C T

thank you, Sun... always enjoy Mooji's talks! _/\_

container of stars turn it upside down tonight scatter the cosmos!

is that like putting the lights out? when caffeine is removed from coffee, its called 'de-caffeinated'. and a tyre that has gone flat, a deflated tyre. you get the drift.

had a few days off -- short break from work before the christmas frenzy begins. took a leisurely drive to Sogyal Rinpoche's retreat centre in the West of Ireland, and got hold of Quintessential Dzogchen in the centre's bookstore/cafe. Looking forward to reading it. Its so weird but my partner actually pulled out Dakini's Warm Breath from off the shelf and had a little read. Said she will want to purchase it soon.

payback: feasible? sure... just reclaim your power Dakini Power! http://www.dakinipower.com/

if clinging to a self is predominant in one's daily activities of thinking, speaking and acts, then its not advisable to have a partner for obvious reasons. very often the partner is only used as a masseur or masseuse for one's ego. based on this, no amount of cultivation will work to improve anything because the premise is an incorrect one to begin with. if the clinging is weak or absent altogether, then whether one has a partner (or partners) is neither good or bad because the view has been corrected, and one functions on that basis or at least try to function off that as much as possible. with correct view of reality in place, nothing is a hindrance. its an all-inclusive state of being, no acceptance is needed, no rejection will be felt. just complete and utter openness. from here, the last thing one wants is self-gratification. in fact, the aim becomes one of deep concern for the well-being of the other, whether it be a partner, a friend, a cat, or dog, or an ant-eater. i've had a few very long relationships over the years. first one lasted 7+ years, second one 4+, and now, the third over 5 years already. in the first, it was all self-based, all about me, with lots of disguises to fool the other person into thinking its not. the second one was also the same, to a lesser degree perhaps, but same nonetheless. now, this time, with my current partner (who is half my age) its quite a different place where its at. perhaps the nine years i took commitment to remain single prior to this corrected a lot of stuff which needed much tending to, and this helped. now, with the inner self quite in accord, its good to be in a relationship. i can see the real meaning of having an attitude of devotion, of wanting to make the other person happy, to genuinely wish to do no harm on every level so that the causes for unhappiness are not created. and if these seeds are never planted, then one will never experience the fruits, logically speaking. its not difficult really. right view. thats all.

really cool...

there are some (albeit rare) individuals who would, literally, rather die on the feet than live on their knees just so a principle is not compromised. moreover, there are a lot of people, even to this day, who would have no hesitation to lay their life down just so others could live. when others are seen as more important as self, then losing one's life becomes a noble necessity where there are no more options. in the name of truth perhaps. for sure there are a few other reasons, just as noble. this is the true light of bodhicitta. it shines still. even when the body is no more.

Indeed, neutrality (or equanimity) and non-judgement are vital aspects in the development of bodhicitta, from what i have observed. Without this basis, it is easy to get caught up in a self, which in the teachings it says that the self is biggest obstacle en route to bodhisattvahood. Whether or not states of non-thought are primary in the same development is questionable (in my limited understanding only), although it could be said that when the self is absent, there is thinking, but no thinker, so in that sense, maybe its ok to equate that with non-thought since the thinker cannot be found. Again, this sort of enquiry is bordering on the level of high attainment, one which i have yet to glimpse. Its mere speculation on my part at this juncture.

laxity is quite an issue when it comes to buddhist practice. the cultivation and momentum gained from daily doing small things for others to increase their happiness cuts the root of this obstacle. instead of trying to aim at the grand scheme of things, which, at the basis lies the true import of selflessness, aim to help others in whatever ways possible, and in time, selflessness will become a realization all on its own, spontaneously, without having to primarily fixate on 'finding' it. It becomes a joyful experiential process, and one which is actually measurable. This is quite important because many of those who pay lip service to the absolute level (of cultivating bodhicitta) often have no clue what is actually happening in the real world, and this is echoed by the Dalai Lama oftentimes. this is a more practical approach, one which the majority can easily access and bring to fruition. im thinking whether there is really a point in getting bombastic over something which is often beyond the scope of daily practice.

who? im j/k

a toothless dragon grinning, gobbles mashed turnips to aid digestion...

i take what i can from all sources, and cling to none.

greetings from Galway!

yes, its a strange phenomenon. they are a mixed bunch though in real life. some are really very sincere, kind, soft, and full of heart, while a few really strut themselves around like peacocks. ("oooh, lookie here, im a dzogchen yogi, and you are nothing..."). the antics are endless, even more apparent when the big Guru comes a-calling to the centre to do the rounds. tantric novices. dont expect too much.

imagine winning 115 million euro on a 2 euro lottery ticket. that's exactly what one lucky punter won a few years ago in the same city where i used to reside and work. she used to be a cleaner who mopped floors in hospitals and shopping malls. she went to her local store on that fateful evening to buy groceries, and decided to chance her luck with a lottery ticket. there was a small queue at the check-out. as she joined the line, an elderly chap, who was also waiting to buy a lotto ticket, did the gentlemanly thing and offered her to step in front of him saying that he was in no hurry, but really, he might have been thinking that by doing a good turn, lady luck might reward his gallant effort. that simple twist (of fate) of moving ahead of this poor chap made all the difference in the world for both of them. as far as i know, she did not even try to locate her benefactor to see if he could do with some small reward or maybe a Ferrari or something like that. her son bought himself one though. it was red. typical.

now you throw three coins one for father, one for son, one for holy ghost...

its all relative to mind. ultimately even mind is relative, so...

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mNrphZgtGKg

Ooo lala, nice image! Thanks RV! The story goes that one day, while practicing with Mandarava at his cemetery retreat (!) a friend paid Padmasambhava a visit. He goes on to admonish Padmasambhava for being a 'fine example' having left his lawful wife (i'm thinking Yeshe Tsogyal) back at Urgyen coutry and now fooling around with other women in discrete places for fear of being seen. The account went on to say that Padmasambhava thought to himself: "Inasmuch as this fellow is ignorant of the inner significance of the Tantrayana and of the yogic practices pertaining to the three chief psychic channels, I should pardon him." (3 channels being the central one, the avadhuti, the left, rasana, and the right, lalana).

Do prostrations in addition to sitting and walking. Please... Try it for 21 days and report the benefits!

Padmasambhava did a lot of tantric practices with Mandarava on charnel grounds.

i don't know, either when mind bends, things bend with it in this sea of change...

"Pierced at a distance by the thorn of sanyama, the virgin yields her essence which, like moonlight, soothes those burned by the three-tongued flame of misery." (taken from a fragment of a lost tantric text).