The Mirror 34 January-February 1996

THE MIRROR Newspaper of the International Dzogchen Community January/February 1996 • Issue No. 34 The Real Mirror is Your Mind The XII Tai Situpa teaches on Mahamudra at Merigar by Liz Granger ix days of teaching given by H. E. the 12th Tai Situpa have just drawn to a close A. DELL'ANGELO S View of the Dangche School at Merigar. His Eminence gave a clear and detailed commentary on The Aspiration Prayer of Maha Winter in Tibet mudra by the 3rd Gyalwa Kar- mapa, Rangjung Dorje as well as Dangche School nears Completion The Thirty Seven Bodhisattva Practices by Acharya dNgol-chu Thogs-med bZang-po. During his by Andrea dell'Angelo, translated by Des Barry stay Rinpoche was accompanied by Lama Lodoe, Lama Tenam, his n November 21st, we were met by an older woman secretary and assistant, and two left for Tibet to under from Berlin who was connected assistant monks. take our last mission of with the Education office of the The teachings were held in O H.E. Tai Situpa seated beneath the Kagyu lineage mastersLIAN N GRAFF 1995 to check the progress of the Trikk District. Recently the local the Gonpa with His Eminence seat in the gonpa at Merigar. school construction project at government had stopped giving ed against the background of the Dangche in Amdo, northeast us any kind of logistical support, painted figures of the Kagyu lin practice dwelling particularly on During this week of teach Tibet. Tony Laurent, an architect so that we were even without the eage, Marpa at center flanked on shine, "resting in peace", lhagtong, ing, snowstorms and strong winds with a longstanding involvement usual jeep that they had always his right by Milarepa, on his left by "having clarity and awareness of battled fiercely around Mt. Am- in the ASIA Project, had already supplied for us in the past. The Gampopa and then red-hatted Situ that state" and then observation of iata, ending with a balmy spring been in Dangche since the middle jeep had made it easy to get and black-hatted Karmapa hierar- the natural state of mind, "looking day. Two of those days had left of October to supervise the finish around during our work site chs. His Eminence began by speak- at what cannot be looked at". He Merigar snowbound and those work on the classrooms and the inspections. ¡ ing at length on bodhiçiifa and discussed the obstacles .which can attending the retreat bundled up in teachers' living quarters. Tse- We left Zining and, as soon Mahamudra which he said could arise to one's shine practice and the winter gear and tall boots to climb ringtar, a Tibetan scholar from as the road began to rise, the not be spoken about separately. He necessity to maintain discipline in up the long snowy hill to the Amdo and the ASIA project coor countryside was covered with described practice as a river reach post-meditation activities. At anoth Gonpa for teaching. As often hap dinator in Tibet, was not with us snow. It was icy and cold and the ing to the ocean of enlightenment er moment he spoke about compas pens when the elements make on this occasion because he was road became extremely danger and expressed his wish that this sion and devotion being the out themselves felt on this "fire in Norway drafting a version of ous. Nobody uses chains on their teaching would be like drops of come of a true understanding of mountain", the electricity went the Bonpo Kangyur. Phuntsok tires here, which are usually com rain falling into and adding to Buddha nature and that when one down for a day and the phones Wangmo, Namkhai Norbu Rin- pletely bald so that the vehicle this river for those present. does not have understanding of and fax joined them in sympathy, poche's niece and Tibetan doctor, skates forward and you hope that During the teaching sessions ground Mahamudra, compassion not an uncommon occurrence dur kindly agreed to accompany us as you never need to use the brakes. Rinpoche concisely and clearly and devotion cannot arise. As the ing the winter months here. But in the end all obstacles were over far as Dangche before returning The more the road rises toward explained and commented on the teachings drew to a close, His come, with the help of two jeeps home to Lhasa, after almost two the Pass, the worse the situation Base, the Path and the Fruit of Eminence explained that when which permitted Tai Situpa and years of living in Italy. becomes. Close to the pass, we Mahamudra according to the 3rd meditation and post-meditation his entourage to move from It was the first time that I found buses and cars stuck in the Gyalwa Karmapa's Prayer. He activities are truly equal, it is no Gadeling to the Gonpa. had been to Tibet in the winter, snow. We prayed that our vehicle taught patiently and with a great longer necessary to meditate. and even while still in Peking, I would make it over the pass sense of humor in his excellent After the last session of On the final day of his stay, realized that the cold would in no because the idea of spending the English and gave time and space to teaching on Sunday morning, he continued on page 18 way spare us. We spent one night night outside, with the tempera question and answer sessions at the dedicated the benefit of the days in Peking and left the next day ture at minus 10 C worried us. close of each teaching. He talked of teaching, not only to all sentient CONTENTS for Zining. At the airport, we continued on page 6 about the five stages of Mahamudra beings but to the well-being of the planet, "we are masters of the Essential Tantra 2 planet but not doing too well", to Chögyal Namkhai Norbu "all religions of the world which Collaboration 3 Sky Dancing in the Rain are the eyes and heart of many Chögyal Namkhai Norbu generations of humanity", to the Rinpoche's Travel Schedule 3 Australia Retreat • Namgyalgar 1996 fulfillment of the aspirations of Seeing the Face of the Master.. 4 Chögyal Namkhai Norbu in a On Keeping Samaya Sangha Base Level Exam and and is still continuing. The track most auspicious way and without Khenpa Namdrol Rinpoche by Jean Mackintosh First Level Training in February. was wet and boggy, trucks obstacles, and to the rapid Lives of the Great Masters 5 We were frantic. How will we became bogged in the mud. We progress of the realization of those Jamgon Kongtrul Lodr Tay Giacomella Orofino ife was not easy for the make this beautiful but wild land relied on our neighbors, Mai present. small group of people ready for one hundred and fifty Dibden and Pam and Kevin Almost every day during his Book Reviews 5 Lwho gathered together at people in time for Rinpoche's Hayden to help us. Pam Hayden stay at Merigar, Tai Situpa dedi Shang Shung Institute 7 Namgyalgar to prepare for the arrival? expertly drove the tractor up the cated an hour to personal inter Reports from Italy and America December retreat with Namkhai Jim Smith and Joe Zurylo wet track delivering wood to the views requested by many attend International Community... 8-10 Norbu Rinpoche. The Australian arrived from Tsegyalgar to help site after pulling a large timber ing the teachings. On the evening News Community is small and there construct Rinpoche's retreat truck out of the wet field, and all of the fourth day, accompanied Tara Mandala Update.! 10 were only a few people on the house. There were many difficul on her birthday. On the night by his entourage, he saw the Interview with Anne Klein 12 retreat land and in the cities ties to overcome on this project, before Christmas, Mai spent Dance of the Vajra performed by Meeting the Bliss Queen 13 doing all the preparations. Not materials to order and to trans many hours slashing the grass in twelve practitioners in the Review by Joan Marie Wood only was there a retreat to pre port to the house site. The house the field and digging ditches to crowded Mandala room at the Reflections 16-17 pare for, but also the construc site is on the side of a mountain supply the water to Grit's Sky Capannone. On the final day of What is the Wound that 20 tion of a retreat cabin for and there is no proper road to the Dance Cafe that was to feed his visit His Eminence and his Made this Heart into a Fist? site, so grading the existing track Rinpoche, a ten day retreat of many people with delicious cur followers participated in a John Shane both Yantra Yoga and the Vajra and dumping gravel on it was a ries and other delicacies during Ganapuja organized by the Dance, as well as the Santi Maha priority. Rain came, continued continued on page 15 Community. An Oral Commentary by Chögyal and one understands. It's not that This base has its qualifications, 'movement'. But what is it that through understanding of this Namkhai Norbu on The Essential one is just trusting in whatever its capacity of infinite energy, manifests through this nature, or knowledge we arrive at the base Tantra of the Six Liberations, a arises in one's mind, but one which can manifest purely or potentiality to manifest? What of all, the kunzhi, re-awakening terma of Rigdzin Chanchub Dorje.

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