Some practices of "The Diamond Way"

[Ivan_]

Hey people, i went to a lection of Lama Ole Nydahl last year and now after having read C-n transcripts i understood him better. i remembered two practices of the diamond way which may be interesting to you - Phowa and Ngondro.

_http://www.sacred-texts.com/bud/tib/phowa.htm
_http://www.khandro.net/mustardseed_phowa1.htm - Phowa
_http://www.thubtenchodron.org/PrayersAndPractices/preliminary_practice.htm - Ngondro
I might have not chosen the best websites. If you wish comment on what you think about them afterwards.

 

[ScioAgapeOmnis]

Some practices (to promote a more comfortable sleep)

Why Learn this Practice

According to Ayang Rinpoche, Marpa the Translator said, "If you study Phowa, then at the time when death is approaching you will know no despair. If beforehand you have become accustomed to the Path of Phowa, then at the time of death you will be full of cheerful confidence ... ."

Well, that doesn't sound like anything useful if this is the goal of these practices. Who cares how you "feel" about your death - what does that have to do with objective reality? Religious fanatics who are convinced they're going to heaven can also feel confident when dying, but that is nothing more than comfortable delusion.

So p'howa is like an insurance policy; if one does not achieve enlightenment while alive, one can ensure that this attainment will follow death.

What a load of hogwash. Enlightenment is knowledge. This is gained through effort. We are in this world because we fit, not to adopt the right "belief system" with false after-death promises.

Also, since we are subject to "the overwhelming power of laziness in the postponement of our practice, we desperately need a spiritual path that is simple and direct, and which enables us to transform the stresses of modern life into a vital force that cuts through attachment to illusory objects and awakens in us the realization of our own Buddha nature.

Sure sounds like they're offering "shortcuts" and claim that hard work and effort are not necessary. The problem is - they are necessary. You cannot "cut through attachment to illusory objects" (tho im sure their definition of this phrase is not same as mine) without doing the Work - which, by definition, is hard work.

Life is very short, and can end suddenly and without warning. When death comes, we have no escape: neither our accumulated wealth nor our dear ones can help us –- nothing can help except the precious teachings."

Another fear-based sales pitch to scare people into following this system. All religions promise that if we die, we're doomed unless we followed the religion.

Even if you are not able to do the practice at your time of death, you will have a better chance of attaining enlightenment if others are able to perform it for you.

What!? Again, this is utterly meaningless if one understands that enlightement=knowledge and that NO ONE can "do it for you".

Looks like this is just another along a long line of systems created to keep humanity asleep. Strange, you said you understand this better after reading the C's, and yet you don't see it for the garbage that it is?

Also, new_to_chess, could you please edit your post and put a _ before each link so that they are not active hyperlinks? This prevents those sites from using this forum to move up in search engine rankings.

 

[CarpeDiem]

Some practices (to promote a more comfortable sleep)

Maybe you could share with us your insights in Lama Ole Nydahl's work after you have understood it better?
Why do you find Diamond way an 'interesting' endeavour to pursue?

 

[Renaissance]

Some practices (to promote a more comfortable sleep)

Hey people, i went to a lection of Lama Ole Nydahl last year and now after having read C-n transcripts i understood him better. i remembered two practices of the diamond way which may be interesting to you - Phowa and Ngondro.

It appears you're suggesting it's useful to practice these things, but thats not 100% clear. I'd suggest doing some reading in the New Age CointelPro forum to understand why these practices are probably not what you think they are. The Wave and 'The Secret History of the World' also address these things. It would be best to read these things and get caught up rather than wasting energy on threads like these.

 

[Ivan_]

Some practices (to promote a more comfortable sleep)

Yes i admit it sounds too good to be true but i don't think buddhism is "New Age" and tibetian monks are CointelPro agents. Anyways sorry i if i lost your time with all this.

 

[anart]

Some practices (to promote a more comfortable sleep)

Yes i admit it sounds too good to be true but i don't think buddhism is "New Age" and tibetian monks are CointelPro agents. Anyways sorry i if i lost your time with all this.

As Shane suggested, it is a good idea for you to spend a lot of time reading this section of the forum so you can get yourself up to speed. Then, you might think quite differently about your understanding of what buddhism/monks/newage is or is not.

 

[Cyre2067]

Some practices (to promote a more comfortable sleep)

heh the title says it all... "to promote a more comfortable sleep"

 

[Ivan_]

Some practices (to promote a more comfortable sleep)

Ok i hope you don't have such thoughts about Buddha and how he reminded the world -"You can always return home" obviously could be done by meditation. The C's mentioned it - "Meditate too!". You were right-if these practices are not needed,but meditation (the real hard work in buddhism) is!

 

[anart]

Some practices (to promote a more comfortable sleep)

Ok i hope you don't have such thoughts about Buddha and how he reminded the world -"You can always return home" obviously could be done by meditation. The C's mentioned it - "Meditate too!". You were right-if these practices are not needed,but meditation (the real hard work in buddhism) is!

new_to_chess, please get up to speed by reading the information on this forum and it's related web pages. What you are posting now is noise and nothing more.

If you take the time and put in the effort to read and understand what is available here, you will understand that what the C's mean by 'meditate' is not what the Buddhists mean by meditate. You are making assumptions based on ignorance. That is not unexpected, and it can be remedied, but you must work to remedy it.

Please understand that this forum takes the minimization of noise very seriously and if you are sincere about contributing to this forum then you will 'read more and post less'. If you are sincere, then please read and stop making assumptions and creating noise on this forum.

 

[Renaissance]

Some practices (to promote a more comfortable sleep)

Yes i admit it sounds too good to be true

It doesn't sound too good to be true. It sounds like a lazy dream.

but i don't think buddhism is "New Age" and tibetian monks are CointelPro agents.

Thats because you're missing the fundamentals about New Age ideology and disinformation. That in itself is not harmful, however if your 'cup is full' and you're certain that your opinions are truth, then you wont learn much.