Vajrahridaya

LOL! Well, if you just stay focused on your inner virtue and inner light... then all that doesn't really matter. In Buddhism it's mostly taught not to even really pay attention to visions and what not, to just see dependent origination and realize the empty nature of all states of consciousness, visions, life, etc. Freedom is not found through a conversation anyway... maybe some markers or some pointing's... but... freedom is a subtler dimension.

My friend Chris said... "I had the extremely rare opportunity to hear oral instruction on the Bao pu zi, which dates back to the 2nd century ACE and describes a method using body mandala to relax the 5 elements of the body back to their nature, which are 5 lights... " Anyone familiar?? That sounds a lot like Dzogchen practice on a certain level.

Well, I wouldn't know... but the reviewers seemed to disagree as he called Tibetans stupid supposedly and ignorant. The reviews don't seem to say much of what your saying. But, the reviewers could be biased and unobjective as well? I don't mind if you actually quoted some things from the book, or revealed some real information from the book if you are so inclined, I don't mind that.

Well, I'm not trying to practice it, but it just sounded vaguely like the practice I'm already committed to in Dzogchen.

Well... I don't know, it seems to be a very negative bias like he had an agenda to prove or something. That's what many of the reviews say at least. Yes, I don't feel quite pulled in that direction to read it. Who knows? But, I have so many books to read already and I haven't even really read a book for about 2 or more years now. I've bought some, but haven't read anything for the most part.

Yes, I have no reason to read it, as how will it help my realization of the nature of all being? I'm quite aware of the dark belly of human activity. I grew up in the "hood", I've seen bullets enter a head, I grew up with drugs all around. I'm aware of our own corruption in our own government. I've lived in many ghetto's in a few of the bigger cities of America. I used to do street things. What do I want to read about the dark side of a tradition that is beautiful at heart. I've heard plenty of rumors about various enlightened beings. I'm sure some are true and I'm sure most are not, because I'm aware of the human ability to cling more to darkness than to see the light. The human animal has a tendency to enjoy the dark mysteries over the mysteries of enlightenment. Kali Yuga is in full swing. Edit: Also, anyone, even enlightened beings will experiment. After having some good strong experiences of the non-dual, one might even do things that others think taboo, but because of the realization of the non-dual nature of things, it's just a play and an experiment. For instance, I don't understand the Taboo of Sex at all. It doesn't make sense to me. Have orgies, experience other people. Not from a space of darkness or rebellion but from a space of true openness, and love for one's humanness.

Paul, I'm aware of all that. But focusing on the dark half of society doesn't bring much other than a jaded as well as hopeless attitude. I'd rather focus on the good people of Tibet, and the enlightened masters and those that did the hierarchy well and didn't take advantage of the power they had for personal gain. That book supposedly has many holes in it... so, it's also reported to have a general bias. The thing about the mind as it gets what it looks for. Seek and you shall find. I prefer to find the great beings that come out of the incredible spiritual tradition of Tibet and not those that are probably a majority that abused the power. I'm into the rare diamonds in any tradition. Why should I plug my mind with all sorts of junk food? I'll watch Fox news if I want lies and negative takes on everything. The Dalai Lama is obviously a genuine beauty. I've followed him and his mind. My Rinpoche is obviously a genuine beauty who himself doesn't get caught up in the Tibetan junk food and only teaches what is good. Vajrayana has an incredible amount of good and has a large amount of really realized masters from there. Even the Catholics despite so much corruption and horror, has bread some really incredible beings, such as St. John of the Cross, St. Theresa of Avila, St. Francis of Assisi, Hildigard Van Bingen. Even the X-communicated Miester Eckhart. I don't care about the corruption of the Catholic Church. These people saw right to the diamond behind the dirt. There are also really incredible Tibetan Masters, from a much more complicated spiritual system, there were a lot more enlightened beings in Tibet per capita than probably anywhere else on the planet before the Chinese invasion. At the same time, where there's lots of light, those that want to get away with things, have to be even shadier in order to hide from that light.

It gets really horrible reviews. Sounds like a bunch of garbage. Book Reviews on Amazon I like autobiographies better by real Tibetans. No offence.

I do believe that, which is why I always stress the importance of transmission from a Master lineage that has both bonified ascended masters and bonified practices that are proven to work over centuries of time testing. That way you get deific protection both from living masters and beyond the body masters. You receive secret mantras and secret names for well known masters but names that are only allowed to be used by those that have the transmission. I'm sure some internal Taoism arts have some of these same practices and lineages with these secret ways of connecting with the immortals.

There are definitely those in all walks of life and places that live the Utopian life, due to self control, release of egoic pride and a good spiritual practice, as well as good karma collected from past lives.

Breath is always important... in one way or another. It's always quite key.

I've done that and it really helped me actually. I became a better lover through private sexual tantra and learning how to focus on the energy and relax into areas and channel the energy, and learn some techniques both physical and mental in order to make the experience more powerful and elongated.

Yes, one needs protective deities. Which is why I do my wrathful deity practice daily. It's a good feeling, because they keep away the bad guys that mean one harm.

Cool, a Renaissance man.

My Vajrayana practices specifically ask certain deities who had the vows to influence limitless beings and I ask them to come into my presence and help. In group practice I really feel them and see them at times. I at times hear them. I've had many experiences with seeing, feeling them and hearing them in different states of meditative bliss, equipoise or just during chanting. We do call on various beings, it's worded in our chants. We do hand symbols too that communicate with them, open up our energy field. We ask all sorts of wonderful things. Which is what I like about the Buddhist practices is that they are very specific in their chants and there's no diddling around. Dzogchen is especially straight to the point. Yeah, the beings of the Lapis Blue Light... yes... I connect to that plenty. They are real and they do have wonderful wishes for us.

Ah hmmm, interesting. Funny too... I'll tell that one to my girlfriend. Ok, but does anyone know what the final results are, or what it's supposed to do exactly?

Even when I don't think I am, I still am. Am I still? I looooove muuudddddd. YAY!! Ah yes, New Mexican spring time frolics through running rapids into muddy ponds.

"I am" arises due to causes and conditions as well and is not a truth that shines from it's own side. Your just taking mind and stripping it of thought, then calling that absolute reality. Which to the Buddha is a mistake that merely leads to long lived formless bliss realms.

You seem to be real about what your feeling and what you see without apology. Which is nice, even if it comes across as mean.

I hear the Rabbit is a good one.

Also if the Dalai Lama and co. were all such jerks before the Chinese came. The old Tibetans wouldn't revere him so much. They would be like... "Thank goodness that asshole and his crew are gone". But, they all love him and he's tried to step down a few times, but the Tibetan people won't let him. This says more to me than a biased talk. I've also read plenty of autobiographies from old Tibetans and they had a different take on the whole thing. Though, some of them were wealthy, others were not.

Yes, through my Vajrayana practices. These are things one should experience for oneself though.

OMG!! Man, I hope the Dalai Lama doesn't smack me!! Gelugpa. Sheeesh... The Dalai Lama had no power. He was being trained, but he also wanted to change the corruption as he saw it. There were many problems, but on another hand there weren't many other types of problems that Western society has. It's complex and not so black and white. Though there were corrupted monasteries, there were also the monasteries that were run by highly realized beings.

Well that's basically the two truths, that we conventionally exist but we don't ultimately exist. Or we exist relative to causes and conditions, but none of these causes and conditions have inherent existence as relativity is add infinitum.