Month: October 2019

The Qualifications of the Disciples Following a Master

~ DudjomTersarNgondro
His Holiness Dudjom Rinpoche ~ Pema Osel Ling ~2018

THE FOUR HUNDRED SAYS: Impartial, intelligent, and having interest—Such listeners are said to be suitable vessels. In other words, they have straightforward minds, with no tendency to partiality—they do not feel an attachment to those in their own group or aversion for people in other groups. They are intelligent, able to distinguish between words of truth (to be adopted) and those that are wrong (and to be rejected). They are deeply interested in the sublime Dharma and greatly respect and trust those who teach the Dharma. These are the basic qualities, to which the Self-Arisen Awareness adds the following particular ones: They have the strength of faith, great diligence, Great intelligence, and no clinging or attachment. They have great respect and practice the secret mantras. Their minds free of discursive thoughts, they are undistracted. They keep the commitments, are diligent in the practice, And act in accordance with the teacher’s words. Good disciples have vivid faith—that is, great joy and keen interest with regard to the teacher and instructions; eager faith—a yearning for the result of the practice; confident faith that entertains no doubts; and consummate faith unaffected by petty circumstances. They are thus completely ready to receive blessings. They are firmly committed in their determination to accomplish unsurpassable enlightenment, and constant in their practice, never postponing it. As they have the intelligence and clarity to investigate the profound meaning of the way things truly are, experiences and realization come to them easily. They have little attachment and clinging to worldly happiness or possessions such as food and clothes. Since they have great respect for the teacher and the yidam, they are an open door by which blessings may enter. They have cleared all their doubts and hesitations regarding the path of the secret mantras and are therefore able to undertake the profound practices. Since their minds are not prey to ordinary thoughts to do with attachment, aversion, and bewilderment, they are not distracted. They keep their promises and do not transgress the root and branch commitments that they have accepted. They do not tire of practicing the profound path and never go against the teacher’s instructions. As the Great Omniscient One says, Disciples with good fortune have great faith and wisdom, They are diligent, careful, mindful, and vigilant. They do not go against the teachings and keep their vows and commitments. Their body, speech, and mind well controlled, they are very compassionate and altruistic. Open-minded, cheerful, and generous, they have very pure perception, Are stable, and have great devotion. It is disciples with just such qualifications as these that one should accept to teach. Their opposites are bad disciples, whom we shall now consider.
~ To be continued on next week’s weekly blog Friday, November 1st.

Kyabje Dudjom Rinpoche
A Torch Lighting the Way to Freedom: Complete Instructions on the Preliminary Practice of the Profound and Secret Heart Essence of the Dakini
Padmakara Translation Group

Welcome back Lama Sonam Rinpoche to the LIVESTREAM Ngondro Webcast Teaching Thursday, OCT 24th @ 5pm PACIFIC

~ DudjomTersarNgondro
Lama Sonam Rinpoche sends “Tashi Delek” and love to all from the Guru Rinpoche statue at the Pema Osel Ling Retreat Center, California

Join us Thursday, October 24th @ 5: 00 pm PACIFIC
as we welcome back
Lama Sonam Rinpoche from his pilgrimage.

This is a last-minute change from the scheduled Mandala Offering: Dodging Squirrels on the Path to Enlightenment with Drubpon Pema Rigdzin, which will be rescheduled for another time.

Lama Sonam Rinpoche will give teachings and advice for our practice. Questions are welcome.

NOTE: Our area here in the Santa Cruz Mountains is affected by the “no power California” which means that our power may be turned off tonight, but we will be running on a generator. In the event that we get knocked off during the webcast, please do not disconnect. The Zoom platform will resume our connection.

This webcast is only open to the participants of the
Vajrayana Foundation Dudjom Tersar Ngondro Program
(a web based program)
Watch your email for the login information and see you tomorrow!

November 13th @ 5:30 PM Pacific
Live stream webcast Group Ngondro Accumulation
with Choying Wangmo

 

Dudjom Rinpoche’s Interview about Guru Padmasambhava

~ DudjomTersarNgondro

The following article appeared in Volume 5 (Winter, 1976) of the Shambhala Review of Books and Ideas, a magazine that was part of Shambhala Publications (unaffiliated with Shambhala International or the Shambhala Sun), a magazine that ran a few issues in the mid 1970’s.

Tibetan Buddhism, Dudjom Rinpoche, Jigdrel Yeshe Dorje (1904–1987)

This interview with Dudjom Rinpoche was conducted by Shambhala Publications’ staff with the assistance of Tulku Sogyal who was present at the time.

Shambhala Review of Books and Ideas Magazine Volume 5 (Winter, 1976)

Shambhala Review

A Guru for Turbulent Times

PADMASAMBHAVA

An Interview with His Holiness Dudjom Rinpoche

His Holiness Dudjom Rinpoche, Jigdrel Yeshe Dorje, is one of the greatest living scholars and tantric masters of Tibetan Buddhism today. His Holiness was born in 1904 in the province of Pemakod in southeastern Tibet and was recognized as the reincarnation of the great Tibetan master and yogi Dudjom Lingpa, who was famous for his discovery of many secret texts which bad been hidden away many centuries before by Guru Padmasambhava, the founder of Tibetan Buddhism in the eighth century. He is also the reincarnation of Shariputra, the disciple of the Shakyamuni Buddha and the reincarnation of Khyeuchung Lotsawa, one of the original twenty-five disciples of Guru Padmasambhava. His Holiness is recognized by the Tibetan community as the Guru Rinpoche of our time.

Nyingmapa is the oldest and original school of Tibetan Buddhism. The name itself means “The Ancient Ones.” This School has preserved through an unbroken lineage the highest tantric teachings of the Buddha. These teachings known as Dzogchen or Ati Yoga deal directly with the original nature of mind, and through their practice one can attain liberation in the course of a single lifetime. Dzogchen is transmitted through an oral tradition. His Holiness is the supreme holder of these teachings.

Tulku Sogyal Rinpoche was trained in the Buddhist tradition of Tibet by some of Tibet’s greatest lamas and was raised as a son by the great Jamyang Khyentse. Rinpoche was educated at Cambridge and founded a Dharma center in England. Recently he has been traveling with His Holiness Dudjom Rinpoche as interpreter and aide.

 

Shambhala Publications Staff: I would appreciate your talking about the Dzogchen (rDzog-cben) teachings, or what is known as Ati yoga. Could we begin with some historical background? Does any of the Dzogchen teachings predate Buddhism?

Dudjom Rinpoche: The Buddhist teachings that we know in this age were given to us by Buddha Shakya­muni, the historical Buddha. This is the Buddha­dharma period of Buddha Shakyamuni. However, in actual fact, the Dzogchen teachings originate from Samantabhadra Dharmakaya. They have existed from time immemorial. According to the Dzogchen lineage, there are twelve teachers, or twelve Buddhas. Buddha Shakyamuni is one of these twelve; he was the last to appear.

Sogyal Rinpoche: So in a sense, these teachings do predate the Buddhism that is known today.

Dudjom Rinpoche: Dzogchen teachings have, from time immemorial, been in the Dharmakaya and have been directly transmitted to the Sambhogakaya Buddhas, who have been continuously teaching in the Sambhogakaya field of timeless time. So therefore Dzogchen goes beyond historical time.

Continue reading the interview