Semde, or Mind Series, is the first of the three series of Dzogchen teaching explaining how people of different individual capacities can go beyond mind and gradually develop the capacity of Dzogchen contemplation following a principle of the four contemplations, i.e.Calm, Non-Movement, Equality, Self-Perfection.

The retreat is for those who are already practicing Dzogchen as well as for those who are seriously interested to learn it.

The topics:
- Three paths of liberation.
- The meaning of the primordial state or Bodhicitta.
- The practice of the Guru-Yoga.
- Three primordial wisdoms: Essence, nature, energy.
- From mind to the nature of mind.
- Calm, Movement, and Instant Presence.
- The difference between meditation and contemplation in the context of Dzogchen.
- The meditation of the Calm State (shinay) and the contemplation of Calm (nepa).
- The meditation of the Insight (lhagtong) and the contemplation of Non-Movement (miyowa).
- General explanation of the Four Contemplations.
- Overcoming mistakes and obstacles.

REGISTRATION FOR THE RETREAT

Part one
August 20-24

Discovering and developing contemplation.

In this retreat we will use different methods for discovering the union of calm state and movement, such union being the essential characteristics of Dzogchen contemplation. We will use some of the 21 semdzins of Dzogchen Upadesha as well as searching for the mind to discover our real condition. For developing the state of contemplation we’ll apply skygazing and contact with elements. We will also learn how to recognize and overcome common mistakes.
There will be 6-8 hours of practice per day gradually developing our capacity.
We will start at 10am on Saturday, August 20 and finish on the 24th in the afternoon.

August 25
Visiting Black Mountains (Y Mynyddoedd Duon)
We will visit some mysterious places of Wales to hike, to have a picnic and a practice of Medium Thun to connect to local energies.

Part two
August 26-28

Dzogchen and Prajnaparamita.

Many Dzogchen masters like Jigme Lingpa, Sodogpa etc. equaled the essential knowledge of Dzogpa Chenpo with that of Prajñaparamita. In this retreat, we’ll explore the common knowledge and different approaches of these great traditions using the instructions by Patrul Rinpoche, Upadesha semdzin practices related to emptiness as well as instructions by early Chan (Zen) masters.
We will approach the concrete experience related to "there's no eye, no path, no wisdom etc." of the Heart Sutra as well as to "there's no view, no meditation, no behaviour etc." of Dzogchen tantras.
We’ll start on Friday afternoon and end at about noon on Sunday.

REGISTRATION. To find out detailes and to book your place write toAlexander Studholme: alexander.studholme@dzogchencommunityuk.org

The Practice of Calm State and Movement According to the Series of Mind of Total Perfection
Instant presence (rigpa) is defined as a non-duality of calm state and movement. In the Series of Mind (Semde), the calm state is a state of clear vastness not disturbed by occuring thoughts while thoughts themselves are considered to be movement. In the practice of Total Perfection, thoughts are not considered as a defect while a non-thought state is not deemed as an achievement. Both thoughts and a non-thought state are used to discover the instant presence which is an insight into our real nature.

The retreat is dedicated to the practice of shine (calm state) and lhagtong (insight) mainly related to the first two yogas of the Series of Mind. We’ll explore how to practice the calm state without an object, how to observe thoughts, how to search for the mind to discover its real condition, and how to progress in practice. There will be about 6-8 hours of study and practice per day.

The retreat is for those who are seriously interested in the Dzogchen teaching as in the path of liberation, not as a religion, spirituality, or intellectual exercise. If you feel trust, if you feel that you can benefit from this retreat you can come, otherwise you'd better find something else to do. Please do not come out of mere curiosity. It applies for both who already have or haven’t yet received a transmission of the knowledge of Dzogchen.

REGISTRATION

Онлайн-занятия для Северного Кунсангара

Задача данного курса — освоить простые и действенные инструменты, которые позволяют вырваться из потока беспокоящих мыслей и эмоций, а также понять фундаментальные механизмы работы внимания, чтобы обнаружить тот слой психики, который не подвержен обычному бурлению нашего ума и вывести эту важную часть себя из бессознательного в сознаваемое.

Покой ума это необязательно безмыслие. Покой ума это состояние, в котором мысли могут возникать, но они не тревожат, не отвлекают и не понуждают к действию.

Курс использует методы как постепенного, так и непостепенного подходов.

Есть два варианта участия: «интерактивный» (с включенной камерой и очным взаимодействием с ведущим во время каждой сессии) и «вольнослушатель» (с выключенной камерой и возможностью заочного общения).

Подходит для разных уровней поготовки.

Discovering a mental space as an experience and not as just a concept is a crucial point in contemplative practice. This is the point when the practice of meditation becomes very clear and doesn’t require too much effort. This experience is a good foundation for many advanced meditation practices.

✦ recognizing mind as a sense organ
✦ discovering the movement of thoughts
✦ discovering the space where this movement occurs
✦ discovering the natural inborn awareness
✦ discovering natural calm state
✦ discovering the unknown

THE DETAILS

Chogyal Namkhai Norbu once said that in the very beginning he had given his students the teachings from the Dzogchen Upadesha series. Later he discovered that their knowledge remained on an intellectual level. Then he started to teach Mind series (Semde) methods and the students’ knowledge developed.

The principle of Mind Series is “from mind to the nature of mind”, so it begins with meditation which is a mental activity and then practitioners can go beyond mind and discover the state of contemplation. Root texts of Mind Series such as “All Creating King” (Kunjed Gyalpo) or “The Marvellous” (Madjung) are not philosophical explanations but direct indications which help students to discover their limitations and to recognise their real nature.

In this course of at least five sessions we’ll continue to study tantras and agamas (lung) of Dzogchen Semde connecting them to practical experience based on instructions of such teachers as Longchenpa, Manjushrimitra, Vairochana etc.

将心的空间作为一种体验，而不仅仅是一个概念来发现，即是禅观练习的关键点。 这是禅修练习变得非常清晰并且不需要太多努力的时候。这种体验是许多高等禅修练习的良好基础。
✦ 将心视为一种感觉器官
✦ 发现念头的运动
✦ 发现这个运动发生的空间
✦ 发现与生俱来的觉知
✦ 发现自然平静的状态
✦ 发现未知

THE DETAILS

The Essence and Basic Principles of the Mind Series (Semde).

The Mind Series (Semde) is the first of the three series of the Dzogchen teaching related to the first statement of Garab Dorje: “Directly understanding the nature of mind”. For direct understanding we go from mind to the nature of mind discovering instant presence as a non-duality of calm state and movement. The way to develop this knowledge is explained through the four yogas or contemplations of Semde. There are explanations related to different capacities and also ways to overcome hindrances.

The retreat is based on several Semde teachings by Chogyal Namkhai Norbu given publicly on different occasions. The retreat is mainly for those who have received Dzogchen teachings from Chogyal Namkhai Norbu but people who are seriously interested and feel a strong connection with these teachings can also participate.

КУРС ПО МЕДИТАЦИИ ДЛЯ МОСКОВСКОГО ИНСТИТУТА ПСИХОАНАЛИЗА (ОНЛАЙН).

Медитация естественного осознавания построена на принципе т.н. «прямого подхода» (direct approach), что означает обнаружение, узнавание тех фундаментальных аспектов психики, которые присутствуют всегда, но зачастую остаются незамеченными в силу отвлечения временными поверхностными феноменами.

При прямом подходе мы не столько взаимодействуем с конкретным содержанием психики, таким как мысли и эмоции, но обращаемся напрямую к первичной среде, где они проявляются, к их источнику.

(Данный семинар проводится для студентов Московского Института Психоанализа. Всем желающим предлагается участие в качестве вольнослушателей)

Liberating emotions, breaking through fear. How to deal with emotions in the context of Dzogchen practice. 5 weekly sessions.

Traditionally in Buddhist teachings, such mental states as fear, greed, stupidity, pride, desire etc. are considered to be negative and are targeted for elimination or purification. They are even called klesha-avarana which means afflictive, emotional veils or obstacles. However, in Dzogchen teaching they are recognized as non-dual manifestations of our primordially enlightened nature and therefore don’t need purification. But it doesn’t mean that we can freely indulge into those states: they need to be recognized as one’s own potentiality and transcended, so they can no longer bind and condition us. One of the strongest emotions is fear that is difficult to deal with but it allows us to have deep liberating insights into our own nature.
Dzogchen teaching contains precise instructions on how to deal with emotions, how to make them reveal their nature. In this course, we’ll explore how to have concrete experience of emotions and liberation based on instructions by Shabkar, on principles of Mind series as well as on the teaching of Chod.

All these practices are not just psychological techniques even though they can be used as such and even bring people a lot of benefit. But these methods are deeply connected to the very principle of Dzogchen teaching, to the transmission of the knowledge of our primordial state of bodhicitta because they are based on a practitioner’s knowledge and intended to deepen and stabilize this knowledge, not just provide a psychological relief.

Presence and awareness are tools and qualities equally important for achieving both spiritual or worldly goals. We have numerous distractions outside, they intercept our attention and make us deem as important those things which are not really worthy. We have infinite distracting impulses coming from inside and conditioning the way we act and react. Our mind creates infinite confusions making us see real as unreal and unreal as real. Presence and awareness help us to recognize such limitations and to pursue our goals fulfilling our real nature instead of chasing fleeting illusions and fantasies.

The course is intended for all people who feel interested regardless of their involvement in spiritual traditions. It can be also useful for those who teach public contemplative courses such as mindfulness etc. or are interested to start teaching secular meditation.5 weekly sessions.

«This course is based on teachings and advice by Chogyal Namkhai Norbu given on different occasions both publicly and privately. I’ve been implementing these advice teaching for the Dzogchen Community since 2002 and teaching public courses since 2010. Since 2016, me and Elio Guarisco have been closely collaborating, preparing a course on mindfulness and meditation that could be a gift from the Dzogchen Community to the general public whether spiritual or secular, to those who are not connected to the transmission of Dzogchen. Such course, being presented not in the spiritual or the Buddhist context but in the context of contemporary general interest towards so-called ‘mindfulness’ could provide deep and rare wisdom of our Teacher and create a bridge for people to connect to the teaching of Dzogchen. Unfortunately, the death of both Chogyal Namkhai Norbu and Elio Guarisco created a big obstacle for realizing such a goal. But we still need to move on.»
Igor Berkhin, January 3, 2022