Soul Retrieval Teaching within the Five Elements Practice-Full Moon Practice
By Khenpo Nyima Dondrup Rinpoche and Chaphur Rinpoche
September 29th 2023
9am-11am In person and on Zoom
One of the most powerful healing practices in the Bön tradition is the Tibetan Soul Retrieval Ritual combined with an internal rebalancing of the 5 Elements in each participant. In Tibetan medicine, each disease is described in detail as an imbalance of the 5 elements of Space, Air, Water, Fire and Earth. These elements are the essential building blocks of all phenomena expressing an energetic quality and taking a physical form. Each element needs, supports and affects the other elements. Together they provide a cohesive whole within an individual being. When the Five Elements are out of balance, illness, negative emotions, and disharmony manifest.
Khenpo Nyima Dondrup Rinpoche and Chaphur Rinpoche will instruct us regarding the very precious essence of both the Soul Retrieval Ritual and the Five Elements Practice. They will also describe step by step how practitioners can very effectively perform this practice themselves. A corresponding handout will be provided to those who register. The Zoom link will arrive one day before the teaching begins. Please register 24 hours before the event.
Also, the Teaching will be recorded and sent out shortly afterwards.
Please register by clicking the button below:
In Person: 1608 Bonita Road, San Pablo, CA 94806
Animal Release for Long Life Ritual
A central part of this Long Life RItual will be the initiation of our Animal Release Program. We invite you to participate in saving the lives of goats, and possibly sheep destined for slaughter. Not only will you be saving an animal’s life, the blessings from such virtuous action can be dedicated for the health and long life of family members, friends and world community members who are suffering from disease. Such dedications are very beneficial not only for those in need but for those who offer the blessings to them. Let’s take a moment to review how the release of animals for the blessings of long life has functioned for centuries in the Bön and Buddhist traditions.
Origins of Animal Life Release in the Tibetan Tradition
Life-release, or the saving of animals destined for slaughter, is practiced throughout the Buddhist world. All schools of Buddhism encourage followers not only to refrain from harming beings, but also to actively save lives. Tibetan Buddhists regularly practice Tse-thar, which translates as “life liberation.”
It is said that in the past, in India, there lived a non-buddhist king named Trichen, who enjoyed eating meat so fresh that the blood was still warm, and who killed ten thousand animals. Through the karmic ripening of these actions, he was reborn in Vajra Hell, one of the eighteen hell realms, where the extent of his suffering was such that he died a hundred times and each time fell back into hell as he was revived. The venerable Ānanda saw the suffering of this impure being and asked the Bhagavan about it. The Bhagavan replied, “This is the karmic ripening of a man who enjoyed eating meat so fresh that the blood was still warm, and who enjoyed killing animals.”
Then, Ānanda asked the Dharma King, Buddha Śākyamuni, “Is there any way to liberate him?” The Lord of Death, King of Dharma (Buddha), answered, “If you want to liberate this man from hell, save the lives of animals in the worldly realms and he will be freed.” So, Ananda saved many lives for the man’s benefit, and as a result, Trichen was eventually liberated from Vajra Hell.
The Animals That Are to be Saved
Generally, it does not matter what species or size of animals are to be saved. However, buying and liberating animals that were certainly destined to be killed by butchers in a slaughterhouse naturally brings the greatest benefit.
The Manner of Releasing Lives
At the time of saving a life, lamas, monks and those assisting will cleanse the animals by wafting the smoke of burning incense over them and burning juniper. Blessed mustard seeds are often thrown in order to expel obstructing spirits as part of the ablution rituals. Ritual chants for saving lives, such as the Amitayus sūtra and the Amitayus dhāraṇī are recited with the intention , that the animals may enjoy long lives, remaining on earth for a as long as a hundred years starting from the day of their release. Next, the lamas will remove the halters from the heads of the animals and the saddles from their backs and vow never again to use these animals as beasts of burden. The animals are then released to have a long and free life.
HOW You Can Continue this Ancient Tradition Today by Joining Our Beginning Animal Release Program and Dedicate the Resulting Blessings of Long Life to Those in Need
With the special initiating blessings of Khenpo Nyima Rinpoche, we are inviting you to sponsor the release of goats as they wait in pens to be slaughtered in Costa Rica. We will be transporting them to the beautiful, spacious, grassy hillsides of our retreat center. While grass is plentiful there, we will need to build shelters for them to use at night and during the heavy rains, provide veterinary care and nutritionally supplement their diets as needed. You can donate $$180 to help save the life of a goat, or donate $60 to support a healthy and free lifestyle for a year, or $30 to support 6 months of a healthy and free lifestyle.
To offer the blessings of long life to an animal destined for slaughter as well as blessing a friend or family member with healing and long life, please click here:
