Subtle Body Series VIII focuses on the "magic dance" of the dakini and the Dakini along the outline from Khandro-la @Dakinis Whisper that shows us how to move magically within the frame of guru yoga. Based on references from the book by Thinley Norbu entitled Magic Dance: The Display of the Self-Nature of the Five Wisdom Dakinis, Khandro-la elaborates how phenomena is expressed through our course dance and ultimately within our subtlest self.
I've had that same book collecting dust on my bookcase since I read it before I found Khandro-la and so, after pulling it back out other then just to swipe a quote from it, it's a fresh read -- even with all my underlining and tabs. I recall when I read the book that it was fascinating and I was *just about there* in understanding what it all meant, but I couldn't grasp it (whatever *it* was). I rather enjoyed the end chapters on meditation practice, isolation, and art, but again, the perspective of those things through the dance of dakini wasn't taking shape for me yet. I shelved it and didn't realize it had cracked the code to the next karmic level I was about to level up to: enter Dakini's Whisper and now, I grasp *it*. Completely? .. no, but that's why I'm a dedicated student to SBT.
Now, as I've been going through the book reading why I underlined this or that to study for this series, I've come upon the chapter called 'Magic and the Mysterious' (p. 61). I want to share most of the last page of that chapter aligning with Khandro-la's handout she gave us to follow:
""[Vajrayogini's] Wisdom Mind is pure and mysterious. It protects us because it is ultimately uncatchable and secret and so cannot be penetrated by the temporary worldly mysterious."
"If we can recognize our own mysterious secret wisdom essence, which is the same from the beginning as [Vajrayogini's] mysterious secret wisdom essence, then enlightenment is no longer mysterious to us because, inseparable from [Her], we are the mysterious."
"The earthquake cannot harm the mysterious sky no matter
how much its powerful shaking overturns and destroys.
The ocean cannot harm the mysterious sky no matter
how much its turbulent waves flood and destroy.
The fire cannot harm the mysterious sky no matter
how much its angry flames burn and destroy.
The hurricane cannot harm the mysterious sky no matter
how much its violent winds blow and destroy.""
I am so grateful for the sincere kindness and deep love Khandro-la shows us through her talent of teaching. Truly, there is no way I would have eclipsed the practice of guru yoga with the dance of the mysterious mind -- our dakini mind. My prayers have begun to reflect an urgency of doing what is necessary in samsara -- to be with it and not of it -- in order to keep my sacred sadhana practice along with my studies and meditation until the end of this lifetime. I cannot imagine a life without waking up to a class or teaching, without having Khandro-la's voice available to me through videos and text, or without Vajrayogini reflected back toward me. May I always find myself in the same great charnel ground as my heart teacher and guru, Khandro-la, to dance together like swans, monkeys, tigers, and any other form sentient beings require of us!
*Interesting factoid: on p. 33 the opening quote beginning the chapter called 'Lineage' is from Milarepa, referencing our own -- "The teaching of the whispered lineage is the Dakini's breath."
So very inspiring, thanks for sharing TK ❤️