You know sometimes you just want to say something but you've no idea what that might be, well I've been banned from this site more times that I care to mention and I'm not about to start off some slanderous rant in order that I get my membership terminated once again, for saying something that's compeletly inappropriate.
This last couple of days I've been thinking mainly about the Bardo state as understood by Tibetan Buddhism, and the contrasting view of the Tibetan systems and that which the Buddha actually taught. Strangely it seems like both are very good systems but almost so contradictory to each other that you'd almost find it difficult to believe that either was really Buddhism at all.
Actually though, when you consider that Bardo may be the most important, certainly the most important if one is to consider the possibility of strategically ripening karma, or having some other transidental type system which can pre-determine the course and destination of ones rebirth then surely this is a very very important point. So there it seems that many years ago when I was studying about the Vedic faith of Radha Soami Satsang Beas (Yoga of the Audible Life Stream) that which relates most closely to what we commonly associate with the Chakras, and specifically in this case focusing upon the Chakras of Crown and above, here really is the ultimate system for successfully transmigrating through and transcending the karmic realms that are presented during the bardo state, and pre-determining a course that guarantees ones access into a heavenly realm. There I remember reading someone loosely quoting one of the master stating that in comparison to the system of connecting with the Audible Life Stream, that Buddhism really is a lower religion.
However, what this system fails to mention, and that which Vajrayana Buddhism does focus heavily upon, is interestingly exactly that which Buddha stated as the best way to achieve happiness and inner peace, in that the path which guarantees enlightenment is exactly that most liberating path which is characterised by happiness and deep inner peace. Interesting because on all other points they are like chalk and cheese.
Then similarly contradicting these view of one or other being better or worst, or of there apparent dissimilarity there is the view of... I've forgotten...
like Samsara. How the mind is capable of expressing any thing, in Zen ones intention is to still the mind, but you see that Karma ripens no matter what you do, the only difference is the force of that Karmic realisation, still the mind 5 seconds, 5 seconds more powerful Karmic reaction. So there meditation seems to produce karmic results with such power that experieces such as the Kundalini energy rising and other more vivid experiences of bardo realms become so apparent as to be obvious, where I suppose the practitioner is able to see and therefore understand and absorb the knowledge contained within that moment, and gain insight and wisdom.
Here, it seems that compassion is very important.
I stuck me that phenomina such as psychic insight and automatic writing etc. are only manifestations of karma. But in saying that I am not discounting meditation or any of these related practices/expereinces as of having no value, because there you may remember this famous Zen story:
----
Zen teachers train their young pupils to express themselves. Two Zen temples each had a child protégé. One child, going to obtain vegetables each morning, would meet the other on the way.
"Where are you going?" asked the one.
"I am going wherever my feet go," the other responded.
This reply puzzled the first child who went to his teacher for help. "Tomorrow morning," the teacher told him, "when you meet that little fellow, ask him the same question. He will give you the same answer, and then you ask him: 'Suppose you have no feet, then where are you going?' That will fix him."
The children met again the following morning.
"Where are you going?" asked the first child.
"I am going wherever the wind blows," answered the other.
This again nonplussed the youngster, who took his defeat to his teacher.
"Ask him where he is going if there is no wind," suggested the teacher.
The next day the children met a third time.
"Where are you going?" asked the first child.
"I am going to the market to buy vegetables," the other replied.
----
Now here myself, I don't eat many vegetables, I eat mostly fish. But my Support Manager here is a relatively understood nutritionalist and he says that one also needs to consume some Carbohydrate in order to sustain the muscles developments (something to do with Glycogen) and so I am finding myself drinking a lot of fresh Orange Juice. Actually diet is interesting, through my years of taking all things to ridiculous extremes I find this diet very successful
6am - Fibre rich cerial
10am - 1 sardine sandwich (20g protein) 1 glass of water
1pm - 1 sardine sandwich and 1 glass of water
6pm - 200g Salmon, 1 red onion
6pm - 9pm - 750ml Orange Juice
Then I only exersize once a week, with swimming and yoga and find that my health is great and my fitness level is suprisingly good.
This last couple of days I've been thinking mainly about the Bardo state as understood by Tibetan Buddhism, and the contrasting view of the Tibetan systems and that which the Buddha actually taught. Strangely it seems like both are very good systems but almost so contradictory to each other that you'd almost find it difficult to believe that either was really Buddhism at all.
Actually though, when you consider that Bardo may be the most important, certainly the most important if one is to consider the possibility of strategically ripening karma, or having some other transidental type system which can pre-determine the course and destination of ones rebirth then surely this is a very very important point. So there it seems that many years ago when I was studying about the Vedic faith of Radha Soami Satsang Beas (Yoga of the Audible Life Stream) that which relates most closely to what we commonly associate with the Chakras, and specifically in this case focusing upon the Chakras of Crown and above, here really is the ultimate system for successfully transmigrating through and transcending the karmic realms that are presented during the bardo state, and pre-determining a course that guarantees ones access into a heavenly realm. There I remember reading someone loosely quoting one of the master stating that in comparison to the system of connecting with the Audible Life Stream, that Buddhism really is a lower religion.
However, what this system fails to mention, and that which Vajrayana Buddhism does focus heavily upon, is interestingly exactly that which Buddha stated as the best way to achieve happiness and inner peace, in that the path which guarantees enlightenment is exactly that most liberating path which is characterised by happiness and deep inner peace. Interesting because on all other points they are like chalk and cheese.
Then similarly contradicting these view of one or other being better or worst, or of there apparent dissimilarity there is the view of... I've forgotten...
like Samsara. How the mind is capable of expressing any thing, in Zen ones intention is to still the mind, but you see that Karma ripens no matter what you do, the only difference is the force of that Karmic realisation, still the mind 5 seconds, 5 seconds more powerful Karmic reaction. So there meditation seems to produce karmic results with such power that experieces such as the Kundalini energy rising and other more vivid experiences of bardo realms become so apparent as to be obvious, where I suppose the practitioner is able to see and therefore understand and absorb the knowledge contained within that moment, and gain insight and wisdom.
Here, it seems that compassion is very important.
I stuck me that phenomina such as psychic insight and automatic writing etc. are only manifestations of karma. But in saying that I am not discounting meditation or any of these related practices/expereinces as of having no value, because there you may remember this famous Zen story:
----
Zen teachers train their young pupils to express themselves. Two Zen temples each had a child protégé. One child, going to obtain vegetables each morning, would meet the other on the way.
"Where are you going?" asked the one.
"I am going wherever my feet go," the other responded.
This reply puzzled the first child who went to his teacher for help. "Tomorrow morning," the teacher told him, "when you meet that little fellow, ask him the same question. He will give you the same answer, and then you ask him: 'Suppose you have no feet, then where are you going?' That will fix him."
The children met again the following morning.
"Where are you going?" asked the first child.
"I am going wherever the wind blows," answered the other.
This again nonplussed the youngster, who took his defeat to his teacher.
"Ask him where he is going if there is no wind," suggested the teacher.
The next day the children met a third time.
"Where are you going?" asked the first child.
"I am going to the market to buy vegetables," the other replied.
----
Now here myself, I don't eat many vegetables, I eat mostly fish. But my Support Manager here is a relatively understood nutritionalist and he says that one also needs to consume some Carbohydrate in order to sustain the muscles developments (something to do with Glycogen) and so I am finding myself drinking a lot of fresh Orange Juice. Actually diet is interesting, through my years of taking all things to ridiculous extremes I find this diet very successful
6am - Fibre rich cerial
10am - 1 sardine sandwich (20g protein) 1 glass of water
1pm - 1 sardine sandwich and 1 glass of water
6pm - 200g Salmon, 1 red onion
6pm - 9pm - 750ml Orange Juice
Then I only exersize once a week, with swimming and yoga and find that my health is great and my fitness level is suprisingly good.
