RyanO

From my practice with the Inner Smile, I have experienced that when one observes something with true neutrality, without judgment, this is unconditional love, because attention is love. Neutral is the vibrant harmony of yin and yang.

I am interested in reciting the Great Compassion Dharani because I think it is quite beautiful. http://www.fodian.net/world/dabei_sutra.htm In the Sutra, it says that prerequisites for recitation are that one must make bodhisattva vows and adhere to the precepts. However, I am not a 'Buddhist", I do not repeatedly take refuge in the triple gems nor am I in a place to make Bodhisattva vows. Also, one of the precepts is that one must be a vegetarian (at least according to this particular commentator). Not only am I not a vegetarian, I believe there are ethically sound arguments for eating meat. Even the Dalai Lama eats meat! Does this mean the Dalai Lama is forbidden from reciting the dharani? (different tradition I know). While I am attracted to the dharani itself, I am not so attracted the what I see as dogmatism in the sutra explaining it. Such as requirements to be clean and number recitation requirements etc (this is a reason I am attracted to Shin teachings of the power of compassion to save even the evilest of persons). I do not want to disrespect the dharani by reciting it without fulfilling these preconditions. However, I could also not interpret them so literally and rather feel the spirit behind them. I know it would be silly to take other people's word for it on such important matters, and I will certainly let my experience and understanding be the final say, but I am wondering what you think about it. I don't have much experience with sutra interpretation, and I realize these are big questions, just wondering watcha think!

Thanks mat! Nice graphic

Thank you all for your thoughtful responses. Yes, my concerns are similar to yours Jetsun and hint at this larger issue. I'm sure there are many people, particularly here in the west, who play with Buddhist practices and ideas without fully understanding the commitment such a path entails. At the same time, arguments can be made for separating Buddhist practices from Buddhist religion. Here is a good example: http://www.samharris.org/site/full_text/killing-the-buddha I agree in many ways with Harris' claim that in our global day and age, engaging in religious sectarianism is not only unfounded logically, but is also unethical. Metaphysical matters are too important to simply take on 'faith'. Obviously this is a big topic also. Harris is almost certainly influenced by Krishnamurti (indeed he recommends K's book Freedom From the Known) in that he thinks religious 'labels' can serve to isolate and separate people. What is true for one human group should be true for others, even in matters of religion and morality. Applied to Buddhism, taking refuge can be seen as a means of further promoting this sectarianism. I understand refuge a little more esoterically and a little less dogmatically. For me, taking refuge means I take refuge in Infinite Compassion, in the Truth, and in the countless other beings who also send out their love (not as poetic I know). I also find comfort in refuge as a safety net so to speak before achieving 'enlightenment' (whatever that means), as well as for when I die. Indeed in Shin Buddhism, taking refuge is the first and final practice (not in the triple gems but in Amida Buddha). Anyways, back on topic, I think I'll give the dharani a shot. I want to focus on it as a metta practice and chant it for the benefit of all beings. It seems to me that any presider over the integrity of the dharani shouldn't have a problem with that, and if they do, I'm sure they will forgive me

Haha I like this

Thanks Taomeow! Who knew simply standing could have so much depth? Great insights and motivation to further my ZZ training.

That sounds cool, could you explain what you mean by diamond axis and how this relates to the effects of zhan zhuang? Thanks.

Does anyone have this book? I'm trying to find a copy, not even used on amazon or ebay. Anyone know where I can get it? If you've read it what do you think? I like it because I am attracted to both qigong and Pure Land Buddhism, as well as the commanalities between Taoism and Buddhism. I'm not really interested in Pure Land dogma per se, but like the idea and think it offers a nice framework and approach to death, and gives more 'substance' to heaven and the spiritual side of cultivation. Strict pure land, along Japanese lines, shuns "self effort" towards enlightment. But I think a balanced approach is better, more in accord with Taoism. So Chinese Pure Land and Wong Kiew Kit's views are appeal to me, shame I can't find the book! http://www.amazon.com/Sukhavati-Western-Paradise-Heaven-Taught/dp/9834087934/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1329414409&sr=1-1

Thanks that book looks great! I'm really attracted to Shin Buddhism.

I really enjoyed Prometheus Rising, which is all over the place (taking theories from Leary, Gurdijeff, Crowley, Yoga, et.), but it's more practically oriented. RAW is big with fans of occultism and magick, particularly chaos magick. It's a very postmodern take, and the emphasis is on the Goddess of Discord, Eris, whose great ability lies in deconstructing false beliefs. The maxim of chaos magick is "Nothing is true, everything is permitted" so it tends to be left-handed, so to speak. It's a great counter to dogmatism. But at the end of the day, after all the deconstructing, what is there to build? That is the harder task. Prometheus Rising is full of exercises that range from humorous to existentially meaningful, which follow Timothy Leary's Timothy Leary's Eight Circuit Model of Consciousness and have the primary goal of having us examine our preconceived beliefs about reality. Here is a list of them: http://brev.pbworks.com/w/page/35670760/Prometheus%20Rising%20Exercises My favorites are: Why aren't you a nudist? Make up five good reasons, then go find a nudist an explain them to him/her. Lol and Try living forever with the metaprogram, "Everything works out more perfectly than I plan it." Here is the book: http://www.amazon.com/Prometheus-Rising-Robert-Anton-Wilson/dp/1561840564

Yep this is an interesting argument often used by materialists, dating back to Epicurus. I've heard it mentioned by Bertrand Russell and Sam Harris also. I've also heard that the reason it doesn't console many people is that we process loss differently having acquired experience (losing something you love vs something you never even knew existed) so it's the loss of life that's the issue not fear of what happens after death. I've though about death a lot (I think it is important to do so) and in some ways do fear it. I imagine that 'some' people who say they don't fear death are in denial or don't know what they are talking about (NOT saying that about anyone in this thread). It tends to come up for me in anxiety producing situations, such as flying etc. I try to prepare for my mental state when the plane is going down, so to speak. I've been practicing a Kuan Yin Mantra and if ever such a situation occurs I will be chanting her name and visualizing her, with the hopes she will ferry me to her Pure Land. Whether or not this is objectively true, if there is any truth to existence after death, I think one's mental state while dying and one's last thoughts are very important to one's fate after death. Lotus Sutra Ch. 25: The Universal Gate of Kuan Shi Yin Pusa I also hope to retain enough awareness that I will remember, should any experience be painful after death, to simply smile, generate compassion, and treat it as an illusion. This is one reason I am interested in lucid dreaming.

Thanks!

My guess is cause there's so much love saturating this place already that the Buddhists' only way to differentiate themselves is with cold hard logic

I'm a big believer in the importance of the ming men. For me I find it a pretty easy area to focus my mind and as a 'doorway' to the dantian. Right there in the small of the back. Whenever I put my mind there my awareness becomes less linearly focused and I achieve more of '360 degree' consciousness. So that's one way you might tell. Warmth in the dantian is also a good sign.

Mark thanks for bumping I'm enjoying the thread and the various articles people have posted. I'm really interested especially in the parallels of zuowang and zazen. Think I'll have to check out Livia Kohn's book.

Yes great article! I think the Which Taoism part is important especially. Philosophical and Western Taoism is very different from a more traditional religious Taoism. And of course there is everything in between. It is important to note that in China Taoism is closely intermingled with Chinese Folk Religion (Shenism) http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chinese_folk_religion and Chinese culture and philosophy in general. So separating the bits and distilling an 'essential' Taoism is not such a black and white enterprise.

Good stuff!

First let me say I'm willing to admit xabir could be right. My final stance is agnosticism on the deepest metaphysical questions. But not only does my intellect tell me he is wrong, my heart and experience do as well. Language could be an issue here, but xabir doesn't think so. My opinion is that the discrepancies come from our limited minds trying to communicate our experience with something far greater than us. Again I know you disgagree with me xabir, and that's cool. I wish you and everyone else the very best on your paths.

Bump. Big fan of this segment:

Dang thought I had you with Suzuki lol. Thought you were a fan since you cited him before. I don't really see how conceiving of an ultimate reality necessarily means one clings to it. I guess I would if one interpreted 'ultimate' to mean having more inherent value. Perhaps 'absolute' is the better term. But yes, my understanding of sunyata and the heart sutra is informed by the Taoist Wuji: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wuji_(philosophy) Wuji is the primordial nothingness which gives birth to the One, which in turn gives birth to yin/yang. But it's all happening simultaneously, so in yin there is yang, and in yang there is yin: In stillness there is movement and vice versa. Sounds very similar to 'form is emptiness, emptiness is form". I haven't done so but it would be a worthwhile project to research the comparison of shunyata/wuji. Wuji can't be reified since it is beyond concepts. The clinging you refer to then would be a mental projection, but not a faulty metaphysical understanding.

Hmm I think an emotion like sadness requires a CNS, and a pretty developed one at that. I remember hearing that some people eat fish for instance because although they have a CNS, they don't have emotions which are necessary to process 'pain'. Without emotions 'pain' is just a reaction, similar to plant behavior. So yeah I do understand the argument based on sophistication of consciousness, in which case harming higher order beings is more of a problem than 'lower' beings. But where is the distinction drawn? And to use Buddhist language, what qualifies as a 'sentient' being?

Haha, I've always been fascinated by carnivorous plants: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Carnivorous_plant

One practical way I understand this has to do with the level of confidence one has about their intent. Michael Lomax for instance says to generate a purple bubble around you for self-protection using INTENT rather than visualization (intention). People using their intention to do this might be overly concerned about the clarity of the visualization and worry its not as strong as it could be, thus in effect making its weakness a self-fulfilling prophecy. But the teaching of INTENT says to just do it, put a purple bubble around you. Done.

I've always wondered why (some) vegetarians think its perfectly ok to kill and eat plants but not animals.