SIX LAMPS
[email protected]
sgron-ma drug - the 6 lamps (aspects of light in Thodgal) 'phro-ba - to emanate, to project, to diffuse, to proliferate sgra 'od zer - sounds, lights, and rays dkar cha - white essence dkar lam - whiteness experience dkar 'jam rtsa'i sgron-ma - the lamp of the smooth white nerve SIX LAMPS......"Everything that arises as manifest phenomena, consisting of sounds, lights, and rays (sgra 'od zer gsum), whether as pure vision or as impure karmic vision, is part of one's own potentiality (rang rtsal), the manifesting of the energy of one's intrinsic Awareness (rigpa'i rtsal) in external space (phyi dbyings). This energy, in the form of light, originates in the physical heart (tsit ta)of the individual. From the interior space within the heart this inner light (nang 'od, Sanskrit: antarayotih) proceeds upward through a translucent channel called the Kati, or smooth white nerve (dkar 'jam stsa) and then exits the body by way of the gateway of the physical eyes....This internal luminosity, projected outside the heart, manifests in external space as something apparently real and substantial, like a cinema show projected onto a great screen surrounding the individual. One then becomes lost in the fascinating display of the show, as if one were caught up in a dream where everything seems objective, solid and real....The individual
wanders around in circles, becoming lost in this projection....Thus one comes to live in one's projections and not in their source. This process of projection ('phro-ba) is described in terms of SIX LAMPS or lights (sgron-ma drug): 1. Lamp of the dimension of Awareness (rigpe dbyings kyi sgron-ma) 2. Lamp of the flesh-like heart (tsit ta sha'i sgron-ma) 3. Lamp of the smooth white nerve (dkar 'jam stsa'i sgron ma) 4. Lamp of the water (globelike eye) that lassos everything at a distance (rgyang zhags chu'i sgron-ma) 5. Lamp of the empty tiny spheres of light (thig-le stong-pa'i sgron-ma) 6. Lamp of self-originated wisdom (shes-rab rang-byung gi sgron-ma) From: The Second Statement of Garab Dorje...."In the state of immediate Awareness one directly discovers that all of one's final visions (the tiny spheres of rainbow light) are actually arising from within oneself."......John Myrdhin Reynolds....'The Golden Letters'....Page 157
The second aspect to the Togel practice, the six lamps, the main part of the Togel practice. The six lamps are the training or familiarization to achieve liberation at the time of death in the bardo of dharmata. Through the familiarization with these practices in this lifetime the present bardo, the practitioner with the ability of some recognition of his or her minds nature, can gain the ability not to be overwhelmed by the appearances during the bardo of dying. This recognition
is what is known as the merging of the luminosity of mother and child; their previous recognition will mix with their identification of it. The mother is the luminosity of the ground which is recognized and the child is the experience of dharmata which one previously cultivated. Namo Buddha Publications © Thrangu Rinpoche
The Four Tögel Visions are known as the "four visions of tögel", these are: the visionary experience of absolute reality the increase and intensification of visionary experience the ripening of rigpa awareness to its fullness the final consummation and exhaustion of phenomena The first of the four stages occurs when vision begins to arise and we have direct insight into the nature of reality. This experience corresponds to realization of the Sutric path of accumulation. The second stage occurs when the arising vision approaches development and we have more experience. This corresponds to the path of endeavour. The third stage is the development and ripening to perfection of awareness of vision and corresponds to the path of seeing and the path of meditation. Finally, the fourth vision, which corresponds to the path of no more training, is the stage of complete vision. Here, on the dissolution of illusory phenomena, we integrate completely with the vision of totality. More specifically, during the first stage there are two lights, one internal and one external. When we start to practice, we feel as if a light were coming out of us. Here the symbol of
the light is the "tigle of the rigpa of the color of glass", which means one feels as if one were looking through the bottom of a glass. The tigles are very luminous and can vary in size; the smallest can be the size of a pea, others can be much bigger. Also many tigles can appear joined together in various ways, horizontally, vertically, etc., forming strands or chains, in which case they are called the "thread of compassion" or the "silver thread" as they are white and luminous and resemble silver. There are no limits to the possibilities of vision. At times the colors appear separately, first red, then blue, white, etc.; at other times symbols appear with visions reflected inside them. Often these visions are fluctuating, like a lightning flash that disappears when we look at it. Sometimes we can see a whole city; sometimes an entire country complete with mountains can appear in a small tigle. But we should not be surprised at this since we can see many big things with our small eyes. At times when we look at the vision that arises, it disappears immediately, or it can remain a very short time and then disappear, like in a video game. It is difficult to define or explain, we can see many things in many different ways. This first stage is the foundation, the basis, in which the rays, lights, tigles, and threads of tigles never remain still in one place. They are like a waterfall pouring down from a very high mountain or like drops of quicksilver that are constantly moving. Everything moves at this stage. When the inner movement manifests while we are practicing in the state of presence, we may very well begin by looking in one direction and finish looking in another. This is not like gazing at a still object with the eyes fixed on one point in space as in zhine practice. It is described as being like a mirror and an arrow; when the movement is very fast and difficult to stop, it is
difficult to even understand what is moving. At times it seems it is the vision that is moving, at other times we might think it is our eyes, or that the movement is internal, the inner energy of rigpa. In fact, in tögel everything is connected:external vision, the eyes,and the internal energy, and in the first stage everything moves together. But it is important to understand that once presence is adequately stable we can stop the movement. This is what is described as "catching the fish in the net of darkness," fixing the movement through stable presence. At this point the presence concentrates in a single point and the inner experience becomes pure and clear, without movement. We remain in the union of emptiness and the clear rigpa, the mother and the son are united and happy. | This gives rise to a particular joy, and at this point our consideration of having limited sessions of practice finishes so there is no longer any gap between practice and nonpractice. The end of the first stage corresponds to the third or fourth day of the lunar month, when the moon is starting to wax. At the second stage, vision begins to develop. At first we might see clear light in all directions, see everything as light. Then we start to distinguish the rigpa tigles, as now we have a closer and more precise experience of the elements, even though they are not yet under full control. In the second sage the elements are balanced, so now what appears in the visions is completely different: we see the five lights, tigles, round rainbows, and lights in the form of tents. The visions are very pure and clear. The best and easiest way to develop these visions is to do a dark retreat, or do practice looking at the rays of the sun ( but not directly at the sun ) at sunrise or sunset, holding the hands so that the fingers filter the rays of light, to make
a connection between the inner light and the outer light. When we observe the outer rays in this way while in the state of presence, these rays act as secondary causes to produce the projections of the inner light onto the palm of the hand. At the beginning we do not see much, but then vision develops and in this way it becomes very easy to see the lights. Other ways are to practice looking, at the rays of light coming through window shutters, or sitting on a mountain an looking at the point where mountain and space meet. One advantage of the dark retreat is that we can practice without any requirements ( such as rays of the sun ) or distractions from the outside world, so it is easier to integrate. When the movement stops, we must try to concentrate more. In the third stage the visions may be stable and still, or they may move. Different syllables or parts of the body may appers and visions of Buddhas and mandalas arise. There is no longer any difference between external visions and internal experiences, subject and object, nirvana and samsara in this empty reality. Tögel teachings inthe Zhang Zhung Nyan Gyud describe the clear light and naturally arising visions, as well as how these arise and how these are brought into the path. These visions, which are of luminous points or seeds of light and of webs of light in configurations of Buddhas, mandalas and so forth, are formed from the inherent structure of light, the energy expression of the clarity of the primordial state. Specific tögel practices include the dark retreat in which we spend time practicing in complete darkness, or gazing at the sun, at the moon, or into the sky. All these techniques are used to make it possible for visions spontaneously to arise from the recesses within our mind. We then work with these.
FIVE GAZES ARE USED TO ENHANCE VISION IN TÖGEL: the wrathful gaze, with the eyes turned upwards, is useful if we are feeling drowsy the peaceful gaze, with the eyes turned downwards, is useful if our mind is too agitated the bodhisattva gaze, with the eyes looking straight forward, is used when the mind is calm the gaze of method, with the eyes turned to the right, develops method the gaze of wisdom, with the eyes turned to the left, develops wisdom Three further types of gaze used in tögel practice are: the wheel gaze, the lion gaze, the secret gaze. Mandalas, tigles (points of luminous light), white points, circular rainbows,images of Buddhas, deities, and Buddha dimensions all may manifest. They are the natural manifestations of our Sambhogakaya and arise through the wisdom channel that links our heart with our eyes. When these arise the practice is intermittent, like the sun seen through clouds: at times we are in the state of presence, at other times we follow the lights. At times it seems we are practicing, at other times not, so many doubts can arise that we have to clear up with our master. In this way we come to experience directly and know the seeds that are the base or origin of pure visions, which are like the stars in space. When we start to practice tögel, the movement is more intense. It is like unveiling a multicolored Chinese silk: suddenly we see many colors in space, like seeing rainbows everywhere.This is the main vision, the base of five colored lights, from which all visions arise. This is the
importance of the five lights, which give rise to nirvana and samsara. Working with the movement of light in tögel practice is easier than working with the solid objects we see and sounds we hear normally in everyday life, things with which we are already familiar. The tögel visions arise as the outer manifestation of inner experiences. Different names are given to the different visions. For example, the "fish of the rays in movement" refers to the movement of the visions and describes visions as moving in the same way a fish moves in waves of water. The text explains that we must try to "catch the fish of the rays in movement in the net of darkness" and describes the "dart" state of presence that we must shoot at the target, which in this case is the fish. Vision is the fish and the dart; the instrument for capturing it is presence. Öd-nga The Five Pure Lights From the five pure lights of the natural mind arise The unchanging dimension of the body, the unceasing pure manifestation of speech, and the undiluted enlightened mind. The Clear Light The pure state of the mind, the base of Buddhahood, has a quality of clear light, which develops into the pure light of the natural state. This light is "rainbow light", not material light. It is the natural energy of the primordial state and the cause of samsara and nirvana. Through the movement of this pure light, which is the inner rigpa energy in the dimension of the primordial base, the five pure lights develop and begin to appear. The pure lights of the five colors constitute the second step
in the production of existence, they are the source of the five elements that are the underlying structure of both the external existence of the world and the internal existence of the individual. This clear light energy resides in the heart, rises through the channels, and is projected through the eyes. It is the basis of all vision and moves from the inner to the outer dimension. According to the traditional explanation, external existence is constituted by the world in its function of outer mandala or "container" of the individual. The internal existence of the self or individual is divided into internal, external, and secret. The external existence of the individual consists of the five sense objects perceived by the five sense consciousnesses. Internal existence is the sixth sense consciousnesses, the mind, together with proprioception or the inner consciousness of the body. Secret existence is the movement of thoughts. In the true condition there is no distinction between internal and external since the same empty space gives rise to internal and external existence alike, just as the air inside and outside a jar is the same. Two Dzogchen Teachings on the FiveLights Union of the Four Chakras Mirror of the Luminous Mind The "Union of the Four Chakras" The first chakra is the chakra, or wheel, of the primordial base. Unless we understand the chakra of the primordial base, we cannot understand how the three dimensions of realization (kayas) are perfected in the primordial base and
so cannot obtain realization. The second chakra is the wheel of realization and illusion. Unless we understand this chakra , we cannot realize how samsara and nirvana are perfected in the primordial state, how samsara originates from distraction by delusory thoughts and nirvana arises from correct preception. The third chakra is the wheel of the points of the body, veins, channels, and energy centers. Unless we understand how the points in the physical body are related, we cannot obtain realization in this particular body and achieve liberation in this very lifetime. The fourth chakra is the wheel of the intermediate state. Unless we understand this, we cannot maintain presence after death and realization in the clear light bardo. Vision and objective reality In daily life we see forms, hear sounds, and generally perceive external reality and objects through our senses. If we perceive these with awareness, present in the inseparability of emptiness and clarity, we see them as our own manifestation. as the self-manifestation of the energy of our primordial state. It is very good for a tögel dark retreat. It is crucial to distinguish between following visions and accepting but not following after them. Accepting them means allowing them to arise and observing them without attachment or aversion. In this way it is possible to recognize outer reality as ultimately our own projection, thereby uniting "inner" vision and "outer" objective reality, we develop inner wisdom. What is important is not the content or form, but how we observe it. It is very important to obtain this realization in the dark retreat in order to learn how to recognize the visions of the peaceful and wrathful deities that arise as our own projections in the bardo. If we recognize the vision of the five
pure lights, the process of nirvana begins. When vision is an obstacle, be careful, When vision becomes your friend, liberate yourself, Then everything becomes a benefit to your practice. When you act according to crazy wisdom, You are a real vessel of the Dzogchen teaching. This is arriving in the gold dimension. There are no activities to accept or reject. This is the ultimate way to relate with energy in terms of the variety of experience. Dark retreat - Secret place of sound Another practice is to block our ears for a week, until a loud inner sound starts to arise. Then we can integrate with the sound of an element or combine the practice with light by pressing the eyes, in order to enter into a state of selfpresence. This is called the "secret place of sound" or the "sound of rigpa". very good for dark retreat - integrate sound and vision we begin by holding our breath , then we release the breath and remain present Through our experience of the presence that remains after releasing the breath, we understand presence in purposeful tension and the difference between presence and this tension, so that we can apply presence outside the situation of the deliberate intentions we have during a practice session Sound, Light and Rays in Practice
block ears with fingers and we hear the natural self-sound = connection between sound and emptiness close eyes and press eyeballs slightly with fingers so that we see the natural, self-arising light - this is the inner light. When we project the light outwards, it manifests as the visible forms (houses, people), what we see. looking at the sun gazing into the natural doing the dark retreat
Dzogchen as Body, Voice, Mind, Qualities and Activities. Norbu, et.al. (August 10, 2001) related that:
“Everyone has the condition, which is called body, speech and mind. Body means the physical level, which we can touch and see. When we say our voice or speech. That means our energy level. Why do we use speech or voice? Because voice or speech is sound. When we say speech or voice we produce that sound through our air, our breath. Our breathing is related to our prana, our vital energy. So why then is sound important? Because when we speak of our real nature [*2], the source of everything is how sound manifests from emptiness. What we firstly manifest is sound and sound manifests light and rays. These three are called our primordial potentiality. Sound doesn’t mean ordinary sound, what we hear with our ears. When we speak of sound immediately we think of that. That is outer sound, which we can hear with our ears. There is also inner sound we can feel only through vibrations; we
don’t need ears for hearing or discovering inner sound. Still more important is secret sound. Secret sound we discover only when we discover our real nature. When we discover our real nature and how it is related with this energy and how it manifests, then we discover secret sound. We can’t discover secret sound with vibrations, so for that reason we say speech or voice instead of saying our energy level. The mind is easy to understand. Mind is what we always use to think and judge.”
Five Pure Lights From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia This article provides insufficient context for those unfamiliar with the subject. Please help improve the article with a good introductory style. The Five Pure Lights (Tibetan: 'od lnga) is an essential teaching in the Dzogchen tradition of Bön and Tibetan Buddhism. For the deluded, matter seems to appear. This is due to non-recognition of the five lights. Matter includes the mahābhūta or classical elements, namely: space, air, water, fire, earth. Knowledge (rigpa) is the absence of delusion regarding the display of the five lights. This level of realization is called rainbow body. Basis (gzhi) In the basis (Tibetan: གཞཞ, Wylie: gzhi) there were neutral awarenesses (sh shes pa lung ma bstan) that did not recognize themselves. (Dzogchen texts actually do not distinguish whether this neutral awareness is one or multiple.) This non-recognition was the innate ignorance. Due to traces of action and affliction from a previous universe, the basis became stirred and the Five Pure Lights
shone out. When a neutral awareness recognized the lights as its own display, that was Samantabhadra (immediate liberation without the performance of virtue). Other neutral awarenesses did not recognize the lights as their own display, and thus imputed “other” onto the lights. This imputation of “self” and “other” was the imputing ignorance. This ignorance started sentient beings and samsara (even without non-virtue having been committed). Yet everything is illusory, since the basis never displays as anything other than the five lights. For the deluded, matter seems to appear. This is due to nonrecognition of the five lights. Matter includes the mahābhūta or classical elements, namely: space, air, water, fire, earth. The illusion of matter includes even the formless realms and the minds of sentient beings. For example, the beings of the formless realms are made of subtle matter. And the mind of a human is merely matter, specifically vayu (wind, air). The Five Pure Lights are essentially the Five Wisdoms (Sanskrit: pañca-jñāna). Tenzin Wangyal holds that the Five Pure Lights become the Five Poisons if we remain deluded, or the Five Wisdoms and the Five Buddha Families if we recognize their purity. In the Bonpo Dzochen tradition, the Five Pure Lights are discussed in the Zhang Zhung Nyan Gyud and within this auspice two texts in particular go into detail on them as The Six Lamps (Tibetan: སསན་མ་དདག་, Wylie: sgron ma drug) and The Mirror of the Luminous Mind (Tibetan: འསད་གསལ་སསམས་ཀཞ་མས་ལསང་, Wylie: 'od gsal sems kyi me long). Texts The Five Pure Lights are also evident in the terma traditions of the Bardo Thodol (Gyurme, et al. 2005) where they are the "coloured lights" of the bardo for example, associated with
the different "families" (Sanskrit: gotra) of deities. There are other evocations of the rainbow lights as well in the Bardo Thodol literature such as Namkha Chokyi Gyatso (18061821?), the 3rd Dzogchen Ponlop's "Supplement to the Teaching revealing the Natural Expression of Virtue and Negativity in the Intermediate State of Rebirth", entitled Gong of Divine Melody (Tibetan: སཏཞད་པའཞ་བར་དསའཞ་ངས་སསད་དགས་སཞག་རང་གཟགས་སསན་པའཞ་ལན་ཐབས་ དབངས་སན་ལའཞ་བཎཌཞ, Wylie: strid pa'i bar do'i ngo sprod dge sdig rang gzugs ston pa'i lhan thabs dbyangs snyan lha'i gaND-I[4]), wherein the "mandala of spiralling rainbow lights" Gyurme et al. (2005: p. 339) is associated with Prahevajra. Dudjom, et al. (1991: p. 337) ground the signification of the "mandala of spiralling lights" (Tibetan: འཇསའ་འསད་འཁཞལ་བའཞ་དཀཞལ་བཧསར, Wylie: 'ja' 'od 'khil ba'i dkyil khor) as seminal to the visionary realization of tögal.
William Wordsworth THE PILGRIM'S DREAM OR, THE STAR AND THE GLOW-WORM I distinctly recollect the evening when these verses were suggested in 1818. It was on the road between Rydal and Grasmere, where Glow-worms abound. A Star was shining above the ridge of Loughrigg Fell, just opposite. I remember a critic, in some review or other, crying out against this piece. "What so monstrous," said he, "as to make a star talk to a glow-worm!" Poor fellow! we know from this sage observation what the "primrose on the river's brim was to him."
A PILGRIM, when the summer day
Had closed upon his weary way, A lodging begged beneath a castle's roof; But him the haughty Warder spurned; And from the gate the Pilgrim turned, To seek such covert as the field Or heath-besprinkled copse might yield, Or lofty wood, shower-proof.
He paced along; and, pensively, Halting beneath a shady tree, Whose moss-grown root might serve for couch or seat, Fixed on a Star his upward eye; Then, from the tenant of the sky He turned, and watched with kindred look, A Glow-worm, in a dusky nook, Apparent at his feet.
The murmur of a neighbouring stream Induced a soft and slumbrous dream, A pregnant dream, within whose shadowy bounds He recognised the earth-born Star, And 'That' which glittered from afar; And (strange to witness!) from the frame
Of the ethereal Orb, there came Intelligible sounds.
Much did it taunt the humble Light That now, when day was fled, and night Hushed the dark earth, fast closing weary eyes, A very reptile could presume To show her taper in the gloom, As if in rivalship with One Who sate a ruler on his throne Erected in the skies.
"Exalted Star!" the Worm replied, "Abate this unbecoming pride, Or with a less uneasy lustre shine; Thou shrink'st as momently thy rays Are mastered by the breathing haze; While neither mist, nor thickest cloud That shapes in heaven its murky shroud, Hath power to injure mine.
But not for this do I aspire To match the spark of local fire,
That at my will burns on the dewy lawn, With thy acknowledged glories;--No! Yet, thus upbraided, I may show What favours do attend me here, Till, like thyself, I disappear Before the purple dawn."
When this in modest guise was said, Across the welkin seemed to spread A boding sound--for aught but sleep unfit! Hills quaked, the rivers backward ran; That Star, so proud of late, looked wan; And reeled with visionary stir In the blue depth, like Lucifer Cast headlong to the pit!
Fire raged: and, when the spangled floor Of ancient ether was no more, New heavens succeeded, by the dream brought forth: And all the happy Souls that rode Transfigured through that fresh abode, Had heretofore, in humble trust, Shone meekly 'mid their native dust,
The Glow-worms of the earth!
This knowledge, from an Angel's voice Proceeding, made the heart rejoice Of Him who slept upon the open lea: Waking at morn he murmured not; And, till life's journey closed, the spot Was to the Pilgrim's soul endeared, Where by that dream he had been cheered Beneath the shady tree.
The Three Unreasonable Points of Dzogchen The Sutra Of Including All Phenomena In Bodhicitta, The Great Perfection states: The three unreasonable points explained to be reasonable: the full awakening that does not come from the mind is an unreasonable point that is explained to be reasonable. The result that does not come from a cause is an unreasonable point that is explained to be reasonable. The intimate instruction that does not come from scripture is an unreasonable point that is explained to be reasonable. If it is asked how that is so: the full awakening that does not come from the mind is
is the dimension of [bodhi]citta itself in the space of dharmatā. The result that does not come from a cause is the bodhicitta result. The intimate instruction that does not come from scripture is the meaning of dharmatā bodhicitta. The fortunate emanated person's knowledge and understanding of just how that is is the intimate instruction that does not come from scripture. Also these three reasonings of the unreasonable points are reasonable when explained through intimate instructions.
Trekchö - Kadag - Dharmakaya - Thigle - Essence - Sounds Thögal - Lhungrub - Sambhogakaya - Lung - Nature - Lights Yermed - Thug rJe - Nirmanakaya - rTsa - Energy - Rays samapatti; viśhuddhi, dharmakāya,tilaka/bindu, svabhāva, śabda xxxxx ; nirabhogana/anabhogana, sambhogakāya, vāyu, prakriti, ābhāsvarāḥ, prabhā asaṁbhedaḥ, karuna, nirmanakāya, nāḍī, kāra, raśmi
Seventeen Tantras of Ati Yoga Dzogchen Upadesha ...."explanation about sound/light/rays as written also in the Bardo prayer by Guru Padmasambhava.Rinpoche
expained : “The Base means three primordial wisdoms : essence,nature, energy…Sound/light/rays = potentiality . Khadak = primordial purity of voidness + potentiality/Lhundrup… Dzogchen is called Atiyoga… Ati = primordial state. .. Contemplation in Atiyoga is practiced with open eyes, because seeing is ornament of natural state.” Rinpoche also taught Upadesha of six qualifications : 1.the Base is primordialy pure (Khadak), manifesting potentiality (Lhundrup) 2.be at ease in the Base (Shi or Xi) 3.Lhundrup (potentiality) manifests as wisdom 4.Dharmakaya manifestations are five Wisdom lights 5.naturaly liberated state is instant presence, primordialy pure 6.our real nature (instant presence) is Dharmakaya. Inner clarity (nang-tsal) is like the lamp in the vase, not shining outside. Adzom Drukpa used explanation of thing-tsal : deep clarity (the same meaning as nang-tsal). This deep clarity is Samantabhadra Buddha of dark blue light. His consort Samantabhadri is light blue/white light. From them infinite lights shine, manifesting 42 peaceful and 58 wrathful manifestations of Sambhogakaya. Rinpoche explained about three primordial potentialities : Sound/Light/Rays . There is outer sound, inner sound and secret Sound. In Atiyoga instant presence means presence of secret Sound which is state of Dzogchen. ..."
Rainbow Body
Transcription of an Oral Teaching in Barcelona Spain October 3, 2010 by Chögyal Namkhai Norbu Then there is another way of seeing energy, for example when we do Vajrayana practice. We close our eyes, think everything is emptiness and gradually the elements develop and our dimension becomes like the pure dimension of the mandala. Everything develops with the five colours of the elements. Then our manifestation of the deity develops at the centre of the mandala and we have a very precise idea of what it looks like. We do this visualisation with our mind but when we open our eyes, we cannot see the mandala or elements like lights, we can see ordinary vision because we are only doing that visualisation in our dimension. When we develop it, we use channels, chakras, aspects related to our physical body, and with prana energy, with kundalini energy we gradually coordinate this transformation with our existence and integrate it at the end with the mantra of the practice. This is called the Accomplishment Stage. When we do the visualisation with closed eyes this is called the Development Stage, which is developed internally. Finally we can have the realisation of being in the state of Mahamudra, that means no longer remaining in the dualistic state with these two stages. In Vajrayana, that is called realisation. So you see how we develop everything with symbols, such as mandalas, deities etc., which are developed internally, within our dimension. Rolpa An example of this is a mirror: if there is a small mirror, reflections of gigantic mountains can manifest in it and we can even see the size and colour of the reflections very
precisely. This breaks our limitations. In general we have the limitations of the material world, so that if there is a small box, we cannot put a gigantic thing inside it because it is small. We live in this type of dualistic vision and we have these kinds of strict limitations. But when we have a small mirror and we can see a gigantic mountain in it, this is an example of how we can break these kinds of limitations. Infinite kinds of manifestations always manifest inside the mirror, not outside, just as all Vajrayana transformations manifest inside us, not outside. This way of manifesting energy is called rolpa, and this is the characteristic of this type of energy. We cannot translate these kinds of [words to describe] energy so we use and learn the Tibetan words, otherwise if we use a translation, the meaning is limited and doesn’t correspond. Rolpa is more related to our energy level and when we speak about our three existences we say ‘voice’. Tsal Then there is the energy of the aspect of the material level, which is called tsal. How does it manifest and what is its characteristic? We have infinite potentiality, and when it manifests like subject and object, we do not know that it is our real potentiality manifesting and immediately fall into dualistic vision and think that we are seeing something very nice. Many people say that when they were very young they often had fantastic visions like lights etc., but later on they didn’t manifest any more. Some people have even asked me for methods in order to have those visions again. I understand very well what it means because everybody has infinite potentiality from the beginning. That is our real nature. Our potentiality can manifest when there are secondary causes, however secondary causes do not always exist or manifest. Sometimes in our lifetime some secondary
causes manifest and in that moment we can have something like fantastic visions. But we immediately fall into dualistic vision – “Oh, how nice! I can see this light, this form” – that blocks [the visions] and they no longer repeat. This is the reason why we have these kinds of visions. What should we do in order to have these kinds of visions again? We should understand the way I explained chönyi ngön sum visions. We know that these kinds of visions are manifestations of our real nature. Our potentiality manifests like subject and object and we do not fall into dualistic vision. We know that it is a manifestation of ourselves and then there is no reason to block that. When there are secondary causes, it can always manifest. But when we are using practice methods, like Dzogchen thögal or yangti, we don’t need to wait for secondary causes. We can create them with our position, our way of breathing, etc., and in that way everything can manifest like visions and we become more and more familiar and also have more possibility to integrate. Great Transference When you are following Dzogchen teaching, this is something important in order to understand why, for example, we have Rainbow Body. Many people do not believe it when we say we can have realization of the Rainbow Body. There are two kinds of Rainbow Body: one is called the Great Transference — Padmasambhava and Vimalamitra are famous for this kind of manifestation. There are also some stories about Garab Dorje manifesting that kind of Rainbow Body called the Great Transference. What does ‘Great Transference’ mean? It means that we become very familiar with doing this vision of our potentiality in front of us. Think
about what I have said about chonyi ngon sum, like the manifestations of the thigle, which represents your primary potentiality, becoming visible. This is the method, the transmission and the potentiality of the teachings of Dzogchen. When you have this knowledge, you do not fall into dualistic vision, but even though you do not fall into dualistic vision, you are not totally integrated into that. Your body is still here. Your vision is in front of you. Thogyal In the Dzogchen teaching of thogyal, what does thogyal mean? Tho means forehead. Your forehead is in front of you. In your head, you have two eyes, two ears, two nostrils, all the organs of the senses are on the head. The functions of all the senses, what I call the ‘office’ of the mind, are in the head. Some people say that mind is in the head, but it is not in the head, it is in the centre of our dimension because it is the essence of our existence. The essence of existence is always at the centre, not at the border because it has its dimension. Mind has the dimension of our physical body, but the organs of the senses are all on the head. When we live in dualistic vision, we cannot have any contact with objects if we do not open our eyes, our ears, etc. For that reason, we receive all [sensory] information through the head. When we talk about the five senses, we say ‘subject’ and ‘object’. ‘Subject’ means our organs such as our two eyes, while ‘object’ refers to what we are seeing such as form, colour, etc. We have ‘subject’ and ‘object’ for all our senses. But we also talk about the consciousness of the five senses. What does ‘consciousness’ mean? It doesn’t mean consciousness such as judging and thinking with the mind but simply receiving all information, which is immediately
communicated to our mind. This function is called the ‘consciousness of the senses’ even though we usually consider consciousness connected to our mind, to judging and thinking. So tho, the forehead, is related to all these functions. Gal means ‘passing’ and in Tibetan it is a verb. We say chuwo gal, we are crossing a river. We are crossing from here to there. This is the real meaning of thogal. How can we pass? When you learn Dzogchen teaching such as thogal, there are four visions, in succession, with very precise instructions connected with your position, breathing, the way of gazing and the way of using your senses. When you follow these instructions precisely, you can feel them, you can have these visions. That means you are integrating your existence in this thigle, in chonyi ngon sum, your potentiality of sound, light and rays that manifests in front of you. The fourth stage means that you have completely succeeded in totally integrating your existence in this thigle. In that moment you have the realization of the Great Transference. You no longer have death because in general it is our physical body that dies and in the Great Transference our physical body has already been transferred into the thigle. This is realization just like Guru Padmasambhava [manifested]. Rainbow Body It is not so easy and we should have completely finished this fourth level [of the four visions of Thogal]. But it is not so difficult to get into the fourth level. Practitioners who get to the fourth level, even though they do not complete it, know they will manifest the Rainbow Body when they die. The Rainbow Body never manifests without the practitioner knowing. It is not something that takes place just due to circumstances. The practitioner has knowledge, has some
kind of signs, is present in the fourth level. For example, if you put your five fingers like this [Rinpoche opens his fingers widely] and look at them, even though you see them at the material level, theses five fingers are all connected with light between them. You can see that concretely. When you can see this, perhaps you can have the Rainbow Body when you are dying. That is one of many signs. Some people think that since they have done many years of practice in retreat that maybe they will manifest the Rainbow Body when they die, but the Rainbow Body does not come about in that way. So you can understand how the Rainbow Body comes about and also the Great Transference. When a person has that realization of Rainbow Body then their physical body slowly disappears and other people cannot see it. It seems as if that person has disappeared, but in the real sense he/she is alive and continuing their activities actively in the Rainbow Body. They can continue doing benefit, being active in the Rainbow Body for centuries and centuries, just like Guru Padmasambhava. If they want to renounce that, they dissolve into the Dharmakaya, then all of the qualifications of the Dharmakaya manifest just like everyone else who has manifested in the same way. They can also have infinite quantity and quality of wisdom but are no longer active. People can only receive wisdom when they have a relationship, [either] good or bad with that person. Rainbow Body today The Rainbow Body is not just some type of ancient history. Today there are still many manifestations of Rainbow Body. There are methods, there are teachings, there is transmission, everything is alive and for that reason it exists. But it is not so easy to have realization of the Rainbow Body, particularly for teachers who are giving and transmitting teachings to many people.
For example, in the Dzogchen Upadesha, there is a lineage of teachers who manifested the Rainbow Body. There was once this teacher of the Dzogchen lineage called Dzing Dharmabodhi who was a very famous teacher. But Dzing Dharmabodhi didn’t give teaching to just 2 or 3 people. He had hundreds and hundreds of students that he gave teaching to, just like me. But there has never been a teacher who has given Dzogchen teaching like I do: when we have teaching and when we sign the Song of the Vajra and do Guruyoga, we all do it at the same moment, all around the globe. This is very good and very useful for many sentient beings in order to have knowledge of Dzogchen, to develop and to have realization. But if I [act in a] limited way while giving teaching, and I am really interested in the Rainbow Body, then it is not good. There were many generations after Dzing Dharmabodhi that did not manifest Rainbow Body, the reason being that Dzing Dharmabodhi gave teaching in a public way. From that period, they continued in that way for many generations. So it is good for teachings and many sentient beings but not for the Rainbow Body. If you want to have something like the Rainbow Body, you need to do practice secretly, personally, not talking about it too much, then you can have realization and you can also have Rainbow Body. It is also very important to understand this.
TWELVE DZOGCHEN BUDDHAS ๑۩۞۩๑ ཨ ཨ ཨ
A live Teaching at the HERITAGE OF MANKIND
May this essential and Alive Dharma find you in good health and prosperity . Now we are reflecting about Twelve Dzogchen Buddhas as described in the Great History of the Heart Essence of Vimalamitra . There are also links to important Buddhist events around the world . May pure Dharma prosper and benefit many beings ๑۩۞۩๑ ཨ ཨ ཨ ๑۩۞۩๑ 1.1.TWELVE DZOGCHEN BUDDHAS »Thus, for the sake of an inconceivable number of disciples . Vajradhara, the Great, the truly and completely awakened conqueror , magically conjured forth guides in forms that corresponded to those to be guided . And these emanations were all endowed with five perfections in the following way in order to purify the five aggregates of their retinues . First , the perfect teacher Great Vajradhara appeared in the realm Abundant Delight, in the perfect palace of a lotus flower . Here, as the teacher Youth of Inconceivable Sublime Light, he taught the DRA THAL GYUR – the tantra that precedes all others, the root of all teachings – to a retinue of thousand and two buddhas . The tantra *s compiler was the celestial youth Mighty Bringer of Joy whose companions included the deva Brilliant Sun . This was during the time when a life span could last an incalculable number of years . » An excerpt from the Great History of the Heart Essence : Part
One belonging to the Instruction Section*s Cycle of the Heart Essence of Vimalamitra . Wellsprings of the Great Perfection : the lives and insights of the early masters , compiled and edited by Erik Pema Kunsang , Rangjung Yeshe Publications, Kathmandu, Nepal, 2006 . Commentary by Tara Tulku Drimed Drolkhar Rinpoche : HOMAGE TO IMMACULATE BUDDHAS Dzogchen master Vimalamitra taught Ati Yoga Dzogchen in Tibet and dictated this Great history to noble Tibetan translator Kawa Paltseg , at the second floor of the Samye temple . Let us stop here and reflect on the above essential Dharma . Twelve is always important number in Nyingma Buddhism , it represent complete cycle , like twelve signs of the Zodiac . This essential Dharma has outer, inner, secret and most secret meanings . Most readers understand it as outer meaning , that is : outside of themselves : once upon a time there was Vajradhara the great who sent forth magical emanations in order to guide disciples …. When we are on the Ati Yoga Dzogchen path of self-liberation , we gradually transcend time and space , even for a moment in the Samadhi of Sound has immeasurable merit for ourselves and others . Master Vimalamitra taught Samadhi of Sound while Nyingma scholar All-knowing Longchen Rabjam classified all Twenty-one Semdzins into three groups . Samadhi of Sound belongs to the second group of Semdzins . With Direct introduction to our Real nature (Dharmata, Chonyid ) of Sound*Light*Rays , represented by Thigle Rainbow sphere with white letter A ཨ we come closer and closer to secret and innermost secret of Dra Thal Gyur Tantra
* Penetration of Sound . Our five aggregates or skandas become more and more purified . We understand that Vajradhara the Great , appearing in the Realm of Abundant delight , in the perfect palace of the Lotus Flower , is beyond time and space . There is no limination of the PENETRATION OF SOUND * Dra Thal gyur , it is unimpeded continuity ….. Human beings without experiences of their real nature (Dharmata, Chonyid) or Buddha nature as it is called in Mahayana , need historical accounts , otherwise they will not believe . this was clearly pointed out by master Vimalamitra . Those of us who practice Ati Yoga Dzogchen can also understand Great history from outside to inside , like pilling of onion skin and coming closer and closer to our Real nature . Chogyal Namkhai Norbu Rinpoche often explains on open webcast about outer, inner and secret Sound . Due to his immense devotion to teach Dzogchen Ati Yoga lineage to present generations around the world , these sacred teachings became more and more A-live . Many years ago I said to few English speaking Buddhist teachers : Do you know the meaning of Chonyid kyi rangdra ? Do you know the meaning of Natural Sound of Dharmata ? Nobody of them knew . …I came back to this world to uphold this endangered Lineage . » Therefore I practice Ati Yoga Dzogchen since June 1989 , that is 25 years with guidance of Chogyal Namkhai Norbu (born : 1938) . From 2000-2005/6 I received many Dzogchen instructions from Kyabje Thinley Norbu Rinpoche (1931-2011) who transmitted Ati Yoga essence lineage to me in Spring 2000. I am immensely grateful to these Dzogchen masters for all their kindness and precious Teachings . Since this dream I encouraged Chogyal Namkhai Norbu in few emails and letters, to teach from Dra Thal Gyur root tantra of Dzogchen Upadesha . May the secret Sound*Light*Rays be present in unimpeded continuity in all and may we have stable recognition of our Real nature (Dharmata, Chonyid) .
1.2. How did Dzogchen Dharmas reach our human realm : ๑۩۞۩๑ ཨ ཨ ཨ ๑۩۞۩๑
Now in May 2014 we could listen to open webcast of Chogyal Namkhai Norbu : Dorje Sempa Namkhai Che * Total Space of Vajrasattva . These verses were recited by first Dzogchen master in human realm , Guru Garab Dorje who was emanation of Buddha Shakyamuni . As Chogyal Namkhai Norbu pointed out :« Shakyamuni Buddha practiced Contemplation/Samadhi for six years , sitting under the Bodhi tree in Bodhgaya . Dra Thal Gyur is the essence of all Buddhist teachings .« When we contemplate secret Sound in ourselves , we know this Root or the Base (Xi) . 1.3. Continuation of Ati Yoga Essence lineage ๑۩۞۩๑ ཨ ཨ ཨ ๑۩۞۩๑
All true Dzogchen masters are contemplating the secret Sound or Natural Sound of Dharmata of their real Nature (Dharmata, Chonyid) or Buddha nature . Natural Sound of Dharmata (Chonyid kyi rangdra) is immensely important . ๑۩۞۩๑ ཨ ཨ ཨ ๑۩۞۩๑
This lineage : Chönyid kyi rangdra or Natural Sound of Dharmata has origin in Dra Thal Gyur root tantra of Dzogchen Upadesha . Master Vimalamitra is the only one who wrote commentary on Dra Thal Gyur tantra or Reverberation of Sound .Vimalamitras commentary is preserved at Khatok monastery in East Tibet . REVERBERATION OF SOUND is the root of all Buddhist Dharma . Reverberation of Sound (Dra Thal Gyur) is connected to 16 other Dzogchen Upadesha tantras . We need to see this display diametrical as a circle , not horizontal . DRA THAL GYUR tantra in the centre and names of 16 other Upadesha tantras around . ๑۩۞۩๑ ཨ ཨ ཨ ๑۩۞۩๑
“The Mind transmission of the buddhas of three times is known as a transmission through blessings – naturally perfect blessings of all buddhas of the past and the future and of those who reside in the present. Independent of articulated words this transmission is understood and realized through the natural Sound of Dharmata.” Wellspring of the great perfection – The lives and insights of the early masters , compiled and edited by E.P. Kunsang, The Twelve Dzogchen Buddhas , An excerpt from the great history of the Heart Essence , part One belonging to the instruction section Cycle of the Heart Essence of Vimalamitra , pg 119. Rangjung Yeshe Publications. Sound is vibration – energy of Light , non-dual : primordial purity of voidness in ourselves (Skt. Shunyata , Tongpa nyid ) spontaneously manifesting as secret Sound of sacred white letter A in rainbow sphere * Thigle .
ChNN on Garab Dorje’s Three Statements Posted on August 23, 2010 by prdeepak | Leave a comment Excerpts from Chogyal Namkhai Norbu Rinpoche’s recent teachings in London England on Garab Dorje’s famous “Three Statements”. For more, go to the Mirror site (see Links on side). The Three Statements are: * Direct Introduction * Do not remain in doubt * Integrate into everyday life On Direct Introduction
This refers to our instant presence, rigpa that we have discovered. Our understanding. Not understanding in an intellectual way but discovering it. Understanding in an intellectual way and discovering are two completely different things. When I went to receive teaching from my teacher, Changchub Dorje, he asked me what I had studied. I told him sutra, tantra and in particular Madhaymika, Yogacarya, this book, that book, logic, and I was also very proud at the time because I thought I knew everything very well. Then one day I remember that my teacher said to me, “Your mouth is Madhymika and your nose is logic”. He was joking a bit with me, I thought, because although he was a practitioner, he had never studied whereas I had studied everything and that was why he said that. I was proud because I had studied and I believed that I knew everything because that is the mental aspect, mental knowledge. But I did not know that the real sense of the teaching is something we need to discover. I had never heard that before. I also remember when I was in college. This is a very important example. I was studying the ‘Prajnaparamita Alamkara’ a text originally by Maitreya, a very important text explaining knowledge of Prajnaparamita. The first time I studied it, it didn’t seem to be difficult, but the second time I studied it with the commentary it was much more difficult. The third time I studied it, it was really very difficult and at the end I really didn’t know what the conclusion was. I was very surprised because when I had studied other books once or twice they became really easy. One day I went to my teacher and asked him why I found this text more and more difficult to understand. He said that first of all this book explains knowledge, qualifications, qualities of Arhats in more of a Hinayana style with levels, secondly it explains Mahayana and then the third level is
qualifications of Enlightened Beings, of Dharmakaya, Sambhogakaya and Dharmakaya. My teacher, who was also a Dzogchen practitioner and a student of Shenga Rinpoche (gzhan dga’ rin po che), told me to try to understand it not thinking only of the qualities of Boddhisattvas, Arhats and Buddhas but to turn a little within myself and observe and think and maybe it would help the text become a little easier. I didn’t understand what he meant. I went back home and read the text again but didn’t find anything that I could relate to myself and it didn’t help at all. Then many years passed and later when I received teaching from my teacher, Changchub Dorje, I found that it is necessary that we discover our real nature. This is the principle of the Dzogchen teaching and I became a Dzogchen practitioner. Later I arrived in Italy and worked with Prof. Tucci. There were a lot of books in his library and one day I saw that he had this text that I had studied at college and I brought it home. I read it for one or two weeks, but now when I read it, it was very easy and I understood what my teacher at college had meant when he told me to observe within myself. Now I knew how to observe. Before I didn’t. I didn’t even know that we have to discover our real nature. So we do not discover anything in intellectual knowledge, we only study, judge, think, do analysis and we believe that we know. But discovering is something very different. In the Dzogchen Teaching the most important thing is discovering our real nature. This is what it says here. The Secret Nature of the Teachings Sometimes people think that Dzogchen is very secret but it is not like that. There is also an explanation of Garab Dorje: if people are interested and are searching for knowledge of
Dzogchen, even if there are 100 people, we can talk and give that knowledge. If people are not interested and don’t want to know about it, we should not give [teaching], should not talk about it, we should keep it secret, because there is no reason, it has no benefit. In this case, even if we speak to one person, it is too many. We give Dzogchen teaching to people who participate, who are interested. We do not talk about it in the street with loudspeakers so why should we keep it secret from people who are interested? We often say that Dzogchen teaching is secret because it is not easy to understand, its nature is secret. If I show you this object [a vajra], it is not secret because you can see it and touch it. I tell you that it is called vajra and you understand that. But when I talk about our real nature, even though I use many words, it is not easy to understand. I cannot explain and we need to do the direct introduction with method, experiences and the teacher hopes that maybe those participating have discovered. This means the nature of the teachings is secret. The nature of the Vajrayana teachings is also secret. Do Not Remain in Doubt ཐག་གཅཞག་ཐསག་ཏ་བཅད་པ་དང་༔
means we are completely familiar with what we have discovered. This is not so easy. This is the second statement of Garab Dorje. In general it means we can decide something in an intellectual way, we can decide that this is the only way. We can decide everything – today we
decide something, but maybe tomorrow we discover it is not real. This is normal in our intellectual way. For example, in the Buddhist philosophical tradition we have the Yogacarya and the earlier Dodepa (mdo sde pa) Sutra system. When these two schools of thought debated, most scholars were convinced that Yogacarya was superior which meant that Sutra was lacking a lot of knowledge even if they had decided that this was the final goal. But then they discovered. Then the Yogacarya school became very diffused in the Mahayana. Later on they debated with the Madhyamika school and in the end Madhyamika was considered superior to Yogacarya because some understanding was lacking in Yogacarya. That is an example. We can decide many things intellectually today, but there is no guarantee. With our intellectual mind, we judge, we think
this is logic, that things must be in a certain way and then we believe. But that does not mean that we are discovering. Then later we know that something is missing. For that reason when the teacher gives you the introduction, you may think you have understood, have discovered your real nature. Sometimes you can have this in a perfect way. But many times you discover something, but you have a little doubt. Then what should you do? If you are really in your real nature, it must be in a perfect way. If you remain in doubt that is not a perfect base. Semde, Longde, Upadesa There are many Dzogchen Teachings of Guru Garab Dorje and when he manifested the Rainbow Body, his most important student, Manjusrimitra, collected all his Dzogchen teachings and divided them into three sections according to the Three Statements of
Garab Dorje. All the sections for having precise direct introduction, for discovering our real nature, are called Dzogchen Semde and there are many volumes, many tantras belonging to this Dzogchen Semde. In the Dzogchen Semde we work in a very precise way with experiences and at the end we can have more precise knowledge of our real nature. But sometimes that is not the final goal, something may be lacking, we may have doubts. Then there are many other methods, which are a series of Garab Dorje’s teachings and tantras called the section of the Dzogchen Longde. Long means space, while sem means mind, mind to nature of mind, we discover this and are in that state. De means series of teachings. The Semde is the first group related to the first statement of Garab Dorje. The second series is called Longde. Long means space. Space is the dimension in
which we can have different kinds of manifestations. Different manifestations are very important for integrating in our real nature. In the practice of Dzogchen Longde, there are different kinds of methods and we can have visions. In the teachings there are mainly three kinds of experiences we always use. In general everything in our life is experience but when we relate this to our body, voice and mind there are three experiences. When we do the introduction, for example, we use one experience, the experience of emptiness or clarity or something like that. But in the Dzogchen Longde we use three experiences together in the same moment and unify that state: this is called yerme, without distinctions. We are in that state. When we are in that state our real nature of the state of contemplation is naked. We do these kinds of practices to be 100% sure of our real nature. For that reason, there
are many series of practices in the Dzogchen Longde. Then lastly there is the Dzogchen Upadesa which means the more secret methods. The main practice considers that we already have knowledge, that we have already discovered our real nature and when we have that, how we integrate our body, speech, mind, our life, everything in that state. If we succeed in integrating everything, we are realized. Realization means we are not conditioned by dualistic vision, we are totally in our real nature, that moment our potentiality of sound, light and rays that we have had from the very beginning manifests nakedly, in its real condition. Realization is not building something that we did not have before. In Sutra teaching and in lower tantra, they have this idea that we are building, developing, and then one day we will have a
manifestation of realization. But in the Dzogchen teaching realization means totally manifesting our potentiality without having any obstacles. All obstacles are purified with that potentiality of the state of contemplation. This is the supreme purification. This is the real meaning of ཐག་གཅཞག་ཐསག་ཏ་བཅད་པ་. It doesn’t mean that we decide something with our mind. When we have bad weather we say today there is no sunshine, but that is not true. The sun is always in the sky but we do not see it because there are thick clouds, just like obstacles. In the same way we accumulate a lot of negative karma, potentiality, emotions, thoughts related to our mind, and they all become obstacles so that we do not see, we do not discover our real nature. But when we purify them, then our real nature manifests. We do not build or produce something new. There is nothing to
produce. We know that and we are simply in that state as much as possible and then our real nature manifests. This is the very essence of the Three Statement of Garab Dorje.
