Today—when I teach—if someone doesn’t understand me, I try a few alternative ways of explaining. If these fail I know that the person must have some philosophical construct— that is acting almost like a computer virus—that I have to unearth. Most people are not even aware that these viruses exist in the fabric of their perception – so they do not know what they do not understand. It’s then up to the teacher to identify it. That is not always as difficult as it may sound – because it’s usually connected with one of the four philosophical extremes: monism, dualism, nihilism, or eternalism.
If a person wants to hang on to any one of the four philosophical extremes as being valid – then Buddhism will either never make sense, or become distorted.
This is what I learned from Kyabjé Künzang Dorje Rinpoche – and a great deal more. Each story that follows elucidates some aspect of Buddhism. Rinpoche’s method was to teach me how to find my own answers – and find them to be Buddhism.
p76-77, Wisdom Eccentrics : Rumours of realisation as told by Künzang Dorje Rinpoche with additional tales of the unexpected.
Ngakpa Chögyam, Aro Books, 2011, ISBN 978-0-9653948-6-4
“Basically I see Vajrayana as the essential nature of being an artist. Vajrayana explores the sense-fields as the ground of experience and perception.”
“That sounds almost more like science than religion” commented Penelope – with evident interest.
“Yes...in some ways. Maybe...like science and psychology – expressed through poetry and understood though all the Arts.”
p111, An Odd Boy Volume 4, Doc Togden, Aro Books Worldwide, 2017, ISBN 978-1-898185-42-0
Dudjom Rinpoche advised me to seek Künzang Dorje Rinpoche out as my main teacher, and so it was that he became my Tsawa’i Lama. It was from him that I received almost everything I understand of Dzogchen men-ngag-dé - the series of implicit instruction.
Rinpoche was my vajra master and that meant I was committed to seeing everything exactly as he saw it. If we differed in view – I was wrong. I was at his command – for whatever it might be. I’d put myself—and my sanity—in his hands. Some people think this is an Eastern mode of tutelage that has no place in the West or with Western people – but in that they are misguided. The vajra master exists in Christianity and Judæism – and probably in most other religious traditions.
Anyhow, I knew that Rinpoche was the real deal. I knew it with every goddamn fibre of my being.
p20-21, Wisdom Eccentrics : Rumours of realisation as told by Künzang Dorje Rinpoche with additional tales of the unexpected.
Ngakpa Chögyam, Aro Books, 2011, ISBN 978-0-9653948-6-4
I don’t think Rinpoche had any fixed plan when he started relating these wisdom-lays – apart from inciting in me an experiential grasp of ‘principle and function’. He was to give me transmission of Dzogchen – and for that to be possible, I had to have a mind sufficiently clear of useless philosophical baggage. Rinpoche obviously enjoyed unfurling these wisdom-lays – but he never recounted them just for the sake of telling a story. As our time together proceeded, I became increasingly attuned to seeing the motivation of the inhabitants of each account – and, as my perception cleared, so they became increasingly vital and inspiring.
p12, Wisdom Eccentrics : Rumours of realisation as told by Künzang Dorje Rinpoche with additional tales of the unexpected.
Ngakpa Chögyam, Aro Books, 2011, ISBN 978-0-9653948-6-4
“You don’t have to be famous to wear the laurels of fame” Meryl proclaimed. “You don’t have to be a Paris fashion designer to design clothes – or to wear what you want to wear.”
Claudette—who’d just walked in—opined “The essence of haute couture is the enthusiasm of choice.”
“Quite right” I agreed. Claudette could always turn a nice phrase. “Anyone can be an artist of the streets. You just have to see your apparel as your canvas. Clothing can be the wardrobe of your personal theatre.”
Rebecca nodded decisively “Jean Cocteau said ‘Art produces ugly things which become more beautiful with time. Fashion produces beautiful things which become ugly with time.”
Penelope—sitting in the window framed by strong Winter sun—volunteered “We should all live the Art that we are – otherwise we’re nothing at all.”
“Absolutely” I exclaimed. “We all live in the existential wardrobe department of sartorial vivacity.”
p123, An Odd Boy Volume 4, Doc Togden, Aro Books Worldwide, 2017, ISBN 978-1-898185-42-0
