Very nice...thanks!
On 9/29/05 8:48 PM, "akasha_108" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> wrote: > --- In [email protected], akasha_108 <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> wrote: >> Lama Ole Site >> http://www.lama-ole-nydahl.org/olesite/pages/dway/dway_set.html >> >> >> The most effective method, if one can do it, is the constant >> identification with one's own Buddha nature, and the experience of >> always being in a Pure Land, both of which are taught in the Diamond >> Way. When the oneness of the seer, what is seen and the act of seeing >> is unbroken, in and between the times of meditation, the goal, >> Mahamudra is reached. > > more excerpts: some particularly relevant to yogis and gurus > > > > What are "Liberation" and "Enlightenment"? > In the process of becoming liberated, one first discovers that body, > thoughts, and feelings are in a constant state of flux. There is > therefore no basis for a real existing ego or 'self.' One stops > feeling like a target, taking one's suffering personally. When one > thinks, "there is suffering" instead of "I suffer," one becomes > invulnerable and free. > > Enlightenment is the second and ultimate step. Here, the clear light > of mind radiates through every experience. Past, present, and future, > "here" or "there," all are expressions of mind's timeless richness. In > enlightenment, mind naturally expresses fearlessness, joy, and > compassion and remains effortless and spontaneous in whatever happens. > > What are the differences between Buddhist schools? > The Buddha worked to benefit three kinds of people. Whoever wanted to > avoid suffering received the instructions about cause and effect > called Theravada or the "Small Way." Those who wanted to do more for > others were given the Mahayana or the "Great Way," the teachings on > wisdom and compassion. To people having strong confidence in their own > Buddha nature, Buddha taught the Vajrayana or the "Diamond Way." > > Here, he manifested as forms of energy and light or directly > transmitted his enlightened view as a flow of awareness. On this > highest level the aim is the complete development of mind, the > spontaneous effortlessness of Mahamudra. The basis, way, and goal of > this highest view are transmitted under varying names by Tibet's three > old Buddhist transmissions, the Nyingma, Sakya, and Kagyu Schools. > > What can Buddhism offer to Westerners? > The Karma Kagyu school offers practical teachings applicable to > everyday life. It gives a wealth of methods for lay people and yogis > to develop mind's inherent richness and clarity both through > meditation and in one's daily activities. The roof of the self > liberating Mahamudra is supported by three pillars which are: > verifiable non-dogmatic teachings, meditation, and the means to > solidify the levels of awareness which have been attained. > > The Diamond Way opens the most skillful methods of the Buddha to the > modern world. It helps us discover and develop our inner richness for > the benefit of all beings as well as ourselves. > > What is Buddhism? > The Buddha gave methods by which full enlightenment may be attained. > He made clear which teachings relate to ultimate or conditional truth. > The Buddha showed his students in practical and understandable ways > how to use all experiences in life as steps toward enlightenment, > giving methods that lead to deep and lasting happiness. > > He encouraged his students to be skeptical, inviting them to > thoroughly check for themselves, whether his teachings were dogmatic > or truly liberating. Buddhist meditation methods can generate powerful > inner change enabling experiences to be integrated directly towards > enriching our lives. These skillful methods allow the levels of > consciousness already reached through meditation to become anchored in > a way that they are never again lost. The highest teaching known as > Chag Chen or Dzogchen, as Mahamudra or Maha Ati, allows us to open to > the experience of total non-separation between subject, object and action. > > The Vajrayana or Diamond Way Buddhism, however, could never be > recreated from non-living sources. It is beyond the realm of linear > thought patterns or conditioned 'rational' feelings. The more advanced > the Buddha's teachings, the subtler and more total are the methods > employed and the more essential becomes the total transmission of > experience from a teacher. > > ---- > > There was also a third group of people whom the Buddha taught, the > yogis. Living beyond conventions and holding the highest view of the > purity of all phenomena, their function was to kick the chairs from > under the pillars of societies when they became too dualistic, > moralistic or dense. Being the holders of vision and constantly > testing the boundaries of existence, they were supposed to constantly > see everything as naturally fresh and full of potential. Experiencing > the world as radiant and sparkling, there was always space for new > solutions. > > ---- > Inside the three levels of monk/ nun, layperson, and yogi the rules of > the teacher were thus clear and on the village level, where most > lived, people could see if they were adhered to or not. If the monks > and nuns became proud, made politics, had sex or did not stay in their > monasteries, they had lost it. If the layman's family strayed, or he > brought friends into trouble through cheating or bad deals, he lost > respect and a yogi who looked like a drowned cat and could neither > inspire himself nor others was no yogi at all. People knew exactly > what everybody had to do. In the closely knit traditional Buddhist > societies, the cases of gurus leading their students astray are not > frequent for the simple reason that everybody was busily checking > everybody else's behavior. > > When Buddhism came to the West, however, it entered societies that are > quick-moving, idealistic, open and free, and where people lack those > checks. We just do not have rules for monks, lay people and yogis. > People live far apart and nobody really examines what gurus do, at > least in their inner circles. Everybody wants an emotional respite > from having to be critical in politics and jobs and hardly anybody > knows the boundaries of their teachers disciplines. Thus people with > suggestive power, with words and organizations capable of catching the > spirit of the time and evoking strong feelings, came into completely > uncharted waters. Being from the East, nobody expected solidarity, > democracy or other European values from them and in this way they > entered a vacuum where for years they could do almost anything. > > ---- > > Thus, outwardly, the teacher should be relevant and unafraid. At the > same time, he should keep a running check of himself and make sure > that he is not developing egotism, strange behavior, false sweetness > or pride. Frequent questions should be asked, "Am I thinking of the > benefit my students may bring my organization or myself or am I > thinking of their development? Am I making them dependent or teaching > them to find their inborn strength?" While enjoying the potential > richness of his or her students, a teacher should always be aware that > they were born alone, experience unwanted situations in life, and will > probably feel alone when they die. The thing to do right now is > therefore to make them so self-reliant, independent and strong that > they can handle any event coming up. > > ----- > > It is therefore not glorious to put one's students into power > structures or dupe them with mannerisms from cultures they cannot > evaluate or dress them in clothes which cut them off from the stream > of society. Organizations are not there to make teachers famous but to > give them the means for sharing their insights with many. As it is > unavoidable that this position will surround one with both friends and > groupies, who will protect one and present also one's possible > weaknesses in the best light, the teacher has to check himself on the > most daily of levels, "Do I still carry my own luggage? Am I still > thankful? Am I talking straight to people or talking down to them? Do > I see their Buddha-nature and uniqueness? Am I feeling more important > than them?" This is vital, because pride easily sneaks in. It gets one > from a corner one wouldn't expect and suddenly one has become > luxurious, soft and scheming. Power corrupts and absolute power > corrupts absolutely. This is always true. > > The teacher should develop and not get stuck with his present limits. > Instead, he should keep aware of mind's space and identify with its > total potential, with solutions and the ultimate goal. If one does > that, there will be ever less mistakes. If one sweats oneself hard > enough, there will be no doubt or second thoughts. There will not be > any room for scheming, no idea of giving good teachings to donors and > medium ones to less interesting people. It just won't happen. One will > be naked and true, a real yogi. > > ---- > > This was the teachers' side. Now you will want to know what the > students should do. The first condition is that they be willing to > learn and work hard. This opens a space beyond ego and concepts, where > many kinds of receptivity are set free and the transformative effect > of the meeting depends on the confidence invested. Here it is > essential that the students get involved in an intelligent, conscious > way. Though it is difficult not to be swayed by one's wishes for quick > perfection, still they should examine the teacher as well as they can. > They must evaluate him and decide how he is, for example, if they > would buy a used car from him. As they will surely absorb many of his > qualities within the next years, they must first be critical. If they > don't ask the necessary questions and the teacher is not solid, their > development will surely be derailed, at least till they find a better one. > > Of course it is difficult to fully open up to another being, > especially when he is in a position of strength. It always means > losing some aspects of one's fairy land. One will have things taken > away, thoughts that one cherishes and feelings and experiences that > one wants to retain. Preconceived ideas must leave to create space for > real insights, so the student has to be hard-nosed and unsentimental > enough to put up with that. On one's way from the relative and > conditioned to the absolute and lasting, one must be willing to let go > of the most spiritual of ideas, the finest of concepts, the sweetest > of feelings. > > One should make that sacrifice, however, and not let a unique > opportunity slip by. Only lifetimes of gathering good impressions make > evident that the experiencer is immensely more meaningful than any > picture or piece of imagination it may manifest, and this conviction > may easily be lost again. We thus have nothing more precious than > that, and liberation and Enlightenment happen only when the students > place their confidence in mind's essence, in the here and now. Faster > than any complicated method, basic trust in a dependable teacher may > bring forth that radiant consciousness which the student always has, > and the rate of development depends on one's openness. If one sees the > teacher as a Buddha, one receives a Buddha's blessing. If one sees him > as a Bodhisattva, one gets a blessing of that magnitude, and if one > should experience the Buddha as an ordinary being, one would probably > get nothing but a headache! Behind the games of ego lies nothing but > radiant wisdom and mind's joyful radiance will always be there. When > such confidence has been installed, mind's veils will fall gradually > and by themselves. > ---- > > > > > > > To subscribe, send a message to: > [EMAIL PROTECTED] > > Or go to: > http://groups.yahoo.com/group/FairfieldLife/ > and click 'Join This Group!' > Yahoo! Groups Links > > > > > > ------------------------ Yahoo! Groups Sponsor --------------------~--> Get fast access to your favorite Yahoo! Groups. Make Yahoo! your home page http://us.click.yahoo.com/dpRU5A/wUILAA/yQLSAA/JjtolB/TM --------------------------------------------------------------------~-> To subscribe, send a message to: [EMAIL PROTECTED] Or go to: http://groups.yahoo.com/group/FairfieldLife/ and click 'Join This Group!' Yahoo! Groups Links <*> To visit your group on the web, go to: http://groups.yahoo.com/group/FairfieldLife/ <*> To unsubscribe from this group, send an email to: [EMAIL PROTECTED] <*> Your use of Yahoo! Groups is subject to: http://docs.yahoo.com/info/terms/
