~jK~

well its not finished, there are 13 chapters, so 6 are missing

 

I can already spot some major differences. for example:

 

Akrishi: When a mortal takes shelter in an embryo, the primordial spirit resides in the square inch (in between the eyebrows), and the discerning spirit resides in the lower heart. The lower heart of blood and flesh, is of shape like a big peach, with the lungs to cover and shelter it, the liver to assist it, and the intestines to bear it.

 

Cleary's translation is simply: This is possible only by seeing essence. This is what is called the original face.

 

another example:

 

Akrishi: This ever and again reverting light can still be practised when having no mental image, moreover there is the reverting light when really showing mental image.

 

Cleary: If you can look back again and again into the source of mind, whatever you are doing, not sticking to any image of person or self at all, then this is "turning the light around wherever you are" This is the finest practice.

In the first example, Akrishi adds a lot of detail.. where's this guy get all that extra information? he probably added all that detail because he 'thinks' he knows what the original author meant, but Cleary translated the text in the specific Chan/ early Taoist context that it was written in. I trust Cleary's translation, he knew what he was doing, and he has notes in the back of the book for each sentence explaining what is meant. the second example is much more clear in Cleary's (clear Cleary ha!) translation. Cleary writes his translation as an actual method that is meant to be understood, not just a rough translation via Babelfish. Just my opinion.

 

 

Each translator has their own perspective - although the 2nd, 3rd etc has the added advantage of seeing the others work. And the obligation not to copy...

 

The original being the best as translated by Wilhelm. but Cleary's 3rd dimension comes next etc - etc...

 

Cleary's best work is with the I Ching series where, to the best of my knowledge, he is the original translator.

THE BUDDHIST I CHING, THE TAOIST I CHING and The I Ching of organization (Confucianism)

 

Akrishi sounds Japanese - no Chinese would take a Japanese name.

Breath is always important... in one way or another. It's always quite key.

 

I Agree - the 3 constants are the mind, body and breath.

The Symbols are 2 tigers on a leash held by a dragon.

The variables are how to use them to make the elixir.

Methinks that first they must be fine tuned.

Pure vegan food, pure water, pure mind.

 

Timing is the missing element.

Patience, a tradition,

Is expected.

 

Is Drawn

by suspending

2 swords over a beating heart.

 

http://www.orientaloutpost.com/shufa.php?q=patience

 

Chinese joke of how foreigners try to meditate with the bio-Chemistry of a death experience (AKA: Adrenalin) circulating in their body from the beefsteak they just ate.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

A small Gift: A perpetual Chinese Calendar - it goes from 1900 to 2060.

Take a little time to explore the website before you download - it will make it easier - especially as he gives 2 versions: one is for computers that cannot write in Chinese & the other one is for computers that can.

 

http://www.lunarcal.org/SiteMap.html

 

It is easily programable to your location ... If any problem, e-mail me.

 

It was first developed in 2637 BC.

I find it very handy for many things such as:

I Allways go out girl hunting betwen the 15th (full moon) and the 22... it never misses with the misses

 

If you study this just a little - you will find a key to the study of Tao in the timing of the universe.

Chinese medicine is based on this, life cycles (5 X 12 = 60) is based on it - as well as the seasonal comparisons.

Spring is a time for beginning

Summer is developing fire.

Fall compared to harvest.

Winter is death.

Dong Zhi (translates to Eastern Child coming) is Winter Soltice AKA: Christmas.

It seems complicated but that is just because it is new.

All Chinese holidays etc revolve around this calendar.

I've used this program for about 10 years, on many types of computers, with no problem.

"The Chinese calendar comprises 60-year cycles called the Sexagenary Cycle. Each year of the cycle is given a name and is made up of two parts - the Celestial Stem and the Earthly Branch. There are 10 Celestial Stems and 12 Earthly Branches:-"

 

By the way, I am an OX. http://www.squidoo.com/2009YearOfTheOx

I got that book, but I don't understand it. What does it mean when it say that you can fly into heaven. And about making rock sentient beings. I understand the results of the techniques, but I don't understand the techniques themselves.

 

 

Jade02,

Please send me the page numbers so that I don't need to read the book to find a few words. I'll try to give you the translation key - which is based on comparison.

Thanks.

~jK~

Vajrahridaya,

 

As it seems you like to fiddle with Tibetian Buddhism - I am wondering if you've seen any of "The Secret of the Golden Flower" material in Tibetian Buddhism ?

 

From what I've read - China sent a wife for the leader of Tibet, in the 13th century, to try to calm the feudal styled nation down. Supposedly she carried a book on Buddhism.

~

A bit over 20 years ago, when I began my formal education into meditation, I practiced the Savasana during which I began to have Out of Body Experiences (OBE or Astral Projections) It doesn't take much of a leap to see the purpose of OBE's to be in choosing the next life.

Also - The drawings within "The Secret of the Golden Flower" point to this possibility... To be honest, it fits within the Tibetian style of reincarnation like a glove.

If happiness alone was the path to liberation from unconscious rebirth, then the gods would all be liberated as they live in bliss 24/7 without insight into the nature of their bliss, it's causes and conditions.

 

All these experiences arise dependent upon a cause, even non-conceptual experiences. The Buddha taught that vipassana was absolutely necessary. Not taking away from your joy of meditation, I experience that joy as well. It's wonderful and decreases bad habit energy because one becomes inwardly satisfied.

 

If he thought that alone was the path to realization, then he wouldn't have taught the 8 fold noble path.

 

One needs both meditation and insight which don't necessarily happen at the same time.

If you can't see complexity and simplicity simultaneously. Then you haven't even truly seen simplicity as simplicity is. They are not different... the complex is simple. The Simple is the true quality of the complex.

 

Guru Rinpoche means precious teacher. But in this case is referring to Padmasambhava. Who brought Vajrayana to Tibet in the 900's. Siddhi's are super natural powers, and a Buddha has them all, including the power of liberation. this is called great bliss. His teachings dispel all obstacles, both inner and outer, as in psychological and physical. Mara is a representation of the state of delusion, or attachment and craving. The Buddha vowed to influence beings eternally, so we ask that he influence us and grant us guidance as blessing. Secret obstacles are ones that we are not aware of but are there none-the-less. The Mahayana intention is that one attains enlightenment for the sake of all beings.

 

It's not complicated at all really. It's not for me at least.

 

I don't feel that the Buddha taught that enlightenment was a state of no thought, or a state of bliss. Bliss is a side effect and a quality of liberation, but is not liberation itself. Insight is, or prajna. Thought or no-thought, it's all the same and equally empty of inherent existence. It's all relative.

 

 

Of course it is not complicated for you. As you define - you create more complications untill it is a forrest unending - which - infinity cannot have a path to escape. To begin understanding - one must rise above the trees.

 

On the point of Enlightenment - in Chinese: Mein Bak: means understanding. Literal translation: I see the sun and moon as white. or I see the sun and moon clearly. Sun & moon are the symbols of Yin & Yang which is the symbol for Tao. Tao in Chinese means path/road/way.

The word god is substituted for nature as in: The God of Gravity - or - The Nature of gravity.

Once loosing the concept of god - seeing nature becomes the Way of the Tao .

No, he taught that absorption alone does not work. One needs Vipassana which utilizes the teaching of dependent origination which integrates the realization of emptiness with every aspect of one's life. Of course, for the Buddha, every moment of life was beyond meditation and non-meditation. Every moment was meditation on transcendent realization. But, if sitting alone could bring complete realization, than we'd all just sit. This alone is not the path though.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

 

Wow - so many extremes of prescriptions for prescriptions.

Is Definitive Complicated or is Complicated Definitive?

Whatever - do what works for you.

The Buddha meditated 7 years.

 

To be honest, I'm as happy as a fat hog in warm mud on a cold day with what meditation has done for me.

The belief system is good for playing with hypothesis - but science is based on the experiences of reality.

 

Speaking of complicated belief systems...

What is this that you posted:

 

"Guru Rinpoche, Buddha of the three times,

Lord of all siddhis who is the one of great bliss,

Dispeller of all obstacles, wrathful tamer of Mara (delusion),

We supplicate you; please grant your blessings.

Grant your blessings that outer, inner

and secret obstacles be pacified"

And that our intentions be spontaneously accomplished.""

 

The Buddha said: "Meditate and all else will come to you" ... It seems to have worked for him... But what other secrets?

 

Cleary, Wilhelm & the rest are all good translators - but they are only translators - largely saying the same.

 

The one sentence: "Meditate and all else will come to you" will give you the understanding you need.

 

Before a farmer plants his field, he emptys it for the new growth to be a little more obvious as well as to give it a chance.

 

What I have discovered is that - all that is - is obvious. IF I can slow down long enough to see it.

 

Here is one of my favorite toys:

 

Archetecture says:

"Form follows Function."

But what does this have to do ~

with the price of big monkey poo in a zoo?

What do most buddhist 'monistaries' have in common?

And another:

To see the truth - you cannot follow all the rest And you must read & understand the above.

 

Why the shroud of hidden secrets?

Actually it is not the Davinci Code.

Although - it is a Lot of fun when,

that Chinese guy jumps out and-

shouts: SUPLIZE !

 

 

But if you prefer the other route:

The Jade Emperor Heart Seal Sutra

The three articles for the elixir, are spirit, prana and essence.

 

(~..~)

Magitek,

 

Every goal you are given is not yours since we are all interdependent. There is no such thing as creativity or originality because there is no way to actually create something that was not influenced by others. Interconnection.

 

the loftier goals I speak of are the goals of pre-alchemical Taoism. read Laozi and Chuanzi and then read Cleary's translation of Golden Flower, it's very much in line with original Taoism before people started worrying about converting energies.

 

If you just want to be healthy and live a good life, then yes JJ's writings are great for you. But some people gain a deeper awareness of how the mind works, and see that being healthy and living life just isn't enough, why? because you would still be stuck in dualism and will suffer. If you don't think you suffer, or don't yearn for deeper realization of the subtle truths of life and don't want to experience something beyond this wretched material existence, then yes these loftier goals are not for you.

 

The Buddha said: "Meditate and all else will come to you" ... It seems to have worked for him... But what other secrets?

Hi - I found this Great website of the Chinese classics that led me here...

It was at Akrishi's Yahoo Geocities website - http://hk.geocities.com/akrishi0/index.htm

 

The bad news is that Yahoo is closing all Geocities websites very - very soon and if he does not have a copy - then he is going to loose a lot of work.

 

A better news is that I have some of the work that he has translated - by other authors - that I have studied and practiced for some years - namely "The Jade Emperor's Mind Seal Classic." He has it as "The Jade Emperor Heart Seal Sutra " but the Chinese matches.

 

Good to find U guys here - by the way I am a Furrrrriner