James Low - Dzogchen and Buddhist Teachings

1st February 2023. James Low had invited questions from people watching his Zooms, which he began to answer. Note: the constant cuts in this video result from the removal of James Low's periods of silence, while waiting for the consecutive translation from the German translator. Index "(00:00) How do we really know 'it is what it is', since our perceptions are usually distorted and we don't perceive things as they really are?" "(08:18) Is it necessary for us to complete ngöndro to fully practice mahamudra? If not, when is it okay for us to go directly into practicing mahamudra?" "(28:59) The dzogchen teachings tell us that all external and internal reality is mind. So we might reframe that as all that appears to be real and truly existing is in fact the energy of the mind. That is all phenomena, sensations, perceptions, thoughts and so on are projected into our mind." "(35:35) How does this idealistic vision 'everything is mind' fit with the madhyamaka philosophy where any conceptualization is avoided?" "(38:59) If we have had teachings on 'powa', the ejection of the mind out of the body, and we can eject our consciousness successfully into a pure land, at the moment of death, does that mean we skip the stage of child-meet-mother luminosity?" "(39:57) It's said that the bardo is not here, not there, not past, not future... does that mean the bardo is also illusory? Bardo is just another way of saying 'in between', but if there is nothing to be in between, no A and B, then is the bardo is just a label actually?" "(43:45) What is child luminosity and how do we know we have recognized it via our practice?" Video at https://youtu.be/fb30mxvsGtE?si=B9n5ixH1fjw4LTwT

23 November 2022. James Low had invited questions from people watching his Zooms, which he began to answer. Note: the constant cuts in this video result from the removal of James Low's periods of silence, while waiting for the consecutive translation from one of the translators. Index "(00:00) We can apply the questions 'is there a shape or a color?' to what occurs. 'Does it come from somewhere? Does it stay? Does it go?' We can apply this to both the content of the mind and the mind itself. Do they have a different function?" "(03:06) The stainless original nature is prior to time and space and, in that sense, it is permanent and can be realized. Such realization depends on causes and conditions, such as having a teacher, hearing the teachings and so on. How then can the non-dual traditions teach that buddhahood is a permanent condition from which there is no back-sliding? " "(09:55) I used to look at my body sensations as signals telling me about my needs. For example "I'm so tired, I need to rest." However, when I now try neither to merge nor to separate myself from the field of experience, sometimes I ignore these signals and then I abuse myself. How is it possible to take care of my own energetic resources yet be in accord with the dzogchen view?" "(19:07) I still treat the time of meditation as more important, more sacred, than the time of my daily activities. What can I do to change this view? " "(26:30) How did traditional practitioners in Tibet deal with their emotions?" "(29:20) Why in the west are we so serious about what we call 'my practice'?" "(31:02) There is less emphasis on long silent retreats in our tradition than in the zen or theravada traditions, for example. Why?" "(34:27) When everything is empty and thoughts and feelings and emotions are mere constructs, how does one avoid being nihilistic? " "(39:04) What is meant by 'exhaustion of phenomena' ?" "(42:48) Are phenomena the reflections of the mirror?" "(43:50) Can stillness and movement be experienced separately?" "(45:32) If we have not received a direct transmission from any dzogchen master, is it possible to recognize the nature of mind by ourselves or do we need a direct transmission?" "(51:20) How can we receive transmission when it may not be possible for us to meet Buddhist teachers from the east?" Video at https://youtu.be/mOByAvxrP5g?si=cRhxJuwzNM_NFzGi

2nd November 2022. James Low had invited questions from people watching his Zooms, which he began to answer. Note: the constant cuts in this video result from the removal of James Low's periods of silence, while waiting for the consecutive translation from one of the translators. Index "(00:00) With regard to depression, how does the medical biochemical approach compare to the psychoanalytic view and the buddhist view?" "(10:05) Unless I am in open awareness, I get lost in thought. Does one need to stay in open awareness all the time?" "(13:57) In dzogchen, they say that our situation is like a snake in a bamboo pole, we either go up or down. How to see where we are and what to do to ensure we go up?" "(19:13) What is the purpose of planting Earth healing pots and and placing tsa-tsas, small images of the Buddhas and statues and making stupas?" "(26:45) James says that we should avoid classifying people and situations in terms of of like and not like. Yet what should we do if we are connected with someone who undermines us, constantly attacks us and provokes anxiety and crises?" "(37:08) How does practising in nature help to unveil the natural state of our mind?" Video at https://youtu.be/L91tl1V5jHE?si=ItdNXmWAwc7ioKHl

28 September 2022. James Low had invited questions from people watching his Zooms, which he began to answer. Note: the constant cuts in this video result from the removal of James Low's periods of silence, while waiting for the consecutive translation from one of the translators. Index "(00:00) Becoming more conscious of how I am a pulsation of change in a changing environment of diverse manifestations, Ioften feel disturbed by the excess of stimuli which I fuse with, then l cut off and enclose myself in a narrow view. How to avoid this happening?" "(13:06) l have experienced that my intentions expressed in prayer are fulfilled. How does our mind and intention influence reality?" "(19:38) When trying to stay with anger without merging and simultaneously letting whatever arises flow, l experience self-judging thoughts, such as "you shouldn't" or "that's not nice". This quickly leads to physical discomfort like a subtle form of irritation. Is this a sign that I have merged with the reaction to the judging thoughts?" "(36:06) I have difficulty integrating the experiences, stroke recollections of rigpa, emptiness and non-duality. Yet only when I come out of it, I am able to refer to concepts of rigpa, emptiness and oneness." Video at https://youtu.be/gjg46nZnmfA?si=K57WojKNdP-YInu2

18 May 2022. James Low had invited questions from people watching his Zooms, which he began to answer. Note: the constant cuts in this video result from the removal of James Low's periods of silence, while waiting for the consecutive translation from one of the translators. Index "(00:00) Question from someone who has practiced a lot of zen sitting for many years, but started to feel the tradition wasn't doing anything lively for him. He says: now I feel more alive with the sense something inside me is guiding me, but can I trust this? Because I am aware how easy it is to deceive oneself." "(02:17) Are there life patterns? If so, can we scape from them?" "(13:27) 'Observe our own mind and find out how it is.' Does it envolve analises? The guru yoga is free of analises." "(16:04) How to live in a proactive culture, while remaining in the receptive state of the mirror?" "(20:27) Is enlightenment possible without meditation? What about the religious traditions that don't talk about meditation?" "(23:10) Do you believe in free will? If so, where is the 'I' that I believe sits in front of the thoughts that are ever emerging?" "(24:42) When difficult emotions arises, a mood can last for days. We are advised not to reject negative experiences, but to protect the thusness within them. How to do this without reactivity or artificiality?" "(26:26) How to reverse the karmic impact of unethical actions?" "(29:10) Why are owls auspicious?" "(30:07) How is deity practice relevant to us on the path?" "(30:34) What are mind termas?" "(31:05) How can we be sure that we are in rigpa?" "(31:59) In the Rigdzin text, it says 'I and all sentient being go for refuge'. How can I say this on behalf of all sentient beings?" "(33:16) Many teachers give the Rigpa Tsal Wang and say that this is indispensable for dzogchen practice. You don't. Why? " "(34:42) With intense experience of suffering, where one moment of experience is followed by another, the fact that the arising is vanishing doesn't help, with the stream of similar experiences which keep coming, such as chronic pain, fear of attack, war, grief." "(38:52) With the war in Ukraine there is hurtful aggression, it may be illusory, but people do experience attack and suffering. How to look at war in terms of emptiness, while avoiding entering into judgment?" "(40:31) Nothing exists in and of itself, everything is empty. So how does karma come into future lives? What transports the karma?" "(42:31) In the text we read, there are five kayas. I know about the dharmakaya, sanbogakaya and nirmanakaya. What are the other two?" "(43:37) How to continue in awareness in our daily activities, without immediately falling back in the same old pattern of reification?" "(45:01) What is meant by pure vision? Is it a pure sensory perception or rather a pure view?" "(47:31) Is is it possible to have a pure vision while we still have a karmic body?" Video at https://youtu.be/78YUjwB8SH4?si=QCJfD3sRZ3myqAXo

6 April 2022. James Low had invited questions from people watching his Zooms, which he began to answer. Note: the constant cuts in this video result from the removal of James Low's periods of silence, while waiting for the consecutive translation from one of the translators. Index "(00:00) There is often an instruction "observe your own mind and find out how it is". Is this open sitting practice the same as or different from guru yoga?" "(12:06) Have you ever witnessed a miracle? If so, please tell us about it." "(13:10) Do you consider mudras helpful? If yes, which ones in particular?" "(15:16) Is psychotherapy useful as an adjunct or a support for dzogchen?" "(18:53) How to introduce children to this dzogchen view? What topics at what ages?" "(27:31) Should we do long retreats or short retreats or just one day? What is good?" "(31:57) Our everyday experience is of a body walking in space. Is this more accurately the space in the mind, so we are not in space, but space is in the mind?" "(40:08) At the moment, I conceptually understand that what I see is like a reflection in the mirror. But this is still a concept. How to get direct experience of this?" Video at https://youtu.be/0niSASsoVQA?si=vpKV-fuKrqojRn1R

23 February 2022. James Low had invited questions from people watching his Zooms, which he began to answer. Note: the constant cuts in this video result from the removal of James Low's periods of silence, while waiting for the consecutive translation from one of the translators. How can our dharma understanding help us to stay open and relaxed in times of war and conflict? Video at https://youtu.be/KCIykdh793s?si=F3wAZDTQxxH2t_M2

9 February 2022. James Low had invited questions from people watching his Zooms, which he began to answer. Note: the constant cuts in this video result from the removal of James Low's periods of silence, while waiting for the consecutive translation from one of the translators. Index "(00:00) The duality of violent and non-violent communication: how not to get caught in either of them?" "(07:12) Are any empowerment of any of the different classes of tantra and so on prerequisite for studying and practicing dzogchen or are they pointing out instructions, the very door?" "(13:56) Are you implying that the reality outside of us doesn't exist at all?" "(16:41) The concept of renunciation and extinguishing all duality is extreme. Surely we can enjoy the good and deal with the bad without attachment." "(22:30) In meditation I sometimes have a perception of quietness and peace. Yet when I reach it, I spontaneously finish the meditation as if I was incapable of maintaining it. Is there an explanation or remedy?" "(28:49) How to bring dharma ideas into the lives of children, so that they are not totally immersed in capitalist materialism?" "(33:38) Can you say something about Hedewa, the shock of amazement that you get with Phat!?" "(39:32) So many methods are present in the buddhist tradition for overcoming dualism and delusion in order to awaken. How do you think we should approach this? Should we do it with us adapting to these traditional structures, to the purity of the lineage? Or should we adapt this inheritance to our own lived situation?" Video at https://youtu.be/UEiFjyrboCU?si=x34hb8Pykxna4mqB

19 January 2022. James Low had invited questions from people watching his Zooms, which he began to answer. Note: the constant cuts in this video result from the removal of James Low's periods of silence, while waiting for the consecutive translation from one of the translators. Index "(00:00) Should we be doing a Yidam practice as well as Padmasambhava practice?" "(03:15) Can you explain the Khandro Gadgyang chöd?" "(06:44) Somebody who has been able to take some time so that they don't have to work for a period of time and they can just devote themselves fully to the practice: should they start to look for a job or to trust that all that is needed will arrive?" "(14:25) Is chöd different from the christian idea of self-sacrifice?" "(18:14) Is the fearlessness and equanimity from chöd an acceptance that lets evil win?" "(20:23) Some writers stress the need for advanced meditative accomplishment before entering dzogchen. You do not. Why?" "(24:28) How to deal with people and situations which awaken karmic patterns in us with of great intensity?" "(28:35) How to be in the world with others, maintaining the structure of my life without organizing events around my egoic intentions?" "(31:28) Somebody has said that they came across apiece of writing that said that Zangdok Parli, the place where Padmasambhava is now, is also inhabited by rakshasas, who only see Guru Rinpoche as a harsh rakshasa king." "(34:57) For quite some time, I experienced a tilt to the nihilistic pole. As a result, I experience a general lack of motivation in my life. If everything is impermanent and empty, like the breath of wind, why should I put effort into something?" "(36:37) Why strive for virtue?" "(40:13) The more I practice or listen to the teachings and reflect about them, it seems to me that the struggle and the power of the ego is strengthening. Do I do something wrong? 43:33 Could you explain again the five questions regarding the mind?" Video at https://youtu.be/_4ll6YS07BQ?si=Xt-hPBag5HLsY7N1

17 November 2021. James Low had invited questions from people watching his Zooms, which he began to answer. Note: the constant cuts in this video result from the removal of James Low's periods of silence, while waiting for the consecutive translation from one of the translators. Index "(00:00) Can you comment on the three factor that are unconditionef? The sky, enlightenment and the moment of enlightenment." "(12:51) Why did great lamas like Dudjom Rinpoche, Dilgo Khyentse Rinpoche and so on do tantric practices of visualization mantra and so on every day? Is a practice like dzogchen, guru yoga, not enough?" "(18:56) What is the buddhist significance of adventitious?" "(22:09) How to deal with feelings of shame or guilt if you are unable to follow through with a guru's command?" "(28:48) When I practice and make absolutely no effort, I'm dragged around by thoughts. I feel like I need to have some sort of intention or minor effort in order to stay open and present." "(34:18) In guru yoga of the white A, should the eyes be kept open all the time?" Video at https://youtu.be/mK6uraSr1Xc?si=MpwWJIG9kfW8P73_