What one practice has brought the most benefit to your life?

[alchemystical]

So many forms, techniques, mantras, asnas, flows, meditations etc... that we can choose in this life. An almost infinite array, yet in the flesh at least we are finite beings who must devote our time and attention wisely as life is barely long enough to get good at one thing.

 

With this in mind I'd like to ask what one practice has brought the most benefit to your life?

[Earl Grey]

27 minutes ago, alchemystical said:

So many forms, techniques, mantras, asnas, flows, meditations etc... that we can choose in this life. An almost infinite array, yet in the flesh at least we are finite beings who must devote our time and attention wisely as life is barely long enough to get good at one thing.

 

With this in mind I'd like to ask what one practice has brought the most benefit to your life?

How about sharing what you do too?

 

For me it’s Zhan Zhuang, golden flower, and the long Gayatri mantra.

[alchemystical]

8 minutes ago, Earl Grey said:

How about sharing what you do too?

 

For me it’s Zhan Zhuang, golden flower, and the long Gayatri mantra.

 

You certainly are persistent, I'll give you that. I'll speak on my path at some point but don't feel like it at the moment but I appreciate you sharing. Would you like to speak on your Zhan Zhuang practice? I'm interested as thats one of the basics and I was once told its the first thing you'll learn and last one you'll master.

[steve]

Resting in the Nature of Mind

[Earl Grey]

51 minutes ago, alchemystical said:

Would you like to speak on your Zhan Zhuang practice?

 

I learned it from several lineages, but primarily, from the lineage that is Xin Yi, a combination of Liuhebafa and Yi Quan. 

 

I've posted around the forum what has happened, from power to supernatural occurrences--but that is all I will say on that matter, short of any reciprocity.  

[alchemystical]

1 hour ago, steve said:

Resting in the Nature of Mind

What exactly does that mean and how does one do it?

 

 

52 minutes ago, Earl Grey said:

 

I learned it from several lineages, but primarily, from the lineage that is Xin Yi, a combination of Liuhebafa and Yi Quan. 

 

I've posted around the forum what has happened, from power to supernatural occurrences--but that is all I will say on that matter, short of any reciprocity.  

Thank you, you are very generous and I appreciate I'm a bit reticent.

[Taomeow]

All of them, minus the ones I dropped.  If I practice it, it brings benefits.  If I don't, it doesn't.  As the I Ching put it when I asked what my main focus should be, "any movement in any direction brings good fortune."  

[ilumairen]

1 hour ago, alchemystical said:

What exactly does that mean and how does one do it?

 

Perhaps this will help with understanding meaning and "how":

 

https://www.lionsroar.com/discovering-the-true-nature-of-mind/

 

[steve]

3 hours ago, alchemystical said:

What exactly does that mean and how does one do it?

 

The answers to these questions have been the subject of every dzogchen tantra, teaching, and book throughout history.

 

Two seemingly frivolous but completely accurate answers are:

"What exactly does that mean?"  It is beyond meaning

"How does one do it?" One does not do it, it is a "non-doing."

 

That said, I'll share a brief personal impression of the meaning and practice.

Caveat - I'm not a master, only scratching the surface but it has changed my life profoundly for the better.

 

In the Bön dzogchen tradition, there's a teaching known as the 21 Nails which are 21 different aspects or characteristics of the Nature of Mind to help us recognize it, distinguish it from mind, and develop complete confidence in our understanding or, more accurately, the View. The first of the nails lists specific characteristics of the mind and it's Nature or essence.

There are English translations available - I would recommend this one if you are interested. Warning, they can be fairly difficult to understand and attending a teaching with a master is highly recommended.

 

One way to think about it is with the analogy of water. 

Water takes many different forms - oceans, rivers, waves, streams, rain, saliva, blood, etc... All of these forms have very specific characteristics and properties but the nature or essence of each is always water. Similarly, the mind can take many different forms - thoughts, emotions, images, visions, memories, etc... even all of "external" reality in the Bön and Buddhist paradigms. All have specific characteristics but the nature or essence that underlies and connects all of the them is referred to as the Nature of Mind. 

 

The Nature of Mind is not the mind's content, it's not the thinker, it's not the perspective, it's not the person, not even the sense of self. It is considered to be all there is and yet it is completely empty, clear, usually undetectable except through its manifestations. The Nature of Mind is clear and pure, unchangeable, pervasive, and we can throw lots of other adjectives at it. It is unimputable. It is often referred to as being like space but a very special type of space, space that is self-aware. The defining characteristics are that it is empty (or open, or spacious), it is self-aware (or clear), and it has infinite potential - it can give rise to absolutely anything and everything we can experience. Resting in the Nature of Mind is essentially resting in a non-dual experience. We can experience it but to the extent that "we" are present (eg there is a distinction between the experience and the one having that experience) during that experience, it is elusive.

 

The practice is particularly tricky because to rest in the Nature of Mind means that we cannot add anything, subtract anything, do anything, try anything. Any effort introduced takes us farther, not closer. It is similar to Heisenberg's uncertainty principle, the very presence of the observer influences that which is observed. So the approach here is to release the observer, release all effort, and simply leave everything just as it is.

 

In the Bön tradition, the Nature of Mind is most often introduced using a practice known as zhine (calm-abiding). The practitioner sits quiety and stares at an object of meditation, usually the Tibetan letter A. In the beginning it is a very effortful practice. We start without blinking, without moving, without swallowing saliva... absolutely still. It's tough. Over time we can easy up on the effort as it becomes easier for us. Eventually it is completely effortless. This does two important things - it allows us to get some degree of control of the mind that never rests and it allows us to look at that mind and get a glimpse of what it's all about. We actually look at the one who is looking and see if we can find anything tangible there.  At this point in the training, one receives "pointing out" instructions from a master. This basically means that one describes their experience and the master "points to" the distinction between mind and its Nature, leading the student to develop a high degree of confidence in being able to make that distinction. 

 

Once we are confident that we know what the Nature of Mind is and what it isn't, we develop familiarity with it through seated meditation without an object. Once we are stable enough we can begin resting into this Nature off the cushion in our daily lives. Eventually, masters are able to rest in this Nature undisturbed by anything that occurs throughout the day and night and even during the process of dying. That's the path in a nutshell. 

 

All this may sound complicated and challenging but there are more accessible ways to try and approach this. My teacher created a practice in which he distilled the essence of this path into a very simple practice called the 3 Doors. The Doors are not the Nature of Mind but they are a way to access that Nature. The first door is to rest in the stillness of the body. The second is to rest in the silence of speech (eg the inner narrator). The third is to rest in the spaciousness of the heart/mind.

 

If this appeals to you, I'd suggest you check out the 3 Doors practices of Tenzin Wangyal Rinpoche. A great starting point is his book, Awakening the Luminous Mind. It teaches the 3 Doors in the first half of the book and the practice ilumairen posted, the Fivefold Teaching of Dawa Gyaltsen, in the second half of the book.

 

Cheers!

 

[Nungali]

8 hours ago, alchemystical said:

So many forms, techniques, mantras, asnas, flows, meditations etc... that we can choose in this life. An almost infinite array, yet in the flesh at least we are finite beings who must devote our time and attention wisely as life is barely long enough to get good at one thing.

 

With this in mind I'd like to ask what one practice has brought the most benefit to your life?

 

Gratitude and appreciation  as a 'practice' of  ritual and mind set .

 

For a more concrete practice , Liber Resh  .   But I did this for many many years , some times 4 times a day ( at each 1/4 of the Sun ), every day  for months on end .   I imagine any good practice  done 4 times a day every day would  bring  long term  benefit .

 

.

Edited February 20, 2020 by Nungali

[silent thunder]

Release into raw being.

 

be what is, as it is... now.

 

Acknowledgement of what is now.

Acceptance of action or non action as it arises spontaneously.

 

Release in raw being... now.  as is.

[steve]

1 hour ago, silent thunder said:

Release into raw being.

 

be what is, as it is... now.

 

Acknowledgement of what is now.

Acceptance of action or non action as it arises spontaneously.

 

Release in raw being... now.  as is.

 

I suspect our practices are similar, if not identical.

The primary (sole) reason for all the "stuff" in our tradition is to make sure we're in the right place.

It is so easy for the mind to have us convinced that we are when we're not...

 

[dwai]

Simply be. It’s harder than it seems but is easier done than thought about  

 

[neti neti]

Going against the grain if only to bear witness to the ensuing chaos. 

 

I've found nothing has revealed to me more of what I am, than wholeheartedly identifying with all of what I am not.

[alchemystical]

On 2/22/2020 at 1:42 PM, neti neti said:

Going against the grain if only to bear witness to the ensuing chaos. 

 

On your advice I've been practicing this approach recently. Its going well

[idiot_stimpy]

Be careful what you ask for. As it may arrive in unexpected ways.