An Evening with Geshe Tenzin Wangyal Rinpoche

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Bön is among the oldest indigenous spiritual traditions in the world. It originated in Central Asia thousands of years ago in what is now Tibet and is still being practiced globally today. Rooted in ancient cosmology, visionary practices, and ritual technologies, the tradition of Tibetan Bön offers a distinctive and sophisticated understanding of mind, embodiment, and awareness that speaks directly to contemporary questions in psychology, comparative religion, and consciousness studies.

In this special event, CIIS warmly welcomes Geshe Tenzin Wangyal Rinpoche, globally renowned master in the Bön Dzogchen tradition, for a rare and illuminating conversation on consciousness through the lens of the Tibetan Bön tradition. Tenzin Rinpoche will be joined by CIIS Transformative Inquiry Department faculty Dr. Constance Jones and Dr. Fernando Ona, whose approaches create a fertile ground for inquiry into the nature of consciousness.

Dr. Constance Jones, drawing from her extensive work in the comparative study of religion and New Religious Movements, frames the dialogue through a global lens. She brings attention to the historical mobility of consciousness theories across Buddhist and Bön lineages, the role of ritual and cosmology in shaping experience, and the ways traditions negotiate authority and knowledge through meditative and visionary practices. Her line of inquiry invites Rinpoche to articulate how Bön conceptualizes the architecture of consciousness and how these understandings of luminosity diverge from or complement other Buddhist models.

Dr. Fernando Ona, whose work spans anthropology, mental health, ritual studies, and trauma-informed healing praxis, brings an embodied and community-rooted perspective. He explores how consciousness is shaped through lived experience, the body, and relational environments, particularly in contexts of suffering, displacement, and the reclamation of sacred space. His contribution invites Rinpoche to speak to the role of Bön ritual, elemental practices, breath, and visualization in supporting the reintegration of mind, energy, and presence during moments of rupture or transformation.

Join us for a nuanced, integrative exploration of consciousness that bridges ancient wisdom and modern inquiry, scholarly analysis and ritual insight, personal experience and collective meaning-making.

Geshe Tenzin Wangyal Rinpoche, founder and spiritual director of Ligmincha International, is one of only a few masters of the Bön Dzogchen tradition presently living in the West. An accomplished scholar in the Bön Buddhist textual traditions of philosophy, exegesis, and debate, Tenzin Rinpoche completed a rigorous11-year course of traditional studies at the Bönpo Monastic Center (Menri Monastery) in India, where he received his Geshe, degree.

In 1992 Tenzin Rinpoche founded Ligmincha International in order to preserve and introduce to the West the religious teachings and arts of the ancient Tibetan Bön Buddhist tradition. Fluent in English, Rinpoche is known for his clear, lively, and insightful teaching style and his ability to make Tibetan practices easily accessible to the Western student. He is a highly respected and beloved teacher to students throughout the United States, Mexico, Asia, and Europe.

In addition to Ligmincha International’s affiliates in the United States, Rinpoche has established centers in Central and South America, Europe and India. Rinpoche is the author of 9 books: Wonders of the Natural Mind, in which he presents the view and practice of the Bön Dzogchen teachings; and The Tibetan Yogas of Dream and Sleep; Healing with Form, Energy, and Light: The Five Elements in Tibetan Shamanism, Tantra, and Dzogchen; Unbounded Wholeness; Tibetan Sound Healing; Tibetan Yogas of Body, Speech and Mind; Awakening the Sacred Body; Awakening the Luminous Mind; The True Source of Healing, and Spontaneous Creativity.

Dr. Constance A. Jones is a sociologist of religion who joined CIIS in 1994, having taught at several colleges and theology schools. Beginning with her doctoral dissertation on the caste system in India, she has pursued a long interest in the cultures and religions of the East, including the adoption of Hindu and Buddhist beliefs and practices in the West. She researches spiritual teachers as well as the evolution of new religious movements around the world.

Dr. Fernando Ona is a methodologist, medical anthropologist, and minister, originally from the Northeast. He began his career in local and State public health and social services before joining the faculties at several public and private universities. He is also a somatic psychotherapist who has supported refugee and asylum-seeking communities who are survivors of torture. He is a certified 500-hour yoga instructor and an ordained minister.

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Recording Policy 
Ticket holders will have access to an ad-free replay of the event for one month after the live event, after which unlimited viewing with ads will be available. Portions of the audio will also be released on our podcast. Only registered ticket holders who choose to watch live can participate in the chat and Q&A.

Refund Policy 
All tickets and add-ons purchased for this event are nonrefundable.