Buddhist Tantra

[Potential]

Different people have different capacities for spiritual understanding and practice. For this reason, out of his compassion, Buddha Shakyamuni gave teachings at many levels, just as a skilful doctor administers a variety of remedies to treat different types of sick people.

For those who wish merely to attain human happiness Buddha gave teachings revealing actions and their effects, or karma; and he taught moral discipline as their main practice.

For those who wish to experience the permanent inner peace of liberation, or nirvana, for themselves alone, Buddha gave teachings on the faults of samsara; and he taught the three higher trainings - training in higher moral discipline, training in higher concentration, and training in higher wisdom - as their main practice.

For those who wish to attain the ultimate goal of full enlightenment Buddha gave teachings on the development of great compassion and bodhichitta; and he taught the six perfections - the perfections of giving, moral discipline, patience, effort, mental stabilization, and wisdom - as their main practice.

All these teachings are open to anyone who wishes to study and practice them. The experiences that are gained from practicing them are called the 'common spiritual paths'.

Besides these teachings, Buddha also gave teachings on Tantra. These may be practiced only by those who have received Tantric empowerments.

[Potential]

What is Tantra?

The highest of all possible human goals is the attainment of complete enlightenment, an ultimate state of peace in which all obstacles obscuring the mind have been removed and all good qualities such as wisdom, compassion, and skilful means have been fully developed.

However, we cannot reach this ultimate goal merely by waiting for it; we need to use the appropriate methods to take us there.

What are the methods for attaining the peace of full enlightenment? They are the paths of Sutra and Secret Mantra; there is no third method. Of these two, the techniques revealed in Secret Mantra are superior to those revealed in the Sutras.

Not only is Secret Mantra the supreme path to full enlightenment, it is also extremely rare. As Je Tsongkhapa said, the teachings of Secret Mantra are even rarer than the Buddhas because, although a thousand founding Buddhas will appear during this Fortunate Eon, only the fourth (Buddha Shakyamuni), the eleventh, and the last will teach the paths of Secret Mantra.

At the moment, we have a great opportunity to practice these rare and beneficial teachings, so it is important that we develop a strong intention to practice them purely.

If the Mahayana teachings were to vanish from this world, we would have no opportunity to become a Buddha. Therefore, while we still have access to these precious teachings, we should apply ourself to them assiduously and try to gain some experience of them.

The etymology of Secret Mantra is as follows. 'Secret' indicates that these methods should be practiced discreetly. If we make a display of our practices, we will attract many hindrances and negative forces. This would be like someone talking openly and carelessly about a precious jewel they possessed and, as a result, attracting the attention of thieves.

'Mantra' means 'protection for the mind'. The function of Secret Mantra is to enable us to progress swiftly through the stages of the spiritual path by protecting our mind against ordinary appearances and ordinary conceptions.

[Potential]

Why Practice Tantra?

It is often said that the path of Tantra is superior to the path of Sutra, but to understand why this is so we need to engage in a precise study of both Sutra and Tantra; otherwise our statements about the superiority of Tantra will be mere words.

Moreover, if we do not study both Sutra and Tantra well, we shall find it difficult to understand how to practice the union of Sutra and Tantra, and then there will be a great danger of our either rejecting the practice of Tantra or ignoring the practice of Sutra.

The teachings of Tantra, or Secret Mantra as it is sometimes called, are the rarest and most precious of Buddha's teachings. It is only by following the path of Secret Mantra that we can attain enlightenment, or Buddhahood.

Why can we not attain full enlightenment just by practicing the paths of Sutra? There are two main reasons. First, to attain Buddhahood we need to accomplish both the Truth Body and the Form Body of a Buddha.

Although Sutra teachings present a general explanation of how these two bodies are accomplished in dependence upon the stages of the path of wisdom and method, they do not give precise explanations of the actual direct, substantial causes of these two bodies. The direct, substantial cause of the Truth Body is meaning clear light, and the direct, substantial cause of the Form Body is the illusory body. These are explained only in Secret Mantra.

The second reason why Sutra paths cannot lead us to full enlightenment is that Sutra teachings do not present methods for overcoming the very subtle obstructions to omniscience - the subtle dualistic appearances associated with the minds of white appearance, red increase, and black near-attainment.

These three minds become manifest when our inner winds dissolve within the central channel during sleep, during the death process, or during completion stage meditation.

Although these minds are subtle minds they are nevertheless contaminated minds because their objects - the appearance of space pervaded by white light, the appearance of space pervaded by red light, and the appearance of space pervaded by darkness - appear as inherently existent.

These appearances of inherent existence are subtle dualistic appearances, and very subtle obstructions to omniscience. Because Sutra teachings do not explain how to recognize the subtle minds of white appearance, red increase, and black near-attainment, Sutra Bodhisattvas are unable even to recognize the subtle dualistic appearances associated with them, let alone abandon them.

In general, dualistic appearance is the appearance to a mind of both its object and inherent existence. All the minds of living beings, with the exception of the exalted awareness of meditative equipoise of Superior beings, have this appearance.

A direct realization of emptiness with a gross mind does not have the power to overcome the subtle dualistic appearances associated with the minds of white appearance, red increase, and black near-attainment.

The only way to abandon these subtle dualistic appearances is to realize emptiness directly with a very subtle mind of clear light. Since the methods for manifesting and using the very subtle mind of clear light are explained only in Secret Mantra, anyone who wishes to attain Buddhahood definitely needs to enter this path.

[Potential]

Authentic Tantra

Je Tsongkhapa explained that an authentic Secret Mantra practice must possess four attributes, known as the 'four complete purities'. These are:

   * Complete purity of place
   * Complete purity of body
   * Complete purity of enjoyments
   * Complete purity of deeds

The practice of these four complete purities was not revealed in the Sutra teachings, but is to be found only in Secret Mantra.

Secret Mantra is distinguished from Sutra by the practice of bringing the future result into the present path. For example, even though we have not yet attained enlightenment, when we practise Secret Mantra we try to prevent ordinary appearances and ordinary conceptions of our environment and instead visualize our surroundings as the mandala of a Deity.

In the same way, we prevent ordinary appearance of our body, our enjoyments, and our deeds, and, in their place, generate ourself as a Deity, visualize our enjoyments as those of a Buddha, and practise performing enlightened deeds.

By doing such practices, we can attain the resultant state of Buddhahood very rapidly.

These four practices are essential for both the generation stage and completion stage of Secret Mantra.

[Potential]

Levels of Tantra

Tantra, or Secret Mantra, has four levels:

   * Action Tantra
   * Performance Tantra
   * Yoga Tantra
   * Highest Yoga Tantra

Action Tantra principally emphasizes external actions, Performance Tantra places equal emphasis on both external and internal actions, Yoga Tantra principally emphasizes internal actions, and Highest Yoga Tantra is the supreme class of Tantra.

All four levels of Secret Mantra transform great bliss into the spiritual path, but the methods of transformation differ according to the level being practised.

In Action Tantra, the meditator generates bliss by looking at a visualized goddess, and then transforms that bliss into the path. In Performance Tantra, the meditator generates bliss by exchanging smiles with the goddess, and in Yoga Tantra, by holding hands with her and so forth.

In Highest Yoga Tantra, the meditator generates bliss by imagining sexual embrace with a consort and, at advanced stages, by engaging in actual embrace; and then transforms that bliss into the spiritual path. It should be noted, however, that it is very difficult to use great bliss as a method for attaining enlightenment, and if we are able to do so we have indeed attained a formidable accomplishment.

As the great Mahasiddha Saraha said, 'Everyone is excited by copulation, but very few can transform that bliss into the spiritual path.'

[Potential]

Attachment & Tantra

Generally, Buddhism teaches that attachment is a delusion that is to be avoided, and eventually abandoned, but in Secret Mantra there is a method for transforming attachment into the path.

However, to practice this method we must be very skilful. In this practice, we use attachment to generate great bliss and then use that mind of great bliss to meditate on emptiness. Only if we can do this is it a transformation of attachment.

Attachment itself cannot be used directly as a path because it is a delusion, and even in Secret Mantra it is finally to be abandoned. In authentic Secret Mantra practice, the bliss generated from attachment meditates on emptiness and thereby overcomes all the delusions, including attachment itself.

This is similar to the way in which the fire produced from rubbing two pieces of wood together eventually consumes the wood from which it arose.

For those who are unskillful, or whose minds are untrained, such practices of transformation are impossible. For this reason, the Yogis and great meditators of the past have said that to attain the realizations of Secret Mantra, one's mind should first be controlled by training in the Sutra stages of the path. Without building this firm foundation, there is absolutely no way to attain a pure experience of Secret Mantra.

It is very important, therefore, that both the Spiritual Guide and the disciple have controlled minds and an impeccable motivation. Even though we may call ourself a Buddhist and take refuge in the Three Jewels every day, these alone are insufficient qualifications for the practice of Secret Mantra.

It should be noted that the spontaneous great bliss of the completion stage of Secret Mantra is not the same as ordinary pleasure experienced at the height of sexual embrace.

Spontaneous great bliss is experienced only when, through the force of meditation, we cause the winds to enter, abide, and dissolve within the central channel and, as a result, the white drop melts and flows through the central channel.

Using spontaneous great bliss to realize emptiness was the essential heart practice of the great Secret Mantra Masters of ancient India, such as Saraha, Nagarjuna, Tilopa, Naropa, and Maitripa; and of the great Tibetan Masters, such as Marpa, Milarepa, Gampopa, and Je Tsongkhapa.

As in the past, so today - the Secret Mantra meditator's supreme path to perfect enlightenment is the union of spontaneous great bliss and emptiness.

[Potential]

                 
THE SIX YOGAS OF NAROPA

1. Yoga of Psychic Heat, better known as Tumo. The foundation and ongoing support of the Path of Means, Tumo is the only one of the Six Yogas which is practiced throughout its entirety. It depends on the absolute retention of generative fluids -- sexual, endocrinological, and psychic -- for the conscious redirection and transmutation of subtle energies for spiritual purposes. In its most subtle and transcendent form, Tumo is known as the primordial energy at the very core of all manifestation.

2. Yoga of the Illusory Body. This practice begins as a powerful psychological technique. Through studying his mirror reflection and then visualized images of his own body, the aspirant comes to understand the arbitrary and illusory nature of perception. Next, he projects all his subliminal self-imagery, positive and negative, onto this image and thus disentangles himself from the web of identification with these things. Then he visualizes his Yidam, his personal Patron Buddha, and identifies his consciousness with it. He must transform his mundane life into the archetypal realm or body of the Buddha: his friends become Bodhisattvas, the outer world becomes a Mandala, and all incidents resonate with the Self-Illuminating Void.

3. Yoga of the Dream State. By maintaining waking consciousness during the nocturnal dream state, the yogi comes to realize the equally illusory nature of both the waking and dreaming conditions. Not only must he remain conscious while asleep, but he must also learn to dictate the incidents of his dreams, eventually performing heroic magical feats in his dreams. Through this practice the psyche is purged of many of its habitual limited assumptions about the nature of the manifest worlds.

4. Yoga of the Clear Light. According to the Tantric tradition, everyone experiences the Clear Light of the Void shortly after death. Its brilliance, however, is so overwhelming that the departing consciousness usually recoils in fear and is drawn instead into another samsaric rebirth. By learning to recognize the transcendent Light of the Nirvanic Buddha Consciousness during his lifetime, an adept may return to it without difficulty when the shock of death threatens to disorient him.

5. Yoga of the Bardo. The Bardo is the "nowhere" realm between death and rebirth. It is also the "nowhere" of the present moment. Whichever way you look at it, this yoga confronts the adept with his own naked and unmodified karmas. If he has not been sufficiently strengthened by his previous sadhana, he may easily become entangled in this display and fall into a realm corresponding to some aspect of his own karmic destiny.

6. Yoga of Consciousness Transference. Mastery of this yoga enables the adept to direct his consciousness at death through an aperture in the crown of the head to a chosen incarnation or a realm of light. This is his means of transcending the mechanics of karma and rebirth when he dies. The most desirable realm, of course, is the Dharmata, the Buddha realm of pure luminosity, the transcendent Light of Buddha Consciousness.
               

[Potential]

Tantric Books

Tantric Grounds and Paths
http://www.tharpa.com/tgp.htm

Clear Light of Bliss
http://www.tharpa.com/clb.htm

[Shinobi]

...

[Tom]

I've read books by both Geshe Kelsang Gyatso and The Dalai Lama. In my opinion, Geshe Kelsang Gyatso is far more generous.

[Potential]

Greetings Potential!

I've been pleased to see your many postings on Tantric Buddhism.  It's nice to get the information out to folks who might be open to that pursuit, but not be aware of the opportunities.  

Two questions for you:
1) Empowerments – do you believe them to be essential?  And, by what mechanism do they assist in one's development?  Do you subscribe to the notion that practicing Tantra without empowerment is dangerous?  I've received one (Medicine Buddha), and, while the teachings have been very valuable, I'm not sure that the empowerment itself made any difference in my training.  What kind of experiences have you had?
2) You seem to lean pretty heavily on Geshe Kelsang Gyatso for your postings.  What is your take on the Dorje Sugden controversy?  I'm not very comfortable with Geshe's negative comments about Tenzin Gyatso, but have found his writings pretty clear and helpful.

I guess that's actually more than two questions, and just general points of interest.  Keep up the posts; I think this is fertile ground for exploring in this community.

Take care,

Shinobi

Ninja Man,
I read that Je Tsongkhapa never recieved an empowerment yet attianed enlightenment, and siddhis.

According to  TIBETAN YOGA
AND SECRET DOCTRINES, many times I've read "Vouchsfe thy gift waves", which is when the Guru or Buddha give a type of blessing. According to generation stage which is a visualiztion yoga, concentrating on a buddha/deity long enough will cause the inner winds to enter into the central channel.

What I've been told about Empowerment is that it prepares your mind for greater realizations. So by all this information I believe we as Astral Projectors have already received the empowerment, concentrating on a buddha/deity long enough causes the inner winds to enter into the central channel, which is the same thing that happens to us right before the vibes kick in, that pulling sensation that rises thru the body and centers in the anja chakra area. When it happens the first time, something we've never experienced before it changes the way we've perceived things and pushes us to figure it out more, thus the realization.

If we are concentrating on the Thangka long enough, "the Buddha vouchsafes us the blisswaves", after that we have the OBE and travel to that Buddha's Pure Land for further instruction towards Enlightenment.

A traditional Empowerment given, is quite long,  with most of the praises and mantra chants towards the chosen Buddha, I believe originally it was used to induce the Trance Stage, but now a days, when modern empowerments are finished a small break and commentary soon follow.  If they were to meditate directly after that, I believe everyone would receive "the empowerment and go temporarily to that Buddha's Pure Land". If you follow one of Geshe Kelsang's Buddha Sadhana's you could give yourself the empowerment on your own. I have read of certain monks giving themselves their own empowerment.

Yoga of the Psychic Heat(tummo)is the preliminary applications for attaining the illusory body(the astral body). It involves cerebral breathing, exercises, and visualizations.

Dreaming is uncontrolled thoughts manifesting.
Visualization is controlled thought manifestation.

The only way to see something behind closed eyelids, but not see external images, is by seeing internal images. As the mind and its 5 consciousnesses(the 5 sense organ consciousnesses,sight, smell, taste, touch, and hearing)turn inward to the visual imaging center, dream-land, a pulling sensation will be felt, and it will raise thru the body and connect at any of the 7 chakras, as it enters into chakras various experiences will be experienced.(The book can explain more than I am willing to type.)

If one normally just falls asleep, one will not notice this change.
However a concentrated mind, especially one that does visualization, the body will thru the force of meditation cause the neccessary conditions(mentioned above) to arise in order to attain dream scenarios.

A book, Tibetan Yoga and Secret Doctrines, on the Yoga of the Psychic Heat, Applied practice #2, the burning and dropping process(an internal process of the subtle nature).Isbn# 0195133145 .

(168)With a crackling sound, the flame quickly moveth downward; and then, with increased burning force, it reacheth the navel nerve center(manipura chakra).

(174)By its permeating the navel nerve center, one experienceth "Wonderful Bliss", and a thrilling, or vibratory sensation, thru out the body, and realizeth the State of the Great Voidness.

(177)And the Clear Light of the All-Voidness being realized, one becometh immersed in a condition of consciousness unaffected by all worldly(or external) stimuli. (hence, the OBEed body that walks thru walls)

[Potential]

TIBETAN YOGA
AND SECRET DOCTRINES

BOOK III
THE PATH OF KNOWLEDGE: THE YOGA OF THE SIX DOCTRINES

CHAPTER III: THE DOCTRINE OF THE DREAM-STATE


(1) The third doctrine, concerning the Dream-state, consisteth
of four parts: Comprehending; Transmuting; Realizing the Dream-
state to be Maya; and meditating on the Thatness of the dream-
state.

[PART I: COMPREHENDING THE NATURE OF THE DREAM-STATE]

(2) The first part, Comprehending [the nature of the Dream-
state] compriseth three practices: Comprehending it by the Power
of Resolution, Comprehending it by the Power of Breath, and
Comprehending it by the Power of Visualization.

[Practice I: Comprehending It By The Power of Resolution]

(3) With respect to the first, Comprehending it by the Power
of Resolution, that which has been called 'the initial
comprehending of the dream', referreth to resolving to maintain
unbroken continuity of consciousness [throughout both the waking-
state and the dream-state].
(4) In other words, under all conditions during the day [or
waking-state] hold to the concept that all things are of the
substance of dreams and that thou must realize their true nature.
(5) Then, at night, when about to sleep, pray to the Guru that
thou mayest be enabled to comprehend the dream-state; and firmly
resolve that thou wilt comprehend it. By meditating thusly, one is
certain to comprehend it.
(6) It hath further been said [in this connection]: 'All
things are the result of causes; they depend wholly upon
resolutions [or motives]'

[PRACTICE 2: COMPREHENDING IT BY THE POWER OF BREATH]

(7) In the second practice, Comprehending it by the Power of
Breath, the methods are: Sleep on the right side, as a lion doth.
With the thumb and the ring-finger of the right hand press the
pulsation of the throat arteries; stop the nostrils with the
fingers [of the left hand] ; and let the saliva collect in the
throat. {As a result of these methods, the yogin enjoys as vivid
consciousness in the dream-state as in the waking-state; and in
passing from one state to another experiences no break in the
continuity of memory. Thereby the content of the dream-state is
found to be quite the same as the content of the waking-state, in
that it is wholly phenomenal and therefore illusory...}

[PRACTICE 3: COMPREHENDING IT BY THE POWER OF VISUALIZATION]

( The third practice, Comprehending it by the Power of
Visualization, consisteth of these processes: The visualization
itself; deriving the Greatest Benefit from the Visualization; And
preventing the Spreading-out of the Dream-Content (this last
process refers to overcoming the tendency of dreams to lose their
coherence, or to be lost to memory upon waking.).

[THE VISUALIZATION ITSELF]

(9) In the first, the Visualization Itself, the method is as
followeth:
Thinking that thou art thyself the deity Vajra-Yogini,
visualize in the throat psychic-center the syllable AH, red of
colour and vividly radiant, as being the real embodiment of Divine
Speech. (Midway between the heart psychic-center and that of the
throat, in a space about four inches long, a tube-like psychic-
organ is said to exist. If the vital force be quiescent within it,
sleep ensues; and if the vital-force be in motion within it, dreams
occur. Hence the visualization chiefly concerns the throat
psychic-center.)
(10) By mentally concentrating on the radiance of the AH, and
recognizing every phenomenal thing to be in essence like forms
reflected in a mirror, which, though apparent, have no real
existence of themselves, one comprehendeth the dream.

[DERIVING THE GREATEST BENEFIT FROM THE VISUALIZATION]

(11) In the second, for Deriving the Greatest Benefit from the
Visualization, the method is as followeth:
At nightfall, [strive to] comprehend the nature of the dream-
state by means of the visualization just described above. At dawn
practice the pot-shaped breathing seven times. Resolve [or try]
eleven times to comprehend the nature of the dream-state. Then
concentrate the mind upon a dot, like unto a bony substance, white
of colour, situated between the eyebrows. (The visualization of the
dot is, in this practice, chiefly for the purpose of attaining
mental concentration, or one-pointedness of mind.)
(12) If one be of plethoric temperament, the dot is to be
visualized as being red of colour; If one be of nervous
temperament, the dot is to be visualized as being green of colour.
(13) If by these means the nature of the dream-state be not
comprehended, then proceed as followeth:
At nightfall meditate upon the dot. In the morning practice
twenty-one 'pot-shaped' breathings. Make twenty-one resolves (or
efforts) to comprehend the nature of the dream-state. Then, by
concentrating the mind on a black dot, the size of an ordinary
pill, as being situated at the base of the generative organ, one
will be enabled to comprehend the nature of the dream-state.

[PREVENTING THE SPREADING OUT OF THE DREAM CONTENT]

(14) Preventing the Spreading-out of the Dream-Content hath
four divisions: The Spreading-out into the Waking-State, the
Spreading-out because of Fatigue [from the exercises], the
Spreading-out because of Physical or Mental Affliction, and the
Spreading-out into negativeness.
(15) The Spreading-out into the Waking-state occureth when one
is about to comprehend the dream, in view of thinking that it must
be comprehended, and then waketh up.
(16) The antidote for this is to eat nutritious food and to
perform bodily work [or exercise] until fatigued. Thereby sleep
becometh deeper; and that cureth it.
(17) The Spreading-out because of fatigue occurreth when a
dream recurreth frequently without any change of content.
(18) The antidote here is to meditate often upon that dream
and to resolve most firmly to comprehend its essential nature;
amalgamating in the process the 'pot-shaped' breathing-exercise
with the visualization of the dot between the eyebrows. (The
purpose of this combination of exercises is to gain better control
of the mind, for indomitable mental control prevents and cures all
the various spreadings-out of the content of the dream.)
(19) The Spreading-out because of Physical or Mental
affliction occureth when one dreameth many dreams and recollecteth
nothing of them upon waking.
(20) The antidote here is to avoid pollutions and impurities,
to take the initiation of Samadhi, and to visualize the dot as
being inside the root of the organ of generation. Thereby this
spreading-out will be cured.
(21) The spreading-out into Negativeness is the
disinclination of dreams to come.
(22) To overcome this, visualize, whilst meditating upon the
'pot-shaped', the dot as being in the root of the generative organ;
and, in particular, with propitiatory offerings the Viras and the
Dakinis.

[PART II: TRANSMUTING THE DREAM-CONTENT]

(23) In the second part, the Transmutating, as it is called,
the process is as followeth:
If, for example, the dream be about fire, think, 'what fear
can there be of fire which ocurreth in a dream!' Holding to this
thought, trample upon the fire. tread under foot whatever be
dreamt.
(24) After having gained proficiency in this, then turn the
thought to the various Buddha Realms [thinking that they are
attainable].
(25) Accordingly, when about to sleep, visualize a red dot as
being within the throat psychic-center, and firmly believe that
thereby thou shalt see whichever of these realms thou desirest to
see, with all its characteristics, most vividly.

(26) By concentrating the mind thus, one beholdeth the Buddha
Realm which one hath wished to behold--The Tush:ta Heaven, or the
Happy Western realm. or that called 'Happy to Know', or any other
of the realms.
(27) This practice serveth as a test of efficiency [in the art
of transmuting dreams.
(28)

[PART III: REALIZING THE DREAM-STATE, OR DREAM-CONTENT, TO BE MAYA]

(28) The third part, Realizing the Dream-State [or Dream-
Content] to be Maya, hath been expounded as followeth:

'At the outset, in the process of realizing it to be Maya,
abandon all feelings of fear [or dread];
And, if the dream be of fire, transform the fire into water,
the antidote of fire.
And if the dream be of minute objects, transform them into
large objects;
Or if the dream be of large objects, transform them into small
objects:
Thereby one comprehendeth the nature of dimensions.
And if the dream be of a single thing, transform it into many
things;
Or if the dream be of many things, transform them into a
single thing:
[Thereby one comprehendeth the nature of plurality and of unity.]
Continue such practices until thoroughly proficient in them.'

(29) Then by visualizing one's own body as seen in the dream-
state, and all other bodies similarly seen, as being Maya-like
bodies of deities, they will be realized to be so.

[PART IV: MEDITATING UPON THE THATNESS OF THE DREAM-STATE]

(30) The fourth part, meditating upon the Thatness of the
Dream-State, is, as hath been said, 'to meditate upon the real
essence of the thatness'; And thereby, the dream propensities,
whence arise whatever is seen in dreams as appearances of deities,
are purified.
(31) By concentrating the mind upon the forms of the deities
seen in the dream-state, and by keeping the mind free of thoughts,
in the quiescent condition, the forms of the deities are attuned to
the non-thought condition of mind; and thereby dawneth the Clear
Light, of which the essence is of the Voidness.
(32) If one attain mastery of this process, then, whether in
the sleeping-state or in the waking-state, one realizeth both
states to be illusory [ in so far as their content are concerned];
and all phenomenon will be known to be born of the Clear Light
[which is the noumenal reality sustaining the Maya],

[Here endeth The Doctrine of Dreams.]

[Potential]

Dorje Shugden, according to my teachers, they say that the Dalai Lama had a bad dream about Dorje Shugden, so he advised his Oracle man, who told him that Dorje Shugden was not a Dharma Protector. So the Dalai Lama instructed his school to stop practicing Dorje Shugden's Sadhana.

Of cours the practice of Dorje Shugden has been going on for years before the Dalai Lama was even born.  So it wouldn't hurt to have some more protection against obstacles, even if the Dalai Lama disagrees, if you believe it strongly enough you'll be protected.

[Potential]

I think the original reason for statues of various buddhas was because,....

Mind is the source for all things,(b/c it has been conditioned from birth as to what it will accept or reject).

In one's dreams, especially if they are lucid dreams a person can do anything. In Vajrayana Buddhism there is a practice known as Generation Stage, which means "creative visualiztion/imagination fantasizing", so they developed a method of turning mind, which has no form into something with form. Visualizing a buddha statue (or it could be a Jesus statue, it does not matter, as long as it feels ok with the person doing the practice). After the practice meditate until you get the OBE effect then one tries to visualize the image in their mind, a statue has a 3-dimensional attribute so the image can be seen from various angles and when memorized/visualized is imparted to be the mind itself. Giving the mind a form, that of a person that we can relate to, so when we ask a question the created teacher/guide will respond like a person. And since it comes from our subconscious mind it relates to us the information that under normal daily situations we would have missed. We are all potential buddhas.

For example, you're out walking around, and little do you know there is a sniper in the trees in front of you with his gun aimed right at you. Of course you don't see him with your conscious peripheal vision, but the subconscious mind saw it. Later that night you have a dream that a large beast is trying to harm you. You look into the dream dictionary to find what your dream means, and it says, "an unknown enemy wishes you harm". Indicating that you need to be more aware of your surroundings.

[Tom]

This thread is too advanced for this forum; it is one thing for people to ask the right questions in private or to seek out books, but this is something else. There are a lot of years up preliminaries and study to be able to even understand the material in this thread correctly.

[Potential]

Not neccessarily, some people learn faster than others, some people have a natural tendency(probably b/c of past life experiences by doing it so much it has become natural for them now).

OBE practice is one of the 6 yogas of Naropa. Seems to me people are practicing it already, so why not just show the origins of this practice. The 6 yogas of Naropa have been practiced for about a 1,000 years. So with the help of the past buddhas, I'm helping people refine their skills and still looking for faster methods.

I'm still working on the Medicine Buddha OBE technique, this one is taking some serious research.

[Tom]

Vajrayana without Bodhichitta and the proper preliminaries is like trying to run a computer without electricity or a car without gasoline. Anyone who wants to try it should start with Lama Yeshe's "The Bliss of Inner Fire", which provides the simplest and most direct way to actually experience the Six Yogas of Naropa even without doing all of the practices before them.

[Potential]

Well if you want to believe that OK, that's your choice.  I've been successful so far.  This stuff is not hard, once you understand what it's pointing at.
The ancient practice has become like a ritual, when it's not, I understand it like science.

The first yoga of Naropa, doesn't even talk about Bodhitchitta, If Lama Yeshe wants to emphasize it more, so that westerners apply it more, and you fell for it, then you will have to deal with it.

A car without gasoline, man what an insult! The fuel for this vehicle is food and water, apart from that I can finish the rest on my own.

Bodhitchitta, everyone's got it, though they may not display it too much.  If somebody gets hit by a car- by accident, or a robbery takes place or planes crash into buildings,  everyone displays a natural compassionate nature.

If you want to start your practice off with Bodhichitta, go ahead.  It's just important to keep peoples minds focused so if they do get some realization they won't think they're a god and then screw with people.  It also acts like a heart mudra, opening the heart chakra.

[Potential]

I think the original reason for statues of various buddhas was because,....

Mind is the source for all things,(b/c it has been conditioned from birth as to what it will accept or reject).

In one's dreams, especially if they are lucid dreams a person can do anything. In Vajrayana Buddhism there is a practice known as Generation Stage, which means "creative visualiztion/imagination fantasizing", so they developed a method of turning mind, which has no form into something with form. Visualizing a buddha statue (or it could be a Jesus statue, it does not matter, as long as it feels ok with the person doing the practice). After the practice meditate until you get the OBE effect then one tries to visualize the image in their mind, a statue has a 3-dimensional attribute so the image can be seen from various angles and when memorized/visualized is imparted to be the mind itself. Giving the mind a form, that of a person that we can relate to, so when we ask a question the created teacher/guide will respond like a person. And since it comes from our subconscious mind it relates to us the information that under normal daily situations we would have missed. We are all potential buddhas.

For example, you're out walking around, and little do you know there is a sniper in the trees in front of you with his gun aimed right at you. Of course you don't see him with your conscious peripheal vision, but the subconscious mind saw it. Later that night you have a dream that a large beast is trying to harm you. You look into the dream dictionary to find what your dream means, and it says, "an unknown enemy wishes you harm". Indicating that you need to be more aware of your surroundings.

[Tom]

It has been a long time since hearing from Potential last. I would have liked to have had the conversation continue in private, really.