Sangye Menlha plusTibetan Chakras &Pulses

23^rd - 29^th September 2010

Retreat Overview

• Introduction to Tibetan Bon Medicine
• History of Sangye Menlha (Medicine Buddha)
• Bon philosophy, concepts, and terminology
• Energetic anatomy: chakras, aura, and meridians
• Meditation and visualization instructions
• Guided chanting and breathing techniques

Teaching Description

The Sangye Menlha transmission is revered as one of the most powerful blessings for healing (Sangye Menlha is Tibetan for Medicine Tonpa or Medicine Buddha). In this seven-day retreat, Geshe Chongtul Rinpoche will present an introduction to the complex art of Tibetan Medicine and will give the Sangye Menlha empowerment.

Connection with Sangye Menlha through meditation, mantra recitation, and visualizations activates the practitioner’s innate healing abilities. It is a powerful healing practice for harmonizing imbalances as well as purifying negative karma and past deeds. It is not only an extremely potent practice for individuals, but offers assistance to those who are dying or have already passed.

As a Tibetan Bon Master, Rinpoche will discuss techniques from this ancient tradition that have practical use and applicability for both medical and lay audiences. He will discuss the origin of Bon healing, its relationship with other Tibetan Buddhist medical traditions, and its integration with Western medical practice. Ripoche will offer the Bon interpretation of mental and physical ailments, their causes, diagnoses and treatment as well as preventive health care and maintenance. 

Bon healing principles stress the importance of invoking natural healing energies in the mind and body. This practice brings a deep connection with the five elements (earth, water, fire, air, and space), which are the energetic undercurrent that form and affect the physical world, including our own bodies. 

Tibetan medicine demonstrates an integral link between spirituality and health, and the improvement of well-being through mind-body approaches. A Tibetan doctor will recognize the lifestyle and environmental factors that impact health and will suggest adjustments to one’s lifestyle to relieve the causes of physical, mental, or spiritual stress. Whilst what is digested in the physical body is important, what we digest in our psyches on the mental/emotional levels is equally important. True healing requires that we also locate these more subtle, though potent mental and emotional patterns that may be at the root of a specific health condition. Hence, the therapeutic value of meditation and chanting practices is highly regarded in Tibetan medicine.

This retreat is open to members of the general public interested in the ancient wisdom tradition of Yungdrung Bon, in Tibetan medicine, or the preservation of Tibetan culture. It will also be of interest to practitioners of many complementary and alternative therapies and any healthcare practitioners who appreciate the holistic view. Beginners are most welcome and no prior knowledge of Bon or Tibetan medicine is assumed or required. Participants will learn about the energy body, chakras, pulses, and practices to generate Menlha energy. As the world faces many modern challenges and fears, including epidemics and new diseases, we can all contribute to the healing of humanity and the planet. The contribution of each and every individual is significant. The ancient Tibetan practice of Sangye Menlha is one of many techniques that can help us awaken our innate healing powers.

About Chongtul Rinpoche

Geshe Chongtul Rinpoche was recognised when very young as the reincarnation of a previous Tibetan lama. He entered Menri Monastery at the age of seven and was placed in the care of the Abbot, His Holiness Lungtok Tenpai Nyima, the 33rd Menri Trizin, who is the Head of Yungdrung Bon. When Chongtul was thirteen, His Holiness revealed to him that he was the reincarnation of Tog Den Won Po Sherab Tenpai Gyaltsen. A Ku Tog Den Won Po was one of His Holiness’ teachers from Tibet. In the area of Tibet known as Amdo, A Ku means Great Monk Teacher, Tog Den means Great Dzogchen Tantric practitioner, and Won Po means Leader. Tog Den Won Po was all of these during that lifetime. It was predicted that Chongtul Rinpoche would be very important in the preservation of Bon transmissions. 
When Chongtul was fourteen, he entered the Bon Dialectic School at Menri where for the next nine years he studied Sutra, Tantra and Dzogchen, poetry, astrology, astronomy, and Tibetan medicine. During this time Chongtul received all the Bon initiations, transmissions, and teachings from His Holiness the Menri Trizin and from Lopon Tenzin Namdak Rinpoche (one of the most revered elders of the Bon monastic community – Lopon means Great Teacher). At the age of twenty three, he was awarded the Geshe degree, which is the highest level in Tibetan education and is equivalent to a PhD. During this time he held several official positions in the monastery as well, including Prayer Leader or Tsokchen Umzed. After graduating, he taught in the Bon Dialectic School for a further eight years. In 1988 Rinpoche accompanied His Holiness when he visited Tibet and since 1997 he has been accompanying and assisting His Holiness on teaching trips to America and other countries. In 2005, he turned over his responsibilities at Menri Monastery to others who were permanently residing there in order to teach in other parts of the world.
Chongtul Rinpoche has had a long association with the Bon Children’s Welfare Centre which is attached to Menri Monastery. Now, in his position as its Director, he oversees the care and wellbeing of more than 300 orphaned children from Tibet. Via the medium of Bon Shen Ling and through finding sponsorships for the children, Rinpoche’s teaching work helps to support the children who live there. We are very blessed not only to have the chance to spend these seven days in retreat with Rinpoche but also, through attending the teaching and supporting Bon Shen Ling, to be able to contribute to the upbringing and education of these children.

Venue

The retreat will be held at the EarthSpirit Centre which is on the edge of the tiny village of Compton Dundon, just outside Glastonbury in Somerset. It is situated in a beautiful landscape next to two nature reserves and lies within the ‘temenos’ (sacred enclosure) of Avalon. EarthSpirit has been the recipient of Kindred Spirit Magazine’s prestigious Best Centre Award and is a favourite place for spiritually-minded people to spend time at.

The centre is a complex of seventeenth century farm buildings which have been restored and specially converted for use as a workshop and retreat venue. They are set within seven acres of fields and gardens. The buildings are based around a converted 52’ (15.5m) long barn, with oak timbers, reed torching (lining the inside of the roof) and stone walls. The feeling is medieval, but with modern comforts such as under-floor heating and a large woodstove. The high roof and skylights create a light, airy atmosphere. 

There is quite a variety of accommodation available, including shared rooms, some with ensuite facilities, several caravans, a yurt and a tipi! It would be possible to let some of the rooms on a single occupancy basis. All the rooms are to a high standard and are very comfortable. There is one twin bedded room with facilities for a wheelchair user and the entire complex of buildings at the centre is accessible by wheelchair. Rooms will be allocated on a first come, first served basis, so please book early if you want to secure your first choice of room. It is also possible to bring your own tent or camper van and camp on the land owned by the centre.

All food will be vegetarian. Special diets can be catered for if notified in advance and will incur a small supplement.

Prices

There are more details of these options, plus photos, on EarthSpirit’s website at www.earthspirit-centre.co.uk under the Accommodation tab. If you need further information, please contact us and we’d be happy to discuss the choices.

We can offer a discount on the above prices to members of Bon Shen Ling. This is a charitable organisation established in America to support the projects that Rinpoche is working on, including the Children’s Sponsorship Project which provides for the education of refugee children in Tibet, Mongolia, India, Bhutan, and Nepal. More information on Bon Shen Ling can be found at www.bonshenling.org. For membership, please see their Membership tab.

For further details and registration please contact:
Karen Williams
Himalayan Healing Limited
Suite 24, 151 High Street
Southampton
SO14 2BT
United Kingdom
+44 (0)1489 575279
+44 (0)7801 273768
Email: info@himalayanhealing.com 
Web: www.himalayanhealing.com