Natural Heroism

I have just been away on retreat for a week with my sangha.  It was a wonderful retreat and I feel a continuing sense of inspiration – fascinatingly mixed in with the tiredness that always follows a retreat.

Food prepared for the tsog’khorlo

Within our lineage there is a tradition of ‘Natural Heroism’ connected with Gésar of Ling – ‘the legendary and supernatural enlightened warrior-king of early Tibet. He symbolises victory over aggression and is the epitome of spiritual warriorship in the Vajrayana tradition.’

One aspect of this practice is ‘Embodying Natural Dignity’.  The Natural Heroism website says of this:

“Moving in and out each other’s experience is a practice of communication. Every connection will have an influence on us—whether we are aware of it or not—and this shapes what we are. Conversely, we influence everyone we encounter – even if we do not speak. Our feelings and thoughts are part of our communicative display and thus resonate with the entire situation. Dance is an expression of rolpa, the nondual pleasurable play of existence. In Dzogchen, rolpa is practised in a non-symbolic manner – such as dining with awareness. When moving in an orchestrated group dance, one moves through space with others – and thus the whole group engages in the practice of awareness in the kyil’khor of connectedness. Practising this resplendent sensory enjoyment of rolpa, becomes the nondual expression of vajra feast and celebration. In this way we become the seamless cooperative components of nondual space – where spontaneous creation is the nature of reality.”

Marriage ceremony

During the retreat we learned and practised several period dances: Sellinger’s Round, Hole in the Wall, and Mr Beveridges Maggot.  It was a lot of fun.  I find myself much more conscious of how I move, particularly around other people – it is as if the sense of graceful dance has imbued my everyday movement.  I am looking forward to teaching these dances to our students at the end of May.

We also had a marriage ceremony – a happy and delightful occasion.  It is always especially wonderful when two practitioners marry.  To be in love is to glimpse the natural state.  To live as practitioners in love is an inspiration to everyone, and the perfect basis for raising happy and fulfilled children.