Using the Visuddhimagga as a standard for śamatha makes him highly idiosyncratic for someone in the Tibetan tradition does it not?Johnny Dangerous wrote: ↑Tue May 16, 2023 8:12 pmThere are a ton of teaching that start that way, using shine, semdzins to point out the natural state, etc.Archie2009 wrote: ↑Tue May 16, 2023 8:01 pmI only know him from his Wisdom Acadamy courses on Dudjom Lingpa's texts, I had all-access membership for a while, and it is literally all he has you do in the exercises. A mind based practice.Johnny Dangerous wrote: ↑Tue May 16, 2023 7:54 pm
This is misleading IME. Lots of Dzogchen presentation begins with developing a certain competency in Shamatha anyway, it’s not some unusual or idiosyncratic thing, though obviously yes, he emphasizes it.
I guess my question would be why you think that’s unusual, minus his specific take.
In fact, takes on Dzogchen that just “blam here’s Trekchod” seem to be rarer.
He also often says that he thinks Tibetans generally significantly underemphasise śamatha, so it would seem he acknowledges that his approach is unusual himself.
Simply speaking with regard to the teachings I've personally received, from him and others, he emphasised śamatha as much much more important, and recommend a vast number of hours on it compared to anyone else.