manitou

Beautifully said. It must be lived, moment to moment, so that the preparations are complete at the time of the ensuing bardo. Intellectual reformulations and restatements help us understand, but must be tempered with the concept that life must be approached like a dream, and our actions in some way must reflect the aloofness of the emptiness in which we dwell. This is the practice, as I see it. And approaching the phenomena with a loving attitude makes it all so much nicer, allowing lesser emotions to rise and fall.

And yet if one is too decisive with one's practice it too will become burdensome, rote - and of little value. Perhaps the gentle merger with one's higher guru and maintaining awareness of the dream, whether at night or during the day, is less structured and of the same value - albeit a different approach - as decisiveness. And there's always the possibility that I have totally missed the essence of your statement....

Yes, I see what you're saying now. Without realizing it as part of the Dzoghen path, I have spent the years since developing no-thought, seeing all as the rising and falling of a wave. I read all traditions that come into my hands; the more I learn, the more I realize the connectivity of one tradition to the next; shamanism to Buddhism to Yogi Philosophy, Yes, I see now that it was the introductory meeting with that Void of Awareness, the awareness devoid of personality and obstacles. I have spent 34 years removing what could be termed 'defects of character' as an adjunct to chemical abuse; I suspect there is a cross-over there as well. I try to reflect the comings and goings of 'life' as a mirror now, unaffected by the illusions and yet participating in same. I find myself attracted more and more to the Dzoghen path as one that joins up with and seems to best define (as far as what can be defined!) the "Journey to the Center of the Earth", as Jules may have put it.

I do realize that rigpa is not an entity at all, but rather the true nature of the individual. Whatever this was, it lacked emotion of any kind, and yet it was a Truth. I knew instinctively that this voice was right, that my depression was of my own choice, that I had my own egoic reasons for being in the depression and staying there (although Western medicine tells me that I am clinically depressed and require medication); but i do realize how sub-standard and unrefined Western medicine is compared to the wisdom and experience of the Eastern traditions. The book I am reading, 'The Tibetan Yogas of Dream and Sleep', by the aforementioned Rinpoche, defines rigpa fully as: 'Literally, "awareness" or "knowing". In the Dzoghen teachings, rigpa means awareness of the truth, innate awareness, the true nature of the individual.' It is from this perspective, the above definition, that the connect-up occurred in my mind, to that which happened some years ago. My memory sprang immediately to that experience of hearing the voice of Knowing, and knowing that it was the voice of truth. The thing that sticks with me the most is the lack of emotion contained in that part of me that clearly spoke to me. As I said previously, it just felt like a Dweller; a wisdom within that was separate from my tremendously emotional self at that moment. It Knew. This is why the phenomenon seemed to match up with the definition. I do understand that it is not literally an entity within. That it is nowhere, as All is Awareness and interconnectedness, that all our Awareness combined is the same Awareness. However, my Awareness was so clouded by the egoic wallowing of self-pity, I had strayed so far from my 'true nature', the contrast was so great - that I was given the opportunity (or rather, heard the opportunity) to see the difference between the two. Between what was real and what was unreal. If my understanding of rigpa is incorrect, please set me straight. And if my understanding is wrong, then how strange that my memory so readily recognized and snapped to an occurrence years back, instantaneously recognizing it as I read it.

Update on Jaiden, for anyone following this thread - his body has been measured by the boy's mother, at the request of the hospital in Akron for purposes of adaptation. Things are moving along - they have taken the initiative, and they will be kicking in with the balance of the trike that Jaiden really wanted (the pricey one that he saw up in Erie) and adapting it. Jaiden will also most likely be attending their summer camp, if it goes off - assuming they get enough kids like Jaiden that want to attend. When this is all completed, I will post a picture of Jaiden on the trike. This wouldn't have happened without you guys.

Thank you, friend. Caught it! Okay now....incoming back atcha'

In addition to a clean mind. Think about that, Marbles.....

Hi diaitadoc - does your name have anything to do with your diet, or do you sell or make diaitajuice? I've been looking for a green juice to introduce into my diet. If this is the case, any recommendations? Welcome to the forum, and I'm so glad you morphed from lurker to participator. I look forward to your participation. Manitou

But as you're no doubt aware, they'll really get you out there. It's the cosmic muffin tops that I have a problem with.

Look up Oregon Junco - if I recall, they're dark-hooded with reddish-brown on the bottom, and I think they prefer stream sides. Pretty common in California, but I think I remember they were a little reclusive. I think their habitat is bushes, predominately - shady, streamside areas.

I remember that wonderful thread that Spotless started which referred to the Buddhas at the Gas pump. Yes, who is to decide the degree of another's Awareness and the degree to which they have tasted this samsara life, become aware of the true nature of themselves and life, and found alignment with all of it? To have found the Clear Light? Eckhart Tolle says something wonderful about rocks and plants in one of his tapes. that originally there were only vines (I don't know how he knows this, but maybe it's the case) and at some point flowers appeared with the enlightenment of the plant. That a flowering is the enlightenment of the plant; that a crystal is the enlightenment of a rock. I think often of how limited we are as to what we can see within the confines of our audio attunement, our visual attunement, all sensory attunement. How there could be other beings here now with us, but we are not able to see, touch, taste, or hear them due to our limitations, and perhaps the same is true in the reverse. And that sometimes there is a cross-over, a crack in the separation, which may explain some things which are seemingly unexplainable. This Earth does seem to be a special place within our solar system, perhaps our universe. Capable of sustaining life, perhaps of all types that we cannot sense. Our beautiful blue planet. As to hidden or discreet yogis, the incredibly expressive metaphysician and 33rd degree Freemason Manley Hall said a wonderful thing; that there are those who have realized the 33rd degree of Freemasonry (essentially the I Am consciousness that lives within the Void) but not through the Scottish Rites. He calls these people Cosmic Masons. Seems to be the same principle as expressed above.

and yet they seem to stay in Ohio as well. The onliest good thing about winter in Ohio is seeing that beautiful red bird and his golden-red partner on a snow covered pine tree. Seems so metaphoric, like the life force living forcefully under the seeming sleeping snow of winter. Maybe we have a small group of cardinals because we keep feeding them regularly. I'm actually a bit worried about our cardinal family this winter, seeing as we're down in Florida. But I'm sure their bird-brains have figured out an alternative food source.

Hi cwsims85 - I too identify with your post. the Daodejing is the only tome that I really relate to because of its insistence on the Void, essentially a no-god point of view that realizes that there is Order in everything, that our bodies reflect (and some would say cause that order); that we are a microcosm to the macrocosm. I was brought up typically Christian and fully rejected that, in the sense that there's anything anywhere out there directing traffic. However, I do see beauty in the enlightenment of the words of the Nazarene, I love the wisdom of the various Sutras; I see now the interconnectedness of all points of view, which meet in the metaphysics once a particular path has been transcended. And I see the workings of Logos in quantum physics; it's all just One as far as I can see; no external god anywhere. we are essentially on our own; in fact, some would say we are It. So glad you're here. Manitou

Marbles, the Swallow-tail kites down here are magnificent! I've never seen them before. One flew directly over me yesterday and it about stopped my heart. (Except for that nasty bit of information about the first hatched young eating its sibling when it hatches).

Hi 02BHappy - I woke up this morning with that silly little song on my mind. "Don't worry. Be Happy". How very simplistic it is, yet how profound. There really is nothing to worry about. Best wishes to you, and enjoy your time here. Manitou

Hi SenChiroro - lots of kundalini active folks here. I had a spontaneous awakening about 10 years ago as a result of an auto accident. Those things never seem to happen when we expect them, but in a cosmic sense, they're right on time. What I've found is that as you feel the different chakras being affected by 'stuck' energy, there is something representative of that chakra, some inner work, that needs to be focused on. But that's just me - others here would argue that kundalini is nothing more than a qi imbalance. So take what you want and leave the rest. Trust your own insight, you know your own body. I've found that my particular interpretation has worked very well for me, and now it's flowing in a balanced way (other than it being stuck in my crown chakra about a month ago). But a member here helped me get that flowing by introducing visualizations. Personally, I think the kundalini awakening is a big part of increasing our ultimate Awareness, our presence in the Now, our relationship to the Universe in general. The oneness of all life. Stay grounded, and lay down on the grass from time to time to let The Mother put you into balance. This is a simple thing to do to balance out the K-energy when it gets too hot or sits in one particular place where it's driving you nuts. Please don't hesitate to PM me if you want to discuss this further; my perspective is along shamanic lines, perhaps your background is more Buddhist or Yogi;, or start a thread, maybe in General Discussion - or hit the Search Forums button for previous threads on K-energy. You'll get a million different descriptions of experiences, a million different pieces of advice. Know thyself and stay true to same. Love to you, and best wishes, Manitou

Hi Joe-fred - real happy to have you with us. I think you'll find something for everything you're interested in. Best wishes, Manitou

Thanks for the distinction, mostly_empty. Row, row, row your boat Gently down the stream.... I've gotten to the point, perhaps incorrectly, where I see all paths as one that meet within the metaphysics of it all. All paths believe they have the answer. And inside, we all do. It is the clarifying process, the riding of the wave you speak of, and the removal of obstacles which inhibit our true understanding - our prior conditionings and judgments. I do see Buddhism as perhaps the most comprehensive path, but certainly not the only correct one. Atheism, Satanism, any of them....if followed to their terminus, I believe will take one to the same place. There is no right or wrong. Only choice contingent on conditioning. And everybody is doing their best considering the hand they were given. But that's only my view from the perch I sit on.

The other perspective being duality vs. singularity?

I read too the 9th Karmapa of CT's signature line: "Appearances are mind, mind is emptiness, emptiness is spontaneous presence, spontaneous presence is Self-Liberation"

These passages are so essential, so primordial, that they are almost beyond comment. To BE the occupier. There's the trick.

Thank you again for this, Jonesboy. As I awakened this morning, I was meditating on these particular words, coming out of sleep. Stay with this in your heart the ancient Dao, but move with the present. Knowing the Dao is the ancient beginning of all things. This aligns quite nicely with what Steve was saying about the colorblindness. To see the world through our hearts. And how do we do this? To love the Dao, to know that the Dao is at the center of all phenomena, and to expand this love from our hearts to all things, sentient and non-sentient. To pick up a piece of trash in a park and go out of our way to throw it into a trash can, to love the illusion of the park. This is one way. To love all other sentient beings, knowing that they too are the Dao (again, I go back to the black spots in the eyes, the Awareness of all things - human, animal, insect). To know that trees too nurture each other and have awareness, as do rocks. The enlightenment of a rock is a crystal, the enlightenment of a plant is the flower or fruit. And another way as well. To be totally in the Now, to fixate our attention completely on what we are doing at any moment. To lose ourselves in what we are doing and 'stopping time', as Castaneda would say. To give ourselves over completely to the task, without mental meanderings. Be here now. To the small group reading this thread, I would like to posit a question. I know that the Dao, through the I Am of myself, am the manifester of my body and my surroundings, my happenings, my circumstances. I have recently manifested a RBB - right bundle blockage - in my heart, causing the electrical activity to take a circuitous route, an alternate route, to pump the blood through. I have been kundalini active for about 10 years, and I know that heart arrhythmia can be a component of kundalini presence - although arrhythmia is something I've had since my PTSD breakdown in 1982. One of the channels that is unable to receive electrical impulse in the heart, according to my looking into this, is the Channel of His - an odd name, and an even odder synchronicity. Is there anyone here (Steve?) that has any comment on a right bundle blockage possibly being related to further kundalini experience? Of course I'm having this looked into with Western medicine - I had to wear a halter monitor a few days ago, and I'm going for an echo and a stress test this week. But I'm also looking for any clarity someone may have to offer on the level we understand. What made me go to the doc in the first place was two events that I stoically passed off as heartburn - but felt like my heart was gripping into a fist and twisting. The second event was accompanied by an event of syncope, which, if I had not been standing in the bathroom and caught myself on the counter, I would have hit the floor. So I thought perhaps a doctor visit was in order.

Wow, Steve. Like the baby before it learns to smile. To keep in mind the dream state of our being, to know that we are predominately......nothing. To see the world before the name kicks in. Seems easy to say, impossible to do. Unless one constantly remains in Awareness of the dream.

Seems like Aunt Bea's kerosene pickles would cause inner conflict.

LOL. Can't have inner conflict on those darn Hershey bars, you know. The pickles? Eh.