_ TIBETAN YOGAS OF DREAM AND SLEEP xy SE Tenzin Wangyal Rinpoche eS Te elelta la lelelallalellelia lalallala leleiens la TES alel el ei te HeeseTHE TIBETAN YOGAS OF DREAM AND SLEEP Tenzin Wangyal Rinpoche ited by Mark Dahlby Snow Lion Publications Ithaca, New York‘Snow Lion Publications PO. Box 6483 Ithaca, New York 14851 USA 7738519 Copyright © 1998 Tenzin Wangyal First edition USA 198 All sights reserved. No portion of this work may be reproduced by any means without prior written permission from the publisher. Printed in Canada on acid-free recycle pape. ISBN 1.55939-101-4 Libary of Congress Cataloging-in-Public Wanye Tern “tan yoga ol dra and sep / Tenzin Wangyl Raph ied by Mack Day : “ = Inluesiiorpbicl ences IBAN 139995014 lk pape) egal Gono) 2 resins pcan Se) 3 Seep ious spct-Bonp (| Dahiya Te Hood 3 se Daseiedct zm ar Data Table of Contents Preface Introduction Receiving the Teachings PART ONE: THE NATURE OF DREAM 1 Dream and Reality 2 How Experience Arises| ‘Ignorance ‘Actions and Results: Karma and Karmic Traces ‘Negative Karma Positive Karma Liberating Emotions ‘Obscusations of Consciousness Karmic Traces and Dream ‘TheSix Realms of Cyclic Existence Hell Realm Hungry Ghost Realm Animal Realm Human Realm Demi-god Realm God Realm Why “Negative” Emotion? 3 The Energy Body Channels and Prana Channels (Ts) 0 15 a B 2% » » eeee ¥ Reseeee 2Prana (Luna) ‘Karmic Prana ‘Thre Kinds of Karmic Prana ‘Wisdom Prana Pranic Activity Balancing the Prana Prana and Mind Chakras Blind Horse, Lame Rider 44 Summary: How Dreams Arise 5 Images from the Mother Tatra “Teaching Metaphors PART TWO: KINDS AND USES OF DREAMS 1 Thee Kinds of Dreams ‘Samsaric Dreams Dreams of Clarity Clear Light Dreams 2 Uses of Dreams Experience in Dream Guidance and Guidelines Divination Teachings in Dream 3 The Discovery of Chid Practice 4 Two Levels of Practice PART THREE: THE PRACTICE OF DREAM YOGA 1 Vision, Acton, Dear, Death 2 Calm Abiding: Zhiné Forceful Zhiné Natural Zhine Uimate Zhin€ Obstacles Agitation Drowsiness Laxity 3 The Four Foundational Practices ‘One: Changing the Karmic Traces “Two: Removing Grasping and Aversion ‘Three Strengthening Intention Fou: Cultivating Memory and Joyful Efort SORSESRERRGE RNVBRAAG Rese Consistency 4 Preparation fr the Night ‘ine Purifiations Breathing Guru Yoga “The Practice Protection 5 The Main Practice Bringing Awareness into the Central Channel Increasing Clarity Strengthening Presence Developing Fearlessness Position Focusing the Mind The Sequence 6 Lucidity Developing Flexibility 7 The Obstacles, Delusion Lai Selfedistraction Forgetting Four Obstacles according to Shardza Rinpoche 8 Contoling and Respecting Dreams 9 Simple Practices ‘The Waking Mind Preparing for Night 10 Integration PART FOUR: SLEEP 1 Slep and Falling Asleep 2 Thrce Kinds of Sleep Slep of Ignorance Samsaric Seep Clear Light Sleep 3. Sleep Practice and Dream Practice PART FIVE: THE PRACTICE OF SLEEP YOGA, 1 The Dakin, Salgye Du Dalma 2 Preliminary Practice 5 Sleep Practice Entering Sleep 0 1064 Tigle 5 Progress 6 Obstacles 7 Supportive Practices Master Dakini Behavior Prayer Dissalving Expanding and Contracting 8 Integration Integration of Cleat Light withthe Thee Poisons Integration with the Cycles of Time External Unification Internal Unification Secret Unification ‘The Three Unifications: Conclusion 9 Continsiy PARTSIX: ELABORATIONS 1 Context 2 Mind and Rigpa Conceptual Mind [Non-dual Awareness: Rigpa Base Rigpa and Path Rigpa {3 The Base: Kunzhi Mind and Matter 4 Knowing 5 Recognizing Carty and Emptiness Balance Discrimination 6 Saf 7 Paradox ofthe Esenceess Self Final Words Appendix: Outline of Dream Yoga Practices Glossary Bibliography 183 165 157 0 170 170 m1 v7 m m 1 m4 7 1» 180 181 188 185, 17 188, 188, 189 11 12 185, 7 199 199 209 23 28 Acknowledgments {want to thank the people who have been instumental in bringing this book to publication. First ofall, and most importantly, Mark Dalby, my student and close friend, with whom I greatly enjoyed working. We spent many hours discussing different issues in cafes ‘ound Berkeley, Without him, this ook would not have been possible. Also: Steven D. Goodman, a colleague and friend, improved the ‘manuscript through numerous good suggestions; Sue Elis Dyer and (Chris Baker made editing suggestions onan early version ofthe book: ‘Sue Davis and Laura Shekerian helped by reading the text and offer- ing feedback; and Christine Cox of Snow Lion Publications brought her great skill as an experienced editor othe text and made ita mich Detter book. ‘The photographs ofthe meditation and dream yoga positions, on [pages 85 and 109 respectively were taken by Antonio Riesta and mod ‘led by Luz Vergara. Theillustrationso the chakras on pages 105and 107 were create by Monica R, Ortega also want to thankall those | have not named but who have helped in many different ways,This oaks diated to Nana Nori Ripe, su has ae ogre inspiavion i my fe bt how ch others and in my oa rate. Preface ‘A.well-known saying in Tibetan states, “One should explain the lin tage andthe history in order tocut doubt about theauthentcty of the teaching and the transmission " Therefore, I begin this book with a short story of my if Twas boen shortly after my parents fled the Chinese oppresion in ‘Tibet. Conitions were dificult and my parents placed me in a Chris: tian boarding school, where they hoped I would be cared for. My f ther was a Buddhist lnm", my mother a practitioner of Bén*. Some time ater, my father died!” Eventually my mother remarried a man ‘who wasa Bon laa. Both and my mother desied that live within _my culture, and when Iwas ten years old was taken to the main Ban ‘monastery in Dolan, India, and ordained as a monk. ‘Alter living inthe monastery for some time, | was recognized by Lopon (Head Teacher) Sangye Tenzin Rinpoche as the reincarnation ‘of Khyungtul Rinpoche, a famous scholar, teacher author, and medi- tation master He was well known asa mater astrologer, ain west fem ibe and northern India was amous asa tamer of wild spirits. He ‘was widely sought after asa healer with magical abilities, One of his sponsors was a local king of Himachal in Northen India. This king and his wife, unable to bear children, asked Khyungtal Rinpoche to hea them, which did. Theson that they bore and raised isthe present ‘day Chief Minister of Himachal Pradesh, Vihardur ‘When Iwas thirteen, my kind oot maser, Lopon Sangye Tenzin, a ‘man of great knowlege and realization, prepared to teach one ofthe12 TheTietan You of Drom and Spy ‘most important and esoteric teachings in the Bon religion: the Great Perfection (Dzagchent lineage ofthe Oral Transmission of Zhang hung (Zhang Zhang Nya Gy”), Even though Iwasstill young, my Stepfather visited Lopon Rinpoche and asked that I be admitted to the teachings, which would takeplace everyday for hrc years. Lopon kindly agreed, but asked that along with the other prospective st dents, bring him a dream from the night before the teachings were to begin, so that he might determine our readiness. Some ofthe students remembered no dream, which was consi ‘red a sign of obstacles. Lopon had them begin appropriate putific tion practices and delayed the beginning of the teaching until each student did have a dream. Dreams of other students were taken as indications that they needed to do particular practices to ready them- selves for the tachings—for example, doing practice that strength- ‘ened ther connections tothe Bin guardians | dreamt about 2 bus circumambulating my teacher's house, a- though there is actually no road ther. Inthe dream, the bus conduc- torwas my friend and stood beside him, handing out tickets to each person that boarded thebus, The tickets were pieces of paper that had the Tibetan syllable writen on them. That was nthe second or thi year of my education at Dolan, when Iwas thirteen years old, and at the time Idi not know that 4 was a symbol of major significance in Dzogehen teachings. My teacher never said anything about the dream, Uwiich was his way. He made little comment about what was good, but was happy as longas | was allowed to come tothe teachings. Itis common, in Tibetan spiritual traditions, for dreams ofthe stu ents to be used by the teacher in this fashion to determine if it is Appropriate for a student to receive a particular teaching. Though it ‘would be some time before Tbegan to study and practice dream yoga, this incident was the beginning of my interest in dreams. It strong impressed on me how greatly deam s valued in Tibetan cultureandin ‘the Bén religion, and how information from the unconscious soften of seater vale than the information the conscious mind an provide. ‘Alter the thre-year teaching, which ineuded numerous medits tion retreats with my fellow practitioners aswell as many retreats that 1 did alone, I entered the monastic Dialectic School. The program of study normally takes nine to thirteen years to complete and covers ‘the traditional training We were taught the common academic sub- Jess such as grammar, Sanskrit, poetry, astrology, and at, and also Teamed the uncommon subjects epistemology, cosmology, se, Profece 13 lana" and Dzogchen. During the monastic taining, Lwas exposed to numberof teachings and transmissions on dream, the mos impor tant base onthe texts ofthe Zhang Zhung Nyan Gyr, the Mother Tantra, and of Sharda Rinpoche 1 id well inthe taining and when 1 was nineteen I was asked to begin teaching others, which Id, Around the same tine [wrote and published a summary of thebography of Lod Shentab Miwoche" the founder ofthe Bon religion. Later Lbecame the president ofthe Dialec- ticSehool and held that postion foe fou yeas, and was very involved in shaping and developing the schoo In 198, I received the Ges de sre, the highest degree aarded in Tibetan monastic education 1n 1983 a he invitation of Namkhai Norbu Rinpoche's Dzogchen | Community italy travoed tothe West. Although Thad no plans to teach, [was invited to do so by members of the community: One day Twas passing out smal pieces of paper to be used ina meditation on concentration, Fach piece of paper had the Tibetan sylable A written nit Rightthen the dream from fiteen years before, in whichl passed ‘ut the same paper to people gotting on the bus, came back ome. It was as iit it me on the head [remained in the West and in 1991 was awarded a Rockefeller Fl- lowship todo research at Rice University. In 1983, published my first ‘book in the West, The Winders ofthe Natural Mind, in which tried to present the Great Perfection (Dzogchen) teachings ina clearand simple Way. In 1994 T was given a grant fom The National Endowment for the Humanities to pursue research on the logical and philosophical aspects othe Ban tradition jn collaboration with Professor Anne Kei, ‘Chair of Religious Studies, at Rice Univers So my scholarly side has continued to manifest, but practice i ways more important, and during all this time Ihave been intrested in dream and dream practice. My interest isnot only theoretical Ihave trusted the wisdom of my dreams, influenced from an early age by the dream experiences of my teachers and my mother and by the use ‘of dreams inthe Bon tradition, and Ihave been practicing dream yoga intensively during the last ten years. Every night when I get into bed, ee! freedom. The busyness ofthe day is over Some nights the prac. tice is succesful and some nights it snot and that is tobe expected "nti the practice is very advanced. Nevertheless, 1 goto sleep neatly everynight withthe intention to accomplish dream practic. Its fom ‘my oven experience withthe practice, aswell a from the three texts that I quote above that the teaching inthis book come.14 The ikl Yous of Drom and Soy ‘The Tbtan Youu of Dre and Sleep grew out of oral teachings I save in Califomia and New Mexico over several years. Much ofthe "iormality that was arto the teachings hasbeen kept Words marked ‘vithan asterisk upon their frst appearance nthe text canbe found in ‘he glossary atthe back ofthe Book Dream yoga isa primary support in developing my own practice and this has been true for many, many masters and yogis" of Tibet. For example, Ihave always boon impressed with the story of Shardza Rinpoche, a great Tibetan master who, when he died in 194, attained ‘he body of light (alts) a sig of fll realization. During his life he Isad many accomplished students, wrote many important texts, and ‘worked fr thebenefitof th county in which he lived. I's dificult to ‘imagine how he could have been so productive in his extemal life, {ulfillngthe many responsibilities and long projects he undertook or the benefit of others, and stl have been able o accomplish such at- tainment though spiritual practice, He could do tis because he was ‘ot a writer for part ofthe day teacher for another par, anda prac- titone forthe few hours left. All of his life was practice, whether he ‘was siting in meditation, writing, teaching. or sleeping. He writes ‘hat dream practice was of central importance in is spintual journey and integral to his attainment. This can also be true for us Introduction: ‘Wespenda third of our lfesleeping, No matter what we do, however virtuous oF non-virtuous our activities, whether we are murderers oF saints, monks or ibertines, every day ends thesame We shut our eyes land dissolve into darkness, We do so fearlesy, even a8 everything ‘we know as “me” disappears. After a brief period, images arise and ‘our sense of self arises with them, We exst again in the apparently limitless world of dream. Every night we participate in these most profound mysteries, moving from one dimension of experience to another losing our sense of elf and finding it gain, and yet ve take ital for grated. We wake inthe morning and continue in “eal” ie bt in a sense we are still asleep and dreaming. The teaching tel us that we can continue in this deluded, dreamy state, day and night, oF wake up to the tat ‘When we engage in slp and dream yogas we become part of a long lineage. Men and women have—forcenturies—done these same practices, confronted the same doubts and obstacles that we do, and received the same benef that we can. Many high lamas andl accom plished yogis have made seep and dream yoxas primary practice, nd through them have attained realization. Reflecting on thishistory and remembering the people wo have dedicated thei lives tothe teachings—our spiritual ancestors who through these teachings pass to us the fits oftheir pracice—will generate faith in and gratitude for the tradition16 The Tibetan Yogoof Drom and Sk ‘Some Tibetan masters might find it strange tat I each these prac tices to Westerners who have not done certain preliminary practices or who donot have certain understandings. The teachings were ta ditionally maintained as secret teachings, both as a sign of respect and asa protection against dilation through the misunderstanding of unprepared practitioners, They were never taught publily nor given lightly but were reserved for individuals who had prepared to receive them. “The practices are no les efficacious and valuable then they ever ‘were, but conditions inthe world have changed, andl so Tam trying something different. hope that by teaching what is effective, openly and simply, the tradition will be better preserved and more people ‘willbe abe to benefit fom it Butts important to respect the teach: ‘ing, oth to protect them and to further our own practice Please ty to receive the dtet transmission ofthese teachings from an authentic teacher Its good to read about these yogasbur better to receive the oral transmission, which rates stronger connection withthe lineage Alo, ‘tis easy to encounter obstacles onthe path that are hard to overcome ‘on our own but which an experienced teacher can identify and help 0 ‘remove. Tiss an important point that should not be forgotten. ‘Our human lives are precious. We have intact bodies and minds, ‘with complete potential Nemay have mot teachers and received teach ngs, and we have lives in which we enjoy the freedom to follow the spintual path. We know that practices essential othe spittual jour- ‘ey as well as to our aspiration to help others We also know life passes ‘quickly and deathis certain, yet in ourbusy ives we find itdificultto Practice as much as we wish we could Pethaps we meditate for an hour orto each day, but that leaves the othe twenty-20 hours in ‘which tobe distracted and tossed about on the waves of samsara, But there i always time fr sleep the third of our lives we spend sleeping can be used for practice. ‘Amain theme of tis books that through practice wecan cultivate sreaterawareness during every moment of life. wedo, freedom and flexibility continually increase and we are less governed by habitual preoccupations and distachons, We develop a stable and vivid pres tence that allows tomo skill choose postive responsesto what ever arises, responses that best benefit others and our own spiritual journey Eventually wedevelop a continuity of awareness that allows Introduction 1 fo maintain fll awareness during dream as well a in waking fe. “Then we are able to respond to dream phenomena in creative and positive ways and can accomplish various pracicesin the dream tate, When we flly develop this capacity, we will find that we at living both wakingand dreaming lie with greater eas, comfort, clanty and appreciation, and we will aso be preparing ourselves to attain ibera- tion in the intermediate state (taco) after death. ‘Theteachings provide us with many methods to improve the qual: ity of ordinary life. Thats goo, for this life is important and worth- ‘while But always theultimate use ofthese yogas st lead us t ib ration. To that end this book sbest understood asa practice manual, guide tothe yogas ofthe Bon-Buddhist traditions of Tibet that use «dreams to attain liberation from the dreaminess of ordinary life and _usesleepto wake fom ignorance. To use the book ths way you should make connection witha qualified teacher. Then t stabilize the mind, do the practices of calm abiding (chin) found in Part Thre. When you fel ready, begin the preliminary practices and spend sometime ‘with them, integrating them into your life. Then begin the primary practices There isn hurry Wehave wandered in thellusions of sansa for time without beginning. To simpy read another book about spirtual- ity and then forget it wll change litle i ife. But if we follow these practices to their end, we wll wake to our primordial nature, whichis enlightenment itself I wecannot remain present during sleep, if we lose ourselves every night, what chance do we have to be aware wen death comes? If we enter our dreams and interact with the mind’ simagesasif they are ral, ve should not expect o be fre in the state after death. Look to your experience in dreams to know how you will fare in death Lookout experience of sleep to discover whether or not you are truly awake RECEIVING THE TEACHINGS ‘Thebest approach to receiving ral and writen spiritual teachings is to “heat, conclude, and experience,” thats, intellectually understand ‘whats said, conclude what s meant, and apply itn practic. learn ings approached this way, the process of lesming is continuous and unceasing, but iit stops atthe level ofthe intellect ean become a barrier to practice18 The Titan Yous of Dreem and Sp As to hearing or receiving the teachings the god students ike | _lue-covered wall weeds thrown against it stickto it. Abad studentis like a dry wall: what i tossed against itslides tothe floor. When the teachings are received, they should not be ost or wasted, The student should retain the teachings in his or her mind, and work with ther. “Teachings not penetrated with understanding are ike weeds thrown, aginst the dey wal they fal tothe floor and are forgotten ‘Coming to the conclusion ofthe meaning of teachings sik tur ingon alightina dark room: what was hidden becomes clea. Its the ‘experience of “a-al” when the pieces click into place and are under- Stood. I different from simple conceptual understanding in thatitis Something we know rather than something we have merely heard For example, being told about yellow and red cushions ina room is like gaining an intellectual understanding of ther, but if we go into theroom when itis dark, we cannot tell which cushion is which. Co- ‘ding the meanings ike turing thelighton: then we directly know the red and the yellow. The teaching is no longer something we can only repeat, itis pat of us By "applying in practice,” we mean turning what hasbeen concep- tually understood—What has been received, pondered, and made meaningful— into drectexperince. Ths process is analogous to as lingsalt Salt canbe talked about its chemical ature understood, and son, but the iret experience is had when is tasted. That exper «ence cannotbe grasped intellectually and cannotbe conveyed in words we try to explain it to someone who has never tasted salt they will othe ableto understand whatitisthat wehave experienced But when ‘ve alk of itt someone who already has had the experience then we both know what is being refered to, Is he sme withthe teachings. ‘This is how to study them: hear or read them, think abou them, con- clude the meaning, and find the meaning in direct experience In Tibet, now eather skins are putin the sun and rubbed with but- ter to make them softer. The practitioner is like the new skin, tough and hard with narrow views and concoptual rigidity. The teaching (charms slike the bute, rubbed in through practice, an the sn is like direct experience; whenboth are applied the practitioner becomes sott and pliable, But butler salso stored i leather bags. When utter ‘is left ina bag fr some yeas, the lather ofthe bag becomes hard as ‘wood and no amount ofiew buttercansoten it Someane who spends ‘many years tadying the teachings intellectalizing a gest deal with Ite experience of practic, sik that hardened leather The teachings Introduction 19 ‘ansoften the hard skin o ignorance and conditioning but when they ae stored in the intelet and not rubbed into the practitioner with practice and warmed with direct experince, that person may become Figi and hard in is intellectual understanding Then new teachings will not soften hi, will not penetrate and change him, We must be ‘ateful not to store up the teachings as only conceptual understand ing lst that conceptual understanding becomes a Block to wisdom. “The teachings are not ideas to be collected, buta path tobe followed,