Jim Valby was one of the most avid and enthusiastic readers and supporters of The Mirror. He offered to write the first “How I Met Chögyal Namkhai Norbu” when we decided to start publishing those stories, in the December 2002/January 2003 issue, #63, and he also kindly and selflessly edited, in collaboration with Adriano Clemente, our book Dzogchen Teachings — a compilation of Chögyal Namkhai Norbu’s teachings published in The Mirror. Dzogchen Teachings was first published by Snow Lion Publications in 2006 and is now carried by Shang Shung Publications.
About a week before he died, he looked at me and said, with a sincere heart, “Thank you for The Mirror, Nomes. I love it.”
How Jim Valby Met Chögyal Namkhai Norbu
by Jim Valby
Mirror 63, December 2002/January 2003
The Sisters of Mercy taught at my Roman Catholic elementary school in Rochester, New York. As an altar boy, I served at the daily 6:30AM mass, held candlesticks for frequent funerals, and earned a few dollars at occasional weddings. The Jesuits in high school emphasized literature, religion, history and math. I earned a physics degree at Middlebury College in Vermont. After working as a research engineer for Eastman Kodak for about two years while enjoying various recreational drugs, I drove around the United States in my Chevy pickup truck with a Harley-Davidson motorcycle in the back. I looked everywhere unsuccessfully for a Gurdjieff teacher.
In the Spring of 1970 a motorcycle gang in Oregon severely beat me up because I made too many stupid mistakes in a row. After getting out of the hospital, I went on a month-long retreat in the mountains of British Columbia with my college friend Bob Flaws who had recently returned from India. I didn’t know how to practice, so I read books, ate well, smoked dope, and went for long walks while Bob practiced. After a mountain top conversation, Bob and I decided to travel together to India to get enlightened. I sold or gave away almost everything I owned. We met a month later in New York City. Bob purchased dharma books and encouraged me to buy a book for our long journey. I liked Vajrabhairava on the cover of a book named “Tibetan Buddhism Without Mystification” which was later republished as “Treasures on the Tibetan Middle Way”. The book contained translations into English from Tibetan by Herbert V. Guenther.
So I bought my first dharma book, read the first two pages, did not understand anything, and returned the book to my backpack. We traveled on Icelandic Airways to Amsterdam and then took the Orient Express train to Istanbul. On our overland bus trip toward India, I drank, smoked & swallowed all the bad stuff I could find along the way because I knew we would not be allowed to enjoy these vices once we began our enlightenment training in India. I became wickedly sick with amoebic dysentery in Tehran, and returned to the United States.
Some months earlier the United States Government had ordered me to join the army to kill Vietnamese people. I ignored the order, but while I was traveling, the FBI had come looking for me at my parents’ home. My mother was disappointed that I refused to serve God & Country, but my father kindly gave me a car ride to the Canadian border. I walked across the Niagara Falls bridge and took a bus to Toronto where I found that Buddhist book down in the bottom of my backpack. With nothing to do, I went to the public library to look up all the multi-syllabic philosophical words in various dictionaries. I understood something, so with almost the last of my money I bought a small bar of gold and a one-way airplane ticket to Saskatoon, Saskatchewan where Dr. Guenther was chairman of the Far Eastern Studies Department.
Dr. Guenther did not accept the gold bar I offered but asked if I would be interested in taking some university classes. He said that he would teach me the intellectual side of things but I have to go somewhere else to learn practice. So I studied with him for about 15 years earning Master’s and PhD degrees in Tibetan studies. In particular, he encouraged me to study the Dzogchen texts of Shrisingha, Vimalamitra and Longchenpa. Occasionally I went away for a few months to check out a Tibetan dharma scene here and there, mostly in the United States. I received my first Tibetan Buddhist initiation from HH Dudjom Rinpoche about 1971 or 72 in New York City. But I never noticed any Dzogchen teachings in any of the dharma scenes. All masters seemed to teach only Sutra & Tantra even if they sometimes used the word “Dzogchen”.
By 1975 I had completed two personal ngöndros and one group ngöndro with the exception of all the prostrations. By 1979 I had given up the idea that it was possible to receive Dzogchen teachings from Tibetan masters. So I just read Dzogchen texts in Tibetan and created a bigger & better & bitter dharma ego. In June 1982 my friend Steven Goodman offered to buy me a beer at Place Riel in Saskatoon. I accepted his offer, and while we were drinking our beers Steven said: “In July Namkhai Norbu Rinpoche will teach Dzogchen Upadesha in California.” I arrogantly replied: “Tibetan masters do not teach Dzogchen even if they know something.” Steven said: “Jim, Norbu really knows & teaches Dzogchen. You owe it to yourself to check him out.” I replied: “Really, I don’t believe it.”
In early July a disc in my lower back slipped out of place while I was digging in the vegetable garden, so I had to cancel my July Venice-to-Dubrovnik holiday on a chartered sailboat. The pain was so bad I considered committing suicide. After a few visits to the doctor and the chiropractor, my lower back improved. I had some time & money for a holiday, and my wife Marilynn said: “Maybe you would like to go meet that master Steven recommended?” So I thought: “Why not? I will go to California for a holiday. I can also check out that Tibetan master.”
I arrived near Point Arena at Redwood’s OZ retreat site a day after the retreat had begun. In the upstairs kitchen I asked beautiful See-Joy: “Where is the Tibetan master?” She replied: “He is sitting down there at the picnic table.” I looked but couldn’t see a master because everybody was wearing ordinary clothes. About an hour later, Rinpoche sat down under a large tree surrounded by interested students. I had no expectations. He smiled & spoke. My experience: Primordial Buddha transmits primordial Dzogchen to us fortunate practitioners in this particular time & place.
Reflections from Santi Maha Sangha teachers
Adriano Clemente
I first met Jim Valby in 1995 during the examination for the first level of Santi MahaSangha (SMS), right after Rinpoche had returned from New York City following his illness. Before then, I had only heard of Jim Valby – that there was this American translator working on some texts Rinpoche had given him – but I don’t think we had ever corresponded by letter.
I clearly remember sitting with Rinpoche on the veranda of the Yellow House at Merigar, just as the exams were about to begin, when Jim arrived at the door. The moment I saw him, it felt as though we had known each other for a very long time. Right from that first instant, it was exactly as it would always be: we didn’t need to get to know each other; we were already familiar. That was my strong feeling.
Shortly after, we began collaborating on the Santi Maha Sangha. He was truly instrumental in helping with the SMS, showing immense skill in organizing everything, and providing incredible support to both Rinpoche and me in those early days. In the beginning, it was just Rinpoche, Jim, and me. He used to travel extensively, visiting most of the local communities, and he was always deeply kind.
He later invited me to Conway in 1997, and again in 1999, to assist him with some Semde texts. I will always remember his kindness toward me. We were very close.
Then, he began to teach. During that period, among Rinpoche’s students only he and I were teaching, and I remember Rinpoche saying at retreats: ‘Don’t think just anyone can teach and explain the Dzogchen Teachings the way I explain them. There are only two people I can trust, and those are Jim Valby and Adriano Clemente.’
Jim worked on numerous translations, collaborating with Elio and me on the Ka-Terproject for about ten years. Together, we produced The Marvelous Primordial State, as well as the Trekchö book, Luminous Clarity of the Universe. Jim would write the first draft translation, Elio would work on it, and I would do the final revision. However, his most important work was undoubtedly the multi-volume commentary on the KunjyedGyalpo, entitled The Ornamental State of Samantabhadra.
Ultimately, what I can say is that Jim was someone I could fully trust as a practitioner. He was a highly intuitive person and it was clear that his understanding of the teachings came directly from his own experience. He was a monumental help to the Community, and he will forever remain a part of its history.
Julia Lawless
Ode to Jim Valby
Jim was a close friend and a remarkable character who will be missed by people all over the world. He had an incredibly warm and loving nature combined with a supremely sharp intellect and it is testimony to his unwavering devotion and dedication that he single-handedly translated all the Dzogchen tantras systematically over a period of many years.
Jim was a talented violinist alongside and whenever he came to the UK he liked to big-up his Scottish and Celtic roots … he even considered buying a kilt when he was in Wales once!
He had his wild side too … he liked to tell stories of his motorbike adventures, cross-border smuggling expeditions and other slightly dubious exploits, so was always good company. He also traveled extensively as a Santi Maha Sangha teacher and was highly respected for his knowledge of the Dzogchen tradition, especially due to his insight as a Tibetan translator. He was a very committed practitioner, too, and in later years spent long periods on his ‘personal island’ in retreat, which he loved, located on Whitehead Island in the Bay of Fundy, Nova Scotia, Canada.
I will miss him greatly for his warm heart, bear hugs, blunt honesty and wicked humor. I truly hope he finds himself in a pure land paradise, at least for a while…
Ricardo Sued
To Jim
This story was born
long before
it was ever born.
On the day it came into being,
this story
was already old…
It was simply waiting
for the moment to bloom,
just as any love blooms
long before
it comes into the world.
A love that is in the air,
playing, dancing,
waiting to reveal itself.
How fortunate, dear Jim,
that people like you
can be born again and again,
to adorn life
with laughter and knowledge,
with tears and love,
with that wild and fascinating wisdom.
We love you.
Lukas Chmelik
Dear friend and teacher Jim Valby was a person with many great virtuous qualities. His devotion to Chögyal Namkhai Norbu and Dzogchen teachings was exemplary. He would often remind us how lucky and fortunate we are, and how Rinpoche was a very great Dzogchen master. When I met the teachings, due to my defilements and obscurations it was difficult to see it – I took things for granted. I remember Jim always speaking about Rinpoche with great admiration and devotion.
In particular Jim was instrumental in guiding SMS courses, explaining profound views of Dzogpa Chenpo combined practice sessions which was so precious – short sessions repeated many times – and so many people were able to glimpse the natural state in a concrete way. In that way they could progress on the path and increase their confidence.
I remember how Jim very kindly sent us photos that he took during his SMS base level course in Paldenling, Poland, photos of Honza Dolensky and myself, and sent them by post or mail to us – small act of great kindness – that really touched me. Also few years ago he kindly sent many of his translations of Kunjed Gyalpo commentaries printed volumes of books to Wangdenling and I have heard that he also sent them to all the gars and lings. His efforts in transcribing SMS levels 1 and 2 retreats with Rinpoche have to be mentioned and praised.
During a SMS examination, my brother was asked by Jim, “What are the three types of transmission?“ “Oral, symbolic and direct?“ was his insecure answer. “And what about when the wind blows in your face?“ asked Jim.
Remembering great masters and excellent practitioners is a form of practice in itself. I believe Jim was an excellent practiioner and bringing to my mind his virtues, noble qualitites and selfless actions is uplifting and inspiring.
In short Jim had immensely beneficial influence on IDC and students of Rinpoche and his passing is a great loss.
Other Memories
Marc Benaria
ODE TO JIM
Jim was like fresh air
A fountain of joy bubbling
Expanding sphere
Radiant and warm
Jim was so funny
we’re still laughing now
Jim was so deep
his knowledge still resounds
Jim was so authentic
his presence still echoes
Shaman or comedian?
Jim was a storyteller
An actor of an ancient theater
on the essential stage
Near and far, at once present
making the complex simple
even for confused minds
Bringing you in from the wild
to the heart of feeling, being
knowing
So many years on the road
teaching “The Jim Valby Show!”
Sharing the feast of
the Master’s transmission
Unlocking creativity
inside, outside, no-side
illuminating obscure corners
transforming them into radiant spheres
resounding chords
drawing one to experience
time beyond being
A supreme love held his heart
sharing with beggars and brothers alike
holding a Light up to our closed senses
Whispering, “Come on, wake up!”
It’s all happening right now,
No time past nor future
Just presence!
Rowena Hill
Your lumberjack figure
was filled with powerful love.
Again and again you discovered
like a child first seeing grass
that all things are already
perfected in their essence.
The clarity you offered
was as simple and generous as air
and the air remembers.
Paula Barry
You left a huge hole
In the cloth of our world Gar
It will mend in time
Out of time, in space
Unbound by distracted mind
We all rest in bliss
Remembering Jim Valby:
Doug Doerr, Dondrubling, Dzogchen Community West Coast (Blue Gakyil)
We are so grateful for having a remarkable Vajra brother like Jim Valby! Jim always displayed a wonderful, self-deprecating sense of humor and frequently used it in when he was giving his explanations and teaching of Dzogchen.
Jim helped us to understand the details and importance of Rinpoche’s Oral Transmission in very extraordinary and unusual ways. For example, Jim often warned us that “some practitioners almost automatically build a new “dzogchen cage” in which to live. But the main point is never the words and ideas of the oral transmission. The intended meaning is always the naked rigpa-Presence beyond words and ideas.” and again, “we do not use these transmissions to create and solidify bigger, nastier egos.” Jim would often illustrate these examples with outrageously exaggerated mimicry and stories of how someone with that kind of bigger, nastier ego might act and talk. He always knew how to make us laugh and through that laughter to enable us to relax and more deeply understand the wonderful and profound teachings that we received from Chögyal Namkhai Norbu. Thank you, Jim!
Dina Priymak
I would like to share a few words in memory of Jim Valby, who recently passed away. Meeting Jim was a great blessing for me. He was the first Santi Maha Sangha teacher I met, just after I received transmission from the Master by videotape (at that time, there were no webcasts yet), in July 2002 at Kunsangar North.
A few days later, Jim taught a Base Level Santi Maha Sangha course, and it was incredibly valuable for me as a newcomer. He explained the base of the teaching with great clarity and depth, presenting Rinpoche’s teachings in a way that was both essential and deeply sincere. He also shared his own experience and many wonderful stories from everyday life, including touching and often humorous stories about his wife Catharine and her patience. I still remember those stories with great affection.
I feel very fortunate to have met Jim at that time. He gave me a solid foundation that helped me deepen my understanding during the retreats that followed, especially the first retreat I attended with Rinpoche in Crimea in September 2002.
