Umdze Training

A Special Course on How to Lead Ritual Practices

ALL INSTRUCTORS OF THE DZOGCHEN  COMMUNITY ARE KINDLY REQUESTED TO PARTICIPATE.

• This course is now FREE, however DONATIONS are welcome.
• You can register by following the link below, or when you arrive.
• The course will also be available by CLOSED WEBCAST

During the last few years very often our precious Teacher Chogyal Namkhai Norbu has emphasized the need for practitioners and especially for SMS instructors to be able to lead a Ganapuja in the right way. He has repeatedly explained, "If my students cannot learn how to sing and lead a practice after thirty years, what do I have to think about their understanding of the profound knowledge of Semde, Longde, and Upadesha?"

In Tashigar Norte, one night after the Tibetan songs and dances, Rinpoche spoke at length about the necessity of evolution to guarantee global peace for humanity in the future, and at the end he said, "So now, to learn evolution, start from learning how to lead a practice!"

This struck me, and since he was looking at me while saying this, I thought we should start this course for the benefit of all practitioners, and moreover, to show our love and appreciation to our Master and letting him enjoy collective practices without having to worry about our mistakes. Also it is fundamental that the ritual tradition of the Dzogchen Community be preserved in a pure way, as all melodies are originated from spiritual experiences of highly realized masters and pure dimensions of dakas and dakinis.

The Umdze Training aims at qualifying the instructors of the Dzogchen Community to be able to lead in a precise manner the Ganapuja and other collective ritual practices. This course will be focussed on the Ganapuja including Namkha and Lungta. It will be open to all, but SMS instructors are specially invited to participate, as well as Vajra Dance and Yantra Yoga instructors. The reason is that whoever travels in order to teach any of the above mentioned teachings should have to capacity to lead and also to teach others how to lead practices.

Knowledge of the melodies, of the timings, of the use of ritual instruments, and perfect pronunciation of the Drajor system of transliteration are requested from whoever wishes to be tested and authorized by Rinpoche on the last day. Even if no candidate will show up this year, still the course will be very useful to improve one's capacity and prepare oneself for the next occasion

(c) Adriano Clemente