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I'm going to go work in Western Sichuan in a Shangri La province soon to teach college students, It's mostly Tibetan, like Tibet but with less red tape (and unfortunately, without the 8000'ers). But it's probably the most authentic Tibetan experience a Foreigner can get in China. Anyways, I'm trying to study up on Tibetan Buddhism, as many of my students will be such, by reading The Tibetan Book of the dead. But I must admit it's making my head spin. It's easier than reading Derrida, but that's not saying much. It's a lot of bow down to peaceful and wrathful deities, again and again. I watched the 1990's video, narrated by Leonard Cohen, which seemed comprehensibly packaged for an uneducated westerner, but this book is almost Greek to me. I want to finish it before going to China, as my copy isn't legal there, due to one person's introduction. The book itself is legal in China, as long as certain people didn't contribute... you can guess who they are. I also don't want to instigate some schism between Tankies and Shangri La believers either (if there are any on this forum, don't take it personal), as I've heard both sides of that story. I just want to know if there are some good resources to prepare me for this book in English. I have the Penguin Classics Deluxe Edition if that helps anybody. Thanks

Hello my friends, The crucial question of how to deal with destructive emotions that keep us from acting with wisdom, compassion and loving kindness has been raised in another thread. I take the liberty to quote some of the posts that particularly inspired me to start the current topic, including my own replies to them, as this may serve to highlight some of the complexities that are inevitably involved. Let me start by presenting a simple method from Tibetan Buddhism that I like very much and that I often practise myself. But most of all, I chose this particular method because, in its simplicity and beauty, it is something anybody can use anytime, whether they consider themselves Buddhists or not. And talking about that, by no means do we need to limit this discussion to Buddhist methods. Actually, I would love to hear also from people outside those traditions about what they are doing to deal with negativity they find in themselves and in others. That's why I chose to post this topic in General Discussion rather than in the Buddhist section. That said, I do hope specifically for my new Buddhist friends to chime in. Anyway, may I present now the so-called Tonglen cleansing method. This can be used whenever you encounter a negative emotion either in your environment or in yourself and you feel the urge to do something about it. Once this has been established, you turn your attention to all the other people in the world that are feeling that same emotion. Then you inhale slowly, and while doing so, you take all that negativity into your heart centre, carefully maintaining awareness. There in your heart centre, you visualise some kind of black hole absorbing that dark cloud of negativity (or whatever form you are giving it) completely. Hold your breath for a few seconds. Allow all negativity to be transformed in your heart centre! Now as you exhale, visualise and feel all this cleansed energy emanating from a star-like spot in your heart centre, right where the black hole used to be previously. Allow yourself to bathe in this energy and send it out to your environment and all those people that may benefit from it. If you try this simple exercise, I would love to hear back from you about your experiences. Armando

It is interesting to read and listen to Awakened teachers that have come from a long established lineage as well as teachers that have Awakened and then adopted a long established lineage as their teaching. It is also interesting to see Awakened teachers using their own words from the present and often changing the typical fashion of going about helping students to be pointed in practice and general sniffing around trying to get a clue what this “illusion” thing is all about. There is no question that there are benefits to a great well established lineage. And it is very possible for an Awakened teacher to adopt a lineage in which they have no prior base. But I am acutely aware that many of the past lineages of the very best and most productive sorts have wording and dogma that make it nearly impossible to clarify in a new students mind even the slightest whiff of what they are actually alluding to and teaching. Some of the most refreshing and superb Awakened teachers are uncompromisingly direct and clarify the “project” of Awakening so simply and so well that by comparison many extraordinary old lineages appear to actually create more detours than road maps by entailing incalculable destinations and using words and structures of teaching that are basically misleading by their vary exactness. I am not starting this topic with any objection - it is a remembrance that when I Awoke the experience was so utterly and completely unlike anything I had read anywhere in the great ancient traditions that I was completely unsure of what had transpired. And it is in this remembrance that this topic is created. I am from the “long” traditions - lots of practice and the idea that perhaps in ten lifetimes you might Awaken - they are in many ways as perfect as they are full of bullshit. Yet some of the emerging short forms - particularly those engineering quick Awakening are also very questionable. But some new teachings are very clear and offer real lasting abiding Awakening from simple yet strong well worded contemporary guidance. What cannot be expressed very clearly to many reading this is that once Awakened some stupidly simple teachings are clearly seen to be among the very best teachings to Awaken and some of the most superb and complex lineages make it nearly impossible to see the Forrest through the trees. Some seemingly very simple Awakened teachers are unquestionably the best pointers to truth and best practices for Awakening to Self, while some of the most authoritative Awakened teachers from some of the oldest and finest lineages are simply so immersed in initiations and transmissions and proper progress that they have put the cart before the horse to a great extent - as though teaching post Awakening work is best done prior to Awakening. It is tempting to utilize an old and wonderful lineage as an Awakened person considering or being brought into teaching - everything is already laid out and easily tweaked where one would like and students can plug into the tradition. It can also radically slow further progress in one’s post Awakened unfolding. And deep within one Awakened can wonder if teaching is what will be happening if at all. I also partly bring this up because of how brutally some “advanced” seekers judge “simple teachers” who are often obviously to those Awake of the highest attainment and often speak little from any lineage at all.

Thought I'd post this as an example of how grownups share and exchange thoughts and ideas This is special because of the venue -- The Vedanta Society NY, which is a bastion of Advaita Vedanta. I've had the occasion to attend Swami Sarvapriyananda's lectures in person (besides the many youtube videos that are there for people to view) - never once have I heard or seen behavior remotely close to the neurotic and parochial approach that is often on display in public fora.

/respectfulbow Hello — and I will express now gratitude over this situation of “exchange” with this space-group. I am filling these details and this story out in this realm so that I may more clearly get a sense of reflection and a more precise angle on viewing the source and extent of what I will loosely call “my” energies and trajectory. For those who choose to embark on any part of this written journey, I offer my blessings and a respectful nod and a warm smile. I welcome to meet with any form of interaction you may wish to contribute to this thread. I demonstrated what I would call now “high levels” of natural presence and awareness as a child. As I grew and began developing and exploring, I consumed various “toxins” which were seemingly carried to me in such containers in my universe such as: (riding within the energies of) my parents, my younger sister, my parents cohorts...adherents of the Church of Christ movement as uniquely expressed in the Midwest USA “skin/coloring/version”, and Public Schooling. . . and when I say “toxins”, the main categories of this container are: [human-social-nettings](fear, anger, attachment, delusion, suffering, existential anxiety, survivalist-primal-level unconscious selfishness, energy vampirism, great exuberant passion and feelings of love toward abstract concepts that I couldn’t connect to, sexual guilt and shame, dread, the downcast qualities which only the thoroughly oppressed and defeated personalities would express), [environmental-toxins](Food from Walmart, fast-food, artificial food completely divorced from the vitality of life)(Polluted air...my first decade was 1990-2000...urban environment) and [Trauma] such as circumcision, etc., etc. Well okay, 28 years in and this all feels largely flushed out of my system, some mental and emotional and energetic remnants still in there I sense...sure, but we are working on this everyday...and sure, I am not presently located in a nature sanctuary either. One part of my journey has been ingesting plants such as cannabis, mushrooms, and some occasions with not as gentle things such as LSD, MDMA, and DMT. Okay, so those insights have been helpful but also tied into pockets of psychosis and auric tears maybe that developed during some of these experiences, and there has been a lot of uncertainty and confusion present. . . I certainly didn’t seem to have a strong enough Root to stay grounded and integrated during some of these phases...so sure, there are some knots here blocking clear presence and energy, but as before we are working on this everyday. I have seen and felt a lot of different Realms... I have always had moments of lightly having a “mostly vague” feeling/sense/awareness that there were other beings that I could not perceive around me... I have perceived and exchanged feelings and telepathy with “angelic beings” as well as felt “pressed on”, “pulled down”, and even “penetrated” by “Shadow-Monster-influenced beings”...I have felt telepathy and full grokking empathy with other humans and animals and insects...and weather patterns and physical objects. I am Beyond using plants (mostly)...(the desire and longing is certainly there)... I have been exposed via a live-in situation to Tibetan Buddhism as expressed in the Shambhala Buddhism Tradition. Different yoga forms before that. . . Hatha, Kundalini. . .different Tantric experiences... Some of the Xientienwujimen hermit lineage qigong. Just the intro-levels. Some different intuitive forms express themselves through my energy at times, and have taught me...but some of these experiences are also merged with different plant experiences so the integrity and validity of these movements have confusion surrounding them. I invested in 5 of Siri Terry Dunn’s Chi Kung for health DVD’s...Flying Phoenix Tradition...practiced across the first three with varying degrees of regularity. I felt stable wellness and great things...but drifted away for some circumstance or another. It is calling me back I believe. I recently came across the Falun Gong \ Falun Dafa movement, and was Immediately delighted to begin displaying fervent obsession and excitement over everything about it: the potency of the energy cultivation, the language and aesthetic of the View and Practice, but while reading other mentions of Falun Gong various energies of doubt and uncertainty have reached me, and so practicing feels unstable and I am not as ease with it for whatever circumstance. And now I find myself here, feeling gratitude as I fill out these details and this story for my own self-clarification as well as for a Stylized and Graceful entry into this realm. I largely feel more stable, sovereign, and capable than I have ever been before, and I am on this indescribable path of enlightenment. I have an inclination to stick with one path all the way, and at the same time I have an inclination and apparent aptitude toward synthesizing a unique and powerful new type of vehicle to progress down the Great Path in style (because why not?) In any case the horizon of my life in my world seems infinite and compelling, and I am allowing myself to be led by curiosity and love as I shatter beyond all limitations and illusions.

Just watched this brilliantly inspiring journey of Lama Zopa Rinpoche and a few of his students through the various holy sites and monasteries in Tibet. It touched me deeply, and i hope it will bring some benefit to you too. If you find it helpful, please share it with your loved ones and friends. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=R6Us78BJ8ic Thank you for taking the time to watch. May it bring a rain of blessings to all beings.

When I was last posting here, many of you were asking me when my book would be available to purchase. I have been busy with that project and it is now available at Amazon and on Kindle. I made an effort to present many of the pith instructions that I have received from mainly Dzogchen masters, Mahamudra masters and Zen masters, so that anyone could experience the "shift" into Enlightened Mind easily and in a relatively short time. The material is presented in generic language without the need to know anything about Buddhism nor the Tibetan teachings. To learn more about the book please visit my website: www.wayoflight.net Please share your feedback or comments! Jackson

I was just advised on Amazon to avoid Lama Tsongkhapa. Especially something about his 7 point chariot analysis. I seem to remember GoldisHeavy also advising people to steer clear of Tsongkhapa. Can someone explain to me what is so wrong with the Tsongkhapa books and his 7 point chariot explanation? Edit: part of me is suspicious this advice was due to somebody believing their "traditional lineage" of Buddhism is better than other traditions of Buddhism. However..I don't remember GiH ever giving allegiance to one brand of Buddhism over any other either and yet I seem to recall he also warned people away from Tsongkhapa's works.

An excellent documentary I found explaining the traditions of Tibetan Buddhism. Tibetan Buddhism is considered by many to be the most authentic form of Buddhism still in existence today. Included in this documentary is video footage of Yoga practices called Tummo and Trulkor- [media]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dOk0tZHwCs4[/media ]