THE MIRROR Newspaper of the International Dzogchen Community April/May2003 • Issue No. 64 Chögyal Namkhai Norbu Australia, 2003 CHÖGYALNAMKHAI NORBU The Land of Namgyalgar North SCHEDULE by Carol Albert 2003-2004 rom Chögyal FNamkhai Norbu’s holiday house at Caloundra (Aborigi- nal Kalowendha, place of beech trees), 2003 you can see the Glass RUSSIA House Mountains, May 20st Leave for Moscow hazy purple in the Australian summer Santi Maha Sangha sun. May 27th-29th Santi Maha Sangha 2nd Level Exam These great rocks May 30th-June 3rd Santi Maha Sangha 3rd Level Training have sat there for 60 million years, vol- June 5th-9th Kunsangar Retreat Teaching: Longsal Tsalung canic cores, standing guardian over the ITALY land and the sea. June 13th Leave for Rome They have seen the June 18th -22nd Dzogchen Padma Nyingthig Teaching Retreat local Aboriginal peo- Aboriginal name of Father Mountain of the Glasshouse Mountains - Tibrogargan R. ALBERT June 27th - July 14th Personal Retreat ple living there since at least 20 thousand years ago and Tibetan music and songs with us. possibly up to 50 thousand years ago, people coming Tsering performed the Black Hat dance (Shanak) to Santi Maha Sangha from other tribes to gather for the initiation ceremonies remove negative energies from the mind and evil spirits July 15th -17th Santi Maha Sangha 2nd Level Exam at the sacred sites called bora rings. In 1841 white set- from the surroundings. It goes back to the time of Pad- July 18th -22nd Santi Maha Sangha 3rd Level Training tlers witnessed 1000 Aborigines gathered at a nearby masambhava in the seventh century to harmonize ener- bora ring. gy and prevent obstacles caused by the provocations of August 10th- 16th Aretreat about Rigs-drug gnas-sbyong The Aboriginal stories go back to their Dreamtime local spirits. He also offered the dance Tashi Shoelpa, a August 18th - 20th. .Retreat with H.H. Sakya Trizin when the mountains were people, members of a family. longevity and prosperity dance performed on auspi- The mother is Beerwah meaning “up in the sky” and cious occasions, to Rinpoche for long life. USA together they are interestingly called “daki” related to As a local practitioner I was aware of the connec- August 25th Leave for New York City the Sanskrit for “sky goer”, also the Aboriginal word tion with this land which has now seen Rinpoche come August 29th -31st New York City Teaching for stones, “daki comon” or “stones standing”. to teach. September 1st Leave for Tsegyalgar The local tribes believed there are wrathful spirits September 5th - 9th Dzogchen Padma Nyingthig Teaching living on the mountains. There have been many “UFO” September 9th -14th Longsal Gongpa Ngotrod Teaching sightings of strange lights on the mountaintops. An Aboriginal guide told us there are caves where sacred Santi Maha Sangha implements were hidden. September 17th - 18th Santi Maha Sangha 1st Level Exam Now the mountain guardians have watched as 210 September 19th - 23rd Santi Maha Sangha 2nd Level Training Dzogchen retreatants have converged for the first retreat at “Namgyalgar North” with Rinpoche, again making this a sacred place. Although this extension of CALIFORNIA Namgyalgar does not own the land, the story is similar September 29 Leave for Baja, Mexico to that of the Aborigines who came from far away for October 3 -5 West Coast retreat, Baja, Mexico sacred ceremonies (at the retreat there were people from many countries). MIAMI As Rinpoche walked on the land where prayer flags October 9 Public talk -University of Miami-Coral Gables flew on bamboo poles and we sang the Song of the October 10 – 12 Dzogchen Retreat- St. John by the Lake- Miami Beach Vajra, the place was transformed, even more so as the Sog Tig Mandarava teachings continued for five days. MARGARITAISLAND, VENEZUELA Where the corroboree dance ceremonies and the tradi- October 13 Leave for Margarita. tional didgeridoos had once sounded in the area, we had October 31 – November 4 Longsal Tsalung Retreat Tsering Dorjee Bawa of the Tibetan Institute of Per- forming Arts in Dharamsala dance Tibetan sacred December 8 Margarita Long Life Practice (Rinpoche’s birthday) Tsering Dorjee Bawa performs Shanak Dance S. VORON dances, and Tsering and Tenzing Tsewang sharing BRAZIL CONTENTS December 10 Leave for San Paolo, Brazil. December 12 -14 Brazil retreat 2 Teaching by Chögyal Namkhai Norbu, Dzogchen Teachihgs, Christmas Retreat, Namgyalgar, Dec. 2002 CHILE December 16 Leave for Chile 3 “ I am Almost Optimistic”, Interview with Chögyal Namkhai Norbu December 18 Talk on Tibetan Medicine December 19 -21 Santiago retreat 5 Retreat in Noumea, New Caledonia by Maria Simmons ARGENTINA 6 Retreat with Yuchen & Rosa Namkhai, Tashigar, 2003 by Marisa Alonso December 22 Leave for Cordoba 7-9 Shang Shung Institute News 2003 – 2004 December 26 – January 2 Tashigar retreat 11-18 Community News Santi Maha Sangha January 6 - 8 SMS Base Exam January 9 - 13 SMS 1st Level Training 19 Featured Ling: Dejam Ling, France January 15 - 16 SMS 1st Level Exam 16 Featured Ling: Dorjeling in Lithuania January 17- 21 SMS 2nd Level Training January 23 SMS 2nd Level Exam 20-21 International Community Contacts January 24- 28 SMS 3rd Level Training 22-23 Reflections, Illness and the Practitioner NEW 2004 schedule for 24 How I Met Chögyal Namkhai Norbu by Jan Cornall Chögyal Namkhai Norbu summer merigar & autumn usa retreat details pages 4 & 5 see bottom of page 4 Chögyal Namkhai Norbu would like to welcome everyone learned that when we visit small benefits, but small benefits Ito this retreat. We have an almost the doctor we should ask cannot really help to free us from comfortable place to do retreats. very precise questions so samsara. The teaching is to free us we do not remain in doubt from samsara, from all our emo- Sacrifice about what to do. Then tions, etc., not only to have some when we understand, we small benefit. In general, in my experience, when can apply that. It is not suf- we follow the teachings, we are not ficient only that we have So all of this is very important and always that comfortable. We are medicine; we must take related with our awareness. We comfortable when we go on holi- that medicine. In the same must understand this particularly days, but not for the teaching. It is we follow the teaching; when we do a retreat. For example, almost a kind of tradition. There is first we learn in order to from today we have seven more also a reason and that reason is that know why and what for and days of retreat; this is a longer people who are interested in the after we use what we learn retreat, not a short one. In general, I teachings need to understand that to have some benefit. do many weekend retreats of only the teachings are something valu- three days. Seven days seems to be able, and since they are valuable we This is what we call the many days, but in the real sense it is must make some sacrifices. three considerations. The not, it passes very quickly. So it is teacher of the three consid- very important that you concentrate If you read the history of Milarepa erations is like a doctor, the for that short time and learn some- you will understand his sacrifice. teaching is like medicine or thing concrete in order to have There was also a reason for his suf- the advice of the doctor and some benefit. Then, when we have fering; Milarepa lived in Tibet we are the person who is ill. finished this retreat, you can ask where it was not comfortable, not Rinpoche, Namgyalgar, Australia E. JOUAN If we follow in that way yourself, “What have I learned and even for teachers. He also made then it has some benefit. understood?” That is something sacrifices for purification and the Dzogchen Teaching important. teaching. That is a traditional kind Chögyal Namkhai Norbu Intellectual learning does of way. When I was small I made a not have much benefit. In If you have only learned how to sit lot of sacrifices both for study and The Three Considerations, The Three Gates & general, most people learn and breathe when doing practice, for learning how to do the practice. Awareness the teachings in an intellec- these are only secondary things and For example, when I was in col- Christmas Retreat at Namgyalgar tual way. We can also learn not the main point. Of course you lege, I had no food for many December 26, 2002 about medicine in an intel- can learn these things, they are nec- months. I spent time without food Part I lectual way, but if we never essary and, in any case, whether because my family was not very use the medicine, behavior you practice or not, you sit some- near and couldn’t bring me any a teacher and that is one circum- When we are conditioned by these or diet, we cannot have any benefit where. There are correct ways to sit food. Other families who lived stance. There is not only a teacher, emotions it is very similar to having even though we may understand it and this brings some benefit for that nearby promised to bring me food but the teacher has received trans- an illness. We cannot control the very well. person while the incorrect way cre- because the college did not provide mission and has the possibility to emotions by ourselves and they ates some problems. That is an it, but after some time these fami- transmit that teaching. Also, there create problems. That is a particular It is very important that we are example.