8.  THE BATTLE OF THE DAKINI

VAJRAYOGINI

Ninette had the great advantage of an education at Syracuse University and the Jewish culture as support, so she did not fall into the trap that Tibetan Buddhism holds, which is an attachment to the lamas, rites and ceremonies. Instead she saw them clearly as Dharma tools.

Since we shared all things I helped her pass through conceptual traps, but the solid dedication to the task of fulfilling commitments to the repetition of mantras, prostrations and the like were the root of her success. Through her practices I learned the correct way to practice Tara, Vajrasattva, etc., and when she moved into the Vajrayogini practices I became entranced with the beauty and value of the practices.

Unfortunately, it seemed like the practices were intact but the teaching of them seemed to be inferior and stained. This led me to an investigation with the idea of restoring their true value as a practice by understanding them in a new light.

While she advanced upon the Vajryogini practices with the given name of Sherab Chodron, I studied the fantastic explanations of the Venerable Geshe Kelsang Gyatso and transmitted these elements to Ninette in order to broaden her grasp at a deeper level.

At the same time she entered into what I consider the most excellent Dakini practices. With these practices she reached the point of the true understanding of what Vajrayogini's union with Heruka was all about. But there she felt great resistance during advanced practices. The reason was that the practice actually requires first a complete transformation into Vajrayogini and second, a high level of abstract ideation.

The problem was in the understanding which is beyond intellect of this union of the Masculine and Feminine principles and the application of the energy centres and flow to reduce all restraints.

In order to conquer the practice of this blockage Ninette decided to stop working and entered into a three-year retreat at our seminary in which all of her time was to be dedicated to the Vajrayogini practice supported by daily Dakini Attention. She then no longer participated in the Kagyu retreats at Panillo.

Now these are just words and it is difficult to convey what is required and how one must really approach these practices. Many are called to the Tibetan practices but despite years of training the stained mind that covets still controls them and they do not really advance. It requires a deep understanding of what is behind the words and dedicated application without respite.

There must also be a complete giving of one's apparent self to a greater mission, which is to encounter one's apparent own humanity that is beyond intellect.

Ninette started with the mantras and other orations together with one hundred thousand prostrations, performed correctly, setting aside gradually the interference of conscious intellect.

We are speaking here of full prostrations in which every single element is beyond ritual and connected to liberation of the mind. Believe me, this was a prodigious task requiring the same spirit of dedication that she had developed in our Janus and other adventures.

Ninette recited many different mantras more that one hundred thousand times, allowing a closer understanding of the no-mind associations. 

I believe it is easy to become a Saint with dedicated external application of compassionate actions, but it is far more difficult to try and become a noble liberated person internally, without the least external recognition or reward.

The task was not easy. No Dharma task of liberation is easy. All require full dedication and vigilance against the assaults of stained Identity. When Vipassana students tell me that the daily meditations are difficult, I cannot help but smile inwardly, for they know not the true difficulty of Dharma practice, nor the fruits of overcoming those difficulties.

Now all these practices would have availed little if there was not a daily constant battle against Identity. It is here that the Dakini practices were essential.

Let's look more closely at what real prostrations are all about so that you don't get the false idea that it is mere ritual.

How to perform correctly a PROSTRATION

But before you look at these prostrations let me ask you how many meditations do you perform in a year (and, believe me, your meditations are simple compared just to these prostrations which are a prelude to meditation).

I ask the Christians reading this how many Lord's Prayer and hymns to Jehova do you sing in a year?

I ask Jews how many times they offer praise to Jehova each year.

And remember here Sherab (Ninette) performed these with the greatest intensity and sincerity possible. No orthodox Rabbi could perform with greater sincerity and intensity.

VAJRAYOGINI MEDITATION

With respect to the meditation itself using the Vajrayoguini mantra, visualizations and body mandala it can be said that the Vajrayogini mantra is clear and concise and can be practiced with consumate ease. The mantra is short and easy to recite and the visualizations of the body mandala are simple with respect to the majority of other Vajrayana Deities.

However, just as it is easy to recite a mathematical formula for producing atomic energy it is not so easy to really produce it or control it. It is likewise with Vajrayogini practices.

I must smile when I hear her students speak of how difficult Vipassana meditation is when they spend at most a half an hour a day combatting their agitated minds without a deep impulse to work hard believing that it is the most important action of their lives. The problem is that they want one foot in freedom and the other in Stained Samsara.

                                                          Vajrayogini Study

Sherab walked the freedom path with determination and dignity. As an example, between October 1999 and April 2000 she performed 100,000 Vajrayogini Mantras Meditations and between May and October 2000 a further 200,000. Her practice included complete Mala orations every day performing at least 1080 each day (ten Mala). For at least three days a month she performed not ten but forty Mala (4320 orations) and on the 29th and 30th of September performed 400 malas on each day. Can you imagine that level of determination and belief in correct Dharma?

Now apart from the Prostrations and Meditations, there were other meditational exercises of Shiné and the  Continual Dakini Practices, which included the Dakini Mantra which was important to her practice and the Offerings accompanied by the hand symbols.

OM SHRI BENDZAR UARAHI BENDZAR ARGAM TRATITZA SOHA

Here I brieflY present the OFFERINGS which shows the direction of her efforts to a greater goal than simply releiving suffering. Perhaps you are able to see that while her early life was an external advenure her new directions into the transcendental were an internal adventure that complEments her path within an unstained Samsara.

ARGAM      OFRENDA DE TODOS LOS ELIXIRES MARAVILLOSOS. LA NO-DUALIDAD     

PUPE         OFRENDA DE LAS MÁS BELLAS FLORES. LA ABSORPCIÓN EN EL SAMHADI

DUPE         OFRENDA DE INCIENSO. LA DISMINUICIÓN DE LAS EMOCIONES

ALOQUE    OFRENDA DE LUCES. LA LUZ DE LA SABIDURÍA

GUENDE    OFRENDA DE AGUAS PERFUMADAS. LA BODHICHITTA SE EXPANDE A TODOS LOS SERES

NEVINDE   OFRENDA DE ALIMENTOS EXQUISITOS. LOS PODERES DE TODOS LOS BUDDHAS

SHAPTA    OFRENDA DE MÚSICAS EXCELENTES. EL GRAN GOZO DE LA FELICIDAD