At this time, lacking the nirmanakaya form of our precious Master Chögyal Namkhai Norbu, the source of transmission that awakens the understanding of one’s own real nature, many doubts, questions and reflections arise in our minds.
Which of the Vajra Dances can be openly taught to those without transmission?
What is the purpose of bringing the Vajra Dance outside the Dzogchen Community?
What is the function of opening the Vajra Dance to the public? What are the benefits and could it create problems in doing so?
At the very beginning the Vajra Dances were kept secret, which meant that in order to practice them, it was necessary to receive transmission of the Dzogchen Teaching. At that time we could not even use the image of the Mandala on flyers about the Dances.
As time passed, by applying one of the essential points of his teaching, ‘working with circumstances’, the indications from Rinpoche changed a little. Also, we instructors developed a more profound understanding from our practice and experience.
The five-coloured mandala itself, a symbol of the real mandala that is our whole dimension, works as a thong-drolor “liberation through seeing”. In the same way, simply by watching the Vajra Dances and listening to the sound and melody of the mantras can become a cause of liberation (thö-drol or “liberation through hearing”).
In 2012 Rinpoche said that the Vajra Dance of the Six Spaces could be taught openly:
Why can we do that? Because the six syllables are also the six liberations. In particular they are connected with the six lokas. We are in the human condition – there are different dimensions such as animals and so on. This is the characteristic of our samsara. Liberation from samsara is the function of this dance, so of course, we can use it. Hearing it makes a cause for liberation. Seeing it also makes a cause for liberation.
At a later stage, someone who was really interested could learn the Dance of the Three Vajras. Since there is a reference to this mantra in Sutra, we could use it openly.
Om A Hum is to make a connection and people also gradually enter into knowledge and understanding, (2012, Special retreat for instructors, Tenerife).
In these open courses instructors do not talk about the deeper meanings of the six syllables of Samantabhadra, or the essence and source of the Teaching, but explain about the benefits on a relative level.
With experience we have discovered that it might be easier for beginners to start with the Dance of the Three Vajras in which they can already complete a round of the outer or inner circle of the mandala in just a few steps. The easy and repetitive sequences allow, in a short time, relaxation in the sound and movement and a deep experience of the practice.
Therefore, the Dance of the Six Spaces and the Dance of the Three Vajras can be taught openly.
In spite of this being very clear, it is almost with a sense of regret that people sometimes ask why the Dance of the Song of the Vajra cannot also be opened up, as if the other two Dances were not enough. There is a strange idea that one Vajra Dance is ‘more’ than the others. But … ‘more’ important? ‘More’ special? Maybe the value lies in the number and variety of steps? Or is it proportional to the effort put into learning it? Or perhaps it allows us to show off our confidence better? Already the idea of ‘more’ and ‘less’ does not correspond with the principle of Dzogchen teaching, since it implies comparison and judgement.
As for me, I am constantly discovering, always with wonder and infinite gratitude, how deep and direct the Dance of the Three Vajras is, so simple and powerful.
The Vajra Dance of Space of the Unborn, the so-called Dance of the 12A, deserves a different kind of attention. The correct name of this dance should be the “Dance of the Unborn” or “Dance of the A”. This dance is divided into twelve parts, hence it is commonly known as the “Dance of the 12A”. It was taught by Prima Mai for the first time during a retreat in Moscow in 1994.
Apparently, it is a very simple dance in its application both for the steps and because it can be practiced in a small space and alone. Nevertheless, for many years when we asked if it was appropriate to show it openly, Rinpoche’s answer was always, “Not yet”, almost as if the apparent simplicity made it a profoundly more secret method.
Secrecy in this case does not consist in hiding the method but is its intrinsic feature, which is not so simple or immediate, and can only be understood through experiencing and revealing our real nature.
Before going on to learn more essential dances such as the Vajra Dance of Space, to which the Dance of the Unborn (Dance of 12A) belongs, Rinpoche was waiting to see some fruit of the ripening of the practice.
Finally, in 2011, while he was considering that we were now dancing more smoothly and harmoniously on the mandala, Rinpoche announced, “It’s the moment to open to the Vajra Dance of Space”. I asked explicitly if we could now study the Dance of the 12A and the reply was positive!
To me, a crucial point not only related to Vajra Dance is not to confuse the apparent simplicity (of the movements in this case) with immediacy in understanding it.
For example, let’s consider Ati Guruyoga. It is our main practice, the only one that Rinpoche recommended that we always do. It is the essence that corresponds to our primordial potentiality. We can apply it easily in all circumstances. It doesn’t require much time, space, or effort to ‘just’ sound A and relax. It’s so simple and subtle … but that doesn’t make it ordinary! In order to function, Ati Guruyoga requires understanding.
In later years we taught and practiced the Dance of the 12A, although it was still strictly linked to Dzogchen transmission. Only occasionally did we practice it openly and always after the Maestro’s approval while participating in some public event.
Later, during the summer of 2018, Rinpoche considered the possibility of teaching the Dance of the 12A combined with meditation. At that time a group of instructors was working intensely on the creation of an open meditation programme. That programme would include, in addition to the classical ‘seated’ sessions, the movement-related practices which very specifically characterize Chögyal Namkhai Norbu’s teaching: Vajra Dance, Yantra Yoga and Khaita Joyful Dances. In that circumstance, I asked Rinpoche if we could include the movements of the Dance of the 12A and he replied affirmatively.
So, from our experience and reflections, we now consider that opening the Dance of the 12A outside the Dzogchen Community can bring benefits only if done in a certain way (the way of presenting it) and in particular contexts such as during retreats in which people have some understanding and intention to enter a spiritual path, or as part of a guided path that includes other meditation sessions. If these circumstances are lacking, people may not benefit from the practice.
After clarifying which Vajra Dances can be taught openly without transmission, let’s now consider the benefits of teaching Vajra Dances in an open way. Once, many years ago, Rinpoche told us that in the future, we would bring and practice the Vajra Dance on the stages of some world famous theatres such as La Scala, Bolshoi and so on. It would not be an artistic or aesthetic exhibition but twelve dancers would practice on the mandala, activating the function of liberation through seeing, listening, and through their own presence and dwelling in contemplation. Up to now we have brought the Vajra Dance to many different places, even to one of the oldest theatres in the world, the San Carlo Theatre in Naples. More humbly, we have also danced in town squares, in different cultural centers and at festivals.
A few years ago, we opened the mandala in a retirement home in Venice. After our practice of the Dance of the Three Vajras, I invited the guests to join us in a very simple movement of the Vajra Dance of the Unborn, sounding a single long A. Imagine the scene: tears streamed down our faces as we saw the commitment of the new dancers, their smiles, their emotion at the sound and the movements they were able to make. A 97-year-old gentleman, the first person who manoeuvred his wheelchair and approached us to dance in the first row, told us, “While you were dancing, I was there dancing with you”. The staff had never seen them so happy. Rinpoche commented on the event, “The potential of the Vajra Dance must truly work like this.”
The relative benefits are therefore a link, a seed for the future, a connection with the Teaching and also a possibility to relax by coordinating body, voice and mind. This will lead to the discovery of a harmony within oneself and also in everyday life, allowing one to face the challenges of every day in a more relaxed way.
Throughout the world, particularly in this moment in which we are facing so many obstacles and challenging situations on the relative level, this possibility is really a gift.
Adriana Dal Borgo
January 27, 2021
