The Twenty-One Nails from the Dzogchen Oral Transmission of Zhang Zhung 

The Word by Word Commentary to the
Root Text of the Twenty-One Nails

with Geshe Tenzin Gelek Rinpoche
Teaching Series via ZOOM

Part One: Aug 25th - October 20th, Thursdays 6:00-7:30p EST


For those who cannot attend live or would like to review, each session will be recorded and accessible for the following week.

This teaching will be a line by line teaching of the root text, along with translation and commentary from Geshe Gelek Rinpoche. 

Participants will receive a copy of this translation and commentary.

Detailed schedule and description below. 

Part 1 Only  8/25/22-11/17/22
Suggested Donation $520

(Requested range $390-$650)

All 3 Parts 8/25/22-4/6/23  
Early Bird $1000

Pricing for this course is based on a sliding scale donation system. 

The suggested donation of $360 is based on $40 per 2 hour session. 

We recognize that everyone is in a different financial situation. 

We ask those who are in the position to do so, to please donate above the suggested amount, which supports our ability to offer scholarships and accept lower donation amounts. Please consider the amount of hours of work put in to translate this text from scratch, to prepare commentary along with cross-referencing additional texts,    deliver the teaching, and to administrate the back end. The open ended donation system is intended to provide financial accessibility, not to devalue the teachings. 

Teaching Explanation:

The Dzogchen Oral Transmission of Zhang Zhung was originally transmitted from Bӧnku Küntu Zangpo mentally without words to the Nine Buddhas of the Mind Transmission. After that, it was orally transmitted successively through the Twenty- Four Dzogchen Masters without being written. Then, from Tapihritsa, these instructions were written on paper that was white like a conch shell in blue ink like turquoise by his student Gurub Nangzher Lӧpo. From then until the present, although many years have passed, the continuity of these instructions remains uninterrupted. They have not been hidden as treasures. The practice lineage and instruction lineage have been passed from one lineage Lama to the next lineage Lama. 

The power of blessings of the view of Dzogchen are great. Based on these precious instructions that are profound and clearly expressed, from the Twenty-Four Dzogchen masters who accomplished the rainbow body of great transference in their very lifetime, to the accomplished master Shardza and his students and so forth, who reached the stage of the exhaustion of the four visions, many have accomplished the rainbow body of light. 

In the present time, by the blessing of my root Lama, more and more Bӧn practitioners, not just Tibetans, but dharma brothers and sisters all around the world practice the powerful means of enlightenment in a single lifetime without relying on the striving efforts of many eons of these instructions of the Dzogchen Oral Transmission of Zhang Zhung. This individual mind-stream is escorted right on the primordial base of empty luminosity. The self-arisen momentary thoughts, the movements of happiness and sadness are liberated in their own nature from the path of liberation of the many texts of Dzogchen. 

This time, according to instructions of the Dzogchen Most Secret aspect of reaching a final resolution about the abiding mode, these are the instructions of the word by word commentary of the root text of the Twenty-One Nails. 

Therefore, based on these instructions of the Twenty-One Nails, decisive certainty is gained regarding the abiding mode of the Universal Ground by which the dualistic grasping of characteristics of cyclic existence and transcendence of suffering become liberated in their own condition. 

Based on these instructions, decisive certainty is gained regarding the abiding mode of Rigpa by which the darkness of delusion and obscurations is naturally cleared in its own condition without the need of abandoning anything. 

Based on these instructions, decisive certainty is gained regarding the abiding mode of the Intellect by which all the thoughts and memories arise as the dynamic energy of self-arisen Primordial Wisdom. 

Based on these instructions, the basis of delusion of the appearances of the sounds, lights, and rays is definitively resolved to be Rigpa itself, so you never return to the abodes of cyclic existence, and it is no longer possible to be deluded. 

Geshe Tenzin Gelek Rinpoche has agreed to teach these instructions of the Twenty-One Nails from the Dzogchen Oral Transmission of Zhang Zhung. Any students of Yundrung Bӧn who wish to learn these precious teachings are welcome to join. 

Geshe Lungtok Tenzin Gelek practices and teaches Bon Religious Tradition. Geshe la has spent most of his life at Menri Monastery, since 7 years of age, learning the Bon tradition. HH 33rd Menri Trizin Lungtok Tenpai Nyima Rinpoche taught Geshe la how to chant according to the Menri tradition. Geshe la was appointed to the high position of Chant Master or Tsok Chen Um Zed, to lead all the Menri monks proper tone and pronunciation. He held the position for 3 years. HH 33rd Menri Trizin Rinpoche also taught him Cham – the secret dance, and held the position of Dance Master for 6 years. HE Yongdzin Lopon Tenzin Namdak Rinpoche taught Geshe la the Bon Scriptures of Sutra, Tantra and Dzogchen. Geshe la would memorize all root text of these scriptures. He also learned poetry, astrology, astronomy, Tibetan medicine, and methods for constructing mandalas and stupas. Geshe la taught Bon Mool Shastra (Bon root texts of Zhang-zhung) to students at Central University of Tibetan Studies, Varanasi, India for 14 years. Geshe la is dedicated to teaching and supporting the scriptures to all who are interested.