I must confess that I didn’t see what you were getting at in your first mail. It’s a very interesting distinction. Can I comment on it using a conventional Kagyu approach, and see where it leads? When we put a possessive adverb like “my”, “our”, etc. in front obviously (or maybe, not so obviously, sorry […]
Mantras, Relative and Ultimate Truth – Possessing Things Read Post »
Ah! one more reflection regarding visualisations and mantras *operating* at a relative level … something which I think if very important from a point of view of practice … In my limited understanding, both visualizations and mantras do operate on relative level. When you say ‘they operate’ it sounds like ‘they’ are doing the ‘operating’
Mantras, Relative and Ultimate Truth – Appearance and Emptiness Read Post »
In response to the notion that: whenever we use words, we already operate on relative level 🙂 Words are just fingers pointing to experiential meaning in both cases. I’d entirely agree with you in the sense that the word itself, i.e. the concept, can only be a relative truth, from the two truths perspective of
Mantras and Sambhogakaya Read Post »
From an online discussion forum: Hi, can I take issue with you in the way you’ve described relative and ultimate reality? You seem to say that our bodies are at the level of relative reality and our minds are at the level of ultimate reality, if I’ve understood your implication correctly? Mantras provide a deep
Mantras, Relative and Ultimate Truth Read Post »
Following on from the post: Is Zen Vajrayana? I believe there are various tradtions in Zen. Some of them may use result as a path. This is a really interesting question. I don’t think that any of the traditions practice result as path in the sense that Vajrayana teachings teach it. However, interestingly enough, Soto
Soto and Rinzai Zen – Sutra, Tantra and Essence Mahamudra Read Post »
Hi, is Zen considered a Vajrayana ‘way’? I would say that it isn’t when considered by the most important criteria. If the major factor which distinguishes the Vajrayana from Mahayana and Hinayana is the fact that it uses the result as the path, whereas the other two yanas use the cause as the path, then
Could you explain what are Mahamudra methods? Is every melting with a Buddha aspect already a Mahamudra method? Maybe the 3-Light-Meditation of the sixteenth Karmapa is the only method which I would call Mahamudra method. I suspect that the answer to your questions are to a certain degree a matter of which angle you are
What are Mahamudra Methods? Read Post »
Hi *******, I’m not sure if I understand the main part of your email – are you referring to the Four Ordinary Foundations, ie, the four thoughts which turn the mind to Dharma and away from Samsara? That’s what I understood. However, I notice you received a wonderful reply on the Four Extraordinary Foundations from
How to Practice the Four Foundations Read Post »
