The only valuable purpose - Battlecry of Freedom

 

There has to be a felt reality that emptiness protects the mind. There has to be a felt reality that identity is illusory. There has to be a felt reality that the needs of other beings are more important than personal needs. Mind Training must have become so much a part of the practitioner, and the purpose of Mind Training so present, that it is recognised as the only valuable purpose in life.

Battlecry of Freedom by Ngakma Nor’dzin, Aro Books worldwide, 2019, ISBN 978-1-898185-46-8 Part II - the slogans, p. 210/211

Even at the risk of your life - Battlecry of Freedom

Refuge is a state of being that is continually renewed, rather than a state that is regarded as acquired during a refuge ceremony and then forgotten about. The certainty of holding refuge is the ground of practice. Holding that certainty as a lived reality is practised. Mind Training is rooted in this refuge The instruction to hold this commitment even at the risk of your life is direct and uncompromising. To be able to experience as a felt reality, that commitment to Mind Training as more important than life itself, there has to be considerable experience of practice.

Battlecry of Freedom by Ngakma Nor’dzin, Aro Books worldwide, 2019, ISBN 978-1-898185-46-8 Part II - the slogans, p. 210

Engaging with the circumstances - Battlecry of Freedom

Refuge in terms of Buddhism, does not look for security outside the reality of the present moment, and the reality of as it is. Security is discovered in awakening. When Buddhist practitioners take refuge, they assert their recognition of the possibility of awakening; they embrace the methods of awakening; and they engage with the circumstances of life as the means of entering 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. 209/210

Guard awakening view - Battlecry of Freedom

 

To awaken, the mind must be caught and trained. In order to train the mind, the methods of training must be embraced. The mind must be valued and cared for, at all times and in all circumstances. To awaken the trained mind, the intention to benefit others must be a priority. Guard awakening view. Guard the methods of awakening, embracing all circumstances as opportunities. Guard awakening intention. Certainty in the efficacy of this approach is called refuge. Refuge is the starting point for all Buddhist practitioners.

Battlecry of Freedom by Ngakma Nor’dzin, Aro Books worldwide, 2019, ISBN 978-1-898185-46-8 Part II - the slogans, p. 209

Greeted with patience - Battlecry of Freedom

 

Practitioners are patient with the good and the bad. Whatever arises is greeted with patience – the capacity to let it be as it is. Every occurrence is seen as the opportunity to awaken. The good is appreciated, but not clung to. It is not allowed to intoxicate the mind. The bad is recognised, but not rejected. It is not allowed to unseat the mind. Neither ruffles composure in the saddle of Mind Training. Each is ridden as 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. 206

Monday Meditation times

Greetings on this fine sunny November afternoon.

We have decided to change the meeting times for Monday Meditations. From Monday 18th November the new start time will be 6pm instead of 7pm. This will continue weekly until further notice.

Monday Meditations
6 pm - 7:30 pm

Practice group with Ngakma Nor´dzin Pamo and Ngakpa ´ö-Dzin Tridral.
Silent sitting and yogic song.

https://us02web.zoom.us/j/85249620913

Zoom Meeting ID: 85249620913

Passcode: 640389

Let it go - Battlecry of Freedom

 

Regret any failures: mistakes and missed opportunities – the failure to get involved when an opportunity to help was recognised, a clever but spiteful remark that was out before it could be stopped, the irritation that wasn’t caught in time. Then let success and failure dissolve into emptiness. Do not become proud or complacent with successes. Do not go over and over any mistakes, or feel guilty. Recognise the mistake, regret it, and let it go.

Battlecry of Freedom by Ngakma Nor’dzin, Aro Books worldwide, 2019, ISBN 978-1-898185-46-8 Part II - the slogans, p. 202

If there is no me - Battlecry of Freedom

If there is no me wanting something, then wanting dissolves into emptiness. If there is no me hating something, then hating dissolves into emptiness. The deluded definition of misfortune dissolves. By wishing you to be happy, everything becomes available to appreciate and share without the sticky consideration of identity. By wishing you to be free of pain, energy becomes available to help, liberated from the limiting considerations of identity-fixation. The awakening intention of wishing to help others protects the mind from self-centredness and the experience of dissatisfaction.

Battlecry of Freedom by Ngakma Nor’dzin, Aro Books worldwide, 2019, ISBN 978-1-898185-46-8 Part II - the slogans, p. 198

 

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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