Adinatha

The big bang is also a conjecture. The age of universe is also a conjecture. I come from a family of scientists. I studied science, history of science, philosophy of science. I am familiar with Kuhn also. The point Buddha was making was to explain that the universe, including all the expansions and contractions is extremely incalculably old. One expansions and contraction is also very long, too long to give a number even. Such is one kalpa. Big bang is this way too. At the moment of the big bang, there was no time. Also Penrose, says the "time" before the big bang as he see it, was only gravitational waves in a "time-like" continuum. He explains the universe "forgets" how large or old it is, which is why even though all the energy is spread out infinitely, the universe takes itself to be minuscule, which is why all the energy explodes again. It takes weird math to come up with these ideas. Penrose vindicates the Buddha's ideas about time and space.

But science has no idea how long it will take for there to be a contraction. There is no idea whether even it will be a contraction. Also, this number you cite is based on a theory of the Big Bang. Penrose rejects this was the beginning of the universe. So science is not certain about what they are saying. Hawking recently rejected his own ideas about blackholes. They may not be holes. If one relies on science for the meaning of life, then your meaning changes ad hoc.

If he becomes your guru, then you are introduced to your real nature. Then that becomes your path, being in that. This is beyond any words, schools or traditions. "Dzogchen is not a tradition. If you are practicing tradition, it is not Dzogchen." --Namkhai Norbu Rinpoche But he also says, "Direct transmission is indispensable. This is the first statement of Garab Dorje, be directly introduced to your real nature."

If you want to practice dzogchen then you do. If you want to do something else then it's okay.

Why is it important for to have an exact number? I don't think science can ever know how long this universe expansion and contraction might take.

Practitioners must keep very pure samaya, secrecy and be extremely careful about whom they associate. Very few will do this.

It is not based on mythology. It based on Buddha's memory.

An eon is one expansion and contraction of the universe.

That's not true. ChNN has an unbroken lineage of masters.

He had a previous buddha as a guru in a previous life. In the life he manifested buddhahood he had enough past life experience to manifest it himself. Theoretically, there could be those like that alive today. But the Dzogchen path is not for them. The Dzogchen path is for those who still need a method for gaining realization. Also, these methods are said to be very special way to gain merit of a Buddha in one life, which means the ability to give these teachings to infinite sentient beings. That's what a Buddha's career is like.

Because she taught that there is no lineage and no need for a guru to achieve. This breaks every samaya in the book. It means she didn't respect the transmission and raised herself above her teacher. No guru, no attainment. There is no second option.

Like master like student. I prefer to follow the masters and avoid those that seem, well... ridiculous.

If I were you, I would delete, shred, burn or destroy this book.

She won't attain. I'm sad to say...

I think it is not so much that there are elites. The rainbow body will only happen if the master and disciple relationships are very pure. There are karmic interconnects that are very delicate. Science comes only to attempt to negate. The other side is then trying to prove something to propound a view. This breaks the dynamic for a body to let go of everything and dissolve to light.