Every aspect of our existence

If we view all situations as opportunities to relate with the capacity of the Lama to show us our enlightenment and the patterns of our unenlightenment‚ then everything we do becomes inspiring. Every aspect of our existence is enlivened with the presence of the Lama. 

p215, Wearing the Body of Visions, Ngakpa Chögyam, Aro Books, 1995, ISBN 1-898185-03-4

Our true condition

The Lama’s function is to mirror our intrinsic enlightenment. The Lama shows us the nature of what we actually are. If we have opened sufficiently‚ through following the methods as instructed by the Lama‚ we could catch a dazzling glimpse of our true condition. We could find ourselves‚ for a moment‚ outside the constraints of dualism. 

p145, Wearing the Body of Visions, Ngakpa Chögyam, Aro Books, 1995, ISBN 1-898185-03-4

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

The Lama can conjure

Our personalities are the interface between the patterns of our limitations, and the unconditioned energies of our enlightened condition.  It’s this unique balance which the Lama sees.  It’s this unique balance with which the Lama can conjure.

p148, Wearing the Body of Visions, Ngakpa Chögyam, Aro Books, 1995, ISBN 1-898185-03-4 

The Lama can be relied upon

We should not expect our teacher to be able to know what we are thinking.  The Lama can be relied upon for something different: to know the meaning of liberation, and the meaning of confusion.  The Lama can be relied upon to see the student’s particular patterns of liberation and confusion, and to work with them.  

p148, Wearing the Body of Visions, Ngakpa Chögyam, Aro Books, 1995, ISBN 1-898185-03-4  

A grand illusion

Without the Lama there is no way out of the experience of infinite cross-referencing.  No matter how differently we experience our various explorations into the internalised world of ‘sense-making’, they always add up to the same thing: justification for our need to maintain a grand illusion.  This illusion is duality.

p143, Wearing the Body of Visions, Ngakpa Chögyam, Aro Books, 1995, ISBN 1-898185-03-4 

Reliable and unreliable

The Lama is both ultimately reliable and relatively unreliable.  The Lama is ultimately reliable with respect to Vajrayana – and relatively unreliable with regard to supporting dualistic neuroses.

p71, Tracts of the Sun : An Earth Orbit of Vajrayana Expressions.  Ngakpa Chögyam and Khandro Déchen, Aro Books, 2022, ISBN 978-1-898185-28-4  

Actualisation

Through having actualised the nature of the teaching, the Lama has the capacity to facilitate that actualisation in others.  Actualisation is the condition in which the teaching has become as real as the need to eat, drink, sleep, or breathe.

p319, 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 Lama

Without the Lama, Vajrayana cannot function.  The Lama is the source of wisdom and method, embodying the divisionlessness of emptiness and form. 

p319, Tracts of the Sun : An Earth Orbit of Vajrayana Expressions.  Ngakpa Chögyam and Khandro Déchen, Aro Books, 2022, ISBN 978-1-898185-28-4

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 

The primary function of the Lama

It is the Lama who gives us access to countless powerful methods of realisation.   
Lamas are teachers in a larger sense.  Lamas are not conditioned in any way by the style they adopt.  They may utilise many different styles according to the personality, capacity, and circumstances of those whom they teach.  Whatever method is implemented by the Lama, it transcends the function of the method as it is usually employed.  The Lama is in a completely different category.  So if we are to approach such a person; we need, at least, to be open to the unexpected.  We need to be prepared to question our range of perceptions and responses.  We need to be open to having our rationale actively challenged.
The Lama’s function is to mirror our intrinsic enlightenment.  The Lama shows us the nature of what we actually are.     

p145, Wearing the Body of Visions, Ngakpa Chögyam, Aro Books, 1995, ISBN 1-898185-03-4

If I knew that this was the last year of my life

  You could,  occasionally, simply ask yourself: “What decision would I make if I knew that this was the last year of my life?”  This could be a practice of looking at your life; especially in terms of major decisions.  For certain other decisions you could reduce the time scale to one month.  Having the support of your Lama and vajra family, can be really crucial in this.  Your vajra brothers and sisters are very important in terms of actualising your own courage when life gets a little too ferocious.

p240, Wearing the Body of Visions, Ngakpa Chögyam, Aro Books, 1995, ISBN 1-898185-03-4

Basis of the spiritual path

"At the beginning of the Tantric ngöndro we invoke the presence of the Lama. Since the Lama is the one who exemplifies both the qualities of path and goal, we acknowledge the Lama as the beginning and end of all practice. After having commenced our practice by acknowledging the Lama, we consider the difficulty of gaining human re-birth (in terms of having the conducive circumstances to practice). Human re-birth is the basis of the spiritual path of liberation and is therefore precious and worthy of great respect. If we do not value the situation in which we have found ourselves, then we will not make use of our precious circumstances and a great opportunity will be squandered."

Dzogchen View of Tantric Ngöndro, His Holiness Düd'jom Rinpoche, Aro Encyclopaedia

Fourfold refuge

"The inner refuge is Lama, Yidam and Khandro/Pawo. Usually when we speak of refuge, in the Tibetan system we talk about a fourfold refuge which is Lama, Buddha, Dharma, Sangha; this is a hybrid between the outer and the inner refuge. Lama is always put there first because without the Lama, Buddha, Dharma and Sangha do not exist. This is because someone has to exemplify the path. A path is all well and good; but if you cannot see anyone who has lived that, if you cannot see anyone who in some way exemplifies the fruit of that path, then what inspiration is there?"

Compassion & The Nine Yanas, Ngak'chang Rinpoche, Aro Encyclopaedia

Devotion to the Lama

"The idea in Vajrayana is that devotion to the Lama is the fulfilment of all the other vows because the Lama only lives to benefit beings and one could not ever do better than to carry out the Lama’s plans. That would be the best fulfilment of the bodhisattva vow as well. If one is still in the stage of thinking that one’s own interpretation of the vows is more valid than that of the Lama, this is not yet vajra relationship."

Vajra Command, Ngakma Shardröl, Aro Encyclopaedia

Reflection of the path

"The Lama is crucial in terms of offering a reflection of the path. In Vajrayana, the Lama becomes the path. He or she becomes the path through manifesting the yidam. He or she becomes the path through manifesting the nature of the teachings in terms of the kyil’khor of interaction – the interaction between the students, the interaction between the person and their world, and how the Lama comments on that and interacts with the nature of what is taking place."

Seven Line Song, Ngak'chang Rinpoche, Aro Encyclopaedia

Meeting the Lama face to face

"To receive empowerment is to meet the Lama face to face, and to experience the touching of Minds - as if snow were falling into the sea, and recognizing no distinction or division."

p211, Wearing the Body of Visions, Ngakpa Chögyam, Aro Books, 1995, 1-898185-03-4

The comedy of our personal dualism

"Without humour we would be unable to relate to the idea that a Lama could comprehend the comedy of our personal dualism in an effective manner, and conjure with it to our advantage."

p15, Roaring Silence, Ngakpa Chögyam and Khandro Déchen, Shambhala, 2002, 1-57062-944-7

To leap open-eyed

"To leap open-eyed into the shining emptiness of the Lama's wisdom display, and to experience the ecstatic impact of each dynamic gesture of the Lama's method display is the essential luminosity and power of the path."

p178, Wearing the Body of Visions, Ngakpa Chögyam, Aro Books, 1995, 1-898185-03-4

The path of Tantra

"The Lama is the beginning and end of the path of Tantra. Without the Lama, our situation is either a closed loop or, slow progress over a great many lifetimes. Without the Lama, the path of Tantra cannot function."

p141, Wearing the Body of Visions, Ngakpa Chögyam, Aro Books, 1995, 1-898185-03-4