King Ligmincha was the last Bon monarch of the ancient land of Zhang Zhung, the cradle of Tibetan civilization. As king, Ligmincha served as both spiritual and secular head of his country. In the Zhang Zhung language ligmi (lig mi) means - existence - and cha (rkya) means - honorable - or - Lord. - When Geshe Tenzin Wangyal Rinpoche founded Ligmincha Institute in 1992, he named it after King Ligmincha in order to reflect the institute's mission to preserve for future generations the qualities, values and spiritual depth of the ancient Bon teachings. Until the seventh century, Zhang Zhung was a separate state that encompassed all of western Tibet around Mount Kailash and Lake Manasarovar. A dynasty of kings ruled over its people until the eighth century, when Zhang Zhung was annexed to Tibet after the assassination of King Ligmincha (or Ligmirya) by King Trisong Detsen of Tibet.