Tuesday 14 June 2011

NATURAL RADIANCE, AWAKENING TO YOUR GREAT PERFECTION - LAMA SURYA DAS








RATING - A (almost A+!!)

A very interesting and entertaining practice manual combining a book and CD. Along with the Ngondro of my former lineage, I intend for this book/CD to become the basis of my regular practice over the rest of my current life. I was also interested to learn how much of the Dzogchen teachings I could re-find from a former life.

Highlights include:
* amusement at my initial attempt at 'morning sky breath', due to sounding somewhat akin to dirty bath water going down the plughole. (With further practice, I sound as if a cross between a didgeridoo and someone doing a Tarzan impersonation, but....)
* confusion over 'Rushen' - due to previously achieving the same results in a different way and having to try to find and then go in the back door after already having gone thru the front. The instructions appeared as 'just words that were spoken' without leading anywhere, as I already had arrived thru differing means.
* likewise concerning Thekchod - I have already learned to achieve the same result using a differing method.
* the results of my initial practice of Hung Mantra and Togal.

Overall, I find this a highly valuable book. It would suit someone who was unable to take one-on-one instruction in Dzogchen at the moment, yet was curious and determined to practice anyway. With either practice from a former life or an ability to tune in spiritually to the writer at the point of the recording of the CD, this book/CD should be workable with until linking to a teacher.

NB: in many opinions, it is impossible to practice Dzogchen without a teacher-to student DIRECT/LIVE transmission. Whilst I have not personally found this to be the case due to having practiced/received transmissions in former lives, I agree that a complete 'newbie' would benefit extremely from personal tuition and transmission from a qualified teacher in a one-on-one basis.

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