Entering the Void

[MERCELESS ONE]

i would like to say i like this thread! there is some real meeting of the "minds" if you will. also i would like to add that all this information when created long ago was done so for the facilitation of immortality! these concepts are put in a manner that still works today, by getting ppl to think, and understand things outside their normal reality. tis the only way one can understand the workings of life and the universe and how that relatest to the human being. some of the teachings are different( as i stated in another post) because some of the individuals who created these teaching were at different cultivation levels. the understandings of a master of yang/solar/light energy willl be different of a yin/lunar/earth energy master. and for those who were able to to unite the two are ablet to reach even deeper levels of understanding. and all that you all have been mentioning and discussing here are some of the gateways to this! i would like to point out somthing about the void state. the void sate is the best state to fill the dantien, and the void state is similar to the womb. imortal fetus has started when the dantien starts to fill. but these realizations come when reaching high levels of cultivation, and the answers reveal them selves. compassion and void- in the void state one can feel the most compassion for all life its like feeling tangible love somthing you can truly feel, and will always remember. there is so much more to be learned and experienced and im excited to know that so many others are seeking and following this path!

[hydrogen]

when you can live your life killing, taking drugs, drinking, etc and you are not gonna stain our primordial emptiness.

 

I agree with you in principle. However I think you forgot to add some ajectives with these judgement calls: killing, taking drugs and drinking.

 

Did you mean killing innocent people, taking drugs and dirnking to your heath detriment?

 

In this thread, someone said love and peace. I'd like to add another one: tolerance.

 

Without tolerance, there won't be peace. The real tolerance comes from love. So basically "all you need is love". I do love that song.

 

Have a happy life. If you're not happy, the whole world is sad.

[Shagrath]

I agree with you in principle. However I think you forgot to add some ajectives with these judgement calls: killing, taking drugs and drinking.

 

Did you mean killing innocent people, taking drugs and dirnking to your heath detriment?

 

In this thread, someone said love and peace. I'd like to add another one: tolerance.

 

Without tolerance, there won't be peace. The real tolerance comes from love. So basically "all you need is love". I do love that song.

 

Have a happy life. If you're not happy, the whole world is sad.

 

Nicely said. And like you said tolerance is just manifestation of love. BTW by love I mean Absolute Love, the highest state of consciousness.

 

What I meant with killing and drinking were just examples. Your essence can not be disturbed by anything. But the problem is that if you do a lot of destructive (not negative) deeds in your life you won't succeed in awakening your mind to be conscious of you essence.

 

On the other hand if you become fully conscious of your essence/emptiness/God you will not find any deed as destructive you will see it just as a process. As in Bhagavad Gita Krishna says (I am paraphrasing): If you think you can kill somebody and somebody can die you don't know the ultimate truth. That is because you are just ending the manifestation process, you cannot kill something that is eternal (our essence). But until that level of awareness we should be careful about our deeds and thought and emotions and try to live virtuous life.

Edited December 20, 2012 by Shagrath

[hydrogen]

If you think you can kill somebody and somebody can die you don't know the ultimate truth.

 

Good quote. And it raises an interesting question that I've thinking without definite answer: can I really kill a person without permission from God?

 

Meaning, If it's not time for that person to die, I can't kill him. Something might happen to prevent the killing: my mind was changed by "miracle", the gun jamed or someone push me to ground.

 

My current thinking is that I could possiblly kill some person, but not every one I pick. The unseen law is like gravity: I can decide to go straight, left or right, but I can't go up in to the air or down under the ground.

 

Back to top, enter the void. I think with love one can enter the void perfectly fine. Love of humanity is one of the best. Love of knowledge (curiosity) is fine too.

 

Searching for your own immortality is dangerous one. I guess if the real intention is love of your own life is OK. But if the real motive is fear of death is very very bad.

 

You can't lie in the void.

[Shagrath]

Good quote. And it raises an interesting question that I've thinking without definite answer: can I really kill a person without permission from God?

 

Meaning, If it's not time for that person to die, I can't kill him. Something might happen to prevent the killing: my mind was changed by "miracle", the gun jamed or someone push me to ground.

 

My current thinking is that I could possiblly kill some person, but not every one I pick. The unseen law is like gravity: I can decide to go straight, left or right, but I can't go up in to the air or down under the ground.

 

For killing and being murdered I would say the opposite. You won't die unless it your time. So if you are being killed in accident or on purpose it was your karma.

 

 

Searching for your own immortality is dangerous one. I guess if the real intention is love of your own life is OK. But if the real motive is fear of death is very very bad.

 

You can't lie in the void.

 

 

Your point is very interesting. Its just like in Star Wars. Jedi only work on being united with Force, they don't have fear of anything especially from dying and they reach immortality. On the other hand you have Sith, who search only for power they say that they are fearless but they are afraid of dying and are on constant search for immortality yet nobody ever reaches it

Edited December 20, 2012 by Shagrath

[rookie]

I have always been taught that experiences and perceptions that happen in meditation are not to be focused on. Also, I am finding that any goal going in will backfire.

It has been very interesting reading about these experiences, but I wonder if any of you have been given this advice for your practice?

I do know the feeling and understand the desire to communicate about new experiences or a new "level" reached during meditation or practice. But the advice has always to leave them alone and pay no attention.

[GrandmasterP]

Wise advice indeed.

Levels, grades, sacred mysteries , hermetic gnosis , lamas , religions , beliefs etc etc are all just illusory guideposts along the path.

Best to set out not needing them.

Some, however; absolutely depend on such fancies.

[adept]

Wise advice indeed.

Levels, grades, sacred mysteries , hermetic gnosis , lamas , religions , beliefs etc etc are all just illusory guideposts along the path.

Best to set out not needing them.

Some, however; absolutely depend on such fancies.

 

I find this statement strange, puzzling and contradictory from someone who recites the nembutsu, is a meditation instructor, a medium and participates on a Buddhist forum.

[rookie]

There are lot's of meditation methods where one interacts with objects within awareness. But this I would not call the void. Maybe this is a case of semantics, When interacting with objects one also becomes an object.

[thelerner]

.. ..

Edited December 25, 2012 by thelerner

[idiot_stimpy]

Going behind 'the void' or 'awareness'. Although we can only converse with language, seeing that 'awareness' and 'the void' are just placeholders in the mind, or mental labels, can greatly deepen the meditation.

[GrandmasterP]

 

 

I find this statement strange, puzzling and contradictory from someone who recites the nembutsu, is a meditation instructor, a medium and participates on a Buddhist forum.

.....

Then possibly you are one of the many who believe that rituals must be prescribed and defined in order to delineate belief.

Nembutsu, for me as for most is a superstitious ritual and as such I hope that it may well pay off one day.

Millions of Chinese are not necessarily wrong.

Just cos I aint won big on the lottery so far via chanting doesn't mean that it might not work tomorrow.

I back horses too, sometimes they win and the proof of any medium's pudding is in the eating.

If I didn't get it right more than wrong more often than not then I'd have been out of business thirty years or more ago.

If mediums could foretell the future then the luxury yacht builders would all be working three shifts each and every day to meet demand.

Edited December 25, 2012 by GrandmasterP

[C T]

Going behind 'the void' or 'awareness'. Although we can only converse with language, seeing that 'awareness' and 'the void' are just placeholders in the mind, or mental labels, can greatly deepen the meditation.

 

Perhaps the term 'void' could be construed as a mental label on some level, but on some other level, upon deeper investigation via the practice of shamatha and vipassana, one can hope to access subtler and subtler modes of dissolving conceptualization until confidence is gained (via actual experience) as to the actual nature of mind in relation to the 'void'.

 

This confidence can be very helpful in gradually dissolving dualistic concerns, and would eventually lead to resolving most if not all hopes and fears. Thru this resolution, a great inner freedom will begin to bloom. One's fixations gradually dissolves, and this paves the way for excelling in whatever secondary practices one chooses to partake in, be it external or internal cultivation forms, energetic pursuits.... etc.

 

What this implies, from the Buddhist perspective, is that first one must fully grasp the view of the true nature of mind, then follow up with other forms of practice (not restricted to Buddhist ones of course) which will reinforce this initial glimpse in order to arouse further conviction and stability. In this way, progress will be swifter due to having already actualized the seeing of what true emancipation really means. Without this seeing, doing other practices will entail quite a bit of hit-n-misses, wasting time/money in lieu of, and repeating/reinforcing wrong methods should they happen to arise.

 

Gain the insight into what sky is first, then whatever the weather, one's spirit will remain resolute (thanks, RV ). If one does not realize the essence of the spacious, wide-open skylike nature of the mind, then even a small cloud can be seen as significant. From then on, a chain of delusion will be set in motion, this small cloud could be misconstrued in a million ways, distractions will set in, very likely resulting in the displacement of one's well-being in the process.

 

By gaining maturity in the practices of shamatha and vipassana, it allows one to actually become more and more aware of distractive and discursive thoughts and emotional patterns. Over time, thru familiarity of recognizing and dissolving habitual reactive responses, or some would employ the term 'mindfulness', one can then masterfully and spontaneously deflect with ease the seeds which give rise to negativity, thereby cutting off their potential to create harmful karmic roots. Eventually, even those seeds of old which have already taken root will perish as the new, positive and invigorating freedom dawns brighter and brighter. This is like wu-wei, in that there is no real need to search and analyze past negativities ~ by allowing light to enter into new habitual responses, eventually this light will seek out and illuminate what darkness there may be, and their lurking will diminish for sure.

[idiot_stimpy]

Very nice post, thank you.

[adept]

 

Nembutsu, for me as for most is a superstitious ritual and as such I hope that it may well pay off one day.

 

Just cos I aint won big on the lottery so far via chanting doesn't mean that it might not work tomorrow.

 

 

 

''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

[GrandmasterP]

Well one lives in hopes.

:-)