Ngala Rig’dzin Dorje
wearing the traditional zen (shawl)
Ngala Rig’dzin Dorje is wearing the traditional zen (shawl) found in most Nyingma
ngak’phang lineages, which Ngak’chang Rinpoche describes as follows:
The
ngak’phang zen is a symbol of long-ku (sambhogakaya). Although it is primarily red, white
and blue, it usually contains threads of green and yellow as well in order to display the primal
iridescence of the visionary sphere. The ngak’phang zen is made in three sections. It symbolises
the Tantric refuge – three roots of Tantra: Lama, yidam and khandro / pawo. The colours red,
white,
and blue of the shawl represent the solar, lunar, and central channels. The thin stripes represent the
secret refuge of rTsa, rLung, and thig-lé. The red and white panels of the shawl represent the
female and male aspects of the path, and the blue central stripe represents Dzogchen trek gÇod
and the fringes Dzogchen togal. The sets of three stripes represent the three series of Dzogchen:
Sem-dé, Long-dé and Men-ngag-dé. The ngak’phang zen is made of silk as a
symbol of long-ku (sambhogakaya) as ‘the body of enjoyment’ and ‘body of
communication’. Padmasambhava and Yeshé Tsogyel instructed the gos dKar lÇang
lo’i sDe to practise through the experience of the sense-fields and so the silk zen represents
the communication inherent in touch. It is long-ku which allows communication to manifest as
chö-ku’s appreciation of trülku, and it is this communicative appreciation, or
enjoyment which is known as compassion.
According to the vision of Khyungchen Aro Lingma, there are various designs for lineage shawls which derive from the ngak’phang zen; for apprentices; for ngakmas / ngakpas; for naljormas / naljorpas; and for the lineage holders. The lineage version of the ngak’phang zen is as follows (describing it from the centre outwards): There is a central blue stripe with a smaller red-white-blue stripe within it. Then on either side of that, a large white area with a small red-white-blue stripe at the outer edge of it. Next on either side a red area with three sets of red-white-blue stripes within it. Next is an inch wide blue border. The colours in the sets of thin stripes are arranged on the shawl asymmetrically, with the relative positions of white and red reversed. This makes one side of the shawl male and the other female (in the same way that the braids edging the to-nga also reverse). This is the salient feature that makes the Aro gTér shawl different from all other ngak’phang shawls.