NEWS Snow Lion Publications PO Box 6483, Ithaca, NY 14851 607-273-8519 Orders: 800-950-0313 Volume 19, Number 4 FALL 2005 ISSN 1059-3691 BN:86605 3697 NEWSLETTER & CATALOG Dalai Lama in Arizona Interview with “I’ll use these three days to dis- Life, are liberally flavored with his JEFFREY HOPKINS cuss the potentials of our inner contagious good humor and inter- world,” says the Dalai Lama. The esting forays. days is question are September 16- His Holiness recollects his strug- On the release of two new books 18, and the setting is a huge, hid- gles as a young boy to memorize eously carpeted conference room various texts. Apparently he would YOGA TANTRA: at a resort in Tucson. His Holi- be hit with a yellow whip when Paths to Magical Feats ness is sitting on a dais in front of he failed to perform up to expecta- an unusual black tangka depict- tion. “The memorization of this text ABSORPTION IN NO ing a Buddha floating above what under the shadow of this yellow EXTERNAL WORLD appears to be an Arizona mountain. whip was not easy,” he recalls. of mind,” he adds. “It’s not about Tall pink flowers lean out of vases In a discussion about severe closing your eyes and just becoming arrayed across the stage, rather like drowsiness during meditation, he relaxed. If it were, the rabbits would Q: I have to confess I’m intrigued by indiscrete desert flamingos. recommends that the practitioner be very good at it.” the subtitle, Magical Feats. I’m won- Here, in the Marriott Starr Pass In response to a question about dering if you’ve ever seen a magical Resort—a quasi 21st-century god- helping pets who have died, His feat—walking on water, finding trea- realm—food appears and disap- “Sometimes people mistakenly think that Holiness comments that the pat- sures, and so forth. pears, the swimming pools are terns in the bardo are the same for - Buddhism promotes JH: Actually, one of the feats is mostly empty, and the views spec humans and animals. He points tacular. Just about the only perfection knowing all treatises—which people without emotion,” out that just as prayers by a teacher required of the attendees is patience, means understanding a treatise as he says, “but Buddhism can have a beneficial outcome for and an immunity to hayfever. soon as you read it. There was a calm abiding and special insight promotes a very high level students, prayers by an owner can His Holiness, along with many yogi in Dharamsala who was one according to theYoga Tantra exposi- of emotion—empathy with have a positive effect on pets. members of the audience, is react of the yogis studied by Dr. Herb tion. And also on the magical feats - About relationships, he notes how ing to a potent allergen in the air. all sentient beings—not Benson’s team—I served as liaison that are used in the process of accu- detachment.” quickly so-called love can turn into in that study on heat yoga. This mulating merit in order to enhance He sneezes—and suggests that the hatred. His comment: “If intimacy crowd will have to say “God bless yogi was the most impressive of the path to enlightenment. is based on a genuine recognition of that impressive group. He had little you” to him frequently. It’s a joke “walk around, wash the face, find an Q: Why would magical feats be an the person and his qualities, that kind education, but it was easy for him to of course, but the group of several expansive view toward the horizon— important accomplishment on the path of love is much more stable and less understand extremely complicated thousand complies loudly several and in the future eat less dinner.” For to enlightenment? likely to slide toward hostility.” And material. times throughout the weekend. In those who have “too many internal adds that a genuine recognition of JH: They’re important because they accord with the Dalai Lama’s usual processes,” he suggests a meditation interdependence is key. Q: Why is The Great Exposition of can be used to the benefit of sen- - style, the teachings, a rich presenta on counting the breath, from one to “Negative emotions are impul- Secret Mantra—of which Yoga Tantra tient beings. For instance, pacifying tion based on chapter 8 of Shantide- ten, and then back down from ten sive; positive emotions are grounded is a section—an important work? disease in an area, increasing your Guide to the Bohdisattva’s Way of va’s to one. “It relaxes the mind and pre- upon a realistic way of seeing JH: Just as there’s Dzong-ka-ba’s own intelligence so that you can vents distraction.” things and are complemented with Great Treatise on the Stages of the Path understand difficult points of doc- trine, making it easier to achieve (Above photo of the Dalai Lama in “In meditation you’re trying to wisdom,” he observes. for the practice of the path in the realization, finding treasures in the Tucson by Kathryn Wilde.) attain a very alert and clear state “Sometimes people mistakenly Sutra systems in Geluk, for tantra think that Buddhism promotes there is Dzong-ka-ba ’s presentation ground, even deposits of gold or people without emotion,” he says, of all four tantra sets in The Great oil—as His Holiness says—for the “but Buddhism promotes a very high Exposition of Secret Mantra. sake of gaining wealth that can be of Forward Service Re 14851 Ithaca, NY PO Box 6483 Snow Lion Publications level of emotion—empathy with all In Yoga Tantra, Dzong-ka-ba puts assistance to others. As for walking ■ sentient beings—not detachment.” a lot of emphasis on how to develop (Continued on page 5) quested Practical Mindfulness Techniques by HIS HOLINESS JIGDAL the Sutra and Tantra. The Sutric DAGCHEN SAKYA teachings are known as the outer or exoteric teachings, while the Tantric Mindfulness Meditation teachings are referred to as the inner Techniques or secret teachings. In the Sutra Every day we have different mental (Mahayana) level of teachings, one experiences. We are in a good mood must practice The Six Perfections or a bad mood. We are happy or including generosity, moral behav- unhappy. These thoughts are always ior, patience, diligence, meditation, working on us. These experiences and wisdom. In Tantra (Vajrayana), are natural, but it is important to the individual meditates on a par- understand their nature. They arise, ticular deity. abide, and cease, continually and Meditating on deities helps us seemingly without end. to alleviate our physical suffer- We must understand the origins ing. Our active minds cause us to of our thoughts. To accomplish this, In Calm Abiding meditation, as we have mental discomfort. Impure we should practice Calm Abiding observe our thoughts, the number and Insight Meditation. As part of of thoughts decreases until we can Impure vision and one’s meditation, posture should be naturally experience calm, abiding pure vision are very considered. When we sit up straight, peace and happiness. much connected to our psychic channels open up and When we examine the mind, we stabilize our mental state; it helps to notice that it has no color, shape our motivation. ITHACA, NY14851 PERMIT NO. 746 PERMIT U.S. POSTAGE U.S. POSTAGE straighten our mind, and improves or size. As much as we look, the PRSRT STD PRSRT the breathing. Analyzing the func- “mind” or “I” cannot be found. The visions occur when we have cling- PAID tion and nature of the mind, and conclusion is that the mind is empty ing or grasping or attachment to the observing how thoughts, emotions, of a singular or plural nature. activities of Samsara. This clinging and feelings arise for a moment, and grasping acts like a burden, cease, and then change into another Advanced Meditation Practices dragging us down, and it makes thought or feeling is very beneficial We practice Buddhism through dif- our mind heavy. If we have a pure for pacifying the mental sufferings. ferent levels of teachings including (Continued on page 17) SNOW LION 1 NEWS Highest Yoga Tantra by Daniel Cozort THIS EXTRAORDINARY BOOK CLEARLY OUTLINES AND discusses the methods for transforming both body and mind through the highest forms of tantric practice. Highest Yoga Tantra is the pin- nacle of tantric systems found in the Tibetan Buddhist tradition. • Part One discusses the practices common to sutra and tantra. • Part Two presents the generation stage of Highest Yoga Tantra. • Part Three covers the entirety of the completion stage yogas (i.e., physical isolation, verbal isolation, mental isolation, illusory body, clear light, and union). • Part Four compares the Kalachakra and Guhyasamaja stages of completion. Remarkable for its defi nitive clarity, this exposition of the stages of Highest Yoga Tantra is the fi rst of its kind in the English language and a must for anyone interested in these highest tantras. “This book is an extremely lucid overview of the generation and completion stages of Highest Yoga Tantra.” —THE MIDDLE WAY This book deserves to be a most popular book on Tantra. It captures both the essence and detail that bring these esoteric topics to life.”—JEFFREY HOPKINS, University of Virginia “...the best introduction to the subject, well written and authoritative.”—JOHN POWERS, Australian National University DANIEL COZORT is Professor of Religion at Dickinson College. He received his Ph.D. from the University of Virginia, has studied with many Tibetan lamas, curated an exhibition of Tibetan tantric art, and is the co-author one-pointedness that realizes empti- are above all addressed to men of Buddhist Philosophy.