doc benway

Another misconception is that a still mind is a mind without thought. Not true at all. A more accurate description is a mind that is free of thoughts. Thoughts are not absent but the still mind remains undisturbed as thoughts come and go. There are periods of thoughtlessness but they are interspersed with thought that can’t take root, like paint thrown into the air.

@Nungali Are you familiar with the book Bø and Bön by Dmitry Ermakov? Very well researched and documented. The Bönpos I have studied with acknowledge the type of connections you describe though it is not an area I know much about. https://www.boandbon.com/

One way I look at it is that visions are not purely subjective because they depend on causes and conditions.

James Webb telescope, very excited to see what it has to show us!

I didn't do anything but you are most welcome. Glad they turned up!

@Earl Grey The problem with @Cleansox PPD was that during some maintenance, elements of his PPD were accidentally dragged/dropped into a different PPD. At least I think that is what I believe happened. If there are specific threads or posts you are looking for please let me know what is missing either here or in a PM and I'll try to find them. You could also look through other PPDs, especially those close to yours alphabetically to see if something shows up.

making

Stretch

Wild Country is a compelling documentary about Osho’s community in Oregon. Really eye-opening. Like the time his followers poisoned a salad bar with E.coli as a trial run for larger scale bio-weapon attacks to gain political power in the region. It’s available on Netflix.

I appreciate this post. While I can’t say I have a specific objective in mind at the moment, I am inspired to face the day with a renewed sense of openness and possibility. Warm regards!

@silent thunder Yes, it is done. Enjoy!

Nothing in the West related to Mo Pai is legit. The lineage holder has made it clear it is not open - it is a dead end for Westerners. Those teaching the first two levels of a 72 level system in the West have never been authorized to teach and no one in the West has been trained in anything beyond the first 2 or 3 levels. By definition this makes western Mo Pai illegitimate, IMO. In what other system would it be advisable to follow the teachings of someone who had received less than 5% of a system's teachings and practices as if they were a lineage holder or master? It's like learning a single stance from the Wing Chun kung fu system and expecting to magically extrapolate and master the rest of the art without any guidance or information about any other technique from the system on one's own. If that's your idea of sounding good, go for it!

waxy

May the year of the Water Tiger bring you good fortune, good health, and the power to overcome all obstacles to your spiritual growth!

I did not mean to imply that humanity is the center of Existence. I do think that humans are as good a vehicle for self-awareness as any with which I am familiar. I don’t rule out the possibility that more suitable vessels exist.

One “purpose” for the existence of humanity, and all other sentient beings, is to serve as the vehicle, or aperture, through which the universe is self-aware. This is a frequently cited aspect of non-dual realization. We are the “eyes of the world” as I believe Longchenpa, a dzogchen master, put it. Not at all a trivial responsibility and opportunity.

There is a Tibetan saying from the non-dual teachings, ‘the view should be as vast as the sky and the conduct as fine as barley flour.’ The thing about non-duality is that it does not entail cultivation. It is not possible to cultivate non-duality, only to optimize conditions for it to blossom. Resting in the natural state is comparable to wu wei. There is no interference with the spontaneous manifestation from the source. Whatever is needed in any given moment is already there. On the other hand, if we are honest with ourselves we find that we are very often distracted/disconnected from the fundamental essence and in these circumstances it is very beneficial to practice virtuous conduct. When the non-dual teachings refer to conduct it is often described “flexible” rather than virtuous. This refers to non-interference, wu wei. The advice is to continuously be present and undistracted. Consequently there are no expectations and no patterned or anticipated responses. The flexibility reflects spontaneity and non-interference.

My sign

Serhii Vasylkivsky Sunset over the Lake National Art Museum of Ukraine

Every one of us, but only ever for ourselves really.

David Byrne of the Talking Heads launched a "non-profit editorial project" that shares inspiring stories. Mainstream media for me is unreliable, untrustworthy, and unbalanced. If you are not yet familiar, take a look at the Reasons to be Cheerful site and perhaps it will give you a lift. I'll keep this thread open, dedicated to good news, sharing of our own inspiring stories, and things that we find supportive in our own lives. There is more than enough information out there to reinforce fear, hopelessness, frustration, and other negative states of mind. The good news is that it is possible to feel good about oneself and the world, even in the most challenging of circumstances. Especially in a community of supportive friends. My love to you all!

Macadamia nut

On reflection, it seems to me that most folks believe something. If they are atheist, they are very likely to be materialist, rationalist, artist, republican, democrat, socialist, scientist… something. It is the rare mystic! that has overcome identification. We find great support in identifying and defining ourselves, be it familial role, profession, avocation… all are limiting. The theist may have a taste for the divine essence of things and this might be instrumental for awakening in some of us. A profound support like that can help us to let go fully and can be a blessing when the process gets dark and nihilism looms. Hard to know what factors will open us up. One thing is likely, they’re related in some way to whatever is preventing us from opening and connecting.