From Limited Mind and Body to Our True (No) Self

Abstract: Vipassana practice is unique to Buddhism. It is said that Gautham Buddha had found this practice 2500 years ago, which lead him to his final liberation under the Bodhi tree. However we find different forms of Vipassana practices in other religions too. This could be true as Vipassana essentially means, "Insight Meditation" which can be practiced by anybody despite their religious or ethnic background. There are many programs nowadays offering seasonal Vipassana retreats (during Monsoons). We believe that Vipassana practice is the sure remedy to end our suffering and to be free from mind projections. But how so? And what is the true from of Vipassana? This article covers only the practicality of Vipassana and relate them to Buddha's enlightenment.    Fig. 1: Vipassana : From meditation to a quality of mind. When it comes to the practice of meditation, there are thousand different forms to it. Similarly in Vipassana meditation. The aim of this article is to bring

Abstract: Once we mentioned that the only thing that is beneficial for us in this samsaric existence is the practice of spirituality. There is absolutely no guarantee that our materialistic possessions will remain same or our current prestige will continue to the next. It is quite the opposite! The practice of spirituality can be as simple as having a great devotion, faith towards your spiritual guru (i.e. Buddha), or following five precepts. It could be as great as attainment of a fruition mind through meditation. We may accumulate a lot of wealth; however the best safety deposit for our samsaric existence is the attainment of the fruition mind. It can happen in any stage of the path as well as in any of these paths: shravaka, silent buddha or bodhisattva. There is a 100% guarantee that this mind will certainly continue to the next, and will be your one and only safety measure. Fig. 1: The best safety deposit: decide it yourself. The safety deposits are of several kinds. They can be

Abstract: In one of the previous posts we discussed that the great philosopher and the bodhisattva Nagarjuna helped revitalizing Buddhism by presenting the Madhyamika philosophy to the world. Sadly many Buddhists do not accept his teachings due to its philosophical depth and the later timeline of his work. Sometimes his work is considered as heresy by certain sects. However real yogis and intellectuals from both Theravada and Maha-(Tantra)-yana traditions consider his work as a masterpiece that reflects the Buddhist wisdom. Did he really commit heresy ? Then whatever the practice that springs from his teachings should be heretical too. If so, why our root guru, Gautham Buddha had prophesized Nagarjuna's coming ? Let's analyze this issue. Fig. 1: Nagarjuna presenting his teachings to his heart disciple, Aryadeva . We have spoken about the topic "emptiness" in many occasions, to the level that is too overwhelming. In the west, this term became so popular thanks to Mahay

Abstract : There are three ways to practice; practicing under a lineage, just following oral instructions, and doing all the work alone. What is the difference ? What does a lineage even mean ? There are oral lineages as well as energetical lineages. Generally you may find oral lineages in Theravada tradition and the energetical ones in Maha-(Tantra)-yana tradition. Is   passing down knowledge or energy, like passing a baton in a relay race ? Do masters have preferences when passing down their lineages to the students ? Is Sakyamuni’s energy still alive in these lineages ? We try to explore these topics and answers to these burning questions.   Fig. 1: Lineage transmission is a sacred (right-hand figure) process. With the mass awakening of the humankind in this era, more and more people are interested in practicing meditation, reaching higher consciousness levels, doing yoga and becoming enlightened. This is a positive sign in my opinion. Although it may sound overwhelming to some peop

Abstract: In previous article, we highlighted that both Theravada and Maha-(Tantra)-Yana traditions finally converge their practices to the Noble 8-fold path. Without the 8-fold elements, a Buddhist practice cannot exist. The bodhisattva to become a Buddha as well as the Shravaka to become an Arhant, both arrive to their fruition at the end of this path. Concept and the outcome wise, one path may be seen superior to the other. As far as the individual liberation is concerned, one path is not superior to other as the "truth of the individual" is the highest truth. Moreover, in the service point of view, Theravada masters also perform the same bodhisattva activities as  Maha-(Tantra)-Yana masters and therefore it is difficult to discriminate these two. However there are differences in practice. Fig. 1: The Fruition of 3 Yanas in Buddhism. In the last post, we highlighted that the bodhisattva on Maha-(Tantra)-Yana tradition and the Shravaka on the Theravada tradition both finall

Abstract: Have you ever wondered why tantric practitioners live with their partners ? If the ultimate goal of Buddhism is renunciation, why do certain Maha-(Tantra)-yana traditions allow practising with a consort ? How can we justify Guru Padma's decision of being with  his consort  Mandāravā/Yeshe ? Is it why some people call this a distorted version of Buddhism or is there a deep esoteric reason behind this ? Does being with a partner accelerate the enlightenment process like it worked out well for early mahasiddhas ? Do Theravada and  Maha-(Tantra)-yana traditions finally converge ? We try to find answers to these questions in this article......... Fig. 1: Guru Padma and Marpa with their partners. In both Guru Saraha 's Mahamudra and Guru Padma 's Tantric traditions, we find many practitioners as non-monastic or domestic yogis who diligently engaged in their practices with consorts, partners and families as ordinary people. However their realization was superior to that