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What you heard is definitely not all there is.

Its a question thats like a dentist's drill... You will know when you are fixed. When the time comes for you to reflect and talk about the experience, its already in the past. So, in a sense, we are the toothache, the drill, the driller and the drilled, all at once.

Some years ago a meditation group accompanied a Tibetan teacher to a Celtic stone circle (below) for a walkabout and meditation practice. Just as the practice was ending, a vivid rainbow appeared in the sky spontaneously. Not as grand as Stonehenge, but the whole event, including the energy of the practice at this particular site was inspiring to say the least. http://www.megalithicireland.com/Dereenataggart%20West%20Stone%20Circle.html

Philosophies or religions might say, “Things are illusion, the world is maya, illusion,” but there are always one or two items left behind that are regarded as truly existent: God, cosmic energy, whatever. In Buddhism, this is not the case. Everything in samsara and nirvana—from the Buddha’s head to a piece of bread—everything is emptiness. There is nothing that is not included in ultimate truth. ~ Dzongsar Khyentse Rinpoche ~

Im a chef mostly, specialising in Southeast Asian soul food, but also do a bit of mentoring for aspiring chefs, and occasionally a meditation facilitator.

Is enlightenment an articulatable experience, or a gradual emptying of sense-based ideas & experiences, where one begins earnestly to communicate with self and others from what feels like heart-space, often requiring only a silent yet resonating communion?

WHO AM I? I just want to know who I am where I am, what I truly am and what I exist for at all. I want to know what is named ‘me,’ Who am I? Also who are you? Am I in the world? Am I one with it? Separate from the world or not? Or am out of this world or not? I feel so connected with all around But sometimes I just don’t feel involved and feel quite detached from this world. I am not who you think I am. I claim I am not the same self, I would love to know my true self, be sure of who I am to myself. “This is my true self, my real self, my steadfast self, my only self independent self, the real me.” Who will now point out this true self to me? Is it another self in me given this task? Can I point out my true self to myself? I claim I am not the same self, as I remember as a child long ago. I claim I am different from this self from the past. If so, then I can take no praise nor blame for what I did or didn’t do in the past. After all, myself today is not same as the self who had acted yesterday. Why should one self in me judge part of me? Why should one part of me give another part of me a hard time? Why do that if I am always the same person? Why do that if I am always changing? If myself is just the same self every day, yesterday, tomorrow and now, that means that I always remains the same; events then make no difference to myself, nothing at all can affect me. If I am really changing from day to day then nothing can affect me for more than a moment because I am different now from what I was just before. Yesterday’s self bears no significance today. My old self sometimes says nothing about today Yet my old self sometimes dominates today. My old self sometimes shadows over today. Why should my old self judge today’s self if I am changing every day? Why should my old self judge today’s self if I am the same self every day? Do I consist of lots of different selves? Tell me which one of my many selves do I rely upon. If I always remains the same, then no chance for any kind of change; I can’t develop or regress. It would not matter what I did, what I am doing or what I will do. I cannot find a true self to pinpoint. Which self within points out the true self? Can I rely upon the self that points out the true self? So there is no self assurance here True self, changing self, different selves? This all seems rather inconsequential. Then I like to think I am both, a true unchanging self and a changing self. Which bit of me shows my true self? Which bit of me shows my changing self? What connects up these two kind of selves? True self, changing self, different selves, old self, new self, synthesis? Reality refutes every thesis. Such a relief …. ~ Christopher Titmuss ~

Who am I you may well ask I really wish I knew If I am not myself at all Then maybe I am you To discover who I really am Is really quite a task Maybe I am someone else Who wears a funny mask I strive so hard to know myself To discover the “real me” My thoughts and feelings all confused Yet still I cannot see What makes me tick? What makes me feel? So very special and unique My purpose in this glorious world Is what I truly seek I wish I could be creative, self confident and smart Not quiet, shy and insecure Emotional at heart I wish I had the confidence to say what I really feel Instead of fearing criticism Uttering words that seem unreal Why at times do I feel so alone And just yearn for a friendly face While at others I just long to be In some far off distant place With no one else to bother me And disturb my rambling thoughts, Until my conscience brings me back To do the things I ought And so I continue on my way On this journey they call life I try to do the best I can Though at times the goings tough I’ll do my part to refine the world And make it a better place By being “me” to my capacity With each trial I have to face ~ Granny Faigie Rabin ~

Love the quote, Windwalker. Thanks!

Is there some way to ensure allinone does not pose this question to No One?

Maybe... maybe not Wiki:

This just happened a couple of days back in Connemara, Ireland. About an hour's drive from where I live. So sad. Not only the beautiful trees, but countless young (and old) wildlife must have perished. http://www.southeastradio.ie/2017/05/firefighters-fighting-massive-forest-fire-in-connemara/ pics of Connemara: https://www.google.ie/search?q=connemara&source=lnms&tbm=isch&sa=X&ved=0ahUKEwiC3KPunejTAhXhJcAKHVCgDpAQ_AUICigB&biw=1279&bih=606

not sure if YT videos have any privacy rights. If moderators are uneasy about the top video being posted, feel free to delete. Tks

not the Tai Chi taught or practiced in parks for sure A Tai Chi master who includes grappling techniques and seclusion practice in his routine. Around 14' mark he demonstrates to a Western exponent how to get out of a straight arm bar.

the thing with Tai Chi is the slow mastery process. The cream usually wont rise till a practitioner has been at it (daily) for a couple of decades. By that time its hard to envisage a Tai Chi adept wanting to engage in MMA frenzy Yet, no surprise that among all the different forms of trad Chinese martial arts, it is the most potent... ...but the most peace-centred simultaneously.

THE BUDDHA SPEAKS The Venerable Subhuti again asked the Buddha, “World-Honored One, if good women or men would give rise to the ultimate, most fulfilled, awakened mind, how should they stand, how should they move, and how should they control their thoughts?” The Buddha replied, “Subhuti, a good woman or man who would give rise to the ulti­mate, most fulfilled, awakened mind should produce this thought: ‘I must lead all beings to nir­vana, to that liberation which leaves nothing behind, yet when all beings have thus been liber­ated, no being has been liberated.’ And why? Subhuti, if in a bodhisattva the idea of a self, a person, a being, or a separate existence, should arise, that bodhisattva could not be called a bod­hisattva. And why? A true bodhisattva is not an independently existing object of mind. What do you think, Subhuti? In the past, when the Tathagata was with Dipankara Buddha, was there any dharma by which he came to know supreme enlightenment?” “No, World-Honored One. As I understand the teachings of the Buddha, there was no dharma by which the Tathagata has known supreme enlightenment.” The Buddha said, “Right you are, Subhuti. It is for this reason that the Buddha Dipankara predicted of me, ‘In the future you will be a Buddha, supremely enlightened, and you will be called Shakyamuni.’ And why? Tathagata is synonymous with true Suchness (of all dharmas). To say that the Tathagata has attained the ultimate, most fulfilled awakened mind would be to speak falsely since there is no one specific dharma by which the Tathagata has fully known supreme enlightenment. Subhuti, the ultimate, most fulfilled, awakened mind that the Tathagata has attained is neither graspable nor elusive. This is why the Tathagata has said, ‘All dharmas are Buddhadharma,’ for what the Tathagata teaches as all dharmas is no-dharma. That is why all dharmas are called Buddhadharma. “Subhuti, consider a man of gigantic frame.” Subhuti said, “What the Tathagata calls ‘gigantic frame’ has been taught by the Tathagata as no frame at all.” “So it is, Subhuti. Thus the bodhisattva who thinks, ‘I will lead all beings to nirvana,’ cannot be called a bodhisattva. And why? Subhuti, is there any independently existing thing called ‘bodhisattva’?” “No, World-Honored One, there is not.” “Therefore,” the Buddha continued, “the Tathagata teaches that all dharmas are without a self, a person, a being, or a separate existence. Even if a bodhisattva wished to create a serene, harmonious, and tranquil Buddha field, that bodhisattva cannot be called a bodhisattva. And why? What is called a serene, harmonious, and tranquil Buddha field is a no-Buddha field, as taught by the Tathagata. Therefore the Tathagata speaks of a serene, harmonious, and tranquil Buddha field. Subhuti, any bodhisattva who thoroughly understands that all dharmas are without self is called by the Tathagata a bodhisattva of great courage.” In honour of Shakyamuni Buddha this Vesak. May all find happiness and the root of happiness.

Precisely so. What is seen and that which is seeing, and the faculty allowing the action, do not arise independent of each other.

If you insist. Anyway, this is veering away from the topic so thank you for indulging my curiosity.

could be advantageous!

(off topic) I wonder at the effectiveness of what you have prescribed, Jeff. and the bolded statement... have been thinking over it for a while. Seems like its missing certain elements, but i cant figure out what. Subconscious doing (action) meaning actions that are performed thru sheer habitual force? And you are convinced that forgiveness is the antidote to overcome that?

You are alluding to irrational thought processes by mentioning blind beliefs. Akin to superstition. Those that choose irrational beliefs are still bound by the need for validation, otherwise they would not believe blindly.

thats only if one sees eating as self-existing, which it is not. So there are primary and secondary conditions that contribute to actions arising. Eating for example. The secondary attributes of a wooden chair can certainly contribute to the eating process. Alternatively, one can sit on a pumpkin too

Its like the relationship between you and your chair (your fav analogy, remember?) Beliefs are basically value-derived. So how can they be separated from the validation process? Its impossible. The conclusiveness of that process is secondary.

I doubt somehow that the 4 Noble Truths need an extra prop.