dwai

You are entitled to your opinion, but please don't take things out of context and nitpick. Feel free to comment about the article itself...I'll be more than happy to read your views on it.

https://www.sacred-texts.com/tantra/sas/index.htm So what makes this Cosmic Sound different than the Vedic analysis is the mathematical cosmology on which is based! The Vedic cosmology relies on "divide and average" math that tries to "contain" infinity using geometry. The original "three gunas" is based on pure number as noncommutative phase harmonics - the complementary opposite ratios that are truly "non-dual" and yet eternal motion. So as I've explained - the "three gunas" are the same as Daoist harmonics with the Perfect Fifth or 3/2 as yang and the Perfect Fourth as yin or 4/3 and the Sattva as the octave or 1/2. So this appears as very simplistic since a Westerner does not understand the secret of the music harmonics that defined the three gunas. Westerners are brainwashed by logarithmic symmetric math, from the "divide and average" earlier Vedic math. https://pdfs.semanticscholar.org/9e0f/2de70dc7e3bdf6660a1145134cf4f5e36466.pdf So that pdf tries to do a "three gunas" analysis of Indian music but uses the Western logarithmic math. So that is just an example of what I'm talking about. The three gunas is not based on "divide and average" math. Drew, I think Dr. Frawley understands gunas just fine. But you are entitled to your opinion

From https://archive.org/stream/Stories_from_Upanishads/Upanishads in Story and Dialogue - RR Diwakar 1950_djvu.txt

In one of my older articles, I had discussed the topic of the four levels/categories of knowledge. https://www.medhajournal.com/close-encounters-of-the-fourth-kind/ and also presented a model that maps Zen and Advaita Vedanta alonf those lines. https://www.medhajournal.com/consciousness-according-to-zen-buddhism-and-how-it-relates-to-advaita-vedanta/ Also there was an associated TDB post around the topic — The four levels of knowledge, map to the four levels in which awareness seems to exist (waking/dreaming/deep sleep and Turiya). They also map to the “four bodies” ie physical, subtle, causal and nondual. The following should apply for spiritual as well as creative works — I posit that written words (or typed for that matter) fall under the category of knowledge that maps to the subtle body. In other words, the written word rises from the astral plane. In my experience I found that “reading” seems to work at the astral level as well. These are “closer” to nondual silence than the spoken words are. That is the reason why ideas as presented in books etc take on a far more powerful force than when spoken. There are exceptions of course. For instance in ancient times, the words were spoken words, but empowered by masters who operated from the causal and/or nondual levels. Just some preliminary thoughts. Please avoid tangential ramblings in your responses.

You're lucky you don't have friends who tend to get drunk & persistent Nah...you are skillful alright. I just like to play this game. Some days, folks actually get curious (or not buzzed enough) to actually engage with me over it. Sigh! They'll ask "What do you mean, do I know who I am? Of course I do!". So I'll ask "In an instant, without thinking, can you tell me who you are?" Some will keep saying "I'm a man, I'm a woman, I'm x, y z" and I'll keep saying "that required thinking...can you answer without a single thought?" Then they get annoyed and think I'm pulling a fast one over them. And then will walk away. Only a few, may be one in a hundred or so, actually get curiouser and curiouser. They'll ask "wow...I don't know...I can't say!". That's when I know, that we have something to talk about...

I usually start with "Do you know who you really are?" and there's a deer-in-the-headlight look in the eyes of my "Victim"...and after a few more words, they'll slowly slink away (Works best in social gatherings when someone asks me why I don't drink )

@steve makes a valid point about "how can discussing all of knowledge not include tangential rambling"... Turiya is a word that literally means "The Fourth" (or the Fourth state, beside Waking, Dreaming and Deep Sleep). But it is actually the "blackboard" (as you so aptly put it) and the One and Only, really. Different means for different levels of practice. I usually don't write, words are written through me Think of it this way -- Some people just need to hear about Nonduality once and they become realized. Others spend years on practices and don't get it. Working with a personal deity helps us dissolve our self-imposed limitations (separate body, separate mind, limited imagination, etc etc). It is a step towards non duality between self and Deity. Which teaches a valuable lesson when it clicks (and I have to thank @Jeff for showing me that most succinctly).

I’ve got a PhD in Dumassery

I sometimes do it when I want to be left alone 😂

sometimes a funny story is just a funny story

😂🤣 thanks for sharing

Exactly! The moment we label someone or something a certain way, we essentially give up the opportunity to learn anything from them. My experience is quite in line with your “sacred clown” analogy. Often the truth is so simple that we can’t even imagine it as being the truth. Our minds are evolutionarily oriented towards doing, and dissecting concepts and ideas. I used to laugh at the idea of “new agers” making “high sounding statements”, can’t remember how many times I rolled my eyes at the statement “you are already enlightened” in the past 😂 But it turns out the joke was really on me, because the very things I thought were impossibilities, were proven to be correct and all my complex ideas and theories about how things should be became ridiculously convoluted and complex. It seems we tend to correlate complexity with intelligence. Yet in nature we find the simplest things to be the most resilient and durable. Didn’t Lao-Tzu say “my words seem simple, but most laugh at me and call me a fool”?

One solution might be to give up expecting anything in our interactions with others. IF we don’t have any expectations, we won’t suffer the effect of disappointments. I know it’s easier said than done. But that is a maxim that was articulated to me by a very wise person many years ago, and I found it to be proven right many times over.

No one is an absolute fool really. Everyone is at varying levels of knowing. So “foolishness” or “intelligence” is a relative thing. It also varies from day to day. For example, on some days I feel really smart and others I feel really foolish. The feeling foolish bit usually goes hand in hand with whether I ended up succumbing to the propensity to do something compulsive. We can be compassionate towards someone who knows less. My teachers always did/do that with me.

One method I've heard of being used is to use your intention to write down about your emotional attachments, issues, all strong emotions associated with said relationship on a piece of paper. Then, burn the paper, and as the paper burns down, let go of the attachments. If it doesn't fully work at the first instance, do it again.

6.3 Overview of the Lord Buddha’s Teachings On one occasion, our Lord Buddha was staying at Sisapavana in the city of Kosambi. He picked up some leaves of the Pterocarpus tree and said to the venerable Monks, “Compare the number of leaves that I have in my hand to the number of leaves remaining on the tree, which do you reckon is greater?” The venerable monks answered, “The number of leaves remaining on the tree is greater, Most Exalted One.” The Lord Buddha said, “Monks, the knowledge that I possess can be compared to the number of leaves remaining on the tree and yet I did not teach it to you. Do you know why? The reason is such knowledge is not useful… It is not conducive to the attainment of Enlightenment… It cannot lead to Nibbana… Therefore, I did not teach it to you. What I do teach you is about Dukkha, Dukkhasamudaya, Dukkhanirodha, and Dukkhanirodhagaminipatipada. I have taught you these things because they are useful to your attainment of Enlightenment and Nibbana. Therefore, all of you should endeavor to know these things For yourselves.” From this saying of the Lord Buddha we learn that the Dhamma is about Dukkha, Dukkhasamudaya, Dukkhanirodha, Dukkhanirodhagaminipatipada. In other words, the Dhamma is about the Four Noble Truths. Before the Lord Buddha’s attainment of Complete Nibbana, He talked about the Buddha, the Dhamma, the Sangha, the Magga, and other practices. The Dhamma here includes the Four Noble Truths while the Magga and other practices are Dukkhanirodhagaminipatipada which is part of the Four Noble Truths. The Magga and other practices are called the Noble Eightfold Path. The term “Ariyasac” comes from the word “Ariya” and the word “Sac”. Ariya means sublime whereas Sac means the truth. Therefore, “Ariyasac” means the sublime Truth. Details about “Ariyasac” are as follows: 6.3.1 Details about “Ariyasacca” 6.3.1 Details about “Ariyasacca” has four parts and these include Dukkha or Suffering, Dukkhasamudaya or the Cause of Suffering, Dukkhanirodha or the Cessation of Suffering, and Dukkhanirodhagaminipatipada or the Path leading to the Cessation of Suffering. 1. Dukkhaariyasac means the sublime truth about suffering. Dukkha means a condition which is difficult to sustain. Such is the condition of all things and all living beings because everything and every being undergo birth and death in accordance with its own make-up and this condition is not subject to control. There are twelve categories of Dukkha. These include Jatidukkha, Jaradukkha, Byadhidukkha, Maranadukkha, Sokadukkha, Paridevadukkha, Domanassadukkha, Upayasadukkha, Dukkhadukkha, Appiyehisampayogadukkha, and Piyehivippayogadukkha, and Yampicchamnalabhatitampidukkha. These twelve categories of Dukkha can be summarized as “Upadanakhandha-5” Which means the suffering that comes from attachment to the Five Aggregates. 1. Jatidukkha means the suffering that comes from birth. 2. Jaradukkha means the suffering that comes from aging. 3. Byadhidukkha means the suffering that comes from sickness. 4. Maranadukkha means the suffering that comes from death. 5. Sokadukkha means the suffering that comes from grief. 6. Paridevadukkha means the suffering that comes from longing for someone or something. 7. Dukkhadukkha means the suffering that comes from physical discomfort. 8. Domanassadukkha means the suffering that comes from worries. 9. Upayasadukkha means the suffering that comes from vengefulness. 10. Appiyehisampayogadukkha means the suffering that comes from encountering what one hates. 11. Piyehivippayogadukkha means the suffering that comes from being separated from what one loves. 12. Yampicchamnalabhatitampidukkha means the suffering that comes from disappointment. These twelve categories of Dukkha can be summarized as “Upadanakhandha-5” which means the suffering that comes from attachment to the Five Aggregates or Khandha-5. Such suffering comes from the fact that human beings and other living beings are made up of the Five Aggregates which include corporeality or Rupa, feeling or Vedana, perception or Sanna, mental formations or Sankhara, and consciousness or Vinnana. These Five Aggregates are contaminated with defilements. Defilements are the cause of Upadana or attachment. It is for the reason that we believe Khandha-5 belongs to us that we Experience these twelve categories of Dukkha. Now, if we know to consider the Five Aggregates or Khandha-5 as our temporary home, then when something happens to them we will not experience Dukkha and even if we do, the experience will not be as intense. For example, when we look at our self in the mirror and see the obvious signs of the aging process, we do not become overwrought because we realize that our body is merely our temporary home. Moreover, it does not Belong to us. 1) The Types of Craving or Tanha There are three different types of craving or Tanha: Kammatanha or craving for sensual pleasures, Bhavatanha or craving for existence, and Vibhavatanha or craving for non-existence. Kammatanha means craving for the five sensual pleasures. These include corporeality, sound, smell, taste, and touch. It goes without saying that most of us would like a good-looking boyfriend or girlfriend. We enjoy beautiful music, lovely scents, delicious food, comfortable furniture, etc. Bhavatanha: Bhava comes from the Pali words Bhu and Dhatu which mean existence. Bhavatanha means craving for existence. It means wanting what one is and what one has to last forever. Bhavatanha is caused by Kammatanha. Kammatanha causes one to want to have children, cars, house, etc., and once one has obtained these things one suffers Bhavatanha in that one wants these things to last forever. Another meaning of Bhavatanha is craving for the sphere of existence. Luang Pu Wat Paknam explained that the sphere of existence here means the Form Sphere which is the dwelling of Form Brahma beings. The Form Sphere consists of sixteen realms. Form Brahma beings crave Rupajhana or Absorptions. Rupajhana has four levels. These include Pathamajhana or the First Absorption, Dutiyajhana or the Second Absorption, Tatiyajhana or the Third Absorption, and Catutathajhana or the Fourth Absorption. These four absorptions give rise to the kind of happiness that is far superior to the happiness experienced in the Sense Sphere. As a result, attachment to the Rupajhana is far deeper and stronger than attachment to sensual pleasures. Vibhavatanha means craving for non-existence. It means that whatever a person does not want to be or have, he does not wish it to happen to himself or his loved ones. He does not want himself or his loved ones to age, get sick, or die. Etc. Another meaning of Vibhavatanha is craving for non-existence. Luang Pu Wat Paknam explained that non-existence here means the Non-Form Sphere. The Non-Form Sphere is the dwelling of Non-Form Brahma beings and consists of four realms. Non-Form Brahma beings crave the different levels of Arupajhana or Non-Form Absorptions Which lead to rebirth in the Non-Form Sphere. The kind of happiness derived from Arupajhana is far superior to that derived from Rupajhana. Form and Non-Form Brahma beings are of the understanding that they have escaped from suffering, hence, have attained Nibbana. This misunderstanding causes these beings to be stuck where they are. 2) The Relationship between Tanha and Other Defilements Tanha belongs to the family of defilements called Lobha or greed. Tanha arises out of the power of craving. Raga arises out of the power of pleasure. Nandi arises out of the power of engrossment. Avijja or ignorance is in turn the root cause of Tanha. Tanha, in turn, gives rise to Dosa or anger. One wants something but does not get it, one becomes frustrated. 3. Dukkhanirodhaariyasac Dukkhanirodhaariyasac means the extinguishment of all craving. The word “Nirodha” means extinguishment. Therefore, Dukkhanirodhaariyasac means “The sublime truth about the cessation of suffering”. “Nirodha” is another name for Nibbana. In the Commentary, it was written, “Asesaviraganirodho: It is the extinguishment of craving. It is another name for Nibbana. In Nibbana, all Tanha is extinguished. Therefore, Nibbana means the extinguishment of craving. In Nibbana, Tanha or craving is abandoned, given up, released, and detached. Nibbana is the place where craving is abandoned, given up, released, and detached. Nibbana is called by many names but all of them mean the same thing …” http://book.dou.us/dhammakaya-book-en.html

🙏🏾🙇🏻

touché ... I’ll keep that in mind if I meet anyone interested in potato farming Ok, how about we just agree to disagree and move on?

admire the beauty of the photo then...does the fact that it is a photo make the moon less beautiful?

Potatoes, potatoes 😜

Don’t look at the finger, or you’ll miss the glorious beauty of the full moon

Enjoy!

Just the realization that I was always that milky ocean. Only a name and form called <replace with your current identity> seemed to appear out of it...

The pāli suttas are supposed to be the most literal documentation of the Buddha’s teachings. We have to understand the nuances and subtleties in the words used therein. This is my understanding, so please take with a grain of salt. There is more than one way to the proverbial mountain top. Some take the route of devotion, others action, yet others take the path of mind and life force control and some take the direct path (in Buddhism it is called Zen). PS: i would categorize Dzogchen in the Direct Path category too. In Daoist system, Lao Tzu’s methodless method as taught in the daodejing is another one, imho. In the Hindu tradition these are Advaita Vedanta and Kashmir Shaivism (though this tends to be more ornate). IMHO the direct path is the last stage of the process (which might take several lifetimes even). The various sutras illustrate the various paths to the top, just as the different “yānas” are categorized similarly. Just like in Vedānta, the Māndukya Upanishad is all one needs for liberation, but if one is not ready yet, other 9 main upanishads should be studied. If those don’t work either, study the remaining 108 Upanishads. If that doesn’t work, more work to be done - do raja yoga, karma yoga. Come back after 5/10/15 years (basically when you are led back to the upanishads) to complete your knowledge. If these paths don’t suit you, do Bhakti yoga. If one can truly surrender completely, one WILL be liberated.