alpha wrote:
Yeah..
Lots of people think that dzogchen is easy.But in reality that is very far from the truth.
We somehow are given the impression that we get direct introduction and all we have to do is rest in that recognition if we have discovered our state.
But how many people can do that from the first try ?How many people can get the state from the first introduction or second third, fifth,tenth,....?
1% maybe ?
And what do you do if you dont get it ?
You train and train and train .And this usually takes years and years .And once you discover your state then you have to stabilize it and this also takes very long time.
Lets remember the story of CNNR of him having a dream where his teacher asked about his practice of togal.And his answer was that his not doing togal yet because he thought that his knowledge is not stable enough.
And if i am not mistaken he had this dream in the nineties or early 2000..
So just look at how many years he's practiced dzogchen but he still thought that his rigpa is not stable enough to go into the deeper practices?
Dear alpha, all and All,
Everybody's view is exactly correct and completely perfect from their viewpoint.
Everything you have mentioned is also exactly correct and completely perfect.
But also, everybody hears things differently. Since I am old and my ears are funny, I hear things really differently.
In the dream, that I heard about, it was the Dharma King, ChNNR's, depth of Tregchod specifically, that he was referring to, not knowledge in general, or stable integration in Rigpa.
So, in his relating his dream, was ChNNR just being humble in front of his teacher, or was he stating that all of his students must have a stable Tregchod before starting Togal? Was he stating that all of his students must have a dream in which he tells them it is ok now to practice Togal?
You can ask ChNNR if this is important to you. It is not important to me.
TG is not just one of the deeper practices, it is perhaps the deepest practice. For a lazy old guy like me, the Yangti practice of the dark is much easier.
I have received the precious TG teachings from ChNNR, on several occasions, and on all, except the last in Tenarife, ANYONE who showed up at the teachings, got the TG. I believe that the TG was not webcast, but a newcomer on their first retreat, received the complete TG practice instructions.
Before attending the TG teachings in Tenarife, each participant had to write a personal e-mail to Rinpoche and receive permission. He has stated that no one was refused. So a brand new practitioner, attending a retreat for the first time, would again, also have received the precious TG teachings, in full.
For me, this is not surprising or inconsistent with anything ChNNR has said before.
The principle is that you start at the top, if that does not work, THEN you keep going down a notch until you find a level of practice that works for you. Rinpoche does not limit his students, and has stated that you can practice Dzogchen from within any formal religious structure: so you can be an "anything" and still practice Dzogchen.
There is no / no requirement that you must feel that you have received the pointing out instructions correctly. Whatever you receive, during the pointing out / direct introduction, is completely perfect and OK for you and your practice. There is no internal or external test to pass, before you go to Dzogchen retreats, or listen to the webcasts, or read the books, or watch the DVDs or listen to the CDs, or DO the practices. You just need the transmission of the reading of the text, which he gives for most practices, on every retreat. If you are taking the Santi Maha Sangha course, then there are tests to pass.
I have received all the precious Teachings of ChNNR, that I have received, without passing any tests. I am attending three or four retreats a year, since 1980. I also hold the holy Longchen Nyingthig and Dudjom Tersar Lineages, again, without passing any tests. I am not stating this for bragging but to point out that even a dummy like me
can get a lot of teachings - just by showing up, consistently, and can make a little progress, just by doing a little practice, consistently. In my case, two nundros, a seven month purification of the 6 lokas retreat, a total of 49 days in the dark, 3 glorious Yeshe Lama retreats, and 13 bum of Guru Rinpoche, etc. The etc. includes two TG retreats, in Winter, at the prayer flags above the retreat caves at Tso Pema. Yeah, maybe that is bragging, but I am 66 years old and would share a little of my story. I did not spring up like a mushroom, overnight.
None of which means that I have accomplished anything at all in the Dharma, or know anything about Dzogchen practice, but I am content and I suppose that that means something, at least to me. I am completely content to sit on a low seat.
So to keep on topic, I should mention that I am sharing this information as an expression of relative Bodhicitta, with the sincere wish that it is helpful to someone. Is this something I need to do?
I sincerely don't claim that my post is in any way, a pure from the beginning, spontaneously occurring, natural expression of Dzogchen accomplishment.
Perhaps it is just a strongly held habit that is hard to break.
For me, it is much better to stay quietly, not involve with things too much, and to take Patrul Rinpoche's lived example, and advice, and let it all go.
Homage to the Dzogchen Masters. May they live long, in good health and with success in all things.
PS. Please remember that there are several views about Tregchod and Togal as to which should be taught / stabilized first. In their very precious 7 year series of teachings, the holy Palyul Lineage teaches that the Togal should be taught before the Tregchod.
http://retreat.palyul.org/introduction- ... ul-retreat" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;
See the list on the left, under courses.