The Naked Clarity of Energy

This is a cut from an online book "Spacious Passion" by Ngakma Nor’dzin Pamo in the Dzogchen Nyingma Tibetan Buddhist tradition, that I am starting found a few gems, now mounting. Here's a brief one for those interested in such things.

http://www.spacious-passion.org/shared/text/s/spacious_passion_ch_02_skymind_01_matrix_eng.php

"....Opposite the venue for a day of teachings in 2003, was a derelict school with nearly all the windows smashed. As I verbalised my disapproval of the vandalism, Ngak’chang Rinpoche quietly observed that it was pretty skilful stone-throwing that succeeded in smashing the uppermost windows, and that it must have been a satisfying experience. I was jolted into an awareness of the two viewpoints. I allowed these two ‘opposing’ viewpoints to play in my mind, without indulging the need to decide which was the ‘correct’ view. A tantrika recognises the naked clarity of energy without limiting it through moralistic or conventional definitions: of ‘misdeed’ for destroying a building or of ‘skill’ for the accuracy of aim. Vajrayana dances with such ambiguity. I was well aware that Ngak’chang Rinpoche was not speaking from a laissez-faire attitude concerning vandalism – but simply offering me the opportunity to become aware of my knee-jerk response to this particular aspect of life circumstances."

insightful.

Some more.... from the chapter on Spontaneity. The books is free to read online.

http://www.spacious-passion.org/shared/text/s/spacious_passion_ch_03_spontaneity_01_spheres_eng.php

"From the perspective of Dzogchen, Tantra and Sutra are not seen as lesser vehicles – it is a question of pragmatics and being genuine about the view one is able to live at any moment in time. The most efficacious practice is always that which enables one to return to openness, and to the possibility of the direct experience of the non-duality of emptiness and form.

One method we can employ is an examination of the three spheres of being. It is useful to look at the three spheres, as an expression of the way in which we exist. We can tease apart recognisable aspects of ourselves in order to understand how we can engage with these aspects in practice.

The three spheres of being are chö-ku, long-ku and trül-ku, which can also be referred to as emptiness, energy and form, or mind, speech and body.
The vast empty potential of mind—Sky Mind—is not conditioned by any limitation of form. Form can arise in any manner, but it does not colour Sky Mind in any permanent or definitive way. This is chö-ku.

Energetic form manifests intangibly. In Sky Mind there is movement of thought, emotion, sensation, ideation; and this movement has the nature of energy. This sphere is communicative and encompasses speech and visualisation, sound and light. This is long-ku.

We can become aware of the sphere of tangible form through contact with the sense fields. In this sphere of being we touch, hear, taste, see, and smell. This is the sphere which communicates at the level of body. This is trül-ku4.
Realisation and transformation can be actively cultivated in all three spheres. The spheres of being are in fact all spontaneously present and inseparable, as aspects of what we are, but we talk about them individually to facilitate understanding. "

is that the whole book? i thought those were just chapter snippets. it doesn't seem like 250 pages.

Originally posted by VoidSpirit
is that the whole book? i thought those were just chapter snippets. it doesn't seem like 250 pages.

There is a number of chapters, but you need to use the menu along the bottom that lays out numerous segments of each chapter. Slightly awkward navigation. Each page is a segment of a chapter.

Originally posted by Taoman
There is a number of chapters, but you need to use the menu along the bottom that lays out numerous segments of each chapter. Slightly awkward navigation. Each page is a segment of a chapter.

ah, i missed that. thanks for pointing it out. bookmarked to read later.

Originally posted by Taoman
This is a cut from an online book "Spacious Passion" by Ngakma Nor’dzin Pamo in the Dzogchen Nyingma Tibetan Buddhist tradition, that I am starting found a few gems, now mounting. Here's a brief one for those interested in such things.

http://www.spacious-passion.org/shared/text/s/spacious_passion_ch_02_skymind_01_matrix_eng.php

"....Opposite the venue ...[text shortened]... to become aware of my knee-jerk response to this particular aspect of life circumstances."

I have a similar reaction to what is called grafitti.

http://www.graffiti.org

Specifically,

http://www.graffiti.org/index/story.html

Originally posted by JS357
I have a similar reaction to what is called grafitti.

http://www.graffiti.org

Specifically,

http://www.graffiti.org/index/story.html

this post will be lost here. it probably deserves it's own thread in the culture forum. i experience a lot of such art in the detroit area, a couple of the ones i've seen are actually up on the site.

Originally posted by JS357
I have a similar reaction to what is called grafitti.

http://www.graffiti.org

Specifically,

http://www.graffiti.org/index/story.html

Fits the idea too. I really admire the dramatic intertwined form in them. There is also the art of placement (lacking in some), and often koan-like content.

Just a personal aside...my father was a bohemian type street sketch artist, travelled around and raised his family that way. The intertwined lettering reminds me of his way of writing on his "works".

Thanks for the links.