Dharma Wheel

Welcome. It's very brave of you, to come out like that, and inform your family. It's unfortunate that they cannot be more supportive, however. I think it's natural for most of our lives to try to please those we love. And it can be very hurtful when we can't do that. So it's going to take a lot of s...

1- If this person performs the magic to harm others it can be somehow to find out? Maybe, maybe not. 2- That's what happened to him (allegedly,third eye) could be due to the fact that I chant a particular mantra? Maybe, maybe not. 3-Assuming hypothetically that I came across a madman who can use the...

p.p.s. that having been said, most of my practice is what the Bamboo School calls "Consistent Mindfulness" e.g. mindful awareness while making pottery, fixing toilet stools, mowing the lawn, watering the garden, filling the bird feeder, washing dishes, cooking vegetables/beans/grains, buyi...

It's an old yoga story, about the onion. We keep peeling off the layers that are not-self, first the body, the emotions, mental, etc. until we arrive at what can't be peeled away. There's a bit of difference between Vedic and Buddhist conclusions about what you're left with, and different practices,...

Since I consider myself to be a follower of Zen, I pretty much stick to Heart Sutra and Lotus Sutra, these being of the Prajnaparamita school. I'd say that the Meta Sutta is THE first and foremost sutta, in spite of this. And the Kalama sutra must always be kept in mind, as well. I'll note that it's...

Reading Donald Lopez History of Buddhism cleared up a lot of confusion about these issues and many others. I also attended one of his lectures at Georgetown so it was easy to understand his perspective on Buddhism. The East has seen many teachers of enlightenment come and go. My preference in the Bu...

The hunting of Edward Snowden is a news story that allows the media to avoid the fact that, from the outset, nearly 75% of USA's citizens were opposed to NSA/FBI spying on them. The popularly touted survey numbers that showed a 50/50 split never asked the question directly, but the Reuters study did...

It's also a very Zen thing, however it is that they do it, that the Dharma Eye be opened - that's consistent with Stream Entry if you look at the texts. It's a minimum in Zen tradition, for teaching. That is, if they teach, which is always optional. Remember it's a DIY approach.

A certain Roshi, who is a world-renowned calligrapher, told this, how he had made a pilgrimage to the birthplace of Rinzai in China. Upon arriving at the village Lin Chi hails from, the villagers proclaimed "We have a calligrapher here too!" The Roshi was immediately reminded of the Zen St...

seeker242: well, yes that's natural since my association with his teachings have a history. Thay is not afraid to make free-wheeling interpretations of things which have been more or less set in stone for centuries. I've been unable although willing to make the Plum community my very own - still tha...

Lhug-Pa & Seeker242: Thank You for your replies. I did forget to mention organic/non-GMO. I've found several sources for these that fit the budget, locally available. I hadn't considered changing to chemical-free water however. Right now we use charcoal filtration for drinking water. Since I upd...

So I sit, close my eyes, and do what exactly? As suggested, maybe the quest is for something transcendental, e.g. the Divine or Eternal which is not found anywhere in the Universe, known or Unknown. I can only answer about meditation practice from the basis of my own experience, because all else com...

Stream Entry as a goal might be over-rated. What are you going to do after Stream Entry? Sure you will have empirical certainty as to the Dhamma, but you'll still be lugging about all the baggage of attachment. It's better to view Non-Attachment as the Goal, isn't it?

My body is signaling that. I've put a lot of research and experimentation into it, and the more vegan my diet is, the better my laboratory results are. I am putting this into effect. Any form of meat has animal fat, which, with my liver, becomes cholesterol. It runs in the family. Also, alcoholic be...

Actually dental assistants as well as dentists are trained in doing deep scale/root planing. Now, finding someone who is up front and starts with this procedure as well as an examination may not be all that easy. What happens is, plaque forms beneath the gum line and fosters infection, gum disease, ...

I draw from several traditions - I was introduced to Buddhism through personal contact with Buddhist poets Allen Ginsberg and Gary Snyder. I later began a meditation practice in the manner of Jon Kabat Zinn. It was very life-changing and I immediately sought out ways to practice 24/7 and to keep in ...