KoolAid900

Wonderful!!! I have seen this relic tour 3 times and will never miss it now... I had no expectation going there at all, i don't usually like art, haha, which is what is what i expected... Undesrcibeable experience... weird, because there is no essence to it, just a really positive effect being there. My mala was blessed by the buddha's relics last time... since then random people have been asking me where I got it, haha. It's like they can see the positivity and want to buy it

From my experience with enlightened individuals is that they vary tremendously from each other in expression of enlightened qualities and even vary a lot in different situations. Their qualities expressed range from blunt to gentle. They seem OK with gross negativities in one sense and to feel compassion and desire to help in another sense. This is of course all based on my personal belief that the individuals I'm speaking of are enlightened.

I think that it is certainly possible. The main thing that prevents everybody from being able to perform siddhis is our deeply ingrained perception/belief in the solidity of percevied reality. If one completely realizes emptiness than there is no difference between appearance and sold reality. One of my teachers Bardor Tulku Rinpoche told stories about mahasiddhas one time. He said that for a mahasiddha they do not see any difference between appearance and so-called reality and have to work very hard not to accidently perform miracles like hanging their clothes on a ray of sunshine when they are tidying up around the house. I got the impression that Bardor was talking directly from personal experience, and am actually fairly certain for myself that he is a mahasiddha. I heard a story that when he was helping build the monastery, KTD in new York, that he walked off the end of a scaffold and continued to walk in the air until he looked down and realized what he was doing. I don't know anything for the validity of this story, but it's fun. I've heard another story from someone that I trust very deeply that on the way to the monastery she drove by Bardor Rinpoche who was walking up the mountain and when she got there he was already there. One time during a practice session with Bardor Rinpoche I noticed that I everytime I looked in his direction he was looking at me. As his gaze was quite penetrating this was unsettling for me and eventually I got paranoid and stopped looking around, LOL. My girlfriend was also there and she said she was watching him doing this to everybody in the room during the practice... that he would already be looking at people before they looked at him. I don't know if they got paranoid like I did, lol.

Some suggestions: in short: genuine interest in the well being of others in longer: 1)honesty and a clearly defined sense of self 1 the clearer the sense of self, the more complete the dissolution 2 try to dissolve a vague self, and you will get a vague result 2)altruism: heartfelt wish for others to be happy and to remove their sorrow 1 this reduces self focus by including others 2 transforms the habitual tendency of self-preservation to one of generosity/self-sacrifice (this one is key I think) 3 3) Apply other minded intent directly to the ego and there is nothing left because ego is only self-interest. Could be done through: 1 Mystical meditation 2 Alchemical transformation 3 Examination of the validity of self-perceptions which shows their inconsistent/cyclical nature: 1) the identity is motivated by self-interest, 2) and the motivation of self-interest requires a self that can receive benefit or sustain loss. Obviously the self has to be around if it wants to exist. Self-interest also requires a self if wants to continue to exist. Thus, both self and self-interest share a common goal in the preservation of the self. If there were no self-interest then the self wouldn't mind what happens to the self. So we can say that the self is self-sustaining, it is it's own interest, self-interest. How does the self-interest sustain itself? Through using circular logic to support its own existence. Self-interest actually tries to convince self-interest that self-interest is good thing because without self-interest there would be more self-interest, which is a bad thing. That is, it says without me you would be in really bad shape. The odd thing is that me, you, and really bad shape are all actually self interest pretending to be different things. But self-interest is not something other from ourselves. If we think that the whole cycle continues. Self-interest is also not ourselves, if we think that then the whole cycle continues. Self-interest is best described as confusion... a desire for happiness/goodness turned in on itself to the point where it makes no sense and becomes the obstacle to its own end. Weird fricking thing.

i loved that book!

As I see it, this is the six realms.

Yeah, I was kinda thinking that too. Then I believed that the way out was to get rid of limiting beliefs. This helped, but then I started to feel that I was still in the loop, but just not noticing it! Long story short, I'm still in the loop, seems like more than ever sometimes... but the more I see the loop the less of it there is, despite the fact that it appears bigger. what a weird story... i wonder what it sounds like if u are not me

You are too funny! It fascinates me to watch someone recognize their own projections well enough to use them as a teacher, but still believe them. I have known several people to do this pretty powerfully. It seems like it's due to work and momentum from past lives. It's like all this was learned before and applied well. Now all the understanding is still there, but like it doesn't quite recognize itself in the new environment, or has to adjust or something. Makes for interesting people... potentially dangerous depending on disposition though.

LOL. Knowing this, I pursue the most complex path in order to realize the most simple truth. The shortest way home is through the longest path. This way I will really know that I was always home. If I try to take the shortcut, I might actually think I got home more quickly... and wouldn't that be a shame?

This is true as long as the core view is dominated by disagreement. I think that when one becomes a little skilled in the agreement perspective that I think you are talking about, then one can disagree externally with a core of agreement. At that point disagreement becomes fuel for deeper agreement. Alternatively, one loses when they engage in conflict because one has given up one's power. Given it over to the other person in the sense that now you only perceive your power when someone else does, when you beat them, or get whatever it is that you have become attached to. The irony is that you still have and always had that power. You've just used it to convince yourself otherwise. This is why I like magic so much

LOL. I took it to mean that all your thoughts of rightness or superiority, despite what you believe about them, are about as attractive as a wart on someone's ass.

What I heard you saying even deeper than agreement b/w individuals is that when "you agree with everyone" you are open to impartial truth, which is your own inherent wisdom-nature. Being open to everyone else's truth opens you up to yours. Disagreement dissolves at that exact moment, which is present, not past. Relatively you will experience disagreement as a thing of the past.... Whoa! Just nearly fell off an alchemical cliff OK, I'm back, guess that journey is for later. That was some deep stuff, I'm glad you posted it

This is largely how I do my visualizations.... or sometimes really visualize the form and then allow it melt into feeling and unify the two... seems that both are important parts of imagination. It all depends on how you define mind... if you do it in the Buddhist/Taoist sense then it is usually mind/heart, which would include feeling right? I think of mind as the inner world, not just intellectual thought.

Yeah, I'd generally have to agree about the rulebook thing... esp. given my American cultural upbringing. Something kinda amazing & interesting in my experience with Tibetan Buddhism (TB) is that the guidebook and rulebook are unified. In this way it is very comprehensive. It has taken me years to this as I think I could only see the two as mutually exclusive. In reality though, the guidebook wins out (this is taught directly when the student is instructed to rely on the intended/real meaning of the teaching more than the meaning of the words). In the masters of TB I have seen that they take the guidebook to heart so deeply it seems like a rulebook. However, I have seem them unflinchingly break these rules when the situation calls for it.

That's the intent, manifested in thought/perspective. You basically arrived at the meaning by choosing a different word, how funny! wow, that sounds really cool. what is nei xin?

Wow, I really appreciate your honesty Steve. Very cool! Very, very good thing

Great! I would also add that to take it to another level, the motivation and context within which you do the work is an important factor and can make it more effective. Like, having a clear & strong commitment for a bigger purpose... the bigger and clearer the purpose the more effective. Also, a ritual context of some kind will structure the work and wear a groove that gets stronger & stronger... ;-) that was very brief, but i don't have a lot of time. if anyone is interested in more detail, i'll add it.... otherwise....life moves on!

The purpose of life is clearly joy and happiness and freedom from suffering. This is very clear. It is so simple that it can be easily missed. Pursuit of happiness and/or elimination of suffering motivates every single action taken by any being. That's it. Where we tend to get confused is how to accomplish this. How to acheive this is the realm of genuine spiritual pursuit. Those of ordinary spiritual development seek their own well being and those of high spiritual development seek others'. Both are pursuing the same goal only the object changes.

Wow, that was pretty awesome. Spoken from the mouth of one with direct experience of extremely severe child abuse (not mine), you have a clear example of anger and negativity and understand like few others how detrimental it is. That is your gift in this situation. You are strong not to follow in his path... that is such a good thing, it is not just avoiding negativity. Very cool.

It totally depends on the day for me. I usually sit in full lotus for 20-40 min at at time, sometimes 60 maybe. I don't push myself too far with it anymore though... usually I fall asleep before that and then get pain in my ankles, always where it kills me. What is FD? I think as long as there is no serious damage/injury being done, then the willingness to plow through the karma is OK, not that I know anything. When injury becomes self induced it is maybe not karma. Hardship on my path has always yielded quicker and more powerful results, provided I stay true to my purpose. The stretching really does help though... actually facilitates lotus as quickly as sitting in the posture if not more, I think.

Gampopa, Jewel Ornament of Liberation Drikung Dharmakirti, Adivce on the 5-fold path of Mahamudra Ponlop Rinpoche, Mind Beyond Death

I think that partiality would disappear w/ duality. Hmmm.....the Tao is not separate, but is expressing itself separately... then must it be separating itself in someway to do this? I think so. Maybe Tao has qualities of both, but preference is based on separation. I can appreciate the expression of this and enjoyed reading it. Maybe I'm misunderstanding... but how is that you are going to give preference to human experience and resonate with the Tao that has none? I'm not suggesting making enemies. But it does seem that if one genuinely wants to experience the profound equality of Tao, it is not going to come through complacency with inequality laced with rating scales and "natural preferences." My understanding is the equality is natural, inequality and preference are man made silliness. Sure this silliness is the Tao, but you won't know it... as the non-separate Tao still remains in contrast to human experience, towards which bias sounds like it is being expressed. Maybe I misunderstand, feel free to counter ;-)

So the key to harmonious violence is stop afterward? ROFL .... not trying to pick, just a fuuny idea

When the way of the man is in harmony with the Way of Tao, what kind of compassion is needed? Seems like the compassion would be most needed where there is the most suffering, not where there is wisdom & understanding... Am I missing something?

I don't really have much exp with Mr Norbu, but this trend does seem to be growing some.