C T

Find out yourself.

This brought a chuckle... http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FIIRqBr-AJY

In Buddhism, the fundamental advice from Shakyamuni is to salvage oneself with the aid of the Noble 8fold Path. In that, there is no mention of grace from God (gods). Each individual is fully endowed with the responsibility of accounting for their own thoughts and actions. The need to ponder/philosophize on the unnecessaries are hence eradicated from the root. Having received this advice, people still want to proceed into the subject. Why? Because it seems to be an intelligent distraction. This, the Buddha said, leads nowhere. Thereupon, he chose silence instead.

gives herself to god in pious sanctimony screaming with delight!

I say, "starve the beast!" while away its potential little by little..

tell me what you do now that spring is in the air dye those socks purple..

life is meant to share a little bread, sumptuous meal come here, little bird..

Only that. Even the observer of the 'nowness' of smelling and hearing disappears.

The most detailed explanation given on 'kamma' i have read anywhere, by the Ven. Aggacitta Bhikkhu -- http://www.buddhanet.net/pdf_file/dietolive.pdf

denial but obscures fairest maiden of the vale innocence proclaimed..

In most parts of the Republic of Ireland its still fairly easy and relatively inexpensive to buy certified organic vegetables and fruits. Farmers' markets are the trendy thing nowadays and one gets spoilt for the amazing varieties of cottage-type growers offering their produce, from eggs to jams to cheese to sauces/chutneys to smoked eels to fresh or cured organic meats and seafood! I live near the coast, and being fond of seafood, its like paradise! Quite a lot of homes are turning to rigging wells as the government is phasing in water charges to all businesses and homes soon enough. Used to be free water before. boo...

my heart remains warm while toes wiggle in the snow warm snow yearns for spring..

i turn to lemon arousing the envy of my tangerine kins..

just where i left them gone, the dreams of yesterday brand new page today..

Good stuff, SJ

How true.

I have attended a couple of retreats led by a well-known Rinpoche, and the man who donated all his land to enable the retreat centre to have a base was sitting amongst the students, learning and listening with them, and so were a handful of his (Rinpoche's) patrons as well. There was no open acknowledgement that these were the creamier elite, where they got to sit to one side of the hall, like vips or something to that effect. They also ate with the group, and bunked with the rest of attendees as well. One can see from a distance that these people were with substance, from the cars they drove to the way they dressed. (But they definitely were not wearing designer shoes from Prada or Jimmy Choo, cos these will just conveniently get lost in the mountain of Hush Pups and M&S slippers outside the meditation hall.) It may just be a show, but if it was, these people should seek screentests in Hollow'ed.

Thank you, K Uma, for taking the trouble to seek a second opinion from your teachers.

Here's one dish that is well-loved throughout Malaysia, Singapore, Indonesia, and some parts of India: http://jeroxie.com/addiction/kambing

None of this negates the efficacy of the Buddha Dharma. And its nothing to do with 'blind faith'. Spiritual practitioners ar not exempt from exploitations. Human folly. Its everywhere. Tantric Buddhism cannot be logically understood and explained via intellectual/philosophical avenues. A lot of times, words will not suffice. One goes in, and like anything one does, one needs to exercise appropriate observation and deduction. Its always the hope of masters of these traditions that students who venture forth do so already having honed their intuitive abilities to a higher degree than other middling practitioners. But, there can be a lot of self-deception, and ego needs having to be satisfied, hence, a lot of times, people dive in not fully prepared, and they get into one conflicting difficulty after another. Ironically, its the tribulations that are supposed to cause greater wakefulness. Or so they say. Walk with awareness. There are many good reasons why those on the beginners' paths have to do repetitive exercises, numbering hundreds of thousands of times. There are no short-cuts. Talk is easy... everyone is a yogi of some distinction, but when there is difficulty, all the blame goes back to the Buddha. In many ways, its the easiest option to take to compensate for one's own lack. Do the work. For example, prostrations. Its very effective. Do it 50,000 times, and watch what happens. If nothing happens, do it for another 50,000. Just talking is easy. Do first, then speak.

This is ok, as long as the practice does not cause any dependency to occur. If it does, in the sense that you find yourself needing the practice in order to feel a particular way or to reach a particular space, then, imo, some reassessment may be helpful. Im only making a generalized observation here, as i have absolutely no experience with S-M, although personally i do not find any affinity with energetic-based practices.

Intent can be quite a deciding factor during the more challenging periods, dont you think so? I find that it directs the outcome of practice all the time. Usually, my aim is not to get 'high' thru/in practice, but to reach an equanimous plateau of sorts (within), and then carry this result as i go about my work day, which can be very charged during busy periods, usually dinner time on weekends. Then, whatever happens around me does not 'stick', in the sense that i do not get displaced by the din, which means by this i would have eradicated the potentially distressing cause(s). Nipped in the bud, sort of way. The great benefit is when one can bring this into all other areas and modes of daily activities. How this can be done is thru simple mindfulness practice, from my own experience.

Just came across this news article, and thought you might want to read it, about the Sardinian siblings and minestrone soup, which they attribute to their long and healthy life. http://www.businessinsider.com/sardinian-siblings-credit-minestrone-soup-for-world-record-age-2012-8

If a teacher or shaman really has what it takes, there is absolutely no doubt people will flock to him/her to seek his/her presence. In the East, for example, advertising one's abilities to get patrons and punters are seen as bad form. The way its done over there is thru one's show of ability. Prove your worth, and word quickly spreads around, and if the sincerity is felt, patrons will then mysteriously appear to give you anything you want, just to ensure that you can continue unhindered to provide your specialized service to the masses. Some teachers i know have a hard time keeping the ardent followers away, really. These enamored students would follow the teacher to France, to Germany, to the UK, anywhere the teacher goes, they follow, as if mesmerized. These teachers do not advertise in the conventional sense -- their presence is enough advertisement in itself. Sadly, i have observed that a lot of Tibetan centres in the West have begun to charge heftily for their retreats and workshops. Yet, there are still teachers who give teachings and do not ask for payment, but its getting more difficult to connect with them. People's expectations have changed a lot in recent times.

Really?