Best Of
Re: Just for fun: the random, useless announcements thread!
That's good to hear @Bunks...So when are you going to start jolking backwards 
Shoshin1
Re: Choosing to regress into the suffering of attachment
MY WISH FOR ALL OF US: May your good karma produce squirrel-helpers, arriving in the knick of time ...
Dhammika
Re: Just for fun: the random, useless announcements thread!
Another year older. Another year wiser. And that is your lunch mate!
lobster
Re: Magha Puja Day
Dear Sangha,
Please forgive us (especially me) our dharma misunderstandings and apostasy. So help us Almighty Cod … and Buddha 
lobster
Re: Mantraing
The way I learnt it, The Green Tara empowerment has a faster pace and intensity than other mantras, Green Tara concentrates the mind by some very fast long winded out-breathing. This is a form of hyper ventilation and can indeed produce a light trance.
More extreme hyper ventilation can produce light headiness, hallucinations and immunity to pain.
Mantra can zombify you eg.
- USA USA USA
- ALLAH AKBAH Viva Taliban
- OSHO OSHO achoo
- ONWARD CHRISTIAN SOLDIERS, MARCHING AS TO WAR
hope that is helpful 
lobster
Re: ehh Whatt??? Buddhist Death Metal?
@ShanJieshi2 said:
Why people do this?
Because it's cool. 🤷♀️
Jason
Re: ehh Whatt??? Buddhist Death Metal?
I think there is a place for this sort of thing in the world. I wouldn't listen to it myself and don't really consider it particularly Buddhist in practice. But I would classify it as a skillful means, as a form of outreach to expose people who might not normally be exposed to Buddhist ideas.
Plus Christian death metal is a thing, why should they have all the fun?
person
Re: ehh Whatt??? Buddhist Death Metal?
Oh, it has become an interesting topic...there are more bands singing sutras.
I guess the Gyuto Tibetan way of chanting in guttural tones has attracted the Satan hordes (joke).
I continue with my predilection for harmonious and ear-friendly music.
Re: the Tao = the Dhamma = God?
@FleaMarket said:
@person said:
I think its also possible that all roads don't in fact lead to the same place. In Buddhism there is the idea that there are very refined meditative states that don't lead to liberation. Maybe some traditions lead there? Or maybe Buddhism is mistaken, those states are the ultimate and nirvana is the side track?If body death recycles us back into the universe and every step forward along the path toward one-ness we take provides some sort of enhanced harmony and assistance for either our essence's next iteration or the universe as a whole, would it follow that doing any good brings us all closer to Nirvana regardless of belief or understanding?
I am feeling clumsy with my word choice. I hope this makes sense.
I don't know that it necessarily has to follow. Maybe the path towards liberation is specific and narrow. Maybe an analogy would be exercise, if the goal is to be able to run a marathon but you spent most of your exercise lifting weights would that get you to the goal of being a long distance runner? It would make you more fit but there are different kinds of fitness.
person
Re: the Tao = the Dhamma = God?
I choose to take "mu" as a soft suggestion that, actually, only cows have buddha-nature.
