Poor student looking for approachable and serious Chöd teacher
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Poor student looking for approachable and serious Chöd teacher
A good friend of mine has really been trying to get a Chöd empowerment for seven years, without luck. His attempts are complicated by his lack of funding and an utterly bizarre string of mishaps whenever he has managed (or attempted) to travel to an empowerment.
Can anyone suggest an approachable Chöd teacher for a really poor student?
Thanks.
Warmly,
Jens
Can anyone suggest an approachable Chöd teacher for a really poor student?
Thanks.
Warmly,
Jens
Re: Poor student looking for approachable and serious Chöd teacher
No
However, knowing where your friend lives or can travel to may help.
However, knowing where your friend lives or can travel to may help.
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Re: Poor student looking for approachable and serious Chöd teacher
Thank you.
He lives in the Baltic states. Can technically travel anywhere, but as indicated above is limited financially.
J.
He lives in the Baltic states. Can technically travel anywhere, but as indicated above is limited financially.
J.
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Re: Poor student looking for approachable and serious Chöd teacher
I've heard it said that one has a special karmic relationship with a particular Deity or practice if one keeps receiving that Deity's empowerment or that practice over and over again. I think it may also work the other way. IOW, maybe this friend doesn't really have a tendrel/karmic connection to chod and should be focusing his or her Dharma practice on something else. Chod's a wonderful practice, but there are many, many wonderful practices and the "trick" is to practice just the right one that "does it" for you. Maybe getting a mo or divination is in order. Just a thought.
Has your friend completed ngondro? If not, that may be the best first step in any case. If yes, perhaps going back and redoing or doing more mandala offering is a good idea. That might help overcome your friends lack of merit. Or your friend might offer 100,000 cups of water as a way to generate more merit. 100 hundred plastic disposable cups should be affordable. He/she could refill these over and over again with an appropriate offering prayer. Again, just thoughts.
Has your friend completed ngondro? If not, that may be the best first step in any case. If yes, perhaps going back and redoing or doing more mandala offering is a good idea. That might help overcome your friends lack of merit. Or your friend might offer 100,000 cups of water as a way to generate more merit. 100 hundred plastic disposable cups should be affordable. He/she could refill these over and over again with an appropriate offering prayer. Again, just thoughts.
Pema Chophel པདྨ་ཆོས་འཕེལ
- Thomas Amundsen
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Re: Poor student looking for approachable and serious Chöd teacher
tibetan buddhist center in
Latvia:
http://www.buddhanet.info/wbd/country.php?country_id=84
Lithuania
http://www.buddhanet.info/wbd/country.php?country_id=85
Estonia
http://www.buddhanet.info/wbd/country.php?country_id=83
http://www.budismiinstituut.ee/links.htm
Latvia:
http://www.buddhanet.info/wbd/country.php?country_id=84
Lithuania
http://www.buddhanet.info/wbd/country.php?country_id=85
Estonia
http://www.buddhanet.info/wbd/country.php?country_id=83
http://www.budismiinstituut.ee/links.htm
Re: Poor student looking for approachable and serious Chöd teacher
I know a venerable teacher in Hamburg (Germany) giving Chöd empowerments from time to time. And in Switzerland there is a real Chöd-center. If he's interested, I can try to find the addresses.
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Re: Poor student looking for approachable and serious Chöd teacher
Certainly karmic connections play a role here. Exactly which role I think only a master can tell.pemachophel wrote:I've heard it said that one has a special karmic relationship with a particular Deity or practice if one keeps receiving that Deity's empowerment or that practice over and over again. I think it may also work the other way. IOW, maybe this friend doesn't really have a tendrel/karmic connection to chod and should be focusing his or her Dharma practice on something else.
Excellent idea.pemachophel wrote:Maybe getting a mo or divination is in order. Just a thought.
This is also a very good idea.pemachophel wrote:Has your friend completed ngondro? If not, that may be the best first step in any case. If yes, perhaps going back and redoing or doing more mandala offering is a good idea. That might help overcome your friends lack of merit. Or your friend might offer 100,000 cups of water as a way to generate more merit. 100 hundred plastic disposable cups should be affordable. He/she could refill these over and over again with an appropriate offering prayer. Again, just thoughts.
Thank you!
Re: Poor student looking for approachable and serious Chöd teacher
The easiest way for that person to get started with Chöd would be to attend ChNN's webcast, if he is so inclined. Rinpoche always gives the transmission for a short Chöd practice.
Otherwise, Lho Ontul Rinpoche comes to the Baltics every couple of years (the last time was May-June this year), often transmitting Chöd from the tradition of Nüden Dorje.
Another possibility would be to request the transmission of Jigten Sumgön's Kusali offering from Drupön Sangye Rinpoche, who resides in Tallinn.
R
Otherwise, Lho Ontul Rinpoche comes to the Baltics every couple of years (the last time was May-June this year), often transmitting Chöd from the tradition of Nüden Dorje.
Another possibility would be to request the transmission of Jigten Sumgön's Kusali offering from Drupön Sangye Rinpoche, who resides in Tallinn.
R
Re: Poor student looking for approachable and serious Chöd teacher
Maybe a good start would be to read "feeding your demons" by Tsultrim Allione. Then he can practice immediatly, and putting good heart and sincerity in the practice, the "invisible" will responds accordingly and help set things right in a way or another.
The heart of Chod practice is present in this book. If you get this book you get the spirit of Chod.
If you get the spirit of Chod, all the rest is just applying the spirit in different context and settings, and with some sophistication with melody, instruments and so on.
The empowerment, if it comes, will add something and help mature. But the practice, the book if done with sincerity, will also empower you in different way.
What i can tell you is that i started with the book of Tsultrim Allione, it worked. Two friends used it, it worked. I practiced some Kagyu Chod using a book, without formal empowerment, it worked. Then i practiced with lung, it worked. Then i got an empowerment, it worked too
Follow your heart, the Guru is present in it, and responds to sincere call, and intense yearning to grow and shine. Empowerment can comes in a variety of way and forms.
Still, it's just my opinion, and in any way, doing things the formal way is really recommended. I'm just sharing, i don't say it's THE way to go.
Soma
The heart of Chod practice is present in this book. If you get this book you get the spirit of Chod.
If you get the spirit of Chod, all the rest is just applying the spirit in different context and settings, and with some sophistication with melody, instruments and so on.
The empowerment, if it comes, will add something and help mature. But the practice, the book if done with sincerity, will also empower you in different way.
What i can tell you is that i started with the book of Tsultrim Allione, it worked. Two friends used it, it worked. I practiced some Kagyu Chod using a book, without formal empowerment, it worked. Then i practiced with lung, it worked. Then i got an empowerment, it worked too
Follow your heart, the Guru is present in it, and responds to sincere call, and intense yearning to grow and shine. Empowerment can comes in a variety of way and forms.
Still, it's just my opinion, and in any way, doing things the formal way is really recommended. I'm just sharing, i don't say it's THE way to go.
Soma
- ClearblueSky
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Re: Poor student looking for approachable and serious Chöd teacher
Maybe, but karma's complicated and it could be the exact opposite of that too. If receiving a practice over and over again is a sign of a special karmic relationship, then I could say I have that with chod. But the process of receiving my first empowerment in that practice was actually filled with a TON of obstacles. But as you said, never hurts to build more merit.pemachophel wrote:I've heard it said that one has a special karmic relationship with a particular Deity or practice if one keeps receiving that Deity's empowerment or that practice over and over again. I think it may also work the other way. IOW, maybe this friend doesn't really have a tendrel/karmic connection to chod and should be focusing his or her Dharma practice on something else.
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Re: Poor student looking for approachable and serious Chöd teacher
It would be greatly appreciated if you could send me the address. PM if you prefer that.Ayu wrote:I know a venerable teacher in Hamburg (Germany) giving Chöd empowerments from time to time.
If you mean www.ganden.ch then that is among the most expensive options out there.Ayu wrote:And in Switzerland there is a real Chöd-center. If he's interested, I can try to find the addresses.
Thank you.
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Re: Poor student looking for approachable and serious Chöd teacher
Thank you, I will forward them. I know one of them has been checked with and a partial introduction to the practice was then offered (I won't go into details by what I mean by that out of respect for the teacher).
crazy-man wrote:tibetan buddhist center in
Latvia:
http://www.buddhanet.info/wbd/country.php?country_id=84
Lithuania
http://www.buddhanet.info/wbd/country.php?country_id=85
Estonia
http://www.buddhanet.info/wbd/country.php?country_id=83
http://www.budismiinstituut.ee/links.htm
Re: Poor student looking for approachable and serious Chöd teacher
Has your friend taken refuge?
"My religion is not deceiving myself."
Jetsun Milarepa 1052-1135 CE
"Butchers, prostitutes, those guilty of the five most heinous crimes, outcasts, the underprivileged: all are utterly the substance of existence and nothing other than total bliss."
The Supreme Source - The Kunjed Gyalpo
The Fundamental Tantra of Dzogchen Semde
Jetsun Milarepa 1052-1135 CE
"Butchers, prostitutes, those guilty of the five most heinous crimes, outcasts, the underprivileged: all are utterly the substance of existence and nothing other than total bliss."
The Supreme Source - The Kunjed Gyalpo
The Fundamental Tantra of Dzogchen Semde
Re: Poor student looking for approachable and serious Chöd teacher
Interest in the teachings is refuge enough. There is no need to get a groovy Tibetan name or have a snippet of hair cut from one's head.Sherab Dorje wrote:Has your friend taken refuge?
Re: Poor student looking for approachable and serious Chöd teacher
You don't even know why I am asking. You just assumed a whole heap of BS.Malcolm wrote:Interest in the teachings is refuge enough. There is no need to get a groovy Tibetan name or have a snippet of hair cut from one's head.Sherab Dorje wrote:Has your friend taken refuge?
"My religion is not deceiving myself."
Jetsun Milarepa 1052-1135 CE
"Butchers, prostitutes, those guilty of the five most heinous crimes, outcasts, the underprivileged: all are utterly the substance of existence and nothing other than total bliss."
The Supreme Source - The Kunjed Gyalpo
The Fundamental Tantra of Dzogchen Semde
Jetsun Milarepa 1052-1135 CE
"Butchers, prostitutes, those guilty of the five most heinous crimes, outcasts, the underprivileged: all are utterly the substance of existence and nothing other than total bliss."
The Supreme Source - The Kunjed Gyalpo
The Fundamental Tantra of Dzogchen Semde
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Re: Poor student looking for approachable and serious Chöd teacher
You take refuge at every transmission, and in every sadhana, usually.Sherab Dorje wrote:You don't even know why I am asking. You just assumed a whole heap of BS.Malcolm wrote:Interest in the teachings is refuge enough. There is no need to get a groovy Tibetan name or have a snippet of hair cut from one's head.Sherab Dorje wrote:Has your friend taken refuge?
Also, you can take refuge without a teacher.
So what are you trying to get at?
Just recognize the conceptualizing mind.
Re: Poor student looking for approachable and serious Chöd teacher
Sherab Dorje wrote:You don't even know why I am asking. You just assumed a whole heap of BS.Malcolm wrote:Interest in the teachings is refuge enough. There is no need to get a groovy Tibetan name or have a snippet of hair cut from one's head.Sherab Dorje wrote:Has your friend taken refuge?
Usually, when people ask "Has x taken refuge," they have the idea that someone needs a refuge vow.
Re: Poor student looking for approachable and serious Chöd teacher
Hi Malcolm, this is very refreshing to read you. Thank you for your post.
When i saw someone taking refuge and the lama told her "now you are buddhist, the others are not buddhist", i thaught this is now a real impediment that was given to her. The Buddha is no one and now she became something.
I really think if your heart resonate with the Buddha, you have already took refuge. In fact, only you know if you have taken refuge. It's not about ceremony. It's about what's in your heart. Then there can be a ceremony, but it's just a formality.
But what i see also is that "refuge" is sometime a means to tell people : you can't do this, you can't do that, now you belong...
Well... another debate.
When i saw someone taking refuge and the lama told her "now you are buddhist, the others are not buddhist", i thaught this is now a real impediment that was given to her. The Buddha is no one and now she became something.
I really think if your heart resonate with the Buddha, you have already took refuge. In fact, only you know if you have taken refuge. It's not about ceremony. It's about what's in your heart. Then there can be a ceremony, but it's just a formality.
But what i see also is that "refuge" is sometime a means to tell people : you can't do this, you can't do that, now you belong...
Well... another debate.
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Re: Poor student looking for approachable and serious Chöd teacher
Soma999 wrote:When i saw someone taking refuge and the lama told her "now you are buddhist, the others are not buddhist", i thaught this is now a real impediment that was given to her.
Pretty standard actually.
Dudjom Rinpoche says:
"you must not keep the company of those who hold non-Buddhist views or of people who, even if they claim to be Buddhists, have negative views and no confidence in the Three Jewels."
"Signs that the demons have entered us are that we find fault in the spiritual friend, our teacher; we see defects in Dharma practitioners in general; we keep the company of ordinary people; we have less diligence in the practice; we indulge in pleasure heedlessly, without any moral principles; and our devotion and respect for the Three Jewels fades."
"we should think: “I have entered the sublime Dharma and am undertaking the training of a Bodhisattva, so I must never be like ordinary people.”"
"Remind yourself of the defects of the pleasures of the senses, and avoid befriending ordinary people."
Reference: A Torch Lighting the Way to Freedom
Just recognize the conceptualizing mind.