Tawa as a stand-alone practice during activity

[lcl1qp1]

An explanation of how to integrate tawa (view), gompa (meditation) and chöpa (action/activity),
according to Garab Dorje's The Three Statements That Strike The Vital Point.

Thank you. I enjoy her teachings, but I've not seen this one yet.

[jet.urgyen]

Incidentally, just saw this:

Padmasambhava: How one can become fettered by meditation
Master Padma said: If you cannot mingle the Dharma with daily life activities, you will be fettered by the meditation session.
Lady Tsogyal asked: How does that fetter one?
The master replied: The dharmata devoid of constructs that you experience in your being while resting evenly in meditation should be put into practice in every situation during postmeditation; whether walking, moving around, lying down, or sitting. By never separating from this Dharma practice no matter what daily activity you perform, you will always remain in the state of dharmata. Thus your meditation will transcend sessions.
In general, the meditator who imprisons his body and mind without applying the vital points of meditation is fettered by a chain. Keep that in mind!

this is just resting in that state. this is to remain in the guruyoga state beyond a mere ritual time.

it's very pertinent to this discussion, because if one doesn't realizes (become aware of) the actual view (which is already there, it's not constructed) there can be no continuity, no remaining.

that's why philosophical tenets are great but are not the actual dharma at all. sorry.

this is how i see it.

[jet.urgyen]

An explanation of how to integrate tawa (view), gompa (meditation) and chöpa (action/activity),
according to Garab Dorje's The Three Statements That Strike The Vital Point.

Thank you. I enjoy her teachings, but I've not seen this one yet.

if i may suggest,

if you want to take a loot at how 'the view' is in action, how a person lives in that, go and see a Vidyadhara. someone who gives transmission of Atiyoga.

whatever they do, that's action. that's the view becoming patent, manifest for you to see and explore trough his/her conduct.

[Pema Rigdzin]

In Dzogchen, the fruition can be gained through chodpa, or conduct, alone, as is discussed in at least one of the 17 nyingthig tantras; I believe it is the Tantra Without Syllables, but it could be the Self-arisen Vidyā tantra. However, to engage in the conduct, one would have to have ascertained the view (technically, in nyingthig, the “meditation” is togal; tregchod is the view).

My opinion after years practicing Dzogchen:

If one is an instant realizer, or chig charwa, then one has thoroughly ascertained and stabilized the view upon receiving empowerment. But for the rest of us, we need to do the semdzins and rushens to first ascertain the view unmistakably, and most will need to do a lot of formal tregchod sessions to stabilize it before exclusively focusing on the conduct in daily activities—and one’s guru would need to guide one in how to approach one’s path if one is to avoid pitfalls and deviations, even if one is free to do as one wishes. For tregchod, once sufficient stability in formal tregchod is attained, then the conduct in daily life is the most important focus, as going beyond notions of session and post-session is the goal. But of course once the view is ascertained, the view and conduct in daily life mutually reinforce one another and give one’s path momentum. And enacting the “conduct” of tregchod—self-liberation of all one experiences—will absolutely be what causes one to attain liberation via tregchod.

[merilingpa]

In Dzogchen, the fruition can be gained through chodpa, or conduct, alone, as is discussed in at least one of the 17 nyingthig tantras; I believe it is the Tantra Without Syllables, but it could be the Self-arisen Vidyā tantra. However, to engage in the conduct, one would have to have ascertained the view (technically, in nyingthig, the “meditation” is togal; tregchod is the view).

My opinion after years practicing Dzogchen:

If one is an instant realizer, or chig charwa, then one has thoroughly ascertained and stabilized the view upon receiving empowerment. But for the rest of us, we need to do the semdzins and rushens to first ascertain the view unmistakably, and most will need to do a lot of formal tregchod sessions to stabilize it before exclusively focusing on the conduct in daily activities—and one’s guru would need to guide one in how to approach one’s path if one is to avoid pitfalls and deviations, even if one is free to do as one wishes. For tregchod, once sufficient stability in formal tregchod is attained, then the conduct in daily life is the most important focus, as going beyond notions of session and post-session is the goal. But of course once the view is ascertained, the view and conduct in daily life mutually reinforce one another and give one’s path momentum. And enacting the “conduct” of tregchod—self-liberation of all one experiences—will absolutely be what causes one to attain liberation via tregchod.

I agree. I would also say that it takes alot of formal sitting practice of different kinds before you can use the view in daily activities, alot........
including ngöndro and yidam practices ofcourse.

[lcl1qp1]

Incidentally, just saw this:

Padmasambhava: How one can become fettered by meditation
Master Padma said: If you cannot mingle the Dharma with daily life activities, you will be fettered by the meditation session.
Lady Tsogyal asked: How does that fetter one?
The master replied: The dharmata devoid of constructs that you experience in your being while resting evenly in meditation should be put into practice in every situation during postmeditation; whether walking, moving around, lying down, or sitting. By never separating from this Dharma practice no matter what daily activity you perform, you will always remain in the state of dharmata. Thus your meditation will transcend sessions.
In general, the meditator who imprisons his body and mind without applying the vital points of meditation is fettered by a chain. Keep that in mind!

This is a great quote. Exactly what I was wondering about. On the one hand, it apparently can be argued that limiting practice to nonconceptual awareness in activity is not without risks. As this quote illustrates, it can also be argued that attachment to sitting can be a risk in itself.

Thank you

[Kai lord]

Practitioners who cultivate calm abiding or dhyanas but left clinging to those experiences, naturally find it easy to enter meditation but difficult to get out of it. Hence attachment to meditation is the problem for those types of practitioners.

But for the majority of Buddhists who can't even spend one day on retreat, learning about handling distractions and staying on one pointedness, is the main focus.