Search found 1640 matches

by Dechen Norbu
Fri Aug 18, 2023 4:59 pm
Forum: Dzogchen
Topic: Is the nature of the mind cognizant of itself?
Replies: 232
Views: 16147

Re: Is the nature of the mind cognizant of itself?

The first quote refers to the study needed to do any practice, as explained a bit later, so they are not really contradictory I would say, and the extent of study required seems to depend on the person to some extent, and on the practice itself of course. I can't imagine Patrul Rinpoche actually co...
by Dechen Norbu
Fri Aug 18, 2023 3:41 pm
Forum: Dzogchen
Topic: Is the nature of the mind cognizant of itself?
Replies: 232
Views: 16147

Re: Is the nature of the mind cognizant of itself?

If one has the view that conscioussness arises as a brain function, when one experiences such a state, will discard automatically the brain based view? I don’t think one needs to experience any special state in order to discard the view that consciousness somehow arises from… Human Brain: Water 77 ...
by Dechen Norbu
Fri Aug 18, 2023 12:43 pm
Forum: Dzogchen
Topic: Is the nature of the mind cognizant of itself?
Replies: 232
Views: 16147

Re: Is the nature of the mind cognizant of itself?

If one has the view that conscioussness arises as a brain function, when one experiences such a state, will discard automatically the brain based view? It depends on how convinced someone is of such view. The first time practitioners discover the nature of mind is very fleeting and unstable for the...
by Dechen Norbu
Fri Aug 18, 2023 1:41 am
Forum: Dzogchen
Topic: Is the nature of the mind cognizant of itself?
Replies: 232
Views: 16147

Re: Is the nature of the mind cognizant of itself?

I'm trying to understand how cognizance has always been present as an inherent part of emptiness. If I'm not wrong, the mind essence Is empty and cognizant, these two things are inseparable. How comes that emptiness has this quality? I believe the problem might lie in how you framed the question in...
by Dechen Norbu
Sun Aug 06, 2023 10:29 pm
Forum: Dzogchen
Topic: Dissociation and Awareness
Replies: 137
Views: 15777

Re: Dissociation and Awareness

Malcolm wrote:
The only thing most sentient beings worry about is missing dinner.


😄
by Dechen Norbu
Fri Apr 28, 2023 9:27 pm
Forum: Dzogchen
Topic: No guru, no dzogchen?
Replies: 269
Views: 32821

Re: No guru, no dzogchen?

I have been reading books about dzogchen and if I understand it correctly - if one has no wish to find a guru, there is no point in studding the subject, unless it's for research or something academical like that. Is it problematic for you finding a teacher? Is there some impediment? You can read s...
by Dechen Norbu
Sat Mar 25, 2023 12:01 pm
Forum: Dzogchen
Topic: Qualifications of a Dzogchen Master
Replies: 603
Views: 38694

Re: Qualifications of a Dzogchen Master

"If you have good enough karma, you'll do fine." Which is why we do ngondro: A) to purify negative karma and B) to generate huge amounts of positive karma. Then we do Guru yoga to receive the blessings of the Guru(s). Doing that will markedly improve one's chances of finding and being acc...
by Dechen Norbu
Thu Mar 23, 2023 10:14 pm
Forum: Dzogchen
Topic: Qualifications of a Dzogchen Master
Replies: 603
Views: 38694

Re: Qualifications of a Dzogchen Master

It's not that different than finding someone qualified to do any job. See how's the reputation of the teacher, if other reputable teachers advise him, if there's no scandals surrounding him, etc. Then give it time, see how it goes. This will take a while. Don't leave your critical thinking at the do...
by Dechen Norbu
Fri Jan 20, 2023 9:47 pm
Forum: Dzogchen
Topic: Yeshi's really back!
Replies: 165
Views: 10804

Re: Yeshi's really back!

Personally I think that today it would be nice if more people entered the arts, humanities, pedagogy, and so on, and focused on receiving an education which makes them warmer, kinder, and smarter in a compassionate way, rather than this exaggerated focus on STEM all the time, which leads too many p...
by Dechen Norbu
Fri Jan 20, 2023 7:48 pm
Forum: Dzogchen
Topic: Yeshi's really back!
Replies: 165
Views: 10804

Re: Yeshi's really back!

Wasn’t ChNN’s way working pretty well? A vast international sangha spanning the globe? Who knows, Adamantine? The DC is big, like massive, or at least it was. But Namkhai Norbu Rinpoche more than once asked if he was wasting his life teaching when even senior instructors screwed up. 😄 What he taugh...
by Dechen Norbu
Fri Jan 20, 2023 7:18 pm
Forum: Dzogchen
Topic: Yeshi's really back!
Replies: 165
Views: 10804

Re: Yeshi's really back!

And no, secular buddhism is not the answer. There are better ways. Wasn’t ChNN’s way working pretty well? A vast international sangha spanning the globe? Who knows, Adamantine? The DC is big, like massive, or at least it was. But Namkhai Norbu Rinpoche more than once asked if he was wasting his lif...
by Dechen Norbu
Fri Jan 20, 2023 6:37 pm
Forum: Dzogchen
Topic: Yeshi's really back!
Replies: 165
Views: 10804

Re: Yeshi's really back!

Dechen Norbu, There are too many points to address overall, and it will only clutter up the thread, but: If someone connects with a teacher or not, and a teaching or not, it has to do with their karma, merit, and dependent origination. One does not need to change the teachings to cater to someone. ...
by Dechen Norbu
Fri Jan 20, 2023 4:52 pm
Forum: Dzogchen
Topic: Yeshi's really back!
Replies: 165
Views: 10804

Re: Yeshi's really back!

The best thing that can happen to an intelligent Westerner, is connecting with the Dharma, period. All the rest falls in place after that. Tell that to the people who abandoned that event shocked with it. Some only gave Dharma a second chance because someone was lucid enough to show them there were...
by Dechen Norbu
Fri Jan 20, 2023 3:25 pm
Forum: Dzogchen
Topic: Yeshi's really back!
Replies: 165
Views: 10804

Re: Yeshi's really back!

Those are some good points and quandaries, Dechen. I’ve been wondering something similar, and that’s certainly an optimistic read of how he may be orienting himself. Not really the part where he originally said he had no interest in teaching.… perhaps that was just to shake things up a bit though, ...
by Dechen Norbu
Fri Jan 20, 2023 2:01 pm
Forum: Dzogchen
Topic: Yeshi's really back!
Replies: 165
Views: 10804

Re: Yeshi's really back!

I gave this subject a little thought last night and I think Yeshi might be trying to solve a longstanding problem in sanghas today. On Tibet, the brightest, the sharpest, the most intuitive people were practitioners of the Buddhadharma. Of course, there were exceptions. We all know this or that tale...
by Dechen Norbu
Thu Jan 19, 2023 8:52 pm
Forum: Dzogchen
Topic: Yeshi's really back!
Replies: 165
Views: 10804

Re: Yeshi's really back!

I have some faith in Khyentse Yeshi, due to personal experience and Norbu Rinpoche's vote of confidence, but the cult-like way in which some of his followers insist that everyone else shut up about him kinda puts me off. It was kind of the same about Chogyal Namkhai Norbu. It also puts me off. Stud...
by Dechen Norbu
Thu Jan 19, 2023 8:33 pm
Forum: Dzogchen
Topic: Yeshi's really back!
Replies: 165
Views: 10804

Re: Yeshi's really back!

DzKR says that we should stop visualising deities Indian- or TIbetan-style, and go boldly for what is attractive to us, as long as all the general features and the symbolic implements are there What does that even mean? Whatever it means, it sounds like something that Chögyal Namkhai Norbu would sa...
by Dechen Norbu
Thu Jan 19, 2023 8:25 pm
Forum: Dzogchen
Topic: Yeshi's really back!
Replies: 165
Views: 10804

Re: Yeshi's really back!

"One does not need beliefs for Dzogchen. Just personal experience. " Correct. I stand by all these statements. "Beliefs" belong to lower vehicles. However, Dzogchen sets out to resolve the existential predicament the Buddha pointed out, but without intellectual beliefs. There is...
by Dechen Norbu
Thu Jan 19, 2023 7:39 pm
Forum: Dzogchen
Topic: Yeshi's really back!
Replies: 165
Views: 10804

Re: Yeshi's really back!

If you need the following conditional exception to amend your prior one-liner, then the prior one liner "One does not need beliefs for Dzogchen" was both inaccurate and misleading. To avoid that, it would have to read something like "One does not need beliefs for Dzogchen, except for...
by Dechen Norbu
Thu Jan 19, 2023 7:13 pm
Forum: Dzogchen
Topic: Yeshi's really back!
Replies: 165
Views: 10804

Re: Yeshi's really back!

The thing is, if you start practicing Dzogchen, and keep at it, you are a Buddhadharma practitioner whether you like it or not. Even if you're a Bonpo. 😄 The word Bön has the same meaning as the word Dharma, and Tönpa Shenrab Miwoche is a Buddha; therefore if you're follow the Dzogchen path for Bud...

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