Vajrahridaya

Having been to various realms spoken of in various texts. Inter-dimensional and other worldly travel is possible! It seems at this point though, only through meditation into the higher Jhanas.

Yeah, that's pretty messed up. I don't think the current Dalai Lama would favor that type of stuff.

Well, the Dalai Lama could have been considered a Chakravartin within the world of Tibet. Back then the idea of "the world" took up a much smaller area, as the world as it actually is back then was much vaster as it took months to just travel what would take a few hours by todays standards. Also since Mount Kailash is in Tibet and the Dalai Lama did kind of do all those things throughout many lifetimes. Just conjecture on my part. P.S. As far as all the arguments surrounding the Kalachakra? Some Tantric literature has to be contextualized and some parts of certain texts are just plain dated. I really don't know much about the Kalachakra Tantra.

You are of course welcome to your view. I follow the path of the Buddhas, so I have a different view. I wish you peace and blessing upon your way.

The Buddha was a fundamentalist. As unpopular in our New Age, all paths come from one and lead to one-ism, his teachings still hold true for us Buddhists and contradict this New Age mix and match era. What I meant when I said, "The" experience. Was that the experience of oneness that everyone has and thinks is proof that we are all one, is really just an expanded state of consciousness that most individuals naturally cling to as proof of an ultimate Truth or ultimate Self of all, when the Buddha said that it was not. That due to the emptiness of all things and consciousness, the expansion of consciousness is natural in states of intense focus or letting go. But to mis-understand the experience as proof of a "one" behind the many, would be a mistake and you would be misunderstanding the causes and conditions surrounding "the" experience. Buddhism is NOT monotheistic and where on earth did you get the idea that it was? Buddhism is in fact essentially Atheist. Though there are some polytheist leanings as far as the practice goes, that is only in appearance and not in essence, since the essence of Buddhism is no essence. I don't think you are familiar with what the Buddha taught outside of movies like, "Little Buddha." There are basically 4 branches; Hinayana, Mahayana, Vajrayana, and Dzogchen and all of these are around 2,000 or more years old in their own right. But yes, the form of Buddhism can be very flexible because of the nature of the teaching, yet the essential teaching of the Shakyamuni is the same throughout all forms of Buddhism.

Yes, I understand. I learned directly from the lineage of Usui.

Buddhism does not follow the oneness theory of meditative experience shared by substantial non-dualisms like mystic Islam, mystic Christianity, Hinduism of various sorts and not all interpretations of Taoism are compatible with the Buddhas Dharma. We are not one, though we are connected, there is no inherent one that we all are. That would be considered a Samsaric view according to Buddhadharma. The experience of oneness is valid, but, according to Buddhism, the causes and conditions surrounding the experience and what the experience actually is, is generally not understood by most spiritual paths.

It helps to be attuned yourself. If you're not attuned, you might not be open to it's experience. I've been attuned only to level 1, but man I feel it very acutely. Both from me, and from others. Supposedly it's what the Buddha used, but I have no real verification on this. I think Dr. Usui said that. Anyway... I think it's wonderful, but that's just my personal experience.

These are not my theories, as these are teachings of the Buddha and Buddhist masters since him to current. The realized Buddhas relative self keeps arising every moment dependent upon the propulsion of beginningless karmas as a sentient being turned into endless conditions of liberated expression as a Buddha. The Samsaric experience is beginningless therefore the experience of Nirvana is endless. There doesn't need to be an underlying permanent self essence in order for activity to continue manifesting arising moment to moment, each new moment arising dependent upon the prier. So, there is no contradiction. If you are really interested in understanding how this works, you might want to start with Abhidharma or Abhidharma kosha. You will find better explanations there.

To many Buddhists, he does live forever in a Pureland or Satyaloka. For me, based on direct experience, these realms spoken about in the texts do exist. Taoist sages also supposedly go to a celestial realm after leaving the body. I don't doubt the validity of this either. But as far as what the Buddha represented and taught, that does live on, in current Buddhist masters of various traditions.

Buddhahood. It's very specific. Other than that, I was being figurative and not literal. This contradiction has it's context.

I definitely think so, especially in the more Tantric lineages that teach ways that you can integrate the experience of your hour or so with the rest of your day. Also, Rex recommended Dzogchen. I agree! There is no better Buddhist teaching for the people of todays society than Dzogchen in my personal opinion. Plenty of current and historical masters agree. It just cuts right through and it doesn't make you feel like you have to be a monk in order to have the realization of the teaching. p.s. Of course, even in Dzogchen, retreat every once in a while is recommended where you can give full days for a few days or more to the practice.

The Greeks did not in the way the Buddha did, because emptiness is specifically a Buddhist teaching with a very specific meaning and intention leading to the realization and implication of anatta. The Greeks generally felt that there was something there that was ultimate behind all of it, or a soul that was inherent, etc. Some of the Greek thinkers came pretty close though they didn't teach with the same level of meditative insight as the Buddha. Of which you seem to not know much about because you keep alluding to limitations that can only be due to a lack of self experience. You haven't unlocked your own hidden potential, so you think it can't be possible in anyone else, because you haven't glimpsed your own possibilities in meditation. The Buddhas teaching on dependent origination/emptiness transcending extremes of Nihilism and Eternalism is not merely an intellectual exercise, which is how you seem to treat it. The Greek philosophers were good thinkers by the way, but that's it really, it was just some good thinking for the most part. But when you experience directly the meaning of D.O./emptiness/no-self then you get an intuition of what was written down about the Buddha and his teachings. Who knows exactly and to what degree of 100% correct it is? You don't, for all you know it could be all 100% correct. But you seem to be one of those glass is half empty types. When you experience the inner meaning of his teachings on a level that transcends the normal state of mind. His teachings on dependent origination and emptiness. As well as his teachings on the jhana states and their causes and effects. His teachings on the 8 fold path and the necessity of right view all becomes clear in a flash of brilliant insight that cannot be denied. You can deny it but I know that it's mostly just a thinking exercise for you.

The Buddha isn't dead, he's alive in living examples of Buddhahood today. Buddhism is a vehicle with a specific destination. It's not the best vehicle if you don't want Buddhahood. Other vehicles have their destinations, and Buddhism has it's destination, they are not the same destinations. The Best vehicle is the one that takes you to the destination that you want.

Hi bob, I think you only say this because you don't like what Buddhism teaches. I think it's more of a subjective reaction based upon clinging to the idea of a supreme source or supreme self of all. I understand the attachment very well, it's very deep and hard to let go of.

If you at least have that taste of the experiential meaning of dependent origination/emptiness... that is a mass of a lot to go on!! Just practice integrating that with your so called judged failures and wins! In each moment... just equalize.

Yes, I know... It's very hard to be a Buddha, even though it's easy in a sense, depending. Eh, I've been to heaven realms, I've seen Buddha beings who've attained Jalus... I've still got lots of issues and hypocrisies when it comes to the intensity of this day and age of material distraction-ism. I feel you... just keep the view no matter if you fall or rise... it's all empty, equally!! I wish you well... every day practice is key. Especially that practice initiated by a Master you have one of those incredible connections to! Like... mind blowing connection to. Where you feel your every thought tracked by that lineage.

I don't talk for you my dear. I talk for those that can hear. I express what I know, how I know, for those that are ready to know in a way that merges, that's it. The Buddha was the only one that "preached" yes, "preached" for 40 years the methods to become like him, exactly in mind and intention. No one else did what he did at the time, to the degree of clarity. He was the only one that started a religion that was based entirely on his words. Jesus didn't start Christianity, that was the Romans, Muhammad didn't start Islam, that was the war lords after him.. well he was kind of a warlord himself. Lao Tzu didn't start Taoism... he hardly spoke at all! Anyway... You have your pre-conceptual ideas about religions, based upon Christian bypass. You hate the way they preached, so you think any other religion is the same myopic thinking, when it's not. You like Taoism because it's pretty undefined. Well, the Buddha was pretty defining. You'll have your process. I'm not here to determine what that is for you. Do you, not for anyone but you. Yes, but have you actually understood them from the point of view of the Buddha who gave them? Or are you conditioned by 2,500 years of mix and match, blend and then new age all paths lead to Rome dogmatism? Most people are too distracted by modern culture to actually delve into what the Buddha actually taught. Sound bite here, phrase there, oh it sounds the same!!?? Kali Yuga.. the age of darkness.. the age of information!! Mostly just distraction. But at the same time, the opportunity is there to transcend what you know and venture into the unknown!! Only of course... to know!! If you so choose to... It will take some sacrifice though. Yes, it will! To let go of your chaotic habits and actually strike up a conversation with what the Buddha was actually on about? Yup... sacrifice. If your not ready... then let it be. Forget me. Do your own thing.

I would recommend anyone and everyone to read this, including the connected, and highlighted links involved. This is very deep, very subtle and only the talk, the practice is much, much deeper and much more involved of course. Including physical postures that are fluid and in motion concerning energy, with mind focusing on various "dots/bindus/spheres/tigles" of different colors associated with different elements, and more contemplations into experiential realizations. Dzogchen (primordial awareness) Yes, water is considered the most flexible, and as well it's the most dominant element on our Earth outside of space which permeates everything equally of course. Before I realized that Santa was a myth based upon Saint Nicholas of Europe, I wanted to be Santa.. because I thought it was great to be the person that fulfilled peoples desires once a year. I was really into this idea mind you. I think you will find a lot of similar ideas within the link I presented above on Dzogchen.

Yeh right... that's why your mind is so open, right? Go find a humble bone... somewhere in that spine of yours.

To continue to wish everyone to come to Buddhism or to attain Buddhahood is part of the path of a Bodhisattva. If someone became a Buddha, which just means "awake" in any way that it may happen, it would be a Buddhist event, as in an "awake-ist" event and other "awake" beings would recognize that "awake" person as being "awake." No matter the star system, or whatever dimension the person happened to be occupying at the time.

It is possible that an individual may come to the same conclusions on their own, or through exhausting all possibilities of another path. Also, everyone has their process and not everyone is ready to let go of their experience of an "ultimate truth" or "ultimate identity" of everything. When a person is ready for the insight of dependent origination/emptiness, they invariably make it to the Buddhadharma, even if it's in another star system, by another name.

Yeah, it's the Aries in me.