Northern Gar News

Namgyalgar is the regional centre for the teachings of Dzogchen master, Chogyal Namkhai Norbu, serving Australia, New Zealand and the Pacific. There are community groups in regional centres of Australia, NZ and New Caledonia with a ling (Tib-place), Samyasling in Melbourne two gars (Tib.gar - nomad encampment) Namgylagar South, at Tilba, Tilba, NSW and Namgyalgar North in the Glasshouse Mts in QLD. Namg South was established in 1994 while the recently purchased property below houses Namg North. Namg North held its first large retreat with Chogyal Namkhai Norbu last March.

Prayer flags in the tropics.

Namgyalgar North, formerly a farm, has a large house, sheds and disused hydroponic structures. At a recent retreat with Elio Guarsico, Gakyil member Maree Ploetz took retreatants on a walk around the land show where building development will take place when planning permissions have been approved.

Heading uphill for the view of the Glasshouse Mts.

Clicke here for images of surrounding panorama of the Glasshouse Mountains.

The centre of the proposed gonpa with sacred objects conscecrated by CHNN already buried.

Maree explains the size of the gonpa (one of the four visible mountains from this spot in the background).

Local guardians must be appeased

Pretty faced wallabies guard the site of the proposed cinerarium.

The old hydroponic sheds will be replaced by seven retreat cabins.

Detailed plans have been drawn up to include dorms, kitchen, common room and dance mandala area. Regional communities can fundraise to purchase a dorm bed for their members use.

New prayer flags mark the border of the carpark

Old prayer flags remind us how quickly time passes.

Tropical garden surrounds the gekod house.

Machinery shed perfectly converted to house the dance mandala.

Cool mornings, warm afternoons with Elio in the gonpa next door to the dance mandala.

Plenty of space in the gonpa for all.

Cosimo and Sam cooking Elio's lunch on the patio barbeque.

One of the sentinels, Mt Tibrogaran, watching over Namgyalgar North

View more images of CHNN at Namgyalgar North 2011

CHNN at Namgyalgar North receiving a gift from a local Indigenous Elder in 2012.

Come on down (or up or sideways) to help build the new Northern Gar in the southern hemisphere!

This blog, authored by Jan Cornall, is not an official blog of the Dzogchen Community.
For info re The Dzogchen Community of Namgyalgar go here.

Southern Gar News

Translator and scholar, Elio Guarisco, is currently visiting Australia leading retreats at Namgyalgar South near Tilba Tilba in Southern NSW and Namgyalgar North in the Glasshouse Mountains on QLD's Sunshine Coast. As well he has been giving public talks in Tilba, Sydney and Brisbane. 

 Elio is a Level 2 Santi Maha Sangha instructor and senior student of the Tibetan Dzogchen Master Chogyal Namkhai Norbu.

In between his translating work for Shang Shung Institute he travels to the various gars and lings of the Dzogchen Community delivering trainings and leading retreats.

Public talk on Tibetan Book Of The Dead at Tilba Hall NSW

It has been wonderful to have a teacher with Elio's breadth of knowledge and experience visit our community. Born in Italy, Elio received a Master of Arts before traveling to India to study Buddhism. On his return from India he moved to Switzerland where for ten years he learned Tibetan language and Buddhist philosophy under one of the Dalai Lama's philosophical advisers.

Invited by the late Kagyu teacher, Kalu Rinpoche, Elio spent almost twenty years in India working on the Encyclopedia on Indo Tibetan Knowledge known as Shes bya kun khyab (Myriad Worlds, Buddhist Ethics,  Systems of Buddhist Tantra,  The Elements of Tantric Practice) authored by Kongtrul the Great, which is being published in separate volumes by Snow Lion Publications. During this time Elio developed a keen interest in Tibetan medicine and its relationship with the Dzogchen teachings.

Since 2003 he has been actively engaged in the Ka-ter  project of the Shang Shung Institute of Austria. He is also the instructor of the Training for Translators from Tibetan language and also works for the Dzogchen Tantra Translation Project.

At Namgyalgar South, a Dzogchen Community retreat centre on the southern slopes of Mt Gulaga, near Tilba Tilba in NSW, Elio led a retreat on Goma Devi and a level 1 SMS training before heading to Gar North in QLD's Glasshouse Mountains. For more info re upcoming events read here.

This blog is authored by Jan Cornall and is not an official blog of the Dzogchen Community.
For info re The Dzogchen Community of Namgyalgar go here.

A Day with Green Tara

Tara is called the mother of all Buddhas. In Tibet she is known as the bodhisattva of compassion, one who will relieve us of physical, emotional and spiritual suffering.

There are 21 Taras, each with a different colour and action.

White Tara is associated with compassion and long life. It is said the eye in her hand is witness to  all suffering.

Green Tara is associated with enlightened activity and abundance. She is also able to save us from eight particular dangers including robbers, tigers, snakes and demons, which we can translate into modern dangers or human emotions.


 
Spend the day with Green Tara - a creative workshop.
- hear some of her stories and learn of their importance in Tibetan religion and culture.
- practice some simple Green Tara mantras, meditations and visualisations.
- learn how to apply Green Tara wisdom in your daily life.
- start a creative project with Green Tara as your inspiration.
- make a small Green Tara travelling shrine from paper and fabric.


At the end of the workshop you will have an idea of how to use Green Tara as an inspirational energy in your life and feel the sense of abundance and joy that comes from spending the day with her.

Venue and times for the next Green Tara workshop to be confirmed.

Elio Guarisco Talk

Awakening Upon Dying. 
a talk by Elio Guarisco
on his new translation of 
The Tibetan Book of the Dead 

‘The Tibetan Book of the Dead’ presents instructions to facilitate the inner liberation of the dying or dead person by helping him or her to recognise and make use of the experiences that occur during the various phases of death.

This famous text was composed in the 8th century by the Buddhist Master Guru Padmasambhava. Since its first English translation in 1927 it has become a spiritual classic. In 2012 a new translation by Elio Guarisco, with a commentary by Dzogchen Master Chögyal Namkhai Norbu, was published into English by Shang Shung Publications.

Translator Elio Guarisco is fluent in colloquial and classical Tibetan and has studied Buddhist Philosophy since 1974. He has acted as translator for numerous eminent Tibetan Masters, including Kalu Rinpoche and HH 14th Dalai Lama. His translations include volumes in the Treasury of Knowledge by Kontrul the Great, an encyclopedia of Indo-Tibetan knowledge. Since 2003 he has been actively engaged in the Ka-Ter project of the Shang Shung Institute, translating texts of Tibetan Masters for the preservation of this precious spiritual heritage. 

For many years Elio has worked closely with renowned scholar and teacher Chögyal Namkhai Norbu, translating important works and texts for the Shang Shung Institute, set up by CNN for the preservation of Tibetan culture.

In this lecture Elio will highlight the instructions of the ‘Tibetan Book of the Dead’ according to the teachings of Dzogchen as a means to attain spiritual realization at the time of death and post-mortem stages.

Where: Buddhist Library,

90 Church St Camperdown, Sydney.

When : Saturday, April 13, 2013 6:00pm until 8:00pm 

Donation: $10

Enquiries: 0415921303 

Elio Guarisco was born in Italy in Varese on the 5th of August 1954 and grew up in Como. Elio received a Master of Arts before traveling to India to study Buddhism. On his return from India he moved to Switzerland where for ten years he learned Tibetan language and Buddhist philosophy under one of the Dalai Lama's philosophical advisers.

Invited by the late Kagyu teacher, Kalu Rinpoche, Elio spent almost twenty years in India working on the Encyclopedia on Indo Tibetan Knowledge known as Shes bya kun khyab (Myriad Worlds, Buddhist Ethics,  Systems of Buddhist Tantra,  The Elements of Tantric Practice) authored by Kongtrul the Great, which is being published in separate volumes by Snow Lion Publications. During this time Elio developed a keen interest in Tibetan medicine and its relationship with the Dzogchen teachings.

Since 2003 he has been actively engaged in the Ka-ter  project of the Shang Shung Institute of Austria. He is also the instructor of the Training for Translators from Tibetan language and also works for the Dzogchen Tantra Translation Project.

Audio of a previous talk by Elio

http://vimeo.com/58118421

This blog is authored by Jan Cornall and is not an official blog of the Dzogchen Community.
For info re The Dzogchen Community of Namgyalgar go here.