THE MIRROR Newspaper of the International Dzogchen Community November/December 1996 • Issue No. 38 In the Time of the Lunar Eclipse 1996 Autumn Retreat in Tsegyalgar Conway, Massachusetts by Jacqueline Gens tunity for interested individuals to meet concerning the development of Shang Shung Institute and A.S.I.A., as well as provide updates on the progress of the Tibet Amdowas Vairocana translation project. The film "Home to Tibet" produced by by Donatella Rossi local filmakers, Alan Dater and Lisa Merton about a Tibetan stone­ This is part I of a two-part series on Amdowas. The latter are of partic­ mason now living in nearby Tibet. This article is centered on a topicula r interest, both from the histori­ Greenfield. Massachusetts was that is a favorite of mine: Tibetan cal and the cultural viewpoint, shown. Several newer projects Amdowas, their history and customs.becaus e of their peripheral posi­ were introduced such as the Stupa Since A.S.l.A. is implementing projects tion, the complexity of historical project for the Buckland land in the Amdo area, I thought it might be events which took place during the where people could see the elegant interesting for the readers of The course of centuries in the regions construction of a Guardians cabin Mirror who are not very familiar with they inhabit, and their interrelation Jim Smith well underway. this fascinating region and its inhabi- with different ethnic groups such Rinpoche's premature departure oinciding with the annual Wish Fulfilling Vase. In particular, tants,to share the little knowledge I as the Mongols, the Uigurs and the on October 14th to New York for fall foliage display and he taught extensively on the have acquired by studying and living Hans, that is to say, the Chinese. knee surgery was met with harvest plenitude of the semdzins and rushan practices, the there for a few months in the past. Geography C poignant feelings of both full grat­ local region, Tsegyalgar hosted cornerstone of a Dzogchen practi­ The province of Qinghai covers itude for his teachings and the bit­ approximately three hundred peo­ tioner's training. Although he has peaking in general terms, an area of 736,000 square meters tersweet sentiment of the season ple for its main retreat from taught the Avalokitesvara Korwa my impression is that and it is mainly constituted by a with the knowledge that beyond September 19-29, 1996 and fifty- Tongtrug previously, this retreat SWestern ideas about Tibet, vast highland and awesome moun­ the glorious manifestation of bril­ four participants in the first two was the first time Rinpoche gave when they exist at all, are based on tain ranges. liant autumnal display is a cold levels of the Santi Maha Sangha both the lung and transmissions for the assumption that culturally and To the North, part of the border winter of Rinpoche's absence from training held immediately after­ the practice at Tsegyalgar. On the geographically 'Tibet' amounts with the Gansu Province is occu­ Tsegyalgar. in body, if not essence. only to the so-called Tibetan wards. Community members and morning of the full moon and a pied by the Qilian Mountain Lone live the Masters! Autonomous Region, so that the range. The Northwest, bordering friends travelled from as far as lunar eclipse September 26, con­ actual presence of the Tibetan peo­ the Province of Xinjiang, hosts the Buryatia, Latvia, Germany. sidered especially auspicious for ple and their culture in at least four vast salt lakes and marshes of the Finland, England, France, Canada, practice, Rinpoche gave the lung of the biggest Chinese Provinces Tsaidam Basin, which in Tibetan and Venezuela, as well as from all for the many practices done within CONTENTS seems almost inconsistent. The the gakyils in the United States in the Dzogchen community. He then is called Tshwa 'dam. the salt Discovering Our Real Nature 2 explained that even for individuals Tibetan Autonomous Region was swamp. The city of Tshwa Kha, order to receive teachings from Choegyal Namkhai Norbu established on the September 9th, situated at the border of the Choegyal Namkhai Norbu and to who had received these transmis­ Interdependent View 1965, but as many of us know, its Tsaidam Lake, was in the past a practice together as a Vajra sangha. sions many times before, it was a Roundtable Discussion 3 cultural and geographical borders very important meeting place for The site of the former grammar still beneficial to do so again and do not coincide with what is today merchants coming from adjacent school in Conway Massachusetts, again in order to renew one's Shang-Shung Institute 4 known as the Autonomous Region now known as Shang Shung samayas. regions to exchange various prod­ Master biography 5 of Tibet. The existence of the ucts for salt. In this area we can Institute and the location of the During the main retreat. Jcy Clark Tibetan ethnic group is in fact even today see a bridge that is main offices of Tsegyalgar and the Rinpoche on a number of occa­ widespread in the provinces of entirely made of salt. Mirror, provided a spacious and sions stressed the importance of Book Reviews 5 Sichuan, Gansu, Yunnan and orderly container for the teachings the Santi Maha Sangha training In the South, the Tangía Pre-history of the Buddha 6 Qinghai; it is also attested, on a which he clarified as not just Mountain range runs parallel to the to take place. As usual, the minor scale, in several other towns another "intellectual" academic by John Williams Tibetan Autonomous Region, Conway community of practition­ and areas of China. approach but as a means to pre­ while the remaining territory is ers rallied together in a spirit of Community News 10-12 efficient cooperation to host and serve the future of the teachings According to the data provided constituted by a highland, reaching Lady of the Mountain 14 and the Dzogchen transmissions by the last census carried out on 3.500 meters above the sea level. feed the large group with gracious by Jacqueline Gens friendliness. which he has given us for many Adzamgar 15 behalf of the Chinese Central gov­ In the South-East, the Amnye by F. Branca and G. Aleotri During the retreat, Rinpoche years ( see page 2). Indeed, as the ernment in 1992, the Tibetan popu­ Machen Mountain range, the high­ Part 2: Poetry and Mysticism 16 foundation and first level exams lation amounted to about 5 million est peak of which is above 6000 primarily taught on the practice of coincided with Conway's annual by Dorothea Franck individuals, showing an increase of meters, runs along the border with Avalokitesvara Korwa Tongtrug, a Harvest Festival, a different kind approximately 25% with respect to the province of Sichuan. The terma discovered by the master and International Dzogchen Contacts... 17 of harvest took place as the fifty the previous census of 1982. sources of the Yellow River — former incarnation of Namkhai Relatively Speaking IS four practitioners taking the exams Out of the Tibetan ethnic group, known in Tibetan as rMa chit, and Norbu Rinpoche. Adzam Drugpa bv Cheli Goh brought to fruition the seeds sown three main groups are to be distin­ in Chinese as Huang He — as well belonging to the cycle of the Secret The Tea Bag Sutra 20 by Rinpoche and tended by their guished, in view of the prevalence as those of the Mekong, are locat­ Treasure of the Vajra of Clear John Shane diligence. of spoken idioms and geographical ed in this province. The Yellow Light ('od gsal rdo rje gsang settlements: the Tibetans of river originates from the county of mdzod). Rinpoche also devoted Interwoven throughout the SPECIAL FEATURE: time to present essential and direct Central Tibet proper, the Khampas rMa stod, in mGo log Prefecture, intensive retreat schedules of Healing and Practice: teachings summarizing many occupying the present while the Mekong originates from morning teachings by Rinpoche. Interviews with Practitioners of aspects of sutra. tantra. and Autonomous Prefecture of dKar the county of Drib chu in Yushu afternoon Vajra Dance and Yantra the Healing Arts. Dzogchen. as explained in his rdzas (Chinese Ganzi), in Sichuan, Prefecture. Yoga practices, evening explana­ See pages 8 and 9. Santi Maha Sangha foundation tions to newcomers of many of the which was established on the The central part of the highland texts. The Precious Vase and the collective practices, was an oppor­ November 24th, 1950. and the continued on page 7 Excerpt from the Teaching at judging, analyzing, thinking and understand what direct transmis­ A FEW WORDS ON SANTI stand what the state of Dzogchen Tsegyalgar September, 1996 then establishing a point of view, sion means. The teacher is giving MAHA SANGHA TRAINING is, how you can find it and get in but this not the sense of the teach­ examples and explains using sym­ I want to explain a little about it, and which transmission and want to welcome everybody to ing. bols like the mirror, the crystal, the Base of Santi Maha Sangha. method you can use because you this retreat. We should do our Everything is relative. This is and peacock's feather. Using these Most of you already know some­ will be ignorant of all these things. Ibest to understand each other how Garab Dorje explained the symbols we can understand our thing about it, but maybe there are That is why we have the Santi and collaborate with each other. teaching. There are three ways of real condition and our potentiality. some new people who don't know Maha Sangha. This is main point of retreats.