No. 137 THE MIRROR September 2017 The Total Space of Vajrasattva The Shang Shung Foundation The Vajra Dance of Space The Community Retreats Contents Editorial. 3 The Total Space of Vajrasattva – Dorje Sempa Namkhai Che . 4 Offering Your Service to The Dzogchen Community . 9 All Hands Meeting of the Worldwide Shang Shung Foundation . 10 Five Years of the Shang Shung Institute in Russia. 18 ASIA . 22 Khaita on the Hill of the Muses. 24 Dzamling Gar . 25 Merigar West . 25 The Vajra Dance of Space . 26 Third Jewel Sangha Retreat at Merigar West. 30 Kumar Kumari All Year in School . 31 Sangha Retreats in Germany and Austria . 32 Merigar East. 33 Samtengar . 35 Japanese Sangha Retreat . 36 Tsegyalgar East . 36 Tashigar North .. 38 Journey Into Eastern Tibet . 39 Artists in the Dzogchen Community . 42 The Four Applications Above: East Tibet. Mantras on the hillside written using white cloth. of Presence . 44 Front cover: Om mani padme hum mantra carved in rock at Yihun Lhatso lake, East Tibet. Back cover: Woodblock printing press in Derge Parkhang. How I Met . 46 2 THE MIRROR · No. 137 · September 2017 of Chögyal Namkhai Norbu to reunite for Editorial five days and also introduce the Teachings to many newcomers to the Dzogchen Com- munity in the beautiful setting of Kyoto . The Resilience of the What can we learn from this? We can Dzogchen Community learn about our own capacity and resil- ience as an enormous international, often rcidosso, Paris, Munich, Vienna and unwieldy, Sangha . The Community rose Kyoto, what is the common thread to the occasion and allowed Rinpoche the Afound in all these places for the senior students and instructors, and the space to relax in the knowledge that the International Dzogchen Community? The generosity of the Sangha Rimay of Denys Dzogchen Community can take care of it- common thread is that each of these plac- Rinpoche in Paris who kindly offered their self when the need arises . This can only be es that was originally on Chögyal Namkhai venue, “the best of everything”, the first a support for Rinpoche, Rosa and the Nam- Norbu’s teaching tour for 2017, became lo- Sangha retreat of the season was very suc- khai family, and enhance the healing pro- cations where very successful Sangha Re- cessfully held in Paris . cess for our beloved Master . treats were held this summer . Merigar West in Arcidosso, Italy, soon So bravo and hats off to all the Dzog- Due to health challenges, Chögyal Nam- followed suit early in July, where some 650 chen Communities that took up the chal- khai Norbu was unable to follow his pro- people, many of whom were newcomers, lenge and offered wonderful experienc- posed teaching schedule for 2017 . Instead, were able to attend a very rich and full five- es for old and new students alike . We are much to the relief of the Community, Rin- day Sangha Retreat . The event turned out grateful for their diligence and willingness poche chose to take time to rest, recover to be a wonderful opportunity for Chögyal to persevere while providing inspiration and heal . We are all aware that Chögyal Namkhai Norbu’s senior students to come and guidance for the entire International Namkhai Norbu does not make these de- together to present his teaching in its Community . cisions lightly and we sensed how difficult many aspects to old and new students and it was for Rinpoche to change his program, for the Community to be present, practice, The Editors with the wish, however, that if all goes well, and enjoy together . www.melong.com the same schedule will be reproduced next Moving on to Munich, Germany, in year . mid-July, organizers and instructors creat- The French Community led the way by ed a similar inspiring and powerful retreat coming up with a last minute plan B when, atmosphere for three days in which about shortly before the planned dates early in 350 people participated . Then at the end of June, Rinpoche announced that he would July the Vienna Sangha Retreat brought to- have to cancel his visit . Of course there was gether over 80 people coming from many Chögyal Namkhai Norbu has recently a natural disappointment with the physi- different places to experience the deep returned to Dzamling Gar in Tenerife . His cal absence of the precious Master, but connection within the Sangha and the health continues to improve although he the presence of the Master is always there strength that arises from it . Finally, early has has decided not to undertake the jour- and manifested in all its brilliance at these in September, there was a joyful and amaz- ney to ASIA this year . His program will be events . With the collaboration of a team of ing opportunity for the Japanese students forthcoming . Help to Support The Mirror The Mirror is the voice of the International Dzogchen Community. Please help us to continue and improve this invaluable service by supporting it with a donation! Thank you. Paypal: Bank – account in Euros: Account holder: [email protected] Bank: Monte dei Paschi di Siena Comunità Dzogchen Internazionale Branch: Arcidosso IBAN: IT 22 S 01030 72160 000000 798242 BIC/SWIFT: PASCITM1G99 THE MIRROR · No. 137 · September 2017 3 Chögyal Namkhai Norbu Chögyal Namkhai Norbu with Dr Jamyang Oliphant at the presentation of SHAR RO, a book honoring Rinpoche's achievements, teaching and research, in Decem- ber 2016 at Merigar West. Photo by Izabela Jaroszewska knowledge and understanding . We should discover what is Dzog- chen, which is our real nature and then we try to be in that state . What I’m doing in all retreats is Dzogchen teaching, and even if we use different titles what I teach is mainly Ati Guruyoga . For that The Total Space reason I tell people, “If you don’t remember what I taught don’t worry, but remember that I explained we should do Ati Guruyoga ”. of Vajrasattva – This is what I’m asking you . I’m not asking you to chant mantras or do visualization of deities . If you like you can do everything, in the Dzogchen teaching there is no limitation . You can apply anything Dorje Sempa if you have a base, but base means that you have to know which is the essence of the teaching . That is what we need to discover . In the Dzogchen teaching we should first know that the essence Namkhai Che of the teaching is our real nature, and we need to discover it . If we don’t know the essence of the teaching, then it is just like working in a very nice field for growing something but without planting Chögyal Namkhai Norbu’s Introduction any kind of seed . So what will grow? Nothing . In the same way dis- to his Oral Commentary covering our real nature is the base, then we work with practice, and finally we manifest our realization . For that reason Ati Guruy- oga is very important, everybody should remember it, old and new told you already that Ati Guruyoga is the most important es- practitioners . sence of the practice . And the practice is very important be- In this retreat I want to present a work that I did for many years I cause if we learn something we should apply it . If we apply and now it is ready . It is something related to a very important the very essence of a practice like Ati Guruyoga, then we can have and famous text, called Dorje Sempa Namkha Che, that Guru Garab realization, we will have benefit . If we are not applying it and we Dorje was chanting when he was a small boy . It is the essence of are just thinking and learning intellectually, there is no benefit . I the Dzogchen teaching . Dzogchen teaching is also the most ancient already gave you the example of medicines; if we are going to a teaching we have . How do we know that? In the Dzogchen tantras doctor we discover which kind of illness we have but if we are not it is explained that twelve Dzogchen masters from ancient time using the medicines and applying the doctor’s advice there is no until today existed in different epochs . The first, the most ancient benefit . The same is true for the teaching . It is very important that of the twelve masters, is called Tönpa Nangwa Tampa . He was a we apply the practices concretely, not remaining only with a nice human when the human condition began . In history it is said that idea . This doesn’t help . We always start with Ati Guruyoga . I also at the beginning humans were just like Devas, they had those kind told you I’m teaching Dzogchen . Maybe you can find many differ- of qualifications . But then, as emotions increased more and more, ent titles . People run very much after titles, names and forms, but these qualifications slowly slowly decreased, so that now we have this is not the principle of the Dzogchen teaching . Its principle is this human condition . 4 THE MIRROR · No. 137 · September 2017 Chögyal Namkhai Norbu it existed, so I asked them to make a copy of it because for me and Tönpa Nangwa Tampa lived in that very ancient time, and as the for the Dzogchen teaching it was very important . They said they first teacher of the primordial teachers he taught the Dra Thalgyur, were not allowed to as they had no permission . I told them to make a tantra having six chapters . Some time ago I gave the complete a copy secretly, and after one year they made a photocopy and sent lung transmission of this tantra .