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"Arguments as to whether or not ghosts are the figments of over-stimulated imaginations or something more have abounded for centuries. Zen, along with the necessary ceremonies, has the following explanation: Any violent acts that cause persons to die in states of fear or terror are likely to leave behind in the places where they were perpetrated such colossal karmic jangles that years later even spiritually coarse persons will at least sense that something is wrong in those particular areas. I dislike using the term "negative karma" to describe such jangles but it is the only apt description of which I can think. Simple delusion, doubt, fear, or terror that is non-volitional at the time of death will cause karmic jangles resulting in catchable sparks and past-life experiences. Acts of violence, doubt, fear or terror that are *deliberately* (i.e. volitionally) created, as well as delusion that is deliberately spread, will leave behind such huge jangles that "haunting" of certain places may result from both the terror of the victims, who understood nothing else at the time of death and then meeting the Cosmic Buddha, and the evil of the perpetrators who were directing that terror. As far as Zen is concerned such "hauntings" are no more real than is the ego of the average person. However, like the ego, they produce some very real-seeming effects and therefor must be dealt with in a real manner for, just as with past lives, which are ghosts that we carry about with us, so also hauntings are a reenactment of past karma manifesting as ghosts of past persons and activities that are rooted in a particular place." ~ Rev. Master Jiyu-Kennett

The unity of wisdom and compassion is inherent in all sentient beings

"One of the things that has brought a lot of people, especially Westerners who teach Zen, into disrepute is the fact that they think that because they have had an enlightenment experience they are totally free of karma, and they are not. I can remember meeting a couple in Japan who were convinced that anybody who studied the precepts was just plain silly: what you had to do was get beyond the opposites, and then you were totally free. The only time I saw my master, Koho Zenji, shudder was when I told him this. And he said, 'I fear for Zen if this is so.' So please remember, if you meet a teacher who says he or she can do as they like, without karmic consequence, without 'comeuppance' if you like that term better, watch out! That’s a very dangerous person." ~ Rev. Master Jiyu-Kennett

In each moment of life, in each meeting with another person, in each meeting with ourselves, everything is complete. There are no loose ends of excess or deficit. This completeness, this simple perfection, doesn't mean that everything is all stitched up according to some master-plan. Rather, it is the completeness of infinity, in which each moment is infinite. However things are, they will reveal their completion when we cease striving to create something, control something, become something, and allow the presence of ourselves within the becoming of the world. This is the essential view of dzogchen. The view of dzogchen is that the pursuit of control in this sense is an illusion not worth pursuing for one can experience an open awareness free of the dilemma of either controlling or being controlled. Through the paradoxical protection of being open to whatever arises we will be less likely to be provoked into dangerous, selfish and confused behaviour. The view of dzogchen points out that by relaxation we can reframe the situation, see it in a different way, so that we no longer need to fearfully protect our own identity. This view shows us how to integrate our ordinary experience of daily life into the open dimension of awareness by recognising that all these phenomena, whether they appear to be external or internal, are in fact emerging in a ceaseless flow from and within awareness itself. ~ James Low

Yeah, and dont talk/think/imagine/fantasise too much... your awareness will increase tenfold

sometimes one views 'high level' in direct relationship to one's own level of confidence and esteem, so really, i think that term is quite weak. I think if people overall resist having an idea and expressing what they think is lacking in their own development, remain quiet and reflective, observe the outer and inner world with a sense of wonder, lightness and sincere humility, and most of all, be aware of every opportunity to practice being kind, and then actually doing it, better in unnoticed, hidden ways... that in itself is immensely empowering, especially if sustained for a good length of time, say years. After that, one can directly see purity in a lot of beings, from the smallest to greatest, and in all of life's situations, without much fear or favour.

When you fancy an apple, you cannot simply wish for the apple to suddenly appear in your hand. Even if one is in your grasp, you still have to make the personal effort to bite it. Even biting it is not enough, for you then have to make the effort to chew it. And then, make the effort to swallow it. Does it end there? No. Your system continues to process the work even though your conscious desire for gratification seem to have been somewhat pacified. Therefore, even if a million buddhas manifest themselves and interact with everyone throughout the universe, ultimately, the individual will still have to make the effort for his or her own salvation.

Fortunately, some are born with spiritual immune systems that sooner or later give rejection to the illusory worldview grafted upon them from birth through social conditioning. They begin sensing that something is amiss, and start looking for answers. Inner knowledge and anomalous outer experiences show them a side of reality others are oblivious to, and so begins their journey of awakening. Each step of the journey is made by following their heart instead of following the crowd, and by choosing knowledge over the veils of ignorance. ~ Henri Bergson (1907), on Intuition vs Intellect

I recently read in the book, "My Stroke of Insight", by brain scientist Jill Bolte Taylor, that the natural life span of an emotion - the time taken for it to move through the nervous system and body - is only a minute and a half. After that, we need thoughts to keep the emotion rolling. So, if we wonder why we lock into painful emotional states like anxiety, depression, or rage, we need look no further than our own endless stream of inner dialogue. ~ Tara Brach

Authenticity of recognition of the very nature of one's true beingness that is not bound to the three times. Teachings and discussions can provide a conceptual platform to work in bringing about and stabilising recognition. Its easy to forget and be distracted by the myriad things that incessantly arise and fade in our minds. The OP is temporarily experiencing a sort of stuckness because he or she thinks that kundalini is somehow separate from him or her. As long as there is this perception of separation there will be no peace.

Lineage is mainly for verifying authenticity. An eaglet trained by a sparrow becomes a sparrow, so its important to first recognise one's true nature, and then be guided by those who live according to that same recognition. I dont understand what you mean by shared models. As for the purpose of teachings, i think its quite obvious. Ultimately, all teachings have to be discarded, just like an eaglet, at some point, having to leave the nest to fulfill its destiny. Timing is crucial. A lineage master will know when the student is ready. The nest becomes obsolete after the fact. Nature demands letting go, but not in a careless manner.

Talking is fine, but very often, the talking revolves all around the 'i'. Kundalini dont care too much about the 'i'. If it did, it would not be the real thing. Moreover, no two experiences are the same, so there is really no helpful reason to 'compare notes'. Doing so tend to complicate matters and sets up imaginary limitations and boundaries where there are none. Essentially there are no limitations, but, human nature is such that engaging in small talk to discover commonalities seem to create some sort of fragile reassurance that what is being experienced is validated. This in itself disempowers the journey. Spiritual evolution is not a common thing, like most of the other mundane stuff people do - it is arduous, painful, lonely, and often demands extreme sacrifices. Those who have a habit of seeking company and mutual exchanges on the way will have to be prepared to walk a bit further and longer. Nothing really wrong with that, but there are more efficient means of travel, thats all.

The Buddha realized that different beings had various capacities, so out of his great compassion and skillful means, he gave teachings that were right for different individuals. Although the essence of the teachings is to simply let be in recognition of ones own nature, the Buddha taught a lot of complex instructions to satisfy people on all different levels. Another reason why there are the nine vehicles is because people couldnt leave well enough alone. It seems to be human nature to love complications, to want to build up a lot of stuff. Later on, of course, they must allow room for all that has been gathered to disperse again. ~ Tulku Urgyen Rinpoche

Over the years (since early 80s) i have met, from time to time, people who love to talk a lot about their kundalini experiences, especially at spiritual retreats, during the breaks and also in the evenings when the day's teachings are over and everyone heads back to the dormitory or hostel to relax and reflect. The K conversation inevitably starts. Not sure why this is so, but i have found that those who get very absorbed with their kundalini experiences somehow miss out on some of the more essential points of cultivation, one of which is to let go, and also not to take the self with too much seriousness. I would tend to avoid getting involved in those conversations because i find them overly intense and do not really produce any benefit except maybe serve to distract people from forgetting themselves and actually do something good and positive for others, and make a little useful contribution to alleviate the stress and suffering of other beings. If this can be done, even if only in small ways, but consistently, i think it will bring more contentment and peace into people's hearts, especially the heart of the doer. Then kundalini activation will have evolve meaning. Otherwise, its nothing more than self-gratification stemming from spiritual immaturity. I apologise if this comment offends anyone.

We cannot get rid of suffering by saying, "I will not suffer." We cannot eliminate attachment by saying, "I will not be attached to anything," nor eliminate aggression by saying, "I will never become angry." Yet, we do want to get rid of suffering and the disturbing emotions that are the immediate cause of suffering. The Buddha taught that to eliminate these states, which are really the results of the primary confusion of our belief in a personal self, we must get rid of the fundamental cause. But we cannot simply say, "I will not believe in the personal self." The only way to eliminate suffering is to actually recognize the experience of a self as a misconception, which we do by proving directly to ourselves that there is no such personal self. We must actually realize this. Once we do, then automatically the misconception of a self and our fixation on that "self" will disappear. Only by directly experiencing selflessness can we end the process of confused projection. This is why the Buddha emphasized meditation on selflessness or egolessness. However, to meditate on egolessness, we must undertake a process that begins with a conceptual understanding of egolessness; then, based on that understanding, there can be meditation, and finally realization. ~ Khenchen Thrangu Rinpoche, from Pointing Out the Dharmakaya

http://www.trueactivist.com/incredible-photos-of-people-living-off-the-grid-who-abandoned-civilization-for-life-in-the-wilderness/?utm_source=fb&utm_medium=fb&utm_campaign=antimedia

"The question is 'What does one have to wake up to?' And the answer is... life. We wake up to life itself. Life is infinite. It is oneness. It is emptiness. It is the wonder of wonders. When I say 'life', I am not speaking about the life in our heads. That life is simply an accumulation of story lines, so we are not referring to that life. Whenever we say that we have a great life, we are speaking about the life in our head. And whenever we say that my life sucks, we are definitely speaking about the life in our head. There is life that exists in our head. It is nothing more than reading a story about the life of a character in a novel. It's fiction, made up stories. None of it is real. That life in our head, the one we grasp and believe to be true, is actually only happening like a movie, like a novel in our head, in our deluded mind. Its not really happening. The life we are talking about waking up to is not this usual life that has all of these remembered stories. It is life that in some sense is actually quite mysterious. It is not your life or my life; it is the totality of life. It does not exclude anything, it encompasses everything - the clouds in the sky as well as the birds flying above us. It includes the breath we are taking in as well as the insect crawling on the ground. It includes the dew on the grass in the morning as well as the traffic on the highway. It includes the bliss in our hearts and the pain in our joints, everything we are glimpsing when we are no longer lost in the troubled mind. That is life. Life is actually big, It is infinite. It is boundless. " ~ Anam Thubten, The Magic of Awareness

satori supreme chocolate, sugar and cream viva la dessert!

The Buddha said, “Mañjuśrī, have you attained unimpeded wisdom?” Mañjuśrī said, “I am the unimpeded itself. How could the unimpeded attain non-obstruction?” The Buddha said, “Have you sat at the bodhimaṇḍa?” Mañjuśrī said, “All the tathāgatas do not sit at bodhimaṇḍas, so why should I alone now sit at a bodhimaṇḍa, and for what purpose? I now see that all dharmas abide in the realm of reality.” The Buddha said, “What is it that you call the realm of reality?” Mañjuśrī said, “The body of the manifestation of equality is the realm of reality.” The Buddha said, “Of what bodily appearance is the realm of reality?” Mañjuśrī said, “The body which neither comes nor goes, the body that is not a body, is called the realm of reality.” Śāriputra addressed the Buddha, saying, “Bhagavān, if one understands the meaning of this principle decisively, then this is one to be called a bodhisattva-mahāsattva. Why? Being able to hear the characteristics of the extremely profound Prajñāpāramitā thusly, the mind is unshaken and unafraid, neither turning back nor in regret.” ~ Mahāprajñāpāramitā Mañjuśrīparivarta Sūtra

The notion of enlightenment means, "not bound". Not bound to what? Not bound to one's own mind in ordinary ways; not bound in confusion to all the suffering that one's mind has produced and is experiencing. So the notion of enlightenment is not something outside of one's own mind. We cannot imagine achieving enlightenment, let alone perfecting any of the qualities of buddhahood, if we hold to ourselves as who we think we are right now — with the way we think and the validity that we give to our own mind and its existence. ~ Dzigar Kongtrul Rinpoche

oblivious still to naked thoughts that float by simply let them drift...

"Dear friend, when reading this text, Resolve your mind on this in a free and easy state. Right here, relax your striving and restless mind. Right here, cut your striving for many other teachings. What is the use of so many interesting philosophies? What is the use of so many profound instructions? What is the use of so many elaborate practices? What is the use of so many dry explanations? This itself is the free meditation of simple rest! This itself is the carefree happiness of self-liberation! This itself is the good book of 'knowing one that frees all'! This itself is the instruction of 'one bridge to cross a hundred rivers'! Don't leave this at home and search for it elsewhere! Don't throw away the core and gather the peels! Don't abandon the effortless to accomplish it through striving! Don't cast away nonaction to busy yourself with activity!" ~ from "Song of Encouragement to Read the Seven Treasures," in THE EXCELLENT WORDS OF LONGCHEN RABJAMPA, by Paltrul Rinpoche

I'd be curious to know what odds the bookmakers were offering on a labour win. If the betting odds for both parties were about the same, it is almost certain the pre-election news, spins, and media reports were all masked in some way. I'd say the bookies are laughing over a nice tandoori right about now.

http://www.washington.edu/wholeu/2015/04/30/dr-bonnie-duran-on-race-racism-and-the-dharma/

be now is enough as the willow freely weeps gracious are the clouds