Inspirational Westerner Practitioners

Post sayings or stories from Buddhist traditions which you find interesting, inspiring or useful. (Your own stories are welcome on DW, but in the Creative Writing or Personal Experience forums rather than here.)
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Tilopa
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Re: Inspirational Westerner Practitioners

Post by Tilopa »

In this exceedingly degenerate age anyone who takes refuge, keeps precepts of pure morality and genuinely strives to overcome their delusions of greed, hatred and ignorance is IMO an inspiration.
Arnoud
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Re: Inspirational Westerner Practitioners

Post by Arnoud »

Paul wrote:
Clarence wrote:The late Chagdud Rinpoche also has a lama who is authorized to teach Dzogchen. He is also an incarnation of one of Guru Rinpoche's 25 disciples.
A terton??
I have no idea. I heard that from one of his students. He said he recognized during his first meeting with that lama. It might very well have been to just give him more status. Who knows. Namdrol mentioned him on this board as well. I forgot his name at the moment.
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Aemilius
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Re: Inspirational Westerner Practitioners

Post by Aemilius »

I find people who have been vegan for 10 years, 20 years or more very inspirational.
svaha
"All human beings are born free and equal in dignity and rights.
They are endowed with reason and conscience and should act towards one another in a spirit of brotherhood.
Sarvē mānavāḥ svatantrāḥ samutpannāḥ vartantē api ca, gauravadr̥śā adhikāradr̥śā ca samānāḥ ēva vartantē. Ētē sarvē cētanā-tarka-śaktibhyāṁ susampannāḥ santi. Api ca, sarvē’pi bandhutva-bhāvanayā parasparaṁ vyavaharantu."
Universal Declaration of Human Rights, Article 1. (in english and sanskrit)
Zenda
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Re: Inspirational Westerner Practitioners

Post by Zenda »

Clarence wrote:
Paul wrote:
Clarence wrote:The late Chagdud Rinpoche also has a lama who is authorized to teach Dzogchen. He is also an incarnation of one of Guru Rinpoche's 25 disciples.
A terton??
I have no idea. I heard that from one of his students. He said he recognized during his first meeting with that lama. It might very well have been to just give him more status. Who knows. Namdrol mentioned him on this board as well. I forgot his name at the moment.
Lama Drimed Norbu
Arnoud
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Re: Inspirational Westerner Practitioners

Post by Arnoud »

Zenda wrote:
Lama Drimed Norbu
Yes, that's him. He is allowed to teach Dzogchen and with Namdrol one of the very few westerners who is.
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Aemilius
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Re: Inspirational Westerner Practitioners

Post by Aemilius »

Great Person
Great Achievement
Gréat Teacher
Great Assiduity
Great Strength
Great Creativity
Keith Dowman
http://www.keithdowman.net/
svaha
"All human beings are born free and equal in dignity and rights.
They are endowed with reason and conscience and should act towards one another in a spirit of brotherhood.
Sarvē mānavāḥ svatantrāḥ samutpannāḥ vartantē api ca, gauravadr̥śā adhikāradr̥śā ca samānāḥ ēva vartantē. Ētē sarvē cētanā-tarka-śaktibhyāṁ susampannāḥ santi. Api ca, sarvē’pi bandhutva-bhāvanayā parasparaṁ vyavaharantu."
Universal Declaration of Human Rights, Article 1. (in english and sanskrit)
dzoki
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Re: Inspirational Westerner Practitioners

Post by dzoki »

The ones that are called Drublas have, after the Three Year Retreat, done another retreat, a four year retreat aiming at a Drub or Siddhi. Thus they are called Drublas, ie Siddhas.
Nope, Drubla is is simply a title given to people in Dhagpo mandala, who have done at least one three year retreat and want to teach dharma and have some capacity to do so (that does not mean that they are realised). It is written as sgrub la in Tibetan.
Siddha is Drubnye or Drubthob (written as grub brnyes and grub thob) the difference is in use of grub/sgrub.

My inspiration is Lama Henrik, he has spent more than 20 years in retreat 16 of these under the direct guidance of Gendun Rinpoche. He is a true yogi and he keeps low profile, so not many people know him.

http://www.dhagpo-dedrol.org/site/wp-co ... 07x300.jpg" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

There are many more western yogis and yoginis living around the Dordogne Valley, many of these are students of Pema Wangyal, Rangdrol and Jigme Khyentse Rinpoches. Some of them have been in retreat for 12 or more years.
That is not to say that time spent in retreat automatically creates quality practitioners, but I guess in majority of cases it seems it does.
There are some more practitioners in Mahamudra Ling not far from Clermont Ferrand, who have done 12, 15 or 20 years of retreat.
These people are not well known even within their own dharma communities and its better for them that it stays this way.
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Mr. G
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Re: Inspirational Westerner Practitioners

Post by Mr. G »

Martin J. Boord

http://www.khordong.de/Engl/Teachers/martinboord.html" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;
  • How foolish you are,
    grasping the letter of the text and ignoring its intention!
    - Vasubandhu
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Aemilius
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Re: Inspirational Westerner Practitioners

Post by Aemilius »

dzoki wrote:
The ones that are called Drublas have, after the Three Year Retreat, done another retreat, a four year retreat aiming at a Drub or Siddhi. Thus they are called Drublas, ie Siddhas.
Nope, Drubla is is simply a title given to people in Dhagpo mandala, who have done at least one three year retreat and want to teach dharma and have some capacity to do so (that does not mean that they are realised). It is written as sgrub la in Tibetan.
Siddha is Drubnye or Drubthob (written as grub brnyes and grub thob) the difference is in use of grub/sgrub.

My inspiration is Lama Henrik, he has spent more than 20 years in retreat 16 of these under the direct guidance of Gendun Rinpoche. He is a true yogi and he keeps low profile, so not many people know him.

http://www.dhagpo-dedrol.org/site/wp-co ... 07x300.jpg" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

There are many more western yogis and yoginis living around the Dordogne Valley, many of these are students of Pema Wangyal, Rangdrol and Jigme Khyentse Rinpoches. Some of them have been in retreat for 12 or more years.
That is not to say that time spent in retreat automatically creates quality practitioners, but I guess in majority of cases it seems it does.
There are some more practitioners in Mahamudra Ling not far from Clermont Ferrand, who have done 12, 15 or 20 years of retreat.
These people are not well known even within their own dharma communities and its better for them that it stays this way.
They have made a change in the definition of Drupla it seems, form what it was in the 1990's. At that time it was like I said.
You don't know the exact tibetan spelling from "Drubla", so you are free to understand it in different ways.
Publicity has an important function, it something that is seen and known by the wider society. I think it is necessary, and not a bad thing as such.
svaha
"All human beings are born free and equal in dignity and rights.
They are endowed with reason and conscience and should act towards one another in a spirit of brotherhood.
Sarvē mānavāḥ svatantrāḥ samutpannāḥ vartantē api ca, gauravadr̥śā adhikāradr̥śā ca samānāḥ ēva vartantē. Ētē sarvē cētanā-tarka-śaktibhyāṁ susampannāḥ santi. Api ca, sarvē’pi bandhutva-bhāvanayā parasparaṁ vyavaharantu."
Universal Declaration of Human Rights, Article 1. (in english and sanskrit)
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Zenshin 善心
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Re: Inspirational Westerner Practitioners

Post by Zenshin 善心 »

Kevin Solway.
All beings since their first aspiration till the attainment of Buddhahood are sheltered under the guardianship of Buddhas and Bodhisattvas who, responding to the requirements of the occasion, transform themselves and assume the actual forms of personality.

Thus for the sake of all beings Buddhas and Bodhisattvas become sometimes their parents, sometimes their wives and children, sometimes their kinsmen, sometimes their servants, sometimes their friends, sometimes their enemies, sometimes reveal themselves as devas or in some other forms.


- Ashvaghosa, The Awakening of Faith

oroka
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Dechen Norbu
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Re: Inspirational Westerner Practitioners

Post by Dechen Norbu »

dumbbombu wrote:Kevin Solway.
This is :offtopic: .
If you read carefully, we are talking about Western inspiring practitioners.

Kevin Solway is, obviously, a full fledged Buddha. So you can't count him in. He would make everyone else pale in comparison!Image
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mint
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Re: Inspirational Westerner Practitioners

Post by mint »

What about Thomas Merton??

He's frequently noted in Buddhism comes to America books.
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Mr. G
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Re: Inspirational Westerner Practitioners

Post by Mr. G »

mint wrote:What about Thomas Merton??

He's frequently noted in Buddhism comes to America books.
He was a Trappist monk that liked to engage in inter-religous dialogue with Buddhists.
  • How foolish you are,
    grasping the letter of the text and ignoring its intention!
    - Vasubandhu
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Mr. G
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Re: Inspirational Westerner Practitioners

Post by Mr. G »

Dechen Norbu wrote: Kevin Solway is, obviously, a full fledged Buddha.
8th Bhumi at least. :lol:
  • How foolish you are,
    grasping the letter of the text and ignoring its intention!
    - Vasubandhu
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mint
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Re: Inspirational Westerner Practitioners

Post by mint »

Mr. G wrote:
mint wrote:What about Thomas Merton??

He's frequently noted in Buddhism comes to America books.
He was a Trappist monk that liked to engage in inter-religous dialogue with Buddhists.
He also seems to have practiced Zen meditation based on some of his diaries. His later books are like reading Christian-ized Suzuki.
Last edited by mint on Mon Dec 05, 2011 9:00 pm, edited 1 time in total.
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Mr. G
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Re: Inspirational Westerner Practitioners

Post by Mr. G »

mint wrote: He also seems to have practiced Zen meditation based on some of his diaries. His later books are like reading Christian-ized Sukuki.
Yes, I think his his take on Zen and Buddhism is influenced by his background.
  • How foolish you are,
    grasping the letter of the text and ignoring its intention!
    - Vasubandhu
Heruka
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Re: Inspirational Westerner Practitioners

Post by Heruka »

Clarence wrote:Another good western practitioner is our very own homegrown Namdrol.
respectfully
you keep cheerleading jumping up and down for loppon, but you also say he has been blessed to teach dzogchen, can you make anymore claims in that regard, or can namdrol speak for himself?

thats pretty heavy stuff.

btw N, well done on passing the zhang zhung medical exams, i liked the photos.
Arnoud
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Re: Inspirational Westerner Practitioners

Post by Arnoud »

Heruka wrote:
Clarence wrote:Another good western practitioner is our very own homegrown Namdrol.
respectfully
you keep cheerleading jumping up and down for loppon, but you also say he has been blessed to teach dzogchen, can you make anymore claims in that regard, or can namdrol speak for himself?

thats pretty heavy stuff.
Let me tell you why I think Namdrol serves as an inspirational western practitioner:
He is a Loppon
He did a 3-year Lam Dre retreat
He is a Tibetan doctor
Kunzang Dechen Lingpa authorized him to teach Dzogchen (you might even find that if you search on E-sangha in archives.org). I think the fact that you didn't know this also speaks to his credit as it means he doesn't go about flaunting it.
He recently spoke of the wish to do another 3-year retreat focusing on Dzogchen, which, to me, indicates he continues to want to improve his practice.

Maybe I am easily satisfied, but all of that combined does it for me.

Now, does that mean I always agree with his way of delivery? No, not at all. But it would be a shame if he were to leave this board (hence my cheerleading).
muni
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Re: Inspirational Westerner Practitioners

Post by muni »

Dharma..."western inspiration". What naked nature posses? What the moon posses? Nothing sensational, nothing. Possesive buddhism....

Moon is in water, no moon posses water. Water let come and go moon freely.

The story of Rechungpa, I share it here: Rechungpa wanted to go to India learning many things. His master Milarepa said; so sad, i saw great fortune in you, you to come to know one thing: how to liberate everything! But instead you are going to learn hundred other things. Rechungpa realized the importance of his masters' words. Milarepa possessed nothing.
Therefore all what can help for this one teaching... no worldly possesion/labels to cling.

Natures' qualities aren't merely "seen",or still? ...inspiration is dependent.
dzoki
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Re: Inspirational Westerner Practitioners

Post by dzoki »

muni wrote:Dharma..."western inspiration". What naked nature posses? What the moon posses? Nothing sensational, nothing. Possesive buddhism....

Moon is in water, no moon posses water. Water let come and go moon freely.
Dude, have you smoked pot or something?
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