r/Dzogchen

Received pointing out instructions twice, been integrating into daily life as much as possible. But I've heard from both fellow practitioners, and teachers a lot lately that multi-week retreats, preferably longer are a "necessity" for getting to the point of totally daily integration without needing formal sessions anymore.

I don't have the money, or time for that as I have people that are financially reliant on me, and I can't get that much time off of work all at once. Is this genuinely a "necessity" or what?

A bit about my background: I have a solid foundation in intensive, highly disciplined monastic settings. Mostily realated to the Therevada Forest Tradition.

Lately, I’ve felt a powerful pull toward the Dzogchen view and want to dedicate my next chapter to its study and practice.

Initially, I looked into 6-month residential "work-study" programs at places like the Nyingma Institute in Berkeley, USA. However, I realized their layout is heavily weighted toward full-time manual labor for the estate (40+ hours a week of cooking, gardening, maintenance) with formal study/practice relegated entirely to evenings. Coming from a monastic background, I am looking for something where the daytime priority is actually text study, formal contemplation, and resting the mind, rather than full-time housekeeping.

I am open to traveling anywhere worldwide. I know of a few options like Dzogchen Beara in Ireland, Lerab Ling in France, and the various Gars of the Dzogchen Community (like Tashigar or Merigar), but I would love to hear your recommendations for places that offer immersive, long-term residential study/practice deeply rooted in pure Dzogchen.

I would love to hear center recommendations, book suggestions, or personal experiences.

Tashi Delek!

Three years ago, I received a Dzogchen transmission during online classes with a teacher from the Yungdrung Bon tradition. Just to be clear, it was a long-term course, not a one-time session.

At the moment of transmission, I experienced a very strong, intense, and prolonged pressure in the center of my forehead.

At one point, I even got scared that it wouldn't stop.

After that, I started experiencing vibrations in my forehead area. At first, they were very strong; it felt like a hole was being drilled between my eyes. This sensation appeared constantly as soon as I relaxed, for example, right before sleep. It was highly intrusive. I would lie there trying to relax, and these vibrations would happen. When I was very tired, I would try to roll over on my side and fall asleep, but I ended up waking up from even stronger vibrations in my forehead.

Gradually, these vibrations began to change their character. I would say they became more like a movement in the forehead area; it's hard to describe in words. Generally, they occur not only in the forehead but also at the crown of my head.

I've noticed that they constantly intensify, but only to the extent that I can tolerate them. It's as if I get used to a certain level of intensity, and then they get stronger. This has been going on for 3 years now. They arise almost always when I am relaxing, and also whenever I experience any strong emotions.

I have tried asking teachers about this, and most of the answers came down to the suggestion that it is most likely a "wind disease" (rlung disorder in Tibetan medicine).

I don't have a personal mentor to whom I can ask this and get a detailed answer, so I want to try asking here.

Basically, what is this exactly?

If it is indeed a wind disease, how should I treat it? If left untreated, what will happen next?

I also understand that I probably need to meditate on space (sky gazing), spend more time outdoors in open areas, and do more physical exercises.

Has anyone here had a similar experience, and could you please share your insights?

I was just listening to two podcasts with Joe Evans of Rangdrol Foundation and I wanted to talk about some of the things he said. But, a topic that came up frequently was the old E-sangha and they kind of laughed about it. Joe described it as "vigorous" at first, but I knew exactly what they were both thinking. So, later, I was happy when one of them came right out and just said it without mincing words: "you'd come to this Buddhist forum and everyone was fighting!" The podcaster said he wasn't on E-sangha, but said he later read stories about all the flame wars. Joe replied, "It was fun!"

No, it wasn't. I think it totally screwed up my experience of the dharma from a pretty early stage. I've often thought about it over the years and I find that the same patterns hold true in a lot of Reddit Buddhist subs, too. So, I dip in and dip out quickly, but I can hardly ever manage to avoid a miscommunication and always seem to find myself in the crosshairs of someone I've somehow irritated or who just wants to let me know I'm mistaken about something. I'll cite passages from someone like Dudjum Rinpoche or Namkhai Norbu to support exactly what I said (because at this point, I've come to expect that I can't state a single thing without someone telling me I'm wrong) and, of course, the person disappears into silence.

So, I just don't want that kind of atmosphere with what I wanted to talk about from these podcasts. I had some thoughts on some things Joe said, but I don't want to share them in a public Dzogchen space where everything is hyper serious due to being so public.

I'd like access to the "secret room" where chill people are not always trying to fight about everything and just share ideas without feeling like they have to save the world from bad information. Where is that place?

I have some questions about some stuff he said—not even really doubts—but I don't want whatever I say to be seen as a public criticism because it's not. I'd really like to have a simple, quick, and casual conversation about just a couple things without coming across as if I'm criticizing people (because I'm not). However, I've been around Buddhist forums for ~20 years now and I know that 100% of the time when I post anything, someone out there is going to misinerpret my intentions and start a big argument about it while acting like they're not doing that and it's not their fault I said something they misinterpreted and probably I had ulterior motives because they didn't understand and, in any case, the fault is all mine, certainly not theirs, etc. This sort of nonsense is not how normal conversations take place in person.

Chöd belongs to Tibetan Buddhism as a whole, but it also has deep and direct connections with Dzogchen. Its philosophical foundation comes from the teachings of Prajñāpāramitā (Perfection of Wisdom), especially the understanding of emptiness.

Chöd operates on different levels: External Chöd, Internal Chöd, Secret Chöd (Dzogchen).

Anyone has attended a Chöd retreat or practiced it in a traditional setting. What was the experience like, and where did you go?

Greetings friends,
I’m heading to Ladakh in July. I’m wondering if anyone has had any adventures through with Dzogchen yogis/lamas/tulkus giving pointing out instructions? Anyone know of who the residing Rinpoche is at Takthok Monastery?

Dochter, I think i am Awareness and not a person..

Doktor: you are delusional. Haldol might help.

.....

This week I came to the realisation that dzOgchen might be a mentall illness. Of course I am me. 99% do not see they are Awareness. More proof ?

Can you maintain rigpa in a cessation event. In theravada the definition of a cessation is you cannot be aware but if rigpa is the recognition of the ground which prevades all does this bypass? Maybe this is a silly question.

How do you handle all the people who are struggling? I think it may get worse as stress in society probably increases. I’ve experienced the bliss that meditation can bring, but when you tell others about it, they often think it’s nonsense. How do you explain this to them? Thanks!

Hello folks, I may be spending a fair amount of time in Santa Fe over the next few years and I wonder if anyone has any suggestions for practice opportunities in the region, including Albuquerque and Taos. I know that Ewam Pema Khandro Ling is there, but honestly I don't know anything about it or its resident teacher Gochen Tulku Sang-ngag except what I have read on the website. I gather there's also an FPMT center, and maybe a Kagyu center, as well as a Zen center with a fairly prominent senior teacher.

Not looking to gossip or anything like that, of course, just looking for impressions and tips by anyone who's familiar with the area - if it's a good place to lay a foundation for practice, especially in Dzogchen.

Many thanks!

I realized that I have audio of the Vajra Amor mantra in the Dzogchen Community Mantras collection I purchased many years ago, so that is why I deleted my previous post asking if there is a Vajra Armor audio in ChNN's lineage. There is and I already had it.

Can anyone here who received this practice from Namkhai Norbu and has been doing this mantra daily can confirm for me that you are also doing it with 31 syllables? I made a mark on a piece of paper for every syllable as I listened to Namkhai Norbu slowly recite the mantra. He speaks it very clearly. I'm just curious if he's always been taught this way because it's not really clear from the Vajra Armor e-book, which mentions some different pronunciations and a potential omission, and also literally every version of the mantra on Youtube is different from this (that I can find).

I'm not worried about it, just curious, so no need to advise me "not to worry about it" or "if that's how he pronounced it on the mp3, then it's correct" or anything like that. I already know that. I'm asking specific questions I am curious about without detailing the mantra publicly. (Just trying to be clear so as not to waste anyone's time). Thanks.

anyone familiar with john gorman.. he says most practioners die before reaching stability.. we can use 5meo to accelerate the process.. is this vaild?