doc benway

Form refers to our experience meditated by our sensory apparatus. Yes, all of the above. Here is one illustrative example that might help. I don't mean this to be a de novo definition of form/emptiness - just an illustration. Think about vision. Your brain interprets what you see, for example, as a brown tree trunk. It looks brown precisely because of the nature of the visual receptors in your eye and the neuronal connections in your brain. An animal with different photoreceptors will see a different color, maybe no color. What you are "seeing" is electromagnetic radiation which, in the absence of your unique and specific sensory apparatus, is just that, unrecognizable, indistinguishable radiation. What you see is what your eye and brain "create" out of that mish-mosh of electromagnetic radiation. Again, just one way to look at things. Similarly that tree trunk feels hard and rough, but that is only because of the nature of your skin, the cutaneous sensory receptors in the skin, and the neuronal connections in the brain. To a grizzly bear, that tree bark feels relatively soft. To an elephant, it probably feels smooth and flexible... Don't know if any of that helps but when I had this understanding that what I see is really what is happening in my brain, not in reality, it shifted my perspective a bit.

I agree that the word emptiness in English can be problematic. It implies absence to the Western ear. It refers to the absence of something very specific, and as long as that is understood, it is as a useful word. What is absent is the reality of the "self" I take to be me. Similarly, when referring to objects, what is absent is their inherent existence, their individuality, their separation from their environment and other objects, their independent existence. I'm not very good with words - my apologies. One-ness can also be problematic in that it implies something solid, something inherently existing, and it does not acknowledge our direct, personal experience of separation from others and from our environment. While there does exist the possibility of a direct experience of that universal one-ness (absolute truth), it does not negate the direct experience of separateness (our relative truth). The Bönpos and Buddhists refer to reality as having three aspects which are inseparable from one another. One aspect is the empty aspect, the lack of discrete, inherent, separate existence of objects or self. The second aspect is clarity which has the quality of light or illumination and refers to the self knowing aspect of existence. Finally, the third aspect is warmth, sometimes referred to as Great Bliss. When the direct realization of emptiness and clarity are present they are inseparable from this feeling of bliss or warmth. It can be a subtle or overwhelmingly powerful experience, depending on the individual's level of realization. My own understanding is that when one has the direct, personal experience of the one-ness to which Chunyi Lin refers, then every other living being is directly felt as if they were oneself. This is the basis of true, or unconditional, love. This is the basis of that bliss. This feeling is generally somewhat unstable over time and the cultivation methods of the Buddhists and Daoists (and other religions) are helpful in terms of trying to stabilize this connection with our absolute nature.

Is there any solid evidence of this? I've heard rumors about both opium and cocaine but I've never seen anything to substantiate either. He did have a thing for young girls and there is circumstantial evidence that he may have been a pedophile - https://news.artnet.com/art-world/was-lewis-carroll-a-pedophile-his-photographs-suggest-so-237222

I don't think working with plants is cheating if done properly. The effects they have on us primarily seem to be in shaking us up, breaking our habitual thought patterns and conditioning. They open us to new possibilities. They are not essential but can be a powerful aid. At some point, however, we must take up the gauntlet and do the work on ourselves and on our own. This part of the process requires clarity and sobriety. As I wrote in the recent thread on Emptiness vs Visualizations, IMO there are two important aspects of spiritual cultivation. First is the development of concentration, second is the realization of insight. Both are equally important in progressive and stable development. The plants can help with the insight piece, IMO. That said, they can also be a distraction and, in vulnerable individuals, quite destructive. Meditation is equally effective, slower, and safer.

Yes

Serendipity...

No need for the 'vs' - it's not a contest. Visualization cultivates concentration. Is there anything more powerful than a human mind that has mastered concentration? Emptiness is all well and good as a concept. If one has the true insight of emptiness, that is one piece of the puzzle. To manifest the perfected qualities of liberation throughout one's life requires both mastery of concentration and the insight of emptiness together. The traditional way of teaching is to develop concentration first as this often leads to a direct insight into emptiness. However, simply having an insight into emptiness does not necessarily mean it will be stable or properly interpreted.

I suggest to take everything as your teacher. There is no difference between following the teachings of a guru and following the teachings of a plant. Both must be approached in a similar fashion - with an appropriate degree of caution and respect and a mind that questions from a place of openness and spaciousness. Ultimately the teacher is the same - our pristine condition, the nature of that mind that is asking. Only its manifestation changes based on our needs and proclivities.

---don't open that can (...of worms) I have been dreaming so cool and so damp

I've read your post a few times, manitou. And I haven't really known what to say. The word rigpa is quite charged and I hesitate to say anything that takes us down a path of trying to define it. I do want to acknowledge your willingness and ability to express such deep levels of self-experience and self-discovery. It is at times inspiring, and at times humbling, and I appreciate your connection with and approach to this community. Perhaps there is little more evocative of the concept of rigpa than just such a journey and expression. _/\_

My only insight is that it is invaluable to look into the one who feels they are losing energy... Look long and deep. That is also where you may find an uninterruptible source of energy, always fresh and clear.

Do you practice that Junko?

I can't really speak to any connection between kundalini and RBBB. Anything that affects the heart muscle can affect the tissue that generates and conducts electrical activity in the heart. The typical causes are heart attack, infection, hypertension, and pulmonary embolism in the Western paradigm.

It is also good to simply sit... or do the housework.

This is a wonderful teaching on Advaita Vedanta.

The Bonpos have a very similar teaching, though in 5 steps, attributed to the 8th century master Dawa Gyaltsen: Vision is mind. Mind is empty. Emptiness is clear light. Clear light is union. Union is great bliss. It's a wonderful practice!

I feel a bit of the following - the eye sees until it distinguishes itself from the color, in that distinction there is blindness... similar for the other senses and sense organs. We truly see the world when we look through the heart Leave it as it is As the clear sky... This is a dzogchen teaching...

Yes Not unsafe or unproductive. Mastering concentration is absolutely indispensable for more advanced practices, takes a very long time, and occurs on multiple levels. It can't hurt you. Of course, it will unmask things that you may struggle with - always use your common sense and if things get scary or dicey get support from a guide or teacher. He first describes the practice, then gets into experiences and signs, then on to integration where the connections can get subtle. Once you have some personal experience and start applying that to the context of your life, you will develop understanding and what he talks about will make more sense. It's easy to get affordable guidance in Bön practices lately from multiple, qualified lamas.

The Night Before

It's been very helpful to me to try and take my negative experiences as the path. It really makes a difference.

It's nice to see genuine connection and an appreciation for the value and rarity of these teachings expressed here. When we make that sort of connection, it is such an amazing thing, and one gets a sense of how fortunate we are. This life is incredibly rare and precious and what we do with it makes all the difference. It makes me sad to hear so much negative commentary about those who came before us and made it possible for us to receive these precious teachings. _/\_

One excellent technique for gaining control of the mind ( I prefer that terminology to suppression) is zhiné. Zhiné is the foundational shamatha practice used by the Bönpos after completing the preliminary practices (ngöndro). It is used to settle the mind and also to give an introduction to the nature of mind. We must first gain some degree of control before we can let go of that control - that is the principle. Here are two brief videos giving some introduction to the method and some discussion and explanation. http://oceanofwisdom.org/watch-video.php?video=195

Masters of the Zhang Zhung Nyengyud - Pith instructions of the 24 masters of the experiential transmission of the Zhang Zhung Nyengyud, all of whom are said to have manifested the jalus. Heart Essence of the Khandro - Similar book presenting pith instructions of female lineage masters of the Bön. Don't recall specifically if any of them were said to manifest the jalus but their instructions are very similar to the male masters. The Little Luminous Boy - Primarily historical description of Bönpo masters, some of whom manifested the jalus.

Hasa Diga Eebowai!

Hallelujah!