Interest in Nyingma school of Tibetan Buddhism

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Distorted
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Interest in Nyingma school of Tibetan Buddhism

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Greetings, I am knew to Tibetan Buddhism and have just started to make efforts to learn more on Buddhism with serious interest in taking refuge in the three gems. I have not yet as I feel I do not know enough and should have a clear understanding. I feel a pulling toward Tibetan Buddhism, though all the other places I have been to or seen/introduced to have been great as well. I have had some great suggestions and help with questions in other areas of Dharmawheel.net to help in this direction as well as more contact outside the internet and books as of late.

I would like to share an experience with you as it brings me to a question. I do not mean any offense if any is taken here.

I went to a centre the other day in which was in the mountains an hour away from where I live. A friend of mine and I had hiked to a Stupa they have in the woods which was a steep hike which took about fifteen to twenty minutes. Then we had hiked back and saw a place we were told of in which it had a twenty foot statue of Guru Rinpoche.

Later we were talking and he noted that Rinpoche looked pretty fierce/intimidating. My friend felt the statue was staring at him with the thought of "what are you doing here"? I thought it was pretty amusing he had thought so though it did not come across the same to me. I thought Guru Rinpoche had a welcoming look but steadfast. So I wondered why he had thought that so I had asked my girlfriend and she thought something similar though she felt it was more so angry. (I had only showed her a picture I had found on the internet for her to see.)

So i saw other pictures of Guru Rinpoche and I stick with the steadfast seriousness though welcoming remark. Anyone else ever here something similar of Guru Rinpoche images?

As for the Centre in the mountains/woods I will be returning there with no doubt about it.
"Sona, before you became a monk you were a musician". Sona said that was true. So the Buddha said, "As a musician which string of the lute produces a pleasant and harmonious sound. The over-tight string?" "No," said Sona, "The over-tight string produces an unpleasant sound and is moreover likely to break at any moment." "The string that is too loose?" Again, "No, the string that is too loose does not produce a tuneful sound. The string that produces a tuneful sound is the string that is not too tight and not too loose."
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heart
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Re: Interest in Nyingma school of Tibetan Buddhism

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Yes, many years ago, I felt something "Oh Yeah, I'm home" when I met Guru Rinpoche. It was so true. Today is Guru Rinpoche day, the 25th day of the lunar month, so it is very auspicious that you ask about this.

/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)
MrDistracted
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Re: Interest in Nyingma school of Tibetan Buddhism

Post by MrDistracted »

Welcoming but steadfast sounds about right :smile:

Was it POL/Vajrayana Foundation by any chance? If so, that statue was made and painted by Dungsey Thinley Norbu Rinpoche.

Lama Tharchin Rinpoche (below) who is the lama at POL is a great, great lama and I would try to meet him if you have a chance. I have travelled from the UK a few times to POL....

They have cancelled their Losar retreat, but if you can get to the spring retreat please go. I cannot recommend the place and Lama Tharchin Rinpoche enough :smile:

You can also get dvds and recordings of his teachings if you wanted to see those http://heartteachings.com/" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false; , actually i think the Jnanasukha foundation has some of his teachings you can download here http://www.jnanasukha.org/media/" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

All the best
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ngodrup
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Re: Interest in Nyingma school of Tibetan Buddhism

Post by ngodrup »

Generally speaking, images is Guru Rinpoche have subtle aspects in their facial expression
of peace, bliss (or playful if you will) and wrath. So, what you see is what your karma
gives you to see.
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Distorted
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Re: Interest in Nyingma school of Tibetan Buddhism

Post by Distorted »

heart wrote:Yes, many years ago, I felt something "Oh Yeah, I'm home" when I met Guru Rinpoche. It was so true. Today is Guru Rinpoche day, the 25th day of the lunar month, so it is very auspicious that you ask about this.

/magnus

Whoaw and thinking back to another event while I was there that I may not mention it makes my ears ring when I read this. haha wow
"Sona, before you became a monk you were a musician". Sona said that was true. So the Buddha said, "As a musician which string of the lute produces a pleasant and harmonious sound. The over-tight string?" "No," said Sona, "The over-tight string produces an unpleasant sound and is moreover likely to break at any moment." "The string that is too loose?" Again, "No, the string that is too loose does not produce a tuneful sound. The string that produces a tuneful sound is the string that is not too tight and not too loose."
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Distorted
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Re: Interest in Nyingma school of Tibetan Buddhism

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MrDistracted wrote:Welcoming but steadfast sounds about right :smile:

Was it POL/Vajrayana Foundation by any chance? If so, that statue was made and painted by Dungsey Thinley Norbu Rinpoche.

Lama Tharchin Rinpoche (below) who is the lama at POL is a great, great lama and I would try to meet him if you have a chance. I have travelled from the UK a few times to POL....

They have cancelled their Losar retreat, but if you can get to the spring retreat please go. I cannot recommend the place and Lama Tharchin Rinpoche enough :smile:

You can also get dvds and recordings of his teachings if you wanted to see those http://heartteachings.com/" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false; , actually i think the Jnanasukha foundation has some of his teachings you can download here http://www.jnanasukha.org/media/" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

All the best

Yes it was POL/Vajrayana Foundation in fact. I hope I will get to meet Lama Tharchin Rinpoche in the future visits I will be making there. I have asked about Dharma classes so I can learn more. I will definitely be returning though it is a little over an hour away from where I live. Which isn't to bad. I started by the parking lots up to by the bathrooms/gift shop and walked the loop and ended at guru Rinpoche before I went back to the car.
"Sona, before you became a monk you were a musician". Sona said that was true. So the Buddha said, "As a musician which string of the lute produces a pleasant and harmonious sound. The over-tight string?" "No," said Sona, "The over-tight string produces an unpleasant sound and is moreover likely to break at any moment." "The string that is too loose?" Again, "No, the string that is too loose does not produce a tuneful sound. The string that produces a tuneful sound is the string that is not too tight and not too loose."
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Paul
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Re: Interest in Nyingma school of Tibetan Buddhism

Post by Paul »

Indeed - some are very peaceful:

Image

Some are very wrathful:

Image

And some manifestations are extremely wrathful:

Image

Nirmanakayas are like a Rorschach test...
Look at the unfathomable spinelessness of man: all the means he's been given to stay alert he uses, in the end, to ornament his sleep. – Rene Daumal
the modern mind has become so limited and single-visioned that it has lost touch with normal perception - John Michell
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Distorted
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Re: Interest in Nyingma school of Tibetan Buddhism

Post by Distorted »

ngodrup wrote:Generally speaking, images is Guru Rinpoche have subtle aspects in their facial expression
of peace, bliss (or playful if you will) and wrath. So, what you see is what your karma
gives you to see.

I see, that is amazing. I am surprised I did not see the wrath like my friend had. I have taken a better direction for the past some years now. Though I should still have a pile of wrath karma on my plate compared to my friend who has lived in a good way since we were kids. Though we all have our personal battles. I will keep this in mind thank you NGODRUP.
"Sona, before you became a monk you were a musician". Sona said that was true. So the Buddha said, "As a musician which string of the lute produces a pleasant and harmonious sound. The over-tight string?" "No," said Sona, "The over-tight string produces an unpleasant sound and is moreover likely to break at any moment." "The string that is too loose?" Again, "No, the string that is too loose does not produce a tuneful sound. The string that produces a tuneful sound is the string that is not too tight and not too loose."
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Re: Interest in Nyingma school of Tibetan Buddhism

Post by Distorted »

Paul wrote:Indeed - some are very peaceful:

Some are very wrathful:
And some manifestations are extremely wrathful:
Nirmanakayas are like a Rorschach test...
What is a Nirmankayas and a Rorshach if you don't mind me asking? *Edited - see under photo.... :oops:

Here is the Guru Rinpoche I had seen.
Image




Ok... Inkblot test...I guess I could have googled both of these. :tongue:
Last edited by Distorted on Thu Feb 02, 2012 10:43 pm, edited 3 times in total.
"Sona, before you became a monk you were a musician". Sona said that was true. So the Buddha said, "As a musician which string of the lute produces a pleasant and harmonious sound. The over-tight string?" "No," said Sona, "The over-tight string produces an unpleasant sound and is moreover likely to break at any moment." "The string that is too loose?" Again, "No, the string that is too loose does not produce a tuneful sound. The string that produces a tuneful sound is the string that is not too tight and not too loose."
MrDistracted
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Re: Interest in Nyingma school of Tibetan Buddhism

Post by MrDistracted »

Lama Tharchin's close relative, Loppon Jigme Rinpoche, who is a heart son of Chadral Rinpoche, is in Marin if that's near you aswell. http://www.loppon.info/" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;
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Re: Interest in Nyingma school of Tibetan Buddhism

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MrDistracted wrote:Lama Tharchin's close relative, Loppon Jigme Rinpoche, who is a heart son of Chadral Rinpoche, is in Marin if that's near you aswell. http://www.loppon.info/" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;
Good to know, thank you. I loved the area in Santa Cruz mountains where I have visited. It reminds me of the village I lived in that my father is from.
"Sona, before you became a monk you were a musician". Sona said that was true. So the Buddha said, "As a musician which string of the lute produces a pleasant and harmonious sound. The over-tight string?" "No," said Sona, "The over-tight string produces an unpleasant sound and is moreover likely to break at any moment." "The string that is too loose?" Again, "No, the string that is too loose does not produce a tuneful sound. The string that produces a tuneful sound is the string that is not too tight and not too loose."
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Re: Interest in Nyingma school of Tibetan Buddhism

Post by Distorted »

Thank you for the input everyone. It is much appreciated. :twothumbsup: I am looking forward to learning more.
"Sona, before you became a monk you were a musician". Sona said that was true. So the Buddha said, "As a musician which string of the lute produces a pleasant and harmonious sound. The over-tight string?" "No," said Sona, "The over-tight string produces an unpleasant sound and is moreover likely to break at any moment." "The string that is too loose?" Again, "No, the string that is too loose does not produce a tuneful sound. The string that produces a tuneful sound is the string that is not too tight and not too loose."
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