Dzogchen Community of Chogyal Namkhai Norbu

jet.urgyen
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Re: Dzogchen Community of Chogyal Namkhai Norbu

Post by jet.urgyen »

LolCat wrote: Sat Feb 17, 2018 10:51 pm I am a vegetarian and have been so since childhood, I have been trying to incorporate "meat" by having fish oil capsules at every meal in convert them into ganapujas. Is this enough? If it isn't, any suggestions for some meat that I can incorporate quickly without cooking, and that others wouldn't accidentally eat? I have vegetarian friends who have no idea about my Buddhist practice, so I have to be extremely covert about these things. I am also very bad at cooking, and want to get good at things I am familiar with before venturing into meat territory.

Same goes for alcohol suggestions, I am thinking of getting a bottle of red wine, and having a spoonful with every meal, would this satisfy the requirements for ganapujas?

I am planning on buying chicken nuggets from the McDonalds nearby and having a glass of beer for ganapujas that I will be doing on special days, the questions above are only for regular meals. the same for alcohol. there is no problem with that.
if you want to integrate food that you don't usually eat try first to gain stability in contemplation, and go slowly slowly. i have many good friends-vajra brothers that only eat meat in ganapuja.

the very best food for this practice is ham, because generally it is compounded by many meats and the most important about this is that it's guaranteed a possitive cause for all those beings involved, so their samsara will end. you don't need to cook ham, it comes ready, cheap, and findable in supermarket.

the best drink are red and/or white wines. also can be found in supermarket.
true dharma is inexpressible.

The bodhisattva nourishes from bodhicitta, through whatever method the Buddha has given him. Oh joy.
Hansei
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Re: Dzogchen Community of Chogyal Namkhai Norbu

Post by Hansei »

heart wrote: Sat Feb 17, 2018 4:57 pm
Hansei wrote: Sat Feb 17, 2018 3:20 pm
Motova wrote: Sat Feb 17, 2018 1:51 pm

Just use a different semdzin, there are many that don't require vocalization.

It's fine to whisper SOV.

From what I've heard, from senior students and a SMS teacher, melody is relative and isn't required for practices. But it is better to use the melody, because it creates a certain energy or atmosphere conducive to the practice.

SOV isn't hard to memorize and learn, nothing is, it just takes time. SOV probably took me two solid days to memorize the syllables and melody.
In the SOV the melody and the timing are very important. I might be wrong, but I think this particular one (SOV) is only meant to be done that way.
Actually Rinpoche said you can do it with other melodies, this is an example:
But, no doubt, there are great merit to learn the melody that Rinpoche got from Ekajati herself.

/magnus
Then I was wrong. Good to know. Thanks!
LolCat
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Re: Dzogchen Community of Chogyal Namkhai Norbu

Post by LolCat »

javier.espinoza.t wrote: Sat Feb 17, 2018 11:28 pm
LolCat wrote: Sat Feb 17, 2018 10:51 pm I am a vegetarian and have been so since childhood, I have been trying to incorporate "meat" by having fish oil capsules at every meal in convert them into ganapujas. Is this enough? If it isn't, any suggestions for some meat that I can incorporate quickly without cooking, and that others wouldn't accidentally eat? I have vegetarian friends who have no idea about my Buddhist practice, so I have to be extremely covert about these things. I am also very bad at cooking, and want to get good at things I am familiar with before venturing into meat territory.

Same goes for alcohol suggestions, I am thinking of getting a bottle of red wine, and having a spoonful with every meal, would this satisfy the requirements for ganapujas?

I am planning on buying chicken nuggets from the McDonalds nearby and having a glass of beer for ganapujas that I will be doing on special days, the questions above are only for regular meals. the same for alcohol. there is no problem with that.
if you want to integrate food that you don't usually eat try first to gain stability in contemplation, and go slowly slowly. i have many good friends-vajra brothers that only eat meat in ganapuja.

the very best food for this practice is ham, because generally it is compounded by many meats and the most important about this is that it's guaranteed a possitive cause for all those beings involved, so their samsara will end. you don't need to cook ham, it comes ready, cheap, and findable in supermarket.

the best drink are red and/or white wines. also can be found in supermarket.
Thank you for the advice. Going by what you and Motova just said, I will consume meat and wine on Ganapujas for special days, but continue as normal rest of the time.
meepits
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Re: Dzogchen Community of Chogyal Namkhai Norbu

Post by meepits »

I’m trying to deepen my practice by studying from a fairly high nyingma tulku in my area who eventually teaches DZ (it seems like maybe 4 years in?), but the more I learn from ChNN the harder it is to appreciate less straightforward / more ‘traditional’ teachers, no matter how well respected they are. 😬
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heart
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Re: Dzogchen Community of Chogyal Namkhai Norbu

Post by heart »

LolCat wrote: Sat Feb 17, 2018 10:51 pm I am a vegetarian and have been so since childhood, I have been trying to incorporate "meat" by having fish oil capsules at every meal in convert them into ganapujas. Is this enough? If it isn't, any suggestions for some meat that I can incorporate quickly without cooking, and that others wouldn't accidentally eat? I have vegetarian friends who have no idea about my Buddhist practice, so I have to be extremely covert about these things. I am also very bad at cooking, and want to get good at things I am familiar with before venturing into meat territory.

Same goes for alcohol suggestions, I am thinking of getting a bottle of red wine, and having a spoonful with every meal, would this satisfy the requirements for ganapujas?

I am planning on buying chicken nuggets from the McDonalds nearby and having a glass of beer for ganapujas that I will be doing on special days, the questions above are only for regular meals.
Meat and alcohol are not necessary during regular meals, just ganapujas. The general idea with ganapuja is that those that participate should be practitioners, so if not everyone in your family is a practitioner then you should not try to change those meals in to ganapujas. Also, whatever you eat you can imagine it as an offering to the guru without saying or doing anything.

/magnus
"We are all here to help each other go through this thing, whatever it is."
~Kurt Vonnegut

"The principal practice is Guruyoga. But we need to understand that any secondary practice combined with Guruyoga becomes a principal practice." ChNNR (Teachings on Thun and Ganapuja)
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heart
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Re: Dzogchen Community of Chogyal Namkhai Norbu

Post by heart »

meepits wrote: Sun Feb 18, 2018 5:08 am I’m trying to deepen my practice by studying from a fairly high nyingma tulku in my area who eventually teaches DZ (it seems like maybe 4 years in?), but the more I learn from ChNN the harder it is to appreciate less straightforward / more ‘traditional’ teachers, no matter how well respected they are. 😬
You can do both, I think the traditional approach have a lot of merits. Also, just because you will get Trechö and Tögal instructions after a number of years doesn't really mean that there will be no Dzogchen before that point. At least that is my experience.

/magnus
"We are all here to help each other go through this thing, whatever it is."
~Kurt Vonnegut

"The principal practice is Guruyoga. But we need to understand that any secondary practice combined with Guruyoga becomes a principal practice." ChNNR (Teachings on Thun and Ganapuja)
TYN
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Re: Dzogchen Community of Chogyal Namkhai Norbu

Post by TYN »

Dear members

Does somebody of you have a good knowledge of CHNNR´s calendar?
I understood a lot, but I can´t understand the dots system.
For example for Wood-bird for current year it states:

Life: 3x white
Body: 1x white and 1x black
Capacity: 2x white
Fortune: 3x white
Protection: 3x white

In the book Four methods of development it states:
During Earth-dog year elements of aspects are:
Life is earth
Body is wood
Capacity is earth
Fortune is metal

For Wood-bird year and as I understood for people born during Wood-bird year, their
Life is metal
Body is water
Capacity is wood
Fortune is water

I understood that now one should check if the element of certain aspect of Earth-dog year is mother, child, friend or enemy of the element of that aspect of Wood-bird year
Let´s do that:
Life: Earth is mother of Metal (very positive)
Body: Wood is child of Water (neutral)
Capacity: Earth is friend of Wood (positive)
Fortune: Metal is mother of Water (very positive)

In this way I could somehow understand why
Life and Fortune have 3x white dots
and
Capacity has 2x white dot
but
I don´t understand how 1x white and 1x black dots of body come into existence. Can someone explain me?
Besides I don´t understand how someone gets only one white dot or 2 black dots. Does the dots calculation take also in account the relationship between element of the current year and the element of aspects of birth year? If it would be this way, it wouldn´t make sense for me for the dots of Fortune, because Earth is enemy of Water. How could 3x white result from this?

Thank you
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Re: Dzogchen Community of Chogyal Namkhai Norbu

Post by Grigoris »

LolCat wrote: Sun Feb 18, 2018 12:15 amThank you for the advice. Going by what you and Motova just said, I will consume meat and wine on Ganapujas for special days, but continue as normal rest of the time.
This is exactly what I do and it works perfectly for me.
"My religion is not deceiving myself."
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jet.urgyen
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Re: Dzogchen Community of Chogyal Namkhai Norbu

Post by jet.urgyen »

webcast is up
true dharma is inexpressible.

The bodhisattva nourishes from bodhicitta, through whatever method the Buddha has given him. Oh joy.
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Könchok Thrinley
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Re: Dzogchen Community of Chogyal Namkhai Norbu

Post by Könchok Thrinley »

meepits wrote: Sun Feb 18, 2018 5:08 am I’m trying to deepen my practice by studying from a fairly high nyingma tulku in my area who eventually teaches DZ (it seems like maybe 4 years in?), but the more I learn from ChNN the harder it is to appreciate less straightforward / more ‘traditional’ teachers, no matter how well respected they are. 😬
I actually joined a Drikung Kagyu group because I wanted the less straightforward way. I understand it might not be for everyone, but if you have a qualified teacher around and can receive teachings from him and even eventually DZ, then I'd stay. Why? Because it is always good to have some sort of guidance and to forge a relationship with a teacher. Ofcourse practicing will be always only on you, but a teacher can answer your questions, tell you what to do in specific situations, etc. Ofcourse Rinpoche wants us to be independent and we should try to be. From my experience some of us are suited bit more for practicing in stages and that is fine because that is our situation. But do as you think you should do.

Namkhai Norbu Rinpoche is a very special teacher and trust me his teachings are very easily incorporated into more traditional approach.
“Observing samaya involves to remain inseparable from the union of wisdom and compassion at all times, to sustain mindfulness, and to put into practice the guru’s instructions”. Garchen Rinpoche

For those who do virtuous actions,
goodness is what comes to pass.
For those who do non-virtuous actions,
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TYN
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Re: Dzogchen Community of Chogyal Namkhai Norbu

Post by TYN »

Dear members

In tibetan calendar it says that when certain circumstances arise, one should concentrate on the "invocation of la" of Mandarava. Which page in the book is this? I found "Invocation of Long life" on page 70. Is it that one? How is "concentrate" in this context meant? Repeating it more times?

Thank you
Lukeinaz
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Re: Dzogchen Community of Chogyal Namkhai Norbu

Post by Lukeinaz »

Was this mornings transmission sufficient to read Mandarava Tsalung practice book?
Malcolm
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Re: Dzogchen Community of Chogyal Namkhai Norbu

Post by Malcolm »

LolCat wrote: Sat Feb 17, 2018 11:13 pm I remember reading that every meal should be a Ganapuja, that is what sparked my question.

You can accomplish that merely by reciting om ah hum over your food and then seeing it as the five meats and five nectars. No need to get meat or booze.
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Re: Dzogchen Community of Chogyal Namkhai Norbu

Post by treehuggingoctopus »

Miroku wrote: Sun Feb 18, 2018 11:44 am
meepits wrote: Sun Feb 18, 2018 5:08 am I’m trying to deepen my practice by studying from a fairly high nyingma tulku in my area who eventually teaches DZ (it seems like maybe 4 years in?), but the more I learn from ChNN the harder it is to appreciate less straightforward / more ‘traditional’ teachers, no matter how well respected they are. 😬
I actually joined a Drikung Kagyu group because I wanted the less straightforward way. I understand it might not be for everyone, but if you have a qualified teacher around and can receive teachings from him and even eventually DZ, then I'd stay. Why? Because it is always good to have some sort of guidance and to forge a relationship with a teacher. Ofcourse practicing will be always only on you, but a teacher can answer your questions, tell you what to do in specific situations, etc. Ofcourse Rinpoche wants us to be independent and we should try to be. From my experience some of us are suited bit more for practicing in stages and that is fine because that is our situation. But do as you think you should do.

Namkhai Norbu Rinpoche is a very special teacher and trust me his teachings are very easily incorporated into more traditional approach.
Perhaps curiously, that seems to be one of the more popular approaches in the DC.
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LolCat
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Re: Dzogchen Community of Chogyal Namkhai Norbu

Post by LolCat »

heart wrote: Sun Feb 18, 2018 8:11 am Meat and alcohol are not necessary during regular meals, just ganapujas. The general idea with ganapuja is that those that participate should be practitioners, so if not everyone in your family is a practitioner then you should not try to change those meals in to ganapujas. Also, whatever you eat you can imagine it as an offering to the guru without saying or doing anything.

/magnus
I didn't realize that, I was more concerned with keeping my meat-eating a secret, I will take care that I don't convert a possibly shared meal into a ganapuja, like when having a meal outside where a friend or co-worker might share my food. My family is halfway across the world thankfully, they would be horrified if they learnt that I started eating meat and drinking alcohol. :lol:
Grigoris wrote: Sun Feb 18, 2018 10:40 am This is exactly what I do and it works perfectly for me.
That's great to hear. :smile:

Malcolm wrote: Sun Feb 18, 2018 3:51 pm
LolCat wrote: Sat Feb 17, 2018 11:13 pm I remember reading that every meal should be a Ganapuja, that is what sparked my question.

You can accomplish that merely by reciting om ah hum over your food and then seeing it as the five meats and five nectars. No need to get meat or booze.
Thank you, that simplifies things a lot.
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Re: Dzogchen Community of Chogyal Namkhai Norbu

Post by Kris »

meepits wrote: Sun Feb 18, 2018 5:08 am I’m trying to deepen my practice by studying from a fairly high nyingma tulku in my area who eventually teaches DZ (it seems like maybe 4 years in?), but the more I learn from ChNN the harder it is to appreciate less straightforward / more ‘traditional’ teachers, no matter how well respected they are. 😬
I definitely can identify with that sentiment. There was a definite moment in my trod that I felt less appreciative of anything less than straight forward teachings, but I am slowly starting to realize that what our precious master has taught us is like the key to all teachings. There are some things that I studied before receiving teachings from ChNNR that utterly confused me; but now I can go back and look at them with amazement and awe.
The profound path of the master.
-- Virūpa, Vajra Lines
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Re: Dzogchen Community of Chogyal Namkhai Norbu

Post by meepits »

Sennin wrote: Sun Feb 18, 2018 9:02 pm There was a definite moment in my trod that I felt less appreciative of anything less than straight forward teachings, but I am slowly starting to realize that what our precious master has taught us is like the key to all teachings. There are some things that I studied before receiving teachings from ChNNR that utterly confused me; but now I can go back and look at them with amazement and awe.
I can definitely see that happening to me over time.
meepits
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Re: Dzogchen Community of Chogyal Namkhai Norbu

Post by meepits »

Lukeinaz wrote: Sun Feb 18, 2018 1:18 pm Was this mornings transmission sufficient to read Mandarava Tsalung practice book?
Was wondering that too. I have to assume so?
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Re: Dzogchen Community of Chogyal Namkhai Norbu

Post by LolCat »

Does ChNNR give instructions on how to do prostrations? I got an astrology app that does the astrological calculations for you according to ChNNR's teachings, and according to it I should be doing some form of physical purification this year: prostrations seem to be the most accessible method. Would it be in the book Keys for Consulting the Tibetan Calendar, since that is what the app is apparently based on?

As a side note, I never really followed astrology closely or at all for the most part, but I got this app from the Norbunet mailing list, and according to it 2017 was a bad year for me, and I could so relate, it was possibly the worst year of my life.
meepits
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Re: Dzogchen Community of Chogyal Namkhai Norbu

Post by meepits »

2017 straight up sucked.
I got the same app for the same reason, but tuned out a bit right away because 2018 is supposed to be a bad year for me. Unless there’s a way to reverse that, it makes me want to put my energy into rigpa instead of wondering how 2018 could be worse than 2017.
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