BULK RATE U.S. POSTAGE PAID ITHACA, NY 14851 Permit No. 746 Deliver to current resident SNOW LION NEWSLETTER & CATALOG «i|C^f^c^fm5|sw|nq Fall 1991 PO BOX 6483, ITHACA, NY 14851, (607)-273-8506 VOLUME 6, NUMBER 4 follows the monastic tradition of Menri founded by the Lord Men- riba (1356-1415). The present ab- bot is the 33rd in the line of the abbots of this monastery. Rinpoche Namdak has been in- vited by His Holiness the Dalai Lama to teach in New York in Oc- tober 1991. After teaching on "The Nature of the Mind" and attending the Kalachakra Initia- tion, Rinpoche will travel to Washington, DC and the western US. If you are interested in sponsor- ing a visit and speaking engage- ment with this beloved master and respected elder this Novem- ber/December please contact: Su- san Clarke, Tibetan Bon Temple Foundation, 2020 Stanley Ave, Signal Hill, CA 90806; 213-498-6574. Rinpoche Namdak's Schedule October 11, 1-6 PM, Madison Sq Garden, NYC, "Nature of Mind Teachings," contact: Tibet Center 212-353-9391 October 12 & 13, New York City, contact: Phil Mardin 718-627-1925 October 25-29, Conway, MA, con- VENERABLE LOPON tact: Des Barry 413-625-9820 Nov 1-3, Healing Light Ctr Church, Los Angeles, call: TENZIN NAMDAK 818-244-8607 Nov 7 & 8, Yun Lin Temple, Ber- keley, call: 415-841-2347 RINPOCHE Nov 9 & 10, San Francisco, con- tact: Mark Liebermen Respected Elder and Teacher 415-334-4921 Nov 12 & 13, Sacramento, contact: TIBETAN HANDCRAFT The Bonpo people hold the Gloria Luz 916-443-5414 original tradition and culture of Nov 15-20, Coos Bay, Oregon, Tibet. Rinpoche Tenzin Namdak contact: Susan Clarke PROJECT BEGINS is the Lopon (Head Teacher) of 213-498-6574 the Bonpo people. He was born in Nov 21-24, Portland or Seattle, 1926 in Kyung-po Province in contact: Susan Clarke 213- ACTIVE MARKETING Kham territory, in southeastern 498-6574 Tibet. Rinpoche began his studies Dec 6-8, El Paso, TX, contact: After almost three years of "We've worked very closely with at an early age and took his vows Mary Walsh 915-544-9355 preparation, the Tibetan Hand- young and creative Tibetans to de- at age 15. He continued his studies The rest of the schedule is not yet craft Development Project is an- sign a new and different line of at the two major Bonpo monaster- fixed. ■ nouncing its entry into active garments, clothing accessories and ies— gYung-Drung-Ling and Man- trading under the name of "dZi— gift items, all of which are being ri in Central Tibet. Rinpoche The Tibet Collection." As many produced almost exclusively by Namdak rose to the position of Tibetan enthusiasts will know, a Tibetan artisans," says Mr. Lopon in 1953 at the young age of "dZi" is a uniquely styled Tibe- McCoy. "We're trying to give 27. At the time of the Communist tan bead, renowned for its pre- them a market and opportunities Chinese invasion of Tibet, Rin- ciousness and collectibility by that they haven't had until now." poche was forced to flee into exile Tibetans, and some Western folks Continued on page 7 in India. In 1961 he was invited to as well. Mac McCoy, president of London by Professor David Snell- the new company, explains that Catalog Contents: —the Tibetan Bon Temple Foun- "the word's transliteration from Adventure & Travel 30 grove under the auspices of the Art & Photography 31 Rockefeller Foundation Visiting dation located in Southern Tibetan with the big and little let- Audio Tapes 39 Scholar Program. He collaborat- California. ters works well as a logo. It's also Biography 29 ed with Professor Snellgrove on The Bon Monastic Center in In- a design motif that we're using ex- Cards 24 the translation of The Nine Ways dia now has 120 monks perma- tensively in our new products." Children 26 of Bon—an extensive outline of the nently resident, engaged in many dZi represents a group of Cookbooks 27 Bon Tradition. Returning to India fields of traditional learning. They American investors who are work- Dalai Lama 22 & 23 ing in partnership with the Tibe- Death & Dying 41 in 1964 Rinpoche founded "New" come from various parts of Tibet Dharma Items 19-21 Manri in Northern India, the prin- as well as from Dolpo, the tan Handcraft Development Board Health & Fitness 27 cipal seat of the Bonpo people in Tibetan-speaking region of Nepal of the Tibetan Government in In- History & Politics 29 exile. In 1987 he founded another where the Bon religion is dia. Their collaborative effort Kalachakra 23 Bonpo Monastery and Internation- dominant. seeks to help Tibetan artisans to Language 28 al Education Center in Kathman- The Monastic Center functions develop their skills and product Music & Chants 40 du, Nepal—Tritan Norbutse. as the continuation of the former designs in order to gain an inter- Ordering Info 44 national market and recognition Other Traditions 42 Rinpoche came to the United centers in Tibet; the monasteries Posters 24 States in the Spring of 1989. Find- of Menri and Yungdrungling, lo- for their handworks. Psychology 41 ing people in the US interested in cated in Tsang, Central Tibet, As a for-profit import company, Religion & Phil 32-38 helping to preserve the Tibetan which were totally destroyed dur- dZi has committed itself to the de- Sale Items 43 Bonpo culture, he formed an or- ing the Chinese Cultural Revolu- velopment and marketing of im- Videos 40 & 41 ganization to serve this purpose tion. Our present establishment aginative Tibetan handcrafts. Year of Tibet Calendar 16 SNOW LION FALL 91 NEWSLETTER & CATALOG NEWS problems is our condition. Just as of Dzogchen. It was not easy to re- DZOGCHEN TALK IN a cloud originates from emptiness ceive this teaching which was kept in outer reality, which is outer very secret. In the Bon tradition, space, emptiness is its reality, and the founder, Shenrab Miwo, in- VENEZIA, ITALY IN 1989 it frees itself into empty space. So troduced this teaching to the suc- all concepts and thoughts arise ceeding lineage master by mental by Geshe Tenzin Wangyal from inner vision in the inner real- transmission. Many of the nine ity, empty inner space, and van- masters of this lineage were from (of the Bonpo Lineage) ish back into emptiness. We have Zhang Zhung, a country west of to try to understand ourselves, our Tibet, around Mt Kailash. The true condition—that all our con- next lineage, of 24 masters, is that When one gets interested in a the cause of our present and future cepts and problems arise there, of the oral transmission of Zhang teaching, it is important to dis- problems. All the different live there and disappear there. Zhung, the Zhang Zhung Nyan cover why one is doing something, religions and teachings have Discovering this condition is find- Gyud. this is also the name of large what is the purpose in following a sought methods to overcome prob- ing the primordial state. This is collection of texts of the Bonpo KARMA TRIYANA teaching, and what one's motiva- lems and to achieve realization; what we have to realize. Dzogchen teachings. The oral DHARMACHAKRA tion is. When we practice, it is not there are the methods of renunci- But in order to understand our transmission from Tapihritsa to because we have nothing else to ation, transformation, and self- condition we have to go beyond Nanzer Lodpo in the eighth cen- do, or to keep us busy, but because liberation, which are the paths of concepts and thoughts; our con- tury has reached to the present. I we want to do something different the Sutra, the Tantra and the dition is thoughtless, and thought myself have received this transmis- FALL/WINTER from our everyday life. We have Dzogchen. The example used is of cannot understand what is with- sion from my own master, Lopon spent all our life in a cycle of the a poisonous plant: one way is to out thought, beyond thought. Sangye Tenzin. I will be using the SCHEDULE same activities, of problems, and throw it away; this is the path of There can be explanation in words Zhang Zhung Nyan Gyud, as well since now we have this precious renunciation, renouncing the pas- to introduce the state, but the ex- as the A-khrid, which is another 1991-92 human birth, we can have a con- sions. Another way is to combine planation is not understanding of system of Dzogchen teaching and tact with the teachings which can the poison with another plant to the condition. One can form a practice in Bon, as sources of the OCTOBER help us to overcome these prob- transform it, so the passions are concept, then abandon the con- teachings. 4-6 lems. This gives meaning to our transformed into wisdom. But the cept, and enter into the state. In Dzogchen is the path of self- "PRAYER FOR AUSPICIOUSNESS" life. We can discover that there is way of the peacock is to eat the Dzogchen there is direct under- liberation. When we see the five BY LAMA MIPHAM Bardor Tulku Rinpoche suffering, and a cause of suffering, poisonous plant because it makes standing, without thought, not passions we do not renounce them S 50. Members $40 and discover its origin. Without him more beautiful; that is, he distracted by thought, and the ex- nor transform them into wisdom, checking what its origin is, there frees the properties of the plant perience without thought can be but try to understand their condi- 11-13 can never be an end to suffering.