Tibetan dream

[Beatzen]

I had another strange dream last night. I was going to refuge, or trying to, with the local tibetan lama. This is frustrating. I'd love to study with him, but his ngondro group is exclusive. Hrm.

[Mr. G]

but his ngondro group is exclusive. Hrm.

Hi Beatzen,

What do you mean exclusive?

[Beatzen]

He generally entertains veteran students of ripe age. I'm 24, and he dismissed me a few years ago, in his own kind way.

[Virgo]

He generally entertains veteran students of ripe age. I'm 24, and he dismissed me a few years ago, in his own kind way.

Oh you should go back. Who is the lama, may I ask?

Kevin

[Mr. G]

He generally entertains veteran students of ripe age. I'm 24, and he dismissed me a few years ago, in his own kind way.

I say go back and be persistent. I know in another thread you mentioned a dream with Red Tara. In my biased opinion you have a connection to Vajrayana.

[Beatzen]

He generally entertains veteran students of ripe age. I'm 24, and he dismissed me a few years ago, in his own kind way.

Oh you should go back. Who is the lama, may I ask?

Kevin

Tsering gyaltsen. I think he's with chadgud gompa. This is near cottage grove, Oregon.

[Mr. G]

Lama Tsering Gyaltsen? What are you waiting for?

[AdmiralJim]

Why were you dismissed? I think until you have figured that out your sincere endeavours won't be successful. Are you currently doing ngondro? Good luck!

[Virgo]

Bring him a present.

Kevin

[catmoon]

He generally entertains veteran students of ripe age. I'm 24, and he dismissed me a few years ago, in his own kind way.

I say go back and be persistent. I know in another thread you mentioned a dream with Red Tara. In my biased opinion you have a connection to Vajrayana.

yup. It's just not normal for an average Joe to have an interest in Vajrayana. It's unusual. Sometimes one finds odd practices just sort of working their way into simple meditations and stuff, and later discovers they are based on standard prayers and rituals. I'd pay attention to that sort of thing.

[kirtu]

He generally entertains veteran students of ripe age. I'm 24, and he dismissed me a few years ago, in his own kind way.

Begin now with 100,000 recitations of Atisha's Refuge prayer or Guru Rinpoche's Seven Line prayer (probably the later as the lama is Nyingma). After a few weeks go back to that teacher and be persistent.

Kirt

[justsit]

Some teachers won't give teachings until you've supplicated three times.

Again, be persistent, show him you are serious and not just another poser.
After all, you are asking him to give you something precious.

You might recite Calling the Guru From Afar, too.

[Beatzen]

Bring him a present.

Kevin

Like what?

Also, who is red Tara? I want to know more about her.

[wisdom]

He generally entertains veteran students of ripe age. I'm 24, and he dismissed me a few years ago, in his own kind way.

Is that what he said, or is that your perception of the situation?

[Mr. G]

Also, who is red Tara? I want to know more about her.

From khandro.net:

Red Tara as Kurukulla, a deity whose primary activity is described as magnetizing or as subjugating.

The Drikung Kagyu Four-Armed Red Arya Tara is less common. Her activity
is described as "overpowering" in the sense of overcoming obstacles.

"My wife and I did this practice during a legal conflict we were involved with a few months ago. And I give Red Tara the credit for helping us to emerge from it, in better shape than when we started.

This particular practice does require an empowerment. If you have the opportunity to take the initiation with Garchen Rinpoche, for example, you might want to jump on it!" ~ S. at the kagyu list

:: Red Tara (Tib. Dolma Karmo) as practiced at Chagdud Gompa centers is different from Kurukulla. This practice, where Tara is a remover of obstacles, originated with Apong Terton, a great Nyingmapa who lived in the 1900s. Called The Condensed Essence of the Treasure of Supreme Enlightened Mind: The Mandala Ritual of the Noble Red Tara Called the Wish-Fulfilling Essence, it is "an extensive cycle that includes preliminary practices, dream yoga, healing practices, yoga of the subtle channels and energies (Tib. tza lung) and extensive teachings on the nature of mind.

A shorter practice is in Red Tara Commentary: Instructions for Concise Practice Known as Red Tara, An Open Door to Bliss and Ultimate Awareness compiled by Chagdud Khadro (Lama Jane Tromge.) It still contains two levels of practice: The first is a visualization of Tara in the space in front of oneself that does not require initiation; the second involves visualization of oneself as Tara and does require initiation. "Through initiation, the blessings of the lineage are formally transmitted and one's mind is ripened in order to realize the profundity of the practice."

The steps of the Red Tara practice are interspersed with prayers of homage to the twenty-one Taras as composed by another great Nyingmapa, a contemporary of Apong Terton, Khenpo Ngaga.

http://www.khandro.net/deities_tara1.htm

[Konchog1]

Some teachers won't give teachings until you've supplicated three times.

Again, be persistent, show him you are serious and not just another poser.
After all, you are asking him to give you something precious.

You might recite Calling the Guru From Afar, too.

I agree. Go back. Even Milarepa had to talk Marpa into teaching him.

[Virgo]

Bring him a present.

Kevin

Like what?

Think of Red Tara.

Kevin

[Beatzen]

My reservations stem from one, that he's a man. The zen acharya I've been studying under is female, and I'm comfortable with a female teacher. On the other hand, a male teacher could help me break that habit of discrimination.

Another thing is that, though I admire Tibetan Buddhism for the devotional character of their practice, and panoramic aestheticism, vajrayana seems so unnecessarily adorned to me. I'm a simple minded person. I can't visualize. I feel silly when I find myself enchanted by Tibetan mysticism. On the other hand, I'm apparently too modern or revisionistic to project minimalism on zen.

I'm just confused. I think the dreams with Tibetan symbols and characters tell me that I do have an inclination for vajrayana. I'm just not sure what I'd be getting into. I wish I was as learned as austus or namdrol.

[Virgo]

I wish I was as learned as austus or namdrol.

That will take forever.

Kevin

[Beatzen]

He generally entertains veteran students of ripe age. I'm 24, and he dismissed me a few years ago, in his own kind way.

Is that what he said, or is that your perception of the situation?

My perception. He suggested I look into theravada