Dr Luciano Villa and Eng Alessandro Tenzin Villa with His Holiness The Drikung Kyabgön, Chetsang Rinpoche: The term maha refers to the highest realization

As part of our Pilgrimages to India following His Holiness the Dalai Lama’s Teachings, we had the great honor and pleasure to be received several times in audience by His Holiness Drikung Kyabgon Chetsang Rinpoche Tenzin Konchok Kunzang Trinlay Lhundrup, the 37^th Drikungpa. The head of the Kagyu school received us in audience in his official residence in Dera Dun in October 2008, at the Pyang monastery in Ladakh in August 2009 and in July 2014. They were intense and deep moments marked by the great kindness and generosity of His Holiness who provided us with wonderful tips and immeasurable wisdom, which enabled us to establish a great connection with him and that he wanted to give us the gift of a sacred Buddha statue, as an object of meditation.

Notes and questions by Dr. Luciano Villa and Eng. Alessandro Tenzin Villa within the project “Free Dharma Teachings” for the benefit of all sentient beings.

Question. How many systems of Mahamudra there are?

His Holiness the Drikung Kyabgon, Chetsang Rinpoche. In the great Dakpo Kagyu lineage, the ”blessing lineage,” there are two systems of Mahamudra practice: the sutra system and the tantra system. Continue reading »

His Holiness The Drikung Kyabgön, Chetsang Rinpoche: cultivate mental quiescence by focusing on breathing.

His Holiness The Drikung Kyabgön, Chetsang Rinpoche: Channeling the breath and body posture.

Notes and questions by Dr. Luciano Villa and Eng. Alessandro Tenzin Villa within the project “Free Dharma Teachings” for the benefit of all sentient beings.

Question: What is the practice of channelling the breath?

His Holiness The Drikung Kyabgön, Chetsang Rinpoche.

The special practice of channelling the breath involves a meditation with three sets of three inhalations and exhalations from each nostril; that is, from each nostril separately and then with both nostrils together. Each of the three sets is the same except that its source is different. The first set is three inhalations through one nostril and three exhalations through the other; the second set is three inhalations through the second nostril and three exhalations through the first nostril; and the third set is three inhalations and exhalations using both nostrils together.

The first exhalation of each set is forceful and also very long and drawn out. The second is also forceful but it is short. Continue reading »

His Holiness The Drikung Kyabgön, Chetsang Rinpoche: Is this appearance of difference a true one or is it not?

His Holiness The Drikung Kyabgön, Chetsang Rinpoche: Vipashyana, analyzing the nature of mind.

Notes and questions by Dr. Luciano Villa and Eng. Alessandro Tenzin Villa within the project “Free Dharma Teachings” for the benefit of all sentient beings.

Question: What is the process of cultivating vipashyana, or the perfect insight?

His Holiness The Drikung Kyabgön, Chetsang Rinpoche. Next is the process of cultivating vipashyana, or the perfect insight that leads us to a knowledge of ultimate reality by focusing on and analysing mind itself. Continue reading »

His Holiness The Drikung Kyabgön, Chetsang Rinpoche:The syllable HUNG is rich with symbolism.

His Holiness The Drikung Kyabgön, Chetsang Rinpoche on mind nature.

Notes and questions by Dr. Luciano Villa and Eng. Alessandro Tenzin Villa within the project “Free Dharma Teachings” for the benefit of all sentient beings.

Question: Which are the movement of the mind?

His Holiness Drikung Kyabgon Chetsang Rinpoche: Third, we investigate whether mind is something which abides and exists in one spot, or whether it is something that goes out and moves around from one thing to another. Now, we can see that when we cultivate mental quiescence, mind becomes focused one-pointedly on its object. It does not waver from that object and abides stably over a period of time on that object. So at that time, it would appear that mind is unmoving and stable.

However, when we practice vipashyana, in which we cultivate perfect insight, mind is going from one object to another, it’s moving around to objects nearby and far away. So here it seems most clear that mind is moving a great deal.

What we have to determine at this point is how mind can do both. What is the nature of mind such that it seems to move around but is sometimes stable? Continue reading »

His Holiness The Drikung Kyabgön, Chetsang Rinpoche:The highest result, which is the attainment of Mahamudra, arises only when one transcends all hopes and fears.

His Holiness The Drikung Kyabgön, Chetsang Rinpoche: The attainment of non attainment and Tilopa’s pith instructions.

Notes and questions by Dr. Luciano Villa and Eng. Alessandro Tenzin Villa within the project “Free Dharma Teachings” for the benefit of all sentient beings.

Question. Which is the Ultimately Mahamudra practice?

His Holiness The Drikung Kyabgön, Chetsang Rinpoche. Once, Tilopa advised his disciple to go off to an isolated retreat Continue reading »

His Holiness The Drikung Kyabgön, Chetsang Rinpoche: All phenomena of samsara and nirvana have one taste, one reality.

His Holiness The Drikung Kyabgön, Chetsang Rinpoche: Dharma Lord Gampopa’s advice.

Notes and questions by Dr. Luciano Villa and Eng. Alessandro Tenzin Villa within the project “Free Dharma Teachings” for the benefit of all sentient beings.

Question: How to deal with the various problems that arise in the practice of Mahamudra meditation?

His Holiness The Drikung Kyabgön, Chetsang Rinpoche

We will now look at Lord Gampopa’s advice on how to deal with the various problems that arise in the practice of Mahamudra meditation. First, in order to avoid errors, one must have a fully qualified lama—that is, a teacher who has actually experienced the realization of Mahamudra. The teacher should not be one in name only but should be someone who has accomplished this path, has knowledge and experience, and who is thereby able to lead others. The student should be one who maintains awareness of the truth of impermanence and death and, motivated by that, exerts him or herself in this practice. Continue reading »

His Holiness The Drikung Kyabgön, Chetsang Rinpoche: Understand that this is a graduated path.

His Holiness The Drikung Kyabgön, Chetsang Rinpoche: Vajrasattva purification meditation.

Notes and questions by Dr. Luciano Villa and Eng. Alessandro Tenzin Villa within the project “Free Dharma Teachings” for the benefit of all sentient beings.

Question: It sounds like this is all very high up there, very far away. Can l, personally, actually do this?

His Holiness Drikung Kyabgon Chetsang Rinpoche. We all possess the innate nature of enlightenment, and therefore the attainment of the highest goal is not impossible for us. It is not even far away from us. However, it is necessary to engage in practice and exert effort. We can see this even in the world, for instance, for those who engage in sports, to become the very best in a sport requires a lot of effort, a lot of practice, a lot of exertion. And that’s just to be good at playing some sort of ball game! Continue reading »