https://www.reddit.com/r/Buddhism/comments/x3cmrq/is_this_a_scam_cult_should_we_be_careful/



xabir = Soh 



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ClingToNothing

·

22 hr. ago

tibetan

u/xabir has always encouraged me to find a legitimate teacher in my interactions with him, and offers a space for people to share how the dharma can be realized.


I haven't seen anything cult-y about it. The teachers he generally recommends are lineage teachers in multiple traditions.


I don't think he claims he is enlightened.



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xabir

·

22 hr. ago

Yes the term enlightened can be a little confusing. One can be awakened to the nature of mind but it is a long way from Buddhahood or even arahantship. Nobody is claiming to have attained full enlightenment.



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TheHiddenData

·

22 hr. ago

I can confirm this. u/xabir has encouraged me to find a real life teacher near where I live, and I've seen nothing cult-y on his blog or in his interactions with me.



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22 hr. ago


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xabir

·

22 hr. ago

By the way the purpose of my sharing is simply to share an understanding on anatta. Some people benefitted. I don’t take up students though and I have no interest in proclaiming enlightenment. Having an insight into the nature of mind is however not something very uncommon (although not yet common enough, unfortunately).



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mysticoscrown

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19 hr. ago

How can someone get an insight into the nature of mind?



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18 hr. ago


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xabir

·

11 hr. ago

·

edited 11 hr. ago

There are many ways. Here is a way that worked for myself and many I know, although I don’t consider it restricted to Vajrayana only as similar approaches have been taught in Zen and even Theravada:


Thrangu Rinpoche: In the Vajrayana there is the direct path to examining mind. In everyday life we are habituated to thinking, "I have a mind and I perceive these things." Ordinarily, we do not directly look at the mind and therefore do not see the mind. This is very strange because we see things and we know that we are seeing visual phenomena. But who is seeing? We can look directly at the mind and find that there is no one seeing; there is no seer, and yet we are seeing phenomena. The same is true for the mental consciousness. We think various thoughts, but where is that thinking taking place? Who or what is thinking? However, when we look directly at the mind, we discover that there is nobody there; there is no thinker and yet thinking is going on. This approach of directly looking in a state of meditation isn't one of reasoning, but of directly looking at the mind to see what is there. Source: Shentong and Rangtong



If we look for a perceiver, we won’t find one. We do think, but if we look into the thinker, trying to find that which thinks, we do not find it. Yet, at the same time, we do see and we do think. The reality is that seeing occurs without a seer and thinking without a thinker. This is just how it is; this is the nature of the mind. The Heart Sutra sums this up by saying that “form is emptiness,” because whatever we look at is, by nature, devoid of true existence. At the same time, emptiness is also form, because the form only occurs as emptiness. Emptiness is no other than form and form is no other than emptiness. This may appear to apply only to other things, but when applied to the mind, the perceiver, one can also see that the perceiver is emptiness and emptiness is also the perceiver. Mind is no other than emptiness; emptiness is no other than mind. This is not just a concept; it is our basic state. The reality of our mind may seem very deep and difficult to understand, but it may also be something very simple and easy because this mind is not somewhere else. It is not somebody else’s mind. It is your own mind. It is right here; therefore, it is something that you can know. When you look into it, you can see that not only is mind empty, it also knows; it is cognizant. All the Buddhist scriptures, their commentaries and the songs of realization by the great siddhas express this as the “indivisible unity of emptiness and cognizance,” or “undivided empty perceiving,” or “unity of empty cognizance.” No matter how it is described, this is how our basic nature really is. It is not our making. It is not the result of practice. It is simply the way it has always been. Source: Crystal Clear



More of such quotes by Thrangu Rinpoche here https://www.awakeningtoreality.com/2018/08/thrangu-rinpoche-on-nature-of-mind.html



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Hot4Scooter

·

22 hr. ago

ཨོཾ་མ་ཎི་པདྨེ་ཧཱུྃ

🐟


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xabir

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21 hr. ago

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edited 20 hr. ago

Just full disclosure and openness to everyone here, this is an example of a message I often send to people who have posted or are inquiring on anatta, for example:


“Hi


Thought this might interest you, on nondual awareness, anatta and its nature and the subtleties of insight:


http://awakeningtoreality.blogspot.com/2007/03/thusnesss-six-stages-of-experience.html


http://awakeningtoreality.blogspot.com/2009/03/on-anatta-emptiness-and-spontaneous.html”


Those articles, written by my mentor, are actually essential Buddhadharma insights. It is not shared for purpose of proclaiming enlightenment, but as a pointer for contemplating the nature of mind.


Alternatively if you prefer to read the same subject from established teachers, you can also read Thich Nhat Hanh for similar teachings, for example. I do not wish to set up myself as a teacher, it is purely for internet sharing and inspiration, that’s all. It will be good if people will find a good teacher on their own, my purpose is only to set people on the correct direction and have a clearer understanding of dharma, that’s all.


Zen master Thich Nhat Hanh:


"When we say I know the wind is blowing, we don't think that there is something blowing something else. "Wind' goes with 'blowing'. If there is no blowing, there is no wind. It is the same with knowing. Mind is the knower; the knower is mind. We are talking about knowing in relation to the wind. 'To know' is to know something. Knowing is inseparable from the wind. Wind and knowing are one. We can say, 'Wind,' and that is enough. The presence of wind indicates the presence of knowing, and the presence of the action of blowing'.""..The most universal verb is the verb 'to be'': I am, you are, the mountain is, a river is. The verb 'to be' does not express the dynamic living state of the universe. To express that we must say 'become.' These two verbs can also be used as nouns: 'being", "becoming". But being what? Becoming what? 'Becoming' means 'evolving ceaselessly', and is as universal as the verb "to be." It is not possible to express the "being" of a phenomenon and its "becoming" as if the two were independent. In the case of wind, blowing is the being and the becoming....""In any phenomena, whether psychological, physiological, or physical, there is dynamic movement, life. We can say that this movement, this life, is the universal manifestation, the most commonly recognized action of knowing. We must not regard 'knowing' as something from the outside which comes to breathe life into the universe. It is the life of the universe itself. The dance and the dancer are one."


Zen Master Thich Nhat Hanh:"When we say it's raining, we mean that raining is taking place. You don't need someone up above to perform the raining. It's not that there is the rain, and there is the one who causes the rain to fall. In fact, when you say the rain is falling, it's very funny, because if it weren't falling, it wouldn't be rain. In our way of speaking, we're used to having a subject and a verb. That's why we need the word "it" when we say, "it rains." "It" is the subject, the one who makes the rain possible. But, looking deeply, we don't need a "rainer," we just need the rain. Raining and the rain are the same. The formations of birds and the birds are the same -- there's no "self," no boss involved. There's a mental formation called vitarka, "initial thought."


When we use the verb "to think" in English, we need a subject of the verb: I think, you think, he thinks. But, really, you don't need a subject for a thought to be produced. Thinking without a thinker -- it's absolutely possible. To think is to think about something. To perceive is to perceive something. The perceiver and the perceived object that is perceived are one.When Descartes said, "I think, therefore I am," his point was that if I think, there must be an "I" for thinking to be possible. When he made the declaration "I think," he believed that he could demonstrate that the "I" exists. We have the strong habit or believing in a self. But, observing very deeply, we can see that a thought does not need a thinker to be possible. There is no thinker behind the thinking -- there is just the thinking; that's enough. Now, if Mr. Descartes were here, we might ask him, "Monsieur Descartes, you say, 'You think, therefore you are.' But what are you? You are your thinking. Thinking -- that's enough. Thinking manifests without the need of a self behind it."Thinking without a thinker. Feeling without a feeler. What is our anger without our 'self'? This is the object of our meditation. All the fifty-one mental formations take place and manifest without a self behind them arranging for this to appear, and then for that to appear. Our mind consciousness is in the habit of basing itself on the idea of self, on manas.


But we can meditate to be more aware of our store consciousness, where we keep the seeds of all those mental formations that are not currently manifesting in our mind. When we meditate, we practice looking deeply in order to bring light and clarity into our way of seeing things. When the vision of no-self is obtained, our delusion is removed. This is what we call transformation. In the Buddhist tradition, transformation is possible with deep understanding. The moment the vision of no-self is there, manas, the elusive notion of 'I am,' disintegrates, and we find ourselves enjoying, in this very moment, freedom and happiness."



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optimistically_eyed

·

22 hr. ago

·

edited 18 hr. ago

SN 1:71

Edit: starting to feel a bit like a witch-hunt in here. I regret chiming in. 🙏



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xabir

·

22 hr. ago

What I have to share about anatta is in fact pretty mainstream and consistent with mainstream teachers.


For example,


Ajahn brahmavamso on anatta insight: Excerpt from https://www.dhammatalks.net/.../Ajahn_Brahm_BAHIYA_S... The Final Part of Bāhiya's Teaching "Bāhiya, you should train yourself thus: in the seen will be merely what is seen, ... in the cognized will merely be what is cognized. Practising in this way, Bāhiya, you will not be 'because of that'. When you are not 'because of that', you will not be 'in that'. And when you are not 'in that', you will be neither here nor beyond nor in between the two. Just this is the end of suffering." What does it mean "you will not be 'because of that'"? The Pāli is na tena. Tena is the instrumental of the word for 'that'. Na is the negative. It means, literally, "not because of that, not through that, not by that". It means in essence, you will not assume that there is a self, a soul, a me; because of, through, or by; the seen or the heard or the sensed or the cognized. The Buddha is saying that once you have penetrated the truth of sensory experience, by suppressing the Hindrances through Jhāna, you will see that there is no 'doer', nor a 'knower', behind sensory experience. No longer will you be able to use sensory experience as evidence for a self. Descartes' famous "I am because I think" is refuted. You will not be because of thinking, nor because of seeing, hearing or sensing. In the Buddha's words, "You will not be because of that (any sensory experience)". When the sensory processes are discarded as tenable evidence for a self, a soul or a me, then you are no longer located in the sensory experience. In the Buddha's words, "You will not be 'in that'". You no longer view, perceive or even think that there is a 'me' involved in life. In the words of the doctor in the original series of Star Trek, "It is life, Jim, but not as we know it"! There is no longer any sense of self, or soul, at the centre of experience. You are no more 'in that'. Just to close off the loophole that you might think you can escape non-existence of a self or soul by identifying with a transcendental state of being beyond what is seen, heard, sensed or cognized, the Buddha thunders, "and you will be neither here (with the seen, heard, sensed or cognized) nor beyond (outside of the seen, heard, sensed or cognized) nor in between the two (neither of the world nor beyond the world). The last phrase comprehensively confounded the sophists! In summary, the Buddha advised both Bāhiya and Venerable Mālunkyaputta to experience the Jhānas to suppress the Five Hindrances. Thereby one will discern with certainty the absence of a self or a soul behind the sensory process. Consequently, sensory experience will never again be taken as evidence of a 'knower' or a 'doer': such that you will never imagine a self or a soul at the centre of experience, nor beyond, nor anywhere else. Bāhiya's Teaching put in a nutshell the way to the realization of No-Self, Anattā. "Just this", concluded the Buddha "is the end of suffering".



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22 hr. ago


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xabir

·

22 hr. ago

I am also not interested in persuading people of the validity of my experience. I just want people to get the right view which is an important condition for awakening. But I understand some people who hold tightly to Ven Thanissaro’s interpretations of anatta for example, may not like it.



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xabir

·

22 hr. ago

“They” or just me 😂



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TheHiddenData

·

22 hr. ago

No, they don't spam everyone, I was not contacted. Also they don't claim to be enlightened, only to have some insight, and they admit publicly that they have more to do on the path. Also they continually quote well-respected teachers and are very close to Buddhist orthodoxy in basically everything.



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22 hr. ago


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TheHiddenData

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21 hr. ago

I answered this question below, but if anyone is curious, they can confirm that me and xabir are not the same person by going to r/AwakeningToReality and seeing that I made a post there three days ago where I ask how to contact xabir.



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20 hr. ago

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ZootedFlaybish

·

18 hr. ago

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edited 18 hr. ago

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He contacted me a few weeks ago. Although he may be evangelizing the primacy of Anatta, he seems innocent enough to me. We disagreed on some things - I’m fairly critical of the dangers of the intellect on the Mahayana path - but his responses were always cordial and earnest, if not copypasta from his previous posts or website. 🤷‍♂️


I wish him well. ☺️



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Arbacrux-

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17 hr. ago

Dangers of the intellect? Could you elaborate?



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ZootedFlaybish

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17 hr. ago

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edited 16 hr. ago

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Mahayana tends to focus on non-dualism, Anatta (no self), and emptiness in its teachings. These are highly conceptual teachings, as compared to pragmatic teachings on meditation - like how to pay attention in the correct way, how to play with the breath and energies of the body, what kind of thoughts to look out for, and which kinds to cultivate, etc.


I’m not saying non-dualist thinking isn’t true or isn’t valuable, nor that Anatta isn’t true - but that so often I see so many people (my younger self included) think that they are enlightened or close to enlightenment, just because they can spout non-dualist jibberish, or think in terms of no self, etc. I have come to see that enlightenment is much more a physical thing, rather than a mental thing. It manifests in the way one breathes, the way one moves, the way one pays attention, and what garners one’s attention - rather than an ability to spout the correct forms and interpretations of non dualist, no self, emptiness talk. Of course there is a large mental aspect to enlightenment - but in terms of one’s own intellect being duped by itself, it’s best to mark one’s course by focusing on the physical.


The intellect is a wonderful servant, but a terrible master. - Ram Dass


The concept of Anatta and emptiness, is like a view from the other side - the other side being enlightenment. But the self - as empty as it is, is like a raft - and we need that raft to get to the other side. If you let go of the raft too soon, you’ll be swept away by the currents of samsara. Whether a self really exists or not, we need to cultivate a sense of self, one that is on the Buddhist path, one that practices the eightfold path and the dhamma, before you can just chuck the concept out the window. There is a real danger in the teaching of Anatta and emptiness in ‘putting the cart before the horse’ - it’s all too alluring to think yourself atop the mountain just because you can think in the right way, before you’ve even put in the work of climbing the mountain. The mind is an expert deceiver.


I’m sorry, I actually have quite a lot more to say on the topic, and what I’ve already said really isn’t as coherent as I’d like, but this is already getting long and I have to go make dinner. 😬 I would mention that Thanissaro Bhikkhu has something very important to say on the matter of Anatta. Here And Here


So to conclude - the intellect will readily use enlightenment concepts to delude itself into thinking it is enlightened. I’ve seen it in my younger self, and I see it all the time in others and especially in would be teachers. There is an appeal to teaching the Dhamma, and it is tempting to skip to the end of the path.



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External-Shelter-342

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15 hr. ago

I especially love Thich Nhat Hanh but have also been fascinated by some perspectives that ram Dass has (I haven't been able to get into his writing but the comedian Pete Holmes talks about him in his book and the concept of a "witness" helped me kind of think in terms of nonself a little) but I would very much like to also look into the aspects of Buddhism you are referring to (more pragmatic teachings). Thank you!



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ZootedFlaybish

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15 hr. ago

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edited 15 hr. ago

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For more pragmatic teachings I recommend Thanissaro Bhikkhu. His YouTube channel. ☺️ virtually every single one of his Dhamma talks (and there are years and years worth) are crystalline and practical. I tend to be an extremely abstract, head in the clouds, kinda thinker/person - so for me, the down to earth practicality of Thanissaro is what I need. Although I’ve made that comment to another once before and they thought Thanissaro was very abstract - which I found really hard to imagine. Anyway - I guess these things are relative. 🤷‍♂️☺️


I like Ram Dass’s teachings - he also has many talks on YouTube. He’s an eclectic - taking from whatever sort of traditions he found useful and enlightening. I guess he’s technically coming from a tradition of Hinduism and academic training in psychology and experience in psychedelics - he is unafraid to draw from a diverse body of human traditions and experiences to paint his tapestry of truth and understanding. 👍



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External-Shelter-342

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13 hr. ago

thank you so so much!



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AmenableHornet

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14 hr. ago

This is a very good point, and It's something I'm struggling with now. Thinking you're close to enlightenment because you have a good intellectual understanding of Buddhist concepts is like congratulating yourself for getting to your destination because you have obtained a very good map.



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ZootedFlaybish

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14 hr. ago

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edited 12 hr. ago

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Exactly! Good analogy! But for those who don’t have sufficient wisdom - young people especially - they can be easily duped by others who are good with language and concepts and can readily be led astray by people who truly believe themselves to be enlightened. The best liars are those who are good at lying to themselves - and the intellect is a masterful deceiver. 🤷‍♂️



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Dietrich_Vance

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13 hr. ago

Honestly thank you for this comment, it’s a wonderful perspective as someone who behaves like your former self in going for the non dualist perspective without having put all the work in



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xabir

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11 hr. ago

Actually I advise people to take a direct approach to realize anatta (preferably under guidance of an enlightened teacher if they can fine one), not based on a path of reasoning.


Similar to how Thrangu Rinpoche explains here: https://www.lionsroar.com/directly-experience-the-nature-of-mind/amp/


And here (although I must add this is not unique to Vajrayana but is also taught in Zen and Theravada), excerpts from https://www.awakeningtoreality.com/2018/08/thrangu-rinpoche-on-nature-of-mind.html


Thrangu Rinpoche: In the Vajrayana there is the direct path to examining mind. In everyday life we are habituated to thinking, "I have a mind and I perceive these things." Ordinarily, we do not directly look at the mind and therefore do not see the mind. This is very strange because we see things and we know that we are seeing visual phenomena. But who is seeing? We can look directly at the mind and find that there is no one seeing; there is no seer, and yet we are seeing phenomena. The same is true for the mental consciousness. We think various thoughts, but where is that thinking taking place? Who or what is thinking? However, when we look directly at the mind, we discover that there is nobody there; there is no thinker and yet thinking is going on. This approach of directly looking in a state of meditation isn't one of reasoning, but of directly looking at the mind to see what is there. Source: Shentong and Rangtong


….


If we look for a perceiver, we won’t find one. We do think, but if we look into the thinker, trying to find that which thinks, we do not find it. Yet, at the same time, we do see and we do think. The reality is that seeing occurs without a seer and thinking without a thinker. This is just how it is; this is the nature of the mind. The Heart Sutra sums this up by saying that “form is emptiness,” because whatever we look at is, by nature, devoid of true existence. At the same time, emptiness is also form, because the form only occurs as emptiness. Emptiness is no other than form and form is no other than emptiness. This may appear to apply only to other things, but when applied to the mind, the perceiver, one can also see that the perceiver is emptiness and emptiness is also the perceiver. Mind is no other than emptiness; emptiness is no other than mind. This is not just a concept; it is our basic state. The reality of our mind may seem very deep and difficult to understand, but it may also be something very simple and easy because this mind is not somewhere else. It is not somebody else’s mind. It is your own mind. It is right here; therefore, it is something that you can know. When you look into it, you can see that not only is mind empty, it also knows; it is cognizant. All the Buddhist scriptures, their commentaries and the songs of realization by the great siddhas express this as the “indivisible unity of emptiness and cognizance,” or “undivided empty perceiving,” or “unity of empty cognizance.” No matter how it is described, this is how our basic nature really is. It is not our making. It is not the result of practice. It is simply the way it has always been. Source: Crystal Clear



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GrampaMoses

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21 hr. ago

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Hi, just adding my own experience that he once messaged me as well and linked that blog. I didn't get any cultish vibes and he's not stalking anyone. I believe his intentions are good.


The blog itself used more "mystic" terminology and may be helpful to some people. I personally am focusing on Buddha Dharma, so I'm not spending time reading the blog, but instead will continue to do my chanting at home and visit my temple on Sunday.


What you do is up to you.



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22 hr. ago

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edited 18 hr. ago

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m0rl0ck1996

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22 hr. ago

chan

Wow. I didnt get one, i feel left out. :(


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22 hr. ago

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xabir

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22 hr. ago

👍 I always recommend people to find a good sangha.


I often send out a list of potential dharma centers people can join in their own cities.


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TheHiddenData

·

22 hr. ago

I can confirm this is true.


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[deleted]

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21 hr. ago

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TheHiddenData

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21 hr. ago

If you think this is a sockpuppet, you can simply head over to r/AwakeningToReality to see that I posted there 3 days ago in order to contact xabir.


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kikosmash

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19 hr. ago

U have any for portland?


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bodhiquest

·

16 hr. ago

vajrayana / shingon mikkyō

There's a very good Shingon temple in Portland https://sites.google.com/view/shingon-pdx/home


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Nulynnka

·

22 hr. ago

chan

Me too 😢


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xabir

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22 hr. ago

I don’t have any other agenda than to share dharma. But only as a friend, as I do not take students nor do I have the time to personally mentor people.


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truuseeker

·

17 hr. ago

·

edited 17 hr. ago

vajrayana

I talk to u/xabir from time to time. It's not a cult. Trust me, I'm super wary of cults or anything that tries to scam people for spirituality lol. All we do is just discuss anatta/dharma amongst each other just like on reddit, that's all.



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ChanceEncounter21

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20 hr. ago

theravada

We are in the digital age of Buddhism. And once in awhile we receive unsolicited dharma pics/messages/links. And people like sharing their insights (and in this case the user was documenting it in his blog). It's up to us to take it or leave it.


P.S. to the blogger in question: Sorry for being unable to reply to your messages. Best of luck with your blogs.



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biodecus

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18 hr. ago

vajrayana

It's an excellent blog run by an extremely experienced and knowledgeable practitioner.


It's unfortunate you've had this reaction to it /u/medinerdcy. If you don't connect to the writing there that's perfectly understandable, everyone connects with different things when it comes to Dharma, but it's a shame you've turned other people away in this thread from what is a perfectly legit source.



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unicornpicnic

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21 hr. ago

I've been contacted by them. There was another user who sent me the same thing.



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20 hr. ago


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unicornpicnic

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20 hr. ago

I think it was diamondnxg or something.



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Background_Nature497

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20 hr. ago

You should always be careful -- are you planning to give money? If no, then you're fine.



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Zestyclose_Brain_812

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17 hr. ago

U/xabir has contacted me before, and I’m very thankful they did. They offered me free resources on topics I felt lost on. I’m beyond thankful they contacted me



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AlexCoventry

·

17 hr. ago

Xabir has contacted me relatively recently. I looked at the links he shared, and while they weren't helpful for me at this point, they looked legit, FWIW.



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BuddhistFirst

·

22 hr. ago

·

edited 15 hr. ago

Tibetan Buddhist

Since you are secular, you can pretty much do whatever you want. Even if you are reading about the Jews or Incan religion and looking for the path to heaven using those religions, I support you.


But for Buddhist readers here, I would remind you that we have responsibilities. The Refuge, looking after our monks, observing our liturgy, our role in the 6 directions, our responsibilities to the vihara. And those are just the basics. We each have our own teacher and practices we do on top of our regular Buddhist lives.


Given we have all these responsibilities, reading a blog on spirituality like awakeningtR is in my opinion a sign that one may be overlooking many of the responsibilities we have. How many times have you spoken with your monk-teachers this week? How many times have you been at the temple? Have you mentioned to the teachers about this blog?


Since the path to spiritual development in general is available in all religions already, yes you can advance to certain heights by following the Mormons, but are you consumed by the writings of Gordon Hinckley tho? I doubt it. You're a Buddhist first right? So focus on your monastery's responsibilities, looking after our monks, learning from our teachers at the temple classes in person. This is the priority in my opinion.








Edit as per u/Titanium-Snowflake reminder:


Those of us who aren't living in an area with a monastery/temple can access them virtually through livestream. r/vihara has a lot of these livestream temples. At the time of this writing for example, I just finished attending Columbus KTC's lecture with Lama Kathy and after this post, I am heading over to receive teaching from Acharya Jigme. In other words, distance is not an issue anymore. We can be busy with the dharma regardless of our location or distance.



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Titanium-Snowflake

·

15 hr. ago

Be mindful that some people don’t live near a monastery. For example, it’s a four hour drive for me, and it is also not a lineage that suits me. There have to be other avenues for practice in such cases.



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BuddhistFirst

·

15 hr. ago

Tibetan Buddhist

Yes. Plenty.


r/vihara - Live Stream Virtual Temples Online


Do go to that 4-hour drive temple once a month or quarterly


Pray that a center opens near you, it worked for me.


Email monk-teachers if they'd be willing to teach you remotely.



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Titanium-Snowflake

·

15 hr. ago

Of course there are options. I am just reminding you that the connection to a temple that you speak of, with weekly participation, is not accessible to all people who live in extremely remote locations. Nevertheless, we find our way. It’s not as straightforward and traditional as you would advocate, but is still good.



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genivelo

·

21 hr. ago

Tibetan Buddhism

I was contacted by them as well. I would recommend being cautious of self-appointed teachers.



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TheHiddenData

·

20 hr. ago

They don't consider themselves teachers and don't take students, they just share stuff about the Dharma they have found useful. Also they have ties with Acharya Malcolm Smith, do you know if he's legit?



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genivelo

·

20 hr. ago

Tibetan Buddhism

"have ties to"? As far as I have seen, all they said is they are receiving teachings from that Acharya.


It does seem to me the user in question is presenting their mentor as an enlightened teacher, and themselves as a representative of said mentor.



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TheHiddenData

·

20 hr. ago

·

edited 20 hr. ago

The user u/krodha is a student of Acarya Malcolm and is occasionally featured on the blog. I don't know if they have any ties beyond that, you can ask u/xabir for more information. Also Acarya Malcolm was recommended to me by xabir, so he clearly holds him in high esteem. And yes, his mentor (Thusness/John Tan) has at least some insight, but I don't think xabir is presenting himself as John Tan's "representative".


Edit: also, krodha is a mod of r/Dzogchen.



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xabir

·

20 hr. ago

Krodha made me a mod of Dzogchen subreddit too, unfortunately I am clearly not doing a great job there. Very inactive.



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genivelo

·

20 hr. ago

·

edited 16 hr. ago

Tibetan Buddhism

I don't know if you are new to Buddhism, but the things you list are not as convincing as you seem to think they are.


That being said, if u/krodha confirms that the Acharya has "endorsed" John Tan, then I would consider that more meaningful.



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krodha

·

18 hr. ago

There are no “official endorsements” but Malcolm has said he has no issue with xabir and John Tan’s views or presentation of buddhadharma and he said their views do not run contrary to the buddhadharma.


It is also my opinion that their views are very clear, and I consider them friends.



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genivelo

·

18 hr. ago

Tibetan Buddhism

I understand. Thank you.



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TheHiddenData

·

19 hr. ago

Guess you've just got to wait for u/krodha's answer then.



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SeriousMoFo

·

18 hr. ago

It's not a scam. It's not a cult. I have read many articles on the blog and I am a member of the Facebook group. There are a bunch of people who are very interested in topics of awakening and enlightenment. It's a very intellectual crowd, and I perceive a lot of generosity and genuine curiosity when I read stuff there. And, I'm sure faults can be found! Ego lurks in every corner!


That being said, please just trust your own instincts! If you are concerned about receiving unsolicited messages, that is completely understandable in today's world. I think I would be at least somewhat skeptical if I got a message like that. (As it turns out, I was introduced to the group by someone I had met in person.) And if that is enough to turn you off, then that is quite alright. You are under no obligation to respect or follow anyone!


There are also resources I've seen, such as lists of the qualities of cults. You could compare that list to your experience. Same with scams.



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Menaus42

·

17 hr. ago

ekayāna

That blog is just an exegesis of Mahayana Buddhism in modern language. It's mostly quotes involving other teachers and conversations between members. Thusness/John Tan explains his lineage and names exactly the teachers he has learned from. What makes any of this suspicious?



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purelander108

·

15 hr. ago

mahayana

Bro visit my blog bro please its insight into anatta, john is enlightened bro its legit I swear you just have to visit the blog and get enlightened too bro please.



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dizijinwu

·

15 hr. ago

Anyone who claims to be enlightened merits intense scrutiny. Anybody who claims to have enlightened on their own is almost certainly a manipulator.



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[deleted]

·

21 hr. ago

[unavailable]


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xabir

·

21 hr. ago

I am not interested in fame, only the wisdom life of sentient beings. This is why I share to begin with. And I will continue sharing in any way I can.


I also share to many other subreddits, Buddhism is not the main one I share to. I share to nonduality, meditation, awakened, etc etc. all kinds of subreddit. most of them have not even heard of buddhism but many have mystical realizations and awakenings. It is my hope that this may inspire them to look into Buddhadharma, especially when they read and resonate with the descriptions of the earlier stages.


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xabir

·

21 hr. ago

Making people uncomfortable may be unavoidable


Buddha recommended sharing of dharma:


“Go forth for the good of the many, for the happiness of the many, out of compassion for the world, for the welfare, the good and the happiness of gods and men. Let no two of you go in the same direction. Teach the Dharma which is beautiful in the beginning, beautiful in the middle and beautiful at the end. Proclaim both the letter and the spirit of the holy life completely fulfilled and perfectly pure. — Buddha, Mahavagga, Vinaya Pitaka.”


Not all will be comfortable with the message but some may resonate


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hashtagron

·

20 hr. ago

How did you make a post with text AND a photo? Reddit always makes me choose one or another



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20 hr. ago


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hashtagron

·

20 hr. ago

May all beings benefit



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suremanhellsley

·

16 hr. ago

My whole thing with Buddhism is it isn’t evangelical. Granted it comes from my American cultural conditioning but anyone trying to convince others is either selling something or trying to convince themselves - but AGAIN I am deeply disillusioned thanks to Christianity



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xabir

·

9 hr. ago

·

edited 9 hr. ago

Buddha advices us to spread the dharma to people in all directions out of compassion, how similar it is to Christian evangelism I’m not sure:


“Go forth for the good of the many, for the happiness of the many, out of compassion for the world, for the welfare, the good and the happiness of gods and men. Let no two of you go in the same direction. Teach the Dharma which is beautiful in the beginning, beautiful in the middle and beautiful at the end. Proclaim both the letter and the spirit of the holy life completely fulfilled and perfectly pure. — Buddha, Mahavagga, Vinaya Pitaka.”


But Buddha’s approach clearly worked and thousands of his students attained awakening and liberation during the Buddha’s lifetime. Thousands. How many teachers today can say the same?


This is because Buddha encouraged a policy of openly sharing the dharma to as many people as they can. I hope Buddhists are more active at sharing the message. Of course this is not the same as shoving down teachings on another’s throat, that is not how things work. You either resonate with the message or not.. you either have the conditions and karma to accept the dharma or not, no use trying to force things on others. But a gentle and polite sharing is ok and good, IMO. And karma is not an excuse to do nothing as Buddhists to spread the dharma. Karma is not fatalism and does not excuse us of our responsibility to do what is right. But whether the others want to look it up further after our sharing is up to them.



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suremanhellsley

·

2 hr. ago

Hey makes sense, but context is key. Gotta understand how many have been deceived and hurt specifically through online solicitation. When I read that quote about spreading dharma I see it as engaging community with good intentions and good actions, not necessarily spreading philosophical ideation. But I’m just one dude over here with his bias and attitudes chilling in a thicket.



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Mayayana

·

18 hr. ago

It sounds all made up to me. There are lots of similar things around, where people make up their own 2 cents. They often mean well. If you look at the references you can see that they're all over the map, from Ken Wilbur to Ramana Maharshi. It's that New Age misconception that realization is something that can be understood or "gotten".



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growbot_3000

·

15 hr. ago

👽🥏🌠



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vicshayne

·

21 hr. ago

Since this is a Buddhist thread I am not sure what this has to do with anything related to Buddhism.


Also, I have read some information from the Thusness person. One of the problems is that it is not difficult to speak of certain things, like enlightenment, simply by having a good memory and repeating things you've read from Ramana, Nisargadatta, Krishnamurti, and so on. In the final analysis it just doesn't matter what people say, because ultimately each of us must personally enquire into what we are. After all, this was the Buddha's message as well. He said Life is suffering, so what does this mean? It's an invitation to look into the sense of self to find this kernel of suffering and where it comes from. No one can do this on your behalf, not even a so-called enlightened person.


When someone declares that they are enlightened it's a red flag. The reason for this is quite simple. The sense of self is an illusion and can therefore never be enlightened. And the consciousness, which is the totality of all there is, is already complete and undivided so that it cannot become enlightened either. Someone who has a sense of this, a realization, knows this and doesn't go around making declarations about himself.


For anyone who wants to get to the bottom of suffering and therefore also get to the essence of what they are, I would say not to become distracted by promises or teachings. Your life is your own, so find out what is true for yourself.



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21 hr. ago


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vicshayne

·

20 hr. ago

anatta


Anatta refers to the idea that there is no self. While the self is an illusion, it does exist as a belief system, and this system is what causes desire as well as suffering.



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solacetree

·

20 hr. ago

theravada

I see red flags here



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purelander108

·

3 hr. ago

mahayana

Its obvious. Dharma is requested. This is soliciting.



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