How I Met

How Jim Valby Met Chögyal Namkhai Norbu and Other Memories

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.

How I Met Chögyal Namkhai Norbu

How I Met Chögyal Namkhai Norbu

For myself, I guess my first memory that has some kind of relationship with Rinpoche and my other teachers, is that when I was quite young, around 11 or 12 years old, and I remember looking at the world globe for the first time, and on the globe I noticed a country called Tibet.

How I Met Chögyal Namkhai Norbu

How I Met Chögyal Namkhai Norbu

I wish I could say that I connected with teaching for that reason though, that I met Rinpoche because I was looking for truth, because I was trying to find myself, because I wanted to be a better person. However, that view, somewhat opportunistic, is only partially true. The real reason why I met Rinpoche is because I wanted to leave suffering behind.

How I Met Chögyal Namkhai Norbu by Nicola Rinaudo

How I Met Chögyal Namkhai Norbu by Nicola Rinaudo

I was born Trapani, Sicily, which for me was not a nice place to stay,  but it’s a very nice place to visit.”If we want everything to remain as it is, it will be necessary for everything to change,” said Giuseppe Tomasi di Lampedusa.  It was not a good place for me. I was 18 years old when my family moved to Florence.

How I Met Rinpoche – Lilia Letti

How I Met Rinpoche – Lilia Letti

Meeting Rinpoche was the most important event in my life, thanks to him and his teachings I discovered my true nature and the potential that lies within us.