Vajrahridaya

By the time it's actually experienced by your mind of the 5 senses, even through scientific means, it's the past. The present is a concept used to comfort people and make them think there is stability, but there really is not. The present is also empty and without solid reference. It doesn't exist outside of our own mental labeling. When your mind starts getting faster through yogic contemplation and yogic practice or cultivation, the universe starts falling a part as it goes beyond the 5 senses. You might have glimpses of this during practice of the cosmos not even existing.

From Wiki: The four immeasurables (Brahmaviharas) in early Buddhism: In the Tevijja Sutta: The Threefold Knowledge of the Majjhima Nikaya set of scriptures, Buddha Shākyamuni is asked the way to fellowship/companionship/communion with Brahma. He replies that he personally knows the world of Brahma and the way to it, and explains the meditative method for reaching it by using an analogy of the resonance of the conch shell of the aṣṭamaṅgala: A monk suffuses the world in the four directions with a mind of benevolence, then above, and below, and all around – the whole world from all sides, completely, with a benevolent, all-embracing, great, boundless, peaceful and friendly mind … Just as a powerful conch-blower makes himself heard with no great effort in all four [cardinal] directions, so too is there no limit to the unfolding of [this] heart-liberating benevolence. This is a way to communion with Brahma(god). The Buddha then says that the monk must follow this up with an equal suffusion of the entire world with mental projections of compassion, sympathetic joy, and equanimity (regarding all beings with an eye of equality). In the two Metta Suttas of the Aṅguttara Nikāya, the Buddha states that those who practice radiating the four immeasurables in this life and die "without losing it" are destined for rebirth in a heavenly realm in their next life. In addition, if such a person is a Buddhist disciple (Pāli: sāvaka) and thus realizes the three characteristics of the five aggregates (to read about the aggregates), then after his heavenly life, this disciple will reach nibbāna (liberation). Even if one is not a disciple, one will still attain the heavenly life, after which, however, one may again be reborn in a hell realm, or as an animal or hungry ghost (due to the arising of craving for sense pleasures). ........................................................ Brahmavihāra practice in the Visuddhimagga: The four immeasurables are explained in The Path of Purification (Visuddhimagga), written in the fifth century CE by the scholar and commentator Buddhaghoṣa. They are often practiced by taking each of the immeasurables in turn and applying it to oneself, wishing oneself well (omitted while training oneself in *mudita), and then to others nearby, and so on to everybody in the world, and to everybody in all universes. *Mudita (Pāli and Sanskrit: मुदित) in Buddhism is joy. It is especially sympathetic or vicarious joy, the pleasure that comes from delighting in other people's well-being rather than begrudging it. The traditional paradigmatic example of this mind-state is the attitude of a parent observing a growing child's accomplishments and successes, but it is not to be confunded with proudness as the person feeling mudita must not have any interest or direct income from the accomplishments of the other.

Well, from a Vajrayana or Tantric perspective, every experience is a doorway to liberation and blissful presence. It's really about understanding experiencing from a context that self liberates (Dzogchen) instead of binds. There are lots of books that one can read on this. But, if you're into Taoist cultivation. You'll have to wait for a Taoist to come through and ask. A good book to read is "Crystal and the Way of Light"... it's very open and not going to hamper you with intense philosophy, at the same time, it's deep and covers lots of topics within a relatively short book. Crystal and the Way of Light on Amazon.com The guy who gives the book a 3 star rating at the bottom also gives some very good suggestions on other books. Though, like everyone else who rated the book, I give it a 5 star rating. It's only about 180 pages but covers a lot of ground and welcomes re-readings throughout the years as one's understanding grows. It's a very good book for a "beginner" as it put's all the basics into perspective. Dzogchen view is very compatible with Taoist cultivation, very much so in fact.

Confusion can be good, except while operating heavy machinery. But, it's that space of uncertainty where one can open up and eureka can manifest.

I used to have the black patented leather bound collected version of that series. Man, I loved the hell out of that book. I read it when I was 16 in a few days when I had a fever, I couldn't put it down, non stop reading, even while eating. It's still probably one of my all time favorite fiction books that I can remember. Douglas Adams did some brilliant work there! In between reading the book, I went into a feverish delirium when my temperature hit peek during the fever, where I literally thought I was a nuclear bomb that was going to explode and destroy the whole planet. Man, that was scary, but a befitting delirium considering what I was reading.

I think so.

I would like to. I really like life... all it's unpredictable twists and turns, all the funny people. Everyone is so unique, it's a wild ride! I like it.

Maybe invisible light?

It's the idea of a light without a cause.

You're not alone in these sights. Friends and I as well.

Nice! Alright man... keep calm, live long!

Exactly, it's a dance with parts that can be endlessly broken down and re-arranged. No static essence, just a dancing play!

You come across as so angry and defensive 3bob. Maybe you should take your own advice?

Uh oh... Well, that's not true. Plenty of yogi's live quite a very long time as they do physical yogas, eat right, etc. I also meant in my mind when I said that, Taoist yogi's/cultivators too. Good thing she's your Ex! You are always fun MH! I'm just pushing you around. It's always healthy to raise the blood pressure a bit here and there.

This is where connecting to a Buddha field of realized lineage helps without end, and I mean literally, "Without end." You'll keep recognizing the causes and conditions of liberation in these people, over and over again, lifetime after lifetime.

That's not exactly what I said. One can reference more adequately with words and concepts the nature of things when one has a more imminent understanding of reality instead of attaching transcendence and ineffableness to it. This is what dependent origination does, it see's through such dualities as "only brahman is real but everything else is just illusion."

Your sense of self assuredness that they are merely "beliefs" does not reveal much of the openness that you seem to "believe" you have. p.s. See, you don't actually question them, you tell yourself stories of what you think they are in order to dismiss them. This is because they make you feel uncomfortable about what you think you know to be true thus far.

Ok, whatever makes you feel supreme. I said many, not most. Interesting you think of Tilopa as a second transmission. What about Garab Dorje? He's from the 200's B.C. Whatever you say dude. Of course, Garab Dorje said the same thing long before. That doesn't mean one skips the realizations had in all states of meditation. As to be in non-meditation all the time, one must have complete wisdom of all the states of mind, including those possible in meditation and their possible outcomes. If you can do that without meditation... good for you. If you haven't... better get some sitting in. I agree. Garab Dorje was the second transmission who transmitted Dzogchen. Sure, but some did in that very lifetime, and plenty did throughout lifetimes afterwards as not everyone has a capacity suited for a short path, until they do. Not everyone is ready for Dzogchen, until they are. Ok. Padmasambhava said that Dzogchen would proliferate at this time... so be it. You should take up the role of student some more and learn more. p.s. It's well accepted by Masters that Mahamudra and Dzogchen have the same outcome.

Buddhism de-mystifies, it doesn't get stuck in ineffable idealizations.

This is your defense MH. I was just playing around. But... alas. I have recognition of your immobility to explore further than the "known" comfort zones you treasure as self, because, "science" hasn't proven it yet. I'm glad yogi's don't limit their perception of reality to "science".

Yup, I know, I've been there, done that... I still ended up falling into activity reflecting delusion when I quit following the conditions for manifesting this type of bliss and wonder. Revealing that I hadn't actually realized complete liberation, I didn't couple insight with blissful awareness as I was mistaking blissful awareness as the "Self" of all. Even though I was doing activity reflecting delusion integrated with blissful awareness... considering everything "Shiva." it wasn't reflecting insight into the bodhi of the Buddhas.

Yes, but I don't confuse imaginations in my head with insight of what's beyond my head, read through my head.

Great post Sloppy!

Not at all. Just honest insight... perception penetrating surface reflecting whatever depth I've gone within. Animals have Buddhanature, and plenty to teach us of ourselves, no doubt. But, fully realized Buddhas? I don't delude myself with such idealizations.