forestofclarity

Thoughts? Most teachers I've dealt with start out with Wuji.

As I suspected, Mark Cohen states a higher stance for healing, lower stance for martial power.

I don't think most people agree on what the Golden Elixir is-- at least, as far as I've been exposed. Do you have a definition you use?

Welcome!

Resources related to Theravada and Early Buddhist Texts. Feel free to recommend your own resources to be added. The resources here are made by members in their individual capacity and is not an endorsement by TheDaoBums. Krenx: Great resource by the late Dhamavuddho. Dhamma talks as well as verbal readings and comments of the entire 5 Nikayas suttas. Audio & Video Dhamma Talks https://share.google/z9ggFGXF5arrWTuqV Mark Foote: I would recommend the Pali Text Society translations of the Nikayas (the sermons). They can be found online, though not by the Pali Text Society. Folks can PM me if they can't find the link. There are also translations by modern, Western Theravadin monks, for example on the suttacentral.org site: https://suttacentral.net/pitaka/sutta?lang=en I have collected the best of my writing, here: A Natural Mindfulness That's also the first eighteen pages of my website, here: The Mudra of Zen

Resources related to Mahayana and Zen Buddhism. Feel free to recommend your own resources to be added. The resources here are made by members in their individual capacity and is not an endorsement by TheDaoBums. bradley: The Diamond Sutra was the first thing Buddhist I ever read (maybe six or seven years ago), and it instantly changed my perspective on everything. Also, I think I have read that Hui neng was, and continues to be, somewhat controversial... Link I also learned a lot reading through the prajñā­pāramitā sutras. Here is a translation of the 10,000 line one that I liked: https://84000.co/translation/toh11 Finally, one sutra that I continually go back to, and think about a lot, is a short Heap of Jewels sutra: https://84000.co/translation/toh118 The following interchange has stuck in my mind:

So is this a technique you made up?

According to who?

Yes-- there are similar experiences that can occur in Christian, Buddhist, and Shavite contexts. Probably more. Swami Tadatmananda looked at traditional sources: Transcript: https://advaitaprakarana.com/swami-tadatmananda-kundalini-yoga/

I can give you a list of questions people have asked here in the past: What is kundalini? Should I raise it? How do I raise it? What is the most effective method to raise it? What are the dangers? Can I do this on my own without a teacher? How does one find a teacher? What are the benefits? Are there are dangers or drawbacks? I had an experience, is this kundalini or not? I heard that person X raised their kundalini and suffered mental illness, what is this all about?

Like this thread, but open to all traditions. Self Liberation Through Seeing with Naked Awareness, trans John Myrdhin Reynolds As for this sparkling awareness, which is called "mind," Even though one says that it exists, it does not actually exist. (On the other hand) as a source, it is the origin of the diversity of all the bliss of Nirvana and all of the sorrow of Samsara. And as for it’s being something desirable; it is cherished alike in the Eleven Vehicles. With respect to its having a name, the various names that are applied to it are inconceivable (in their numbers). Some call it "the nature of the mind" or "mind itself." Some Tirthikas call it by the name Atman or "the Self." The Sravakas call it the doctrine of Anatman or "the absence of a self." The Chittamatrins call it by the name Chitta or "the Mind." Some call it the Prajnaparamita or "the Perfection of Wisdom." Some call it the name Tathagata-garbha or "the embryo of Buddhahood." Some call it by the name Mahamudra or "the Great Symbol." Some call it by the name "the Unique Sphere." Some call it by the name Dharmadhatu or "the dimension of Reality." Some call it by the name Alaya or "the basis of everything." And some simply call it by the name "ordinary awareness."

Yoga Vasitha, 1:18, trans Swami Jyotirmayananda

Resources related to Mahamudra and Dzogchen. Feel free to recommend your own resources to be added. The resources here are made by members in their individual capacity and is not an endorsement by TheDaoBums. ForestofClarity: Dzogchen and Mahamudra is best learned in person from a teacher of a lineage. Here are some lineaged teachers I have found valuable. Feel free to share others. Mingyur Rinpoche holds lineages in both Mahamudra and Dzogchen, generally teaching Mahamudra first. He makes everything simple and easy. https://vajrayana.tergar.org Tsoknyi Rinpoche is a very precise, down to earth teacher. Pointing out must be taken live. Familiar with Mahamudra, but mostly teaches Dzogchen. https://tsoknyirinpoche.org Lama Lena is traditionally trained, but very modern. Very popular. Mostly Dzogchen. https://lamalenateachings.com/start-here/ James Low teaches from a more modern, psychological angle and is based in Europe. Dzogchen. https://simplybeing.co.uk I haven't met Tenzin Wangyal, but he has a good reputation. Bon presentation: https://ligmincha.org/tenzin-wangyal-rinpoche/ Books (if you must): http://www.rangjung.com Dzogchen: it is usually best not the read about Dzogchen, but very commonly recommended: Crystal and the Way of Light Mahamudra: Anything by Khenchen Thrangu Rinpoche Clarifying the Natural State: a classic practical guide to Mahamudra Crystal Clear: commentary by KTR Anything by Khenpo Tsultrim Gyamtso Rinpoche Progressive Stages of Meditation on Emptiness Anything by the Khenpo Rinpoches: https://www.padmasambhava.org/category/books-by-the-khenpo-rinpoches idiot_stimpy: Lama Dawai Gocha, a Nyingma Dzogchen Yogi from New Mexico USA.Host free online Dzogchen sessions twice daily. Link to online sessions - https://www.meditationonline.org/https://www.youtube.com/@JoinMeditationOnline

Resources related to Buddhist/Bon Dream Yoga. Feel free to recommend your own resources to be added. The resources here are made by members in their individual capacity and is not an endorsement by TheDaoBums. Damdao: This one is from the perspective of Tibetan medicine and has a concise practice of dream yoga and dream analysis. The Tibetan Art of Dream Analysis by Dr. Nida ForestofClarity: Dream yoga is one of the most compelling practices I have come across. Andrew Holocek teaches a mix of modern and traditional styles, a syncretic teachers with a traditional Mahamudra background. https://nightclubcommunity.com Dream Yoga: if you only want one dream yoga book, this is it Dreams of Light: daytime illusory body practice Tenzin Wangyal is a well respected Bon resource. https://www.glidewing.com/twr/dreamyoga_home.html Tibetan Yogas of Dream and Sleep: a traditional presentation Lama Lena is always pragmatic and down to earth. https://lamalenateachings.com/dream-yoga-3-part-series/ B. Alan Wallace's course is a fairly comprehensive overview of Dudjom Lingpa style with a focus on strong shamatha (some say too strong). https://meridian-trust.org/video/333-dreaming-of-reality_d1s1_pm003517a/#:~:text=During this retreat organised by,nighttime practices of dream yoga. Dreaming Yourself Awake Lala Nila: Has had success with: ttps://www.goodreads.com/book/show/316781.Exploring_the_World_of_Lucid_Dreaming

I have similar sleep issues. The methods I use are a combination of dream recall, daytime illusory body and reality checks, and mnemonic and dream induced lucid dreaming. So the first thing is to work on dream recall, by thinking about it first thing and/or using a dream diary. The second thing is to implant the suggestion as you are falling asleep. The third thing is doing "reality checks" through the day to test whether you are dreaming. A few common examples is jumping, looking at the hands; reading something, looking away, and rereading it; switching lights on and off; blinking too long; asking where you were before, etc. Finally, we should have a lot of confidence that it happen if possible, and refrain from dwelling on the negatives. Eventually, this will culminate in doing a reality check while you are dreaming. This is the basic pattern set out in the resources. Doing these things without any lucid dreams is also very helpful IME. It gets more difficult when the dreamlike nature of the waking state is more revealed, and the mind creates more solidified dream states. For instance, I used to use the reading one, but now I can read in my dreams.

I am not. If I work full bore, I may have 1-2 per month. Another way to work with it is to lay in bed and drift in and out of sleep during the liminal phase. It won't necessarily be a lucid dream, but seeing different states of waking, sleeping and dreaming arising and passing is very helpful as well.

Usually, confronting dream characters shuts the dream down or takes it off script. However, one time, I encountered some one who claimed I was a character in their dream. I told them no, they were a creation of MY dream. I demonstrated this by flying around. They then flew around also, and we both started to manipulate the dream. Who's to say? A lot of the dream world, like life generally, reacts according to beliefs and expectations. There ARE certain dreams that have a very unique flavor, what my old teacher would call a dream of clarity. In these dreams, it certainly feels like there are divine beings and divine realms. Stephen LaBerge's techniques have been incorporated into Dream Yoga. Nearly every modern dream yoga teacher teaches them because they are so effective. A lot of people like Michael Raduga, but I lost all interest once it came to light that he drilled a hole in his head to implant a "dream chip": https://www.newsweek.com/russian-implants-chip-brain-control-dreams-hospital-1814256

I'll link the article. A good thing to work with non-conceptually. Another part of the same excerpt: https://www.lionsroar.com/dzogchen-mahamudra-two-great-paths/

Have you tried reaching out and explaining your situation? Michael Lomax used to post here and always struck me as a compassionate, reasonable person.

According to Dzogchen instructions, there are three points to remember. First, track down the dualistic mind or normal attention. Second, discover the mind’s secret identity, what dualistic mind has hidden away. Third, reveal its vanishing point. To track down means to investigate how the attentive quality of dualistic mind behaves, where it comes from, where it is right now, and where it goes. The second point, discovering mind’s secret identity, is actually finding out what mind is, namely, a seeming presence—there is no thing there. It is just some behavior that is mistaken for being a real thing while actually there is no thing there whatsoever. It is only when we investigate that we discover that this attentive quality is not a thing, that it has fooled us. It is called a nonexistent or seeming presence. The last point—revealing the vanishing point of dualistic mind—refers to the fact that the moment you look for this attentive quality and what it is made of, you discover that there is no actual thing. It simply vanishes every time you look. This is the Dzogchen approach: finding out what dualistic mind really is. --- Adeu Rinpoche, from Freedom in Bondage

I think some of the tech billionaires think AI is going to save the world. Either way, I guess we're about to find out.

Over my lifetime, there have been endless predictions about the imminent end of the world. I know someone who brags about having studied the end times for 30+ years now. What is certain is the end of this body-mind's life. It seems more fruitful to prepare for this as it is certain to happen (excepting the Daoist Immortals to be).

Mod note: TDB is not a substitute for medical/psychiatric treatment. Thread locked.

Mod note: It is now--- it was previously in the Buddhism section. I would concur with the Bums--- this may require professional help. Locking the thread.

Mod Note: not sure what this has to do with Buddhism.