The immediate path and the progressive path

The ultimate experience in our tradition is called Mahâmudrâ or Dzogchen. The immediate path is the act of recognizing and cultivating it in our daily activity.
For most of us, at the beginning, this experience is veiled. The tradition of the Buddha teaches us vast and deep methods to get rid of our veils, just like the wind washes away the clouds hiding the sun.
All in all these methods allows the development of the Enlightened Mind (bodhicitta) in its kindness (karuna) and its understanding (prajña). These two aspects are the heart of the Universal Path, Mahâyâna (Great Vehicule), and Vajrayâna.

The progression levels

The practitioners of the Rimay Sangha are grouped into four big circles according to their practice seniority :

• Listeners

A listener is a person who is interested in the Dharma, wishes to discover the teachings and the practice with no commitment. He can join in the activities open to all. They are not members of the Rimay Sangha per se.
A listener practices full awareness and he can take refuge in the three jewels if he wishes to and thus becomes an apprentice.

• Apprentice

An apprentice commits to study and practice the Dharma on a regular basis. He expresses the motivation to progress on the path of the Buddha by taking refuge. He becomes a member of the Sangha.

He practices full awareness and studies the "Path of the Buddha" using the 108 questions and the specific teachings on the Three Jewels.

• Practitioners

A practitioners commits to the "universal way", the Mahâyâna, the great path of openness and kindness. This commitment consists in taking the "Bodhisattva vow", to dedicate our life to the well being of all until we achieve enlightenment. He practices SaVi and Tonglen and studies Lojong, the heart and mind training and the steps of the path using the jewel « ornament of liberation » and its 114 questions.

• The Elders

An elder starts with the basic program for elders. He practices every day SaVi Tonglen coupled with the sadhana of Chenrezi for which he studies the manual and the introduction texts of the practice and the yoga of the Vajrayâna.
In the more advanced program, an elder goes further into the practice of Mahayâna by entering in the preliminaries practices of the Vajrayâna and Mahâmudrâ-Dzogchen. He follows the transmission retreats of the Vajrayâna and Mahâmudrâ-Dzogchen and creates a more personal relationship with the spiritual guide. If he wishes to, he can study the Shedra, a study program organised by Rimay University.

At each progression level is organised a program of study and practice. The success depends on the motivation and the maturity of the practitioner. The traditional way is to follow them step by step and to become in time more acquainted with its contents.