Maddie

One of the main reasons I asked this question is because that was pretty much my experience with Buddhism. I was the typical Westerner who read the books and practiced on my own until I did a meditation retreat at a Buddhist temple and found that the Asians weren't reading the same books that I was reading lol.

What do you base that on?

What do you mean?

So it tends to be very practical it would seem.

If you don't mind would you be so kind as to break that down a little more simply as to what that means and entails please?

That is interesting but what that makes me want to know is, what is the purpose or goal of this practice?

So let's go with that as a starting place then. When one goes to a Taoist temple, what are they doing and what is the purpose(s) (I assume there is more than one thing one would go to one for) and what do they do?

All through out it constantly. The word is avijja and is one of the most commonly used words and topics in the Pali Canon.

I think it would be interesting to begin a discussion about people's various experiences with love spells and magick of various traditions and your results with them, as well as how to. Not looking for advice that they shouldn't be done.

According to the Buddha the reason all of us are in Samsara is because of delusion, so then we all are.

I can't seem to find a specific one that you mentioned earlier?

I'm more interested in exploring the various techniques and their efficacy than trying to meet a woman.

I've tried candle spells and nothing happened.

What are some specific examples of ones that you have seen to be effective?

Speaking of a similar topic, does anyone make a practice of sutra reading/recitation/chanting? This is more recent to me but I seem to get a lot of out it as well, effects that go beyond mere study.

So that's why it was difficult to sleep last night.

Yes! Several.... Probably the mantra that I with out fail and consistently feel the most side effects from is the Zhunti mantra. I have been doing this mantra on and off for years now. I suppose its not surprising seeing as how its primary purpose is to purge bad karma. When it got really interesting is when I got my gf to start a couple years ago and she began to have some of the same side effects that I did. Here are some of the side effects I've noticed over the years of doing Zhunti mantra. 1. Unpleasant emotions come to the surface in a very powerful way that is impossible to ignore. 2. Unexpected problems often surface in life. 3. I have to urinate a lot more in both quantity and frequency. This is one my gf experienced as well. 4. If I do mantra a lot then I have to defecate more frequently as well. 5. Sometimes suppressed memories come to the surface. 6. Sometimes it feels as if my entire body is vibrating or "buzzing". So why do I continue to do it then? Because there are a few major issues in my life that I have radically changed by sticking with sustained Zhunti mantra practice. Issues of relationship, career, and money karma over time have drastically improved. It also seems to offer a large degree of protection from negative energy and entities. I will often gain spontaneous insight into mental blocks that I had been previously unaware of. I have similar side effects (on a slightly reduced scale) with "Nam Myoho Renge Kyo". I've found Amitofu and Om Mani Padme Hum are generally very calming. I've even found that doing the Catholic rosary is powerful, but I feel like if I do it too much Mary wants me to think in a more Catholic mindset so I tend to limit it. I've also experimented with the Kleem mantra, but not so much anymore because it makes me very sexually agitated. It does seem to have the advertised effect of attracting romantic partners but not high quality ones.

This was one of the main things I was wondering about.

I think he was THE genius :-)

I've never done a "vipasanna retreat". I have done some general meditation retreats at a near by monastery a few times, and vipassina meditation is the kind of meditation that I happen to do the most. As far as my opinion on the Vipasanna retreats that typically go for 10 days my personal feelings are that if someone has never meditated before I do not recommend this approach as it can be very intense and I don't like the idea of meditation being associated with negative connotations in the mind, so that one does not begin to hate meditation and stop it all together. There are several videos on youtube of people who have done this type of retreat and the reactions are kind of a mixed bag. Personally I just make this a daily practice that I do throughout the day and I find this approach useful.

I guess that is the tricky part about communication in general, which is to hear what the other person meant as opposed to interject our own meaning into what they said.

No that is not what I am saying at all. Often karma can feel very bad.

Ok this is one thing I have put a lot of thought and study into. The thing that law of attraction people do not understand or factor in is KARMA. Getting what you want in life is basically desire+good karma= getting what you want. It's not enough to just want something and focus on it, you must have the karma. It's like going to a store and seeing something you want. Wanting it is not enough, you must have enough money to pay for it. Same goes for destiny. Really there is no set in stone destiny, there is just karma which can be changed and is dynamic and not fixed. If you don't like your karma, you can change it. I set out to do this and it has worked!

yes

Has anyone else found that after doing this mantra life gets miserable for a little while?