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

Tortuous patterns

Essentially we have always been nondual.  Dualistic derangement is merely the fear of that fact – playing itself out in tortuous patterns.

p188, Tracts of the Sun : An Earth Orbit of Vajrayana Expressions.  Ngakpa Chögyam and Khandro Déchen, Aro Books, 2022, ISBN 978-1-898185-28-4

Surrealism

Being that the phenomenal world is an illusion from the perspective of dualistic derangement – it is useful to have whimsical alternatives to such illusions.  Surrealism provides such alternative illusions – and prompts us to examine what we take reality to be. 

p181, Tracts of the Sun : An Earth Orbit of Vajrayana Expressions.  Ngakpa Chögyam and Khandro Déchen, Aro Books, 2022, ISBN 978-1-898185-28-4  

The desire for happiness

Theories based on the desire for happiness would have us believe that anything is possible.  According to Vajrayana however, the desire for happiness is not concomitant with knowledge of the nature of happiness.  The desire for happiness and happiness itself are mutually exclusive within any dualistic paradigm.  This is due to the fact that attempting to achieve happiness is undertaken in a manner which undermines the possibility of attaining happiness. 

p15, Entering the Heart of the Sun and Moon 2nd edition, Khandro Déchen and Ngakpa Chögyam,  Aro Books, 2021, ISBN 978-0-9653948-7-1  

Fertile field of learning

Unless we embrace the monastic life, we have to work with the richness of the dualistic condition in all its complexity: monochromatic boredom and technicolour excitement; joy and sorrow; decisions and dilemmas; set-backs and exultations; misfortunes and rewards.  It is a fantastically fertile field of learning but we have to find the experiential space in which we can pursue plans very lightly; and, with a pronounced sense of humour.  

p89-90, Spectrum of Ecstasy, Ngakpa Chögyam with Khandro Déchen, Aro Books, 1997, ISBN 0-9653948-0-8 

You can either be irritated or you can be irritated

Many people—but only honest people—find spaciousness irritating, and would prefer the claustrophobia and snugness of deranged density.  The simplicity of acknowledging spaciousness requires precision.  Precision does not allow the seeming safety of woolly-edged spin-doctoring.
We enjoy a soupçon of confusion, in which to establish the experiential ground rules from which non-duality can be seen as the unobtainable godhead.  Non-duality is irritatingly possible – because it is our authentic nature and somehow, being reminded of that, is irritating.  So … you can either be irritated or you can be irritated.  It is entirely up to you.

p69-70, Emailing the Lamas from Afar, Ngakpa Chögyam and Khandro Déchen, Aro Books, 2009, ISBN 978-0-9653948-5-7

Overt nonsense

     If you’re able to let go of reference points to the extent of identifying completely with the awareness-being; you would be able to observe yourself for an instant as the awareness-being would view you.  You would gain some glimpse of your dualistic structures as being monumentally absurd.
Catching yourself in the act of confusing yourself with the more overt nonsense patterns of samsara, is going to change your relationship of involvement with those patterns.  The patterns would have a transparence in the afterglow of wearing the body of visions that would make it difficult, though not impossible, to take those habitual tendencies completely seriously.

p88-90, Wearing the Body of Visions, Ngakpa Chögyam, Aro Books, 1995, ISBN 1-898185-03-4 

Naked awareness

   The need to continually confirm personal identity seems hard-wired – because there is a continually observable engagement in the activity of seeking existential assurances.  This is the dualistic penchant for unnecessarily clothing naked awareness in concepts. 
Non-duality is the state in which emptiness and form manifest as a seamless alternation in which each are aspects of the other – and have the same essential experiential flavour. 

p29, 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 brilliant discovery is made

     Finding Mind to be a referenceless ocean of space allows the dualistic knot of panic to untie itself.  In experiencing this space a brilliant discovery is made: being referenceless is not death.  If immanent incidence can be maintained in natural uncontrived presence—without sinking into oblivious drowse—spontaneous clarity is disinhibited.  Stars appear in the sky and their brilliance is reflected in the referenceless ocean of being.

p36, 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

The possibility of everything

"Once we perceive the small space of our habitual mind, we begin to long for the open vastness we have glimpsed in the eyes of the Lama. We begin to understand that in 'giving up' the dubious freedom of following our dualistic rationale, we are in fact losing nothing and gaining the possibility of everything."

p20, Dangerous Friend, Rig'dzin Dorje, Shambhala, 2001, 1-57062-857-2