Quintessential Trungpa Rinpoche: The Left-Handed Tantrika-- Understanding the View, Practice and Action in the Transgressive Tantras

Quintessential Trungpa Rinpoche:The Left-Handed Tantrika-- Understanding the View, Practice and Action of the Transgressive Vajrayana Yogic Disciplines

April 14-16

Prerequisite: The "Touch and Go Weekend"

"Since at heart, we are all charnal ground people..."  Osel Tendzin

“Johnny, what are you rebelling against?” 

“Whaddya got? 

Marlon Brando, "The Wild Ones"

The essence of our lineage is the transgressive tantras which arose out of the mahasiddha tradition in India from the 8th to 12th century.  This form of tantra was the main Buddhist practice during the time when Tantric Buddhism was brought to Tibet.  All of the great Mahasiddhas-- realized Masters-- that we revere and consider our lineage practiced the transgressive disciplines in charnal grounds. 

The special yidam in the Surmang Kagyu lineage is Vajrayogini--Queen of Desire.  Tilopa was said to storm the citadel of the dakinis to recieve the transmission of this practice.  And it was passed on from master to disciple to our present day lineage holder -- Chogyam Trungpa Rinpoche-- who transmitted it to his western students.

"Tantra of the left-hand" refers to the cultural taboo of ancient Inda of using the left hand for anything considered sacred.  The left hand was strictly reserved for wiping your ass and was considered "impure."  The right hand was "pure" and used for eating and for performing consecrations in the  sacred Brahmanical rituals.  What is absolutely necessary to understand is by breaking these unconscious social taboos one undermines and subverts all habitual reference points.  This is the skillful method in the transgressive disciplines.  Although we may consider ourselves far removed from the caste system and notions of purity coming from the brahmanical traditions of ancient India, actually we are not.  The underlying energy of Vajrayogini is completely subversive to all our hidden hangups-- whether we consider ourselves "woke" or "conservative." The wakeful "pride of the yidam" of Vajrayogini allows us to "loot" our kleshas and all our hidden corners--completely undermining their neurotic power over us. 

At the same time one needs to understand the view, practice and activity of non reference point experience otherwise we might get the wrong idea. 

Needless to say, this is a very different path than what you find at a Thich Nhat Hanh Center or a class on Mindfulness Based Stress Reduction.  The purpose of this retreat is to allow people who may have a subversive streak to understand the energy of this lineage and how it has brought many, many people to complete realization.  We will not be revealing any "tantric secrets."

Unitarian Universalist Annutara Yogin

A lot of good intentions have gone into

This skull cup— along with piss, shit, semen and mentrual blood.

One might wonder how the conventional view

Of good coffee mixed with social justice might mix

With the guru 

Cutting up the corpse and eating it before his disciple

As was the case of Marpa and Naropa.

As the good guru said,

“It’s more interesting than that.”

So come back into the cave

After retching

Outside

Lick the bloody mass

Stuck to the cave wall

And experience mahasukkha.

You and I are Marpa.

You and I are Naropa.

You and I are the lineage

And the only hope

For sentient beings.

Change your coffee cup of worldly views

Into the skull cup 

Of one taste.

Om 

Ah 

Hum  

Cost $195.00 includes room and board