So the reason why I wanted to teach this yoga is because when this pandemic happened, 2020-2021, still ongoing, I see many people drinking a lot. Drinking a lot, mentally become very squeezed, like a balloon in the water, squeezed, and then become very depressive and looking for some sort of quick liberation or quick solution, unable to reach that reality. And I see in Facebook, Instagram, in general people, just lot of people. So I think, I need to find something, I need to provide something, I need to give something, I need to share something that is with my experience, not some kind of a “I know this, I read this one from the book, let’s repeat that again”. Not like that, but something that I truly experience, and something that I can share to people.
So then I thought about Niguma yoga, since last year, then I thought about, “then how can I give? How can I teach? Is it really allowed or not?” then I spoke with some scholars, previous Kalu Rinpoche’s students, like Lama Sarah Harding, and then Professor Robert Thurman, and all that, that’s why I talk with them indirectly, and then also other previous Kalu Rinpoche’s students. Then I came to know that His Holiness Dalai Lama promoted the Tibetan yoga 20 years ago. There’s a temple behind the Potala, in the island or lake, where on the wall, there’s all the yoga instruction. There’s a photographer, he took picture of everything and he asked His Holiness Dalai Lama if he can publish that. It was not just that, it’s about whole culture, and then His Holiness Dalai Lama wrote even the foreword for that book, and that was published like 20 years ago.
And I’m like “what am I doing? Why am I waiting over here?” and His Holiness was saying that “have to promote that, have to say it, have to let them know, because the yoga, the Niguma yoga, or any type of yoga practice, has nothing to do with secrecy. It has to connect with the body and mind strongly, so it can benefit them” so that was his comment. So based on that, then I said “okay, I really need to go ahead with this one”
And I also want to be careful, because some people they meditate little bit and then they say “oh, emptiness” and then they try to sell the ticket. “Oh, I have a big name”, oh sell the ticket, “oh I put a big title for my teachings” sell the ticket, you understand what I mean? So when I teach yoga, I want to make sure that I don’t go in that direction. Whether other people, they lose that, whether they lose the path of Dharma or not, at least I should not lose the path of Dharma. Making sure that my mind is not corrupted, I have to protect myself. You understand? So it’s not only about you, it’s about me. That I need to protect myself, you know?
So that’s why in Berlin, we did that, one year ago in the lockdown time, we gathered in a park, because we have no centre. We gathered in the park, and then we meet again and again in the park, and then after a while, we did in somebody’s, the different organisation centre. So generously they give the hall for free, so we are able to do the yoga, I was teaching the yoga from morning until evening, so it was very good. So they are going to make that a continual study with their own gathering. So we have a Shangpa Kagyu Germany now.
In the beginning I thought we do shamata, vipassana, but I think we need a stronger punch. We need an inspiration, we need to bring something to connect within themselves. More than bow in the head. Now you understand the whole story why.
Kalu Rinpoche
Niguma’s yoga – Paldenshangpa La Boulaye France – June 11, 2021
To be continued…
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