Tibetan_Ice

I also like this. It reminds me of the idea that "It is so close to you that the second you start to search for it, you have already missed it".

Hi Idiot Stimpy.. You should really change your name cause I can't poke fun at it without making it look like I'm trying to insult you.. LOL I agree with what you have written. Trying not to grasp is a form of reverse grasping in the same way as trying to not avert is also a form of grasping. I think the key that so many teachers talk about is to not "try". The natural state does not perfrom any action whatsoever in the normal sense of the term and by trying to do something, not only are you keeping the doer doing, but by doing you are creating veils. Good point. TI

Hi Spotless, I am a full blown clairvoyant, and then some. I'm not interested in that. It just more of the same, the physical, just replicated without form. Or a future event, predictable and confirmed.. Much of your response has addressed the playground of the conceptual mind. But I think you've touched upon some of the levels and issues of grasping. I don't know why you would contradict what Gyatrul Rinpoche has said about the need for mundane siddhis in order to realize the nature of mind: "Qualities such as heightened awareness and clairvoyance must be developed, because it is through them that one is able to understand and realize the fundamental nature of the mind." I've heard similar stories, from Alan Wallace and other Buddhists who say that unless one gains these mundane siddhis/powers, you can't really help anyone. You can't look into their past, see their karma or assess their level of development. Without empowering the mind through shamatha and realizing levels of jhana or samadhi, you have no means to break out of your baser conceptual mind which is veiling the true reality. It is easy to grasp at reality, to grasp at the contents of dreams or the astral planes. It is easy to grasp at the idea that we exists, that we are someone, a self.. And, no, I don't agree with you. I have dissolved the physical world many times and ended up in a wide open dark space, a jelly fish of light suspended in the middle of nowhere, but I still believe that I exist in human form. So, clairvoyance, or realizing different planes doesn't stop a person from grasping.. If anything, they serve to solidify dualism into a 'self' who has realized the finer statums of physical existence. When you say "It is not a matter of learning to turn something off or to cut that out of you.", it reminds of me of the idea that "disinterest" is one method of turning off grasping. It is like a switch that you turn on of off. If you just plainly are not interested in something, you don't put any energy into it, you couldn't care less, you see it with your mind but it really means nothing to you. You don't grasp at it. Another method I've read about from Dzogchen Bon teachings, is, in order to not grasp at a thought, you look directly at it. You turn your mind and look at it straight on. When you do that, the thought does not proliferate. If you hold that mental position, not only does it stop the mind momentarily, but the thought eventually dissolves. If you keep your attention focused on the location where the thought used to be, you will see a small clear space over a dark background. The space is kind of luminous. That space is the son rigpa, the local awareness momentarily unveiled. You might be familiar with that space since you seem to have developed some psychic abilities. It is the region where clairvoyance and intuition appear, lightning fast and always accurate. Anyway, thanks for your response. TI

Dotter <--> Dotting <--> Dot Formula for samadhi... Dotting the dot --> : A dotted comma!!! --> ; In reality, there is only one dot. There is only one eye.

From "The Attention Revolution - Alan Wallace"

Hi Steve Tulku Urgyen Rinpoche has an interesting perspective and teaching. He maintains that many short periods of recognizing the empty cognizant mind will eventually lead to enlightenment. short periods like two seconds long. And he says that continuity in that state is the key... But you probably knew that already. That quote is from his book called "As It Is vol 1". He also says: So, continuity is part of the equation. TI

Hi, In the town where I live, there is this middle aged man who is quite simple. He cannot speak very well at all and he has a twitch in his neck that causes his head to jerk every few seconds. I think he is mentally challenged and lives on support. He rides a very funny bicycle with very small wheels, even in winter. I do not know his name. I have seen him riding his bicycle hundreds of times in the downtown area. He always has a sort of smile on his face, but I think it is because he's lost control of some of the muscles in his face. I had seen this man many times, and each time he was riding his bicycle. Somehow, I must have associated him with the image of the funny looking bicycle, having seen him riding it so often. Anyway, a couple of weeks ago I saw him again in the downtown area, while I was walking to work. Except, this time he was not riding his bicycle. A rare sight! I thought to myself that that was surely strange. I thought about how he must be missing his bicycle. I felt sorry for him. I hoped that he had not lost his bicycle and that he was not too sad. I think the bicycle was the only thing in the world that he might have owned. Just then, I felt a tug in my heart region in the chest. A tug of compassion. It felt like an energetic wave had spiralled out. Then, the world turned transparent and I could once again see several planes imposed upon the regular physical scene. I could see beings standing in the planes, some with long robes. The planes appeared as layers, up above the skyline, like layers in a cake. The brightness was quite notable, the other planes look kind of like a cartoon world, comprised of brilliant light with pastel-like colors. The experience took me by surprise. I fought hard so that my sight would return to normal, because I was about to go to work and I couldn't imagine trying to work in that state. I have a funny mind, eh? Something like that happens and it fights it off. My mind still can't deal with the fact that there are many planes right here, right now, with beings in them whom are watching us. Then, I reflected on the wonderful secret that I've discovered. The secret of the powers of the Heart. TI

Oh sorry, I was mistaken...duh Apology..

Hi Sun, I see you've edited your other post... I thought you said some other strange things about mind... No matter, I really like Tulku Urgyen Rinpoche. Finished "As It Is book 2" and now I'm reading book 1. And I read this a few hours ago. I like his perspective on the existence and nonexistence of mind...

Lucky ! Long time no see! Thank you for writing about your experience. Actually I was thinking about you about two days ago. Sounds like you have had some profound changes and to be honest, you sound like a different person to me now. I'm glad it all worked out for you. You just can't argue with love. TI

If the self has never occurred then to Buddhists the ignorant mind is the same as the western term "self". Get over it. I have.

Hi Sun... That statement seems backwards to me. It is not the clarity or cognizance of the mind that is empty, but that the mind is empty and cognizant (knowing). Is that what you were trying to say? I guess in the grand scheme of things it doesn't really matter, but another way to look at this is that the emptiness cognizes, not that cognitions are empty. See what I mean?

Gee found an answer all by myself... From As It Is Vol II Thank you very much Tulku Urgyen Rinpoche!!!

S*** J**** I never said you were trying to win anyone over. If anything, you post too many diverse and contradictory quotes to make a good Buddhist salesman. What you are really doing is fostering more diversity and confusion. Perhaps you should find a practice, stick to it and then based on your experiences and understanding, write about that. Why do you mention Gatito, Dwai and 3Bob? I wasn't talking about them. I was talking about the contradictions in Buddhist writings. And, you know what is wrong with forums? There is no accountability. Anyone can pretend to be anybody, say anything and may or may not really know what they are talking about. And, most posters have their own hidden agenda in mind, not the welfare or spiritual development of others. And I never said that emptiness equates to nihilism, nor eternalism. That's your deffective interpretation of what I wrote. And, if I was to discuss experiences with anyone, I would certainly not go to any of those forums that you suggested. Many of those forums breed their own misconceptions and serve only to fuel and reify concepts such as the 'dark night' or 'noting practice'. I have no intention of catching those diseases.. But, here is a good case in point. I was reading C N Norbu's "Manifesting the Rainbow Body" from here: http://dzogchen.ca/category/teachings/page/2/ So here is "the world's foremost Dzogchen Master", Dzogchen being the one most powerful practice that overcomes all obstacles, and he is saying that he uses channels, chakras, prana and kundalini and then mantras in order to transform into the Rainbow Body. WHAT! What happened to remaining in presence, in the natural state? What about the effortless non-meditation? And, then, is he saying that Kriya Yogins or Raja Yogins, because they also master the prana, chakras and kundalini attain rainbow body too? Gives your head a scratch, doesn't it? Do you know how many times people posted in this forum about how Dzochen is unique and "the only way"? Always a little off? It is like the other book that I am currently reading called "As It Is" by Tulku Urgyen Rinpoche. He is supposed to be "an authentic Dzogchen Yogi". He spends three quarters of the book belabouring the point that one must recognize unconfined empty cognizance. Then, out of nowhere, he says this: WHAT? The more I read, the more all the teachings are sounding the same. I also find it funny that both CN Norbu and Tulku Urgyen Rinpoche give the impression that Dzogchen is a subset of Vajrayana. One would imagine that such preliminary practices such as tantra, kundalini, chakras, channels, melting the bliss drops etc are practices for the lesser practitioners or new initiates, and not the other way around. TI

S***** J*****, I don't rely on books. I rely on practices and knowledge. In a way, I find it quite funny that you would even consider giving me advice, implying that I know nothing about anapanasati, vispassana or even Goenka.. I'm not interested in learning things that I already know and have practised. It's almost like you are telling me to go back to kindergarten. I would like to remind you that I have been meditating and doing yoga (one form or another) for over 43 years. Just in the last five years, I have logged over 1600 hours on the cushion. I was doing yoga, pranayama when I was 16 and was hitting samadhi regularily, consistently after a solid 20 minutes. I have done Kriya Yoga (SRF), Raja Yoga, activated kundalini.. blah blah blah.. I have many gurus and have had many experiences. So really, you seem quite naive to me to suggest that I learn what these practices are about. Oh, by the way, there is a talk from Alan Wallace in which he discussed some of Goenka's teachings. Many years ago Alan Wallace attended Goenka's course. When Alan asked Goenka where he got the body scanning technique from, Goenka replied that it was from Buddha, that it was a Buddhist practice. Well, after recounting that story, Alan Wallace made it quite clear that body scanning is not, was not and never has been a Buddhist practice. He said, in no uncertain terms, that Goenka was deceiving people.. And as far as I can tell, the only Buddhist practice that even resembles body scanning is 'visualizing the body as transparent', but that's it. Now, I'm not putting down Goenka's practice as I think that similar practices such as "sensing the inner body" by Tolle are very powerful practices, but I was not too happy to hear that Goenka is actually deceiving people. I do own "The Discourse Summaries" and I read every book I own quite carefully and assess the writings based on my own experiences. http://www.amazon.com/Discourse-Summaries-S-N-Goenka/dp/1928706096

Jack, But that's the problem right there. To find the correct practice in Buddhism is the hardest thing. First you listen to speakers who have little or next to no understanding of the English language. Then you read tons of books which I'm sure are saying the same thing, but the terms and words they use are all different. And they argue about their choice of words and why their system is the ultimate. There are hundreds of books on Buddhism yet each one of them claims that their teachings are the authentic ones, and the best, yet they can't even define rigpa, boddhicitta, clarity, emptiness, knowledge and be consistent. One Buddhist says to expand the gap between thoughts, another says that the gap is not the way, another says that you must practice shamatha and vispassana, another says that you don't have to, another says that you must practice in very short periods (seconds) as often as possible, another says that you should practice many hours a day in retreat, one says tantra and another puts down tantra as unnecessary, most talk about boddhicitta but not many call it love, You see where I'm going here? Then most Buddhists argue about the insignificant variations of view like it really matters, like the form of enlightenment you will realize is somehow tainted by your conceptual mind's view.. Then Buddhists say there is no self, yet they believe and talk about reincarnation or being born into the various other realms. Then, they try to prove emptiness by expounding on how conglomerates don't really exist, yet I haven't seen or seen proof that an intellectual proof has any bearing on the ability to walk through mountains or leave footprints in stone. They they say to dedicate merit to all sentient beings,yet they say that no sentient beings exist. Then they say that they are dedicated to the whole infinite set of sentient beings in all the planes yet the goal of Buddhism is to not return. (Non-returner, arahats). How is anyone going to save anybody when they don't want to return here? Then, you get a guru and are bound by samaya so you can't talk about your experiences, yet the guru turns around and sells books describing experiences and accomplishments, but I thought that true Buddhists were not allowed to sell their dharma... Don't get me wrong, I'm not against Buddhism, it is a rich culture of teachings and intellectual points of view, but it has been a real chore to try to figure out who is right and what exactly one should practice. And really, who needs more debate? You don't win anyone over by proving they were wrong, you win them over by healing them, by walking through walls, by performing miracles, by living a life of unconditional love in the truest sense. Maybe that is the only true practice..

April 22, release date.. http://www.amazon.com/The-Course-Buddhist-Reasoning-Debate/dp/1559394218

Gatito, my friend, if you keep banging your head on the wall you risk having your head look like this..

Tenzin Namdak said that there is not "one mind" because if it were so, then when Buddha got enlightened we would have all gotten enlightened. There is more to all this than what was posted. Perhaps it has something to do with the three kinds of rigpa... From Wonders of the Natural Mind Tenzin Wangyal.. ?

Hi NeverSets, That is a pretty good book. Thanks for the title. Here is another longer explanation from that book about "no thing"

Hi Nathan, How would you know that Milarepa never used root lock? Do you have references or reliable good translations that indicate what Milarepa's exact practices were?

Thoughts and Contemplation One's relationship to the arising of thoughts is a crucial aspect of contemplation. Through observation of the arising, remaining, and dissolving of thought in emptiness, we perceive the true, empty nature of thought: thoughts are the movement of the mind and are of the same nature as the natural mind, just as waves are of the same watery nature as the sea. When thoughts arise during the state of contemplation, we are aware that they arise from emptiness and that their essence is of the nature of emptiness. We are not disturbed by them but let them go, remaining in the equanimity of contemplation. In this way the natural state of emptiness becomes clearer: we encounter the union and the identity of clarity (rig pa) and emptiness (kun gzhi) directly in our own experience, so that we can then realize the inseparability of clarity and emptiness in the natural state. What is important for us is to reach the condition in which we are no longer distracted or disturbed by thoughts. This is not a blank state in which thoughts are absent. In fact, the cultivation of the calm state without thoughts, if prolonged beyond the natural gap that exists between two thoughts, becomes a state of ignorance, not of presence, if in the forced absence of thoughts there is only emptiness without clarity, relaxation without presence. In the true state of contemplation we are relaxed and neither create nor block thoughts but remain present without distraction in the mind-moments of both presence and absence of thoughts. Dzogchen contemplation is presence in the state beyond thoughts because the conceptual, thought-creating mind, which is accustomed to keeping the mind's attention by its continuous production of thoughts, is at rest. The conceptual, thought-creating mind pushes the practitioner away from the relaxed state of contemplation into tension. This makes it difficult to remain relaxed in the state of contemplation for any length of time. Wonders of The Natural Mind - Tenzin Wngyal

Beautiful voice, beautiful heart.

72. To his own ruin the fool gains knowledge, for it cleaves his head and destroys his innate goodness.

Does that include teachers from other planes, dimensions and eras? To me a teacher isn't a teacher unless they can appear to me in the astral, regardless of whether they have a body or not. And then, where did the original Dzogchen come from? And who was that teacher? Did they have a body? Something to think about... You might have been brainwashed by the rest of the corrupt money grubbing parrots... Really, think about it.. I say, no love, no Dzogchen. No bodhichitta no Dzogchen.