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very often the 'not it' implies a reminder to drop all expectations, to surrender every ounce of the desire to want to realize something other than the present condition. Indeed, a stark wake-up call to give up futile and puny efforts of looking for some sort of concrete affirmation, over and over, for whats already within. Which is quite a laugh when the searcher also happens to be a proponent of the concept of 'not this, not that.'

I dont think its so much about knowing our own flaws as opposed to a gradual process of developing and refining a relationship with our own enlightened nature. There are two ways towards this refinement: A more common approach is like you say, become more aware of flaws; the other is to become more aware of the qualities of enlightenment and recognise these qualities in self and others, and use that as a denominator to fulfil one's and other's spiritual potential. Latterly, the flaws will diminish effortlessly. I think this is the essence of the term 'spiritual cultivation' rather than say 'spiritual transactional analysis' or 'spiritual psychoanalysis', ie if such terms even exist to validate a usable platform. The latter would be a more wholesome approach imo. Likewise, how we determine if some folks are special, and how special, would very much hinge on which approach we are personally engaging with. The more we are able to connect with our own enlightened mind and potential, the more we can see the same in others. The illusion of master/helpless human tends to evaporate quicker when coupled with such an attitude.

Most Dzogchen yogis are simple, quiet people. The 'real' ones are usually the most 'hidden', in that they will shy away from making any claims to realization or siddhi mastery, so looking from the outside, you and I as observers will not see much, that is, until such time we are fortunate enough to deepen a meaningful connection with a Dzogchen adept. It is only out of an ever- deepening relationship that the yogis' true power are revealed. Are there any specific reasons why you are put off by guru yoga? Perhaps you have misunderstood the real purpose of this invaluable practice - it is the cornerstone of Vajrayana. As for the potential for abuse, it cannot be denied that some gurus have indeed grossly overstepped the boundaries, but for every rogue Tibetan guru, there are many more who are genuine. Just because a particular mode of practice can create a higher potential for abuse is no reason to avoid familiarization thru adopting a mature approach and level-headed discernment, which the genuine gurus will tend towards anyway as advice to students. In truth, genuine gurus wont even admit a student into his or her inner circle for at least a few years so as to allow the guru-disciple bond to strengthen first. I will suggest keeping an open mind - personally i have met adepts from both traditions and they all have their merits. But as far as personal experience goes, i am more inclined towards Tibetan yogic paths

not so much becoming a creator because that idea of 'becoming' implies forceful effort, but to develop a mindset that allows for the harmonious blending and flow of each creative process in different areas of life... while gradually removing the prickly thorns of conflicting emotional energies so as to imbue one's awareness with a sense of sacredness and non-separation. It's only natural that when found, this heightened sense of sacredness and non-separation will seek expressive outlets in a thousand different avenues. Any denial of this again implies forceful effort, which eventually transports one back to stagnation and mundanity.

Is that some kind of a trick statement?

After returning from their first ever holiday to England, an Indian man from Bangalore asked his wife, "Do I look like a foreigner, dear?" "Certainly not, Jayanthi! Why this strange question?" "Oh, i am finding it strange too. When I was waiting for you at the shoe shop on Oxford Street, this kid walked up to me and asked if I was a foreigner."

You mean you have never heard or read comparisons between the dying process and falling asleep? How strange.

compassion is like a net that some mango farmers place under the mango trees. Its nature is to catch any fruit that falls - they could be ripe, unripe, small, big, rotten, sweet, sour, bug-infested, half eaten by fruit bats - indiscriminately it adheres to its nature unfailingly.

what has the inclusion of payment got to do in determining the value of a teaching? Teachers are mere carriers of the teachings they convey, and very often has nothing to do with the admin side of how spiritual centres conduct their financial planning. latedit: typo

Hi & welcome, Middle Path. To feel good & vibrant, you need to set yourself up with the right conditions to bring that about. Look at the lifestyle choices you are making now, and ask yourself some serious questions if these choices are being primed to set you on the right track towards your goal. If not, you might want to do some serious reevaluation pronto.

A well-respected Tulku is a very broad stroke, no? One tulku. one.. Moreover, these Tibetans are well-known for their self-effacing demeanour. Anyway, not to contend with you too much, but in order to really get the mind opened on this subject, its a good idea to travel and try to meet some of these hidden adepts - who knows, one might get lucky and get shown things that cannot be read from books.

Its like every single dream and nightmare in one's lifetime, all of it gets replayed, only this time there are no gross impediments to filter the vividness. For example, while alive, if a nightmare gets too extreme, survival instinct kicks in and usually jolts a person awake, accompanied by bewilderment for a brief moment. After the body disconnects with the breath for good, there won't be the luxury of accessing any such instinctual support, and what follows in the interim are usually unimaginable confusion and fear, then a period tinged with immense affection, warmth, love, light and so on, with both phases occurring randomly. But the clarity during this period is beyond anything ordinary people will have any recollection or familiarity with. This is one of the reasons why the majority of people have this primordial fear of death - apparently its because of a build-up of frightening memories, over many many lifetimes, of past intermediate (after death) experiences. There are many adepts from different traditions and shamans from all over the world who cultivate what is commonly known as 'death practice', which means they are able to mortify the body to such an extent where death can be simulated. Depending on the degree of their mastery, the intermediate experiences can be recounted, some with pin-point accuracy. There have been books written of a common thread that is shared by all these shamans and adepts insofar as this practice is concerned. I read one years ago, but cannot remember the title now.

Qicat.. did you happen to watch the Noah Levine clips (Where to start? - Buddhist Discussion) posted there recently? He was one angry dude.. in and out of prison from the age of 15. Total rebel without a cause, anti-everything, auto-destruct 101. He turned it all around. Not by layering more anguished anger one on top of the other though. Check it out.

a meditation some would rather a big slap as a 'gentle' nudge

It is worth pondering whether or not self defence and neutralising a threat to another's well-being can be classified as 'violent'.

Not sure if Bruce will be back to this thread, but here's Noah's lowdown on the whys & wherefores that got him on the path

Would there not be some spiritual manifestation that goes into the creation of a new life, no? (reflecting on what zoose mentioned above). The way i see it, at some point (literally, the bindu) in the physical union of two beings from opposite genders, it will reach an apex where a subtle inseparability occurs - there has to be, for a birth to begin, no? If this inseparability fails to reach its max potential for some reason or other, then no new birth will take place. Its like refining the dual into ever-subtler levels until a desired goal is reached. Like any and all processes that is initiated where an end objective is clearly defined, all the different strategies will have to gradually converge, where options - what works, what does not work... these become clearer and subsequently the bits that are deemed irrelevant and are seen to be obstacles are discarded so as to nurture this birth (goal) with the best possible advantage in order to obtain fruition. This principle is uniformly applicable in all facets of life, be it physical or not - yes or no? Harnessing energy cannot be somehow excluded from this universal principle, imo. Though it appears there are gross and subtle, dense and light energies, quite colourful like the spectrum of a rainbow, some of which impinge on the physical world in such a way as to create the illusion of variety and a multitude of shades to the less observant, in essence, to the one who is desireless, it is all of one taste - mere displays that arise and return to the alaya, again, like how a rainbow appears and its mere existence and disappearance grasped by the senses. What takes place if no grasping occurs? Therefore, the practice that allows a refinement of view that eventually leads to seeing the equanimity of all things begins with understanding the path that leads to the cessation of desire. Its a path of renunciation, thats why in some traditions one who practices absorptions and various austerities is known as a renunciate. We need to know what is being renounced and why, if we truly want to investigate this subject conclusively.

over the years, i have tried many different types of tid dar jow, some store-bought from chinese medical halls, some home-made by silat masters, and the one i found to be most effective are the ones the muay Thai boxers carry with them. Really powerful. I usually get my Thai friends who are friendly with some muay Thai guys to get a couple of bottles for me whenever they go back to Thailand. When my grandfather was still alive he used to concoct his own, and it was extremely good, and he knew his craft cos besides being a liquor merchant, he was also the village bone-setter and Tai Chi teacher. People would come from all over the country to buy his tid dar jow. Regrettably i was too young then, or else i would have seek apprenticeship with him then.

five hundred pages almost eight thousand posts pretty awesome, huh?

In terms of what actual Dharma practice is, as far as Mahayana Buddhism is concerned, I like this approach, as explained insightfully by Dr. Alex Berzin: (The preceding paragraphs, omitted here, was where Dr. Berzin explained how individuals with different personality traits can approach Dharma practice - the three traits, he goes on to say, are the intellectual, emotional or devotional types, and each have unique and specific perspectives/agendas of what a particular personality usually seeks in their quest to adopt Buddhism as a path). I hope this will in some small way guide you towards choosing which approach you will like to use in relation to your question.

Your mind, the primordial buddha, Searches elsewhere due to the power of desire. Doesn’t it notice that it is wandering in samsara? Now that you have obtained this precious human body, You continuously get carried away by mundane actions. Don’t you notice that your life is running out? ~ Guru Rinpoche ~

Also with a mature relationship with a teacher, from the devotional aspect it’s incredibly inspiring but not in a way that puts us down and we’re elevating them that they’re so wonderful. I’ll give an example: Before I came here to Mexico, I was in India for a month with the reincarnation of my teacher Serkong Rinpoche, who’s now seventeen years old. I was there at the time when the attack on New York and Washington took place and I received some emails from people asking Rinpoche to say some prayers. Now, this was the occasion when Rinpoche was preparing for a certain… there’s a certain stage in the monastic education at which you literally demonstrate your debating skills in front of all the assembled monks of the monastery. So you demonstrate that now you are an intellectually full member of the community, that you can debate with everyone. So there’s a certain stage in the education. That meant that he was preparing for a very big debate in front of… one of them was in front of two and a half thousand monks, and one was in front of one thousand three hundred monks. What I found incredibly inspiring was that in this situation, Rinpoche stayed up more than half the night saying various prayers and rituals for peace and for the people who had suffered, and so on. And he could have very easily – I mean, nobody would have known – he could have just said a prayer for five minutes and then gone to sleep, but he didn’t. This was very, very inspiring. (snipped from a talk by Dr. Alex Berzin)

Wicklow is beautiful, Vlas. Home to the Happy Pear, best vegan cafe in Ireland!

"Whenever and however you meditate, be joyful. Do not neglect the skillful means practices. At the beginning of every meditation session—and even during the practice—invoke goodness thoughts. Again, do not be too forceful. But also do not back away and lose your courage, commitment, and confidence. If you are on a long retreat, during formal practice sessions, increase the strength and stability of your mind by maintaining good, balanced concentration on your object of focus. Then, during post-meditation, do prostrations and circumambulations. Perform meritorious activities such as building stupas or temples. Read books on the teachings, reflect on what you read, and absorb it into your heart. Cultivate love and compassion. All of these are the skillful means practices of the relative truth. Relative truth and absolute truth are two aspects of the same nature. On the relative level, there are concepts and there is duality: subject and object, positive and negative, joy and suffering. Do not ignore this. Do not impose your realization of the absolute truth onto the relative truth. At the same time, you should not use the concepts of the relative truth to try to figure out the absolute truth. That is playing games, and the absolute truth is not attainable through concepts. Cultivate wide-open wisdom that is nondual and free of concepts in order to experience the absolute truth. Unite this effortlessly and beautifully with the relative truth, and there will be no conflicts. Blend it all into a single state. This is how we stay focused, discover our innate nature, and benefit ourselves and others." ~ Venerable Khenpo Rinpoches The Nature of Mind