Vasana wrote: ↑Sat Jan 06, 2018 6:42 pm
Another question: I have the four methods of development book. Is there another book for making sense of astrology in General?
I'm an earth snake (1989) . Am I right in thinking 2013 was an obstacle year or was it 2012?
2013 (but it can manifest before or after).
Key for Constulting the Tibetan Calander - Namkhai Norbu Tibetan Astrology - Fillipe Cornu A Concise Introduction to Tibetan Astrology - Men- Tsee-Khang
Also the book on Namkha is very useful for those who have received transmission. It is by Chogyal Namkhai Norbu.
Vasana wrote: ↑Sat Jan 06, 2018 6:42 pm
Another question: I have the four methods of development book. Is there another book for making sense of astrology in General?
I'm an earth snake (1989) . Am I right in thinking 2013 was an obstacle year or was it 2012?
2013 (but it can manifest before or after).
Key for Constulting the Tibetan Calander - Namkhai Norbu Tibetan Astrology - Fillipe Cornu A Concise Introduction to Tibetan Astrology - Men- Tsee-Khang
Also the book on Namkha is very useful for those who have received transmission. It is by Chogyal Namkhai Norbu.
Those are good introductions.
Kevin
Thanks. 2013 was definitely a pivotal difficult year but it mostly started in oct 2012. 2017 or this current lunar year has been the most challenging since then but also the most ripe for making progress with Dharma.
Worth remembering that 'normal' will very likely get much worse the deeper we go in to the age of 5 degenerations.
I'll check out some of those books.
'When thoughts arise, recognise them clearly as your teacher'— Gampopa 'When alone, examine your mind, when among others, examine your speech'.— Atisha
Vasana wrote: ↑Sat Jan 06, 2018 7:26 pm
Worth remembering that 'normal' will very likely get much worse the deeper we go in to the age of 5 degenerations.
I'll check out some of those books.
Eh, that is for practitioners in the future. We can apply Vajrayana/Dzogchen instructions and attain rapido. It's the sutra folks that don't pay respect for tantric texts that will bare the brunt of that.
Virgo wrote: ↑Sat Jan 06, 2018 6:48 pm
So for example, everyones capacity in the household will be supporting the Earth Dog's capacity. The Earth Dog won't be doing the majority of the chores, lol.
Thanks, Kevin. This is helpful. I'm certain the fire monkey won't be impressed...
Virgo wrote: ↑Sat Jan 06, 2018 6:48 pm
So for example, everyones capacity in the household will be supporting the Earth Dog's capacity. The Earth Dog won't be doing the majority of the chores, lol.
Thanks, Kevin. This is helpful. I'm certain the fire monkey won't be impressed...
Actually when someones capacity is child of your own (in this case the Earth Dog's capacity is the child of the Fire Monkey's capacity) you enjoy helping them, supporting them, etc. There is no conflict.
Capacity has to do with career, status, titles, and so on, but in a more general way it has to do with things going your way in situations (not the same as good situations and opportunities occuring).
Vasana wrote: ↑Sat Jan 06, 2018 7:26 pm
Worth remembering that 'normal' will very likely get much worse the deeper we go in to the age of 5 degenerations.
I'll check out some of those books.
Eh, that is for practitioners in the future. We can apply Vajrayana/Dzogchen instructions and attain rapido. It's the sutra folks that don't pay respect for tantric texts that will bare the brunt of that.
Kevin
We're still in the age of degeneration. Ecologically speaking the planet's 5 elements are not in anything resembling harmony. This effects all life. The effects are already noticeable as the 5 degenerations to varying degrees.
"Five degenerations (nyig ma nga) increasing in the degenerate time (kaliyuga) are:
1. degeneration of time (tib.: du kyi nyig) - time of wars, peace does not last long; time of sicknesses with new diseases coming; the decline of quality of things, less nutritious food, famine; people are overwhelmed by spirit harms.
2. degeneration of sentient beings (tib.: sem cen gyi nyig ma) - refers to the decline in physical form, intellect, good health; beings are thick-skulled and difficult to subdue; the majority hold ideas that are morally wrong, many are intolerant to the point of hatred.
3. degeneration of lifespan (tib.: tshei nyig ma) - refers to the fact that the lifespan of beings declines from one hundred years all the way down to ten years.
4. degeneration of actions/views (tib.: le kyi nyig ma) - means that all sentient beings engage in the ten non-virtuous actions, people very easily believe in wrong philosophies and find it difficult to believe the right view.
5. degeneration of afflictions (tib.: nyon mong pe nyig ma) - indicates that the afflictions of ignorance, desire, anger, jealousy, pride and other delusions are becoming so strong that it is very difficult to abandon them.
Sentient beings of that time have small merit, yet, it is said that those capable of training the mind are not vulnerable to the proliferation of the five degenerations and remain contented."
'When thoughts arise, recognise them clearly as your teacher'— Gampopa 'When alone, examine your mind, when among others, examine your speech'.— Atisha
Vasana wrote: ↑Sun Jan 07, 2018 10:02 am
We're still in the age of degeneration.
At the moment, yes. But it is going to get way worse, sadly.
Kevin
Part of me wonders if it's possible to fix it. Do we have to be so fatalistic and resigned to such a terrible fate?
It's not really about fatalism, but more about how this is the presentation of cosmology in Buddhadharma. In other words, how things are in conditioned realms. It is cyclical, and right now we're in an age of degeneration which unfortunately will get worse and worse. But all of these eras, whether peaceful or not, are impermanent, just like this universe. And so it's described that at the end of the major kalpa, this universe will be destroyed.
according to many great teachers, the root mechanism for the five degenerations is nothing other than the growth of the kleshas in the mind-streams of sentient beings. so anything that's decrease those kleshas slows down the degeneration of the kali yuga.
sounds easy, but...
in any case, as Ayang Rinpoche often says, "Still we have to try."
pemachophel wrote: ↑Wed Jan 10, 2018 12:41 am
according to many great teachers, the root mechanism for the five degenerations is nothing other than the growth of the kleshas in the mind-streams of sentient beings. so anything that's decrease those kleshas slows down the degeneration of the kali yuga.
sounds easy, but...
in any case, as Ayang Rinpoche often says, "Still we have to try."
Is there an online tool for quickly calculating obstacle years for people of different birth years?
So for example, this coming will be an obstacle year for people born in xxxx, xxxx, xxxx etc
'When thoughts arise, recognise them clearly as your teacher'— Gampopa 'When alone, examine your mind, when among others, examine your speech'.— Atisha
Vasana wrote: ↑Sat Dec 14, 2019 5:39 pm
Is there an online tool for quickly calculating obstacle years for people of different birth years?
So for example, this coming will be an obstacle year for people born in xxxx, xxxx, xxxx etc
It is the year you where born, if you where born in a tiger year then that is your obstacle year.
/magnus
"We are all here to help each other go through this thing, whatever it is."
~Kurt Vonnegut
"The principal practice is Guruyoga. But we need to understand that any secondary practice combined with Guruyoga becomes a principal practice." ChNNR (Teachings on Thun and Ganapuja)
Norwegian. 
