doc benway

I guess my point is that if a divinity is omnipotent, omnipresent, and omniscient then they would be responsible for all things evil, no? If I have the capacity and opportunity to prevent evil, and choose not to intervene, I am complicit. One of the things that has long made it difficult for me to feel a connection to the Abrahamic religious paradigms.

In that case, do you consider the one divinity to be good or evil?

Do you believe this divinity to be omnipotent, omniscient, and omnipresent?

Merry, happy, joyous, and enlightening may this sacred solstice and Christmas celebration be for all who feel a heart connection. I’m reminded of my maternal grandmother’s love and generosity on this day, and of the warmth of family, friends, and coworkers. Have a safe and peaceful holiday season!

Thank you I’ll take your question as rhetorical. Happy Christmas!

What makes you think of nihilism?

I assume you’re criticizing the passage from the 21 Nails. Or my perspective? You weren’t clear. Not everyone has a connection to every wisdom teaching. That’s no reason to attack. Unless, I guess, if you feel the words are bad or evil, or threatening in some way. My teacher once gave me a piece of advice I’ve found very powerful. Take it or leave it as you wish. If I disagree or don’t understand something in the wisdom teachings, always best to be open and patient and allow the possibility it might speak to me at some point. Otherwise I’m closing myself off to so much potential! To me, this passage is a powerful, practical instruction and explication of the entire dzogchen teaching - view, path, and result. A direct way to touch the heart of reality. If it doesn’t speak to you, cool. Disparaging criticism? Totally unnecessary…

My perspective is that good/evil - right/wrong exist, but solely within human judgement. This is captured in passages like those regarding straw dogs in DDJ. In Buddhism, it is related to the 2 Truths. Good/bad is only relevant to the truth of relative existence. It has nothing whatsoever to do with the truth of absolute existence. Like Dao, the Natural State allows for all expressions and manifestations equally and without preference or judgement. From our human perspective, there is clearly judgement and preference, good and evil, right and wrong; although there are few specific examples where all would agree. From the 21 Nails, a dzogchen text from the Bön canon: Self-originated primordial wisdom is the base. The five poisonous mental afflictions are the dynamic energy. Chasing after them is the way you are deluded. Viewing them as deficient is the error. Leaving them as they are is the method. Freeing them into vastness is the path. Non-duality is the realization

Puget Sound

My perspective is that a shrine exists solely to support my realization and growth as a practitioner. It does not exist to support the Buddha, the Dharma, or the Sangha, per se. Consequently, anything that serves to support my spiritual growth and the deepening of my own practice and understanding can serve as a shrine. And the most beautiful and perfect shrine can be a distraction rather than a sacred support. While the "staunch traditionalists," or even the progressive freethinkers, may bring to the table certain rules, definitions, and expectations, none of that has any value beyond serving to support or distract me from my personal practice and understanding. If the 3D shrine app works for you, wonderful! One the other hand, a shrine does not have to cost much... A candle, a stick of incense, a photo or image downloaded from the web, and a small bowl of water are enough. What really counts is our relationship to our shrine far more than its component parts and construction.

Apples and Bananas by Cookies!

I live in a suburban community built on reclaimed farmland. There are many trees and plants of all kinds that have been planted throughout the neighborhood. I sometimes wonder what went into the planning and decision making about which species to plant, how close together they should be, and so forth. I often feel like our landscaping efforts, while pleasing to the human eye, has locked trees and plants into situations where they are in conflict with each other, where they are in forced competition, where they may be toxic to one another. I feel this can create stress which in turn leads to a response that may have negative impacts on us as well - increased allergens perhaps, unsuitable habitats for other life that depends on them, and things we cannot yet understand. I often walk or run through the neighborhood and open my heart and mind to these beautiful and mysterious neighbors of mine, offering my love, my empathy, and being open to developing a deeper connection. I have and continue to learn much from these silent and powerful companions.

@manitou I can relate to your rationale for stepping away from the forum. I am also "tired of my own words," tired of words in general. I delete the vast majority of my posts and replies before ever posting them. Silence nearly always seems more valuable and more significant than words for me. While you don't want this thread to be about you, sorry - your last major post here cannot be about anything or anyone else for me! You are a blessing and a delight, one of my favorite people here. You have demonstrated courage, honesty, warmth, generosity, and insight that is rare among people. You are loved and will be sorely missed around here, the community will be diminished by your absence. With love and deep respect.

@hagar Fair point, most of the writings can get far too theoretical. I think that is related to the fact that the actual “practice” is so simplistic. One very good and practical approach can be found in the book “Awakening the Luminous Mind” by Tenzin Wangyal Rinpoche. The first half of the book teaches a practical and accessible approach to dzogchen. The second half teaches a bit more advanced approach. Overall there is very little theory in the book.

I would also add that a study of the basic practice of dzogchen from the Bön or Buddhist traditions will be an excellent resource as the essence of the practice is very similar. Nice to see you @hagar

Whether we intend to leave a legacy is somewhat irrelevant. We WILL leave a legacy and the legacy we leave will be far more dependent on others' perspectives of us than on our own desires, plans, or expectations. We will be gone and the consequences of our presence and actions while we are here, our effects on those around us, the values of our descendants, our impact on our environment and relationships; all of that and more will be our legacy. Allowing that fact to inform our daily lives, our choices, and our focus has profound value, IMO. I'm no authority on Laozi and can't know his intentions, assuming he was even a historic person, but certainly there was intent in the creation, preservation, and communication of the profound messages of the Daodejing. To the extent that we understand and live in accordance with Daoist principles like wu wei and de, our legacy is likely to reflect the purity, beauty, and spontaneity of our true Nature. To the extent we live our lives from a place of conditioning that obstructs the natural flow of the Way, our legacy is likely to reflect that as well. To your question, Laozi's legacy is a consequence of both intention and the natural flow of the Way as the two converge as we interfere less and less with the purity and spontaneity of reality. I have no idea if this has anything to do with what Mr. Covey speaks to in his book but it is what occurred to me as I read your post. Congratulations on the new job. I hope it works out well for you.

Wim Hof and Tenzin Wangyal Rinpoche will be discussing Tummo online... https://cybersangha.net/inner-heat-practices/

Enchanting glimpse into the hearts and minds of the Beatles in 1969.

holy

It is nothing you do…

I get that. I also get a sense of the repetitive, sometimes abstract, deferential, or tedious activity causing a bit of a conflict with the identity that has other things to do or the one who doesn’t really identify with this foreign cultural indulgence… The one who rebels, the busy and important person, all these different personas come out to complain, to argue, and I begin to see how arbitrary, hollow, fragmented, and unimportant they, I, all seem to be. The central sense of an individual loosens. Hard to express it well…

I think there is another reason with which you may not agree... Ngondro makes use of the ego to weaken the ego, or at least to help put it in its proper perspective, reduce its dominance, and to prepare for a purer perception of reality.

Says the guy with 15,536 posts!