Search found 1547 matches

by tingdzin
Mon Mar 18, 2024 3:41 am
Forum: Dzogchen
Topic: Do you get rid of suffering for good with Dzogchen ?
Replies: 6
Views: 315

Re: Do you get rid of suffering for good with Dzogchen ?

:good:

This is the point of all Mahayana Buddhism, and I find it a bit strange that someone would come to the Dzogchen teachings before he or she had even nodding acquaintance with Buddhism in general. I guess it's because Dzogchen is trendy and the people who are marketing it are very skillful.
by tingdzin
Fri Mar 15, 2024 3:24 am
Forum: Tibetan Buddhism
Topic: Stagnant sanghas, teachers not teaching
Replies: 126
Views: 5581

Re: Stagnant sanghas, teachers not teaching

pemachophel wrote: Thu Mar 14, 2024 7:41 pm The ego is a slippery thing. IME, it's all too easy to think you're doing the right job when, in fact, you are coasting.
I can remember many times in my life that I thought practice was going along just fine, until I went back to a teacher and he showed me very directly that I was wrong.
by tingdzin
Wed Mar 13, 2024 6:11 am
Forum: Language
Topic: Unknown Tibetan character
Replies: 5
Views: 205

Re: Unknown Tibetan character

These sorts of non-standard characters are intended to be representations of foreign languages, usually Sanskrit, in cases where there is no Tibetan counterpart to the required sound/letter combination. There are some more usual constructions, but none is really "correct".
by tingdzin
Wed Mar 13, 2024 3:36 am
Forum: Tibetan Buddhism
Topic: Stagnant sanghas, teachers not teaching
Replies: 126
Views: 5581

Re: Stagnant sanghas, teachers not teaching

The role of the Teacher is not just to transmit texts and comment on them. For that, YouTube, Zoom, etc. may be acceptable. However, IME, it's important to be with the Teacher as much as possible (as long as you don't get burnt in the process). As the Teacher really gets to know you, He or She can ...
by tingdzin
Wed Mar 13, 2024 3:24 am
Forum: Tibetan Buddhism
Topic: Stagnant sanghas, teachers not teaching
Replies: 126
Views: 5581

Re: Stagnant sanghas, teachers not teaching

This may be a quibble, but in one of Gregoris' posts. the quote function (I guess) attributed a statement made by Natan to me. Natan wrote: ↑Mon Mar 11, 2024 4:52 pm Most experienced students will spot a phoney Dzogchen teacher, Most experienced students will spot a phoney Dzogchen teacher, Most stu...
by tingdzin
Tue Mar 12, 2024 3:42 am
Forum: Tibetan Buddhism
Topic: Stagnant sanghas, teachers not teaching
Replies: 126
Views: 5581

Re: Stagnant sanghas, teachers not teaching

ften, that's what being rime really boils down to -- being Kagyud or Sakypa but practicing Nyingma. :jumping: there are plenty of masters who are/were like Togden Rinpoche, who was Drikung technically, but actually full on Nyingma by practice. This is actually true. And IMO there is nothing wrong w...
by tingdzin
Tue Mar 12, 2024 2:46 am
Forum: Tibetan Buddhism
Topic: Stagnant sanghas, teachers not teaching
Replies: 126
Views: 5581

Re: Stagnant sanghas, teachers not teaching

t's ridiculous. I'm actually pretty open to New Thought, I think it's interesting and has an interesting history, my mom and sister are both members of a New Thought church that can definitely work towards wealth and worldly success, but focuses more on health, social activism and lifting everyone ...
by tingdzin
Mon Mar 11, 2024 4:11 am
Forum: Tibetan Buddhism
Topic: Stagnant sanghas, teachers not teaching
Replies: 126
Views: 5581

Re: Stagnant sanghas, teachers not teaching

ingdzin, Orgyen Kusum Lingpa revealed a number of terma here in the United States. Tulku Sherdor of Blazing Wisdom has compiled these and published them in a book. Oh, yes, I knew that Tibetan teachers have revealed mind terma in America. I was thinking in terms of Western "visionaries" o...
by tingdzin
Sun Mar 10, 2024 4:41 am
Forum: Tibetan Buddhism
Topic: Stagnant sanghas, teachers not teaching
Replies: 126
Views: 5581

Re: Stagnant sanghas, teachers not teaching

Natan: I actually agree with much of what you say. however, Then there are treasures of mind and visions which are not just a Padmasambhava thing, as well as treasures of wisdom understanding, as in something a very sharp yogi discerned and could be helpful given the circumsances. The question remai...
by tingdzin
Sun Mar 10, 2024 4:35 am
Forum: Tibetan Buddhism
Topic: Stagnant sanghas, teachers not teaching
Replies: 126
Views: 5581

Re: Stagnant sanghas, teachers not teaching

pemachophel wrote: Sat Mar 09, 2024 5:51 pm 1. "He [Guru Rinpoche] did not place termas anywhere else."

That's not true. Terma have been revealed in the U.S . and I feel quite certain that more will come.
Revealed by whom, and where? Can you provide details? The rest of your contribution was quite on point by the way.
by tingdzin
Sat Mar 09, 2024 10:20 am
Forum: Tibetan Buddhism
Topic: Stagnant sanghas, teachers not teaching
Replies: 126
Views: 5581

Re: Stagnant sanghas, teachers not teaching

The protocol does allow for this if there is genuine realization of what's discussed. This, of course, is the nub of it. How can beginning students judge this? [ a kagyu who teaches Nyingma (if there was no Nyingma lama) puts a person in the category of something like a terton. Few if any self-proc...
by tingdzin
Fri Mar 08, 2024 2:49 am
Forum: Language
Topic: Ali Kali / Vowels and Consonants
Replies: 12
Views: 5487

Re: Ali Kali / Vowels and Consonants

Since Sanskrit started to replace the various Prakrits in the transmission of Mahayana, there has been an ongoing debate about how important the "proper" pronunciation of Sanskrit letters and mantras is. Sanskrit is a very precise and well-ordered language, but the idea that there is some ...
by tingdzin
Thu Mar 07, 2024 3:19 pm
Forum: Tibetan Buddhism
Topic: Stagnant sanghas, teachers not teaching
Replies: 126
Views: 5581

Re: Stagnant sanghas, teachers not teaching

personally met numerous American and European guys, etc., who finished three year retreats with the solid lineages and are impressive practitioners. The thing is they have familiar histories that are not exotic. Most of them basically keep to themselves and only come out for some important function...
by tingdzin
Thu Mar 07, 2024 10:22 am
Forum: Mahāyāna Buddhism
Topic: Is life a illusion?
Replies: 22
Views: 757

Re: Is life a illusion?

This is a classic misunderstanding. Stick your hand into a fire and you will find out that there is a big difference between an intellectual grasp of the concept of non-substantiality and the reality you experience. Anyway, Buddhism has never said that life IS an illusion (compared to what?), but ra...
by tingdzin
Thu Mar 07, 2024 5:04 am
Forum: Tibetan Buddhism
Topic: Stagnant sanghas, teachers not teaching
Replies: 126
Views: 5581

Re: Stagnant sanghas, teachers not teaching

[ there are so few attempts by lineage holders to make an organized, consistent practice program based on traditional paths accessible in person via local dharma centers. i believe when it comes to dharma matters a living connection to a teacher is crucial. big masters are very hard to access, they...
by tingdzin
Thu Mar 07, 2024 4:51 am
Forum: Tibetan Buddhism
Topic: Stagnant sanghas, teachers not teaching
Replies: 126
Views: 5581

Re: Stagnant sanghas, teachers not teaching

I've said on here a few times, the guys are in retreat, as in pulling away and quitting. The scandals and internal dramas turned them off. It's just not done in Asia where they enjoy total deference and authority. Americans, Europeans and the Down Under guys do not have this culture and challenging...
by tingdzin
Wed Mar 06, 2024 3:49 am
Forum: Tibetan Buddhism
Topic: Stagnant sanghas, teachers not teaching
Replies: 126
Views: 5581

Re: Stagnant sanghas, teachers not teaching

Just sitting up there and doing it the same old way that is not working and just insisting that the students are flawed is not the way we get past the gray dharma centers. The teachers need to adapt. Teaching is not a collaborative enterprise. When I used to go to dharma centers, it would annoy me ...
by tingdzin
Wed Mar 06, 2024 3:38 am
Forum: Bön
Topic: Analyzing the term "Gye Dab" in a Dzogchen context
Replies: 3
Views: 547

Re: Analyzing the term "Gye Dab" in a Dzogchen context

As far as scriptural references, there is a very early Mahayana sutra, the Prayutpannasamadhi that already speaks of the "seal of the Buddha" as intending a confirmation of the Buddhas' highest realization.
by tingdzin
Sun Mar 03, 2024 3:59 am
Forum: Mahāyāna Buddhism
Topic: Five-Colored Cord Rituals?
Replies: 6
Views: 687

Re: Five-Colored Cord Rituals?

This really is interesting, since both these sutras much predate the Five Buddhas tradition in esoteric Buddhism, at least according to our current understanding. I guess it just illustrates that the themes that esoteric Buddhism as we know it may have had roots going very far back. Of course, it is...
by tingdzin
Sat Mar 02, 2024 2:40 am
Forum: Nyingma
Topic: Guhyagarbha translation opinions?
Replies: 6
Views: 433

Re: Guhyagarbha translation opinions?

Haven't seen Luminous Essence, but Chonam and Khandro's translation also supplies the root text in Tibetan, always useful.

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