RigdzinTrinley

Please never stop asking yourself that question: "what is the buddhas middle way" Its an incredible question!

Did you read namkhai norbus book? Or meet him? Just meeting the man changed my dreaming life forever Or mindells work - my girlfriend is reading him atm, looks interesting

Little Experiment: take a selfie then read the following Text composed by dogen (I think it is part of the shobogenzo actually, but not sure) and after take another selfie http://www.nozt.org/teachings/edsansui.shtml

I'm more on the Tibetan side of things so I won't post anymore medical advise, only that much: there are some good pills within the tibetan traditional medicin as well - like Vimala, it helps alot with sleep disorder(that is a disorder of wind or prana, they way that is explained is basically the same like in chinese medicin - just different words) and also makes dreams more vivid to do dream-yoga (also it takes some time to really work) and I don't know if there are any good tibetan doctors in europe. So basically stick with the chinese system or what andrei mentioned: Ashwangandha is a great herb! anyway I can tell you some other tricks to have better sleep: Before going to bed for at least 1/2hour no sreens(computer,smart phone, TV etc.), no light (to read etc.), just be in the dark in silence and maybe do some mantra or breathing exercises - I like to do 20min - 30 min of lying on my back and just being there - letting it be as it is. or other times I just sit on my bed and recite some mantras and do visualization ina relaxed way (also in the dark of course!) till I get tired and then I go to sleep then I usually sleep very well - sometimes I wake up in the night but usually I sleep like a stone, waking up feeling very relaxed (takes some time to move my body) and well rested but thats a habit you have to form also, it will take time till your mental chatter can subside when its time to sleep - and being in the dark helps your brain to understand its time to go to sleep also important is rythm - so wake up no matter what at the same time and go to bed no matter what at the same time every day - 7 days a week (sounds strange but it really helped me to overcome my light sleep, I never had serious insomnia, I would maybe sometimes not sleep for 2-3 nights but never longer times then that) lets say you wake up at 6am - then do this every day, also if you couldn't sleep just take a nap later (20 min is great nap time) so my little advice: routine and darkness for 1/2h before sleeping I hope it helps you as well as it helped me

At ZYD: Yes I read it but didn't see the connection, I have something to say in my defense, but then why defend my ignorance? I'll just read it again At Aetherous: I think you mean the omniscient mind of a Buddha (so the result of the path) - indo-tibetan buddhism talks about the omniscient wisdom mind of a buddha knowing all phenomena in their nature and also in their multiplicity (thats two aspects of one omnisient mind) that would be the "result" of prajna (discriminating wisdom) not just a different kind of wisdom, so there is in the sutra vehicle a cause - result relationship between prajna and the omnisciencent mind of buddha, in the tantras its another cup of tea (I didn't really drink that cup so I won't talk about it) anyway I don't know if that changes anything in the discussion of wisdom (but then maybe it does?): Talking about a certain kind of wisdom(prajna) as a cause for another wisdom(omniscience) that is the result? Is there also a this kind of cause - result relationship when talking about Wisdom in the greek sense? A certain type of understanding and working with phenomena that will result in the attainment of omniscience?

I like the sound of that, but I don't know what that means: wisdom = God's mind but then God's mind = ?

Bindi, I think you might really like Reich and his theory of body armor and body segments and also his therapy system (and what developed out of them; except Mr.Lowens Bioenergetics - I don't like them as much)- Ok Dr.Reich went a "bit" nuts - how nuts is for each one to figure out (I give him from "a bit" after relocating to america, to at the end of his life "pretty"), but his Body based psychotherapy is very much in line with what you are discussing and a very strong method to melt the body - armoring. also he discovered that when you change the body and open the body then the charackter of the person fundamentally changes (most of the change happens in your dreams and then it flows out into your waking life) - it is very deep psychosomatic work. I feel this man was ahead of his time - probabaly thats why "they" (the Nazis and the FDA) burned his books two times during his life maybe reading about reich and some of his books will be interessting for you - I really love this system of bodywork a lot, and I feel it is much more direct and transformative then many therapies that are based on talking also in my experience certain blocks don't go away through yoga and meditation (I tried for years) - for example the jaws(anger/creativity), throat(swallowing feelings/expression of feelings), neck(being in control/letting happen), reichian therapy works wonders on those areas, it take its time but usually after a few sessions with a therapist it gets much much better and more creativity, joy and energy are felt in the body/mind also reichian therapy immidiately makes "Being emobied" a more blissfull experience (I mean it happens quickly that being in a body feels nourishing and good, instead of somthing to escape - because I am so stuck!!!) - how that helps for meditation I don't have to say

Hi all, (excuse my english - its my second language) this is my first personal contribution to the forum, I picked the Topic of Time because it is very interessting to me. Last year I had the great opportunity to receive teachings on Shantidevas "Bodhisattvacharyavatara" three times - two times with a focus on the 9th chapter, each of those teachings lasted for about a month, sometimes less. I would like to share one very interessting AhAAA moment I had while receiving these teaching (a little buddhist geeky intellectual orgasm). Madhyamika has a very beautiful way of dealing with time - for this school of thought when you say time you say reincarnation and when you say reincarnation you say time so I for one still believe in having a masala chai tomorrow in the morning - I still believe in Time. If I belive in Tomorrow - I unknowingly believe in reincarnation or a cuntinuum of conciousness Now for people who have tastes of meditation - Time is not such a fixed Idea anymore, because when one tastes Nowness Awereness (Keith Dowmans translation for Ye She) Time is seen to be a construct of the mind thats exactly what madhyamika is saying - reincarnation (time) is realtive truth, functional and important but realtive because why? The continuity of Consciousness is a mere imputation - an unborn phenomena (like all phenomena) that arises like a dream. If one starts to investigate no such thing like a continuity of mind exists -> ultimately the commentators on the ninth chapter of shantideavas classic (Khnepo Kunphel or Ju Mipham Rinpoche) use the analogy of the mala to talk about this: A mala is a compound phenomena, a collection made from 108 or 111 round stones or seeds or whatever and a string - each one of them doesnt constitute a mala and a collection of 108 "not malas" doesn't have the power to produce a real substantial mala. The beads themselves can be analysed down to its smallest particles that can be further divided into the 10 direction etc. they are shown in ultimate analyses to be like space its the same with our feeling of continuity of consciousness so Time and Reincarnation are just a figment or hallucination of our mind. I always had a problem with the Idea of reincarnation - I said to myself "Oh well its to keep us social good hearted animals - that doesn't hurt" - this explanations of my lamas (that I tried to share here in a much much shorter and easy to understand way) helped me alot in understanding basic buddhist nondualism and the conception of time/reincarnation in that light I hope its some food for thought

Great Question! fatastic

no tension sir, no tension "gut ding, braucht weile" old german proverb that roughly means "good things need time" in the mean time I offer Carravaggios basket of fruit for a fruitful completion

do you know Jordan B. Peterson? he worte a great book called "the maps of meaning" also most of his University lectures are on youtube - some of them are excellent - if you have some free time to explore what the western world has to say about the "psyche" at the moment I can highly recommend it escpecially the latest courses (years 2014-2015) "maps of meaning" (that I would watch first) and "transformations of the personality" great lectures - and a great speaker/thinker in my opinion, I don't agree with him on all levels, but then he "seems" not to be the buddha (thats my impure perception of course) ---------- I'm also thinking about reading "on time and being" by heidegger, not now (first I will study more madhyamika with my lamas) and then see how heidegger came close to nagarjuna and where he stopped in his analysis of reality I read somewhere that his theory of BEING(calls it also "nothing" sometimes) and beings is very similar to buddhist thought and adi shankaracharyas philosophy - unfortunately I also read some of mr.heideggers work and it makes my head hurt a bit almost a non dualist mr. heidegger almost - unfortunately some say he was a nazi, but he was a nazi as much as siggie freud was (by keeping quiet - which is not enough of course)

A WALK IN IZUMOSAKI WITH REV. TENGE ON AN AUTUMN DAY Human life is like a blade of grass floating downstream. How can one respond to such a situation? I live this way not without reason. Waving my belled staff, I parted from my family; raising my hands, I bade the town farewell. I keep repairing my patched robe. Who knows how many springs this begging bowl has seen? I happen to love the quietude of a grass hut. Two of a similar spirit have met; who can distinguish host from guest? The wind high, the pine a thousand feet tall, chrysanthemum blossoms chilly with frost— with our hands holding what is outside the secular world, we forget everything on this serene shore Ryokan

thanks brother I love those teachings, I love Nagarjunas works and what came after them, because they work so well with my sceptical post christianity (God is Dead and we have killed him) nihilist attitude (that nietzsche and dostoyewski thought of as one of the most destructive states of mind a human could have, and what came in its wake? W.W. 1 + 2 with its insane and mad ideologies) - anyway I feel that nihilist attidtude can't survive madhyamika, I mean I think like that - I guess... but then maybe it can, still not fully convinced my self but preeeeetty convinced. and if say madhyamika (and there are other schools and philosophies capable of that I am sure, I just don't know them so well) can pass beyond the nihilst sceptic guarding the door in front of the deeper layers of being - then that will change the west forever I really believe that

I don't like to get personal, but I have a strange tingling sensation in my belly and it wants to speak: yes all true and good, I agree it is a difficult and dangerous path this gurumarga (using the guru as the path) - not walking it just because it might be difficult or dangerous is cowardice. so be careful yes, take it easy, one step at the time - one good insight is this "I'm no great adept, I'm not like milarepa - I am who I am, I have my own crazy monkey mind, mental habits and neurosis to work with, lets start there" But you know standing on the cliff infront of the beautiful blue ocean-waters not daring to jump, contemplating how to jump, why to jump why not to jump... how can one learn to swim or feel the texture of the water? maybe people die thinking about the blue ocean-waters while standing next to the actual ocean and that would be a waste of time (time is precious) - just go away then brother, no need to be around the ocean, just life a good life in society. Nothing wrong with that, Nothing wrong (see I can't do that - thats my strange neurosis) People who move to the east (me included) we are a atrange type of personality, I defenitely have a bunch of strange neurosis/sufferings/problems that your ordinary citizen doesn't have: like what the hell do I have to die for? Why is there suffering in my mind stream? WHY? etc. existential problems, not so much how can I get laid tonight, why is there no more heinz ketchup? Who used it? well if you're that kind of neurotic you need medicin, and you need a good doctor also that is true. But there is no choice you got to go - or you go mad... you have to go and find out what this strange easterners are all about period and that has big consequences to the life path of such a neurotic person - they might get more neurotic even fanatical (been there done that, still do it sometimes) they might get free of almost all neurosis and be very happy and strong personalities (developing that kind off ) they might get liberated - who knows? (thats what I hope for, how ever foolish that is - shantideva said: there is only one illusion a Bodhisattva on the path is allowed to have and that is that there is a result to the path) if there is a strong calling - you need to go thats it, what to do? Jump into the ocean and learn to swim, that is not save, no not at all, but nothing is save 100%

one place to start is probably that many very good teachers say about themselves that they are not good teachers, or just have the name of a lama or swami or whatever whereas many not so good teachers will talk about their experiences and how great they are and demand silly amounts of faith and devotion thats a a pretty rough start but some sort of start - then I think its good to see how other teachers of the same tradition think of that teacher, then its good to know the lineage and if the lineage is authentic, after that the main point the indo tibetan tradition makes is this: "does the teacher have bodhicitta, and if not geniune Bodhicitta is he/she in it for him/herself or only for you?" that last point will take some years but once you have confidence that he or she is really just there for you and not for themselves - its a preeeetttttty save relationship (taken the own personal neurosis in account) and how beautiful to find that - someone you can trust and open to on that level: the deeep deeeeep layers of the human heart, very tender very fragile - imagine they could open without any more fear and hesitation towards another human being? its a strange longing we all have I think (I do have it at least, not just the man/woman level - with a spiritual teachers its different in my experience, but similar heart openings can happen), and that is why the teacher - student relationship is so sacred and dangerous, because if someting goes wrong then I feel my confidence in the human race would be shaken, even broken maybe. So handle with care definitely!

Agreed! there was this irrational drive in me to say something silly, like Jung said "people don't have Ideas, Ideas have people" ------------- btw it takes years to build a relationship to a teacher, and during those years its not just the teacher that is under examination - the teacher will also examine the student so it is an important question to ask: "Is this teacher authentic or not" in Dza Patrul Rinpoches "words of my perfect teacher" he talks about 3 phases - that all take their time 1 examining the teacher 2 relying on the teacher (receiving teachings, empowerments etc) 3 emaluating the teachers realization and behavior (behavior comes after getting the same realization like the teacher!) many people jump to lever 2 and then from there directly to the second part of no 3 (wearing funky new cloth, mostly maroon red, walking with a tibetan lama limb - one of my friends termed it the "penguin-walk") ALAS! buddha dharma coming to the west but there is hope - we have some more time to get things right. Still examining and relying on a teacher is only one side of the coin! asking the question "is he or she authentic?" is very important but there is another question equally important: "am I an authentic student?" and the lamas I have a close relaitonship with, they make sure that I ask me that question on a regular basis also certain teachings I can ask for as much as I want - the teacher determines when it is the right time - and believe me as a translator I see tons of western people doing a strange thing: they meet a lama the very first time and ask for either Mahamudra teachings or Dzogchen teachings or Anu Yoga (Tummo etc) teachings. obviously they get turned down 95% of the time, why? well the teacher asks himself or herself "Who are you? and why do you ask me for my heartblood without knowing my lineage and training etc.? I don't even know if you are a proper vessel for such teachings or not - I know nothing of you!" so I feel the question "am I an authentic student" is as important as "are you an authentic master"

I know that I'm in a cult - and I learned to deal with it

I don't know the ancient greek definition of wisdom, or that of the kabbalists, so maybe what I have to say makes no sense in this discussion on the other hand indo -tibetan buddhism is traveling to the west, and many translators have deceided to translate certain sanskrit and tibetan terms as "wisdom" or "wisdom" plus some other word the actual meaning of for example prajna (tib. whiley: she rab) is not literally discriminating wisdom (that captures what prajna means) but the literal tibetan translation would be "supreme cognition" she rab - "she" is cognition or consciousness and "rab" means something like supreme, best etc. the meaning of it is the supreme cognition is to discriminate between what is a correct understanding of the nature of phenomena and what is an incorrect understanding of phenomena the correct understanding of phenomena would be to cognize them as empty/insubstantial/unborn etc. while conventionally arising as illusion like or dream like phenomena through the force of dependent origination the incorrect understanding of phenomena would be to cognize phenomena as substantial/truly established things "outside" that are other then me - a me that is also truly established somewhere "inside" thats Prajna - Discriminating Wisdom in a nutshell (of course countless books are written on what it is, and what it not is - and my understanding is only limited but maybe it adds to the discussion) now there is also Jnana or tib. whiley: Ye she for that there is the commen translation "primordial wisdom" which I think is horrible (like dinosaurus rex wisdom), then there is "timeless awareness" (Richard Barron) which I like more and then there is Keith Dowmans "Nowness Awareness" which from the Dzogchen point of view makes the most sense "Ye" points to the beginninless beginning (which is the timeless Now) and "she" is again cognition or consciousness so its the cognition or consciousness that allways is the case, since the beginning of beginninless samsara upto now (thats enough - not to go too deep down the dzogchen jungle) much more to say about Jnana but other people can do that if they like, I don't like to do that so my question is do you think Wisdom in the greek sense is similar or even the same like Prajna or Jnana?`

the discussion goes into a very beautiful direction! we should come back to the question if the negation of the true existence of a phenomena implies that there is then something left: the non existence of that phenomena remember my little ironic statement about discussing the absence of apples on a table? Ok I think it's time for some heavy hitters, so I will post three very important verses from the Bodhisattvacharyavatara and give a short outline of what they mean based on Ju Miphams commentary (shedrel ketaka) of the 9th Chapter from the Bodhicharyavatara the verses (translated by padmakara - so poetic but not always true to the tibetan, the meaning is the same though so no problem) Verse 32 (here aptitude in the first line and habit in the second line mean the same thing in tibetan: mental habit or karmic imprint; whylie: bag chags) By training in this aptitude for emptiness, the habit to perceive real things will be relinquished. By training in the thought "There isn't anything," This view itself will also be abandoned. That means that there is a ever deepening insight into the suchness of reality based on ones understanding of emptiness, also it means that not everybody can arrive at the correct and final view of the great madhyamika - the freedom of all conceptual elaborations - directly by being introduced to the view (through Maha Ati, Mahamudra or Maha Madhyamika). Most beings need to take some steps to reach this non place. The first two lines talk about the initial stages of training in the three wisdoms of hearing, contemplating and meditating on emtpiness for a beeing that doesn't have superior faculties (chik char - means you heard the teachings ones and are liberated on the spot. dzogchen mahamudra and maha madyamika has that power) So first we have to work with the antidote to our clinging to phenomena as truly/substantially existent, that is of course to meditate on the absence of true/substantial existence thats the initial phase - the understanding of the nominal absolute truth (a presentation mainly used in the nyigma school) this nominal absolute truth is the conceptual realization that all phenomena from the form aggregates up till the omniscient mind of the Buddha are just illusion, like a dream etc. (the 8 similies of illusion - longchenpas "resting in illusion" is maybe the most beautiful practice manual for working with those 8 similies) this first conceptual understanding is important and should be correct and varified by a lineage master in discussions with him or her. then comes the next step - moving towards the actual absolute truth (the dharmakaya) through familiarizing one self with the thought "this is just a dream, all is empty" and more importantly through confidence in this view (and confidence comes through using madhyamika meditations into the true abiding nature of phenomena) what will happen is that slowly this concept ("there isn't anything") also will be abandoned the traditional example given is this: two wooden sticks - one of those stick is the concepts that things exist, the other stick is the concept that things do not exist through rubbing the stick together the actual fire of nowness awereness (Yeshe or Jnana) will be born and consume both the sticks without anything remaining Verse 33 "there is nothing" - when this is asserted, No thing is there to be examined. How can a "nothing", wholly unsupported, Rest before the mind as something present? now we move into the great madhyamika view - that is freedom from all conceptual ellaborations. If the yogi uses MAdhyamika meditations into the true abiding nature of conventional reality (the conventional reality is the method by which the absolute is realized, says a Quote, don't remember from where that comes) such a yogi will see that the ultimate truth of a conventional entity (lets say a vase) is utterly unborn -then at that moment if the meditation is powerful enough this yogin will also see that even the conventional (appearing) level of this vase is utterly unborn. "there is nothing" - when this is asserted No thing is there to be examined. thats roughly what those lines mean so the last 2 lines say: How can a "nothing", wholly unsupported, Rest before the mind as something present? lets talk about the absence of an apple on my table... is that really a thing or not? I mean its a concept maybe but is it a thing - can an absence be a knowable entity, does that make any sense to try to know an "absence" I mean? the apple example is not so good here actually - why? because we can still conceptualize the absence of an apple on a table as a thought, but if the yogin penetrates to the actual abiding level of the conventional phenomena under investigation (the vase f.e.) what he will find is "nothing" its unborn - if it is unborn how could it cease? where could it abide? at that moment when the conceptual mind perceives this unborn nature of phenomena, then the conceptual mind itself becomes the nature of the antidote (emptiness) and dies (becomes unborn) from chandrakirtis Madhyamikavatara Suchness is unborn, and mind itself is also free from birth; And when the mind is tuned to this, it is as though it knows the ultimate reality. For since you say that consciousness cognizes when it takes the aspect of a thing, It's right for us to speak in such a way. (why is it right to speak in such a way? thats another very long discussion - in short the true nature of reality can't be spoken about - for one there is no subject/object duality so it can't be "known" in the ordinary sense of the word - yet from the point of view of an arya bodhisattvas meditative equipoise we can "speak in such a way" - OK that was the shortest version ) the last verse 34 one of the most famous verses of the Bodhisattvacharyavatara (its said that shantideva started flying into the sky and his disembodied voice finished the teaching, when he gave the transmission for this verse) Verse 34 When something and its nonexistence both are absent from before the mind, no other option does the latter have: it comes to perfect rest, from concepts free and that is called attaining the citadel of the dharmakaya free from all conceptual elaborations so Madhyamika is not just a strange philosophy without a view - it has a view: the freedom from all conceptual elaboration now that view of course is inexpressible, unthinkable and beyond the ordinary mind, its the unity of the two truths, the great equality of all phenomena and their innate purity (the tantric term purity means the emptiness of phenomena) P.S.: great masters like Dzongsar Khyentse Rinpoche say that Dzogchen is just a very beautiful way of packing the teachings of emptiness

If you want to think of Madhyamika as a philosophy or ctitique of language then this is a true statement, but I feel (and I don't know for sure) that Madhyamika is no philosophy in the common sense, its a way to point out the nature of reality to be beyond all four ontological extgremes (existence, non existence, both and neither) -and what is the outcome of that (if ones mind stream would realize that)? the outcome would be to see all conventional phenomena as being utterly unborn and therefore unceasing on the ultimate level of truth and also on the relative level of truth - at that moment all conceptual elaboration ceases and the citadel of the dharmakaya is attained so not really only a critique of other philosophical schools

Neither from itself nor from another, Not from both, Nor without a cause, Does anything whatever, anywhere arise Nagarjunas first verse in his Mulamadhyamikakarika

dear brother from an empty forest, I will try to have a chat with your doubts, I am not confident I can clear them - because of many reasons (one for example is that I don't get the utterly pure and perfect view of Lord Buddha totally) So let's say instead of talking with me you hang out with a bad ass lama both a scholar a yogi and a gentleman - someone who spend 30+ years working with emptiness on all different levels from madhyamika up to dzogchen or mahamudra. so if that lama is teaching you madhyamika many of the doubts will melt away because there is a being who embodies the innermost meaning of these strange reasonings into reality - basically you see the transformation that happens through studying and working/meditating on emptiness in a correct way. the result of that sits inf ront of you and talks to you, and that can change a lot. I mean the words and reasons and treatises are incredible - its so good we have access to them, but there is also a living tradition - and thats even more incredible (interlude: meditating - > tibetan sgom means to familiarize, so you never just sit down with this information in a nice 7 point posture straight back etc. you work with it as a reality model, a new set of sunglasses that will get rid of all kinds of conceptual sunglasses even the pair labeled "emptiness" sunglasses - and see what happens to you and your perception in the process) OK - that being said I still feel its nice to talk about emptiness, and I feel I got enough teachings to talk about it in a way that won't create more misconceptions for you or me (I least hope that) and maybe we get into the "zone" through that as well First part of your reply or doubt: back to the brainself problem lets talk about ordinary beings first and then I will also mention some "extraordinary" beings and their brainselfs an ordinary beings personality or sense of self is not just altered through brain surgery, its altered also through heart surgery (a lot actually, so there is a special psychologist in austria - and probably in other parts of the western world, consulting with you if you happen to have a heart surgery - because your sense of self will be veeeeery different after) but also lets say you are right handed - you are a tennis pro, you loose your right hand. what to say, I mean what would you do then? note to self: self grasping is nasty what if the germans come and cut of my johnson!?!?!?! the result is a major freak out - and I will never ever be the same that doesn't proof that the form aggregate equals conciousness, doesn't proof it at all, it just shows they are interdependent also neuroplactisity (did I spell that right?) shows that through meditating you change the matter of your brain! So not just cutting a piece of "important" body away alters your perception of reality also changing your perception of reality changes the matter of your brain (and rest of your body by the way)! Ok I edit this a bit later... I need chai! ---------------- that was ordinary beings now lets talk about two (in my view extraordinary beings) Ram Dass and Chögyam Trungpa Rinpoche both had a stroke so there brain and speech box are completely different after that no? I'm not a Doctor so maybe I make this up anyway there was a Ram Dass and a CTRinpoche before and after the Stroke, and those are two very different enteties - the way they manifest and interact with reality seems very different I mean. Now did it fundamentally alter their insight into reality? Not really no, doesn't look like it, I know students of CT Rinpoche and they basically said CT Rinpoche after the Stroke plus a liter of Sake was maybe the most powerful Buddhist teacher to dwell in the western hemisphere at that time. Ok next step of your doubt: brain and conciousness are interdependent - what is more important conciousness or the brain? Lets talk about the Chittamatrin view(simple version, because the profound version I can't talk about). First the Shravaka schools: the Vaibashika and Sautantrika have differences but also share a similarity in how they establish the two truths and the Chittamatrins (mainly Vasubandhu) lets that collaps in a single verse composed of only four lines but first how do the shravaka schools establish the two truths? they talk of two levels basically: the coarse level and the subtle level of subject/object duality (both the coarse and subtle level is seen as substantially established) the coarse level of objects is the relaitve or conventional truth (coarse forms, like a pillar or vase) the coarse level of the subject is the coarse continuum of conciouness grasping at those objects ultimate truth is the subtle level of objects and subjects the subtle level of objects is the infitissimal partless particle - the smallest possible building block of reality - its said to partless, because there is nothing more fundamental or smaller -> thats the ultimate level of objective reality, the deep end every form sound smell etc is composed of that the subtle level of the subject is the shortest indivisble moment of conciousness ALL OF THAT IS SUBSTANTIALLY ESTABLISHED - the subtle and the coarse level is there, really there as a substance! so the chittamatrins need four lines to get rid of the concept of outer forms being substantially established (I skip how they invalidate the subjectiv shortest indivisible moment of conciousness, becasue of lazyness and anyway we talk about brains being "really" there and being maybe, and only maybe the "real" cause for "real" conciousness to emerge...) If six particles are joined to on, this partless one acquires six parts. If these six particles all coincide, then even heaps become a single particle Vasubandhu said that It means basically that the central particle is surrounded by particles in the 6 directions and connects with some of them and some not but if there are connections between particless - then they have parts (the directions of front/back left/right up/down) so they are not the fundamental constituent of reality because you can show that they have still parts - six at least then those six have again directional parts etc.... nothing is there to be found ultimately if people still claim that these partless particles exist and are the most fundamental building block of reality and that they are indivisible and partless then no matter how many partless particles assamble the outcome can only ever be one particle - because they have no parts to connect and because of that fuse into one so the chittamatra school says what we think of matter out there is just a dream - just a mental hologram WITHOUT ANY SUBSTANCE prasangika goes further and also refutes the chittamatra claim that there are no outer objects as matter but they exist as aspects of mind (i.e.: chittamtra says that matter is actually a mental hologram made by karmic imprints and ignorance) - and that this minds nature is empty of subject/object duality and self-aware self-illuminating conciousness, thats the ultimate truth in the cittamatrin view - the rest like thoughts, concepts, outer phenomena is seen as the relative - dreamlike appearences that arise from grasping at this nature of mind (that is empty of subject/object duality) as being an inner perceiver and an outer universe that exists objectively, but all is in fact mind (hence mind only school, but you guys knew that) doesnt there ultimate truth sound alot like rigpa? maybe but only if no one explained the difference between the chittamatrin view and the dzogchen view to you (that I won't do because I can't really and also because I fear the dakinis will cut of my Johnson, if I start talking too much Dzogchen speak on a internet forum) Madhyamika also refutes the position of the chittamatra that there is something like a nondual self-aware self-illuminating conciousness (one that is truly established) - brings me to your last point about madhyamika and the beginningless mental continuum no ultimately there is no continuum of mind (see previous posts on the meaning of "continuum" and hte example of the mala - and time/reincarnation) - but relatively there is an illusion like continuum of mind - also relatively there is time and therefore reincarnation (all that is happening like an illusory display - or like a hologram) A friend of mine told me about a whole section of the Abidharmakosa that deals with the problem of saying coniousness comes from matter - its one of many chapters in a very old buddhist scripture. He said it blew his mind, and of course it doesn't answer or explain anything beyond the fact that its logically impossible to claim that consiouness comes from matter. so where does it come from? where? where? a quick madhyamika question for you guys: is this self aware self illuminating mind that is empty of subject object duality one or different from the aggregates? and whats the problem with the claim no.1 and whats the problem with claim no.2? P.S.: lets talk as if its all just in your head I edited the post for easier comprehension - my english is a bit sloppy sometimes

Luhmann sounds interesting

I don't know if this is of at help as I myself never read anything about yoga nidra I have training in indo Tibetan Buddhism and like to "nap" using meditation instruction from that tradition Means I lie on my back close my eyes and let things be - I don't alter anything of my experience After 10min I'm in a deep state of rest my - body sensation can shift (like my body seems to becomes bigger or seems to turn very fast or vibrates blissfully) while my mind is fully awake and just observes how my body "shapeshifts" Is that a starting point of yoga nidra? I usually only nap 15-20min like that but after this time I usually (not always) have a hard time getting up or moving my arms etc.

I will watch the video later it sounds great Ajahn brahm no? That dude abides