Introduction

Ngala Nor'dzin Spacious Passion explores 'The Four Thoughts that Turn the Mind to Practice' from the perspective of Inner Tantra. For a long time the book had the working title 'Foreplay' – a playful reference to the fourfold structure of the practices, to their preliminary nature as the ngöndro to sutric practice, and to the practices having the same 'flavour' as the actual practice of sutra. Khandro Déchen suggested its final title, Spacious Passion.' The question and answer sessions at the end of each chapter were created from the questions asked during readings of the book at retreats, study groups and meetings of the Cardiff Vajrayana Buddhist Meditation Group.

Chapter 1 – Awakening"Dharma teachers continually emphasise the need to practice. Dharma must be practised. We must engage in the methods it offers in order to arrive even at the initial stages of awakening. 'Awakening' is what is offered by Dharma. We are offered the opportunity to awaken from our delusion, from our limited view. To engage with practice requires a degree of belief and acceptance of the view and methods offered. We cannot experience awakening without having recognised, to whatever degree, that we are asleep. We cannot awaken without engaging in the methodology involved with awakening. This is not to say that Dharma is the only religion that offers effective and tested methods of awakening. It is simply that this is a book written by a Dharma practitioner, about Dharma, and so will inevitably speak from that perspective. I make no apology for my bias. I love the path of Vajrayana Buddhism, and I wish to offer a glimpse of the opportunities it continually offers me. The experiences to which I refer, and upon which I rely, are a natural expression of my own life and practice rather than an argument in favour of Vajrayana above all other religions."The first chapter compares and contrasts religion and philosophy. It looks at the different yanas (vehicles) of

Buddhism and explains that they offer method, not truth.

Chapter 2 – Sky Mind"We could call these two aspects cloud mind and Sky Mind. Cloud mind is the ebb and flow of conceptual mind, and Sky Mind is the still potential of the nature-of-mind. Clouds arise in the sky, flit across it and decorate it, but do not limit or define the vast empty blueness of sky. Sky always has the potential for cloud to arise. Cloud is a natural aspect of sky, but sky is not limited by cloud. Sky exists irrespective of cloud, but cloud cannot exist irrespective of sky."The fundamental principle of Buddhism is the non-duality of emptiness and form. The second chapter examines methods to discover emptiness, so that this non-duality can be approached.

Chapter 3 – Spontaneity"As the path of spontaneity, the methods of Dzogchen are fantastically subtle. The opportunity to embrace experience from the Dzogchen perspective is ever-present, but those who have received Dzogchen teaching recognise that they are not always at the base of Dzogchen view. The base of this view is non-duality – the experience of the non-duality of emptiness and form in the moment. To be ever-present at this base, would mean we are both fully engaged with the path, and realising the fruit of the practice in the moment. This is realisation and we must acknowledge that we are not always present in the base, path and fruit of Dzogchen. Hence practitioners of lineages based in Dzogchen, also practice Sutra and Tantra. From the perspective of Dzogchen, Tantra and Sutra are not seen as lesser vehicles – it is a question of pragmatics and being genuine about the view one is able to live, at any moment in time. The most efficacious practice is always that which enables one to return to openness, and to the possiblity of the direct experience of the non-duality of emptiness and form.”

Chapter three tells of the importance of opening view. Sutra and Tantra are available as methods of practice to the practitioner who bases their view in Dzogchen. The Four Thoughts that Turn the Mind to Practice are introduced as an opportunity to open view and fully engage in Dharma.

Chapter 4 - Coming up for Air"The physicality of being born human is not unusual. It is being human - in the sense of a precious human rebirth - that is rare. Even though we look human, we spend little of our time manifesting the potential of the precious human realm. We dwell more often in mind-moments which exhibit the characteristics of the other realms, especially the lower realms. Anger is a powerful and primitive emotion, so we may actually exist in hell realm states of mind for much of our time."This chapter discusses the first of the Four Thoughts – the Preciousness of the Perfect Human Rebirth. It looks at the six realms of existence: gods, jealous gods, humans, animals, hungry ghosts and hell beings; and examines how we cycle through these mind states.

Chapter 5 – Infinite Impermanence"Impermanence is a cause for celebration. Impermanence is our opportunity to discover presence. Present moments are infinite. They will never end. We will never cease to have opportunities to start again. We will never cease to have opportunities to experience presence. We will always have the opportunity for this moment to be the moment when we dwell in presence. The hate and anger of the past moment is gone, over, lost forever and never need be revisited. The potential for love and appreciation in the present moment can never be destroyed, and leads into another moment of potential love and appreciation. How wonderful!"Chapter five looks at impermanence as a continuous thread of opportunity. The second of the Four Thoughts teaches us to awaken to presence to discover this continuity of mind-moments.

Chapter 6 – Sparkling Puddles “Our bodies and our world are perfect as they are. There is nothing that we need to get rid of or purify in order to discover nirvana. We simply need to clarify our view. The belief that liberation requires us to discover another concrete realm where everything is perfect will not help us discover the perfection of where we are. The experience of pure happiness and pleasure is available to us in this life. We can experience the sparkle of enlightenment in a moment of loving or laughter. Then we may start to wonder why we lose these moments."Karma is the topic of the sixth chapter and the third of the Four Thoughts. It is discussed in terms of 'perception and response' rather than as 'cause and effect'. Through the opening of view we discover that we do not need to be governed by the the neurotic patterning of attraction, aversion and indifference.

Chapter 7 – Quelling the Storm“When we learn to be comfortable in the space of Sky Mind, we find that we have discovered one of the most potent methods of transforming dualistic perception and response into enlightened perception and response. When we discover spaciousness at the point of intention, choice becomes a possibility. We realise we can go down the usual furrow, start a new furrow, or allow every perception be the fresh, new, clear, vivid experience of the moment. I can see that the grass is green; I can hear the sound of my beloved’s voice; I can smell the roses; I can taste the honey; and I can feel the caress of silk on my skin – for the first time, every time. Because every time is the first time in this mind moment. Every perception can be the ecstatically empty perception of now.”The last of the Four Thoughts is the 'contemplation on the suffering of samsara.' Dukkha – usually translated as 'suffering' – is discussed as encompassing even the most subtle sensation of dissatisfaction that is experienced even when life is running smoothly.

Chapter 8 – Spacious Passion"If we are kind and warm, we will tend to expect others to be kind and warm. We will approach others with an optimistic attitude. If met with aggression we are less likely to respond with aggression, because this is not the stance from which we began. Greeting people in a kindly way offers them the opportunity to respond in a kindly way. If they do not, this does not need to unseat our kindness. We can simply remain kind. If aggression does upset our kindness so that we respond defensively, then we were ‘wearing’ kindness as an artificial definition, rather than as the nature of our being in the present moment. If the wearing of kindness is a good-hearted attempt to become a compassionate person developing awareness, then we can simply acknowledge that we lost it that time, let it go, and re-dress ourselves in kindness. If we do this often enough over a long period of time, eventually our ‘cloak’ of kindness becomes the quintessence of our being."Chapter eight looks at the Four Noble Truths. It presents the last of the Four Noble Truths – the Noble Eightfold Path – as engagement with the path of Dharma. Alignment with this method enables us to live with honour and integrity.

Chapter 9 – Irrational Reason"Devotion cannot be bluffed. It is difficult to express its qualities in words. It is like being in love, in the conventional sense – yet more expansive and without the aspect of lust. It is similar to the enriching unconditional love we offer a child – yet the Lama is more like a parent. It is both empowering and free. It is letting go of the importance we place on the stresses of life, and embracing total responsibility. It is release from the bondage of neurosis into identification with honour. Devotion has the deliciously ambiguous, inexpressible quality of Vajrayana itself. It is emptiness and form. It is allowing oneself to dissolve into emptiness in relation to the Lama and arising in the form of the Lama’s pure view. It is freedom from the bondage of referentiality."

The final chapter discusses refuge as the 'security of no security'. The importance of the role of the Lama in the fourfold refuge of Lama, Buddha, Dharma and Sangha is examined. Devotion and commitment to the Lama is recognised as the ground of Vajrayana, where ultimately the practitioner gives the Lama permission to challenge their rationale.