9th

Great news! Im looking forward to that.

Tathāgata is a Pali and Sanskrit word; Gotama Buddha uses it when referring to himself in the Pāli Canon. The term is often thought to mean either "one who has thus gone" (tathā-gata) or "one who has thus come" (tathā-āgata). This is interpreted as signifying that the Tathāgata is beyond all coming and going – beyond all transitory phenomena. There are, however, other interpretations and the precise original meaning of the word is not certain. Modern scholarly opinion generally opines that Sanskrit grammar offers at least two possibilities for breaking up the compound word: either tathā and āgata (via a sandhi rule ā + ā → ā), or tathā and gata. Tathā means "thus" in Sanskrit and Pali, and Buddhist thought takes this to refer to what is called "reality as-it-is" (yathābhūta). This reality is also referred to as "thusness" or "suchness" (tathatā), indicating simply that it (reality) is what it is. Tathāgata is defined as someone who "knows and sees reality as-it-is" (yathā bhūta ñāna dassana). Gata "gone" is the past passive participle of the verbal root gam "go, travel". Āgata "come" is the past passive participle of the verb meaning "come, arrive". In this interpretation, Tathāgata means literally either “the one who has gone to suchness” or "the one who has arrived at suchness". Another interpretation, proposed by the scholar Richard Gombrich, is based on the fact that, when used as a suffix in compounds, -gata will often lose its literal meaning and signifies instead "being". Tathāgata would thus mean "one like that", with no motion in either direction. According to Fyodor Shcherbatskoy, the term has a non-Buddhist origin, and is best understood when compared to its usage in non-Buddhist works such as the Mahabharata. Shcherbatskoy gives the following example from the Mahabharata (Shantiparva, 181.22): "Just as the footprints of birds (flying) in the sky and fish (swimming) in water cannot be seen, Thus (tātha) is going (gati) of those who have realized the Truth."

You have a curiously blind manner of handling yourself as well as a strangely petulant attitude, considering your various claims about yourself and your lofty status. However, the most simple truth I can share with you is that I truly dont care what you want. I will continue to do as I please, which may or may not include posting replies to your threads here or anywhere else. If you dont want to be around, you are certainly free to leave and go on your merry little way. Otherwise - just sit there and deal with it.

Im so sorry you feel that way. No, really - I am. Perhaps you should start posting in the "Personal Practice Discussion" area instead - I think the moderators give you full control over those threads. Im not sure though - you'd have to ask them about that. But here in the "General Discussion" area, you dont actually own any of the threads. They are part of a public discourse. So, you will just have to learn how to deal with the public if you want to post threads in this area.

Relax, kiddo. Take a deep breath. Everything will be ok. We are all friends here.

Yeh, dont even worry about it. Something something about the moon, right? Just remember to focus on your homework. Stay busy with your college classes. Dont get caught up playing with too many different sock puppets. Stick to your most respectable role, and if you cant have any fun there, then maybe you just need to find another hobby. Sometimes its as easy as just growing up and being a "real man" (or whatever) instead of being a whiny little brat. Sometimes its more difficult than that.. but hey - something, something moon.. and all that.

You need a good teacher. Then you can just follow them and do whatever they say - because when you have no idea what to do, you can just look to your teacher and they can guide you along and make sure you are being a good little boy. If you stray too much and start being too naughty, they will slap your little wrist and make sure you stay in line. Its like having a bicycle with training wheels on it. Having those training wheels is much safer for someone like you who doesnt actually know how to ride a bike yet.

thinking colors all come from the same source of light inside and outside

Thats right - just the facts, maam. Speaking of karma, Id like you to meet someone. His name is sacred, so I cannot reveal it to you in particular at this time. But you can learn so much from his appearance, you may not even need to know a name. Its like that song... you may not get what you want - but you will get what you deserve. No wait - its "you'll get what you need". Yeh... thats it.

Id say so. It strikes me as quite odd you would be so concerned with "well endowed females" when all you have done here is just swap one set of teets for another - namely those found between the loving arms of your Most Holy Master and Guru, Sri Drew Rinpoche. You clearly cant get enough of his sweet, sweet milk. I never knew that "real men" still wore diapers... Thats definitely some new information there. Wow, you are changing the whole game - like a truly victorious Hero! You dont need anyone to save you - you need a medal! And a trophy! And all that kind of shit. Lets all give this guy a well deserved round of applause!

Yep, sometimes you just gotta go back to school and do your homework Remember kids - Be Cool, Stay In School

So this is you not talking about drew? Yeh, you may wanna hold off on those energy games for a while. Probably a good long while...

If anyone is truly concerned about their inability to respond properly to situations regarding energetic flows, then they need to stop whatever practices they are doing, and begin doing some other ones that will ground their presence in a conservative way. There are plenty to pick from, but generally they are practices that wont be addressing energy specifically, but rather as an indirect and consequential side effect. Essentially someone like this needs more command of their own inner world. Forget about absolutes here, just get it into a workable situation that isnt a source of further stress. More stress is not going to help this kind of person at this point in time. It may help later - but not now.

Speaking of hunting prizes, sometimes a photo works even better than a picture. You cant beat mother nature when it comes to raw beauty. I guess the real question is: can she beat herself? And again Im suddenly reminded of the odyssey of the brutal in "Zardoz". Which is certainly apropos considering this topic, as well as the current thread of picturing things a certain way. As they say: will wonders never cease?

What a job, eh? Electricity is like the life-blood of the city. Gotta keep it pumping 24/7. We dont want all those vital machines to stop working, do we? Just try to imagine what you would do without your computer and your phone... Not to mention the hospitals, the water plants, the gas stations... and all that kind of thing.

Oh, it was? I had no idea.

No words? Use a picture instead. And see if you can find any references. Its a bit like a scavenger hunt - just without any rules. And you even get to make your own prize!