Tag Archives: samsara

The Discernment Factor

Posted on November 8, 2013 by Vajragoni

ii.26-27 Positive discrimination breaks the spell of samsara

2.26 Right Discernment is the means (upaya) of escaping the pain of samsara. read more

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Tilopa

Posted on September 25, 2013 by Vajragoni

From Tilopa’s Mahamudra Instruction to Naropa in Twenty Eight Verses; translated by Keith Dowman…

A little daily dose of Tilopa goes a long way… read more

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The Aloneness of the Long-Distance Mystic

Posted on March 11, 2013 by Vajragoni

From time to time one reads the half-hearted and veiled recalcitrant attacks on mystics by those who are still trapped within their pseudo-intellectualism. They claim that mystics are somehow alien to scientific methodologies, like some form of isolated dharma-freaks. In reality, they are far from the truth. Sisirkumar Ghose has written eloquently in his book, “Mystics as a Force for Change”, that such unwarranted attacks are far off the mark: read more

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On Death

Posted on February 14, 2013 by Vajragoni

(Waddell)

People generally have the wrong idea about living and dying at will. They think it means that someone decides on one day that he will die on the next, or that he predicts the day and month in the following year when he is to die and then does indeed die a natural death on that date, or they think it means the ability to extend one’s lifetime so many days or months. read more

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An Occurrence at Owl Creek Bridge: Bardo 3, Prelude to the Ten Stages of Mind Development

Posted on October 11, 2012 by Vajragoni

An Occurrence at Owl Creek Bridge is a famous story by Ambrose Bierce. It was wonderfully adapted for film in the early 1960’s by Robert Enrico as part of a trilogy of short films. It appeared as an episode for the Twilight Zone series by Rod Serling. This story is a vivid and apt image for the samsaric journey. The skandhic-mind is forever groping, running, trying in vain to escape from the final outcome of what awaits all sentient beings in samsaric realms—but the end is always the same. Along the way there are momentary glimpses of freedom, yet viewed exclusively through skandhic-lens these efforts will always be in vain. Quite a fool’s paradise indeed; a marvelous metaphor here as we begin to explore quite a different avenue of transcending the mind games that plague us all. It is a masterful film; the brilliant black and white cinematography lends itself wonderfully for this particular season of the year and serves our purposes well. Unfortunately, the video of the film is no longer available on YouTube. read more

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Regeneration

Posted on December 8, 2011 by Vajragoni

When the adept’s perceptional faculties are regenerated, all discursive associations dissolve away like shadows disappearing into the deepening twilight. One awakens beyond the mundane affairs of the heavy-laden body consciousness into the boundless miracle of the deathless principle. There is no turning back; if one were to rekindle just one former attachment, then sweet union with the unborn is lost. All one need do is to allow this regeneration of one’s former pattern of existence to emerge. To paraphrase a familiar spiritual proclamation, “And I live, now not I, but the Unborn Spirit liveth in me.” read more

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The Dharmacloud

Posted on November 25, 2011 by Vajragoni

When one transcends beyond the narrow confines of the sensate faculties (skandhas), the overlords of samsara itself, there is a growing sense of up-rootedness and even fear and trembling at the prospect of surrendering even one’s will into the realm of the unknowable. Yet, taking that next step beyond is a decision to leave behind all former known modes of perception that were, in reality, hindering the adept from entering into the undiscovered and imageless path of the Sacred Unknowable. This essential step is like what the Buddha would call the Dharmamegha, or Dharma-cloud. Once entering into this Dharma-cloud, even the perceptional demon himself (Mara), loses his ability to shape and control one’s spirit since he is now no longer the master of the game. read more

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Spiritual Distress

Posted on November 21, 2011 by Vajragoni

The incessant craving for remaining in ecstatic spiritual experiences that oftentimes afflicts the unwary adept can open the door to extreme states of spiritual distress. After the grand phenomenal and kaleidoscopic episodes have subsided, the self-absorbed soul will naturally find itself becoming embittered for its apparent loss. Accompanied with this collapse of grandiosity, the resulting void produces tension that is mired in incessant modes of irritability—so much so that after a while, it becomes nearly impossible for others to remain in any form of association with such a soiled mind. read more

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