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The tenth day of the lunar month is always an excellent time to recite the Vajra Guru Mantra. By happy coincidence this Friday will be the tenth day.

The twelve syllables of the Vajra Guru Mantra are also said to purify the Twelve Links of Interdependent Origination.

Or alternatively since it's no longer yours as it's been offered to a deity the water and fruit can be left outside for wild animals to eat. This gives the creatures and the earth a blessing from your practice and gives you merit (if you're into that). One way of blessing water for drinking can be made by reciting the mantra of the deity, say a couple of rounds of a mala, and then blowing on the water.

Believe it or not but as it happens there's a Buddhist Sutra on Ganesha: Ganesha Sutra

While I don't believe that Max is a lama from all the various accounts of seminar attendees it'll be foolish to suppose that kunlun is bogus. What's interesting is that the effects are quite dramatic for just holding a posture and there is no public clear definition of what exactly the Kunlun energy is. As an outsider this is my speculation: the dramatic effects of Kunlun are down to non-physical beings entering the practitioner during transmission.

Oh ok Allan, yes, thanks. I like quotes and yes we can. I introduced the term based on Lin's previous posts where he makes explicit connections with sex and the term dual cultivation. Here's some more quotes from Lin: "The cultivator will inturn utilize the sexual experience and cultivate more dilligently in transforming whatever desire of lust they have into wisdom. That is where dual cultivation will take place..but it will not be based on lust, and will eventually be dropped, depending on the causes and conditions of the situation. This must be thoroughly understood: causes and conditions of the situation." http://www.thetaobums.com/index.php?s=&amp...ost&p=31555 "Dual cultivation is fine if both know what they are doing, and there is no release of sperm, or orgasm for the men." http://www.thetaobums.com/index.php?s=&amp...ost&p=23174 "One of my elder cultivation brothers says "Have sex in good moderation, eat veggies. If you are having sex, dual cultivation is a must, just don't be a master nut cracker. Leave that for the squirrels!"" http://www.thetaobums.com/index.php?s=&amp...ost&p=31906 "Sex; moderate and no orgasms unless you are making babies. Anyone can argue with me on it, and I will simply say I don't care. No matter what, if you want your cultivation to soar and develop properly, then no orgasms from any chakra, no wasting our fluids and no orgasm without ejaculation. Dual cultivation is fine, the woman can orgasm if she wants, but eh." http://www.thetaobums.com/index.php?s=&amp...ost&p=37644 But really this insistence on what Lin meant or didn't mean by the use of the term dual cultivation is a bit of a sideline that doesn't detract from the general thesis that Lin used sexual techniques for cultivation. Late edit: now if I've got the wrong end of the stick and don't understand that I don't understand then I apologise to Lin for any misrepresentation of him. I have no further wish to discuss Lin without him being present to clarify.

No disagreement, makes perfect sense. It is a shame that Lin left as he has much of value to teach. From this thread it becomes apparent that he also used the term dual cultivation to refer to sexual cultivation and also practiced it:Lin (Aiwei): sexual activity

Hi Lin, It is reassuring to read that you dismiss all Buddhist institutions equally; though its so easy to misunderstand where you're coming from when you've levelled some quite specific, bordering on vitriolic attacks on Tibetan Buddhism which seem to go beyond mere doctrinal disagreement and in the process have sent out mixed and contradictory messages. Claiming that you are just a cultivator who does not hold on to religious dogma, both Buddhist Sutra and Daoist, you've dismissed Vajrayana on doctrinal grounds because it is not 'Proper Dharma', and by 'Proper Dharma' you've meant the actual words of the Buddha as recorded in the Sutras. There are four Sutras where Buddha predicts Padmasambhva and his (Vajrayana) teachings. Of course the authenticity of these Sutras can be called into question but so too can the authenticity of any Mahayana Sutra including the ones you've cited in previous posts as authoritative testaments to Buddha's word and teaching. You've also mentioned that texts are not viewed as dogma but are merely cultivation methods that have been put down. So too arguably are the Tantras which you dismiss because the methods are not based on Sutra and Mahayana doctrine. As a cultivator who cultivates both Buddhism and Daoism and engages in dual cultivation, i.e. sexual practice, you say that Vajrayana is deviant because it emphasises sexual practice. This is simply not the case. Sexual practice, karma mudra, is just one advanced method in Anuyoga that is rarely taught and cannot be bought. Vajrayana practice also entails Kriya tantra, Upatantra, Yoga Tantra, Maha Yoga and Ati Yoga where sexual practice is not involved and purification and pure perception are emphasised. Your Buddhist faith, cultivation and usually wise words are inspiring; your selective, contradictory and discriminatory view of another Buddhist vehicle is scurrilous. As always, Peace and Blessings.

Shakymuni Buddha continued in the Nirvana Sutra: This emanation of myself Will be superior to other emanations in the three times. So Padmasambhava, an emanation of Shakymuni, propagated the Vajrayana with its system of initiations. These were not really exclusive dharmas as they were, and still are, usually available on request. Initiations are not absolutely necessary to attain Buddha Dharma but they do relate to wisdom and skillful means to introduce practitioners to particular qualities of the enlightened mind. Peace to you also Lin.

Exactly! The Vajrayana teachings were predicted by Shakymuni Buddha in the Nirvana Sutra: Twelve years after I pass into nirvana, A person who is superior to everyone Will appear from the anthers of a lotus flower In the immaculate Lake Kosha On the northwestern border of the country of Uddiyana That person was Padmasambhava who introduced the Vajrayana to Tibet.

Perhaps this debate on the authenticity or otherwise of Tibetan Buddhism should go to another thread as it's clogging up a nice non-sectarian thread? Anyway it's interesting to see critiques of Tibetan Vajrayana centre on the one aspect of it that's usually taught to suitable indivduals after years of moral and philosphical training (BTW the Tibetan monks can't do this as it's against their Vinaya monastic vows; vows which were laid down by the historical Buddha): Buddhist vajrayana isn't about sex it's about continuum.

This is just a general comment and not aimed at any particular school or teacher but I think it depends on the source of the power; i.e. 'borrowed' power as a result of overshadowing or 'true' power as a result of spiritual alignment and unfoldment. In some cases they may be one and the same but as a general rule for assessing the integrity of a practice and teacher it's useful to keep in mind the distinction.

Mantak Chia's tai chi chi kung set - it's essentially Grasp the Sparrow's Tail performed in four directions and on both sides of the body.

The similarities are striking even down to sharing the same Vedic model of the universe. There is a story about Dudjom Rinpoche who on being asked what the difference was between Hindu and Buddhist tantra replied 'Bodichitta'.

This site has a lot of detailed information: Vajrayana Research Resource The Chakrasamvara and Kalachakra sections have extensive discussion on the links between Shavism and Vajrayana. Enjoy!

I heard this one recently: seek the root of the mind otherwise you may know everything but understand nothing.

This YouYube video is worth a look: J-kOuHkQErc http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=J-kOuHkQErc There's even footage of Milarepa's vajra.

Here's another video with some yogic postures demonstrated: sbB6r4p6BJk

Stillness meditation is of course fantastic. So too is visualization if the mental form created acts as a medium of communication and becomes ensouled with whatever quality the higher aspiration seeks.

Thanks guys! Vajrakilaya and Lei Kung are seriously heavy duty; Lei Kung in particular punishes evil at heaven's request. Perhaps this is why Max hasn't authorised the sale of the video. Does the video mention any prerequisites that ordinary mortals must fulfill before they can approach these wrathful manifestations? I doubt just buying the video is enough - fascinatingly tempting though it is.

Does the video explain who the Thunder god is and give any information on his mythology?

Hope this is not too late; here's a set of search results from archive.org: http://www.archive.org/search.php?query=re...diatype%3Aaudio

This is on my 'to read' list: Authenticating Tibet: Answers to China's 100 Questions