The Purification of the Causes of the Six Lokas: A Retreat with Oliver Leick at Kunsangar North
Over the last weekend of March, the long-awaited retreat with Oliver Leick took place under the auspices of Kunsangar North. The theme was “The Purification of the Causes of the Six Lokas”. We followed the instructions from the book “The Crucial Preliminaries of the Path of Ati. Longsal Commentaries. Volume Three”, which are based on the cycle of Upadesha teachings rediscovered by Chögyal Namkhai Norbu in dreams under the title “The Luminous Clarity of the Universe, Heart Essence of the Dakinis”.
Recordings of Rinpoche’s instructions were accompanied by detailed explanations from the instructor and the direct application of practice combined with Vajrasattva purification.
Oliver’s style is characterized by his own personal interpretation, grounded in decades of personal practice, as well as an informal, warm delivery, which created a special atmosphere and depth. This was a significant event for Kunsangar North, as the last time Oliver led a retreat for us was in 2022.
Oliver said:
“During this retreat I tried to make [you] understand our situation as humans in samsara: always totally dominated by our mind that ‘interprets’ the nature of the elements as emotions, by which we then accumulate the visions of the six lokas. For that I presented a kind of ‘installation’ and also used a special sound file to combine the visual impulse with an audio impulse.”
Indeed, on the table in front of the camera stood an unusual structure. Inside a square glass lamp was a paper windmill that continuously revolved around its axis, while a small candle burned beneath it. Colored translucent filters symbolizing the five elements were inserted into each of the glass walls, illustrating the “obscurations” arising from our dualistic vision. As Oliver gradually revealed the object, he removed the colored plates one by one, allowing the dense, heavy color that had absorbed the light from the source to fade and dissolve layer by layer, until finally the direct radiance of the candle appeared before our eyes — no longer obscured by anything.
“This part was really thrilling and demanding for me, as I am not an expert at all in explaining the teachings in such a way, but I had the impression that I should use my personal understanding of the teaching and should do that based on my own experiences. Actually, it was something very simple, because I am just a simple but dedicated student of Chögyal Namkhai Norbu and Namkhai Yeshi. Such an approach to the teachings was also quite new and unexpected for many participants. My intention was that it should be something useful and understandable for everyone. Thanks to the participants and to the organizers.”
Oliver also gave an interesting example, comparing our relative condition, experienced as the “six lokas”, to a six-story building: all its windows and doors tightly shut, it’s hard to breathe, the rooms are cramped and dark. And just as a sudden gust of wind flings the windows wide open, and air and sunlight flood the space, making inside and outside inseparable, so too, through the practice of awareness and presence, we experience joy and relief in spontaneous liberation, discovering ourselves in the knowledge of our real nature, pure, clear, and totally empty.
He also drew a comparison: just as wild animals or something even worse may easily take up residence in an abandoned house, so too our neglected space of mind can become a cause for accumulating all kinds of negativity.
In fact, it is hard to list everything wonderful that unfolded over the three days of the retreat. Daily, casual examples laid bare the profound knowledge of Dzogchen. And perhaps the main thing that remains after such a retreat is not the amount of new information, but a living experience. It becomes our own direct way of looking at things.
There is no way to list all the wonderful things we discovered and rediscovered together with Oliver throughout the three days of the retreat.
It is truly a great fortune for all of us that such teachings continue to exist, and that there are outstanding people who carry them forward with great compassion for the benefit of all beings. Thank you, Oliver — you are incredible!
Gakyil of Kunsangar North
