I've encountered several people in the Kagyu and Nyingma traditions who say, "Oh, we, you know 'tukdam,' yeah, people go in 'tukdam,' "but it's like, you know, not that big a deal. It's, we don't care that much." Part of the reason they don't care that much is that the idea that you need to go into this completely, kind of, a state where there's no phenomenal content— that's just a pure clear light mind— actually is something that many of the contemporary practitioners and teachers in those lineages don't agree with.

it's said that you can get there by doing like philosophical analysis, but this is using basically physiological techniques to get to the same place phenomenologically. So that's what "tukdam" is theoretically

So the concept here is that you're actually no longer even capable of thinking, you're no longer capable of seeing, you're no longer capable of hearing, and so on. All that's left is just this kind of sheer consciousness itself, which doesn't even have a subject-object structure. So for the Gelugpas that lack of subject-object structure is not really relevant. For the other traditions it's extremely relevant, because it's said that if you're going to understand the nature of the mind, the fundamental distortion in the mind is precisely that subject-object structure. So you have to cultivate a non-dual awareness,

these winds, right— these energies—are already flowing, of course, and they flow in very deep patterns that basically constitute one's own ordinary identity. And so quite literally one's own ordinary identity is, is the patterning of these winds.

is one in which death isacknowledged, with no aversion or discomfort, to exist inherently in the defining nature of livingcreatures.

Whilst Stephen’s early attitude to death denotes his submission to authority, Joana’s earliestattitudes declare her deviation from social normality.

Stephen’sattitude to death is consequently important in his early characterisation, for it both reflects theinfluence of Catholic doctrine upon him and, in his assimilation of Catholic principle into hisevery-day life and the suggested superficiality of his understanding, implies his dutifulness tosurrounding authority.

s expressed by Héléne Cixous, young Stephen initially struggles “to be acceptableto the others™:

Tn both his alignment withCatholic principle and his anxious completion of duties, one perceives a desperation to avoid anyform of transgression, reflecting, perhaps, his state of vulnerability during his early days atClongowes.

y reflecthis eagerness to serve and abide to the Law'* that surrounds him.

betray Stephen’s lack of any real, profound understanding of the weight and meaning of thismoral incentive.

appearing to a reader as irrational and extreme

he simplicity and matter-of-factness with which Stephenassimilates the fear of spiritual death into his nightly routine, and his inherent belief that failureto complete his duties will condemn him to hell,

However,there is a discrepancy in severity between the every-day, straight-forward tasks listed and theconcluding reference to hell and death and, despite this, Stephen treats these elements incombination, indiscriminately.

that Catholic doctrine has been ingrained within him:

This fear of damnation is directly associated withStephen’s Catholic context, for, within the Catholic paradigm, physical death will be succeededby eternal punishment if one has committed severe transgressions.

Importantly, Stephen’s firstdirect reference to death is aligned with Catholic doctrine: