Category Archives: Tibetan Lamas

670th Birth Anniversary of the Second Buddha, Founder of Menri Monastery, the Unrivaled Nyammé Sherap Gyaltsen

Nyammé Sherap Gyaltsen Rinpoche

The 5th day of the 1st lunar month is the birth anniversary of the founder of Menri Monastery, the Mother monastery of Yungdrung Bön, Nyammé Sherap Gyaltsen Rinpoche. He is also known as The Second Buddha in the Yungdrung Bön religious tradition. In 2026, this lunar date coincides with February 22nd on the Western calendar.The unrivaled Nyammé Sherap Gyaltsen Rinpoché was a reincarnation of Yikyi Khye’u Chung, one of Buddha Tönpa Shenrap Miwoche’s sons. He reunited the three transmission lineages of sutra, tantra, and dzogchen that had become widely dispersed without any single person having the transmissions for all three lineages.

Each year on the 29th lunar day of the 12th month, the large, main prayer flag at Yungdrung Bön monasteries is taken down. From that time until the birth celebration of Nyammé Sherap Gyaltsen, the rules of monastic discipline are slightly relaxed. Then, early on the morning of the birth celebration, accompanied by a fumigation offering, a new prayer flag is raised whose color corresponds to the elemental color of the New Year. For the Year of the Fire Horse, the color of the flag will be red.

On this day,  Bönpos will spend the day with their eyes looking skyward. If they are lucky enough to be visited by a vulture on this day, it is said to be an auspicious sign of having directly received the blessings of the one known as the Second Buddha, the Unequaled One, Nyammé Sherap Gyaltsen Rinpoché.

Cloak belonging to the precious lord Nyammé Sherap Gyaltsen Rinpoche. Photo credit: Unknown

Born in 1356 C.E. in the region of Gyalrong into the esteemed Dru lineage, as a child, he could recite mantra and read scripture without having studied. At the age of ten, he decided to become a monk. In 1387 C.E. at the age of 31, he entered the prestigious Yeru Wensaka monastery and eventually became its abbot. While he was traveling in Eastern Tibet, Yeru Wensaka was destroyed by flooding and mudslides. Upon returning, he searched the ruins of the monastery for any salvageable artifacts. With these precious objects, he established Tashi Menri Monastery on higher ground within the same valley. It was 1405 C.E. and he was 50 years old.

In 1415 C.E. at the age of 60, he left the container of his physical body. His body began levitating high into the air, but due to the fervent prayers of his disciples, it returned to the earth. During the cremation ceremony, rainbows appeared and a large bird circled three times around the cremation area before disappearing into the West.

Supplication to Nyammé Sherap Gyaltsen

“You are a king of great bliss and the embodiment of Künzang Gyalwa Düpa.

You are like the wisdom deity Mawé Sengé, never forgetting what you have perceived.

You are the unequaled crown ornament of the Bönpo world.

At the feet of Sherap Gyaltsen, I supplicate!”

The Writings of His Holiness Nyammé Sherap Gyaltsen Rinpoche*

Cycle of Supplication and Aspiration Prayers

  • Praise of the Four Supreme Places of Refuge
  • Offering and Praise to Mawé Sengé
  • Supplication Prayer to the Mawé Sengé Lineage
  • Praise of Venerable Essence of [the] Dru [Family Lineage]
  • Eight Characteristics of Tséwang’s Eight Sacred Places
  • Stages of Chanted Supplications
  • Eight-branched Aspiration Prayer, A Ladder to Freedom
  • Homage to the Charactristics of the Aural Transmission Shenraps
  • The Gift of the Physical Body
  • Condensed Peaceful Chö of Gifting the Body
  • Command for the Gods and Demons                            

Cycle of Fumigation and Fulfillment

  • Stages of Preliminary Practices for a Completely Pure Fumigation Offering
  • A Small Collection Regarding the Medicine Deity Generation Stage
  • Supplication and Requesting Consideration from the Marvelous Ones
  • Invocation of the Practice Lineage
  • Special Fulfillment
  • A Completely Pure River of Requesting Consideration and Supplication
  • Burnt Offerings of the Treasury of Precious Terma
  • General Fulfillment from a Bundle of Precious Terma
  • A Precious Mala of Fumigation Offerings
  • Fumigation Offering to the Powerful Ones
  • Fumigation Offering to Sigyal
  • Fumigation Offering to Black Mule Sigyal from the Precious Terma
  • Sigyal’s Manifested Realization
  • Sigyal’s Threadcross Practice
  • A Brief Paper on Sigyal’s Threadcross
  • A Brief Paper on Black Mule Sigyal’s Feast Offering
  • Short Fulfillment Practice of Black Mule Sigyal
  • Practice of the Black Net Threadcross
  • The Shining Lamp of Realization of the Red and Black Threadcross
  • Commandments for the Avowed Guardians of the Teachings
  • Important Points regarding the Fulfillment of Midü Jampa
  • Fumigation Offering to Midü
  • Offering and Fulfillment to Drak Tsen
  • Fumigation Offering to Drak Tsen
  • Invocation of Nyipangsé
  • Command for Nyipangsé
  • Command for the Queen of the Drala
  • Gyalpo Sheltrap Torma Offering and Fulfillment
  • A Brief Invocation of Sheltrap
  • Praise in Appreciation of the Fumigation Offering
  • Supplement to the Fumigation Offering
  • Generation Stage for the Fulfillment Torma
Celebration of Nyammé Sherap Gyaltsen Rinpoche. Photo credit: Unknown

Cycle of Supplementary Texts for the Practices of Accomplishment

  • Destroying the Doors to Negative Rebirths
  • Realization of the Completely Pure Lotus of the Vast Expanse
  • Mantric Accomplishment of Shenrap Nampar Gyalwa
  • Fire Offerings of Nampar Gyalwa
  • Realization of the Yungdrung Sutra of the Vast Expanse
  • Going for Refuge according to the Vast Expanse
  • Practice of Künzang’s Luminous AH
  • Stages of Meditative Stabilization
  • Text for Künzang’s Luminous AH
  • Stages of Realization for Walsé
  • Accomplishing the Essential Through the Realization of Walsé
  • Purification and Increase of Torma
  • Accomplishment of Sending Out and Gathering Back with Mantra Accumulation
  • Practice of the Secret Mantra Lineage
  • Realization of Black Garuda Walsé
  • Clarifying the Realization of Black Garuda Walsé
  • Expanding the Realization of the Amazing Trowo 
  • Secret Quintessential Instructions for the General Practice of the Amazing Trowo
  • Invitation, Homage, and Confession of Wrongdoing for the Reversal Practice of the Great Red Trowo
  • Inviting the Wisdom Zema
  • Aspiration Prayer for Threadcross Practice
  • A Lamp that Clarifies the Meditative Focus of Secret, Greatly Wrathful Gekhö
  • Supplication to the Gekhö Lineage
  • Complete Supplication, A Rainshower of Blessings
  • Practice of the Secret Wrathful Lineage
  • The Irreversible Mantra of Gekhö, A Golden Razor
  • Supplement to Presenting Offerings to the Gekhö Deities
  • Realization of Walpur, Ornaments of Fire
  • Fulfillment of the Walpur Lineage
  • Outline for the Empowerment and Teachings of Walpur, A Rainshower of Blessings
  • Empowerment and Teachings of Walpur, A Rainshower of Blessings
  • Realization of Tséwang Tartuk
  • Accomplishment of Tséwang Tartuk
  • Fire Offerings to Tséwang
  • Introduction for Empowerments
  • Musical Notations for Festivals

Cycle of Science

  • Tikles and Channels of Relics and the Physical Body of Those Gone to Bliss
  • Clarification regarding the characteristics of colored powders, A Magical Mirror

Cycle of Authoritative Commentaries

  • Analyzing the Characteristics of The Magical Lamp Text
  • Analyzing the Characteristics of The Magical Lamp Autocommentary
  • Clarification of the Limits of All Knowable Things
  • Commentary Regarding the Sutric and Tantric Explanations of the Stages of the Vehicles
  • Text of the Grounds and the Paths
  • Autocommentary of Text of the grounds and the paths
  • A Clear Lamp for the Path of Liberation
  • Commentary Regarding the Clear Explanation of the Abridged Kham Gyé
  • Commentary Regarding the Two Truths in the Middle Way, A Magical Lamp
  • A Commentary of Clear Advice Regarding Monastic Discipline
  • Commentary of Condensed Discipline
  • Renewing Monastic Discipline
  • Commentary Regarding Cosmology
  • Clarifying Secret Points
  • Detailed Analysis of the Secret Vows
  • Hidden Commentary on the Mind of Enlightenment, Mandala of the Sun

* Although this list is extensive, it is not the complete list of compositions

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Anniversary of the Passing Away of Kyabgön Dawa Gyaltsen Rinpoche

Kyabgön Dawa Gyaltsen

The anniversary of the passing away of Kyagön Dawa Gyaltsen Rinpoche is the 7th and 8th lunar days of the 11th month. In 2025, these dates coincide with December 26th & 27th on the Western calendar. He was born during the Fire Dragon year of 1796 and founded Ralak Yungdrung Ling Monastery on the bank of the Yarlung Tsangpo River in 1834. This monastery developed into one of the largest and most prestigious centers for learning within the Yungdrung Bön tradition. It was renowned for its extensive library and the fact that it had its own woodblocks to print texts. The monastery contained many golden statues including a gilt-copper image of Nampar Gyalwa that was two-stories high.  It also contained reliquary stupas enshrining the remains of previous abbots. In 1965 during the cultural revolution, the monastery was burned to the ground. In 1982, two monks who had been in residence at the monastery prior to its destruction began the process of reconstruction.

Ralak Yungdrung Ling Monastery in Tibet. Photo credit: Unknown.

Supplication Prayer to the Lord of Refuge Dawa Gyaltsen

“You, a teacher born into the Amdo family lineage of Nangzhik, you spread the unrivaled Bön teachings of the White AH throughout your homeland.

You embody the essence of all buddhas by having having perfected the exalted qualities of the major and minor characteristics.

I pay homage to the Buddha who manifested in human form!”

— Translated from the Tibetan by Raven Cypress Wood

Reliquary containing the sacred relics of Kyabgön Dawa Gyaltsen. Photo credit: Unknown

At the age of sixty-seven during the water dog year of 1862 on the auspicious 8th lunar day of the middle winter month at mid-day, the warmth of his body and his consciousness concentrated at the center of his heart. His eyes looked straight ahead, unmoving. After the third sounding of the syllable “Pé!” related to the transference of consciousness practice, he left the shell of his physical body for the great bliss space of absolute reality.

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In Support of a Memorial Chorten for Yangtön Lama Tashi Gyaltsen Rinpoche

Yangtön Lama Tashi Gyaltsen. Photo credit: Raven Cypress Wood

On the Full Moon day of the 5th lunar month, Western date June 22nd, in 2024, Yangtön Lama Tashi Gyaltsen Rinpoche showed the truth of impermanence by passing beyond his physical body. He remained in meditation and, according to Khenpo Nyima Künchap Rinpoche who was his attendant during this time, the vibrant glow of his complexion only increased after his outer breath had stopped. He was well-known and well-loved by Yungdrung Bön practitioners worldwide.

His nephew, Geshe Tenzin Yangtön, is currently in their home village of Tsarka in Dolpo, Nepal and planning the construction of a memorial chorten for Yangtön Lama Tashi. In order to raise funds to support this construction, Nine Ways has established an online shop containing a limited supply of quality practice support items for sale. To view the shop, simply click on the Nine Ways Shop tab at the top of the page or follow this link: https://ravencypresswood.com/nine-ways-shop/ Due to the cost and challenges of international shipping, items are only available to be shipped to the continental United States.

It is not necessary to make a purchase in order to donate towards the construction of the memorial chorten. Donations can be made either through Nine Ways using any of the Q codes at the bottom of this article. Donations can also be made directly to Geshe Tenzin Yangton through the service Wise that transfers money internationally from one bank account to another. If this is preferred, email Raven at RCW108@gmail.com in order to obtain the needed information.

Yangtön Lama Tashi Gyaltsen Rinpoche in tukdam and being attended by his dear friend Khenpo Nyima Künchap Rinpoche. (Photo used with permission.)

Some of the Items in the Nine Ways Shop

A Brief Biography of Yangtön Lama Tashi Gyaltsen Rinpoche

Yangtön Lama Tashi Gyaltsen Rinpoche was born into the esteemed Yungdrung Bön Yangtön lineage in 1954 in Tsarka, Dolpo in Northwest Nepal. After completing the traditional three year retreat, he attained the knowledge and experience of a tantric practitioner. As a young man, he was the first resident of the remote village of Tsarka to go to Menri Monastery in India at the behest of His Eminence Yongdzin Tenzin Namdak  Rinpoche. He received his monk’s vows from both His Holiness the 33rd Menri Trizen Lungtok Tenpé Nyima Rinpoche and His Eminence Yongdzin Tenzin Namdak Rinpoche. After many years of study, he received the esteemed Geshe degree in 1986. Additionally, he received the dzogchen teachings from Yongdzin Sangyé Tenzin Rinpoche, Yongdzin Tenzin Namdak  Rinpoche, and Tsundue Rinpoche.  Later, he was instrumental in bringing some of his relatives such as his cousin, H.E. Menri Pönlob Trinlé Nyima Rinpoche, to Menri Monastery.  

Raven Cypress Wood with Yangtön Lama Tashi in 2017. Photo credit: Khenpo Nyima Künchap Rinpoche

He then became the abbot of Yanggön Thongdrol Phuntsok Ling Monastery in Tsarka, Dolpo. There, he shared his knowledge with the male and female tantric practitioners, led ritual gatherings, and gave blessings and empowerments to the local community. He was also responsible for the training and support for those undergoing the traditional three year retreat in his village. Realizing the need for a gompa in the village, he began construction of the Yanggön Thondrol Phuntsok Ling Monastery in 1988. He then relocated the old temple which housed all of the sacred texts, Tardzong Phuntsok Ling Monastery, from the opposite side of the river nearer to the village so that it could be more accessible and closer to the newly constructed temple. After this, he built a khor khang (a prayer-wheel room), a kitchen, a residence for practitioners, and a store room. In this way, he reestablished a perfect environment for the practitioners of the three year retreat and practitioners in general. Due to the strong influence of Lama Tashi, many young Tsarka villagers have traveled to India or Nepal in order to join the schools there or to take vows and study as monks or nuns. Many times, Yangton Lama Tashi underwent the arduous journey out of Tsarka in order to travel throughout the world in order to share his teachings and wisdom with Western students.

Yangtön Lama Tashi leading The Six Dances of Dignified Movements of the View of the Male and Female Heroes at Ligmincha Institute. Photo credit: Raven Cypress Wood

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8th Anniversary of the Parinirvana of His Holiness the 33rd Menri Trizin

On the 24th day of the 7th lunar month in the Western year 2017, His Holiness the 33rd Menri Trizin Lungtok Tenpé Nyima Rinpoché displayed his realization by passing into nirvana from his physical body. In 2025, this date coincides with the Western calendar date September 15th. On this day, Yungdrung Bön religious centers worldwide will recognize this auspicious day with special prayers and rituals.

In accordance with the request of H.H. 34th Menri Trizin Rinpoche, a statue with the likeness of H.H. the 33rd Menri Trizin Lungtok Tenpé Nyima Rinpoche was commissioned and installed at Menri Monastery in India.

On the full moon day of the 5th lunar month in 1929, His Holiness was born in Amdo, Tibet into the Jongdong family lineage. He was given the name Lama Thar. By the age of 13, he had gained knowledge and experience for chanting, performing rituals, and playing instruments. At the age of 14, he performed the preliminary practices including the 900,000 accumulations three times. He received novice monk vows at the age of 17. Eight years later, he completed his geshe degree. In 1956, he received empowerment and teachings for the Four Cycles of the Aural Transmission of Zhang Zhung from His Holiness the 30th Menri Trizin Tenpa Lodrö Rinpoche. In 1968 at the age of 39, he was selected through an extensive ritual process to become the 33rd Menri Trizin and leader of the worldwide Yungdrung Bön community.

Three years after his enthronement, he began construction of the main temple of Pal Shenten Menri Ling in Dolanji, India. Two years later, he opened a dispensary and began distributing free medicine not only to the local Bönpo, but also to the local Indian community. In 1975, he founded the Central School for Tibetan in Dolanji. Three years later, he founded the dialectic college at Menri Monastery to enable monks to receive the prestigious geshe degree. At the age of 66 in 1994, His Holiness 33rd Menri Trizin returned to Tibet for the first time. Arriving at Tashi Menri, he sat on the golden throne of Nyammé Sherap Gyaltsen in the original Menri Monastery.

Memorial chorten for His Holiness the 33rd Menri Trizin at Pal Shenten Menri Ling

At the age of 89 in the early evening of the 24th day of the 7th lunar month in 2017, His Holiness entered into parinirvana and his physical body remained in a state of tukdam for many days. Three days before, he asked for all of the school children to come and see him and receive a gift of candy. The next day, he requested for all of the villagers to come and visit him. On the morning of his passing into nirvana, he gave an audience to all the ordained.

“It is important for you to feel grateful every day to the one who introduced you to the nature of mind. When you do a meditation you feel gratitude, blessings, and thankfulness, experiences of inspiration and devotion. It is not like your gratitude is benefitting the master. Rather, it is important in order for you to develop your practice. If you cannot do a form of guru yoga every day, then just before you are going to sleep, as you are going to bed, feel the blessings, gratitude, and joy and dissolve the master from the crown of the head to the heart. Feel the master in your heart and go to sleep. You will have better dreams and more peaceful sleep. When you wake up in the morning, those energies can come out from the top of the head, that liveliness, and you can have a better day. You can begin the right way.”

Extract from Living Wisdom: Dzogchen Teachings from the 33rd Menri Trizin, His Holiness Lungtok Tenpai Nyima Rinpoche published by Sacred Sky Press

Supplication Prayer to H.H. the 33rd Menri Trizin Rinpoché

“Marvelous! The omniscient wisdom of the Buddhas and Bodhisattvas of the ten directions is condensed into a single essence in you, Highest One.

You carry out the enlightened activities of spreading the vast and profound teachings of Tönpa Shenrap.

To you, Lungtok Tenpé Nyima, I supplicate and pray.

é ma ho, rap jam chok chü gyal wa sé ché kyi,

khyen tsé yé shé ngo wo chik dü pa, zap gyé shen ten pel wé trin lé chen

lung tok ten pé nyi ma sol wa dep“

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His Eminence Yongdzin Rinpoche: Cremation of the Holy Physical Remains and Fire Offering Rites

The Sacred vessel containing the Holy Physical Remains of His Eminence Yongdzin Tendzin Namdak Rinpoché

Since the parinirvana of the esteemed and greatly beloved master, His Eminence Yongdzin Tenzin Namdak Rinpoché, the worldwide Yungdrung Bön community has been observing a 49-day period of veneration, prayers, and offerings to receive blessings and accumulate great spiritual merit. On Friday August 2, 2025 this 49-day period concluded. From August 4th to August 9th, an extensive fire offering rite according to the cycle of the Künrig Le Zhi Gyün Nga‘i Jin Sek will be performed. During this time on August 6th, the actual cremation of the holy physical remains will take place. The Künrig Le Zhi Gyün Nga‘i Jin Sek, is one of the primary texts in the Yungdrung Bön religious tradition used for cremation rites and the continuous fire offerings that take place. For this, a great variety and quantity of offerings are being prepared. Among these offerings are many large and small boards written with mantras and prayers that will be read by the officiating lama, consecrated with blessed substances, and then placed into the fire.

Offerings for the fire offering rites
Offerings for the fire offering rites
A great accumulation of fire offerings

During these rites, the holy physical remains will be cremated in a specially built chorten [Sanskrit: stupa]. After the conclusion of the ritual, once the ash from the offering rites has cooled, it will be carefully collected along with any relics and saved to be placed into a reliquary chorten that will be built to hold the relics along with a variety of other sacred objects and substances. Additionally, many sa tsa will be made that will be filled with some of the cremation ash and distributed to faithful disciples and supporters.

Construction of the cremation chorten at Triten Norbutsé Monastery

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