Fearless in Tibet: The Life of the Mystic Terton Sogyal by Matteo Pistono

circumstances that haven’t led to death,
    Therefore I shall cultivate meditative stability at this very moment!
    After a series of visualizations with the recitations of various mantras, Sogyal prayed:
    Glorious root guru, constantly dwelling inseparable from me,
    In the center of my heart on a lotus flower,
    Care for me with your great kindness
    And grant me the spiritual attainments of body, speech, and mind.
    With unwavering perseverance, Sogyal sat in meditation sessions month after month. In his simple hut on windswept plains and in limestone mountain caves, he discarded attachment to worldly pleasures and applied techniques to destroy his habitual patterns of self-cherishing. He followed his guru’s instructions and meditated before the sun rose, throughout the day, and into the night. Such spiritual training under Sonam Thaye had been prophesied by Padmasambhava, when the Great Guru told Nanam Dorje Dudjom how he would practice the Dharma in his future incarnation as Sogyal at Drikok.
    You will place no importance on home, friends, food, clothing or wealth. You will only engage in spiritual pursuits and will not hold on to the mistaken view that anything is permanent. You will not follow desires, because you will not have strong attachments. You will not try to flatter anyone with praise, nor will you retaliate impulsively against those who try to harm you—so you won’t have shifty so-called friends nor will you have spiteful enemies. You will abandon negative thoughts as though they were poison and only cherish the path that leads to liberation. While practicing the bodhisattva vehicle and the higher tantras, you will never transgress a vow; you will work only for the benefit of others. Whatever you do for others, you will not have any pride, nor will you do something in the hope for praise in return. Seeing all phenomena as the non-dual display of awareness, the activities of your body, speech and mind will be infused with bodhichitta. Seizing the stronghold of the most profound Dharma, your wisdom will shine in all directions like the rays of the sun.
    The encampment at Drikok had been blessed over the centuries by many hermit meditators and tantric practitioners. Sogyal found not only a guru in Sonam Thaye at Drikok but also a community of practitioners who shared the same intention. Sogyal was another jewel in a garland of gems of yogis who stayed for long durations of retreat. As Pema Dündul had said to Sogyal, “At Drikok you will not feel you have to please the rich and famous nor will there be anyone thinking the newcomers should be bullied.”
    Sogyal quickly became known for accepting comfort and discomfort, and happiness and suffering, with the same stable state of mind. He did not look for the faults in those who were devoid of mindfulness and awareness, nor did he needlessly dwell in the busyness of being hopeful or fearful for anything in the future. By contemplating how his ultimate contentment was dependent on alleviating the suffering of all sentient beings, he began to genuinely regard others’ well-being as more important than his own. Though he had little material wealth, as a sign of true renunciation, he adorned himself with inner contentment. Sogyal would later say, “Your material wealth will be matched by obstacles. However much you increase your riches, your downfalls and non-virtue will follow. However much you work to increase your assets, you will receive in equal amount others’ scorn and evil eye. Even if you are spared such negativity in this life, your family and children will incur ceaseless illness and disturbances. So whatever wealth you accumulate, in order to benefit other beings, present it as an offering to your precious teacher. This will increase your virtue and merit. It is far superior to use wealth for the resolute intention toward enlightenment. Therefore, the constant striving to grow one’s savings should be stopped immediately. Unless you have the wealth of