Neither Hope Nor Fear, Neither Virtue Nor Fault
"If you are displeased, you have hope.
If you are pleased, you have fear.
If you have hope and fear, you have dualistic fixation. That will hinder the nondual wisdom of great bliss, the undefiled fruition.
Without thinking this is either a fault or a virtue keep to the practice of nonduality. From now on, just continue without coming back to see me!"
- Shri Singha
Advice for Padmasambhava in The Treasure of the Lotus Crystal Cave
"If you are displeased, you have hope.
If you are pleased, you have fear.
If you have hope and fear, you have dualistic fixation. That will hinder the nondual wisdom of great bliss, the undefiled fruition.
Without thinking this is either a fault or a virtue keep to the practice of nonduality. From now on, just continue without coming back to see me!"
- Shri Singha
Advice for Padmasambhava in The Treasure of the Lotus Crystal Cave
“It is important to realize that all the happiness and suffering, joy and sorrow you are experiencing now have not been decided for you by gods such as Indra, Brahma, and Vishnu, nor have they come about on their own. They are the natural result of your own past actions. So make a promise that even if the whole world rises up as your enemy, you will not wander from the absolute nature. Then, even if someone appears to threaten your life, if you can remain in equanimity within the recognition of the absolute nature, that enemy will be unable to harm you. But if you fall into delusion, thinking that enemies exist truly, and as a result you react by trying to defeat them and to protect others who arouse attachment in you, then you will surely be betraying the Buddhas of the past, present, and future.
Be mindful at all times of what is right and what is not; and be vigilant as to whether you are actually acting accordingly. Mindfulness and vigilance will then be your teachers.”
~ Dilgo Khyentse Rinpoche
Be mindful at all times of what is right and what is not; and be vigilant as to whether you are actually acting accordingly. Mindfulness and vigilance will then be your teachers.”
~ Dilgo Khyentse Rinpoche
Understanding the "Self" Through the Debates of King Milinda ☸️
One of the most fascinating philosophical exchanges in Buddhist literature are The Debates of King Milinda from the Buddhist text of Milindapanha. It’s a dialogue between the Greek King Menander I (known as Milinda) and the Buddhist Master Nagasena. This conversation tackles one of the trickiest questions: How is rebirth possible if there is no permanent self or Aatman?
King Milinda is puzzled. He asks, "If there’s no unchanging self, how can someone be reborn?" It’s a fair question, right? I mean, if there’s no “you” that continues, how can “you” be reborn? Buddhist Master Nagasena, with his wisdom, responds with an analogy that’s as brilliant as it is simple.
He says, imagine a chariot. What makes a chariot? The wheels, the axle, the frame, and so on. But if you take each part separately, is any one of them the chariot? No. The chariot exists only as a collection of parts, not as a separate, permanent entity. It’s the same with the self. We are made up of various components - thoughts, feelings, memories, and physical elements - but there’s no single, unchanging “self” among them.
Master Philosopher Nagasena’s explanation is that the "self" is just like the chariot - it’s a concept that arises from the combination of parts. And just as a chariot can be disassembled and its parts reused, so too can the components of our existence continue in new forms, even without a permanent self.
It’s a profound lesson that makes one rethink how we see ourselves and the world. Life, identity, rebirth - it’s all part of an ongoing and ever changing process, not a fixed state. And that, in itself, is both comforting and... well, a bit mind-bending.
One of the most fascinating philosophical exchanges in Buddhist literature are The Debates of King Milinda from the Buddhist text of Milindapanha. It’s a dialogue between the Greek King Menander I (known as Milinda) and the Buddhist Master Nagasena. This conversation tackles one of the trickiest questions: How is rebirth possible if there is no permanent self or Aatman?
King Milinda is puzzled. He asks, "If there’s no unchanging self, how can someone be reborn?" It’s a fair question, right? I mean, if there’s no “you” that continues, how can “you” be reborn? Buddhist Master Nagasena, with his wisdom, responds with an analogy that’s as brilliant as it is simple.
He says, imagine a chariot. What makes a chariot? The wheels, the axle, the frame, and so on. But if you take each part separately, is any one of them the chariot? No. The chariot exists only as a collection of parts, not as a separate, permanent entity. It’s the same with the self. We are made up of various components - thoughts, feelings, memories, and physical elements - but there’s no single, unchanging “self” among them.
Master Philosopher Nagasena’s explanation is that the "self" is just like the chariot - it’s a concept that arises from the combination of parts. And just as a chariot can be disassembled and its parts reused, so too can the components of our existence continue in new forms, even without a permanent self.
It’s a profound lesson that makes one rethink how we see ourselves and the world. Life, identity, rebirth - it’s all part of an ongoing and ever changing process, not a fixed state. And that, in itself, is both comforting and... well, a bit mind-bending.
Forwarded from Self-Immolation
“It is not exactly clear how Westerners got the idea that married couples, or, for that matter, any couple having a lot of desire for each other, could practice the Vajrayana techniques taken from tantric Buddhism or some other spiritual tradition. They try to visualize themselves as deities but then engage in an ordinary sexual act based on attachment/desire. They want an experience of something more blissful than ever before. This is one of the biggest mistakes a person can make. This activity does not even approximate the practices we are discussing.
One who attempts tantric practices in this way, lacking the proper prerequisites and permission from the vajra guru, just accumulates causes for lower rebirtheven, perhaps, causes for the lowest possible rebirth, since this is to misuse and disrespect pure Dharma practice. Pure Dharma has nothing to do with ordinary sexual desire.
Since deities do not have desires, it is a grave error to visualize oneself as a deity to achieve purposes conceived by a desiring mind. A yogi or yogini who practices with a partner must not lose even one drop of essential fluid and must definitely be free of desire or attachment. To perform these secret practices, a practitioner must be on a very high level and must practice solely for the sake of sentient beings. When a practitioner arrives at this level of practice, it is very wonderful, but one must wait until the right time arrives.
The practices of union are the most secret for a number of reasons. These practices are protected with secrecy because, of all desirable activities, human beings have the greatest desire for sex, and this desire causes them to misuse and misinterpret the practices.
If human beings, motivated by sexual desire, attempt these most advanced techniques without being qualified, they will definitely suffer in lower rebirths. This is, in fact, one of the fastest ways to be born into the lower realms. These practices are kept secret to prevent their being misused.
You must understand that the Vajrayana practices are the swiftest of all Buddhist teachings and the most secret. They are protected ever so carefully by the protector deities (dharmapalas). If you misuse these practices, the dharmapalas create obstacles for you and your teachers. For instance, a potentially long life could be shortened.”
Gyatrul Rinpoche
One who attempts tantric practices in this way, lacking the proper prerequisites and permission from the vajra guru, just accumulates causes for lower rebirtheven, perhaps, causes for the lowest possible rebirth, since this is to misuse and disrespect pure Dharma practice. Pure Dharma has nothing to do with ordinary sexual desire.
Since deities do not have desires, it is a grave error to visualize oneself as a deity to achieve purposes conceived by a desiring mind. A yogi or yogini who practices with a partner must not lose even one drop of essential fluid and must definitely be free of desire or attachment. To perform these secret practices, a practitioner must be on a very high level and must practice solely for the sake of sentient beings. When a practitioner arrives at this level of practice, it is very wonderful, but one must wait until the right time arrives.
The practices of union are the most secret for a number of reasons. These practices are protected with secrecy because, of all desirable activities, human beings have the greatest desire for sex, and this desire causes them to misuse and misinterpret the practices.
If human beings, motivated by sexual desire, attempt these most advanced techniques without being qualified, they will definitely suffer in lower rebirths. This is, in fact, one of the fastest ways to be born into the lower realms. These practices are kept secret to prevent their being misused.
You must understand that the Vajrayana practices are the swiftest of all Buddhist teachings and the most secret. They are protected ever so carefully by the protector deities (dharmapalas). If you misuse these practices, the dharmapalas create obstacles for you and your teachers. For instance, a potentially long life could be shortened.”
Gyatrul Rinpoche
Forwarded from Self-Immolation
“If the mind wanders even the tiniest bit when you are reciting the mantra, your practice will accomplish nothing. The obscurations of your speech might diminish from reciting the mantra in this fashion, but you will certainly not accomplish the results you are seeking through the sadhana.
A quote from Guru Rinpoche says, “A person who experiences mental wandering while performing vajra recitation will never achieve any result, even from reciting the mantra for an eon of time.”
Of course, this is not surprising. If, while speaking to someone, you fail to look them in the face and instead allow your vision to wander everywhere else, you cannot establish the mental, visual or personal contact that would make your conversation a meaningful exchange. Similarly, if you recite mantra with a wandering mind, you cannot comprehend the substance of the mantra. So how can you expect to achieve results? You are just playing a game.”
Gyatrul Rinpoche
A quote from Guru Rinpoche says, “A person who experiences mental wandering while performing vajra recitation will never achieve any result, even from reciting the mantra for an eon of time.”
Of course, this is not surprising. If, while speaking to someone, you fail to look them in the face and instead allow your vision to wander everywhere else, you cannot establish the mental, visual or personal contact that would make your conversation a meaningful exchange. Similarly, if you recite mantra with a wandering mind, you cannot comprehend the substance of the mantra. So how can you expect to achieve results? You are just playing a game.”
Gyatrul Rinpoche
"[Tsongkhapa] (...) refers to the first meeting between Milarepa and Gampopa, in which Milarepa asked about Gampopa's meditation. Gampopa replied that he could sit in meditative absorption for many days at a time without distraction. Milarepa told him, "You cannot get oil by crushing sand. The practice of samadhi is not sufficient in and of itself. You should learn my system of inner heat yoga...." The implication is that the innate ecstasy conjoined with wisdom awareness, which is aroused by the inner heat yoga, was absent, and thus Gampopa's samadhi lacked real tantric power. Arousing that "real tantric power" is the purpose and territory of the inner heat doctrine. (...)"
"The Six Yogas of Naropa"
-Tsongkhapa's Commentary
Edited by Lama Glenn Mullin
"The Six Yogas of Naropa"
-Tsongkhapa's Commentary
Edited by Lama Glenn Mullin
“Whatever is grasped by mental designation is the imaginary nature. Non-entities and the appearances of objects arising in the mind are imaginary.
The relationship between name and object, such as grasping the name as the object, or mistaking the object as the name, are also imaginary.
Outer, inner, fringe and center; big and small; good and bad; space and time, and so on - whatever is grasped by thought is imaginary in nature.”
~ Arya Taranatha
The relationship between name and object, such as grasping the name as the object, or mistaking the object as the name, are also imaginary.
Outer, inner, fringe and center; big and small; good and bad; space and time, and so on - whatever is grasped by thought is imaginary in nature.”
~ Arya Taranatha
Forwarded from Self-Immolation
“If at first something seems as though it may be harmful, if you can turn from aversion and open yourself to its potency to become the path, your strength on the path will surely increase. In order for all this to happen, you simply have to stop seeing circumstances as harmful situations or as something that is wrong. Give all your effort towards practicing to see it as something that is valuable.
Based on that, you develop a sense of good cheer. Trying to practice this is the essence of the first aspect of the teaching on the transformation of adversity into the path.”
Gyatrul Rinpoche
Based on that, you develop a sense of good cheer. Trying to practice this is the essence of the first aspect of the teaching on the transformation of adversity into the path.”
Gyatrul Rinpoche
The Six Yogas
“By keeping the mind in its natural state, the karmic winds will stop by themselves
- this is the practice of inner heat.
When the karmic winds have stopped, the body will appear like a reflection in a mirror
- this is the second yoga of the illusory body.
When all phenomena appear as unestablished
- that is the third yoga, dream yoga.
When the body and all appearances are vividly clear unceasing luminosity
- that is the fourth yoga, clear light.
When realization is not fixed,
neither in samsara nor in nirvana
- that is the fifth yoga, the intermediate state.
And when realization moves beyond grasping at either subject or object
- that is the sixth yoga, transference.”
- Drukpa Kunley
“Tales of a Mad Yogi: The Life and Wild Wisdom of Drukpa Kunley”
“By keeping the mind in its natural state, the karmic winds will stop by themselves
- this is the practice of inner heat.
When the karmic winds have stopped, the body will appear like a reflection in a mirror
- this is the second yoga of the illusory body.
When all phenomena appear as unestablished
- that is the third yoga, dream yoga.
When the body and all appearances are vividly clear unceasing luminosity
- that is the fourth yoga, clear light.
When realization is not fixed,
neither in samsara nor in nirvana
- that is the fifth yoga, the intermediate state.
And when realization moves beyond grasping at either subject or object
- that is the sixth yoga, transference.”
- Drukpa Kunley
“Tales of a Mad Yogi: The Life and Wild Wisdom of Drukpa Kunley”
Forwarded from Sri Kinaram Aghora Sampradaya
The Madman Heruka from Tsang 1452-1507, was an author and a master of the Kagyu school of Tantrik Buddhism. Born in Tsang Tibet, he is best known as a biographer and compiler of the Life of Milarepa and The Collections of Songs of Milarepa. Tsangnyön Heruka was a Nyönpa "religious madman". He was ordained as a monk as a child, but at the age of 21 he renounced his vows and trained under various tantrik yogis from different schools. After Heruka left the monastery, he became a wandering yogi for the rest of his life, never staying in one place permanently. He was known to keep his hair long, carry a khatvanga and drink from a kapala (skull bowl). When local villagers saw his body covered in human ashes and blood with his hair adorned by human fingers and toes, they gave him the name 'Nyönpa' (madman). He later used the name Trantung Gyelpo "King of the Blood-drinkers" which he received from the deity Hevajra in a vision, "blood drinker" being the Tibetan name for the deity Heruka. These eccentric ways were influenced by an Indian sect of yogis called Kapalikas "skull-bearers", who practiced austerities as well as dressing in loincloths and human ashes and carrying symbols of the dakinis such as bone ornaments and skulls. Many monks questioned his behavior and way of dress but Tsangnyön Heruka Trantung Gyelpo was known to strongly defend his unconventional practice through rigorous argument and accurate quotations from scriptures. One day He appeared on a market place naked with brown sugar in one hand and feces in the other eating from both. Another day he was seen eating the brains of someone who had died of smallpox. It's said from this time on he was completely free from all misunderstandings and the dualities of samsara and nirvana became one and the same to him.