Dzogchen Community of Chogyal Namkhai Norbu

[Blue Garuda]

Do groups cater for vegetarians at Ganapuja or is meat compulsory? (I know for Tsog in vajrayana that tsampa is an alternative.)

I've never experienced a vegetarian ganapuja in the DC. I have seen meals catered to food allergies though. If one is a recovering alcoholic then maybe it would be best not to drink.

I thought that was probably the case as ChNNR has a specific view on eating meat anyway. I've seen some of the retreats offer vegetarian food but I assume the transformation of meat in Ganapuja is the same as in Tsog.

[Stewart]

Do groups cater for vegetarians at Ganapuja or is meat compulsory? (I know for Tsog in vajrayana that tsampa is an alternative.)

I've never experienced a vegetarian ganapuja in the DC. I have seen meals catered to food allergies though. If one is a recovering alcoholic then maybe it would be best not to drink.

I thought that was probably the case as ChNNR has a specific view on eating meat anyway. I've seen some of the retreats offer vegetarian food but I assume the transformation of meat in Ganapuja is the same as in Tsog.

tshogs is Ganapuja.

[underthetree]

Thanks, everyone. My dish is in the oven and I'm studying mudras...

[Sherlock]

Do groups cater for vegetarians at Ganapuja or is meat compulsory? (I know for Tsog in vajrayana that tsampa is an alternative.)

I've never experienced a vegetarian ganapuja in the DC. I have seen meals catered to food allergies though. If one is a recovering alcoholic then maybe it would be best not to drink.

I thought that was probably the case as ChNNR has a specific view on eating meat anyway. I've seen some of the retreats offer vegetarian food but I assume the transformation of meat in Ganapuja is the same as in Tsog.

I heard that the recent Taiwan retreat was vegetarian and they used grape juice instead of wine.

[wisdomfire]

Hi, I am looking for the Tibetan text for the Chod practice for Dzogchen Community. I find difficulties and inaccuracies for myself following the Drajyor system. I prefer reading Tibetan directly but the Chod booklet doesn't have the text in Tibetan. Can anyone PM me or direct me to find the Tibetan text? Thanks alot!

I have a copy of the Tibetan somewhere, just gotta track it down. I also have an improved transliteration, if you want that.

Hi JinpaRangdrol, i have PMed you already. Thanks for your reply!!

[oldbob]

From GADZOGCHEN:

Here is the information on how you can estimate the time of the future webcasts, and convert it to you local time zone. I try to send a webcast schedule converted to EST as soon as the detailed schedule is posted on the Norbunet, which sometime doesn't happen until just a day or two before the retreat. If you want to estimate the time a little further in advance for the retreats, you can keep following in mind. Rinpoche usually gives teaching from 10AM to NOON every day of the retreat, except the first day and the ganapuja which changes with different location.

We can check the schedule of the upcoming retreats in the following way:

There is a pdf on the bottom of the page with Rinpoche's schedule, covering almost a year in advance:

Here is the link to that page:
http://www.dzogchen.it/

Here is the current pdf that is there now (this is being regularly updated, so check it, if you want to know the latest schedule):
http://www.dzogchen.it/CNN-shcedule_20120414.pdf

Here is the webcast page, where they put detailed schedule for the upcoming retreat few days before it starts. There is also a clock that shows you time at the retreat's location, so you can calculate what that corresponds to your time zone:

http://www.shangshunginstitute.net/webcast/video.php.

You can also use this converter:

http://www.timezoneconverter.com/cgi-bin/tzc.tzc

Please see attachment on detailed instructions on how to use this converter.

Hope this was helpful

[RikudouSennin]

what does action mantra mean?

pm me if you like

thx

[magnagei]

Correct me if I'm wrong, but I believe action mantras have specific functions. The action mantras of green Tara come to mind. I believe Rinpoche has said that if you sufficiently chant the main mantra with confidence, action mantras are not necessary. I think he said that because people put too much emphasis on wanting a specific result or outcome of practice and don't do enough of the main mantra.

[magnagei]

How does one break samaya as a Dzogchen practitioner, or specifically as a student of ChNN? I know that teaching secret teachings is one way, what are others? Are the 5 precepts included in samaya?

[username]

Times given are local hours in Italy:

MERIGAR WEST RETREAT
21st -27th September 2012

Zhitro Khordas Rangdrol
the terma teaching of Ridzin Jyangchub Dorje. 

OPEN WEBCAST. Timezone: GMT+2

21st Sept. 10am-12pm.
Introduction about this
Teaching and the transmission of Ati Guru Yoga related with the
tridlung of Short Thun Practice.

22nd Sept. 10am-12pm.
Giving more detail explanation
about the teaching of Zhitro and its different methods.

23rd Sept. 10am-12pm.
Give a Donwang of Zhitro Khordas
Rangdrol.

24th Sept. 10am-12pm.
Giving  instruction about the
essential  practice of the Zhitro Khordas  Rangdrol.

25th Sept. 10am-12pm.
Giving instructions how we do
the practice of Zhitro for the living and dying people.

12,30pm - 1pm. We do a Short Gana Puja for the
day of Guru Rinpoche.

26th Sept. 10am-12pm.
We do the practice of Jyangchog
for all dead people who we have good or bad relations.

27th Sept. 10am-12pm.
Giving some advices for the daily life practices and tridlungs of collective practices and so on.   We also do an Ati Guru Yoga altogether for finishing our retreat.


In the Webcast Site:

http://www.shangshunginstitute.net/webcast

You will find updated SCHEDULE and information.

[Fa Dao]

Rinpoche gives the Namcho Medicine Buddha transmission that I got a while back. In it at the end there are two mantras that are very similar except for one word.
One is "Maha" the other is "Vidya". Does this "Vidya" have the same meaning as Rigpa?

[Yudron]

Rinpoche gives the Namcho Medicine Buddha transmission that I got a while back. In it at the end there are two mantras that are very similar except for one word.
One is "Maha" the other is "Vidya". Does this "Vidya" have the same meaning as Rigpa?

Yes. However, it's a little confused because I don't think there have been any Dzogchen texts per se discovered in Sanskrit yet--just brief mentions in Mahayoga texts--and Dzogchen as we know it may have emerged from other languages.

The scholars and translators will tell you more specifics.

[oldbob]

How does one break samaya as a Dzogchen practitioner, or specifically as a student of ChNN? I know that teaching secret teachings is one way, what are others? Are the 5 precepts included in samaya?

http://www.dzogchen.org/study/

has some excellent comments on Dzogchen and Samaya, within this excellent presentation of Dzogchen, to answer the first part of your question.

http://books.google.com/books?id=UXK9JG ... en&f=false

has ChNNRs heart of the matter. Please note that teaching secret teachings is not mentioned. That said, I think the principle is to try to act with awareness at all times. One should never act in a way to provocate those with other views. So it is just less troublesome not to mention anything about Dzogchen to anyone who has other fixed views. You can never convince someone of their "natural state."

Hence the key point of suggesting to someone who wants to learn Dzogchen, that they seek direct introduction from a Dzogchen Master.

Then, as in the Three Words of Garab Dorje, there are many practices to help you gain confidence and continue in this state.

http://www.amazon.com/Golden-Letters-Jo ... 1559390506

As a Dzogchen practicioner, I can take any precepts that I feel would be helpful to my practice, including the full vows of a Theravada monk, and I am perfectly free to practice Dzogchen from within those vows. There are no "from authority" limits. You act with awareness in the circumstances that you find yourself in, doing your best to observe yourself. If you observe that touching a hot stove causes suffering, you don't touch the hot stove. Hence, in Dzogchen, I keep the 5 holy precepts because I observe that my life goes better when I do, not because they are inherently holy.

Isn't it wonderful!

Please old-timers jump in if i get something wrong or leave something out.

Thank you Lord Buddha. Thank you ChNNR.

May all the Dzogchen Masters live long, in good health, and with success in all things.

[Sherlock]

Rinpoche gives the Namcho Medicine Buddha transmission that I got a while back. In it at the end there are two mantras that are very similar except for one word.
One is "Maha" the other is "Vidya". Does this "Vidya" have the same meaning as Rigpa?

Yes. However, it's a little confused because I don't think there have been any Dzogchen texts per se discovered in Sanskrit yet--just brief mentions in Mahayoga texts--and Dzogchen as we know it may have emerged from other languages.

The scholars and translators will tell you more specifics.

Malcolm prefers translating rigpa as vidya. It also makes the connection to avidya clearer.

[Sönam]

How does one break samaya as a Dzogchen practitioner, or specifically as a student of ChNN? I know that teaching secret teachings is one way, what are others? Are the 5 precepts included in samaya?

I've heard Rinpoché once saying that main samaya break for his student is to be harmfull with his vajra sibling ...

Sönam

[Sönam]

... and to day he synthetizes it that way: "no rules, we do our best"

Sönam

[Sherlock]

I didn't quite catch the part where ChNN was talking about Changchub Dorje passed on his terma teachings -- was Rinpoche saying once CCD received the teachings, he immediately did some a formal ceremony to pass them on to his students or did he give them in an informal way?

[heart]

I didn't quite catch the part where ChNN was talking about Changchub Dorje passed on his terma teachings -- was Rinpoche saying once CCD received the teachings, he immediately did some a formal ceremony to pass them on to his students or did he give them in an informal way?

He just said "some kind of transmission" it didn't specify formal or informal. I understood it like he seldom repeated the transmissions which of course makes it very difficult to receive them.

/magnus

[Josef]

I didn't quite catch the part where ChNN was talking about Changchub Dorje passed on his terma teachings -- was Rinpoche saying once CCD received the teachings, he immediately did some a formal ceremony to pass them on to his students or did he give them in an informal way?

He just said "some kind of transmission" it didn't specify formal or informal. I understood it like he seldom repeated the transmissions which of course makes it very difficult to receive them.

/magnus

This is my impression as well.
It could also be one of the reasons why ChNN received so many transmissions through Changchub Dorje's son as well.

[T. Chokyi]

I didn't quite catch the part where ChNN was talking about Changchub Dorje passed on his terma teachings -- was Rinpoche saying once CCD received the teachings, he immediately did some a formal ceremony to pass them on to his students or did he give them in an informal way?

When CHNN refers to how CCD gave the formal ceremony which CHNN requested of him, that particular "ceremony" CHNN has described over the years, as being very awkward for CCD to "perform", in that CCD didn't have the kind of formal training to do these ceremonies seemlessly, for example, CCD would ring the bell with his left hand (stop), then play the damaru with his right for example, not coordinating the playing of the two at the same time, because he truly was not "used to" giving this kind of formal ceremony, so if CHNN says "some kind of transmission or some kind of ceremony" which he has said numerous times during webcasts, the impression CHNN is conveying is that it was very awkward for CCD to do it this way formally. CCD was a country Dr. and informal, not a formal practitioner like say a formally trained Khenpo might be who gives all these kind of empowerments knowing how to use all the ritual instruments etc...so to answer your question, CCD didn't immediately give a formal ceremony to pass these terma teachings on to CHNN, nor was he used to giving them to his students in a formal way like we see in so many Gompas in the West with Khenpos doing everything in the very proper way... CCD was the teaching, he was the embodiment of the teaching, and it was CHNN who says he thought at the time that he should be asking and requesting for formal ceremonies because that is how he thought the transmission should go... for example CHNN was given those kind of formal empowerments back in the Sakyapa "College" as he calls it, when he refers to "College" he means the formal training back in the Sakyapa monastery. When CCD gave the empowerments the formal way CHNN describes that it took literally hours and hours, going well into the night.