A non-statement ain’t-framework
New writing: “A non-statement ain’t-framework.” Rushing in where fancy lamas fear to tread, I’ve attempted to actually explain Dzogchen.
Dzogchen is a branch of Buddhism that is uniquely suited to current cultural conditions, in some ways. It also has several unique drawbacks. One is that it is extremely difficult to understand, because it is very difficult to explain, and basically no one ever even tries. They write poems about it instead.
Dzogchen is difficult to explain because it has no conceptual framework. It is not philosophy, not psychology, and probably not even religion. It makes no claims about anything. Its content is entirely “inexplicit instructions.” You have to find the meaning by discovering what those can’t say, but point toward.
I have tried to explain this, without resorting to poetry, in “A non-statement ain’t-framework.” I did resort to a dialog format, which illustrates the non-instruction theme: A teacher giving inexplicit instructions to a student who can’t understand them, so they don’t work, but then he discovers what they are about anyway.
It’s set at a Dzogchen retreat at a mountain meditation center…
Dzogchen retreat: My spouse Rin’dzin is leading a Dzogchen meditation retreat at Drala Mountain Center (shown in the photo above). It's in Colorado, August 6th–10th. That’s several days of theory, discussion, and practice. Rin’dzin does a better job explaining this stuff than I can, and also can do finger snaps, which I can’t at all.
You can read more about the retreat here, and sign up on the Drala web site. (Regrettably, I will not be able to attend myself.)
My writing queue:
Paperback and Kindle versions of Better without AI
An actual, detailed explanation of meta-rationality, using software architecting as an example
Half a dozen essays explaining aspects of adult developmental stage theory
More on Vajrayana Buddhism, in collaboration with Rin'dzin
The remainder of the nihilism chapter of Meaningness
The remainder of the complete stance chapter of Meaningness, and then it can be a paper book
The next two chapters of The Vetali's Gift, which together finally explain what the novel is actually about, and get the plot properly under way
That's just the high-priority stuff. There's an awful lot more. I may have bitten off more than I can chew.
I'm thinking of creating a voting scheme for what is most important!