Apech

Yes its also interesting and little ironic that those who talk of non-conceptual states spend a lot of time talking a highly conceptualised language. I am reminded of that line in the Kagyu lineage prayer which says 'all thoughts are the dharma-kaya'.

I've just been reading through this interesting work and I think this quote might be relevant to this discussion ...

Wot!!! I thought you were going to mop the floor and hoover up.

Sighing is bs. I follow the mahasiddhis not sutrayana or Tsong-khapa. If you want to understand read this academic study http://www.amazon.co.uk/Diamonds-are-Forever-Vintage-Classics/dp/0099576880/ref=sr_1_3?ie=UTF8&qid=1392546667&sr=8-3&keywords=diamonds+are+forever

Banned means forever ... except some people have returned proving there is life after TaoBums death.

Your post came across as a general criticism of others on this thread ... and it was that which I was addressing.

TaoBums is an open forum and (subject to the insult and other related policies) all views expressed carry equal weight. This is called a 'level playing field'. If you post your vids or other material on here then expect them to be questioned by others. That's how it works. Dismissing people who disagree with you or what you teach as Taliban, McCarthyist, Islamic extremist or 'Papal lineage' ... is just a way of avoiding engagement with alternative views and is borderline insulting to other members.

Hi I checked that version on amazon uk and its listed at either 163 or 241 pounds shipped from US! So on my meagre budget I have second thoughts ... unless it is very, very good. Have you seen this one which you can download from this site http://grichter.sites.truman.edu/home/ it seems pretty good and is FREE!!!!

Bumpy bump Just bought on Kindle the Original I Ching by Margaret Pearson and am using that with the Lynn Wang Bi trans , Huang and Kercher to try to really get to grips with the YiJing. Anybody got the Kunst - The Original YIjing or Shaughnessy - composition of the Zhouyi (both quite expensive so not sure whether to buy). Also - we should have a regular I Ching thread or even a sub forum on here if enough people are interested.

Eventually I imagine it will be necessary to send a cyborg back from the future to take out the inventor.

Ok thanks ... I also found this after digging about in my books ... But does any of this compare with his main practice in kadampa and mahamudra? I think it just indicates he was looking around just like one of us might to see what's what. Where he was strongly criticised as I understand it was his teaching of mahamudra in a non-initiatory non tantric context as part of his drawing together the mahasiddhi and kadampa lines. It was Sakhya Pandita who made the criticism.

Did he? at what stage? Do you have a reference for this?

... can you give me a link or reference for this. I know he was eclectic at an early stage but I can find no reference to practicing Dzogchen.

He wasn't ... he was a kadampa monk who then received the (mahamudra) transmission from Milarepa.

yes we are lucky to have religious freedom

Just a general comment on this and similar threads. The dharma is very rich and abundant in that it produces many forms of practice and so on without losing its essential dharma truth. The 84,000 collections of dharma which are mentioned in texts. This is not because the basis of dharma is twisted or changed but simply reflects the variety of audience. If you were to arrive in an orchard with lots of different fruit trees .... then to start debating whether apples and better than pears are better than oranges - seems a bit fruitless (sorry about the pun). Maybe we should remember that we are at a unique period of history where we have access to this variety. In the past people would have the dharma of their particular region unless they were exceptionally lucky to travel the world. The different forms of dharma are not monolithic. So all forms of Zen are not the same and so a variety of approaches is supported even within the different schools. It has been said that there are Theravadans who have a mahayana outlook. I'm not suggesting this answers the main point but it at least broadens the outlook from pick and chose mentality and also this is better than that mentality. Also this. When Milarepa turned from his black magic practices and sought liberation he wen to a Dzogchen master called Rongton Lhaga and although he received the transmission it had no effect. This lama then urged Milarepa to seek out Marpa and the rest of the story is well known. So the question is ... if Dzogchen are the highest teachings and Milarepa proved to be a gifted student .... why didn't the transmission bear fruit? Why did it take the lineage teachings of Marpa (form Naropa, Tilopa - which included the mahamudra lineage)?? Was it because there was something lesser or deficient in Dzogchen? was it that there was something deficient in Rongton Lhaga ? No and no. The answer is that it took the personal connection between Marpa and Milarepa to take root and grow. After this time many of the great Karmapas received and held both mahamudra and dzogchen teachings. In the Rime movement sectarian rivalry and the exclusiveness of certain teachings was overcome. Many lamas teaching today hold more than one lineage ... including my own who holds both Kagyu and Sakhya lineages. Maybe we should learn from this.

What does this mean?

I think its great the way they learned to balance cigarette lighters on their heads.

No because I am completely sane ... er ... !?!

Posting this proves you are mentally challenged

Fuck karma and it'll fuck you right back ... for sure.

Looks more like a mousetronaut to me ... or is it Sandra Bullock from that film Gravity?

This is the way ....

so I got enlightened without getting frightened cos I read a koan without even knowin' the sound of one hand clap and that other strange crap to me seemed like some poo so I just said Mu!