#buddhist yogi

[journeytothewestresearch]

The aforementioned five ornaments are sometimes combined with another item to form the “Six Ornaments” or “Six Seals” (Sk: Shanmudrā, षण्मुद्रा), each of which is associated with a Buddhist wisdom:

The yogic ornaments … are commonly classified as being six in number: (1) the skull-tiara, (2) the armlets, (3) the bracelets, (4) the anklets … (5) the bone-bead apron and waist-band combined … and (6) the double line of bone-beads extending over the shoulders to the breast, where they hold in place the breast-plate Mirror of Karma, wherein … are reflected every good and bad action. These six ornaments (usually of human bone) denote the Six Pāramitā (‘Boundless Virtues’), which are: (1) Dāna-Pāramitā (‘Boundless Charity’), (2) Shīla-Pāramitā (‘Boundless Morality’), (3) Kshānti-Pāramitā (‘Boundless Patience’), (4) Vīrya-Pāramitā (‘Boundless Industry’), (5) Dhyāna-Pāramitā (‘Boundless Meditation’), and (6) Prajñā-Pāramitā (‘Boundless Wisdom’). To attain to Buddhahood, and as a Bodhisattva to assist in the salvation of all living creatures, the Six Pramita must be assiduously practised (Evans-Wentz, 2000, p. xxv).

The most detailed source I’ve found reads:

a. The Bone Wheel Vajradharma wears a bone wheel on his head. It is formed from a small bone circle that sits around the crown of the head, surrounded by a second, larger circle. The two circles are attached to one another by eight bone spokes. On each of the five spokes at the front, above the forehead, stands a dried skull that supports the jewel, which is the crest ornament. From the lower part of their jaws, looped chains and hanging decorative chains extend downward to the space between Vajradharma’s eyebrows and to the tips of his ears. One the back of each skull is a multicolored vajra with a crescent moon placed to the left. The deity’s long hair passes up through the hole in the middle of the inner bone circle and is tired in a topknot.  b. The Earrings  There are five parts to the earrings. There is a main circle of bone, which is like a bangle. From the bottom of the circle hang two smaller rings, each one attached to the larger ring above them by a semi-circle of bone. c. The Necklace  The necklace is made of two strings of bones bound together with hair taken from both a corpse and a living person. At the front is a square central hub. The hub forms the base for a T-shaped triple vajra. There are to more triple vajras placed at the two points where the strings of the necklace reach the shoulders. d. The Bracelets The deity wears a bracelet on each ankle, wrist, and upper arm, making six in total. Each bracelet is made from two strings of bones that have been bound together. There are three vajras on each pair of bracelets, one at the knot in the upper string, one at the knot in the lower string, and one opposite the knot in the upper string. e. The Brahmin’s Bone Thread Next is the Brahmin’s bone thread, or investiture thread (yajnopavita). On the front of the body, above the novel, is a bone wheel with either right or four spokes. There are holes in four of the spokes and two parallels strings of bone pass through each of them. Two of these strings go over the shoulders, and two pass under the armpit. On each of these strings are two vajras on the shoulder and another two under the armpit, making eight in total. Sometimes there is a second bone wheel on the back, to which all the strings are tied; if not, all the ends of the strings are knotted together.  Together, or with the thread of hair from a slain thief, these bone ornaments are called the ornaments of the five mudras. f. The Bone Belt  The bone belt, or apron, hangs from the waist. It is made, as before, of two parallel strings of bone. The strings have five vajras attached to them–one at the front in the center, one on each hip, and one on each side of the center, halfway to the whips. Hanging chains and looped chains decorated with small silver bells and small bone spearheads hang from the tips of the vajras. The chains end at the point where the calf muscle begins to taper. According to oral tradition, the necklace we just mentioned is ornamented with five vajras at the heart. Although I have consulted many descriptions of the bone ornaments, I have never seen this stated anywhere else. There are many traditions concerning the bone ornaments, but here I have presented that of the oral tradition taught by my master (Lingpa, Rinpoche, & Chemchok, 2017, pp. 52-54). 

As can be seen, the tiger skin is not mentioned among these ornaments either.

Also, as is mentioned, the items making up the six ornaments vary from tradition to tradition. For instance, Huntington and Bangdel (2003) list bone ash in place of the bone thread (p. 161). But it’s important to note for our purposes that the circlet, bangles, bracelets, anklets, and belt make up the five basic accoutrements.

One example of the "skull-tiara" or "bone wheel" (i.e. the ritual headband) mentioned above looks like this.

A 19th-century Tibetan bone headband from the Art Gallery of NSW.

A drawing of Monkey wearing the bone ornaments would be great.

Sources:

Evans-Wentz, W. Y. (Ed.). (2000). Tibet’s Great Yogi Milarepa: A Biography from the Tibetan Being the Jetsun-Kabbum Or Biographical History of Jetsun-Milarepa, According to the Late Lama Kazi Dawa-Samdup’s English Rendering. United Kingdom: Oxford University Press, USA.

Huntington, J. C., & Bangdel, D. (2003). The Circle of Bliss: Buddhist Meditational Art. United Kingdom: Serindia Publications.

Lingpa, J., Rinpoche, P., Chemchok, K. (2017). The Gathering of Vidyadharas: Text and Commentaries on the Rigdzin Düpa. United States: Shambhala.

More on the Origins of Sun Wukong's Golden Headband

I've previously suggested that the Monkey King's golden headband (jingu, 金箍; a.k.a. jingu, 緊箍, lit: “tight fillet”) can be traced to a ritual circlet mentioned in the Hevajra Tantra (Ch: Dabei kongzhi jingang dajiao wang yigui jing, 大悲空智金剛大教王儀軌經, 8th-century). This is one of the "Five Symbolic Ornaments" or "Five Seals" (Sk: Pancamudra, पञ्चमुद्रा; Ch: Wuyin, 五印; a.k.a. "Five Buddha Seals," Wufo yin, 五佛印), each of which is associated with a particular Wisdom Buddha:

Aksobhya is symbolised by the circlet, Amitabha by the ear-rings, Ratnesa by the necklace, Vairocana by the hand ornaments, [and] Amogha by the girdle (Farrow, 1992, p. 65). [1] 輪者，表阿閦如來；鐶者，無量壽如來；頸上鬘者，寶生如來；手寶釧者，大毘盧遮那如來；腰寶帶者，不空成就如來。

Akshobya is known to have attained Buddhahood through moralistic practices (Buswell & Lopez, 2014, p. 27). Therefore, this explains why a headband would be used to rein in the unruly nature of a murderous monkey god.

The original Sanskrit Hevajra Tantra calls the circlet a cakri (चक्रि) or a cakrika (चक्रिका) (Farrow, 1992, pp. 61-62 and 263-264, for example), both of which refer to a "wheel" or "disc." The Chinese version uses the terms baolun/zhe (寶輪/者, "treasure wheel or ring") and just lunzhe (輪者, "wheel" or "ring").

One of the more interesting things I've learned is that these ornaments were made from human bone. One source even refers to them as "bone ornaments" (Sk: asthimudra, अस्थिमुद्रा) (Jamgon Kontrul Lodro Taye, 2005, p. 493, n. 13). [1]

Can you imagine Sun Wukong wearing a headband made from human bone?! How metal would that be? Finger bones would probably do the trick.

Note:

1) Another section of the Hevajra Tantra provides additional associations:

The Circlet worn on the head symbolises the salutation to one's guru, master and chosen deity; the ear-rings symbolise the yogi turning a deaf ear to derogatory words spoken about the guru and Vajradhara; the necklace symbolises the recitation of mantra; the bracelets symbolises the renunciation of killing living beings and the girdle symbolises the enjoyment of the consort (Farrow, 1992, p. 263-264). 謂頂相寶輪者，唯常敬禮教授阿闍梨及自師尊；耳寶鐶者，不樂聞說持金剛者及自師尊一切過失、麁惡語故；頸寶鬘者，唯常誦持大明呪故；手寶釧者，乃至不殺蠕動諸眾生故；腰寶帶者，遠離一切欲邪行故。

2) For more info on the association between Hindo-Buddhist practices and human remains, see "charnel grounds".

Sources:

Farrow, G. W. (1992). The Concealed Essence of the Hevajra Tantra: With the Commentary Yogaratnamālā. Delhi: Motilal Banarsidass.

Jamgon Kontrul Lodro Taye (2005). The Treasury of Knowledge, Book Six, Part Four: Systems of Buddhist Tantra (The Kalu Rinpoche Translation Group, Trans.). Ithaca, NY: Snow Lion.

[thecalminside]

People have a hard time letting go of their suffering. Out of a fear of the unknown, they prefer suffering that is familiar.

-Thich Nhat Hanh

[mysticalblizzardcolor]

Don't Wait for Suffering to End

[bhaskarlive]

UP govt to hold Bodhi Yatra in Delhi on June 28

The Yogi Adityanath government will host ‘The Bodhi Yatra 2024’ in New Delhi on June 28, a government spokesman said.

This is an effort to boost Buddhist pilgrimage tourism and attract devotees and tourists from across the globe to Uttar Pradesh’s renowned Buddhist sites.

The day-long event aims to highlight the remarkable life journey of Lord Buddha through Uttar Pradesh’s Buddhist heritage sites, a government spokesman added.

The Uttar Pradesh Tourism Department has commenced preparations for the programme.

Source: bhaskarlive.in

[creativeme2022]

[beamingdesign]

perspective

[talonabraxas]

“Tantra is the science of transforming ordinary lovers into soul mates. And that is the grandeur of Tantra. It can transform the whole earth; it can transform each couple into soul mates.” — Rajneesh

Vajrasattva Yab-Yum Talon Abraxas

Yab Yum (father-mother) is the symbolic sexual relationship between the masculine and feminine visualized deity in Tibetan Buddhist iconography. Yab Yum symbolizes the union of method and wisdom.

Feminine Principle in Tantra

Feminine principle is the principle of wisdom. It is the most primordial essence of the universe. The wisdom mind is the self-existing reality. It is awareness that knows its own nature. Feminine principle is related strongly to jnana, or the insight that knows reality itself, the self-existing reality of all things.

It is also called the mother, as it gives birth to the Buddhas. Feminine principle is the liberating method. Through wisdom, the practitioner of this yoga is liberated from the stream of samsara.

The female deity is most frequently depicted with a kapala (skull cup) containing amrita in her left hand. In her right hand is typically a flower, symbolizing compassion, or a kartika (hook knife) symbolizing cutting through to innate purity of reality.

In Vajrayana Buddhism, the kapala, often held by deities like mahasiddhas and dakinis, symbolizes wisdom and knowledge. Practices involving the kapala include the melting of moon drops in the skull, creating a blissful sensation. The kapala is also a representation of lineage transmission during empowerments. Drinking blood from it, often associated with impurity, symbolizes non-discrimination and the yogi’s breakthrough into non-dualism. The dakini’s image, delighting in consuming blood, signifies a perfected yogi dwelling in non-duality, experiencing the union of emptiness and bliss— the highest enlightenment in Vajrayana Buddhism.

The kartika, with its distinctive crescent shape, is a ritual implement used in various Vajrayana practices. Its curved blade symbolizes the severance of attachment and delusion, cutting through the bonds that bind individuals to cyclic existence. In the context of the feminine principle, the kartika is often associated with the dakini, a mystical and enlightened feminine energy.

Dakinis, portrayed as fierce and compassionate, use the hook knife to cut through ignorance and ego, guiding practitioners towards spiritual awakening. The symbology of the kartika emphasizes the transformative power of the feminine principle in Tibetan Buddhism, depicting the dakini’s ability to remove obstacles, liberate beings, and reveal the path to enlightenment through the compassionate act of severing attachments.

Masculine Principle in Tantra

Masculine principle is upayas or skillful means. They are the manifestation of the Mahayana principle of compassion. When compassion enters the Vajrayana, it becomes skillful means. This is the method to liberate other beings, to wake them up to reality, to help them understand the trap of samsara and the path to liberation.

In Tantric Buddhism, the masculine principle is symbolized through ritual implements that play a crucial role in transformative practices. One such implement is the phurba, a ritual dagger or three-sided peg. The phurba, with its blade representing wisdom and its three faces embodying the trikaya (the three bodies of the Buddha), serves as a powerful symbol of the masculine energy’s capacity to conquer obstacles and pierce through ignorance.

Ritual implements, including the vajra and bell, are often used together to embody the union of the masculine and feminine principles in Tantric rituals. The vajra, representing indestructible and compassionate wisdom, is held in the right hand, symbolizing skillful means, while the bell, held in the left hand, symbolizes the feminine wisdom of emptiness. The harmonious use of these ritual implements in Tantric Buddhism signifies the integration of both masculine and feminine energies, leading practitioners towards a profound understanding of reality and the path to enlightenment.

[radical-revolution]

“One evening Milarepa returned to his cave after gathering firewood, only to find it filled with demons. They were cooking his food, reading his books, sleeping in his bed. They had taken over the joint. He knew about nonduality of self and other, but he still didn’t quite know how to get these guys out of his cave.

Even though he had the sense that they were just a projection of his own mind—all the unwanted parts of himself—he didn’t know how to get rid of them. So first he taught them the dharma. He sat on this seat that was higher than they were and said things to them about how we are all one. He talked about compassion and shunyata and how poison is medicine. Nothing happened. The demons were still there.

Then he lost his patience and got angry and ran at them. They just laughed at him. Finally, he gave up and just sat down on the floor, saying, “I’m not going away and it looks like you’re not either, so let’s just live here together.” At that point, all of them left except one. Milarepa said, “Oh, this one is particularly vicious.” (We all know that one. Sometimes we have lots of them like that. Sometimes we feel that’s all we’ve got.) He didn’t know what to do, so he surrendered himself even further. He walked over and put himself right into the mouth of the demon and said, “Just eat me up if you want to.” Then that demon left too.”

~Pema Chödrön, Start Where You Are: A Guide to Compassionate Living

*** Milarepa (often referred to as Jetsun Milarepa, meaning Milarepa the Revered One)

is the central figure of early Tibetan Buddhism. He was a Buddhist saint, a yogi, a sorceror, a trickster, a wanderer, and a poet. He is both folk hero and cultural preceptor, the embodiment of the ideal in Tibetan Buddhism.

The Hundred Thousand Songs of Milarepa, an extensive collection of stories and poetry from the life of Milarepa, is a central text of popular Tibetan Buddhism, in some ways comparable to the Bhagavad Gita in Hinduism and the New Testament within Christianity. His life stories and poetry are read devoutly even today to inspire determination in meditation and spiritual practice.

Milarepa’s father died when he was still a boy, and the land that should have passed to him was seized by relatives who treated the young Milarepa and his mother and sister as slaves. After several years of this cruelty and hard labor, Milarepa’s mother convinced the teenaged boy to study magic with a local sorceror in order to take revenge on their relatives. Milarepa was so successful in this purpose that, it is said, a great hailstorm occurred, destroying the house during a wedding ceremony, killing several members of the family. In the aftermath of this incident, Milarepa felt such guilt for his actions that he vowed to cleanse himself of the evil karma he had accumulated.

In his search for a pure spiritual teacher, Milarepa eventually met his guru, the Buddhist yogi and translator, Marpa, who was himself a disciple of the famous Indian Buddhist master Naropa. Marpa, seeing Milarepa’s great potential mixed with dark karma, put Milarepa through many years of severe trials and tests before he would formally accept Milarepa as a student.

Milarepa then spent several years meditating in seclusion in remote mountain caves, struggling, at times, against the demonic forces of the mind, until he achieved the ultimate enlightenment.

Rejecting the formalism of religious position and the endless squabbles of theological discourse, he adopted the life of a mendicant, traveling from village to village, speaking directly with the people he met, singing spontaneous songs of enlightenment and wisdom.

[jeannereames]

Can you tell us a little more about Kalanos? Did he actually exist and if so which stories about his interactions with ATG are likely real or fake?

Kalanos/Calanus

To those for whom the name is unfamiliar, he was an Indian yogi who attached himself to Alexander train somewhere in India, probably Taxila/Gandhāra. He famously immolated himself in Susa in 323, and (supposedly) prophesied Alexander’s own death months later by saying, “We’ll meet again in Babylon.” Whether or not he really said this a good question; I’m quite dubious. But he did certainly exist, although “Kalanos” wasn’t apparently his name (Plutarch says ‘Sphines’ which is still a Greekification, Alex. 65.3-4). What we know about him is kinda iffy, largely because the sources don’t agree. He came along willingly, at Alexander’s invitation, and Alexander reputedly treated him well with gifts he may have been somewhat bemused by and had little use for. Perhaps he genuinely thought he could teach Alexander something, I don’t know. But Alexander had a fascination with philosophers that was not entirely the invention of Plutarch, although I think Plutarch exaggerated it. (I've written on that before.)

Not a lot has been written academically about Kalanos, interestingly (although see below). In his somewhat recent Soldier, Priest and God, Fred Naiden spends some time on the reported contest between Alexander and the Indian philosophers, described in Plutarch (which IS probably 95% invented). Not sure I agree with his assessments, but I mention it, as Naiden does address ATG and the Indian yogis, but he had little to say about Kalanos himself and seems to accept the prophecy uncritically or at least as something Kalanos actually said, asking (no doubt rhetorically) what he meant by it. Well, I don’t think he said it, so what he meant by it would be whatever the original author (whoever that was) meant by it.

Other ATG biographers discuss Kalanos, and there may also be an article I don’t recall, in this or that collection. A lot have come out in the last 20 years, some of which I’ve simply not read, or I glanced through them, looking for material relating to my own work and that wasn’t it.

Kalanos is used by Curtius as a sort of totally-second-rate-Indian-philosopher-but-still-so-much-wiser-than-Alexander figure that’s part of Curtius’s general framing of Alexander’s latter years. He’s presented more positively in Arrian, Plutarch, and Diodoros (who confusingly calls him Karanos, which in other, later accounts was the supposed founder of Macedon—a completely different figure).

So, I think some good work could be done on Kalanos, academically, if someone wanted to take it up—particularly perhaps, someone able to read ancient Indian texts as well, and who could contextualize Kalanos better. For instance, Naiden suggests that he immolated himself because he felt he’d committed some sacrilege. I’m dubious. Then again, I’m just not that familiar with Brahminic traditions of that period. (Although see a different take in an article mentioned below.)

Kalanos’s manner of suicide went on to have interesting ramifications later in the Hellenistic/Roman periods. First, he wasn’t the only yogi to travel west, and immolation seems to have been a crowd draw and weird morbid-but-respectful fascination with the “Wow, they didn’t even flinch!” Consider the stories of Zarmanochegas. In any case, the story of Kalanos (and specifically his death) grew legs and pops up in a fair bit of later Roman-era writing.

I think we can lose sight of the fact Indian philosophy did have an impact in the west, maybe more than is sometimes acknowledged, and perhaps predating Alexander and Kalanos.

I found two articles that are at least somewhat recent and the first of which is the sort of real cultural dig I’d like to see more of: The Journal of the Oxford Centre for Buddhist Studies, “The Self-immolation of Kalanos and other Luminous Encounters Among Greeks and Indian Buddhists in the Hellenistic World” (Georgios T. Halkias), proposing that Kalanos may have been Buddhist, not a Hindu yogi at all. It looks quite interesting, with a solid bibliography, and is available publicly, so I will be downloading it for my own purposes. But as he’s not an Alexander scholar, so I’m not sure how the assessment of the Alexander sources will go. (This is the eternal problem when trying to combine two quite different fields of study. But I’m at least intrigued by the questions raised in the article abstract.)

The second was written by a George Bruseker with the British School at Athens, “Calanus and Dandamis: a Greek Sketch of Ancient Indian thought.” But the only journal Talanta I can find is for chemistry, so whether peer-reviewed or not, I’m skeptical about the article appearing there and not in something related to ancient history. Also, the bibliography is rather thin. For that reason, I’m not linking to it directly.

Again, I’ve not read either article, so I can’t speak further than very quick, first impressions.

[proudhinduforever]

How Buddhism broke India's warror Spirit?

There was a time in ancient India when Buddhism had a significant influence. While most Hindus revere Buddhism and even consider Buddha to be the 8th avatar of Vishnu, many are unaware of how Buddhism has negatively impacted Hinduism. The principle of non-violence, for example, weakened the strength of the Kshatriyas, who were one of the main pillars of society. Additionally, there are other aspects of Buddhism that had a detrimental effect, such as its doctrine of a soulless world and its extreme emphasis on monkhood, which undermined the importance of householder duties. These issues were identified by many scholars and yogis, one of whom was Swami Vivekananda. Here are some excerpts from his speeches.

"Buddhism made the Kshatriya class weak by preaching that the ideal of life is to renounce the world and to avoid the fight. The very idea of non-violence that Buddhism advocated paralyzed the Kshatriya spirit, which was rooted in the defense of the nation and the protection of the helpless."

— The Complete Works of Swami Vivekananda, Volume 2

"The Buddhist non-violence paralyzed the Kshatriya spirit. They gave up fighting for righteousness and became passive, turning inward in pursuit of personal salvation. The nation lost its fighting spirit."

— The Complete Works of Swami Vivekananda, Volume 4

"When Buddhism replaced the warrior spirit with the ideals of renunciation and self-escape, it robbed the Kshatriya of his fighting spirit. The result was a nation incapable of resisting invasion, a nation weakened by the philosophy of renunciation."

— The Complete Works of Swami Vivekananda, Volume 2

"The Kshatriyas of India became weak and lost their ability to fight for the nation due to the Buddhist influence. Buddhism, in its essence, promoted renunciation over action, pacifism over protection, and this destroyed the warrior spirit. The weakness of the Kshatriya class directly contributed to the eventual conquest and subjugation of India."

— The Complete Works of Swami Vivekananda, Volume 3

There is definitely a significant negative effect of following extreme non-violence. Swamiji has also pointed this out. We need to understand this from our Hindu history and be prepared to fight, without adhering to extreme pacifism.

[dailyanarchistposts]

Conclusion

In this essay, we first discussed Prince Siddhartha’s defiance against his father, Oligarch Śuddhodana and how this defiance broke from hierarchical concepts such as patriarchy and filial piety; secondly we explored the dhamma’s stance on the Hindu caste system in Northern India, in the Buddha’s time and in the 20th century; thirdly we examined specific texts and concepts accredited to the Buddha that oppose dogmatism; fourthly, we saw that the Sangha has functioned as a commune existing beyond the limits of monarchies and oligarchies, and how they often function as sanctuaries beyond political realms; finally we examined abridged tales of the Buddha and his discourses with the Hindu gods where the justifications for oppression, oligarchy, hierarch, patriarchy, and monarchy were deconstructed within the suttas. And the above is just a fraction of the literature available regarding the Buddha’s dhamma.

Siddhatha Gautama, the Buddha of the Shakya tribe, Shakyamuni, was declared by the hermit yogi Asita that he would either be a conqueror or a sage. And despite oligarch Śuddhodana’s wishes, Shakyamuni Buddha determined to become a sage. From the very beginning he rejected the premise of political life in Mahājanapada period India. His early life story warns against information being concealed in order to manipulate others. The Buddha’s dhamma would then live on to be one of the single-most convicting critiques of the caste system. The Buddha himself declared all people are created equal. And later Mahatma Gandhi, Indian independence activists, and anarchist theorists would look to Buddhism for answers regarding how to undo the caste’s hierarchy. Suttas like the Kesamutti Sutta warned specifically against gullibility and acceptance of authority prima facie, which departs from all other belief systems deemed religious in some way and is in accordance with anarchist principles.

What’s more, the Buddha’s Sangha was a refuge from political life for all people, from Kshatriya kings to Brahmins, to Dalit untouchables. the Sangha is an equal-opportunity commune that subsists without the use of money or assets. This was a direct affront to the market system of the time, and even drew the ire of nearby merchants. And the entire basis for hierarchy in ancient Indian society was challenged by the Buddhist dhamma. Their creator gods were subjugated, allegorically dismissed, and so the concept of divine right of rule in the Indian rendition was challenged by the dhamma. I will be first to admit that Buddhism and anarchism part ways at a few very important junctures, but they remain compatible if we remain nondogmatic about either tradition. Both worldviews have indeed come to be synthesized in my own mind in the same way this essay was written, as I have taken the precept of avihiṃs�� nonviolence.

[lazyyogi]

I've been a fan of this blog for a good bit now, and I was wondering what your opinion of referring to yourself as a "Yogi" IRL in a western society? Personally speaking, I find the title slightly humorous and well meaning, but I also recognize that Westerners would understandably associate Yogis in an conceptual egotistical connotation, even though in more Eastern traditions it is commonplace to associate ones self as a spiritual being. I think the full name "lazyyogi" is a good balance of acknowledging spirituality but also not being rooted in ego, but I still wonder if this has ever crossed your mind? I try to be mindful of who I inform of my Yoga practice, because for some odd reason they will often think I'm trying to be "holy", which isn't 100% out of question but is also just straight projection most of the time haha

This is a good question so thank you for asking it.

When people ask me what religion I follow or if I am a buddhist or hindu, I always give the same response: I'm a meditator.

I find this to be the most appropriate answer for me because 99% of the time when someone asks such a question, they are just trying to label me for the sake of gaining a general understanding of me. So if we are talking broad strokes, the most suitable way to define me is in terms of my practice.

The way of the yogi is a path of practice and the direct experience arising therefrom. For the yogi, any religious or philosophical beliefs are always secondary to one's direct experience.

I rarely refer to myself IRL as a yogi.

My guru sometimes tells the story of when his guru initiated him as a monk. His guru said to him, "Do not claim yourself to be a monk but live your life such that others can call you a monk."

That's how I would like to approach such terms. I make no claims about myself other than that I practice meditation.

The other, more long-winded response about my path/religion would be that all religions and philosophies are attempts to describe the indescribable. My interest is not in confining myself to one religion or philosophy but in seeking and ingesting the wisdoms (dharma) wherever they may be found, regardless of their sources.

However, without the emphasis of direct experience born of spiritual practice, this can be mistaken to be too similar to an eclectic path in which beliefs have been cherry-picked to create a personal religious paradigm.

So I keep it simple and just say meditator :P

Much love!

LY

[thecalminside]

Peace is within oneself to be found in the same place as agitation and suffering. It is not found in a forest or on a hilltop, nor is it given by a teacher. Where you experience suffering, you can also find freedom from suffering. Trying to run away from suffering is actually to run toward it.

-Ajahn Chah

[fulcrumredeemed]

Ahsoka Tano: Marvel verse Born: 1967, August 14th Childhood: -Between ages 0-14: The mutant daughter of the ambassador from India to the United States Pav-ti Tano was her mother, and her father Nak-il Tano of Ghanaian-Indian decent, was a Ghanaian Military General, and head of Upon finding out that Ahsoka's uncle, her father's brother, had been promoted to the head of Ghana's Weapon X program, Ahsoka's parents discussed how to best protect their daughter and decided that Ahsoka's mother should take her on a journey, knowing that the X-gene was in her genetics. They stopped at many temples of different beliefs, Hindu, Yogi, Buddhist, Tibetan Buddhist, and Taoist, to name a few, trying to help teach Ahsoka how to better control herself, just in case her X-gene would activate. Her uncle would eventually pursue Ahsoka and her mother, finding them in Shinto temple in Kyoto, Japan, while trying to learn the secrets of the ancient Onmyoji. Ahsoka's uncle, using a strike team of mutants from his program killing Ahsoka's father in front of her and her mother, but Ahsoka's mother helped her escape. They made it to Nepal, but they were pursued by the strike team who killed Ahsoka's mother when they caught up to the mother and daughter. This was all by the age of three, and this stress at such a young age caused Ahsoka's mutation to activate. A blast of emotional energy erupted from Ahsoka, causing the strike team to fly back, with force of an explosion, and become irrationally afraid, feeling Ahsoka's fear. A nearby passing monk saw the confrontation and took Ahsoka to the Kamar Taj, where she was trained to better control her psychic abilities. Over time white tendrils, with blue tiger-like markings, grew from her head, replacing her hair, giving Ahsoka the ability of echo location and being able to see people even within pitch black lighting, she learned to hone her psychic abilities and could sense those around her through telepathic and Psychic Empathic abilities.

mutuals may interact / reblog. -℘ɛŋŋɛɖ ცყ Naki Nɔki

[infinitesofnought]

Experientially, emptiness doesn't mean being expanded or being in empty space, like in a big hall or something like that. To be empty means to be without any type of reference point. It means being without any mental structure. Commonly, buddhist yogis speak of being without a sense of me-ness or being without a self. One might think that, OK, well, that doesn't sound very interesting, that it sounds meaningless, cold and boring. I don't blame people for not getting very enthusiastic about the common buddhist terms like "suffering" and "emptiness" because they don't sound much fun but actually experiencing emptiness of ourselves means finding our truest condition. Emptiness is so fresh and impressive that it is unbelievable when you get the first few hundred glimpses of it. It knocks your socks off and you want more, not because it is a "trip" but because it is the best of you, the real real real you. Emptiness is the best of the best. Emptiness is the undeniable royalty of all meditative, yogic or spiritual states and experiences. There is nothing like it because there is nothing more profound than that. It is the ground. Knowing oneself without the slightest self-reference is our true home. Various states of concentration, samadhis or trances are all OK in a relative sense but emptiness is the mother of all of them.

– Amrita Baba

[lingshanhermit]

Lingshan Hermit: As Long as Someone Remains in This Stage, They Haven't Even Touched the Edge of True Spiritual Practice

One day, I saw a video on social media of a fully adorned yogi performing rituals. His mudras were very fluid, his recitations were perfectly standard, and he held the vajra bell and dorje with proper form. Those unfamiliar with Buddhism might find such a person very professional, but I feel largely indifferent to such displays. I've seen many people like this - they consider themselves professional practitioners, spending their days collecting various empowerments and ritual texts, focusing on how to hold ritual implements and form mudras correctly, worrying about whether their pronunciation is standard, and concerning themselves with how many Buddhist masters they know and how many deity mantras they've recited. Some can recite entire texts in Tibetan, knowing every detail of a ritual from beginning to end - when to perform purification, when to beat the drum, which mudras to make while chanting, and the key points of meditation. These are their primary concerns, and they believe mastering these elements means they've mastered Buddhism. However, they don't know who their real enemy is, don't understand their true state of mind, and are unaware of how many thoughts of desire arise in their minds every minute. Thus, they are merely Buddhist craftsmen familiar with ritual procedures, not true practitioners.

Previously, someone sent me a photo of a custom-made statue of Guru Rinpoche commissioned by a famous actor. This statue was quite unique, with colors and postures quite different from the familiar representations of Guru Rinpoche. Many people would naturally assume that this unusual representation of Guru Rinpoche possessed more power than ordinary ones. If you have such thoughts, it shows you're still stuck in the amateur understanding that "dharma practices alone determine spiritual results" or that "certain practices are superior to others and make it easier to achieve enlightenment." Most practitioners actually share this kind of thinking.

Years ago, someone told me that circumambulating Mount Kailash once could purify the karma of an entire lifetime. Another person said that seeing the Mahāmāyā mandala would guarantee enlightenment within seven lifetimes. I'm not certain whether they truly have such powerful effects. Perhaps they do. However, in Buddhist teachings, these are all external forces, and even if they have effects, those effects would be very limited. If you lack the ability to observe, analyze, and examine yourself, if you haven't developed the habit of being honest with yourself and others, if you haven't recognized that your long-held values have been wrong, you will forever remain outside true practice. No mandala or blessed object can defeat your habitual patterns and self-righteousness. These are at most conveniences for beginners, not much different from copying sutras with a brush. The same applies to dharma practices - they too are external forces. Even the most supreme practices cannot produce good results without being accompanied by a great spirit and genuine capacity for self-reflection. True spiritual practice is an extremely complex matter, requiring long-term interaction and communication between master and disciple - a prolonged tug-of-war. If a human teacher who can drive, speak, and fix computers still struggles with your habitual patterns and self-righteousness, what can inanimate objects do? Can they make you lose face and break down internally? Can they tell you your previous understanding was all wrong? Can they order you to call your boss at 2 AM to say good morning? Only a living teacher can do these things to you. Only a living teacher can deliver unexpected blows, and only unexpected blows can affect your habitual patterns. However, it must be noted: all of this must be based on the premise that you know they want to help you achieve realization and that you fully accept this kind of training. Otherwise, realization is impossible - only aversion will result.

So if you think that circumambulating Mount Kailash, receiving a special empowerment, or spending a month with others at Bodh Gaya can change habitual patterns developed over countless eons, you probably have never appreciated the immense power of human habits or understood how difficult it is to change a person's inherent cognition, which is why you have such romantic notions. Therefore, as long as you haven't learned to observe your own faults, haven't learned to be honest with yourself and others, haven't learned to truly follow the teachings, haven't identified who your real enemy is, haven't recognized that these external things can't change much, as long as you're still fascinated by the effects of dharma practices and believe that obtaining certain teachings or key instructions will lead to certain results - even if Shakyamuni Buddha himself were teaching you, you would still be an amateur in spiritual practice. You might master ritual procedures and mandala arrangements but still not understand practice at all. You don't know what practice is, nor how to begin true practice. Although you appear professional, with full professional attire, you still can't hide your amateur nature. Over these many years, I often see people discussing the supremacy of dharma practices and the greatness of teachers, but rarely see anyone discuss the hard work of battling the "self," their true values, or what they really want. They probably have never examined their own souls, much less had the courage to face themselves directly. As long as someone remains in this stage, they haven't even touched the edge of true spiritual practice.

Written by Lingshan Hermit on December 8, 2024, first published on December 11, 2024.

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灵山居士：只要一个人还处在这样的阶段，那他就还没有摸到修行的边儿。

有一天，我在某社交媒体上看到一个全套披挂的瑜伽士修法的视频，他的手印做的非常流畅，念诵也非常标准，铃杵也拿的有模有样，不懂佛法的人大概会觉得他这样的人很专业，但我对这样的人基本无感。因为我见过很多这样的人，他们都认为自己是很专业的修行人，每天关心的都是收集各种灌顶和法本，关心的是铃杵该怎么拿手印该怎么做，关心的是自己的发音标不标准，关心的是自己认识多少佛教大佬念了多少本尊咒。他们中有人可以用藏文念诵法本全文，他们知道一座法从头到尾的所有细节，知道何时洒净、何时摇鼓，知道念咒时作何手印，知道安住的窍诀，他们关心的都是这些，他们以为学会了这些就是学会了佛法。但是他们却不知道自己真正的敌人是谁，不知道自己真实的状态是什么样，更不知道自己一分钟生起了多少个贪念，所以他们是熟悉修法流程的佛法匠人，而非真正的修行者。

之前有人给我发了一张照片，照片内容是某位名演员所定制的莲师像，这尊像很特别，和大家熟悉的莲师颜色姿态都有很大差异，所以，很多人会想当然地认为这个从没见过的莲师比一般莲师更具威力。假如你有这样的想法，说明你还停留在“法可以决定修行结果”或“某些法比另一些法更殊胜更容易成佛”这样的外行认知里。大多数修行者其实都是这样的认知。

多年以前有人跟我说，去冈任波且转山一次可以清净一生的业障。还有人跟我说看到大幻化网坛城七世内必定成佛，我不确定它们是否真的有这么强大的作用。也许它们真的有这种效力。但是在佛教教法里，这些都是外力，即便是有作用作用也会非常有限。假如你没有��察分析审视自己的能力，没有对自他诚实的习惯，没有认识到自己一直以来的价值观都是错的，你就永远只能在修行之外打转。任何坛城加持物也不可能击溃你的习气和自以为是。那些最多只是一种针对初学的方便，和用毛笔抄写佛经差别不大。其实法也是一样，法也是外力。再殊胜的法，如果没有辅以伟大的灵魂和真正的审思能力，也不可能修出好的结果。真正的修行是非常复杂的事，需要师徒长期的互动和沟通、需要长期的拉锯战。一个会开车会说话会修电脑的人类老师面对你的习气和自以为是尚且要头痛要拉锯战，何况是不会说话的物件。它能对你做什么？能让你颜面全失内心崩溃吗？能告诉你你刚才的理解都是错的吗？能命令你凌晨两点给老板打电话说早上好吗？这些都是活生生的老师才能对你做的。只有活生生的老师才能对你进行猝不及防的打击，也只有猝不及防的打击才能对你的习气起作用。但是需要提醒的是：这一切的发生都必须建立在你知道他是想要让你证悟而你也完全接受这种调教的前提下。否则不可能有证悟发生，只能会是憎恶。

所以如果你认为去冈任波且转转山或是得到一个特殊灌顶或是去菩提迦耶和大众一起呆一个月就能改变无始劫以来的习气，你大概是从未领略过人类习气的强大程度、不知道改变一个人的固有认知有多难，所以才会有这种浪漫的想法。所以，只要你还没学会观自己的过失，没有学会对自他诚实，没有学会真正依教奉行，没有认清自己的敌人是谁，没有认识到这些外在的东西改变不了什么，只要你还在迷恋法的作用，还在以为得到某些法某些窍诀就能如何如何，就算是释迦牟尼在亲自教你，你也还是个修行的外行。你可能精通修法仪轨坛城布置但是却丝毫不懂修行。你不知道修行是什么，也不知道如何开始真正的修行。虽然你看上去很专业，有着全套的专业披挂，却依然不能掩饰你外行的本质。这么多年，我经常能看见有人谈论法的殊胜，谈论老师的殊胜，但是却鲜少看见有人谈一下和“自我”作战的辛劳，谈一下自己真实的价值观，谈一下自己真正想要的到底是什么。他们大概从来没有审视过自己的灵魂，更加没有直面自己的勇气。只要一个人还处在这样的阶段，那他就还没有摸到修行的边儿。

灵山居士写于2024年12月8日，首发于2024年12月11日。