Illusory Advice: Are animals enlightened?

Q: Are animals more enlightened than us? They don’t seem to separate themselves from reality and so I wondered therefore whether they exist in a nondual state, reacting instantly with events as they occur?

A: The directness of interaction with their environment that you perceive in animals is instinctive rather than realised. It may be useful to draw a distinction here between living in the physical form of an animal and living in the animal-realm. Having a physical animal form does not necessarily mean that such a being always dwells in the animal-realm. We have met horses—for example—who certainly possess a sense of humour, which would usually be regarded as a human characteristic. We have heard of animals and birds who create and manipulate tools, and of others who display acts of selflessness and kindness. Such characteristics might suggest that these animals may in fact dwell in the human-realm – at least in part.

p10, Illusory Advice, Ngakma Nor'dzin & Ngakpa 'ö-Dzin, Aro Books worldwide, 2016, 978-1-898185-37-6

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Illusory Advice: Carping about the animal realm

"Confusion sometimes arises through thinking that teachings on the animal-realm of the six realms 11 refer specifically to the animals we see in the world, and because of the assumption that all human-looking beings live in the human-realm. There can also be a tendency to romanticise animals, as somehow innately spiritual. Animals can display human-realm characteristics of discrimination and humour, whilst humans can display animal-realm mentality of being humourless, trapped in a particular view, lacking awareness of others. Teachings on the realms of being are helpful in enabling you to become aware of your mind-set in any moment."

p18, Illusory Advice, Ngakma Nor'dzin & Ngakpa 'ö-Dzin, Aro Books worldwide, 2016, 978-1-898185-37-6

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Illusory Advice: Drinking with awareness

"Alcohol can open our ability to be receptive and decrease our tendency to prejudice and preconception. Alcohol can loosen the restraints of our conventional view. The essence of the practice is to drink with awareness. Awareness can be maintained even when one is experiencing the effect of becoming slightly tipsy. The amount of alcohol that can be drunk while retaining awareness will depend on the physical capacity and practice experience of the individual."

p10, Illusory Advice, Ngakma Nor'dzin & Ngakpa 'ö-Dzin, Aro Books worldwide, 2016, 978-1-898185-37-6

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Stay up to date with events at Aro Ling Cardiff via the website, meetup, facebook and twitter. We meet for meditation every Tuesday evening and look forward to meeting you.

Illusory Advice: Real or unreal?

Dewi Sant, Cardiff City Hall, 2013, Ngakma Nor’dzin

"Faith is not an issue in Buddhism. Buddhism demands the development of confidence based on gradual experience built up over time. You are quite new to practice so give things time to ferment. Keep your practice simple and light and your meditation sessions short.

Gradually your confidence will grow and you will know whether your experiences are real in that they are beneficial and moving you towards being a kinder and happier person. If the spiritual experiences you describe are making you happier, and a nicer person to be around, then this is the true test of the validity of your experience."
p10, Illusory Advice, Ngakma Nor'dzin & Ngakpa 'ö-Dzin, Aro Books worldwide, 2016, 978-1-898185-37-6

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Stay up to date with events at Aro Ling Cardiff via the website, meetup, facebook and twitter. We meet for meditation every Tuesday evening and look forward to meeting you.

Dudjom Rinpoche about Meditation (1979)

A wonderful teaching on meditation, given by Kyabjé Düd'jom Rinpoche in 1979.

"As a beginner, unless you do this practice formally, in proper sessions, you won't be able to remain at peace.  But once you become more familiar with it you will be able to remain undistracted even when you are walking about"

Illusory Advice: Addiction

Dee, 2012, Ngakma Nor’dzin

Smoking adversely affects the rTsa-lung and hinders the arising of the benefits of meditation.

We follow our own teacher’s guidance on this, just as they have followed the guidance of Kyabjé Düd’jom Rinpoche – Jig’drèl Yeshé Dorje. Please read his text on smoking. It is not that we regard people who smoke as ‘bad people’ – it is simply an unhelpful addiction from the point of view of practice and health. A Buddhist is one who attempts to maintain awareness rather than hiding from facts – such as the fact that smoking can kill you. Every ‘sincerely practising Buddhist’ will want to make the most of their human life to gain realisation – and will therefore not smoke.

If a potential apprentice felt it unreasonable to be asked to let go of such a mundane addiction in order to embrace the practice of Vajrayana, it is unlikely that they would follow our advice with regard to letting go of their addiction to neurosis. It is unlikely that we would be the right teachers and Lineage for such a person.

p12, Illusory Advice, Ngakma Nor'dzin & Ngakpa 'ö-Dzin, Aro Books worldwide, 2016, 978-1-898185-37-6

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Illusory Advice: Please grant me siddhis

Weather Vane, 2015, Ngakpa ’ö-Dzin

"Awakening cannot be handed to you – the cause has to be created through your own effort. Through discovering the qualities of Padmasambhava by practising Dorje Tsig-dün, you can aspire to liberate the siddhis of Padmasambhava in yourself."

p11, Illusory Advice, Ngakma Nor'dzin & Ngakpa 'ö-Dzin, Aro Books worldwide, 2016, 978-1-898185-37-6

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Stay up to date with events at Aro Ling Cardiff via the website, meetup, facebook and twitter. We meet for meditation every Tuesday evening and look forward to meeting you.