any one familar with ajhan brahm jhanas.. he teaches completely letting go and the disapperance of the meditator... how this overlaps with body bliss arising from trekcho?

Although she is Kagyupa, Jetsunma Tenzin Palmo studied Dzogchen alongside Mahamudra under numerous teachers, so I hope it is alright that I share this here. I watched this for the first time in what feels like another lifetime, yet I still consider it to be one of the most important teachings I have ever received. Just thought I would share here in case it may similarly be of help to anyone else.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7fPtYFEOJpc

Seeking a good and reputable Dzogchen teacher in Los Angeles, or one who teaches 1:1 remotely. Google is not helpful. Your suggestions here are appreciated.

what do you prefer open or closed eyes? and why?

This quote from Lama Tharchin some 30 years ago came to mind. Normally if I'm trying to relate to and be compassionate to beings it's very subject-to-object. I'm here. My cat is over there. We're both separate objects with clearly defined boundaries. There's something unsatisfying about that.

From a Tibetan perspective, there are all kinds of spirits and formless beings (I don't know the nomenclature) throughout space. So that's one way to look at it, the way LTR looked at it. Everywhere you look there's a being.

From a more western perspective, it's kind of arbitrary for me to think that this bag of meat is me, a separate being. I'm an ecology, a biome only able to live because of all the beneficial beings in my gut, on my skin, in my mouth. Over time the atoms that make me up are exhaled or excreted. So if we were to consider the atoms that were ever a part of me, that's going to be much bigger than this skin bag. All the forces that make my life possible, like sunshine and gravity and weather systems and society and all the beings that led to my genome. I'm much bigger than a bag of meat, and so are other beings.

So anyway I'm trying to look at things in a more Tibetan way. There's no space that doesn't have a sentient being in it. They're everywhere. So we don't have to point-focus to find beings, if that makes sense. My old mothers are all around me. Interpentrating me, I suppose.

On November 24, 1995, Tulku Urgyen Rinpoche gave an oral teaching at Nagi Gompa.

DZOGCHEN KEY POINTS

"Our basic nature is essentially identical with the ground, has two basic aspects: primordial purity (kadag) and spontaneous presence (lhundrub). Our mind’s empty essence is related to primordial purity, while its cognizant nature is linked to spontaneous presence. Spontaneous presence literally means “that which appears and is present by itself” and—besides our cognizant nature—includes the deities that are experienced in the bardo, as well as all the Tögal displays. In the same way, the pure wisdom realms that unfold out of the expanse of the three kayas, which is the state of rigpa devoid of clinging, are also experienced as a natural presence.

To rephrase this, all the self-appearing and naturally present Tögal displays, the kayas and wisdoms, that unfold out of the state of dharmakaya, free of grasping, manifest from the primordially pure essence and spontaneously present nature, kadag and lhundrub. This lhundrub quality also pertains to samsaric experience. Spontaneous presence includes everything that “appears automatically” due to ignorance of our true nature: the worlds, beings, the three realms, the six classes, and all the rest of samsara. These all appear automatically; we don’t need to imagine any of them. In other words, the samsaric states that unfold out of the ignorant dualistic mind are all experienced vividly and clearly.

Mind and its objects—the perceived objects in the three realms of samsara and the perceiving dualistic mind with its three poisons—all unfold within the arena of dualistic mind, sem. We don’t need to visualize our world. The sem experiences include the different experiences of the six classes of beings, which are visible yet intangible. Currently our “impure” samsaric experience is clearly present and quite tangible. We can touch the things around us, right? In “pure” awareness, known as the kayas and wisdoms, experience takes place in a way that is visible yet insubstantial.

This immaterial or nonphysical quality means that the experience is something that you can see but not grasp—like a rainbow. The sambhogakaya buddhas and realms unfold, visible yet intangible; they are insubstantial like a rainbow in the unconfined sky of dharmakaya. After you first recognize your basic state of primordial purity, then perfect its strength and attain stability, your body returns to rainbow light. In other words, within this very body, your realization is equal to that of sambhogakaya.

All the inconceivable adornments and sceneries belonging to sambhogakaya are then as visible as rainbows in the sky. Unlike sentient beings in samsara’s three realms, who experience things in a material way, the kayas and wisdom displays are immaterial and unconditioned. Have you ever heard of a sambhogakaya buddha needing to visit the toilet? That’s because they are insubstantial, not material. The six types of beings, on the other hand, must defecate and urinate after they eat. That’s direct proof of their corporeality. Deities are in an incorporeal state, celestial and rainbow-like. You can’t eat rainbows and then shit them out!

With a rainbow body there is no thought of food, but ordinary sentient beings, who have material bodies, can’t go without food; if they do, they die of starvation. The materiality I am speaking of here has three aspects: the material body of flesh and blood, the material disposition that needs food as fuel, and the material mind that is born and dies, arises and ceases. The deities’ immaterial purity lies beyond those three, beyond every kind of materiality, and this is why we say their bodies are made of rainbow light. In short, samsara is material substance and nirvana is insubstantial.

We hear the deities described as having bodies of light and living in an insubstantial mansion in an immaculate realm—but that is only how it appears from our point of view. The notion of being beyond corporeality is an adaptation to the habitual tendencies of samsaric beings, because we live in material places, in material houses, and have material bodies. From the deities’ point of view, there is no such concept whatsoever. The complete aspects of the Dzogchen empowerments authorize the yogi to embark on Tögal practice. But without cutting through with Trekchö, one doesn’t directly cross with Tögal. Trekchö means that you have the basic state of primordial purity pointed out to you, at which point you must recognize it and then train in stabilizing that recognition.

The way to approach Dzogchen practice is this: Begin with the ngöndro, the preliminaries; follow that with yidam practice, for instance, the recitation of the peaceful and wrathful deities; then continue with the actual training in Trekchö. Later, as an enhancement of Trekchö, there is Tögal practice. All these Dharma practices should be applied. When training in Trekchö, leave your mind free of clinging. When practicing Tögal, though there is no clinging, one still applies four key points.

For all Dharma practice, you need preliminary steps, just like laying the foundation when you construct a house. We begin the Dzogchen path with the ngöndro and the reason is this: Throughout innumerable past lives we have created immeasurable negative karma and obscurations. The ngöndro purifies every misdeed and obscuration created through our physical, verbal, and mental actions. Having gone through a complete ngöndro, next comes the main part, which is like building a palace upon the solid foundation. It may have many stories, but no matter how many there are, they will now all remain stable.

The main part is composed of two stages: development and completion. Development stage, in this case, is the visualization of and recitation for one’s personal yidam deity. Yidam practice is then followed by the completion stage, which is Trekchö.

Trekchö means recognizing that our essence is primordially pure. The basis for Tögal is recognizing, at the same time, that our natural display is spontaneously present. Then, recognizing that the natural display, the spontaneous presence, is insubstantial and devoid of any self-nature is the ultimate path—the unity of primordial purity and spontaneous presence, which we call the unity of Trekchö and Tögal. There is a correspondence between Trekchö and Tögal and the two aspects known as the path of liberation and the path of means.

By combining Trekchö and Tögal in the Dzogchen system, you experience the natural displays of the peaceful and wrathful deities within this lifetime, without having to wait for the bardo. Since the entire path has been traversed during your life, there is nothing more to train in or to purify during the bardo state. To reiterate, having thoroughly done the ngöndro, you then proceed with the development stage of the yidam deity.

The tantras mention that you have to quadruple all practices during our age. Whereas in the past it was sufficient to chant 100,000 mantras for each syllable, these days one must chant 400,000 per syllable. Spend however many months it takes to do the recitation in retreat. There are set numbers for the ngöndro practices and recitations, but there is no set number for Trekchö, not even a time limit. One doesn’t “finish” Trekchö after a couple of months or years—as long as there is life, there is Trekchö training. You never hear anybody say, “Now I’ve finished Trekchö!”

Throughout one’s entire life, the nature of mind must be recognized. On the other hand, you can master or accomplish Trekchö. This is when there is absolutely no delusion anymore, neither day or night; at that point you can truly say you have gone beyond Trekchö. However, I do believe that for the rest of this life there will be sufficient reason to practice. Read the guidance manuals thoroughly, many times. When you really understand them, you will understand the meaning of Dzogchen. Neither Trekchö nor Tögal is a formal meditation practice.

Trekchö means simply acknowledging that your basic essence is empty, and Tögal is the natural displays that are spontaneously present. The essence and its displays are not our creation; we do not create them by practicing. In both Trekchö and Tögal you do not create anything with your imagination but merely rest in the natural state. To express it slightly differently, Trekchö is recognizing that our natural state or basic essence is primordially pure.

Tögal is recognizing that the natural displays of this primordial purity are spontaneously present. And recognizing that this natural display is insubstantial—that the natural manifestations of the five wisdoms as five-colored light are not something you can take hold of —is the unity of primordial purity and spontaneous presence.

These two aspects, primordial purity and spontaneous presence, are not separate and distinct like your two arms. They are an indivisible unity because the empty quality of mind-essence is primordial purity, while the cognizant quality is spontaneous presence. Hence, they are totally indivisible, and therefore Trekchö and Tögal are fundamentally indivisible. You wouldn’t describe Tögal as a meditation practice, but you could say that it is a training, because there are key points to apply. I would like to stress again that Tögal is not a matter of imagining or meditating upon anything; the displays that appear are the expressions of natural purity. If you train properly and apply the key points, all the Tögal displays evolve naturally.

The reason many Dzogchen teachings are connected to a sadhana involving the peaceful and wrathful deities is that the displays include these deities. The practice lets whatever is already present within you become visible; nothing else manifests. Since the peaceful and wrathful deities are already present within your body, they become visible during Tögal practice. The deities in Tögal are the same ones that will appear in the bardo. So, if the complete mandala has manifested during your life, no second mandala needs to appear in the bardo state—it doesn’t manifest twice. This is why many Dzogchen teachings emphasize the mandala of the peaceful and wrathful deities.

There are many levels of practice for the peaceful and wrathful deities, such as in Mahayoga, Anu Yoga, and Ati Yoga. Chokgyur Lingpa, for instance, revealed sadhanas for all three vehicles. For Ati Yoga he revealed the Kunzang Tuktig, as well as one belonging to the Dzogchen Desum. You can also base your Dzogchen practice on the guru principle, since the enlightened master embodies everything.

For example, the mind treasure of Jigmey Lingpa called Tigle Gyachen is based on the single figure of Longchenpa. In this way there are various approaches, and it is really good to do such practices. Whether you are sitting down or moving about, whatever situation you are in, always remember Trekchö—recognizing the nature of mind. It is the very core, the very heart of Dzogchen practice.

The first experiences we will have at the moment of death are the sounds, colors, and lights, but these will not be vague, feeble, or limited, as they are now, but intense and overwhelming. The colors then are iridescent hues, while the lights are sharp like needle points, similar to looking directly into the sun. The colors are indications of enlightened body, the sounds indications of enlightened speech, and the lights indications of enlightened mind. That is why The Tibetan Book of the Dead reminds the dying person, “Do not be afraid of these lights. Do not fear the sounds. Do not be terrified by the colors.” In the bardo, yogis who grew somewhat familiar with Tögal practice during their lives can remain unafraid, free of terror or dread, because they know that the colors, sounds, and lights are their own manifestations—the natural displays of their buddha nature’s body, speech, and mind.

These initial manifestations are a prelude for the rest of the bardo. Ordinary people, however, become totally overwhelmed by the immensity of the displays. The sounds in the bardo are not small noises—they roar like 100,000 simultaneous thunder claps—and the lights and colors shine with the brilliance of 100,000 suns. Later, when the deities begin to appear, the largest are the size of Mount Sumeru, while the smallest are no bigger than a mustard seed. The deities are vibrantly alive and dance about.

Faced with this spectacle, you have two options: either you panic with fright or you recognize them as your natural displays. This is why it is of incredible benefit to practice in this life so that you grow familiar with your natural displays. Otherwise, facing them in the bardo will result in deep confusion and bewilderment. Even if you are an accomplished Buddhist scholar who knows a lot of Dharma, can debate, and all the rest, without this familiarity you will still become terrified and panic at the awesome display in the bardo. You can’t debate with these deities; you can’t explain them away.

But if you follow the Vajrayana path and grow familiar with the unified path of development and completion, you can ensure that you will recognize all this to be your own manifestation—which will be of real benefit. That is why The Tibetan Book of the Dead emphasizes, “Do not be afraid of your own displays.” There is no reason to be afraid of yourself, no need to be overwhelmed by your own sounds, colors, and lights. You can also cross the bardo successfully if you have become fully trained in Mahamudra and the Six Doctrines, but success is guaranteed if you have attained stability in Trekchö and Tögal. Trekchö is recognizing that the dharmata of mind and the colors and lights are all dharmata’s natural displays and that the sounds are the self-resounding of dharmata. We must recognize that these manifestations, visible yet insubstantial, come from nowhere else. Understand this, truly, and the Lord of Death will have no hold upon you. It is incredibly important to grow familiar with these displays during this lifetime by practicing the unity of Trekchö and Tögal, because sooner or later everybody ends up in the bardo and these manifestations definitely will appear.

These intense bardo experiences are not exclusive to just a few people or to Buddhists, nor does it help to say, “I don’t have to worry about those bardo experiences because I don’t believe in anything after death.” The bardo experiences don’t care what you think. They appear to everyone. Avoid the sorry fate of most people, who get completely overwhelmed believing the displays of their own buddha nature to be devils coming to torture them and carry them off to hell. What a pity that would be!"

Published in Quintessential Dzogchen: Confusion Dawns as Wisdom, Marcia Schmidt, Erik Pema Kunsang

I have only read "As It Is", "The Gospel of Garab Dorje", and parts of "Treasures From Juniper Ridge".

this may sound weird but recognzing awareness is easier for me walking or doing a simple activity.. every thing just flows by it self... but in sitting as a formal meditation session the " doer" comes back online.. may be this the logic behind " short moments.. many times "??

Hello friends, I have recently been rereading some writings of Sam Harris I first read over a decade ago, and I am quite interested finding that things that made complete sense to me before now seem (while correct), incomplete. 

For those unfamiliar, Harris spent over a decade traveling mostly in India and Nepal where he studied Buddhism and (for a minority of his time there) Advaita Vedanta. He spent over two years total on silent retreat during this time, the vast majority of this Vipassana and Vajrayana. Harris subsequently received his PhD in neuroscience, examining the neurological basis for belief, and is a philosopher and author of numerous books on spirituality, free will and religion, amongst other topics. He has a podcast “Making Sense” covering a wide array of topics, and a meditation app “Waking Up”. 

Harris credits one of his teachers, Tulku Urgyen Rinpoche, as the person who taught him the most important thing he has ever learned from another human. According to Harris, only Rinpoche was able to cut through all other concepts and frameworks Harris had previously learned, to directly demonstrate to Harris the truth of no-self, what Harris considers to be the ultimate objective of spiritual and meditative practice (now this framing is what jumped out to me this time around as incomplete). 

Harris’ description of no-self will be very familiar to Buddhist practitioners. He has argued that it is only when we are thinking about the future or past that the illusion of our fixed, independent “self” emerges. It also emerges whenever we have clinging, aversion or psychological suffering as it reinforces a false sense of duality and ego-driven narratives around our “identity”. However, when we are truly present in any activity (including when we are in a flow state), Harris argues that we all experience life without thinking of a “self” countless times per day, even those of us who have never heard of Buddhism or the idea of no-self. 

When discussing his view of no-self, Harris seems to delve into the Dzogchen view where he asserts that when one grasps this truth, all that is left is pure awareness and the contents of awareness (which are not two separate things, but one and the same), with the true nature of consciousness as open, spacious and free from duality. He also argues that this direct experience of the true nature of our awareness is ostensibly available us at any point in time, and wherever we choose to see that all thoughts and experiences arise as impersonal - within the space of awareness, rather than belonging to any “me” - this allows us to dissolve the root cause of suffering, which Harris argues is the illusion of a separate, independent self. Further, Harris says that this realisation naturally results in an increase in ethical behaviour and compassion, as the boundary between self and others is erased. 

Now something that jumps out to me now that somehow did not occur to me when I first encountered it is Harris’ assertion that realisation of no-self is the ultimate goal of practice. This immediately struck me as false, and I was surprised finding myself disagreeing with something that long ago made perfect sense to me. To me, no-self is a centrally important stepping stone on the path, but not the ultimate goal itself. It is a foundational realisation necessary as a prerequisite for one to directly experience the ultimate nature of mind and reality. In other words, without realisation of no-self, one could never directly experience their own innate buddhanature, but no-self is not, in and of itself, synonymous with buddhanature.

That said, it strikes me that one of the reasons why Harris holds no-self up so highly, is that for him his description of it in fact goes much further than “mere no-self”. What he describes as no-self, and the accompanying realisations he had, indeed seems to enter into the Dzogchen view and buddhanature, where he describes non-dual awareness as having a sort of inseparable unity between openness(/emptiness), clarity and spontaneous compassion. 

In this sense, it strikes me that while the way he frames it jumps out to me as incorrect, when reading his elaboration on what his view of awareness is that has grasped the truth of no-self, he is really going beyond no-self and speaking about the very same thing as rigpa awareness. 

Are there any modern day teachers actively teaching in the lineage of Chatral Rinpoche? Thanks

what is the stance of practice when you are doing the most minndless things like scrolling through tiktoks??

How can I find a place to welcome and deepen Dzogchen? A factor that seems important to clarify is that I am in a moment of extreme financial limitations. Extreme indeed. Unfortunately, for some reason (which I still don't understand), the lack of financial resources continues to be linked to limitations and access to both the Teachings (Master) and the Sanga itself. One of the few things that make sense to me is following, or trying to follow, the Teachings of the Direct Path. Any tips/guidance? I am and am in Brazil. Thank you very much in advance to all of you!

Ācārya once wrote:

Open Forums on Facebook (or Reddit) are not really appropriate places to discuss Dzogchen teachings or Vajrayāna teachings in general.

Samaya is the root of Secret Mantra teachings. Since Dzogchen teachings belong to Secret Mantra, we need to be conscious of samaya.

Chapter 10 of The Self-Liberated Vidyā Tantra, the principle explanatory tantra of Dzogchen explains:

You must maintain the samaya vows.

Another of the 17 tantras, The Mirror of the Essence of Vajrasattva, states:

The samayas of Vajrayāna, for example, are like the ground. The ground that produces everything is supreme...therefore, never give up samayas even at the cost of one’s life.

Given that this is so, while it might seem harmless to talk about things like the nature of the mind and so, on fact, it merely creates confusion.

With respect to the guru that one follows, there will always be some people— samaya breakers, not understanding the teachings properly, corrupted by arrogance, with conceited intellects, absence of humility, and eager for praise and fame— who will adulterate the teachings with their own fabrications, and introduce only their own confusion to people misfortunate enough to mistake them for qualified guides.

One of the five earlier sems sde extracts, The Innermost Potentiality, states:

Without an authentic master, with scriptures like that of a monkey, the basis and path will be erroneous, indeed one will be seized by conceptuality.

The Mirror of the Essence of Vajrasattva states:

If the master is not authentic, his scriptures are like a monkey’s. One will enter a false path, and one will practice corrupted secret mantra. Since he is a misguider, he should be avoided.

Thus, these teachings must be received from qualified teachers, in a proper way. Otherwise, they are of no benefit at all. Unqualified teachers are thieves of other people's precious human birth.

Having established that samaya is the indispensable basis, and that a properly qualified master is the indispensable condition, next we turn to the need for empowerment, the indispensable cause, and the fault of not obtaining it.

The Mirror of the Essence of Vajrasattva states clearly:

The yogi who has the complete empowerments will definitely become accomplished. The illustration of the meaning of secret mantra is granted through empowerment.

The demonstration of the fault of not obtaining the supreme empowerment is that the yogi will be like a boatman without an oar, unable to make deliveries to the other side... How will secret mantra be accomplished without relying on empowerment?

Since we cannot be certain that in an open forum all people can meet these three conditions— empowerment from a qualified teacher and intact samaya— it is not possible that Dzogchen or Vajrayāna can be openly discussed.

I strongly recommend that those people who are interested in maintaining their own samaya, if they have it, abandon all of these Dzogchen and Vajrayāna forums where there are a) many people who do not have the proper basis for discussing Secret Mantra and b) people who have broken their samaya with no shame about it at all.

Patrul Rinpoche, among others, has pointed out that one should not even drink water in the same valley as someone with broken samaya.

Longchepa writes in The Ocean of Liberation from the Lama Yangthig:

Now then, although there is nothing to damage or transgress, the natural great perfection being beyond a boundary to protect, since it is necessary for yogins on the path of practice to abide in commitments, in order to purify one’s continuum there are the three root commitments.There are twenty five branch commitments as well i.e. what to understand, what not to avoid,what to adopt, how to act, what to accomplish which are taught in the great tantras. The branch comittments are taught as mere assistants for protecting the root commitments since they possess accepting and rejecting, effort and practice.

This itself is a commentary on the more elaborate commentary concerning Dzogchen samaya in the Vima sNying thig, the Analysis of Samaya. It says:

If one dwells in the samayas of the body, it will not be difficult to obtain the unchanging body vajra of all the buddas. If one dwells in the samayas of the voice, it will not be difficult to obtain the unchanging speech vajra of all the buddas. If one dwells in the samayas of the mind, it will not be difficult to obtain the unchanging mind vajra of all the buddas.

Longchenpa again:

As such, protect these twenty seven commitments well, and moreover, the appropriate secrets, entrusted, and the accepted secrets must necessarily be guarded like one’s eyes.

This text by Longchenpa does not even discussion the four great samayas, it discusses only the 27 samayas of body, voice, and mind, to which all Dzogchen practitioners are subject (the 22 common root and branch samayas as well as the twenty-seven samayas specific to the great perfection).

The Crystal Mountain Tantra:

If a holder of mantra endeavors in yoga, the māras become interested, endeavoring to cause breaks in commitments (samaya) since that it is so, understand this well.

It is stated in a thousand places that one needs to be careful in how Dzogchen teachings are promulgated. We cannot do anything about the samaya of other people, but we can guard our own samaya.

[I don't see many discussions about practice in this subreddit. If they are banned - please delete this.]

I'd be interested to hear from other practitioners about their Treckchö practice. In what contexts they like to practice and why.

Personally, one of the best times for Treckchö is when I take my dog for a walk. Letting go of conceptual thinking and self-centred narratives (like releasing a handful of gravel) and just attending to the direct awareness of phenomena arising and disappearing in the present moment of awareness. Effortless and vivid.

The clear recognition and effortless dwelling in the rigpa-state usually only lasts for a few minutes at a time. Then I get caught in distraction and fade back into normal awareness. But a dog-walk usually takes at least an hour (sometimes two). So I'll repeat a number of times each walk.

The body just walking automatically by itself. With all the little processes that control it. The objects of the 'external world' manifesting as internal representation. All of it arising as interdependent phenomena with no intention or control. A tree there, a rock there, a house. Like clouds in a sky - appearing as they come into view and disappearing as they pass. (There's a perspective shift. In ordinary consciousness I feel like I am moving through the world. Resting in awareness it seems more like the appearing phenomena move around the body, through the field of awareness).

The multitude of internal processes/strings of awareness that automatically run to keep the body walking become apparent (normally sub-conscious). Autonomous processes that spring from the body. None of them with a 'self'. [The sense of direction that keeps track where the body is going; the process that tracks rocks, holes in the ground, or other obstacles; the string of awareness that keeps track of the dog; the awareness that keeps track of other people or dogs appearing; the sounds, scents, and deep responses to those]. The whole kaleidoscope of phenomena that arise and pass in the mirror-like space of awareness. All of them automatic. Completely beyond control or ownership.

When dusk falls, the luminous quality of 'objects' become more obvious. Even the dark tree-trunks against the black woods arise with a quality of radiant appearance. The arising inseparable from knowing. Knowing inseparable from luminosity.

No 'outer', no 'inner', no difference between 'body' and 'world'. It all arises as displays of awareness. Similar to the experiences in a dream.

Walking the dog is a truly precious opportunity to practise.

Tell me about your favourite ways to integrate the 'view' into everyday life

Ilove the great metaphor of tulku urgyen that recgonizng is like ringing a bell and the sound effect goes on by it self and then it fades.. but there are old habits of practicing dualistically as trying to stablizie the insight.. or forcing it.. and asking " am i doing it right ".. any tips?

1. There is no view on which one has to meditate.

2. There is no commitment, nor vows, one has to keep.

3. There is no capacity for spiritual action one has to seek.

4. There is no mandala one has to create.

5. There is no initiation one has to receive.

6. There is no path one has to tread.

7. There are no levels of realization one has to achieve through purification.

8. There is no conduct one has to adopt, or abandon.

9. From the beginning, self-arising Wisdom has been free of obstacles.

10. Self-perfection is beyond hope and fear.

Source: https://www.lotuspress.com/products/gospel-of-garab-dorje-the-highest-secret-teachings-of-tibetan-buddhism-990617

Are there retreats - or other opportunities for Dzochen empowerment in 2025?

I will be in the US in January, South America February - March, Europe April - May, and SE Asia June - July, and Mexico - August.

Are there any retreats that would fit the travel schedule?

"The tradition of Tulku Urgyen Rinpoche and other masters of his caliber is to focus on the simple approach of a meditator, an approach that is saturated with direct, pithy instructions. This is a tradition of plainly and simply stating things as they are, while allowing the student to gain personal experience by alternating questions with advice.

Tulku Urgyen Rinpoche teaches in a style called 'instruction through personal experience'. He has spent many years in retreat, practicing in the sense of assimilating the teachings within his experience. Consequently, he speaks from experience, expressing what he himself has undergone. Such teachings are unique, and at times his way of phrasing instructions is amazing. Sometimes they are not particularly eloquent, but always his words have a strongly beneficial impact on the listener's mind. I find that just half an hour of Rinpoche's teachings is more beneficial than reading through volumes of books. That is the effect of instruction through personal experience.

To teach that the enlightened essence is present within the mind of any sentient being; to teach how this essence is, directly, so it can be recognized within the listener's experience; to show the need for recognizing it and the tremendous benefit of doing so; to show clearly how at that moment the buddha, the awakened state, needs not to be sought for elsewhere but is present within yourself; and that you become enlightened through experiencing what was always present within you - that is what Tulku Urgyen Rinpoche teaches."

(from the preface of Rainbow Painting)

Time to rejoice in wondrous bright, stainless awareness!

PHET!

This is a follow-up to my previous post about my retreat with Lama Lena that you can find here. Not long after I posted, several members of the community raised concerns that I underestimated the importance of Ordinary Ngondro/contemplation on the four thoughts that turn the mind. In order to settle this, I e-mailed Lama Lena and she encouraged me to spend one to two months doing the Ordinary Ngondro before trying to “find my mind” again. Looks like my work for the foreseeable future is cut out.

I recently sat Lama Lena’s public Inner Mind Rushen Retreat. Within the 24 hours between the two teachings, I sat seven times for a span of twenty minutes per session. That may have been shorter than necessary but I have trouble getting myself to do things. Anyways, long story short, I did not manage to “find my mind” as I was supposed to. I have this unshakeable sensation of my mind being found behind the eyes, which is apparently not the intended result of the practice. Lama Lena advised me to try the exercise again in a completely dark room and see if that helps, which I will attempt later. Did anyone have anymore luck with this exercise and if so how?

some lamas advice of " short moments ..many times " so it doesn't turn into a conceptual activity

while others encourage sitting meditation resting as awareness ...what are your views ??