Simplest and quickest method to reach Enlightment?

[bbsoft0]

I read about a discussion between two enlightened buddist monks... don't remember where

The youngest asked the master about the quickest way to reach enlightment, and the master replied there

are many paths, but the quickest is through sound.

 

Did any of you reached enlightment this way? Can you share specific sounds, ideas, etc?

 

I found a very special file on youtube that really works at quieting the monkey mind.

The frequency of the sound has deep and profound effects, has some vibrational qualities.

 

Please share your thoughts.

[Everything]

I read about a discussion between two enlightened buddist monks... don't remember where

The youngest asked the master about the quickest way to reach enlightment, and the master replied there

are many paths, but the quickest is through sound.

 

Did any of you reached enlightment this way? Can you share specific sounds, ideas, etc?

 

I found a very special file on youtube that really works at quieting the monkey mind.

The frequency of the sound has deep and profound effects, has some vibrational qualities.

 

Please share your thoughts.

Certain meditation sounds like binaural beats that have slow binaural frequency does help me quite my mind in order to be more peaceful. I try to do it without though. So that I can do it everywhere. The quick way is not always the best path.

[Jetsun]

In the beginning was the word.. or in the beginning was a sound or vibration, some say the sound of Om or Aum is the primordial vibration and everything is formed from Om, so maybe understanding the vibration of Om is the key to enlightenment

[effilang]

Upon the first sensation of ejaculation, if you control it correctly, you will strengthen yourself and enhance your virility. Here are the benefits of restraining ejaculations:

 

- Restraining the second ejaculation will clear the ears and eyes.

- Restraining the third ejaculation will rid the joints and muscles of the body of soreness and ailment.

- Restraining the fourth ejaculation will strengthen the five internal organs.

- Restraining the fifth ejaculation will regulate all the pulses of the body.

- Restraining the sixth ejaculation will strengthen the spine and waist.

- Restraining the seventh ejaculation will strengthen the buttocks and thighs.

- Restraining the eighth ejaculation will bring youthful color to the skin and a smooth, robust complexion.

- Restraining the ninth ejaculation will naturally increase longevity.

- Restraining the tenth ejaculation will lead you to immorality.

Edited May 29, 2011 by effilang

[Nanashi]

In winter of 2008, I wrote this haiku after an enlightening moment:

 

raindrops on rooftops

the sound of a satori

empty but awake

[strawdog65]

I hesitate to reply...

 

But here is my own two cents...

 

Seeking enlightenment is like holding the

wind, and thinking we could ever control what is.

 

At our most natural... we are all enlightened beings.

 

Enlightenment is merely a longing to return home.

 

The inner being of light, the child of the universe

is already within.

 

Listen, and hear his laughter.

 

Peace.

[thelerner]

I read about a discussion between two enlightened buddist monks... don't remember where

The youngest asked the master about the quickest way to reach enlightment, and the master replied there

are many paths, but the quickest is through sound.

 

Did any of you reached enlightment this way? Can you share specific sounds, ideas, etc?

 

I found a very special file on youtube that really works at quieting the monkey mind.

The frequency of the sound has deep and profound effects, has some vibrational qualities.

 

Please share your thoughts.

nice youtube. Good vibration and use of timed silence.

 

As someone who collects meditative pieces, kotodama (sacred sounds) and guided meditations, I think they are a tool that can relax or focus the mind, which is valuable, but ultimately they're a crutch that has to be dropped.

[Everything]

Upon the first sensation of ejaculation, if you control it correctly, you will strengthen yourself and enhance your virility. Here are the benefits of restraining ejaculations:

 

- Restraining the second ejaculation will clear the ears and eyes.

- Restraining the third ejaculation will rid the joints and muscles of the body of soreness and ailment.

- Restraining the fourth ejaculation will strengthen the five internal organs.

- Restraining the fifth ejaculation will regulate all the pulses of the body.

- Restraining the sixth ejaculation will strengthen the spine and waist.

- Restraining the seventh ejaculation will strengthen the buttocks and thighs.

- Restraining the eighth ejaculation will bring youthful color to the skin and a smooth, robust complexion.

- Restraining the ninth ejaculation will naturally increase longevity.

- Restraining the tenth ejaculation will lead you to immorality.

What does Restraining ejaculation mean?

[suninmyeyes]

Upon the first sensation of ejaculation, if you control it correctly, you will strengthen yourself and enhance your virility. Here are the benefits of restraining ejaculations:

 

- Restraining the second ejaculation will clear the ears and eyes.

- Restraining the third ejaculation will rid the joints and muscles of the body of soreness and ailment.

- Restraining the fourth ejaculation will strengthen the five internal organs.

- Restraining the fifth ejaculation will regulate all the pulses of the body.

- Restraining the sixth ejaculation will strengthen the spine and waist.

- Restraining the seventh ejaculation will strengthen the buttocks and thighs.

- Restraining the eighth ejaculation will bring youthful color to the skin and a smooth, robust complexion.

- Restraining the ninth ejaculation will naturally increase longevity.

- Restraining the tenth ejaculation will lead you to immorality.

ten commandments of ejaculation

[Everything]

In the beginning was the word.. or in the beginning was a sound or vibration, some say the sound of Om or Aum is the primordial vibration and everything is formed from Om, so maybe understanding the vibration of Om is the key to enlightenment

That sounds interesting, as it looks beyond the concept of language into the physical use and perception of sound. Language is obviously an ilusion and should not be depended upon in your path towards enlightenment. Thats clear to me.

 

What I personally think is that our physical reality is the root of our emotional values and our emotional values is the root of our intellectual believes.

 

Physical reality of nature, emotional reality, intellectual reality. The enlightened returns to his natural self and explores his physical reality to gain the deepest understanding possible. While most people go about enlightenment by exploring their intellectual realities or "illusions." Even exploring your emotional reality can be a huge step towards improving your life. The physical reality overrides all. It is also common most animals. We can even relate to dogs in this journey. My exploration and contemplation on my physical reality really stretched my boundaries in terms of dealing with agression in my own body. The emotional stability stems from these practices and this emotional stabilitiy allows for more productivity, better health and memory. More time efficiency and intellectual succes.

 

There is little emotion standing in between me and my goals thanks to physical practices.

Edited May 29, 2011 by Everything

[suninmyeyes]

To answer oringinal post,I dont know much about enligtement ,but my main tool is listening to a sound resonating within me.It is a technique with which one learns to dissolve into the sound and can be practised constantly.It is good way to learn to be in tune.Cosmic tune.

This sound is not fictional or imagined or hummed.I love it ,it is my home.

[doc benway]

It may sound trite and insincere but the simplest and quickest method to reach enlightenment is to do nothing.

Quit now.

You're already what you are.

The only thing preventing you from seeing that is you.

It's just a matter of perspective.

 

That said, it is also a very difficult method (as are all the others) because the method really isn't the point.

The method doesn't cause "enlightenment" - it doesn't cause any fundamental change.

It just gives you a way to exhaust yourself so thoroughly that you give up, and when you have punished yourself enough, you wake up and understand and that's it.

 

If you haven't already, please watch these wonderful video clips that Oolong Rabbit recently posted.

 

Good luck on your path.

[Otis]

I read about a discussion between two enlightened buddist monks... don't remember where

The youngest asked the master about the quickest way to reach enlightment, and the master replied there

are many paths, but the quickest is through sound.

Dunno about enlightenment, but I do think there is a very important role for sound in stilling the thoughts.

 

I witness that my thinking brain likes to keep prattling away, but it will sometimes quiet, if there is something similar to language, but without meaning, taking up the same portion of the brain.

 

So mantras, chanting, or even gibberish can help to still the language brain, merely by occupying it with meaningless sound. Lyric-less trance music can also serve that purpose well.

 

In dance, music goes a long way to opening up flow, largely by arresting my thought. At Contact Improv, which is usually done to silence, I often find myself making sound effects during the dance. I don't do it consciously, but I think it's just another form of keeping that language portion busy, and out of the way.

[Gerard]

Unfortunately, it takes a lot more than sound.

 

1. Several lifetimes spent cultivating the spirit to a serious level.

 

2. Karma

 

3. Good luck.

 

Not an easy task for sure.

 

Here's a good reading about the four stages of enlightenment following the Buddhist path:

 

1. The Ordinary person

 

An ordinary person or puthujjana (Pali; Sanskrit: pṛthagjanai.e. pritha : without, and jnana : knowledge) is trapped in the endless cycling of saṃsara. One is reborn, lives, and dies in endless rebirths, either as a deva, human, animal, male, female, neuter, ghost, deity, divinity, or hellion, or various other entities on different categories of existence.

 

There are a total of 31 planes of existence divided into three realms. The lowest realm is the realm of sensuality (kama-loka) with the human world being the lowest fortunate world. Above this realm is the fine material realm (rupa-loka), with numerous deva worlds : The lowest classes of devas (1) the desire realm devas devote their time to enjoying and satisfying sense desires. Higher up are the (2) form and (3) formless devas and brahmas. Having passed beyond sensual desires, the form devas experience the refined bliss of the first four meditative absorptions (jhanas) and possess subtle bodies emanating light. Transcending form, the devas of the formless realm (arupa-loka) reside in subtle conscious states known as unbounded space, unbounded consciousness, nothingness, and neither perception nor non-perception.

 

Although these devas and brahmas live extremely long lives of ease and luxury in worlds that may be described as paradises, they are not immortal. They will eventually pass away and fall to lower states of existence because their lives are filled with either distractions (because it is difficult for them to find the motivation to practice the Dharma that creates profitable karma), or as the purest deva consciousness within samsara, they still have not overcome ignorance, craving for continued existence, or self-view. Hence some of them having exhausted their merit, or good karma created in past lives, without much spiritual progress can therefore potentially take rebirth in even in subhuman planes.

 

There are numerous lower or unfortunate planes below the human world: The least painful is (1) the animal realm (e.g., insects, birds, fish, mammals, etc.). Their lives are characterized by instinct and emotions having to do with survival. Then there is (2) the hungry spirit plane, which is characterized by long periods of hunger and thirst and lack that is difficult to bear. Finally, the lowest plane is (3) the hell planes, where beings are relentlessly tormented depending on the plane (pierced, scalded, tortured, frosted, etc.) by the fears arising from their delusional mind as a result of unprofitable karma. The suffering continues for what seems like an eternity but eventually the karma that sustained that existence is exhausted and the hell beings (narakas) pass away and are reborn elsewhere in samsara according to their karma.

 

Doing good or bad (bodily, verbally, or mentally) as influenced by an entity's mental attachments ( sans. Raga ) and aversions ( sans. Dvvesh ), an ordinary entity is born in higher or lower states of being (heavens, lower states, or even tormenting hells) according to their actions in preceding births.

 

As these entities have little control over their minds and behaviors, due to the hardships they experience, their destinies are haphazard and subject to great suffering. Worries, "tension", adversaries, and general adversity are their daily grindstone - all projections of their own mind, instigated by the driving force of past karma, subsisting as samskaras, or tendencies, in the thought-stuff, and manifested as vasanas, or predilections, in immediate consciousness and behavior.

 

An ordinary entity has never seen and experienced the ultimate truth of Dharma and therefore has no way of finding an end to the predicament. It is only when suffering becomes acute, or seemingly unending, that an entity looks for a "solution" to and, if fortunate, finds the Dharma.

 

2. The Noble persons

 

One who begins sincere training on the Buddhist path (known as Sekhas in Pali or "those in training") and experiences the truth to the extent of cutting off three or more of the ten mental fetters (Pali: saṃyojana) becomes an ariya puggala (Pali; Sanskrit: āryapudgala): a "noble person" who will surely become an Arahant within seven existences. The length is governed by the degree of attainment reached. "Among whatever communities or groups there may be, the Sangha of the Tathagata's disciples is considered supreme... Those who have confidence in the Sangha have confidence in what is supreme. And for those with confidence in the supreme, supreme will be the result."[4]

 

The Sangha of the Tathagata's disciples (Ariya Sangha), i.e. the four [groups of noble disciples] when taken as pairs, the eight when taken as individuals. The four groups of noble disciples (Buddhist Sekhas) when taken as pairs are those who have attained:

 

 

(1) the path to stream-entry;

 

(2) the fruition of stream-entry;

 

(3) the path to once-returning ;

 

(4) the fruition of once-returning;

 

(5) the path to non-returning ;

 

(6) the fruition of non-returning;

 

(7) the path to arahantship ;

 

(8) the fruition of arahantship.

 

Taking each attainment singly gives eight individuals.

 

Stream-enterer (Sotāpanna)

 

The first stage is that of Sotāpanna (Pali; Sanskrit: Srotāpanna), literally meaning "one who enters (āpadyate) the stream (sotas)," with the stream being the supermundane Noble Eightfold Path regarded as the highest Dharma. The stream-enterer is also said to have "opened the eye of the Dharma" (dhammacakkhu, Sanskrit: dharmacakṣus).

 

A stream-enterer reaches arahantship within seven rebirths upon opening the eye of the Dharma.

 

Due to the fact that the stream-enterer has attained an intuitive grasp of Buddhist doctrine (samyagdṛṣṭi or sammādiṭṭhi, "right view") and has complete confidence or Saddha in the Three Jewels: Buddha, Dharma, and Sangha, that individual will not be reborn in any plane lower than the human (animal, preta, or in hell).

 

 

Once-returner (Sakadagami)

 

The second stage is that of the Sakadāgāmī (Sanskrit: Sakṛdāgāmin), literally meaning "one who once (sakṛt) comes (āgacchati)". The once-returner will at most return to the human world one more time. Both the stream-enterer and the once-returner have abandoned the first three fetters. The stream-enterer and once-returner are distinguished by the fact that the once-returner has weakened lust, hate, and delusion to a greater degree. The non-returner therefore has fewer than seven rebirths. They may take place in higher planes but will include rebirth in the human world at most only once more. Once-returners do not have only one more rebirth, as the name suggests, for that may not even be said with certainty about the non-returner who can take multiple rebirths in the five "Pure Abodes".

 

Non-returner (Anāgāmi)

 

The third stage is that of the Anāgāmī (Sanskrit: Anāgāmin), literally meaning "one who does not (an-) come (āgacchati)". The non-returner, having overcome sensuality, does not return to human world, or any unfortunate world lower than that after death. Instead, non-returners are reborn in one of the five special worlds in Rūpadhātu called the Śuddhāvāsa worlds, or "Pure Abodes", and there attain Nirvāṇa; Pāli: Nibbana; some of them are reborn a second time in a higher world of the Pure Abodes.

 

An Anāgāmī has abandoned the five lower fetters, out of ten total fetters, that bind beings to the cycle of rebirth. An Anāgāmī is well advanced and close to complete Enlightenment.

 

Arahant

 

The fourth stage is that of Arahant, a fully enlightened being who has abandoned all ten fetters and who, upon (Sanskrit: Parinirvāṇa, Pāli: Parinibbāna) will never be reborn in any plane or world, having wholly escaped saṃsāra.

 

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

 

 

Vipassana meditation is an excellent method to ensure enlightenment, but still you need to bear in mind points 1, 2 & 3 mentioned at the beginning of the thread.

 

Good luck in your journey to enlightenment!

[Gerard]

Duplicated post deleted.

Edited May 30, 2011 by Gerard

[hagar]

It may sound trite and insincere but the simplest and quickest method to reach enlightenment is to do nothing.

Quit now.

You're already what you are.

The only thing preventing you from seeing that is you.

It's just a matter of perspective.

 

That said, it is also a very difficult method (as are all the others) because the method really isn't the point.

The method doesn't cause "enlightenment" - it doesn't cause any fundamental change.

It just gives you a way to exhaust yourself so thoroughly that you give up, and when you have punished yourself enough, you wake up and understand and that's it.

 

If you haven't already, please watch these wonderful video clips that Oolong Rabbit recently posted.

 

Good luck on your path.

 

Yup. Nuf said.

I've heard that the quickest method to reach enlightenment is to try to find a decent looking condo in Oslo that is actually affordable.

 

h

[Thunder_Gooch]

Daniel Ingram MD and self claimed Arahat and all the other masters I've read about weren't already enlightened or already immortal beings. It was a process which took much training and much effort.

 

Here are some snippets from Daniels thoughts on the subject of "you are already enlightened, and should do nothing."

 

http://www.interactivebuddha.com/bullshit.shtml

 

I have no idea where you are getting this bizarre notion, except that perhaps you are reading The Power of Now, following Adiashanti, or some other tradition that for reasons completely beyond me assumes that everyone already has the powers of perception of the rarest perceptual superstars.

 

I myself have known before and after, meaning that I know what I was capable of perceiving and understanding before I underwent meditative training and after, and no amount of being fed the concept that I was already as developed as I could be, was already enlightened, was already there, had nothing to do, nothing to develop, was already as clear as I could be, was already perfectly awake, etc. was going to make the difference that the thousands of hours over years of increasing my ability to perceive things clearly did.

 

It would be like saying: you are already a concert pianist, you just have to realize it, or you already are a nuclear physicist, you just have to realize it, or you already speak every language, you just have to realize it.

 

It would be like saying to a two-year old: you already understand everything you need to know so stop learning new things now, or to a severe paranoid schizophrenic: you already are as sane as anyone and do not need to take your meds and should just follow the voices that tell you to kill people, or to a person with heart disease: just keep smoking and eating twinkies and you will be healthy, or to an illiterate person with no math skills who keeps having a hard time navigating in the modern world and is constantly disempowered and ripped off: no need to learn to read and do math, as you are just fine as you are, or saying to a greedy, corrupt, corporate-raiding, white-collar criminal, Fascist, alcoholic wife-beater: hey, Dude, you are a like, beautiful perfect flower of the Now Moment, already enlightened [insert toke here], you are doing and not-doing just fine, like wow, so keep up the good work, Man.

 

Would you let a blind and partially paralyzed untrained stroke victim perform open-heart surgery on your child based on the notion that they already are an accomplished surgeon but just have to realize it? Would you follow the dharma teachings of people who feed other people this kind of crap? In short, are you completely out of your mind?

 

Those who imagine that everyone somehow in their development already became as clear and perceptive as they could be just by being alive is missing something very profound. Do you imagine that you can just remind people of these things and suddenly all wisdom and clarity will suddenly just appear? This mind-bogglingly naive. I simply have to ask: from where did you attain this fantastic fixed delusion?

 

..............

 

This is an organic, causal process. I know of no examples where the necessary and sufficient causes did not involve some kind of work rather than a mere concept that somehow all those benefits and abilities have magically appeared already and they somehow just did not notice until you told them they had.

 

In short: STOP IT! You are spreading craziness, and this is craziness that many people will not be able to tell is craziness, including, it seems, yourself. While I usually do not go so far as to tell people that there is something so deeply wrong with what they think and how they communicate it that they should stop it immediately and forever, this particular point is a great example of something I consider abhorrent and worthy of profound revision.

 

Regardless of any kind intentions, the teachings that you perpetuate take a half-truth that seems so very nice and seductive to us neurotic Americans who just can barely stand another achievement trip and have such a hard time with self-acceptance and turn it into sugary poison.

 

 

 

 

It may sound trite and insincere but the simplest and quickest method to reach enlightenment is to do nothing.

Quit now.

You're already what you are.

The only thing preventing you from seeing that is you.

It's just a matter of perspective.

 

That said, it is also a very difficult method (as are all the others) because the method really isn't the point.

The method doesn't cause "enlightenment" - it doesn't cause any fundamental change.

It just gives you a way to exhaust yourself so thoroughly that you give up, and when you have punished yourself enough, you wake up and understand and that's it.

 

If you haven't already, please watch these wonderful video clips that Oolong Rabbit recently posted.

 

Good luck on your path.

Edited May 30, 2011 by More_Pie_Guy

[Thunder_Gooch]

It depends on what you are really seeking, enlightenment means something different to each person so you need to define what it is you really want. Most of what I have read about enlightenment from people who claim it, is that it is a semi permanent state of nondual awareness, where they and what "they" experience is one unified whole. The mind doesn't break reality down into this or that or self and other, there is just what is observed the bare sensory experience itself.

 

If that is what you are looking for I recommend you looking into Jed McKenna's audiobooks, Steven Norquist's essays and books, as well as Daniel Ingram's work.

 

http://www.spiritualteachers.org/norquist_article.htm

 

http://www.wisefoolpress.com/

 

http://www.amazon.com/Mastering-Core-Teachings-Buddha-Unusually/dp/1904658407/

 

If you are looking into achieving immortality of the mind and spirit I suggest you look into neigong in general such as longmen pai.

 

http://www.laoziacademy.us/

 

Unfortunately there is no pill you can take or quick fix to bring you there yet, all the real paths I've read about require lifetimes of daily committed practice. In a Buddhist sense Daniel Ingram, Jed Mckenna, and Stephen Norquist might get you there in 3 to 5 years, but I really don't know from personal experience as what they offer really isn't what I am seeking. I see enlightenment as a worthy goal but ultimately futile if it is lost at death and you are reincarnated in an unenlightened state again.

 

 

I read about a discussion between two enlightened buddist monks... don't remember where

The youngest asked the master about the quickest way to reach enlightment, and the master replied there

are many paths, but the quickest is through sound.

 

Did any of you reached enlightment this way? Can you share specific sounds, ideas, etc?

 

I found a very special file on youtube that really works at quieting the monkey mind.

The frequency of the sound has deep and profound effects, has some vibrational qualities.

 

Please share your thoughts.

Edited May 31, 2011 by More_Pie_Guy

[StoneHead]

Stop thinking, and end your problems.

[bbsoft0]

Well, there have been some interesting replies.

I agree with you, the concept is to remove the dust, to return to your inner child, to lose rather then to gain.

Yesterday on another post I read about a story in which initial stages of meditation induced emotions like anger, crying, anxiety - and then the guy stopped the meditation just when he started to make some progress.

 

 

The reason I posted here about this sound is because a really cool story about a friend of mine.

He took a lot of ginseng for many years and then became ill with some autoimune disease.

The doctors prescribed him steroids (prednisone). Apparently the steroids combined with ginseng gave a really nasty effect, and he become manic for a couple of days. I know this as I visited him at the hospital.

Anyway, they released him, and after a couple of years in which he complained of constant tinnitus, I met him the other month.

He showed me this picture

 

He said that one day he listened to the sound of tingsha bell Meditation (see the youtube link) on loud volume, and felt that something vibrate inside of head. Then felt that something breaks into pieces and had a terrible headache for 2 days. He is a very quiet guy, but in these 2 days he said he became very agitated like being on steroids again.

 

And here comes the big thing: on the third day he experienced a surge of melatonin and slept like a baby, best sleep in the last 15 years.

 

The only reasonably explanation for this (and I agree with him) is that his pineal gland was covered with toxins (from the steroids doctors gave him). You all hear about fluoride and calcification of pineal gland.

He always felt something was there and when he went to sleep, he felt his head trembling (maybe the release of melatonin was blocked by toxins ?) . Anyway, after he heard the sound, the pineal gland which is crystal and has piezoelectric qualities, went into vibration. The things on it shattered in pieces, and he is now a changed man. No tinnitus, no disease, just cool, relaxed. He listens to the sound every day now and said it reminds him of some feeling from his childhood.

 

I know this guy from 5th grade so I know he's telling the truth, we're good friends.

There must be something with the sound after all, otherwise it would not be called Medicine Buddha ...

 

Of course this is not full Enlightenment, maybe some initial phase.

The thing is, I read a story about a Zen monk. One early morning, while he was listening to the monastery bell, he experienced the small temporary enlightenment. After many years, more experiences and meditation, had two or three experiences like this (only longer and deeper?) and then he obtained full definitive enlightenment.

 

 

So I think there must be something to this.

[C T]

 

So I think there must be something to this.

There is.

 

Though i dont think for a minute that the practice of 'killing' thoughts is the way to go, as per the post above.

The nature of the mind is vast like the ocean, and thoughts are like the waves - just as waves are inseparable from the ocean, so too are thoughts inseparable from the mind - the essence of meditation is in learning to ride the thoughts, not to do away with them, and in this regard, it is often encouraged that the best medium for this is through sound (mantras) and visualizations, either one, the other, or combined.

[doc benway]

I've heard that the quickest method to reach enlightenment is to try to find a decent looking condo in Oslo that is actually affordable.

 

h

In truth, that would be closer to a miracle.

So some of us want to levitate and some live forever.

But you may be the most unrealistic of all!

[doc benway]

self claimed Arahat

[StoneHead]

 

the essence of meditation is in learning to ride the thoughts, not to do away with them

 

Are you riding your thoughts? I don't think so. I think the opposite is true - your thoughts are riding you.

Edited May 30, 2011 by StoneHead

[Thunder_Gooch]

 

 

I am curious what you define enlightenment to be, if we are all already enlightened.