In the Bön tradition, Sherab Chamma is considered the Mother of all Buddhas. She is also the mother of all beings, the source of love, the inexhaustible source of wisdom and compassion.

She is the unobstructed clarity and enlightened nature of all beings. Always there to offer protection, strength and clarity, she is pure presence. Chamma is available to everyone for comfort, guidance and healing as she has the power to dispel all obstacles.

The authentic qualities of the Loving Mother have always been within us. The practice of the Heartdrop of Chamma helps us connect to them, recognize and actualize our capacity to love and care for each other unconditionally.

This unique teaching is a direct oral transmission (Nyen Gyud) given by Khandro Sherab Lo Pelma, a manifestation of Chamma, to the 22nd Menri Trizin, Sonam Lodro Rinpoche in the early 19th century.

It’s the 1st time Rinpoche will teach on the Jamma Nyingtik in Switzerland.

He will speak in English, with translation into French.

Open to all without prerequisite.

Invocation of Yeshe Walmo
with Geshe Denma Gyaltsen

At Serenity Ridge, we close the last practice of each day by reciting the “Invocation of Yeshe Walmo. Doing so, we envoke this enlightened protector of Yungdrung Bön to guide and protect us at every level. It is a practice that we have always kept close to our hearts at Serenity Ridge and also at many other of Ligmincha’s retreat centers worldwide.

This practice may be new to many of you who have not been to our center’s in-person retreats. If you are not familiar with Yeshe Walmo or with her invocation, we strongly encourage you to attend this half day event! And if you do know the practice, this is a great time to get closer to her through the deep wisdom and kindness of Geshe Denma!

The term “invocation” generally means “to call upon.” However, the Tibetan term is külpa [Tib. bskul pa], more specifically meaning “to arouse” or “to call to action.” Therefore, this prayer is clearly used to call upon the enlightened protector Yéshe Walmo to quickly act on our behalf.

In the final line of the prayer, Yéshe Walmo is called upon to “pacify all obstacles and causes of disharmony without exception, into the vastness of outer, inner and secret space!” The Tibetan text specifically refers to these three spaces, kha long ying [Tib. mkha’ klong dbyings]. This indicates the ability of Yéshe Walmo to support the practitioner by destroying obstacles that range from being obvious and external to the subtlest obstacles of mind. Nothing is beyond her capability. That power combined with the doubtless trust of the practitioner can bring immediate action and support as expressed in this concise and powerful prayer.

Schedule (New York Time):
Sunday, June 5
10:00 a.m.–11:15 a.m. Teaching
11:15 a.m.–11:45 a.m. Break
11:45 a.m.–01:00 p.m. Teaching

This event will be held online and in-person at Serenity Ridge Retreat Center.

For those attending our online summer retreat on the Seven Mirrors with Geshe Tenzin Wangyal Rinpoche, we warmly invite you to attend the online retreat for a special discount of $20. Use the discount code SUMMER during the registration process.

RETREAT – Online via Zoom

The Seven Mirrors of Dzogchen Practice Retreat

with Geshe Tenzin Wangyal Rinpoche

Join Tenzin Wangyal Rinpoche for the annual two-week Summer Retreat at Serenity Ridge in Virginia or online via Zoom. The Seven Mirrors of Dzogchen is an essential text of the Tibetan Bön dzogchen tradition, which directly introduces us to the clear, open awareness that is our true nature and offers methods for maintaining a connection to the natural state. The text was composed by Drenpa Namkha, a great Tibetan meditation master of the late seventh/early eighth century.

In this summer’s two-week retreat, Rinpoche will guide us to recognize and rest in our true nature, engaging selected practices and meditations from the Seven Mirrors text.

Newcomers and experienced practitioners are equally welcome to attend this retreat! The emphasis on practice will allow experiences and realization to deepen in the warmth of our collective practice. Through the power of these teachings and the warmth of our practice, may we realize the radiant, clear light of our true nature and act for the benefit of others in authentic, kind and wise ways!

Week 1: June 18 – 25, 2022 Newcomers are encouraged to attend!
Week 2: June 26 – July 2, 2022

This retreat will be held both in-person at Serenity Ridge Retreat Center, and online.

Recommended Reading: The Seven Mirrors of Dzogchen: Teachings and Commentary on an Ancient Dzogchen Text, by Tenzin Wangyal Rinpoche (2022, Sacred Sky Press)

Recommended Ligmincha Learning Course: Starting a Meditation Practice, Parts 1 & 2

RETREAT at Serenity Ridge Retreat Center, Virginia

The Seven Mirrors of Dzogchen Practice Retreat

with Geshe Tenzin Wangyal Rinpoche

Join Tenzin Wangyal Rinpoche for the annual two-week Summer Retreat at Serenity Ridge in Virginia or online via Zoom. The Seven Mirrors of Dzogchen is an essential text of the Tibetan Bön dzogchen tradition, which directly introduces us to the clear, open awareness that is our true nature and offers methods for maintaining a connection to the natural state. The text was composed by Drenpa Namkha, a great Tibetan meditation master of the late seventh/early eighth century.

In this summer’s two-week retreat, Rinpoche will guide us to recognize and rest in our true nature, engaging selected practices and meditations from the Seven Mirrors text.

Newcomers and experienced practitioners are equally welcome to attend this retreat! The emphasis on practice will allow experiences and realization to deepen in the warmth of our collective practice. Through the power of these teachings and the warmth of our practice, may we realize the radiant, clear light of our true nature and act for the benefit of others in authentic, kind and wise ways!

Week 1: June 18–25, 2022 Newcomers are encouraged to attend!
Plan to arrive June 18 between 4-6 p.m. for registration/check in

Week 2: June 26–July 2, 2022
Plan to arrive June 25 between 4-6 p.m. for registration/check in

To allow for more guests to come in person, we ask you to limit your choice to a single preferred week. To register, please sign up for the Registration List («Join Waiting List») for your preferred week. Should you wish to join us for both weeks, please fill out the Waitlist for adding a second week (depending on availability). You will be contacted by the registrar to complete the registration process.

Pre-registration is required. Onsite registration will not be possible.

Due to Covid-19 protocols currently in place, onsite participation at Serenity Ridge Retreat Center is currently limited to 50 retreatants total, and a covid policy in place. More information is provided during the registration process. 

This retreat will be held both in-person at Serenity Ridge Retreat Center, and online.

Recommended Reading: The Seven Mirrors of Dzogchen: Teachings and Commentary on an Ancient Dzogchen Text, by Tenzin Wangyal Rinpoche (2022, Sacred Sky Press)

Recommended Ligmincha Learning Course: Starting a Meditation Practice, Parts 1 & 2

There will be live Spanish translations for Week 1.

RETREAT

THE TWENTY-ONE NAILS: A PRACTICE RETREAT

with Tenzin Wangyal Rinpoche

The teachings of the Twenty-One Nails are a direct expression of enlightenment – our natural mind. Each nail describes this natural state from a different point of view. These views are called «nails» or «seals» because they stabilize the experience-based understanding of the natural state. These teachings are said to have come directly from the original Buddha, Küntu Zangpo, passed down to eight successive Buddhas, and then orally to 24 human Bon lineage holders, all yogis and siddhas. They were first written down by Yangton Sherap Gyaltsen in the eleventh century. The teachings have been passed on in unbroken succession to our teachers at the present time: Yongdzin Sangye Tenzin, His Holiness Lungtok Tenpai Nyima Rinpoche,

The teachings and practices presented by Tenzin Wangyal Rinpoche provide an exceptional gateway for those newly interested to experience the wisdom and practicality of the Bon teachings. For those already connected to Bon, it is a precious opportunity to be with Tenzin Rinpoche and deepen study and practice. We invite everyone to join us in Buchenau this summer.

RETREAT

with Tenzin Wangyal Rinpoche

In this course, Rinpoche will give another part of the Tummo teachings (practices of inner heat and bliss).

The teachings and meditation help us to connect with our own heart. Through these teachings we discover within ourselves space, openness and an unlimited source of possibilities. By connecting with our own essence, the nature of the mind, we can transform our lives to be more joyful and valuable.

Practicing meditation in our daily lives enriches our relationships with other people, helps us approach our work in a more creative way, and teaches us how to use our lives in a more wise and compassionate way.

Translation: The course will be in English with translation into Polish and other languages.

Tenzin Wangyal Rinpoche will continue teaching on the A-Tri cycle of pith dzogchen teachings. The A-Tri cycle is a unique step-by-step system to introduce and deepen one’s realization through the path of dzogchen. We plan for this to be a hybrid event, with teachings taking place in Crestone, Colorado and also shared online live via Zoom. Those who were not able to attend Part 1 of this cycle will be able to purchase access to video recordings of the Part 1 teachings in 2021 and review them prior to this retreat.

The Chamma Ling team is hard at work planning this event.  Registration opening soon.

COURSE

Who Am I? A Journey to Self-Realization

with Tenzin Wangyal Rinpoche

«I–Who Am I?
I am no one.
I can be anyone.»
– Tenzin Wangyal Rinpoche

The primary journey of every spiritual path is to reclaim what has been lost: the truth of who we really are. Once we come to a deep recognition that our true nature is spontaneous perfection, there is no more need to search for insights or solutions, no more need to strive. According to the dzogchen tradition of Tibetan Bon and Buddhism, this simple recognition is the way to ultimate liberation, to our own Great Perfection.

This two-week online workshop is based on a poem Tenzin Wangyal Rinpoche wrote during moments of self-reflection on retreat. It essentializes the deep personal work he does as a teacher, father, husband, friend and spiritual being. Each session of the workshop will guide you through his poem, line by line, in your own journey of self-discovery.

«This poem has supported me in incredible ways, and I hope it will help all of you in the same way,» Rinpoche says. «At any moment when you feel challenged, threatened, lost, or sad, that’s a simple sign that you have lost connection with who you are. I wrote this poem as a support for remembering, and reconnecting.»

Throughout every stage of life, from childhood through adulthood and old age, we have a different sense of identity, a strong mental image of who we are. Each of these identities causes us pain, because it is only a mental projection based on ignorance, anger and attachment. In the workshop, Rinpoche encourages you to make note of your current sense of identity and work with it in the guided meditations and throughout your day. For it is only by discovering who you are not that you can connect deeply with the beauty and infinite potential of who you are.

The online workshop features personal guidance and support from Rinpoche as you work with the practices, instruction via Internet-based video and an easy-to-use course site. There are no set class times, and instructional videos remain available throughout the workshop.

Website: GlideWing (https://www.glidewing.com/twr/who_am_i_home.html)

COURSE

Meditation, Breath and Movement

with Alejandro Chaoul-Reich

Location: ligminchalearning.com

Tsa lung is a series of ancient yogic practices that brings balance and harmony to our physical body, energy and mind. The term tsa lung can be translated as the energy-winds (Tibetan: lung, Skt. prana, Chinese, qi) in the Channels, for these practices are designed to open the subtle channels, guiding the healthy flow of the energy-winds so that we can enjoy good health and reconnect with more calmness to a quiet, peaceful mind. These exercises are easy to perform and are suitable for everyone.

There are three levels of tsa lung practice: external, internal and secret. External tsa lung works primarily on the physical level, using simple movements and breath exercises to balance the energies within our body. Internal tsa lung works more at the level of breath and subtle energy, bringing our attention to opening the five chakras and the central channel. Secret tsa lung uses subtle visualizations within the chakras and central channel to bring harmony to the mind, so that we can rest in our inner refuge, nature of mind. All of the tsa lung exercises integrate and balance the five elements within: earth, water, fire, wind and space.

These practices are drawn from the Bön Mother Tantra (Tibetan: Ma Gyud) the highest tantra in our tradition. They are a beautiful complement to any meditation practice, and particularly to dzogchen. They are frequently performed at the beginning of a session so that meditation is deeper and more stable. External tsa lung is commonly performed in all Ligmincha centers and groups.

Registration is now open

COURSE

Sleep Yoga: The Yoga of Clear Light

with Tenzin Wangyal Rinpoche

We spend one-third of our life in sleep, yet for most people sleep is a period of unconsciousness. Through the practices of the Yoga of Clear Light we can learn to be completely aware during our sleep, open, clear, resting in deep meditative presence. But how do we get from our current stress and disrupted sleep patterns to the state of clear light?

This course will introduce simple techniques to enter into sleep in a healthy, balanced way. Even if we do not consistently enter into clear light sleep, we can benefit from a refreshing, relaxed sleep that gives us deep renewal. This is supported by breathing techniques, physical postures and guided visualizations. Tenzin Rinpoche will also provide a meditation to wake up in a beautiful way, feeling the blessings of sleep and stepping into our day with serenity. Through these simple practices we can transform our sleep to be one of tranquility and awareness.

COURSE

Healing From The Source: Meditation As Medicine For Body And Mind

with Tenzin Wangyal Rinpoche

Without the light and warmth of the sun, trees and flowering plants will fail to flourish.
Without awareness and warmth toward your body, you, too, will fail to flourish.».
—Tenzin Wangyal Rinpoche

It’s human nature to keep picking at our own physical, emotional and mental wounds. Whether we’re sick in a hospital bed or have just woken up on the wrong side of the bed, we tend to self-criticize and punish ourselves for our bad feelings. We scratch at our itches, curse at our arthritis, tug at our anger and blame our anxiety on others. We busy our minds to avoid depression. Disturbing emotions can even make us sick, or sicker.

The three precious pills serve as the foundation of the main practice. Their healing effects come from resting deeply in the space that opens, then gradually bringing awareness to your emotional or physical discomfort. In that unconditional openness, the pain or discomfort naturally dissolves.

This three-week online workshop, with personal support and guidance from Geshe Tenzin Wangyal Rinpoche, focuses on cultivating loving-kindness as a means for preventing and healing both physical and emotional pain. Based on ancient teachings of dzogchen from the Tibetan Bön Buddhist tradition, the workshop helps one discover the “great healer within.” The core teachings of dzogchen introduce us to the nature of mind, to our own inner refuge, the true source of healing.

Website: GlideWing (https://www.glidewing.com/twr/healing_from_the_source_home.html)

COURSE

Transforming Our Emotions Through the Six Lokas

with Tenzin Wangyal Rinpoche

This meditation course will give you a thorough introduction to the Six Lokas practices of the Tibetan Bön Buddhist tradition.

At one time or another each of us suffer strong emotions that throw us off balance, cause us to act in ways that we later regret, and make us lose touch with our true nature. Centuries ago the masters of the Bön lineage developed the meditations of the Six Lokas specifically to remedy this situation, to help us live our lives in a balanced and relaxed way.

The meditations focus on the root causes of our suffering: anger, desire, greed, ignorance, jealousy, pride and laziness. Through each meditation we examine our habitual patterns so that we may recognize them, then invoke the enlightened energy of the Buddhas to purify and transform us so that we and all other beings might not continue to suffer in this way. The practices have a deep healing and transformative power, and are traditionally practiced at length as a preliminary to dzogchen contemplation.

Registration is now open

COURSE

Treasures of Bön: History, Lineage & Practices

with Geshe Denma Gyaltsen and John Jackson

Bön counts itself among the oldest spiritual traditions in the world. With origins steeped in an oral, shamanic tradition and yet deeply rooted in teachings of the buddha Tonpa Shenrap, the buddha who preceded Shakyamuni Buddha. Bön offers practices for the challenges we face in our lives, and a complete path to enlightenment..

Ligmincha International is pleased to share our online course designed for anyone who would like to learn more about, or deepen their existing knowledge about this ancient, profound tradition. This course is ideal for beginners who have recently connected with Bön teachings, and want to know more about where it comes from and the many varied forms of practice in the tradition. It is also well suited for practitioners who have learned several practices and would like to know how all the practices fit together into a beautiful and complete system of philosophies and meditations.

We use a new format for this course, in which Geshe Denma Gyaltsen, our resident lama of Ligmincha Texas, and John Jackson, mentor for many of our courses and frequent international teacher, enter into deep conversations around the essential masters and teachings of our tradition. Each topical conversation is followed by a guided meditation, led by Tenzin Wangyal Rinpoche or Geshe Denma Gyaltsen , which illustrate and demonstrate the themes discussed.

John Jackson will be the mentor for this course.

Registration is now open.