doc benway
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Everything posted by doc benway
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You're right about that. If there exists anyone who can abide in the Nature of Mind continuously, without break, that is all that is necessary. There is nothing more to be done. For most of us that is unrealistic, so there is also the component of investigation - reading, listening to explanations, getting corrections, asking questions, practicing the preliminaries, looking at our lives in order to integrate the teachings in everything we do, engaging in activity which makes it more likely for us to be successful in increasing our capacity to rest in the Nature of Mind, and so on... But the endgame is simply to recognize and then continuously abide in the Nature of Mind in every moment.
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This definition of cognition removes my objection.
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Theory: proof of chi is in the electrical pulses of the brain
doc benway replied to Harmonious Emptiness's topic in General Discussion
It's my opinion that Qi is inherent in any measurements made in physical systems. I see no reason whatsoever to posit something that is outside the laws of physics. I have found Qi to be fundamentally related to awareness, also something elusive to the experimental and theoretical physicists to date. That may change and it may not. I'll still continue to practice. edited because my OP was way too wordy and presumptuous -
I find cognition to be a loaded word when it comes to discussing the Nature of Mind. Cognition implies thought, interpretation, and discrimination in most definitions I've seen. When resting in the Nature of Mind, does cognition enter in? I'm not sure I would use that word. Certainly there is emptiness, lack of inherent existence, spaciousness. Defining sunyata (those very words are paradoxical - emptiness is undefinable) has been argued for centuries. Then there is presence, luminosity, clarity - all good words and all analogies and equally inadequate. And most profound, perhaps, is Bodhicitta. The inseparability of clarity and emptiness is great bliss, spontaneous exposure of oneness, boundless love.
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Then it will still generate karmic activity. If there is a self, there are choices and judgements, there is subject and object, hence the generation of karma. Busted.... I didn't read the whole thread. I'm guilty of that quite a bit... a little too impatient to respond to individual posts without reading through entire threads. Sorry
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I say just close the thread... The title itself violates the basic admonition to respect the legitimate paths, teachers, and lineages of others. It has no place in the Buddhist subform, IMO.
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Agreed... I was making a friendly jab in reference to the 3 poisons... All 3 can be expressed in terms of one another.
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aversion and ignorance...
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My present feeling is that addressing the body is crucial to growth, at least at my point in development. I recently had the experience of breaking through an extremely troublesome and chronic barrier in my psychological/emotional life. I am convinced that a part of the breakthrough was related to physical and energetic practices done along with spiritual and meditative work. Similarly I am seeing that mind and spiritual work is having an effect on my body. The Bön approach address body, speech, and mind in all phases of development. There is no question in my mind that the three are inextricably related. Working with the body will influence speech and mind. Working with the mind influences body and speech. Working with the speech affects body and mind. Working with all 3 will give us the best chance of developing in a balanced and predictable way. Some of us may benefit from focusing more on one aspect at various times in our development based on our makeup and predilections. This is probably one area, among many, where the teacher is invaluable in guiding our practice.
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My current feeling (haven't thought about it too deeply) is that most activity related to honor leaves karmic traces. Some may be negative, some positive, and some neutral. Nevertheless, honor is meaningless in the absence of subject/object discrimination, therefore karma will come into play.
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We are all immortal and we will all die. Go figure....
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I'd like to paraphrase a brief story about the old wise man, Mullah Nasruddin. One day Mullah Nasruddin bought a violin and began to play. NEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE..... He played the same note over and over and over again. NEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE........ It was driving his wife crazy. NEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE........ "Nasruddin!!" she screamed after a few hours, "All of the real violin players move their fingers up and down, on different strings, and play different notes. What are you doing?!" NEE... "Why dear, those other violin players are fools!" replied Nasruddin, "They spend years looking for just the right note....." "I've found it!!!" NEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE.....
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The Fallacy Of Believing In Absolute Certainty.
doc benway replied to ralis's topic in General Discussion
I agree that it makes no sense to believe in absolute certainty. On the other hand, I have absolute certainty in my experience of the nature of reality. Perhaps I am mad - I can live with that. -
Hell yes! Mine fights like a tiger. Albeit a somewhat neurotic tiger... :/
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My point exactly, and yet Vajrayogini saw fit to use the words "... it cognizes everything." when there is no it, no everything, and certainly no subject/object distinction to be found.... Yes, we've both acknowledged the weaknesses of the mirror analogy. And while we're on the subject, there's no internet either but here we are... Your objection to the use of the mirror analogy is duly noted. And yet the Dzogchen masters have seen fit to use it as a teaching tool. I have neither the knowledge, authority, or experience to try to improve upon their teaching methods. The responsibility of the teacher is to offer the teaching and the context as they see fit to the student who is prepared to receive the teachings, and make corrections where necessary. The responsibility of the student is to approach the teaching with the correct attitude and commitment, to master each lesson before advancing to the next, and to do one's best to absorb and assimilate the entire teaching as best one can. Personally, I have found the mirror analogy (and others) useful in my practice and I have no problem letting go of the mirror as a substantial element. If I'm ever in a position to teach, I would have no problem using it as my teacher has (and does). Every analogy, concept, and description we provide is misleading - maybe it's best to stop discussing and simply practice? Truth be told, that's been my approach lately for the most part... But I have enjoyed our conversation. Thanks for that.
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Yes. In addition, I referenced this analogy because it reinforces the mirror analogy. The mirror is unstained by whatever it reflects and makes no judgement or selection. The water allows anything to be written in it and yet cannot be marked or affected. An important difference and weakness in the analogy is that the mirror can be cracked, the water can be dyed, the Nature of Mind cannot be affected in any way...
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My little nephew (6) told me this one tonight - What do you call an alligator in a vest? An investigator! I laughed at that...
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I'm no authority but will add a few additional thoughts to your questions, FWIW. The "strong thoughts, feelings, desires, ect..." arise from nothing and out of nowhere, literally. They are of the same 'makeup' as everything else you will ever experience. They are referred to as ornaments of the Nature of Mind. They are fleeting "visions" that come and go. They have no substance and yet are extremely powerful and tangible when we separate "ourselves" from them and establish the duality of subject and object. Then we establish a relationship with them and reify them and follow them through samsaric existence. When we are fortunate enough to find a teacher and a practice that can show us the truth, we see that "we" are not separate from these thoughts, feelings, and so on. "We" are equally insubstantial as they are. "We" are manifestations of the fabric of being (emptiness/awareness) just as our thoughts and feelings are and as the "external" world is. When we directly experience this fact, the one taste, we are free of their yoke. The particular types of thought, feeling, emotion, and desire arise as a consequence of the interplay of "karmic traces." These began long before we were born and continue after we die. Everything we think, feel, and do in our lifetime adds to these karmic forces that shape our lives. The Buddhists divide our actions into virtuous, neutral, and non-virtuous. The non-virtuous actions and thoughts (those dealing with aversion, attachment, and ignorance) contribute to those strong thoughts, feelings, and desires becoming more powerful, more unhealthy, and leading to deeper ignorance. The neutral activities neither improve or worsen our lot. The virtuous activities lessen the negative impact of these forces. The Dzogchen approach is to expose, recognize, and stabilize in the knowing of the truth of what is really going on in an effort to cut off the ignorance at its source - our misunderstanding of our true nature.
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Nice post (as are all the posts of yours that I've read so far...). In Vajrayogini's quote "The earth outside, the stones, mountains, rocks, plants, trees and forests do not truly exist. The body inside does not truly exist. This empty and luminous mind-nature also does not truly exist. Although it does not truly exist, it cognizes everything.", if all does not "truly exist," what "everything" is there to be cognized? Our use of language to discuss these concepts is inherently inadequate and necessarily leads to confusion. I like Tenzin Wangyal Rinpoche's comments from "The Tibetan Yogas of Dream and Sleep" (and everything else he has written, but I'm admittedly biased) in referring to the base (khunzi) - "The essence of kunzhi is emptiness (sunyata). It is unlimited, absolute space; it is empty of entities, inherent existence, concepts, and boundaries. It is the empty space that seems to be external to us, the empty space that objects inhabit, and the empty space of the mind. Kunzhi has neither inside nor outside, cannot be said to exist (for it is nothing), nor not to exist (for it is reality itself). It is limitless, cannot be destroyed or created, was not born, and does not die. Language used to describe it is necessarily paradoxical, since kunzhi is beyond dualism and concept. Any linguistic construction that attempts to comprehend it is already in error and can only point to that which it cannot encompass."
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I find value in the "presence" of the mirror in the analogy. The mirror is not stained by the reflection, the mirror reflects all images equally without preference or aversion. The mirror is unchanged and unchanging while the reflections manifesting in it are as you describe. Another wonderful and related analogy is that of writing in water. Attempting to write in water is like the arising of thoughts and visions in the mind of the accomplished Dzogchenpa. While resting in the Nature of Mind thoughts have no where to rest, no where to take hold, as they form they nature liberate… like trying to write words in water. "the nature of mind does not exist." Do they say that in Dzogchen? That sounds a bit too nihilistic for my taste. Yes, it is empty of inherent existence but it cannot be said to "not exist" either. That is made clear over and over again by the masters. It is equally nothing and everything, yet neither of those… Yes, there is a danger of taking the presence of the mirror too literally but we are already living in samsara and fully pervaded by duality so I don't think it's a big deal to use samsaric analogies and point out the correct way to approach them. After all, every analogy is rooted in duality. Even the "mirror's capacity or potentiality" is rooted in duality. Removing the mirror is artificial and may, in fact, make it easier for folks to overlook the duality due to the subtlety of it's presence.
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Exactly! My $.02, FWIW: It is the question that is important, not the answer... certainly not someone else's answer. Keep looking! You haven't found it yet and none of us can possibly help you other than to reinforce that you're looking in the right direction. _/\_
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If one is able to stabilize and continuously abide in the Nature of Mind that you reference, then no other path is necessary, for one is already Buddha. How many of us are able to do that continuously? If not, then there is value in relative paths such as sutra and tantra and their associated practices when we are not abiding in the Nature of Mind. These activities help us to accrue merit and are more likely to lead us to the state you describe than other activities based in aversion, attachment, and ignorance.
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From my limited experience and current practice, tregchod is a tool used to bring us to the natural state and helps us to return and eventually stabilize there, whereas thogal develops the insight to recognize and dwell in the knowing that all "vision" and experience (sound, light, and rays) are simply an ornament of the base - one taste. The important aspect of the mirror analogy for me is the fact that the mirror itself has no preference, makes no judgement. The mirror does not color, influence, or affect, nor is it affected by, the reflections that manifest within it. The danger of the analogy is that we tend to look at the mirror as 'something' and that which is reflected in the mirror as 'something else.' This is a wrong view. In fact, the mirror and that which is reflected in the mirror, and the reflection itself are all of one taste - clear light, emptiness and clarity, mother and son.
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Thanks CT - I'll check her out. I once had dinner at Lhasa Moon in San Francisco. The proprietress, Tsering Wangmo, between serving and taking orders was sitting in the back rehearsing traditional Tibetan songs for an upcoming performance for the Dalai Lama. What a beautiful evening it was! I also got to try Tibetan rice wine - really delicious. A local sake producer in Napa Valley made it for her based on her recipe.
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Nice link - I like Dudjom Rinpoche's "Instruction on Meditation."
