TEACHINGS

Interview with Tenzin Wangyal Rinpoche Tenzin Wangyal Rinpoche was interviewed at the Serenity Ridge Retreat Center in Virginia on December 29, 2003 by Helen Gatling-Austin Sound has been used in most cultures and spiritual paths as a means of connecting with the divine.  Some have also used sound for healing.  The wisdom traditions of Tibet contain a storehouse of information about the healing and spiritual uses of sound.  We recently spoke with the well-known Bönpo Tibetan lama Tenzin Wangyal Rinpoche. Tenzin Rinpoche is the author of the

Tenzin Rinpoche will teach a retreat entitled "Sacred Syllables: The Healing Power of Sound in the Tibetan Bön Buddhist Tradition" from April 21-25, 2004, at Ligmincha Institute's Serenity Ridge retreat center, in Nelson County, Virginia.  For more information, contact Ligmincha Institute at 434-977-6161, ligmincha@aol.com, or www.ligmincha.org.

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QUESTION: Sound is important in many spiritual traditions — but, you point out, it can also be used in healing.  How is sound used in healing in the Tibetan tradition?

TENZIN WANGYAL RINPOCHE: We know that in healing practices such as acupuncture, when a needle is placed in a part of the body, it sends a vibration or message to another part or to an organ, which causes balance and healing.  In a similar way, the vibration of sound as it reverberates on the lips, in the head, and in the chest, can affect the body and organs in a very healing way.

QUESTION:  How does one know what sounds to use?

TENZIN WANGYAL RINPOCHE: This is a very ancient system and is described in a number of Tibetan texts.  I'm teaching primarily from the Bön Mother Tantra (Ma Gyud).  The Mother Tantra describes specific sound practices to treat physical ailments such as headaches, chest pain, and other problems. Ancient yogis who lived in the wilderness far from medical care used these and other yogic techniques to maintain their health

The right sounds can create balance between the five elements of earth, water, fire, air, and space.  These elements, that are present in nature, are also present in each one of us.  Our own particular balance of the elements strongly affects our mental and physical state — so maintaining this balance is essential to good health.  There are practices of chanting certain sounds, certain syllables, which activate or pacify each of the elements.  These have a subtle but potent effect on our organs, and on our mental and spiritual states.

QUESTION:  So these sounds work on all levels—the physical, mental, and spiritual?

TENZIN WANGYAL RINPOCHE: There are different levels of sound practice.  As the health is affected, so the higher forms of consciousness — emotions, mind, spiritual practice — are also affected.  If you are chanting the syllable RAM for the fire element, for example, that vibration is going to open particular channels and chakras, which will affect certain organs, in turn giving a particular experience of higher consciousness.

QUESTION:  Mantras, strings of sacred syllables, are very important in the spiritual practices of Tibet, India, and other parts of Asia.  Can you say anything about the origins of mantras?

TENZIN WANGYAL RINPOCHE: Historically, there were enlightened individuals who themselves awakened in those sounds, who realized the power of those mantras, and saw how they could benefit sentient beings. They then developed whole cycles of teachings and practices related to those mantras.

In essence, though, it is much deeper.  Energetically, each individual sound is produced by its own root, which is beyond time and space.  This is beyond historical concept.  It says in the teaching that when the sound and innate awareness merge, it produces speech—enlightened speech and samsaric speech. So clearly, whenever we speak, if our speech is connected with awareness, it will be aware speech, very pure.

I will give an example of what I call "primordial sound."  In Bön dzogchen (Great Perfection) the three most important seed syllables are AH, OM, and HUNG. These can be written in Tibetan letters, but the real AH, OM, HUNG are the sounds themselves.  And these sounds can have a profound effect on the person chanting them.

When someone produces the sound AH, it clearly opens their heart center in a very spacious way.  This unblocks energetic, emotional, and psychological blocks.
Then, through chanting OM, one can reconnect with missing elements or qualities within oneself.  Let's say that someone has a sadness that blocks her whole existence.  With AH you open the channels, then with OM you try to connect with a sense of joy that has been hidden, and with HUNG you try to bring it into manifestation. So to use this as a practice, once connecting with the joy, we would continuously sound HUNG and feel more and more joy.  It's like charging up a potential. When the soul is finally charged with that joy, when you open your mouth, so many beautiful words come out.  You want to write letters, you want to do things for others, you want to have joy and fun in your life. Using sound in this way can be a very healing practice on many levels.

QUESTION:  It sounds like these practices are very relevant for modern people, not just for the ancient yogis.

TENZIN WANGYAL RINPOCHE: Very relevant.  In this modern time, with the many stresses we face, we need to develop ways to balance and harmonize our energy.  This is important of course for health.  But, most important, it can support our spiritual growth. That is my purpose in teaching these very ancient Bön practices — to help support people in their spiritual growth. That is the most important reason for me.