The Mirror 58 September-October 2001
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THE MIRROR Newspaper oí the International Dzogchen Community Sept/Oct 2001« Issue No.'Sl.Ç-g Kunsangar 2 0 0 1 the retreat, "....rain all the time." So lung of many other practices and Rinpoche lead us in the practice of taught us how to integrate the Scrkyem and the rain finished as teachings in our daily lives with hundreds and hundreds of people Guru Yoga and the practice of arrived. For a person familiar with night. the preparation for retreats in Nam Then the crowds melted away, gyalgar for maybe 230 people, this the colored canopies disappeared was an awe-inspiring organization and a rhythm of early morning al task. How did they do it? Not practice, dance courses, and study understanding the language meant developed. There was time for that 1 could experience the results of some conversations with members collaboration while being ignorant of the Gakyil. now able to rest a lit of the details. I noticed the fantastic tle, and for a living visit to sound-system, the careful security, Moscow. Rinpoche walked through the long hours put in by workers in the Gar to identify the places for the office and shop, meetings and retreat huts and indicated the future # discussions, people working all the development tor the big unfinished time, and the great crowd of people building - including the completion arriving each morning to attend the of the swimming pool - clarifying teachings. the vision for the next phase of Rinpoche taught us about the development. purpose and significance of such a As Rinpoche returned to his retreat, what it means to become a house 1 stepped forward and said student, to have a root master: the good-bye - and only the knowledge importance or working with cir that I was headed to Merigar n the way to Russia I almost speechless with joy to see When it was my turn to do a S.M.S. cumstances, of our behavior stopped me from wailing. became for several hours and speak with Rinpoche. Then I exam I was confronted yet again towards each other in the communi Othe kind of passenger other was ushered into the dorm and with my own ignorance and dis ty and of the community in the local passengers tell horror stories about. inducted into all its workings by traction and with the great pre- area - understanding and paying "'And there was this woman who Lena - our commandant extraordi ciousness of the Santi Maha Sang- respect to the different dimensions. coughed and sneezed and blew her naire. ha and the boundless compassion He explained and gave transmission nose for the entire journey. It was of Guru Yoga and Shitro. gave the Over the next days impres and generosity of our Master in giv disgusting!" The coughs, sneezes sions crowded in. flavored with jet- ing us these teachings. In the days and runny nose (which had come existence. Maybe we can ^ay that lag and incomprehension of even after the exam Rinpoche save Terrible Tuesday upon me in the last days before this is a deeply important teaching, the written word. Pine trees and teachings in the morning, and Jim New York City leaving Australia) and I all arrived and Adriano explained practices important in the understanding of long evening light, cold weather September 11th, 2001 on time at the Sheremetyevo Air the value of the v ast numbers ot all ("very unusual for June"), students and answered questions with great port after thirty hours and then innocent lives lost every where and of S.M.S attending teachings or patience and good humor in the "What we can do to help these poor made a slow procession through families devastated in the blink of studying for first or second level afternoons and on countless other people who died is through prac passport control and customs. Sud an eye. and important in the value exams, the newly painted dance occasions as students from so many tice." Chögyal Namkhai Norbu denly amidst the unfamiliar lan of the enormous teaching on imper mándalas in the Vajra Hall, the distant places asked for help in guage and the swirl of people there manence: from one moment to the mosquitoes - so numerous that understanding texts and practices. he practitioners of the Interna was a piece of paper with my name, next normal life in New York City opening the mouth created a seri Amongst the travelers at Kunsan tional Dzogchen Community and above it the smiling welcoming T on a golden autumn day going to ous risk of suffocation - the newly gar were some who had been to responded quickly to the terrible faces of Anna and Misha. work was instantaneously trans developed catering area producing Namgyalgar at different times. tragedy of September 11 th. in New- formed into hell on earth. They were also meeting Rosa three meals a day. And buildings Meeting them again, and meeting York City, with Shitro practice to There are no guarantees in who arrived just a little while later everywhere - dormitory blocks, lit for the first time so many practi assist the thousands of innocent samsara. That is its nature and this and then we were driving through tle houses, boiler house, pump tioners from so many places people who died. Chögyal is what drives us to practice, to the outskirts of Moscow with house, and one huge incomplete strengthened the awareness of this Namkhai Norbu had also recom somehow fathom the confounding Misha saying cheerfully (apropos building with a half-finished swim Dzogchen Community as truly mended Shitro practice. of seat belts) "In Russia everyone is international. All the colors and fla nature of our perceived reality from ming pool in the lower level. Here Here in Conway, at Tsegyal- responsible for their own lives", as vors of the different cultures were our limited vision by opening that and there was also rusty play gar. we received the news that he negotiated with great aplomb the there, and never more apparent vision. And to offer what assistance ground equipment and statues of morning as did most of the rest of twin hazards of Russian drivers and than when thirty or more of us were we can from our understanding and Russian youth - ghostly reminders planet, with great shock and horror the winter-damaged Russian roads. crowded into a six-bed room to sing methods. that this was once a summer camp and then tremendous sadness. Away from Moscow we went and to listen to the glorious, soulful for children. Some of the New York Community swiftly through villages and into Russian songs, the cheeky Italian, by Naomi Zeitz And all the while the commu members were direct witnesses, the woods and through the gate into the bluesy American. nity of Kunsangar working tireless some living near by assisted rescue Kunsangar. and immediately into ly to maintain the program of exams "...and didn't it rain children." workers, and one was even miracu the newly constructed Vajra Hall, CONTENTS and teachings and to prepare for the (unusual for this time of the year.) lously rescued from under one of tilled with practitioners because big retreat, and offering kindness while in the big open field strange the towers which fell down on an there was a Ganapuja. I was so very TSEGYALGAR, and welcome to their somewhat dis flowers appeared - the brilliantly underground structure called the happy to enter this mandala and USA oriented Aussie Vajra sister. colored canopies in preparation for Winter Garden where she was lock fí\GE 15 ing up her bicycle that morning. MERIGM. We found a television in the ÍT.MY neighborhood which had 24 hour NAMKHAI NORBU RINI'OCHE'S SCHEDULE 2001-2002 R\GE !2 news access and after the initial impact some of us went there to KUNSANGAR, To all people who were planning to attend the Decem For the Venezuelan Gakyil and Tashigar North Com RUSSIA ber Retreat in Margarita Island in Venezuela: mittee watch the terrible image over and R\GEl4 Chogyal Namkhai Norbu's Schedule over together to help us assimilate Please be advised that Rinpoche has informed us that 200 Í-2002 the unbelievable, unacceptable NAMGYALGAR. AUSTRAUA he has decided to hold the coming Christmas and event and also to he together in our fear ami grief. Numb. We were R\GE ¡8 Longde Retreats, in Tashigar South (Argentina), October 7th numb. instead of in Margarita Island, Venezuela (Tashigar Leave for Margarita Island TASHIGAR. North). What can one say about the ARGENTINA /MoT 17 He will stay in Venezuela until December, at which TASHIGAR. ARGENTINA unexpected, calculated, unfath time he will leave for Argentina. Rinpoche will return Christmas Retreat omable terror that occurred on one SPECIAL to Margarita in January. We will be posting all relevant beautiful September morning in 1 information, regarding Margarita and planned 2002 December 26th. 2001 - January 2nd. 2002 New York City FEATURED I CvO activities, on our WEB page, to be presented shortly. We can say that there is noth KlSSEtiJNC. We trust that everyone concerned will be able to make I Updates for the schedule of 21X12 TBA1 ing unexpected in samsara. There is VK the necessary changes in their travel arrangements. no concrete, permanent reality. Suf I lugoGroening fering i-. the nature of our relative Chögyal Namkhai Norbu elcome to everyone, particu some benefit. If you learning and following this teach Wlarly to people who have are not, then you ing?" Then there is a very precise traveled a long distance. I hope you always have this idea in a real sense.