Mind's content and emotions

last SG · 2011-12-15T16:02:55+00:00

Simpo is definitely right… Emotions only arise when there is involvement in content, and contents are always imagined and not true. Especially, the contents...

Dharmadhatu SG

i think i know what luminosity is. but there is no the 'Eureka' state. i read in your ebook that if we are not doing the 'who am i' self-inquiry, there will be merely a gradual progression without the 'Eureka'. Is that right? Because of lack of the 'Eureka' state, i think i am still differentiating between luminosity and non-luminosity although i know theoretically tat all is phenomenon is luminosity

mantras help me too. For eg. when i chant Vajrasattva mantra, i find that it is much much easier to recognise luminosity. That is due to the purifying effects of the mantra...

An Eternal Now SG

mantras help me too. For eg. when i chant Vajrasattva mantra, i find that it is much much easier to recognise luminosity. That is due to the purifying effects of the mantra...

Can you describe your experience of luminosity in phenomenological terms?

Yes indeed, there is a difference between experience and realization.

I had glimpses and experiences for about 3 years (since 2007), and it gets clearer as time passes... yet no realization, until the self-inquiry led to the eureka realization in Feb '10.

But that is one of the direct path methods I used, one which I am familiar... there are other direct path methods. The gradual way is to stabilize the experience until realization occurs naturally.

An Eternal Now SG

Even the simple mantra Om Ah Hum or even the Om can invoke a sense of Presence.

Dharmadhatu SG

all i just can say that everything that is experienced contrasts or stands out or like becomes more tangible but there is of course still the duality. sometimes it will seem also that there is a kind of whiteness or brightness visually. But that is not the important point.

Dharmadhatu SG

Even the simple mantra Om Ah Hum or even the Om can invoke a sense of Presence.

For the Vajrasattva mantra, its effects also last post-chanting. It is also prescribed (i read somewhere) for those who are practising on mind-nature and still can't get much results. As it is due to our obscurations.

An Eternal Now SG

The For the Vajrasattva mantra, its effects also last post-chanting. It is also prescribed (i read somewhere) for those who are practising on mind-nature and still can't get much results. As it is due to our obscurations.

Vajrasattva mantra as I understand it is for purification of karmic obscurations and accumulation of merits.

This part is often not spoken by non-duality teachers or direct path teachers (including Zen, though traditional Ch'an does talk about purification), but it is spoken by Thusness (he used to 'teach me a lesson' about the importance of merits, but I digress for now - you probably have heard of it)

An Eternal Now SG

Ah I see. Yes, intensity of luminosity. Everything is intensely vivid... senses are heightened, alert, have this quality of intensity and aliveness.

Dharmadhatu SG

Vajrasattva mantra as I understand it is for purification of karmic obscurations and accumulation of merits.

lesson of importance of merits. can you share?

Vajrasattva mantra is mainly for purification. It is very helpful for purifying your energies and also for meditation on nature of mind.

An Eternal Now SG

I see.

Regarding merits:

I remember years ago Thusness would have me explain the dharma to people from various forums. One time many years ago I thought it would be better if Thusness explained by himself to the others, so I told Thusness why don't you post yourself or something like that. Thusness suddenly appeared serious (he seldom talk in this tone) and asked me so are you going to do this or not? Then he told me the reason (not exact words now but along this line) he had me to do this was because I was lacking in merits to gain enlightenment. And then he said something like... you think I'm joking? Suddenly at that moment I realized why he was always taking the trouble and instructing me to do all those things... when he could have done it himself.

Not long later I had a meditation experience... he informed me it is due to my merits ripening due to a particular instance of explaining the dharma to someone some time ago. He informed me there is a direct causal relation. When asked how does he know that merits is important for experience and realization, he simply says this is his experience. He says it may not make a lot of sense to a dualistic mind, but this is how it (dependent origination) works.

Today he no longer makes me explain this and that to others, since I am in a much better position to explain myself based on my insight and experience. But even today he said one of the reasons that contributed to my quick progression of insight is the merits accrued by actively participating in Dharma discussions... apart from the practice and establishment of right view.

An Eternal Now SG

There is a related article on the importance and ways of accumulating to effect the realization of Mahamudra (enlightenment) by Khenpo Tsultrim Gyatso Rinpoche: http://sgforums.com/forums/1728/topics/409161?page=1

Dharmadhatu SG

Very interesting thank you! But how come so many people participate in dharma discussions but few have experiences/realisations?

An Eternal Now SG

Very interesting thank you! But how come so many people participate in dharma discussions but few have experiences/realisations?

There are other factors that is important... you must have right view. If you participate in dharma discussion, but your view is not really strong, then it is not very effective... in worse case it is like the blind leading the blind.

Of course, other than that, practice and meditation is very important.

An Eternal Now SG

In my case I must say, it is very fortunate I am able to be closely acquinted with people who have direct realization. As a result, my path and view is steered in the right direction by my interaction with such noble men.

That is one of the Eight Conditions that lead to Prajna (Wisdom)

We have to take Buddha's words seriously and meet those eight conditions.

Dharmadhatu SG

that article on your other thread is very good. Thanks. Feel great joy in learning and practising the dharma.

Dharmadhatu SG

lesson of importance of merits. can you share?

Vajrasattva mantra is mainly for purification. It is very helpful for purifying your energies and also for meditation on nature of mind.

i can share one experience with Vajrasattva mantra. There was once i attended a group session on chanting this mantra. Afterwards for maybe a few hours, i experienced an inability to give rise to very gross thoughts. If they arose, they subsided very quickly. I'm not sure if there is subtle undercurrent of thoughts but it is mainly bright awareness. This is even when i was at a very busy place

An Eternal Now SG

This is very good... I think you can follow these instructions since you have had some experiences:

You need to just sit and relax.

Take a proper posture. Expell the stale air.

Do Guru yoga.

Then relax. As one's mind slowly subsides, a vivid, clear and energetic radiance will emerge. This is not rigpa itself, but is instead the radiance aspect of awareness. Relaxing in this is the essence of tregchod.

If it does not arise-- it doesn't matter-- it is there anyway. If it arises, it doesn't matter, since there is nothing one can do to cause it to arise, nor will it ever subside. But it is revealed when one is sufficiently relaxed.

If thoughts occur, it doesn't matter, since thoughts do not exist outside of this state. If there are no thoughts, it doesn't matter, since this radiance is not product of stillness, no more than the lustre of clear water is a product of the settling out of detritus.

When one can "see" the radiance of awareness even in the midst of the chaos of concepts, then one's tregchod is moving ahead.

Otherwise, just relax and integrate into your primordial state.

A few words of advice on tregchod written by a so called "dzogchen pa" named Namdrol.

An Eternal Now SG

By the way, just curious, who is your teacher?

Dharmadhatu SG

thank you for your advice. Based on your model, i should be following the gradual path though i am quite enthusiatic about trying the self-inquiry too. But just wondering how i should be balancing both.

my teachers are in the Tibetan Buddhist traditions. There are many of them, i can't pin down to just one main teacher. But in terms of the path of discovering the mind-essence, it can be said to be one or two particular Nyingma teachers (they are not well-known). I could send you the names in private but i dun think it will make much difference

my present slant is towards non-sectarian and openness, freedom of too much religio-political or school concepts... the truth should be like that. All phenomenon can be my teacher.

An Eternal Now SG

I see... If you wish to take up self-inquiry, then do self-inquiry as much as possible. Let it grow into a big ball of doubt.

The advice here is good:

http://www.hsuyun.org/chan/en/essays/bychuanzhi/759-huatoupractice.html

Dharmadhatu SG

Thanks! i think this 'self-inquiry' is also a technique used in Dzogchen too. I read it somewhere from an author practising under Lama Surya Das's lineage, John Maransky or something like that.

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