Tsegyalgar East is Pleased to Announce Three New Santi Maha Sangha Authorized Base Teachers

[Left to right: Lynn Newdome, Michael Katz and Mariano Gill]

Tsegyalgar East is pleased to announce the authorization of Lynn Newdome from Northampton, MA, Michael Katz and Mariano Gill from NYC as Teachers of the Santi Maha Sangha Base.  These three join Jim Valby in North America as authorized SMS Teachers. 

[International SMS Teachers of the Base newly authorized with their diplomas]

They took their exams at Dzamling Gar in Tenerife, Spain where they passed along with Yantra Yoga and Vajra Dance Teachers under the guidance of Chögyal  Namkhai Norbu. Carisa O’Kelly from Tsegyalgar West was also authorized as a second level Vajra Dance teacher. In all, 17 participants from around the world took part in the examinations held at the international  Dzamling Gar. 

[Photo of entire Teachers Training group with their diplomas reprinted from Michael Katz Facebook]

What is Santi Maha Sangha Training?

Santi Maha Sangha training  is a course of study and practice in nine levels initiated by Chögyal Namkhai Norbu in 1994. The aim of Santi Maha Sangha, which in the ancient language of Oddiyana means "Dzogchen Commmunity," is to guarantee the continuation of the Dzogchen teaching as it was originally transmitted by Garab Dorje, and as the Master has been transmitting it for more than thirty years within the Dzogchen Community. After the "Base" level, whose contents are presented in The Precious Vase, there are three levels dedicated to Semde, three to Longde and the final three to Mennagde or Upadesha.  

For further information about SMS study and training programs, visit the Tsegylagar East webpages here  or go to our pages Resources for New Practitioners on this blog.  

To read Choegyal Namkhai’s article in the Mirror on the Continuation of the Dzogchen Teaching prior to the authorizations,  click here. 

[ Top photo courtesy of Naomi Zeitz]