Sunya

it's great he teaches from the POV of Dzogchen.... the uncompounded empty nature of mind

Buddhism is different than other traditions in that it's not as important to read the original texts. This is very important and not understood by many, so I'll reiterate. Most religions stress the original teachings and the importance of them, we in the West are all about getting to the source because we are aware of corruption we know humans. Christians need to read the original words of Christ because that is very important to them, Christ is their figure, he is their God. Buddha is not the God here, we are not really interested in him as a person. it's more about his actual methodology that we are concerned with. and this methodology travels through time, adapating to cultures and mindsets. The Buddha taught to people who are very different than people today. Not to say that people then didn't have the same desires for eternal peace and the same attachments to the illusory self. But rather the mindsets were different. Thats why there is an evolution of Buddhism where enlightened masters sort of change things up, the core remaining the same, to adapt to the changing times of humanity. So reading the original suttas might be very useful indeed, but finding a living enlightened master is even better. That's because the master, already understanding the core of Buddhism, is a living embodiment of Buddhism, and therefore is able to practically and skillfully teach you that core. the Suttas cannot do that. I recommend people to read books like "What makes you not a Buddhist" instead of saying go read the Pali Suttas because I sincerely feel that it is much more pragmatic to trust a living teacher who understands our mindset rather than reading ancient scriptures, which are wonderful but can be very difficult to understand for most.

bunching all religions into one because of your past bad subjective experiences of a certain religion here in the West isn't very wise. sure religions aren't perfect because they are afterall run by humans and are prone to err but that doesn't necessarily equate them all, and there could be some religions that are less corrupt, more evolved, and more practical than others. if you don't follow a path, then who are you going to follow? your own deluded mind? yeah that's a better guide

please show evidence of these Buddhas who became fully enlightened by just meditating and not understanding the view? understanding the philosophy is very important in Buddhism. very. you won't get anywhere unless you kn ow where you're going. all schools of Buddhism say this. practice and study are equally important.

there is no such thing as a Buddhist Church, or a Hindu Church. nobody is making money or benefiting from you believing or not believing in reincarnation. many people have past life memories, many children can remember vivid details and these are proven later, there was a study done on this at UVA. It can be proven, but there isn't much interest in it because scientists are mostly materialists. also, the idea of the continuation of consciousness doesn't do much for our greedy capitalistic society. would people really care so much about buying useless shit when they have deep realizations of the true nature of consciousness? no. craving is the problem, not doing. the body breathes by itself, you don't crave each breath. but when you are drowning you do, because of the craving for existence and the continuation of self. but yes you should become less attached to breathing, but that doesn't mean the body will stop breathing. what is balance? what is the difference between order and chaos? what is perfection? these are just human concepts for a world that is completely beyond them. you are using the ideas of an ant to describe the infinity, and basing your assumptions and ideas about life on these ideas. permanence would stop the dancing? what does that even mean? you becoming sane will not change the world, don't be so self-centered it's not about wanting only permanent things, it's about realizing that what we all yearn for is permanent satisfaction, whatever we yearn for is actually a mask for that craving. some yearn for big house or power or fame, others want deep relationships, others want to travel, while others intellectualize, and a few spiritualize. you dig bliss. these are all just the outer shells of the actual desire for permanent peace and fulfillment.

just get What Makes You Not a Buddhist (book) and don't listen to people who tell you not to think for yourself and give you terrible advice like not to read Buddhist books lol

No. Buddha was an Indian warrior who turned ascetic then finding the middleway between indulgence and asceticism, and overcaming attachment to a self, found everlasting peace. you are thinking of Budai who was a Chinese monk and is commonly mistaken for Buddha by people who don't know better [no offense] http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Budai and btw, hedonism is not good for anyone. that insatiable desire will never be quenched, so why bother trying to fill that empty void? the world isn't imperfect, your perception of the world is. attachment is the problem, not the world. not attachment persay, but attachment to a self. this hidden subtle idea you have that somehow there is a you experiencing this world and these sensations. that subtle idea is what keeps that pattern of attachment to pleasure alive. that pattern of grasping at a self is itself a pattern. i'm not saying that your experience doesn't exist, but the idea that the conglomerate of the 5 senses you hold to be the self is real...is unfounded and cannot be proven. and by sticking with that idea and making it the basis of your search for ultimate satisfaction and peace will only lead to further grasping. I know that you find these orgasms pleasant, but they, like everything else, are impermanent. not only the pleasure given by these sensations but the sensations themselves. you will ultimately die. death is indeed a big deal, and being reborn as an animal isn't something I would look forward to.

hm... really? I would think that the advanced, serious, methods of Qi Gong which stem on awakening the fire (naval), mixing with the water (heart) , creating steam, and purifying the central channel.. seems to have very much the same process/explanation as gTummo. that's waht I learned from a Qi Gong teacher. though Vajrayana uses more visualization instead of tactile imaging, i think the process is the same.

yea... I would suggest to skip it. I read it.. and was like I don't see why a Taoist would recommend to read it. its about a guy who went to Tibet, though I doubt he really did because the teachers he meets all talk about God in a Christian sense which no Buddhists do. if you want a really good book filled with cool interesting mystical stories by Tibetans check out Tibetan Book of Living and Dying... or Crystal and the Way of Light

I agree. but the point raised was how traditional dogma is not completely useful for modern people who want direct experience relaxing the mind is the fundamental practice of dzogchen/mahamudra. it can lead you to non-dual awareness/presence. btw Namkhai Norbu teaches in his book "Dream Yoga" about that Light you experience. it's the Son Light, a very deep aspect of mind and the practice of Dream yoga is to rest in that clear light. when you can continually recognize that light, then at the moment of death, when you experience the Mother Light, then you can attain complete realization at the moment of death. so I hope you can familiarize yourself with that Light it would prove very beneficial.

I would say only some forms of Qi gong, because that is such a general term. there are many many Qi gong practices and not all of them have the same goals as Trul Khor

no i'm saying you shouldn't bunch mystics in with physicists when the former have actual insight and the latter are only using the brain to figure out what's going on. and the theories keep changing too. so I still don't understand how metaphysics is for people who are too lazy to study physics? when most metaphysics is grounded in experience not a constantly changing theory. its as if people who worship science and insult philosophy don't understand that science without philosophy is empty. you can't have it. how do you think physicists interpret their 'findings'? through philosophy. there are certain assumptions. theres no such thing as objectivity in the realm of science because there will always be philosophical assumptions; or else there would be no interpretation. well i'm moreso talking about how our society is grounded in reason and logic and not blind faith. we need evidence and we need things to make sense. we need practical. thats just how we are.

FOOKIN' PRAWNS

beautiful post mark. I do agree with you. I was recommended by a Tibetan teacher to read Words of My Perfect Teacher, which is one of the most common books given to Nyingma students when they venture into Vajrayana. I found it ridiculous. there were pages and pages and pages of complex details. Every little tidbit was given about the various hells, every realm, every being. I was like ... ok? how is this relevent? it was very dogmatic and I felt like I was being spoonfed irrelevent nonsense. the teacher that I did find is Namkhai Norbu who teaches very pragmatically without relying on dogma. he's lived in the West for over 40 years so he recognizes that we don't sit well with dogma and need more of a practical approach than monks who live in a monastary their whole life and need that stimulation. that's the whole problem I feel. we aren't monks. we need whatever works, and whatever works fast. without needing to memorize irrelevant data. you are right indeed that the methods of Vajrayana are wonderful. and I think that it is possible to remain grounded and still practice Tibetan Buddhism. but I do agree that the tradition needs reform, and it is happening. Namkhai Norbu is one example, i'm sure there are other teachers that are doing the same. kind of a stupid quote imo since physics is constantly changing and quantum physics didn't even exist prior to the 1940s, now you have mathemetical extrapolations which border on metaphysical reasoning. except mysticism hasn't change at all. the core of mysticism has not been changing really. what will science say 100 years from now? who cares.

IMO theres nothing wrong with the practice itself, its the view. people are freaking out because there isn't enough theory given. the traditional taoist emphasis on 'just do it' can be problematic when just doing it doesn't leave behind false views, and simply letting go isn't enough to let go of false views. like believing in a self, for example.

yeah this is why I might go for a PhD in Buddz. I feel like an idiot when I try to communicate anything meaningful. xabir told me couple times that Thusness recommended him to get a PhD to develop the necessary language and communication skills, and theoretical knowledge which is important. It's also very important in this kind of society to have 'credentials'. since you can't just say.. well.. I had the insight through meditation. that just doesn't work epistemologically for many people

LOL

can anyone please give links for some free online sources for reading Chuang Zi?

have you tried it? i'm curious of others' experiences of it.. and specifically what it does on the inside to the channels/flow that i'm not aware of.

I agree with what others have said here. ultimately change must be independent of substances. you can become free because the root of the problem is always in the mind. but. it can help, while you're working on change through meditating... becoming more grounded, confident, willing to be spontaneous, not needing to plan a conversation out... just do it. just walk out the door without without needing a plan.. while you're doing that, it can help to use some herbs. I would suggest you try a combo of Agar 35 and Semde, both are completely safe, ancient, Tibetan herbal formulations. Semde is a mood uplifter that has no withdrawl symptoms, and Agar 35 works likewise against anxiety but is more 'curative', in other words.. it balances your Qi. getting both bottles will give you a 1 month supply and thats all you should need, while you work diligently to change from the inside, the herbs will give you a good base to lift off of, then you wo'nt need them anymore. u can get them here - http://www.siddhienergetics.com/ let us know about your progress, we can help.

hi Lauren, I would recommend you find a good teacher, preferably one that is Tantric in nature. having a good teacher is great, they are there to guide you through those rough scary confusing moments such as what you are going through now. you are scared because you don't know what's going on.. and that's scary, the unknown. are you drawn to any particular tradition? if you are into Buddhism I can help you find a good teacher in your area. outside of that, it seems you've awakened energy and thats perfectly normal. we all go through this. many here can share with you their experiences, as all of this is normal for us. first I would suggest for you to relax. it's ok, you're not going insane. quite the opposite actually.. you're becoming more aware of deeper aspects of yourself, a purification is taking place; a transformation. so in actuality you are becoming sane... not going insane. so relax, that is very important because if you don't relax and give in to fear.. you are feeding turning your energy negative. negative energy is not conducive to transformation. the energy must be relaxed, open, free, positive. so your mindset must be the same. we all experience fear, its 'natural' because we have so much invested in our current state. any change would mean that things won't be the same again...and that's so scary for the little prickly ego sitting inside. if you analyze that fear.. what do you get? well you would probably feel a bodily sensation, a very heavy negative feeling.. and more subtly you would see that its a mental grasping, an inability to let go. if you become aware of that clinging to the self in an objective, open, and nonjudgmental way... that hold can lessen. that grasping can become un-grasping, and then... well.. then real transformation can take place. rest assured, all that is being let go of is illusion..nothing 'real'. you are opening up to your true nature, which will happen gradually not a 'one shot deal'. so be happy and rejoice. you are on the sublime path to awe

ah I missed! next time!

i've had a teeth grinding problem ever since I was a kid! now through meditation I've realized just how much tension is kept in the jaws. usually the emotions anger/sadness are repressed....which are symptomatic of a heart blockage.

so you weren't charged for it? hm. I ordered a bottle.. pretty fast shipping, got it yesterday. nice capsules. you can get 7 pills for 5$ (free shipping) at jcrowsmarketplace.com but you'll have to bear the taste. try it out there if ya want.

LOL... wow.