I will tell you what I am going to do: become an android! I will wait of course, until the technology is good enough that I can't get a virus! |
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if you figure out that you are in fact in bardo, what then? i know according to buddhists how you are reborn depends on your reactions to the dream in bardo but what are you supposed to do? |
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I will tell you what I am going to do: become an android! I will wait of course, until the technology is good enough that I can't get a virus! |
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ya gwan fok wid de Baron? ye gotta nodda ting comin. (Formerly known as Baking Nomad.)
Last edited by sleepyzac; 03-06-2010 at 09:18 PM.
Well actually, according to the tibetan book of the dead YOU'RE ALREADY IN ONE. This reality is also a 'bardo'. There are countless bardos you can reincarnate into after dying, earth is one of them! |
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Here's an online ebook translation of the book itself: http://www.summum.us/mummification/tbotd/ |
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As a caveat, trying to prepare for death by reading the TBotD is like preparing for a driving test by studying an engine diagram. If you've been embedded in the symbol set all your life and the deities and demons are as familiar as your close relations, having someone recite this at your deathbed may be of use. It's a great read or listen regardless (I'd almost recommend audio over text), but its wide circulation owes mainly to having been one of the earlier artifacts of Tibetan Buddhism to reach the West in the nineteenth century, quite out of context with the larger body of teachings. |
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If you have a sense of caring for others, you will manifest a kind of inner strength in spite of your own difficulties and problems. With this strength, your own problems will seem less significant and bothersome to you. By going beyond your own problems and taking care of others, you gain inner strength, self-confidence, courage, and a greater sense of calm.Dalai Lama
cool thanx i'll check that out |
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Last edited by Taosaur; 03-10-2010 at 02:13 AM. Reason: triple post
Interesting. |
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oh man where to begin, ummmm the basic idea is that life on earth is the middle of the six realms with demi gods and gods above and animals, hungry ghosts and hell below so... this is not where you want to be liberation is supposedly the best thing in existence, it is THE goal. it is realizing the ultimate truth which is beyond explanation. compared to ultimate reality, the reality we inhabit is a form of hell... but then they say that once you comprehend ultimate reality (enlightenment) then everything is equal for you, good evil, pain pleasure, same thing... confusing and deep but do some reading and you'll understand why i want OUT!!! |
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This kinda sounds as ridiculous as the catholic notions of Heaven and Hell I was brought up into. (not trying to be insulting to anyone btw) |
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oh i know, don't worry see the thing is that the realms are also a metaphor for what we experience in our consciousness, emotions, pain, pleasure, etc. i was raised catholic to and trust me, this is not the same. buddhism is based largely on psychology. the buddha himself said never do anything just because someone said to even if it was him, try it for yourself to make sure it works. buddhism works with the phsycological habits that we all have to make our mental state better. the idea is that, whatever you belive, you can acheive enlightenment in this life, not after death. this is what is so cool is that there is a goal that people all over the world reach. and beyond that there are definate results on almost a day to day basis. comparing my mental and physical state after meditating for a year to before is a pretty amazing contrast! and there are points of wonderful feelings that can be reached in meditation that are better than booze or smoke or anything... oh no i sound like a rehab worker... for real though it's good stuff! most religions just say "be good and have faith in something you have no proof of and you go to heaven." buddhism says: "try it, if it works use it. if not learn new methods. if you practice enough you will get results." the idea is that we all have the info that the buddha got from enlightenment in our subconcscious and the path can bring it out which is the equivalent to waking from a dream. the tibetans believe a lot of the work of the path can be done in dreams. the after death stuff is mainly a tibetan thing. zen monks believe in doing things in this life and you don't hear much about dreams or the between lives states at all. its just life death and rebirth until enlightenment... |
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That is a great way of putting it This type of instruction requires you to have personal knowledge of the entire language of symbolism behind it. In fact, much of the traditional teaching requires you to actively meditate on the different symbols to establish a personal relationship with and understanding of them. You pretty much hypnotize yourself into really knowing what these symbols mean, so you can later transcend them and gain pure understanding. |
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Unless you engrave that symbol set deeply on your awareness, there's no reason to expect you'll see "demons, gods, etc." Whatever you do encounter, you'll be in a much better position to react appropriately if you are deeply familiar with the workings of your own mind and the ground of being. If you want an orderly path, you're staring at one by even asking the question: choose a lineage and begin training. |
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If you have a sense of caring for others, you will manifest a kind of inner strength in spite of your own difficulties and problems. With this strength, your own problems will seem less significant and bothersome to you. By going beyond your own problems and taking care of others, you gain inner strength, self-confidence, courage, and a greater sense of calm.Dalai Lama
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The buddhist philosophy as I understand it recognizes only one emptiness, awareness & the play of darkness & light in awareness expressing through all that is. |
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Thought plus emotion creates attitude. Attitude plus action creates experience and experience determines reality
to everybody thanx guys. so basically this tibetan bardo stuff is EXTREMELY esoteric essentiantly! lol ok i'll just stick with my chan/zen monks and nuns and learn what they can teach me and just leave the death areas to the vajrayana |
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Last edited by sleepyzac; 03-11-2010 at 12:37 AM.
Dear Mr. Zach of Sleeply Head, to answer your original question when you recognize you are in the bardo of the after life first you will pass thru the Chikhai bardo. This bardo is defined by the dawning of the clear radiance/light of mind. When you see this & recognize this to be you're fundamental reality then recognition and liberation are simultaneous. However, b/c of negative inertia or karma, you might become afraid, indifferent or complacent. In doing so you will pass thru this bardo into the Chonyid Bardo. Here you will be recieved by the peaceful deities, wrathful deities and the herukas. If you recognize these to be none other than the clear light or your fundamental nature then recognition and liberation are simultaneous. If because of fear, indifference, complacency or other negative karma you will realize that you no longer have a body or form of flesh & blood. Not only that you will have no reflection nor shadow. Then being desirous of a body will begin to see couples fucking, different colored lights and possibly lamenting or performing rituals for your former dead body. Here if you are attentative to the reading of the doctrine you will be asked to focus on your guru, or tutelary deity or buddha and if you are able to recognize these as the clear light of awareness then you shall break free from the wheel of karma and obtain perfect buddahood in the sambogakaya/energy body. Here once again all that is necesary is to recognize this and liberation will be won. |
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Last edited by Hijo de la Luna; 03-11-2010 at 01:01 AM.
Thought plus emotion creates attitude. Attitude plus action creates experience and experience determines reality
thank you soooo much!!! this is the answer to the question i developed during my readings! i kept hearing about visions and dreams and how your behavior affected your rebirth but nothing about what this behavior could be. much appreciated |
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This is my realm of study! |
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Very good book. |
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rigpa |
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