Siddhis

Different people have different capacities and certain aptitudes arise more naturally for some. Whatever capacity one has however‚ one has the responsibility to use it for good. 

p162, Warp and Weft of Wonderment, Ngakma Mé-tsal, Aro Books Worldwide, 2024, ISBN 9781898185680

The style of one’s responses

We cannot be responsible for many things – but we are all responsible for how we feel about what happens. To embrace emotions as the path, one must take responsibility for the style of one’s responses.

p230, 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 

Owning what we feel

We cannot blame anyone or anything for how we feel.  Owning what we feel is actually a very useful practice – but that’s not to say that we’ll always find it easy.  

p198, Spectrum of Ecstasy, Ngakpa Chögyam with Khandro Déchen, Aro Books, 1997, ISBN 0-9653948-0-8

How we feel

If you allow yourself to get caught up in the idea that your pain has been caused by somebody else, you may feel you have to throw a tantrum.  People get into some terrible difficulties over this, and act in ways that only make their situation worse.  Rejecting responsibility for feeling as we do spawns jealousy, bitterness, resentment, recrimination and vengefulness.  Rejecting responsibility for how we feel has never created the causes for pleasure, enjoyment or emotional fulfilment. 

p91, Spectrum of Ecstasy, Ngakpa Chögyam with Khandro Déchen, Aro Books, 1997, ISBN 0-9653948-0-8 

The style of our responses

We cannot be responsible for many things.  But we are all responsible for how we feel about the things that happen to us.  To embrace our emotions as the path, we must take responsibility for the style of our responses.    

p91, Spectrum of Ecstasy, Ngakpa Chögyam with Khandro Déchen, Aro Books, 1997, ISBN 0-9653948-0-8

Our own responsibility

The development of clarity arises from our growing awareness of the natural spaciousness of being.  With growing clarity, the life problems that occur cease to manifest so painfully.  We no longer add to their intensity as an automatic reflex.  Ultimately, our lives are our own responsibility.  Our problems are for us to work through.  There is no use in blaming the state of our lives on anybody else.  

p90, Spectrum of Ecstasy, Ngakpa Chögyam with Khandro Déchen, Aro Books, 1997, ISBN 0-9653948-0-8

It will be whatever it is

Awakening will occur at the time it occurs. It will be whatever it is. It will arise from whatever situation it arises. The responsibility of the practitioner is simply to practise.

p176, Battlecry of Freedom  Ngakma Nor'dzin, Aro Books Worldwide, 2019, ISBN 978-1-898185-46-8  

 

An enormous difference to our lives

Accepting sole ownership of our emotions can make an enormous difference to our lives.  Unless we accept the responsibility of owning whatever we feel, we will not be able to embrace our emotions as the path.  As soon as we accept that we cannot actually justify our feelings, we can start to approach our feelings openly.  To let go of justification requires that we let go of our experientially claustrophobic habit of referentiality.  With some sense of space we can begin to experience our emotions as they are; rather than as if we had rehearsed them.

p92, Spectrum of Ecstasy, Ngakpa Chögyam with Khandro Déchen, Aro Books, 1997, ISBN 0-9653948-0-8  

Perception

No-one else is responsible for how we perceive the world.  We accept and reject society’s influences and the influences of our parents and friends on our own terms.  We fabricate our own perception, and unless we discontinue the process and de-structure our perception, we’ll merely continue to be repressed by our personal totalitarian regime.  The responses we make to our environment will remain the same and we will attract the kind of circumstances which match our perception.

p51, Rays of the Sun, Ngakpa Chögyam, Aro Books worldwide, 2010, ISBN 978-1-898185-06-2

Having a good sob and then turning to face the raw texture of it all again

  I’m talking about the courage it requires to be alive, and to relate to the world in a real and caring way.  To be alive, and to take responsibility for what you feel.  By courage, I mean that you have to have a certain level of love, dynamism, and integrity.  Really; just to be able to cut out the kvetching, whinging and whining – the ‘poor me’ mode.  I’m not talking about feeling sorrow or having to cry; life can be tragic at times – for all of us.  I'm talking about acting as if it were unfair and wallowing in that; rather than having a good sob and then turning to face the raw texture of it all again, saying “Right!  Let’s have some more!”  It’s important not to hide from life.  It’s important not to play it safe too much.  This could be the last hour of your life.  It could be the last day, week, month or year. . .

p239, Wearing the Body of Visions, Ngakpa Chögyam, Aro Books, 1995, ISBN 1-898185-03-4

Taking responsibility for being ‘the one who makes the first move’

  As an awakened-mind warrior, one takes responsibility for being ‘the one who has to forgive’. As an awakened-mind warrior, one takes responsibility for being ‘the one who makes the first move towards better relationships.’ As an awakened-mind warrior, one takes responsibility for being ‘the one who does not become angry in the face of those who are locked in neurotic patterns’.

A mother forgives the child who drops his dinner on the floor. She acknowledges her child’s incapacities. Her generosity provides instantaneous forgiveness. Her generosity provides opportunities for her child to acquire greater motor skills.
In this way the awakened-mind warrior develops infinite generous capacity to act for the benefit of everyone and everything, everywhere.

Aro Buddhism: Generosity - a teaching by Khandro Déchen

Responsibilty and kindness

What then does responsibility mean in the Buddhist sense of kindness?  It means that we are not separate from our world, or anyone in our world.  We cannot say of anything ‘This has nothing to do with me’.  We are not separate as beings.  This idea of connection is subtle, because our connection can take any form.  Only our innate kindness—liberated through meditation—can guide us to respond accurately.

p63-64, Rays of the Sun, Ngakpa Chögyam, Aro Books worldwide, 2010, 978-1-898185-06-2

Kindness connects us to the non-dual state

Having a good heart goes further than anything in terms of empathising with the nondual state. Intellectual elaborations are not important.  Kindness is something you feel – a warmth and expansiveness which flows from our growing openness.  Kindness is our contact, our strongest link with the nondual state.  So much for law and order.  The essence of Buddhism is similar to anarchism.  Not anarchy in the distorted popular sense in which the word is understood—in the sense of dog-eat-dog-chaos—but anarchism in terms of  ‘no external government’.  Anarchism is the naturally manifesting inner government of awareness – unconditioned, present, direct and utterly responsible.

p49-51, Rays of the Sun, Ngakpa Chögyam, Aro Books worldwide, 2010, 978-1-898185-06-2

Responsibility

"No-one else is responsible for how we perceive the world"

p51, Rays of the Sun, Ngakpa Chögyam, Aro Books worldwide, 2010, 978-1-898185-06-2