C T

This sounds like a recollection of the moment you were conceived, and consciousness arose, from the very subtle, to subtle, to where it is now. If you read up on the Skandhas you might find a very practical understanding of how individuals, though all different, have some basic affinity with this uncreated sense of union of being and non-being, which is known as primordial purity, according to some buddhist texts. This union is your original state, which is basically a state of nondescript - beyond intellect, and is indescribable. Even words like contentment, peace and undiluted bliss only goes so far as pointers. As consciousness moves from the subtlest levels to the grosser levels, discrimination (dualistic perceptions) follows, also arising in tandem with the mushrooming of consciousness. Anyway, its no use for me to go into too much explanation here as there will be some who would see this from differing perspectives, which only goes to show the validity of the Skandhas. Wiki offers quite a detailed explanation on the Skandhas - http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Skandha Hope you find the way.

Signs of clouded brilliance, perhaps?

We are deviating waaay off topic here... but anyways, This is the part i do not understand - what makes people cling on to the idea that there is anything to 'do' in order to 'achieve' liberation, of all things? This is a self-defeating sentiment, and can only lead to compounded false premises and misdirected views being created out of this confusion. At least this is true within the framework of Buddhist practice. The teachings have been quite explicit in explaining this concept - that the idea of an 'I' that can go from point A to point B or C or D is a merely an idea. that there really is no one going anywhere. This here now is exactly where we are attempting to go. So abandon all notions that there is somewhere more pleasant, more free, more peaceful to get to. Someone once remarked, "If you want to know your past, and past lives, if that is the belief, look at where you are now; if you want to know your future (and lives), see where you are now." As far as your defiance to making amends goes, i am with you on this one, Miss K. Although i am not against doing it per se. What i am saying is that if we choose to do it, do it with full awareness, and if we choose to not do it, also do this with full awareness. That is all there is to it really. Otherwise it becomes hard to release the lethargy of lugging such a tremendous amount of imagined baggage. Maybe the conflict resulting from past trauma makes it very difficult to be clear headed. But then, we do have a choice in deciding what we want our main focus to be - either to remain overwhelmed by the consequences and choose to remain a victim, which can be nice, because we get to shift responsibility for remaining sulky and we find all the justifications why we want to continue to be hoarders of the antiquities of our past, (the easy way) OR, we can choose to work on creating the right causes from this moment on so that tomorrow's harvest could be different from yesterday's. (the simple way) As i have mentioned, if you are ok now, if you are living in joy and have a serene disposition presently, why bother with the expectations that surround this issue? Are you trying to find the right excuse in preparation for the possible future event that you may one day live to regret that you could not bring yourself to be on the right terms with your parents? Think about it. Is this the right approach? How will the future pan out if we decide that we want to cling to our painful past? Just be aware of this is enough. You do not really need to do anything you find no comfort in doing. Manifesting this awareness in itself, without the need to do anything else, is like planting the seeds and not having to go to the field very so often to check if the seeds are sprouting yet. Everything has their own time. If you take care of this moment, the next day is taken care of. As the next day improves due to the actions of today, slowly, we can change the past, without even having to do anything directly to effect the change. Wu wei. People have a tendency to put up scarecrows even before seeds have sprouted. Who knows, maybe the birds might not even be interested in fruits, they might only want to eat fish. But we imagine a lot of things... the joys of being human, i guess! All the best, Miss K. Remember, you do not have to do anything that makes you feel uncomfortable. But doing something small and good, in each moment, cannot be uncomfortable. Just start somewhere, anywhere, right now. baby steps.

No worries. Hope you can derive some benefit when you get it, and it'd be great if you can come back here and give us a review at some stage. But if it takes you to rainbow body within a couple of weeks, then consider that an exemption from the review?

Yeah, sometimes its difficult to recommend materials over a forum. It can only take one so far on the juice-o-meter, as you have pointed out, but some merit-imbued individuals can actually benefit from such works and take the teachings a couple of notches deeper, beyond the conceptual level. Direct introduction from a Ngagpa/Ngakmo can be very swift and clear, yes.

This book http://www.amazon.com/dp/1559392355?tag=mommmyst-20&camp=213381&creative=390973&linkCode=as4&creativeASIN=1559392355&adid=1Z203H4SC6GYTMSR0CN2& comes highly recommended as a very dependable reference in light of your interest here. Haven't read it myself, but friends of mine, some with more than 10 years of Vajrayana practices under their belt, never leave their homes without it. I understand it provides quite an in-depth instruction on how to begin working with the energetic pathways and chakras according to the advanced path of Buddhist tantra.

Indescribable!! Bravo to the human spirit! Its not hard to connect with inspiration. Words get in the way sometimes... Thank you for putting this up, DP. Thank you.

Have you considered that maybe the really accomplished Taoist adepts are not overly concerned about displaying remarkable feats? If i were you, i would not dismiss the possibilities. Anyway, one should not be too absorbed by dazzling displays of realizations. Its more practical to maintain Right View and adopt a humble position. Then View can descend from above, and conduct can ascend from below, and the two can meet at Union Junction and manifest some Blissful absorption eh? (btw, the pics you posted - those two corpses garbed in holy robes? It does not indicate Jalus, not even partial. Jalus are of two types - one is with remainder, and the other is without. With remainder means the adept chooses to leave behind an organ (say for example, the brain) which then turns into an ivory-like relic after they disappear. This relic is meant to aid the establishment of Dharma in various beneficial ways. Without remainder means the whole being turns into light, leaving only hair and nails behind. Full-bodied remains could indicate that these adepts have reached an immensely deep level of shamatha and got stuck as they passed away, that's why their bodies would not decompose. Many such corpses can be found in Thailand and within the Golden Triangle. I have seen a few too. According to the Tibetan masters, these bodies are in a state of 'frozen emptiness', just like meditation gods stuck at the highest levels of samsara called the Summit of Existence. Its an impressive attainment, but unfortunately, they are not liberated. There are practices which accomplished masters can perform to un-freeze these bodies, liberate their subtlest remains of consciousness, and allow the body to disintegrate after, although the correct means is usually to cremate the body immediately after the phowa is completed. )

DP

But my point was... there are no extremes. If you cannot see this, how can you move outside boundaries? What is Reality, other than a temporal manifestation of causes and conditions? That was the idea behind what i wrote. I do not think you grasped it all. Wasn't being critical of what you wrote, was I? If ideas are never right to begin with, how can they be wrong? One cannot work from an imagined premise and expect anything to take shape, even though things may appear to appear, but they actually only appear in accordance, or within the limits of what we choose to grasp with the senses. Can you operate outside of the senses? If you cant, then perimeters are set up, and we trap our limitations. If you think there is more than what can be experienced and felt beyond these boundaries of words and concepts, there in lies inspiration, and many other wonderful things! As a dancer, a person of fluidity, you can relate to this, i am sure. Illusion can be seen as the empty yet pregnant potential that exists in the spaces between each of your movement! In these spaces there are no limitations. Focus on the movements and there is awkwardness... to avoid awkwardness, what is to be done? Move in the unrestricted, empty spaces between extremes, perhaps? Think about it.

In the Buddhist tradition, Insight and the feel of enlightening experience is synonymous. Whenever the subject of Insight is discussed among Mahayana practitioners, very often the Prajnaparamita Sutra is referenced. I have found this commentary http://www.westernchanfellowship.org/heart-sutra-commentary.html of the aforementioned sutra to be very helpful, and have pasted it here for everyone's benefit. Hope its ok with you, Steve. Loved your OP!

I see 'nothing is...' as one extreme, and 'everything is...', as the other extreme. In my experience, rainbows do not manifest in either of these places. Not that rainbows are to be coveted, but to understand balance, we can contemplate how, by the coming together of conditions, they appear, and by the dissipation of said conditions, they cease to appear. Without substance, yet totally vivid whenever there is the necessary conglomeration of causes. Such is with all phenomena. Its pure wizardry.... also known as the magic of illusions.

Thank you, Manitou. I appreciate your stark revelations very much. It takes a person of great courage to express things the way that you frequently do. Life throws things at us whether we like it or not. If we take ourselves too seriously, then we pay a serious price. Alternatively, if we disregard it totally, this too incurs a heavy penalty. Making amends could be a way to find the will and the strength to not fall over either edges.

If forgiveness allows you to live more fully, and function more sanely, then by all means forgive. If it does not make a difference, then do not waste your energy by fretting about the past. Maybe someday it will... maybe it wont. Until then, give your heart into each present moment, as much as you can. If you cannot live in joy today, now, and do not know why or where you are lacking, then a little investigation might be a good way to go. Self investigation does not necessarily mean making amends... sometimes all it means is to find acceptance of human failings. Naturally, if you are able to live in joy, then what does any of this matter? It hurts me when it hurts you.

I sure hope not.

Your concern here is very much a real and justifiable one, 5ET. Too much too soon and trouble looms. I deeply appreciate your efforts to highlight the potential pitfalls to those who care enough to listen, and also your perseverance in offering your guidance so unselfishly. Sincerely, ct

What exactly are you talking about? That you want adulations for your posts? Just because praises were not directed your way does not mean your insights are not appreciated. I often take what you share to heart, and in turn pass them on to friends who have similar passions with you, and they really like what they read. And the advice you give to others here are very sound, and it'd be their loss if they do not take them to heart. But you were not being honest when you said you were being self-deprecative by including that subtle insinuation into that post. Well, it was not actually that subtle anyway. I did not take offense, but found it, how would you say, rather dismissive and out of character. Dont worry - its not you, just dealing with my own projectiles (read 'demons'). And... i did not call you BS - it was that insinuative tone that i found uncharacteristically non-5ET in nature, thats all. I could not gel the two... a momentary lapse more than likely.

:lol: thanks... my day is made!!

DP

Ahh... okay. Its just that i have never come across any Tibetan teacher that said something along this vein. What i have been told is that all Vajrayana practices undertaken helps to remove obscurations, and that in fact, there is nothing to attain. Some of these teachers would go as far as to tell their wide-eyed admirers that they are wasting their time and money if they think they can be led to enlightenment, but i digress... lest i be told i am advocating and preaching Buddhist superiority. Moreover, this is way off topic. I am no Kundalini warrior, so not much to contribute i'm afraid. Apologies.

What a statement! So anyone who opposes your 'warrior' views is basically having male authority issues? And buttons too? BS

Is that what they told you when you were practicing Vajrayana, Apech? I will find it odd if they did.

You speak like someone of great experience, Hundun lol. Wish all of us were at your level... Of course all the masters get it, thats why they are masters. I had fun cooking for Sogyal Rinpoche on a number of occasions in the past, and was fortunate to have accessed his presence on a deeper level than others thru this service. I know what you are saying, and i agree. But he does not advocate a structureless path at all. He says that as sentient beings the potential for freedom is equally available to all, and that our nature and the nature of the Buddhas are exactly the same, but, we cant see this clearly, and so have to work at revealing and stabilizing this innate expression of enlightenment thru practice. The way i see it, there are two ways to learn how to swim - either with a guide and all the necessary devices, or to venture out alone. Who can say for sure which way yields the correct result? There are also two depths where one can experience what it means to drown. One is at the shallow end, where your legs can touch the bottom, and upon lifting up the legs, you get a 'feel' of what it means to drown, without actually drowning. Or there is the other option.

Hi Non, The idea is not to bypass or repress needs, but to use them to your advantage, as bases which could lead to transforming the negative aspects of whatever arises within the realm of the senses into their positive equivalent. Buddhist tantra is very effective in this regard. But you are free to decide which road you want to take, but i would suggest that you do not go it alone. To begin mastery, its best you come to a decision on which path you want to use in order to gain full understanding of how needs can be used as means to propel you forward or upward in matters of the spirit. Some paths are more detailed than others, in that they provide actual maps which are systematically laid out, so that you do not have to rely on figuring things out on your own. If you are serious about spiritual development that is guided and backed up by a proven lineage of masters, which means that whatever doubts you have will be addressed not by the subjective interpretations of individuals who claim to be teachers, but by a provision of actual principles and data that will show you that if you do this, you will get that, and when you do that, you will get to that, and so on. Further to this, you will understand why certain practices can only be done after doing a lot of preliminary preparations, and you will be given guidance accordingly. The room for error is made smaller so your chances of getting somewhere become enhanced. Just as an example, in Vajrayana tantric schools, if you are given a practice that includes channelling your sexual energy, first you will be given a teaching that will outline the practice step by step so that you will get a conceptual understanding of what this practice is for, how it works, and what are the pitfalls to avoid. You might be asked to stabilize this conceptually for a period, during which time you can attend certain guided sessions relating to the practice, where you can clarify doubts, exchange notes with other practitioners, hear about experiences of those who have actually begun practice proper... and then when most, if not all doubts have all been addressed, you will have arrived then at the point where you are mentally convinced that whatever follows on after the conceptual phase, in the actual path of the practical applicative tools given to you, that these will yield the necessary results. This will result in a quicker and surer realization, rather that the common thing happening nowadays where participants attend a 3 day course, given materials, dance around a bit, raise a bit of energy, get a few demos, and bam! they call you a member of their school. Then, armed with these puny tools and with a hug and a pat on the back, you are 'formally' requested to hold your head up high, that you have 'graduated', which implies then that you are expected to put what you have 'mastered' in the 3 days to design the rest of your life henceforth. Naturally, these words have been dramatized a bit, but basically, i hope you get the idea of what is being said here. In relation to sexual energy cultivation in Buddhist tantra, on the conceptual level, it is said that there are 2 major paths of training. This is just a tiny elaboration to support what has been mentioned at the top para. These two major paths belong to the outer tantras made up of Mahayoga and Anuyoga. Specifically the 2 major paths mentioned here belong to Anuyoga. Path (1) is the path of skillful means, a training which aims to help the student generate and stabilize innate wisdom, the changeless great bliss, as its known in this tradition. One can do this by means either of the upper entrances, where one works on the 4 or 6 chakras of the body, which brings you to the fruit gradually, or by means of working with the lower entrance, which is union with consort (sexual practice, but not necessarily involving a partner), which brings fruition of innate wisdom instantly. The second path (2) is known as the path of liberation. Again, there are two aspects here. Meditation on the meaning, which requires contemplation on suchness, the ultimate nature that is free of any mental fabrications, and also free of mental conceptualizations. (formless) The other aspect of the training is called meditation on the signs or characteristics (forms). Here the student generate visualizations and one-pointed focus on the various deities and mandalas, while also working the pranic channels with mantra recitations. Upon stabilizing this, the mere utterance or recollection of the deity, or of chanting the mantras, one sees the world and its beings as the mandala of the various buddhas. From here, the student can relate whatever happens in the 'outside' world to the perfected settings of the 'inner' world of the mandala, and this is where all the transformation occur, within the pure environment of the mandala. From the outer tantras one progresses on to the inner tantra, which is called Atiyoga, or Heart Essence Yoga. Here again there is a gradation process from basic practices (outer development) leading up to advanced practices (inner development). The above is only a very brief outline which i have included just to give you a taste of what true cultivation involves as far as genuine traditional Buddhist yogic paths go. Its approach is never haphazard at all, and at the early stages, because it requires a lot of time to ground the practice, not many are dedicated enough, nor have the karmic connection, so to speak, to carry the practice thru to the completion stages. Pity, because the rewards, i am told, are immense. Hope this helps a bit. Best to you.