ralis

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Everything posted by ralis

  1. Given his penchant for extensive quotes/cut/paste, I suspected as much.
  2. He changed his name well before you became a member here. Have you been here under another name?
  3. I disagree that we are all one. Why? Non separate being does not imply one big lump of chummy togetherness, but individuality in the system.
  4. If those dudes want to hang out with me and have reasonable discussions that is fine with me. However, that has nothing to do with faith or such, but a relationship between peers.
  5. The human body is not the top of the evolutionary chain in the universe.
  6. I doubt you were even born when I took my first teachings way back in 1987. Given that and around seventy transmissions I have received, been on any number of retreats, including several personal retreats in Death Valley California and a retreat in the Jemez mountains here in New Mexico both of which lasted several weeks. In addition I started Vipassana back in 1983 as well as read Trungpa's first book Shamballah then. If some invisible Bodhisattva is assisting me, I would like to know about it. It would be nice if I were asked first. I have probably seen most Buddhist books that were published and read many.
  7. One thing I must say is that in the Tibetan tradition they state that certain physical abnormalities are a hindrance due to karmic consequences and will prevent one from becoming realized. There is a reason that I am extremely visual, but will not state that fact on a public forum. To me it is a cruel condemnation to exclude persons whom these Lama's have doomed to be unworthy!
  8. If you feel a need for transmission then that is your business but to use it as an absolute doctrine of faith is a mistake. History is replete with such manipulations from authoritarians.
  9. I did not state that whatsoever. I said that everyone has a different learning style. That is a fact! These ancient Middle Ages feudalistic venues with a teacher sitting above everyone on a throne are no longer appropriate or necessary. Blessings? That implies some sort of ownership on their part which requires offerings/subservience etc. and your statement that blessings help one to understand the Dharma is an insult to any intelligent person. One can easily find that at a local Catholic church.
  10. I believe Sarah Harding said that Lama as defined in their spiritual tradition, means 'divine mother'. The real problem with this whole religious trip is that almost every Lama only receives a religious education. Humanities/critical thinking, math, science, art etc. receive little attention.
  11. I had many of those teachings/transmissions and know exactly what I am talking about. Most of the Lama's have not learned English/German/French/Russian or any other language foreign to their own. That is a problem in and of itself even though a translation is happening. Some learn well from books and others verbal instruction works best. One methodology is not best for everyone. I have only met one Tibetan Lama who was very well educated, could converse in other languages and was able to discuss world affairs or any other subject. http://dongakcholing.org/LamaRinchen.html As for me, I am extremely visual and prefer that over long and boring lectures that have no visual input.
  12. They have their own self interest which is their own higher cause. The authoritarian higher cause is always the problem.
  13. I guess his spell checker doesn't know English.
  14. When one attends a weekend retreat there is very little or no student teacher/interaction. The teachings are endless lectures with empowerment's which are only outer teachings with permission to practice. That is all it is and nothing more. If people think they are really receiving some mind altering transmission, they are just fooling themselves. To receive the in depth teachings and there are a few Lama's that are not as strict, one must attend a 3 year retreat.
  15. The world needs are more saviors? Furthermore, if their work was so important and these dudes are so powerful, then why is the world in such a state of disaster at the moment?
  16. Digital reality. Perhaps this is the nature of mind?
  17. Are we going to fall back into the old solipsism debate. Or, the whole universe is one giant Buddha mind. Or, another choice would be that all phenomena are part of the Buddha's dream? My point is that even calling it Buddha mind is an objectification which is an error. These arguments are very boring!
  18. Very true! The institutions riding the coattails of the myriad saviors here on this planet are making a fortune.
  19. The big hook from the Tibetan hierarchy is one of special transmission which according to their legend and lore can't be obtained from a book. However, Norbu was of the opinion back in 1989 that one could not receive from a cassette tape. Times have changed and now he is on the internet and what one sees online is nothing more than a computer language in which the basis of is machine code; 10101010101 ad infinitum. Almost everyone of those Lama's is still living in the Middle Ages.
  20. There is way too much emphasis on so called Buddha mind as if it were a universal and superior construct! The Buddha was here on this planet and not in some distant star system. Why not interview an alien race to question what their teachers think. In my experiences, I never once think; "oh this is so wonderful, therefor it must be Buddha mind. Buddha has been treated as if he were a god and that I disagree with.
  21. Can you bring that down to earth please?
  22. I will PM you first chance I get. Going out to run errands now.
  23. Dzogchen as Norbu teaches has no rules and that can be a difficult situation for most.
  24. As for myself, the Dzogchen teachings were very disorienting at first, but slowly, the preconceived notions I had dropped away. By stating 'being' in your response to Jonesboy was apropos.
  25. Excellent response. I like where you are going with this. I was responding to the Buddhists who rant regarding no inherent existence of self and the incessant parroting of whatever text they read.