Dear Sangha and friends of Gyalshen,
We are almost two months into 2017 of the western calendar year, and while that new year has come and gone, the Tibetan New Year (Losar) is just about to to begin. For both traditions (western and Tibetan), the year’s end is an ideal moment to reflect on the previous year’s happenings. With that in mind, here is a short reflection on our most cherished moments of the past year (2016) at Gyalshen Institute.
As most years, our spiritual director Chaphur Rinpoche ended the year (2015) with a month long retreat on his personal Yidam Takla Mebar. After finishing this retreat, Rinpoche helped us to start 2016 on an auspicious footing by conferring the Takla Mebar empowerment. The strength of this blessing was made all the more powerful by by Rinpoche’s diligent practice on his family yidam during the previous month.
Dzogchen Teachings at Gyalshen
Dzogchen is at the heart of Yungdrung Bön practice, and as such, is strongly emphasized in teaching schedules at Gyalshen Institute 2016 was no different than previous years in this respect.
On the weekend following the Takla Mebar empowerment, Geshe Kalsang Gyatso gave a teaching on Drenpa Namkha’s “7 Mirrors of Dzogchen”. This is an essential teaching from the Zhang Zhung Nyen Gyud, which contains pith instructions on dzogchen preliminaries, view, meditation and fruit. Geshe Kalsang understands this teaching intimately, as he is a close student of H.E. Yongzin Rinpoche, and is himself, a Dzogchen master. It was very fortunate that he came to teach at Gyalshen.
Chaphur Rinpoche also gave teachings on Shardza Rinpoche’s “Heart Drops of Kuntu Zangpo” on four separate weekends over the year. This teaching was originally given by Shardza Rinpoche “for those with very sharp faculties.” The Rushen (preliminaries) were taught on February 27-28, Trekchöd on June 25-26, Tögel on August 27-28, and the Bardo teachings on October 29-30. The spacing of these sections through the year was intended to give practitioners time to practice each section independently for several months to arrive at some level of understanding before moving onto the next section.
Keksel Mantra Yoga
This year Chaphur Rinpoche also created a new emphasis on Keksel Mantra Yoga. While this project is one of Rinpoche’s personal teaching projects, and is not intended to be hosted by Gyalshen directly, we at Gyalshen are very excited by this new direction. In Rinpoche’s own words,
“In ancient times, those bön practitioners who emphasized Keksel practice, lived long and healthy lives and attained lasting peace through the realization of their mind’s nature.
In modern societies and especially in the West, life is fast paced and cerebral. This creates a mind and body disconnect which leads to further emotional and physical imbalances and problems in interpersonal relationships. I believe that the Keksel teachings are well suited to address these issues. 
My desire is to distill the essential points of these teachings into one system that is even more effectively tailored to the western mind.”
Keksel Mantra Yoga is a collection of Trulkhor movements from the Zhang Zhung Nyen Gyud, Tsa Lung exercises from the Ma Gyud and mantras that were specifically chosen for their healing powers. Stay tuned to the Schedule section on our website for future Keksel teaching events that may be hosted in your city.
Pilgrimage and Long Life Mandala Offering to H.H 33rd Menri Trizin Rinpoche and H.E Menri Yongdzin Rinpoche
Gyalshen Institute’s April pilgrimage with Chaphur Rinpoche to India and Nepal was a great success. Those who came witnessed an unprecedented Long Life Mandala Offering to His Holiness 33rd Menri Trizin Lungtok Tenpai Nyima Rinpoche at Menri Monastery in Dolanji and His Eminence Menri Yongdzin, Lopon Tenzin Namdak Rinpoche at
Triten Norbutse Monastery, soaked in the strange and awesome culture of the region, and received precious blessings and teachings from our lineage masters.
The trip also brought us closer as a sangha, as the almost inevitable result of a two week shared adventure through India and Nepal. Aside from these joyous times, Gyalshen Institute and Chaphur Rinpoche also played a crucial role in the Tenshuk, as Chaphur Rinpoche is one of five advisors to the Tenshuk committee. The input and help of these advisors insured that the Tenshuk ran as smoothly as possible.
Gyalshen Institute would also like to thank anyone else who helped with the Tenshuk in any way, either by monetary donation, work, or heartfelt prayer.
It is believed by many that the power of this ritual has had a profoundly positive effect on HH Menri Trizin and HE Yongzin Rinpoche’s health and well being.
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/5 Day Residential Tummo Retreat With Chaphur Rinpoche
November 16-20, 2016 10AM-4PM
Chaphur Rinpoche taught Tummo from the Ma Gyud (mother tantra) for 5 days in November, as our annual 5 day retreat. This is a teaching that is rarely given in the west, but is nevertheless central to tantric and dzogchen practice.
In tummo, one works with the channels winds and tigle to generate an internal psychic heat that burns through one’s external internal and secret obstacles. Tummo is said to be one of the strongest practices for destroying delusion and transforming it into the bliss of natural awareness. While no one was drying sheets in sub-zero temperatures after five days, the retreat was certainly a great success.
Other Guest Lamas:
Geshe Yongdong: In May, Geshe Yongdong who currently heads a Sherab Chamma Ling in Victoria British Columbia, gave a teaching titled “Healing Mind Body and Spirit”, which included a fascinating discourse on the connections between western medical science, and Ancient Bön healing methods. This was followed by several ancient and a few truly innovative healing practices that centered on the body, mind and spirit of the practitioner. For instance, tsa lung was taught for the body, a meditation on healing anger for the mind, and a Sipe Gyalmo water healing practice was taught to heal the spirit
. Geshe Yongdong brings a warmth, humor and intelligence to the teachings. As always, we are delighted to have him teach at Gyalshen Institute.
Geshe Nyima Kunchap is an accomplished dzogchenpo and tantric ritualist. Luckily for us, his travels usually bring him to the Bay area at least once a year. This year he performed Lalu Chilu, Soul Retrieval and Life Ransom in December. This is a ritual enacted to call back one’s life force, soul and vitality through the invocation of Tsewang Rigzin, the Bön religion’s main long life deity. Was this practice chosen as a remedy for last years exhausting political season? We will never know, however the ritual was deeply appreciated by all who attended.
Supporting Nangzhig Monastery
Nangzhig Monastery in Tibet is one of the largest Bön monasteries in the world, with a population of around 1000. For three years, Gyalshen Institute and Chaphur Foundation have providing food, books and clothes to at least 350 full-time students and monks: Nangzhig Monastery
And the wheel finishes a rotation:
Our year ended like it began: Chaphur Rinpoche gave a Takla Mebar empowerment and blessing on December 31, after spending a month in personal retreat. This has become a western Losar tradition for him and for us, and a uniquely appropriate way to end and begin the year. 2016 / the year of the fire monkey was a great year at Gyalshen. Thank you for your support and interest in the ancient teachings of Yungdrung Bön. We hope to see you in 2017 / the year of the fireGaruda!
/Gyalshen Board members
