Mahamudra and "fake it til you make it"

Here's a link to a neat Dzogchen teacher, James Low. He is Western so there's not so much cultural noise in his teaching as there can be with a native Tibetan teacher. Also just being exposed to contemporary books and ancient texts can give one a very skewed version of the teachings, considering that they actually live and are trasnmitted through extemporaneous spoken teachings and dialogue! The whole tradition has such a different feel in its native habitat of extemporaneous spoken teachings than in its classic texts and books.

vimeo.com/41273982

Wow, this is why I love this forum! Great resources folks. Thanks! The MM book looks amazing, and I can't wait to watch the James Low videos.

One difficulty I've had is that masters (like Namkhai Norbu) say that introduction to rigpa cannot happen except through direct transmission through a master, in real time. His webcasts work, but recordings do not, he says. Regardless of how much sense that may make to me, disbelieving it would amount to not trusting his own realization. And if he's not realized (and is considered one of the greatest living masters), why even practice Dzogchen?

I'm sure there's skillful means going on in there somewhere, and I'm not going to get lost in figuring out how. Instead, you guys are pointing me at useful alternatives. it's funny but true, my only obstacle to progress was thinking that I had an obstacle to progress. And even knowing this, I know I'll do it to myself more than once again in the future

As far as I can tell, 3rd gear practice is going great over here, so let's see if I can't ride that donkey into the sunset. More suggestions and resources always welcome, of course.

There are contexts in which direct transmission certainly happens. But I personally know many people who have had the events often attributed solely to direct transmission happen without ever working in person with a teacher. For example in some Hindu practices an A&P-like event can be attributed to receiving the guru into the heart in a mystical experience, often in the presence of the guru during a teaching or blessing. This happens when it happens, but in those traditions it is attributed to the power of the guru. However many, many people in other traditions or working alone will have similar experiences. Depending on their vocabulary and concepts, they may experience that as an energetic/mystical secular phenomenon, or as the recognition and presence of an angel or saint or deity, and so forth. Likewise the moment of awakening, recognition of nonduality, etc often is triggered by a word, phrase, event, thought that strikes one very deeply. This will happen whether or not one is working one on one with a teacher, in its own time. But if one is working closely with a teacher it may be the case that a certain koan or teaching from the teacher happens to be that trigger, and so the awakening is attributed to the power of the teacher. I don't think that these beliefs or experiences are false in any way, but to my mind they are more a way of including what naturally happens during the process of awakening into a traditional context. For some people having a deep faith in a tradition or teacher is part of what they need to believe they can awaken. For others it is not part of their path (or their faith comes from seeing that many colleagues doing eclectic independent practices have awakened, and therefore it is also possible for them to "get there"), and they also wake up in their own time. Make sense?

We have a puppy. A five month old Lab mix. I just walked her and when we walk she chases everything that moves: leaves, twigs, squirrels, children, other dogs, and so on. It reminds me of this thread

> giragirasol: Make sense?

Cool, I like that model. Why Dzogchenpas say it can *only* happen through Direct Transmission I don't know, and it seems to be unhelpful to non-Dzogchenpas. But I'm sure it serves some purpose beyond my understanding, and I'm happy to treat it as a provisional truth. (Edit: now I see what you're saying about "part of what they need.")

> Cmarti: It reminds me of this thread

Haha I can see why. Actually, during the course of the thread, I've felt a switch from puppy, to walker, to puppy+walker combo. In other language, you could say I witnessed my neurosis and then settled into a nice flow where it's all happening sans (much) clinging. It's like remembering a long-forgotten truth.

The amazing thing about this whole thing (to me, right now) is that while it's dangerous to mistake non-rigpa for rigpa, it's also dangerous to mistake rigpa for non-rigpa. As I sit and read "Fearless Simplicity," it's hard to deny that my experience matches well with the words at least. And the description of someone who has never recognized does not match at all.

"Certainly it's not easy to notice every time you get carried away, and this does not come readily for most people. During a two-hour stretch it rarely occurs even once."

Maybe matches me from some years ago, but today? Not even a little. Anyway, the point is that I've spent a long time now assuming that I can't possibly be experiencing what they're talking about, and it feels like driving with the parking brake on. Now that I've released it, well, maybe there's a risk of assuming I'm doing it right when I'm not, but by golly, I don't care if this is rigpa or wigpa, I am RIDING this donkey!

"
We have a puppy. A five month old Lab mix. I just walked her and when we walk she chases everything that moves: leaves, twigs, squirrels, children, other dogs, and so on. It reminds me of this thread

"

get me a beer!

Somehow I keep forgetting this excellent passage (Fearless Simplicity, p192):

"Now some people are not satisfied when that happens. They don't want their beads to slowly trickle away; they desire a spectacular drama, an action scene with thoughts and emotions being blown to pieces. Formidable rigpa dramatically enters to below the thoughts and emotions away--that would be satisfying. It's quite likely that every so often we naturally arrive in the state of rigpa, a state in which the thoughts and emotions have already dissolved, but we are still not really satisfied. We have the preconceived idea or expectation that rigpa should be _powerful_, something much more extravagant, incredibly blissful, with clarity in all directions, totally free of thought, some sort of fantastic experience. While the awakened state of rigpa is plain and simple, lucid, present, and undisturbed, we refuse to acknowledge that it is actually rigpa, because it is not fascinating enough

About this stumbling block, all the enlightened qualities may not be fully manifest, but it is still rigpa at the beginning stage. As we train further in the true state of rigpa, these qualities gradually begin to manifest more and more, as an atmosphere of compassion and devotion. ... To be discontent and reject the beginning stage of rigpa prevents us from training in it, and that prevents the qualities from manifesting. I would like you to be content and decisive. Baby Rigpa is very simple, very easy, very neat and smooth. Slowly allow yourself to settle evenly in that. Then, grow more and more used to it."

You know... all of this has to lead to a daily practice right? When the time is right, of course.

"You know... all of this has to lead to a daily practice right? When the time is right, of course. "

Yes, that doesn't sound like a bad idea (I'm not the one who thumbs-downed your post btw!). Currently I find doing "undistracted uncontrived nonmeditation" harder when I'm on a cushion. Can't shake the feeling that it's contrived and that I'm meditating. So I mostly roam the house and lie on my bed, trying to see what the nature of experience is all about.

"Currently I find doing "undistracted uncontrived nonmeditation" harder when I'm on a cushion. Can't shake the feeling that it's contrived and that I'm meditating. So I mostly roam the house and lie on my bed, trying to see what the nature of experience is all about."

I'm going to pass on something my teacher offered, which was immensely helpful. If you have the slightest aversion to sitting on the cushion and meditating, sit on the damn cushion and meditate. If you prefer to call it something else, feel free. Undistracted uncontrived nonmeditation while sitting with a straight back on a zafu in silence. Ta da! You are fooling yourself when you make excuses (Mine at the time was "But it feels the same. I'm just sitting there, I might as well be washing the dishes, so why bother?" His answer: "If it's the same, then there's no excuse for not doing it except not admitting you're averse to it.")

Human beings are masters of Excuses Village. Don't fall for it.

"I'm going to pass on something my teacher offered, which was immensely helpful. If you have the slightest aversion to sitting on the cushion and meditating, sit on the damn cushion and meditate. If you prefer to call it something else, feel free. Undistracted uncontrived nonmeditation while sitting with a straight back on a zafu in silence. Ta da! You are fooling yourself when you make excuses (Mine at the time was "But it feels the same. I'm just sitting there, I might as well be washing the dishes, so why bother?" His answer: "If it's the same, then there's no excuse for not doing it except not admitting you're averse to it.")

Human beings are masters of Excuses Village. Don't fall for it.

"

Thanks, that makes a lot of sense. Even when I do formal practice, these days I find it's much easier to do supine (laying on my bed). I seem to have re-injured my back from sitting upright for hours a day at the start of this retreat. Maybe a chair is a good compromise...

Chairs are great

I use a chair about half the time.

I can't wait to see "Monktastic's Practice Journal"

Coming soon to a friendly forum near you.

" Yes, that doesn't sound like a bad idea (I'm not the one who thumbs-downed your post btw!). Currently I find doing "undistracted uncontrived nonmeditation" harder when I'm on a cushion. Can't shake the feeling that it's contrived and that I'm meditating. So I mostly roam the house and lie on my bed, trying to see what the nature of experience is all about."

No worries. But more seriously... Taking up a daily practice is a significant commitment. There is a lot of truth to the saying "better never to start, but once started, better to finish quickly".

Sometimes people start a practice for all the wrong reasons, usually it's to avoid doing the harder work of fixing some other problem in life (finding a new job, needing to talk to a psychiatrist/counselor, needing to go back to school, getting over a messy breakup, wanting to start dating, etc etc.). A daily practice helps one's life in many ways, but it doesn't substitute for directly fixing specific problems.

Sometimes practice is simply needed to integrate spiritual openings that already occured. Those tend to be the people that spend a lot of time researching books, theories, and practices --- the folks that tend to seek out forums like this.

So take your time in getting very clear on your goals and doing a good assessment on your priorities. Then see if you have the sufficient external support, teacher or forum. Then start.

Thanks for all the suggestions!

I hinted at this in another thread, but it seems my primary (almost *only*) source of suffering in life is worrying that I'm not doing enough to further my practice, to act on compassion, etc. I've done a semi-formal 3-month 8-hour-a-day shamatha retreat, and at the time, it's just what I needed. This time around, it's actually mostly about letting go. As I relax into "the flow" more, I find that the sits in my easy chair and the strolls in-between those sits are giving rise to exactly the kind of spontaneous and gentle presence that I would expect if expecting weren't such an obstacle for me

I may start a practice thread here, or keep doing a private one. But I think I'm hitting my stride, and it involves a whole lot less "doing" than I thought it would, and it may be just what the doctor ordered.

Edit: I think the clarity of my goals will develop over time, and I'm happy to give it time to see what develops. Thumbs up on the "take your time" suggestion.

"One difficulty I've had is that masters (like Namkhai Norbu) say that introduction to rigpa cannot happen except through direct transmission through a master, in real time. "

I hate to use the word "dogma" but that's what this direct transmission teaching sounds like-- dogma. This is understandable in the context of Tibetan culture, where great importance is placed on lineages and the like. But in reality, there are many individuals who have realized rigpa without a teacher. Eckhart Tolle comes to mind. Even the Buddha himself sat alone under that bodhi tree.