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. continued on page 9 Last Day, Level l Training, Kuntuzangpo means that every­ teach and explain to someone, then very concrete. We have many ly very sad. We must not construct a Santi Malia Sangha. thing is fine. Fine means firstly you know how to do everything Lamas we can invite to give these society like that. People who have January J 996. Tashigar that these things we do must be very precisely. For example, the initiations and this is sufficient. some practice to do can create a pos­ fine, and if the base is all right then people who are arriving at the third Then others must learn well and sibility to live together somewhere. we can go ahead in that way. So it level, I am thinking they may be teach. Not only teaching people For that reason we have been plan­ he main attitude of is very important that we each able to teach the Santi Maha training in Santi Maha Sangha, but ning a project in Merigar to build a Dzogchen is the attitude of know our own responsibility. Sangha Base and go ahead with the teaching shine, lhagtong, how to house for old people, but it has not Samantabhadra. Samanta- T For example, most people have first level. Of course, the condition do contemplation and rushen, etc. yet become concrete. For old people bhadra means everything is fine, families. We always have a respon­ of people is different in general. Then Santi Maha Sangha becomes who couldn't buy a personal house, there is nothing in particular to sibility of families, if you are moth- Some people like to teach and have something concrete for the future they can live with other old people accept or reject. Everything depends and a service is created. Also, the on our circumstance and condition; young people now can plan a little we know this and apply it. Even and prepare a small house. Then one though this is the main point of our The Attitude of day they can live longer. Also, my attitude, we must have the capacity idea for the future is that we can cre­ to understand and then apply it. That ate the possibility of changing coun­ means we must have the knowledge Samantabhadra tries. When we have nothing else to and understanding, and the base of do, like for example whep it is our knowledge must be very con­ Winter here (Tashigar) you can go to crete. It doesn't mean that we con­ Chögyal Namkhai Norbu Italy, or the United States. Some sider everything is fine; it doesn't people think "How will I do that?", matter, good or bad, it's the same but if you don't move then you have thing. In the real sense it is not the no courage to move. If you move a same, because we are living with little then you discover it is not real­ dualistic vision. I am thinking, "Oh, ly so difficult to move in the world. everything is the same thing, there is Always there is some solution, you no difference", and when I am can find money and you can move. thinking that way and someone is Also, if there is a group of people, taking away my car, immediately I we can organize through the am upset and asking "Who are you Community moving a group of peo­ and where are you taking my car?" ple. In any case, you think a little If you are really feeling that every­ about your old age. It is not so far thing is the same, why can't you away. We want to enjoy the end of accept this? In a practical way, it is our life, then the rest of life we can not the same because we still don't enjoy together, doing practice and have sufficient capacity for integrat­ having a nice life, instead of a sad ing. Until we have this kind of one. If I have the chance I will enjoy capacity it is important to pay with you. This is my aim. respect. At the same time, there is good and bad and we respect that THE DANCE OF VAJRA I would condition. We do our best for like to give some advice about the respecting this condition. Some peo­ Dance of Vajra. The principle of the ple say "Oh, I am a Dzogchen prac­ Dance of Vajra is integrating move­ titioner and everything is fine", and ment in the state of contemplation. it seems that person has a very high When we are dancing we need a level of capacity of realization, but er, father, or whatever, you feel that the capacity to explain and do and makes some kind of guarantee Mandala. There is also a dance with­ when there are some problems that responsibility. We know very well these things. Some people don't for the continuation of the teach­ out a Mandala, but we have still not person is immediately upset and how many problems arise in a fam­ like particularly to teach; maybe ings for the future. Therefore, we developed that. We are dancing with then the condition doesn't corre­ ily, it is normal. Maybe when we they prefer to do practice, their aim need people who are training seri­ the Mandala, so it is very important spond and the person can create start a family there are less prob­ is to have concrete realization. We ously and precisely. Then we are you know the meaning of the more problems. lems because we have more emo­ must consider these various condi­ not only maintaining the transmis­ Mandala of the Dance. It is different tions. But then those emotions are tions of people. In any case,, you from the Mandala used in the prac­ At least if we feel that the day­ sion, etc., but we benefit ourselves like the very strong color of our needn't think that the first thing is tice of higher tantra. In the Dance time and the dream time are a little for having concrete realization. clothing; after rainfall and some to become a teacher. It is very bad Mandala there is only color and bit similar, it is already an indica­ Time passes very quickly. We sunshine, then slowly, slowly the for someone who is primarily some lines and that is all. These lines tion of some capacity. Also, maybe think, "Still we have time to do the color becomes a little gray. Then we . focused on this idea. These people and colors represent our dimension that person has less tensions and different levels," but really we don't feel like we did before. We will never have something con­ internally. For example, everyone less problems, because they give don't know how much time we feel there is not anything still vital, crete for serious realization. They has six chakras, or sometimes we say less importance to all things. Until have and how long we will live. but it's too late because there is always want to be like a crow, say­ five chakras. All these chakras are we have this kind of capacity it is We must do everything more already a family. So you couldn't ing A, A, A and never stopping. the base our energy manifestation. important to pay respect; to karma quickly and be aware of time. We have a revolution immediately. You Someone asked me what I meant All our existence, physical body, and the rule of karma. If I do some­ will be continuing the next levels must harmonize the family condi­ by this, and I said that these bad channels and energy are linked to thing wrong, then of course it will of Santi Maha Sangha training here tion, otherwise you couldn't _do practitioners of Dzogchen tried to these chakras. So the chakras are produce something bad. in Tashigar over the next years. practice or feel t peace with your­ say A many times without much something like an umbrella. There is Particularly if we look at the close GETTING OLD TOGETHER Many self. So, it's important we know that understanding, only knowing that the main point and then the main relationships we have, for exam­ people are thinking they would like the color doesn't always remain the with Guru Yoga one sounds the A, point related to the branches and ple, with the people with whom we to build a small house on the land same. Knowing that helps very so they said A many times and channels; there are many important live and other practitioners. We here in Tashigar. I think it is very much, what is the real condition. became a crow. That's not true, but points related to the secondary need to pay respect to them. If one good idea and I like it very much. Otherwise you see another very in the real sense it is not so good to branches. This is our condition of the is a good practitioner of Dzogchen Not only for Tashigar, but for all new shirt, with wonderful colors only think of teaching. If you have physical body. In the Song of Vajra, one must develop clarity. Gars. The first thing is that we have and think "Oh, this shirt is fantas­ done the practices very well, you each of these sounds governs all Developing clarity we then know a possibility to come together and tic!", but after some years also this know them very well, then helping these chakras; the main chakras and the dimension of each person; their live a longer time. Secondly, after a manifests gray and then you start to others is also useful. But one must secondary chakras of the whole condition and dimension, etc., and few years, we all become old and notice other shirts. There are infi­ do so in a very precise way and physical body. We need to know first we need to respect that. Of course are collecting our pensions. At that nite shirts, if we are going after then it really has benefit. That is the chakra of the head, for example, we can make many mistakes, but time if we have some small places shirts. Really, that is our real nature. my hope also for the future with how that is related to main points that is normal. We can always for living, meeting together, the If we are going with respect and the people who are doing Santi with the Song of Vajra. The second make mistakes, but what is impor­ Community people can sometimes paying respect to each individual Maha Sangha. I am sure some of chakra, chakra of throat, heart tant is that we recognize our mis­ eat -and drink together in the and not giving our emotions free the people who arrive at the fourth chakra, navel chakra, then chakra of takes; not being conditioned by our evening, and reminisce about our reign, then by knowing the condi­ level will be able to do some teach­ sexual organs, or the base chakra. emotions and just letting go and times together, how we were, etc. tions of our emotions we can con­ ing of the first and second level These chakras are related with the thinking, "Oh, I have very strong This is really wonderful! In our trol them automatically. Then your people. I can't always do that. As figure of the Mandala of Dance. emotions, I want to be conditioned society I have seen the suffering of feeling about the gray color is not so far as initiations like Vajrasattva When you are dancing and you are by my emotions and I want to be old people, even in very wealthy bad. Maybe you can change a little and Shitro are concerned, it is bet­ in a red line, that line represents the blind". That is really not good. It's countries like Switzerland where all color sometimes; renew. ter that we receive them from some heart chakra. Before that line there better to recognize and realize one the material needs are met. Even the good teachers. I don't have much people who have a lot of money; old are two chakras, throat chakra and has done something wrong and It is very important when we confidence that my students have people aré very isolated and the head chakra. When you are going to doesn't want to be conditioned by are doing the training of Santi the capacity to give initiations. To young people are waiting for the old the center there is the blue circle, that. It's not necessary to immedi­ Maha Sangha that firstly we apply give initiations one not only has to people to die and they don't have green circle and then the red circle. ately have a revolution. There are ourselves by doing practice and have done the practice of mantra, good relationships. Many of the old The fifth and sixth, these chakras always solutions and we can everything in a precise way. but it is necessary that the two people know that the young people have two lines, because the chakra of always find them, not by fighting Secondly, you learn very well, states of kyedrim and dzogrim are are waiting for them to die. It is real­ navel and the bottom chakra have or creating problems. So, because if one day you need to continued on next page

2 Dzogchen Community of Australia

1997 NAMYALGAR RETREAT The Mirror of Devotion Namkhai Norbu Rinpoche

TEACHINGS IN MELBOURNE Interview with H. H. Gyalwang Drukpafor The Mirror Rinpoche will give teachings in Namgyalgar via Melbourne. We are particu­ larly hoping to attract new people to these sessions, so please spread the word by Liz Granger to people you think might be interested. March 21st-23rd, Melbourne Mirror: You are part of a new On The Essence of Khandro Nyingthig, or Dzogchen Upadesha. generation of Tibetan masters who. Friday 7-9 pm Public talk: free. Saturday & Sunday morning 10-12 am $40 / $30. Venue: Clifton Hill Yoga Studio, 129 Queens Parade, Clifton Hill. have been bom and educated out­ Contact Joanne 03 9329 5401 side Tibet. Do you feel that this type of 'exile' from Tibet may have an March 15th-25tb, Yantra Yoga with Fabio Andrico at Namgyalgar effect on the purity and the continu­ A 10-day course of afternoon sessions $25 full or $20 cone, per day. To register for the Yoga course please contact the office. (See ation of the teachings? member discounts) H. H.: Yes and no. Yes in the DANCK COURSES WITH PRIMA MAI AT NAMGYALGAR sense that many of our new genera­ tion masters, for «xample, masters March 15th-25th, Vajra Dance for Beginners. A 10-day course of morning sessions $25 full $20 cone, per day. (See member who are anyway outstanding in the discounts for both courses) West, are unfortunately contaminat­ April 8th - 12th, Advanced Vajra Dance. ing the way of their teaching. Maybe Full-day course: $30 full / $25 cone, per day. Places are limited. To regisier for in a way they are doing good in the Dance courses please contact the office.

terms of serving people accordingly, EASTER TEACHING RETREAT AT NAMGYALGAR without sticking to the original old March 28th- April 5th style which is very stubborn and, I Retreat teachings on Vajrapani. Rinpoche will lead a 9 day retreat at Easter. Yoga would say, conservative, etc., etc. will be practiced and the Om-A-Hum Dance will be taught. Cost: $50 full, $40 cone, per day. Tuesday, January 31 st, 1996, close, as if we are brothers or as if Maybe it's good to change the style Earlybird Discounts:

Gadeling Merigai; Italy we come from one home, like a a little bit so that new age people can r For Retreat fees paid in full by February 28th. 1997 a 10/c discount applies. For The Mirror: Your Holiness, do member of the family or something at least accept the teachings of Lord Retreat deposits of $100 paid by February 28th, 1997 (here is a $20 discount on you have a particular connection like that. So it moved me a lot. Of Buddha and the tradition of the remaining payment. Various other discounts are ottered to Members. (See with Namkhai Norbu Rinpoche? course his activities had already Buddhism. But in another way I info on Membership discounts)

H. H. Gyalwang Drukpa: This moved me a lot before. And espe­ always feel a little unfortunate, a lit­ SANTI MAHA SANGHA TRAINING AT NAMGYALGAR APRIL & MAY tle bit sorry, that sometimes we lose is what I, too, don't really know cially when he was sick in New April 18th - 20th, Base Level Exam because we have no connection in York, quite intensively, he wrote to the essence of the teaching, of the April 21st - 25th, Level 1 Training external terms. I know him by name me as if he thought I could really wisdom, of the message by doing May 9th - 11th, Level 1 Exam and he knows me by name but we help him to get rid of his sickness. these sort of things. Something is May 12th - 16th, Level 2 Training Cost: Exam - free. Training Retreat: $150 for 5 days. haven't had any material level con­ He gave the impression that he lost. And not only the exiled masters nection. But lately I feel that there is thought that I could really help him. who have been brought up in India In accordance with Rinpoche's wishes all Santi Malia Sangha fees (retreats, texts an inner connection, let's put it like Therefore this really moved me a are doing this but also some of the and practice materials) must be paid in full. Rinpoche encourages SMS students this, a spiritual connection or what­ lot. But other than that I can't say masters who have been brought up to take all initiations and teachings again. For second-timers, a donation will be requested in lieu of fees. For those W'ho pass, texts & practice materials will be ever it is. I don't know. It's very that there is anything in terms of r in Tibet. I'm not criticizing anybody. sold during the retreat. (Hubara share cabins can also be booked for the Santi I don't want to criticize. They may much of a mystery for me. And I connection. What kind of connec­ Maha Sangha retreats.) Further information and registration forms can be guess that he also felt that way tion do I have with him - I don't be doing good as I mentioned, obtained from the Namgyalgar office: PO Box 14 Central Tilba NSW 2546. because lately he wrote to me sever­ know what to say. In other words I adjusting themselves and their way Ph/Fax: 044 737 303 Email: [email protected] don't have a connection, yet I do. al times. And the way he writes is so NAMYALGAR ACCOMODATION & TRANSPORT continued on page 4 People intending to come to Namgyalgar in Australia for the 1997 Easter Retreat should be aware that it is necessary to book accommodation well in advance as Samantabhadra South. Because the culture of the the North. We say the new year is in Easier is a peale holiday period, information regarding types of accommodation, North, the power and everything the Summer. In the real sense the costs and real estate phone numbers are available from the Namgyalgar office. continued from previous page influences the South. The South new year starts in the Spring and Also Information on share cabins has been circulated and is obtainable from either Namgyalgar or the other main Gars. There are 18 beds available in these cabins more secondary chakras. doesn't have its own position. Why there are four seasons. We have four and as they are very popular it is necessary to book with Vicki at the Namgyalgar There is a similar explanation of did this happen? It is very simple. very distinct seasons in both the office ASAP, by February 28th at the very latest! These cabins have been reserved these chakras, the correspondence We can understand also the condi­ North and South. We have no capac­ only for singles and couples who tire unable to arrange their own share accommo­ of chakras and the Mandala, that can tion of human being. In general, in ity to present a different calendar in dation. Groups of 3 or more people should try to arrange their own accommoda­ be found in some kinds of our condition, not only human but the South. The South has lost this tion. If you require help with this please contact the Secretary at Namgyalgar. Please also be aware that there is no public transport in the area of Namgyalgar Chakrasambhava tantras. Some also animals, male dominates position. With the Mandala you can and it is recommended that people try to share cars or hire a car if possible. explanations can also be found in female. That's why we say we need understand that. You see, in the Hiring is of course cheaper if shared by a group. For those people staying near Dzogchen upadesha. In any case, the same rights and same position Mandala, it is the same in the North the Gar in rented accommodation during the Easter Retreat transport will be there is the correspondence of these and we struggle. That is nature. You and the South. In the eighth line of arranged. Outside the retreat time it is not so easy to travel to the Gar and shops etc.. if you don't have your own car. As much as possible people at Namgyalgar chakras with our physical body first, can observe animals, not only the Mandala there are the white cor­ will try to help people with transport. Please inquire with the Secretary for further and then we can understand this human beings. But human beings ners. These white comers of the information regarding accommodation and transport. If you are camping at the Mandala we use for the Dance; it have more capacity, knowledge, and North and South are not pointed Gar there is more possibility of help with transport to shops. represents our dimension, our understanding, so it is not necessary together. That means that the nature world. When we are studying geog­ that humans act like animals. It is of male and female is always in raphy we can discover which are the not so easy, because there is nature. union, like Samantabhadra and NAMKHAI NORBU RINPOCHE'S SCHEDULE 1997 dimensions, lines and more impor­ In the symbol we use, for example, Samantabhadri in nature. Mar. 21-23 Weekend leaching Aug. 29 Leave for Lhasa tant points. When we are dancing Samantabhadra is sitting like this, There are many interesting Melbourne Sept. 5 Leave for Ralung Mar. 24 Leave for we have specific places where we Samantabadhri is working, things to learn with the Mandala. I Sept. 7 Return to Lhasa Namgyalgar put our feet. That is related with Samantabhadri is like energy, but Sept. S Leave for Nepal am still working on developing Mar. 28-April 5 Namgyalgar Retreat Sept. 10* Leave for Pokara singing the Song of Vajra, the sylla­ not like the main body. Also physi­ some things related to the Mandala April 18-20 SMS Base Level Sept. 17 Arrive in Kathmandu bles of the Song of Vajra. If we are cally man is stronger then woman. that I am not ready to present; par­ Exam Sept. 19-21 Weekend teaching in dancing the Om A Hum or Dance of Even if we say we are the same, it's April 21-25 SMS First Level Kathmandu ticularly discovering the main Training Sept. 26** Leave for Patankot the Six Spaces, these are condensed not true. There is a natural differ­ May 9-11 SMS First Level places in the world. In the main Sept. 29 Kushnagar altogether, so we can't understand ence, we must understand that. Also Exam places there are also sounds that Oct. 2 Bodhgaya May 12-16 SMS Second Level them one by one. When we are in our world it is just the same; Oct. 8 Benares dominate that place, like in the Training Oct. 13 Rajgar going into more detail with the Song North is like the male aspect in Song of the Vajra. that is related May 26 Leave for Singapore Oct. 15 Nalanda of Vajra, we can understand more. In energy, the South has a female ener­ June 2 Leave for Bejing also to our chakras and potentiality. Oct. 16 Leave for Dharamsala this case you can learn more deeply gy. If you look in geography it is Nov. 29 Leave from New When we know these places and Oct. 27 Leave for Tso Pema Delhi to Bangkok about this knowledge. also demonstrated concretely. In the Nov. 3 Leave for New Delhi which kind of sound relates to Dec. I Leave for Singapore North there is greater land. There are Nov. 7-9 Weekend retreat in I will show you this map for hav­ them, and we work with our exis­ Dec. 15 Leave for Sydney many nations and people, hi the New Delhi ing a better idea. Here is the geogra­ tence in the chakras, then we can Contact: Lama Doboom Tulku Tmirr. INDIA, & BOAT RETREAT IN South there is less land, less people have an experience instantly. It Tibet House Cultural Center of phy of the world and how it is com­ SINGAPORE and mostly ocean. That is why the HH the Dalai Lama becomes very important for practice June 2 Leave for Bejing bined with the position of the 1 Institutional Area. Lodi Road. South is dominated and there is an June 11-15 Weekend Teaching in Mandala. In this case, you can and having realization. But we must New Delhi. 110 003 India invasion of culture. Originally the Bejing understand which country is in do research and work a long time. I Nov. 10 Leave for Goa people of the South had their own June 17 Leave for Chinghai which line. That also corresponds to am working very hard on this. I am June 23 Inauguration and Nov. 26 Leave for New Delhi culture, but it's been lost. In Nov. 29 Leave for Bangkok the chakra of the human being and hoping one day we will succeed and opening of the school Australia, for example, we know June 25 Leave for Chendu Dec. 1 Leave for Singapore which characteristic correspondence people can travel to these places June 30 Leave for Ranting Dec. 5-12 Boat Retreat from there are Aboriginal people, but the and do practice and have experi­ we have. Here is something very (Tasendo) Singapore Western culture is dominant. For important to learn. In the world we ences. That is my aim. July 4 Leave for Kanzhi Contact: Ian Can. Fax: 65-323-0500 example, in all the Southern July 7 Leave for Galenting have North and South. Our actual Transcribed and edited Hemisphere we use the calendar of Aug. 7 Leave for * This ilute is an appmxinuition. condition is North dominating bv Naomi Zeit: Jyondazhong ** Not confirmed.

THE MIRROR FEBRUARY/MARCH 1997 3 of teaching with people in the West, practice and one for chagchen (Mahamudra) practice, one form here and Interview with with Western psychology and the one form in eastern Tibet, a Dzogchen practitioner. So this is exactly what KEY FOR CONSULTING THE TIBETAN CALENDAR Western way of life so that people happened with the mirror, the chagchen form was needed and the H.H. Drukpa by can accept Buddhist teaching and Dzogchen form was needed - two reflections. This is how it came about. continued from page 3 Chögyal Namkhai Norbu Tibetan Buddhism. In that case, So that's all I can explain about how these things come about. But if it is edited by Rita Leli marvellous, it is a wonderful thing to do because we have to change, time has not clear then I don't know what to say. For myself it's not very clear how A practical, complete manual con­ to be changed, everything has to be changed and Buddhism also has to adjust to put it in mundane words, it's difficult because it's beyond our imagina­ taining information about Tibetan, according to peoples' wishes. I think the Lord Buddha also allowed us to do tion. We think we are one person and that even reincarnation is not possi­ astrological systems and details about days of the week, constella­ this, indirectly. So it's OK in a way. But I'm also worried that the teaching, ble. Ordinary people don't even understand or believe in a single reincar­ tions and significance of their com­ the message will lose some essence. Yes, I'm a little bit worried. nation so how can they believe in thousands of reincarnations at a time. binations, the significance of the 12 Mirror: I have another question which is slightly connected to what we It's very difficult. animalsand the mewa. Indispen- siblc for consultating the annual are talking about now. How do you see the master/student relationship in the Mirror: Your Holiness, do you have any advice for the students of astrological calendar.

West where it is difficult for a student to have a long, close relationship with Namkhai Norbu Rinpoche? Lit. 15.000 in Europe a teacher. Moreover, Westerners have a different view towards devotion, or H. H.: To have devotion. To develop devotion. That's the most impor­ $10 in the US and abroad rather devotion is not a quality which is easy for a Westerner to develop. tant thing. And I think there is no need for anything other than that. You TIBETAN CALENDAR H. H.: I can see a little change from the first time I came to the West have to be devotional and, at the same time, if you have devotion, you 1997-98 FIRE OX in the early 80s. Before there were many students who were either totally know how to perform everything accordingly. And then, of course, you will All astrological information for blind or extremely academic, too academic, very much up there in the be able to co-ordinate with the people around you. Harmony in the com­ the Tibetan Calendar of 1997-98 brain and they didn't want to come down. As soon as they tried to come munity is very important. Bringing some harmony into the community plus the individual aspects for down it was painful for them because they considered this to be a type of environment is the best gift that you can give. So if you have devotion you those born between 1912 and 1996. The calendar is useful for faith and they didn't want to go back to their faith thing. But now I do can bring harmony, you can minimize your pride, and everything. If you finding favorable and unfavor­ think that Buddhist students have understood a little bit. I can see a little don't have devotion, your pride gets bigger, you will bring lots of problems able days for both everyday light of the devotion idea coming into the students. So I can see that there into the community and everybody will be disappointed and, in the end, activities as well as those linked to the practice. is hope to have a good relationship with a master, which is very important. you will also get nowhere. This is not the way to get onto the spiritual path. Lit. 10.000 in Europe But a good relationship means not only following him and doing whatev­ So follow the master in a devotional way, not in an emotional way. $6.50 in the US and abroad er he wants you to do or just being very good friends with him. Good boy, Mirror: Thank you Holiness. good girl, yes, you can be that, but that doesn't mean that you are having Please add Lit.2.000 for a good relationship with a master. You have to have pure devotion, which post/packaging in Europe His Holiness Jigme Pema Wangchen, the Gyalwang Drukpa, is the or $ 3.00 for the US and abroad is the understanding of the state of the guru. The actual state of the guru twelfth incarnated head of the Drukpa Kargyu lineage, one of the main Both available from: is ultimate, whatever you are practicing. If you are practicing Dzogchen schools within the Kargyu Order which derive from the eleventh century SHANG SHUNG EDIZIONI then you can say Dzogchen is the guru. And the guru is Dzogchen. Kargyu patriarch, Gampopa. While searching for a suitable place to 58031 Arcidosso GR, Italy Inseparable. You have to understand this, very deeply, experientially. Not establish a monastic order, the first Gyalwang Drukpa, Tsangpa Gyare, or Tsegyalgar, only mentally. Then that is devotion. You may like the Master, that is lik­ arrived at Namgyi-phu where nine dragons flew up into the sky, roaring ing. I may like you, that's not devotion. You may like me, love me, maybe PO Box 277m Conway MASS like thunder. This led to the lineage being known as the Dragon Sect of the 01341, USA I love you, but that doesn't mean anything. I love my Master. But that Kargyu, or Drukpa Kargyu. Born in 1963 at Tso Pema in India, the lake doesn't mean I have devotion to him. So these are the things that people sacred to Guru Padmasambhava, His Holiness was recognized as the should know in terms of developing their devotion. XHth Gyalwang Drukpa by His Holiness the Dalai Lama and His Mirror: In a booklet published about your lineage it says that the 9th Holiness the XVIth Karmapa. He grew up at his monasteiy Thupten Gyalwang Drukpa predicted that he would manifest as two tulkus, which Sangag Choeling, Darjeeling, where he was educated by his principle he did. In general it is difficult for a Western mind to accept the idea of guru, the late Kyabje Thuksey Rinpoche and by many other great masters reincarnation but especially reincarnation in two different forms. How is of his own and the Nyingma traditions. The present Gyalwang Drukpa is this possible? responsible for numerous Drukpa Kargyu monasteries in the Himalayas THE MIRROR H. H.: This is the reason I'm saying that Western people have a great as well as Dharma centers in France, England, Taiwan, Malaysia, NEWSPAPER OF THE deal of difficulty to have devotion. This question comes down to devo­ America and Australia and he travels continuously teaching at other cen­ INTERNATIONAL tion. If you cannot accept having two reincarnations at the same time it ters around the world. His principal monastic seat is Thubten Sangag DZOGCHEN means you don't have devotion. Buddha Sakyamuni said that at his level Choeling Monastery in Darjeeling, India. • COMMUNITY thousands and millions of reincarnations can manifest at a single time but founded by Chögyal since we don't know how it functions, we don't believe it. We believe Namkhai Norbu everything we can understand and that is the obstacle for our devotion. Of course we are very limited, our knowledge is very limited, our ability Final Words of Main Office: PO Box 277 to understand is very limited so we don't believe it. For example if I H.H. the XHth Gyalwang Drukpa Conway, Massachussetts haven't had a chance to see Rome, even though people may talk about 01341 U.S.A. how big and how beautiful Rome is, how big the buildings are and this At the end of the Christmas retreat Merigar January 2nd, 1997. Tel 413-369-4208 and and that, I don't believe it because I have never seen it. It could be bluff, FAX 413-369-4165 I don't want to believe it because I've never seen it, my great grandpar­ I want to say something as a conclusion. I am now writing a fax to E-Mail address: 102121.130@ ents have never seen it and neither have my ancestors or any of my fam­ Namkhai Norbu Rinpoche to tell him all the good things of these days here compuserve.com ily, so I don't believe it. in Merigar. I feel that we have made a good connection which I was hoping This is the same thing. The Buddha said he could manifest in many, for and wished to happen for some time now, as Namkhai Norbu Rinpoche European Office: The Mirror Merigar, 58031 many different emanations. How can these reincarnations happen? For me said that he was trying to do his best and I am also trying to do my best. But Arcidosso GR Italy it hasn't happened until now, because the karma was not ripened. Now that it's very difficult to say how it functions. I can understand deeply but I Tel and Fax 0564-966608 can't express it in mundane words. But, for example, if I put it in a very we have made a good connection, what we have to do is practice more. Of E-mail; 100530.527@ simple and vague way, it's as if I put three mirrors around me. My face will course usually we practice, all of us are practicing, but now we have to prac­ compuserve.com be three reflections in three mirrors. Actually I have only one face not three tice more, that is all we have to do. I hope that I can come again and use the EDITORS but the reflections are three. Why? Because there are three mirrors. So it's formal invitation that Merigar has given me; I would like to be able to use Naomi Zeitz, Tsegyalgar this invitation quite soon, whenever I have time (applause). the same thing. If we want to talk about this it's like three different devo­ Liz Granger, Merigar tions or needs which have three faces of reincarnation. One of you needs, The last thing I want to say is, that we all must have the strong notion of for example, one of my forms in terms of liberating or helping you. But this impermanence in order to practice the Dharma genuinely, correctly and dili­ LITERARY EDITOR form that I effectuate will not be helpful for another person for some rea­ gently. All the practices are very much based and dependent on one's own John Shane

son so he will need another form of me that will teach differently, act dif­ feeling or the sense or notion of impermanence; the understanding of all the ADVISORS ferently, lead him differently, totally different from you. So I will manifest phenomena including yourself to be impermanent. Time is passing, not only Anna Eid one form for him. His need, his devotion or his purity is the mirror and passing, but flying very quickly. And we are so slow in terms of practice. We Des Barry even though I am only one, I can manifest one reflection in the mirror for all are getting old, we all are proceeding towards the death. And there will be Barbara Paparazzo Jim Valby him and one for you. Maybe there are hundreds of mirrors and hundreds of not enough time for us. We all have to be concerned about this in terms of reflections are there. In my actual state I am there. I'm not cutting my body practicing the Dharma. So I wish that we all can practice immediately and DESIGN AND PRODUCTION into hundreds of pieces. I'm just giving an example. So that's the thing. correctly according to the Masters, according to the Dharma, and according K. Dobbs That's devotion. If a time comes when people don't have any more devo­ to the cyclic existence of impermanence. Because the cyclic existence or ILLUSTRATION tion, this reflection goes back. Since the mirror is not there, where can the impermanence is always moving, so you have to also move on with practice. Glen Eddy reflection be? The reflection goes back. Or the mirror may be completely Otherwise if you don't practice, the cyclic existence of impermanence will Paula Minelli covered by dirt, so even if it is there, it is of no use in terms of getting never wait for you. It will keep on going and going, we can see, we can count reflection so there will be no reflection. It's the same thing. If there is a time how old we are, how many months we have in a year, how many days we PRINTERS when nobody has devotion any more there will be no emanation of have in a month. And we are spending that many hours, many days, many Turley Publishers Palmer, MA Buddha, no emanation of the guru can come. Even if the emanation is weeks, months and years. Now we are over thirty, over forty, over fifty, over there, there will be no benefit. sixty and what have we been accumulating, what have we been doing in DISTRIBUTION Tsegyalgar al The 9th Gyalwang Drukpa was mistreated very badly by his students terms of what, in terms of spiritual as well as material existence, what we Conway, Massachusetts and ministers and managers. He was a great practitioner, a great saint. He have gained? We have gained nothing. So now what we have to do is that we lived in a hermitage and he did not give them mundane support so they said have to really put something in our heart which means we have to really put SUBSCRIPTION RATE/6 ISSUES that he was useless and he wasn't looking after them.- He had a difficult ourselves into practice very deeply and try to gain something. That means to $35 available through Tsegyalgar 55.000 It. lire through Merigar time. So then at the end of his life he said that he wasn't going to come try to attain enlightenment within this life. If you can't do this there is not much meaning in life. Even though we may be healthy and wealthy, that back and that he would rest in his pure state. All material ©1997 by The Mirror. doesn't really give you the final result. So it is very, very important that we Reprint by permission only. • Then all his great colleagues and his main disciple as well as the understand that everything is illusion and we shouldn't really let the illusion We reserve the right to edit Karmapa all came and requested him to come back very badly. So then he all submissions. to drive us away. Therefore this is my request. Thank you very much! • finally said that he would come back but in two forms - one for Dzogchen

4 Non-attachment: The Essence of Practice Excerpts from a teaching by H.H. the XIIth Gyalwang Drukpa

Merigar, Friday December 27th.

W n preparing to practice not true. When gradually in a advanced. Very good, congratula­ I Mahamudra, there is, as I men- we hate some­ very detailed, tions! Then you can work a little -M^tioned yesterday, the common thing or some­ very sort of theo­ bit less, stretch your legs and enjoy and uncommon preparation. I've body, it is also retical way. yourself. And if you are already in already explained the common attachment, and I hope that non-attachment then you don't preparation, those accumulations it is stronger than we can all think have to do anything! Then you can and purifications which are com­ attachment for about this our­ really be free. 1 mean you don't mon to Mahamudra and also to beautiful things selves because have to do anything because you Dzogpa Chenpo practice. The or normal attach­ we are the best have done everything. That's the uncommon practice or preparation ment, I would person to inves­ Dharma! That's the practice! is doing calm abiding meditation, say. Hatred tigate ourselves. That's the result of practice, that's shine practice. Without shine prac­ which focuses or Nobody else can the result of Dzogchen, that's the tice or without the help of shine one concentrates on investigate or result of Mahamudra teachings: can never be able to realize ones awful things is check us. Even they are finished! own nature. However that's not also attachment! if somebody So you have check yourself first, necessarily true for everybody So therefore pretended to before we talk about it and make a because there are some categories there is no differ­ check us, we big fuss. You have to check yourself of people who have a special ability ence between wouldn't like it. and be sure of where you are. That's to realize their own their own nature good and bad in I wouldn't like if a very practical and recommended without going through the specific terms of provok­ somebody was sort of path. practice of shine. Those people are ing attachment. checking me! I Of course this sort of invest­ considered to be very fortunate in Whatever we want to have my ment has to be used for yourself, terms of accumulations and purifi­ do from early own privacy. for your sake, for your improve­ cations they have already done in morning until You too have ment, it is not something that you previous lives. late evening your own priva­ have to use for others. Because if cy; you have a The secret of shine is non-attach­ when we go to you use it for others, then that right to have ment. If you are able to practice or to bed, and even in means you are misusing it. Then your privacy. find out how to really sort out the the dream too, is you will be checking others: "He But you also problems that are associated with very much influ­ didn't arrive anywhere, that's the enced by attach­ have your right attachment, then shine shouldn't be takes you deeper and deeper into the reason he is upset. Now he is very ment. You can check whether it is to check yourself. And there any problem. state of attachment. This drives you angry, that means he is a nobody." true or not. This is really true for me shouldn't be any contradiction All disturbances that come up in crazy! Definitely! So therefore That sort of things. That means but not necessarily true for you in between you and you. So therefore our emotions arise through attach­ we've got to think about it, yes! misusing your method, misusing that sense. So you have to check and you have to check which level you your precious teaching. The ment and attachment brings all sorts When you become a little bit investigate whether it is true or not. are on: whether you are on the level Dharma always mentions very of different emotions. Sometimes it less attached to things, you become For most of my life whatever I have of strong attachment, or a little bit strongly that one has to use it in a can bring good emotions, good in a little bit like an advanced practi­ done has been very much influenced less attachment, or non-attachment. proper way which means using it the sense of being useful. Most of tioner in terms of Mahamudra prac­ by my own attachment, no matter to develop yourself. Don't use it as the time it brings nonsense. But any­ tice. Then you become happier and If you are on a level of very what sort of life I have been leading. a needle, use it as a mirror! That is way it brings ups and downs in our more appreciative; you are satisfied strong attachment then you've got what we say. life which are the function of our Knowing that every minute of with or appreciate what you have, to work hard in order to free your­ own mistaken attachment. Many our life is led by attachment, then the friends you are travelling with, self from attachment. If you are Transcribed by L. Lock J ehe c. precious holy texts always mention, we have to try to do our best to free the food you are eating and the tem­ lucky you may be a little bit Edited by Liz Granger • very repeatedly, that non-attachment ourselves from attachment and, I perature around you. Everything is the essence of the meditation. think, the best solution to free our­ will be OK, and even though you So let's talk about attachment a selves from attachment is to realize may not be enjoying things, you little bit, since, anyway, I am very the function, let's say the process, of will accept them because you are a fond of talking about it because we attachment: how attachment comes little bit more advanced in terms of about, how it functions. If we realize The Shang Shung all know that we are very attached practice. that this process is rootless or base­ to many things. We live with When you reach the level where less then we will find out that attach­ attachment and, unfortunately, we there is no attachment at all, then Institute ment itself is also Mahamudra. If are bom with attachment, so it is you reach the level called the state you could manage to do that then interesting to talk about it since we of great bliss. In Mahamudra we attachment will not function as it live with it. We don't want to talk always say the great bliss, the great of America used to do and will be so-called non- about something which is not emptiness. Right now we don't have attachment. This is the typical familiar to us because when some­ great bliss. Drinking is not great thing is not familiar then it is bor­ Mahamudra way of explaining. bliss and neither is eating. It can be he Shang Shung initiate the process of long- ing, it's not really interesting. It's If you have a kind of a strong bliss for the time being, but that's Institute in America range planning. more interesting if you talk about attachment, then you will never relative bliss, it's not great bliss. cordially invites mem­ The conference is sched­ something you know. T have any peace in your life and Any type of mundane bliss is not bers and friends of the uled for March 14, 15 and 16, Attachment is something that everything will become too much. great bliss and that is not the level Dzogchen Community to 1997 . It will begin Friday we live with, and something that You may not be able to enjoy your­ that we can refer to as great bliss. attend a planning conference evening with a dinner and self in any' place, in any kind of con­ always moves us. Wherever we go, When things are no longer nega­ dedicated to the future introductions by the par­ dition. Anything in this life, in this whatever we do, almost hundred tive for you, everything around you development of the ticipants. Two ses­ world, may turn out to be very bad, percent of our time we are influ­ turns out to be perfect, perfect, even Institute at Tseg- sions are scheduled very irritating. For instance, the enced by attachment, no matter if it though relatively very awful nega­ yalgar in Conway, for Saturday fol­ weather may be too cold and you is a good or bad thing. Whether tive things may happen. But a prac­ Massachusetts. lowed by a long- may not be able to take it. You may good or bad, every activity is influ­ titioner (who has realized non- The purpose of range planning make hundreds of complaints about enced by attachment. This is inter­ attachment) never thinks negatively, the conference is session and the environment, about friends, esting to know. is never ever affected by his emo­ to initiate concrete brunch on Sunday. about cars, about the food and about We are attached to the good tions. There are no negative things programs in the areas There will be ample that and about this. There will be no things as well as the bad things. We around him anymore. This is the of Tibetan Medicine, trans­ opportunity for participants end to complaining because you're are attached to our emotions as well result of the practice of non-attach­ lation. Art and the development to engage in informal discus­ attached. And then, one day, you as our physical body. We are ment. That's the time we can say: of a library/archive for research sions between sessions. If you will be complaining about yourself, attached to time and all phenomena "OK, everything is blissful. in the field of Tibetan studies would like further information, too, about how bad you are, or that exist externally. It is not neces­ Everything is emptiness. Everything with members of the or would like to attend, please something like that. So the whole sary that we are attached to good is Mahamudra. Everything is Community whose interest is contact Lauri Marder at world will be negative. Maybe there things, like beautiful, attractive Dzogchen. Everything is Great both in the teachings and the 4 13 - 3 6 9 - 4 6 5 8. will be the possibility to enjoy your­ things. Those things which are very Perfection". Right now, even if we preservation and dissemination e-mail 76453. 441 self a little bit such as when you awful also provoke our attachment, say: "Everything is Great of the most vital aspects of @compu -serve .com. Address: drink alcohol. And when you eat lots maybe indirectly or directly. Perfection", it doesn't make any Tibetan culture. Part of the Shang Shung Institute. PO Box of meat you can feel a little bit of People think that attachment sense. Nothing is perfection, so how agenda of the conference is to 277, Conway. MA 01341 USA. enjoyment. That sort of thing. But only arises for attractive or beautiful can it be great perfection! So, it's this also provokes attachment and things that we like or love, but that's very interesting to go through this

THE MIRROR FEBRUARY/MARCH 1997 5 brows, whereupon the import of the Innermost Essence (sNying thig) Lives of the Great Masters teachings were fully revealed to BOOK REVIEWS him. To teach others how to attend turies; 2. the Bon that emerged in the the master in accordance with the THE BON RELIGION OF TIBET The Iconography of 10th and 11th centuries, that has way of Secret Mantra, he studied the a Living Tradition been described as a form of unortho­ complete esoteric instructions on the Per Kvaerne dox Buddhism (one might as well Innermost Essence under the aware­ Serindia Publications. London 1995 dismiss Buddhism and Jainism as ness-holder Kumaradza. From 156 pages, 74 color plates plagiarized Hinduism, because all Padmasambhava too he received Cloth, $55.(X) pic of cover three traditions worship the goddess esoteric instruction on the Innermost Sarasvati!) but which may be more Essence in a vision. These were justly regarded as a distinct religion teachings that had a lasting and in terms of features such as religious definitive effect on him. He taught authority, legitimation and history; his disciples to be adept in the Great 3. the 'Bon' that subsumes "a vast Perfection From his own mind and amorphous body of popular sprung the instruction known as the beliefs", including divination, the Innermost Essence of the Karmapa. cult of local deities and conceptions After a long series of visions, of the la or 'soul', which however he composed the Inner Profound have been more aptly defined by Reality (that has an autocommen- R.A. Stein as "the nameless reli­ tary to it), one of his masterpieces, gion". The second sense of the term, an invaluable exegesis on the prin­ in which the living tradition of Bon ciples of the Tantra that bridges the is often characterized by western traditional Kagyupa view with that scholars as 'shamanism' and 'ani­ of the Great Perfection. Such work mism', is as mistaken and mislead­ reflects an amazing knowledge and "To practicing Bonpos ... Bon ing as the obviously inaccurate third experiential realization of an infi­ simply means the true religion of description. Moreover, the unfavor­ nite number of Tantras and secret Tibet." Snellgrove, The Nine Ways able description, ascribed to 'devel­ instructions translated into a direct of Bon. oped' Bon by Western scholars such revelation of the mind's nature as Bon, the original and authentic as Hoffmann and eagerly accepted the pervader of all the universe. religion of the Tibetan people, was by others, as a kind of simulation already firmly established in the To describe the importance of and perversion of Buddhism, is Land of Snows before the formal this work one may mention that based not on first-hand research but Rangjung Dorje, introduction of Buddhism in the Kongtrul Lodro Taye heavily on (the unfortunately abundant) seventh century. Although its adher­ relied on it in his writings, and in polemical writings by Tibetan the Third Karmapa ents were gradually reduced to a dealing with the Tantra, always Buddhist critics of Bon. In fact, not minority, Bon has nevertheless con­ referred to it as the final and lead­ until the publication of D. 1284-1339 tinued to flourish in many areas up ing authority surpassing the many Snellgrove's "Nine Ways of Bon" in to the present day in Tibet, and in Elio Guarisco views of other Tibetan Lamas. 1967 was there a clear and unpreju­ 1995 Lopon Tenzin Namdak Among others he also authored a diced exploration and understanding Rinpoche, the foremost Bon Rangjung Dorje in an ultimate stepped down from the throne. treatise on astrology illuminating of Bon in the West. Moreover, since Dzogchen teacher now justly well- sense was the indivisibility of bliss Ugyenpa performed the rite for the system of Kalachakra, after a that pioneering work several studies known in the West, and in the and emptiness as the primordial the formation of the awakening vision of the whole universe con­ have been published that have defin­ Dzogchen Community in particular, nature of mind. Invoked from the mind for him and initiated him into tained in his body. Rangjung Dorje itively refuted the view of Bon reli­ told the reviewer of this book that, expanse of reality by vajra songs Ghanthapa's system of the travelled extensively through all gious texts (e.g.., the biographies of according to Chinese sources after chanted by enlightened dakinis, he CakrasamvaraTantra, as well as the regions of Tibet teaching and Tonpr, Shenrab) as mere plagiariza- the Gelugpas and Nyingmapas, Bon manifested in the world as the actual Ma-phur of the Nyingmas. establishing monasteries and tions of Buddhist texts: Prof. now has the third largest following presence of Avalokitesvara. In a con­ Ugyenpa also taught him the Tantra places of practice. Among his stu­ Kvaerne appositely mentions within Tibet itself of the Tibetan ventional sense he became known as of Hevajra, the Mahajala, the dents there were famous masters, research (by Anne-Marie Blondeau) religious traditions. There is current­ the Third Karmapa, the incarnation Kalachakra and that of Vajrapani such as Longchenpa. demonstrating a case (one of sever­ ly a renaissance of Bon, both in of the Karma Pakshi, the second Subduer of Elemental Spirits, and When he was invited to China, al, it would appear) of a Bonpo text Tibet and within the Bon communi­ Karmapa. Gazing at beings with many secret instructions such as at that time under Mongol domin­ copied by Buddhist authors. As ties in exile in India and Nepal, and compassion he entered the world by Rechungpa's Six Cycles on the ion, he gave initiation to the emper­ Kvaerne explains, the relationship in recent years there has been an resurrecting the dead son of an elder­ Equal Flavor, Marpa's Six Cycles or and empress. On his return to between Bon and Buddhism has increasing interest in this religious ly couple from Tolung. People mis­ on Integration and Transference, the Tibet he retired to Chimpu above inevitably been one of mutual influ­ tradition and its sacred art and took the portents for a bad omen and Introduction to the Three Kayas, the Samye; there, after he had made a ence and certainly could not have iconography. gouged the child's eyes with a nee­ Eight Great Transmissions, copy of the Buddhist Canon, he been one of 'one-way' plagiarism. dle. Rangjung Dorje withdrew his Avalokitesvara Jinasagara, the performed the rite of consecration In this book, subtitled "The mind from the useless body and per­ Doha of Saraha, the Innate Union of and on that occasion had the vision Iconography of a Living Tradition", As Prof. Kvaerne further ceiving the womb of his future Maitripa and so forth. of many bodhisattvas reciting a timely volume on the art of Bon, explains, while at first glance many the iconography of this religion is features of religious practice and mother as a crystal mansion took At the age of seven he was these scriptures. presented through seventy-four worship, in terms of rituals, meta­ birth as a son of a yogi and a yogini. ordained as a novice and acquired He passed away during his next superb color plates of thangkas, physical doctrine and monastic dis­ Although he could speak as mastery of hidden precepts. About visit to China, where he appeared miniatures and bronzes, dating from cipline (for example, circumambu- soon as he was born, he pretended that time many masters had visions seated in the mandala of the moon the late fourteenth to the mid-twen­ lation, chanting mantras and engrav­ not to be able to. When his parents of Avalokitesvara who related the to the emperor and his retinue who tieth centuries, with detailed ing them on rocks, turning prayer moved to Dingri in southern Tibet, greatness of the child to them. While were filled with devotion. descriptions of the main and minor wheels, etc.) appear the same, on he saw the rainbow-like image of residing with his teacher, Mahakala Sources: Go Lotsawa's Blue figures. With few exceptions these closer scrutiny differences appear, Padampa Sangye which merged and Ekajati appeared to him and Annals (Moulai Banarsidass, illustrations and the concomitant such as the counter-clockwise ritual into him. Then his father gave him urged him to move on to Tshurphu, Delhi, 1979); Dudjom Rinpoche's descriptions are hitherto unpub­ movement in Bon (in circumambu- the transmission of bzhi by ed, or the traditional seat of the Karmapas The Nyingma School of Tibetan lished. The author has used excerpts lation and in turning the prayer- Chöd. He learned the alphabet by close to Lhasa. Having studied with Buddhism (Wisdom Publications, from ritual and biographical texts, wheel); in like manner, while the himself without having studied several teachers there, Ekajati Boston, 1991), Karma Thinle's many of which are translated here cult of deities may at first appear with anyone else and in his dreams appeared to him at Tshurphu and History of the Sixteen Karmapas of for the first time, to identify the indistinguishable in Bon and he had many pure visions. On a presented him with a new spring and Tibet (Prajna Press, Boulder peaceful, tutelary, protector and Buddhism, although they belong to visit to the famous statue of planted a dry tree that grew green Colorado, 19H0); personal reading local deities and dakinis and Bon the same range of divine categories, Avalokitesvara at sKyi-grong, he and became very large. of Rangjung Dorje's own works. • siddhas and lamas. (Interested read­ the deities of the two traditions are was blessed by Avalokitesvara and Under numerous teachers he ers can read Professor Namkhai different, with different names, conceived of working for others. mastered the common and uncom­ Norbu Rinpoche's "Drung, Deu and mythical origins, attributes, etc. When he was five, the great mon doctrines of the New Schools NEW POETRY Bon" for several other examples of Thus, while recognizing that, for adept Ugyenpa said: "Tomorrow such as the Six Doctrines of such invocations and mythical example, the ritual and other reli­ my teacher, Karmapa, will be com­ Niguma, Naropa's consort and the Louise Landes Levi's descriptions from the mang of the gious practices and the meditational ing!", and arranged a high seat for Great Perfection system of the Bon tradition). and metaphysical traditions of the "LE LAMPADE DI CASA him. Next morning when the boy Ancient School. Wherever he two Tibetan religions are similar to SONO STATE ACCESSE In his scholarly Introduction Per ; came to the residence of Ugyenpa, went, the local gods would put on the point of virtual identity, Kvaerne Kvaerne carefully distinguishes he climbed onto the seat at once. To a great show of welcome. holds that the "concepts of sacred between the three significations test him the great adept said: "Oh He is known to have had a recol­ history and sources of religious ORDER FROM: 'Bon' has come to assume in the child, why are you sitting on the lection of a previous life that was Shang Shung Institute, authority are, however, radically dif­ context of Western scholarship: 1. throne of my teacher?" "I am your matched only by the life of the Box 277, Conway MA. ferent and justify the claim of the 01341 USA. the preBuddhist religion of Tibet teacher!" replied the boy, "But now Buddha. Once he saw Vimalamitra Bonpos to constitute an entirely dis- that was gradually suppressed by the I need your help" and saying so vanish in the middle of his eye­ $15.00 US Buddhists in the 8th and 9th cen­ continued on next page

6 the Protector can consult a modem the centuries to come. Book Review thangka of Zhangzhung Meri, where Per Kvaerne is Professor of Jürgen C. Aschoff continued from previous page Nyipangse is depicted as a white History of Religions and Tibetology Annotated Bibliography of Tibetan Medicine tinct religious community." guardian riding a white horse and at the University of Oslo, Norway, The Introduction concludes with wielding a white crystal staff; in this and a member of the Norwegian (1789-1995) an erudite summary of the question thangka he is specifically associated Academy of Science and Letters. He Garuda Verlag, Dietikon/Switzerland and Fabri Verlag, of the existence of a Zhangzhung with yidam Meri. The next thangka has written numerous books and Ulm/Germany language and a brief history of Bon, is of the protector Drakpa Senge, articles of Tibetan religion, and on based on Bon historical sources. with an interesting account, taken Bon in particular. 1996, XVIII + 426 Pages, cloth, ISBN 9802975 9 4, SFr. 126.- Turning to the marvellous illustra­ from S. Karmay, of how this Bon Andy Lukianowicz • The author has listed and commented more than 1700 printed tions, these are mainly of thangkas Protector came to be named after the works published in different languages. According to the sources, and bronze statues. first Shamar ('Red Hat') Incarnation TRAVELLER IN SPACE more than 80% of the commentaries are in English, about 20% in The first chapter reproduces of the Karmapa Kagyu tradition. In Search of Female Identity German language. Tibetan original texts afe not considered. For depictions of peaceful deities, who Chapter Four, dedicated to in Tibetan Buddhism being enlightened have transcended Siddhas, Lamas and Dakinis, by June Campbell orders or further information please contact: this samsaric world of cyclical birth includes thangkas and bronzes of The Alhlone Press, London l')°6 Garuda Verlag, P.O. Box 717, CH 8953 Dietikon 1 the celebrated sage and 'treasure- Ms. Campbell has done an and death. However, the distinction Phone 0041 -56-64010 14 between 'enlightened'and 'worldly' concealer' Drenpa Namkha, deemed excellent job of amassing her mate­ deities does not correspond to a divi­ by one Bon tradition to be the father rial, organizing it for the benefit of Fax 0041 -56-640-10 12 sion between divine and human of Maha Guru Padmasambhava; the interested reader and modestly beings, for humans, women as well Takla Mebar, the disciple of Tonpa keeping her own experience outside as men, can attain enlightenment, Sherab who has qualities of both of the dimension of discussion, at sexual experience and identity stance to be equated with and dis­ just as transcendent enlightened siddha and yidam; a tsakli (wooden least on the level of direct narrative. which exist for human beings and carded with the garment. This beings can manifest in human form. tablet) of Nyachen Lishu Taring, Her work is a complement to, and have always existed. reviewer has great need of that sub­ The deities represented here include who was able to extend his lifespan indeed a necessity for those who fol­ But there are certain points I stance. There is a great need of it in Satrig Ersang, the 'Mother' wisdom by magical means; an exquisite low, studies concerning the image, would challenge in Ms. Campbell's our Western cujtures. Perhaps the goddess; Shenlha Wokar, the purify­ tsakli of the eighth-century human representation and 'use' of the approach. The Tibetans themselves Tibetans can give us a drop of the ing white light bonku 'God of wis­ dakini Chosa Bonmo; and a thangka female in Tibetan Buddhist iconog­ say that these 'teachings' should be nectar. As I am still standing here, dom'; the procreator Sangpo of the twentieth century lama raphy, myth, magic and practice. interplanetary. To subject them to with my mouth open, I don't feel Bumtri; Tonpa Shenrab Miwoche, Namkha Lodro. "Traveller in Space" can amply our poor human sensibility does not qualified to manifest an objective enlarge the view and informative "Teacher Supreme Priest, Great Chapter Five presents Narrative do justice to them, nor will it view, and until that state is 'real­ area of other works, Anne Klein's Man"; the Loving Lady Sherab Thangkas, with a fine illustration of appease our hunger for methods ized', mental apparatus will not "Meeting the Great Bliss Queen", Chamma; the All-Good supreme the biography of the great fifteenth which go beyond the psychoanalyt­ untie the knots which bind us to the reviewed in The Mirror, Tsultrim deity bonku Kuntu Zangpo in century scholar Nyame Sherab ic into an absolute, not only rela­ relative one. Allione's "Women of Wisdom", the diverse forms; and many others. Gyaltsen, founder of Menri tive, liberation. It is, perhaps, in consideration of ground breaking book in the field, Chapter Two has the wrathful monastery, and several plates repro­ According to Rene Guenon (La the serious student of feminism, that and Miranda Shaw's "Passionate tutelary deities or yidams, around ducing thangkas and details of Regne du Quantité et la Signe du Ms. Campbell, does not mix her Enlightenment" . whom the main ritual and medita- thangkas from a set depicting the Temps), the industrial revolution marbles and keeps the metaphysical tional practices of the Bon tantras life of Tonpa Shenrab (unfortunate­ There are, however, definite dif­ produced the first human civiliza­ and methodological benefits of the revolve, such as Mâgyu Sangchog ly, the captions of plates 53 and 54 ferences in perspective. The above tion which did riot have a metaphys­ 'teaching" and "the teacher' outside Tartug the chief deity of the 'Mother have been reversed). three books treat the 'teachings' and ical system at its center. It is no won­ her discourse. It is a daring step. Tantras'; Trowo Tsochog Khagying, Chapter Six has only one plate, a the 'teacher' with the respect that der that at the end of this cycle, in For the rest, the book will be a 'Wrathful One, Supreme Lord reproduction of the Bon 'Wheel of comes through faith. This faith can which we now live, many of the great addition to the work already Towering in the Sky', a yidam of the Existence', also a standard subject in not be invented or qualified since it brightest and most sensitive young accomplished in this field, and Ms. greatest importance in the Bon Buddhist iconography, which gives is for each of us to develop, and its people went East to search for this Campbell has handled her subject Tantric ritual tradition; Welse the author the opportunity to exam­ roots cannot be,.by definition, in the metaphysical equivalent. They went matter with integrity and vision. An Ngampa, the 'Fierce Piercing ine at great length and in great detail, rational or even directly accessible to Japan, India and Tibet. analysis such as hers demands an Deity'; and Welchen Gekho, 'All- and to draw fine distinctions (such as area of the mind. We recognize the 'feudal" nature openness which all too frequently Piercing Gekho', and Meri, 'Fire in his collation of the Bon and Ms. Campbell was the secret of the culture that developed in is lacking in those who rigidly cling Mountain', two yidams closely con­ Buddhist 'twelve links in the chain consort of a high-ranking meditation Tibet, but culture, history, politics, to a 'belief system' or 'group nected with the sacred land of dependent origination') between teacher and one feels in the book the even sexual politics, in whose dynamic' keeping their compassion Zhangzhung, where Bon prospered the Bon and Buddhist traditions. As trauma and pain that this engen­ domain I fiercely address the subju­ for themselves. This openness, in before spreading to Tibet. he says, "The Bonpo version ...pro­ dered. To her very great credit, Ms. gation of women and call for redress itself, is a spiritual exercise and Concerning the latter two tutelary vides a good example of the way in Campbell does not delineate this on that and many issues, are only Tibetans as a rule, however 'feu­ deities, Kvaerne observe that, while which Bon assimilates elements model, but it has obviously created a garments and sadly, in Ms. dal", are not in the habit of preach­ the "epithets and characteristics of which are present in Tibetan culture need for her to analyze, and liberate Campbell's rendition of the subject ing a closed mind. the two deities overlap to such an as a whole, while retaining a consid­ in her own perspective, as well as matter, one felt the essence or sub­ Louise Landes-Levi • extent that it is not always easy to erable degree of freedom utilizing qualify for the Western practitioner determine which one is referred to, these elements according to its own and for the feminist movement in their iconographie attributes are religious concepts." the West, the position of the female in 'secret' Tibet, and the representa­ quite distinct, so that one may The translations that accompany 1 immediately recognize the deity in the depictions of the deities are tion which, according to her, con­ question when examining a bronze highly readable and enjoyable, tained and made possible the contin­ Now Available! or thangka." evoking all the vivacity and power uation of this secret and indeed externally powerless role. Chapter Three focuses on of the invocations and descriptions. THE RANGJUNG YESHE Protectors and local deities, an The beautiful thangkas are impres­ She refers to the male hierar­ TIBETAN-ENGEISH important category of gods in the sively reproduced in the finely col­ chy (analogous to the class of Bon pantheon, including Sipe ored illustrations, as are the delicate priests in the West), to the usurp­ DICTIONARY Gyalmo, 'Queen of the World', the bronzes and tsaklis. so that every ing of ordinary material care by OF BUDDHI5T TEACHING & PRACTICE foremost Protector of Bon. This is intricate aspect is clearly and easily the Tulku system, which itself followed by a lengthy description, discernible, and Prof. Kvaerne's assumes the 'mothering' role in More than 90,000 entries in an electronic version the psychic, physical and intellec­ but unfortunately no individual comprehensive and thorough on PC/MAC disks. Compatible with all known word- descriptions of the illustrations tual development of the young illustration, of Nyipangse, the main processors and data-base programs. guardian of the Dzogpachenpo enhance our appreciation of them, tulku. to the fragility of lineages Zhangzhung Nyangyud ('Great bringing each small detail into fasci­ which have sometimes originated * Extensive compilation of terminology used by with female Tantric teachers and Perfection Oral Transmission of nating relief. present day translators. * Selected definitions and Zhangzhung') cycle of meditational to a female deity in China, which Per Kvaerne's dedication to the clarifications from classical literary works. * Details of teachings and practices transmitted study and maintenance of Bon as a according to her. is the authentic places, people, and titles of scriptures. * Verified by the Sages of Zhangzhung. and by living tradition, and his love of this antecedent of compassionate Tapihritsa to Nangzher Lopo, who tradition, are evident throughout the Buddha. Avalokiteshvara. entries from existing dictionaries, word-lists and first put them to writing and who book. He is to be thanked and con­ Ms. Campbell has done an glossaries. * Special introductory offer: US $50 first compelled Nyipangse to gratulated for his work on this time­ astonishing research on these and (includes shipping and handling). become a Protector of Bon. ly volume, which will be appreciat­ other topics and her material is pre­ (Unfortunately nor is there a thang­ ed not only by those with an interest sented with lucidity and discern­ Rangjung Yeshe Dictionary, ka of Tapihritsa, some of whose in Tibetan art. but above all by all ment. Etymologically, the book is attn. J. Wagner, teachings to Nangzher Lopo can be those of us with an interest in the very rich in terminology, reference P.O. Box 4796, found in "Wonders of the Natural Bon religion and within our hearts and explanation. One can only hope Boulder, CO 80302, USA Mind" by Tenzin Wangyal the wish to see it continue and flour­ that we in the West profit from the Email::[email protected] Rinpoche). Nyipangse lives on ish in these difficult times for Tibet, research that Ms. Campbell and oth­ Mount Kailash and is subordinated and the wish to ensure that the refer­ ers have done and learn indeed to Make check or International Money Order payable to Mr. E. Schmidt to yidam Welchen Gekho. Readers ence in the subtitle of this book to "a rebalance the gender equation, and who wish to see a clear depiction of Living Tradition" remains true in to open it to the great varieties of

THE MIRROR FEBRUAR Y/MARCH 1997 7 continued his trip to Amdo and I built. The place is really marvelous returned to Italy while Phuntsok and thought it would be better to include ASIA returned to Italy. and it's not difficult to imagine what Giorgio returned to Lhasa after it now and buy the equipment later continued from page 1 A short time later Giorgio and it means to spend a few years in completing the last works in Jomda. under a new smaller micro-project. Phuntsok opened a permanent retreat in such a place. "Lucky those At the momept of writing this arti­ The kitchen, the refectory, some Gamthog is a village of farmers, office for ASIA (with lots of lines who can put into practice the pre­ cle Giorgio has returned to Italy for offices and storerooms will be built nomads and tradesmen. All the for telephones and fax which never cious teachings of the Masters in the a month after which he will return in wood, mud and bricks. The con­ houses are built in traditional style work) in Jomda, the capital of the silence and solitude of the sacred to Lhasa to pick up Phuntsok and tract will be taken care of by the vil­ in wood and earth with the store­ county having the same name. mountains of Tibet!" While we were return to Jomda to resume the lage. The surface to built on is about rooms and stables on the ground Then they returned to Lhasa to get there the new tulku of Togden was works that will continue until the 260 sq.m. The dormitories of the floor and living space on the upper their permission for residence and introduced to us, a little monk who end of 1999. medical personnel will be located in floor. One arrives at the village work and their Chinese driving gazed with his dark eyes wide with Here are the activities undertak­ the rooms of the old hospital not in along a dirt road which flanks the licenses. Once the various bureau­ wonder at these big white gorillas en with the various ASIA projects: use at the moment and ASIA togeth­ Drichu. The village is at the bottom cratic things were sorted out, they jumping around in the snow. At the THE GAMTHOG PROJECT The er with the village will undertake of the valley. Raising one's eyes and retutned to Chamdo where they end of our mission after traveling local government has given us a the renovation of these old build­ looking in the direction of Derge, signed a contract for cutting the several times between Chamdo, four room house in Jomda to be ings, replacing the tin roofs and immediately above the village one wood to start the construction of the Jomda, Gamthog and Chengdu to used as living quarters and an office building a second floor in wood as can see a mountain on which the hospital as well as a collaboration solve the endless problems that con­ for ASIA. In the office we have in the traditional Tibetan houses of village of Geu is located where, agreement between the prefecture tinuously came up, we went to installed an international telephone the village. In all there will be 1760 about 59 years ago, Namkhai Norbu and ASIA. The months passed Chamdo to board our place to line, a fax and a computer and print­ sq.m to be built on. Rinpoche was born. Opposite the quickly and in spite of many diffi­ Chendu. However as soon as we er. For this year we are planning to In the month of October we village of Geu there is a narrow val­ culties and thanks to the continual arrived we were told that they had buy a photocopier to make the work signed a contract with a Tibetan ley which rises up towards the diligence of Giorgio and Phuntsok canceled the flight for three months a little easier. In the house as regular construction company of Chamdo. famous mountain of Senghe the work went ahead well. In the and so since at Derge Dzong they residents are Phuntsok, Kunga This contract is about the construc­ Namdrak, a place sacred to tion of 800 sq.m at the cost of 885 Padmasambhava where the uncle of yuan per square meter. The money Namkhai Norbu Rinpoche. Togden that we received from the Italian Urgyen Tenzin, a great practitioner government will cover less than 900 of Dzogchen who left no body sq.m of construction and we have to behind at the end of his life, medi­ build on 860 more square meters; tated for many years. out of these 860 sq.m we are think­ Once we had decided to carry ing of building 260 sq.m together out an on-the-spot inspection of with the village in order to save Gamthog, we had to convince the some money. The remaining 600 authorities that the land at Jakardo sq.m will have to be built with a was not suitable for the project and company. This means that we have that Gamthog offered a greater to find $70,000us for the comple­ guarantee for the success of the pro­ tion of the hospital. Of these gram. After interminable discus­ $70,000us, $50,000us must be sions, consultations, inspections, found before September 1997, the and meetings, the local authorities rest during 1998. offered ASIA four hectares of land In February it is our intention to with some buildings which could be sign a second contract with the used for the completion of the same company for the remaining school and the hospital. In the 600 sq.m, so that the company can meantime, Tullio had returned to begin construction of the entire hos­ Italy and his place had been taken pital (1500 sq.m) in April, leaving by Tony Laurent. out the part that will be built by the While we were there, we went to village and the renovation of the old Khamdogar, the village of Rigzin few pauses from working for didn't give us the passes to cross Dorje, the brother of Jamyang hospital which will be postponed Chang Chub Dorje. Unfortunately ASIA, Phuntsok untiringly saw Sichuan, we left Jomdo with ASIA's Tsering, Tsepa, a girlfriend of until 1998. In this way, we can try to this was a critical and very difficult hundreds of patients a day offering jeep to reach Amdo. The team was Phuntsok, the driver Tashi and complete the construction of the moment for his community but in both her work and the medicine. In composed of Tashi, our driver, Giorgio. We have signed an agree­ main building of the hospital within spite of all the difficulties the prac­ the future a fund should be set up to Kunga Dorje, the brother of ment with the prefecture of Chamdo September 1997. As soon as the titioners there were trying to devel­ give the opportunity to Phuntsok to Jamyang Tsering, a Kenpo from and from them we have an official hospital is completed, we can begin op the activities begun in the period buy the medicine necessary for the Simda Gonpa and Tony and myself. document in which the prefecture purchasing the equipment and of their Master. The monastery and infinite number of patients that The road was a track of snow acknowledges that the school and arranging for the coming of two the retreat houses of the monks had come to her for cures. Meanwhile and ice passing through the village the hospital are officially part of the Western doctors as planned in the been mainly completed, the restruc­ Giorgio who found that dri's milk of Ayu Kandro. This village is locat­ educational and health system of the project approved by the Ministry of turing of the principal temple was curdles better than cow's milk set ed close to a river that flows by the prefecture. As a result of this the Foreign Affairs. The final choice of finished and the road from the vil­ up a small cheese factory and pro­ side of a mountain shaped like a tri­ cost of supporting the teachers will the doctor, the obstetrician and the lage of . Samdrobshang to duced the first and the best dri's angle. On a side of this mountain a be borne by the local authorities. analyst will be made in the coming Khamdogar was completed. cheese in the world which was very small monastery has been built We have created a committee to September in two interviews, one in However, in spite of all their efforts, much appreciated by us but not by where the tulku of Ayu Kandro oversee the project at the levels of Rome at ASIA and one in Milan at many things were still lacking. A the Tibetans who looked amazed lives. From there we continued our the prefecture, the county and the the COSV. Those selected will then printing shop has to be built in order while we ate it joyfully as we whis­ journey through Padma Shan, birth­ village. The members of the prefec­ have to follow a training course in to publish the texts of the Master pered, "you keep your tsampa and place of Drubchen Karma ture of Chamdo try to do their best Milan before leaving for Tibet. which at the moment are only on we'll eat our cheese". Namgyal, then we went through while at the county level things are We are aware that it is very risky wood blocks, a small generator With the arrival of the first snow Zigar Gonpa, the monastery of more difficult. At the village level to sign a contract without knowing must be constructed to bring elec­ at the end of November Tony and I Lama Wandor, reaching Simda after several meetings with the where the money will come from tricity to the village and a small went to Gamthog to solve some Gonpa and passing through chiefs of the villages of the xian and but because the situation in Chamdo school and hospital of traditional technical and bureaucratic problems Surmong, where the monastery of the chu, in the end we singled out a and Derge is very difficult and we medicine must be built where the that had arisen. One morning while Trungpa Rinpoche is. The main few people who had the intention to have created a lot of expectations in last experts of the medical system we were there in spite of the snow temple is in ruins. They told us that collaborate seriously with us and we the local people, we have decided to revealed by Rigzin Chang Chub and the intense cold we left to make the new tulku of Trungpa had been began working with them. At the go on with the hope that the collab­ Dorje can transmit their knowledge a circumambulation of Mt. Senghe found recently in Sichuan. From present moment the Jomda office is oration of everybody interested in to the young doctors of the village Namdrak. We went up to the place there we continued our journey closed. The project activities will the future of Tibet will allow us to and those who work in the hospital where Togden Rinpoche used to live passing through Yuxu then we resume after Losar when Giorgio find the necessary resources.The at Gamthog. The village committee at about 5000m and saw what is left crossed the upland plains of and Phuntsok return. work on the hospital began in presented a fairly articulated project Qinghai where we almost felt like of his retreat house on top of which THE HOSPITAL The hospital will October but the company only man­ to ASIA but unfortunately because we were dying of cold and where they have built another retreat house be built in the following way: the aged to excavate the foundations of of the lack of financing, this time we saw from afar for the first time where Sala Rinpoche meditated for main building is about 1500 square, the hospital because they had to we couldn't contribute very much. the famous Tibetan antelopes graz­ seven years. At the moment the meters and will house a casualty stop due to the cold. During this In order to continue the projects at ing. Perhaps the last living speci­ house is occupied by the son of department, consulting rooms, labo­ time the villages in the area cut 700 Khamdogar we need to collect at mens which have survived the ruth­ Nyima Tsering, the grandson of ratories for analysis, an x-ray cubic meters of wood for the hospi­ least $25,000us before the end of less hunting. We also understood Lama Sala, who has decided to live department, a children's ward and a tal and school. The county autho­ this year. Returning to Khamdogar after getting almost frozen why in retreat on this mountain for the ward for infectious diseases. It will rized the cutting of the wood and we carried out several inspections Tibet is called the "Land of Snows". rest of his life. Right at the top of the be built partly in concrete and part­ then sold the wood to us without of the villages of the county even After days of hard travel we arrived mountain at a place indicated by ly in bricks and wood and the work applying the government taxes. The going to the areas inhabited by at Qabcha and from there to Xining Togden Rinpoche several retreat will be executed by a local compa­ villagers of the eighteen villages nomads in order to study the possi­ and then Dangche from where at the houses, a college for practice and ny. In the original project the x-ray that refer to Gamthog transported bility of assistance. In August Tony end of the month of December we residences for the monks have been department was not included but we the wood up to the village where it continued on next page

H will be sawn so that it can be used During this time we set up a com­ sufficient to have $40.000us. acknowledgment of our project. The 3) to organize shows, conferences, for the construction of the two build­ mittee in the village with the people GALENTENG While we were prefecture has undertaken together slide projections and screening of ings as well as for the furniture of who seemed more trustworthy. there in December, we signed a col­ with us to supply all the equipment films on Tibet; 4) to give informa­ the school and health center. In Chengdu we bought a truck laboration agreement with Derge necessary for the school, to select tion on the various activities of THE SCHOOL We are a little late that we gave for use to a young Dzong to build a primary school the teachers and pay their salaries. ASIA through newspaper articles, with the school. During our last mis­ Tibetan in the village who has from the 1st to the 6th class and a They told us that this school is con­ interviews, documentaries; 5) to sion we carried out a very precise undertaken to give us back all the small hospital at the xian level, in sidered the most important school offer the medical equipment needed survey of the land and the old build­ money plus a small amount of inter­ the village of Galenteng, residence for the minorities in all Qinghai. The to complete the hospital in Gamthog ings offered to ASIA by the local est in about eight months. We of the famous master Jamyang province of Qinghai, the Office for (x-ray machines, delivery room, administration. Tony and Tullio are agreed with the company which will Kyentse, Namkhai Norbu the Minorities of Qinghai and the operating room, pediatrics, analyses preparing the new drawings for the build the hospital that this truck will Rinpoche's uncle. In Galenteng prefecture of Qabcha have decided etc.). If anybody is able to supply school which will be sent to the con­ carry out all the transportation of the there is a lot of work to do, the to invite Rinpoche officially and this kind of equipment we can pro­ struction department in Chamdo for concrete and iron bars from monastery, the temple and the house have organized a series of confer­ vide them with a very detailed list. the preparation of the blueprints in Chengdu to Gamthog so that the of Jamyang Kyentze need urgent ences on Tibetan culture and medi­ Since this is a government project, Chinese, after which we will have to truck driver will have some work renovation. The people of the vil­ cine at the University of Xinihg. we need a letter of intent from the arrange for a tender and then sign a guaranteed to accelerate the process lage are eager to start working but During the meetings with the local would-be donors in which they contract with a company to begin of getting the money back. unfortunately for this project, too, representative of IFAD they under­ declare that they undertake to sup­ work in the spring. Then we decided to buy a saw to we have no funds at all. Some of the lined their interest in including ply the equipment free of charge, The project is for the construc­ cut the wood needed for the con­ works need to be done before ASIA in the construction of 5 out of but not including the cost of trans­ tion of ten school rooms on the struction of the hospital and school. Rinpoche's visit, planned for this 48 schools for Tibetans planned in portation to the final destination model of Dangche. The school­ This saw will be given for use to six summer. An advance to initiate the their project. We have received sev­ which will be taken care of by rooms are for the didactic activities individuals who will repay us in project will have to be deposited eral requests by local counties and ASIA: 6) to collaborate in identify­ of the children while the offices for about two years. Concerning the with the village in the spring. To many people insist that ASIA ing foundations, public and private the teachers and the principal will be institutions, individual sponsors, adapted from the old buildings interested in supporting the activity which are to be renovated. The of our association; 7) to take part in school will be a primary school with the drafting and presentation of the classes from the 1st to the 6th level. projects to the financing institutions: The first two classes will share the 8) to take part in the daily activities same classroom and will be only for of the ASIA office: children of Gamthog and a few 9) donations; 10) interest free loans. neighboring villages, while the 3rd, Address and bank accounts 4th, 5th and 6th classes will have A.S.I.A. (Associazione per la two classrooms each because they Solidarietà Intemazionale in Asia) will receive all the children of the Via S. Erasmo 12, 00184 Rome. villages having schools only up to Italy. Tel: 0039-6-77200880; the third year. The dormitories for fax 0039-6-77205944 the teachers, the children, the Email: [email protected] kitchens and the bathrooms will be Web page: built partly in the traditional village www.mclink.it/com/makros/asia Bank: Monte dei Paschi di Siena: way using wood and mud. no. 3893.50; cab:72160;abi:01030; For the school the situation is not swift code:pascitmma, easy, either. The Italian government Arcidosso, 58031 GR, Italy gave us only $75,000us. To com­ Postal account: no.89549000 plete the school we need another $60,000us for a total of $135,000us. cultural projects, the money given begin this project we need at least widens the scope of its projects. The This is the end of Part One. Part Our idea is to sign the contract in will not be returned. So we decided S20,000us that have to be added to new schools will be smaller and Two, Sponsorship, will be continued February with the construction com­ to give two of the eight million we those above mentioned. linked to the school of Dangche in next-issue. • pany for the 10 classrooms in con­ have at our disposal to Simda Gonpa DANGCHE At Dangche things are which will become the main center crete so that we can complete the to pay a Khempo disciple of Jigme going fairly well. Up to now we for cultural and technical education classrooms together with the hospi­ Phuntsok to go to Simda for one have finished the construction of 12 in the whole prefecture. The repre­ Where Stars Fell tal before October 1997. The year to complete the classes for the classrooms, 20 rooms for the teach­ sentatives of the European, interna­ continued from page I remaining part of the school, that is young Khempos of the monastery. ers, 22 rooms for the children, the tional and national organizations the bathrooms, the kitchens, the Then we made a small donation to kitchen, the refectory, the watch­ confirmed that they will take part in the powerful practice of Chod every refectory and dormitory will be built the monastery of Senghe Namdrak. man's rooms, the room for the fire the inauguration of the school. evening. The retreat had a strong in 1998. Anyway to complete the We asked the Gonpa of Jakardo to and boiler, the storerooms and three FINANCLAL SITUATION In spite of manifestation of harmony and joy classrooms before October 1997 we present a small project that we will big bathrooms. All this work has the immense difficulties that we had inside and out. need at least $40,000us of the try to finance. been completed and paid for. We to face this year, thanks to the con­ The New Year was welcomed in $60,000us that are lacking. We are also investigating as part have signed new contracts in order tinual engagement of a small group by a great feast and festival with lots To sum up, to complete the main of these cultural projects, one for the to construct the main building of the of people, ASIA is trying to be true of salutations, songs and dances well building of the hospital and the main publication of a series of episodes of school which will be on two floors to promise they gave to Namkhai into the night in typical exhuberant building of the school before the Gesar epic which an old local to be used for village meetings and Norbu Rinpoche in 1988, the year and warm Argentine fashion, with October 1997, we have to find man recites by heart. The project for gatherings and performances of this organization was founded. performances of traditional folk $90,000us. . includes the transcription of these the children, a new bathroom, the Unfortunately our real enemy is dance and, of course, the tango. MICROPROJECTS In this plan we tales and their publication. floors for the school, planting of time that passes too quickly while Often heard through the air dur­ have to build not only the school and Another project that we are trees and gardening and the main the situation in the region where we ing the afternoons were the cries and the hospital but we have to execute studying is about the creation of a gate of the school. All this will have are working is worsening every laughter coming from the swim­ small projects as well to develop the small factory of traditional medicine to be completed before the 20th of hour. This is the reason why we are ming pool, another dispensary of the economical, social and cultural con­ in Gamthog. The village has given June, the date fixed by Rinpoche for trying to complete as many projects teachings, as Rinpoche played hour ditions of the population of the vil­ ASIA a big bam used in the past as the inauguration. as possible and why our requests for after hour with the willing develop­ lage of Gamthog. For the economi­ a storeroom for cereals. It is a space To finish the works in Dangche help are becoming more and more ing the Tashigame of madly diving cal and social projects we are setting of about 800 sq.m to be completely within the first week of June we pressing and demanding. This year after small balls passed from person up a "rotating" fund. How does this renovated. The structure is ideal for have to find $30,000us which, in order to complete only some of to person or one could opt for fund work? The village committee a factory of traditional medicine. added to those needed for Gamthog. the projects described above in this watching the jumping deities as per­ elected by the assembly of the vil­ This factory could give work to the bring our debt to $120,000us. This article, we will have to raise at least formed by generous disciples. All lage selects projects following the women of the village who would amount does not include the funds $250.000us. S120.000US within this activity was unfairly taunting suggestions of the people meant to gather the medicinal plants and to needed for Khamdogar, Galenteng June 1997. It is our hope that with the dedicated students preparing for help the needy. Once the project and many others who would work in the and the medicine factory in the participation and collaboration of the base level Santi Maha Sangha the people interested in carrying it preparation and packaging of the Dangche. The village committee has all the people forming the Dzogchen exam that was given one week after out have been selected, the commit­ medicines. The quality control become very active and they have Community and of all those who the retreat ended. Nineteen partici­ tee gives a loan to this group of peo­ would be done by the doctors of the understood very well that they have take to heart Tibet and its people, we pants attended the training: as well ple without interest or with a very hospitals of Gamthog, Khamdogar to develop the microprojects to will once again be able to pass as finally having the possibility to low interest rate. The group receiv­ and Simda Gonpa, under the super­ improve the living conditions in the through this difficult moment. participate in the 'swimming pool ing the money allocated for the pro­ vision of Phuntsok. With the rev­ village and to find the money to To make as clear as possible how teachings' as an adjunct. There were ject, undertakes to give it back to the • enues from the sale of the medicines maintain the school. They are one can collaborate, we list below three younger participants who sat committee within a certain period of it would be possible to finance the preparing several economic projects some of the ways open to every­ for the base level exam of Santi time. At that moment, the people development of the health center in which will be presented to ASIA this body's participation: 1 ) to become a Maha Sangha for children become owners of the equipment Gamthog and the start of many other summer during Rinpoche's visit. member of ASIA with a minimum Tashigar. Lucky and auspicious. and animals purchased for the pro­ microprojects. Naturally to initiate On the part of the provincial subscription of SSO.OOOus per year: Full and lush and wann of spirit. ject and the committee gets back the this activity we have to find the government, the prefecture and the 2) to organize points of sales in the Thank you everyone I May you and money to finance another project. funds. In the initial phase it will be county, there is a lot of support and various cities for our ASIA articles: the teachings continue to flourish! •

THE MIRROR FEBRUARY/MARCH 1997 9 FIRE OX Y EAR 2 124

1st Month, 25th day Tue. 4th Guru Padmasambhava so try to do chub Dorje, the main Master of March 1997 This is the anniver­ the Long-life practice "Universal Namkhai Norbu Rinpoche. He dis­ sary of the lady Master Ayu Kadro, Wisdom Union" early in the morn­ covered the Terma "Tsedrub so it is good to do the Agar Lama'i ing or at sunset. If you have the Gongdus" which two of his disci­ Naljyor and since this is a Dakini possibility it is beneficial to com­ ples, Ayu Khadro and Changchub day in general it is a good day to bine this with a practice of Dorje, transmitted to Namkhai reinforce our energy. Try to do a Ganapuja collectively. Norbu Rinpoche. Therefore you should try to do this Long-life prac­ Ganapuja with the transformation 3rd month, 15th day Tue. 22nd tice, "Tsedrub Gongdus", "Union into the Dakini Simhamuka. April 1997 FULL MOON. This is of Primordial Essences". The time 1st Month, 29th day Sat. 8th one of the best days for Long-life to do it is the early moming. Later IS BEST TO DO THESE March 1997 DARK MOON practices, and in particular for the "...IT practices collectively with in the day or in the evening you (There is no 30th day this month). practice of the "Union of your Vajra Brothers and Sisters (at the recommend­ can do the Guruyoga of the White This is a good day to do Namchos Primordial Essences". It is best to A, Agar Lama'i Naljyor". ed times), but if this is not possible you can do them Shitroi Naljyor, the practice of the do it early in the morning if you can. This is also the anniversary of personally whenever you have free time. The impor­ Peaceful and Wrathful 5th Month, 1st day Fri. 6th June Manifestations, either collectively the day when Buddha Sakyamuni 1997 This is the anniversary of tant thing is to try to communicate with all practi­ or personally. first gave the teaching of mChog-gyur gLing-pa (1829-1870) Kalachakra so it is good to do a a Nyingmapa Master of Dzogchen, tioners linked with the same transmission. In this 2nd Month, 6th day Fri. 14th Ganapuja or Long Tun in the . one of the most important Rimed March 1997 This is an important way you develop the potentiality of your transmis­ evening. masters of the XlXCentury. Try to day for the practice of Ekajati, so do a practice of Agar Lama'i sion and your understanding and capacity to inte­ try to do a Long or Medium Tun in 3rd Month, 25th day Fri. 2nd Naljyor. grate your daily life into practice ..." the usual way, reciting the heart May 1997 This is a Dakini day as mantra of Ekajati as many times as well as the anniversary of the fifth 5th Month, 10th day Sun. 15th Choegyal Namkhai Norbu possible. Dalai Lama, a great Terton and June 1997 Though many masters practitioner of Dzogchen, so it is a 2nd Month, 10th day Tue. 18th affirm that the date of the anniver­ good day to practise Agar Lama'i he most important thing Amsterdam*, Stockholm*, March 1997 This is a special day sary of the 'birth' of Naljyor, Guru Yoga with White A we can do to help main­ Geneva*, Salzburg*, of Guru Padmasambhava, so try to Padmasambhava is the tenth day of in the moming and Ganapuja with Ttain the good health of our Slovenia*, Slovakia*, perform a Ganapuja collectively, the sixth month of the Tibetan cal­ an intensive practice of Ekajati in precious master, Choegyal Schaldming, Belgrade*, but if that is not possible do the endar, the great master Jig-med the evening. Namkhai Norbu, is to keep our Bosnia Hercegovina*, Long-life practice Universal Ling-pa confirms that the tenth day samaya as pure as possible and to Lisbon*, Brussels*, Wisdom Union. 3rd Month, 30th day Tue. 6th correct all errors by performing Budapest*, Johannesburg, 2nd Month, 12th day Thür. 20th May 1997 DARK MOON. This is Ganapuja with our Vajra Brothers Istanbul, Sofia, Bucharest March 1997 This is the anniver­ a particularly good day for practis­ and Sisters. 06:00 Moscow, Nairobi, sary of Jetsun Dragpa Gyaltsen . ing the Purification of the Six Tashkent, Kuwait City, (1147-1216), one of the first great Lokas. As it is also the anniversary GLOBAL TIMETABLE: Cairo*, Helsinki*, Masters of the Sakyapa tradition, so of the great Terton and Dzogchen Anniversary of Padmasambhava: Jerusalem*, Athens*, try to do the Guruyoga Agar Master Sangyas Lingpa, try to do Sunday 15th of June 1997 Beirut*, Vilnius* Lama'i Naljyor, the Guruyoga of the Agar Lama'i Naljyor. 06:30 Teheran TIME CHART, 8:00 AM ODDIYANA the White A. 4th Month, 6th & 8th days Mon. 07:00 Mauritius, Bagdad* JUNE 14,15 12th May & Wed. 14th May 1997 07:30 Kabul 2nd Month, 15th day Sun. 23rd Saturday, 14 June, 1997 These are important days for the 08:00 Islamabad, ODDIYANA March 1997 FULL MOON. This 17:00 Honolulu, Aleutian Islands practice of Ekajati, so try to do a / 08:30 New Delhi, Bombay, is one of the best days for Long-life 18:00 Long or Medium Tun in the usual Calcutta practices and in particular the prac­ 19:00 Fairbanks*, Nome*, • way, reciting the heart mantra of 08:45 Kathmandu 09:00 Bhutan, tice of Union of Primordial Anchorage* Ekajati as many times as possible. Kyrgyzstan* Essences. The best time for this 20:00 San Francisco*, LA*, 09:30 Rangoon 10:00 Bankok, practice is from 7 to 8 o'clock in 4th month, 7th day Tue. 13th Vancouver*, Seattle* Saigon, Jakarta, the moming. May 1997 This is the anniversary 21:00 Salt Lake City*, Pagosa Kazakhstan* 2nd Month, 20th day Sat. 29th of the birth of Buddha Springs*, Mexico City, 11:00 Beijing, Singapore, Ulan March 1997 This is the anniver­ Shakyamuni, an important day for Edmonton*, Phoenix*, Bator, Lhasa, Hong Kong, sary of the great Dzogchen Master all Buddhists, so try to a Denver* Manila, Taiwan, Perth, Do Gyaltsen Yeshes Dorje (born Ganapuja with your Vajra broth­ of the fifth month according to the 22:00 Quito, Lima, Kingston, ers and sisters. Shanghai, Lake 1800), a disciple of the first Do Tibetan calendar is the anniversary Havana, Nassau, Chicago*, Manasarovar, Kuala Drub Chen Rinpoche and a master 4th Month, 10th day Fri. 16th of the birth of Padmasambhava. Dallas^ Lumpur of Nyagla Padma Duddul. It is and Sat 17th May 1997 This This year, when it is 8.00 am in 23:00 Caracas, Washington DC*, 12:00 Tokyo, Seoul, Ulan Ude* therefore a good day to do Agar month the 10th day is doubled so Oddiyana, on Sun. 15th June, we Barbados, Asuncion, Tanti, 12:30 Uluru (NT), Darwin, Lama'i Naljyor, the Guruyoga with one can choose which day to cele­ Dzogchen practitioners all over the Santiago, Caracus, New Adelaide 13:00 the White A. brate the special day of Guru world will perform the practice of York*, Montreal*, Vladivostok, Brisbane, Padmasambhava. If you can, try to Guruyoga with Tundrin or Ottawa*, Detroit*, 2nd Month, 25th day Wed. 2nd - Sydney, Melbourne, do a Ganapuja, otherwise you can Tungyas, according to our opportu­ Atlanta*, Toronto*, April 1997 This is a Dakini day so Tasmania do the Long-life practice try to do a Ganapuja with your nities, and those who have the pos­ "Universal Wisdom Union". Sunday, 15 June, 1997 13:30 14:00 Kamchatka Vajra Brothers and Sisters. sibility can also add Ganapuja. 00:00 Buenos Aires, Bermuda* 15:00 Fiji, Wellington 2nd Month, 30th day Mon. 7th 4th Month, 15th day Thu. 22nd SEE THE UNIVERSAL TIMETABLE 01:00 16:00 April 1997 DARK MOON. On May 1997 FULL MOON. This is 5th Month, 14th day Thu. 19th 02:00 Rio de Janeiro, San Paulo, * means that the shown time this day, which is the birthday of the anniversary of the Paranirvana June 1997 This is an important Capo Verde has been adjusted due to local day­ the great Terton Loter Wangpo, try of Buddha Sakyamuni, as well as day for the practice of Ekajati, so 03:00 GMT, London, Reykjavic, light saving time/summer time. to do the Agar Lama'i Naljyor, an important day for the Long-life try to do a Long or Medium Tun in Tanger 04:00 Dublin*, This information came from Guruyoga of the White A. practice "Cycle of Life's Vajra". the usual way, reciting the heart Glasgow* http://www.stud.unit.no/USER Therefore try to do this practice mantra of Ekajati as many times as 05:00 Rome*, Paris*, Madrid*, 3rd Month 3rd day Thun 10th BIN/steffent/verdensur.pl and http: early in the morning, and in the possible. Berlin*, Warsaw*, Oslo*, April 1997 On this anniversary of //tycho.usno.navy.mil/tzones.html. afternoon or evening do a Karma Pakshi, a great Master of 5th Month, 15th day Fri. 20th Prague*, Vienna*, Ganapuja. Copenhagen*, the Karma Kagyud and a Dzogchen June 1997 FULL MOON. This is practitioner, it is beneficial to pra- 4th Month, 25th day Sat. 31st a special day for the Long-life tise the Agar Lamai Naljyor collec­ May 1997 Dakini day. This is the practice of Amitayus, so you can tively if possible but otherwise anniversary of Ngor Chen (a great do the Long-life practice "Union alone. Master of the Shakyapa tradition of Primordial Essences" early in and initiator of the Ngor lineage), 3rd Month, 4th day Fri. 11th the morning. If you cannot do it at therefore it is a good day to do the April 1997 This is an important that time, it is still good to do it Guruyoga Agar Lama'i Naljyor, day for the practice of Ekajati, so later in the day. It is also the collectively if possible or other­ try to do a Long or Medium Tun in 'Dzam-gling spyi-bsang (Lit. wise alone. the usual way, reciting the heart smoke puja of the world in gener­ mantra of Ekajati as many times as 4th Month, 30th day Thu. 5th al) so if you know how to do it, possible. June 1997 DARK MOON. This you can do the Sanqod (bsang- day is the anniversary of Nyag-la mchod) in the morning. 3rd Month, 10th day Thu. 17th Pema Dud-'dul (1816-1872). He April 1997 This is a special day of 5th Month, 24th day Sun. 29th was one of the Masters of Chang- June 1997 There is no 25th day

10 SPECIAL P RACTICE C ALENDAR

this month so we celebrate Dakini it is beneficial to add the Ganapuja. was the consort of the great Terton day on the 24th. This is an impor­ Double 5th Month, 30th day Sun. Guru Chowang. It is also a very tant day for the practice of Ekajati, 3rd Aug. 1997 DARK MOON. special day of Guru so try to do a Long or Medium Tun This is a day for purification prac­ Padmasambhava. Therefore it is an in the usual way, reciting the heart tices. It is best to do the ideal day to do Agar Lama'i mantra of Ekajati as many times as Purification of the Six Lokas either Naljyor in the morning and a possible. If you have the possibility collectively or alone, preferably in Ganapuja and Long-life practice it is beneficial to add the Ganapuja. the early morning. Otherwise you associated with Padmasambhava, "Universal Wisdom Union" later in 5th Month, 30th day Fri. 4th July can do a Medium or Short Tun. Longchenpa and to the third to your possibilités, early in the the day. Karmapa, and of Rigzin Tsewang morning and in the evening a 1997 DARK MOON. This is a day 6th Month, 4th day Thu. 7th Norbu (1698-1755), a great Ganapuja. for purification practices. It is best Aug. 1997 This is the anniversary 7th Month, 15th day Tue. 16th Dzogchen master of the to do the Purification of the Six of the Dharmachakra (the first Sept. 1997 FULL MOON. This is 9th Month, 22nd day Fri. 21st Nyingmapa school. It is therefore Lokas either collectively or alone, turning of the Wheel of the the anniversary of Tsarchen Losal Nov. 1997 This day is the impor­ an excellent day to do Agar preferably in the early morning. Dharma): the first time that Gyatso and Padma Karpo, a famous tant celebration of Buddha Lama'i Naljyor, the Guruyoga Otherwise you can do a Medium or Buddha Shakyamuni gave the 17th century Drugpa Kargyupa Shakyamuni's descent to earth with the White A. If you can do Short Tun. teaching of the Four Noble Truths Master. Therefore it is an excellent from the realms of the Divinities. it in the morning, that is best. to his disciples at Sarnath, after day to practise Agar Lama'i It is called "Lha bab dus chen". THIS YEAR THE FIFTH MONTH IS Then, if you have the time, you his illumination. To honor the Naljyor, the Guruyoga with the the Great Time of the Descent of DOUBLE IN THE TIBETAN CALENDAR can do a Medium or Long Tun Lord Buddha on this special day White A early in the morning if pos­ the Divinities. It is an ideal day to Double 5th Month, 1st day Sat. later in the day, with an intense you can do a Ganapuja with your sible, or later in the evening when do a Ganapuja with your Vajra 5th July 1997 This is the anniver­ practice of Simhamuka, or a Vajra brothers and sisters. you are free. It is also an excellent brothers and sisters. If there are sary of mChog-gyur gLing-pa day for the Long-life practice of the Ganapuja, if you have the possi­ none nearby, you can do a Short (1829-1870) a Nyingmapa Master 6th Month, 10th day Wed 13th Dakini Mandarava, with a Ganapuja bility. or Medium Tun on your own. of Dzogchen, one of the most Aug. 1997 This is a special day of if you have the possibility. This month the 27th day is dou­ important Rimed masters of the Padmasambhava and also the 9th Month, 25th day Mon. 24th bled. 8th Month, 27th day Mon. XIX Century. Try to do a practice anniversary of Yeshe Tsogyal the 7th Month 19th day Sat. 20th Nov. 1997 This is a Dakini day 27th Oct. and Tues. 28th Oct. of Akar Lama'i Naljyor. main consort and disciple of Sept. 1997 This is an important and the anniversary of the very 1997 This is an important day for Padmasambhava so if you have day for the practice of Ekajati, so important Dzogchen master Double 5th Month, 10th day Tue. the practice of Ekajati, so try to do the possibility, it is beneficial to do try to do a Long or Medium Tun Adzam Drugpa (1842-1924). He 15th July 1997 This is a special a Long or Medium Tun in the a Ganapuja together with your in the usual way, reciting the heart was a disciple of Jamyang day of Padmasambhava so it is usual way, reciting the heart Vajra Brothers and Sisters, if not mantra of Ekajati as many times Kyentse Wangpo and a master of mantra of Ekajati as many times you can practise Guruyoga with as possible. some of Namkhai Norbu as possible. Rinpoche's masters, including Padmasambhava and the Long-life 7th Month, 25th day Fri. 26th Changchub Dorje and Ayu Kadro. practice "Universal Wisdom Sept. 1997 This is a Dakini day 8th Month, 30th day Fri He was also a previous incarna­ Union". and also the anniversary of Pagmo 31stOct. 1997 DARK MOON. tion of Namkhai Norbu Rinpoche. Drugpa ( 1110-1170), the chief dis­ This day is excellent for practising 6th Month, 14th day Sun. 17th It is therefore a very important ciple of Gampopa. Try to do a the "Purification of the Six Aug. 1997 This is the anniversary day to practise Agar Lama'i Ganapuja together with your Vajra Lokas". Otherwise you can do the of the third Karmapa, Rangjung Naljyor, the Guruyoga with the sisters and brothers. If there are no Medium or Long Tun. Dorje (1284-1339), a famous White A, according to your possi­ other practitioners nearby, you can 9th Month, 3rd day Mon. 3rd master of Dzogchen Upadesa. On bilities. do a Medium Tun on your own. In this day it is good to do Agar Nov. 1997 This is the anniversary either case, when you transform Lama'i Naljyor, Guruyoga with of Rigzin Jigmed Lingpa (1729- 9th Month, 30th day Sat. 29th yourself into the Dakini the White A. 1798), a great Dzogchen master Nov. 1997 DARK MOON. This Simhamuka, recite her heart mantra who was the author of many is a good day to do "Namchos 6th Month, 15th day Mon. 18th as much as possible and then do an books, among which is the Shitroi Naljyor", the Yoga of the Aug. 1997 FULL MOON. This is intensive practice of Ekajati. Longchen Nyingthig, which he Peaceful and Wrathful the anniversary of Gampopa, the wrote after having contact with Manifestations, in the morning. main disciple of Milarepa. 7th Month, 30th day Wed. 1st Longchenpa through visions. It is also an important day for the Therefore it is an excellent day to Oct. 1997 DARK MOON. This Therefore, on this important day, practice of Ekajati, so try to do a do Agar Lama'i Naljyor, Guruyoga day is ideal for purification prac­ you should try to do Agar Lama'i Long or Medium Tun in the with the White A. It is also a good tices. Try to do either the Naljyor, the Guruyoga with the usual way. reciting the heart day to do the Long-life practice of "Purification of the Six Lokas" or White A. mantra of Ekajati as many times Amitayus, "Union of Primordial the "Namchos Shitroi Naljyor", the as possible. The best time for beneficial to do a Ganapuja togeth­ Essences". Yoga of the Peaceful and Wrathful 9th Month, 9th day Sun. 9th this practice is around eight er with your Vajra Brothers and Manifestations, either collectively Nov. 1997 There is no 10th day in 6th Month, 25th day Wed. 27th o'clock in the evening. Sisters, if not you can practise or on your own. this month so we celebrate the day Aug. 1997 This is a Dakini day, so Guruyoga with Padmasambhava of Gum Padmasambhava on the 10th Month, 10th day Tue. 9th it is a positive day for reinforcing 8th Month, 10th day Sat. 11th and the Long-life practice 9th day. This is the anniversary of Dec. 1997 This is a special day of the function of our energy and cre­ Oct. 1997 This is a very special "Universal Wisdom Union". the 16th Gyalwang Karmapa and Guru Padmasambhava. therefore ating a vital contact with the energy day of Guru Padmasambhava, also the anniversary of Terton do a Ganapuja with the Guruyoga Double 5th Month, 14th day Sat. of the universe by doing a therefore do a Ganapuja with the Tsogyal, a previous reincarnation and the Long-life practice of Guru 19th July 1997 This is an impor­ Ganapuja with our Vajra sisters and Guruyoga and the Long-life prac­ of Sogyal Rinpoche and discoverer Padmasambhava "Universal tant day for the practice of Ekajati, brothers. If there are no other prac­ tice of Guru Padmasambhava of many Termas. It is therefore a Wisdom Union" collectively. so try to do a Long or Medium Tun titioners nearby you can do a "Universal Wisdom Union" collec­ good day to do the Long-life prac­ Otherwise you can do a Medium in the usual way, reciting the heart Medium Tun on your own. In tively. Otherwise you can do a tice of Guru Padmasambhava Tun on your own. mantra of Ekajati as many times as either case, when you transform Medium Tun on your own. "Universal Wisdom Union", which possible. into the Dakini Simhamuka, recite 10th Month 11th day Wed. 10th 8th Month, 15th day Thu 16th is included in the Medium or Long her heart mantra as many times as Dec. 1997 This is an important Double 5th Month, 15th day Sun. Oct. 1997 FULL MOON. This is Tun. You can do this in the usual possible. day for the practice of Ekajati, so 20th July 1997 FULL MOON. an important day to do the Long- way or, if you have the possibility, life practice of Amitayus. "Union try to do a Long or Medium Tun This is a special day for the Long- 6th Month, 30th day Mon 1st you can do a Ganapuja. of Primordial Essences". It is best in the usual way, reciting the heart life practice of Amitayus, so you Sept.1997 DARK MOON. This is to do it early in the morning , but if 9th Month, 15th day Fri. 14th mantra of Ekajati as many times can do the Longrlife practice a very important day to do purifica­ you cannot it is still good if you Nov. 1997 FULL MOON. This is as possible. "Union of Primordial Essences" tion practices, especially the can do it later in the day or a good day to do the Long-life early in the morning. If you cannot "Purification of the Six Lokas". If We'll continue the special evening. - practice of Amitayus, "Union of do it at that time, it is still good to you have the chance, you can also practices in the next issue. do it later in the day. It is also the Primordial Essences", either col­ The Mirror do a Short, Medium or Long Tun. 8th Month, 19th day Sun. 19th 'Dzam-gling spyi-bsang (Lit. lectively or personally according 7th Month, 9th day Thu. 11th Oct. 1997 This is an important smoke puja of the world in general) Sept. 1997 This is an important day day for the practice of Ekajati, so so if you know how to do it, you for the practice of Ekajati, so try to try to do a Long or Medium Tun can do the Sanqod (bsang-mchod) in the usual way. reciting the heart in the morning. do a Long or Medium Tun in the mantra of Ekajati as many times usual way, reciting the heart mantra as possible. Double 5th Month, 25th day Tue. of Ekajati as many times as possi­ 29th July 1997 This is an impor­ ble. 8th Month, 25th day Sat. 25th tant day for the practice of Ekajati, 7th Month, 10th day Fri. 12th Oct. 1997 This is a Dakini day, so try to do a Long or Medium Tun Sept. 1997 This is the anniversary and also the anniversary of two in the usual way, reciting the heart of Jomo Menmo (1248-1283), a great Dzogchen masters, Rigzin mantra of Ekajati as many times as very famous woman Terton, rein­ Kumaraja, who transmitted the possible. If you have the possibility carnation of Yeshes Tsogyal. She Dzogchen teachings to

THE MIRROR FEBRUAR Y/MARCH 199 7 II Preliminary explanations which one should avoid embarking Astrology is one of the ten minor on a journey and all positive activi­ Tibetan arts. There are two types of Prognosis for the Tibetan ties such as building a house, etc. astrology, Kami, regarding lunar The "empty" or unfavorable astrology and Jungsi. Astrology is a days of every Tibetan month handbook to use in daily life and it is Fire Ox Year 1997-98 Tib. date 1,11,21 Unfavorable the core of the Tibetan tradition. It for inviting guests 2,12,22 regards the cosmology and move­ Unfavorable for business. 3,13,23 ment of planets according to the way to determine yearly events days of the Fire Ox year end of the month the Empty Vase is Unfavorable days for children to be Kalachakra tantra. Since ancient using the metaphor of an ox, a shep­ Note: the Empty Vase signifies in the East. bom. 4,14,24 Unfavorable for wag­ times Tibetan scholars have exam­ herd and a dragon. In Tibet it is misfortune so whenever one does The predominant elements of the ing war 5,15,25 Unfavorable for ined the movement of planets and widely used by local farmers and auspicious ceremonies it is better 7th month are Fire-Water. The 27th friends or talking about friends from this movement they have nomads, however, it is well-known not to face in the direction of the day of the 7th month (September 6,16,26 Unfavorable for building a deduced the trends and events for that this prognosis gives useful Empty Vase. 28th) is a black day. From the 26th house 7,17,27 Unfavorable for get­ each year. So this is a very special advice on the nature of a particular A "black month" or a "black day of the 7th month (September ting married 8,18,28 Unfavorable unique method. One of the first year which is relevant to everybody day" means that these periods are 27th) to the end of the month the for carrying out a funeral 9,19,29 Tibetan calendars was the Sakyapa on our planet. It is clear, makes use not positive for starting any impor­ Empty Vase is in the South. unfavorable for celebrating the calendar, calculated hundreds of of simple words and is easy to tant projects. The predominant element of the anniversary of the dead 10,20,30 years ago. After that there was the understand. The first Tibetan month is a black 8th month is Fire. The 10th day of Unfavorable days in general in Minling calendar of the Nyingmapa This year flowers, plants and month. Its predominant elements are the 8th month (October 11th) is a which one should take care. " and after that the calendar created by cereals will grow abundantly and Earth-Air. The 21st day of the 1st black day. From the 27th day of the TABLE OF INDIVIDUAL DAYS the Tibetan Medical and well. There will also be a similar month (February 28th) is a black 8th month (October 27th) to the end Astrological College near Lhasa. of the month the Empty Vase is in growth in economic wealth. In gen­ day. From the 19th of the 1st month BIRTH YEAR DAY OF SO<; This same college currently pro­ eral people will be happy. Since the (February 26th) to the end of the the West. Mouse Tues. duces many different types of calen­ second, the fifth, the eighth and the month the Empty Vase is in the West. The predominant elements of the Ox Wed. dars, both long and short. This brief eleventh Tibetan months of the year The predominant elements of the 9th month are Earth-Fire. The 20th Tiger Sat. prognosis has been extracted for are very inauspicious, they will 2nd month are Fire-Water. The 8th day of the 9th month (November Hare Sat. those who have no time or capacity bring diseases linked to the "hot" day of the 2nd month (March 16th) 19th) is a black day. From the 27th Dragon Wed. to read the long explanations. nature. While it will be a prosperous is a black day. From the 20th of the day of the 9th month (November Snake Fri. and healthy year for children, in 2nd month (March 29th) to the end 26th) to the end of the month the General explanation about the Horse Fri. general adults will encounter some of the month the Empty Vase is in Empty Vase is in the North. Fire Ox year Sheep Mon. problems and old people may meet the East. The predominant elements of the In Sanskrit 1997 is called Monkey Thür. even greater difficulties. The predominant elements of the 10th month are Earth-Water. The "Ishwara", in Chinese it is called Bird Thür. 3rd month are Fire-Water. The 16th 30th day ef the 10th month Hing Chu and in Tibetan we call it Particular aspects according to Dog Wed. day of the 3rd month (April 23rd) is (December 29th) is a black day. "me-mo-lang", which is the Female one's birth year. Pig Tue. Fire Ox. In particular the life ele­ Those who are bom in the year a black day. From the 20th of the 3rd From the 28th day of the 10th month DAY OF LA DAY OF XED ment of this year is in earth, the of the Ox which is the animal of this month (April 27th) to the end of the (December 27th) to the end of the Wed. Sat. body and the fortune elements of the year may meet obstacles this year. month the Empty Vase is in the East. month the Empty Vase is in the East. Sat. Thür. year are in water and the power or These people should avoid negative The predominant elements of . The predominant elements of the Thür. Fri. capacity of the year is in fire. The situations such as visiting sick peo­ the 4th month are Fire-Air. The 11 th month are Earth-Water. The 7th Thür. Fri. planetary configuration of the year ple and should avoid undertaking 24th day of the 4th month (May day of the 11 th month (January 5th, Sun. Thür. involves nine planets in the center of construction work. They should 30th) is a black day. From the 21st 1998) is a black day. From the 28th Tues. Wed. which there are three mewa. This is carry out virtuous actions and dedi­ of the 4th month (May 28th) to the day of the 11th month (January Tues. Wed. the year of three elements. cate themselves to long-life practice, end of the month the Empty Vase is 26th, 1998) to the end of the month the Empty Vase is in the South. Fri. Thür. Although there will be many inviting the life force "la" with in the South. Fri. Tues. unfortunate signs this year, scholars pujas, and also call up wealth This year the 5th Tibetan month The predominant elements of Fri. Tues. and educated people will have through pujas. is a double month. The predomi­ the 12th month are Earth-Water. Mon. Thür. opportunities for advancement. It Those born in the year of the nant element of the first 5th month The 14th day of the 12th month Wed. Sat. will also be a positive year for busi­ Sheep are in a position which is is Water. From the 22nd day of the (February 10th, 1998) is a black nessmen permitting them the possi­ opposite to that of the Ox. which is first 5th month (June 27th) to the day. From the 30th day of the 12th Favorable days and dates of the bility to develop their affairs. There also not a favorable position. They end of the month the Empty Vase is month (February 26th, 1998) to the Tibetan month will be a few illnesses but children should carry out activities such as in the West. From the 29th day of end of the month the Empty Vase is 1. Wednesday, Thursday and bom this year will be very healthy. repairing roads, making "tsa tsa" the first 5th month (July 3rd) the in the West. Friday are favorable for studying In general all sentient beings will be (clay forms made from moulds) week that follows is made up of Brief general information as well as the 18th and 22nd days happy and it will be a good year for and doing rites for honoring the Pig days and it is not good for This is general information of every month. 2. Sunday, doing spiritual practice although guardians. medical cures, using river water which does not change from year Monday and Thursday are favor­ generally there will be some nega­ Those bom in the year of the and having a bath in the sea. to year. able for medical cure. 3. Sunday, tive obstacles. Rainfall will be Bird and the year of the Snake The predominant elements of the The la indicates an aspect of the Monday, Wednesday and Friday abundant, livestock will increase, should not travel long distances. second 5th month are Fire-Water. vital force of the person. The day of are favorable for auspicious cere­ insects that damage the crops will They should eat well and make The 9th day of the second 5th month la is the most favorable day for monies. 4. Wednesday, Thursday be few, trees growing in the moun­ pujas for the protectors. (July 14th) is a black day. From the undertaking any type of activity. and Friday are favorable for build­ tains will thrive. There are signs 24th day of the second 5th month Those bom in the year of the The term sog means "life" and is ing houses as well as the 3rd, 7th, that in particular around Lhasa and (July 28th) to the end of the month Dog and the year of thè Dragon the vital spark which has been pre­ 13th and 15th days of every to the south and the east of the city the Empty Vase is in the North. should try to save the lives of other sent in the individual since the Tibetan month. 5. Tuesday, there will be earthquakes, very The predominant elements of the sentient beings. moment of conception. The day of Wednesday, Thursday and Friday strong winds and storms. 6th month are Fire-Water. The 18th Those bom in the year of the Pig sog is also favorable but less impor­ are favorable for moving to a new The Chinese Ox Prognostic day of the 6th month (August 21 st) and the year of the Dragon should tant than the day of the la. house as well as the 3rd, 7th, 11th is a black day. From the 25th day of This method of divination called not undertake construction work. Xed means opposition and the and 15th days of every Tibetan the 6th month (August 27th) to the the "Chinese Ox Prognostic" is a Particulars of the months and day of the xed is a negative day on month. 6. Monday, Thursday and Friday are favorable for arranging a marriage. 7. Monday, Wednesday and Friday are favorable for starting NOW AVAILABLE DANCE OF THE VAJRA travelling as well as the 1st, 7th, THE RIGPA TIBETAN TRAINING COURSE 13th, 19th and 25th days of every CALENDAR Tibetan month. 8. Monday, Wednesday and Friday are favorable The Rigpa Calendar features the main Buddhist festivals, anniversaries and spe­ for 1st level teachers cial practice days of all traditions and is an invaluable guide and source of inspi­ for starting or considering a business ration for all Dharma practitioners. The diary has enjoyed enormous popularity with Prima Mai and Adriana Dal Borgo as well as the 4th, 10th, 16th and over the past 19 years and is used by Buddhist practitioners throughout the 28th days of every Tibetan month. world. This year the calendar is dedicated especially towards world peace, and features black and white photographs of contemporary masters of all traditions as September 6-12 1997 These days and dates should be well as prayers and numerous line drawings. The Calendar is available both as a considered in relationship to the booklet and loose-leaf for personal organizers. Participants must know well both the male and female parts of days that are favorable and unfavor­ 108 pages, 95 mm x 171 mm Publication Date: January 1997 the Dance of the Six Spaces and the Dance of the Three Vajras. able for the birth year in question. Tibetan New Year begins February 8th £ 4.85 plus postage. UK £ 1.00 each, Europe £ 1.50 each. Rest of World £ 2.00 Candidates must send a written request along with their photo­ each. European Community countries add VAT 85p each. Compiled by

ORDER FROM: graph to the secretary of Merigar before July 31st. Admission Migmar & Norbu of Lhasa Dharmakosha, 330 Caledonian Road, London NI IBB, UK Translation by Geshe Gedun to the course is subject to the evaluation of the two official Tel: +44 (0)171 700 0186 Fax: +44 (0)609 6068 Tharchin Edited by Liz Granger E-mail: [email protected] teachers. Candidates not admitted to the course will be notified. Any errors or misrepresentations Payment by cheque drawn on a UK bank, Eurocheque, or by credit card (Access, Visa or Mastercard) The course will start on September 6th at 10am. are the fault of the editor and translator. •

12 N E R N O N COMMUNITY NEWS

SOUTH AMERICA Newly

could see things differently. Formed In Peru with We learned about Dzogchen, about the importance of Publishing the Master Community ( I believe we had never quite understood that Committee of by Gainfranco Brero and before) and its necessity and Charo Verastegui strength; and about how develop­ Tashigar ing community implies develop­ January 1997 In Lima I had the good fortune of ing ourselves. But above all, we being Rinpoche's translator. My felt how unique opportunities are, knowledge of Dzogchen is limited, and that this timw is very impor­ RESPONSIBLE AND THE MIRROR and sometimes I would say one tant. I think Rinpoche's illness TRANSLATION COMMITTEE: Laura Yoffe thing for another, but I felt protected made us more aware of the fragili­ TRANSLATION OF BOOKS FROM by a kind of other conciousness ty of our existence, and the enor­ ENGLISH TO SPANISH: which allows you to enter that mous blessing of having him Elias Capriles which is most unusual in the sim­ around and to be able to benefit The First Big S tupa of TRANSLATIONS OF SANTI MAHA plest way. So, there we were, from his teachings, his sense of SANGHA: Rinpoche and myself, in one flux, humor, and his incredible ability to Latin America Nelida Saporiti myself having no time to think, his reach each and every one of us in TRANSLATIONS OF PRACTICE BOOKS words passing through me and flow­ such a sharp and clear way. Inaugurated in San Paulo, Brazil AND TEXTS ABOUT BOOKS OF PRAC­ TICES: ing increasingly for two and a half I always have the feeling that all hours everyday. Rinpoche talked The first big Stupa of Latin America was inaugurated on August 12th, Monica Várela. Patricia Feldman. his teachings turn around the same Laura Yoffe. Daniel Simonelli about different forms of the teach­ thing; that there is a center and that 1996 by His Holiness Bokar Rinpoche and Khenpo Rinpoche at the ings, the different capacities, intro­ Kagyu Dak Shang Choling Jardim do Dharma Center in Cotia, 35 kilo­ FOR EDITING FROM ENGLISH TO everything else stems from that SPANISH: ducing Dzogchen's deep wisdom to same place, and that all those turns meters form San Paulo, Brazil. Griselda Gamez people who had never heard of him, The Stupa was built thanks to the efforts of Angela and Rogue are a pale reflection of that intense LAYOUT: but were there for some reason to glow which is " being here". Severino, owners of the land, and the practitioners of The Center for the Daniel Simonelli listen to the words of the teacher. Diffusion of Vajrayana Buddhism, under the guidance and instruction of GRAPHIC ARTS: It was those very words that led THE SPANISH MIRROR Lama Trinle Drugpa who resided at the Center for over two years. Cris Galli Also, the Center can accommodate practitioners of all traditions with Charo and myself to Tashigar to EL ESPEJO, the Spanish ver­ TRANSLATIONS FROM ITALIAN TO dormitories and a large Gonpa. We hope that all practitioners of the SPANISH: find out more about what we had sion of The Mirror, will be pro­ Community, whether transiting or residing in Brazil, will come to visit. felt during Namkhai Norbu duced by the Community of Ernesto Arditta Muriello Colajcomo, a longtime student of Namkhai Norbu Rinpoche Rinpoche's two visits to our coun­ Tashigar. The primary responsibles ARCHIVING OF AUDIO AND VIDEO try, in 1993 and 1997. The world are Laura Yoffe, Daniel Simonelli, living in Brazil, notified us of this event and existence of the Stupa itself. TAPES: acquired a new dimension and I Griselda Galmez and Cris Galli. Muriello is presently finishing the interior painting of the Stupa. Adolfo Portillo

to hold the retreat at the Gar and the circumstances. the gakyil meeting, Rinpoche Lhundrubgar by the make Rinpoche and all of those The retreat was just wonderful. advised us to try and find another who would attend the retreat face We managed to keep the mosquitoes land for the main Gar of Venezuela, Caribbean the difficult conditions prevailing at bay and no hairy black spiders and as much as possible to try and in the place, or else hold it in a came to terrorize us. We even harness Lhundrubgar into produc­ more comfortable place. We chose received Yantra Yoga classes from tion, so as to tum it into a source of Mayda Hocevar and Carmen T. Rivas to hold it at the Gar, since then Fabio Andrico. However, due to rea­ income for the Community. And everyone, including Rinpoche, sons we could not understand, there there is no doubt that our experience n February 1993, there was a there was no water in some con­ would be able to directly experi­ was never drinking water in the cis­ in preparing the Gar and the retreat retreat conducted by Namkhai spicuous places such as the toilets ence the prevalent conditions, and terns- though plenty of it flowed helped us to further appreciate the INorbu Rinpoche in Caracas, and the kitchen. so the decision of whether the everywhere else.-... value of collaboration between the and a member of the Community The first task we undertook was place should be developed or not At the end of the retreat, during members of the Community. • donated a piece of land about nine­ that of rebuilding the small house would come naturally. Over a year ty miles east of Caracas and some that came with the land. before the retreat took place, we nine miles from the coast of the Immediately we set to build a drove 700 miles from Merida, Caribbean sea, in the midst of a thatched Mandala, a dance mandala together with members of the tropical jungle with the villages inside the typical Venezuelan Indian Caracas Community, began build­ populated mostly by black people round shaped building called "chu- ing the churuata bare handed- descending from Africans who rata", a gigantic kiosk. This churata though, as since we all had to go were brought to the area to work in was built in the midst of lushest veg­ back to our jobs , the work, partic­ the cocoa plantations. Rinpoche etation and by the Limon (lemon) ularly the roof, was finished by a gladly accepted this land where river—where everyday at dusk we contractor with the help% of the nature lavishes itself generously would swim and frolic. The churata local people. The old house was and almost uncontrollably— lead­ turned out to be such a powerful repaired and enlarged. In order for ing Rinpoche to name it place for practice that we came to the retreat to be held, the toilets, THE ENDLESS KNOT Lhundrubgar: the Gar where every­ call it the Gonpa. showers and the dormitory —all made out of bamboo and other The peace óign f)or the next millenium thing is self-perfected and sponta­ We also had to obtain drinking neously, naturally given. It was locally obtained materials— as water and so wells were dug, pumps Buy an Endless Knot teeshirt or pendant, Rinpoche himself who made the well as two water tanks and wood were bought, and at the end we had and contribute to the Tibetan cause. planked paths throughout the jun­ general plan for the distribution of no choice but to ask the fire depart­ gle had to be constructed. The Endless Knot is one of the eight auspicious symbols of the space and the location of buildings. ment to sell us water from the truck. Buddha's birth, representing the interconnenedness of all life When we visited the place in No one wanted to become a Geko, Some sixty-five people attend­ As the peace sign symbolized the energy and commitment of the order to begin developing the Gar, until finally a lady volunteered to ed, most of whom we had never 60s. the Endless Knot is the perfect sign for personal and global transformation in the nexT millennium we were frightened by what live on the spot for a year. She was seen before. Their awe stricken, ter­ seemed to be very wild conditions; unable to stay for more than three rorized faces rapidly showed Thr fndleij X'nct Project trai fcunded te mue au'areneij cf thr pliçhf c( an infinite number of hungry mos­ months, as it was so difficult to carry expressions of relaxation and con­ the Tibetani and tc raue money fcr Tibetan re&enlement. A percentage cf profili frcm tale c( the pendants and teejhim are donated tc file quitoes, gigantic black and hairy water from the river (which is 200 tentment thanks to the blessings of /ntcmaticnal Campaign Jcr Tibet. spiders the mere look of which par­ yards from the house), and the place the Master. Seeing that Rinpoche. To receive your teeshirt or pendant, please send check or money alyzed us, water everywhere was so damp and dangerous that in Rosa and Fabio were feeling at order for $20.00 plus $¿.00 shipping per Item to: including the house's floor, peo­ the end she became ill. home in the midst of the gigantic Bead Store Cafe. 116 Center Ithaca. Ithaca NY u8;o. Ph: 607-277-1729 ple's luggage and cars, the paths Finally, the long awaited visit pool of mud, happily walking Make Check payable tc Tibetan Reienlement and our own sweating bodies, suf­ by Rinpoche was about to happen. around with their mbber boots on, focated by the heat. However, We had been discussing whether we relaxed and came to terms with

THE MIRROR FEBRUARY/MARCH ¡99 7 13 phone satellite system that may blue green water of the bay, makes ed views. We attended the all Good News enable us to even have email in the us forget our many difficulties and The retreats of Namkhai Norbu future. discouragements. Rinpoche, and read many of his from Africa Since South Africa is very near, My work in the hospital is chal­ Kharkov books. We were happy to spend there is a supply of all sorts of goods lenging. I am soon to become the some days together with Namkhai December 22, 1996 as long as one has the means. South sole person in charge of maternity Community Norbu Rinpoche in St.Petersburg African businessmen invest a great and gynecology. On duty, I will be Dear Friends in the and in Moscow (1994 and 1996). deal here, especially in farming and responsible for all surgical emergen­ (Ukraine) Due to the presence of new bound­ Dzogchen Community, tourism. With its unspoiled beaches, cies as well. This gives me a bit of aries between Russia and the The Kharkov Dzogchen It has been a bit more than a coral reefs, crystal clear water and apprehension once in a while, but Ukraine and the absence of a mate­ Community (Ukraine) was formed month now since we arrived in rare species of animals ( birds, rep­ happily there are two colleagues rial base in the form of money, we "not from zero", but on the basis Mozambique, Africa. After a long tiles, underwater fauna and who are willing to help with difficult were unable to remain for the Santi of several people, who were inter­ preparation time of leamingtropical wildlife), Mozambique has a great cases. I am very grateful to have the Maha Sangha exam this year in ested in a spiritual Path, and in medicine, obstetrics, as well as the potential of development. The cor­ possibility to live and learn under Moscow. ruption of state management and the these difficult but stimulating cir­ particular with Buddhism. Some Portuguese language, we finally We feel that in the future our heat bom phlegmatic condition of cumstances. Many of the patholo­ of them had received an initiation arrived in this beautiful country of external conditions will become the people make this process a little gies I have seen here I have known into different Buddhist practices tropical vegetation, endless beaches worse. We wish to draw your atten­ slow. only out of books. The midwives and they had some meditation (2500km of coastline) on the Indian tion to our problems, which are who work with me are patient teach­ experience. But they also wanted Ocean, and friendly people. But, this We are living in a nice little obstacles for our spiritual develop­ ers on my way to learn how to work to enter more quickly into inner is only one side of the coin. house on the hospital grounds of ment in relation to the program of in a compassionate but unsentimen­ real nature of the mind directly Considered to be the poorest coun­ Mozambique's oldest missionary Santi Maha Sangha. We are expect­ tal way. It is not easy for a European and to realize oneself through state try in the world, Mozambique is just hospital established by the ing your representatives to arrive to to deal with dying mothers and of "rigpa", integrating into exter­ recovering from nearly thirty years Methodist church. The hospital was Kharkov to examine us. Please babies everyday, especially seeing nal life in the state "as it is". In of war. A generation has grown up then nationalized and now faces inform us about this opportunity as that the cause of their suffering and order to overcome their own igno­ which has never experienced peace. everyday lack of means, too much soon as is possible. rance and incorrect dualistic So, along with the economic crisis, chaos, and an overwhelming num­ passing away often could have been vision they started to find new We are looking forward to take Mozambique had to face the diffi­ ber of patients which is too much for prevented by very simple means. possibilities and impulses. part in all further retreats with the culty of establishing new social the overworked and underpaid staff. But for people who have lived for great Master and teacher Namkhai rules and ethics. The infrastructure Situated near the beautiful bay and many years with the fundamental In 1991 Fabio Andrico visited Norbu Rinpoche! is quickly getting better, with the peninsula of Inhambane, every logic of war; the truth of death and Kharkov and we had wonderful help of the international community, day's natural spectacle of changing suffering as being part of life in seminars of Yantra Yoga. In 1992 Sincerely yours, roads are being built, ànd a new tele­ colors of the tropical sky over the samsara is very much the simple Namkhai Norbu Rinpoche came to Kharkov's Dzogchen Community everyday experience of everyone. Russia for the first time. He gave us members. For me, their way of facing the real­ the initiation to the Dzogchen teach­ ity can only be explained by a pro­ ing through direct introduction and EMail: karling@alan. kharkov.ua found spirituality which penetrates many different concrete methods all parts of the people's lives here. and practices. / listen the Silence of Universe Passages Mind, In it I shall get the refuge's Officially they are Christians and We received the living energy kind. I shall drink, drain nectar and Muslims, but it seems that the origi­ of Norbu Rinpoche's transmission. I am filling in The Divine felicitous very dear dharma brother, nal African religions never lost their We want to remain always in the Vessel-human being. A Brian Beresford, died in influence or power. Rinpoche's stream of the flow of the Dzogchen The Life is river, Pure Clear Light London on January 20th at 12.48 teachings about the existence of dif­ teaching. We are very happy to That draws me far and far as magic pm. Members of the Dzogchen ferent beings sharing this planet have received the transmission and Life's tide. I hold the Truth's secret Community, including his partner with us and the understanding of the possibilities to realize oneself richness. And spring wind carries Judith Allan, sang the Song of the basic Buddhist principles as to the through inner methods of out my sadness... Vajra to him for thirty six hours preciousness of human life take on a Dzogchen. We wanted to continue before he died in hospital from new, vivid, quality Here. develop the mind in direction of V. Batsula liver failure. clarity and purity. We want to help The free translation of The principles of the Dzogchen Brian had been a student of other people to broaden their limit­ L.A. Kharkov, Ukraine. • teachings are a great help here in Namkhai Norbu Rinpoche for six­ exploring and understanding better teen years and before that had the new world we are confronted studied with many masters. Brian Phowa for him. We heard that many with. And the Dzogchen translated and edited a number of other lamas were doing pujas for him Community is very far away. For the rare Buddhist manuscripts and and a message was sent to Norbu next three years there is a lot of Namgyalgar Emerges from became the first Western editor of Rinpoche whose reply came back work. It may be difficult to go on the Translation Bureau of the just after Brian had died. Brian retreats and visit Gars, since We are Hibernation Dalai Lama. showed none of the signs of death more or less 10,000km away from More recently, it was Brian who that the doctors had anticipated. Judy After a seemingly endless period of short, sunny, tranquil days and long everyone. So, we invite all friends in translated and compiled The and several members of the cold firelit nights, Namgyalgar has roused from a relative slumber. In tune the Community to keep in touch Dzogchen Ritual Practices by Community came back right away with the natural cycle, the energy surrounding the Victorious gar has moved with us, by writing or visiting. From Namkhai Norbu Rinpoche. His lat­ and practiced Xitro for him as his into an action packed phase of diligent work efforts, joyous practice gather­ Europe cheap flights are available est publication was the Western body lay untouched. During the cer­ ings and various retreatants retreating. The renewed energy brought by the with Air France (via Paris) and Tibet section of The Tibet Travel emony his body was a column of elemental cycle is further boosted by the culturally implemented phenomena British Airways (via Johannesburg). Handbook (Trade and Travel), and light. I came back as soon as I could of the Christmas/ New Year's break, bringing a huge influx of people to the From Maputo you can arrive in 5 to his translation of Advice from a and Judy, Julia and I did another hour area.Tourists flock the streets of nearby towns. The quiet town of Central 7 hours by car or bus, along the Spiritual Friend by Geshe Rabten and a half of the Song of the Vajra sit­ Tilba becomes a showcase of the latest technology in cameras and cars. newly constructed national road. In and Geshe Dhargey has just been ting by his body. Then we placed a From the beach to the mountain, the place comes alive. The holiday sea­ Maputo you can rent a car from republished by Wisdom. white A over his heart and left. son provides people with enough space and time from their working lives to Hertz or Avis. If you inform us early come and visit the area and Namgualgar. Community members arrive from Brian was also a professional Celia Wright enough we may be able to meet you the cities, just dropping through after three years away or down for the week­ photographer who traveled exten­ at the airport. sively throughout Asia,, helped to end to paint Rinpoche's house. Namgyalgar, 'the Buddhist place'., has establish the Meridian Trust, a Beautiful beaches with barely become part of the scene in the area. The locals have accepted and welcomed Buddhist Film and Video Archive, any people, snorkeling and diving us, helping us happily when the chance arises. facilities at one of the world's and acted as official photographer A recently acquired red postie scooter has further enhanced our public biggest coral reefs, interesting ani­ for His Holiness the Dalai Lama image in a town where the legend of the postie bike expedition to Ayers Rock mals and the fascination of the mys­ during the 1980s. is,still held in reverence. Well recognized is our gekos Michel, the terious African wilderness awaits Brian was in hospital for four Frenchman on his little machine cruising along the highway, on his way to you here. days. Judy was with him constantly, the village for a little coffee. Of course, at the base of this increased energy and many of the community came to From February on we will live in is the underlying feeling we all have of the imminent arrival of Rinpoche and give support, each of us practicing a bigger place with a little guest Rosa. This in itself is enough to set everyone's adrenalin pumping. Retreat quietly, when Judy began to sing the house in the garden and the possibil­ plans are underway and seem smooth enough so far. Minds are thinking red Song of the Vajra. I joined her, and for ity to offer accommodation for up to in anticipation of the Mandarava initiation and teachings due at Losar. The the next thirty six hours one or more four people. On the hospital grounds office is humming with enquiries from near and far. Gradually the eucalypt there are also cheap accommoda­ members of the community quietly oran Cavajda (Cavke), born forest sight is morphing as structures move, dissolve and appear. tions and there is camping in the kept the Song of the Vajra going. G in 1962, died on Feb. 15th, Life under the steady gaze of the Gulaga mountain is set to be as exciting vicinity, as well as several hotels and We made a tagdrol of Korwa 1997, in Australia. He was a mem­ and intensive as the winds that blow around her base. Along with this restaurants. Tongtrug for Brian and included ber of the Dzogchen Community increase of movement however there is an overall calmness pervading, echo­ So we wish you all a happy New relics from the Dzogchen lineage since 1993,.has attended teachings ing the space that can be found on Namgyalgar though the winds rock her. Year in 1997 and we hope to hear which Rinpoche had given to Judy and practiced Dzogchen. Goran was During the next few months we hope to welcome new comers and reunite from you soon! many years ago. Shortly before a locally famous rock star, as well as with past connections. May approaching travellers arrive safely and upon From, Brian sank into a coma His Holiness a good actor. He will be deeply touchdown find a safe haven in which to absorb, open and truly relax at sent a message that he would do missed. • Christiane and Salvatore Fiorito Namgyalgar. •

14 Retreat in Easter Retreat at Merigar TARA MANDALA PROGRAM 1997 All retreats take place at Tara Mandala unless otherwise indicated. For fur­ China LOBPON TENZIN NAMDAK ther information about registration and prices for these retreats please con­ tact Tara Mandala, P.O. Box 3040, Pagosa Springs, CO 81147-3040, will give teachings from March 28 - April 3 1997 We are happy to Voyage organized by Phone: (970) 264-6277, Fax: (970) 264-6169, E-mail: TaraMandala@ com­ announce the return to Merigar of Lobpon Tenzin Namdak, one of the puse rve.com. the Dzogchen most important contemporary Bonpo masters and a great scholar of the Community Switzerland Bon tradition. The Lobpon is the principle master of the Bonpo June 9 -13: Chöd Retreat at Esalen Institute monastery of sMan-ri and one of the founders of the Bonpo community Big Sur, California, with Tsultrim Allione On occasion of the retreat and monastery at Dolanji in India. Tenzin Namdak is a master of the lin­ For description of Chöd retreat, see August 1 - 7 below. To register, contact Esalen Institute, Highway 1, Big Sur, CA 93920-9616, Namkhai Norbu Rinpoche is giv­ eage of the Dzogchen tradition of the Zhang Zhung Snyan Rgyud, an 408-667-3000. ing in Beijing from June 6th to uninterrupted oral tradition which has passed from master to disciple 10th 1997 we made arrangements since ancient times dating back to before the birth of the Kingdom of June 12-15, Radiant Stillness: The Dawn of Compassion with two different carriers who Tibet. with Anne Carolyn Klein, PhD will give us special conditions for The retreat will start on Friday March 28 at 10. The cost of the retreat "First tighten with tightness, then loosen with looseness; this journey. the essence of the view is here." —Machig Labdron is Lit.300.000 with discounts for members. British Airways Different Stilling the mind and opening the heart are skills central to the meditative options are available from the air­ art of Buddhism. This retreat draws from the mind-training tradition of ports below to London, from Jamgon Kongtrul and from earlier Tibetan traditions. Anne Carolyn Klein, Ph.D, has studied, translated, and practiced London to Beijing with all partici­ MERIGAR PROGRAM 1997 Buddhist teachings in the US and Asia since 1970. She is Co-director of pants on the same aircraft. Possible Dawn Mountain, a Tibetan temple, community center, and research insti­ departures/arrivals from/to: Roma- tute in Houston, Texas. Beijing-Roma 1240 Swiss Francs February 22 & 23 Retreat of Karma Yoga and (about Lit. 1.400.000) Milano- Purification of the Six Lokas June 20- June 22: Summer Solstice Gathering Beijing-Milano 1240 Swiss Francs At 9 and 18.30 there will be practice. During the day Karma Yoga to and Stone People's Lodges. With Ute Elder Grandmother Bertha Grove, Vienna-Beijing-Vienna 1290 make the tsa tsa for the stupa and other jobs. who teaches spontaneously with Spirit. The weekend will include stone people's lodges (sweat lodges), council circles and time for group and pri­ Swiss Francs London-Beijing- February 28-March 2 Course of Dance of the Three Vajras vate discussions. London 1240 Swiss Francs Led by Stoffelina Verdonk Geneva-Beijing-Geneva 1240 The course will start on the 28th at 17.00. July 5 - 12: Family Retreat and Vision Quest for Teenagers Swiss Francs Zurich-Beijing- Cost of the course is Lit. 100.000 with 30% for all members. Since Tsultrim Allione, Jeffrey Mclntyre, Miriam Hawley, Jeff White "Horse" Zurich 1240 Swiss Francs places on the Mandala are limited, one should book in advance with Hubbell and Sparky Shooting Star Frankfurt-Beijing-Frankfurt 1480 30% on account before February 15. We will offer an opportunity for a rite of passage and vision quest in the Swiss Francs Departure is on June Native American tradition. This is for teenagers (and people in their twen­ March 15 & 16 Practice retreat of the 2nd 1997 for all cities mentioned. ties) and will be guided by Jeff White "Horse" Hubbell and Sparky Twenty-five Tigle of the Universe Shooting Star, who will also spend time with the younger children. Return for the main part of the Two sessions a day at 10 and 16. Sparky Shooting Star is of Cherokee descent and follows the Sacred Pipe group is on June 12th 1997 to the Cost of the retreat is Lit.60.000 with discounts for members. on the Sundance Trail. "Horse" Hubbell is a Sundancer under respective city of departure. It is Ceremonial and Traditional Lakota Chief Leonard Crow Dog. April 19 & 20 Practice retreat of Dance of the Three Vajras possible to postpone the return The retreat will also be staffed by Tsultrim Allione, Jeffrey Mclntyre, (without an instructor) flight for people who want to go to MEd.. an LMFT Vajrayana practitioner and father of 3, and Miriam Tibet or stay longer in China on Two sessions a day at 9 and 15. Hawley, student of Thich Nhat Hahn, and coauthor of Our Bodies their own. British Airways has two One should already know the steps of the Dance. The cost of the Ourselves. flights a week, the return flight can retreat is Lit.60.000 with discounts for members. Since places on the Mandala are limited, one should book in advance with 30% on July 18, pm - July 27: Retreat with The Kusali Devi be booked for a later date. account before April 10. The Kusali Devi is a spontaneously realized, divinely authorized yogini. Swissair Roma-Beijing-Roma She is recognized within the Newari culture of Nepal as a Deoma or April 25-27 Practice retreat of the complete Dance of the Vajra 1.060.000 Italian lire Milano- 'Divine Woman'. She transmits mainly the mother goddess Ajima or (without an instructor) Beijing-Milano 1.060.000 Italian 'Ancient Mother', and also Tara, Five Yoginis, Ajima's children and the The retreat will start on Friday at 9. One should already know the lire Transit to change aircraft in Wrathful Goddess. steps of the Dance. The cost of the retreat is Lit.90.000 with dis­ Zurich, stopover probably some­ counts for members. Since places on the Mandala are limited, one August 1 - August 7 Chöd Retreat with Tsultrim Allione where in the Middle East to fill up should book in advance with 30% on account before April 15. Chöd is a wonderful practice for these times. It helps us to understand the the tanks. Departure is on June root of our pain and gives us a way to resolve our deepest shadows and 2nd 1997 for both cities men­ May 1-4 Yantra Yoga Course hardest addictions. It is a meditation that has been practiced in Tibet for tioned. Return for the main part of For teachers of 1st level and advanced practitioners. Held by Laura centuries, both for healing and to cut through ego-clinging. Those with the group is on June 11th 1997 to Evangelisti. The course will start on Thursday May 1 at 10. The transmission may come Sunday evening to join the retreat on Monday. the respective city of departure. It cost of the course is Lit. 140.000 with a discount of 30% for all Tsultrim Allione is author of Women of Wisdom and founder of Tara is possible to postpone the return members. It is necessary to book in advance with 30% on account Mandala. She has been a student of Namkhai Norbu Rinpoche for 17 years. before April 20. flight for people who want to go August 12 - August 17 Mandarava with Tsultrim Allione One of the sessions of the course will be specially dedicated to dis­ to Tibet or stay longer in China. The Long Life Practice of the Immortal Dakini. is a gongter. a "mind trea­ Maximum stay however is one cussing all the problems linked to the document of Choegyal sure' of Choegyal Namkhai Norbu. Those who have previously received month, flights are on Mondays Namkhai Norbu and the organization of local courses. transmission may come on Sunday night to join the retreat Mondas' morning. and Wednesdays. We also made August 22-31 Tsok Nyi Rinpoche's Dzogchen- Retreat arrangements for accommodation. The Dzogchen teachings lie at the heart of Tibetan Buddhism. They must be We can book single, double and transmitted through direct introduction from a realized teacher, who points triple rooms for the nine nights Lit. 122.000 per person per day, Dzogchen Community or phone to out the true nature of being through mind-to-mind transmission, symbol and between June 2nd and 12th (or single room Lit.244.000. 0041 27 967 38 26 or 967 4641. explanation. This retreat is designed for those who have already had "point­ 11th as per flight) according to We have received a confirma­ It is necessary to send your ing-out" instructions from any Dzogchen teacher and who wish to receive further teachings from a qualified master. Tsoknyi Rinpoche is the son of personal choice and habits. There tion that there is a possibility of inscription before March 15th at Tulku Urgyen, a Dzogchen and Mahamudra master. He is also the reincar­ is the choice of a comfortable cheaper accommodation in simple the latest. Once in possession of nation of a great yogi and Drukpa Kargyu master who founded the largest hotel, a middle class hotel and a hotels with multiple beds (for a your choice of booking (carrier, budget hotel. It is recommended yogini retreat center in Tibet. Rinpoche resides in Nepal, overseeing his cost of a few dollars a day) but in hotel and dates) we will inform monastery and nunnery there and his yogini center in Tibet. to book a hotel room together with this case however one cannot book you where to send your account the flight because it depends very in advance and transfer from and to (approx. Lit.300.000). Full pay­ September 9-11 Training in Bodhicitta: Three Practices for the much on good luck to find a con­ airport will not be included. ment shall be made 6 weeks prior l'annuita of Meditation venient room without booking During this retreat we will concentrate on three practices that train us in This voyage is organized by the to departure date. A cancellation previously. developing awareness of the suffering of others, relieving the suffering Dzogchen Community Switzerland insurance is compulsory. The of others, and developing loving kindness. These meditations are an Choice of Hotels Budget Hotel as a free service for people who Dzogchen Community Switz­ essential foundation for all practice, and are required for Base Level erland will forward your inscrip­ approximately Lit.35.000-40.000 want to follow the retreat of Santi Maha Sangha. per person per day. Namkhai Norbu Rinpoche in tion directly to the Tour Operator Qianmen Hotel, middle class, Beijing. We kindly ask everyone who will send you a confirmation September 12 -16 Trenpa Nyershag (Dranpa Nyerpa Zagpa): Four Exercises of Relaxed Presence through Observation outside the old city southern wall, who wants to book this voyage to of your booking, and your ticket Dranpa means to remember or be mindful of: nyerpa zagpa means to relax. double room approx. Lit.72.000 contact us as soon as possible speci­ after full prepayment. The visa can This practice is an essential foundation for developing Prajna. the perfec­ per person per day. Single room fying the following data: name, first be obtained through the Tour tion of wisdom, and is required for Base Level Santi Maha Sangha. appr. Lit. 110.000. name, date of birth, nationality (type Operator who will send you the Swissotel, first class with all of passport), preferred arrangement confirmation or directly at the September 9-16 Khorde Rushan amenities, near underground sta­ (BA or Swissair), preferred type of Chinese consulate of your country This practice involves separating the discursive mind from the nature of tion with good connection to city hotel (budget, middle, deluxe etc.), or residence with the booking con­ mind itself; thus one is able to distinguish between samsara and nirvana. The retreat includes outer, inner and secret rushan. center. Double room Lit.88.000 per return date if different from above firmation. It may take two months person per day, single room mentioned. Send this information or more to obtain a visa, depend­ September 22 - 26 Cultivating Right Relationship through Meditation Lit. 135.000. to: Dzogchen Community ing in which country you reside, with Tsultrim Allione at Omega Institute. Rhinebeck. NY 914-266 1111 Palace Hotel, deluxe, swim­ Switzerland Haus Fontana 12 CH- so an early booking is advisable, During this retreat, we will explore the Four Immeasurables: ming pool, saunas, various restau­ 3920 Zermatt, Switzerland or fax to passport must be valid at least 6 Lovingkindness. Compassion. Sympathetic Joy. and Equanimity and dis­ rants, etc., double room 0041 27 967 01 85 attention months after your return date. • cuss what these meditations have to do with our relationships. •

THE MIRROR FEBRUARY/MARCH 199 7 15 E: Because first of all the most ciple in the same way in which the The Base Level Exam of Elais Capriles important Nyingmapa teachings mother tantras are in this way more don't come from Shakaymuni. based on feeling also. It's a differ­ THE SANTI MAHA SANGHA BASE LEVEL EXAM OF Other sects would say they are not ent meaning. And in regard to the ELIAS CAPRILES OF VENEZUELA valid, if they wanted to. Then also, non dual tantras, the relation like whatever was taught by between the non dual tantra and TASHIGAR, JANUARY, 1997 Shakaymuni is not the highest Dzogchen or Atiyana Dzogchen, vehicle, which is the one the Atiyogatantrayana, is absolutely Nyingmapas considered to be the different. There is absolutely no the interpretation, of which the most important one, so if we say sense is saying such a thing most important is the prajna that only these teachings coming because the non dual tantras are paramita which is the way to real­ from Shakyamuni are valid then based on transformation and have ize the insubstantiality of every­ whatever is. superior is not valid, two stages and Atiyoga is not thing which is the absolute truth. and then that would mean that it based on transformation but on self Then one goes through all the bhu­ would be better to become a non liberation and doesn't have two mis and on the final bhumi, which Buddhist, and then practice the stages. We can either say that there is the eleventh bhumi of light, or Dzogchen of the Bon or something are not two stages or we can say the fifth path of the Bodhisattva like that, if all that would be the two stages are simultaneous, which is no more learning, then allowed to be taught would be only but we can never say there are two Buddhahood is acheived according the sutras. Then the criteria would consecutive stages. So that would to this system. I could go more into be whether a teaching is provision­ be absolutely wrong. it if you like. Rinpoche: What do al or ultimate, whether it is based Rinpoche: Good, good. Q: # you think? on the wisdom mind or the mind, 120: How do we apply the essence Jim: Maybe he could go more whether it is based on the individ­ of perseverence internally? into something else. ual or the doctrine, and whether it E: The essence of perseverence Rinpoche: OK. Q: # 171: What is based on the ultimate meaning or internally. The point is to always are the 'nine vehicles' ? on the doctrine. That would be the Jim Valby asking Question # the Kalachakra, in which it says have impermanence as a whip, that E: The 'nine vehicles' of the criteria to tell if the teaching is cor­ 304: What is the fundamental prin­ the Manjushri Nama Sangirti was always reminds us that if we don't Nyingmapas, not only used by the rect or incorrect. ciple of the wave of the Vajra? translated as immutable, change­ practice with a lot of perseverance What is its purpose? less, this word akshara, so it has Nyingmapas, but brought into Jim: What is the relationship continously but we lay down and two meanings. One would be like Tibet by the ones who are now Elias: The wave of the Vajra is with Anuttara tantra? forget about the practice, then we it is the final result of the rang called the Nyingmapas, are the done to correct all the things that E: Of the inner tantra of the won't be able to reach the ultimate byung dorje of the Mahayoga, in three vehicles of the cause, which were done wrong in the practice of Nyingmapa? This is quite com­ fruit and so we have to use which it is immutable because it is were taught by Nirmanakaya Yantra Yoga. To correct the errors plex. According to Ju Mipham, whichever way we can to keep this dorje. On the other level it would Shakyamuni, which are Kriya, that were done wrong doing the who was a disciple of Patrul conciousness of impermanence in mean that the primordial potential Ubhaya and Yoga. But in the practice of Yantra Yoga- Rinpoche, who originally was a daily life in order to apply this. Jim Valby: What errors? of every individual is explained as Dzogchen texts it is said that, Gelugpa, so maybe he wanted to Rinpoche: Good. Q: #40: How E: If you have done some sound, light and rays, and this Rinpoche says normally that, make the Dzogchen teachings do we practice the gsal stong, the movement incorrectly and it sound manifests itself as letters and instead of that there is taught first palatable to the Gelugpa so he said bio sbyong of gsal stongl The affects the energy then it will be this is like saying that all the of all, the mundane vehicle, then that the father tantras were the mind training of clarity and empti­ corrected by applying the Vajra Rupakaya we have, we can under­ the Hinayana vehicle, which con­ same as Mahayoga and the mother ness, the seventh mind training? wave. Yantra, I don't know any­ stand the Rupakaya's base as path tains the Sravakayana, and tantras were the same as the E: Clarity and emptiness. Q: thing about Yantra. I don't practice and as result also, also this Pratyekabuddhayana, and then the Anuyoga and the non dual tantras #40: How do we train our mind in it. The only thing I know how to do Rupakaya manifests spontaneous­ Mahayana vehicle, which is the were the same as the Atiyoga. It gsal stong mi rtog pa, to go beyond in Yantra is how to break my knee, ly, is illusory, like the nature of the Bodhisattva yana. Then there are might be very good to say so some thinking? (laughter) letters which are substanceless, the three vehicles which were people would be able to hear this Rinpoche: bde stong mi rtog insubstantial; the Rupakaya arises taught of the outer tantra, which Rinpoche: How many move­ and so they could practice these pa, gsal stong mi rtog pa, through the power pf these letters. were taught by the Sambogakaya ments are contained in the Vajra teachings, but actually if we go to E: I don't remember that ques­ This is more or less the idea which Vajrasattva, and they are Kriya, wave? the real meaning, this would be tion. are illusory, then there is an expla­ Ubhaya and Yoga. Oh, I think I E: This is explained in the book absolutely incorrect, because there Rinpoche: Do you remember nation not only the Rupakaya made a mistake before instead of and I don't have the book so... are among the Mahayoga tantras bio sbyong, mind training? There because, for example, Rongzompa saying Sravakayana, Rinpoche: OK father tantras, like Guhyasamaja, are seven mind trainings. says that there are two kinds of let­ Pratyekabuddhayana, and E: I have bad luck with this there are mother tantras like ters which are the yeshe, which is Bodhisattvayana. Then there are E: Yes, but I remember them first question! Question # 273: Chakrasamvara, there are non dual already Dharmakaya, and of the these three vehicles of the inner differently. What is the meaning of the level of chakras like Kalachakra, and the attributes which would be the tantra which are Mahayoga, Rinpoche: The last of the 'the great accumulation of the principle of the archetypal and par­ Rupakaya, the attributes he divides Anuyoga and Atiyoga, which seven mind trainings. It has three wheel of letters' ? adigmatic tantras of the Mahayoga, into name and form and then form were taught by the Dharmakaya parts, very important practices. E: Yes, well, there are two which is, for example, he divides into magical apparition Samantabhadra. Then there are With experience of clarity and accumulations according to the Guhyagarbha, is similar in princi­ and symbols for communicating also some books, for example the emptiness and sensation. Mahayana, which are the accumu­ ple to the non dual tantras. So, to the teachings. And there is also Manjushri Nama Sangirti which E: OK. OK. lation of wisdom and the accumu­ say that the Mahayoga is the same another commentary which is say the Kriya tantra was taught by Rinpoche: This is clarity. How lation of merit. In this case this is as the father tantras is absurd. Of mentioned in Kongtrul in which Nirmanakaya Shakyamuni, this is do you apply it? the highest bhumi of the course there is an emphasis on the there is only the last classification a Sarmapa interpretation, at the E: First of all we imagine that Vajrayana. In Dzogchen according skillful means over wisdom, there of only the magical emanation and river Nairanjana, and then the all our external vision dissolves in to the rig pa rang grol tantra and is an emphasis also in the develop­ for communicating the teachings. I Ubhaya tantras at the Puntsog light... also according to the shes bya kirn ment stage, and there is an empha­ imagine that this magical emana­ Park and then the Yoga tantra at Rinpoche: Dissolves every­ khyab there are three more bhumis sis also on the inseparabiltity of tion is the Rupakaya and basic fruit the flaming fire mountain, the thing? which are: the bhumi of great bliss, clarity and emptiness, rather than and result and the other one proba­ mountain of meri barwa. Then E: Yes, and melts with the blue- the bhumi of Vajradhara and the the inseparabiltiy of pleasure and bly is like the use of letters by the there is also an interpretation of ness of the sky. Then we inhale this bhumi of supreme jnana. But in the emptiness. But this doesn't mean teacher on how to realize the fruit. the Sarmapa according to which blueness.... tantric way, the highest level is the at all that it is the same, because I imagine it to be like that. More or Shakyamuni himself taught the Rinpoche: What does inhaling level of the chakra of letters. Then, the sense of these two is very dif­ less this is what I have to say. Kalachakra, manifested himself as mean? there is this explanation about the ferent. For example, the senses Kalachakra. And there is also which are referred to in the E: We imagine that when we two accumulations, and within Rinpoche: OK another Sarmapa interpretation breath in each level, it's said it's not like in Anuyoga tantras lay more empha­ J: Maybe it is enough. according to which Shakyamuni sis on sensation, the importance is Rinpoche: What does that the Mahayana where every new E: (laughter). Q: # 147: What is went to Oddiyana to teach King mean? bhumi is a new paramita, here it is the sensation of being the deity the fundamental principle of the Indrabodhi the Guhyasamaja the same realization which is deep­ rather than the detail of the clarity, E: What does it mean? theoretical vision of the vehicle of tantra. But according to the ened, is made more profound. and this is a method which is Rinpoche: Yes, what does it the Bodhisattvas? Nyingma teachings, to the old Then on this level it says that there absolutely absent in the mean when we are inhaling the E: Yes, from the ultimate stand­ teachings, what is important is not arises simultaneously and sponta­ Anuttarayoga tantra. So the main blueness? point it is said that there is no sub­ whether the teachings come from neously and effortlessly the pri­ difference between the Mahayoga E: Well, it means that we are stance to any entity, to any phe­ Shakyamuni or not, what is mordial wisdom, yeshe, and the and the Anuyoga besides the dif­ inhaling this clarity of the whole nomena, of samsara or nirvana. important is whether it comes wheel, mandala of the symbolic ference they share between the universe all of our external vision From the relative standpoint it is from the enlightened ones, and attributes, which is the Rupakaya; father tantras and mother tantras, is coming inside of us as pure clar­ said that nonetheless all phenome­ from the wisdom mind, so the cri­ the Dharmakaya and Rupakaya they share the difference that the ity and emptiness with nothing na manifests as an illusion, not teria to be able to tell which teach­ arise simultaneously and the expla­ mother tantras like the Anuyoga else. exactly as an illusion, but like an ing is correct, which is a true nation of the name has two mean­ tantras lay the emphasis on prajna, Rinpoche: And that means illusion, but having the capacity in teaching and which teaching is not ings because akshara is a word that on pleasure and emptiness, and on integration, no? Integrating every­ actuality to act, to produce effects. a true teaching... means on the one side letter and on the development stage, in some thing? Not remaining in dualism. Then there is the practice that the the other there is a translation of sense, but that is not the same prin­ E: Exactly. Bodhisattvas do consisting of the Rinpoche: Why do the the commentary, the dri med'od to Rinpoche: Then? ten or six paramitas, according to Nyingmapas say that?

16 Dzogchen because the we are receiving the lights and so world, maybe we can give more people in the West, including master in Dzogchen has we receive the lights and that is the money. We can give our lus gees myself, who have explained that three aspects; that symbolic manifestation of the wis­ (precious body). But we don't upaya is the active and prajna is would be the fruit, but if dom of the master. practice this intentionally. They passive. In the man ngag Ita ha'i we explain the master Rinpoche: Communicating arise spontaneously as a result of phreng ha there is a refutation of in terms of the path, we with mudra? one's wisdom. this duality, of this interpretation, say that he has tawa, E: Yes, communicating with Rinpoche: OK, the last one. Q: so it is explained that the great gompa and chodpa. Of mudra, with visualization and with # 207 : What is the real meaning of mother has the active function of course the master is a mantra. application or drupa'? Oh, this is existence and that she manifests as realized being and then Rinpoche: OK. Q: # 148 : really very important! the four great mothers who are the chodpa would be What are the ten perfections and Jim: This is Padmasambhava earth, water, fire and air and in tum rather trinlay ( 'phrin what do they mean? explaining Dzogchen using are the four mothers who arc: las). It is also explained E: OK, the ten paramitas are Mahayoga words. Buddha- Locana, Mamaki, that the teacher is the dana paramita, shila paramita, Rinpoche: Drukpa chenpo. Pandaravasini, Samayatara. source of the teaching shanti paramita, virya paramita, E: OK, OK, OK. Now I know. Rinpoche: Good, no? We con­ of the sutra and the dhyana paramita, prajna paramita, This is from the man ngag Ita ba'i sider. dharma is whatever he upaya paramita, bala paramita, phreng ba of Padmasambhava in Elias Capriles was horn in E: And then we do parlung. teaches and the sangha are the pranidhana paramita, and finally which he explains the Dzogchen 1948 in Caracas, Venezuela. He Then we pull up the lower pranas people who help also in the prac­ the jnana paramita. And their teachings according to became interested in Zen and then we push down the upper tice. In the Vajrayana it is said that meanings. Well, there are always Mahayoga. First Padmasambhava Buddhism at an early age. He pranas, and we keep always a "little the teachings come from the relative paramitas and ultimate explains the four togpa and then lived in India and Nepal for ten air there and a little pressure there, Master, the methods that he teach­ paramitas. Relative paramitas are a the three characteristics then years where he met and received and in this way, well also es are the dewas and our helpers in training we do with dualistic mind, these four stages, which are all teachings from many great mas­ Longchenpa says, it's a secondary the practice are the guardians, in order to somehow soften our ego methods of the Mahayoga and are ters, including Namkhai Norbu training as something not very dakinis and also the Vajra brothers and have some conceptual under­ all related one with the other. Rinpoche who he met in 1977 in essential but just for circum­ and sisters. But in Dzogchen the standing of reality, how it is accord­ Then the third stage of drupa, Kathmandu, Nepal and was very stances, that if we have a cold ill­ teacher is tawa, the practice or ing to Buddhism. But ultimately well there is, I mean drupa, there impressed with him. From 1976 to ness we can imagine this air to be methods he teaches is gompa and the paramitas manifest after the is a translation, 'sadhana', so I 1982, Elias spent most of his time hot, and on the contrary also, if we whatever helps us to carry it along first bhumi, each one in one bhumi, understood druhpa, which means in retreat in Nepal. He then have a hot illness we can imagine it in everyday life is chodpa. And all and these are ultimate paramitas accomplishing siddha... returned to Venezuela and invited those three are embodied in the and in this sense it means that we to be very fresh and also by doing Rinpoche: Yes. Namkhai Norbu Rinpoche, who master. So there is absolutely no already have insight into the nature this we can also heal the organism. E :...so I don't know the etymo­ made his first visit there in 1986. conflict because when we say the of reality. And so, as we develop on Rinpoche: And when we are logical sense of meaning but it is Ever since, Elias has been sangha, the sangha is the master, the path after the first bhumi, each remaining holding this, what hap­ explained that the great mother is involved in the Community and because he is the chodpa of the of the paramitas becomes more per­ pens? space. When we see space as one of has been studying the teachings of master in Dzogchen. fect in each of the bhumis, until we E: We can experience the the five mothers, it is Dhatvishvari, Namkhai Norbu Rinpoche. He reach the tenth bhumi, which is the regards these teachings as the inseparability of clarity and empti­ Rinpoche: So what is the dif­ dbyings phyug ma, but when we jnana paramita, becomes more per­ teachings of our time. • ness. ference in this point between sutra see it in the more general sense it is fected and then we are ready to nat­ Rinpoche: We can have experi­ and Dzogchen or tantra? Samantabhadri which is urally and spontaneously, accord­ ence, no? E: In sutra there is no Vajra Dharmadhatu. The Dharmadhatu is ing to the Mahayana, go into the E: Yes, of course. master. In sutra you depend on the the object aspect of the Dharmata, eleventh paramita of light, which is Rinpoche: At the end, what do teachings of the Buddha. Then in the subject aspect is the the fifth path of the bodhisattva, you do? the Hinayana you have the elder, Dharmakaya, and both of them are which is of no more learning. Now, E: At the end we relax in non who has no authority over the dis­ aspects of the single Dharmata. the meanings. Do I have to explain conceptual wisdom. ciples but he just instructs. Then it is said that the great moth­ the meanings of each one? Rinpoche: We don't use phat, Rinpoche: Only helping. er, which is Samantabhadri, we can sometimes maybe? ( Laughter) E: In Mahayana you have the Rinpoche: No, the meaning of say Dhatvisvari has the active func­ E: Maybe to make it more pow­ kalyanamitra or spiritual friend, paramita. tion of existence. There are many erful? (Laughter) Because phat is who is also not in a position of E: It means to go onto the other also clarity and emptiness. authority. But the Vajra master in shore. Rinpoche: OK Question: # 80: the Vajrayana if he tells the disci­ Rinpoche: But why? Why is said that the master is the ple to jump through the window E: They say that one shore is THE MIRROR sole foundation of refuge? the disciple should jump through constituted by samsara and the ADVICE ON THE E: Well, it is said that before the window, and whichever wis­ other shore is constituted by nir­ the master appeared there was liv­ dom the disciple will get will be vana. Normally the people in sam­ PRESENCE OF ing someone by the name of from the state of the master, and sara don't even know there is AWARENESS

Buddha. Everything comes from also the Buddha Shakyamuni, and another shore. They think that BY NAMKHAI NORBU the master and that has many also like samsara is the only reality and they TRANSLATED FROM TIBETAN meanings because in Dzogchen the don't know this is samsara and Rinpoche: Then the teacher INTO ITALIAN master is the one who has found becomes something like a military they don't know that this is an illu­ AND EDITED BY the state of rigpa. And then this is chief. sion, and this is an inversion, but ADRIANO CLEMENTE. the primordial master from whom E: In Dzogchen it's almost in a everyone believes just as he sees is TRANSLATED FROM ITALIAN BY ANDREW LUKIANOWICZ all teachings come. Whichever way like that, but in a way it is not just as it is. But then we have to teaching doesn't come from that like that because we depend on our know that this is an illusion and PUBLISHED BY STATION HILL OPENINGS BARRYTOWN, LTD., master is not a teaching. It is just a own wisdom. So it's different. there is a possibility of overcoming IN COOPERATION WITH SHANG SHUNG EDIZIONI. fabrication of mind, so that would Rinpoche: OK Q: # 225 : What the illusions and reaching the other not be a real teaching in the sense is the meaning of 'vajra samaya shore of nirvana and then when we in which we classify the real teach­ ja'? have this understanding then we In this concise text Namkhai Norbu Rinpoche gives detailed ing before. Also whichever trans­ E: The meaning here is that we can practice the path in order to instruction on discovering the "State" of rig-pa both in sitting mission we receive, we receive are reminding the masters, and the realize ourselves. Ultimately we meditation, as it is practiced in Dzogchen, and in integrating from a master, a master as a person yidams and all deities and all the have to realize that there is not this awareness with all of one's activities. in the world. We don't receive enlightened beings of their another shore beyond, because if teachings from the Buddha, so promise to give wisdom and to we keep believing that until the Available from: Shang Shung Edizioni, 58031 Arcidosso GR, maybe the Buddha was most help us, according to the Vajrayana very last moment we won't reach Italy for Lit. 17.000 including post/packaging important for his disciples, and is and Dzogchen, not according to the other shore. The other shore is or also very important for us in regard the Sutrayana. So we do this mudra non dual wisdom and there are not Tsegyalgar, PO Box 277, Conway Mass 01341, USA to sutra teachings, but in order to which is the mudra of our samaya two shores in non dual wisdom. for $13 including post/packaging. receive the Vajra teachings we and is also the mudra. I imagine, Jim Valby: What is the rela­ have to receive them from a master that we are promising we will keep tionship between a Dzogchen prac- and only in that way we can-have a our samaya, but also we are asking titoner and the practice of the ten CLASSIFIEDS lineage, a lineage in all senses; in the deities to keep their samaya, paramitas? the outer sense which is that all ASTROLOGY insights into yourself and your and help us on the path and give E: Well,in the Dzogchen practi­ people will say, "Oh we have a lin­ Jhampa was one of the first west- life's direction. Services for chil­ their wisdom. tioner all the paramitas arise spon­ eage.", also in a true sense which dren and relationships are avail­ Rinpoche: Communicating. taneously. They are not applied em monks in the Tibetan tradition. you have in the state of rigpa, so all able. E: Yes. intentionally, like now I'm going Since 1970 he lived in India learn­ that comes from the master. Rinpoche: In which way can to train in dana paramita and then I ing the Tibetan language and in Call: 1-800-819-2288 for informa­ Jim Valby: "I take refuge in the we communicate samaya? go around giving money to every­ 1980 entered the traditional 3 year tion: or Daka's. 5810 Wilson Ave.. sangha", is there some conti ict E: There are many ways to one. retreat. Your astrology chart is Duncan. B.C.. V9L 1K4 Canada here? I always thought the master communicate but here we are Rinpoche: So Dzogchen prac­ interpreted from a Buddhist per­ Webpage: was the sole foundation? doing this practice of visualization titioners, they don't give? spective. It will draw on the wis­ Http://www.mala.bc.ca/~shane- E: There is no conflict in according to the Mahayoga and so E: No, we can give all over the dom of the East to help you gain manjAvwwhome.htm

THE MIRROR F EB RV ARY IM ARC H 1 99 7 17 ately, timely, and effectively so others to help ourselves" is often that the maximum benefit can considered as a simple but very accrue from our effort? useful step. For example, if I need Relatively Speaking THE HUMAN FACTOR Manage­ something done by the secretary in ment theories for organizations the office before the end of the by Cheh Goh come and go, but the most endear­ week, instead of being forgetful for ing and satisfactory way of running five working days and give him the A series about methods of communication within any organization remains the ones task at 5:30 Friday afternoon, it the Dzogchen Community. that put people in front of every­ would have been better to remem­ thing else. The customers are peo­ ber it and give him plenty of time to The Running of materials for members of the com­ big mess half the time. If we look ple. The members in the organiza­ do it properly. I have witnessed in tion arc people. Nothing will hap­ some occasions in which people Businesses in an munity, preserving Tibetan culture around at the accomplishments in and so forth. The cost of getting the Community, such as the suc­ pen without people. To be effective treat the secretary of a Gar worse Organization translation done, teaching tran­ cessful organization of the many and efficient is not contradicting the than they would be with their dog, scription published and so on must, retreats in the major Gars, the desire "to make people's life better. It creating totally unnecessary pres­ INTRODUCTION It is all too easy just like in a commercial organiza­ building of the Gonpa in Merigar is straight forward to see that caring sure and demands on the secretary. to make a generalized statement to tion, be minimized in order to and the successful visit of the Dalai for our customers is important. The My boss would have been fired if classify our world, even if the achieve the most, because we exist Lama, they must all be pulled way to do it is just like what the he did that to me, and yet it hap­ exceptions to such classification in samsara and hence are always together with excellent organiza­ teachings say, "Put yourself in the pened in our community. Suppose invariably proves the typing inap­ short of money, effort and time. tion at the critical moment. If an others' shoes, and treat others the we have a moment to remember propriate. For example, we often From this point of view, there is no organizer just, wastes money, effort way you would like yourself treat­ our Bodhisattva commitment, I believe that there are two main difference in principle in the and time through inefficiency, or ed." In this way we are creating think that would have been very opposing types of people: the spir­ mechanics of running all organiza­ pays herself a nice salary for doing benefit for others - our customers - beneficial. Is it not just a case of itual verses the materialistic, the tions. The difference is the adapta­ the job, I will not be surprised to according to their condition. "treat others the way you want . yourself treated"? emotional verses the logical, the tion according to the aim of the see a terrible outcome. What about the people in the impressionable verses the analyti­ organization, but largely this is a EFFICIENT AND EFFECTIVE organization providing the ser­ Also, there is the concept of cal and so on. In the same way, we matter of being aware of our cir­ ORGANIZATION What I have point­ vices? If they do not have the right continuous learning. The idea is believe there are two main oppos­ cumstances, something that is, in ed out is about the need to be effi­ tools to do a job, it is impossible to that the customers will be better ing types of organizations: hierar­ fact, the most important part of the cient. Of course, another important expect effectiveness or efficiency served if the people in the organi­ chical verses flat, democratic vers­ teachings we try to preserve. thing in running an organization is from that organization. If they zation continue to improve them­ es dictatorial and so on. The reali­ SQUANDERING THE RELATIVE effectiveness. It is no good that an don't feel that they are cared for or selves to do a better job. Is this not ty, however, is that careless typing EXISTENCE Somebody once relat­ organization fixates on saving every supported, there will be no enthusi­ exactly the same as one of the is not only often unhelpful, it could ed an incident to me about an last penny such that nothing gets asm. So, in addition to only con­ characteristic behaviors of a lead to inflexibility and the failure exchange between a gakyil mem­ done until it is five years too late. templating on the Four Bodhisattva: always learning and of the organization to achieve its ber and a helper. I have forgotten Suppose we want to help Tibetans Immeasurables, take action and never feel proud and satisfied? goals. That is why I believe that it most details, other than that appar­ in this winter with extra food and care for each other! Talking about Total quality control is another is absolutely indispensable that we ently a lot of money has been clothing, it is ludicrous to try to being kind and good to other peo­ buzz word. The way to do it is to must think of an organization in spent redoing certain thing which send supplies on horse back from ple in the Community ought to be be able to measure customers satis­ terms of its purpose, and tailor the was basically acceptable. The Italy now, if horses are the cheapest totally redundant, as I should be faction and improve it in the feed­ process and running of businesses gakyil member declared, upon means of transport. Everything has able to take for granted that we, as back cycle. Translated from the within accordingly in order to run hearing the comment that money its appropriate time and place, so members of a community where jargon, it is a way to make the cus­ it well. For that, some basic princi­ should not be wasted in that way, efficiency and effectiveness must the Mahayana principle is funda­ tomers happier whenever possible, ples must be observed. that "we must feel free, we don't go together. We can learn a lot from mental to our behavior, are used to especially in view of changes. On a commercial organizations in bal­ doing so. To mention this is to THE AIM OF AN ORGANIZATION want to be limited by money, we more mundane level, we can say ancing the requirements of efficien­ point out that in fact such behavior Every organization has its ultimate want to be expansive." I still that the key is to be totally aware cy and effectiveness. is in perfect harmony with a hard- goal. For example, a commercial "remember the shock I registered, of the circumstances. Unless we nosed, well-run organization. The concern wants to make money, given that that community was in In the commercial world, there are aware of what is going on most consistently successful com­ where a charitable institution really bad debt at that time. Why? is a potent concept called "the cus­ around us, we will not be able to do mercial companies in the world are wants to provide a service for the Because I think it is contrary to the tomers". Unless you sell the cus­ our best for others. Again, is it not run with tremendous support for good of mankind. correct way of running an organi­ tomers what they want, when they straight from our teacher's mouth their employees, in terms of help­ We can, therefore, broadly zation, and comments like this are want it, and have a way to pay for about how a practitioner of ing them do a job properly and car­ regard an organization's chief aim "dharma lingo plus hand waving". it, you are not going to make any Dzogchen should behave? ing for their well being. as either to maximize its profit or Also, when I read news related to money. So all the efforts in the mar­ SUMMARY Many volumes of not. In the context of our commu­ the financial dire strait of some of keting and sales organizations, and A REMARKABLE EXAMPLE I books have been written about the nity, it is plainly obvious that we the Community's related organiza­ the stringent pressure on produc­ was very moved last summer when mechanics of running an organiza­ are a non-profit making spiritual tions, and how the person respon­ tion line to deliver the goods, are participating in the teaching retreat tion well. It will be preposterous organization, so the people in the sible would declare that "we must nothing but to exchange a product in Merigar. There were six or seven for me to pretend that I will begin community are bound by the com­ not run our organization like a with the available money from the hundred participants in the July to cover such vast subject in this mon aim of ultimate realization of commercial company", I feel customers' pocket. Suppose I want retreat, and a large number of short article. However, .my main the natural condition. sorry. Again, it is using elegant to produce something very cheaply, whom requested a copy of the aim is to point out that, words to conceal a very undesir­ Given that we don't consider but very slowly, then my product teaching tapes. In the past, I can * All organizations are the able outcome. money making our prime business, may be too late for my customers remember how a set of tapes same. Run it well, and we can does it mean that we will run our Let me elaborate. Everything is and I might end up selling nothing. ordered in a retreat would arrive achieve the purpose for which the organization very differently from, impermanent as the Buddha has Alternatively, I can put in more many months later by post, and organization exists. Otherwise it say the Fiat car factory, or Penguin taught. We already know that in the people to do the thing more quick­ occasionally not according to the only causes frustration and disrup­ Books? I will argue that, while relative samsaric world we never ly but less cheaply, yet by selling ordering instruction. However, this tion, even if it is supposedly a spir­ there exist differences between our­ have enough to accomplish what we my product in time for the cus­ time round I actually saw complete itual community. selves and commercial businesses, want to do. It is one thing feeling tomers, I may make a profit. sets of tapes being handed out * The principle of running a spir­ some fundamental principles of free, expansive and going beyond A non-profit organization also according to the orders after the itual organization well is in perfect efficient and effective working of money in spirit, it is another when has its customers. In the Ganapuja at the end of the retreat. harmony with the principle of our organization remain the same, and the actual money, effort and time Community, the customers are This type of efficiency is, I dare community and the teaching. We we will be very foolish to be blind spent is that of the accumulation of largely ourselves and the people say, more than a match for the best must not disguise our short comings to such principles. This is why. the sacrifice of many members of we try to help. If there is a teaching commercial services! And the in the name of being "spiritual". secret? The international team of A commercial organization the community. Many people make being delivered by a master, and * Put the Bodhisattva attitude in Italians, British, Australian, achieves its aim of making lots of great sacrifice in their own personal the accompanying materials are practice and support it with the keen Lithuanians and so on were able to money through, simplistically situation in order to give to the not ready in time till five months attention of the Ati self-awareness, organize themselves appropriately, speaking, selling things to people Community, it will be criminal if the later, then the organizer is not and we should be able to achieve ready with all the blank tapes and who want them. The money the organization representing the meeting the requirements of the much morewith our organization dived into action using two good organization spends in producing Community mis-manage this contri­ customers. From this point of view, and leave ourselves more time to tape copying machines. They self- these things must be reduced to the bution which is impermanent. If the we can immediately understand pursue spiritual activities. lessly put in their best effort for the minimum in order to maximize the same contribution can accomplish how to find the appropriate balance My all benefit from well run retreatants and the collaboration profit, which is their ultimate aim. twice as much, then we can all make between effectiveness and efficien­ organizations! was a stunning success. The best A non-profit making organization use of the extra money, effort and cy. Indeed, this should have been Born and bred in Singapore, part of it is the confirmation-of my like ours aims to achieve different time to do some practice for our rather obvious given that we regard Cheli had a very traditional belief that it is possible to run a things. In our case we want to pre­ enlightenment! ourselves to be on the Mahayana Chinese Buddhist background. He charitable organization superbly in serve the Dzogchen Teachings for Similarly, when we say that our path. Every time we do a practice works in the research laboratory of such a fashion. generations to come. Within this Community is not a commercial we motivate our Bodhisattva inten­ an international company.Cheh broad trust, we have constituent concern, that is true with regard to tion to bring benefits for the liber­ OTHER ISSUES There are many has been a student of Namkhai efforts in translating texts and the aim. It does not mean that ation of all beings. On a lesser other concepts in improving an Norbu Rinpoche for approximately scriptures from Tibetan language because we are a charitable organi­ scale, we try our best to help other organization, be it an office of one ten years, and has been tipped for to Western languages, publishing zation, we can waste money, be people. Is it not immediately obvi­ secretary or a company of many nomination as the outstanding teaching transcripts and practice careless, be inattentive and make a ous that we must do so appropri­ thousands. For example, "helping buchen rooky of the year, 1996. m

IH REFLECTIONS How I Met the Coming Full Teachings Circle An Interview with Piers Ciappara The Last Day of the Santi Maha Sangha Teachings in. Tashigar

January 1997, Tashigar, Argentina by Naomi Zeitz

bhava and was sitting in front of Tanti" (the town near Tashigar). l the end of the last day of The Mirror: Piers, can you tell enormous statue of There was no other choice but to the teachings of the first us a bit about how you encountered Padmasambhava and I was alone come to Tanti at that time. We Alevel training of Santi the teachings of Dzogchen and there and he was covered in white came here and it was very beauti­ Maha Sangha, Rinpoche very mov­ what happened in your life that led scarves and one of the scarves ful and quiet and after the experi­ ingly spoke of the need to begin to you there? came floating down in front of me. ence in prison it was very nice. plan for our old age and retirement: Piers: I was traveling many It was a very strong experience for Still I didn't know about Tashigar. how we as a Community can help years in India, I had started travel­ me. Still I felt quite far from the Then last summer we went to each other live out the last stages of ing when I was twenty years old, practices; I still didn't know a lot Uruguay and we met this girl on our lives without the isolation or and after some years in India I met about the' practice and kept doing the beach, by coincidence or not loneliness so prevalent in these my Yoga teacher. He was a Hatha the Short Tun and kept the A in my by coincidence, and she told us times, (see transcription page 2) Yoga teacher and was half Russian heart. Apart from that I didn't prac­ she had a Lama by the name of Rinpoche referred to a tradition and half Japanese. I had been liv­ tice regularly. Namkhai Norbu Rinpoche. I had originated in Tibet where ing in India for many years and M: And how did you meet heard that Rinpoche had a center Communities from outside the Gars went back and forth to Holland; Norbu Rinpoche again? in Argentina . but didn't know build communal houses which all the where. Then she said its in my Yoga teacher would come in P: I never had a chance, finan­ practitioners associated with that thrive in very strong sunlight. Cordoba. And I asked where in the summer times to Holland and cially or any other way, to see Community could have access to, for Rinpoche did a practice for the Cordoba and she said in Durazno, give retreats there. Then I went Norbu Rinpoche again after that example, if Tsegyalgar were to build health and vigor of the small tree and that's five kilometers away back to India and we did a retreat first meeting, but always kept the a house in Tashigar then all the North and to appease any beings disturbed from our house. So we rushed there of the purification of the ele­ teaching in my heart. Then four Americans affiliated with Tsegyalgar by the planting. Rinpoche said, "We back from Uruguay and came ments; this teacher was very influ­ years ago I came to Argentina with would be free to use that house. hope this tree is still alive in 2000 straight here. It was a very emo­ enced by Namkhai Norbu my wife and our youngest daugh­ It was then spontaneously decid­ years. Even if we are not still alive, tional experience to come here. Rinpoche, and told me to go and ter was bom. Before coming here ed to go and plant a Pehuen or long sometimes we pass by and see if the see Rinpoche in Holland. I had we were living in Japan and then M: Then you heard that life tree (from the family of the tree is." read The Crystal and the Way of in the States and moving here and Rinpoche would be coming? Arucaria trees) that was given to After moving to the Gonpa, we Light. A year later I had heard that there. When Karen became preg­ P: This was the first time I'd Rinpoche by Jorge Stolkiner of participated in a very abundant Rinpoche had gone to Tibet and nant we were trying to decide heard that he was sick. Everyone's Cordoba. The Pehuen tree is partic­ Ganapuja that included a serkyems was giving a retreat at the Vajra where to live, and we decided to prayers were answered that he is ular to the South of Argentina and offering. Gifts were given. An open Hotel in Kathmandu, so I went. At be with her family. So we came to now healthy. It was fantastic when Rinpoche named it a long life tree Gakyil meeting was held, with an that time I knew very little about Argentina. I think at that time they I saw him again at this retreat. It because it lives some 2500 years. It animated discussion about the Tibetan Buddhism. I was very were just opening Tashigar, but I was about nine years from the first is the longest living tree in existence future of the building of residences influenced by how dynamic the had no knowledge of it at all. time I met him. This has shown me now and only 1500 specimens are for both Rinpoche and practition­ Yantra Yoga was and the mantras When Karen was first pregnant we how everything is synchronicity. sold each year and the remainder ers. Plans were made for the recon­ of working with the elements and were staying in Antigua, an island Meeting my wife on the other side cultivated used for reforesting. struction and renovation of the channels and chakras, and at that in the Caribbean, at that time of the planet, and she just hap­ There was once a tree in China, now Gonpa and a new gekos. Hugo time I didn't know anything about Norbu Rinpoche came to pened to live here, and it has extinct, that lived approximately the Berbotto, was selected. the other practices, but I knew Venezuela around 1991. and I had brought my whole family to the same amount of time as the Pehuen. Coming full circle, satiated of something about tantra and sutra heard from a friend he was going Dharma. The Pehuen tree dates back around stomach and heart, warm feelings from traveling in India. Dzogchen to South America and I thought M: So now what are you 100 million years and has withstood and fond farewells intermingled brought it all together for me. that was interesting and it was a doing? all the disasters that have transpired with the vision for the future of very strong time in my life, having M: So you were still primarily P: We've just started a company since. This young one is now about Tashigar as a strong place of prac­ my First child, and at this time I practicing Hatha Yoga? And did called Nomad Productions. We 6" high and has 3 branches. It was tice for the Dzogchen Community had a strong dream. I believe that I you do any other forms of practice, make parties on the beach and I'm planted near to the main house in a of Argentina, as well as the world had this dream when Rinpoche of meditation? the disc jockey. I've been a disc semi- shaded location, as it doesn't wide Community. • P: Yes, primarily Hatha Yoga. I was flying over to Venezuela. The jockey for six or seven years. I was was also initiated into dream was that I was asleep in my influenced by the parties in Goa in Transcendental Meditation in house and Rinpoche came into my India. Dancing on the beach under London when I was twenty, so I bedroom and I sat up and said the stars, with feet on the earth. It's had had some experiences in med­ "Hello" and then went back to the best disco in the world, without itation before. Then one thing led sleep. When I woke up in the walls or limits. There are three part­ FREE Newsletter to another and my life changed and morning I thought "Oh no! My ners in the conipany so I thought it I met some new girls and kept trav­ Master came to visit me and I did­ would be really nice to use the and Catalog! eling around and I've been a n't-pay any respect!". I felt really gakyil as our symbol. Instead of nomad since then, some fourteen guilty and felt it was a wasted using body, voice and mind we use years now. opportunity. Then three or four the movement, the music and the Snow Lion publishes a weeks passed and I had another free quarterly newsletter M: Where are some of the mind. I'm in charge of the music, dream and he came in my bed­ and catalog containing the places that you went? the other person is charge of the art room again and I made a full pros­ latest news on Tibetan P: India, Nepal, Bangladesh, and the dance, and the third person tration and I apologized for the Buddhist events as well as Thailand. Indonesia, Japan, is in charge of the administration previous dream and he didn't say hundreds of books, cards, Malaysia, Bolivia, the States. and the mind stuff. We started off anything, he just laughed. It was a audio, music & video, tapes, Brazil, Chile, Uruguay, as more or less a joke, but now very vivid dream and nomially I thangkas, statues, jewelry, Equador....many places. Until two we've taken our roles seriously, don't dream so much. I remem­ and dharma practice items! years ago I've been traveling and and it's really working well. Our bered it very strongly. Then we Call the number below to traveling. I would stay in Holland philosophy is that we use the state came to Argentina and stayed for a receive your first issue. in the summers and travel in the of trance that happens in the dance year and a half and went traveling winter. Then I met my wife Karen as a way of losing the ego. I find again to India and Indonesia, came in Holland. She is Argentinian. I this dancing a spiritual happening back to Argentina, and I had a Snow Lion is dedicated started to read more about for me and I really enter in the heavy story on the coast of to the preservation of Buddhism after I met Norbu trance. In the Hindu tradition there Argentina and went to prison for Tibetan culture. Rinpoche. I read the stories of is Nataraj, Lord of the Dance. I three months. It was a good oppor­ really felt I entered into the spirit of Marpa and Naropa and made a pil­ P.O. Box 6483 tunity to practice. When I came grimage to Rewalswar (Tso Pema) the dance and lost my ego, it really Ithaca, NY 14851 out we had no money and no Snow Lion where there is a lake of changed my life and I want to share 800-950-0313 where to go. And my wife said P u b 1 i c a t i n n s Padmasambhava and Mandharava. that with other people. 607-273-S519 "Oh, my family has a house in I went to a cave of Padmasam­ M: Thank you Piers! •

THE MIRROR FEBRUARY/MARCH 19 97 19 His Holiness the Avalokitesvara in Dalai Lama in Flesh Appears on France and L.Á. in 1997

the Indian Plains His Holiness the Dalai Lama will be in France Saturday April 26th until Wednesday April 30th in the by Elio Guarisco Rhone-Alpes region. These Only seven years ago Salugara the place where Luipa and most of teachings, sponsored by the tin West Bengal) was a tiny village the other eighty-four tantric adepts Dachang Rime Congregation and of wooden barracks lined up along lived. It was probably the gateway the Karma Ling Institute, are the main motorable road constantly through which Buddhism in its entitled 'Spirituality and Its crossed at high speed by big trucks Theravadin and Mahayanic form Place in Present Day Society'. on their way to Sikkim, Bhutan. reached Indochinese countries such For details contact: Guesar Assam, Nagaland, Mizoram and as Burma, Cambodia and Thailand. (Congregation Dachang Rime), other states of the north-east of It is close to Pataliputra (nearby pre­ Hameau de St. Hugan-73110, India. The wooden barracks more sent day Patna) and also the arena Arvillard, France. numerous than the beds they con­ first of all of the deeds of the on the throne which Shan- awakening, the Dalai Lama is an His. Holiness in Los Angeles- tained were more properly bars Buddha and later of those great tarakshita himself used while impeccable source of refuge. California, USA in June 1997: where cheap and watered-down tantric adepts such as Naropa, preaching at Samye monastery. Fearlessly and compassionately, gift­ June 5-7 Commentary: The mm was lavishly served to truck Dhombipa etc. It is also not far from The text first establishes the proof ed with the talent of a refomier His Precious Garland drivers and military men from the the remains of Jaggadala monastery of the existence of the awakened Holiness is setting straight the true June 8 Empowerment: nearby camp. In the small houses in present day Bangladesh, founded state and then sketches the stages principle of the teachings that lies in Shakyamuni Buddha behind the barracks Salugara by King Ramapala (1077-1120) to awakening from the point of assuming in oneself the responsibili­ Empowerment revealed a quality of life even thick­ where the great masters view of the Mahayana Sutras, ty of one's own spiritual welfare and June 6, 1997, 6:30 pm Public er than the smell of urine sprayed Vibhutichandra and Danashila from the bodhicittà to the contem­ therefore the welfare of all society. Address: A Vision for a New by drunkards on the hot sand which lived, and the last monastic institu­ plation that realizes the unreality "We are our own lord. I myself do Millenium permeated the small hallways. tion to be disintegrated under the of all phenomena. not place the slightest hope in any All events sponsored by Thubten Everyone dreamt of leaving; only Muslim onslaught. The second text from which the deity or any god," he said. He com­ Dhargye Ling, Venerable Geshes the smiles and the generous bosoms For the occasion of the Dalai Lama taught is a favorite of mented that on a visit to a monastery Tsultim Gyeltsen, Director of some local beauties with faultless Kalachakra, in all the distant paddy- his and was composed by Togme in Ladakh he noticed that the pro­ Additional onto: 310 916-0840 white teeth, violet lips and big eyes fields of Salugara a huge tendopolis Zangpo, a Tibetan lama honored tector chamber was very well kept, www.dalai.cerf.net made the environment liveable. grew extending for miles and miles with the title of Bodhisattva Togme shining with luster and replete with Due to some auspicious connec­ and in between the tents an enor­ Zangpo, an outstanding scholar and offerings and piles of money -while had Pabonka Rinpoche (the master tions, an old lama resembling a mous business of ali kinds flour­ practitioner and a contemporary of the Buddha statue in the main tem­ of the two tutors of the present Dalai Buddha or a bodhisattva on the tenth ished with endless shops and people Buton, the compiler of the Tibetan ple had just a flickering butter lamp Lama and a renowned practitioner level, surviving his old age through sitting on the ground exhibiting Buddhist Canon. H. H. himself in front of it and lay there in the dust. of Shugden) promise him to discard the force of enlightened intentions, their merchandise. received the transmission of this He urged the people to not just call the cult of Shugden towards the end themselves Buddhist but to learn came there. Sitting motionless on a Two hundred and fifty thousand teaching from various masters of his life. and put into practice the meaning of cot with his mind lost in the space of people; Tibetans settled in India, including the famous bodhisattva At the conclusion of the initia­ the teaching. emptiness and compassion, he Tibetans newly arrived from Tibet, from the Kunu region of India, tion, as is customary, the Dalai looked at a gigantic stupa being built Ladhakis, Nepalis of different castes Tenzing Gyaltsen. The text in beau­ On a clear morning, the Dalai Lama conferred the long life on his wishes. Watching every and tribes from India and Nepal, tiful poetry outlines both the training Lama reiterated his stand against the empowerment of White Tara and movement of the shovels and shift­ Bhutanese, Assamese and Monpa in relation to the relative bodhicitta performance of the rites to Shugden, concluded with words of advice for ing of bricks, he followed the work from Tawang in Arunachal Pradesh as well as the training related to the a three hundred year or so old cult mutual harmony and continued: like one who has not even a moment gathered for the event coming from ultimate bodhicitta or understanding that never gained a fully recognized "The real blessing is gained as we to waste and like a father protected different Himalayan regions. Two or of ultimate reality. status even within the Gelugpa put into practice the teaching and the mind of those who surrounded three hundred Westerners, including The huge crowd made a serious school with which it has been close­ realize its import, not from the hand him. Within the precincts of the a few from the Dzogchen attempt to fathom the words of the ly associated but remained a topic of of a lama. Once a master in Amdo work just a few meters away from Community were also present. Dalai Lama through the tedious dispute. The Dalai Lama has already was approached by someone who the busy road, through the stillness The Dalai Lama, under the slo­ process involving the translation of in the past, though in much softer insisted on having an audience with of the mind of the old lama the land gan "Kalachakra Initiation for his words into two and then eventu­ terms, discouraged the cult of him. Upon the refusal of the master was transformed into an inconceiv­ World Peace" is largely teaching his ally three languages: English, Shugden, but since some people are the person asked him at least to give able pure land. Samsara and nir­ cherished message of love and com­ Nepali and Bhutanese. His Holiness strongly trying to revive the cult of him his hand in blessing. "How can vana, awareness and distraction passion (as he himself admits: "For evidently well experienced in teach­ Shugden with instrumental purpos­ I give a blessing with this hand that were so close in Salugara as to be me the Kalachakra initiation is a ing big crowds gave his explana­ es, the terms he used at Salugara had has the nature of suffering? What I differentiated by a space no bigger chance to give teachings on compas­ tions in a direct and concise manner, a much more definitive tone. He can do is to teach you the dharma than the tip of a hair. sion. Most people would not come if conforming to the general level or asked the people who continue to then it is up to you to put it into prac­ As soon as the big stupa towered I advertised just teachings on the receptivity of the people. At times, perform rites to Shugden not to tice!" By receiving many blessings over the area, Salugara changed its gradual path. So I use this means to however, the Gelugpa oriented tech­ come to his initiations or teachings on your head," said the Dalai Lama, face and from a tiny village of bar­ teach the basic principles and a good nical terminology that he employed that involve a relationship based on "you may become like an owl that racks rapidly grew into a suburb of heart.") Thus he started the intro­ to explain the philosophical points strict bond, though permitted them has a flat head, but it is not sure three-story cement houses where ductory teachings saying: "I consid­ must have sounded Latin to a large to attend his general teachings. He whether you will receive a real buying the once valueless land er the teachings preceding the initia­ part of the uncultured audience. explained that after a careful and blessing. I myself am trying to became a hard enterprise. tion more important than the initia­ Touching moment were those in long examination he had come to implement the teaching to better Nobody now seems to be aware tion itself, and when introducing which he took distance from the the certainty that the cult of Shugden myself, what I have taught you will that everything here has sprung up the Kalachakra tantric system and words of the books and expressed in is to be discouraged on the basis serve the same purpose if you pay with the Stupa, from the inconceiv­ performing the actual initiation he his own characteristic and touching mainly of three reasons: 1 ) this cult heed to it. You cannot ask someone, able strength of the benevolent mainly skipped the translation. way words of advice that pierced the is gaining in small circles an impor­ a god or a deity, to remove your tance that undermines the Buddhist problems. That can't be done. Even intention of the old lama. The only His Holiness gave three days of heart of those present revealing him­ principle that one must rely on one's a Buddha cannot do that." reminiscence of that is the young introductory teachings based on self as the actual presence of effort and actions in shaping one's incarnation of Kalu Rinpoche who, the second part of the 'Stages of Avalokitesvara, the bodhisattva of The bodhisattva left the scene in future; 2) it favors a sectarian atti­ far bigger than the boys of his age, Meditation' intertwined with compassion. This culminated in his an unpretentious manner bowing tude that hinders the harmony tightly holds onto the Dalai Lama's Togme Zangpo's 'Thirty-Seven leading the ceremony for the forma­ silently to the crowd, leaving the between the various Tibetan schools hands as he leads him around. Guidelines for the Bodhisattva'. tion of the awakening mind, in clear impression that if there is any which the Dalai Lama has been pur­ It is here at Salugara, a point of The first text was written by accordance with the Maitreya- vestige of happiness and goodness in suing for a long time. In fact, in his passage from the plains of Bengal to Kamalashila, a renowned Indian Asanga tradition, where one com- this world it may well be due to his talks he always advises studying the the Buddhist north-east of India, that scholar of the Svatantrika- mitsoneself to become a Buddha for compassionate presence among us. teachings and doctrines of other H. H. the Dalai Lama, surrounded Madhyamika system and the main the sake of all. What remains in the hot and schools, for a Gelugpa to study the by a tight security of paramilitary pupil of Shantarakshita* the first In the Himalayan regions where hazy plains are two twin symbols Nyingmapa teachings and so forth. forces, conferred the initiation of abbot of Samye monastery. H. H. the inner path taught by the Buddha facing each other across a few hun­ 3) Historically the practice of this Kalachakra, preceded by introducto­ himself received the teaching- has flourished for more than two dred miles of paddy fields: a beauti­ cult has been suppressed by the ry teachings, from the 17th to the . transmission of the text from thousand years, at a time in which it ful palace-like residence (where the heads of Tibet such as the Fifth 26th of December 1996. Sangye Tenzin, the late abbot of is waning like a flame in a strong Kalachakra mandala was housed Dalai Lama, as is clear in his writ­ That an insignificant place like the Sakya monastery at Ghoom wind and teaching is reduced to a and from where H. H. preached) and ings. And as it is written in the Salugara became the theatre for this (Darjeeling) who in turn had mere belief in which seeking world­ a great stupa with a golden crescent recently published biography of event is not a mere coincidence, in received it from a Dzogchen Lama ly favors from local gods is replacing moon and a sphere on the top built Pabonka, the thirteenth Dalai Lama fact the area situated in Bengal is from Kham who taught it sitting the original quest for the goal of full by the old Kalu Rinpoche. •

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