Hello Friends,
Following the Friday 7AM group primary I have been chanting and offering basic ngondro practice at 9AM. A few of you have learned it and can practice. Folks new to the rpactice are encouraged to join in if you have the chance. I offer what insights I have but know well that the practice is the real teacher. It’s a very portable practice once it gets established, you can engange it all day long with great result. Like many things that can only be known by their fruit, insights about ngondro can only come from practice of ngondro, which is a root teaching of Vajrayana Buddhism and essential to the Dzogchen view . With fruit like that the root is especially impressive. The words Vajrayana and Dzogchen might be unfamiliar but be assured that what they represent succinctly corroborates the Patanajli Yoga Sutra logic, practice and result.
Dennis, who taught ngondro to me, after learning it and practicing it with his teachers for many years, will be joining in this Friday. His presence offers a great opportunity to me and others wishing to gain insight into this wonderful practice. For about a year I have been working up a group to have such a meeting so please feel welcome to attend.
I linked to a few pages, the people I received the teachings from. Keith Dowman and Kenchen Palden Sherab Rinpoche. I cant be more excited to share this with you and will continue to do so as long as I can.
Like I said you will need the root to get the fruit. Often the fruit and the seed are one in taste so much insight can be gained by simply hearing, reading or reciting the words. We can really only know for ourselves if root is vital and the fruit is there.
Here’s what’s going on for the Yoga Sutra Discussion-
Sunday the 29th at 5PM- A Concise Exploration of Samkhya and Pancha Mahabhuta- Part 1
I gave a major piece of my early study time to Samkhya and Pancha Mahabhuta theory many years back and it gave me a major piece of insight which has supported my continuing study since. With Samkhya study, via the works of Kapila, combined with the work of Rama Prasad in his 1898 text titled Natures Finer Forces I have been supported by original logic and reason in my personal quest to understand Yoga Science and practice.
What I have planned for Sunday will be a combination of these two fields and how they supported the development of Yoga Sutra logic and practice. For instance, Samkhya is the foundation theory from which Patanjali Yoga Sutra is derived and both are included in the six major darshans (philosophical views) of Indian Classical thought. Samkhya is also the framework for the logic and practice of Ayurveda, the ancient healing science of India. In combination I will work in how Rama Prasad outlines the Pancha Mahabhutas or the five great emanations which correspond dirrectly to Samkhya and Yoga Sutra. Specifically Rama Prasad explains the origin and sustenance of Chitta which is especially useful for our understanding of Yoga Sutra. If you are like me and need to obtain the raw elements of the philosophy and construct a personal view and understanding then connecting with this info is for you.
I think coming to this particular discussion will be instrumental in bringing light to the ones which follow. Please consider attending- even if you have heard it all before. I always remember that Einstein “imagined” the Theory of Relativity before doing the math and proving it. Samkhya and Pancha Mahabhuta speak directly to that quality of our nature that bring our chitta to bare on the imagined reality- the Sanskrit word bhavana appropriately comes to mind.
Again, please click on the links if you want to read up on any of the teachings and ideas before hand.
Peace and see you at yoga, Casey