Healing with Form, Energy, and Light: The Five Elements in Tibetan Shamanism, Tantra, and Dzogchen

Forgive me if I respond first to the review below that said "watch out! This isn't Buddhism!" What that person doesn't know is Tenzin Rinpoche's books are usually prefaced by the Dalai Lama--that's how accepted this is as a legitimate spiritual pathway. This isn't like western religions where diversity means you have to burn somebody at the stake. Everybody is openly accepted for what of value they can offer and Bon has a very alive dzogchen transmission that is second to none. Sorry for this digression. Anyway, what I liked about his book--other than the fact that Tenzin Wangyal is tops in the Tibetan community in his ability to communicate clearly with westerners (you'll be amazed)is the fact that this book is kind of a lesson in how Tibetans think--which is not required certainly, but if you are studying Tibetan spirituality and are really serious it's something you will find helpful. LIke his book on Dream Yoga it is extremely readable and is something you can digest with no forehead massaging. I have met Tenzin Wangyal and he is a really good person and nice guy and I always remember in the sleepy period after lunch him chuckling looking out at the sleepy group and saying, "It's earth-element time." This is a painless way to fill in a gap in your attempts to understand the culture and spirituality of Tibet.

The title is not a put-down of books like "Rainbow of Liberated Energy" or "The Five Wisdom Energies". They do particular justice to the subject of the five 'elements'. The point that I want to make is that I liked this one best, not just because of the friendly and precise writing style, but because this one goes to the roots of the system - the primordial basis of Tibetan metaphysics. Rinpoche, rather that relying on abstraction and theoretical discourse, covers the subject in a way that is so jam-packed with teaching I had to stop every few pages to make sure I hadn't read a hundred. For me, that is real praise, because I tend to skim for the interesting points and ignore repitition and redundancy etc. I couldn't find anything to ignore in this book. This is not a treatment of the jungwa as a topic - it is a workbook; a training manual on approaching meditation/tantra/shamanic practice from the standpoint of balancing and harmonizing the workings of the five elements in the physical body. It's a field guide to working with the Panchamahabhutas, or five great states, in a simple and practical way. I would recommend it to anyone interested in Tibetan mystical practices, Yoga, Asian spirituality, Tantra, or Alchemy - it's a good way to get started on a path that will take you where you want to go.

This is a very unusual book in that it combines ancient Bön elemental practices which (on the surface) appear to be mythological if not superstitious with extremely advanced Dzogchen spiritual practices. However, the author takes care to note the psychological interpretation of much of the ancient symbols and techniques. For instance, on page 1, he says: "As in most cultures, the Tibetan tradition uses the natural elements as fundamental metaphors to describe forces both internal and external. For example, physical properties are assigned to the elements: earth is solidity; water is cohesion; fire is temperature; air is motion; and space is the spatial dimension that accommodates the other four active elements...The metaphoric use of the elements is also common in Western languages: a person can be earthy or spacey, fluid or fiery. Anger is hot, sadness is watery. Attitudes can be airy or grounded." Furthermore, he points out (p. 6): "It's easy to lose the sense of the sacred in the modern world." Thus, (p. 92) he emphasizes "Understanding how to apply all experience to the path of meditation." He does this by including a great many exercises of very varying method (physical postures, breathing, visualization, etc.) including (p. 55) supermarket offerings, (p. 60): "Retrieving the elemental energies," (p. 92): "Holding and Releasing," and (pp. 93-109): external, internal, and secret (mental) Tsa Lung Movements to activate the chakras (demonstrated with line drawings). He includes dedicated chapters outlining the relationships between the elements & Tantra and between the elements & Dzogchen. These include a short commentary on the (p. 113-120): "The Six Lamps" text, reference to his master Lopon Tenzin Namdak Rinpoche's (p. 123): "Heart Drops of Dharmakaya" & its rushen practice, (pp. 125-6) Trekchöd & Tögal, and (p. 130) dark retreat. He describes our normal perception (p. 119): "We hear an unknown sound and ask what it is. We get an answer, and the next time the sound arises we hear it less and think it more." But, he succinctly describes the experience of Rigpa (pp. 118-9): "When we abide in Rigpa, what we experience as external is less substantial. Our identities are less substantial. Our problems are less substantial. We experience Rigpa everywhere; there is no difference between inside and outside the body. There is no difference between meditation and non-meditation...If all phenomena, including the subjective sense of self, are recognized as an empty display of space and light, one is free. Then whatever arises is simply an ornament of pure being." And, he provides an incredibly concise description of Dzogchen (pp. 125-6): "Dzogchen practice can be summed up like this: Recognize non-dual innate awareness, dissolve all identity in it, and abide without distraction."

This book really pleased several lamas I know, who were astonished to see these usually hidden healing techniques made so available and so user-friendly. These are simple but powerful visualizations for "soul retrieval" and physical and mental healing. They're written by a Tibetan healing master who gives the authentic Tibetan material in terms that Westerners can easily grasp.

Before I begin, I must admit limited objectivity in reviewing Bon Lama Tenzin Wangyal Rinpoche's latest book "Healing with Form, Energy and Light" (Snow Lion). Because Lama Tenzin has been my gracious teacher for more than two years now, it is tempting to dispense with a certain critical distance. Much of the material in the text is taken from Rinpoche's teachings and small-scale textual resources. Yet as I paged through my new copy, it was like I was experiencing this transcendent wisdom for the first time. Thus, I am happy to announce that this work, his third major effort, is geared toward practitioners on all levels of practice, and from diverse spiritual backgrounds.In the book's introduction, Tenzin Rinpoche gives a brief but helpful outline of the Bon tradition, an early Tibetan religion that has gradually incorporated, and also influenced, Buddhist practice. Among other interesting observations, Rinpoche explains that his tradition "suffered the fate of many indigenous religions, a fate similar to that of the religions of Europe and the Americans when Christianity was introduced." While such claims are not the central focus of this book, they definitely enrich it. This book is a heartfelt, meaningful and well-written offering of sorts to whatever powers guide the exchange between East and West. Rinpoche, who founded the Ligmincha Institute in 1992, explains "as I spent more time in the West I began to see that there was a need to teach about the teaching, to explain how to develop experience and how to apply the teaching and practices to situations in everyday life." Rinpoche's humble yet beautiful book thus succeeds with practical hints that are a joy to read. This book is about the healing traditions in Bon Buddhist shamanism, tantra and dzogchen ("the great perfection"). Western-style psychology is one of Rinpoche's interests, and he has participated in annual panels on East-West psychology. Thus, he discusses Tibetan traditions in light of certain western psychological theory. Plus, if you read this book you will gain insight into "Tibetan yoga": the tsa lung movements that open up the energy so that the breath flows freely in the body. The book's discussion of psychology alone is worth taking the time to read. The sky blue volume focuses clearly and insightfully on the elements, and how elemental qualities manifest themselves in our lives. Through an increased awareness of the flow of these qualities, we can see a way to increased balance and peace.