Dimensionally Barrett

Appendix 1: The Monk’s Presentation I found this provocative as there is a unique syncretism 1 to the epistemological approaches of the Drigung Kagyu. More than most schools, there is a sense that any such approach can work to hone the mental discipline and analytical skills needed to make sense of the various practices in the tradition. The principle point of departure for the monk (from Rinchen Ling, Kathmandu) is the following:  “The subtle obscurations should be abandoned first. The translation at hand has it ”It can also be the case that the cognitive obscuration is abandoned first.”  2  This strikes me as untenable; while there is a sense of “can”, the additional “also” doesn’t obtain from the context.    EDIT: on reflection, perhaps the use of “also” in the translation at hand is contextual to maintain the thought begun in the previous verse. His successive arguments may be found elsewhere in the Gong Chig and these will be cited a...

Lord Jigten Sumgon/Jigten Gonpo ( ‘bri-gung-pa-‘jig-rten -gsum-gon/‘bri-gung-pa-‘jig-rten-mgon-po ); founder of the Drikung/Drigung Lineage As many (most? All?) of you know, I don’t “play favorites”, I don’t root for teams, when it comes to religious traditions that I’m affiliated with. Across the Buddhist spectrum, this is many more times the case, but it doesn’t prevent me from my enthusiasms. For many years, I’ve been and continue my affiliation with the Drikung Kagyu because, well, so many friends have been or are still monks in the lineage and because it really is the embodiment of a Tibetan practice lineage. Sure, I have my reservations about Buddhism in general and Tibetan Buddhism in particular; these have been articulated elsewhere. However, there’s much to commend the Drikung lineage in terms of application. I seem to recall Lama Sonam many years ago was asked about what texts students at the center (now in Arlington, Massachusetts) would be studying and h...

I've had three exemplary experiences of hospitality in Nepal and India, thus far. Shechen Guest House and Rokpa were great and in a not-so-very-different way, so is the BPGH, run by Naveen and Krishna Yadav. Naveen (left) and Krishna Yadav, the best hosts and proprietors of the Banaras Paying Guest House (they're awesome!) The first floor of the building dates back 130 years with each generation adding a storey. With the brothers Yadav, the last storey has been added (there's a limit to how high they can build set by law). What they've done is brilliant, if still a little rough around the edges, but as you can see from the First floor renovation photos, the place is funky and fun. I'm here for another week or so and have been here for a few days and enjoying it tremendously. There's a wonderful communal sense of place as so many international travelers come through. There are common areas where travelers meet and exchange stories and plans...

I landed in Varanasi in something of a foul mood, unusual for me; but honestly, I really wasn't ready to leave Kathmandu. I'll be back soon enough, but the difference between India and Nepal is more than one might think. Kathmandu might be noisy and dusty, but Varanasi is noisier by a factor of ten and filthier, in terms of cow (and human) shit and piss. It was charming, almost, the first tme I was here (and cooler, it was in winter time); the city is actually quite beautiful and thriving and strolling along the Ganges is as spiritually invigorating as sitting in a temple. But I was in a crapulent mood made more so when the guest house I'd checked into put me in another The room at Yes Please. guest house. Fine. I'm ready for changes at the last minute, but a room with no windows, no towel, no toilet paper, no soap didn't improve my mood. After I got that sorted out, I took a non-soaped shower (they had towel and TP) and I passed into a deep sleep under ...