THE MIRROR The International Newspaper of the Dzog-chen Community Issue 24 YEAR'S END, YEAR'S BEGINNING IN THIS ISSUE by John Shane International S hang Shung TEACHING This issue of 'The Mirror' Institute for Tibetan Studies, goes to press as the festive the Association for Solidarity Understanding the season approaches once again inAsia (A.S.I.A.),andShang real condition of all and another year comes to end: Shung Editions, all of them a time for family gatherings, inspired by Rinpoche's phenomena reconnections with friends old teaching and guidance. Namkhai Norbu Rinpoche and new, near and far, and for The Shang Shung Institute page 2 the giving and receiving of gifts. continued its activities for the A time, too, for tliinking preservation of Tibetan cul­ back over the past year and for ture, holding two courses on NEWS making New Year'sresolutions Tibetan medicine in Tashigar, Argentina for the coming year; a good Arcidosso, Italy, and moment to reconnect with establishing plans to page 4 ourselves, for quiet reflection, implement a five-year course for the contemplation that is at in Tibetan medicine which Searching funds for the heart of all our will receive official Community's activities. recognition by the relevant land in Australia Christmas may be a season authorities. Talks were also page 4 for presents, but the truth is held at Conway this summer that all through the last twelve to prepare the way for the First weekend at months the practitioners of the eventual founding of a Shang Dzogchen Community have Shung Institute in the United Conway school received so much from our States of America. page 6 spiritual Master, either directly A.S.I.A. continued its aid orindirectly.that no Christmas programme for the present could ever match it. development of educational Tara Mandala finds On behalf of its readers and and medical facilities in area retreat land of all the members of the of Tibet where schools and Community world-wide who hospitals are lacking. The last page 6 will not be able to greet him issue of 'The Mirror' carried personally, 'The Mirror' would Garab Dor je from a drawing by Batodalai Dugarov a full report on the A.S.I.A. 2nd Merigar Tibetan like to send our warmest team's successful visit to greetings and thanks to our precious that he has already transmitted. He has benefited enormously from the Tibet this summer, which was led medicine seminar root Master, Chögyal Namkhai has expressed his intention to try to harmonious interaction of by Rinpoche himself, and projects page? Norbu, to his family, and to all the teach one further level each year. individuals in the Dance. are now going ahead at Dangche, Masters who have brought the Groups were set up in various Yantra Yoga has also continued Khamdogar, Jarkando, and wonderful benefit of their presence parts of the world to study the two to be taught world-wide with great Galenteng. FEATURES or their teachings into our lives. We texts that Rinpoche prepared for the precision by our qualified These projects deserve your have truly received so much, such Foundation Level, 'The Precious instructors. support, so opportunities for you to Working with wonderful gifts of spiritual teaching Vase' and 'The Wish Fulfilling This year has been notable for make a gift are not limited to putting Tibetan culture and empowerment from you, gifts Vase', which have now been many important developments in a package under your Christmas Tony Laurent that have the power to open our translated and are being published the lifeof theDzogchenCommuhity tree! hearts and minds, gifts that can set in various languages. and its related organisations, The continued on page 3 page 10 us free, that it is difficult to find These study groups brought a words to express our deep sense of new level of maturity and cohesion Lotus petals gratitude. to our relationships as practitioners, Fabio Andrico We are also thankful for the good with members of the Community Community Membership health of Chögyal Namkhai Norbu working together to present this page 11 that has enabled him to carry out his programme. activities with such vigour, and we Rinpoche's book on the Vajra Tibetan Astro- offer our sincere prayers that his Dance has also been transcribed and health will remain good, and that he published in Italian this year, and an Practitioner will continue to turn the wheel of the English translation will be ready J hampa Kalsang Teachings for the benefit of all beings. shortly. page 12 In addition to the many retreats Two new teachers of the Dance that R inpoche has conducted this were appointed for Europe, and year, including visits to Israel and many people have been able to learn Journey to Maratika Thailand for the first time, 1993 saw the Dance all over the world. The Elio Guarisco the beginning of the Santi Mana Vajra Dance, too, is a collaborative page 13 Sangha training programme. endeavour, with each individual Through this programme Rinpoche moving in relation to every other. intends to ensure the continuation individual and to the group on the Yoga and functional of the teachings for the future, by Dance Mandala, so that, in addition The three main Gars of the international Dzogchen community, providing dedicated students with a to the benefit individuals have Merigar in Italy, Tsegyalgar in the USA and Tashigar in Argen­ psychotherapy 4 thorough training in nine levels that obtained from their practice, the tina, give full details on membership for 1994. Luigi Vitiello follow on from the Foundation Level collective energy of the Community pages 8 and 9 page 14 2 Understanding the real condition of all phenomena Excerpts from a teaching by Namkhai Norbu Rinpoche in Bangkok, Thailand, July 1st,1993 When we speak of Dharma Buddha said, 'To know how our Emotions teachings, there are many different next life will be, we must examine In the teachings, one of the forms and traditions, but the our present actions". This means Buddha's names is "Great principle is not form nor tradition. that our present actions can produce Physician". This does not mean that Dharma means knowledge, the fruit of our next life and that we the Buddha prepares certain herbal understanding. can also modify and purify them. medicines or analyses illnesses. But The term Dharma comes from We can do anything. our illnesses, our problems, Sanskrit and the real meaning is "all All Buddhist traditions have everything is rooted in our emotions phenom ena"; that m eans we need to many different practices for and in an ordinary way we are totally have knowledge and understanding purifying negative karma. That conditioned by our emotions. We of all phenomena. means that when we have the are not even aware of how In general people say, "We are problem of some negative karma conditioned we are by these things. following dharma", and speak of it there is also a chance to purify it. We In our real condition we have an as a kind of religion created by cannot simply say, "This is my illness of that kind and if we do not Buddha Saky am uni, but that is not a karma there is nothing to do". The know how to overcome the root of correct point of view. Buddha never potentiality of karma manifests in our problems it is not easy to created any kind of school or the way seeds planted in a field overcome such things as physical religion. Buddha was a totally grow. They have the potential to ailments. enlightened being, someone beyond produce flowers and something con­ For example in Tibetan or our limited point of view. The crete. For example if we plant a Ayurvedic medicine the three teaching of the Buddha is to have flower seed then a flower grows, not humours are always explained. presence in knowledge. rice or grain. This is called These characteristic conditions So if we are interested in Dharma potentiality. And for the flower to govern our existence: our body, we are interested in knowledge and manifest we need many secondary speech and mind. If we have a good in understanding the real condition causes. Even though the seed has balance of these humours, we will of all phenomena. How can we gain the potential to produce a flower, it nothavemany problems physically, such knowledge? It does not mean needs to be planted in earth and but when the three humours are we learn in an intellectual way, receive water and sunshine and other unbalanced, then we can have merely in the condition of subject secondary causes to manifest. problems. These three are principally and object, judging and considering photo Rolf Portack In general we live in our rooted in our emotions of which the things outside us. circumstances, our relative main three are ignorance or lack of Generally we have the idea, "I know about it. But suffering is suffering is something unpleasant condition. Our relative condition is clarity, anger and attachment We am here. I see these objects in front universal; everyone has had that and is not liked. If you do not want like the earth, the water and the light are conditioned by these and they of me and I consider that this is experience. Suffering is not a subject suffering you must search into the necessary for the seed to manifest. If are also the cause of all problems. If good, that is bad". In this way we about which we agree or disagree. cause of suffering. To overcome the we modify our secondary causes, we do not want to have the effects of perform many types of analysis, If Buddha had explained the na­ problem, the solution is not to we can change or block negative suffering, then we must stop these through which we develop infinite ture of mind, for example, there struggle or fight; to discover the situations.