Simple_Jack

.

My link: The Mind-made Body "With his mind thus concentrated, purified, and bright, unblemished, free from defects, pliant, malleable, steady, and attained to imperturbability, he directs and inclines it to creating a mind-made body. From this body he creates another body, endowed with form, made of the mind, complete in all its parts, not inferior in its faculties. Supranormal Powers "With his mind thus concentrated, purified, and bright, unblemished, free from defects, pliant, malleable, steady, and attained to imperturbability, he directs and inclines it to the modes of supranormal powers. He wields manifold supranormal powers. Having been one he becomes many; having been many he becomes one. He appears. He vanishes. He goes unimpeded through walls, ramparts, and mountains as if through space. He dives in and out of the earth as if it were water. He walks on water without sinking as if it were dry land. Sitting cross-legged he flies through the air like a winged bird. With his hand he touches and strokes even the sun and moon, so mighty and powerful. He exercises influence with his body even as far as the Brahma worlds. Just as a skilled potter or his assistant could craft from well-prepared clay whatever kind of pottery vessel he likes, or as a skilled ivory-carver or his assistant could craft from well-prepared ivory any kind of ivory-work he likes, or as a skilled goldsmith or his assistant could craft from well-prepared gold any kind of gold article he likes; in the same way — with his mind thus concentrated, purified, and bright, unblemished, free from defects, pliant, malleable, steady, and attained to imperturbability — the monk directs and inclines it to the modes of supranormal powers... He exercises influence with his body even as far as the Brahma worlds. Clairaudience "With his mind thus concentrated, purified, and bright, unblemished, free from defects, pliant, malleable, steady, and attained to imperturbability, he directs and inclines it to the divine ear-element. He hears — by means of the divine ear-element, purified and surpassing the human — both kinds of sounds: divine and human, whether near or far. Just as if a man traveling along a highway were to hear the sounds of kettledrums, small drums, conchs, cymbals, and tom-toms. He would know, 'That is the sound of kettledrums, that is the sound of small drums, that is the sound of conchs, that is the sound of cymbals, and that is the sound of tom-toms. Mind Reading "With his mind thus concentrated, purified, and bright, unblemished, free from defects, pliant, malleable, steady, and attained to imperturbability, he directs and inclines it to knowledge of the awareness of other beings. He knows the awareness of other beings, other individuals, having encompassed it with his own awareness. He discerns a mind with passion as a mind with passion, and a mind without passion as a mind without passion. He discerns a mind with aversion as a mind with aversion, and a mind without aversion as a mind without aversion. He discerns a mind with delusion as a mind with delusion, and a mind without delusion as a mind without delusion. He discerns a restricted mind as a restricted mind, and a scattered mind as a scattered mind. He discerns an enlarged mind as an enlarged mind, and an unenlarged mind as an unenlarged mind. He discerns an excelled mind [one that is not at the most excellent level] as an excelled mind, and an unexcelled mind as an unexcelled mind. He discerns a concentrated mind as a concentrated mind, and an unconcentrated mind as an unconcentrated mind. He discerns a released mind as a released mind, and an unreleased mind as an unreleased mind. Just as if a young woman — or man — fond of ornaments, examining the reflection of her own face in a bright mirror or a bowl of clear water would know 'blemished' if it were blemished, or 'unblemished' if it were not. In the same way — with his mind thus concentrated, purified, and bright, unblemished, free from defects, pliant, malleable, steady, and attained to imperturbability — the monk directs and inclines it to knowledge of the awareness of other beings. He knows the awareness of other beings, other individuals, having encompassed it with his own awareness. Recollection of Past Lives "With his mind thus concentrated, purified, and bright, unblemished, free from defects, pliant, malleable, steady, and attained to imperturbability, he directs and inclines it to knowledge of the recollection of past lives (lit: previous homes). He recollects his manifold past lives, i.e., one birth, two births, three births, four, five, ten, twenty, thirty, forty, fifty, one hundred, one thousand, one hundred thousand, many aeons of cosmic contraction, many aeons of cosmic expansion, many aeons of cosmic contraction and expansion, [recollecting], 'There I had such a name, belonged to such a clan, had such an appearance. Such was my food, such my experience of pleasure and pain, such the end of my life. Passing away from that state, I re-arose there. There too I had such a name, belonged to such a clan, had such an appearance. Such was my food, such my experience of pleasure and pain, such the end of my life. Passing away from that state, I re-arose here.' Thus he recollects his manifold past lives in their modes and details. Just as if a man were to go from his home village to another village, and then from that village to yet another village, and then from that village back to his home village. The thought would occur to him, 'I went from my home village to that village over there. There I stood in such a way, sat in such a way, talked in such a way, and remained silent in such a way. From that village I went to that village over there, and there I stood in such a way, sat in such a way, talked in such a way, and remained silent in such a way. From that village I came back home. The Passing Away & Re-appearance of Beings "With his mind thus concentrated, purified, and bright, unblemished, free from defects, pliant, malleable, steady, and attained to imperturbability, he directs and inclines it to knowledge of the passing away and re-appearance of beings. He sees — by means of the divine eye, purified and surpassing the human — beings passing away and re-appearing, and he discerns how they are inferior and superior, beautiful and ugly, fortunate and unfortunate in accordance with their kamma: 'These beings — who were endowed with bad conduct of body, speech, and mind, who reviled the noble ones, held wrong views and undertook actions under the influence of wrong views — with the break-up of the body, after death, have re-appeared in the plane of deprivation, the bad destination, the lower realms, in hell. But these beings — who were endowed with good conduct of body, speech, and mind, who did not revile the noble ones, who held right views and undertook actions under the influence of right views — with the break-up of the body, after death, have re-appeared in the good destinations, in the heavenly world.' Thus — by means of the divine eye, purified and surpassing the human — he sees beings passing away and re-appearing, and he discerns how they are inferior and superior, beautiful and ugly, fortunate and unfortunate in accordance with their kamma. Just as if there were a tall building in the central square [of a town], and a man with good eyesight standing on top of it were to see people entering a house, leaving it, walking along the street, and sitting in the central square. The thought would occur to him, 'These people are entering a house, leaving it, walking along the streets, and sitting in the central square.' The Ending of Mental Fermentations "With his mind thus concentrated, purified, and bright, unblemished, free from defects, pliant, malleable, steady, and attained to imperturbability, the monk directs and inclines it to the knowledge of the ending of the mental fermentations. He discerns, as it has come to be, that 'This is stress... This is the origination of stress... This is the cessation of stress... This is the way leading to the cessation of stress... These are mental fermentations... This is the origination of fermentations... This is the cessation of fermentations... This is the way leading to the cessation of fermentations.' His heart, thus knowing, thus seeing, is released from the fermentation of sensuality, the fermentation of becoming, the fermentation of ignorance. With release, there is the knowledge, 'Released.' He discerns that 'Birth is ended, the holy life fulfilled, the task done. There is nothing further for this world.' Just as if there were a pool of water in a mountain glen — clear, limpid, and unsullied — where a man with good eyesight standing on the bank could see shells, gravel, and pebbles, and also shoals of fish swimming about and resting, and it would occur to him, 'This pool of water is clear, limpid, and unsullied. Here are these shells, gravel, and pebbles, and also these shoals of fish swimming about and resting.' In the same way — with his mind thus concentrated, purified, and bright, unblemished, free from defects, pliant, malleable, steady, and attained to imperturbability — the monk directs and inclines it to the knowledge of the ending of the mental fermentations.

.

.

.

.

.

.

.

Here's some more that might be helpful...From Dharmawheel (My link) sangyey: What is the hallmark or determining factor where one has accompllshed the path of accumulation and moves on to the path of preparation? kirtu: When bodhicitta arises naturally and constantly. The feeling is that the mind and bodhicitta are thoroughly mixed like water poured into water. Kirt sangyey: Thank you Kirtu. Is it irreversible or would this only be a feature of the path of seeing? Also, are any other qualities needed like having achieved single pointed concentration or the unification of shamatha and vipashyna? kirtu: Quite a question. IDK but I'd have to infer (and this is just an inference) that over the long term of the course of a person's life they will at least be focused naturally on bodhicitta. But they can still generate negativities towards others. And as some teachers have mentioned, short of the Path of Seeing all the progress a person makes is reversible. So the natural bodhicitta marking the attainment of the Path of Accumulation is reversible in that sense (all my Sakya and Nyingma teachers have mentioned the point that if you haven't attained the Path of Seeing then spiritual progress is reversible but usually this just means that you can experience difficult times not that you could really become a bad person, at least not in that one lifetime - Chagdud Tulku also makes this point in his biography). Also, are any other qualities needed like having achieved single pointed concentration or the unification of shamatha and vipashyna? No - this is a point made in a Nyingma commentary that I read - one of the guides to Patrul Rinpoche's "Words of My Perfect Teacher". I'll see if I can find the reference. Kirt _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ Here's another link from the Berzin archives: My link I like Bodri's article only because he approaches it from a different angle: http://www.meditationexpert.com/yoga-kung-fu/y_chakras_and_kundalini.htm If you're interested in really delving into this, then you should look into the abhisamayalankara (The Ornament of Clear Realization.)

Okey dokey. Wishing you the best in your life and your spiritual journey!

This is just your assumption. From knowing a bit about what Buddhism teaches: Buddhism does not teach that emotions are flawed and need to be suppressed. From my own experience: Emotions (and thoughts) aren't the root problem. From what Buddhism teaches: Ignorance is the root problem which starts at the top of the twelve-fold chain of dependent origination. I'm going to give you my honest opinion based off of my own experience: You did not have insight into the experience of Brahman/One-Mind. From reading your posts describing your experiences: My conclusion is that you have experienced the "I AM" stage. This is a very common experience in the spiritual community; IMO it is by far the easiest phase of insight to experience. This sounds like you went through an experience of the so-called "Dark Night of the Soul." Most people go through this at some point or another (An article describing this experience My link.) In any case since you brought up Buddhism, this is what I read recently from a thread on Dharmawheel My link: Namdrol: Non-duality does not end suffering. People suffer in the state of non-duality. What is the state of non-duality [from the Buddhist and Dzogchen POV]? Just the fact that all things arise in dependence and are therefore empty, free from all extremes. There is no non-duality apart from that. However, by recognizing that we are suffering because we do not perceive the non-dual nature of things, we can reverse that suffering. - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - From my past experiences (before I delved into Buddhism) and my current experiences: He is right. Even when I was at the phase of the One-Mind/Brahman, there were still lingering habits, tendencies, afflictive states of mind/disturbing emotions. Still now there are lingering [karmic] habit-energies that pop up from time to time (Of course how effortlessly they are able to come and go depends on how far our insight into the "View of D.O" has penetrated into the conscious/subconscious levels of Mind. I'm not going to get into this here though.) This is why the gradual and instantaneous paths are not separated in Buddhism. That is why there are differentiating levels of advancement on the path in Hinayana and Mahayana Buddhism. Developing and mastering each of the jhanas is the crux of Buddhism. I'm taking this from Xabir's blog titled Tranquil Calm: The Buddha teaches: These four types of individuals are to be found existing in the world. Which four? There is the case of the individual who has attained internal tranquility of awareness, but not insight into phenomena through heightened discernment. There is... the individual who has attained insight into phenomena through heightened discernment, but not internal tranquility of awareness. There is... the individual who has attained neither internal tranquility of awareness nor insight into phenomena through heightened discernment. And there is... the individual who has attained both internal tranquility of awareness & insight into phenomena through heightened discernment. The individual who has attained internal tranquility of awareness, but not insight into phenomena through heightened discernment, should approach an individual who has attained insight into phenomena through heightened discernment... and ask him: 'How should fabrications be regarded? How should they be investigated? How should they be seen with insight?' The other will answer in line with what he has seen & experienced: 'Fabrications should be regarded in this way... investigated in this way... seen in this way with insight.' Then eventually he [the first] will become one who has attained both internal tranquility of awareness & insight into phenomena through heightened discernment. As for the individual who has attained insight into phenomena through heightened discernment, but not internal tranquility of awareness, he should approach an individual who has attained internal tranquility of awareness... and ask him, 'How should the mind be steadied? How should it be made to settle down? How should it be unified? How should it be concentrated?' The other will answer in line with what he has seen & experienced: 'The mind should be steadied in this way... made to settle down in this way... unified in this way... concentrated in this way.' Then eventually he [the first] will become one who has attained both internal tranquility of awareness & insight into phenomena through heightened discernment. As for the individual who has attained neither internal tranquility of awareness nor insight into phenomena through heightened discernment, he should approach an individual who has attained both internal tranquility of awareness & insight into phenomena through heightened discernment... and ask him, 'How should the mind be steadied? How should it be made to settle down? How should it be unified? How should it be concentrated? How should fabrications be regarded? How should they be investigated? How should they be seen with insight?' The other will answer in line with what he has seen & experienced: 'The mind should be steadied in this way... made to settle down in this way... unified in this way... concentrated in this way. Fabrications should be regarded in this way... investigated in this way... seen in this way with insight.' Then eventually he [the first] will become one who has attained both internal tranquility of awareness & insight into phenomena through heightened discernment. As for the individual who has attained both internal tranquility of awareness & insight into phenomena through heightened discernment, his duty is to make an effort in establishing ('tuning') those very same skillful qualities to a higher degree for the ending of the effluents*. — AN 4.94 *Effluents: Mental effluent, pollutant, or fermentation. Four qualities — sensuality (sensual attachments/cravings and aversion), views (false views pertaining to self and other related extreme views), craving for becoming, and ignorance — that "flow out" of the mind and create the flood of the round of death and rebirth. - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - I don't have to prove anything to you. That's your job to do that for yourself. P.S. I just want to let you know that it was not my intention of being a dick in this post or the previous post.

That's your problem. Instead of speculating about this: You should be focused on proving for yourself, whether it is possible to break the cycle of continually falling into your own habitual propensities, instincts and tendencies. EDIT: Sentence structure.

Also you should check out www.actionlove.com. This site is legit and has a bunch of info on sexual exhaustion symptoms. You can even e-mail the owner of the site himself for specific info if you want.

You need a transmission for the vajrakilaya mantra/practice in order to derive full benefit from the recitation/visualization. That's how it works in Vajrayana. It sounds like you got the chi moving in your body due to the recitation of the mantra and by focusing on the image itself/keeping it in your mind during the recitation. Those bodily reactions could most likely be due to the fact that you concentrated to the point that the chi got moving in your body. For now I recommend the medicine buddha (Bhaisajyaguru; link to wiki page w/ mantra My link) mantra since it doesn't require transmission. It's popular in China and Tibet for it's healing ability. I myself derived actual benefit from recitation when I recited it for an extended period in a day. Some interesting things happened along with a definite healing effect.

I recommend starting out with I Am That by Sri Nisargadatta Maharaj. You can read that for free from this site http://www.sankaracharya.org/. That site is alright to out start out with, I think. I mean no disrespect to Bill Bodri, but instead of starting out with Zen: I'd get a grounding in Theravada/Hinayana Buddhism first, before going onto Zen.

I have no problem accepting this. I don't have some "reputation" to defend on the bums. This is a good reminder to me of my own shortcomings on and off the cushion. I wish you unobstructed accomplishment in all your endeavors both spiritual and otherwise. P.S. I was serious about that deal, man If we're both living and it is true what the sutras promise on this buddhahood thing (and if I actually manage to accomplish it, lol) I'll show up and manifest spiritual powers and shit deal?

Sorry, I forgot to add this distinction earlier: I've mainly used the approach of Sutra Mahamudra; specifically from Dakpo Tashi Namgyal's Mahamudra: The Moonlight -- Quintessence of Mind and Meditation. From what I understand (from reading on Dharmawheel) this doesn't require empowerment since it is considered independent. A link describing the different classifications of Mahamudra(of Sutra Mahamudra, Mantra Mahamudra, and Essence Mahamudra My link) It is basically the systemization of the sutric path. As for the other part of your post... Like I said back in the "Arhats?" thread My link: "Bodhicitta, is to work towards buddhahood for the sake of all sentient beings." This is how bodhicitta is defined in Mahayana. The whole point of the Mahayana teachings are to remove any remaining cognitive obscurations (for those who continue from Hinayana onwards to Mahayana) towards omniscience/Buddhahood. This the goal of Mahayana which all of it's teachings are aimed toward. This is the goal of all the different sects of Mahayana, including Vajrayana (Zen and Vajrayana are the only one's to purport that buddhahood can be achieved in a single lifetime.) The 'result' of Mahamudra (and Dzogchen) is the attainment of buddhahood. They (both Dzogchen and Mahamudra) are aimed towards the goal of buddhahood. To stress again: This is the whole point of Mahayana.

LOL! It's all in the eye of the beholder, correct?

I agree in a lot of ways. Especially with the part about keeping an open mind and doing the work for ourselves in order to see if the teachings are just make believe or not. I'm not talking about though just "accepting others answers as our own because someone declared them enlightened." This is the behavior prevalent on this board that will limit an individual, will be the opposite of keeping an open mind and is an excuse to automatically write something off just because it doesn't fit with their current view. That kind of behavior will in fact be a detrimental effect to what the purpose of the teachings are. Instead of being a more open, more humble individual; a person who is less self-centered; fearlessly and flexibly able to adapt to the flow of changing conditions; to truly be "free" in each changing circumstance we face in our lives....They will be just as constricted and contrived in all their activities which isn't a help to themselves or anyone else.

LOL! It's awesome how predictable you are! Though you'd say the same of me, LOL! It's funny how even though you do not have a truly deep understanding of the Buddha-Dharma: Yet you still try to debate on such matters you really don't comprehend. Even to the point of trying to reinterpret the teachings (based off of misunderstanding) like there's some need for you to prove me wrong. You're an intelligent person for sure, but having intelligence does not equate to having prajna wisdom. You should remember this when responding to posts: "If one is attached to the swamp of debate, it is the māra of the afflictions. " -- Tantra of The Great Self-liberated Vidyā P.S. I'm sure you know where I got that quote from

I don't necessarily disagree with your post. Nan Huai Chins books not only deal with the theory of Buddhism, Taoism, and Confucianism, but also deal with the practical aspects of actual cultivation and seeing truth (especially his books Working Toward Enlightenment and To Realize Enlightenment.) His books start to really make sense when you actually reach the levels of meditation and insight he discusses. I don't really buy that. It's become cliche on here for everyone to automatically dismiss the teachings of the different traditions, so that it won't challenge their current paradigm; without actually proving if they lead to the intended result. A lot of the time on here, it's just arrogance and self-pride disguised as an agnostic view point or being pragmatic. Of course, I'm not advocating blind faith either, but going beyond our own limited outlook based off of preconceived notions and emotional opinions...Using cultivation in a scientific manner in order to see if what the different traditions promise as their results is valid. A person is only an authority, if they actually have attained to what their respective tradition claims as it's goals. Through that experience (gained through their cultivation,) they than can help others who have trust in them, to realize the same results that they have gained. That all depends on our karma and merit as to what teacher becomes our spiritual adviser so to speak. As for what tradition we choose to ultimately put our faith into: Again that depends on our karmic conditions.