Vajrahridaya

Oh yes... Samkhya is Athiest actually. Yes, I do agree that all of the Eastern traditions away from the Abrahamic traditions are deeper in initial context from the outset. The only ones that can come close are the mystical traditions of the Abrahamic origin which seem to me to be influenced by the Eastern traditions to begin with as the Eastern traditions are generally quite a bit older in their meditative and mantric roots. Anyway... from online... Speaking of separating the Wheat from the Chaff. I remember hearing it in a Baptist Church long ago. "The thought appears metaphorically in the Bible, where John the Baptist, speaking of the one 'that cometh after me,' continues (Matthew 3:12) 'Whose fan is in his hand, and he will thoroughly purge his floor, and gather his wheat into the garner; but he will burn up the chaff with unquenchable fire.'." From "The Dictionary of Cliches" by James Rogers (Ballantine Books, New York, 1985). "

Some have been turned on to it from my posts. Thought you should know how subjective your interpretation of me is. For your own sake of course.

I fully agree! If I can be proven wrong through valid argument that makes sense on an experiential level to me, I will concede... I can't say that it won't hurt, as it might. I'm not a Buddha. I have been impressed by some peoples takes on the Tao in here as well, but only in as close it comes to Buddhist insight. Which for me, is very impressive as the opposite would be true of a Taoist I would think?

Yes, at times emotional excuses for ignorance or knowledge are some very deep excuses we habitually call intuition. "Darn it! I know it's true cuz my gonads vibrate when I think about it!" Well... maybe if you really got the truth your gonads would become still? Hey... I don't know... just throwing it out there.

Yes, it's funny... all those guys argued against erroneous views for the sake of clarifying their particular view of Truth and they were definitely considered masters. There is some new age idea that goes around these days that arguing against arguing is a good thing. Of course, depending upon the circumstance, it could be a good thing to argue against arguing, as sometimes arguing is merely letting off steam and no one is talking about anything in particular of importance. I don't think we do much of that here in a philosophy room, though it happens sometimes. Like where people attack the person directly instead of arguing the point presented.

Yes, I do agree with the above. As our energy bodies do reflect our views and understandings as well as meditation experiences and interpretations of meditative experiences and levels of integrations or ways of integration of meditation experiences with the subtle body... etc. They are like subconscious conditioning's that people become aware of but are not static truths themselves. Our energy bodies or result bodies are indeed variable and also not self. But! I didn't know if you meant that last part as a joke... but, wasn't that a Christian saying? But yes, a wise saying indeed. There is indeed wisdom in every tradition.

Liberation in Buddhism is not a formless, concept-less experience, though this experience helps one to get beyond the stuff of the mind. The conclusion is wisdom, not bliss, even though it is a side effect. Insight, not a formless abiding, or absorption. The subtle differences are very deep and note worthy... if you care to be a master that is. It is about correct cognition of phenomena as well as a pervasive state of blissful compassion. At the same time... I do believe that one can internally define the outer usage of the term God to be experimentally the same as Dharmakaya, if one truly is a Buddha. But then, depending on the person, this might lead to confusion. Who knows... maybe it could lead to clarity depending on what the person needed to hear? Still... the treatment of the path is given much more subtle analysis in Buddhism, and Buddhist liberation is also concerned with a subtler comprehension of the cosmos than the intellectual, emotional and experiential excuse of "one-ness" makes. Which is considered by the Buddha as a high abiding which leads to higher rebirth but not liberation in the Buddha sense of the term. Buddha-hood is about enlightening every single faculty... not just the faculty of compassion, but intellectual insight which peers deeply into the endless relative particulars of the cosmos as well, for the sake of compassion of course. When you get into studying the detail of the texts, you really find that there are different conclusions, even though the people are happy, joyous, loving and compassionate in seemingly equal amounts. There is a certain type of wisdom that does not seem to come about in Brahma paths such as Theistic mysticism due to how they interpret the depth of their experience in relation to primal origin or source which Buddhism does not and pierces right through. As Dharmakaya does not mean God in the Theistic sense of the term as Dharmakaya is not given the power of primal origin of all things in a linear sense, nor is it given inherent existence as it merely means the realization of the emptiness of inherent existence so is not given primal origin in the abstract sense either. It's realization is considered the source or origin of Buddha insight though. This is a subtle, but deep difference that should be experienced first hand. Buddhist insight has to do with not one- and not two- as well. So, we don't stay in oneness, or abide in oneness integrating everything with this as a source of all being. This is not the Buddhas goal according to his teachings, but merely a parking space in the heavens of the mind, you could say. EDIT: I remember reading the cloud of unknowing sometime in the 90's and being excited about it being a proof of the sameness of all religions, but I was quite young, idealistic, though I'd had many ecstatic experiences through meditation thus far.

Well Vortex, it's a whole process... supposedly a 3 year sponsorship program at that. But, I hope to get a work permit before that! I'm looking into it as we speak in fact. Thanks for your interest! I'm looking forward to being a regular attendant at the Toronto Dzogchen center.

Yes, I do want to get a passport first, because they make problems if you don't have one even though they say you don't need one, only need your picture ID and a birth certificate. But, I want a smooth experience and no hold ups at the boarder.

For those of us with experience, it's good to have talking about it in order to expand the wisdom that these remembering's have in order to enrich our current life. But, one should not worry... that would not be the point at all in remembering. In remembering, worrying decreases in the long run as more wisdom dawns in reflection... generally speaking.

The point is, that we've all been there, so many endless times, it's just a matter of remembering by delving deep into the unconscious. It's not about worrying either as remembering is spontaneous. As the wisdom reflecting the remembering arises in conjunction as well. Some of us can remember certain aspects of past lives as clearly as you remember yesterday. It's far from speculation, and sometimes there is even 3rd party proof as in knowing directly things that are verifiable by a 3rd party. Be speculative about your speculations. But yes... those of us who know, do know, at least to the degree we do know, there is certainty as an opening, not as a blockage, as an insight, not as being blind.

We're married.

Thanks for the information guys! We're concerned over many variables. But hopefully we can come up with enough money to leave.

Huh! This sounds kind of like Indian Tantra of Ida and Pingala... Ida being Sun or projective, male energy that expands and Pingala being open and receptive female energy that collects. Both being microscopically located within the shashumna or central channel of an individual being. Us being an infinitesimal elaboration of the macrocosm. EDIT: This also sounds like Samkhya philosophy of Indian origin labeling Prakriti and Purusha as the essences of matter and spirit or the dark receptive that is prakriti the origin of density and purusha which is the spirit or light of consciousness, kind of like yin and yang. The light of consciousness manifesting through the darkness of material potentiality of dark matter into manifestation within and as the field of multiplicity.

This is still corporate controlled information, though I hope all the non-corporate controlled information is wrong. I do have my speculations. There seem to be other cracks in the Gulf area spewing toxins, and this one is merely just one that happened to be where the drilled well was. There is supposedly more to be aware of in the Gulf than what is revealed on popular, corporate controlled news broadcasts.

Yes, I have. Don't worry so much as there are so many more variables to an occurrence than your mere ego thinking about them. Through mantra you are merely coming across your own subconscious thinking patterns and illuminating some of the violence within you. Being aware of this will teach you to have compassion on yourself which will emanate outward as well as you overcome these inner patterns. Don't give your inner thoughts so much power... seriously, they are not that important. Don't let them control your more altruistic intentions.

No, it does not seem to be though some Taoists as I have read do seem to come to the same conclusions as the Buddha... though I am not nearly as well versed in esoteric Taoism as I am in esoteric Buddhism. I also do not know how influenced by the Buddhas teachings these Taoists are?? At the same time, there have always been pratyekabuddhas. or beings who realized on their own without much ability to teach or conceptualize in a way for mass consumption such as the Muni's ability to do so. Listen ralis. We might be obliged to not talk with each other too much anymore unless in a civil manner. There are gods in this realm as well... ya dig?

No, not good at all.

"It's own side", as in it exists due to it's self. It's a truly transcendent self existence without other reference for existence. It's the all. This is what I mean by existing from it's own side, as in, it's independently originating and not dependently originated. As in, all things arise from the Tao and are one with the Tao and fall back into the Tao. The Tao is all sides of existence and is existence itself, even the potential for future existences as an ontological essence of things? In Buddhism, we also discuss this, but we mean emptiness, that things arise and fall due to their emptiness of inherent existence, not due to a transcendent existence of all. Emptiness does not inherently exist but is rather the quality of non-inherent existence of all phenomena, experiences and minds. There is no transcendent reality beyond concepts that truly exists from it's own side, even though true enlightenment transcends descriptions, it's not because of a transcendent entity, but rather because of the fact of non-inherent existence and is due to mere relative existence. So, you consider "The Way" of things to be a self contained oneness? This means that the Tao is in fact an ontological essence from your own perspective and reification of transcendent experiences in meditation? Does it not? Or, you just say... it is! As in all that is, is proof of it's is-ness? If this is so, then infinite regress is not revealed to you and neither is the insight of emptiness. So, this would lead to an entirely different understanding of what the insight of enlightenment is from the Buddhist perspective. Saying that "the way" of things has inherent existence is not the same as seeing relative existence. As in, one is still maintaining a slight attachment to an ultimate existence or supreme existent, even if formless and beyond concept? Buddha says that bondage is also transcendent of concepts and anchored within the formless realms of our own generally unconscious psyche and to take this up as an impersonal essence of all, does not lead to liberation without residue. So, one would assume that your view considers that if one were to go beyond concepts, one would be free of all attachments, but according to the wisdom of the Buddha, this only leads to healthy bliss and not liberation from the possibility of re-becoming into suffering existences as the seed of future ignorance has not been completely emptied of it's power to "is" from within. Of course, you'd have to have a logical reference for past lives and after lives to understand this theory. One would have to have some direct experiencing of this in order to really have visionary faith in such a theory as well. Most do not have even this beginner level experience. EDIT: I'm sorry if this Buddhist perspective does not find a nice place to be here. But, both Buddhism and Taoism are the only two spiritual traditions on Earth that use the same term to describe the true nature of things as "The Way." The Chinese word is, "Tao" and the Pali word is "Dhamma" and the Sanskrit word is "Dharma." So Buddhism and Taoism are kind of like kissing cousins.

The thing is, is that supposedly there are other holes that are not being talked about on the news. Supposedly, there are huge fissures releasing Methane that are miles away from the main sight that you see on TV??

Man, I hope so... I like Florida! Plus my Mom is on the West Coast in St. Pete.

Yes, the Russians have already done it a few times and they are the big pro's on the information. http://bit.ly/cTrmmO http://ireport.cnn.com/docs/DOC-461896

Hi all! I live in Florida on the East Coast and I'm trying to figure out a way to get out of here. I have a wife that can't get a job because I can't afford the fees for her to get her working permit. I barely make enough on the Beach to survive. What do we do? I do have a car with a good engine and it's a station wagon. It would make it to Canada. My wife is Canadian. Sincerely, J.M.