Ligmincha Europe Magazine # 6 – Autumn 2012

RINPOCHE FELL ON MY HEAD
Introducing a sangha is always a story full of
surprises. This time we interviewed Johan
Smith from Ligmincha Danmark, an
organisation of one person and with more
than one hundred seminar participants.
When did you meet Rinpoche the first time?
I met Rinpoche in 1995 in Denmark. In the beginning
of the nineties Rinpoche gave summertime
teachings in Denmark. That year he was teaching
on the Twenty-one Nails. When I went there, I
didn't know anything about Bon. The reason I was
there was because, during my Easter vacation in
London, in a bookstore I tried to get a book about
astrology from the bookshelf, and then a book fell
from high above and hit my head. The book was
called Wonders of
the Natural Mind,
written by somebody
called Tenzin
Wangyal Rinpoche.
I bought the book
because I was a bit
superstitious, and
read it in the evenings
in London.
And when I came
home there was an
invitation in my
mail, asking if I
wanted to go to a
retreat from Tenzin
Wangyal Rinpoche.
I thought “That is
no coincidence, I
have to go.” At that
time there was a
group of students
of Namkai Norbu
Rinpoche who invited Tenzin Wangyal Rinpoche
to Denmark. They had met him in Italy.
Do you know when Rinpoche came the first time
to Denmark?
I don't know exactly, but before 1995 he had
visited Denmark two or three times. After 1995
Rinpoche didn't visit Denmark often. The next
time was in 2010, when I organized it. And next
year, September 2013, he will come again to
The sangha
Copenhagen, to teach Living in Joy, Dying in
Peace.
Can you tell us something about the sangha in
Denmark?
I don’t know how big the sangha is because we
are not organized. But at the last seminar, there
were more than one hundred people. Only a few
people come to my place to practice and
meditate once a month, for a whole day. As far as
I know there are no other practice groups, but
there are many people practicing on their own.
We tried to start a practice group in Copenhagen
after the last visit of Rinpoche. The first time
there was only me and another person practicing
at my place, so we gave up. It is difficult to get
people to come together here. I live in the
countryside, more than an hour drive from
Copenhagen. Most people feel that is a long, long
drive.
When I lived in Copenhagen, more than ten years
ago, we had a practice group there. That was
more successful. I have tried several things, but I
haven't found a way to reach more participants
for these splendid teachings. People visiting the
teachings are also interested in other directions of
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