Apech

still got it

Something from Marblehead's youth:

This is more a vajrayana interpretation than classical Buddhism I think.

I have to confess I don't understand the point you are making. The meanings of words or the limits of the application of terms is crucial to any understanding. Samboghakaya means complete enjoyment body and while not a medium as such is the way in which being communicate at the subtle level. In terms of Rigpa it is the union of emptiness and clarity (sometimes appearance or luminosity). So rather than Rigpa = Light I would say Rigpa = union of light and dark - you will find this idea in the Hermetica and also Cabala.

I do not wish to be dismissed as an etc. thank you very much.

Cash will be fine.

Sometimes connected / identified with Enoch I think - which aligns with Thoth/Hermes/ Mercury ... perhaps.

Not really to your second bit. The Bodhisattva vow binds you to help all sentient beings gain liberation. This would be impossible without the communicative aspect of the Sambogha Kaya. And I would question Rigpa = Light.

Well it's refreshing to find you and T_I in some kind of agreement about something. I don't think his quote is controversial or non-Buddhist though perhaps you could explain why you think it is.

I can see what you are getting at Jeff but Buddhism doesn't posit some kind of universal consciousness which we are all part of. The closest idea to this would perhaps be the Alaya, the base consciousness of the eightfold aspects of the mind in Yogacara philosophy. Its tempting to build an ontology on the basis of the Buddhist View and although many have tried it just doesn't fit - the reason for this has to be found in the fact that Buddhism doesn't really address ontology because it doesn't see doing so as leading to liberation. Other Dzogchen 'experts' on here may disagree but this is what I find.

I'm not politically correct but I think it has to be understood that the EU has completely screwed up over the refugee issue and showed itself to be an ineffective organisation. The problem initially was denial - they were actually reducing resources into the situation in the Med a year ago - also confusing economic migrant problem with refugees from war. Then when pictures of dead babies started appearing they panicked and reversed position and then fell into total disarray. With Hungary building fences while Germany welcomed people in. I thought this was very warm hearted of the Germans but naive in the extreme. What they should have done is patrol the Med using EU country naval ships to prevent people trafficking but at the same time go to refugee camps in Lebanon and Turkey and assess people to see if they were genuine asylum seekers and then bring selected people to the West on a quota basis. Economic migrants should have been made to apply for work visas for the country they wished to go to. They way it has been handled has led to many people who probably should not be in Europe here and others who are genuine stuck somewhere in the Balkan States. Sometimes it's cruel to be kind. That is not say by the way that what happened in Cologne is related to the newest wave of immigration - I think that needs to be established before jumping to conclusions.

Hi, I'm getting that sql error message again. Tried deleting cookies but no difference. It lets me in if I click return to index. Chrome on OSX El Cap. Any ideas?

Interesting use of the term self-deated. Do you mean you think Buddhist are nihilistic or that there are nihilistic Buddhists? As regards the chicken and the egg ... I believe they both arose from the universal primordial McNugget (with original source of course).

Que?

5 coffees ...respect!

Driving to Vegas with black Jack my good friend the one armed bandit.

Happy New Year to you too. Two coffees? careful with those caffeine levels won't you. yes India is a fascinating place - though I've only read about it. Hope to hear lots from you this year.

You are right - so send money now! Everything you've got would be a start.

Well there we have it.

Oh please, of all the answers - not that one

I'm just curious why you use terms like Rigpa and so on when you are neither a Buddhist or Bon practitioner - especially when you tell people what is and what is not rigpa.

Where did you receive your Dzogchen teachings from?

I agree - it is perfectly possible to develop a relationship with a teacher in depth an dover time. I see my Lama once a year and go to occasional teachings. The relationship is one of slowly developing confidence. Most of the time I am a rhinoceros and not a parrot (sutra expression for lone practitioner and not in sangha) - it works.

No-thought is a complete dead end. And I think it was Ralis who said that there is both no-thought and thought simultaneously ... and indeed this is the basis of good practice. In fact the translation of no-thought and no-mind etc. from Zen does not mean absence of mental activity ... or a state in which you don't think ... this is a little misleading I grant but you have to study the topic properly.