SiliconValley

http://www.qigongenergyhealing.com/ Has anyone tried Michael Mohoric? There seem to be only good things about him on the net. He charges 99 bucks for a month of healing.

Okay, some of you are probably tired of doomsday prediction, and to tire you further, here is a Mayan version... http://video.google.com/videoplay?docid=-2056220249702121896 Not a bad one to watch actually ...

Okay, that is what someone wrote. But to those who know him closely, he is a sweet man, always residing in a high state of consciousness. Rambhau Swami lives in the southern city of Tanjore in India, in a small room in a temple. His needs are almost nill, he stays away from publicity and does not know the difference between 5 and 100 bucks. When his disciples feed him, he eats a banana or two. If someone offers him money, he gives it to someone else who visits him for a blessing. Though many think of his abilities as originating from Yogic practice, that really is not the case. Swamiji is a great practitioner of Ucchishta Ganesha tantra, an esoteric form of Ganesha worshiped for speedy realization. During the fire rituals performed for the well-being of the residents of the region, what I noticed was that he really does not jump into the fire as an act to showcase his skill. Instead, he mentioned that he sees his beloved Ganesha manifest in the fire and he only hugs him and plays with him, and that he considers Ganesha as his baby. He often expresses anger at his disciples who are in awe of his mastery of fire and says: Mind creates images and also these elements. Think of it's mastery. For a man of true realization, water flowing upwards is not surprising nor fire from moon for he realizes the falsehood of all this mental imagery and of the falsehood of the mind itself. A profound Sanskrit scholar, a well-known healer and somewhat reserved, here is Rambhau Svami... tGj_DlZH-kk

Measuring Meditation [William Bodri] seems to be a wonderful book, different from most other such books. I just started reading and it feels good! Anyone else reading it? By the way I received the book from a fellow Tao Bum who graciously decided to share it with me without any expectations! Bodri allows one copy of the book to be legally shared and I got lucky! That someone can decide to share a gift such as this one with someone they don't know much, without any expectations or an agenda, feels overwhelmingly awesome and not enough thanks can be expressed to this Kind Soul and to Sean for having this forum ... And this is the second time he does this, for he did this earlier with Spring Forest Qigong that "literally" was a life-changing experience for a dear friend, who had lost it all! Wishing this great person love and light and also all Tao Bums on this day of Dipavali, which is the Hindu festival of lights and enlightenment. And I have the copy of Anapasati conversations, which I am allowed to share with one person. Please let me know if someone would be interested to have it and I would love to mail you a copy. Edit: I just gave this book away...

After an intense practice of Chilel Qigong for about 5 months, I had similar symptoms along with fading vision. An energetic evaluation done by my chi kung teacher did not show any imbalance. He suggested it could be a passing thing but it persisted for more than 2 months. Then I ran into Jeannie Garner, one of the original Kundalini Reiki teachers and lo! what an amazing lady. She fixed it in a whiff - heaven knows what she did...eyes felt normal overnight. She even teaches for free and purely for the love of it. My cousin who studies with Santiago ran into similar issues last month and Santiago was able to diagonize his issue through an email! He saw a protein deficiency and taking more proteins fixed it. Michael Winn writes many places about eyes being primary areas affected in case of an energetic imbalance, or as you said, they are just allergies ...

Not sure if Yoda is reading it, but here is what Master Choa Kok Sui recommended to a couple with a young daughter who had similar issue in one of the early classes I was privileged to take with him. He told them do the energetic practice, open the heart to the best possible extent and give a bear hug to the child. They came back to report a great improvement overnight.

I think with practice comes maturity and they will eventually get over the urge to impose the superiority of their view over the other's, to dwell on an overall integration rather than differentiation. But assuming there is enough practice along any of the chosen paths

While on a trip to one of the middle eastern countries, I was a forced witness to an exorcism performed by Sufi Priest on a 7-year old. She spoke several tongues - it all seemed same to me though. But the ones there which included a visiting French linguist, all visibly shaken, stated that she was speaking several ancient dialects of Persian, and Hebrew and something else. It was fascinating to watch the whole ritual and equally frightening. In this case, explaining is easy as all this was attributed to an entity within the child.

You need to probably read through the past few pages and catch up The issue I am talking about is not about the discussion whether the two "are" same. I stated repeatedly that I don't subscribe to that belief that they are same. What I contested was the passing off of Buddhist Enlightenment as the "superior" one based solely on Buddhist concepts, definitions and analysis of partisan Buddhists which do not serve any useful purpose in establishing a concept such as of superiority. I was about to wait, probably for Xabir to point that out. Thank you! I am not trying to be an ass but just trying to illustrate the "view" of karma - what you sow so you reap. Those who disagree with others based on reason and some level of courtesy, can expect the same back. I was typing up the historical origin of Ati Yoga as he put it, how it was influenced by extremist teachings of some sects and all that, but I will save that for later. Vajrayana is something I have studied seriously for seven years and still continue to. So attacking Buddhism is certainly not the intention here. Namaste

Mikaelz is 100% sure Dalai Lama is. May be he is! The three times I have seen him, he seemed like a nice person and great guy to talk to, with great interest towards Tantra and its branching into Buddist/Hindu branches. Certainly seemed to have a very open mind to listen, ask questions and express his views. And meeting him as representatives of a well-established Hindu organization certainly helped. I would not know how to recognize an enlightened guy for sure, but, as Trunk said, I see a very strong possibility that Mark Griffin is Enlightened. He seems to translate a lot of what Advaita/Kashmiri Shaivism teaches into an actual experience and help others embrace it.

That you stick to the "concept" of "no concept" is funny and that is one of the beliefs you assume and use as the sole reason to criticize other paths. Funny What are these "views" and how are these "views" not concepts really? But don't Buddhists believe in a lot of things because a sutta that they think came from Buddha said so? Please note that every one believes something because they think it is the right thing to do. Leave it to an individual to decide and stop screaming from rooftops that you are "different" and "better". Actually, very less of what I have said can be translated as "belief". So the part of inquiry and questioning needs to be directed inwards by those who stick to "I feel", "I think" and the concept of "No concept". Another "belief" which is not entirely true, at least not in the relevant case. As for the futility of this argument and the childishness of "MY daddy is bigger and better" because "he says so" and "it makes sense to me" - I agree 100% with you, as I have repeatedly stated before. Ok, I get it. Creative exhaustion... We can wait for Xabir It is actually a real pleasure talking to him.

The Buddhists have never been good at Sanskrit have they? Ati, to the best convenience of your definition can be exceeding or excess or extreme, and that can be translated as Transcending. First, original - well please check the root of the word ati and not wikipedia And a lot of us have similar beliefs, like Buddha sat under a tree for shade and that Pope represents the God as he is the chosen one to do many things. As I said, beliefs are their own and I don't contest them. But self-contradiction and the circularity of your arguments are something you would need to deal with yourself Hey you guys threw pages of terms - most of which are English but really meaning nothing outside the Buddhist framework. I am following the lead here. You seem to google well, and these can be easily googled as well

Shaktipat's goal, unlike the guy quoted from E-Sangha mentioned, is not simply to awaken Kundalini but rather to dissolve malas or impurities that cause the apparent illusion of duality. At a lower energetic level, its initial stages can be simply awakening Kundalini thus initiating the journey. Kundalini is described as aham-svarupini or of the form of I-AM. The peak of Kundalini phenomenon is really the experience of Brahman, and other goals of her awakening have been called Kshudra or petty by the Yogins like Abhinavagupta. There are examples. Sri Chandrashekhara Bharati had a full state of Advatic experience and realization through one shaktipat from his master. He was the high priests of one of the four chief monastic institutions of Shankara and revered widely as an enlightened soul like Sri Ramana. My family learnt under him and witnessed how, to the qualified ones, this "grace" was bestowed upon unconditionally by the Master, propelling them deep into complete absorption and state of Aham. But he did advice practice for most, and that issue forms a separate post for the thread on neo-advaita vs traditional advaita. View....that is exactly what I am saying...what you repeatedly quote without a pause is Buddhist view. Does not make sense for an Advaitin and that does not mean others are treading the path on non-sense? Get it? So you assume he is Enlightened? Reason for that? Bliss is not smiling, laughing or having a great time right? A street trash guy I see on the way to work every day does that...of course, it is good to be happy...better to be enlightened. Homework brother! That will reduce a lot of "I thinks", "I feels" "Dunno why but just makes sense". Ati means 'extreme'. People who want to see a mole will find one, no matter where Please go back and read what I wrote. I even listed some of the many specific instances of what concepts he picked from where. If Buddha were such a moron that he just did a copy+paste, I would not spend time discussing him here. Let's give him some credit

The Advaita list is still open to discussion and the best of East and West in advaita in the current day are on that forum. Those interested in discussing the "superiority" of Buddhism - I am just using this side as the example as this claim appeared on this thread before a counter-claim from the opposite side - could move the discussion there. There are many practicing Buddhists visiting that forum, unlike the representation of Advaita in E-Sangha where I posted frequently till about a year ago.

You like to quote stories, and you agree you're a child! There rests my case. How about letting go of an idea that Buddha was the only correct one? At least till you experience if what he said was true beyond the books? I hate to actually get down to this oft repeated statement, but in the absence of other valid counter-arguments, this is all I can think of! By the way, there has been a significant softening of your stand and less contempt towards Hinduism or Advaita from the scream in the original post. Arguments, at the end of the day, may do nothing else, but at least mellow both sides and bring in some civility. Good to know ... Does it matter what the "belief" is? Belief or unsubstantiated "I feels" have not been my way of argument I now think Buddha was probably trying to find some shade on a hot day and sat under a tree

There is not much to respond to this ...is there? I have listed some specific details but cannot really take exception to what "you think" or what "you see". Peace and Blessings ... I have a strong feeling you have read the shoddy translation of Max Mueller or someone of the Veda. If at all one could understand Veda with such ease, there would be no commentaries required. You may want to take a look at Yaska's nirukta and Sayana's commentary to understand what the hyms mean. To understand every hymn, one would need to understand the shat angas - or the six limbs of Veda and this is where a competent commentary steps in to rescue the uninitiated.

Okay, this is like a child, who after being refused by parents, complains of a monster Ok, but what if Buddha read upanishads, did not understand them and was more interested in opposing the then Brahminical hierarchy than anything else and with that goal created a branch off from various paths? We don't know for sure if at all Buddha, through his new path attained moksha! If one goes arguing on said lines, we could go on till the limit of one's imagination.

That seems to be a personal opinion. This is not the opinion of either the traditional Advaitins who hold vedanta as the third and the final part of the Veda or of their critics - jaina, buddhist and other schools - who accept Upanishads verily as the vedic teaching. The difference in the content of veda (by which you probably mean brahmana and aranyaka) is intentional due to the three part division. You miss my point! I never said Buddha picked one system and kept its concepts. What the scholars I quoted are trying to say is that he picked a lot of different points from other systems and built a base for his own theory. Of course, he did have his individual thought like anatta and stuff. This seems to be reasonable to accept unless one believed Buddha to be a super human or something. Mundaka, Brihadaranyaka and Taittiriya have been established by several scholars as spheres of influence that existed before Buddha (assuming a historical personality by that name and his accepted period). I can list the references here if that helps.

Exactly what I was trying to say! I wrote a couple things to point out that if you think Advaita Vedanta was "derived" from x or y Buddhist's teachings, the other way is a possibility as well, considering the diversity and antiquity of Hinduism. And I assumed such conclusions were the norm here as such a lot posted on this thread is exactly reflective of such conclusions. While I would not state that Buddhism was a "derivative" of Hinduism or Vedanta - like Shankara or Advaita was accused here as a "derivative" of Buddhism - I have listed some clear influences on Buddhism here. They are not coincidences and are not restricted to rebirth or karma, which of course are some original Vedic concepts. An entire book on Upanishadic and Vedic analogies and concepts that are used viz-a-viz in the Pali Nikayas is available for study. And importantly, most of the authors I have quoted here are specifically third-party Westerners who have no affiliation either to Hinduism or Buddhism, unlike Buddhist bhikkus quoted by other friends here And what really is "borrowing" or "deriving"? Does saying getting inspired sound better?