Published: Bringing Dreams onto the Path

The teaching presented in this book is an edited transcript of a retreat  given by Drubdra Khenpo Tsultrim Tenzin, Abbot of the Meditation School at Triten Norbutse Monastery, Kathmandu (28.12.2021 to 01.01.2022). Broadcast via video link from Nepal, the retreat was organised by Shenten Dargye Ling, France and dedicated to instructions from the Mother Tantra of Yungdrung Bön on taking dreams as the path.

Drubdra Khenpo taught on the commentary written by a great early Bönpo siddha, Milü Samleg, who was an outstanding practitioner of Magyu, the Mother Tantra. Milü Samleg received the root text of this practice from the dream khandro Gyuma Chenmo, practised, achieved the result and then wrote a commentary comprised of 30 sections. Drubdra Khenpo’s lucid oral translation coupled with detailed comments based on his own experience and answers to questions from practitioners clearly explains how to apply Dream Yoga both in retreat and in daily practice. Before the retreat, Drubdra Khenpo asked Carol and myself to transcribe his teachings, and we of course agreed. Realising such detailed instructions on dream yoga have rarely been given to Western students, we gladly took on the task of editing the transcript to make a book, and asked our talented graphic designer Yungdrung Rabten to create the illustrations. Each full-colour picture was verified by Drubdra Khenpo. We are also grateful to Khenpo for kindly going through the final draft, clarifying some points and adding some corrections and comments which have been incorporated into the text. The whole process has taken several months and so now we are delighted to present you with this practice manual which, we hope, will be useful for those who participated in this retreat and also for anyone interested in learning how to apply dreams on the path of tantra.

It must be said, however, that although this book has been made public following Khenpo’s explicit wish, anyone who seriously wants to apply these methods must seek an authentic master and receive the authorisation and transmission in person. This will give the practitioner the ability to clearly understand the meaning of these instructions and connect him/her to the blessing of this lineage, thus ensuring their practice bears fruit.

We hope and pray that this publication will bring benefit to beings!

Best,

Dmitry Ermakov

DETAILS:

Publication Date: May 21, 2022

Language: English (Wylie & Tibetan for terms in footnotes)

ISBN: 9781916900547

Pages: 104

Binding: Paperback

Interior Colour: Colour

Dimensions: US Trade (6 x 9 in / 152 x 229 mm)

Price: £12.00 GBP (excl. VAT & P&P).

By auspicious coincidence, our printer Lulu is running a 15% discount through June 3 on all books. Use code: IMAGINE15

CONTENTS:

Preface   vi

Sixfold Path of the Mother Tantra  1

1. Tsalung and Tummo   4

2. Dream Yoga  6

Preparations  6

Main Practice   8

Body posture   8

Dreaming and Karmic Causes  9

Six Chakras and Six Realms  9

Chakra at the soles of the feet  10

Chakra at the secret place   10

Navel Chakra  11

Heart Chakra  11

Throat Chakra  12

Crown Chakra  12

Bardo   13

Summary  14

Dream Yoga in Tantra and Dzogchen   16

Dream and illusion   17

Result of Dream Practice   20

1. Greatness (chewa)  20

2. Multitude (mangwa)  20

3. Goodness (zangwa)  21

4. Swiftness (nyurwa) 21

5. Accomplishment (drubpa)  22

6. Transformation (gyurwa)  23

7. Emanation (trülpa)  23

8. Travelling (dropa)  23

9. Seeing (thongwa)  24

10. Meeting (threpa)  24

11. Experience (nyongwa) 24

The Sixteen Good Qualities of the Path   25

Eleven Examples of Illusion   26

1. Reflection   27

2. Water bubble   28

3. Lightning  29

4. Rainbow    30

5. Magic  30

6. City of scent-eaters  31

7. Echo   31

8. Mirage   32

9. Optical illusion   32

10. Water Moon – a moon reflected in water  33

11. Illusion   34

How to Practise Dreams  37

Meditation on ngöndro   37

1. General Preliminaries  37

2. Common Preliminaries  39

3. Particular Preliminaries – The Short Practice of the Threefold Active Contemplation from Mother Tantra  40

i. Guru Yoga  42

ii. Yidam Yoga  42

a) Establishing the Boundary and Dispelling Obstacles  42

Visualise your mind as a black HUNG / ཧཱུྃ. 42

b) Requesting Consideration   43

c) Taking Refuge   45

d) Generating Bodhicitta  45

e) Prayer to the Lama and Khandro   45

f) Mandala Offering  45

g) Contemplation   46

h)  Yidam Yoga  46

i) Khandro Yoga  47

j) Prayer of aspiration   48

Dream Yoga Preliminaries  50

i) Body Posture   50

ii) How to take refuge   50

iii) How to develop bodhichitta  51

iv) How to pray  51

4. Special Preliminaries  51

Aspiration of taking dream as a path   53

The Four Obstacles to Dream Practice   56

Q & A Session   61

Main Practice – how to hold your dream    63

1st session   64

The key point of the condition   65

a) Disturbed sleep   65

b) Obstacle of not being able recognise dreams  66

2nd session   67

3rd session   68

4th session   68

Training with the Wisdom of Dreams  70

Developing Dreams  73

Q & A Session   76

Obstacles to Dream Yoga  77

1. Sejyam    78

2. Jejyam    78

3. Thruljyam    78

4. Gyujyam    78

The Four Trainings  79

1. Training with clarity  79

2. Training with appearances  79

3. Training with objects of sound   79

4. Training with objects of vision   79

Sublime contemplation   83

1. Integration   83

Integrate all appearances as dream    83

Maya  84

Milam bardo   85

2. Sublime contemplation   86

Four Obstacles to Dream Yoga  89

1. Thruljyam – Dreams of delusion   89

Antidote: 89

2. Gyujyam    90

Antidote: 90

3. Sejyam    91

Antidote: 91

4. Jejyam    91

Result  92

Q & A Session   93