous, pre-Buddhist tradition of Tibet).

Our founder and director, Lama Tenzin Wangyal Rinpoche , is a Bonpo Lama who has also been educated in the Gelug school of Tibetan Buddhism. Rinpoche has an extensive teaching schedule in North and Central America and in Europe. He is also forming collaborative relationships with physicians and psychotherapists in order to develop innovative healing strategies to deal with pain and depression. The wisdom of the Tibetan healing traditions, meditation practices and Dzogchen teachings offered by Tenzin Wangyal Rinpoche will provide an opportunity for individuals to explore and enhance their health and well-being.

Ligmincha of California is one of four centers that have grown out of the Charlottesville Ligmincha Institute for the study of the Religions and Culture of Tibet, which was also established by Tenzin Wangyal Rinpoche with the blessing of His Holiness the Dalai Lama.

Place: The Los Angeles Shambhala Meditation Center, 8218 West Third Street, Los Angeles, CA  90048.

Cost: $150 ($120 before February 15).

Rinpoche is one of only two Bonpo masters in the West qualified to teach these practices, so this will be a unique opportunity to receive the wisdom of this tradition.

Rinpoche holds a Geshe degree (the Tibetan equivalent of a doctorate) and has studied with important Bon and Buddhist masters, including Lopon Tenzin Namdak Rinpoche. He is the author of Wonders of the Natural Mind and Tibetan Yogas of Dream and Sleep. He has been a Rockefeller Fellow at Rice University as well as a recipient of a grant from the National Endowment for the Humanities for research into the logical and philosophical aspects of the Bon tradition.

Until the past decade, these teachings were part of a secret tradition only passed one-to-one from master to student. In this retreat Rinpoche will emphasize the experiential dimension of the teachings. This weekend is the only opportunity in 2001 that we will have to study with Rinpoche in Southern California. Don't miss this visit!

Place: A residence in the Los Feliz area of Los Angeles.Details provided upon registration.

Contact Bob Anger, (310) 369-4747, RobertA@fox.com

Cost: $120.

Thinley Nyima Rinpoche is the successor of Lopon Tenzin Namdak Rinpoche as the Lopon (or Ponlop ) of Menri Monastery in Dolanji, India. He was born in a remote region of Dolpo in Western Nepal. He is a descendent of Yangton Shenrab Gyaltsen, the famous Dzogchen and tantric master who first wrote down the Dzogchen Experiential Transmission (Zhang Zhung Nyang Gud). Rinpoche began a 3-year retreat (a tradition for male members in his family) at the age of ten. He received his Geshe degree from Menri monastery after 10 years of study in 1989 and became Ponlop in 1992. He enjoys teaching in a lively fashion and welcomes the questions that Western students like to ask.

Place: A residence in the Los Feliz area of Los Angeles.Details provided upon registration.

Contact: Bob Anger, (310) 369-4747, RobertA@fox.com

Registration & Cost: $130, payable to Tom Ward (includes Buffet lunch on Saturday). Please mail, with your name, address, phone, fax, and email to:

Lama Khemsar Rinpoche is widely regarded as a stimulating, fluent and inspiring teacher. His great energy, enthusiasm and insight, combined with this intensive silent retreat will provide an opportunity for deep practice. Rinpoche presents the authentic tradition of teaching Yungdrun Bon, the indigenous spiritual tradition of Tibet, having two monasteries in South Tibet (Pungmo Gon in Dromo and Lhari Nyiphug). He was introduced to the tradition at the age of five in Pungmo Gon's spiritual school and has received teachings from many great masters who visited his monastery. He has studied Buddhism and other faiths, such as Hinduism, Judaism and Christianity and is also an accomplished healer, astrologer and practitioner of Jung-wei (Tibetan Fung-Shui).

Lama Khemsar Rinpoche emphasizes that all of the teachings of the Yungdrun Bon tradition are built upon the basis of the Ngondro foundational teachings. He strongly encourages those who wish to study the more advanced teachings, or even those who are already practicing them, to complete the Ngondro practices and to continue to study them for fresh and deeper insights. Rinpoche points out that "without such a foundation, it wuld be like building a house on a frozen lake: when the ice melts...."

Rinpoche emphasizes the incorporation of the teachings in one's life by applying the teachings in practice with his students. This strong effort in practices multiplies many times the spiritual benefit of the practice for oneself as well as for all sentient beings.

Tenzin Wangyal Rinpoche will teach on Dzogchen, the Great Perfection, from the Tibetan Bon tradition.  Dzogchen is considered the highest teaching and practice in both the Bon and Buddhist Nyingma. It is a non-dual teaching leading the practitioner to first recognize the enlightened nature of mind and then to integrate all experience with it.  It is the "Great Perfection" teaching because it starts from an understanding that what arises in experience is the spontaneous manifestation of the primordially perfect basis of all, the inseparable unity of emptiness and luminous awareness.

Rinpoche will teach from the second category of Dzogchen, the long-de or space series which focuses on the clarity aspect of the natural state.  Long-de works particularly with the unceasing, spontaneous, naturally perfect manifestations of the nature of mind.  He will be continuing his teaching from the Bon text "The Three Cycles That Proclaim the Great Perfection," from the chapter called the "Golden Turtle," a tantra known to both Bon and Nyingma.  Basing his teaching on this text, Rinpoche will present Dzogchen view, meditation and action, and will teach specific practices that work with the energy points in the body, the chakras, and with posture and breathing, meant to introduce the practitioner to the nature of mind.

This weekend is the third of three teachings devoted to the Golden Turtle text, but it is not necessary to have attended the other two teachings.  All students are welcome.

Place: El Cerrito Veterans Memorial
6401 Stockton Street
El Cerrito  CA

Cost: $20 for Friday evening  -  $160 for entire weekend (including Friday)

Pre-registration is NOT necessary

Directions:  From Highway 80 exit at Central Avenue.  Go east to San Pablo Avenue.  Turn north to Stockton (a few blocks).  Go east on Stockton.  The building is on your left.  Street parking (make sure you check the signs).  The Memorial has a wood floor and no cushions (metal folding chairs are available).  Please bring meditation cushions and sufficient padding for the hard surface.
 

For further information, contact Laura Shekerjian at  lauras@majornet.com or 510/ 849-2373.

There will be a residential retreat March 26 - 31, 2002 focused on the teachings Rinpoche has given on the long-de. 

January 4, 5,6, 2002: Friday evening - 7:00 PM, Saturday - 10:00 AM to 5:00 PM, Sunday - 10:00 AM to 2:00 PM

KHYUNG MAR - The Teaching of the Red Garuda of Bon

The Red Garuda teaching originated with the founder of the Bon religion, Tonpa Shenrab.  It is an ancient Tibetan healing practice particularly appropriate in today's world.  A tantric, or self-transforming practice, its power and blessings heal oneself as well as the patient.  It is beneficial for skin diseases, for ailments of unknown origin, and for thos caused by negative spirits of nagas.  Receiving the blessings from this practice will multiply your ordinary abilities to heal most sicknesses and sufferings of war.  The teaching of Red Garuda has been transmitted from Tonpa Shenrab to Taglha Mebar and to Drenp Namkha.  During persecution times it was hidden as Bon treasure and rediscovered in the 13th century by Khodpo Lodro  Thokmed.  It was passed to Nyima Dakpa Rinpoche by H.H. the 33rd Menri Trizin who is the spiritual head of the Bon religion.
 

LHA TRI KHENPO NYIMA DAKPA RINPOCHE
Nyima Dakpa Rinpoche is the Abbot and lineage holder of the Lha Tri Monastery in Kham/Dege, eastern Tibet.  His father was the third reincarnation of Tsultrim Phunstok, a great Bon practitioner of eastern Tibet.  He grew up in Dorbatan, Nepal and recieved his first instruction from his father and from Tsultrim Nyima Rinpoche, the Abbot and founder of the Dorbatan Monastery.  He studied under the guidance of Lopon Tenzin Namdak Rinpoche and grew up under the care and guidance of HH Menri Trizin Rinpoche, the 33rd Abott and spiritual head of Bon.  In 1978 he joined the first graduating class of the Menri Bon Dialectic School in Dolanji where he completed his studies and received his degree in 1987.

Nyima Dakpa Rinpoche is currently Director of the Bon Children's Home which he founded in 1989 in Dolanji, India for the care and education of indigent Bon children.  He is also the founder and editor of the only Bonpo magazine, "sBon sGo"  ("Door of Bon").  Rinpoche also undertook the construction of the temple of Mongye Monastery and the reestablishment of education a Dehra Dun in India.

It is the BON CHILDREN'S HOME which will benefit from your donations for these teachings.  Rinpoche extends heartfelt THANKS for your generosity.

Donations for these teachings are at your discretion.  The suggested donation is $100.00 to $150.00.  If you can give more it will be put to good use.  However, no one will be turned away.  Checks made out to: AID TO BON CHILDREN.

For further information please contact:  BARBARA BRADSHAW at 323/ 666-5941    or     bbbstraeten@earthlink.net

Place: The Los Angeles Shambhala Meditation Center, 8218 West Third Street, Los Angeles, CA  90048. Contact Bob Anger, (310) 369-4747, RobertA@fox.com .

Cost: $130 (includes buffet lunch on Sunday)

For more details on the teaching, please click here: The Elements in Dzogchen

Rinpoche is one of only two Bonpo masters in the West qualified to teach these practices, so this will be a unique opportunity to receive the wisdom of this tradition.

 FRIDAY NOVEMBER 16 through SUNDAY NOVEMBER 18: VIPASSANA MEDITATION RETREAT IN THE FOOTHILLS OF L.A. AT NATURE FRIENDS RETREAT CENTER IN SIERRA MADRE

Led By Jason Siff and Ron Sharrin

         You can either attend the entire weekend, or for one night and two days, or you can attend on a daily basis for Saturday and/or Sunday.  We are fortunate that the cost to use this beautiful retreat center in the San Gabriel mountains is so reasonable.  To stay for the entire weekend is only $75 per person. This includes food and lodging.  For those who would like to come only during the day, the daily fee is $20, which includes food.  These costs cover everything except paying the teachers, who will be compensated from donations given at the retreat.

   The retreat will begin at 6 PM on Friday and end at 5 PM on Sunday.  People attending just for the day should plan to arrive by 9 AM and intend to stay until 5 PM. Maps and further information will be included in your registration material.  Please contact us as soon as you know you can attend.

                THE SKILLFUL MEDITATION PROJECT
                P.O. BOX 1173, IDYLLWILD, CA, 92549
                909-659-2649  or  310-455-1200
                Jason@meditationproject.org

"Each person's mind is unique and we still do not understand that uniqueness within the meditative process.  The same instructions tend to be given to everyone without considering the way in which each individual's mind works . . . . The meditative Path is about knowing one's own mind--not trying to mold one's mind to suit a particular concept....In the process of becoming aware of one's own mind, one naturally cultivates tranquil and beneficial states of consciousness...If one uses force to accomplish inner peace, what one creates is inner conflict, not peace....Too many meditation instructions actually generate aggression, for they are applied with aggression under the guise of being Right Effort.  Let gentleness be your Right Effort."
        -Jason Siff

• Tenzin Wangyal Rinpoche
• His Holiness Lungtok Tenpei Nyima
• Lopon Tenzin Namdak

 His Holiness Lungtog Tenpei Nyima:
a short biography of the spiritual leader of the Bon religion
  Lopon Tenzin Namdak Rinpoche:
a short biography of the senior teacher of Yungdrung Bon
Triten Norbutse Monastery
Lopon Tenzin Namdak's monastery
 

Tenzin Wangyal Rinpoche:
our Founder and Director.





• What is Dzogchen?
• Basic Dzogchen Vocabulary
• The Activities of our Centers  where you can find us and what we do
• Bonpo Picture Gallery a few pictures  courtesy of Ligmicha of  Houston, Texas
• Images of Tibet By Tenzin Wangyal Rinpoche
• BonPo Deity Statues from Tibet
• Books and Study Materials available from Ligmincha.
• Yungdrung Bön Online - Lama Khemsar
• Other Dharma Internet Sites of Interest
• Snow Lion Publications
• Muktinath Foundation

Updated October 2, 2001         Please send comments to: Chetan Prakash