C T

Yes! Wonderfully expressed (as usual...)

Padmasambhava once told fellow yogis and yoginis to take heed on the spiritual path. He said to all, "Even though your 'View' is as vast as the sky, let your conduct be more refined than barley flour." The spiritual path is full of traps. Even highly-realized individuals, who has honed their spiritual 'self', if they cannot at the same time let go of this 'self', can and will remain trapped in the quagmire of ego and as a result their spiritual 'behavior' can still be tainted with pompousness and judgmental attitudes. This can be a source of great suffering, even greater than those who are actually not on the 'path'. Haven't we all seen how so-called Masters, even after years of teaching and accumulating thousands of students, can still succumb to irrational thoughts and less than moral actions? I can say for sure that acquiring amulets and pendants, which many Asians have a weakness for, cannot help, if fundamentally there is no harmony between one's spiritual attainments and normal, everyday behavior in terms of interacting with others. Because of this, purification of the inner being becomes hampered, traces of arrogance creeps in, and slowly, one could end up being tormented in the 'lower realms', even though there had been years put in to spiritual practices (and wasted). Its similar to a brand new car that is left too long near the sea - the breeze alone can rust the car after a while. We cant see the breeze, yet its effect can be very obvious. So in many ways, maintaining good virtue of thoughts, words and deeds are quite crucial. This ensures the 'breeze of samsara' is kept at bay, and we can remain 'rust-free', even after many years of hard work on the cultivation side of things. This is one end of the 'Retention' business. Its a kind of 'jing' - mind 'jing'. When we observe these very basic rules, then amulets will enhance our pursuit; If not, like many people in SE Asia who painstakingly accrue charms and hang 12 to 15 amulets around their necks to ward off outside evil, yet inside they remain deluded and ignorant, which is an even bigger 'evil'. Better to have one proper mind-amulet, hardened and polished like a diamond... indestructible, and forever shining by its own light! (just some devi-ated thoughts, after reading some of jK's expressive posts)

Padmasambhava once told fellow yogis and yoginis to take heed on the spiritual path. He said to all, "Even though your 'View' is as vast as the sky, let your conduct be more refined than barley flour." The spiritual path is full of traps. Even highly-realized individuals, who has honed their spiritual 'self', if they cannot at the same time let go of this 'self', can and will remain trapped in the quagmire of ego and as a result their spiritual 'behavior' can still be tainted with pompousness and judgmental attitudes. This can be a source of great suffering, even greater than those who are actually not on the 'path'. Haven't we all seen how so-called Masters, even after years of teaching and accumulating thousands of students, can still succumb to irrational thoughts and less than moral actions? I can say for sure that acquiring amulets and pendants, which many Asians have a weakness for, cannot help, if fundamentally there is no harmony between one's spiritual attainments and normal, everyday behavior in terms of interacting with others. Because of this, purification of the inner being becomes hampered, traces of arrogance creeps in, and slowly, one could end up being tormented in the 'lower realms', even though there had been years put in to spiritual practices (and wasted). Its similar to a brand new car that is left too long near the sea - the breeze alone can rust the car after a while. We cant see the breeze, yet its effect can be very obvious. So in many ways, maintaining good virtue of thoughts, words and deeds are quite crucial. This ensures the 'breeze of samsara' is kept at bay, and we can remain 'rust-free', even after many years of hard work on the cultivation side of things. This is one end of the 'Retention' business. Its a kind of 'jing' - mind 'jing'. When we observe these very basic rules, then amulets will enhance our pursuit; If not, like many people in SE Asia who painstakingly accrue charms and hang 12 to 15 amulets around their necks to ward off outside evil, yet inside they remain deluded and ignorant, which is an even bigger 'evil'. Better to have one proper mind-amulet, hardened and polished like a diamond... indestructible, and forever shining by its own light! (just some devi-ated thoughts, after reading some of jK's expressive posts)

Sometimes, in order to excel in one particular field, one has to incorporate interests in a few other pursuits to create perspective, contrast, and most of all, inspiration. Many Chinese musicians are keen calligraphers. Others do Tai Chi. Some take up badminton or basketball. Ping Pong? Anything that can add to the storehouse of potential in a positive manner can be helpful in your creative pursuits, albeit in a 'sideways' fashion. Even the rustling of leaves in the wind, when listened to attentively, is a form of 'music'. Its all about nuances. (Didnt one member suggest sitting with a tree?) May i suggest Ikebana?

double post. sorry

Hello Santyr... Welcome to The Tao Bums! When i read what you had shared here, i was reminded of a teaching i had heard sometime ago by a Buddhist teacher. Here: (there are 2 parts to it) Hope it will be slightly helpful to your situation. Enjoy your time here friend.

Haha! When i saw this, i was quickly reminded of a shop sign i saw just this afternoon while out walking by the seaside - emOCEAN!

The Way is without deviation. What deviates is the lethargy of mind.

can't hardly think straight cannot even think crooked now i can relax...

tuna juice splattered serenely picked up towel only to spill beans...

tuna juice splattered serenely picked up towel only to spill beans...

Touche, Cat. But you know what, its really not that forlorn... this negativity can be tapped into, because fundamentally energy is energy. We just have to see beyond the apparent, to understand that as things fall apart outside, we can become more motivated, inside we can become more determined and passionate in transforming our minds towards higher spiritual awakenings so that we will not be 'snowed under' by all the negative goings-on, and when this is achieved, we can lend a helping hand to others, and perhaps sincerely show the way, or shine a light, or even throw them a lifeline out of the mess, without being overly subjugated by the force of the negativity, or better still, to be able to ride on it victoriously.. Not sure about the preciseness of Kundalini as a well-guided path towards this aim, but i sure know Vajrayana, Tantrayana and Mahayana schools all have very precise systems that train the practitioner to become more fearlessly wise and yet willingly compassionate in their ways.

Hi Seth... "The Sun of Wisdom" is a very good source. http://www.amazon.com/Sun-Wisdom-Teachings-Nagarjunas-Fundamental/dp/1570629994#reader_1570629994 Here are some readings you might find useful: http://www.thebuddhadharma.com/issues/2003/fall/emptinessandbuddhanature.html http://www.thebuddhadharma.com/issues/2004/spring/khenpo_tsultrim.html http://www.thebuddhadharma.com/issues/2006/summer/emptiness.html "Ah! Fortunate sons and disciples gathered here, this body of ours is impermanent like a feather on a high mountain pass; This mind (essence) of ours is empty and clear like the depth of space. Relax in that natural state, free of fabrication. When mind is without any support, that is Mahamudra. Becoming familiar with this, blend your mind with it -- This is Buddhahood!" (Machig Labdron) Regards and much blessings! a.

then clouds would have come fortunately they did not maybe tomorrow...

Sounds like the realization has begun dawning, Seth ANANDA! Wish you the very best in bringing this 'light' to bear... naturally and effortlessly, until doing and non-doing, being and non-being, becomes totally suffused so that all distractions (which always arise when the 'self' becomes aware of itself) may be pacified!! Emaho!! Really happy for you my friend... a.

Thru various practices of different forms of meditation one hopes to arrive at the state of Non-meditation. Its easy to get caught up with the different types of 'fertilizers' out there and looking enthusiastically into their usefulness, and then miss the whole point of using them. Often we get distracted by all the finer details and lose sight of the purpose. Its the fruits and flowers that deliver true satisfaction and delight. Well, in spiritual practices, like meditation, for example, its Non-Meditation that are the fruits and the flowers. Non-Meditation is when one has completely attained undistractedness to arisings, or complete and utter Mindfulness. One way to describe Non-meditation is the overcoming of reactive responses to things that happen or arise around us. Whatever happens is just that: they are happening. This is called natural unfolding, or natural brilliance of reality as it is, or some call it intrinsic luminosity of what is. We are, at the same time, what can be categorized as part of this whole brilliant unfolding. But we have a mind that wants to add or take away things from this... and that's the 'Illusion' that many here speak about - This is the reactive response that meditators try to investigate by employing various means. It causes us to think that there is a 'me' and then there is that 'process thats happening out there'. If one day we can look at things happening around us, and see that we are also not apart from this happening, then we are one step closer to Non-meditation. Then we can stop being judgmental and analytical and being overly reasonable and logical about things. There are many things that unfold that do not require any reason to do so, least of all, our reasons! Just this morning i had put on a pot of stuff for making a soup. I knew i had other things to attend to, so i left it alone to simmer away on low heat. After a while, due to the pot being slightly overfilled, it started boiling over, spilling stuff onto the cooker which i had attentively cleaned and polished only a day before. When i noticed this, i went over, turned off the heat, and wiped down the spill. All this time i was watching my reaction to this little episode unfolding. I looked at the options as to how i could have reacted, and decided that it was not worth gnashing my teeth, or giving in to the "Oh dammit. see what I have done now" kind of reaction, which could have reflexively surfaced, easily. But what does such reactions change to that which has already past? At best it only serves to spoil the serenity of the mind.. So then its our choice how we deal with things that come in to the Awareness field. When we can allow things to come and go, and not get trapped by the glitz and the glamor of phenomena, thru understanding that we are not separate observers of this coming and going, but instead are ourselves also coming and going at the same time , then we are close to resting in the state of Non-Doing, or Non-Meditation. When the wind blows, the clouds drift. We look at the movement, and our minds drift with the clouds. The wind, the clouds, the drifting, the looking, the movements of change, These are not something happening totally outside of us. First of all, their birth, the beginning and the ending, it happens inside us. Just some thoughts on Meditation..

Subtle winds. Article: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lung_(Tibetan_Buddhism)

the esoteric embraces between lovers till dawn breaks yonder...

wood becomes fire a little warmth is quite nice as Autumn awakes...

Bird's nest soup. Widely accepted among Asians as the the creme de la creme of health-enhancing superfoods. Increases lifeforce gently/gradually in both men and women. http://autumnwellness.com/index_files/page0003.htm As a slight note/question on the side, anyone here tried/heard of N-Hanz, the natural alternative to Viagra? (Made from walnuts!) http://www.neohide.com/health/n-hanz-a-viagra-replacement

Bird's nest soup. Widely accepted among Asians as the the creme de la creme of health-enhancing superfoods. Increases lifeforce gently/gradually in both men and women. http://autumnwellness.com/index_files/page0003.htm As a slight note/question on the side, anyone here tried/heard of N-Hanz, the natural alternative to Viagra? (Made from walnuts!) http://www.neohide.com/health/n-hanz-a-viagra-replacement

Hello A Seeker.. Have posted two videos in the 'Dropping Reflections' thread which you may find quite insightful and could perhaps address some of the interesting questions you may have regarding Buddhism. The presenter is Patrick Sweeney - some background info on him here: http://www.satdharma.org/Patrick_Sweeney.php Thanks!

Hi Xabir... Yes one could certainly see the similarity very vividly! Thanks. I like these 2 presentations by Patrick Sweeney which is directly related to what is being discussed here: Perhaps we could find some refreshing insights from listening to these two talks. (In "Fundamentals of Buddhism" it gets interesting at the 7.00 mark, where he begins to speak about 'Luminosity') It resonates with my understanding/experience as well.

Hi Xabir... Yes one could certainly see the similarity very vividly! Thanks. I like these 2 presentations by Patrick Sweeney which is directly related to what is being discussed here: Perhaps we could find some refreshing insights from listening to these two talks. (In "Fundamentals of Buddhism" it gets interesting at the 7.00 mark, where he begins to speak about 'Luminosity') It resonates with my understanding/experience as well.

Hello Kate.. We always had a sense that he was on a slightly different level as a person (quite eccentric really). For example, his wardrobe consists only of white pants and shirts - except for his (all black) socks, sandals and a few pairs of black business shoes. When asked why, he always gives the same answer.. "Saves making decisions in the mornings!" One thing's for sure, we never ever lose sight of him in a crowd!! hehe (Oh, forgot to mention his one grey suit, the one he wore at his wedding, also when getting his passport photo taken, and the one he wants to put on again when he leaves... making it a grand total of 3 occasions that he puts on a suit!!) Yes, there was no conflict with regards to his very personal choice to withdraw from the world at that time. It was mentioned a few times over the years. And he was also quite an introverted individual anyway. As it drew nearer, we could see that his actions were in harmony with what he wanted to bring to realization, in that he made sure all the nitty gritty bits were gradually smoothed out and taken care of to allow for a seamless sort of transition. I was always the only outspoken (read rebellious - middle child syndrome?) one at home, and was not keen to learn the ins and outs of his business as i had absolutely no interest in that calling at all. Needless to say he was disappointed but did not really fuss over it too much. As for the bro, being the firstborn, he was groomed for it, which explains why he was persuaded after college to take up Cost/Management Accountancy as a kind of eventual springboard into stock-marketing. Tough world for steely minds, thats why i knew i would not be cut out for it. Too pliable inside. @PW... :D