Duality in the Organization

Dan, a friend of mine, who challenged that I was spiritual but not on the Tibetan Buddhist path.  It struck me that this statement is wrong on so many different levels.  Even within a spiritual organization where its purpose is to help one to transcend dualistic notions, a sense of us vs them arises.  At the heart of buddhism is the pursuit of noble truth, this is the pursuit of truth which can free the human soul from suffering.  Yet Dan's comments isn't concerned with whether I was stating noble truth only it wasn't truth that he knew of in the Tibetan tradition.  It is disconcerting to see the notion of wanting to be "a good Buddhist"; this notion only reinforces separation, and secularization of a true spiritual life. 

Effort

I had a friend named Nick at a meditation center we both attended.  One night during the Under 30 Meditation Night, which we both led, Nick emphasized the need for effort during tranquility meditation.  This is a preliminary, but advanced meditation given to all beginners to practice at the center. When I questioned him on this point, Nick responded, effort is unquestionably needed for this type of meditation.

If I continued the dialogue it would follow as such.  Especially in this advanced tranquility meditation effort should be relaxed.  

Effort you speak of is contrived.  

Contrived effort is an Intention of for and against.

This dualistic energy comes from the ego.

And is an impediment to practice.

True energy is non-contrived.  

It's source is basic goodness.

Uncontrived, unconditioned energy naturally propells one to meditate.

In retrospect, my basic disagreement with Vajrayana students is that I emphasize much more on the tantric understandings rather than the devotional notions of practice.  

In my next few posts I will outline additional disagreements with Tibetan Vajrayana traditions. That is I hope to extricate what is essential, from what is inessential boiler plate practices, which may be good for the organization, but impedes expedient practice. 

Urban Dictionary

  I have been reading the Urban Dictionary, and it struck me how much personality there are to these words: Indie, Emo, Hipster, Scenester...

  The words revolve around finding one's self, seeing through societal traps in limiting one's identity, and observing authenticity of others.  I feel there's a strong bent towards individualism because pressures of conforminity are so strong.  Yet having to spend so much psychic energy in defending, and creating one's identity, they lose the natural ease one has with the world.  

  Reminds me of the High Standards Guy phenomenon. A guy who lives by high standards himself, dismisses women because of their character defects.  A more skillful approach would be to see the defects as they are are while also seeing the perfections as they are.  That is there is an acceptance of others as they are, while engaging in skillful actions to promote goodness.

  At some point an Indie may discover the ungraspable Zen mind, and he will see the answer to defects of personality in others is not to take an opposing stance, but to return to beyond duality of that perception.    

Formula for Happiness

I came upon a formula for happiness awhile back.  It is: 

P + 3R + 5E = Happiness

This simple formula states happiness equates to your Personal Outlook, Relationships, Spirituality, and your Existential/Material/Survival dimensions.

The most important here is the Existential, giving it a weight of 5.  The dimension is about your income, wealth, material needs, financial freedom, your day to day experiences.  

Next is Relationships with a weight of 3.  It comprises the quality and number of friends, significant others, family, and also your spiritual relationship to the world.  The moral and ethical dimension.

Finally, your personal outlook on life, is the last factor that determines your happiness.  

What's important here for me is seeing the need to balance on these dimensions rather than assessing the validity of the weight given to them.  These dimensions are also not arbitrary, I can see Kabbalist views aligning with this as well. 

First Post

I was thinking about my meeting with an Archarya a few weeks back. He mentioned that the Shambhala path is not an equation but there's "art" to the path.
Although I agree with that there is an Art to the path; I also believe the path is very much a science. It is as precise as giving meditation instructions to a beginner about the posture one takes when sitting.
Yet as with any teaching, the words cannot communicate the whole of an understanding. I feel it is better to accept that which is good, and the parts I have "faith" in as true, than to argue every detail.

-Tom