Seeing, Recognising & Maintaining One's Enlightening Potential

[doc benway]

Snakes in Tibetan iconography often represent nagas, a long-lived class of being capable of enlightenment and also capable of causing lots of trouble for humans. Important Bönpo rituals are regularly practiced to appease nagas, who are respected residents of bodies of water and the lowlands, caves, canyons etc... A very famous lineage holder in the earliest days of Bön dzogchen was said to be a naga. 

[daomon]

2 hours ago, steve said:

Snakes in Tibetan iconography usually represent nagas, a long-lived class of being capable of enlightenment and also capable of causing lots of trouble for humans. Important Bönpo rituals are regularly practiced to appease nagas, who are respected residents of bodies of water and the lowlands, caves, canyons etc... A very famous lineage holder in the earliest days of Bön dzogchen was said to be a naga. 

 

 

[C T]

There is nowhere in the human realm where we can escape the eight worldly dhammas of 𝐠𝐚𝐢𝐧 and 𝐥𝐨𝐬𝐬, 𝐩𝐥𝐞𝐚𝐬𝐮𝐫𝐞 and 𝐩𝐚𝐢𝐧, 𝐩𝐫𝐚𝐢𝐬𝐞 and 𝐛𝐥𝐚𝐦𝐞, 𝐢𝐧𝐜𝐫𝐞𝐚𝐬𝐞 and 𝐝𝐞𝐜𝐥𝐢𝐧𝐞 𝐨𝐟 𝐬𝐭𝐚𝐭𝐮𝐬 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐫𝐞𝐩𝐮𝐭𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧. Even monastery walls offer scant protection against these eight ‘worldly winds’. 

 

Some people might think that living alone in a cave they would be free from them at last. But, in fact, before long they would find themselves reliving past experiences. Everyone has a big file of worldly dhamma material stored in their memory, enough for years of fruitless rumination in an unwise hermit’s mind.

 

It is important to bear in mind that the eight worldly dhammas are included within the first noble truth, not the second. That is to say, they are not things that Buddhist practitioners need to abandon, but things that need to be fully comprehended. We cannot free ourselves of natural phenomena, but we can let go of the cravings based upon them.

 

The untrained mind craves to enjoy gain, pleasure, praise and social status. At the same time it craves a life without loss, pain, blame and decline in status. The more we crave the worldly dhammas we like, the more we fear and resent those we don’t. It’s not the dhammas themselves that are the problem, but our relationship to them.

 

Although we cannot escape the worldly dhammas, we don’t have to suffer on their account. As our understanding of them grows, our attachment to them weakens. The weaker the attachment, the more free we become.

 

— Ajahn Jayasaro

 

[Salvijus]

On 2023-05-23 at 3:28 AM, steve said:

capable of enlightenment and also capable of causing lots of trouble for humans

How so? I sometimes get dreams of snakes, a bit scary and uncomfortable ones.

Edited May 28, 2023 by Salvijus

[Lairg]

1 hour ago, Salvijus said:

I sometimes get dreams of snakes, a bit scary and uncomfortable ones.

 

Visualize/intend a bunch of timelines above, below and around you with this physical timeline in the center, stretching before and behind you.
 

Now move a snake dream near the various timelines.

 

With which timeline is the dream associated?

 

 

 

 

[C T]

16 minutes ago, Lairg said:

 

Visualize/intend a bunch of timelines above, below and around you with this physical timeline in the center, stretching before and behind you.
 

Now move a snake dream near the various timelines.

 

With which timeline is the dream associated?

 

 

 

 

I find your ideas and suggestions totally inconceivable and incongruent to Buddhist praxis. Moreover, the question was meant for Steve. I understand you like to appear helpful, but would appreciate if you could perhaps do it via pm or respond to the subject by opening a new thread? I would appreciate keeping this thread as true to Buddhism as possible. Thanks. 

[Lairg]

Believing is good

 

 

[Salvijus]

9 hours ago, Lairg said:

 

Visualize/intend a bunch of timelines above, below and around you with this physical timeline in the center, stretching before and behind you.
 

Now move a snake dream near the various timelines.

 

With which timeline is the dream associated?

 

I gave it a try but my vizualizations skills are zero. Tho when i tried remembering today's dream about snakes and locating it in some timeline, my whole attention went below me into the ground somewhere.

 

I actually have my own explanation of what these snakes are all about. The answer i've arrived by myself is that i have a history of practicing and invoking and being initiated in the tradition and practices of shiva, and snakes/nagas and are very closely related there. So... it was easy to make the connection. But i enjoy learning more about it from others.

Edited May 28, 2023 by Salvijus

[doc benway]

9 hours ago, Salvijus said:

How so? I sometimes get dreams of snakes, a bit scary and uncomfortable ones.

 

I'm not very knowledgable on the subject. 

The presence of nagas in Bön and Buddhist traditions likely come from Hindu mythology.

My limited understanding is that they can cause illnesses in people. it is often said this is related to humans disturbing their natural habitat through pollution, development, defilement and so forth. 

Interpreting their presence in dreams IMO is highly dependent on the dreamer's cultural background, frame of mind, and circumstances and the meaning will vary from person to person and with the context and other details of the dream. 

Your explanation is probably the most accurate for you.

In some traditions, like Hinduism, dreaming of snakes can mean a sense or awareness of impending challenges or worries and catching a snake can represent a triumph over enemies or obstacles. In Buddhism, they tend to be representative of mortality and rebirth. Female nagas are referred to as naginis... I doubt the name of Voldemort's serpent was a coincidence!

 

 

[Lairg]

5 hours ago, Salvijus said:

explanation of what these snakes are all about.

 

There is a tradition that long long ago humans on this planet were oppressed by snake beings living inside the planet.  Perhaps that is why many modern humans are afraid of snakes.

 

Fear of spiders may have a similar cause

 

There are however positive snake beings.  Both Egypt and China are said to have been civilized by humanoid snakes:  Osiris and Isis, and Fuxi and Nuwa - both brother-sister partners

 

 

 

  

 

 

Edited May 28, 2023 by Lairg

[C T]

According to the Nyingma tradition -

 

There are several lama and dakini practices in the Longchen Nyingtik; There are four lama practices in the Longchen Nyingtik, the outer practice of guru yoga, the inner practice of Rigdzin Dipa, the secret practice of Duk-ngal Rangdrol, and the innermost practice of Tiklé Gyachen. The yidam is the Palchen Dupa, and the dakini practices are Yumka Dechen Gyalmo and Senge Dongma.

 

Ideally the practitioners who follow this path would do all these sadhanas before receiving Dzogchen teachings, and continue doing them afterward to support his or her practice. 

 

Typically, in practice, practitioners are expected to have done lama Rigdzin Dupa, yidam Palchen Dupa, and dakini Yumka Dechen Gyalmo before receiving Dzogchen instructions. Then they would continue to accumulate the other sadhanas of the cycle while practicing the different stages of Dzogchen.

 

We need to accomplish all these sadhanas to support our Dzogchen meditation. "Doing the practice" or "accumulating the sadhana" means doing the number of recitations or spending the amount of time indicated in the retreat manuals for each practice, or practicing until there are signs of realization. 

 

To recite a given number of mantras might seem very goal oriented, an approach that does not marry very well with dharma practice. Indeed, ideally we would practice until signs of realization appear. But that is not always very realistic. As human beings we are naturally more or less goal oriented, so instructions on time and number of recitations have been given to help hurried practitioners. 

 

~ Yusa

[C T]

'You' are the product of causes and conditions, dependent on those parts that give rise to a convincing sense of personal identity, and ultimately an imputed creation of mind that enables a projection of 'you' as 'your' independent 'self'. ~ Paramito

[stirling]

On 5/29/2023 at 12:32 AM, C T said:

According to the Nyingma tradition -

 

There are several lama and dakini practices in the Longchen Nyingtik; There are four lama practices in the Longchen Nyingtik, the outer practice of guru yoga, the inner practice of Rigdzin Dipa, the secret practice of Duk-ngal Rangdrol, and the innermost practice of Tiklé Gyachen. The yidam is the Palchen Dupa, and the dakini practices are Yumka Dechen Gyalmo and Senge Dongma.

 

Ideally the practitioners who follow this path would do all these sadhanas before receiving Dzogchen teachings, and continue doing them afterward to support his or her practice. 

 

Typically, in practice, practitioners are expected to have done lama Rigdzin Dupa, yidam Palchen Dupa, and dakini Yumka Dechen Gyalmo before receiving Dzogchen instructions. Then they would continue to accumulate the other sadhanas of the cycle while practicing the different stages of Dzogchen.

 

We need to accomplish all these sadhanas to support our Dzogchen meditation. "Doing the practice" or "accumulating the sadhana" means doing the number of recitations or spending the amount of time indicated in the retreat manuals for each practice, or practicing until there are signs of realization. 

 

To recite a given number of mantras might seem very goal oriented, an approach that does not marry very well with dharma practice. Indeed, ideally we would practice until signs of realization appear. But that is not always very realistic. As human beings we are naturally more or less goal oriented, so instructions on time and number of recitations have been given to help hurried practitioners. 

 

~ Yusa

 

Every Nyingma teacher I ever had taught Dzogchen FIRST, then relative practices - Ngondro, etc. 

Edited May 31, 2023 by stirling

[C T]

8 hours ago, stirling said:

 

Every Nyingma teacher I ever had taught Dzogchen FIRST, then relative practices - Ngondro, etc. 

 

Your affinity with them must be quite strong. None of the guides I've met gave the slightest hint to do the prelims after Togal.

[C T]

[C T]

[silent thunder]

Are there any outer objects?

[johndoe2012]

2 hours ago, C T said:

 

I know this is a pointing out but why denounce demons, when it is just as stupid to denounce psychopaths/sociopaths like Ted Bundy? 

 

Non-physical entities do exist or do not exist? 

[johndoe2012]

14 minutes ago, johndoe2012 said:

 

I know this is a pointing out but why denounce demons, when it is just as stupid to denounce psychopaths/sociopaths like Ted Bundy? 

 

Non-physical entities do exist or do not exist? 

 

Quote

"Nothing that is of an imagined nature exists, but what has a dependent nature is not nonexistent."

Nagarjuna, Main Verses of the Middle 

 

I guess this quote answers this. 

 

 

[C T]

 

“All the violence, fear, and suffering that exists in the world comes from grasping at self….

 

According to Buddhism, all existents abide in loving-kindness free from concepts in their absolute nature. But the understanding and realization of that true nature have been covered  over by the webs of our own mental, emotional, and intellectual obscurations. Now, in order to uncover the true nature and its qualities, we must dispel the cover — our unhealthy concepts, emotions, and actions. Through the power of devotion and contemplation, we must uncover and see the true innate enlightened qualities — loving-kindness that is free from concepts — shining forever.”

 

Tulku Thondup, The Heart of Unconditional Love: A Powerful New Approach to Loving-Kindness

[C T]

Khenpo Chemchok

 

The "exhaustion of phenomena into the nature of reality," the fourth of the four visions of Thogal, is brought about through the natural interruption of the inner and outer aspects of delusory perception—the outer appearances of objects created from the primary elements, and the habitual tendencies (or karmic seeds) of the confused conceptual mind and its mental states. In this state, we remain in dharmata without ever separating from a vast ocean of untainted bliss. 

 

As this is the culmination of the path of training, we really have something to rejoice in. Even those who are not yet on this path (of "no more learning") can meditate by rejoicing for those who do abide there.

 

We then request the deities of the mandala to turn the wheel of Dharma, according to the capacities and karmic fortune of individual beings. The request is made to those who have reached the bhumis, or those who, having reached the end of the four visions of togal, have attained the rainbow body of great transference and can turn the wheel of Dharma out of the expanse of their realizations.

 

We also pray that those who have attained this great rainbow body may remain until samsara is totally emptied, and that they do not pass into nirvana, but stay to bring benefit continuously to beings.

 

Dedication without conceptual reference is to rest in a state that is beyond the notion of there being something to dedicate, or an actual act of dedication. In this way, we dedicate all the merit ever accumulated through these seven branches to the attainment of the youthful vase body, the inner luminosity of manifest enlightenment, which is attained with the six extraordinary features of Samantabhadra.

 

Excerpt: The Gathering of Vidyadharas

Edited June 6, 2023 by C T

[C T]

WHAT BUDDHA FOUND
 
Without a single scientific tool, Prince Siddhartha sat on a patch of kusha grass beneath a ficus religiosa tree investigating human nature. After a long time of contemplation, he came to the realization that all form, including our flesh and bones, and all our emotions and all our perceptions, are assembled — they are the product of two or more things coming together. 

 

When any two components or more come together, a new phenomenon emerges — nails and wood become a table; water and leaves become tea; fear, devotion, and a savior become God. This end product doesn’t have an existence independent of its parts.

 

Believing it truly exists independently is the greatest deception. Meanwhile the parts have undergone a change. Just by meeting, their character has changed and, together, they have become something else — they are “compounded.”

 

He realized that this applies not only to the human experience but to all matter, the entire world, the universe — because everything is interdependent, everything is subject to change. Not one component in all creation exists in an autonomous, permanent, pure state. Not the book you are holding, not atoms, not even the gods. 

 

So as long as something exists within reach of our mind, even in our imagination, such as a man with four arms, then it depends on the existence of something else. Thus Siddhartha discovered that impermanence does not mean death, as we usually think, it means change. Anything that changes in relation to another thing: even the slightest shift, is subject to the laws of impermanence.

Through these realizations, Siddhartha found a way around the suffering of mortality after all. He accepted that change is inevitable and that death is just a part of this cycle. 

 

Furthermore, he realized that there was no almighty power who could reverse the path to death; therefore there was also no hope to trap him. If there is no blind hope, there is also no disappointment. If one knows that everything is impermanent, one does not grasp, and if one does not grasp, one will not think in terms of having or lacking, and therefore one lives fully.

 

Siddhartha’s awakening from the illusion of permanence gives us reason to refer to him as the Buddha, the Awakened One. Now, 2,500 years later, we see that what he discovered and taught is a priceless treasure that has inspired millions — educated and illiterate, rich and poor, from King Ashoka to Allen Ginsberg, from Kublai Khan to Gandhi, from H. H. the Dalai Lama to the Beastie Boys. 

 

On the other hand, if Siddhartha were here today, he would be more than a little disappointed, because, for the most part, his discoveries lie fallow. That is not to say that modern technology is so great that his findings have been refuted: No one has become immortal. Everyone must die at some point; an estimated 250,000 human beings do so every day. 

 

People close to us have died and will die. Yet we are still shocked and saddened when a loved one passes away, and we continue to search for the fountain of youth or a secret formula for long life. Trips to the health food store, our bottles of DMAE and retinol, power yoga classes, Korean ginseng, plastic surgery, collagen injections, and moisturizing lotion — these are clear evidence that we secretly share Emperor Qin’s desire for immortality.

 

Prince Siddhartha no longer needed or wanted the elixir of immortality. By realizing that all things are assembled, that deconstruction is infinite, and that not one of the components in all creation exists in an autonomous, permanent, pure state, he was liberated.

 

Anything that is put together (which we now understand to be everything) and its impermanent nature are bound together as one, just like water and an ice cube. When we put an ice cube in our drink, we get both. 

 

Just so, when Siddhartha looked at someone walking around, even the healthiest person, he saw this person as both simultaneously living and disintegrating. You might think this doesn’t sound like a fun way to live, but it can be an amazing ride to see both sides. There might be great satisfaction. 

 

It is not like a roller coaster of hope and disappointment going up and down. Seeing things in this way, they begin to dissolve all around us. Your perception of phenomena transforms, and in a way becomes clearer. It is so easy to see how people get caught up in the roller coaster, and you naturally have compassion for them. One of the reasons you have compassion is that impermanence is so obvious, yet they just don’t see it.

~ Dzongsar Jamyang Khyentse 

 

Edited June 6, 2023 by C T

[C T]

Quote

 

Dzogchen is a moment by moment practice. 

 

The choice is to grab or to relax. There is nothing more to be done. Simply remain in the non-dual recognition.  

 

However... 

 

Your perception of this will move because perceptions do. 

 

Don't cling. 

 

It is a dynamic, ongoing relaxation. 

 

A moment by moment choice of whether to grab something drifting by and **reify it and wandering off down there, or just sit relaxed and let the display unravel in whatever time it takes to do that. 

 

Each moment is a choice of this. 

.

.

Relax.... or grab. 

 

~ Lama Lena 

 

 

** a common and erroneous tendency of those who over-rely on concepts to make sense of things around them. 

[C T]

[C T]

Togal: "After the meditation, this energy becomes apparent. Everything is energy; everything appears as if its light..." (@11.00 min.)