Self-Arising Three-fold Embodiment of Enlightenment [of Bon Dzogchen Meditation] | Shar rdza bKra' shis rGyal mtshan, Daniel P. Brown, Geshe Sonam Gurung

This is the second in Shar rDza Rinpoche's trilogy on Bon Great Completion meditation. It is a collection of eleven very advanced mostly by-passing Great Completion practices representing the best intensive practices from the cave and hermitage yogi tradition. The first book is a very extensive commentary on the A Khrid Bon Great Completion practice of the Bru rGyal ba tradition. The second and third texts are very detailed practice manuals for developing the levels of by-passing visions in the daytime initially through sky gazing and sun gazing (book 2) and also during a 49-day intensive dark retreat. Books 4,5, and 6 constitute a trilogy of books on advanced self-arising/self-liberated practice. Book 4 is a practice manual for illusory body practices, wherein the practitioner learns to take all appearances of the path as insubstantial and illusory. Book 5 is a very detailed manual for cultivating awakened awareness continuously during dream and deep sleep states. Book 6 is a very detailed practice manual to be used by the dying yogi to recognize correctly the clear-light of death during the dying process, and the visions during the after-death bardo of the dharmadhatu and the bardo of rebirth. These teachings also include detailed instructions on the advanced practitioner transferring consciousness into a dead body, reviving the dead body, and continuing practicing and teaching. Book 7 contains very precious pith instructions on how to recognize and develop the three-fold embodiment of enlightenment, the five primordial wisdoms, and the inexhaustible enlightened activities of the Buddha. Books 8-11 pertain to very advanced practices to balance the elements so as to extract the maximum benefit from meditation practice. Book 8 contains very detailed instructions on standard inner fire practice using the central channel and chakra system and practicing the four ascending and four descending levels of bliss. Inner fire practice in general enhances the separation of the brightness of awakened awareness from the residual dregs on the ordinary mind, and in particular purifies the residual substantial of the physical body into light. Book 9 contains a detailed description of 40 advanced yogic exercises designed for advanced retreatants to keep the body fit, resist illness, and extract the full measure of benefit from other practices such as A Khrid and Inner Fire. A film was made detailed each of the 40 yogic exercises, and is available only to qualified advanced practitioners. Book 10 is a detailed practice manual on inner fire practice done in synchrony with a sexual consort. The main differences between solo and consort inner fire practice is that only consort practice leads to "great bliss" via reversing the directions of the normally upwardly moving wind and the downward moving winds until they collide and the dispersing the wind evenly throughout the 84,000 minor channels and pores of the body. Book 11 is on advanced yogic fasting. There are nine types of fasting practices depending on capacity. Best practitioners learn to extract vital essence directly from the universe so they and reduce or stop food intake. Middling capacity practitioners reduce normal food intake by using super-foods and energy capacitating substances, Lesser capacity practitioners reduce normal food intake by visualizing dakinis extracting vital essence from the universe and then enhancing normal foods with vital essence such that the volume of normal food intake is reduced.