=-
IN THIS ISSUE:
Stardust - Graydon Clipperton
Guru Mind - Gail Angevine
=-

STARDUST
- Graydon Clipperton (Toronto)

I was fifteen. It was springtime in 1969. I was exploring, energized and with lack of direction, found and made up what I could. I knew the realization of mustard seed and mountain through direct experience and had no discipline, no full knowledge of what to do with it, if anything.

My sister, Deborah, told me about this "guy" who gave teachings and could give personal mantras. I thought that's just what I need. One day I went with her to a house, somewhere in Toronto. There seemed to be a bunch of cool people and the atmosphere felt familiar. I remember him, "The Bhikkhu" as he was called; remember feeling good, and that this was important. And then I didn't pursue him, but pursued the teachings.

Twenty-seven years later, after marriage, four children, several professions and much life experience, my wife heard that a teacher was going to be nearby and we decided to go. It felt like it was not a choice.

The event was in a private house in Oak Ridges, again in springtime. People sat everywhere, some people seemed to know each other, and a spot appeared to be reserved. I recognized him when he entered and turned to my wife and said, "I think I've seen this fellow before".

My insides fell into place. It was beyond relaxing, beyond knowledge, and my inside stories drifted and dispersed. The Rinpoche instructed that we were made of stardust, billion of years old, and that a lot of work had gone into preparing us ~ who we are today. "So, get it right!" he exclaimed. Everything vibrated in my body and I knew he had gotten it right.

He was truly one of the most encouraging, loving, compassionate and correct people I've ever met. He ordained me later that year, continued to give instruction through his remaining years, including telling me all too clearly to teach dharma; and I continue to revere him and the teachings every day.

May all our joys multiply to all ends of the universe.

=-

GURU MIND
- Gail Angevine [BC]

I was not intending to write a story. But the process of reading the stories of others must have raised the question in the depth, because the following story emerged one day quite unbidden by the conscious mind. Upon reflection, I realized that this story conveys the essence of what Namgyal Rinpoche was to me and why he affected my life in such a profound way.

One day after class, I approached Rinpoche to ask him a question and due to crowded conditions stood closer to him than I normally would. In so doing, I spontaneously entered his energy field. There was a sudden and dramatic expansion in my consciousness and to my surprise, I found myself viewing a brilliant star in an infinitely expanding galaxy. A brief but powerful moment of revelation. A direct seeing of Guru mind ~ a jewel-like consciousness of inconceivable vastness and profundity, unimpeded and totally open, uncompromisingly awake, embracing the totality of creation in the one heart.

This is what he so skillfully and compassionately transmitted through his teaching and his presence. Constantly reminding us that this is what is possible. Constantly admonishing us to relinquish our clinging to our tight secure ego cocoon. To wake up! To break the chains! To make the determination to join him in his glorious and unending dance with the universe. "Utterly free bliss emptiness, the great self liberation of whatever arises". [From: "Sadhana of Mahamudra", Khenpo Tsultrim Gyamtso Rinpoche].

=-=

ABOUT The CRYSTAL COLLECTION PROJECT
Over the last year we have been gathering and sharing
insightful stories about Namgyal Rinpoche (1931-2003),
his teachings, and the experiences of students as we
prepare to publish a book, an anthology based on these
stories, many of which are posted on the Web at
<http://namgyal.wikidot.com>.

This is a non-profit project, and subsequent revenue
from book sales will be donated to a Namgyal centre
or cause.

As of March 21st this newsletter will cease. Perhaps
temporarily.. since readers have expressed some
dismay.. as we turn our attention to preparing the book
for publication, which shall be announced, hopefully
later this year, to everyone who has been receiving
this newsletter.

Contributions of stories, comments, and queries about
the CRYSTAL COLLECTION PROJECT are still welcome.
Please send them to the Editor: <ten.orobretep|bar#ten.orobretep|bar>.
Thank you!
=-=

David Berry (Producer), Rab Wilkie (Editor)
Website: http://namgyal.wikidot.com

=-
IN THIS ISSUE:
=-

Instructing The Teacher - Matt Wright
Morning Coffee - Lisa Elander
The Rolling Rinpoche Gathers No Dross - Melodie Massey

=-

INSTRUCTING The TEACHER
- Matt Wright

Once upon a time whilst Rinpoche and Terry were visiting
Anne-Marie and I in South Florida, we decided to take a
drive to the Everglades. Once there, and after quite a
humorous "short" walk to a viewing spot where a variety of
birds and creatures were displaying, we quickly galloped
back to the car with a squadron of aggressive summer
mosquitoes hot at our heels and heads. All but Terry, who
was displaying his Canadian toughness by taking his time!

We then drove to the visitor centre where Rinpoche said he
would wait for us in the car while we collected information
from the park rangers. Before leaving the car, Terry showed
Rinpoche how to operate the controls of the air-conditioner
and affirmed that it would soon 'kick-in'.

Upon our return we noticed Rinpoche sitting there streaming
with perspiration and we asked, "What happened?"

He calmly answered, "I'm waiting for the 'kick-in'."

The ignition key had been turned to keep the fan running,
but the engine was off, so no air-conditioner.

=-

MORNING COFFEE (1976?)
- Lisa Elander

In Cuzco, which was one of the sites for a six-week retreat
in Peru, Rinpoche came to the house each morning when he
was in that city. (The other site was in the Urubamba Valley).
One morning he asked me to make him a cup of coffee. I went
to the kitchen.

In Peru, there was only one way to make coffee: with boiled
water, instant coffee, sugar (if taken), and powdered milk.
I made him the usual cup of coffee and took it back out.
He took one sip and spat it out all over the floor.

He said it was disgusting, that I did not even know how to
make a decent cup of coffee, and then lit into me, tearing
me to shreds as only he could do. I spent the rest of the
day in despair, crying on and off, trying to understand what
this was all about.

The next morning he came again, looked at me, and asked me
to make him a cup of coffee.

With a feeling of dread I returned to the kitchen and looked
carefully at the ingredients for making coffee: boiled water,
instant coffee, white sugar, and powdered milk. So I made
exactly the same cup that I had made the day before and
offered it to him with great trepidation.

He smiled, took it, said, "Thank you", and drank it without
a word. ('Fifty blows if you do fifty blows if you don't').

=-

The ROLLING RINPOCHE GATHERS NO DROSS
- Melodie Massey

Then there was the Sahara trip. Rinpoche decided he was going
to learn to drive the car. Terry took him down to a flat part
of the desert where we had spent the night, so there was
nothing to crash into. I don't think it was very successful
but at least he tried.

Later, we were standing at the top of a sand dune when
suddenly Rinpoche crouched, curled up into a ball and rolled
all the way to the bottom. He was amazing. He went flying
down. We all tried but could not roll the way Rinpoche did.
Even Terry, much younger, was nothing like Rinpoche who was
so unbelievably flexible.

We also had to bury our poop because in the desert nothing
disintegrates. So when someone had a shovel you knew what
was happening.

Sitting here now at the age of 86 so many things are
popping into the mind that were wonderful experiences.
However the most WONDERFUL experience of all is that
there is no separation from Rinpoche.

This is just one of many stories for the record.
I continually feel blessed to have so many marvellous
beings in my life who have guided and been a part of
this incarnation. I just pray that the next time around
the formation can be of benefit to more beings.

=-
EDITOR'S NOTE: Our story titles are not carved in stone, and
often they have not been suggested by the authors themselves.
They are mostly off-the-cuff, bidden by the Editor's muse
of the moment. Stories published in the final book will have
titles agreed upon by their authors and the editors.
=-

ABOUT The CRYSTAL COLLECTION PROJECT

Over the last year we have been gathering and sharing
insightful stories about Namgyal Rinpoche (1931-2003),
his teachings, and the experiences of students as we
prepare to publish a book, an anthology based on these
stories, many of which are posted on the Web at
<http://namgyal.wikidot.com>.

This is a non-profit project, and subsequent revenue
from book sales will be donated to a Namgyal centre
or cause.

As of March 21st we will no longer be seeking contributions
and this newsletter will cease. However, the publication of
the book will be announced, hopefully later this year, to
everyone who has been receiving this newsletter.

Contributions of stories, comments, and queries about the
CRYSTAL COLLECTION PROJECT are still welcome. Please send
them to the Editor: <ten.orobretep|bar#ten.orobretep|bar>.

Thank you!
=-

David Berry (Producer), Rab Wilkie (Editor)
Website: http://namgyal.wikidot.com

=-
IN THIS ISSUE:
=-

The BLACK SHIRT TALK:
Building a Bridge to Transcendence

Namgyal Rinpoche's Nature Course
Dharma Centre of Canada, July 3, 1996

- David Berry

The class sat in silent meditation. We rose to our feet as one
as we heard the sound of the Volkswagen on gravel as it approached
the Temple from the Main House.

The car stopped at the foot of the hill and the Venerable Karma
Tensin Dorje Namgyal Rinpoche came up the wooden stairs. A student
opened the screen door for him and he stepped in, slipped off his
sandals and walked to his chair at the front of the room. A mug
of hot tea and a flowering plant waited on the table beside him.

He began with the opening dedication three times, “Namo tassa
Bhagavato Arahato Samma Sambuddhassa”, (Homage to the Blessed One,
the Purified One, the Fully Enlightened One).

He took a sip of tea and we settled back down on our cushions.

Rinpoche then began his discourse.

=-

“The trouble with you’se…, you see I start with verbal abuse.
Westerners want to start with exotic inner planes in meditation
and those planes are there and are magnificent but inevitably
there are imbalances to be dealt with first.

You live in cities but the ancients lived in forests, in Nature.
You whirl about in “motorcars” as in "Wind the in the Willows"
and eat fast foods and hear sounds not of nature but of machines
and heavy metal. I’m not sure you have a sufficient bridge to
the outer.

You are not the Native people. In general, men were hunters;
women were gatherers. Now we neither hunt nor gather. We don’t
pay attention to our environment or surroundings. We attempt to
do work on the inner without a balancing revelation of the outer.
Ancient peoples hiked from place to place for nine months. Even
in Tibet, people travelled vast miles on foot, trading, gathering
salt, and making pilgrimages. The average Guatemalan Indian way
of approach to Dharma is very different, more introverted, and
pushing into sensational functions. Most people should not
attempt to push hard in the inner until they do work on the
outer.

As some classical Buddhist teachings begin, ‘Having gone to the
forest or the foot of a tree.. ’ they established mindfulness of
the breathing in front. Start with outer mandalas, building with
hands, flowers, or minerals. On their alms round the monks would
use everything they found: a piece of plastic, embryo of dog,
enriching in each little moment. Those of you who are desirous
of revelations on the inner plane should do more work with the
outer. There are spiritual books that mention clouds within us.
It would be better to learn ten types of real clouds: cirrus,
stratus, cumulus..

Eyes are designed to look out, to see the patterns. If I could
have my way with you, I’d order you to take a safari or go
immediately to the Antarctic. “Oh no! Not Scuba!” you say. You
have the wish-fulfilling jewel. If the proper motivation is
there, all will be granted unto you. Have faith.

The Grand Canyon will open the canyons within. The Antarctic,
Arctic, and Amazon provide a mosaic of enlightenment through
adventure. I’m not a Luddite ~ your work-places are fine, even
work with computers is better with a sense of the outer patterns.

You have a distorted view of sexuality and the body. Have you
even watched an animal mate or seen how mating pervades the
universe from the birth of kittens to the eggs of a moth? You
need a deeper changing view of all activity and patterns.

I’m getting nasty now.. you are a klutz. A French lady travelling
all over Africa ordered two fried eggs every day for breakfast.
Americans order bacon and eggs and steak in China. You live by
rote, rote, rote and you wonder why your meditation is so gray.

You can practice different kinds of meditation:
1. Totality
2. Sunyata or emptiness
3. Mind Only

You can also dare to have something different to eat in the
morning. What is your mind feeding on?

Even nuns in Bhutan haven’t had so many wongkurs or empowerments
as you have like the Green Tara we will give this week. They
would give their eye teeth for this and you pick your teeth with
it. Aum Ah Ho: Welcome everyone to the feast, the festival. I
wonder if in these lessons I am casting pearls before swine to
trample underfoot.

Jehovah prepared a great banquet before Paul. Like “Thai food”
would be for you. “Essensie sus kind - Please eat sweet child.”
“No, it’s not kosher”. “Essensie sus kind, Essensie.” Again there
was resistance. It’s doing a number, the way we divide it up:
I do this but not that. I eat this but not that. “What God has
called to be clean, call ye not unclean” and Paul ate. Like the
monks on the alms round take what is given in life. Don’t say,
“I don’t look at fungus, I don’t explore those smells, I don’t
eat that food”. Experience!

Were it not for unclean things, life could not exist. Food is
poop and poop is food for something else. The human stomach is
strong; we can eat many things. But cats, for example, are picky
eaters. So you are losing your humanity as the food allergies
show up. I mean that literally. Humans eat eggs, milk, meat; we
have a versatile stomach.

As you go into more restricted diets you limit your experience.
One third of the humans in Ireland died when the potato crop
failed. The natural instinct of humans is to go for variety.
Variety is the mosaic feed to enlightenment. If you do not have
the inner plane open you haven’t looked out.

We say, “As above, so below; as without, so within.” The ancient
Greeks said, “Look within”. They had already searched the without.
They would lie in a trough with water showers at the seven chakras,
(a symbolic baptism), and participated in sports at the gymnasium
for health of the mind and body.

In the Greek Mysteries candidates wore white robes and climbed a
spiral staircase. They stopped at a cliff, then were lifted to the
Elysian fields above, fields filled with flowers. They were lifted
by a great red double-helix cord to that symbol of a higher plane.
The spiral was used again: as an aspirant ascended, on the spiral
they would pass niches or grottos. Their hood would be winked up
for just an instant so they would see the figures of the archetypes
or a vignette of a teaching. This is just like Tibetans who flash
the card at you with an image of the deity during a wongkur. With
the hood lifted, the tableau appears just for an instant and the
image goes to the depth awareness. The spiral staircase is the
secret staircase. Yes, DNA is life on Earth. It is not helpful to
say “I read the book”. You need real experiences.

The other side of the portal looks outside. How can you experience
the inner without the experience of Nature? Having received the
gift of the senses, use them.

Your whole day is spent on business, salaries, and interpersonal
affairs. Your eyes face forward. You spend your life ignoring
ignorance. Eighty percent of human life is discursive fantasy. Not
only is life but a dream, you’re making it a dream as you merrily
row your boat, oblivious to the world around you. You could fill
the world with a large computer that would not be equal to your
brain. With that great inheritance, what data are you running
through your brain? “Bacon & eggs, bacon & eggs, kibble & bits.”
You are in Sunday school: a little Tibetan picture of self-arising
yoga and front-arising yoga. You really think enlightened beings
need to come to you in Tibetan form or some other specific form?
I’ve got news for you: you don’t even get the news.

North
East
West
South

The NEWS is experience in all directions.

You are nit-picking nitwits. Pay attention to details. You look
for the wind in the inner space and haven’t even seen the wind in
the tree. Go to a mountain and feel the wind. Don’t you dare put
an umbrella over me! I want to feel the rain, little warm drops
or big splats. That’s how the teaching is delivered by the way,
in drops or splats.

To get pure within, get pure food in so you can purify. Your
problem is retention. You try to hold onto the memories rather
than obtaining new experience. My beef with dharma practitioners
is that you neither hunt nor gather. You turn dharma into a group
of sickies and say, ‘Heal me, heal me.’ This is a Dharma Centre
not a Drama Centre! Jesus said, ‘Arise. Take up your bed and walk.’

Get up and do what humans are supposed to do. Your behavior
disgusts me. For progress on the path we have to work, to struggle.
Stop this number of, ‘It’s all an illusion, you know’. The only
thing that is an illusion is you.

You say, ‘My mother did this, my father did that.’ If someone
really wanted to hear, you wouldn’t let him or her hear. ‘Arise.
Take up your bed and walk.’

Look at Stephen Hawking. Look at the power there is through all
those handicaps to keep probing the universe. Give up the view
that the life of Dharma is the life of therapy. Stop this defeated
thing of alcohol. Yes, I know you are still drinking! This is a
conceit. This is the last place you should be. Remember the Fifth
Precept about training yourself to avoid liquor and drugs that
cloud the mind. Get out of all this! Society is full of drugs.
Take up thy bed and walk!

But you say, ‘We’re abused, we’re the victim.’ That’s tough!
There are only two choices: Victim of life or Victor of life.
We are hurled from the womb and hurled to the tomb. You can lie
down and wait or you can get on with it! That’s life and you
have to get engaged.

If you don’t change your diet, you will end up with Norwegian
food. Recipe: put fish in water, put fire under; if you are
feeling wild, add salt. If you are feeling really wild, add
pepper.

Awakening is not fixing sickness or therapy. Within this
fathom-long body there is a universe arising. If you are
in the Dharma, you are not dependent on praise or criticism;
not going from doctor to doctor. This is not just an act of
desperation; it is an act of silliness. It is ignoring
experience. How silly to run from pillar to post!

If what I am saying is offensive, forgive but don’t forget
~ use it. The minutes are going by; everything you find on
the path even a pebble is an advance. Get a big appetite.
All things live by nutriment. All things, all experiences
sustain your life. If you reduce the diet of humans, the
species will go extinct.

So much energy goes into the maintenance of the false self.
If you can hear me, just go out and start looking at the
patterns. I’m tired of teaching today. On one course we had
eight students and seven different diets. That is self-
indulgence; it would never happen in a monastery. However,
I must have hope. The seed of the flower can growth through
concrete. Watch for the dreadful Thump! ~ the thunderbolt
that annihilates the rock.

You’re not worthy to be addressed and given an exercise.
I should not come here. I should leave the dead to bury the
dead. Jesus said the barren fig tree is cursed.

Look at nature, look at the patterns."

=-

Rinpoche gave a closing blessing, “Idam te punna-kamman
asawakaya wayham hotu.” By the merit of this strengthening
activity, may there be cessation of all defilements.

He looked down and said, “It must be the black shirt
I wore today!”

I rose, applauded and shouted, “BRAVO!”

Rinpoche held up his arms as if he were ducking tomatoes,
walked to the front door of the temple, slipped on his
sandals and left.

=-
ABOUT The CRYSTAL COLLECTION PROJECT

Over the last year we have been gathering and sharing
insightful stories about Namgyal Rinpoche (1931-2003),
his teachings, and the experiences of students as we
prepare to publish a book, an anthology based on these
stories, many of which are posted on the Web at
<http://namgyal.wikidot.com>.

This is a non-profit project, and subsequent revenue
from book sales will be donated to a Namgyal centre
or cause.

As of March 21st we will no longer be seeking contributions
and this newsletter will cease. However, the publication of
the book will be announced, hopefully later this year, to
everyone who has been receiving this newsletter.

Contributions of stories, comments, and queries about the
CRYSTAL COLLECTION PROJECT are still welcome. Please send
them to the Editor: <ten.orobretep|bar#ten.orobretep|bar>.

Thank you!
=-

David Berry (Producer), Rab Wilkie (Editor)
Website: http://namgyal.wikidot.com

=-
IN THIS ISSUE
Redeeming The Land - Sonam Gyatso
Ikebana - Elizabeth Berry
=-

Redeeming The Land (1966)
- Sonam Gyatso

While I was teaching in Toronto, the Bhikkhu was still in Scotland.
He had been pushing very hard for us to buy land for a meditation
centre, so I went up to Kinmount with Ivo Bischof, (later the Chair
of the Dharma Centre), and found a 400-acre property for sale at
$4,500. I wrote a letter to the Bhikkhu and said we found a property
for so much with so many acres and so on, then mentioned that it had
"a beaver dam (= swamp)". I wasn’t too impressed with the beaver dam.

The next thing I knew, the Bhikkhu flew back early from Scotland and
the first thing he said was, "I want to go up and see this property".
So we drove up to Kinmount. We walked onto the property and went down
the trail (past where the temple is now), crossed the little creek at
the bottom of the hill, and as we were going up the hill to the open
field, two deer leapt out of the bushes and ran across the open space.
Returning to the main house (such as it was), the Bhikkhu said to me,
"We're going to buy it". We immediately drove back with the realtor to
Bobcaygeon, where the Bhikkhu sealed the deal, pulling $500 out of his
pocket as a down payment.

We never did have a mortgage because we formed a Trust and individuals
put up five hundred or a thousand dollars and made up the $4,500
immediately, and the property was bought in the name of the Dharma
Centre. The Bhikkhu later said the reason that he bought the property
was that Tony had said, "There's a beaver dam". Seeing the dam, he
knew that was what he wanted.

The main house, "such as it was", was a totally derelict log house -
no roof, no foundation, no doors or windows. No hydro, no running water,
no well, no toilets! No nothing! But hey! the Bhikkhu just loved those
old logs!

The property was an abandoned mink farm which had seen much slaughter
of mink, and the buildings were derelict. There were no birds anywhere.
The Bhikkhu said, "We are going to redeem this property. When the birds
come back we will have redeemed it". And they did.

=-

Ikebana
- Elizabeth Berry

I first met Namgyal Rinpoche at a two-week retreat which he named
"Trance or Transcendence", (summer 1993?). Being new to this school,
and not a regular practitioner of Tibetan Buddhism, I wondered what
I needed to do to get the maximum benefit from the experience and
how to incorporate it into my daily life.

Each day before Namgyal gave a talk, I walked the woods and fields
around the Centre gathering flowers and other objects of beauty to
make a composition to put next to his chair. I had studied flower
arrangement for many years, and Japanese flower arrangement, Ikebana,
in particular, so working with the local materials was a true pleasure
for me.

One day during his talk Namgyal looked at my arrangement and said,
"This isn't Ikebana". Then he looked again and said, "Yes, it could
be Ikebana. Ikebana is a complete spiritual path, the practice of
which can lead to enlightenment". I knew he was talking to me and
nearly fell out of my chair.

A few days later, I had an interview with him during which I asked
him for a practice. I realized that many people who practice Tibetan
Buddhism do 100,000 prostrations, or mantras or complicated
visualizations. I honestly wasn't attracted to doing any of these
things, but had such great admiration for Namgyal, I was willing to
follow his advice.

He advised me to learn an ancient Theravadin Buddhist practice of
making flower mandalas. I learned the practice and have since shared
it with others. Upon learning of his death, I dedicated a flower
mandala to him and experienced his presence very strongly as I was
working with it. The message he conveyed to me is that this sacred
energy would always be available to me through flowers.

=-
ABOUT The CRYSTAL COLLECTION PROJECT
This is a non-profit publishing project, initially aimed at stirring up
memories and sharing insightful stories about Namgyal Rinpoche, his
teachings, and the experiences of students. From the materials gathered
a book will be prepared for publication, with any subsequent revenue
being donated to a Namgyal centre or cause. Quotes from this remarkable
Teacher and notes from his talks are of special interest, while the
inclusion of date, time, and place would help us establish a chronology
and context. Please send contributions of stories, comments, and queries
about the CRYSTAL COLLECTION PROJECT to the Editor: <ten.orobretep|bar#ten.orobretep|bar>.

=-
To unsubscribe, please reply to sender with the message "UNSUBSCRIBE".
=-

=-
IN THIS ISSUE
Safari - Terry Hagan
Last Encounter - Mala Sikka
=-

SAFARI
- Terry Hagan

I first met Namgyal Rinpoche in my early twenties and was immediately struck by his presence and naturalness. There seemed to be nothing that escaped his awareness and he was completely at home with all that occurred around him. This casual relaxed attitude was combined with an imposing stature arrayed in a wool shirt and a sweat-soaked Australian hat. Could this be a recognized incarnation of a Tibetan lama? I was completely sold and spent the next 27 years as his attendant following him and his teaching around the world

My most inspired memories of him were not dramatic events, but rather the quiet moments when he would reveal things with the twinkle of an eye or gesture or perhaps a few words. These moments alas do not transcribe well into words so instead I offer a small story which has stuck with me through the years.

In the early predawn light of East Africa we scrambled out of bed, downed a cup of morning tea, and jumped into our waiting Land Rovers. We were about to descend over 600 meters into one of the wonders of the world, Ngorongoro Crater.

We cruised the switchback roads down the inside of the crater, our headlights shining as we rounded the hairpin turns while dawn brought a red glow to the horizon. Just as we reached the base of the crater the sun rose, revealing the incredible scene that opened up before us. We were entering a vast plain of almost 250 square kilometers filled with wildlife. Up to 25,000 animals live in the crater with thin brush and trees. The early light cast long dark shadows in the trees and we watched with amazement, as suddenly what appeared to be shadows started moving and became a herd of zebras. Their amazing bold stripes, so obvious when you see a zebra in the open, were perfect camouflage in the dawn light.

As we progressed through the crater we began to see many other animals: gazelles, bat-eared fox, wildebeest, impala, a flock of ostriches, all bathed in that glorious golden morning light. Suddenly we were faced with a young rhino. Irritated by the sound of our engine and our unfamiliar smell he threw caution to the wind and charged at our vehicle, sending us roaring off past a family of wart-hog piglets running behind their mother with her uplifted tail.

Meanwhile, during our safari I had been studying wildlife books and had gotten fairly good at identification. I was standing up through the open top of the Land Cruiser scanning the horizon with my binoculars and proudly telling Rinpoche what was around. As we were seeing things I was calling out names and Rinpoche would point to things and ask me what it was. I would say “That is a Thompson’s gazelle, or that’s a hartebeest and so on. This went on and on and then, in the distance Rinpoche spotted something sticking up from the long golden grass and asked, “What’s that?”

I looked with my binoculars and saw what appeared to be a curved branch attached to part of a fallen tree. “Oh it’s just a dead log, Sir,” I said assuredly. He looked at it some more and the driver looked at it, and finally Rinpoche said, “No, I don’t think it is.”

I said “No Sir, I’m very sure that is just a log”, thinking ‘I’m spotting up here and I've got the binoculars’.

He said, “We-ll let’s go check it out anyway,” and to my chagrin we drove over to look to
have a look.

As we got near, the shape was transformed into a wildebeest lying on its side with one curved horn sticking up in the air. Lying in front of it, holding on with her teeth was a lioness still panting from the exertion of the chase. On the other side of her, we saw three young lion cubs sitting there as well. Rather than feed herself, the panting lioness chewed open the belly of the wildebeest. The guts spewed out and the young cubs went in there with their faces as deep as they could go. As we pulled up, the three cubs turned to look at us like cute little kids with chocolate pudding all over their faces. They were enjoying busily lapping up the hot blood coming from the belly of the wildebeest. We were awestruck by the scene in front of us less than ten feet away.

In the back seat was Chorpel, an older student of Rinpoche, who was mesmerized by the
scene. Intrigued but at the same time repulsed, she had splayed her fingers across her face
repeating, “I can't look, I can't look”. She was however indeed looking with staring eyes
through the spaces between her fingers. (Why are we so afraid to look at things that we find shocking or disturbing yet find an overwhelming compulsion to stare at them anyway?)

Rinpoche turned and began to chuckle at this humorous situation in the back seat, then
caught my eye and seemed to say, “So what is your view.” My mind reeled with the enormity of all the views shifting through my mind. First of all I had had a view that I could express as “I know where it’s at, I know where we're going, I know what that curved shape is.” But when we got there, the reality was completely different. Witnessing this event there was a juxtaposition between the unfortunate death of the wildebeest and the care taken by the panting lioness as she cared lovingly for her offspring. Without food those young cubs would not survive. Where is the higher view? Is it compassion for the poor wildebeest or compassion for the young cubs or both?

=-

Last Encounter With A Great Mind
- Mala Sikka

In October 2003 Rinpoche gave his last teaching in Britain. He taught the “Three Points That Strike To The Vital Essence”: recognition, confidence, and application or putting it into practice.

When he came out of the class he would stand around and chat with people. He was standing there on a chilly day with some wind and rain as there often is in Britain. He
was chatting and at the same time trying to put on his coat. He was having some difficulty getting his arm in the sleeve. Immediately I thought I should help him and then I thought, “I can't”. I looked at him and thought, “No, no, no, I can't possibly touch the Lama. He’s a monk and you know you don’t touch him.”

He looked at me and it was like, “Oh-oh, I got that wrong” and immediately got the message, “Go forth! Do not hesitate!”

So I took the coat and he offered me his arm, then he made it very difficult for me to put his coat on. He was goofing around and making it even more difficult for me, but finally he allowed me to succeed in helping him. He gave me a smile and I realized it was very simple. He read the mind and it was for me the last teaching, just “Do not hesitate. Any time it comes into the mind to help, go forth, don’t stop yourself.” There were no words spoken, it was just a look in the eye and a little twinkle and the information that came through was just to act on your instinct, not just your animal instinct but your deeper intuition. With putting on the coat he was silently teaching the Three Points: recognition, confidence, and putting it into practice. This was a lesson for me in not hesitating.

When he got in the car I frowned and he looked at me and said, “Oh, we have a little tikka in front of the Mala Sikka.”

Tikka is the mark on the forehead of the Hindus in India, but I was actually frowning, reflecting on the depth of what had just happened. He called my frown a tikka. What the tikka means depends on context but generally it is a positive mark that represents the divine eye.

=-

ABOUT The CRYSTAL COLLECTION PROJECT
This is a non-profit publishing project, initially aimed at stirringup memories and sharing insightful stories about Namgyal Rinpoche, his teachings, and the experiences of students. From the materials gathered abook will be prepared for publication, with any subsequent revenue being donated to a Namgyal centre or cause. Quotes from this remarkable Teacher and notes from his talks are of special interest, while the inclusion of date, time, and place would help us establish a chronology and context. Please send contributions of stories, comments, and queries about the CRYSTAL COLLECTION PROJECT to the Editor: ten.orobretep|bar#ten.orobretep|bar .

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IN THIS ISSUE:
Connecting with The Teacher -o- Roslyn Langdon
Le Gourou farmineux -o- Jangchoub Reid
=-

CONNECTING With The TEACHER (1974)
- Roslyn Langdon (England)

"If you want to learn to practise meditation come to Canada in the Summer
for a three week's meditation course at the Dharma Centre."

These were the words of Namgyal Rinpoche in the spring of 1974 at the Kham
Tibetan Centre in Saffron Waldron where I had driven from London to meet
him. I immediately booked a flight to Toronto at the end of July for myself
and eighteen-year-old daughter, Melanie.

Two weeks before we were to leave, a group of Rinpoche's students began
arriving at my flat in London. Amongst them were Cecilie Kwiat, Eric Hearn
(Tarchin), and Anna (Wangchuk).

"Why are you going to Canada when the Rinpoche will be coming to England?"
they asked me. As the Teacher had instructed me to go to Canada, I saw no
reason to change my plans. Leaving the students installed in my flat,
Melanie and I arrived at Marie and George Ghent's apartment in Toronto,
and waited for news of the Rinpoche and commencement of the course.

It came in the form of a phone call from London - the teacher was giving a
ten-day teaching there in my flat! Here was I several thousand miles from
home, awaiting my first meditation course.. which was already taking place
in my own home. All I could do was laugh and consider that this must be the
loosening-up process I needed before learning to meditate.

I had never been to the New World before, so Melanie and I set off for New
York, arriving at Grand Central Station on the day Richard Nixon resigned.
From there we took a bus to Vermont, visited a friend in Halifax, Nova
Scotia, and then back to Toronto.

Still no news of the Rinpoche, so I decided to visit the Dharma Centre.
Being young and healthy I mucked in collecting wood from the forest, and
helped paint the exterior of the temple. After a week, during which time
there were rumours of Rimpoche's boat arriving soon in Montreal,I returned
to Toronto and Cecilie's house, to be met by the words, "You might as well
turn right around as Rinpoche will be at the Centre tomorrow morning"!

We spent that night informing people and booking a couple of busses to
take us early the next morning.

After a short ceremony with a lot of excited and happy students, I met
the Teacher on the steps leaving the temple, and expressed my pleasure
at the use of my flat for his teachings. I was expecting some words of
thanks, but he only asked how much longer I was staying. I was due to
fly back home in three days.

"Then I'll arrange a blessing for you tomorrow in Toronto so you can go
ahead and practise".

The following day I joined about a hundred others at Chorpel’s house,
(I had thought this was to be a blessing just for me!), where we received
a Chenrezig wongkur. Thus commenced a 30-year life-changing relationship
with the Teacher.

The next time I visited the Dharma Centre was October 2003 to receive my
yidam empowerment from the Rinpoche.. that of Garuda, part of the Healing
Triad. Once again he wasn't there as he had passed away a few days before
in Switzerland. Instead, I found myself taking part in that great moving
memorial to his life, before gratefully later receiving the empowerment
from Lama Sonam Gyatso.

=-

Le GOUROU FARAMINEUX [1]
- Jangchoub Reid (France)

Le Grand Maître Namgyal Rinpoché is, at once a fantastical [2] guru
and also a very human being.

I deliberately use the present tense because he lives on, so vividly
in all of us, n'est-ce pas?

I use the word fantastic because I loved the way he would play with
words and languages and the roots of linguistic meaning during his
discourses; and the etymomogy for "fantasy" is so fantastic, (see
footnotes).

I say fantastic [3] because there was already, well before his dying,
a vibrant mythology building up around his various exploits with
students; stories so extreme as to challenge belief; and yet that's
what he did, constantly - challenge our beliefs - about everything.

For me, since the beginning, every Dharma discourse with the Rinpoché
was an empowerment. Nevertheless, in the naivety of youth, I once
asked, "Rinpoché, sir, would you please give the wongkur of White
Tara?"

"I Never give wongkur!!" was the short, sharp, thunderous response;
and following in a softer tone, "The Deity gives the wongkur".

"I have no name. I'm sunyata, (emptiness; the spacious openness of
interbeing) plus whatever you or anyone else wants to project" [4].
For me, this extraordinary declamation, recorded by Tarchin Hearn,
reveals the freedom of the Rinpoché and simultaneously exposes the
myriad fantasies we have of him.

For me, however, it was in the quiet moments when he was most
ordinary, not doing anything spectacular, that the most profound
transmission of what it means to be fully human, occurred. For
example…

One early morning we were walking along in the quiet dusty desert
streets of Ayers Rock, Australia, attending to the light of the sun.
Just after the glorious sunrise the Rinpoché asked, "Well Reid,
will the sun rise tomorrow?"

For a few seconds the mind went into hologramic superhyperdrive
considering the many possible answers to this tortuously simple
question. Then, equally rapidly a profound spacious tranquillity
opened and I replied simply, "Yes Sir". After a few more dusty
steps he responded, "Fair enough", and so we continued down the
road in silence.

Marked by his extravagant individuality he is the most excellent,
superlative teacher who invites us still, to give up our fantasies
and enter into the light of the real.. in this present moment.
How wonderful!

Phain?
No Name! Excellent
no name
Presenting a present to
Your mind; a light show
Of uncontrived eccentricity.
"I am light, plus…
Who are you?"

- Jangchoub Reid
la pleine lune, janvier, 2009.

NOTES

1. adjectif faramineux Familier. Étonnant par son importance.
colossal, effarant, extraordinaire, fantastique, formidable, fou,
gigantesque, gros, incalculable, incroyable, inimaginable, inouï,
phénoménal, prodigieux, stupéfiant, terrible, - familier: astronomique,
énorme, fabuleux, furieux, mirobolant, monstre, monumental:
http://fr.thefreedictionary.com.

2. Etymology: Middle English fantastic, fantastical, from Middle French
fantastique, from Late Latin phantasticus, from Greek phantastikos
producing mental images, from phantazein to present to the mind, from
????? <http://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/?????> (phain?), to show in light,
from ??? <http://en.wiktionary.org/w/index.php?title=???&action=edit&
redlink=1> (phôs), light.

3. Merriam-Webster Dictionary.
i. a: based on fantasy <http://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/fantasy>:
not real, b: conceived or seemingly conceived by unrestrained fancy,
c: so extreme as to challenge belief:
unbelievable <http://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/unbelievable>;
broadly: exceedingly large or great.

4. http://www.jangchoub.org/page11.html

=-

ABOUT The CRYSTAL COLLECTION PROJECT
This is a non-profit publishing project, initially aimed at stirring
up memories and sharing insightful stories about Namgyal Rinpoche, his
teachings, and the experiences of students. From the materials gathered a
book will be prepared for publication, with any subsequent revenue being
donated to a Namgyal centre or cause. Quotes from this remarkable Teacher
and notes from his talks are of special interest, while the inclusion of
date, time, and place would help us establish a chronology and context.
Please send contributions of stories, comments, and queries about the
CRYSTAL COLLECTION PROJECT to the Editor: ten.orobretep|bar#ten.orobretep|bar.

NOTE: David is nudging me to wrap this up and get on with the
book, but I don't know.. the stories keep coming in and many
people like getting this newsletter! (And I enjoy doing it).
So, this newsletter might keep coming for a little while yet,
time permitting, as we focus more on actualising the book.

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=-
IN THIS ISSUE:
A Rose Garden In Assissi -o- Prue Vosper
Faith, Light, Generosity -o- Steven Gellman
=-

A ROSE GARDEN In ASSISSI
- Prue Vosper

I was a student who from the first meeting with Rinpoche would ask
questions. They would pop out of my mouth spontaneously, with no
fear or hesitation. Somehow his presence released that in me. And
the questions weren't always on the subject, nor always with a
respectful attitude, and sometimes he had to stop this in order to
keep his flow.

So one day during a small course in Assisi — I had brought three
people from France after a family disaster, a suicide of a l9-year-
old, but that day they all stayed home and when I arrived for class
alone, he turned to me and said, "Oh, this morning is not for you
today. Go and wait outside!"

Quite a simple and natural thing to say. And why not have a welcome
break from yours truly! But of course it provoked a nest of coiling
vipers!

I went to the garden with all good intentions, wondering what would
be the most appropriate way to use this time? Well, of course, I
could meditate. Only I couldn't. I kept thinking, "What could he
possibly be talking about this morning that he didn't want me to
listen to? Higher teachings? What was I missing? Why couldn't I be
there? And why, and how, is it that I can't just sit and meditate?"

So I tried enjoying the garden. But it wasn't very interesting, just
roses formally laid out with paths, and I certainly don't remember
the flowers. (Surely they must have been flowering — it was summer-
time?!) As my feet repeated the circuit around the garden I was
hopelessly entangled with these repetitive questions while only a
little distance away the others were enjoying his presence. It was
the most uncomfortable morning of my life. I was excluded, like a
naughty girl at school, only I didn't know what I had done nor why
I couldn't be there. I spent an hour reliving all the feelings of a
four-year-old who has been wrongly — or was it rightly? — accused
of breaking the rules, like ringing the gong too soon before lunch.

Then towards the end of the class, Terry was sent to call me in.
There was no hint of what I had missed nor why I was now allowed to
join the class again. What we witnessed was a simple and novel
strategy for dealing with the student ego. Rather than a back-hander
that would rebound and spread panic and fear throughout the class
and leave the recipient a little (or permanently) bruised, it was
confinement in a garden of roses.

=-

FAITH, LIGHT, GENEROSITY
- Steven Gellman

While driving Namgyal Rinpoche between Lake Taupo and Lake Rotoiti,
I became quite concerned about my level of faith and trust in the
Teacher and I voiced it to him, "Sir, I have read the stories of
Milarepa, Marpa, and Naropa and I am struck by their absolute faith
in their Teachers. Maybe because of the modern era we live in, maybe
because of Western society’s individualism, I am finding it quite
difficult. I really wish I could have that kind of faith!"

He answered, "Steven, in this teaching faith comes from experience."

This was during a three-month meditation retreat at Lake Rotoiti,
New Zealand (June - September 1973). The Rinpoche would take a day
off periodically and on this occasion I was his driver and attendant.

We arrived at the hotel on Lake Taupo and I helped him get installed
in his room. Towards evening I knocked on his door to ask him what
he would like for dinner. He said that he would prefer Chinese as
there was a Chinese restaurant not far from our hotel. So I happily
obliged.

About an hour later I returned with the food and knocked on his door:
silence. I waited and knocked again: silence. I was about to leave
when I thought I heard his voice from afar, "Yes?"

"I have brought your dinner", I answered. As I opened the door I
suddenly experienced a distinct chill in the room temperature. The
room was filled with a cold blue light and was charged with an
otherworldly energy. The Rinpoche was sitting cross-legged on his
large bed. He said quietly, "Leave it there and go." I did.

The next day when driving him I asked, "Sir, what was that?"

He replied, "You aren’t my only students you know."

Another time, around 1970, Rinpoche and a group of his students were
travelling in the Mexican highlands. We were all walking across a
small village square when he spotted an elderly woman in traditional
native Mexican dress sitting on the corner and begging. Rinpoche
immediately took off his hat and went around the group asking us all
to put money into it. If we put in a dollar he would say "more!". In
fact, no matter how much we put in he would ask for more. There were
about 20 of us. When the hat was full he put it before the woman and
indicated, "This is for you". The woman beamed with gratitude and awe.
I don’t imagine that she had ever in her life been supported so
generously.

=-

ABOUT The CRYSTAL COLLECTION PROJECT

This is a non-profit publishing project, initially aimed at stirring up
memories and sharing insightful stories about Namgyal Rinpoche, his
teachings, and the experiences of students. From the materials gathered a
book will be prepared for publication, with any subsequent revenue being
donated to a Namgyal centre or cause. Quotes from this remarkable Teacher
and notes from his talks are of special interest, while the inclusion of
date, time, and place would help us establish a chronology and context.
Please send contributions of stories, comments, and queries about the

CRYSTAL COLLECTION PROJECT to the Editor: ten.orobretep|bar#ten.orobretep|bar.

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IN THIS ISSUE:
Namo Guru Manjughosaya-Namgyal! - Lama Mark Webber
Well Story - Daisy Heisler
=-

Namo Guru Manjughosaya-Namgyal!
- Lama Mark Webber (19Dec2008)

This morning when I woke up, I especially felt the great blessings of Dharma
riches and jewels that were literally pumped into my veins by that great
teacher. In fact, this discovery is a beautiful mystery - that nothing really
got pumped in however much is revealed, and it is available to all; like
pealing back layers of gauze. It brings mist to my eyes to consider how deeply
shaped and influenced I am by his vast mind, ideals, and principles. Like a
bright kernel in my heart and a stupa above my head, I am so often speechless
with joy. He was a big guy in so many ways!

Namgyal Rimpoche was a great father to me, always encouraging my talents, not
letting me slip into what was easy. One day in Norway, when I was 20 years
old, during a walk, Rimpoche asked me what I wanted to be? I replied, "like
you, a meditation master!" He said. "That is OK, but not enough!" For one week,
everyday we would go for a walk. (Perhaps this was the last few years he would
do that: go for walks!) And he would ask me again what I wanted to be. I would
reply, "If not a meditation master, then a such and such". Every walk I would
offer something of my history, another becoming that I could see myself taking
on like a costume: the ‘meditation master’, the ‘doctor’, the ‘acupuncturist’,
the ‘chemist’, the ‘biologist’, etc. And everyday he would say, "That is OK,
good". Then he talked about the occupation’s merits, "But try again!" At the
end of one week, he turned to me and said, "Mark, become no-thing!" My god!
What a momentous instruction! Like a nail driven through a wall. I really
heard it. An instruction I have kept close to my heart.

He was remarkable. A few words of his, here and there, of pith and essence,
support and unsupport, testing and retesting, could shift your being deeply.
He raised the banner of question and determination, challenge and enquiry,
love and wrath, compassion and bright clarity throughout my being. He was
great. He constantly challenged everything - everything you were holding on
to. He always taught and demonstrated the essence, non-clinging awareness,
one minute with fierce determination, the next moment with love and humility,
the next with pride and mystery, then with abandon and humour. Above all he
kept raising the banner of victory for all who had the eyes to see. Namgyal
Rimpoche had the highest of ideals and some quirky notions, some I don’t even
agree with to this day, but that does not matter a drop. What was really
important was that he did not miss a moment of awareness of Dharma, probing
to the very heart of the matter. If you did well, there was always more. If
there were profound experiences, then there were more discoveries to be
unearthed! And so too, he never stopped questing and discovering. That was
so beautiful to witness. I enjoyed watching the joy in his voice and face
when he unearthed another gem of realization, another way to teach liberation,
a new sparkle of the natural state. Namgyal loved to teach, as he said to me
before he died, "That is my duty". He was very compassionate, so awake and
so utterly human.

No phenomena and no Dharma was ever stale to his mind. He had the most
wondrous ability to cut away all chaff and penetrate to the essence. He
drove right to the heart of liberation and understood in a continuous
stream the unity of the path and the fruit, the factors of enlightenment.
He kept raising the banner of victory, often fearlessly, showing the
investigative mind unified with mindfulness and awareness. He was a great
explorer. He blessed everything in his path - sometimes by dissolving
everything in his wake! Yes, he was fearless, he understood that liberation
is not about institution building but both building and dissolving. He
really practised and manifested non-clinging. And that could frighten the
boots off many and bring anger to some! He lived the ancient tradition of
the bhikkhu, the wanderer in search for truth and to teach freedom; always
more discoveries to be made.

Rimpoche did not make it easy for some of us to meditate, but that made us
stronger. He always pointed to awareness, not to the meditation, even while
teaching the most arcane points of technique. He was a tracker and a hunter
of detail to bring out the majesty of God. Rimpoche was a big collector too!
He loved to collect things, so to better gain understanding and share the
amazing splendour of nature and the crafts of beings. He displayed and
discussed the joy of life and the wonders of all that is; detail, detail,
detail. He brought forth a universe of gifts for all manner of people and
creatures to experience, but above all he showed, from the moment I met him,
the vast Guru Mind, Buddha nature.

I remember the first time I met him. In the early 1970s Chorpel Dolma, my
first Dharma teacher invited Rimpoche to bless Savaka House in Toronto.
I was vacuuming and tidying up the teaching space when a tall man entered.
There was instant recognition, a smile and a warm hello, "Oh, you, hello
there". As if we had known each other for many years. But what really struck
me was the feel of his mind in my experience - like water merging with water
it was like tasting a clear bright crystal field. There was no doubt at all
in my mind that this being was highly awake and I wished to study and learn
from him as much as possible. I had been waiting a whole year!

Rimpoche was very human in his quirks and ways, yet with the combination of
extraordinary awakeness, knowledge, and wisdom he was an astonishing presence.
He lived an awake vivid life without stories and rarely referred to his past.
Liberation flowed naturally in his cells. This was a palpable experience for
us and was not something he had to think about. One day, after a class in
Rossland, he turned to me and told me how much he enjoyed teaching from his
direct experience and not having to read, rely on ancient texts or the
writings of other teachers.

His legacy will live on not because of anything particular at all; no
institution, no religious dogma, and no scientific theory. But like a perfume
or essential oil, so gossamer and refined - a legacy and dedication to vast
exploration, to the joy of knowledge and sensing, to discovery, to visiting
all places and worlds, to challenging every idea and tradition, to non-
sectarianism, to fierce or gentle compassion based on realization, to
contemplative mind and continuum of awareness - these are some of the main
notes of the oil that lubricates this precious thread. Like Namgyal Rimpoche,
any attempt to organize, define, ritualize or structure it, will of course
deaden this spirit.

I rarely ever think about what I have learned from Namgyal Rimpoche or
stories about him. Now that I am prompted to do so, a few simple words
emerged. Via this precious transmission I have grown to love blowing the
conch shell of Dharma and discovery, for as many as possible, in the midst
of confusion and misery, joy and laughter.

=-

Well Story
- Daisy Heisler

I was a founding member of the Dharma Centre, a meditation centre in Kinmount,
Ontario. In 1966 We bought four hundred acres of beautiful rolling land with
forest and a small lake, two log cabins needing a lot of repair, and a stone
well that was dry with dead porcupines in it. The well was cleaned and the log
houses were restored to a livable rustic fashion without modern conveniences.
I was chosen to live in the main house with my four children, one just a tiny
baby in cloth diapers, and my partner, Jim Bell. Besides looking after my own
family, my duties were to look after hundreds of people, and Buddhist monks
from Tibet and Thailand, coming and going, making sure they were all fed and
looked after.

The well remained dry. Our only water source for household use, cooking and
washing, was a sparkling, pretty little stream that came out of the ground
like a tiny fountain between some rocks on our land. To get water meant a
long walk hauling the water in jugs or pails far down the road, over a large
hill. One of the meditators suggested a solution to water storage as he watched
me work in the kitchen. He was able to get oak whiskey barrels from the brewery
he worked in. So the barrels arrived and were filled with water from the stream.
Life seemed easier with two large oak barrels of water with taps sitting in my
kitchen.

Then came the weekend a few weeks later that a lot of people arrived and I
cooked meals for them as usual, then they left. I thought it had been a
successful weekend until, during the next week, my teacher, Ananda Bodhi,
told me that many people had become ill after the weekend, and I was blamed.
I was told that I had probably cooked their meals with an improper frame of
mind, causing illness. I knew this was not true and water tests did reveal
mold in the barrels. Then I did become desperate.

I went to the dry well and talked to it. I asked for water. My family slept
in the top floor rooms of the cabin and I was in the habit of looking out
the window to view the countryside first thing in the morning. The next
morning I went to the window as usual, looked out to a beautiful sunshiny
morning and saw the well filled with water.

I ran out to the well filled with so much water that it overflowed, covering
the ground for several feet around. I could not get close. I thanked the well
for the water. I talked to the well about too much water. I told the well I
wanted the water to be about a foot below the top of the stone wall and not
all over the ground.

The very next morning I looked out the window again and saw that the ground
was dry around the well. I ran out to the well and sure enough, the ground
was dry around the well and the water level was exactly as I had requested.
But I looked at the water and it looked a little dirty with dry leaves and
bits of dirt floating on top. I thanked the well for giving me water to the
measurement that I had requested, and for the dry ground around the well.
Then I asked the well for clean water.

The very next morning I looked out the window at the well and it looked good.
I ran out to the well and it was sparkling clean, to the level I had requested
and the ground around was dry. I thanked the well and started to use the water
that day. It tasted really good and clean. The level of water maintained itself
as I had requested.

We did send a bottle of water for testing and the test came back clean. Then
I found I could get water but not everyone could get water. Some people were
not allowed to take water from the well. Their pail would not turn over and
fill with water no matter how they tried. Only certain people could get the
water. I heard that when I left the meditation centre, the well went dry.

So, there is the true story just as it happened.

=-

ABOUT The CRYSTAL COLLECTION PROJECT

This is a non-profit publishing project, initially aimed at stirring up
memories and sharing insightful stories about Namgyal Rinpoche, his
teachings, and the experiences of students. From the materials gathered a
book will be prepared for publication, with any subsequent revenue being
donated to a Namgyal centre or cause. Quotes from this remarkable Teacher
and notes from his talks are of special interest, while the inclusion of
date, time, and place would help us establish a chronology and context.

Please send contributions of stories, comments, and queries about the
CRYSTAL COLLECTION PROJECT to the Editor: ten.orobretep|bar#ten.orobretep|bar .

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reply to sender with the message "UNSUBSCRIBE".
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Website: http://namgyal.wikidot.com

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In this issue:

"Cornflakes Or Weetabix?" - Sonia Moriceau
The Young Mothers Of Invention - Pamela Hyatt
=-

From The EDITOR
Rab Wilkie

Welcome to our Rinpoche stories. And if this is a surprise, because
you weren't expecting more stories or had no idea they were being
written in the first place, please forgive me, my computers, and the
world situation. I accidentally deleted our subscribers list and
eventually re-compiled another with guess work. You might therefore
be getting this newsletter, unsolicited, for the first time. So if
you'd like to bow out from further transmissions, do let us know
(reply: UNSUBSCRIBE), and if not, stay tuned. And if you know someone
not on the our elist who might like to be, please pass on to us their
email address so we can ask.

To recap, last January David Berry and I began sharing some of the
anecdotes and stories about Namgyal Rinpoche (1931-2003) that we have
been collecting for a book of personal recollections by his students
while studying, travelling, or just being in his presence.

During the first four months of 2008 we sent to our subscribers 22
e-posts with around 40 (slightly edited) stories written by 21 different
authors, and posted them on our website for the rest of the world to
discover. Meanwhile, we have continued to edit these and many other
stories coming our way, along with photographs of, and artwork by,
Rinpoche.

During this second round of story sharing we hope to stimulate more
memories and get more of your writings archived. If all goes reasonably
well, we will have a book of them published in 2009.

=-

CORNFLAKES Or WEETABIX?
- Sonia Moriceau (England)

Long before I was to meet the Venerable Namgyal Rinpoche I heard of a
tall Canadian monk from my first teacher, John Garrie Roshi, through
a story which impressed me a lot at the time. Little did I know then
that decades later I would be at the receiving end of similar exchanges,
being in fact a mode of communication our teacher used.

The story that the Roshi told took place during a retreat in England
led by Namgyal Rinpoche, then known as Bhikkhu Ananda Bodhi. The two
of them had a conversation at night during sleep/dream time. Rinpoche
was 'standing' at the end of John Garrie's bed and asked him, "What do
you want for breakfast, cornflakes or Weetabix?".

Come breakfast time Rinpoche turned to John Garry and said, "It was
Weetabix, wasn't it?", to which John replied. "No, cornflakes!".

This type of communication, these mind exchanges between Rinpoche
and his students were I believe common. Over the years I have worked
with Rinpoche, especially during the one-year retreat I undertook in
2001 in Canada, many times I was in communication with him in this
way. There is no doubt that this is how he was able to communicate
individually and simultaneously with a large group of students all
gathered to listen to his teaching and be in his presence.

Imagination? Illusion? Rinpoche could be quite specific and practical,
as in the story with Roshi, leaving you in no doubt that some words
had been exchanged without needing to voice them aloud or even be
in the same room! One simply heard Rinpoche's voice very clearly, for
example asking you to pass the water, close a door, or giving you his
preference as to what sort of accommodation he'll require when next
in England.

I remember when, during one of those wonderful evening events at his
home in Kinmount to raise money for the Dharma Centre, he 'asked' me,
without needing to move his lips or even look in my direction, to pass
a plate of food around. As I clearly 'heard' the words, I stood up and
reached for the plate, glancing at him for some reassurance that I had
'heard' correctly. I was then met with his very satisfied smile!

His ability to communicate in this way was also how he knew in details
what was going on in one's practice. During an insight retreat I was
alone in my cabin practising a particular aspect and meeting some
difficulty. The following day he looked directly at me and told me how
to approach this quite specific point, yet I had not spoken to him. I
was merely inquiring in the privacy of my own mind.. or so I thought!

The list is endless and all 'conversations' could be verified. It was
a wondrous form of intimacy in communication, so clear, direct, and
consistent, so unencumbered, yet also scary. In his presence I had to
be careful or mindful of what I'd think or wish for. As in my experience
all wholesome wishes I made in his presence were fulfilled. Similarly,
all my shortcomings were vividly exposed.

Do I dare use language to describe this oh so fine ability of an
Enlightened Mind? His was the pure state of Dharmakaya, a clear,
luminous Mind from which there is nothing to hide, nothing to add
or take away. Just surrendering, and allowing one's mind to fuse with
the Teacher's Mind in Bliss and Emptiness. This was the biggest teaching
I received and am still receiving from Namgyal Rinpoche. Although his
physical presence is no longer here, his voice is still manifesting
clearly.

=-

The YOUNG MOTHERS Of INVENTION (Greece, 1970)
- Pamela Hyatt

What a kick to hear about Anna recently.. (sorry kids, I only
knew her as Anna, not as Wangchuk)..FABULOSO red hair LEAPT out
at me in my mind's eye (wherever the heck THAT is!) and I saw
her grinning gleefully from a deckchair on the foredeck of the
Hellenic Lines freighter, SS Livorno, as we crossed a cold
Atlantic, then a warmer Med bound for Piraeus in the Spring of
1970.

A gaggle of Dharma dames and kidlets, aiming to chase Namgyal
Rinpoche, around Crete. All of us on that wee ship, the only
other passengers being a Lyndon B. Johnson doppelganger mitt
Texan accent, (swear ta God!), and some honeymoon couple who
appeared solely for meals. Pauline Fediow, Pat Evans Malham
(preggers) with daughter Anna; sister-in-law Barb Malham;
Francie Downing with five-year-old son, Michael; Cheryl
Reitappel, also preggers, with Steven's chile; Freyda Olsen —
not yet preggers by Jeff; and there were some other women
whose visages are captured in my photo album but am embarrassed
to say their names have departed my cranium; my 8-year-old son,
Carson T. Foster (sharing a cabin with Michael — what a kick
for those lads), and myself with eight-month-old Zacharias Ward
next door.

Our captain was a gorgeous guy, so delighted to have a plethora
of smiling dames on board his vessel that on our first (maybe
second) night out of New York harbour, he set off a gazillion
red emergency flares to welcome us. ZOOM! BADDA BING! US Navy
jets streaked overhead, not amused. Tres exciting.

The Atlantic was rough that early April, major storms, not fun.
Quel treat when we steamed thru the gentle Straits of Gibraltar
one sweet sunny evening, Morocco to our right, Iberia to our left.
Damned if the silent lounge radio didn't leap to life with the
Beatles' "HERE COMES THE SUN"!

Arriving in Piraeaus, we three mums (Francine, Pat, and I)
clambered into a large cab with our various sons and daughter,
asked the driver to take us to a downtown, inexpensive hotel that
welcomed children. Hotel Minerva, a huge suite, with cribs and
ample beds. Nifty view of that darling hill opposite the Acropolis,
topped by a wee temple where Saint Paul had waxed eloquently about
his fave philosopher. Lycobetus?

Every day we'd wander out into Constitution Square, sit at one
of those vast sidewalk cafes and watch the passing parade, which
inevitably produced a couple of Dharma bums hot off a plane, train,
or bus. Rumour had it that Rinpoche was up on Mount Athos with the
inner circle lads, (you know the gang: Tony, Jeff, various Brians),
and eventually they'd be coming to Athens.

So yeah, we did our sightseeing of the Parthenon, the main museums,
the Plaka. Heaven bless Cheryl and Freyda. They chose to visit
Delphi for a three-day sojourn and kindly invited Carson to join
them. He was eight, he'd been avidly reading books on Greek
mythology since I announced our family outing, so was hot to trot
to the oracle's abode.

Two weeks into our Athens sojourn the word whipped round the
Dharma Centre gang that Rinpoche's group had gone directly to
Crete, so MOVE ON OUT! We did, that night, on the overnight ferry
to Heraklion. Inside cabin (no porthole, arghhh), four bunks
wherein lay moi and infant Zack, Pat and toddler Anna, Francine
(and, I think, Michael), and Carson. The stuffiness of that cabin
propelled my blond son up to the main deck where he curled up in
a big stuffed chair and slept soundly. Can't recall if Michael
joined him. Do know that various dames were seasick. Not moi.

Heraklion at last. Pat and I found a cheapo hotel, washed diapers
in cold water till I finally threw in the ecological towel and
bought disposables. Lovely days on a nearby beach, nifty
explorations of the charming Knossos Palace, and of course,
wondering WHERE WAS HIS NIBS?!!

At last, word filtered through the grapevine, "Rinpoche is at
Sitia! GO!" Everyone raced to rent cars. None of the men wanted
to travel with pregnant dames and kids, nor did the non-preggers
females. I had an international driver's licence, hence was awarded
the delectable task of being the sole driver of a rented Volks
beetle transporting Pat beside me (Anna often on her lap), Cheryl
behind me with Zack on her lap, Carson beside her, and Freyda
behind Pat. (Yeah, she switched with Pat and Cheryl vis-a-vis
toddlers perching on her knees).

That Volks had problems, kept cacking out then resuscitating itself.
Final straw was when it gave up the ghost enroute up the last hill.
A pickup truck approached, three lads leapt out, pushed us UP AND..
pointing waaaaaaaaaaaaay down towards the seashore, shouted 'SITIA',
gave a final heave and down we drifted.. allllll the way, and came
to rest in a parking spot by the beach. Uncoiling ourselves from
that midget vehicle, sweating like stuck pigs, we were startled to
hear a familiar voice from above and behind us:

"Well, Pamela, it took you long enough!"

There stood our teacher, on a small balcony, grinning down at us,
Tony beside him, equally cheshire cattish. "Come up here and see
what I've painted!"

Right away, he spun our heads in a new direction, away from the
hassles we'd just experienced dans l'auto, heck, away from all
fretting.

That night I recall sitting on the beach, Zack asleep in his snugli
on my chest, Carson's head on my lap. Almost a hundred students
listening raptly as Namgyal, perched on a large rock, spoke of karma,
touching on so many aspects of it. Pitch black sky above, festooned
with brilliant stars, planets, wandering satellites, the Aegean
lapping softly beyond us, the mournful horns of distant freighters,
a balmy night — utterly wondrous!

Of course, the next day was nuts. Where's the teacher? FOLLOW!
FIND HIM! DRIVE, HE SAID! So we packed fast, leapt into the Bug,
drove east until we located his car at some motel, checked in,
flung ourselves into bathing suits, (he was often in the water),
and joined the group. I cannot tell you the names of the villages
in which we stayed.

With the exception of the final one, at the eastern end of Crete:
Chania. Such a sweet curved harbour, the town had strong Venetian
influences, along with a deserted minaret which Carson and I climbed.
By this time, wee Zacharias Ward was beginning to be feverish,
taking in food and expelling it almost immediately in liquid form.
Rinpoche had just announced he was off to Egypt, whomever had the
money to join him was welcome.

Much as I wanted to explore those pyramids with our teacher, Zack's
condition was too serious. I flew back to Athens with the children,
went to their Sick Kids Hospital, learned that Zack had dysentery,
(something even Greek kids get); was told to get him OUT of the
Mediterranean immediately. Treated the boys and myself to a Wagons
Lit compartment (three bunks at night) and we entrained for Lausanne,
my favourite Swiss city, former home of my favourite uncle.

When Zack was fully restored to health, I took the lads up to Leysin
Fedey, above the eastern end of Lac Leman in the High Alps. There we
stayed in a nifty hostel - Club Vagabond, owned by two Canadians,
catering to English-speaking bikers and hikers, $1.50/day bed &
breakfast.

Two weeks in that emerald meadow setting, snow-capped peaks guarding
our valley, the sound of cowbells and distant Vespas the only thing
to break the silence. It was THERE that I really MET my sons, saw
that they were very old friends. There was nothing and no one to
intrude upon our companionship: no household tasks, no jobs, no
zooming from one place to another. Hearts opened in very new ways.

I wish I could tell you the specifics of the talks that Rinpoche
gave in Crete. I just know it was an amazing experience. What I
discovered on that journey, was that I was a very competent
individual, capable of finding shelter and food for my sons on a
daily basis, and I did not need a man to direct me. That sounds
simplistic in this year of 2008 considering all that women are able
to do on their own now, but I was born in 1936. I'm from a generation
that was taught that a woman MUST be led by, approved by, a man.
Besides which, as the daughter of a travel agent, I'd hitherto
travelled with precise itineraries, everything arranged in advance.
This trip was extremely empowering for me.

Incidentally, a sidebar here. On Crete, when swimming one day, I
asked Rinpoche if he knew what the oozing red sore above my right
breast might be. "Shingles", was his reply. I winced, remembering
my dad had had an horrendous case years ago.

"It's an indication that there's something you haven't taken care
of emotionally. It's a warning. Be grateful it's on your surface,
much better than something interior and more serious."

Those words have enabled me to view the periodic recurrence of that
unpleasant itchy stuff with gratitude and awareness.

The trip continued, for my sons and myself, to England and visiting
many relatives. I discovered, to my immense joy, that my wildest,
most eccentric cousin, Greville Hyatt, was designing furniture for
Idries Shah's estate in Kent and was, in fact, a devout student of
Shah's. What a treat! Finding that another Hyatt was also engaged
in studying the high teachings! Sonofagun, my heart rejoiced!

=-

ABOUT The CRYSTAL COLLECTION PROJECT

This is a non-profit publishing project, initially aimed at stirring up
memories and sharing insightful stories about Namgyal Rinpoche, his
teachings, and the experiences of students. From the materials gathered a
book will be prepared for publication, with any subsequent revenue being
donated to a Namgyal centre or cause. Quotes from this remarkable Teacher
and notes from his talks are of special interest, while the inclusion of
date, time, and place would help us establish a chronology and context.

Please send contributions of stories, comments, and queries about the
CRYSTAL COLLECTION PROJECT to the Editor: ten.orobretep|bar#ten.orobretep|bar .

=-
To unsubscribe from this newsletter, please
reply to sender with the message "UNSUBSCRIBE".
=-

Interesting and funny story!

A CRYSTAL COLLECTION
The Namgyal Rinpoche Stories Project - 2008
David Berry (Producer), Rab Wilkie (Editor)

To view Crystal Collection articles: <http://namgyal.wikidot.com>

=-
In this issue:

A Small Story - David Pooch (2008)
The Galapagos Shipwreck II (1969) - Henri van Bentum (2008)
=-

A WORD From The EDITOR
Rab Wilkie

Fittingly, I would suggest, with this 22nd newsletter since last January we
bring this phase of our project to a close. There are 22 trumps in Tarot,
and the class notes by our Scribe, the late Ken Long, have run out and the
rest of his 'notebook' is blank. Around this time in May, 1971, the Dharma
community in Toronto evacuated en masse for 'A Journey To The East',
inspired to wander forth with the Venerable Ananda Bodhi.

Stories, however, continue to arrive and are being written, and all in our
archives have not been included in these newsletters. More will appear
later, for your enjoyment and edification subsequent to editorial scrutiny
and refinement. In the meantime, we have some transcribing and organising
to do in preparation for the next phase, about which you will be informed in
the very near future.

So do keep on writing, or gearing up to write, one of your own stories (or
sagas), and send them as always to the Editor. The book is huge as an idea
and beginning to bulge, literally, as an actual manuscript in progress.

=-

A SMALL STORY
Dave Pooch
Auckland, New Zealand

In 1982 Rinpoche was leading a retreat at Yoshino, a mountain village close
to Nara in southern Japan. At the time I was on a business trip to Japan and
had told Rinpoche I was able to stay for only the first day of the retreat.
I had done my calculations carefully and knew how long it would
take to run to the Yoshino railway station and the time of the last train
down the mountain to Nara.

It was about half way through the afternoon class. I checked my watch every
few minutes and finally, I guess my mental agitation caused Rinpoche to
speak.

"Oh, you have to go, do you"? He said.

"Yes sir, I must," I replied, swelling a little with pride at the gentle
attention.

"Well then" he said, "go then and seek your fortune if you must, but
remember a fortune is of value only if put to good use".

My ears burned. I rose, walked to the door, put on my shoes and starting
running down the hill. My ears burned with those words all the way down the
hill, all the way on the train to Nara, and I remember them even now.

=-

The GALAPAGOS SHIPWRECK (Part Two)
Henri van Bentum,
Victoria BC, Canada

Guyaquil, Ecuador
We all booked into the Humboldt Hotel. The boat that would take us to the
Galapagos Islands was the "Cristobal Carrier". The vessel had been making
the trip for 30 years and was an icon and legend. The Bhikkhu, Irwin Burns,
and I went down to the dock to take a look at the ship.

There we found an old-looking, wooden vessel painted a dull grey. Ananda
Bodhi, ever-mindful and aware, said as soon as he spotted the ship, "There
are not enough lifeboats. Henri, tell them."

We knew that besides our big group were also many locals either returning to
work or visiting family on the Galapagos. There were chickens and all sorts
of cargo.

Somehow I managed to get the ship's agent to arrange for two more boats
which would serve as lifeboats.

It was a Saturday and we were scheduled to sail at 1700 hours.

Eventually, by 1900 hours, we were on our way. There was much fanfare and
cries of "Adios!" as we lifted anchor for what was to be another routine
sailing for the venerable 'Cristobal Carrier'. The two upper decks were
reserved for us. All cabins had upper and lower bunks, while AB had a
single-bed cabin.

We were happy to be on our way to these "Darwin" islands, the world-famous
Galapagos.

Our group was an eclectic one with artists, ballet dancers, architects,
writers — a motley mix of Dharma bums.

We had a magnificent clear, starry night above. Everyone's spirits and
expectations were high and we'd all retired for the night.

In the middle of the night, it happened: BOOM! I was thrown out of my bunk
and was suddenly clear awake. What on earth could that huge noise have been?

I made my way up to the bridge. There was no-one there. The stars were
glittering above in the clear sky. It was four o'clock in the morning.

I looked over the railing and was shocked. Ananda Bodhi suddenly appeared.
"What's going on?"

"It looks like we've hit an island and we're shipwrecked!" I replied. "Would
you believe it? It looks like the bow of the ship is one-third up onto the
rocks".

"Where is everyone?", I asked. "No captain, no pilot or officers on the
bridge — in fact, nobody."

The day began to break and now of course everyone was up and about. The
"Captain" had left the ship and was sitting on a rock with a bottle of rum
in his hands, shaking his head. He was a tramper captain, and could have
stepped right out of novel by Somerset Maugham or Steinbeck.

The ship began to list. I went below to get my passport and luggage, as did
a few others. Just in time, for now the ship was really listing to
starboard.

The tide was low but AB ordered us to get to the highest point of what
turned out to be not a very high island.

Children were crying, roosters were crowing. Altogether quite a
consternation.

Then I spotted some triangular-shaped fins in the water, telling us not to
go out for a swim!

In the meantime the radio operator, the "Marconi man" as he was called, had
contacted the mainland and sent out an SOS for help and some boats.

Any hopes of seeing the Galapagos were now smashed.

Ananda Bodhi told us to stay calm. Being the Spanish-speaking member of our
group, I was in communicado with the officials. A large schooner would come
soon from Posorja, a fishing village, to fetch the women and children first.
If no other vessel was available to rescue us, the schooner would return for
the men.

The schooner, with terracotta-coloured sails, appeared to everyone's relief.
All the women, children and the chickens were boarded and set off.

Many hours later, the men were also picked up and transported to Posorja.
There we found all the women and children huddled on the floor of a large
fishing warehouse. But not for long, the local people just disappeared, and
we men in turn sat down on the floor with the Dharma women.

All the luggage was forwarded to the Humboldt Hotel and AB told me to
arrange transportation to get our group back to Guyaquil. However, it was a
Sunday afternoon.

Using my best Spanish, I managed to get a big truck which was used to
transport fish. We negotiated a price with the driver and were told it was
about a 4-5 hour drive to Guyaquil. The teacher and I sat in the front, and
everyone else got into the back of the half-open truck.

By now it was getting dark, there were no lights, and the rain began. After
an hour the truck came to a halt in the middle of nowhere, pitch black
around us. I asked the driver, "Que pasa?"

"I'll take a look", he replied, getting out of the vehicle, lifting the hood
and appearing to study the engine.

AB looked at the fuel gauge on the dashboard which showed an empty tank.

Now what? No gasoline, in the middle of nowhere!

The rain turned into a downpour and half of our group in the back of the
truck was soaked.

AB was not amused and asked me for some swear words in Spanish.

"Caramba! Bandito!"

"Henri! Get out and hitchhike. I am not sitting and waiting here all night!"

And so yours truly, AB's humble 'dharmapala", got out and stood in the
pouring rain on a road 'from here to nowhere' with only the headlights on
our truck lighting a few feet of the road.

After awhile, a car stopped. I couldn't believe it — a black Mercedes!
(They seem to love Mercedes in South America).

A well-dressed gentleman opened the window slightly. "Que pasa?" he asked.
"What's the matter?" It turned out he was the former mayor of Guyaquil. (I
refer to this as Miracle Number Two).

When he heard we were the hapless victims of the "Cristobal Carrier" he
immediately became helpful; he had already heard of the calamity.

Realizing we were stranded (again!), he invited Ananda Bodhi and me to get
in the car. I was in the back, the Teacher in front. My companion in the
back seat was a large German shepherd dog who growled at me until the Senor
ordered "Calma!"

Senor knew friends who lived further up the highway and who might be able to
supply us with some gasoline. Also, he spoke English, which was a help for
AB.

So we told the students huddled in the truck that we'd be back and were
going to find some gasoline. No one believed us! Small wonder. Middle of the
night, pouring rain, just coming off a shipwreck.. no way AB or Henri would
return!

After awhile the Mercedes stopped at a metal gate.

I was told to go and ring a long iron 'cord' which I had to pull several
times. It must have been around 1 a.m. by now.

Finally in the distance two dim lights appeared. I could see two Chinese
lanterns, carried by a Chinese man (!) with one long braid swaying in the
wind and rain. (I was not hallucinating!)

He was not amused that someone had awoken him at this hour. Then I pointed
to the Mercedes and the Chinaman seemed satisfied. He knew the Senor. I
asked for some gasoline, and he slowly turned around and went back along the
long path to his house.

It seemed like hours, but 15 minutes later he returned with a large yellow
can, full of gasoline. (Miracle Number Three).

"Quanto?" I asked.

"Nada, el Senor paga un otra vez." ("Nothing, the Senor will pay us some
other time").

Iit seemed as if we had stepped into the twilight of some fairy tale. We
returned to the truck where most of the students were asleep, but once they
saw the can of gasoline they gave a huge "Hurrah!" and applauded. Our driver
was astonished.

Ananda Bodhi and I carried on in the Mercedes and arrived at the Humboldt
Hotel very early that morning. During our ride in the car, the radio was
repeatedly broadcasting on the national news the disaster that had befallen
the legendary 'Cristobal Carrier' en route to the Galapagos.

The former Mayor seemed to be pleased to have had a hand in getting us all
safely back to the hotel.

After breakfast however, Ananda Bodhi called an urgent meeting. He wanted
all the money returned that we'd paid for the voyage. I believe it was $450
US per person. And, he said, he wanted the money in small notes! The late
Irwin Burns, who knew about finances, and I were delegated to get this done.

Mission impossible? First, we had to find out who owned the 'Cristobal
Carrier', or who were the ship's agents.

In the meanwhile, both local newspapers had published a tearjerker story,
"It was a foggy night, and I could not see my hand in front of me", the
captain was quoted as saying.

Foggy? The stars were sparkling in a clear night sky. And when I got up to
the bridge, there was no-one there. Furthermore, there was a lighthouse at
each end of the island.

So I called the media. Two reporters, one from each local newspaper, showed
up at the Humboldt Hotel. We told them the real story. They printed it. (We
still have the articles).

Now, mission $$$. I called the various consulates and embassies, (Canadian,
American, Swiss, German, etc.) but it was Monday and their offices were all
closed.

It turned out the ship was registered under various names and we had a heck
of a time trying to find the party responsible and who could authorize the
refunds (and in US dollars).

By now, nobody believed the captain and second mate. The print media were on
our side, so was the radio.

Cornered and nowhere to turn, the owner's representative arranged for the
local bank to fork over all of our money — mostly in five-dollar bills (as
AB had requested). I had bought a large leather shoulder bag, and stacked it
full of the money.

In triumph and with a big smile, Irwin and I returned to the Hotel.

It was now Thursday. AB called everyone to the hotel patio and handed each
and every one their ship-fare back.

Now, what to do with all our extra time? People had return flights home but
not for awhile.

I had noticed a sign somewhere that the 'Da Vinci', an Italian passenger
ship, would be in port the next day en route to Callao (Lima), Peru. AB told
me to go and find out if there was any space aboard the ship.

I found the ship's agent who told me there was room for six passengers.

The Teacher said the idea would be to go from Lima up to Cuzco and Macchu
Picchu.

So six of us sailed aboard Da Vinci and the rest travelled by bus, and we
all met up in Lima. From Lima we took the train up to the final stop in the
Andes — Huancao.

The Train

This train ride was something else! At least three dozen times we shunted
back and forth in order to gain the higher altitudes. A superb feat of
engineering. Later, I was reminded of this train trip when we boarded the
'toy train' en route to Darjeeling in India.. same principle.

The train was called 'El Tren del Sol' (the Train of the Sun) because two
hours of out Lima, we were over the clouds into a sunny blue sky and clear
air. Due to the altitude the train carried oxygen tanks.

From the train station we took a bus to Cuzco with its amazing walls built
of huge boulders fitted perfectly together — still a mystery today.

After visiting Cuzco and Oleobamba, we took another train to Macchu Picchu.
A new world, another era. (This was 1969, long before the site became the
heavily-visited tourist destination it is now).

After Macchu Picchu we all separated. Most returned by train to Lima then
connected back home by air.

Steven Gellman, Tony Olbrecht (Sonam, who was not on the Galapagos trip),
and one more student accompanied the Teacher from Buenos Aires on a
freighter around South America.

Thus ended what turned out to be an extraordinary journey supposedly to the
Galapagos but instead took us to Cuzco and Macchu Picchu, thanks to the
shipwreck of the 'Cristobal Carrier'.

***

List of passengers' names as reported in "El Telegrafo", Martes 20 de Mayo,
1969:

"Ted Bieler, Mr. L. Dawson, Mr. and Mrs. Henri van Bentum, Miss C. Boudreau,
Miss. H. Rigby, Miss C. Kwiat, Mr. B. Cowen, Mr. I. Burns, Mr. N. Kubota,
Mr. S. Gellman, Mr. B. Bamford, Miss Marina Hahn, Miss King, Miss A. Lee,
Miss J.Reilly, Mr. R. Malham, Mr. S. Palmer. Mr. S. Ennis, Miss D. Leonard,
Mr. P. Page, Miss L. Warner, Mr. Ron Olsen, Mr. Scott Maitland, Mr. Ken
Brook, Miss C. Jamieson, Dr. B. Goulden, R. Kalemiarian, Mr. Ed Dryer."

=-

ABOUT The CRYSTAL COLLECTION PROJECT

This is a non-profit publishing project, initially aimed at stirring up
memories and sharing insightful stories about Namgyal Rinpoche, his
teachings, and the experiences of students. From the materials gathered a
book will be prepared for publication, with any subsequent revenue being
donated to a Namgyal centre or cause. Quotes from this remarkable Teacher
and notes from his talks are of special interest, while the inclusion of
date, time, and place would help us establish a chronology and context.
After this stage of collecting stories, there will be an opportunity for
every reader to participate in choosing the material to be included in the
book.

Please send contributions of stories, comments, and queries about the
CRYSTAL COLLECTION PROJECT to the Editor: <ten.orobretep|bar#ten.orobretep|bar>.

=-
To unsubscribe from this newsletter and other communications about
this project, please reply to sender with the message "UNSUBSCRIBE".
=-

A CRYSTAL COLLECTION
The Namgyal Rinpoche Stories Project - 2008
David Berry (Producer), Rab Wilkie (Editor)

To view Crystal Collection articles: <http://namgyal.wikidot.com>

=-

In this issue:

CLASS-NOTES
Dreams - Namgyal Rinpoche (1971)

STORIES
Pilgrimage (Part 3) - Russell Rolfe

=-
TALKS By NAMGYAL RINPOCHE (Toronto 1971)
Ken Long (Scribe), Rab Wilkie (Editor)
=-

12Apr71, Monday
(fragment)

Saturday night, at 1am and/or between 3-5am, do some purposeful dreaming and
record your dreams. Before sleep, put in the idea that you will contact a
friend on the dream level. Later, check it out with that person.

=-

14Apr71 (Wednesday)
DREAMS

You cannot truly understand other people, have clear insight of them, nor
can you have self-mastery, without mastery of dreams.

Exploration of dreams creates emotion, feeding the depths.

During the early life, dreams tend to be karmic. Until age 30 or so,
Freudian dreams predominate. Jungian dreams come later, after the sexual
drive has been fairly well satisified. Jungian dreams are archetypal,
raising question about an evolutionary purpose. Colour appears more
strongly.

A clear colour dream promotes Vision. Problems are either already resolved
or on the way, showing the way, to being resolved. At the beginning of
therapy there is usually a statement of the problem and how to work it out.
Paths of self-development can be clearly expressed at any cycle-shift,
during a change of life. Problem dreams are never clear, and show a blockage
in your being.

To find a path to pursue, look at the clear colour dreams which show
something resolved. Ask, 'What shall I do?' And an answer can be shown in
dream. You go to messy dreams to find your repressed unconscious problem. In
the clear colour dream, the colour that dominates may show a primary need or
concern. Dissect the material of the dream, categorise the bits.

Dreams release daily tension and anxieties. Nightmares are a release. Dreams
come in intermediate states, not deep sleep. If there's relief from a
nightmare during the morning after, it's a release of psychological
masochism. If there's no relief, there's still too much guilt associated
with the problem, so you're wary and a worrier.. looking for the deeper
problem.

Dreams are comprised of separate pictures - stills. Dreams may pulsate - one
dream reoccurring several times. Mind creates a story, tying the pictures
together by a narrative, usually to cover up the actual content of the
dream. (Read: "The Four Lamas of Dolpo", translated by Snellgrove]. In a
mixed dream, use the clear part to work on the unclear part.

A dream is a statement of the way a person feels he is in daily life.

If in recalling, you are drowsy, visualise red at the Throat Centre or white
at the Brow Centre. If sleeping lightly, use blue.

Dreamwork is best done in tranquil surroundings, like at the meditation
centre. Try to wake up after every dream. Recall dreams, but forget
intellectual diagnosis - allow it to speak to you. Don't "interpret", just
focus on making clear what is unclear. Just recall, especially at first. Get
at the overall feel of the dream, at the emotion. What is the degree of
anxiety? Once a problem is resolved, you find that it will never re-appear.

=-

PIlGRIMAGE 1971 (Part 3)
My Inner Purity

Russell Rolfe

As we pulled into the forecourt of Rumtek monastery, the mists cleared. The
light took on the crystalline quality found only at higher elevations in the
Andes and Himalayas. Monks were excitedly dashing about finishing their
preparations. We were given the choice of a couple of rooms outside the main
assembly hall or sleeping in the hall itself. I chose a shared room that was
just off the kitchen and closest to the outside shower. Others wondered why
I would miss the opportunity to sleep in the temple which had never been
used as a dormitory. I was told I would miss an exceedingly rare
opportunity to sleep in the presence of hundreds of age-old sacred Tibetan
relics and Buddha rupas. I just wanted first dibs on the shower.

We were the first large group of Westerners to be given these initiations
and teachings. It was the beginning of the transfer and preservation of
what had previously been consecrated secret Tibetan rituals. It was all so
strange and exotic; clouds of juniper incense, hundreds of small oil lamps,
peculiar deities framed in silk hanging from intricately decorated ceiling
rafters, multicolored umbrellas and banners. One whole wall was a great
glass case filled with what appeared to be flat boxes covered with yellow
and maroon cloth. At first I thought these held the ashes of departed lamas
but soon learned they were sacred books recently brought out of Tibet.
Rumtek monastery, even though completed several years before our visit,
seemed as if it had been there forever.

In the morning we were to experience the Black Dorje Hat during a special
ceremony. Our teacher, Ananda Bodhi, had told us about this magical hat
ceremony on board the ship to India. From my notes I re-read that the crown
was presented to the Fifth Karmapa by the Chinese Emperor Tai Ming Chen.
It's origin goes back to very ancient times, when the Bodhisattva
Avalokiteshwara was presented with it by the other Enlightened Ones. It was
said to be made out of the hair of 10,000 dakinis or goddesses. The
Karmapas are an emanation of Avalokiteshwara and custodians of this Black
Crown, the mere sight of which is believed to ensure Liberation within one
lifetime.

There was no way I could enter the temple for this sacred event in everyday
travel attire. For this very day I had saved a white outfit - shirt, pants,
socks all sealed in special hotel laundry plastic in a separate zippered
compartment of my suitcase. I had even saved a pair of white tennis shoes.
However I discovered they were not as pristine as the rest of my turnout and
much time was required meticulously scrubbing off every visible earthy
blemish.

Finally I was showered and dressed. I stood in the grimy kitchen whose
stoves consisted of petrol drums with fuel-holes cut out of their side for
the dung patties . The yak dung chips were stored just outside the door.
There was a little shiver of excitement and pleasure standing in the squalid
kitchen as I anticipated entering the assembly hall in spotless whiteness, a
true manifestation of my inner purity.

Amidst all my grooming, I had lost track of time. How long ago now had I
heard those long Tibetan horns? I dashed outside and saw only a few monks
wandering over to the men's toilet. My God, it had already started and
everyone was already inside! And now I had to go to the bathroom.

I rushed to the men's facilities just outside the courtyard wall. Well, to
be honest, they weren't really facilities but simply a dirt floored room
with a trench cut out next to the wall. The trench was filled with the offal
of the entire monastery. I decided to squat. If I relieved myself
standing, it was certain to splash on my undefiled whiteness. The trench
was about a foot from the wall which required placing one foot on the ledge
to straddle the trough. I very carefully balanced myself, not wanting to
touch the wall or anything in that room. The ledge was slick, compacted
mud. Before I even had a chance to dig into the wall with my fingernails in
a futile attempt to keep upright my left foot slipped off the ledge and I
was in the trough, literally floating on my back in human waste. I lay
there, frozen in shock as the two monks turned around to see what had caused
such an enormous splash. I must have presented the most bizarre sight they
had ever seen - a Westerner, dressed all in white to make himself whiter,
lying on his back in a deep trough of dark excrement. They convulsed with
stifled laughter, running out before they had finished themselves.

I climbed out on all fours in a state of complete stupefaction. This was no
time for traumatic paralysis. I ran back towards the kitchen to a waste
fire burning in a petrol drum, undressing and throwing in my clothes. I
chuckled to myself as I bolted naked back into my room. This was like one
of those dreams where you find yourself publicly exposed without any
clothes. As I threw on the levis and travel clothes that everyone else
would be wearing I thought this was the authentic self, without the urge to
establish a persona at odds with reality. Finally I realized that all this
preoccupation with clothing was pretension, a weakness for worldly display.

As I entered the main assembly hall, His Holiness The XVI Gyalwa Karmapa
looked up and gave me a sublime warm smile as I slunk to my seat.

=-

ABOUT The CRYSTAL COLLECTION PROJECT

This is a non-profit publishing project, initially aimed at stirring up
memories and sharing insightful stories about Namgyal Rinpoche, his
teachings, and the experiences of students. From the materials gathered a
book will be prepared for publication, with any subsequent revenue being
donated to a Namgyal centre or cause. Quotes from this remarkable Teacher
and notes from his talks are of special interest, while the inclusion of
date, time, and place would help us establish a chronology and context.
After this stage of collecting stories, there will be an opportunity for
every reader to participate in choosing the material to be included in the
book.

Please send contributions of stories, comments, and queries about the
CRYSTAL COLLECTION PROJECT to the Editor: <ten.orobretep|bar#ten.orobretep|bar>.

And please continue to invite others who would like to receive these
newsletters to contact us. Readers who never met Namgyal Rinpoche
are welcome to join this e-list.

=-
To unsubscribe from this newsletter, please
reply to sender with the message "UNSUBSCRIBE".
=-

A CRYSTAL COLLECTION
The Namgyal Rinpoche Stories Project - 2008
David Berry (Producer), Rab Wilkie (Editor)

To view Crystal Collection articles: <http://namgyal.wikidot.com>

=-

In this issue:

CLASS-NOTES
Preparation For Wongkur - Namgyal Rinpoche (1971)

STORIES
Pilgrimage (Part 2) - Russell Rolfe (2007)

=-
TALKS By NAMGYAL RINPOCHE (Toronto 1971)
Ken Long (Scribe), Rab Wilkie (Editor)
=-

05Apr71 (Toronto)
PREPARATION For WONGKUR

To prepare for wongkur, you can do a puja in the morning, reflecting on the
Triple Gem. Upon waking, think briefly on death and Metta.

1. On arising do Buddhanusatti, reflecting on enlightenment as you conceive
it; on the quality you'd like to aspire to, to manifest that day; or reflect
on the Teacher or an admired person to develop positive thinking and a good
quality of mind.

Think also then of the Dharma, the laws, or a particular law, for example:
What is colour? This can be an exploration for the whole day. The Sangha is
next - the mind of enlightenment and exploration that is present in all
beings and in their inter-relationships. The Purpose. As with the Communion
of Saints. Reflect on death and the preciousness of life. Feel the urgency.

Meditate on the body. Explore it. Go to the third eye and look into the
body. "Atthi, mamsam, taco.." - skin, flesh, bones. Three times, back and
forth. This is especially good when practicing Mindulness of Breathing, and
serves to regulate sensuality. It helps get past body things in
interpersonal relationships, such as the 'Bunny-girl and Muscle-man'
pattern.

You can also reflect on Metta or the first wong. Expand the light of the
Heart in a rose light, spread Love.. in a peaceful way. Then start the day.

Motivation? Get on with it! Stop the clinging. Love is what matters.

2. Mindfulness, awareness. When practising mindfulness begin with the body
(kayavipassana), then feelings, moodstates, and contents of mind. These
first two things, physical and emotional, are important. If you cannot
concentrate, there's blocking. Your mindstate is obscured.

3. A mantra given by the Teacher is to be used in the course of the day,
especially when things are difficult or the energies aren't right.
Basically, this mantra will calm the mind.

4. Pray without ceasing. Let all things flow from your spiritual search.
*All things are of God*.

5. Formal meditation - to sharpen or calm the mind; balance it. Bring the
energies to oneness.. to make a breakthrough.

6. Meditate on Metta before sleep for a deep peaceful, happy sleep, or prior
to Dream Yoga.

Repeat the mantra & visualisation of the second wong all morning. The first
wong is for overcoming karma. The mantra will increase happiness at any time
of the day. The mantra of the third stage prepares for the spontaneous
coming of God.

=-

PILGRIMAGE (Part Two)
Rumtek Monastery 1971
- Russell Rolfe

At the meeting that night we learned that our permits to enter Sikkim, so
generously secured by the Canadian ambassador, were not going to be
accepted. Permits in India can be of dubious value at any time but
especially so in 1971 when the country was at war with Pakistan. This
necessitated our sending an emissary to Delhi and, through the ambassador,
another request would be made, this time directly to Indira Gandhi. The
group would wait in Darjeeling until new permits were secured, this time
from the top. When the phone lines were working, His Holiness the Karmapa
was also advised of our hold-up.

Our anticipation grew as the days wore on. I believe it was over a week but
time was compressed as we explored the Tolkeinesque trails with their hidden
abandoned relics of the British Raj in the misty forest. One had the sense
of immense changes colliding with an ever reluctant past.

We couldn't imagine being turned back now, especially since the Karmapa, the
Black Hat Hierarch of Tibet and honored as a Living Buddha in his sixteen
successive incarnations, was aware of our plight at his doorstep. There was
little surprise when the permits came through. What was astonishing was how
they were secured.

The prime minister of India, Indira Gandhi, was presented the petition at
the behest of the Canadian ambassador, Mr. George, but she had little
inclination or time to worry about a large group of foreigners in a
sensitive border region close to China. There was a war on with Pakistan
over Bangladesh and, despite the nearly hysterical political clamor that
surrounded her she would, as always, remain in control. She passed our
request on to her Minister Of The Interior for his decision. This minister
had just had a close relative pass away. He was a Hindu and, as such, was
bound by tradition to grant the very first request that was made to him
after a close relative dies. Our request reached his desk the very day he
learned of the death in his family. Death is the essential condition of life
and human life consists of mutual service with death.

It took several more days for our group of 108 Westerners to hire every
available four-wheel-drive vehicle in Darjeeling. Then, early one morning,
miraculously we were all off at once, a fleet of land-rovers that resembled
some of the endless military convoys we had seen on their way to the front
in West Pakistan. The 20 kilometers from Darjeeling to Sikkim commenced at a
snail-like pace. The unpaved road had been severely eroded by the late
monsoon rains and was being tested beyond its limits by our 15 vehicles. We
were in the clouds crawling through enormous steep landslides where it
seemed there was no track at all, only a slanting mushy scree listing off to
impenetrable depths on one side. We ground to a halt. This wasn't just
another of the many passport check-points though. Many of us, like myself,
were standing on the back of our land-rovers hanging onto the canvas roof
frame the better to jump off should the mountain ooze away underneath.

In fact, that is precisely what had occurred just in front. Our drivers were
keeping themselves at least 400 meters apart in order to preserve what
little remained of the road and not cause a landslide. Approximately 200
meters of road had reverted to steep mountain slope just ahead. We were
awe-struck that none of our vehicles had been present when the land gave
way.

Now we waited. We could see large rocks coming out of the mists and rolling
down back into the cloud. We wondered how far down. I had seen enough of
Indian mountain roads to know that the bottom was very likely a roaring
river appearing from our heights as a tiny silver thread. We got down from
our vehicles and began to mill about. It was apparent that we wouldn't be
going anywhere soon. Every couple of minutes another boulder would come
tumbling down across the washed out section, seemingly out of nowhere, and
bounce off into the abyss.

Yet another singular occurrence in India is that no matter how remote you
may be, people will promptly appear. Our train of four-wheel-drives filled
with Westerners had a jaw-dropping effect on the local population. After the
10th or so vehicle passed they just stood staring, mouths agape. They had
never seen anything like this and were quite curious. With their instinctive
entrepreneurial nature, a tea shop appeared in short order. I have no idea
where the chai and biscuits came from but there they were just where the
road gave way several rovers in front. It was manna from heaven.

I then heard the unmistakable sound of a large piece of equipment being
started off in the distance. Soon an enormous olive drab bulldozer appeared
coming out of the fog. It was listing fairly heavily down the hill but as
the driver worked back and forth the list subsided and he could proceed once
again leveling out some semblance of road. The roads in these mountainous
border regions are maintained by the army. Perhaps they had been put on
alert knowing we were coming and that the road was perilous? But no, on
closer inspection, it was not a soldier at the controls. It was one of our
own! - Bryan Shore, putting some of his heavy equipment experience to work.
(He had noticed an abandoned bull-dozer nearby, I later learned).

It took a while but in less time than I thought possible he had graded a
track across the gravelly moraine. After several more passes by the dozer,
it was deemed safe to proceed. Boulders and rocks continued to come hurtling
down between us out of the cloud; any one of them large enough to overthrow
a land-rover and send it crashing down into obscurity. Perhaps I had learned
a lesson from my earlier night flight from 'the monster', or perhaps it was
the belief that we were now in the realm of the Karmapas and no harm would
come to us but I remember there was no fear.

As we pulled into the forecourt of Rumtek monastery, the mists cleared. The
light took on the crystalline quality found only at higher elevations in the
Andes and Himalayas. Monks were excitedly dashing about finishing their
preparations. We were given the choice of a couple of rooms outside the main
assembly hall or sleeping in the hall itself. I chose a shared room that was
just off the kitchen which was closest to the outside shower. Others
wondered why I would miss the opportunity to sleep in the temple which had
never been used as a dormitory. I was told I would miss an exceedingly rare
opportunity to sleep in the presence of hundreds of ages-old sacred Tibetan
relics and Buddha rupas. I just wanted first dibs on the shower.

[To be continued..]

=-

ABOUT The CRYSTAL COLLECTION PROJECT

This is a non-profit publishing project, initially aimed at stirring up
memories and sharing insightful stories about Namgyal Rinpoche, his
teachings, and the experiences of students. From the materials gathered a
book will be prepared for publication, with any subsequent revenue being
donated to a Namgyal centre or cause. Quotes from this remarkable Teacher
and notes from his talks are of special interest, while the inclusion of
date, time, and place would help us establish a chronology and context.
After this stage of collecting stories, there will be an opportunity for
every reader to participate in choosing the material to be included in the
book.

Please send contributions of stories, comments, and queries about the
CRYSTAL COLLECTION PROJECT to the Editor: <ten.orobretep|bar#ten.orobretep|bar>.

And please continue to invite others who would like to receive these
newsletters to contact us. Readers who never met Namgyal Rinpoche are
welcome to join this e-list.

=-
To unsubscribe from this newsletter, please
reply to sender with the message "UNSUBSCRIBE".
=-

A CRYSTAL COLLECTION
The Namgyal Rinpoche Stories Project - 2008
David Berry (Producer), Rab Wilkie (Editor)

To view Crystal Collection articles: <http://namgyal.wikidot.com>

=-

In this issue:

CLASS-NOTES
Meditation & Wongkur - Namgyal Rinpoche (1971)

STORIES
Letter To A Friend - Jacques Varian (1998)

=-
TALKS By NAMGYAL RINPOCHE (Toronto 1971)
Ken Long (Scribe), Rab Wilkie (Editor)
=-

Editor's Note:
The class notes for these teachings by Rinpoche in 1971 begin to thin out as
students and teacher prepare for the third in a series of empowerments in
Toronto then, in May, the beginning of a voyage to India and Sikkim to meet
with His Holiness the 16th Karmapa. These were the first empowerments given
by Rinpoche: 1000-arm Chenrezi, Milarepa, and Vajrasattva. The third one,
Vajrasattva, was given privately to each student over a period of about five
weeks to late April, the date and time calculated as most auspicious
according to each student's natal chart.

31 March 1971 (Toronto)
VERY BRIEF NOTES ON MEDITATION & WONGKUR

Meditation is about a man or woman in relationship to himself or herself.
Meditation clarifies and improves the senses. It is about the two pillars of
the Teaching: Awareness (here & now) and Compassion.

For the Vajrasattva wongkur:
1. White scarf (obligatory).
2. An offering.
3. 12-hour fast (preferable).
4. Bring your own mala (rosary).
5. A calm, quiet, tranquil mind.

When you come in, kneel down close to the lama.

=-

LETTER To A FRIEND: The Serpent Dance
Jacques Varian

You asked:
"What is the dance of of the World Serpent?"

Well, first, you should know that during our six weeks in Paleohora,
Rinpoche taught many things, but when he tried to teach Movement, after ten
minutes he was disgusted and cancelled the class. We were hopeless. He'd
told us to become trees and I guess there were too many saplings turning
into giants in three seconds flat, or rootless willows prancing. "Trees are
STILL!" he thundered. And they grow s l o w l y.. Go take a shower or
something. Just get out of my sight."

Now, around the Aegean the Serpent would be in some of the older forms of
the village dance, particularly the one in which the black-frocked,
tall-hatted priest starts it off, then invites one of the old women, a
matriarch also in black, to join him. Then, in due but languid course,
another of the family, and another takes the white kerchief raised in hand
until the nearly the whole community - sitting at tables variously strewn
across the dusty street in front of the cafe which, perhaps, is being given
by its owners to their son - has joined the dance: a growing chain of quiet
celebrants that spirals in and out and weaves with dignity towards midnight
and a solid, ancient extasis that makes dry hills sigh and the full moon at
mid-heaven weep with joy over the the glistening Livikon Sea.

And then there was one Friday evening on Samos, back from the shore, inland
among deep shadows of colossal trees and a moonlit waterfall, at a taverna
known only to the isolate denizens of Agios Nikolaios and not to the foreign
visitors who had found themselves staying by the sea at the Hotel Paradisos,
whose manager was an ass in more ways than one insofar as he seemed
possessed by the animal spirit of a donkey cult whose roots go back far in
times behind mind..

But I have no cause to unsettle your equilibrium so soon, and should remain
silent for the time being on such a topic, whose baleful Sethian magic might
gel the soul. Your blood, for now, should remain warm and happily flowing,
and not be chilled by chaos primeval! There will be time for that when your
Canadian winter comes.

Instead, let us consider what preceded the priest who began the dance: the
earlier epiphany.

The Sun was setting and our meal at Georgios was finished with no remainder
except for the salt-whitened, empty shells of the peanuts we'd eaten with
ouzo. A friend came to our table with news that the outdoor cinema was up
and running, and the feature tonight would be "20001: A Space Odyssey". We'd
seen it years before, but the notion of it being shown here was attractive,
especially after weeks of immmersion in the mythos of Minoan culture amidst
the stones and ruins of summery Crete.

The screen was small and hardly capable of doing justice to the Blue Danube
in outer space, but it was framed by palm trees, the Libyan Sea behind,
stretching darkly into the star-twinkling distance. And from the arid,
thyme-fragrant hills, the sea-seeking breeze wafting over and around us made
the unsilvered screen tremble and fondled fronds in passing.

But this distraction became slighter and before long I was entranced once
again by Kubrick's realm and was lost in cosmos until near the end when that
climactic syzygy births three orbs from one during the triumphant cadence of
Zarathustra.. Yah Dum da-DA! Doo-ee.. as from behind the blue marble Earth
in space, the white-mirror Moon is extruded above, then near screen-top,
suddenly from Moon the Sun blazes forth, pulling one's gaze higher still;
but my ascent was further - drawn right off the screen in a leap beyond to
the real Moon in the sky, floating exactly in line with the pale, tripling
image below.

Zing!

A neat return to reality.

Heavens above and Earth beneath! What can we do to top that?

The night was still young, hardly nine o'clock, and so, somewhat aimlessly,
we sauntered townward. That's when we came upon the tables, set out all over
the street. The party at the cafe was just beginning.

This was not a night I danced. I was audience. I sat. But long after my
companions had left, I remained, having stubbornly waited out a tide of
almost overwhelming boredom.

A Cretan village dance, you see, is not rock'n'roll, and to a stranger from
the wild New World, or even I suppose to a youth from Athens or a city of
any sort, it no doubt can seem excruciatingly old-fashioned and tame. There
were no raised voices, no thumping drum-beats - just strings and clarinet.

No drunken revelry and no voracious chugging, swinging bodies. The continuum
of rhythm and tunes and dancing pulsed without ceasing, but calmly and in an
orderly manner, on and on into the night. There were no highs and lows in
the passage of time and in the collective mood. And it didn't feel like it
was GOING anywhere.

Then some people began leaving.

That's when my friends left, and my boredom peaked. I wanted to see how it
all ended, but it didn't end. There wasn't one.

And there isn't.

There was no "So long, that's it". No bong or bell. No announcements, no
customary or ritual salute. Not that I was waiting for anything quite like
that. I just expected some kind of.. signal. But people just kept leaving,
very gradually, until only the immediate family of the owner remained. They
began taking the tables from the street. Then there was just the son - the
new owner - and his wife. They locked the front door of the cafe and
vanished, but the ground in front stayed warm and musical, still throbbing,
inaudibly.

I was puzzled. Stood there alone, scratching my head. Something had happened
but I wasn't sure what. Yet I was in the midst of the most confident,
stable, solid high that I'd ever felt. I figured this must be a clue to
"crete".. as in concrete, discrete.

Upon reflection, however, I realized that I'd missed the build-up because it
had been so subtle despite its strength. I was simply not familiar with this
sort of gradual empowerment, ingrained over thousands of years as habit in a
people who had always lived here, living the land. There HAD been a climax,
but one so gentle, so present, that it had caught me unaware.

I slept deeply that night in my empty white-washed room with a cool marble
floor, across from the more expensive Hotel Livikon in a family's spare
upper-room for visitors, and my waking before dawn was extended for what
seemed hours as the all-night chirping of tree-frogs outside the window were
joined in measured sequence by the distant crowing of a rooster then dogs
barking, donkeys braying, birds whistling; each animal voice in turn saying
something different, natural, simple, and profound. And the volume and
harmony of the chorus built slowly towards first light when my white room
was aflood with sunlight and voices of human beings reached upward from the
street below.

"Eh? Pavlo?"
"Stavros!"
"Kalimera! Kalimera!" Good Morning, indeed, one and all.

But it was a machine that got me up: the day's first bus. The dusty rusty
hulk just in from the ferry coast, hours northward by barren brown
mountains, and bringing a load of exotic supplies: toilet-paper, maybe a
magazine in English, and a draggle of young German tourists looking for
edgey delights and the homemade raki ("ratz") that makes schnapps seem like
water.

=-

Spin a world globe slowly. During a year the zenith Sun traces a spiral
upward from the Tropic Capricorn to Cancer & back down. This is the solar
serpent, coiling and uncoiling around its world-egg: an Orphic ophic
mystery. But go slowly, naturally. One dance-step at a time. Feet together
to start. Wait. Feel what that's like. Then one step forward. Wait, feel
that. Next foot forward, the other back and behind, forward again; now back,
back, swing and return. Wait after each move until you are exactly where you
are.

You know how it goes. If you get it right, you'll never forget: introduction
and greeting.. without talk. Just body, gesture, and a clear mind.

Silly to try putting this into words, isn't it?

Your friend,
Jack V

=-

ABOUT The CRYSTAL COLLECTION PROJECT

This is a non-profit publishing project, initially aimed at stirring up
memories and sharing insightful stories about Namgyal Rinpoche, his
teachings, and the experiences of students. From the materials gathered a
book will be prepared for publication, with any subsequent revenue being
donated to a Namgyal centre or cause. Quotes from this remarkable Teacher
and notes from his talks are of special interest, while the inclusion of
date, time, and place would help us establish a chronology and context.
After this stage of collecting stories, there will be an opportunity for
every reader to participate in choosing the material to be included in the
book.

Please send contributions of stories, comments, and queries about the
CRYSTAL COLLECTION PROJECT to the Editor: <ten.orobretep|bar#ten.orobretep|bar>.

And please continue to invite others who would like to receive these
newsletters to contact us. Readers who never met Namgyal Rinpoche are
welcome to join this e-list.

=-
To unsubscribe from this newsletter, please
reply to sender with the message "UNSUBSCRIBE".
=-

A CRYSTAL COLLECTION
The Namgyal Rinpoche Stories Project - 2008
David Berry (Producer), Rab Wilkie (Editor)

To view Crystal Collection articles: <http://namgyal.wikidot.com>

=-

In this issue:

CLASS-NOTES
Mantra: Meditation On Sound - Namgyal Rinpoche (1971)

STORIES
Pain Management - Linda Rainbird (2008)

QUOTES
From a Discourse By Anada Bodhi - Henri van Bentum (1967)

=-
TALKS By NAMGYAL RINPOCHE (Toronto 1971)
Ken Long (Scribe), Rab Wilkie (Editor)
=-

23March71
MANTRA: MEDITATION On SOUND & VIBRATION

The first three stages in meditation can be called:
1. Propitiation
2. Acquisition
3. Introjection (identifying with)

A mantram [mind-tool] is a verbal device that takes one beyond verbal, producing higher meditative states. For example, ARAHAM is used to cancel karma - a primary practice in every school. Another mantra is
OM SUNYATA JNANA VAJRA SVABHAVAKO HUM - 'I am the nature of the vajra through understanding the void'. Meditation on the seed syllable (bija) OM leads to this state of awareness. By the experience of OM I become the void - the knowing, diamond state of consciousness, ('anatto' in Pali).

[There are basically two kinds of 'words' used in mantra: words that have a literal meaning and words that do not. These meaningless words are seed syllables, fundamental sound experiences (OM AH HUM). The words of a mantra can all have a literal meaning (ARAHAM - 'purity') or no meaning, or they can be a combination of both types. In the mantra of Chenrezi, OM MANI PADME HUM, the seed syllables are OM and HUM while MANI PADME means, literally: 'lotus jewel'].

In Christian mystical practice, the words usually all have a literal meaning. There is the prayer/mantra 'Lord Jesus Christ, Son of God, have mercy on me, a sinner'. This is recited by monks on Mount Athos and synchronised with the heart beat. The words and syllables are variously emphasised. Such a mantra produces transcendental energy-awareness flowing in and out and down through the central channel.. in ways that vary according to individual practice.

There is a weapon mantra (hastra bija) that equates to a certain state of mind. It is the great cleaver of the skull, used to split the consciousness: PHAT! - cutting off thought when there is excessive verbalisation in meditation.

OM HUM PHAT! is used to exorcise evil spirits or negative mind-states. When written, there is a dot under T in PHAT which means that the T is enunciated sharply - a cut off [or stacatto] T.

The Agni (Fire) mantra is RAM! (Sanskrit 'agni' relates to the Latin 'agnes' (lamb) as in 'Agnes Dei', the lamb sacrificed to God. It is a
lamb because its fleece is like the Brahmachakra - the Gate Of Purity or Crown Chakra.

OM is the ancient 'setu' mantra - a bridge. HUM is the 'kercha' or bundling mantra that heaps things together, that binds and unifies. ('Tara' also means 'bridge').

Another mantra that combines categories is OM HUM VAJRANGE MAMA RAKSHA PHAT SVAHA! This is a meditation to unite with the feminine aspect of consciousness. It is equivalent to the Vajrasattva initiation mantra, OM VAJRASATTVA HUM, for unity with the diamond-clear feminine aspect, Ekajata (onceborn), the Immaculate Conception meditation. All beings are born from the pure feminine consciousness. MAMA means 'me', RAKSHA is the destroyer of all ignorance.

When you become the Diamond Mother, you must destroy it - PHAT! The ability to destroy is masculine. One becomes the master of the whole universe. Don't be afraid to intercourse with the Diamond Virgin - PHAT! SVAHA! (Be 'with it').

Meditation uses a device: you. Think it out, perhaps imagine and visualise in preparation for the state called 'contemplation', which is
beyond mechanistic recitation. OM MANI PADME HUM brings one to the jewelled, clear state. It is uttered all on the outbreath, cascading out. If said out loud it is generally more effective than whispered
or repeated only mentally.

The mantra of Orange Tara: GATE, GATE, PARAGATE, PARASAMGATE, BODHI SVAHA! Literally: 'Without, within, without within - awaken with it!'
In other words, 'Make the without as within - this is the Awakening..
wow! (SVAHA has the meaning of 'ave' (Latin 'hail'], as in 'Ave Maria' - 'Hail Mary'.

Ekagata and total expansion is the Path Moment, gone past and beyond any clinging.

=-

PAIN MANAGEMENT
Linda Rainbird (Wales)

I write this out of respect for all Namgyal Rinpoche taught and gave me in the 33 years with him and the subsequent years still learning from him..

I am sure if Rinpoche were to know I was writing this there would be "Hmmm….", but here goes..

Where does illness begin? When is disease triggered? Is it Karma - is it the dharma unfolding in mysterious ways? Is it because of neglect?

For many years, organising accommodation for Namgyal, assisting in a legal foundation for the creation of a Centre for his Teachings in England, (Maitreya House), working within the world in order to survive, (sometimes three separate employments and over 20 years in Government), 'making a difference', guiding my son through life and all that has entailed.. in short, giving much to many and probably burning myself out by not paying attention to my unfoldment as much as I 'should have'.

This word "should" comes up a lot in the healing process for rheumatoid arthritis, which flared through my body a year after Namgyal passed. At the same time as being diagnosed with this disease I was also diagnosed with osteoporosis - thinning of the bones - another "could be" neglect and stress to the physical body, (or being born after only 6 months in the womb in 1951 weighing 3lbs). I mention this because the medical world treats everybody in a general way, until you get to consultant level, even then one has to be careful. I was made to feel afraid of breaking bones and ending my life in a wheelchair at the same time being informed that I had to walk, free myself of stress, check my diet, etc.

Chronic pain is different from acute - chronic is pain lasting for longer than one year, and is incurable.

Rheumatoid arthritis is overwhelming, and its arrival in my body just after the first diagnosis of osteoporosis six months earlier, was quite frightening. The fear of not knowing what was happening to my body surprised me. At one particular time, when I was getting exhausted from the constant pain and my joints feeling like they were being stung by a thousand bees, I was at the point, despite my initial surrender, of 'letting go'.

The full moon was coming through my bedroom window and, as I laid my head in Tara's lap, I wept quiet tears of remembering so many incredibly joyful experiences with Rinpoche and thanking him for teaching me so much and being so present in my present incarnation, and finally fell quietly to sleep. The dream that came was of Rinpoche embracing me, with my head on his chest, telling me many things but verbally acknowledging that I was right - there are pain doors below the brain that I can close and control. Can you imagine the healing that took place? This changed the course of my disease. I had, whilst being overwhelmed by the pain, meditated trying to 'go under the brain and pain', then I realised that I could control the very pain that was enflaming my body and this confirmation from Rinpoche pushed me forward to healing.

I have now been on a course in the Black Mountains and Brecon Beacons in Mid-Wales designed for Pain Management - one of only two programmes running in the U.K. In the last six months I have managed to conquer drug intake for RA and 'flare-ups' and I needed the final acknowledgement from the medical world about these "pain gates". It has been a truly liberating programme - going into any medical institution was a huge challenge for me, that is, going into hospital to get ill, but my accommodation is a small house in the grounds of a hospital, my room is warm, clean and has the most amazing views over the mountains, and along with a small group of eight of us I have learnt so much about the anatomy and the importance of Transactional Analysis in keeping 'stress' away. It is like a retreat and a mini-university course in health and the body.

As soon as the body experiences emotional stress, hurt or harm, or gross fatigue, this goes to the emotional centre of the brain (and blocks the learning frontal part of the brain) and immediately the brain sends a signal down the spine, opening the pain gates, leading to all sorts of things and symptoms. To close these gates there are many things one can do. But first, MEDITATE. Calm the body with the breath - be as gentle as you can with yourself and exercise gently with the body, never pushing anything too much; or yourself. Inactivity is the worse thing for pain and yet when you become very ill you are very inactive! Drugs will only close these gates temporarily. Meditation, breathing, and loving kindness will give control - nothing else!

Pain gates have only recently been acknowledged by the medical world - since World War Two.

On site in these hospital grounds is a small Mental Home - occasionally I see Doctors coming and going - the women doctors look very severe, dressed in black and severe with black thick-healed shoes, clicking around the place with supreme importance. I feel in a state of grace.

=-

QUOTES From A DISCOURSE by Ven. Ananda Bodhi
October 16, 1967; Gerard St West, Toronto
Scribe: Henri van Bentum

Negative thinking is the highest form of intelligence.

The Ideal is a marvelous and respectable escape from the actual, the Real. The ideal of non-violence, like the collective social Utopia, is fictitious. The Ideal - what 'should be' - helps us to cover up and avoid what is.

To see the truth in the false is the beginning of wisdom. To see the false as false is the highest comprehension.

To love is to experience all things. But to experience without love is to live in vain.

Meditation is the breaking of all bondage. It is the state of freedom but not FROM anything. To be conscious of being free is not freedom.

There is silence when willing ceases. This is meditation.
The seeker ceases. This is meditation.

Is it very important to help people in this corrupt society? If one is concerned only with helping the individual to conform to already existing patterns - here or elsewhere - is one not maintaining the very causes that make for frustration, misery, and destruction?

Ambition breeds mediocrity of mind and heart. It is artificial for it is everlastingly seeking a result. Our children's children will breed further antagonism - envy and war - and neither us nor they will have peace by maintaining the ambitious way of life.

=-

ABOUT The CRYSTAL COLLECTION PROJECT

This is a non-profit publishing project, initially aimed at stirring up
memories and sharing insightful stories about Namgyal Rinpoche, his
teachings, and the experiences of students. From the materials gathered a book will be prepared for publication, with any subsequent revenue being donated to a Namgyal centre or cause. Quotes from this remarkable Teacher and notes from his talks are of special interest, while the inclusion of date, time, and place would help us establish a chronology and context. After this stage of collecting stories, there will be an opportunity for every reader to participate in choosing the material to be included in the book.

Please send contributions of stories, comments, and queries about the
CRYSTAL COLLECTION PROJECT to the Editor: <ten.orobretep|bar#ten.orobretep|bar>.

And please continue to invite others who would like to receive these
newsletters to contact us. Readers who never met Namgyal Rinpoche are
welcome to join this e-list.

=-
To unsubscribe from this newsletter, please
reply to sender with the message "UNSUBSCRIBE".
=-

To view Crystal Collection articles,
visit: <http://namgyal.wikidot.com>

=-
E-Post #17, Mar 15, 2008.
=-

In this issue:

CLASS-NOTES
Qabala & Tarot - Namgyal Rinpoche (1971)

STORIES
Pithy Quotes - Lama Sonam Gyatso
Ass Backwards - Peter Boag
Salvation - Joanna Estelle

=-
TALKS By NAMGYAL RINPOCHE (Toronto 1971)
Ken Long (Scribe), Rab Wilkie (Editor)
=-

18Mar71 (Theosophical Society)
QABALA & TAROT

The Qabala reveals the Old & New Testament.

There are three levels of the Tree of Life, with one globe above and
another below. Although actually there are four levels - for a total of 42
globes. The triune support of the universe is the three. The Tree itself has
three pillars: Severity, Mildness, and Mercy; or Strength, Beauty, and
Wisdom.

Ten Spheres (Sefiroth) comprise the body of Adam Kadmon, the Cosmic Man:

1 Kether Crown Galaxy (First Swirling, Primum Mobile)
2 Chokmah Wisdom Zodiac
3 Binah Understanding Saturn
4 Chesed Mercy Jupiter
5 Geburah Severity Mars
6 Tiphareth Beauty Sun
7 Netzach Victory Venus
8 Hod Glory Mercury
9 Yesod Foundation Moon
10 Malkuth Kingdom Earth

Kether becomes The Kingdom of the Tree above, transposed to Heaven, and all
has been removed by one. This alteration balances all.

The solar system is the consciousness of the Divine Man and during birth the
[incarnating soul] descends, as in Genesis, [from beyond the Zodiac through
each planetary Sphere to Earth]; and there are Four Trees in Adam.

Galaxies are formed for evolved consciousness. Our noosphere (collective
mind) becomes a power, a creative Adam, which creates a new universe of new
planets, and so on. It collapses its form to consciousness and re-makes
consciousness as form.

The Spheres are vessels, theoretically devised to define the limits of the
Creative Essence. They are hollow radiant balls of light. They are
unchanging and unchangeable light and coloured balls produce different
manifestations based on different rays. God is not in the Tree because that
would be *containing* Him. God is the Creative Essence - shining through
each and all Spheres.

The 22 TAROT KEYS (Major Arcanum)
representing aspects of spiritual experience progress:

0 Fool, Uranus : transcendance - foolish, in both senses.
1 Magus, Mercury : the Messiah - THE channel, and first
representative of God on Earth; the Priest.
2 Priestess, Moon : silent Wisdom, the anima.
3 Empress, Venus : the unconscious, manifest and plentiful.
4 Emperor, Aries : the First Principle.
5 Hierophant, Taurus: revelation of occult knowledge.
6 Lovers, Gemini : Love - aspiration binds!
7 Chariot, Cancer : spiritual progress.
8 Strength, Leo : the Heart.
9 Hermit, Virgo : Perfection.
10 Wheel, Jupiter : beginning of a new wheel or cycle (rota).
Completion of the first cycle. Dharma itself. The
Tarot itself. The study of 'taro' will teach you
the laws of Nature ('ator', Hathor). [It will
speak ('orat') to you].
11 Justice, Libra : balance.
12 Hanged Man, Neptune: the turning about of consciousness, the descent
of the divine into the vessel.
13 Death, Scorpio : the Spirit of Fertility and bringing forth.
14 Temperance, Sagittarius: flow or vibration from higher consciousness
to lower and back again. Sagittarius [has a
temper] so what it needs is temperance, tempering.
15 Devil, Capricorn: the struggle for what you want. Incomplete
knowledge is slavery.
16 Tower, Mars : lightning samadhi, destruction of the ego.
17 Star, Aquarius : [meditation on] the chakras/stars.
18 Moon, Pisces : the boundaries of the known, of knowledge. Moving
them back further and further; and Scorpio
ascending.
19 Sun, Sun : energy for the Path.
20 Judgement, Pluto: resurrection, the beginning of a new life.
21 World, Saturn : mastery of the world, the dance. The Four Gospels.

Each of the 22 letters of the Semitic 'alphabet' is attributed to one of the
above Tarot Trumps. Each Letter symbolises a Path or channel.

The 22 Letters plus 10 Spheres represent 32 paths of Wisdom, 32 teeth in the
mouth of the Vast Countenance, 32 nerves (nadis) from the Divine Brain, 32
Degrees in Freemasonry - the 32nd being the Prince of the Royal Secret, God
is mentioned 32 times in Genesis (and 33 times in the Freemason's
translation of Genesis.. the 33rd Degree is beyond 'The Work' -
transcendance. The 33rd Degree lies above the Tree). The 32 spiral segments
lead to the 'Temple of Wisdom', (the skull).

The serpent that climbs the Tree is kundalini and relates to the
Pythagorean Mysteries.

One must make a distinction, must have a base for work, to move - even
though there might be an error. You must understand Duality before you can
understand and appreciate Union.. 'the greater the doubt, the greater the
awakening'. All ignorance is human, (the Devil has a navel signifying that
ignorance is born from human error).

Come to love through differences. Separateness, duality, ambivalence,
question, struggle - all lead to love. The greater the struggle, the greater
the love. You work into love, you don't 'fall in love' - that's just seeing
yourself in another person.

All our views of God are the Devil.

READING TAROT CARDS:
A Method Of Pure Spiritual Divination

Use the whole deck. Both querent and reader are silent. The querent must be
in search and willing to receive the answers. A reading is done only once
during a lunar cycle [one month]. First, clear the mind. Go for a reading to
someone you trust, who can keep an empty mind, and ask prayerfully.

The Keys [Trumps] are the key to the interpretation.

The reader shuffles the deck, prayerfully, three times (representing the
three books). Cut the deck in half, rotating three times. Shuffle to front
end and middle once, saying "As Above, so Below". Set cards down, draw a
cross, then knock the deck three times. Querent chooses three cards that go
in the middle of the deck. The top three cards are the querent's cards and
the bottom three are the reader's (the Teacher's). The cards show only the
spiritual state and trend.

When you first shuffle the cards, do so until the inner voice says 'stop',
then prayerfully close 'the book' [of Tarot]. Make three cuts of the deck
and lay each stack out sequentially to the left. The middle stack represent
the present, the stack on the left is the past, and the stack on the right
is the future. "As Above, so Below".

For a male, the cross sign that is drawn ends with vertical line: top to
bottom then back to centre. For a female, draw the horizontal line last.

Cut to right, remove, and place to your left. The middle then is your right.
The middle row is the present trend. Study the card you get during the next
lunar period - until the full moon.

=-
Namgyal Stories
=-

PITHY QUOTES
Lama Sonam Gyatso

Rinpoche once remarked to me about his students: "They are a den of
monkeys!" Another time: "With most teachers, the students all look the same
but my students have nothing in common with each other.. except me!"

=-

ASS BACKWARDS
Peter Boag

The problem with clinging is that until you let it go, either you cling to
it or it clings to you. Either way is suffering. Here's a story of my own
clinging that spans more than twenty years.

In the summer of 1975 Namgyal Rinpoche sent me on ahead from a course in
Crete to find accomodations for him and close to one hundred students on the
Greek island of Samos. This was an impossible task, according to
conventional wisdom, as it was the height of the tourist season and there
would be "no room in the inn" on that small island. However, after many
adventures and a lot of haggling, everything fell into place by the eve of
Rinpoche's arrival.

He seemed pleased with the small, previously mothballed, hotel that had been
re-opened just for him. He was less pleased that I intended to stay there
that night until the students arrived the next day. However, he relented,
after making it clear that I would clear out in the morning.

That night I couldn't sleep. I kept thinking of a rumour circulating among
the students that Rinpoche never slept. I decided to find out once and for
all if this were true. So, about 3 am, I silently crept down the marble
hallway in stocking feet. The door to Rinpoche's room had an old-fashioned
keyhole which would be quite sufficient to peek through. Just as I crouched
down to get a good look, the door suddenly opened! At over six and a half
feet, Namgyal towered over me, even more so than usual, with me in the most
subservient of postures.

"Yes?" he enquired.

I was quickly trying to find my wits. "Sir, I was just putting something to
the test", I said, referring to a favourite phrase of his.

"Very good, carry on," he said, closing the door in my face.

The next day at the first lecture he threw me out of the class, in
circumstances that left a bitter feeling with me. I couldn't help but wonder
if he were getting me back for my indiscretion of the previous night. With
each passing year the memory of this event faded, until I completely forgot
about it. Or so I thought.

My tale now shifts to 2003, Rinpoche's last year of embodiment. I knew he
was seriously ill, and that his death was imminent. Still, he kept on
travelling and teaching. Early that year I had been invited to Guatemala by
a student who had offered Rinpoche a place there to rest and recharge.

Everything was in place for me to see him there, and maybe do a retreat. Yet
I could not shake the feeling that I had no right to take any more of his
dwindling energy. He had already given me many lifetimes worth of work to
do. The more I contemplated this, the more I was convinced. As a result I
threw away my non-refundable ticket and stayed away.

A few months later, I heard that Rinpoche would be teaching in Idaho, which
was two days drive from where I was. I decided to head up to Boise to see
him one last time. When I was about two hundred miles from Boise, in the
mountains of Nevada, I was overtaken by the presence of Namgyal Rinpoche,
and experienced what can only be described as the full-on Namgyal Crystal
Cave empowerment, which will be familiar to anyone who has had that wongkur
and done the practice. The only thing is, at that point, I had not had that
wongkur and the experience did not seem a result of anything I had done. But
I digress from my tale.

When I arrived at Boise, Rinpoche was a shadow of his former physical self,
and was teaching to a large group of students, many of whom had never met
him and wanted to make a connection. Once again I decided to keep at arm's
length out of concern for his diminished energy.

If you have read this far, you will naturally want to know what all this has
to do with the events in Greece, decades before. The connection became clear
during my drive home, in those same Nevada mountains.

Time warped, shapes shifted, and it was as if Rinpoche was in my passenger
seat, saying, "So what about that thing that has been bugging you all these
years?"

Somehow I knew immediately. "You threw me out of your class!"

Rinpoche said, "Shall we examine this? Remind me!"

"Well Sir, the previous night I had spied on you."

"And?"

"The next day you gave us an excercise to draw our parents naked, then you
took off to get a cool drink."

"As I recall it was sweltering hot, was it not?"

"Yes sir, it was almost unbearable sitting in the sand in that sun."

"And when I returned?"

"Well Sir, I had completed my drawing and suddenly understood the whole
thing. I looked around at the other students' drawings and they confirmed my
thoughts. The notion that we are partially products of our parent's own
inadequacies was brutally obvious, but also so absurd that I couldn't help
laughing!"

"Yes, and when I returned, a bunch of you were laughing like hyenas. And
when I asked who was laughing to stand up, only you stood".

"Which is why it was totally unfair of you to have banished me, and let
everyone else stay!"

Rinpoche was beside himself laughing. "You still don't get it, after all
this time?"

"I guess not."

"What did you do after I tossed you out of the class?"

"I went down to the sea and had a cool drink under a tree".

"Yes, while the rest of us had to sit in the hot sun for a few more hours!
..And you call that punishment?"

Rinpoche went on. "People think they have been banished from the Kingdom of
Heaven, while the opposite is true. Peter, all these years you have got it
ass backwards."

=-

SALVATION
Joanna Estelle

The two months I spent studying with Namgyal Rinpoche were brief, but
dramatic. It was the spring of 1971, he was known as Bhikkhu Ananda Bodhi,
and he lived in a house on Palmerston Boulevard in Toronto. I was 20 then
and had moved to Toronto for my third year of university. I lived downtown
and eventually found my way to a flat two doors down from his house, where I
lived until the end of that summer. Shortly after moving into this flat, I
was intrigued by the frequent comings and goings of young people wearing red
strings around their necks from a big house with green trim a couple of
doors down.

This was a confusing time for me and many other ex-hippies: the heady joy of
the 1960s was waning and being replaced by the shadow of lives full of
drugs, sex, and rock 'n roll. Janis Joplin had overdosed in the fall of 1970
and Jim Morrison died early the following summer. Shaken by the first
realizations of my generation's mortality, I and many others were starting
to look for deeper meaning in life. Spirituality beckoned, offering new and
exciting possibilities of experience to explore.

One early spring day, I saw a poster in the Fifth Kingdom Bookshop
advertising a public talk by Ananda Bodhi on Palmerston. I realized that
this was the house with the green trim and I knew that I had to attend. It
was amazing to see this impressive figure of a man sitting in a large chair
on a raised platform, wearing saffron and maroon robes, alternately
dispensing profound spiritual truths and telling jokes to a room full of
devoted young listeners sitting cross-legged on the floor. Like everyone
else present, I was immediately transfixed.

I spent most of the next two months attending frequent lectures there on
Dharma, participating in empowerments, taking Bhodisatva vows, and learning
to meditate. Soon, I too was wearing a red string around my neck, much to
the chagrin of my Ukrainian Catholic parents. I was so impressed with this
teacher that I invited a close friend from university to come to Toronto to
hear and meet him. Fortunately for many, David Berry accepted my invitation.

The climactic moment for me came during a particularly intense empowerment.
When it was my turn to approach Ananda Bodhi, trembling, white cloth in
hand, he peered down at me over his glasses with 'those eyes' and made a
brief but very clear pronouncement in a booming voice that shook me to the
very core of my being: "You will be saved by sound."

Although I had played the piano as a child, I had no idea of what he was
talking about and thought "Right. Sure thing," but I was shaken and quite
disturbed at his certainty about something in my life that I still did not
know. Shortly thereafter (May 1971), he and many of his students left
Toronto to sail around Africa and visit India. During that hot summer in the
city, other dramatic events took place in my life and by September, I had
left Toronto, the Dharma Centre, and Ananda Bodhi behind.

I completely forgot about this incident for almost thirty years. My life had
been very challenging and I had explored many spiritual paths before finding
one to which I could commit long term. I had also studied music part-time
over the years with many excellent teachers as a hobby while building a
career in management accounting in the federal public service. It was not
until my mid-forties that I realized musical composition was my true purpose
in life. I returned to university to study music part-time when I was 51.
Music was and has been the great healer in my life for many years. I now
share the inner peace that I find in composing with others through the music
that I write.

One day in the fall of 2003, just before Namgyal Rinpoche passed away, I was
having dinner with David Berry in Ottawa. We were reminiscing about the
"good old days" and David reminded me that I had been the one who had
invited him to the Dharma house on Palmerston so many years before to meet
the great man we had known then as Ananda Bodhi. I was excited to tell David
that I had just started studying composition with his friend Steven Gellman,
another longtime student of Rinpoche, at the University of Ottawa. Suddenly,
I remembered that long forgotten pronouncement and I gasped audibly.

I then told David this story and he, of course, laughed knowingly and smiled
happily from ear to ear, as did I. More important, my heart smiled in deep
gratitude to Namgyal Rinpoche for shining the Light on my lifestream at a
time when I had not even known that I needed it.

Metta,
Joanna Estelle
Composer, lyricist, arranger
Ottawa, Canada

=-

ABOUT The CRYSTAL COLLECTION PROJECT

This is a non-profit publishing project, initially aimed at stirring up
memories and sharing insightful stories about Namgyal Rinpoche, his
teachings, and the experiences of students. From the materials gathered a
book will be prepared for publication, with any subsequent revenue being
donated to a Namgyal centre or cause. Quotes from this remarkable Teacher
and notes from his talks are of special interest, while the inclusion of
date, time, and place would help us establish a chronology and context.
After this stage of collecting stories, there will be an opportunity for
every reader to participate in choosing the material to be included in the
book.

Please send contributions of stories, comments, and queries about the
CRYSTAL COLLECTION PROJECT to the Editor: <ten.orobretep|bar#ten.orobretep|bar>.

And please continue to invite others who would like to receive these
newsletters to contact us. Readers who never met Namgyal Rinpoche are
welcome to join this e-list.

=-
To unsubscribe from this newsletter, please
reply to sender with the message "UNSUBSCRIBE".
=-

To view Crystal Collection articles,
visit: <http://namgyal.wikidot.com>

=-
E-Post #16, Mar 07, 2008.
=-

In this issue:

CLASS-NOTES
Dumo Yoga - Namgyal Rinpoche (1971)

STORIES
The Galapagos Shipwreck [I] - Henri van Bentum (2008)

=-
TALKS By NAMGYAL RINPOCHE (Toronto 1971)
Ken Long (Scribe), Rab Wilkie (Editor)
=-

DUMO YOGA
(Notes by Pauline Fediow)

Precede meditation with relaxation exercises and deep breathing, coming out
gradually, stretching and deep breathing. Meditate on death to overcome
indolence.

Begin by visualising the Central Channel, from the Fire Chakra four
finger-widths below the navel, up to the Crown and around to the nostrils.
Do Vase Breathing then balance the breathing. If necessary, lie down, close
off the left nostril, then sit up and close right nostril, exhaling long
through the left nostril. Inhale in short quick breaths forcefully, then
exhale long and gently. Do this a few times. Do the other side, then both
sides when breathing out. Believe that all sickness and negativity are being
expelled. When breathing easily, the hands go onto the knees.

The preliminary: sit in the Vajra Posture - take a long breath, drawing it
down below navel. (Swallow saliva). Contract the anus slightly and hold air
at the navel region, contract anus more then relax. Repeat. When you can
hold no longer, exhale long and slowly three times; then do this again:
Inhaling, Filling, Dissolving, and Shooting.

Do this exercise only once a day at first. While holding the breath,
visualise air leaving between the eyebrows, with the Central Channel and
chakras linked together, filled with triangular vajras.

The mantra for Dumo is "WHA!"

In the Fire Chakra visualise a reddish brown flame, hot and undulating. It
is almond-shaped with a spiral flicker. If you cannot produce heat beyond
this one part of the body, wrap the arms around your crossed knees and
practice the Vase Breathing. Rotate abdomen clockwise and anticlockwise;
protrude abdomen and contract while holding the breath. Expel breath, then
do the exercises. Think of the fire blazing up in the Central Channel.

Other Fire exercises, from our yoga class, can be used, such as
kundalini. To save kundalini, press left heel to anus. The feet are
tremendous power-houses.

=-

10Mar71
Padmasambhava Day, 2nd stage of wong
No notes.

=-
Namgyal Stories
=-

The GALAPAGOS SHIPWRECK (1969):
A Not-Too-Enchanted Voyage to the "Enchanted Islands"
[Part One]

Henri van Bentum

Ananda Bodhi asked me to make arrangements to visit the 'Enchanted Islands',
otherwise known as the Galapagos.

A large group of students flew to Miami in early May, 1969 and from there to
beautiful Cali, Colombia where we spent a few days. AB gave classes and
visited the art colony in Cali while I arranged for a bus to get us to the
coastal town of Guyaquil in Equador.

A brand new Mercedes bus became available, along with a husky, moustached
Colombian at the wheel. Everyone was in good spirits. AB was in the front
seat with me next to him.

We reached the border of Colombia and Equador and went through Customs and
Immigration. This went smoothly and our passports were all duly stamped.
But what was not expected was that our Colombian bus - our beautiful
Mercedes - would not be allowed into Equador.

There had been a recent soccer match between the two countries which led to
an uproar and the Equadorians were not on a good footing with their
neighbours.

Meanwhile, we had paid for the bus and driver all the way to Guayaquil, and
had a heck of a time getting (some) of the money back.

That settled, we continued on our journey, but this time in a dilapidated
Equadorian bus with metal seats.

Nevertheless, all the students were in a good mood and were singing popular
Beatle's songs of the times such as "Lucy in the Sky With Diamonds", "All
You Need is Love", "Yellow Submarine", "Octopus Garden", and Bob Dylan's
"Blowin' in the Wind".

Earlier in the trip, AB had warned everyone not to bring any pot or
mind-expanding drugs, so he became suspicious about all that upbeat
behaviour.

Being the only member of the group who spoke Spanish, AB asked me to tell
the driver to stop. He told everyone to get out of the bus and empty their
pockets and bags.

The Teacher collected a good amount of the 'forbidden' spirit-lifters - much
to the chagrin of all those caught.

Just before the bus stopped, people were singing "Blowin' in the Wind". True
to his Irish-imp nature, AB then threw all the pot over a nearby
precipice, singing "And the pot is blowing in the wind".

Always on the lookout for something creative or new, the Teacher said he'd
like to go to Inca Pirca which he'd read about.

"Es muy pequeno", our driver said. "It's very small", the site of Inca
Pirca. We started to ask about the location. The first three places we
enquired said they'd never heard of it. Finally at a local post office,
there was one person who knew about Inca Pirca but laughed when we said we
wanted to visit the site.

He pointed to a postage stamp and said in Spanish, "That's how small it is!"
And that we'd need jeeps or horses to get there.

"Henri!", said Ananda Bodhi, "Get me four or five jeeps!"

That took some time but we did corral them, each with a driver. After
negotiating the fare, we were on our way.

Inca Pirca was not your everyday tourist attraction, like the more famous
ruins of Mexico and Peru. Only one of the drivers knew where Inca Pirca was
located.

Torrential rains had put an obstacle in our path - a washed-out bridge. The
jeeps could go no farther.

We continued our journey towards Inca Pirca on foot, criss-crossing ice-cold
Andean creeks. The rains did not let up.

"Henri", said the Teacher, "see if you can find us some horses." Off I
went, into nowhere. Amazingly, I encountered two gauchos on horseback. I
told them our dilemma. They were able to get us eight or nine horses. I
negotiated a deal, which included the horses, and two guides. This was what
I came to call Miracle Number One.

Ananda Bodhi rode ahead of the pack. Some had to carry on by foot, there
weren't enough horses for all of us. The day was getting on by this time
and every minute counted if we wanted to get back before dark.

After some time, I asked the horsemen if it was far to go to reach Inca
Pirca.

"This is it", they replied. I told AB and here we were, literally on top of
the ruins of Inca Pirca. Drenched but happy. We made it! The site was
basically a rubble of unremarkable stones, and without the guides, we would
have ridden right over the site.

"That's all?", the Teacher asked in disbelief. "Si Senor, es todo". Yes,
Sir, that's all."

We spent no more than half an hour at Inca Pirca. And back we went to rejoin
the jeeps where a few students had stayed behind.

So they were not joking back at the post office, about the size of Inca
Pirca.

Nevertheless, it felt like high adventure in the high Andes of Equador.

The scenery was magnificent. In the distance there was a snow-capped
volcano, nearer us were waving tall grasses and grains - and once in a while
the sun peeking through rainclouds complete with rainbows.

We made it back to the jeeps by dusk. One of the gauchos exchanged his whip
(I still have it) for my sunglasses - yes, sunglasses in the pouring rain!

The drive through the Equadorian Andes was unforgettable, and when we
finally descended in Guyaquil on the coast, the temperature had changed
gradually from 5C to 32C degrees, with high humidity.

Galapagos, here we come!

=-

The FEELING Of ENLIGHTENMENT
Byron Stevens

Dear Collectors;
There are so many stories where does one start? I have one which may or may
not provide benefit, but at least hopefully some mirth. I also apologize in
advance for any errors of omission in the re-membering and re-telling.
Specific details have undoubtedly been smudged with time, but I'm sure
others will recall those better than I.

I'll call this "The Feeling of Enlightenment" as nothing in words could ever
adequately convey what that experience must actually be :-)

=-

It was one of those typical grey days in Toronto. I can't recall if it was
summer, winter, or spring - such days are frequent in Toronto. The date is
also rather fuzzy, but the class was held on a weekday morning in the front
room of the Palmerston Avenue house. Namgyal Rinpoche, (I think he was
Namgyal by this time), held an ongoing series of classes on subjects of all
kinds, always intensely interesting, and not to be missed if one was able to
attend.

Rinpoche was in a relaxed and jovial mood and announced that since it was
such a grey day we would abandon the usual class format. He would just take
any questions. The mood in the room was very informal, spontaneous, and
light. We were all enjoying it. At some point in the proceedings, Cecilie
Kwiat put up her hand to ask a question.

Rinpoche, with characteristic gleam in eye, and glance over the top of the
perpetual coffee mug says, "Yyyeeesss?", in that long drawn-out and
mischievous way that immediately sets us all to laughing.. and silently
congratulating ourselves on not being the one who put our hand up.

Cecilie, unruffled, asks her question: "Sir, what does it feel like to be
enlightened?"

Sitting in the back of the room, I'm thinking, "What the.. kind of question
is that?" I would never have dared to ask such a question. I know only too
well what usually results: the not so esoteric teaching on the form and
function of the flying coffee mug of awakening! Expecting some kind of quick
retribution from Rinpoche, I'm surprised to see from his face and manner
that he is actually going to answer the question as posed!

I look at the students around me. We are all on the edge of our cushions
with anticipation. "I can't believe it! He's actually going to tell us what
it's like? Oh my god!

Rinpoche begins to wind up, "Well, it's like.." (long pause).. "it's
like.." - he's looking upwards as if searching for the right words. There is
total silence and full concentration from everyone in the room. "It's
like.." - (I can't take it any more.. please tell us!)

"Naaahhh! It's no good. I can't tell you. It would be impossible, and would
lead you astray from the path!" says the Rinpoche.

The whole room erupts in sounds of disappointment and release of pent-up
expectations - a chorus of "Please Sir, please", pleading, laughing,
pleading again! This is a lot of fun in a fish-on-a-line sort of way. I'm
sure I hear the sound of a reel being wound in as Rinpoche smiles,
pretending to drink his coffee while casting that sly mischievous look over
the rim of his mug as he observes the pandemonium.

When some calm is restored, Cecilie, undaunted, asks her question a second
time: "Please Honourable Sir, what does it feel like to be enlightened?"

Rinpoche immediately replies that it's no good, and the look on his face
indicates that it's over. Then just as we are all reconciling to the fact
the we will all have to take the usual path of work to discover what
enlightenment feels like, Rinpoche suddenly relents and looking at the
ceiling says, "Well maybe, maybe if.." and pauses long enough to make sure
the hook is well and truly set. Again the room is as silent and intense as
if our lives depend on the next utterance. "Well it's like, hmmm, like.."

"Naahh! Can't do it! It would lead you all astray. No words can even come
close. Anything I say would be so far off the mark that it would interfere
with your awakening." Rinpoche is laughing hard now, the chorus - loud and
desperate, knowing that we are on the hook and unable to let go. "Please
Sir! Oh please, pretty please!"

Cecilie, unbelievably for the third time asks her question: "Oh please Most
Noble and Honourable Teacher.. what does it feel like to be enlightened?"

Now nearly collapsed from laughter, hope, and disappointment, I'm looking
at Rinpoche's face and vaguely remembering something about asking a teacher
three times, but without hope that we would get anything but a playful
response. As I look at him, this time seems different but we are all so
played out that I just wait for any answer.

"Well it's like.." (here we go again).. "it's like.." but he looks actually
serious this time - could it be..? Rinpoche very thoughtful and with
deliberate delivery says..

"It's like you have one foot on solid rock..

and the other foot over the abyss".

It struck me like a massive thunderbolt, and I'm happy to say I've
never recovered.

=-

ABOUT The CRYSTAL COLLECTION PROJECT

This is a non-profit publishing project, initially aimed at stirring up
memories and sharing insightful stories about Namgyal Rinpoche, his
teachings, and the experiences of students. From the materials gathered a
book will be prepared for publication, with any subsequent revenue being
donated to a Namgyal centre or cause. Quotes from this remarkable Teacher
and notes from his talks are of special interest, while the inclusion of
date, time, and place would help us establish a chronology and context.
After this stage of collecting stories, there will be an opportunity for
every reader to participate in choosing the material to be included in the
book.

Please send contributions of stories, comments, and queries about the
CRYSTAL COLLECTION PROJECT to the Editor: ten.orobretep|bar#ten.orobretep|bar

And please continue to invite others who would like to receive these
newsletters to contact us. Readers who never met Namgyal Rinpoche are
welcome to join this e-list.

=-
To unsubscribe from this newsletter, please
reply to sender with the message "UNSUBSCRIBE".
=-

To view Crystal Collection articles, visit: <http://namgyal.wikidot.com>

=-
E-Post #14, Feb 26, 2008.
=-

In this issue:

CLASS-NOTES
Sunyata - Namgyal Rinpoche (1971).

STORIES
The Gift - Peter Dederichs
A Few Pieces Of Liver - Henri van Bentum

=-
TALKS By NAMGYAL RINPOCHE (Toronto 1971)
Kennedy Long (Scribe), Rab Wilkie (Editor)
=-

22Feb71 (Monday evening)
SUNYATA

To increase non-distinction, observe the masculine, feminine, and neutral nature of the bliss of the fire baptism of the mind and its manifestations. See their void nature and remain in the before-the-beginning state of consciousness as long as you can. Merge the bliss with sunyata! Tatramagututa - non-distinction, clinging neither to nirvana nor samsara, dwelling neither this way nor that way. There is the path but no-one walking. Tathagata - flow, being here/now.

The highest miracle is the Twin Miracle, to be baptised by Fire and Water at the same moment. This produces neutral, unitive, or balanced bliss.

Sunyata is based on anatta (as is all of Buddha Dharma), no-thing-ness. There is no-thing to be spoken about. All is impermanent and in conflict. There is no moment when you can stop and say, "There it is". Everything involved in any process is constantly changing. Even nirvana is sunyata since things are here conventionally but are always moving in all directions - changeless change or changing changelessness. Nothing can be said about it.

Clarity comes with non-attachment. Airiness is an attribute of sunyata, bliss and knowing. Bliss is not separate from the clear void so it is not something to be attached to and not the 'marriage bed'. Bliss / sunyata is the practice of non-distinction. Mahamudra is the non-distinction between the high and the clear, and it is the only meditation there is. It is the experience which brings all beings into manifestation.

Samadhi is ekagata - gone to one-ness, one-pointed focus. Since you've never been separated from God, all you can do is awaken to it and NOT go to oneness. The mind is like a poppy seed. "God has left a little point between He and thee".

The purpose of pranayama (a breathing exercise) is stability of incoming and outgoing breath, and it will help stabilise bliss.

Use the Sword (active insight) first, and 1 1/2 minutes after you can't take it any longer, use the Stream (pacifying flow) for as long as you are not actually asleep.

You must drop concepts. Hasten to the ignorance of un-knowing, the flow of sunyata and freedom.. nothing to be known. And so we are free to speak of all things. Anicca, dukkha, anatta - cardinal, fixed, mutable - the breath rising, the gap, the falling.

Realise that ALL experiences are the Path.

Note: March 10th, Wednesday, is Padmasambhava's Day when the second stage of the wongkur is to be held. Saturday is an 'open house' all day, at Rinpoche's house, with 'dana' in the morning and a New Year puja later.

=-
Namgyal Stories
=-

The GIFT
Peter Dederichs

Once upon a time there was a little boy and his mother, (the Good Mother), who lived a simple but religious life. The Good Mother used to pray every day and see her spiritual Teacher as much as she could. She taught her little boy that praying was also good and soon the little boy prayed each day with his Good Mother and she also brought her son to see and hear the Teacher. The Teacher, "The Bhikkhu", who was very wise, was also very respected by the little boy and his Good Mother.

A few years went by and one day the The Bhikkhu asked the Good Mother if she would come on a trip halfway across the world to India to see some very holy and great teachers, one of them being His Holiness Karmapa. This was no ordinary trip or vacation. This was a journey of spiritual learning, sometimes physically dangerous, sometimes mindfully blissful. The Bhikkhu led the way and the little boy and his Good Mother followed along with a number of other students.

Finally, after many adventures and teachings along the way, The Bhikkhu and his students were nearing their destination: Sikkim. Sikkim was where one of the highest teachers lived, namely, Karmapa. The approach through the Himalayas was incredible. As the students neared they began to hear some beautiful sounds. The closer they got, the clearer the beautiful sounds became and they could see what looked like a fortress to the little boy, with monks high atop it blowing these very long horns. It sounded like they were greeting lost heroes returning home. Awesome!

The students were greeted by the Karmapa and there were teachings and many blessings. At one of these blessings, the students were lined up to receive from Karmapa. The little boy was about three people away from receiving his blessing when he noticed that everyone else was giving a white scarf or flowers, and he did not have anything. The little boy reached into his pocket and pulled out a medallion that he had found along the way. The medallion was worthless really but the little boy treasured it very much and considered it lucky. Since it was the only thing he had to give, he gave it up to Karmapa's feet. With that, the Karmapa looked up at him and gave a big smile. The little boy felt a little embarrassed but also very warm and good. He knew that he gave from his heart - a true gift.

Later on, when students were receiving secret spiritual names from Karmapa, and when Karmapa recognized The Bhikkhu as a Rinpoche, becoming Namgyal Rinpoche, the Karmapa's personal assistant signaled to the Good Mother and the little boy to come for a personal interview with his Holiness. During that time the Karmapa gave the name of Karma Tinley to the little boy.

"But we already have a Karma Tinley", voiced the Nun.

"Then this will be the second Karma Tinley" replied his Holiness smiling.

=-

A FEW SLICES Of LIVER
(Early Days, Palmerston Boulevard)
Henri van Bentum

This story takes place in the late 1960’s when I used to spend most of the morning at Rinpoche’s house, arriving there with him after the morning class. I’d stay on and often help to prepare lunch.

For one of these lunches at Palmerston Boulevard, Ananda Bodhi sent me out to get a few slices of liver for the soup he had in mind. Also some marrow bones, leeks, and potatoes.

When the time came for me to prepare the soup - after the bones had drawn their stock and the potatoes and leeks were cooked in the broth - I looked around for the liver. No where was it to be found.

“Looking for something?”, said the Teacher.

“Yes, the liver. I’m sure I put it in the fridge.”

“Why liver?”, AB asked.

“Because you told me,” was my reply.

“What made you think it was for the soup?”
(Of course I’d taken it for granted the liver was for the soup).

“Where is the liver?”, I asked.

He laughed. AB had cut it into very small slices, and without me noticing, fed it to the felines. (In those days Ananda Bodhi always had some beautiful Burmese cats and also a Siamese cat.)

The following week during one of my shopping errands for the Teacher's lunch, he told me to bring spinach, barley, marrow bones, and liver. When the soup was almost ready, AB came into the kitchen, looked over his shoulder to me and asked, “Where is the liver?”

I said, “I thought it was for the cats.”

“Did you ask?”

“No, sir”, said I.

“Well, then - you took it for granted again, didn’t you?”

Happily, liver doesn’t take long to cook, so I got the liver out and cut it into slivers and added it to the soup. Again, he chuckled, in that unique way when his ‘Irish imp’ was performing.

(Footnote: That was the first time I ever ate spinach, barley, and liver soup! And nourishing it was).

=-

ABOUT The CRYSTAL COLLECTION PROJECT

This is a non-profit publishing project, initially aimed at stirring up
memories and sharing insightful stories about Namgyal Rinpoche, his
teachings, and the experiences of students. From the materials gathered a book will be prepared for publication, with any subsequent revenue being donated to a Namgyal centre or cause. Quotes from this remarkable Teacher and notes from his talks are of special interest, while the inclusion of date, time, and place would help us establish a chronology and context. After this stage of collecting stories, there will be an opportunity for every reader to participate in choosing the material to be included in the book.

Please send contributions of stories, comments, and queries about the CRYSTAL COLLECTION PROJECT to the Editor: ten.orobretep|bar#ten.orobretep|bar

And please continue to invite others who would like to receive these newsletters to contact us. Readers who never met Namgyal Rinpoche are welcome to join this e-list.

=-
To unsubscribe from this newsletter, please
reply to sender with the message "UNSUBSCRIBE".
=-

To view Crystal Collection articles,
visit: <http://namgyal.wikidot.com>

=-
E-Post #15, Mar 01, 2008.
=-

In this issue:

CLASS-NOTES
Dream Yoga - Namgyal Rinpoche (1971)

STORIES
A Secret Teaching - Gerry Kopelow
Question Period - David Berry
An Englishman's Sword - Brian McLeod

=-
TALKS By NAMGYAL RINPOCHE (Toronto 1971)
Kennedy Long (Scribe), Rab Wilkie (Editor)
=-

01Mar71
DREAM YOGA

Dream Yoga is one of the Six Yogas of Naropa.

Recognising that a dream is a dream is the main thing. Remove awareness and
everything becomes clouded.

1. Losing clarity, the ability to recognise, is a violation of the Tantric
precepts. If this happens, regret it and do the Vajrasattva mantra.
2. If of low faith, strengthen faith.
3. If hung up material things, drop it.
4. If you lose the tigle or pollute your body, purify the food and place of
meditation.
5. If there are distracting thoughts, live alone and strengthen aspiration
and confidence.
6. Thinking that everything that happens during each day is a dream will
help dream recognition at night.

A> In depth, all things are a projection from the alaya consciousness,
whether crude, subtle, or most subtle.

Blindness is a violation of the Tantric precepts. If sex is not for love and
the Path, it is akusala - 'sinful', unwholesome. The greatest sin is
purposelessness. Sex for unfoldment is fully giving with full participation.
Motives must be good. A sin is any action that leads to a split mind,
missing the mark, non-flow.

A mantra may be given spontaneously in meditation to an aspirant. In
meditation you can ask a teacher to clear an obstruction and receive the
gift-waves.

B> Faith (saddha) is confidence, resting, stability.
C> Instead of clinging to the body and being afraid to let it go - give it
all away.
D> The first prerequisite for the Path is suitable friends - supportive,
helpful, loving. Ask, does this person help me unfold or not? After
encountering a problem, cleanse the mind with 'arahung' or by saying the
Refuges.
E> For Dream Yoga, one must be alone and undistracted.
F> Dreams are maya, an illusion.

The Path is about total aspiration - be with those people who exemplify
this. Avoid poor vibrations and friction; put up your defenses. Cast a
mandala for protection.

When practicing Dream Yoga, hold consciousness in the throat chakra. First,
meditate on the guru on the head. Experience this. Then, the guru sitting in
the throat on a four-petal lotus. A white OM in the centre, a blue AH in
front (or at the bottom if visualising the lotus vertically on a wall in
front), a yellow NU to the right, a red TA to the left, a green RA behind.
ANUTTARA: supreme, beyond, transcendance.

Just before sleep, do the vase breathing, then do Fire Yoga (for one third
of the total time of one hour), followed by this visualisation in the throat
chakra. Hold OM to start and throughout. Cosmic consciousness happens after
the end of the out-breath - an impulse of mind, 'the flight of the arrow'.
All you need is to become totally aware of one complete breath cycle.

Hold OM for a moment before breathing begins until after the breath ends. Do
this before sleep. This helps collect prana in the throat chakra for opening
the central channel. The yogi should think continuously that all is a dream,
avoid rich foods and over-eating which dulls the Divine Eye, and not become
exhausted. In short, combine strong will with other (calming) methods.

It is most natural (for men) to eat perhaps just five times per day -
lightly, when saliva is flowing - chewing food well.

{There will be a meditation Sunday night between 10pm and midnight for
everyone to join with the Bhikkhu. You can do the mantra of the wong or
whichever mantra is helpful for you}.

=-
Namgyal Stories
=-

A SECRET TEACHING
Gerry Kopelow

A few years ago my Dharma group assisted Rinpoche's first teacher, the
Sayadaw U Thila Wunta, in the construction of a 21ft pagoda at the St.
Norbert's Arts and Cultural Centre on the outskirts of Winnipeg. The pagoda
project was a big success with lots of enthusiastic support from various
ethnic Buddhist communities.

During the process, I developed a warm relationship with Bhikkhu Vinita, an
English-speaking monk that the Sayadaw had brought with him. Several months
after the completion of the project, I received a phone call from Burma. It
was Bhikkhu Vinita on the line with an invitation to come to the Sayadaw's
monastery for several weeks of instruction in what he described as "Secret
Teachings of Annapanasati". This was the very practice that Rinpoche had me
doing for a decade or so, and I found the invitation to travel to Asia
intriguing.

I was tempted to drop everything and go, but thought it prudent to ask
Rinpoche about it first. So I emailed Terry, Rinpoche's attendant, and
described the invitation and requested Rinpoche's opinion on the matter.

About ten days later I received another phone call. "Rinpoche would like to
speak with you", Terry told me. A moment later, I heard Rinpoche's
mellifluous voice: "Master Gerry", he intoned gravely, "I understand you
have been offered a secret teaching?"

"Yes, Sir", I replied.

He continued, still with a very serious intonation, "You have a wife do you
not?"

"Yes, Sir, I do".

"Well, you will have to take her along won't you? And you know, it's very
rough out there in the jungle, very primitive. She won't like it there. She
won't like it there at all".

"Perhaps, not Sir", I responded, a bit deflated.

He continued, somewhat more cheerfully, "You have been doing good work out
there in Winnipeg, and you know, I think you should stay there and
accumulate further merit. What do you think?"

I was a bit disappointed, but I trusted Rinpoche always, and accepted his
judgment. Then a surprise.. "You know, I could give you a secret teaching if
you like".

This I could not resist. "Yes, yes, Sir, I would welcome any teaching you
would care to give me!"

Rinpoche paused dramatically, and then, in a conspiratorial whisper,
imparted the secret teaching: "Keep breathing!"

This was the only time I spoke to Rinpoche on the telephone.

=-

QUESTION PERIOD (August 5, 1993)
The Dharma Centre of Canada
David Berry

Questioner to Namgyal Rinpoche: "Would you say that.. "

Rinpoche: "Don't accuse me like that."

Questioner: "But you don't know what I am going to ask!"

NR: "But I'm being set up. Even though you know I don't know what you are
going to ask, you don't know what I would say."

Q: "I don't know either - that's why I am asking the question."

NR turns away: "That's right. I don't."

Q: "Thank You."

=-

AN ENGLISHMAN'S SWORD
Brian McLeod (Nov 11, 2007)

After a Manjusri wongkur in Wupperthal, Germany, one of Rinpoche's English
students asked, "What shall we do with the sword?"

Rinpoche replied, "Typical! Show a Frenchman a sword and he'll marvel at the
shape of the blade, the design of the hilt, the overall craftsmanship. Give
a German the same sword and he'll swing it, slashing the air, enjoying the
cut and thrust of it. But the Englishman says, "Ohh.. what is this for?"

=-

ABOUT The CRYSTAL COLLECTION PROJECT

This is a non-profit publishing project, initially aimed at stirring up
memories and sharing insightful stories about Namgyal Rinpoche, his
teachings, and the experiences of students. From the materials gathered a
book will be prepared for publication, with any subsequent revenue being
donated to a Namgyal centre or cause. Quotes from this remarkable Teacher
and notes from his talks are of special interest, while the inclusion of
date, time, and place would help us establish a chronology and context.
After this stage of collecting stories, there will be an opportunity for
every reader to participate in choosing the material to be included in the
book.

Please send contributions of stories, comments, and queries about the
CRYSTAL COLLECTION PROJECT to the Editor: ten.orobretep|bar#ten.orobretep|bar

And please continue to invite others who would like to receive these
newsletters to contact us. Readers who never met Namgyal Rinpoche are
welcome to join this e-list.

=-
To unsubscribe from this newsletter, please
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=-
E-Post #13, 24 Feb 2008.
=-

In this issue:

CLASS-NOTES
Kasina Meditation (Fire) - Namgyal Rinpoche (1971).

STORIES
The Gift - Sharon Davison-Fleetwood (2008)
"Why Don't You Come Along?" - John de Jardin, Stuart Herzog (2004)

=-
TALKS By NAMGYAL RINPOCHE (Toronto 1971)
Kennedy Long (Scribe), Rab Wilkie (Editor)
=-

24Feb71
KASINA MEDITATION (Fire)

Focus on one kasina for a time and only when more proficient go on to
several at a time, mixing them. For the the Fire, Light, or White kasina do
not go into jhana, not quite. Work on extending it internally, but as a
second object, (as when extending the flame in Dumo practice). This helps
the arising of direct knowledge (clairvoyance) of the Divine Eye. Light is
best for this.

Extend it by, for example, making it three dimensional and larger,
translucent, like mist, and visualise an object within it. You can use a
black triangle for Kierkegardian passion, a crescent for aspiration, a
square for foundation.

This April 10th (Padmasambhava Day) will be the third stage of the
[Milarepa] wongkur.

To meditate on the Fire Kasina: cut an open circle in any material and place
it in front of a fire or flames. Focusing on the middle of the flames is
preferable when they are steady.

You could make a square opening instead of a circle. Do this on squarely
interwoven material with even strands, as in rush matting, so that it is
like the sign (nimitta) in mind that might be seen at the death-moment.
Seeing cloth at any time shows you the state of your mind. It should be
clear white or rainbow. The texture of this cloth has a more obvious texture
in the matt than ordinary cloth.

When mastery of fire is being achieved, you concentrate on the separation of
the flames in the centre of the combustion. Don't pay attention to its
colour or its heat but concentrate on the concept or idea of 'tejo' -
'pavakkah' (bright one). Other mantras can be 'kanahovattani' - leaver of
the black trail, fire in the nadis; 'jataveda' - knower of creatures. To
perceive the aura: 'hutasana' - on the altar of sacrifice. However,'tejo' is
the best mantra to use.

A seed syllable is given later by the teacher, after the 'nimitta' has come,
for example in the breathing, after the bubbles appear. The learning sign is
a drop in the consciousness, a sinking down. As the flame separates it
becomes a gold fan or red cloth with a suggestion of (stationary) folds that
becomes like columns - double spiral columns.

Fire can be produced by any temperature. The colour red produces specific
results. When using a candle, at first just let the eyes gently gaze. The
size of the circular opening can be reduced but shouldn't be too small. You
shouldn't have any headache. Start meditating for only five or ten minutes
at a time. Build a tunnel as it were, but watch it.. watch for rings coming
up and swallowing you.

=-
Stories
=-

The GIFT

It was a wonderful summer day and Rinpoche was offering 21 days of Tara
wongkur and teachings at Tseringma House. I was new to the process of
coming, sitting and waiting for the car to arrive, unlike all the others in
attendance. It had only been a few short days since I had first come in
contact with the teacher. One experience had told me that something was up,
even though I had no idea what it was.. and I intended to follow thorough on
that feeling. It wasn't often that one found that they had stumbled on the
scent of 'truth' and if one got the scent, you sure didn't let it go.

It was the end of the class and I had just had the thought, "I wonder how he
feels about women and if enlightenment is possible for them". It seemed to
me that there was some belief in Buddhism that it is not possible for a
woman to awaken, that she needs to be reborn as a man. As a woman, I didn't
want to believe that was the case and so I was curious what the teacher
might think about this topic central to my own aspiration. I had also heard
a few comments, in the short time I had been around, to indicate that
Rinpoche had some interesting thoughts and things to say about women. But
being terrified of speaking up, I had no way for my question to be answered.

As he rose to leave, and I was scrambling to rise, I heard him say, "You
know, it's all there in the body of a woman and enlightenment is possible in
a single lifetime". My head snapped around. I could not believe what I was
hearing. How could he have known what I was thinking?

Much later, I realized what a gift I had received. I don't know if anyone
else remembers those few short snippets of words that held such an impact
for me, and if they did, had they the same impact? I do know that I had
heard that it is possible, today, in this life, not in some ideal day gone
by, but in this life, for me, as a woman, to become enlightened. That was
the gift of believing, of believing without a doubt that this can be done.
What a gift it was, for if you really believed that you could awaken, what
would the impact of that be on your life? It changed mine, and I will
forever be grateful.

=-

WHY DON'T YOU COME ALONG?
John de Jardin,
interviewed by Stuart Hertzog,
Oct 17, 2004, Victoria, BC.

I met the boat and we all went to Worpswede, and Rinpoche mentioned that he
wanted to take a little holiday - to do this cruise down the Canal du Midi
in southern France. I had very little money - I was on my way back to
Canada - and had a ticket from London.. I was intending to head up to London
to get a plane home.

Rinpoche said, "Why don't you come along? There will just be the four of
us - Grant is coming too. I'll lend you the money to do it." So, great! A
holiday with Rinpoche - an offer I can't refuse, right?

Now, this was near the beginning of his health problems, and I guess just
coming off the boat, he'd been on this terrible diet for a while.. Polish
Ocean Lines. Later we found out it was heart-related.

So anyway, we drove down - hotels had all been booked - picked up the boat
and took it along the canal, through all the locks. That was the trip -
through the locks of the Canal du Midi - a spectacular, beautiful voyage, by
the way. And right from the start he was really being tough on me - very
tough.

It was supposed to be a holiday, but.. and Grant, my buddy from Winnipeg -
his shit didn't stink. He could do no wrong. Everything was great with
Grant, and I was, like.. garbage. He was really annoyed with me all the
time.

This sort of built up to a point where.. anyway he started having these
problems. In fact we had to call Elizabeth - a nurse who lived in Paris - to
come down to meet the boat and have a look at him because he was
experiencing a lot of pain. But he wouldn't go to a hospital.

Anyway, it all built up to a point where one evening he was lying down after
supper and he was experiencing these problems and he was in pain, and I was
doing the dishes. I was feeling a lot of tension. Actually, he brought me to
a point - I think it was on the same day or a day earlier, when we were
going through a lock and I was trying to tie up the boat or do something,
and he yelled at me. He was, like: "Come on! What's wrong with you? You're
supposed to be a seaman, can't you get it right?" And I screamed back, "I'm
doing the best I can!" And he just sort of looked at me and muttered. But
that really felt awful to yell back at him like that.

[SH:] It was a breakthrough?

It was a breakthrough but it was also a terrible dichotomy.. feeling I hated
his guts. I just hated him, this miserable old bastard who was on my case
all the time, and I really was trying to do my best, making this effort. But
he was my Teacher, my Lama! Anyway, it all came to a head when.. he's lying
there and I'm doing the dishes. He calls Terry in and I hear very clearly
(whispers), "Get him out of here!" And something broke, something cracked in
my being, and I just wept.

Even remembering it now.. it was just awful. Whatever self-loathing there
was in my psyche came to the surface at that moment, and I just felt so
worthless. It just broke something open in me, and I guess I let go.. I just
kind of let go of that. And something shifted at that point, and he was
still kind of hard on me the rest of the trip, he was keeping me moving..
but at the very end, when we got back to Hamburg, he had me come into his
room and I was doing the feet or whatever, and he actually blessed me, he
put his hand on my head and said, "Good work!"

And the whole nature of the relationship shifted from that point on. I've
never had him be harsh with me since then, and I've actually felt.. but it
was some time later in an interview that I said to him, "Look, I know there'
s been a lot of me projecting my 'father stuff' onto you, and I realize that
that's not what this relationship is about - it's about my liberation, not
about that." He said, "Good."

That was still a couple of years in the future, but something really shifted
after the Canal trip. But what I want to point out is that this was a man
who was quite ill, trying to enjoy a holiday, and he was prepared to have
somebody right there with him who hated his guts, who was in terrible
emotional turmoil, and he never hesitated, never thought twice about it. It
could have all been easy going; he was sick - why not let up on the teaching
for a while and have a more pleasant atmosphere?

But that's the kind of uncompromising being he was. If he saw that he could
help somebody push through something, then his own comfort - or anyone else'
s - was not considered. It was just the Teaching.. the Teaching.. helping
beings move through to liberation. That was the only thing that mattered to
him, in my experience. And I saw it over and over again. Once you're tuned
in, once you really understand what he's doing.. I could give you many more
examples, but that's the one that is really the archetype for me.

=-

ABOUT The CRYSTAL COLLECTION PROJECT

This is a non-profit publishing project, initially aimed at stirring up
memories and sharing insightful stories about Namgyal Rinpoche, his
teachings, and other teachers of his ambit. From the materials gathered, a
book will be prepared for publication, with any revenue from sales being
donated to a Namgyal centre or cause. Quotes from this remarkable Teacher
and notes from his talks are of special interest, while the inclusion of
date, time, and place would help us establish a detailed chronology and
historical context. After this stage of collecting stories, there will be an
opportunity for every reader to participate in choosing the material to be
included in the book.

All contributions of stories, comments, and queries about the CRYSTAL
COLLECTION PROJECT should be sent to the Editor: <ten.orobretep|bar#ten.orobretep|bar>

This newsletter is being sent to about 200 people who knew Namgyal Rinpoche,
and for whom we happen to have addresses. Please continue to pass onto us
addresses of other people - if you have their permission - who would like to
receive these newsletters. Readers who never met Namgyal Rinpoche are
welcome to join this e-list.

=-
To unsubscribe from this newsletter, please
reply to sender with the message "UNSUBSCRIBE".
=-

To view Crystal Collection articles
visit: <http://namgyal.wikidot.com>

=-
E-Post #12, 18 Feb 2008.
=-

Editor's note: total lunar eclipse Wednesday Feb 20 11:26pm EST,
starts 11pm, ends 11:51pm. Visible in North America. Pisces /
Aquarius cusp.

=-

In this issue:

CLASS-NOTES
Qabala & The Tree Of Life - Namgyal Rinpoche (1971).

STORIES
Demonstrating The Dharma - Tarchin Hearn (2007)

DOCUMENTS
The Parami Community Proposal - Milton Carmen (1973).

=-
TALKS By NAMGYAL RINPOCHE (Toronto 1971)
Kennedy Long (Scribe), Rab Wilkie (Editor)
=-

18Feb71 (Evening)
Theosophical Society
QABALA And The TREE Of LIFE

Meditation on the Diamond Light, the 'Sixteen Buddha Bodies' practice, can
be used to reveal past lives.

In Buddha Dharma there are four worlds or planes of consciousness,
in Pali, called 'loka'.

The FOUR LOKAs:

Terrestrial xoxoxoxox Human
Solar xoxoxoxox Deva
Galactic xoxoxoxox Mahadeva
Universal xoxoxoxox Parideva (highest plane of consciousness)

Through all these levels an interest leads you on. You must be involved with
the question, even the speculation. As the interest in previous lives is
strong, so grows the light. You see here what your mind is involved in! This
meditation shows you where you're at.

Levels & Cycles Of Existence

SENSI- VITAL WORK EMOTN CLI- GROWTH MIND ETE
TIVITY LIFE & MATE RNI
FORCE REST TY

0 VOID
First Cause
1 ELECTRON instant 6.66" day month
Atom
2 MOLECULE 6.66" day month year
Small Cells
3 CELLS 6.66" day month year 7y
Many Cells (impulse)
4 MAN 2.2*10-19 6.66" day month year 7y 144y
Planets
5 SOLAR SYSTEM 6.66" day month year 7y 144y 2160y
Stars
6 GALAXIES day month year 7y 144y 2160y 25,920y
Cosmos
7 CREATION month year 7y 144y 2160y 25,920y 259,200y
Infinity

1 impulse = 2.2*10(-19)
1 breath cycle = +3.33" and -3.33"
1 day cycle = 12h day + 12h night
1 month cycle = 15d waxing moon + 15d waning moon
1 year cycle = 6m light + 6m dark
1 7y cycle = 3.5y + 3.5y
1 life cycle = 72y incarnate + 72y immaterial
---------------

The Tree of Life

Man attains the absolute only through his duality or polarity of body. We
have a limited body and unlimited mind. Every limit reveals as its opposite,
unlimitedness. The only (relatively) unchanging thing is our inherent
species-shape and appearance. Man adapts with his reasoning and the
recognition of phenomenon. Recognition, based on light, stimulates him.
There is always some light in the world, from the sun and sky. Light is
tantamount to Creation. Man takes his humanness for granted, as he does the
rotation of the heavens - from which comes the highest kind of human
intelligence.

Above the top of the Tree are the three Negative Veils:

No-thing : Ain
Limitlessness : Ain Soph
Limitless light: Ain Soph Aur

The whole teaching of the Tree is about duality, polarity, quanta.
The Tree exists in the Four Worlds: Archetypal, Creative, Formative,
Elemental.

What is 'light'?

Man has a sense of permanence in the midst of change - ego! The ego says I'm
eternal and then reasons about impermanence. Endless unformed light is the
exchange between Ain and Ain Soph. It is the balance.. the Holy Ghost.

The Shadow of God is the Tree Of Life, starting with Kether, The Crown. And
God's face is imprinted in matter. All Laws of God are shadowed on Earth.
Light as we know it is the negative of Light as God knows it. Our light is
the shadow; we need resistance, but God's light is endless. The shadows are
the material of God, so God must unmake before He can make a universe. In
chaos is the void. The bits and pieces are the umaking, a loosing of God.
God unmade Himself so that a universe could be.

The roots of the Tree are in Malkuth: the core of our Earth. There is only
one centre. Our orientation is toward the centre of the Earth. Our God is
really down there, called Malkuth. Yet our whole journey is outward bound.
We are the 'pea' on top of Earth's head and its radar. We see other
consciousnesses go by (Mars, Venus, etc). We are also like fleas on a dog,
wanting to jump to another dog (planet).

We are like an iron filing oriented to the Earth's core. He [Earth] looks
outward, but we've never in our lives looked upward, or inward. He sees
other dogs out there suspended in space but Man is anchored. We are grounded
by gravity - a force holding us to the core because of the spine and its
energies - and for a long time we have been wondering about the other
planets that float by.

We have to reverse the Tree to get out. Our spine must become
free-floating.. by reversing the energy. We must unmagnetise, discharge, and
uncouple from the Earth. Energy flowing up the spine is a release of energy.
Man sees that all that goes up must come down, and in water, what goes down
must come up.. provided it is not anchored. The pull of gravity comes from
the centre of the Earth, which is in flow and rotating powerfully, swirling
mainly toward the centre, as happens in the sun. The friction of this
movement causes gravity.

The Moon may be a bell - hollow - (with a pea inside?) - hence the seismic
resonance recently discovered. One theory is that the Earth got most of the
sun's heavy metals when the solar system formed, but try this experiment: in
a hot skillet, drop a bead of oil and a pebble!

The TREE Of LIFE

1
Kether- O

3 white 2
Binah- O O -Hockmah
black grey
O -Daath
clear
5 4
Geburah- O O -Hesed
red blue

6
O -Tifareth
yellow
8 7
Hod- O 0 -Netzach
orange green
9
O -Yesod
violet

10
O -Malkuth
4 colours:
citrine olive russet black

The Tree teaches the highest type of thinking for earth-bound beings.
There are 22 letters and 22 paths (Metzlah) correlated with the Tree.
As homework, draw a large Tree Of Life.

1. White is the source of all colours.
3. Black absorbs all colours.
2. Grey is the source of all colours by adaptation.

Kether, The Crown (Neptune) touches the three Veils and cannot be fathomed
by Man so is called the Hidden. We can only go as far as grey, Hokmah
(Uranus). That's what we call 'light'. Hokmah is Wisdom, representing
unlimited intelligence as found in the Zodiac, the wisdom found in the
wandering lights, which are not fixed.

Binah / Understanding is black and correlates with Saturn. (Spheres 3-9
correlate with the seven ancient planets). There are two downward pointing
triangles formed by three Spheres each. The upper triangle
(Spheres 4 5 6), correlates with the three primary colours: red, blue,
yellow. The lower triangle has the three secondary colours: green, orange,
violet. In Malkuth are four tertiary colours: citrine, russet, olive, black.
Russet is made of orange & violet. Citrine comes from a mix of green &
orange [and lies in the upper quadrant of Malkuth]; olive is green & violet,
and since it represents 'foundation', it is the colour of Malkuth's lowest
quadrant.

Born-again (re-charged) Man becomes hue-man. (Hu-man.. the Sons of Light
married the Daughters of Man). The new Aquarian Age has both these higher
levels, Human & Man, as well as Animal (vertebrate & invertebrate), Plant,
Mineral. The Fifth Kingdom is Human.

=-
Stories
=-

Dear David and Rab

I have wanted to support your project but as I reflected on my long journey
with Rinpoch�, I realised that I mostly remembered the outflows and
implications of interactions rather than the interactions themselves. I
think the actual interactions have become edited over the years according to
my needs and the needs of the situation. In the end, after sifting numerous
anecdotes which I have, from time to time, shared verbally in teaching
situations, I am sending you two pieces. One pointing to perhaps the most
profound yet beyond words type of interaction that arose in our meetings and
one written shortly after he died. I hope they might be useful and that your
project flowers in ways that truly benefit beings.

Mary is still mulling over whether she will contribute something or not.
She will get back to you if she does.

With warm good wishes from both of us,
Tarchin

=-

DEMONSTRATING The DHARMA
Tarchin Hearn

During the many years I travelled with and studied with Namgyal Rinpoch�, he
often challenged me in many extravagant and innovative ways.

He challenged me physically.
He challenged me emotionally.
He challenged me intellectually.
He challenged me conceptually
He challenged me in the areas of food, money and sex.
He challenged me constantly to re-evaluate who and what I thought I was.

These challenges took many outer forms. Sometimes they were direct verbal or
physical confrontations. Sometimes they took the form of him suggesting or
propelling me into an activity that led me into much learning and
transformation through interaction with others. Although many of these
exchanges could easily become the substance of fantastic and at times
outrageous guru tales, on par with any Gurdjieff or Zen episode, in
retrospect, all these anecdotes would be more about me than about the being
I thought of as my teacher. With this in mind, I'd like to relate a
different type of situation, one that was very quiet yet at the time touched
me to the core.

The situation I'm referring to was a simple, unspectacular type of moment
that occurred many times in many different situations and circumstances.
From the very beginning these moments resonated within me something precious
and, at the same time, something fundamentally sane and profoundly natural.
These were moments of being with Rinpoch�, usually with no one else around.
They often occurred in between Rinpoch�'s seeing people. They happened in
the car, sitting in a hotel lobby, in his room or on an outside seat looking
out on a magnificent vista. Dwelling in silence, comfortably still. Rinpoch�
gazing pensively at seemingly no thing in particular. His glasses off;
utterly relaxed and uncontrived and not being anything for anyone. A huge
space of presence. No conversation, nothing to be said, yet feeling
absolutely at ease and effortlessly alert. There was something blessed about
these moments. A demonstration of ordinariness, of naturalness, of
spontaneous awakeness. Now I recognise them as transmission; a wordless
demonstration of something precious beyond imagining. When I think of
Rinpoch� today, I frequently feel those moments of contact. Everything else
seems like decoration on a cake or just gathering and refining qualities of
being, so that this always present mystery could self-reveal.

=-
Documents
=-

The VISION
Alan Wilkie (New Zealand)

Near the end of the extended New Zealand retreat in 1973, Milton Carmen
wrote a proposal for a new Darma community, signed and approved by Rinpoche.
I remember him standing up and reading his notes to the group with some
excitement and determination, Rinpoche sitting behind him.

I was inspired to stay in New Zealand and be part of this new community.

Well, hunting through my old stuff yesterday, I found the document and read
it again. It contains no less than 11 references to the Bead Game..

=-

The PARAMI COMMUNITY
A Conceptual Outline for a Dharma Community in New Zealand
Milton Carmen

Many of the beings here in meditation may well be turning their thoughts to
the question of what may be the wisest course to follow in their quest to
practise the Bodhisattva ethic. Our explorations thus far in therapy and
meditation for many of you have just whetted the appetite for continuous,
consistent and deeper explorations that will lead you to Path and
Enlightenment.

It would appear that the evolvement and establishment of a Sangha of the
21st Century to accomplish this goal would be very much in order at this
time. The idea is not a particularly new one in the Western world. There are
probably hundreds of spiritual communities of one kind or another operating
now across North America. And we in the Dharma Centre have gained a great
deal of valuable experience in the community work we have done in the Yukon,
Morocco, and here in New Zealand.

Without trying to categorize, analyze and evaluate the emergence and
development of this particular "community" phenomenon in the West - it seems
abundantly clear that it will gain more momentum as we get closer to the
physical, social, economic and political upheavals forecast by the Qabala
before the Aquarian Age settles down on this Planet. It would therefore seem
expedient to commence the next phase of the transformation of the Tibetan
and other Buddhist teachings into a network of communities where they can be
integrated by our Western psyches and then transmitted and disseminated to
all parts of the Western world.

Thus the initial aims or objectives of our communities would be threefold:

(a) To gather and collect strategic Tibetan and other Teaching resource
materials necessary for a complete transformation of The Teaching to the
West.

(b) To translate, interpret and integrate this Teaching on a sustained and
continuous basis so that it can be used for the training of teachers in our
communities. And that this material be made available in the form of
publications, tapes, etc., to beings practising Dharma anywhere on this
Planet.

(c) To evolve through experimentation and depth explorations, processes for
harmonious integration of work, education and spiritual practise in the
communities. This documented work could be of enormous value to the
thousands of similar communities that will develop all over the world in the
coming years.

The Concept

This concept envisions not one - but rather five distinct communities in
different parts of New Zealand that are inter-related and interdependent.
The communities would be devoted to: 1. The Plastic Arts (Architecture,
sculpture, painting and the five major crafts of metal, wood, lapidary,
ceramics and textiles; 2. Music, Dance and the Dramatic Arts; 3.
Agriculture; 4. Communication / Documentation / Media Arts; 5.
Intellectual/Scientific.

Overall Design

The major aim of the communities is to produce Enlightened teachers for the
benefit of all sentient beings. It could be said then, that the design of
the communities would be to attempt to balance the four functions of
thinking, sensing, feeling and intuiting on the inner and outer planes to
develop integrated and loving beings. Thus, the choice of disciplines to
accomplish this aim - the visual and plastic arts and crafts; the creative
and interpretive performing arts; the literary arts; selected scientific and
intellectual studies; the communication arts; and agricultural sciences.

In addition, each community would have a centre for the study and practise
of Dharma disciplines - meditation, physical yogas, therapies, astral cyclic
teaching and other Western Mysteries.

The specific operational design of the communities would be:

1. To produce master and generalist Teachers in the Dharma disciplines. This
would mean that all beings in the communities would be required to reach a
high level of competency (and hopefully in many cases, mastery) of two or
three Dharma disciplines.

2. To provide master and generalist training in arts, intellectual and
farming disciplines.

3. To create, produce and fabricate works of art, produce and services to
nourish and sustain the communities themselves and society.

To acquire the skill and means to achieve this operational goal will
obviously take much study, thought, planning and an enormous amount of hard
work by all of us. At this point it is only possible to give a very general
sketch of how this plan would operate.

Essentially, these communities will be centres for the practical production
of conceptual/perceptual ideas; works of art and farm produce. These will be
produced by highly skilled and talented artists, intellectuals and farmers,
who are masters of their chosen craft or discipline and by competent
generalists. Eventually, the communities will evolve other capabilities -
perhaps as centres for research and experimentation and higher learning
where great leaders and talents of the world would come to "probe and make
the unknown known." One would like to think of them as communities where
beings like Hesse, Jung, Mondrian, Mahler, and others would have liked to
live and work had they been in existence at their time.

In principle, then, the communities would combine the best features of
Hesse's Castalia (integrated higher learning); a Tibetan Temple
(purification of body, speech and mind); the Bauhaus (creation of new
cultural environments through interdisciplinary art forms); and the Israeli
Kibbutz (financially remunerative communal living).

These principles could only come to full fruition if the communities were
related and dependent on each other for the free-flow and integration of
their work and were dedicated to alleviate the suffering of all beings in
the outside world. A master Architect Lama, (that's you, Chief), would be
necessary to direct this overall evolvement.

A very brief sketch of the specific functions of each community follows:

Dharma Studies Centre

Each of the five communities would have its own Dharma Studies Centre that
would be responsible for the continued training and evolvement of beings in
the practices of meditation, physical yogas, therapies of all kinds,
massage, Western Mysteries and symbology, etc. Every member of each
community would be required to continue purification practises as required
by the Lama. One of the ways this could be accomplished would be for the
community to be so organized that each being could take two or three months
each year for intensive training in these studies as we did last year in
Morocco and have just completed here in New Zealand. This would require the
commencement of immediate training of "master" meditators, yogis,
therapists, etc., who would serve as instructors in these disciplines.

These centres would also provide for the healing and purification of beings
coming into the communities. And they would serve as a safeguard to the
communities, especially in their early stages of development, from having to
deal with unwholesome, negative and psychotic elements, which would be
disruptive and de-energizing. Thus the centres would also provide a facility
for healing and purifying beings coming into the communities to live, as
residents for the first time.

The centres could also conduct pioneer research and experimentation into
ways and means of combining various yogic and therapy disciplines for more
speedy and effective de-conditioning of Western psyches from the heavy
negativity of large cities.

Plastic and Visual Arts and Craft Community

The Plastic and Visual Arts and Crafts community would probably be one of
the first to be formed because of the fairly large number of Dharma members
skilled in these arts. The profit potential in the craft field is
considerable especially for original designs in the field of mass replicated
objects like children's toys, textiles, fashions, furniture, camping and
leisure equipment, etc.

This community would have to establish a very strong Design Centre (since
design, or form, is the foundation of all crafts) so that our beings would
be trained as designer-craftsmen. It would also be necessary to attract
Master craftsmen to head up each section of wood, metal, lapidary, textile
and ceramics so that very early in the community's development "Master Game"
standards are set for our work and artistic processes. Some form of the
master-journeyman-apprentice tradition would probably ensure the quality and
integrity of our work.

The market for our arts and crafts from this community would probably have
to be world-wide. We would be well-advised, eventually, to handle the
marketing of our products and designs and possibly even our own sales
outlets for our hand-crafted products. It is interesting to note here that
the craft/souvenir market in Canada five years ago was $100 million with
only 10 per cent of that total being made in Canada.. the rest, imported.

The role for painters (in all media) and architects in the early development
of the communities would be primarily directed in the creation of beautiful
environments for our homes, buildings and public spaces. The painters would
obviously also bend their talents to the production of thangkhas, mandalas,
illustration of Dharma books and literature, and the painting of sets and
decor for musical and dramatic productions, Wong Kurs and Bead Games.
Needless to say, the integration of their talents and work would lead to
many exciting innovations in the creation of unique cultural environments.
All of the graphic arts could also be well utilized to meet the burgeoning
and profitable market for Dharma materials of all kinds.

Music Dance and Dramatic Arts Community

The primary focus for this community would be on the creative aspects - the
creation and performance of new music, plays and dance forms. Composers in
the classical and popular fields would be encouraged to come to work in this
community as well as highly-skilled musicians to perform their works. We
would also be advised to provide recording facilities so that records, tapes
and cassettes could be made under our own "Dharma" label and a publishing
house established as well.

Certainly the potential for making sizeable profits exists in the music
field. If this community were able to attract even one or two of the top
rock groups, it would take only a few "hit" LPs to bring a sizeable income
to the community. We also have a number of talented composers in the Dharma,
who could compose "teaching" songs that have become very popular recently.
If any one of these songs clicked, the financial returns could be
formidable.

It is also highly likely that this community could create a commercially
feasible musical or dramatic presentation about the teaching. Musicals like
Hair and Jesus Christ Superstar have become internationally popular and Hair
is said to have grossed something like $50 million from the box-office,
records, etc.

In the dramatic field, we could evolve exciting new forms of drama that
integrate the talents of the playwright and the ensemble as well as involve
the audience in the creation and performance. And since there exists a
horrible dearth of good theatre for children all over the world, our
dramatic community and its children could bend their efforts in this
direction.

It should be noted here that our children should play a paramount role in
all phases of creation in all our communities - children's music, drama,
making toys, etc. It should be a common practise in all our communities to
see whole families working together in creative pursuits.

The role of dance and movement would also be paramount not only in relation
to musical and dramatic productions but also in the festivals and Bead Games
of our communities. A whole new field of dance and movement should arise as
we celebrate the joy of being able to live in the Dharma.

Agricultural Community

This community could concentrate its efforts in three major directions.

1. The growing of a wide variety of wholesome foods for our communities. The
fact that we would have an assured supply of our own food would be specially
useful in the event of any world-wide calamities.

2. The opening up of sensorial awareness of our beings as they work with the
land and explore the dharmas of nourishing the body in harmony with the rest
of nature. It would be an especially important element in the education of
our children.

3. The production of a wide range of wholesome agricultural products for
sale outside of our communities. Sizeable profits could be realized by the
community from this source. For instance, if we were to introduce a really
good Granola product to New Zealand and Australia and even southeastern
Asia, it would bound to be successful as it was in North America. A chain of
exciting health food stores in Australia and New Zealand could also be very
rewarding. A whole wide range of fruits and vegetables and dairy products
could come from our agricultural community to be sold in our own health food
stores.

Intellectual/Scientific Community

As the Agricultural Society would provide food for the body in our
communities, so would the Intellectual Community provide food for the mind.
This would not be a community of scholars and scientists in the ordinary
sense, but rather a group of adventurers and explorers who would be able to
integrate their disciplines to solve the multi-dimensional problems of our
communities. This would mean that engineers, physicists, mathematicians,
chemists, doctors would combine with anthropologists, historians,
philosophers, architects, psychologists, lawyers, doctors, etc. to deal with
real problems of a real society on both the abstract and practical level.
This of course, is not an easy task. Most of the chronic problems that we
suffer in the world today are caused by the fact that each intellectual
specialty regards itself as the sole saviour of the world and thus refuses
to have a dialogue with the other disciplines. And in the cases where
interdisciplinary dialogue does take place they find great difficulty
understanding each other because each discipline has a different language,
so to speak.

Where the true integration of the disciplines has occurred, particularly in
science, spectacular results have taken place that have speeded up the
technological and scientific development of the planet enormously. But the
human side has not kept up and this is the area where this intellectual
community could be of enormous service to all of mankind. Hopefully, our
communities will be able to strike a balance through integration, of a
wholesome mix between the human-scientific-technological.

Thus the dialogues, seminars and conferences that these intellectuals hold
in our communities with our artists, farmers, and those specialising in
Dharma Studies would do much to enrich the intellectual life of all.
Hopefully, this community would attract great minds of the world to it as
well which in turn would keep our communities "au courant" with all of the
latest developments.

Communication/Documentation/Media Arts Community

This community could be thought of as a Tantric Thread that sort of
integrates the work of all of the communities. It's the neck, so to speak,
of the communities' body.. or the switchboard where the Architect Lama is
the operator. Specifically, its functions would be:

1. The vital communication link between the communities themselves and
between the communities and the outside world. This would mean that at all
times, head office, if you like, would have a complete picture of the total
operations of the five communities. It would also be the communication link
between our business connections abroad with the communities.

2. The overall coordinating and planning centre for the distribution of
funds, equipment and personnel.

3. The business centre where all sales, contracts and other business
negotiations would be handled on behalf of the communities. It would
therefore have to be equipped with the latest data processing and other
electronic business equipment as well as maintain the computer bank of the
communities.

4. The centre for collection, packaging and distribution for the wealth of
published Dharma materials (books, tankhas, records, tapes etc) we would
produce.

5. The design, organization and production centre for the annual Bead Game
of the communities as well as the coordinating centre for materials and
media required for Wong Kurs.

6. The production centre for musical comedies, plays, art shows, craft
exhibitions created by our communities and to be sent abroad,

7. The documentation centre where the work of our communities is evaluated.
All of these responsibilities implies that this community would really have
to have, eventually, the facilities of a large television/film studio
covering the whole wide range of the mechanical and electronic arts.

The Wongkur and The Bead Game

The spiritual and creative processes of the communities would be tied
together principally by two means - the Wong-kur and the Bead Game. It seems
fairly obvious at this point in our experience with the wong- kurs, that
they are a tremendous depth-moving force to help move us along the spiritual
path. The wongs could serve as ritual and festive holidays for all the
communities. Imagine the five communities celebrating Shakyamuni, Hevajra or
Zambala Day with special music, dances, food and decorations in homes and
public places as well as the utilization of special lighting, music and
sound effects at the locale of the Wong Kur. These would be days when beings
could visit each other at the various communities and share together these
extraordinary communions. The Wongs could also be an immeasurable rich
teaching and ritual experience for our children.

Bead Game

Once a year all the beings of the five communities would come together for
the celebration of the Bead Game, which would be designed somewhat along the
lines Hesse outlined in Magister Ludi. Our Lama, who would be the Master of
the Bead Game, would set a theme for it then nominate an Architect of the
Bead Game who would draw up a design.

The Bead Game theme would then be carried out by each community and
coordinated by the Communication Media Community. The duration of the game
could be anywhere from a week to two weeks and guests from all over the
world and particularly New Zealand and Australia could be invited (it would
be a good way of attracting leading artist and intellectuals to our
communities with the Bead Game serving as the introduction).

The Game would give an overall direction and inspiration to all of the
communities as well as a sense of renewal of our joint energies.
Undoubtedly, it would serve also as a tremendous catalyst for the creative
energies of the communities. Another major purpose of the Game would be the
opportunity for the communities to manifest what they were on about to each
other and to society generally. In other words, it would keep them relevant
to society.

Operation of Communities

As has been stated earlier, the major aim of each community is to direct its
energies to the training of inspired, loving, competent teachers of Dharma.
That should also be the active aspiration of each being entering these five
Sanghas. (We're pioneers - think of six year system in relation to our
children.)

Theoretically, each being will live in a community for six years. At the end
of that period they would be required to move to another one of the five
communities. The exception to this rule would be in cases where a being has
chosen to become a "master" painter, composer, farmer or whatever. In these
cases they could remain in the community of their specialization for much
longer periods.

Obviously, there would have to be a fair amount of flexibility to this
six-year system since there could be many other valid reasons for a being
staying in a community for long than the six-year requirement. But the ideal
would be to move the majority of the beings into at least three different
communities to give them a broad yet integrated thinking, sensing, feeling
and intuiting experience.

Thus, every two years, there would be a turnover of approximately one-third
of the population of each community and at the end of each six year period,
a completely new population, except for the "Master". Each being would then
have an 18 year experience living in at least three communities (for
example, one of the arts centres, agricultural and communications/media).
During this period they might also be required to serve in a managerial
capacity in one of the Dharma businesses in New Zealand or overseas.

And so after 18 years of continuous depth training and practise in Dharma
Studies (say, meditation, physical yogas and therapy) they should have
attained a high level of competency in them and be well qualified to teach
these disciplines. Also, their eighteen years of training in the arts,
agriculture and communication/media would make them adept at teaching at
practically any level of society. At any rate, unless their services were
still required in New Zealand, the beings would be expected to go forth and
teach on the planet with the full resources, when required, of the five
communities behind them.

It should be noted here, that in the event of a being wanted to pursue some
specialized training in say medicine, law, engineering, etc. they could then
leave the community to receive their training at an university elsewhere.
They could then return to the community - possibly to the Intellectual/
Scientific centre and then possibly spend six years at one of the art
communities.

The major principle behind this Six Year System, however, would be to give a
being a balanced and fulfilling training to aid his evolvement as an
integrated, loving teacher. And the system would also allow for a constant
flow of new beings into the communities in order to keep them vital and
dynamic. It would also prevent the communities from becoming
institutionalized and bureaucratic by success since no ossified hierarchies
would get a chance to be formed.

-» Approved and signed: "K. Tensing Namgyal R."

=-

ABOUT The CRYSTAL COLLECTION PROJECT

This is a non-profit publishing project, initially aimed at stirring up
memories and sharing insightful stories about Namgyal Rinpoche, his
teachings, and other teachers of his ambit. From the materials gathered, a
book will be prepared for publication, with any revenue from sales being
donated to a Namgyal centre or cause. Quotes from this remarkable Teacher
and notes from his talks are of special interest, while the inclusion of
date, time, and place would help us establish a detailed chronology and
historical context. After this stage of collecting stories, there will be an
opportunity for every reader to participate in choosing the material to be
included in the book.

All contributions of stories, comments, and queries about the CRYSTAL
COLLECTION PROJECT should be sent to the Editor: <ten.orobretep|bar#ten.orobretep|bar>

This newsletter is being sent to about 200 people who knew Namgyal Rinpoche,
and for whom we happen to have addresses. Please continue to pass onto us
addresses of other people - if you have their permission - who would like to
receive these newsletters. Readers who never met Namgyal Rinpoche are
welcome to join this e-list.

=-
To unsubscribe from this newsletter, please
reply to sender with the message "UNSUBSCRIBE".
=-

=-
E-Post #11, 16 Feb 2008.
=-

In this issue:

CLASS-NOTES
Dumo Yoga - Namgyal Rinpoche (1971).

STORIES
The Rug Merchant's Tab - Oliver Harte (2008)
The Darjeeling Demon - Russell Rolfe (2007)

=-

TALKS By NAMGYAL RINPOCHE
Toronto 1971
Kennedy Long (Scribe)
Rab Wilkie (Editor)

15 Feb 1971 (evening)
HEAT YOGA (Dumo)

Take a day or a week off (or longer) for ANY kind of mind development
procedure. And take breaks - relax, and go back into it. It might be
difficult but it is rewarding. The best times are noon and just before
sunrise and sunset. When doing chakra or point meditation, the point is
within the body and in front of the spine.

Interest is the forerunner of bliss. Bliss in the body is used as a tool to
attain transcendent bliss. Treat the bliss chakra, at the genitals or base
of the spine, as having 32 nadis. In Dumo Yoga visualising the sexual act is
employed for Awakening.

A white 'bindu' - a seed, ovum, or embryo - visualised at the Brow Chakra
(Third Eye) is warmed by the fire from below. The embryo/ovum
melts and drips down, like sperm. Dumo flickers upward. When tension at the
base of the spine is dissolved, great bliss pervades the body. There are
also exercises to pull the flame up through the chakras, dissolving their
bundles of clinging. There is female bliss - total dissolution - and the
male principle of point-to-point dissolution. Normally only four chakras are
used in this practice.

Visualise the sex act with the Wisdom-Mother Mudra, a dakini who is young,
red, and dancing while holding a skullcup and knife. She is garlanded and
attractive but also rather repulsive or threatening. She is a virgin but
dripping blood from her vagina. This figure is partly you, though idealised.
You are extremely active and wrathful, (a raksha!)

In this meditation, the male partner is blue and the female is red. Together
they represent space-wisdom, wisdom coming from the depth of space. The
colours are transposed or reversed from what you might expect. The blue male
deity is ferocious in union with the adoring, melting dakini. The genitals
are used only to increase bliss. If when using this mudra, the yogi is
losing the embryo, he can do the Mahakala mudra, (arms out, sphincter
muscles tightly closed, etc).

There are four types of bliss: 1) If there is delight & comfort when
touching, as with smooth soft skin, this is called Nadi Bliss which means
that many nadis are perfectly tuned. 2) If there is delightful, momentous
pleasure felt in one area, this is called Prana Bliss, as when an itch is
scratched and passes away. 3) If there is warmth with ecstacy over the whole
body, or in a part of the body and very intense, this is Red Bindu Bliss. It
is produced by increasing the flame. 4) If lustful, intense, and totally
permeating the body, this is called Dumo Bliss, the male dissolving the
female. If it is difficult not to lose the embryo, it is called male bliss.
If holding the embryo is more controllable, it is female bliss. If the
embryo is easy to control, this is neutral or balanced bliss. This is most
desirable.

A woman projects the male figure and identifies with the dakini. Red and
blue together means cooperative action. If you put red first, you initiate
harmony; if blue is first, you need harmony for action. While experiencing
bliss, it is important to remain in the visualisation. Can you visualise the
three main channels and the four chakras (Water, Fire, Air, Space)?

Only touch the top of the head when the central channel is being used.

=-
Stories
=-

The RUG MERCHANT'S TAB
Oliver Harte

Trying to do the Lord's work with Rinpoche was like trying to pin a rug
dealer on a low price. He would just sidestep wherever you were going. Or as
Scott would say, "there is no one there". So perhaps it was not so much a
matter of sidestepping; rather, he was quite often completely invisible. One
would try to move with him through a dialogue of deductive logic, and
suddenly notice oneself marching purposefully forward, utterly alone. And,
if you ever had the temerity to dilute his independence in any way, expect
to find yourself pinned down, having to explain who the hell you think you
are to make such assumptions.

I once had the Dharma Centre pick up his tab for gas, during a period that
he was driving to the Center to teach a couple of times a day. For him, this
was a slippery slope. "I am NOT the Dharma Center", he would say. In other
words, do not presume. But, as Richard would say "there is no grass growing
on our teacher". After making his point to me, Rinpoche pursed his lips and
ruminated out loud, "Well, I suppose it COULD be seen to be appropriate,
under the circumstances", which I took to mean that I shouldn't make a habit
of that kind of thing, but that just this once he would let us buy him a
tank of gas. As he would say, "for the benefit of students".

=-

The DARJEELING DEMON
Russell Rolfe

Lightening flashed constantly in the distance as our caravan of pilgrims
drove towards the foothills of the Himalayas. We didn't have thunderstorms
like this in Santa Cruz, California. It was 1971 and we were on a sacred
expedition to Sikkim see His Holiness Rangjung Rigpe Dorje, the XVI Gyalwa
Karmapa for three days of initiation culminating in a mystic rite of
empowerment called The Black Hat Ceremony.

As we headed into the core of the massive storm, the scintillating
entrancement that gave me goose flesh was soon replaced by awe and terror.
The bolts were now striking so close to the cars we had hired in Siliguri
that I feared the vehicle's electrical system would short out.

And the rain - no this was way beyond rain - this monsoonal downpour was
like being in a carwash but instead of a smooth concrete track underneath,
our little Ambassador car was lurching over a road that was being washed
out. Watching the rivulets of water streaming down the glass as we bounced
along, I longed for some covered wayside service station with clean
facilities. Not only was it impossible to stop lest we get stuck, there was
also an excellent chance of being struck by lightening. Mud was everywhere.
Foundering in deep holes of liquid dirt was almost as nightmarish to me as
electrocution.

We had hoped to board the famous toy train in Sukna that afternoon and puff
our way up to Darjeeling for dinner. However, as with so many expectations
in India, reality put on the brakes. When we arrived at the small inn in
Sukna late that evening, we were blessedly between thunderstorms. I imagined
our Canadian teacher already tucked into Darjeeling's Windermere Hotel cozed
up by a nice toasty fire. Our inn was snug, dry and mercifully free of
bedbugs. As it began to rain again I wondered if landslides would put the
train out of commission, not to mention the road, and if we would ever get
to Darjeeling.

The dawn breathed in the mountain mist which soon burned away. At the train
station, I was amazed this tiny engine would take us up to Ghoom, the
world's highest railway station for a steam locomotive. We were informed
that it crossed the main road, Hill Cart Rd., 177 times and that there are
over 500 bridges, four complete loops and six remarkable Z-shaped curves
along which the train must go backwards at a tortoise-like pace.

Finally we were in Darjeeling. There were Indians but even more Tibetans.
Their faces manifested the worry and hardship of a long and dangerous trek
into India.

My hotel, a relic from the era of the British Raj, assigned me a huge, high
ceilinged suite. I was amazed at how reasonably priced the accommodations
were. The rate was about the same as overnight car-parking at home. I soon
discovered however that it didn't include heat. Attempting to lift the
temperature above 14C. by building a fire in the baronial fireplace with
damp wood was like dropping a brick into the Grand Canyon to dam up the
Colorado.

Someone had mentioned a settlement just above Darjeeling that was almost
entirely Tibetan where one could purchase religious items and artifacts
recently brought over the pass by refugees. It was suggested we do our
shopping up there since the prices were lower and the money would go
directly to the refugees, avoiding the more expensive shops in Darjeeling.
Later that afternoon I walked up the trail to the village where I became
lost in the mystical beauty of Kanchenjunga appearing and dematerializing
through cloud windows. I purchased a rosary, a dorje and bell, and a pair of
small cymbals. The cymbals were connected by twine and had a high pure tone
that lasted almost a minute.

It was getting late and, since this was our first night, there was a meeting
of our group to discuss the entry of all of 80 of us into Sikkim. I found
the track back down to Darjeeling. I was grateful for the full moon which
had risen. The trail wound steeply down through dense forest and boulders. I
was walking along, my mind going lickity-split over how exotic it all was,
then wondering why there were no houses or even any people on the trail. But
how extraordinary and novel this whole trip was. Was this forest or jungle
or a combination of both? It didn't matter. It was so unlike anything I had
ever experienced in my native Sierra Nevada mountains. Suddenly, a slight
hint of fear arose. This certainly wasn't the California foothills and there
could be anything out there hiding behind that black wall of foliage. Even
enormous snakes.

At the thought of snakes, I heard a distinct long hiss behind me to my
right, coupled with the sound of movement through the undergrowth. Instant
panic!

As I picked up my pace the hissing became formidable, with the sound of
large bushes and branches being shoved aside. What ever it was, it was big
and it wanted me. I began to run as fast as possible, stepping on rocks and
weaving in and out of the boulders. A monstrous black presence now made
heavy crashing sounds and its whiffing melded into the sound of something
dinosaurian.

The terror was so complete that my body took over as I ran flat out down the
rough trail over and through the boulder field as the dark presence loomed
larger, and I now heard a growl that was a force of nature. I was close to
tripping and passing out.

Finally I rounded a bend and street lights were just ahead. Relieved, I
found myself in the uppermost street of Darjeeling. The nightmarish presence
was gone. Vanished as if someone pulled a switch. Deeply shaken, I walked
towards the brightest lights of 'downtown' Darjeeling. What animal or
reptile did these hills shelter? Whatever it was it didn't like light or
open spaces.

I went directly to a hotel where friends were staying and excitedly related
my fiendish plunge down the mountain. "Oh, you didn't hear?" they asked in
amazement. "The Bhikkhu didn't want any of us to go down that trail after
dark. The rinpoches had informed him there was a demon, Maujjung, who lived
near the main trail.

The demon manifested and fed on human fear. Since we students had barely
started to subdue our fears, he had announced for word to be spread that
anyone who ventured up to the village was to return to Darjeeling before
sunset or take a taxi the long way around. Some were dubious but chose to
return just before sunset anyway because the light was perfect for
photography. My friends now realized that Himalayan demons are not to be
taken lightly.

When I told Rinpoche about this he said, "Well if you had turned around and
faced this in the natural state of love, it would have instantly dissipated.
But nooooooo. You, (or what you identified with as you), gave it a nice
hearty meal!"

Fear is a monstrous illusion.

=-

ABOUT The CRYSTAL COLLECTION PROJECT

This is a non-profit publishing project, initially aimed at stirring up
memories and sharing insightful stories about Namgyal Rinpoche, his
teachings, and other teachers of his ambit. From the materials gathered, a
book will be prepared for publication, with any revenue from sales being
donated to a Namgyal centre or cause. Quotes from this remarkable Teacher
and notes from his talks are of special interest, while the inclusion of
date, time, and place would help us establish a detailed chronology and
historical context. After this stage of collecting stories, there will be an
opportunity for every reader to participate in choosing the material to be
included in the book.

All contributions of stories, comments, and queries about the CRYSTAL
COLLECTION PROJECT should be sent to the Editor: <ten.orobretep|bar#ten.orobretep|bar
<mailto:rab@peterboro.net».

This newsletter is being sent to about 200 people who knew Namgyal Rinpoche,
and for whom we happen to have addresses. Please continue to pass onto us
addresses of other people - if you have their permission - who would like to
receive these newsletters. Readers who never met Namgyal Rinpoche are
welcome to join this e-list.

To view Crystal Collection articles, visit: <http://namgyal.wikidot.com>

=-
To unsubscribe from this newsletter, please
reply to sender with the message "UNSUBSCRIBE".
=-

=-
E-Post #10, 15 Feb 2008.
=-

In this issue:

CLASS-NOTES
Magic - Namgyal Rinpoche (1971).

STORIES
Arts & Flowers - Henri van Bentum (2008)

=-

TALKS By NAMGYAL RINPOCHE
Toronto 1971
Kennedy Long (Scribe)
Rab Wilkie (Editor)

14 Feb 1971 (afternoon)
MAGIC

"And the Sons of Light came down and married with the Daughters of Man".

It is said that in ancient times space beings came and gave magic to the
world, a higher knowledge, including 'names' or vibrations. By knowing the
name of an object, one gained mastery over that object.

Development is necessary for occult initiation into the experience of the
Magical Garden. This is a kind of development that implies intelligence more
than morality, beauty, or trustworthiness. It is an aspect of higher
realisation.

The purpose of Magic is the evolution of the human being and mastery of the
laws. (Fear of magicians might be a throwback to the fear of gods). The Law
of the Spiral indicates correlation between planes. If one can affect an
object on a higher plane, then this will affect that object here.

OM AH HUM, the Root Guru mantra, is the main vibration of Tibet.
HRIM - lifting, clearing, effervescing - is for healing.

Vowel sounds affect consciousness and are used in healing mantras.
For example:
'e' - high & sharp, for head.
'ah' - for throat.
'oh' - low & round, for belly.

When consciousness rises or falls, sound goes with it, and so mantras are
used for the development of a meditation path. A seed syllable sets up an
actual physical vibration.

You can charge water by sound or colour but also just by breath. This water
can be used for healing or growing things. First draw a cross of stability
(+) and then a cross of creation (x) with the breath. This makes a double
dorje. Then it is sealed and empowered by drawing a flaming spiral (bindu)
with the middle finger of transcendence.

Plants are stimulated by ANY kind of vibration, movement, or touch, and by
charges in general. The magician transfers not just his own energy,
but channels higher energies as well. Crystal is best, silver is good for
containing water, and wood is not bad.

=-
A Story
=-

ARTS And FLOWERS
Henri van Bentum

This took place during one of the public talks given by Ananda Bodhi in the
late 1960's at the Theosophical Society in Toronto. The class was
well-attended.

The topic was Creative Imagination. It drew the attention of artists and a
dealer from a well-known art gallery in Toronto and his avant-garde artists
were also present. They were all seated at the front of the class, good and
ready to see and hear what this "monk" had to say about Art.

On a table beside the Teacher, aside from a glass of water and a mug of
coffee, there was a vase with a colourful bouquet of flowers.

During his discourse, Ananda Bodhi selected a flower - and held it for a
while - explaining that the flower also evolved from Creative Imagination,
and formed from a timeless evolution - of which awareness we have no idea.

He followed this by saying "Most beings are fear-ridden, afraid to explore
and let go. This prevents them from unfolding. We are so afraid, that if I
threw this flower, you'd duck!"

He then went on with his enlightening discourse.

Then suddenly he grabbed a handful of flowers and threw them at the people
in the front row (where the art dealer and fellow artists were sitting),
followed by a glass of water.

They "ducked", all right! Not only did they duck, but they left the room!
Feeling either insulted or embarrassed?

Ananda Bodhi just smiled and said, "See! We're even afraid of flowers! I
told you so", and went on with his discourse, as if nothing had happened.

=-

ABOUT The CRYSTAL COLLECTION PROJECT

This is a non-profit publishing project, initially aimed at stirring up
memories and sharing insightful stories about Namgyal Rinpoche, his
teachings, and other teachers of his ambit. From the materials gathered, a
book will be prepared for publication, with any revenue from sales being
donated to a Namgyal centre or cause. Quotes from this remarkable Teacher
and notes from his talks are of special interest, while the inclusion of
date, time, and place would help us establish a detailed chronology and
historical context. After this stage of collecting stories, there will be an
opportunity for every reader to participate in choosing the material to be
included in the book.

All contributions of stories, comments, and queries about the CRYSTAL
COLLECTION PROJECT should be sent to the Editor: <ten.orobretep|bar#ten.orobretep|bar>.

This newsletter is being sent to about 200 people who knew Namgyal Rinpoche,
and for whom we happen to have addresses. Please continue to pass onto us
addresses of other people - if you have their permission - who would like to
receive these newsletters. Readers who never met Namgyal Rinpoche are
welcome.

To view Crystal Collection articles, visit: http://namgyal.wikidot.com

=-
To unsubscribe from this newsletter, please
reply to sender with the message "UNSUBSCRIBE".
=-

My hope is that once the wiki side of it starts to see some action, edits and revisions for more than just Rab & myself, things will pick up. I also wonder if some readers are seeing the emails and choosing "not right now", with the thought they'll pick it up on the website later.

Regardless, we won't find out until we try for awhile :)

=-
E-Post #9, 11 Feb 2008.
=-

In this issue:

CLASS-NOTES
1. The Mystery Schools - Namgyal Rinpoche (1971).

STORIES
2. A Lesson In Love - Peter Boag (2007)

=-

TALKS By NAMGYAL RINPOCHE
Toronto 1971
Kennedy Long (Scribe)
Rab Wilkie (Editor)

07 Feb 1971 (2pm)
PHILOSOPHY: The MYSTERY SCHOOLS

Philosophy is the main study of the Mystery Schools. This included history,
comsmology, and so forth. The search. The candidate was led to the temple
door blindfolded, representing ignorance, and let in still blind to go
through a psychodrama - a journey of sounds and physical encounters - then
instructed in some aspect before starting a study, especially philosophy,
with question and answer. Philosophy was not dogmatic or closed in the sense
of final, but rather probing and investigation. Dialogue was the earliest
true search for meaning. In the Mystery Schools it involved a search for
values.

How to define philosophy? It is the science of estimating values, meaning,
and purpose. It applies the thinking function to the feeling function), of
meaning, of purpose. It is an approach to clear seeing - to see those ideas
and concepts that are of most value to Man for his spiritual unfoldment. It
is the study and discovery of the relationships of the manifest with their
unmanifest ultimate source, and about their cause and nature. This may bring
forth the statement that there is a God and a purpose to life.

Do you study to know, or to not know?

In the philosophy of the Mystery Schools six aspects or disciplines were
traditional:

Metaphysics - cosmology, theology, the nature of being.
Logic - the structure of reasoned thought, rational & orderly.
Ethics - science of morality, individual involvement and
responsiveness of character; types of beings and their
motivations.
Psychology - classification of forms of phenomena referable to a
mental origin; study of the inner and its relationship
to the outer.
Epistemology - origin and nature of knowledge itself.
Esthetics - study of phenomena which are beautiful, harmonious,
elegant, noble, and whether or not they are real; and of
the effects of the outer on the inner.

To be a philosopher in ancient Greece, one had to be proficient in all six
disciplines.

The concept of 'homeostasis', the dynamic harmony of the universe, was
important.

The title of 'Sophos', wise one or sage, was conferred upon seven thinkers,
the immortals: Solon, Chilon, Pithecus, Bias, Calobylus, Pereander, Thales.

Thales held that Water was the primal element on which Earth floated;
earthquakes were the result of disturbance in the universal sea. He founded
the Ionian and Late Ionic school which dissolved in 546 BC. In cosmological
philosphy the search was for the First Cause or prime principle of
existence. His students included Anaxamander, Anaxagoras, and Archeus who
declared that undefinable infinity was the First Cause, and Air was how it
manifested physically. The Prime Element was Ether, and souls and God were
composed of it. Zero (0) represented pure potential, formless chaos moving
in a vortex. The led to the study of the 'atom', the smallest unit of
matter. God was infinite, self-moving mind.

The Cynics were founded between 434-365 BC by Antisthenes, a disciple of
Socrates, the bane of Athens. They propounded a doctrine that led
individuals driven by misery to austere delving into themselves. He who was
closest to God was the one with fewest wants. Diogenes was the most famous
Cynic.

The emphasis was on simplification. They held that God was free from want
and Man can become divine by wanting less and less. Individuality was akin
to divinity, and in becoming the Hermit there is an unfolding that leads
back to the Ground of Being. Renunciation and suffering creates a drive
towards innerness, withdrawal. This is the Via Negativa ("Neti, neti" - not
this, not that). Wants, distractions, and attachments hinder the acquisition
of knowledge of one's own being. It was a philosophy that led into despair
and the experience of the Void.

The Cynics held that everything in the world belongs to the gods, who are
friends to the wise, and all [things, possessions] are common among friends,
and all things belong to the wise. By giving up clinging you come to the
true possession of nothing in particular. These ideas are current today.

=-
Stories
=-

A LESSON In LOVE
Peter Boag (Mexico 1973)

We were the lucky four, at least we started out thinking so. Chosen from the
whole group to ride with Rinpoche up the coast from Mexico to Vancouver, we
were indeed fortunate, but wrong in thinking that we were in for a joy ride.

One by one Rinpoche engaged us and systematically left our egos in tatters.
There was no escape from that station wagon. So, of course, we all welcomed
what we saw as a great opportunity for a bit of relief. A chance to show
what great Buddhists we were. A chance to show Rinpoche that his lessons had
not been lost on us, and that, yes, we understood his teaching.

That chance came when we stopped at a small market town for a quick rest
stop. Just before ordering us all back into the car, Rinpoche pointed out a
vendor who was hawking parrots in rough wire cages. "Let's buy one and set
him free in the countryside!" We all heard each other thinking this. Some of
us said it out loud, and Rinpoche, after ensuring that the added cargo in
back would not impede his leg-room up front, agreed.

Night was falling, and Rinpoche rarely liked to travel at night, which, of
course, demonstrated to us the importance of our rescue mission. We drove
into the night, until Rinpoche motioned to pull over at an overgrown papaya
plantation. "This seems to approximate the natural environment of that bird,
don't you think?", he asked. We all agreed and soon we were gathered part
way up the grove, standing beside the cage.

"Ok, let him out", Rinpoche ordered. The bird slowly hobbled from the cage
and tried to flap his wings. He tried again and again.. and again, but could
not. His wings had been cut. The parrot just hobbled around in small
circles. There was a big problem with our plan! Somebody grabbed the bird
and was about to put him back in the cage.

"What do you think you are doing?", Rinpoche boomed in a fierce voice.

"But Sir, the bird can't fly and the predators will get him for sure",
came the timid reply. All our heads nodded in agreement. After all, we
were here to exercise compassion, weren't we? Another voice tried to say,
"We could give him back to the vendor. He at least will be fed and kept
alive that way".

Rinpoche crushed those words in mid air. "How dare you lay your fear trip on
this creature!", he thundered. "He finally has a chance at freedom, to let
his life take its proper course!". Rinpoche's voice was getting even louder.
"Have I wasted my time, have I taught you lot nothing?".

There was a momentary silence as we all shook in our boots. Rinpoche
resumed, this time with a voice so primal, so savage, that time seemed
suspended. "If I had to trade places with you lot or that bird, I'd choose
the bird! At least he is free, if only for one night! You lot are prisoners
of your fear, your comforts, your 'pretty' illusions! You hear me? I would
rather be that bird than you!".

There was no way that Rinpoche's voice could have gotten any louder, so at
this point his tone changed. His words cut, his words tore, his words
chewed.. his words clawed through whatever hasty ego defenses we were trying
to erect against this onslaught.

"Freedom! Have I not been teaching you about freedom? The infinite potential
of a single moment of liberation? Who the hell do you think you are? Who the
hell do you think I am? Have you not been paying any attention at all, or
were you just looking for some pretty fluff to protect you from your own
illusions that love has to be nice? That your lives are nice? That you
understand anything at all?". Rinpoche was stamping his foot, just to make
sure we got it.

We were devastated, crushed, speechless, shaken. We could not move.

Rinpoche waited in silence till at least one of us got the point, and could
show it by heading back to the car. One by one the others followed, leaving
the bird flapping around in the dark grove.

Nothing further was said. Nothing needed to be said. Only the wild sounds of
nature, the rushing of a nearby creek, and the light of a million stars
remained.

As we drove off, even the reflections of those stars were swept away by the
rushing water, leaving only the scene illuminated by the inherent light of
our own minds, or darkened by the cold brick wall of our own fears.

It was our choice..

=-

ABOUT The CRYSTAL COLLECTION PROJECT

This is a non-profit publishing project, initially aimed at stirring up
memories and sharing insightful stories about Namgyal Rinpoche, his
teachings, and other teachers of his ambit. From the materials gathered, a
book will be prepared for publication, with any revenue from sales being
donated to a Namgyal centre or cause. Quotes from this remarkable Teacher
and notes from his talks are of special interest, while the inclusion of
date, time, and place would help us establish a detailed chronology and
historical context. After this stage of collecting stories, there will be an
opportunity for every reader to participate in choosing the material to be
included in the book.

All contributions of stories, comments, and queries about the CRYSTAL
COLLECTION PROJECT should be sent to the Editor: <ten.orobretep|bar#ten.orobretep|bar>.

This newsletter is being sent to about 200 people who knew Namgyal Rinpoche,
and for whom we happen to have addresses. Please continue to pass onto us
addresses of other people - if you have their permission - who would like to
receive these newsletters. Readers who never met Namgyal Rinpoche are
welcome.

To view Crystal Collection articles, visit: http://namgyal.wikidot.com

=-
To unsubscribe from this newsletter, please
reply to sender with the message "UNSUBSCRIBE".
=-

Story - reader contributed stories
Ken Long Notes - articles transcribed from Kennedy Longs' notebook

More categories will be created in time as required, though hopefully we'll have enough foresight to think of them ahead of time and so avoid unnecessary renaming. :)

Case for Reincarnation - Weatherhead, Leslie D

• Listed in catalog: http://www.seattlemetaphysicallibrary.org/CatHTML/Category%2057.html
• This title available for sale: http://uk.three.ebid.net/perl/auction.cgi/1197725995-414-13

Evidence For Survival From Claimed Memories Of Former Incarnations - Stevenson, Ian

• Listed in catalog: http://www.seattlemetaphysicallibrary.org/CatHTML/Category%2057.html
• summary article about Ian Stevenson and his many publications on this theme: http://www.theosophical.org/publications/questmagazine/marapr06/algeo/index.php

Twenty Cases Suggestive of Reincarnation - Stevenson, Ian, 2nd Edition, Revised and Enlarged.

• Read online at Google Books: http://books.google.com/books?id=vIDES6VWl1MC&printsec=frontcover#PPP1,M1

=-
E-Post #8, Feb 8/08.
=-

In this issue:

CLASS-NOTES (1971)
1. The Psychology Of Colours - Namgyal Rinpoche (1971).
2. Reincarnation - Namgyal Rinpoche (1971).
STORIES
3. My Life: The Karmapa and I - Charlene Jones (2006).
4. The Sword Blessing - David Berry (2007)

=-

TALKS By NAMGYAL RINPOCHE
Toronto 1971
Kennedy Long (Scribe)
Rab Wilkie (Editor)

03Feb71 (Evening)
Theosophical Society

The PSYCHOLOGY Of COLOURS
(Text: "The Luscher Colout Test" - Max Luscher)

After the introverted phase of childhood, a child begins to get interested
in the world around him and moves towards extroversion. The child begins to
pick reds, yellows, and shiny colours. Blues come later. A healthy adult
tends to choose primary colours - blue, red, yellow. These are three of the
first four colours in the Luscher colour test. If one is already tranquil
(blue), a more exciting colour like yellow or red is chosen.

[Red: energetic focus, passion, or anger; Yellow: health, spontaneity,
exploration, or scatter].

In Zen, black has the meaning of 'imperial will', [although in the Luscher
test it means an absolute walling off or rigid defense]. Black relates to
imperatives, desperation, crisis.

Green relates to the natural environment, safety, adaptation, security,
healing. Green has a mostly 'negative' [ionic?] field-force.

Rose to violet, or purple, is the colour of idealism. Young adolescents tend
to pick it. Purple is the idealised union of male & female.

As a note of the Aquarian Age, relationships are tending to become more
idealised. If you are in communion with a being and touching their aura, the
body will drain or take what energy it needs. Women, even unconsciously, can
be very healing. Just their presence alone. But also men, if they are
'dwelling in their own being'. Growing into love means
a SHARING of energies and experiences. If a relationship is easy, this may
come from a number of previous lifetimes together, and makes it easier to
unfold together into a true communion on ALL levels - the ideal. The
zodiacal colours [of the rainbow] are what they need.

Blue-green: transition, adaptability. Green-yellow: a looser adaptability.
Brown: stability and physical ease.

Grey: a defensive wall (and in meditation, the neutralisation and
transcendence of karma). In the Luscher test, any colour after grey is
walled off, suppressed. The being doesn't want to know about it.

Gold is an idealised yellow. Pastel hues, especially in meditation,
generally means that purification is taking place, bringing more light and
clarity.

Healing in the future will be conscious, involving the discovery and
correction of deficiencies.

Do not forget than power is necessary both to loosen and bind, and that you
need security to unfold.

White: innocence. What you wear is often not what you are but what you'd
like to be. White is perhaps critical, picky; obsessional about clarity,
cleanliness, perhaps unity, sustenance, milk - the idealised breast. This
can be especially true for the combination of yellow & white. (Virgo seeks
to be free from admixture or stain, and in free flow). In the East, white is
associated with death, (but at the socially conditioned rational, cortical
level of association. Not at the real physiological level).

The colours on flags may indicate the temperament of a country's people,
their desires, and so forth.

Natural colours and textures unfold the collective unconscious best.
Day-glo, psychedelic, or artificially garish colours are a very rough
approximation of transparent or translucent objects with light coming
through - [stained glass] rose windows, gems, etc. Avoid chemical paints
from a laboratory and use natural earth pigments and vegetable dyes;
meditate on light through crystals. The overall effect of paints, however,
are partly due to the motivation of the makers. Art has to do with harmony.
The consciousness involved determines the nature and success of the
[art]work.

Unhappiness (at death) is caused by clinging. You might, for example, hate
another person for depriving you or shaking you up. There might also be
guilt, then you eventually absorb (eat) and become whomever you dislike. You
Incorporate them. As a result, they cannot escape from your use of them.

=-

04Feb71 (evening)
Theosophical Society

REINCARNATION

In the after-death 'bardo' state the being to be born is interlinking its
vibrations with those of its future parents. This being in the 'bardo' is
not so much attracted to a particular mother and father but to the thing
that is happening - the union of the consciousnesses present. Then, because
of the being's karma, it displaces one or the other parent. Its tendencies
become the same as those of the displaced parent. In intercourse, if the
union is such that there is not much difference between the parent
consciousnesses, then it's possible that a sex-change will occur later in
the life of the offspring.

One tends to remain the same sex over many lifetimes. The male principle is
viewed as 'further out' spatially - the ascending, active principle. The
overall tendency is to go from female to male if there's a change. The male
principle when established is more stable. Homosexuality can occur if the
heterosexual basis is confused. The goal is to be a full, complete
expression of both male and female. The female must become as a male - with
mastery, insight, drive. [The male must become as a female - nourishing,
calm, supportive].

As far as the Order goes, there is equal opportunity for both man and woman.
This has been long established. However, the cyclic function can pose a
problem for women, if nothing else does. Both men and women must remember
constantly that both sides, male and female, must be developed and
integrated. The male must first complete the principle of exploration,
order, and direction, and then probe into the depths of tranquility,
absorption, clarity.

There is an evolutionary trend toward women becoming free from the direct
control of the moon. This is already happening - liberation from the bonds
of Earth and Water. It will continue and is speeding up. (A major problem of
astrocyclic studies is evolutionary development). We'll be getting free from
sexual necessities for survival because now it's easier to survive. There
are fewer human units needed to maintain the species. A unisexual type of
individual will emerge eventually. This is only partly due, of course, to
the evolution of our cortex and a progressive shift away from the
diencephalon [older brain].

Trauma block memory of previous lives. There can be a shock-induced amnesia
due to the ego. Meditation on breathing increases recall, as can meditation
on light, (which could induce a light trance).

Recommended reading: L. Weatherhead, "Claimed Evidence For Survival" - a
good book, with good evidence for reincarnation.

Evidence of past lives can come through:

1) Talent or genius.
2) Obsession for a particular historical period. Perhaps things were good
compared with now, and so a fantasy about a 'fantastic' time is created.
3) Deja-vu
4) Psychosis
5) Dreams are especially good for discovering clues about past lives because
when dreaming one is in an ego-less state. The greater the past trauma, the
more difficult the recall, yet any acceptance of the passage [through fear]
helps recall. If you work on it this time, you'll be able to remember more
easily next time.
2) Hypnosis.
7) Illness.
8) Children's memories.. which tend to get buried after the age of eight
because life covers over memories with new life-experiences and habits.
Children can become excellent meditators if a society allows this.

The PURPOSE Of The PLAN (and Cosmic Rays)

All living organisms can be measured insofar as they have mass which acts as
a resistor. Force is the reaction, provoking its own individual pattern and
rhythm to occur. In related organisms there are similar (sympathetic)
responses. This presupposes an evolution. Darwin is fine for the physical
part, but by the Law of Duality, what of the spirit? How to measure that?
And with regard to macrocosm and microcosm - what is the correlation between
the life-cycle of the cell and that of the universe?

The Earth is immersed in cosmic waves of changing quality. A human child has
the characteristics of both supra and infra worlds. The human breath cycle
is about six seconds - three seconds inhaling and three seconds exhaling. In
a daily cycle, a person rests for about 12 hours and works for about 12
hours. Ideally, a lifetime lasts 144 years - 72 years on Earth and 72 years
inactive on the immaterial plane. The duration of any cycle in one order
corresponds to the next longer interval in the next order down in
complexity. Six seconds a day to the largest cell, and a lifetime to the
smallest.

The cycles in Man (who exists in the middle, half way along the 'chain of
being', between macrocosm & microcosm), are clues to all cycles from
supernovae to subatomic quanta. 1/10,000 of a second is the duration of a
human being's shortest thought-impression unit. This is the lifetime of a
'molecule' [quark?]. At the lowest or longest cycles we are interacting with
cosmic rays, which is what matter is - rays at work, bouncing back in on
themselves.

Humanity is the balance-point of life, expressing the Law Of Five (a
five-pointed star, as in DaVinci's geometric Man). Man expresses [unity?]
better; Woman expressses duality better. (Go and see the paintings of
DaVinci amd Mondriaan). The human body expresses the relative perfection of
nature. Other planets also have perfect expression of bodies, with different
geometries - octagon limbs, arms like calipers, and so on.

The Star of David combines two triangles, representing the Laws of Ascent
and Descent. We are also the Law of the Unfolded Spiral. Our cells are the
Law of the Double Spiral, which is necessary for life as in our 46
chromosomes. The principle of the embryo is the yin-yang principle folded in
on itself. Growing up into an adult is its unfolding. The laws are as
precise as astrocyclic phenomena. The way out is to become aware and to go
with the ascending spiral to fulfill the law. At the top, come, see the blue
diamond light.

We are rays joined and built up to become a resistor. This establishes
duality. God is His own creation. Cells are the first biological
consciousness. They are built to take and convert the surrounding
environment to their own use. This shows adaptability and the simple split
[duality]. The large cell recognises its own kind as opposed to another
kind. At a higher level there is reproduction - each part is separate but
there is cooperation.. a group mind.

A human being is the product of all that has gone before and has achieved
self-consciousness, memory, and self-preservation. Man is sensitive to the
rays from the surrounding universe. Human beings, in fact, are rays aware of
themselves. Atom, molecule, cell, Man, planet, star, galaxy.. over-locking
ideas.. God, the divine architect. Other planets will be a bit like our
planet, basically. Anti-matter? Duality in every direction.

=-
Stories
=-

MY LIFE: HIS HOLINESS The 16th GYALWA KARMAPA And I
Charlene Jones (2006)

Life winds us up and puts us where we need to be, most often it seems when
we are not looking.

The Dharma Center of Canada is the 400 acres of land in Kinmount, Ontario
founded by my root teacher, Karma Tensing Dorje Namgyal Rinpoche. It was the
first Buddhist centre started by Canadians, way
back in 1965 (see www.dharmacentre.org).

Whenever he was in Ontario, Namgyal Rinpoche created some teaching event of
interest and intrigue at the Center. (For more about Namgyal Rinpoche, visit
<www.SakyaNamgyal.com>).

The Dharma Center needed then as now much attention in the way of money
and time from members of this chartered, not-for-profit organization. In the
mid-seventies, following another lecture by Namgyal challenging us to get
involved, to not be an "arm chair bodhisattva" I volunteered to be Secretary
for the Dharma Center of Canada.

Easy enough. A few hours a week, involving activities for which I had no
training or skill matched the fiscal rewards, which were none. The
Chairperson at the time guided and supplied me with direction as I
floundered my way through the simplest tasks.

Then the elections. In late 1976 the elections for a new Chairperson were to
be held. Fine. Except the outgoing Chair and Treasurer decided I was to be
the next Chairperson!

I knew my remarkable ability to type about 10 words a minute on an very
manual typewriter, to stamp and send letters to different other centers
founded by my teacher and to answer the occasional phone-call from my home
did not qualify me for this unusual honour.

Yet these men insisted: I had to run for Chairperson.

If elected I would be the youngest person and the only woman to date to be
Chair of the Dharma Center. After a firm and complete "No" from me, these
fine gentlemen continued to argue, persuade, cajole and generally not give
up until I gave in.

But why? If I was to run, I had to understand why they felt so strongly.

Because, they finally revealed, they disliked the only other candidate.

I was to be the option by default. Somehow, knowing I was in a default
position made it possible for me, not because of any high motivation
regarding the Dharma Center or its members in their time of need, but
because I figured if I became Chair by default, I did not have to concern
myself about failure. A default choice requires no special talent, except to
show up.

The day of the elections came and went and I was elected. I felt some
elation, more than I would have forecast, and noted how this must be in part
why some people keep in politics all their lives. I was Chair and when I
spoke, people listened, even though most of what I had to say was given to
me ahead of time by the outgoing Chair and his buddy the Treasurer.

So it was. For a month or two into the New Year I handled the usual tasks
with growing confidence and ease.

Then in the middle of one night I shot bolt upright in bed with the thought
"The Karmapa is coming to the Dharma Center and nothing is ready!"

His Holiness the 16th Gyalwa Karmapa was, as indicated, the 16th incarnation
of the head of the Kargyu sect of Tibetan Buddhism. Think, His Holiness the
Dalai Lama without as much media. (Visit <www.karmapa.net> for many ways to
learn more about His Holiness the 17th Gyalwa Karmapa).

Now this visit with His Holiness the 16th Gyalwa Karmapa had been arranged
and confirmed by the previous administration for April of 1977. His Holiness
was to take the second of his trips to North America, during which the
Dharma Center was already committed to a three day visit including the
ceremony of the Vajra Crown, or Black Hat.

I confess to you now I did not know much about Tibetan Buddhism at that
time. I still do not, in part because the practice itself is extremely
detailed and elaborate. What I did learn very quickly was two things.
One, the Black Hat or Vajra Crown ceremony can only be performed by the
Karmapa. The second is anyone who sees this performance is ensured
enlightenment within seven lifetimes.

We had three months, no money and too much to do. The Dharma Center
buildings were in bad need of repair including the one building we
thought to house His Holiness in: Hill House.

We needed mattresses, and covers for mattresses, we needed new plumbing,
insulation and drywall in some of the main buildings, new heating units..
the list went on and on.

A brave contingent of folks travelled the three hours every weekend from
Toronto to the Dharma Center and made miracles happen. I'm pretty sure most
of what happens in the world at all happens because of small inconquerable,
undefeated people such as these. They hammered, nailed, dug, wired, painted,
plumbed, insulated.. How our Treasurer managed to come up with any money at
all remains one of life's great mysteries to me.

These people made it happen. I recall making a few phone calls to organize
people, then generally standing around a great deal, feeling slightly
useless.

I had the insight to ask advice of an old and revered woman from the Dharma
Center, Mrs. Raff. Her Buddhist name was Chorpel and in spite of having her
own group with its own land-holdings and all the headaches this entails, she
spent an evening with me over the Karmapa's expected visit.

Her advice was clear, simple, and to the point: get someone to handle the
kitchen for you. She named a woman I had long admired and felt to be so far
ahead of me in the life game, no friendship would be possible.

But here was a request. I made the request over and over since this
wonderful woman did exactly as Chorpel had foretold: stalled and dallied and
gave no answer and then, in the end, came forward and did a brilliant job.

She organized the kitchen so well, I was given compliments!

The day of His Holiness' arrival came finally. We tallied two hundred
seventy five people more than we had capacity for.

Folks sardined onto the temple floor, hung from the rafters in Main House,
even camped on the wet, cold and unforgiving April ground.

The day dawned clear and bright. Those many many people streamed around the
hill below the temple, greeting others they had not seen for many months,
acting for all the world as though they had been housed in a five star
hotel.

The monks made their way to the temple, now festooned in prayer flags and
Tibetan thangkas.

I sat in the front row as directed. I had prepared for the day's event by
choosing a knee length off-white dress which rode up to mid-thigh as I sat
in the crosslegged posture of a good meditator. My dear friend, a man whose
knowledge of Dharma I have respected and leaned on through the years, Sonam
Gyatso bent over me and said "Your legs are showing. The monks are staring.
What can we do about this?" I was crammed in so tightly getting up was out
of the question. I grabbed one of the ceremonial scarves from the small
table in front of me, and with a flourish hid my offending legs from sight.

I sat. Sonam came back and said in my ear "The Karmapa is concerned that the
temple is not large enough for everyone to see the Vajra
Crown ceremony."

Then in a moment of human ignorance I opened my mouth and what fell out was,
"Well, can't he do it more than once?"

My friend, flabbergasted at my thick-headedness, but needing to get on with
a resolution, stated firmly and not unkindly "No, he can't. They want to
take the doors off the temple, put His Holiness in the door frame and let
everyone see. They need your permission as Chair to do this."

Never one to be graceful under pressure, ever ready to grab for power, I
argued. Finally, his continued diligence won out. The saws came out, the
doors came off and everyone sitting in the sunshine saw the glorious
ceremony of His Holiness the 16th Gyalwa Karmapa as he performed the Vajra
Crown Ceremony.

Such is the way of life that those of us who are least deserving sometimes
fall upon moments of surpassing grace.

=-
© 2006 metro.isp Inc, Charlene Jones and Sean Wenzel. All rights reserved.
With appreciative thanks to Charlene & Sean <www.infinitenetworks.com>.
=-

The SWORD BLESSING
David Berry

As one of two people ordained on September 11 2003, the last ordination that
Namgyal Rinpoche performed at the Dharma Centre and perhaps the last in his
life as he died 41 days later, I am sensitive to the notion of getting on
the last bus at the last minute.

He did the ordination on September 11th, took the day off on the 12th, gave
the Mahakala wongkur on the 13th, the Namgyal Lineage wongkur on the 14th.
When I went forward for the blessing, he put the marks on the hem of my not
even sewn yet robe. He gave the group a final word with his hand raised in
the air: "I'll give you the double-edged blessing: May what you wish for
others, come true for you".

"Permission to transmit?" I called out.

"Give them something and right away they want to transmit it.. Yes, you may
transmit that."

So I will transmit it right here and now. Whomever and wherever and whenever
you are: "May what you wish for others, come true for you."

=-
CORRECTION: In newsletter #7 the pronunciation of the Pali word for
"viciciccha" ('skeptical doubt'), was given as "wee cheeky cha", possibly a
pun by scribe Ken or Rinpoche, although 'wee-chicky-cha' is correct. (Thank
you Karma Chime Wongmo for pointing this out).
=-

ABOUT The CRYSTAL COLLECTION PROJECT

This is a non-profit publishing project, initially aimed at stirring up
memories and sharing insightful stories about Namgyal Rinpoche, his
teachings, and other teachers of his ambit. From the materials gathered, a
book will be prepared for publication, with any revenue from sales being
donated to a Namgyal centre or cause. Quotes from this remarkable Teacher
and notes from his talks are of special interest, while the inclusion of
date, time, and place would help us establish a detailed chronology and
historical context. After this stage of collecting stories, there will be an
opportunity for every reader to participate in choosing the material
to be included in the book.

All contributions of stories, comments, and queries about the CRYSTAL
COLLECTION PROJECT should be sent to the Editor: <ten.orobretep|bar#ten.orobretep|bar>.

This newsletter is being sent to about 200 people who knew Namgyal Rinpoche,
and for whom we happen to have addresses. Please continue to pass onto us
addresses of other people - if you have their permission - who would like to
receive these newsletters. Readers who never knew Namgyal Rinpoche are
welcome.

To view Crystal Collection articles, visit: http://namgyal.wikidot.com

=-
To unsubscribe from this newsletter, please
reply to sender with the message "UNSUBSCRIBE".
=-

=-
E-Post #7, Feb 4/08.
=-

A Chinese proverb heard on BBC, spoken by
Gordon Brown, newish Prime Minister of the UK:

"Tell me and I might remember.
Show me and I will remember.
Involve me and I will understand."

=-

In this issue:

1. 'Liberation' - A talk by Namgyal Rinpoche (1971).
2. 'A Yogi Bead' - Alan Wilkie, a reader's story.
3. 'A Time To Remember' - Lama Sonam Gyatso, his original biography.
4. Special Notice - to newsletter participants: address sharing?

=-

TALKS By NAMGYAL RINPOCHE
Toronto 1971
Kennedy Long (Scribe)
Rab Wilkie (Editor)

02Feb71
Evening

LIBERATION

'Ti Lakkhana':
Contemplation On The Three Characteristics of Existence.

Atta [Sanskrit] ~ divine self.
Anatta [Pali] - no-self. The doctrine of Anatta or No-Self
is part of the uniqueness of Buddhism.

"Sabbe sankhara anicca'ti" - all compound things are impermanent.
"Sabbe sankhara dukkha'ti" - all compound things are full of struggle.
"Sabbe dhamma anatta'ti" - all dharmas are ego-less, including the
unmanifest.. impersonal, in a sense.

One needs to experience 'satori', the Path Moment, to understand
'anatta'. Defilements are broken at the experience of Path Moment.
The first ofd the Three Fetters is 'sakkya ditthi' or body-view,
belief in the ego. This fetter is associated with 'lobha' - greed,
or self-augmentation. It falls away at stream entry, 'sotapatti-
magga'. One who attains this is a stream-enterer, 'sotapanna' -
one who has heard the divine sound (thunder). The ego-view is
blasted away, the underbrush is cleared. All defenses, blocks,
and neuroses are wiped out. Flow begins. Stream Consciousness is
attained. 'Panna' means breath or vibration. It is a quantum leap
to hear the sound of the breathing universe.

The divine sound is heard when the divine ear ('diba sota') opens.
When the divine eye ('deva chakkhu') opens, you see the worlds
beyond ('lok{a}-uttara'). These are transcendental experiences.

Liberation means that the energies are freed to develop and direct
the natural powers of the mind. 'Arahatship'. The Original Mind
is free to work. The sign of the mastery of the 84 siddhis
[extraordinaty powers] is a flaming bindu, [a spiral unwound with
a curling tail]. The siddhis are part of all and any human
consciousness, a reflective, testing consciousness. The natural
curious mind is restored.

The second fetter to fall is 'vicikichha' (wee cheeky cha),
skeptical doubt, which corresponds with 'dosa' - anger or hatred.
The bundle of doubt is angst or anxiety and question, clinging to
securities and defenses, as with the instant [kneejerk] "NO!"
This reaction blocks further development and exploration. In
another way it can come across as an obsessional or fixed view
of other people. This pattern of defense is broken when the
second fetter falls.

An action is good or bad with reference to its intent or
motivation. The motivation of your meditation determines
your Awakening. You must be curious and interested. Interest
rises and falls according to the degree of your involvement.

The third fetter to fall away is 'silabhata-paramasa' -
attachment to rule and ritual. This corresponds with 'moha'
- delusion or ignorance.

=-
Stories
=-

A YOGI BEAD
Alan Wilkie (New Zealand)

Since your reference to 'The Bead Game' in Crystal Collection #1,
various memories have come back to me. (Incidentally, 'The Glass
Bead Game' - literal translation of 'Das Glasperlenspiel' - was
the last work and magnum opus of Hermann Hesse. Though it led to
his receiving the Nobel Prize for Literature in 1946, curiously
it wasn't published in English till 1969.)

During 1987 Rinpoche gave a class for men who might be interested
in studying men's yoga. Beforehand, I thought there might possibly
be some demonstrations of asanas or instructions on pranayama. But
during the class there were none. But Rinpoche did suggest six
books to read. What interested me was that none of the books were
physically present, yet as he talked about them he seemed to
'place' each book in a kind of hierarchy, with slight changes in
his posture.

He began at the top with 'Calm and Clear'. Then 'placed' the 'Six
Yogas of Naropa' to the right, about his shoulder area, then 'Kum
Nye Relaxation' to his left, in a triangular formation. Following
this he added 'Yoga and Health', on a lower level in the centre,
forming a diamond shape (or an up pointing triangle above a down
pointing triangle). Then next to that, to his right 'The Serpent
Power', then to his left 'Light on Yoga', forming a larger
triangular formation.

After the course I began doing hatha yoga in the mornings (using
'Yoga and Health' as my main reference). And in the evening, I
often did some drawing. I continued with the yoga for a year till
the next course in 1988, when Rinpoche suggested near the beginning,
that anyone doing yoga tone it down, and simply do a few exercises,
forwards and back, and side to side.

Later in the course, he gave some pointers on Mahamudra, and asked
us to put down on paper which of three objects - an arrowhead, a
lead ball and a feather - was clearest to us. My initial response
to this suggestion was a kind of shrug, my head swinging from one
side to the other, while internally I pictured a ping-pong ball.
Yet I was also aware that he was looking at me, frowning in the
distance, and the ball slowed to become a white globe on the right,
a white globe on the left, and a planetary globe in the centre, a
little higher than the other two.

It soon became apparent that this suggestion was actually a bit
more like an imperative, that we each had to present him with
our piece of paper, as a kind of meditation report. When my turn
came to see him and I entered the hall, he quite definitely
looked down to his left, then to his right, and I noticed two
books, 'The Song of Awakening' on his left and 'Eliminating the
Darkness of Ignorance' on his right.

What transpired after that was very curious, and I won't attempt
to describe it. Suffice to say, it raised a big question for me,
and I began to observe Rinpoche's body signs much more closely.

In hindsight, reflecting on these book scenes, they appear as
a series of montages, or beads on a rosary.

['Calm & Clear' and 'Kum Nye Relaxation' - Tarthang Tulku,
'Yoga & Health' - Yesudian & Haich, 'The Sepent Power' - Arthur
Avalon, 'Light On Yoga' - Iyengar, 'Song Of Awakening' - Namgyal
Rinpoche, 'Eliminating The Darkness Of Ignorance' - ??]

=-

CLARIFICATION

For the record, here below is the first part of a biography
of Namgyal Rinpoche by Lama Sonam Gyatso, his student and
first attendant, from early years in Britain to later in
Canada.

As Sonam says, it's a work in progress, and although this
portion is the original, it does now include a couple of
corrections - 1971 instead of 1972 as the year of Namgyal
Rinpoche's Enthronement, and a revised number of his
students reaching Rumtek earlier that same year. Although
the magic number of 108 has magnetised many minds, in fact,
this was the number attained at Dharmasala and the audience
with His Holiness the Dalai Lama prior to the Rumtek visit.
On the road from Darjeeling to Rumtek, the entourage had
diminished somewhat, a rough count giving about 80, or
eleven crowded jeeps worth. (Some students had returned
home or gone off exploring elsewhere).

The biography on the Sakya-Namgyal website, written by
Wesley Knapp, is also a work in progress and very much
his own, though informed by Sonam's biography. I recommend
it as a valuable source of inspiration, and in due course
the few points requiring clarification undoubtedly will
be revised.

The saga of the relocation of Sakya-Namgyal and its
archival trove of Namgyal-related materials and recordings
has finally found resolution as Angela & Wesley finish
moving into their new home and headquarters this month.
Re-organisation will take some time, but the task is
well underway and the website address remains unchanged:
<ac.kool|laygmanaykas#ac.kool|laygmanaykas>.

=-

Draft- Oct 31, 2003 (revised Nov 26)

A TIME To REMEMBER
by Sonam Gyatso

Namgyal Rinpoche
1931-2003

"Ye Shall Know them by their Works"
(Namgyal Rinpoche, in reply to the question:
'How do you know a true Teacher'?)

Part 1: The Early Years

Origins

Born into the Davidson, McDonald, Clanranald lineage, Leslie George
Dawson was descended from both Robert the Bruce and Edward the Bruce,
on his mother's and father's side respectively and was also related
to the Hamilton family.

His Father was an 'Irish Cop' (a detective on the Toronto police
force), his mother a Scottish nurse. As he himself said, from his
father he derived his 'terrific energy' and from his mother the
'gift of the gab'.

Early Childhood

He was born and raised, with his younger sister Marylin, in the
Beaches area of Toronto, attended Norway Public School and Malvern
Collegiate (where he also studied music appreciation along with
Glenn Gould). He spent his summers at his uncle's farm in Hamilton,
now 'Spring Farm' Botanical Garden.

Youthful Ideology

Having had many mystical experiences in early life, he felt the
call to the ministry, attending Jarvis Baptist Seminary for a
short time where he learned many arts such as 'homiletics' and
'higher (biblical) criticism'. He did not enter the ministry at
that time but moved on to further studies in Philosophy and
Psychology at University of Michigan, Ann Arbour. Then followed
an intense period of involvement in the Socialist youth movement,
CCF, NDP, etc, culminating in a visit to Russia to address a
youth conference in Moscow, whereafter he returned to London,
at the time of the Suez crisis [1956]. During this time he
stayed in London with the Huybens, a Rosicrucian couple where
he encountered the Western Mystery tradition and Buddhism and
practised meditation regularly.

Meeting the Teacher

In 1956, while visiting the London Buddhist Society, during the
Buddha-Jayanti celebrations of 2,500 years of Buddhism, he met
the Venerable U Thila Wunta Sayadaw, a meditation master from
Burma. He was immediately drawn to the Sayadaw as his teacher,
and the Sayadaw invited him to follow him to Burma.

Training in the East

Travelling overland, to India, he re-joined the Sayadaw in
Buddhagaya where he received the Novice ordination as Samanera
Ananda. Continuing on to Burma, he received the Higher Ordination
at the Shwe Dagon in Rangoon and was given the name Ananda Bodhi
Bhikkhu. There he studied the Vinaya and Abhidhamma.

He recalled that as part of his apprenticeship with Sayadaw,
he had to polish the floors of the Dat Pon Zu temple with
coconut shells, many, many times.

He subsequently received meditation training in all of the 40
classical Samatha practices under Sayadaw's guidance and later
studied the Vipassana (insight) meditation system under Mahasi
Sayadaw, later travelling to Thailand for further Vipassana
retreat work under Chao Khun Phra Rajasiddhimuni at Wat Mahadhat.
While there, he also mastered the Wat Paknam system.

In addition he pursued his Dhamma studies in Sri Lanka, studying
the Pali Sutta texts such as the Dhammapada and the various
commentaries such as the Visuddhimagga.

Return to the West

After over five years of intensive training in the East,
Venerable Ananda Bodhi received the title of Samatha-
Vipassana-Kammathan-Acariya, teacher of both the Calm and
Insight meditation practice and was given the red belt of
a meditation master.

He was invited by the English Sangha Association to become
the Incumbent, or Resident Teacher, of the Vihara, or
monastic residence in London, at Alexander Road, Camden Town.
He took up residence in the Fall of 1961 and immediately
started teaching meditation and giving regular classes in
Dhamma studies. He also began teaching regularly at the
Buddhadhamma centre in Manchester and other centres.

In 1962 he was invited by the London Buddhist Society to
give courses in meditation at their annual Summer School.
At that time he met a number of Tibetan Lamas such as
Trungpa Rinpoche and Akong Rinpoche who had just arrived
from India to study comparitive religion at Manchester
College Oxford.

He was also invited to speak at the Fifth International
Congress of Psychotherapists in London, where he met
Julian Huxley, Anna Freud and R.D.Laing, to name a few.

In 1962, the Bhikkhu went back to Thailand to meet with
one of his teachers, who subsequently returned to teach
at the Vihara in London.

Period of Expansion

Under his inspiration, with many students gathering around
him, Bhikkhu Ananda Bodhi expanded the London centre by
purchasing, through the Sangha Association, a large regency
mansion on Haverstock Hill which became known as the
Hampstead Buddhist Vihara. At this time, a number of
aspiring students received novice ordination, some of
whom went to Thailand for further study. Seeing the need
for a suitable meditation centre far away from London, he
purchased an old estate with a castle in Staffordshire,
known as Biddulph Old Hall.

Moving On

In October, 1964, the Bhikkhu flew to Canada for a short
visit "to re-connect with his roots". At the invitation
of the incumbent Reverend Ishiura he gave classes in the
Japanese Toronto Buddhist Church on Bathurst Street. On
his return, sensing a need to open up further avenues of
exploration, the Bhikkhu began searching for a new
independent 'Contemplative' centre and purchased Johnstone
House, an old hunting lodge in Dumfriesshire, Scotland
which used to belong to the Duke of Bacleuch. The Johnstone
House Trust was set up through one of his students, Miss
Phyllis Short. Then followed an intensive, innovative year
of work with students including the new 'Mandala therapy'.

The Bhikkhu then embarked on a three-week tour of Northern
Europe and Scandinavia along with two students Tony Olbrecht
and Barry Goulden. On their return they went straight to
Scotland where Tony and Barrie applied for Canadian immigrant
status. After a month touring Scotland all three departed
from Edinburgh for Canada. They did not return to England.
Their journey to Canada took them to Iceland where the new
volcanic island of Surtsey had just emerged from the ocean.
After touring Iceland they flew to Canada via New York.

The Dharma Centre of Canada

The Bhikkhu arrived in Toronto on September 23, 1965 and
immediately began teaching at the Toronto Buddhist Church
and gathering more students. He would later refer to Canada
as his "experiment". In March, 1966, he formed the Dharma
Centre, a charitable organisation, and immediately requested
that a meditation centre be found. He then returned to
Scotland to continue the teaching at Johnstone House.
In April, 1966 through a real-estate agent in Bobcaygeon,
Tony Olbrecht inspected an old mink-farm of 400-acres near
Kinmount, and informed the Bhikkhu of this, saying it had a
beaver dam. Hearing this, the Bhikkhu immediately returned
from Scotland to see it and the land was purchased for the
sum of $4,500. A trust was set up to secure private loans
and the Kinmount Centre was born.

On the Road

The Bhikkhu loved to travel and went very far afield with
groups of his students travelling extensively in North and
South America and in Europe.

In 1967 he led a group of 12 students to India on the Dutch
freighter "Giessenkirk". The ship visited Sri Lanka and Burma
before landing in Calcutta in January, 1968. Many adventures
were had on the way, including visits to the Sri Lankan
Viharas and gem-stone mines. In Burma they met with the
Bhikkhu's teacher, U Thila Wunta Sayadaw, visited the Shwe
Dagon and had an elaborate breakfast of 'mohingar' with Yogi
U Thin, one of the Bhikkhu's supporters. In Calcutta they
stayed at the Mahabodhi Society and met the Maharaja of
Sikkhim who arranged visas to visit Sikkim. They meanwhile
made a pilgrimage to Buddhagaya and finally travelled to
Darjeeling enroute to Sikkim.

Meeting the Karmapa

Then followed an amazing transformation.
On arrival in Gangtok, the Bhikkhu went with his students
to Rumtek Monastery where he was immediately ushered into
the presence of His Holiness the 16th Gyalwa Karmapa. His
Holiness greeted the Venerable Ananda Bodhi like an old
friend and seated him beside him on the same level causing
some consternation amongst his entourage.

He then gave a private empowerment (wongkur) of Milarepa
to the Bhikkhu and five of his students. As His Holiness
was busy giving 'lung' (ceremonial readings), no further
empowerments were given at that time.

The Bhikkhu then travelled to Dehra Dun and met His Holiness
Sakya Trizen and his teacher, Chogye Rinpoche.

In 1971, the Bhikkhu returned to Rumtek with upward to 80
students, and received the full Tibetan ordination as the
Venerable Karma Tenzin Dorje Namgyal. The students then
took Refuge with His Holiness the Karmapa. Many empowerments
were received at that time, including Dorje Phagmo, Red
Chenresi, and Hevajra.

In the Autumn of 1971, in Green River, on instructions from
His Holiness, Ven. Namgyal Rinpoche was formally Enthroned
with full ceremony, by the Venerable Karma Thinley Rinpoche.

Thus begins the second phase of the story, the Vajrayana.
(Part 2 - to follow).

=-

ABOUT The CRYSTAL COLLECTION PROJECT

This publishing project is non-profit with any revenue
from eventual book sales being donated to Namgyal Centres.
The book will be an anthology of personal accounts by
former students and friends of Namgyal Rinpoche - about
what they learned from him, and how. Insightful quotes
and notes from his talks are of special interest, while
the inclusion of date, time, and place would help us
place his teachings in an historical context.

All contributions of stories, comments, and queries about
the CRYSTAL COLLECTION PROJECT should be sent to the
Editor: <ten.orobretep|bar#ten.orobretep|bar>.

This newsletter is being sent to about 200 people who knew
Namgyal Rinpoche, and for whom we happen to have addresses.
Please continue to pass onto us addresses of other people
who would be interested in this project.

To view Crystal Collection articles,
visit: <http://namgyal.wikidot.com>.

=-
SPECIAL NOTICE: The e-mail addresses of all participants
on our e-list are private. If you would like to share your
address with everyone else, in other words for it to be
public, please let me know. Future newsletters can then
include you as a visible recipient. If you prefer to remain
a quiet reader, you can happily ignore this notice. Your
address will stay private.
=-

=-
E-Post #6, Feb 2/08.
=-

TALKS By NAMGYAL RINPOCHE
Toronto 1971
Kennedy Long (Scribe)
Rab Wilkie (Editor)

01Feb71
Monday evening

An exercise to come through to a knowledge of reincarnation:
'solassakaya', the exercise of 'The Body of the Sun', also
called the "Sixteen Buddha Bodies" practice.

Centre awareness in the Life Centre, three fingers above the
navel; only up to three hours per day except under a teacher
in the forest. In the city, one hour maximum. Hold the
attention in the Life Centre and focus on any manifestation
of light, such as a diamond-blue point of light (often seen
during concentration when eyes are closed).

Hold this until a picture or image comes, then return to the
point of light to get another image. Do this a total of
sixteen times. On the fifth point of point of light, review
the previous four images as beads and you'll see that they
are connected.

Trace the association in a meditative state, then repeat the
process, (4+1,4+1,4+1,4+1,+1) until you get to the final
summation. When this exercise is done with clear concentration
and tranquility, you will ascend the levels.

If it gets repetitive and stagnant, work on intensifying the
diamond point of light. The point of light must be brilliant.
It's power shows the state of your mind. You can use the Dumo
Heat meditation to increase it. When the embryo point opens,
you pass through it to the other side where you see another
lifetime for a second of two. With practice, this leads to
the mastery of the dream state, and you could spend up to 45
minutes there.

At the end of the sixteen images, review and see if there's
a thread or theme that runs through all of them, or if it
jumps to another state of consciousness. After a while, you
might see your auric body. You should have four levels open
up to you.

A good mantram to use is 'araham', or any mantram you receive
in a wong [empowerment]. The shorter the mantram, the more
powerful it is, generally. 'Araham' is a good general mantram.
It's a proto-mantram - not the full vibration.

Dream mastery means that you can drop the physical body and
its distractions. Things awaken to you according to the degree
of your involvement. A paranoid or fearful being should use
more discipline. For a calm being with confidence in the Dharma, recollected
and free flowing, free exploration is good.
Discipline is only an aid to the unfolding.

=-

A RINPOCHE STORY
Gerry Kopelow
(Lama Gyurme Dorje)

MY POTENTIAL

During a retreat at the Dharma Centre of Canada, Rinpoche got
into a psychotherapeutic mode. One morning in class he instructed
us to compress the repetitive messages we had each received from parents and
teachers into a couple of compact phrases and then
share them with the group. "I am a pretty, pretty girl. I will
always get along", one woman said. "I am a tough little boy, I
don't have to cry," said someone else. A third person related
what they had received, "I will always be awkward and clumsy".
All the revelations were heartfelt and poignant.

And so it went around the room, until it was my turn.
As it happened, I was seated on the floor directly in front
of Rinpoche. I dutifully offered up my recollection of my
own childhood conditioning: "I am very intelligent, but will
never reach my full potential".

This remark Rinpoche elected to comment on. In very loud voice
he pronounced, "Just so! Your parents and your teachers were
absolutely right!" This elicited gasps from the group, and I
felt a wave of panic begin to arise. But before I plunged
totally into self-pity, Rinpoche leaned over and whispered
directly into my ear: "Because your potential is infinite!"
Just a very quick gesture and a very quick whisper, so quick
I don't think anyone else noticed. But I certainly did, and
in an instant was relieved of many years' worth of unpleasant
baggage.

After class I was approached by a woman who was on retreat
with Rinpoche for the first time. She described herself as
a "new-age therapist". "It must have been horrible to have
been abused like that in such a public way", she told me,
and then she offered to help me recover from the shock. She
was very puzzled when I declined.

=-

CORRECTIONS & CLARIFICATIONS

The Rinpoche, Karma Tenzin Dorje Namgyal, received his
Tibetan name in August 1971 from His Holiness the 16th
Karmapa at Rumtek monastery in Sikkim, not earlier in
February 1968 as stated in the biography of Rinpoche on
the Sakya-Namgyal website, excerpted in our previous
newsletter (#5).

The Sakya-Namgyal biography, although based on "A Time
To Remember" - the biography begun earlier (2003) by
Lama Sonam Gyatso - contains a few errors or unwarranted
assumptions. And the portion quoted in our previous
newsletter, "Meeting the Karmapa", is not an excerpt
from Sonam's biography as was indicated, but a paraphrase
written by Wesley Knapp.

We hope to include Sonam's original biography, an eye-
witness account, on the Crystal Collections website:
<http://namgyal.wikidot.com>.

=-

This publishing project is non-profit with any revenue
from eventual book sales being donated to Namgyal Centres.
The book will be an anthology of personal accounts by
former students and friends of Namgyal Rinpoche - about
what they learned from him, and how. Insightful quotes
and notes from his talks are of special interest, while
the inclusion of date, time, and place would help us place
his teachings in an historical context.

All contributions of stories, comments, and queries about
the CRYSTAL COLLECTION PROJECT should be sent to the Editor:
<ten.orobretep|bar#ten.orobretep|bar>.

This newsletter is being sent to about 200 people who knew
Namgyal Rinpoche, and for whom we happen to have addresses.
Please continue to pass onto us addresses of other people
who would be interested in this project.

To view Crystal Collection newletters, visit:
<http://namgyal.wikidot.com>.

=-
To unsubscribe from this newsletter, please
reply to sender with the message "UNSUBSCRIBE".
=-

=-
E-Post #5, Jan 29/08.
=-

The JOURNEY
Peter Dederichs

It think it was in 1969 when my mother and I went to
Mexico with Rinpoche and a group of people. We drove,
and I remember very clearly being nine years old at
the time, cramped in Mrs. Raff's car. She was always
very determined to keep up with Rinpoche's car and
it was funny at times to see how she would just miss
a turn or all of a sudden see Rinpoche's Landrover
passing us by in the opposite direction, and he
(The Bhikkhu then) chuckling and waving at us.

I remember losing my wallet which I loved so much
and Rinpoche giving me a present. When I opened it
up there it was, my beloved wallet! I have many
stories which I can only describe as magical. There
were many times when things were scary or even life-
threatening but incredibly it always worked out.

I was also on the second India trip in 1971. My
Mother told me how she was asked by Rinpoche if she
were going. She said no, there was no way she could
afford it. The Rinpoche asked how much she could
afford for the Boat trip, and seeing her hesitate he
asked if she could come up with $300 for the both of
us, and of course she said yes.

This was an incredible gift and the funny thing is,
when we got on the ship we ended up with a first
class cabin, and my mother overheard other people
grumbling that there must have been some mistake.
They paid for first class but got third class.

It was pure teaching all the way with Namgyal,
and I am very fortunate and honoured.

=-

TALKS By NAMGYAL RINPOCHE
Toronto 1971
Rab Wilkie (Editor)
Kennedy Long (Scribe)

27Jan71 (Wednesday evening)
DREAMS & HEALING

There are four types or levels of dreams:

1. Karmic
2. Somatic
3. Supra-interpersonal
4. Precognitive

The first two, these more than the others, have to do with
healing, and exploring them helps to open the 'Third Eye'
[Deva Chakkhu, Divine Eye, Eye of Wisdom].

Re-awakening previous lives is the best dissolver of karmic
formations - habits, hang-ups.

Exploring the first two types of dream brings physical ease
and health. Dreams will change, then you can move on to the
other types. You will contact the astral bodies of others,
here and there, opening the communication channels with devas,
animals, and so on; and contact other people more deeply,
beyond their masks [personae]. The fourth level is clairvoyant
and visionary. One can project the stabilities of the present
and past, mastered on into the future and through space.

'Metta' [loving-kindness] is a pre-requisite for the mastery
of dream-states. If two consciousnesses *will* to meet on the
dream-plane, it's quite easy to have the same dream or, for
example, to see into a box in a friend's room. Only if in your
daily life you are subject to being controlled are you likely
to set it up to have another being control you on the dream-
planes, but those beings on the non-physical planes are
actually weaker than us.

'Araham' [arahang] is good for meditation here.

Anything adding to a regularity on the astral plane - yoga
conscientiousness, meditation, or whatever, give a pattern
of discipline and conscious mind control. This in turn gives
confidence in strange places, helps mutual dream experiments,
etc.

In a dream, a house represents your body. Understanding
this will lead to the first glimmer of the Third Eye opening.
The house you are in IS your body, and rooms are your vital
organs. You must learn which room is which organ.

Write down and tabulate your dreams over a period of one
month, listing repetitions of things or objects, for example.
Any problem appearing in a dream means that it has become
manifest, conscious, and starting to become liberated. A clear
depiction is best. This means that the problem is being worked
out. It is also good to catch yourself being someone else, such
as seeing a mother's smile and becoming her.

Listen to (ambiance recordings of) natural sounds to reawaken
our diencephalon and old cells. Immerse yourself in them to
awaken the evolutionary sense.

A single chalice or cup is a good sign. It represents
integration. Dreams can flow one into the other. A night
dream is usually deeper than a dream during the day, yet
a day dream is often clearer. In the afternoon, look for
archetypes. Through the pineal gland, consciousness can
travel further at night, partly because the body is out
of the way. Calm the body down. It will cool out then
body awareness is cut down.

To stimulate dreams, meditate on a rose colour. Hold
attention on the back of the throat while going to sleep.
Use various colours for whatever problems of imbalance
there may be.

After the evolutionary experience, you have rapport
with lower beings. Simply and easily experience the
auric interchange.

The Bhikkhu INTENDS to come back. 28 + 23 + 33 etc.
Cycles have to do with earlier tilts of the Earth's
axis, the orbit and influence of the Moon, and so
forth. The full moon is usually an energy peak.

=-

28Jan (Thursday evening)
Theosophical Society

ASTROCYCLES & NATAL HOROSCOPES

The first breath is important. Prana comes in, then leaves.
[But the cutting of the umbilical cord is key - when the
infant becomes a physically separate individual].

[In a birth chart, planetary aspects are] important,
especially the aspect or angle between the Sun and Moon.
Angles determine the polarity of a being. The strongest
angles are, in order of strength: 360, 180, 120, 90, and
60 degrees, (conjunction, opposition, trine, square, and
sextile). The entity's field is laid down at birth when
it is most receptive, and given its charge and polarity.
The trine and sextile are negative or receptive; the
opposition and square are positive or active. The
conjunction is variable and can be either postive or
negative, depending on the planets involved.

We respond then to this 'note' as it happens again.
[If we are born at the New Moon, we are affected every
month by the New Moon]. This imprinting is physical as
well as mental.

Whatever the predominant aspect to a conjunction is,
shows whether it will go toward or away from being
postive or negative, (in the electrical sense). The
person then becomes responsive or not to a given
vibration. A vibration body is built. Sun at the top
of the spine, Moon at the bottom. We are all more
compatible with certain things than with others.

An aspect around 120 [a trine] is a good vibration.
Good for women and men. In relationships, we have
compatible and incompatible spectra. In awakening,
you move from a limited receptivity on the spectrum
to a broader one. The rays come in but how you work
with them is important.

In the womb, first you are floating, (a moon-air
experience), then comes birth and the crush of
gravity. You fight your way through that to freedom,
enlightenment, terrestrial consciousness, beyond
gravity. The entity is then its own master with its
own capacity and vibration. All it takes in affects
its responsiveness. Mothers are not responsible for
their children. It's the other way around. A child
comes to a mother/father relationship whose vibration
is the same as its own. That's karma. It is already
its own mother/father.

All environmental factors at birth are included in the
planetary rays. Gravity is a field-force phenomenon..
sympathetic vibrations are drawn from all over the
universe. Prior to Awakening, only those beings
sympathetic to your horoscope configuration can be
worked with. You need a rebirth to terrestrial
consciousness to deal effectively with anything
here on Earth. Gravity is based on an unseen or
non-material essence, and it is weak at a distance
or at the subatomic level. We are responsive to
sub-atomic and nuclear forces as well as to electro-
magnetic force and gravity: 'As Above so Below..'.

Sunspots follow an 11-yr cycle, and at their peak can
create havoc. [Editor's Note: Solar Cycle 24 began on
Jan 3, 2008 with a magnetically reversed solar flare.
This marks the start of the upswing of solar activity.
Solar Cycle 24 is expected to peak around 2011-2012
and to subside around 2018-2020].

The Law of Duality implies that any process in the
physical world has an analogue in the mental and
spiritual worlds.

We are wandering rays of light bound to certain limits
by planets and stars until the ray changes its vibration,
expands, and finally gets beyond all limits and the
necessity of sympathetic response. We are bound here by
'limited love', our karmic attractions bind us. Love is
the abandonment of attachment.. spirit is free-flowing.
Although actually there is no distinction between mind
and matter. Study one and find the other. Awaken to God
being aware of his own creation.

=-

CORRECTIONS & CLARIFICATIONS
(Plus A Tangent)

Certain items in newsletter #4 raised a few eyebrows.
The easiest thing to correct is the Sakya-Namgyal
website: <www.sakyanamgyal.com> - the source of our
biographical excerpt about Namgyal Rinpoche, written
by Wesley Knapp.

Also, Lyn asked exactly when did 'The Bhikkhu' assume his
new name, Namgyal Rinpoche? She remembers that it was not
until late 1971, following his return from Sikkim that
summer that his students began referring to him as "the
Rinpoche". Yet Wesley's biography, based on an account by
his attendant at that time, Tony Olbrecht (now Lama Sonam
Gyatso), states that he was "recognised and enthroned" by
His Holiness the Gyalwa Karmapa in 1968. And elsewhere in
the onsite biography (not quoted in newletter #4), it
says that it was 1968 when Ananda Bodhi received from
the Karmapa his Tibetan name:

"From: 'A Time to Remember'
Copyright 2003 by Sonam Gyatso

Karma Tenzin Dorje Namgyal Rinpoche
MEETING The KARMAPA (1968)
[to be edited]

On arrival in Gangtok, Sikkhim, the Bhikkhu went with
his students to Rumtek Monastery, the seat of H.H. the
XVI Gyalwa Karmapa. He was immediately ushered into
the presence of His Holiness, who greeted the Ven.
Ananda Bodhi as an old friend and recognised him as
the reincarnation of the famous Mipam Namgyal Rinpoche.
He seated the Bhikkhu beside himself, on the same level
and gave a private empowerment of Milarepa.

In front of a gathering of several hundred monks, nuns,
yogis, yoginis, and leading Lamas of the Kargyu school,
the Gyalwa Karmapa officially bestowed on him the name
and title of 'Karma Tenzin Dorje Namgyal Rinpoche'. His
Holiness gave to Rinpoche, as a sign of this recognition,
various precious items including Mipam's original robe.
The robe was a symbol of the lineage being passed on -
a continuation of the Namgyal line.

No longer known as 'Anandabodhi', Namgyal Rinpoche now
began to spend the greater part of his time traveling,
meeting students throughout the world, and performing
work to heal the planet and its people. He became
renowned as a great 'Lama' and especially as a master
of the Mahamudra meditation tradition founded in the
tenth century by the Mahasiddhas Tilopa and Naropa,
and handed on in Tibet by Milarepa and Gampopa."

So although he had been a Rinpoche since 1968, this wasn't
made public until after he had received full ordination in
the Tibetan tradition in 1971, then was enthroned, for the
second time, in Canada.

=-

REVERENT REVERBS
Monks At Green River (1971)
Rab Wilkie

The air was crisp and cool that evening and the grassy
path was covered with fallen leaves as we walked past a
large shed towards the house, looming white amidst great
dark trees.

Rinpoche, maroon-robed, sat on a simple wooden high-back
chair, Western style.

For some students, after another summer adventure,
this time dodging blue lightning bolts in the monsoon
drenched foothills of the Himalayas, the occasion felt
like a quiet afterthought.

We had travelled with Rinpoche to India and Sikkim to
meet the Sixteenth Karmapa, the Dalai Lama, HH Sakya
Trizen, and other high lamas. Of the 108 pilgrims who
had gathered at Dharamsala in July, and of the 75 or so
who later had jeeped the avalanched mountains beyond
Kalimpong into Sikkim and Rumtek Monastery, there might
have been a double dozen of us who had returned to
Toronto.. by various routes and at various times from
mid August to September. Others had dispersed homeward
in different directions, most to Canada, some to the
United States or Europe.

I borrowed money to fly from Dumdum Airport in New Delhi
to Toronto via Moscow.. where I did not get the vodka I
ordered at the bar during our 45 minute layover because
the service was so slow.

Rinpoche was back by early October, and classes began
again at his house on Palmerston Boulevard. By then
we were scattered about the city, looking for work and
dwellings while staying with friends or friends of
friends. Then word went around that Rinpoche would be
enthroned at Green River, near Markham.

The crowd wasn't huge, perhaps 25 or 30 people, neither
was the living-room. It wasn't a long ceremony. It began
after dusk, darkness deepening, glowing candles inside.

Rinpoche sat on a chair while Lama Karma Thinley Rinpoche,
who conducted the ceremony, sat on the carpet in front of
him. Karma Thinley was the only other lama present. Tibetan
rinpoches in Canada were few in those days. Karma Thinley
was the only one we knew, and probably the first to live
in Canada. He had arrived recently leading a contingent of
fellow refugees to settle in Lindsay, sponsored by the
Dharma Centre of Canada, instigated by Namgyal Rinpoche.
They were the first.

Karma Thinly did most of the chanting (in Tibetan)
followed by an Amitabha puja and meditation.

Aside from the depth of warmth, that's about all
I can remember.

Rinpoche joked about getting "off the throne" and getting
on with things - as if this had been mere protocol - yet
we all felt that we had participated, however briefly, in
an historical event with profound implications. One of
many, which just kept on happening.

The following year, 1972, Rinpoche and students returned
India once again, but 1971 was the great expedition. With
repercussions and rumours that peeped into print in the
oddest places.

During the Yukon summer of 1973 while manning a fire
lookout atop Tagish Mountain, I watched the helicopter
that brought supplies land like Nijinsky. In my mail
were a few Dharma booklets written by Yogi Chen in
Kalimpong. As addenda he included letters from his
personal mailbag and a pre-web blog of local Himalayan
gossip: "over a hundred Catholics", two summers ago,
had descended on Rumtek to meet the Karmapa.

=-=

This publishing project is non-profit with any revenue
from eventual book sales being donated to Namgyal Centres.
The book will be an anthology of personal accounts by
former students and friends of Namgyal Rinpoche - about
what they learned from him, and how. Insightful quotes
and notes from his talks are of special interest, while
the inclusion of date, time, and place would help us place
his teachings in an historical context.

All contributions of stories, comments, and queries about
the CRYSTAL COLLECTION PROJECT should be sent to the Editor:
<ten.orobretep|bar#ten.orobretep|bar>.

This newsletter is being sent to about 200 people who knew
Namgyal Rinpoche, and for whom we happen to have addresses.
Please continue to pass onto us addresses of other people
who would be interested in this project.

=-
To unsubscribe from this newsletter, please
reply to sender with the message "UNSUBSCRIBE".
=-

E-Post #4, Jan 26/08.

=-

TALKS By NAMGYAL RINPOCHE
Toronto 1971
Kennedy Long (Scribe)
Rab Wilkie (Editor)

24Jan71 (Sunday afternoon)

MAGIC

Magic is purported to rest on higher knowledge, an insight
into higher laws, passed down from ancient sages or space
visitors.

A group's dynamic tends towards exclusiveness, withdrawal,
elitism - the sin of non-sharing. Historically, this has
been the case with magic groups.

To join the Mysteries, intelligence is a pre-requisite.
This is a prime factor.

'Black Magic' is for the glorification of the ego, 'White
Magic' is for the unfoldment of the being or beings. [Most
magic these days is Grey.. very muddy or confused].

There are relatively few areas in the world where lines of
power and spiritual landscape architecture were developed.
The United States is dead because it wasn't developed, only
partly. Earlier, certain cities were built on power centres.
Not so in North America. Therefore consciousnesses living
there don't become inspired.

Centres of power are usually on geological fault-lines where
the elements are exposed. Often there is running water..

'Toronto' means meeting place (of these energies). Mountains
are especially centres of power. Teachers wander from energy
centre to energy centre to keep the lines open. There must be
a communion with each place. The collective consciousness has
to be aware in order to help and raise the energy, so go as a
group. Telepathy becomes the order of the day and it is much
more effective with a group.

In the highest magic there is no ceremony. (Ceremonies are to
concentrate the energies and mind). And no physical things
are used - that's crude. Mind moves matter.

A child-like, innocent mind without intention is best for
performing magic. There needs to be a pure, uninvolved mind
without your ego intentions. 'Impossible things happen to those
to whom all things are possible'. 'There is no such thing as a
"coincidence". This is simply an event when Laws come together.

Take an object and hold it cupped in the palms of your hands,
and hold it at the navel. Hear it and discover its vibration.

Use rose & gold light for aura development.

During eclipses explore the physical body, at full moons the
unconscious.

[EDITOR'S NOTE: Annular solar eclipse (new moon): Feb 6, 2008,
10:44pm EST. Visible only in New Zealand, southeast Australia,
Antarctica. Total lunar eclipse (full moon): Feb 20, 2008,
maximum totality 11:26pm EST; lasts from 11:00pm to 11:51pm.
Visible in North America. Moon darkens just below Regulus,
the Heart of the Lion, in Leo].

You can't fool yourself.. you must know that you are unfolding
into greater happiness and expression of beauty in your life.
Magic is the state of ever-unfolding beauty and harmony. You
enter magic in order to help yourself be healed, which will
help others.

=-

25 January (Monday morning)

Books to read: "The Ultimate Flower" - Miguel Serrano,
"Mount Analogue" - Rene Daumal, "Teachings Of Don Juan" -
Carlos Castaneda, "Journey To The East" - Hermann Hesse.

The human being always wants to go look at the 'other side'.
So promote a relationshp of respect between beings - that's
the first thing. Every being teaches but we all teach in
different ways. The will of God is not to suffer but to
love and respect all of creation. Kill not, suffer not.
Just awaken!

Man is a compromising, canny, retreating, shy, studious,
defensive deer-type of being. The aggression is just
conditioning, but a very important problem nowadays. To
treat aggression, don't take it seriously. It is only a
conditioned response to something going wrong, not a
basic part of the universe or Humanity. People are very
perceptive. It's okay to lose your temper and then to
apologise.. you are sorry that it had to go so far.

The first step to overcoming aggression is to see how
natural it is.

It's okay to keep a mask, a decent restraint.Let there
be a spontaneous flow of real feelings, and they will
show. Just don't get fixed in any of them or put them
on artificially. Some real feelings include a mask against
real feelings.

The main thing in a dialogue is the need of the beings
in developing love. Patience is necessary, and much
listening. Be careful - don't push people. 'Remove a
neurosis - cause a psychosis'. Silence is useful and
healing.

To expect something is to try to read the book about
the magic garden while you are IN the magic garden!

=-
Correction: In newsletter #3 we thanked Henri van Bentum
for his narrative about travelling with Rinpoche in 1967.
On this trip, however, Henri did not visit Rumtek as stated.
That was later - during the 1971 pilgrimage.
=-

HOW I MET The TEACHER
Michael Brine (Yukon)

To tell my story I need to go back before I met the Venerable
Ananda Bodhi - as he was known in 1967.

In 1966 I was spending a few days in Malta with my greatest
friend Peter who had moved there. It was during a difficult
time for me. I had a couple of years earlier left my
international banking career and gone into a food business
near Glastonbury in England which had not worked out too well.
So, I was trying to get my life back in some kind of order
and had gone to visit my old friend.

We were sitting one quiet sunny evening out on his balcony
overlooking the sea and just chatting when he stopped talking
- went into a silent mode - then suddenly stood straight up
and in a voice which was not his own addressed me:

"My son, you will shortly go back to the land
of your birth and there you will be given the
opportunity to take up your spiritual work again."

He then sat down, and after a few moments opened his eyes
and said "What the hell just happened?" I told him. This
had never happened to him before and only once since and
it was only when we were together.

Anyway, when I returned to England a few days later I
received a message from the Bank of Nova Scotia. They
offered me a position on their International Staff for
which they had interviewed me earlier in London. First
I had to return to Toronto to spend time with them in
their head office prior to any posting overseas.

Back in Toronto I ended up taking a room in a home that
turned out to be the home of meditators. They told me
of this Canadian Buddhist monk - Ananda Bodhi and it so
happened he was giving a talk at the Theosophical Society
on the following Sunday. I decided to go, and arrived a
bit early so browsed through their library. Then, looking
at my watch I decided it was time to go in and get a seat.
As I came out from the row of books I had been browsing in,
a gentleman, tallish and wearing glasses, came out from
another row and looked at me before turning to go into
the hall. As he looked at me I 'heard' in my head the
words, "Follow me".

This, as I was soon to learn, was Ananda Bodhi..

=-

KARMA TENZIN DORJE NAMGYAL RINPOCHE (1931-2003)

Truly a Bodhisattva pioneer, the Venerable Namgyal
Rinpoche transmitted the Teaching and Teachers of
the Holy Buddha Dharma to the Western world - as
well as clarifying the cultural constructs of its
various vehicles - in order to reveal the universal
nature of the Buddha Sakyamuni's pristine insight
into the truth about one's subjugation to suffering
and the way to liberation from it.

He was the first known Westerner in the modern era,
in any Tibetan tradition, to be fully acknowledged
and publicly enthroned as a Rinpoche - by His
Holiness the 16th Gyalwa Karmapa, Head of the Karma
Kargyu Lineage - in Rumtek, Sikkim in 1968; and by
the Venerable Karma Thinley Rinpoche, according to
the instructions of the Karmapa, at Green River,
Ontario, Canada, in the autumn of 1971.

An eclectic and global guru, Namgyal Rinpoche began
establishing centres in the 1960s, initially in
England (1962), Scotland (1964), and Canada (1966),
then in other countries such as the United States,
Guatemala, Ireland, France, Germany, Switzerland,
Japan, New Zealand, Norway, and Australia.

A Samatha-Vipassana-Kammathan-Acariya of the Theravadin
Tradition, he was also a Master of Tantra and Sutra. As
a classical scholar in Sanskrit and Pali, he was one who
was also quite accustomed to the usage of the Tibetan
language and communicated clearly in several European
and other languages.

The Namgyals are known for bringing the Dharma to where
it has never been offered before. This Namgyal was an
explorer-adventurer who raised high the Victory Banner
of the Namgyals over nearly every part of the planet,
travelling to teach at the power places on the globe
and also clearing karma by conducting long meditation
retreats at places where natural disasters had occurred
or would later occur. He was the only Rinpoche to have
visited the North and South Poles, to offer pujas and
prayers for peace there.

Eschewing politics, he was the first Rinpoche to meet
both of the 17th Karmapas. He often quoted His Holiness
the 14th Dalai Lama (for whom he had a great affinity)
to the effect that in this era, all the Tibetan Vajrayana
schools should be considered as one.

Able to adapt to and serve the needs of any type of person,
he was a spontaneous, inventive teacher and an ever-eloquent
example of the fruit of practice. He could also realise any
teaching that he received instantly and be able to transmit
it immediately. He was recognised as the incarnation of one
of the most brilliant Lamas of the 19th century, the famous
Rime Lama - Mipham Jamyang Namgyal Gyamtso, (called Mipham
Rinpoche), by the 16th Karmapa, and Dudjom Rinpoche, Head of
the Nyingma Lineage. Manifesting as White Manjusri, he was
recognised by the Nyingma Lama, the Ven. Khen Rinpoche. His
Vajrasattva Siddhi was referred to by His Holiness Khalkha
Jetsun Dampa Rinpoche, the 'Mongolian Dalai Lama'.

Though shy and retiring by nature, the Rinpoche loved to
share the Dharma and he unstintingly gave of his person and
energies, teaching for over forty years, even after several
near-death experiences indicated that it was time for his
body to rest.

He often shared the offerings that he received with his
students for their food, clothing, shelter, medicine, and
even travel expenses. The Rinpoche would also send donations
made to him when he was teaching in other parts of the world
to pay the mortgage for the retreat centre at Kinmount. He
gathered fine art and craft collections from around the
world to share with students who were not fortunate enough
to travel, and from time to time would give whole collections
to use as fund-raisers. He would even give his clothes and
possessions to be auctioned off to raise funds for Dharma
projects,

From time to time his 'Black Irish Humour' would win out,
such as on the occasions he would complain that the attendant
started every day off with a list of the sick and dying to be
prayed for, without stating who was now 'off the list'. He
would then cite the name of a person for whom he was still
praying, even though everyone who knew that person knew that
they had died twenty years ago!

He could, in turn, be playful and fun-loving, compassionate
or awesomely wrathful when necessary, unconventional and
conservative; he was a shape-shifting siddha manifestation
of the compassionate wisdom of emptiness.

From the Wisdom of Emptiness, Out of Compassion, may his
return be swift and auspicious.

=-
From a biography of Namgyal Rinpoche
by Wesley Knapp & Lama Sonam Gyatso (2005)
on the Sakya-Namgyal Centre website:
www.sakyanamgyal.look.ca
Rab Wilkie (Editor)
=-

This publishing project is non-profit with any revenue from
eventual book sales being donated to Namgyal Centres. The
intended book will be an anthology of personal accounts by
former students and friends of Namgyal Rinpoche - about what
they learned from him, and how. Insightful quotes and notes
from his talks are of special interest, while the inclusion
of date, time, and place would help us place his teachings
in an historical context.

All contributions of stories, comments, and queries about
the CRYSTAL COLLECTION PROJECT should be sent to the Editor:
<ten.orobretep|bar#ten.orobretep|bar>.

This newsletter is being sent to about 200 people who knew
Namgyal Rinpoche, and for whom we happen to have addresses.
Please continue to pass onto us addresses of other people
who would be interested in this project.

=-
To unsubscribe from this newsletter, please
reply to sender with the message "UNSUBSCRIBE".
=-

E-Post #3, Jan 20/08.

Welcome to our third newsletter. Over the next few months
we will have more notes from Rinpoche's classes, some
stories collected from readers, and news about our book
publishing project. So far, your responses have been very
encouraging, substantial, and - I have to say - memorable.

For the recent spate of stories and reflections, we thank
Russell Rolfe for a sample of his Rumtek (1971) adventures,
Sharon Davison-Fleetwood for bringing us closer to now with
a 21st century impact statement, Peter Dederichs for a
Chorpel-behind-the-wheel story.. trying to keep up with
Rinpoche on Mexican roads, Michael Brine for an early
Theosophical encounter, Tarchin Hearn for sublime Pacific
reflections, Peter Boag for waking us back to Mexico, David
Berry for a double-edged transmission, Gerry Kopelow for
having been a "Paaasha", and Henri van Bentum for passing
along the earliest narrative yet: Rumtek 1967.

Also, appreciations to Sonam Gyatso for vital historical
facts, and to Sonam Senge and Doug Duncan for their thoughts
about context and what might not be communicable.

=-

TALKS By NAMGYAL RINPOCHE

20Jan71 Wednesday, Toronto
(Sun enters Aquarius)

On Saturday we shall meet here at 11am and drive to Niagara
Falls. (Saturday is Saturn's Day, and Saturn rules Aquarius).

HEALING & CANCER

To eliminate cancer, the Chinese method includes fresh air
as very important - deep breathing. This will burn it up.
Also eating lightly, and walking - especially after meals.
This helps to move food through the stomach. Refrain from
fried food, and avoid cooking in aluminum pots (which are
unhealthy due to molecular breakdown, ionisation, etc).

The being must always have a calm seeing will to go forward.

Most illnesses are caused by tensions and chakric blocks.
One needs flexibility of the body/mind. Intervention by
the cortex (thinking mind) stops this, although usually it
cannot reach the intestines which are not under cortical
control.

The first thing is to use and unfold your body regularly.
If ill, stop eating. [Do a fast]. Drink water, but not an
excesssive amount, with some lime juice. Then start adding
very simple foods, perhaps 'yang', one at a time, in small
meals. A human stomach, if free of worries, can eat almost
anything.

To remove [muscular] armouring: have warm contact with
others.. touch, massaging blocked areas, especially the
anxiety centre [solar plexus]. A flexible spine is very
important for the re-awakening of body consciousness,
(not to fear or be unaware of it).

Heart and hands give off the most light.. from your hands
when the light is flowing.. when you are in love. Only you
can see (feel) the illness as you run your hands over the
body of the other. With love there is sensitivity, calm,
harmony. For healing, you need a rapport and love-flow
between the two beings. From this comes an intuitive grasp.

For healing, meditate on 'metta' before sleep, and on
'beauty' immediately on waking up. This will first bring
up all your problems and then gradually clear them out.
Eventually, the 'third eye' will open and wander through
the body.

Humour is a release of tension, so.. tickle them first,
trip them up, or otherwise bring them into their body,
perhaps with a cold shower. If full of tension, a warm
bath is good. If in fear of dissolution, cold works.

=-=

EDITOR'S NOTE: Rinpoche nearly always based his talks and teachings
on books, and encouraged his students to read them. In this instance,
his advice about fasting and diet comes from George Ohsawa's theories
and insights about yin & yang foods - 'macrobiotics', a term he coined.

Ohsawa was the Brown Rice man. Before Ohsawa there was no such thing
as brown rice. In Canada at least, the only rice we'd ever seen was
white. Rinpoche was always up-to-date, attuned to the most promising
new developments.

His reference to the 'intellectual' cortex of the brain, the outer
portion or 'grey matter' which is a relatively recent evolutionary
development, is inspired by "Man's Presumptuous Brain" by Simeon
Potter. While the term "armouring" - habitual muscular tightness or
rigidity - is borrowed from Alexander Loewen and his work with body
awareness ('bioenergetics') as described in "Betrayal of the Body".

Indeed, sometimes a series of Rinpoche's classes was dedicated to
the study of a single book, while an exploration of its practical
(or theoretical) implications might continue for months (or years)
afterwards. Prior to 1971, his Dharma Centre classes had included
studies of each of the above books, and some de-armouring exercises
developed by Loewen are still used by former students. While
Rinpoche's astrological references in our first newsletter derive
mainly from "The Seven Rays of the QBL" by Frater Albertus.

=-

This publishing project is non-profit with any revenue from
eventual book sales being donated to Namgyal Centres. The
intended book will be an anthology of personal accounts by
former students and friends of Namgyal Rinpoche - about what
they learned from him, and how. Insightful quotes and notes
from his talks are of special interest, while the inclusion
of date, time, and place would help us place his teachings
in an historical context.

All contributions of stories, comments, and queries about
the CRYSTAL COLLECTION PROJECT should be sent to the Editor:
<ten.orobretep|bar#ten.orobretep|bar>.

This newsletter is being sent to about 200 people who knew
Namgyal Rinpoche, and for whom we happen to have addresses.
Please continue to pass onto us addresses of other people
who would be interested in this project.

=-
To unsubscribe from this newsletter, please
reply to sender with the message "UNSUBSCRIBE".
=-

E-Post #2, Jan 18/08.

Hi and welcome to the second in this series of newsletters being e-mailed
to you over the next several months. They will contain news about our
project, notes from Rinpoche's classes, and some of the stories we are
collecting.. which we trust will stir you to contribute some of your own
recollections. But whether you read silently or write publicly you will
be participating in this experiment to reactivate memories and integrate
our diverse experiences as preparation for publishing a book about the
enlightened 'wit and wisdom' of Namgyal Rinpoche.

=-

Talks By Namgyal Rinpoche
18Jan71 (evening) Toronto
ORIENTATION To MEDITATION

We need to maintain a balance between serenity and thrust
(exploration). Consciousness is a struggle of life and
meditation, between passivity and action, male & female,
and so forth. A balanced mindstate is needed first, and
an inquiring, serene mind. Dialogue is essential. Then
strive for an even higher state of balance. Once you have
it, only Work will maintain it. This dialogue is laborious!

It happens in the course of a day, this fluctuation, and
the awareness of it. Being and Knowing is the challenge
and [pure] awareness is the only thing that succeeds.

To change a state requires skill in means. Questions must
be raised if one is too passive or stagnant.

Colours can help cool or heat a mindstate, as can sound
and music. A dynamic of balance in every direction is
needed to seek the mandalic state. Read "The Bead Game",
["Magister Ludi" - The Master Game - by Hermann Hesse].

Go to union and have a previously established question.
It will be answered immediately after 'ekagata'. Pose
the question, even if non-verbally, but meaningfully.
The question is always more important than the technique.
With a depth question, the technique is only an aid in
the direction of the question.

Meditation is an aid in sharpening the question - the
kind of question which we MUST have answered, that takes
us beyond "us", (who we think we are). Any increase in
calm or question (insight) increases the other.. eventually,
if not at first. The distinction, between the two, blurs.

Curiosity! is the key. INTEREST in the solution leads
to integration - beyond subject/object and 'buts'.

'How can I remember when the original mind is stopped
from operating?' In joy, spontaneity, investigate the
Law of Association, as in "The Bead Game". Question =
search = curiosity.

Evolution has reached the point where Humanity can
*participate* with evolution. (This is part of the
evolutionary plan). Evolution may in a sense have gone
beyond changes in physical form and we are now at a
point of a mental leap, producing new mind organs and
faculties rather than new anatomical adaptations to
the environment. Bead Games would awaken the 'silent
areas' of the brain and consciousness. The discipline
of direction is part of any meditation technique.

'Spiritual' means free-moving. Evolution is on about
greater complexity. The development of consciousness
is part of this. The problem I pose as a particular
teacher is about Terrestrial Consciousness.

=-

The PICTURE
-Rab Wilkie

It was a very good year, 1971. Earlier, during the previous
autumn, Rinpoche announced that he was travelling to India
in the spring and would anyone like to accompany him?

Was there was any hand, other than my own, that didn't go up?
I'm not sure, but such a journey had little interest for me.
Even if I'd had a burning desire to see India, which I hadn't,
it was far beyond my means.

As the class ended I noticed a new photograph on the
mantlepiece in the dining-room. It stood beside the smaller
one of Rinpoche's mysterious Burmese teacher, the Sayadaw
U Thila Wunta, whose face was turned and hidden in shadow.
By contrast, the face in this other photo was full frontal
and with a familiar gaze that seemed to permeate the room.
As if he were 'one of the guys'.. in disguise as a Tibetan
lama.

When I asked who it was, Jim Clark looked at me in amazed
disbelief, but quickly recovered and whispered, "Karmapa".

Jim, a printer with the Globe & Mail (officially) on strike
for three years, had been with Rinpoche and a small group of
students in 1967 when they had met His Holiness the Sixteenth
Karmapa at his monastery in Sikkim. At some point along the
way Rinpoche had, at a special moment, said that he would
grant every student one wish. So they all thought deeply and
seriously and came up with very fine wishes such as
Enlightenment, Wisdom, an end to Suffering, and so on. While
Jim said all he wanted was a pink Cadillac.

As we were about to leave Rinpoche's house on Palmerston
Boulevard after the class that evening, heading for the
curb and Jim's pink Cadillac, Rinpoche asked me if I'd
signed up for the trip.

"Umm, no", I replied.

He looked surprised. And seemed to consider this peculiar
response for a moment before boring into me what felt like
more than a suggestion: "You.. are.. going.. to.. INDIA!"

"Uhh, well, okay", I said, shrugging my hopeless shoulders.

=-

THE 1971 NOTES
Ken Long (Scribe)
Rab Wilkie (Editor)

01 13Jan (Wed) : The Mysteries - telepathy, astrology.
02 18Jan (Mon eve) : Orientation to meditation.
03 20Jan (Wed) : Healing (cancer).
04 24Jan (Sun aft) : Magic.
05 25Jan (Mon morn): Psychology.
06 27Jan (Wed eve) : Dreams, healing
07 28Jan (Thu eve) : Astrology, astrocycles.
08 01Feb (Mon eve) : Exercise for Knowledge of reincarnation.
09 02Feb (Tue eve) : Enlightenment, the process.
10 03Feb (Wed eve) : Psychology, colours.
11 04Feb (Thu eve) : Theosophical Society - Reincarnation & cycles.
12 07Feb (Sun 2pm) : Mystery Schools.
13 14Feb (Sun aft) : Magic.
14 15Feb (Mon eve) : Dumo/Heat yoga.
15 18Feb (Thu eve) : (TS) Qabala, reincarnation, cycles.
16 22Feb (Mon eve) : Sunyata.
17 24Feb (Wed) : Kasina meditation.
18 28Feb (Sun) : Magic. [No notes].
19 01Mar (Mon) : Dream Yoga
20 »> : Notes on Dumo Yoga, from Pauline Fediow.
21 10Mar (Wed) : Padmasambhava Day - Milarepa wongkur.
22 18Mar (Thu) : Qabala & Tarot.
23 23Mar (Mon : Mantra, meditation on sound/vibration.
24 26Mar (Thu eve) : (TS) Tarot, The Fool.
25 31Mar (Tue) : Meditation, instructions for wongkur, Part 3.
26 05Apr (Sun) : Daily meditation, preparation wongkur.
27 12Apr (Sun) : Dream Yoga, astral communication.
28 14Apr (Wed) : Dreams.

=-

This publishing project is non-profit with any revenue from
eventual book sales being donated to Namgyal Centres. The
intended book will be an anthology of personal accounts by
former students and friends of Namgyal Rinpoche - about what
they learned from him, and how. Insightful quotes and notes
from his talks are of special interest, while the inclusion
of date, time, and place would help us place his teachings
in an historical context.

All contributions of stories, comments, and queries about
the CRYSTAL COLLECTION PROJECT should be sent to the Editor:
<ten.orobretep|bar#ten.orobretep|bar>.

This newsletter is being sent to about 200 people who knew
Namgyal Rinpoche, and for whom we happen to have addresses.
If you think you have addresses of other people who would
be interested in this project, please pass them on to us.

=-
To unsubscribe from this newsletter, please
reply to sender with the message "UNSUBSCRIBE".
=-

E-Post #1, Jan 13/08.

Greetings, and welcome to the first in a series of
newsletters that will be appearing in your e-mail
box - if you wish - during the next several months.

If you'd like to continue reading news about our
project and some of the stories we are collecting,
or in contributing your own recollections, stay tuned.
By doing so you will be participating, silently or
vocally, as a flashing mind-cell in this Namgyalian
experiment - to reactivate memory and integrate
myriad experiences in the global sensorium.

Or more simply, you will be helping us publish a book.

This is non-profit endeavour, with any proceeds being
donated to Namgyal Centres. The end result will be an
anthology of personal accounts by former students and
friends of Namgyal Rinpoche - about what they learned
from him, and how. Insightful quotes and notes from
his talks are of special interest, as are parables
parabolic or unparallelled. While some context that
includes date, time, place can assist in grounding all
of us historically.

=-
To unsubscribe from this newsletter, please reply to
the sender with the message "UNSUBSCRIBE" and this
will be done immediately.
=-

We shall begin.
As usual, in a roundabout way, and not knowing what
might happen next. But out there somewhere, there's
a boojum and snark.

To stir memory, we can recall a particular time. In
this case I think the darkest days of winter had passed
and I was uncertain whether or not to put more wood
in the stove. But I was down there anyway, in the rock
bottom cellar of the Namgyal House in Whitehorse,
wondering.

I was distracted by a jumble of boxes and things in
shadow beyond the one light-bulb glare. They were cast-
offs from many years of usually brief inhabitation,
residents and guests, not all of whom had passed the
test, indeed the transformative initiation, that produced
a 'sourdough' from a southern 'cheechako'. In other words,
staying a whole year north of 60, including the winter,
without going insane. Or maybe that didn't matter, as
long as one could still get home intact from the nearest
bar, (of which there were many). Not that this necessarily
applied to Namgyal House folk, rather that this was the
local norm.

In one of the boxes there were dusty books. From which
in due course we could amass quite a list of recommended
reading, although this will have to wait. You know -
"The Bead Game" by Hermann Hesse, a few different titles
by Evans-Wentz, endless Nero Wolf detective stories, and
so forth.

But the one that I picked up was by Idries Shah, "The Book
of the Book". It's red. And it starts with a Sufi story,
but after only a few pages it stops and the remainder of
the book consists of blank white pages. Very meaningful
blank pages, though you'd have to read the story to know
why. (Hint: 'sunyata').

However, the rest of this book was not entirely blank.
It contained notes from talks that the bhikkhu Ananda
Bodhi had given in Toronto during January - April, 1971.
A period I knew well, because I too had attended these
classes, about twenty years earlier. At the front of the
book the student had, fortunately, written his name:
"Ken Long".

Now, exactly 37 years later, we shall have a look at
what Ken wrote.. in instalments, appropriately spaced.
And during the first class, interestingly enough, we
find Rinpoche waxing prophetic with references to a
fateful year: 2008. Perhaps this will resonate, this
way or that, and stir from your depths or heights some
enlightening story.

=-
Toronto, 1971 (Jan 13 - Apr 14)
Notes from classes given by
Namgyal Rinpoche (The Bhikkhu, Ananda Bodhi)
=-

13Jan71 Wednesday
Toronto

Dialogue can occasionally be a conflict, or an augmentation.
The dialogue is between the heart and the head as they meet
now during the cusp of the Aquarian Age. When conflict arises
it is between cool, clear, reasonable Aquarius and the faith
and emotion of Pisces.

"The Bead Game" is telepathy. For telepathy that is beyond words,
(although words may sometimes pop out), it is necessary to be
familiar with the other people involved, to 'wear people easily'
and be mentally relaxed. In, say, an evening, a group's
telepathic score usually dips to a low of jangled fatigue but
then rises again, from good to poor and up to good again. Accept
the fatigue and it becomes tranquility. Believe it, be cool.
That's what works best. Any ego trip spoils rapport. Friendship
is the best thing.

This cusp is a Mutable/Cardinal period, not Fixed. Aquarius is
very inflexible once an idea is fixed. It will be on full force
by 2008 and probably by the end of Pluto's reign in Libra [1972
-1984].

Every cusp period runs the risk of worldwide destruction..
on the physical level as well as emotional and mental. The
Sagittarius/Capricorn cusp (20,000 BC), for example, was a
time of mass destruction.

The colour indigo, [which corresponds with Saturn and Aquarius
as well as Capricorn, the Age that follows Aquarius in another
2000 years] denotes a period of synthesis.

The will-to-live, the life force, evolutionary consciousness
drives us; we must come to see the no-osphere, come to
terrestrial consciousness. To become linked with Him, dropping
all ego-games. This would be the fastest way to come through.
We need to see Him as a being! All the hypnosis must go, all
are limitations. We are the sum of the Earth experience - where
is that Earth experience going? We are the unfolded spiral
(spines). We are the dharma of unfolding, up to angels and
beyond. Beings out there are also on the Star Plan.

=-
Editor's note: Earth as Him? We thought She was Gaia! Evidently,
it takes two to tango, Tantrically. Perhaps we should be considering
the Logos as well his Sophic 'yum'?
=-

In future issues, perhaps we shall consider the following
contents of Ken's notes:

13Jan (Wed) : The Mysteries - telepathy, astrology.
18Jan (Mon eve) : Orientation to meditation.
20Jan (Wed) : Healing (cancer).
24Jan (Sun aft) : Magic.
25Jan (Mon morn): Psychology.
27Jan (Wed eve) : Dreams, healing
28Jan (Thu eve) : Astrology, astrocycles.
01Feb (Mon eve) : Exercise for Knowledge of reincarnation.
02Feb (Tue eve) : Enlightenment, the process.
03Feb (Wed eve) : Psychology, colours.
04Feb (Thu eve) : Theosophical Society - Reincarnation & cycles.
07Feb (Sun 2pm) : Mystery Schools.
14Feb (Sun aft) : Magic.
15Feb (Mon eve) : Dumo/Heat yoga.
18Feb (Thu eve) : (TS) Qabala, reincarnation, cycles.
22Feb (Mon eve) : Sunyata.
24Feb (Wed) : Kasina meditation.
28Feb (Sun) : Magic. [No notes].
01Mar (Mon) : Dream Yoga
xxxxxxx : Notes on Dumo Yoga, from Pauline Fediow.
10Mar (Wed) : Padmasambhava Day - Milarepa wongkur.
18Mar (Thu) : Qabala & Tarot.
23Mar (Mon : Mantra, meditation on sound/vibration.
26Mar (Thu eve) : (TS) Tarot, The Fool.
31Mar (Tue) : Meditation, instructions for wongkur, Part 3.
05Apr (Sun) : Daily meditation, preparation wongkur.
12Apr (Sun) : Dream Yoga, astral communication.
14Apr (Wed) : Dreams.

=-

Astrocycles
SOME TECHNICAL EXPLANATIONS
A key to understanding or remembering
what Rinpoche was talking about
By Rab Wilkie

The Sgr/Cap cusp to which Rinpoche refers pertains to the
long precessional cycle rather than part of Pluto's cycle.
The precessional Great Cycle is almost 26,000 years, or
about 2160 years per Age. The Age of Pisces began during
the second century BC; the Age of Aquarius around AD 2000.

The cycle of Pluto, on the other hand, is a shorter cycle
of about 250 years, the length of time that it takes Pluto
to complete one circuit of the Sun and all twelve signs of
the zodiac. Pluto's subcycles are an average of 21 years
per sign, but since the orbit is highly eccentric, its
passage though a zodiacal sign can last anywhere from 11-33
years. Since 1970, with Pluto at the short and fast part of
its orbit, it has been moving through each sign in about
twelve years. In 1971 when Rinpoche was giving this teaching,
Pluto was about to enter Libra from Virgo, and subsequently
has passed through Scorpio and Sagittarius. This year, 2008,
Pluto enters Capricorn.. on January 25th.

Precessionally, the beginning of the Age of Sagittarius,
when the spring equinox last occurred at the Cap/Sgr cusp,
was around 20,000 BCE. While the last time Pluto entered
Capricorn, passing the Sgr/Cap cusp, was in AD 1760. 20,000
BC was during the middle of the last ice-age when the
Southeast Asian sub-continent was inundated creating the
Indonesian archipelago and cutting off these lands from the
Asian continent.

Nothing on the same scale of disaster happened in 1760, a
date that pertains to the much shorter Pluto cycle, although
much was brewing in the collective consciousness of humanity,
socially and politically. The American & French Revolutions
irrupted in 1777 and 1789, respectively.
=-

Newsletter Addendum

All contributions of stories, comments, and queries about
the CRYSTAL COLLECTION PROJECT should be sent to the Editor:
<ten.orobretep|bar#ten.orobretep|bar>.

Initially, this newsletter has been sent to about 200 people
who knew, or in a few cases might have known, Namgyal Rinpoche,
and for whom we happen to have addresses. If you think you
have addresses of other people who would be interested in
this project, please pass them on to us.

ALSO: if you would like to keep getting this newsletter and
would prefer that your name & e-mail address NOT be made
public, i/e known to other members of this list, please let
us know. The list of people is not at present public, although
we shall consider making it so - at least that part consisting
of subscribers who would like that. It could be a way to get
in touch with old friends.

Astrocyclically and Editorially yours
in the unfolding dhrama,
with metta,
-=Rab

-matt

So here are my (draft) promises as Site Administrator:

My job is to enable the Editors and Readers and Contributors to have a discussion and build a story together, for the benefit of all beings. Things I do here are always with that premise in mind.

After the initial framework for the site is complete, I will not edit any story page content except to add or remove elements relating to function and layout. For example I may change the look of a heading or position of an image or join broken lines in a paragraph but will not change words. If I think the content of a page should change in some respect I'll make an observation in the relevant forum discussion. On no account will I change a story's status category (e.g. draft to press-ready or vice versa). I do feel free to make content changes to pages which are not a 'story', e.g. Welcome, About this site, etc.

I will not delete anything in the forums unless it is clearly and unambiguously spam. I may move something to another publicly viewable place if it is not relevant in it's current location.

Changes to the site's behaviour, especially anything that adds or removes content not captured in another way (like the page history for example) will be publicly announced in the System forum.

Although the initiating spark which created this site is to write and publish a book, this site has an independent existence. Long after the goal is accomplished, the book published, this site will continue to operate and accept participation. At least to the best my ability resources, and circumstances allow. Should the underlying environment dissolve (e.g. the server dies, the hosting provider goes bankrupt) I'll move the content somewhere else where it will continue to be freely accessible.

Should I prove unable or unwilling to continue in the role of Site Administrator I'll hand off the reigns to someone else.

I accept, and expect, to be called on any digressions from these promises and will leave those observations intact and in public. I still feel free to defend myself of course.