Ashe Notes

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Shambhala Training is presented in a series of weekend programs, the first five of which are called "The Heart of Warriorship" and the latter seven, "The Sacred Path". The Warrior Assembly is the fruition of the Shambhala Training Sacred Path program. During Warrior Assembly, students study the Shambhala terma text, The Golden Sun of the Great East, and receive the ashé practices of stroke and lungta. Certain Shambhala practices derive from specific terma texts of Trungpa Rinpoche's such as Letter of the Black Ashe, Letter of the Golden Key that Fulfills Desire, Golden Sun of the Great East, and the Scorpion Seal of the Golden Sun, in long and short versions.

The Shambhala dharma practices derived entirely or in part from these texts include those of werma, drala, Wind Horse (Tib. lungta), and meditations on four "dignities of Shambhala": tiger (tib. tak), lion (Tib. seng), garuda (Tib. kyung) and dragon (Tib. druk). Jamgon Ju Mipham Gyatso, a great 19th century Nyingma lama and the predecessor of Sakyong Mipham Rinpoche, wrote about many of these practices and concepts as well.

Some, such as the "stroke of Ashé", have no known precedents.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Shambhala_Buddhism

"Ashe (Tibetan: primordial or first stroke. Pronounced ah-shay). In the Shambhala teachings, A-, primordial or first, is the open space of mind before the first thought, or first gesture; that first thought or gesture is -she. Ashe is the power to express basic goodness and is also know as "the essence of life." Ashe symbolizes primordial confidence and compassion. The execution of the stroke of Ashe is the practice that expressed and nourishes those qualities."
Jeremy Hayward, 'Warrior - King of shambhala - Remembering Chogyam Trungpa. - Wisdom Publications, 2008

"The 1976 Seminary was a landmark event in many ways. During Seminary, the Vidyadhara discovered the root terma text of The Golden Sun of the Great East and received the transmission of the stroke of ashe, giving birth to the Shambhala teachings in tangible form. We arrived at the Seminary just after the first part of the terma had been translated by Rinpoche, working with David Rome, his secretary. As we emerged from my car in the parking lot of the King's Gate Hotel, a tapping was heard at a window upstairs. There was Rinpoche beckoning us up to his suite. Excited, we hurried to find the room, at which point we were treated to a reading of the poem "Tung Shi" and its commentary, written perhaps a few days earlier, as well as the first section of the root text. Rinpoche demonstrated the stroke of Ashe, and we all looked at each other as if we had just landed in a new world, exciting yet very mysterious."
Remembering Robin by Larry Mermelstein
http://chronicleproject.com/stories_85.html

The Golden Sun of the Great East is a beautiful hardbound edition of a Shambhala root text by Dorje Dradül of Mukpo. It features cloth binding with gold-lettered spine, a gold scorpion seal on the front cover, and saffron endpapers. This second edition of the text has been re-edited, using gender-inclusive language wherever possible. Other amendments have been made based on a re-examination of the original Tibetan manuscript, which appears alongside the English translation. Translated from Tibetan by the Vajravairochana Translation Committee under the direction of Dorje Dradül of Mukpo.Vajradhatu Publications
Hardcover, 6" x 9".....40 pp.
Available to students at Warrior Assembly and beyond.
http://www.shambhalamedia.org/ProductDetails.asp?ProductCode=BVN175

The Letter of the Black Ashe is a beautiful hardbound edition of a Shambhala root text by Dorje Dradül of Mukpo. It features cloth binding with gold-lettered spine, a gold scorpion seal on the front cover, and blue endpapers. This second edition of the text has been re-edited, using gender-inclusive language wherever possible. In addition, other amendments have been made based on a re-examination of the original Tibetan manuscript and the initial translation by Dorje Dradül of Mukpo. Here the Tibetan appears alongside the English. Translated from the Tibetan by the Vajravairochana Translation Committee under the direction of Dorje Dradül of Mukpo.
Vajradhatu Publications ....Hardcover, 6" x 9" .....22 pp.
Available only to those authorized to receive it.
http://www.shambhalamedia.org/ProductDetails.asp?ProductCode=BVN176

Pema Chodron Teaching on Shambhala Terma
"On Monday, the Gampo Acharya Pema Chodron gave her second formal teaching during this visit to the monastics and residents of Gampo Abbey. Following the themes established in her first teaching presented earlier in May, Ani Pema continued to speak about the Shambhala terma teachings of Chogyam Trungpa Rinpoche, as presented in his text The Letter of the Black Ashe. These teachings are particularly timely in today's climate of economic crisis, warfare, sickness, social injustice, and looming environmental calamity. The Shambhala teachings, says Ani Pema, were given by Trungpa Rinpoche to benefit beings during the most difficult times, when people would withdraw into themselves and hide from fear, and lash out at externally perceived enemies. These teachings remind us of the basic sanity and dignity that we are capable of as human beings."
http://gampoabbey.blogspot.com/2009_05_01_archive.html

"Genuine art—dharma art—is simply the activity of nonaggression," said Chögyam Trungpa Rinpoche. Trungpa Rinpoche was one of the most important Buddhist teachers of the twentieth-century, and founder of this magazine. He was also a multi-talented artist. Trained as a child in Tibet in the traditional arts of calligraphy, painting, monastic dance, and poetry, on his arrival in the West he immersed himself in the pursuit of new artistic disciplines, including Japanese flower-arranging, photography, design, and filmmaking. In addition he brought fresh approaches to the traditional arts he had been taught, as seen in his calligraphy. Titled "Great Eastern Sun," it combines Tibetan script, three of his seals, and, the mark he used in the Shambhala teachings to symbolize primordial wisdom, which he called the Ashe stroke."
http://www.shambhalasun.com/index.php?option=content&task=view&id=3423

What is the warrior’s cry and what does it mean?
"Tonight, I would like to introduce the Shambhala warrior’s cry. Chanting this cry is a way to rouse your head and shoulders, a way to rouse a sense of uplifted dignity. It is also a way to invoke the power of windhorse and the energy of basic goodness. We might call it a battle cry, as long as you understand that this particular battle is fighting against aggression, conquering aggression, rather than promoting hatred or warfare. We could say that the warrior’s cry celebrates victory over war, victory over aggression. It is also a celebration of overcoming obstacles. The warrior’s cry goes like this: Ki Ki So So. Ki is primordial energy, similar to the idea of ch’i in the Chinese martial arts. So is furthering or extending that energy of ki and extending the power of Ki Ki So So altogether. Let us close our meeting by shouting “Ki Ki So So” three times. Sitting in good warrior posture, with your hands on your hips, hold your head and shoulders and shout:
Ki Ki So So
Ki Ki So So
Ki Ki So So"
by Chögyam Trungpa Rinpoche from our Teaching Library http://www.shambhala.org/teachings/
The chant to raise wind-horse, which represents a connection between earth and sky, and its manifestation in a person...
KI KI SO SO ASHE LHA GYAL LO TAK SENG KHYUNG DRUK DYAR KYE!

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Email....okarresearch@gmail.com

August 2012

John Hopkins....Northern New Mexico

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Nyida Diet of Shambhala

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Chogyam Trungpa...."NYIDA: The vegetarian diet of Shambhala. Nyi stands for yellow and green foods, primarily vegetables and fruits, and da for white foods such as milk, yogurt, cheese and tofu...."

Seasonal Celebrations in the Shambhala Community...Over the years our community has adopted a tradition of celebrating the changes of the seasons. These are called "nyida" days from the Tibetan words nyima (sun) and dawa (moon), and they occur on or near the days of the equinoxes and solstices. Nyida days are family-oriented celebrations and occasions for local Shambhala communities to gather socially. Midsummer Day observes the summer solstice; the Harvest of Peace the autumn equinox; Children's Day, the winter solstice. Shambhala Day is our annual celebration of "losar" or the new year according to the Tibetan calendar. Since it typically falls in February or March, it takes the place of observing the spring equinox.

Nyima Dawa La Pass....This pass was made famous due to its association with Princess Wencheng when she was en route to marry King Songtsen Gampo in the 7th century. She is said to have looked in a magic mirror here with a sun-moon design which was supposed to show her family in Chang'an. She only saw her own reflection and she smashed the mirror in despair. The nearby river which, unusually in these parts flows east to west is said to have originated from the tears of the princess. Every year about the 6th day of the 6th lunar month a Flower Song Festival (Ch. Huarhui) is held here. Two small new concrete temples have been built on the pass with modern murals showing the royal couple and scenes of nomadic life....Near Tongkor Monastery, Sichuan, not far to the east of Lake Koko Nor.

One of the main principles of the Manichaeans (2nd Century A.D.) was a vegetarian diet of mainly green and yellow foods (squash, etc). Supposedly, light was concentrated in these foods and their bodies served as filters for the particles of light contained in the plants. (Litvinsky: 1992...Pg 414)...B. A. Litvinsky, Zhang Guang-da, R. Shabani Samghabadi, eds. History of the Civilizations of Central Asia, Volume III: The Crossroads of Civilizations: A.D. 250 to 750. Paris: UNESCO Publishing, 1996. 568 pp. 300FF (cloth), ISBN 978-92-3-103211-0.

The architecture, diet, and clothing of Shambhala"..(Cabezon: 1996..pg 488)

Under Candragupta II (405 AD), who was probably a Vaisnava, but tolerant of Buddhism and Jainism, no one kills any living thing or eats onions or garlic." (Dasgupta: 1962...pg cix)

Mani said in the third century.......sacrifices and eating meat were forbidden to everybody...and declared to have nothing in common with Abraham, Aaron, Joshua, David and all those who approve of the sacrificing of animals, of causing them pain, of eating meat and other things."

An ancient Manichaean text tells us that in the Uighur Kingdom the Electi derived regular supplies of vegan food from their monastery lands. From other sources we know that the Manichaeans ate onions, garlic, cucumbers and grapes and that they condemned all use of milk, eggs and meat..

Golden Drink.....HAOMA/SOMA...."The ancient Indo-Iranians act of worship often involved the preparation, purification, and the offering of a sacred plant.(Iranian:Haoma) (Indian:Soma). It was mixed with water, milk, and other ingredients and offered as a libation to the gods. Thereafter it was drunk by the participants. See Hymns of Nook 9 of the Rig Veda. The color of the drink was golden." (Acta Iranica: 1985..pg 699)..."Haoma was widely used by warrior and poet as well as priest and seer, playing a part in their lives not unlike that of mead among the ancient Teutonic peoples." (Boyce: 1982...pg 147)...

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Email....okarresearch@gmail.com

August 2012

John Hopkins....Northern New Mexico

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CARVAKAS-LOKAYATAS....Ancient Schools of Materialism (400 B.C.)

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Lo·ka·ya·ta......a materialistic school of philosophers in India that regarded only matter as real, sense data as the only source of knowledge.

Anti-Lokayata school.....A non-Buddhist school in ancient India that is thought to have arisen in opposition to the Lokayata school. Both schools existed in Shakyamuni's time. The Lokayata school, also known as the Charvaka school, argued that people are made of earth, water, fire, and wind, and that they have neither a previous life nor a next life. Followers of the school obeyed the conventions and trends of the world, including public opinion, and expounded a materialist and hedonistic doctrine. In Shakyamuni's time, Ajita Kesakambala, one of the six non-Buddhist teachers, expounded such a doctrine. The Anti-Lokayata school taught that one should oppose the conventions of the world and tried to refute the Lokayata followers. The "Peaceful Practices" (fourteenth) chapter of the Lotus Sutra reads, "They [bodhisattvas] should not associate closely with non-Buddhists, Brahmans, or Jains, or with those who compose works of secular literature or books extolling the heretics, nor should they be closely associated with Lokayatas or Anti-Lokayatas."(sgilibrary.org)

The world lokayata was used to refer to the person who believed in the reality of this world and the physical existence of man and of other beings on earth and nothing else. 'Loka' means the world and 'lokayata' means he who is centered around or relies upon this world only. The lokayatas believed in the existence of this world only, neither in heaven nor in hell, neither in vice nor virtue. They accepted only that reality which they could subjectively perceive and interact with, not in any imaginary world or some kind of ideal world.....(hinduwebsite.com)

http://www.scribd.com/doc/82768050/79/THE-LITERARY-SOURCES-OF-CARVAKAS-LOKAYATAS

The school would have been born between 600-400 B.C.E. TheBuddhist texts of this period mentions several heterodox teachers such as Sanjaya,the skeptic, Ajita, the materialist, Purana Kasyapa the indifferentist and Kosala, thefatalist and Katyayana whose ideas in someway or the other come closer to the viewsof Carvakas. It is probably in this ambience of skepticism, materialism and nihilismthat Carvaka philosophy would have originated. It must be noted that it is around thesame time that the Atomists and the Sophists became popular in Greece. Though it isa remote possibility that the Atomists, the Sophists and the Carvakas would haveinfluenced one another, it is evident that all these shared certain common views....(books.google)

In ancient India the atheists known as Carvakas or Lokayatas were very popular. They denounced Vedas Vedic rituals and all forms of divine worship. The did not believe in God or Soul and exhorted people to make enjoyment as the sole aim of their lives as they believe death was the end of all and there was no afterlife. Although the Carvakas disappeared from the religious scene of India thousands of years ago their philosophy lives through Hinduism in a subtle manner. It may sound incredible but some elements of Carvaka philosophy is reflected in Hinduism in the form of Purusharthas or principal aims of human life...(rtbot.net)

Cārvāka was a living philosophy from the eighth century to the twelfth century after which this system seems to have disappeared without leaving any trace. The reason for this sudden disappearance is not known.

The Cārvāka school of philosophy had a variety of atheistic and materialistic beliefs. They held perception to be the only valid source of knowledge.

To Cārvākas, the step which the mind takes from the knowledge of something to infer the knowledge of something else, could be accounted for by the its being based on a former perception or by its being in error. Cases where inference was justified by the result, were seen only to be mere coincidences.....Therefore, Cārvākas denied metaphysical concepts like reincarnation, extracorporeal soul, efficacy of religious rites, other world (heaven and hell), fate and accumulation of merit or demerit through the performance of certain actions. Cārvākas also rejected the use of supernatural causes to describe natural phenomena. To them all natural phenomena was produced spontaneously from the inherent nature of things....(wikipedia)

No independent works on Cārvāka philosophy can be found except for a few sūtras composed by Brihaspati. The 8th century Tattvopaplavasimha of Jayarashi Bhatta (ca. 8th century) is often cited as the only extant authentic Cārvāka text, but which also shows Madhyamaka influence. Shatdarshan Samuchay and Sarvadarśanasaṅ̇graha of Vidyaranya are a few other works which elucidate Cārvāka thought...(wikipedia)

The Yogācāra Buddhists, Jains, Advaita Vedantins and Nyāya philosophers considered the Cārvākas as one of their opponents and tried to refute their views. These refutations are sources of Cārvāka philosophy since, they continued to be made even after all the authentic Cārvāka/Lokāyata texts had been lost.

The Lokayata or Charvaka School, taught by Ajita, also rejected karma. Not only that, it also rejected rebirth and any such thing as a living soul. It advocated hedonism, teaching that all actions should be spontaneous and should come from one’s own nature (Skt. svabhava) – in other words, they should be natural. The aim of life was to experience as much sensual pleasure as possible. This school rejected all forms of logic and reasoning as valid ways of knowing anything...(wordnik.com)

Historically, the roots of Buddhism lie in the religious thought of Ancient India during the second half of the first millennium BC. That was a period of social and religious turmoil, as there was significant discontent with traditional Vedic religion (and more exactly its later form, Brahmanism), which had dominated India until then. It was challenged by numerous new ascetic religious and philosophical groups and teachings that broke with the Brahmanic tradition and rejected the absolute authority of the Vedas and the Brahmans. These groups were a continuation of a non-Vedic strand of Indian thought distinct from Indo-Aryan Brahmanism, and ideas originating in this religious culture, such as samsara, karma, reincarnation, and moksha were adopted by Brahmin orthodoxy. At the same time, they were influenced by, and in some respects continued, earlier philosophical thought within the Vedic tradition as reflected e.g. in the Upanishads. These movements included, besides Buddhism, various skeptics (such as Sanjaya Belatthiputta), atomists (such as Pakudha Kaccayana), materialists (such as Ajita Kesakambali), antinomians (such as Purana Kassapa); the most important ones in the 5th century BC were the Ajivikas, who emphasized the rule of fate, the Lokayata (materialists), the Ajnanas (agnostics) and the Jains, who stressed that the soul must be freed from matter. Many of these new movements shared the same conceptual vocabulary - atman (“self” or “soul”), buddha (“enlightened one”), dhamma (“rule” or “law”), karma (“causality”), nirvana (“transcendent freedom”), samsara (“eternal recurrence”) and yoga (“union”) and held that the originally good Vedic doctrine was in need of reform. A particular criticism of the Buddha's was Vedic animal sacrifice.Their leaders, including Buddha, were often known as śramaṇas. The Buddha declared that priests reciting the Vedas were like blind leading the blind.According to him, those priests who had memorized the Vedas really knew nothing.He also mocked the Vedic "hymn of the cosmic man". He also declared that the primary goal of Upanishadic thought, the Atman, was in fact non-existent,, and, having explained that Brahminical attempts to achieve liberation at death were futile, proposed his new idea of liberation in life.At the same time, the traditional Brahminical religion itself gradually underwent profound changes, transforming it into what is recognized as early Hinduism. In particular, the brahmans thus developed "philosophical systems of their own, meeting the new ideas with adaptations of their doctrines"...(wikipedia)

Materialism originated in ancient Greek philosophy during the 6th century b.c.e., and in China and India around the same time, if not even earlier. In Greece in the 5th century the atomists Leucippus and Democritus argued that all that existst is matter (in the form of limitless number of tiny indivisible partcles - atoms) and empty space, and that the differences in the sense objects are due to variations in the size and shape of atoms and their combinations.....The atomism of Democritus and Leucippus was strenuosly challanged by the great Greek philosophers Socrates, Plato, and Aristotle....(ancienthistory.com)

Scientific Materialism and Analytical philosphy.......The rise of science and advances made in chemistry, physics, and mechanics contributed to the strengthening of materialism from the late 18th century through the early decades of the 20th. The discovery of chemical elements led to the revival of atomic theory. The publication of Charles Darwin's works on evolution demonstrated the possibility that living organisms can be accounted for on a material basis without any need to refer to a biblical Creator or supernatural purposes. The invention of the computer in the later 20th century suggested to materialists that mind itself can be explained purely in terms of matter and of electrical connections within the brain tissue.

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Email....okarresearch@gmail.com

August 2012

John Hopkins....Northern New Mexico

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ZERMIG....The Piercing Eye

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There are three biographies of Tonpa Shenrab. The earliest and shortest one is known as Dodu (mDo-'dus: 'Epitome of Aphorisms'); the second is in two volumes and is called Zermig (gZer-mig: 'Piercing Eye'). These two accounts were rediscovered as terma (see below) in the 10th and 11th centuries respectively.

(1). The gZer-mig and gZi-brjid are both published by the Bonpo Foundation, Dolanji, 1965 and 1967-69, respectively. Extracts from the gZi-brjid have been edited and translated by D.L. Snellgrove, The Nine Ways of Bon, London Oriental Series, vol. 18, London 1967. The first seven chapters of gZer-mig and part of the eighth have been translated into English by A.H. Franke, 'A Book of the Tibetan Bonpos', Asia Major, Leipzig 1924, 1926, 1927, 1930; Asia Major (New Series) 1, London 1949. A summary of the contents of gZer-mig has been made by H. Hoffmann in The Religions of Tibet, London 1961, 85-96.

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SHENRAB.......Excerpted from a publication by Triten Norbutse and Yungdrung Bön Monastic Center......The founder of Bon religion is the Lord Shenrab Miwo........In past ages there were three brothers, Dakpa, Selwa et Shepa, who studied the Bon doctrines in the heaven named Sipa Yesang, under the Bon sage Bumtri Loggi Chechen. When their studies were completed, they visited the God of Compassion Shenlha Ökar and asked him how they could help the living beings submerges in the miseries and sorrow of suffering. Shenlha advised them to act as guides to mankind in three successive ages of the world. To follow his advice the eldest brother, Dakpa, completed his work in the past world age. The second brother, Selwa, took the name Shenrab and became the teacher for this present world age. The youngest brother, Shepa, will come to teach in the next world-age.................

The Lord Shenrab was born in the Barpo Sogye Palace, to the south of Mont Yung-drung Gutsek. He was born a prince, married while young and had children. At the age of 31 he renounced the world and lived in austerity, teaching the doctrine. During hiswhole life his efforts to propagate the Bon religion were obstucted by the demon Khyabpa Lakring. This demon fought to destory or impede the work of Tönpa Shenrab, until he was eventually converted and became a disciple of Shenrab. one, pursuing the demon to regain his stolen horses. Tönpa Shenrab arrived in Tibet, it was his only visit to Tibet. There, he imparted some instructions concerning the performance of rituals but, on the whole, found the land unprepared to receive fuller teachings. Before leaving Tibet, he prophesied that all his teachings would flourish in Tibet when the time was ripe. Tönpa Shenrab departed this life at the age of 82.

" The country of Olmo Lungring where Tonpa Shenrab descended from the celestial spheres and took up incarnation among human beings as an Iranian prince. The mysterious land of Olmo Lungring (`ol-mo lung-rings) or Olmoling (`ol-mo`i gling) is said to be part of a larger geographical region to the northwest of Tibet called Tazig (stag-gzig, var. rtag-gzigs), which scholars identify with Iran or, more properly, Central Asia where in ancient times Iranian languages such as Avestan and later Sogdian were spoken. ...(.... OLMO LUNG-RING: THE IMPERISHABLE SACRED LAND.....by Vajranatha......http://www.surajamrita.com/bon/Shambala.html).....According to the “gZer-mig” the traditional etymology of the name Olmo Lungring is as follows: “`ol” means “unborn”, “mo” “undermined”, “lung” “the prophetic words of Shenrab”, and “rings” “everlasting compassion”. According to the “gZi-brjid”, Olmo Lungring was also known as Shambhala in Sanskrit and it continues to be known by this name among Tibetan Buddhists even today. Moreover, it is said that in ancient times it encompassed fully one-third of the known world a statement which could apply to the historical Persian empire."

There are three written acounts of Tönpa Shenrab. The earliest and shortest one is known as Dodü (mDo-'dus),"Epitome of Aphorism". The second which is in two volumes is called Zermik (gZer-mig), "Piercing Eye". These two accounts date from the 10th and 11th centuries respectively. The third and largest is in twelve volumes known shortly as Ziji (gZi-brjid), "The Glorious". It belongs to the category of scriptures known as "spiritual transmission" (snyan-rgyud) It is believed to have been dictated to Loden Nyingpo (Blo-ldan snying-po)who lived in the XIV century.

Tonpa Shenrab Miwo (ston pa g.shen rab mi wo) the founder of the Yungdrung Bon religion 8,000 years ago in the land of Tajik to the west of Tibet.

The life story of Tonpa Shenrab along with the recounting of his previous lives are found in three principal texts: the first, and considered the oldest, is the Dodu (Wylie: mdo 'dus) in one volume and twenty-four chapters. Second is the Zermig (gzer mig) in two volumes and eighteen chapters discovered in the 10th century, followed by the Zije (Wylie: gzi brjid) comprised of twelve volumes and sixty-one chapters discovered in the 14th century by Tulku Loden Nyingpo. The last two texts belong to the Revealed Treasure tradition (Tib.: ter ma) of the Bon religion.

Tonpa Shenrab is the fourth member of the important group known as the Four Transcendent Lords.....
1. Satrig Ersang
2. Shen lha Okar
3. Sangpo Bumtri
4. Tonpa Shenrab Miwo

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(1) gZer-mig and gZi-brjid is published by the Foundation Bonpo, Dolanji, 1965 and 1967-1969 respectively. Extracts of the gZi-brjid were published and translated by D.L. Snellgrove, The Nine Ways of Bon, London Oriental Series, vol.18, London 1967.

Tonpa Shenrab taught his doctrines in two systems:
- The first classification is called Thegpa Rimgu'i Bön, the 'Bön of Nine Successive Stages' ... of which there are three versions: the Loter (lho gter) or 'Southern Treasure,' the Jangter (byang gter) or 'Northern Treasure' and the Uter (dBu gter) or 'Central Treasure.
- The second classification is called Gozhi dzonga (sGo bzhi mdzod lnga), 'The Four Portals and the Treasury, the Fifth'.

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The first 7 chapters of gZer-mig and part of the eighth were translated into English by A.H. Franke, ' A Book of the Tibetain Bonpos ', Asia Major, Leipzig 1924, 1926, 1927, 1930; Asia Major (New Series) 1, Londres1949. H. Hoffmann summarizes themig one in The Religions of Tibet, London 1961, 85-96. (2)

1 'The teacher descends from the gods of pure light'

2 'The teacher turns the Wheel of Bon for the non-gods'

3 'The sutra of the coming of the doctrine of the buddhas'

4 'The sutra of gShen-rabs taking birth'

5 'The sutra of the young prince's playful sport'

The Sgra Bla, Gods of the Ancestors of Gshen-Rab Mi-Bo..... A brief analysis of the fifth chapter of the gZi brjid, the biography of gShen-rab mi-bo containing a Sang rite dedicated to various classes of Sgra Bla. Although the gZi brjid only dates back to the fourteenth century, it is considered characteristic of the pre-Buddhist Tibetan culture......Chögyal Namkhai Norbu

6 'The sutra of the prince's enthronement'

7 'The sutra of the prince's law-giving'

8 'The sutra of the IInd Way of the Shen of Illusion'

9 'The sutra of the IIIrd Way of the Shen of Existence'

10 'The sutra explaining the Way of the Shen of Existence

11 The sutra that teaches the menaing of the mandala of the five universal (buddha-)bodies'

12 'The sutra explaing the Way of the Virtuous Adherers'

13 The sutra explaing the Way of the great ascetics

14 The sutra of the VIIth Way of pure sound

15 The sutra of the VIIIth Way of the primaeval Shen

16 The sutra of the IXth and supreme Way

17 The sutra explaning the bon of the various translations

18 The sutra of spreading the doctrine by converting those who are hard to convert

19 The sutra of the mandala of the Loving Conqueror

20 The sutra of the very form and precious doctrine

21 The sutra of the three tenets taught by the teacher

22 The sutra of the spreading reays that convert sentient beings

23 The sutra explaining cause and effect

24 The sutra of the teacher drawing beings to salvation

25 The sutra of the light of the Blessed All-knowing

26 The liturgy of the All-Good the Ocean of Victory

27 The sutra of the washing away of the sind of King Gu-wer

28 The sutra of the teacher's taking the most glorious of wifes

29 The sutra of the teacher's producing the offspring of method and wisdom

30 The sutra of the Teacher's assumption of royal power

31 The sutra of the producing of offspring who convert sentient beings

32 The sutra of the Teacher teaching Bon to the gods

33 The spell of the Fierce Destroyer

34 Mandala of the liturgy of the God of Medicine

35 The sutra of the pure prayer of good conduct

36 The sutra of the Teacher teachung bin to the serpents

37 The sutra of Mara's magical display to the teacher

38 The secret spell the Destroyer of Mara

39 The sutra of the Teacher establishing the realm of Mara in salvation

40 The sutra of removing obstructions and subduing Mara

41 The sutra of producing offspring for continuing the family-line of royal sway

42 The sutra for establishing the teaching of the IXth Way

43 The sutra for establishing the teaching about relics

44 The sutra of the acquisition of the way of salvation of thr supreme order

45 The Mother sutra the Great Way of the Word of the Perfection of Wisdom

46 The sutra of the mandala of the Great Way of the Mother

47 The spell of the Sacred Light of Vaidurya

48 The liturgy of the basic mandala of the goddess Loving kindness

49 The sutra in praise of the twenty-one forms of the goddess Loving Kindness

50 The sutra establishing the three forms of the doctrine

51 The sutra of the Teacher leaving his home and becoming a religious wanderer

52 The sutra of the perfecting of austerities, the actions of a Shen

53 The sutra of the manifestations of the four spoked wheel of Bon

54 The sutra of pure disciplinary rules

55 The basic sutra of the pure regulations of the Shen

56 The sutra of the sections of the regulations of the Shen

57 The sutra of the pure virtuous conduct of the Shen

58 The sutra of removing the hellish evils of King 'Kong'

59 The sutra of the Teacher leaving his entourage and practicing in solitude

60 The sutra explaining the meanings of the names, marks and qualities of the buddhas

61 The sutra of the Teacher handing the Bon doctrine over into the care (of others)

The gZer mig and gZi brjid are both published by the Bonpo Foundation, Dolanji, 1965 and 1967-69, respectively. Extracts from the gZi brjid have been edited and translated by D.L. Snellgrove, The Nine Ways of Bon, London Oriental Series, vol. 18, London 1967. The first seven chapters of gZer mig and part of the eighth have been translated into English by A.H. Franke, 'A Book of the Tibetan Bonpos', Asia Major, Leipzig 1924, 1926, 1927, 1930; Asia Major (New Series) 1, London 1949. A summary of the contents of gZer-mig has been made by H. Hoffmann in The Religions of Tibet, London 1961, 85-96.

The Guimet thangka is virtually unknown to scholars in Asia, for it was purchased by a French expedition at the beginning of the twentieth century in what was then southwest China or eastern Tibet. It has remained in France ever since. For ease of reference, I hereafter cite this painting as Shenrab and Confucius, although the thangka itself bears no such title or inscription.Tentatively dated to the eighteenth or nineteenth centuries, Shenrab and Confucius is one of a set of biographical narrative paintings in the Musée Guimet that illustrates twelve important events in the life of Tonpa Shenrab. The thangka has been explored from the perspective of Tibetan-language sources by Per Kvaerne, who has compared its visual content with textual narratives of the life of Tonpa Shenrab (Kvaerne 1986, 1987, 2007).

According to the “gZer-mig” the traditional etymology of the name Olmo Lungring is as follows: “`ol” means “unborn”, “mo” “undermined”, “lung” “the prophetic words of Shenrab”, and “rings” “everlasting compassion”. According to the “gZi-brjid”, Olmo Lungring was also known as Shambhala in Sanskrit and it continues to be known by this name among Tibetan Buddhists even today.

According to the “gZer-mig” and other texts, the region around Tise or Mount Kailas is only a copy in Zhang-zhung of the original in Olmoling. Furthermore, according to the “gZi-brjid”, Dimpling is the same as Shambhala. It is not necessary to pray and do any meditation practice in order to be reborn in Iran or the Central Asia of the USSR, these are quite ordinary earthly places; but it is necessary to pray and to undergo a purification of mind before one can be reborn in Olmo Lungring, or even enter it in this present life, because it is a pure dimension of existence (dag-pa`i zhing-khams). It cannot be seen easily with the ordinary fleshly eye like Iran or Central Asia or even Tibet can. But simply because we do not see it is no proof that it does not exist, for that is the view of the Lokayatas or materialists.

http://www.scribd.com/doc/88252025/Opening-the-door-to-Bon-Nyima-Dakpa

Enlightened Rainbows: The Life and Works of Shardza Tashi Gyeltsen....by Jean-Luc Achard

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Email....okarresearch@gmail.com

August 2012

John Hopkins....Northern New Mexico

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ZIJI Text... (gZi-brjid)

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The Tibetan texts "Ziji" (gZi brid)(confidence) and "Zermig" (gZer mig)(Piercing Eye) are the two biographies of Shenrab Miwo .

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Chogyam Trungpa.... Translation of the Name (1978):
Shen = divine, heavenly,ally.....Rab = Supreme One......Miwo = Great Man

The Ziji explains that when someone is afflicted by poverty it is necessary to increase the cha and the yang." Rituals are described to summon the cha and yang present in the universe. (Norbu: 1995..pg 72)....

"Shenrab Miwo was born in Shambhala (sTag gzigs) in the west in the town called Yans pa can, in the dwelling place of the 33 Gods, the palace called Barpo so brgyad". (Kvaerne: 1971..pg 220)

Was Shenrab Miwo A Mukpo?...."The work of Shenrap still exists in Tibet in the form of 400 volumes, but it has undergone heavy Buddhist editing." (Trungpa: 1978..pg 220)....

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ZIJI...(gzi brjid) (gzhi)...the Tibetan word for confidence. ZI means shine or glitter. JI means splendor or dignity. Means to shine out, rejoicing while remaining dignified. (Trungpa:84...pg 85)...

"GZHI........The Base......In the Dzogchen teachings, the Base (gzhi) is the state of total primordial purity (ka-dag chen-po). This state of primordial purity may, in some respects, resemble unconsciousness, but it is not at all unconsciousness as such because it is characterized by the presence of Awareness (rig-pa). It is often compared to the sky, but this is only an example, because the sky is not aware. But just as the sky is not changed by the presence of the clouds in it, so in the Base there is no change or addition in response to whatever we think or do. There is nothing new to be added to it, nor is it in need of any correction or modification (ma bcos-pa). It is naturally pure and never otherwise; that is its quality. The Natural State has never been defiled or modified by the events of Samsara. It is like a mirror which is in no way changed or modified by whatever it reflects."....The View of Dzogchen...."Bönpo Dzogchen Teachings".....Taught by Lopon Tenzin Namdak......http://www.bonromania.info/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=60&Itemid=70

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"This state of pure and total awareness (rigpa) is the primordially pure ground of being itself (gzhi)."..(Kongtrul: 1995..pg 54)...

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"A person possessed fully of the blessings and health that come from the gods is said to be "full of splendor" (gzi brjid can). This splendor, majesty is pronounced ziji in Tibetan, and is an actual radiant force that envelops a healthy and prosperous being, whether god or man." (Kornman: In Lopez...pg.82)...

"gzi brjid: brilliance, majestic brilliance, splendor, charisma, glamour, confidence, light, radiance, full of splendor, overwhelming presence, resplendent radiance..."

....gzi: nine eyed onyx stone....gzi byin: overwhelming presence...gzig: leopard....gzig stangs gsum: the three gazes...

"This state of pure and total awareness (rigpa) is the primordially pure ground of being itself (gzhi)."..(Kongtrul: 1995..pg 54)...

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There are three biographies of Tonpa Shenrab......There are three biographies of Tonpa Shenrab. The earliest and shortest one is known as Dodu (mDo-'dus: 'Epitome of Aphorisms'); the second is in two volumes and is called Zermig. These two accounts were rediscovered as terma in the 10th and 11th centuries respectively. .....The third and largest is the twelve volume work entitled Zhiji (gZi-brjid: 'The Glorious'). This last book belongs to the category of scriptures known as Nyan gyud (bsNyan-rgyud: oral transmission), and was dictated to Londen Nyingpo (bLo-ldan snying-po) who lived in the 14th century.

The gZer-mig and gZi-brjid are both published by the Bonpo Foundation, Dolanji, 1965 and 1967-69, respectively. Extracts from the gZi-brjid have been edited and translated by D.L. Snellgrove, The Nine Ways of Bon, London Oriental Series, vol. 18, London 1967. The first seven chapters of gZer-mig and part of the eighth have been translated into English by A.H. Franke, 'A Book of the Tibetan Bonpos', Asia Major, Leipzig 1924, 1926, 1927, 1930; Asia Major (New Series) 1, London 1949. A summary of the contents of gZer-mig has been made by H. Hoffmann in The Religions of Tibet, London 1961, 85-96.

The gZi-brjid is an enormous work, totalling in our manuscript 2,791 folios. There are twelve volumes numbered ka to da with a final volume a . The text is arranged in sixty-one chapters, and a list of these chapters will give some idea of the scope of this composite work:

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The founder of Bon religion is the Shenrab Miwo..........Excerpted from a publication by Triten Norbutse and Yungdrung Bön Monastic Center......

In past ages there were three brothers, Dakpa, Selwa et Shepa, who studied the Bon doctrines in the heaven named Sipa Yesang, under the Bon sage Bumtri Loggi Chechen. When their studies were completed, they visited the God of Compassion Shenlha Ökar and asked him how they could help the living beings submerges in the miseries and sorrow of suffering. Shenlha advised them to act as guides to mankind in three successive ages of the world. To follow his advice the eldest brother, Dakpa, completed his work in the past world age. The second brother, Selwa, took the name Shenrab and became the teacher for this present world age. The youngest brother, Shepa, will come to teach in the next world-age.................

Shenrab was born in the Barpo Sogye Palace, to the south of Mont Yung-drung Gutsek. He was born a prince, married while young and had children. At the age of 31 he renounced the world and lived in austerity, teaching the doctrine. During his whole life his efforts to propagate the Bon religion were obstucted by the demon Khyabpa Lakring. This demon fought to destory or impede the work of Tönpa Shenrab, until he was eventually converted and became a disciple of Shenrab.....Pursuing the demon to regain his stolen horses. Tönpa Shenrab arrived in Tibet, it was his only visit to Tibet. There, he imparted some instructions concerning the performance of rituals but, on the whole, found the land unprepared to receive fuller teachings. Before leaving Tibet, he prophesied that all his teachings would flourish in Tibet when the time was ripe. Tönpa Shenrab departed this life at the age of 82.

There are three written acounts of Tönpa Shenrab. The earliest and shortest one is known as Dodü (mDo-'dus),"Epitome of Aphorism". The second which is in two volumes is called Zermik (gZer-mig), "Piercing Eye". These two accounts date from the 10th and 11th centuries respectively. The third and largest is in twelve volumes known shortly as Ziji (gZi-brjid), "The Glorious". It belongs to the category of scriptures known as "spiritual transmission" (snyan-rgyud) It is believed to have been dictated to Loden Nyingpo (Blo-ldan snying-po)who lived in the XIV century.

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Ziji appears in the language of both Buddhism and Shambhala.

The Vidyadhara commented that both zi and ji have a sense of light and brilliance to them, glossing zi as “shine” or “glitter,” and ji as “splendor.” He added that ji also carries a sense of “monolithic.” In keeping with that, when translating buddhadharma we have rendered ziji as “splendor,” “radiance,” “brilliance,” and “full of splendor.” One piece of etymology might be of interest here: zi also can mean a variety of precious stone unique to Tibet, a type of black and white striped agate with “eyes.” The more eyes, the more it was valued in Tibetan culture, and as an historical note, the Vidyadhara often wore a theb-long (thumb ring) made of zi, a gift to him from Namgyal (aka “Nammie”) Ronge, brother of Noedup and Palden.

In the Shambhala teachings, ziji has particular importance. Though on occasion, especially in our early days, we translated ziji as “light,” we quickly settled on two renderings that the Vidyadhara felt brought out the inner quality that resulted in an outer radiance: “confidence” and “dignity.” These are key terms in the Shambhala teachings. In fact, both render the one Tibetan phrase, ziji. The choice we made largely depended on the context—often the result of lengthy discussions with the tertön, the Druk Sakyong.

http://nalandatranslation.org/offerings/choosing-the-right-word/ziji/

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Zhang Zhung King Takna Ziji

The narrow gorge and hot springs of Takrong is still considered by local Buddhist drokpa to be a sacred site of the Bönpo.113 According to the Bön Tisé Karchak, Takna Rong/Takna Ling, was where the Zhang Zhung king Takna Ziji had his castle Takna Weldzong.114 It would appear by the description given in this account of Takna Rong that, by being situated at the foot of Pori Ngeden (some 180 km to the west), an area larger than the single Takrong valley is described in this text. In the local sacred geographic tradition of Takrong,115 the site is said to have been a stronghold of King Takzig Norgi Gyelpo. He is said to have had two priests: Awong, the tiger lama, and Miwong, the lama with the magic lasso. The river of Takrong passes under an area of geothermal activity. This geographic oddity is referred to as the self-formed bridge of King Gesar. The geomantic heart of the site is a high volume hot spring called Sinpo Nyingchu. Pinnacles of mineral precipitates thrown up by the hot springs represent the Bön deity Takla Membar and his circle of 18 Drekpa spirits. Other light and dark pinnacles called Lékarnak (White and Black Destiny) represent heaven and hell. There are also “palaces” of the lha, nyen and lu, vertically arrayed to reflect the characteristic placement of these deities in the sky, earth and underworld realms of the tripartite universe (sisum/sipa sum).

http://www.thlib.org/bellezza/#!book=/bellezza/wb/b1-2-6/

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According to the Bonpos, the founder of their tradition, Tönpa Shenrab Miwo (ston pa gshen rab mi bo), lived from 16,016 B.C.E. until approximately 7,816 B.C.E. He was born in the land of Ölmo Lungring, both an allegedly historical place somewhere to the west of Tibet in present-day Kashmir, Afghanistan, and/or Iran, known to Bonpos as Takzik (stag gzig), and a mythical place of origin and destination, somewhat equivalent to the Buddhist notion of Pure Land. At the center of this land was a great mountain called Yungdrung Gutsek (g.yung drung dgu brtsegs). There are a number of stories about Shenrab Miwo’s early exploits, but the most significant myth, and the one that provides the alleged foundation for the story of Padmasambhava’s subjugation of Tibetan spirits, tells of a demon who stole horses from Shenrab Miwo, an act that led the latter into Tibet. In Tibet and along the way, Shenrab Miwo subjugated the local deities and ultimately the demon himself, demanding an end to blood sacrifices and converting all in his path to Bon. Shenrab Miwo’s teachings vary across sources, but two sources provide the most succinct and popular systems attributed to him: the Zermik (gzer mig) terma and the Ziji (gzi brjid) text based on oral tradition. The former describes the “Four gates with the treasure chamber as the fifth”, which includes instructions for rituals, purification, divination, demon ransoming, high tantric teachings, monastic regulations, philosophy, path, and rdzogs chen, while the latter describes the “Nine ways of Bon”, and goes into greater detail about and builds on top of the same basic elements as the Zermik. Its main focus is clearly rdzogs chen, with which it concerns itself for the entirety of its final third. The Bonpo canon is comprised of similar texts, including biographies of Shenrab Miwo, termas - most of which were allegedly buried by Drenpa Namkha in the 8th century, oral traditions, and oral “revelations” that visited scholars in sleep or visions.

https://collab.itc.virginia.edu/wiki/renaissanceold/Bon%20Background%20Research.html

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The Yungdrung Ko"leg Chorten (gying drung bskod legs mchod rten) is a very popular image of for the Bo"mpo. It is the one of the 360 chorten described in the Ziji (gzi brjid), the biography of tonpa shenrab. Only 120 of these can be made as the others are chorten of emptiness and awareness and are not pysical.

http://www.alivenotdead.com/DragonChild28/--profile-4436.html

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gzi brjid.............(to be) radiant and resplendent; resplendent radiance [RB]......light, confidence, dignity, radiance, [full of] splendor, [blazing w the] brilliance [of], charisma, overwhelming presence, majestic [brilliance], magnificence, splendor, honor, esteem [IW]......glorious, glory, honorable, honor, healthy appearance, prosperity, brightness, lustre, halo, light, radiance, brilliance, beauty, fair, healthy complexion, esteem, celebrity, confidence, dignity, splendor, full of splendor, grandeur, majesty, longest of 3 biographies of gshen rab mi bo che in 12 volumes [JV].....brilliance, majestic brilliance, splendor, charisma, glamour; light, confidence, dignity, radiance, full of splendor. blazing with the brilliance [of ...], splendorous, overwhelming presence, splendid; (to be) radiant and resplendent; resplendent radiance [RY].....brilliance [RY]......glorious, glory, honorable, honor, healthy appearance, prosperity, brightness, lustre, halo, light, radiance, brilliance, beauty, fair, healthy complexion, esteem, celebrity, confidence, dignity, splendor, full of splendor, grandeur, majesty, longest of 3 biographies of gshen rab mi bo che in 12 volumes, elegant [JV]

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gdod-ma'i gzhi - the Primordial Base

spyi gzhi - the universal Base

“Quintessence of the Primordial Base” (ye gzhi snying po), i.e. the primordial state of the individual.

gzhi - Base, Foundation, ground, basis

gzhi ji bzbin-pa - the Base just as it is

gzhi hyid la grol-ba - liberated into the state of the Base

gzhi dang ngo 'phrad-pa - introduced to the Base

gzhi gnas ma'i 'od gsal - the Mother Clear Light that abides as the Base 

gzlii-ma - the Base

gzhi med rtsa bral - without any base and without any source

gzhi’i 'od gsal - the Clear Light of the Base

gzhi yi ngo bo - the essence which is the Base

gzhi lam gyi 'od gsal gnyis bdyer-med - the inseparability of the Clear Lights of the Base and of the Path

gzhi lam 'bras-bu - the Base, the Path, and the Fruit

gzhir gnas - remain as the Base, abide as the Base

gzhir gnas kyi rig-pa - Awareness which abides as the Base

gzhir gnas kyi 'od gsal - the Clear Light which abides as the Base 

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Email....okarresearch@gmail.com

August 2012

John Hopkins....Northern New Mexico

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MAHA ATI notes

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A teaching on the awakened state, by the great Dzogchen teacher Jigme Lingpa (1730-1798)

Translated by Chogyam Trungpa Rinpoche

THIS IS THE LION'S ROAR which subdues the rampant confusions and misunderstandings of those meditators who have abandoned materialistic attachments to meditate on the Innermost Essence.

The maha ati [Tib.: dzogchen], which is beyond conceptions and transcends both grasping and letting go, is the essence of transcendental insight. This is the unchanging state of non meditation in which there is awareness but no clinging. Understanding this, I pay ceaseless homage to the maha ati with great simplicity.

Here is the essence of the maha ati tantra,
The innermost heart of Padmakara's teachings,
The life-force of the dakinis.
This is the ultimate teaching of all the nine vehicles.
It can be transmitted only by a guru of the thought lineage
And not by words alone.
Nevertheless I have written this
For the benefit of great meditators
Who are dedicated to the highest teaching.
This teaching was taken from the treasury of dharmadhatu
And is not created out of attachment
To theories and philosophical abstractions.

First the pupil must find an accomplished guru with whom he has a good karmic link. The teacher must be a holder of the thought lineage transmission. The pupil must have single minded devotion and faith, which makes possible the transmission of the teacher's understanding.

The maha ati is of the greatest simplicity. It is what is. It cannot be shown by analogy; nothing can obstruct it. It is without limitation and transcends all extremes. It is clear-cut nowness, which can never change its shape or colour. When you become one with this state, the desire to meditate itself dissolves; you are freed from the chain of meditation and philosophy, and conviction is born within you. The thinker has deserted. There is no longer any benefit to be gained from "good" thoughts and no harm is to be suffered from "bad" thoughts. Neutral thoughts can no longer deceive. You become one with transcendental insight and boundless space. Then you will find signs of progress on the path. There is no longer any question of rampant confusions and misunderstandings.

Although this teaching is the king of the yanas [vehicles], meditators are divided into those who are highly receptive to it, those who are less receptive and those who are quite unreceptive. The most highly receptive pupils are hard to find, and it sometimes happens that teacher and pupil are unable to find a true meeting point. In such a case nothing is gained and misconceptions may arise concerning the nature of maha ati.

Those who are less receptive begin by studying the theory and gradually develop the feeling and true understanding. Nowadays many people regard the theory as being the meditation. Their meditation may be clear and devoid of thoughts and it may be relaxing and enjoyable, but this is merely the temporary experiencing of bliss. They think this is meditation and that no one knows any better than them. They think, "I have attained this understanding:' and they are proud of themselves. Then, if there is no competent teacher, their experience is only theoretical. As it is said in the scriptures of maha ati: "Theory is like a patch on a coat ..one day it will come apart."

People often try to discriminate between "good" thoughts and "bad" thoughts, like trying to separate milk from water. It is easy enough to accept the negative experiences in life but much harder to see the positive experiences as part of the path. Even those who claim to have reached the highest stage of realization are completely involved with worldly concerns and fame. They are attracted by Devaputra [personification of the force which causes attraction to sense objects]. This means they have not realized the self-liberation of the six senses. Such people regard fame as extraordinary and miraculous. This is like claiming that a raven is white. But those who are completely dedicated to the practice of dharma without being concerned about worldly fame and glory should not become too self-satisfied on account of their higher developments of meditation. They must practice the Guru Yoga throughout the four periods of the day in order to receive the blessings of the guru and to merge their minds with his and open the eye of insight.

Once this experience is attained it should not be disregarded. The yogi should thenceforth dedicate himself to this practice with unremitting perseverance. Subsequently his experience of the void will become more peaceful, or he will experience greater clarity and insight. Or again, he may begin to realize the shortcomings of discursive thoughts and thereby develop discriminating wisdom. Some individuals will be able to use both thoughts and the absence of thoughts as meditation, but it should be borne in mind that that which notes what is happening is the tight grip of ego.

Look out for the subtle hindrance of trying to analyze experiences. This is a great danger. It is too early to label all thoughts as dharmakaya [the body of ultimate truth]. The remedy is the wisdom of nowness, changeless and unfailing. Once freed from the bondage of philosophical speculation, the meditator develops penetrating awareness in his practice. If he analyzes his meditation and post-meditation experiences, he will be led astray and make many mistakes. If he fails to understand his shortcomings, he will never gain the free-flowing insight of nowness, beyond all concepts. He will have only a conceptual and nihilistic view of the void, which is characteristic of the lesser yanas.

It is also a mistake to regard the void as a mirage, as though it was merely a combination of vivid perceptions and nothingness. This is the experience of the lower mantras, which might be induced by practice of the Svabhava mantra. It is likewise a mistake, when discursive thoughts are pacified, to overlook the clarity and regard the mind as merely blank. The experience of true insight is the simultaneous awareness of both stillness and active thoughts. According to the maha ati teaching, meditation consists of seeing whatever arises in the mind and simply remaining in the state of nowness. Continuing in this state after meditation is known as "the post-meditation experience."

It is a mistake to try to concentrate on emptiness and, after meditation, intellectually to regard everything as a mirage. Primordial insight is the state which is not influenced by the undergrowth of thoughts. It is a mistake to be on guard against the wandering mind or to try and imprison the mind in the ascetic practice of suppressing thoughts.

Some people may misunderstand the term "nowness" and take it to refer to whatever thoughts happen to be in their mind at the moment. Nowness should be understood as being the primeval insight already described.

The state of non meditation is born in the heart when one no longer discriminates between meditation and non-meditation and one is no longer tempted to change or prolong the state of meditation. There is all-pervading joy, free from all doubts. This is different from the enjoyment of sensual pleasures or from mere happiness.

When we speak of "clarity" we are referring to that state which is free from sloth and dullness. This clarity, inseparable from pure energy, shines forth unobstructed. It is a mistake to equate clarity with awareness of thoughts and the colors and shapes of external phenomena.

When thoughts are absent the meditator is completely immersed in the space of non-thought. The "absence of thoughts" does not mean unconsciousness or sleep or withdrawal from the senses, but simply being unmoved by conflict. The three signs of meditation clarity, joy and absence of thoughts may occur naturally when a person meditates, but if an effort is made to create them the meditator still remains in the circle of samsara.

There are four mistaken views of the void. It is a mistake to imagine that the void is merely empty without seeing the wild space of nowness. It is a mistake to seek the buddha nature in external sources, without realizing that nowness knows no path or goal. It is a mistake to try to introduce some remedy for thoughts without realizing that thoughts are by nature void and that one can free oneself like a snake unwinding. It is also a mistake to hold a nihilistic view that there is nothing but the void, no cause and effect of karma and no meditator nor meditation, failing to experience the void which is beyond conceptions.

Those who have had glimpses of realization must know these dangers and study them thoroughly. It is easy to theorize and talk eloquently about the void, but the meditator may still be unable to deal with certain situations. In a maha ati text it is said:

"Temporary realization is like a mist which will surely disappear' Meditators who have not studied these dangers will never derive any benefit from being in strict retreat or forcibly restraining the mind, nor from visualizing, reciting mantras or practicing Hathayoga. As is said in the Phagpa Dudpa Sutra,

"A Bodhisattva who does not know the real meaning of solitude,
Even if he meditates for many years in a remote valley full ofpoisonous snakes
Five hundred miles from the nearest habitation,
Would develop overwhelming pride."

If the meditator is able to use whatever occurs in his life as the path, his body becomes a retreat hut. He does not need to add up the number of years he has been meditating and does not panic when "shocking" thoughts arise. His awareness remains unbroken like that of an old man watching a child at play. As is said in a maha ati text: "Complete realization is like unchanging space."

The yogi of maha ati may look like an ordinary person but his awareness is completely absorbed in nowness. He has no need of books because he sees apparent phenomena and the whole of existence as the mandala of the guru. For him there is no speculation about the stages on the path. His actions are spontaneous and therefore benefit all sentient beings. When he leaves the physical body his consciousness becomes one with the dharmakaya, just as the air in a vase merges with the surrounding space when the vase is broken.

From Mudra, by Chogyam Trungpa

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Email....okarresearch@gmail.com

August 2012

John Hopkins....Northern New Mexico

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