Tibetan_Ice

Hi Pero And why not? Doesn't it transcend time and space? link: http://tsegyalgar.org/theteachings/worldwidetransmissions/ TI

On what page does he say that, exactly? Ti

Hi Jeff, Yes, he certainly did recommend that you read more books (and so did everyone else there).. You sure took a beating to get that recommendation.. Even from Malcolm. http://www.dharmawheel.net/viewtopic.php?f=48&t=9748

Freedom from "wants" TI

Wow 13 is fantastic. So many perspectives and questions answered. Loved the part about how to use the substrate consciousness to recall previous lives and the part about how the layers of consciousness dissolve into the indestructible drop in the heart. Nice to know somebody knows all of these bits of knowledge. Sadly, my kundalini has become super active when doing the meditations with eyes partially open and it is taking two days to get over the overload. Also don't know about all the talk about getting the transmissions here. In the Flight of the Garuda it says if u don't have a transmission u can shout out PHAT real loud when u r deep and that will shatter the substrate. TI

9 was so good I had to listen to it twice. Starting 10 now.

Hi I've been into spiritual practices and meditating for years. I've experienced samadhis, some jhanas, strange experiences and other things, so I'm not a beginner. I have been studying anapanasati much more deeply, the variations and techniques, for the last month or so. A week ago I received the book called "Stilling the Mind" by Alan Wallace. I think it is a great book because it answered many of my questions and showed me a few pointers in Shamatha practice. The advice I took to heart was "Rest in the natural state, without distraction, without grasping". Just "let it be". Good advice. The other advice I took was that you can't get enlightened with an unstable mind. Hence, Shamatha. So, during my meditations this week, instead of repulsing the visions, pushing away the thoughts and returning to my object of concentration, I decided to just "let it be". When I did that, I did notice that everything eventually dissolves into the substrate consciousness. I also noticed that I got much deeper than I usually get, as exmplified by the luminous brilliant colors; I seemed to have passed through most states or stages fairly quickly.. the heat stage, the visions stage (lucid dreams-visions), the pulsing light at the brow, the golden rainbow light of self (don't know if that is a stage), awareness watching awareness.. even watching slices of reality like cascading panes or slices appear as if frozen in time.. Last night, after reading about the technique of "breathing in attentiveness and exhaling relaxation" in another one of Alan Wallace's book about Dream Yoga, I decided to do that for my before-bed meditation at 12:15 am. At first, I just sat and watched my thoughts without grasping and I noticed that there weren't that many. Then, I turned my attention to my breath and then started breathing in attentiveness, and totally relaxing the body on the exhales. I did this for about 5 minutes when all of a sudden, my whole being shifted. I felt this movement, but it felt like the whole locus of the conscious mind had disengaged from it's usual location. It felt like a swoon, like I was about to pass out, or that my entire conscious field was diminishing and sinking rapidly. This feeling was very intense. This was accompanied by the vision of very black space growing larger. I felt like I was dying. There was immense fear. I held on for a bit and noticed that my heart was beating faster. I also noticed that whole top of my head had changed into a different texture and I could feel droplets of sweat starting to form. I also noticed that the watcher, the place where my location of feeling of self turned into an array of golden and rainbow lights streaming forth. Due to the fear, I had to stop, but I did make an effort to go as far as I could and pick up as many impressions and sensations as I could before I stopped. Now, I suspect that the increase in heart rate and sweating top-of-the-head is due to some kind of fear reaction. But what I would like to know is this: What is that experience? Is this the start of nirvikalpa samadhi? Is this what occurs when one breaks through the substrate consciousness and goes into the beyond? It feels like a death experience. It does not feel good in any sense of the word. It is very scary for me, like "I" is going to be anihalated. At the same time it was awesome. I look at it like "Death came calling". But I won't really die, will I? I will probably fall over, bang my head and then "wake up" hours later with numbness in the various body parts, feeling quite disoriented, right? I'm familiar with astral travel, and believe me, this "death experience" far surpasses any astral projection. I recall that Ramana had an experience of death when he was in school and this was what apparently enlightened him. Is this what is happening to me? Are there any equivalent stories or recounts of this kind of experience in Buddhism? Have you experienced nirvikalpa samadhi? Does this sound like it, or at least the start of it? Any comments will be greatly appreciated. TI *Edit: Ha ha, figured out how to edit the title.. You have to use the full editor..

Hi NotKnowing And thank you for sharing your methods. They are very similar to what I was doing, except that I was watching thoughts without grasping or averting, centered in the head, and this I let go on the out breaths.. And then yes, eventually the whole energy field in the head collapses down, like shrinking golden light. Great appreciation.. TI

Hi Dwai, So when it rises to the LDT, does it follow the front of the lower abdomen and end up just below the navel and about 1 or 2 inches (depending on much padding you have on your gut, if any)? When it first rose, did you experience some sharp pain? How far up approximately did it rise? (I assume you are calling the perineum the moola) And what exactly are you saying is going up? Is it the pulsation? Or heat? Or electricity? Or is it pure white light as bright as an arc welder's torch? The whole idea of calling the lower tan tien the sacral chakra is absurd. I am speaking from experience here. The lower t/dan tien is also known as the hara. Just look at the descriptions and the definitions: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dantian link: http://www.light-weaver.com/vortex/pdfs/Kundalini.Tantra.by.Satyananda.Saraswati.pdf So, it sounds absurd to me to want to store energy in the sacral chakra. It is never mentioned that the sacral chakra is a vast storehouse of qi. In my personal experience, in order to hit the sacral chakra through the sushumna, you have to pierce the granthi/knot at the base of the spine first. (most of the time but not in all cases). This causes great pain. Then, when you get the kundalini/qi/prana energy to the sacral chakra, it produces sexual ecstasy, but it is a different kind of bliss than the bliss found at the LDT. It is more localized and after a while turns painful or annoying. Also, the order of activation is this: First, through cultivation, third eye practice, mantra, tai chi, qi gong (actually, many practices), it stimulates the LDT. The LDT looks like a firey dark orange red ball. I see it all of the time now. Upon stimulation and 'charging', the LDT releases heat and energy. The first place the energy goes is downwards towards the moola (perineum). I have studied this reaction many times. I also discovered the event of activation of the LDT which produces a current down to the perineum by keeping my breath out until the reaction occured. This is the first step. If you are not noticing that that occurs, pay more attention the next time. The LDT also activates any time you talk, or start to produce a mantra. Pay close attention and you will see that it is true. If you freeze yourself, that is freeze the intention of sounding a mantra, notice where the first energy comes out of. That is the LDT. If you practice at freezing a mantra, you can just stimulate the LDT any time you'd like. Then you can see the effects very clearly. Activation of the LDT and the downward current that is produced results in genital reactions associated with sexual stimulation. If you apply the root locks to block the downward flow into the genitals, the energy turns around and comes up the body. If you have collapsed your ida and pingala, two side channels, you can lead the energy up the sushumna. The first time this happens, there is pain as the rising energy pierces the first knot. If you do not collapse the side channels, the energy can rise through either one, or even both of the side channels. Or, the energy can take alternate paths, circling around the organs in the body, causing discomfort and other symptoms.. If you examine Buddhist tummo, or vase breathing, or even kriya yoga pranayama, you will see that the combining of the winds (Buddhist) and prana/apana (kriya) is done at the area around the navel, not in the spine or around the spine. Not in the sacral/swadhisthana chakra. Nothing personal here. I don't mean to denigrate you or your practices. So many times people can't draw a distinction between the LDT and the sacral chakra and it is something that people should understand. As for not caring about the content of the rest of my comments, that is your choice. I don't care either.. TI And I'm glad Jeff "likes" the ignorance.

Do me a favor. Why don't you listen to the podcast link I posted first, before you imply my ignorance.. You will see that a retreat newbie asks about taking a bob down into the substrate consciousness during shamatha practice.. However, what you don't know about, because I did not post it, is that I have had 6 experiences of descending into the substrate consciousness, using the various techniques.. Breath watching will do it, loading the inbreaths with vividness and relaxing on the exhales will do it, Awareness Watching Awareness will do it, Sitting at the hole watching thoughts like a cat will do it, sitting back and watching thoughts soar like a bird will also do it. For me, the main ingredient seems to be non-grasping, non-averting, just letting be, and late at night when the mind is not so active. And, yes, I know those aren't Dzogchen practices, they are preliminary Dzochen practices for settling the mind (shamatha). You know, I'm getting tired of your theme of "you are an idiot, you know nothing".. Why don't you post some of your achievements or experiences so that we can pull them apart? Might be good for you..

This is the first time I hear that Buddha got enlightened by having sex with the milk maid under the Bodhi tree. I also see you've edited your statement.. In all the stories and movies I've seen about the Buddha's enlightenment, it was not mentioned once. As a matter of fact, doesn't the story go that Buddha ate food from the milk maid, regained his strength, his disciples left him because they believed that he had lost it, whereupon Buddha then sat under the Bhodi tree swearing not to get up until he was enlightened? I see that there is a debate.. http://books.google.ca/books?id=H6a4dfH1Z-MC&pg=PA155&lpg=PA155&dq=karmamudra+with+Sujata+buddha&source=bl&ots=PDhrxM2sy7&sig=PtxTJcnHr_TY2O6MvEcBRN0VI-o&hl=en&sa=X&ei=pW7FUJmYEcjziQKtsoD4Dg&ved=0CDwQ6AEwAw#v=onepage&q=karmamudra%20with%20Sujata%20buddha&f=false Kind of a useless discussion.. isn't it?

Sorry to hear about your grandfather.

Me too. TI

Hi Dwai This is the first time I see anyone call the sacral chakra (swadhisthana) the lower dan tien. In my experience, they exist at two totally different places. The lower tan tien is below the navel about 1 inch and 1 inch inwards. The swadhisthana is about two inches up from the tail bone, just in front of the spine. They are two separate locations, and both areas function differently. Also, I hope you are not calling the bhavanga "emptiness" in the classic Buddhist sense. That would be a mistake, although a very popular one. From Shaila Catherine's book "Wisdom Wide and Deep": The bhavanga is not "emptiness". TI

Hi Alwayson Have you changed your view on "karmamudra"? A while ago you wrote this at AYP: link: http://www.aypsite.org/forum/pop_printer_friendly.asp?TOPIC_ID=3692 But that's another story.. back to topic.. What kind of disturbs me about the fact that you posted a link to a mass of buddhist rhetoric and complicated writings, is that you didn't appear to read it yourself, or understand it. As I understand it, Malcolm has some kind of significance or stature. I'm not familiar with his qualifications/abilities/accomplishments.. BUT, at the very end of that DW thread Malcolm writes this: http://www.dharmawheel.net/viewtopic.php?f=40&t=4704 In general, the Sakya school and Nyingma schools place much more importance on erotic practices than do the Kagyus. However, in the Nyingma school they are not generally considered indispensable for awakening in this lifetime. In most of the Tantric lineages within Sakya, they are considered indispensable for awakening in this lifetime. The exception to this would be the oral instructions of Naropa's Khechari -- where a type of pranāyāma practice is said to result in a state of bliss equivalent to the bliss of sexual congress and therefore obviates the need for a consort (also partially accounting, I feel, for the reason the Naropa Khechari instructions have attained the popularity they have). So, if your rather terse comment is in some way implying that karmamudra is the only way to achieve nirvikalpa samadhi, I believe you have missed or ignored kundalini, tummo, third eye practices and other practices which all use the same energy/heat. You don't need a consort to awaken. And I have my doubts as to whether or not nirvikalpa samadhi produces awakening, perhaps after many repeated experiences.. ? Was Ramana or Tolle or even Buddha engaged in erotic practices when they became awakened? I think not. The other thing that I think is funny is that the practices that I was performing are from the Nyingma school, Padmasambhava, as taught by Alan Wallace, Awareness of Awareness.. And according to Malcolm, "However, in the Nyingma school they [erotic practices] are not generally considered indispensable for awakening in this lifetime." However, there is no need to pursue this topic any more. I have my answer from Alan Wallace. I found it in his podcast #8 on this page: http://archive.org/details/IntroductionToDzogchenRetreatWithAlanWallace2012 He describes that event of descending into the substrate consciousness, that it will occur with the breath meditation, shamatha or other Dzogchen techniques. He describes the dissolution of the self, the feeling of death and even compares the resultant state to the state of death. Anyway, thanks for jerking my chain again. TI

Starting 09 now. TI

Hi, I have to write about this... Five days ago, at the end of the day, I went to bed. When I was lying in bed, I decided to check out the third eye to see if anything was happening there. I focused on the brow area and I noticed some scenes through the hole.. There was one scene which was particularily appealing, mountains, a deep blue river, trees and a few puffy clouds. So, I started to make my descent into that world or plane.. I mean, basically I just push out through the hole at the third eye and start flying in the landscape. So, I started to push out and all of a sudden, this very loud conch sounded. It sounded like a trumpet blast or one of those air horns. It really startled me. The blast lasted about 1/2 second. Accompanied with the blast was a vision of a golden brown tube that manifested right in the middle of my head. It seemed to be about 2 inches long, and stretched from the pineal region to the area just behind the center of the brows. That was so weird.. A loud blast and a golden brown pipe in the center of the head.. So, I've been reviewing the kinds of sounds that you might hear on the astral planes.. Usually I hear this slow thumping sound that sounds like a heart beat, off in the distance about 300 yards to the right.. This is the first time I hear a conch.. link: http://spiritualfreedomsatsang.org/1/post/2012/5/the-sounds-of-the-inner-worlds-letting-go-to-shabda.html link: http://everything2.com/title/Eckankar Do you hear sounds when you astral travel, just before entering an astral plane? TI

Hi KotKnowing Thank you so much for sharing your experiences! What you have posted really resonates with my experience, even the part about the heat withdrawing into the head. That would explain the sweat droplets forming and the jelly-like sensations at the top of the head. And the fear too. Yes, the feeling of "self" had no more footing! And yes, after the experience, it was the first time I felt a cool pool of sensation around my heart chakra, which I had never felt before.. And you know, I've read the "Merging With Shiva" book a few times now.. I even bought the hard copy. It is a great reference. It is very cool to have someone on the forum that is experiencing nirvikalpa samadhi! I had tingles all the way through reading your post; I can tell that there is something very profound in your being and level or realization. If you don't mind me asking, what techniques or type of meditations do you do to enter Nirvikalpa Samadhi? Thanks again for your post. TI

I'm on the fourth pocast tonight! TI

Oh Boy! Oh Boy! Oh Boy! Thanks! TI

Hi Seeker I'm very glad that you've written what you have. I agree with your posts. Thank you. It is so nice to see that someone else can actually think for themselves. The part that I'm very sad about is that AYP calls luminosity and clarity of the mind "Scenery" and simply ignores it. I would have never known that the mind is luminous, bright and shiny, that the clarity can be brighter and more crisp than normal reality, had I not abandoned AYP and turned to historically accepted classic practices. In a way it is worse than starting over because I gained many bad habits from doing AYP for so long.. AYP is training in laxity and torpor, between periods of overloads. I wish I had never started AYP in the first place. I guess in a way, I am grateful because all the crap at AYP motivated me to review the proper techniques, classic teachings and really focus on the details.. So it was a learning experience, but it took allot of time and effort and most of it was spent feeling really pissed off and angry at Yogani and his followers for all their bullshit and ignorance. AND, I also feel like an idot for having been deceived for so long. Nowadays I do anapanasati, shamatha, "awareness watching awareness" and study Buddhism, Dgozchen and anything with "Vividness" or "Clarity" in it. It is so exciting when all of a sudden during meditation, the mind settles down and clears up revealing the shiny luminous space inhabited by golden light, sparse thoughts and visions, all crystal clear and spectacular. Thank you for coming forward. Hopefully more people will hear the message.. TI

Hi In almost every text that I've read about Patanjali's Sutras, dharana and dhyana are explained as follows: Dharana is concentration on one object, which requires effort. Dhyana, (meditation) is the result of successfully maintaining a constant stream of awareness on the object of attention. For example, in "Kundalini Tantra" by Satyananda, dharana is Swamiji's interpretation of Patanjali's 6'th and 7'th limbs of yoga, dharana and dhyana is as follows: link: http://swamij.com/yoga-sutras-30406.htm From the wiki: link: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Samyama And, more from the wiki: link: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dh%C4%81ra%E1%B9%87%C4%81 The aforementioned interpretations of dharana and dhyana are consistent with what I have understood for over 40 years. However, this is how AYP percieves Dharana and Dhyana, the sixth and seventh limbs of Patanjali's yoga sutras: link: http://www.aypsite.org/149.html But is this valid? How can that be? In the classic definition of dharana, there is the sense of sustaining concentration on the object for an extended amount of time, yet AYP's interpretation says that "we don't hold the attention on anything for long". Aren't these two ideas at polar opposites of each other? How can you train the mind to sustain concentration on an object by "not holding attention on anything for long"? I'm trying hard to understand all of this. It appears to me that AYP is redefining the classic definitions of Patanjali's dharana and dhyana and trying to make it look like Deep Meditation is part of or is the same as Patanjali's 6'th and 7'th sutras. AYP says: link: http://www.aypsite.org/forum/topic.asp?TOPIC_ID=678#2269 To me, Yogani is describing a technique, and that technique may or may not work (I'm not discussing the technique's efficacy here), but that technique doesn't seem to be Patanjali's teaching. The other thing I don't understand is AYP's usage of the term "samyama". According to Patanjali, samyama is the combination of the three last limbs of yoga which are performed on the chosen object, the object being a thought, concept or some type of form. According to Patanjali, the process of samyama is to concentrate, and then meditate on the object until samadhi is reached. When in the state of this samadhi (with seed), the mind is empowered and specific insights, understanding and knowledge (and even abilities [sidhis]) relative to the seed (meditation object) are gained. AYP's samyama is reversed, as posted here: link: http://www.aypsite.org/forum/topic.asp?TOPIC_ID=678#2269 According to AYP's instructions, you release a sutra into inner silence, wait 15 seconds and then repeat. Then you move on to the next sutra. When I perform the classic steps of Patanjali's dharana, dhyana and then enter samadhi, there is no mind left: the body/mind and universe have dissolved, my object of meditation has become very bright and colorful and there is immense bliss. There is no mind at that point. You cannot function willfully at that point. I do not see how anybody in that state could even remember a sutra and then release it into silence (as is the AYP method). Surely, at that point, the mind no longer functions. How then is the AYP version of 'samyama' even possible? What am I missing here? Is the subtle key, the 'location' of the mantra, and the effort is in sustaining the 'location' where the effortless action is taking place? Is "more or less in the same place (translation: some degree of resident inner silence)" to be translated as "inner silence is a location in the mind where all this takes place? If AYP's deep meditation is modeled after TM, and TM is supposed to be effortless, where then is the effort? Is the effort in maintaining that place in the mind? I had posted these questions on the AYP forum but I was not satisfied with the responses. Nor was I happy with the fact that, instead of answering my questions, my inquiry was branded as "comparitive scholarship". I am concerned that the essence of Patanjali's teachings is being misrepresented. But maybe I am wrong. So I thought I'd post it here to see what anyone else has to say about it. I do not wish to start an AYP bashing session, I'm just trying to understand the correct interpretation of Patanjali's Yoga Sutras, specifically the 6'th, 7'th and 8'th limbs as well as the correct interpretation of "samyama". I look forward to hearing your opinion. TI

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UHmaBRlmYNw

You really should take a course in philosophy.. Truth is where you find it, regardless of the source. But in hopes that you might take off your "bullshit" glasses, here are some other quotes, perhaps from more reputable sources.. and please notice that the word "identity" is not used at all. Encyclopedia Britannica Oh, here is something from someone who must also be "old and outdated"... That quote, contained 9 occurences of the word "self" and not one occurence of the word "identity".. And this video, is titled "Choegyal Namkhai Norbu - Dzogchen - Self-Liberation" not "Identity-Liberation".. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UHmaBRlmYNw So quit jerking my chain.. TI

Hi Jeff How would someone without a regular practice of meditation, who only plays with energy know anything about stilling the mind? Are you posing again? "Playing with energy" is counterproductive to stilling the mind, shamatha. And stars in the void are quite different from nimittas, astral lights or the lights from mental energetic friction. You know, for someone who just regurgitates what you suspect and has no formal practice, it is quite ridiculous that you contradict Shaila Catherine, Alan Wallace, the Buddha, the Vissudhimagga and recommend that a practitioner remain in laxity/bavangha. You are giving bad advice, and advice from which you have no personal experience (again). Just so you have an idea of someone whom has devoted their life to Buddhist meditation, read this: So you'd think that she might really know what she is talking about, wouldn't you? TI