Tuesday, March 12, 2013

Döné Sangwa: Basic Goodness: The Natural State

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Dzogchen Explorations

Okar Research

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BASIC GOODNESS...(kunshi ngangluk kyi gewa)..."Every human being has a basic nature of goodness, which is undiluted and unconfused. That goodness contains tremendous gentleness and appreciation...we have an actual connection to reality that can wake us up." (Trungpa:1984..Pg 31)

Kunzang Akor: the All-good 'A' Circle is a meditational form of the Bon deity Shenlha Okar. He is generally recognized by the Tibetan letter 'A' placed on the chest at the level of the heart. The two hands generally rest in the lap and hold the stems of two flower blossoms supporting a yungdrung (svastika) on the right and a vase on the left. There are numerous traditions of ritual cycles and meditation practices for Kunzang Akor.....http://www.himalayanart.org/search/set.cfm?setID=1387

"Döné Sangwa.......Basic goodness is fundamental to the Shambhala tradition. It was a primary focus of the Vidyadhara Chögyam Trungpa Rinpoche’s teaching toward the end of his life......The Tibetan for basic goodness, döné sangwa, appears in the Vidyadhara’s Shambhala terma. As far as the Translation Committee is aware, it is a term unique to the Vidyadhara’s terma. Thus far, we have not found it elsewhere, not in Tibetan literature in general, including such likely sources as the mahamudra and dzokchen presentations of buddha nature and primordial purity, nor in the Vidyadhara’s own early Tibetan terma and writings.".....http://nalandatranslation.org/offerings/choosing-the-right-word/done-sangwa-basic-goodness-and-kunsang-all-good/

"Natural State.....According to Tibetan Buddhism and Bön, Dzogchen (Rdzogs chen or Atiyoga) is the natural, primordial state or natural condition .....Literally translated "Great Perfection," Dzogchen is the gestalt and grounding perspective that informs and resolves all the elements of the Bon tradition. In emphasizing that enlightenment can actually unfold through continually recognizing the nuances of our already existent "natural state," Dzogchen stands in contrast to the sutras and tantras, which stress applying fervent effort and striving toward actual transformation. Moreover, Bon tradition understands the development of bare awareness as its most significant method, toward which all other practices serve as preparation.".....http://www.tricycle.com/reviews/wonders-natural-mind-essence-dzogchen-native-bon-tradition-tibet

"A Dzogchen Master STARTS with "direct introduction" with everyone. If they don't "get it" then one starts to use all the infinite methods and means to help bring about the experience of Rigpa. When one has the experience of Rigpa, then one confirms the validity of one's path now being "remaining with Rigpa" as path. Then, one simply continues in that state. Rigpa is the view to be experienced, Rigpa is the path to be followed, and Rigpa is the fruit of the path. There is no change in Rigpa, either in the beginning, middle or end. The fruit is your first realization of Rigpa. There are no Stages of Rigpa. Thogel does not modify Rigpa."——Dudjom Rinpoche on the Three Statements of Garab Dorje

"Trungpa Rinpoche associates the term basic goodness with the Tibetan term from the Kadam tradition kunshi-ngangluk-kyi-gewa which refers to the Natural State.....The realization that we can directly experience and work with reality." (Shambhala: Sacred Path of the Warrior pg 29-33)

"In the ordinary sense, we think of space as something vacant or dead. But in this case, space is a vast world that has capabilities of absorbing, acknowledging, and accommodating...if you look into it, you can't find anything. If you try to put your finger on it, you find that you don't even have finger to put! That is the primordial nature of basic goodness, and it is that nature which allows a human being to become a warrior, to become the warrior of all warriors." (Shambhala: Sacred Path of the Warrior pg 155)

http://www.thangkagallery.org/item/71/samantabhadra-tib-kuntu-sangpo

...In Bon Dzogchen it is stated that all of reality is pervaded by a transcendent principle called "All Good". It has a male aspect called Kuntu Sangpo and a female aspect, Kungtu Sangmo, and is a "universal reality of dynamic potentiality".(Powers: 1990 p.440)

...Pictorial descriptions and information on the Tibetan deity Kuntu Sangpo ("All Good") as appears in the recent book by Per Kvaerne, "The Bon Religion of Tibet" (Shambhala Publications, 1996)

...gdod nas bzang ba: basic goodness....
gdod nas dag-pa - primordially pure
gdod nas: primordial, original, basic, from the very beginning
...thog ma'i: primal, original, basic, first
gdod-ma'i gzhi - the Primordial Base

......."Training yourself to be a warrior is learning to rest in basic goodness, rest in a complete state of simplicity." (Trungpa: 1984..pg 70)

...."In Shinto, the essence of all beings is regarded as being good, and evil is thought as being un-essential and temporary. It is thought that by harae (purification ceremonies), all things can and must be changed to good." ..(Jinja:1958..pg 28)

...."The Mithraic restoration of original goodness through 'den' (the Old Iranian word for wisdom). ..(Campbell: 1968..pg 120)

..."If the cosmic man joins in himself the highest power of the essence (xvarr) of sovereignty (sahr)[ge sahr?] with the highest power of the essence of the Good..." (Campbell: 1968...pg 107)...

Kun tu bzang-po - Samantabhadra (name of the Primordial Buddha)
Kuntu bzang-mo Samantabhadri (name of the Primordial Wisdom)
kun-khyab all-pervading
kun-mkhyen - omniscient, all-knowing
kun tu snang-ba'i ting-nge-' dzin - the samadhi or state of contemplation which illuminates everything
kun brtag ma rig-pa - the ignorance which conceptualizes everything
Kun-byed rgyal-po - the king who creates everything
kun-rdzob - relative
kun-rdzob bden-pa - Relative Truth
kun-gzhi - the basis of everything, alaya
kun-gzhi rnam-shes - the store consciousness, alaya-vijñana
kun-bzang dgongs-pa - the Primordial State of Samantabhadra

In Sanskrit, samantha means all sides. Bhadra means perfect. Thus, Samantabhadra (male) and Samantabhadri (female) mean "perfect from all sides".....In the Tibetan Buddhist tradition, Samantabhadri (in Tibetan, Kuntuzangmo) is usually portrayed as inseparable from her consort Samantabhadra.....Art by Robert Beer....http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-M_DLcmZAjys/UlLofhrmdqI/AAAAAAAAF7A/AADNsie3Yxk/s1600/photo+1.JPG

"In a Bodhisattva Vow talk Q&A, someone asks Trungpa Rinpoche the difference between buddha nature, bodhichitta, and basic goodness because the question was part of their Shambhala Culture and Vajra Politics class at Seminary. Rinpoche responds: "Basic goodness is a Shambhalian expression. It means that although many people in this world are apes, within their apeness they could still have the qualities of warriorship. With the context of being an ape, you could still be a warrior. There is that element of warriorship in you already. Buddha nature is saying almost the same thing: there is enlightened mind in you already. The reason you have to follow the path is because you have to undress, to shed your coverings. It is because you feel that you are so brilliant, so full, that you decide to put lots of coverings on yourself. You don't want to acknowledge your sanity; therefore, you try to collect neuroses of all kinds in order to cover yourself up, to disguise yourself... The third one, Bodhishitta, is known as heart. It is like the expression hearty soup or hearty experience. ... It is connected with action rather then with essence as such..."....http://labelingthoughts.org/wiki/Basic_goodness

"In the introduction to an English translation of selections from the Bonpo Book of the Dead, John Myrdhin Reynolds says, "The Homage, with which the Tibetan text opens, Kuntu bzang-po rang-rig gsal-bar ston la phyag 'tshal-lo, invokes the Primordial Buddha Kuntu Zangpo (...Skt. Samantabhadra) as being the Self-Awareness (rang-rig) which clearly reveals itself (gsal-ba 'iston) at the heart or core of every single individual sentient being."....http://shenten.org/en/yungdrung-bon/pantheon

"Samantabhadra (Skt.; Tib. ཀུན་ཏུ་བཟང་པོ་, Kuntuzangpo; Wyl. kun tu bzang po) — In the Dzogchen teachings, our true nature, that state of the Ground, is given the name the 'Primordial Buddha'. Sogyal Rinpoche writes, "[Kuntuzangpo] represents the absolute, naked, sky-like primordial purity of the nature of our mind". He is depicted as a buddha, sky-blue in colour, sitting in the vast expanse of space, and encircled by an aura of rainbow light. He is completely naked, meaning unstained by any trace of concept. His name, Kuntuzangpo in Tibetan, Samantabhadra in Sanskrit, means ‘always good', ‘always well’ or ‘unchanging goodness.’ What this signifies is that unchanging goodness, or fundamental goodness, is our ultimate nature."......http://www.rigpawiki.org/index.php?title=Buddha_Samantabhadra

"Coming from a tradition that stresses human goodness, it was something of a shock for me to encounter the Western tradition of original sin. It seems that this notion of original sin does not just pervade western religious ideas. It actually seems to run throughout Western thought as well, especially psychological thought...According to the Buddhist perspective there are problems, but they are temporary and superficial defilements that cover over one's basic goodness (tathagatagarbha). This viewpoint is a positive and optimistic one. When problems are seen in this way, then there is less panic and everything seems more workable. When problems arise, instead of being seen as purely threats, they become learning situations, opportunities to find out more about one's own mind, and to continue on one's journey. ...Basic Goodness or Original Sin?....By Chögyam Trungpa

"In Zoroastrianism, the Ahura Mazda is All Good...the Zoroastrian notion of a world that was created by God and that is all good.".....http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ahura_Mazda

"Manichaeism equated evil with matter and good with spirit, and was therefore particularly suitable as a doctrinal basis for every form of asceticism and many forms of mysticism.".....http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Zoroastrianism

"BASIC GOODNESS: "If we are willing to take an unbiased look, we will find that, in spite of all our problems and confusion, all our emotional and psychological ups and downs, there is something basically good about our existence as human beings. We have moments of basic non-aggression and freshness...it is worthwhile to take advantage of these moments...we have an actual connection to reality that can wake us up and make us feel basically, fundamentally good." (see Warrior) "The realization that we can directly experience and work with reality." (pg 29-33) "In the ordinary sense, we think of space as something vacant or dead. But in this case, space is a vast world that has capabilities of absorbing, acknowledging, and accommodating...if you look into it, you can't find anything. If you try to put your finger on it, you find that you don't even have finger to put! That is the primordial nature of basic goodness, and it is that nature which allows a human being to become a warrior, to become the warrior of all warriors." (pg 155) (see Warrior, Sacred Space)"...when you relax more and appreciate your body and mind, you begin to contact the fundamental notion of basic goodness in yourself. So it is extremely important to be willing to open yourself to yourself. Developing tenderness towards yourself allows you to see both your problems and your potential accurately. You don't feel that you have to ignore your problems or exaggerate your potential. That kind of gentleness towards yourself and appreciation of yourself is very necessary. It provides the ground for helping yourself and others." (pg 35-36) "The way to begin is with ourselves. From being open and honest with ourselves, we can also learn to be open with others. So we can work with the rest of the world, on the basis of the goodness we discover in ourselves. Therefore, meditation practice is regarded as a good and and in fact excellent way to overcome warfare in the world: our own warfare as well as greater warfare." (pg 41)......http://www.glossary.shambhala.org/#BASICGOODNESS

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Email....okarresearch@gmail.com

John Hopkins.....Northern New Mexico….March 2013

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