James Low – Dzogchen and Buddhist Teachings
19 January 2022. James Low had invited questions from people watching his Zooms, which he began to answer.
Note: the constant cuts in this video result from the removal of James Low's periods of silence, while waiting for the consecutive translation from one of the translators.
Index
"(00:00) Should we be doing a Yidam practice as well as Padmasambhava practice?"
"(03:15) Can you explain the Khandro Gadgyang chöd?"
"(06:44) Somebody who has been able to take some time so that they don't have to work for a period of time and they can just devote themselves fully to the practice: should they start to look for a job or to trust that all that is needed will arrive?"
"(14:25) Is chöd different from the christian idea of self-sacrifice?"
"(18:14) Is the fearlessness and equanimity from chöd an acceptance that lets evil win?"
"(20:23) Some writers stress the need for advanced meditative accomplishment before entering dzogchen. You do not. Why?"
"(24:28) How to deal with people and situations which awaken karmic patterns in us with of great intensity?"
"(28:35) How to be in the world with others, maintaining the structure of my life without organizing events around my egoic intentions?"
"(31:28) Somebody has said that they came across apiece of writing that said that Zangdok Parli, the place where Padmasambhava is now, is also inhabited by rakshasas, who only see Guru Rinpoche as a harsh rakshasa king."
"(34:57) For quite some time, I experienced a tilt to the nihilistic pole. As a result, I experience a general lack of motivation in my life. If everything is impermanent and empty, like the breath of wind, why should I put effort into something?"
"(36:37) Why strive for virtue?"
"(40:13) The more I practice or listen to the teachings and reflect about them, it seems to me that the struggle and the power of the ego is strengthening. Do I do something wrong?
43:33 Could you explain again the five questions regarding the mind?"
Video at https://youtu.be/_4ll6YS07BQ?si=Xt-hPBag5HLsY7N1