Taming the Mind

[Long Yun]

If you don't understand this it's not for you now! There are real basic things to do that get immediate results. There is no mystery just a hell amount of work which will involve pain and discomfort.The more honest you are with your confrontation with yourself the greater and quicker the results. But nobody wants to do their own hard work do they? It's easier to study the taming of the mind and pretend and hope results will eventuate than to do it for real. I don't think anyone asking on a forum about methods is all that serious for starters-sounds more like they want the right method to do it for them. The harsh tone of my reply is to try and give you a taste of the state in which you have to approach the minds BS.

Thanks? I'm just trying to figure this stuff out so that I can start practicing the right methods. There are side paths you know... I'm doing the best with what I've got, and I thought that asking a community of cultivators might help. I'm not pretending anything, and I don't think results will just pop out of nowhere. I guess I chose the wrong words when I started this thread, since it has obviously sent the wrong message. Maybe you are trying to help, but your "harsh tone" just doesn't seem necessary to me.

 

your quote made me think of "if you see the buddha, kill the buddha"

I'm not claiming that I've achieved anything, and I haven't "seen the buddha." I'm just looking for a little clarification.

[mjjbecker]

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Edited July 8, 2009 by mjjbecker

[innerspace_cadet]

What I do is I follow the method of "no-method" a.k.a. silent illumination. This is a Chinese Zen practice of focusing on the body, nothing else. It is basically a Buddhist method of practicising both shamata and vipassana at the same time. The "silent" part of it refers to the mind not being bothered by anything. The "illumination" aspect of it refers to the mind perceiving reality as it truly is.

[wudangspirit]

To tame the "mind" you need to detach from the concept of mind. Use the external methods in order to go beyond the concept of method and turn your mind inward until there is no mind.

[Aetherous]

Unfortunately, the traditional teaching method is typically backwards and so a lot of time and effort gets wasted with mimicking results instead of utilizing the underlying principles...

 

Yup! Good post, vortex.

[contrivedname!]

I'm not claiming that I've achieved anything, and I haven't "seen the buddha." I'm just looking for a little clarification.

 

well i wasnt directing that at you necessarily, i was applying that little teaching to what paul had said. he was saying, imo, that you have to "kill" your ego and that this isnt usually a comfortable experience, and the saying i quoted is in regards to ego projections, the spiritually materialistic type in particular, well imo anyway...

[wudangspirit]

Yep, killing the ego is one of the first step in the book of clarity and stillness in the Longmen Sect of Taoism. You have kill the ego and live outside of being Persecutor, Hero and Victim and playing these parts inward and outward. We are always in this position at any given moment. In our cultivation we want to give up the need to know these positions in order to as my Master says "Live with your spirit in heaven and your feet on earth".

 

This is how you tame the mind until there is no mind and you are in stillness.

 

Tao Bless

 

well i wasnt directing that at you necessarily, i was applying that little teaching to what paul had said. he was saying, imo, that you have to "kill" your ego and that this isnt usually a comfortable experience, and the saying i quoted is in regards to ego projections, the spiritually materialistic type in particular, well imo anyway...

[DalTheJigsaw123]

What do you mean by Taming the mind?