C T

Do you think awakening removes one from the link of dependent origination? As i am aware, it does not. Perhaps future ignorance will not arise, but past ignorances will still have to be worked through. Those who complete the process of removing all traces of past (conditionings) in their lifetime attain rainbow-body, but because this is such a rare thing nowadays, the bodhisattva ideal comes to the fore, so that people can still have something worthwhile to underscore and give meaning to their path. Hence, i think doing the work (practice) would be akin to a conscious duty of retracing the 12 links from the last to the first, whereas for others this turnaround does not happen, until at some point, something happens which ripens (a need for) vidya. Again, its all theory. In actuality, its quite easy to slip and get distracted all the time. We (actually, its me, not we) think we have mastered much, but thats just us fooling ourselves most of the time.

On the matter of Chogyam Trungpa, here's something i read the other day... Now, sometimes, people point to Trungpa Rinpoche and say, "Well, he smoked cigarettes, so why can't i smoke cigarettes?" Trungpa Rinpoche was a fully-realized mahasiddha who absorbed poisons for the benefit of others. If you are legitimately in his league, then i suppose it does not really matter if you smoke or not. However, if you are not in his league, then leave it alone, won't you?" The writer continues - I should probably also mention that if you smoke tobacco, marijuana, or opium, it will be impossible to reach and rescue you once you are in the intermediate stage. Perhaps we might qualify that by saying that although it will be possible to reach you, because of your smoking habits, you will not be able to gain any benefit. There are experiences in the perceived bardo which are devoid of any color --- these are proximate to rather hellish appearances -- and tobacco use in particular makes these appearances rather formidable. You tell people these things, and they say, "Oh well... i smoke." But it is just stupid nonsense. Now, this moment, we could allow the natural state to rest our minds. and don't smoke. (sorry, off tyopiuc)

One could say 'rigpa' is knowledge which ensues from an evened mind, which is devoid of conceptual thoughts and free of remainder. A continuum of clarity, is how i see it. It is 'knowing' without being caught by subtle distractions. Thats the theory, the easy part. A lifetime of practice to gain stability is the more prudent option.

urine trouble too two or three drops wont kill you please don't be sheepish...

frozen haiku time forever etched in the mainframe n'er to be undone...

I am not my thoughts confusion dawns as wisdom now i am baffled...

When shaving, its best not to nick yourself. If you succeed, that is tao. If you fail once and learn from it, that is tao. If you fail twice, and learn that life can be a bummer sometimes when it comes to nicking oneself, that is tao. If you nick yourself a third time, well.... the flaxseed bag could come in very handy, i'd say. Just a thought.

not all that mundane this life of endless nuances rainbows at each turn...

A petite film which looks at the experiences of a few participants of a 3-year retreat in Sikkim led by Ringu Tulku Rinpoche. http://vimeo.com/45569179

No worries... glad you found it interesting.

Why do you keep deleting good posts with valid questions, sir?

longs to dance with you this weary soldier of love one last, sweet tango....

Yup, Dzogchen is not a gradual path. It just takes a lifetime of grounding the view thru daily practice. Not gradual at all. Non.

Thats pretty obvious.

i found SJ's reply to your question strange. Like, totally out of sync.

think I'll go on home bereft of laborious thoughts a lightness descends...

like our water gate? perhaps have a cup of tea and wait for sun's rise and wait for sun's rise feel free to roam as you please celebrate contrast!

welcome to China feel free to roam as you please celebrate contrast!

And knows no limits the effervescence of youth brimming with joy...

I just watched the trailer for IP Man: The Final Fight. Pity they did not reinstate Donnie Yen in the lead. He was absolutely brilliant in the first 2 films (biased opinion, cos i have always been a fan of his). Anthony Wong? Neh... he's another good actor, but martial artist he's not. Stereotypical triad big gun or cop with an agenda kind of actor. As for The Grandmaster... Could not figure out why they casted Tony Leung in the lead role. He's not even a martial artist, just a very charming and well-loved HK actor who started life on TV soaps and made it big from having appeal oozing out of his ears. I quite like his acting though, and some of his films are really good as he emotionalizes his roles to perfection -- he's like the Pacino of HK movies. One of his films which i thought was outstanding is 'Lust, Caution'. Worth watching.

to abide or not? in dreams of riches and fame? what say you, my friend?

So, tell me, SJ, what is the true representation of Dzogchen methods, if at all methods are involved. What does being a Dzogchen practitioner entail? Alan Wallace is not the only Vajrayana teacher who places emphasis on conjoining samatha and vipassana as a means to stabilize realization. You could try to enter into correspondence with Sogyal Rinpoche or Dzogchen Rinpoche (and other Nyingma lamas if you wish) to ask them what is the most trusted way to train in sustaining the view a.k.a 'resting the mind in its natural state'. You can also get over 5 hours (in 5 parts) of teaching on Samatha and Vipassana by Khenpo Sherab Sangpo (Nyingma) on Youtube. Also this:

Meditation, in its true sense, is meant to awaken, not tire the practitioner out or put him or her into some kind of stupor. If one is tired then rest, not meditate. Its better to sit (meditate) when one has been refreshed. Best to do short sessions, with short breaks, rather than attempting to sit for a stretch in one go. Even experienced meditators could hit a flat zone when a session drags whereby a kind of imposing happens. I personally find sitting for half-hour sessions, with 3 minute breaks the most ideal. Keep it natural, keep it simple, keep it short is my advice.

excerpt from Dudjom Lingpa's 'The Vajra Essence': "The experience of the union of tranquil stillness (samatha) and true seeing (vipassana) is clear and pristine, radiating but non-conceptual. These four are called abiding in evenness having the four characteristics. Since this is free from the five skandhas, not establishing the essential of shape and color is freedom from the skandha of form; not having attachments to all kinds of experiences is freedom from the skandha of feeling; being free from the aim of distinctions is freedom from the skandha of perception; having no mental motivation is freedom from the skandha of intention; and not grasping at objective appearances is freedom from the skandha of consciousness." According to the few Dzogchen teachings i have loosely received, its been mentioned many times by as many teachers that focus on samatha and vipassana ought to be evenly laid. Only then can 'the experience of the union of tranquil stillness and true seeing' arise, as evidenced from the advice of Dudjom Lingpa above. Commenting on the above passage, Thinley Norbu Rinpoche said: "In this way, if one abides correctly in equanimity that is free from the five skandhas, there is freedom from the mind of the three realms. When sustaining in awareness while not distracted with desire, there is freedom from the mind of the god realm of desire. When sustaining in clarity while not grasping at form, there is freedom from the mind of the god realm of form. When sustaining in conceptionlessness while appearances of objects are unobscured, there is freedom from the mind of the god realm of formlessness. This is said by all sublime scholars and accomplished practitioners of the past." Alan Wallace led a few retreats based on 'The Vajra Essence'. In this clip he clearly gave the gist of what the retreats covered:

sneezing subsided holy smacks! Its true indeed! all hail to qigong!