Chan practioner thinking about visiting a nyingma center

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daibunny
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Chan practioner thinking about visiting a nyingma center

Post by daibunny »

Im a zen / chan practioner of about 20 years or so and there is a nyingma lineage center near me that has open meditation evenings starting in a couple of weeks. Despite having had a couple of nyingma friends over the years, i dont really know much about it, what kind of practice they do or what a nyingma teacher might recommend as far as practice. What might i expect?

My current practice, given me by a chan teacher, which i have been doing for a few years, is to "abide with mind".
Thanks :)
Nothing remains
Of the house that I was born in--
Fireflies.

- Santoka, 1882-1940
Mountain Tasting: Zen Haiku by Santoka Taneda, 1980, p.48
Translated by John Stevens
Simon E.
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Re: Chan practioner thinking about visiting a nyingma center

Post by Simon E. »

It is not simply that you will experience different methods and/or techniques. It is a matter of mindset.
This is not a triumphalist statement.
You might visit this centre and discover that your karmic processes and temperament will lead you back to Chan.
What you will find at any Vajrayana centre is a strong devotional element. Devotion to various teachers and to various deities. You will find far less emphasis on the existential.
Some elements that you might assume to be basic Dharma will be absent or deemphasised.
You will, for example, find little use of the kind of verbal paradox frequently used as skillful means in Chan/Zen.
The reverse of this would of course apply equally if a Nyingmapa decided to visit a Chan centre.
“You don’t know it. You just know about it. That is not the same thing.”

Chogyam Trungpa Rinpoche to me.
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Rinchen Dorje
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Re: Chan practioner thinking about visiting a nyingma center

Post by Rinchen Dorje »

If you want a really good overview you could check out Chagdud Tulku Rinpoche's book Gates to Buddhist Practice. He and his book are about as "Nyingma" as they come. Will help you to understand what you are seeing and hearing when you go there.
https://www.amazon.com/Gates-Buddhist-P ... 1881847314
"But if you know how to observe yourself, you will discover your real nature, the primordial state, the state of Guruyoga, and then all will become clear because you will have discovered everything"-Namkhai Norbu Rinpoche
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kirtu
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Re: Chan practioner thinking about visiting a nyingma center

Post by kirtu »

daibunny wrote: Fri Nov 24, 2017 5:46 am ... what kind of practice they do or what a nyingma teacher might recommend as far as practice. What might i expect?
In general you will probably find their meditation to be very "light" in intensity or even brief in comparisson to most Zen centers. However you could also find that the approach to meditation is more systematic and proceeds in a more step by step manner (at least in teaching) than most Zen people have been exposed to. Beyond calm-abiding (shamatha) and insight meditation (vipashyana), their meditation will involve losts of "rituals" with meditation embeded towards the end (this is how it will seem) and the rituals will involve a lot of visualization and chanting. Most of the Nyingma students will also misunderstand Zen practice as emphasing emptiness alone or even as being just calm-abiding (shamatha, quieting the mind) centric.

Kirt
“Where do atomic bombs come from?”
Zen Master Seung Sahn said, “That’s simple. Atomic bombs come from the mind that likes this and doesn’t like that.”

"Even if you practice only for an hour a day with faith and inspiration, good qualities will steadily increase. Regular practice makes it easy to transform your mind. From seeing only relative truth, you will eventually reach a profound certainty in the meaning of absolute truth."
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"Only you can make your mind beautiful."
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dzogchungpa
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Re: Chan practioner thinking about visiting a nyingma center

Post by dzogchungpa »

daibunny wrote: Fri Nov 24, 2017 5:46 amIm a zen / chan practioner of about 20 years or so and there is a nyingma lineage center near me that has open meditation evenings starting in a couple of weeks. Despite having had a couple of nyingma friends over the years, i dont really know much about it, what kind of practice they do or what a nyingma teacher might recommend as far as practice. What might i expect?

Well, may I ask which center or teacher you are referring to? There is actually quite a wide range of things that might go on at a Nyingma center. Where I live there is a very large amount of Nyingma activity and just to take two well-known examples you will find a big difference between attending programs at Orgyen Dorje Den and The Nyingma Institute. If I were to mention some less well-known examples the differences would be even more striking. :smile:
There is not only nothingness because there is always, and always can manifest. - Thinley Norbu Rinpoche
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daibunny
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Re: Chan practioner thinking about visiting a nyingma center

Post by daibunny »

Im thinking abut this one: http://songtsengampo.org/index.html
Their weds eve is supposed to start up within 3 weeks or so.

Sounds really interesting from what you guys say, i dont mind the devotional thing, i have been to kwan yin services at the local chan zendo and enjoyed them.
I think it might be interesting to have a brighter light shone on aspects of reality that i maybe havent given due attention.
Nothing remains
Of the house that I was born in--
Fireflies.

- Santoka, 1882-1940
Mountain Tasting: Zen Haiku by Santoka Taneda, 1980, p.48
Translated by John Stevens
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Kim O'Hara
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Re: Chan practioner thinking about visiting a nyingma center

Post by Kim O'Hara »

daibunny wrote: Sat Nov 25, 2017 12:40 am Im thinking abut this one: http://songtsengampo.org/index.html
Their weds eve is supposed to start up within 3 weeks or so.

Sounds really interesting from what you guys say, i dont mind the devotional thing, i have been to kwan yin services at the local chan zendo and enjoyed them.
I think it might be interesting to have a brighter light shone on aspects of reality that i maybe havent given due attention.
An excellent attitude!
:twothumbsup:

:namaste:
Kim
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Lindama
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Re: Chan practioner thinking about visiting a nyingma center

Post by Lindama »

I'll second Kim.... "excellent attitude" .... and confirm... I have years on zen and chan yet appreciate nyingma/vajrayana/bon centers. I don't mind the devotional thing either.... I make no comparisons. Someone mentioned Chagdud... I'd like to read his book. Yrs ago I was at a Red Tara retreat/festival connected to Chagdud's lineage ... kwan yin, tara, kanzeon, mary ..... precious beings, I don't make distinctions.

Check it out, it's good pan-dharma.... did Meido coin that word? I like it.

best,
linda

Kim O'Hara wrote: Sat Nov 25, 2017 3:49 am
daibunny wrote: Sat Nov 25, 2017 12:40 am Im thinking abut this one: http://songtsengampo.org/index.html
Their weds eve is supposed to start up within 3 weeks or so.

Sounds really interesting from what you guys say, i dont mind the devotional thing, i have been to kwan yin services at the local chan zendo and enjoyed them.
I think it might be interesting to have a brighter light shone on aspects of reality that i maybe havent given due attention.
An excellent attitude!
:twothumbsup:

:namaste:
Kim
Not last night,
not this morning,
melon flowers bloomed.
~ Bassho
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Lindama
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Re: Chan practioner thinking about visiting a nyingma center

Post by Lindama »

... or maybe it was Anjali who coined that word... the memory thing. anyhoo, the answer is yes they both could :heart:
Not last night,
not this morning,
melon flowers bloomed.
~ Bassho
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dzogchungpa
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Re: Chan practioner thinking about visiting a nyingma center

Post by dzogchungpa »

daibunny wrote: Sat Nov 25, 2017 12:40 am Im thinking abut this one: http://songtsengampo.org/index.html
Their weds eve is supposed to start up within 3 weeks or so.

That looks like a nice place. It's hard to know from the site what will be emphasized in the meditation class, but looking at some of the resources on this page:
http://songtsengampo.org/Meditation-Resources.html
is probably a good way to get a sense of their approach.


daibunny wrote: Sat Nov 25, 2017 12:40 amSounds really interesting from what you guys say,

It is.
This is not a triumphalist statement. :smile:
There is not only nothingness because there is always, and always can manifest. - Thinley Norbu Rinpoche
tingdzin
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Re: Chan practioner thinking about visiting a nyingma center

Post by tingdzin »

dzogchungpa wrote: Fri Nov 24, 2017 4:58 pm There is actually quite a wide range of things that might go on at a Nyingma center.
Nyingmapa is actually quite a big umbrella, and the vibe from different places varies tremendously.
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