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Well, there is a structure here, but i would like to think its a little bit organic too and not rigid like a fallen log. Ultimate serenity is the coming to rest of all ways of taking things - the repose of named things; no truths had ever been taught by a buddha for anyone, anywhere. ~ Nagarjuna

When someone points to oneness there are probably countless ways in which they derived their view. It is something difficult to fathom, therefore we can learn to listen and appreciate so that we will not make the mistake of misapprehending their view and therefore cause a missed opportunity to realise that perhaps fundamentally there is alignment and harmony, although such could simply be expressed, due to individual experiences, by different words. late edit. Thinking about it a bit more, its my feeling that Manitou might be pointing to the interconnectedness of all things.

a stone's throw away lies not oneness... not twoness only simplyness

If i were to be in this situation, i would choose to be completely surrounded by these triggers, as many as possible.

Question yourself: where does lust find its home? If you are unable to get the answer, even moving to the tip of the North Pole will not be much good to the person who wants to overcome/transform/transcend that negative state. If you think that by removing your physical self to somewhere remote & quiet is the way to cut thru lustful situations you have some work to do my friend.

Do not hold onto the notion that mind is empty. To hold an idea, ‘Now it is empty; now it is not empty,’ is a conceptual construct that we keep in mind. That is not necessary. In the moment of recognising, you see that mind is empty. At that point allow it to be naturally as it is, without applying any technique whatsoever. That is naturalness with­out technique. That will last for a little while. Your attention will then stray, and you will at some point notice that your attention wandered off. Our mind is not completely beyond us—we know when we get distracted. Simply recognise what was distracted. Again, the moment you do so, you see that there is no thing to see; and the moment of seeing that there is nothing to see, it is free of thought. And again leave it in uncontrived naturalness for a short while. The mind of all sentient beings is already empty; it is not something that we have to create. When a thought moves, simply recognise the thinker. The thinking then dissolves. No matter what the thought is about, the thinking and the thinker are empty. A thought in itself is not made of any concrete substance; it is simply an empty thought movement. By recognising the empty essence in a thought, it vanishes like a bubble in water. That is how to deal with any particular present thought at hand. Once you know how to let the present thought dissolve, any subsequent thought can be dealt with in exactly the same way, as simply another present thought. But if we get involved in the thought, thinking of what is being thought of, and continue it, then there is no end. ~ Tulku Urgyen Rinpoche ~

“That's how we slide, and while we slide we blame the world's problems on colonialism, imperialism, capitalism, corporatism, stupid white men, and America, but there's no need to make a brand name of blame. Individual self-interest: that's the source of our descent, and it doesn't start in the boardrooms or the war rooms either. It starts in the home.” ******************************** "There are men put on this earth to make laws designed to break the spirits of men. There are those put here to have their spirits broken by those put here to break them. Then there are those who are here to break the laws that break the men who break the spirits of other men. I am one of those men." both quotes by Steve Toltz

The Buddha said people are deluded. This is why when they act they fall into the River of Endless Rebirth. And when they try to get out, they only sink deeper. And all because they don't see their nature. If people weren't deluded, why would they ask about something right in front of them? Not one of them understands the movement of his own hands and feet. The Buddha wasn't mistaken. Deluded people don't know who they are. Something so hard to fathom is known by a buddha and no one else. Only the wise know this mind, this mind called dharma-nature, this mind called liberation. Neither life nor death can restrain this mind. Nothing can. It's also called the Unstoppable Tathagata, the Incomprehensible, the Sacred Self, the Immortal, the Great Sage. Its names vary but not its essence. Buddhas vary too, but none leaves his own mind. The mind's capacity is limitless, and its manifestations are inexhaustible. Seeing forms with your eyes, hearing sounds with your ears, smelling odors with your nose, tasting flavors with your tongue, every movement or state is all your mind. At every moment, where language can't go, that's your mind. The sutras say, "A tathagata's forms are endless. And so is his awareness." The endless variety of forms is due to the mind. Its ability to distinguish things, whatever their movement or state, is the mind's awareness. But the mind has no form and its awareness no limit. Hence it's said, "A tathagata's form is endless. And so is his awareness." ~ Bodhidharma ~

Traditionally the recommended minimum is 108 times, or one complete round if you use a mala (most malas have 108 beads). In my practice, which incorporates mantra chanting, i would do a minimum of 10 rounds (approx 1080 times) per mantra. Anyway there's no need to get too caught up with the numbers. Whats more essential is the heart or intention one brings to the chant, during the chant, and also the post-chanting integration back into daily activities.

I dont see that you have much understanding of mine either, Jeff.

This reminder from Guru Padma is meant for you to contemplate because your views are clearly a fixation thru asserting the realness of disturbing emotions which is exactly that which cause endless samsaric wanderings. My point is that ego that gives rise to disturbing emotions is unreal, a story we make up for whatever partialness of attitudes we cling to, but appears like real to those who adopt your line of reasoning and logic. Recognising that all is mind, and that mind is empty yet cognizant is the path and the fruit. There is no linearity to this approach. All the teachings and practices contained within the great vehicle is to drive this point home until all doubts about this dissolve. In the Vajrayana schools the masters who give public teachings dont even pay heed to ego. In Tibet there is no direct translation for 'ego' - what the Tibetans have which is closest to the meaning is Dakdzin, which literally means 'clinging to a self'. This, it is said, gives rise to samsaric existence, or existence marred by duality. To end samsaric existence, practice the Dharma in such a way whereby this clinging is gradually weakened until such time it no longer has any feeding ground, and then it will shrivel and vanish like it never existed before. Those who insist on the realness of things like infinite layers of ever-deepening subconsciousness with the ego bubbling away hidden in the recesses of that are simply arguing for the arising of endless frustration because there will never be an end should one persist on taking the route of uncovering these layers as a means to freedom. Its like dreaming that you are searching for treasure within a dream. "Just as the ocean has waves, and the sun has rays, so the mind’s own radiance is its thoughts and emotions. The ocean has waves, yet the ocean is not particularly disturbed by them. The waves are the very nature of the ocean. Waves will rise, but where do they go? Back into the ocean. And where do the waves come from? The ocean. In the same manner, thoughts and emotions are the radiance and expression of the very nature of the mind. They rise from the mind, but where do they dissolve? Back into the mind. Whatever rises, do not see it as a particular problem. If you do not impulsively react, if you are only patient, it will once again settle into its essential nature. When you have this understanding, then rising thoughts only enhance your practice. But when you do not understand what they intrinsically are—the radiance of the nature of your mind—then your thoughts become the seed of confusion. So have a spacious, open, and compassionate attitude toward your thoughts and emotions, because in fact your thoughts are your family, the family of your mind. Before these arisings of thoughts and emotions, as Dudjom Rinpoche used to say: “Be like an old wise man, watching children at play.” ~ Sogyal Rinpoche 'Thoughts & Emotions '

Sorry but i sincerely don't share Jeff's ideals in this regard. What does 'a lot going on in the subconscious' mean exactly? Why is it even a necessity for there to be a lot going on? One simply focus on a chosen practice that best suits one's make-up and keep doing it diligently for however long it takes. Thats all that is required. No need to indulge in any suppositions, assumptions, projections, and silly identifications. Its so simple: Just recognise the base as empty. And continue recognising this. That is all thats needed.

What makes you think there's belief involved in meditation? Its coming off like a rather novicey remark im sorry to say. Also, its not clear what you mean when you said that dedicated meditators perceive separate states of mind and therefore become unaware of subconscious components of their pysco-physical being. This subject is very vast and for you to attempt to dismiss its scope by attempting to neatly put all meditators in one corner by stating the above seems presumptuous.

Thats why the practice of resting in equanimous poise is vital - to counter that flow of unconscious ego stuff. Dedicated meditators who have developed a solid practice dont succumb to such mundane flows.

Thats a neat example, Manitou. Such moments are never not available. It can be present under all conditions. The thing is that most of us are not able to sustain this subtle awareness without some form of commentary or identification seeping in. Mindfulness gives us the clarity to notice these moments of subtle identification, and Meditation is the way of practice to allow such moments to be increasingly recognised and maintained in a pervasive and equanimous state of being.

Where is ego prior to the onset of identification and internal dialogue?

Its not a quietness either.

Its not between 2 thoughts, Jeff.

Its quite simple really to know when its 'ego' and when its not. The space just before a commentary rolls off or mental playback occurs when something is perceived is fully empty of ego. We are quite capable of operating from or remaining in that space for prolonged periods. Thats how meditation adepts sustain their view, and those who practice with diligence after them get to experience it as a gradual expansion of non-identification and at the same time a gradual increase in non-preferential abiding or equanimous poise takes effect. Merit can be understood in quite a number of ways where Mahayana Buddhism is concerned. The cultivation and accumulation of merit is synonymous with those who aspire to walk the bodhisattva's path. Generally, from this (Mahayana) perspective, we gain merit thru diligent and joyful application of the Buddhist teachings. There are basically 10 key things one can choose to 'give up' as one progresses on the path of merit-making. The intention to do this can either be profound or mundane, depending on one's habits and propensities - Profound means the actions undertaken are for the sake benefitting others only; Mundane means doing it for the sake of freeing oneself initially, but can yet develop into the profound aspect later. In giving up the taking of life, one will accomplish ten ways of being free from vexations In giving up stealing, one will attain ten kinds of dharmas which can protect one's confidence In giving up wrongful conduct, one will attain four kinds of dharmas which are praised by the wise In giving up lying, one will attain the eight dharmas which are praised by the devas In giving up slandering, one will attain five kinds of incorruptible dharmas In giving up harsh language, one will attain the accomplishment of eight kinds of pure actions In giving up frivolous speech, one will attain the accomplishment of the three certainties In giving up lust, one will attain the accomplishment of the five kinds of freedom In giving up hatred, one will attain eight kinds of dharmas of joy of mind In giving up wrong views, one will attain the accomplishment of ten meritorious dharmas

You have a knack for expressing yourself in very clear ways, Barbara. Have you perhaps thought of writing a book or two? I think its a worthwhile pursuit, that is, if you haven't considered it before.

One of the lessons repeated again and again by my teacher Saljay Rinpoche was that if I wanted to be happy, I had to learn to recognize and work with the conditioning factors that produce compulsive or trait-bound reactions. The essence of his teaching was that any factor can be understood as compulsive to the degree that it obscures our ability to see things as they are, without judgment. For example, if someone is yelling at us, we rarely take the time to distinguish between the bare recognition 'Oh, this person is raising his voice and saying such and such words' and the emotional response 'this person is a jerk.' Instead, we tend to combine bare perception and our emotional response into a single package: 'This person is screaming at me BECAUSE he's a jerk.' But if we could step back to look at the situation more objectively, we might see that people who yell at us are upset over something that may have nothing to do with us. Maybe they just got criticized by someone higher up and are afraid of getting fired. Maybe they just found out that someone close to them is very sick. Or maybe they had an argument with a friend or a partner and didn't sleep well afterward. Sadly, the influence of conditioning is so strong that we rarely remember that we CAN step back. And because our understanding is limited, we mistake the little part we do see for the whole truth. How can we respond appropriately when our vision is so limited, when we don't have all the facts? If we apply the standard of American courts to tell 'the whole truth and nothing but the truth' about our everyday experience, we must recognize that the 'whole truth' is that everyone just wants to be happy. The truly sad thing is that most people seek happiness in ways that actually sabotage their attempts. If we could see the whole truth of any situation, our only response would be one of compassion. ~ Yongey Mingyur Rinpoche ~

TSOKNYI RINPOCHE Excerpt from:- ENTERING THE VAJRAYANA Ego-clinging is very subtle. Everything we do seems to be another way to feed the ego. The ego bribes us into assuming a path that seems to be a genuine spiritual practice, but then our ego usurps it. Even chanting Om Mani Padme Hum can be appropriated by the ego. You sit down on your meditation cushion and assume the posture, but it's because of ego. You light incense and prostrate before your statues in your little retreat room, but it's still all for your ego. We need something to break free from the ego's grip and that is the accumulation of merit and the purification of obscurations, in conjunction with devotion and compassion. If we do not know how to initially motivate ourselves in the true way, dharma practice may be nothing more than another way of popping our daily vitamin pill, one to make "me" strong and healthy. When spiritual practice is a dietary supplement, you apply it when you feel a little low on energy or a little upset. You sit down and practice to feel better. You try to balance yourself through practice and later return to your normal activities. Some people have this attitude, believe me! They tell themselves that they need spirituality in their lives; after all, it is not politically correct to be totally materialistic. So they give themselves a little dose in the morning and another in the evening. They apply the gloss of spirituality to put a shine on their normal lives. This is a particular trend and some so-called teachers teach in this way. They tell their students that if they sit and meditate for a few minutes, they will be much happier. They are trying to make spiritual practice easier, more appetizing, more palatable; trying to bend the dharma to fit people's attitudes. But that is not the true dharma, so don't make the mistake of confusing this type of practice for the real thing.

you are correct - it can be reformed into something beautiful, which is the flip side of devotion to mundane delights and aversion to mundane unpleasantness - one who has reformed the ego will use that in devotional conduct towards the newborn 'divine' nature or buddha nature, whatever label one wants to use.. higher self or what not. In devotion, there will be a kind of wisdom and delight that follows whatever filters in through the senses and the mind. Not really that much difference from before, but now, instead of feeding the ego, the newly born higher nature gets nourished. After a time the ego simply dries up and falls away. Nothing has changed except now one begins to see ordinary things, motives, habits and other sense perceptions with new eyes. There are 2 approaches that one can use to get to this point: Both will yield the same result. Just that one is generally seen to be more time consuming and frustrating than the other: The first approach is a focussed dedication towards self-analysis and watching out for ego's subtle workings 24/7, which can be quite energy-sapping in the best of times, and the second is guru yoga, or bhakti yoga if one follows the traditional Vedantic pov.

for tomorrow now is simply a yesterday forgetting itself

From a mahayana perspective, the teachers make it very clear that there is only one way to reach the understanding of 'doing nothing' (resting and inactivity which allows real activity to occur without interference from a self), and that is when one comes to a full awareness and realisation of the illusory nature of the self. Recognising that the self is as dependently arisen as that which needs doing (meaning the objective externalities generally) the seeming divide between subject and object will fall apart, and when it does, activity and non-activity is seen as a unified field. But i think a lot of people take 'non doing' too literally and just bum around. Thats not it for certain.