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Proves once is enough? Tis never enough for some! The more the merrier..

A perspective: http://www.thebigview.com/buddhism/karma.html You have to understand that the teachings were given in a culture that strongly evolves around these matters. So he had to teach skillfully and accordingly. He is doing nothing more than planting seeds.. The fruition has nothing whatsoever to do with the planter. Some places you need to plant seeds in the soil, while in other places, seeds can be planted in water. Different mediums can produce the same fruits!

"Some people believe that they have to just keep on meditating, or practice this or that system, someday their egg will hatch and they will fly out of the shell and ascend to a completely different level. Actually its not like that at all. We should not think, 'The awakened state must be really something special. If i practice this long enough, one day a door will open and i will see it and all the qualities will pour into me.' Its pointless to have such an attitude. If we really want something spectacular, we will indeed have opportunities for that, in what is called the *temporary meditation moods* of bliss, clarity and nonthought. These can occur, but such sensational experiences do not help to cut through thoughts. On the contrary, they generate even more fixation because we may start to think, 'Wow! What is that? This must be IT! I have attained enlightenment - i am now a real yogi!' (Laughs). Many subsequent thoughts arise in response to the fascination with these experiences. Non-conceptual wakefulness, or primordial wakefulness, overcomes all conceptual thinking. If non- conceptual wakefulness were merely another form of thinking, it could never overcome thoughts. In the very moment of recognizing this inborn wakeful quality, thoughts are cut through and over- come. Is there anything more wonderful than that?" -- Tulku Urgyen Rinpoche .......... .......... ........... Peace at Christmas and always, to all beings.

Haha its not that deep.. Every passing moment is a 'future life'!

Very interesting topic here Z - thanks for sharing the perspectives! Have a listen to one of my teachers talking about the gross and subtle mind.. Very interesting, he touches on how the subtle mind gets reborn, why its more vital than the gross mind, and how actions determine future lives. Blessings!

A peaceful Christmas and New Year to all! ............................................. The fish got away. Gone! Gone completely beyond into twenty ten.. .............................................

Hey there L7 how are you buddy? Apologies for poking me nose in here - just a question for your consideration: have you ever heard of a practice called Tonglen? Very very appropriate in situations you have described, imo. Have a read: http://peterfox.com.au/meditation_tonglen.htm I personally find it immensely practical and helpful in many situations, especially on the cultivation of compassion. I think you will relate well with this practice. All the best, and warm wishes too, for a happy Christmas and a peaceful New Year!

something propels it a little bit here and there north, south, east and west..

I too can think of an example. There was this guy years ago in the village where my grandfather used to run a successful liquor store, and everyone knew him as sifu Chan, because he was a MaoShan 'master'. He had an impressive reputation for transforming stones into piping hot dimsum and dumplings, and when he was in the mood to show off, he would do it anywhere, and the crowds loved him, and he had many students as a result. He was also an alcoholic, and a compulsive wife-beater. Not satisfied with eating dumplings, there were occasions where he delighted in eating dogmeat too! Prime example of one who teaches, and yet who is asleep, i guess.

The Buddha does not discourage the cultivation of siddhis, but He says they must not be used as means to impress or to teach. He encourages training the mind first and foremost, and further to this, the siddhis will manifest naturally as a result of one who has attained to transcendent wisdom, of which the mind is the seat. This seat can either be occupied by one who is asleep, in other words deluded, or one who is awake, in other words free from delusion. Both have the potential to cultivate siddhis, but only one would know how to wield it wisely. So in a sense siddhis can be a distraction. The relevant Suttas: http://www.buddhism.org.au/t7/dhamma/tip/sut/dn/dn11.aspx http://www.zhaxizhuoma.net/DHARMA/Tripitaka/KevattaSutta.htm

By example? (sorry Scott - couldn't resist! )

This is an excellent example of how a teacher ought to be. He gave a teaching in a dormitory room! He is a lineage holder! PS - see? no pretense at assuming full lotus and all that blah!

Well spoken Zazaza.

When a student seeks out a teacher, the onus is on the student to be respectful and act responsibly towards the teachings, not the teacher. It is a kind of impersonal relationship, and any failings cannot be attributed to the teacher. Hence teachers are exempted, or should be regarded as such, from playing out the role of a parent. Those who choose to imagine teachers disproportionately do so out of neuroses, and thus even before anything is learnt, the ground for failure has already been tilled, and when nothing is gained, no worthy crops yielded, the tendency is to blame the tools, or the tool-makers. How silly.

I spent the best part of 30 years in the Far East studying under various Buddhist teachers. None of them charged, yet the way to their schools and monasteries are paved with benefactors waiting to donate to their cause. Why? Because there is sincerity, and altruism is felt to be genuine. In the west, its a different story altogether. I think people here are less giving, and more skeptical, and they always say, 'see what you got first before i part with my hard-earned money'. Thats normal. Different mentality. So those who profess to teach the ways towards liberation (in the west) have the added pressure of having to 'show off' what they got. So its a kind of cycle that gives rise to all kinds of 'mine's better than yours' syndrome, and in the end, confusion reigns as a raging fire of petty differences envelops the whole spiritual marketplace. How unfortunate.

breath expands the world while the abdomen contracts the nature of things..

Excellent points to ponder - thanks GiH! here's a mother's reply to her son who wanted to 'charge' her for getting a good report card and for mowing the lawn.. dedicated to all mothers, and to the joy of giving: Peace to all.

sorry triple post! congested internet traffic!!

Almost everyone sense a calling at some point in his or her life. The more noble and supreme the goal, the greater the sacrifices demanded. Who amongst us know for certain the thoughts that raced thru Gotama's mind that fateful night? GIH said it was a tough decision, not necessarily right or wrong, but tough indeed it was. There were no accounts of Gotama having deserted his family altogether during his quest for enlightenment, so whatever we think here, in questioning his heart, is at best speculation. The objective is perhaps to refocus on his teachings and not his actions prior to enlightenment, for at times even the right hand do not know what the left hand's intended motives are, let alone expanding our energies on something which has no direct bearing on the path towards liberation.. May all beings be free and joyful.. have a happy time with your family, and i pray you all do not have to resort to leaving your loved ones in seeking to understand who you really are! Joy to all who abide in peace and tranquility.

Well some of his family members actually benefitted greatly after his enlightenment, so they were not neglected as such. In that sense the sacrifice paid dividends.

Susan, For once i saw the person behind the post, and it is a welcome change to all the previous ones from you that sounded so, well, so ShaktiMama - ish! Much appreciated. Have a good Christmas and peaceful New Year!

Wow! You impress me ShaktiMama! So intuitive! You even picked up on my subconscious 'itch'!! We need never be a slave to conditions though. That is a weakness we could all do well to overcome.

All i saw was shit 'cos the forest was barren unfertilized muck..

Unfortunately people with a little power or authority always seems to be slightly bent towards the kinkier side.. I had a chat with my son about this topic, and at one point he actually asked the same question as you - "have they considered adoption?" A lad of fifteen seems more sensible, but then again, its not really that hard to figure out is it?

Thoughts, words and deeds are workings of the outer being. This being can be like a demon when left to its own devices. Unchecked, it casts a dull shadow that obscure the light of the inner self. So all cultivation and practices are likened to ways to tame and subjugate this stubborn devil. Once brought under control, outer being becomes a great friend and protector, there at your side 24/7. Outer being subjugated, inner being rests, the work is done. The house becomes orderly and peaceful. Both outer and inner self becomes one. How harmoniously sublime.. Timely post MH.. thanks! Happy holidays!