The Boat v. The Shore

[mint]

One of the problems that I personally have - and I'm confident that I'm not alone - is that it is all too easy to become extremely fascinated by the boat rather than actually actively engaging in the process of trying to reach the shore. By this I mean that I have this great desire to consume all the books and teachings about the ultimate reality and the methods for getting there rather than spending the time in actual practice. This is another form of spiritual materialism, I know, but it really wreaks havoc on one's progress. At a certain point, you have to just lay the manuals aside and get to work.

[sangyey]

Phantom59 posted this a few days ago on the Tibetan Buddhism thread page by Tenzin Palmo . I found it to be very insightful about practice in modern age.

http://www.mandalamagazine.org/archives/mandala-issues-for-2001/march/tuning-the-mind-to-make-a-sweet-melody/

[DarwidHalim]

The article is really good.

These are 2 points, which I like most:

1.
For instance, we’re sitting here thinking, “Now I am Chenrezig, I am white, glowing, I have four arms,” and so on and so forth. This is so important, but we don’t really beleive this. It’s our fundamental delusion that we sit there thinking that really I am Mary Smith, pretending that I am Chenrezig – when of course the truth is that I am Chenrezig pretending to be Mary Smith.

2.
All thoughts – good thoughts, bad thoughts, stupid thoughts, wise thoughts – are they play of the dharmakaya, the wisdom of the Buddhas

------
If we practice Heruka and our name is John, it is not John pretending Heruka. But Heruka pretending John.

For no. 2, Saraha actually mentioned that whatever thought you have, your current thoughts, are actually Mahamudra. Whether you think it is sinful thought or pure thought, they are basically Mahamudra. Because we differentiate it as sinful or pure, we can't see the true nature of that thoughts.

[muni]

Phantom59 posted this a few days ago on the Tibetan Buddhism thread page by Tenzin Palmo . I found it to be very insightful about practice in modern age.

http://www.mandalamagazine.org/archives/mandala-issues-for-2001/march/tuning-the-mind-to-make-a-sweet-melody/

Yes, very insightful. Buddhist teachings, what we do with them, whether heavy weight of righteness which is binding or using the tools like that beautiful melody Tenzin Palmo express. Dharma tools are supposed to freeing.

[catmoon]

What a day. First Gad Ryangs posts his stories about prayer wheels and now this. If we got a dose of Dharma as potent as this every day, we'd all be Buddhas by midsummer.

[MalaBeads]

Wonderful article. Thanks for posting it. It helped me relax some of the tension I carry around with me.

[Paul]

At a certain point, you have to just lay the manuals aside and get to work.

100% agree.

I was told, and I agree with the person that told me this, that the entirety of dharma is about letting go of everything. Of course that never seems as fun, useful or interesting as fancy philosophy etc.