doc benway

There is no better or worse in an absolute sense, only better or worse for individual practitioners at specific times in their lives. What works for one doesn't necessarily work for another. You need to find what works for you. For some a mantra is supportive, for others a distraction. In general, if you tend to have a lot of thoughts, images, and distractions in your mind while trying to practice, a mantra can be very helpful to drown out and replace the noise. If you tend to have a spacious, settled, and open mind, simply attending to breathing may be enough. No need to fill that space with anything, it is the space you are inviting during meditation in the first place. Mantra is an integral part of the tantric path. For that a credible teacher is absolutely essential.

After the live broadcast, the videos are saved. You can find links to the videos on this page. If you can't access them there, try Ocean of Wisdom. The only problem is they are not well organized on that site. That should change in the near future. The 5 part series on sleep yoga is there also. I'd suggest working with dream yoga first.

The book is great and I would also suggest trying to listen to some of the talks. The way he presents the material continuously evolves and there is more flexibility in the practices than the book might suggest. I suspect the FB Live presentation will simply the practices and be an excellent introduction.

Excellent question and one worthy of careful consideration over time. Don't settle for a quick, conceptual answer. Dig into the question and be patient and persistent. Explore the possibilities in yourself. Keep coming back to it. It's the kind of question that has far more potential to facilitate growth than any answer the conceptual mind can offer [edit: in fact, it is a koan] I've come across a variety of "Buddhist" answers over time through books, talks, and retreats. In general they involve concepts like karma, karmic traces, emptiness, and the base where karmic traces reside. To be a Buddhist answer, the self must be let go. At the end of the day, that is the bottom line of Buddhist practice and teaching. Far more satisfying are the insights I've gained when direct meditative experience arises and informs the conceptual model. The internet and books give us access to nearly limitless information on the topic from a variety of very credible sources but we are pointing at something that goes beyond information and concept. I think that to reach an "understanding" of what it is that is reborn, we can first look at what it is that is born, period. That means, what am I? Who is asking the question? How far have you gone in trying to connect with that? That is where the answer lies. And then look at the circumstances which shape that life experience. Then look at what connects generations. It is easy to think of many such actions and patterns that will transcend a single lifetime, affect future generations, future births. In my experience, a direct experiential approach to such questions is far more valuable than solely relying on concept and intellect. If you are really serious, I recommend a solid and patient meditation practice and direct, personal connection with a credible and realized master. Alternatively, there is open access to many precious Buddhist texts but there is no substitute for direct introduction and transmission. What needs to happen is an opening of the heart and that is far more likely through a connection with a loving master who walks the walk, looks you in the eye, reads you and points in the right direction, makes you laugh, helps you to cry... Good luck! I'm into Tibetan stuff and there's wonderful stuff available for free: http://www.lotsawahouse.org/ PS - I just found this - http://www.alanpeto.com/buddhism/understanding-reincarnation-rebirth/ I know nothing about Alan Peto and I haven't finished reading it but it seems to be starting off very nicely so you may want to take a look

Great video

Yesterday, my bride and I decided to watch a film and were scrolling through cable options. We came across The Sitter (Jonah Hill) and I stopped and suggested it. I'd seen it already, didn't particularly like it, but felt drawn to it. She wasn't interested. A few minutes later I got a call from my son and during our chat, out of nowhere, he asked if I'd ever watched The Sitter...

Sorry to hear it's tougher for the mods. Thanks for all that you do!

There's a perspective from which all the gods and demons, heavens and hells, and the one concerned with them are liberated. It is not the only perspective but lies at the core of Christianity and other traditions. If your intent is sincere and you look inward with patience and honesty, you will find your answers. Transcend the institutional attempts to control your search, they are mostly concerned with political and economic power.

I was reading a sacred text earlier. I rested for a while. Upon returning to the book I felt a deep connection, and held the book to my heart. As I sat in the bright sun, thinking of the page where I paused, I reached for the book and effortlessly opened, to the correct page.

Here's an old thread that might be interesting for you to peruse. http://www.thedaobums.com/topic/16143-bruce-frantzis-bagua-mastery-program/ I'm not advocating or criticizing the program. I'm generally of the mindset that Chinese internal martial arts require direct instruction but there are self-instruction programs out there and Frantzis is a credible instructor. My advice would be that it is more valuable to connect with a good instructor than it is to study any particular discipline. Any of the martial arts can have profound physical, energetic, and spiritual benefit, if taught and trained skillfully.

A good friend gave me a CD he burned covering the Ashtavakra Gita. Here is a link to a translation done by John Richards. And here is a link to a translation by Thomas Byrom. I intend to listen to the CD over the next few days or so and thought I'd start a thread to see if anyone is interested in discussing it.

Such a masterful teacher!

Beautiful Luke!

and constellations peppered with the rush of bats rest into moon wash

realize there is never a time when you are not aligned with Dao breath laugh

I think different people need different things at different points in their lives and on the path. The mind expects and feeds off of complexity, challenge, change, stimulation... It can be difficult to settle into simplicity. For most people, I think there is a need to prepare for simplicity. Certain things need to be worked through and seen through, otherwise they may not appreciate the profound truths that come with a very direct approach. I suspect this is why in a very "simple" practice like Dzogchen, there is traditionally a long period of preparation and a stringent selection process. Fortunately for us in the West, the threat of losing this precious gem has led to much more open access. But it will not take root in everyone.

Spontaneous

Another wonderful coincidence for me was the first time I attended a meditation retreat. I desperately wanted to meet the lama to discuss some powerful experiences I'd had but he wasn't available for a private meeting. It was a 10 day silent retreat and on the 3rd day someone came into the dining room during breakfast and called out my name. They asked me to take a look at another participant who seemed ill. She was terribly sick, spoke minimal English, and was terrified. She was very resistant to going to a doctor or hospital. She didn't trust the US healthcare system (thanks to the movie Sicko!), didn't have money or insurance, etc... I knew she was in really bad shape and convinced her to go to the local hospital. It was over an hour wait for an ambulance. During the wait, the lama stopped in to check on her, said some prayers and blessings for her and left. There was nothing to do but wait and it gave me the opportunity to do something I generally never get to do in my usual work which was to really open my heart to this person - hold her hand, sit with her, put my arm around her, reassure her, rub her back, and simply be there for her while we waited. That by itself changed something in me deeply that has stuck with me ever since. As the ambulance was taking her away she told me how disappointed she was to be missing out on her private meeting with the lama that afternoon. As I walked back to the meditation hall, one of the lama's assistants ran up to me and asked if I still wanted to meet with the lama. I did, of course, and the meeting, albeit brief, was transformative. Very few words were said, or needed, but the way in which the lama received me and connected with me - verbally, physically, and energetically - was exactly what I needed at that moment to put things together. Over the next few hours and days, I was able to see how to move forward in a new direction in my life. After the retreat was over I visited my new friend in the hospital. She was recovering from surgery for what proved to be a life threatening illness but was on the mend. She was absolutely thrilled that her illness provided me the opportunity and answers I'd hoped for. We've been close ever since, thanks to social media. So many wonderful things have grown out of that strange synchronicity. It really blows my mind every time I think about it.

In someDaoist systems there are 3 basic positions of the tip of the tongue (some use 5). The first is just behind the teeth touching the front of the hard palate - often referred to as the wind position. Second is straight up at the apex of the hard palate - referred to as fire position, it tends to dry the mouth. Third is way back where the soft palate meets the hard palate - this is the water position. It is thought to help generate the elixir. It is challenging to reach and maintain with the tongue but that is the area specified in many Daoist systems. In the system I studied, the water position was said to be necessary for the practices of converting jing to qi. With practice you can do it.

Nor do the Buddhas believe in "you"

Nothing more related to Dao than knowing my authentic self, IMO. This is part of my path also. The word 'confronting' is meaningful. We can confront our feelings but we can also simply host them. Being authentic is to acknowledge even those parts of us that we don't approve of. My primary focus is not so much on what is suppressed but on the one who is confronting, suppressing, and hosting.

One objection I have to this message is that it does not acknowledge the value of our relative experience in favor of the absolute. While we may be able to directly experience the self as an illusion, we nonetheless live with it throughout our lives on earth. To deny the relative in favor of the absolute is an error, in my opinion. Both perspectives have equal value and legitimacy. The key IMO is to see and feel the presence of the absolute in the relative. In that way we can let go of aversion and attachment without sacrificing the opportunities life presents.

Practice