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Where the Stars Fell to Earth ASIA Activities Report THE MIRROR Newspaper of the International Dzogchen Community February/March 1997 • Issue No. 39 ASIA Activities Report by the ASIA Working Commitee county and the village level. The first thing to do was to check out or verify if the land chosen in 1993 was still suitable for the realization of the project or if things had changed in recent years. When we arrived at Jakardo we found out that the village was losing its traditional features and had become a stopping post for travel­ ers. In place of the old traditional Where the Stars houses there were ugly modern structures with sloping tin roofs meant for the truck drivers who Fell to Earth stopped there. Moreover the land that had been offered to us in 1993 Christmas Retreat at Tashigar which was near a river had been subjected to quick and constant ero­ sion during those years, which had by Naomi Zeitz n the winter of 1990, Namkhai 1996, Giorgio Minuzzo and jeopardized its stability. But what ashigar, the auspicious and globes of light in the evenings Norbu Rinpoche asked ASIA to Phuntsok Wangmo left for Lhasa, surprised us the most was the lucky Gar, lived up to its housed the people; some using the Igo to China for the first time. In followed a few weeks later by the incredible increase in the cost of Tname at Christmas, 1996. light to study until wee hours for Beijing participated in a meeting to architect, Caselli. What follows is a construction which had jumped Heat, blazing sun, blue sky, light­ the base level of Santi Maha start a development project in report on the last ASIA mission in from 400 yuan a square meter in ning displays, torrential rains — all Sangha. Studious ones in need of a Galenteng village, county Derge in East Tibet and Amdo and a summa­ 1993 to 1000 yuan in 1996. Because the elements in turn dancing in break and other pilgrims congre­ the province of Sichuan. The results ry of the activities of ASIA during of this our possibility to build the space. Each day as we jarred and gated at the Tashibar for late night of the first meeting were not excit­ the course of 1996. school and the hospital was serious­ jolted climbing the deeply rutted dirt refreshments, dancing and music ing. We left China with many In Lhasa official meetings ly reduced. Seeing our difficulties road to the rocky Gar to receive the As becomes the tradition, the promises, but few concrete results. immediately took place in order to the local people advised us to move teachings of Namkhai Norbu retreat began late afternoon of the Many other meetings followed and get the project going. It took several the project a few kilometers away to Rinpoche, we witnessed the vast 27th of December and finished at the ASIA representatives went more weeks until permission was the village of Gamthog. vistas of the Los Gigantes moun­ midday of the 3rd of January. After often to Beijing and Chengdu with obtained and then after buying a The village of Gamthog is situat­ tains and the sky displaying of vari­ the intitial session, each day the the hope of obtaining the authoriza­ Beijing jeep, we left for Chamdo. ed a few hundred meters from the ous states of adornment and specta­ teachings began at ten in the morn­ tion to start a feasibility study in the The trip wasn't easy. The road to Tibetan Region which belongs to cle of color that would change dra­ ing and in the afternoon and area of Derge. But each time the Chamdo is about 1,300km with the Sichuan. The river Drichu marks the matically in a matter of moments. evenings the courses of the Dance local authorities refused to sign the greater part consisting of dirt roads. border between the Tibetan Occasionally gauchos elegantly and Yantra Yoga were held. Both collaboration agreements. The landscape was very beautiful Autonomous Region and Sichuan. strode along on horses, some in tra­ courses were well attended, and the In the meantime, ASIA along even though there were many diffi­ continued on pane S ditional attire, as well as the ambling fledgling instructress Marissa with another Italian ONG, the culties. Two passes at almost burro drawing wooden carts precar­ Alonso did an excellent job assist­ COSV, had planned a project for the 5,000m separated the travelers from CONTENTS iously perched on wobbly wheels — ing with Yantra Yoga under the development of health, social and the area of the project. During the all creating the sensation of a time­ guidance of Fabio. There was the economic conditions in the village trip, our new jeep broke down four The Attitude of Samantabhadra less dimension. final Ganapuja on the evening of Galenteng. In the winter of 1990. times making us very jealous of the by Choegyal Namkhai Norbu 2 before the last teaching, as many The earth in Tashigar sparkles the project was presented to the owners of innumerable Toyota jeeps Schedule of Choegyal Namkhai with light as if the stars had fallen. people had to leave the next day Department of International that were roaming through Tibet. Norbu 3 The area around the Gar is called Rinpoche taught a basic intro­ Cooperation of the Italian Ministry After burning up a certain number Non-attachment: The Essence of of kilometers, the alternator left the El Durazno, which means peach. duction to Dzogchen with his con­ of Foreign Affairs. Unfortunately Practice by HH the Xllth There are groves of all kinds of sistently clear and direct explana­ permission to work at Galenteng car without current, battery and Gyalwang Drukpu 5 fruit trees—pear, apple, fig and tions of surra, tantra and Dzogchen. never arrived and so it was decided lights. One night, in the area of Lives of the Great Masters. KyunBo, in East Tibet, under a pelt­ peach, all bursting forth and Rinpoche gave some direction as to to locate the project at Gamthog, a Rangjung Dorje the Third preparing for harvest. There are the situation of the Gyalpo, as he Tibetan village situated on the bor­ ing rain, the lights failed and we Kannapa 6 many exotic bird songs for the ear feels there is a prevalence of that der between the Tibetan were in total darkness. After many Book reviews 6-7 of the Northern hemisphere. A particular influence in Argentina, as Autonomous Region and the hardships, we succeeded in reaching carefully tended organic garden well as people who have had contact province of Sichuan. In 1993, after a house where we were received Special Practice Calendar 10-11 grows near the dry river bed that with practitioners of this practice. long negotiations with the Chinese with kind hospitality. Until one day. Community News ¡3-15 must be crossed before coming Rinpoche suggested intensive prac­ government, authorization for a fea­ by chance, after having replaced not Base Level Exam upon the Gonpà. The Gonpa is a tice of Guru Dragpur and Dorje sibility mission in East Tibet was one but four alternators. Tashi our wide open poplar and straw roofed Legpa to counter the effect of the obtained for the first time. Once per­ driver saw a wire bolted onto the of Elias Capriles /6-/7 structure called a quincho; a typi­ Gyalpo. He also showed us a won­ mission from the Chinese authori­ radiator. He took it out and from that Relatively Speaking 18 cal Argentine ranch building that derful map of the world and the ties had been obtained, the mission moment the car started working per­ Reflections 11 housed the Christmas retreat for Mandala superimposed and spoke a was carried out on site and there fectly again, ..."the mysteries of Avalokitcsvara in Flesh Appears bit about the interrelationship of the only remained the difficulty of con­ Chinese machinen'.'"... When we around 130 people, as well as on the Indian Plains 20 courses in the Dance of the Three Mandala and the world, directions fronting the infinite bureaucratic reached Chamdo we began the usual SPECIAL F EAT IRE: Vajras, the Vajra Dance and Yantra and points and their meanings and problems of the Italian Ministry of round of meetings to pick up the Interview with His Holiness Yoga taught by Adriana dal Borgo impact, (see Teaching on page 2) Foreign Affairs. The project was threads of the project that had been Gyalwang Drukpa on page 3. and Fabio Andrico. Rinpoche also spoke about Santi reworked and changed at least seven negotiated with the local authorities Maha Sangha. its function and times until finally, in 1994, we back in 1993. All their representa­ Tents were scattered all around OUR APOLOGIES: Due to the tives from that time had been the camping area near the Gonpa, value, the related practices of the received news that it had been urgent nature of the report from replaced and the new Prefects had reminiscent of how it must have base level of semzin, rushen and the approved. Yet another two years ASIA, the second parts of the heard about the project but of course Tibet Amdowas. Healing & been in more ancient times when seven lojon, and then wound things passed before weconcretely saw the up with a talk about integrating first financing. After the first fund­ didn't know any of the details. The Practice, and Windhorse will be the pilgrims travelled to see the published in the forthcoming practice into daily life. There was ing was finally received in May same situation repeated itself at the masters and set up camp. Golden issue of The Mirror.
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