Illusion and reality

The play of experience which arises in a mirror is the key to understanding the nature of illusion and reality.  Just as waking and sleeping can be a seamless flow of awareness – so can birth and death.

p48, Tracts of the Sun : An Earth Orbit of Vajrayana Expressions.  Ngakpa Chögyam and Khandro Déchen, Aro Books Worldwide, 2022, ISBN 978-1-898185-28-4

Choosing to see

Genuine cheerfulness is choosing the disquiet of seeing the nature of dualistic derangement rather than being unconsciously governed by it.

p223, Tracts of the Sun : An Earth Orbit of Vajrayana Expressions.  Ngakpa Chögyam and Khandro Déchen, Aro Books Worldwide, 2022, ISBN 978-1-898185-28-4
 

It constantly nudges us

Because openness is our natural condition, it constantly nudges us.

p222, Tracts of the Sun : An Earth Orbit of Vajrayana Expressions.  Ngakpa Chögyam and Khandro Déchen, Aro Books Worldwide, 2022, ISBN 978-1-898185-28-4
 

Endless horizons

To experience empowerment is to be put in direct communication with the sphere of energy; the dimension of personal experience in which the horizons of human possibility are endless.

p419, Tracts of the Sun : An Earth Orbit of Vajrayana Expressions.  Ngakpa Chögyam and Khandro Déchen, Aro Books Worldwide, 2022, ISBN 978-1-898185-28-4

Not what you do

It’s not what you do, it’s the way that you do it – that is to say, either with kindness or without. 

p420, Tracts of the Sun : An Earth Orbit of Vajrayana Expressions.  Ngakpa Chögyam and Khandro Déchen, Aro Books Worldwide, 2022, ISBN 978-1-898185-28-4

Integrity as practitioners

We don't have to drift according to the dictates of our conditioning.  We can move according to the dictates of wisdom and compassion.  We can allow our choices and promises to be adaptable according to our integrity as practitioners. 

p197, Wearing the Body of Visions, Ngakpa Chögyam, Aro Books, 1995, ISBN 1-898185-03-4

To be brave

To be brave is to be a pamo (dP mo / female warrior).  To be brave you simply have to give up and accept the consequences of every situation that arises, in the knowledge that there is little you can do to prevent calamity – apart from persevering. 

p135, Emailing the Lamas from Afar, Ngakpa Chögyam and Khandro Déchen, Aro Books, 2009, ISBN 978-0-9653948-5-7

Disorientation

Nyams arise via disorientation in terms of  habitual tendencies. As soon as referential perceptual mechanisms are released—to whatever degree—the psychophysical fields of the senses begin to relax into their own condition.

p76, Shock Amazement: The four naljors and four ting-ngé’dzin from the Dzogchen series of the nature of Mind.   Khandro Déchen and Ngakpa Chögyam,  Aro Books Worldwide, 2018, ISBN 978-1-898185-45-1 

A radical change

When we can enter into a condition without thought and remain present and awake in that experience for extended periods of time – we know that the relationship with thought has undergone a radical change. 

p51, Shock Amazement: The four naljors and four ting-ngé’dzin from the Dzogchen series of the nature of Mind.   Khandro Déchen and Ngakpa Chögyam,  Aro Books Worldwide, 2018, ISBN 978-1-898185-45-1 

Maniacally welcoming

Those for whom mayhem is magical display,find Vajrayana maniacally welcoming.  Although it is a high energy arena – it becomes spacious for those who have the courage to relax into those breakers.

p41, Emailing the Lamas from Afar, Ngakpa Chögyam and Khandro Déchen, Aro Books, 2009, ISBN 978-0-9653948-5-7

In the best cases

 

We do not like anyone to have to alter how they are in terms of their personalities and proclivities – apart from kindness and courtesy to others.  This means—in the best cases—that they are able to disagree without causing offence.  When there is no ‘right’ or ‘wrong’ behind a view – it can be expressed in an unwithheld manner.

p239, Emailing the Lamas from Afar, Ngakpa Chögyam and Khandro Déchen, Aro Books, 2009, ISBN 978-0-9653948-5-7

No way out

Duality is a condition in which every reference substantiates some other reference.  Without the Lama, there is no way out of this infinite cross-referencing.

p227, Tracts of the Sun : An Earth Orbit of Vajrayana Expressions.  Ngakpa Chögyam and Khandro Déchen, Aro Books Worldwide, 2022, ISBN 978-1-898185-28-4

Hall of mirrors

No matter to what degree the dualistic hall of mirrors distorts the emotions; a connection with the intrinsic unmanifested nondual condition remains.

p156, Tracts of the Sun : An Earth Orbit of Vajrayana Expressions.  Ngakpa Chögyam and Khandro Déchen, Aro Books Worldwide, 2022, ISBN 978-1-898185-28-4

Without acting out

One has to address one’s fear.  Fear can be an aspect of compassion in simply being with ‘what is there’.  One accepts the entire texture of what is is felt.  One feels it without acting out; lashing out; or, initiating a primitive bid for self-preservation.  

p116, Tracts of the Sun : An Earth Orbit of Vajrayana Expressions.  Ngakpa Chögyam and Khandro Déchen, Aro Books Worldwide, 2022, ISBN 978-1-898185-28-4

Existential definition of being

Being is both: thought and absence of thought; phenomena and emptiness; pattern and chaos.  When practising shi-nè however, it becomes evident that this existential definition is not comfortable to a dualistic mindset.

 p104, Tracts of the Sun : An Earth Orbit of Vajrayana Expressions.  Ngakpa Chögyam and Khandro Déchen, Aro Books, 2022, ISBN 978-1-898185-28-4

Another dimension

Empowerment is a context in which Vajrayana speaks in twilight language.  Twilight language is the bridge between the known and the unknown.  It is poetic in the way that Vajrayanaa ritual is artistic.  Every sense field is a conduit of realised communication.

p87, Tracts of the Sun : An Earth Orbit of Vajrayana Expressions.  Ngakpa Chögyam and Khandro Déchen, Aro Books, 2022, ISBN 978-1-898185-28-4

Simple self-respect

‘Pride’ in terms of self-obsession, arrogant aloofness, haughty superciliousness, or callous misanthropy is complicated convoluted dishonesty.  Simple self-respect on the other hand is quite straightforward. 

p63, Tracts of the Sun : An Earth Orbit of Vajrayana Expressions.  Ngakpa Chögyam and Khandro Déchen, Aro Books, 2022, ISBN 978-1-898185-28-4 

Paradox

Happiness is a matter of finding security in insecurity.  This is because whatever security occurs in life, is temporary.  If you can find security in the temporary nature of phenomena, then that makes you permanently secure.  That’s known as paradox.  It’s the logic of Vajrayana.

p43, Tracts of the Sun : An Earth Orbit of Vajrayana Expressions.  Ngakpa Chögyam and Khandro Déchen, Aro Books, 2022, ISBN 978-1-898185-28-4

Creativity

Becoming cheerfully creative means becoming open to playing with ideas, and having enthusiasm in carrying them forward as a mutual project.  You can only feel creative by being creative – and you can kick-start that at any moment as a matter of will.

 p239, Emailing the Lamas from Afar, Ngakpa Chögyam and Khandro Déchen, Aro Books, 2009, ISBN 978-0-9653948-5-7

Happiness

I was not saying that happiness and realisation were synonymous.  I was saying that you should allow yourself to be happy.  The two words however are linked.  Happiness is closer to realisation than depression. 

p238, Emailing the Lamas from Afar, Ngakpa Chögyam and Khandro Déchen, Aro Books, 2009, ISBN 978-0-9653948-5-7