The Atiyoga school curriculum is composed of 4 different learning areas:
- Area related with Namkhai Yeshi’s teachings
- Area related with deepening of knowledge with Chögyal Namkhai Norbu’s teachings
- Area related with collective practices to join the Dzogchen Community activities
- Area related with the Santi Maha Sangha training program
Namkhai Yeshi’s teachings
Namkhai Yeshi is currently the spiritual guide of the International Dzogchen Community. He teaches worldwide over a few events every year. Courses are organised at Namgyalgar either with Namkhai Yeshi’s in person’s teachings or via webcast. These courses are the focal points of the activities of the Atiyoga School as all the subsequent sections derive from the teachings received from Namkhai Yeshi or from Chögyal Namkhai Norbu.
Deepening of knowledge with Chögyal Namkhai Norbu’s recordings
Chögyal Namkhai Norbu is the founder of the International Dzogchen Community. All the teachings, courses, curriculum and activities derive solely from his countless teachings over more than 40 years.
This learning area therein includes the viewing, listening and then collaborating with each other in applying the teaching received from Chögyal Namkhai Norbu’s teaching recordings.
All the recordings are held in the archives of Merigar (seat of the International Dzogchen Community in Italy) and are requested on demand for course purposes. The archive contains the approximately 600 teaching events that Chögyal Namkhai Norbu taught during his lifetime.
It is recommended by Namkhai Yeshi that the teachings chosen have been attended in person by the teacher organising and leading the event.
Collective practices to join the Dzogchen Community activities
This learning area encompasses most activities performed within the Dzogchen Community. It contains but not is not limited to:
Santi Maha Sangha training program
In order “To guarantee that the Transmission and Teachings remain pure & continue into the future.”, Chögyal Namkhai Norbu created a training program called Santi Maha Sangha. This training program was originally composed of 10 levels as follow:
- Base level containing the essence of View, Meditation and Behaviour of Sutra, Tantra and Dzogchen.
- First level containing a more in depth understanding of the View, Meditation and Behaviour of Sutra, Tantra and Dzogchen, and in particular Dzogchen Semde.
- Second and Third levels containing the view, meditation and behaviour of Dzogchen Semde.
- Fourth to Sixth level containing the view, meditation and behaviour of Dzogchen Longde.
- Fifth to Ninth level containing the view, meditation and behaviour of Dzogchen Mengagde.
Learners go from one level to the next completing an examination consisting of three components:
- In terms of the view, learners have read, reflected and integrated the meaning of the teachings of each level contained in their respective compendium (just like the Precious Vase for the Base level of Santi Maha Sangha is).
- In terms of the meditation, learners have practiced the correct amount advised in the training,
- In terms of behaviour, learners have completed some approved karma yoga (volunteering), have paid their membership continuously and respected all behavioural commitment given for each level.
Chögyal Namkhai Norbu has also created a teacher training program for this program. Here is the list of all Santi Maha Sangha teachers worldwide.
Here is the list of local Santi Maha Sangha teachers near Namgyalgar.
As this training was linked with Chögyal Namkhai Norbu knowledge and capacities, to this date no examination nor new training have taken place. Interested practitioner are encouraged to continue to study and practice the level(s) they are already received, and for those that are new, the base level of Santi Maha Sangha is contained in the book called “The Precious Vase”. Contact Santi Maha Sangha teachers if you are interested.