In this edited
excerpt from an interview published in Voice
of Clear Light, February 2008, Geshe Tenzin Wangyal Rinpoche
discusses the ancient Bon practice of soul retrieval.
Voice of
Clear Light: Are soul retrieval and life-force
retrieval two separate practices? How are these two connected?
Tenzin
Wangyal Rinpoche: The text I will be teaching from
has two parts: soul retrieval (la gu) and life-force
retrieval(tse
gu). These two factors are distinct, but they are
integrally related. Somehow, the soul appears to serve as a deeper
foundation of the life force. If the soul is healed, the life force
is strong. If the soul is damaged, the life force declines.
VOCL: In the Bon
tradition, what is the meaning of soul?
TWR: One way to look at
your soul is as your spiritual essence: that which is fed by the
activity of virtue. Another way we can look at the soul is as a
balance of the five natural elements of earth, water, fire, wind
and space at a very subtle level. In the Tibetan spiritual
traditions, this balance of the characteristics of all five
elements equates to one's spiritual essence.
In one individual, all five elements may be in balance.
Another individual may naturally have a lot of fire in their
personality, more so than other people. Yet, within each element
there is always some level of the four other elements; for example,
the fire element is comprised of space fire, air fire, earth fire,
and so on. So, even someone with a fiery personality can have a
healthy balance of the elements.
However, sometimes we can lose this balance because of
negative karmic ripening;
because of long-term pain, conflict, stress or tension; or because
of lack of skill in dealing with situations that arise in our
lives. When one faces more than one is able to digest or deal with,
when it becomes too much, it begins to damage the individual. It
does not necessarily affect your physical health right away, but it
may affect your personality, your mood, or in a deeper sense, the
emotions and thoughts that arise from that imbalance of the
elements.
Someone with a lot of fire may normally have a sense of
joy, of creativity, of enthusiasm, while still maintaining some
sense of stability from the earth element and flexibility from the
air element, for example. But when there is an imbalance of the
elements, the person will not feel the same. They may feel unhappy,
with no desire to do things, and no energy. If they live too long
with that imbalance, over time they may become physically ill.
In the soul retrieval practice the practitioner can
retrieve the elemental essences they need by connecting with
nature, with the forces of time, with the forces of the enlightened
refuge tree, of the healing spirits, of the support of the
community of practitioners, of one's individual wishes, of ritual,
of mantra — through all those things, formally or informally the
practitioner is able to retrieve the qualities.
Sometimes we may be hit with a challenge, and before we
can deal with it we are hit by another challenge. When there is a
constant onslaught, we may feel like we can't cope anymore. As we
are engaged with one problem, other deeper issues come to hurt us
internally, and there is a pervasive imbalance of energy. When this
cycle persists, soul retrieval is very necessary.
If you are deeply affected by a big shock or trauma
that happens in your life, it will be because of the accumulation
of past imbalances.
It is important when coming to these retreats not to
think you are coming only to learn something in order to help
yourself, or to come only because you work in a healing profession.
Of course, you can come for those reasons, but most important,
every now and then, you should attend a retreat like this to
retrieve the qualities you need and help put yourself back on
track. Internally, spiritually, energetically, you are coming back
to that place where you are a healthy, balanced person.
