THE MIRROR Newspaper of the International Dzogchen Community May/June 2002 • Issue No. 61 New York, New York Retreat with Chögyal Namkhai Norbu Synod Hall at St. John the Divine Cathedral, New York City June 10-16,2002 by Laurie Bauer segyalgar and the local New primary school. Inside, surrounded ful music with Community mem­ ization in time. The teachings nour­ areas, such as the practice of the TYork City Community was by the hand carved painted wood­ ber Mariano Gil and friends, and an ish my own practice by validating night. Dream Yoga, balancing and pleased to host Namkhai Norbu work, it felt a bit more like a Auction/Party to support the activi­ and giving confidence to the prac­ harmonizing our energies, etc. Rinpoche in June on the grounds of Gonpa. The wonderful acoustics ties of Tsegyalgar. tice of awareness in all forms, the These important teachings seemed Saint John the Divine, the largest and unique history of the place Rinpoche was energetic and continuation of presence and inte­ especially appropriate and healing Gothic Cathedral in North Ameri­ made for an agreeable atmosphere fresh from his time at Tsegyalgar's gration of Guru Yoga in daily life. in New York City because of this ca. St. John the Divine has also for practice and teachings. retreat land in Buckland, Massa­ Rinpoche said, "You don't need to difficult time in our world. hosted His Holiness the Dalai The evenings had some inter­ chusetts. His teachings, as always, go to a special place always - you Many thanks to Ed Goldberg Lama on more than one occasion. esting programs scheduled, such as gave so much to both new and old can practice in any moment this and all who worked to help things The week long retreat actually a talk on Tibetan Astrology with Dr. students alike. The precious way." run very smoothly for the some 300 took place in the more cozy Synod Phuntsog Wangmo, Chöd practice Dzogchen Teachings, for me, are As we had a week long retreat, or more people who attended. Hall, set between the Cathedral and other practice explanations and many layered. One's capacity and there was time for Rinpoche to give court yard sculpture gardens and practices with Jim Valby, wonder- ripeness can reveal the fruit of real­ advice and instruction on many Coming Home to Meet the Master CONTENTS by Malcolm Smith 2 Teaching: History of Tibetan Culture by Chögyal Namkhai n winding roads woven among fessed that this spring fed pond was Othe hills around Conway, very cold. I declined a second Norbu Buckland and Ashfield. we traveled swim, but videotaped them swim­ to the land every day, in the rain, in ming. The Karma Yoga Retreat 3 Interview with Chögyal the sun, with clouds dancing on the thus began with a brisk swim in a Namkhai Norbu: hills, the trees bursting into leaf, spring fed pond. The Future of Meri gar Two birds singing joyously, celebrating Our rhythm was set to practice their new arrival. in the morning, attending the 6 ASIA - An operation for little Pema Lamo The first afternoon we went up Dance course led by Adriana, or to join Rinpoche for Karma Yoga, I Yantra, led by Fabio. In the after­ met Rinpoche while he was walk­ noon, piling into our vehicles, dri­ 7 - 9 Sluing- Shung Institute ing to take a swim in the pond. ving to the land bringing food and News After we exchanged greetings, he drink to enjoy around the nightly Interviews with Dr. Phuntsog Wang­ suggested that we could go swim­ fire we had at the site of the newly mo Dr. Wangdu and Dr. Nida ming, saying of the pond, "I consecrated Stupa after three or Chenagtsang checked earlier, it is not so cold, it's four hours of hard labor which Rin­ like Margarita." poche led us in with gusto and great W Book Reviews I replied "Yes, but it is cold in enthusiasm. 12 Featured Ling: Paldenling. the middle." On the day of the Stupa conse­ Poland Rinpoche laughed and smiled cration, we had walked with Rin­ broadly, saying, "Do you have poche up the hill to the mandala, 13-20 Community News courage to go in?" where Rinpoche sat by the mandala I said, "Of course." And so we and explained to us how he 21 Passages went swimming. But not for very received his dreams there, what he long. The water, warm in the shal­ had seen, visions of leaping gings*. lows, proved to be very cold. So, as and many people dancing on the 22 First Buddhist 7*1Station Rinpoche said to some people who mandala, and began to explain to us Interview with Babeth VanLoo had just arrived, "We escaped from that he wished that we would the water because it is very cold." remove the dead and dying pine 26-27 Reflections Rinpoche went in again, joined trees, and the dead wood under 2S International Gakvil News by Adriana and others, who all con­ them, in order to curtail negative continued on page 4 Chögyal Namkhai Norbu This is a transcript of the talk given When they present the earth but for having continuation of the dependence. For that reason, if you research and I read many ancient by Chögyal Namkhai Norbu on element in Bön, they use the figure presence of a flame. This is some­ have some problem, physically, Bönpo books. In Tibet we didn't May 11th at Sliang-Shung Institute, of lion, because for Tibetans versus thing like a support of energy. If we some illness, etc., the ancient Bön- read Bönpo books because we Conway, Massachusetts and was other people, the idea of lion is a lit­ don't have this possibility then we pos know that there are some received a Buddhist education. I transmitted as a public web cast on tle different. In Tibet we say kang use at least incense. Incense is also provocations, there is something had heard some lamas say when I the internet to listeners all over the seng, kang seng means lion of for smell, but when we are doing a wrong with the outer elements and was very young we should not read world. snows. We believe that the snow rite of guardians or something, it is the individual elements. Then they Bönpo books or otherwise you do something to cor­ could have problems, some illness want to say hello to everybody, rect this so the outer or pain, in your head. So I believed Inear and far, and also to the peo­ and inner elements it, and we did not have much occa­ ple of the Dzogchen Community. I work in a more perfect sion to read Bönpo books since we am here with Shang-Shung Insti­ way. were living in a Buddhist dimen­ tute of America, and Dzogchen For example, sion. Community people, and for this if you have an illness When I arrived in Italy I reason I want to introduce and or some disease related worked in a library where there explain a little about Shang - to the naga class - the were so many books, particularly Shung Institute. naga class is the class Professor Tucci's collection, and When we say Shang -Shung of beings of water - there were a big quantity of ancient Institute, first of all, this name then generally what do handwritten Bönpo books. I really Shang Shung is something very you do when you have wanted to know what the source of ancient and connected with this kind of illness? Tibetan history and culture was, so Tibetan history. The history of You take medicine, go one day I was reading an old hand­ Tibet is always explained that to a doctor, and try to written Bönpo book and had a ver)' there were originally six brothers do something in that strong pain in my head. I thought and these six brothers developed way. But the ancient maybe that story was true and for each part of Tibet, the population Bönpos didn't treat the almost one week I didn't read any­ of West Tibet, Central Tibet, East illness in this way. more Bönpo books. Then one day I Tibet. North and South, all the They prepared medi­ was reading a Tibetan Medical text, people. This Tibetan history is cine for the person, for also a very old handwritten book, very universal. That means that in the illness, but this and after I opened and was reading the very ancient time, one of these medicine was not for it for one or two hours, I had the six brothers was in West Tibet, and the person who has the same pain. I then discovered it was that ethnic population is some­ illness but for the not because the book was Bönpo, times called dra or khyung, but they naga, because they but because it was an old book. It are the same population. And there History of Tibetan Culture believed that the naga had a very strong smell. Then later I were other populations called dong, May 1 Ith, 2002 has the problem and read more and more of these books se, etc.; there are also five others, you live in that related and I understood many things; par­ but between all these, the popula­ Tsegyalgar/Shang -Shung Institute dimension and so there­ ticularly about modem and ancient tion of dra or khyung was most Conway, Massachusetts, USA fore you also have that Bönpo. Ancient Bönpo is very, very developed. Why was this so? It was problem.