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Dear Vajra Brothers and Sisters,

Karma Yoga is valued and appreciated for all members of the Dzogchen Community in America members, and it is required of all students participating in Santi Maha Sangha. In a message dated February 27, 2001 Chögyal Namkhai Norbu wrote to the Community:

The training of Santi Maha Sangha is not only something learned in an intellectual way, but this knowledge should be totally integrated into one's condition. If someone is not interested in the Dzogchen Community, there is no way they can be totally integrated. The Dzogchen Community is like a boat; we are traveling by boat in order to arrive beyond a very big river and until we arrive beyond the very big river we should be interested in that boat. Therefore, we can understand how important the Dzogchen Community is for the trainee. If people are interested in any kind of Karma Yoga activity related to the Dzogchen Community it means those people are interested in the Dzogchen Community.

Karma Yoga means dedicating work for the Dzogchen Community, which can take many forms. Rinpoche explained:

Many people ask me how many hours of Karma Yoga they should contribute for the Santi Maha Sangha Base exam and for each level and so on. The registration of how many times and how many hours someone dedicated to Karma Yoga is relative; it is not the main point. Rather it is in order to know who and how they have dedicated Karma Yoga to the Dzogchen Community...The registration of Karma Yoga is very useful in general for the Dzogchen Community to know who is seriously involved, and particularly it is very important to know how it is related to those people who participate in the Santi Maha Sangha.

The International Gakyil further clarified Rinpoche's explanation of Karma Yoga:

All voluntary activities offered to the Community are considered Karma Yoga, not only manual activities. Rinpoche gave as example, that Gakyil commitment or transcription activity, when commissioned by the Community, can be considered Karma Yoga. Rinpoche said that even donations of money can be considered Karma Yoga because it is a way of helping the Community.

Rinpoche has asked that both the Gar and local Gakyils track and verify Karma Yoga activities:

...in any part of the world, if someone contributes voluntarily some good and useful things for the Dzogchen Community, the Gakyil of that place shouldn't view that participation with indifference. The Gakyil should register all the good things contributed by that person and when they go to do the examination of Santi Maha Sangha the Gakyil can present his or her situation of conduct with the list of all the good things they have contributed to the Dzogchen Community.

In order to implement Rinpoche's wishes, Tsegyalgar and the Gakyils of North America have agreed to the following procedure. You can click on the 'Register Here' link and submit the form, or follow these steps:

1) Download the Karma Yoga form from or contact the Gar to receive a copy by mail
2) Complete the form and send a copy to the Gekos at the Gar
3) Send a copy to the Gaykil, Team Coordinator, or Gar contact person with whom you collaborate.
4) The Gakyil or Team contact will send an email recognizing your contribution to the Gekos
5) The Gekos will compile Karma Yoga Information and forward this information to the SMS Coordinator.

Thank you for participating in Karma Yoga!

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