stirling

This is true. Of course, the Buddha had a spectacular go at it in one his fan favorites: The perceived paradoxes or contradictions are the most pithy pointers! The Heart Sutra is actually quite a plain and literal statement of the facts as they are. Form, sensation, perception, formation, consciousness, eyes, ears, nose, tongue, body, mind, sight, sound, smell, taste, touch, objects of mind, realms (any and all kinds), mind consciousness, ignorance or lack thereof, old age, death or lack thereof, suffering, cause, cessation, path, knowledge, attainment an anything else that is a construct of the mind are ALL delusions. Absolute reality LACKS any qualities, including these. However, Absolute reality supersedes, but INCLUDES the relative, so ALL of these things have their provisional existence in our experience. Introduction to the nature of mind, a common Dzogchen/Tibetan can clearly illustrate how this could be possible. I consider this introduction to be one of the pivotal teachings in any students understanding as it lays the groundwork for Kensho AND later Satori.

In fact, I would suggest an attitude of general relaxation ALL of the time. Even when you are running there is surrender in finding the least amount of required activity to continue forward. From a Zen or Dzogchen standpoint I would say while it is easy to try to create a discrete set of steps required to finally arrive at resting in the nature of mind, what is really being accomplished is quite simple. We aren't attempting to contrive reality into something, but rather remove obstacles that stop us from just being with things as they already are. The quiet, luminous mind of "just this" isn't the result of any mental acrobatics, it is the natural consequence of allowing the illusory "selfing" process to come to a stop.

Tom, You are welcome to message me with questions. I worked in the Tibetan Nyingma tradition for 25 years, and Zen for 6 years. I am currently finishing sewing my robes (a LONG part of the process!) in the Soto Zen tradition for my formal teacher entrustment ceremony. I would be happy to help. It's not bad to start with personal research, but there are some points that are worth clarifying as you go along.

In terms of approach, trying to control the mind will always fail. It isn't ours to control. Grasping at trying to make mind be quiet is like trying to hold tightly to a wet bar of soap... it comedically pops out of your hand and into the air. What you have noticed is one of the first insights - that mind is what tortures us with its inane non-stop litany of noise and insult. In Buddhism we learn to see thoughts as the natural play of the mind. We count "mind" (small "m") as just another sense, to go along with sight, hearing, tasting, smelling, touching. (m)ind is not what "we" are, it is a sensory input that interprets the other sensory inputs and generates the story of what we experience. We can see this in meditation: When the mind is quiet and empty and a thought arises we can WATCH that thought arise and pass. Because we can watch it we can see that, like all phenomena that arise in the senses, it is not what the "I" is. We are what observes the senses. So, how do we defeat (m)ind? We can't. What we can do is become adept at allowing the mind to settle out and become still. This is the remedy, ultimately. We can also learn to see the mind for what it is, and give it less to engage with by noticing when we get lost in our thoughts. We can then bring ourselves back to stillness. The more we practice coming back "home" to our still mind, the more the mind inclines toward this way of being in daily life.

In Buddhism there is only ONE plane of existence in absolute terms. The realms of beings etc. are relative teachings. Ultimately, shamatha meditation (where the mind is quiet and empty ) is merely resting in the nature, or reality, of that plane and seeing that all other imagined or contrived states of mind, practices, or other impermanent manifestations are only the play of that relative construct, NOT the base of it. "Wholeness" (or unity) isn't accomplished by actioning a list of practices or actions, it is merely complete presence in this moment with nothing else needed, no "self" present, no future or past, or other place to imagine being or acting in. https://tricycle.org/beginners/buddhism/two-truths/

You don't need to concentrate on your breath.... think of it more like noticing. Notice when there is a sensation on your upper lip, for example, when you inhale or exhale. Don't have make the thought "in" or "out" part of that, just pay gentle attention to the sensation. Let sensations be sensations. Keep your attention light - like maybe 10-15%. Another meditation is to just try just being present as sensations come up. Watch your body and just notice as feelings in your body, or thoughts, come and go. Don't follow the things you notice with a thought process, just let what comes up continue unengaged by the mind, like you were sitting at the bottom of a lake and watching bubbles come into view and pass out of your line of sight. Again, keep it light - attention at about 10-15%. Before you start, sit in a comfortable but upright posture that doesn't really require the use of your muscles to maintain. Go through your body top to bottom sensing tense muscles and let that tension go, or adjust your posture so you don't need to rely on those muscles. It's good to keep your attention sharp, though not deeply concentrated, and your body relaxed. The expression on your face should be soft and relaxed too. Meditations with techniques are usually activating, and often make us tense our muscles. I'd consider letting go of mantras or Tonglen (sending and receiving) practice until you can definitely do them without becoming tense. Once you can sit in relaxed but attentive meditation, bring them back into your routine. Do you study with a Rinpoche, or have you learned these practices on your own?

How would you describe your meditation practice? What is it you do, and how often? I wouldn't expect it to make your head hurt.

Buddhism has many possible techniques beyond just the "Open Awareness" approach of Zen, Chan, or Dzogchen. Buddhist meditation techniques have a variety of purposes, but most are intended to help chip away at delusions that "self" (as you imagine it) has any reality. It isn't that the self is separated or extinguished, just seen through. This is something akin to realizing that Santa Claus isn't real in the way that most Western children imagine him to be. Zen, Chan, and Dzogchen meditation is about learning to recognize the underlying awareness that is always present. Once recognized it can be rested in, and brought increasingly into day to day life. Insight is the moment of enlightenment - not a thought but a non-conceptual, non-verbal permanent realization of the non-dual nature of how reality truly is. This is realization of the true "nature of mind". I won't speak for the Theravada traditions, but here is a great open awareness meditation instruction with some explanation from the Tibetan Mahamudra tradition. https://www.lionsroar.com/how-to-meditate-dzogchen-ponlop-rinpoche-on-mahamudra/ It is worth seeking out a teacher who can give you an introduction to the nature of mind if there is real curiosity, and a wish to practice for maximum result.

If the technique is dropping ALL technique (I am thinking Zazen/Dzogchen/Open Awareness) I think meditation also puts us in painstaking contact with the perceptible phenomena of the outside world. We can have a route to experiencing that is as direct as it gets.

There are myriad reasons people become vegetarian. I am ovo-lacto. Speaking for myself, I began to be averse to the taste, and in time wouldn't make it for myself, but also didn't like to think that anything might suffer for my sustenance, and vowed to reduce that as much as possible without compromising my health. When I took my vows it seemed an obvious way to help honor them, and just happened to be how I was at the time anyway. It isn't necessary to be a vegetarian to be a serious practitioner (on the Buddhist path, at least) in my opinion. However, if there is guilt or shame about ANY aspect of the way we live our lives, it is helpful to stop any unnecessary habit that is generating karma for you. This is just common sense. I have complete respect for any other adult who makes their choices about what they eat, and will happily sit next to you while you enjoy your steak.

I won't add anything to the descriptions of Pure Lands ideas above, but simply say that those that are drawn to Pure Land teachings should certainly practice them, but also mention that I have seen without doubt that enlightenment is entirely achievable in this life and this "world", without adding any destinations to the journey.

Meditation can help you with the 2nd arrow, which is your story about your suffering. The first arrow, with enough practice, becomes reduced to a pile of sensation that arise moment to moment. Pain can turned, to some degree, into just another sensory experience. I would learn Shikantaza for this, learning to watch your breath as an object, eventually drop the breath as object, and eventually using "experience" (what arises in consciousness moment to moment) as your object. You could have some success with this in about a month with meditation of 30-40 minutes a day. This looks like a fine instruction: https://tricycle.org/article/shikantaza-instructions/

... oh... its KIM! That's interesting! I haven't thought of him in a long time. I had a number and back and forth conversations with him back when he spent most of his time on the DharmaOverground. He's not a scam artist (or at least wasn't in the past) and wasn't on the fast track to becoming a guru millionaire when I knew him. I personally wouldn't list unembodied masters on my CV, but that's just me, though the fabric of ALL of this is dharma (teaching) so why would anything you experience get a pass? From a practice perspective, as I said, there is nothing wrong with his basic practices. I can't vouch for the depth of his understanding, but this doesn't invalidate his teachings. As for his bhumi measurement system, I personally remain skeptical, but that's just me... I wouldn't get all caught up in that. True, persistent insight happens once, and isn't at all subtle in my experience. This is where it IS great to have a teacher that can recognize that insight and help a student deepen and refine that insight. - edit The deeper I look the more I feel I'd be cautious about engaging. I am not saying he is a bad guy AT ALL, but based on this website I would recommend having other teachers at the same time if working with Kim looks interesting.

I don’t know if that is true or not, but please count me amongst those who love C’han Buddhism. 🙏

This would be my personal definition in this moment, based on my current experiencing. I suppose you could say the phrasing is filtered through many years of training in Nyingma school Tibetan Buddhism, Dzogchen, and Soto Zen.

There is nothing wrong with this "technique". The first part is practiced with small and irrelevant variations by practitioners of Dzogchen and Zen of various flavors. The second is a variation of direct pointing exercises (such as "Mu", or "Who am I") or others intended to point to the centerlessness and non-existence of the "self" delusion. These are sound practices that may aid some people in awakening, though they aren't special or unique in any way. If you are attracted to practicing this, do so. Others may need to feel like they are "doing" something, so will adopt practices with varying degrees of complication or outlandishness, or believe there is one practice that is better than another for awaken. This is great way to to end up more "endarkened" than ever. Awakening is simply noticing that the self, others, time, and space do not exist as things with any separateness, or intrinsic reality of their own. No tradition or instruction is really needed, just taking time out to rest in the expansiveness empty awareness of this moment. If a teacher has a role, it is in pointing out this empty awareness, helping the student to learn to rest in it as often as possible, explore it and understand what it truly is. The dharma is omnipresent - always RIGHT HERE, RIGHT NOW, and blissfully, lovingly free to anyone who really wants it.

Only one. It's always the same one. It is the delusion of a belief in objects with intrinsic existence.

This is a unity. The idea of bodies, souls, and death are delusions.What "we" are is presence in consciousness that is omnipresent, always NOW. It is entirely possible to wake up to seeing this as it is.

The 6 "realms" are HERE right now. We can observe gods, hungry ghosts, and the rest in our day to day experience. Our experience of the world could be understood to align most with an individual realm moment to moment. The point of the realms is to underline which type of experiencing we are trapped in. A buddha has surpassed attachment and aversion and is therefore not living in any realm, or generating karma.

It is important to have a stable "self" before taking it apart. Take some time to work with a decent counselor and/or psychiatrist before you start the work if you have any doubts about where you are with things. Meditation practice WILL (and should) dig up your unprocessed trauma and feelings. Dropping what obscures you from seeing things as they are is the way forward. If you know you have unprocessed personal stuff, at least begin the process of tackling it. I would also suggest looking at what your motivation for practice is. What do you want to get out of it? Knowing the answer to this question can guide what sort of practices you choose and what your intention (which is VERY important) is for where they lead.

You won't find a more sincere, sober accounting on this topic than one from Daniel. He doesn't teach for money, and is interested in the whole shebang - enlightenment, magic, science, you name it. He IS fully realized, but also interested in other traditions, and in the use of the language of science for the exploration of what these shifts are about. His accounts of his own experience are frank, honest and plainly spoken. His non-profit is here: https://ebenefactors.org

Very nice to see a thoughtful response in what looked like a possibly contentious topic about your website and program. I agree that group training can be helpful for the right sort of student. I also agree that having a teacher can be greatly beneficial. I'd be curious to hear what you mean by a "non-physical entity", and about what is "immortal" that isn't physical. This is not meant as a trap - more that I am interested in comparing your day to day experience with my own, which I would be happy to share. Thanks.

I now primarily rest in non-meditation most of the time. I won't say I am any knowledgeable about the particulars of the "Ancient Masters" course (they aren't really shared as far as I can tell) but the broad outline of the overall "Paradigm" is absolutely familiar.

I would: Establish a meditation practice with the help of a teacher. Choose as an object something simple to start, like the breath or putting your attention on an object, to concentrate on. Meditate until you notice that sometimes your concentration on the object drops out and there are "gaps". Have a qualified teacher give you "pointing out" instructions so that you can recognize the gaps for what they are. This might take several attempts. Learn to rest the mind in open awareness. Ideally, sit a retreat schedule for your 100 days. Check in with a realized teacher who can talk through your experiences with you. This is sufficient for a small population of practitioners to have complete realization. - There is more to it to that, but it is the basic idea.

I appreciate your concern. In deference, I went ahead and reread my post. I am satisfied that it says what I intended.