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RE: Living Buddhist Masters (of Today)

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RE: Living Buddhist Masters (of Today)
Answer
3/26/09 3:34 PM as a reply to Wet Paint.
serendipitously, i've been listening to Adyashanti's "The End of Your World" audios. good stuff. he sounds like he's the real deal. that said, i'm not sure if Adyashanti can be classified as "Buddhist" (even if his training was mostly Zen). he doesn't teach any specific buddhist practices (that i know of). he teaches via "satsangs" and his teaching is more like Vedanta (e.g. direct pointing out). that said, it would be cool to hear Adyashanti have a dialogue with fellow awakened beings rather than just hearing him speaking about enlightenment from a "soapbox" emoticon

~C

RE: Living Buddhist Masters (of Today)
Answer
3/26/09 3:54 PM as a reply to Wet Paint.
Yes, Adyashanti having dropped his Zen practices for 'pointing out' instructions via satsang is one of the reasons why conversation would be so valuable. Not to decide one as better than the other but to explore the ground between vipassana practice and direct pointing out. Kenneth and Hokai, in particular both seem to go there to a degree. And from the other side it would be of value to see his response to a hard core, well modeled and staged insight practice. I can only imagine he'd be positive with some interesting reflections. And if he wasn't, all the more interesting emoticon

RE: Living Buddhist Masters (of Today)
Answer
3/26/09 5:06 PM as a reply to Wet Paint.
Yes, yes, yes! I've been on the receiving end of shaktipat and I know how intense it can be if the "transmitter" is a really powerful yogi.

But when it's over and done and the afterglow has faded...ya got nothin'! You don't know how he did it to you and you don't know how to do it for yourself. The best that can be said about it is that shaktipat has shown you what's possible. Now the ball's in your court; learn to hit it down the line.

So that's the main point. But there are a few other things worth knowing about shaktipat. First, you have be prepared to receive it. If you are not open and receptive, either nothing will happen or you'll simply feel irritated, as if some energy is buzzing you annoyingly. Second, if you have received the energy, after the experience fades you'll feel a powerful desire to...find something to fill the void. Food, videos, sex, drugs--folks I know (and I myself) went "looking for an angry fix" (to quote Allen Ginsburg; my fix was food) after the "thrill is gone" (B. B. King). Third, tantric practices can (if not done very carefully) lead to the same get-it/lose-it/need-it cycle. Beware!

Finally, there is something a bit like shaktipat but without the drama. It's a sort of "induction" (akin to how an electric current can be induced in conductive wire by passing a magnet near it). This Induction takes place when a spiritual practitioner is in the physical presence of an advanced spiritual Adept (an Awakened being). An Awakened person will have this effect even without intending it, and can increase the effect (as well as produce other effects) by using certain techniques of attention and directed energy. This is more gentle and much more profound than shakipat. It is often called Satsang (by Adyashanti and others).

RE: Living Buddhist Masters (of Today)
Answer
3/27/09 2:55 AM as a reply to Wet Paint.
Author: Crazywisdom

I have the same impression in general. I am not sure wether any of it sticks after the retreats.

The guys who teach KAP (kundalini awakening process) do shaktipat in e erealy inteligent way. They teach you a certain practice or meditation like the orbit or a breathing tecnhique, then they give you a shaktipat that realy gets you on your way with that particular practice. Although the energy does not stay permanently as recieved this makes the students realy get the practice thaught. As I understand the extreeme pace of teaching is dependent on these shaktipats otherwise people would need more time to get each pratice working.

RE: Living Buddhist Masters (of Today)
Answer
3/27/09 3:01 AM as a reply to Wet Paint.
Author: Crazywisdom

Kohrogi Sensei I think is the guy doing the shaktipat and Uezusan is an other teacher at the same place that does an equaly powerfull healing session instead of a shaktipat for meditation.

RE: Living Buddhist Masters (of Today)
Answer
3/27/09 3:48 AM as a reply to Wet Paint.
Author: msj123

I also found this to be true in my experience. Although in my case, it was a tai chi teacher, and it was unintentional.

I also agree with Kenneth that insight produces a different kind of enlightenment than energy practice.

RE: Living Buddhist Masters (of Today)
Answer
3/27/09 4:19 AM as a reply to Wet Paint.
Author: Crazywisdom

That`s interesting. Where does he say that?

RE: Living Buddhist Masters (of Today)
Answer
3/27/09 5:08 AM as a reply to Wet Paint.
In general, parallel or divergent enlightenment track theories tend to cause in me some deep feeling that something is wrong somewhere, as one of the fundamental assumptions about all this is that what is discovered is something essential and unique about the fundamental nature of experience.

It is true that different tracks to that same thing produce different peripheral skill sets and appreciations of different aspects of the path to that same thing, as well as different shadow sides and side effects.

While I tend to balk at the parallel or perpendicular awakening track models, if there really is such an undercurrent of sentiment, perhaps we should have a thread to hash that out and hear different perspectives on the topic. I'll start one shortly.

RE: Living Buddhist Masters (of Today)
zen insight meditation teachers thich nhat hanh
Answer
8/14/13 9:12 PM as a reply to Wet Paint.
My #1 vote's for my teacher Ven. Thich Nhat Hanh. ( I'd be more than glad to start a thread for discussion & practice of his teachings. )

Of numerous marvelous teachers, five I also strongly endorse :




  • the Buddha within you

RE: Living Buddhist Masters (of Today)
Answer
3/31/14 12:49 PM as a reply to Wet Paint.
Any love for Pa Auk Sayadaw here?

I think he provides a great framework for practice. He teaches at an extremely high level the jhanas, the powers, and insight. Many of his students are now teaching in the US, one of whom I work with on occasion and is a great practitioner herself.

I think Pa Auk Sayadaw and his students epitomize the technical Burmese practitioner that Daniel refers to.

I would be curious to here what people think about insight on the Rupa Kalapas as Pa Auk Sayadaw teaches it, as opposed to a more dry insight.