Ep275: I Was A Tantric Disciple - Khandro Kunzang Dechen Chodron 2
Khandro Kunzang Dechen Chodron, teacher of Tibetan Buddhism and executive director of Saraswati Bhawan Publications.
Available on Youtube, iTunes, SoundCloud & Spotify – search ‘Guru Viking Podcast’.
Khandro Kunzang details her apprenticeship in Nepal under renowned ngakpa, Kunzang Dorje Rinpoche; outlines the course of her training from yidam practice to tummo and beyond; and reflects on the profound trust involved in the guru-disciple dynamic.
Khandro Kunzang shares stories about Kunzang Dorje’s psychic powers, his testing the honesty and obedience of potential students and even other lamas, and the price he paid for adhering to his yogic ideals by refusing involvement in politics and religious institutions.
Khandro Kunzang explains the value of a close relationship with a guru, what it takes to be a worthy student to a spiritual master, and considers the differences between those who teach dharma with or without lineage authority.
00:00 - Intro
01:06 - Finding the guru
02:08 - US Tour with Lama Dawa
06:13 - Personal time and teachings with Lama Dawa
08:08 - Insistence on ngondro
09:16 - Proposing a consort relationship
14:23 - Meeting Kunzang Dorje Rinpoche in Nepal
16:46 - Past life test
20:48 - Receiving Dudjom Tersar 3 Roots Empowerment
22:00 - Challenged to drink alcohol as a nun
24:41 - Kunzang Dorje Rinpoche agrees to become Khandro’s teacher
25:23 - Further ngondro and 6 month retreat
27:01 - Kunzang Dorje Rinpoche’s clairvoyance and psychic powers
28:51 - How Kunzang Dorje Rinpoche tested seekers and students
30:29 - Exposing infidelity between a student and lama
31:23 - The importance of honesty and trust
32:23 - A pride offering
34:13 - Follow-through and other conditions of samaya
36:40 - A disobedient student
38:28 - Kunzang Dorje Rinpoche’s attitude towards high lamas
40:51 - The price of purity
42:52 - Exploitation of Westerners
44:15 - Ngakpas don’t form groups
45:20 - Faith in the guru
47:03 - Challenged by Kunzang Dorje Rinpoche
49:11 - Arguing with Lama Dawa
50:09 - The value of having a close relationship with a teacher
52:12 - Wrathful teaching vs abuse
53:57 - 2 dimensions of mentorship
55:08 - Motivation and lama wannabes
57:29 - Critique of bad Lamas who come to the West
59:20 - What makes a real student?
01:00:27 - Importance of work ethic and personal sacrifice
01:02:30 - Self interest and hidden agendas
01:04:14 - Who is authorised to teach the lineage?
01:07:07 - Selecting a lineage holder
01:08:37 - Different levels of teacher
01:10:02 - The burden of being enthroned
01:12:56 - Khandro details her training under Kunzang Dorje Rinpoche
01:14:28 - Generation stage for ḍākinī, lama, and yidam
01:16:02 - Tummo and completion stage practices
01:19:40 - Rare pipe practice
01:23:23 - Private and public enthronements
01:25:28 - Further completion stage practices and Vajrakīlāya
Previous episode with Khandro Kunzang Dechen Chodron:
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Music ‘Deva Dasi’ by Steve James