Search found 122 matches

by Challenge23
Wed Apr 29, 2015 4:24 pm
Forum: Mahamudra
Topic: Mahamudra in the Modern World
Replies: 242
Views: 60792

Re: Mahamudra in the Modern World

Quite well. Mundane happiness is the result of virtuous karma; suffering the result of non-virtue, supreme happiness means nirvana. But you just said that the Dharma will grant you freedom from suffering which is not the same as happiness. Are you saying that the result of the Dharma is not nirvana...
by Challenge23
Wed Apr 29, 2015 3:55 pm
Forum: Mahamudra
Topic: Mahamudra in the Modern World
Replies: 242
Views: 60792

Re: Mahamudra in the Modern World

A promise of happiness underlies all successful marketing. Doesn't the Buddha promise happiness too? He does not make promises of that kind. But what he does say is that if you follow the Dharma, you can discover total freedom from suffering. If you want to call that happiness, ok. But it is more l...
by Challenge23
Tue Apr 28, 2015 7:53 pm
Forum: Mahāyāna Buddhism
Topic: What kind of mind do Buddhas have
Replies: 226
Views: 36522

Re: What kind of mind do Buddhas have

Please forgive me, but I'm a little confused. If actual buddhahood doesn't happen in the desire realm, then how does any Buddhist method work at all, especially Vajrayana which promises Enlightenment in one desire realm lifetime? As to your first question, if you are common Mahāyāna practitioner, y...
by Challenge23
Tue Apr 28, 2015 7:37 pm
Forum: Mahāyāna Buddhism
Topic: What kind of mind do Buddhas have
Replies: 226
Views: 36522

Re: What kind of mind do Buddhas have

Even then it takes three incalculable eons, Chan is no shortcut. Ah yes, but nobody knows whether or not somebody has already put in 2.9999 eons of work into it already! Well, it takes two incalculable eons achieve the eighth bhumi. It takes another eon after that to attain full awakening. Moreover...
by Challenge23
Mon Apr 27, 2015 1:24 pm
Forum: Mahāyāna Buddhism
Topic: What kind of mind do Buddhas have
Replies: 226
Views: 36522

Re: What kind of mind do Buddhas have

Whenever I was able to drop my thinking, the empty space in the head was not similar to "nothing". There was room for much light and all these wonderful dharmas that are normally covered by th conventional mind of judging, guessing, interpreting, fearing and wishing. A space for love, com...
by Challenge23
Mon Apr 27, 2015 12:18 am
Forum: Tibetan Buddhism
Topic: Preparing for 7 day Ngondro retreat
Replies: 14
Views: 3731

Re: Preparing for 7 day Ngondro retreat

Why four sessions of three hours each!!! Unless that is the instruction from his teacher... Isn't it better not to be so tight about it.. Stay relaxed and enjoy your practice. That is good advice for most people. However, in my case I'm working on a practice that is known, in some cases such as my ...
by Challenge23
Fri Apr 24, 2015 5:28 pm
Forum: Tibetan Buddhism
Topic: Preparing for 7 day Ngondro retreat
Replies: 14
Views: 3731

Re: Preparing for 7 day Ngondro retreat

Get into shape. Do some sit-ups at least. If your'e out of shape and spend a week doing prostrations your'e going to hurt. Good point. My teacher is having me do mandala right now. I was thinking I would do mandala until my arm cramps, then end that round, do some prostrations to uncramp my arm and...
by Challenge23
Fri Apr 24, 2015 3:39 pm
Forum: Tibetan Buddhism
Topic: Preparing for 7 day Ngondro retreat
Replies: 14
Views: 3731

Preparing for 7 day Ngondro retreat

Good morning, I'm doing my first Ngondro retreat(actually my first real retreat period) next month and was wondering if anyone here had any ideas re; how to prepare, what to do(and not do), etc. I have already spoken to my teacher(who approved the retreat) and, because he is not individually respond...
by Challenge23
Mon Apr 20, 2015 7:23 pm
Forum: Tibetan Buddhism
Topic: Did the 84 mahasiddhas practice Ngöndro?
Replies: 239
Views: 46926

Re: Did the 84 mahasiddhas practice Ngöndro?

Wow, you should really clarify your doubts with a teacher and more studying. Enlightenment is not perceived through human perceptions. It is beyond karma. I did. My teacher said to do more practice. I'm waiting to hear back from him in regards to permission to do a 5-10 day solo Ngondro retreat. An...
by Challenge23
Mon Apr 20, 2015 5:19 pm
Forum: Tibetan Buddhism
Topic: Did the 84 mahasiddhas practice Ngöndro?
Replies: 239
Views: 46926

Re: Did the 84 mahasiddhas practice Ngöndro?

So yeah, Vajrasattva. Not a fan. You just need to do more of it. Did that. And the result is that it does the same thing now as it did before. It points out the problem more and more accurately and vividly but it doesn't resolve it. Enlightenment can't be described because it is fundamentally beyon...
by Challenge23
Mon Apr 20, 2015 4:35 pm
Forum: Dharma in Everyday Life
Topic: How do I reconcile compassion and immense need?
Replies: 21
Views: 3741

Re: How do I reconcile compassion and immense need?

Something I've struggled with on an ongoing basis in my life is what you might call an acceptance-alienation cycle regarding the many people in need in the world. The way it works is something like this: 1) I accept and want to help others 2) I get exhausted, want more time and energy for myself, g...
by Challenge23
Mon Apr 20, 2015 4:25 pm
Forum: Tibetan Buddhism
Topic: Did the 84 mahasiddhas practice Ngöndro?
Replies: 239
Views: 46926

Re: Did the 84 mahasiddhas practice Ngöndro?

Vajrasattva, OTOH, was almost universally awful from beginning to end. Even finishing it was foul. What was so bad about it? Good question. Without rambling too much, I had certain misunderstandings about the Dharma that doing Vajrasattva has put into painfully clear relief. Before Vajrasattva I kn...
by Challenge23
Mon Apr 20, 2015 1:32 pm
Forum: Tibetan Buddhism
Topic: Did the 84 mahasiddhas practice Ngöndro?
Replies: 239
Views: 46926

Re: Did the 84 mahasiddhas practice Ngöndro?

I still find it interesting that most issues with ngondro discussions seem to fall around prostrations. So in general most people must not have any problems with extreme purifacation of karma with Vajrasattva, offering the whole universe and cultivating generosity with mandala offering or realizing...
by Challenge23
Thu Apr 16, 2015 8:16 pm
Forum: Tibetan Buddhism
Topic: Did the 84 mahasiddhas practice Ngöndro?
Replies: 239
Views: 46926

Re: Did the 84 mahasiddhas practice Ngöndro?

"The repetition of the full Ngondro helps to indoctrinate you into the Vajrayana way of seeing things in the same way that seeing dozens and dozens of commercials about the double down sandwich will make you start to believe that bacon and cheese sandwiched between two chicken paddies might ac...
by Challenge23
Thu Apr 16, 2015 7:35 pm
Forum: Tibetan Buddhism
Topic: Did the 84 mahasiddhas practice Ngöndro?
Replies: 239
Views: 46926

Re: Did the 84 mahasiddhas practice Ngöndro?

I have to say, I find the idea quite curious that a practice which is considered to be so important should have been introduced only a few hundred years ago, much later than the original teachings of tantra, mahamudra and dzogchen. Why? Because it implies that for several hundred years students wer...
by Challenge23
Fri Apr 10, 2015 8:11 pm
Forum: Dharma in Everyday Life
Topic: Does one need initiation to recite Vajrasattva mantra?
Replies: 15
Views: 7705

Re: Does one need initiation to recite Vajrasattva mantra?

I do not remember a Vajrasattva empowerment of any kind in Sakya... Yes, it does not exist. Interesting. Are you comfortable with speculating with why that is? I was under the impression that all of the schools had the same basic empowerments(such as Medicine Buddha and Vajrasattva) and ceremonies ...
by Challenge23
Fri Apr 10, 2015 7:00 pm
Forum: Tibetan Buddhism
Topic: Hearing other sect's lectures is negative?
Replies: 30
Views: 7915

Re: Hearing other sect's lectures is negative?

But if that is the case, DG, then that means that the teachers who state that there are signs of completion of the ngondro are incorrect and it really is a lifetime practice. Or are you trying to say something different? This is my feeble justification for never completing ngondro. The sage was add...
by Challenge23
Fri Apr 10, 2015 6:44 pm
Forum: Tibetan Buddhism
Topic: Hearing other sect's lectures is negative?
Replies: 30
Views: 7915

Re: Hearing other sect's lectures is negative?

Then you realise that the ngondro is indeed the preliminaries... :smile: At that point you can either buckle down to your chosen path or flit from flower to flower... So you are saying that it is negative to hear other sect's teachings? But, hopefully, one isn't doing the Karma Kagyu ngondro foreve...
by Challenge23
Fri Apr 10, 2015 6:10 pm
Forum: Tibetan Buddhism
Topic: Hearing other sect's lectures is negative?
Replies: 30
Views: 7915

Re: Hearing other sect's lectures is negative?

The title is very elucidative of this question of mine. Let us say that I stick to Karma Kagyu tradition... If I go to a Ch'an monastery, hear it's Masters teachings and seek pearls of wisdom...will I be doing something negative? Not negative..but superfluous perhaps. Believe me if one is fully eng...
by Challenge23
Tue Apr 07, 2015 1:16 pm
Forum: Lounge
Topic: Have you read "A death on diamond mountain"?
Replies: 15
Views: 5015

Re: Have you read "A death on diamond mountain"?

I am wondering if I will, or not, read this book. Its about a death realted to crazyness and search for Enlightenment. If anyone here already read the book, what do you think about it? I FEEL that the book may attack buddhism is some ways. Well, it may attack silly ideas that people may have, and m...

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