It’s actually quite funny

The vow to lead the extraordinary life of the changchub sempa is the determined commitment to practice, not for ourselves – but for all beings.  We make the vow to renounce the atttainment of nonduality until all beings realise their nondual nature.  It’s a paradox.  In fact it’s actually quite funny.  The expansive good heart and open warmth we generate through our intention, projects us inevitably towards our goal – through the practice of giving up our goal.

p80-81, Rays of the Sun, Ngakpa Chögyam, Aro Books worldwide, 2010, 978-1-898185-06-2

Devotion

 

Devotion is letting go of the importance we place on the stresses of life, and embracing total responsibility.  It is release from the bondage of neurosis into identification with honour.  Devotion has the deliciously ambiguous, inexpressible quality of Vajrayana itself.  It is emptiness and form.  It is allowing oneself to dissolve into emptiness in relation to the Lama and arising in the form of the Lama’s pure view.  It is freedom from the bondage of referentiality.

p224, Spacious Passion Ngakma Nor'dzin, Aro Books, 2006 ISBN: 978-0-9653948-4-0

We do not flinch

When feeling intense sorrow at images of people suffering, know that your practice will help.  As warriors, we do not flinch from the horrors of life circumstances.  We face them, experience the horror and transform the feeling of being overwhelmed into ubiquitous intelligence.  The warrior does not retract into indifference, or kid themselves that putting 50p in a charity box has fulfilled their responsibility.  The warrior practices wholeheartedly and energetically to be of benefit to others.

p227, Spacious Passion Ngakma Nor'dzin, Aro Books, 2006 ISBN: 978-0-9653948-4-0 

The imaginary illness

Kyabjé Düd’jom Rinpoche said, “Sentient beings see Buddhas as sentient beings – but Buddhas see sentient beings as Buddhas. This disparity causes Buddhas great irritation – and that irritation is known as compassion or pure appropriateness.”  The Lama gives us skilful remedies for the imaginary illness of dualistic derangement in order that we discover for ourselves that our illness is imaginary. 

p97, Rays of the Sun, Ngakpa Chögyam, Aro Books worldwide, 2010, 978-1-898185-06-2 

Playful as ever

Our relationship with the external Lama is the interplay of our nondual mind with the nondual mind of the Lama.  It is a Vajrayana game of ‘hide and seek’ in which the Lama is trying to persuade us that we are not dualistically deranged.  The game has been going on for so long that it should be tedious – but the Lama remains as playful as ever.  It is this playfulness that is known as compassion.

p97, Rays of the Sun, Ngakpa Chögyam, Aro Books worldwide, 2010, 978-1-898185-06-2