Open Buddha

Ah, Madison…how do I name the joys of the midwest? Is it the flatness or the smell of cows?

Actually, it’s pretty nice in Madison right now. I am surprised. It’s been sunny with minimal clouds. It’s about 60+ when we go out in the morning and doesn’t get higher than the mid 70s or so during the day. There are almost no bugs. I can’t imagine better weather to be out in unless there were a few more clouds.

We just finished the second day of the five day Dzogchen retreat with Younge Khachab Rinpoche. He’s teaching from the Khandro Nyingtig, the “Heartdrops of the Dakinis”, a phenomenal Dzogchen teaching. As one would expect, it focuses on the Dakinis or Sky Dancers. They are, in most ways, the goddesses of Tantric Buddhism. There are many different classes from wisdom dakinis to cthonic ones to “self-arising” ones. The teachings focus on the culmination of the generation and completion stages of tantra in atiyoga (or Dzogchen). One of the methods being used is a special form of tummo. We’re working with Vajravarahi (primarily) and Hayagriva as her consort.

Yesterday, we did the empowerments for the teachings and then a long teaching by Rinpoche. Today, we did the various Tsa Lung practices, those that focus on the channels and winds in the body and their manipulation. Tomorrow, we will be doing Trekchod or Cutting Through teachings. Saturday is Thogyal teachings. For the mornings, we have an excellent translator who is both a practitioner and a Harvard educated scholar of Tibetan culture and language. He has a very nuanced understanding of the language, which helps. Being a practitioner helps as well.

I’ve taken lots of pictures but I don’t have the right connection on the laptop to pull the photos so it will have to wait until I am back.

I’m sharing a room with my friend, Bill Bainbridge, and we’re sharing our vehicle with another friend, Elisabeth, who is a Bon practitioner.

Saturday night, we are going to dinner with Rinpoche, Hilary (his attendent), John, the translator, and his wife (Sandra?), who is also a translator. I expect to have a good time. I’m also firming up my plans for bringing Rinpoche to Seattle in mid-August. He’ll be teaching on generation and completion stage practice, commenting on a Longchenpa text, and giving the empowerment and a teaching for Longchen Nyingtig chod practice.

Here is an image of Vajra Varahi:

And an image of a Chod practitioner (that’s a human thighbone he’s playing along with his drum):