rex

I wouldn't necessarily attribute signs of the accomplishment of a practice to spiritual materialism. There are modern day accounts of non-practitioners doing phowa when dying with others practising phowa on their behalf who after death exhibited certain physical signs which indicated the success or otherwise of the practice. What these physical signs were the accounts didn't mention - well the ones I had access to anyway.

A shrine would be a source of blessing that orientates wizardry - Gandalf was a servant of the Secret Fire.

As one of the seven cardinal virtues hope is invaluable.

Inspired! This one's doing the rounds as well:

My best lesson of 2008 is being aware of being in the world and being of it when I should be in the world and not of it. As Matthew 6:24 states: "No servant can be the slave of two masters; for either he will hate the first and love the second, or he will be devoted to the first and think nothing of the second. You cannot serve both God and Money". In my case the second master wasn't money but just a lack of renunciation. Funny, for a puported Buddhist I do like to quote the Bible but as its says in The Dhammapada "One who lives as though the things of the world were pure, with senses unguarded and appetite immoderate, lazy and weak, will be overpowered by bedevilment, like a tree blown over by the wind". Edited for typo in quote.

Masters Thesis by Al Billings: The Nature, Structure, and Role of the Soul in the Hermetic Order of the Golden Dawn

Found this blog post which may be of interest to others: Marrow Purification

I hadn't read this article but it complements the blog post perfectly - thanks rain .

Take care

Those close to him got burnt: nervous breakdowns (Victor Neuburg; Leah Hirsig; Charles Stansfeld Jones); death (Raoul Loveday); suicide (Ione de Forest); madness (Rose Kelly).

Aleister Crowley's Twenty-Eight Theorems of Magick have a distinct clarity about them: Twenty-Eight Theorems Even though I admire Crowley's intellectual brilliance I bear in mind Matthew 7:16 and don't view him as a reliable or safe source of refuge.

Mak Tin Si seems more sinned against than sinner. We're lucky that he is willing to share his knowledge. Fellow Taobum Pietro met Mak Tin Si and gave good account of him.

Meditation as a way of being: http://www.buddhanet.net/e-learning/advicemed.htm

Nangpa is a Tibetan subtlety - well yes it means Buddhist but its use implies a science of mind validated through direct experience rather than blind acceptance of Sutras and Tantras. That this science of mind accords with the Sutras and Tantras only validates Buddhism even more! It also has another sense of existing within a certain boundary so when it comes to sectarianism it can be used to identify 'outsiders'.

Thanks for that. 'Ngakpa' and 'nangpa' sound so similar but its 'nangpa' (I often get the spellings mixed up). There's this reference to Nangpas as 'insiders' on the Rigpa Wiki: http://www.rigpawiki.org/index.php?title=Nangpa That it is! It also has it's sudden as opposed to gradualist elements too.

Looks absolutely marvelous! Thanks for letting everyone know.

Ralis, Now this is not a comment on your relationship to the transmission but on the general issues raised. For good or ill the responsibility lies with us in how we choose to relate to the tradition. Adherents of course would point out that the ground rules are clearly stated and that not believing in something does not exempt us or others from the effects of disregarding. Dzogchen without the living teacher and samaya connection is just another dry intellectual philosophy. There is at least one teacher, who despite taking samaya seriously and constantly reminding students to guard it, is willing to give transmission to anyone interested - presumably as long as the practice is done then that is enough to maintain samaya, even if the practitioner doesn't believe in it. Such is their generosity. To accept transmission without a fundamental respect for the teacher and their tradition would be an unfortunate abuse of that generosity. Rex

This raises an interesting question on the tension between blind belief and critical analysis. After examining a path and making a connection with it the responsibility for our conduct, attitude and subsequent relationship to the tradition lies purely with ourselves.

It can't be contrived or constucted but it may remain unrecognised even when a teacher gives direct introduction. Some generous teachers give direct introduction first without the need for any preliminaries (in line with Garab Dorje's First Statement) but advise that if the natural state isn't recognised to also practice various preliminaries to remove obscurations. It's not a question of holding on to knowledge but of the samaya connection with the teacher who takes on a lot of personal responsibility when giving direct introduction. If the students break their samaya connection this can create all sort of problems for the teacher, one of which is not achieving rainbow body at the time of their death. I believe that the teachers would love to give the teachings out to as many people as possible but are mindful of the consequences of establishing connections with people who aren't serious i.e. shortened life span, corrupted teachings and practices loosing their efficacy. There's a saying in Dzogchen that goes if one hundred people want to hear the Dzogchen teachings that is not enough; if just one person doesn't want to hear that's too many. edited for typos

Well there's nothing like a dramatic entrance! Have you by any chance received formal instruction in thogal from a Dzogchen master and their blessing to practice it?

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The six paramitas can be broken down into seventeen aspects. Transcendent Generosity Material giving Giving Dharma Giving protection from fear Transcendent Discipline Avoid negative actions Undertaking positive actions Bringing benefit to others Transcendent Patience Patience when wronged Patience to bear hardships for the Dharma Patience to face the profound truth without fear Transcendent Diligence Armour-like diligence Diligence in action Insatiable diligence Transcendent Concentration Giving up distractions Actual concentration Transcendent Wisdom Wisdom through hearing Wisdom through reflection Wisdom through meditation (Not from memory!)