C T

lemme see...... there's emptiness, no self, dependent arising, lojong, ngondro, guru yoga, tong len, 9 vehicles, karma, samaya, dzogchen, mahamudra, madhyamika, semde/longde, rushen, phowa, mahayana, vajrayana, hinayana... in fact, there's plenty there to inspire and bring about deepening realizations. Every single practice is complete with its own ground, path and fruition. More than enough causes for celebration. And not forgetting Wesak, eh?

Its good you have a sense of 'inner space'. If you can see how things arise and subside into that same place, perhaps things will appear less concretised and the will to exert/release then becomes less of a demand and more of simply allowing conditions to roll on without being affected to the point of losing more of that which is already present in your scope.

Wishing everyone here an Amazing Gracious Christmas! May peace, goodwill and much happiness arise in your mindstream. Specially thinking of friends near and far who are experiencing confusion/afflictive emotions now -- may the causes for future poisons be eradicated, and positive seeds for tomorrow's joy be planted in each moment of seeing.

If im not mistaken, i think the idea flows along in this way... Ask not what God can do for you, instead, ask what you can do for God.

Thank you, Simple Jack. Such honesty is to be respected. Surely there are certain realizations behind it. So, if you don't mind me asking, do you have some sort of practice in place, even informally? For example, some of the stuff you post contains profound practice advice for contemplative and meditative exercises so that one could derive certain conclusions for oneself, for example, whether such advice can actually help the contemplator remove afflictions, a question i know is very dear to your heart, yes? If any Path can help a practitioner to completely and permanently remove afflictive delusions, that one is a true path. In my limited understanding, most spiritual systems available now in this age will only take a devotee some ways on, and so, due to obvious reasons, there is much confusion arising as a result. Whether or not Advaita Vedanta can help resolve afflictive emotions in its totality, i dont know. I dont know enough of that tradition to have a basis for arguing the subtleties. What i know is that this is the vital point, the resolution of afflictive poisons resulting in permanent eradication, so that all doubts will be erased and residual karma cannot have a place to take further root. I also know that the instructions i have received from my teachers, simple practice guides (simple because my teachers knew i am a lazy practitioner with small scope of intelligence) which i have been keeping to for quite a number of years have brought me closer to where i wish to be, spiritually speaking, so these have been validated by way of personal investigation and insights gained thereof. I hope the Advaita adherents here can help further my understandings by sharing their spiritual exercises and gains, and whether or not their practice have gone on to bring a dissolution of afflictions. If the desired results have been achieved, it would be very helpful to know what are the precise practices contained within that tradition which could be practically applied in order to reach those results.

It would be nice to hear what Simple Jack himself practices, on a daily basis. He is well rehearsed in intellectual Buddhism, there's no denying that, but often i do wonder whether he actually has a formal practice in place. Im sure i am wrong to hold such a presumptuous thought, but still, it'd be great to read about his own stuff, and not other people's stuff all the time. I dont think i have ever come across any of his personal practice notes before. late edit - gram. err.

i think you can find some useful pointers in the clip above.

time to reveal your true identity, 3 Z3N.

thats right, you did. but this happens on both sides, sometimes more, other times less. Buddhists 'attack' each other often as well. Every retreat i have been some form of 'attack' takes place. Warring factions, generally being a nuisance, pompousness, intimidation, its quite a joke. It could be different though. It should be.

When the mind is at peace, the world too is at peace. Nothing real, nothing absent. Not holding on to reality, not getting stuck in the void, you are neither holy nor wise, just an ordinary person who has completed their work. Layman Pang Having control over appearances does not mean jumping off buildings and flying. Rather, it means that you do not cling to appearances as they seem to be in the usual worldly way of relating to them. Such appearances will not cause you suffering or tie you up once you have gained mastery over them through not clinging. It is prajna realizing selflessness that frees you from samsara. Through knowing appearances to be inseparable from emptiness, you have mastery over them. It is not necessary to engage in behavior that is contrary to a mundane way of seeing things. Khenpo Tsultrim Rinpoche To understand selflessness, you need to understand that everything that exists is contained in two groups called the two truths: conventional and ultimate. The phenomena that we see and observe around us can go from good to bad, or bad to good, depending on various causes and conditions. Many phenomena cannot be said to be inherently good or bad; they are better or worse, tall or short, beautiful or ugly, only by comparison, not by way of their own nature. Their value is relative. From this you can see that there is a discrepancy between the way things appear and how they actually are. For instance, something may—in terms of how it appears—look good, but, due to its inner nature being different, it can turn bad once it is affected by conditions. Food that looks so good in a restaurant may not sit so well in your stomach. This is a clear sign of a discrepancy between appearance and reality. These phenomena themselves are called conventional truths: they are known by consciousness that goes no further than appearances. But the same objects have an inner mode of being, called an ultimate truth, that allows for the changes brought about by conditions. A wise consciousness, not satisfied with mere appearances, analyzes to find whether objects inherently exist as they seem to do but discovers their absence of inherent existence. It finds an emptiness of inherent existence beyond appearances. 14th Dalai Lama When you dream of an elephant, does an elephant appear to your mind? Indeed it appears very clearly. Is there an elephant there? No. This appearance of an elephant in your dream is a union of appearance and emptiness. It appears, yet it does not exist – yet it appears. It is the same with all external phenomena. If we understand the example of the appearance of something in a dream, it is easier to understand how the mind appears yet does not exist, and does not exist yet appears. Thrangu Rinpoche Clarity, like emptiness, is infinite: it has no limits, no starting point and no end. The more deeply we examine our minds, the less possible it becomes to find a clear distinction between where our own mind ends and other’s begin. As this begins to happen, the sense of difference between “self” and “other” gives way to a gentler and more fluid sense of identification with other beings and with the world around us. Mingyur Rinpoche The essence of thoughts that suddenly arise is without any nature. Do not inhibit their appearance in any way, and without thinking of any essence, let them arise clearly, nakedly, and vividly. Likewise, if one thought arises, observe its nature, and if two arise, observe their nature. Thus, whatever thoughts arise, let them go without holding onto them. Let them remain as fragments. Release them unimpededly. Be naked without an object. Release them without grasping. This is close to becoming a Buddha. This is the self-extinction of samsara, samsara is overwhelmed, samsara is disempowered, and samsara is exhausted. Knowledge of the path of method and wisdom, appearances and emptiness, the gradual stages, the common and special paths, and the 84.000 entrances to the Dharma is made perfectly complete and fulfilled in an instant. This is self-arisen, for it is present like that in the very nature [of awareness]. Natural liberation is the essence of all the stainless paths, and it bears the essence of emptiness and compassion. Yang Gonpa So what is emptiness? It is simply this unfindability. When we look for the flower among its parts, we are confronted with the abscence of such flower. That absence we are confronted with is the flower’s emptiness. But then, is there no flower? Of course there is. To seek for the core of any phenomenon is ultimately to arrive at a more subtle appreciation of its emptiness, its unfindability. 14th Dalai Lama All descriptions of reality are limited expressions of the world of emptiness. Yet we attach to the descriptions and think they are reality. That is a mistake. Shunryu Suzuki Because everything is by nature empty, infinite manifestations from the natural creative potential of emptiness all the phenomena of samsara and nirvana can manifest as an infinite display. Although all these manifestations arise, it is not as if they are permanent when they are there and impermanent when they are no longer there. Everything arises as in a dream or a like a magical illusion. It is like a rainbow, which, though it appears clearly in the sky, is not solid. It is apparent yet empty. But its emptiness and appearance are not two separate aspects. It is not that the rainbow being present is one aspect and its being empty is another. The rainbow is simultaneously apparent and empty, and there is no other emptiness than the rainbow itself. The same is true for all the phenomena of samsara and nirvana: they are empty from the very moment they appear. Dilgo Khyentse Rinpoche Generally, all phenomena are included in both samsara and nirvana. The nature of that which is called samsara is emptiness. It’s expression is confusion. It’s defining characteristic is to arise as suffering. The nature of that which is called nirvana is emptiness. It’s expression is the exhaustion and the disappearance of all confusion. It’s defining characteristic is the liberation from all suffering. Gampopa If you recognize the emptiness of your thoughts instead of solidifying them, the arising and subsiding of each thought will clarify and strengthen your realization of emptiness. Dilgo Khyentse Rinpoche Son, after realizing the things of this world are unreal, There is little benefit in dwelling in solitude. When the falsehoods of phenomenal appearances have collapsed into their own nature (emptiness), And the unaltered nature of phenomena has been recognized - Do not nit-pick the subtle concepts of grasping and grasped Or attach to the contaminated virtuous deeds. Please maintain the stronghold of the vast expanse of primordial pure nature. Padmasambhava The only way to actually abandon or eradicate the kleshas is to see their nature. Therefore, in order to abandon the kleshas, we must cultivate the prajna or discernment which is able to see the nature of those kleshas. If their nature is seen, they will disappear by themselves without having to be chased away or destroyed by any other means. So in order to cultivate this prajna, the Buddha taught emptiness. He taught that there is no truly existent person who generates kleshas, that there is no truly existent object that stimulates kleshas, that the kleshas themselves have no solid or substantial existence, and so forth. He taught that what we experience exists as relative truth, but that the emptiness of what we experience is absolute truth. Thrangu Rinpoche When we rub two sticks together that produces a fire that will eventually cease. However, the fire doesn’t come from anywhere when it starts to burn the sticks, and it doesn’t go anywhere when it dies out. Fire is empty of coming and going. Similarly, ignorance – clinging to the belief in a self, the mental afflictions, or suffering – does not come from anywhere and does not go anywhere. We can apply this to our dreams: whatever appears in dreams, be it happiness or suffering, does not come from anywhere and it does not go anywhere. All phenomena are empty of coming and going. Khenpo Tsultrim Rinpoche There... something to chew on over Christmas, folks. The pro camp would be quite delighted and inspired, so will hopefully not have the gumption to eat meat. The anti- one, well, they would be quite so disgusted as to lose their appetite, so, either way.... I think i just contributed to a stay of execution of a few turkeys.

Fibonacci rules while dolphins swim, lions roar roses bloom then fade...

Are you really that bored, 3bob?

I know. Growing up, we had a gardener come in every few days to help mother tend to her plants and do other bits around the garden. Kadir was his name. I loved Kadir as a little kid because he would sometimes indulge my childish curiousities by putting me up on the back of his big bicycle and took me to the orchards to pick fruits, catch frogs, and watch the eels in the streams nearby. Kadir worked with us for many many years, and was very devoted to his craft. Of course i could not see this then. Only later, in my teenage years, did i realise this humble, soft-spoken 'Tender of gardens' was also a silat master. I remember visiting his house on stilts and jaw-dropping at his collection of keris'. He did show me once or twice the formidability of such a weapon, and why they are revered in such a way as to almost breathe life into them, that a particular keris would almost direct the wielder when applied, and not the other way round.

thin crust of armour so thin its almost unseen this egoic veil...

You think Madhyamika is that convoluted and tainted by unhelpful stuff? What motivates you to continue holding such a view? What have you put into practice, for what length of time, the comparative studies you have made, to drive you towards such a conclusive stance? The basis of Madhyamika is to expound in greater subtlety the discourses on the Middle Way as taught by Shakyamuni Buddha. If we have not applied ourselves to venture, in greater subtlety, past the external conditions and human errors to get to the essence of the path, then how can we expect to become unstuck -- surely we cannot achieve the Middle Way by merely looking and floundering around on the peripherals where dogma and politics are rife -- to do so we would have made the choice to remain no better than those of whom such observations have been made against.

In feeling lost, feel it in its totality. Its only a feeling, empty... it wont eat you alive. Have no fear. If you do, then your imaginings will emerge in greater and greater numbers, like a horde of demons borne from one, then two, then four, and so on. But when you see its empty nature completely, it will not only lose its claws on you, it will become subservient and protect you from further harm. We can learn a lot from Milarepa. He was always assailed by demons of the mind. To pacify them, he composed songs and sang to them. His approach was always one of utter surrender -- in this way, he gained full emancipation and achieved sainthood. Milarepa is one of the lineage holders of the Kagyu lineage of Tibetan Buddhism. He is one of the heroes, one of the brave ones, a very crazy, unusual fellow. He was a loner who lived in caves by himself and meditated wholeheartedly for years. He was extremely stubborn and determined. If he could not find anything to eat for a couple of years, he just ate nettles and turned green, but he never stopped practicing. One evening Milarepa returned to his cave after gathering firewood, only to find it filled with demons. They were cooking his food, reading his books, sleeping in his bed. They had taken over the joint. He knew about non duality of self and other, but he still did not quite know how to get these guys out of his cave. Even though he had the sense that they were just a projection of his own mind – all the unwanted parts of himself – he did not know to get rid of them. So, first he taught them the dharma. He sat on a seat that was higher than they were and said things to them about how we are all one. He talked about compassion and shunyata and how poison is medicine. Nothing happened. The demons were still there. Then he lost his patience and got very angry and ran at them. They just laughed at him. Finally, he gave up and just sat down on the floor, saying, “I am not going away and it looks like you are not either, so let us just live here together.“ And at that point, all of them left except one. Milarepa said, “Oh, this one is particularly vicious.“ (We all know that one. Sometimes we have lots of them like that. Sometimes we feel that is all we have got.) He did not know what to do, so he just surrendered himself even further. He walked over and put himself right into the mouth of the demon and said, “Just eat me up, if you want to.“ Then the demon left too. The moral of the story is, when the resistance is gone, so are the demons. ༀ (copied from Vajrayana Archives)

Just watched this neat clip and wanted to share with you guys. enjoy!

Another well-made Martial Arts documentary. This one gave me goose bumps right after the first couple of minutes. I think you will like it too.

Have heard only good things of Rinpoche.

Gong fu choco ninja turtles?

The Tibetans have the tulku system for a similar reason (political greed aside).

Count yourself lucky he was in that particular mood...

Sounds like a song a modern Jesus could sing.

For someone who grew up in the East, John Chang is not really that impressive. He is a smart guy alright, found what some Western Bruce Lee wannabes thirst for and gave them just enough to reap some rewards for himself. (sigh) if only Mr Lee was still around.... There are many John Changs all over the Far East. Most are inaccessible though. They shun attention, have no students, or only one or two, at most, for the duration of their lives. Some live in makeshift huts deep in the jungles, others in mountain caves at the ends of similar jungles. Not only is it next to impossible to find them, its next to impossible to even find a guide who knows how to traverse these equatorial forests (it rains leeches when the time is right), and if you find one who can, chances are he will not know who is being sought, and therefore will be of no useful help. Its that difficult. We hear stories now and then. Of powers and strangely things these hidden hermits can do. Fist-sized rocks being thrown and being stopped at mid flight. Cultivating immunity to snake bites (cobras, mambas, that sort), travelling at night thru thick mangroves with no torch, navigating with inner light, and other tales which we cannot verify, as much as we would love to. Some locals have been healed by these masters solely based on affinity, and it is thru the village chatter that we get faint suspicions that such powerful people do indeed exist. I used to call them Keepers of the Light back years ago, having a similar sort of determination like MPG, and telling myself that i have the strongest resolve to find one of these Keepers and dedicate my life to learning the Art. Personally, i have seen some really incredible feats performed by silat grandmasters. They do such demos to publicise lineage and recruit students for their particular schools. You could say they must be at least level something or other because what these guys can do quite boggles the mind. Dont ask for details. For those who are curious, catch a flight to Malaysia and look them up... they are easy enough to locate, no mysterious agendas involved.