C T
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Everything posted by C T
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That's some result! Well done!!
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We are 99.99999% space, yet, in our current form, we cannot actualise this truth on the basis of... we are the minds>senses>self identity>separation>ignorance which arose within this emptiness. I suppose one needs to work the sequence backwards in order to reconnect with our true nature. Just a theory of course.
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the one seeking a diploma, maybe? "Clouds draw water from the ocean to fall as rain on the earth. There is neither increase nor decrease. Just so, reality remains unaltered, like the pure sky." (Saraha) I think wanting a diploma is good. Its like wanting to learn to draw water from the ocean of wisdom so as to moisten minds that are scorched, barren, thirsty and on fire. As long as such minds exist, there will arise those who seek to bring the antidotes. Me, i prefer to understand the nature of the unalterable, that which neither increase nor decrease, but my light is yet dim, so there is a long way to go yet...
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Could be Chucky wanting a slice of the action, eh?
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Once... only once, did i lose my wallet to pickpocketers (just made this word up). Pay day for the gang... there was approx £500 in there, plus cards and driving licence. They must have been watching. Anyways, a few days later, i got an unexpected phone call from a good samaritan, who said he had found my wallet, minus the cash but the rest intact, as he was taking his morning stroll along the river. Said he peeked over a wall, and spotted what he thought looked like a wallet wedged among some rocks. So happen i also had a couple of business cards where he got my phone number. I have to say its really some strange providence, as that river is massive, not as big as the Thames, but still big, and subject to rising and falling tides. What are the odds of someone actually looking over at that exact spot, then shifted his gaze onto the rocks and seeing a small wallet there, and made the effort to go down and retrieve it?? For sure he wasn't hoping that the wallet contained chunks of money ~ from the size of his house one could tell he wasn't exactly what you would call 'middle class'. And that the tides didn't wash it away into oblivion is also another mystery. I was really happy to get the soggy wallet and driving licence back. And glad you got yours back too.
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Its not difficult to assess that it was not his disagreeing nature that got MPG banned. Lots of disagreements happen in groups. Thats a fact. But if a particular group happened to have a vested interest in a common direction, then it makes no sense if a member of that group keeps objecting to the validity of said direction. It would be better for all concerned if that member (and any other who shares similar objections) leave the rest to go in the 'wrong' direction, and he (and those who happen to agree with him) go in the 'right' direction. Then both sides stand to benefit. This happened quite often on group fishing trips i have been on, where people argue over which side of the peninsular would yield a better catch, wasting unnecessary time and energy trying to persuade each other when the time could better invested in actually casting out and waiting for a bite. Even if one catches nothing, at the very least, its still a result. Arguments and incessant to-ing and fro-ing does not, under most circumstances, yield any palpable result in relation to achieving common objectives.
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oh gosh, i hope he did not learn how to use all those colourful metaphors from Jim!
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Sorry, but this was not clearly pointed out at all in post 18 and 20, which were the specific posts i had in mind responding the way i had. Dont take it the wrong way please. It was only a bit of light-hearted sarcasm, nothing serious. Peace, Mr Dragon.
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Hi Liminal, I think Karate is as good a martial art as any to learn and put into practice, so i would encourage you to take it up without any reservations. I believe Karate is based on a truly sound philosophy, one which is echoed below by the Japan Karate Association (JKA): Forging a Karate Mind Karate is not a game of points, weight classes or showy demonstrations. It is a martial art and way of life that trains a practitioner to be peaceful; but if conflict is unavoidable, true karate dictates taking down an opponent with one single blow. Such an action requires strength, speed, focus and control. But these physical aspects are only part of the practice - they are just the vehicle, not the journey itself. True karate is based on Bushido. In true karate, the body, mind and spirit -- the whole person -- must be developed simultaneously. Through kihon, kumite and kata we learn to give up control too. We can perform the techniques without thinking about them, and remain focused without having to concentrate on any one thing. In essence, the body remembers how to move and the mind remembers how to be still. This harmonious unity of mind and body is intensely powerful. Even the greatest physical strength and skill are no match for the power of wholeness. The result of true karate is natural, effortless action, and the confidence, humility, openness and peace only possible through perfect unity of mind and body. This is the core teaching of Zen, the basis of Bushido, and also the basis of JKA's karate philosophy. Contrast the above statement to what some people assume (for eg. our resident expert commentator C.D. ) and it becomes clear that karate is not all about brute force.
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* I dont think such a premise exists in Buddhist practice. Trying to cancel thoughts is like trying to separate water by cutting it with a knife.
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I believe Tsoknyi Rinpoche was hinting at the idea that we do not have to watch attentively to see if we are resting in the nature of mind, or whether we are distracted. That is like using one mind to watch another mind. I dont think Rinpoche was referencing a universal Mind as such.
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As a follow-up to Mr. Nungali's post about Eastern paths' focus on transcending the ego: This is a perception lacking in depth. The Eastern concept of ego has to do with habits. Habits are by nature essenceless, they are not our birthright. Habits are accruements, like material stuff that people collect and treasure. Nothing wrong with having material stuff. What is to be avoided is the tendency that drives people to exaggerate the value of possessions, material or otherwise. Hence, the spiritual attitude of the East is one where the encouragement is given to see things exactly for their value, and if this is applied, there is no need to transcend anything. However, as most of us tend to move either in the direction of over- or under-valuing something, such a trait often needs to be refined if one wishes to move towards awakening. Perhaps its the astute adjustments which are needed to be made towards awakening (and this applies to all spiritual work, East or West) that some like to label 'transcendence'. This is similar to your usage of the phrase, "The ego becomes an earthly manifestation of the Higher Self; a unique crystallization of True Spirit." The only difference i see is that this phrase appears to have been peppered with more sex appeal, thats all. Higher Self and True Spirit are terms generally avoided in Buddhist speak due to dualistic implications.
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Mingyur Rinpoche's Calming The Mind: The Practice of Awareness Meditation
C T posted a topic in Buddhist Discussion
An hour's worth of wisdom, suffused with warmth, clarity and personal experiences. In keeping with Rinpoche's reputation as 'The Happy Lama', he approaches the subject in a very light, humorous, yet meaningful way. Please Enjoy!- 1 reply
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Like a Knot That is Untied ~ Tsoknyi Rinpoche There is only one mind; it is not that there are two minds, one recognizing the other. In the very moment of recognizing, it is like a knot that is untied. We don’t have to do anything further than that, leave it untied. In the moment of looking, it is already seen. It is not that later on we come to see. Why? Because mind and mind essence are very close. The second reason is that it is not that mind essence is something that we have to get our sights on; it’s not like that. It is not that we need to hold the awareness on it for a while, like one or two minutes and slowly it will appear within our experience. Since there is only one mind, the moment you recognize, it is simply a matter of letting go. The thinker or knower of that moment is just like a new knot, like a new thought. The moment you abandon it, it unties. We are already arrived at where we need to arrive at, we are already in the nature of mind.
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Machig Labdron was pointing to egocentricity as the root cause of 'demonic' interferences, and not the neutral, usually healthy function of intelligent reasoning and logical thinking (which some confuse to be 'ego'). When buddhist teachers mention ego such a usage generally refers to one who has been snowed under by self-gratifying habits, which, according to karmic functioning, will lead to unsatisfactory outcomes. Shantideva said, "The total amount of happiness that exists in the world has come about from the actions of making others happy. The total amount of misery that exists in the world has come about from the desire of wanting only to make oneself happy." The most trusted antidote to pacifying negative entities is to develop, maintain and share bodhicitta. Shantideva encouraged in this way: Those who wish to crush the many sorrows of existence, Who wish to quell the pain of living beings, Who wish to have experience of a myriad joys Should never turn away from bodhichitta. Should bodhichitta come to birth In those who suffer, chained in prisons of samsara, In that instant they are called the children of the Blissful One, Revered by all the world, by gods and humankind. For like the supreme substance of the alchemists, It takes our impure flesh and makes of it The body of a Buddha, jewel beyond all price. Such is bodhicitta. Let us grasp it firmly!
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carrying children with belongings in a box plan to travel light...
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crank up that tummo watch your belly as it glows time for some noodles...
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Big free book Great Bliss Tantric Sex and the Path of Inner Awakening
C T replied to thelerner's topic in General Discussion
My immediate thoughts were directed towards understanding the motive of the writer, and whether or not he considered the implications of such vibrantly explicit, often loosely interpreted information being made available to non-initiates, and loathe to think in the direction of potential outcomes where these practices were experimented with in the absence of a teacher. I know it sounds almost prudish, and no disrespect to Tumoessence, but to me, such a work, and others similarly written, are cheesy, irresponsibly made, and designed to appeal solely to the DIY sector of spiritual dabblers (loads out there) who are game to try anything once. Such works offer plenty of exotic lingo for modern fringe practitioners besotted with ancient systems to fulfil their desires for arcane knowledge so that they can wantonly experiment without having to succumb to the moral and ethical guidelines implicit within most authentic lineages of Vajratantra. Unfortunately, such writers do not intermittently litter their works with red 'caution' signs in order to forewarn readers that there are perilous consequences involved if such information were to be applied wrongly. I know this is a biased opinion, and i apologise for the lack of objectivity in the observations made. Its just that misinformation abound, and when such are happened upon, its totally imprudent to stand back and say nothing. Not that it makes that much of a difference at the end of the day, but at least, i can sleep without this thing niggling at my conscience. Yeah, its selfish, i know. -
might cause me to laugh each time i take a shower i am like those frogs...
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Vmarco's just started posting again, in the Off Topic dept.
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What are daoists supposed to do with thoughts according to Lao Tzu?
C T replied to TheExaltedRonin's topic in General Discussion
Thank you, Steve (and MH too)... true gentlemen, both. What you said is the ultimate/ultimate fruition ... when i wrote the above, i was approaching more from the angle of relative/ultimate, i think you know where i'm coming from with this afterthought. A teacher (who wrote quite a few books i like) mentioned more than once that we do not really have to direct attention to the ultimate realizations; take good care of all the relative aspects of practice, he asserted, and the ultimate will manifest naturally, in due course ~ this, im thinking, is also another helpful approach in the uncovering process of Wu Wei, in addition to the excellent point you mentioned earlier. Thank you for highlighting what i believe to be a common syndrome which used to plagued me before, which is, my mind playing good cop/bad cop with me... it would wreak havoc and often left me mentally/emotionally/physically challenged, drained and spent all at the same time. I think a few here can easily relate to that! -
Yeah, i know of the name change, but it happened that i sorta like 'Serene Blue' more... better ring to it, i guess.
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Forestofemptiness. Goldisheavy. Lucky7Strikes. Vajrahridaya. Encephalon. Mandrake. Serene Blue. Konchog Uma. Some interesting individuals who has not been heard from for a while. May they all be well. _/\_
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What are daoists supposed to do with thoughts according to Lao Tzu?
C T replied to TheExaltedRonin's topic in General Discussion
I would say in buddhist practice, the implications are similar (in reference to the analogies re: fitting shoes and belt being forgotten). This could also point to reaching and maintaining the state of being untroubled by mundane activities, even in the midst of hectic-ness. In my practice, mindfulness is understood as developing a keen awareness so that whenever possible, we know how to think, speak and act appropriately, and to try and recognize those moments when distractions occur, those instances where we could lose track of staying present by the mind doing its own thing and wandering off in all directions. Those who dont do mindfulness would not have the necessary ability to notice when this happens, and so, their minds are always subject to the lesser habits, which then usually give rise to desire and aversion, both of which, in buddhist speak, means to be torn by dualistic tendencies. Without desire and aversion, there is actually no suffering, so thats why sometimes we say suffering is an illusion. In a nutshell, the practice of mindfulness, in my tradition, is the simple act of knowing when we are beginning to get enmeshed in dualistic tendencies, either from our thoughts, our speech, or from our actions ~ and with practice, the awareness of this becomes sharper and sharper, like an artisan who continuously hones his favourite blade, again and again, even though its already quite sharpened, and yet he takes pain to maintain the sharpness indefinitely because that is the intrinsic nature of what a good blade is supposed to be. In the beginning stages, when mindfulness is still not fully stable, we practice noticing distractions after the fact. Then, as we make progress, we can see the arisings of delusion and distractions as they occur, and later, in the perfecting stages, we fully comprehend our habitual responses, and in so doing, learn to anticipate when such occurrences could arise in lieu of what we are exposed to at each given time, and this anticipative ability becomes like a buffer zone which gives us space to notice negativity before it hits, and also, gives us time to choose a wiser, more practical response to situations. This then would be the ultimate fruition of a mind full of awareness and potential. -
No, you're right, its not true across the board.