forestofclarity

Welcome!

Welcome!

MODERATOR NOTE: OP was previously banned for, among other things, trying to sell and/or give away courses. Re-banned. I will leave the thread open.

Should be good to go!

MODERATOR NOTE: Locked per OP request. Discussions about current events/politics should be in the current events section only. Feel free to start new threads in the proper places.

Welcome to the Daobums!

Then she said, “Dear teacher, I have done nothing at all to prepare for the next life. Now I’m going to do so. Please, out of your great compassion, take care of me and give me meditation instruction.” Milarepa was delighted and replied, “If you practice the Dharma sincerely, in my tradition, you don’t need to change your name. One awakens with a full head of hair. You don’t have to cut your hair or make other changes.” He sang this song with four examples and five points about meditation and mind practice: Ah, Lady Paldarboom Fortunate and devoted student, Take the sky as an example, Practice without any sense of limit or position. Take the sun and moon as examples, Practice without any sense of clarity or distortion. Take this mountain as an example, Practice without any sense of movement or change. Take the great ocean as an example, Practice without any sense of depth or surface. To bring out mind, Practice without any doubt or hesitation. Showing her how to sit and direct her mind, he set her to practice. She had good experiences in her meditation and presented this song to clear away doubts and impediments. Ah, Treasured Lord, Perfect expression of awakened form, I was happy practicing with the sky, But a little uneasy about bringing clouds into the practice. Please give me instruction on practicing with clouds. I was happy practicing with the sun and moon, But a little uneasy about bringing stars and planets into the practice. Please give me instruction on practicing with stars and planets. I was happy to practice with the mountain, But a little uneasy about bringing in grass and trees. Please give me instruction on practicing with grass and trees. I was happy practicing with the ocean, But a little uneasy about bringing waves into the practice. Please give me instruction on practicing with waves. I was happy to practice with mind, But a little uneasy about bringing thoughts into the practice. Please give me instruction on practicing with thoughts. Milarepa thought that her practice was productive and was delighted. In response to her request, he sang this song about removing impediments and enhancing practice: Ah, Lady Paldarboom, Listen, fortunate and devoted student, If you are happy practicing with the sky, Clouds are the sky’s magical creations. Be the sky itself. If you are happy practicing with the sun and moon, Planets and stars are their magical creations. Be the sun and moon. If you are happy practicing with the mountain, Grass and trees are the mountain’s magical creations. Be the mountain itself. If you are happy practicing with the ocean, Waves are the ocean’s magical creations. Be the ocean itself. If you are happy practicing with mind, Thoughts are the mind’s magical creations. Be mind itself. When she practiced with these instructions, she came to a clear understanding of the nature of pure being. Later, she went to the dakini realms in her own body, accompanied by the sounds of cymbals. (trans Ken McLeod)

Done!

Done.

Welcome!

I know the mantra, but it won't be any good without learning it from someone who has accomplished it. My sincere advise: spend less time in online forums (like this one) and more time in the books.

Wow, what a strong, nuanced, well-researched post! That's very true. This is used as an injunction to disestablish and murder Jews throughout history. I appreciate this thoughtful rebuttal.

Just for public knowledge, this is not true if one is familiar with any form of Tantric Buddhism. Or Zen/Chan. Sam Harris has suggested it might be Star Wars. I can only imagine what type of religion could form around an initial discovery of the first trilogy, then a schism when the additional movies are revealed.

They teach Mahasi method at Pa Auk monastery? Pa Auk’s method is usually starting with Visudhimagga jhana IME.

Way of the Peaceful Warrior? The movie is "Peaceful Warrior." https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0438315/

And randomly from the Tripura Rahasa, trans Tigunait: "Just as the reflection is inseparable from the mirror, this entire reflected universe is inseparable from consciousness."

"Now you're probably all wondering what this unborn Buddha-mind is like. Well, while you're sitting there facing me and trying to catch what it is I'm saying, if the bark of a dog or the cry of a street vendor should find its way in here from outside the temple walls, though you're listening to me, each of you would hear it, even though you had no intention to do so, thanks to the working of the Buddha-mind, which hears and understands in the Unborn. The Buddha-mind, unborn and illuminating all things with perfect clarity, is like a mirror, standing clear and spotlessly polished. A mirror, as you know, reflects anything that's before it. Whatever's placed in front of it never fails to be reflected, though the mirror has no idea or intention of doing so. And when the object is taken away, the mirror doesn't reflect it any longer, though it makes no decision to cease reflecting. Now, that's just how the unborn Buddha-mind works. You see and hear all things, no matter what they are, although you haven't generated a single thought to see or hear them, because of the vital working of the unborn Buddha-mind each of you received at birth." Bankei, the Hoshin-Hi Sermons, trans. Waddell

Totally stealing this!

Religions don't force their beliefs on people. Believers and followers force their beliefs on people. This is the result of a devolutionary process per the Dao De Jing in my opinion (i.e. DDJ 38, which as the first verse I have trouble passing since it seems so pithy).

@Lukks, @Thrice Daily, you all should be set.

But what happened to: Why not check it out and see what happens? To my knowledge, no one has produced any evidence that Damo is not teaching Daoist practices he learned from a living teacher in an authentic tradition. In fact, one long term Bum (freefrom) has stated that what Damo teaches, is consistent with what he is also learning from a different living teacher in an authentic tradition. I don't think we really know how the path is going to unfold. As the sports people say, you always miss 100% of the shots you don't take.

Welcome!

I'm not an expert, but we are overdo for an update. Update: it is glitching, on an off for me as well.

To study the buddha way is to study the self. To study the self is to forget the self. To forget the self is to be actualized by myriad things. When actualized by myriad things, your body and mind as well as the bodies and minds of others drop away. No trace of realization remains, and this no-trace continues endlessly. Dogen, Genjo Koan, trans Aitken and Tanahashi

Interesting take on sincerity by Chinese poetry translator, David Hinton. After pointing out the character is made of two parts, the side view of a person (to the left) standing by words (right), he states: David Hinton, Hunger Mountain, p 3-4. It is interesting because this word also translates shradda, or faith in Buddhism. But in this case, it is not a belief that aligns with scripture or institutional givens, but a confidence that comes from trying views as gold is tried by fire. In other words, trust that arises from direct seeing. There are also notes of non-duality and non-separation, transformation, emptiness, releasing concepts, etc. All notions seem to come into play in the third patriarchs Xin Xin Ming (信心銘). Thought I would leave this up if people want to share their thoughts on sincerity.