FPYB Annual Newsletter: Fourth Anniversary
Each July, when the time comes to write our annual charity report, I think: ‘Oh, this year, there’s not much news, Dmitry and I were too busy to devote enough time to the Foundation…’ But then I start looking through the activity log and discover that each month we transcribed and published some teachings, wrote an article, collaborated in a translation project or raised some money for our fellow Bönpos in Nepal.
This is the fourth year of our work as an officially registered UK charity, and we would like to thank you all for your support and invite you to celebrate our joint achievements over the last 12 months.
July 2020: new book of teachings by Yongdzin Rinpoche
This last year began with the release of a short compilation of teachings by Yongdzin Rinpoche, the Four Samayas of Dzogchen and Thirteen Points of Tantra. We are delighted to announce that the sequel Correcting Erroneous Views of Dzogchen will be published imminently.
Another text released this year is the Precious Mala collection of prayers translated by Yongdzin Rinpoche, available as a beautiful booklet or a free PDF as well as printed book @ https://tinyurl.com/n56kfz5u
Help Dhorpatan Campaign
Alerted to a disaster in Nepal by one of our Trustees, Paola Malatesta, throughout July and August, FPYB ran a fundraising campaign in collaboration with Triten Norbutse Monastery to help people of Dhorpatan (Khenpo Tenpa Yungdrung’s home village) whose crops had been devastated by locusts. As the first settlement for Bönpos exiled from Tibet after China’s Cultural Revolution, Dhorpatan has played a crucial role in preserving the teachings and practices of Yungdrung Bön. We tried to share some of its uniqueness in a series of posts eg. https://yungdrungbon.co.uk/2020/08/06/the-first-bonpo-medical-school-in-exile/. Thanks to your generosity, over £5,000 GBP was raised to purchased hundreds of bags of lentils, rice and salt as well as seed potatoes. The aid arrived just in time to help the local people and nomads after devastating floods and mudslides compounded an already dire situation. Thank you all once again! https://yungdrungbon.co.uk/2020/10/24/help-dhorpatan-campaign-successfully-completed/
New Webpage: Short Teachings
Another major event last August was the launch of a new page on our website: Short Teachings @ https://yungdrungbon.co.uk/short-teachings/. There you can find some recent videos of Yongdzin Rinpoche with transcripts, as well as several teachings on topics such as Guru Yoga, how to practise in modern times, the preciousness of Dzogchen teachings, the Natural State and more. There are also Russian, Spanish and Chinese translations eg. https://yungdrungbon.co.uk/2021/02/14/yongdzin-rinpoches-message-to-the-worldwide-yungdrung-bon-sangha-iron-elephant-year-2021/
Healing Sigyal Medicine
As Corona virus continued to spread around the world last autumn, we began receiving requests for more of this medicine. Thanks to the doctors and students at Sorig Buмshi Medical School at Triten Norbutse Monastery as well as KC Shrestra, in October 2020 we were able to organise another bulk shipment, blessed by Yongdzin Rinpoche himself, which was distributed world-wide from our base in UK.
Photo by Geshe Denyi.
Anniversaries of the great masters and sages
One way we seek to preserve the teachings and traditions of Yungdrung Bön is by marking significant anniversaries of great teachers. As well as commemorating these dates with practice, FPYB also provides brief articles detailing their life stories. You can read some here: https://yungdrungbon.co.uk/2021/03/06/three-drenpa-namkhas-in-yungdrung-bon/, https://yungdrungbon.co.uk/2021/01/28/anniversary-of-tonpa-shenrab-miwos-birth-a-brief-introduction-to-the-twelve-deeds/.
Translation Projects
We have several ongoing translation projects. Here are some of the highlights from last year:
September 2020, in collaboration with Trajang Gyalmo of the Russian sangha, Russian subtitles were added to the Khenpo Gelek’s popular film Hidden Treasures of Bön: Secrets of Mustang.
And last month, Takahiko Hakodera’s translation of Masters of the Zhang Zhung Nyengyud: Pith Instructions from the Experiential Transmission of Bönpo Dzogchen was published in Japanese! 虹の身体の成就者たち ―ボン教のゾクチェン「体験の伝授」の系譜と教え
Our first French translation, Approaching Dzogchen according to the Athri Cycle, translated by Drangsong Dominique Troulay is being prepared for publication.
Ebooks
Our newest venture is the launch of our first eBook, Pith Instructions on Dzogchen, by Yongdzin Rinpoche. We hope this will be the first of many titles. You can check for new releases here: https://yungdrungbon.co.uk/ebooks/
Long Life Mantra: SO DRUM A KAR MU LA TING NAM WÖ DU MU YE TSE NRI DZA
In response to news that our precious Master has been unwell, FPYB is offering a free PDF of Yongdzin Rinpoche’s commentary on the long-life mantra of Tsewang Rigdzin @ https://tinyurl.com/3bmzhf76
Once again, thank you for all your support.
May the lotus feet of the precious Master remain firm upon the Earth, may the Sun of his wisdom and compassion shine undimmed on all sentient beings, and may the blessings of his teachings pour for eons like amrita medicine in this and all worlds!
Carol, Dmitry and the FPYB team.
FPYB is a not-for-profit UK registered Charity no. 1173639
Donations can be made via PayPal @ https://tinyurl.com/sxe79fad or paypal.me/FPYB
or to the following bank account:
Account Name: FOUNDATION FOR THE PRESERVATION OF YUNGDRUNG BON
Sort Code: 20-09-44
Account No: 43189716
SWIFTBIC: BUKBGB22
IBAN: GB18 BUKB 2009 4443 1897 16
Featured photo: Yongdzin Rinpoche translating Chyase Kengtse sadhana with Carol & Dmitry, Shenten Dargye Ling, France, June 2006.