Dear Friends,

We have received ¡§C just one day after the programme !! ¡§C so much Qs & As regarding HE Gangteng Rinpoche?¡¥s teachings which is so inconceivable in its depth and beauty from the completely unique presentation of the Dzogchen Ati-Yoga, through the point of view of the manner of practice of which, HH the present Dalai Lama referred to as the ?¡ãPinnacle of all Vehicles?¡À --

CAS?¡¥s wish, of course, is solely that the programme will be of the highest good to all the friends and beings within or without the packed hall, very kindly offered by the Kwan-Im Welfare Society ¡§C

?¡ãAmitofuo !!?¡À

bb & other nice friends @ CAS of and belonging to the

Thousand-Arm Chenrezig

Am attaching some of the useful Qs & As to all:

Question Number One:

Dear CAS,

(1) Thank you very much for inviting and organising HH Gangteng Rinpoche to give such a profound teaching on Dzogchen. I have been looking for this teaching for quite long (remember I ever email to you on this before?). I find teachings that can guide us to develop correct and unmistaken understanding that are free from superstition belief much more important than ceremonial rituals.

Reference to my query which we did not manage to put to Rinpoche yesterday, can you email to me HH Dalai Lama's clarification to abovementioned query as we can find some similarities and of course the major difference (the correct View of all phenomenon as seen during Rigpa).

(2) Also quite often you used the term "Clear Light." Although I have read this term before, I could not really understand it in reference to sutrayana teaching.

Can you email to me what do you means by this "Clear Light" and what is the term used in Theravada teaching's for this state.

Thanks.

Rgds

Question Number Two:

Good morning!

I have another question. Is there a difference between the Dzogchen instructions and Zen? I find similarities as Zen also points out the reality and needs to practise meditation and practitioners are supposed to incorporate them into their daily lives?

cheers

Answer:

Dear KH,

The following website from Alexander Berzin?¡¥s Archives should be of help to your questions ¡§C

The site contains relatively extensive and accurate presentations of the various points brought up above --

The website:

http://www.berzinarchives.com/dzogchen/index.html

The main section of the site too, contains several accurate and useful clarifications and comparisons between the different traditions within the Buddha?¡¥s holy Dharma:

Address of the ?¡ãmain?¡À site:

http://www.berzinarchives.com/

Question Number Three:

Hello !!

Can you email me the names of the books that you referred to during the programme and the notes from which you printed for all the participants during the programme ??

Thanks a million for organizing the programme !!

Answer:

Dear ws,

The book where the commentary on ?¡ãHitting the Essence in Three Words?¡À by HH the Dalai Lama is excerpted from, is from the book entitled, ?¡ãDzogchen ¡§C the Heart Essence of the Great Perfection?¡À, published by ?¡ãSnow Lion?¡À ¡§C

This book contains many other commentaries on Dzogchen by His Holiness ¡§C

For succinct biographies of some of the main lineal Teachers in the Longchen Nyingthig of Dzogchen, it may be good to take a good look at ?¡ãMasters of Meditation and Miracles?¡À by Tulku Thondup, published by Shambala ¡§C

A wonderful collection of holy ?¡ãHeart-Advice?¡À from the late Dudjom Rinpoche, one of the main Teachers of Gangteng Rinpoche, can be found in ?¡ãCounsels from My Heart?¡À, published by Shambala ¡§C

This book contains many vital, essential advices on the Dzogchen as well as the Six Bardos --

You may order these books from Snow Lion through CAS?¡¥s website: http://www.geocities.com/cas_sg/

We understand that special discounts will be given to items ordered through us as we are an ?¡ãaffiliated organization?¡À of Snow Lion ¡§C

Besides ordering, it may be more ?¡ãeconomical?¡À to read them from any of Singapore?¡¥s national libraries and / or the Buddhist Library: http://www.buddhlib.org.sg/

Question Number Four:

Hi BB,

Would really appreciate if could get the following notes,

- HH Dalai Lama explanation on Patrul Rinpoche's commentary that you

were reading from

- the first set of notes on the bardo teachings.. i already have the

2nd set

Thank you very much indeed and really appreciate CAS for organizing

Gangteng Rinpoche's dharma programme, Sadhu, Sadhu, Sadhu.

Best regards,

Answer:

Dear Friend,

Please email us your postal address and we will try to print and send the notes to all soonest we can ¡§C

Of course, CAS always tries to be of service to all friends who sincerely want to engage in practice of the holy Teachings for good of all, and hence, tries as much as is possible, to offer all practice-materials free to all ¡§C

It truly means a lot to all the haggard [ but truly blessed no doubt !! ] volunteers @ CAS to enjoy the sincerity and support from all the students whom we are organizing the programme for !!

To start with, the ( sometimes or perpetually !! ) emotionally and physically drained beings are no long as young, cute ( is it vigorous or virile ?? ) as they used to be, having somehow crept steadily into their late 20s or early 30s and most having now nightmarishly-demanding occupations, some now having new kids in the house containing petite or otherwise spouses, some ordained and hence dropping into holy monasteries or nunneries --

Any puppies or kittens -- the beings @ CAS no exception to the rule !! ¡§C surely love the occasional pat to the head, shoulders or bottom even !!

The beings @ CAS have never tire in reminding each other that if it is not solely for the good and benefit of all the students attending the programmes, we might as well arrange for ?¡ãprivate sessions?¡À / ?¡ãprivate initiations?¡À just to cater to the whims and fancies of the elitist but truly lonely few !!

Hence, if CAS is to organize any programme, then it should, rightfully, solely be for the good and benefit of all the students attending them !!

Hence, too, we have always tried to source for the best materials, even if it means purchasing them from the US, intact with all the exorbitant postage charges, paying for them through our Chinese New Year ?¡ãRed Packets?¡À, saving up that coveted cup of Starbuck?¡¥s smooth caffeine and settling for a 70 cents hawker center fare, trudging to far-flung areas for the best deals in printing to cut costs, finally hauling the precious hundreds of copies into MRTs, SBS buses and all to increasingly-difficulty-to-look-for programme venues to be handed-out to all our beloved brothers and sisters in the holy Dharma --

Indeed, ?¡ãLama Kyenno; Lama Kyenno; Lama Kyenno ¡§C

the precious, Root Teacher of unrepayable kindness, You know it all !!?¡À

Question Number Five:

What happens to daily yidam practice as we have now received Dzogchen. Is generating Yidam ?¡ãDiscursive Thoughts?¡À ?? What about ?¡ãDream Yoga?¡À ?? Food and walking visualizations ??

Answer:

Dear LG,

From the answer given by Khenpo Tsewang Gyatso from HH Penor Rinpoche?¡¥s Namdroling Monastery in response to the same questions we posed to Him years ago, once any practitioner utilizes Dzogchen into the Yidam practice, if the Yidam is generated from ?¡ãRigpa?¡À or one?¡¥s ?¡ãIntrinsic Awareness?¡À, that practice will be considered an Ati-Yoga practice.

Any Yidam not generated with, from or through the introduced and recognized ?¡ãView?¡À, ?¡ãRigpa?¡À or ?¡ãIntrinsic Awareness?¡À is definitely a contrived practice and hence, a product of ?¡ãDiscursive Thought?¡À, although of course, the generated Yidam could be generated through the Uncommon Bodhicitta of wishing to attain Buddhahood soonest possible to free all mother beings from suffering ¡§C

The Yidam generated from Rigpa is ?¡ãnaturally?¡À imbued with supreme and total compassion towards all mother beings who are still embroiled in samsara, not being able to recognize their own inherent ?¡ãBuddha Nature?¡À or ?¡ãRigpa?¡À

We should definitely continue with any committed daily Yidam practices.

Khenpo was then quoting from a text by Longchenpa or Jigme Lingpa then, but we cannot remember the specific title of the writing !!

Dream Yoga practices should be learnt from a qualified Spiritual Teacher. The practices are outlined in, ?¡ãNatural L:iberation?¡À, a commentary by Gyaltrul Rinpoche, published by Wisdom.

?¡ãThe Life and Revelations of Pema Lingpa?¡À, published by Snow Lion contains outlines of practices of Dream Yoga and are related to the teachings given by Pema Lingpa, one of Gangteng Rinpoche?¡¥s past birth.

Food and walking, all should try to abide whilst understanding all experienced phenomena as creative displays of ?¡ãRigpa?¡À, known as the Effulgent Rigpa ¡§C

Sometimes, when I get tired from trying to recognize all as being Effulgent Rigpa, I tried to visualize circumambulating holy stupas when walking and offering to Tripe Gem before eating and so forth !! I guess this is OK !!

Question Number Six:

Dear Friend,

Dear BB, thanks for organising Gangteng Rinpoche and Paltrul's Rinpoche events :-) Rejoice in all CAS' dharma work. We have definitely benefited from these events.

BTW, if there are any future events by Rinpoche, I suppose you would also inform us ? Heee...

And, on a personal note, I would like to ask you about the Ngrondo practice.....I am thinking of starting to do it but not sure if I can go through the whole process...haaa. Also, does that mean that the teacher that we take the Ngrondo practice from would have to be our Guru ? For example, if I am more a Drikung Kagyu and look upto to Druwang Rinpoche as my teacher...but he is old and too far to give instruction, of course with the language barrier, better to look for someone within Drikung Kagyu to take the instruction right ? Does that mean I would have to always go back to the same teacher or can I take instruction from any other Drikung Kagyu master as well ? I am not quite sure who I can or would like to take Ngrondo practice instruction yet, you see. Hope you can give me some advice on this...heee. THanks.

Regards,

Answer:

Should definitely be able to complete the whole Ngondro if we recognize the deep value of doing the Ngondro, which mainly, I think, is that it allows us to attain Buddhahood soonest possible for good of all ¡§C

According to the teachings from our holy Teachers, Spiritual Teachers are the teachers whom we

1) have very close karmic-link and who will be of highest benefit to our practice even with simply just one word, a gesture etc.

2) have obtained Realizations

3) ?¡ãofficially?¡À received instructions, initiations and the like

There exists, of course, other possible contexts in which someone may become or could be considered one?¡¥s Spiritual Teacher --

Knowing you for some time, I suppose Drupwang Rinpoche should be considered a Spiritual Teacher with deep karmic link to you.

The person who helps you with the Ngondro may too be considered your Teacher ¡§C

It is definitely possible and in some cases, necessary, to have more than one, single Teacher ¡§C

Having Teachers from different lineages too is a OK provided you benefit from their instructions ¡§C

You have to make sincere prayers to meet a good Teacher --

The content of Ngondro allows for practice of them even from different lineages --

HH Penor Rinpoche allows students who have completed Ngondros in all the 4 different lineages to attend His higher initiations such as the Nyingthig Yabshi ¡§C

?¡ãRelating to a Spiritual Teacher?¡À by Alexander Berzin?¡À, published by Snow Lion is an extremely helpful guide to understanding the delicate and intricate relationship between a disciple and Teacher in the Varjayana Tradition.

Question Number Seven

Dear friend

I would like to express my sincere thanks to your organisation and Yeshe Korlo, Singapore for organising the teachings by HE Gangteng Rinpoche.

At the same time, i would also like to order the 3 sets of CDs on the teachings on "Hitting the essence in three words". Please let me know how and what is the cost. Thanks.

metta

Answers:

Dear Friend,

The beings @ CAS is glad to organize and host the programme which we hope is of much benefit to all ¡§C

I will forward your appreciation too to our friend who will be trying to establish a center for Gangteng Rinpoche in Singapore ¡§C

All of Gangteng Rinpoche?¡¥s centers in the west are known as Yeshe Korlo centers. As far as the friends @ CAS are aware, there does not seem to be yet a legally registered Yeshe Korlo center in Singapore ¡§C

Although CAS is taken by surprise at the sudden active spearhead during CAS?¡¥s organizing of Gangteng Rinpoche?¡¥s programme itself to establish a Yeshe Korlo center locally, CAS, nevertheless, gave our whole-hearted support and substituted CAS?¡¥s usual Dedication Prayers with that of the Opening and Closing prayer booklets used by Gangteng Rinpoche's chain of centers in the west, to help in whatever way we can, towards the eventual establishment of a local Yeshe Korlo for Rinpoche ¡§C

So as not to divert potential contribution to Rinpoche?¡¥s tickets, on our friend?¡¥s side of cost-division, CAS have, after the first day, refrained from appealing for contributions towards the ?¡ãCAS?¡¥s Dharma Propagation Fund?¡À or ?¡ãKhensur Dorje Tashi Animal Liberation Fund?¡À ¡§C the funds that respectively print for all texts in all our programmes, the newspaper advert and the entire costs and air-ticket of the venerable professional Translator from Taiwan amongst others and the fund through which we sent thousands to one of the Teachers in HH the Dalai Lama?¡¥s personal monastery for Animal Liberation ¡§C

CAS is gleefully happy to be able to, with the best efforts and motivation possible, work hard and purely for all our precious, holy Teachers --

Serving holy and precious Gangteng Rinpoche, not to say supporting our friend, after all, will be for the good of all beings, so long as learning and teaching of the Dharma, including sharing of ideas amongst the members in the planned center, are initiated and maintained well --

On a more pragmatic note ( !! ), any donation in the form of Crossed Checks to the ?¡ãCharitable Assistance Society?¡À, posted to ?¡ãBlk 719, Jurong West Ave 5, #01-66, Singapore 640719?¡À, scribbling ?¡ãCAS Dharma Propagation Fund?¡À at the back of the check, will be gratefully accepted and re-generated into more holy texts, pictures, CDs etc. for all --

With every possible good wishes to all our friends,

bb & other good Buddhists @ CAS of and belonging to

Thousand-Arm Chenrezig