Yangti Retreat at Merigar West
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No. 111 July, August 2011 Upcoming Retreats with Chögyal Namkhai Norbu Photo: G. Horner 2011 France September 14–18 Visit Laerabling Paris September 23–25 Teachings in Paris Photo: P. Fassoli Spain Barcelona Sept. 30–Oct. 6 Yangti Retreat at Rigdzin Changchub Dorje’s precious Terma teaching “Lama Zabdon Nyingthig” Tenerife October 14–23 Merigar West Tibetan Culture Event Jacqueline Gens October 28–30 Thödgal Retreat etween Tsegyalgar East located in motivations of behavior in an atmosphere the enrichment of his students by provid- November 11–17 rural Massachusetts US where I of civility and beauty before our Master’s ing ever more essential methods which Ati Yoga Retreat Bcurrently live and Merigar West in presence. each offer complete paths unto themselves USA rural Tuscany, Italy there isn’t much dif- is a unique hallmark of his Longsal teach- New York ference during the month of August. Rolls For those attending the special Yangti teach- ings. The special Yangti teachings that the December 9–14 of hay adorn new mown fi elds, wild fl ow- ings taught by Chögyal Namkhai Norbu in approximately1400 participants received at 3rd Tibetan Language Congress ers proliferate, and the intense heat ripens Merigar West, a different kind of ripen- Merigar West were indeed marvelous. tomatoes and other fruits. Perhaps this is ing seemed to manifest. Rinpoche taught Venezuela true of most lings and gars – at least all on his Longsal text, KLONG GSAL DUNG Chögyal Namkhai Norbu remains one of Dec. 27–Jan. 2, 2012 over the Northern hemisphere where the RAS MAN NGAG YANG TI’I NYAMS KHRID the most prolifi c masters in modern times Tashigar Norte Retreat last days of summer are waning as the sea- originating from dreams he received at whose scholarship and teaching is monu- Argentina son is poised to change. But, of course, Tsegyalgar East in dark retreat almost 20 mental in scope, with a visionary capacity January 20–24 we are not speaking here of the ripening years ago to the date, in order to offer this unrivaled among his peers. In the future Tashigar South Retreat of mundane fruits, lovely as they are, but special teaching to his students with pre- when he will be a legend, countless beings of the ripening of the perfect moment, the cise clarifi cations of the methods utilized will achieve realization through his trans- February 3–7 perfect teacher, the perfect place, the per- in the original Yangti text, DUNG MTSHO mission. And to boot, now in the present Tashigar South, 2nd Retreat fect students in order to receive the perfect RAS PA by Tungtso Repa. As these are ex- one can always reach him by email. He is February 22 teachings. That is what tradition dictates. tremely secret teachings bound by the seal totally accessible and with us at all times Tibetan Losar I am not sure about the “perfect students” of samaya, what can one say except that we both in the transmission and via these but we all have that intention. At Merigar are always the benefi ciaries of an extraor- marvelous electronic communications sys- Australia West, the jewel of our international com- dinary lineage of our Master’s Longsal tems or in the aftermath of each teaching March 16–22 munity, it is easy to aspire to those higher teachings. His boundless generosity for >> continued on page 26 Namgyalgar North Retreat April 6–12 Namgyalgar South Retreat Teaching Focus Anniversary Asia April 27 Leave for Singapore Chögyal Namkhai A Tibetan Merigar 30 May 10 Norbu Master in Leave for Hong Kong The Union of Maha- Naples mudra and Dzogchen May 16–20 Hong Kong or Macao Retreat Pages 10–13 » >> continued on page 26 » Page 2 and 25–26 » Pages 14–16 THE MIRROR · No. 111 · July, August 2011 2 The Union of Mahamudra and Dzogchen, by the Great Kagyudpa Master Araga Karma Chagme Excerpt from the third day of the retreat given by Chögyal Namkhai Norbu 26th June 2011, Merigar West, Italy Purifi cation f we don’t purify when we have done something wrong, even if we only did a slightly negative action Ithat has a very small potentiality of negative karma it nevertheless becomes heavy because, not having been purifi ed, it associates with other thoughts and increasing more and more it becomes very serious. This is just like the example I told you about the monks and nuns, when they have taken complete vows. Even if they have only done one of the ninety different kinds of least serious negative ac- tions, if they do something wrong every day of course they can accumulate many of them. This doesn’t mean that when you become a monk or nun you never do anything wrong. It is normal and it can also create many problems. But they then do purifi cation twice a month. They not only purify their bad actions, they also repair any damage they have done. Doing that twice a month, they are purifi ed. Of course monks and nuns need to do that with the Sangha. Maybe you have seen this in a fi lm. His Holiness the Dalai Lama does this ceremony every fi fteen days. There are two Photo: G. Horner small groups of monks: one group is the elder group and the other is the younger group. They pay respect to each I am not saying that husbands and wives should never purifi cation and after we have done it, to be present in that other and then they do purifi cation of each other. Even if separate. If you can’t get on well together, of course you way, keeping that in mind. you have accumulated only one small bad deed and you can also separate paying respect to each other. But it is not don’t purify it, after one month, or two months or a lit- necessary to fi ght and create so many tensions and prob- If we have not purifi ed, even if only one day passes, it con- tle longer time, that one of the ninety least bad deeds be- lems. Your relationship of Vajra is much more important tinues to develop. Why does it develop? Because we are al- comes just like one of the thirteen heavier ones. Now it is than money, house and everything. You know very well ways thinking and judging. Mind is always associated with more diffi cult to purify. That is an example showing that that when you die you won’t be able to take even one euro those kinds of problems and they develop continually. we need to purify everything frequently and immediately. or dollar with you. What could you do then, if you are too This is not only for monks and nuns in the Vinaya. This is attached to those things? They are relative; they are not so If we purify concretely with our intention, there does not an example for everybody. very important. What is very important is your relation- exist anything we couldn’t purify. For example, if there are ship of the Vajra. We really must be careful of that. I have very dirty things on our clothes or something, if we wash Also in Vajrayana teaching, as well as in the Dzogchen always found that is the most diffi cult thing. them with water we can clean them. In the same way, we teaching, we know very well we have Samaya commit- can eliminate and purify all our thoughts and these kinds ments, particularly commitments of paying respect be- Some people say, “I have a good intention and a good re- of tensions. If we did something wrong, we know it is very tween sisters and brothers of Vajra. This is one of the lationship and I keep my Samaya between my teacher and bad, it is not good. Now we want to liberate it immediately. heavier problems we have in the Dzogchen community. me.” There is no difference between your relationship For example, maybe you ate some kind of poison by mis- Many people ignore this and when they are angry they no with your teacher and your relationship with your broth- take; you thought it was some kind of food but later on you longer remember that this is their Vajra brother or sister. ers and sisters of Vajra. Try to remember to read the Mar- discovered it was poison. If you were to discover you had For example, when husband and wife or engaged couples mei Monlam (mar mei smon lam), Invocation of the Butter eaten poison you couldn’t remain indifferent. You would fall in love they are very happy and they come together to Lamp. It says how important this relationship of Vajra is. try to do something straight away to purify it otherwise you a retreat. Even when receiving teachings they sit very close For that reason, if we did something wrong we should pu- would die. In the same way, if we did something wrong, together, in Italian it is called ‘appiccicato’, clinging to rify it. For example, we do Ganapuja regularly. Each time then we need to purify it immediately. If you notice you did each other. As soon as they feel tired of each other or if we do the One Hundred Syllable mantra in the Ganapuja something wrong and you are very sorry and want to pu- they are jealous of each other, these husbands and wives we purify our samaya. rify, if you purify in it that way you will a fi nd it easier to do.