what is Rigpa Transmission?

In the "Impermanence, No-Self and Suffering" thread, David said :

" ...and also I'd like to know if Daniel has gotten the Rigpa transmission - from anyone, including Kenneth. No offense, Daniel, but I just want to confirm that, because receiving that instruction has lead to a very different place for me than I imagined..."

It it just coaching or, is it something more than that?

Amr

"
In the "Impermanence, No-Self and Suffering" thread, David said :

" ...and also I'd like to know if Daniel has gotten the Rigpa transmission - from anyone, including Kenneth. No offense, Daniel, but I just want to confirm that, because receiving that instruction has lead to a very different place for me than I imagined..."

It it just coaching or, is it something more than that?

Amr

"

You know, I'm not sure I'm the best to reply, but traditionally the transmission was made from teacher directly to student. Supposedly the subtleties of noticing Rigpa need to be pointed out directly by someone who knows it, in a direct feedback kind of way. The teacher would make the transmission in three ways: 1 Directly mind to mind. 2. Through symbols (sometimes chanting). 3. Empowerments - initiation ceremonies that are linked to a particular text.

Kenneth pointed things out to me by email - but he did it in a way that was unexpected, and I didn't even know at first I was getting instruction in Rigpa.

Apparently a form of guru yoga is traditionally employed to receive the direct mind to mind transmission.


D

Here's my two cents: The way it's explained by the teacher from whom I recieved transmission is pretty simple. Basically there is a level of awareness that is latent in everyone but requires a "jump start", so to speak. The Master is in this state and is transmitting it spontaneausly like a guitar string vibrates. Being in proximity (physical or otherwise) causes the student to vibrate to that frequency. Don't be confused by the metaphor, no experience of energy transference or vibratory phenmona required.
This transmission takes place unmediated, a direct tranmission; but the student can be led to it through symbolic/poetic indications of the state or direct pragmatic explanation of what it is.
There is controversy as to whether or not contact with a Dzogchen Master is neccessary for transmission to take place. The book "Heart Drops of Dharmakaya" is a translation of a Dzogchen meditation manual from the Bonpo ("pre"-Buddhist Tibetan Shamanism) sect. At the end of the section detailing the Dzogchen Nondro (preliminary practices) it claims that correctly practicing these Nondro techniques wil result in spontaneaus initiation, i.e., transmission. The implication is that no teacher is specifically neccessary. Instead of a jump start popping the clutch, as it were.

"It it just coaching or, is it something more than that?" - keeiton

Hi Amr,

I would say it's just pointing. Someone who can see this remarkable thing that is not a thing points it out to someone else in a way that makes sense to both of them in that moment. There are a million ways to point, depending on the people involved and the situation. The truth is that people who can see this point all the time; most of the time, it falls on deaf ears. Every once in awhile, though, the speaker and the listener are on the same page and what is being pointed to suddenly becomes clear to the listener. Those are magic moments, and they make it all worthwhile. But the fact that most of the time the attempted transmission doesn't "take" is not a criticism of either the speaker or the listener. People can only hear the music when their ears are open and that takes a certain ripeness. No one can predict when that will happen.

That's why teachers keep singing the same tune over and over; you never know who might be ready to hear it.

It's also important to acknowledge that some people wake up without the intervention of another person. For some, the pointing comes from a book. For some, it just happens out of a clear blue sky, even without prior interest or practice. Those cases are somewhat rare, but they do happen. Still, I think David's point is well taken; most people will only recognize what is truer than their thoughts when it is pointed out by a friend.

Kenneth

"For some, the pointing comes from a book. For some, it just happens out of a clear blue sky, even without prior interest or practice."

Or from a podcast on an airplane ride. I had been listening to some podcasts by Christopher Titmuss and the content of them landed in just a certain way. I posted my notes from that day on the old DhO message board. It was really and truly just beautiful and wonderful.

Well, it looks like I'm ballsy enough to give a transmission on the Impermanence, No-self, and Suffering Thread.

Just for the hell of it, I may try to get all Tantric and work some magick by way of providing some esoteric support for the transmission - drawing upon rigpa to do it. Why not - maybe a bit of a fun project for today.

D