Ligmincha Deutschland (Germany) is named for the Ligmincha dynasty of kings of the ancient country of Zhang Zhung, which is said to have been located in what is now northwestern Tibet. The inscription in Zhang Zhung language on the outermost circle of the Ligmincha seal is from the official seal of the last king of Zhang Zhung. It means “The king of existence who has power over the Three Worlds (Tib.: KhamTshan pa shang lig zhi ra rtsa). Just within that circle appear the five petals of a lotus flower, symbolizing the five sciences (rig-gnas-Inga) whose knowledge is necessary for an educated human to live fully in the world. Within that circle is an eight-pointed star signifying the first eight ways toward enlightenment among the causal and fruitional vehicles of the Nine Ways of Bon. At the center of the seal is the Tibetan letter A,which represents the Ninth Way, the Ultimate Path of Self-Liberation, known as dzogchen, the Great Perfection.

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A Letter from Rinpoche

Dear Sangha,

Because of the enthusiasm of my students, many centers and sanghas have formed all over the world. This growth has happened very quickly. Every one of these organized efforts is important to help us preserve and share the teachings of the Bon tradition.

In the beginning the names of the centers and sanghas were not so well thought out; for example, some were called Garuda, others Bon Garuda, and still others Garuda Bon. After reflecting for a long time on this, I have decided to standardize the names.

From now on, all organized sanghas will have the name Ligmincha followed by the geographic location; for example, Ligmincha Houston and Ligmincha Germany. We are all one sangha, and so it makes sense for these groups to have one name, similar to the networks of international centers and dharma groups of Rigpa and Shambhala.

In addition, all current and future residential retreat centers will be called Chamma Ling, also followed by the name of the location — for example, Chamma Ling Colorado and Chamma Ling Poland. The only exceptions are Serenity Ridge, our retreat center in Virginia, and Lishu Institute in India, both of which will keep their current names.

Each center and sangha will continue to function as an independent entity. I have asked each of them to set up their own Facebook pages.

My wish is that as our sanghas expand, this growth will happen in a cohesive way so we can continue to connect and support each other in the best ways possible.

With my love and blessings,

Tenzin Wangyal Rinpoche