MAIN SEAT OF THE SHANGPA LINEAGE    A A A
May 15

Kalu Rinpoche | Niguma Meditation BCCUK – like a tree

Then now coming back to Niguma, when Khyungpo Naljor met Niguma, when they met for the first time, she said that she is a “Sha Sa Khandroma” [Flesh-eating Khandroma], she is a cannibal. She said “I am a cannibal”.

I always make this discussion with people, I said we have this idea of Khandroma with very beautiful hair and ornament and jewellery and that is how we imagine a Khandroma to be but she was not looking like that.

If you said “Oh, I am a cannibal”, if you say it and meet somebody in the forest and you say that “I am a cannibal” you would believe it. There is a much higher chance that you would believe it than not believe it.

Then she said “If you do not run away, my friends will come and we will eat you alive”.

Khyungpo Naljor had this very strong feeling that she actually was Niguma. He had this very sincere devotion and he said “You are Niguma” and then he had a little bit of gold and then he said “I like to receive a teaching, please empower me with all your blessing and teachings.”

Then at that time Khyunpo Naljor offered this gold and so on and then Niguma picked up this gold as he offered and then she threw that gold into the forest. Then some part of the forest became like gold, like jewelry. Then Niguma said to Khyungpo Naljor “My dear child if you have a pure view everything is precious like jewels, if you do not have a pure view wherever you go nothing is precious or like jewels.”

That was the time that she gave the teachings of “The Five Jewels of Niguma”. The foundation, the example is it is like a tree:

  • The roots of the tree are “The Six Yogas of Niguma” “rtsa ba ni gu chos drug”. The Six Yogas of Niguma being:
    – “tummo” Heat generating practice
    – “gyu lu” Illusory body and mind
    – “milam” Dream Yoga practice
    – “wisdom”, wisdom means Clear light “ö sel”
    – “powa”, powa means Transferring the consciousness
    – “bardo”, bardo means the Intermediate state practice
  • The trunk of the tree is the Mahamudra teaching of Niguma “dongpo chakgya chenpo”.
  • The branches of the tree are the Three kayas practice “yalka lam khyer nam sum”.
  • The flowers within the branches are the Red dakini and then the White dakini, “metok khachö KarMar”.
  • The seed within the flowers is “chimé chukmé”. “chimé chukmé” means a little bit like the Timeless practice .

So these are just the introduction stages.

So in order to practice all that, there is the “Cleansing AH” practice.

For an example, the importance of Niguma’s teaching is very much practiced and received by Previous Dilgo Khyentsé Rinpoche. The previous Dilgo Khyentsé Rinpoche and Previous Kalu Rinpoche were good friends and then they gave empowerments and teachings to each other. Previous Kalu Rinpoche gave teachings to Previous Dilgo Khyentsé Rinpoche, the Shangpa empowerment and transmission and teachings and then Previous Dilgo Khyentsé Rinpoche gave all the teachings, transmission to Previous Kalu Rinpoche. Just like that Previous Kalu Rinpoche and Chatral Rinpoche, they gave empowerment to each other, transmissions and teachings, Nyingma practice, Dzogchen practice. So I just try to explain to you not just the history that existed 1000 years ago but also in our current time.

When it comes to the teachings of Niguma, she have said to Khyungpo Naljor that it is not allowed to give to the public for 7 generations of lineage holder [The Seven Jewels of the Shangpa lineage] and only after that can it be given to the public. Due to that the Shangpa lineage, Niguma’s teachings were kept private, one lineage (holder) to another, like a single lineage. After that many different practice lineages got the opportunity to receive the teachings of Niguma.

His Eminence Kyabje Kalu Rinpoche at BCCUK (1h 02′ 05”)
September 10, 2023

To be continued …