Lu Jong is an old Tibetan practice of the tradition of  Tantrayana and Bön. The body exercises have been developed in order to activate our self-healing-energies. With the help of the exercises we can support healing processes positively, overcome negative emotions and increase our energy. Lu Jong is based on Tibetan medicine, which assumes that diseases are the consequence of an imbalance of the elements or humours. Through the combination of position, movement and breath Lu Jong can open physical channels and blocks in a soft way and mobilize misdirected energy. In this way our physical health, mental clarity and vitality are improved. These characteristics are the base for spiritual practice.

What makes a good living up? And how can one form his life, in order to be able to die well? Thanks to the awareness, that our life is limited, we learn to live in the present moment. This makes us focus more on the essential and be less distracted by trivialities. The selecting and focusing of thoughts does help us not to remain in the vortex of thoughts and feelings, but to evolve. This enables us to look closely at death and the process of death and to prepare. When we are prepared for death, we can experience death in a clear state of mind. And therefore, during the process of death, we do not concentrate on our life but can prepare for the imminent death.

The cross-cultural conversation aims to shed new light on education (= learning) by acknowledging not only scholarly investigation (= science) but also the mystery of being (= emptiness). The panel’s prominent guest Tulku Lobsang Rinpoche, an energetic Buddhist teacher, has been invited to instigate a dialogue on the topic of (Un)Learning and the Science of Emptiness with researchers and educators from German institutions.

Although the idea of experiential learning has received growing recognition over the recent decades, conventional “Western” education still gives relatively little attention to learner’s inner experience. In contrast, it seems that “Eastern” traditions place inner experience central to learning.

Most recently, mindfulness and other contemplative practices are finding their ways into primary schools, high schools, and universities, often backed by scientific findings that suggest various benefits of such inner practices. Therefore, the conversation aims to uncover the value of inner experience for learning. With regard to the “science of emptiness” this will also address the notion of “un-learning” – a compelling idea in contemporary society increasingly flooded with information especially through the Internet and smartphones.

The panel aims to explore these questions:
-    What is the relation between “science” and “emptiness” in a Buddhist (Eastern) context and what in an academic (Western) context, respectively?
-    What is the role of “emptiness” for learning at schools and universities?
-    What are the chances and pitfalls of the present mindfulness hype  in education and society more broadly?


The participants of the panel-discussion:
1) Tulku Lobsang Rinpoche
2) Dr. Julia Göhler (Professor for medical education, MSB Medical School Berlin)
3) Dr. Edda Gottschaldt (Founder of Oberberg Stiftung)
Moderation: Dr. Thomas Steininger (philosopher und cultural activist)

Wisdom opens new perspectives and horizons. While it helps us to understand the unknown, it also limits us. In our search for objective truth we often forget the subjective part. We may then remain stuck in dualism and disconnect from our deep, inner wisdom. How can we reach this inner wisdom without denying outer knowledge?

In Tibetan Buddhism there are different methods to unfold our inner wisdom. In his workshop Tulku Lobsang shows us how we achieve a higher degree of liberation by “unlearning” the limitations of concepts and thereby reaching new levels of knowledge. These new levels integrate inner wisdom and outer knowledge, opening us to new perspectives – perspectives that embrace the middle way, the emptiness behind the conceptual.

All beings try to overcome suffering and reach happiness. For reaching this goal we take on a lot of effort. But all our methods cannot satisfy our ego on the long term. In Tibetan philosophy's  view happiness is based on the ability to share happiness and joy with others. The only way to reach that, is the practice of Tonglen, the principle of giving and taking. Only after learning to give without expecting something in return, giving does not have is root in our ego. This is the only way to experience permanent happiness.

Often our lifes seem complicated. This happens because we feel stressed in our daily life. During work as during our spare time - we are always stressed because we have to handle so many things; or because we think we have to handle so much. Because of this stress we feel not well, have little energy, suffer from sleep disorders and some even from burnout syndrome or depression.

Often we cannot cope with the situations and are over-challenged. One possible explanation is that it is ourselves who create the problems and waste our time with unimportant things. For example we try to change others. But how can we change our friends, family and fellow beings? It is far easier if we change ourselves. We have to learn to take decisions and to differentiate between unimportant and important things. Only this can help us to gain time, despite the supposed lack of time.

To experience love is the most important experience in our life. Through this experience our life will be meaningful and precious. Love opens our chakras and is the best method to overcome the ego. Only through the practice of overall, unconditional love we are able to practice real compassion. This is the way to approach all sentient beings with esteem and respect. The result of this is the wish to dedicate one's life to the well-being of everybody and to reduce the suffering in the world. Love enables us to master our life and to accept as well difficult living conditions instead of despairing. The power of love is as well the basis for integrating our spiritual practice in daily life. The feeling of love is innate. But as the ego grows constantly, as we identify so much with ourselves, this love often is dulled by negative emotions. Without love we are not able to see the beauty of a person, of nature, an object or a place. Because our watching for example a flower is nothing than a reflection of our own mental state. This is the reason why we are not able to see something beautiful when our capacity to love is only superficial. Once we learn to feel and gift deep, overall love, then we are able to feel deep, long-lasting happiness.

With a special combination of physical movements, breath exercises and visualization we awaken our inner fire, which burns the blockages of karmic imprints.

Tummo is our wisdom fire. It is something we naturally have within our bodies. This fire, this inner warmth, can be found in the area below the navel chakra. On a physical level it is responsible for the temperature of our body—the heat of digestion and metabolism, the heat that powers chemical reactions and builds hormones. But Tummo is much more than this! On an energetic level, the Tummo fire blazes through the channels, melting away the subtlest blockages and surging energy throughout the body. On the level of mind, Tummo is the source of love, joy, happiness and bliss.

Unfortunately, as we become older we start to lose this natural warmth. Then, our hormones and essences automatically reduce. But it doesn’t have to be this way! The Tummo practice will reignite our inner fire. Through a combination of movements, breath techniques and visualizations we generate the Tummo flame and spread it throughout the body. The flame grows, starting from below the navel and rising higher and higher. It softly penetrates each of the main chakras, spreading to all the branches and every pore of our body.

The chakras are secret doors to our being. Opening them and connecting with our Tummo fire brings us great realizations. In this way, we tap into our inner wisdom. From this great presence we can realize the true nature of our mind, fundamental wisdom, and unconditional love and compassion.

Tulku Lobsang has a very special connection to Tummo. This is his specialty and he can teach it like no other. An amazing opportunity!

As part of Tulku Lobsang Method Charity Week for Monastery in India, Tulku Lobsang will also be participating and offering this fundraising class about Lu Jong & the 5 Elements.
The total income of Rinpoche's workshop will also be donated to the Nying Drod - Warm Heart Project and dedicated to supporting the Sockpa Khangtsen housing project. The monastic community of this monastery, located in southern India, urgently needs support to finish building their housing facility to alleviate their current overcrowded conditions. In Sockpa Khangtsen monks, and in particular young monks, receive profound training in Buddhist Philosophy, traditional rituals, and general education.

Lu Jong is an old Tibetan practice. The body exercises have been developed in order to activate our self-healing-energies. With the help of the exercises we can support healing processes positively, overcome negative emotions and increase our energy. 

Lu Jong is based on Tibetan medicine, where the human body is seen as a composition of the five elements earth, fire, water, wind and space.  It is important to understand the connections and interdependence of this five elements. When the elements are out of balance, then it is quite probable to suffer from a disease. Therefore the goal is, to balance the five elements – here the 5-elements-exercises of Lu Jong are very helpful.

Through the combination of position, movement and breath Lu Jong can open physical channels and blocks in a soft way and mobilize misdirected energy. In this way our physical health, mental clarity and vitality are improved. These characteristics are the base for spiritual practice.

Tulku Lobsang will teach us the moevmentes of the five elements and the knowledge of the elements, which can be found in our body as well in nature. Knowing this, we can shape our daily life in a way where the elements support us in dealing with our tasks, instead of interfering.

The basic cause of diseases are negative emotions. Often we have heard that every human being has the power for elf healing. But mostly we are quite skeptical with those statements. Tulku Lobsang gives an explanation how we can reach our happiness by overcoming the negative emotions. For this we have to learn how to use our innate healing energies, to overcome diseases or to remain healthy. The power of our mind and our thoughts can change the well-being of our body fundamentally. In daily life we continuously worry, have fears and expectations which are not fulfilled. These negative emotions have a direct influence on our body. We learn how to evoke positive emotions for reaching mental and physical health. In Traditional Tibetan Medicine we assume that there is medicine which supports the body to become healthy. But at the end it is the self healing power which has to be activated. Because it is only the body which can heal itself.