old3bob

"they" say that one should use universal and safe mantras unless directed otherwise by a qualified teacher, that is because some mantras are not meant for general use or experiment...

There is so much information out there for various ways and practices that one could easily get overloaded with stuff that they don't have the need to know at the moment. Along that line if we have trouble remembering where we left our house or car keys but delve into volumes of "secret" or advanced stuff which also gets forgotten or does not yet apply to us and is way ahead of the game what good is it? In fact what bad is it?

I'd suggest taking a read on some of Dr. Peter Breggins material concerning the potential or actual dangers of so-called anti-depressants! He is on the internet...

and a mountain song for a mountain picture...

There are bombardments from all sides, yet somehow the sincere are sincerely answered...

shall we play a rousing sea shanty again?

Jesus Christ snowymountains! how much axe do you have left to grind, its getting old, btw not many here looking to get shrunk by a arm chair shrink!

Hmm, where is Suzuki on that picture

umm, I'd say artifice in that instance would be a dead-end-stop, thus instantly seen through...

ok, but it depends on who or what is giving those blessings...so if the Self is giving the blessing through Sat Guru it can be called Grace, if a human like a yogi (who by said title is not Sat Guru) is giving those blessings it is not the same although still important.

we often hear about compassion in Buddhism but not Grace which could be said to have an aspect of compassion but it is still different. So without Grace as is apparently implied in Buddhism any Tom, Dick, Harry, Jane or Susan could work they way to enlightenment by various powers of the mind... which is something I do not buy into for Grace is not a power of the mind but something far greater!

the word dogma can get like a slippery slope, the word vehicle is often a much better term in my understanding, and lets not forget that the historic Buddha (among other teachers and ways ) also taught about setting down the "raft" at some point...

Good question, "The Self knows the Self by the Self", otherwise such is just more thoughts which the Self is not, for mind is meant as servant not master...the deeper reality is echoed by some with, Om Tat Sat!

"sheesh" Keith, I don't think there are many here looking for that, you could always go somewhere else to find what you are attached to?

I'd say that any and all true paths can lead one to the threshold but we must walk through it and pay the price...

that's ok, and if you haven't read the TTC and tried to understand its pointers then what I might and try to echo of it is of very little import in comparison to its great wisdom. Btw the only proof you will get and can only really count on for that beyond the five senses is by what is inside you, thus not through second hand proofs derived by the five senses which you have asked for several times.

Taoism or the Great Tao recognizes (and "gives birth" in a manner of speaking) thus does not negate The One, The Two, The three and the Ten thousand...Btw. I'd say that the Buddhist saying about the, "four-fold negation" ends up negating negation, (suggest having some happiness in there somewhere folks ; -)

lots of people know beyond belief by 1st hand experience but can't prove it to someone who doesn't... Btw the historic Buddha (among countless others) recounted seeing and hearing non-physical beings and did not call them delusions.

when death dies it is known...uncovered if you will

even very long lasting individual soul (small s) are created from an Ocean of Soul/Source...(large S) thus an individual of light returns to an Ocean of light. (where it can no longer be found as an individual when joining the Ocean which it never really left)

those created parts you mention are not the "true self" but working together may serve the uncreated, deathless true self...

healthy human ego serves a purpose, same as the physical body serves a purpose, making them into boogey men serves delusion...

brain chemistry is not the same for everyone although there are general conditions/symptom's that can be observed....patients and doctors were not informed of such chemistry details for decades and to whatever degree even now? There are FYI details that can be found that explain a lot of it, thus getting closer to understanding what the hell is causing conditions and symptom's and then hopefully using more wholistic ways of returning brain chemistry to normal instead of just hammering brains with drugs. Granted there are more extreme cases where properly and carefully used drugs may help but most 9 year kids and many adults sure in the hell don't need to be put on this stuff at a very high percentage of the time which then alters their brain chemistry even more sometimes causing worse conditions!. Look at all the Vets that have been pumped up with who knows what and end up committing suicide, but of course such is hard to legally prove as being caused by or related to drugs so it just goes on in many cases!! (although some major lawsuits have been won along such lines)

ok, but have you read some of Dr. Breggins books? He is not 100% against some of the drugs or in all cases which can be extreme, although he is for close monitoring of anyone on them. (thus does not say as far as I know something like, "come back in a month or two and tell me how you are doing") Btw I agree that many doctors are caring folks but that does not excuse them from or if they are part of a medically induced nightmare scenarios with their patients.