Nature of Mind:
It's A Secret!
I
recently joined a weeklong retreat with a well known Tibetan buddhist
lama in England. I have read books of this rinpoche and find his
style of teaching dzogchen refreshing among the larger field
of vajrayana buddhism where only few seem to yogically mature as well as proficient in
communicating the natural state to others through their own living
experience.
The
retreat was attended by 160 people and was well organised. I joined
the retreat because I wanted to take a breather from hectic
family and work life, and also to do my own practice and perhaps to
learn something new. All in all it was a nice experience and I will
probably join it again next year.
Rinpoche
spent the first couple of days talking about shamatha and vipashyana
meditations. He also taught some tummo
breathwork. These sessions were recorded on video by volunteers.
On
the 4th day of the retreat he started giving pointing
out instructions. For those who don't know what pointing out
instructions are they are verbal and nonverbal ways that the teacher
uses for the students to have a recognition of their natural state,
also called buddhanature. I give pointers such as finding
knowingness, shaking (rushen) of the body and speech, shouting short
syllables and many others. Even though I highly appreciate pointing
out instructions and see the necessity of them, I do not think there
is anything special to them. From the perspective of samsaric mind
the natural state is more profound than anything else. But it still
is the simple and direct awareness that each of us have which is more
or less familiar to all of us already. Instructions by the teacher
can be very helpful but having said that it is all very simple.
One
thing that I find strange is that rinpoche's teachings were filmed up
until he started giving pointing out instructions. Then he told the
technical staff to ”Stop the recording” when he started giving
instructions about the nature of mind. I have thought about
this in retrospect and find it quite problematic for obvious reasons.
The students who joined and paid a notable sum for the retreat could
not get the recorded instructions that were the heart and soul of the whole
event.
I
think that the custom of not recording ”dzogchen” instructions
comes from the medieval habit. This prevents the instructions from
getting available to millions of seekers worldwide. I find that
restricting pointing out instructions only to those present is wrong
and actually in conflict with the view of compassion. I think this is
unhealthy and merely serves the religious establishment as it keeps
the business in motion.
I
am happy to say that I do not belong to the vajrayana establishment.
The elderly vajrayana is like a dying dinosaur with many ancient
counterproductive habits with little to offer for the modern
population.
I
wonder how it is always so difficult for teachers, religous or
otherwise, to prioritise the needs of the people instead of the needs
of the establishment.
-
Kim Katami, 16th May 2018.
Find
many pointing out instructions from Open
Heart YouTube-channel for free.
