Enthusiasm for the Pointing Out Style of Indo-Tibetan meditation has grown immensely, and we have tried to grow

and adapt to the increasing request for ongoing teachings. Relationship Basis: The heart of a pointing out style of teaching is the teacher-student relationship. In this relational style of teaching, the obligation of the teacher is: to explain the real nature of the mind, to give careful wording of meditation instructions according to the level of the student(s), to explain the expected meditation outcomes in a way that is aligned with the authoritative texts and commentaries in the lineage and yet in a way that the student can understand, and to identify problems and offer ways to correct them. The teacher-student relationship is central in helping the student overcome where he or she is stuck, identifying misunderstandings and ways the practice has gone off track, and ensuring that the student has a chance to refine the practice to awaken the mind, and to refine that awakening to the ultimate realization of Buddhahood and the flourishing of all good qualities of Buddha mind. I have taught week-long Pointing Out retreats for 20 years, starting with teaching one a year, now teaching one a month. The number of interested students has grown exponentially in the past three years, and with this accelerated growth we have tried to preserve the relational-based style of teaching in two ways. First, while the typical retreat size had nearly doubled from 20 to 36 students, we have responded by using 2-3 teachers per retreat. Currently, we are making a second needed adjustment, in that it has become obvious that we need to extend this relational-style of teaching to on-going follow-up. I have worked hard to train Susan Mickel, Gretchen Nelson, and George Protos at all levels of teaching to the point that each is thoroughly qualified as independent teachers in this Pointing Out style. More recently, the four of us have engaged in regular dialogue about the best way we as a group could offer ongoing follow-up. The plan we have come up with is outlined as follows. On-going Follow-up and Teacher Relationship Opportunities: We assume that serious practitioners will be motivated after taking a retreat with us to refine their practice and realizations on an on-going basis. We are suggesting as a guideline that serious students schedule a follow-up telephone or Skype one-half or onehour interview with one of us, say every two to three months, although we recognize that the frequency of follow-up interviews will vary according to the needs of each student. The essence of our communication to you, however, is that we feel that the kind of relational-based teachings we are developing require an on-going teacher-student relationship so we can follow your practice responsibly. To prevent teacher-shopping, we strongly recommend developing a follow-up relationship with one of the four of us and

stick with that. While Dan is likely to have less time available, he will meet regularly with the other three teachers to review all students. Because the volume of these interviews will necessitate that each of us cut back on our other professional commitments we have decided that it is best to charge professional fees for these interviews at least somewhat comparable to what we might in our professional lives. Our fee schedule will be: Dan Brown: $200/hour $100/halfhour; Susan Mickel, Gretchen Nelson, George Protos, $100/hour; $50/half-hour. Each of us is open to make adjustment to the fee schedule based on need. As in any professional relationship if you make a telephone or Skype appointment we expect a 24-hour cancellation or you will be responsible for the interview payment. Our hope is that these on-going interviews will enable seriously motivated students to deepen their practice/realizations in everyday life and prepare them much better for Level 2 teachings and beyond. Preparing for Level 2 Teachings: In the future, access to Level 2 Retreats and beyond given by myself and guest teachers like Rahob Tulku, Thupten Kalsang Rinpoche will no longer be based on simply taking the Level 1 retreat. At first we set the minimal self-requirement for these special teachings as automatic emptiness/clear light at all times and/or flames of awakened wisdom. However, we are finding that many people are signing up for these teachings who do not meet this requirement, but some think they do. People are simply signing up for the Level 2 course because they have taken the Level 1 course. Thus, we feel that the best solution is for us to follow your practice more carefully as part of an on-going relationship, and through that, we are in a better position to know who is best suited for certain teachings based on a more intimate knowledge of the students progress. Furthermore, as many of you know, the Level 2 retreat introduces Great Completion (dzogs chen) instructions that build on the Mahamudra instructions of the first retreats and typically require an even more intimate connection between teacher and student. Thus, we feel it necessary to follow each of you more carefully. In the future no one will be admitted to Level 2 or beyond retreats who has not established an on-going relationship with one of the teachers. I hope that you welcome these additional clarifications in that it will give each of you an opportunity to develop a deepening on-going relationship with one of the teachers, so we can fulfill our ultimate duty to you: to walk you along this path from beginning to end. May all Beings not only awaken to their real nature but come to fruition as Buddha-Bodies and the flourishing of all good qualities! Yours in the Dharma, Daniel Brown, Ph.D. Contact information for the teachers:

Dan Brown: danbrown1@rcn.com Gretchen Nelson: gretchen.nelson@sbcglobal.net Susan Mickel: susanmickel2@gmail.com George Protos: georgeprotos@gmail.com Please remember that all of us travel for teaching, so that it may take a week or so to respond to your e-mails.