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Popping in to say Hi to a bunch of old timer Dao Bums. Also to give an update on some things I've been learning after a LONG time of self work. A lot of my growth I credit to assorted teachers I either follow online via Youtube such as Sadhguru Jaggi Vasudev and from assorted books such as Master Nan Huai-Chin and Bill Bodri. I think...(this is so amazing) I have a new appreciation of the power of chanting a Buddha or Hindu deity name and what it is doing on an energetic level. I began this practice after a particularly convincing, long essay on this practice by Master Nan Huai-Chin. I was blown away by his explanation of why this is THE premier method for many masters in the Kali Yuga age. Just to hammer it home Master Nan said this was his own method he eventually settled on for himself! After decades of so many other practices that he did...he finally reached such an incredible level he became aware of the power of this one practice and finally settled on it over anything else. Or as Sadhguru once quipped, "you can loot each other's loot bags" (ie. storehouse of prajna-wisdom and capabilities). Well that was enough to convince me to give it a try and WOW! At least in my instance, he wasn't kidding. I have had super fast progress using this method like no other. And it's because of Sadhguru I think I understand why this practice works so well. Sadhguru says that earth (and the cosmos) has had many stupendously high level Masters but the vast majority never have public teaching careers nor have lots of disciples. The karma that taking on the responsibility of public teaching and of lots of disciples is pretty far reaching. So most masters don't go this route. Nonetheless he says such beings don't leave the planet without wishing to contribute something for the betterment of humanity. They leave their contribution in the form of shakti. The karma is so much less by giving their teachings in this way as opposed to the way Sadhguru is doing it. Their names (and maybe other patterns such as sitting a certain way at a certain location) encode everything they themselves have learned and mastered and they leave it for people to discover (or chant if their name is known). By encountering their 'energy signature' you are downloading everything they themselves learned and mastered. And I do mean - *everything*. On a second front: I've encountered an early 20th century Dion Fortune book called The Cosmic Doctrine. I'm finally convinced Ms. Fortune had a higher Plane guru/guide because so much of that book aligns with things I've heard Sadhguru also give talks about. Cosmic Doctrine is a detailed Kriya Yoga/Nei Gong book! Yes it's talking about the shakti at a cosmos level but the laws that govern the cosmos are the same laws that occur inside us as Sadhguru is always saying. So when I started to read it I was like - Holy Moly! The West finally has it's own authentic contribution to human consciousness evolution alongside China, the Middle East and India! The Cosmic Doctrine is a gem that needs to be translated into other languages if it isn't already and be taught the world over imo. It's also in the public domain now and can be freely downloaded in pdf form. It's VERY detailed and you can read it quite successfully as a Nei Gong/Kriya Shakti book. I finally figured out the real Sri Yantra is best "built" inside the human body as is the Shiva Yantra or any other "yantra" depending on the results one is aiming for. Finally had that "aha" moment from understanding what The Cosmic Doctrine is teaching combined with several Sadhguru videos. I'm guessing it's easiest to get such operational yantras inside your own body by chanting a Buddha or Deity name that's associated with the benefits associated with those 2 yantras (or whichever other yantra appeals to you). And so much more. Just from chanting a name (or names)! It's the difference between driving at high speed on a constantly well-maintained highway vs. having to pave the road yourself before you can get anywhere. Here's a link that tells various names of various Buddhas of the past and what you can "download" just from chanting his/her name. Pick one that sounds appealing and give it a shot. My results have been so amazing from just this one practice. It sounds so corny but you download SO much! And the Cosmic Doctrine explains the mechanics of WHY and HOW that happens. p.s. The name I chant regularly is Bei-Shah-Jei Lapis Lazuli Medicine Buddha and according to Master Nan Huai-Chin he works at the alaya level (8th consciousness) of karmic greed - ie. transforms it into incredible generosity. He also increases one's affinity to good health and healing. You'll also have much more beautiful, healthful bodies upon rebirth from chanting his name. I started receiving noticeable changes on the Second DAY! For me at least name chanting is a fabulous, super fast Nei-Gong/Yoga practice. I can feel the shakti changes taking place inside my body when I name chant. So excited I feel like a little puppy running around with a wagging tail at discovering how joyful and bountiful life is with this one simple practice.

So I was watching a Youtube vid about the Prophecy of Maitreya's Future Buddhahood when there was a line translated in the vid that talked about cultivating the Four Dharmas of Attraction. For some reason that line popped out at me tonight like it never had before ( I really like that video as it always makes me feel so happy and delightful when I watch it - especially when Maitreya Buddha honors Mahakasyapa and is honored in return by Mahakasyapa). Anyway...I wondered what that meant - the Four Dharmas of Attraction as I'd never noticed them before so I ran a search on it and found some commentary by Master Hsuan Hua translated into English from the Avatamsaka Sutra (isn't that the same as the Flower Ornament Sutra?). There was a transcription of a small bit of the sutra followed by Master Hua's commentary and I noticed it was giving an exacting description of precisely the things one needs to put into practice daily to attain to the 4 Dharmas of Attraction. Those being 1. Attracting living beings 2. The power to use kind and loving words to inspire them and inspire joy 3. Beneficial Conduct 4. Similarity in Deeds Master Hua states the first two are the beginning practices on the path to being a Bodhisattva and it all starts with the daily mental practice of seeing yourself giving offerings to all the Buddhas of all the time periods and all directions. Then you immediately imagine any reciprocal benefit coming to you from the first step - you then turn around and imagine yourself giving that benefit to the ground of all-wisdom. I presume the all-wisdom is prajna wisdom, yes? the article never really states what is meant by "all-wisdom" I assume it means 'prajna' wisdom. To my great surprise I noticed this document was a description of some things I like to do. I did them just because it's to a point that envisioning such is simply expressing a true desire I have. I was not aware it is actually considered a real cultivation method for the mind but apparently it is. I just do it because I want to at that particular moment when it pops up. Was not aware there is any particular kind of fruit from that practice but it seems to be that there is. Now where I am somewhat perplexed is with the final 2 "practices". Beneficial Conduct and Similarity in Deeds. Master Hua says these are not quite the same as practicing the paramita of giving (ie generosity). Practicing giving is a practice of the first two but not completely of the last two. That is...it shows this person is a beginner, a white belt, a greenhorn on the path to becoming a Bodhisattva. Which made me laugh because now I can definitely state I am a noob - Mind-wise - on the path even according to other Buddhists. Back to the last 2 dharmas. They seem obvious at first glance. Until I really started to wonder what those 2 practices must actually consist of as a daily routine. And that I confess I don't know for sure. Beneficial Conduct seems kind of happenstance...maybe that day you'll be lucky enough to practice it if you're around enough people but if you live alone or for whatever reason don't have much daily contact with other people it might not pop up as an opportunity at all. Or perhaps it involves some kind of practice I'm not aware of. Nor did the article extract mention one. Similarity in Deeds is even more puzzling. About the only thing I can think of is that old saw some religious people ask themselves, "what would Jesus do in this situation?" or "what would the Buddha do in this situation?" and then hopefully intuit the answer (Buddha-dharma-compliant of course). I want to practice the other 2 dharmas as well. Does anyone know if the Avatamsaka Sutra itself explains those last two and gives examples? I don't own a copy so unfortunately can not read the source document. Is there anyone here who practices along these lines daily to cultivate the four dharmas of attraction? If so what do you do and what has been your experience of such? Here is the extract I found: http://www.drbachinese.org/vbs/1_100/vbs93/93_3.html The original Youtube vid I watched: