Customer Reviews

The Mirror: Advice on the Presence of Awareness

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This is a short spontaneous teaching by Namkhai Norbu Rinpoche, a contemporary teacher of the Dzog Chen path in the Tibetan tradition. This teaching is a simple, yet profound introduction to the Dzog Chen path, using the metaphor of the mirror: a mirror reflects everything in front of it, without being conditioned by whatever it reflects. A excellent start for those interested in an authentic presentation of these ancient teachings !

Unencumbered by the usual exposition of the Sutra and Tantra methods and all the talk of various "yanas". Freed from the weight of lineage and biography here is direct guidance from a living master on the immediate application of Dzogchen in your daily life. I found my copy for $[...] at [...]. The commentary is a bit brief, for those wanting more I recommend the same author's "Dzogchen: The Self-Perfected State".

This is one of my two favorite (of the 9 I've read) of Namkhai Norbu's books. It's short and to the point, emphasizing the analogy of a mirror (not unusual in Dzogchen texts)--but wonderfully orchestrated here. But, the primary thrust of the text is on Awareness. For example on page 70, "A person who has awareness is very different from the principle behind rules. A person who has awareness has inner knowledge and acts in accordance with that, whereas rules are necessary when awareness is lacking. However, sometimes rules themselves can become a means of developing awareness." And by way of illustration and illumination as to what this means in reality: (page 71) "it is written that if a practitioner gets drunk he will suffer in hell; but getting drunk means drinking without awareness." Awareness is a key concept in Dzogchen -- this book reflects that by shining the light of wisdom on it.

This is a wonderful little book that can be read in a single evening, pondered at length, and returned to for inspiration wherever you are along the Path Of Self-Liberation. Despite multiple translations from Tibetan to Italian to English, Namkhai Norbu's words still ring clear and true. Whether you are just a beginner wanting to learn about the essence of the ideas and practices or one already well upon their way, The Mirror is a simple yet profound reflection of the Dozgchen way.