By being afforded this opportunity for intensive practice
of what is taught, it then becomes easier to transfer what is learned to our
everyday lives and to maintain our practices.
Feedback from previous similar retreats reveals that those who have attended are generally amazed by the vast benefits they have derived from this approach.
Where a person’s personal circumstances (e.g. health etc) make it difficult for him / her to follow the above routine, Rinpoche adopts a flexible approach geared to help him / her derive as much benefit from the experience as possible. Those in this position should inform him of their situation, either in person or through the organisers, prior to the commencement of the event(s) they have enrolled for so that he might ensure their well-being throughout.
NON-RESIDENTIAL Retreats
Rinpoche generally starts the day about 9:30am and teaches until 5:30pm, with lunch break, and tea breaks according to the needs of those attending. Vegetarian diet is still generally adopted for the duration of the event, unless other dietary requirements are made known. Silence is not the requirement here, although generally a specific time will be allocated for Questions and Answers arising. Rinpoche is always flexible about people's needs, and with this willingness to adapt things whilst never compromising the quality of the teaching, Rinpoche ensures students have the opportunity to make the best of the teaching!
BON
KHOR TSHIG ZHI
(The 4 Essential Instructions for Turning the Wheel of
Bön)
Taught by the Buddha Tonpa Shenrab. Applying them in our everyday
life we learn how to get in touch with our inner wisdom and are helped on the
way towards the goal of liberation from Samsara for all sentient beings.
DZOGCHEN NGON-DRO
(Foundation Teachings)
As with learning anything new, it is essential to have a foundation upon which
to build, and this is the primary purpose of the Dzog-chen Ngon-dro
Foundation Teachings. As these are the foundations upon which all the other
teachings are built, it is essential to ensure that they are strong and capable
of supporting further ‘building’ and this is achieved through regular
practice. Without this, Rinpoche says, “It is like building a house on
a frozen lake. When the ice melts……!!!!!”
CHÖD - KHADROI GHE-GYANG
(The Sky Walker's Laughing-Dance)
Chöd, or Lu-jin, is one of the most subtle and sophisticated
concepts of Tibetan spiritual practice. The core purpose behind Chöd
is to sever one’s ego . This practice is carried out by means of visualisation
- involving no sacrifice of life whatsoever (a common misconception). According
to Yungdrung Bön, Chöd was originally taught by Yum-chen
Sherab Jyam-ma (The Great Loving Wisdom Mother) and passed down through
successive masters till the present day.
MAGYUD GONG-CHHOD NAM-SOM
(The Threefold Inner Nature Practice of Mother Tantra)
Rinpoche will impart Ma-gyud’s consolidated practice, known as Ma-gyud
Gong-Chhöd Nam-som – ‘The Threefold Inner Nature Practice
of Mother Tantra’ - thus providing the student with tantric keys
with which to open the door to Enlightenment / Buddha-hood.
MASENG KARPO CHIK-DRUB
(Accomplishment of the White Form of Sherab Mawei Seng-ge)
A Unique practice of Sherab Mawei Seng-ge, The Lord of Speech, designed
for those wishing to develop their wisdom knowledge.
MILAM TRUL-KHOR
(Dream Yoga)
Instructions and transmission for this practice. Preliminary practices are engaged
to bring greater awareness to each moment and to turn the practitioner’s
mind from engagement in dualistic preoccupations to integration with the boundless
view of the non-dual path.
NAM-JOM JHAB-TRUD
(Yungdrung Bon Healing Rite)
This most profound and esoteric healing method is to be found in Chab-kar
Drag-po Ngag-kyi Bon, one of the treatises of Tibet’s Yungdrung Bon
tradition. Yungdrung Bon postulates that all illness is derived from past karma
and that this manifests through both root and secondary causes. Regardless of
the nature of the illness, Nam-jom Jhab-trud acts as a panacea for
all ills and is like a master key that opens all doors towards the healing process.
NYING-PO NAM-SOOM
(The Three Essence Mantras)
In Yungdrung Bon, the Buddha’s 84,000 teachings are consolidated and condensed
into 3 essence mantras collectively known as Nying-po Nam Soom. The
concentrated nature of these mantras makes them extremely potent and powerful.
PHOWA YESHE SANG-THEL
(Transference of Consciousness)
Rinpoche will provide the practitioner with both the esoteric exercises of Phowa
(Dog-chen Ngon-dro and Ngo-zhi), and the practical application
of Phowa (Je-kyi Ja-wa). By practising regularly, Phowa practitioners
ensure that, when death strikes, they are in the position to increase their
chances of passing successfully through the Bardo (the intermediate stage between
death and life) towards Enlightenment.
SA-DHAK LU-NYEN CHOD-THAB
A ritualistic method for the Harmonisation and
Rehabilitation of the Earth and its Lords (Serpent-Gods (naga) and malevolent
spirits).
SID-GYAL DRAG-NGAK NE KYI GONG-THIM ZHUG
(The Healing Rite with the Fierce Mantra of Sidpa Gyalmo)
The healing practice of the Goddess Sidpa Gyalmo, The Queen of Existence
(a direct emanation of the Great Goddess Sherab Jyamma, the Wisdom
Goddess). This is a healing practice especially powerful in subduing and harmonising
the negative forces causing infectious and contagious diseases, especially cancer.
DZOG-CHEN TRUL-KHOR
TSE-DRUB JHARI-MA
(Rite for Accomplishing Longevity or Long-life initiation)
The secret rite for Accomplishing longevity or long-life initiation found in
Tibet’s Yungdrung Bön Tradition. It is designed to rejuvenate and
restore the untimely disintegration of the body’s elements and, as a result
prolongs the lifespan of those sentient beings whose lives are either coming
to an end or whose life force is declining (due to incidents and karmic conditions).
ZHI-NEY
(Abiding in the Tranquil State)
Taught as a preparation for Dzog-chen (The Great Completion) meditation, during
this retreat Rinpoche will provide some of the ‘keys’ to open the
door to the natural state of the mind.
DZOG-CHEN
(The Great Completion)
The founder of the Yungdrung Bon, Teacher Tonpa Shenrab has taught *The Nine
Gradual Views of Bon* (Bon Theg-pa Rim-gu). Within the nine, the ninth is the
supreme path/ view known as Dzogchen. Dzogchen is the direct and swift path.
According to its view, unlike other paths and their respective views, Dzogchen
practioner ('Dzogchen-pa') could apply one single pointedness view (Thig-li
Nyag-chik kyi Tawa) for total realization.
LAK-THONG
WOD-SEL
(Direct
Experiencing of Clear Light)
This
is a continuation of Dzogchen teachings. The topic this time is Lhak-thong,
for which a loose translation would be Penetrative insight meditation, or authentic
vipasyana. At
various retreats in the UK, Europe and America in the past (under the umbrella
of Dzogchen Ngozhi), Zhiney-calm abiding, and the Introduction to the
Sem-kyi Ney-look-Nature of the Mind, have been explained. Lhak-thong
Wod-sel teaching is vast and will be taught continuously in two divisions
(a) Lhak-thong Wod-sel experiencing in general terms, and
(b) Lhak-thong Wod-sel experiencing in particular.
The practice involves both mun-tsham (dark retreat) and Dzogchen Tsa-lung (Aa-ti Yoga) practices.
La-lu (Soul Retrieval) and Chi-lu (Death Retrieval)
The
la-lu chi-lu rite dates back many thousands of years and was transmitted by
Kuntu Szangpo - the primordial Buddha - both directly and through various mediums.
This teaching has its roots in chab-nak sid-pa gyud-kyi bon Yungdrung Bon and
its primary purpose is to retrieve, call back, buy back, re-store, exchange,
and harmonise a soul that is lost, wandering, stolen, abducted, traumatized
or unbalanced since, if the soul is in such a state, its owner would be incapable
of functioning as a normal human being. This Healing is essential if the human’s
physical and emotional health are to be sustained and an untimely death averted.
Some texts refer to this rite as La Sog lu-wa - meaning soul & life force
retrieval etc. Sadly, such a rite, and the profound knowledge inherent in it,
is virtually unknown in many parts of the world – including the West.
That being the case, I feel that it is of the utmost importance to help spread
such knowledge in an effort to avert the untimely and unnecessary deaths of
countless human beings.
One may request the rite for oneself or for others. When doing so, it is essential
to ensure that the request is made only to those lamas and monks who have the
requisite knowledge and training in order to ensure that it is carried out safely
and authentically.
I am training some of my serious and regularly practicing students and leading
them in that direction in the hope that, one day, they too will be able to perform
the la-lu chi-lu rite for the benefit of all.
SUR & SUR-NGO HEALING
I have seriouisly thought of introducing teachings such as Sur and Sur-ngo rite healings for the benefit of as many sentient beings as possible. Such teachings are relevent and can be performed practically and see the healing taking place. Sur is one of the Jin-pa Nam-zhi (The four generosities) commissioned discipline for Drub-dra wa (Those who meditates on Enlightend Path) within authentic Drub-dra- Retreat Centres. The Sur-ngo rite is exceptionally relevant and beneficial as I have experienced it. The result of the rite is indescribable when performed accordingly by trained practioner/s particularly for the dead ones during 49 days or more. For thousands of years, in Tibet, in addition to other rites & rituals including bardo thod-drol reading and Zhi-tro, Sur-ngo rite is performed without fail at least for 49 days to aid the dead persons consciousness in liberating.The source of the rite is from bardo thod-drol (Liberation in bardo through hearing) and Zhi-tro (The tranquil and wrathful mandala deities) text etc.