Vmarco

The first absolute bodhicitta proverb says, "Treat everything you perceive as a dream." For me, fun is each moment I'm aware of that. Lao Tzu purportedly said, "Recognize that everything you see and think is a falsehood, an illusion, a veil over the truth." Hua Hu Ching 48. Fun for me is each moment that saying comes before my ignorance. V

Perhaps these vicious dog breeds "appear" sweet and friendly to you,...but they ARE NOT to others,...and until you realize that Others are yourself, your liberation will be impossible. It's very black and white,...only an inconsiderate person would own a dog bred to be vicious, what you call Look-the-Part. No matter how sweet and friendly vicious breeds "appear" to be,...people own them because of their own fear,...and a person attached to fear cannot uncover the Heart of the Tao. V

Keeping guns and dogs in one's house (at all times) is much more considerate than dogs in a yard terrorizing all passers-by, or even worse, those ten-of-thousands of dogs who escape their yards and attack, mame, or kill neighbors. Let's look at the question again,...Would a Bodhisattva own a dog for protection? It doesn't say would "Would a Bodhisattva own a dog." Dogs are animals,..that's why there are leash laws. Even the most trained dog can go rouge,...and destroy the life, emotionally or physically, of another. I could easily imagine a Bodhisattva with a Maltese on her lap,...she is the protector of the dog. Using HH Dalai Lama or those in the public domain as an example is somewhat inappropriate. Besides, by his own admission, HH Dalai Lama is neither a Bodhisattva or enlightened. Nevertheless, I'd love to present the question to him,... Would a Bodhisattva own a dog for protection? V

Does a Taoist or Buddhist who is attached to fear, a genuine Taoist or Buddhist? How can one observe themselves, their Heart, let alone the Tao, through a fear-based psychology? Isn't saying, "I am a peaceful person" while having three dogs for protection, both neurotic and dishonest? Let's break that down a bit. Can a person so fearful of others that they need animal protection ever truly be peaceful,...and second, could a genuinely peaceful person be so inconsiderate of others that they would own dogs for protection? It could be easily argued (among honest people) that owning dogs for protection promotes more fear, not peace,...an environment of more fear. A person who owns a dog for protection could not possibly be at peace,...the dog is merely a medication so that they don't have to confront their fear,...they've tricked themselves by anesthetizing their fear,...which is a barrier to an open heart. How can any Heartful person own a dog for protection? The terror their dog(s) cause others, in itself is the opposite of Heartfulness, peace, and the Tao. V

Are you serious? Your post suggests that you don't have a clue regarding the Lao Tzu quote. The quote implies, do not embrace any concept of separation. Attachment to the ridiculousness that a Jesus died as portrayed in the Bible, is an attachment to separation, and is a barrier to uncovering the Tao in one's heart. Tolerance of religious faith, like the Christian meme, is not being in service to others, or the Tao. Lao Tzu purportedly said, "When you perceive that an act done to another is done to yourself, you have understood a great truth." One cannot listen Scotty if they put predispositions on the nature of what is being said. V

Actually, the fun that 99.9% of people engage in, is intellectual. Those who realize that, are close to uncovering the Tao. Sentient Beings are so brainwashed with their sentience (the 6 senses). V

The two miles of original riverwalk in downtown SA is certainly a worthwhile visit,...but keep in mind for future visits, that the Paseo del Rio is about 13 miles,...from Brackenridge Park in the north (think Japanese gardens), going south along the SAMA, into the downtown hotel/restuarant district, and onward to the Blue Star Art District. Austin does have the Town Lake trail,...largely overcrowded with bikes and dogs. Back to Austin,...That Buddhist temple (605 45th Street) is probably too far (about 40 blocks north of 6th St.) and is something, in my opinion, must be seen in the early evening (after sunset). One does not need to go inside,...but if you do, during a talk, they have tons of free food. The Tibetan architecture and gold, everywhere gold, seen through the 3-sides of glass walls is a rush for the senses. The Greyhound is around 62nd, or 56 blocks north of 6th Street. Keep in mind, there are 3 music districts north of the river,...East 6th, where the Hilton is,...West 6th, past Guadalupe, and the music district around 3rd, inbetween the other two. The Whole Foods flag-store is at 6th and Lamar. South of the river along South Congress and thereabouts, is another music district,...far too many music venues in the city to see even in a month. Austin loves constant diversions, distractions, etc. Austin reminds me of my mother,..always with the TV on,...too fearful of ever stilling her mind. My favorite music venue was at Central Market in North Austin,...mostly because I ate there at least once a week. The Buffet Palace on West Gate is the best Asian Buffet of the 48 States I've been to. Austin has many exceptional restuarants,...Madame Mame's was another favorite, and fairly inexpensive.

The Greyhound station is in north Austin,...quite a distance from the "cool" stuff. Up until a few weeks ago I lived in the Hyde Park neighborhood,...before that in 78704. Yes,...Austin is a Hipster oasis,...drug/alcohol hip,...hippy/dead head hip,...hippy hollow nudist hip,...very little spirituality per capita however,...but "cool" for those who like that scene. Surprised the above event is even being held there. There is a nice metaphyisical book store on South Lamar,...and Whole Foods flagship store is worth the free admission. Another fallacy about Austin is that it's an Art Place,...one can find better Art in Cody, Wyoming. Austin is a Music Place though,...probably more than a 100 live venues per night. It's also a healthy food place,...considering you're in Texas. The traffic is insane however, on par with places like Chicago,..except that Austin has more CO2 burning gas and diesel guzzlers. The best Texas city for the Arts (no, definitely not Houston) is San Antonio,...the SAMA is awesome, and likewise the McNay. SA also has three Art Districts,...the Blue Star (excellent for locals), the Villita arts district, and North St Mary's Arts area, near the gay district. Austin doesn't have a gay district,...which is telling. LGBT's generally bring a sense of color to a town. Although highly Catholic, SA also has many spiritual traditions,..and pagan, humanistic circles. SA has 4 times more people, but is 10 times easier to get around. I facilitated a Freethought Buddhist Meetup in Austin,...spent hundreds in advertizing,...ran display ads for three months in publications like Austin All-Natural,...hardly any interest. Do try to stop by the Buddhist Temple on the 600 E block of 45th (austin) after dusk,...it's beautiful. If I was still there you could have stayed at my place. I now live in Tesuque, NM,...where all of a sudden, my body is again getting more oxygen than carbon dioxide. Oh,...by the way,...for all who visit Austin, bring ear plugs,...loud traffic dominates the city. V

It is curious that no matter what spiritual discussion forum one engages in, people have more definitions for enlightenment, than ego has lies. Wasn't it Voltaire who said, if cockroaches had a god, it would be the biggest, baddest, cockroach around. That how most people define enlightenment,...through their own mediocrity. Tradition suggests that Lao Tzu said, "Recognize that eveything you see and think is a falsehood, an illusion, a veil over the truth." To Lao Tzu, the truth is the Tao. Thus, to understand the Tao, would be synonymous with enlightenment. Lao Tzu purpotedly said, "the only way to understand [the Tao] is to directly experience it." And how can one recognize that they have directly experienced the Tao? In the Hua Hu Ching, Lao Tzu said, "the Tao doesn't come and go." If one's experience Comes and Goes, that did not, according to Taoist tradtion, experience the Tao,...thus they have not experienced enlightenment. It's very black and white,...it's very simple. In Buddhism, enlightenment is impossible without the realization of Dependent Origination. To realize Dependent Origination, one must understand the emptiness of form. How does one understand the emptiness of form,...their Heart Sutra says, Gate, Gate, Paragate, Parasamgate, Bodhi Svaha!...which is, "To go, to come, beyond going and coming, into complete going and coming, where enlightenment is welcomed." In Buddhism, an enlightened person is called a Tathagata,...a Tathagata doesn't come and go. It's pretty black and white,...it's very simple. Those in history who had realized or glimpsed enlightenment all said similiar things regarding the uncovering of this direct experience,...that direct experience cannot be experienced through the 6 senses. The Hua Hu Ching suggests, "the ego is a monkey catapulting through the jungle; totally fascinated by the realm of the senses....if anyone threaten it, it actually fears for its life. Let this monkey go. Let the senses go." Lao Tzu said, "there is nothing more futile and frustrating than relying on the mind. To arrive at the unshakable, you must befriend the Tao. To do this, quiet your thinking." The Shurangama sutra says, "As soon as one sense-organ returns to the source, All the six are liberated." Defining Enlightenment is simple,...not by way of what it is,...which the Ignorant wouldn't recognized if it was in front of them,...Enlightenment is simple by way of what it is not. Enlightenment does not Come and Go,....Enlightenment cannot be recognized through the 6 senses,...that is, from the sense organs of sight, hearing, taste, smell, touch, and thinking. It's simple! In other words,...if Taoism and Buddhism are correct,...the million of ignorant definitions of enlightenment,...from "carry water, chop wood", to the Conspiracy of Mediocrity, that is, "the conspiracy of mediocrity is basically the conspiracy to express your own ego instead of transcending it or letting go of it. The idea has become "if I can really emote and express my self-contriction with sincerity, I'm somehow spiritual". Actually, people who are involved in this boomeritis even deny the importance of Enlightenment or Awakening, because that's saying some states are higher than others - and we shouldn't be so judgemental." In our current therapeutic, ego-centric society people don't want to see that what they thought was meaningful may actually be meaningless. Enlightenment is pretty much an Eastern term,...there is no enlightenment in the Abrahamic religion. Lao Tzu purportedly said, "Do not go about worshipping deities and religious institutions as the source of the subtle truth. To do so is to place intermediaries between yourself and source, and to make youself a beggar who looks outside for a treasure that is hidden inside his own breast. If you want to worship the Tao, first discover it in your own heart." For the Abrahamic religions, their heart is really in their head. For example,...Christian love is often considered the highest love, although it is merely conditional love that arises from the 6 senses. To better understand this type of love, simply consider the Great Love Chapter of Christendom, Corinthians 13; for example, "love bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things", 1 Cor 13:7. That isn't Unconditional Love, but the submission, devotion, expectation and suffering to the conditions of their religions brewed beliefs. It's pretty black and white,...an quite simple! V

Ego, ego, ego,...is that what resonates more with Lao Tzu. Lao Tzu purportedly said, "Dualistic thinking is a sickness. Religion is a distortion. Materialism is cruel. Blind spirituality is unreal." Lao Tzu purportedly said, "Do you think you can clear your mind by sitting constantly in silent meditation? This makes your mind narrow, not clear." Lao Tzu said, "to eliminate the vexation of the mind, it doesn't help to do something; this only reinforces the minds mechanics (monkey mind). Dissolving the mind is instead a matter of not-doing: simply avoid becoming attached to what you see and think (the 6 senses). Knowing nothing, you will be aware of everything." The Hua Hu Ching suggests, "the ego is a monkey catapulting through the jungle; totally fascinated by the realm of the senses....if anyone threaten it, it actually fears for its life. Let this monkey go. Let the senses go." Lao Tzu said, "Intellectual knowledge exists in and of the brain [the 6th sense]. Because the brain is part of the body, which must one day expire, this collection of facts, however large and impressive, will expire as well" Lao Tzu said, "the only way to understand [the Tao] is to directly experience it." It is impossible to has a direct experience through the 6 senses,...all experience born of the 6 senses can only be experienced through the conditions of the 6 senses. Some are not being honest here, and it doesn't appear to be VMarco.

It's not about VMarco. It's about being honest.

What about this,...anything beyond the Electric Universe (that is the physical, dark matter, and dark energy), the whole of One and Many, can indeed be understood as immediately as we let go of belief and what the thinking we want to believe. Lao Tzu said, "Time and space are changing and dissolving, not fixed and real. " What if what was mentioned in post #22 is correct,....that as Lao Tzu said, "The Tao gives birth to One. One gives birth to yin and yang. Yin and yang give birth to all things." As Undivided Light is fully synonymous with the Tao in the above quote, could we fully understand the Tao through light? The answer is yes,...whereas something of One or Yin/Yang obscures the Tao (and Undivided Light) and renders the Tao ungnowable. V

Of course your ego, and the ego of psychologists, want you to believe that,...that thinking, which arises from the sense organ of thought, that is the brain, is somehow special. I mean,...there is even a movie about it,...so it must be true. Buddhism calls the 6th sense "monkey mind." http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Storehouse_consciousness

Many say that the Complete Works of Lao Tzu incudes the Hua Hu Ching,...but probably not indoctrinated Westerners who believe they only have 5 senses, and that the sense organ of thought (the i think) is really who they are. Not really. You only believe you have 5 senses. If your brain accepted it was merely an impermanent sense organ, you would be at the threshold of understanding the Tao,...and the brain couldn't have that,...it rather drive your vehicle, and keep your higher consciousness in the truck (of a vehicle that really is just a dream). Lao Tzu said, "Intellectual knowledge exists in and of the brain. Because the brain is part of the body, which must one day expire, this collection of facts, however large and impressive, will expire as well" Hua Hu Ching, thirty-five.

That's OK,...however, under such circumstances is it appropriate to call yourself a Taoist? Lao Tzu said, "Recognize that eveything you see and think is a falsehood, an illusion, a veil over the truth." Hua Hu Ching, Forty Eight According to Taoism, and Buddhism, there is a you that has a greater level of consciousness than one's brain,...even the ancient Greeks recognized that, calling the brain (psyche) the lower consciousness, and the Heart (thymos) the higher consciousness. Why are you allowing the 6 senses (through the sense organs of sight, hearing, taste, touch, smell, and thought), yes, the brain is a sense organ,...obscure the consciousness of the Tao? Lao Tzu said, "there is nothing more futile and frustrating than relying on the mind. To arrive at the unshakable, you must befriend the Tao. To do this, quiet your thinking." Lao Tzu said, "Dualistic thinking is a sickness. Religion is a distortion. Materialism is cruel. Blind spirituality is unreal." How can intuition arise from thinking, religion, materialism, or blind spirituality? Like Tathagata, "the Tao doesn't come and go." Thus, Lao Tzu instructed that a superior person relates with that which neither comes nor goes. In the 'What is Light' thread, VMarco said upon the fulcrum of Undivided Light (the Tao) is a lever (One), on which duality effects its motion (yin and yang), which brings manifestation to all things. Likewise, Lao Tzu correctly said, "The Tao gives birth to One. One gives birth to yin and yang. Yin and yang give birth to all things." Oneness is not the Tao. Oneness manifests simultaneously with the Many. Without Many there is no One, and without One, there is no Many. When all Many (yin and yang) are added together, it dissolves the Many, and likewise, One is dissolved. But there is the Tao. When you let go of the consciousness' of the 6 senses,...there is the Tao. V