Tsoknyi Rinpoche - Dzogchen-practice

Tsoknyi Rinpoche Trekchö Started: 22.10.2000

Tsoknyi Rinpoche - Dzogchen Teachings - Trekchö The Ground: All phenomena phenomena are within the the natural natural state, so so the way way we see see things is our perception. The Dharmakaya pervades everything. Everything is included in one. It is very important to understand this, the “levels” of ground, path and fruition, is only our conceptions and there is really no levels, its all one! If you have a sweet wrapped into a paper, the paper is the ground, the path is the wrapping and to open it is the fruition. The sweetness has always "een inside this wrapping. #ou have to understand how the students of the $uddha and the masters following them again reached enlightenment. Even the ground is "eyond concepts it is said, its essence is empty, its nature is clarity, and the clarity is unceasing. %&o all these are together'. (e should analy)e if the nature of all phenomena is empty. %&hera"' (isdom dissolves into the ground. *ecogni)ing the ground is good enough, "ut the clarity distracts you. The essence of the nature is "eyond permanence and impermanence. $ecause we dont recogni)e the natural state, the Tathagar"a, we get caught up in the clarity. All phenomena are already awakened. (e "elieve in the true of phenomena, "ut at the actual state nothing has true e+istence. It is easy to miss it if you are only thought on the a"solute you also have to know what delusion is. $ecause we cannot always "e and rest in the nature, we think that our delusions and illusions are true! There are actually "eings that are a"le to rest in the nature at all times, "ut as long as we are as we are, we cant see this. $y doing the practice we will "reak this “shell” of illusions and if we let the grasping fall apart, the natural state will reveal itself. The three “&amadies” is for e+ample a skillful mean to reali)e the ground, path and fruition when we practice a yiddam. (hen we see a $uddha, we dont see that he is enlightened, this doesnt mean that he is not enlightened. -rasping puts the seeming reality together. (hen it comes to phenomena you have to let go of the notion that it is real and look at it ust as a mirage. To "e a"le to let the grasping fall apart, we have to apply the view, meditation and conduct. (e have to apply the view and there is a conceptual view and a non / conceptual view. If we "elieve that the conceptual things are real, then this is a conceptual view. All the $uddha $uddhas s teachings teachings is on on how to "e deluded, even all 0ualities of the $uddha as we talk a"out it is dilutions. The view that has concepts is called “&hamata” or tran0uility. If you truly practice D)ogchen, you dont need to practice &hamata. There are "eings, that when they are "orn, they are partly introduced to the Tathagata. If you only practice &hamata it is not possi"le to reali)e the ground. 1orget a"out the minds essence forget a"out the mind all/ together. As $uddhist we have to work work with the karma, the root of karma. And if we come "ack "ecause of karma, we will suffer and we cannot help sentient

Ground, Path and Fruition.

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"eings. (e should have the right to come and go as we please. This is "ecause of delusions and o"scurations. &hamata with o"ect is known "y people in the west "ecause everything you do is concentrating on o"ects, like at your o", driving etc. A"iding and staying, mindfulness and awareness is the main three things that have to "e present in "oth &hamata with and without support. 234 a"iding, 234 mindfulness and 354 awareness %the main 6anager'. The most important is the awareness, off course it is important to "e rela+ed, "ut we have to get rid of the dullness. Ti"etans fall asleep when they meditate, "ut westerners are to active, looking too much outwardly. #ou must learn to rela+. Its not really important to sleep, some Ti"etan masters doesnt sleep at all. (hen you sleep its like you get unconscious and your mind completely collapses. *emem"er the 7 mindful nesses / mindfulness of "ody, sensation, mind and samadi. In Ti"etan there is a word called “nyam” 8 e+perience, "ut changing. If you have e+periences like this, this is not enlightenment, so you have to let go of it. (e should never “try” to get this e+perience again. If you practice you will get e+periences and they come and go. (e have to actuali)e this reali)ation to "e a"le to con0uer the ha"itual patterns it is not enough to study. &ometimes mindfulness can "e a little too much, and then it must "e adusted "y awareness. 6ost traditions stops with a"iding in mindfulness / &hamata, "ut D)ogchen has a way to pass this state.

The view: The secret mind is right there, the view of no concept, you might try to understand it with concepts. The real difficulty lies here, to understand that this is the wisdom of our awareness. It is said that the wisdom of the view cannot "e conceived or understood, "ecause it is "eyond concept. $ut if you have great merit, uncompelled devotion, compassion or intelligence it is possi"le to recogni)e, or if the master gives you a shock of the five sufferings. Also at the very end of an orgasm, you completely let go. &o, how to "e a"le to let go completely of how we see things9 (e are talking a"out mind and minds essence, its like ice and water. In minds essence there is three 0ualities. (e must try to gain some accomplishment in this life, so that we can traverse to a pure realm or at least have a good re"irth in the human realm and "e "orn to "enefit "eings. 6ind is not something or nothingness, its not su"stantial and not non/ su"stantial. &eeing the empty essence and the empty essence of that. To "e a"le to rid us from all o"scurations we have to apply the view. The &hamata practice is not free for “hope and fear”, so therefore we should practice the non/conceptual meditation of “Trekch:”. 6ind is when we get attached to o"ects and then get more and more attached and there"y forgetting to look for the true nature. If we want to attain enlightenment we have to recogni)e the natural state, if we go after all our proections and thoughts, there is no way that we can reach enlightenment. Its nature is empty, its essence is clarity, unceasing.


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Even though you have these three 0ualities, you dont know how to look for them, so how to find them9 There is four ways; ow to rest9 &eeing is the view / non/conceptual view from the first second and continued a"iding in this *igpa is the 6editation. If we meditate that "ecomes a contrast, so without meditating and without not meditating ust a"ide in the natural flow of the view, leave it as it is and ust rest in this flow. ?ompletely rela+ed with clarity, if you "ecome drowsy, you lose the view and if you "ecome agitated you rela+ "ack into the view. This is the meditation of the three immovea"le ; @.

The body should be like a mountain.

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The sense organs should be immoveable like the reflections of stars in a lake.

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The nature of mind is immoveable like the sky.

6editation is open and spacious ust like a vast ocean *igpa has a reflection, liveliness. #ou cant turn *igpa on and of, its always on. Its ust you that is not always a"le to e+perience it. This is the ground. #ou have a shallow and narrow *igpa and not a vast and open *igpa its ust like this "efore you get ac0uainted with the practice. If the state of &hamata is sta"ili)ed, your mind is a"iding there and there is no movement, "ut if there is movement it is *igpa. 6any D)ogchen practiceners sit in *igpa a short time and then they grasp and try to hold on to clarity and space, "ut its only if you practice and practice that this will change and then you can prolong your a"iding in *igpa. Even in *igpa there is thought, "ut these arise as wisdom. In *igpa you can think, "ut its thinking without grasping. Its like the karmic Bolice they cant find your footprints. Cuter and inner e+periences are connected vast and un/originated. *igpa is like a foal, it has the power of the horse, "ut it will grow slowly in to a full racing horse. #ou should start practice with developing *efuge and $odhicitta, then you do your #iddam / practice and do some mantras. Then you do &hamata with and without support and then you start your D)ogchen / practice. There will "e clarity, "liss and non / thought. *igpa is very normal, no “out” or “in” or holding on to anything. *igpa is not “fro)en” there is movement. Dont try to prove that this is *igpa, ust hang in there.! *igpa is close to “stupid” meditation, "ut there is clarity and awareness. #ou completely let go and rela+.


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Looking, seeing, letting be and reeing : There are  letting "e, the  unmova"les, distractions will come and if you try to do anything a"out it, this is a distraction in itself. #ou should know that it is the holding on to the thoughts and feelings that make it a distraction. These distractions is simultaneously "orn and is what is called ha"itual patterns that as "een created previously. It is something that comes without warning and you may"e dont recogni)e "efore several minutes has passed. (e get distracted, "ut we dont know! &o, what skillful means should "e applied9 Its mainly "ecause we dont have a firm reali)ation on emptiness, its not strong yet. &o you get caught "y the distractions. Dont do anything a"out the emotions, "ecause if you do, you will at once loose the space. Its ust like the toilets in the airplanes, its always "usy and its impossi"le to get in. &hamata is like that you are in the toilet of a plane, the occupied light is always on and no one can enter. (hen emotions come, you must create space instead of grasping and holding on to it. &o, there is three ways of freeing ; pon arising, self/li"erating and freeing without "enefit or harm. The first is freeing upon arising and em"almed "y emptiness, %3 conflicting emotions should turn into 3 wisdoms', second is li"erating upon itself, ust like a coiled snake, it uncoils itself. Always remem"er remem"er *igpa, *igpa, whatever whatever comes comes let it dissolve into the *igpa. The third is like a thief entering an empty house, there is no fear of emotions or distractions. Its when you are not free to choose, that you feel fear, "ecause some emotions you need and others you dont. &o the root of happiness is li"erating these 3 conflicting emotions. The real $uddha/hood is the natural state, not politics! There are signs you can o"serve or to look FforG to see if you have progress in your practice. They are clarity, "liss and non/thought. 1or "eginners there is only pro"lems, not much "liss or non/thought. &ometimes when one recogni)es nature of mind, one will feel more confident and get inspired to do more practice. &ometimes your completely lost and then you recogni)e again. Then oy arises and you get inspired to do more practice. (hen you sit and you are in the state of *igpa, you will may"e say oh! This I have e+perienced "efore in life. &o your whole "ody can feel "liss and everything you see is "lissful. At this stage it is not reali)ation, "ut e+periences and after some time you will feel suffering, "ecause you hold on to this e+perience. &ometimes you will feel e+tremely "lissful, "ecause your channels and winds are in "alance. #ou should sit straight and "est is the H/point posture of ariochana. Cf the “Tsa/

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-ara" Dores  points; nature of your mind. @. Recognize nature 2. Decide on one point, point, especially it is important important to decide that that this is Rigpa , Rigpa , but to leave a

lot of space. the liberation, when you have have the experiences, then don dontt doubt, !ust feel . Be confident in the confident.

If the clarity is strong, it is possi"le to get stuck and if you are stuck in the clarity it "ecomes a "it still and hard. If there is e+panse then this is usually good, "ut when there is "liss it also comes together with attachment and it is difficult not to get attached. There are two things to "e o"served and two to a"andoned. (hat you must gain and give up. (hat is to "e practiced is Treckch: and what is to "e accomplished is T:gal. >ere we are generally talking a"out Treckch: / cutting trough in general what we have to give up. (e have up to now e+plained the empty essence of the “Three 0ualities which is to "e o"served”. In order to accomplish these spontaneous 0ualities from within, we have to let go of the strong sense of self. (e have generally talked a"out how to cut the ego clinging. $y recogni)ing the empty essence of our mind, we cut this clinging to a self and the ego. to stop ones emotions is not enough to reach li"eration. All 0ualities unfold from that natural clarity. Jatural clarity is also part of &amsara and it can see the “ego” "ehind. (hen this natural clarity looks and sees the inherent openness, it "ecomes one with the emptiness. (hen one finally manages to free oneself from ones emotions and o"scurations faith arises. (hen you see the empty 0ualities of your emotions, you learn to appreciate yourself and start to "e a"le to completely let go of them and there"y seeing that they are not real. Then you feel happiness and no more fear of yourself or anything else. , this is the first "irth of the little "a"y of devotion. #ou really appreciate this practice and the Dharma. That devotion will "reak the concepts again. (e should not ever let our “spiritual” emotions “take us” like “>are Krishna”. (e should always have openness and awareness and not space out and never get attached to our religious feelings. (hen devotion is there you will see that your *igpa "ecomes more “uicy” and you can really feel the "lessing from your masters and the $uddhas and $odhisattvas. (hen ego is no longer restricting the "lessings from getting in to you. $ut then again, for most of us devotion is also a mental construction, so when we practice this, it will "ecome a natural part of us, and not something that we have to “develop” or aspire. The second thing that will unfold from within is wisdom. It is not “learned” wisdom its more inherent wisdom unfolding from the natural clarity from within. (hen you can completely rela+ and open up to the natural radiance from within.


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!högyal Rinpoche" 2L=@5/55

The main thing to understand is that we are intrinsically enlightened and our path is ust to things as they are to see this. All the traditions are teaching us that our main pro"lem is “E-C”. Ego is not real it is the root of illusion. Every"ody is talking a"out that our main pro"lem is aversion, attachment and so on, "ut the main thing is that we have to take a wow with ourselves, that we will "e a"le to take "oth anger, "lame, accusations from ourselves and others in a very good way. If one person has done a three/year retreat and another has not, the one that has done the long retreat should have no notion a"out that he has done this afterwards. If he then feels that he has "etter understanding and that he is "etter, then the other person, this is all E-C. The most important thing is mindfulness, if one does not have this, one cannot accomplish anything. There is no leveling, mind should ust "e in its nature and there"y we gain clarity. If there is serious dou"t, there is no confidence. 6ind should "e easily with us, open and clear. (hatever one does, the main thing is to keep this clarity. (hatever one has, as long as one does not cling on to them, they are no pro"lem for you. ?linging is "asically ust ignorance. Im an artist and I ust do what feels good in the moment and try not to cling on to anything. I dont need to feel that “I am anything "ig” or especially good. I ust pray to the $uddhas that I will "e a"le to "enefit "eings. (e think that we are so many groups of "eings, like the $uddhas and our group and this and that group, "ut the $uddhas dont see it like this. >ow can we develop devotion9

Just by always having the Guru in your mind. Muestion; *inpoche, do you try to put everything that you do when you are painting in connection with the Dharma9 *inpoche; I really dont try to do anything. The worst clinging is for e+ample clinging to your o"! #ou have to have a o" that you like to do, if someone takes your o" then let it go. Dont get angry or depressed. Anything that is egocentric is not good, whatever it is. (hen ego is involved, everything is difficult, "ut when ego is not there, everything that you do goes well and happens very easy. Jever do what the E-C tells you to do, always do things without this notion of E-C/self and try to really see that ego does not e+ist. Even when one says that I have *igpa reali)ation, this is ego and is not *igpa. (hen one learns to rest in the nature, then mind does not differentiate like, this is *igpa and this is not. Muestion; Does emotions change with less ego9 *inpoche; #es off course, when ego is not so strong then the desire is not part of you anymore. It is more like ust hanging there in front of you and kind of ridiculous and you feel free. $efore everything was ust desire, desire and then when it gets


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less you get free from it. (hen *igpa is not clear there is ego, when it is clear there is no ego, so its all/dependent on your practice. (hatever we do, eat, sleep, work or play, it should always have the motivation of helping others. (hen it comes to -uru devotion, you should feel that he is right for you and that he is communicating to you. #ou must see his kindness and that he is a real -uru. -uru is one that gives us the teaching, who helps us to change our mind. Everything that enlightens us is from the -uru, not the "ooks. The main thing is to have peace of mind. Tsoknyi Rinpoche 2N=@5/55 The attitude of developing $odhicitta, we have to try to train on until &amsara is completely e+hausted. *egarding to compassion we shall talk a"out the relative and a"solute. (e have to train on meditating on compassion until our mind our mind "ecomes compassion. #ou should train in a way such that you at last meditate on relative compassion for 27 hours a day. There is many ways to arouse this wonderful $odhicitta, like $odhicharyavatara or the te+t of Kundu *inpoche. #ou should practice and find out how you can accomplish this $odhicitta. #ou use this method to train, "ut finally you have to let go of the method. Then traverse "eyond the karmic system. &o if you have to compounds like a hammer % Bodhicitta) and a vase (anger), the hammer can "reak the vase completely. Through this transformation you will start to like yourself and say Ch! Thats how it is, and you will also like your friends in a new way, you will know that they are not there to harm you. #ou will get confidence and you will feel how wonderful things are as long as you have a free choice, and you will also reoice when you see others do well and understand things in a deeper way. (hen you meditate the D)ogchen way, you will feel open, spacious, free and happy. $ut then again you can also feel some sadness, "ecause you want to share your e+perience and help others to at chive the same. &ome people are a little "it afraid of themselves and their compassion, and then it will not grow. If one friend is in hospital "ecause of depression and you visit him and you come there with a happy mind. >e or she will may"e "lame you since you are not sad and may"e not crying. >e may"e wants you to feel the same as him, "ut then you will also end up in hospital. (hat is the use, you have to get him to understand that he has a choice and that he has to do it himself. Cff course you can help, "ut not through indulging into the emotional states and grasping. &o, a modern way to try to develop compassion could "e to get a "ottle of good wine and then take your car and drive up in the mountains to an inspiring place with good view. Then you sit down and let your mind rest and may"e do some &hamata meditation, first with o"ect and then without. Then you open your "ottle and pour a good glass of wine and sit down and meditate on the four thoughts and especially the sufferings of &amsara, Think a"out how cra)y and "ad it is in parts of the world with war and famine and also the suffering of animals how they are


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used and misused and slaughtered without any mercy and so on, while drinking your wine. Keep on like this and try to visuali)e how "adly "eings are suffering in this world until you feel the tears coming in your eyes and you even finally start crying. Then, when you think like this and feel compassion for them all, you wow to your self that you want to develop into a "eing that can "enefit them all. #ou pray to your 6aster, the $uddhas and $odhisattva that they all must help you to purify and train your mind and to develop $odhicitta. This might actually "e the "irth of the little "a"y of compassion. Then when have had some wine, you sit again 0uite rela+ed and B>AT!! (hen you get distracted. Then you sit without trying to change anything, "e completely natural, "ut without thinking, dont even think that Im meditating, and ust sit, when you get distracted, you do the same thing again. (hen you finish this session, you should carefully drive home. (hen you are watching a movie, you can “relative” and “a"solute. The movie that you are watching is relative, you know its a movie, "ut still you enoy it and it is a kind of real. $ut the a"solute is open, spacious and clear, so you reali)e that in a way everything is like a movie. &o you have to develop compassion and not take things so serious. In action you have the motivation that you want to help all sentient "eings. #ou look at your capacity and then you help out from that. #ou have to "e skillful and not go further then your capacity and understanding. Karma is concepts also, so "y staying in the non/conceptual state, you also destroy some karma. (hile we are in this state, we dont create any karma either, so we have to work lf in this way to purify to purify our self and others. If your mind is not purified and a $uddha appears in front of you, you will may"e not even recogni)e this person as a $uddha. It is ust like the story of -eshe ?heckawa and $uddha 6aitrea. -eshe ?heckawa decided to meditate and pray to $uddha 6aitrea to get his "lessing and teaching and to cut the story short, he gave up meditating four times, each time after meditating three years without any sign of $uddha 6aitrea. (hen he finally left his retreat the fourth time he found a dog lying "y the side of the road with the whole "ack part torn of. (hen he looked closer he saw that there where maggots eating of his flesh and he felt such a strong compassion for the dog that he started crying. (hen he wanted to remove the maggots, he reali)ed that he might kill them if he pulled them of, so he closed his eyes and stretched out his tongue so that they could get unto his tongue instead. In the same moment the dog disappeared and $uddha 6aitrea appeared in front of him. Ch you, ?heckawa cried out, why didnt you show yourself to me "efore9 Then $uddha 6aitrea said to him, it was not "efore now trough this compassionate deed that you did for the dog that your mind was purified. &o first you saw me as the dog and then, me and if you ask someone else they most pro"a"ly wont even see the dog. &o, to traverse on the path of D)ogpachenpo, one needs a lot of diligence and many wonder how you can do that and still "e in this natural flow. There is diligence and perfection of diligence! &o, you need the diligence when “(hen youre Okicked out of *igpa to Okick yourself "ack to the clarity and *igpa. Then


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when you are "ack, no more kicking or pushing. If you do that, you will get uptight and lose the view again. The worst thing you can do is to look at it as if your practice is Onot good, then it will ust get worse. #ou ust have to sit through it, until it changes and one day you can sit for 2 hours and you feel very happy and have progress in your practice. (hen you are doing the preliminaries %Jg:ndro' you have to cut, crush or kill your la)iness and ust do it. &o what we are trying to do here is to recogni)e the natural state / the Dharmata, through the skillful means. (e try to see that the way our mind is now there is no way to get freedom. Even though you stay in one place, your mind travels all over the world. 6ind is like that always going out, away form the natural state. Instead of following all these thoughts, sounds and tastes, instead of doing this, we should look into its essence. (hile looking into its essence, when you look at it without recogni)ing this is consciousness, "ut when you do see the natural state, the minds essence, then you rela+ there. Again we than go from looking to Oseeing. There are so many emotions and thoughts and we keep on following them. $e like a O&now/lion, dont attack the stones that are thrown at you, "ut the one who throws them and then kill the thrower. &taying in a rela+ed state of mind, look at the mind that is grasping. (hen you sit in *igpa and you loose it, then you in a way pretend that you are in it, "ecause you have a feeling what it is like. It Os like a woman with heavy perfume, even when she has left, the perfume is still in the room. &o when you have "een in *igpa, you ust Orest in the natural flow. Its also similar to a "utter lamp when it is in a room with open windows its hard to "low out. (hen the light pervaded the room, where did the darkness go. ere we have mostly only had the time to discuss the wisdom, "ut it is also very important to learn a"out all these skillful means and learn how to apply them.

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If you know how it is to recogni)e the inner linage, then you connect with this recognition of the nature and practice out from there and you immediately connect with all the $uddhas. Its like you have them all on the phone and practice compassion out from that. In Dharmakaya, there is nothing like a su"stance, nothing ceasing, staying or the like, so it is only e+pressed "y a Ocirle. It is not possi"le to e+press, you can only reali)e through yourself and with yourself. In the D)ogpachenpo, everything is together as one. OThat what we all have in our self is the O-round, the $uddhas mind. $y essence empty, "y nature cogni)ant. Its a union of these two, that is the O-reat Berfection or Enlightenment. There is some things called the common ground which is a union of &amsara and Jirvana, At some stage this was distur"ed and some saw the empty cognoscente nature of this and "ecame enlightened / the $uddhas. The others like us saw the luminosity. They "ecame curious and looked Ooutside and more and more the five senses manifested and all the phenomena to. &o the impartial state was moved and "ecame ignorance. &o we thought that / C>, there is something out there! And then there has to "e something over there! And then there has has to "e something here there"y there"y this duality duality was was created. created. An illusion illusion is like you mistake mistake a rope rope on the ground for for a snake. snake. $ased $ased on this this created surrounding that he is there and I am here, starts the whole dilution. (hen this illusion collapses, this is enlightenment and when this happens it will never come "ack. (e need to destroy this fi+ation on the "ody and to "e a"le to do so we have to look into our mind. (hen $uddha thought, he thought on different levels for different "eings. >e first thought the four no"le thoughts, then a"out emptiness, then luminosity and then the union of these two the O6aha Ati or D)ogchen. -ara" Dore taught on the “Tsik, &um, Jedek”, a"out view, meditation and conduct. Cur illusion is a product of all sentient "eings common karma, "ut we have our own illusion, and "ecause we "elieve that it is true, we perceive it in our dualistic way. way. &o in our process we look straight trough this and look into the nature. (hy is it good to do &hamata with o"ect9 $ecause we always have this notion with su"ect and o"ect. &hamata without support, is in a way to rest in the now ness, you o"serve your a"iding mind, this is the gatekeeper. #ou have to have awareness in the "ackground, otherwise you can loose you can loose this manger and you may"e dont reali)e "efore 3 minutes has gone. The thing a"out &hamata, is that you are Ostuck in the moment and you have not reali)ed emptiness, so you have to apply a method, which here is &hamata. &o this feeling of yes, now I can do it, I can keep it under control. (hich actually is like throwing fuel onto the fire, "ecause you "elieve it is true! #ou think that your suffering and phenomena is true. (ithout any in or any out / utter openness. >ow is it that Oopenness9 Its empty, awake, luminous and simple. >ere we have mainly "een talking a"out the wisdom techni0ue and not a"out the two accumulations, the five practices of a $odhisattva, generosity, meditation etc.


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The way to do this is ust to turn your attention slightly inward, not to look deeply inside, ust to turn your focus from outward to inward in a very light way. The moment of recogni)ing this state is the "lessings of the linage. &ogyal *inpoche says; “Dont stay to close and dont stay to fare”. dont try to look into it or to meditate Oupon it, ust leave it as it is. *emain natural without doing anything that is the practice of non/meditation. *emain immova"le like a mountain, let all your senses "e open completely, "ut without any focusing or grasping. (hen you allow things to happen naturally with compassion and devotion, then all the good states of clarity, "liss and emptiness will come "y them selves. &o the practice is many small glimts of recognition until it all kind of opens up or falls apart. Let your practice be ‘juicy,' and be happy without a reason.


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Tsoknyi Rinpoche - Dzogchen-practice

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