doc benway

The idea, at least IMO, is to experience and abide in a "state of mind" in which love and compassion spontaneously and joyously manifests. This is that source of ethical and compassionate behavior in Buddhism. Until then, acting in a compassionate and ethical manner is a good practice which, over time, may lead to and help stabilize that state. When it comes to our motivation for behavior, Anthony Demello offers some wonderful insights. If you look carefully at our behavior, virtually every action we take is self-beneficial. Watch what you do and look closely at why… Demello's three types of behavior - 1. When I give myself the pleasure of pleasing myself - often referred to as selfish 2. When I give myself the pleasure of pleasing others - why are we doing this? Usually because in some way it gives us a good feeling or gives us some feeling of benefit. Still selfish! Demello called it more refined, but selfish nonetheless. 3. When I do something to avoid giving myself a bad feeling - the least insightful type of behavior. The possibility exists of other behavior (such as spontaneous, un-premeditated self sacrifice to save another's life) but most behavior is selfish at its core. And that's not necessarily a bad thing. One thing that Buddhists do to help mitigate the selfish aspect of behavior is to dedicate all efforts to help others in some way. If one can do this with conviction and sincerity, the effects are profound. There is no need for anyone to believe in karma. The universe goes on no matter how we label our observations. If you simply observe the choices we make and the subsequent effects of those choices, the workings of cause and effect become apparent. The interactions in this existence are so thoroughly inter-related that the complexity often obscures the connections. Nevertheless, there may come a time when these inner-workings and relationships make themselves known firsthand in all their glory, if that happens there is no need for belief, as it is replaced by certainty.

Sure - "when there is no other" implies abiding in the non-dual state. Awareness and direct experience of our original nature. In that state love naturally and spontaneously arises and is, in fact, "already there." And there is a quality to that love that is totally different from what we usually discuss as love, meaning that between two lovers, family members, friends, etc... It is the love that the Buddhists refer to as Bodhicitta.

If there is one who loves, there is already duality. When there is no other, love is already there.

Transmission is the process by which the master helps the student to have direct, personal realization - direct knowing. The exact method by which that occurs can take on a wide variety of shapes and forms and I don't know that it's terribly beneficial to try and limit the beauty of that process with words, concepts, and restrictions. The master can be flesh and bones but not necessarily so… It is a direct continuation of the wisdom of the master's lineage and can only be maintained by and built on devotion, trust, and gratitude. One of the most challenging aspects of the process for me is the trust. That can really take me out of my comfort zone but that is the foundation upon which transmission is built and that is one of the reasons why lineage is so important. Without the credibility of the master imparted in part by lineage, trust and devotion are more difficult to manifest and if the authenticity of the lineage or master is lacking, the trust will have negative rather than positive consequences on the student's growth.

Very nice post. I've begun working with the inner journey a bit. The inner world is as real as the outer. Both are manifestations of the same substrate.

Nice post - it makes complete sense. When we encounter things in our life which are unpleasant, we have the choice to allow it to be there and make room for it, or fight against it and suffer. When we choose the latter, we are simply punishing ourselves because the world isn't exactly the way we think we would like it to be. When we choose the former, we are liberated. I'm not saying that we shouldn't take positive action to make necessary change, but when we are unable to change the situation, creating space and allowing what is to be as it is will benefit us much more than torturing ourselves and those around us with bitterness and anger. Keep up the good work - it will take you where you want to be.

Yup, all true stuff.

Nope, you're mistaken - I don't look at what you're saying at all as "mere conceptual baggage." I agree with you when looking from the relative perspective. My point is that, from the perspective of the absolute, the inseparability of clarity and space is not dependent on the conceptual approach.

Nice post Songstan - I hope you don't mind a few comments from a beginner. From my perspective, this is a view and not a method. This is also not necessarily an affirmation. While there is no distinction between self and other, there is no affirmation of the existence (or non-existence) of self and other, necessarily. Different approaches interpret this in different ways and love to argue with one another. Similarly, this is a view and not a method. Neti neti and anatta are NOT negation. They do not imply non-existence. They imply non-separation, non-clinging, and non-arising. They illustrate the display of ornaments in emptiness as the union of space and awareness. Even in empty mind there is awareness and there is no negation or affirmation of the its existence. Again, different traditions come at it from different angles and fight like not-cats and not-dogs. All are attempting to use words to express the non-conceptual view that grows out of proper practice and conduct. And sometimes it's just bullshit predicated on thought and not experience. This is a method and not a view. Proper application of this method will reveal that the two views above are simply different ways of attempting to illustrate the same truth. Once experienced directly, there is knowing. I think the word knowing is more illustrative of the experience that knowledge. Knowing is alive, ongoing, and boundless. Knowledge is finite and dead, it implies limitation and boundary. With knowing, the view is clear but needs to be deepened and stabilized through further practice and conduct. This is neither view nor method but more a description of conceptual labeling, IMO. Thanks for sharing these ideas and take everything I write with a heaping tablespoon of salt! I would agree that "Direct perception of reality without any mind fabrications whatsoever" is a good way to practice. That said, the fabrications will always be there. However much they diminish with time and skill, they never go away completely. The key is to recognize them as fabrications, allow them to manifest, and allow them to liberate and remain undisturbed, resting in the union (or non-separation) of emptiness, light, and bliss. With practice, this will occur naturally and instantaneously. That's a long way off for me.... or maybe it's right NOW! E Ma Ho! Along with that practice it is equally important to clarify the view and the fruition (or conduct), best done with the help of a credible guide (a beloved and trusted guru). I don't look at it as if there are different views.There is a view and it must be clarified over time. It is not accepting this view or that view, words and concepts, but rather rooted in experience and transcending words and concepts. Words and concepts are helpful as pointers and road maps but the view grows with direct experience through meditation and proper conduct. This is known as combining base (view), path (meditation), and fruition (conduct) - all three together make up the approach. All three are equally important and all three are dependently originating. I'm beginning to see that you can't have one without the others...

I will need more time to read it properly but I followed your link and came across this from HE Garchen Rinpoche which I like - Q. Milarepa is said to have achieved liberation in one lifetime primarily through the practices of Tummo and Mahamudra. Is it possible to engage in these practices seriously and in depth if one cannot do extensive retreat, such as 3 year retreat? What would Rinpoche recommend for a lay practitioner with minimal job commitments but with family obligations that make it difficult to do extensive retreat on these practices? What commitment is required to follow Milarepa's path? GR: Whether you have a family life, work, or are in retreat, you must practice the 37 Bodhisattva Practices. If you maintain awareness during all worldly activities, they will become a practice of the six paramitas. Remain inseparable from compassion, and in particular, practice patience. If you are able to do that, there is no need to put your body through hardships. These days we cannot endure the hardships Milarepa endured, but we can train our minds nevertheless. If you make an effort to practice, it will lead to enlightenment, either in the first, second, or third bardo or within several lifetimes. It is most important to cultivate a wish to help others. If you cannot generate an altruistic mind, even extensive retreat will be of not much benefit. Conversely, if you do cultivate an altruistic mind and patience, even engaging in mundane activities will become dharma practice. Longchen Rabjam said: "When mental arisings settle in their natural state, there is no need to abandon samsara. "When emotions and thoughts are rendered powerless, there is no need to abandon the mundane world. When the cause of enlightenment is practiced, it will result in enlightenment, even if one does not isolate one's body from the mundane world.

Is this the forum you are referring to? http://forumdzogchen.forumactif.com I speak a little French but I'm not fluent by a long shot.

Thanks for the recommendation - at this point I'm not really studying or reading much, mainly practicing and reading things that are a direct support to the practice. I do have a few books that are credible but I find the practice so valuable, I don't devote too much time to reading. Thanks for your comments on the links I posted, I'm not knowledgable enough to assess the credibility of internet resources so I take them all with a teaspoon of salt.

I recently spent 6 days in silent retreat and the change I felt, and others noticed about me was dramatic. I can only imagine the profound change a 3 year retreat would bring.

I'll qualify my comments by making it clear that I'm not very well read in Buddhism and have been practicing for a relatively short time. For me, Buddhism is about discovering a different way to live this life. Concepts like karma and reincarnation are valuable but easily misunderstood and need to be approached in a framework of proper view and experiential practice. As I've looked at my life and that of those around me, I see an enormous amount of misunderstanding, ignorance, meanness, and violence. Generally speaking, this is a characteristic of humans and society and so subtle and pervasive that we are often not even aware of it. I also see profound beauty, peace, and love. Generally, this is a characteristic of nature and more "enlightened" humanity. A core value that I've discovered inside myself is that I would like to bring more of the beauty, peace, and love into my life and less of the other characteristics. What I've found in Buddhist methods (and others) is a way to see through and abandon the aspects of our thought process and social interaction that encourages and maintains confusion and ignorance. As the confusion and ignorance lessen, there is a spontaneous growth of peace, warmth, and compassion which gradually replace the tendency towards conflict and violence. This is a real and measurable effect of relatively simple and accessible (though not necessarily easy) methods of practice and view. The majority of folks I interact with have a skewed view of what Buddhism is all about based on their understanding and misunderstanding of the liturgy and commentary. This is because Buddhism is NOT about theory, analysis, and intellectual understanding. It is about making changes in your life to foster a more direct experience of what lies beneath the superficial confusion and ignorance created by our social, cultural, and personal programming and conditioning. Certainly there is a role for reading and understanding sutra but that is only one tool, one of many doorways, and not intended to stand on its own. So in summary, for me Buddhism is not about escaping from life at all. It is about connecting with life in a way that leads to a much deeper and more satisfying way of living.

Wow, a lot of bickering on Dharma wheel… Yawn Bön is pretty deep. We are blessed to have access to such a rich and powerful tradition. This might interest you - http://yungdrung-rignga-ling.forums-free.com/shentong-t316.html And this - "3. The Bon of the Extensive Prajnaparamita from the country of Phanyul ('phan yul rgyas pa 'bum gyi bon): This collection consists of the moral precepts, vows, rules, and ethical teachings for both monks and ordained lay people. In particular, the focus is on the philosophical and ethical system of the Prajnaparamita Sutras which are preserved in the Bonpo version in sixteen volumes known as the Khams chen. This collection basically represents the Sutra system, whereas the Chab dkar represents the Tantra system. [According to Karmay, the name 'Phan-yul designates the district of 'Phan-yul to the north of Lhasa. This may have been the location where the Bonpo translation of the Prajnaparamita was made in the early period, then later concealed in a different region and rediscovered at a later time by gShen chen klu dga' in the 11th century. However, the Lopon disputes this theory and holds that 'phan-yul was probably a Zhang-zhung word whose meaning has been forgotten. The Tibetan term 'bum, literally meaning "one hundred thousand," is the usual designation in the Buddhist tradition for the entire collection of the Prajnaparamita Sutras, the largest of which consists of one hundred-thousand verses.]" Which is an excerpt from - http://bon-encyclopedia.wikispaces.com/Yungdrung+Bon I haven't studied much of the tradition yet but I can attest to the fact that the methods are extremely powerful!

When I have the direct experience (not the intellectual knowledge) that I am not separate from others or the environment, when I feel deep in the core of my being that connection, then anything that causes pain or suffering in others causes pain and suffering in me. Others are me, the illusion of separation is gone. The same holds for happiness. I like the analogy of the sky - the nature of mind is likened to the sky. When the sky is cloudy, the sun is obscured, and there is little warmth. When the sky is free of all clouds (obscurations), the sun can be seen, and when the sun is present, there is warmth. The clear sky is the emptiness of being, the sun is the light of awareness, and the warmth is compassion and bliss. The three go hand in hand, hence the concept of the three doors in the Bon tradition.

Tonglen is practiced from a relative perspective. Once the Nature is achieved and one is stabilized in the non-dual experience, Tonglen is already occurring and need not be practiced any longer.

Fazang is not referring to an intellectual understanding but rather, direct experience. Tonglen is pointing in that direction as well.

Also relevant that the very ego we seek is that which is doing the seeking. I have found it helpful to observe that which is doing the observing.

In honor of Tenzin Wangyal Rinpoche: Within anger, I seek stillness Within confusion, I seek silence Within pain, I seek spaciousness. Allowing all, rejecting nothing I rest in the warmth of clear presence.

While everyone may know this is a part of life, why do so few do anything to change or repeatedly fail when the attempt is made? In part, because it is so pervasive, it is so much a part of who we are that we rarely notice. Another reason is that we attack the limbs, branches, and leaves - not the root. Why put so much emphasis on dukkha? Our dukkha is a consequence of and a symptom of our separation from our true nature. So calling attention to that separation is a call to awareness. Once we are truly aware, change is inevitable. Once we recognize the root, we have the opportunity to cut it off and free ourselves. Once we are free, we are in a much better position to help others. Another reason to emphasize this is that recognition of dukkha gives us the opportunity to practice Bodhicitta. And as we gain skill in the practice, the depth and pervasiveness of dukkha that we can see in ourselves and others is profound, sometimes overwhelming. Since Bodhicitta is a spontaneous quality of our true nature, practicing it in our relative aspect may bring us closer or give some a glimpse that can be developed, refined, and stabilized over time, and lead to a deeper connection to the source. Many of Buddhist the practices are simply attempts to replicate characteristics or experiences of the absolute on the relative level in an effort to give us more familiarity, to give us a taste. Over time that familiarity can then be deepened and stabilized, leading to a more awakened life and death.

While I've come to Buddhist practices only recently, I can look back and see that I've been applying some of the principles in my own clumsy way for some time. In the spirit of the New Year, I'd like to take a moment and offer thanks to those of you who have tried to help me, both intentionally and otherwise, to see things more clearly. I'd also like to offer my apologies to anyone that I've been harsh with in the past, in particular Rongzom fan, and I mean this with complete sincerity. I humbly wish you the best in your practice and I hope we can get past all of the previous hostility to the extent that I continue participate in this forum. Tashi Delek to all of you! _/\_

You have and I appreciate it!

I just returned from a 6 day silent Dzogchen retreat with Tenzin Rinpoche. Simply put, the practices are authentic and effective provided the student is ready. HH the Dalai Lama respects the Bön lineage so that's a good enough reference for me. Tenzin Rinpoche is warm, approachable, direct, genuine, and powerful. I highly recommend his teachings to anyone looking to make an important change in their life. He offers very high level practices and opportunities as you say and there are no strings attached other than those you bring with you.