An extraordinary joke - Battlecry of Freedom

 

The vow of the awakening hero is a little like an extraordinary joke. The awakening hero vows to remain and not attain full awakening until all other beings are awakened. Yet the fact of the vow—if it is maintained— guarantees full awakening. It guarantees full awakening because it embraces the nonduality of view and intention. To live in a manner that upholds this vow, is itself the cause of awakening.

Battlecry of Freedom by Ngakma Nor’dzin, Aro Books worldwide, 2019, ISBN 978-1-898185-46-8 Part II - the slogans, p. 194

Wisdom and kindness - Battlecry of Freedom

 

Kindness is not always wise. Sometimes trying to be kind in supporting someone in a situation does not help that person escape it, and there could be a wiser approach. Nevertheless such kindly intent is free of blame.

Assuming the capacity for wisdom, however, can be dangerous and far from kind. It could be deemed that there is a need to be cruel to be kind. Practitioners may believe this is skilful wrathful activity, when in fact it is just stupidly stumbling around hurting people. 

‘The only internal damtsig is wisdom.
The only external damtsig is kindness.’

Battlecry of Freedom by Ngakma Nor’dzin, Aro Books worldwide, 2019, ISBN 978-1-898185-46-8 Part II - the slogans, p. 194

Everyone’s lives are interconnected - Battlecry of Freedom

 

Everyone is always completely compromised. It is not possible to live in the world without cooperating with the exploitation of others, or without inadvertently hurting others. Everyone everywhere is totally dependent on everyone else. Everyone’s lives are interconnected. This is not about being politically correct. It is not about buying fairly traded products, and recycling to save the planet, donating to charities, working as a volunteer, and so forth – though such activity may be beneficial. It is about accepting the reality of being unable to live as a physically present human being without harming others. It is about taking responsibility for harm through that acceptance, rather than abdicating responsibility because there is no intention to harm. It is about attempting to live causing as little harm as possible, and making life meaningful by being as much benefit as possible.

Battlecry of Freedom by Ngakma Nor’dzin, Aro Books worldwide, 2019, ISBN 978-1-898185-46-8 Part II - the slogans, p. 189

Breathe it in, breathe it out - Battlecry of Freedom

 

Commiserate with bad luck and try to help. Recognise what is bad and breathe it in. Appreciate and celebrate good luck – whomever is experiencing it. Appreciate what is good and breathe it out. It is not necessary to own or personally experience good fortune to enjoy it. There is no need to examine justice or fairness. Awakening practitioners wish all beings to be happy, and to find the path of awakening.

Battlecry of Freedom by Ngakma Nor’dzin, Aro Books worldwide, 2019, ISBN 978-1-898185-46-8 Part II - the slogans, p. 188

A moment of success - Battlecry of Freedom

 

It is fine to feel happiness and pride at being able to recognise awareness in the moment – a moment of success when the open choice becomes available through seeing the pattern directly. That sense of pride however, must not become a reason to play with awareness as an internal game of skill, disconnected from the needs of others and insensitive to others.

Battlecry of Freedom by Ngakma Nor’dzin, Aro Books worldwide, 2019, ISBN 978-1-898185-46-8 Part II - the slogans, p. 184

Conceptual Rehearsal II - Illusory Advice

 

Apprentice: When I read about these terrible things I start to wonder what is the point of meditating and reciting mantra. How can this help to solve the real problems in the world? It seems rather self-centred.

Teachers: Your practice of shi-nè and mantra is not going to miraculously manifest food in the mouths of the starving, or a roof over the heads of the homeless. However your practice makes you different, and this difference can have an influence on everybody and everything you touch. Your practice creates a little prism that facilitates the sparkling through of realisation. It can feel as though this is centred on yourself when you practise alone a lot of the time, but as your practice changes how you respond to people and situations, that prism can radiate to a surprising degree. Being—or attempting to be—a present, aware, and honourable human being affects all who come into contact with you. Having a kind and friendly approach to life influences your circumstances. If every human being was kind and honourable, many of the problems in the world would mysteriously dissolve – but there would still be the chaotic dance of events being exactly as they are.

page 167, Illusory Advice, Ngakma Nor’dzin & Ngakpa ’ö-Dzin, Aro Books Worldwide, 2016, ISBN: 978-1-898185-37-6

Conceptual Rehearsal I - Illusory Advice

 

“Terrible things do happen in the world and there is the possibility of losing loved ones. It does not change the situation however, to dwell on this, and it does not help anyone to become miserable with worry. Imagining terrible things does not prepare you for when bad things do happen or prevent them from actually happening. It is common to daydream about the horrors-that-might-be. This can be a way of attempting to keep them at bay. You think that if you are able to conjure an image of the worst thing that could happen to you, then it probably won’t happen. You feel that if you have lived through it in your mind, it probably will not happen and if—heaven forbid—it does happen, at least you are prepared. It is a coping strategy.”

page 166, Illusory Advice, Ngakma Nor’dzin & Ngakpa ’ö-Dzin, Aro Books Worldwide, 2016, ISBN: 978-1-898185-37-6