Mandrake

Can I ask you how you know this? Did you learn the technique from him? Just curious. M

Many things in life depends on Right View: For eating healtily, you need the right view of food; for surgery, you need a certain category of right view; when you place your finances in the hands of somebody, you wish that person to have the right view of economics/finances; and so on. If I need a heart replacement, do I wish my surgeon to have read a manual consinting of evasive, mysterious poetry alluding to heart transplantation? Obviously the full stuff, with as much details as possible is preferred. The best of course, is a valid training with a tutor who successively demonstrates practically the points in the manual. If all tutors die, the benefit with a detailed manual is that somebody can relatively easily revive the skill of performing heart transplantations, compared to a book of poetry alluding to heart surgery. The important concept is that every line in the manual has a practical, real life counterpart. It's the same with philosopy. There's a major mistake when reading this stuff without understanding how to apply it to one's own cultivation. Same with showing it down other's throats if it doesn't apply to their cultivation. Use what is of help to you at the moment. It's so easy, just "Let go"! If one has recognized that one has problem with that, one can use abhidharma to find out what they are potentially clinging to; after identifying that, sit on the cushion and let go of those. Similarily, Yogacara and Madhyamaka also tangibly point to stuff that one may be clinging to. Several concepts in Yogacara actually point to a special kind of qi, that if you can get hold of that and stop the clinging to it, will supercharge your cultivation. It's all about practice and what's useful to you at the moment. Just debating these things among people is meaningless if it's not asked for, and if it is not pertinent to the stages of cultivation of the practicioners, and if the practical part is missing. The compassionate buddhists are elsewhere. The people who prefer intellectualization thrive on the internet, and are prone to pop up at internet forums. Mandrake

I'm moving at the moment, but if you're not too much in a hurry, I can help you out. Mandrake

Dwai, Apology accepted. I certainly sympathize with you regarding this irritation. Fortunately, or unfortunately, there seem to very few in the west that know much about the mantric systems, so there is a limit on how much can be mixed up in the spiritual buffet. The downside is that this rich spiritual practice is unavailable to honest seekers. Are there any formalized criteria for what exactly constitutes a mantra in your tradition dwai? I would be interested in hearing them. Also, do masters uncover new mantras from time to time? Mandrake

If that is what you perceived from my post, I am sorry, but then I terribly failed in communicating. What you said is not the point I tried to convey. Besides, I don't think everything spiritual comes from India, thus, I allow the Daoists the historical space and ingenuity to be able to come up with their own systems of using sounds for spiritual purposes. M

I4L, I would be interested in material about these two. Do you have any good resources on them? M

An Yongle, If I may chime in: There are mantric traditions all over the world, in a multitude of traditions. There are old mantras in the south americas that have nothing to do with India; Daoist mantras are very different from those of the Indian traditions. Mantras also work in different ways, they are used in different ways, they derive their power and efficiency in different ways and consequently, the words and exact pronounciations are not always the important part. Some work because of vibrations, some because of entirely different principles. Similar mantras and sounds are different in different contexts, and are tied to different heavenly lineages. If you work with Hindu yoga, follow their explanations for their own mantras. If you follow other traditions that deliver results, I would follow their corresponding explanations and context. Mandrake

I remember back in the days when the trimondi had a disclaimer that they didn't vouch for the veracity of what they were saying, they didn't guarantee the truth of their own material and claims. The very small amount of confidence I had in them went to negative at that very moment. Mandrake

C T, I think part of the problem is the inability to accommodate to a culture where "just believe and do as I say" don't work. History here in the west has produced ample evidence of the power of scrutiny and systematic questioning and improvement (results of science is one example, secularization and individual freedoms is another). Many teachers from the east seem to shun scrutiny of any sorts, it may be a sort of taboo. Western students often want to know full explanations of origins, concepts and also seek proven efficacy, not least because of limited time, but to a plethora of different paths. Teachers that can accommodate to this gain respect. There could be done much to compare and validate systems. One example would be to systematically assign practices to test-groups and study the outcomes. If there is less results, the practice could be changed, tried again, and if it still fails in showing superior outcomes, could be delegated to a lower status. Questions that make some teachers uncomfortable may be many, but I believe the right approach is to prepare for them. Many of the preliminaries are overly ritualized, and when students observe quick, powerful responses in other open and simple systems, of course they start to doubt. I'm not necessarily attacking any specific path, I just think that honest discourse about spirituality is beneficial. A friend who did a certain style of Theravada vipassana finally came to a certain stage, that tend to be long and painful in practicioners who may have to wait for months, years to overcome it. My friend practiced a certain form of qigong which transferred him to the next, fast. This kind of information is important and most helpful to share and communalize! Mandrake

Scotty, please submit your experiences when you have tried it out. Have you used other forms of qigong to handle stress and emotions in the past? Mandrake

I believe that non-self is a widely misunderstood concept. I don't wish to spark that debate again, just to mention that the translation of the original words an-atman to non-self is, if not incorrect, then misleading. Shakyamuni in several suttas (such as the Ananda sutta, Anattalakkhana sutta, Mahaparinirvana sutra and the tathatagarhba sutras, to name a few) argues against the view of there being a self, and also against the view of there not being a self. The way I look at it is not something that reincarnates (certainly not transmigrates), but more like a process that continues, as an example: A theater that non-stop shows plays; as soon as one play ends, another one starts at the stage, there are endless of decorations, actors, clothes, props, but not all can fit in at the same time so they change and are there to shape the change, participating in the process. So there is no "what" that reincarnates, instead there are patterns and networks, part of which are visible each moment, propelled by different dynamics to become active. Also, a being consists not only of the five elements but also consciousness according to Zen. Mandrake

It gladdens me things are brighter for you now. I also have a long interest in Sakartvelo, but unfortunately I don't have any contacts there that would be of help. When you get there, you should post about it since I may very well be going there in the near future. The very best to you Aaron! Mandrake

No, it isn't. The author is Jigmed Lingpa (18th century) and the title is ye shes bla ma, if I'm not mistaken. Mandrake

Twinner/Aaron, even better than helping you out short term would be to get you a stable life situation: What kind of work experience do you have? Degree? Where do you want to work? Somebody may be sitting on a job opportunity. Mandrake

I remember this story circulating a couple of years ago. I think it is the responsibility of every sane man and woman today to research stories before spreading them around. It was denounced then as a fraud and still is a fraud. Some links out of many: Christians debunk the story: http://www.edwardtbabinski.us/skepticism/resurrected_monk.html Buddhist investigation: http://www.buddha.sg/htm/general/faq01.htm http://dhammaprotector.blogspot.com/2009/04/athet-pyan-shinthaw-paulu-back-from.html

Halfway through I remembered I've done this test before, but I believe I've forgot most of it, and avoided trying to remember any details. Visualize a forest. Visualize a path you're walking that leads you into the forest. You are walking on a path in the forest... To my surprise a snow-covered forest with glowing mushrooms and flowers. Later it turns into plants with very long leaves, sometimes the glowing plants change. You keep walking and you come across a cup in your path. What kind of a cup is it? Describe the cup, describe your feelings, describe your actions. A beer glass with handle, made of something blue with some kinds of inlaid stones. I pick it up. I like it though it feels ordinary. You keep walking and you come across a key in your path. What kind of a key is it? Describe the key, describe your feelings, describe your actions. A traditional key, but made of something blue again, sometimes it's white. It has a red stone in it that sometimes shift to white. I like it so I pick it up and put it around my neck. You keep walking and you come across a lake in your path. What kind of a lake is it? Describe the lake, describe your feelings, describe your actions. The lake is white, large and widens to the left. I'm thinking about touching this strange water, but there emerges a white creature with teeth that feels dangerous but not evil (does it have a red stone as well?). At least I try to drink from the strange water with the cup. It could be milk. It doesn't taste anything strange. When I walk away the creature wails in sorrow. It misses me. You keep walking and you come across a house in your path. What kind of a house is it? Describe the house, describe your feelings, describe your actions. A large tree in a glade. there's a house climbing it and I know that I can fly away through this edifice. It's not time though since the exercise is continuing, and am suddenly starting to remember this part and I want to stop before I try to modify the experience in any way. You keep walking and you come across a wall in your path. The wall is completely impenetrable, there's no openings. There's no way to walk around it because it is too long, there's no way to climb over it because it is too high. What kind of a wall is it? Describe the wall, describe your feelings, describe your actions. Firstly I am frustrated, but then the wall stabilizes. It's of red dirt. Organic and kind of tells me it could swallow me and let me true. I expect a door but it is totally unnecessary. The test ends here. Please write down everything you have experienced.

Thanks Trunk M

Trunk, I was wondering why you strongly recommended this practice, but you were quicker and answered my question before i posted it. What would you recommend - based on your experience - as a moving complement to inject between multiple sessions of long sitting practice? Mandrake

Have you lived in a monastery? Mandrake

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Last April, I brought up Berceli's Trauma Releasing Excercises in this topic here: Body armor There were several of you bums who said you would pick it up and try it: Steve, Edward M, Enishi, Bokonon, mYTHmAKER, Tactile... Now, after a couple of months I - and many others - are probably very curious about your experiences with this method. Would be very happy if you wanted to chime in. Have you had any psycho/emotional release, any deep changes in your everyday emotions? Has this affected your other practices? Anything else? Feel free to contribute, you are the veterans! Mandrake

Sounds like psychoanalysis in a new packaging : D, or have I completely misunderstood it? Thanks -K- Mandrake

Jetsun, Sincere thanks for sharing with us. I wish you all wellbeing on your path. Mandrake