Okar Research Index: April 2015

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Email....okarresearch@gmail.com

Click on the Blue Title to View the Notes

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These research notes explore ancient Central Asia and the 'legendary' Kingdom of Shambhala...this informal review of materials published in English focuses mainly on the region of Bactra/Balkh/Kapisa/Od'iana and the complex and fascinating history of religions, languages, kingdoms and cultures from the pre-Mithraic period (c. 2500 BC) to the Arab/Islamic conquests of the 10th Century AD......internet links to original texts and images are generally provided as available.

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Advice from Me to Myself... Patrul Rinpoche...Reading over and over those dharma texts ...That just occupy your mind and make your eyes sore — Forget about it! ….

The Dzogchen Path.....Dilgo Khyentse Rinpoche...At the present moment our awareness is entangled within our mind, completely enveloped and obscured by mental activity. Through the practice of Trekchö, or ‘cutting through all attachment’, and the ‘direct realization’ of Tögal, one can unmask this awareness and let its radiance arise.….

Dzogs Chen: the importance of Sem-dé...There were many critics of Dzogchen at this time because these teachings went beyond conventional moral codes – including the principle of karma...Sem-dé is the series of the nature of Mind. As one might expect from its title, it is comprised of detailed teachings on the nature of Mind and how that is differentiated from dualistic mind. It describes in detail how dualistic mind is affected by practice, with regard to the sem-nyams – the experiences of emptiness and form through which one discovers the instant-presence of rigpa.….

Dzogchen Practice of the Bon Tradition...Do whatever comes to your mind—in vision or imagination. .....Then imagine what it is like to be a yidam (tutelary deity); or that you are in Shambhala and are teaching the bodhisattvas; or in the tantric realms with the siddhas as disciples; or in Sukhavati or Olmo Lungring teaching Dzogpachenpo.Pretend that you are actually doing this. .....Finally dissolve all visions into the natural state. What is left? Then dissolve even your thought itself into the natural state so there is nothing left. Then you will realise that everything is made by your thought—everything comes from there. You have to realise how things are created. ......You must practice this seriously for at best three months, or at least one month."….

Radical Dzogchen... Final Verse...So stay right there you lucky people, let go and be happy in the natural state. Leave your complicated life and everyday confusion alone and out of quietude, doing nothing, watch the nature of mind. This piece of advice is from the bottom of my heart; fully engage in contemplation and understanding is born. Cherish nonattachment and delusion dissolves. Forming no agenda at all, reality dawns. Whatever occurs, whatever it may be, that itself is the key, and without stopping it or nourishing it, in an even flow, freely resting, surrendering to ultimate contemplation in naked pristine purity, we reach consummation.….

MAHA ATI...Jigme Lingpa (1730-1798)...First the pupil must find an accomplished guru with whom he has a good karmic link. The teacher must be a holder of the thought lineage transmission. The pupil must have single minded devotion and faith, which makes possible the transmission of the teacher's understanding.….

Ashe...Notes...Tonight, I would like to introduce the Shambhala warrior’s cry. Chanting this cry is a way to rouse your head and shoulders, a way to rouse a sense of uplifted dignity. It is also a way to invoke the power of windhorse and the energy of basic goodness. We might call it a battle cry, as long as you understand that this particular battle is fighting against aggression, conquering aggression, rather than promoting hatred or warfare.….

THE NINE WAYS of BON...The first four levels of Bon are referred to as the Causal Vehicles. They are the shamanic levels....There are three biographies of Tonpa Shenrab. The earliest and shortest one is known as Dodu (mDo-'dus: 'Epitome of Aphorisms'); the second is in two volumes and is called Zermig (gZer-mig: 'Piercing Eye'). ....The third and largest is the twelve volume work entitled Zhiji (gZi-brjid: 'The Glorious')….

DRALA Notes...dgra-bla...dgra-lha...sgra-bla...dralha...drabla...Drala could almost be called an entity. It is not quite on the level of a gods or gods, but it is an individual strength that does exist. Therefore, we not only speak of drala principle, but we speak of meeting the dralas. The dralas are the elements of reality...anything that reminds you of the depth of perception.….

DZOGCHEN TERMS...From an historiographic view (relative truth), early Nyingma Dzogchen was formatively influenced primarily by the Indian Buddhist tantras, but also by Taoist Ch’an, indigenous Tibetan Bon, Tibetan Nestorian Christianity and Kashmiri Shivaism ….

DZOGCHEN...Tibetan Buddhist schools seem to have a slightly condescending view toward the Bon. They tend to claim that everything good in the Bon was borrowed from Buddhism and everything bad was - well, Bon-po! I have often heard the Nyingmapas say that even the Bon termas were actually hidden by Padmasambhava (!), using Bon symbols, so that later they would be revealed and practiced by them. Those who are sympathetic to the Bon sometimes call it the fifth school of Tibetan Buddhism. They mean it as a positive but again, it implies that only by being labelled "Buddhist" can the Bon acquire some measure of respectability.….

Dilgo Khyentse Rinpoche Video ... In an absolute sense, compassion is the awakened nature of mind.….

Menri Ponlob Trinley Nyima Rinpoche..."...while working on my translation of Shardza's Fireball of Primordial Wisdom after two years I still had about 25 questions regarding the text. These ranged from disambiguation of Zhang Zhung terms to deciphering obscure passages in the text. I had asked these questions numerous times of at least five different Geshes. These Geshes referred back to the root texts - e.g. the Ma Gyu etc and calls were made to Triten Norbutse monastery for clarification but still answers were not forthcoming. I despaired of ever getting clear on these topics. Then in one afternoon, without opening a single book, Ponlop Trinley Nyima was able to answer 20 of these questions."….

Rigpa (Skt. vidyā; Tib. རིག་པ་, Wyl. rig pa) ...RIGPA...."In different traditions, Rigpa is called God, Self, Shiva, Brahman, Vishnu, Hidden Essence, or Buddha Nature"......Rigpa (Tibetan; Sanskrit vidya) is the primordial, nondual awareness advocated by the Dzogchen and Mahamudra teachings.… Tony Duff avoids translating the word 'rigpa' itself.

Rimay... Rimé... རིས་མེད་... Wylie: ris med... Jamgon Kongtrul The Great....(1813-1899)..... His background was Bonpo (his father was an illustrous lama of the Khyungpo, or Garuda clan and both he and Jamyang Kyentse were particularly open to the Bon tradition. The most significant Bon teacher in the Rimay movement was Shardza Trashi Gyantsen (1859-1935)….

Terma གཏེར་མ་ Wylie: gter ma ...Certain Shambhala practices derive from specific terma texts of Trungpa Rinpoche.... the Vidyadhara indicated that the Shambhala terma had originated with the Rigden kings, Shiwa Ökar, or Gesar of Ling.... .A terma tradition also exists in the Bön religion. Most Bön termas were hidden during the period of decline under King Trisong Deutsen, and rediscovered around the 11th century.….

CHAINS OF LIGHT ... (rdo rje lug gu rgyud) ...It is imperative to remember that everything seen as ‘out there’ is merely a projection of the ‘self’ onto the screen of space so the Vajra chains are in essence a visual experience of ones own true Natural State. ….

BASIC GOODNESS ... (kunshi ngangluk kyi gewa) ...Every human being has a basic nature of goodness, which is undiluted and unconfused. That goodness contains tremendous gentleness and appreciation...we have an actual connection to reality that can wake us up.….

SIX LAMPS ... (sgron-ma drug)...This internal luminosity, projected outside the heart, manifests in external space as something apparently real and substantial, like a cinema show projected onto a great screen surrounding the individual. One then becomes lost in the fascinating display of the show, as if one were caught up in a dream where everything seems objective, solid and real....The individual wanders around in circles, becoming lost in this projection.….

FOURTH MOMENT...That is why it is called the "fourth moment beyond the three." It is so minute. It is subtle and vajra, like the middle of space...... it is outside of time........there is no karma. ….

Cosmic Mirror...The basic frame of reference of the cosmic mirror is quite vast, and it is free from any bias: kill or cure, hope or fear.....The way to look back and experience the state of being of the cosmic mirror is simply to relax......relaxing the mind, letting go of the anxiety and concepts and depression that normally bind you. The way to relax, or rest the mind in nowness, is through the practices of meditation.….

CRYSTAL... (khar skong) ...Shenlha Okar...the colour of his body is like the essence of crystal. His ornaments, attire, and palace are adorned by crystal light....Inner luminosity originates in the heart and passes through two channels that connect the empty space of the heart with the external empty space of the sky through the eyes.….

Authentic Presence ... (wang thang) ... Authentic Presence: Wangthang, literally means field of power. Virtue reflected in your being, your presence. To deepen authentic presence, incorporate more space into your world.….

ZIJI...GZHI: Primordial Base ...In the Dzogchen teachings, the Base (gzhi) is the state of total primordial purity (ka-dag chen-po). This state of primordial purity may, in some respects, resemble unconsciousness, but it is not at all unconsciousness as such because it is characterized by the presence of Awareness (rig-pa). It is often compared to the sky, but this is only an example, because the sky is not aware. But just as the sky is not changed by the presence of the clouds in it, so in the Base there is no change or addition in response to whatever we think or do. There is nothing new to be added to it, nor is it in need of any correction or modification (ma bcos-pa). It is naturally pure and never otherwise; that is its quality. The Natural State has never been defiled or modified by the events of Samsara. It is like a mirror which is in no way changed or modified by whatever it reflects. ….

THODGYAL: "direct" (thod-rgal du) ...With Trekchod we have moved into a dimension beyond the mind and with Thodgal, one continues in this direction. Rather than visualizations created by mind we are talking about an integration with vision, with whatever arises spontaneously to vision while the practiiioner is in the state of contemplation. Therefore, the master of contemplation through the practice of Thekchod is an immediate prerequisite to the practice of Thodgal...Otherwise there is the danger of becoming caught up in one's visions, becoming distracted by them and believing them to be an objective reality. It is precisely this attachment to one's impure karmic visions that got the individual caught up in samsara in the first place.….

THEKCHOD ... (khregs-chod)... The principle point of Thekchod is to relax all these tensions of body, speech, and mind that obscure our inherent Buddha-nature, which has been primordially present as the Base (ye gzhi). In Thekchod practice, one settles into a state of contemplation without being distracted for a moment from the view of the primordial purity of our inherent nature.….

LUNGTA...Windhorse... Raising lungta or windhorse as part of sang practice is related with good fortune rather than with the soul. The life force "tsa lung" exercise is more related to your soul when the energy comes from every direction into your heart. Fortune does not come inward like that, but rises or lifts up. You have to feel your spirit lifted up in orderr to have good fortune. For these rituals you should go to the peak of a hill. ….

Natural State ... (gnas-lugs)...Even though one's original nature, as light and space, is like the clear open sky, it becomes obscured and clouded over by an ignorance that grasps at the reality (bdag 'dzin) these clouds represent one's delusions or Samsaric visions. Becoming liberated from these clouds, one's own real nature as awareness or Rigpa comes into visible manifestation, just as when the clouds in the sky dissipate, the sun becomes clearly visible. Therby one's view and con's conduct and activity in the world become inseparably linked. One acts spontaneously in terms of the Natural State, without any deliberation or artifice. The Primordial State, the Nature of Mind, being Shunyata and being without any source or ground (gzhi-med-rtsa-bral) in the causal processes of Samsara, totally transcends the intellect (blo 'das chenpo). Yet at the same time it may be directly discovered within one's own immediate experience in this present life by way of the practice of contemplation, a state that goes beyond the mind.….

Shiwa Okar, Shenlha Okar Notes...Texts that we commonly call the Shambhala teachings stem from the visions that the Druk Sakyong, the Vidyadhara Chogyam Trungpa Rinpoche, had from an early age in Tibet......These visions came from the Rigden and from Shiwa Okar.....Shiwa Okar is referred to as the lha of lha.....the divine of the divine.....the ultimate principle of dharmadhatu, the most primordial reality, which we often call primordial Ashe, or the confidence of all......."..the Vidyadhara often said that he was merely writing them down.….

Dzogchen Text: Cuckoo of Awareness...Part 3...Dzogchen, also called Maha Ati, means the Great Perfection. It is a teaching first presented on this Earth by Pramodavajra (or in Tibetan, Garab Dorje ).... c. 665- 730 AD, of Uddiyan. ….

Gyatrul Rinpoche Quote ...When the mind begins to become still, we then begin to truly see it...... The truth of this practice is universal. It isn’t necessary to call it a religion to practice it. Whether one is a Hindu or a Moslem or a Christian or a Buddhist simply doesn’t matter. Anyone can practice this because this is the nature of the mind, the nature of everyone’s mind. There is no need to put this into any kind of category, any kind of "ism."….

Dza Pältrül Rinpoche (1808-1887) ...First, keep your mind relaxed, Not scattered, not concentrated and without divisive thoughts.....Resting in this state of even–minded relaxation, utter a sudden mind–shattering PHAT, forceful, vigorous and abrupt. ….

Sutra: Heart–Essence of the Conqueress Transcendent and Perfect Insight...Shariputra, this being so, in emptiness there is no form, no feeling, no perception, no mental association and no consciousness. There is no eye, ear, nose, tongue, body or mind, there are no forms, sounds, smells, tastes, feelings or mental objects.From visual faculty through to mental faculty and on up to a faculty of mental apprehension, all of these do not exist for it. It knows no ignorance, nor any ending of ignorance, right up to the fact that there is no old age and death nor any ending of old age and death.Similarly there is no suffering, sin, obstruction or path, no primordial wisdom, realisation or lack of realisation. And Shariputra, this being so, since there is no realisation,….

Golden Drop Excerpt ...The heavely realm, rich like the Mother Sea great and gloriously reputed, surpasses the limits of the sky. It is the original creator of the depths of space and it bears up the bowels of the earth. It is beyond imagination and beyond words. It transcends all figures of thought. It is the charnel ground of everything. It is beyond existence and non-existence. This is the realm of the highest embodiment of all things. It is the pure Country of Garuda.….

The Refined Gold Ore of Oral Instructions...When moving and at rest, watch your mind. Moving and keeping still are the true meaning of circumambulation.When eating and drinking, watch the mind Eating and drinking in purity is the Circle of Assembly, the Ganachakra.When resting or sleeping, watch your mind. Sleep is the profound practice of Clear Light.When applying yourself to profound visualisation and recitation, The real meaning is that you observe your mind. ….

The Cuckoo's Song of Total Presence ...In Tibet's ancient shamanistic tradition the cuckoo was a magical bird, the king of birds. As the cuckoo's first call is the harbinger of spring, so the six verses of the Cuckoo's Song of Total Presence introduce the total presence of the nature of mind.The six lines of the Cuckoo's Song are also known as the Six Vajra Verses. ….

Notes From "Natural Perfection, Longchenpa's Radical Dzogchen" ...Purity of karma, putative rebirth, degree of meditation-concentration, facility in visualization, levels of attainment, and so on, are all issues pertinent to acceptance and success within a hierarchical cult....but to the formless experience of Dzogchen, such considerations have no relevance...any kind of preparation or fore-practice muddies the waters….

The Three Statements of Garab Dorje ...The cuckoo is the sacred bird of the Bonpo founder Shenrab Miwo and is considered in the aboriginal Bon tradition as the king of birds, harbinger of spring and bearer of wisdom from the vast empty sky. The Six Vajra Verses of Vairochana and all of the hundreds of Dzogchen tantras and texts are but commentaries on Garab Dorje's Three Varjra Verses or The Three Essential Points….

Advice from Me to Myself... Patrul Rinpoche ...Listen up, old bad-karma Patrul,.....You dweller-in-distraction...... For ages now you've been Beguiled, entranced, and fooled by appearances....... Are you aware of that? Are you?...... Right this very instant, when you're Under the spell of mistaken perception You've got to watch out....... Don't let yourself get carried away by this fake and empty life. ….

Ordinary Mind...Simplicity, free from conceptual mind ... Dawns as one taste, fresh relaxed ... Seeing nothing but That ... Is the ordinary mind. ….

Okar Research...Regional Map of Interest...Regions of historical interest include Eastern Iran (Takzig/Khorasan), Bactra (Balkh)/Kapisa, Kashmir/Gilgit (Od'iana) and Mt Kailas (ZangZung) ….

TIBETAN PLAGIARISM, SECTARIAN EDITING, MONASTIC POLITICS...Jamgon Kongtrul is known as one of the foremast masters of the non-sectarian view, however he makes it clear in his autobiography that he did not arrive at this perspective without first experiencing a regrettable bout of sectarianism….

BON & SHAMBHALA...Okar Research @ Geocities Blog...1995 - 2009 ….Yahoo! GeoCities was originally founded in late 1994 ....In 1999 GeoCities was acquired by Yahoo....In April 2009, approximately ten years after Yahoo! bought GeoCities, the company announced that it would shut down the United States GeoCities service on October 26, 2009. There were at least 38 million user-built pages on GeoCities before it was shut down.

MASTER WARRIORS...Those who have been fearless in their search and fearless in their proclamation belong to the lineage of master warriors, whatever their religion, philosophy, or creed...They are the fathers and mothers of Shambhala.….

SHINTO Elements in the Shambhala Path...Chogyam Trangpa is best known to Western readers as the author of several popular books on Buddhism teachings, including Cutting through Spiritual Materialism, The Myth of Freedom of Meditation in Action. His volume, Shambhala, is a major departure from these earlier works. Shambhala is the path of warriorship, or the path of bravery, that is open to any human being who seeks a genuine and fearless existence. Chogyam Trangpa visited Ise Grand Shrine in Japan, and told his followers about Shinto, the indigenous religion of Japan. He said Shinto thought is similar to Shambhala and he decided to incorporate a Shinto shrine in the center in Colorado….

The Scorpion Seal of the Golden Sun...One of the final terma texts received in 1981 by the Dorje Dradül is called “The Scorpion Seal of the Golden Sun.” This text introduces advanced Shambhala practices. It is the basis for the Werma sadhana as well as the Rigden abhisheka. It contains also the description of a retreat practice.….

THE NINE WAYS OF BON...The Ninth Level of Bon is the Way of Supreme Doctrine or The Way of Dzogchen ….

THE FIVE ELEMENTS IN ANCIENT TRADITIONS...In many indigenous traditions, we relate with the raw elements. Fire Pujas, Earth Ceremonies, rituals near springs, Sky and Space rituals.....Basically we are relating with the raw elements and their related spirit realms.....If you do not have a reference place when we talk about spirits, do a little dzogchen practive and feel spacious.….

DZOGCHEN in the Nyingma and Bon Traditions...There is a strong doctrinal opposition, among some Gelugpas, to the Old Tantras in general and to the Dzogchen teachings in particular. Without going into details, one of their objections to the Old Tantras is basically that those may not really be Buddhist as one cannot find proof of their existence in India, from which, as we know, all good came. When it comes to the Dzogchen teachings, it's even more serious. They consider them as not Buddhist at all but as some disguised way of bringing back into play some concept of a self, however subtle, with the notion of Rigpa. Therefore, in their view, Dzogchen is almost a theistic teaching, borrowed from the Bon. Hence the scandal about the Great Fifth (and to some degree about the present Dalai Lama, a strong advocate of the Dzogchen path).….

The Abridged Kalachakra Tantra and The Stainless Light...The Abridged Kalachakra Tantra and its main commentary, Stainless Light, are probably combinations of portions written in different places at different times. It is difficult to date their compilation in Sanskrit. ….

Plato: Allegory of the Cave...Plato lets Socrates describe a group of people who have lived chained to the wall of a cave all of their lives, facing a blank wall. The people watch shadows projected on the wall by things passing in front of a fire behind them, and begin to ascribe forms to these shadows. According to Plato's Socrates, the shadows are as close as the prisoners get to viewing reality. ….

Dzogchen and Lucid Dreaming...Buddha Shakyamuni often told his disciples to regard all phenomena as dreams. He used many examples, like an echo, a city in the clouds or a rainbow to illustrate the illusory nature of the phenomenal world. Dreams represent just one type of illusion. The whole universe arises and dissolves like a mirage. Everything about us, even the most enlightened qualities, are also dreamlike phenomena. There's nothing that is not encompassed within the dream of illusory being; so in going to sleep, you're just passing from one dream state to another.….

Notes on the Werma Deities...Jamgon Mipham Namgyal Gyatso....(1846-1912)..The Tibetan text: "The Lamp that Illuminates the Practice of the Miraculous Juthig of Existence" : interesting and clear descriptions of the DRALA and WERMA can be found in two passages from the monumental work on the Juthig divination. ….

Early Rigden Kings & The Kalachakra ...There is little recorded history of Shambhala prior to Sucandra. His father was Suryaprabha and his mother was Vijaya. The dynasty belongs to the same Shakya line as Shakayamuni.….

Historical Teachers...DILGO KHENTSE RINPOCHE..(1910-1991)..."Shambhala looks like its not Buddhadharma, but itself is the essence of Buddhadharma. It is training of the mind that is a realization which embodies view, meditation and practice by itself. If one has that, then it is a path that is complete and will embody the perfect state of mind." (June 1987) ….

Selected Quotes... Bon, unlike the religious outgrowths of the Aryan culture, especially Hinduism, Buddhism, and Jainism in their quasi-popular forms, gives little heed to the pursuit of salvation through austerities. Bon philosophy speaks of Yeshen as being reflected in the interplay between heaven and earth."...(Chogyam Trungpa: The Heart of the Buddha"...1991..pg 222).... ….

Notes on Kingdom of Shambhala...The houses in the villages of Shambhala are two storied. The people have fine bodies and appearances and they are very wealthy. The men of Shambhala wear caps, and white or red cotton clothes. Women wear white or blue garments pleated and patterned with beautiful designs.….

OKAR RESEARCH FILM CLIPS... October 7, 2012...Chogyam Trungpa, Dilgo Khyentse Rinpoche, 16th Karmapa.... Black Hat Ceremony, etc….

Chogyam Trungpa Meditation Instruction...October 5, 2012.....Chogyam Trungpa @ Naropa Institute....….

November 20, 2012...Uyghur Empire ... 763 AD ...The last great khagan of the Empire was a khagan with unknown name, bearing the title Kün tengride ülüg bulmïsh alp küchlüg bilge ("Greatly born in sun heaven, victorious, strong and wise") ….

November 20, 2012...Uighur Kingdom of Khocho...Later Shambhalists would identify the ancient Uighur kingdom of Khocho, centered around the Turfan Depression, as one of the prime candidates for the physical location of Shambhala ….

November 9, 2012..... Gyerpung Nangzher Lodpo (8th C. AD) ... The chief disciple of the master Tapihritsa was the great Gyerpung Nangzher Lodpo. He was also born in Zhang-zhung, in the lake district of Darok in Northern Tibet. He began to study the Nine Ways of Bon became very proficient in all of these practices.….

October 24, 2012...... Magyal Pomra & Shenlha Okar ...Magyal Pomra (Wyl. rma rgyal spom ra), also known as Machen Pomra or Amnye Machen (a myes rma chen), is a mountain range in the Golok area of Eastern Tibet and the protector deity associated with it.....At the top center is the primordial deity Shenlha Okar, peaceful, white, with the hands in meditation posture.….

October 24, 2012..... Protector & Snow Lion ...Mountain Gods and Goddesses of Tibet and the Himalayan regions are spirits indigenous to a specific geographic region and considered worthy of worship by the local populace. The gods can be considered Bon, Buddhist or regional - equally worshiped by all. ….

October 24, 2012...... Mounted Protector ...It can be difficult to classify Mountain Gods and Local Deities as to their status as living beings or entities. They are certainly not human and they don't readily fit into the Buddhist description of the Wheel of Life concept coming from the Abhidharma. They are not gods of the Gods Realm, nor are they animals or hell beings. They seem to fit closest to the Ghost Realm, although not exactly hungry ghosts living in a vast empty, dusty, wind swept expanse. ….

October 24, 2012.... Werma Deity Nyinya ... Werma Nyinya (war ma nyi nya)........Werma Nyinya: a worldly deity arising from the Bon 'Treasure Tradition' and specifically the Chang Sen Tagdu text unearthed by Terton Ponse Khyung Gotsal (12th century). ….

October 24, 2012..... Werma Deity...Dynamic in appearance with one face and two hands, white in colour, he has the head of a lion - snarling and gaping. The right hand holds aloft a sword ready to strike and the left stretched to the side a trident on a long shaft. Wearing a flower and jewel crown the head is topped with a green bird. Adorned with a necklace, bracelets and anklets, a pink and green scarf is worn around the shoulders and the lower body is draped in a tiger skin skirt. Sharp blue wings extend from the back as he stands in a wrathful posture atop a raging tiger above two red figures, a sun disc and multi-coloured lotus seat.….

October 24, 2012.... Tibetan: Werma Nyinya ...Tibetan: Werma Nyinya (war ma nyi nya). ….

October 10, 2012..... SHENLHA OKAR ...The body of Shenlha Wokar is white...his ontological status is that of bonku, 'unconditioned being' or 'supreme being', corresponding to the Buddhist category of dharmakaya...His association with light suggests Manichaean influences....The colour of his body is like the essence of crystal...his ornaments, attire, and palace are adorned by crystal light...….

October 9, 2012...... White Dzogchen Ngakpa ... Ngagpa.....In Tibetan Buddhism and Bon, a Ngakpa (Tibetan: སྔགས་པ ; Wylie: sngags pa; IAST: mantrī; Sanskrit Devanagari: मन्त्री ) is a non-monastic practitioner of Vajrayana, shamanism, Tibetan medicine, Tantra and Dzogchen amongst other traditions, disciplines and arts. Ngakpa is an alternative phonetic transcription; the Wylie is sngags pa. These terms are grammatically masculine; the feminine equivalent is Ngakma or Ngakmo. Ngak'phang is a gender neutral word that covers ngakpa and ngakmo, though this word is obscure. It may either be archaic or of relatively recent construction........Traditionally, ngakpas wear uncut hair and white robes. From this they are referred to as gö kar chang loi de or "the white-robed and uncut-hair group" ….

October 9, 2012...... Trulkor Exercises ...Tsa lung Trul khor (lit. "magical movement instrument, channels and inner breath currents") known for brevity as Trul khor (lit. "magical instrument" or "magic circle;" Sanskrit: adhisāra) is a Vajrayana discipline which includes pranayama and body postures (asanas). From the perspective of Dzogchen, the mind is merely vāyu (wind, air) in the body. Thus working with vāyu and the body is considered superior to meditation. Chögyal Namkhai Norbu, a prominent exponent of Trul khor, prefers to use the Sanskrit equivalent term, Yantra Yoga, when writing in English. Trul khor derives from the instructions of the Indian Mahasiddhas who founded Vajrayana.….

October 8, 2012..... Little Joe Gomez... 1970.....Taos Pueblo ... Little Joe Gomez, a member of Taos Pueblo who was also a member of the Native American Church........Trungpa Rinpoche had some notable mind-meetings with elders from North American indigenous traditions. In the early 1970′s he met Little Joe Gomez, head of the North American Peyote Church, for whom he felt a great affinity, recognizing in him a very high-level realization. ….

October 8, 2012.....Gerald Red Elk and Chögyam Trungpa (1984) ... Chögyam Trungpa and Gerald Red Elk.....In the 1980’s, he had a historic meeting with the Oglala Sioux shaman-chief, Gerald Red Elk, at the Magyal Pomra Encampment Grounds at SMC. After being together for about 40 minutes, Trungpa Rinpoche said, “I think we can work together. It is very magical.” Receiving a copy of Shambhala: The Sacred Path of the Warrior from the Druk Sakyong, Red Elk said, “The sacred path of the warrior, this is what we believe in. The honor is there. The honor is there.” Trungpa Rinpoche later commented, “He understood the whole book, just from the cover.….

October 26, 2012.....SACRED PLACES, POWER SPOTS ...The Hopi believe, it's our belief, that if you're not spiritually connected to the Earth and don't understand this spiritual reality of how to live on Earth, it's likely you will not make it. Everything is spiritual. ….

September 13, 2012......Legendary Cities of Ancient Central Asia ...In 624 AD, a Moslem invasion weakened the Kingdom of Shambhala….

September 6, 2012......THE SILK ROAD ...About the 7th century, when information started to filter along the Road. It was at this time that the rise of Islam started to affect Asia, and a curtain came down between the east and west. Trade relations soon resumed, however, with the Moslems playing the part of middlemen. The sea route to China was explored at this time, and the `Sea Silk Route' was opened, eventually holding a more important place than the land route itself, as the land route became less profitable. ….

August 28, 2012.......Ancient Uyghur Civilization...The desolate wastes of the Takla Makan Desert, Uyghur Region, at the heart of central Asia, are haunted by an ancient mystery. It was here, long ago, that East and West -- two of the greatest civilizations on earth -- made imperceptible contact. ….

August 28, 2012.........Bön Tradition of Tibet...Tönpa Shenrab Miwoche established the Bon religion. He is traditionally held to have been born in the land of Tagzig Olmo Lung Ring, considered an axis mundi, which is traditionally identified as Mount Yung-drung Gu-tzeg ("Edifice of Nine Sauvastikas"), possibly Mount Kailash, in western Tibet. Due to the sacredness of Tagzig Olmo Lung Ring and the Mount Kailash, both the sauvastika and the number nine are of great significance and considered auspicious by the Bonpo as well as Hindus. ….

August 28, 2012......GUGE: Lost Kingdom of Tibet ...The ruins of the former capital of Guge kingdom are located at Tsaparang in the Sutlej valley, not far from Mount Kailash and 1,200 miles (1,900 km) westwards from Lhasa. ….

August 28, 2012......The Sanskrit Language... Dean Brown took an active interest in metaphysics, philosophy, psychology, music, and horticulture. He was also interested in linguistics, being familiar with 25 languages, and interested in cross-cultural similarities in literary forms. His linguistic work included his scholarship of Sanskrit, and he made original translations of both the Upanishads and the Yoga Sutras.….

August 28, 2012.......Secret Towers of the Himalayas ...The Ideal of Nine Stories....... Many of the old tower structures may originally have had nine floors, as this is an ideal, auspicious number with ancient roots in shamanistic mythology.….

August 28, 2012......Tibet 1940... Sir Basil Gould ...This film was shot by Sir Basil Gould who succeeded Derek Williamson as Political Officer of Sikkim, Bhutan and Tibet in 1935. His films record two visits to Lhasa. The first, Lhasa (1936), shows his Diplomatic Mission to the Tibetan capital. ….

Okar Research Terms (A -C) ........ABRUPTNESS...ARROGANCE...ASHE...BASIC GOODNESS...CHAO...CRYSTAL ….

OKAR RESEARCH TERMS....D-G ...DRALA...DZOGCHEN...EMPTINESS...FIVE ELEMENTS...GREAT EASTERN SUN...

Okar Research Terms ... H-M ...HEART...INK...JUNIPER...KI KI SO SO...KVARENAH...LA...LOVE...LIGHT...MIRROR...MAGIC....MARRIAGE...MU CORD...

Okar Research Terms ... N-R ...NATURAL HIERARCHY...NATURAL STATE...PASSION...PRESENCE...PRIMORDIAL PURITY...REALITY...RICHNESS...RIGPA….

Okar Research Terms ... S-Z ...SACRED OUTLOOK...SETTING SUN...SECULAR...SPACE...SOUND,LIGHT,RAYS...THEKCHOD...THODGAL...WHITE 'A'...WINDHORSE...ZIJI.….

Ashe Notes ...Ashe (Tibetan: primordial or first stroke. Pronounced ah-shay). In the Shambhala teachings, A-, primordial or first, is the open space of mind before the first thought, or first gesture; that first thought or gesture is -she. Ashe is the power to express basic goodness and is also know as "the essence of life." Ashe symbolizes primordial confidence and compassion. The execution of the stroke of Ashe is the practice that expressed and nourishes those qualities.….

Nyida Diet of Shambhala...NYIDA: The vegetarian diet of Shambhala..... 'Nyi' stands for yellow and green foods, primarily vegetables and fruits, and 'da' for white foods such as milk, yogurt, cheese and tofu.….

CARVAKAS-LOKAYATAS....Ancient Schools of Materialism (400 B.C.) ...The world lokayata was used to refer to the person who believed in the reality of this world and the physical existence of man and of other beings on earth and nothing else. 'Loka' means the world and 'lokayata' means he who is centered around or relies upon this world only. The lokayatas accepted only that reality which they could subjectively perceive and interact with, not in any imaginary world or some kind of ideal world.….

THE ZERMIG....PIERCING EYE ... The country of Olmo Lungring where Tonpa Shenrab descended from the celestial spheres and took up incarnation among human beings as an Iranian prince. The mysterious land of Olmo Lungring (`ol-mo lung-rings) or Olmoling (`ol-mo`i gling) is said to be part of a larger geographical region to the northwest of Tibet called Tazig (stag-gzig, var. rtag-gzigs), which scholars identify with Iran or, more properly, Central Asia where in ancient times Iranian languages such as Avestan and later Sogdian were spoken….

ZIJI Text... (gZi-brjid) gZHI....In the Dzogchen teachings, the Base (gzhi) is the state of total primordial purity (ka-dag chen-po). This state of primordial purity may, in some respects, resemble unconsciousness, but it is not at all unconsciousness as such because it is characterized by the presence of Awareness (rig-pa). It is often compared to the sky, but this is only an example, because the sky is not aware. But just as the sky is not changed by the presence of the clouds in it, so in the Base there is no change or addition in response to whatever we think or do. There is nothing new to be added to it, nor is it in need of any correction or modification (ma bcos-pa). It is naturally pure and never otherwise; that is its quality. The Natural State has never been defiled or modified by the events of Samsara. It is like a mirror which is in no way changed or modified by whatever it reflects.….

Notes on MAHA ATI...The yogi of maha ati may look like an ordinary person but his awareness is completely absorbed in nowness. He has no need of books because he sees apparent phenomena and the whole of existence as the mandala of the guru. For him there is no speculation about the stages on the path. His actions are spontaneous and therefore benefit all sentient beings. When he leaves the physical body his consciousness becomes one with the dharmakaya, just as the air in a vase merges with the surrounding space when the vase is broken.….

The Current 21st Rigden Kalki King...Aniruddha...Aniruddha, the Twenty-First Kalki King, is believed to be the current monarch, whose reign extends from 1927 to 2027. By the end of this period, Buddhism and the Kalachakra will have nearly come to an end in Tibet, Mongolia, China and much of Asia..….The final king is expected to rule starting in the year 2327 AD, according to the Kalachakra tantra.

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John Hopkins.....New Mexico

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