Clearing Practice Space

[conebeckham]

Interesting thread.
I've been taught that Black Guggal is the proper substance for "clearing," as part of the Gektor/Ngontor offering in various sadhanas. But something no one's mentioned, as far as I can tell, is that the best Guggal is actually "consecrated." Normally, guggal is "blown on" or mantras are "spoken over it" in the course of certain pujas, Drupchens, etc., in order to make it useful. One can use guggal that hasn't been consecrated in this way, but it's far better to obtain guggal that has been blessed in the course of rituals.

[Boris]

Even the Vimala which is traded today and which should still be according to the specifications ChNN popularized - one brand still works, another one does not work at all.

Our Vimala is excellent, crafted in a small Tibetan-owned pharmacy in Amdo used by many physicians there.

http://www.bhaisajya.guru/web-store/vim ... ti-nyi-zhu

I can verify that it works as it should.

/magnus

I am also very satisfied with Amdo's Vimala (ordered through Himalayan Remedies back then, also thanks for this link).

[Adamantine]

Interesting thread.
I've been taught that Black Guggal is the proper substance for "clearing," as part of the Gektor/Ngontor offering in various sadhanas. But something no one's mentioned, as far as I can tell, is that the best Guggal is actually "consecrated." Normally, guggal is "blown on" or mantras are "spoken over it" in the course of certain pujas, Drupchens, etc., in order to make it useful. One can use guggal that hasn't been consecrated in this way, but it's far better to obtain guggal that has been blessed in the course of rituals.

Yup... I have some guggul that's been consecrated by my late Tsawai Lama and
it's quite precious to me as its certainly more powerful than unconsecrated guggul.
However it's so solid it's nearly impossible for me to break apart even with tools. Does anyone have
any strategies for extra-dense guggul bricks?

[Simon E.]

Yes, wrap them foil and put them in the freezer. When frozen tap gently with a rolling pin..thaw pieces before use.

[Adamantine]

Great, thanks for the tip!

[Simon E.]

It really works
I had the same problem , blocks that had set solid. I don't remember who put me on to the freezer method. But when tapped they shatter...

Et voila !

[Karma_Yeshe]

Of course. I have on my practice table these days Tibetan guggul, Nepalese guggul, some European brown Frankincense and Mexican coppal. I have been using all interchangeably for a couple of years but these days I find myself mostly using the local coppal. It seems to work best in this area, and this is what the local Mayans use in the jungle for the same purposes. We have learned to put a lot of stress on tradition in TB, but the fact is that all regions are different, and this is especially true when substances are involved. I have found that for cleaning purposes what the local people use is often the best, no matter what exotic Himalayan things I may have. In the past I have spent months preparing substances and incense from plants gathered by myself. These days, if I really want to do a cleaning ritual properly, I will probably go to the local community first and ask what they use, and then use that. This is just my personal opinion, and it is not in accord with the Tibetan tradition, but I find that it is a really good approach. For example here in the Mayan jungle, the knowledge that the Mayans have about the relationships between the local spirits and the thousands different plants in the forrest is mind blowing. Someone trying to use substances from a different part of the world with forceful rituals could be just asking for more trouble. It is a complex issue.

This is a great posting imo!
Of course we should stick to tradition and don't become secular buddhist or something strange like that. But especially when using tantric methods, it is very important for them to be connected with the place you are practising. Otherwise they just don't really work that much! Himalayan plants are no more special or more connected with spirits than any other special plants from other areas of the world. So everybody that stated that "you should stick to tradition", please ask yourself, what the real essence of the tradition is.

[Malcolm]

Of course we should stick to tradition and don't become secular buddhist or something strange like that. But especially when using tantric methods, it is very important for them to be connected with the place you are practising. Otherwise they just don't really work that much! Himalayan plants are no more special or more connected with spirits than any other special plants from other areas of the world. So everybody that stated that "you should stick to tradition", please ask yourself, what the real essence of the tradition is.

Actually, when using these things, you should be very aware of the environmental impact you are having. For example, in Tibetan Medicine, it is held that one should use medicines from one's region, as these will be the most potent for you. Also, the trees from which gugul, sandalwood oil, myrrh, frankincense, aloes [agar] and so on are extracted endangered.

In Mexico, there are over 5,000 plant species useful for medicine, and very little of it has been documented in one place, much less made accessible for non-Indians to understand and use.

As far as Himalayan plants go, however, they have a special potency because of the altitude at which they grow. Alpine instances of a plant are held to be stronger than an instance grown at a lower altitude. Why? Because the distance between flower and root is shorter, and therefore the plant as a whole is held to be more potent.

[orgyen jigmed]

When importing incense, whether in small quantities or large, for personal use or otherwise it is advisable to check their contents against the 'CITES appendix' prior to importing them to your respective countries. Incense, wood, and animal products originating from Asian countries such as Nepal, Bhutan, India etc. are particularly scrutinized by Customs. To my surprise I have learned that some ingredients (even in very small quantities) used to produce some of these higher Tantric incense are classified as illegal in most Western countries, especially those who strictly adhere with the CITES convention.

CITES (the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora) is an international agreement between governments. Its aim is to ensure that international trade in specimens of wild animals and plants does not threaten their survival. Roughly 5,600 species of animals and 30,000 species of plants are protected by CITES against over-exploitation through international trade. They are listed in the three CITES Appendices. The species are grouped in the Appendices according to how threatened they are by international trade.

For example Musk- Moschus spp. (CITES Appendix I or II, Annex A or B depending on the population) is a CITES listed spices, and so are Pangonlin scales - Manis spp. (CITES Appendix II, Annex B) , Red Sandalwood - Pterocarpus santalinus (CITES Appendix II, Annex B) - popularly known amongst practitioners familiar with travelling in Nepal or Bhutan as 'good quality' incense - are all considered 'illegal' in Western countries and will may be prosecuted for illegal trade irrespective of private or commercial use. I have learned this the hard way through my own experience, as I was made aware that trading in such species require CITES Export permits from the country of export and CITES Import permits from the country of residence - while the incense was seized...even if these 'gifts' which I was carrying were given to me from my most Perfect Lama.

[Simon E.]

The reason I mentioned Palo Santo, Orgyen Jimed is because it is a highly sustainable crop. Unlike the shrub that produces frankincense or the Sandalwood tree it grows very rapidly..but it is still necessary to be sure of the provenance and purity of any Palo Santo one wants to purchase.
At time of writing I believe that firm checks are in place to ensure its sustainability.

[MalaBeads]

I like Malcolm's post reminding people of the potency of tibetan grown medicine due to the elevation at which it is grown and also Simon's statement about sustainabilty...other posts as well are quite good i thought, Ivo's about local herbs, etc. so naturally i got to wondering if some of these things could now be grown in the USA at a higher elevation as a sustainable crop to western practitioners. Just wondering really.....