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Do you really expect to get off so lightly, simply by guilt admission? I'd recommend 12 strokes of the rotan for a start. (gleefully rubs hands)

Would that be the modus operandi in rats' alley, i wonder....

crumpled to dust beings of flesh & marrow and yet, from the dust they rise mightier than before.

centrifugal force whirling dervishes let loose dizzyingly good!

Thank you for taking the time to explain, Dawei, albeit whats said above does not really answer the question whether or not you smelled something brewing before the accusations against BKA were thrown at her. If you were in the dark prior to that very serious post made by The Lerner, then we can conclude that more than likely the accusations were all baseless. Do you see what im getting at?

The idea is not to rest on the laurels of reaching non-conceptuality.

Since they are inextricably bound, there is no need for the master to further elaborate with words during the ceremony. Those who are still groping around with a conceptual understanding are usually not ready for transmission.

Fair enough. And i agree that shamatha and vipassana are both essential through all the stages of mind training.

Do you think that that was necessary in the context of transmitting nature of mind from master to student?

I don't see SJ 'attacking' shamatha at all. Thats such a strong word to use. Can discussion take place minus the prickly word-play please? We are here to exchange ideas and concepts... there is no gain to speak defensively or offensively.

The Vajrayana master bestows onto the student a taste of what non-conceptual, pervasive awareness is -- its then up to the student to train on using that 'taste' as a sort of beacon. Having gotten the transmission, the student's practice then becomes one of regenerating confidence out of progressive stability in maintaining that View (beyond thoughts and words). Sometimes too much emphasis is placed on that transmission to the point that confusion takes root; some students take a lot of pride in being conferred transmission and mistakenly assume that they have attained the fruit of Vajra perfection without realising that real work only begins after the fact.

I only asked if he saw this brewing thats all, not saying its his fault, mate.

Did Admin Dawei not see this coming at all? Im just a little baffled at the suddenness of this rather awkward development, and curious as to why The Lerner had to air his grievances publicly? Couldn't this have been resolved internally? After all, both have some sort of position within the admin structure of TTB, no? I think this reflects negatively on management somehow.

In Vajrayana, the span of undistracted awareness, or pervasive awareness absent of conceptuality, is also known as 'resting in the View'.

Gratitude is deep appreciation, and deep appreciation disarms greed and self-cherishing. For those who recognise a need to reduce greed, gluttony and over-involvement with self (I, me and mine syndrome), then working to develop gratefulness is key. Gratitude can also be expressed as having an activated heart centre where one spontaneously expresses joy out of seeing other beings enjoying the gifts and blessings of happiness.

Haha the OP likely applies to living subjects, aiming to explore if meditation helps anti-ageing (as in transforming looks, i presume), not whether it prolongs life! OP's question aside, some Tibetan masters live for a long time, some pass away seemingly quite young, but its very difficult to reach any definitive reasons without resorting to speculation, one of which is that no one knows for sure if those who die young were not meant to die even much younger, but due to their cultivation, were able to extend their lifespan way beyond what the fortune tellers had predicted for them. I know in Asia, it is common practice for parents to get a newborn's astrological chart mapped, and do sometimes get told that a long life was not in the stars. In some cases the child end up in a monastery or temple to be ordained with the hope of averting that ominous prediction. Other superstitious speculations say that masters often absorb the 'bad' energies of their students hence such charitable acts tend to lead to a decreased lifespan, but personally, i think this is just hot air, especially in Vajrayana tradition anyway. If you cannot neutralise whats being taken in, then don't be doing it. Some say the option is not available, due to it being a part of a master's 'obligations'. More bs, methinks.

back again for more Dire Straits - Sultans of Swing over and over...

The disagreements stem mostly from 2 main reasons, both of which are not unreasonable at all. One, Mo Pai is a dead-end practice, and two, the verbal mannerisms of certain individuals who seem to always leave a bad impression with others. In relation to what you assumed to be a relevant point, well, i really dont see any purpose in trying to prove progress by attempting to shoot one another. Its foolish and shallow. If yogis have to go around shooting one another to demonstrate their prowesses, there will be a lot of accidentally dead yogis all over the place. But i agree with you, if you are enjoying the practice, by all means carry on. What others say should not detract you from that. One of the main problems i think where people cant seem to take you guys seriously is due to the dubious manner in which one or two of your buddies carry themselves.

It would mean that its time to make myself a nice cup of Milo, sit down with a couple of biscuits and have a little chuckle.

Its a good thing no aspersions were cast because to do so without getting a grip on the proper terminology of anatta would simply make one look foolish.

do souls e'er get lost? the euphoria of release temporal transit...

http://www.thegoodretreatguide.com/retreats/amaravati-buddhist-centre plus some others on the home page which may be of interest.

And im saying these kinds of allusions remind me of sniggering children.

Is this an attempt at mockery? If anyone wants to investigate or debate the premise of 'not self' instead of sneering at any given opportunity, please start a topic in the appropriate section. If one finds difficulty in differentiating Mo Pai and Buddhism, one needs to go back to the basics, and probably best to stay there quietly until one learns how to properly distinguish the differences between the many spiritual traditions. Even though i am not a Mo Pai supporter, at least i know when not to conflate Mo Pai and Buddhism.