idiot_stimpy

Mr. Miyagi, one should have the ability to unlearn something too.

We should feel sorry for them that they had made poor life decisions that led to poor outcomes. It can be relative, as parents may think their children are toxic, but in turn their children may consider their parents toxic. It becomes an entangled mess. Ancestor worship can be seen as an acknowledgement of ancestors who without them, the bloodline would not exist. Also some believe as ancestors die they become spiritual protectors over the remaining family, with some even reincarnating back into the same family. These moral laws were written by living humans. The spiritual search moves beyond rigid doctrines into an unlimited space where everything falls away.

Considering you are drawn to Hinduism, Buddhism, and Daoism, this is a good start. Depending on where you live, maybe there are no schools or organisations near you to visit. This shouldn't stop you from engaging in personal practice though, unless you are waiting on specific instructions on how to carry out said practice. At this time, esoteric practices from Buddhism may be more widely accessible. Unfortunately most come with cultural trappings, from the culture they are more centered in. It is helpful to use our discriminating mind to separate that which is from the culture and the pure esoteric truths that it has merged with. We don't need this cultural baggage, in order to place a foot forward on the path to freedom. I wish you well.

Have you considered speaking with a professional psychologist to explore your past life experiences with? Maybe even a close trusted friend? A religious teacher might be good at teaching their religion but I'm not sure that is what you're looking for.

Wouldn't it be nice if all followers of the worlds religions realized what you have discovered. All worshiping the same, just in a different way. The light of being will be and always has been that which cannot be described or put into words.

Because its sometimes better to die in truth than live a lie.

If there should be no more right wing bullshit, then it stands to reason there should be no more left wing bullshit. Maybe we should just drop the bullshit and not have to worry about the left or right and become unbalanced in doing so?

Is Shamballa a literal place or something that is inside us all?

Very interesting and to think we are talking about someone who was walking the earth up to 2,500 years ago!

When you look at Indian Buddhism that traveled to Tibet, maybe it took on a Bon flavor too.

Would anyone like to give their own interpretation on the attached? what is supernatural aid and threshold guardians? The mentor and the helper?

Thank you for sharing.

Nothing is given for free. But the ever present being is not given or taken, therefore cannot be bought or sold.

Suffering so deep it cuts you to the bone. When one suffers so terribly, then they start asking questions. What is real an unreal. Sometimes suffering can be a blessing as it sets us free.

There are many very interesting things to learn about in esoteric Christianity. Would welcome to hear about any meditative practices you practice.

Do you want to discuss the Christian faith, or preach the Christian faith?

Why don't you message him. He might return.

From a non-dual standpoint, emotions cannot be separate from the one pervading reality that is currently effortlessly being right now. I love the Dzogchen path, and although I cannot speak on its behalf, I love how all things great and small, that present itself are already primordially pure, thus nothing needs to be done.

The view 1. Six questions regarding the view Next comes the section concerning the view. gNubs-chen introduces this section by asking six questions, which he answers one after another. Since this has already been dealt with by Karmay, our presentation will be very brief. Suffice it to say that the six questions allow our author to clarify the view according to the Great Completeness, by answering certain misconceptions or objections that could be raised. One should note that all these questions revolve around the epistemological problem of how to know absolute meaningfulness (don), since the tradition of the Great Completeness as it is taught by gNubs-chen Sangs-rgyas ye-shes is uncompromising in its insistence that absolute meaningfulness is beyond examination and scrutiny. Let us now turn to these six questions: 1. The first question is introduced by way of a citation from the Srog-gi ’khor-lo, to the effect that if the three realms are examined, there is neither cyclic existence nor transcendence.16 The question, then, is whether this quote does not imply that even here, in the Great Completeness, there is something to be evaluated (Skt. prameya)? gNubs-chen answers the following: […] The term “if one examines” is different [in meaning] and does not refer to evaluation. One is struck by intrinsic awareness, neither thinking nor examining nor scrutinizing: this is the upright path and is maintained to be the supernal evaluation. 2. Can the mind be liberated without examining or scrutinizing anything? gNubs-chen’s reply is as follows: The absence of any liberating action is itself liberation. If it be asked why this is, it is because, transcending examination and scrutiny, one is without imaging any fetters. As a mere designation one speaks of ‘liberation’. 3. How should absolute meaningfulness (don) be indicated? After replying with quotations from the sPyi-bcings and Mañjuśrīmitra’s Sems-bsgom, gNubs-chen Sangs-rgyas ye-shes writes: […] If one shows a clod [of earth] to someone desiring to view gold, he shall not see it; but if he is shown gold, he will recognize it. Likewise, the absolute meaningfulness which is without scrutiny and which liberates from speaking and thinking is not found through the inference of searching and scrutinizing. Being without action and effort, when it is understood as it is revealed, that is the supreme valid measure of actual perception. In effect, gNubs-chen is saying that searching and scrutinizing are like a clod of earth and are quite distinct from the gold of absolute meaningfulness, which itself is beyond all forms of evaluation, but must be known through actual perception (Skt. pratyakṣa). 4. If these [previously exposed methods] are confused, how is the unmistaken meaning? The answer given is: Primordially, it is without the designation of non-duality. Through this state, one is already free from searching, yet there is no exaggeration in terms of being free from searching. Originally, there is no name of spontaneous presence, and the primordial Great Completeness is free from the intellectual label of Great Completeness. Originally, self-originated wisdom is without the labelling as self-originated wisdom. Primordially, in the great seminal nucleus, one does not label ‘a great seminal nucleus’. 5. Now for the fifth question along with its answer: “In any case, absence of strain is said to be a great purpose. Yet how is one to see the truth of the genuine meaning through the means of not examining anything at all?” It is replied that all phenomena are without the duality of self and other and without the duality of the knowable and the knower. Therefore, ‘seeing’ is merely a metaphor for not seeing anything and not viewing anything. Certainly, there is nothing at all to see aside from this. 6. The final question concerns the intent of the vehicle of non-action, i.e. the Great Completeness. gNubs-chen Sangs-rgyas ye-shes’ answer is unequivocal: The mother who generates all the Victorious Ones is the antidote to all effortful activities. Whatever means and paths one accomplishes, if this is not realized, there is no awakening. He goes on to explain that all the way up to Anuyoga, the meaning of equality is not seen. This is because the lower vehicles all engage in effortful action; this state of affairs is comparable to the waves on the ocean’s surface covering the ocean’s limpidity – it is only when the waves subside and the ocean recovers its inherent limpidity that the reflections appear therein without one having to search for them. Hence, Atiyoga is unique in that one proceeds through non-action and that awakening (called ‘the root Buddha’) appears without searching.

THE FINAL WORDS OF PADMASAMBHAVA Homage to the master.Lady Tsogyal of Kharchen served the nirmanakaya Orgyen Padmakara from her eighth year, accompanying him like a shadow follows a body. When the master was about to leave Tibet for the land of the rakshas, I, Lady Kharchen, having offered a mandala of gold and turquoise and having arranged a tantric feast, a wheel of gathering, implored: Great master! You are leaving to tame the rakshas. I am left behind here in Tibet. Although I have served you for a long time, master, this old woman has no confidence about the time of death. So I beseech you to kindly give me an instruction condensing all teachings into one, which is concise and easy to practice. The great master replied: Devoted one with a faithful and virtuous mind, listen to me. Although there are many profound key points of body, rest free and relaxed as you feel comfortable. Everything is included in simply that. Although there are many key points of speech such as breath control and mantra recitation, stop speaking and remain like a mute. Everything is included in simply that. Although there are many key points of mind such as concentrating, relaxing, projecting, dissolving and focusing inward, everything is included in simply letting it rest in its natural state, free and easy, without fabrication. But the mind doesn’t remain quietly in that state. You may wonder, is mind nothing? It still shimmers and flashes forth, like haze in the heat of the sun. You may wonder, is it something? It has no color or shape to identify it but is utterly empty and completely awake. That is the nature of your mind. Having recognized it as such, to become certain about it, that is the view. To remain undistracted in the state of stillness, without fabrication or fixation, that is the meditation. In that state, to be free from clinging or attachment, accepting or rejecting, hope or fear, towards any of the experiences of the six senses, that is the conduct. Whatever doubt or hesitation occurs, mentally call on your master for help. Don’t remain in places of ordinary people, practice in seclusion. Give up your clinging to whatever you are most attached to as well as to whomever you have the strongest bond with in this life, and practice. Like that, although your body remains in human form, your mind is equal to the buddhas. At the time of dying, you should practice as follows. When the earth element dissolves into water, the body becomes heavy and cannot support itself. When the water element dissolves into fire, the mouth and nose dry up. When the fire element dissolves into wind, body heat disappears. When the wind element dissolves into consciousness, you cannot but exhale with a rattle and inhale with a gasp. Next you feel as if being pressed down by a huge mountain, being trapped within darkness, or being dropped into the expanse of space. All these experiences are accompanied by thunderous and ringing sounds. The whole sky is vividly bright like an unfurled brocade. Now within a dome of rainbow lights the natural forms of your mind, the peaceful, wrathful, semi-wrathful deities and the ones with various heads begin to fill the sky. Some brandish weapons and utter “Beat! beat!” “Kill! kill!” “Hung! Hung!” “Phat! Phat!” and other fierce sounds. There is light like a hundred thousand suns shining at once. At this time, your innate deity will remind you of awareness saying, Don’t be distracted! Don’t be distracted! Your innate demon will disturb all your experiences, make them collapse and utter sharp and fierce sounds and confuse you. At this point, know this: The feeling of being pressed down is not that of being pressed by a mountain. It is your own elements dissolving. Don’t be afraid of that! The feeling of being trapped within darkness is not a darkness. It is your five sense faculties dissolving. The feeling of being dropped into the expanse of space is not being dropped. It is your mind without support because your body and mind have separated and your breathing has stopped. All the experiences of rainbow lights are the natural manifestations of your mind. The peaceful and wrathful forms are the natural forms of your mind. All sounds are your own sounds. All lights are your own lights. Have no doubt about that. If you do feel doubt, it throws you back into samsara. Resolve all this to be self-display, and when you then remain wide awake in luminous emptiness, simply in that you will attain the three kayas and awaken to enlightenment. Even if someone then cast you into samsara, you won’t go there. The innate deity means undistracted presence of mind which right now arrests your thinking. From this moment, the most important point is rid this mind of hope and fear, clinging and fixation, toward the objects of your six sense faculties as well as to fascination, joy and sadness. If you already now become stable in this, you will be able to reassume your natural state in the bardo and awaken to enlightenment. The most vital point is therefore to sustain your practice undistractedly from this very moment. The innate demon is your present tendency for ignorance, your doubt and hesitation. Whatever frightful phenomena appear at that time, such as sounds, colors and lights, don’t be fascinated, don’t doubt and don’t be afraid. Falling into doubt for even a moment, will cause you to wander into samsara, so gain complete stability. Next you may experience the entrances to a womb in the form of celestial palaces. Don’t be attracted to them. Be certain of that! Be free from hope and fear! I swear there is no doubt that you will then become enlightened without taking further rebirths. When this happens, it is not that you are helped by a buddha, because your awareness is primordially enlightened. It is not that you can be harmed by a hell, because fixation is naturally cleared away, fear of samsara and hope for nirvana are cut from the root. Becoming enlightened can be compared to water cleared of sediments, gold cleansed of impurities or the sky cleared of clouds. Having realized space-like dharmakaya for the benefit of oneself, you will accomplish the welfare of sentient beings as far as space pervades. Having attained sambhogakaya and nirmanakaya for the welfare of others, you will benefit sentient beings as far as your mind pervades phenomena. If this instruction is given three times to even a great sinner such as one who has killed his own father and mother, he will not fall into samsara even if thrown there. There is no doubt about becoming enlightened. Even if you have many other profound teachings, without an instruction like this, you remain far away from enlightenment. Since you don’t know where you may wander next, practice this with perseverance. You must give this instruction to recipients who have great faith, strong diligence and are intelligent, who always remember their teacher, who have confidence in the oral instructions, who exert themselves in the practice, who are stable-minded and able to give up concerns for this world. Give them this with the master’s seal of entrustment, the yidam’s seal of secrecy, and the dakini’s seal of entrustment. Although I, Padmakara, have followed many masters for one thousand eight hundred years, have requested instructions, received teachings, studied and taught, meditated and practiced, I have not found any teaching more profound than this. I am going to tame the rakshas. You should practice like this. Lady, you will become enlightened in the celestial realms. Therefore persevere in this instruction. Having spoken, the precious master mounted the rays of the sun and departed for the land of the rakshas. Following that, Lady Tsogyal attained liberation. She committed this teaching to writing and concealed it as a profound treasure. She made this aspiration: In the future, may it be given to Guru Dorje Lingpa. May it then benefit many beings. This completes the Sacred Refined Essence Instruction, the reply to questions on self-liberation at the moment of death and in the bardo. Samaya, seal, seal, seal. This text by the treasure revealer DORJE LINGPA was translated in accordance with the precious oral instructions of TULKU URGYEN RINPOCHE and his Dharma heir CHOKYI NYIMA RINPOCHE. by Erik Pema Kunsang and is included in "Dakini Teachings", Rangjung Yeshe Publications.

This is very powerful, although there is a danger that one might be identified still with the monkey mind and then proceed to think nothing needs to be done not understanding they are still in bondage.

My greatest fear is that of a heavy weight pushing against me and not being able to move. Whose mind can conquer these things at time of death and not be swept away and led back into samsara? If one panics one is already lost.

Yes The Tao Bums has its own Egregore.

Sorry this is not what you asked for, but have you considered trigger point therapy? Massage and finding the trigger points (extremely painful tender areas), is a great way to release built up tension in muscles.

All I will say is if you decide to be celibate, expect that it will deeply move energy within the unconscious mind. You better be prepared for the battle that confronts you as it could lead to excessive behaviors/emotions surfacing that are completely unexpected and can tip you off balance. Will you overcome these obstacles or be dragged down with them.