Hello from Santa Cruz!

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louiskline
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Hello from Santa Cruz!

Post by louiskline »

Hello,
I found this forum after looking into the 100 syllable vajrasattva mantra. My main practice is from the book, the dark red amulet, and a/the varjakilaya practice. Looking forward to learning more about Buddhism!
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DNS
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Re: Hello from Santa Cruz!

Post by DNS »

Welcome to DW!

Fortyeightvows
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Re: Hello from Santa Cruz!

Post by Fortyeightvows »

Welcome.

You can easily search the site for anything that interests you. Please feel free to comment on anything of interest.
I usually use a site-specific search in my browser, i.e. searching for
site:https://dharmawheel.net search-term
where search-term is what you're looking for.
Since the forum has been going for so long, there will be huge numbers of results for most common terms. Google Advanced Search lets you restrict results by date, and that can be handy, too.
avatamsaka3
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Re: Hello from Santa Cruz!

Post by avatamsaka3 »

Do you have an empowerment for that practice?
Schrödinger’s Yidam
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Re: Hello from Santa Cruz!

Post by Schrödinger’s Yidam »

If you’re in Santa Cruz, CA. there’s 2 good sized FPMT (Gelugpa) centers, a good sized Nyingma center, and a small Kagyu center in the S.C.County.

They can be a resource too.
1.The problem isn’t ‘ignorance’. The problem is the mind you have right now. (H.H. Karmapa XVII @NYC 2/4/18)
2. I support Mingyur R and HHDL in their positions against lama abuse.
3. Student: Lama, I thought I might die but then I realized that the 3 Jewels would protect me.
Lama: Even If you had died the 3 Jewels would still have protected you. (DW post by Fortyeightvows)
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WesleyP
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Re: Hello from Santa Cruz!

Post by WesleyP »

Hello!
louiskline
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Re: Hello from Santa Cruz!

Post by louiskline »

dolphin_color wrote: Sun Dec 15, 2019 3:11 pm Do you have an empowerment for that practice?
The text seems to imply that it has a transmission in it. Its by far the most effective (or at least it's effects are most apparent) I've done so I'd assume the written transmission works. If you don't believe that's enough or that a teachers transmission in person is more important let me know.
louiskline
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Re: Hello from Santa Cruz!

Post by louiskline »

smcj wrote: Sun Dec 15, 2019 3:28 pm If you’re in Santa Cruz, CA. there’s 2 good sized FPMT (Gelugpa) centers, a good sized Nyingma center, and a small Kagyu center in the S.C.County.

They can be a resource too.
Thanks! I'll check them out. I haven't looked into centers around me but my friend says there's a center that specializes in extensive retreats.
Schrödinger’s Yidam
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Re: Hello from Santa Cruz!

Post by Schrödinger’s Yidam »

1. Vajrapani in Boulder Creek (FPMT/Gelug)
2. Land of Medicine Buddha in Soquel (FPMT/Gelug)
3. Pema Ösel Ling in Aptos (Nyingma)
4. Karma Thegsum Choling in Capitola (Karma Kagyu) But it’s just a shrineroom in someone’s home.

There may be more now. Haven’t lived there in a while.
...my friend says there's a center that specializes in extensive retreats.

If he’s talking about something other than what I’ve just mentioned please let me know. I’m curious.
1.The problem isn’t ‘ignorance’. The problem is the mind you have right now. (H.H. Karmapa XVII @NYC 2/4/18)
2. I support Mingyur R and HHDL in their positions against lama abuse.
3. Student: Lama, I thought I might die but then I realized that the 3 Jewels would protect me.
Lama: Even If you had died the 3 Jewels would still have protected you. (DW post by Fortyeightvows)
avatamsaka3
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Re: Hello from Santa Cruz!

Post by avatamsaka3 »

The text seems to imply that it has a transmission in it. Its by far the most effective (or at least it's effects are most apparent) I've done so I'd assume the written transmission works. If you don't believe that's enough or that a teachers transmission in person is more important let me know.
I'm letting you know. Now I'm not the most experienced person here, but I can say that getting the right empowerment is crucially important. I've personally never heard of a written empowerment in the text itself, but I could be wrong. Suggestions: 1) Post in the Tibetan section here and ask about this particular book. 2) Go to a center with a verified lineage and a lama who seems suitable and ask what to do.
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Re: Hello from Santa Cruz!

Post by Schrödinger’s Yidam »

I looked up the book. It was co-authored by the “Khenpo brothers”. Since then one of them has passed away. The other, Khenpo Tsewang Dongyal Rinpoche, is still teaching. He summers at his land in upstate New York. In winter he travels and sometimes goes to Florida where he has centers. He speaks English but he’s hard to understand.

Pema Ösel Ling is the exact same tradition as KTDR. I think they should be your first stop.
1.The problem isn’t ‘ignorance’. The problem is the mind you have right now. (H.H. Karmapa XVII @NYC 2/4/18)
2. I support Mingyur R and HHDL in their positions against lama abuse.
3. Student: Lama, I thought I might die but then I realized that the 3 Jewels would protect me.
Lama: Even If you had died the 3 Jewels would still have protected you. (DW post by Fortyeightvows)
louiskline
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Re: Hello from Santa Cruz!

Post by louiskline »

dolphin_color wrote: Mon Dec 16, 2019 6:24 am
The text seems to imply that it has a transmission in it. Its by far the most effective (or at least it's effects are most apparent) I've done so I'd assume the written transmission works. If you don't believe that's enough or that a teachers transmission in person is more important let me know.
I'm letting you know. Now I'm not the most experienced person here, but I can say that getting the right empowerment is crucially important. I've personally never heard of a written empowerment in the text itself, but I could be wrong. Suggestions: 1) Post in the Tibetan section here and ask about this particular book. 2) Go to a center with a verified lineage and a lama who seems suitable and ask what to do.
I'm having trouble attaching pictures for some reason but I'll describe what i see in the book. Before the table of contents there is a message stating: "As with all Vajrayana practices, Vajrakilaya should not be practiced without receiving an empowerment or reading transmission directly from a qualified lineage master. Please do not attempt to practice these Vajrakilaya instructions without proper authorization and lineage blessings."
Then in the table of contents under chapter three: "The Reading Transmission". The only seemingly vague thing here is "without proper authorization and lineage blessings", but the book itself seems to be that as it includes very detailed instructions on how to do it and a transmission. I don't see why there would be a transmission without the an implied authorization. I'm not really feeling insecure about what to do with the practice but I would love to see a master to see what I'm probably doing wrong or for supplemental practices.
louiskline
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Re: Hello from Santa Cruz!

Post by louiskline »

smcj wrote: Mon Dec 16, 2019 6:42 am I looked up the book. It was co-authored by the “Khenpo brothers”. Since then one of them has passed away. The other, Khenpo Tsewang Dongyal Rinpoche, is still teaching. He summers at his land in upstate New York. In winter he travels and sometimes goes to Florida where he has centers. He speaks English but he’s hard to understand.

Pema Ösel Ling is the exact same tradition as KTDR. I think they should be your first stop.
Thanks! I'll definitely check it out :thanks:
louiskline
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Re: Hello from Santa Cruz!

Post by louiskline »

smcj wrote: Mon Dec 16, 2019 3:08 am 1. Vajrapani in Boulder Creek (FPMT/Gelug)
2. Land of Medicine Buddha in Soquel (FPMT/Gelug)
3. Pema Ösel Ling in Aptos (Nyingma)
4. Karma Thegsum Choling in Capitola (Karma Kagyu) But it’s just a shrineroom in someone’s home.

There may be more now. Haven’t lived there in a while.
...my friend says there's a center that specializes in extensive retreats.

If he’s talking about something other than what I’ve just mentioned please let me know. I’m curious.
He was talking about the Pema Osel Ling that you mentioned. They have 3 year long retreats and are a pretty serious center from what I've been told. I've done one of the vipassana 10 retreats but even a month long retreat seems like a bit much for me right now, never mind a 3 year retreat haha.
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Re: Hello from Santa Cruz!

Post by Ayu »

louiskline wrote: Mon Dec 16, 2019 9:00 pm
dolphin_color wrote: Mon Dec 16, 2019 6:24 am
The text seems to imply that it has a transmission in it. Its by far the most effective (or at least it's effects are most apparent) I've done so I'd assume the written transmission works. If you don't believe that's enough or that a teachers transmission in person is more important let me know.
I'm letting you know. Now I'm not the most experienced person here, but I can say that getting the right empowerment is crucially important. I've personally never heard of a written empowerment in the text itself, but I could be wrong. Suggestions: 1) Post in the Tibetan section here and ask about this particular book. 2) Go to a center with a verified lineage and a lama who seems suitable and ask what to do.
I'm having trouble attaching pictures for some reason but I'll describe what i see in the book. Before the table of contents there is a message stating: "As with all Vajrayana practices, Vajrakilaya should not be practiced without receiving an empowerment or reading transmission directly from a qualified lineage master. Please do not attempt to practice these Vajrakilaya instructions without proper authorization and lineage blessings."
Then in the table of contents under chapter three: "The Reading Transmission". The only seemingly vague thing here is "without proper authorization and lineage blessings", but the book itself seems to be that as it includes very detailed instructions on how to do it and a transmission. I don't see why there would be a transmission without the an implied authorization. I'm not really feeling insecure about what to do with the practice but I would love to see a master to see what I'm probably doing wrong or for supplemental practices.
AFAIK, "Reading Transmission" is a term for the teacher reading the text to the audience. He might read very quickly, you can't understand anything cognitively but the transmission is given then.
avatamsaka3
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Re: Hello from Santa Cruz!

Post by avatamsaka3 »

In other words, you cannot get the empowerment to practice a text from the text. You need a guru. Just checking with a guru to see if you're doing something wrong is absolutely the wrong way to practice Vajrayana. More experienced people can back me up on this.
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Johnny Dangerous
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Re: Hello from Santa Cruz!

Post by Johnny Dangerous »

louiskline wrote: Mon Dec 16, 2019 9:00 pm
dolphin_color wrote: Mon Dec 16, 2019 6:24 am
The text seems to imply that it has a transmission in it. Its by far the most effective (or at least it's effects are most apparent) I've done so I'd assume the written transmission works. If you don't believe that's enough or that a teachers transmission in person is more important let me know.
I'm letting you know. Now I'm not the most experienced person here, but I can say that getting the right empowerment is crucially important. I've personally never heard of a written empowerment in the text itself, but I could be wrong. Suggestions: 1) Post in the Tibetan section here and ask about this particular book. 2) Go to a center with a verified lineage and a lama who seems suitable and ask what to do.
I'm having trouble attaching pictures for some reason but I'll describe what i see in the book. Before the table of contents there is a message stating: "As with all Vajrayana practices, Vajrakilaya should not be practiced without receiving an empowerment or reading transmission directly from a qualified lineage master. Please do not attempt to practice these Vajrakilaya instructions without proper authorization and lineage blessings."
Then in the table of contents under chapter three: "The Reading Transmission". The only seemingly vague thing here is "without proper authorization and lineage blessings", but the book itself seems to be that as it includes very detailed instructions on how to do it and a transmission. I don't see why there would be a transmission without the an implied authorization. I'm not really feeling insecure about what to do with the practice but I would love to see a master to see what I'm probably doing wrong or for supplemental practices.
IIRC That book is intended for people with the actual transmission, practice explanation, etc. It is a bit puzzling to me that it was published as is, but that's it's intent I think. It's not meant to be a "quick path" to practicing Vajrakilaya (a practice which almost always involves an empowerment) without a teacher or Guru. I don't think the book is meant to substitute for any of these.

I know because it's one of the books that got me interested in Vajrayana, and I had no idea what I was looking at when I first got it. Generally speaking, practices like Amitabha, Chenrezig, Green Tara (especially these last two) can be found that are permissible to do in group puja without empowerment etc., some teachers do webcast empowerments also, such as Garchen Rinpoche.

However, I don't think I have ever seen anyone recommend a practice like Vajrakilaya simply following a book. Establishing some kind of relationship to a lineage and teacher is a prerequisite for practices like this. Some will claim it's dangerous to practice them without empowerment, others will simply say it's a waste of time.

So basically, it is saying don't mess with it without a Vajrakilaya empowerment, preferably one for this specific practice, including the Lung (reading transmission ,which means a recitation coming from a Lama, not reading a book) though I have seen teachers give different opinions on the last bit. I personally would not attempt such a practice without at least some kind of teachers blessing and a lung/practice explanation .

It's probably advidable to visit one of the centers mentioned, talk to people, talk to a Lama etc. rather than fooling with Vajrayana on your own, particularly with the practices in that book ,there is no way to effectively engage without lineage connections.
Meditate upon Bodhicitta when afflicted by disease

Meditate upon Bodhicitta when sad

Meditate upon Bodhicitta when suffering occurs

Meditate upon Bodhicitta when you are scared

-Khunu Lama
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