A number of our essential teachings benefit people in general – and we shall mention two as an illustration. The first is unique in the West, and indicates how a couple can develop and maintain a loving relationship based upon openness and kindness. It is called the khandro pawo nyi-da mélong gyüd1 or ‘the mirror which reflects the sun and moon of the heroes and heroines’. It indicates how individuals can directly experience their enlightened qualities reflected by their partners. Another teaching is called ‘cutting through’ (Dzogchen trek-chöd). Rather than seeking to suppress painful emotional states, it is possible to cut through the arising confusion and allow the energy to assume its own innately free condition. Both these teachings are pragmatic and direct. They are applicable to anyone willing to commit to happy, healthy interpersonal relationships with friends, acquaintances, family, or loved ones. They also contain a wealth of subtle psychology through which insights can be explored to a profound depth. Although Buddhist in principle, these teachings can be applied both by religious people and those who follow no religion. We intend to establish a permanent home for these and other Buddhist teachings in Britain – Drala Jong.
As well the teachings made available, we preserve a style of practice under threat in the East. The form of Buddhism best known in the West is the monasticism of Sutrayana Buddhism2. Much less known is the ngak’phang3 sangha. The ngak’phang sangha was founded during the establishment of Buddhism in Tibet in the 7th Century, parallel with the founding of monasticism. The ngak’phang sangha specialises in Vajrayana4 Buddhism, and its ordained practitioners integrate their practice with working and family life. As such, the ngak’phang style is potentially more applicable to a Western lifestyle than its better known monastic sibling. Because we spend their lives in employment as a cultural norm, our charity believes it important to be able to incorporate spiritual endeavour into working family life. Ample venues exist in the West where people can practice to the exclusion of family life. People therefore tend to see Buddhism as a part time activity – or else an activity necessitating renunciation of a working family life.
The establishment of a permanent retreat centre will support the promulgation of non-monastic Buddhist practice in the West and make Buddhist practice available to a greater range of people with regard to cultural milieu.
We wish to be of help to committed life-long practitioners, and to those who simply find elements of Buddhism useful in their everyday lives – whether they espouse Buddhism or not. To this end the khandro pawo and Dzogchen teachings on emotional relationship provide an possibility for the general community. This could make a difference to future generations of children in terms of experiencing happier and more appreciative parents.
1 The Tibetan name for these teachings on relationship is the khandro pawo nyi-da mélong gyüd – the tantra of the mirror which reflects the sun and moon of the heroes and heroines. It is an essential teaching of the Aro gTér Lineage, a lineage which comes from the Nyingma Tradition
2 Sutrayana is the vehicle (‘yana‘) of Renunciation. Its ultimate expression is monasticism. It is sometimes subdivided into Hinayana (the Lesser Vehicle), Mahayana (the Great Vehicle).3 Ngak’phang sangha, literally ‘mantra wielding’ sangha, also called the gö-kar-chang-lo’i dé, literally the sangha of those who wear ‘white skirts and uncut hair’ (as distinct from the red skirted, shaven headed monastic sangha).
4 There are many systems for dividing up the teachings of Buddhism into different systems, commonly called ‘vehicles’, or in Sanskrit ‘yanas’. One such division describes three vehicles of Hinayana (the Lesser Vehicle), Mahayana (the Great Vehicle), and Vajrayana (the Thunderbolt or Indestructible Vehicle). Vajrayana does not require renunciation of work, possessions, and family life as a basis for spiritual endeavour, and thus is widely applicable to the Western mode of living.
5 These include unique systems of A-tri, sKu-mNyé and Trül’khor (Yantra Yoga)
6 See our encyclopaedia website at www.aroencyclopaedia.org for examples of the diverse artistic and photographic heritage of the ngak’phang sangha.