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The Mirror 30 March-April 1995

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The Mirror 30 March-April 1995 NON-PROFIT ORG. U.S. Postage PAID Conway MA Permit No. 15 THE MIRROR Newspaper of the International Dzogchen Community March/April 1995 • Issue No. 30 The Chinese Ox Prognostic for the Year 1995 by Dr. Phuntsog Wangmo teaches how natural events influ­ ence and condition the body and Here, based on the Chinese Ox mind of living beings. Thus it Prognostic, a simple and excel­ prepares farmers, nomads and lent method of divination found other people to face possible dif­ among the many manuals of ficulties and to advise them on Elemental Astrology, the time of sowing, and so forth. According to the instructions Elemental or black astrolo­ of my teachers and the hooks, I gy considers the balance or have clearly determined some imbalance of the outer macro- events of the present year. cosmic elements, and of the May the experts be the wit- inner or microcosmic elements and their mutual relationship. By means of this calculation one Traditional medicine and can determine the danger or astrology are two sciences of advantages with respect to life, great importance in the field of the physical body, prosperity, 'natural knowledge.' Medicine fortune and life energy. maintains life free of illness, Following such prognostic cures diseases and provides long advice one can avert unfortunate life and is therefore useful at conditions through behavior and The Forests of East Tibet every stage of life. Astrology rituals with such precision as to has the same importance. resemble the work of a clairvoy­ ant mind. An Enchanted and Endangered Treasure There are two types of astrology practiced in Tibet: Before the development of by Daniel Winkler white and black astrology. Once white astrology, wise and intelli­ it was believed that 'white' gent Tibetans developed their Three years ago, after many years way through the rocks like a ser­ over. In the juniper forest of the referred to India and 'black' to own way of making predictions of study and preparation, I was pent and suddenly entered into a southern slope, bright sunlight China. However, nowadays this based on the observation of the finally able to research firsthand small narrow valley guarded by bathed huge tufts of grass that interpretation is widely criti­ stars, the waxing and waning of the forests of Eastern Tibet. I towering cliffs on both sides. would have been perfect as beds cized. Generally, 'white' indi­ the moon, the movement of the spent six weeks in Jiuzhaigou Soon the terrain opened up into a on which to rest our completely cates astrology of the planets sun, external events such as the Nature Reserve in NNW-Sichuan, wide fertile pasture, now over­ exhausted and protesting bodies. etc., and 'black' refers to astrol­ migration of birds, growth and between Sung-pan and the border grown by willows and shrubs. A It was already 4:00 pm ogy of the elements. changes in the woods, in lakes of Gansu Province, collecting purple flowering monkshood- when we finally reached treeline White astrology, which is and in ice. Based on their expe­ data for my Master thesis in vine formed a gate as we entered at 3700m (12,000 ft) and found, used to prepare the lunar calen­ rience of such observations they geography and ecology. The an impressive dark stand of old to our disbelief, a small wooden dar, determines the mutations of developed their own form of Tibetan natives of that region, firs mixed with bright orange- hut used by plant gatherers and sky and earth: the four seasons, indigenous astrology. who follow Bon, know the valley red barked birches, which wel­ Yak herders when crossing the atmospheric changes, climatic Under the tutelage of the as Zitsha Degù, which means as comed us to the world of forest, pass. This would have been the changes, changes in the earth, in succession of Tibetan kings, much as, "Nine Villages of the real untouched pristine forests. perfect base-camp for thorough the vegetation, hail, storms, learned scholars added to this Turquoise Salt," referring to the Here, the ever-present arrow- research at these high elevations. earthquakes, floods, cold winds, knowledge, the quintessence of 108 beautiful turquoise lakes ter­ bamboo graciously left some But as was the case, I had only the nature of the crops, of cattle, other systems of astrological raced by endless dams of lime­ space for ferns, wild ginseng and one hour to take notes and to eclipses of sun and moon etc. It continued on page 14 stone outcropping. Rodgersias. We followed a bare­ collect all the specimens I need­ Since my arrival I had tried ly trodden track, that took a sub­ ed before rushing down 1600m to research at treeline, but stantial amount of concentration of altitude to reach the narrow because my Chinese counterparts to decipher, along a creek pass­ continued on page 15 Wood Boar Year 2122 were afraid of the dangers of the ing through a grove of birches "unknown wild" they were more which seemed like they were 2 MARCH 1995 CONTENTS than reluctant to support my aim. under a magical spell of sleep. Only on the final day was I told Beard-lichens, known as Dakini The Three Sacred Principles .... 2 that there was, in fact, a path up Hair in Bhutan, were hanging Part I: Refuge and Bodhicitta the Yala Pass, where I hoped down in long green strands from Chógyal Namkhai Norbu finally to conclude my forest the gnarled branches of the Harmonizing the Elements 4 vegetation studies. birches, giving the impression of through the Namkha grace and beauty amidst decay. Cheh Göll On the last day of our stay, Everywhere we looked, there Lives of the Great Masters 5 my wife Heidi and I left the main were these strands of hair flow­ valley in the pitch black of night Jamyang Khyentse Wangpo ing in the wind and hanging and headed toward Yala Pass, our Book Reviews 5 from giant green lichen-encrust­ goal being treeline. Shortly Within the Flow of Time 6 ed limbs that appeared to have before sunrise we passed by the An lmeniew with Peter Demitrov arthritis instead of heads. houses of Heye village, built International Gakyil 7-72 mostly of wood with shingle As we climbed higher, the News roofs, which do not differ much gully became steeper and steep­ 1995 Practice Calendar 9-70 from the traditional farm houses er. Often we had to leave the Chògyal Namkhai Norbu of the Alps. Their style reflects river bed to bypass huge vertical On Tara Mandala 72 the abundance of timber, as well steps of bare rock. The ground In the Eye of the Hurricane.... 13 as precipitation. When the sun was covered by a deep soft and Michael Katz finally made it over the towering soggy carpet of moss that was Threads of Luminosity 16 peaks to the east we had already almost too beautiful to walk on, Tsultrim Allione lost our way. However, after los­ not to mention too squishy! The Mudra of Samaya 77 ing two hours searching for an impenetrable bamboo thickets, John Shane opening or a path up the cliffs, in which the Giant Panda roams, Riding a Wave into Life 18 we finally found the singular faded out as we climbed and Emily Coûtant overgrown path that threaded its huge Rhododendron bushes took he Three Sacred standing of the principle in many different ways, not only their problems, so that they can way? It doesn't mean anything. Principles, or Dampa involved here, because Guru, in the form of a human being. avoid creating negative karma. The Buddha never asked anyone TSum in Tibetan, are three Deva and Dakini do not mean There is a saying in the Sutras Any of us may have a weak to become a 'Buddhist'. The fundamental aspects of the something different from that the Buddha sometimes man­ point. We should not think that Buddha never proposed these teaching that are always Buddha, Dharma and Sangha. ifests as a bridge or as a boat in since we are Dzogchen practi­ kinds of limitations. These are explained right at the beginning. The principle of the teachings order to save people; it is not tioners we are very highly devel­ our own limitations projected This is true not only in the does not depend on the superfi­ necessary that he should always oped people and that we there­ onto the teachings. Dzogchen teachings, but also at cial level of the names by which manifest as a human being. fore do not need such a thing as We must try to understand the levels of Sutra and Tantra. things are called, but on the real There are many possibilities of a vow. Many people have this the real sense of the teaching. The first of these Three Sacred sense and meaning behind those manifestation. This is the princi­ idea, but it is not true. We must The real meaning of Refuge is to Principles is Refuge and names. And so we must under­ ple of Deva and Dakini. In the observe ourselves well. We have know that we are on the path. We Bodhicitta; the second is stand what Guru means, what same way, Refuge is not limited many weak points. If an individ­ take refuge in the path. How do Contemplation, and the third is Deva means and what Dakini to the taking of a vow, as it is in ual wants to stop smoking or we find that path? We find it the Dedication of Merit. means. These are terms used in the Hinayana view. Many people drinking, for example, he may from a teacher.
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