A Pal Gyi Ling Monk waiting to begin Chod Cham

Teaching and Practice in Nepal – As Abbot of Pal Gyi Ling Monastery, Lama Wangdu Rinpoche guided the training of monks in the traditions of Shije, Chod and the Longchen Nyingthig. This training, beginning with classical Tibetan and the basics of ritual practice and culminating in a three year closed retreat, takes more than a decade and combines study with extensive practice.

At the monastery, lay practitioners also participated in scheduled practice sessions, Chod feasts and Cham. There was no formal training program; aspiring Chodpas learned-by-doing and asking questions of other practitioners. Inquire around the Boudha Stupa and you will likely meet someone that came to the monastery to practice.

Rinpoche rarely gave public teachings in Nepal. When he did, talks were in Tibetan and without translation. Western students who wished to ask Lama Wangdu questions about practice visited him during his public audience hours; interviews were typically quite short.

Teaching and Practice in the United States – First invited by Swami Chetananda of the Movement Center, to teach Chod, Rinpoche came to the United State almost twenty years ago. During his early visits, Rinpoche gave empowerments and practice instructions for Chod and related practices and sponsored translations of the necessary practice texts.

Rinpoche also led practice at the Northwest Tibetan Cultural Center, which still has an active Chod practice community.  You can find schedule information by checking their website, NWTCA.

Over the years, Rinpoche also visited Dharma and Tibetan Community Centers in Oregon, Washington, California, Colorado, and New York to offer empowerments and teachings, primarily on Chod and Phowa. Often practice groups formed after these teachings; a search of the internet is a good start for finding one.  More inclined to be a yogi than abbot, Lama Wangdu Rinpoche did not establish a Dharma Center in the United States.

In the United States, Rinpoche’s teachings and the related texts were translated and transliterated into English. Although practitioners could learn by studying the English texts, the liturgies are sung to ancient melodies that don’t translate well and Rinpoche only teaches them in Tibetan. Rinpoche also encouraged new practitioners to learn by doing and his teaching programs were long on practice and short on discussion!