Divisive logic

Duality—in one sense—is the artificial separation of experience into two fields: ‘perception’ and ‘field of perception’. This divisive logic distances us analytically from direct experience. 

p157, 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

Everything which moves you

Deliberately name everything which moves you to smiles, laughter, or tears as Guru Rinpoche or Yeshé Tsogyel – because this is precisely what these experiences are.

p205, Tracts of the Sun : An Earth Orbit of Vajrayana Expressions.  Ngakpa Chögyam and Khandro Déchen, Aro Books, 2022, ISBN 978-1-898185-28-4

Every experience

The khandros and pawos are our environment: the earth, water, fire, air, and space which manifest as the conditions in which we find ourselves.  When we realise that the entire phenomenal world is the dance of the khandros and pawos – every experience becomes a teaching.  Every experience becomes the possibility for liberation. 

 p99, Rays of the Sun, Ngakpa Chögyam, Aro Books worldwide, 2010, 978-1-898185-06-2 

The dance of emptiness and form

What then exists for those who are drawn to pursuit of realisation – but who remain unattracted by the option of detaching from ordinary everyday society?  What exists for those who experience spiritual value in their interaction with the world?  The answer is that Vajrayana exists – not necessarily the Vajrayana of liturgical recitation – but the essential Vajrayana, which expounds the dance of emptiness and form within every nuance of experience.

p44, Entering the Heart of the Sun and Moon Ngakpa Chögyam and Khandro Déchen,  Aro Books, 2009, ISBN 978-0-9653948-3-3 

The most subtle aspects of our perception

Light and sound are the most subtle aspects of our perception, but we should not take the words ‘light’ and ‘sound’ too literally. Light and sound simply equate to a level of experience, and to a manifestation of energy that can be pointed at by those words. It is simply that our sense faculties of smell, taste, touch, and cognition are not adequate as vehicles to open up that realm of experience.

p17, Spectrum of Ecstasy, Ngakpa Chögyam with Khandro Déchen, Aro Books, 1997, ISBN 0-9653948-0-8

More in common with a spanner or monkey wrench

   The scope of intellect is rather narrow.  Although it can be used to point beyond itself, in terms of the teachings, it has more in common with a spanner or a monkey wrench than with our innate capacity of clarity.  Once you get a handle on this idea, you’ll be able to recognise when intellect is out of it’s depth.  At that point you’ll be able to make a springboard out of the stuff of intellect and dive off into the sky of experience.

p83, Wearing the Body of Visions, Ngakpa Chögyam, Aro Books, 1995, ISBN 1-898185-03-4

It will always be there grinning at you!

   Once you accept that there’s no way you can interpret Tantra according to intellectual criteria; you’re left with simple non-conceptuality.  And that; is absolute directness and blunt immediacy.  You’re simply left suspended; left high and dry.  There is nowhere to run; nowhere to hide.  You’re left sitting with that in the moment.  There is nothing to do with it apart from experiencing it.  You can accept it or attempt to reject it; but it will always be there grinning at you.

p14, Wearing the Body of Visions, Ngakpa Chögyam, Aro Books, 1995, ISBN 1-898185-03-4 

The ground of experience and perception

 “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

Energy of emotion

"Your experience of sadness exploding into spaciousness could indeed be an experience of allowing the energy of the emotion to change of itself. The ‘connection’ between distracted and liberated emotion is simply the energy of as it is. In a dualistic, distorted relationship with energy, form is forced as an experience, ignoring emptiness. Energy does not change when you let go of manipulation, but your relationship with it changes - you are able to experience energy from the perspective of nonduality, you are able to experience the energy directly."

p.80, Illusory Advice, Ngakma Nor'dzin and Ngakpa 'ö-Dzin

As it is

"When we allow our emotional realm to be as it is, we are freed to experience the texture of life directly. We can side-step the sour orthodoxy of preordained likes, dislikes, and habitual concepts. When we allow our perceptual life to be as it is, we are self-liberated to be as we are."

an-uncommon-perspective, Ngak'chang Rinpoche

Simply observe

"If you can simply observe the initial flickering of unsatisfactoriness, if you can remain with the freshness and clarity of what you experience rather than the commentary, you will not require misery."

p8, Emailing the Lamas from Afar, Ngakpa Chögyam and Khandro Déchen, Aro Books, 2009, 978-0-9653948-5-7

The laboratory of one's own experience

"Testing the tenets in the laboratory of one’s own experience is the real definition of accepting the Buddhist path."

Counting the cars, Ngak’chang Rinpoche, Aro Encyclopaedia

Sparkling through

"Enlightenment continually sparkles through. It sparkles through the unenlightenment that we continually fabricate from the ground of being. Because enlightenment continually sparkles through, anyone with or without meditative experience can have flashes of lha-tong or nyi'mèd experience."

p122, Roaring Silence, Ngakpa Chögyam and Khandro Déchen, Shambhala, 2002, 978-1570629440

Experience directly

"Meditation enables us to sidestep the bureaucracy of rigid intellectual processes and experience ourselves directly. "

p2, Roaring Silence, Ngakpa Chögyam and Khandro Déchen, Shambhala, 2002, 978-1570629440