stefos

I admit...I don't know the history of Tibetan Buddhism but I do know that the Tibetan tipitaka is culled from the Chinese works. I know about Guru Padmasambhava & Atisha & Jenongpa (Jegongpa?)...also. I know about the "new schools" or Gelug, Sakya, & Kagyu...and the old school "Nyingma" and Bon also. I'm aware of Mahamudra & Dzogchen as well. Beyond that...I don't know the nitty gritty of the Tibetan Buddhist schemas, if you will. I don't "stand on the sidelines." I have received transmission from CNN Rinpoche actually and have had a number of retreats with him present at Tsegyalgar East. I'm not ignorant....I'm merely asking about "Why all the traditions in Tibet & why can't there be an easy way of understanding it." That's all! Stefos Well, what is more accurate? The Chinese Agamas or the Pali Nikayas? To me the Nikayas are. Stefos

Read the New Testament & forget the so called "Gospel of Thomas" There's enough in the Tanakh & New Testament combined to confound you! BTW, you might want to pick up F.F. Bruce's "Are the N.T. documents reliable?" AND "Biblical Archaeology" dated but good.

Well, I got this in BEFORE the WWT of Guru Padmasambhava.......Woot Woooooo Stefos OM AH HUM baybay..

I beg to differ: Ultimate reality vs. Relative reality is what I refer to. It seems that magick has one standing a twixt the chasm of the two, not seriously committed toward Ultimate reality. I have know drug dealers, drug users, alcoholics. Suffice to say that selfishness is their God. Their selfishness contorts them as it did me & you. Every person has either allowed or not allowed themselves to be molded by upbringing &/or life events & other forms of conditioning. So be it. Suffice to say that selflessness is qualitatively different & not a "path" sought after by many. OM Shanti, Shanti, Shanti

Idiot Stimpy, Why post this here sir? You disgrace this forum with this person who was a liar & manipulator & a murderer. Kindly remove the hyperlink please. It has ZERO to do with the secret....which is nonsense anyway. Stefos

Chakras aren't Vedic or Buddhist or Christian. They are part of a human beings make up insofar as the various "bodies" or koshas are considered. An integral part of every person. Stefos

And how do YOU know Yeshua didn't have an understanding of the "2 fold emptiness" of self & other? Jesus said "Father, not my will be done but yours" He also said "The cup which the Father has given me, Shall I not drink it?" If that isn't emptiness (In the New Testament's context of what Jesus was about to go through), then you my friend are lost severely. You seem to be way preoccupied with emptiness....What about the "primordial State" which is beyond emptiness? Shakyamuni said "There IS the deathless, the unbecoming, the undying, the unborn OH monks, If it were not so I would not have told you." He also said "Here is where conditioned consciousness ceased to exist/be" he was referring to Nibbana. Yeshua is LORD. Stefos

Now, I don't know if you're being funny or just being rude. "Geezus"....really? Are we 2 years old? Please clarify what you've posted. Thank you, Stefso

This conversation went, as Krishnamurti stated "From the sublime to the ridiculous." Please address what I've posted or go meditate facing a wall.......LOL Stefos P.S. And what about Jesus (Yeshua) being a "realized being????" Still waiting........

I'm not one to do this ever, but I will starting now. Apech, I've shared personal things about myself here openly. I don't care what people think! I know what I "saw." No am I vainglorious in sharing what I shared. Perhaps it might help someone! Are you bound by oaths or secrecy to not reveal this? Just asking because I can. Stefos

Wrong. If absolutes exist, then they exist. Many religions have no basis in reality, some are complete fabrications, some are 1/2 truths, some point to their perception of the truth as openly & honestly as possible, etc. Permutations & Combinations. Morality stems from absolutes...Absolutes stem from the Ultimate reality, friend. What's YOUR reality? Stefos

Not in the way American morals & values have been pushed by particular people in the media in India & elsewhere in the world. You wrong buddy. Wake up & smell the Sanka! Watch that movie clip again....what is that guy trying to push/prove? Tight clothes, water all over him, the way he moves.... Wake Up man, it's secularization at its finest. Stefos

You should not only understand me BUT more importantly LOVE me. THAT is important. Furthermore, Dzogchen is true but How does a "Buddhist" view others like Sri Ramana Maharshi or Sri Nisargadatta Maharaj? What about Shankaracharya? You see, at what point does the "Buddhist" say: "THIS is Buddhadharma, THIS isn't?" If you listen to Tibetan Buddhism, they say "The Tibetan & Indian Mahasiddhas & the Kanjur & Mahamudra & Dzogchen" ONLY. The Theras say...."The Pali canon ONLY." Doesn't anyone here have enough guts to acknowledge that? When I constantly hear about "Tibetan Buddhism" & "Lamas" & "Rinpoches" It gets me believing more & more that it's big business rather than Dharma/Dhamma. Dharma/Dhamma is given when requested FOR FREE. Period. It seems to me that there IS a disconnect between Pre-Pali & Post Pali Buddhism. No one here wants to acknowledge that because of fear. Why are you afraid? If you're wrong, you're wrong. The Dharma/Dhamma you've been pushing might be wrong too! Here's an interesting side not: CNNR said at a recent webcast "Jesus was a realized being." Now wrap your head around that & explain it to me. He said "No one can walk on water and not sink" right before that. Stefos

1. Why define magick & what for? This is obvious man: Knowledge sake.....Defending myself against kooks & malignant people & forces...perhaps???? Riiiigght?? 2. O.K. 3. O.K. The bottom line is that the duality "Good vs. Evil" is not "good." It keeps a person stuck in duality. I'm of the persuasion that we must go beyond "Good vs. Evil" by examining our motives & means & ends. Ultimately, there is only ONE reality, not 5 billion different flavorings of it. No matter how the expressions may be presented. So, I don't like the White, Black, Grey magick schema. Magick is magick....I even question the motives of so-called "White magick" practicioners: Who taught them? Why were they taught? What is the moral fiber/character of these magickcians? Dubious business indeed. Stefos

I've said enough.........If you can't figure it out by now....start thinking more about that weird video you posted. The guy in the video seems like he's full of himself & he's been "Americanized" very well....look at his clothes for example. I absolutely do not agree with the morals/ethics of the largely secularized U.S.A. being amalgamated into anywhere else in the world. The U.S.'s morals & ethics compass is done...burnt to a crispy. The only people here with strong morals are practicing Christians, Jews, Muslims, Buddhists & "Hindus" (boy I hate that word too). Ciao, Stefos

Actually, no. CNN says that Guru Yoga, visualizing the 5 colored Thigle with the white A is the best practice, allowing thoughts & emotions to self liberate. He said if you do this only for a few seconds even AND are in the state of presence....it's pefect. The Pure Land Buddhism cult of today is not what was meant by Khenpo Ngawang Pelzang. Come one....you should know better than that. Stefos

???........Americanized India.....You heard it. We have a crisis in the world due to nationalism, various forms of political identification and general self-adoring going on. Secularization of a highly spiritual country stemming from "Western" which is to exclusively say "American" values sucks. So much of the world see America as being promiscuous & loose in morals/ethics. The last thing I want is to be labeled as that by anyone. My immediate upbringing is not an "American secular" way of thinking & behaving. Pull the video man...Do Americans a favor Stefos

Howdy y'all! Check out my post about spheres of light that I saw after meditation.... It's in the "so why are you here?" thread in this sub-forum. Yes...I saw spheres of golden yellow light and they were emitting golden light in my former apartment next to my current apartment complex. It's real. Stefos

What the HECK is going on here man? I've been given introduction by Guru Norbu....That's why I'm writing about this stuff....to gain clarity! OHH NOOOOO..........Man. I did NOT want this stuff to happen. I'm sorry. Listen, I'm trying to gain clarity for myself. I found out about Dzogchen through Krishnamurti's writings. Krishnamurti said to question....The Buddha Shakyamuni did too! That's what I'm doing. You & Simple Jack are confusing me. Forget this....I'm done. BYEEE Stefos

The highest Teachings of Tibetan Buddhism DO in fact refute other Tibetan Buddhist schools. Not to be patronizing but I share & ask the following rhetorical questions...please share your answers: For example, Je Tsongkapa vs. Sakya Pandita vs. etc. vs. etc. Another example is the the "Consciousness only" school & Zen. Chogyal Namkhai Norbu says that Dzogchen is not about an "Alaya-vijnana" nor is it Zen. What do we make of that? The deep inference IS that these schools are in fact off base and lacking. Period. CNN did speak about Buddha Shakyamuni's teachings but from the Tibetan Kanjur & not the Pali texts either. What do we make of that? To me, it seems obvious that the Tibetan schema is working within the paradigm of it's own Kanjur & it's own historical tracing. Another issue is that one never hears about the Theras or any other ancient school from Tibetan sources....Why? Moot point. Stefos

Well....that was insightful. Thank you for sharing your personal life with us here. I appreciate your candidness. So a few questions: 1. Can you define magick for me? 2. Why is magick polarized to "white" & "black"? Is there such magick as "grey"? Technically, White & Black are polar opposites and are of time or "in the mode of becoming" to use a Buddhist phrase. I see the terms "White" & "Black" as being interdependent. Can you speak to that which is beyond time? Does such a concept "fit" into the world of magick? 3. Magick seems to be associated with the will. We all have a will. Eating, sleeping, drinking water, clothing & shelter are basic needs but we use the will to "meet the need" as it were. Rudolph Steiner mentioned "Feeling/Thinking/Willing" Is this how YOU function in/with magick? Thank you kindly, Stefos

Again.....You're "enlightened" attitude & language sir. Buddy, chiggedy check yourself & ego at the door.........Rule #1 of Buddhism I refuse, after answering the second part of this multiquote answer to communicate your ignorant "self" again. Pure Land Buddhism is a cult and a lieeeeeeeee. Wake up. There I criticized the Pure Land cult. Dzogchen is the best. Stefos

So, your basically saying that Padmasambhava, Longchenpa or Chogyal Namkhai Norbu have propagated a mistaken delusional doctrine and are actually themselves deluded? That's not true. The Pali canon and Chinese Agamas have teachings where Buddha expounds sunyata. Geoff (Simple Jack) In answer to the above points: 1 & 2: I'm not a Buddhist scholar nor did I ever claim to be. I have had experiences of emptiness myself actually! There was no "I" but there was consciousness & awareness. I agree that Nama/Rupa are not the true us, The Will is not us, etc. What we are is what the 5 skandhas.are formed "around" so to speak. Furthermore, Upon reading the Brahma Sutras of Sankaracharya, I see loopholes in certain Buddhist schools which cannot be rectified. One of them is the Sunyavada school. I'm not sure exactly what this school held to but I'll research it further. Perhaps they put an emphasis on Sunya which had no place in the ancient texts. I'm not sure. I also understand that the Pali texts say that Nibbana is "where conditioned consciousness ceases to exist" Now, If the Pali texts are the oldest available texts near to the life of the historical Buddha & most closely reflect his thought, Why does did the Theras or any other Buddhist school not agree to this? They make consciousness a mere Skandha. The Buddha "supposedly in the Pali text" states that conditioned consciousness ceases in Nibbana, the inference is that our Skandha of consciousness is conditioned consciousness & not merely "consciousness" as is popularly pushed by Buddhist groups. Do you see what I mean? Unconditioned Consciousness & Conditioned consciousness are 2 different things! In Theravada teachings that I've heard about, not all, consciousness is an aggregate only. Furthermore, Dzogchen doesn't say what the Theras & others say about the Skandha called "consciousness." The Dzogchen view is completely different. Stefos

Addressing your post...each part. 1. You say that it is part of MY stream........This ghost which I saw might have the same "thought" about you! Prove it 2. The qualifier you gave was "critically verified immediately"..........Everything can't be C.V. ID'ed immediately! Ex. Seeing a rope at night, thinking it's a snake & then when morning comes, perceiving it was a rope only. The ghost which I saw was not the result of alcohol, drugs, hypnotism, hysteria, delusion, paint thinner, "wishful thinking" or brainwashing. I saw it with my physical eyes floating across the hallway. 3. No, I never said "Buddhists are weirdos with stupid beliefs" I did say that certain Buddhist sects are late inventions with not roots in ancient school....ie. Pure Land Buddhism When quoting me, please cite my own source & give it to me please. I might have forgotten. Thank you, Stefos

This video seems to showcase this guy....For girls. Strange...........Americanized India......What a joke.