Mantrik wrote: ↑Mon Dec 25, 2017 12:36 am
Reading a book and hearing recordings of a practitioner provide absolutely no empowerment, transmission, qualification or attainment whatsoever.
You have not and will not make any progress in Vajrayana without a guru.
Sadly, we seem to be getting quite a few of these threads recently on DW. On a positive note, at least people can be advised correctly, albeit that few accept it.
The guru is Reggie Ray. The empowerment is inside the Sadhana if you can hear it. The oral instructions are within the Sadhana if you can hear them. If you can't generate bliss with Tumo you won't hear them.
Grigoris wrote: ↑Sun Dec 24, 2017 11:33 pm
I am not going to delete the thread if you are going to rgfrain from being intentionally deceptive and obscure to cover up your shortcomings. All of us have shortcomings. Let's not add lying to the list.
I have never been formally declared an Arya. The Lama confirmed my experience but he did not say "You are Arya" or Vidyadhara or any other titles. When you see your inner nature there is no one around to say "Good job, you did it". So I did not know I was one. The minutiae of titles and procedures is outside my knowledge. I just kind of had all this fall into my lap. I wanted to practice but once I started interacting with the sanghas, no offense but I don't fit in. Most of you see life through a very different lens than I do. I sort of envy it, because my life is rather brutal and unpleasant, solitary, etc.
Reggie Ray is Reggie. I've never met his human incarnation, either. I've met him, but I haven't. Those who have realized will understand. His human incarnation (contacted via email) says it's OK if I practice under him but I wanted to find a more legitimate Kagyu Lineage to join. Unfortunately there is a heavy left wing political viewpoint that has consumed Western Vajrayana. This is why I've been teaching Buddhism to racists and Nazis on the internet: no one else is. However over time I've come to realize there is no role for me to play here, and now I mostly observe.
I'm not entirely sure why I created this thread. I was moved to do so at that specific time. I apologize if you find me deceptive. Since I have never been involved in Buddhist culture I don't know what I am allowed and not allowed to say.
If anyone in here feels like I'm special or praiseworthy, please, look within. It's within you, within every single one of you. I'm no different from you, if anything I'm probably worse. It sounds so hokey to talk about love. So fake, like "look at me I'm a good boy" virtue signalling. But all we can do to make this place, this moment, special is love each other.
This conversation has shown me that things are worse than I'd imagined. People do not seem to understand that Tumo is like a recipe, once the ingredients are combined it just works. Lama Yeshe has said it is ok for Tumo to be practiced. They also don't seem to be aware that Mr. Trungpa's students are still carrying on his legacy of de-religioning Tantra. I have no idea if that's a good thing or not.
Absolutely a guru is required. You won't have the necessary dream yoga visions unless the guru is consciously working with you, and so on. I never claimed not to have a teacher. I've had several. Ive worked with a Lama offline, not recorded. H.E. Garchen Rinpoche says recordings work if the student is capable, and he is correct. I understand now that it is rare to be such a student. If there were a "me" here to be proud, I would be, but samsara is, for me at least, still full of suffering so I can't afford pride. I'm not important. All of you are much more important.
It has been a funny journey. I like it. I wanted to be a shaman, or a voodoo practitioner, but I like the idea of complete forgiveness much better. I asked the Lama if I could go learn voodoo now but he said it would be a very bad thing to take refuge outside of Buddhism, having already committed myself to follow Buddha. He said it would be a bad idea to work with voodoo loa because they are dangerous unenlightened spirits who could harm me. So I listened. He never says "Do this" or "Do that", only makes suggestions
Unfortunately, due to the current political situation I'm no longer able to work with him. I hope to again, in this or another life. I love him very much. I would rather not post his name, however, as the Internet can be rather savage.
I think my shortcomings are pretty well exposed. I started off by declaring I was going to hell. It's funny to think of someone consciously walking the path to hell while trying to hide shortcomings.
On a similar note, aggression is a painful path to walk. Passive aggression probably isn't the best either. But I know nothing, so there is no reason to listen to me.