JustARandomPanda

Hi Ralis, I thought I'd share a story with you I came across a few days ago in a used book store. I liked the short stories in this book so much I bought it. It has given me much to think on. Enjoy! - Lieh-Tzu: A Taoist Guide to Practical Living (translated by Eva Wong) p.s. thank you for the link Lucky!

Yes. I admit I do agree with you there. Some Buddhists here have at times said things that smack of elitism and the whole 'my-Realization-is-Deeper-than-Yours' aplenty. To me it seems they're displaying Shenpa at these times. However, I choose to see this as a chance to learn from it. If even these knowledgeable, "so-close-to-Nirvana-it's-within-spitting-distance" Buddhists engage in this kind of behavior still then that tells me the roots of Ego-tism run deep indeed! So it reminds me of their humanity. That even highly spiritual Buddhists can still display low nature at times. If they do so then surely I must - and most especially at precisely those times when I myself don't see it. A fish is not always the best authority on water. Cheers!

Hmm....If I'm understanding Buddhist doctrine correctly I don't think that's quite right. What they are saying is that prior cause is all there is, ever was and will ever be. It just so happens that that prior cause is not brought about by a Supreme Being or Tao but rather by...well...all of us. There is no Aristotelian Unmoved Mover. No Kantian a priori that is the Ultimate behind anything. There's only ever been Cause Causing so to speak - forever..endlessly...by all of us (although..if the human species disappeared this endless *Cause Causing will still go on). Oddly it's not dissimilar to the view I once heard Stephen Hawking holds. David Bohm is awesome! I have one of his earliest books wherein he presented his theory about the holographic nature of reality. It was hard, dense reading but worth every bit of the effort it took. He's one of the most original thinkers of the last century IMO. *Although I can see how this endless Cause Causing starts to look very similar to being the same as pure chance. This is one of those weird cases where the Tao and Yin/Yang starts to look pretty accurate to me.

Hmm.... I have a question on this part. What is preventing the "Insight" from being inherently empty yet luminous? Or is it too the case that all realization - no matter how deep - is inherently empty yet *luminous? *I wish someone would explain *exactly* what is meant when Buddhists say 'luminous' (without being a Granny wagging a finger saying "you haven't meditated enough so stfu you ignorant fool").

I think I'm finally beginning to understand somewhat. Buddhists are closet Heraclitans.

Hmmm..... If all is Dependently originated with no inherent Self Substance (and that's Buddhism's unique claim vis-a-vis Theistic religions I take it) - if all is connected like Indra's Net (or maybe David Bohm's holographic universe) - then, like Einstein's E=MC2 'self' should work in both directions. I wonder about the same with future deeds...merit or demerits are interdependently operating. All interacting, all co-elescing to the single instant that we all live in - the Eternal Right Now. There is no instant but Now. Past is a mental construct. Future is a mental construct. That means all past and future deeds are interdependently causing and effecting the RIGHT NOW, right now. Imagine someone making a mathematical 'karmic equation'. In fact...the more I read this thread the more convinced I become that using math to describe Dependent Origination with no Self Substance is not only possible but doable - even though it would be *soooo subtle* that only other mathematicians of comparable level would understand it. Part of me wonders if this negates free will. Or did the Buddha say free will is an Ego illusion too? Did Buddha speak directly on this? Are there Pali and Sanskrit Suttas that speak of this? *ponders*

I wonder what it must be like to *be* a prime number. I wonder if anyone could reincarnate as a prime number. Would it be astral? hmmm....

Can someone tell me where (and what) Siddhartha Buddha is right this very minute? *is curious*

Wow. I was unaware of this until tonight. It is an interesting hypothesis if ours is a Boltzmann Brain Universe. Wiki entry on Boltzmann Brains

I'm quite delighted with what I'm learning in KAP. I just have an insatiable curiosity is all but as far as actual practice I've stopped my other Qi Gong to focus just on KAP. Thanks for everything. I hope your gift returns to you a hundred-fold.

I will look for that book. Thanks!

I wonder how this thread got to arguing Buddhist v. Hindu 'realizations' on a TAOIST board.

This entire thread is beginning to remind me of Richard Linklater's movie, Waking Life. I feel like the guy who keeps thinking he wakes up...only to start getting creepy evidence he's not. Which came first - Chicken or the Egg....hell if I know. With that in mind I dedicate these 2 YouTube clips from the the movie. YouTube clip 1 of Waking Life YouTube clip 2 of Waking Life

Interesting. Speaking only for myself...I can't even explain why - I find myself drawn to a more Buddhist explanation in this thread. But again I don't know why. Then again...I like Taoism too. Taoism makes a lot of sense too. In fact...I can find reasons for finding sense in all of these explanations - Vedic too. Gah... This sucks. What a confusing state to be in.

This is it! This is what my friend explained to me is called Panpsychist Brahmanism! It is also what that guy in South America - Julio Siquiera - said is the only other philosophical argument (besides Solipsism) which does not have a hidden internal inconsistency with 'something' (karma? mind? whatever?) surviving bodily death.

Hmm... Is this the version you are talking about? Or is it this one (with maybe a new cover)? I ask because my friend (the one who explained Panpsychist Brahmanism) recommended the second one. I don't know if he's read or is aware of the first one.

What is so whacky about Neil Slade?

Thank you Zhuo and theLerner. Fascinating. I'm beginning to wonder if that isn't the best way to do stuff at all. Forget the theory, reasons, etc and just blaze our own trail.

*perks up ears with curiosity* Wow. Where can I find out specifically about these Kabalah energy centers and the Nagual System? P.S. Has anyone here read The Temple of Man? If so what was your opinion of it?

Because of certain questions I've been ruminating on I am beginning to wonder if the Placebo Effect is actually Chi Healing or other energy healing work in disguise? If it is then in a way Western research has already shown it exists - so much so all valid research studies must be designed to take placebo into account. And from what I can tell researchers haven't been able to explain placebo. I'm still unsure about this though. Placebo might have absolutely nothing to do with chi or energy bodies, etc.

I began meditation via focusing on my breath approximately 2 weeks ago. I don't recall the exact day I began but somwhere around there. In the beginning - oddly - I didn't seem to have a problem with 'staying with' my breath. One time I was able to focus for about 10 minutes. In fact, 3 or so nights ago I just kinda decided to focus on my breath while laying in bed for the night to sleep. On that night I even had the odd sensation of 'seeing' a flickering white light in the middle of my brow. Not a very strong light. More like when a diffuse light bulb starts to flicker right before it goes out. And I remember being in a relaxed state. Maybe it was a light trance. I don't know what caused the white light but it's never happened again. Anyhoo... Flash forward. Since that night with the soft flickering white light in my brow I can not for the life of me seem to 'stay with' my breath for more than a micro-second. I mean it is really difficult! I feel as if I'm backsliding in my meditating. I was under the impression that the longer one does it the easier it becomes. Instead it seems to be getting harder. I don't know if this is because it actually is getting harder or perhaps I'm just getting better at noticing how fast the process of drifting away really begins. In any case...it's a bummer. Am I doing something wrong?

Found this on another site and thought it funny so figured I'd share.

Just finished the KAP One class about an hour ago. I loved every minute of it. If anyone is sitting on the fence about taking it. I heartily recommend it.