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Bill
USA
46 Posts |
 Posted - Jan 18 2009 : 6:09:14 PM
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TMS,
Are you studying with Lama Gerson? |
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themysticseeker
USA
342 Posts |
Posted - Jan 18 2009 : 8:29:13 PM
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quote:
Originally posted by alwayson
Astral Dynamics is light reading?
Compared to what I usually read. |
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themysticseeker
USA
342 Posts |
Posted - Jan 18 2009 : 8:31:42 PM
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quote:
Originally posted by Bill
TMS,
Are you studying with Lama Gerson?
Lama Drubpon Gonpo Dorje Rinpoche |
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themysticseeker
USA
342 Posts |
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themysticseeker
USA
342 Posts |
Posted - Jan 24 2009 : 10:15:12 PM
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Today I learned about the five-fold mahamudra:
1. Compassion-bodhichitta
a. Compassion for all begins
b. Real compassionate action
c. Emptiness bodhicitta, non-focused non-attachment
2. Deity Yoga (Chakramsvara) (he described it as high-technology, a James Bond car for rapid development of karmic merits of body, mind and action of buddha)
3. Guru yoga (guru is the mind)
4. Mahamudra (co-emergent thoughts and dharmakaya)
5. Dedication of merit to all beings
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themysticseeker
USA
342 Posts |
Posted - Feb 03 2009 : 09:22:55 AM
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http://www.gomde.org.il/eng/index.htm?gr2008m.htm
http://www.keithdowman.net/mahamudra/tilopa.htm
For those interested in Mahamudra, please see the first link and download the audio lectures from Garchen Rinpoche who is a very accomplished Mahmudra master. The second link is to the root text of Tilopa's Ganga Mahamudra to Naropa.
These are several days of lectures so get ready to learn; very fascinating and useful.
Learn to experience the self-liberating space like nature of mind. These lectures explain how the "path of no path" and the "view of no view" are actually used to liberate the mind. How non-meditation is true meditation is explained clearly. It puts mantra practice into perspective and introduces the advanced practices of buddhist yoga.
Love,
TMS |
Edited by - themysticseeker on Feb 03 2009 09:27:28 AM |
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themysticseeker
USA
342 Posts |
Posted - Feb 04 2009 : 09:00:35 AM
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So we got into the mahamudra method. Dedication with bodhichitta precedes meditation: Dedicate meditation to the altruistic benefit of all beings and to use one's actions, speech and thoughts for the benefit of all. It is one method with four aspects: 1) Maintain the view of the mind as space-like; 2) Rest the mind at ease in its innate state; 3) The act is non-focused, non-fixated, non-attached; 4) With no hope or fear. In short, one maintains the view that the mind is just like space; when thoughts/feeling/dreams arise just notice them, and then allow them to subside. In the beginning, we practice this in short five-minute sessions, and try to repeat those sessions as much as possible. We also do this exercise when we are not meditating. It is said in the Kagyu lineage that the biggest evil is fixation, focus. One has faith that when the thought/feeling/dream arises, when we notice it, it will naturally subside.
The mind is space-like, the meditation is no attachment. Without clinging appearances naturally subside. |
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alwayson
Canada
288 Posts |
Posted - Feb 06 2009 : 2:39:12 PM
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Hi TMS,
According to wikipedia, your lineage is primarily concerned with phowa practices. Is this true?
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Drikung_Kagyu
It would explain our earlier misunderstandings about the rainbow body. In Nyingma, phowa is used as a third line back up. In other words one preferentially tries to obtain rainbow body. Failing that, one tries to achieve Buddhahood in the bardo. Failing that, one uses phowa. Many lineages practice getting really good at phowa instead of bothering with "higher" practices. |
Edited by - alwayson on Feb 06 2009 4:52:01 PM |
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themysticseeker
USA
342 Posts |
Posted - Feb 06 2009 : 4:50:15 PM
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| It is primarily concerned with Mahamudra. These attainments are not really discussed. The focus is on non-fixation, non-attachment; which is really a non-focus. They are mainly concerned with non-focus. |
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alwayson
Canada
288 Posts |
Posted - Feb 07 2009 : 8:15:11 PM
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| once you got the natural state down, don't you move on to various practices... |
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themysticseeker
USA
342 Posts |
Posted - Feb 09 2009 : 2:41:24 PM
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quote:
Originally posted by alwayson
once you got the natural state down, don't you move on to various practices...
Yes. But all the various practices, like the Six Yogas of Naropa, have the mahamudra view as the foundation. Maintaining the view requires humility and diligence to avoid clinging, desire and attachments. It is an ongoing process of letting go, obviously. If one can manage to view all phenomena as the guru, then that is a good sign.
Actually, the view itself is nirvana. The inner fire yogas follow, along with yidam and tantras. |
Edited by - themysticseeker on Feb 09 2009 2:57:16 PM |
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alwayson
Canada
288 Posts |
Posted - Feb 10 2009 : 1:07:20 PM
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Is it a process of "letting go" or just letting emotions and thoughts self-liberate...
(since all phenomenon are always empty of inherent essence right from thr start) |
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themysticseeker
USA
342 Posts |
Posted - Feb 10 2009 : 1:29:51 PM
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quote:
Originally posted by alwayson
Is it a process of "letting go" or just letting emotions and thoughts self-liberate...
(since all phenomenon are always empty of inherent essence right from thr start)
Right. Not so much letting go as not clinging once it arises; all phenomena self-liberate. |
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alwayson
Canada
288 Posts |
Posted - Feb 10 2009 : 11:20:16 PM
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What do you know about the dangers of winding up in the formless realms (right after human life) due to the dhyanas?
From what little I understand, formless realms are really bad. You skip the bardo, and are stuck for eons, whereupon which you are reborn in a lower birth.
All this comes from an incorrect interpretation of Buddhist teaching, resulting in wrong view, wrong meditation, wrong nonmediation etc. |
Edited by - alwayson on Feb 10 2009 11:38:21 PM |
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themysticseeker
USA
342 Posts |
Posted - Feb 11 2009 : 08:57:07 AM
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| By clinging to views "this is nothingness"; "this is not nothingness"; "this is the non arising God"; "this is non-perception", etc. One will be reborn in the formless realms. Similarly, asserting "this is meditation" or "this is non-meditation" cause one to be reborn in the formless realms. It comes about due to clinging, rather, fixating on a thought. |
Edited by - themysticseeker on Feb 11 2009 3:10:06 PM |
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alwayson
Canada
288 Posts |
Posted - Feb 11 2009 : 11:17:54 PM
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| what do you know of the chulen of space (akasha) practice? |
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themysticseeker
USA
342 Posts |
Posted - Feb 12 2009 : 09:57:19 AM
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quote:
Originally posted by alwayson
what do you know of the chulen of space (akasha) practice?
That it happens; great yogis can feed from the cosmos itself, going without food or water for up to 35 years, or even whole life. Many yogis can go up to 15 days; it is very common. |
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themysticseeker
USA
342 Posts |
Posted - Feb 18 2009 : 5:41:49 PM
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So generation/completion stage dichotomy is done away with in Gampopa's exposition of Mahamudra where there is no need for the various yogas and kundalini practice. For those with highest capacity, one merely maintains the correct view and mind practice. The channels and winds are balanced on their own when discursive thoughts dissolve into the dharmakaya. Thus, one can do away with craving for further esoteric manipulations. Mahamudra is the highest esoteric practice; it is mind yoga. It's all stages wrapped up into one.
For people with lesser capacity, there gradual stages; there are the yogas, tantras, and so forth. For example, Vase breathing/tummo (kumbhaka/kundalini) is an accelerator, but not necessary. For older people, kundalini is not possible so mahamudra meditation is sufficient. |
Edited by - themysticseeker on Feb 18 2009 5:47:25 PM |
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alwayson
Canada
288 Posts |
Posted - Feb 18 2009 : 9:48:35 PM
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you can go that way, but you will achieve Buddhahood only at death instead of during life like Milarepa.
unless you are one of those special people that gain Buddhahood with the fourth empowerment. |
Edited by - alwayson on Feb 19 2009 11:17:04 AM |
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themysticseeker
USA
342 Posts |
Posted - Feb 19 2009 : 3:39:32 PM
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| You are correct. There are secret whispered transmissions that are not described. But not everyone will have an opportunity to hear them, and there are few gurus who are capable of giving them. And what I described is a huge fast forward on the path that is otherwise characterized by endless wandering. By any means folks must find a good lama; those destined ones will. |
Edited by - themysticseeker on Feb 19 2009 3:49:38 PM |
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alwayson
Canada
288 Posts |
Posted - Feb 19 2009 : 6:21:36 PM
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I read some stuff on Esangha, which is a Buddhist online forum.
There is a knowledgeable loppon (on his way to become a lama) named Namdrol there, who says that the so called "mahamudra" without empowerments or kundalini was an invention of the Kagyus to occupy the time of unworthy/unready students (99% of westerners fall into this category).
The other schools reject the idea of a mahamudra that is divorced from tantrism.
Sign up for that forum, do a search for exact user name Namdrol, and the term "sutra mahamudra" or related terms, and display results as posts. |
Edited by - alwayson on Feb 21 2009 12:55:51 PM |
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alwayson
Canada
288 Posts |
Posted - Feb 21 2009 : 1:03:01 PM
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One of many quotes from Namdrol
"The sutra mahamudra tradition, according to Kongtrul, is system designed to create a positive traces for meeting with real mahamudra, but does not lead to liberation in a single lifetime, this is the position of Kongtrul, the greatest Karma Kagyu master in the past three hundred years." |
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stevenbhow
Japan
352 Posts |
Posted - Feb 22 2009 : 03:23:15 AM
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Hey TMS and alwayson,
Glad to see you guys seem to be getting along again. Most of the stuff you guys are discussing is above the head of a novice like me, but I enjoy reading your posts nonetheless. Please keep it up and keep it civil. |
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Topic |
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Mahamudra
