No. 116 May, June 2012 Upcoming Retreats with Chögyal Namkhai Norbu 2012 USA New York City June 29–July 1 “Dzogchen Nallug” Retreat Tsegyalgar East Photo: Zhuopu July 4–10 Yeshes Khandroí Thugthig (Jnanadhakini) July 11–12 Hong Kong Retreat Santi Maha Sangha Base Exam July 13–17 Santi Maha Sangha First Level Training of the Song of Vajra Russia July 22 Public Teaching in Moscow t was such a joyful moment when we Rinpoche’s Dzogchen Retreat on the experienced and new students alike, both Kunsangar North caught the fi rst glimpse of Rinpoche’s Song of Vajra started on the 16th of May. local and abroad, the retreat was conclud- July 25–29 Iphysical presence at the Hong Kong In- It attracted over two hundred participants ed successfully on the 20th of May with a Terma teaching of Rigdzin Jangchub ternational Airport, heralding Rinpoche’s from all around the globe, as well as the Ganapuja and an auction dedicated to the Dorje, the Circle of Lama Zabdon’s fi rst Dzogchen Retreat to be held in Hong local and mainland Chinese which made completion of the retreat centre of Sam- “Khyung-nag”, the Dark-Blue Garuda Kong, China between the 16th to 20th up the majority. The participation of Vajra tenling, which is located in Yichun city of of May in this year of the water dragon. siblings coming from Singapore, Malay- the Jiangxi province in China. Thus ended Ukraine This was the moment that all students of sia, the UK, Austria, Spain, Italy, and other the 5-day Dzogchen Retreat of the Song of Kunsangar South Rinpoche, especially those of us living in countries was much appreciated. For fi ve Vajra in exuberance. August 2–9 China, had long been waiting to witness. consecutive days, we were all joined to- Terma teaching of Rigdzin Jangchub gether to receive the precious teaching of It is our sincere wish that Rinpoche will Dorje, “Man-ngag Tag-drol Gyud” During Rinpoche’s 10-day stay in Hong Dzogchen, in particular the commentary come to teach in Hong Kong and China Romania Kong he also gave, at the invitation of the on the Song of Vajra by Longchenpa, from again and again very soon. Merigar East Chinese University of Hong Kong Centre our Maestro, as well as to learn the Pamo August 17–23 for the Study of Humanistic Buddhism, and Pawo steps of the Vajra Dance of the “Longsal Atií Nadzer” Retreat a public lecture entitled “Dzogchen – the Three Vajras and the Eight Movements of Essence of all Buddhist Teachings” at the Yantra Yoga. Italy Chinese University on the 15th of May. Merigar West Rinpoche explained succinctly about the It seemed like a daunting task for the local August 31–Sept. 6 differences between the 3 paths of libera- Gakyil of Samtenling to hold this histori- “Longsal Atii Gongpa Gojyed” Retreat tion and it was well received by the audi- cal retreat in Hong Kong, China. But, with Sept. 7–9 ence. the blessings and help from the ‘Three Santi Maha Sangha Roots’, as manifested in the various assis- Level I Examinations tance that was rendered to us by the more Sept. 10–16 Santi Maha Sangha Level II Training Teaching Teaching Focus Sept. 21–27 Terma Teaching of Ridzin Jyangchub Yantra Yoga Dorje, “Zhitro Khordas Rangdrol” Chögyal Namkhai Khyentse Norbu Yeshe Greece October 3–7 Introduction about Educating the “Longsal Atii Lam-gyi Ngondro” the Song of Vajra Mind Retreat >> continued on page 4 » Page 2 » Page 3 » Pages 10ff THE MIRROR · No. 116 · May, June 2012 2 tice we should chant “om vajra chilicilaya”. That is a very good example, because it is very important how we receive transmission and we should do practice with confi dence and have realization. So we cannot say the Song of the Vajra is always in the lan- guage of Oddiyana. There is a consideration of this lan- guage and ancient translators like Vairocana studied and learned most Dzogchen tantras and books very well from the Oddiyana language, not Sanskrit. Many words in the Oddiyana and Sanskrit language are very similar, but the grammatical system is not the same. For example, in San- skrit and Hindi, the adjective is used before the name. For example, if they say Dzogchen it is Maha Santi, but in Ti- betan and Oddiyana they use the adjective after the name. The way of using adjectives in Tibetan and Oddiyana lan- guage are similar, but the language is not similar. We say, for example, Santi Maha, Maha is the adjective that comes after, not before. If you read Dzogchen tantras, in most Dzogchen Tantras there is the Oddiyana language; you can understand if it is so when the adjective is always used af- ter the name. So this is the difference in the language of Oddiyana and Sanskrit. For example, Longchenpa translated the meaning of the Song of Vajra from Sanskrit and Oddiyana language, and the Song of Vajra called the non dual or union of the state of Samantabhadra yab and yum. In general, there are two Photo: F. Andrico kinds of the Song of the Vajra if you are reading or learn- An Excerpt from the Teaching: ing Dzogchen tantras or many tantras of tagdrol, The fi rst is called the state of the yab, Samantabhadra and the sec- ond is called the state of the yum, Samantabhadri. Two Introduction about the kinds always exist, but then the union is only one union of the yab and yum which, in general, we use and sing. Song of Vajra and how it is Longchenpa roughly translated the sense of this. The real meaning of the Song of Vajra is the essence of the Dzogchen teaching. Even though it is the essence, there related to diverse methods are still explanations. With this rough translation I give you the meaning of the Song of Vajra, which is translated of Dzogchen Desum from Longchenpa. The fi rst four verses are: Emakirikiri, mashtavalivali, samitasurusuru, kutalimasumasu Hong Kong Retreat, May 18, 2012 It is unborn, there is no birth. There exists no interrup- tion or end. There is no going and no coming. Total bliss, Chochen barwa nyidai kyil chochen means total nature of all phe- vajra. Vajra is a little closer to the Sanskrit pronunciation. the supreme real condition of the state. Miyowa means nomena; its nature, wisdom and luminosity, just like the light of I received many teachings with both, but the teacher I re- movement, when we are integrated with movement there the sun and moon. ceived Dzogchen semde, longde and upadesha, Negyab is no consideration of movement. Everything is self liber- Rinpoche, his teacher followed the lineage of Sanskrit and ated beyond time. No problems or defects exist. So this ow we are learning the principle of the Song of said vajra, not benza. Also my teacher from college said is the fi rst group and another way we are studying and the Vajra. First of all, we ordinarily consider that vajra, so that is why I use and apply in that way. You should learning these four lines is connected with the teaching of N the Song of Vajra is in the language of Oddi- not worry, if you learned benza or vajra it does not matter, Dzogchen semde. Remember we have Dzogchen semde, yana. Not only the Song of Vajra is in this language, but you can apply as you learned. I am not inventing vajra, that longde and upadesha and that I will explain later. also the Twenty-Five Spaces of Samantabhadra and all im- is how I learned it. portant mantras. We cannot say it is only the language of Now the second group: Oddiyana, because we have many teachings, tantras and There is in ancient story in the Sakyapa tradition: Sakya- Ekarasulibhataye, cikirabulibhataye, samuntacaryasughaye, lungs, mennagde, and many tantras and commentaries of pandita was a very important teacher, and one day when bhetasanabhyakulaye Dzogchen tantras from Guru Garab Dorje. We also have he was walking to a Sakya monastery there was a small many lungs, which means only some part of those tantras. river nearby and when he walked by the river he heard the So these four lines are connected with the series of the These tantras, which are the source of the lungs, still exist sound of Vajrakilaya in the river. Sakyapandita thought Dzogchen longde. The meaning of the words is that we in other dimensions. For example, in the longchen, partic- there must be some good practitioners of Vajrakilaya at are searching for the root, the origin, and we cannot fi nd ularly in the dral thal gyur tantra, there is an explanation of the source of the river. One day he searched along the river anything. Also there is not something that says we are con- thirteen different dimensions like the nirmanakaya. There to fi nd out who was doing the practice of Vajrakilaya and nected with this origin, since we are not confi rming the are indications of special dimensions where there are im- at the end of his search there was a rock and in the rock origin and there are no secondary things related to it. portant Dzogchen tantras, so many enlightened beings, there was a cave and in the cave a yogi doing a personal many realized beings, which are being beyond time and retreat. When he asked the yogi what practice he was do- In general, when we are in the state of contemplation we space. So when many methods and teachings are intro- ing, he said he was doing Vajrakilaya, but he did not say say, “Now I am in the state of contemplation.” This is our duced, sometimes they are introduced in our dimension Vajrakilaya, he said Vajrachilaya.