Special bonus prize for Tantric Buddhists:
I take refuge in the Lama/Guru

That is a declaration of confidence/faith in the Middle Way. It is our resonance and alignment. Without that basis we are just another spiritual dilettante. It gives us the confidence to question everything, not a requirement of course. Do we know what is useful and expose bad gnus, wannabe Buddhas, rubbish dharma and soppy sanghas, if we are earnest? Perhaps ...

The three jewels an ideal that we bow to, respect and know deserves our devoted attention.

Here is a Chinese version of formal bowing designed for 88 Buddha practice, whatever that is ...

I take refuge in the Buddha.
I take refuge in the Dharma.
I take refuge in the Sangha.

I rejoice in our good fortune!

Blessings to you all.....

I think it would be nice to have a thread for those of us to post our own experiences and techniques in practicing alone.

It can be very isolating, but then again all we have is our selves. We are forever alone in our own minds.

The growth and flourishing of the Bhikkhuni Sangha is very important to the long time health of Buddhism, and it is important that women contemplating this step have the ability to gain a little insight as to what it might be like following this path.

So I highly encourage everyone interested, women or men, to subscribe and follow Michelle's journey. I have been amazed at how my little video channel has reached people, hers has the potential to help future generations of ladies who fight for a voice of equality among the monastic sangha.

With gradual polishing we can improve or polish our awareness. There is also sudden awakening, which happened to me when nobody was looking.

Do you belong to the make or break school of dharma? Does one lead to tother?
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/david-nichtern/gradual-versus-sudden-enl_b_441092.html

If you don't get through the whole thing (lots of cool Buddhist imagery), here are his lyrics which are a Dhamma discourse in themselves:

A Buddhamas Carol
or
Ode of a Vipassana Yogi
(Composed by Bhante Yogavacara Rahula)

Silent Night, Peaceful Night,
All is calm, Stars are bright,
Round the hall Yogis sitting still,
Keeping their backs straight, exerting will,
Enduring pain without any ill-will,
Pervading Metta all throughout space,
Wishing good-will to the whole human race.

Silent Mind, Peaceful Mind,
Thoughts are few, pain is slight,
Focusing mind at the tip of the nose,
Knowing each breath as it comes and it goes,
Perceiving the light that steadily glows,
Feeling the rapture from head to the toes.

Silent Mind, Tranquil Mind,
Thoughts are stilled, Body is light,
All the Five Hindrances have died down,
The Ego no longer is spinning around,
Mind is one-pointed not moving a bit,
Enjoying at long last the Jhanic Bliss.
Sitting in Rapturous Joy,
Sitting in Rapturous Joy.

Silent Mind, focused Mind,
All is calm, Mind is bright
The Spiritual Faculties are prepared,
Vipassana-Insight has Mara scared,
Scanning the body from head to the toes,
Anicca, Anicca, each moment goes,
Anicca, Anicca, Impermanence shows.

The Five Aggregates appear empty as foam,
The Truth of No-Self is easily known.

Silent Mind, Wisdom Mind,
Awareness is strong, Wisdom is fine,
The six sense-impingements arise and pass,
No desire, no clinging, no ego to grasp,
No holding to present, future or past,
Mara has vanished he’s took his last gasp,
This body-mind house is empty at last,
Sitting and walking the whole night through,
Greeting the dawn completely anew.

Silent Mind, Holy Mind,
Now is the time, Conditions are prime.
The Enlightenment Factors are developed well.
The Four Noble Truths become clear as a bell,
The Eye of Dhamma is opened wide,
The three lower fetters are broken in stride.

Tonight the Yogi enters the Stream,
Tomorrow Nibbana no longer a Dream.

Are the forces of 'light my fire' and Dharma lite becoming mainstream? Are we all on a path? Still drowning in samsara or joining a new game?

finders keepers (losers weepers)

It is recommended reading. I encourage a discussion of this statement -- not a discussion of what we dislike about trump nor about our individual votes. I suggest that if you voted for trump you may want to skip this thread. I would like this to be a place where those who feel lost after the election (and after Brexit) can find a common thread - and maybe develop steps towards a positive outlook. (There is a similar topic under "What now", but I wanted to highlight the statement below.

I would also encoiurage this to be a place where you can practice right speech!

This particular passage struck a chord with me:
" We must be careful never to use the Buddhadharma as a means for turning away from the violence of the world and our place in it. The Buddhadharma is not a sedative to get us through painful times, but a powerful teaching that frees and bolsters us to carry out our intention to work diligently for the liberation of all beings."

I'm throwing this out to you now and will get back to it later.
Please let us know which passage(s) you found most interesting or helpful.

https://brooklynzen.org/election-statement/

Because much as the title grabbed me, I didn't understand a word of it.....

http://themindsjournal.com/quantum-theory-proves/

Most of us are familiar with the 8 fold path.

Other powerful loop breaking and positive loop reinforcing exist:

• Cognitive Behavour Therapy
• Positive affirmation and hypnosis
• Good company

https://daringtolivefully.com/positive-karma

Any tips that resonate for you?

1. What is Buddha Nature? I understand it to be the potential for enlightenment, but there seem to be a number of different interpretations.
2. How is it relevant to your practice? Is is something you cultivate, or recognise?

http://buddhism.about.com/od/mahayanabuddhism/a/Buddha-Nature.htm

http://www.lionsroar.com/what-the-buddha-never-said/

X-men, Super-men, Dr Strange and Wonder Woman (now available as a United Nations Ambassador) are all meta humans. Freaks of evolutionary random permutations ...

Are the mystics and Buddhas the reality? People with extraordinary Zennith ordinariness?

• A person is ignorant, hurtful, hateful or Trump troll like. As we know such people or situations arise from time to time. Do we let them in, to get under our skin? No we engage positive compassion, metta bhavna, tonglen or feeding our conflicted emotions to demons (the imaginary hell realms are sentients too).

We may need temporary physical measures, for me it is currently a walk or a bit of martial arts. Others may use prostrations, yoga or wild dancing (mostly available for laity).

Here is a special edition 'Rump on Trump' meditation cushion, which I am told is also good as a troll substitute punch bag ... Hilary is on the backside for those so inclined.

What skilful tools do you recommend to deal with raw emotions?

NB: no cushions were violated in producing this post. Apologies for any offence to politicos Trolls.

I recently came across this youtube video of Professor Ekman & his daughter Eve, discussing "The Atlas of Emotions: Designing Emotional Awareness" (The Dalai Lama is also featured in the video)

I just thought both the video and the link might prove helpful for some members who are struggling/trying to come to grips with the strong pull of emotion's strings, and perhaps help them to go from being the "puppet" on the sting, to becoming the "puppet master"....well that's the plan

May we all be well......... with no strings attached

As I read it over every day as part of my Insight Meditation, I find that it also makes concepts such as compassion, empathy and dependent origination easier to grasp.
I have copied the link for those who would like to read it whole, but I have transcribed the two that strike me the most:

"I see that this body, made up of the four elements, is not really me and I am not limited by this body.
I am part of a stream of life of spiritual and blood ancestors that for thousands of years has been flowing into the present and flows on for thousands of years into the future.
I am one with my ancestors.
I am one with all people and all species, whether they are peaceful and fearless, or suffering and afraid.
At this very moment, I am present everywhere on this planet.
I am also present in the past and in the future.
The disintegration of this body does not touch me, just as when the plum blossom falls it does not mean the end of the plum tree.
I see myself as a wave on the surface of the ocean.
My nature is the ocean water.
I see myself in all the other waves and see all the other waves in me.
The appearance and disappearance of the form of the wave does not affect the ocean.
My Dharma body and spiritual life are not subject to birth and death.
I see the presence of myself before my body manifested and after my body has disintegrated.
Even in this moment, I see how I exist elsewhere than in this body.
Seventy or eighty years is not my life span.
My life span, like the life span of a leaf or of a Buddha, is limitless.
I have gone beyond the idea that I am a body that is separated in space and time from all other forms of life."

"I am one with the wonderful pattern of life that radiates out in all directions.
I see the close connection between myself and others, how we share happiness and suffering.
I am one with those who were born disabled or who have become disabled because of war, accident, or illness.
I am one with those who are caught in a situation of war or oppression.
I am one with those who find no happiness in family life, who have no roots and no peace of mind, who are hungry for understanding and love, and who are looking for something beautiful, wholesome, and true to embrace and to believe in.
I am someone at the point of death who is very afraid and does not know what is going to happen.
I am a child who lives in a place where there is miserable poverty and disease, whose legs and arms are like sticks and who has no future.
I am also the manufacturer of bombs that are sold to poor countries.
I am the frog swimming in the pond and I am also the snake who needs the body of the frog to nourish its own body.
I am the caterpillar or the ant that the bird is looking for to eat, and I am also the bird that is looking for the caterpillar or the ant.
I am the forest that is being cut down.
I am the rivers and the air that are being polluted, and I am also the person who cuts down the forest and pollutes the rivers and the air.
I see myself in all species, and I see all species in me."

http://plumvillage.org/key-practice-texts/the-three-earth-touchings/

As a citizen of the USA, I'm very unhappy with our current political situation. I don't like either of the major parties' candidates and I'm very concerned about the undue influence of moneyed interests in the political system. Yet there seems to be very little I can do about it. Should I rail against the system or put my worry down and accept what comes?

I've always hated standing out from the crowd and "rocking the boat". I do not like to draw attention to myself and seek to avoid public contact. I feel like I should do something, but I'm not sure what would be appropriate for someone who doesn't like rallies and making phone calls. Or if I should even want to get involved.

We mentioned the culture baggage of cushion meditation in another thread. The misogyny of some cultures has often been reinforced by its male Buddhist clergy. Now a new empowerment, insight and compassion is being encouraged.

As is often the case, it is the non gender biased who lead the way. It is quite clear the Buddha (awake) are women men. Or to put it another way, where is the gender in enlightenment?

They are this life time dharma. No time to waste on being a Boddhisatva in one thousand life cycles of wandering. Too severe?
As I am a techno-geeky nerd it has to be Cyber-Zantra.
When it comes to meditation, I am old school. My main practice is Shikantaza. Just sit meditation.

How do you describe your style of practice?

bioluminescence
https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Biophoton

eye as quantum detector
http://phys.org/news/2009-09-physicists-human-eyes-quantum-effects.html
http://www.wired.co.uk/news/archive/2010-06/3/study-human-eyes-can-see-quantum-entanglement

few photon receptivity
http://www.nature.com/news/quantum-technology-probes-ultimate-limits-of-vision-1.17731

I am very wary of but also find value in both subjective experience and confirmation of for example the bodies electromagnetic field as a biological 'aura'. Part of the science was mentioned in another thread ... Are we through practice, enabling an evolutionary 'sixth sense' that many of us employ, whilst science investigates?

These more subtle awareness areas have been open to mystics, meditators, occultists etc for millennia. Personally I no longer find them spooky as I become aware of how they seem to be following a natural human and biological potential.

At the moment fir me, it is the heart or lotus centered 'empowerment' that seems prevalent. I find that looking too tightly and with expectations of entitlement, freezes their perception. They are subtle.

Any woo or science to share?

http://news.harvard.edu/gazette/story/2010/11/wandering-mind-not-a-happy-mind/

But the real test is the 6 day fasting prayer session at the end with no sleep allowed, other monks taking shifts to help you stay awake. It ends in a vision quest type experience for the monks who have done this.

But, imagine my surprise to find out this article from Lifestyle claims the monks run, not walk this marathon. And according to the article, the monks must carry a knife around and kill themselves if they don't complete it! So if they break an ankle while running one day and can't complete it, they stab themselves to death?? And the mountain is supposed to be littered with unmarked graves of the monks who have failed. You'd think the temple could at least pop for a proper cremation and burial of the poor guy. Apparently the "reporter" who wrote this watched a few old Japanese Samurai movies too many.

Alas, this is how myths get made.

https://www.getold.com/if-you-commit-to-nothing-youll-be-distracted-by-everything/?cid=GEN_090216_fb1&linkId=28333395

http://opcoa.st/0RjNr

I am still learning but some are already there ...
With all the doom and gloom, dukkha and crispy ducks, what good news catches your interest?

The Purelands ...
Buddhist Tushita Heaven, where the Maitriya sits on his enlightened tush and other perfected higher realms, are mind projections of idealisations. Well that is one story ...
In another sense, experiencing the world as an outer projection of our mind filter, explains in part how samsara and nirvana are on the same shore. We might say nirvana is the cessation of projection, whilst samsara is the clinging to the shadows in Plato's cave.

As someone used to 'spirit possession' by Medicine Buddha, Wise Manjushri, Rainbow Tara and other Tantric deities, I know reality is just a consensus projection.

Is the world a reflective projection? For me it is. The things that irk or inspire are all about me. The things that calm or agitate; me again.

That does not mean we are the centre of the universe, generating its very being, as some deluded yogacara advocate. That is just projected Trump style dharma megalomania.

Solution? Ahem, maybe turn off projector and enjoy the popcorn ... ?

Here's a snippet from one of his previous translators:

"He’s a charismatic communicator, but what shocked me immediately was the disconnect between his rhetoric and his character. He loves luxury, fashion and violent American films. Ecology and social issues do not interest him at all. He is not at all shy about singing his own praises — to excess and in front of everyone. He stays in luxury hotels, surrounded by the most expensive electronic gadgets. I struggled to accept this behaviour, because at the same time some people in Rigpa were very poor."

Is it wise to learn lojong from someone like that, which is what I was wanting to do?

I must confess it has shocked me how many dharma talks I've been to where the monk/nun has whipped out a top of the range iPad. I can understand the need for a tablet, but why have a £600 iPad when a £100 Android tab would have more than sufficed, and £500 could have gone to support worthy causes?

It would be just like staying in a five-star hotel rather than a more modest 2 or 3 star.

I want to look at this in a right-thinking sort of way, and so would be grateful if anyone can help me with this.

http://www.theatlantic.com/politics/archive/2015/09/the-rise-of-victimhood-culture/404794/

The researchers label the new PC culture a "culture of victimhood" as opposed to honor or dignity cultures.

To me the sensitivity is out of control and unhealthy and could be considered a form of censorship.

Then I read a follow up defense of victimhood culture

http://www.theatlantic.com/politics/archive/2015/09/the-problems-with-the-term-victimhood-culture/406057/

and I can see the positive aspect, defining the culture as an empathy culture instead.

In the context of Buddhist speech ethics I wonder if being much more cautious of our wording isn't what is called for?

On a funnier note, for me at least, I saw this video of Triumph, the insult comic dog, interacting with a panel of students and noticed how I was smiling and laughing at his jokes but the students were pretty stone faced.

Should this trend be encouraged or opposed?

Edit: BTW is that someone in the background of the video with a NEWBUDDHIST sweatshirt?

Lovely Qwan Yin 'amulet' that my sister gave to me ...

It had been given as a 'gift' from a fake monk in London, who told her the offering of £10 was not enough and wanted £20.

As it is Kwan Yin, I am very happy as it is priceless and will go on my shrine ...BUT it is a scam.
http://opcoa.st/Pw0pT-cf547

As a wrathful plain clothes dharma wrathful monk kicker I will be on the lookout for these pseuds. Maybe I should dress up as a Yinyana monk and give out dana to unsuspecting tourists as a counter measure ... ? What is the kind course of action?

Recycling, careful with plastics use and trash, etc, to me is as much as part of the precepts as the plain statement do not kill. Or is the environment a separate issue for many ? I see many threads about meditation, music, breathing, styles of Zen, but none, that have to do with our oneness with all things. Just asking, because I have an inquiring mind.

Thanks _/|_

http://www.standard.co.uk/news/london/west-london-caf-bans-michael-gove-and-boris-johnson-for-leading-brexit-campaign-a3286286.html

I am all for talking to demons. I even talk to myself as an excellent source of hell dwellers ... Can Brexiteers or EU'rs be exempt from karmic consequences? What is a potential Buddha to do? Be kind to the hurtful?

OM MANI PEME HUM as we Euro-Tibetans say ...

Here is something to look at: http://www.accesstoinsight.org/ptf/dhamma/sacca/sacca4/samma-vaca/

From what I can gather the basic principle is that of not doing harm to oneself, or to others. This principle seems central to Buddhist ethics and the precepts.

Personally I don't see a problem with humour or "idle speech" ( chit-chat ) when it does no harm.

What do you think?

read of this guys books?

However, it seems to me to be more important to actually put these things into practice, to actually fully absorb and commit to each important teaching that you come across. Doing this can actually take a while, sometimes I end up walking around with a sutra or teaching in my head for weeks until I've more or less internalised it. Sometimes much longer, coming back to topics over and over.

Often I end up forgetting the actual sutra names afterwards, it seems I have limited brain space or some part of me thinks it is not important to remember them as long as I retain the essence. After all I am not a monk, expected to transmit the dharma by quoting sutra's to the infidels

Where do you put the emphasis in your practice? Do you explore the sutra's and learn them, or try to internalise them, or some other method?

http://newbuddhist.com/discussion/9421/top-monk-plays-violent-video-games
http://newbuddhist.com/discussion/3580/indulge-in-violence-video-game-murder

I found the discussion around how violent games and movies are "just an escape" a little short of the mark. Movies introduce concepts of violence that are totally outside the realm of practical experience for many people, video games do the same but they give you agency and an active role within the game world.

Buddhism is in some traditions strongly associated with the idea that by teaching the mind you can approach enlightenment. If you create media experiences that teach you and train into you the wrong view of the world, the wrong reflexes and habits, are you not moving further away from enlightenment? Once it becomes a reflexive instinct to hit things in games one would suspect it's gone the wrong way.

The attachment aspect bothers me as well. As does the influence on world view. Violent movies, games and even in the news media creates an image of the world that is not true to life. Most people's lives are peaceful, surely there is no need to fill your mind with the kind of violent content that perhaps is only seen by one police officer in ten.

Other perspectives I found interesting from the threads:

• gaming is wasting time, so an evasion of right effort
• the Buddha spoke against board games for monks, surely that extends to video games (for monks)
• you can play video games and still be Buddhist, it is just whether you can take the consequences
• if it is just anger release, how did they used to cope in the times before games? Why choose violent games?
• the Kitagiri Sutra labels some experiences skillful and others unskillful, independent of pleasure or pain
• games are a form of sensual pleasure leading to attachment, games can be addictive
• a game by its interactive nature is more engaging and involving than a movie which is a passive experience
• opportunity to be unskillful in sports also creates a greater opportunity to be skillful - this may be a general principle

I'd be very interested in any further thoughts people might have had since the last time it was discussed...

At the United Nations, members have access to the triangle goodwill matrix. Such an awareness web is the basis of Buddhist and other solutions to increase open sourced secure possibilities. We can counter negative/fear/terror/Trump deployments.

The conscious/mindful/awareness initiatives, deploy our Buddha Being, awakeness etc. Combining with other positive awareness initiatives across religious and partisan divides.

All prayers, sadhana, practitioners welcome. We have masterplan? What is your plan/input?

Siddhārtha Gautama despite being born into all of his wealth realised that we are all equal, in my opinion he declared there was no real point in extreme religious devotion and that it could be detrimental. Gently tried to make people realise that we are all equal and should help each other out. There were people that could be supported in various roles (i.e. monks) by sharing things such as food and shelter and that would benefit society as a whole.

Like I say, it's just the beginning of an idea but I thought I would share it before I go to sleep zzzzzzz

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pratītyasamutpāda

The situation in Nice (France), inspired by hate fuelled behavour.

What is the Buddhist plan?

Discuss!

Note that an initial recognition and acceptance of one's state of mind is common to both approaches. Note also that we are dealing here primarily with practice off the cushion, so let's not get bogged down in another discussion about meditation technique.

I favour the Right Effort approach, particularly when dealing with habitual or persistent states like anxiety. Just accepting a particular state of mind and doing nothing doesn't always work for me.

So what do you think?

http://www.psitek.net/pages/PsiTek-how-to-command-and-master-your-emotions-1.html#gsc.tab=0

Are we naturally green or is it a movement?

So the goal of practice is get rid of the yucky clinging aggregates, just leaving the nice non-stick ones.

http://www.accesstoinsight.org/tipitaka/sn/sn22/sn22.048.than.html