OXEN BECOMING TIGERS

The gTérma of Khyungchen Aro Lingma approaches astrology in terms of the perceptual dimension of practice — of Living the View. It has no connection with trying to make the future ‘safe’ by trying to out-guess it. Everyone can tell the future in any case. One only has to look at a person to be able to say “You—sir or madam—are going to die.”

Khyungchen Aro Lingma’s astrology therefore concerns living the view and how best to live the view in terms of the patterns that appear in the present moment. Practice is about change. This perceptual astrology concerns facilitating change, so it is not concerned with prediction, expectation, prognostication, or divination. It does however, convey suggestions or metaphors of what could evolve with regard to View and the functioning of View.

Practice and View are interdependent and so it is possible to tell the future—in terms of spiritual circumstances—by looking at our situations as they are in the moment. Astrology here is concerned with mind and the nature of practice. The significance of the astrological animals lies in the way in which each animal overcomes the distorted qualities of the previous year’s animal. Each animal has its strength in terms of practice and every animal is portrayed in both glorious and ignominious fashion, by turns. This reflects the manner in which neuroses are transformed into wisdoms within Vajrayana. The significance of each astrological animal is the manner in which it trounces the distorted qualities of the previous year’s animal. This is a significant means of relating to time passing — and a way of reflecting on one’s relationship with one’s Lamas, lineage, and practice. The implications of each astrological animal and the manner in which it overcomes the adverse aspects of the previous year’s animal are highly significant in terms of how we make use of gLo-sar as a pivotal point.

Tuesday March 1st from 8pm to 9.30pm UK time