adept

I will definitely give this a listen soon. Thanks for the link.

What about the 'Five Tibetans' or, as they are also known 'The Five Rites of Rejuvenation' ? http://www.mkprojects.com/pf_TibetanRites.htm

http://zennist.typepad.com/files/lachszen_2012_02_11.docx.pdf Interesting article on hua-tou.

TOTALITY Those who consider their path superior are condescending. A parrot who speaks of the totality of the self is absurd. Many paths lead to the summit, But it takes a whole body to get there. Once I met a woman who was a lifelong Christian. She had two sons who practiced yoga. She thought that was wonderful, but they arrogantly considered their beliefs to be superior to hers and told her that she was not doing enough for her spiritual salvation. No one has a right to condemn another person's spiritual beliefs. No spiritual system is superior to another. Each one of us should have the philosophy and practices that work for us. We should be happy once we find it, we should help those who are interested in the spirituality we represent, but none of us should behave condescendingly toward others' spirituality. We are all trying to get to the summit of spiritual realization, and there are many valid paths leading to the top. Of course, the view and terrain on one side of a mountain will differ from the other, but the summit is identical no matter what your approach. Whatever your path, all that matters is that you commit yourself totally to following it. Others will do the same. As long as we all climb, each from our own direction, and reach the summit of human spirituality, we can achieve complete totality in our lives. Then all the fracturing discussions of sects and different religions become unnecessary.

Do I really need to ? Ok then.... Observe nature. The way things live and breathe. The way people behave and interact with each other in different circumstances. Observe movement and stillness. Watch carefully how the clouds move. Look to the heavens on a clear night. Listen to the sound of your breath. Feel your energy coursing around your body. The constant ebb and flow of thoughts and images in your mind. Go for a long walk alone in the countryside, beach or park. Take a long deep breath of fresh air. Listen to birdsong. Smell the trees. Savour every mouthful of food and drink. Engage your senses. Observe the Dao.

Everything starts with observing the Dao.

Thank you taoiseasy, that is an awesome post.

It's true that a handful of 'families' run the entire world. From the banks to the media, world politics and food production. Everything is controlled via them. Wars are created by pitting one religion or belief system against another. They are trying to turn the population of the world into brainwashed sheeple. By acknowledging this fact, you are well on the way to freeing yourself. Their agenda is for them to tell us what to buy, wear, read, eat etc etc... by bombarding us with constant advertising of their endorsed products. By poisoning our food and water supply. Creating global financial meltdowns. To keep the population at a set level by creating wars. David Icke has done some brilliant work on exposing this and making the information available.

Good topic ! I, like many others, started out with focussing on the dantian. I tried visualizations, and more recently the mechanism of breathing, which led me to a void-like state. Since reading more of Northern Complete Reality, Ch'an and Zen, I've took the no-mind approach to meditation and to everyday life situations when I'm not meditating. I've found zazen refreshing in that I 'just sit', without any goals or attainment levels. I'm not looking for any state or to achieve any level of wisdom. I get there instantly. The same with everyday activities such as work, playing with the kids, shopping, video games etc etc... Allowing things to be as they are, as they are happening is the most joyous by-product of the practice of no-practice. Those Buddhist lists are so confusing and unnecessary for me.

I did warn you all......

http://www.amazon.co...56646925&sr=1-1 For anyone with an interest in nondual objectless meditation, from any tradition, this book is awesome. Dogen based his 'just sitting' shikantaza from the teachings of Ch'an master Hongzhi Zhengjue who belonged to the Caodong lineage. Soto zen has it's roots firmly in this. This book deals with the practical instructions for anyone wishing to 'reveal their true nature'. The book is split into paragraphs of wisdom. Depending on the practitioner's level of insight, some of these may prove difficult while others are beautifully simple. For such a thin text, this book has more wisdom in it than many other voluminous works. I would recommend this to anyone walking the path, whether Daoist or Buddhist, it really doesn't matter. Traditions and sects are transcended and all that remains is your 'original face'. These practices are equally applied either sitting zazen, or going about everyday activities. 'This marvel cannot be measured with consciousness or emotion. On the journey accept your function, in your house please sustain it. Comprehending birth and death, leaving causes and conditions, genuinely realize that from the outset your spirit is not halted. So we have been told that the mind that embraces all the ten directions does not stop anywhere.' 'Like clouds finally raining, like moonlight following the current, like orchids growing in shade, like spring arising in everything, people of the Way act without mind, they respond with certainty.'

Sometimes the sudden breakthrough comes after long years of practice, other times people just 'get it' at a phrase, a sound, a text, reading poetry, washing the dishes, making tea, picking the kids up from school etc etc... Sudden breakthroughs always require more work to cement the realization though. Effort is always required.

By the way Michael, manitou is a woman.

Fixed for you.

So many similarities between the traditions. You could also add nondual objectless contemplation/meditation from the Ch'an and Zen traditions also. Such as Hongzhi Zhengjue and his silent illumination teaching, or Dogen's similar shikantaza.

So many lists ! How confusing. Would it not be better than instead of all those lists of stages of progression and whatnot, just to 'turn around the light' and experience our true nature, here and now ?

I miss Vaj.

Probably a waste of time trying to define the undefinable ? Words fail. This question has been asked thousands of times before and turns into a quasi-intellectual ego-fest. Best to leave some questions unanswered.

Once you get some serious qigong mileage under your belt, the tongue naturally rests there, and then stays there at all times.

The mind of a Bodhisattva is laid out in extremely explicit detail in the Flower Ornament Sutra (Avatamsaka). That is, if you can devote the rest of your life to it's study and practices.

Here's a mega-spoiler - It has no fixed location.

Sorry for the wrong use of the word. Yes, you're right. I don't mean not real, but not physically real.

Has anybody, upon medical examination, been told that they have an enlarged chakra ? These concepts, which I agree are useful and are practiced in different cultures around the world, are nevertheless products of the mind and as a result are 'imaginary'. They don't physically exist, just like the meridians in qi work and internal medicine.

Greetings. In my meditations over the years, I've had glimpses of the void, or what you could also call the great stillness, peace, bliss, no-thingness or whatever. Just little bits here and there. But recently, EVERY time I meditate, I fall into a wonderful state which lasts for quite a while. Some of the sensations/feelings : I can't feel my body at all. It feels as if I'm just a floating consciousness. I can't detect any breathing. I can't feel a pulse/heartbeat. I don't even know that I have a body or a mind. Extreme peace, serenity, calmness and bliss. I have tried various types of meditations but the one I've come back to and stuck with has been awareness of my breathing. Not focussing on a particular point like the dantian or the third eye or the nose, but just on the mechanism of breathing, as a whole. Is it that the simplest meditations, when pursued and practiced diligently and regularly, have the greatest benefit ?

''the Nembutsu should not be said for personal gain such as prior to pulling the handle of a slot machine.'' - Jodo Shinshu's Bishop Ogui