Dharma Wheel

I would avoid anything connected with Shambala. Look at Reggie Ray, he was sold as the exception, as a great teacher, etc. Turns out he abused a ton of students. And no wonder, as his teacher was Trungpa. There are great teachers and lineages out there, Shambala isn't one of them. If you want more i...

I generally practice Shikantaza or focusing on the breath. Someone suggested that I could try out a meditation in which I asked the question "Who am I" and see what came up. I decided to give it a go. Then all of the pain of the body (which is usually vividly present, due to chronic pain) ...

Sorry, but I've listened to the suggested segment a couple times now and he doesn't say what you quote above. He says that 50 to 60% of people after 64 hours of his retreat process get a "clear sense of where this is all going." I've never met the guy, studied with, nor even heard of befo...

It is also suspicious to me that he claims both Rinzai and Soto lineage. Is he claiming to be formally ordained in both systems, and if so, at what level? Agree! Thank you for sharing your experience and viewpoint. This is the information that is shown in their website (his teacher is Shinzan Miyam...

Julian Daizan Skinner has permission from an authentic lineage to teach both in the Rinzai and Soto Zen schools. Nevertheless, on his website (https://zenways.org/breakthrough-to-zen-retreats/), he offers an intensive retreat period of 64 hours (both in person and online) and he claims (in this yout...

Hi there, I am currently practicing online Vajrayana and someone asked me about Korean Zen, specifically about Kwan Um and Seung Sanh. I have some previous experience with Soto Zen, but no idea about this school in particular. I did do some research and found some previous sex scandals in the 80's. ...

Thank you for all of your helpful responses! I actually got an answer from Tergar which was very helpful (they offered to do a free session of Skype to clarify doubts a few hours after I emailed them). So nice and compassionate.

With metta,

Tomás

Lately, I have been doing an online Tergar course named "Exploring Reality". They explain the four major philosophical schools within Tibetan Buddhism. When we got to Yogachara and they explained that everything is mind and that all appearances are illusory this generated a strong sense of...

I have seen that there are many similar concepts between Buddhism and Bön. Nevertheless I was wondering, does the Bön tradition posit that we have individual souls? I saw that Tenzin Wangyal Rinpoche has a book called 'The true source of healing' which speaks of 'Soul retrieval'. If he does indeed s...

Devotion is not an “absolute” thing. I think that most Buddhists are what could be called the casual practitioner, who maybe has had some personal Q & A time with a lama, perhaps one’s refuge lama, attended teachings, may even have a picture of the lama on the shrine. Even after nearly forty ye...

I am currently practising in the Karma Kagyu lineage and have read some basic articles about the importance of devotion. Nevertheless, I can't comprehend why it is so fundamental towards achieving enlightenment. Couldn't it generate negative power/cultish dynamics? I also practiced in the Theravada ...

mandog wrote: ↑Fri Apr 24, 2020 3:09 am Tom, many of these questions you are raising were actually answered in the big Sogyal Rinpoche threads from the past couple of years. You should try checking there.

Thank you all for your answers, it was very helpful. I will check out that thread .

Yes, there are gurus who are in it for the game and fortune. They prey on the naive and are easily spotted by the experienced. ... I am not so sure they are easily spotted by the experienced. Sogyal Rinpoche was supported by many high lamas, including the Dalai Lama, for over 20 years and he was on...

it depends, renounciation is not the only method. Not all Lamas apply the renounciation methods, even if some of them do not make this disclaimer often enough. Don't the yanas teachings build one on top of the other? From my understanding, renounciation towards worldy concerns is a basic must for p...

People made all sorts of offerings to the Buddha, including huge tracts of land. He never turned down an offering as that would mean the person making the offering would not benefit from the act of generosity. He didn't even turn down spoiled food. Attachment and aversion, based on ignorance of the...

If the Buddha renounced his fortune in search of the true path to the deathless, what is the purpose of surrounding multiple Lamas with incredible wealth and commodities since they are very young? Doesn't that foment attachment?

conebeckham wrote: ↑Tue Apr 21, 2020 5:23 pm I've been a student of Rinpoche's for decades now, he is one of my most important teachers, and I recommend him without reservation.

That's awesome! I am glad you have received so much benefit from him.

I just finished reading this incredible book that Mingyur Rinpoche wrote about the first few weeks of his wandering retreat that happened a few years back. He wound up doing this retreat for 4 1/2 years i believe. I would love to read comments and discuss some of the highlights, important points wi...

novicem wrote: ↑Wed Apr 01, 2020 8:51 pm Does anyone on this forum give Bon teachings online?

Tenzin Wangyal Rinpoche has many online classes through Ligmincha International. There are 5 courses that are completely free. Also, the other courses are quite affordable! Best wishes.

Maybe it's worth exploring here, my understanding is that Dzogchen as such is really not a wide range of practices, but an approach of view which can involve whatever practice, the state of Dzogchen is not dependent on particular forms or teaching structures. Tsa Lung practices in fact belong typic...