No. 99 July, August 2009

Upcoming Retreats with Chögyal

Photo: E. Del’Angelo 2009–2010 Italy Merigar West Oct. 2–10 Bepai Gumchung, The Hidden Collection of Buddhagupta Retreat teaching at Merigar West. Photo: R. Piro Oct. 23–30 Shitro Khorde Rangdrol Retreat Spain The Marvelous Retreat Nov. 14–18 Teaching Retreat The retreat at Merigar West with Chögyal Namkhai Norbu Venezuela August 10–16, 2009 Dec. 4–11 Maurizio Piazza Dzogchen Longsal Longde Teaching Retreat Dec. 26–January 1 t is a summer day, the sun is hot and which is highly acclaimed by masters and of all we have the explanation of the Base – Santi Maha Base and practice there isn’t a cloud on the horizon, the frequently quoted and there is even a ver- the point of view (lta ba) with its six points; Retreat Ismell of burning cypress drifts over sion that has been translated into a West- then this is followed by the instructions on January 16–30 the entire hill. We are at Merigar West ern language that one can refer to. the Path – contemplation and its applica- The Drubchen of Mandarava and Vajapani and Rinpoche is seated in front of us – he tion (sgom pa, in this text ting nge ‘dzin) ex- looks like a strong powerful lion and from In the Tibetan language Madjyung means plained in ten points; fi nally the Fruit is ex- Argentina his eyes and his voice it seems that his “marvelous”: they actually say that if you plained in three points, even though at the Tashigar Sur health is quite good … marvelous! It is Au- manage to understand the meaning of this beginning of the text it talks about four. February 12 gust 10th 2009 and we are gathered here when you read it, you naturally enter Inauguration of Tashi Sur’s Gompa together once again: today another retreat into knowledge of the state of Dzogchen By means of these instructions we realize February 14 has started … marvelous! This year here in … how marvelous is that! how important it is to let purely intellectu- Tibetan festival with a Mandarava the Gonpa of Merigar West, where a short al knowledge become concrete. To begin practice time ago the fi nal work was completed During the retreat we tried to under- with concrete means remembering that to cover the surrounding external portico stand how the Madjyung is not only a text there is a between us and our mas- February 16 not only to repair and preserve the build- to understand intellectually but as a very ter, the samaya of the , the same sama- Sang and Serkyem Offerings ing but also to offer more internal seating precious teaching to put into practice. ya that unites us all. Without acknowledg- February 12–24 space – we received instructions (Nyams Through these instructions, we tried to ing this, there is no base, no path and not Dzogchen teaching and practice retreat Khrid) on a Tantra of the Dzogchen , understand how the Madjyung has within even fruit. the Mad du jyung, also called Madjyung it a whole series of indications to put into Venezuela (rmad du byung). These instructions were practice in order to comprehend and re- These very valuable instructions were, March 8–12 most probably written by the famous mas- discover our real condition, that natural however, not the only exclusive moment Tashigar Norte retreat ter and today we state that makes us and our master a sin- during our Merigarian retreat …on Au- March 19–25 can fi nd it within the texts of the Nying- gle entity. According to the instructions of gust 14th the fi rst international auction of Teachers’ trainings: SMS base, 1st Levels; mapa tradition. The Madjyung is a tantra Nubchen Sangye Yeshe (we presume) fi rst the Dzogchen Community was held and Vajra Dance, Yantra 1st and 2nd levels >> continued on page 7 Trinidad April 23–25 Teaching Teaching News Weekend teaching Venezuela Chögyal Namkhai Yeshi Silvano Phendeling, Tashigar Norte Norbu Namkhai Wangdenling, April 30–May 2 Merigar West SMS Base Level Exam Teachings on the The fi rst state- May 3–9 Song of the Vajra ment of Garab SMS 1st Level training Dorje

>> continued on page 29 » Page 2 » Page 3 » Pages 15–18 THE MIRROR · No. 99 · July, August 2009

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So it is important to know that meaning of the Song of the Vajra because is it very important for developing integra- tion, all integration between subject and object and also integrating the way our energy level is connected with our physical level.

Vision of dharmata In the Dzogchen teaching they say that realised beings can realise the . The Rainbow Body means that at the material level we have the fi ve elements of our physi- cal body, which is produced by our karma. And all this ma- terial level dissolves into its real nature. This nature is the fi ve elements. And they not only dissolve but at the same moment manifest the Rainbow Body. If, for example, we have purifi ed all our negative karma, of course there is no reason for us to have a physical body. The physical body dissolves into its real nature, and there is no reason for a Rainbow Body to manifest, only to disappear.

There is a very precise reason for the Rainbow Body be- cause in the Dzogchen Teaching there is a very precious method which is called the Vision of Dharmata. Dharmata means our real nature. And the potentiality of our real nature manifests something like an object in front of our eyes that we can really see. When we can really see that, then we say we have a Vision of Dharmata. But this is not so easy. For example in Teaching and also in ordi- nary teachings this knowledge does not exist. All teachings, even Sutra, can understand dharmata, or at least they consider it to mean the condition or nature of the individual. Dharmadhatu means the condition of all phenomena. So there is this difference in consideration [between Dharmata and Dharmadhatu].

In the Dzogchen Teachings, however, dharmata means our primordial potentiality manifests. Since the begin- ning all sentient beings have the potentiality of sound and Photo: E. Del’Angelo light and rays, but we are ignorant, we do not know and so it has no function. In the human dimension we have teaching: by means of teaching the teacher introduces and transmits that [knowledge] to the students. Then the stu- Teachings on the dents understand that they have primordial potentiality. Then the teacher gives more instructions on how they can have that vision of dharmata. Song of the Vajra In the Sutra and Vajrayana Teaching dharmata is not con- sidered vision but only intellectual knowledge, only a con- Merigar East June 16, 2009 sideration of our nature of mind. In the Dzogchen Teach- ing we give instruction [about it]. For example, we have o you see then, the Song of the Vajra is not only a them into that clarity. When you are doing this practice, the of looking into light. Sometimes when you prayer but is called natural sound. Natural sound you see, you hear, all your senses are in contact with ob- look into empty space you can see a kind of very tiny thigle. Smeans when , which is beyond form jects and you integrate everything with the sounds of the It looks like a silver-coloured thigle, and when you observe and color, with its infi nite potentialities manifests Sambo- Song of the Vajra. The Song of the Vajra is very powerful it well, sometimes it becomes a little bigger. That is one gakaya manifestation. You remember how manifestations and really helps our potentiality of integration very much. experience. develop from emptiness, through sounds. For that reason It is also said that when you have not discovered your real that natural sound is also a natural . Even though nature, singing the Song of Vajra and relaxing and inte- In order to have still more experience in a precise way, then we do not have the capacity to be in that natural sound, we grating in the sound will awaken you. you should do this at sunrise and sunset. At these times try to relax and we sound this natural sound to eliminate you do not look into the sun but into the rays. The rays are our potentiality of negative karma and particularly all ob- The Dance of the Vajra not in the sun but you look [at the rays] a little below [the stacles that we couldn’t understand for discovering how So the Song of Vajra is a very precious practice. All the sun] and you do not open your eyes completely, it seems our real nature is. So for that reason we sing the Song of sounds of the Song of Vajra govern our Vajra Body. For ex- as if your eyes are closed. When you look into those rays, the Vajra. ample, when we do the Vajra Dance, we have a Vajra Dance without moving and keeping your back straight, you can which is something related to our globe, to where see a kind of thigle. Maybe you will see some thigles mov- Some people say that when they do something, it is bet- we are in this dimension. There is also a medium Mandala ing but you can also see some that are not moving. If you ter to know what the meaning of it is. This means that if that is connected to our Solar System and a bigger Man- only see moving thigles, you shouldn’t look at them other- you know, you always apply it or think about it using your dala that is connected to the Universe. So all these Manda- wise the thigles will go away. You keep your gaze, your eyes, mental judgment. You don’t need to understand anything las are connected to our physical body. This is not only in somewhere in an empty space in the rays and then the thi- when you are doing practice of the Song of the Vajra. You the Dzogchen Teaching but also in Chakrasmava different gles do not go away. When you become familiar [with this] remain in the non-duality of the space you are seeing and are explained. There they explain about many sa- gradually you will see that these thigles remain. the space you are being. You are just this space, this space cred places in this world and all these sacred secret places is just you, and you just remain a little this way, relaxed. correspond to the different kinds of and sounds in When you see these thigles, sometimes you can see two This is called Namkha Arte. When you apply this practice our physical body. That knowledge goes deeper and be- or three of them connected. That means you are more more and more, later when you integrate, everything be- comes vaster and richer in the Dzogchen Teachings. fortunate and have more connection with teachings and comes easier. methods. When you see this type of thigle called “chönyid All the syllables in the Song of the Vajra like E Ma Ki Ri Ki ngönsum” in the Dzogchen Teaching, that means real dhar- It is, however, more diffi cult integrating, for example, Ri etc., are connected with our different chakras and when mata vision. This is very important because the Dzogchen some material things. You see, you hear, you touch, you we are dancing on the Mandala we can understand the way Teaching says that if you really see that dharmata then you feel that everything is concrete. You have your idea that they are connected. So these syllables govern the chakras. no longer transmigrate in infi nite samsara. You become you are not that, and that is not you. This sense of division In general we have fi ve or six chakras – there are slightly free to follow and apply teachings in your life, being in a we have is very strong and for that reason integrating is a different ways of explaining that knowledge in Vajrayana different kind of nirmanakaya dimension. Our condition little diffi cult. But many kinds of practice, visualizations . For example, in the Dzogchen way we have fi ve is the nirmanakaya dimension of Buddha Shakyamuni so etc., are much easier to integrate than objects. When you chakras. From these fi ve there are also secondary chakras there are the teachings of Buddha Shakyamuni. If we are have more capacity to integrate, then the material level is and then there are still others that are smaller. All these interested, there is always the possibility to follow teach- also not so diffi cult. In particular when you have experi- chakras are mainly governed by the sounds of the Song of ings and do practice etc. If we have a stronger connection ence of instant presence then you can get into integration. the Vajra. Also it doesn’t mean they are only governed by with teachings of course we will always be interested and So we should apply the Song of the Vajra that way. these , these words of the Song of the Vajra, but that way we develop and can have total realization, so you much more. However, the Song of the Vajra which is con- see it is very important. When we are singing the Song of the Vajra, many thoughts nected with the chakras is more important for the function may arise. You shouldn’t go after thoughts but integrate of energy. For that reason we have the Song of the Vajra. >> continued on page 4 THE MIRROR · No. 99 · July, August 2009 Yeshi Silvano Namkhai

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play with knives. So the child The First Statement of Garab Dorje has the experience of cutting his An Excerpt from a Public Talk fi nger and it creates pain. Then the child understands the con- Technical Library at University Vilnius, Lithuania, sequence of playing with knives. July 24th 2009 But we are expressing our emo- tion, don’t do it, it’s very danger- ous. Then of course we are par- et’s go back to the begin- low . When I read this ents and the child understands ning. How is our language book I understand that I should that fear is useful. And through Lstructured? We have already get this wisdom. So my idea is fear he will not hurt himself said there is I am, I have and I do. still conceptual. Slowly, slowly again. Then he starts to play with All of our logic is based on this this conceptual idea starts to de- scissors and you say, “Look it is structure. First we defi ne what we velop. Everything that is in my just like the knife”. As the child are and then we have the problem understanding starts to be Bud- is not stupid, he gives up playing of what we have or don’t have. dhist-like, fi rst it was Christian- with the scissors. Then if we have, we feel proud, like and now it is Buddhist-like. At a certain point the child but if we don’t have we feel sad It is still like concepts or boxes starts to be afraid of the dark. and then we need. But after we where I put ideas. The child thinks, “Where does defi ne that there is need, we have The fi rst box that looked a cer- this darkness come from, what to do something to get what we tain way now looks Buddhist, but is in the darkness?” Then he need. Everything is connected to somehow I am developing these can’t sleep without light. So this these factors, and our language is boxes. At a certain point in this means there is not only the physi- based on this. But if we introduce text you discover that there is no cal level. It is not only the need for Dzogchen teaching, that this is . Dharma means there is water, it is also the brand of water not the key point. We don’t need no teaching, because dharma is in the bottle. Then, for example, to defi ne the Dzogchen teaching a set of phenomena, whatever we if we are visiting these boxes and in this scheme. perceive. And that is also teach- Every time we introduce the this capacity – you see something we start to believe it is important or Bud- ing. If there is not this, where do fi rst statement of Garab Dorje, and you can invent whatever. Not that we discover what the fear of dhism is introduced through the we put this box? And where do the key point is that we should only that you have the capacity dark is. Then we develop all signs Prajna Paramita for example, and I put the box of myself, which understand what our real nature of seeing things without feeling possible in the scheme, I am, I this text of the heart sutra is one is the biggest and nicest in my is. This secret world is looking anything but also that you have have and I do. Just like with sci- of the most famous. Emptiness mind? So for this reason, we fi nd and so we have the capacity to ob- the capacity of developing emo- ence we defi ne the fear of dark is defi ned in this text. There is in- in the words of Buddha that ego serve ourselves. We observe our tions, and that you also have the as coming from some reason so troduction to how this emptiness is the cause of all suffering. physical level, our energy level capacity to observe this. there is I, super I, and so on. should be felt in terms of what The fi rst time Buddha Shakya- and our mind level. That means For example, when we in- We invent something, observ- emptiness is, what is its’ value, muni taught he explained the we can observe how we are physi- troduce according ing a specifi c situation. But we how we can enter into this knowl- . He explained cally in relation to ordinary life. to the Dzogchen teaching, we observe what we know, in a very edge, wisdom and so on. But still that our condition is the condi- It means that we have a need to don’t talk about trying to be in an small and miserable life, the we are talking about something tion of suffering. At the end we drink water. But we have also this empty state. First we have to dis- life of man who is writing some conceptual. discover that we create this suf- level of speech or energy and we cover that we have this nature of documents that study this fear First of all we defi ne what fering ourselves. Because there have the need to fulfi ll ego. But the capacity to observe. So there of dark who has probably had a emptiness is. Then we say, “Ah, is a general misunderstanding, we should remember if I close is something outside, inside and terrible life, a lot of problems, but I don’t have it”. It is written we develop these boxes. We de- my eyes, I do not see anything. If secret or hidden. And this hid- doesn’t have family and so on. here, for example, that emptiness velop boxes because we have an I die, I am not alive. If I don’t feel den part is called presence in the He is writing long articles about is beyond form because there are idea that there is limited space, envy for my friend that has a bet- Dzogchen teaching. It’s called the fear of the dark. But we need no eyes, no nose, no ears, etc. In just like our life. In our mind ter car, nothing happens. secret or hidden for a very simple to understand that this is rela- the end it says there is nothing. we fi ll this space with all these The need for water is a totally reason - because there is no need tive truth. In that fi eld, from that Then it says this is the perfect boxes. Then at the end, there are different need; water is for surviv- to talk about it. There is no need miserable point of view, what he condition and you should be in all these boxes fi lled with every- ing. Feelings about my friend are to say I have and you don’t have. is saying is true. Why do we call it this state called shunyata, total thing that we perceive from ordi- nothing. It means the nature of There is no need to say mine is miserable? Why did Buddha call emptiness. But we recognize that nary life, everything that we un- this [a bottle of water] is the need better than yours. This is some- it miserable? Because at the end we are not like this. I defi ne what derstand from the teaching, and of drinking water. But the nature thing absolute, not relative. The it is something connected with is in emptiness, what the value whatever. Usually when we devel- of how I feel about the brand of capacity we have since the begin- time, our limits, and is some- of emptiness is, and I don’t have op these boxes, as I said, the ‘our’ water is nothing because it is im- ning is real wisdom. Through thing very fragile, just like a can- it. Since I do not have emptiness box is more important. portant that I drink, not that I buy this capacity then we can dis- dle in the wind. I have to do something to get it. That is why we remember our one or the other brand. The key cover what we are. But always re- Our life is just like a candle in So I should become Buddhist and feeling, because our feeling is point is that I am alive, fi rst of all. member that whatever you see or the wind. That is why we try to meditate. And then I pretend to more important and it becomes Otherwise I don’t have anything, perceive is through these glasses understand a little more how our sit in with crossed memory and then fear. What we not even vision, and not even the and these glasses are the glasses condition is. Because today we legs and do something with my don’t have, what we want, all ac- possibility to see. Then my life of ‘I already know’ and ‘I only are here, but tomorrow comes mind. But until now, this is a tions that we want to do, they all is like this, instead if I discover want to see this’. It’s like science. very fast. For example, the fi rst conceptual exercise. Because I become our hopes. This is our fu- what my nature is, I have the pos- When I do a scientifi c experiment statement of Garab Dorje have an idea of what emptiness is ture. In the end whatever we have sibility to go beyond this vision of I have a very closed environment says it is important we discover – I make a box called emptiness. in our mind we already know. fear and hope. where everything happens ac- this nature. We don’t believe we Then I have a better, more beauti- This means we cannot see what Why, for example, do we come cording to my rules. Then I pro- are able to go beyond our limits. ful box called ‘myself’. we don’t know. here to listen a little to try and voke something and I say, “Yes Every time we try to overcome our Then at a certain point I de- I repeat something I said at understand what the Dzogchen it’s true” or “No, it’s not this limit with relative things, we nev- cide to become Buddhist because the beginning. If I close my eyes I teaching is? We come because we way”. Then when it is confi rmed er succeed. I cannot relax. I have to do some- don’t have sight. I don’t see any- recognize that we are in this vi- I make a law. Relative things mean with the thing because I don’t have and I thing. I am limited on this physi- sion and we are suffering. I can In Buddhism when we talk tools that we have in our physical have to get. Automatically that cal level, I am a human being, I pretend I am happy, I have a bet- about ignorance it means this. level. Just to end I give this ex- means I can no longer be Chris- am a man. But if I have sight, I ter car and everything is fi ne for It means I am dealing only with ample. If I ask you now to think tian, I have to become Buddhist. see something once, and at least my life. But like Buddha said, at what I already know. What I about fl ying, a lot of people think Until now it is totally an invention when I close my eyes I have an the end we become old, suffer know is totally relative. There to fl y like angels. That means you of my mind. None of the books idea of what I saw. But what I see and die. Because all sentient be- are things that are common and have wings and then slowly, slow- says you should do this. Then at I already know. There is nothing ings understand, all beings that things that are not common. ly you go up. Others think about this point I decide that from to- new. This is the key point of Bud- have a little bit of understanding There are things that come from an airplane or fl ying like a jet. morrow I will become Buddhist dhism. This is also the problem. of themselves, understand this the outer world and things that But in the fi rst case, we have the and today I will go to the cinema. In Tibetan Buddhism we talk truth. Also animals understand come from the inner world. We problem of religion and we have From tomorrow I start to be Bud- about ignorance. The misunder- and that is why they have the in- don’t need to defi ne and describe to grow these wings somehow. In dhist. standing is that I create boxes stinct to procreate. and defi ne all the rules. First we the other case we need gasoline, What do I do? I fi nd a group, a and I am work with concepts. We are not animals. We have need to discover that this is our technology and a pilot. If we are temple, and I go there. I have an All these ideas and emotions and mind. We try to understand how real condition. an artist, we think of fl ying like idea that I don’t have something concepts that I packed, they be- this mind works. Usually in Bud- I always give this simple ex- jumping and then fl ying, like po- and I have to get it. From whom come just like eyeglasses. They dhism, the idea of karma is in- ample. A child is playing with etry. Then we also start to think do I get it? From Buddha. Where are fi ltering my vision. I recog- troduced. You have heard many knives. At a certain point he cuts about jumping from the window does Buddha live? In the tem- nize only through these glasses. times the law of karma and so on. his fi nger and bleeds. We are par- and fl ying. At a certain point ple. So I go to the temple to fol- It is important you understand ents and we worry and say don’t >> continued on page 4 THE MIRROR · No. 99 · July, August 2009 Teachings (continued)

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>> Song of the Vajra continued from page 2 his hair and nails remain? Because they are an impure part ing of Nyagla Padma Dündul. So you see there are many Guru Padamsambhava gave a very nice example of this. of the physical body and that is the reason why hair and Rainbow Body manifestations. He said: “I will be in front of people who have devotion nails are always growing and we always need to cut them. to me, particularly on the tenth day [of the Tibetan lunar We don’t need to cut other parts of the body, like ears and I heard that there were two or three different Rainbow month] I will be present”. He promised that and there are fi ngers. So you can see what the difference is. When the Body manifestations recently. For one Rainbow Body some invocations to Guru . How did he Rainbow Body manifests it means that everything com- manifestation some people, some Americans, went to do fulfi ll this commitment? How can he be in front of a per- pletely dissolves into the nature of the elements. Nothing research in that place. That is an example because it is not son who has devotion? He said nyi zer char düd dang la chi remains, only nails and hair. And the physical body not just a kind of legend or part of history because there is this ten chen (nyi zer ’char sdud …). That means that at sunrise or only disappears on the physical level but it remains as it is teaching, there is this transmission. Everything is alive. If sunset, when the sun’s rays are weak, not strong – when in the pure dimension. If someone manifests the Rainbow someone is really seriously doing practice, of course they the sun’s rays are strong it is not so easy to do that practice Body, their ordinary body can no longer be seen. But if you can have realisation. And that is also very much related to – then all these thigles etc. appear. Guru Padmasambhava have more clarity and capacity to see the pure dimension, teaching with the Song of the Vajra. said nyi zer, which means rays of sun. ’char sdud means at when you see you can recognise that individual. This is sunrise and sunset, at these times he manifests through how the manifestation of the Rainbow Body is. The Song of the Vajra those rays. This means of course that he manifests in a The Song of the Vajra is called drolwa drugden which means thigle. And what Guru Padmasambhava manifests is the It is not like in some paintings such as the one of that we have six senses, including our mind. We create a Rainbow Body. Guru Padmasambhava which originally belonged to the connection through the function of these six senses and Sakyapa tradition but was then copied by all traditions, then people who have a relationship with that connec- In the Dzogchen Teaching we say that total realisation is particularly the Nyingmapa. They thought it was a very tion can have fi nal realisation from samsara. For example, related to that kind of knowledge. For example, when a nice looking thangka. In it you can see a kind of physical the ‘Tibetan Book of the Dead’, the Thödrol – Bardo thigle appears in front of us, it is not something like an ob- form of Guru Padmasambhava, but not the whole body, means the state after death, Thödrol means that we read ject or something coming from somewhere. Even though just the outline. At the centre there is a small point which or recite that invocation [to someone who is in the bardo] there is the secondary cause of the sun’s rays, or the rays maybe they considered to be the real state of Guru Pad- – gives a cause for liberation through hearing it. Hearing of the moon or light rays from a lamp, the rays are only a masambhava. And from that point there is a fi ve coloured is one of our fi ve senses. Seeing can also be a cause for secondary cause, not the origin of the thigle. The thigle is rainbow which spreads everywhere through that dimen- liberation called thongdrol. We taste and that is a cause for something like a refl ection of your potentiality. When you sion. They consider the Rainbow Body to be something liberation called nyongdrol. Then when we are concentrat- see a thigle you should not fall into the idea that you are like that. But it is not that way. ing or doing visualization with our mind, this can make happy because of seeing it, or that it is an object. If you a cause of liberation called trendrol. For making all these create attachment, it will no longer appear and you will Nyagla Padma Dündul causes of liberation there is the Song of the Vajra so you not be able to develop your practice. You know that it is In any case, it is important to know that the Rainbow Body can see how important it is. You can also learn the mean- your dharmata, your real nature. If you feel happy, it is be- is something very important in the Dzogchen Teaching. ing of the Song of the Vajra. It is very profound and there is cause you see your real nature, your dharmata, not because There are teachers like Guru Padmasambhava and Vimala- a translation but the meaning is not so easy to understand. you have just seen a very nice thigle. mitra who are considered to have successfully completed So this is something else we can learn. the fourth level. When they completed that, it is called the Dark retreat Great Transference. They did not even manifest death. Also within the Song of the Vajra there are groups. Ema- How can we understand that that thigle is really our po- Other Rainbow Bodies manifest death. For example, there kirikiri – Masutavalivali – Samitasurusuru – Kutalimasu- tentiality? We have dark retreat. I told you that my wom- was a very famous teacher called Nyagla Padma Dündul masu – is one group. Then there is the second group, the an teacher spent almost all her life in dark retreat. This is who was one of the teachers of my woman teacher, Ayu third etc. These groups are all connected with the most also a very special secret Dzogchen teaching. When we do Khandro. She followed many teachings of Nyagla Padma important Dzogchen teaching methods. So with the Song a dark retreat, in the dark we can see that thigles appear. Dündul, particularly the practice of chöd because he was a of the Vajra we can learn so many things and it is really There are no sun’s rays, there is nothing. That is an exam- tertön and in his teachings there was chöd, Dzogchen very important. This is why we sing it. So you can under- ple of how our potentiality manifests somehow. Now we teachings and many other things. And at the end, he man- stand that it is not only a type of prayer. When we are sing- only see, but to go beyond in order that this practice be- ifested the Rainbow Body. ing it we are doing contemplation connected with our na- comes more concrete, we should do the famous practice ture which is called kadag and lhundrub. Kadag means pure that is called thögal or yangti in which there are very precise Before that he called together all his older better students from the beginning, which is the condition of emptiness. instructions. There is also a specifi c way of introduction. and they spent almost a month together doing ganapuja Lhundrub means this emptiness has infi nite potentiality. If In the thögal teaching there are four levels of visions just and purifi cation. He was very healthy and had no illness emptiness does not have this potentiality, it has no value. to understand how the Rainbow Body is. When we are on but he said that it was his last time, it was time for him to So there are both of these qualifi cations. We sing, we use the fourth level we have succeeded in integrating aspects go away, and he wanted to spend his last days and die in our breathing, we hear etc. of our physical level, dissolving them in the nature of the the place where he had discovered many terma teachings. elements and integrating them with that thigle. That thigle There was a secret place and all his students went there. He Moreover, in the tantra with the Song of the Vajra, it says is related to our primordial potentiality. When we enter had a small tent which he used to use for sleeping when he that when we sing the Song of the Vajra, it seems that we this fourth level we are no longer in our ordinary physical was going around doing chöd. It was a very simple tent. So are singing it alone but at that moment there are infi nite body, and even though there is our physical body, some- they set up the tent and he asked them to build a small wall dakas and surrounding us and singing together. times it manifests as if it exists, other times as if it doesn’t. of stones around it to stop wild animals from coming in. Why are they surrounding us and singing together with Sometimes when these practitioners go into the sunshine, He sent all the students back to the chögar where he used us? Because we are applying the very important practice of they have no shadow. That is an example. But of course to give teaching. He told them to go there and do practice the Song of the Vajra. It also says that the place where we when they die, their physical body does not remain. Their of ganapuja and guruyoga and wait for seven days. He said sing the Song of the Vajra becomes a sacred place forever. physical body dissolves and sometimes it takes seven days. that they could come back there after that time. What does this mean? It means that when any type of sen- Sometimes it seems only like some type of ancient history, His students followed his instructions precisely and tient beings are in this place, they naturally create a tiny but it is not history, it is something concrete. when they came back after seven days they saw that several connection to have the possibility to join the path at the rainbows were manifesting in that place. They went and end. That is an example of how important the Song of the One of my uncles, Togden, who was a very good practi- opened the tent and found that only his hair and his nails Vajra is.  tioner, manifested the Rainbow Body during the cultural remained. And this became very well-known because all revolution. Many people saw what happened to his physi- the people in that area went to see. We also have one of the Transcribed by P. Mai & L. Granger cal body – only his hair and nails remained. Why did only long-life practices of Guru Amitayus that is a terma teach- Edited by L. Granger & J. Winkler

>> The fi rst statement continued from page 3 of how to fl y, if we fall down and what we are. Not the idea of what means you understand how your is not very easy, it is not enough some people start to think, well so on. we are, not we have or don’t have. physical level is, how your speech to discover and understand from if I fall down and hurt myself ? In Dzogchen teaching we say Not what we need to do to have or level is and how your mind is. an intellectual point of view. It is Slowly we develop problems. the fi rst statement of Guru Garab not to have. For example, a brand Then when you have this oppor- not enough that we create a nice In the real sense, if I ask you Dorje is to introduce directly. of water does not represent us. tunity slowly, slowly you can de- box that says: “This is Dzogchen to think about fl ying, just like That means we go straight to the Because it is very miserable not velop your understanding. And Teaching”. Now I understand the nature of water, we can think essence or nature of things. So to think that having the best car then you should discover that and I understand Buddhism bet- about the nature of fl ying, the na- what is the ‘thing’ of this teach- or worst car makes me better or you become freer, then when you ter. It’s not enough and to really ture of fl ying as fl ying is moving, ing? The thing for us now is worse. But for some strange rea- think of fl ying you can think like apply, our life should change. and can be like being omnipres- mind. That is why we say we in- son we can believe at a certain a god, not like an angel or an air- So if you are interested there ent, like god, but since we do not troduce directly into the nature of point that we have wings. But if it . No one is looking at your are webcasts, for example, of the have the idea we can be like god mind. Because as we have this vi- is already diffi cult to have an ex- inner world. No one is keeping teachings. You can ask the Lithu- we never think about this. But sion that is connected only with pensive car, how can we believe your inner world in a cage. No anian Dzogchen Community for we should go into the essence what we know, maybe we need something like this. It is better one is judging your inner world. details and then you can go a lit- and nature of things, not into a teacher to discover, we need a we understand what our real con- No one is able to enter your tle deeper into the understanding the form of things. So if we just teacher to be supported in this dition is. mind. of your life. understand that fl ying can mean discovery. Then we once we dis- The key point of the Dzogchen So if we discover that every- being omnipresent everywhere, cover that our nature is not what teaching is to fi rst open your eyes thing is just a limitation that we Transcribed and edited by N. Zeitz then we don’t have the problem we see, it’s not what we feel, it’s and with your eyes open you try create, then we have an opportu- not what we believe, but it is just to understand your condition. It nity to become freer. But to do this THE MIRROR · No. 99 · July, August 2009 Review

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are moderate [’bring pa]. Ga, Ja, Da, Ba, to rescue the writing. Then (Ibid., ... [And] since thirty magic letters [’ph- Chögyal Namkhai Norbu Dza, ’A, Sha, and Bhi [form] the Fire 694,67,3): rul yig kong rtse sum cu] were written in series; they are weak [zhan pa]. Nga, circles [on his hands], he was given the The Light of Kailash Nya, Na, Ma, Wa, Ya, Sa, and Mhing Yid-kyi Khye’u-chung was able to res- name rGya Kong-rtse ’Phrul-gyi rGyal- [form] the Space series; they are subtle cue a half-burned fragment of writing po.  Volume 1 [rnub pa]. from the fi re of the Demon. He offered A History of Shang-Shung and Tibet The series of eight letters originated it to the Teacher. Translated by Donatella Rossi from the elements are subdivided into Shang Shung Institute groups of fi ve. The fi rst fi ve [letters,] And also (Ibid., 695,67,3): 1 sPungs is a Zhang-zhung word corresponding Ksha, Ka, and so on, are generated to the Tibetan ston pa, teacher; hence, even if in Tibetan spungs yig literally means “heaped up from the throat. That also applies to the As soon as [they] looked at it, [they] script”, it can also be interpreted as “the script The following is an excerpt from the ‘Light of Kailash, Volume 1’, one of the major following seven. E, O, U, I, O [sic], A:, clearly saw that the fi ve powerful seed- [yig] of the Teacher” [spungs]. [tn] works on Tibetan history by Chögyal Namkhai Norbu, to be published in au- and Sht.a are connected to the remain- syllables had not been destroyed. 2 sMar is a Zhang-zhung word meaning fi ne, tumn 2009 by the Shang Shung Institute. It is a well-researched study, in three ing groups of seven; they are gener- excellent, corresponding to the Tibetan bzang po, volumes, which reconsiders the issue of the true origins of Tibetan culture. ated in succession from the palate, the And also (Ibid., 696,68,5): good. [tn] Donatella Rossi has worked on the translation of this extraordinary and volumi- tongue, the lips, the nose, the teeth, the 3 That is, capital or printing letters. [tn] nous work for several years and the Shang Shung Institute in cooperation with head, and the chest. The elemental suc- From the fi ve powerful syllables, [which 4 tha ram: an archaic term meaning sealed the Faculty of Oriental Studies of „Sapienza“ University of Rome will be launch- cession is Wood [shing, Air], Fire [me], are] the source of [all] letters, the [dam rgya byas pa]. ing the book at the Faculty of Oriental Studies in Rome on November 7th. Earth [sa], Water [chu], Air [rlung], Iron thirty-eight magic letters [’phrul gyi yi 5 zhugs la zhengs: i. e., burned in the fi re [me la [lcags], Mountain [ri, Earth element], ge sum cu rtsa brgyad] emerged. bsregs pa]. and Space [nam mkha’]. The letters are 6 phras kyis sad: I think that startled or shocked Chapter Four ma [script], and from that form of handwrit- read in eight series of four; together This is what is traditionally relat- [’ur langs] may be the meaning of this expres- The written language of ancient ing all other [styles] were composed. So it is with the remaining eight vowels, they ed about the origin of letters; yet, sion. Zhang-zhung reported. form a real alphabet of forty letters. if we carefully examine the quo- 7 dmag bzlog brgyugs: I think this may mean tations, it is immediately evident calling upon troops for help and dispatching them to avert the danger [dmag mi rnams ra mda’ efore the historical begin- Thus, as it is clearly explained, the ori- Thus, the origin of the written lan- that the myriad of seed-syllables sbran nas nyen kha bzlog tu phyin pa]. ning of the Early Period gin of the fi rst written language is at- guage of Zhang-zhung lies within contained in the gTo box burned Bseveral generations had al- tributed to gShen-rab Mi-bo-che. the forty magic letters. These let- by the demon were letters; and ready appeared in Zhang-zhung, ters, as it is clearly explained in since at that time an original and some forms of had also 1. gShen-rab Mi-bo-che taught the excerpt above, originated written language already existed, been developed. That being so, is the written language of ancient from the fi ve powerful seed-sylla- it was impossible to do without it certain that at those times there Zhang-zhung bles “O¯M, RAM, SRUM, , the magic letters that arose from was no written communication Concerning the way in which and YAM”. In its commentary, the the fi ve powerful seed-syllables. or another similar form of cultur- gShen-rab Mi-bo-che transmitted brDa sprod nyi shu bdun pa (Thob, Anyway, since texts that have al expression? As we have seen in the written language, the Rin chen 392,5,5) explains the causes that been put into writing from the chapter two of this volume dedi- gter khyim (Thob, 12,6,5) reads: have brought the arising of the beginning of Zhang-zhung his- cated to the origin of the ancient To the letter expert Yig-lha ’Phrul-bu, forty magic letters from the fi ve tory are made of the magic letters Bon lineages of Zhang-zhung, [the Teacher] fully explained the char- powerful seed-syllables: originated from the fi ve powerful there were eighteen generations acteristics of the forty magic letters seed-syllables, we can defi nite- of the dMu from the [’phrul yig bzhi bcu]. That was the At a certain time, when dPo-bza’ ly consider this as the origin of mythical sMon-pa’i Mi-bo Lum- origin of writing. Thang-mo was deceived by the Demon the written language of Zhang- lum, up to the father of gShen- Khyab-pa, the gTo box [gto sgrom] zhung, regardless of the fact that rab Mi-bo-che, rGyal-bon Thod- Thus, gShen-rab Mi-bo-che burned; the powerful seed[-syllables] a written language existed or not dkar. Whether or not a written taught the characteristics of the were not affected, and forty magic let- before the Early Period. language was utilized for ruling forty magic letters to Yig-lha 'Ph- ters appeared from within them; that the kingdom and for general rul-bu, and that clearly points out was the blessing of the Teacher. The sources clearly mention forty communication during so many the origin of the ancient written or thirty-eight letters but contain generations is a longstanding is- language of Zhang-zhung. The mDo gZer mig, describing the no indication as to their shape sue that even today is diffi cult to deeds of gShen-rab, relates how and form. Nonetheless, the gZer thoroughly comprehend, since For what concerns the charac- the magic letters which originat- mig relates the story of the birth there are no old records to show teristics of the forty magic let- ed from the fi ve powerful seed- of a king to whom gShen-rab Mi- us how things were. Neverthe- ters, the brDa sprod nyi shu bdun pa syllables appeared in the hands bo-che transmitted his teaching, less, since the majority of Bonpo (Thob, 363, 2,2) says: of gShen-rab, after the gTo box “rGya Kong-tse ’Phrul-gyi rGyal- documents relate that gShen-rab burned (Thob, KHA, 690,65,1): po” (Thob, KHA, 717,78,4): Mi-bo-che imparted Bon teach- The form of letters surround the three ings and transmitted a new writ- realms. In principle, they hold the es- The myriads of letters, quintessence of ing system, we can defi nitely say sential characteristics of the combina- the Mind of Sangs-po ’Bum-khri, were that there was a Zhang-zhung tions; [their] essence is the forty magic bestowed upon Yid-kyi Khye’u-chung. written language from the time letters. [The forty letters arose from] They were placed in a still smaller gTo of gShen-rab Mi-bo-che; this can the succession of the great elements, box of the Word, and sealed4 there. The be demonstrated in a rational which [in turn] originated from the fi ve innermost [aspect] of Bon amounts to way, by taking into account both powerful seed[-syllables]. Ksha, Ka, that. textual sources and logical rea- Kha, Ga, Nga, Ha, A [and] Am origi- soning. The Legs bshad rin po che'i nated from [the syllable] O¯M, which And having explained what the mdzod (Pe, 159,12) says: embodies the [elemental] sphere of gTo box was, the text says (Ibid., Space. The same applies to those that 65,6): The Tibetan writing was fi rst created by come after: the eight [letters] E, N. a, the Enlightened One. The mDo [Su¯tra] Ra, Bhi, Sht.a [and so on,] originated The Demon resided in the heart of the affi rms: “With the thirty letters, Bon from [the syllable] RAM, which em- Queen[s]. A fi re of poisonous brambles is expressed. The [yig] mgo [starting bodies the [elemental] sphere of Fire. was lit; the tiny gTo box was thrown mark] leads the way. The shad [vertical The eight [letters] O, Ta, La, Sa, Mhing into the fi re to be burned.5 Once Yid- punctuation mark] concludes, and ends [and so on,] originated from [the kyi Khye’u-chung saw that the queens [the sentence]. The tsheg [inter-syllabic syllable] SRUM, which embodies the dPo-za [and] rKong-za and the Lord of point] clearly separates [the syllables], [elemental] sphere of Earth. The eight the Demons, Khyab-pa Lag-ring had lit avoiding confusion. [The vowels] I, E, O, [letters] U, Pa, Za, ’A, A: [and so on,] a fi re of many poisonous brambles and U, [and] the subscribed Ya are affi xed originated from [the syllable] KHAM, were burning the tiny gTo box, he real- as auxiliary letters [to the consonants], which embodies the [elemental] sphere ized how much evil had been done, and in order to convey [their] enlarged of Water. The eight [letters] I, Tsa, Ya, was so shocked6 that his heart broke, meaning.” At the beginning the pure Sha, Zha [and so on,] originated from and his body trembled. As soon as [he] divine language was transformed into [the syllable] YAM, which embodies the shouted to save it,7 the Demon Khyab- the sPungs script of sTag-gzig.1 That [elemental] sphere of Air. pa escaped and fl ed to his country. [in turn] was transformed into the old Those [letters are in turn attributed] Khye'u-chung reached into the fi re and Zhang-zhung script. That [in turn] was to fi ve elemental subgroups. The group grasped all [the half-charred writings] transformed into sMar2 sbrag, which was Ksha, E, O, U, I, Am, A, and Sht.a form he could, while the remaining ones were transformed into sMar chen [Greater the Air series; they are ubiquitous [chen destroyed by the fi re. sMar script] and sMar chung [Lesser sMar po]. Ka, Ca, Ta, Pa, Tsa, Zha, Ra, and Ha script]. sMar chen was transformed into [form] the Earth series; they are strong Thus, the demon deceived the dBu chen,3 or elegant writing [gzab yig]; [drag pa]. Kha, Cha, Tha, Pha, Tsha, Za, two queens, the gTo box burned, sMar chung was transformed into ’Bru La, and A [form] the Water series; they and Yid-kyi Khye’u-chung tried THE MIRROR · No. 99 · July, August 2009 ASIA

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ASIA Onlus Association for International Förderverein ASIA Deutschland e.V. Via San Martino della Battaglia 31 Solidarity in ASIA, Inc. c/o Gisela Auspurg 00185 Rome, Italy ASIA, Post Offi ce Box 124, Königswieser Str. 2 Tel +39.06.44340034 Conway, MA 01341-0124 USA 82131 Gauting Fax +39.06.44702620 Phone: 413.369.4153, Fax: 413.369.4473 Tel.: 089 / 127 630 32 [email protected] [email protected] [email protected] www.asia-ngo.org www.asia-ngo.org/en/ www.asia-ngo.de

of utmost importance, so that the quality of teaching has increased year after year. In particular, re- garding the teaching of English, the students of Dongche are the best among all the primary and middle schools of the whole re- gion of Tsolho (Hainan). In July 2008, our students of the fi fth class passed the fi nal intermedi- ate exam very well, as the second best among the sixteen middle schools of the whole region. Al- though this is not enough, it has been a very good opportunity, and therefore I report this to you. At present, in our school, we have thirty teachers and three- hundred and sixty students. A Letter from the Headmaster There are more than two-hun- of the Dongche School in Amdo dred and thirty resident students. This year, thanks to your kind- Khöchung Rigdzin Gyamtso, ness, our school is developing The Tibetan School of Dongche in Trika County, Amdo, and blooming in all aspects like The fi rst of December, 2008 fl owers after the rain. Therefore all the local people praise you. To the feet of the infi nitely kind Also I, without any illness, am On our side, as before and with Chögyal Namkhai Norbu Rinpoche. endeavoring to continue with my great courage, we are committed projects. Now, concerning the to the education of the people as aving heard that your life situation of the Dongche school, much as possible. is stable like the king of for ten years I have been responsi- Lastly, in the name of all the Hmountains and that you ble as headmaster of the Tibetan teachers and students, I want to are in steady good health, I, who School of Dongche in the Trika wish you a stable life and contin- live in this district of the Land of district. I have voluntarily treated uous success in your activities. Snow, am extremely happy about the components of the school this; continuously I pray to you. like a family and have always Translated by A. Clemente considered the teaching activity

ASIA in the Khri ka Valley, north-east Tibet Andrea Dell’Angelo

n 1993 ASIA was there in the fundamental importance in or- Khri ka valley in north-east der to initiate a real process of I Tibet in what was once the development, providing the new region of Amdo and today is Qin- generations with a strong cultur- ghai Province, according to the al identity and giving them all the government’s sub-division of instruments necessary to become Chinese territory. part of modern society. Seeing the ASIA arrived here together high rate of illiteracy in the valley, with Prof. Tsering Thar, who is a we decided to build a primary and real expert on Tibetan culture. We middle school in Dongche vil- came to a very poor village where lage. Thanks also to the collabo- the people live mainly from ag- ration of the Dzogchen Commu- riculture in an area that was arid nity which supported the project and surrounded by bare moun- fi nancially as well as with human tains that look almost like a lunar resources (the architect for the landscape. Besides the diffi cult school, built with local materials economic conditions there, what according to Tibetan tradition, struck us most about this valley, was actually Tony Laurent who and in particular Dongche village is currently the coordinator for – where we started to work – was ASIA in Australia), we inaugurat- the extremely diffi cult social-cul- ed the school in 1997 with Chög- Dongche school. tural situation. Over 50 years the yal Namkhai Norbu present, wel- Han population has increased comed by the local people with a children would have forgotten also in Tibetan language and phi- been distance adopted by sup- from 3 to 60 % resulting in the im- wonderful ceremony. their own language”. Since 1998 losophy and in traditional teach- porters of ASIA. poverishment of Tibetan culture, ASIA has organized courses of ing methodology. traditions and language. It was a The boarding school has more English and computer studies at In addition since 2002 thanks Since 2008 the government’s real cultural emergency just like than 500 students and serves 8 the school with foreign teachers to distance adoptions many chil- education policy in China has in all the rest of Tibet and ASIA villages with a total population of with the result that the students dren coming from families that changed. The so-called “Com- decided to assist with a multi- 12,000 people. Over the years it of Dongche have been classifi ed are too poor to pay the school bining Education Policy” – which sector project. And from this our has become a model for the whole in fi rst place at the English exams fees have had the possibility to was tested as a pilot project right adventure in Tibet started. prefecture. As the Headmaster taken by the schools in the entire attend the school and to have the in Hainan prefecture where the of the school, Rigzin Gyamtso prefecture of Hainan. There have same educational opportunities Khri ka valley is – plans to elimi- Our fi rst intervention was in the proudly said, “I am certain that if also been training courses for as other children. At the moment nate all the Tibetan primary and fi eld of education which is of this school hadn’t been here, the teachers, not only in English but there are 73 children who have >> continued on the following page THE MIRROR · No. 99 · July, August 2009 ASIA

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Children’s day at Dongche school.

>> continued from previous page The other projects that were set county, the clinic contributes to master to spread the Bön doc- Despite the great diffi culties that middle schools spread over the up in the Khri ka valley are di- keeping alive a medical science trine, arrived in Dongche valley the Tibetan people have been territory. Children from the vil- rected towards sustainable devel- whose roots stretch back into the and built the Khyung mo lha kang living in and that all the foreign lage primary schools from the opment in this community, while ancient past and whose effective- monastery, in traditional archi- NGOs are going through particu- 4th to the 6th grade (more or less promoting traditions. A petrol ness is now recognized all over tectural style. The monastery was larly in the last two years, these from 8 years and up) will be put pump started up an activity to the world. In fact, in this area, as active for centuries and destroyed projects are going ahead, entirely together in gigantic structures in generate an income for the poor- in many other areas of Tibet, after during the cultural revolution. managed by local people. This the districts (an administrative est families in the village and to the cultural revolution, doctors of is an important result which en- unit covering several villages), support the costs of the school. traditional medicine disappeared In 2005 Khyungmo Topden courages us to continue and to students from the middle schools With the construction of a tra- and most of the population now Wangshulk, the current abbot of renew our commitment to this in the counties and students from ditional Tibetan medicine clinic resorts to western medicine. the monastery, the 23rd reincar- people and the great knowledge the secondary schools in the pre- and a College of Bönpo Studies, The most recent intervention nation of Yeshes rgyal mtshan, that they preserve. fectures. In this way children will ASIA intervened to improve the carried out by ASIA in Dongche asked ASIA to help to give the be uprooted from their land and health conditions of the people village is the Khyungmo Bönpo young monks a place in which What you can do their environment, their families, and to safeguard the cultural College. The fi rst phase of con- they could learn about ancient With 25 euro per month you can traditions and customs and put roots of the Tibetan population. struction (classrooms, dormito- Bön traditions. start a long distance sponsorship together with thousands of other ries and bathrooms) was fi nished and support: children in what are practically At the Dongche clinic two doc- in 2007 and we are planning a sec- After building the Study College, · a Bönpo Monk in Khyungmo cement barracks. tors of traditional medicine visit ond phase of extension to meet this year ASIA started up a dis- College and treat the village people with the rising requests for admission. tance adoption project to guar- or antee support for the monks and · a Student in Dongche School the children of the primary school providing them food, teaching linked to the monastery. All these material and basic health care to students come from very poor let them live and study in a digni- families, or are orphans or aban- fi ed way. doned children who have been taken in with great compassion To start a long distance sponsor- by Master Khyungmo. The Mas- ship you can consult our web ter cares for them as if they were www.asia-onlus.org or write to his own children, but in spite of Roberta to his great efforts, he has not man- [email protected] aged to fi nd funds for food and for the costs of his students. Contributions can be made The Khyungmo Bönpo Col- through: lege is an important educational · Bank transfer in the name of opportunity for young Tibetans ASIA Onlus from Dongche village. Here, be- IBAN: IT 06 F 01030 72160 sides learning about spiritual 000000562272 teachings (Sutra, Tantra and the BIC/SWIFT: PASC IT M1G99 Great Perfection), students also · Credit card on Headmaster Khöchung Rigdzin Gyamtso with ASIA staff in the new library. learn philosophy, history, writing www.asia-onlus.org and grammar, prose and poetry, The children from Dongche vil- Tibetan medicine produced by different art forms, medicine and lage who go to the primary school them and particularly effective The College is part of Khyungmo astrology, all aspects of learning will remain there. In fact, ASIA for chronic illnesses that cannot Monastery which belongs to the of the very ancient and highly de- has managed to get this promise be cured at the hospitals. Bön spiritual tradition, the oldest veloped culture of Tibet. for the primary school from the The clinic has two objectives: tradition in Tibet that existed prior county Department of Education, besides improving health con- to the introduction of Buddhism. The people from the village, most while the students from the mid- ditions within the community An ancient legend recounts its or- of all the elderly, visit the monas- dle school will have to be trans- by giving the possibility for the igins which date back to the 14th tery frequently and every day ritu- ferred to Guide county. needy to receive treatment at low century when a Bönpo monk, Ye- als and religious practices are costs without having to go to the shes rgyal mtshan, sent by his carried out there.

>> continued from page 1 it provided but also because the four wheels” was sold for a good- even this was an occasion for us with their beautiful voices and broadcast by webcast with Com- result was like a sign – Rinpoche ly sum to one of our practitioners to become aware of where we the sounds of the dranye. Then it munity Gars and practitioners said – an awareness of the neces- who not only does not have a are and of how we participate in was the turn of the Merigar chil- participating around the entire sities and needs that the Com- driver’s licence but actually lives the Community. At the end there dren who with their little songs planet. The auction managed to munity has to cope with. Even in China. was entertainment with dancing and their vocal acrobatics man- raise an enormous amount of Yeshi Silvano Namkhai’s car was and singing: Tsewang, Nyiden aged to leave an impression on money and was a positive result generously put in the auction and Besides the auction we were also Tenzin and Tenzin Yangdon pro- the biggest and the smallest of not only for the tangible benefi ts the fi rst model of “retreat cave on able to organize a lottery and vided some wonderful moments those who were present… THE MIRROR · No. 99 · July, August 2009 Shang Shung Institute

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· courses on Tibetan language, continuation of the SSI and hosts The International medicine and related topics SSI Italy in their offi ces. Shang Shung Institute (astrology, moxa, kunye etc) In addition, it should be point- ed out that many of the activities Luigi Ottaviani In addition, we support the of the SSI for the Community are Dzogchen Community by provid- carried out voluntarily by the In- ing services such as: stitute as its commitment towards would like to take this op- · The Mirror the Community (in particular the portunity to respond to the · the membership database membership database and the I many people who have asked · management of the Santi Maha management of the SMS). for general information about Sangha the Shang Shung Institute, the · management of Yantra Yoga Support for the Institute comes relationship between the Insti- and Vajra Dance courses mainly from: tute and the Dzogchen Commu- Tibetan culture in Europe, set- the workload has increased, the · the webcasts of the Teachings · donations nity, the activities of the Institute ting up events of worldwide in- staff consists of almost 20 peo- and retreats of Chögyal · the sale of books and audio and how they are supported. terest: conferences on Tibetan ple (including those employed at Namkhai Norbu and Yeshi video products, courses Medicine, on Tibetan Language, all the branches), while the cur- Silvano Namkhai · SSI membership The Shang Shung Institute was conferences, international shows rent fi nancial situation is sound · organizational and technical · Services for Merigar West. founded in Italy about 20 years and exhibitions as well as many and stable and the accounts are assistance at various levels. ago by Prof. Namkhai Norbu other activities. in order. Therefore, any form of support with the aim of preserving and Then there are other ‘standby’ for the Shang Shung Institute is spreading Tibetan culture. Regarding the current situa- Even though it seems that the activities, that is, activities that a direct and concrete way of help- Later on, Chögyal Namkhai tion of the Institute, however, I staff is made up of many people, are waiting to receive suffi cient ing to carry out the projects that Norbu decided that the Institute can only speak about the period in actual fact we are hardly able resources, in the form of proj- Rinpoche has entrusted to us in should also be in charge of pro- in which I have been directly in- to cover all the work that needs to ect managers who want to help the course of time; a precious ducing practice supports, pre- volved (the last four years). be done. Therefore we receive a us set up projects such as the Ti- help to preserve this marvelous serving his teachings for future In 2006 the Shang Shung In- lot of help from dozens of people betan Museum, the cinerary, the cultural tradition that we all value generations and protecting his stitute had in total about 7–8 peo- who assist us in , lo- photographic archive, the histor- and hope can be handed down to work and his image (copyright). ple working both part-time and cally and in the towns, in almost ical archive of the Institute, etc., future generations. full-time. The foreign branches every aspect of our work. and many other proposals to be Over the years in order to support worked almost completely au- put into action on direct instruc- Finally I would like to invite every- these activities other branches tonomously and there were few I would like to take the opportu- tions from Rinpoche. one who would like to know more of the Institute have sprung up links between them and the cen- nity to thank all those who offer about the activities of the Shang abroad which, in addition to the tral offi ce. There were few people their help and support to our ac- It is important to state clearly Shung Institute, or who would general determined projects, within the Community who knew tivities. Thanks to their commit- that the activities that the Shang like to participate in projects, in have gradually undertaken spe- about the existence of the Insti- ment, the Shang Shung Institute Shung Institute undertakes for courses or simply communicate cifi c projects. Some of these are tute and its work. is growing and going ahead. Merigar are ‘operating’ activi- with us, not to hesitate to get in about, for example, the transla- Sincere thanks also to the staff ties, or rather, the SSI does not touch with us (possibly more tion of ancient Tibetan texts (Ka- In recent years, thanks to the who have dedicated themselves make the decisions but carries than once because we take care of ter) and the setting up of a school hard work of all the staff, the to this work for years with re- out suggestions that come from something like 150–180 requests for Tibetan medicine in the USA. Shang Shung Institute has grown sponsibility and enthusiasm. Rinpoche and from representa- every day and unfortunately the In the last two years, the Institute and developed in many ways. The tives of the Community (such as emails do not always arrive!) has also created two branches directors of the three main of- Here is a brief summary of what the SMS coordinators, teachers, linked directly to the Italian of- fi ces decided to start active and the Institute does today IPC, etc.). We are always happy to receive fi ce, one in Argentina and the constructive collaboration in or- There are really a great number I repeat that the SSI does not feedback (and obviously con- other in Russia. This decision der to improve the overall work of activities but the main ones are make any decisions regarding structive criticism), to answer arose from the need to be able situation and to share resources cultural projects including: these activities but simply carries questions about our work, to re- to spread the Teachings in other and skills so as to really work as a · the archives of the Teachings out the instructions it receives. ceive suggestions for improve- languages. single organism. · the production of practice ment or new projects. supports From this viewpoint, the Italian We can say with certainty that Moreover, the Institute has re- · the translation and publication offi ce of the SSI and the Gar of Warm greetings to you all, over the past years the Shang cently extended the number of of books (both ‘internal’ and Merigar West are closely integrat- Luigi Ottaviani Shung Institute has been the services it offers and its infl uence for the public) ed. The SSI contributes its servic- Director of the Shang Shung main centre of activity linked to on the international scene. Since · transcriptions es and Merigar West supports the Institute

material we acquired right now Chögyal Namkhai Norbu, as well SSI Digital Archive was about Argentina (1989– as all manuscripts, books and 2007, 2 TB), beginning of Meri- documents on Tibetan culture gar (1983–1985). present in our Library, are digi- Project Updates tally preserved so as to remain e are very happy to For this reason please continue available and accessible for gen- announce that we to support this project so that erations to come. Whave already received the archiving work can continue 5 donations for the project of without interruptions. The SSI offi ce premises located the Digital Archives! This was a at Merigar (Arcidosso, Italy) have very important result since we The Project Summary been restructured to host techni- were able to buy the fi rst mod- With your help and support we cally advanced installation. A cli- ule of the new archive and start can continue for the digital pres- matized room has been designed the work! We really would like ervation of all our video materials and built specifi cally for the data to thank all the donors and sup- and make it available for the fu- storage system. Some years ago porters for this great result! ture generations! we started the project of indexing Final stage of the Ku-nye course May 22–24 at Kundusling Barcelona during which diplomas contents of video material and we were given to 8 new Ku-nye operators. The system was installed a few As you may remember, we are created a new database. days ago and we were able to set it looking for 20 donors who can up and have it working in 2 days. give 5000 euro each. We are or- Now, we are entering into a new The actual net storage available in ganizing a raffl e among the do- phase of digitizing all the video the present confi guration is 7 TB, nors. Each of them will get a spe- material in our archive and the with high security level of redun- cial edition of new publications data storage we have is not enough dancy and hot spare disks ready. from Shang Shung Editions. The for this. We need 2 twin storages The total space that this machine luckiest one will also receive the for maximum security with a size can keep is a maximum of about laptop that our Master Chögyal of 85 TB each to include all the 35 TB (net of security) so there’s Namkhai Norbu used every day video material we have (around plenty of upgrade possible! for three years. 7000 hours). To start this project, your support is indispensable! We have already been able to fi ll The Digital Archives of the Shang the fi rst 5,3 TB of the space now Shung Institute are dedicated to For any information, please, con- and in a week or two we will fi ll ensuring that all information re- tact Shang Shung Institute The fi nal weekend of the Ku-nye course with Aldo Oneto was held in Florence, Italy May 30–31 the other available space. The lated to the life and teachings of [email protected] during which diplomas were conferred. THE MIRROR · No. 99 · July, August 2009 Shang Shung Institute

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the dean of the Tibetan Medical The First Graduating Class 2009 of the College, Professor Lusham Gyal, Tibetan Medical School, Shang Shung for coordinating the program on our behalf. I would also like to Institute, USA in Xining thank Aku Nyima for generously bestowing the reading transmis- Matt Schmookler sion of the rGyud bZhi with great personal effort over the last three he Shang Shung Insti- ty to conclude our studies with months. I would like to thank tute’s Tibetan Medicine three months of study at the Qin- all of the professors of the col- T School Students, class of ghai University, Tibetan Medical lege and all of the directors of the 2009, upon just returning from College and the Mtsho Sngon Ti- hospital departments for their Tibet, have come to the end of our betan Medical Hospital, located kindness and attention. Finally four-year journey into the study in Xining in the Qinghai Prov- we would like to extend our deep of the rGyud Bzhi, the four Tibet- ince. Amdo has become a strong gratitude to Dr. Phuntsog Wang- an Medical Tantras. Under the foothold for Traditional Tibetan mo, our dear teacher, whose profoundly patient and generous Medicine in Tibet. The universi- dedicated perseverance and im- guidance of our dear teacher Dr. ty, hospital, Arura pharmaceuti- Left to right: Nashalla Gwyn Nyinda, Mira Weil, Anasuya Weil, Dr. Phuntsog Wangmo, Matt mense patience has led us to this Phuntsog Wangmo, we managed cal company and Arura research Schmookler, Malcolm Smith, Joseph Mella, Slawomir Kosciuk. occasion. to spend the last four years thor- company, all work together un- We, the Shang Shung students oughly immersed in the study of der the Arura Group for the de- We were treated with incred- requirements for the degree of Class of 2009, are not only pro- this precious text and the living velopment of Tibetan Medicine. ible respect and dignity; it often “Doctor of Tibetan Medicine”. foundly grateful for having this experiential knowledge of our While in Tibet we had the felt like we were undeserving. [see photo] opportunity, but also feel the full teachers that accompanies it. great privilege to meet and learn Nevertheless, these great Tibetan After our graduation we es- weight of the responsibility of Together we have gone through from many of the foremost Ti- scholars of the modern era were caped to Lhasa where we visited carrying the tradition of Tibetan many pains and joys as the fi rst betan medical scholars including pleased that Western people our teacher’s family, the Potala, Medicine forward into the future formal class of Western students Professor Karma Tsognyis, Sman showed true interest in the fruits the Jo Khang, Samye Monastery, in the United States and beyond. to attempt to learn this great tra- pa Tingzin and Tadrin Gyal. In of their culture and helped us in the 6th Dalai secret prac- The 4,000 year-old tradition of dition in equivalence with our Ti- classes with these teachers we any way they could. They were tice chamber and the practice Tibetan Medicine has produced betan brothers and sisters in In- studied commentaries on the surprised at the depth in which cave of Yeshe Tsögyal in South great beings and masters who dia and Tibet. Rgyud Bzhi, specialized anatomi- we went into this study, as they Tibet. It was fantastic! have helped countless beings Our teacher and seven stu- cal knowledge of the channel sys- have seen many who are interest- Here is a speech the Anasuya maintain and restore their health. dents spent four years in one tems , splints and bandages, and ed only in skimming the surface. Weil delivered at our graduation Today we are honored that you classroom together, in twenty the inner winds. We also received At the end of our time at the on our behalf: bestow this great tradition upon hours a week of lecture, going the entire lung transmission of University, we took an examina- “Tashi Delek! On behalf of the us. Although this ceremony line by line through the four med- the Rgyud Bzhi from Aku Nyima, tion equivalent to the examina- Shang Shung Institute’s School marks the end of our four years ical tantras, translating each and the most famous doctor in all of tion that their students undergo. of Tibetan Medicine, class of of study, every one of us realizes every word into English. Bridg- Amdo, who is a simple monk. In This was given upon the request 2009, I would like to thank the that we have only just dipped our ing the gap between the deep and the hospital we had the rare op- of our teacher so that the univer- Tibetan Medical College of the toes into the vast ocean of knowl- essential classical medical lan- portunity to learn from very ex- sity could then grant us paper- Qinghai University for inviting edge that is Tibetan medicine and guage and modern English can perienced doctors such as Aku work stating that we had fi nished us to spend three months here that in truth this is just the begin- be a challenging task. Fortunate- Nyima and Aku Padma and see our four years of studies equiva- in order to complete our clinical ning of a lifetime of learning. We ly our wonderful teacher was able their living practice of alleviating lent to the Tibetan students of internship. I would also like to promise to do our best in carry- to express the most complicated the suffering of countless people Tibetan Medicine. Upon the suc- extend our thanks to the Qing- ing forth this profound teaching concepts in simple, easily under- day in and day out. In the coun- cessful completion of the test, hai Tibetan Medical Hospital for and to treat everyone with the stood language. tryside, we scaled the mountains Qinghai University, Tibetan Med- hosting our internship training. same compassion and generosity Upon the completion of our with herbal specialists, identify- ical College, held a graduation In particular I would like to thank of spirit that has been shown to formal class lectures, language ing herbs and then were tested ceremony for us in which they ’O Zochen, the president of the us.” classes and weekly clinical labs, on their proper identifi cation. granted us certifi cates stating we Arura Group, for sponsoring our we had the fantastic opportuni- had successfully completed the trip here. I would like to thank

years Elio Guarisco, Adriano Cle- book can be published in the sec- come to get one or more tickets Supporting publications projects mente and Jim Valby have been ond half of 2010. for the “Raffl e for Translations of working on the translation of · One of the major books on Ti- Teachings”. There are 100 tickets the entire text from Tibetan into betan history and a real milestone of 185 Euro each and you can win Dear Vajrasisters and Vajrabrothers, tantra you need to have a quali- English, and Chögyal Namkhai for understanding will be the ten fantastic prices. A few tick- fi ed translator. But all that effort Norbu has helped very much and publication of “The Light Of Kai- ets are still available. The win- he translation of Tibetan is not enough, because without clarifi ed numerous parts of the lash, Vol. I” in autumn 2009. Do- ning tickets will be drawn during texts and Teachings into the help of the Master, Chögyal text that were unclear. The trans- natella Rossi has worked on the the October retreat with Chögyal T a Western language is one Namkhai Norbu, we just could lation has been almost complet- translation of this extraordinary Namkhai Norbu at Merigar West. of the crucial points of the inter- not make precise translations. In ed and could be going into its fi - and voluminous work of Chögyal You can get the tickets at the national Shang Shung Institute. all these years Rinpoche has been nal phase. Now, as Rinpoche has Namkhai Norbu for several years. Shang Shung Institute Austria’s We see it as our main responsibil- working many, many hours with decided to teach on this text, we She is continuing her transla- online shop. ity to make these precious texts the translators to clarify certain will include Rinpoche’s Teach- tions as this work of Rinpoche’s You can use your credit card or available so that our children and unclear aspects of each text. ings, so that by 2010 we will be contains three volumes. get the tickets for this raffl e by grand-children, too, will be able We have two main transla- able to publish not only the com- The translators and editors, bank transfer: to read these teachings. If they re- tion projects, the “Ka-ter trans- plete translation of this marvel- the illustrators as well as those Bank Name: Raiffeisenbank Ilz main without translation only in lation project” and the “Com- ous Dzogchen Tantra but also in charge of Shang Shung Edi- Bank Address: Hauptstr. 39, 8262 Tibetan, in a few generations no- plete works of Chogyal Namkhai Rinpoche’s commentary. tions are permanently working Ilz, Austria body will have any benefi t from Norbu”, and many books have · Adriano Clemente is currently on books and translations and in Bank Code: 38151 them since there probably will already been published in these working on the translation of the 2009 you will be able to purchase Account Name: Shang-Shung In- not be any more living language series – just think about all the book “The Precious Light”. This some other new books published stitute Austria. experts like those we have today. Longsal books for example. is a commentary to the Tantra by the Shang Shung Institute. Account number: 30387 To translate these texts is a of the manifestation of the Vajra There is the possibility that BIC (= SWIFT): RZSTAT2G151 very delicate task and a translator Here is some information about Dance that liberates the Six Lokas one group of the Dzogchen Com- IBAN: AT19 3815 1000 0003 0387 needs to have very special quali- our work: in the Six Dimensions, and in- munity sponsors one book. The ties to bring the real meaning of · In the next few days you will be cludes its history. The book con- Dzogchen Community Brazil, Many Tashi Delegs and very best these scriptures from Tibetan into able to purchase the latest book tains the root-text, the of for example, decided to sponsor wishes, English. One cannot just trans- of the “Ka-ter series”, the “Bio- Rinpoche, and the description of one specifi c book of Rinpoche’s Oliver Leick late word-by-word, one needs graphy of Shakya Shri”, translat- the steps. Adriano has worked on that hopefully will be published Director of the Shang Shung to understand the content of the ed by Elio Guarisco. the translation of this book since in 2010. It would be great if we Institute Austria text or of the teachings and one · During the retreat in August March 2009. He hopes that the could fi nd a sponsor for one of Gschmaier 139 must have experienced the real at Merigar, Chögyal Namkhai translation of this book will be the announced books. 8265 Gr. Steinbach meaning of the words in order to Norbu will be giving Teach- ready in the fi rst half of 2010, so Austria translate them in their complete ings on the “Mejung Tantra”. that afterwards it could be given In order to support the Shang Tel.: 0043 676 3221365 meaning. So you see, in order to This is one of the very important to the editor. We hope that the Shung Institute with all the trans- www.shangshunginstitute.org translate a text like a Dzogchen Dzogchen Tantras. In the last 3 lation programs, you are very wel- www.ssi-austria.at THE MIRROR · No. 99 · July, August 2009 Focus on Vajra Dance

10 Chögyal Namkhai Norbu

From The Precious Light

Note: what follows is a partial transcription of a verbal summary of the original text, recorded in Italian by Chögyal Namkhai Nor- bu in 1992. It is not a proper translation of the original Tibetan text and therefore there can be no assurance about its accuracy.

he secret tantra The Union of the Sun and the Moon, trans- mitted by , includes instruc- Ttions for the Dance and the Song of the Vajra and how to integrate with them in the state of contemplation. [….] It says:

Listen thubpa togpamed (realized one), the scope of the secret Song of the Vajra is to block birth in the inferior states; this is the right activity of the Enlightened ones.

When a yogin with the good fortune to have this knowledge wanders in solitary places, a cemetery for example, he does well to sing the Song of the Vajra again and again.

The Song of the Vajra is a companion that helps one enter the state of mitogpa, beyond all thought, a Song to be used at the beginning of any sacred activity. Rinpoche working on the steps of the Dance of the Vajra with students in the early 1990s [Prima Mai to the left of Rinpoche]. Entering the mandala, or during or ganapujas, in these moments sing the Song of the Vajra. When practicing or continu- the material and mental level are purifi ed. These are the reasons there were four glass doors and to the sides very large ing in the state of mitogpa beyond thought, one should sing it. for which the Song of the Vajra is sung. windows of colored glass. I was facing East, seated on a throne about 2-1/2 feet high. All around me, both inside This is the signifi cance of the Song of the Vajra. Also always practice the Dance of the Vajra. and outside the temple, there were throngs of people, maybe thousands: they were all singing, very slowly, the When one wants to reach the wisdom beyond thought, one Those who always practice both the Song and the Dance of the Song of the Vajra. I could see everyone distinctly through should sing the Song of the Vajra. Vajra will obtain the realization of the Vajra. the doors and windows of glass. Moreover, I could see this place was poised on top of a When a person cannot fi nd stability in the state of contempla- Thus Vajradhara explained. vast white thigle. Outside the thigle was a yellow hexagram tion, with this practice he or she will discover the natural state. [….] luminous as gold, and beyond the hexagram was a double red triangle, surrounded by thigles in rainbow colours, in- When a practitioner is drowsy, he or she will awaken with the The Transmission of the Dance through Dreams and Visions fi nite as the waves of the ocean, which seemed to fi ll all Song and fi nd a good state of contemplation. In the year of the Earth-Serpent, the fourth day of the fi fth space and were suffi cient to cover an entire country. On month, that is, July 7th, 1989, I was at Tsegyalgar, the prin- these thigles thousands of young people, men and wom- In the state of , governed with the seal of bliss, one is in the cipal location of the Dzogchen Community in the United en, were dancing. total state of the symbol, , and enters the deep mean- States, in the place of the Dance of the Dakinis. During the Among them, I could see that some were doing a dance ing of the instructions of the Master. retreat, I slept in a small tent and in it, early that morning, normally performed on the tenth day, that of Padmasam- Also when entering the state of emptiness, shunyata, you will fi n d I had a : bhava, where the dancers are called kin: there were male yourself in your natural state and in this way all your concepts I found myself in a round temple in the center of the kin and female kin, many carried drums and were leaping, are self-liberated in their own nature. Also all concepts linked to place of the Dance of the Dakinis; in the four directions singing and dancing. In addition to these people, there

his oral translation. He also ex- harmony with the music and our ly as we discovered new details “The Precious Light” – the story plained to us that it had not been steps! and the Dance became richer in of a text easy to translate the dynamic Other meetings with Rinpoche details. movements of the Dance into took place at Namgyalgar but Adriana Dal Borgo clear-cut set words. mainly at Merigar West. Most of The ‘green book’ then became And so the long job of com- the work was recorded on video obsolete. Many points were per- he Precious Light” Preziosa La manifestazione sim- paring and of in-depth study and is now precious documenta- fected and others added and there is Chögyal Namkhai bolica della Danza del Vajra che began thanks to the collabora- tion and a constant source of in- was a growing need among danc- “T Norbu’s original text libera le sei classi di esseri nelle tion of some dancers and most formation. ers and most of all among the containing explanations of how sei dimensioni pure”, but which of all thanks to the patience teachers to have access to a literal the Master received the trans- everyone referred to as “the green of Rinpoche who answered all One of the questions we are re- translation of the original text. mission of the Dance of the Vajra book” (because of the colour of our questions during numer- peatedly asked is: why has the Last year Adriano Clemente fi - from the Komadevi and the cover). ous meetings over the course of Vajra Dance changed? In actual nally started work on the transla- the instructions for applying the For a long time this was the the years. For each question or fact the Dance has not changed tion. practice. basic text on which the Dance doubt, Rinpoche consulted the but over time we have tried to im- At the moment, together with In particular Rinpoche re- of the Vajra developed, of course root text or tried to remember prove and dance in a more pre- Adriano Clemente, Maurizio Min- ceived this Teaching through together with the experience and how the movements were in his cise way. gotti, Prima Mai and Rita Renzi, a series of dreams of clarity in the explanations of the autho- dreams. Other times our ques- For example, at the begin- we are doing a thorough check 1989 and 1990, at Tsegyalgar rised instructors. Nancy Sim- tions were the cause of further ning Rinpoche taught mainly the and comparison, step by step, of and at Merigar. Immediately af- mons and Anastasia McGhee clarifying dreams. steps and some of the arm move- Adriano’s translation of the root ter writing the text, while he was started to compose an English Khandroling in particular, the ments but not the like text, the explanations and clari- in personal retreat at Merigar, version of the text based on the retreat place at Tsegyalgar, is a we do now. Studying the text we fi cations we have received from Rinpoche translated it into Ital- Italian edition of the transcrip- place where the Master contin- discovered the existence of the Rinpoche over the years, the way ian and recorded the translation tion. Soon, however, we realised ued to receive the most impor- mudras and of many other small we dance and the transcription of on audio cassettes. Over the years that there were some discrepan- tant dreams linked to the Dance movements and details that we the ‘green book’. that followed some practitioners cies between the descriptions of the Vajra. tried to integrate with the main It is a very useful job of revi- (Yuchen Namkhai, Rita Bizzotto of some of the movements in One of these meetings with movements. sion after which there will be an- and myself ) transcribed the re- the transcription and the way the Master to resolve our doubts Reading the text we found other meeting with Rinpoche to cording and others (Enzo Ter- in which Rinpoche danced and took place at the Chitwan nation- Tibetan terms such as ‘tshom’, fi nally clarify some movements zano with the collaboration of taught. al park in Nepal: at the end Prima ‘korbeb’, ‘chun’ and by asking and meanings. Stoffelina Verdonk and me) co- Rinpoche himself had point- Mai, Stoffelina, myself and oth- Rinpoche’s advice each time, we We expect that next year the ordinated the publication of the ed out to us that since the terms ers started to dance and among tried to understand the meaning translation, including the part to transcription which came out in ‘right’ and ‘left’ were similar the spectators there were the el- of them. be checked with Rinpoche, will 1994 edited by Edizioni Shang in Tibetan, at times they might ephants (used for tourist trips) In this way our experience on be concluded and the text will be Shung under the title “La Luce possibly have been mixed up in who began to move in perfect the mandala grew simultaneous- ready for publication. THE MIRROR · No. 99 · July, August 2009 Focus on Vajra Dance

11

Three Vajra Dance instructors demonstrating the Dance of the Vajra in the Gonpa at Merigar West. Photo: Gianni Biaggi were many musicians with diverse instruments: bells, and females had long hair, one part of which was bound at contemplation.” After she spoke in this way, each took his tambourines, clappers, cymbals, large and small gongs, the nape of the neck and decorated with fl owers, the rest or her position on the mandala. At that moment I looked tabla, dranyen, pivang, and various fl utes, trumpets, jyal- left loose over the shoulders. The girl who was instructing at the ground, and indeed there was, as in the dream I had ings, tinshakgs (cymbals), shangs, large and small damarus the others seemed a little older, possibly twenty years of had the year before at Tsegyalgar, a mandala with circles and different kinds of round small bells. Attached to the age. She was very beautiful, her face resembling an Indian of different colors. tip of a stick, a string of tinshakg formed a circle inside woman, her hair black and long. Her dress was red with Now I was able to remember that earlier dream very of which was a double triangle made of tiny bells. All the brilliant golden designs among shimmering rainbow- clearly: I was exactly at the center of the mandala on a instruments, some of which I had never seen before, were colored bands. She wore many ornaments, fl owers in her white thigle and around my throne was a yellow hexagon, being played as accompaniment to the simple movements hair, jewels covering her body. On a small raised seat, she its points corresponding to the six dimensions. Inside the of the dance. was explaining in a language unknown to me. hexagon was a double chonsyun (triangle), then a green The instruments, the sounds, the movements were As I neared the group, they had again begun danc- base and then all the circles or thigles : one blue, one linked harmoniously with the Song of the Vajra, sung by ing, to the line Suryabhatharaipashanapha, and seeing white, then yellow, red, green, blue, yellow, red, green, all of us. While we were singing Naranaraithapatalam, in me approach, they started to speak among themselves. It blue. I saw a red triangle and a white triangle on the out- front of me danced a female kin, recognizable by her red seemed they recognized me and with much respect they side. mask, whereas male kin wore white masks on their faces. came to greet me. Even the young woman had risen from Each dancer had taken a place on the red thigle : all the She leaped high into the air, synchronous with a strong vi- her padded seat, and advancing slowly, smilingly, she said males were faced outside the mandala, the females turned bration which resembled the sound of the syllable “bam,” in perfect Tibetan, “We are very happy that you have come toward the center. Their bodies were erect, their arms at a sound not created by the kin but self-arisen. In that in- to us today. Here we are practising the Dance of the Vajra their sides. The girl who gave instructions had begun to stant the kin transformed into a circle of light, a thigle for the Liberation of the Beings of the Six Lokas into the sound A and all the pawos and pamos, chanting together, large as a tent in which a dakini manifested. Slowly this Six Pure Dimensions. Make yourself comfortable.” raised their arms and then slowly united their hands at the manifestation, the thigle as well as the dakini, came to- I responded, “But who are you?” When I asked this navel. Singing Emakirikiri, they began to dance. ward me. Having neared the eastern door of the temple, question, all of them exploded with mirth, and the woman While they danced the verses Samuntacaryasughayai, the dakini communicated teachings to me which can be in the red dress who had been giving instructions said to Sambharathamekhacantapa, Masminsaghulitayapa, the found elsewhere in this text. me, “You did not recognize us? We are the pawos (dakas) principal pamo interrupted at three different points in and pamos (dakinis) of Oddiyana.” In that moment I re- order to clarify something. Because she was speaking in * membered that Oddiyana is a Muslim country: how could the language of the dakinis, I could not understand her In the year of the Iron-Horse, the nineteenth day of the they be dakas and dakinis or pawos and pamos? Maybe words. I did understand however that she was correct- sixth month, that is, August 10th, 1990, I was in my retreat they meant that Oddiyana is a pure dimension, and for ing the movements of some of the pawos and pamos and cabin named by me “The Fortress of the Dakinis” at Tseg- this reason there are pawos and pamos. With this doubt sometimes she seemed to be explaining the meaning of yalgar. I was in retreat, doing the practice of the dakini of in mind I asked: “Where is the place you call Oddiyana?” the Dance. After the verses Ra Ra Ra, each one danced on long life Mandarava. Early in the morning I had a dream: All the pawos and pamos seemed amazed by my ques- his or her own. tion: they stared at me and laughed. The dakini girl who The principal pamo came over to me, and I asked her found myself in a place with white rock crystals under- gave explanations replied with a smile, “Oddiyana can be if she could teach me the Dance of the Vajra. She indicat- foot everywhere, and among the crystals grew trees found in the pure dimensions in all directions of the uni- ed the position of the pawo on the mandala and began to I full of brightly colored blossoms. It was an enchant- verse. In this moment, this site where we now are is called demonstrate the Dance, explaining the movements in de- ing place and I took a stroll in the forest. As I walked, at a the country of Oddiyana.” tail, until Masutavalivali. She then requested a pawo and certain point I heard high-pitched voices, which sounded I wanted to ask other questions, but she was already pamo couple to teach me the successive steps; thus they like a chorus of school children. The melody resembled pointing out to me her seat, saying to me, “Please sit. Now showed me many times and in a clear way how to dance the Song of the Vajra: the melody stopped, and after a mo- we will offer you a Dance of the Vajra.” Taking the seat, I the verses Samitasurusuru and Kutalimasumasu. After ment began again, alternating sound and silence like the asked: “How many persons are necessary in order to do I had learned the movements we danced together many waves of the sea. Listening with attention, I recognized the dance?” “Today, we are twelve altogether, between the times. with certainty the Song of the Vajra, accompanied by the pawos and the pamos, so we are able to do only the brief We were still dancing when I woke up. In that moment tinkling of bells, and I thought whoever was singing was Dance, the one of the small karrà. To dance on the karrà of I thought that I must truly understand the Dance of the also dancing. medium size, twelve pawos and pamos and twelve kins, Vajra of the Liberation of the Beings of the Six Lokas into I climbed a small hill and thus I was able to see, be- male and female, are needed, in all twenty-four dancers. the Six Pure Dimensions, but how was I to do it? I tried hind the hill, among the rocks made of crystal, in a place Instead, for the larger karrà, thirty-six dancers, twelve pa- in vain for a long time to fall asleep again. The moment surrounded by many trees and full of fl owers, numerous wos and pamos, twelve female kin and twelve male kin, I succeeded, I found myself in dream in the same place, young men and women singing and also dancing the Song called jorkin and drolkin, are required. The karrà is the dancing with the pawo and the pamo, seeking to learn the of the Vajra. Among them a girl was giving explanations. space where we dance. There are always six levels of thi- steps of Samitasurusuru. When they saw me they stopped dancing. gle, seven if you also count the center. In the large karrà I asked them, “Among Dzogchen practitioners in Ti- Observing the features and clothing of the young peo- which is called the gyepa chenpo, each dimension possesses bet, I never met anyone who knew how to dance like this ple, I thought that they were Nepalese or maybe from eight levels. There is no need to limit the number of indi- and I really want to learn this Dance of the Vajra well. Will Kashmir. Over their shirts and their thin trousers, to the viduals who dance, since there is room for many. you teach me all of it?” The pawo answered, “Do not wor- bottoms of which were attached many little bells, they Thus the girl spoke to me. I asked her who she was. She ry. We will teach you it, slowly, verse by verse. Now we will wore a kind of sleeveless coat with an elaborately em- looked at me intensely and with a slight smile she said, “It dance Ekarasulibhatayai and Cikirabhulibhatayai.” They broidered border which hung to the knees, Tibetan-style. seems you do not remember me. I am an emanation of the had just begun to demonstrate these two sections when They were all dressed in the same way, though the young Dakini of Wisdom, I am an action Dakini. Now watch this I awoke. women were richly ornamented with jewels. Both males Dance we are about to offer you and remain in the state of >> continued on the following page THE MIRROR · No. 99 · July, August 2009

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Interview with Prima Mai

Prima Mai is one of the main teachers of Vajra Dance in the international Dzogchen Community and has been practicing and teaching the Dance of the Vajra since 1992. Prima Mai met Chögyal Namkhai Norbu in 1988.

The Mirror: Prima, can you please from the fi rst moment, that I tell us about your fi rst contact did not have to search further. with the Vajra Dance? The fi rst time we sang the Song Prima Mai: I had had experience of Vajra together with Rinpoche in daily life of how body attitudes – me reading from the kindly can alter mental and energetic lent incomprehensible text – I states and vice versa and I was had such a joy and several visions very interested in paths evolved inside me, that the same methods integrating movements. day, after the teachings, I hid I was also very wary of religion myself in the little forest next to or paths with strong dogmas or the retreat place to learn these limitations. I did not really look sounds by heart, in order to have around much and having made more experience of this moment up my mind to meet a teacher, the next time, which I then had. pretty soon met my fi rst spiritual teacher, a Sufi master who spe- There was not yet the Vajra Dance Rinpoche indicating some of the coordinates for the Dance of the Vajra Mandala on a world map. cially worked with sacred healing and the main practice integrating sounds and mantras and move- movement was Yantra Yoga which Rinpoche’s teachings fully, but It was my fi rst time in Merigar and group of children from Merigar ments. I had some interesting ex- I also tried to study and practice. still did not understand every- I got very sick in a somewhat in- and saw me weakly sitting there. periences, but still felt my mental Even though I had no doubt that thing very well and sometimes teresting way and could not leave He started to play and sing with search had not been satisfi ed or I had found my root teacher, I felt it was too much sitting for my and fi nished being sick in the old the children and taught them somewhat left blank. tried to fi gure out of how to in- taste. The Dzogchen Community dormitory for nearly a month or some Tibetan dance movements. tegrate these teachings by also also scared me off a bit in the so. Rinpoche still worked in Na- He looked at me and said that I When I met my Master, Chögyal following the teachings offered early days. Overwhelming as well ples at the University and came should also come and do them. Namkhai Norbu in Marcevol, in a by my Sufi Master, because of were all these words in Tibetan some weekends. One day, he So I joined in with the group of place in the Pyrenees close to the the very strong I which I could not understand. came inside the old small Gonpa children, feeling quite weak but French/Spanish border around had with integrating sounds and (which is now the offi ce of Meri- soon started to enjoy the games. November 1988, I had no doubt, movements. I wanted to follow gar and the SSI), followed by a Also other adults came to watch

>> The precious light continued from previous page Thus I danced several times turning right, until the girl ing or not in a religion, having faith or not, are no longer It was already dawn, and I arose and immediately began said, “In general it is true that the pawos move toward the important: you simply have to understand and apply these writing down everything that had happened in the dream right and the pamos toward the left, but in this case the principles.” This was the gist of my explanation. so as not to forget it. I also thought that to train in this pawos move left to symbolize the great identity or non-du- As I was speaking, suddenly some confusion arose in Dance it would be necessary to prepare a mandala. After ality of all phenomena, like vision and void, samsara and the crowd. I thought that someone was fi ghting, and that breakfast I saw Jennifer and I said to her, “It is necessary , subject and object, happiness and sorrow, and so the police had arrived to quell the disturbance. Observing to prepare a mandala.” I indicated a place where there was on. In this way, the pawos, who represent the aspect of well, instead I saw that about twenty male and female kin already a wooden platform on which we could trace the method, integrate into the void of prajna or into the wis- were arriving: some had begun to dance, leaping among pattern. Thus we began to draw the mandala. After a few dom of movement.” those present, and others to run. Many people ran away days, Joe and Kathy brought me the colors I needed with She persistently affi rmed these principles, and thus out of fright, while others moved aside respectfully, leav- which I began to paint a small mandala. I followed her indications. While we were discussing in ing them space to pass. Some of these kin were leaping which direction to turn, at the same time practicing the almost seven feet in the air, others fi ve feet or three and a * Dance, I awoke. half feet. They were dancing and sounding drums, dama- In the Iron-Horse year, the twenty-third day of the sixth I arose quickly and went to where we had prepared the rus and bells. month, that is, August 14th, 1990, while I was doing a re- mandala and I danced as I had done in the dream. I re- While people scattered in all directions, an empty space treat of the practice of long life in the Fortress of the Daki- membered the steps clearly until Samuntacaryasughayai, formed around me, so that I could see the ground. We were nis at Tsegyalgar, I had a dream in the early morning: though I was not certain of some transitions in the verses on a very large karrà (gyepa chenpo) which I recognized Bhetasanabhykulaye. As soon as I returned to the cabin because one had been shown to me in a prior dream. I was probably in the Gonpa at Merigar; it was a large, I wrote quickly, more or less correctly, all that I remem- was on the white thigle in the center of the karrà, on a seat round temple through which light streamed from all bered of the Dance, so that, also, I could reexamine this which could turn in a circle, and I thought I was in reality I directions. Inside were practitioners of the Dzogchen material when I had the possibility. the guide of this Dance of the Vajra. In that moment I saw Community and I was teaching them the Dance of the emerge from the crowd and approach me several young Vajra of the Liberation of the Beings of the Six Lokas into * couples: one Indian, one Tibetan, one Chinese, one occi- the Six Pure Dimensions. In the Iron-Horse year, the twenty-fi fth day of the sixth dental, one African with very dark skin, one American In- In the dream I knew by heart and in all its detail the month, that is, August 16th, 1990, while I was sleeping dian. They arrived in front of me, bowing their heads with entire Dance, all the particulars of the movements of the in the Fortress of the Dakinis at Tsegyalgar, early in the respect and with their hands assuming the meditation po- body, of the feet and of the arms, each of the mudras and morning, I had a dream: sition: rotating as in the lotus , from the outside to- their meanings. At the back of the hall on a very large ta- ward the inside, the right hand above the left, with the tips ble was a design of the karrà with the exact measurements was among many people, seated on a somewhat el- of the thumbs united and the other fi ngers straight out. and the colors of the thigles. I was explaining the mandala evated throne, and I was giving an explanation, using One couple at a time came up to me offering this mudra at to various people and showing them the diagrams. Next I a microphone, on the real sense of Dharma; I sought the level of the heart in sign of greeting, after which they to me was a western girl, blonde, pretty, who explained to introduce and communicate the true meaning of the returned to their places. again, from the beginning, the measurements and form Teaching. We seemed to be in a large Indian city. The These young people wore an ancient costume, with a of the mandala. While listening to her speak, I realized persons present belonged to diverse ethnic groups: for somewhat short top. I noticed that the kin had now taken she was an expert in the Dance of the Vajra. Therefore to- the most part Nepalese, Tibetan and Indian. Many were positions at the edge of the mandala, playing their drums gether we took our positions on the mandala at the sides Chinese, and almost a third were Westerners. Though I and damarus with a quick beat. On the outside were many of the lines ’A and ’A-MA. was speaking in Tibetan, employing every so often Indian, other musicians who were playing softly. At that instant The six parts in which the mandala is divided represent Chinese and English words, everyone present seemed to they began to sound the melody of the Song of the Vajra, the six dimensions ’A, A, HA, SHA, SA, MA; among these understand what I said, as they were listening calmly, with together with the chorus of voices of everyone present. are another six dimensions. Thus I took my place on the great attention and interest. The pawos and pamos who before had come to greet me dimension of ’A, she between ’A and MA. Then slowly we I was explaining what a religion is: “A religion limits us, now, upon entering the inner thigle, immediately began to began to demonstrate the Dance. While we were dancing whereas in the true sense of reality there are no limitations dance. Beyond the six circles of thigles, within another six Masutavalivali I said, “In all the steps, the pawos must in one’s own condition, in the nature of each individual, in karrà, many young people, men and women, were danc- always move their right foot fi rst, and turn to the right; the three existences of body, voice and mind. It is neces- ing. Outside the blue thigle, on many circles, numberless they must never turn to the left.” Thus the fi rst dakini, the sary, however, to understand how body, voice and mind as the waves of the sea, innumerable persons danced with action dakini, had already explained to me, so that now are conditioned by emotions, how they become entrapped the same rhythm. While I was observing their movements moving to the left would be like an error. While she taught in the illusion of dualism, and how dualism is always and attentively, I awoke. Thus I was able to correct what I had me these verses, the action dakini moved toward the left, ever more creating and developing our egos, with which already written about the Dance, above all where the steps though, according to me, she also should have been mov- we generate problems for ourselves and for others. If we were not clear. [….]  ing right. understand these three principal points, we can free our- selves from the suffering of samsara. At that point, believ- THE MIRROR · No. 99 · July, August 2009 Focus on Vajra Dance

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turity for such knowledge to be revealed.

The Mirror: What is the relation- ship between the music and the movements in the Vajra Dance? Are special tones used designed by Rinpoche? If there are special tones, does it mean that there is a relation between these tones and also geographical points, locations, on earth related to the mandala in 3 dimensions? Prima: I learnt that in the past knowledge was passed not so much through books but trans- mitted by sounds, sacred images and sacred Dances. Sound and movement are more related to energy, so they are more secret because they are invisible and perceivable only by our energetic body, meaning our chakras and many more energy points con- nected to our chakras up to cel- lular levels. We learn this also in traditional medicine. The Earth Mandala – the Solar Mandala – the Universal Mandala. As Rinpoche explains, all exis- and gradually we became a large sion and our limited capacities to sub- or energy point in might concentrate more on one tence comes through its essence, group, the children growing keep it pure to its essence. our physical Body. So it is work- of these aspects. But even this is sound and rays and light, so then bored or tired and slowly disap- ing on a more secret level, since just a concept, because in the real I can understand the importance pearing. We were mostly then big The Mirror: Can you describe the energy is invisible. These sounds sense it is not possible to sepa- of the relation and interdepen- children playing different games different effects of the three dif- are like a key and essence of all rate and say this works better for dence of sound with Body and with Rinpoche for the next cou- ferent dances? Or do they all have teachings and knowledge. It is this or not etc. These are relative mind in relation to time and ple of evenings. My connection the “same taste”? always best to read or listen to aspects. space. Space is also present in as well with the Sangha started Prima Mai: As my understanding Rinpoche’s words and explana- my inner dimension of Body and to have the feeling of a Family. goes, every Vajra Dance transmit- tions as you can fi nd in books, The Mirror: In relation to the my outer dimension, the earth, Rinpoche then left for Tsegyalgar ted by our Master is a method other articles or mp3 recordings mandala in three dimensions, the solar system, the universe. It for his personal retreat of Man- to total realization, the ultimate of his retreats. what are the main geographical is not separate but in correspon- darava and where he received in- , the integration of locations (not only gars) we can dence. structions of the Vajra Dance for our three existences inseparably The Three Vajra Dance, integrat- use to draw the mandala in 3 di- the fi rst time. into the state of Rigpa, the pri- ing with the most essential and mensions? Are there any GPS co- A sound and movement pres- mordial wisdom, the state of all powerful Mantra in Dzogchen ordinates to use? ents a state of knowledge in its The next time I came to Meri- enlightened beings of all dimen- with the three natural sounds of Prima: This is a work of Rin- essence. I don’t have to know gar again was for helping and sions of the Universe. OM A HUM, presents the natu- poche’s in progress in collabora- intellectually or conceptually to participating in the inaugura- ral enlightened state of our three tion with Stephen Korns, who is have the total function of it. The tion of the Shang Shung Insti- As it goes with methods, even if gates of existence. This method an expert on mapping and he can fi rst time you shout angrily to a tute in the following year of 1990 on the absolute level they are of is connected, being very essen- answer much better than me. In little puppy, it shrinks away and and also then I decided to move the same essence and potentiality, tial, more with our mind level. any case the part of the world we knows instantly what this sound from Spain to Italy and rented a on the relative level they can work Even if its movements are sim- call the Poles are in the position indicates and does not need any house in the Amiata region. That more concentrated with different ple, if all three aspects of our of the central part of the Mandala studies beforehand. It creates summer Rinpoche started to aspects of our existence. We have existence are not in touch or not and the equator corresponds to an imprint, a correspondence. If study and write down and work the Dance of the Liberation of 6 coordinated or distracted in any the outer blue thigle of the Man- then there is even a physical ac- on his texts of the fi rst part of Lokas and we are working with way by dualistic visions, a simple dala. We have a Mandala cover- tion related to it, the stronger this the Song of Vajra Dance and the the natural sounds, syllables of move or experience mirrors this ing the southern part and one imprint will be. There is the law Three Vajra Dance. He came ev- the real nature, the real nature without doubt internally or exter- covering the northern part of the of cause and effect. A samsaric ery day, sometimes mornings, or wisdom of the 6 Lokas, which nally so that we can discover and World, which also present the fe- cause produces a samsaric effect, sometimes afternoons and often is the six pure dimensions of Sa- integrate this. The Vajra Dance, male and male qualities of exis- a chain reaction and continua- stayed all day or until late night mantabhadra, the primordial besides its relative benefi ts of co- tence. The outcome one day could tion in its illusory imprints and studying and making us follow Buddha. The 6 Lokas refer to the ordinating and harmonizing all be that we will have all GPS coor- illusory 6 dimensions of transmi- his movements on the Mandala. 6 physical dimensions in which aspects related to Body, Speech dinates and with Google Earth or grations. Sometimes, when we were not sentient beings transmigrate and Mind, of course also func- similar programs it should then many people present, he would in Samsara. It is just by physi- tions for developing one’s capac- be possible to discover particular When using sacred sounds in re- ask me to do some steps to make cal hearing of this Mantra that a ity for being able to discover the energy points on our Globe cor- lation to movements it automati- his notes more accurate to ex- sentient being receives a concrete state of contemplation and inte- responding with energy points in cally creates an imprint and ben- plain in the best possible way the cause to enter the path of Libera- gration. Without knowledge of our physical dimension. efi ts from its correspondence so movements of the Vajra Dance. tion and therefore physically can- the state of contemplation, it is, we don’t need to think, visualize Then Jim Smith from Tsegyalgar not fall into the lower realms of quoting Rinpoche from his book With the knowledge of the cor- etc. Then each sound has its time asked Rinpoche if it was possible existence. It has the potential to “The Song of Vajra”, like water- respondence of chakras and their and both are linked inseparably for them to do the Vajra Dance in purify all causes which make one ing a fi eld with no seeds in it. functions in Body, Speech and to its corresponding energetic Tsegyalgar and Rinpoche sug- transmigrate endlessly in Sam- Nothing can grow. For example Mind, Rinpoche pointed out that impact. Therefore timing is im- gested they invite me to teach sara or fall into lower realms of the methods of Shine practice are there will also be knowledge of portant for the Vajra Dance and them. existence. It works also with the advisable to become familiar with more benefi ts from methods ap- probably Life in general, know- main 6 chakras in our Body. It the state of contemplation. plied in these particular places on ing the length of time of each That is more or less how I met is more essence, more concen- the Earth. In addition Rinpoche syllable in correspondence to the the Vajra Dance and met the trated on this aspect of the physi- As Rinpoche often explains, in mentioned his fear that this time of the next syllable. magic and joy, specially in the cal dimension than the Dance of Dzogchen, most important is knowledge would develop on early days, learning, discovering the Song of Vajra, even though all the state of mind. Everything de- a more material spiritual plane One can learn perfectly and tech- and this wonder of having met Vajra Dances function the same pends on this state. Even if we and the risk that the real sense nically all the timing of sing- these teachings, this method, in the real sense and essence. learn a movement to its perfec- or knowledge would be lost in a ing the Song of Vajra, but if it this precious jewel, this complete tion with no fl aw visible, if there kind of new-age development. is done “only” technically, like path. It humbles me always, be- The Dance of the Song of the is not the state, knowledge, the It is very fascinating knowledge only counting fanatically, then, ing that fortunate and not know- Vajra is a very complex Dance energetic expression just shows and could easily be abused for in my opinion, it looses its cor- ing by what merits, having met with many different sounds and perfection but does not connect. conceptual material ambitions respondence with all aspects of this great Dzogchen Master and movements, different timings In all Vajra Dances, integration of searching for effects and expe- body, energy and mind. It does his treasures he so totally shares and mudras. This works on our all three aspects of our existence, riences rather than integrating not correspond anymore with the with us, trusting in the transmis- energetic level. Also every sound body, speech and mind are in- with the real sense. Rinpoche real condition of circumstances or syllable presents a chakra or separable. It is the same, only we will know if there is enough ma- >> continued on the following page THE MIRROR · No. 99 · July, August 2009 Focus on Vajra Dance

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trying to be very contemplative, The Song of the Two Step Dance applying some effort just to dis- cover shortly after, that one does Togden Shakya Shri not even remember what one was thinking about just a few seconds This song of realization by Togden Shakya Shri (1853–1919) expresses the joy ago. Then the Tun is fi nished. of the path to liberation in terms of the steps of a divine dance. This and others of his inspiring verses of instruction are to be found in “Togden Shakya Shri, the From my experience one really Life and Liberation of a Tibetan Yoghin” by Kathog Situ Chökyi Gyatso, trans- cannot search or fi nd a state be- lated from the Tibetan by Elio Guarisco and recently released by Shang Shung yond thought by concept or ef- publications. fort. It only works with simple continuous attention, awareness E MA HO! The Song of the Two Step Dance and integration of one’s monkey- mind with, for example, the con- Sangha of Vajra brothers and sisters, tinuous sound and movement of You who dwell in the secret treasure house of the dakinis, the Vajra Dance. What is happen- Supreme power place of Lhadrag Yangdzong, ing when I do this step? Observ- Yogins, Master and disciples who keep your ! ing simply, being there in that moment, not trying to change Sangha of Vajra brothers and sisters of pure and instant presence any state for something different Who dwell in this dance circle of celestial dakinis, from what it is. Already doing all The place of natural and self-arisen perfection: the movements correctly trains Having reached effortlessly and spontaneously one in at least being in a state of This pure celestial buddhafi eld, ordinary awareness and discover- Enact the joyful dance of the dharma! ing what being distracted is.

Once more, Vajra brothers and sisters, Then I had some experience Look at the true nature of mind! more or less like this. We have In the space of the total integration all wondered why it is that a Of all experiences-bliss, clarity and emptiness, dream that is so complex in ac- Dance the steps of true self-liberation! tions only lasts a few minutes. Step into the non-dual state of bliss and emptiness! It’s something similar: in just one single move of one syllable a Once more, Vajra brothers and sisters, space opens of clarity and expe- Look at the true nature of mind! Prima Mai. Photo: Jozef Auxt riences on all levels of body, en- In the space of absolute equality of all that manifests ergy and mind, simultaneously, The mind’s own nature, groundless and rootless, there is the possibility then to fol- show the Vajra Dance of the Song impossible to explain for that Dance the steps of ineffable and ungraspable reality! low one or more practitioners for of Vajra in a place like a theater, actual 1 second. It is like dancing Step into the innate state of clarity and emptiness! getting this taste. This collabo- to a large group of people, be- beyond the limited timeframe ration of course is possible also, cause it could benefi t these peo- and it is void of thought and at Once more, Vajra brothers and sisters, always keeping awareness and re- ple, functioning as a Thogdrol the same time full of experience Look at the true nature of mind! spect for other practitioners and (through hearing and seeing which again is just like nothing In the space devoid of taking anything as real, keeping the intention to follow receiving the cause to enter the because it is as if it is everything, Merging in an indivisible union of appearances and mind, Rinpoche’s advice to study cor- path of liberation). a continuous infi nite potential- Dance the steps in the undistracted state of the single fl avor! rectly. The Song of Vajra Dance is very ity with no need to change since Step into the all-penetrating state of vision and emptiness! complex and not so easy to prac- it is all the same simultaneously. For strangers to watch the Vajra tice all together harmoniously in Its only possible if one does not Once more, Vajra brothers and sisters, Dances, it depends. It is for sure movement and time. The Dance try to change whatever is and ac- Look at the true nature of mind! not positive to do a kind of mis- of 6 Spaces is less complicated in cept whatever changes, relaxing, In the space of the union of samsara and nirvana sionary people in coming to see movement, easier and less likely integrating fully and keeping very Devoid of a meditator and of anything to meditate upon, the Vajra Dances. On the other to look out of order, even if it is present without effort. Dance the steps of the undistracted state of non-meditation! hand if during a Vajra Dance not completely precise yet. The Step into the totality of pure presence and openness! some “strangers” out of a popu- Song of Vajra Dance and 3 Vajra There is this quote which I carry Once more, Vajra brothers and sisters, lation of 6 Billion people should Dance work at a more essential always with me, which one fi nds Look at the true nature of mind. be present by “chance”, it is sim- and secret level of Dzogchen in the Upadesha Tantra Nyi zla To the space of the four awakened dimensions, mind itself, ply very fortunate and nothing Teachings (energy and mind) and kha sbyor, and translates as the I offer transparent, ineffable reality. wrong about it to watch either of if we are not 100% familiar with “Union of Sun and Moon”. It To the supreme loving , the three Vajra Dances. Also if a them, it is better we do not use says: The spontaneous appearance of the indivisibility of relative or friend of yours, whom them in public. All buddhas of the past, present and future and of course you have not told the “Listen! Beyond you, beyond To the natural energy of my own pure presence and emptiness, deepest secrets of your practice, The Mirror: While teaching the thought. The Dharmakaya ex- I offer true self-liberation. shows sincere interest and not Dance you have given very help- plains: Grant me swiftly, swiftly only superfi cial curiosity and ful comments. Could you say Your state communicates to your- The realization of the unsurpassable secret. asks if he or she could come and more about learning the dance, self, there is nothing else.” see what you are doing, it can be contemplation and integration of positive as well. Out of respect I presence in daily life? It quite explains all. >> Interview continued from previous page Prima: From my understanding would always communicate with Prima: For me personally, I un- Rinpoche’s advice on daily Life of time and space, all aspects of and I hope to be corrected if oth- my fellow Vajra brothers and sis- derstand from Rinpoche’s teach- and integration of practice is my existence. It loses the factor of erwise, everyone who has received ters about such a visit and fi nd ings that practice is of course not best tool. There is nothing more giving space, it becomes just a Rinpoche’s transmission can of some agreement with them. “only” for total realization but, to say or fi nd. It’ really useful to rule. For not creating this rule, course “watch” the Vajra Dance. Maybe if there is much inter- on the relative level, for having a listen again to his teachings on then experience is indispensable The correct attitude is probably to est, you could decide together to less complicated Life as well. So mp3 from time to time, and real- and for having correct experi- participate and practice the Tun make an open day for these sin- a spiritual path is nothing sepa- ly put oneself in it, asking oneself ence, one must have introduction together by sitting in contempla- cerely interested people and also rate from my ordinary daily Life, what one has really understood of knowledge and do practice. tion, integrating Voice through give a small simple introduction nor is it just an exotic corner to now of what he says, specially if Knowing the principle of the cor- singing or at least remaining in a of what you are doing, always sometimes enter to feel some- one thinks one is in trouble. rect movement, sound and tim- state of awareness. If one does not keeping in mind that it is to the thing. Entering the Mandala When teaching the Vajra ing is essential and then one can know the integration of the move- general public, even if they are maybe after a busy day in a city or Dance, I do not prepare what I give space, integrating with the ment, the steps, then it is more re- close friends or relatives. In that after travelling etc. the fi rst mo- have to say very much. Internally real condition. spectful to not disturb other prac- case one can offer the possibility ments one might just look at one- I create a good intention, express titioners by stumbling among to see the Vajra Dance of the Lib- self, not even noticing the other the wish to keep simple and true The Mirror: Is it appropriate them. Also one must have the ca- eration of 6 Lokas for example, Vajra Dancers, maybe still think- to the essence of Rinpoche’s for those who have received pacity to be able to follow others since the Mantra functions also ing a lot about what still needs to teachings, fi nd guidance for this Rinpoche’s transmission, but correctly and continue at least in directly for creating a good cause be done or what happened that and be aware and be true to my never learnt any of the dances to a calm state. But of course, if one to enter the path of Liberation day etc. These thoughts simply heart. What I try to keep in mind watch and dance along with the asks the others if it’s possible to one day. run like a loose monkey. Then is really Rinpoche’s essential dancers dancing any of the Vajra have a try, to make an experience one starts conceptualising that teachings on daily Life and prac- Dances? Is it okay for strangers to of how it is, before attending a Rinpoche also once mentioned one should not be that way in a tice. It is my refuge and it offers watch the dances in progress? course and learn properly, maybe that maybe one day we could practice and tries to get rid of it, all. THE MIRROR · No. 99 · July, August 2009 New Lings

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Phendeling The new Ling in the Czech Republic

Tereza Stárková

he Czech Dzogchen Com- ple wanted to create a Dzogchen munity would like to in- village, some wanted to build T troduce the new Czech a European retreat center from country centre – Phendeling. It EU funds and some wanted just was bought in autumn 2008 and an old farmhouse to reconstruct according to Rinpoche’s indica- and use for practice. While some tion offi cially opened on Decem- people were sure we would buy ber 15th 2008. The name Phen- something very soon, others deling was given by Rinpoche thought it was just a fantasy that and the meaning of the Tibetan would possibly come true in 10 word Phende is described in the years, if ever. The active people explanation of the practice of checked the offers in the real es- Ödzer Chenma: “Phen means tate market frequently and dur- provisional benefi t and de means ing the years many research trips fi nal, ultimate benefi t or realiza- across the country were orga- The original building in Phendeling. Photo: Jiri Rys tion. When both these benefi ts nized, but without success. are present it means that it is a people came to an outdoor Com- Ling, as it originally seemed. Lat- members started to contribute real teaching.” It was going this way till 2007 munity General Assembly (near er we lost a special possibility to regular amounts of money for when one person asked Rinpoche a very beautiful lake) to discuss have our Ling fi nanced by mort- the Ling project. Little history if it was good idea to have a Ling and work on this topic. During gage so the project was without The idea to create a Ling had been in the Czech Republic. Rinpoche this event a team was created fi nancial sources. At that time Prenatal period of Phendeling maturing in the Czech commu- answered that a Ling is good with the mission to follow up the there were also no appropriate In summer 2008 we asked Rin- nity since 2002, when Rinpoche thing, but in order to have it, the idea of the Ling till the very end offers on the market, everything poche if it would be possible to came to Prague and held a retreat whole Community must be in and to manifest it in the material was either too expensive or oth- organize a big lottery on behalf at Prague Castle. Since that time agreement, that it could not be dimension, according to the re- erwise not suitable. But people of our future Ling. We got an in- many Gakyils and active help- the project of just a few people. quirements derived from the re- were enthusiastic, really willing teresting answer which also con- ers had discussed, thought and So at that time the Gakyil creat- sults of the questionnaire. to do something for this project. tained this (magical) sentence: “I dedicated their time and energy ed a detailed questionnaire that We focused less on searching for try to help you in different way”... to this topic. In the beginning showed that 99% of the Com- The team started to work very properties, but more on fundrais- It was unbelievable how things many different ideas circulated munity really wanted a Ling. It actively, even though there were ing in order to be ready when we took on speed and power after in the Community about the lo- also showed how many people some obstacles. We almost found a good offer. Many fund- this e-mail. What was not possi- cality, type and size of the land, were ready to support the project bought a property, but after the raising events were organized by ble in years was suddenly accom- our possibilities and the success fi nancially, what kind of prop- third visit we discovered that it the Gakyil and volunteers (lotter- plished (literally) in one month. of the whole project. Some peo- erty people preferred etc. Many was not an appropriate place for a ies, concerts, events etc…) and >> continued on the following page

construction and they are creat- Although at the moment condi- Wangdenling, ing a project for a wooden Gom- tions are really provisional, may- Slovakia pa with a view over the valley. We be like in Merigar at the very be- plan to use wood and other natu- ginning, we organized our fi rst ral materials from the local for- weekend retreat with a teacher ests. The large peaceful area of – we invited Jacob Winkler to ex- he fi rst members of Dzog- land is also ideal for small retreat plain the Sang and Serkyem prac- chen Community in Slo- cabins which could serve for per- tice. The retreat was great, we set T vakia started to follow sonal retreats not only for people up a simple tent in the meadow Rinpoche’s Teaching in 1998. from the Slovak Community but so we had beautiful views over The book with Rinpoche’s teach- also for all practitioners and fol- the hills and Lopenik hill (which ings entitled ‘The Crystal and the lowers of Namkhai Norbu who is built on golden pillars as local Way of Light’ was published in want to deepen their practice and legends say). Czech and two people from Slo- knowledge of the teachings of vakia visited Merigar West for the our Master. Day by day we are discovering fi rst time at Easter 1998. Soon how lucky we are to have the pos- a group of practitioners also ap- Wangdenling. In the future we plan to organize sibility to create a place to prac- peared in Prague and the number a space for Vajra Dance and Yan- tice and work together. We hope of Rinpoche’s followers has in- has in Bratislava, Trencin, Zilina, as their Ling and are participat- tra Yoga in the big meadow be- to see you there very soon! creased year by year. Zvolen and Kosice. Near a town ing in developing it. In addition longing to the community place. called Trencin, practitioners met it is not so far from Austria and In 2002 Namkhai Norbu Rin- in a small hut in the forests of the Hungary, about 20 minutes driv- poche visited Prague and also Bosaca valley for collective and ing from the highway through Bratislava – the capital of Slova- personal retreats and also built a villages and along a forest road, kia – where he gave a public talk simple dark retreat cabin. so you can manage to get there in and stayed for one night. As he 2 hours from Vienna. travelled through our countryside In 2008 Peter Grancic, who lived Rinpoche joked about geograph- in Ireland at that time, found on In the 12th century, Bosaca val- ical locations such as Lamac and the internet an interesting piece ley which surrounds Wangden- Stupava, which are little areas of land with an old house which ling was known as the place of near Bratislava and reminded was in the Bosaca valley, only 35 Christian hermits – the name him of the words ‘’ and ‘stu- minutes on foot from the place ‘Bosaca’ comes from word ‘Bo- pa’. He also re-named the Slova- where we did retreats. After some sonohy’ which means ‘monk kian High Tatras and Low Tatras hesitations and fi nancial troubles without shoes’. The old house mountains as High Tantras and the Slovak Community decided used to be a farmer’s house and Low Tantras. His stay in Slovakia to buy this place with the help the previous owner used to keep was very pleasant and Rinpoche of a generous donor, Libor Maly goats and planted various grains promised to come back one day. from Prague. Rinpoche named it and fruits. Now they live as our Retreat with Jakob Winkler. Wangdenling, possessing poten- neighbours and help us to clean Today we are nearly 60 members, tiality. Its birthday was on the 6th the grounds and have promised We are also working on a Our website: mostly young and almost half of January 2009. to sell us more land to spread and project which we plan to build www.wangdenling.sk them follow Santi Maha Sangha develop the community place. between the Gompa and the re- Contact us: training. People here met in Wangdenling is located almost treat cabins – it would be the fi rst [email protected] towns and did retreats at weekend on the border with the Czech Re- In the Slovak Community we Stupa in our country. Right now, houses mostly in the western part public, so some Moravian and have two professional architects we are looking for donors and of country. There are little sang- Czech practitioners have taken it who are focused on ecological hope our dream can come true. THE MIRROR · No. 99 · July, August 2009 New Lings

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>> continued from previous page Support the reconstruction of First we found information about Phendeling the red zone of the mandala as the So far we have gathered enough best location for Community cen- money for basic reconstruction, ters. We looked at the map of the which means approximately one Czech Republic and marked an half of the estimated budget. So area of 20 x 20 km square where at this moment, all fi nancial help the Ling should be located – and is very appreciated, needed and the fi rst place we looked at was greatly welcomed. immediately the right one. As a sign of our appreciation we A remote farmhouse near the have also prepared the following forest surrounded by meadows offer: and grassland with cows, eas- Whoever contributes at least ily reachable from Prague and 108 euro can stay 1 week at the other Czech Community centers Ling for free, in a period of 3 and also near the Austrian and years after the donation. German borders. In the region The opening ceremony at Phendeling. Photo: Jiri Rys of South Bohemia, famous for We also welcome any help of beer making, fertile land full of Reconstruction project karmayogis and the demolition town with a unique atmosphere karmayoga offers, especially dur- lakes and friendly people. Rapid During the Winter we ap- works were fi nished. Now the dominated by a Castle stretch- ing Summer/Autumn 2009. For email voting was organized dur- proached a professional archi- construction company is starting ing over the meandering Vltava more information please con- ing which the whole Community tect to prepare the actual plans to reconstruct the building and River, with narrow cobblestone tact [email protected] voted for this project, and over for reconstruction, according hopefully in Autumn we will have streets, where you can fi nd cosy We believe you will support one or two weeks we collected our quite precise parameters of a new roof and the attic will be inns, coffee shops, and ancient our effort to establish this Com- contributions from almost 100 what the Ling should look like, ready. Everybody is working very taverns to entertain a diverse in- munity centre in the heart of Eu- members (ranging from 5 EUR to broadly discussed, prepared and hard to have our Ling ready for ternational crowd. rope by donations (big or small) or karmayoga, as it is precisely on the basis of many small contri- butions and personal efforts of practitioners that the project was able to progress so far. The fi nal manifestation of this beautiful centre for study and practice sim- ply depends on the participation of everybody :-)

Donations: You can send your contributions to: Account name: DZOGCHEN Raiffeisenbank, a. s. Prague, Czech Republic IBAN: CZ3755000000005001038150 Account number: Karmayoga. Photos: Josef Vintr 5001038150/5500 SWIFT/BIC: RZBCCZPP 3000 EUR) and with this money summarized by our hardworking the November visit and retreat of Website of Phendeling Specifi c symbol: 700 we bought the property. We had Ling team and gakyil. The main Yeshi Namkhai. The Ling should More information and photos expected to consume all our fi - idea of the reconstruction is that be ready for the fi rst (pioneer) (location, surroundings, Karma- Tereza Stárková nances with the purchase and we a 140 m2 gonpa will be created in personal and collective usage in yoga weekends, retreats etc.) you On behalf of the Czech Community knew we needed much more for the raised attic, which will, of Spring 2010. can fi nd at reconstruction. But to our sur- course, contain a Vajra Dance www.phendeling.cz/en prise, the fi nancial dimension mandala, and 5 separate rooms Location of Phendeling (the biggest root of fears and for accommodation/personal re - Phendeling is situated in a green- doubts toward the idea of a Ling treats will be built, as well as belt of unspoiled, hilly country- during all the previous years....) the fl at for the Gekos and visiting side area fi lled with protected Books by turned out to be very relative in teachers. A big kitchen, a 60 m2 forests of the Blansky Forest this case. In one month after dining room and adequate social nature reserve, and near a town Chögyal the purchase we gathered again areas are part of the plan. We also called Cesky Krumlov, a UNESCO a great amount of money so we plan to build a Dark retreat cabin World Heritage Site, also called could plan major reconstruction. soon. “little Prague”. The geographical Namkhai Norbu It was really energetic times and location of Phendeling is near the we could feel Rinpoche’s bless- Busy Karmayoga weekends south borders of the Czech Re- ing for this project during the By Spring we started to orga- public. Transport takes 2 hours whole process and our gratitude nize regular karmayoga weekends from Prague and Pilsen, 1 hour U Yantra Yoga is beyond words. and every 2 weeks people came from Linz, 4 hours from Brno, U and the for demolition works of the old Munich, Vienna and 14 hours Birth of Phendeling building, liquidation of old ma- from Roma, Paris. Practice of Natural Light Since the fi rst weeks of owning terial and equipment, cleaning U Dzogchen Teachings the property, karmayoga week- bushes and around the old gar- Surroundings ends combined with practice dens, cooking and cleaning. We The location of Phendeling is also U The Supreme Source and listening to the webcasts shipped away 20 tons of rubble, perfect for relaxation and sport- U Dzogchen: The Self- have been organized, and the odds and ends in total and the de- ing activities whether it’s hiking, Perfected State General Assembly (more than molition works were quite heavy, biking, skiing, horseback riding, 40 members came) took place often followed by light injuries of golfi ng, fi shing, or rafting along U The Crystal and the Way here as well. On December 15th, karmayogis. Besides a good atmo- the Vltava river. The recreational of Light the day of the opening, we did sphere, a good feeling from good facilities near Lipno Dam, the a Sang practice and a Ganapuja hard work, the motivation to Sumava National Park, and the and a letter from Rinpoche was come was also supported by eve- Blansky Forest Nature Reserve opened (inside there was some ning barbeques, “strong- water” are all within easy reach. calligraphy with the name Phen- (famous Slivovice) and delicious In the town Cesky Krumlov deling written by Rinpoche). In cuisine prepared by smiling vajra- there is the second largest castle the end of the year 2008 there sisters cooking for brave muscled complex in the Czech Republic, www.SnowLionPub.com was already a New Year’s Eve re- karmayogis.... :-) and the oldest Baroque theatre in Tibetan Buddhist news and treat combined with listening to the world, many museums, gal- thousands of items online. FREE quarterly newsletter 800-950-0313 Rinpoche’s Teaching by webcast. During this Summer an excava- leries, concerts and medieval fes- and catalog on request. [email protected] tor also came to help to the brave tivals. It is a lively, cosmopolitan THE MIRROR · No. 99 · July, August 2009 Merigar West

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The words of the Master

Liz Granger

id July was hot, very to feel a little better and on one hot, even for the usu- of the last days there they called Mally windy chilly ‘little in another doctor to ‘correct’ his Tibet’ of Merigar West, on the back because it was ‘out’ and that slopes of Mt. Amiata in Tus- the nerves were squashed and cany. After a long wet winter of this was the cause of the pain and incessant rain which continued the reason why he couldn’t sit up through the springtime, it was straight. This doctor gave him an wonderful pleasure to soak up strong massage using a stick and the intense heat of July. after about a quarter of an hour This start of the hot bright he gave him three really strong summer coincided with the long blows with the stick to make the awaited arrival of our Master bones go back into place. After Chögyal Namkhai Norbu at the that he still had some pain for two Bagchen with Rinpoche: Rinpoche spent time playing bagchen and telling stories at Serkhang on different occasions. Photo: R. Piro Gar on July 10. It is fantastic to be or three days but gradually start- able to have him here once more ed to walk erect with the walking opinions about this among peo- mation that we don’t have to sell and see what is best. See what we and even more so seeing that he stick then after a little while he ple at the Gar and even outside Merigar. This is the information. can do to improve.” is now able to walk and sit com- didn’t need the stick any more. Italy. However, just after fi nish- The problem is, for example, that It is very important for all of us to fortably and easily, drive his car Now in his words he has al- ing the practice of the worldwide in winter it is usually very cold refl ect on Rinpoche’s words and and even start to swim again! most become ‘normal’ the only transmission, he clarifi ed the and very long and for people who try to work together to improve Many people in the Community thing is that if he has to walk a bit situation by saying, “I have some stay here and put up with this, it the situation at Merigar West and had heard that Rinpoche’s health far he feels tired straight away. good news. After you did the is not very easy. This is the fi rst at all the Gars around the world. It had not been good during the The doctors also told him to lose Naggôn,[practitioners at Merigar thing. Then secondly it becomes is time for us all to do our best to winter and had been very con- some weight so now he is trying West did a 24 hour Naggôn prac- heavy economically for the Com- apply Rinpoche’s suggestions not cerned about him. During a ques- to do that and the exercises that tice July 25–26] I had a dream. In munity to maintain so we need to only at the international level but tion and answer session after the they taught him. Recently he has the dream I received some infor- think about these things a little also in our local communities. worldwide guruyoga transmis- started to go swimming and now sion on July 31 Rinpoche gave us he is swimming every day, doing a detailed report on his health. a few movements in the water He told us that during the win- and out of the water. ter, when he arrived in New Zea- land from Argentina he had a lot Before starting his personal re- of pain in his back and couldn’t treat at Merigar West Rinpoche walk without a stick. He had to spent time at Serkhang on differ- be taken to give teachings in a ent occasions playing bagchen wheelchair. The doctors who and talking and joking with those were consulted at the time felt present, telling stories about his that he needed to have an op- experiences and encouraging eration on his back but when others to talk. He also came to his son, Yeshi, consulted doc- celebrate the fourth birthday of tors in Italy, the US and Russia, his granddaughter, Matilde, Yeshi they agreed that it was better not Namkhai and Egle’s daughter, in to operate but to do a cure with the tent in front of Serkhang. massage etc. Since Rinpoche’s return to So when Rinpoche went to Merigar West there has been Russia he spent almost two weeks some mention that he might in a hospital to receive treatment sell the Gar, that there were too like massage, physiotherapy and many diffi culties there and there even electrotherapy. He started had been much speculation and

Migmar and his team painting and embellishing in gold leaf the hand crafted Tibetan panels of the new throne, altar and other furniture at the Gonpa. Photo: R. Piro

The Gonpa is much larger now and can seat many more people in the new covered space sur- July 16–19 the Shitro retreat with Nina Robinson was held in the Mandala Hall. Photo: R. Piro rounding the original building. Photo: R. Piro THE MIRROR · No. 99 · July, August 2009 Merigar West

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He went on to say that the Merigar West update Gakyil works on the form, the body, and the form can manifest in millions of different ways and What has been done Inside the Gonpa there are now with different characteristics. We uring the fi rst weeks of several new pieces of wooden should not always try to impose spring and early sum- furniture in traditional Tibetan the form we deem best, discover- Dmer, when the rains had style, with surfaces carved in or- ing that we are different individu- stopped, extensive work went on namental style and displaying als we have to collaborate: Meri- at the Gonpa to repair, renovate the eight auspicious symbols etc. gar was born from nothing and and enlarge it. The building is in The worked panels were brought has been created through collabo- an open elevated area on a hill- from Tibet and built into several ration. If we don’t listen tensions top and receives the strongest pieces of furniture constructed by can arise. If we are able to listen aspects of the weather elements Mimar, Ivan and Mateusz and in- then through experience we can in all seasons – water in all its clude a new throne for Rinpoche, recognize what we have ‘listened’ forms, rain, snow and hail, abun- a new altar and two long cabinets to. dant wind and fi erce sun – and used for the Ganapuja offering We ought to relax not looking over the years, the building has that are currently being painted always for something better, just suffered because of this. by a team directed by Migmar. recognizing our capacities and working with them. The most urgent work was re- Although much work has been newing the copper roof to pre- done, there are still many fi nish- The Gakyil are currently in the pro- vent further rain leakage and this ing touches to be done such as cess of assessing and monitoring was carried out mainly by Mimar, sanding and repainting many of the membership situation over Franco, Ivan and Mateusz over the older parts of the Gonpa. The the year and have already noted about a month in the spring- windows in the turret need to be a different trend in 2009. In this time. They stripped off the exter- adjusted etc. and we hope to be fi eld there is defi nitely need for nal coating of copper and made able to do these jobs during the improvement and for the Gakyil slight structural modifi cations summer and autumn. to provide greater communica- to increase the slope of the roof tion with members of the Com- in order for rain to slide off it in- Recent work was not only limited munity in order to make them stead of remaining there. Then to the Gonpa. The heavy inces- more aware of the situation. two layers of tar were applied sant winter rains had also created Translators course: Fabian Sanders spent a month giving two courses for translators from Ti- At the moment the Gakyil is to insulate it and then the new some serious landslides, main- betan (advanced and less advanced) at Merigar West on behalf of the Ka-ter Translation Project looking for new candidates for of the Shang Shung Institute. Photo: R. Piro copper sheeting was added. In ly in front of the Mandala Hall the new Gakyil and for the posi- addition, all the rain gutters for and the parking area at Gadel- tion of Gekos. The election will the roof were renewed and also ing and as a consequence dur- What needs to be done At a recent Gakyil meeting in take place during Rinpoche’s adapted slightly to the new slope. ing the spring there was a lot of Activity is geared towards the Au- which Yeshi took part he stressed stay at Merigar, between the end The windowed spire at the top work done with the help of heavy gust retreat and preparations are the importance of linking the of August and the end of October, was sealed with silicon to prevent machinery, to bank up the earth under way for the fi nishing touch- work of the gakyil with the six depending on when candidates water from entering. that had come down. Because the es to the Gonpa and all the other paramitas: generosity, patience are presented. However, the ‘old’ buildings are on a slope, the heavy services that will be provided for and perseverance are not con- Gakyil will stay on to collaborate Then work on the external deck rains in the winter run down the participants, from parking to re- cepts but should be our behav- with the new one until the end of around the building started. Some hill and accumulate into streams ception to child care and refresh- iour in order to not be carried the last retreat with Rinpoche. of the wooden beams supporting which carry away soil. To combat ments and lunches. Rinpoche away by fear and emotions. the deck were rotten due to damp this, a deep drainage ditch has has also suggested that this year, and were replaced with new ones been built behind the Mandala for the traditional lottery held Talking of the 6th paramita, the and all of them were then treated Hall to carry away the water be- at the end of the retreat to raise perfection of discriminating wis- to protect them from water infi l- fore it can cut into the land. money for the Gar, that we do- dom, consisting of studying, re- tration. After this, the new ther- mal glass windows were installed Besides construction work, many by a company from Grosseto. weeks of toil have been dedicated The new windows form a sec- to the garden at Gadeling under ond ‘wall’ to the Gonpa, mak- the expert supervision of Nina ing it much more spacious. The Robinson. The Great Stupa has old windows and doors are still been repainted and Serkhang in their place and will probably generally prepared for the sum- remain there in order to make it mer season with several colour- possible to maintain the heat in ful hand painted umbrellas set a contained area in the winter. up in the veranda area to shade However, in the summer, the ‘old’ people having lunch or playing doors are open and there is plenty bagchen and the Kayo bar has of seating space for a much larger been opened. number of people in the building now. The new windows and doors Rinpoche’s arrival at the Gar on include a security door which can July 10, accompanied on the fi nal be opened with a sharp push leg of the journey by a cavalcade and the central door in the east of horses and welcomed by an is now automatic. Getting inside excited happy group of local prac- the Gonpa is still a little strange – titioners, signaled the start of the people go round and round look- summer season at Merigar West ing for an open door and then are which will host a seven day teach- surprised to fi nd the main east ing retreat given by the Master in Vajra Dance exam of August 18, 2009 at Merigar West. From left to right: Wesley Guo and Youju (Tracy) Ni from China have been door opening silently, automati- mid-August. Two other teaching authorized by our Master for the 1st level of the Vajra Dance. Maurizio Mingotti from Italy/Merigar West has been authorized by our Master for the 2nd level of the Vajra Dance. Because of various circumstances, our Master wished to hold this Vajra Dance cally when they approach! retreats to be given by Rinpoche exam in Merigar West. The regular Santi Maha Sangha, Yantra Yoga and Vajra Dance Teacher Training and exam will be held in will both be held in October (see March next year 2010 in Tashigar Norte. May this auspicious day and all positive actions springing out of it bring joy and Wisdom In the entire surrounding area be- this page for retreat details). to all sentient beings. Prima Mai tween the old and new windows, which was previously the outer Summer is in full swing at the nate personal items to which we fl ecting and applying, he stressed deck, parquet fl ooring has been moment with courses of Vajra are attached, just as was done at the fact that the Precious Vase laid with an under-layer of clay Dance, Yantra Yoga and practice the recent lottery at Merigar East. does not speak of reading books Passages pebbles to block humidity. This practically every day, regular prac- Yeshi Namkhai has donated his but of listening, as sound and not Born: Merigar West is happy to an- fl oor has been sanded and given tice sessions both early morning car as well as other precious ob- intellectual concepts is the begin- nounce that on July 3 Dekyid, the an opaque fi nish. In the future, and evening and a lot of coming jects that will be auctioned in- ning of all. daughter of Topgyal and Tsering was the old wood fl oor in the central and going with people from all ternationally together with other born. part of the building will also be over Italy, Europe and other parts valuable items after the October We wish them infi nite good wishes for sanded and fi nished in the same of the world. retreat (or in October). the long happy and prosperous life of way. the new arrival. THE MIRROR · No. 99 · July, August 2009

19 West Merigar West Merigar Arcidosso 58031 phone: 39 0564 966837 merigaroffi [email protected] GR Italy fax: 39 0564 968110 www.dzogchen.it

October 31–November 1 Yantra Yoga Tsandul and fi rst series Chögyal Calendar With Alessandra Policreti supervised by Laura Evangelisti Namkhai Norbu of Events Teachings at Merigar West November 2009 November 6–8 October 2–10 Dance of the Song of the Vajra course Dzogchen Teaching Retreat September – going over the steps Experiential Instructions on “Bepai Gum- September 3–18 With Rita Renzi Yantra Yoga course on all chung”, the Hidden Collection of Buddha- 108 movements November 13–15 gupta, an ancient Dzogchen text found With Fabio Andrico and Laura Evangelisti Dance of the Song of the Vajra course among the Tunhuang manuscripts For Yantra Yoga instructors – going over the steps and on invitation With Rita Renzi October 23–30 Dzogchen Teaching Retreat September 15–20 November 14–18 Dance of the Song of the Vajra Chögyal Namkhai Norbu Practice and Teachings dedicated to those that have died, Shitro, terma of Rigzin Jyangchub Dorje “Khorde Rangdrol” advanced course Dzogchen Teaching Retreat Photo: E. Ihilcik With Adriana Dal Borgo Webcast from Barcelona, Spain

September 25–October 1 November 27–29 December 26–January 3, 2010 December 26–January 3, 2010 December 26–January 3, 2010 Dance of the Song of the Vajra Mandarava Tsalung retreat with Chögyal Namkhai Norbu Dance of the Song of the Vajra advanced Yantra Yoga course course part 2 explanations Santi Maha Sangha Base retreat course With Laura Evangelisti With Nina Robinson Webcast from Tashigar North, With Prima Mai October Venezuela October 2–10 December Chögyal Namkhai Norbu December 4–11 Gakyil and people who take care (of them) with pleasure not only during retreats Dzogchen Teaching Retreat Chögyal Namkhai Norbu in a responsible way ..... we try to create col- but also in all of its other moments. The Experiential Instructions on “Bepai Longsal Longde Teaching Retreat laboration”. (Chögyal Namkhai Norbu; relationship between our Vajra Broth- Gumchung”, the Hidden Collection Webcast from Tashigar North, Renewal of the International Gakyil meeting Merigar ers and Sisters becomes more real and of Buddhagupta , an ancient Dzogchen Venezuela Gakyil 15/08/06) intense through the diffi cult discovery text found among the Tunhuang manu- of how to relate to the different dimen- Dearest Practitioners, “In order to have knowledge you need scripts December 13–15 sions of each one. On September 27 we will renew the responsibility and collaboration.” (Yeshi Santi Maha Sangha Level 1 Training We have prepared a video of Rinpoche positions of the Gakyil and Gekos of Silvano Namkhai, International Gakyil October 23–30 With Igor Berkin and of Yeshi speaking about the Gakyil: Merigar West and this is an opportu- meeting 10/08/06) Chögyal Namkhai Norbu to watch the video click here nity to do this joint practice by offering Dzogchen Teaching Retreat December 12–13 In our experience taking part in the http://www.dzogchen.it/it/ yourselves as candidates. Practice and Teachings dedicated to Yantra Yoga practice retreat Gakyil is a practice that gives us the op- comunita/gakyil_2 those that have died, Shitro, terma “My responsibility is not only to give teach- portunity to collaborate actively in the With love, of Rigzin Jyangchub Dorje “Khorde ing and transmission, but also to maintain life of the Community and in realizing The Gakyil of Merigar West Rangdrol” the teaching and transmission correctly. For the vision of our Teacher. Thus Merigar this reason we have the organization of the really becomes ‘home’, experienced

First Level Teachers’ Training of Dance of the Vajra with Adriana Dal Borgo and Prima Mai, August 2–8 and August 16–22, 2009 .

Accommodations near Merigar West Christina von Geispitzheim Information for people who intend to come to Merigar for Email: [email protected] retreats or to follow courses Phone: 0039 0564 957542 If you are looking for accommodation, airport transfer, local car Mobile phone: 0039 339 1370739 hire or only logistic assistance, you can contact the following information and reservation service: We cooperate with local hotels, family pensions, residences, agriturismo, Community members who have rooms or houses to rent or sublet. Also we can advise on car rental (at airports Accommodation Service or locally), on the best itinerary and time tables of trains and (Information available in English, German, French and Italian) buses, and we have now a circuit of residents who offer various Information service and reservation of accommodation during useful services like transfer from the airports, local taxi service, retreats, local transport, & logistic solutions: translations, baby sitting, etc. THE MIRROR · No. 99 · July, August 2009

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East Merigar East 23 August 907005 phone: 0040 746 26 08 61 Merigar Asociatia Culturala Comunitatea Dzog-Chen Constanta offi [email protected] Romania wwww.dzogchen.ro

Yeshi Silvano Namkhai and family going over to see the longsal symbol. Photo: M. Möhle

Longsal symbol drawn in sand.

Santi Maha Sangha Base Level Exams and First Level Training

Jaga Zebrowska Photo: M. Möhle

t is already the second time of emotions before actually being sistible beach taking advantage that the exam of the Base examined by either Jim Valby or of the sun and the Black Sea. I Level and the training of the Igor Berkhin. Although directly Traditionally, at the end of the First Level of Santi Maha Sangha after, almost everyone was over- retreat, in the presence of our took place in gorgeous Romania whelmed with happiness and precious Master Chögyal Nam- at the end of June and the begin- claimed that it was a great expe- khai Norbu, an auction took ning of July. I had been hopping rience. place, successfully led by Naomi. to participate in this course last Then we, that is 144 persons Thanks to the outstanding gener- year, however due to my ‘serious’ (including repeaters), started 8 osity of our vajrakin, we were able professional as well as private days of intensive fi rst level train- to gather as much as 22.500 Euro New Gakyil [email protected] matters (naturally not less ‘seri- ing. In the mornings we received for the new Gonpa! If everything Greg Ladra (PL) ous’...) I was not able to make it teachings from our precious goes well with the building per- During the General Assembly on 27th Filip Stys (CZ) there. Master Chögyal Namkhai Norbu mit, next year this time the First June 2009 held in the presence of Beatrix Csete (RO) There were 95 sometimes a and in the afternoons the expla- Level exam and training for the Rinpoche and Yeshi, the New Gakyil bit nervous brothers and sisters nations by Jim Valby and Igor Second Level exam will be held in of Merigar East and the Geko were [email protected] from various places in the world, Berkhin were given. Yantra Yoga the newly built Gonpa. elected: Mira Mironova (RU) such as Russia, Ukraine, Czech in the mornings (I have to admit, There is not much time left, so Abel Paizs (HU) [email protected] Republic, Slovakia, Germany, I was not always there) and danc- I better go back to my practices George Tenger (HU) Fijalka Turzikova (CZ) Spain, Hungary, Cyprus and Fin- ing in the afternoons, as well as in and studying, still having in me all Egle Purtulyte (LI) Ondrej Stefi k (SK) land taking the exam. The major- the evenings, left only a little time the images and memories of un- Jaga Zebrovska (PL) Geko: Greg Ladra (PL) ity of them experienced a range for indulging oneself on the irre- forgettable retreat in Romania.

Israel New Gakyil Blue: Marilyne Ankaowa [email protected] Red: Gisele Gordon [email protected] Yellow: Dani Moskovich [email protected] You are most welcome to contact us. Sincerely yours, Shalom, Gakyil of Israel

Dream Yoga with Michael Katz August 6–8 in Jerusalem. Dream Yoga with Michael Katz August 14–15 in Tel Aviv.

tive practice and Santi Maha Sangha all received the benefi ts of Laura’s ex- and trying to make breathing and studies. tensive experience. We all felt that this movement one process. was a really good arrangement. Europe On Sunday were all joyfully tired after The fi rst three evenings were open for an intensive and rewarding course. We all and the last two days were for people During the course we learned many Denmark thought it would be great to have more with transmission from our Master. At warming up exercises, the nine breath- Yantra Yoga in future in order to deepen Yantra Yoga – Copenhagen April fi rst we were about ten participants and ings, the fi ve loosening of the joints our understanding of the movements. 2009 for the last two days we where seven. (tsigjong), the eight movements (lung- Since this was a supervised course it was sang), the and yantras of In Copenhagen we are about ten prac- by Lennart Warnemyr Chris who did most of the teaching while controlling the chanels (tsadul). We titioners who come regularly to meet Laura occasionally complemented his also got our fi rst taste of the fi rst series and practice. We are planning for more zogchen Community Denmark day intensive in Yantra Yoga. The course instructions or gave more background of yantras together with a demonstra- courses of Santi Maha Sangha, Vajra was glad to have Laura Evan- was held at our meeting place in central information. This meant that Chris got tion of The Vajra Wave. Emphasis was Dance and of course, Yantra Yoga. Dgelisti supervising our own Copenhagen where we usually meet on with his education towards becom- always on awareness in the movements Christen Norre Bundgaard for a fi ve every Tuesday for Yantra Yoga, collec- ing a Yantra Yoga instructor while we THE MIRROR · No. 99 · July, August 2009

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Upcoming Dejamling Europe >> continued The Six Spaces New Mandala October 26 to November 1 by Madeleine Doré France with Cindy Faulkner Upcoming Karma Ling, French Alps t was under the omen of a favor- Dance of the Three Vajra course able time for blooming that the price: 130 euro 11–13 September 2009 marvelous inauguration of the new This year this course is included in Lama I with Stoffelina Verdonk Dejamling Mandala took place. The Denys Rimpoché’s Paris center of the new mandala is large, and seminary “Tchenrezy-Mahakala”. This this brings space and easiness for Pamo Place: course is open to people following the and Pawo to meet. Someone said, “We Les Mains d’Oeuvre, 1, rue Charles seminary. are all here for the same teaching and Garnier, Saint-Ouen (immediate north- If you are interested in coming to these every one gets something different; we ern suburb of Paris) courses or have any questions, you can enter to an other level of the dance.” Metro ‘Porte de Clignancourt’ (line 4) contact me at: [email protected] Each session started with applying the or ‘Garibaldi’ (line 13) dance and fi nished with the practice of Bus: 95 (station ‘Porte de Montmar- * Gomadevi. tre’) or 85 (station ‘Paul Bert’) There were 13 participants, roughly Times: the right number for pawo and pamo. It Sept. 11 6 pm–9 pm allowed us to understand and integrate Developing Course for Vajra Dance and Gomadevi Practice with Adriana Dal Borgo July 8–12, 2009. Sept. 12 11 am–7 pm the experience of moving as in a mirror, brings more comfort to the Ling; the Sept.13 12 am–7 pm with carefulness, fl uidity and lightness. Dejamling is a school to learn being Intense application of presence together; to feel Community life. presence of Gekö Emils helps for achiev- Cost: 105 Euros with usual discounts happened thanks to the guidance of Early in the morning a group ing projects. We were invited to visit a for members Adriana. Adriana dal Borgo transmits practiced Mandarava with Annalen. new little wooden cabin for retreat that Early registration is welcome. the teaching with natural simplicity, At night, after sharing the excellent had just been installed at the upper part For additional information and to humbleness and particular attention. ‘healthy’ food prepared by several dif- of the land; it’s hard to imagine how it register please contact: Zheni Meria This was helpful to learn the practice ferent gifted participants, some sat to- was carried up there! For Adriana, Dejamling is ideal place [email protected] of Gomadevi and helped us to taste gether late with Adriana, and Stoffelina the freshness of instant presence, in and Mimo, playing bagchen with lot of for personal retreats or small groups. French Dzogchen Community Web Site: harmony with our real nature. Every joy and humor. She suggested to share the special http://association.dzogchen.free.fr day each one was kept precisely with his Thanks to the hard work of respon- techniques adopted for executing this * body, heart, and mind, the steps and sible practitioners, the development marvelous mandala. In any case, the experiences of the daily session. and improvement of the buildings changes in measures for the center of the mandala oblige the dancers to ad- just their movements and to integrate exercise. ‘To stay in the state of Dzogchen, was the best way to open and activate the new mandala of Dejamling’. The lu- minous colors of the mandala attracted dragonfl ies and butterfl ies. Some machines working around in the wood and airplanes were sounding A. One day a frog entered the mandala coming to dance. Presence does not ask for explana- tion, it’s just given, or it’s just there. We are grateful to the Master and the Teach- ing, which bring us these marvelous Dream Yoga with Michael Katz July 25–27 in Paris. Dream Yoga with Michael Katz July 28–30 at Dejamling. experiences and precious presence.

For information: The course will begin on Friday Septem- Italy Blue: Marco Baseggio, tel. +39 4109 ber 25 at 18:00. There will be two ses- Venice 940 79, cell. +39 34 83 43 20 69, email: sions on Saturday and Sunday, at 10:00 Upcoming [email protected] and 16:00. Yeshi Silvano Namkhai Yellow: Giovanna Carraro, tel. +39 4172 Only 10 people can attend the course. 10 34, cell. +39 34 60 29 17 78, email in Venice for a Retreat of The cost of the course is 40 Euro (no [email protected] Dzogchen Teachings discounts) including accommodation. Red: Giuliana Giromella, tel. +39 4223 September 5–7 312 41, cell. +39 34 01 47 38 78, email · Each participant will have to bring The Retreat will take place in the [email protected] some food (fruit, vegetable, rice etc… + “Centro Sportivo Sant’Alvise” near the The Venice Gakyil wine & meat for the fi nal Ganapuja). We Jewish Ghetto of Venice. You will fi nd all * will cook on rotas. the information about the location at Dancing in Venice · Accommodation will be in the Gonpa www.ilcentrosantalvise.com of Kunsalling; the Ling is 1400 m above he fi nal weekend of Vajra Dance sea level, so bring proper shoes, rain- On Sept. 5th the fi rst Teaching session with Adriana Dal Borgo took proof and warm clothes for the evening will take place from 4 to 6 pm. place in Venice in June. Twenty or and a sleeping bag. On the Sept. 6th and 7th, the Teachings T so practitioners from Venice, Padova, Please bring along your . will take place from 10 to 12 am. Treviso and Udine had learned all the · Parking is 25 minutes away from the Regarding accommodation, we have a steps of the Dance in order to practice ling so we recommend using a ruck- special agreement with: Hotel Minerva this Precious Teaching. The course took sack. Parking places are limited so we & Nettuno, Lista di Spagna, Cannaregio place in the large St. Alvise gym with was surprised about how slowly the Upcoming recommend car sharing. 230, Venezia, tel. (+39) 041715968, (+39) two Mandalas. The gym overlooks the Venetian group learned … even though Intensive Yantra Yoga course 0415242366, fax (+39) 0412758953, lagoon and has big windows and at we managed to catch up at the end … lead by Emmanuel Jouan under the For more information please contact the email: [email protected] times we had the feeling of dancing on possibly spurred on by being compared supervision of Laura Evangelisti person in charge who will also forward www.minervaenettuno.it the water. The course was hard work, to the fabulous Russians… September 25–27 the maps for getting to the Ling Just 25 euro per person per night! especially for those who dedicated their After the Dance the group made at Kunsalling Registration: We suggest you to reserve very quickly, weekend to it after a week of work, merry at the ‘El Timon’ restaurant. (retreat place in Parco Alto Garda) Fulvio Ferrari – in charge of the because the 5, 6 and 7 Sept. in Venice however it brought everyone great ben- May this Precious Teaching spread Tsadul, Pranayama & movements of the retreats is high season (“Mostra del Cinema”, efi t and made the group enthusiastic for the benefi t of all beings! fi rst and second series. Tel. +39 0365 82 51 65 “Regata storica”, Biennale!) and this and everyone has promised to practice Open to practitioners already familiar [email protected] price for Venice for this period is re- the Dance every Saturday. with the Eight Movements and who www.kunsalling.it ally rare. The password to reserve is Adriana taught and encouraged the have received transmission. “gruppo Norbu”. group with great care and patience. She * More information on our website. had just come back from Russia and after teaching the Russian group she THE MIRROR · No. 99 · July, August 2009

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Europe >> continued Lithuania

Italy >> continued: Umbria

The Umbria Dzogchen Community organized a course on Guruyoga and Semzin led by Fabio Yeshi Silvano Namkhai in Lithuania, July, 2009. Risolo, June 13–14 at the Alethea gym in Bastia Umbria.

Bologna Oct. 6: one of main practical guides to the fun- Upcoming The retreat is open to all and the cost is Poland Oct. 7: Upadesha of the Introduction damental tantra of Dzogchen Semde, Yeshi Namkhai to give 40 euro per day. Upcoming to the state of Ati Kunjed Gyalpo. Oct. 8: Respect for Vajra Brothers teachings on For further information and to enroll: Yeshi Silvano Namkhai Cracow and Sisters The Six Paramitas from Libreria Ibis, tel. 051239818 to teach in Poland Oct. 13 – Public talk: “Six paramitas the Dzogchen viewpoint Cesare Pilati, 3347703328 We are happy to invite you to the retreat of (There will be video webcast with in Tibetan Buddhism” Alfredo Colitto, [email protected] Yeshi Silvano Namkhai in Poland, Rinpoche in the morning, as well as You can fi nd more information at: September 19–20 October 5–13 2009 Yantra Yoga and Vajra Dance sessions) OM Yoga Centre in Via Castellata 10 Maps, information on how to get there http://dzogczen.pl/YN/program_en and where to stay are available at: The plan of the retreat: Paldenling .php Sessions from 10–12 am. http://yeshiabologna.rdv.it Oct. 10–11: Discovering awareness Warsaw If you plan to come, please register on In the afternoon, there will be explana- from “You are the eyes of the world”, tions of the nine breathings in Yantra Oct. 5: Introduction to Tibetan Bud- the page above. Yoga and Vajra Dance practice. dhism and Dzogchen

practice of ‘The Precious Vase’ (Base Serbia Spain Level), based on the experience and Dzogchen Community of Belgrade is happy New dates and venue for not only on intellectual understanding, to announce Chögyal Namkhai Norbu’s retreat connecting the different explanations related to Body, Speech and Mind with The fi rst opening of the Mandala in Chögyal Namkhai Norbu Behavior. Belgrade since 1995 Dzogchen teaching At Kundusling, c/ Passatge de la Pau, 10 Vajra Dance weekend – all Dancers are retreat bis, 08002 Barcelona, Spain welcome November 14–18 2009 Weekend Retreat of Chod For information on registrations and Auditori Axa Practice and Explanation payments, please contact: c/ Deu i Mata 111, Barcelona Led by Zeljka Jovanovic Olaya Martínez, www.auditoriaxa.es 2–11 October 2009 [email protected] More information at Vajra Dance: October 2–4 Additional information: Blue Gakyil: www.dzogchen.es Chod: October 9–11 [email protected]; Or contact the Blue Gakyil Tibetan language course: October 6–8 [email protected] Carlos, [email protected] Who can attend? Open to all the people Elena, [email protected] * Upcoming events who have received Dzogchen Trans- * Course of Yantra Yoga for beginners mission by Chögyal Namkhai Norbu Upcoming With Gloria Pinsach Rinpoche. Santi Maha Sangha Base Course September 24–27 Tibetan language course led by Zeljka With Fabio Risolo Bilbao Jovanovic – open to all. September 11–13 * For more information please contact: At Kundusling, Barcelona Course of Dance of the Vajra – Lale, yellow Gakyil: cell ph.: +381 63 the Six Spaces of Samantabhadra A Guide on how to study and apply the 269 362, [email protected] or With Yolanda Ferrandiz teachings of The Precious Vase in daily Jelena, blue Gakyil: cell ph.: +381 64 139 September 25–27 life 77 79, [email protected] Mallorca The scope of the course is to provide * Important! Please register before the students with general guidelines for the Course of Dance of the Six Spaces retreats and the course start, by e-mail Santi Maha Sangha Project, and particu- With Yolanda Fererandiz or phone. Thank you for your collabora- larly to provide them with synthetic but October 2–4 tion! complete instructions for the study and San Sebastian

Chögyal Namkhai Norbu Yantra Yoga course on the 2nd series Upcoming courses in 2010 Course of the Dance of the Six Spaces Registration and information: Dzogchen Teachings of Yantras and the Pranayama of the Course of Kunye with Aldo Oneto of Samantabhadra Contact person: Alba Papini November 14–18 1st series Course of Gomadevi with Enzo Terzano Led by Yolanda Ferrandiz Tel. +34 971 63 11 28 Barcelona With Gloria Pinsach supervised by Course on the Yoga of dreams with September 25–27 Cell n. +34 680 99 58 80 (see the announcement on this page) Laura Evangelisti Michael Katz Mallorca, Spain [email protected] November 21–23 * * Comunidad Dzogchen de Espana Schedule: Fri 7 pm–9 pm; Barcelona, Kundusling Course on Kumbaka Pasaje de la Paz 10 bis Sat + Sun 10 am–1 pm + 4 pm–7 pm * With Fabio Andrico Barcelona 08002 Spain Cost: The cost is 90 euros with discounts November 18–19 Chögyal Namkhai Norbu Contact: [email protected] for members Barcelona, Kundusling Dzogchen Teachings [email protected] * May 21–23, 2010 [email protected] Where: Ceip Nova Cabana-son Macia Canary Islands www.dzogchen.es c/ Gladiol, s/n * 07141 Son Macià – Pint D’Inca – Mar- ratxi, Mallorca (Spain) THE MIRROR · No. 99 · July, August 2009

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Course of the Dance of the Song of A natural state, This course has also been very pre- Europe >> continued the Vajra We are going to learn to dance, cious for our Beloved Kundusling, be-

Impressions of a Beginner This precious Dance of the Vajra! cause the time spent together and the >> continued (…) intensity of the course have reinforced Spain by Sol Carreño This course of the Dance of the Song of the relationships between the members A magic fl ute sings … the Vajra took place in Kundusling dur- of the Community, at the same time that A secret song ing the end of July and the beginning of new links have been established. The Enchantment August and it lasted about two weeks. Our Dearest Luda was the trainer who We all have learned from this positive Guide: taught this teaching and spite of the experience, and now we know that to- Our Precious Master. suffocating heat, we could not miss this gether we are strong. We understand We are going to learn to dance, appointment. better the statement of the Master: This precious Dance of the Vajra! Day after day, syllable after syllable, “We are all in the same boat”. A Family we learned all steps … We are all in the Mandala! How much generosity and patience! Harmony and manifested refl ection Rinpoche, In the Sacred Mandala All her explanations and tips that ac- Thank you for your Precious Teachings! Sounds and Colours, companied our teachings helped us Our Beloved Planet. to understand the deep meaning and beauty of this precious Therma and day Dakas and Dakinis, after day we felt more and more fortu- Participants in the Dance of Song of the Vajra course held at Kundusling Barcelona July 10 to 15 What a joyful posture!... nate. Thank you Rinpoche! and August 1 to 8 led by Ludmilla Kislichenko. Photo: Laly Arnas Figures

Karma Yoga with Xitro Practice Practice To Celebrate Dance and meditation retreat at UK October 23–30 Chögyal Namkhai Norbu’s Birthday Kunselling UK Kunselling with Julia Lawless To book, please contact Colin Ellar by Peter White Programme of Events December 5–7 Tel: 0208 737 03 47 he retreat started on Monday af- Dance of the Vajra (Emakirikiri), Part II, [email protected] To book, please contact Mike Beddard ternoon straight after the end of Beginners Tel: 0781 529 99 76 * a Dance of the 3 course. By Led by Cindy Faulkner with supervision Namkha-making Weekend [email protected] T common consensus we concentrated on from Prima Mai with Sally Field * the Dance of the Vajra and Cindy drew September 14–20 October 31–November 1 Open Period (Including Families) up an intensive timetable taking us from For Christmas and To book, please contact Rowan Wylie To book, please contact Mike Beddard Yoga fi rst thing in the morning through New Year Celebrations Tel: 01223 47 35 28 Tel: 0781 529 99 76 sitting practice, a dance ‘refresher’ December 24–January 2 [email protected] [email protected] session and 3 Thuns of Dance. Together Open Webcast December 26 to January with a communal cooking schedule this * * 1 AGM London Long Life Practice of Mandarava meant rather busy days!!! The whole retreat was bathed in an September 26 with Judy Allan To book, please contact Nick Segust atmosphere of lightness and humour, Cindy offered the ‘dance refresher’ ses- * November 14–22 Tel: 02920 65 28 66 even when the Welsh weather was giv- sions of the Vajra Dance in 4 parts and 25 Thigles of Samantabhadra [email protected] ing us it’s best cloud and rain! To book, please contact Mike Beddard patiently guided us to greater fl uency with Barry and Anne Patterson Tel: 0781 529 99 76 * and confi dence in the practice sessions. Toward the end of the week the clouds October 10–11 [email protected] cleared and Lol supervised the taking Amely kindly acceded to a request from To book, please contact Mike Beddard down of the dome. It was a truly lib- * those who had received transmission, Tel: 0781 529 99 76 erating experience to dance constantly to explain the practice of ‘Jnana Dakini [email protected] under the sparkling sun and sky. Thugthig’. This she did with great clar- * ity, patience and deference to the pre- The biggest heartfelt thank you goes to cise explanations of Chögyal Namkhai Chögyal Namkhai Norbu without whom Vajra dance week at Kunselling, It couldn’t have been a more perfect en- Norbu. Following this intensive mantra none of this perfect mandala would be Wales vironment – daily meals cooked fi rst by Thun many of us found light feet for the manifesting at all – the perfect Teacher, Rowan, then Erin, and fi nally Judy – so Dance. the perfect Place, the perfect Practice, by Stephanie Mulholland we were nutritionally well cared for... the perfect Sangha! t was the last week of May, 2009 and the fl owers! Climbing blue ceono- when a number of us from various thus, Californian lilac, growing under Iparts of the country descended the bedroom windows attracted a mul- on Kunselling to learn the fi rst half of titude of buzzing bumble bees, creating the Dance of the Vajra from Stoffelina a lovely hum as we ate our meals on the Verdonk. terrace looking at the mountains in the sunshine. Nature was at its fullest, it seemed, what with the tweeting birds, baa-ing After the Dance retreat, a few people sheep, hopping bunnies, blossoming did personal retreat. Rose Lewis and white frothy hawthorne, columbine in myself stayed on to do practice as well shades of pale and rosy pink, deep plum as some deep cleaning and massive and royal purple, ceonothus (such a amounts of laundry. Those were glori- heavenly deep blue) and the early white ous days indeed in the hot sunshine. I roses covering the farmhouse.... recommend highly to all that can: stay and practise after learning the dance It was in this environment that we so that it can become ingrained more learned the Dance – through graceful deeply. Plus, what could be better than and harmonious movements, this is a hanging out at our wonderful Kunsel- wonderful way to get into the State as ling – the walks, the karma yoga, the transmitted to us by Rinpoche. As Stof- leftovers in the fridge ... heaven! fi e constantly reminded us...“this is not a dance, this is a practice!” Some of us were “naturals”, easily relaxing and moving.....others found it a bit more challenging and there was frustration, near giving up but no one actually left!

Stoffelina’s sweetness and presence was deep and comforting but still, WE had to learn it ourselves...there was no way around it! I had a sketch pad in which I drew, coloured, and wrote the lines we were learning to help imprint it on my brain and in my being. THE MIRROR · No. 99 · July, August 2009

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East DCA Tsegyalgar East Tsegyalgar PO Box 479 Phone: 413 369 4153 [email protected] Conway, MA 01341 USA Fax & Bookstore: 413 369 4473 www.www.tsegyalgareast.org

ed with the installation of the Tsegyalgar East treasure vase under the center of News the Universal Mandala site, two Vajra Dance courses, one with e have had a busy and Anastasia McGhee, which has exciting spring and been an ongoing series of week- W summer at Tsegyal- ends of Vajra Dance, a few weeks gar East, between the many prac- later the Dance of the Six Spaces tice retreats and guest instruc- with Bodhi Krause, and winding tors, the clearing work on upper up the summer season in August Khandroling, the installation of with the elucidating and spa- the foundation of the Universal cious Santi Maha Sangha Base Mandala and Vajra Pavilion, and and First Level Retreats with Jim the demolition that is the prepa- Valby, that included Yantra Yoga ration for the construction of a each morning at 7:30am on the residence for the Namkhai Fami- new platform, with Paula Barry ly, Community Center with small and Naomi Zeitz. Gonpa, and future residence for We have been very actively en- the gekö in the old farmhouse gaging in a lot of long overdue on lower Khandroling. There karma yoga on the land of Khan- has also been a very big renova- droling, inspired and supervised tion of the Dark Retreat Cabin, by our tireless and dedicated overseen by Joe Zurylo and Vern gekö, David Hayes, who skillfully Harrington. Joe is also the build- manages to engage a wide vari- Painting Mandala Platform. Photo: P. Barry ing project manager of all the ety as well as consistent group of construction on both upper and workers. We have cleared trees ects and activities that will keep Tibet, where they did their resi- ing is the land on which Chö- lower Khandroling. that Rinpoche has asked us to us occupied for many years. Our dency at Qinghai University Ti- gyal Namkhai Norbu received On the site of the original do, which seems like an infi nite target date for the renovation of betan Medicine in Xining, on many important dreams for the mandala painted by Rinpoche task, constructed the platform, the farmhouse and small Gonpa August 17. This unique program, terma of the Vajra Dance and is himself, we have made a wonder- and are now busily renovating construction is May 2010. The which is part of the Shang Shung also the seat of Goma Devi. The ful platform. We have a beauti- the farmhouse on lower Khan- Universal Mandala will begin Institute USA, was developed land of Khandroling is a special ful silk-screened mandala there droling and have been fortunate construction this spring due to and is directed by Dr. Phuntsog and sacred place imbued with the and we use the platform for Vajra to do almost all the work with the great generosity of an anony- Wangmo. The program is fl our- powerful and sublime energy of Dance, Yantra Yoga, Ganapujas karma yoga participation. Some mous donor, and we hope to have ishing and expanding under Dr. our Master, Chögyal Namkhai and other collective practices. of the karma have come this completed by 2011. Once Phuntsog’s dynamic and dedicat- Norbu. The location seems to hold a lot from as far as Italy, Berkeley, these projects are completed and ed guidance. The other students Tsegyalgar East Gakyil of energy and Community peo- California and Czech Republic. possibly concurrently, we need will be returning in about two 8/17/2009 ple are very happy that we have We are very grateful to all who to clear more trees, fi x up our weeks time to begin the year of this wonderful spot on the land have come and we invite people retreat cabins, build two more classes at the yellow Schoolhouse to dance and practice together, who have the possibility to join retreat cabins that Rinpoche re- in Conway. Upcoming since our Universal Mandala site us in our work and development quested many years ago, and pos- As you can see, Tsegyalgar East Dance of the Six Spaces at the peak of the land is present- of Khandroling. We ask those sibly renovate a very old barn that has been a hub of activity and we Supervision for Chie Hammond with ly under construction. people to contact our Red Gakyil is still standing on lower Khan- look forward to the growth and Prima Mai We began the spring/summer member/director Cindy Thibeau droling that may one day serve as participation of practitioners Nov. 6–8 with a possible morning season with a much appreciat- at [email protected] if a big meeting hall, offi ce space, throughout North America and session of Nov. 9th ed weekend on the Chang Chog you are interested to help. guest house and space for an in- the world. We welcome all who Nov. 9–11 Evening sessions of Shitro and Longsal Volume 8 We are really just beginning to door mandala that could be used are interested to come and vis- Advanced Song of Vajra Dance with Elio Guarisco, followed by tackle the next phase of the devel- all year round. it our marvelous land, practice For more information please contact: a joyful six day Gomadevi retreat opment and work on Khandrol- Our fi rst graduating class of with us and, if possible, join us [email protected] with Enzo Terzano, that conclud- ing. We have a long list of proj- Tibetan doctors returned from in some karma yoga. Khandrol-

one another with stories from our A report on the Santi Maha Sangha lives and songs from our heart, a Retreat with Jim Valby great night. At 7:30, the next morning, car Tashi Kaiser pools from the school house and campers on the land made their am seated at the picnic table, Rinpoche and the World Wide way to the Mandala near the edge of the sign on the Guardian cab- Transmission of Guru Padma- the pond, for the week long Yantra I in reads, Tsankhar of Yavaruk- sambhava. I was able to partici- Yoga program. Here, Naomi Zeitz shi, and the space the clearing of pate at Kundrolling in New York and Paula Berry helped retreatants trees beyond the fi re pit provides is City, where I live. Kundroling to learn how to integrate Yantra illuminated with the direct rays of was fi lled with long time collabo- Yoga into their daily practice. the sun. The sun is in the center of rators in the Dzogchen Commu- At 9 am, our SMS Base retreat a cloudless sky. Birds are whistling nity and people excited to make a began with our instructor, Jim at one another and on the facing new connection with the teach- Valby and 15 other vajra brothers hilltop occasional hammering can ings. Everyone present was able and sisters. We alternated with be heard from the site of the future to enjoy seeing video of Rinpoche a Catholic and studying a book Mary got off the train and soon I study and practice of the Precious Vajra Hall. This is Khandroling, from the Gonpa of Merigar as he of Pope Ratzinger’s, and I was arrived in Amherst. Vase and passages of from the the Land of the Dakinis. Down gave Direct Transmission. What raised Buddhist. Were Mary not Harvey and Rita, my parents, Kunjed Gyalpo. Study and prac- the rocky dirt road from the stupa a beginning! on the train I would have been delivered our vajra sister, Francine tice in Rinpoche’s retreat cabin and its east-facing statue of Guru The next morning I locked reading from the Precious Vase and I from the train station to the is really special, through the win- Rinpoche, Jim Valby is starting to the door to my Brooklyn apart- in preparation for our weeklong Gonpa at Tsegyalgar, where the dows one can gaze at the sky and lead the Santi Maha Sangha Level ment and set off for Tsegyalgar course, instead, it was Mary and dedication of after a dance its’ refl ections in the pond, the One course in our Master Chögyal East, by way of Penn Station and Pope Ratzinger who provided tun was being offered. Many feeling is strong. Everyday, for Namkhai Norbu’s retreat cabin. Amtrak’s Vermonter passenger source material. She was making practitioners had gathered for three hours in the morning and Yesterday at noon, we completed train. This leg of my trip was spe- notes in the margins of her book the practice of Ganapuja marking three hours in the evening, we our week of study and practice of cial. The woman seated next to and compiling quotes on a legal Guru Rinpoche’s day. During the continued our retreat. Jim’s un- the Precious Vase, the Santi Maha me is Mary Kelly, our initial po- pad for future consideration. It Song of the Vajra, people danced derstanding, clarity and humor Sangha Base. lite introductions led to an en- was inspiring to hear her share on the Mandala and for the fi rst helped all of us to build our fa- Our retreat offi cially began gaging dialogue that lasted from the threads of her querie and to time I got to see my parents danc- miliarity with the teachings. I Saturday, August 1st at 9am, but the heart of Queens on through dialogue together about Man’s ing together. What a joy! After a look forward to returning to the for me and perhaps others, it be- into deep Connecticut. Its sub- possibilities in accordance with strong practice we reveled in each Land of the Dakinis, Khandrol- gan on the Thursday before with ject centered on belief; Mary is the Bible and in relation to God. other and the offerings, regaling ing, for study and practice. THE MIRROR · No. 99 · July, August 2009

25 Tsegyalgar East

Burying the Treasure Vase at Khandroling July 12, 2009

Paula Barry The treasure vase. Photo: K. Fekete e were worried that it might rain, but on the extraordinary terma of the WSunday July 12th the Vajra Dance. sun shone gloriously. This was We arrived early that morning the last day of the Gomadevi to prepare the land near the state- Jnana Dakini retreat lead by Enzo ly seven limbed birch tree where Terzano here at Tsegyalgar East. Rinpoche fi rst sat and indicated After a week of studying, learn- the importance and sacredness ing, practicing and integrating of this land here in Buckland, the practice with the Dance of the Massachusetts. We prepared the Song of the Vajra, we felt it would offerings of juniper mixed with Dancing on a provisional mandala. Photo: K. Fekete be an auspicious moment to bury empowered substances for the the Treasure Vase, fi lled and em- smoke offering of the Sang rite. outer mandala and to the inner on an old tyvek mandala on the sense of loving togetherness and powered last year by our Master, And we prepared wine and tea mandala of our primordial state site that is being prepared for hope for future manifestations within the center of the place and milk sweetened with local and to the weak guests as well. the Universal Mandala and Vajra of the profound potentiality of where the Universal Mandala will maple syrup to offer to all the dif- In between our intensive Pavilion – just next to the newly Khandroling-Land of the Daki- once again manifest. The place is ferent types of beings in the rite practices of Sang, Serkyem and placed treasure vase. nis. at the top of the hill where Chög- of the Serkyem. We offered tor- Ganapuja, we did the short Go- After enjoying the puja offer- yal Namkhai Norbu fi rst received mas and many, many wonderful madevi practice and danced the ings we were all fi lled with a kind foods and drinks to the entire Dance of the Song of the Vajra of clarity suffused with joy and a

Put it on your calendar!!! Short Chöd For more information please USA Kundrolling, NYC Advanced Song of Vajra Dance Weekend Retreats with Jim Valby May 29–30 contact our secretary Asruh and Upcoming Nov. 16–18 evening sessions At Tsegyalgar East, Conway Mass [email protected] Dance of the Om A Hum 7th Mind Training For more information please contact: 2009–2010 or call 413 369 4153 Supervision for Kyu Khandro with June 26–27 [email protected] or Prima Mai Hum: Semdzin & Rushen [email protected] Nov. 13–15 September 26–27 Prajna October 31–November 1 November 28–29 Santi Maha Sangha Level 2 Only December 26–27 Purifi cation January 30–31 Shine: zhi gnas February 27–28 Lhagtong March 27–28 Refuge April 24–25 Goma Devi Retreat with Enzo Terzano from July 7–12 2009 in Rinpoche’s cabin at Khandroling. Dzogchen Teachings, 30 Words of Advice of Practice Retreat with Elio Guarisco Photo: P. Barry June 12–14, 2009 at Kundrolling.

West Tsegyalgar West [email protected] Tsegyalgar Baja California Sur, Mexico http://tsegyalgarwest.org

Potential applicants need to be fairly Julia Deisler Yellow New Gakyil Tsegyalgar West rough and ready because it is a wilder- New Gakyil New [email protected] ness eco-preserve. When we have new Jody Santry Blue Michael Hass from Huntington Beach, Update staff in place we will be able to welcome Mexico [email protected] CA, Blue and President more people that are interested in per- No Red Tsegyalgar West is busy preparing for Joel Crisp from San Diego, CA, Blue sonal retreats in remote areas such as our next season, which in Baja, Mexico and Vice President External Rushen. is roughly November to April. We are Miles Thomas from San Diego, CA, planning retreats with such teachers Finally, we are focusing more than ever Blue as Nina Robinson, Elio Guarisco, Vajra on establishing a presence in town in Diane Sievers from Conway, MA Yellow Dance Instructor Bodhi Krause, Yantra Los Cabos, the world-famous resort Helen Thomas from Portland, Oregon, Yoga Instructor Lynn Sutherland, maybe area right at our door-step. Yantra Yoga Yellow and Treasurer Yantra Yoga Instructor Marisa Alonso retreats are going to be held not only at Carol Fields from Berkeley, CAL, Red from Argentina, maybe more. Many the Gar but at a beach-side resort called Scott Schroeder, Baja Sur, Mexico, Red casitas are being fi nished as we speak, Vista Azul. Please direct all inquires to our secre- with as many as 13 being completed by Come and join us at our little (big) piece tary, Angelina Ibarquen at November 2009. of paradise. And thank you Rinpoche for [email protected] We are actively seeking staff. Any inter- everything * ested practitioners should email us at Joel Crisp, Blue gakyil [email protected] www.tsegyalgarwest.org Dance of the Six Spaces with Bodhi Krause at Dondrubling, Berkeley July 15. THE MIRROR · No. 99 · July, August 2009

26

Norte Tashigar North /Finca Tashigar Prolongación de la Calle Bolivar Tel: 0058 0295 2580332 Tashigar Valle de Pedro González [email protected] Isla de Margarita www.tashigarnorte.org

Oct. 30–Nov. 1 December 13–17 January 10–15 March 19–25 Calendar Shitro Practice Retreat Course of Yantra Yoga 1st. Level SMS Base Level Course Chögyal Namkhai Norbu With Dina Priymak supervised by With Elías Capriles Teacher’s Trainings: November Fabio Andrico Santi Maha Sangha Base and 1st of Events November 20 January 16–30 Levels, Vajra Dance, Yantra Yoga 1st Chögyal Namkhai Norbu’s arrival in December 18–23 Chögyal Namkhai Norbu and 2nd Levels 2009– Tashigar North Course of Vajra Dance (1st Part) The Drubchen of Mandarava and With Carmen Rivas supervised by Vajrapani April 2010 December Adriana Dal Borgo April 1–5 December 4–11 March Retreat of 7th Lojong Chögyal Namkhai Norbu Dec. 26–Jan. 1 March 8–12 With Grisha Mokhin September Dzogchen Longsal Longde Teaching Chögyal Namkhai Norbu Tashigar Norte Retreat with Rinpoche September 11–14 Retreat Santi Maha Sangha Retreat Apr. 30–May 2 Gomadevi Practice Retreat March 13–18 Santi Maha Sangha Base Level Exam December 8 January Course October Rinpoche’s Birthday January 4–10 With Fabio Andrico May October 23–25 Course of Vajra Dance (2nd Part) May 3–9 Mandarava Practice Retreat With Carmen Rivas supervised by Chögyal Namkhai Norbu Adriana Dal Borgo Santi Maha Sangha 1st Level Training

Camping Peru together to listen to Rinpoche’s teach- Dear vajra brothers and sisters, ings before returning to their everyday Reservation System Greetings to all. We are pleased to an- life. I felt I was living in another dimen- Tashigar Norte informs you that at this nounce the new Gakyil members in Peru sion. It was my fi rst visit to this part of moment 80 % of the camping lots are (Norbuling) for the period 2009–2010 Italy, to Merigar, to the Yellow House, already booked for December and 95 % and I had never seen a mandala before, Blue Gakyil for January. Be aware that if you don’t so when I saw Prima Mai dancing to Paul Sablich (Director) book you may not fi nd a place for your the sounds of the Song of the Vajra, Maria Luisa Flores Guerra (Secretary) tent. Further months there are a lot of something huge opened inside me and available places. Red Gakyil what I felt is something beyond words. To book a place check the procedure in Patricia Elejalde The experience was unique; I remember our web site: www.tashigarnorte.org , Jimena Piedra thinking that night: the sangha in Peru in the section Useful information- has to experience this too, and wished Yellow Gakyil Accommodation. that someday we would be dancing all Ethel Martinez Camping Reservation System together as well. Raquel Maurier Tashigar Norte [email protected] The wish came true seven years * later. There we were, 24 of us, gathered Photo: P. Sablich Dance Course – First Part of the Song around two mandalas, eager to start, of the Vajra like children waiting excitedly for a long slowly, slowly, the structure and form Muchas, muchas gracias, Rinpoche, with Nelida Saporiti expected gift to be fi nally unwrapped, of the dance took shape while the expe- for your love and this precious gift. Our June 2009 listening to Nelida explaining the source rience itself started to sculpt countless heartfelt thanks to Nelida too, for her and depth of this incredible teaching, and invisible changes within pamos and infi nite patience and loving ways. We By Patricia Elejalde generously transmitted by our pre- pawos, while outlining a harmonious are committed to practicing what we t was a golden afternoon; the wind cious master. It was a 10-day intensive kaleidoscope, enriched by the joy and have learned, trying to integrate the was carrying ceaseless mantras course; little by little, step by step, like sense of togetherness that manifested movements into the state of contem- Iall around, people of all ages and learning to walk again, we started to among us. plation. We look forward to completing from all over the world had gathered combine and balance legs and arms and the second part of the dance soon!

Sur Tashigar South Tanti 5155 Phone & Fax: 0054 - 3541 - 498 356 Tashigar Comunidad Dzogchen Tashigar Pcia. de Córdoba [email protected] Calle pública S/N Argentina

We invite all Gakyils and Lings related to To the designers – Daniel Simonelli , Celebration of Tashigar South to send us their calendar Cris Galli, Claudia Harkan and Karina of activities related to this project to be Dujan 20 Years uploaded in our blog of the 20 years. Remodeling of the Gonpa To the style revisers – If you would like to contribute: Paula Raedemaeker, Sergio Oliva and [email protected] Griselda Gálmez “The Gar represents a base for all those who are keeping ‘Project Gonpa’ Team To the members of the successive Gaky- and developing the teachings ils of Tashigar South and the Gakyil of for the future, as a way of Buenos Aires, that supported and made making real knowledge of Together in The it happen. Dzogchen arise in the future For twelve years (1997–2008), Laura generations (...) we, Dzogchen Mirror Yoffe, together with her team of trans- practitioners, without excep- – Acknowledgement – lators, revisers, designers and literary tion, should take over spon- collaborators, worked with generosity taneously the responsibilities The Gakyil of Tashigar South wants to and effi ciency making this bridge that that guarantee the survival make a public acknowledgement of the allowed the access to the translation and development of this base work of Laura Yoffe as editor in chief of of so many teachings possible, and for the teachings.” ‘El Espejo’, the Spanish version of ‘The resulted in an invaluable benefi t for the Chögyal Namkhai Norbu Mirror’. Yantra Yoga Course for Beginners had been to Tashigar South at different Spanish-speaking Community. We also want to thank all the collabora- with Carolina Mingolla took place times, so they met Chögyal Namkhai If you want to be informed about the All our Sangha anxiously waits for the tors of the ‘El Espejo’ team. from August 14 to 18 in Bariloche Norbu’s teachings as well. Knowing details of the ‘Gonpa Project’, the way to new version in Spanish that will come as A City, a beautiful Patagonian city on the there was a Tibetan tradition of yoga, collaborate and the Calendar of Events To the Translators – Daniel Lange, a project of the Shang Shung Institute side of Nahuel Huapi National Park. It they wanted to learn and apply it as a for the Celebration of our Gar, you can Alonso Espinosa, Ana Garcia, Liliana and we wish for an auspicious start. was winter time, so we had some nice complimentary practice to their weekly go to the blog of Tashigar South: Campi, Beata Debarge, Nélida Saporiti Gakyil of Tashigar South days of soft snow. Seventeen people meditation sessions. They immediate- www.wordpress.tashigar-sur.com.ar To Ana Maria Humeres in charge of the * participated in the complete course, ly discovered the value of Yantra Yoga as revision on behalf of the IPC most of them Dharma practitioners of a regular practice and are really inter- the Drugpa center. Some of them ested to continue learning. THE MIRROR · No. 99 · July, August 2009

27 Tashigar Sur

teachings, sharing made us feel like ac- tive members of Dzogchen Community. Marisa and Ricky invoked feel- ings of gratitude by being so kind and generous. Our recognition also goes to the important labor of our Gekö Luis Olivera and Secretary Sophie, for their dedication and patience. Our gratitude also goes to all who collaborated to make this event possible. We sincerely hope that initiatives like this will increase members’ partici- pation on the eve of Tashigar South 20th anniversary! *

Tashigar South’s Dorjei Kotrab Retreat A Perfect Week End A Yellow Gakyil as Gekö… The numerous helpers ended up softly illuminated their faces, people cast, and also a Base Level Santi Maha being only the secretary Soledad, who radiated energy, one that was not by Graciela Moltisanti and by Griselda Olivera Sangha course led by Ricky Sued with created wonderful meals, Eduardo and disturbed by speech, and I saw some Roxana Sciacca Translation: Gustavo Avilés Yantra Yoga sessions led by instructor myself as acting Gekö. harshness and tension dissolve in the e fi nally arrived to Tashigar Marisa Alonso. rom July 3rd to 6th we had a I wanted to make people feel wel- faces as the time went by. South to participate in a We had the auspicious opportunity Dorjei Kotrab retreat at Tashigar come, comfortable and at home during I still carry with me images of my Wweekend retreat after an to share with our brothers and sisters FSouth led by our dear instructor this silent retreat. Usually meal times, fellow practitioners coming to the dining interesting journey, where sisters and the offering of a Ganapuja on the New of Santi Maha Sangha Ricardo Sued. like asado, are an important social time room at lunchtime where we were alto- brothers were together inside a car for Moon of Buddha Shakyamuni’s Enlight- This retreat was my second experience for Argentineans, so this was something gether, and they were perfect company 10 hours listening the Dzogchen Intro- enment and Paranirvana. as Gekö. The fi rst time was not so easy, new and a challenge to my wish. with feelings of peace, tranquility, love duction Retreat via Webcast. Really, who could ask for more? and I was told this one would be easier, Watching the people walk through and deep refl ection. I now think that The program included teachings The weekend was intense, besides shorter and I would have a lot of help. the Gar, sitting in the little Gonpa or being silent for some time is also a good with our beloved Master at 4 am via Web- learning and practicing these important So based on this information I said yes. by the hearth where sparks and fl ames practice to incorporate in our daily life.

Namgyalgar PO Box 214 Central Tilba [email protected] Namgyalgar Dzogchen Community in NSW 2546 www.dzogchen.org.au and Pacifi c Rim Australia Phone/Fax: 61 02 4473 7668 Hon. Secretary: Henry Khong Mr (Blue Upcoming Contact: Maree Ploetz (Red Gakyil) Passages New Gakyil Gakyil), H/P: +658399 7523, The Dzogchen Community of Cairns, tel: 0427 148 994 [email protected] Queensland, Australia would like to invite [email protected] Born: Born to Georgia McDonald and Singapore Vice Hon. Secretary : Michelle Ng you to: Paul Medi in Melbourne, Australia Ms(Blue Gakyil) H/P: +65 9819 3651, Everybody who is interested is most wel- President: Hui Qing Lin Ms (Red A Course of the Vajra Dance of the “We’ve had a baby! Our little boy was [email protected] come to come along. Gakyil). H/P: +65 9668 1817 Six Spaces of Samantabhadra born at 8.23pm Thursday July 2, 2009 Hon. Treasurer: Tracy Phillips Joys Ms [email protected] with Cosimo Di Maggio night at home, after a lightening fast (Yellow Gakyil), H/P: +65 98411067, Vice President/International Contact: labor of about 3 hours!” [email protected] 19th and 20th September 19 & 20, 2009 Desmond Ho Mr, (Red Gakyil), H/P: Vice Hon. Treasurer: Karen Gho Ms 10 am–12.30 & 2–4.30 pm +65 9628 0382, [email protected] (Yellow Gakyil). H/P: +65 90688342 Cost: Aus $ 80 [email protected]

in arms of the Dzogchen Com- The Santi Maha Sangha Gar – munity at the Gar. Now is your Namgyalgar….. Say A!!! chance to support Rinpoche’s precious little gems, Namgyal- gar. Come to Namgyalgar and say…. A!!! ave you ever thought “I ments in a private, secluded, nat- wish I had more time to ural, Dzogchen friendly environ- Travel/ Accommodation / contact Hpractice?” You need to ment…but where do you go? information retreat! Well, I will let you into a well- Tourist visa easily obtained on- Ok, so you have got the time kept secret. You go to Namgyal- line www.immig.gov.au off work, you have paid the bills gar – The Santi Maha Sangha Gar. Other visa opportunities also and told your Mum that you It’s got everything a retreatant on available for students, work es- won’t be at home, but where are the way to total realisation could pecially for those under 28 years you going for your retreat? Your need. Dark retreat cabin, a self old. Brush up on your English apartment just doesn’t cut it. The contained light retreat cabin language skills whilst you are neighbours complained when where you are greeted each morn- standing of our precious teach- hills bristling with wildlife and here. there were 6 people over for a ing by grazing kangaroos right er’s transmission. home to the black-faced wallaby, Air tickets from international Ganapuja, how are they going to at your doorstep. If you want to And what about Karma yoga, I red kangaroo, hairy-nosed wom- destinations vary a lot but start react to one week of singing the dance there is a beautiful man- hear you say? Well there is plenty bat and a residential goanna that from about 700 euro. Song of the Vajra or a long Nag- dala, arguably one of the fi nest in of that at Namgyalgar! There is scavenges around the dinning Cabin prices vary dependent on gong session? And what about the southern hemisphere. There enough karma yoga to earn your- area. After a big day of practice membership category but are in- ringing the bell during practice? are pristine Eucalypt forests with self a fortunate for a you can go swim with the dol- expensive. Dormitory Accommo- But what if you want to do a dark vistas to the Pacifi c Ocean. If you or two. phins or spot whales at Berma- dation starts at $Aus 5/night. retreat? You think to pull down want community there is plenty So where is Namgyalgar? It is gui. Is it your lucky day to inte- the shutters, take the phone off of that with community kitchens, closer than you think: it is in Aus- grate with one of nature’s little For more details check Namgyal- the hook, and don’t answer the dormitory facilities to share with tralia. It might seem far now but beauties? gar website door but what about the logis- others, caravans for accommoda- it is very close when you arrive Namgyalgar is here to support www.dzogchen.org.au tics of making a vegetarian la- tion, and other practitioners keen there! It is 4 hours south of Syd- your practice, support your study or contact Vicki Forscutt the sagna in the dark? Tricky! You to study the Dzogchen teachings ney amidst the stunningly beau- of the Santi Maha Sangha to help Namgyalgar Secretary for further need a supportive, peaceful envi- at a deeper level. There is lots of tiful South Coast of Eastern Aus- your spiritual progress and the information and bookings. ronment for contemplation and opportunity to study and practice tralia, nestled amidst a sacred ab- continuation of the transmis- retreat. You want to practice, the SMS at a variety of levels with original women site, poised be- sion. What better place is there to knock over some of those Santi others and cultivate your under- tween pristine beaches, tranquil cultivate a deeper experience and Maha Sangha practice commit- lakes teaming with birds, rolling understanding of the teachings THE MIRROR · No. 99 · July, August 2009 Documentary

28

Interview with Jennifer Fox NYC May 20, 2009

Jennifer Fox is an award winning doc- attachment, and being present. umentary fi lmmaker and has been a In this way, for practitioners, student of Chögyal Namkhai Norbu the fi lm may seem very simple. since 1985. Her fi lms include Beirut: But my job is to make a fi lm that The Last Home Movie, an Ameri- a viewer – who knows nothing can Love Story, and Flying: Con- about Dzogchen or about Bud- fessions of a Free Woman. She has dhism – will be able to follow. also Executive Produced many fi lms. When making a fi lm for a Jennifer started fi lming the life of Chö- large audience events and ac- gyal Namkhai Norbu 20 years ago tions need to be made very clear. and The Mirror has interviewed Jen- An audience expects to under- nifer about the history, progress and stand Rinpoche’s journey in exile status of the fi lm. You can learn more to save Dzogchen over 20 years; about Jennifer and her fi lms at: they expect to understand Yeshi’s http://www.flyingconfessions.com/ journey from a young man who about_Jennifer.php wanted an ordinary life to a per- son who goes through a spiritual The Mirror: What is your basic awakening. The viewer needs to intention in the making of the witness the steps that Rinpoche fi lm about our teachers, Chögyal and Yeshi go through and ‘see’ Videostills: Jennifer Fox Namkhai Norbu and Yeshi Silva- and ‘feel’ them change. The suc- no Namkhai? cess of the fi lm will depend on ily. Even though at the time, he Yeshi he was 18 years old; he is tion in Finland, Sweden, Switzer- Jennifer Fox: The aim of the fi lm making an audience ‘feel’ the talked about the fact that he had now 39. We can see the effect of land, and a co-production in is to allow ordinary people to obstacles they face, how they signs of his previous reincarna- Rinpoche’s efforts and the Com- France and Germany through meet Rinpoche and Yeshi Nam- overcome them, and their in- tion and that he was practitioner. munity growing and also the ARTE. Now we are working on khai and to get to know the Teach- cremental personal transforma- He just did not want to be a Mas- problems of a bigger commu- Italian and USA television and the ings in a very direct way. My goal tions. Meanwhile, we all know ter. But we kept fi lming anyway. nity. rest of the world – so this is sort is to reach a very broad, general that spirituality is something es- There is also a lot of teaching of this domino effect. audience. The fi lm is not really sentially invisible. So it is a hard M: How will this fi lm be differ- in the fi lm, even if it’s not all ver- I think this fi lm will also be meant for us in the Community, task: because how do you make ent than other Tibetan Buddhist bal. We learn about the precious able to show in cinemas in some although I hope people will ap- people feel their spiritual states? fi lms? human body, about the meaning countries as well, especially in the preciate it and that it will become of life, and integrating our exis- US, Germany, Switzerland. It will a keepsake for all practitioners. M: How did you begin the project? JF: There have been few good tence. Rinpoche faced death over also be distributed on DVD both But I am trying to get the story of JF: I started fi lming around spiritual fi lms created. The task the years. He was able to survive for home use and educationally. I our Teachers out there and into 1988/89. I was already a fi lmmak- of showing the spiritual is so cancer and various other illness- would like to make a special edi- the homes of the average person, er and had just completed my fi rst daunting that most of the time es. So, he is teaching about death tion for the educational market even if they are not spiritually in- feature fi lm. I was taking a break the makers just show the external in the formal teaching context, to distribute to organizations, clined. My feeling is that there is from my work and I had the enor- side of the teachings, like the rit- but also through his actual life schools, and religious groups. I a whole unknown audience that mous good fortune to be able to uals. Those fi lms mean a lot to us that we see on camera where we would also like to put up an in- have not meet the Teachings yet, travel with Rinpoche as a kind of practitioners, but little to a gen- see the real story of a man facing teractive website that would be but who would be interested in informal secretary and cook. He eral audience. . So this is one of a place for dialogue and discus- Dzogchen and the teachings if was suffering from high blood In a way, Rinpoche and Yeshi the biggest messages in the fi lm. sion and also direct people to the they had a chance to meet our pressure and needed to watch his allow the camera inside their I think in documentary you can various Dzogchen communities Teachers in a simple way. diet and take care of his health in lives as a direct outgrowth of convey the most over time when around the world. But all this a more serious way. the lineage of Changchub Dorje, you see people change. The view- will require still more funding, M: What will the story of the fi lm It was a time of great techno- who was an ordinary farmer and er can observe that through mun- so we will see. When the fi lm is be? logical changes. I remember I doctor, yet a highly realized be- dane life we see a larger world fi nished, I will donate the 1000+ JF: Well, the working title of the bought the very fi rst laptop com- ing. Rimpoche never wants us and that ‘the personal is political’. hours of footage I have fi lmed to fi lm is, Learning To Swim, and it is puter that any of us had ever seen to make a false hierarchy, but to So this fi lm shows Rinpoche and the Shang Shung Institute for the the story of Namkhai Norbu Rim- so he could do his correspon- see the real Teachings. He never Yeshi in a very ordinary way, even permanent archive of our com- poche and his son Yeshi Namkhai dence while he traveled. There wants us to construct a fantasy of as they are very special people, munity. over two decades, beginning in also were big leaps in video what is a Teacher. So in the fi lm and are facing very large issues So the goal of getting the fi lm 1988 to the present. It is a univer- equipment and I was able to buy he allows you close to show the like saving a spiritual culture to a wide audience is slowly start- sal, classic father-son story about the fi rst really small broadcast real way a teacher works with – which is at the heart a very po- ing to be realized. a father who wants to pass on his quality camera to fi lm him on his students to help them evolve and litical message without having to history and tradition and about a journeys. awaken. It also shows how hard actually talk politics. M: What were the challenges in son who wants to be different. It it is to be a teacher, transmit- making a fi lm about a spiritual is about a Tibetan master in ex- M: Were you already thinking of ting this enormous lineage to the M: How did this frame of father master? ile trying to save his culture, his making a fi lm about Rinpoche West. son story change the possibilities JF: The biggest challenge is how lineage and the Teachings. It is back then? I can’t imagine any other for the project? to show the invisible. Spiritu- also about his son, Yeshi, who JF: Honestly, I didn’t know. I just teacher, allowing themselves to JF: Once we had Yeshi’s story as ality is something internal. We was born in Italy and who in the felt it was such a precious mo- be fi lmed both in their public life part of Rinpoche’s story, sud- feel Rinpoche transmit. We are beginning – at age 18 when I be- ment that I shouldn’t miss it. I and private for 20 years. The ac- denly broadcasters began to be his students; we are connected gan fi lming him – wanted noth- continued to fi lm him, the com- cess is just incredible – so rare! interested. They said, ‘Oh we get to him by transmission. But how ing to do with his father’s mis- munity, and the family on and off So, this fi lm is a huge gift from it now; it’s a universal story about can we get non-practitioners to sion. Then Yeshi goes through for years. I fi lmed Yeshi at that Rimpoche and Yeshi, and Rosa a father trying to pass on his tra- feel his state? I do believe they a transformation over 20 years, time extensively. I was fascinated and Yuchen, to all of us and to dition to his son who wants to be will feel something even if they and joins his father and becomes by the story of his the world. normal. All our audiences will don’t know what they are feeling. a teacher in his own right. So, it and thought it would be the basis understand that.’ Suddenly it was At the very least, I hope that peo- is this archetypical story that can of a good fi lm with his father’s M: Why have you fi lmed for so not just about Buddhism and the ple will get a taste of the Teach- speak to a wider audience. story. long? doors began to open. ings and that will make them I remember a conversation JF: I always knew the fi lm’s stron- Being that the goal is a wide au- want to go and fi nd out more. But M: How will the fi lm be different where I said, “I know the fi lm I gest narrative would be to show dience, we fi nally found the story it is the hardest thing I have ever because it is aimed at a wide au- should make. It would be a sto- Rinpoche’s life over time. There container to pass on Rinpoche’s tried to do. And I don’t know if dience? ry about you and your father and is something universally power- teachings. A lot has happened in I will succeed; I still wake up at JF: Most of what we hear from you would go back to Tibet and ful about a man pitting his life the last months, we started out in night worried! Rinpoche is extremely high accept your reincarnation and energy to save his spiritual heri- 2002 with the Dutch co-produc- On the level of the physical teachings that simply cannot be then you would start to teach.” tage. Seeing Rinpoche develop- tion with BOS, the Dutch Bud- challenges, it is hard to shoot re- expressed in a feature length fi lm And he said to me, “Forget it, it ing over 20 years provides a very dhist Television Channel (thanks treats because it always feels like for an uneducated audience. The will never happen.” strong narrative. When I started to Babeth Van Loo, who pushed the camera is invading. I could fi lm will only be able to include He was very clear at that time to fi lm him he was 49 years old, me to continue to fi lm our Mas- trip or fall in front of hundreds the basic principles of the Teach- that he wanted his own normal and I have followed him till now ters in the Millennium), but this of people, and disturb the Teach- ings, such as: impermanence, life, with a normal job and a fam- at 70 years. When I began to fi lm year we have gotten TV distribu- ings. The joy of shooting is get- THE MIRROR · No. 99 · July, August 2009 Documentary

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pay until the end. The contracts for our biggest TV sales do not start until 2010, so we have a big cash fl ow problem and there is still more money to raise. We have also had a few wonder- ful people in the community who have given private donations to the project. They have been life- savers – I am eternally grateful to them. Our dear master Chögyal Namkhai Norbu donated a hand- print of his master Changchub Dorje to auction and the extraor- dinary painter and teacher, Drugu Chögyal Rinpoche, kindly donat- ed prints also to auction.

M: Thank you Jennifer for all your dedication and work, and also spending time with us for the in- terview. We look forward to seeing the fi lm! When will it be fi nished? JF: I am doing everything in my power to have the fi lm complet- Jennifer fi lming and Yeshi. ed by the beginning of 2010, but we will see. There are still some ting to spend so much time with shi will have a complete review of is essential and existing since the uted worldwide. Documentaries obstacles to overcome, includ- Rinpoche and Yeshi and Rosa the fi lm before it is fi nished. beginning in the footage. require non-profi t dollars, foun- ing funding. But somehow I feel and Yuchan and their families. dation grants, donations and it should be out in the world next But I know it is also exhausting M: It is kind of a Dzogchen ap- M: I think it is clear from this in- television sales. year. Most important, I pray that to have a camera around all the proach to making fi lms, going to terview that this fi lm in an enor- So for years I have funded this when the fi lm is completed it will time. I feel sorry for this, yet also the essence. mous body of work and certainly fi lm from my own life savings, accomplish it’s goal and it will extremely grateful that they have JF: What I strive for is to let the es- must be something that is costly. because spiritual fi lms are par- have a great affect on all who see chosen to make this sacrifi ce to sential story boil up from the ma- What is the fi nancial situation? ticularly hard to fund. This is my it around the world! help people. terial. My goal is to protect that JF: When people think of fi lm, samaya to Rimpoche. Over the All good documentary fi lms essence against all the external they have a fantasy of riches! years I have luckily gotten some If anyone would like more informa- are a deep collaboration between forces and to listen to what the But documentary fi lms generally foundation grants as well as the tion about the fi lm project Learning the fi lmmaker and the subject. It fi lm wants to be. As a fi lmmaker, I don’t make money. That means Dutch TV co-production to keep To Swim, or would like to make a do- takes enormous trust and com- am less a director than a midwife, that there is never (or very rarely) the fi lm going. Even though we nation to help it’s completion, please mitment on both sides to keep trying to allow the birth to what a profi t, even when the fi lm is ex- are starting to make more televi- contact Jennifer Fox at: going forward. Rinpoche and Ye- tremely successful and distrib- sion sales now, they often don’t zohefi [email protected]

June 16–24 Chögyal Namkhai Norbu Yeshi Silvano Namkhai Russia, St. Petersburg, Schedule 2010 Schedule 2009–2010 Chögyal Namkhai Norbu Retreat June 29–July 6 >> continued from page 1 Peru, Retreat at Norbuling Canaries France February 6–12 May 21–23 September 24–26 2009 Brasil, Lhundrubling July 7–14 Canaries retreat Teaching at Karmaling September 8–11 Bolivia Germany, Cologne and Berlin March 1–13 UK Spain Hungary, Budapest, restricted July 24–28 May 28–30 October 1–7 September 19–21 retreat USA, New York City, Kundrolling London Retreat Barcelona retreat. Italy, Bologna March 18–26 August 29–12 Russia Brazil October 2–15 Margarita Isl., Santi Maha USA, Conway, Mass, Tsegyalgar June 2–8 October 13–17 Poland, Retreat in Paldenling Sangha Teacher’s training East and Khandroling Clinic treatment Brazil retreat and Warsaw April 10–14 August 18–23 June 11–15 Venezuela October 16–20 France, Paris England, London and Wales, Moscow retreat Tashigar Norte Denmark, Copenhagen Kunselling December 1–8 April 15–20 June 18–20 Nov. 31–Dec. 2 France, Dejamling September 7–12 Saint Petersburg retreat Mandarava intensive practice Italy, Namdeling (Napoli) retreat with Chudlen April 21–24 Russia, Izhevsk, restricted June 28–July 4 (in Webcast) November 7–9 Ukraine, Kiev retreat in Kungaling Crimea retreat Italy, Presentation Light of September 13–16 Dec. 26–Jan. 2 Kailash and Zhenphenling April 25–28 Mexico, Mexico City, Pelzomling Romania Christmas retreat (Rome) Ukraine, Phuntsokling (Donetsk) July 20–25 September 17–20 Merigar East retreat November 17–23 May 1–5 Israel Costa Rica, Dekytling July 26–29 Russia, St. Petersburg SMS Level I exam November 24–1 May 8–10 Sept. 21–Oct. 4 July 30–August 10 Czech Rep., Phendenling Italy, Florence/Pistoia, Weekend Baja California, Tsegyalgar West teaching in Sakyangongaling SMS Level II Training December 2–6 May 20–25 Oct. 31–Nov. 4 Italy Slovakia USA, Berkeley, California, August 16–22 Russia, Moscow, Weekend Dec. 28–Jan. 3 teaching in Rinchenling Dondrubling Merigar West retreat Greece August 25–Sep. 3 May 26–31 November 17–24 Grosseto personal retreat of Crimea, Kunsangar South, short Mozambique, short retreat Mandarava empowering chudlen 2010 retreat and CHNN organization pills for use at the retreat in January 4–8 December 7–15 Cyprus June 1–8 Margarita plus Fitness Russia, Moscow, Clinic Moscow, Russia, Longde restricted retreat September 8–12 January 16–18 Italy, Retreat in Merigar West June 9–15 on Rinchenling’s roof purifi cation for all those Russia, Moscow, who have died February 23–5 Chögyal Namkhai Norbu Retreat Argentina, Short retreat before Anniversary Tashigar Sur THE MIRROR · No. 99 · July, August 2009 Books

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(11) recited mantra.” Each topic is ralness allows one to attain mastery Luminous Essence treated in terms of (a) essence, over the self-display of wisdom ap- A Guide to the (b) divisions, (c) principles, (d) pearances.” (As a later great mas- purpose. Constantly in this sec- ter, Alan Watts, succinctly put it: By Jamgön Mipham tion on tantra, Mipham reminds “The perfection of is to be Foreward by His Holiness the readers that the basis is “the play naturally human.”) In relation to of reality, the indivisible truth of pu- Dzogchen, Mipham states “Great Translated by the Translation Committee rity and equality.” accomplishment involves gaining cer- Snow Lion Publications 2009 The section on meditative tainty in the nature of the great perfec- absorption is especially useful, tion, which occurs once one’s training with summaries on fl aws and is stable and any clinging to the efforts Andy Lukianowicz remedies in one’s practice. On of the path and the claims of the philo- meditative absoprtion, Mipham sophical positions of the eight vehicles he lord and consort, as very useful book on the concludes: “Meditative absorption have collapsed.” On taking disturb- the identity of means terma tradition with a transla- is what blesses mantra and mudra. … ing emotions as the path (the “Tand knowledge beyond tion of a Vajrakilaya that As one gains confi dence in the mean- topic of one of our teacher Chog- meeting and parting, initiate the dis- includes short discussion by Ju ing that all phenomena are great pu- yal Namkhai Norbu’s longsal rev- cussion by considering the magnifi - Mipham on ways to discern au- rity and equality by their very nature, elations) Mipham comments on cence of enlightenment in the manner thentic tertons, have rendered sion. This section is followed by one will move beyond the boundaries the famous tantric (and sutric) of the great perfection, the inseparable Mipham’s pithy commentary in advice on reversing delusion. of meditation and nonmeditation. insight: “The more desire one has, truths of purity and equality.” clear and concise language, main- The section on the path con- This effortless and spontaneously pres- such as the workable faculty endowed This translation of Jamgon taining its logical coherence and tinuum gives a clear analysis ent practice is the consummation of the with the desire of the desire realm, the Mipham’s Luminous Essence, Guide poetic beauty. The sometimes la- of the different categories sub- great perfection.” more bliss there will be. The more one to the Guhyagarbha Tantra is a conic style, however, is matched sumed in two, fi ve and nine ve- skilfully embraces bliss, the more pow- welcome addition to the small by the regrettable absence of any hicles, followed by an adroit ex- With regard to conduct, Mipham erful the vision of wisdom becomes …” but growing number of tantric critical apparatus: no footnotes, planation of the path of mantra, quotes the Tantra of Con- Mipham has this to say on sexual texts available in English. A tan- no glossary, (not even the origi- with special emphasis on the duct: intercourse: while it binds the tra of the Nyingma nal Tibetan and names path of defi nitive means and lib- “When in possession of the nondual [ordinary] individual to samsara, class, it is elucidated by Mipham of the texts quoted by Mipham); eration through knowledge. (By wisdom mind, practitioners, “motivated by the mainly in light of Dzogchen or in fact, there is not even an in- the way, in regard to my com- There is nothing forbidden at all. aspiration for undefi led great bliss,” atiyoga, In fact Longchenpa’s dex. ment above, Mipham’s many ref- With a nonconceptual mind, use it as a means whereby “the Dzogchen-inclined commentary, Mipham’s book is well ar- erences to ‘liberation’, at times a The fi ve sense pleasures are enjoyed.” ordinary mind and all its habitual studied by H. V. Guenther in his ranged and easy to follow. He euphemism for killing, may have tendencies are incinerated by a thicket magnifi cent Matrix of Mystery, starts with a brief overview of benefi ted from some explanatory And The End of Magic: of fi re-like wisdom.” Also of great is the primary textual reference the meaning (and magnifi cence) notes.) Useful comparisons are “The fruition of nonduality value are his various discussions point for the translation of the of the Guhyagharba tantra, with also drawn between the paths of Is not attained after innumerable eons of the four seals. root verses. At present, Gyurme explanations of the meaning of sutra and of mantra. Of painful ascetic discipline, This is a veritable feast, and Dorje’s complete translation of its title and a summary of essen- Mipham then sets out on the But in this life, through happiness and read alongside Jamgon Kong- Longchenpa’s Commentary is tial points and presentation of its core topic of the book, his spe- pleasure.” trul’s Elements of Tantric Practice available only on microfi che; one meaning. cifi c explanation of the path con- There are so many illuminating and Systems of Buddhist Tantra it hopes that some day it too will There follows a general pre- tinuum. After briefl y mentioning passages, too many to mention gives valuable understanding be published and become more sentation of the principles of the various classifi cation schemes, them all, but some are so juicy. into Buddhist tantra (Kongtrul’s generally available. Also of great three continua, subsumed under Mipham embarks on ‘the present Here is an example of Mipham’s Treasury of Knowledge gives only a interest regarding the issue of ground, path and fruition. The context’. keen psychological insight: “Rea- brief summary of Nyingma tan- purity and equality is Heidi Kop- fi rst contains a succinct explana- “The presentation that concerns soning establishes the world and its tra), while also offering a mar- pl’s comparison of Mipham’s tion of the arising of delusion. us … is framed around an extensive inhabitants to be primordial purity vellous insight on relating tantra and Rongzompa’s interpretation Through the mind’s capacity for categorisation in eleven topics, or pa- and equality. Therefore, one does not to Dzogchen. All who read it will of the tantric divine nature of ap- mistaken perception “the self- rameters, of tantra… (1) the view of need to accomplish these factors anew fi nd it informative, but above all pearances in her translation and display that appears spontane- reality, (2) unmoving absorption, (3) through the path. For people who have delightful. analysis of Rongzompa’s “Estab- ously due to the unimpeded ra- determined action, (4) arranged man- realised this in the core of their hearts, “Primordially unborn suchness lishing appearances as divine”. diance of primordial awareness dala, (5) progressive empowerment, a regimen of effortful pursuits is prov- Is illusory in appearance like an apparition. The translators, ably led by may be apprehended as objects.” (6) unbroken samayas, (7) zealous en to be a great obstacle on the path. Though union, liberation and all other acts Andreas Doctor, author/transla- This is the seed of dualistic delu- practice, (8) directed offerings, (9) ac- Hence, it can be easily established Are performed, not the slightest thing is tor of Tibetan Treasure Literature, a tivity display, (10) binding mudra, how the practice of uncontrived natu- done.”

I gioielli di children cross the Himalayas, to a writing workshop and espe- Enrica helps these children to Dharamsala risking their lives to reach these cially the classic theatre, Greek overcome their traumas and to centres. tragedy. learn how to relate to the world. I giovani tibetani dell’esilio Enrica Baldi, the author, has I found the pages that ex- She says, “I think that Pinocchio Enrica Baldi had a wealth of experience – after plained why Sophocles and not is the universal fairytale of our Infi nito Edizioni 2009 doing a degree in philosophy she Shakespeare was the choice of times: it is the traumatized child devoted herself to the theatre fol- Antigone very interesting. who has absorbed the benevolent Lella Guidotti lowing the school of Peter Brook. I really loved Enrica’s words, mother and searches for the guid- She has studied child psychiatry “(in Greek tragedy) there is sim- ance of the father in the world”. and psychoanalysis, her teachers ply man on the earth and all his There is precious advice from t the beginning of May include Bruno Bettelheim for en- struggles of existence. And in the educator for those who may this year while I was at the vironmental therapy, Maria Mon- this struggle there is the founda- wish to take the same path, but AYellow House at Merigar tessori with special reference to tion of modern ethics”. also for Western mothers and West I saw Luigi Ottaviani go by use of sensorial materials and she Then there is the remarkable those who have embarked on with a book in his hand. I was knows a lot about Buddhism and experience of Pinocchio for the the diffi cult experience of being curious about the title, “I gioi- the history of Tibet. She came to smallest children. The pages in mothers to children who come elli di Dharamsala’ (The Jewels Dharamsala following signs that which she describes the rehears- from far away. of Dharamsala) and asked him I hadn’t read even a page of it. I appeared on her path and which als, the preparations, the search In this process of curing trau- what it was about. “It’s a book started to read it and didn’t stop would take her to that ultimate for costumes and objects through ma, bringing back joy is funda- written by a practitioner on her until I got to the book shop. I experience in which all her past the streets of the town with some mental. Joy cancels the violence experience with Tibetan refugee read it in one go. The book took journeys would take on a com- of the children are really vivid. and the destruction that these children. It’s going to be present- me to the TCV in India: the Ti- pletely new meaning. Reading them a series of images children bear the scars of in ed in Rome this May. Could you betan Children’s Village inspired The fi rst pages of the book in- rush by and one of these chil- their spirits. Reading this book go on behalf of the Shang Shung by H.H. the Dalai Lama for the clude the poems and some com- dren, little Norbu, undisciplined I also understood something of Institute because we are the co- education of Tibetan children positions by the teenagers of the and warm hearted with all his my childhood and the mistakes editors and none of us are able to in exile. “Children are the seeds villages. These works transmit a pranks catches hold of me and I that a young mother could have go.” I told him I could and went of the future Tibet”. With these collective sadness which makes can’t get him out of my mind. It made. back to Rome. words His Holiness emphasized us understand how diffi cult it is was impossible not to cry imag- I arrived in time for the pre- I left the book abandoned for the importance of education for for those whose job is to comfort ining him yelling sha, sha (meat, sentation and met Enrica who days on a table. On the morning these children to prepare them to and help them to reconstruct on meat) at Geppetto, his father, besides being a sister is now also of the 15th I realized that it was return to their country, we hope, such a fragile and troubled basis. who he has found once more for- a precious friend. the day of the presentation and in the future. Each year about 800 Enrica takes the oldest teenagers ever. With these universal stories THE MIRROR · No. 99 · July, August 2009 Books

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“The components of the vajra ag- Similarly, absolutely all mani- Kunjed Gyalpo Series gregates are known as the fi ve perfect festations of the six types of be- buddhas. All the many sense bases ings and fi ve ways of beings and Ornament of the State and constituents are the mandala of the three worlds are untainted of Samantabhadra: . Earth and water are by or unperturbed by the matu- Locana and Mamaki. Fire and wind are ration of good and bad karma. Commentary on the All-Creating King Pandaravasini and Tara. [168] Space Everything is manifest enlight- of the Pure Perfect Presence is Dhatvishvari. The three worlds are enment, like the essence of the primordial enlightenment. Absolutely primordial purity of the three of the Great Perfection everything without exception is nothing worlds uncorrupted by evil, the Vol. One: Commentary on Chapters 1–10 of the other than the state of enlightenment. state of total liberation of the Kun.byed rgyal po by Khenpo Zhenphen Öser Some phenomenon which is other than three realms not made whole- the state of enlightenment cannot be some by virtue, and the essence Translated from the Tibetan by Jim Valby discovered even by buddha himself.” of the baseless and rootless non- duality of good and evil. [170]. Jim Valby Publications, 2008, 315 pages The Dzogpa Rangjung says: Because of that, enlightenment “In the world as limitless as space all is beyond the acceptance of good sentient beings of the three worlds and the rejection of evil. Every- This an excerpt from the fi rst volume of an eight volume series of the “The Pure Perfect Presence of the real without exception, and the varieties of thing is the total dimension of Kunjed Gyalpo and commentary translated by Jim Valby condition is like space. Space is all- forms which manifest however, are the effortless primordial liberation pervading and not attached to a self. mandala of mudra. Whatever sounds beyond hope, fear, struggle and One Essence tion is beyond all actions, actors, The Pure Perfect Presence of the real are heard are the syllables of mantras. achievement. To summarize, all The third subdivision explains struggles and achievements of condition is the essence of everything. The multiplicity of mind’s concepts are these sentient beings of the six how everything of the universe something other than that. The There is not even an atom of self or at- inconceivable millions of contempla- realms of beings encompassed of samsara and nirvana depends Dochu says: tachment to a self. In the realm of space tions. Any and all good and bad actions by the three realms are the na- upon the one essence. It has four various things abide everywhere. The are the deeds of buddhas. Absolutely ture of the threefold Body, Voice subdivisions: total self-perfect- “Because the self-originated wisdom of real condition of samsara and nirvana everything everywhere, including ev- and Mind of Samantabhadra, the ed space; the example of space Presence Itself can never be searched for is indivisible. [167] However various erything animate and inanimate, like Victorious One, the nature of pri- (p136); primordial enlighten- nor attained, it is beyond the concepts things arise, they are perfect in the material, is the mandala of the victori- mordial Pure Perfect Presence. ment of the universe (p137); of both struggle and achievement. This realm of space. Phenomena like nega- ous ones.” [169] Thus the essence of the mani- [165] and connection of that ex- is the fruit of self-perfection.” tive thoughts, joy and suffering are not festation of the Desire Realm is ample and meaning (p139). imperfect in the space of the unborn These fi ve elements as manifes- vajra body. The essence of the Space Example Presence Itself.” tations in the forms of space, air, clarity of the Form Realm is vajra Self-Perfected Space The second subdivision is the ex- water, earth and fi re as the exter- Voice. The essence of the non- The fi rst subdivision is total self- ample of space. [166] Enlightenment of Universe nal world container arise from manifesting Formless Realm perfected space. The third subdivision is the pri- the essence of the total primordi- is vajra Mind. Or, alternatively, (r) The example that all phenom- mordial enlightenment of the al dharmakaya of the Pure Perfect the bodily manifestations of the (r) Being self-perfected, (Pres- ena are Pure Perfect Presence is universe. Presence of rigpa. The elements Desire Realm are vajra Body. The ence) is beyond all actions and the universal example of space. are the state of manifest enlight- vocal semi-manifestations of the actors. By saying ‘unborn, can- Also the meaning of Pure Perfect (r) The fi ve manifestations of enment, which is established Form Realm are vajra Voice. The not be pointed out, cannot be la- Presence is the same. space, air, water, earth and fi re miraculously and marvelously mental non-manifestations of the beled’, you may understand that are manifest marvelous enlight- forever and always without even Formless Realm are vajra Mind. inexpressible state beyond affi r- All these phenomena which mani- enment (which arises) from Pure an atom of impure manifestation They are enlightenment as the mation and negation. fest as the universe of samsara Perfect Presence. Manifestations which is something different. nature of the three vajras. and nirvana are just the rolpa en- like the three worlds, the fi ve Because this Pure Perfect Pres- ergy of the essence of the Pure paths, and the six types of be- ence of the unceasing wisdom Perfect Presence which, although ings are manifest enlightenment of the empty luminosity of space nothing, appears as empty forms. which is unperturbed by the is primordially self-perfected, it Nothing else exists as something maturation of karma. The three is beyond all actions and actors. other. The example, which illus- realms are the Body, Voice and One may say words for what trates that Pure Perfect Presence, Mind of primordial Pure Perfect is beyond speech, thought and is the universal example of space, (Presence). communication, like ‘unborn which indicates that all phenom- nature, cannot be pointed out ena are unborn. Also, the mean- As explained above, the nature with an example, and cannot be ing of the Pure Perfect Presence of the All-Creating Pure Perfect labeled with names and words’. of rigpa as the basic space from Presence of the total self-perfect- Through those words you may which everything manifests is ed basic space is pointed out with understand that totally transcen- illustrated in the same way to the example of primordially un- dent inexpressible state beyond be primordially unborn, base- born space. The whole universe both affi rmation as existing and less and rootless. Thus, the Lado which arises from its tsal energy negation as non-existing. The says: is the essence of primordial en- fruit of unfabricated self-perfec- lightenment. The Gyutrul says:

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Joseph Zurlyo fax or phone: 1 800 878 1965 603 878 1965 [email protected]

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back home after six months. Then we went to Canada where my son’s father was from, How I met we got a cabin in the woods and I had my son, Shunyata.

Chögyal Namkhai Norbu At that point I had been reading Rinpoche’s books all along and ordering them from Monica Neff the Internet. We were on our way back to India when Shunyata was about three months old and I stopped into Dondrub- hen I was seventeen years old I the mountains of Colorado, but even there ling [the Dzogchen Community Ling in decided not to follow the course where the intention was to protect nature, Berkeley, California] a few days before W expected of me, to go off to col- there was so much hatred and struggle. It leaving and Rinpoche was giving the web lege. It was not that I did not like books seemed even these alternative people who cast transmission, so I got transmission. or learning, I always loved school, it was had dropped out of society had the same This was in 2001. I got a copy of The Pre- that I had this deeper sense and longing problems and issues and had not truly cious Vase and I started reading it in India. to grasp something that was still mysteri- found peace or happiness. My travels led My son’s father was not at all supportive of ous and unclear to me. I longed to answer me on and I soon ended up in Hawaii. the spiritual aspect of my life. After a while some of these questions of who I am and this caused problems in our relationship. what life was really all about. I grew up in I bought a one-way ticket to Hawaii. I went Monica and Shunyata. So when we went back to Canada, I de- California in a society that to me did not to Maui and I did not like it; it was all about cided I could not be with him anymore, approve of or support children asking sex, drugs and partying, lots of craziness said that it was really important that I go to I shaved my head again and left with my such questions and instead expected they and it wasn’t my vibe either, lots of aggres- Kauai before I leave, even if for a week. In baby. Shunyata was a year old. would follow the course of the multitudes, sion and just this whole scene I was not addition to paying me he gave me a plane school, job, house, family, bills, but I happy in. So I decided, summer was com- ticket to Kauai, a backpack and a tent and I spent the summer with some nice wom- looked around me and people did not look ing and I was ready to go back to main- told me to go to the end of the road and en who helped me relax and open up. Then happy and I knew there was something land. Then I went to Hana, the jungle part hike 10 miles to this place called Kalalau. my grandmother had a bad stroke and I greater out there and I desired to touch of Maui. It is gorgeous there. I was walk- And so I did. Kalalau is on the north shore decided to go and help take care of her. it intimately. I was lucky that I had a few ing down these old roads and went down of Kauai and the only way to get there is So I moved back to my parent’s house and mentors at that time that I could open up one road to another road and I found this to hike an intense ten-mile trail or take a helped take care of my grandma and start- and share with, which helped me through abandoned car off the side of the road in boat, a hiked of course, over the next year ed studying Ayurveda. I got my license and those hard times. I was reading the Tao te the bushes. I went to check it out, there and a half I hiked that trail almost twen- I was really into at that point. I was twen- Ching, doing yoga and tai chi and starting was nothing in the car, and then I had this ty times. Kalalau is a magical and mysti- ty-three years old and Shunyata was three to meditate, but felt lost without a teacher thought, well why don’t you pop the trunk cal place. There is a whole community of years old. I decided to go and live in India to guide me and a Sangha to support my open, and I did and the only thing in the people who live there called the outlaws. and study more Ayurveda. Then I got this practice. back of the trunk was this one book, The There is no electricity, no roads, so every- overwhelming feeling that I had to meet Crystal and the Way of Light. And I thought, thing you bring in you have to hike in. You Namkhai Norbu. I thought, what if I am in I had a couple of pretty intense experiences ok, I guess this is for me. I picked it up and can live from the fruit and things growing India and I miss my opportunity to meet in high school, “communing with God” or turned it over and on the back of the book there, but you have to know the land very him, I can’t let that happen. So I start- however you like to call it, very profound. was a picture of Rinpoche. I got this tingly well because everything is hidden well in ed looking for him and I found out that One time I remember particularly I just feeling all over my body and I knew right the forest. People try to grow gardens but two days after I graduated from Ayurveda started crying because I felt so much pres- away that this was my teacher, without a then the Rangers come and destroy the school, Rinpoche would be in Baja, Cali- sure, stress, strain and constriction and doubt. gardens because they don’t want people to fornia so I decided to drive there in my van. wondered what I was doing, and why ev- So I took the book and started reading live there, you are supposed to have camp- Shunyata was with his father in Canada. erything was so intense, and this white it and I was completely blown away. It was ing permits the longest amount they issue light came and just enveloped me and it as if everything a felt or knew deep down is for seven days. So I set up my tent high It was amazing and the retreat blew me told me, “You are going to go on a journey was eloquently and perfectly laid out for up in the valley and lived there for about away. When we sang the Song of the Vajra and through this journey you are going to me. I felt a great sense of ease and hap- a year and a half. I ate passion fruit, noni, at the fi rst Ganapuja I ever did, I felt my fi nd your path.” And I felt this great love piness as I began to read that book, and watercress, aloe and foraged. I shaved my DNA unraveling and it fi lled the room and in my whole being and I surrendered into also just blown away because this was it, head and walked around naked. It was then it reformed and came back in my that and it was like ok, and all that weight someone actually knew what was going on great. I did a lot of yoga and meditated. body. After that the practice really clicked lifted and then I knew that something was and was able to communicate it clearly in It was an amazing and hilarious group of in for me and I came back to the Bay area happening and I just had to go with it. writing, and for me then, it was only the people and every night there would be new and began studying Yantra Yoga with Jey beginning. arrivals and people would cook meals to- Clark and got very into the practices. Since So when I was seventeen years old I took gether and sing songs. I really challenged then I have gone to as many retreats as I off on the road. I spent a few months hitch- My plan was still to go back to the main- myself and pushed my mind a lot at that can. hiking around the western united states land but I needed some money. I met this time. I was slowly starting to understand partying and getting into trouble. I even man who gave me work for a couple of and know myself better. Now I am enrolled at the University of spent I few months being an activist in days and we got to become friends. He California at Berkeley where I am studying Eventually I came back to California, trav- fungi and microbiology, I have two com- eled around some more and met my son’s panies I co-run that use fungi and bacteria father, we traveled around Canada and up to clean up toxins in the environment and into Alaska, where I got pregnant right be- help people with ailments such as cancer, fore leaving for India for the fi rst time. I diabetes and HIV using medicinal mush- was twenty years old. I got sick the night rooms such as cordyceps. I have my gar- before we left for India, I thought I had den, do my practice, and live very close to food poisoning, when we arrived in India Dondrubling. I am fi nding my little rou- we had to go on a twelve hour train ride in tine. I love Rinpoche and the Community, a second class car to Goa, where my son’s and from the minute I encountered it I felt father grew up, and it was horrible. But this deep connection and have known this I was pregnant, not poisoned. We came is my path.