Guest guest Posted February 15, 2000 Report Share Posted February 15, 2000 Dear Joyce, At 09:35 AM 2/14/2000 -0500, you wrote: > " Joyce Short " <insight >Those who worship the Buddha or God or Guru have a greater gift for devotion >than I and capacity for devotion is indespensible for living, much less >practice otherwise ones practice is dry and one's soul shrivelled and >miserable. I don't see that as *necessarily* true (although it can be). If nonduality is really a fact, then there are no " others, " and in reality all devotion to " others " is devotion to one's higher self or Buddha-Nature. My experience is that love is inside, and cannot be taught. It doesn't even have to be directed toward others to be love... it's like an overflowing ocean *inside*. Non-devotional practice, any practice that brings one close to the nondual nature of reality, exposes the heart and exposes that love, and thus even intellectual practice (discrimination), if actually *practiced* and not just some sort of study, is the same as devotion. Thus, even intellectual practice (if the right kind) has much to do with love. But a lot of intellectual practices (like studying and memorizing scriptures, etc) are the *wrong* kind. A person has to look within and study what's inside, not study some scriptures. If you look at " regular love, " a lot of it is really bargaining ... I get this from you, so I'll give that to you. Unconditional love is all inside, and is like a flowing spring inside the heart. It naturally flows over and extends outward to " others, " but it cannot be taught, because it's already there... but covered up with layers of old conditionings and wrong attitudes. >(speaking from experience here) I have heard the greatest >Dzogchen masters say that devotion is the real and only practice. Zen masters, of course, say that Zazen or koan practice is the real and only practice. All masters say that theirs is the best practice. The " trick " is to find which practice is best for *you* and to actually follow that practice, and not just talk about it or think about it. Nothing else matters, as far as I see it. >Devotion itself is a practice and cultivation of devotion is in all Buddhist >practice and I havent met many practicing Hinduism but the lives of those I >have met seem competely informed by devotion the same as the Thais, Burmese, >Tibetans etc. For some reason I don't think devotion can be " cultivated. " If it isn't there, it isn't there. Anything cultivated is not genuine or authentic, the way I see it. You can't create devotion by saying " you should be devoted. " >I found misery and disillusionment also good motivators but the best is >love. Then that's your path, and I wish you only luck on it!!! Love, Tim ----- Sum Ergo Sum Visit " The Core " Website at http://coresite.cjb.net - Music, Poetry, Writings on Nondual Spiritual Topics. Tim's other pages are at http://core.vdirect.net Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted February 15, 2000 Report Share Posted February 15, 2000 > " When I saw the writings of that second Buddha, Longchenpa, it dawned on me that he was genuinely a Buddha, and I prayed to him with great fervour. He appeared to me in a vision and accepted me. Spontaneous realization was born within me and from that day forth, I have guided over a hundred disciples. The diligent ones have advanced beyond wordly concentrations, the intelligent ones have not strayed into intellectualization. The way they all realized the ultimate truth came from the force of devotion alone " . Rigdzin Jigme Longpa On the most basic level, have you ever " cultivated " a loving relationship with someone of a long period of time? Cultivation means one makes an aspiration/committement to bring the best to a relationship and certain effort is required to overcome the propensity to be a neurotic selfish opinionated pig. Which is one of the many values of " cultivating " this type of practice. One also tends to make more progress when practicing with devotion to one's teacher, or buddha or whatever than one makes accumulating information about " non-duality " in order to show off one's opinions to ones friends. But, if devotion and oneness with all others has come naturally to you and you live this completely and fully in each moment of your life I salute you. Gassho. I dont think I wrote that I believed devotion can be created by saying " you should be devoted. " I wish you the good fortune of finding a teacher in whom you have great confidence so that when he then says to you, " Go and cultivate devotion, " you will then do it. J >>Devotion itself is a practice and cultivation of devotion is in all Buddhist >>practice and I havent met many practicing Hinduism but the lives of those I >>have met seem competely informed by devotion the same as the Thais, Burmese, >>Tibetans etc. > > For some reason I don't think devotion can be " cultivated. " If it isn't > there, it isn't there. Anything cultivated is not genuine or authentic, > the way I see it. You can't create devotion by saying " you should be > devoted. " > >>I found misery and disillusionment also good motivators but the best is >>love. > > Then that's your path, and I wish you only luck on it!!! > > Love, > > Tim > > > ----- > Sum Ergo Sum > > Visit " The Core " Website at http://coresite.cjb.net - > Music, Poetry, Writings on Nondual Spiritual Topics. > Tim's other pages are at http://core.vdirect.net > > --------------------------- ONElist Sponsor ---------------------------- > > FREE ADVICE FROM REAL PEOPLE! Xpertsite has thousands of experts who > are willing to answer your questions for FREE. Go to Xpertsite today > and put your mind to rest. > <a href= " http://clickme./ad/XpersiteCPC " >Click Here</a> > > ------ > > ..........INFORMATION ABOUT THIS LIST.......... > > Email addresses: > Post message: Realization > Un: Realization- > Our web address: http://www.realization.org > > By sending a message to this list, you are giving > permission to have it reproduced as a letter on > http://www.realization.org > ................................................ > Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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