Search found 210 matches

by randomseb
Fri May 13, 2016 6:23 am
Forum: Mahāyāna Buddhism
Topic: What is an external object?
Replies: 33
Views: 7610

Re: What is an external object?

If you make "flowerpot" as a mental object, it is an external object. If you make "I am thinking of a flowerport", then this is also an external object. There is no internal, how can anything be other than external? And how can there be any external object when there is no such t...
by randomseb
Fri May 13, 2016 6:19 am
Forum: Mahāyāna Buddhism
Topic: Is the nature of mind a fiction?
Replies: 63
Views: 11272

Re: Is the nature of mind a fiction?

If you can think of it, you are wrong. If you make it into a concept, you are wrong. There is no such thing.
by randomseb
Wed Dec 03, 2014 10:18 am
Forum: Tibetan Buddhism
Topic: Shamatha Outside of Retreat
Replies: 21
Views: 5873

Re: Shamatha Outside of Retreat

Hmm here's an interesting breakdown of the stages of Shamatha in Chögyam Trungpa's lineage:

http://www.lionsroar.com/the-nine-stage ... -the-mind/" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;
by randomseb
Wed Dec 03, 2014 9:47 am
Forum: Mahāyāna Buddhism
Topic: What Chan Master Zhi Gong saw!!!
Replies: 6
Views: 2862

Re: What Chan Master Zhi Gong saw!!!

Master's knowledge of these things creates suffering in Master, but if he would not be discriminating in this way he would not suffer so. Those present had no knowledge of these things and were therefore not discriminating, and therefore weren't suffering. Poor Master Zhi Gong!

:buddha2:
by randomseb
Tue Sep 09, 2014 4:52 pm
Forum: Soto
Topic: To breath or not to breath
Replies: 32
Views: 11773

Re: To breath or not to breath

I saw that Samatha is suggested as a practice along side Serene Meditation on some Soto monastery's website some time a few months ago, which makes some amount of sense, as Samatha helps develop single-pointed concentration, and then if you take away that single-point, what is left?
by randomseb
Tue Sep 09, 2014 8:31 am
Forum: Soto
Topic: To breath or not to breath
Replies: 32
Views: 11773

Re: To breath or not to breath

Both: Serene Reflection with a side order of breath Samatha
by randomseb
Thu Sep 04, 2014 7:50 am
Forum: Shingon
Topic: Kukai's progressive view of the Hinayana?
Replies: 10
Views: 4630

Re: Kukai's progressive view of the Hinayana?

To me, every path of spirituality eventually seems to say "we're better than x, y, z, follow our way, other ways are inferior".

This is no different.

Who can be right?

:shrug:
by randomseb
Tue Aug 19, 2014 5:12 am
Forum: Chan
Topic: Hsu Yun and Chan
Replies: 12
Views: 6147

Re: Hsu Yun and Chan

I enjoyed the book Zen Teaching of Instantaneous Awakening by Ch'an Master Hui Hai (translated by John Blofeld, with a foreword by Charles Luk Hui Hai)

http://www.selfdiscoveryportal.com/cmHuiHai.htm" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;
by randomseb
Sun Jan 12, 2014 8:50 am
Forum: Dharma in Everyday Life
Topic: Condensed Summarization of Buddhism?
Replies: 32
Views: 8236

Re: Condensed Summarization of Buddhism?

"Be here now"

:broke:
by randomseb
Thu May 16, 2013 8:50 pm
Forum: Tibetan Buddhism
Topic: Historical reasons for secrecy in Vajrayana?
Replies: 138
Views: 27914

Re: Historical reasons for secrecy in Vajrayana?

How am I supposed to see over the Great Wall if I am not standing on some horse? Do you propose I invent and build some kind of wooden wall escalation system with two post and various cross-beams? No really, if what I am saying above doesn't compute for you, that's perfectly fine, you can safely ign...
by randomseb
Thu May 16, 2013 8:15 pm
Forum: Tibetan Buddhism
Topic: Historical reasons for secrecy in Vajrayana?
Replies: 138
Views: 27914

Re: Historical reasons for secrecy in Vajrayana?

Oh I am heavily involved with the Kagyu lineage at the moment, but I don't know that I will be entering as a monastic under it as originally planned, because in general Tibetan buddhism doesn't seem to be very buddhist as described by the Buddha, or rather, the buddhism is there, but it's buried und...
by randomseb
Thu May 16, 2013 6:46 pm
Forum: Tibetan Buddhism
Topic: Historical reasons for secrecy in Vajrayana?
Replies: 138
Views: 27914

Re: Historical reasons for secrecy in Vajrayana?

You do realise that some (most) conventional medicines are poisonous when used incorrectly, at the wrong time, for the wrong disease, by the untrained? Why do you believe that spiritual medicines would be any different? Indeed, and do doctors tell you "come attach yourself to me, so and one da...
by randomseb
Thu May 16, 2013 2:29 pm
Forum: Dharma in Everyday Life
Topic: Expenses
Replies: 28
Views: 6144

Re: Expenses

On the subject of cushions, my tactic was simple.. I stopped using one, thereby starting the process of getting my body used to a flat surface to sit on, so that I may comfortably park my behind on any piece of ground I should happen to come across and feel inclined to install myself on.

:rolleye:
by randomseb
Thu May 16, 2013 2:23 pm
Forum: Tibetan Buddhism
Topic: Historical reasons for secrecy in Vajrayana?
Replies: 138
Views: 27914

Re: Historical reasons for secrecy in Vajrayana?

A customer base? Vajrayana is a commercial affair? Why yes.. Remember, this is India, where there's a self proclaimed guru in every corner trying to attract disciples so as to have servants and so on Counter productive according to who? The Buddha and his Four Noble Truths :shrug: Opinionated? Yes!...
by randomseb
Thu May 16, 2013 5:17 am
Forum: Dharma in Everyday Life
Topic: Expenses
Replies: 28
Views: 6144

Re: Expenses

It was suggested to me that a set of tibetan robes would be significantly cheaper if I asked a tibetan monk to pick one up in India at one of the street vendors, for super cheap, and bring it over to Canada during his visit here

:rolling:
by randomseb
Thu May 16, 2013 5:05 am
Forum: Tibetan Buddhism
Topic: Historical reasons for secrecy in Vajrayana?
Replies: 138
Views: 27914

Re: Historical reasons for secrecy in Vajrayana?

If I were to venture an opinion, I would suggest that this was originally synonymous with the modern concept of "trade secrets", so that for the super-special teachings you had to go to some specific source, thereby ensuring a customer base.. Later over generations this became part of the ...
by randomseb
Thu May 16, 2013 2:18 am
Forum: Dharma in Everyday Life
Topic: what is enlightenment ?
Replies: 36
Views: 7105

Re: what is enlightenment ?

It's like the great wind of your correct following of the Path blows away the stormy dark clouds of your ego and defilements that are covering the clear blue sky of your mind-ground, at which point the brilliant sun of your awareness can illuminate the land, giving rise to all of creation. That's th...
by randomseb
Wed May 15, 2013 5:46 pm
Forum: Dharma in Everyday Life
Topic: what is enlightenment ?
Replies: 36
Views: 7105

Re: what is enlightenment ?

While you may describe certain symptoms of it, it itself couldn't be described by any kind of language as doing so would establish a description of mental symbol objects which are not it itself, you know what I mean?

:broke:
by randomseb
Wed May 15, 2013 4:50 am
Forum: Dharma in Everyday Life
Topic: Do you keep your buddhism private?
Replies: 34
Views: 6639

Re: Do you keep your buddhism private?

I live at a buddhist dharma center, so everyone I meet is pretty much involved in some way :rolling: But seriously, just create a new facebook account under a pseudonym if you are concerned about privacy.. Actually anyone who is rightfully concerned about privacy should just avoid using facebook, as...
by randomseb
Tue May 14, 2013 6:37 pm
Forum: Meditation
Topic: shine/shamatha techniques
Replies: 17
Views: 5658

Re: shine/shamatha techniques

Meditating on A (Tibetan A or even the Ah sound) is Dzogchen preliminary shamatha. It is like meditating on a Buddha statue except more powerful. However I have no text I can point to to back me up. Basic shamatha - breath meditation Shravaka/Mahayana - Buddha statue Tantric shamatha - deity yoga D...

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