2021 8-Week Retreat: The Vajra Essence – Part 2, 08 Apr 2021, Online-only
Before starting with today's teaching, Lama Alan corrected yesterday’s reading transmission by giving one more passage that had been omitted and gave related commentary. Then he referred to commonalities between aspects of Buddhism, Dzogchen, Science and Religion and suggested they stemmed from primordial consciousness. Subsequently, he ventures into the next section of the text with the title “space made manifest as the primordial consciousness that is pristine awareness” and explains that we don’t see the actual nature of reality with the eyes. Buddhas have two types of primordial consciousness. That which: 1. perceives the whole range of phenomena; and 2. knows reality as it is. All appearances are purified in the suchness of ultimate reality. Realising emptiness transforms mental afflictions and other appearances into displays of primordial consciousness. Mental afflictions are not inherently existent or intrinsically toxic, as we can trace them back to their source, substrate consciousness. The three root poisons will then be experienced as ethically neutral (as luminosity, bliss and non-conceptuality). Then, if one cuts through the frozen-ness of the substrate to pristine awareness, from that perspective the three root poisons appear as facets of the ultimate ground (mirror-like primordial consciousness, primordial consciousness of discernment and the primordial consciousness of the absolute space of phenomena). Mental afflictions are healed by pristine awareness. The substrate consciousness provides no benefit or harm – it is disastrous to stay there. Like a field with no owner. However, in substrate consciousness all analytical constructs are transcended, course mind dissolves into subtle mind and from a deeper mode of knowing, roaming there in your natural state, eventually you will actualise ground (primordial) awareness. That is the practice. Meditation starts at 00:08:39 and is on resting in awareness, viewing all phenomena as empty and as creative expressions of pristine awareness
2023 8-Week Retreat: The Vajra Essence – Part 4, 23 May 2023, Crestone, Colorado and Online
The transitional phase that follows the transitional phase of dying is the transitional phase of ultimate reality, dharmata. The term “dharmata” is now being translated by Lama la as the “actual nature of reality” instead of “ultimate reality.” Lama la explains that dharmata is the actual nature of the phenomena that appear to our awareness. This transitional phase is not universally accepted. For example, Lama Tsongkhapa, as representative of the new translation schools, does not acknowledge this bardo. Lama la notes that this transitional phase is very brief for most people, and that very few achieve enlightenment within this bardo. The instructions on this phase are intended for advanced practitioners, who have achieved shamatha and vipashyana, have ascertained rigpa, and who are accomplished in tögal. The transmission of the text (pages 263-6) starts at 00:02:10. Within this bardo, peaceful and wrathful deities and manifestations arise in succession. Each of these is an avenue through which one can achieve enlightenment. A crucial point in this bardo is to recognize the arising appearances as “your own” appearances, i.e. as creative expressions of your own pristine awareness, as dharmakaya, Samantabhadra. Lama la questions whether these visions would arise only for a person who has been practicing Tögal, noting that these visions correspond exactly to the visions that arise in Tögal. Would a non-Buddhist, an atheist or a Christian, experience these same visions in the dying process? Lama la states that this remains an open question. Lama la further comments that it is important to remember that the wrathful manifestations in this bardo have the same compassionate motivation as peaceful manifestations. The text states that “For the most part, people experience the appearances of the clear light for a short time, and they remain in this state only briefly.” Those who do not achieve liberation in the dying process, or in the bardo of dharmata, will experience the transitional phase of becoming. Lama la notes that the transitional phase of becoming (which will be covered tomorrow) is immensely relevant to us. The texts exhorts us “to examine, investigate, and properly understand the teachings on how the transitional phases arise, and then to apply them to your own experience.” The meditation (01:03:24) continues the oral transmission of citations from “Natural Liberation“ on “identifying pristine awareness,” and is accompanied by a commentary by Gyatrul Rinpoche.
2020 8-Week Retreat: The Vajra Essence – Part 1, 06 Apr 2020, Online-only
Lama Alan starts sharing the prophecy of the great perfection; when times are most degenerate that´s when Dzogchen will be the most powerful and transformative, and the most needed. These are trouble times that call for powerful remedies, Dzogchen is exactly the remedy.
Lama Alan comments that the practice of settling the mind in its natural state, is only Dharma, if it is imbedded with the motivation of great compassion. Only then we can we be confident that what we bring to the world is the best of our minds.
Then he invites us to review our values and ideas, why are we here? Why are we listening to these teachings?
Meditation starts at 25:15. In terms of motivation, Lama Alan invites us to touch on our deepest concern, then question why couldn´t all sentient beings be free of suffering and arise the aspiration of great compassion.
If great compassion is our motivation, all will be well. All the teachings of the Buddha were guided by great compassion. Lama Alan returns to the text, comenting on who is ripe to encounter, follow and experience the benefits of the Great
Perfection, explains the characteristics one must have to procede along the path and what can be achieved: perfect awakening in this lifetime
2023 8-Week Retreat: The Vajra Essence – Part 4, 13 May 2023, Crestone, Colorado and Online
Lama-la begins the session by giving the transmission (from the text on kenosis) for a few lines he had skipped the day before. Turning to the Vajra Essence (p.256): “The essential nature of the transitional phases is simply this ordinary, lucid, clear, fresh, unstructured, uncontaminated consciousness of the present moment.” Lama comments that perception is always “fresh” as opposed to conception that get stale quickly. With regard to the word “unstructured” he shares his strong conviction that this refers to the substrate consciousness which is unstructured by karmic imprints, habitual propensities, conceptualisation unlike, for example, a human mind which is heavily “structured” until the dying process. The nature of the substrate consciousness is that it is not veiled by the five obscurations and the limitations of being embodied. Lama reminds us of the twelve links of dependent origination and how the substrate consciousness emerges from the substrate, stirred by karmic energies, which is prior to the emergence of afflictive mentation and thus not contaminated or “structured” by it. Even the ground of samsara is pure as the mental afflictions require a host. Lama-la comments on how uplifting and motivating this view of sentient beings is. Lama-la then comments on the sentence “By failing to fathom this, you must wander endlessly in saṃsāra, but by realizing it, you are brought to nirvāṇa.” He explains that he’s using the term “fathom” rather than “realise” because what is meant is that one has ascertained the actual nature of the substrate consciousness. Drawing on His Holiness’ comment he comments that the actual nature (cittata) of one’s own mind, its emptiness of inherent nature, is nirvana. Lama-la then comments on the sentence “The emergence of the mind from ignorance of the ground is, as an analogy, like the sun.” The referent of “ground” here is the ultimate ground, dharmakaya/dharmadhatu, the ignorance of which gives rise to the “mind”. The substrate is of the nature of unawareness (of the ground). Right where the substrate is, there is the dharmadhatu. The ignorance of the ground is the essential nature of the substrate, and the substrate consciousness emerges from the substrate. The word “mind” here thus refers to the subtle mind. Lama-la continues by commenting on “The emergence of conceptual mental processes from the mind is like the rays of the sun.” Mental processes refer to the 51 mental factors arising from the substrate consciousness by way of mentation (preceded by afflictive mentation). This emergence of conceptual mental processes from the mind happens in two phases, first by way of subtle mentation (in which a variety of appearances arise) and subsequently through coarse mentation (when conceptualisation and conceptual mental processes arise). The diverse appearances and the objects that are conceptually designated are like refracted light appearing as sounds, smells, tastes etc and the light that illuminates them is the sun, while the appearances are like rays of the sun emerging from the sun. Concomitantly with the (subjective) mental processes is the emergence of objective appearances (from mental processes): “The emergence of appearances from mental processes is like the light of the sun.”. Appearances arise from subtle mentation refracted outwards, and appearances of things arising from coarse (conceptual) mentation. Lama then comments that the referent of the word “mind” in the following sentence refers to substrate consciousness: “The radiant and clear essential nature of the mind, which makes appearances manifest, is like the eyes.” Commenting on the phrase “mental intentionality” (which describes the idea that the mind over here has a referent over there) Lama mentions that the salient characteristic of a sentient being’s mind is that it is entrenched in dualistic grasping by which appearances arise to us as objective (from over there) which is a cognitive obscuration that applies even to an arya bodhisattva between sessions. The most direct way to cut through that is samatha without a sign which provides us with a respite from reification. With reference to the following sentence, Lama-la comments that the “essential nature of the mind” is the substrate consciousness. Moving on to the next paragraph, Lama-la explains that he chose the phrase “transitional phase” instead of intermediate period for bardo because there are six bardos and the question arises what’s outside of the intermediate periods. Appearances are described as “unstable” because they don’t last, as “delusive” because they’re misleading, as “dream-like” because everything is occurring within one’s own substrate. Lama-la then elucidates the six transitional phases as follows: 1. The transitional phase of living, which takes hold of a lifetime (it has a beginning and an end) 2. The transitional phase of meditation (which is to be cultivated) 3. The transitional phase of dreams, which is delusive 4. The transitional phase of dying, which passes through stages of dissolution (e.g. due to a mortal wound or a terminal disease) 5. The transitional phase of ultimate reality, which is inconceivable 6. The transitional phase of becoming, which is based on karma (which is the phase commonly referred to as “bardo”) For a more elaborate presentation of these six transitional phases Lama suggests to consult „Natural Liberation“. In terms of the first transitional phase the text refers to “the attitude of preparing to remain in this world for a long time” which is our tendency to see the impermanent as permanent. “Hearing and pondering the Dharma” refers to the well-known sequence of hearing, thinking (and meditation). The reference to “acquiring broad learning and deep understanding” suggests the importance of studying and Lama stresses that this is something that is important to do when one is younger. He then comments on the sentence “First gain a sound understanding of the view, meditation, meditative experiences and realizations, and the nature of the grounds and paths, and comprehend them through your own experience.” The sequence of view and meditation is about first understanding the big picture and then, once one has the understanding, to comprehend them through one’s own experience. This will lead to the “awareness that the appearances of this life are like dreams and illusions.” Before turning to meditation, Lama-la comments on the phrase “do not succumb to activities involving the eight mundane concerns” which he suggests is like a reverse kenosis whereby one has to “empty” all of that out to enter into Dharma. The meditation which begins at 01:07:27 is on pointing out that which is hidden in plain sight. After the meditation Lama comments on the expression “pointing out instructions“ and that with sacred texts, which come from a much deeper source than the human mind, it's advisable to go back to them again and again and he suggests to record Padmasambhava's instructions in our own voice, at our own pace and in our own native language so that we can listen to them again and again and put into practice not to look outside ourselves for Padmasambhava. The aural transmission starts at 00:03:22 and covers pages 256-257 "The essential nature of the transitional phases is simply this ordinary, lucid, clear, fresh, unstructured, uncontaminated consciousness of the present moment....Adhering to this crucial point is the sublime quintessence for all Dharma practitioners, so be aware of it!“
2020 8-Week Retreat: The Vajra Essence – Part 1, 18 May 2020, Online-only
Lama Alan starts with a short preamble to the meditation in order to weave in more closely the Shamata practice of taking the mind as the path, and the active inquiry into the nature of existence presented in the vipassana section of the text. Meditation starts at 18:10. Watching the Conception of Delusion Picking up on the sentence: Insofar as there is no mirage in a mirage, it is nothing more than a mere name. Lama Alan comments that what has been said repeatedly is the view of the middle way; there is nothing really in here at all and there is nothing really out there at all. Everything is simply nominally designated on things that they are not. Based on Buddhist´s teachings and science he then elaborates on the questions: If nothing exists from its own side, how to avoid extreme subjectivism and the view that everything goes? How do we know if something exists or not? What is a valid cognition? He shares a story from John Wheeler called Negative Twenty Questions. And then concludes: The cognitive validity on a conventional level, is simply relative to others, but not to a preexisting reality, existing independently. The only reality is that there is no real world, nothing exists inherently. The real truth is nirvana, that is the truth that liberates and it is now that we can use our intelligence to liberate ourselves and all sentient beings.
2020 8-Week Retreat: The Vajra Essence – Part 1, 12 Apr 2020, Online-only
Lama Alan addresses the phrase in the text where the Lake Born Vajra asks Boundless Great Emptiness “Tell me among body, speech and mind which is the immutable, autonomous sovereign, the one in charge, sovereign, king, queen?” Lama la says the question goes to the issue of the misguided apprehension of ourselves. He refers to 3 ways of grasping at the “I” as inherently existing. Two that we are born with (independently of conceptual and verbal designation, first, the most subtle, not body or mind, me; and second, me as autonomous and substantial, distinct and in charge). The third that we learn (the same old single entity me, unchanging, that will still be me in the afterlife even if reincarnated as an animal, like a “mind transplant”). Lama Alan says the question who is the immutable, autonomous sovereign, the one in charge is answered with Vipashyana practice. To discover that the mind is agent/primary and that it is not immutable/unchanging. It is also not autonomous. Meditation starts at 16.03. Lama Alan says mind is not a function of the brain (body). That Buddhists believe conditioned phenomena always arise upon 2 causes – substantial causes and co-operative conditions. And that this is completely compatible with 20 and 21 st Century physics (the Conservation Principle, the General Theory of Relativity, Quantum Theory and Quantum Mechanics). He says that there are 3 known fundamental elements in the natural world. Matter/energy, space/time and consciousness. They influence each other but do not transform into one another or transform into or come from nothing. So where does the human immaterial mind come from? Not nothing. Not the physical brain. Moments of consciousness transform into other moments. The brain influences (is conditioned by) the mind and vice versa. Lama la says that while he doesn’t know the first moment of the emergence of the mind in a human he is confident that it emerges from (non- human) substrate consciousness and that this substrate is what passes through the bardo. As to the matter of speech, Lama Alan says speech is merely an appearance to the mind and it does not exist independently of it. He further says that body, speech and mind are not separate and autonomous. They are all mind and all empty of inherent nature. He says that substantial causes are not inherently existing either (although they can be predictable). That while space, time and matter exist and have causal efficacy they don’t exist inherently. Consciousness also exists but not inherently. [Keywords: Body, Speech, Mind, Agent, Who is in Charge, Unchanging, Immutable, Substantial Causes, Co-operative Conditions, Consciousness, Autonomous, Physics, Conservation Principle, General Theory of Relativity, Quantum Theory, Quantum Mechanics]
2023 8-Week Retreat: The Vajra Essence – Part 4, 17 May 2023, Crestone, Colorado and Online
A synopsis will be added soon
2021 8-Week Retreat: The Vajra Essence – Part 2, 06 Apr 2021, Online-only
Before returning to the text, Lama Alan revisits the materialistic assumption of the 19th century that there are no nonphysical influences in the world and the problems that arise from this like the placebo effect. Failing to recognize the obvious, that consciousness is not physical, the scientific community continues to negate the existence of anything that is not physical. Contrary to this, John Wheeler asserts that the world does not boil down to matter and energy, but to information. Similarly, to what he proposed for the universe, the body could be considered as an information processing system. What scientist call information, Buddhists call appearances. Any object that we impute upon appearances is indeterminate until it is so conceptually designated. Things don’t exist from their own side. Then Lama Alan expounds on the issue of the mind influencing the body, exploring the idea of causality, where body and mind influence each other as cooperative conditions. He returns to the text on the sentence: “Examine and recognize whether those gods and demons and all virtue and vice actually do any good or harm.” Meditation starts at 00:55:00 and is on investigating moments when we appropriate that which is not I or mine as I or mine. After the meditation, Lama Alan explores the absurd idea of viewing things as I or mine and its relation to suffering with the classic example of French explorer Robert de La Salle.
2023 8-Week Retreat: The Vajra Essence – Part 4, 27 Apr 2023, Crestone, Colorado and Online
A synopsis will be added soon
Shamatha, Vipashyana, Mahamudra, and Dzogchen, 22 May 2016, Lama Tzong Khapa Institute, Italy
Alan started the session by going directly into meditation, in a practice where we directed our awareness towards the space of our body, the space of our mind and, finally, awareness itself. Following the meditation, Alan did a quick reflection over the theme of strategy for our path, highlighting as before some of the underlying assumptions behind scientific materialism. Afterwards we returned to Naked Awareness, and Alan concluded the oral transmission of the text, with a closing section on how to proceed at the time of death, in case our level of realization is not the one we’re currently hoping for. A possible strategy in that situation is to pray in order to be reborn in Sukhavati, a pure land which is outside of the realms of samsara, being a creation of Buddha Amitabha. In the last part of the afternoon’s teaching, Alan shared the oral transmission for pointing out instructions from Padmasambhava, by way of Dudjom Lingpa, in Alan’s cherished Vajra Essence, that way ending new teachings during this retreat. The meditation starts at 01:00 - Non meditation. ___ Please contribute to make these, and future podcasts freely available.
2021 8-Week Retreat: The Vajra Essence – Part 2, 18 May 2021, Online-only
Lama Alan adds some comments on the theme of abandoning one´s own guru, when the guru’s instructions and conduct are no longer in accordance with the Buddha’s teachings. He gives some practical advice on leaving this faulty guru-disciple relationship without breaking any vows, drawing on parts of the Vajra Essence from phase 1. He also talks about faults that can be committed by students and the importance of being aware of them. He adds some remarks on aspirational and engaged bodhicitta and continues with the theme of expelling inner and outer demons on the sentence: “That which obscures the face of suchness, ultimate reality—the grahas, vighnas, bhūtas, and the great demon who creates the three realms of saṃsāra—is ego-grasping.” The text covers first how to expel demons from the Dzogchen perspective and then by using the visualization for expelling vighnas. Lama Alan introduces comments by H.H. Dalai Lama where he highlights expelling demons with loving care. The meditation starts at 01:10:15 with resting in awareness in complete inactivity and then shifting to stage of generation practice. After first calling forth all inner demons, and serving them a feast, one arises in the wrathful form of a deity and expel them from the space of one’s mind.
2023 8-Week Retreat: The Vajra Essence – Part 4, 18 May 2023, Crestone, Colorado and Online
Lama la initially commences todays teaching by attending to the words missed in the text on Dream Yoga (page 260), those being “outer grasped objects”. Lingering there, he enlarges on the wording in this section which describes how we got ‘into this mess’, the buddhist view being that the world we experience comes about due to causes and conditions. The primary cause being the inner grasping mind, the internal reification that starts with ‘I am’, thereby reifying everything else. The theme of causality being pivotal with no supernatural interventions. The general principle is that nothing ever happens due to one cause alone. This brings buddhism into contrast with other world views, namely the theistic view of having one cause, that being God. Lama la expands on how theists have contemplated this view, questioning how could God allow tragedies to occur. Buddhists however, see causality as central, as being naturalistic; nothing ever happens due to one cause, there is something primary and then there are contributing conditions; the simple reason we are suffering is ignorance/self-grasping; we can be free due to one primary cause, our buddha nature. Then we go to the next missing word, still on page 260, in the sentence “In terms of the causes and conditions of both daytime appearances….”, “appearances” being the word missed. The days teaching commences on page 260, Dream Yoga at 00.17.49. Lama la then takes a step back, emphasizing the sequence of the six transitional phases, asserting that, by way of listening and investigation of the teachings we need to gain a thorough understanding of the overall context, the world view, of the practice. Part of our world view is innate; we are born in (grow up in) with a grasping of self and reification of others, whereas our mental afflictions are connate, we are born with them. We have all acquired a world view. Chances are we will find the Buddhadharma is at odds with what we have been used to; the long-term world view of buddhism is in contrast to theistic traditions. Lama further discusses the importance of context; context lays the correct foundation to whatever we do. He refers to Stephen LaBerge’s personal experiences with lucid dreaming and his subsequent teaching to students; Lama saw no evidence of impact on people’s lives in regard to ethics, world views, values etc, therefore having no transformative power; without context we have no path. Returning to the text at 00.36.01 “Taking your understanding of this as the basis…..”, we find everything in the one sentence; we are given the context, the view, the causality of how it is that we dream and the relationship between daytime and dream appearances; the minimalist approach to dream yoga. At 00.37.15 we pause in the text to hear Rinpoche’s 1990 teaching from the great meditation master Lochen Dharmashri on daytime dream yoga. Lama asserts the importance of implementing day time dream yoga as many times as possible throughout the day, using whatever understanding, experience and insight we have into emptiness. When qualms arise, investigate until one confidently sees the 2000-year teachings of Nāgārjuna stand firmly. Until now, most have not supported the unique Madhyamaka view however quantum mechanics is now saying ‘that sounds good to me’. When daytime dream yoga isn’t embedded in the emptiness of all phenomena there will be no transformative effect. Next is Lochen Dharmashri’s teachings on nighttime dream yoga. Lama la suggests we develop the ability to recall dreams, giving instruction for the transitional phase of sleep to wakefulness. The meditation commences at 01.06.01 and consists of concise instruction from Padmasambhava on “Identifying Pristine Awareness” (Natural Liberation), picking up from where we left off. The remainder of the meditation is in silence. After the meditation, at 01.26.48, Lama la shares Gyatrul Rinpoche’s commentary on Padmasambhava’s paragraph, thus providing an aural transmission. Prior to the commentary Lama gives us a ‘morsel’ by way of saying that when we are seeking to identify primordial consciousness/primordial awareness distinct from conditioned consciousness, take the analogy of sky and space, noting that the sky is always in transition whereas space never is; space doesn’t move. So as you’re aware of awareness you’ll be aware that its forever changing as in the sky, but primordial consciousness never changes, never moves, its inconceivable that it ever moves.
2021 8-Week Retreat: The Vajra Essence – Part 2, 26 Apr 2021, Online-only
We return to Phase 4 of the Vajra Essence where Vajra Pristine Awareness asks whether it is enough to have ascertained emptiness in order to fathom the ultimate nature of pristine awareness. The Lake Born Vajra answers that it is not like this, since knowing the actual nature of reality – emptiness – is the basis for all vehicles that takes one to liberation. This is so because one cannot be liberated without knowing reality as it is. Lama Alan raises the question if our civilisation knows the true causes of sustainable well-being, and sadly, by observing the state of the world with mass extinctions, economic inequality, the rise of mental illnesses, consumerism and so forth, we must admit that these are expressions of an delusional view of reality. Natural sciences are still searching to describe an objectively real environment, with very few exceptions in quantum physics, and mind sciences still seek to understand the mind and mind-related phenomena like meditation through studying brain functions. The actual nature of the internal and the external world remain a mystery to modern society. The Lake Born Vajra tells us that even virtuous meditations - if they do not lead to an understanding of reality - will bring us only fortunate circumstances within the cycle of samsara, but not to liberation. This is because any path that seeks liberation has bring us to an understanding of reality. According to the different constitutions of seekers, there are nine different yanas in Indo-Tibetan Buddhism that lead individuals to liberation. Although commonly viewed in a hierarchical way, with Dzogchen being the pinnacle, Lama Alan refers to the renowned Buthanese teacher Gangteng Tulku Rinpoche, who explains that each vehicle that suits a practitioner is his or her own Great Perfection. Yet Dzogchen, which is also called the Great Encompassment, embraces with its view all the views of the other yanas, whereas the so-called lower yanas cannot make sense of the teachings of the so-called higher yanas. Then Lama Alan quotes Padmasambhava on the many ways that the mind, with luminousity and cognizance as its main characteristics, can be viewed and named, all of them pointing to its unfathomable nature, the ground of all of samsara and nirvana: „It is a label, for it is named in unimaginable ways.“ Padmasambhava's view includes non-Buddhist approaches to fathom the nature of reality, for example the search for Atman, which is a middle way view between the extremes of nihilism and eternalism. This wide view is shared by His Holiness the Dalai Lama, who never tries to convert people to Buddhism but rather encourages them to go deeper in their own traditions. Then the Lake Born Vajra continues with the explanation that the view of the Great Perfection is great emptiness seen as the constant creative play of primordial consciousness (which was explained in detail during last year's 8-week retreat). The text continues with describing a primordially free being that has never dwelled in the realms of samsara or nirvana and that has never been stained by dualistic grasping, and it is given the name Samantabhadra, or Vajradhara, or Adi-Buddha. Samantabhadra and Samantabhadri form a divine couple, their basis of designation are two aspects of ultimate truth: primordial consciousness and the absolute space of phenomena. They are the ultimate objects of refuge, prayer and aspiration, and they are depicted in human-like forms in Buddhist art such as thangkas and statues. Here Lama Alan raises two questions: Is Ludwig Feuerbach's thesis that God is a father-like projection of the human mind similar to the Buddhist personification of Samantabhadra? And: Since Buddhism is characterized as being non-theistic, how can then the ultimate ground, basis of all the myriads of worlds of samsara and nirvana, be personified as Samantabhadra? Lama Alan then draws on his background and PhD in religious studies, where he found the approach of many contemplatives in theistic religions to know God's face through contemplative practices. Picking one example, Lama introduces us to the 15th century Christian scientist Nicolas of Cusa who made discoveries in the fields of mathematics, astronomy, philosophy and theology, which later inspired scientists such as Galileo. After reading to us some quotes of this great contemplative, which point to a notion of God beyond all sensory experiences and intellectual concepts, Lama Alan raises the question if there might be a Great Perfection within Christianity, within the Vedic tradition, the Islamic tradition, the Jewish tradition etc to be rediscovered? And might there also be a Great Perfection within Modern Science? Meditation starts at 01:11:30: While resting in awareness, cultivate empathetic joy in the myriad paths leading to liberation and perfect awakening.
2020 8-Week Retreat: The Vajra Essence – Part 1, 01 May 2020, Online-only
Lama Alan answered some questions on thoughts generated by mental afflictions. He says do not modify anything that appears to the mind, just witness the thoughts, desires, images, and so far as you do not engage with the thoughts, but just watch how they affect the mind, then you are not afflicted by them. Lama Alan then asked, what about when you are not meditating and you are out in the world? Lama Alan’s response to this question of how to view negative thoughts is firstly not to use the word ‘negative’ as this is not specific enough for those who are deluded may think a vengeful thought is positive. He advises us to call them mental afflictions and they just come up from our habitual propensities and you can’t be responsible for these thoughts because they just came up, you didn’t intend to think them. So be precise with terminology. Lama Alan continued to say that if your compassionate thoughts are inconsistent in your mindstreams, that is ok. Mind-wandering is not anyone’s intention it just happens to us. This is why this practice is not to let a single thought by without noticing them. He said a common habit is that the moment one identifies with the thought and then reify the object of the anger, that is when our mind is afflicted. Further, Lama Alan says that he can’t see how one could accrue negative karma for having a harmful thought alone. However, if you generate an intention for revenge or harm then you accrue negative karma. He says this is very important because otherwise we could not do this practice of just watching thoughts. Your task is to simply witness the thoughts without aversion, craving or any modification. This practice moves you towards insight where the most toxic thoughts cannot harm you. He says watch them be dispelled by your pristine awareness. Lama Alan extends his response to a student question to what to do when we are out in the world and a mental affliction arises and we get caught by it and it disturbs our mind’s equilibrium. He suggests to not act on it. Back off, withdraw and do not express whatever is in your mind. Do damage control and quarantine your mind which is now afflicted and more contagious than any other virus. Then, withdrawn, watch your mind, look for the ego response. When your ego does that, look at it. Apply any of the many antidotes for these. There are 84,000 afflictions and there are remedies for each one taught by so many like Buddah and Shantideva. Lama Alan then discusses a technique of how to look at the base of mental afflictions to see the qualities of the substrate and later pristine awareness. This was shown to him by Gyatral Rinpoche and he gives the example of craving. Lama Alan outlined that when craving arises, look straight at it. How does it afflict your mind? Look for the eagerness of craving for the object and when you have the object look at the glee once obtained, like Gollum ‘my precious’ with The Ring [Lord of the Rings]. Look at the experience of the mind, do you see bliss? Same with anger, do you see a sharpness of luminosity? These aren’t mental afflictions. He said look also through dullness, aversion and when you are spaced out, when you look at the root of this affliction is it not peaceful? So, when you penetrate the nature of the mind within which the three poisons arise you find the three qualities of pristine awareness luminosity, bliss, non-conceptual. Lama Alan also makes a plea to translators everywhere to stop translating ‘klesha’s’ as positive or negative emotions. He argues that most of the kleshas are not emotions and this is a mistranslation that can lead to confusion. He welcomes debate on this and he will demolish any protagonist! Lama Alan also clarified the question that if one does not act on a bad idea does one purify negative karma? He said that you don’t purify anything because there is nothing to purify if it is just a thought that you do not act on. However, when you rest in rigpa, that heals the mind. After the meditation Lama Alan returned to the text, p.22 to discuss the list of vast meditative experiences presented possible in The Vajra Essence, including pre-cognition that comes from the luminosity of the substrate. He also refers to scientific research in the area of pre-cognition and remote viewing. Meditation starts at: 32:34 minutes [Keywords: karma, mental afflictions, meditative experiences (nyam), pre-cognition, remote-viewing]
2023 8-Week Retreat: The Vajra Essence – Part 4, 11 Apr 2023, Crestone, Colorado and Online
Lama Alan presents a brilliant, incisive overview of the strategy presented by the Lake Born Vajra to reach and proceed along the path, which is characteristic of all of the writings and visionary teachings of Dudjom Lingpa. First, there is the initial preparation of settling the body, speech, and mind in their natural state. Next, there is the establishment of the primacy of the mind (Phase 1). This is followed by establishing the mind as baseless and rootless (Phase 1). Once this is established, the Lake Born Vajra teaches the shamatha method of taking the mind as the path. Lama Alan explains in detail the rationale for this approach, and provides detailed commentary on why this approach is so beneficial. He contrasts the scholarly approach to ascertaining the nature of the mind (which takes years) with the approach presented in the Vajra Essence, which is a more streamlined analysis of the origin, location, and destination of the mind. The essay by Tsultrim Zangpo, “An Ornament of the Enlightened View of Samantabhadra,” explains why this streamlined approach, in which partial reasons for establishing the absence of true existence of the mind, can be sufficient to establish the emptiness of the mind, and thereby, of all phenomena. Lama Alan explains that this approach is a more direct root to analyzing the inherent nature of the mind and phenomena. Instead of looking at all of the categories of existence from the outside, one looks inside at the mind that apprehends all categories of existence. By seeing this one thing, you see them all. Instead of conceptually analyzing the mind, you seek out the mind experientially. Tsultim Zangpo cautions us that while this approach can be sufficient for those of superior faculties, the rest of us need to “hear and reflect upon the Madhyamaka treatises...to establish the nature of emptiness.” Before practicing the shamatha method of taking the mind as the path, you need to know what you are looking at, and to have some understanding, and insight into, the lack of inherent nature of the mind. This is crucial, Lama Alan explains, so that when unruly thoughts arise during your shamatha practice, you have the necessary tools to overcome them. Your insight into the empty nature of all thoughts, and your knowledge that these thoughts are mere empty appearances, can stop you from getting derailed by doubts or grandiose thinking. You realize that there is no real mind that is generating these thoughts, and hence, you do not need to take them seriously. Lama Alan then provides a concise and incisive roadmap to the remainder of the path: achieving shamatha, vipashyana, the union of shamatha and vipashyana, and cutting through to rigpa. The meditation practice, which starts at 01:12:50, puts these teachings into practice.
Shamatha, Vipashyana, Mahamudra, and Dzogchen, 20 May 2016, Lama Tzong Khapa Institute, Italy
The next session of the text in this chapter is on guru yoga (Naked Awareness p. 273). In the introduction, Karma Chagmé says “The best way to counteract obstructive forces, avoid pitfalls, and enhance your practice is guru yoga.” The central point of this practice is to realize the indivisibility of your own mind with the mind of the guru, or rigpa. It means that this practice is designed to melt away any sense of difference, any separation, between your ordinary consciousness of the present moment and Dharmakaya – to see your own face as the Dharmakaya. Some people for many reasons may be more devotional than other people, the same way some are more artistic than others. Also, not being born in Tibet, not being raised with mantras and deities, this practice may not seem very natural. So what to do if you’re not devotionally inclined? Alan compared this situation with an arranged marriage – the couple may not be in love in the beginning but, if there are no objections, it ends up working well. This practice we’ve just done is very simple, very sweet, and straight forward; so, If you feel like it, just do the practice, even if you don’t have tears falling from your eyes. That´s ok! Just do the practice! In the beginning, when we look at our guru, what we see is just reflections of our own minds, our own karma – impure appearances. But as one purifies the mind in the Mahayana path and gets to the Path of Accumulation, one really sees the guru as a buddha, a nirmanakaya, not imagining and not pretending – one really has the sense of being in the presence of the sacred, of a buddha. The guru does not necessarily change during the years or lifetimes of practice but the veils of your own awareness fade away. And then, when one progresses on the path and achieves the second yoga, freedom of conceptual elaboration, then from this perspective, from rigpa, you see the guru as Avalokiteshvara , sambhogakaya – just as Khandro-la saw a thousand-armed Chenrezig when she met the Dalai Lama. Then Alan said that seeing our own guru as Amitabha will be very good for us; if we’re drawn to this simple practice, we should do it sometimes – let it be an arranged marriage! Faith is like intelligence, it’s like shamatha, it’s like learning how to play piano – you do it more and more, you cultivate what you have and it grows. Doing this practice you may receive blessings, know you’re receiving blessings and then you will know your refuge is really not far away. If you’re able to look through your guru, whoever he or she is, seeing his/her empty body, empty speech and empty mind, attending to buddha´s body, speech and mind, your guru will be Amitabha, Avalokiteshvara, or Guru Rinpoche. And then, at the end of your life, you couldn’t do any better than hold the sense of your guru placed on the crown of your head. This will be really a good idea. Alan elaborated a little bit on how we deal with appearances according to the three turnings of the wheel of Dharma. And then when we come to guru yoga, the teachings of Amitabha, Avalokiteshvara, Guru Rinpoche, on pristine awareness, we don’t get it by observing appearances or by analyzing them very profoundly. The intended audience here in Dzogchen is pristine awareness itself – Padmasambhava is talking to your pristine awareness. Actually, your own pristine awareness introduces itself to your mind. The guru is there as a reflection, a projector, and he has the appearance of pointing out your own rigpa to you. And then Alan returned to the text, Naked Awareness, page 274, moving to bodhicitta, love and compassion. Alan encourages us to practice tonglen, within the context of pure vision, as described by Karma Chagmé on page 275, imagining our own form as Avalokiteshvara. The next paragraph is on tögal or direct crossing-over. Alan commented that in those instructions, the posture is very simple, the gaze is very simple, and to do this practice resting in rigpa is also very simple – for those who have realized rigpa. There is nothing wrong about receiving teachings on direct crossing-over with no realization of rigpa. If you receive them, the seeds are there; so it’s up to you and your lama. Then Alan read and commented on the text up to the two paragraphs on dedication. And finally, Alan said that tomorrow they will all be visiting Castellina Marittima! Khandro-la has already been there and blessed the land, and Alan wishes His Holiness to come and bless the land. The meditation is on guru yoga and starts at 3:15 ___ Please contribute to make these, and future podcasts freely available.
2021 8-Week Retreat: The Vajra Essence – Part 2, 05 Apr 2021, Online-only
We continue the practice of deconstructing our demons. Lama Alan clarifies that this type of contemplative inquiry is NOT a solution to the many injustices we see in the world. It is for overcoming the delusions of our own mind. Lama Alan aspires that these teachings not simply add to our knowledge, but have a clear practical application for us on and off the cushion. He reminds us of the power of this Lojong which starts from within and moves outward. The power is in the fact that we find the absence of the person who has low self esteem and the absence of the person making that judgement as well, not just that they are nowhere to be found. Madhyamaka instruction notes that wherever there is affliction (arrogance/pride, hatred/hostility, craving/attachment), there is always reification-or, a Hard target. The practice is deconstructing that hard target which is easier done on the cushion than off. He introduces the meditation as a bootcamp to improve our whole lives. In it, we will concentrate on people who appear to be demonic to us. The Meditation, which begins at 00:08:07, asks you to elicit a person or people who appear to be demonic to you and then proceeds to guide us to deconstruct that target via examination of the origin, location, and destination. We are led to the conclusion that the object(s) are empty of existence and non-existence. And, we are reminded all these appearances are arising from our own substrate. And, that all that we loathe in another person is drawn from our own capacity to be that person. All the targets arise from our own substrate, empty of inherent nature. The lecture resumes at 32:40. So, according to the Madhyamaka view, our demons do not have any power independent of our own projection. Lama Alan returns to discussing the 17th and 18th century Christian scientists’ views of God. (Be aware there were different views of God. We should wonder when asked, “Do you believe in God?”, which understanding of God are we asserting our belief in or our non-belief in. These differences are not enumerated here.) But there is a question these scientists were dealing with, which was how can demons or gods which are non-physical entities harm anyone. This question is embedded in the Madhyamaka view. If anything were completely substantial, it could not influence anything else because it would be independent. That which enables something to become a whole and have parts does so by the power of conceptual designation. If they existed inherently, they couldn’t interact with anything else. Eurocentric civilization in the 19th century became locked into the materialistic view which is dominated by the “closure principle”. According to the closure principle if something (such as mind) is composed of matter and energy, it can only be influenced by matter and energy. The material universe is closed. However, 20th century physics extinguished the basis for this principle with relativity theory and quantum theory. Despite these revolutionary discoveries, science’s view of the mind still remains trapped in the material interpretation. Donald Hoffman bemoans the fact that neuro scientists remain 300 years behind by ignoring the progress of 21st century physics. The whole history of Eurocentric civilization is one of first reifying gods and demons and then going to the other extreme of saying none of these exist because there is no physical evidence. Buddhism, on the other hand, in the great university systems in India, such as Nalanda, took the study of the mind as foremost and primarily. Scholars (punditas) of the monastery did the intellectual inquiry and meditators (siddhas) did the empirical research. Before returning to the text, Lama Alan, concludes modern academia’s treatment of the mind in the West is still bound by the ideological and methodological constraints of materialism. The Lake Born Vajra states that there are no demons except for those you create but at the same time living creatures experience what they have brought upon themselves from past lives (karma). Lama Alan clarifies here that Buddhism has never asserted that the tragedies, and profoundly evil acts that befall individuals and nations are a result of what people or nations have done in this live time and therefore are deserved atrocities. But these horrendous acts do arise as a result of actions in past lives from beginningless time which we are unaware of. He goes on to say that most diabolical appearances in this life are seeing the worst aspect of ourself being embodied externally. All beings without exception are our own appearances. This is not to negate seeing evil as evil, but is another perspective for viewing it. Finally, in the text, the student asks the Bhagavan why he has told us all this. The answer is, if you don’t realize the actually nature of reality, however kind, compassionate, or virtuous you are, you will still be acting out of delusion, and there will be no way to achieve actual liberation or enlightenment. Sometimes dharma practitioners feel meditating on emptiness is boring and not producing anything. They think further purifications (ngöndro) are necessary to achieve results. While ngöndro is always fine, you will never get out of samsara if you don’t realize emptiness and you’ll never eradicate none mental affliction if you don’t unify samatha and vipasyana. This vacillation between various practices or starting and stopping practice will not lead you to liberation. Lama Alan concludes: “Believe and trust in your own awareness and then, the dust will be removed from your eye of wisdom.” He emphasizes that in order to engage and be part of dharma today we must understand the uniqueness of where we are in human history and to do that, we must understand the past and present influence of Eurocentric civilization.
2021 8-Week Retreat: The Vajra Essence – Part 2, 20 May 2021, Online-only
Lama Alan continues the oral transmission of the text (from the last full paragraph on p. 117 to the 2nd full paragraph on p. 122) and gives related commentary. Unusually, the meditation is interspersed with that several in parts. In doing so, we continue to be led step by step through the preliminaries of the stage of generation practice (via essentially generic instructions for any sadhana, with a Dzogchen perspective). Phases include “the blessings of the offering”, “the descent of blessings” and “creating a peaceful mandala” (the beginning of the main practice). Prerequisites for effective stage of generation practice are realisation of emptiness and recognition of the nature of the ground (the indivisible union of dharmadhatu and dharmakaya – our own appearances as displays of pristine awareness). A “substitute” is the practice of the visualisation described. The seven outer enjoyments may be offered in the form of water in seven bowls placed on the altar, each bowl representing in turn drinking water, bathing water, flowers, incense, light, perfume and food. They are blessed (transmuted from ordinary objects to blessed offerings) by the five kayas/facets of primordial consciousness when saying the mantra “Om Ah Hung”. That is through the mind via visualization and intention aroused by faith, reverence and admiration. Offerings may be made to the three jewels and the yidam/guru throughout the day when beauty and preciousness are sensed. In the main practice, we dissolve all impure appearances and objects into emptiness to create the pure foundational buddha field and palace for the deities residing there. This is followed by a discussion of modern cosmology. Lama la says it is ok to visualise the Latin syllable for “Om”. The “Om” is positioned in the centre of right where you are. From the seed syllables emerge pure forms (e.g. the crossed vajra), which are empty self-appearances of facets of primordial consciousness. All phenomena dissolve into the ultimate ground. A buddha field is generated with a palace in which deities/inhabitants manifest – for their sake. They arise from space and the four elements by the power of sentient beings. From that, sentient being’s vital essence manifests. Many short meditations are interspersed throughout this recording. Meditation 1 from 00:05:08 - 00:09:00, meditation 2 from 00:12:40 – 00:15:50 and meditation 3 from 00:49:00 – 01:31:00
Shamatha, Vipashyana, Mahamudra, and Dzogchen, 26 Apr 2016, Lama Tzong Khapa Institute, Italy
Alan begins by recalling that Panchen Rinpoche presented two methods for dealing with thoughts. One of the methods that Alan didn’t cover yet in this retreat consists in cutting off thoughts as soon as they come up. Hovering in the immediacy of the present moment, as soon as a thought comes up, just deflect it. One moment and it is gone. And then you rest in silence, not waiting and not slacking off, resting in the awareness of being conscious. The meditation is on Awareness of Awareness. After meditation we return to the root text and autocommentary by the Panchen Lama. Alan gives the oral transmission and commentary on the text that explains the two methods of dealing with thoughts, namely: (1) Observe thoughts without blocking them and (2) Whatever thoughts come up, cut them off as soon as they arise. In the commentary Alan gives a succinct explanation of the five faults: (1) Spiritual sloth and (2) forgetting the practical instructions, (3) laxity and excitation, (4) non-intervention, and (5) intervention—these are regarded as the five faults. Then Alan continues by explaining briefly the 8 interventions, the 6 powers and the 4 mental engagements (Alan has provided some notes on these that will be posted on the podcast page). Extensive explanations of the above can be found in the lam-rim literature. Meditation starts at 9:33 ___ Please contribute to make these, and future podcasts freely available.
2022 8-Week Retreat: The Vajra Essence – Part 3, 21 Apr 2022, Online from Miyo Samten Ling in Crestone, Colorado, USA
Lama Alan starts with the meditation, and further inquiry advised to be practiced for one full day, whether we are still working primarily on the preliminaries, advanced or not on the path of Shamatha, and to start from a sacred place having checked the authenticity of the transmission and the conduct of the vehicle, to dissolve the sentient being and see Padmasambhava himself guiding the practice. The meditation which starts at 00:14:40 is an excerpt from the revelations translated in the book Natural Liberation. Padmasambhava leads quintessential vipasyana inquiry into the nature of mind. After the meditation Lama la comments that the mind is a big culprit, but nobody has seen it and we need to get definitive certainty about its nature. And it’s a necessary prerequisite to stage generation, completion and phase five. But why all that time and effort to look for the unfindable: as Buddhists, we cannot bring our insights to 7 billion people. The only way to reach out public schools, public institutions and transcend religions, is thru science as it is the only practice not universally banned, as the delivering mechanism, the skillful means. Shamatha is universal for people to achieve peace of mind, to come face to face with the nature of mind. Then start rummaging about into the consciousness and take the laser pointer to the past and see if one can pull out memories of events forgotten outside of samadhi. Come and see for yourself, this is a telescope that can be used by anybody. As for Vipasyana, it does not require a leap of faith either as a tool for everybody who wants to be free of suffering and its causes, to investigate into the nature of existence—and the role of conception—the mind, space, energy, all kinds of phenomena as dependent related events. Therefore, we come to this V having established the tools of Shamatha and Vipasyana as the basis to bring about a Renaissance of contemplative traditions – the profound wisdom and Revolution in mind Science – the skillful means. Shamatha and Vipasyana can cut through all the borders of religions – for example to acknowledge the existence of past lives which is running through or has been recognized by front figures of all main traditions – and to expel fundamentalism from science as well. Then Lama Alan continues the transmission from “These teachings…” on page 162 at 1:19:50 and emphasizes the outer and inner secret nature of those teachings, hence of the necessity not to reveal teachings, on emptiness for example, let alone on the generation and completion stages, to unripen minds, especially not to entail on Bodhicitta and the understanding of the efficacious causality of phenomena, and foremost not to trigger gross misunderstanding. The inner secret nature of the teachings also reveals itself only to suitable vessels.
2021 8-Week Retreat: The Vajra Essence – Part 2, 15 Apr 2021, Online-only
Lama Alan gives commentary on the text from the 2nd full paragraph on p. 81 to the 2nd full paragraph on p. 84. He says that by imagining appearances they are actualised. By focusing on them, the contributing conditions for them to appear become present. Appearances are imputed and conceptually designated and they become causally efficacious. Lama la says that in Stage 3 mostly mundane beings are designated upon and that they are the result of impure body/mind. In Stage 4 (the Stage of Generation, the crucial point) mundane beings are transformed/purified into Janasattvas (emanations/qualities of enlightenment, dharmakaya). By radically purifying appearances in this stage, the identity of an enlightened being is adopted. Lama Alan mentions that by recognising all appearances as being none other than your own appearances great mastery is achieved over the life-force of Samsara and Nirvana. All (that is external and internal) are just “fields of potential” (possibilities) with nothing already actualised prior to and independent of the acts of observation, measurement and conceptual designation. Those fields don’t inherently exist either so it is a mistake to reify them. Meditation starts at 00:16.00 and is about resting in awareness, non-conceptually investigate the one in here. Who are you? Not “who do you think you are” but “how do you experience your own identity?”
2022 8-Week Retreat: The Vajra Essence – Part 3, 04 May 2022, Online from Miyo Samten Ling in Crestone, Colorado, USA
Lama Alan returns to the text with the third paragraph on page 175. Although it may seem unusual to turn to the four revolutions so deep into the text, he notes there is a logical reason for it. While the first revolution — precious human birth — is uplifting, the reminder that it is finite is "a bit of a downer."" But, it is also a reminder that we can do something about it while we are still alive. While death is certain, the way we approach death varies widely, Lama Alan says, and the beliefs and attitudes we hold about death will have a big impact on how we choose to live. He offers several examples of how ordinary beings (i.e. non-practitioners) react to to death. Then he addresses how a Buddhist practitioner might respond: meditators of lesser capacity, who diligently practices virtue, die without regret; meditators of middling capacity, who "practice with their hair on fire," die without fear; and meditators of greater capacity, who devote their lives to the Bodhisattva path of liberation, die joyfully. Even beyond the types of death explained in this classical lam rim teaching, great yogis and yogini can rest in tukdam (Wyl. thugs dam) or attain rainbow body at the time the physical body runs aground. Lama Alan reiterates that, while death is certain, how we die is our choice. The aural transmission resumes at 45:45. Lama Alan calls particular attention to the text in the first full paragraph on page 176: "... if there is no way of determining when I will die, then without procrastination I must quickly come to understand why I should practice the profound pith instructions on the sublime, supreme yāna for gaining liberation in one lifetime. And I must apply myself to them assiduously." He notes that the "final exam" in this lifetime is not how well you live, but how well you die. The meditation on contemplating death and cultivating compassion begins at 1:21:35.
THE SCIENCE OF MIND, 13 Nov 2021, Online Retreat
The Science of Mind - Day One, Session One
2023 8-Week Retreat: The Vajra Essence – Part 4, 29 Apr 2023, Crestone, Colorado and Online
A synopsis will be added soon
THE SCIENCE OF MIND, 14 Nov 2021, Online Retreat
The Science of Mind - Day Two, Session Two
2022 8-Week Retreat: The Vajra Essence – Part 3, 27 Apr 2022, Online from Miyo Samten Ling in Crestone, Colorado, USA
Lama Alan starts the session by providing a bit of context for the meditation from Dudjom Rinpoche on determining the nature of the internal apprehending mind, which begins at 17:50. Following the meditation Lama Alan explains that, in reaching the middle way view of Madhyamaka, the meditator sometimes ends up ""bouncing off the extremes"" of eternalism and nihilism. At 56:30, he returns to the text on page 166 with the request we "delete" his earlier transmission and commentary of the first sentence of the last paragraph. The revised translation, which can be found in the class notes, is: “Since ultimate reality does not fall into the extreme of nihilism, the extremists’ way of seeking the path with a view of eternalism is brought to perfection here; and since it is not apprehended within the extreme of the eternalist view, the mindsets of those who seek the path with a view of nihilism are also brought to perfection here.” After promising to return the text soon, Lama Alan takes us on a brief side tour of eternalism and nihilism. He characterizes eternalism as a cognitive hyperactivity disorder in which we superimpose something on reality, and then freeze it into place. Conversely, he says, nihilism is a cognitive deficit disorder of not being able to see that which is in plain sight. Many people habitually flip-flop between the two. Lama Alan offers several historical examples to illustrate this point. The Lake-Born Vajra offers an alternative approach: wherever you start follow it to the ground and it is perfected. Returning to the text on the bottom of page 166, Lama Alan continues the aural transmission at 1:35:05.
THE SCIENCE OF MIND, 15 Nov 2021, Online Retreat
The Science of Mind - Day Three, Session Two
Shamatha, Vipashyana, Mahamudra, and Dzogchen, 12 Apr 2016, Lama Tzong Khapa Institute, Italy
After two weeks in which we have seen a crescendo that culminated in aspirational and engaged bodhicitta, everything else now may seem an anticlimax. Actually this is the beginning. We arouse bodhicitta until it arises spontaneously. Within the framework of the Buddhist teachings on the primary mind & mental factors, bodhicitta is considered primary mind, it is core (the primary mind becomes bodhicitta). It is the motivation that can satisfy our eternal longing, it is the core meeting the core. When your mind becomes bodhicitta, that is the undercurrent even while you are resting, you are walking, when you are doing all sorts of activities. Sometimes it is obscured by mental afflictions that come and go, but once you have entered this flow of bodhicitta, even when resting you accumulate merit, according to Shantideva. When it is uncontrived, the slightest event will immediately trigger the bodhicitta, thereby becoming manifest. At this level you are a bodhisattva. The first stage is called earth-like bodhicitta on the Mahayana path of accumulation. Now, how do you make this bodhicitta irreversible? We need wisdom that will protect your bodhicitta. Specifically it is the kind of wisdom explicitly referenced in The Ornament of Clear Realization (Abhisamayālaṅkāra), by Maitreya. In order to get to the second stage of the Mahayana path of accumulation we need the four close applications of mindfulness. In order to be effective in our cultivation of bodhicitta, we begin where it’s easier, with loving kindness for ourselves, and then we move on to a very dear one, a more casual friend and then to people we have more difficulties with. Alan states that we can find a similar strategy in the teachings of Natural Liberation revealed by Padmasambhava, with regards to shamatha. There we begin by looking at an object like a pebble or a stick and then we move on till doing awareness of awareness. So it is from coarse to subtle. When it comes to cultivating vipashyana, there are good reasons to go back to the four close applications of mindfulness, especially emphasised in the Theravada tradition. In this way we start where we live, and this strategy can make an impact on our mental afflictions. Also here we can see that the approach is from coarse to subtle. In this way we can start to cultivate insight (wisdom) which can protect, guard our bodhicitta, as if we were crossing from the small to the medium stage of the Mahayana path of accumulation. The meditation is on the close application of mindfulness to the body. After meditation, Alan expands on the importance of realizing not only the identitylessness of persons, but also the identitylessness of all phenomena. The latter is the indispensable basis for an effective practice of Vajrayana, together with renunciation and bodhicitta. Then he continues the oral transmission of the Panchen Lama’s text - we are now venturing into the section on sutra mahamudra. Meditation starts at 23:00 ___ Please contribute to make these, and future podcasts freely available.
2022 8-Week Retreat: The Vajra Essence – Part 3, 31 Mar 2022, Online from Miyo Samten Ling in Crestone, Colorado, USA
The session begins with Lama Alan opening the doors of the Vajrayana vehicle so that we all hop in, and arise as suitable vessels for receiving these teachings. Once we are there, the journey can start. First we go through an overview of the steps that took us here: samata, vipassana, identification of rigpa, understanding of emptiness of all phenomena, and finally a fork on the road, related to the beginning of Phase 4. Our Lama reads a passage around the purpose of the complex structure of stage of generation practice, within the unelaborated nature of ultimate reality. Why bother with all this imagery? – he delves a bit into this question. Lama la briefly gives an account of how the retreat structure will play out on the following weeks, then starts the aural transmission and commentary of the text on page 138, first paragraph, at minute 41:40. The topic of the lines read today pertains to the reification process of our universes. Lama la's commentary is around the importance of confessing this fault, and of purifying the deed, ultimately by resting in buddha nature which realises emptiness. After the commentary, our Vajrayana Guru signals the necessity of bringing all the teachings down to experience, and of having a sound foundation for that. He provides a preamble on the practice of settling the mind in its natural state, then we go into a 20 minute session particularly focused on the first step: releasing the body of its contractions and knots. The meditation focus is to deeply and gently settle the body in its natural state. It starts at 1:29:10
2023 8-Week Retreat: The Vajra Essence – Part 4, 12 Apr 2023, Crestone, Colorado and Online
Given the time constraints of retreat and of the urgency of achieving rainbow body in this very lifetime, Lama la reiterated the need to keep all questions specific to the text/theory raised in classes. Lama Alan will not be available during his own full-time, indefinite retreat to answer follow-on questions so we must keep clarifying questions as focused as possible. - Question 1: Lama-la discussed the ways in which the practice of stilling the mind on the cushion can then amplify awareness of thoughts and sensations off of the cushion. In order to prevent feelings of overwhelm, it is important to cultivate a base of stillness and relaxation when receiving these new experiences. However, the silencing of the rumination can also slip into feelings of dullness - reapplying curiosity and clarity is essential to ensure practice doesn’t become sluggish. - Question 2: 'What is the difference between awareness of awareness (Shamatha without a sign) and the quality of introspection' The first is the vinyana kasina - 10th of the 10 casinas. This refers to settling attention on raw, pure and primal awareness. Introspection, meanwhile, is more of a monitoring intelligence - introspecting if the body/mind is being used in an appropriate manner. One monitors the body, speech and mind to understand if there is laxity or excitation to trigger intention to remedy the situation. - Question 3: 'In terms of posture, what should those with back injuries do? Is it safe to practice?' With back conditions, it's important to get creative and attentive with the type of cushion, bed or platform used when meditating. Zero gravity is one brand that could work that supports the contours of the body. Experiment with what works for your injury. Doing so isn’t dangerous at all provided that you are comfortable and that the spine is straight. - Question 4: 'If Shamatha involves prana gathering in the central channel, what happens to prana when authentic Vipassana (the realisation of emptiness) is experienced? Is there a difference between how tantra/sutras describe this?' We should not take time away from the material in front of us with questions such as this - this is more a matter of curiosity rather than practice. However, in tantra - highest yoga tantra - you are realising emptiness with the very subtle mind. In Dzoghen you realise this with pristine awareness, meaning pranas are going into the indestructible bindu at the heart. Lama-la could not say if this is the same from the sutra perspective. - Question 5: 'Can we continue with our existing methods of Shamatha on this retreat or go back to the ’square one’ of settling body, speech and mind in natural state?' If you’re already engaging in a practice you find helpful then Lama-la suggests you definitely continue - there are many avenues of skillful means or enlightenment, just as the Lake-born Vajra specifies. However, previous practices can be enriched by taking a fresh look at settling body in natural state. Hardly anyone teaches setting respiration and inner-speech in their natural state, for example. Lama-la emphasised that this is the foundation for making your Shamatha practice sustainable. - Question 6: 'My main issue is dullness - I believe what’s missing here is clarity. Do I just work on that or on settling body, speech and mind in the natural state?’ Lama-la advised oscillating between settling body, speech and mind and applying clarity and interest in dullness. After the first 4 stages of Shamatha comes the 12 stages of Vipassana - practice of mindfulness of breathing only gets boring when you lose clarity, something needed along the entire path. Developing the faculties of mindfulness and introspection - sharpening these blades - will serve you well throughout the path via enhanced and vivid awareness. - Question 7: ‘How do I tackle chit-chat when it restarts to congratulate me on my practice?' Lama-la describes how the mind, which we never find, always has something to say. We are addicted to rumination even when there’s nothing to think about - regardless of how repetitive or toxic they are. Cultivating silence is one of the hardest things we can do when addicted and attached to stimulation. Mindfulness of breathing can really help here because so much of thinking is just useless and exhausting. We must keep releasing our thoughts no matter their referent or the affect associated and start really enjoying what occurs after the release - the clear, quiet, calm and peaceful quiet. Obsessive, compulsive and delusional thinking is never helpful, but realistically ‘planning’ based thoughts are inevitable during meditation. - Question 8: ‘How do we address our teachers by name? Is the Long Life Prayer for the Dalai Lama referring to him as a sentient being?’ The Long Life Prayer for the Dalai Lama is recited in English: 'In the land encircled by a ring of snow mountains, Is the source of all happiness and benefit, All-knowing Chenrezig, Tenzin Gyatso. May you stand firm until samsara ends.' This is not recited for the Dalai Lama as a human being but as an emanation of enlightened beings and the protective deity of Tibet. We don’t wish for the Dalai Lama to go on living in this human form until Samsara ends, but we wish for his blessed continuation for the benefit of all sentient beings. Using honorifics for our teachers is to remind us that they are beyond the level of sentience and our relationship with them is not person to person but pupil to true wisdom. Calling the Lama by their first name grounds this relationship between sentient beings - this is not useful for the student as it does not reflect the transcendence of the Lama or their position as an emissary of the Buddha. - Question 9: 'What is the difference between attending to empty space and awareness of awareness? Is awareness an appearance itself? Does consciousness have its own characteristics?' Releasing awareness into space involves looking into an empty 3D space or vacuity. It still appears to you. The substrate exists and has qualities. But in awareness of awareness you are not attending to the space, but the subjective experience of being aware and not the space of awareness itself. The salient features of consciousness are that it illuminates (makes manifest) and there is cognisance (you know what is being made aware - ‘I know this is silence, visual appearance, a thought etc). Appearances means ‘manifesting’. Even in the perfect sensory deprivation tank, we wouldn’t fall unconscious. You can always be aware of being conscious - this is lucidity. The triad of bliss, luminosity and non-conceptuality is only encountered once Shamatha is achieved. - Question 10: 'Is there any additional advice on releasing tension on the back of the neck?' Lama la discusses how, when tension arises, it is important to never continue what you’re doing as then you’re just making a habit of being tense. We must never push too hard - never try to meditate via ego or ambitiousness as this will cause successive tightening and tension. Therefore we must never take tension casually but instead find some effective way of releasing it. The path of Shamatha is characterised by getting more relaxed (less tension), more stable (less fragmentation/distraction/rumination) and more clarity. This is a gradual path, however - if we suddenly got zapped by the intensity of clarity associated with Shamatha while in a tense state, we might blow a fuse! - Question 11: 'Certain lineages of Buddhism seem more ambitious/ broad in scope than others. How do we reconcile the Pali canon and foundational teachings with Dzogchen? If awareness is so important, for example, is there a Tibetan term for it?' Hardly any Dzogchen teachers will talk about Sutrayana/ Pāli Canon, so questions that compare lineages won’t be answered from now on. However, Lama-la emphasised that Buddhism is not ‘Lama-ism’ for a reason; Dzogchen is rooted in India and Vajryana Buddhism and that is to be respected. No lineages are better than any others, but when it comes to wisdom teachings so much is concentrated on a lack of identitylessness - the roots of so many of our kleshas. We must not reify our five skandas if we want to achieve arhatship - we need to have more insight into the way things are beyond just ourselves. We must practice the 6 perfections, but some lineages would reject guru yoga or Vajrasattva practice in so doing. In fact, from some perspectives, Dzogchen looks like mumbo jumbo - it would feel like a joke or insult to believe we can achieve enlightenment in one lifetime by sheer relaxation. Seeing sentient beings - including ourselves and our Lamas - as Buddhas also makes no sense when viewed from other lineages. That said, Dzogchen is called 'the great encompassment’ because it does try to reconcile all wisdom traditions, including materialism. It can achieve consensus where religion, philosophy and science cannot and pushes forward individual self-knowledge to a wider world view of reality. There is a Tibetan term for consciousness: ‘vidyā’ - it is imbued in the first of the 12 links of dependent origination, for example, where Avidyā means to ’not know’ which espouses delusion etc. This is the root of all suffering. Vidya, meanwhile, is also translated as many things, including knowledge. Vidya then takes on qualities of pristine awareness and clear comprehension. Samprajanya (introspection), meanwhile, is inward facing knowledge rather than broad or outward facing. Lama-la also emphasised that monks that still introspect on the arising of various kleshas - whether or not they bother them - are not Arhats even if they have achieved Shamatha. Craving for hedonic pleasures is eliminated through true Arhatship. - Question 12: ‘Am I right in thinking that the way of reconciling cognitive vs purely materialistic views is that the role of the observer/ conceptualiser is to animate appearances from what otherwise would have been a dead continuum of matter? By removing the participation of this false agent, do we then suspend the construction of our reality?' Lama-la pointed out that this is not the right phrasing: there isn’t a juxtaposition between the cognitive and material. Space-time does not exist in the fabric of nature, meaning matter is not objectively real - there is no container for them. Nominally, these aspects exist - we ask for the time, we ask for the distance between locations etc. We allow the external world back in but only with a nominal status. After all, these conventions have causal efficacy - they’re still important. Lama-la specifies how this process is not a matter of animation - appearances aren’t static, they aren’t having the breath of life given to them once they’re noticed. Consciousness manifests them, but this doesn't constitute bringing them to life. There’s no dead continuum of matter either - that infers that it used to be alive and now it's not. When we suspend the conceptualising mind, information is not packaged up, it is merely discerned at the subtle level. However, conceptualisation can occur with and without language - as can objectification (the example of Helen Keller is given here; she conceived and recognised objects consistently even without language). Suspending conceptualisation, as described by this question, and our clenching into subject-object dualism only gives us a brief reprieve, however. This was accomplished prior to the time of the Buddha. The real challenge, therefore, is to completely eliminate this process, maintaining knowledge of emptiness in a sustained fashion. We must completely eradicate reification - realise and know this emptiness of mind and of all phenomena to the point where it is uprooted completely.
THE SCIENCE OF MIND, 13 Nov 2021, Online Retreat
The Science of Mind - Day One, Session Two
2022 8-Week Retreat: The Vajra Essence – Part 3, 18 Apr 2022, Online from Miyo Samten Ling in Crestone, Colorado, USA
We pick up in the text at 9:20 on page 159 where Yangchen just left off. Lama Alan notes that a variant reading of the Vajra Essence was discovered by Yangchen with phrases that would be helpful here and they have been added in parenthesis. At Lama Alan begins with the taking of the essence of the five elements, saying that the passage about space is especially interesting and compares it to the practice of taking the vital essence of flower petals for which he was granted the oral transmission, commentary and training in preparation. He also discusses his training in Quantum Mechanics and that while physics knows nothing about vital essence, there is an energy of empty space. Lama Alan tells us that it is crucially important to learn that when the Buddhist tradition speaks of the natural mandala of the world that this is not primitive or folk physics. The periodic table of elements from the rarely-challenged realm of metaphysical realism assumes that these elements are really out there and the universe is made up of them. Whereas, when it comes to earth, water, air, fire and space, they were never considered in Mahayana, Vajrayana and Dzogchen to be something that is out there existing independent of experience. Lama Alan asks us to bear in mind the core theme of Tibetan medicine where your body is in dynamic interrelationship with the five elements of your environment as we move through the five elements in the text here. Lama Alan gives a full description of the eight common siddhis. He says that if you are drawn to it, the quintessence of Stage of Generation and Completion can be found in Phase 4 and that while it can be much more elaborate, this is enough. He then concludes the Lake-Born Vajra's presentation of the Stage of Completion from which we will move on to the synthesis and names of the Great Perfection. At 1:07:15, Lama Alan begins to give pith instructions on a meditation that can be done later on our own to observe samsara coming into existence moment by moment and to know there is an option. There is no meditation with this teaching but Lama Alan gave precise instructions at the end of the teaching for a meditation.
Shamatha, Vipashyana, Mahamudra, and Dzogchen, 31 Mar 2016, Lama Tzong Khapa Institute, Italy
Alan began by sharing with the group a question from a student, regarding how can we actually develop Bodhicitta. He replied by saying we should start where we feel comfortable, in something that makes sense for us, which in the case of Bodhicitta, for most of us, can be the cultivation of the Four Immeasurables. The meditation is on loving-kindness, and includes Alan reading the Buddha’s own words on the meaning of developing loving-kindness. After the meditation we returned briefly to the Mahamudra root text “Lamp So Bright”, and after that, Alan began the commentary on the retreat’s main text (Naked Awareness) beginning section, on taking refuge. Alan then leads the group on actually taking refuge vows, and then elaborated on the significance of such decision, as well on its true meaning. He reflected on how easily we can take refuge outside of Dharma, and how beneficial it is to take refuge in Dharma, which goes beyond appearances. He finished with the idea that taking refuge is really about having trust in the Buddha, in his teachings and in the Sangha that continues to bring those teachings to life. When we do have this trust, then we’ve actually taken refuge in the Dharma. The meditation starts at 9:19. ___ Please contribute to make these, and future podcasts freely available.
2022 8-Week Retreat: The Vajra Essence – Part 3, 06 May 2022, Online from Miyo Samten Ling in Crestone, Colorado, USA
Lama Alan begins by commenting that the format of Phase 5 is classic: it starts with the preliminary practices (focusing only on the common preliminaries such as the four revolutions in outlook) and proceeds to the view, meditation and conduct of Dzogchen. Lama-la comments on the logic of the sequence of the preliminaries starting with that of the precious human rebirth that we owe to the merit of our “predecessor” in a previous life (from whom we are neither entirely different nor the same). This first revolution is uplifting, showing us possibilities we had never dreamt of but it’s up to us to make the best use of it. The second revolution reminds us that we’ll lose everything we have and all we will be able to take with us when we die is our karma. This brings a “gentle intensity” that we are carving our future and the question of how we can best prepare for this. The third revolution has a sobering effect, reminding us that every moment we engage in any deliberate action we’re sowing seeds that will give rise to the karma that will propel us to the next lifetime. The fourth revolution of Dukkha takes all the wind out of the sails of thinking that samsara can turn out well and is the last nail in the coffin to our addiction to perpetuating the causes of samsara. As we return to the text at 00:47:09, pages 177-178: "Upon considering the nature of suffering in saṃsāra,...This is the unsurpassed crown jewel of all Dharma practitioners..“, Lama Alan elaborates on the three types of suffering and the fact that the majority of people is only aware of the first type of blatant suffering rather than the second one of the suffering of change, let alone the all-pervasive suffering of conditioned existence, our fundamental vulnerability to suffering. Understanding these will ensure our irreversible disenchantment with the whole of samsara. Lama-la stresses the importance of “bottoming out” of samsara analogous to an alcoholic who decides to give up drinking altogether. Before we engage in Dzogchen we need a thorough disillusionment with samsara. We need to realise that “there’s nothing else to do” than to dedicate oneself to practising Dzogchen. As we go into the meditation on Great Mudita, Lama-la reminds us of Empathetic Joy and that within the Immeasurables in a Mahayana context this is not an emotion but an aspiration, the aspiration that all beings never be parted from sublime happiness free of suffering. This is a good time to arouse this aspiration in the context of realising that samsara is all permeated by suffering. We are wishing for everyone to find their way out of samsara. Lama-la reminds us of the liturgy: 1. Why couldn’t all sentient beings never be parted from sublime wellbeing free from suffering – given that we’re all imbued with Buddha nature and all we need are the contributing conditions. 2. May they never be parted from sublime wellbeing. We see that it’s possible. 3. Speaking from our own pristine awareness we affirm: I shall do it! 4. May all Buddhas and spiritual friends bless me to carry through with my resolve. In the meditation which begins at 01:24:29 we will express this aspiration by way of tonglen as the immediate response to this fourth point.
Shamatha, Vipashyana, Mahamudra, and Dzogchen, 10 May 2016, Lama Tzong Khapa Institute, Italy
NOTE: only the first 50 seconds come from the back-up recorder, and the quality is not optimal. Apologies for that. Alan begins the session by commenting on the difference between the way phenomena appear and the way they exist. It’s very common when we are pointing the finger at something, at an object or a person, to reify that object or that person. But that object or person appearing really over there, from its own side, autonomous, objective, is a lie, it doesn’t exist. The meditation is on the emptiness of all phenomena. After the meditation, before returning to the text, Alan expands on Martin Buber’s explanations of I-it, I-You and I-Thou relationships. He then resumes the oral transmission and commentary of Panchen Rinpoche’s text. Meditation starts at 21:00 ___ Please contribute to make these, and future podcasts freely available.
Shamatha, Vipashyana, Mahamudra, and Dzogchen, 15 May 2016, Lama Tzong Khapa Institute, Italy
Alan began the session with the warning that this afternoon’s session would be dense, which prompted laugh from everyone in the room, given that all previous sessions have already been pretty dense! He then elaborated on the three higher trainings (ethics, samadhi and wisdom), saying that in the beginning of the path, the importance of ethics could not be overemphasized. He gave some detail on how to cultivate ethics, namely exploring its two facets: non-violence (both overt and covert) and benevolence, with the aim of highlighting the importance of having a solid ethical foundation, so that the impact of our meditation can be optimized. As a way to make these comments practical, Alan paraphrased Shantideva’s Guide to the Bodhisattva Way of Life, namely on how to deal with mental afflictions (from chapter 5, “Be like a piece of wood!”). Bypassing comments on shamatha, which we’ve explored extensively, Alan then moved on to foundational teachings on vipashyana on the nature of the mind, by citing some quotes of the Buddha, from the Pali Canon. After the meditation, we returned to the Panchen Lama text, with Alan recovering an earlier section from stanza 45, to which he gave additional commentary. The remaining time of the session was dedicated to exploring a contradiction in assessing levels of realization mentioned in the Panchen Lama’s text (on the equivalence between the yoga of non-elaboration and the first bodhisattva stage), with Alan recovering a quote from Gampopa’s “The Jewel Ornament of Liberation”, to elucidate on this contradiction. The rest of the session was an inspiring discourse on the importance of being careful when assessing levels of realization, namely given all the differences of perception that exist between mere beginners and highly realized beings. Meditation is silent and not recorded. ___ Please contribute to make these, and future podcasts freely available.
2022 8-Week Retreat: The Vajra Essence – Part 3, 15 Apr 2022, Online from Miyo Samten Ling in Crestone, Colorado, USA
Lama Alan starts by picking up on the familiar point that all appearances are one’s own or even self-appearances (rang nang). In the Dzogchen context “rang” means pristine awareness. From this perspective all the displays are primordially pure displays of dharmakaya, yet this is not true from the perspective of a sentient being (cf the example of Ukraine). This idea is in line with modern science which concurs that qualia are not out there in objective reality. Lama-la explains that we never perceive reality as it is objectively but only as an alloy. Lama begins the aural transmission at 00:08:40 from the bottom of p.156 (“Drawing the energies together many times…”) - middle of p.158 ("...cycles of breath“). He explains that the expression “so that none remain” means that what manifests as “habitual propensities” dissolves into a deeper dimension of reality. To explain how to understand this in the context of Dzogchen, Lama Alan draws on Sautrantika (the Buddhist equivalent to Newtonian mechanics) according to which for every conditioned phenomenon that comes into existence there has to be a cause that turns into it and when it disappears it turns into something else. In terms of metaphysical realism this makes a lot of sense. However, Lama Alan explains that in this text the framework is that of prasangika madhyamaka where nothing takes place independent of perception and conceptual designation. Using the example of a rainbow he explains that there’s nothing transforms into it and it transforms into nothing else because it is not really out there and is not in physical space. Where do the colours and shapes come from? The space of your own awareness and this is where they dissolve back into. Lama-la then comments on the expression “burning to a crisp” through the example of telling a lie in the sutrayana context where you can apply the 4 remedial powers. The karmic seed of having lied is thus burned. What’s left is the burnt crisp which means it’s a burnt seed (which is not the same as no seed, it’s not as if the deed had never been committed). He specifies that the expression “burned to a crip” is in fact inaccurate (and could possibly be replaced by something like “utterly burned up”) as there is no remainder (not even a crisp). Lama Alan then comments on the phrase “the accumulations are completed” regarding knowledge and merit and how to think about this in terms of a fully charged tank of a car or a battery. After the transmission Lama-la emphasises an important point, also stressed by HHDL, regarding the prerequisite “view” for any Vajrayana practice: for Vajrayana practice, realisation of personal identitylessness is insufficient as one could still be reifying all five skandhas. If shamatha, vipashyana and a taste of rigpa suffuse all our generation and completion practice here, this would be sufficient for those who love the elaborate path. If, however, you’re still reifying the external world, you’re not a suitable vessel for stage of generation and completion because you’re just pretending and you can’t dissolve them into emptiness. Lama then discusses the questions where appearances come from, e.g. the appearance of suffering? The metaphysical realist says that appearances are caused in part by something out there (that acts as contributing condition). According to Dharmakirti and Dignaga this means that one infers an external contributing cause for the subjective appearance we have but this is in fact impossible: to be able to infer the cause somebody must have seen the cause producing the effect but nobody has ever seen it. Also, whenever you see the effect you have to know that the effect cannot arise without the cause. But nobody has ever seen the physical universe prior to and independent of appearances. Such a universe cannot be deemed existent, either on empirical or rational grounds. So this insight is enough to get started in stage of generation; we don’t need to dissolve the sun etc into emptiness as it’s not there (only the different appearances of it as it appears to a deva, an animal etc). What accounts for the consensuality of experience is karma. Lama explains that when we recite “om svabhava shuddha sarva dharma svabhava shuddho hum” we dissolve the entire physical world and our physical body into emptiness, then out of this emptiness, acknowledging the emptiness that was already there, we can generate more appearances. Visualising oneself as a deity is no less real than imagining oneself as a human being because the physical body is not really there. Cittamatra is enough to begin stage of generation but not enough to complete because the Cittamatrins are still reifying the mind. If we go beyond Cittamatra to Prasangika Madhyamaka then even the mind doesn’t inherently exist and we can simply stop designating and reifying it. Since from the primordial indivisibility of dharmakaya and dharmadhatu we can be all that we want to be – why would we be anything less than a buddha? In Dzogchen you can conclude neither that the physical world does exist nor that it does not exist which means that it is indeterminate. There is no meditation with this teaching.
2022 8-Week Retreat: The Vajra Essence – Part 3, 13 Apr 2022, Online from Miyo Samten Ling in Crestone, Colorado, USA
After a very brief introduction, Lama Alan returns to the text on page 154 with the paragraph beginning "The three kayas are taught… The aural transmission begins at 00:02:30. Lama Alan indicates that, while prana and breath are closely related, they are not the same. Prana is linked to life itself and carries the "spiritual DNA" from life to life. He then provides a brief explanation of the bardo of dying and the bardo of becoming. While the substrate consciousness is not dependent on the brain, Lama Alan hypothesizes that certainly it must have physiological correlates. The yogi who has achieved shamatha and a person in deep, dreamless sleep are experiencing the same state, viz. the substrate consciousness. It will be interesting to see what neuroscience finds when comparing the two. Ninefold expulsion is necessary to eliminate "corpse prana," which is the result of self-grasping and mental afflictions. Because we get so caught up in our day-to-day existence, our nadis become knotted and our prana gets trapped and dies. According to Lama Alan, the more we can let body, speech and mind rest in their natural state, the less likely we are to trap our vital energies, and therefore to need to practice ninefold expulsion. Lama Alan explains that prana is what links immaterial thoughts, intentions and emotions with the material body. If you don't understand prana, it is impossible to understand the mind-body relationship. This was widely recognized across multiple cultures and spiritual traditions until the materialists "came along and stole the show.“ Samadhi is by far the best technology for exploring this relationship. Within Vajrayana Buddhism, although there is great deal of commonality, details of the subtle energy body differ across various tantric traditions. This is because the nadis, chakras and bindus do not inherently exist, but arise dependent on various views and types of samadhi. They are not objectively real, but exist pragmatically; i.e. they have causal efficacy. According to Lama Alan, "Prana is as real as stones or grapefruit.“ Lama Alan continues with the text on pages 154 and 155 at 01:09:50 with further details of the ninefold expulsion and the subtle energy body. There is no meditation with this teaching.
