Emptiness practice off the cushion

Discussion of meditation in the Mahayana and Vajrayana traditions.
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Matt J
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Re: Emptiness practice off the cushion

Post by Matt J »

Often the off cushion practice is a continuation of the on cushion practice.
"The world is made of stories, not atoms."
--- Muriel Rukeyser
Malcolm
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Re: Emptiness practice off the cushion

Post by Malcolm »

Rick wrote: Thu Sep 02, 2021 2:31 pm Greet! :-)

What off-the-cushion practices are good for deepening one's relationship with emptiness?

Many thank!

Rick
Regarding all phenomena as dreams and illusions.
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Rick
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Re: Emptiness practice off the cushion

Post by Rick »

Malcolm wrote: Fri Sep 03, 2021 4:38 pm
Rick wrote: What off-the-cushion practices are good for deepening one's relationship with emptiness?
Regarding all phenomena as dreams and illusions.
Life is but a dream?
Merrily, merrily, merrily, merrily ...
Malcolm
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Re: Emptiness practice off the cushion

Post by Malcolm »

Rick wrote: Fri Sep 03, 2021 5:33 pm
Malcolm wrote: Fri Sep 03, 2021 4:38 pm
Rick wrote: What off-the-cushion practices are good for deepening one's relationship with emptiness?
Regarding all phenomena as dreams and illusions.
Life is but a dream?
no more real than last night's dream, yes.
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Rick
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Re: Emptiness practice off the cushion

Post by Rick »

Which means all the bogeymen in my life (fears, neuroses, sorrows, suffering, grief) are just that ... bogeymen!
Merrily, merrily, merrily, merrily ...
Malcolm
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Re: Emptiness practice off the cushion

Post by Malcolm »

Rick wrote: Fri Sep 03, 2021 6:07 pm Which means all the bogeymen in my life (fears, neuroses, sorrows, suffering, grief) are just that ... bogeymen!
Yes. But this ability to regard everything as dreams and illusions in post-equipoise ought to arise from profound confidence in emptiness, otherwise, it may fall into a kind of nihilism.
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Rick
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Re: Emptiness practice off the cushion

Post by Rick »

Am there, do that.
Merrily, merrily, merrily, merrily ...
master of puppets
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Re: Emptiness practice off the cushion

Post by master of puppets »

Rick wrote: Fri Sep 03, 2021 5:33 pm
Life is but a dream?
don't believe life is a dream.
for an awakened can not be.
because he is awakened.
Last edited by master of puppets on Fri Sep 03, 2021 9:51 pm, edited 1 time in total.
Malcolm
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Re: Emptiness practice off the cushion

Post by Malcolm »

master of puppets wrote: Fri Sep 03, 2021 9:49 pm
Rick wrote: Fri Sep 03, 2021 5:33 pm
Life is but a dream?
don't believe life is a dream.
for an awakened can not be.
because he is awakened.
That’s why an awakened one is awake. Even the Buddha said life is just like last nights dream, sheesh.
Natan
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Re: Emptiness practice off the cushion

Post by Natan »

master of puppets wrote: Fri Sep 03, 2021 9:49 pm
Rick wrote: Fri Sep 03, 2021 5:33 pm
Life is but a dream?
don't believe life is a dream.
for an awakened can not be.
because he is awakened.
You know you're dreaming.
master of puppets
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Re: Emptiness practice off the cushion

Post by master of puppets »

Malcolm wrote: Fri Sep 03, 2021 11:05 pm
master of puppets wrote: Fri Sep 03, 2021 9:49 pm
Rick wrote: Fri Sep 03, 2021 5:33 pm
Life is but a dream?
don't believe life is a dream.
for an awakened can not be.
because he is awakened.
That’s why an awakened one is awake. Even the Buddha said life is just like last nights dream, sheesh.
If you understand 'life is a dream', that's great
master of puppets
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Re: Emptiness practice off the cushion

Post by master of puppets »

Crazywisdom wrote: Fri Sep 03, 2021 11:14 pm
master of puppets wrote: Fri Sep 03, 2021 9:49 pm
Rick wrote: Fri Sep 03, 2021 5:33 pm
Life is but a dream?
don't believe life is a dream.
for an awakened can not be.
because he is awakened.
You know you're dreaming.
When people of the world
Look for this path amid the clouds,
It vanishes,
Without a trace.
The high peaks
Have many precipices;
On the widest gulleys
Hardly a gleam falls.
Green walls close
Behind and before;
White clouds gather
East and west.
Do you want to know
Where the cloud-path lies?
The cloud-path leads from sky to sky.
- Han Shan
(dailyzen com)
Natan
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Re: Emptiness practice off the cushion

Post by Natan »

master of puppets wrote: Sat Sep 04, 2021 1:03 pm
Crazywisdom wrote: Fri Sep 03, 2021 11:14 pm
master of puppets wrote: Fri Sep 03, 2021 9:49 pm

don't believe life is a dream.
for an awakened can not be.
because he is awakened.
You know you're dreaming.
When people of the world
Look for this path amid the clouds,
It vanishes,
Without a trace.
The high peaks
Have many precipices;
On the widest gulleys
Hardly a gleam falls.
Green walls close
Behind and before;
White clouds gather
East and west.
Do you want to know
Where the cloud-path lies?
The cloud-path leads from sky to sky.
- Han Shan
(dailyzen com)
Makes me thirsty for a foamy ice cold beer. :cheers:
master of puppets
Posts: 1647
Joined: Thu Apr 16, 2020 9:52 pm

Re: Emptiness practice off the cushion

Post by master of puppets »

Crazywisdom wrote: Sat Sep 04, 2021 5:26 pm
master of puppets wrote: Sat Sep 04, 2021 1:03 pm
Crazywisdom wrote: Fri Sep 03, 2021 11:14 pm
You know you're dreaming.
When people of the world
Look for this path amid the clouds,
It vanishes,
Without a trace.
The high peaks
Have many precipices;
On the widest gulleys
Hardly a gleam falls.
Green walls close
Behind and before;
White clouds gather
East and west.
Do you want to know
Where the cloud-path lies?
The cloud-path leads from sky to sky.
- Han Shan
(dailyzen com)
Makes me thirsty for a foamy ice cold beer. :cheers:
I don't know
Natan
Posts: 3685
Joined: Fri May 23, 2014 5:48 pm

Re: Emptiness practice off the cushion

Post by Natan »

master of puppets wrote: Sat Sep 04, 2021 6:30 pm
Crazywisdom wrote: Sat Sep 04, 2021 5:26 pm
master of puppets wrote: Sat Sep 04, 2021 1:03 pm

When people of the world
Look for this path amid the clouds,
It vanishes,
Without a trace.
The high peaks
Have many precipices;
On the widest gulleys
Hardly a gleam falls.
Green walls close
Behind and before;
White clouds gather
East and west.
Do you want to know
Where the cloud-path lies?
The cloud-path leads from sky to sky.
- Han Shan
(dailyzen com)
Makes me thirsty for a foamy ice cold beer. :cheers:
I don't know
The foam gathers and goes down a wide gullet.
master of puppets
Posts: 1647
Joined: Thu Apr 16, 2020 9:52 pm

Re: Emptiness practice off the cushion

Post by master of puppets »

Crazywisdom wrote: Sat Sep 04, 2021 11:21 pm
master of puppets wrote: Sat Sep 04, 2021 6:30 pm
Crazywisdom wrote: Sat Sep 04, 2021 5:26 pm

Makes me thirsty for a foamy ice cold beer. :cheers:
I don't know
The foam gathers and goes down a wide gullet.
can say many things..ı will ask, what is good what is bad, really?

you may as well disregard..
Last edited by master of puppets on Sun Sep 05, 2021 10:51 am, edited 1 time in total.
Natan
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Joined: Fri May 23, 2014 5:48 pm

Re: Emptiness practice off the cushion

Post by Natan »

master of puppets wrote: Sun Sep 05, 2021 10:40 am
Crazywisdom wrote: Sat Sep 04, 2021 11:21 pm
master of puppets wrote: Sat Sep 04, 2021 6:30 pm

I don't know
The foam gathers and goes down a wide gullet.
can say many things..ı will ask, what is good what is bad, really?

you may as well disregard..
White and black clouds disperse equally in the sky.
Malcolm
Posts: 42974
Joined: Thu Nov 11, 2010 2:19 am

Re: Emptiness practice off the cushion

Post by Malcolm »

master of puppets wrote: Sun Sep 05, 2021 10:40 am
Crazywisdom wrote: Sat Sep 04, 2021 11:21 pm
master of puppets wrote: Sat Sep 04, 2021 6:30 pm

I don't know
The foam gathers and goes down a wide gullet.
can say many things..ı will ask, what is good what is bad, really?

you may as well disregard..
:offtopic:
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Rick
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Re: Emptiness practice off the cushion

Post by Rick »

Striving to realize emptiness with good texts but no living teacher/sangha and with a good off-cushion but no on-the-cushion practice ...

A fool's errand? Or a good path (of the 84,000) for the right person? (A fool?)
Merrily, merrily, merrily, merrily ...
Malcolm
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Joined: Thu Nov 11, 2010 2:19 am

Re: Emptiness practice off the cushion

Post by Malcolm »

Rick wrote: Sun Sep 05, 2021 2:24 pm Striving to realize emptiness with good texts but no living teacher/sangha and with a good off-cushion but no on-the-cushion practice ...

A fool's errand? Or a good path (of the 84,000) for the right person? (A fool?)
This is just intellectualism. It is like being a stone in the bottom of the ocean. No matter how wet the surface becomes, the water never penetrates inside.
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