12 posts tagged “nyingma”

Ngak’chang Rinpoche & Khandro Déchen: Establishing vajra commitment in the west

Whilst Sutrayana requires relationship with a ‘spiritual friend’ (gewa’i shenyen / kalayana mitra) as teacher, Vajrayana requires relationship with the vajra master (rDo rJe bLo dPon / vajra charya). The difference between these two teaching rôles is significant and needs to be understood. The spiritual friend challenges students with regard to their perception but does not override their rationale nor involve them in situations which are outside their comprehension. The spiritual friend can always be judged within the context of the explicit teachings of the Sutrayana, and his or her acts and motivation are never inexplicable. The vajra master, in contradistinction, may manifest teachings which are beyond all codified systems of personal judgement.

The reason for these differences is made clear in many Tibetan texts. One can see the rôle of the vajra master admirably defined in the excellent books of Chögyam Trungpa Rinpoche: ‘Cutting Through Spiritual Materialism’ and ‘Myth of Freedom’. The rôle is also discussed in Ngakpa Rig’dzin Dorje’s book ‘Dangerous Friend’, and in Ngak'chang Rinpoche's book ‘Wearing the Body of Visions’.

Within the Tantric paradigm, the biggest 'demon' of all in the eyes of Buddhist-oriented psychotherapy is vajra commitment. So in our future writing we will continually be returning to the theme of 'looking at the practicalities of vajra commitment'. We feel that at this point in history it is crucial to get away from the absurd notion of the vajra disciple having to 'jump off a cliff '. The idea of having to jump off a cliff is the most common way of arguing that vajra commitment is alien to the West. Yet we can look at the famous example which exists in the Old Testament of the Bible in which Abraham is tested and rewarded with a vision. He is asked to kill his own son and offer him as a sacrifice to God. This is obviously a far more extreme example than jumping off a cliff, yet it is part of the Judaeo-Christian back-drop of our culture. The idea of jumping off a cliff is common when people discuss their feelings about vajra commitment (along with the idea of having to do a whole realm of things which one 'might not particularly want to do'). There would seem to be a feeling amongst a lot of people that having one's rationale overridden is in some way connected with losing control of one's life. We have never understood it in this way, and have never taught it in this way. We see the vajra commitment of Buddhist Vajrayana as galvanizing one into the fullest possible connection with one's life, through liberating disciples from the prison of narcissism. Our feeling at this present time is that this issue would seem to be worth investigating.

We should begin by explaining that 'vajra command' is no more onerous than a suggestion which is taken as transmission. There is no sense in which 'vajra command' is anything other than the instruction to be totally alive, and to manifest the vajra pride of being an authentic practitioner. When a person in vajra commitment receives suggestions from their teachers, they are always free to present the limitations of their condition and to express their own perceived difficulties in terms of carrying out their Lamas' suggestions. Naturally, in presenting one's perceived limitations, disciples are faced with the reality of their condition and conditioning. They have to have sufficient integrity to know they are not merely following a desire to sink back into 'marshmallow practice'.

Let us look at an actual example. A Lama once suggested that his disciple should go to Bhutan to attend HH Dilgo Khyentsé Rinpoche's funeral. This would have cut across a commitment the disciple had made to be somewhere else, and therefore his Lama's suggestion was very difficult to implement. The disciple, however, said that he would go if it was his Lama's wish, but that he felt that his Lama ought to know something about his circumstances. The disciple explained that in order to follow his teacher's suggestion, he would have to abandon people who were reliant upon him and to whom he had made certain promises. It was explained that people invested time and money in a project and it would cause great disappointment were he to back out. The Lama immediately replied that his disciple should not let others down, and that it was more important for him to keep his commitments. This is a valuable example of 'obeying vajra commands'. The disciple agrees to follow advice, but provides the teacher with further information. The disciple is willing to enter into all the upheaval that a change of plan would launch upon him, but ends up with his plans left as they were. The Lama had no interest in bending the disciple to his will, he simply made a suggestion. The disciple took the suggestion at the level of 'vajra command', but was instantly released from it. What a wonderful situation! To be willing to enter chaos and to re-emerge with one's life as neat and tidy as it was before - but, with a sense of immense freedom and devotion. It was transmission at the most profound level. There is no sense of 'vajra command' in which totalitarian orders are given and followed in some inhuman subservient manner. That would be a complete distortion of the meaning of vajra commitment (and 'vajra command') in which kindness played no part.

Vajra commitment means 'willingness to enter the chaos of utter kindness' - it does not mean Jonestown. It does not mean Charles Manson. These extreme examples, taken from the realm of modern cult behavior, are a deceitful decoy, employed by those who have never experienced authentic vajra commitment. We have been saddened to hear such statements, and many sincere practitioners with confidence in their Lamas have become concerned to speak out against such sensationalism. Such examples are decoys - because they are far too extreme; and, because there is no sense at all in which such examples can be understood as teachings. Extreme examples of obedience are simply a way of discrediting vajra commitment through avoidance of real examples. Even if we take Milarépa as a real example, one has to remember that he was a murderer. . . Tibetan tales of vajra relationship often include 'extraordinary behavior', but it is understood that disciples such as Milarépa could always have walked away from the tasks which Marpa had set him. He was not Marpa's slave, simply the slave of his wish for liberation. Milarépa ran away a few times, but always came back because he wanted Marpa's transmission so badly. He battled with himself in many ways before he finally received transmission, but it was always his choice. Milarépa is an extreme example. Marpa's teacher Naropa is also an extreme example, but we need not concern ourselves with projecting ourselves into such situations. Marpa advised Milarépa that in the future disciples should not be tested in such extraordinary ways—that he was the last of the line to come in for such hardships.

Vajra commitment nearly always reflects what is possible within a society. As far as we are personally concerned - those who request us to perform the rôle of vajra master need have no fear of unkindness, immorality, illegality, or unethical behavior of any kind. The only thing we have to fear from any Lama is that our dualism will be destroyed. There is always (with us) the temptation to put caveats on vajra commitment in order to preserve the role of vajra master in the modern world. However, as a fundamental principle, we should say that 'guarantee mentality' is not a hopeful start to vajra relationship. If we begin by saying: I want to be in vajra commitment as long as I don't have to give up new age crystals; as long as I don't have to have my ideas challenged, then there is no way for us to approach the real heart of Tantra.

That is the fundamental position, and it is actually worse than any cliff. Worse than Abraham slaughtering Isaac. Worse than anything. Allowing one's rationale to be challenged: that is the whole terrible truth of vajra commitment. That is the very worst thing that can ever happen in terms of vajra commitment. There is only the terrible fact that one's vision of reality may have to fall apart. There is only the dreadful knowledge that one's justifications may be called into question. There is only the knowledge that one cannot hide. So, real examples of vajra command are far more likely to be instances of disciples being asked to question their perception, or to look at their behavior in a different light, than instances of outlandishness. The vajra master simply needs to be able to point out that the disciple's view of reality is askew. The vajra master needs to be able to point to instances of arrogance, anger, greed, dishonesty, and deliberate ignorance; and, to expect the disciple to take such observations to heart. The cliff edge, over which the disciple has to leap, is merely that of his or her own self-justifications. The cliff edge, over which the disciple has to leap, is merely letting go of claustrophobic infatuation with one's own flatulent fantasies. The heart of justification has to be torn out. Ekajati, the protectress of the Dzogchen teachings, holds a ripped out human heart - in token of the fact that Dzogchen is impossible whilst self-justification survives.

Kyabje Khyentse Chokyi Lodro of Dzongsar was the greatest master of many lineages of this century. He was born in the Water Snake year of the fifteenth Rabjung (1893) at Rekhe Ajam near Kathok Monastery. His father was a tantric master called Gyurme Tsewang Gyatso, the grandson of Terton Dudul Rolpatsal of Ser Valley of Amdo, and his mother was Tsultrim Tso of Ser Valley of Amdo. His father named him Jamyang Chokyi Lodro.

He accomplished many meditations and recitation of numerous sadhanas of both Old and New traditions of tantra, including the fivefold hundred-thousand accumulation of ngondro (for prostrations he did only forty thousand accumulations) and the recitation of the sadhanas of Takhyung Barwa, Sengdongma, Ladrup Thigle Gyachen, Vajrakila, Tara and Palchen Dupa of Longchen Nyingthig, and the Ladrup of Khandro Yangtig.

He gave numerous transmissions of Nyingma, Sakya, and Kagyu teachings to disciples of various Buddhist traditions of Tibet, including the empowerments of Yabzhi three times and of Longchen Nyingthig many times and the teaching on Yonten Dzo three times.

At the age of sixty-three, traveling through Lhasa he reached India and survived the political turmoils of Tibet. He went on a pilgrimage to all the sacred places of Buddhism in India and Nepal. Then he made the Palace Chapel of the king of Sikkim his main temporary residence and continued to give endless teachings and transmissions to devotees from all walks of life.

At the age of sixty-seven, on the sixth day of the fifth month of the Earth Pig year of the sixteenth Rabjung (1959), he passed away amid signs of lights, earthquakes and sounds. Today most of his remains are preserved in a small golden stupa at the Royal Chapel of Sikkim, which Khandro Tsering Chodron takes care of while dedicating her life to meditation and prayers.

He had many visions, accomplished many attainments, and manifested many spiritual powers, but because of his humility he only indicates a few of them in his autobiography:

If I had been trained myself in logic, I could have acquired good knowledge of reasoning, but it would have brought little benefit.
As I was able to memorize he Three-Root Sadhanas, the Magon, and other prayers of Longchen Nyingthig, and some assembly prayers of the Ngor tradition, I had good habits [or memories] of the past lives.... I remembered the glorious Sakya Monastery, clearly in my mind again and again, and taking birth in the Khon family, in my past lives.
I remembered being Ngan Panchen, great Lhatsun, Ngawang Lobzang Gyatso, Tsang-yang Gyatso, Palkhyen, and others.... Thangtong Gyalpo introduced me to the nature of intrinsic awareness with the support of a crystal. In dreams I saw Aryasthavira Angaja, Vimalamitra, and Longchenpa.
I received long-life empowerment from Khyentse Wangpo.
From the great bodhisattva Paltrul I received instruction on the ngondro of Longchen Nyingthig. From Nupchen Sangye Yeshe I received entrustments of many tantras.
I experienced or dreamed of the receiving of blessings from some lamas of Lamdre, Milarepa, and Tsongkhapa. I was shown the tantric disciplines by Lhatsun Namkha Jigme.

At fifty-six, he married Khandro Tsering Chodron (b. 1925) of the Aduk Lakar family as his spiritual consort. According to his own prophecies and those of Khyentse Wangpo and Kongtrul Yonten Gyatso, this union was for dispelling the obstructions of his life and for promoting his enlightened activities.

Khandro Tsering Chödrön (Tibet, 1925) is a member of the Aduk Lakar family and lives more or less withdrawn in a small house in Sikkim; doing her meditation practice.
However, in recent years she has become widely known by being described, in Sogyal Rinpoche's The Tibetan Book of Living and Dying, as being the foremost female master in Tibetan Buddhism. In addition, Sogyal invited her to come West and to participate in several retreats organized by Sogyal's Rigpa organization.

Previously, from 1952 to 1959, Khandro Tsering Chödrön has been the wife, spiritual partner and secret consort (Tib.; gsang-yum) of the influential Rimed master Jamyang Khyentse Chökyi Lodrö (1896-1959). In this role, she in fact cared for and partly educated Sogyal Rinpoche, who was a student of her husband. As secret consort to Jamyang Khyentse, so chosen in order to dispel the obstructions in his life - especially his health - and to promote his enlightened activities. The marriage between the 56 year old Lama and the 27 year old woman proved successful and Jamyang Khyentse recovered his health for several years. An alternative name for Khandro Tsering Chödrön is Khyentse Sangyum (Khyentse's Secret Mother).
Khandro Tsering Chödrön currently (2005) still lives in Sikkim, close to the stupa that houses the remains of Jamyang Khyentse. Photographer Don Farber once asked to interview her, yet she declined. After this meeting, he described her with the following words: "just being in her presence, experiencing her warmth and kindness and seeing how she lived, was a great teaching and blessing in itself."
This photograph shows this living dakini (Tib.; khandro) at age 77 and clearly corroborates the above description. Her voice can be heard on the Rigpa produced CD "The Vajra Guru Mantra".

The master is like a great ship for beings to cross the perilous ocean of existence, an unerring captain who guides them to the dry land of liberation, a rain that extinguishes the fire of the passions, a bright sun and moon that dispel the darkness of ignorance, a firm ground that can bear the weight of both good and bad, a wish-fulfilling tree that bestows temporal happiness and ultimate bliss, a treasury of vast and deep instructions, a wish-fulfilling jewel granting all the qualities of realization, a father and a mother giving their love equally to all sentient beings, a great river of compassion, a mountain rising above worldly concerns unshaken by the winds of emotions, and a great cloud filled with rain to soothe the torments of the passions.

In brief, he is the equal of all the buddhas. To make any connection with him, whether through seeing him, hearing his voice, remembering him, or being touched by his hand, will lead us toward liberation. To have full confidence in him is the sure way to progress toward enlightenment. The warmth of his wisdom and compassion will melt the core of our being and release the gold of the buddha-nature within.

After the enthronement of the yangsi of His Holiness Dilgo Khyentse Rinpoche in Nepal in December 1997, Dzongsar Khyentse Rinpoche gave a talk on the meaning of the word "Khyentse".

In Vajrayana the idea of the guru is very special. And many of us are disciples of His Holiness Dilgo Khyentse Rinpoche and this is the enthronement ceremony of the incarnation of His Holiness. Just briefly, all the Khyentse reincarnations are considered as the incarnations of Vimalamitra and King Trisong Detsen.

The great Jamyang Khyentse Wangpo was one of the most important illuminators in Buddhism in general and especially Vajrayana Buddhism in Tibet, not because he had a big seat or a high rank but because of his spiritual achievement. Together with Jamgon Kongtrul, Chogyur Lingpa and Jamyang Loter Wangpo, he actually started this Rime movement. Not only was he a scholar and a saint, but he was also considered as one of the five king tertons. He had five emanations - body, speech, mind, quality and activity. And the emanation of the mind was His Holiness Dilgo Khyentse Rinpoche who also had similar qualities to the great Jamyang Khyentse Wangpo.

The word "Khyentse" loosely means wisdom and compassion. And for those who have seen His Holiness Dilgo Khyentse Rinpoche, the previous incarnation, I’m sure you remember he is the embodiment of wisdom and compassion and he represents that. It is very difficult for us ignorant beings, even though we can maybe understand wisdom and compassion intellectually, to actually see the example of wisdom and compassion. It’s very rare. But many of us had the opportunity, because of our past karmic deeds, to see the past incarnation and now we have this great opportunity to see his incarnation. And although I’ve been dragged into this [talk] by Tulku Pema Wangyal, I guess I should consider myself as someone who’s very fortunate to have this chance to accumulate merit by saying a few Dharma words.

So I decided that I would say a few words on the words "khyen" and "tse" because we all know that there are  Khyentse beings and we also somehow know that there are concepts called wisdom and compassion. Now, as I said, the word "khyen" refers to wisdom or understanding. Here we are not talking about an ordinary kind of wisdom or an ordinary kind of understanding. Wisdom here is the mind that knows the ultimate truth of all phenomena. To give you some examples of why wisdom is necessary, generally our problems come when we don’t know something. Our petty misunderstandings come when we don’t have complete understanding. We have lots of misunderstanding or not understanding reality. We have that kind of ignorance because of the habits of our past lives.

Although some people may have a little intellectual understanding of wisdom, it is very difficult to have wisdom because in Buddhism when we talk about wisdom, we are talking about the wisdom to free ourselves from all these delusions. And many times the things that we think are wisdom, are in fact not really wisdom. In Mahayana, wisdom is the mind that understands selflessness or the mind that understands the emptiness aspect of the self. But even though it’s easy to study that, it’s very difficult to experience it. This is because of many lifetimes of attachment to the self.

In Buddhism we talk about samsara and nirvana. Samsara is where there’s all this delusion. When we talk about ignorance or delusion such as clinging to the self, we’re not talking about a defilement that actually does exist truly within us and that we then later have to purify. In fact, all these delusions, all this ignorance, in reality they don’t exist. But because of our own insecurity we think that they exist. We are very attached to this existence of the self and we’re constantly busy as the slave of this self. Now wisdom is that which understands the non-existent aspect of such a delusion. But as I’ve said many times, one can roughly understand wisdom through study and receiving teachings, but in order to actually understand wisdom one has to have lots of merit.

It’s the same for devotion. It’s kind of easy to understand what devotion is, but to have devotion one needs lots of merit. Until you have merit, a person does not have devotion. I think not only the spiritual, enlightened qualities such as wisdom, devotion and compassion, but even the mere happiness that we have in our day-to-day life depends so much on merit.
 
For instance... I’m going to become a little wild now. For instance, if someone like my interpreter [here] says to this nun [here], "How beautiful you are", it depends so much on how much this nun has merit or not. If she has the merit to have even a short time of happiness, such praise will definitely give her lots of happiness. If she doesn’t have enough merit, the same remark that the interpreter makes can cause lots of problems. For instance, it can raise her expectations [yet] maybe the interpreter said it just out of politeness. But because there’s not enough merit to interpret this remark properly, she may have raised her expectations and she might follow him wherever he goes! And then if he is a kind of patient or skilful person, it might work. But I don’t think he could tell her she’s beautiful every day. So merit, sonam in Tibetan, is one of the most important qualities that really has a lot of influence on everything. I’m sure you must have experienced in your life a certain thing that sometimes makes you unhappy can make you very happy and this is very much because of merit.

You may be wondering now, "How can one have merit?" Strangely, even to have merit you have to have merit. Merit is the cause of merit. This is the difficult part in Buddhist practice. In one aspect there is the complete idea of wisdom which is beyond all sorts of concepts, beyond all sorts of habitual hang-ups. But in order to get this wisdom we talk about merit which comes very much together with our emotions. It’s the same for emptiness. This is what we have to realise. But in order to realise emptiness one has to have merit, such as singing well or making offerings to their guru [which the people outside are doing right now] and such as some of you being patient and trying to listen to what I’m trying to say and at the same time not getting disturbed by all those drums [outside]. One can accumulate merit this way also.

There are two great methods for accumulating merit. Compassion for sentient beings and devotion to the Buddha, Dharma, Sangha and the guru. In fact, we can abbreviate these into just one compassion because, when we talk about Mahayana, we talk about compassion.

And the same compassion is almost interpreted as devotion in Vajrayana. So this is the second aspect of the name Khyentse, tsewa or compassion. Compassion is not only sympathy. In fact, it is the mind that understands equality, equality between oneself and others, equality between bad and good, equality within all dualistic phenomena. That is compassion. But for many of us compassion is very difficult to arouse. There are so many obstacles to compassion and the opposite of compassion, which is selfishness, attachment to the self, is very strong. And there are lots of favourable circumstances for that clinging to the self.

I can’t talk about you, but if I talk of my own experience, I find it very difficult to have genuine compassion even for a few seconds. Even if I’m reading the bodhicitta vows and prayers and supplications or whatever and even though I understand the meaning, always behind all that there’s selfishness. You know, in the Mahayana sutras there are many different kinds of bodhicitta. But the most supreme kind of bodhicitta is the shepherd-like bodhicitta, someone who wishes enlightenment for all sentient beings, someone who wants enlightenment only after all sentient beings are enlightened. That kind of bodhicitta mind is very difficult to realise.

I don’t know whether you have this or not. But I have this a lot. I don’t care about other people. And I consider myself quite good at least, even just wanting to get enlightenment. Many people don’t even want to get enlightenment. But at least I’d like to get enlightenment. Just for myself, though! It must be happening to you. When we make offerings to the Buddha, Dharma and Sangha, even though we say this is for the sake of all sentient beings, our mind is always aiming for a result just for oneself. So compassion for sentient beings is quite difficult for me. So I guess this is one of the reasons why I also like Vajrayana where devotion is taught as a sort of higher interpretation of compassion.

At least as a beginner, as a very deluded being, when you begin the practice of devotion, you can start with one person like your own guru. It’s much easier to admire someone than to take the responsibility for everyone. And I guess I must be also pleasantly brainwashed by people like Jigme Lingpa. Jigme Lingpa said that years and years of chanting mantras and reading sadhanas and doing pujas is very good, but it’s nothing compared to a minute of meditation because meditation penetrates our mind probably more. Then he said that years and years of meditation is nothing compared to an instant of remembrance of the guru. And this is why I think that the practice of devotion is very strong and all-pervasive.

But I understand that many people have difficulty with devotion. For those who have seen great masters like His Holiness Dilgo Khyentse Rinpoche (like myself I’m very fortunate to have met him), I guess we have less of a problem having this sacred outlook. But for those who have to end up with people like myself, I understand completely why devotion is so difficult! Because firstly you don’t even have much trust in the guru anyway these days.

Again, I’m going to tell you about some of my own experiences, but I know many of you are old dharma students so you have heard these things again and again. I was saying that complete trust in the guru is quite difficult. For instance, recently when I was doing guru yoga practice, I practised it all according to the text, visualising the guru in front of you and all of that, and at the stage where you ask for blessings, both supreme or uncommon blessings and we can also ask for common blessings...
Of course, as supreme blessings we ask for enlightenment, the growth of wisdom, dispelling ignorance and all that. This is, of course, the ultimate aim of guru yoga. And then, in order to benefit people, we can also ask for blessings so that one can have longevity, no sickness and all sorts of worldly blessings.

I noticed that my seeking for beyond-worldly blessings was much, much less than for worldly blessings. I wasn’t really asking to get rid of my ego as much as I was asking for longevity, success for my projects and so on. Then I realised this - that I was actually still attached to worldly life. In fact, I was using the guru as something like a god to ask him for certain rewards. Then as soon as I realised that this was not a great thought that I had, I then thought that the realisation of that fault was also the blessing of the guru. At times, when I manage to realise my faults, then out of nowhere this pride and ego creep in, thinking, "Oh, I managed to realise my fault, That’s good!" So it goes on like this. Then again I scold myself like this, saying, "No, I shouldn’t have this kind of ego."

And then one day... You see, I’m interested in writing scripts and making movies and all that. And one day I found myself praying to the guru, "Please bless me so that I will write my script properly, so that my film project will be successful. Then immediately I thought, "No, His Holiness Dilgo Khyentse Rinpoche doesn’t even know how to make a movie. How can I ask him that?" At that time I was reading both Jamyang Khyentse Wangpo’s and Khyentse Chokyi Lodro’s biographies. And in them they mention so much about how much devotion they have to their masters and what they seek from their guru as a blessing - enlightenment, benefit for sentient beings, all sorts of enlightened qualities. I felt very embarrassed that I was asking for such mundane things. But then because I have read enough Buddhist books I can bring all this... My mind, my ego, my selfishness is so clever that it skilfully brings good excuses. Then I thought I could ask for blessing to write a good script for the sake of sentient beings!

Again I told myself, "No. Now what I’m doing is actually helping my ego and my selfishness, using all sorts of Mahayana excuses, which is not good." Anyway, going back to when I pray or supplicate to him so that he will give me the blessings for my movies... After that I thought, "No, no, he doesn’t know how to write a script. He doesn’t know how to operate a camera. Stuff like that he doesn’t know." And then later I realised, "See, this shows I have no trust in him. He’s the Buddha. He should know everything. I have considered him as someone who does not know a single, mundane thing such as operating a camera which takes two days or a week at the longest to learn." So that much I have no trust in him. And this shows that I still have to develop my devotion, develop my trust.

After that I tried to make sure that I spent more time praying and supplicating so that he would bless me so that my wisdom would grow and so that all my enlightened qualities would flourish. And I have gained slightly more confidence, so these days I don’t feel embarrassed about asking for blessings for anything, like writing successful scripts. I think it’s okay.

What I’m trying to tell you is this. We have this problem of not concentrating on one point, like the guru is okay as a teacher, but if you want longevity and you happen to know Amitayus, the long-life Buddha, then you ask for blessings separately from the long-life Buddha. Or if you want to increase your wisdom, then you ask for blessings from Manjushri. Things like that. This also tells us that we have this lack of understanding that the guru is the embodiment of all the refuge objects. This shows that we still have lots of dualistic mind. As long as we have this kind of weakness, we will never have this courage to have wisdom.

We call those who have bodhicitta bodhisattvas. And the name bodhisattva has the connotation of someone having courage, not only courage to help certain sentient beings, but in fact courage to face the reality, the courage to face this illusory aspect of our life. So in order to have khyen or wisdom, one should have compassion. And without compassion, one does not have wisdom. And the quickest way to get these two attainments, "Khyentse" or wisdom and compassion, I personally think, is through devotion which is the quintessence of compassion. So in this way devotion has many degrees. We can start simple devotion mainly out of our own emotions such as admiration and inspiration. And finally, when we manage to increase this devotion, the very devotion that we have becomes wisdom. And then we will not have the fear of needing to depend on someone all the time. You know, depending on someone is a very strange thing. Our mind wants to depend on someone at times, but at other times the very idea of depending on someone can be a big hassle. So I think that’s about all!

Teachings on the four contemplations—precious human birth, impermanence, karma, and suffering—provide an overview of forces and conditions that create our experience within cyclic existence. As background to the four thoughts, however, it is useful to know something about the six intermediate states (bardos) that actually comprise a “cycle” in cyclic existence.

The six bardos include four transitory states during our lifetime and two between death and rebirth. The first, the birthplace bardo (kye nay bardo), spans the moment of birth to the moment we encounter the conditions that will result in our death. The second, the moment-of-death bardo (chhikhai bardo), may be a sustained moment, as in the case of a lengthy terminal illness, or an instant, as in a sudden accident. Either way, this bardo leads irreversibly to death. During these two bardos that bridge birth and death, the dream bardo (milam bardo) and bardo of meditative concentration (samtan bardo) also occur. After death, one’s consciousness recovers from a deep swoon and awakens into the bardo of the true nature of reality (chhönyid bardo)—first to the experience of clear, unobstructed awareness, then to the display of the peaceful and wrathful deities. Finally, the mind moves into the bardo of becoming (sridpai bardo), where it sheathes itself in a mental body and, amid turbulent projections of its karma, moves toward its destined rebirth and another cycle of existence. The mind has circled ceaselessly in this way since the beginningless beginning.

How successfully we deal with each of these bardo transitions depends on what we accomplish spiritually in the birthplace bardo—that is, in our lives now. Accomplishment can start with contemplation of the four thoughts. By thoroughly reflecting on impermanence, for example, we recognize that everything fluctuates, that stability is just an illusion, and that seemingly solid appearances have no inherent reality. This knowledge undercuts attachment; and attachment—to people, to possessions, to our own bodies—acts as a terrible hindrance when we enter the moment-of-death bardo. To the extent that we train ourselves to see everything as impermanent, we free our minds from attachment and face death with much less suffering. Thus, impermanence, only a concept to explore at the outset of our spiritual path, becomes a perspective that serves us well as we approach death.

Contemplation of impermanence and the illusory quality of appearances also represents our first step toward mastery of the dream bardo and the goal of uninterrupted meditation while dreaming. Contemplation of karma instills an urgency to purify our karma now, before we become completely vulnerable to hallucinatory karmic projections in the bardo of becoming. Reflecting on our precious human birth reminds us not to waste this rare, hard-earned opportunity lest the wheel of samsara turn and thrust us into a different, much less auspicious birthplace bardo. Contemplation is an important aspect of training in meditation. Focusing thoughts, reining them in when they take off on a tangent, plunging them into the topic of contemplation, then cutting them altogether and resting in nonconceptual meditation—these skills prepare us for the bardo of meditative concentration in this life and the bardo of the true nature of reality after death.

In reflecting on the four thoughts, we alternate contemplation with resting the mind in nonconceptual meditation. As contemplation transforms inner perception, the mind’s grasping at ordinary appearances relaxes and outer conditions can be seen differently as well. Then, during the phase of nonconceptual meditation, the mind’s busyness, its dualistic tendency to frame everything as subject and object, self and other, begins to subside. As our sense of mind’s relaxation deepens, the stage is set for the introduction of Great Perfection.

The general instructions for meditation on the four thoughts are given below; these should not limit what we consider relevant, however. We need to gain such deep, personal insight into each of these four thoughts that they become fully integrated into our day-to-day activities, informing every moment of our life. The insights and meditative realization that arise in our formal sessions change our view of ordinary events, and the events of our daily life provide grist for our contemplations. We might try contemplating impermanence while driving down the highway, for instance, or precious human birth when we are tempted to indulge some addiction, or suffering as we watch a sports event, or karma when a colleague irritates us. The lenses of the four thoughts provide a kaleidoscope of perspectives and a wealth of spiritual understanding meditation instructions

Begin by exploring the direct relevance of this sacred wisdom to your own life and to that of others. Then drop your thoughts and rest in nonconceptual meditation. Next, use the thrust of contemplation to arouse compassion, then rest the mind. Next, pray that all beings find liberation from the conditions of cyclic existence, invoking the blessing of the wisdom beings to accomplish this aspiration. Rest. Finally, renew your commitment to the path of enlightenment in order to benefit beings ceaselessly. Again, rest.

At first, spend most of your time in contemplation, thinking until you are weary of thinking. Then cut your thoughts and rest. When thoughts arise, as they always do, simply direct them into the next phase of contemplation. Some dharma practitioners try to meditate with impervious nonconceptuality in order to find a respite from the constant chatter of their minds. But as soon as they stop meditating, the chatter begins again—much as if, having pressed the pause button on a tape recorder to avoid listening to a tape, they find the music continuing as soon as they release the button. More effectively, they could change the tape altogether. Contemplation of the four thoughts changes the tape of mundane thoughts.

The spiritual insights you gather through contemplation expand into meditative realization as you rest the mind. Nothing is lost because you do not frame such insights in words. Returning to active contemplation, you will find your intellect refreshed by that moment of nonconceptual relaxation. Like a bird soaring on both wings in flight, contemplation and meditation together train the mind.
The four thoughts can be contemplated as a prelude to the other sections of the ngondro or as a practice in itself. If you make them a separate practice, open with the Seven-Line Prayer and the invocation, then close with the dedication.

As we undertake ngondro, we acquire certain skills that we will use again and again in Vajrayana practice. We learn to contemplate, to develop a visualization, to recite prayers and mantra, to perform prostrations and mandala offerings, to dissolve the visualization, and to rest in nonconceptual meditation. We begin our practice with pure motivation, follow the lineage instructions in each section, redirect our attention whenever it wanders, and close with the pure dedication of virtue to all sentient beings.

In general we learn how to meditate. Meditation means directing the mind, training it by repetition until it complies with our highest spiritual intentions. At first, hindered by mental poisons, habits, and obscurations, we must exert great effort. But once we have freed ourselves from tangles and confusion, meditation becomes effortless and carries over from formal practice into daily life, from day into night, from one life to another. No moment exists apart from the enriching revelation of meditation.

However, most practitioners find ngondro rigorous, strenuous, sometimes frustrating. Even to begin ngondro, we must have some measure of faith in the Buddhist path. Practice itself increases faith, which in turn carries us through all the challenges ngondro poses. Faith is an unsurpassed quality for a spiritual practitioner. Initially it may awaken when we hear some fragment of a teaching, when we see a lama or an image. The mind is momentarily jolted out of its ordinary habits and experiences a freshness, a clarity and joy. This first level of faith is called “clear faith.”

If that first awakening propels one into spiritual practice, faith will deepen through the transformative experience of hearing the teachings and applying them. This is called “deep faith.” Someone who sincerely contemplates and meditates on the dharma usually feels positive changes day by day, or certainly week by week. These changes include a lessening of the mind’s poisons and habitual tendencies, as well as increased compassion for others and a clearer perspective.

The faith that develops when we fully rely on spirituality to guide our lives is called “irreversible faith.” Once such faith develops, we will not turn back no matter what obstacles arise on the path. Actually, since our practice becomes stronger in the face of obstacles, we may no longer fear obstacles or even feel an aversion to them. We acquire confidence that we can transform whatever life brings us into an opportunity for spiritual growth.

In ngondro, guru yoga follows prostrations, mandala offerings, and Vajrasattva, but the key points can be incorporated into practice from the beginning. By seeing our teacher as inseparable from Guru Rinpoche, Vajrasattva, and Buddha Amitabha, and by blending our mind nondually with the teacher’s upon the dissolution of visualizations, we greatly enhance the power of our practice. Each section of the ngondro becomes a preparation for the consummate guru yoga practices of the Great Perfection. Much more detailed explanations of these points follow.

Of the nine vehicles of the Nyingma tradition, the most important is Dzogchen - ati-yoga yana or shintu-naljor thegpa. This vehicle has three series of teachings, Dzogchen sem-dé, Dzogchen long-dé and Dzogchen men-ngag-dé. The sem-dé and long-dé series came into Tibet from India in the 10th century, but have neither been taught widely nor survived as living traditions in the major Nyingma lineages. Both the lineal streams of sem-dé and long-dé declined as religious traditions after the 11th century, and only seem to have survived in small family lineages, if at all. Men-ngag-dé developed later, from the 12th century, and has continued to grow and flourish up to the present day. Men-ngag-dé is now the pervasive extant teaching and practice of Dzogchen taught in the major Nyingma lineages.

The sem-dé series is of great interest because of its rarity, and because it contains a ngöndro - a way of approaching the Dzogchen teachings through the gradual development of meditative experience. Long-dé and men-ngag-dé do not contain ngöndro, and thus have to be approached via the Tantric ngöndro, kyé-rim, and dzog-rim. Sem-dé should be of interest to Western practitioners of Vajrayana in particular, not only because of its rarity, but because it provides a means of access to Dzogchen practice which bypasses or skips the stages of Tantric ngöndro, kyé-rim and dzog-rim. Practitioners of the Aro gTér lineage are therefore very lucky because they can gain access to the practice of Dzogchen through the method of Dzogchen itself. The sem-dé teachings from the pure vision gTérma cycles of Khyungchen Aro Lingma contain the ngöndro practice of 'the four naljors' - the four foundation practices of Dzogchen. This article concentrates on sem-dé, the series of the nature of Mind, traces its origins, and elaborates on the importance of this series within the Aro gTér tradition. But first we will describe the major historical practitioners of Dzogchen sem-dé.

Vairochana was one of the twenty-five disciples of Padmasambhava, and is considered to have brought the sem-dé and long-dé teachings to Tibet. During the reign of King Trisong Détsen in the 8th century he was ordained by Shantarakshita as one of the first seven monks in Tibet at the newly-founded Sam-ye monastery. He was a prolific translator and siddha. Trisong Détsen sent him to India, accompanied by another monk, to receive teachings from Sri Simha on sem-dé and long-dé, but it is not clear whether he was still a monk when he returned to Tibet. These teachings were given to them at night with the utmost secrecy. This is said to have happened in the following way: Sri Simha wrote down the 'eighteen esoteric instructions' of the series of the nature of Mind on white silk using milk from a white goat. The words became clear when held over smoke. This teaching is comprised of the eighteen texts known as Sems sDe bCo brGyad.

There were many critics of Dzogchen at this time because these teachings went beyond conventional moral codes - including the principle of karma. The idea that karma was not a mechanistic system of cause and effect but in reality an illusory manifestation of perception and response was very threatening to the religious hierarchy - and it still is. The sense in which karma was the 'form aspect' of pattern that played in relation to the 'emptiness aspect' of chaos was not judged to be conducive to maintaining social order. These teachings were therefore given in secret, as they were seen to be too dangerous for the general population.

Sri Simha gave Vairochana all the empowerments and instructions of the sixty-Tantra pitaka along with that of long-dé (the series of space). Before returning to Tibet, Vairochana also met Garab Dorje, the first human teacher of Dzogchen, from whom he received further teachings. On his return, he taught everything that he had received, also in secrecy, and translated the first sem-dé texts into Tibetan. After this time he was forced into exile because of malicious rumours spread by the Indian factions who wanted to prevent access to the Dzogchen teachings. Having discovered that Vairochana had received these teachings against their wishes, they spared no effort in their attempts to have him discredited in his own country. The Indian factions feared that Dzogchen could be 'lost to Tibet' and, to prevent this, they spread the rumour that Vairochana had only brought back to Tibet a series of magic spells which had nothing to do with Dzogchen. The King's ministers felt that Vairochana should be executed but the King disagreed and contrived to have a beggar who physically resembled Vairochana thrown into the river while Vairochana himself hid in a hollow pillar in the palace. One night the Queen discovered him there, whereupon she informed the King's ministers and the King found himself forced to agree to Vairochana's expulsion.

In exile in Tshawarong, Vairochana accepted Yudra Nyingpo as a disciple. Yudra Nyingpo was eventually responsible for helping Vimalamitra to translate the later texts of sem-dé into Tibetan, whilst also working towards helping his teacher return to Tibet from exile. At this time Vairochana gave Pag Mipham Gönpo oral instruction on the Dzogchen long-dé series. Pag Mipham Gönpo (the Invincible Old One) was a physically frail man of eighty-five when he started to practice, so the meditation belt and a stick which were part of the transmission proved very useful. A lot of people imagine that Vairochana gave him the meditation belt and a stick to prop up his chin and hold him in position because of his age, but this is not accurate. The belt and stick are an essential aspect of long-dé practice, and are used by practitioners of all ages. According to Düd'jom Rinpoche's text, The History and Fundamentals of the Nyingma School, it is said that his family laughed at the idea of him starting to practice at such a late stage of life, but he achieved liberation. It is also said that at this time he became immensely joyful, and embraced Vairochana around the neck not letting go for a whole day.

He lived for a further hundred years, transmitting the teachings to his own disciples, and each one of them achieved rainbow body. Vairochana also transmitted the sem-dé teachings to Nyak Jnana Kumara, who was born in Yarlung in the late 8th century. He was ordained as a monk, and became a brilliant translator. In his late twenties he, like Vairochana, had to spend time in exile after King Trisong Détsen died. His life was not easy. His brother took a violent dislike to him and declared that he was 'an adept of extremist mantras'. He regained the confidence of the people by manifesting precious gems where he lived, but his bad luck persisted and he was pursued by antagonists. Fortunately he met Vimalamitra in the course of his travels, and received teachings from him.

Nubchen Sang-gyé Yeshé became a student of one of Nyak Jnana Kumara's disciples, and he also had teachings from Padmasambhava, Yeshé Tsogyel and many other masters. Later, when Langdarma, the King of that time, persecuted the monastic institutions, it was by Nubchen Sang-gyé Yeshe's kindness that the mantra adepts who wore the white skirt and long braided hair were unharmed by Langdarma's persecution though his own two sons were killed during the King's reign. Nubchen Sang-gyé Yeshé terrified the King by pointing a finger at the sky and bringing forth a black iron scorpion the size of a yak. He also demonstrated how he could manifest a thunderbolt and use it to smash rocks to pieces. He was also a great writer on sem-dé.

Aro Yeshé Jungné was a teacher and writer on sem-dé of the 10th century. His system of teaching was known as Kham-lug as he hailed from the Kham region of Tibet. He formulated a system of sem-dé known as the Seven Sessions of Aro. His teachings and writings had a profound influence on Dzogchen sem-dé but his life remains obscure.

Rongdzom Chökyi Zangpo was a great master of Dzogchen in the 11th century. At the age of eleven he was able to remember teachings after hearing them only once. For this reason he was known as an emanation of Manjushri. He also possessed great siddhis and during the one hundred nineteen years that he lived he had many students, wrote prolifically and developed the system of teaching known as Rong-lug. Many more lines branched out after this but after the 11th century it declined. By the 17th century sem-dé had become extinct as a separate living tradition. Rig'dzin gTér-dag Lingpa, one of the great Nyingma gTértöns, stated that practically nothing survived of sem-dé in his day (17th century) apart from the transmission of the rLung (permission to practise).

When sem-dé was brought to Tibet it was a time of proliferation of Buddhist teachings. Ordained practitioners were comprised of monks / nuns (ordination based within the Sutric vehicle) and ngakpas / ngakmas (ordination based within the Tantric vehicle). In addition, of course, there were the lay yogis and yoginis, a group of non-ordained practitioners. From the point of view of Dzogchen, ordination was not a consideration, as it is not a vehicle of ritual practice. The historical records of this time are not explicit in their descriptions of which type of practitioner the great lineage holders were.

Both Vairochana and Nyak Jnana Kumara are said to have been ordained as monks; however, line drawings in The Nyingma School of Tibetan Buddhism by Düd'jom Rinpoche depict all but Vairochana with long hair and yogic dress. It would seem to be the case that most of these practitioners belonged either to the ngak'phang sangha or to the lay yogic Dzogchen style of practice.

Sem-dé is the series of the nature of Mind. As one might expect from its title, it is comprised of detailed teachings on the nature of Mind and how that is differentiated from dualistic mind. It describes in detail how dualistic mind is affected by practice, with regard to the sem-nyams - the experiences of emptiness and form through which one discovers the instant-presence of rigpa.

In the Aro gTér, the teachings on sem-dé are divided into two parts. The first of these is an actual practice of ngöndro or preliminary practices which are the four naljors. The second part is the definitive practice of sem-dé - the four ting-ngé'dzin (absorptions or samadhis). The purpose of any ngöndro practice in any vehicle is to bring the condition of the practitioner to the base of that vehicle. The Tantric ngöndro, which is the one most widely known in the West, brings its practitioners to the base of Tantra, which is the experience of emptiness. It bridges the experiences of the previous vehicle; and, because it is the Tantric ngöndro, it is Tantric in its nature. For example, the practice of Lama'i naljor is pure Tantra. Likewise the four naljors contain detailed teachings on the nature of Mind, which bridge the experiences gained in both Sutra and Tantra. This allows the practitioner to arrive at the base of Dzogchen, which is the non-dual experience, and then to begin the actual sem-dé practice of the four ting-ngé'dzin (nèpa, gYo-wa, nyam-nyid and lhundrüp). In the same way as the Tantric ngöndro resembles the practice of Tantra, the Dzogchen ngöndro resembles the practice of Dzogchen. The fourth naljor is lhundrüp, which is the integration of the non-dual experience into everyday life. This of course is none other than the practice of Dzogchen itself.

Dzogchen teachings available today are mostly those of men-ngag-dé, because this was the tradition which survived and flourished. There are very few teachings from sem-dé ngöndro and the ting-ngé'dzin available, and also few from long-dé. Men-ngag-dé is the series of implicit instruction. The word 'implicit' is used because the meaning of the instruction is only accessible to the practitioner who is in a condition to be able to perceive it. In other words, it is not hidden but neither is it explicit - it is implicit. The transmission of understanding the practice is contained in the instruction of the practice itself. This is given to the disciple by the teacher in a very cryptic manner according to the four chog-zhag. The chog-zhag of the body is: whatever the position of the body is the correct one for integration with rigpa. The chog-zhag of the eyes is: wherever the eyes are looking is where they are looking. The chog-zhag of the focus of the eyes is: wherever the eyes focus is where their focus is found. The chog-zhag of the Mind is: whatever arises in the Mind is already integrated with rigpa. This is an example of the teaching of the four chôg-zhag. The implicit instruction is that there is nothing either to change or to alter. There is nothing to do, nowhere to go, no practice to follow. If this is not immediately understood, questions are useless - there are no answers beyond direct communication of the four chôg-zhag. There is nothing to ask because there is nothing to do beyond recognising that you have never been anywhere other than the state of rigpa. If the practitioner is in the non-dual state, then of course there is nothing to do, and nowhere else to go.

Men-ngag-dé contains no detailed teachings on mind and the nature of Mind; thus it is much harder to access the meaning of the teaching, or to explore and practise in relation to an evolving understanding. In fact, it is impossible to practice men-ngag-dé if one has no experience of the non-dual state. Unless one first practises either the sem-dé ngöndro or the vehicles of Sutra and Tantra one is unlikely to find the non-dual state; and the non-dual state is the spring-board necessary to understand and practise the men-ngag-dé teachings. This goes some way towards explaining why most of the teaching available on Dzogchen at this time is cryptic and introduced within the context of Tantric training. It also explains why many Nyingma Lamas are so reluctant to teach Dzogchen. The methods of men-ngag-dé are very, very simple and direct, and could easily be misunderstood. The four chôg-zhag are a skeletal frame clothed by many sem'dzin - methods of men-ngag-dé. These methods are secret - not because they are dangerous, but because the power of transmission would be jeopardised if they were given to people who could not comprehend them.

The Aro gTér lineage has teachings from each of the three series in fairly equal quantities. This is unusual, as sem-dé has all but died out in most of the other lineages of the Nyingma tradition. This explains why in the Aro gTér lineage practitioners are not required to complete Tantric ngöndro. They gather the required experiences by practising the sem-dé ngöndro, i.e. the four naljors. In the Aro gTér lineage, the Dzogchen sem-dé teachings are comprised of the four naljors, the four ting-ngé'dzin, and trül-khor naljor (yantra yoga). The Dzogchen long-dé teachings are comprised of the four da (instructions relating to sensation through physical posture and pressure points), and sKu-mNyé. The Dzogchen men-ngag-dé teachings are comprised of the four chôg-zhag, and the a-tri exercises.

Prostrations are the first of these preliminary methods. We begin by taking Refuge, and what is most important here is where we look for that refuge. If we seek security in impermanent things like money, status, youth or beauty, we will have empty hands one day, with no dividends coming in. If, however, we take Refuge in the timeless nature of mind, we´ll find something which is endlessly rich and can never disappear. This is the reason we practice.

The Refuge with prostrations, aims at clearing away obscurations and accumulating good impressions. It is a very physical and powerful practice, focusing mainly on activities of the body.

We read the text. While reading the text we open ourselves to the Lama (Karmapa), surrounded by the lineage, to the Yidams, the Buddhas, the teachings, the practicing ones and the powerful Protectors. While visualzing this Refuge tree we do the physical prostrations and recite the Six-Line Refuge Prayer.

Six-Line Refuge Prayer

1. PALDEN LAMA DAM PA NAM LA KYAB SU CHIO /
   We go for refuge to all the splendid accomplished supreme gurus.
2. YIDAM KJIL KHOR GYI LHA TSOG NAM LA KYAB SU CHIO /
   We go for refuge to all theyidams, the deities gathered in the mandala.
3. SANG GYE CHOM DEN DE NAM LA KYAB SU CHIO /
   We go for refuge to all Buddhas, the transcendent accomplished conquerors.
4. DAM PAI CHÖ LA KYAB SU CHIO /
   We go for refuge to all the supreme Dharma.
5. PAG PAI GEN DUN NAM LA KYAB SU CHIO /
   We go for refuge to all the noble Sangha.
6. PA WO KHA DRO CHÖ KYONG SUNG MAI TSOG YESHE KYI CHEN DANG DEN PA NAM LA KYAB SU CHIO /
   We go for refuge to all the dakas, dakinis, protectors and defenders of the Dharma who each have the eye of transcending awareness.

Recite this 7, 21 times or so often as you can.

When one has finished the 111,111 prostrations, something has happended. The body is no longer a hindrance, a thing one has to drag around. Instead, it has become a pleasant tool and a useful servant to the mind. It functions with less drama and can contain more joy. One may now experience waves of blessing and states of psychological richness, and feel grateful for no reason at all.

A Teaching by His Holiness Dudjom Rinpoche

Transcribed by Ngak'chang Rinpoche from oral teachings given by His Holiness Jigdral Yeshé Dorje Dudjom Rinpoche, first Supreme Head of the Nyingma School in exile from Tibet; augmented by replies to questions asked by Ngak'chang Rinpoche in private audiences, relating to the short Dudjom gTérsar ngöndro, Bodhanath, Kathmandu, Nepal, 1979.

Whatever the practice in which we engage, relative truth and absolute truth are co-existent. Method and wisdom are co-existent. Experiences and emptiness are co-existent. Because this is the nature of the reality we experience, the practice of tantric ngöndro exists as a method for realizing the beginningless enlightened state.

The final phase of Tantric ngöndro, Lama'i Naljor, is the quintessence of this method. In the practice of Lama'i Naljor you reach this level of wisdom when the Lama dissolves and becomes one with you. At this point you remain in the absolute nature of things, which is the actual state of meditation as it is [as it is transmitted in the Dzogchen teachings].
At the beginning of the tantric ngöndro we invoke the presence of the Lama. Since the Lama is the one who exemplifies both the qualities of path and goal, we acknowledge the Lama as the beginning and end of all practice.

After having begun by acknowledging the Lama, we consider the difficulty of gaining human form [in terms of having the conducive circumstances to practice]. This form is the basis of the spiritual path of liberation and is therefore precious and worthy of great respect. If you do not value the situation in which you have found yourself, then you will not make use of your precious circumstances and a great opportunity will be squandered.

Then we consider impermanence and death. Everything that exists is subject to change and dissolution. Even though you die you don't find freedom simply by losing your physical form. You just go on circling in samsaric vision, taking countless other forms according to your patterned perception. The nature of samsara is the experience of suffering which arises through the attempt to maintain the illusion of duality. We contemplate upon that.

Then we reflect upon our conditioning and the pattern of our karmic vision. We recognize the manner in which our perception and responses are all governed by dualistic conditioning that is so difficult to undermine.

These are called the Lo-tog nam-zhi -- the Four Thoughts which turn the mind to practice. Their purpose is to encourage the attention away from compulsive patterning and re-patterning. It is important to dwell on these Lo-tog nam-zhi at the beginning of the practice in order to generate the appropriate motivation for practice.

Practicing in this way is like smoothing out a ploughed field to make it even and ready for sowing. Then we need to sow the seed itself. To sow the seed is to receive Refuge; to generate bodhicitta; to offer kyil-khor [for the accumulation of causes conducive to the fulfillment of method and wisdom] and purification through Dorje Sempa recitation. These practices are like seeds sown in the ground [made ready by the contemplation of the Lo-tog nam-zhi].

From the perspective of the relative condition [in which we find ourselves] it is not possible to realize the absolute nature of reality without relating with what is relative. Without using the relative situation as a basis you cannot realize the true nature of the Mind. In the same way, without this relative practice, you cannot directly apprehend the nature of emptiness. The relative and absolute co-exist -- they go hand in hand; it is really very important indeed to realize this.

Let us now look at Refuge. At the external level there are what are called the Kön-chog Sum : sang-gyé, chö and gendün [buddha, dharma and sangha]. Sang-gyé is the source of chö. Those whose minds are turned towards chö are gendün.

Because we exist in duality we experience delusory dissatisfaction. Because of this, we take Refuge in order to be freed from the experience of self-generated dissatisfaction. Due to misapprehending our true nature [because of the delusory appearances that arise when the various elements coalesce in accordance with patterns of dualistic confusion] this human body becomes the container of endless dualistic projections. It becomes a source of attachment, in terms of supplying delusory definitions of existence. This attachment remains very strong until you see the true nature of existence. Until you are completely freed from the delusion that your body validates your existence, dissatisfaction will continually color your experience. Because of this, Kön-chog Sum exist as a focus of Refuge.

So, externally speaking, one should take Refuge in sang-gyé, chö and gendün with devotion. But internally, sang-gyé, chö and gendün are symbolic. They are a profound and skilful way to lead us out of this self-created illusory samsara.

From the Dzogchen point of view, sang-gyé, chö and gendün are within us. On the absolute level, this mind of ours, which is empty of all referential co-ordinates, is in itself sang-gyé [rigpa -- radiant self-luminosity]. Externally, chö manifests as sound and meaning: you hear it and you practice it. But from an internal point of view, chö is empty. In essence, it is the unceasing, unobstructed, self-luminous display of rigpa -- primordial Mind. Externally, gendün comprises those whose minds turn towards the chö. But internally, gendün is the all-pervading, all-encompassing aspect of Mind.
They are all fully accomplished within us. However, since we do not recognize this, we need to take Refuge in the external sang-gyé, chö and gendün. When you really practice tantric ngöndro properly you visualize Padmasambhava with fervent devotion; you perform prostrations in humility with your body; and you recite the Refuge formula with your speech. Then, when you sit silently at the end of your practice [and dissolve the visualization into yourself] you realize that all these three things -- subject, object and activity -- are none other than rigpa! The meditation is oneself; Padmasambhava is one's own creation. Just remain in the nature of rigpa. Other than rigpa, there is nothing to find!

Shakyamuni Buddha said in the Do-de Kalpa Zangpo, 'I manifested in a dreamlike way to dreamlike beings and gave a dreamlike chö, but in reality I never taught and never actually came'. From the viewpoint of Shakyamuni Buddha never having come and the chö never having been given, all is mere perception, existing only in the apparent sphere of suchness.

As regards the practice of Refuge, the relative aspect is the object of Refuge to which you offer devotion and prostrations and so on. The absolute aspect is without effort. When you dissolve the visualization and remain in the natural effortless state of mind, the concept of Refuge no longer exists.

The generation of chang-chub-sem [bodhicitta] or enlightened thought means that if we just act for ourselves alone we are not following the path of chö and our enlightenment is blocked. It is of the utmost importance that we generate enlightened thought in order to free all beings from samsara. Beings are as limitless as the sky. They have all been our fathers and mothers. They have all suffered in this samsara that we all fabricate from the ground of being. So the thought of freeing them from this suffering really is very powerful. Without this, we have the deluded concept that we are separate from all sentient beings.

The enlightened thought [in the words of the chang-chub-sem vow] is: 'From now until samsara is empty I shall work for the benefit of all beings who have been my fathers and mothers'. So from the relative point of view, there are sentient beings to be liberated, there is compassion to be generated, and there is the 'I', the generator of compassion. The way of generating and showing compassion is actually explained by Shakyamuni Buddha himself. Such is the relative chang-chub-sem.

So in this relative practice of chang-chub-sem, you visualize all beings and generate the enlightened thought. You try to free them from all suffering until enlightenment is reached. You recite the generation of chang-chub-sem as many times as your practice requires. The instruction [according to the teachings on the development of chang-chub-sem] is that you must exchange your own happiness for the pain of others. As you breathe out you give all your happiness and joy [and even their causes] to all sentient beings. As you breathe in you take on all their pain and suffering so that they can be free of it. This practice is also very important. Without the development of chang-chub-sem and without freeing ourselves from our attachment [to the form display of emptiness] we cannot attain enlightenment. It is because of our inability to show compassion to others and because of being attached to the concept of ourselves that we are not free of dualism. All these things are the relative aspects of the practice of chang-chub-sem.
As regards the absolute aspect of chang-chub-sem, Shakyamuni Buddha said to his disciple Rabjor, "All phenomena are like an illusion and a dream". The reason why the Buddha said this is that whatever manifests is subject to change and dissolution; nothing is inherently solid, permanent, separate, continuous, or defined. If you see the world as solid, you tie yourself up with a rope of entanglement and are constrained and pulled [like a dog] by compulsion as your lead. You get drawn into activities that can never be finished, which is why samsara is apparently endless.

You might think that because samsara is like a dream, perhaps enlightenment is solid and permanent. But Shakyamuni Buddha said that nirvana itself is like a dream -- an illusion. There is nothing that can be named which is nirvana; nothing called nirvana which is tangible.
Shakyamuni Buddha said this directly: "Form is emptiness". For instance, the moon is reflected in water, but there is no moon in the water; there never has been! There is no form there that can be grasped! It is empty! Then Shakyamuni Buddha went on to say: "Emptiness itself is form". Emptiness itself has appeared in the manner of form. You cannot find emptiness apart from form. You cannot separate the two. You cannot grasp them as separate entities. The moon is reflected in the water, but the water is not the moon. The moon is not the water, yet you cannot separate water and moon. Once you have understood this at the level of experience, there is no samsara. In the realm of realization there is no samsara or nirvana! When speaking of the teaching of Dzogchen, samsara and nirvana are just another dualistic concept.

But when looking at this moon in the water, you may say: "But it is there, I can see it!" But when you reach for it and try to touch it -- it's not there! It is the same with the thoughts that arise in Mind. So if you ask: "How has this actually come about?" you need to consider that everything comes from interdependent origination. So what is this interdependent origination? It is simply that the moon and water do not exist separately. The clear water is the primary cause, and the moon is the secondary or contributory cause. When these two causes meet, then this interdependent origination manifests. It is the coincidental appearance of the primary cause and the contributory cause.

To put it directly, the primary cause or basis of samsara is duality -- the artificial separation of emptiness and form. From this all manifestations become contributory causes within the framework of karmic vision. They meet together and bring about the manifestation of samsara [as long as we attach to the form display of emptiness as a definition of being]. Everything that we experience as samsara exists only within this interdependent pattern. You must be quite sure of this! When you go further [and examine the nature of interdependent origination] you find that it is none other than emptiness. Therefore, apart from emptiness, there is no chö. The ultimate view of Thegchen [Mahayana] is emptiness, but this viewpoint does not exist in the lower teachings.
If you really look into your experience of existence with the eye of meditation, you begin to see everything as the play of emptiness. Phenomena [as referential co-ordinates] become exhausted and you finally arrive at their essential nature, which is emptiness. But, having said this, you might be led to say: 'In that case we should not need anything'. But whether you need anything or not is up to you. It simply depends on your mind! Just dryly talking of emptiness is not enough! You must actualize it and then see for yourself. If your mind is really empty of referential manipulation, then there is no hope, no fear, no negativity -- your mind is free of that! It is like waving your hand in the sky! Whatever arises is completely unobstructed.

The purpose of meditation is to remain in this natural state. In that state all phenomena are directly realized in their essential emptiness. That is why we practice meditation. Meditation purifies everything into its empty nature. First we must realize that the absolute, natural state of things is empty. Then, whatever manifests is the play of the dharmakaya. Out of the empty nature of existence arise all the relative manifestations from which we fabricate samsara. You need to understand quite clearly how things are in reality and how they appear in terms of duality. It is very important to have this View, because without View your meditation becomes dull. Just simply sitting and saying: 'It's all empty' is like putting a little cup upside-down! That little empty space in the cup remains a very narrow, limited emptiness. You cannot even drink tea from it!
It is essential to actually know the heart of the matter as it is. In the absolute sense there are no sentient beings who experience dissatisfaction. This dissatisfaction is as empty as the clear sky, but because of attachment to the form display of emptiness, [interdependent origination] the relative sphere of things becomes an illusory trap in which there are sentient beings who experience dissatisfaction. This is the meaning of samsara.

In expressing the essential quality of the Great Mother, emptiness, it is said: 'Though you think of expressing the nature of the Heart Sutra you cannot put it into words'. It is totally beyond utterance, beyond thought, beyond concept. It was never born. It has never died. If you ask what it is like, it is like the sky. You can never find the limit of the sky. You can never find the center of the sky. So this sky-like nature is symbolic of emptiness: it is spacious, limitless, and free, with infinite depth and infinite expanse.

But having said this, you might say: 'So my own rigpa, the nature of my own mind, is like the sky, free from all limitations'. But this is not it either! It is not just empty. If you look into it there is something to see. 'See' is just a word we have to use in order to communicate. But you can see that. You can meditate on that. You can rest in that, and whatever arises in that spacious condition. If you see the true nature of emptiness and form as non-dual -- as it really is -- this is the mother of all the Buddhas. All this chatter has been an elaboration of the absolute chang-chub-sem.

Next is the purification through Dorje Sempa. In the absolute sense there is nothing to purify, no one who could purify you, and no purification. But since beings are apparently unable to leave it at that, matters become a little bit more complicated. Obscurations and dualistic confusions arise as the consequence of clinging to the form display of emptiness.

In the illusory perception of this grasping at the form display of emptiness, we subject ourselves to endless dissatisfaction. Because of this, purification becomes a relative skilful means. In order to purify our delusions, Dorje Sempa yab-yum arises from your own true state of rigpa and the flow of nectar from the secret kyil-khor of their union completely purifies your obscurations. You enter into the envisionment and recite the hundred-syllable mantra; and this is the means of purification. In the natural state of things [in the state of what is] everything is pure from the very beginning -- like the sky. This is the absolute purification of Dorje Sempa.

Now we come to the offering of the khyil-khor [cosmogramme or mandala]. The khyil-khor is offered for the accumulation of auspicious causes. Why do we need to accumulate auspicious causes? It is because of grasping at the form display of emptiness that illusory samsara has come about; so we need to practice giving everything up. Because there is the illusion that there is a way of purifying illusion, we can utilize this as a relative skilful means. Because you can purify there is also a way of accumulating auspicious causes. When you offer 'my body, my possessions and my glories', this is the relative, symbolic offering of the khyil-khor. From the absolute point of view, these things are empty, like the clear empty sky. So if you remain in the state of primordial awareness, that is the absolute khyil-khor offering and the absolute accumulation of auspicious causes.

Then there is the practice of Lama'i Naljor. Due to clinging to the form display of emptiness, the Lama appears as the one who inspires purity of mind. He or she is the object towards whom one feels purely. Because clinging obscures the mind [and because you feel purity of perception toward the Lama] both you and the Lama appear to exist in the sphere of dualism [as if the fundamental nature of your Minds, within the sphere of dharmakaya, were different]. Therefore, externally, you visualize the Lama with great devotion. Then you receive the empowerment of his or her non-dual condition.

These are all the external, relative practices of Lama'i Naljor in which you have invoked the wisdom presence of the symbolic apparent Lama. Then you recite the vajra words: "The Lama dissolves into light and unites with my very being . . . See! The one taste of rigpa and emptiness [rig-tong] is the actual face of the Lama!"

If you ask where the absolute Lama is, he or she is nowhere else but there -- in the absolute nature of the Mind! The absolute state of rigpa is where the Lama is fully accomplished as primordial wisdom and clear space. Simply continuing in the awareness of how it is, is the Dzogchen practice of Lama'i Naljor.

This is how the outer tantric ngöndro relates to the inner ngöndro in terms of the teaching of ati-yoga.

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