An Eternal Now

21 Dec 11, 20:31

Ucchedavada (literally "advocating cutting off") is the view that an entity which exists (such as a self) becomes non-existent (thus negating rebirth, karma and so on).

If you cannot find any existent there is no reason to propose non-existence.

N

(Loppon Namdrol)

sinweiy

24 Dec 11, 11:33

how Buddha attain awakening. He went through extreme asceticism, but it didn't work, later he heard the song.

"Fair goes the dancing when the Sitar is tuned,

Tune us the Sitar neither low nor high,

And we will dance away the hearts of men.

The string overstretched breaks, the music dies,

The string overslack is dumb and the music dies,

Tune us the Sitar neither low nor high."

He gave up the earlier extreme practices and took to the middle path. Moderation.

/\

realization

28 Dec 11, 19:33

They who have faith in the Buddha have faith in the best, and for those who have faith in the best the result is the best.

Anguttara Nikaya II.34

winsomeea

28 Dec 11, 19:35

i thought faith is very much the christianity thing.

realization

28 Dec 11, 21:20

Originally posted by winsomeea:

i thought faith is very much the christianity thing.

Without having basic faith that a particular teacher has understood the ultimate truth regarding life, one could not even begin to learn from him. Faith here does not refer to placing faith in the Buddha as some almighty deity that can reward or punish. Instead, what it points to here is having faith in the integrity and effectiveness of the Buddha's teachings to lead us out of suffering.

An Eternal Now

28 Dec 11, 22:35

Loppon Namdrol: Real bodhicitta comes from realizing your nature. The rest is just contrived bullshit conceptual bodhicitta that is of no use at all.

Jangchup Donden wrote:
No use at all?

Loppon Namdrol:

None. Completely inauthentic and not connected at all to sentient beings real situation, which is that they are suffering because they do not know their own nature.

All the contrived conceptual wishful thinking about how nice it would be to save sentient beings does not help them, or oneself, even one little bit.

I am not saying "don't be nice to people" -- of course one should be nice. But one shouldn't paint being decent with religious fantasies.

N

You miss the point completely. Uncontrived bodhicitta is based on one's personal experience of the nature of the mind, and from that stems limitless compassion from others.

What I am saying is that intellectually cultivated bodhicitta is next to useless.

N

Thusness, earlier this year:

Although I do not hold on tightly to an altruistic view but yes I believe when a practitioner fully actualized the view of 2 fold Emptiness, there is this free flowing compassion for all living beings. For lay practitioner, this aspect is not thoroughly manifested but for some great vajrayana or Mahayana masters, we witness such compassions. I do not see ‘Bodhicitta’ as a goal but rather as a natural quality of a sincere practitioner that has actualized the view of Emptiness.

An Eternal Now

28 Dec 11, 23:17

Thusness, early 2007:

Since appearance is all there is and appearance is really the source, what gives rise to the diversities of appearances? Â“SweetnessÂ” of sugar isnÂ’t the Â“bluenessÂ” color of the sky. Same applies to Â“AMnessÂ”Â… Mr. Green all are equally pure, no one state is purer than the other, only condition differs. Conditions are factors that give appearances their Â‘formsÂ’. In Buddhism, pristine awareness and conditions are inseparable.

Although there is non-dual in Adviata and no-self in Buddhism, Adviata rest in an Â“Ultimate BackgroundÂ” (making it dualistic Question ), whereas Buddhism eliminates the background completely and rest in the emptiness nature of phenomena; arising and ceasing is where pristine awareness is. In Buddhism, there is no eternality, only timeless continuity (timeless as in vividness in present moment but change and continue like a wave pattern). There is no changing thing, only change.

..........

The Â‘NowÂ’ has no identity, no image and no sameness. Not a background and is not a container for things to manifest. When free of concepts, free of the bondage and the need for a background, the Â‘thatÂ’, the Â‘itÂ’, the arising and subsiding phenomena is the presence.

There is no changing thing, there is only change. Things are cognized.
The ever becoming has no end and does not begin. No one particular moment is all of it and yet, no moment isnÂ’t it. Neither is there an Â‘AllÂ’ to this stream as Â‘AllÂ’ has no meaning in an endless stream of becoming.

Look, see and point to the mountain, listen to the drumbeats of footsteps, hear the chirping birds; without overlaying symbols, free of concepts, delimited not by a body, not affect by the imprints of senses, undefined by languages, all is and are the Pristine Awareness.

Yet the entire beauty, richness, fabric and texture of this so lucidly clear and real, does not remain even for a moment, instantaneously it is gone. Embrace "this instantaneously gone" and embrace Â“let ariseÂ”, this is its nature, simply so.

...........

The sensation of Isness 'as it is' is a feeling of clarity. It is an expression that the mind is not adding or subtracting anything from that clarity. But in most cases, Isness is to some extend very much mixed up with thoughts (dualistic). There are varying degree of clarity to this experience of Isness.

There will come a time where the mind/body just dropped completely. There is absolutely no sensation of a background and a body. Then the vividness and clarity is only just the 'things' as the layering that divides disappear.

If the mind/body drop-experience is stabilized, all experiences become shifted to the experience of awareness as 'Forms'. Seeing it as the 'Things', as everything. Experiencing Awareness is the same as experiencing the crystal clarity of 'things'. As long as there is 'things', existence, awareness IS. Awareness, IS and 'Things' are One. If this experience is stabilized, there is really no need to find 'where' it emanates from since everywhere merely IS. If the center is truly gone, emanation is right at the 'sound' heard, there and then. So we felt a Â‘centerÂ’, a Â‘placeÂ’, what we are feeling is an impression that is Â‘thought-boundÂ’. It is really the feeling of the Â‘ideaÂ’ in a more subtle form rather than awareness in its nakedness.

Next when the mind is free of definitions and symbols, it loses all its 'quantitative' characteristics. Eternality for example, is not an endless duration from past to future; instead it is right in/at this instant; how deep, beautiful, real and clear it is in this instantaneous moment. All attributes (Realness, Luminosity, Unborn, Uncreated...etc) of Awareness are manifested instantly. How much we know about our pristine Awareness is determined by the quality of this moment of experience. In Buddhism it is what can be experienced in a speck of dust and all these have to do with the thoroughness of dropping the 'Self', every aspect of the 'Self' (as a container, as body, as habitual momentum). Do not place any limit on the experience of 'Isness', there is no depth to it... Mr. Green

...........

IMO and from a spiritual practice point of view, any form of holdings is pain.

Many times attachments are not obvious and we never realized how strong our attachments are until we are hit by crisis. This is what I experienced during financial crisis in 1997. Before that I thought I was not that attached to $$$ but when threaten by bankruptcy all sort of thoughts arised, including very evil ones. Embarassed

To live in present moment from a practice perspective is to be in naked awareness, where awareness is completely clear, non-dual and unmolested. It is not seeking anything and awareness rest in its orginality. Puting this mind state into daily activities is known as non-action and does not carry karma and this is the difficult part. This is different from those '1 second manager' sort of concepts that train one to be effective and efficient in achieving goals.

With regards to ur exams and utube example, it is a matter of being focus that requires u to 'jing and ding' in order to concentrate. In this case both are still attachment. If u study with ur best effort yet not affected by the the outcome, you are non-attached. Smile

...........

'Now' is an impression. 'Here' is an impression. The 'place where it emanates' is also an impression. If we attempt to find a 'where', we are reacting to our dualistic momentum. This will create a 'split' and the sense of self will arise.

Isness is the vivid and crystal clarity of a moment of phenomenal manifestation. It is awareness as 'things' and awareness as 'forms'. All of what awareness is, is the phenomenal manifestation right there and then and it subsides instantaneously. If the 'sense of self' as a background, as body and as momentum hasn't dissolved thoroughly, there will be vagueness in the experience of Isness and the timelessness of an instant will not be appreciated.

An Eternal Now

29 Dec 11, 02:38

No, it is not saying follow the literal words of a given text. Dharma does not live in texts.

N

I didn't say texts were useless. But they have no life on their own, dharma solely lives in practice.

I say this Will, because as you know, I have read thousands and thousands of texts, and practiced for the past two decades.

For example, the real Kalacakra tanta is not the book. It is the experience of mandala. The real PrajnÌ„Ä�pÄ�ramita is not the several volumes of texts in the Tripitika, it is experience of inexpressible emptiness. The real Vinaya is not the rules and stories about the rules, the real Vinaya is not harming sentient beings.

You cannot follow all sutras, much less tantras, literally. It is completely impossible.

N

~ Loppon Namdrol

An Eternal Now

31 Dec 11, 05:10

“Beyond meditation practice, there is attitude. A beginner must learn to cultivate what is called, “the poise of a dying man”. What is this poise? It is the poise of knowing what is important and what is not, and of being accepting and forgiving. Anyone who has ever been at the bedside of a dying man will understand this poise. What would the dying man do if someone were to insult him? Nothing. What would the dying man do if someone were to strike him? Nothing. As he lay there, would he scheme to become famous or wealthy? No. If someone who had once offended him were to ask him for his forgiveness would he not give it? Of course he would. A dying man knows the pointlessness of enmity. Hatred is always such a wretched feeling. Who wishes to die feeling hatred in his heart? No one. The dying seek love and peace.”

~ Ch'an Master Hsu Yun

An Eternal Now

1 Jan 12, 16:40

SN 21.10

PTS: S ii 282

CDB i 720

Theranama Sutta: [A Monk] by the Name of Elder

(On Solitude)

translated from the Pali by

Thanissaro Bhikkhu

On one occasion the Blessed One was staying near Rajagaha in the Bamboo Grove, the squirrels' sanctuary. Now at that time a certain monk by the name of Elder[1] was one who lived alone and extolled the virtues of living alone. Alone he entered the village for alms, alone he returned, alone he sat withdrawn [in meditation], alone he did walking meditation.

Then a large number of monks went to the Blessed One and, on arrival, having bowed down to him, sat to one side. As they were sitting there, they informed him: "Lord, there is a certain monk by the name of Elder who lives alone and extols the virtues of living alone."

Then the Blessed One told a certain monk, "Come, monk. In my name, call the monk named Elder, saying, 'The Teacher calls you, my friend.'"

"As you say, lord," the monk answered and, having gone to Ven. Elder, on arrival he said, "The Teacher calls you, my friend."

"As you say, my friend," Ven. Elder replied. Then he went to the Blessed One and, on arrival, having bowed down to him, sat to one side. As he was sitting there, the Blessed One said to him, "Is it true, Elder, that you live alone and extol the virtues of living alone?"

"Yes, lord."

"But how do you live alone and extol the virtues of living alone?"

"Lord, alone I enter the village for alms, alone I return, alone I sit withdrawn [in meditation], alone I do walking meditation. That is how I live alone and extol the virtues of living alone."

"There is that way of living alone, Elder. I don't say that there isn't. Still, listen well to how your living alone is perfected in its details, and pay close attention. I will speak."

"As you say, lord," Ven. Elder responded.

The Blessed One said: "And how is living alone perfected in its details? There is the case where whatever is past is abandoned, whatever is future is relinquished, and any passion & desire with regard to states of being attained in the present is well subdued.[2] That is how living alone is perfected in its details."

That is what the Blessed One said. Having said it, the One Well-gone further said this:

"All-conquering, all-knowing, intelligent; with regard to all things, unadhering; all-abandoning, released in the ending of craving: him I call a man who lives alone."

Note

1.: Thera.
2.: Iti 15 states that as long as one has craving as a companion, one keeps wandering on in samsara.

Notes

1.: See Vol I, Part I, n. 15.

An Eternal Now

2 Jan 12, 09:30

Buddha:

I have heard that on one occasion the Blessed One was staying near Savatthi, in Jeta's Grove, Anathapindika's monastery. Now on that occasion the Blessed One was sitting out in the open in the pitch black of the night, while oil lamps were burning. Many flying insects were meeting their downfall and misfortune in those oil lamps. The Blessed One saw those flying insects meeting their downfall and misfortune in those oil lamps.

Then, on realizing the significance of that, the Blessed One on that occasion exclaimed:

http://www.accesstoinsight.org/tipitaka ... .than.html

sinweiy

3 Jan 12, 21:55

ä½›æ³•æ˜¯å¿ƒæ³•

translate. ? not easy to translate.

çœŸæ£çš„ä½›æ³•ï¼Œæ˜¯å¿ƒæ³•ï¼Œå”¯æœ‰å¿ƒæ³•ï¼Œæ‰�æ˜¯æˆ�ä½›çš„å”¯ä¸€æ³•é–€ã€‚--

/\

An Eternal Now

6 Jan 12, 09:24

Loppon Namdrol: Causes and effects are not the same, nor are they different. The mind that takes rebirth is not as same as the previous mind nor is it different. This is the reason why it is possible for sentients beings to experience serial rebirth through the appropriation of an infinite series of new physical bodies over time, relatively speaking. By saying that there is no actual rebirth, one is committing oneself to a metaphysical position called ucchedavada i.e. annihilationism. Commiting oneself to the position that there is an actual self, person, or entity that is reborn is called Å›Ä�Å›vatavÄ�da, eternalism. But when one understands that one instant of mind is neither the same nor different than the next instant of mind; since they are not the same, one avoids Å›Ä�Å›vatavÄ�da; and since they are not different, one avoids ucchedavada â€” thus one can understand the truth of rebirth, karma and its result, and dependent origination in the manner in which the Buddha intended and leave off the metaphysical speculations that plague non-Buddhists about such issues. One can then also understand that since the mind has no beginning, it never arose; and since it never arose, it never ceases. N ---- The meaning of the heart sutra is very simple -- it is about the inseparability of samsara and nirvana. That is simple, but it is also profound. N

An Eternal Now

6 Jan 12, 11:02

If one hopes that something will manifest from outside oneself, instead of continuing in the presence of one's own State, this is like the saying that tells about an evil spirit coming to the Eastern gate, and the ransom to buy him off being sent to the Western gate. In such a case, even if one believes one is meditating perfectly, in reality, it's just a way of tiring oneself out for nothing. So continuing in the State which one finds within oneself is really the most important thing. If one neglects that which one has within oneself and instead seeks something else, one becomes like the beggar who had a precious stone for a pillow, but not knowing it for what it was, had to go to such great pains to beg for alms for a living. Therefore, maintaining the presence of one's own State and observing the wave of thought, without judging whether this presence is more or less clear, and without thinking of the calm state and the wave of thought in terms of the acceptance of the one and the rejection of the other, absolutely not conditioned by wanting to change anything whatsoever, one continues without becoming distracted, and without forgetting to keep oneâ€™s awareness present; governing oneself in this way one gathers the essence of the practice. Some people are disturbed when they hear noises made by other people walking, talking and so on, and they become irritated by this, or else becoming distracted by things external to themselves, they give birth to many illusions. This is the mistaken path known as 'the dangerous passageway in which external vision appears to one as an enemy'. What this means is that, even though one knows how to continue in the knowledge of the condition of both the state of calm and the wave of thought, one has not yet succeeded in integrating this state with one's external vision. If this should be the case, while still always maintaining present awareness, if one sees something, one should not be distracted, but, without judging what one sees as pleasant, one should relax and continue in the presence. If a thought arises judging experience as pleasant and unpleasant, one should just acknowledge it with bare attention and continue in present awareness without forgetting it. If one finds oneself in an annoying circumstance, such as surrounded by a terrible row, one should just acknowledge this disagreeable circumstance and continue in present awareness, without forgetting it. If one does not know how to integrate the presence of awareness with all one's daily actions, such as eating, walking, sleeping, sitting, and so on, then it is not possible to make the state of contemplation last beyond the limited duration of a session of sitting meditation. - chogyal namkhai norbu rinpoche

sinweiy

6 Jan 12, 14:03

Originally posted by An Eternal Now:

Loppon Namdrol:

Causes and effects are not the same, nor are they different.

The mind that takes rebirth is not as same as the previous mind nor is it different.

This is the reason why it is possible for sentients beings to experience serial rebirth through the appropriation of an infinite series of new physical bodies over time, relatively speaking.

By saying that there is no actual rebirth, one is committing oneself to a metaphysical position called ucchedavada i.e. annihilationism. Commiting oneself to the position that there is an actual self, person, or entity that is reborn is called Å›Ä�Å›vatavÄ�da, eternalism.

But when one understands that one instant of mind is neither the same nor different than the next instant of mind; since they are not the same, one avoids Å›Ä�Å›vatavÄ�da; and since they are not different, one avoids ucchedavada — thus one can understand the truth of rebirth, karma and its result, and dependent origination in the manner in which the Buddha intended and leave off the metaphysical speculations that plague non-Buddhists about such issues. One can then also understand that since the mind has no beginning, it never arose; and since it never arose, it never ceases.

N

The meaning of the heart sutra is very simple—it is about the inseparability of samsara and nirvana. That is simple, but it is also profound.

N

right on.

/\

An Eternal Now

7 Jan 12, 14:19

“That which arose from conditions is unborn; It has no arising by virtue of intrinsic existence. Since it depends on other conditions it is empty.”

-Gungthang Tempai Drome

An Eternal Now

7 Jan 12, 14:24

All sentient beings are emanations of mahÄ�mudrÄ�,
the essence of those emanations is the forever non-arising dharmadhÄ�tu,
also all characteristics of dualistic appearances, happiness, suffering and so on,
are the play of mahÄ�mudrÄ�, the original dharmatÄ�.

-- Virupa

An Eternal Now

12 Jan 12, 07:04

Correct. The bliss of karmaudra practice is just a tool. In the lamdre system, it is called the practice of small bliss and emptiness and is connected with the third consecration. It does not produce a final result since it works by purifying the the white and red bodhicitta. For that, you need the practices of the jÃ±Ä�navÄ�yu, the wisdom winds (albiet still practiced with either sort of mudra), termed in Lamdre, great bliss and emptiness -- the practice that transforms the karmavÄ�yus into jÃ±Ä�navÌ„ayus -- thus resulting in rainbow body, as in Dzogchen. The main advantage of Dzogchen togal over these practices is that a) it does not require a consort b) it does not require the step by step purification of the four mandalas through the two stages (i.e. the outer body channel mandala, the inner channel syllable mandala, the bodhicitta mandala, and the vÄ�yu mandala). This is why togal is sometimes equated with the completion stage practices of the gsar ma system. The practice of tregchÃ¶, the inseperabilty of samsara and nirvana of Sakya, mahÄ�mudra of Kagyu, and clear light nature of the mind of the Gelugpas have essentially the same point i.e. cultivating a momentary unfabricated awareness. Dzogchenpas maintain however that this cultivation of a momentary unfabricated awareness by itself will not result in rainbow body, but rather, will result only in the the body dissolving at death into subtle particles. In Nyingma, Sakya and Gelug, it seems this cultivation of a momentary unfabricated awareness forms the basis for the pratice the two stages, whereas Kagyu dissents, and asserts that this meditation alone can be sufficient for a person of supreme caliber. In any event, the main point of the view in all four (or five if we included Jonang) schools is the experiential cultivation of a momentary unfabricated awareness. Other than that, the main differences are terminolgies related to the specifics of each schools presentation of their respective paths and methodologies. N - Namdrol

An Eternal Now

13 Jan 12, 22:27

The Roshi said , “Like an equation written on water, vanishing even as it's being written”.

Zazen is not just a matter of changing this or that about ourselves. It exposes us to and reveals the fact that change is what we always already are.

- http://awakeningtoreality.blogspot.com/2010/04/stainlessness.html

An Eternal Now

17 Jan 12, 22:27

PrajÃ±Ä�pÄ�ramitÄ� If someone does not dwell in words and does not dwell in names, that is prajÃ±Ä�pÄ�ramitÄ� â€” buddhahood'sÂ state of realization.Â -- The Great Tantra of Self-Arisen VidyÄ�

An Eternal Now

17 Jan 12, 22:34

PrajÃ±Ä�pÄ�ramitÄ� If someone does not dwell in words and does not dwell in names, that is prajÃ±Ä�pÄ�ramitÄ� â€” buddhahood'sÂ state of realization.Â -- The Great Tantra of Self-Arisen VidyÄ�

An Eternal Now

21 Jan 12, 17:06

A follower of non-existence (view of annihilation) goes to bad transmigrations,
And a follower of existence (view of unchanging self, view of eternalism) goes to happy transmigrations.
Through correct and true knowledge
One does not rely on dualism (of existence or non-existence) and becomes liberated.

~ Nagarjuna

Daily Buddhist Verses

Note

Notes