Tibetan_Ice

Who cares what I am or am not. As if a label matters in the least. Your conceptual mind is inflated. Quit throwing hypocritical bricks.

You should learn to understand what you read.

You are just a waste of my time.

I did not claim to know better than tertons. I claim to know better than you. There is a difference. A terton would be agreeing with me. I'm really getting sick of your misguided accusations and underhanded tactics. With regards to your gross oversimplication: Kumbhaka is a word which means breath retention. Can be internal or external. Vase Breathing is a series of techniques, in which khumbaka is just one part.

Gross oversimplification.

Hi IS, There is no difference between the Pure Land, the Buddha Fields and the ultimate Clear Light, except that they are different perspectives of the same thing. The Pure Land is actually the astral planes. The Buddha Fields are astral planes. The Clear Light is what is manifested as the astral planes. From Secret of the Vajra World - The Tantric Buddhism of Tibet - Reginald A. Ray This is quite a revelation. The sambhogakaya is the astral. Any new ager would recognize that aspect of the astral light and the aspect of enjoyment through the astral body. Thus, we have a new perspective on the mysterious Buddhist three kayas. A new understanding. It is also kind of funny that the author is saying that the astral "can be perceived only by enlightened or highly attained beings.". I know lots of people, including myself, who can astral travel. I've met lots of beings on the astral planes. I'm kind of disappointed. I thought I would find much more advanced concepts in the three kayas. Astral planes. The Clear Light is link: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sambhogak%C4%81ya WHAT! It is saying that one can receive transmission via the Sambhogakaya!!! Does this mean that you can get transmissions from highly advanced teachers through the astral plane? That's what it says. Ok, I'm just playing with you. Any spiritual person with a modicum of experience would know that it is true. Beings manifest to you in the astral planes. There is nothing mysterious about it. They are around us all of the time, you just have to open your third eye to see them. The more I learn about Buddhism, and sift through the ominous terminology and mysterious concepts, the more I discover that Buddhism is just like every other teaching, including new age. Here is more about the clear light: So, don't believe Alwaysoff when he says: Pure Land is a bardo experience, but it is also easily attainable while living. Just astral travel to those realms.. Clear Light is not different from the Pure Land. And the winds don't slow, they dissolve into the central channel. You can even partially dissolve the winds into the central channel at the third eye, while remaining fully 'awake' and witness the manifestations of the clear light. It is very easy to do if you know how or your third eye is active. Without the dissolution, you don't see the Buddha Fields or Pure Land. So don't believe Alwaysoff when he says that "Clear Light is when... ". You would be ignorant to do so. And Alwaysoff said: Everything for Alwaysoff requires a transmission. What a load of crap.

And I count one person who had the decency to explain the issue without denigrating or taking a non-Buddhist adversarial approach. ***edited expletive *** And you are right. Opinions and thoughts count for nothing. Empty as a fart from a brick shit house.

Alwaysoff, I'm so glad we have practices and results to rely on instead of scholars. You seem to think that the fact that writings are found in a book give the writings some kind of credence or absolute truth. The way I see it, what someone writes in a book is maybe 40% accurate. So mostly it is a bunch of shit. Good for building bricks. You must have quite a brick house built by now. Then, the next "scholar" comes along, quotes and references that book (which is 40% accurate), and builds another pile of shit. That's what scholars do. Not having lived in the times or having been submerged in the culture, scholars try to crystalize their erroneous beliefs and mind-based constructions into something worthy of notice. But mostly it's all crap. Thank God we have practices to learn, try and experience. Experience derived from the results of practice is the best teacher. You can pursue your penchant for the ultimate elitist teachings which, chances are, are 40% accurate and what will you gain? You will have grown your conceptual mind to be elephantiacle menace that it seems to be and lost your valuable time. Consider this:

*** edited expletive**** You are a sad reflection of arrogant humanity with your pseudo scholarly approach and ignorance.

Alwaysoff, You know nothing about tummo. http://thetaobums.com/topic/20795-tummo/?p=394110

Ahhhh! Shoe! Bless you!

Hi This is what I found in a book about what AYP's Deep Meditation is actually training people in (dissolving of the mantra..)... rebirth as an animal...! Never once does AYP mention Clarity or Vividness... TI

Hi Just finished A Spacious Path to Freedom - Practical Instructions on the Union of mahamudra & atiyoga By Karma Chagme' TI

Hi T.S. You are doing fine. The pressure is a sign that the third eye is starting to activate. You really should get a good book on the subject. I would recommend "Awakening the Third Eye" by Samuel Sagan.. It used to be a free pdf but now the pdf is not available and the book is a bit pricey.. YIKES! $150.00!!! http://www.amazon.com/Awakening-Third-Eye-Samuel-Sagan/dp/0958670056 Here are some excerpts about pressure at the third eye from that book: *Note: Please do not ask me for the text. I will not give it out or sell it.. TI

Well, Alan Wallace recommends shavasana for those who are uncomfortable sitting during meditation. You will have to tell us how you make out. Good luck. TI

The purpose of breath meditation is to rest the mind in the natural state. Shamatha. It is very healing and a good source of energy. Your routine seems to be all energetic. You are moving the winds. You are moving your chi. But when do you ever rest and calm the mind? Shamatha? When do you discipline yourself to be unaffected by your thoughts? From "The Attention Revolution" - Alan Wallace

Hi Hydrogen, If you see green or purple pulsing light, it is not the third eye. It is the sacral cranial pulses putting pressure on the eyes, which results in light emissions. I'm not here to talk about the third eye. If you want to read more about the third eye and what I've learned, you might try this link: http://thetaobums.com/topic/24351-i-hunger-for-more/?p=351613 I'm more interested in what kind of meditation you are doing to stabilize and train your attention. Do you have a teacher or a body of teachings that you are following? TI

Hi Hydrogen When I was 15, a Native American here in Canada taught me about gazing. It reveals past lives' faces, in technicolor. It is a lot of fun. You need two people to do this. (or you can do it by yourself in front of a mirror). You sit in front of each other in a dimly lit room about 4 feet from each other. You gaze into the other person's right eye. (if you gaze at yourself in a mirror, look directly into the left eye (your right eye but reversed because you are looking in the mirror). After gazing for a while, the face disappears and a blackness manifests where the face used to be. You keep gazing... As the session goes on, the blackness turns into other faces. You have to sit perfectly still and fixate on the pupil of the right eye. When we first did the tecnique, I started to see faces like a caveman, a pirate, a leopard.. We would tell each other what kind of faces we saw. After practising for a few days, I learned that I could project a 'face' at him. We experimented and it worked well. I would project a face, then he would describe it to me. We were getting pretty good at it. I would pretend to become a nun, shrouded in a white veil and send that to him (just to freak him out).. He would send a skull with a broken jaw.. Lots of fun.. But you know, there are some channels which connect the eyes with the heart. The heart is where the Buddhist indestructible drop lives, that which continues on through many incarnations. Here is something about the mechanics: http://www.rinpoche.com/karmechagme/karmechagmeteaching.pdf So, you see, there is a very profound connection between the eyes and the heart. So, it is entirely possible that mirror gazing or gazing at someone else is an entirely valid thing to do. And, if you noticed in that quote, the channel from the heart to the eyes is capable of 'distance viewing'. So, in a way, it is also capable of astral viewing.. take a trip and never leave the farm. Seriously.. I have focused on the "Rainbow light phenomenon" in the optic channel by following the line of sight directly backwards into the optic channel, during a few meditations and I went to a place where I existed before I was born. It was quite startling. When I first arrived in that place, I had no idea where I was, but it all became so familiar to me that I remembered what/where it was. I had been stuck there for what seemed to be an eternity, waiting to be born. I was alone, totally alone, stuck by what looked like a huge pastel colored cloud bank. No way to escape.. I should mention, and this is the main reason I am writing to you. If you, or anyone has had psychotic episodes, perhaps you should not play with all this stuff until you gain more control over your mind. Gazing many be fun and exciting, but it can also activate kundalini, by activating the third eye. If you are not prepared for that and can't distinguish between the 'emptiness of the visions' and real life, then it could be very dangerous. It is dangerous because it is hard to shut off once it gets going. It is dangerous because the visions and things you will see are not 'real', have no tangible force in this reality, unless your mind gives them that power. If you are gazing and you start to feel heat, or get the shakes, or you start to vibrate or have similar reactions to what you are describing, you are on the verge of activating your kundalini. If you are not a seasoned meditator, you could be getting into trouble. The best thing I would recommend that you could do, before messing with this stuff is to train your attention and harness your mind through meditation. I would recommend getting the book called "The Attention Revolution" by Alan Wallace.. Read, and follow the practices. Learn how to discipline your attention and control the mind, rather than have it control you, or become a victim. Once you can control the mind, through regular breath meditation practice, you will be in a better position to distinguish between astral projections, past life images and the earth plane. http://www.amazon.com/Attention-Revolution-Unlocking-Power-Focused/dp/0861712765 TI

Christianity: "Jesus said: "I" is the light (of awareness) that shines upon all things. "I" is the All from which everything emanates and to which everything returns." (Thomas, 186) Hi, I've been trying to find this quote for three nights now. Where exactly is this found? In a Bible? In the Gospel of Thomas? Does someone know exactly where it is found other than the Bhagavadgita or a duplicate quote? TI

I am almost finished " Buddhahood Without Meditation - Dudjom Lingpa Five stars!!!!!

Alwayson, Decided to come out of the pit to prod a few more heathens? And I see it is "do as I say and not as I do", eh? You said: http://thetaobums.com/topic/26716-starting-again-from-the-beginning/?p=398982 And then you quote a link from Dzongar Khyentse Rinpoche about "Social Media Guidelines for so called vajrayana students: http://theworsthorse.com/2013/01/dzongsar-khyentse-rinpoches-social-media-guidelines-for-so-called-vajrayana-students/ On that page, it says: You create disharmony. You insult people. You aren't respectful. Why do you do that? Are you trying to emulate Dzongar Jamyang Khentse? It is funny that you quoted Dzongar Jamyang Khentse. I think he has poor judgement. After all, he likes Osho???.. and believes that enlightenment is attained by destroying the ego, and by dessimating the person. He wishes he had enough guts to own 93 Rolls Royces?? That is the exception, not the norm. Some people may be enlightened but their conceptual/rational minds seemed to have been left out of the process.. link: http://www.enlightennext.org/magazine/j31/dzongsar.asp?page=2 Gee, I don't like Osho and I'm a westerner.. What a low opinion Dzongsar has of us westerners. I have not taken any vows, except to dedicate all my merit from past lives and present life to all sentient beings. I do not have a Buddhist Guru/lama nor do I claim to be Vajrayana student. I am not bound to any Buddhist vows of secrecy. I for one detest secrecy when it comes to authentic spiritual teachings. If someone knows how to become enlightened and keeps it from the rest of the world, how does that help anyone? However, I am a believer that one should keep his word. There is hope yet. http://www.chammaling.org/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=56&Itemid=59 So quit trying to lord you false sense of authority over everyone else and impose your values on lesser mortals. TI

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Akashic_records

Hi Jetsun, Well, I would recommend getting a copy of The Attention Revolution by Alan Wallace. http://www.amazon.com/Attention-Revolution-Unlocking-Power-Focused/dp/0861712765 It's only $9.99 on kindle (and the kindle app for PC is free to download). I would also download and listen to all the podcasts for the Dzogchen Retreat here: http://archive.org/details/IntroductionToDzogchenRetreatWithAlanWallace2012 It is like Alan Wallace says, shamatha is the key. Like he says, shamatha is the "little engine that could". He claims that in some cases shamatha can take you all the way. Without Shamata, you can't focus your mind nor can you hang on to any higher experiences to realize them fully. You have to get those 5 obscurations or 5 hinderances under control. Actually, Alan Wallace has written many books. Mind in the Balance and Stilling the Mind are very good. And, the best foundation is actually practising.. Do all of the guided meditations from the Dzogchen retreat.. That will walk you through the different forms of meditations all the way to the top (Dzogchen). If you have already listened to the retreat, there are more podcasts that you can listen to.. I've listened to them all.. http://www.sbinstitute.com/node/775/podcast TI

Hi SotS It sounds like you are doing fine. Perhaps I shouldn't have used the term "Visualize" although that's what it feels like to me. I guess once you know where to find it, you just crank up your awareness and it seems like you visualize it. Works for me. Just to be clear, the first part of the instruction is to focus on the sensation of breathing at the nostrils.. That part used to drive me nuts, but, luckily, I went quite easily to focusing on the "acquired sign". For me, the acquired sign is the visualization of the moving moon disc. It is when you crank up the attention on the acquired sign, especially the bottom and the top of the breathing cycle, that the moon disc appears.. This is the second form of nimitta, the third nimitta is the counterpart sign. So, there are three types of nimittas. I think you are doing fine. I'm not trying to speed you up on your path or anything.. I guess I was excited that I found a method that seems to work consistently, and I do remember that Alan Wallace says this in that same book: All in all, yes, it is an excellent book. I think I will re-read it again.. Good luck. Nice talking to you. TI

Hi SotS, How is your breath meditation going? Mine is going very well. I think I have found the key to success. During this afternoon's meditation I decided to do 1 hour of breath meditation. I focused on my breathing, visualized the nimitta and then kept following it. This is the technique that I use: The secret that I have found is that the mind (or awareness) is naturally attracted to motion. So, if you can imagine a moon disc or ball of pale light moving up with the in-breath and then back down with the out-breath, it is much easier to maintain attention on it. And remember, you are not focusing on the sensation of the breath at the nostrils, nor the flow of air or anything physical. You are focusing on the mental representation of the breath. In other words, you imagine something, you visualize something that represents the breath. You visualize something moving in on the inbreath and moving out on the out-breath. So, I visualize a white disc of light, similar to the moon which is moving upwards and then back downwards in concert with the breathing. But even that is hard to keep track of, especially when (without contriving the breathing or willfully controlling it) you emphasize release on the out-breath and letting go at the bottom of the breathing. By letting go, you are actually releasing thoughts, and because part of the technique of "continuous attention on the breath" is to maintain a constant flow of mindfulness on many cylces of in-out breathing, you need something else to help you focus. I made up this technique while practising the one-breath from the Kunlun seminar. What you do to help you get over the bottom of the out-breath (where you tend to lose awareness) and at the top of the in-breath is to keep visualizing the moon disc in a stopped position. So it goes like this. On the in-breath, you visualize the moon disc in the region in front of the nose moving upwards about 1 inch. If you want, you can even make a trail or tail like a comet follow the moon disc as it moves up. Then, at the top of the in-breath, when the breathing pauses for a second or two, you keep the visualization of the moon disc going. You can even visualize it as getting a bit brighter. Then, when the out-breath starts, you move the moon disc downwards about 1 inch. At the end of the out-breath, the moon disc is at the bottom of the inch. You keep watching the moon disc and watch the tail fade away. On the next breath, you mentally move the moon disk back up in an even motion.. by the end of the in-breath it is at the top again. Get it? It looks like you are slowly rubbing your finger up and down, up and down, wearing a channel out with your visualized moon disc. But, by using this technique, I have succeeded in maintaining constant awareness on the breath. Really, what you are maintaining is constant attention on is the mental representation of the breath (the nimitta). The nimitta is actually a visualized mental form. The toughest part to get through, when performing breath meditation is the first 10 minutes or so, when the mind is still active and there are lots of distracting thoughts. That is when it is the hardest to maintain constant attention. But if you can get through that with some effort, it gets easier. For my meditation this afternoon, I kind of played with the moon disc as it moved up and down. I imagined the moon disc to be the five colors of the Bon Dzogchen elements.. light yellow -earth, pink - fire, light green - air, light blue - water and white - space.. I would change the color every four of five breaths. So, to get over the first 10 or 15 minutes, I kind of played like that. But then I went back to just visualizing a whitish moon disc in motion. Up, pause, and down, pause, up pause, and down with perfect matching of the non-controlled breathing. After a while, as you continue to stay fixated on the moon disc, gently moving up, pausing, down, pausing etc.. the background starts to get brighter. It starts to look like a pale wall of light or front of a cloud. You just keep doing the practice, letting go on the out-breath more and more, following the visual until, something inside lets go and all of a sudden you see this very bright light. That is the counter part sign. However, if you focus on the counter part sign, it disappears. It is not yet stable enough. Your mind isn't totally relaxed just yet. So you keep following the moon disk up and down, up and down. You will notice that if you are doing it right, your breathing slows down. (this is a good sign). As the mind calms down, the breathing also slows down. This is important. If you breathing speeds up, just check your thoughts. You will see that your when your thoughts increase, so does your breathing. When your thoughts decrease, your breathing slows down naturally. Mind is breath. Breath is mind. As the breathing slows down, you have to adjust the motion of the moon disc to correspond with the slower speed and motion. Instead of moving the moon disc up and down 1 inch, you move it up and down by 1/2 inch, and slower too. If you want, you can even make the moon disc smaller, with a smaller tail to seem not as intrusive.. Just keep focusing on it with great interest. But, as you keep your attention on the moving moon disc, and your breathing slows down, you start to see much brighter light, like the sun or a star is breaking through the clouds, appear behind the nimitta. The counterpart sign is growing in strength. The mind is becoming more and more calm. You are succeeding. Then, the counterpart sign get real bright and stable, like a ball of liquid light or lightening and engulfs you and you find yourself in one of the jhanas!!! Usually, when I really focus on a thought, there appears a small space surrounding the thought, which is very clear. It looks like a window has opened up into outer space. When I hit the jhana during that meditation, that space opened up much wider. And, it has been persisting ever since. I can just focus in the center of my head now and that space is now about 6 inches wide (as per before it may have been an 1/8 of an inch). It is very vivid and crystal clear in that space. So, I really think the key to being successful at breath meditation is to visualize the moon disc moving up and down and don't let up. But you can't force it because then you get tense and the breathing won't slow down naturally. It is the visualized motion of the disc moving up and down that really grabs the attention. If you don't believe me, try to meditate with eyes open while looking out on a road with traffic moving it. It is much harder to sustain attention when there is movement, motion - something moving. So if you make the object of your meditation a moon disc in motion, it is much easier to sustain attention on it. Good luck. How have your meditations been going ? TI