Seeing, Recognising & Maintaining One's Enlightening Potential

[C T]

Unless we connect with the two types of precious bodhicitta, we will not approach enlightenment even in the slightest; this is certain. The two types of bodhicitta are relative bodhicitta, compassion, and ultimate bodhicitta, the insight into emptiness. Without these two, there is absolutely no way to take even one step closer towards buddhahood. Any Dharma practice devoid of these two kinds of bodhicitta will not bring the practitioner even one step toward enlightenment - I will swear to that.

 

~ Tulku Urgyen Rinpoche ~

 

 

 

[C T]

Guru Shri Singha said, "The natural condition of things is devoid of something to be experienced. So what are you experiencing? What is it that experiences? What are you so elated about? I myself do not experience anything. Have you achieved something superior to that?

 

Your experiences are an achievement which differs from that of the buddhas and of the three times. Fixating on having an experience should be recognized as being seduced by Mara.

 

All your experiences are contrived and result from fabrication. They will still come and go. They will not enable you to face difficulties. They are but a blanket of good concepts. You have not untied the knot of conceptual thinking. It is like having a latent sickness within. You might be blissful at present but it will not help. Since you have not penetrated to the core, the zombie of confusion still walks around.

 

If you regard meditation experience as paramount you cannot resolve the view while submerged in concepts. If you allow yourself to become fascinated by a fraction of samadhi, thinking that there is nothing higher and regard it as the perfection of samadhi, you will not cut through the activity of conceptual thinking. You will not exhaust the layers of meditation experience and the dirt of ignorance will not be purified.

 

For each meditation experience there is a temporary fascination. Perceiving them to be the only truth, you will become obscured. By obscuring the reality which is utterly free from attachment and transition, the instance of attachment and transition have turned these blissful results of yours into nothing but straying.

 

If you cling to clarity and regard it as the highest, you achieve the highest state in a realm of form. If you cling to the emptiness experience of nonthought and regard it as the highest, you achieve the highest state in the formless realm. If you cling to bliss and regard it as the highest, you will attain nothing but the highest state in the realm of desire. This will not result in attaining unexcelled enlightenment, the supreme siddhi of Mahamudra."

 

 

~ Shri Singha and The Liberation of Padmasambhava ~

 

 

 

[Bud Jetsun]

The encouragement often reminded to practitioners is one of returning the awareness to a state of least contrivance, as often as possible. 

 

Thank you for sharing your wisdom my friend.

 

The contrived inherently includes all things language based. Concluding the pointless and inherently delusional conversions of what IS into some kind of pointlessly categorized and compared contrived label set is instantly it's own best reward.

 

The bantering dialogue of pointless judgement and comparison occuring inside the mind is optional to the limit of a beings awareness of mindfulness. It is not you, and not your awareness, and in its conclusion a being may find awareness of something so beautiful it couldn't be humanly explained or understood let alone contrived.

 

Unlimited Love,

-Bud

[C T]

[C T]

Lam Rim Tibetan Buddhist audio teachings by HHDL and other prominent Tibetan masters, and a radio service too. 

 

http://www.lamrim.com/index2.html

[manitou]

 

~ DHARMARAKSITA ~

 

When drops of water fill a vase, it is not the first drop that fills it, nor the last drop or each drop individually; through the gathering of dependent factors the vase is filled.

Likewise, when someone experiences joy and suffering – the effects – this is not due to the first instant of their cause; nor is it due to the last instant of the cause. Joy and pain are felt through coming together of dependent factors. 

 

So within this mere appearance I will observe ethical norms.

 

 

 

 

 

And metaphoric drops of water we all are, coming together of dependent factors.  through the gathering of dependent humans the Awareness is merged into One.  Perhaps one day we will catch up with the animals.

 

So within this mere appearance i will observe ethical norms.  No need to observe ethical norms, really.  Just uncover the true balance of ethical norms within self.

Edited April 23, 2016 by manitou

[C T]

Very Important Advice for Dzogchen Practitioners

 

 

"Search for your mind. Where is it coming from? Where is it now? Where is it going? When you use these three questions to try to pinpoint your mind, you’ll discover that there’s nothing substantial or solid to find. Our past thoughts are gone, our future thoughts have not yet arisen, and the present thought disappears the moment we look for it. These three investigations reveal that the past mind is empty, the present mind is empty, and the future mind is empty. When you don’t find anything, it’s time to relax. Now you’re not going to try to look for anything. Trying to find something just makes us tired; ultimately there’s nothing to find.

 

When we begin to relax in this state, we’re going to apply three techniques: (1) don’t get distracted, (2) don’t meditate, and (3) don’t change anything. These are Master Tsele Natsok Rangdrol’s pith instructions on how to meditate. Simply relax in the mind’s own natural state without doing anything. Just relax. This is practical advice on how to stay with the nature of mind. In order to make this pith instruction more meaningful, first we have to recognize the nature of our mind. Once we behold our nature, applying these three reminders becomes very useful.

 

The first instruction to not get distracted is very, very important. Once we behold the view, we have to try to maintain that with meditation. The biggest obstacle to maintaining the view is distraction. Therefore, be watchful of distraction and try to stay with what you’ve already recognized. Continually carry the view with mindfulness, but without being too forceful. Mindfulness itself can be a distraction if we apply it too much. Therefore, keep the strength of your mindfulness, but let the mind stay with the view without being distracted by any method. Many great Dzogchen teachings say to relax nakedly, relax freshly, and relax in the natural state. Naked, fresh, and natural—these words have a lot of meaning. They are practical instructions we can use to remind ourselves and usher us back to what we’ve already recognized.

 

The second instruction, “don’t meditate,” means to relax. When we’re meditating or practicing, we have to relax. Many Dzogchen teachings say to relax all six senses: our eyes, ears, nose, tongue, body, and mind. Let the six senses rest in their own natural state—don’t follow after them. If we’re using any effort, we’re creating a little tension, and that tension is unnatural. The meditation we’re talking about here is more natural. Of course as beginning practitioners we need some effort, but after a few seconds or minutes of meditating, try to relax all your senses and muscles into their own natural rhythm. That is what it means here by “don’t meditate.”

 

The third instruction is “don’t change anything.” This means that during meditation, continually relax in the natural state and don’t try to change or construct anything. Don’t fabricate anything and don’t add or subtract anything. Just let it flow continually as it is.

 

Whether we’re practicing shamatha or vipashyana meditation, we should always remember these three qualities. (1) Don’t get distracted, (2) don’t forcefully meditate, (3) and don’t construct or change anything. This is practical advice we can remind ourselves of throughout our meditation. Keep this instruction near you so that you can use it as you continue to progress in your practice."

 

~ Venerable Khenpo Rinpoches ~

.... Relaxing in the True Nature ....

[manitou]

 The contrived inherently includes all things language based. Concluding the pointless and inherently delusional conversions of what IS into some kind of pointlessly categorized and compared contrived label set is instantly it's own best reward. 

 

This reminds me of a Father Anthony DeMello CD.  He speaks of the first time we see, say, a butterfly; the wonder of it, the awe it inspires.  Until someone tells us it's a 'butterfly'.  It's like it's been placed in a little conceptual box and we're off to the next thing, the next sensory whoop-de-doo.  The wonder and awe become a thing of the past once language minimizes it, pegs it, corrals it.

[C T]

The four levels of obscurations 
 

The failure of the mind to recognize its own nature is what is meant by the term "ma-rik-pa," or ignorance, the first level of obscuration or defilement in the mind.

 

As a result of this ignorance, there arises in the mind the imputation of an "I" and an "other," something that is other than the mind. This dualistic clinging, something that we have had throughout beginningless time and that never stops, is the second level of obscuration, the obscuration of habits.

 

Based upon this dualistic clinging arise the three root mental afflictions: mental darkness, desire, and aggression. Based upon those three afflictions are the 84,000 various mental afflictions, the third level of obscurations, called the obscuration of mental affliction. Under the influence of this, we perform actions that are obscured in their nature - the fourth level, called the obscuration of actions or karma.

 

These four levels or types of obscurations are the cause for all sentient beings to wander in samsara. If these are removed or cleaned, then the inherent qualities of mind's nature, which we refer to as wisdom or "yeshe," will naturally manifest and spread like the rays of the sun. The word in Tibetan for the removal of these obscurations, "sang," means "cleansing," and the word for the spreading of the inherent qualities of the mind that occurs as a result of that is "gye," or "increasing." "Sang-gye," these two words together, is the Tibetan word for a Buddha. Therefore what is meant by Buddhahood is the recognition and realization of the complete purity of the mind.

 

~ Kalu Rinpoche ~

Edited April 24, 2016 by C T

[manitou]

How could I possibly live without the samsara of CT?  I know that your wisdom is my wisdom as well, yet it comes out of your mouth and not mine.  As though you and I were separate?  And yet I recognize that the wisdom is within me as well, and that the 'sang' process I am going through is merely being defined by one who appears as separate.  You are pointing the way to the 'gye' on my path.

 

(I have noted for some time now that spell-check doesn't have a metaphysical bone in its body)

 

For some reason, this brings to mind that it's already all happened, that the three times are one.  That what has lived and died is here now, and that which hasn't been born yet is here now.  That this great opera has already played out and sits in its Is-ness, but we are in this samsaric fully extended accordion of linear thought.  That the True is when the accordion is compressed, the 3 times superimposed over each other.

 

It's all mind, and samsaric mind produces the Beginningless Time that Never Stops, as quoted above.  Constant opportunity for one to return to Self, the true.  Perhaps the fallen angel template.

 

Yesterday Joe and I drove the next town up to buy a gift certificate at a restaurant for our neighbors who watched the house while we were gone.  As soon as we took off in my Prius, there was a horrible thumping in the brakes.  A quarter mile down the road we turned around, parked the Prius, and got into the Jeep.  On the way to the restaurant was a terrible accident that had just happened - a car was overturned on the 2 lane highway, people were running everywhere, someone was still inside, the ambulance hadn't gotten there - you've got the picture.  Had we not returned for the Jeep we may very well have been part of that.

 

But that wasn't the configuration of the compressed accordion, for us to be involved.  It had already played out in the correct configuration, but was unfolding in the linearity of the extended accordion of time.

[blue eyed snake]

This reminds me of a Father Anthony DeMello CD.  He speaks of the first time we see, say, a butterfly; the wonder of it, the awe it inspires.  Until someone tells us it's a 'butterfly'.  It's like it's been placed in a little conceptual box and we're off to the next thing, the next sensory whoop-de-doo.  The wonder and awe become a thing of the past once language minimizes it, pegs it, corrals it.

 

yes, I had a thought, when you can see the world without words, it reveals its true nature. I've had fleeting glimpses of that.

Mind is but words, bereft of real value. useful for many things. But it closes the door for seeing reality.

[blue eyed snake]

Thank you CP, for your steadfast posting in this thread,

even though I but rarely comment, it means much to me,

 

BES

[C T]

To uproot grasping at self, we need to realize wisdom.

 

To realize wisdom, we need merit.

 

Merit releases us from negative emotions, the cause of samsaric suffering, and loosens our grasping at self.

 

As that happens, we glimpse the true nature of our mind.

 

Once we do, we can meditate on the true nature to perfect the realization of wisdom.

 

Until then, we need to make merit.

 

 

~ Tulku Thondup ~

[manitou]

To find merit, we need to uncover merit.  It is there within, under conditioning.

 

It appears there are two elements, riding on the shoulders of the wisdom of others who came before us and have 'real-ized' wisdom;  but also cutting our own path, finding it, and making the wisdom Real by having the courage to live it.

 

The true nature of the mind is Love.  And to love one's self is the very hardest one to love.  To love another before loving one's self is to not truly love at all.

 

Until then, we need to make merit.

[C T]

TSOKNYI RINPOCHE ~ Interview on LUNG

 

 

“In the 21st century, the subject of healing the subtle body is crucial. I sometimes say that for western Dharma practitioners, “body enlightenment” is more important than the enlightenment of the mind.” ~ Tsoknyi Rinpoche

 

Q: In your new book “Open Heart, Open Mind” you discuss the subtle body and its influence on our lives. How can we understand the subtle body?

 

Rinpoche: In the Tibetan Buddhist tradition, the subtle body (Tib. “lu trawa”) connects the body and mind and is the home of the emotions that influences both.

 

Q: So it is a point of great importance that is largely unknown in western psychology. Can you please explain the system of the subtle body in more precise detail?

 

Rinpoche: The subtle body is composed of three interrelated aspects. The first consists of what in Tibetan is called “tsa”, (“nadi” in Sanskrit), usually translated as channels. They are closely related, but not the same as a network of nerves that extend throughout the body. These channels are the pathways that allow sparks of life(“thigle” in Tibetan, “bindus” in Sanskrit) to circulate and can be compared to neurotransmitters–chemical messengers that influence our physical, mental and emotional states.The “thigle” circulate within the channels due to the subtle energy or inner wind, known in Tibetan as “lung.” (“prana” in Sanskrit).

 

Q: A certain amount of lung is a normal part of the subtle body. But there are also disturbances in the wind energy. Is it possible that lung disturbances can get intensified through meditation practice and manifest negatively at the level of feelings?

 

Rinpoche: Clearly, yes. In anything we do, whether during meditation or in any situation, lung can be intensified. This can happen when we feel overloaded and “stressed out” or when our emotions get quite strong, even overwhelming. Any practice we do driven by the wish to perform well or succeed with a corresponding lack of relaxation and lightness increases this intensity and creates restlessness. I am speaking here about the attitude of a forced, driven, goal-oriented practice. To take one example, if you want to quickly recite 100,000 mantras within a few days this may cause what we call lung, a disturbance in the energy, because you have unnaturally put yourself under too much pressure.

 

Q: What exactly happens at that time?

 

Rinpoche: When the mind continuously demands greater speed due to over-excitement, a high degree of pressure, and a need to perform too quickly, the subtle body eventually becomes exhausted. Through excessive activity on the mental level a message is sent to the subtle body to push, go faster, with the result that the restless lung is strengthened. The subtle body’s natural equilibrium gets out of balance and at some point it becomes a lung disturbance.

 

Also, being over-serious, uptight, having strong grasping and mental restlessness are conditions that can lead to a feeling of agitation and restlessness in the subtle body. And these habitual patterns can become deeply imprinted within the channels due to this stirred up lung. That is why we should learn how to handle this energy sensibly.

 

Q: How should we deal with a lung imbalance?

 

Rinpoche: Overactive lung confuses and disturbs the subtle body nervous system and becomes increasingly rigid and solidified–and because of this the natural capacity to feel compassion becomes blocked–your innate ability to feel unconditional, unbiased love, warmth and openness. Without this capacity it will be impossible for you to feel loving kindness and compassion towards others, and to love them. We have to reconnect with our basic nature and relax in that. There is also a special yogic breathing exercise called “vase breathing,” which can serve us well here. The breath is closely connected to the subtle wind energy. In my book, Open Heart, Open Mind, I devote a whole chapter to this method.

 

 

Ref: http://www.tsoknyirinpoche.org/…/tsoknyi-rinpoche-intervie…/

 

 

 

[C T]

[manitou]

Excellent, excellent, excellent!  I am ordering that book today. (Open Heart, Open Mind)  I am predominately metal - rigid - and because of the years of Prozac, unable to feel much at all.  More understanding of this, exactly what you posted, is what I need right now.

 

I happen to be at the point where I am focusing on tigles (assumedly the same as thigles?) before going to sleep at night.  The dream yoga is working incredibly well for me so far - I have never been much of a dreamer, especially because of the chemical.

 

The way Tsoknyi Rinpoche compares the pathways of the nervous system to the pathways of the subtle energy body, it reminds me of the difference between a flock of birds that all turn to fly in a different direction, although not necessarily synchronized - as opposed to a flock of birds that shares a spontaneous and mysterious communication wherein the synchronization is immediate and perfect. Can't remember which type of birds those are -

Edited April 25, 2016 by manitou

[manitou]

 

 

An astounding 14 minutes.  Conceptual designation - sounds closely related to Intent, but includes and encompasses the 3 times.

[C T]

Do not sit with a mind fixed on emptiness.
 

If you do, you will fall into a dead kind of emptiness.
 

Emptiness includes the sun, moon, stars and planets,
The great earth, mountains and rivers,
All trees and grasses,
Bad people and good people,
Bad things and good things,
Heaven and hell;
They are all in the midst of emptiness.

 

~ Hui Neng ~

[C T]

[doc benway]

 

Do not sit with a mind fixed on emptiness.

 

If you do, you will fall into a dead kind of emptiness.

 

Emptiness includes the sun, moon, stars and planets,

The great earth, mountains and rivers,

All trees and grasses,

Bad people and good people,

Bad things and good things,

Heaven and hell;

They are all in the midst of emptiness.

 

~ Hui Neng ~

 

This is beautiful CT, thanks...

In one of my practices, we cultivate the experience of spaciousness of the mind.

 

I've been working with that a lot lately. It is very difficult for the mind to apprehend space so it can be useful to begin by focusing on the appearance that is "occupying" the space. When we turn that inward towards what we feel inside, feeling that which is occupying the space is easy (pain, ideas, thoughts, feelings), and then gradually feeling the space within that perception of 'space occupation' is interesting. Not sure if these words are of any value whatsoever but its something I've been working with and was highlighted by the wonderful quote from Hui Neng.

[manitou]

Another interesting thing to do is to focus on the space midpoint between an object and you.  That's a bit of a challenge as well.

[C T]

Getting intimate with spaciousness, in the process gradually releasing all the subtle graspings at those habitual guard rails that are thought to be essential, for some, even defending these to the death, is the practice of a true spiritual warrior on the long quest towards emancipation, and ultimately, enlightenment. 

[manitou]

Releasing all the subtle grasping at those habitual guard rails - how very imminent this is for me at this time.  All I've ever wanted is freedom.  My whole life.  Just freedom.  And the prisons we build are just humongous.  Right now I feel like I'm in a thick jungle with a machete. Nice to know there's a name for it - a spiritual warrior.  Sounds so much like don Juan Mateus talking to Castaneda.

[doc benway]

When I received transmission for dream practices, I had a very powerful vision (a rare event for me).

It was a bit complex but at one point I felt and saw myself being outfitted in armor and with a weapon as a dream warrior. 

There is no greater battle than that with our ignorance.