, The Voice of Clear Light • Ligmincha Institute Newsletter • Volume 1, No. 1 • Summer 1992 SEAL OF THE INSTITUTE The Institute is named for the Ligmin- cha dynasty of kings of the ancient country of Zhang-Zhung in Western Tibet. The inscription around the out- ermost circle is written in Zhang Zhung letters which originally appeared on the official seal belonging to the last king of Zhang Zhung. It means "The king of existence who has power over all." Written in Tibetan, it is Kha mTshan pa shang lig zhi ra rtsa. Within the next circle are found the five petals of a lotus flower, symbolizing the five sciences (rig-gnas lnga) necessary for the edu- cated human being to live fully in the world. Inside this circle of general hu- John Reynolds, Arthur Mandlebaum, Walter Coppedge, and several man knowledge is another circle con- university students. Lar and Paige Short from Grace Essence Fellow- taining an eight-pointed star. This sig- ship traveled from Albuquerque, New Mexico to attend the retreat, as nifies the first eight ways toward en- did a student of theirs. Retreatants came from the West coast, Texas, lightenment among the Causal and New Mexico, and many from the East coast. The weather was Fruitional Vehicles of the Nine Ways of beautiful, unseasonably mild for Virginia in the summer, so we were Bon. At the center of the seal is the all very comfortable when we packed into the shrine room for teachings Tibetan letter, ,-(Ah) which represents and practices. Everyone noticed the changes at Ligmincha since the the Ninth Way, the ultimate Path of last retreat at the end of March. Outside, the grounds have been Self-Liberation, known as Dzogchen, landscaped and an organic garden planted. Inside, the Institute was the Great Perfection. painted, the upstairs was renovated into a Tibetan library and an office for Tenzin Rinpoche. Downstairs a library for books in English on the LIGMINCHA SUMMER RETREAT teachings and all aspects of culture and psychology has manifested (to 1992: THE SIX ESSENTIAL POINTS date over four hundred volumes have been donated). And the shrine OF THE BODHICITTA room was beautifully renovated with new carpet, paint, silk curtains, Ligmincha Institute organized its first and many ritual items donated by the Bonpo monastery at Dolanji as long retreat at the end of May 1992. For well as other Dharma communities. In addition, the Institute office ten days, May 22 through 31, Tenzin is now equipped with excellent computers, both Macintosh and IBM, Rinpoche taught extensively from The so we are able to collaborate with individuals and groups using either Six Essential Points of the Bodhicitta format. Volunteers have been hard at work in the office. Ligmincha from the Zhang Zhung nyan gyud. In Institute produced two booklets for the retreat: a practice book of the addition to two teachings each day, Short Meditation in Six Sessions, and a brief translation of the text that there were two sessions dedicated to Rinpoche taught. We also have a fax machine connecting us to centers the practice of Phowa, and one session around the world. for the practice of Rinpoche's Short This retreat was extensively documented. Rinpoche's teachings Meditation in Six Sessions. were video-taped, and recorded in both digital and analog format. A Twenty-five to thirty people at- team of transcribers led by Purusha Ananda worked every afternoon tended each day of the retreat, some to transcribe the teaching tapes so that they can be edited and made traveling great distances to get to Lig- available to students as soon as possible. Midway through the retreat mincha. There were many Tibetologists Anne Klein arrived from Rice and began entering the teachings directly and scholars, among them Anne Klein, onto the computer as Rinpoche spoke. P.O. Box 7182, Richmond, VAPage 23221 1 • Tel. (804) 730-4653 • Fax (804) 730-0020 The teachings themselves were clear, direct, Translation and Research Center and very nicely balanced between the intellectual and Director-Prof. John Myrdhin Reynolds the experiential. Rinpoche explained at great length Special Consultant-Ven. Lopon Tenzin Namdak each of the six essential points, then guided us through meditations that brought the words home to each of Cultural Center us. As Rinpoche stressed early in the teaching, one Cordinator-Jennifer Axinn should listen to the teachings and see how they relate Cultural Consultants-Prof.Walter Coppedge, in oneself, rather than letting the teachings remain in Prof. Michael Fischer, Joana Johnston the intellect alone. The ten day retreat on the Six Essential Points Biographies of the Bodhicitta passed by much too quickly. Everyone Walter Coppedge, a Rhodes scholar, received a B.Litt who attended our first long retreat was deeply moved from Oxford University and a Ph.D. from Indiana by the precious teachings, and the kindness of Lama University. He held the presidency of the College of Tenzin Wangyal Rinpoche to share these profound Charleston, in South Carolina. Currently he is a instructions with us. Professor of English at Virginia Commonwealth Uni- versity where he specializes in Shakespeare and film. Staff of the Institute His publications include Henry King's America Book. Honorary Chairman-H.H. Lungtog Tenpai Nyima, He has a lively interest in Eastern thought in Western Abbot of Menri Monastery, Dolanji, India literature, having attended Naropa Institute and stud- Honorary Director-Ven. Lopon Tenzin Namdak, ied at great length the American transcendentalists. Founder and Head Teacher of Menri Monas- tery, Dolanji, India and of Norbutse Monas- Anthony Curtis, a composer, musician, and teacher, tery, Kathmandu, Nepal has directed various musical projects for small and large groups including Sonic Mandala and JA'LU, and President and Director of the Institute-Geshe Tenzin has recorded numerous albums. He has conducted Wangyal Rinpoche Yoga of Sound workshops since 1985. Presently Vice-President-Prof. Anne C. Klein Associate Anthony is writing a book concerning the theory and Professor, Rice University practice of the Yoga of Sound. He has studied and Directorof Translation and Research Center-Prof. John practiced Buddhism since 1974. Myrdhin Reynolds (Vajranatha) Coordinator of Daily Operations-Anthony Curtis Joan Kalyan Curtis has a B.A. in English and an Treasurer-John Kalyan M.F.A. in Creative Writing from Virginia Common- Secretary-Joan Kalyan Curtis wealth University. She is the author of Walking on Earth, a collection of poems. She has studied Bud- Advisory Board dhist and Yogic teachings since 1982, and since 1989 Tsultrim Allione has studied and practiced the Dzogchen teachings Dr. Harvey Aronson with Namkhai Norbu Rinpoche and Lama Tenzin Prof. Walter Coppedge Wangyal Rinpoche. Prof. Michael Fischer Prof. Steven Goodman Anne Klein has an M.A. from the University of Wiscon- Prof. Janet Gyatso sin and a Ph.D. from the University of Virginia. She has Ms. Barbara Hines taught at Harvard Divinity School, Stanford Univer- Prof. Samten Karmay sity and is currently Associate Professor at Rice Uni- Prof. Anne C. Klein versity. Author of Knowledge and Liberation, and Dr. Andrea Loseries-Leick Knowing, Naming, and Negation, she has also written Prof. Jerry McKenny several articles on women and Buddhism and is Ven. Lopon Tenzin Namdak working on a book on this topic. She has studied with H.H. Lungtog Tenpai Nyima Buddhist teachers since 1971 and translated Dzog- Chogyal Namkhai Norbu Rinpoche chen texts since 1980. Prof. John Myrdhin Reynolds Mr. Sonam Sangpo, Vice-Chairman of Tibetan John Myrdhin Reynolds (Vajranatha) studied San- Deputies,Tibetan Government in skrit, Tibetan, Buddhist Philosophy, and Comparative Exile, Dharamsala Religion at several universities and lived for eight years Prof. Charles T. Tart in India and Nepal studying and practicing Buddhist meditation and Dzogchen. He has taught widely in Europe and America. His books and translations on Page 2 P.O. Box 7182, Richmond, VA 23221 • Tel. (804) 730-4653 • Fax (804) 730-0020 are developing is a mirror in which everything can Buddhism, Bon and Dzogchen include The Cycle of appear. Take for example someone called Joan. Joan Day and Night, Self-Liberation Through Seeing with has relatives, work, practice, etc. All that this person Naked Awareness, and The Golden Letters of Garab has arises from this individual. Arising from that Dorje. person does not mean arising from that person's head, or arising from that person's eye, nor does it mean THE SIX ESSENTIAL POINTS OF THE arising through that person. If you point our each BODHICITTA: sense of arising, it does not arise from any of them. AN EXCERPT FROM THE TEACHINGS BY LAMA However, everything that exists for that person did TENZIN WANGYAL RINPOCHE arise from somewhere. It arose from that person's In the Dzogchen teachings one should relate Base. So the Base or the Mother gives birth to all the the description and teaching in oneself. We are not appearances that the person perceives or experiences. speaking of philosophy or history. We are talking One can perceive both positive and negative about ourselves here. The Six Essential Points are in appearances. In order to learn to work with the ourselves. By discovering the Base of the individual negative experiences, one needs to understand the one understands where all appearances arise. As Base that gives birth to them. individuals we have our body, mind, and speech. With Intellectually in the philosophy of Sutra we talk respect to this triad and the functions which we may a lot about the Base in terms of emptiness. Sometimes term the three gestalt processes, we may ask how does it becomes only a theory about what the absolute this triad function, and why does it function in a reality is. In Tibet there are four major schools of particular way? Things happen in our life that confuse Buddhism.