CollumCille

186 Responses to “CollumCille”

1. Arthur Conolly on April 30th, 2010 8:46 am
   

   GOOD MORNING SHAMBHALA, and a brilliant Beltaine to everyone!
   We are delighted to have a table here in the sunshine cafe with the head waiter who deserves great credit for organizing this cafe- Mr Mark Szpakowski.
   We are about to put in our order of Guinness, whiskey and one cafe latte with some bannocks, one of which will contain the black spot made by charcoal.
   Before I introduce todays visitors to the cafe, let me sincerely apologize for my earlier perhaps “unethical” remarks on the Shambhala Buddhism and Vajradhatu Buddhism sections. His Holiness, Seonaidh pulled me up on the carpet about that, saying my etiquette is perhaps not all that it could be.
   Having said that, my name is Arthur Conolly, I’m a Celtic Buddhist student, and a student of Seonaidh, and I represent myself on the table and also am an aide to Seonaidh, so I can ask him directly about any questions or comments that may pertain to him. We understand that H.H. Seonaidh is quite a controversial figure, but people are invited to ask about any subject personal or otherwise concerning him as he says he “has no particular reputation to defend” Also at the table this morning is Sr Gryphon, who is a monastic in the Celtic Buddhist Lineage and diligently working to get Glen Ard Abbey up and running. And also here is Aidan Doherty, a Druid visiting from Co. Donegal, Ireland. who has been a student of Celtic Buddhist meditation for several years. And lastly is Margaret Maceart, who is a Celtic Christian also studying Celtic Buddhist meditation.

   You can go to our websites- http://www.celticbuddhism.org and http://www.glenardabbey.com and see a list of our teachers any of whom you may ask questions of.

   The overall idea of this table is a closer relationship between the Celtic Buddhist Lineage and Shambhala and Shambhala Buddhism.

   So here we are open for business. Please join us! Lots of Love from all of us.
2. john perks on May 21st, 2010 6:25 pm
   

   Hello everyone!

   I asked Mark to please clear the table so that we could start a new series of discussions. We have the same crew at the table plus other visitors from time to time and we hope you will join in.

   For the last 10 yrs or so we have been working with dralas, devas and nature spirits or so called nature energies. “Working with” is a somewhat funny term, perhaps “talking with” might be a better term. Especially if someone doesn’t consider talking to be just verbal. In any case, we did quite a bit of work in Ireland, Scotland, England, Italy and southern France.

   When we started work in Ireland, we worked w/a druid group in Donegal county and Anne McCaffrey who writes books on dragons, and 2 other ladies, both named Annie from southern Ireland.
   And we developed, over time, several different ways to communicate with energies. I personally had also worked a little bit with Trungpa Rinpoche in this area during our various world travels. And also the game that he played that was very helpful was in fact a game called “the qualities game” which many students participated in. So that’s the kind of preamble.

   What i would like to ask, is if you have experience in working with these energies. It would be great to hear about it. And perhaps we could exchange information at this table.

   Direct experience would be appreciated rather than philosophical insight. Again i want to thank Mark Szpakowski for clearing the previous table. I do hope nobody particularly misses the old dishes. From time to time we can post more detailed information about our particular experiences in this field. thank you so much

   Seonaidh

   PS in Celtic Buddhism, we believe that all beings- inorganic and organic have consciousness… from a blade of grass to a sun in outer space.
3. Edward on May 22nd, 2010 4:18 pm
   

   Thanks for clearing the old dishes. And for the groundrules.

   I met a man once who travelled around opening up stuck “earth energies”. He claimed to be able to perceive little energy beings, or large energy beings (devas?), as they case might be, and could communiate with them somewhat. He also spoke of “energy vortexes”– kind of like acupuncture points on the earth’s surface. His background was that he had practiced chi gong for many years and found that he had a certain sensitivity.

   I tried to suspend judgment about his comments. Well, I went hiking with him once, when he did some of his work, and wow, I really could feel a difference afterwards. I felt much happier. I tried coming up with rational explanations for it, but he just grinned and said it was the earth energy I was feeling.

   But otherwise, I do not consciously work with nature spirits, or energies, in any sophisticated sense. I like cleaning my home, admiring the flowers on a sunny spring day, etc.

   My old teacher liked large trees, and had us take measures to protect the large trees at his land centers. We found out that Native Americans in the area would consciously protect large trees, as if they were a precious treasure to be valued. I definitely feel far more drala in areas with large, old trees, compared to, say, urban areas with no trees.

   So what are some first steps to learning to work with these energies?
4. john perks on May 22nd, 2010 5:20 pm
   

   Dear Edward,

   In Ireland, there was a man named Marko Pogacnik who went around the country placing litho puncture stones at particular points in energy lines. I think he received a grant from the Irish govt to do this and in any case he has written several books on lay lines and energy lines and on how some of the sacred sites in Ireland correspond to lay lines.

   I am far from being an expert in this field, but we have gained some experience working with drala energies. Tibetans have a very sophisticated system of working with ritual fire offerings.
   Chogyam Trungpa Rinpoche taught a fire offering that is I believe part of the Shambhala Buddhist lineage. I don’t know if that teaching is still available.

   On a very ordinary level, when with Rinpoche we would practice when traveling by car, feeling energies, feeling the shifting of energies during the journey. Sometimes this was done with one’s eyes closed, of course, not driving! That was interesting because one of the Annies in s. Ireland, used to do the same thing. We’d sit in the backseat of the car while someone else drove and we’d have our eyes closed and made notes about changes in energy at particular points, and then compare notes,..
   Similarly, Rinpoche had the qualities game, in which someone would go out of the room and the people in the room would decide upon some one or deity that everybody knew. Then the person came back in and had to guess the person from the quality of the person or deity- like for instance if it was a tree what kind of tree. or a smell, what kind of smell and so forth and this would go on until the person gave up or got it. sometimes as a joke they were guessing about themselves. Hardly anybody got that one.

   Also when one travels through fields in woods on a hike, one can stop at certain point and see if one feels a certain quality or energy. Some places are extremely subtle while other spots can be so outrageously apparent that even a dummy like me could get it.

   Some use crystals suspended by a chain or rope, or pendulum, or dowsing sticks to find or work with specific energies.
   When I first went to Ireland about 10 yrs ago, we would do the sadhana of mahamudra, written by Trungpa Rinpoche at certain sites. We translated this sadhana into Irish and added a fire offering to it. Sometimes, there would be rain showers and rainbows. Since the sadhana was pretty long, I also used the Vajrasattva mantra. In performing short ceremonies. while using a bell and dorje, and this seemed to work quite well.
   We made contact with a what seemed to be a very definite feminine energy which we named Anu. and we wrote an Irish language liturgy for this energy. which was extremely successful. I should also mention that we made offerings and these offering were made on based on what the locals used: whiskey coins and strips of cloth tied to bushes or trees honey flour, tea, and sugar.
5. john perks on May 22nd, 2010 5:27 pm
   

   On the first steps of learning to work with energies…
   If you have a garden or even just trees and bushes you could do your meditation practice outdoors with them, and you could sing.
   I have a Balinese friend who has a small garden but grows enormous vegetables because every day he goes out and sings and rings a little bell to the plants and trees. It’s a bit strange at first, but one gets used to it and one should practice doing that kind of thing.
   thanks for writing!

   Seonaidh
6. Troy Gallagher on May 22nd, 2010 9:26 pm
   

   Hi all.

   A really good book that touches on some of this, and the incredible intuitive nature of plants is “The Secret Life of Plants” I also really was moved by the movie “A man named Pearl” It’s the true story- complete with the real Mr Pearl and his plants- about a guy who takes thrown away dying plants and creates an amazing yard in which his plants grow happily in ways and in places that is not normal for them to do, seemingly just out of affection for Pearl…

   I am often in awe of plants. They live simply and kill nothing. Seems a shame to be a human…

   I know this is going to sound odd, but one thing that I have struggled with is that it seems that my practice – meditation and etc… and the whole empty nature of things and all those teachings has somehow made me callous or left me seeing the world in a less wonderous way than I used to when I was young.
   It is nice to see perhaps, a form of Buddhism that won’t do that…
   I’ll keep checkin in

   Troy
7. Chris on May 23rd, 2010 12:03 am
   

   “In Celtic culture there is pride in one’s ability to provide others with great hospitality. There is a desire to be more grounded in the earth and really talk about these Buddhist teachings around a kitchen table with a hot cup of tea and an openness to be skeptical, pissed off or whatever. The core of Celtic culture is that everything is interlaced and interconnected. This is not a teaching that one learns at a retreat or reads in a book about shunyata but a cultural reality that has been preserved for many centuries. Each of us will be drawn to a different aspect of Buddha’s teachings and Celtic culture and some things will be of immense importance to some and not to others. There is nothing wrong with questioning over and over again if this is authentic and right, because that process in and of itself is the practice, is the culture of Celtic Buddhism. The Celts as far as we know had an openness to integration that is worthy of dzogchen. Many times in my view throughout history, this openness was used against them, but what stayed true and needed prevailed, because of the people. For some of us those people are our literal ancestors and for others they are our spiritual ancestors”

   The above was from your website Mr. Perks from one of your main students. The above resonated.

   So tell me, if you will, why you felt a need to request the moderator to “clean the table” of any pissed offness, your groups and others, and establish new ground rules? That felt like the schizoid quality of overlaying Celts with Christianity. You know, “trying to be good again” instead of basic goodness, which is in everything, even pissed-offness.

   CTR was the closest, it seemed to me, to the students who were willing to be completely open and direct and genuine, warts and all.

   So why did you clean the table?

   I am not trying to spoil your party, and the new clean table ground rules, that is fine and dandy, if that’s what makes you happy, but since I read the above statement on your website, being naturally curious about your bunch, and this was such a clear example of the kind of openness that CTR also manifested, and since it was so very in contrast to what just happened, I felt compelled to ask you this.

   I will not drag this out because clearly there are people who want to have a different level of exchange with you and I get tired of being attackedhave no intention of interfering with this. But this is exactly the schizoid quality I always find with the IrishCelts with Christian tendencies, the need to be “cleaning up” all the time when we are already completely clean and 100% good if we could just except ourselves as we are and go forward from there.

   Chris

   PS. To connect with drala one doesn’t try or “do anything”; one has a soft, not an acquisitive gaze, one becomes one with the phenomenal world by relaxing into it, as it is. When one has a “soft gaze” all the living world around us senses this is so, because we are no longer a predator, we are not even labeling anymore, we are part of the world around us, not separated and not any better or worse than any other living being including the plants. That is the only way drala energy “appears” because we have never left it, we just got distracted. Even the little people could appear. It’s definitely possible.
8. rita ashworth on May 23rd, 2010 7:03 am
   

   Dear Mr Perks

   I am afraid I must agree with Chris’s point that you should not have cleared the table – I agree the pissed-offness must be in the conversation aswell.

   And yes drala I would say it as close as your eyeball and in the roughest of conditions -you could contact it in nature but you could also contact it at a Lou Reed concert, I really like Lou Reed his songs are full of drala –so powerful. An artistic deity!?

   Yes direct experience a perennial religious and secular question –maybe also why a lot of people are again reconnecting with new age and spiritual traditions because of alienation in contemporary society. But it is not the direct experience that is the thing – really you could ‘reach’ nirvana as the Buddha did but still the Other niggles at you –so thats why you go out and teach because its almost a physical thing to do. So yes I think religious philosophy which you may not like to discuss has concluded that direct experience must lead into religious behaviour that is the Other is the most important in the world because they reveal you to yourself.

   So it would be interesting if you could take your teachings out into the world may be on a road trip round America and see what people think of them that would be one way of testing the validity of celtic Buddhism (just thinking perhaps you could just speak about contacting drala in mundane life that would be interesting.) Yes you could also talk about nature but I think if you focus on that completely may be people in cities would think What’s happening!?

   So yes somewhat unlike SI I think you have to be a freethinker in regards to the spread of the shambhalian teachings and just do your stuff with just talking about drala and basic goodness that seems to be the way that people clue into the whole thing because these are revolutionary ways of comprehending religious/secular life.

   On another tack of clearing tables – I would like all the discussions about the shambhalian teachings and the different approaches discussed in public forums and not only on the internet. What would be wrong with discussing the different approaches in Halifax and Boulder for example –do we live in a free society or not? That is really one of the questions that we must face up to when religion and secular teachings are promulgated in the west otherwise we are letting ourselves in for a very strange world indeed.

   Well best from a sunny Britain for once.

   Best

   Rita Ashworth
9. john perks on May 23rd, 2010 8:22 am
   

   Dear Troy Gallagher,

   With your comment about “the empty nature of things… has somehow made me callous” Understanding intellectually form is emptiness and emptiness is no other than form, is difficult. and having direct experience of that nature is also difficult to spot. I, myself, have struggled with this for years. But it seems to me, that the world is always there. Full or empty. Perhaps empty of conceptual mind. and full of something else. I live in a house by the river. and last night, I was awake listening to the river and the song of the frogs. There seems to be quite alot this year. It’s not the peepers, it’s small frogs. and they were all singing a type of sound which came and went, it seemed to me with the sound of the river. I know the Mongolian throat singers have a way of learning to sing by listening to the sound of the brooks and rivers. That is interesting… don’t you think?
   Thank you for writing.

   Seonaidh
10. Sister Gryphon on May 23rd, 2010 8:41 am
    

    Hello Troy!

    Thank you for sharing. Yes, I have read the Secret Life of Plants, and found it very inspiring and confirming of all those things I felt to be true. It is a great book! I think I should reread it, now at this new point in my life.

    I have not seen the movie you speak of, but will see if we can get it on netflix. It sounds very interesting.

    I also had experienced a sort of becoming indifferent to the world thru my Zen practice, and have seen it in others. I haven’t quite figured out why that is. Too much focus on the illusionary quality of things? I dunno. In any case, it definitely seems a part of our American culture… but when I read about the early Celtic Christians and the early Buddhist monks, they were all totally in tune with nature, nature spirits, and the environment. That is one reason that I, personally, am quite jazzed with Celtic Buddhism. It seems to hopefully be keeping the mystery and the joy of life in all it’s forms within the practice.

    I would say if you like comics, try reading Sandman The Dream Hunters. It’s a vertigo comic and the Buddhist monk has several encounters with land spirits, shape-shifters and deities. Very fun read.

    Thanks for writing!

    Sister Gryphon
11. yeshe tsomo on May 23rd, 2010 9:30 am
    

    Hello all,

    Chris, thanks for sharing that passage from the Celtic Buddhism website about questioning. I had not read it before, but it also resonated with me.

    I realize that that I am a guest at this table and I don’t want to be rude to my hosts, but I also would like to discuss the ground rules.

    I, too, felt a little uncomfortable with the “clearing away of dishes”. Not that I was attached to the dishes as much as I hate to think that there is anything “wrong” with having dirty dishes, or with having conflict and strong emotion. I do, however, think it is fair that we ask not to “spill our hot coffee” on each other, as Sister Gryphon put it. But this brings up a rather murky topic. When does our anger become aggressive and hurtful to others? I find myself wrangling with anger on a regular basis. I appreciate Chris’ insight that some folks are much more comfortable with a Hinayana or Mahayana (as opposed to Vajrayana) view of emotion and are ready to condemn strong emotion of any kind. At the same time, I know I have let my anger become aggressive toward others and I have caused suffering, which is not want I want to do. I don’t have answers as much as I think the topic deserves discussion, if not on this thread, on another.

    I also want to ask the question, “Why do we communicate with the dralas/devas/nature spirits?” Not that I think it wrong, but I think it is helpful to have a philosophical understanding of our motivation. Some could easily misconstrue efforts to communicate with the dralas as a destination in and of itself or as a way to fortify ego. I am not saying it is, if our motivation is correct. But I have certainly experienced some spiritual practitioners who are bedazzled by psychic powers or other “ordinary” siddhis. I think it would be helpful, Seonaidh, if you could put communicating with dralas in a larger context, even if you address it in just a few sentences. I understand that you don’t want to devote this conversation to philosophy. No problem, but it is just kind of free-floating without any grounding of it in view.

    All of the above said, I am so happy to hear of other folks’ experience of communicating with the dralas. As for me, I often have a difficult time ascertaining where others’ energy ends and I begin. I feel this when I am in a grocery store and I feel it when I walk through our 20 acres of woods. My partner is very sensitive to plant and tree energies. I seem to be more affected by animals and earth and water. I still hardly know what to do with all of the pain I feel emanating quite literally from the ground. And yet I feel such a wellspring of strength and wisdom and resilience emanating, too. There are so many places on our property (and surrounding land) that speak to me. I don’t mean that I receive coherent messages in English, but rather a sense of knowing in my body at different times, perhaps a flash of knowing about that particular space’s history or a plea for a certain kind of help or just a certain quality of power. I am still amazed at how a butterfly or a coyote…
12. yeshe tsomo on May 23rd, 2010 9:30 am
    

    or a bird will deliver very specific answers from the universe when I hold a question.

    Of course, over the course of a lifetime, I have cultivated a myriad of ways to shut energy out in order to cope. I still get very overwhelmed by what often feels like an onslaught. I have found that as I make friends with myself through meditation that I am less overwhelmed by the painful and sometimes joyful messages of the natural world.

    I often meditate outside, if just for a short session, but had never thought of singing directly to the dralas. I love this. Perhaps they would like it if I wasn’t so damn sullen and overwhelmed. Would love to hear about others’ experiences of the talking with the natural world.

    Love, Theresa
13. Arthur Conolly on May 23rd, 2010 9:57 am
    

    Hello all!

    Just want to clear up a wee bit of confusion here. The “dishes” were cleared away… errrhem ………. at MY request to Seonaidh.
    I’m sort of stunned by the places people have gone with this in their heads.
    I asked Seonaidh if we could do it, simply because I was frickin tired of scrolling so far down to reach the newest postings. We did have 100 posts!
    Ok, I’m a guy, maybe I’m lazy…
    I want to apologize to Seonaidh for the shit that’s been slung at him because of me. Umm also and after this topic has reached 100 hits, we will be clearing these dishes away again and starting over again. umm.. dudes, everything is change.. Seonaidh forgive me! I’ll make it up to you next time I’m over at the house- promise!

    Now let’s get back to the topic at hand which is earth energy, dralas, and the like!
    Theresa, I’ve asked Seonaidh this same question about why bother with connecting with earth energies and spirits? he has said “because they are there! It’s a mystery that each person needs to find out about for themselves”. And interestingly enough- there are no straight forward answers, or in Seonaidh’s words “it is energy beyond human conceptual mind.” So the question back at you Theresa is, what do we do with that? in a very practical way?

    Arthur
14. john perks on May 23rd, 2010 10:07 am
    

    abandon human philosophical understanding abandon the idea of ego abandon ideas of psychic powers abandon any idea of siddhis.
15. john perks on May 23rd, 2010 10:09 am
    

    Arthur,
    I do so like a cold beer after I’ve been working in the garden all afternoon.
16. yeshe tsomo on May 23rd, 2010 11:52 am
    

    “I am often in awe of plants. They live simply and kill nothing. Seems a shame to be a human…”

    Dear Troy,

    I shared your words with my partner who is completely in accord with your experience. She is continually mystified by why Buddhists seek a human rebirth. She would much prefer to return as a tree or a plant and would be honored to be one, whereas she often finds herself ashamed to be human. She asked me to say to you, “Thank you for being my people.”

    We are going to order a copy of the Secret Life of Plants and the Mr. Pearl movie.

    Theresa
17. yeshe tsomo on May 23rd, 2010 12:08 pm
    

    Seonaidh,

    Not less than a minute after I read your exhortation to abandon, abandon, abandon, I came across this reminder:

    There’s no view or theory in reality itself. —Milarepa

    Being a thick person, I find that I often need multiple reminders. Unfailingly, the universe provides. Sometimes it takes a mallet falling on my head, but that is a story for another day.

    Cheers!
    Theresa
18. rita ashworth on May 23rd, 2010 1:45 pm
    

    Dear All

    No – I am still opposed to the clearing of the table.

    Maybe its a matter of protocol –like I would like to clear the table now.

    But anyway as well there were some nuggets on that table that had to be savoured and would have been relevant to further discussion and now any one who visits that table cant see them –so think its a question of when to clear the table –timing problem. One thread did get to 650 then we got the sunshine cafe tables –because yes I believe it was too long but the idea that those ideas expressed on that table would go up into the ether is I think a bit wrong –maybe we should have an archive for discussions –we do live in a technological age and these discussions that we are having are similar to those that happened at the beginning of new religions and systems of thought so I think they should be preserved much as magazines are preserved –could that go on forever –well it seems when you get to 500 posts it is unwieldly – so then I think we are into protocol and moving the discussion into other areas.

    Also with more frequent posts from people you get a sense of where the person is coming from with their thought processes so to suddenly stop that is kind of weird –also dont think it is good to clear away the table because it got hot one might say –the hot dishes have to remain on the table for a while for people to savour them.

    So yes even on the internet there has to be some way of mediating the democratic process.

    Well best

    Rita Ashworth
19. John Perks on May 23rd, 2010 4:32 pm
    

    Dear All,So goodbye and farewell,I do not have time for this gossip
    So you could say my train of process has jumped the rails,
    you know like in death,
    which we shall all experiance
    Wow its kind of ,weird just to stop,
    I mean I was just saying the mo……….
20. Edward on May 23rd, 2010 6:30 pm
    

    Awesome. That’s what I call leadership. Thank y
21. rita ashworth on May 24th, 2010 2:47 am
    

    Dear Mr Perks

    Yes well we all experience the death thing every moment as described in the Book of the Dead but as to that reflecting on discussion and gossip happening well it does not seem to interfere with that process itself….so talk and study does go on and yes we do indeed learn things from communication happening between people.

    And yes I do agree sometimes your mind does come to a stop – your ego goes out the door but still you are communicating with what is which could be also dralas aswell –so that does occur –
    I do know that. And to me I value that communication in fact it is my lifes essence to touch into that whether by writing on the internet, practicing theatre or just reading a book.

    Well best from old GB.

    Rita Ashworth
22. Edward on May 24th, 2010 4:46 am
    

    When the body itself drops dead, that’s a more significant event I think than just feeling a little “impermanence” here and there.

    Just “clearing the dishes” caused people to really freak out here in this little discussion thread. Which is understandable, maybe. But I would be utterly fooling myself if I believed that I consciously experience death and rebirth in every moment, and therefore when the body dies it won’t be a big deal. That’s just conning myself.

    My teacher said that when you become enlightened, you realize that there is absolutely nothing “familiar” about our experience from one moment to the next. The sense of familiarity is completely an illusion.

    But I personally don’t feel that. I’ve got all kinds of ideas and attachments and fears and beliefs that keep me from experiencing things that way.

    If we’re going to discuss our experience online, let’s at least be honest about it, yes? Philosophical discussion often are used as a kind of armoring to make us feel more secure, to distract us from our real situation. Which I think is a waste of time. It’s how people live who are immortal, who are never going to die. When we’re never going to die (we think) then we have endless time and don’t have to be careful how we spend it.
23. Sister Gryphon on May 24th, 2010 10:49 am
    

    Dear Edward,

    I totally love your insight. It reminds me of Rush’s song Dreamline.
    Here’s a few of the lyrics:

    When we are young
    Wandering the face of the Earth
    Wondering what our dreams might be worth
    Learning that we’re only immortal
    For a limited time

    Only immortal for a limited time. God, I love that line.

    This time at I’ve spent in the Sunshine Cafe has been excellent. It has provided me good insight into why my root teacher did some of the things he did. I see what happens now, when certain things are allowed. God the mind is an amazing thing. How important our minds can hold some trivial thing so that an entire kingdom can be lost for the want of a nail.

    Anyway, the real reason I’m writing is that Seonaidh asked me to let you and Theresa know that although we’re paying the waiter, leaving the cafe and clearing the dishes from this table, he’d like you both to feel free to keep in touch if you wish to.

    It’s been really great meeting you both!

    Love,
    Gryphon
24. Troy Gallagher on May 24th, 2010 10:58 am
    

    One of my root teachers favorite writings was the Mountains and Rivers Sutra. “Thus what different types of beings see is different; and we should reflect on this fact. Is it there are various ways of seeing one object? Or is it that we have mistaken various images for one object?”

    It’s a good reason to not hold onto one’s opinion as THE fact and THE truth. It’s also why telling others what they should be doing at their table or in their personal life doesn’t work.
    Better to concentrate on oneself and set the example…

    It’s been great!
    Thanks Seonaidh.

    Troy
25. Arthur Conolly on May 24th, 2010 2:08 pm
    

    Nice quote there Troy.

    I too like the Mts and Rivers. It is an amazing sutra.
    Really vast… Thanks for sharing!!
    Stop by if you ever are in town!

    Cheers and good bye all.

    Arthur
26. rita ashworth on May 24th, 2010 3:44 pm
    

    Dear All

    I was not philosophising – I was talking about my experience re the shambhala teachings and my own connection to drala –thats why I was posting on this thread to kind of gauge where Mr Perks was coming from with his ‘conception’ of drala.

    As to the clearing of the tables I stand by my previous comment that its best to leave the whole thing up for a time so that people can reflect on each others posts. Mr Perks did make some interesting remarks about the ‘new religion’ that CTR mentioned and I wanted to reflect on that but when you come to the thread its gone! I was not freaking out just making a remark that the thread should have been left up.

    Aka death –yes well we all die but that is no reason to stop the conversation in fact thats one reason why communication should go on. Aka practice yes and death well I wont discuss that here because thats personal but safe to say my ‘understanding and experience’ of meditation does not make me totally afraid of the Big D any more, so yes I am working with stuff from practice just like your ordinary bod.

    So yes if the communication is going to stop – I think that is quite a frivolous response for your lineage and your ideas of going forward with celtic Buddhism. What are you going to do when people want to change the subject in New York city for example?

    Well I think that is all I have to say on this matter.

    Best from old gb.

    Rita Ashworth
27. Edward on May 25th, 2010 3:00 pm
    

    Thanks for the meal & invitation, sister Gryphon.

    We’re only immortal for a little while.

    I’m terrified of dying, but when I forget that, that’s when I become dull and stupid, and make timid choices.

    Cheers!
    Edward
28. John Perks on May 25th, 2010 6:08 pm
    

    Stand by for a message
29. Edward on May 25th, 2010 10:24 pm
    

    Reminds me of a joke:

    How do you keep an internet addict in suspense?

    .

    I’ll tell you later.
30. rita ashworth on May 26th, 2010 2:34 am
    

    Ahhh the gap -quite an interesting post from Mr P. -is he thinking or is he not thinking…ie gapping in meditation….well we shall see.

    Edward hope you raise the dead thing a bit more…..did CTR do a series of lectures on that ……we might as well raise the big subjects to see how the thread spins out -myself interested in dralas and from what dimension present life -other life they arise from….or dont they arise(?!) -are they just there as our skin on our bones……ie au naturelle.

    Looking forward to the next posts from the CBrs who are hovering.

    Best

    Rita Ashworth
31. John Perks on May 26th, 2010 10:08 am
    

    How to heal how to unite ,how to clean your space,how to garden,how to meditate,how to be humble,how to be perky,how to be outrageous,how to be inscrutable,?
    how to be a Shambhala person ?
    how to join old dogs and young puppies ?
    sniffing bottoms and then wagging tails ?
    one mind or many minds ?
    recommended reading ….Fionna Bright Chronicles Vajra Dog/ Ellen Blog
    not what I was expecting ?
    but could open ,
    What every one wants,
    The Shambhala Box
32. Arthur Conolly on May 28th, 2010 12:41 pm
    

    The New Religion

    “It’s called ‘new’ because it is always new, although it has always been there. And it’s called ‘religion’ because it is not a religion, but we use the word ‘religion’ to remind us of what it is not.

    All beings have it in the make up of their DNA. But the knowledge is not realized. And it is important to point out that it’s not wisdom, because it cannot be attained. And, although it has many descriptions, it only has a single essence, and it is present in existence at every millisecond. It is quite extraordinary but completely ordinary. That is why this mind terma of Trungpa Rinpoche’s remains hidden in plain sight.

    When the Buddha held up a flower and Mahakyshapa smiled, the energy that existed in the present moment between both of them, was realized ‘new religion’ but not realized as new religion, because it wasn’t new and it wasn’t religion. But we are jusr using that term ‘new religion’ (as a label)”

    Seonaidh 2010
33. rita ashworth on May 28th, 2010 8:51 pm
    

    Dear Mr Connolly

    Thank you for putting up the New Religion quote from Mr Perks – interesting to reflect on it again.

    Mahakyshapa I believe was connected with the Zen tradition and yes that tradition is sort of free-thinking and emphasises at times that satori ‘glimpse’ of the void which is indeed beyond conventional religiousity. Thats why I was bringing the dead thing up which is also strangely the living thing because when you get the death of ego you indeed get some very strange things happening…..sort of a short circuit in conventional thinking and indeed when the Buddha Sakyamuni started ‘seeing’ the world very, very clearly. But then I dont mean conventional seeing I mean just being suffused with what shall we call it immediacy and that immediacy could be ‘seeing’, ‘being’ deities.

    The thing is too we dont really know what happened between Mahakyshapa and the Buddha and in what dimension they were……they were on this earth relatively but perhaps also they were somewhere else may be some weird Buddhist heaven which also might be a Shambhala heaven too……its something to think about isn’t it? Reality, reality, reality.

    But also conventionally how you do manifest those environments where people can connect to what is….certainly in the next few years I will be trying to work with connecting in some way to manifest that power whether in art or the meditational context.

    Well best from old GB

    Rita Ashworth
34. john perks on May 31st, 2010 8:42 am
    

    The Kalapa Court and how it was first conceived.
    Conversations with Trungpa Rinpoche.

    BACKGROUND INFORMATION

    I had already had conversations with Trungpa Rinpoche about taking care of him (IE being his servant- butler) and prior to that I took care of the Dilgo Khyentse Rinpoche’s house on his visit to boulder. After that visit, Trungpa Rinpoche called me into his office on Pearl St in Boulder, and he talked about renting a house and asked if I would live there and run it for him. The first house was on 7th St and Aurora. The house belonged to one of the early astronauts. In residence was Trungpa Rinpoche, Osel Mukpo, David Rome and myself.
    In those early days, I did everything. Cleaning, cooking, making beds laundry, whatever. And then one day,
    Trungpa Rinpoche said, “Johnny, we should open up the whole situation.
    “Situation?” I inquired
    Yes we should invite more people in. he replied
    I thought for a moment and said “you mean invite them to dinner”?
    He smiled “We should invite them to come and cook and serve and clean the house and work on the garden”
    “So, how many people should I invite to this endeavor?
    and he said “As many as we can accommodate.”
    “How formal do you want the household to be?” I asked
    “I can take it as formal as you make it” he said
    In my mind, (and not necessarily Trungpa Rinpoche’s) I envisioned it as a kind of “People’s Court” or “Student’s Court” where Trungpa Rinpoche could interact with people within the framework or container of “a court”

    I thought it might be interesting if I posted now and again what I can remember of the establishment of the early Kalapa Court.
    If you have questions related to this subject I can certainly answer them.
    What I will not answer are any questions concerning the current Kalapa Court or questions concerning Shambhala Buddhism.

    Thanks alot.
    Seonaidh

    PS the next post will be about working with the other servants and guests.
35. rita ashworth on May 31st, 2010 2:35 pm
    

    Dear Mr Perks

    Re the court principle are we merely talking court in physical actual sense or perhaps a ‘representation’ of court to magnify CTR’s entering into the shambhala kingdom by joining heaven and earth.

    It does indeed seem to me that the physical court embodies what is truly anyhow i.e just how things are. So if you indeed do take questions on the court how will you relate this to the shambhala teachings persay or will you leave people to think about this themselves by not bringing in any background teaching?

    Interesting.

    Well best.

    Rita Ashworth
36. John Perks on May 31st, 2010 8:52 pm
    

    Dear Rita, well this is more history,and how Rinpoche worked with people.and perhaps how we might work with others,There was no Shambhala at this time,my vision was what I knew,the English system,so I asked Rinpoche ,Do you want English Etiquette ?and his response was yes,So Rinpoche must have had Shambhala in mind ,but as a stepping stone was willing to work with my vision of English court,because the form was important,and we could relate to a western form,These are just stories
    thank you for asking,
    JP
37. Mark Szpakowski on June 1st, 2010 2:29 pm
    

    Yes, CTR worked with openness and with whatever emerged from that. One of those emerging happenstances was John Perks, and all that he brought.

    Thought experiment: how different would the court/the scene have been if that meeting had not happened?

    That form then was and is a pointed inspiration, so it is great that Mr Perks is recounting some of that now, especially as it raises the question of how to make moves now that are similarly authentic, courageous, and for others, and come out of confidence in openness.

    - Mark
38. John Perks on June 1st, 2010 6:54 pm
    

    Well I must say I feel somewhat surprised by Mr. Mark Szpakowski’s kind comments since the comments from many in the Shambhala sangha for the last 20 years have been somewhat derogatory, and I have been labeled a samaya breaker, and not to be associated with, from the highest levels of the organization to the lowest. However, knowing that Trungpa Rinpoche also received quite a lot of criticism from other Tibetan teachers made me determined just to push on with my own projects. I would like to say thank you very much to Mr. Szpakowskyi

    So back to the story of the Court. Trungpa Rinpoche had certainly been to formal dinners in England and at Oxford, and I had been a footman at the age of 14 in London, and also a waiter at the Savoy Hotel, as well as working as a footman again in America for Jock Whitney. Trungpa Rinpoche and I made a list of all the acoutrements we would need because the first thing that he wanted to do was invite all the board members to a formal dinner. The list included a dining room table and chairs, and a chest of sterling silver flatware with service for twelve. There were books to study on etiquette–Emily Post and Amy Vanderbilt. I practiced serving Rinpoche a four-course meal, and read to him out of the etiquette books concerning formal dining. We decided that all the meals would be served formally–from breakfast on trays, to dinner in the evening, and sometimes served on trays in bed.

    The Regent and Trungpa Rinpoche went to San Francisco to purchase the dining room table and chairs from a large Chinese importer, while at home I scoured the antique shops for a chamber pot. Because it was difficult for Rinpoche to go to the bathroom during the night, I kept a chamber pot under his bed for that use. Because Trungpa Rinpoche liked the smell of sage I cut some wild sage and put it under his pillow in a small cloth bag, so as he said, he could dream he was sleeping outdoors. There were many, many details about formal dining that we both had to study and practice because we would have to train other servers. From California arrived the famous Chinese chef Max King. Then two people–one who was a stunning Greek woman,and both of whom were working as waiters in Boulder, Joanne and Walter Fordham, joined the serving team. Everyone went around muttering under their breath, “Serve from the right, clear from the left.”

    The next part of the story will be about the first formal dinner.
39. yeshe tsomo on June 1st, 2010 7:20 pm
    

    Seonaidh, I am happy you decided to return to the table.

    Mark, thank you for your response to Seonaidh’s story. It was helpful for me to think of the court’s creation in terms of CTR responding to openness. In fact, I have never heard anyone speak about having confidence in openness (except maybe Reggie, but he doesn’t quite put it in those exact words); perhaps it is a term familiar to Shambhalians, but not having been schooled in the Shambhala path I was unfamiliar with it. It is lovely and freeing and just reading those words made me revisit my aversion to the form of the court. The idea of this formal English-style court, coupled with the military style Dorje Kasung probably would have made me run away faster than CTR’s drinking and sexual relationships with his students. I have never connected with Shambhala forms nor did I particularly examine my aversion either. But your response, Mark, was just enough to make me curious and I googled Kalapa Court, just hoping that maybe some insight into its history might help loosen my grip a bit.
    So the first google hit brought me to this interview on Chronicles with Phil Karl. (I don’t know him.) It seems worth copying here:

    PK: “At one point I heard him actually … He was giving a talk and he said something … Someone was challenging him actually, about the suits and ties and all the rest of it. And I was sitting right up in the front of the room and it was somebody in the back. And this woman was kind of raving at him, you know …like “What is all this stuff?” And he kind of leaned forward and said, “It seems up tight, doesn’t it?” And she said … “Yeah!” and she started going again. And he said … He said something about elegance and up-liftedness, you know, which he was talking more and more about then. That was just right around when he was just about to start the Shambhala teachings. And then he said – and he might as well have been saying it right to me somehow – in this big crowded room, in the Naropa assembly hall, which is now the bookstore. He said, “If you …” How did he put it? It was something close to: “If you can open yourself and enter my world, my mind will be available to you.”

    “I mean, what a thing to say in a big crowded room like that. And it put sort of … in a flash, I realized that I was holding myself somehow separate from the whole thing … and that I was having this kind of habitual reaction that was completely useless and that I could just cut my hair, buy a fucking sport jacket, put on a tie and go serve at Kalapa Court. And that’s what I did. I just like made a bee-line for it.”

    Reading just these two paragraphs of Mr. Karl’s interview broke something open for me. It was the picture of Trungpa Rinpoche leaning forward and hearing his voice ask the question, “It seems tight, doesn’t it?” Huge flashes of Catholic school and church regimentation, misogyny, uniform, repressed sexuality, regalia, abuse of power, humiliation, and incense, all inextricably interwoven with true elegance and dignity, and other energy I don’t think I can even name yet. …
40. yeshe tsomo on June 1st, 2010 7:20 pm
    

    Dang. You get to be 45 years old, having spent a good deal of your adult life in therapy and the rest of it in meditation and you think you aren’t going to be blindsided by your own shit, yet again. And then you are grateful that you have finally started to see through another layer of concepts. I am grateful. It is juicy, this life. I am ready to take another bite, even if, ultimately, there is nothing to bite into.

    So, thank you Seonaidh, Mark, and Phil Karl, wherever you may be. Trungpa Rinpoche is so very alive. I find him in your stories and your insights.

    Seonaidh, I would love to hear more stories of the court as you feel moved.

    Love,
    Theresa
41. rita ashworth on June 2nd, 2010 2:47 pm
    

    Dear Mr Perks

    Thank you for your reply.

    I was wondering when the conversation you had with Rinpoche took place that is what year?

    Re English etiquette yes I believe I know what you are basing this on –even in working class areas children stood up for a teacher when he/she entered a classroom until the early seventies, so there was a lot of deference that was natural going on in society besides the class based deference which was more unnatural and frowned upon by people in the sixties. Think they had a point about this excessive formality. However too even the rebels in the UK could not get away from class-based conversations in fact if you utube Mick Jagger being interviewed by Rees-Mogg the editor of the Times in the 60’s you can see that they are interacting as two middle-class people…..so yes in some way this conversation is slightly in the club network.

    Getting back to restaurants there were established ways of eating out with silver service and that happened within most towns and people could access it fairly easily even if you did not have much money. Indeed I remember going to large restaurants in Manchester where 50 to a hundred people had dinner at large white-clothed tables formally served by waiters and waitresses in black and white uniforms

    As to Marks comment about possibly new forms of etiquette, yes things have become more relaxed as to eating and just being alive in the UK but I think general manners still works here –people still say yes please and no thank you for example. And also yes the UK is still turning out people who are extremely formal even if they work in the Arts – think that comes from the schools and family background still. So class system also more relaxed but it is still there – I suppose you could put some one like Richard Branson in this category of a ‘relaxed’ gentleman so that is somewhat the ethos.

    Yes I dont know perhaps I should go to some restaurants in the UK and try and get a handle on the new emerging forms. Myself interested in environments that invite people in –perhaps you could get a feel of that by visiting eating establishments and large places. I will try that out.

    I am also interested in the construction of shrine rooms –do you know how Rinpoche related to that possibly aswell. I am thinking that a shrine room should be possibly lighter than the ones at present perhaps with more yellow in them and less orange.

    Well best

    Rita Ashworth
42. john perks on June 4th, 2010 8:28 am
    

    Dear Theresa,
    Thank you for your right on the money comments.
    and the comments about Phil Karl, whom of course, is an old friend of mine.

    and Rita, the conversations I had with Rinpoche were during the first seminary in 1973.
    Concerning the shrine rooms, if I remember correctly, the early shrine had just a crystal ball on it with 2 candles and an incense burner. and then there were of course different shrines for the Buddhist shrine rooms and the Shambhala shrine rooms. In the early days of the court, the Shambhala shrine had a large Ashay calligraphy with a Japanese sword hanging beneath it. It certainly would be interesting for someone to do a study of the progression of shrines from the early days of Rinpoche in the UK up to the present time.

    So to continue with the story of the court, it would be interesting to look at my particular psychology or what is known as klesa-mara the reason for this is that, here in the west, we like to talk about our obstacles. it’s a cultural thing. and in order to start to work with them, they have to be identified in some way. and you have to have help from the teacher and archetypes, to traverse the journey through these obstacles. In my long association with Trunpa Rinpoche, personally he never said to me things from buddhist dharma like, “It’s all in your mind” or “Its all an illusion” he related directly to to the mythology of my mind. For instance, when I became stuck or disillusioned at the court, the archetype he would refer me to was Winston Churchill. And it would happen in a very ordinary way. We would be sitting together, or I would be serving him and he would just start talking about how much he admired Winston Churchill. And the speeches that he gave during WW2. Having gone through WW2 as a young boy, This would immediately make me pluck up my courage. and carry on with the vision of the court.The other now famous tape was the tape of the Trooping of the Color on the Queen’s birthday in London. With the sound of the troops and the regimental band’s music. This would also be very helpful in having the courage to continue on, dispelling confusion and doubts. At one particular time, he had me sing Sea Shanties. Imagining that I was rowing up the Congo River, freeing the slaves during the slave trade.

    The early uniform of the court service, was the traditional blue blazer with gray pants or skirt. And Rinpoche asked one day if we could have little pins. And so we made a dozen little plastic pins, displaying the seal of the Trungpa Tulku’s in sanskrit “Ehvam” . It’s worth mentioning, that we had to scramble around to get the $60 that it took to make these pins.
    And it’s also worth mentioning here, that many times, I would have to go around to sangha members to see if I could raise some money for food for the court. Because there were many parties at the court and if you were invited to be a guest, or a servant, you didn’t pay for food. So all that money had to come from somewhere and it was often in short supply.
    So the dialogue will continue.
43. rita ashworth on June 5th, 2010 6:06 am
    

    Dear Mr Perks

    Thanks for you further post and information re the teachings.

    Yes I can see why CTR ‘chose’ English forms not that they are any greater than any other culture but may be because they are more prevalent in the world through Empire historically plus of course there is just no way of getting away from them re the English language which is a global language.

    I often feel my own connection to GB is quite schizoid – I absolutely detest the class thing most enormously but the literature of the place is stupendous so myself I would not side with politicians here but more the rebels of the place who are also in some way more fabulous and extreme creatures than the classic politician or businessman. I was thinking of Peter Brook, Jagger somewhat, Virginia Woolf and many others –also in a historical sense too, Coleridge, and Lord Bryon-check out Rupert Everetts doc on Bryon on channel 4 –fascinating. So yes GB is a convoluted place always discussing the ‘divinity’ of man/woman perhaps even more so than the French who we have learned a lot from too.

    Re returning to the teachings I really liked the Ashe shrine –the whiteness of it –may be Japanese influenced? But now the SB shrine not sure-looking for King/Queen motif somewhere else in my head.

    Re the actual personification of Kingship/Queenship did CTR go into this in any great detail with you –perhaps we could discuss this matter of factly, historically as you say –not teasing you into make definitive statements just thinking about the whole warrior aspect again so much. Was that in any way pre-shambhalian before he ‘got’ the teachings –dont know perhaps his interaction with his students made him receive the teachings –perhaps there is a symbiosis thingie going on there…..what do I mean perhaps the world is reflecting back to you so much that you just crash or jump….strange. Well looking forward to your next post.

    Best from old gb

    Rita Ashworth
44. john perks on June 5th, 2010 5:49 pm
    

    Dear Rita,
    Well of course, the class thing in Britain was always a big obstacle. We were working class people.and the so called “upper classes” were not much endeared to our hearts!
    But here is a story for you, which is absolutely true:

    It was 1944 and I was 10 yrs old. I was still in school and one day the whole school was ordered to the auditorium to view a news reel and the movie of Shakespeare’s Henry the 5th, starring Laurence Olivier. And the news reel was absolutely shocking. It depicted the British and American troops discovering concentration camps. and bulldozers pushing mounds of bodies into open burial pits. and then there was one action that stuck in my mind. a British officer approached the gates of a concentration camp where a German officer saluted him and offered his hand in a hand shake. where upon the British officer smacked his hand out of the way. Then, they showed us the film of Henry the 5th.
    Weeks later I went to see the movie in the local movie theater. and I wore in a paper bag a pair of armored gauntlets to watch the movie. so fast forward 30 or so years. and in meeting Trungpa Rinpoche he said “Let’s go to the movies together” So I looked into the local newspaper this was at Tail of the Tiger in Vermont and guess what?! In Bellows Falls was showing Henry the 5th! Starring our old friend Laurence Olivier so we went down with a small group and I sat next to Rinpoche and during the movie he held my hand very tightly. For many of Trungpa Rinpoche’s students, he was the epitome of the dharmic warrior! He was the one that smacked the outstretched hand of the Nazi. During the retreat year, when we talked about the Sakyongs he said “each Sakyong will be different. There will be intellectual Sakyongs, Statesmen Sakyongs, Poet sakyongs, Visionary sakyongs”
    But Trungpa Rinpoche was the Warrior Sakyong for many of us.
    The embodiment of Arthur, Beowolf, and Henry the 5th and Churchill. It was that energy.
    So, for many of us, so called “old dogs” our Sakyong will always be Trungpa Rinpoche. That is why, rather then join in the new establishment we would rather be ronins.

    Concerning the shrine, later, Trungpa Rinpoche worked with Bob Halpern, who was a student of Shunry Suzuki Roshi and was instrumental in bringing Japanese style to the court. So that Trungpa Rinpoche worked with the energy of his students, to produce together, Shambhala forms. It’s a two way street.

    Thanks for your questions.

    Lots of love,

    Seonaidh
45. rita ashworth on June 5th, 2010 8:11 pm
    

    Dear Mr Perks

    Fascinating post and of course I know of the elemental power of the films that you are reminiscing about and what shall we call it the native ‘myths’ of the UK and its almost real life mythical heroes such as Churchill.

    Indeed I do remember watching the funeral of Churchill in 1965 as a child on the TV which was a massive event and is probably on utube for people to look at. I also vaguely remember the what shall we call it the preamble to his death which seemed to take weeks and was covered at the time excessively by the media –so yes he was somewhat of an indestructible force both in life and death.

    Hmmmmmm so this is the warrior aspect –interesting to contemplate! Still in the UK I think there is indeed also artists who come up to that standard – in again a ‘mythical’ sense perhaps H G Wells because as a child too I remember watching the Shape of Things to Come which was a film of such incredible beauty artistically as to sets and storyline. So yes we are talking of elemental forces somewhat?

    Yes agree the creation of shambhala forms has to be done somewhat in conjunction with the students – so yes again its a two way process. My own conception of King/Queen aspect sort of in the back of my head not readily formulated as of yet but I will take on board the power aspect that you have described with the ‘picture’ of CTR as a Warrior Sakyong.

    Interesting to hear also CTRs thoughts on Sakyong/sakyong principle – I wonder if we are talking of a whole new range of embodied deities here –lineages upon lineages or on such a lineage as at present. If we are talking of elemental forces which could also be the case…..zoop….zoop – we are talking about a multiplicity of thingeroos happening in the future-exciting too to contemplate. So yes there is much to be ‘discovered’ either way you go.

    Writing this somewhat late at night after reading your post –so post a bit more free flowing. Sort of have the feeling in my head that the shambhala teachings could expand and expand as in the universe expanding almost – a grand vision – is this also why CTR ‘pictured’ many Sakyongs…..hmmmm…..this also a kind of teaching –may be to magnetise and embody power. Yes quite exciting …….wonder if this was the ‘plan’ from the very beginning? Not sure totally. May be need to read more about shambhala teachings historically in Tibet.

    Will think about some more questions as they come up as we go along with the posts.

    Best from old gb.

    Rita Ashworth
46. yeshe tsomo on June 6th, 2010 8:53 am
    

    “…he related directly to the mythology of my mind.”

    Wow.

    The picture of Rinpoche tightly holding your hand during Henry the 5th just about slayed me. Other than that, I don’t really have words, accept to say thank you.

    Love,

    Theresa
47. Troy Gallagher on June 6th, 2010 9:13 am
    

    Dear Seonaidh,

    How does one get so lucky as to have such a gentle and intimate relationship with one’s teachers? I mean the guy went to movies with you. He even let YOU pick out the movie?!!

    I think it is a very rare thing.
    Do you attribute it to Karma?
    Were the other students pissed?

    How are you with your students?

    I’ve mostly seen Buddhist teachers rule and students follow. and if the student actually disagrees or has differing opinions with the teacher, they must yield, or else are labeled as egotistical, or having control issues. Sometimes, I have no faith in Buddhism when I see these things. I’d like to believe that really a teacher is coming from a wiser place. But sadly, I don’t have much faith any more.

    Troy
48. john perks on June 6th, 2010 11:52 am
    

    Dear Theresa,

    Thank you so much!

    Love,
    Seonaidh
49. john perks on June 6th, 2010 12:10 pm
    

    Dear Troy,

    Trungpa Rinpoche often went to the movies with students. And also we would rent movies which he would watch with groups of students in the sitting room. Perhaps from the point of view of the court, in it’s heyday, I counted a hundred and fifty odd students-servers coming through that house each week.
    All having some contact with Rinpoche. And that list does not include other invited guests. It was indeed a very rare thing. I am extremely lucky. I do not know about karma. I think it’s equal to winning the lottery ten times in a row, from a materialistic point of view.
    Yes, other students were pissed. I mean, I kind of came out of no where. I had no Buddhist training. But I had a vision of wanting to be his butler/servant… which I don’t think, in the early days, anybody else had. but you must remember that all of us students around Rinpoche were very competitive with each other. It was like a big family and him being mummy/daddy. so there were lots of in-fightings.

    How am I with my students? I don’t have many students. So I can relate to them one at a time, dependent upon the quality of their mind’s display. I can work with that, sometimes. But it’s usually an on going relationships of ups and downs rather like having a dancing partner and treading occasionally on each others toes. Trungpa Rinpoche worked like a skilled doctor/surgeon. Some students who were alot brighter than myself would only have to spend half an hour with him perhaps once a month or once a year, because they had what is called a “meeting of minds” the guru and the student’s mind meet.

    It’s a good idea not to have faith in Buddhism. It’s perhaps better to have skeptical curiosity and test it out, all the time relating to your mind.
    Concerning trust, Rinpoche used to say “don’t trust anyone, but be kind to everyone”
    With a name like “Gallagher” may the luck of the Irish be with you!
    Thank you so much for writing.
    Lots of love,

    Seonaidh.
50. john perks on June 7th, 2010 8:19 pm
    

    Continuing the story of the court:

    During this particular time, the Vajra Guards were also being established. And Gerry Haase was the first director of the Gaurds. Under Gerry was Norm Hersh, Rupon of the White Guards. And I was Rupon of the Red Guards. Our first insignia was the morse code for “V” which is 3 dots and a dash, which incidentally is the opening to Beethovan’s first sympathy which in discussion with Rinpoch, the BBC radio played as a response to the declaration of war with Germany in Sept 1939. Trungpa Rinpoche ’s idea was that the Guards would provide a container for the teachings. also while guarding the mandala, inviting people into the mandala. He also thought that it would be Guards who would go to disaster areas throughout the world and assist other people and other beings,. Like the current oil disaster in the gulf, a group of Guards would be sent down to help with containment and recovery operations. Before this more formal set up of the Guards, during the visit of HH the Karmapa, Tom Ryken had been in charge of the first Guard detail. The first encampment came about when we were watching a movie- Gunga Din (which we watched several times). At the end of the movie there is a scene with tents and fires and bagpipes and marching troops and Trungpa Rinpoche turned to me and said,”This is what encampment should be like” so that is why, at the first encampment everyone is sitting around dressed in British army khaki’s and wearing pith helmets like we were in the middle of India. The first skirmishes came about because of my discussions with Trungpa Rinpoche about my father who was in the home Guard during WW2 and they would have skirmishes throwing white chaulk bags at each other and also concerning these skirmishes I had with students at the Highland Community School. I have to correct one thing, concerning the different Sakyongs, It was my understanding that the in the lineage of Sakyongs, Rinpoche was talking about each Sakyong having a different quality.

    Thank you very much.

    Seonaidh
51. rita ashworth on June 8th, 2010 3:40 am
    

    Dear Mr Perks

    Thank you for your further post on the guards very interesting to hear the history of it.Very good that he wanted the guards to go to disaster areas –thought that would be the case. Also great to hear the British interaction in forming the idea of encampment-certainly after working at the Ministry of Defence in London all those old soldiers on security have made me realise that you will never get by the British army easily!

    I take your point about the Sakyong on earth but I was trying to think more deeply about it in regard to the sakyong principle in what shall we call it what we deem the spiritual sphere….here myself I think the sakyong principle is profligate because the Cosmic Mirror is just the universe/universes –and now even science is telling us that there could be other universes too –so thats also interesting –so I know you cant think logically about these things but may be I am using an intuitional logic much like present science and some philosophers in stating this. Just watched an interesting doc on the Atom for example on the BBC which details the new science which somewhat melds with Buddhism/Shambhala – perhaps you could download it.

    Looking forward to your further posts on the history of your interaction with Trungpa.

    Best

    Rita Ashworth
52. john perks on June 8th, 2010 8:03 am
    

    Dear Rita,

    Well it’s interesting what you say about science. Trungpa Rinpoche was very interested in science, and especially physics. He told us once that he wanted to be reborn as a Japanese scientist and that he would be visiting Nova Scotia and he’d go up to the fortress on the hill in Halifax and would have a sudden realization of all the Shambhala teachings. And then he would meet the Regent, and the Regent would be his Buddhist teacher. We all laughed when we heard this, sitting with him, the Regent was there as well. But maybe, it already happened.
    You know, Rinpoche would travel to other universes and come back with stories and in some cases recipes of what they had given him to eat there.

    Yes, from the point of view of the cosmic mirror and universes upon universes, Sakyong principle must be quite prolific.
    Here’s an amusing story:

    Rinpoche always said to me “We will grow old together.”
    and when he died, I got very angry and said to myself “That son of a bitch has quit on me!” One night, I was so angry, I got really drunk and I started throwing things around and yelling about how he had deceived me, and I fell asleep in a drunken stupor amid the wreckage of the room I was in. And I had this dream, in which Rinpoche seemed to be very much alive and traveling around with a group of students. and I said to him “I thought you were dead!” and he said “No, I just thought I’d play a trick on you, so I was hiding out with these students” When I woke up, the dream was so real I was momentarily confused. And then I laughed because he had tricked me again! It seems certain energy has no regard for time.
    Cheers,
    Seonaidh
    PS Sister Gryphon, who is typing this, in the last post spelled “symphony” incorrectly, and I’m not going to forgive her for 3 days.
53. john perks on June 8th, 2010 8:13 am
    

    Dear Troy,

    I was thinking about you last night and what you said about Buddhist teachers and how they manifest. The thing is, I think you have to find a teacher whom you have some simpatico or karma with. It is said that the teacher takes on the students karma, but also, the student takes on the teacher’s karma.
    So, it’s important to travel around and try to find a teacher. When I met Trungpa Rinpoche, I was actually trying to find a Sufi teacher or an American Indian teacher. The thing about Trungpa Rinpoche is that he attracted an enormous variety of students, from very wild emotional people, to very cool intellectual people. But he related to each one personally. He didn’t just sit up on a stage performing. That’s the theater of the absurd.
    In other words “no touchy, no feely” I don’t know if you currently have a teacher, but it seems if there’s no spark, one might think about moving on. Some people stay around in sangha because of the social aspect, but I don’t think that has much to do with Buddhism. There are some very good teachers out there, and they are not all Buddhists.
    So I wish you luck in your search.
    Lots of love,
    Seonaidh
54. rita ashworth on June 8th, 2010 9:05 am
    

    Dear Mr Perks

    Thanks for your post – HA..HA!

    But no sakyong principle has to be big and prolific because the Cosmic Mirror is vast – logically and ‘intuitionally’ logically –so yes I dont know whats going to happen in regards to the shambhala teachings……its a mystery as the pop singer Toyah Wilcox might say. Who really knows whats coming?!

    So yes how can you fix this stuff into one-way? That is indeed beyond me both secularly, philosophically, dharmically and every which way –have I covered all ‘those’ bases!

    No got to be a little mundane get back to meditation, daily life -but one also does have to ‘think’ about these things too –so I encourage thinking a little!?

    Yes the atom doc is very interesting they had a scientist from one of the big universities over here on it and hes really into the other universes thingie so its feasible aka ‘intuitional physics’ –can you have such a thing? Check it out on BBC download.

    Not trying to be esoteric just everso a bit reasonable re science and ‘intuitional science’ –and all great scientists seem to use that facility of intuition in their thinking to develop scientific theories anyway.

    Yes – looking forward to your posts on the the vajra guards and further teachings from Trungpa Rinpoche and your interactions with him.

    Best

    Rita Ashworth
55. yeshe tsomo on June 8th, 2010 9:49 am
    

    “I’m not crazy about reality, but it’s still the only place to get a decent meal.” – Groucho Marx

    I love that Rinpoche would sometimes bring back recipes from other universes!

    I am really happy to be hearing your stories about the Vajra Guard, Seonaidh. Thank you. I do so love British khaki (not even joking) and my partner regularly tells me she needs a pith helmet to live with me, so perhaps there are lessons for me to learn here. Given that it is my habitual pattern to rebel against discipline and regimentation, I have struggled in my adult life to cultivate these qualities in myself in a genuine way. Conversely, when I have been inspired to apply discipline and regimentation to provide a container for the dharma or “protect” that which is sacred, I have sometimes failed miserably, becoming the worst, I think, of what a soldier can become. Not that I have killed others, but I have felt my energy become so aggressive that I have had to completely step away from my duties in order to disarm, so to speak. How wonderful and challenging it must have been to work with these energies with Rinpoche as Sakyong. I have to say that I have never connected with the idea of “warrior” energy until you started sharing some of your stories, Seonaidh. So, again, thank you. A lot is churning inside of me right now and it is rich.

    Perhaps this poem is not at all related to the stories you have been sharing, but I stumbled upon it yesterday and wanted to offer it anyway:

    One, seven, three, five—

    Nothing to rely on in this or any world;

    Nighttime falls and the water is flooded
    with moonlight.

    Here in the Dragon’s jaws:

    Many exquisite jewels.

    ~Setcho Juken (980—1052)

    Lots of love,

    Theresa
56. Troy Gallagher on June 8th, 2010 10:46 am
    

    Dear Seonaidh,

    Thank you for your posts. They are all helpful and enjoyable.

    I feel confusion with student teacher relationships.
    It seems impossible for someone like me to know if a teacher is genuine or bullshit.
    But perhaps a teacher can be a genuine teacher for one person, and an unhelpful or even harmful fraud to another- depending on the karmic connection.
    Or maybe it is just dependent upon the student’s mind?
    I think of one person I knew, who’s teacher, from my opinion was not very “deep” in the dharma an arrogant sort, or so he seemed. And yet, that student became a really amazing practitioner. But that student always had a strong way of seeing everything as the dharma and everything as a teaching.
    So maybe it’s the student more than the teacher. But then I think about Angulimala, he was a great and dedicated student, and his teacher destroyed him spiritually in a pretty bad way, and so it all just seems a little more than dangerous.

    What do you think?

    Troy
57. john perks on June 8th, 2010 11:15 am
    

    Dear Troy,

    Well, you know there are no guarantees in this business. Sometimes you just have to jump. Somebody once read my book and said to me “why on earth would you put yourself through all that stuff?!” And I just replied “I was in love with this guy, what else can a girl do?”
    And then, there’s a quote from: Dolpapa Sherab Gyaltsen which says “Rely upon the teaching, not the teacher, Rely upon the meaning not the text, Rely upon the definitive meaning not the provisional meaning, Rely upon gnosis not consciousness.”
    But I relied upon the teacher and the teacher’s teaching and the teacher’s teaching style. Perhaps that’s a western way. And I did think about it, because when Rinpoche was dressing everybody up in guard uniforms, the specter of Adolph Hitler arouse in my mind. But there was nothing in Trungpa Rinpoche, that even resembled that enigma, because Trungpa Rinpoche always invited questioning.
    So again, I’m not sure that this is much help.
    If you want, you bring a bottle of scotch and we’ll both get drunk and talk about it.

    Lots of Love,

    Seonaidh
58. john perks on June 8th, 2010 11:18 am
    

    Thank you Theresa.
    Reggie Ray must love you alot…
    and if he doesn’t I’ll see if I can buy you from him.
    Can you cook and crochet doilies and all those things us girls are supposed to do?

    PS Juken is Sister Gryphon’s dharma name. And that was a great poem. Thank you!

    Seonaidh
59. John Perks on June 8th, 2010 2:34 pm
    

    P.S.Troy The scotch I drink is Laphroaig..we have glasses
60. yeshe tsomo on June 8th, 2010 7:47 pm
    

    Sister Gryphon, Love to you and what does Juken mean?

    Seonaidh, if I had to guess, I would say that Reggie would sell me to the lowest bidder in a heartbeat. Buyer beware!

    I can’t cook or crochet to save my life, but I do love to eat well, decorate, arrange flowers, and dance. And a good whiskey or scotch is my drink of choice. Slainte!
61. Sister Gryphon on June 8th, 2010 11:37 pm
    

    Hi Theresa.

    “Ju” is to sharpen, polish, perfect
    “Ken” is a mala bead, and it is also the great pearl

    so “Juken” means “perfecting the great pearl.”
    or so I was told at my Jukai ceremony.
    It is also ancient slang for ball buster. hahahaaa
    Our abbot had a sense of humor.

    I had been told that the name was also the name of a dharma ancestor, but no one would ever tell me who, and I could never, in 10 years figure it out. When I read the poem you posted- which was totally excellent, by the way, I realized it was Setcho’s other name! Maybe Juken was his birth name or his novice name before he became Setcho. Anyway, that was awesome for me to finally find the ancestor. I owe you one!!

    Love,
    Sr Gryphon
62. Troy Gallagher on June 9th, 2010 7:36 am
    

    Dear Seonaidh,

    Thank you for the invite!!!
    I will show up with good whiskey when you least expect it.
    And that will be interesting indeed.
    Thank you for your sound words.

    Love,
    Troy
63. john perks on June 9th, 2010 8:49 am
    

    To continue Tales of the Court:

    The Chinese teak dining room table and chairs arrived from California. We set it up in the dining room. Rinpoche and I viewed the specter with delight. Then Rinpoche said, concerning the first formal dinner
    “Could we have a fire on it?”
    I replied, alarm rising in my voice, “A fire?!”
    I looked at the immaculate polished surface of the table.
    He looked at me with those big brown eyes and smiled “a small fire?”
    Then he said “What about Mongolian hot pots?”
    I said “You mean with cans of sterno in them?”
    And he said “Well, fire would be better.”
    “Well we could do charcoal, Sir” I said.
    “We would have to pad the table very well.”
    And so it was agreed.
    I purchased 3 big brass Mongolian hot pots. and some asbestos tiles which we wrapped in aluminum foil. and stacked them fairly high to protect the table. On the night in question, in the kitchen,large plates of shabu shabu were arranged consisting of sliced meats and vegetables of all kinds. Places were set with porcelain plates and crystal wine glasses and sterling silver flatware. After having cocktails in the sitting room, the guests were ushered into the dining room. when seated, the servers marched in wearing gloves to protect their hands from the flaming Mongolian hot pots. which were placed upon the table amidst much clapping and delight.
    The flames were rather high and it was a bit smokey, so the guests were coughing and had teary eyes as the room filled up with fumes. But Trungpa Rinpoche was smiling triumphantly at the flames and the cooked meat washed down with sake. After the meal, while the guests were in the sitting room enjoying smokes and coffee and the after dinner brandy, the servers rushed in and sat down at the table and consumed the leftovers like ravished gannets.
    Trungpa Rinpoche loved cooking over open fires. and on the back porch we rigged up an open hearth type of Japanese cooking kitchen, consisting of a large metal box filled with sand so the guests could sit around cooking their strips of meat over the fire and then dip them in hot sauce.

    To be continued
64. rita ashworth on June 9th, 2010 2:25 pm
    

    Yes – I am with Rinpoche on the fire issue here -must have been a stupendous occasion.

    One of my shambhala moments as a child was on November 5th -Guy Fawkes night when the fire went on for several hours in the dark and cold of the northern Manchester air.

    Plus also remember seeing some young boys in the sixties constructing a fire almost as big as a house -it was ginormous…..rebels all in the north – I dont know how the whole area did not go up in flames!

    Best

    Rita Ashworth
65. john perks on June 11th, 2010 8:59 am
    

    So today I wanted to talk about the atmosphere of the court.
    Years ago, when I was working for Bill Cosby, I met an African American lady who had worked closely with Martin Luther King. And I asked her, “what was it like being around Dr King?” and she answered “it was very electric, very sparky, and because of that energy around him people made love a lot.”
    That was the type of atmospheric energy that happened around Trungpa Rinpoche’s court. The radiance of the enlightened mind is clearly visible to the eye. When one walked into a room where Trungpa Rinpoche was sitting and he smiled at you, it was like radiation from the sun. The same manifestation was apparent with Dilgo Khyentse Rinpoche. And each object in the court held that same energy.
    The servants helped to maintain that energetic mandala by keeping things in order. There were no piles of magazines in corners, or books left around in piles, or stacks of belongings stuck under beds, or dusty mirrors. The energy of the court could be felt even several miles away! When you knocked on the door of the court, the guard’s station was in the hall way, next to the Thangka of the Mahakala. The guards job was not so much in keeping the unwanted out and the favorites in, but the guard was a reminder for you to wake up and pay attention. And then you were welcome to proceed into the court mandala.
    Everyone coming to the court or within the court was particular about their dress. These days, its very curious to see people pay hundreds of dollars for torn blue jeans. Even when I was a farm hand we knew enough to put on clean blue jeans to go and work in the fields.
    So, the atmosphere in the court was made up by Trungpa Rinpoche, the guests, the servants, the guards, and the dralas.
    Trungpa Rinpoche created an exhibition of flower arranging in San Francisco one year. But what it really was, was a design for a court where you had each room represented in what might be called a Japanese Shambhala type room. And in going through the exhibition, room to room, one felt this is where I want to live. In this atmosphere. It was not a pure atmosphere but an atmosphere where Heaven, Earth and man were joined.

    Everyone possesses enlightened quality.
    In many of us, it is covered up by layers of habitual patterning. In order to create an enlightened society, to start, all one has to do is to clean up one’s living area and invite someone to dinner.
    And what would really be interesting would be to invite somebody you didn’t really know very well, or, god forbid, a non-Buddhist!
66. john perks on June 11th, 2010 9:04 am
    

    Within the mandala of the court, magic could and certainly did manifest, rather like when you do a ceremony outside and there are rainbows, thunderstorms and sometimes hail. There are many stories about what happened at the court with Trungpa Rinpoche and his mandala of students.

    Perhaps as a way of joining old dogs and young puppies, there could be a program of inviting each other to dinner.
    Old people are really boring. They always tell the same stories you know, about the good old days. As Bill Cosby used to say, “In my day, I had to walk barefoot 10 miles to school, uphill, both ways!”
    And young people are really boring, because they are out to save the world. Neither of these renditions are the truth of what is really happening.

    Lots of Love,

    Seonaidh
67. rita ashworth on June 12th, 2010 7:13 am
    

    Dear Mr Perks

    Thanks for your further post on the court in Boulder.

    I have been thinking about environments myself hence also my growing interest in conventional and new theatre which is a very fruitful area to investigate in the west as regards to a wakeful environment.

    I am not sure about the forms that were established for the court continuing though. Take for example the Halifax Shambhala Centre when you go in there – well at least when I went in there in the nineties it did have the air of very posh English mans home –so I dont know may be new forms have to be discovered to wake people up in the present age may be some more powerful environments – I think that might be part of the problem in the dharma and the shambhala teachings not manifesting as much as people originally thought in the west.

    You know I only realised for the first time this week how busy people are in mind and body now when someone told they had trouble sitting for ten minutes – then I thought to myself jesus when I started to meditate I was advised to sit for 45 minutes and I had to keep a record of it! So in some respect I thought wow I can sit that long but then on the other hand it also just made me realise a kind of gap between me and the world generally in the way that things have speeded up so much – so I dont know powerful environments, other disciplines might have to become more prevalent in the west to really sort of ignite peoples connection to the whole thing.

    Recently also in connection to the power/environment thingie I utubed Eckhart Tolle because Tami Simon on Rays website had intimated that he was not kind of a new age nutcase but some one to listen to –so yes he is an interesting character. He is emphasising just people taking half a minute in connecting to their environment during several sessions in the day –its kind of the fresh start emphasis placed in the way of doing our own meditation so I thought that would be interesting to mention in connection with you describing the old court and may be setting up a new court with your present sangha. Yes and Tolle is everywhere his books are even in the supermarkets here. So yes there is a general desire to connect with environmental power happening as you connected to it in the original court but people kind of want a down to earth way to do it.

    Getting back to theatre now and perhaps back to Art in general I am glad the original court was a meld of different cultures ie Japanese and English but I also think there is room to discover new forms entirely. Take for example Peter Brooks admonishment to a Oida a Japanese classically trained actor to drop his use of Japanese acting styles in his work with Brooks group in the west in Paris and Africa and create ‘new’ forms from the moment…that was very interesting for me to ponder in regard to the whole debate about SB and Shambhala in that yes I think we in the west can create ‘new’ forms to work with the power of Shambhala

    So I suppose re the court I am saying too that that will manifest in kind of different ways too –as at the moment
68. rita ashworth on June 12th, 2010 7:22 am
    

    continued

    not envisaged by the somewhat ‘conventional’ householder thingie developing in SI. Yes could you be radical and have Damien Hearsts dead shark in your home -that indeed would wake you up – and would it be a shambhalian buddhist,vajrayana or Eckhart Tollish wake up to the moment -yes all very debateable in the age we are going into -ho-hum!?

    Well best from old gb

    Rita Ashworth
69. Fionna Bright on June 12th, 2010 10:16 pm
    

    Mr. Perks,

    Please email me.

    thank you.

    Fionna Bright
70. rita ashworth on June 13th, 2010 6:10 am
    

    Dear Fiona

    You can email me too if you want – Mark Szp. of rfs has my email – I am interested in what you are doing and thought your posts on project were considered and very open. Re my own experiences sort of developing my own take on shambhala teachings with the help of others……more questioning about things needs to happen in SI and outside even if the decisions made by individuals are to remain with the present set-up.

    Well best

    Rita Ashworth
71. john perks on June 13th, 2010 9:14 am
    

    The Court as Grail or Cauldron

    One night, at a group dinner at the court, Rinpoche who was sitting at the head of the table, motioned me to come over to him. I leaned down my head next to him and he whispered in my ear “Has the guard eaten?” The guard you will remember was seated outside in the hallway of the court.
    I replied “No, Sir.” and Rinpoche said “Fetch me a plate of food.” Which I did. here upon Rinpoche tip toed out of the dining room with the plate and quietly approached the guard and placed the plate of food in front of him. The guard was some what surprised, needless to say. But that action, tells the story of how Trungpa Rinpoche regarded the court. – as a place to take care of others. Trunpga Rinpoche had no private life that was separate from the court and his living condition.Even when we were on retreat, people were constantly coming and going.
    The instances of how Trungpa Rinpoche cared for his students, are many. It was his habit to ask me about what was going on with people in certain situations, and if I didn’t know, he expected me to go and find out. For people who were having monetary problems, they were often given envelopes of money from Rinpoche’s personal funds. Students were sent flowers, sometimes on birthdays or weddings or funerals. These were sent from the court. Rinpoche was always on the phone. Calling people in the middle of the night or early in the morning. And, often, he would go to visit people in their homes, unannounced. They would be quite surprised when the opened their apartment door and Rinpoche was standing there saying “How are you darling?” In his high squeaky voice.
    In terms of actual theater, there were many dramatized plays at the court. One that Trungpa Rinpoche did himself, was the ritual suicide of the samurai who is traumatized because of a love affair. And Rinpoche would perform this in front of the Shambhala shrine. Of course it’s well known that Trungpa Rinoche loved Japanese Noh theater. And particularly liked also spontaneous poems and songs. So the court, while being the grail or cauldron to feed everyone was also, the creative artistic center of the Sakyong. If you can imagine, at one time, one court housed not only Trungpa Rinpoche, Lady Dianna, Osel, and Gesar, but also, the Regent, Lela his wife and their young child, plus, 5 live in servants. And then you had 150 volunteer student servers coming and going each week plus guests! Even Trungpa Rinpoche’s bedroom was often quite crowded!! So one could say, that the Sakyong gave himself totally to his people. Thus avoiding the specter of the wasteland.
    It’s interesting to note that once Trungpa Rinpoche mentioned that at a future court we should have a round table.
72. rita ashworth on June 13th, 2010 11:30 am
    

    Dear Mr Perks

    Thanks for your further post on the court system –the essence of which is that a court should be there for others primarily and that the Sakyong has to open herself or himself to the citizens in the enlightened society at whatever cost.

    Of course I have known of some people in institutions that have done that somewhat when I was growing up i.e. the occasional friendly teacher or workmate but on the whole our present society is not geared to the leaders being twenty-four seven hence of course the need for meditation or some similar tradition. For it seems to me that only when you have that visionary discipline of openness manifesting that you will get an enlightened society.

    But now our present society even more than ever is so speeded up and stressed that what you have posited as an ideal will in some way have to be mediated by different means – hence my thinking about environments and perhaps group activities to manifest that…..but of course too many friendships will occur in these environments —so I dont know may be its more of a two way thing now –now that we are somewhat on our own. Perhaps we just have to provide the appropriate spaces, teach the teachings and kind of let people marinate in that because at first I dont think the sakyong principle will manifest immediately. So yes people providing the physical space and classes at first could be seen I suppose as somewhat connected students of CTR but they could not own that space it would may be have to be somewhat more democratic in the sense of democracy allowing space –which I suppose you could say is more naturally kind also.

    I am being a bit ethereal I suppose but it seems to me also that is why the shambhala and Buddhist teachings are also not manifesting correctly is that we are laying rules upon rules about how they should be delivered and in what forms when I think in essence we should just get back to first base and provide physical space for people to what shall we call it play and of course here theatre and art is the utmost play.

    As to Noh theatre thats what Oida was well-trained in (think his book was called the Invisible Actor) but again Brook said to him and his Noh techniques to just drop them…..so I dont know…..have you read Brook’s the Conference of Birds about his travels in Africa –they started at real first base in putting on plays i.e. in the sense of just putting a boot in a ring and improvising on that –yes may be we need to provide room for improvisation more with as little discipline as possible- a bit looser but not totally a loose guitar string. Myself beginning to be fed up with all the thoughts of new teachings etc may be just better to go out and just play with people as you want to –there is friendship and accommodation in that.

    Anyway I think the above is why Simon mentioned Tolle because he was doing that somewhat and that is why he is so popular even though he is termed somewhat new age. (If you catch him on utube he just looks like Noddy but without the cap!)

    Yes I do have the intuition that if there was more play and perhaps less investment in god knows what sadhana that is waiting to unscramble itself from god knows what Lamas brain that the shambhala teachings would be as close to our eyeballs as teachings were supposed to be in the past.

    So yes all the above perhaps puts me somewhat again outside of the present set-ups and may be even future set-ups but then again you cant stop a girl having thoughts as you say.

    Well the rains have come back in GB –hope the summer is not over –perhaps its warmer stateside?

    Best
    Rita Ashworth
73. john perks on June 13th, 2010 11:44 am
    

    Dear Fionna Bright,

    I don’t have your email, but I sent you my email on facebook.
    It would be good if we contacted each other.
    Thank you.
    John Perks
74. john perks on June 13th, 2010 11:47 am
    

    Dear Rita,

    It seems where you are, things are very fast. So I had this idea that you could have a court on a merry-go-round with everybody sitting on horses and camels. And then you could speed it up very fast so they were whizzing around and then when they got off, things would seem very slow.

    Cheers,

    Seonaidh
75. rita ashworth on June 13th, 2010 3:33 pm
    

    Dear Mr Perks

    HO-HO!

    Somewhat of a cryptic remark from you stateside… but I think I get your meaning i.e. contrast between exploring what is aka art – the shock of that -and then coming into ones own perhaps through the consequent meditative experience of that. Think I am saying it is a chicken and egg situation between the two ‘awakenings’ myself.

    Think this is also why Trungpa brought in the discipline of shambhala art which also might change in the future –so yes things are developing. Just saying that you can not hold on to certain forms both in SI and somewhat in both our pasts because the times are changing so much. So I think there has to be new explorations forming with CTR’s teachings as to environments, practices and accommodation of people both politically and socially.

    So yes there will be the ground of meditation but I just dont know how different the forms will be in the coming years and through what disciplines they will manifest –does anyone really know what is going to happen with these teachings – truly there is no one-way to them –the no gurantee aspect that CTR commented upon.

    So the past provides some pointers to work with – I am a fan of history….but of course the journey is in the now-so who knows what will come in to being from the speed aspect or the slow aspect of being on the merry go round or being off the merry go round –or are the ‘trips’ both the same thing?! HA –HA!

    On a conventional level hope you can read Oida and Brooks books they are great works – the Conference of Birds I got from the library for 30p –quite astounding!

    Well I hope others can drop into the conversation after the weekend.

    Best from ol gb.

    Rita Ashworth
76. yeshe tsomo on June 13th, 2010 4:23 pm
    

    Dear Seonaidh,

    Thank you for your continued stories; they are very rich. So rich, I find myself with few words to describe how I experience the energy you are describing. The best I can do, again, is offer a poem and say thank you.

    Love,

    Theresa

    Summit And Gravity

    There’s a motionless tree
    And another one coming forward
    A river of trees
    Hits my chest
    The green surge
    Is good fortune
    You are dressed in red
    You are
    The seal of the scorched year
    The carnal firebrand
    The star fruit
    In you like sun
    The hour rests
    Above an abyss of clarities
    The height is clouded by birds
    Their beaks construct the night
    Their wings carry the day
    Planted in the crest of light
    Between firmness and vertigo
    You are
    Transparent balance

    ~Octavio Paz
77. Sister Gryphon on June 14th, 2010 12:21 pm
    

    I love hearing about what Trungpa Rinpoche was doing with Shambhala… The whole idea of it being nondenominational and a enlightened society, rather like King Arthur.
    My question is: is anybody continuing on with the Shambhala idea? I know Shambhala International is Buddhist, and I know of several of his students who are also teaching Buddhism. But is anyone out there just doing Shambhala teachings as Trungpa Rinpoche did them?? Does anyone know?

    Just wondering…..

    Sister Gryphon
78. rita ashworth on June 14th, 2010 7:29 pm
    

    Dear Sister G.

    I’d like to do that eventually and I suspect if there is no rapprochement with SI thats what people might end up doing down the line -basic goodness-the books already out there you cant stop the whole thing going on.

    My feeling from what I have experienced is that my own connection to the teachings is beginning to be more shambhalian yes and even Ray has eventually said he will teach the shambhalian teachings after the kagyu teachings so he is walking the drawbridge much like others.

    So SI cant stop my braincells exploring the whole thing and perhaps clueing into the Kingdom much like I have clued into other things haphazardly before.

    Query was your Zen teacher Soto or Rinzai –if Rinzai wow thats a powerful discipline…..think you can get to Shambhala with Rinzai but then its how you develop your experiences from that in the world and manifesting enlightened society –is there anything in Zen connecting to the enlightened society concept –that would be interesting to see what Zen masters said about that – I think satori could be an open doorway to the Kingdom. Could you have a shambhala koan or is that too weird?!

    I also think the Bernbaum book is great on the Way to Shambhala – it cleared up a lot of queries for me personally. Indeed from this book you can see that the shambhalian teachings have a great depth and applicability to all religions. So yes …….who knows what is going to happen!?

    Best

    Rita Ashworth
79. Sister Gryphon on June 16th, 2010 12:30 pm
    

    Dear Rita,

    Yes, I think that you should do that! It is clear that you have a good love for Shambhala training as Trungpa Rinpoche was envisioning it. Run with it! It would be fabulous. Will you make a court or a knighthood or a sisterhood? How will you envision your Shambhala warriors, the enlightened society and place of training? It would be a lot of work, but you can do it!

    My teacher had transmission in both the Rinzai and Soto schools. Our place was known for it’s boot camp atmosphere. Personally, I feel there is greater depth in Soto. There is no hiding behind a shout in Soto. And no cutting of cats in two. I prefer Soto.

    I don’t know, but I’ve never encountered the concept of an “enlightened society” in the zen world. There is interdependance, and collective consciousness, the 100th monkey and all that, but I think the zen view is that enlightenment is individual, and doubtful that there’s that many people willing to do what it takes. Lots of people talk, very few do.

    Sr Gryphon
80. john perks on June 16th, 2010 1:30 pm
    

    Dear Fionna Bright,

    I wanted to write to you about my story and experience with Shambhala. And, in some sense, one could call this, “Taking on the Karma of the Guru.”
    Briefly what happened was that I went to Nova Scotia to work on setting up a court situation for Trungpa Rinpoche. I ran an inn in Nova Scotia, the business failed, my marriage failed, I started to have visions, became unhinged from what one might call “ordinary circumstances” and from that point of view, was labeled as being crazy.
    Rinpoche said I should go out on my own.
    So I left the sangha, who helped ostracize me further by labeling me as crazy. And Trungpa Rinpoche also helped by confirming that aspect.
    After writing the book, The Mahasiddha and his Idiot Servant, I was labeled as a samaya breaker because of the stories about Trungpa Rinpoche that I had written, and labeled as a copy right infringer for parts of the Vajrayogini Sadhana that I had written about, and for including my Shambhala awards in the back of the book. I under went a very difficult time emotionally because of this rejection, and physically had eczema and psoriasis, and other physical manifestations, you know, loss of sleep, tension, etc…
    I actually experienced sangha members crossing the road to avoid me while walking down the street !
    We had to self-publish the book and when we did, Shambhala members went around to book stores in Halifax and Boulder and asked them not to carry the book. They also tried to get it banned on amazon where we had it listed. All of this happened over a period of about 5 to 10 yrs following Trungpa Rinpoche’s death.

    So, what to make of it all??

    Khyentse Rinpoche used to say “the harder the path, the better” Which during the time, was not of much help. much like the Nazis telling the Jews in the concentration camps “It’s all in your mind.”
    But then because of my close relationship to Trungpa Rinpoche, I had many visions and dreams of him, and I was able to understand how things were for him. Previous to his exile from Tibet, he had been criticized for his involvement with Khenpo Gangshar. After his exile from Tibet, and his establishment in Scotland, he was criticized for taking off his robes, marrying Lady Dianna, coming to America, drinking, and having sex with his students. He was criticized mercilessly by the established Tibetan Buddhist Regime.
    (But not so, by his teacher Dilgo Khyentse Rinpoche and the 16th Karmapa. )
    If one were to look at many historical figures, Mother Theresa, Martin Luther King, St Francis, and a host of others, one could see a pattern of suffering that they endured trying to move a stagnant society in a small direction. And how much conflict that causes! However, we are not concerned with conflict. And as Trungpa Rinpoche always said “We never give up!” and as the Regent would say “Fuck them if they can’t take a joke!”
81. john perks on June 16th, 2010 1:31 pm
    

    Dear Fionna- part 2 continued

    Never the less, while establishing himself in the west, Trungpa Rinpoche was entirely on his own. Even his son Osel was held hostage in Scotland for a number of years by adversaries. As a sangha we could look at the Regent, Osel Tenzin and his rejection by the sangha over the AIDs debate. Having come through all of this, it brought me closer to the mind of Trungpa Rinpoche. And especially, to the Prajnaparamita Sutra. The Mind of the Prajnaparamita Sutra, which says:

    “Since the Bodhisattvas have no attainment
    They abide by means of Prajnaparamita
    There is no obscuration of mind
    There is no fear
    They transcend falsity
    They attain complete nirvana.”

    When you try to enact that state, you get popped out into space. And all those that are left behind, have to find some way to explain your disappearance. Which of course, they explain by saying that you went nuts. But in fact, the matter is, that you have joined the mind of the Guru. I know that when you are in the midst of suffering, these words will not be of much help. However, the process of going through that veil, intensely, and with clarity of mind, is extremely important. Then you will find that your personal options are like space. Sometimes, people say “would you like to come and live in Nova Scotia?” That is like saying to someone who has lived in the black hole of Calcutta, would you like to return for a vacation?” One doesn’t need to repeat the performance.
    I ‘d just like to say “Welcome to the club!!” I enjoyed reading the description of what you are now going through. And, inevitably, we cannot help but blame others, but in a strange way, those that condemn you, are extremely helpful on the path, because they push you to go further.

    My most heartfelt love to you,
    Always,
    Seonaidh
82. Fionna Bright on June 16th, 2010 10:56 pm
    

    Thank you, John, for your post, for your story. I’m pretty sick of the pettiness of sangha and hierarchy right now. I’m pretty worn out by the seemingly incessant judging and arrogance and viciousness and political climbing and social climbing. I’m worn out by the lack of depth, lack of insight, lack of compassion. Right now, I find my little Cairn Terrier has more insight, more depth, more compassion. Makes me question what, exactly, it means to be human, after all. It isn’t that I expect better (I would like better, but I don’t expect it). But I do wonder what happened to the Vidyadhara’s teachings about kindness, openness, fearlessness (not bravado and brutishness or macho, but fearlessness to look inside at oneself), and most of all, workability, which is easily achieved by taking a breath, and then coming back and trying to communicate again. These things seem to be gone from the sangha. Are they gone? Was VCTR the only one who ever had them? Aren’t we supposed to practice those things? Isn’t that the practice? I mean, yeah, you can say billions of mantras. Does that magically make you more kind? Without any awareness or effort? Kind of like you pay your money and you get your stuff? Why are people even doing this? Why even bother? I will not be able to complete my practices because I cannot drive 80 miles to a center where I feel I can at least walk in the door. Finally in my life I have decided to walk away from toxic situations. They occur enough in life that I don’t have to join them. They aren’t learning experiences. They are maiming experiences and I believe that we need to take care of ourselves at least enough so that we can go on. Deep inside I can’t find the link anymore. How did you find a link?
83. rita ashworth on June 17th, 2010 6:25 am
    

    Dear Sister G

    An interesting post.

    My connection to Zen is just free-form in the sense of reading books about it and somewhat as a teenager working with koans – I must have been mad doing that but what can you do when you are on the edge of the spiritual world in Manchester in the 70s. Fortunately though I did find a group I could practice with later on so my practice became some what more formal.

    As to shambhala – I am experimenting mainly with shambhala art aspects which any one can do because they are not hedge-bound with any sense of samaya commitments –so in some way you can get it with shambhala art without all the fripperies of a real shambhala court –may be I will have an imaginary court at first in the sense of theatre –that is a possibility- and of course the UK is all theatre –you get it as soon as you step out the door-especially in Liverpool where so many stories hit you from out of the void when you step on the streets(must be the Irish influence!). So I will go from there with the whole thing and of course just basic sitting as in all traditions.

    Intrigued re the story of the 100th monkey not heard that story –how does it relate to enlightened society? Myself beginning to think you could have shambhala koans may be though more in a free form artistic way than the Zen tradition itself. Could you use the koan form in a much more lighter way in the west?

    Also in relation to the Zen tradition just checked up Adyashantis website – I thought he was some new age guru because of his name but he is actually a Zen practitioner –liked what I saw of him on the video. I also liked his organisation in that anyone could set up a group in their locality without much fuss and hierarchy so may be thats why people are cluing into him because he is so open in regards to spreading the teachings –would that Si was so open!

    Well best from ol gb –dont know if I can post so much in future but in between work placements at present so have some leisure time. Hope things are going well in Vermont and the summer is really nice.

    Best from ol gb.

    Rita Ashworth
84. JimWilton on June 17th, 2010 9:46 am
    

    Mr. Perks, thank you for your stories (both in your book and on this website). CTR was so raw. I think people just want to close their eyes to aspects of it. And if you force people to look, there can be anger underneath. However, these are all our sangha and they wouldn’t feel these emotions without such a strong connection.

    Maybe you are a samaya breaker — I’ll try to keep an open mind about that.

    Anyway, all my love to you.
85. rita ashworth on June 17th, 2010 12:42 pm
    

    Dear Mr Perks

    I can only say to Mr Wiltons comment I am Spartacus!

    Anyway you have your own lineage now –so jeez you cant break anything
    for forever and a day!

    Best to you.

    Rita Ashworth
86. john perks on June 23rd, 2010 7:50 am
    

    Dear Fionna,

    Thank you so much for your posts. We are now in contact!
    Lots of love,

    Seonaidh
87. john perks on June 23rd, 2010 7:51 am
    

    Dear Yeshe Tsomo,

    Thank you so much for your wonderful poem! Glad you found my email.
    Lots of love,

    Seonaidh
88. john perks on June 23rd, 2010 7:53 am
    

    Dear Jim Wilton,

    You are so correct. CTR was so raw.
    As to my being a samaya breaker, I wear it like a medal. A friend of mine said “I try to keep an open mind, but people keep filling it up.”
    My love to you.

    Seonaidh
89. john perks on June 23rd, 2010 7:56 am
    

    Dear Rita,

    I don’t know about Sparticus… but how about Boadecia?
    Hope you are having a wonderful summer, even tho the Englisg soccar team is a bit dismal. Perhaps they could score a goal against Liechtenstein… however it’s doubtful. Never mind, there’s always cricket!

    Lots of love,

    Seonaidh
90. Sister Gryphon on June 23rd, 2010 8:55 am
    

    Seonaidh will be traveling tomorrow to give a weekend retreat in Houlton, Maine on Celtic Buddhism and making real the union between the spiritual and the seeming “reality” of our daily lives. This should be a great retreat!!

    Now, in Zen we don’t have samaya vows, but we do have Fusatsu which is a ceremony to renew our vows because we zennies all break our vows constantly and need to start afresh.

    Happy Summer Solstice to all!!
91. John Perks on June 23rd, 2010 9:02 am
    

    Sorry Sister Griff cannot spell Soccer,Zen people are not always mindful
92. John Perks on June 24th, 2010 6:30 am
    

    But then USA and England go to the next round not to bad for Rita and the yanks
93. Sister Gryphon on June 25th, 2010 8:27 pm
    

    I beleeve in spelling things the way they sownd.
    It’s all in my mind enyway.
94. John Perks on June 26th, 2010 9:02 am
    

    Thats what you think…Sister Griff is away in Houlton Maine doing a week-end program on Celtic Shambhala she sett up
    we wish her jolly good luck gathering nuts in May
95. edz on June 28th, 2010 1:37 am
    

    Interesting task to follow a conversation here. There is a parallel between catching the blog late (looks like about 50 posts?) and reading the Reverend Seonaidh’s stories of 20+ yrs ago. I feel I’ve entered the cafe a little late.

    Did anyone see the interview with Richard Arthure on youtube? I thought it was so interesting how he described his first meeting with Trungpa Rinpoche, where Rinpoche said, “Yes, please come in and tell me all about yourself.” What a wonderful invitation. It has such a feeling of the openness to working with individual students that Trungpa Rinpoche must have possessed.

    The thought of Mr. Arthure’s interview was prompted by Rita’s comment that Art and Theatre are the utmost play. I beg to differ. I think “Tell me all about yourself” must be the utmost play — being oneself is surely the quintessence of art and theatre, in all its worst and best forms.

    Oh, and Rita asked about other people working with the Shambhala teachings in a non-denominational situation. I don’t know how active he currently is, but Kallon Basquin was certainly doing something like this. I’m not sure how he would characterize it, exactly, but you can look around here: http://kallonbasquin.com/2008/06/
    Also, for some years Robert Krupnick and friends were doing Shambhala Education in Ojai.

    “Direct experience would be appreciated rather than philosophical insight.” — yes, indeed. There is surely some connection between this idea and the notion of inviting a friend over to supper, mentioned earlier in this thread.

    All the best,

    Ed
96. john perks on June 29th, 2010 12:54 pm
    

    Dear Mr Ed,

    Not to late to enter the cafe. Yes, Trungpa Rinpoche had great connection to all of his students. Perhaps that’s why we miss him so much. However, his presence never leaves one.
    Nice to hear from you.

    Seonaidh
97. edz on June 30th, 2010 2:04 am
    

    Dear Seonaidh,

    What can you tell us about Collum Cille? I looked around the internet, but I wonder if there is any significance to Collum Cille here.

    -Ed
98. john perks on June 30th, 2010 11:52 am
    

    Dear Ed,

    Well that’s a fascinating question and a fascinating story!
    As you may or may not know, Trungpa Rinpoche would always bother me about going to Iona. And in one conversation I said “Well what is it about Iona that I would like?” and he said “You will like the air there. That is very clear.”
    So fast forward a number of years, I go to Iona walk into the Cathedral there and say to the receptionist “My teacher, who is dead, said I should come and do the Sadhana of Mahamudra here.” She said “Oh yes, of course! Come this way.” and she led me to a small tower room, overlooking the entrance where I performed the Sadhana of Mahamudra. Fast forward several more years, and I’m living with my wife, Julia in a cottage in Donegal, Ireland right across from Loch Garten where Collum Cille was born. I had written to Shambhala International to ask for some material on the Sadhana of Mahamudra. I was refused that material on the charge that by writing the book “The Mahasiddha and his Idiot Servant” and including in it parts of the Vajrayogini Sadhana and my Shambhala certificates that I had broken samaya and was in violation of copyright laws. At the time I was reading “The Life of St Collumba”, which is the English name for Collum Cille and what do I read there but that Collum Cille (Collumba) was accused of copying a psalm book belonging to St Finnian and refusing to return the copy. Collumcille, for this act, was excommunicated. That’s when he left for the Island of Iona, and established the Iona colony. At the very same time, that I was reading this, a student asked me “What did Rinpoche say to you about Iona?” And I said “Rinpoche said I would like the air there.” and what the student heard was “I was like the heir, there”
    So, this is the story of the artful mind of Trungpa Rinpoche. and his sending me on this journey which is still continuing. I have a fuller explanation of this story in the new version of the book, which should be available this summer.
    PS and guess what- here we are starting Glen Ard Abbey with Sister Gryphon in charge.

    Love to you,

    Seonaidh
99. JimWilton on July 2nd, 2010 6:11 pm
    

    There is some magic on Iona. My brother visited there in 1980 or so and had a spiritual experience there that he interpreted as a “calling” and then became a Presbyterian minister.
100. John Perks on July 2nd, 2010 8:47 pm
     

     Yes that is quite correct that is the energy that Trungpa Rinpoche must have felt when he was there in the nineteensixtes thank you for the comment
101. Sandra on July 3rd, 2010 5:56 pm
     

     Dear Seonaidh,

     I have been enjoying your posts and stories. Thank you!

     My question is: So what, ultimately, is the point of Celtic Buddhism?
     I know… there is no point… sigh.
     I do not see any deep purpose to life. When I was young, I was raised Catholic, and felt that there was a divine purpose in all things. Life was very interesting and magical. But once I was older and fell into Buddhist practice, I began to no longer see/no longer believe in any divine purpose. It seems we live, there is karma created by our thoughts and actions, and we die. and perhaps we do it all again. But then, if there is no purpose to anything, why even live? We invest our time and effort into things that are impermanent and, in truth, worthless. We go to the movies or to the bar. we watch tv. we distract ourselves endlessly from the fact that our existence has no value and no purpose. I personally know a number of Buddhist teachers, but I’ve never met one that actually embodied the teachings to the point that it truly made a real, tangible difference in their lives. My own parents, before they died, seemed to have their shit together better and treat people better and with a greater selflessness than the Buddhist teachers I know….
     I dont think I believe in anything anymore. and that definitely makes life suck.
     I would have liked to have met Trungpa Rinpoche, but he died before my time.

     bye.

     sandra
102. Fionna Bright on July 5th, 2010 12:18 pm
     

     Dear Sandra,
     I read your post and it just made me start to cry. And I think right there is some of the magic and interest of living–that I don’t even know you but I hear your sense of loss and purposelessness, and I want to extend to you. I want to extend some care. I don’t want you to “give up,” and certainly not go away. I want you to keep going if only a little while. Perhaps you can help me too. I really need some help in this area myself right now, and I knew VCTR. And you can know him too. He’s still available, as far as I can tell.

     Once on the radio I heard a report about Richard Leaky, son of the famous anthropologist, Louis Leaky, and himself a famous anthropologist. He had found an early hominid fossil that showed a healed broken bone. He deduced that in order for that bone to have healed and the being to have survived, someone else would have had to feed and care for it. Bone healing takes around 6 weeks, so the being must have been cared for by another for at least that long. Or close to it. Which means that the understanding that others need care exists deeply in living beings, humans included, going way back. Mr. Leaky discussed this find even as he had been beaten by locals who protested some of his work–beaten to the point of not being able to walk. Still, he saw goodness and promise in the evidence he had found.

     Perhaps that’s all there is, are these moments of extending care to each other, or sharing some laughter, and maybe those are it. I’m finding myself being very on the edge as of late, due to “being beaten by the locals,” so to speak. In shock and still in shock, and still feeling uneasy inside in a most awful way, still feeling despairing and angry–outraged, really. And I have realized that my anger is what is keeping me from going under altogether. It is a scary and really horrific place to be, and I haven’t found my way out of it yet. But still I don’t want you to go there. At other times in my life I have found perfect wonder and magic at hand, and right now a couple of people in my life are showing me good care. So please take heart. Please hang in there. May I recommend the poetry of Hafiz which might be inspiring. I find it to be very healing, very heart-healing. And let’s keep talking.
103. edz on July 5th, 2010 4:14 pm
     

     Dear Seonaidh,

     Thanks for the insight on Collum Cille.

     Also, is there a significance to “Seonaidh”? Sorry if I’m expressing my cultural ignorance. It sounds awfully Celtic, but I wonder if it is another joke — a pseudo-cognate of “cyanide”.

     -Ed
104. Edward on July 5th, 2010 5:58 pm
     

     Sandra writes:
     we distract ourselves endlessly from the fact that our existence has no value and no purpose.

     Hi Sandra,

     I enjoyed your comments, and I definitely think you’re on to something there.

     However… maybe the fact that our existence has no purpose means that we can come up with our own purpose for our lives? Maybe we can decide we want to enjoy ourselves, be happy, be creative? Or not… it’s all up to us, perhaps?

     I think you’re absolutely right that life has no purpose, in some sense. But maybe that’s a blessing. It’s like a young man or woman having to leave their parents’ home. At first it seems like a negative thing– you no longer have your parents’ purpose and values to give meaning to life in the same way as before. You’re depressed maybe, feel that life is meaningless. But then one day you realize that you could come up with your own purpose for your life! New opportunities suddenly start to appear. Life begins to feel magical.

     It’s really up to you.

     This might not be a “Buddhist” point of view, the way most people think of Buddhism. But then who cares? My old teacher had a low opinion of most contemporary Buddhist teachers, so maybe there’s something to that. But my teacher had a fantastic sense of humor, and really enjoyed himself. There’s something I appreciate about that.

     If you feel attracted to CTR you could listen to recordings of some of his public talks, which are available from Shambhala Archives I think. I highly recommend “Dragon Thunder” and “The Mahasiddha and His Idiot Servant”. CTR is still alive through these means, just as when he was alive, he was still alive even though he left the room and went to bed sometimes, you know?

     As far as Buddhism goes, maybe there are as many different versions of Buddhism as there are people who practice it? CTR broke his Buddhist vows and people heavily criticized him for it at the time, but today he’s put on a pedestal as a hero. The Buddha himself broke some vows, both marital and religous, broke with the religious conventions of his day, and was heavily criticized for all that, but today he’s like the ultimate hero for some people, a kind of ultimate ideal social worker kind of person.

     My advice is to value the good things you say you learned from your parents, value your common sense, and, well… figure out what it is that you do value.

     Thanks for your inspiring candor.

     Edward
105. Edward on July 5th, 2010 6:09 pm
     

     One thing I do know… if you come across any “Buddhists” who are just negative all the time, like a jam jar full of wasps, or like a stick in the mud… stay away from them!

     The people I am attracted to are people who have a sense of humor and who don’t take themselves too seriously. Those are the people I can learn from.

     Anyway, I guess it just depends on what is attractive to you. Inevitably we all find ourselves involved with things that we think we’re attracted toward.

     Edward (different from Ed Z)
106. John Perks on July 5th, 2010 11:08 pm
     

     Well there you go,I am very happy things went on fine without me,who works here?I just spent several days organizing and cutting wood for the winter,It is very hot ,only can work in the early mornings or late evenings,but you know I love this work,everyone knows what they have to do,sometimes young people do not know how to stack wood,so I get to teach,or pass on wood stacking linage,also tree’s always talking,to night we drink home made wine,not very good but has great kick,sister griff makes dinner,because of zen training fucking small amount,I always complain,thats great to sounds like bull fart,big smell,better than holding ass cheaks together and blaming smell on doggie,but could be great joke,I love deception lots of play,how about you,nobody happy? well listern I am a self proclaimed idiot SMR he is the real thing..so you have Sakyong..perhaps sitting on your head..that’s a really good joke….could be spiritual head ake…Did I ever tell you about crawling service well good old CTR had people serve by crawing on the floor and alot of people did this,then he pee on them…Ha Ha Ha great joke,enjoy life lots of love Seonaidh means Johnny in Scottish..good night sleep tight no let bed bugs bite..me I drink more bad wine..then sleep with great wife..and small doggie..and if I wake will be happy…
107. John Perks on July 5th, 2010 11:12 pm
     

     if not happy to
108. John Perks on July 5th, 2010 11:22 pm
     

     PS Edward make me do it!!!!!!!!!!!!!!like son of sam you know,he always says right thing I love that trouble is if he says wrong thing I love that to Ok everyone turning lights out must mean bed..to bad no one to play with..well just have to suffer..perhaps you could tell me stories about what work you do?Hunting?anyone
109. John Perks on July 6th, 2010 7:23 am
     

     AH,good morning stll here,must be magic,elderberry wine has magic,when you put in body ,makes magic,no hang over,also magic,Chogyam also not have hang over,because never stop drinking rice magic,I love him dont you?thats magic,sleep all night with naked wife,and small doggie,thats magic,in the middle of the night get up to pee,thats magic,saw lion sleeping in our field think that is magic,when I wake to calling of Morrigans children {crows},thats magic,look for lion who has turned into brush pile,must be magic,Shambala have Sakyong who works with middle class people{buddhist middle way path} thats magic,Hay Sandra I went to Rome Great Big Curch for Peter,went inside,WOW,beautiful magic,Also gold bee’s on curtain over shrine underneath is Peter bones thats also magic,come and sit around camp fire with me we talk and the frogs will say sounds like magic…Love Seonaidh
110. John Perks on July 6th, 2010 7:32 am
     

     PS O celtic Buddhism,have no idea,Tom Kilts knows,I asked Chogyam he have no idea also but did say was like early celtic christian,like early irish monks from Iona,What do you think it is?
111. Sandra on July 6th, 2010 8:00 am
     

     Thanks everyone!! Great posts- very insigtful and helpful.
     My computer was down the past couple of days with a virus. All better now.
     It helped, reading everyone’s posts.

     Love to everyone.

     Sandra
112. John Perks on July 6th, 2010 8:08 am
     

     must be magic
113. Sister Gryphon on July 6th, 2010 8:24 am
     

     Home made wine??? You mean while I was frickin slaving over a hot grill you all were in here swigging home made wine and didnt even offer me any???
     Well, no wonder the food amount was meager. You gotta treat a girl right if you want desert.
114. John Perks on July 6th, 2010 8:45 am
     

     You no girl,you nun,if give nun fire water it might become habit Ha Ha
115. John Perks on July 7th, 2010 7:39 am
     

     Thank you everyone at the table for jumping in to help Sandra,we all have that space of pain that comes before yearning and magic,almost like the stillness before rain storm,thick heavy,still ,no air even the bug people do not speak,the tree leaves just wait,grass stand together but alone each blade,waiting,then as chogyam says” breeze of delight”sweeps the world and all beings give a big sigh,then smile,
     thank you you are my breeze of delight,
     Seonaidh
116. yeshe tsomo on July 7th, 2010 1:50 pm
     

     How beautifully said, Seonaidh. And how challenging (in my experience) to hold that space of pain tenderly, without grasping onto it or feeding it, without rejecting or judging it or wanting to rush ahead to find the magic/”breeze of delight” that inevitably springs forth.

     Thank you for sharing your tenderness, Sandra and Fionna.

     Sister Gryphon, you are a spitfire! I love it!
117. Sister Gryphon on July 8th, 2010 12:04 pm
     

     Stance. The word, according to the dictionary is from middle English, meaning to stand in place. We all have habitual stances, habitual postures, attitudes, and such. Obviously whatever our habitual postures are have to do with how we see the world or how experience ourselves in the world.
     What was Trungpa Rinpoche’s way for letting go of stances so that we are coming from a clear place?
118. John Perks on July 8th, 2010 5:39 pm
     

     ALL AND EVERYTHING
119. John Perks on July 10th, 2010 7:40 am
     

     AH rain has come,Chogyam loves the rain,could be rain of Chogyam,
     We have half our wood in and stacked in drying rows,
     the other half is in the woods cut but waiting pick up,
     some still to be split ,iron wedges and sledge hammers,
     expect you Shambhalaians are doing the same,we are joining farmer co-op,that way everyone shares machinery,such as tractors,mowers,harrows,logsplitters,snowblowers,and such,pay a yearly fee,we are thinking about horse and buggy,milk cow?or goats?chicken eggs are still cheap,and organic,so keeping hens at this point is not wise,
     again bee’s in the spring,growing mushrooms in the winter,making pond for fishes,much to do healing broken people,but first AH tea,
     lots of love ,
     Seonaidh
120. yeshe tsomo on July 10th, 2010 11:57 pm
     

     Dear Sister Gryphon,

     I have been mulling over your question and having never met Trungpa Rinpoche in his physical body, perhaps I am not the best person to respond. And it seems, as Seonaidh said, Rinpoche gave us “all and everything” as ways of letting go of our habitual patterns, which includes, of course, the Kagyu ngondro and graduated path, as well as the Shambhala path. But since I have no experience with either formally I can only comment about my experience of of what Rinpoche has given me to shake me out of my habitual patterns: enormous space to experiment and enough rope to hang myself.

     I am still sometimes reluctant to trust that he is so present in my life, but I do not know how else to explain catching him out of the corner of my eye laughing at me just as I have wrapped the noose around my neck yet again or lovingly appearing in my mind’s eye when I am crying in surrender.

     My guess is that Rinpoche’s instructions for letting go of our stances vary from student to student and sometimes from time to time. I wonder what his instructions to you have been and do you trust them?

     Lots of love,

     Theresa
121. yeshe tsomo on July 11th, 2010 12:19 am
     

     Dear Seonaidh,

     The MBA never really prepared me for part-time farming and yet where do I find myself when not trying to sell old books? In the garden or on the lawn tractor in the summer, in the woods in the winter. We have been saving up to buy a log splitter this year. I wish we had a farmer’s co-op we could join. I received wood-stacking transmission from Chase some years ago, but per my habitual stance, regularly avoid hard physical labor until I remember/feel how it connects me to the earth, the whole of life, and inherent dignity. I’m a work in progress.

     We are harvesting beans and peas daily; need to pick Swiss chard and kale. Dessert at the mulberry trees and raspberries are starting to ripen. We vowed to teach ourselves how to can tomatoes this year. Still fighting fatigue and pain daily, and yes! there is much to do, healing broken people. Starting with myself.

     Much, much love

     Theresa
122. Sister Gryphon on July 11th, 2010 8:31 am
     

     Ha! Thanks Theresa.
     I had been hoping for an instructional “how to” sort of answer.

     I suppose I can always ask ehow.com

     
     LOL
     Gryphon
123. John Perks on July 11th, 2010 12:45 pm
     

     Dear Theresa,Now if you can get togther with a few neighbors you could share a log splitter and the cost ,and you could have log stacking parties,we are going to buy a spltter with about 4 other people,which makes the cost to us about $300.00..plus the perks of working with other people…we are making sake…very strong..then this fall hard cider….
     love
     Seonaidh
124. Sister Gryphon on July 16th, 2010 1:36 pm
     

     I miss my teacher’s teachings.
125. John Perks on July 17th, 2010 8:05 am
     

     To bad with my teacher everything he did was a teaching,looks like you got stuck with a second rate teacher!!!
126. Sister Gryphon on July 19th, 2010 4:04 pm
     

     Recently someone I know acquired what he thought was a baked crab, only to find out it was alive. A devoted student returned the crab back to the ocean.

     My question is: is it fate, destiny, or karma that the crab escaped alive? Or is it simply luck, just a roll of the dice?

     Or is it both? Or is it neither?
127. Edward on July 19th, 2010 11:35 pm
     

     Maybe it was originally the the crab’s karma to make a beautiful offering of itself, as a supreme act of generosity, and become food so that another being could live?

     But then maybe it’s karma changed through not being cooked properly.

     As far as escaping alive, I’m afraid it’s probably only temporary.

     Sister Gryphon writes:
     Or is it both? Or is it neither?

     I don’t know how to answer this.

     I remember once during a wild fundraiser / celebration, in which copious amounts of alcohol were consumed, and purse strings loosened, word came to our event from my teacher’s house (which was in another building nearby). We were told that he’d said, in relation to the event,

     “It’s not about thinking; it’s about drinking.”

     In retrospect it may sound crazy or irresponsible to drink alcohol during a fundraiser but somehow it seemed ordinary at the time. The instruction to keep drinking “to the point of personality change” combined with the mindfulness of participating in a fundraiser made for an interesting mix of letting go and being duly restrained.

     Anyway, back to the current discussion… so for those who do not partake of alcohol– which most of us can’t do most of the time anyway– maybe there’s some kind of similar advice for these sorts of questions.

     Ok, how about this… maybe the point is to be the crab that gets back in the ocean, rather than to solve the question of whether it was luck or destiny?
128. Edward on July 20th, 2010 12:09 am
     

     Or maybe the whole thing was so traumatic that when the crab felt the cold ocean surround it once more, it was as though it had died and been reborn?

     Or, perhaps for a crab, *every* moment is fresh and new, like dying and being reborn?

     Perhaps for crabs death is not the unexpected and overwhelming shock and surprise that it is for some of us humans?

     Did someone say homemade cider?
129. Sister Gryphon on July 20th, 2010 3:07 pm
     

     Hi Edward.

     Thanks for ….. uh… muddying the water. LOL
     You are perhaps correct in that it is better to have many drinks and then swim in the ocean, uh, no…. wait… It is better to release crabs in the ocean and then celebrate with a drunken fund raiser than to try to know the unknowable.

     When I was a veterinarian I had a client come into my office with a beautiful young dog. I knew the dog. She was a very healthy and strong dog. The client wanted me to spay the dog- which I normally would have done. But when I looked into the dog’s eyes as I discussed the procedure with the client, I knew the dog would die in surgery. I don’t know how I knew, I just knew. I looked in the dog’s eyes and saw she was dead. So I ran and grabbed the appointment book out of my receptionist’s hands and exclaimed how sorry I was that I was totally booked for the next 2 months. I then suggested that she might consider not spaying the dog, or if she was going to have her spayed, that I STRONGLY recommended she take her to Dr Nessin, who was a very excellent surgeon (I knew him and his facility personally) and had a state of the art hospital that included heart monitoring and a number of things that I did not have at my clinic.
     A week later I received a phone call from a vet (not Dr Nessin) who was freaking out because my client had gone to her instead and the dog died during surgery- and the vet couldn’t figure out why the dog died, and my client was calling on the other phone, hysterical and in tears because her dog had died, and wanting to know why. why……
     and was it preventable?
     I still don’t know.

     Anyway,…

     Are you any good at fund raising?? If so, I have a great job for you!!
     Seriously.

     Sr Gryphon
130. fred on July 23rd, 2010 4:07 pm
     

     aw.
     where has everyone gone? Has Seonaidh abandoned us?
     It’s been very quiet here lately.
     I miss the postings.
131. John Perks on July 23rd, 2010 4:34 pm
     

     I’LL BE BACK!!!just out to take a pee
132. Sister Gryphon on July 27th, 2010 10:49 am
     

     there is no interdependence if we are alone.
133. yeshe tsomo on July 27th, 2010 2:39 pm
     

     You’re not alone Sister Gryphon. I’m here and I brought my good friends Laughter, Irony, Emptiness, and Jose Cuervo. I do so love a good margarita in the summer. I could whip you up a delicious drink of the virgin variety.

     It seems Seonaidh has given some of his best teachings while taking a long leak. Not sure what to make of that, but I am going with the flow, so to speak.

     Love from Iowa!
134. Sister Gryphon on July 28th, 2010 7:21 am
     

     Dear Theresa

     LOL!! Going with the flow. You are the best!

     Love,
     Sr Gryphon
135. John Perks on July 30th, 2010 6:49 am
     

     AH I’m back,over on the other table with group eating constitutional bread,quite interesting stuff ,goes to ones head…alot of talk about Samaya vows,which we do not have in Celtic Buddhist tradition,we have the Avalokitishvara vow which some people take,and of course all the monastic vows sister Griff took,which we had to have because she was so wayward and zenifide,went around muttering “it’s all in your mind”notice the quote ‘your’ and not “mine”…well she is much better now..we have to keep her working hard so her mind will stop thinking,meditation does not always work,but I must say she is basically very good …and now we will write the story of the “Panzerfeist”
136. john perks on July 30th, 2010 7:31 am
     

     The story of the Panzerfeist and playing with the Sakyong

     In the summer of 1981, I was living at the Kalapa Court in Boulder, and my wife, Jeannie, was pregnant with our first child, which was due to be born sometime late August or early Sept. Encampment that year at R.M.D.C.was held in August and I explained to the Sakyong that I didn’t feel that I could leave Jeannie all alone and go to encampment, so I would have to remain at the court. He agreed that this was the best thing to do. Then he thought for a while, and said, “Well, you could come up for a few days and attack us at the encampment” The word “attack” exploded in my mind, and I said something like, “well… I could do that.”
     and so we left the idea hanging in the air.

     I went and spoke to a few cohorts, including David Darwent, Ashly Howes, and Bill Gilkerson. David had this idea about building a tank or a moving fortress out of plywood with shutters in it from which we could fire rockets and throw tennis ball bombs. I should explain the rockets were made by acquiring model rocket engines and fixing to the top of them, a black powder charge and attaching the assembly to a stick. When these would fly down the field, they would explode with a loud report! The tennis ball bombs, were just tennis balls filled with gun powder, rather like, big cherry bombs.

     Anyhow, we had drawings of this WMD machine and we went to a Vajradhatu board meeting to explain what we wanted to do at R.M.D.C. There was rather a stunned silence in the room. I don’t know why… because all of this seemed quite normal to me, having fought many theatrical type wars.

     There’s a great illustration of a great theatrical war at the end of the Beatles movie “Help” where there’s a lot of running around and shooting off cannons and stuff, and basically apart from a few powder burns, nobody gets hurt. Anyway, when the board members came out of their shocked silence, Ken Green said , stammering a little, “Well, I think this might cause a brush fire.” for which, I didn’t have a ready answer. So we had to back down on the infernal machine plans.

     Then we devised another plan.
     The encampment site at R.M.D.C. was located in a large meadow on a higher level than the surrounding land. And in order to get to it, you had to drive over a small brook, in which was a large metal culvert pipe. The drinking water supply for the encampment was a large tank on a trailer. So it was our idea, to have some spies in the encampment drain off the drinking water supply and we would get a tractor and remove the culvert pipe bridge, so that the Vajra guards were cut off from drinking water and at that point we would attack them with rockets and tennis ball bombs. And the theory was, that they would surrender for a glass of water.

     I had seen this in a movie called Sahara with Humphry Bogart, where all the Germans about 10,000 surrender to Humphry and his small gang of allies (about 6 of them) all because they’re thirsty and need a glass of water. So, logically, I figured this would work.
137. john perks on July 30th, 2010 8:00 am
     

     The Sakyong, being a devious fellow himself, had spies all over the place, trying to find out our plans. And at some point, Mipham Halpern, who was a Kusung, came to me with a note from the Sakyong, asking for our plans so that everything could be better coordinated. Haha!
     So I told Mipham everything. And so off he went, happily, to inform the Sakyong and R.M.D.C. Whereupon, I immediately changed all the plans, and this is where the famous Panzerfeist came into being. A Panzerfeist was a type of bazooka used by the Germans in WW2. For our Panzerfeist, that would fire rockets, we constructed it out of a piece of 4 inch heavy water pipe.
     And we painted it up with camouflage paint and put handles on it and a web strap for carrying. and we put it’s name down that said “Panzerfeist” with a Nazi swastika and in small letters “made in Berlin” In the meantime, encampment had been going on for several days. And one of our spies reported to us, via telephone, that the Sakyong had caught our infiltrators in the act of draining the water tank. They were impounded in a quickly build cage and tortured severely by having to drink a teaspoon of tabasco sauce and having to stare at a shiny bowie knife held by the Sakyong, so that the glint of the bade shone in their eyes by the campfire light and they were forced to tell all. BUT of course, they didn’t know about the Panzerfeist!!

     So the Sakyong, expecting us to remove the culvert pipe built an auxillary road next to the existing road. When we heard all this, I decided the attack would be imminent. Another aspect of the attack would be a friend of ours who had a small piper cub airplane would fly over the encampment dropping leaflets telling them to surrender. This didn’t quite work since most of the leaflets were blown away into Utah.
     However, our small band, dressed in camouflage clothes, with the exception of Bill Gilkeson who wore his kilt and carried his bagpipes which he was going to play as we attacked. Overlooking the encampment, is a large cliff face. We drove over very early in the morning to R.M.D.C. and hiked over the back hills to this promontory, from which we could see down below the ant like figures of the enemy. And as the sun rose in the east, Bill Gilkeson piped “Scotland the Brave” and we let loose with the panzerfeist . Rockets streamed over the heads of the Vajra gaurds exploding in the air. There was general mayhem. and it looked something like when you pour water on a nest of ants, they all ran around in circles. However, the Sakyong quickly restored order. And we knew a counter attack was about to happen. So we laid some trip wire bombs along the trail. These were small explosives attached to a mouse trap and a small battery with a fishing line that would make an electrical contact when you tripped the line, setting off the charge.
138. john perks on July 30th, 2010 8:06 am
     

     There were several skirmishes back and forth, and a truce was offered by the Sakyong. But, knowing him to be a devious fellow, and expecting some skullduggery, we decided not to accept it, otherwise we’d all end up in the stockade drinking Tabasco sauce. So, we beat a hasty retreat back to Boulder and the safety of the Kalapa Court, where we all had a fine dinner and many bottles of wine.

     I’m not sure what encampments are like these days, but I do hope that you are all having a jolly good time!!

     All the best,

     Seonaidh
139. Brigid Meier on July 30th, 2010 2:01 pm
     

     Greetings from Tierra Drala Farm in Taos, New Mexico where, for the past eighteen months or so, I have been farming chiles and tomatoes in a 1000 square foot hoop house and growing Asian greens, corn, beans, peas and squash on ½ an acre for a CSA, the Santa Fe and Taos Farmers’ Markets, assorted local caterers and restaurants and friends and family. My goal is to create an integrated biodynamic system and eventually obtain Certified Naturally Grown status.

     This year I’m experimenting with different kinds of peppers and French cantaloupe in the greenhouse (which is the most delicious and which will succeed at 7400’ of high desert?) as well as keeping bees, worms, chickens and goats. Petite, fawn-like new addition, Rosie (3/4 Nubian), gives about five cups of milk a day and the refrigerator is filling up fast with jars of goat yoghurt which is nourishing and delicious on these hot summer days.

     In executing this permaculture endeavor I never imagined it would link me back into an old dog Shambhala sangha; it just seemed like the appropriate response to the dark times we are living in. And I must be simply one of many of VACT’s old students who scattered to the four directions after he died who has picked up a shovel and is attempting to create as sustainable a life as possible and do what Gary Snyder once advocated: “Find your place on the planet and dig in.”

     So it’s lovely to read on RFS that others—Mr. Perks and Crew in Vermont for instance—are on the same page and are proclaiming, in the words of our teacher: “You can combine survival and celebration.” It’s heartening to have like-minded company, however virtual and far flung it may be; perhaps there are others out there who might come forth and join the mycelial network of Shambhala farmers. Who knows, perhaps we can someday have our own Sunshine Café table and exchange goat cheese recipes, etc. ?

     You can friend me on Facebook and see photos of Tierra Drala Farm there or on my website: http://www.brigidmeier.com. I invite any of you peripatetic ronin to stop by and visit while on your journey along the vertebral mountains of the Sangre de Cristos; just a quick call first, please: 575-737-3060. And one final suggestion re: while trying to set up an all-inclusive Shambhala Constitution and expecting all parties to participate, please consider this important permaculture adage: Go where you’re wanted.

     Love to all from the border tribes,

     Brigid (Barbara, back-in-the-day) Meier
140. john perks on July 30th, 2010 3:45 pm
     

     Dear Brigid (Barbara),

     How wonderful to hear from you and what amazing luck that you should post this on our table! Definately I will give you a call on the telephone and check out your website.

     We are doing much of the same kinds of things here in VT.
     We have 12 acres, 6 open field and the other 6 being woodland. Luckily enough we also are on the edge of Saxtons River. And also, by the way, we have a Celtic Buddhist nun, who is a holistic licensed veterinarian who will be starting our monastic center nearby. And they also will be interested in permaculture work.

     It’s just great to hear from you and yes it would be wonderful to hear from others and who knows? we could have an agricultural table on Radio Free Shambhala.

     Thank you so much and I’ll be contacting you soon.
     Lots of love,

     Seonaidh (Major Perks)
     PS Great Celtic name, Brigid!!
141. yeshe tsomo on August 2nd, 2010 12:25 pm
     

     Dear Brigid,

     It is so wonderful to hear about your adventures, shovel in hand, (quite literally) growing and building the Kingdom of Shambhala in Taos. Thank you for sharing and best of luck to you!

     Dear Seonaidh,

     Thank you, again, for sharing stories of your experience with Rinpoche. I was completely delighted to read about the spirit of play you brought to the encampment.

     So often, however, I find that my sense of play and work (particularly when I feel some sense of responsibility to the outcome) morphs into aggression, faster than I can blink my eyes, sometimes. I am wondering if this happened to you as you endeavored to serve Rinpoche, and, if so, how you dealt with it, spot on.

     It seems one thing for me to witness and hold gently my aggression within a meditation session (and this is difficult enough). But I am struggling with it post-meditation, nearly all the time right now, it seems.

     I would welcome insight from anyone. Thanks and please keep sharing your stories!

     Love, Theresa
142. John Perks on August 2nd, 2010 2:41 pm
     

     Dear Theresa,
     always wonderful to hear from you,I was just mostly restentful around Rimpoche,which is I suppose a type of aggression,mostly because I did things wanting some kind of approval,or thank you ,when I was able to just play with a sense of humour then things worked out in with more harmony…but then there was the Armenian Devil {Jim Gimian} who would always try to upset my peacefull approch,he did this because Rinpoche loved me more than him,so he would pass the resentment on to me,then I would pass it back,but in the long run I won because I put a celtic curse on him and all his hair fell out,thats why to this day he is hairless..you should try curses they really work..I know quite a few..horn of rabbit ..foot of flea..bring my lover back to me …that type of thing …BUT you have to know when to say it timing is everything…and also what to wear…
     love to you
     Seonaidh
143. John Perks on August 2nd, 2010 3:17 pm
     

     P.S.being an idiot I never understood the differance between meditation and post meditation.I thought post meditation was for building fence’s while the former was just waiting to do that..
144. Kevin Frost on August 2nd, 2010 7:31 pm
     

     Major Perks; Very pleased to make your acquaintence. I’m Kevin Frost. Bedford Springs 84. Your stories are heaven sent. The earth hereabouts is dry as there has been a long drought and the earth is altogether pleased with this rain. A specificic question, sir, if you will. About Montebatten. Mountbatten in the morning, Mountbatten in the evening, Mountbatten at supper time. Can you say something about this? I would be most obliged. Thank you, Kevin.
145. John Perks on August 3rd, 2010 10:36 am
     

     Dear Kevin Frost,

     Thank you so much for writing. I’ve enjoyed very much your postings on the Constitution table of the cafe.

     Concerning Lord Mountbatten and Trungpa Rinpoche: I think the short answer is elegance and decorum, as well as Shambhala warriorship. It’s interesting that at the time of Lord Mountbatten’s assasination in the summer of 1979, Trungpa Rinpoche was so upset that he wept. We cut out a picture of Lord Mountbatten from the cover of Time magazine, I believe, and Rinpoche kept it on his sitting-room table. We also wore black armbands at the court.

     As you know Trungpa Rinpoche was interested in conveying elegance and decorum into the Shambhala teachings–especially within the Court and Kasung mandalas. And if you think about it, what personage right now on the world stage would you consider as truly elegant? I also think Trungpa Rinpoche had a personal connection with Lord Mountbatten, although I do not think they ever met in person, though I am not 100% sure of this. I do know also that Trungpa Rinpoche admired Winston Churchill. At one time he said to me, “I have to act like Churchill because I am at war.” Trungpa Rinpche aslo used images from movies, particularaly the Kurosawa movies of Kagemusha and Dersu Uzala, and also strangely enough, Gunga Din.

     It is interesting to me that you are asking questions concerning the mind of Trungpa Rinpoche. This is quite a wonderful exploration, and many people have many parts of the puzzle.

     I would like to, if I may, say something about your post on the Constitution table, where you refer to yourself as someone who might be referred to as a traitor. I would not consider that to be true in any instance. Perhaps we could say “an esteemed member of the loyal opposition.”

     Thank you so much for writing.

     Yours in the vision of The Great Eastern Sun,
     Major Perks
146. Edward on August 3rd, 2010 12:12 pm
     

     Dear Seonaidh,

     I have a question about your book and about story writing.

     Did your book anger any of your fellow students? Or did you ever worry that you were sort of giving the secret away, type of thing?

     I’ve started writing down stories of time I had with my old teacher, but I would be somewhat terrified of letting anyone read some of them. My teacher sort of became more and more an embodiment of his students’ fantasies over time. Which I guess was a very skillful and powerful way to work with people.

     Like he made us think we were “saving the world” and all that, but now that I look back on it, he was just telling us what we wanted to hear, just speaking our own thoughts aloud as if they were his own. He said sometimes a teacher has to enter into the dream world of the student.

     But the problem is that when I write stories, I don’t necessarily take people’s fantasies and beliefs seriously. I mean, I’m more apt to have fun with all that, and show my teacher’s sense of humor in the midst of all that. In fact, that would be the whole point of writing the stories– to help me see them more clearly.

     But I’m afraid that would incense people if certain people ever read them.

     Anyway, just wondering what your experience was with that sort of thing when you wrote and circulated your book.
147. John Perks on August 4th, 2010 8:36 am
     

     Dear Edward,

     Concerning your questions about writing and publishing the Mahasiddha and His Idiot Servant: Yes indeed, it created a great amount of emnity from sangha members, which continues to this day. Such charges as samaya breaker, crazy person, looney, outcast, traitor to the teachings of Shambhala were lodged and are still proclaimed. So given that, what did I have to go on?

     Trungpa Rinpoche said to me personally may times that dharma teachings are self-secret and that one shouldn’t treat the teachings as secret. So if talking about teachings or dharma, if one doesn’t understand them it is called self-secret. Secondly he said to me, “Many people will like what you do, many people wil not like what you do, and others couldn’t care less. Do not pay attention to any of it.” And, lastly, he said, You have to go out and be on your own.” So those were the instructions that I followed in writing and publishing the book.

     A good friend of mine who read the draft manuscript said to me, “It’s quite wonderful and it gives a good sense of what it was like to be around Trungpa Rinpoche, but if you publish it the sangha will give you a black eye for it.” So those are always the chances one takes in the publication of any controversial material. I certainly have no regrets whatsoever in writing or publishing the book. You must make up your own ind on what you want to do with your writings. And I understand fully your hesitation, and can only wish you, as Trungpa Rinpoche used to say, “Jolly good luck!”

     All kind regards,
     Seonaidh
148. John Perks on August 6th, 2010 8:17 am
     

     Dear Edward,
     So have been thinking about you and the great fix your teacher has set you up in.If you publish you will be set upon like Macbeth and if you don’t publish you will end up like Hamlet….must be Midsummers Nights Dream…or even Much To Do About Nothing..
     Keep us posted,
     Love,
     Willie Shakes
149. Sister Gryphon on August 8th, 2010 8:46 am
     

     The Avalokitesvara Vow

     Occasionally in postings, I see references to samaya vows, and, coming from a Zen Buddhist lineage, have little real experience or understanding of them, since Zen Buddhists only take the 3 Refuges, the 3 Pure Precepts, and the 10 Grave Precepts (the 16 Bodhisattva Precepts). So, I asked my teacher, Seonaidh, about samaya vows and if we had anything similar in the Celtic Buddhist tradition. This launched a very good discussion on appreciation of our ancestors, devotion and it’s importance, and on the Avalokitesvara Vow. The discussion gave me much good food for thought and inspiration, and so I thought I would share one part of the discussion, which was about the Avalokitesvara Vow.

     The Celtic Buddhist Lineage is a servant lineage. But true service does not happen when our ego is guarding the gates of our perception. When the ego is present and on duty, we experience only our own suffering and perhaps the suffering of loved ones. We do not see clearly.
     Therefore it is essential that we continue to forget the self, that we become completely open, in order to be able to look, see and feel the suffering of All beings. When this happens, when we finally let go into this state of openness, even for an instant, then we have a sense of Avalokitesvara and can see the suffering of all beings and experience the enormity of that suffering which has arisen from every individual’s clingings.
     At that moment, our perception could shatter into billions of pieces. And the Buddhas would have to come and put us back together again, which would give us the skillful means to serve and help all beings achieve a state of realization.

     So, in the Celtic Buddhist tradition, we do not have samaya vows. But, once we have had some true glimpse of Avalokitsvara, we may then take the Avalokitsvara Vow, which is nothing other than the vow to continue the emanation of Avalokitsvara in our being throughout all of our life times.
150. Brigid Meier on August 10th, 2010 8:11 pm
     

     Dear Theresa,

     Thank you for your kind words a week ago or so re: helping to create The Kingdom of Shambhala shovel by shovelful; hopefully ALL of us are manifesting the words of our teacher, Chogyam Trungpa Rinpoche, “ The Kingdom that you are ruling is your own life; it is a householder’s life…the pattern of your life can be a joyous one, a celebration…”.

     Farming seems to be on a relentless continuum vacillating between sublime ecstasy (the sound of a meadow lark at dawn, the corn is up!) to harsh heartbreak (the 30 minute hailstorm set all the crops back three weeks, a chicken dies inexplicably) to feeling intense conflicting emotions (a male goat you’ve lovingly raised is now in the freezer in wrapped parcels at your behest…). Despite or perhaps because of this, sustainable permaculture farming—plant and humane animal stewardship—turns out to be an outstanding way to connect daily with the ordinary magic of drala as well as I dare say, with one of The Three Marks of Existence: impermanence. I encourage everyone to grow and tend SOMEthing—herbs, flowers, a cherry tomato plant—just to participate intimately in the Mystery; it will most assuredly lead one forward on one’s dharmic journey.

     Nature can teach us so much—how robust, resilient ecosystems thrive in the complexity of beneficial interactions ( particularly along the edges of adjoining ecosystems ); how pests and disease flourish from mono-cropping. Not allowing a healthy diversity or an exchange between center and fringe invites ecosystems to collapse. These permaculture lessons can be, I believe, extrapolated to business dealings, personal relationships and even organizations. I do recall that VACT actively invited and encouraged input from the fringe of the mandala; he knew its inestimable value in nurturing the vibrancy of the center.

     I am new to this site and I could be wrong but it appears that many of the threads on Radio Free Shambhala are from my contemporaries–older students from the ‘70s– mourning the demise of that open flow of communication in the current Shambhala International configuration. Even if the crucial data of dissatisfaction is unsolicited and unheeded, RFS , along with the Chronicles of CTR website, serve a valuable function in providing forums for voicing and archiving that that feedback is alive and well out on the fringe of the greater sangha’s ecosystem. Both are, in and of themselves, extremely healthy phenomena (not to mention a tremendous boon for those of us in the hinterlands– both geographically and in terms of currently not being aligned with any organized scene–).

     Expecting any confirmation or response from the center, however, appears to be so far fruitless; best to let go of that hope (and fear) and do the practices VACT gave us. We could celebrate the great good fortune of having received them directly from him by planting something cheerful to invite the blessings of the dralas; they seem extremely eager to support us and don’t belong to anyone…

     Love to all from Tierra Drala Farm,

     Brigid
151. John Perks on August 10th, 2010 8:44 pm
     

     Sometimes I don’t know where you are,but then you show up in the most unexpected places,Brigid the embodyment of that word ,that name Brigid,
     rain after long dry spell,soft mist early morning,whispering grass,deep in the wood where I do not let people go I say “that belongs to them” we do not go there,Two nuns in Ireland in a small suburban house keep the flame of Brigid,and serve tea,just that,quite extrodinary,quite simple,how wonderful,in the name of Brigid,many are your aspects…..we thank you for them all…In Ireland we found Brigids garden perhaps it is on line …Thank you for Tierra Drala Farm..in the heart of CTR land…you keep the flame…Love to you from us………
152. John Perks on August 12th, 2010 10:43 am
     

     But then you show up as Drukmo Yeshe Sarasvati Ziji,
     We of the Tuatha De Danann Welcome you with joy and blessings,
     and salute you with this name,
     The owl called with the rising sun the day of birth for you,
     Brigid Eithne Birog Danu,
     Chloich sholuis na h-uile-bhith
153. Edward on August 12th, 2010 5:08 pm
     

     Hi Mr. Perks,

     Thanks for the comments. For now I think I’ll write up some stories and keep them to myself.

     By the way I love this scene from the Life of Brian: “He’s Mad, Sir”: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nmU9M-oarho One guy is mad and the other stutters like crazy, so everyone gives up and leaves them alone. God I love this.

     Sister Gryphon writes:
     The Celtic Buddhist Lineage is a servant lineage. But true service does not happen when our ego is guarding the gates of our perception.

     Wow, well put.

     When I was younger I used to race around trying to help everybody, but I always left a wake of much bigger problems behind me wherever I went.

     Now I’m trying to learn to see the beauty and wisdom in things before I rush in. And the more I open my eyes, the more complex the world becomes, that’s for sure.

     Keep those gates of perception closed!! Batten down the hatches!

     Edwrad
154. Kevin Frost on August 14th, 2010 5:34 am
     

     This birth was occasion for mirth; indeed it’s so, but not for me. You see dear sir, I wagered Sun King and lost, a bottle of sake to Major Perks. That was sobering; I tell the truth. Soboring indeed. Such a loss gave pause, and within this pause arouse a thought, this: our next ridgen may well be a queen and she will be to Shambhala our Catherine the Great, with five consorts, more or less, or what have you, but will rule our kingdom even so. So!
155. Kevin Frost on August 14th, 2010 6:54 am
     

     Edward: pithy advise from the Major and am pleased to note your response. You should go forwards because that’s only advise this lineage has to offer. Not backwards. I once saw your late teacher give a talk back in the 80s. Pretty good. I could find nothing to take issue with. At the time I was friends with a student of his; well we were on good terms of a circumstantial nature. It seems he either belonged to or just participated in a local Baptist congregation and he used to get up in the pulpit and bang the bible. I once asked him about this and he told me he was teaching Mahamudra. I was not altogether convinced but nonetheless appreciated the authentic presence of his WASP character. I get the idea that your late teacher collected these people as indeed he was one himself. Everything you have had to say about the late Adi da confirms this. I’ve read many of your posts and recall the altercations on the Bratboard between yourself and others, notably Ashoka, who took exception to your interest in Ron Paul and subsequently tea parties. I particularly recall a stretch of two or several weeks when you were trying to string out a theory of banking, credit, and suchlike matters within a community context and was delighted to note that there was somebody out there who was actually trying to do something that might issue in some sort of definite offering to our community and the world that Rinpoche was trying to create. You can contribute. You can make an offering of whatever it is that you have to give. I don’t know the present status of that enterprise but it doesn’t matter. Please go forwards. Well, I have something quite specific in mind. Please get hold of the Protestant Ethic and the Spirit of Capitalism by Max Weber and read it. Cover to cover. Wont take so long, three hours, four. And think about it. If and when you have something to say regarding this material you can post your comments on one of the political threads here at rfs. And I’ll try to respond, though it is difficult to keep up with so many comments and considerations. I shouldn’t preempt this business but I’m getting a bit panicky; I think we might be running out of time. Or perhaps it’s just me. No matter. Weber possessed an insight into spiritual materialism that would be of the greatest benefit to our community if such an insight were understood. Nobody does. You have an advantage. You are one of the very few self proclaimed WASP’s about. The rest of our community is in chronic denial and it shows. The air around here is so thick with confusion that you cannot see your way clear to the bar, the loo, or indeed the door. It’s that bad. Hope to hear from you on this. Thank you, Kevin Frost
156. John Perks on August 14th, 2010 7:08 am
     

     Well dear Kevin,It may not have been a fair bet,you had the cards stacked againts you.We asked our Druid in march,and she said Girl,also if you look at her Celtic names they give the nature both ying and yang,could be alot of Granddad old Chogyam,That would send a shiver down the ranks.
     The current rule will not change much untill then,family lineage stuff,the oposition hiding in the hills,same as now.she could be a Sakyong of the people,but there are other contenders on the way…the stormy waves,and calms of Chogyam continue…quite a show,
     Are you doing any teaching there down under?
     How are the goats?
     Love to you this fine day,
     Major
157. Kevin Frost on August 14th, 2010 10:41 am
     

     Good morning Major. Some thoughts proceeding from: ‘the current rule will not change much until then’

     The vision of Catherine is here, for me, somewhat over the hill, on the far side of a mountain to climb, and I see a good possibility that in time the Sakyong will actually become a war leader as had been anticipated of the Mipham line. It’s up to the kids. It’s their show basically. Peace will come, but not yet. Still there is much to do.

     I see the present exodus of Buddhists as a sort of heavy handed cleansing operation on the part of the Dharmapalas, where the Dharma dogs are hounded out and called over to Dzongar’s camp where they are presented with a vision of Lord Buddha. This is where Trungpa’s genuine Dharma lineage is to be found, and not in Ojai. Many find this painful for well canvassed reasons and many true ones. We are being operated upon, quite gently actually, and maybe that accounts for the anaesthetised fog that has elicited complaints. It feels like schism, yet again, and now worse as schism combines with a generational thing. It’s rough, like being thrown out by your kids. This has been prophesised by the Hopi. There will be more of that. Yet the guru smiles on us. It’s as bad as we think, and yet better than we can imagine.

     It is to be hoped that someday the Sakyong Wangmo will harvest some peace. Sir, if you would have my view on this I’d say, if she can do that, she can have as many contenders as she likes. Or what would you?

     No teaching jobs. Over 60. There are openings with Adult ed and similar venues, some with a work for the dole arrangement. But a trip to Hobart costs diesel and I manage to squeak by with picture framing at home. The original plan was to go to school, get degree, and then try for a position at maybe Dalhousie, or Dartmouth, but plans went awry and I ended up here. It’s good. Since Ilona went to Austria I’ve done little but sit at this keyboard writing things long pent up. And feeding Anita and Bierly who are well. I shall tomorrow morning convey your regards. And mine to you and yours! Especially princesses. Love to all, Kevin.
158. John Perks on August 14th, 2010 10:00 pm
     

     It is as you say,the yearning lineage,
     It is good that Buddhism is being put through the wringer again,while some hold on to traditional systems,it is as it should be .
     we here in Celtic Buddhist land spend time in transition translation and tribal feasts,like kids asking why,why,why,
     loveing the great ones who have past,listerning to their stories in wonderment by the transformative fires of the present,eager to start the new day,We are writing CelticBuddhist bible…long neverending story…like movement of stones from Wales to Salisbury plain…with commentary by Eddie Izzard and the boys from little Britain…
     Good Night to us Good morning to you,
     stay with love,
     bright star of CTR,
     Major
159. Kevin Frost on August 14th, 2010 11:44 pm
     

     Stones from Wales to Salisbury plains. I didn’t know this. We have people from Wales. And my teacher, Rob Walker, with him for ten years studying, Welsh. In a class by himself, international relations/political theory scholar. He had this Welsh joke: traveller in Wales approaches native asking: how do you get there from here? Pause, long pause, finally: ‘can’t be done’. Now to Vermont. There was a famous photographer there who studied with Ansel Adams and started teaching himself back in the 80s, named Fred Picker. Fred was Yankee through and through. So he tells this story about Vermont. Neighbors meeting on the front porch of the local variety store. ‘How’s your wife? Pause, long pause, finally: ‘compared to what?’

     I was looking at the Glen Ard website. Good pattern. A monastery in Shambhala setting, hedged, somewhat. Sort of a detention center for repeat offenders, as Tassies might view the matter. But it gets you closer to the flavor of the first noble truth. We’re so professional with the higher yanas but yet to discover the Buddha’s teaching. In time. Years ago I had this vision of Cape Breton, a Gampopa thing. Osel Tenzin was there, with friends, quite a few, and they were building in stone, the old way, by hand. And it was very Tasmania. You know the convicts here built their own prisons, in sandstone. Everything around here in the early days in sandstone. And fine work to, skilled, very smart work sir. But Cape Breton, everybody was hard at it, all a bit sweaty, manly labour really, and they were building. Not so skilled, but coming along, learn as you go. And they were going to build a stupa when they’d learned enough. It was like long ago, the Emerald Isle of old, another rocky country swept with wind, warmed by the tremoring light of the lamp of learning – and that’s about all! Frosty. Something that didn’t happen. But funny, those things happen to as I once discovered. Everything, and All. Major, you’ve dropped a hint or two pointing in the direction of Gurdjieff. Would love to talk some day. But in the meantime the ‘teach your children’ thing, job #1. Please keep me posted from time to time; very interested in this. It’s all for the kids. This is not sufficiently understood. Enough. Always a pleasure, Kevin
160. John Perks on August 15th, 2010 8:33 am
     

     O yes my dear,The stones from stonehenge came from Wales,nobody is quite sure how they were transported,must have taken quite a few weekends,with time off for tea….yes would be great to meet…untill then..we will keep in touch…
     Always
     Major Seonaidh
161. Sister Gryphon on August 15th, 2010 3:55 pm
     

     Hey Edward,

     yes, great Monty Python clip!! Gotta love Monty Python.

     I also want to thank H.H. Seonaidh for letting us have the outdoor meditation retreat in the field, under the stars and sun, in the yurt with no walls, for making us do all the cooking in the field, and for all the good talks he gave. It was really quite magical.

     I am thinking we should travel from town to town doing some olde time Celtic Buddhist tent revivals!!

     Much love,

     Sr Gryphon
162. John Perks on August 16th, 2010 3:52 am
     

     Great idea sister Griff,We need music,meditation ,set up on village green,we will talk about this,
     see you
     Seonaidh
163. Kevin Frost on August 16th, 2010 9:53 am
     

     Cross. A gift of crosses, symbols, seeds. When the harvest is in, he returns the owners goods.

     The historians recall a time they call the dark ages of Europe following the collapse of Rome and centuries of war, migrations, raiding, and so much violence everywhere.

     On our Emerald Isle, pockets of peace were there, and nowhere else, and here the lamp of learning was lit with the fuel of brotherly love. That seed was planted and grew as tall as the great cathedrals our ancestors made, these monuments to their faith. and likewise Shambhala will be built.

     A sad thought: St. Malachy foretold the line of popes till this present penultimate, next to last. I think of the sex scandals, seeds long planted now bear fruit. The accusers testify, the prosecutors demand an end to celibacy. The pope faces his anti church while he knows all is sinking. I hope they can go down without cursing each other. It’s all saddening. While I know the accusations to be just I am saddened by this demand to break the vow of celibacy, which was once a vow of brotherly love in truth. But the furies will not be appeased I know. Even so, vows are the essence of things; these are the seeds that bear fruit, good and evil, the same. It is goodness that becomes evil when the vow is violated. What goes up can also come down, and this a very long way, much longer than we might think. So much of what has happened in our modern world proceeded as the consequences of our broken vows, vows abandoned, violated, diverted, our downfalls.

     It will all happen again. Perhaps this time we could avoid our previous mistakes. I believe we have been handed the keys to the kingdom, no less, and ought to be thankful. We have been taught the three yanas and also Shambhala.

     Right now this issue is being aired, this business of how Shambhala should be taught with the new Shambhala Buddhism here roundly questioned as contrary to Trungpa’s wish. On the Vajra Dog site I read the explanations of Noel McLellan and took his point. He raises the issue of whether it’s a good idea to hand out visualization practices to people who do not hold the view of emptiness. And also there are shinjanging issues.

     There have been problems with this before and I can think of no better example than the Church in all of it’s history, or nearly all. When we believe in our projections we believe in our selves to and if others don’t buy our projections we start to go on a sales pitch and proselyting. Serious problems with this. There are our contemporary fundamentalists, and to these we may add a slew of others and new age deva realm clingings and such. Rinpoche said that the only way to combat spiritual materialism was genuine practice. And on that basis you could expose bad practice. He never hesitated. And vajra guards forever to. I think so.

     But also, this business of lineage is not well understood. We are not talking about god or some airey originating principle but our fathers and mothers. And it’s so interesting. Well, who created you? Who actually created your body? Well, she did. Don’t ask me how. Or her. But sh
164. Kevin Frost on August 16th, 2010 11:35 am
     

     the above post got chopped. Continuing:

     Who actually created your body? Well, she did. Don’t ask me how. Or her. But she did. With a bit of help from dad, of course. I think that what we could expect of questionable visualization practice Shambhala-wise would be say, boasting of our incomparable family lineage, second to none, a lamp to humanity, as bright as the sun, and so forth. Actually the real problem is that there’s not enough of this sort of thing and we should rather encourage it than call in the dogs. As for the shinjang issues, well, we could do with a bit of this, no doubt, but it all begins at home. There should be some appreciation, gratitude, and Thanksgiving, for what was done for us, and on this basis: teach your children. There are obstacles here. This will take time.

     So I take Mr. McLellan’s point but I nonetheless think the problem could be undercut considerably by being ever so clear about lineage and what this means. This would also clear up some of the political problems that get aired here. Shambhala is not about god, a new fangled principle of all, who does look a bit like all the others, but rather about your father, your real father and mother and your children above all. That is lineage, that is your humanity, this what we actually are and it cannot be otherwise (unless you can take birth in lotus blossoms). In a significant sense the view of ‘emptiness’ is found, that is, dependent origination. If we could understand our own human dependent origination we would be glad and thankful and not so confused. And this would become our learning. Not psychology, but culture, cultivating our relations.

     All in all it would be well to carry on teaching in good faith as you no doubt do. We should, as a matter of principle, hold ourselves open to question by any, inside our out, for truly that line is the one to the bottom of things, thoughts arise, not as private as we might think, the ground of spontaneous insight. I think it is really about hearing people out, even people who ramble too much, unlike me!

     Ho. Oh. Heavens. A confession must be made. I’m a rookie. I have not been to Assembly or Golden Key or Lodge or any of that. My reader should know this. I had a Catholic upbringing, a bit watered down, but I’m proud of my family (even though we hardly talk to each other). At school I fell in love with Chinese philosophy. For such like reasons I talk too much. So. So enough of this rambling. Again, thank you all for your patience, Kevin Frost.
165. Edward on August 22nd, 2010 11:29 am
     

     Does anyone want to read a short story about some Celtic pluck?

     Here is the story of piper Bill Millin which someone just sent me: http://maxminimus.blogspot.com/2010/08/kilts-and-bagpipes-goodbye-bill-millin.html

     “Never has an instrument been so loved by a people and yet so feared by their enemies as the Highland bagpipes. The pipes are a symbol of strength, the salve of the soul, and the prize of Clans.”

     - Edward
166. John Perks on August 22nd, 2010 12:32 pm
     

     Edward
     Great story,also explaines why the Germans never shot at Hitler,there are great stories of the pipers at the battle of waterloo,and of course going into battle naked as a jay bird painted blue with woad,then of course the navy drinking rum before battle,which is also called “Dutch courage”
     reminds me of the Ghost dance shirt of the native Americans which when worn could not be hit by bullets turned out not quite true…I liked the comments by the Germans they did not shoot at him because the thought he was crazy….interesting
167. Edward on August 22nd, 2010 1:16 pm
     

     I liked the comments by the Germans they did not shoot at him because the thought he was crazy….interesting

     Yes, maybe you could make further use of this principle in your work?
     

     There’s a woman in Ireland with the same last name as me who plays those little Irish pipes that sit in your lap. Not nearly as exciting as the big Scottish pipes, in my opinion, but still cool.

     A few years ago I taught myself to play a couple tunes on a penny whistle, but the penny whistle feels too flimsy to me. It doesn’t have enough oomph, or something.

     I should probably go back to fiddle, something I tried to learn once or twice. There’s something to be said for sticking with one thing, rather than jumping here and there, flittering all over the place. At least that’s what Ravi Shankar’s music teacher told him when he was a boy.

     He also told him that he played like a girl.

     Ah, there’s nothing better than a good music teacher, one who’s willing to trim your ego back a bit.

     My old teacher had us watch a video of Ravi Shankar talking about his music teacher. He said whenever he went to see his teacher, he was filled with a mixture of fear and awe.

     His music teacher would be as sweet as pie when he was out in public, but if anyone approached him wanting music instruction, he’d turn into this mad tyrant, demanding absolute dedication and discipline, and he had a fierce temper.
168. John Perks on August 23rd, 2010 8:29 am
     

     Dear Edward,
     I think it would be great if you went back to playing the celtic fiddle,it brings people such joy to have music,and the lord god knows Buddhists need JOY big time.then eveyone can jump in no matter what fucking religion they are,forget the differances and dance,clap hands whatever…if you take back up the fiddle I will take pipe lessions,small pipes,I used to play the chanter years ago of course,if me fingers wont work I’ll take up the small squeeze box……yes yes yes crazy john perks…are well thats the way it is and at this point it will only get more over it..let me know about the fiddle
     love
     Seonaidh
169. Sister Gryphon on August 29th, 2010 11:02 am
     

     A friend recently got me reading a book called “Women don’t ask” which looks at quite a number of studies which prove that 80% of the time when women stand up for themselves they are seen as bitches and when they don’t they are seen as weak. It’s a no win situation, which I personally struggled with daily at the male dominated monastery I lived at. It isn’t that people purposefully want to harm or demean women, it is simply that there are social expectations and norms that are strongly ingrained in our culture and these manifest in unperceived ways. In one study the experimenters had something like 100 different groups of people (male and female) working under either a male of female leader. All the people participating in the study considered themselves to be progressive, holding modern views towards women in the work place and being supportive of women being in positions of “power” All participants were led to believe the experiment was about the experiment they were given. However, at the end of the study, as an aside, the participants were asked to comment on the talents and likability of their leader. In almost 100% of the cases- the women leaders were rated as incompetent and power hungry or bitchy and the men were rated as strong and competent. But of course all of the leaders- male and female- had been trained to say and do exactly the same things by the experimenters. In another experiment, when people were auditioning for the orchestra, women were picked only 20% of the time for the positions. When the experimenters put up a screen so that the judges (professional orchestra judges) could not see if the instrumentalist was male or female, women were chosen 200% more often!!! That is one hell of a stat.
     sigh.
     So here is the question.
     Should Glen Ard Abbey just be for women, be a female monastery (I avoid the word nunnery because it is a word with too many associations). Is the best way to allow women to truly come into their own by separation? My Zen teacher believed that the only way for sexual equality to happen was to integrate. But however pure his motivation and desire for that equality to occur, I can tell you that integration did not work at that monastery.
170. Edward on August 29th, 2010 11:34 pm
     

     Hi Seonaidh,

     Yes, I got out my fiddle and it still plays! What a beautiful instrument. It has a lot to teach me.

     Whereas the main thing I like about my penny whistle is I can stick it in my pocket and it’s durable and can go places. But my! If I blow too hard immediately it starts to complain. It’s too fussy for my tastes, and has less resonance than the fiddle.

     .

     Whoops. Hi Sister Gryphon,

     I just noticed your comments.

     I would say that women have been repressed by men all over this planet for thousands of years, in ways that most men and women are not even conscious of.

     Women are typically trained from birth (without anyone even realizing that that’s what’s happening) to compete with other women in order to land a husband and then pump out babies. If women can learn to support one another rather than compete with one another, that seems like a step in the right direction.

     I don’t know if kicking the men out of an abbey would help create that, or be beneficial in other ways. Maybe it would.

     Sometimes when genders are separated, at first they panic and feel lost without the other gender, but then if the people are able to support one another, they can “come into their own” as you say. At least I’ve experienced that before.

     In my old spiritual community, we had separate cultures for men and women. For instance the men and women would typically sit separately at meals and so on. That might sound shockingly different, or artificial, but after the first day or two it felt extremely natural and was often a huge relief. Women felt strong and complete among themselves, and the men felt likewise.

     That’s also how many native American cultures did it. They felt that for men to be strong men and for women to be strong women, they needed time spent just among their own gender.

     Not just native Americans, but native everybodys, maybe.
171. John Perks on August 30th, 2010 6:18 pm
     

     dear Chris

     So Chis what is it about The Royal Mukpo’s that realy pisses you off?
172. Chris on August 30th, 2010 6:28 pm
     

     Dear John:

     The Royal Mukpos , as you call

     them, are frauds who are ripping off suffering students coming to them for the dharma. It is a bait and switch of the worst kind. It should be shouted down from the rooftops!

     You are no Celt , sir. You are an apologist for Tyrannical royalty, and androcentric clerics in skirts, something that pisses off any true Irishman. Chris.

     Cheers,
     Chris
173. John Perks on August 30th, 2010 6:54 pm
     

     of course you are right,I am a complete fraud,I admit it. so what is your story?What is it about the Mukpo’s that gets you so excited?.did you not serve them at one time?but you are right I am not Irish ,English or a Celt,Were not you very close to Taggie Mukpo?
174. Chris on August 30th, 2010 7:04 pm
     

     John, this is a conversation for over tea. When I get to Vt this fall , maybe we can meet at Ditty Greenleaf’s to continue this conversation.
175. John Perks on August 30th, 2010 7:12 pm
     

     OK fair enough will be great to see you
176. John Perks on August 31st, 2010 7:46 am
     

     Rob ,
     Thank you for your questions concerning scots romans and vikings,as to my own lineage,yes I did wear a kilt,but because my mother and father were not married,my first birth certificate has the name John Andrews who my mother was legaily married to at the time,then it was changed to Perks…so I might have some scottish claims mostly from all the scotch I have been drinking all these years…yes thoes Vikings did get around even to the new world,you know who knows alot about Vikings is Kirstan Gilkerson she being a Viking herself
177. Sister Gryphon on August 31st, 2010 4:04 pm
     

     Dear Edward,

     Thank you for your thoughts. I truly appreciate them!!
     It is good to hear a masculine take on things.

     What you said and experienced feels true- and although it would have freaked me out to go to a dharma place and see men and women eating at separate tables, it conjures up my memories of college when I was getting my BA. It was an all woman’s college and the only reason I went to it (being appalled by it being an all woman’s college) was because they had offered me a very good scholarship to attend and my family was quite poor. However in retrospect I have often felt that attending an all woman’s college actually allowed me to really explore EVERYTHING without fear and to really find my own strengths. I know that may sound silly, but if guys had been around I would never had had the nerve to head a basketball team, to be vice president of the radio station, or to lead the many wilderness outings that I did, let alone the many other explorations I did. Honestly, I would have felt too self conscious to have done those things with guys about.
     In Ireland they have a long history of separating the lads from the lasses. But I have read that it can leave too big an awkwardness between and boys and girls in later years by creating that separation. I don’t know… but the flip side is we are seeing American 12 year old girls dressing like vixens trying to impress the boys- so young and already lost in that game.
     hmm.
     I would definitely be curious to hear more about your experience of separate cultures for men and women in your old spiritual community when you have the time. Thank you again for your thoughts.

     Love,
     Sr Gryphon
178. Edward on September 1st, 2010 2:40 am
     

     Well, I think men and women sometimes spend a lot of energy trying to impress one another, and without that dynamic going on, at first we’re at a loss for what to do. Or we feel threatened, or deprived or something.

     But then we learn that we can be complete within ourselves, or within a culture of our own gender. We begin to discover that we each have a masculine and a feminine side, inside us. We are not, as we thought, one incomplete half of a whole, that is constantly needy and dependent on the other half to give us balance and completeness. A woman needing a man to act for her, or a man needing a woman to tell him what he’s feeling, or whatever.

     But this is easier to feel among supportive friends of the same gender, in my experience.

     Otherwise it’s harder to get a sense for this. We might assume, coming from a crippled modern upbringing, that nurturing or sympathy can only be received from a member of the opposite gender, etc. etc. We have all these illusions about it all.

     I think what it comes down to is that sexuality is a powerful force that our modern culture has absolutely no idea how to deal with. Compared to traditional societies, we pretend it doesn’t exist or affect us at all, but we are also more obsessed with sex than any other society in history.

     I’m actually glad you brought this up. I was just thinking how it affects me more than I tend to think it does.

     In my old community we also would sit for group meditation with the men on one side and the women on the other. That might sound odd, or shocking, or archaic, or something. But it actually was fantastic, and felt as natural as, you know, going into a men’s bathroom. Or watching the sunrise.

     Not only did it feel natural, but powerful. I’m not sure how to put it in words.

     My teacher used to say that men know how to inspire one another, and expect good things from one another, when we’re not constantly competing for the attention of women. That’s certainly true in my experience.

     Coming from a crippled modern upbringing, I’ve actually seen miracles happen with some of this stuff, amazing things. wow.

     So… can you say more? Any questions? Comments?

     -Edward

     P.S. Perhaps I should clarify that most of us were in an intimate sexual relationship. Only some people were celibate. But I don’t think that changes much with regard to what I was describing.
179. Tsering on September 1st, 2010 10:32 am
     

     Dathuns, seminars, seminaries, fire pujas, etc.__seating was always “mixed”. Interestingly werma sadhana practice and feasts used to be ( i think) the only occasion where the male warriors (boys) sat together on one side and the female (girls) on the other side of the shrine..
     As Edward says: Not only did it feel natural, but powerful. This seating arrangement ended several years ago (who knows why?)

     In my experience of the american native tradition, women are/were the ultimate “deciders” (esp. regarding war! ).Yet they had to keep their distance (literally) from any ceremonies/rituals during their menstrual cycles_ not because they were “lesser/inferior” but because it was recognized that raw female power unleashed during this “period” would adversely affect the shamans/rituals/ceremonies.

     A few years ago in Boulder some women requested a ” girls only ” talk from Khandro Rinpoche..She said OK but then allowed the boys in.
     “We all have the same kleshas!!!
180. Tsering on September 1st, 2010 10:46 am
     

     The point i guess is that until one evolves into Vajradhara and becomes free of any limitations whatsoever ,any situation that illuminates one’s energy/style/thought patterns/fixations is most welcome!
     Don’t you think!
181. Edward on September 1st, 2010 11:33 am
     

     Tsering writes:
     until one evolves into Vajradhara and becomes free of any limitations whatsoever ,any situation that illuminates one’s energy/style/thought patterns/fixations is most welcome!

     Definitely! But perhaps it’s not just a matter of illuminating those things, but also of learning to respect and work with certain energies more skillfully.

     I remember reading in Diana Mukpo’s book where her husband CTR insisted that she sleep on his left. And she thought he was nuts!

     I had to smile when I read that, because our teacher had us do the same thing, with the man on the right and the woman on the left.

     My teacher used to say that enlightenment is not a disembodied, intellectual thing, but it affects how we work with energy. Not just up in our minds somewhere but in direct, tangible, earthy ways.

     But getting back to Sister Gryphon’s question, I guess you have to ask yourself if modern teenagers, with tremendous access to the opposite gender, are clear, strong, confident, brave individuals. Or whether they have become confused and timid, in comparison to say

     the Celtic people
     or Japanese samurai
     or New Zealand Maoris

     all of which I think tended to honor and respect the reality of sexual energy and the value of having individual men’s and women’s cultures in their societies.

     I’m not saying any of these cultures were fully enlightened or free from problems, or that they didn’t “twist” some of these concepts in the wrong directions. But the way modern society tries to fully integrates men and women is very much a new experiment I think.

     Pretty soon they’ll have men and women serving on submarines together, if they haven’t done that already. That used to be considered extremely bad luck.
182. Edward on September 1st, 2010 12:19 pm
     

     I am born of a distinguished people
     whose legacy shines on me like the sun.

     Hold fast! Into the rising sun!

     Maoris: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3BoNmpvkavo

     When my teacher went to Fiji, he said that the Fijians’ history of cannibalism wasn’t such a good thing.

     But… he said that the Fijians had a lot of traditional wisdom that they could teach modern white people. Nobody believed that at first, because modern white people assume we’re superior to everyone, with more intellectual “sophistication” and buttons we can push to kill people.

     The Fijians have dances, and some are all-male dances and some are all-female dances.

     Coming from a crippled, modern upbringing, the power that is present, say, in a male Maori war dance, is pretty shocking.
183. Tsering on September 1st, 2010 1:05 pm
     

     Edward

     ” perhaps it’s not just a matter of illuminating those things, but also of learning to respect and work with certain energies more skillfully.”

     Yes! Confusion dawns as wisdom, energies are Vajradhara’s joyous dance!
184. Sister Gryphon on September 1st, 2010 1:41 pm
     

     The other thing is that, in my view, it seems that because men and women relate to things differently and see things differently, altho we do indeed struggle with the same kleshas, there is still a difference.

     Women are typically coming from a position of expecting to Not be heard and feeling, however subconscious it may be, inferior. Men are often times coming from a place of expecting to be heard and feeling entitled. (I apologize for the gross categorizing). So when you take the dharma of letting go of the self / ego- two very different approaches are frequently needed.
     And a clear ability to really see where the other person is coming from is essential.
     I think of so many very good practitioners, women monks who left the monastery because they were constantly being seen by the men in charge as being ego invested in their work and thus constantly denied every request, where as almost no men were seen in this way and allowed most any request. Watching this play out for many years over and over again and attempting to discuss it with the hierarchy, it became clear that the men, being confident, did not speak or ask in the same manner as the women and this was interpreted or rather misinterpreted in a way (by the male hierarchy) that created a great inequality and a sort of weird subjugation of women using the dharma as the rationalization.

     So I think what I’m saying is, in general, men may often see men more clearly and women may often see women more clearly. And altho the kleshas are the same, still, I think different approaches are frequently required. So a division of the sexes may be the best answer for practice. I think the Buddha thought so.
     and yet,…. I really want this world where men and women live together and interact and respect each other and all get along in harmony… Like wanting cats and dogs to all be catdogs or something very gender neutral. I know Seonaidh likes a strong line between men and women, meaning men are men and women are women, whatever the hell that is, but for me, as a female, that hasn’t created a world I’m happy to be female in.
     Of course, dissatisfaction is the blessing in Buddhism.
185. Sister Gryphon on September 1st, 2010 1:49 pm
     

     Yes, Edward, I have seen (perhaps felt is a better word) the dance you speak of. Awesome. beyond awesome.

     Now to find a Celtic Buddhist female monastic’s dance like that…..

     
186. Edward on September 1st, 2010 2:26 pm
     

     The interesting part about all this is that in some ways women are much more powerful than men.

     Men are afraid of the power of women, and so they have dominated and brainwashed women for generations into thinking that they are weak. The brainwashing is very deep and very effective.

     But perhaps women are also afraid of their own power? Or afraid of being women? Or reluctant to cooperate with other women when given the chance? I don’t know.

     Being afraid of energy seems to cause many of the problems we face.

     Gotta run…

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