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How to get started in vajrayana buddhism?
Vajrayana buddhism really interests me. There are no centers anywhere near me, so I can't meet anywhere like weekly or more because I need to drive an hour and a half to get to a center. However, I would think that you wouldn't need to meet that often to progress down the vajrayana path, assuming you kept up practice on your own. So...what do I do? How do I get started?
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It is somewhat limiting in many ways.
What draws you to it, that makes you consider it your path?
Find a qualified teacher and receive an empowerment for one of their lineage's tantric practices (e.g., deity yoga, guru yoga, etc.). That's pretty much the only way.
What do you practice?
What particular sect?
Do you have one?
Once you have established a relationship with a teacher you can talk to him or her directly about how to move forward. One doesnt really "get started" with Vajrayana. You have to decide if you are prepared to make the commitments involved after you have evaluated yourself and how you would like to proceed.
http://www.namdrolingmt.org/cybershedra.html
http://www.maitripa.org/academic_catalogue.html
http://www.naropa.edu/distancelearning/index.cfm
http://www.bhaisajyaguru.com/Clinical-Ayurvedic-Therapist-Distance-Learning-Ayurveda-Correspondence-Course-index.htm
http://www.rigpaus.net/
http://www.fpmt.org/education/dbdescription.php
http://www.dharmawheel.net/viewtopic.php?f=50&t=1071
Who's "they"...?
If it's Vajrayana practitioners, well.... they would say that, wouldn't they?:D
You do realise that Enlightenment is not a goal to be reached but a process to be experienced at any time you're ready?
Right, but from my understanding vajrayana makes the loss of ego thing quite easy. I am happy with what i'm currently doing and the mahayana path, it just intrigues me is all due to the lofty claims people make about it.
DANGER!! DANGER!! DANGER!!
Who told you that nonsense? Where do I sign up?
The Buddha had several different teachers who presented him with a multitude of methods that he explored and perfected before Buddhahood.
This is a common misrepresentation of the Buddha's life and experience.
The only part of the Buddha's experience and realization that he did without guidance was when he revealed and started teaching his own semi-unique set of teachings.
Vajrayana uses other skillful means (I imagine) to shed ego such as realizing defilement as buddha nature.
Fundamental Yanna (my whole presentation is from a tibetan perspective by the way.... i won't use 'hinayana' because it is seen as inflamatory like ****
also uses its own skillful means to free from the ego such as realizing suffering and impermanence. Realizing the 8 fold path.
All a happy family of the 84000 skillful means. (all the 8 fold path in a sense and all the 4 dharma seals)
There is a big difference between saying that Vajrayana makes the "loss of ego easy" and saying that the methods of Buddhist tantra offer a quick but dangerous path to realization.
Tantra means continuity, the idea is based upon the support of the teacher and the realized community being passing the teachings and methods from one person to another based upon direct experience. The methods of tantra are direct and strong means of confronting our deluded view of ourselves and the world. Tantra works to transform the way we interact with the world, other beings, and how we view our selves.
Vajrayana Buddhism is full of a diverse range of methods for dealing with our negative emotions and transforming them into wisdom and compassion. Its easy for people to look at Vajrayana from the outside and say "I dont get it, this is bullshit." and this is a problem that will always plague a tradition that is in large part esoteric.
As a Vajrayana practitioner I am ok with that, its not for everybody.
There's a lot of sutra practices you could do, for example, the six perfections. I believe you can recite prayers like Tara or Avalokiteshvara, without a transmission from a teacher. But it's best to check with your closest dharma center.
However, both my sister and I have found that one does not have to practice with that kind of intensity in order to gain in understanding and in order to start changing. All paths of Buddhism will lead to the final goal when practiced the way they are taught.
"But the thought occurred to me, 'This Dhamma leads not to disenchantment, to dispassion, to cessation, to stilling, to direct knowledge, to Awakening, nor to Unbinding (nibbana), but only to reappearance in the dimension of neither perception nor non-perception.' So, dissatisfied with that Dhamma, I left."
— MN 36
"I thought: 'Whatever priests or contemplatives in the past have felt painful, racking, piercing feelings due to their striving, this is the utmost. None have been greater than this. Whatever priests or contemplatives in the future will feel painful, racking, piercing feelings due to their striving, this is the utmost. None will be greater than this. Whatever priests or contemplatives in the present are feeling painful, racking, piercing feelings due to their striving, this is the utmost. None is greater than this. But with this racking practice of austerities I haven't attained any superior human state, any distinction in knowledge or vision worthy of the noble ones. Could there be another path to Awakening?'"
— MN 36
His understanding is his own:
"The world has been fully awakened to by the Tathagata. From the world, the Tathagata is disjoined. The origination of the world has been fully awakened to by the Tathagata. The origination of the world has, by the Tathagata, been abandoned. The cessation of the world has been fully awakened to by the Tathagata. The cessation of the world has, by the Tathagata, been realized. The path leading to the cessation of the world has been fully awakened to by the Tathagata. The path leading to the cessation of the world has, by the Tathagata, been developed."
— Iti 112
His understanding was his teacher:
"It would be for the sake of perfecting an unperfected aggregate of knowledge and vision of release that I would dwell in dependence on another priest or contemplative, honoring and respecting him. However, in this world with its devas, Maras, & Brahmas, in this generation with its priests and contemplatives, its royalty and common-folk, I do not see another priest or contemplative more consummate in knowledge and vision of release than I, on whom I could dwell in dependence, honoring and respecting him.
"What if I were to dwell in dependence on this very Dhamma to which I have fully awakened, honoring and respecting it?"
Then, having known with his own awareness the line of thinking in the Blessed One's awareness — just as a strong man might extend his flexed arm or flex his extended arm — Brahma Sahampati disappeared from the Brahma-world and reappeared in front of the Blessed One. Arranging his upper robe over one shoulder, he saluted the Blessed One with his hands before his heart and said to him: "So it is, Blessed One! So it is, One-Well-Gone! Those who were arahants, Rightly Self-awakened Ones in the past — they, too, dwelled in dependence on the very Dhamma itself, honoring and respecting it. Those who will be arahants, Rightly Self-awakened Ones in the future — they, too, will dwell in dependence on the very Dhamma itself, honoring and respecting it. And let the Blessed One, who is at present the arahant, the Rightly Self-awakened One, dwell in dependence on the very Dhamma itself, honoring and respecting it."
— SN 6.2
http://www.accesstoinsight.org/ptf/buddha.html
I am not trying to be contentious, for myself I find the Buddha's teaching rather unique. Sure there were influences in his life but his realization was his own and not dependent on another. The Buddha depended upon the Dhamma, doing likewise would only make sense to me. This is my understanding, as limited as that is.
With Metta,
Todd
It's all just, that. There's a lot of fuel we can add onto the fire and argue forever, but it all burns true.
I know exactly what you mean about the neurosis. There was a period for me after doing 3-5 hours a day of meditation for months that I began to have strange emotional changes. For example driving down the street and crying for no particular reason or sudden bouts of deep depression ( as well as other emotions). A teacher and a community is very important for serious contemplatives.
There are other ways to reach enlightenment besides exercises in "loss of ego". A regular meditation practice, with dedication and patience (and a little luck or perhaps good karma from a past lifetime) can succeed in raising the Kundalini, the energy of enlightenment. (I get this from Gopi Krishna's "Living With Kundalini"). But it's not easy. Most things worth achieving take concentrated effort, dedication, and patience.
Universities with Tibetan Buddhism departments also offer distance learning, I just thought I'd mention that.
Maybe your nearest dharma center offers weekend workshops that would make the drive more feasible? Just brainstorming, here....
With Metta,
Todd
Vajrayana could be the fastest way to bring enlightenment in this very life (in this case if we could practice wholeheartedly like Milarepa), BUT also could be the quickest way bring we to lower realm.
And yes, we must at least have a teacher or maybe more than one.
Topic about teacher (guru) in Vajrayana is quite long explanation and need openness to learn about it.