forestofclarity
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Everything posted by forestofclarity
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I recently discovered this article by philosopher David Loy that beautifully describes how Advaita and Buddhism lead to the same path. I know the difference and inferiority of the one over the other is a topic of much debate here, so I present for all how multiple paths are actually ONE path: Enlightenment in Buddhism and Advaita
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Gold and All, When I dream, sometimes I have a body and sometimes I don't. Sometimes I'm just a disembodied witness. Sometimes I have hands, and sometimes they melt away when I look at them. There is nothing consistent in my dreams. I don't think, for example, I dream of an entire world with a functioning economy: rather, I just dream the corner I'm in. In fact, when I leave the "limits" of my dream, I don't discover more dream, I tend to wake up. The God comment was more in line with the logic of Anselm than the substance. The main criticism I have against the brain = mind is that it is unclear how insentient matter can give rise to sentience. Clearly, there is some link, and there is a link between the eye and seeing.
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Click on the British symbol, go to articles, and go to I is a Door Part II. The whole series is great, but the Nisargadatta one explains the difference in the term translated as "consciousness."
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On topic: http://www.advaya.nl/deur2_en.htm
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help explain a tiny part of the Shurangama Sutra
forestofclarity replied to beoman's topic in General Discussion
I would suggest meditation and contemplation. Meditation will help you collect the mind and investigate these things. For example, if you want to understand impermanence, once you've collected your mind, you can look to all things that arise and see "do they last or no?" Contemplation would be philosophizing, considering things, comparing and contrasting like what you're doing here. -
help explain a tiny part of the Shurangama Sutra
forestofclarity replied to beoman's topic in General Discussion
Did you read the previous volumes where they talk about the location of the mind? -
Going in for bunion surgery -- est. 6-week recovery time
forestofclarity replied to Encephalon's topic in General Discussion
Have you looked at their stuff here: Damo qigong -
I thought Wu was a copse of trees that had been cut down?
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More nails in the Coffin of the non-existent Self
forestofclarity replied to dwai's topic in General Discussion
When Buddhism speaks of a lack of self, they mean there is no inherent, independent self. This applies to things as well as people. This doesn't mean things and people don't exist at all. For example, if you take a person's hand--- there is no independent, unchanging something called a hand. On the one hand, there is a collection of fingers and a palm, and each of these can be further subdivided ad infinitum. Another is that what appears to be a hand depends on other things: the presence of a sentient being at a certain distance. From the moon, you won't see the hand at all. From the perspective of an atom, a hand is a vast universe. There is not one thing you can say is a "hand". Even so, an empty hand still packs a punch, even if it lacks a self. -
If I had to guess, the solvent stage would be the stage of "breaking down"--- speaking in terms of chi, it would be breaking down obstructions and in terms of spirituality, it would be breaking down dualities. The later metal stage would be the stage of unification.
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I posted this over on ZFI, but also wanted to hear the "Taoist" perspective as I am actually a Buddhataoist: 1. To focus on a single concept, object, thought, etc. This is classic samadhi/jhana type concentration. Here, one-pointed refers to the object of meditation. 2. To unify the mind as a whole--- i.e. to look with a single, wide-angle lens. This is more of the open-awareness type model. Here, one-pointed means unified, relating to the mind. Of course, these two simply represent two ends of the spectrum. With concentration practice, it requires a lot of effort and motivation (at least, to get it up and running before effort drops away). With more open awareness, there is the danger of shading off into semi- or un-consciousness. In my personal practice, I find that concentration practice is becoming harder because I'm feeling more and more the adage "nowhere to go, nothing to do." Of course, in concentration practices, I really learned about the emptiness of the mind. My unproven theory on this is that the first is more suitable to long retreats and monastic environments, while the second is more useful in daily life. Matt
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I wonder if it is possible to "force" chi. My experience tends to say the opposite--- that you get more out of opening and relaxing than anything else.
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I've been reading this translation by William Scott Wilson each day at work. I think it's a great book for everyday life.
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Daoist Sitting in Oblivion vs Xstian Apophatic Prayer
forestofclarity replied to Stigweard's topic in General Discussion
I wonder if you could put something up about sitting in oblivion. I've heard many different methods. But to partially play devil's advocate (mostly to help clarify my own understanding), I might say: The difference between Christian meditation and Zen meditation is the goal oriented nature of Christian meditation. The goal of Zen (if you can call it a goal) is non-abiding, whereas the goal in Christian meditation is abiding in God (even if God is beyond thoughts and images). There is more to say on this, but let's see what this brings. -
Why does everyone think that society will simply collapse? Humans are social beings--- the more likely result is that we'd return to a less technological society. I blame Zombie movies personally. I guess high prices causing less cheap goods is far more boring to fantasize about that the whole world going up in flames, except for the elite few who are smarter than everyone else who take to the hills.
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Durkhrod, This isn't a Taoist or a Buddhist thing. Simply put, most people are not seeking liberation. Most people are seeking to live long, have happiness, increase their power and sense of well-being. Not all Buddhists practice the highest teachings, but rather rely on repeating mantras and praying to Buddhas for the things they want. Taoism and Buddhism each contain an outer skin like this, but each has a vibrant inner core that guides one to liberation. You shouldn't blame the people because they don't agree with you. If they agreed, then your point of view would be irrelevant. But who knows over the course of years here how many helpful things have been said, how many seeds have been planted that will sprout fruit much, much later and without our knowledge? The question should never be, why aren't people like so and so, but rather, what do I have to offer? Matt
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Is Tao an Ontological Essence of Life?
forestofclarity replied to Stigweard's topic in General Discussion
Vajra, I would note that the sheer quantity of your posts obscures good communication with you about any ideas, and also tends to ruin the threads you post in. Accordingly, I have put you on "ignore" and have no idea what you are saying which is the only way I can read threads like these without being overwhelmed by numerous posts. Yet I can see in some of the other Taobums a shift from tolerating Buddhism to becoming adverse to it, and taking Buddhism to be some sort of mindless, evangelical religion. I would ask, if possible, that you limit the number and tone of your posts to prevent pushing people from Buddhism even further. -
Is Tao an Ontological Essence of Life?
forestofclarity replied to Stigweard's topic in General Discussion
This whole idea of dependent/independent lies on the manifestation side of things, the dualistic side. We are warned right away that the "Tao that can be Taoed is not the constant Tao". Having said that, going to the realm of forms and concepts, if the Tao were independent, how could it interact with the world? -
In my mind, I see a question raised by this. In certain Buddhist paths, the idea in a sense is to go beyond intention. Intention relies on good and bad, likes and dislikes, splitting, dualism, and so forth. But this water method is based on a specific method, with a specific intent, aimed at a specific goal. In this sense, the water method may create a tension with non-dual methods. Just a thought.
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Certain instances of Buddhist harping...
forestofclarity replied to 3bob's topic in General Discussion
In the end, its not about your pain or my pain, his pain or her pain. Rather, it is THE pain. We all share it and feel it at some point in our life, in the same way. The causes and conditions may be different, but it is the same. Having said that, the only way I found to desl with it was to study it closely. Once you understand the pain, then you will find the solution to it. -
Raymond, My feeling is that you (like most of us) won't fully "get it" until you can find a teacher who can answer your personal questions. I would look up a BK Frantzis teacher and see if you can work with them.
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There are also different methods of vipassana. Here are some I have learned: 1. Sweeping the body with awareness 2. Noting everything that arises 3. Seeing/noting arisings as impermanent, not-self, or non satistfying 4. Seeing everything as one of the 5 skhandas and how they relate Vipassana, as I was taught, comes from the root word "vi-" which is to split (as in vijnana, splitting knowing or discriminating consciousness). The thread that connects the practices is in splitting things up. This splitting allows one to step back and view things arisings with equanimity rather than continuously identifying with them.
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getting up too fast... a form of energy rising to the head?
forestofclarity replied to Non's topic in General Discussion
Blood circulation is a form of energy. I don't think energy or qi is as mysterious as we make it out. -
Certain instances of Buddhist harping...
forestofclarity replied to 3bob's topic in General Discussion
I see some dzogchen teachings out there that are available and seem to be fairly ultimate: Awareness in Dzogchen It seems to me that the truth is simple and so is the practice. All the other, more complicated teachings seem to simply keep us going until we realize the very simple truths. Also, I heard a Bob Thurman podcast some time ago, and he said the Tibetans will do something like this: First, do 100,000 prostrations and recitations of Om Mani Padme Hum Now, I will provide you with the highest truth, the greatest truth, the ULTIMATE truth: All things are impermanent. -
Dzogchen (and Buddhism) Summarized
forestofclarity replied to RongzomFan's topic in General Discussion
Ha ha, my thoughts exactly!