Poor student looking for approachable and serious Chöd teacher

Dharmaswede
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Poor student looking for approachable and serious Chöd teacher

Post by Dharmaswede »

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
philji
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Re: Poor student looking for approachable and serious Chöd teacher

Post by philji »

No :thinking:
However, knowing where your friend lives or can travel to may help.
Dharmaswede
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Re: Poor student looking for approachable and serious Chöd teacher

Post by Dharmaswede »

Thank you.

He lives in the Baltic states. Can technically travel anywhere, but as indicated above is limited financially.

J.
pemachophel
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Re: Poor student looking for approachable and serious Chöd teacher

Post by pemachophel »

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.
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Ayu
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Re: Poor student looking for approachable and serious Chöd teacher

Post by Ayu »

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.
Dharmaswede
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Re: Poor student looking for approachable and serious Chöd teacher

Post by Dharmaswede »

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.
Certainly karmic connections play a role here. Exactly which role I think only a master can tell.
pemachophel wrote:Maybe getting a mo or divination is in order. Just a thought.
Excellent 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.
This is also a very good idea.

Thank you!
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ratna
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Re: Poor student looking for approachable and serious Chöd teacher

Post by ratna »

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
Soma999
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Re: Poor student looking for approachable and serious Chöd teacher

Post by Soma999 »

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
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Re: Poor student looking for approachable and serious Chöd teacher

Post by ClearblueSky »

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.
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.
Dharmaswede
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Re: Poor student looking for approachable and serious Chöd teacher

Post by Dharmaswede »

Ayu wrote:I know a venerable teacher in Hamburg (Germany) giving Chöd empowerments from time to time.
It would be greatly appreciated if you could send me the address. PM if you prefer that.
Ayu wrote:And in Switzerland there is a real Chöd-center. If he's interested, I can try to find the addresses.
If you mean www.ganden.ch then that is among the most expensive options out there.

Thank you.
Dharmaswede
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Re: Poor student looking for approachable and serious Chöd teacher

Post by Dharmaswede »

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).
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Grigoris
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Re: Poor student looking for approachable and serious Chöd teacher

Post by Grigoris »

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
Malcolm
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Re: Poor student looking for approachable and serious Chöd teacher

Post by Malcolm »

Sherab Dorje wrote:Has your friend taken refuge?
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.
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Grigoris
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Re: Poor student looking for approachable and serious Chöd teacher

Post by Grigoris »

Malcolm wrote:
Sherab Dorje wrote:Has your friend taken refuge?
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.
You don't even know why I am asking. You just assumed a whole heap of BS.
"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
BuddhaFollower
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Re: Poor student looking for approachable and serious Chöd teacher

Post by BuddhaFollower »

Sherab Dorje wrote:
Malcolm wrote:
Sherab Dorje wrote:Has your friend taken refuge?
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.
You don't even know why I am asking. You just assumed a whole heap of BS.
You take refuge at every transmission, and in every sadhana, usually.

Also, you can take refuge without a teacher.

So what are you trying to get at?
Just recognize the conceptualizing mind.
Malcolm
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Re: Poor student looking for approachable and serious Chöd teacher

Post by Malcolm »

Sherab Dorje wrote:
Malcolm wrote:
Sherab Dorje wrote:Has your friend taken refuge?
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.
You don't even know why I am asking. You just assumed a whole heap of BS.

Usually, when people ask "Has x taken refuge," they have the idea that someone needs a refuge vow.
Soma999
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Re: Poor student looking for approachable and serious Chöd teacher

Post by Soma999 »

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.
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Re: Poor student looking for approachable and serious Chöd teacher

Post by BuddhaFollower »

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.
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