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It helps to first understand and then distinguish between trekcho & togal when attempting to explain what Dzogchen is. Asserting that some practices are secondary when in fact they are not is like saying a bird's left wing is less important than its right one.

That is an excellent way to weed out the likes of those who share a similar sort of delusion as demonstrated by one or two posters here who somehow openly rate themselves intellectually superior. This is already a basic flaw in terms of keeping to the aspirations of Dzogchen praxis. Setting such a criteria helps to preserve purity of lineage and in some way also ensure that the lineage is not tarnished by those with self-serving motives. Its not foolproof, but at least those who do not possess a good grounding in the preliminaries of the path are kept at bay. Unfortunately, the very nature of Ati Yoga attracts people with rather ill-placed, selfish motives, and those who serve not on the side of propriety but their own misapprehended sense of self-aggrandisement and narcissistic inclinations, fortunately, will be appropriately challenged to align themselves by way of their conduct insofar as receiving authentic secret mantra transmissions are concerned.

It strikes me as common among DIY guys who often tend to imagine they are building a custom sports car when all they are achieving is borrowing technology, even if fully understood, end-resulting in a drivable cart of some sort.

Abstinence/retention is a practice, or some would even say, its a way of being... a way of living. There are different motivations in different individuals, and also, different paths through which these motivations align with, so there is a necessity to first develop clarity as to what sort of individual you are, what are your ideals & motivations in relation to integrating such a profound practice into your life, and the spiritual tradition from which you intend to draw support from. Once the guidelines are in place, you will know what are the correct methods and relevant disciplines needed in order to reach your goal. Then there will be no confusion.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nWvY-05OA90

this just appeared as i looked out from the bedroom.

I dont know, you tell me... you seem to have all the facts and figures sorted out neatly.

Your tendency for self-contradiction is quite amusing, Ralis.

As i have mentioned above, patience and diligence, and the absence of arrogance, would be key to mastery.

Glad you liked it. Malaysia is a haven for pretty wings. https://www.google.com/search?q=butterflies+of+malaysia&espv=2&biw=1280&bih=602&source=lnms&tbm=isch&sa=X&ei=KpoyVMiEKLCf7ga41oDgDA&ved=0CAYQ_AUoAQ

In Dzogchen, rainbow body (Tibetan: Jalü or Jalus (Wylie transliteration: 'ja' lus) is a level of realization. This may or may not be accompanied by the 'rainbow body phenomenon'. The rainbow body phenomenon has been noted for centuries, including the modern era. The ultimate fruition of the thodgal practices is a body of pure light, called a rainbow body (Wylie 'ja' lus, pronounced Jalü.)[5] If the four visions of thogal are not completed before death, then at death, from the point of view of an external observer, the following happens: the corpse does not start to decompose, but starts to shrink until it disappears. Usually fingernails, toenails and hair are left behind[6] (see e.g. Togden Urgyen Tendzin, Ayu Khandro, Changchub Dorje.) The attainment of the rainbow body is typically accompanied by the appearance of lights and rainbows.[5] Some exceptional practitioners such as Padmasambhava and Vimalamitra are held to have realized a higher type of rainbow body without dying. Having completed the four visions before death, the individual focuses on the lights that surround the fingers. His or her physical body self-liberates into a nonmaterial body of light (a Sambhogakāya) with the ability to exist and abide wherever and whenever as pointed by one's compassion.[7] (from wikipedia) The above event, as described by Master Nyoshul Khenpo, occurred in 1958. Tsewang Rigzin practiced the Great Perfection teachings for 34 years prior to the final attainment. Its folly to even argue with the illogicalities presented here by those who possess what they deem to be 'critical thinking'. Of benefit is to rely on authentic accounts, verified by lineage masters, and practice patiently & diligently without being distracted from the essential purpose of buddhadharma.

The Birdwing, or locally known as Rajah Brooke, is common to some hilly parts of Malaysia. A beauty. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Birdwing

There are 4 chapters in this volume (from a compendium of 10) that expound on Buddhist Ethics. Chapter 1 -- Qualities & relationship of the spiritual teacher and student. Chapter 2 -- Vows of personal liberation. Chapter 3 -- The commitments of awakening mind Chapter 4 -- The vows and pledges of secret mantra It is hoped that each Monday i will be able to extract a passage, beginning from chapter 1 on, and put it here for reflection. If anyone would like to comment, discuss or pose questions, please feel free to do so, with the full understanding that i too, am a student here, with very basic understandings of the teachings. Hence, any mistakes, misunderstandings and assumptions in the ensuing replies are solely due to my own limitations of Buddhadharma, and should not in any way reflect or tarnish the impeccable work that is to be laid forth here. May the Buddhadharma dispel the darkness of ignorance. May all beings rejoice in conditions conducive to happiness! For a start, its a good idea to give here an overview, based on the Foreword. Jamgon Kongtrul Lodro Thaye was a most prominent 19th century Buddhist master in Tibet. His prominence and great respect comes from all the sublime work he had done to compile, together with Jamyang Khyentse Wangpo, the major works from the Sakya, Kagyu and Nyingma schools of that time, including many near-extinct teachings. Its said that without the efforts of these two masters in collecting and printing out the texts, the suppression of Buddhism in Tibet by the communists would have been far more damaging. The collections, together more than 100 volumes, were compiled into what is now known as The Five Great Treasuries. Of these, the Treasury known as The Encompassment of All Knowledge discusses the path to freedom, describing the three disciplines of ethics, contemplation and wisdom. It covers the Buddha's teachings from the sutras and tantras, the main commentarial traditions and essential instructions along with such traditional subjects of learning as medicine, art & linguistics. This work (The Treasury Volumes) does not just touch on one topic here and there but encompasses all areas of knowledge with unprecedented clarity and thoroughness. The text we are about to reflect on is a translation of the section of this Treasury that deals with the Three Vows, the essence of the practice and application of what Buddha Shakyamuni taught in the three collections of teachings known as the Tripitaka and the four divisions of Tantra. (up next: passage from chapter 1)

Most likely the same. Some of the quotes i've taken from other sources as reference and support. Don't worry about it. Just to explain, the reason for the temporary lapse is that im currently being distracted by a couple of other books recently purchased which is taking up most of my free time. Will be back soon!

Yes, really.

To answer the above question, in a word, yes. “It is said that all the Buddhas of the three times … achieve Buddhahood through reliance on a spiritual teacher. The essence of reliance on a teacher is unceasing devotion … It protects our practice from obstacles and ensures progress on the path. Devotion to the teacher is thus the core of all our spiritual practice, regardless of the particular stages of the path we cultivate … Although the guru may at first appear to behave in an ordinary human way, his mind really is inseperable in nature from the Mind of the Buddha. …” -- H.H. Dilgo Khyentsé Rinpoche It is good for one's own benefit to bear in mind that if one is not agreeable with a particular guru, it is ok to find another one, and for however long it may take (up to 13 years), until such time one is convinced beyond doubt that an agreeable spiritual guide has been found. This is perfectly acceptable; what is not acceptable is to blemish those teachers whom one has found disagreement with - this is for the sake of one's own spiritual health. Accordingly, Asvaghosa http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/A%C5%9Bvagho%E1%B9%A3a points out the hazardous disadvantages of disparaging any of one's gurus: He states: Having become the disciple of such a protecting [guru], should you despise him from the heart, you will reap continual suffering as if you had disparaged all the Buddhas. Sufferings that may be incurred traditionally include disease, death by poisonous snakes, and boiling in hell. The six realms of existence as physical locations is a view inherited from ancient Indian culture. In Buddhism, the inner meaning relates to the perceptual anguish of the various deluded samsaric mind states. SO although one need not fear the actuality of snake bites as a result of disparaging one’s lama, the psychological consequences are no less significant to one’s spiritual health. Our perception can certainly become poisoned by narcissism, and the result of indulgence in such a self-centered rationale can certainly lead to hellish mind states in which one tortures oneself with one’s own self-aggrandizing concepts. To be unable to trust and have confidence in a lama who has shown us nothing but kindness, who exhibits endless patience and energy in helping others, and who has invested significant time and effort in our spiritual welfare, is clearly an unfortunate psychological state. To regard something as valuable and important, to take the major step of committing oneself to a teacher, and then to come to despise that teacher is its own unique form of personal psychological hell. If we continue to prioritize our narcissism, we may start to see negative motivation in the lama’s actions, and begin judging everything about the lama by the unreliable, dualistic yardstick of our deluded rationale. Our whole experience of the relationship will become diseased, poisoned, and hellish if we view it through the lens of our own self-interest. We will also do severe damage to ourselves as practitioners — not only of Vajrayana but of any spiritual path. It would be extremely difficult ever again to trust anything apart from our own self-serving perception, and therefor difficult or impossible to make any kind of wholehearted commitment to a teacher or practice in the future. Once we have gone back on our vows, it would be extremely difficult to be able ever to take them again with the same sincerity and enthusiasm. It would require a dramatic shift in perception — and this shift would be as great or greater than the shift we were unable to make that caused the breakage of vows in the first place. Vajrayana practice is not possible without vajra commitment, and so one would lose access to vajrayana completely. It is for this reason that the prospective Vajrayana student should spend as long as neccessary, up to the traditional thirteen years, experimenting with vajra relationship before taking vows and becoming a disciple. A hasty decision which one later comes to regret would be disastrous. Once vajra commitment has been taken, regret cannot be entertained. Nevertheless, it is vital to understand that this commitment must be based on real experience. One needs to know, at the most fundamental level, that this lama can guide one to realization. This sense of knowing may flicker as a result of one’s neurotic personality, but if there has been real experience of transmission, that experience will remain, at least in memory. A vajrayana student can always return to that memory as a source of inspiration. This is absolutely necessary if one is to continually view the vajra master’s activities with pure vision.

It sounds as if you're going cold turkey... if you are, surely there'd be some rebounds attached. Its like applying emergency brakes - you can imagine what that entails. Somewhere in your words a bit of panic is detected. Not helpful. Look at the situation clearly and set realistic practice goals, then get to work. Once the results begin to manifest, take pride in your perseverance, celebrate the new-found discipline - you will then naturally experience more confidence which in turn will help to pacify the agitations that trigger the anxieties. This relaxed attitude will seep into the subtler aspects of your bodymind which then sets in motion the necessary mechanism to nudge the 'problem', to extend it a gentle invitation to resolve itself. This invitation is important because its an empowering tool. Without it the fear of failure will follow you like a shadow. You invite the resolution, then it will come. If you don't invite it, well, the outcome will be obvious then.

he ain't gettin' paid but rewards gotten elsewhere balanced deficits...

Just watched this brilliant martial arts movie - Once Upon A Time in Shanghai - my Sat. nite treat, with a few biscuits and green tea of course. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HMY1G2rnhqo&list=PLXGkQKqoTJ1K7XGC1NBrbb1oF02lsmTR2

yeah, im a sucker for good quality water... The ones i favour are San Pellegrino and Willow, with Volvic for everyday drinking, simply because they are readily available. I dont quite fancy Evian for some reason. Choices are quite limited here, hence the idea to look into the prospects around starting a water bar. I think the timing may be good as the Irish are becoming more health-conscious and have certainly shown a willingness to pay a little more for quality consumables. Willow, from the Lake District in England, is really nice... just feels right as it enters the body. Its the most expensive bottled water at the moment around these parts. Im a little surprised its not listed in the Finewater site. http://www.willowwater.com/

just discovered 2 good bottled water sites! Imagine, in Seoul they have a water bar stocking 80 different types of bottled water! I just popped an idea for a new business opportunity http://finewaters.com/ http://www.aquamaestro.com/

What about imported water? Are they readily available there (or at all)? Brands like Willow, Volvic, Evian, Vittel, etc.?

dear bums: i.o.u. tell that to the ferryman he ain't gettin' paid...