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What is the Summer Namkha Ritual at Menri Monastery? The Great Secret Dō Ritual of The Vast Sky

Representation of the phenomenal world with its wondrous and desirable contents created at Menri Monastery

Every year during the 12th-16th lunar days of the 5th lunar month, Menri Monastery together with the Ratna Menling Nunnery conducts the annual Kha Long Sangwé Dō Chen, The Great Secret Dō Ritual of the Vast Sky. In 2026, these dates correspond with June 26th-June 30th. The purpose of this elaborate ritual is to pacify or turn back obstacles and malevolent energies, rebalance the five elements, attract good fortune, longevity, and positive circumstances, and to bring healing and harmony to the environment and its inhabitants. This ritual was taught directly by Buddha Tönpa Shenrap Miwoché as a skillful method to harmonize external, worldly forces that interfere with the happiness and success of sentient beings. These teachings are part of The Second Way of Bön, The Way of the Shen of the Phenomenal World.

To support the ritual of The Great Secret Dō Ritual of the Vast Sky, a representation of the phenomenal world is created along with all the good and precious things within it. These things are offered to the enlightened ones, the worldly protectors, powerful spirits, and all the six kinds of sentient beings. By offering to the deities, the accumulation of merit is increased and previous negative actions are purified. By offering to the worldly protectors, they are delighted and continue to fulfill their vows of protection and bestowing abundance. By offering to the powerful spirits, we bring harmony to our relationship with them and pay any karmic debts we have with them that might be a cause for their engaging in acts of retribution. By giving to the six kinds of sentient beings, we fulfill their needs and desires, and their minds become peaceful and content.

As in every teaching and ritual of the Yungdrung Bön, the foundation of the practice is unbiased, unlimited compassion. Even when so-called “malevolent spirits” are expelled because of their unwillingness to stop harming others, the expulsion is from a base of compassion for both those being harmed as well as for those causing the harm. By stopping their harmful actions towards others, it also stops the continued accumulation of negative karma. Every ritual concludes with prayers of aspiration that all beings be happy and peaceful, and ultimately to realize the ultimate state of enlightenment that is beyond any kind of suffering or unhappiness. This includes even those beings labeled as so-called “demons” or “enemies” in the ritual liturgy.

His Eminence Menri Pönlop Thrinley Nyima Rinpoche instructing monks in namkha making

What is a Namkha?

In addition to the many offerings of torma, precious gems, foodstuffs, flowers, greenery, fragrant smells, soft materials, and so on; this ritual makes abundant use of the ritual object known as a namkha. The Tibetan term namkha literally translates as “sky,” “atmosphere” or “external space.” This term is sometimes translated as “thread-cross.” There are many different kinds of namkha that have a diversity of form and function. Just as the shape, color, ingredients, and use of a torma is determined by its ritual purpose, so is the shape, color, and function of a namkha determined by its purpose. Namkha are used as a dwelling for deities or spirits during a ritual, to attract or repel specific energies and qualities, for protection from danger and disease, and as offerings, among other purposes.

A namkha is created by affixing thin pieces of bamboo or wood together to establish a frame. Then, beginning at the center and working outward, strands of colored wool, yarn, or thread are used to weave a net-like pattern over the frame. The length of the wood or bamboo is notched to allow the colored threads to catch and stay in place on the frame. There is a great variation in framework and patterns. For example, if the namkha is being used as a temporary abode of a deity or spirit, the pattern and colors used will be representative of the physical characteristics and hand objects of that deity or spirit.

Watch Barlé Khenpo Nyima Künchap Rinpoche as he makes a namkha in this video on the Nine Ways Youtube Channel: How to Make a Bönpo Namkha

Namkha created for the fire ritual of the deity Duk Kar, the White Umbrella Goddess

What is a Dō Ritual?

Buddha Tönpa Shenrap Miwoché taught 365 different types of rituals. The Great Secret Dō Ritual of the Vast Sky is categorized as a dō type of ritual. Because many of the dō rituals make use of namkha, some Western scholars have erroneously stated that the terms dō [Tibetan: mdos] and namkha are synonymous. This is incorrect. There are dō rituals that do not use namkha, and there are many namkha that are used in rituals other than those categorized as dō. In general, dō rituals are the most important of the ransom rituals used for eliminating harm to the life force, diseases, danger, and other disturbances from nonhuman beings. In general, the nonhuman beings causing harm are offered an exchange of desirable things for the release of those being harmed. Namkha are used to invite the enlightened deities who are the objects of refuge for the ritual, and the protectors who subdue the malevolent forces. Other types of namkha are made as offerings to the deities and gifts of exchange for the ransom. Still other types of namkha act as supports for the return of the life force, and the rebalancing of the external, internal, and secret five elements. There are different kinds of dō rituals in order to appeal to the variety of nonhuman beings that create disturbances for humanity and the environment.

Namkha of various auspicious symbols

The scripture for the Kha Long Sangwé Dō Chen is almost one thousand pages in length. It includes chapters dedicated to instructions for the construction of ritual items, texts for the ransom rituals for men, women, and children, rituals for stopping and healing illness and contagious disease, rituals for renewing and fulfilling sacred vows, rituals for calling upon the magically powerful and benevolent worldly protectors, rituals for strengthening the life force and prosperity, rituals for appeasing the many kinds of nonhuman spirits, rituals for forcefully repelling negative forces, and so on. The overall purpose of all of these rituals is to bring peace and happiness within the world of appearances, and to generate faith in the Yungdrung Bön teachings which will guide all sentient beings to the ultimate goal of liberation from all the suffering of cyclic existence.

Raven Cypress Wood and Khenpo Nyima Künchap Rinpoche prepare namkha for an elaborate ritual offering to the lu [Sanskrit: naga]

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Current Event: The Annual Reading of the Enlightened Teachings of Lord Buddha Tönpa Shenrap

Nuns of Ratna Menling reading from the teachings of Buddha Tönpa Shenrap

Each year at Pal Shenten Menri Monastery and Ratna Menling Nunnery on the 14th and 15th lunar days of the 4th month, the enlightened teachings of Lord Buddha Tönpa Shenrap Miwoché are read out loud. In 2026, these dates coincide with May 30th and 31st on the Western calendar. During the ceremony, the sacred volumes containing these teachings are carried by both the ordained and laypeople as they circumambulate the temple complex. As a sign of respect for the sacredness of the scriptures, they are carried above the waist. Most often, they are carried on the shoulder. After completing the circumambulation, they are brought into the temples and distributed to the ordained monks and nuns for two full days of recitation. Reading the scriptures aloud is considered one of the thirteen activities for a meaningful human life. (See previous article: Thirteen Activities for a Meaningful Life).

His Holiness the 34th Menri Trizen, His Eminence Menri Pönlop Rinpoche, and other monks of Menri Monastery carry texts containing the words of Buddha Tönpa Shenrap while circumambulating.

The canon of sacred Yungdrung Bön scriptures is divided into two categories. The first category of texts consist of the teachings of the primordial enlightened ones and Lord Buddha Tönpa Shenrap. This category is known as Ka [Tibetan: bka’] meaning enlightened words or speech. These texts are further divided into four primary categories: (1) Dō [Tibetan: mdo], Sutra contains teachings regarding monastic rules, cosmology, medicine, hagiographies, and invocations, (2) Bum [Tibetan: ‘bum], the wisdom texts of The Hundred Thousand also known as The Prajnaparamita, (3) Gyü [Tibetan: rgyud], Tantra, and (4) Dzö [Tibetan: mdzod] The Treasury of the highest teachings known as dzogchen. In some catalogues, there can also be a fifth category of miscellaneous texts. Although each Yungdrung Bön temple in Tibet had a significant collection of Ka scriptures, the collections were not necessarily complete. This was especially due to repeated persecution throughout history of the Yungdrung Bön tradition which necessitated the hiding of texts. It is thought that only one complete collection survived. According to a catalogue of the Ka done by the 23rd abbot of Menri there are a total of 175 volumes. This number can vary according to various collections due to the availability of texts that could be copied, whether only main titles were counted as a volume, and so on.

Monks and nuns of Menri Monastery circumambulating with the scriptures of the Ka.

The second category of canonical texts is known as the Ka Ten [Tibetan: bka’ brten], Relying upon the Words. Thus, the Bön canon is referred to as the Ka and the Ka Ten. (This differs from the Buddhist canon which is referred to as the Kangyur and the Tengyur.) The Ka Ten includes commentaries, practices, rituals, and so on that rely upon the scriptures of the Ka as their root text. In order for a text to be included in the Ka Ten, it must undergo a rigorous and methodical analysis. Although there are over 300 volumes included within the Ka Ten, some catalogues do not include texts after the 14th century which are thought to be mainly texts of the New Bön tradition. Other catalogues do include these texts as well as the collective writings of other Bön sages such as Shardza Tashi Gyaltsen of the 19th Century CE. Additionally, many texts are incredibly rare and are guarded from outsiders. Therefore, few if any copies of these texts exist. Some texts are considered valid to be included in the Ka Ten by some, while being considered invalid and thus excluded by others. Titles can be included within unrelated volumes or counted individually, and so on. Even so, it is generally accepted that there are over 300 volumes of Ka Ten scriptures. These volumes include commentaries, scriptures of philosophy and logic, biographies, historical accounts, compositions of sacred songs, poetry, advice for disciples, collections of liturgical texts, and so on.

Traditionally wrapped and labeled Yungdrung Bön scriptures.

It is said that reading The Heartdrop of Jamma from the beginning until the end is the same as reading the entire 118 volumes of the Ka, the words of Buddha Tönpa Shenrap. This beautiful text, where the practitioner transforms their physical body into the sacred mandala of the limitless emanations of Sherap Jamma, has been translated by Raven Cypress Wood and published by Nine Ways. It is available in both print and eBook. For those who would like to listen to a meditative reading of the English translation of this text, it is available on the Nine Ways Youtube channel.

Raven Cypress Wood ©All Rights Reserved. No content, in part or in whole, is allowed to be used without direct permission from the author.

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A Wise Mother with Unconditional Love for Everyone

Sherap Jamma, Wise Loving Mother

Buddha Sherap Jamma, Mother of Wisdom and Love, cares for all beings as though they were her only child without any bias, prejudice, or limitation. The light of her wisdom and loving kindness shines continuously for everyone, like a bright sun that is not limited to time or location.

The Heartdrop of Jamma is a short, but profound, text that enables one to deeply connect with Sherap Jamma in order to receive her blessings and protection. The power of reciting this text with devotion has unimaginable benefits. Within the text itself, it details some of these extraordinary benefits.

“If you recite from the beginning until the end, it is the same as reciting the Kangyur one time. If you perform the practice daily, you will attain buddhahood in this single lifetime with this body. Because this is the oral transmission of the Mother and the khandro, if you practice without hope, fear, or doubt, buddhahood is certain.

It is said that if this is written in black ink and the practice is performed regularly, after three births one will attain buddhahood. if you read this with the support of a longevity arrow, you will attain the accomplishment of longevity. If you recite the mantra to good quality water mixed with powdered, medicinal incense and then cleanse with that water, all illness and sickness caused by negative forces will be pacified and all defilements and contaminations will be purified. Having recited the mantra to a protection cord, if you fasten it around your neck or to your upper body it will protect against all harm from sharp weapons or tools. Whatever the desired wish for yourself or others, if you pray and recite with a single-pointed focus, without a doubt it will be accomplished! Thus, it is said.”

Extract from The Heartdrop of Jamma, The Wise Loving Mother

The English language translation of this text by Raven Cypress Wood is available in both print and eBook here: The Heartdrop of Jamma. The Spanish language and French language translations will soon be available in eBook. Stay tuned!

For those who would like to listen to a mediative reading of the text, Raven has recorded and published it on the Nine Ways Youtube channel here: https://youtu.be/c9s82TmhfuA.

All Tibetan translations by Raven Cypress Wood. Raven Cypress Wood ©All Rights Reserved. No content, in part or in whole, is allowed to be used without direct permission from the author.

More Time Slots Now Available for Consultations or Mentorships

As of May 1, 2026, more online and in-person meeting times are now available for either individuals or groups for consultation or mentorship related to Yungdrung Bön religious practice or study. For more information, go to the Mentorships, Consultations, & Guidance page by clicking on the tab at the top of this page.

Coming Soon:

Raven will interview Geshema Sherap Yeshe Palzin, member of the first class of Ratna Menling nuns to receive a geshe degree and founder of Niu Pal Gyi De Nai. Born in Tibet in 1982 and having spent her childhood as a shepherd, she longed to devote her life to spiritual practice. After receiving novice vows at the age of nineteen, she spent over four months on a harrowing journey making her way to Nepal, mostly on foot. This interview will explore her journey to Menri in Dolanji, receiving her geshe degree, and now being a teacher to Westerners. Stay tuned!

Geshema Sherap Palzin

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Summoning the Drala for Protection

After multiple requests by the Yungdrung Bön faithful to have English translations related to invoking the drala available in order to prevent, harmonize, and/or avert disruptions or harm caused by astrological influences, Nine Ways is happy to announce publication of Summoning the Drala: Protection and Support from Primordial Guardians. There is both a spiral bound color book and an eBook available. Only the print book contains the Tibetan language prayers and corresponding phonetics for recitation. There is an introduction that gives a brief explanation of the drala and how to make offerings. Prayers include the preliminary practices of requesing consideration, generating the mind of enlightenment, going for refuge, water cleansing, and fumigation with incense. Then follows the newly translated Essential Invocation of the Drala which is a prayer given by Buddha Tönpa Shenrap, and Command for the Queen of the Drala which was composed by the one known by Bönpos as The Second Buddha, the unrivaled Nyammé Sherap Gyaltsen, founder of Menri Monastery and the one who united the three lineage transmissions of sutra, tantra, and dzogchen. The practice booklet concludes with the hundred syllable mantra, a dedication of merit, and symbolic images of armor and weapons that can be used for making offerings to the drala. Both the print booklet and the eBook are available here: https://www.lulu.com/search?sortBy=RELEVANCE&page=1&q=drala&adult_audience_rating=00

  • Table of Contents
    • Introduction
      • The Tügkar, Drala, Changseng, and Nyen
      • Making Offerings
    • Summoning the Drala
      • Requesting Consideration
      • Going for Refuge
      • Generating the Mind of Enlightenment
      • Cleansing with Water
      • Fumigating with Incense
      • Essential Invocation of the Drala
      • Command for the Drala Queen
      • The One Hundred Syllable Mantra
      • Dedication
      • Appendix
      • Endnotes

This booklet is meant to be an immediate support for those in need rather than an in-depth study of the subject material. These specific prayers were chosen because they are frequently recommended as expedient ways to invoke support and neutralize harm by calling upon the drala who are a primordial class of worldly protecters. Especially, from the view of astrology, each year brings both supportive and challenging aspects to each individual. For those whose yearly Tibetan astrological calculation indicates a probability for obstacles, one of the recommended methods for support is to call upon the drala. (To know more about who can benefit from invoking the drala during the current year of the Fire Horse, see previous article: https://ravencypresswood.com/2026/02/14/2026-the-year-of-the-male-fire-horse/)

“From our great ancestor of the past, Mu Chuk Khorlo, until the present victors of Bön and beyond, we have relied upon you as our close allies and made offerings to the drala of the ancestral lineages from generation to generation. Now, at our time of need, when we call upon the army of gods because of enemies, we beseech you to come quickly without delay!”

From The Essential Invocation of the Drala
Takri Rong, Queen of the Drala

All Tibetan translations by Raven Cypress Wood.

Raven Cypress Wood ©All Rights Reserved. No content, in part or in whole, is allowed to be used without direct permission from the author.

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Developing Knowledge & Wisdom through the Power of the Lion of Speech

Mawé Sengé, Lion of Speech, with a sword of knowledge and a scripture.

After the Tibetan New Year celebrations, students at Menri Monastery enter into an intensive retreat to cultivate the qualities of the wisdom deity Mawé Sengé, Lion of Speech. This retreat begins on the 24th lunar day of the 1st month and concludes on the 30th lunar day. In 2026, these dates are March 12th – March 18th on the Western calendar. The purpose of this retreat is to receive the blessings and empowerment of the wisdom deity Mawé Sengé in order to develop and sharpen the students’ intellect to support their upcoming studies in the new school year. The practice of Mawé Sengé is performed many times each day and the mantra of the deity is recited as much as possible throughout the retreat with a minimum accumulation of one hundred thousand mantra recitations.

Mawé Sengé is the manifestation of the Dzok ku, the enlightened state that spontaneously expresses perfected qualities. If practiced regularly, he clears away the darkness of confusion, develops the intellect, and gives a quick and steadfast memory without forgetfulness. If his practice is properly applied and accomplished, there are seven specific signs that arise that indicate his blessings and power have been accomplished. These are called The Seven Signs of Attaining Wisdom that Blazes Like Fire. They are:

  1. The sign of having removed the darkness of lack of knowledge from the intellect. Specifically, this refers to removing a weak or unclear intellectual understanding. 
  2. The sign of having the eye of wisdom. This is the attainment of clairvoyance, expansive knowledge, and wisdom.
  3. The sign of being like a lion of glorious poetry. This refers to the ability to write expert discourses, specifically scholastic poems and compositions.
  4. The sign of the sun of superior knowledge rising. This refers to the capability of having clear knowledge, without any confusion, regarding the qualities of any knowable subject. 
  5. The sign of attaining the recollection of intelligence that is never forgotten. This refers to a steadfast capability of remembering what has been learned without forgetfulness.
  6. The sign of being like a thunderbolt when debating. This refers to the capability to brilliantly overcome all others, without defeat or fear, when debating any subject whatsoever.
  7. The sign of the intellectual memory being fast like lightening. This refers to an extraordinary ability of having a clear and quick memory.

“I go for refuge to the wisdom deity for the intellect. I generate the supreme mind of enlightenment for the benefit of vigorous training in the highest wisdom. Having compassionately purified all karmic obscurations without exception, please bestow the attainments of an increased intellect, useful knowledge, and a divine voice!”  

— From The Short Practice of Mawé Sengé. Tibetan translation: Raven Cypress Wood

Mawé Sengé holding a sword and a butter lamp

In the Yungdrung Bön tradition, there are two principal forms of the wisdom deity Mawé Sengé. Both of these forms share most characteristics. However, one form holds a sword and a scripture as the hand objects. The other form holds a sword and a butter lamp. This second principal form of Mawé Sengé is according to the prayer, An Offering of Praise for the Supreme Wisdom Deity Sherab Mawé Sengé, A Garland of Utpala Flowers composed by the highly revered Nyammé Sherab Gyaltsen Rinpoche.

“With a sword of wisdom held in your right hand, you cut the root of deluded thoughts and self-grasping.

With a butter lamp of clarity held in your left hand, you dispel the dark intellect and ignorance of migrating beings.

In the space to your right and left, the sun and moon blaze with the splendor of the inseparability of method and knowledge.”

— Extract from An Offering of Praise for the Supreme Wisdom Deity Sherab Mawé Sengé, A Garland of Utpala Flowers

Tibetan translations by Raven Cypress Wood

Raven Cypress Wood ©All Rights Reserved. No content, in part or in whole, is allowed to be used without direct permission from the author.

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