yabyum24

What about authorized Vajrayana teachers who follow Tsongkhapa's lineage? Are they any good? Just wondering.

Have you found it to be a painful process?

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Now we're getting somewhere. Traditionalists disagree with the presentation of the primordial state which is not transmitted in the traditional manner they approve of? There could be a valid point to be made there, as long as there is a rational reason behind it. So, why not tell us?

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Seems a good idea to me BKA. I liked what he said about the duality of the mind vs its innate nature and about how difficult it is to get beyond the "story-making" of self. That there is a split-second where we could recognize this but fail to do so. The samatha exercise was standard stuff but I personally prefer the breath as an object, though visual phenomena like the sky, a body of water, fire and earth are also very good.

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Not being a Dzogchenpa, I take the teachings for what they are. I've been through the first vid and it seems fairly straightforward. Samatha to calm the mind and awareness to see the illusory nature of thoughts. All sound basic stuff. I'll have to see what the other vids contain. It seems to match what I've encountered in Dzogchen in terms of innate clarity vs mind.

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Sutra and tantra don't have the same view. That doesn't make one right and the other "bs" because they're both right - just in different ways. Medieval India must have been a very interesting place. When I complete my time machine, I'll pop back for a look.

Sounds like a deal to me

"Reputable" Vajrayana pledge to uphold the union of sutra and tantra and the validity of both. Denigration of sutra tells me a lot.

It usually plays out in hair-splitting tortuous arguments about terminology and it's precise translation. Sanskrit, Tibetan, Pali etc. etc. The human mind (and it's delusions) are exactly the same now as in Buddha's time. If you can't ultimately explain it (and the path) in English, then there's something wrong.

They're the best kind of rants. Slow-cooked. Yes & no. There are some shallow empowerment must-have shoppers out there and some gurus who don't give a monkey's who they distribute them to, as long as they've paid. But this is not all cases by a long shot. Certain people will find that they have an affinity with a specific yidam and in such situations it's well worth them getting that specific empowerment. But the key thing is that no empowerment is of any use if the person makes no subsequent effort to follow the teachings and just arrives a few weeks later for the next one. Empowerments are no substitute for meditative experience. I also don't see the point in collecting loads of them. Highest Yoga Tantra systems all have complete generation and completion stage instructions within them, so why not stick with one you like and crack it?

You can take or leave what he says, but you can't fault the bloke for consistently making materials available free online for people to consider. I've seen him haggled and attacked all over the internet by snarling sectarian types. I think that fact speaks volumes.

Even down to slicing the base of your tongue?

Over the years of participating on Buddhist forums, I've encountered many odd things but two categories of web Buddhist stand out from all others. The 'Scientific' Theravadan nihilist and the philosophical Mahayana one. To save you decades of research into this tedious phenomena, I've conjured up two mock interviews, which summarise their respective positions. Take your pick and enjoy... 1. Theravadan scientific Vulcan (think Spock but more miserable): Q. So tell me about rebirth. A. There is no such thing in Buddhism, it is a misunderstanding and mistranslation. Q. But didn't Buddha recall his past lives as he attained enlightenment? A. It makes for a good story but it's a red herring. Rebirth is a western (hindu-influenced) translation which would have been better represented by 'past abidings'. Q. But isn't that just another way of saying the same thing? A. No, because in a past abiding, for example, I was a child. In another an adolescent and so on until in this abiding I am an adult. You see, Buddha was referring to stages within this life only. Rebirth was an idea later concocted as a superstitious sop to the masses. Buddha never taught it. Rebirth is another way of saying a moment-to moment transition. "Impermanence". Q. So, after death, there is no rebirth??? A. Of course not - where ever did you get that idea. As all aggregates cease at death, what should then be reborn! Just non-scientific mumbo jumbo, as are all so-called instances of past life recall. Q. So what is the point of your practice, if at death, that's the end of it? A. To gain liberation within this life, as taught by Buddha. "Suffering" can cease and we can gain ease if we overcome the strands of sensuality. Q. So, why shouldn't I just gain relief by hanging out with some chicks, smoking stuff and eating pizza? A. Why indeed! Because Buddha taught us to abandon such pursuits. But why the worry about death... that cannot die, which was never born in the first place (self). We are after all just a biological (scientifically verifiable) process from conception to death and nothing more (no-self). That's what distinguishes Buddhism from other so-called religions, including the debased Mahayana. 2. The Mahayanist Philosopher Scholar of great renown (think head up his own Tushita): Q. So, what makes you better than the Vulcan? A. He's a selfish Hinayanist and fails to comprehend the supreme view of emptiness, which is our distinguishing feature. Q. So, what is this emptiness? A. The Vulcan accepts a sort of basic emptiness of self but fails to recognize the profound emptiness of self and other. Think... is the self to be found in any of its parts, or elsewhere! Of course not. It is mere imputation, designation, name only and nothing more. As are all things. Q. So, the self does not exist? A. No, of course not and once this is realised, then rebirth and suffering come to an end. You are no longer bound to migration in various miserable realms. Q. Who isn't? A. You. You're free! Q. But you said I don't exist in any case, so what's getting reborn? A. In truth nothing is ever reborn and nothing is ever enlightened. Q. So why am I here asking you this sh*t then? A. Because you have been born in Samsara and are benighted by ignorance. Q. Who? A. You of course. I know this is difficult for a simpleton to grasp. Perhaps you're just not ready for it. You should look at doing some basic guru yoga and chanting stuff.

An amazing mantra.

Do you practice kechari mudra?

Hi Dee, Sorry if I've caused offense. It wasn't my intention to misrepresent your conclusion in any way by trying to put a twist on it which you had not intended. If I've seen it from a dualistic POV, then that says more about my personal limitations than it does about anything you have written. In any case, I enjoyed reading, considering and contributing - so thanks for putting it up.

And the punchline is:

I did get it... ...or perhaps I didn't.

is... that there won't be one. I was going to put more stuff up on this topic but on second thoughts, I'm going to leave it. I'll let people draw their own conclusions.

My own take on this debate is that it's easy for male or female a-holes, but difficult for nice people of both genders. Each confronts it's own problems. One of my friends is a young lady, who I have known since she was born. She's pretty, intelligent, with a wide circle of friends and a nice boyfriend - so all good. Just that she's on meds for depression and self-harms. I don't think any young person with feelings has it easy now. The peer pressure is beyond anything normal. I'm genuinely glad that I'm not a young person in these times. And I'm genuinely glad that I'm not in the "market" anymore.