Gunther

Of course. Be natural and spontaneous and the Unborn appears. Zen master Bankei All just figures of speech. Or we had nothing to talk about😀😀😀 It is quite surprising how initially one can be overtaken by anger, pierced by jelousy, and never know it. But in awareness it is clearly seen arising, passing, leaving without a trace.

Oh yes, that's called alchemy😀

Agree, enlightenment is the happiness independent of outer circumstance. Once you realise that it's not the object of desire (new car, house, girl/boyfriend) that makes you happy, but the momentary feeling of desirelessness when you get what you want it's a great realisation. And what a laugh at the simplicity. What could be easier than sit down, relax, entertain/pursue no desire and be happy. It's called cutting the root of desire

So the fallacy is correct and the illusion is real? Does it matter? Just labels. Things/actions have consequences, effects. And we all know where it's going 😀even if we pretend otherwise

But my dear ear turns Dry leaves rustling in the breeze Need no translation

Much good it does me Tracing back the hearing sense Call from the pure land

The coin didn't brake Kathmandu didn't shake Only the mind is connects

scary stuff. Is this legal?

Trouble spun right round The lions roar from behind Amida butsu

So something must be real to contrast with.😀 And the other way round. Without illusion no reality😀

It's like this very moment we are free. If you suffer the consequences of the past, that's the pay back. You are even, all paid, free. If you enjoy the fruits of the past you consume the merit. Again all level, you are free. So karma, cause and effect is an idea only when you string together the successive moments into a timeline.(in your mind)

Is enlightenment desirable? Well, the answer must be NO As common sense and a bit of life experience tells us ALL desires lead ultimately to frustration. The only way is to start with enlightenment as a fact. It's inborn and can't be helped. Then work your way backwards so to speak and drop everything that is at odds with that natural state.

Yes, same when jiva and shiva unite. If it's temporary, what could be termed satori, it's called twija or second birth. It removes all doubts about your eternal nature but: Unless you take care of this newborn soul baby( meaning accept it as your real immortal identity, live from this non abiding awareness moment to moment) you return back to live in your gross body and that's it. Until the moment of death where you have another great opportunity to return into the silent bliss, infinite luminous space of universal conciousness. The ignorant mind identified with the body survives a bit longer, dissolves, all memory lost, and the inherent tendencies are born again. That's what I gathered from books and teachings. Cant be dogmatic about it, I'm not dead yet😀

😀😀😀That's a good one. Guess what? I'm single. Sole and lonely master over my beard😀😀

What about reincarnation in daoism?

Yeah, it's me. I signed in with FB it's quicker and saved me yet another password. That said I could have chosen "incorrect" and every time I forget it they tell me: your password is "incorrect" I forgive you the garden gnome😀, but you could have said father x-mas, Or god maybe😀😀 Could do with some wisdom yep, only gave up smoking 6 months ago Cheerio

So, been here for a week now. Glad to say, you all passed. I like it. Unfortunately that means I stay😀😀😀

I would be interested what motivates the sorcerer/magician. Is the power of love and the love of power one and the same?

Don't think, that's not fair, you have to reply instantly without mind 😀😀

Of course it's not fake compassion. It's a paradox. The bodhisattva vows to liberate all sentient beings, and you bet he means it, he puts himself last,. But if he didn't know that there are no sentient beings at all, he wouldn't be a bodhisattva😀

The pendulum lends itself to a good metaphor regards non duality, Zen: Good intentions/actions either way create more momentum. Raising awareness means climbing up the pendulum shaft, thereby reducing the gap between the extremes. Finally reaching the fulcum you are at the eye of the hurricane, nothing moves😀yet life goes on

Note that the good intentions, or bodhisattva concept are just that. A concept that works within. It is you who benefits not the world or sentient beings. Of course if it works and you are liberated you would have made the world a better place. After that enlightened action would be different. Namely, just balancing the opposite forces if needed, not pushing the pendulum into one extreme. The middle way.

No doubt, keep an open mind. In India there are still siddhis around, I've seen one buried alive for 7days at the kumbha Mela. None of the caliber of an avatar. A being of light. Still I think the stories are largely myth. The appearance they make is likely their energy body in the minds of some. Why would they go to the trouble to maintain a particular bag of bones? Even, by would they preserve their individual mental body which is just their personal memories and social conditioning. They obviously merged that with cosmic consciousness which is all pervading, all knowing. IMHO they are energies which manifest according to cosmic law. As it states in the Indian scriptures. An avatar appears when the world needs one. Maybe it's about time😀😀 Methinks the closest we can come to understand immortality is on the experiencing level. I don't know the relevant terms in Taoism but in yoga is is when the jiva(soul) escapes through the fontanella and merges with shiva(universal conciousness, blissful silence, infinite luminous space) at the same time, that prana flowing through the central channel the in and outgoing breath is suspended. It is an experience without experiencer, yet fully conscious and alive. Therefore the assumption that this is where we go/how it feels after we leave the body/physical death. It is intuitive knowledge that cannot be put into definitive words/explanations.

Same here. Stay away. Even I have strong protection. Indian aghoris/wrathful Nepalese buddhas. Anybody mess with me they would grill and eat you alive. But I don't want cause a indo- Chinese nuclear war on a cosmic scale