Maniacally welcoming

Those for whom mayhem is magical display,find Vajrayana maniacally welcoming.  Although it is a high energy arena – it becomes spacious for those who have the courage to relax into those breakers.

p41, Emailing the Lamas from Afar, Ngakpa Chögyam and Khandro Déchen, Aro Books, 2009, ISBN 978-0-9653948-5-7

In the best cases

 

We do not like anyone to have to alter how they are in terms of their personalities and proclivities – apart from kindness and courtesy to others.  This means—in the best cases—that they are able to disagree without causing offence.  When there is no ‘right’ or ‘wrong’ behind a view – it can be expressed in an unwithheld manner.

p239, Emailing the Lamas from Afar, Ngakpa Chögyam and Khandro Déchen, Aro Books, 2009, ISBN 978-0-9653948-5-7

No way out

Duality is a condition in which every reference substantiates some other reference.  Without the Lama, there is no way out of this infinite cross-referencing.

p227, 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

Hall of mirrors

No matter to what degree the dualistic hall of mirrors distorts the emotions; a connection with the intrinsic unmanifested nondual condition remains.

p156, 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

Without acting out

One has to address one’s fear.  Fear can be an aspect of compassion in simply being with ‘what is there’.  One accepts the entire texture of what is is felt.  One feels it without acting out; lashing out; or, initiating a primitive bid for self-preservation.  

p116, 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

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

Another dimension

Empowerment is a context in which Vajrayana speaks in twilight language.  Twilight language is the bridge between the known and the unknown.  It is poetic in the way that Vajrayanaa ritual is artistic.  Every sense field is a conduit of realised communication.

p87, Tracts of the Sun : An Earth Orbit of Vajrayana Expressions.  Ngakpa Chögyam and Khandro Déchen, Aro Books, 2022, ISBN 978-1-898185-28-4

Simple self-respect

‘Pride’ in terms of self-obsession, arrogant aloofness, haughty superciliousness, or callous misanthropy is complicated convoluted dishonesty.  Simple self-respect on the other hand is quite straightforward. 

p63, Tracts of the Sun : An Earth Orbit of Vajrayana Expressions.  Ngakpa Chögyam and Khandro Déchen, Aro Books, 2022, ISBN 978-1-898185-28-4 

Paradox

Happiness is a matter of finding security in insecurity.  This is because whatever security occurs in life, is temporary.  If you can find security in the temporary nature of phenomena, then that makes you permanently secure.  That’s known as paradox.  It’s the logic of Vajrayana.

p43, Tracts of the Sun : An Earth Orbit of Vajrayana Expressions.  Ngakpa Chögyam and Khandro Déchen, Aro Books, 2022, ISBN 978-1-898185-28-4

Creativity

Becoming cheerfully creative means becoming open to playing with ideas, and having enthusiasm in carrying them forward as a mutual project.  You can only feel creative by being creative – and you can kick-start that at any moment as a matter of will.

 p239, Emailing the Lamas from Afar, Ngakpa Chögyam and Khandro Déchen, Aro Books, 2009, ISBN 978-0-9653948-5-7

Happiness

I was not saying that happiness and realisation were synonymous.  I was saying that you should allow yourself to be happy.  The two words however are linked.  Happiness is closer to realisation than depression. 

p238, Emailing the Lamas from Afar, Ngakpa Chögyam and Khandro Déchen, Aro Books, 2009, ISBN 978-0-9653948-5-7

The imaginary illness

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.

p300, 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 vajra master

 

The vajra master provides the truest and most universal, egalitarian context.  Vajra masters see the nondual qualities of all their disciples, and allow them to receive transmission according to their individual capacities and relative constraints. 

p288, Tracts of the Sun : An Earth Orbit of Vajrayana Expressions.  Ngakpa Chögyam and Khandro Déchen, Aro Books, 2022, ISBN 978-1-898185-28-4

Dance

We need to arrive at a sense in which we can simply flow with the multiplicity of definitions that reality manifests.  There can be some sense of dance there, in which we swim with these currents and relax in these pools of stillness.  Tantra introduces us to the one taste of emptiness and form.

p34, Wearing the Body of Visions, Ngakpa Chögyam, Aro Books, 1995, ISBN 1-898185-03-4 

 

Merely distortions

Tantra is based on the experience of emptiness, and through this experience we can come to the actual knowledge, that all negative or painful states of mind are merely distortions of our enlightened nature.    

p110, Wearing the Body of Visions, Ngakpa Chögyam, Aro Books, 1995, ISBN 1-898185-03-4

Bewilderment and wonderment

We oscillate between bewilderment and wonderment, and practice allows us to experience a space where duality and non-duality begin to flicker.

p224, Emailing the Lamas from Afar, Ngakpa Chögyam and Khandro Déchen, Aro Books, 2009, ISBN 978-0-9653948-5-7

Kindness

Although it is not always kind to say what you mean – it is always kind to mean what you say.  Kindness comes before being frank. 

p317, Tracts of the Sun : An Earth Orbit of Vajrayana Expressions.  Ngakpa Chögyam and Khandro Déchen, Aro Books, 2022, ISBN 978-1-898185-28-4

Otherness

From the perspective of the visionary practices of Vajrayana it is possible to transform every aspect of prejudice against otherness – of every possible description.

p304, Tracts of the Sun : An Earth Orbit of Vajrayana Expressions.  Ngakpa Chögyam and Khandro Déchen, Aro Books, 2022, ISBN 978-1-898185-28-4

Drala

The practice of Drala is a method of becoming aware of the sentient nature of the world.  This is important at this time of climate change and increasing pollution.

p284, Tracts of the Sun : An Earth Orbit of Vajrayana Expressions.  Ngakpa Chögyam and Khandro Déchen, Aro Books, 2022, ISBN 978-1-898185-28-4

Meaning

Life is an existential kaleidoscope in which meaning is only found in the moment.  If one tries to extend meaning beyond the moment – meaning often becomes increasingly meaningless. 

p239, Tracts of the Sun : An Earth Orbit of Vajrayana Expressions.  Ngakpa Chögyam and Khandro Déchen, Aro Books, 2022, ISBN 978-1-898185-28-4