THE MIRROR Newspaper of the International Dzogchen Community December 1998/January 1999 • issue No. 47 A Weekend Seminar at Clyro Court Wales by Peter White ' I "his year has been a year of tive energy of his audience and A fruition and energy for our somehow respond to that in a UK Dzogchen Community. Earli­ most flexible and appropriate er this year we were delighted to way. Rinpoche made very clear to finally make purchase of a ready us the overwhelming importance to use retreat house (ex-farm­ of the Guru Yoga, and that doing French Community with Chögyal Namkhai Norbu house) in a beautifully unspoiled this practice involves no conflicts area of Wales (Wales is a semi- between different schools and tra­ autonomous region West of Eng­ ditions. Indeed it automatically land). Rinpoche advised us to resolves all conflicts we have in name this place "KunSelLing" - our minds, since the enlightened Chögyal Namkhai Norbu place of luminosity. knowledge of all true Masters In May, relatively soon after­ comes from the same source. Rin­ in France wards, the focused intent and poche reminded us to put in per­ aspirations of our Community spective the role of technique and together with the collaboration of manifestation, and to remember November 1998 an efficient local planning consul­ the real purpose of the teachings, tant resulted in our building appli­ which is to (re)discover our real he French Community had the pleasure to welcome DEI AM LING cation for outbuilding develop­ nature. T Rinpoche in four different places in the month of After one day of rest, we drove two hours West to the ment being granted. This was In terms of scale this retreat November. new French land, Le Deves, in the Southern Cevennes. important for us, as KunSelLing was a new experience for our There the main preliminary work had been to prepare needs a dedicated space for regu­ Community. Expected on Satur­ MARSEILLES TEACHINGS road and provisional parking places, as well as paths to lar events in order to be complete. day were 250+ attendees many of The first teachings took place in Marseilles, which is make Rinpoche's exploration of the land as comfortable At almost the same time, fur­ whom were to meet Rinpoche for the third biggest town in France on the Mediterranean and safe as possible. After the first welcome and a cham­ ther news that our illustrious Mas­ the first time. In order to make the coast. They were nicely organized by the local practice pagne toast near the warm fireplace, Rinpoche withdrew ter Chögyal Namkhai Norbu most of our short time together group in two different theaters. Many new people from to his rooms in a nearby house. Then the first big Gana- would visit the UK arrived. This •>nri tn try and involve newcomers the Southeast of France came for this event, with their puja took place for Lha Bab Duchen with fifty practition­ was a wonderful surprise for to the Community, we arranged special friendly accent. ers squeezed into the living room- everyone here, realizing how full some activities in addition to Rin­ After giving a public lecture Friday evening as a gen­ Next morning, Rinpoche practiced a short Sang rite Rinpoche's schedule is, and that a poche's teachings: Yantra Yoga, eral introduction to Dzogchen, Rinpoche started a very under a wonderful blue sky, and practitioners of neigh­ visit to our Isle was not initially Dance of the Vajra. practice short retreat immediately the next morning in three long boring centers, like Rigpa, Shambala, etc., came to see planned. explanations and collective and intensive sessions, where he developed the funda­ him. Our nearest neighbor also welcomed Rinpoche and Five months later and the evening practices. Thus the sched­ mentals of Dzogchen practice starting from the very expressed his satisfaction that people working for peace scene is Clyro Court Hotel, Wales ule during our short time together base. Looking at the public, one could note two groups; settled in this happy valley. (just 10km down the road from here was quite full and varied one rejoicing and the other under shock from the direct­ After this short ceremony, Rinpoche immediately KunSelLing). on the eve of the from morning to night. ness and intensity of the teachings. During the breaks a visited the house, the land and indicated interesting retreat. The weather is absolutely On Saturday night, a night Dance Mandala was put out and dances performed, as building places. Then we went back to the main building awful. The rain has been lashing known as "Halloween" here in the well as explanations about Yantra Yoga and the Short for lunch and Rinpoche gave the name Dejam Ling down here for days turning the UK, a night in which the spirits of Tun. The last session Sunday morning was dedicated to ("place of infinite bliss") to the land. Two vases were put valley fields into vast lakes dotted the extensive transmission of lungs and concluded by the inside the house, one coming from the dark retreat house with trees. The Hotel begins to continued on page 3 gift of one of the Master's special dream teachings about in Plouray, the second from Lama Denis in Karma Ling. feel in a very real way like a boat the three kayas. for people on the path to libera­ continued on page 3 tion! Our main worry is that many CONTENTS people will not be able to even get CHÖGYAL NAMKHAI NORBU INTERNATIONAL PROGRAM 1998-2000 to Clyro Court: all the buses have been canceled, and many of the 2 TEACHING trains too. As the day progresses, Chogyal S'dmkhai Sorbu 1998-99 USA (continued) and with the help of several cars ARGENTINA TASHIGAR July 4- 6 SMS 1 st level exam 3 KARMA LING going out to pick up stranded pil­ Teachings: December 26 -January 4 July 7-11 2nd level training Contacts grims, it seems that by some mira­ SMS Base level exams: January 29-31 July 13-15 2nd level exam cle almost all those expected have 4 BOOK REVIEWS SMS Training 1st level: February 1-5 July 16-20 3rd level training arrived. SMS 1 st level Exams: February 26-28 Chicago, Aug. 13-15 SMS Training 2nd level: March 1 -5 Houston. Aug. 20-22 So the next day, as the rain 6 FREEDOM OF RELIGION Ann Pickering Teachings: April 2-6,1999 Santa Fe, Aug. 27-29 continued to pour down and occa­ sionally the sun shone through, 1999 Santa Fe, Teaching for Tibetans, Aug. 30 7 LOGGING BANS IN TIBET Colorado, Tara Mandala Rinpoche started teaching in a Daniel Winkler PERU very essentia], direct and vivid MEXICO Teachings: April 16-18 way. During the three days of the 8 GAME OF BAKCHEN Teaching Sept. 17-19 Dr. Thubten Phunlsog VENEZUELA retreat he covered immense Teachings: April 28-May 2 USA (again) ground including such aspects as 9 TIBETAN MASSAGE San Francisco Sept.24-28 the difference between symbol Dr. Nida Chenag Siang Portland. Oct.8-10 and knowledge of ones condition, ITALY MERIGAR. 10 INTERNATIONAL CONGRESS Los Angeles. Oct. 15-17 empowerment and introduction, Vesak: May 28-30 on Tibetan Medicine Hawaii. Oct. 27-31 the symbol of the vajra, shine and USA PACIFIC RIM lhagthong. Guru Yoga and the 11 QUESTIONS & ANSWERS New York City June 4-6 faun Washington New Zealand Dec. 3-5 practice of natural light. Australia,Sydney Dec. 10-12 I am sure Rinpoche's powerful 12-14 COMMUNITY NEWS TSEGYALGAR exposition of the teachings June 25-July 3 Teaching Retreat 2000 16-17 REFLECTIONS touched everyone in a different Santi Maha Sangha at Tsegyalgar: AUSTRALIA profound way, like the rays of 20 THE TRUTH June 11-13 SMS Base level exam NAMGYALGAR light reflected in individual crys­ John Shane Retreat, Dec.26-Jan.2 June 14-18 SMS 1st level training tals. For me what I feel inspired to express here is that Rinpoche SEE CONTACTS ON PAGE 3 seemed to sense the unique collec­ Chögyal Namkhai Norbu (After giving the 'lung' of different practices). not get into knowledge that way". He hese [practices] are secondary things. Being in the State explained and I observed and really followed TSometimes they are useful and that is why what he was saying and after a little while I we try to do them when we have the possibility- really understood. Before I hadn't understood Possibility means that I am here, you are here, at all what the real meaning of the teaching is. we are alive here together now. And even of Transmission Everything was only my own construction. So though you have no idea of doing this or that then I was very surprised. I listened and he practice in this moment, you can't know Excerpt from a Teaching given by talked for hours. because we are living in circumstances and cir­ At the end he talked as if he was reading a cumstances can change every day. At some Chögyal Namkhai Norbu tantra, it was as if his terma teaching was com­ moment you may need to do one of these prac­ ing out. Then I couldn't understand very much tices and if you have no transmission it's not so - it became a little difficult because it seemed Sunday, November 1st, 1998 Clyro Court, Wales, Great Britain easy to get it immediately. as if he was reading a tantra at the end. After a Some people write long letters to me when little while he seemed to consider what he was they have problems saying, "I have all these doing and he said, "OK.