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lobsterlobster Veteran
edited February 2019 in Buddhism Today

As we think we know, our choices dictate our unfoldment/awakening. This makes sense to me, therefore it leads to ... Well where? The assumption is we can in a dream state choose the required fantasy direction to wake up? (I think I spotted the flaw :) )

How is that dream dharma working out? :expressionless:

We have two clues to help:
1. Are we asleep or awake?
2. Are we sure?

What's the plan?

My plan is regular meditation. Am I sure? Uncertainty temporarily sure is working out ... ?
I am peeking. Reality Iz Elephant?

person

Comments

  • “For he whose freedom of mind is not fully mature, Meghiya, there are five things that lead to maturity. What five?

    “Here, Meghiya, a monk has a good friend, a good companion, a good comrade. For he whose freedom of mind is not fully mature, Meghiya, this is the first thing that leads to maturity.

    “It can be expected, Meghiya, that for a monk who has a good friend, a good companion, a good comrade, that he will have talk that is very austere, that is suitable for opening up the mind, and that leads to absolute disenchantment, dispassion, cessation, peace, deep knowledge, complete Awakening and Emancipation, such as: talk on wanting little, talk on being satisfied, talk on complete seclusion, talk on disassociation, talk on stirring up energy, talk on virtue, talk on concentration, talk on wisdom, talk on freedom, talk on knowing and seeing freedom.

    “The meditation on the unattractive should be developed for the giving up of passion, friendliness meditation should be developed for the giving up of ill-will, mindfulness of breathing should be developed for the cutting off of thoughts, the perception of impermanence should be developed for the complete uprooting of the conceit ‘I am’. To one who has the perception of impermanence, Meghiya, the perception of non-self is established, one who perceives non-self reaches the complete uprooting of the conceit ‘I am’, in this very life reaches Emancipation.”

    https://suttacentral.net/ud4.1/en/anandajoti

    lobsterperson
  • Thanks @pegembara spot on <3

  • JeroenJeroen Luminous beings are we, not this crude matter Netherlands Veteran

    A friend of mine was investigating the Tibetan Bardo’s several decades ago, and he was spending time in the Himalayas as an ascetic. He had a Buddhist teacher at the time who had transmitted to him the teachings on the Bardo, and one day he asked him, Have you any memories of what lies beyond death? No, said the teacher. So how do you know what it is like, asked my friend. I trust my teachers, was the reply.

    Truly the only way is with the help of a living enlightened teacher.

  • personperson Don't believe everything you think The liminal space Veteran
    edited February 2019

    Good decisions come from experience, and experience comes from bad decisions.
    ~Unknown

    I've been playing with an idea. In financial investing there is something called index fund investing. The idea is that most (@80%) of financial planners fail to beat the market on a regular basis and they also take a percentage of your earnings to do it. Very few of them (<90%) do better than the market plus their take than if you just invested in the market as a whole. So stop trying to game the system and win, if you're in it for the long run slow and steady works pretty good.

    Anyway, the idea is that in the absence of a truly enlightened teacher who can really skillfully guide us, maybe the best approach is to just play it safe and trust the basics of the Buddhist system. We might not do as well as we would if we had great guidance, but over the long run just being consistent and basic will work better than relying so heavily on someone or something that has biases and an incomplete vision.

    I'm uncertain about it though, its just an idea.

    JeroenlobsterFosdick
  • JaySonJaySon Florida Veteran

    Way I figure it... This life is short, like a flash of lightning. And throughout this short life there are many distractions and things you have to do survive. And there are many conflicting teachings and lineages and vehicles.

    So I recently decided to just do what Je Tsongkhapa says in his Sutra and tantra teachings in this life. Practice Migtsema and Manjushri mantra. And try to achieve all the stages of the path Tsongkhapa set out for us because it's all cohesive and, although it includes both sutra and tantra, the sutra path he laid out prepares you perfectly for his tantra teachings, his sutra path having many tantra teachings in it. It's all really one path from beginning to end, from Small Capacity practitioners to Union of No More Learnining.

    If I weren't Mahayana, I would follow Ajahn Chah's simple teachings and try to achieve liberation as fast as possible.

    lobster
  • If I weren't Mahayana, I would follow Ajahn Chah's simple teachings and try to achieve liberation as fast as possible.

    Fast is not necessarily effective. Many paths are one route/path.
    http://newbuddhist.com/discussion/comment/503555#Comment_503555

    Some days migtsema ...
    http://yinyana.tumblr.com/post/32945166677/here-is-my-practice-as-a-comic
    ... some day samadhi ...
    http://www.purifymind.com/SamadiMeditation.htm

    Onwards and upward. Sideways and inward.

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