The teachings will be in hybrid format, online (via Zoom) and (for a limited number of participants) in presence in Yeshe Sal Ling. In addition to receiving 4 hours of teachings per day, we will have two meditation sessions every day, in Yeshe Sal Ling and online via Zoom.
This part of Lama Sangye Mönlam's comprehensive course of Ma Gyüd teachings concerns the 34th Tigle of the Ma Gyud "sun of compassion" (Guru Nöntse's terma). This Tigle is contained in the chapter Drol-Lam, the "way of liberation".
Both Tharlam and Drol-Lam are often translated as "way of liberation", but note that the "Drol" of "Drol-Lam" is a more permanent kind of liberation than the "Thar" of "Tharlam", the subject of Lama Sangye's previous teachings. (One might say, if samsara is a jail, then "Thar" corresponds to a successful jail-break, while "Drol" corresponds to destroying the jail completely and permanently.)
The 34th Tigle of the Ma Gyud, the "true tigle," literally "truth's tigle: wisdom, unerringly clear," concerns the view of natural state. Introducing natural state by examples, trying to express in words that which cannot be expressed in words. Like introducing the moon by pointing at it with a finger (hoping that nobody confuses the finger with the moon). As usual, the individual words of the tigle "truth", "tigle", "wisdom", "unerring", and "clear" serve as section headings.
As in previous years, Lama Sangye will go through the text of Drol-lam (from Guru Nöntse's terma "the Sun of Compassion") line by line, which is a precious opportunity to immerse ourselves in this fascinating text. We are planning to prepare an English translation of the chapters of the Ma Gyüd text in the order that Lama Sangye teaches them. Lama Sangye teaches in Tibetan and will be interpreted into English.
Translations into other languages (Spanish, German, Russian, Italian, Hungarian, ...) can probably be organized for the online sessions, if we know early enough that such translation channels are desired. Please send requests as early as possible to contact@yeshesalling.org (Petra).
Also, we will refresh and practice the basic Ma Gyud practice for integrating with the enlightened mind of Lama, Yidam and Khandro (gong choe nam sum - the basic practice that every Ma Gyud practitioner performs every day). Lama Sangye will also refresh his instructions on the musical part of the recitation (how to play damaru and zhang) and the mudras accompanying the practice.
Prerequisites: Lama Sangye Monlam's Ma Gyüd teachings are suitable for beginners and new students as well as for advanced practitioners, including those who have already received Ma Gyud teachings. As most of us have experienced, with profound texts such as the Ma Gyud, one understands the same teachings on a new level upon every encounter with them, and always learns something new. The teachings in 2023 are the fourth of a series of teachings that Lama Sangye began in 2018; but new students are welcome to join. Having attended Lama Sangye's Ma Gyüd teachings of 2018, or 2019, or 2022 is not a prerequisite.
Further teachings by Lama Sangye Monlam here.
Announcements of Lama Sangye's earlier Ma Gyüd teachings (for archival reasons) here: 2012, 2013, 2014, 2015, 2016, 2017, 2018, 2019, 2022. (The announcement for 2011 has not been preserved.)