Questions & Answers 26. Zoom 02.2023

1st February 2023. James Low had invited questions from people watching his Zooms, which he began to answer. Note: the constant cuts in this video result from the removal of James Low's periods of silence, while waiting for the consecutive translation from the German translator. Index "(00:00) How do we really know 'it is what it is', since our perceptions are usually distorted and we don't perceive things as they really are?" "(08:18) Is it necessary for us to complete ngöndro to fully practice mahamudra? If not, when is it okay for us to go directly into practicing mahamudra?" "(28:59) The dzogchen teachings tell us that all external and internal reality is mind. So we might reframe that as all that appears to be real and truly existing is in fact the energy of the mind. That is all phenomena, sensations, perceptions, thoughts and so on are projected into our mind." "(35:35) How does this idealistic vision 'everything is mind' fit with the madhyamaka philosophy where any conceptualization is avoided?" "(38:59) If we have had teachings on 'powa', the ejection of the mind out of the body, and we can eject our consciousness successfully into a pure land, at the moment of death, does that mean we skip the stage of child-meet-mother luminosity?" "(39:57) It's said that the bardo is not here, not there, not past, not future... does that mean the bardo is also illusory? Bardo is just another way of saying 'in between', but if there is nothing to be in between, no A and B, then is the bardo is just a label actually?" "(43:45) What is child luminosity and how do we know we have recognized it via our practice?" Video at https://youtu.be/fb30mxvsGtE?si=B9n5ixH1fjw4LTwT