Dzogchen Ganapuja

[Norwegian]

"Recently Chögyal Namkhai Norbu confirmed that the books containing his Longsal Teachings and related commentaries are restricted to practitioners who have already received from him the transmission of the teachings contained in each volume (also via webcast) or the Longsal Root Initiation of the Jñanadakini."

Within the Dzogchen Community there are books that are restricted for Dzogchen Community practicioners too, in other words, if I for example do not have the transmission of a text/practice, then it's restricted.

[Pero]

Rinpoche gave a Lung for the Longsal Preliminary Practices not too long ago, so does that mean that in receiving this Lung we are only allowed to have the Longsal Preliminary Practices book? Namdrol mentioned something about Longsal Preliminary Practices being found in Longsal Teachings Volume 3, so I figured that in having received the said Lung we would be authorized to study Longsal Teachings books up to and including Volume 3.

I'm afraid not. The Longsal volumes are just in the order in which they were translated and published, not in the order in which one can study them. There's two CDs in one package about this practice BTW. On one CD is a recording of Rinpoche teaching about this practice and on another Adriano Clemente giving more detailed explanation of it and then doing it.

[Lhug-Pa]

Thank you Pero and Norwegian for clarifying.

Here's the post I was referring to:

viewtopic.php?f=48&t=6554&hilit=Longsal&start=40#p77911

Therefore Yeshe Zangthal or All-Penetrating Wisdom is specific to Longsal Teachings Volume 3, or any other Longsal teaching under that name; and the Longsal Root Initiation of the Jnanadakini is the main Longsal Root Empowerment?

There's two CDs in one package about this practice BTW. On one CD is a recording of Rinpoche teaching about this practice and on another Adriano Clemente giving more detailed explanation of it and then doing it.

So then learning from the said CD's would suffice in place of the apparently-out-of-print Longsal Preliminary Practices book, that is if we have at least received the Lung for the Longsal Preliminary Practices?

[Lhug-Pa]

Edit: Never mind. I was referring to this post again; but I'll take the time to look it up if I really need to.

[Pero]

Thank you Pero and Norwegian for clarifying.

Here's the post I was referring to:

http://dharmawheel.net/viewtopic.php?f= ... =40#p77911

Therefore Yeshe Zangthal or All-Penetrating Wisdom is specific to Longsal Teachings Volume 3, or any other Longsal teaching under that name; and the Longsal Root Initiation of the Jnanadakini is the main Longsal Root Empowerment?

Yeshe Zangthal is only in volume 3. Rinpoche gives direct introduction with this method often.

So this would suffice in place of the apparently out of print Longsal Preliminary Practices book?

Yeah, you'd just have to write out the practice text. Or I can type it out for you if you decide to get this and try the practice. The explanation on the CDs is more detailed than in the booklet and this way you'd also be able to learn the melodies for this practice.

[Lhug-Pa]

Thank you for offering to do that Pero, I really appreciate it.

It's probably best that I stick to my current plan of action for now, and perhaps by the time I'm ready to study Longsal teachings more, the Longsal Preliminary Practices book will be back in print. If it's not, I might just take you up on that, as it's hard to say if I'll be able to transcribe Tibetan simply by hearing it, even with the Drajyor book on hand.

[dakini_boi]

I have a ganapuja question, unrelated to the rest of this thread.

ChNNR mentions that one can do a very abbreviated ganapuja with just a bit of food and wine. My question is, is it acceptable to make offerings to the 3 roots and guardians (including worldly guardians) - multiplying the offerings through visualization, and then eating it? Or if doing the full offering to guardians, should there always be a separate plate?

as a footnote to that question, is the offering plate to the 3 roots also what is offered to the worldly guardians?

[Fa Dao]

Ok, so heres the next obvious question...how and when can one get the Longsal Root Initiation of Jnanadakini? And if one gets that is one able to do any of the practices in the Longsal books 1-8?

[Pero]

Ok, so heres the next obvious question...how and when can one get the Longsal Root Initiation of Jnanadakini?

Well when there is an initation you show up and Rinpoche gives it to you.
Seriously, no one here or anywhere else will be able to tell you when there will be one. It's never going to be in webcast though, so you'll certainly have to travel to receive it.

And if one gets that is one able to do any of the practices in the Longsal books 1-8?

No, you still need to receive the instructions and the lung for mantras. You can read and apply whatever is related to the View though. At least this is how I understood Adriano Clemente.

[oleblanc]

I have a ganapuja question, unrelated to the rest of this thread.

ChNNR mentions that one can do a very abbreviated ganapuja with just a bit of food and wine. My question is, is it acceptable to make offerings to the 3 roots and guardians (including worldly guardians) - multiplying the offerings through visualization, and then eating it? Or if doing the full offering to guardians, should there always be a separate plate?

as a footnote to that question, is the offering plate to the 3 roots also what is offered to the worldly guardians?

You can do ganapuja with every meal and everyday...essential. It is very useful.
You can offer to every sentient being, it coul be useful too

[Lhug-Pa]

It isn't indispensable to have a physical light-fire (candle) offering when participating in a open webcast Ganapuja is it?

[Lhug-Pa]

Well my previous question is not so important; but more importantly, is there any sense in doing Marme Monlam alone and lighting a candle for it? Or is Marme Monlam strictly-speaking a group Invocation to be led by a Lama or senior student?


And it looks like Dronma's question from another thread has not yet been answered:

By the way, during Ganapuja do we place the plate with the offerings to Guru, Deva, Dakini before the beginning of the practice or during the distribution of the foods as the very first plate?

[simhanada]

Dronma wrote:
By the way, during Ganapuja do we place the plate with the offerings to Guru, Deva, Dakini before the beginning of the practice or during the distribution of the foods as the very first plate?

At the beginning. If there is a group then the leader of the practice would be the first to receive a plate.

[conebeckham]

Well my previous question is not so important; but more importantly, is there any sense in doing Marme Monlam alone and lighting a candle for it?

I can't see why not. I do this, alone, all the time, and I certainly don't think it's a worthless use of my time!

[Lhug-Pa]

Thanks Conebeckham

I thought that I'd read somewhere that regarding a specific ritual we're not supposed to light the candle by ourselves, so I was wondering if it was in reference to Marme Monlam.

But I'm not completely sure....

[Lhug-Pa]

If we don't have a larger Puja Drum for parts of practices that it compliments, which is the next best scenario:

A) Skip that part of the practice.

B) Substitute a Damaru

C) Substitute a Ghanta

D) Perform that part of the practice without any instruments at all.

E) Substitute a Damaru and a Ghanta if the part of the practice normally uses both a larger Puja Drum and a Ghanta.

[Malcolm]

If we don't have a larger Puja Drum for parts of practices that it compliments, which is the next best scenario:

Use a bell.

[Dronma]

Dronma wrote:
By the way, during Ganapuja do we place the plate with the offerings to Guru, Deva, Dakini before the beginning of the practice or during the distribution of the foods as the very first plate?

At the beginning. If there is a group then the leader of the practice would be the first to receive a plate.

Thanks!
May I ask why do we place the plate for Guru, Deva, Dakini at the beginning of the practice? Don't we have first to purify, multiply and empower with mantras the food and alcohol and then offer it to the 3 roots? I am a little bit confused with it because in other Buddhist lineages they offer everything during the distribution of the foods. First the plate to Guru, Deva, Dakini which is placed up to the shrine, then to the Master or - if no Lama is present - to the leader of the practice, and afterwards to the rest of the practitioners. I'd appreciate a reply which explains this in details.

[Kilaya.]

Dronma wrote:
By the way, during Ganapuja do we place the plate with the offerings to Guru, Deva, Dakini before the beginning of the practice or during the distribution of the foods as the very first plate?

At the beginning. If there is a group then the leader of the practice would be the first to receive a plate.

Thanks!
May I ask why do we place the plate for Guru, Deva, Dakini at the beginning of the practice? Don't we have first to purify, multiply and empower with mantras the food and alcohol and then offer it to the 3 roots? I am a little bit confused with it because in other Buddhist lineages they offer everything during the distribution of the foods. First the plate to Guru, Deva, Dakini which is placed up to the shrine, then to the Master or - if no Lama is present - to the leader of the practice, and afterwards to the rest of the practitioners. I'd appreciate a reply which explains this in details.

Kagyus also place the offerings at the altar before starting the puja, and you purify and multiply them during the ritual with mantras and visualization.

[Dronma]

Thanks!
May I ask why do we place the plate for Guru, Deva, Dakini at the beginning of the practice? Don't we have first to purify, multiply and empower with mantras the food and alcohol and then offer it to the 3 roots? I am a little bit confused with it because in other Buddhist lineages they offer everything during the distribution of the foods. First the plate to Guru, Deva, Dakini which is placed up to the shrine, then to the Master or - if no Lama is present - to the leader of the practice, and afterwards to the rest of the practitioners. I'd appreciate a reply which explains this in details.[/color]

Kagyus also place the offerings at the altar before starting the puja, and you purify and multiply them during the ritual with mantras and visualization.

The Kagyus and Nyingmas, who I know, place the plate at the altar during the distribution of food and alcohol....
Moreover, they place a burning incense on the plate with the food.