rinpoche perfectly_chaotic Yesterday I heard teachings from Drupon Rinchen Dorjee Rinpoche. Going into the experience I was not sure what, if anything, to expect. Rinpoche does not give teachings very often because his English is not the greatest. We were very fortunate that a translator, who is fluent in Tibetan, was in town visiting family for the holidays. Admittedly, it was hard to follow because I do not speak Tibetan and it would sometimes seem to take a long time between translations. Also, and I hate admitting this, I became really sleepy after lunch and caught myself dozing off sometimes in the space between translations. However, by the end of the day it became much easier to follow what was going on. While I do not feel that I learned all that one possibly could have from Rinpoche's teachings I feel that I got what was necessary for me at this time. He was very clear that before one can hope to truly practice mahamudra, as I have heard, they must first train their mind or they will not be able to sustain the practice. The mind will run away. Calm abiding. I need to keep practicing. Eventually I might just be able to stay awake and wake up. Perhaps, I am grasping onto this idea as well. Yet, I do not yet know how to move beyond such an obstacle. Nor, since I am generally not thinking about this during my practice, am I sure that it is one. This is a question for my Rinpoche I suppose. If only there was always a translator available because I did not think to ask it while I was there. 101219 ... unhinged calm abiding has been escaping me these days. but i have the handwriting of a certain influential rinpoche tattooed on my lower back 101219 ... perfectly_chaotic I would like to ask you how it is that calm abiding is escaping you unhinged? 101219 ... unhinged when i abide with who i am where, why, what now i am anything but calm acharaya adam lobel gave a teaching on_contentment at my meditation center last weekend, otherwise i would be a stupid mess right now. but i still have no idea what you really mean by calm abiding. i'm just deciding to fake it til i make it on that one. 101219 ... perfectly_chaotic What I heard of rinpoche's teachings did not focus on how to practice shamatha, or calm abiding, meditation. They were on the Ganges Mahamudra. He stated that it is possible, if one's karma is good enough, to understand the mahamudra instructions, even the secret ones, after hearing them only one time. However, most people will not understand them right away. Much practice is usually necessary for one to become habituated to the meditative state of mind necessary to understanding a realization of the pith instructions. What I got out of that portion of the day was that I need to keep practicing. I have also heard that in order to cultivate the awareness necessary to practice mahamudra, and I believe this is in regards to shamatha, that one must neither grasp nor reject any part of their experience. It is all inclusive. Thoughts and emotions will come naturally and resolve themselves if we can bring ourselves to simply watch them without grasping or rejecting. Rinpoche compared it to one throwing a stone into a pond and watching the ripples as they spread over the surface of the water. 101219 ... perfectly_chaotic I haven't seen Drupong in over a month now. Life has been weird lately.... Things are reminding me of his teachings frequently. I am recalling aspects of them that I did not come to mind when I created this blathe. I wish to learn more of the Six Yogas of Naropa. The Six Yogas of Naropa, which encompass the path of the Ganges Mahamudra, were translated into Tibetan by Marpa the translator. Naropa predicted, much like a garuda's offspring are said to become stronger with each generation, that each successive generation of practitioners would become more realized than their gurus. Marpa taught these yogas to Millarepa. Millarepa passed these teachings to Gampopa. I believe I will make the trip back to see rinpoche teach again this weekend. This time he will be teaching on the Four Dharmas of Gampopa. "Grant your blessing so that my mind may be one with the dharma. Grant your blessing so that dharma may go along the path. Grant your blessing so that the dharma may clarify confusion. Grant your blessings so that I may transform confusion into wisdom." 110127 ... unhinged milarepa is one of my heros 110127 ... unhinged i am now intimate with the four dharmas of gampopa through the sadhana_of_mahamudra. the four dharmas play a central role in that text. i found an adaptation of them in a book about dream yoga 181120 what's it to you? who go blather from