Job Description of a Village Ngakpa

[pemachophel]

In another thread, Yudron said, self-deprecatingly, that she didn't even have the qualifications of a village ngakpa. So I thought it might be interesting to hear what other Nyingmapa think were/should be A) the qualifications and B) the duties of a "village ngakpa?" In particular, what pujas would one need to be able to conduct? I'm not looking for a definitive list.

I just thought this might be an interesting discussion. It could also include if being a "village ngakpa" is even relevant in the modern world. Maybe the word "village" is not necessary. We've discussed some definitions of a ngakpa before on DW. But we haven't really discussed a "job description."

[Sherlock]

In no particular order IMO:
-Human and animal medicine
-Weather magic
-Ability to conduct exorcisms
-Divination
-Being able to propitiate guardians (local worldly guardians as well as enlightened beings)

These are the main job functions of a village ngagpa IMO, which are basically the same as shamans.

[ngodrup]

You know "village ngakpa" is a kind of pejorative.
Ngakpas are "supposed to,'"culturally at least, be in retreat
much of the time. So hanging out in town, drinking chang
with at "will do pujas for food" sign...

I'm joking a little, but the role of the village ngakpa
isn't irrelevant but I think it might be more common in
rural areas where the local shaman or magician can be hired
to control the weather, healing, do a little love spell maybe,
or do divination, make a business flourish a bit more
(a slight edge is often all you need). Maybe know
how to pick auspicious days.

I'd think you'd need to know how to offer tormas to various
deities, and elemental spirits, string namkhas...
Typically, they would be a lama with the small case l.
They would probably need to have some siddhi. But
they wouldn't have to be the picture of a mahasiddha.

[T. Chokyi]

U can't be a village Nagkpa without learning "How to Play the Chod Damaru"

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Qo_Uj-8mDBU&feature=relmfu

If you are a white guy you shouldn't play the drum and chew gum
at the same time...

[Yudron]

I think astrology was in the mix, too.

A good weather-controller would be paid by the town annually, especially for hail prevention services.

It's a big skill set. The wisdom lamas want us to focus mainly on Dzogchen and Mahamudra these days.

[philji]

T.chokyi do you have any back up from tantra regarding your comment about white guys not chewing gum and playing drum....I find this fascinating, is there a particular samara that is broken...

[conebeckham]

He's joking, I think, about the difficulty of playing a chod drum....you know the adage about "Chewing Gum and Walking at the same time?"

It's actually not that hard, if you have someone show you correctly. But your arm can get tired if your drum's heavy....!!

[pemachophel]

"The wisdom lamas want us to focus mainly on Dzogchen and Mahamudra these days."

The questions could be asked, "Which wisdom lamas, when, and to whom in what circumstances?"

Several of my Teachers emphasize working in the world for the sake of all sentient beings. In that case, good to have some tools in one's tool chest. Mantrayana provides us with some exceptionally powerful and effective tools.

Of course, one's Teacher may say when one is (or is not) ready to work in the world. Each one of us are on our own path.

[Yudron]

"The wisdom lamas want us to focus mainly on Dzogchen and Mahamudra these days."

The questions could be asked, "Which wisdom lamas, when, and to whom in what circumstances?"

Several of my Teachers emphasize working in the world for the sake of all sentient beings. In that case, good to have some tools in one's tool chest. Mantrayana provides us with some exceptionally powerful and effective tools.

Of course, one's Teacher may say when one is (or is not) ready to work in the world. Each one of us are on our own path.

I believe it was Orgyen Chowang Rinpoche, now known as Khenpo Orgyen Thinley, told me in the 90's that the great lamas --including Dudjom Rinpoche and Dilgo Khyentse and others had said--and I had the sense this was a discussion between them--that Dzogchen was the most appropriate practice for these modern times. I didn't ask when and where. That being said, from the perspective of a Dzogchen practitioner, all practices can be viewed as Dzogchen, e.g. the ngondro of Dzogchen, the mahayoga or Dzogchen, the Anuyoga of Dzogchen.

I think you would be hard pressed to find a great lama who wants his students to specialize in hail prevention. There was actually an article in a book--gosh I could reference it if you want--by Khetsun Sangpo Rinpoche via Anne Klein--about weather controlling. He was raised in a ngakpa family to carry forward the incredibly complicated practice of hail prevention for the community. It ran away from his responsibilities to study and practice the Dharma. He said the hail prevention practice was a "nasty business" that harm invisible sentient beings.

Of course, there are countless activity practices that could be used in a positive way, and I am very attracted to them, but they are not practices for one's own enlightenment. The question for us is really time management for people, like myself, who have not yet brought our practice to it's culmination. Dzogchen is the swiftest path to enlightenment according to the Nyingma school. I don't know anything about Dzogchen, but the lamas say that --although everyone wants the highest teachings--once they get there, hardly anyone devotes themselves to practicing Dzogchen to its culmination once they have received it. Aren't we practitioners fickle?

Pema Chopel--you are a very senior practitioner, many more years under your belt than me, or most Tibetan lamas. You probably are quite advanced in your practice. At that point, it seems to make sense to spend a lot of time mastering these thrinley practices if you are interested. But, on the other hand, someone at the highest levels of Dzogchen are said to benefit countless beings effortlessly... so it is really not necessary.

Do we have the time to serve our lamas, practice, and master these rituals in this life? Very few people do. You might be one of them, Mr. Chopon.

[pemachophel]

Yudron,

Thanks for the "citation." It's an interesting discussion with many pros and cons. I have a friend who has spent most of 40 years (yeah, that's right -- 40 years) in retreat. He has no interest in learning activity pujas. From his POV, if one realizes, one will spontaneously benefit sentient beings. However, I have ngakpa Lamas who actively teach Their students (including Western students) how to make beneficial changes in other sentient beings' experience and do not see this as a lesser path. In fact, I think that we Westerners' focus on personal Enlightenment via Dzogchen and Chagchen can sometimes be counterproductive if not balanced by a very large dose of Bodhicitta. Think Garchen Rinpoche as one example of a Lama Who emphasizes compassion while still being a very high level Dzogchen practitioner/Teacher. Or consider the famous Phowa Lama, Ayang Rinpoche, Who is also famous for his ngo-tro (introduction to the nature of mind) teachings and abilities. Perhaps even closer to home, I think I saw an announcement that Lama Tharchin is doing a large Earth Wealth Vase consecration this coming weekend -- a great example of skillful means and compassion.

Also, mantrayana activities don't have to be over-the-top elaborate and difficult to learn/do. I've seen weather control based on a single stanza of the Sampa Lhundrubma.

Here's a little list of some useful activities that I personally think even modern Western ngakpas might profitably learn/use. Interestingly, Chogyal Namkhai Norbu Rinpoche, a famous Dzogchen Teacher, teaches His students simplified versions of most of these in order to be able to "work with circumstances" as appropriate.

Phowa (for self, but also for others)
Ne-dren (a.k.a. Chang-chog) for benefiting the deceased
Bardo prayers for the dying and dead
Cremation ceremony
Yang guk (Hooking wealth)
Tshe guk (Hooking life)
Sur-chod (Feeding hungry ghosts)
Riwo Sangchod (accomplishes many different activities depending on focus)
Naga puja (also for a variety of reasons)
Healing Chod (Such as chod with chang-bu gya-tsa and other such activity addenda)
Jin seg (Fire pujas for any and all of the four Enlightened activities)
How to use the various individual stanzas of the Sampa Lhundrubma

Of course, many (if not most) sadhanas have a lay-jor section where one develops the mantric power to accomplish various activities in the world.

More later. My next thun starts now.

[Yudron]

Yudron,

Thanks for the "citation." It's an interesting discussion with many pros and cons. I have a friend who has spent most of 40 years (yeah, that's right -- 40 years) in retreat. He has no interest in learning activity pujas. From his POV, if one realizes, one will spontaneously benefit sentient beings. However, I have ngakpa Lamas who actively teach Their students (including Western students) how to make beneficial changes in other sentient beings' experience and do not see this as a lesser path. In fact, I think that we Westerners' focus on personal Enlightenment via Dzogchen and Chagchen can sometimes be counterproductive if not balanced by a very large dose of Bodhicitta. Think Garchen Rinpoche as one example of a Lama Who emphasizes compassion while still being a very high level Dzogchen practitioner/Teacher. Or consider the famous Phowa Lama, Ayang Rinpoche, Who is also famous for his ngo-tro (introduction to the nature of mind) teachings and abilities. Perhaps even closer to home, I think I saw an announcement that Lama Tharchin is doing a large Earth Wealth Vase consecration this coming weekend -- a great example of skillful means and compassion.

Also, mantrayana activities don't have to be over-the-top elaborate and difficult to learn/do. I've seen weather control based on a single stanza of the Sampa Lhundrubma.

Here's a little list of some useful activities that I personally think even modern Western ngakpas might profitably learn/use. Interestingly, Chogyal Namkhai Norbu Rinpoche, a famous Dzogchen Teacher, teaches His students simplified versions of most of these in order to be able to "work with circumstances" as appropriate.

Phowa (for self, but also for others)
Ne-dren (a.k.a. Chang-chog) for benefiting the deceased
Bardo prayers for the dying and dead
Cremation ceremony
Yang guk (Hooking wealth)
Tshe guk (Hooking life)
Sur-chod (Feeding hungry ghosts)
Riwo Sangchod (accomplishes many different activities depending on focus)
Naga puja (also for a variety of reasons)
Healing Chod (Such as chod with chang-bu gya-tsa and other such activity addenda)
Jin seg (Fire pujas for any and all of the four Enlightened activities)
How to use the various individual stanzas of the Sampa Lhundrubma

Of course, many (if not most) sadhanas have a lay-jor section where one develops the mantric power to accomplish various activities in the world.

More later. My next thun starts now.

40 years in retreat! A Westerner? Wow.

I am familiar with these practices, and I love them. In the Dudjom tradition most of these are associated with a specific deity practice. Technically, one would need to accomplish the deity in retreat, then do the neydren, yang guk,etc... associated with that deity. How many people even finish one ngondro, and even one nyen drup in retreat in this culture? Of those, who even learn the basic rituals and tormas of the tsog? In their hour of free time a day, should they practice or do learn rituals? When you are in retreat, retreat manuals commonly forbid you from engaging in activities for others. So, perhaps retired people like you might be the best for doing rituals, in our society.

Yes, Rinpoche --who spent 8 years in retreat in Tibet-- is doing a big wealth empowerment and treasure vase consecration this weekend, and I will be there in my proper role... greeting people at the door. Why is he doing this? Well, I think because the last time he did it 400 people showed up! So, he saw there was a perceived need for this in these times. Is it more effective than praying to Guru Rinpoche with the 7 line prayer? I think it all depends on what fosters faith in people's minds.

[pemachophel]

Yudron,

Obviously everyone can't and doesn't need to be a ngakpa. However, for those who have the time and Bodhicitta, becoming such a community resource can be very beneficial for all involved. Personally, I think we need more such Western practitioners. Anyen Rinpoche in Denver and Loppon Rechung in Boulder, CO are both training groups of students to help with dying, death, cremation, etc. Tsewong Sithar Rinpoche is training a group of students to do healing via chod as well as help beings in the bardo through Ne-dren. Lama Dawa is training a group of students to do healing via Dorje Gotrab. Lama Dawa regularly teaches a range of mantric activities (re health, wealth, longevity, earthquakes, fires, weather) to help improve the experience of sentient beings. And Garchen Rinpoche sent out the word last weekend for His students to do certain prayers to help mitigate the ill effects of Hurricane Sandy.

I totally agree that one must first obtain some power of mantra through intense, prolonged practice before being able to make these practices work. No question about that. However, I think it's important to remember that the manifold skillful means of mantrayana are not just for personal Enlightment but also for working in this saha world.

While offering the hope of increasing wealth undoubtedly attracts people who might otherwise not be motivated to attend Dharma events, I can't believe that Tharchin Rinpoche's primary motivation in holding this upcoming puja is not to increase the yang wealth energy in the world on outer, inner, secret, and most secret levels. That the yang wealth energy in the world is declining during this degenerate age is quite apparent. Just look at the loss of money and property this last week with Hurricane Sandy. My local newspaper put the loss at $50 billion. To me, it's wonderful that mantrayana has methods to help slow and reverse this degenerate trend. That some people might also be attracted to the Dharma in general because of activities such as this is even more wonderful.

Now back to working on my own skill set.

[Yudron]

Yudron,

Obviously everyone can't and doesn't need to be a ngakpa. However, for those who have the time and Bodhicitta, becoming such a community resource can be very beneficial for all involved. Personally, I think we need more such Western practitioners. Anyen Rinpoche in Denver and Loppon Rechung in Boulder, CO are both training groups of students to help with dying, death, cremation, etc. Tsewong Sithar Rinpoche is training a group of students to do healing via chod as well as help beings in the bardo through Ne-dren. Lama Dawa is training a group of students to do healing via Dorje Gotrab. Lama Dawa regularly teaches a range of mantric activities (re health, wealth, longevity, earthquakes, fires, weather) to help improve the experience of sentient beings. And Garchen Rinpoche sent out the word last weekend for His students to do certain prayers to help mitigate the ill effects of Hurricane Sandy.

I totally agree that one must first obtain some power of mantra through intense, prolonged practice before being able to make these practices work. No question about that. However, I think it's important to remember that the manifold skillful means of mantrayana are not just for personal Enlightment but also for working in this saha world.

While offering the hope of increasing wealth undoubtedly attracts people who might otherwise not be motivated to attend Dharma events, I can't believe that Tharchin Rinpoche's primary motivation in holding this upcoming puja is not to increase the yang wealth energy in the world on outer, inner, secret, and most secret levels. That the yang wealth energy in the world is declining during this degenerate age is quite apparent. Just look at the loss of money and property this last week with Hurricane Sandy. My local newspaper put the loss at $50 billion. To me, it's wonderful that mantrayana has methods to help slow and reverse this degenerate trend. That some people might also be attracted to the Dharma in general because of activities such as this is even more wonderful.

Now back to working on my own skill set.

Okay, you win. I love this stuff, too, and I am going to do these for others with the blessing of my lamas, so what the heck...

[Yeti]

I once asked Ngakpa Karma Lhundup Rinpoche http://karmalhundup.org/ what the meaning of ngakpa is, and he replied;

The main meaning of Ngakpa is when our five root emotions radiates as Five Wisdoms, when the Subject, Object and Action dissolves into emptiness, becomes one single taste called Dharmakaya. Then you have been naturally enrolled as Rigzin ( Vidyadhara ), a true, genuine nagkpa with Boddhichitta intention.

Also, it seems to me that ngakpas focus on rigpa through great guru devotion as their primary focus. Even my monk/khenpo/tulku teacher says ngakpas are quite amazing in that they don't do so much study, but still get realisation through their practice.

I think that also because of the nature of the way they practice they seem to have a certain heightened awareness of the phenomenal world in the form of understanding the five elements more directly. This was once born out to me and a group of students when a ngakpa in the bloodline of Dudjom Rinpoche II explained Dharmapala practice (maybe a component) as awareness of the five elements in the environment... where that awareness of them protects one.

There are also certain practices which only monks can do and also ones only the ngakpa community can do, which is also why there are a certain number of ngakpa lamas close to HH Dalai Lama, as he requires them to do certain practices on his behalf.

Also, my monk/khenpo/tulku teacher told me that he really liked that two of his senior students worn their ngakpa zen to his teachings.

For myself, I don't have the merit to be a monk, I don't have the support or the opportunity, and for many reasons. Fortunately I have a tradition which has examples of lineage practitioners who are lay people. It's gives me inspiration to remain a hidden practitioner in my home town, and just follow a path where I can dedicate the merit incognito.

------------------
Jerkhyi

[Yudron]

Nice post.

I think four of Longchenpa's 30 verses of advice are relevant here"

"In public ceremonies you heal children or subdue demons.
You give your capabilities away to the crowd.
Because you really want food and money, your own needs cloud your judgment.
Tame your own mind – that’s my sincere advice."

"You think that you will enhance your practice by taking a partner
And transforming sexual energy in the context of the third empowerment,
But the path of non-retention has snared many great meditators.
Keep to the natural path – that’s my sincere advice."

"Countless books on divination, astrology, medicine and other subjects
Describe ways to read signs. They do add to your learning,
But they generate new thoughts and your stable attention breaks up.
Cut down on this kind of knowledge – that’s my sincere advice."

"You may think awakened activity means to subdue skeptics
By using sorcery, directing or warding off hail or lightning, for example.
But to burn the minds of others will lead you to lower states.
Keep a low profile – that’s my sincere advice."

translated by Ken McLeod

<div xmlns:cc="http://creativecommons.org/ns#" xmlns:dct="http://purl.org/dc/terms/" about="http://www.unfetteredmind.org/30-pieces-of-sincere-advice/0"><span property="dct:title">This translation</span> (<a rel="cc:attributionURL" property="cc:attributionName" href="http://www.unfetteredmind.org">Ken McLeod</a>) / <a rel="license" href="http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/3.0/us/">CC BY-NC-ND 3.0</a></div>
[i don't know how to make this required attribution work on this site]

In summary, Ngakpas can be sublime, but it is very easy to delude oneself. One can easily feel that one is transforming the five afflictive emotions, when one is indeed wallowing in them. This why students are commonly advised to focus on being a hidden yogin of the Great Perfection or Mahamudra, with outer conduct that of a Mahayana practitioner.

[dzoki]

Nice post.
I think four of Longchenpa's 30 verses of advice are relevant here"

"In public ceremonies you heal children or subdue demons.
You give your capabilities away to the crowd.
Because you really want food and money, your own needs cloud your judgment.
Tame your own mind – that’s my sincere advice."

"You think that you will enhance your practice by taking a partner
And transforming sexual energy in the context of the third empowerment,
But the path of non-retention has snared many great meditators.
Keep to the natural path – that’s my sincere advice."

"Countless books on divination, astrology, medicine and other subjects
Describe ways to read signs. They do add to your learning,
But they generate new thoughts and your stable attention breaks up.
Cut down on this kind of knowledge – that’s my sincere advice."

"You may think awakened activity means to subdue skeptics
By using sorcery, directing or warding off hail or lightning, for example.
But to burn the minds of others will lead you to lower states.
Keep a low profile – that’s my sincere advice."

This is a good advice for all of us, whether aspiring ngagpa or not. Real ngagpa would not do a service for the people in order to get money, that is against samaya. But as practitioners, when somebody asks to do practice or mo for them, how could we refuse to help? So I think we need to have a middle ground. On one side to remain humble and not seek gain on the other side when we are asked for help and it is in our power to do something (even if a prayer) I think we should not pretend to be some "high" dzogchen practitioner and refuse by saying that such practices are irelevant to us. Of course by asking for help I don´t mean sitations when some angry person wants to be helped with revenge or to curse somebody. I mean sitautions like somebody being sick or in some other distress.

[Yudron]

Well, I agree with most of what you said Dzoki, but every ngakpa takes money for services. If you are going to do rituals for others the materials cost money and it can take a long time to do the set-up in addition to the ceremony itself. Unless someone is independently wealthy, you must take money for these services. Social workers and doctors get paid for their work.

That being said, there is an inherent conflict of interest, because if you diagnose a demonic disorder that requires intervention, it can be self serving--large sums are then expected for the exorcism, and so forth.

One has to be impeccable.

For example, I have been trained how to do a certain kind of divination. But the divination can determine that one has a problem that requires pujas--and some can sound kind of dire. I hesitate to do these for others.

[ngodrup]

@Yudron

But, you know who to refer the client to, if you deem it not something for you to do.
And often, they can do it themselves-- say, for example, you diagnose the person
should to 1k ri wo sang chod.

[Yudron]

That divination system recommends far more than riwo sang cho.

When I was a child, we had a housekeeper who was mentally ill. She was obviously paranoid. Some kind of "expert" in her ethnic community told her that people really were out to get her and she needed to have various spells done for her safety. She just got sicker and sicker.

As an adult, I was asked to visit a woman I didn't know for some kind of problem. The woman was a non-Buddhist who was mentally ill. She has gone to a famous ngakpa for a divination, and he told her she had a terrible demon who had latched on to her, and gave her an amulet for it. I think he probably tried other things, too, but nothing worked, and she became obsessed with the demon as the source of all her problems, growing more and more desperate. All she wanted was a way to get rid of the external demon, and I could not help her with that. She told me she was seeking out the services of a Catholic priest who did exorcisms next.

Later I heard she killed herself. I feel this ngakpa -- while not intending to -- may have contributed to the situation that caused her death.

I discussed this with our lama who agrees with me that divinations and pujas to fight or avert demons of an individual like this -- which his father specialized in -- are generally temporary solutions. Even when one demon is defeated, another will pop up for them because the mind of the person has not changed.

I can't say these practices are not good because the collected works of Dudjom Lingpa and Dudjom Rinpoche are full of them. But it takes a realized master to know when they are appropriate and perform the practice without a hint of dualism... with no enemy whatsoever.

I note the practices that most of the practices Pema Chopel mentioned above generally don't take this approach.

[Yeti]

I feel the primary job of a ngakpa/ma is to abide in rigpa, and also let that flourish through practices in order to benefit beings. It seems to me also that direct knowledge of rigpa is how a ngakpa will help liberate oneself and others from the four demons.

As Yudron pointed out about Longchenpa's advice (and many others), it can be dangerous manifesting as a village ngapka, unless you were under instruction by your lama to do so, otherwise one can benefit oneself and others by remaining a hidden yogi/ni.