Dharma Wheel

It seems to me this thread was begun based on the unstated but nevertheless implied idea that one can choose or not choose to do ngondro (in this case, meaning the usual 100,000 accumulations). However, as username (I believe) implied, you do what your Guru tells you to do regardless of what that sa...

Well, I think you are all wrong here. You don't do Ngondro to get to Dzogchen, you are already in the Dzogchen teaching when you do Ngondro. Read Jigme Lingpas own commentary on the Ngondro, it is quite clear. Each part of the text finish with the instruction to dissolve the visualization and rest i...

Chogyal Namkhai Norbu literally saved my life at a time when I was considering leaving the Dharma altogether. IOW, he saved my mi-lu rin-po-che. Obeisance to the Lama!

Very sorry to hear about Rinpoche's stroke. I will definitely say prayers for Rinpoche's speedy recovery. Can you post his shab-ten (long-life prayer)? Thanks.

Dechen, You make my point exactly. It takes a special Lama and close supervision to do what Adzom Drukpa did for Uncle Togden. Not every Lama can or is willing to do this, and not every student/patient has the good karma to be able to meet and study with such a Lama. Nevertheless, the original quest...

I believe saying "Vajrayana" is inappropriate for people with mental-emotional disorders is simply uninformed and wrong. While it is true that doing Vajrayana practices wrong can cause mental-emotional problems, that is not a problem with the system but a problem with a particular individual doing a...

As a corollary to this thread, Lama Pema Dorje Rinpoche (Lama Dawa's brother) who resides in Oakland is recognized as an emanation of Phadampa Sangay. I received the Phadampa Sangay tor-wang from him a couple of years ago. He also transmitted a 30-stanza monlam composed by Phadampa Sangay which I sa...

Narraboth, What is the name of the wang which empowers one to read any text, lung or no lung ? Sounds like something useful to ask for at an appropriate time and place. All, Seems to me that most of the arguments in this thread are based on reason, i.e., conceptual mind. However, in my experience, l...

I've been practicing for more than 40 years, and, in that time, I've had Teachers who said you must practice in Tibetan, others who said it was OK to practice in English, others who routinely follow all or most Tibetan with English during group practices, others who sometimes practice in Tibetan and...

A long, long time ago, I managed my Teachers' Tibetan antique store in Greenwich Village for a number of years. During that time, I learned a lot about Tibetan art and antiques. Many people brought Tibetan art in to our shop to try to sell or to have appraised, and I sometimes consulted for the Tibe...

As a student of Lama Dawa's and someone who has had Lama Dawa do a number of mirror divinations over a number of years, I have a couple of responses to issues brought up in this thread: 1. Lama Dawa was born into a family whose members have historically had the ability to do mirror divination (phra-...

Inge, Your answer was what I was looking for. I meant you specifically. I would definitely recommend asking Lama Dawa what to do about this. I am absolutely sure he will have very practical advice for you on how to deal with this situation on top of any other medical remedies you may also use. Good ...

Inge,

How do you know the condition(s) is/are caused by nagas?

Padme, Practices which are Tibetan Buddhist and Mahayana but not Vajrayana: Lo-do Nam-zhi (The four topics that turn the mind) Tong Len Lo Jong You might want to do word searches for those topics. These are very wonderful, very powerful and positive practices. Also, the three lower tantras (kriya, c...

Great clarification. :thanks: Of course you can read up on the theory and practice of Vajrayana Buddhism on your own. No problem. There're loads of books and all sorts of sources on-line. I think it's very intelligent to first suss out the system intellectually before jumping into practice. It's the...

Padme, What exactly are you trying to achieve by your study and practice of Buddhism? If you answer that question as honestly as possible, I think you will clarify for yourself whether or not you absolutely must have a Nirmanakaya (i.e., flesh and blood) Teacher. In other words, if you yearn day and...

There's Khenpo Sonam's center in LA, Lhundrup Choling, at 2481 Amherst Ave., LA, CA 90064. Khenpo Sonam's great. Plus they invite a lot of guest Lamas. Khenpo Sonam is Bhutanese and practices both Longchen Nyingthig and Dudjom Tersar.

Thanks. I should've remembered that. Duh!

Hi. I'm looking for the Tibetan and/or Romanization of H.H. Dudjom Rinpoche's Short Tashi Tsigpa prayer which goes: OM To the marvelous, auspicious heavenly deities I bow down. Please accept me and bless me so that I may Spontaneously realize supreme good fortune to benefit myself and others. Posses...

Or scorched and, therefore, nonfunctional