5h  · 
I love this from dzongsar khentse rinpoche. Not everyone is suitable to be taught anatta or truth of reality so we have to becareful. Unless u know them well, it’s really hard to advice. 
I also won’t tell someone who has suicidal intent to meditate. He needs immediate antidepressant. 
There are many ways to well-being in this life. Not just Buddhist philosophy and doctrine. I have asked a Muslim patient to go pray 5 times a day. A Hindu patient to go to the temple and make… See more
Siddhartha's Intent
6h  · 
“Everything you ever wanted to know but were afraid to ask”
Part 5: Mental Health
🌀 Q. Could I, as an instructor, recommend a student to seek psychological therapy for some issues? Or is it better to only advise inside the Dharma context?
It is absolutely fine to go to therapy. Dharma is, strictly speaking, not really a therapy. It should not be really aimed at healing. The ultimate purpose of Dharma practice should be discovering the truth, actualizing the truth, to be awakened to the truth – however one wants to put it. I suppose you can say that it is the ultimate healing. 
But in order for us to be strong and healthy in our pursuit of the truth we should be as healthy as possible. For that, eating well, living well, caring for our body, emotions and mind: all of these are a must. So just as a Dharma practitioner can receive a massage or acupuncture to make oneself strong and healthy, you should recommend these kinds of methods to whoever needs it. 
I was told that some therapies involve believing in a soul or a higher external being or Almighty. If the person who wants to receive therapy is a follower of the Buddha, we would need to customize or adjust that.
🌀 Q. I encounter some Dharma practitioners who struggle with depression and take medication. I don’t fully understand depression but it seems like some of these people can’t really function. Is there a danger of using medication to avoid the pain? Or is it better to support them doing what they do to feel better? 
I looked up the definition of the word depression: the dictionary defines it as “a mental state characterized by a pessimistic sense of inadequacy and a despondent lack of activity”. In fact, I think the notion of depression is much larger than that and even infinite in scope, and that it can actually mean many different things. But for now, I can only answer as a Buddhist, based on the very vague definition of depression found in the English dictionary and in relation to how I assume the English-speaking world defines and understands the word. 
I guess depression mostly carries a sense of expecting the worst outcome in our life in general or in a particular aspect of life such as relationship, health or job. But from a Buddhist point of view, every aspect of life, as long as it is conditioned and a by-product of defilement, in other words of duality, is duḥkha.
But that statement should not create more pessimism. Duḥkha is simply a truth – exactly like saying that water is H2O. However, people need one more piece of information in order to grasp that truth, which is that the essence of duḥkha is shunyata. 
We have depression because we have so many references, ideals and values. That reference or value can be as mundane as an image of an ideal shampoo. There is a whole range of such utopian and dystopian references and ideals, ninety-nine percent of which can never be achieved. Even if you achieve some, they will either leave you soon or you’ll no longer be interested because another reference is waiting for you.
Our consumer society makes no effort to reduce such references and actually does the opposite. So, we 21st century people are going to get more and more depressed.
I think when modern people look into the root of mental illnesses such as depression, they can only go back as far as perhaps childhood trauma or at least a trauma or shock that someone experienced in this life. But in Buddhism, we see defiled beings as having the illusion of time, but this time did not just begin the moment they were conceived in their mother’s womb. The continuity of who you are actually goes back much further than your first consciousness on this earth. 
In other words, we Buddhists believe in reincarnation. Although I hate the English word “reincarnation”, I am using it here for the sake of making this all easier to understand. This understanding helps explain why we may feel depressed, sentimental, or melancholic in our present life for no obvious reason. We might yearn for a political ideal, or long for the bliss of sipping a coffee on a Saigon balcony to the sound of torrential rain.
From that perspective, much of the current depression or mental illness in the world could definitely be caused by or be the residue of past life events – past lives that could even go back thousands of lifetimes. For this reason, I think we actually have an infinite amount of mental illness in the world. 
Depression or mental illness caused by childhood trauma might be more gross or tangible. But many people suffer simply by not knowing why we even feel, know, are conscious or even exist. Why, we may think, can’t we just be a pebble or a piece of wood? That would at least be free from all the kinds of values that taunt us.
So, to come back to your original question: As a Buddhist, I would encourage you to use any kind of methods – be it a weekend vipassana meditation retreat or popping some pills or micro-dosing with mushrooms – so long as they help us reach a level of sanity where we can decipher, appreciate and have some ability to understand basic truths – all the way from realizing that all compounded things are impermanent to recognizing that our true nature is dharmakaya.
You also asked whether there is a danger of using medication to avoid pain? With all solutions there are always dangers – in solutions like medication, of course, but even on the spiritual path. That’s why the masters of the past have likened the spiritual path to terrain in which we have to go one step at a time. Even if they take only a few steps, it would be good for people to have a certain amount of sanity.
#dzongsarkhyentserinpoche #djkr
#buddhismandmentalhealth #dharmawheel
#moderndayskilfulmeans #choosesanity 
#dharmawheel #wisdom #healingtruth 
#noselfnosuffering #shunyata #wakeupnow

Yin Ling

12h  · https://www.facebook.com/yin.l.chok/posts/pfbid022g6w4c6r864KjEPqw45T6sZgm1L5nUtY15xNvVH6VaACGHHK3KDv2mCN1qAiMbt4l?__cft__[0]=AZUGkQfTBdoe3G91HmDx1ozCsg8yl1_2j1Of4FjIwrYAiWtLvHgSYcQNVL0jdaCEfkBGMkStgvgMfqwwRL1vOPys_p7KCbnWrA07H7xmlTQnDbYXrPgPfVPadBeVmDzTFPGveMbuKLhEM9vjpFW_IXnx&__tn__=%2CO%2CP-R

Profound view of prajnaparamita by Thrangu Rinpoche.

Very long, but so extremely good. 

***

First, we can see that al phenomena or occurring events do not arise out of an inherent true nature, but rather arise from a cause and secondary conditions that permit this cause to yield a particular effect. Nowhere in our field of experience do we meet arbitrarily occurring events or phenomena without a cause. Phe- nomena have no discoverable essence or real nature, but appear due to causes and conditions without any solid reality, like reflec- tions in a mirror. Phenomena, having no solid real nature, are not eternal; but neither are they merely nothing. They do not come from anywhere, nor do they go anywhere. There is no real arising of them, nor is there any actual passing away of them. They do not exist independently, but occur interrelated due to the presence of sources and appropriate conditions. Thus all phenomenal occurrences are beyond any possible conception.

An example of the arising of phenomena often given is a re- flection of a statue of Vajradhara in a mirror. If we examine the image of Vajradhara in a mirror, we can see that there is no real thing in the mirror, yet it really appears to be there and so it is not a mere nothingness. The reflection does not come from anywhere in particular; if we turn the mirror over, there is nowhere it has gone. We cannot observe any real appearance arising in its occur- rence or any genuine passing away in its disappearance. No inde-pendent solid reality can be ascribed to the image reflected in the mirror. The reflection, like the whole of our experience, cannot adequately be described in conceptual terms.

Phenomena are merely an unending succession of momentary arising of appearances, structured in a particular fashion, having no independent existence. They are not describable by any of the four propositions of existing, non-existing, both existing and not- existing and being neither existing nor non-existing—either in their causes or in their effects. No particular real point of their arising can even be discovered, and partial notions about them, such as that they are permanent or impermanent, and so on, are al inadequate to describe their actual nature. This unreal, apparent existence of reflections in the mirror is simply appearances occur- ring due to causes and conditions. And these conditioned appear- ances are in no way distinct from the fundamental emptiness, which has already been described.

Thus, in the view of Middle-way, the truth of suffering, the truth of the cause of suffering, as well as eating, sleeping and other ordinary worldly activities are al equally devoid of any essential nature of their own. They occur through conditioned arising without having any fundamental reality whatsoever. Only if phe- nomena are actually empty can the world as we experience it appear. If emptiness were something completely distinct from our common experience, there would be no way for any of that experi- ence to have occurred in the first place. Emptiness is not isolated from our ordinary experience, nor is it in any way divorced from the Four Noble Truths and the path to freedom from suffering.

Now al these forms of conditioned arising which, as we have demonstrated by means of the four analyses of the Middle-way, have no fundamental reality, nevertheless arise as if they were actually there, just as an elephant in our dream really seems to be there. But if we examine conditions in the world—examine how they arise, examine their fruition, and look for their essential quality—we will see, that things have no solid reality; they merely occur due to particular conditions. Nagarjuna discusses these points in greater detail in the Treatise on the Middle Way.

Just as someone locked in a prison has no way to escape ex- cept by opening the cell door, so we who are caught in the realm of the suffering of cyclic existence have no way to free ourselves except through recognizing the fundamental nature of reality, which is emptiness. Recognizing this fundamental nature of reality is sometimes called “the three liberating factors.” These factors are: (1) that no real cause can ever be discovered; (2) that resultant conditions have no true nature of their own; and (3) the recogni- tion of the essentially empty quality of al appearances. By appre- hending the truth of these three factors, we can gain understanding and attain freedom from samsara.

This supreme view of emptiness unites the conventional truth and the ultimate truth. That is, Middle-way emptiness is not blank nothingness, a mere void; rather it is a total potentiality that gives rise to al the appearances that occur to sentient beings.

To attain realization one must have an integrated view of the conventional and ultimate levels of reality. This supreme field of insight, the dharmadhatu, or in English “expanse of dharmas” or “expanse of phenomena,” is often referred to as the “mother of al buddhas and bodhisattvas.” Just as a mother gives birth to chil- dren, so insight into the fundamental nature produced al the enlightened beings of the past, present, and the future.

The fundamental nature of the universe is the union of empti- ness and appearance where everything is empty, but also in this emptiness arise al appearances. Even though in the preceding text we have tried to describe how this is true, the union of emptiness and appearances isindescribable and its understanding transcends allogical statements.

If we rest in meditative awareness of this non-discriminating wisdom, which is beyond conception, and we also recognize that all dharmas are like illusions, dreams, or reflections having no fundamental reality, then when we come out of our meditation, we will develop confidence in the correct view—the union of the conventional and ultimate levels of reality. This is the great tool given to us in the transcendent knowledge of the Prajnaparamita.

This tool of transcendent knowledge might be illustrated in the following way: if we want to go from here to Kathmandu, we should first try to find out which direction Kathmandu is from our present position. Having determined that, we would then know which way to go to get there and could give other people proper directions as well. Transcendent knowledge is like a map showing us the way.

If we attain true insight into the true nature, as expressed by arising of appearances, then we will be able to demonstrate the true nature of emptiness to al sentient beings. If insight into emptiness has no direct relation to appearances, then anyone who attained such insight would have no perception of other sentient beings and would therefore never teach and the teaching of emptiness would never spread.

A merely intellectual understanding of the unity of appearance and emptiness does not empower us to be able to demonstrate such emptiness to others. Only with direct insight into the funda- mental nature can we begin to demonstrate to beings this funda- mental emptiness that is, in itself, brilliantly expressive. So the understanding of emptiness is the source and the reality of the whole Mahayana path of realization of buddhahood.

CONCLUSION

We have now discussed the lack of any essential reality in the mundane self from the point of view of conditioned arising and by means of the example of the cart. We have also examined the lack of any true, inherent reality in al phenomenal appearances, by looking for their point of arising, analyzing their resultant condi- tions, and searching for their essential nature. We examined every- thing according to the four different approaches found in the classical Sanskrit scriptures. Mipham Rinpoche brought these together in a single text called the Gateway to Knowledge.

In general, we come to know things in three ways: by direct perception, by inference, and by authoritative report. To develop insight into the nature of reality Buddhist practitioners should not accept a report from just anyone, but should rely on the teachings of individuals who have outstanding qualities and realization. To achieve this understanding of the direct insight into the true nature of reality, we must first listen to and study the logical arguments that explain this nature. Thus, to develop the direct perception from the practice of Mahamudra, we have to first develop a proper understanding of Mahamudra. This support from the teachings contained in this book and others helps us in our practice of Ma- hamudra, which then leads to direct insight into the fundamental nature of reality.

2 Comments

J.P. Hamilton

Very nice. Which book is this from?

Reply5h

Yin Ling

J.P. Hamilton door to emptiness by thrangu rinpoche 😁

Reply3h

Yin Ling

https://www.facebook.com/yin.l.chok/posts/pfbid0sjuF6BXLr6af5HVruKwuXGu2KhqGAzrX1BgZ8hUEBi9BVkY7kekSU7yh9w5njKhsl?__cft__[0]=AZVXf_M7sUCI5GBXywJlCNUcJLzox4oatorq5cGkPnwfjdjimKDZTxGgOXV0wCrXBJREM1_7ydxJplHg4k-eezgOs3huZ5DjSFdf6WZFc_MpVWPJBrPyKzTLts-fVGSLNkTCrLjAnwHfZ2WB54pJEWel8H_ciQS0OukwHNiC0SWaL4falvjkDLEUToDI_t_8lF7Tmf-8O0kLa4XbfW8yC--9&__tn__=%2CO%2CP-R

Love this. Well said. 

Analytical investigation of self like in the 4 foundations of mindfulness rarely could bring forth experiential insight. Usually just intellectualisation of no-self. 

Contemplating hard on a koan of “who am I” or contemplating the Bahiya sutta “in the seen only the seen” could trigger. I personally find that helpful for breakthrough 

After that, a deep willingness to be selfless and keep challenging a self view with dependent origination and emptiness needs to happen to slowly eradicate the “residual smell”, that phantom limb of self. Must have conviction and determination. I’m still trying. It’s really not easy this stupid habit of self 🤦🏻‍♀️

Simply Always Awake

3d  · 

Someone asked what "Selfing" means:
[SEE LINK: https://www.facebook.com/Simply.Always.Awake/posts/pfbid0rVpgSRQ684Jgcz2H5PG31bpRQfCF6ToCwPqHFpaG92N1MNSTRUHAQFRo9nTvkKk2l?__cft__[0]=AZVXf_M7sUCI5GBXywJlCNUcJLzox4oatorq5cGkPnwfjdjimKDZTxGgOXV0wCrXBJREM1_7ydxJplHg4k-eezgOs3huZ5DjSFdf6WZFc_MpVWPJBrPyKzTLts-fVGSLNkTCrLjAnwHfZ2WB54pJEWel8H_ciQS0OukwHNiC0SWaL4falvjkDLEUToDI_t_8lF7Tmf-8O0kLa4XbfW8yC--9&__tn__=%2CO%2CP-y-R
]


Yin Ling

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U think ur ears hear music... 

Then one day, with great blessings, someone probes you, why don’t you investigate if that is really true? 

Then u investigate like a MF.. 

One fine day, 

The music suddenly hears itself.. 

There is No hearer around.. 

Holy shit. 

*** 

Then you will go out to walk in the park, 

U watch and watch.. 

Omg 😳 

Am I any differnt from a tree? 

Ur body feels like a phantom limb. 

U feel as though something is there, but nothing is there on closer look 🧐 

Suddenly you realise.. 

YOU NEVER EXISTED.

You are not more “I” than a tree is “I”. 

You cannot find yourself anymore. 

****

At that time, 

Your whole world will reconfigure itself slowly… 

Until you realise it’s so different from what you have ever been taught. 

What science ?! What neurons?! Synapse whattt?! 😳 

***

At that time m.. 

Pls help me pay homage to the Buddha. 

Who taught tirelessly because he have hopes some of us could see. And then continue telling others even ppl think they are mad🙂😝

12 Comments

William Lim

Keep up the madness 👍🏼

Reply2d

Zee How Tai

  · 

Sadhu sadhu sadhu 🙏🏻

Reply2d

Tai Zee Kin

  · 

🙏🙏🙏 Buddham Saranam Gachami.

Sadhu Sadhu Sadhu

ReplySee Translation2d

John Tan

Don't be so against science, Yin Ling 🤣. Other than excluding "consciousness" from their complex equations in understanding "reality", I think they are ok. Buddhism is not against science imo though I know nothing much about quantum theory, I do think they r moving in a direction that seems inline with buddhist philosophy.

Reply2d

Yin Ling

John Tan ahahah okie 😝.

It’s just that my day to day work involve suppressing the brain 🧠 as biological science operates on the first principle of - mind/consciousness is produced by the brain- hence they try to fix the brain.

When someone is depressed or anxious, we will need to scan the brain, which is 99% usually normal 😂 more depressed, they scan some more .. with more powerful scans.

Then we give medication to suppress the brain. Adjust the chemical.

Which now they realise helps very little.

It’s very hard. Gonna take another few decades to rewire the whole science for first principle is completely wrong .. the focus also wrong.

Reply2d

Winston Tg

Yin Ling oh boy, have you seen the electroconvulsive therapies used for schizophrenia and depression

Reply12h

Yin Ling

Winston Tg I have been many times on their heads anaesthetising patients for that procedure as an anaesthetic House officer protecting airway while the psych MO press the electrocution buttons.

It is literally inducing seizures.

My heart breaks each time until I become numb. Personally v against it when I’m younger.

I am not so sure now. But I have never seen directly how dysfunctional ppl can become. I have a psych rotation coming up, I hope I don’t cry when I need to watch it 😭🤦🏻‍♀️

Reply12h

Winston Tg

Yin Ling I'm doing psychiatry currently so I need to induce the seizures in ECT, but they make me scratch my head all the time. The evidence apparently is moderate and I've seen some patients improve quite a bit after ECT but no one has *any* idea how it all works lol. Also the schizo patients sometimes tell me they see spirits everywhere and I have trouble differentiating whether they have opened their deva-eye somehow or whether they're really a little cuckoo. The "mindfulness practices" the therapists teach to our inpatients are also really disappointing lol

Reply12h

Yin Ling

Winston Tg oh thanks for sharing.

R u doing that as a rotation or u r going into psych for good?

GP in uk sees a lot of mental health, the mental health state here is very very bad, it’s always a culture shock to me.

I hope science in mental health speed up 100x more. It needs a different direction bec ppl are suffering and dying. Buddhism practices is the right direction but medicine is just not looking there but only their DSM.

Reply12h

Winston Tg

Yin Ling I'm really considering psychiatry (rotating in it atm), there's a lot of interesting stuff going on in it - addiction, trauma, pregnancy-related mental health, abuse, domestic violence, crime/drugs, antisocial behaviour, mood disorders etc. What I'm really seeing is there are really a lot of young people getting mental illnesses these days - I'm not sure if it's the removal of stigma, but there are a lot of emerging Axis II traits/borderline PD, mood disorders - bipolar to depression, etc. I really have no idea why, but like what you said the science in mental health are like decades old. The DSM-5 is the best they have at the moment but it's clearly not the best

Reply11hEdited

Winston Tg

Add on to that the fact that modern society really isn't healthy for people. It's so demanding, so stressful, focused on productivity and results. You have kids jumping from high-rise buildings and overdosing when exam dates come near. People have bad sleep, bad social lives, poor support, people are more selfish - they literally abandon their parents or kids at mental health institutes, it's a really tough ride in samsara for them.

Reply11h

Yin Ling

Winston Tg

Oh that’s good. I think you will do good for psych with ur Buddhism background input.

I know It is very sad. In UK, covid is not pandemic, mental health is. I have 2 men coming in this week to me crying and pleading me to save their lives bec they want to kill themselves and have no one to turn to. I have nothing on hand but to listen and then give them SSRI with emergency referral plus medical leave which will ease it slightly.

A lot of kids are on SSRI here. A lot of old ppl are on ssri too🤦🏻‍♀️ I’m living in a town full of drug addicts I don’t even know how to manage. It’s not a Gp job it’s a bloody psych job but I expected it. Thank god for insight or else I’d be traumatised 🤦🏻‍♀️

Reply10h

Yin Ling

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How to meditate to come to insight (by Thrangu Rinpoche)

(I personally use the direct method supplemented with analysis to gain conviction. Really depends on your predisposition. )

***

Meditation of Direct Examination of the Mind 

In connection with meditation, there are two different ways to integrate one’s meditation with the path. One is to integrate logical reasoning with one’s path. Once one has gained certainty about the nature of phenomena through logical examination, then one keeps this as one’s object of meditation and immerses oneself in it again and again until it becomes very clear and continues progressing.

The other aspect is to integrate direct understanding with the path, as is used in vajrayana meditation. This meditation, called placement meditation, or “looking directly at mind,” is not a Middle- way technique. One looks directly at the nature of mind, one recognizes one’s mind, which is the very expression of the ultimate nature of all phenomena. This is used as one’s main practice and is, in fact, the highest aspect of meditation. The first method, of using logical understanding, is very useful because it makes one’s meditation very stable. This path is outlined in all the sutra paths of meditation, including the Middle-way meditation. One shouldn’t think that it is an inferior way, because it is indeed extremely useful, making the mind very stable.

On the other hand, the vajrayana technique of direct understanding of mind is very beneficial because it makes it possible to gain understanding very quickly. This is called the short path. Actually the best meditation is a combination of both these methods: from time to time using the short path technique of direct understanding and then using the Middle-way technique of inferential understanding. If one uses both, it is possible to have a very stable mind and to progress very rapidly on the path.

The techniques that I personally used for meditation in the vajrayana were mostly based on yidam meditation, using visualization on a deity.13 This technique improves one’s capacity for meditation. Also the vajrayana method of meditation can be based on one’s devotion in the practice of guru yoga meditation, in which one develops devotion towards one’s guru. This is another way to progress in meditation.



(Yin Ling


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A little powerful excerpt from my morning reading -

Source : Thrangu rinpoche "Meditation instruction of the middle way from Mipham rinpoche"

***

In order to develop real conviction, one has to examine, using reasoning, where things come from, what are the causes of things, and what are the effects. If one says that there is no cause for anything, this simply isn’t true. It’s easy to see that a seedling or a shoot came from a seed. Besides the seed, which was the cause, many different conditions were required, such as soil, fertilizer, water, and so on. If there wasn’t a cause for everything, then one could get a crop in the winter, a crop inside the house without any soil, or whatever. Things would just happen at random.

For everything to happen there has to be a cause. There can be two kinds of causes: permanent causes and impermanent causes. Some philosophies and religions believe the world has been created by a creator or a god. The belief in a creator implies that every change in this world is due to the creator. The creator has to create the causes for the effects that we see in this world. However, if we look at the beginning of the creation, we see this is impossible. If we believe in a creator, then the creator must have made all the causes for the effects of the world we live in. However, the world we live in is impermanent, and things are being made all the time. So the causes for the world to arise cannot be permanent. But if the cause is impermanent, this brings us to the three aspects of time: the past, present, and future. The past is something that has gone. Since it is no longer, how can the past ever affect anything? The past cannot do anything because it is gone. What we did last year is not here any more, so it cannot do anything in the present. Now, concerning the future, the future is not here yet, so how can it affect anything just now? It doesn’t exist now. What is left is the present. Is the present actually doing something, having a function? Well, the present is a very small thing, if anything at all. Because even if we consider this instant, which is the present instant, it very quickly becomes the past, the previous instant. Very quickly the next instant is coming, so even if we are speaking of the present instant, it’s only a very short period of time, if anything at all. So we can’t really expect that the present instant can generate and create everything.

In this way we can begin to understand that things do not originate without a cause. Likewise, they do not originate from a permanent cause or from an impermanent cause, which leads us to the conclusion that all things never even started to exist; they have never originated. In other words, they are by nature empty. However, since we are under the influence of the illusion that things are solid and real, we see things manifesting in all sorts of different ways. The Buddha said in the Heart Sutra, “Form is empty.” This is because the objects which we see in various forms are by nature empty, in the sense that they never started to exist. They never arose, so the Buddha in the next line said, “Emptiness is form.” The form that manifests to us in so many different ways is essentially nonexistent, unreal, but while it is empty, it does manifest in a form, so this form is actually the form of emptiness. Emptiness is form. Then the Buddha said, “There is no form separate from emptiness.” This shows that emptiness and form are of one and the same essence. They are completely inseparable. It is similar to what happens when we are dreaming. If we dream about an elephant, this elephant does not exist. If we consider its essence, there is no real elephant there. It does not exist. There is an absence of elephant, but still you see an elephant. The nonexistence the elephant and our seeing the elephant are not two separate things. They are one. In this example, we can begin to understand how the nature of all things is empty. The point of the second stage of the prajna of reflection is to develop conviction in the emptiness of all external phenomena.

17 Comments

Stian Gudmundsen Høiland

Really nice!

On the functioning of the present, also see Nagarjuna on fire and fuel (or almost all of MMK, ha!)

I also like to clarify on the "emptiness is form, form is emptiness", that the simultaneous "there is an absence of elephant, but you still see an elephant. The nonexistence of the elephant and our seeing the elephant are not two separate things." is due to the *nature of relative things*. Simultaneously is it the very way relative things are which is both the manner in which they appear and the manner in which they don’t exist. Rainbows appear precisely because they are a relative arrangement, a compound phenomena—with rain, sun, eyes, etc.—and precisely because of being that way—a relative arrangement—they do not exist (other than their mode of appearing, which is a relative arrangement, i.e. it is a relative phenomenon with the nature of relative phenomena -> emptiness).

Reply4dEdited

Yin Ling

Stian Gudmundsen Høiland thanks! MMK is abit hard to read for some ppl.. take me a long while to get the gist, probably the hardest book ever including my whole medical training books lol.

Thrangu Rinpoche is so talented at using simple words to put MMK in place .. I was so 🤩🤩🤩 by this excerpt when I came to it. The clarity is profound. However only some will appreciate it, glad u appreciate it.

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John Tan

Actually it is the very nature of consciousness that "there is an absence of elephant but still you see an elephant", be it delusory conceptual constructs or pure vivid display, there is nothing there at all despite vivid clear appearances (dependent arising) -- both exhibit this unique characteristic.

Insight of this perculiar "absence/presence" is insight into the nature of "consciousness", so understanding consciousness is clear and knowing isn't enough.

Actually dependent arising is just pointing this illusoriness (mind-like) nature of mind, it is directly point at mind's nature.

Reply4dEdited

Yin Ling

John Tan thanks for the input John. Yeah hence the heart sutra is so profound and that phrase is repeated again in “form is NOT apart from emptiness”.. cannot be clearer.

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John Tan

Yin Ling insight must penetrate the "mental level" as well as the "presence level".

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Yin Ling

John Tan I don’t think I understand what you mean 😅

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John Tan

Yin Ling means like "chariot", "door" are conceptual (mental level). Pure appearances free of conceptual overlay is "presence level".

Reply4dEdited

Yin Ling

John Tan thanks. Think I get it now. Insight penetrating the “labels” to reach presence.. but it is still Not complete like in non-dual teachings because presence is still a reification, one hasn’t reach emptiness insight to come to pure appearances? Is that right.

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John Tan

Yin Ling yes but emptiness has slightly different meaning depending on the schools also. Emptiness also refers to primordial purity (kadag).

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Yin Ling

John Tan yeah true. That one need to write a thesis 😂

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Yin Ling

Punna Wong

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André A. Pais

Is it based on this text by Mipham?

https://www.lotsawahouse.org/.../profound-instruction...

Profound Instruction

LOTSAWAHOUSE.ORG

Profound Instruction

Profound Instruction

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Yin Ling

André A. Pais I am not 100% sure haha but it is this book that I’m reading

https://www.goodreads.com/.../408926.The_Middle_Way...

The Middle-Way Meditation Instructions of Mipham Rinpoche

GOODREADS.COM

The Middle-Way Meditation Instructions of Mipham Rinpoche

The Middle-Way Meditation Instructions of Mipham Rinpoche

Reply4d

Yin Ling

André A. Pais

Ur link ⬆️ is very good

“Once this kind of certainty has arisen,

Even clinging to mere illusion

Can be understood as conceptual imputation.

There is apprehension, but no essential nature to the perceived,

And even the perceiving mind cannot be found,

So, without clinging, one is brought to rest in natural ease.

Remaining like this, all perceptions,

Both external and internal, are not interrupted.

Yet within this fundamental nature, free from grasping,

All projections imposed upon phenomena,

Have never arisen and never ceased to be.

So, free from the duality of perceiver and perceived,

We rest in the all-pervading space of equality.

This is beyond any assertions, such as ‘is’ or ‘is not’.

And, within this inexpressible state of true and natural rest,

An experience dawns that is free from the slightest trace of doubt.”

Wow 😯

Reply4dEdited

André A. Pais

Yes, I love that text. Stian too.

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André A. Pais

The translation to portuguese in that website is actually mine. 😉

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Yin Ling

André A. Pais wowweew

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Yin Ling

https://www.facebook.com/yin.l.chok/posts/pfbid0diwZVXH24hqhuKnMZiwy94vBoDfH4vvDiYCoeqqhnwN4sqQGR58QgjF2DUrUgFGal?__cft__[0]=AZWvd2cm_z_dfmZWH638VNzh4ztr5aQqTajLldOOLG3H5LIiLTF-o1GUBLHRTuca49m49zacSttxnSzEjKBkFVGxWCdXMCunpYNbzBLuo9VIKI26YDd0oT812QHP0CG-XJXeKsDLylM-R-3giEHOg1bxJgjM4BsqDWS-QX-6q4cMHAIJWKhTqymji1hoYd6DVrlKG607M4FiECqS-voiUZfV&__tn__=%2CO%2CP-R

Love this. Feel into everything fully. Until u lose yourself and there’s only the sensation. Breeze, breath, scenery, music, take a lot of time to feel it one by one. 

After anatta insight, the filter will be gone and this is the default mode of perception. U will perceive the world in a completely different way, and u realise before this u were standing really really far away. 

With this practice and with anatta, u completely open up and feel others pains like yours, so compassion is quite natural. I meditate in the evening to release all the pain I have taken upon, it’s quite heavy. 

If u want insight, u have to jump into the world, not standing far and see, not be witnessing awareness. Put some skin in the game, feel the world. Feel it thoroughly, the world is anatta, no separate self as you; there’s just the world, and the world is all you.

something sweet, can you taste

it so directly that there's no

0:15 / 4:55

Simply Always Awake

[Soh: Click on following link to view video:

https://www.facebook.com/Simply.Always.Awake/posts/pfbid02retMk29DkCrPWcwcijz3vTaYCAVvgMRnP1hCdEmTwgxDufWJgtsRVHTqqFs46RuKl?__cft__[0]=AZWvd2cm_z_dfmZWH638VNzh4ztr5aQqTajLldOOLG3H5LIiLTF-o1GUBLHRTuca49m49zacSttxnSzEjKBkFVGxWCdXMCunpYNbzBLuo9VIKI26YDd0oT812QHP0CG-XJXeKsDLylM-R-3giEHOg1bxJgjM4BsqDWS-QX-6q4cMHAIJWKhTqymji1hoYd6DVrlKG607M4FiECqS-voiUZfV&__tn__=%2CO%2CP-y-R

Yummy

3 Comments

Tan Jui Horng

What does the evening meditation involve?

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Yin Ling

Tan Jui Horng nothing special really. I just calm my mind with Shamatha and then release all the reverberating stories into space, see its emptiness clearly and don’t hang on.

Coz in the day to day business of medicine and a world that sees solidity and permanence, the stories can be so intense and I have to play along. 😂Mental health patients drain me especially much, the self is super super strong is them.

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Tan Jui Horng

Yeah working with people who are suffering mentally is terrible.

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Yin Ling

Many practitioners encounter this including myself, especially during insight breakthroughs. A dharma friend kindly send me Damo’s energy video few months ago to help w my energy, it has helped a lot when things are bad. 
Eventually insight of emptiness greatly alleviate my energy imbalances thanks to the kind help from more advanced practitioner. 
Hope this helps those who are looking for help as I know the resources out there is not great
Damo Mitchell - Lotus Nei Gong


The entire 8-Part 'Qigong Deviations & Sickness' course is now available on our Youtube channel. You can find it by following the link here to the introductory clip and then further links are provided under each video.
It IS a long course, I am aware of that. Instead of trying to cut it down to soundbites and strip stuff out, the decision was not to worry about its length and so simply take as long as it took to cover the various errors that can occur in internal work in as comprehensive a manner as possible. 
My hope is that this course will help some people out there living with symptoms caused by inner practice to develop some awareness of how it may have been caused and how to help alleviate their discomfort.
Intro to 'Qi Gong Sickness' Course
YOUTUBE.COM
Intro to 'Qi Gong Sickness' Course
Just a quick introduction by Damo to the 'Qi Gong Deviation' course which we are uploading now to this Youtube channel. This is an eight-part, 15 hour (appro...
2 Comments
Jason Lee
Yin Ling, can you please share, when you say "energy imbalances" , what are the 'symptoms' like? and you said "when things are bad" , what sort of things? and how's bad like ?
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Yin Ling
Jason Lee personally for myself I have a lot of energy releases, which sometimes goes up in the head and got stuck there causing a lot of headache and nausea sometimes. It’s very uncomfortable. Even paracetamol don’t help.
Sometimes it causes insomnia and fitful sleeps. Body aches occasionally. Sometimes I get very imbalance when the energy movement gets too strong. Just a general unwell feeling.
Some ppl do complain of hallucinations .. that’s quite bad. I don’t experience that thankfully.
Qi gong and meditation practises often releases a lot of Qi, especially insight practises. I somehow think it’s related to the seeing of partial emptiness, still holding solidity somewhere and emptiness somewhere and energy got stuck here and there.
Hence the need to bring the energy down into the body, the Dan tian, and Taoism knows this very well. Tibetan have their Tibetan yoga to try to circulate and even out energy. Zen have similar body practises.
Nowadays I just practice yoga and exercise to even out energy.. not bothersome anymore but now and then with work and life pressure I still experience it.
I slowly understand how crucial the health of the body is for further progress in the dharma because when energy is stuck the insight is really murky. Can’t release. Very tight. Vast mind nature cannot be experienced and cannot informed practice. I think this is a direction ppl tend to go to when they practice to a certain extent and hit a ceiling haha but all these are my own personal opinion 😛😁
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Yin Ling
https://www.facebook.com/yin.l.chok/posts/pfbid0fSkywXTvkgQXqmHY76EQhbFMsiM9ioqQKApguiNxw33LPasxmbKXbALz3vqHYj7vl?__cft__[0]=AZWPoYyBxuD06atmQT8xvWshuHKCKjHiRaMLdfaQWnA55X7TRdgKM8lTvQkZdQiWs5MIW7vKuX64h7oLogXCmWbrw0YnJ0UevcGPNBtj5t4nbWImxBs7Q-wpY84AVsQ3R4DNZgSER2H8abWp8xKm6KJQ&__tn__=%2CO%2CP-R
Contemplated on emptiness, dependent arising and functionality (during some medical lecture.. it's terrible I know) , then write a bit, writing works for me when I want to clarify insight, so I shall share part of it here. 
***
Our ordinary deluded mind and logic thinks - things are solid and separated, that is why they can affect each other, because they have an essence. We feel we need things to have an essence to be significant enough to cause a ripple, an effect. A solid separated independent car could hit a solid separated independent person.. so on. 
Then with some blessing we started questioning, and we feel like we shouldn’t take it for granted and analyse carefully.
Seed producing sprout.
Car hitting human.
Cloud causing rain.
Parents give birth to child.
Things get weirder with analysis. There’s this weird feeling of how magical/weird/unfathomable that a sperm and an egg produce a grown human. Mother often says “I can’t believe I made this giant!” .
Yes. It is truly mind blowing. How? Where was he before? Where was the whole form before? Definitely not hidden in the sperm, the egg, nor from out of no where, nor both?!
Then we realise whatever we are experiencing is not in line with our old logic. 
1+1 doesn’t match up. 
Something is not right. 
Our fundamental line of thought is not quite right.
If one read the middle way doctrine, slowly we come to understand, the only way for all these cause and effect, for us to eat food and metabolise it, a car to knock down a person, for karma to happen, for change to happen, for the Queen to get old and sick, only can happen because every ‘thing’ is essenceless, illusory, empty. 
Because if it is solid and real, it won’t change. A person cannot grow up or learn new things. He is solidified. He has a solid self. A car cannot hit a person. They both have solid self and couldn’t cause harm to each other. A sprout won’t grow from a seed as solid and real things cannot be altered let alone grow into a massive tree and produce apples!
We realise our whole fundamental logic perceiving the world is quite illogical now. Just using simple logic. 
Then we try taking on the doctrine of emptiness.
Emptiness says ‘things’ must not have an essence for us to have all these experiences. Tree grows, baby gets born, Yinling eating rice and metabolise it everyday etc…
That solidity we impute onto the world is a flaw. Now we know if there is emptiness, if ‘things’ are essenceless, then yes, everything now make more sense, everything is possible, miracles, cause and effect, consequences, changes… etc. 
And how can things be essence-less? 
The Buddha taught dependent origination. 
Anything that dependently originates does not truly arise. Anything that dependently originates is Essence-less. Self-less-ness. No Self. Anatta. The ‘world’ is an anatta world. No self anywhere. The world is essence-less. 
Like a rainbow. Sun, rain, light, moisture, eye consciousness, mind etc comes together and a rainbow arises, essence-less. You see it, but it’s not there. Cannot be grasped. 
Extend the rainbow insight to every ‘thing’ in the world … this is the doctrine of DO and emptiness. 
Karma works, everything can happen, the car can hit you, trees can grow, in essencelessness, emptiness, because of DO. 
The teachings ties together beautifully. No nihilism, No eternalism. Middle way. 
You probably think I am crazy if you read to here. Haha.
It’s ok. Even with the blessed one wisdom he doesn’t feel like he could teach.. let alone some ramblings to explain!



Yin Ling shared a memory.
 
I wrote this a year ago from personal xp. A year down the road, with more practise, I further understnd 
7) thoughts are from self-clinging. Now they serve as an warning bell for me that’s there’s some self clinging going on. There’s no thoughts if I am in equipoise. 
😎 insight of no-self will severe a lot of noise in the head, because u r not identified with ur body anymore. 
It feels like someone shut the broken radio. 
9) more importantly than the absence of thoughts, it is the relationship to thoughts. Thoughts are not a problem, they are dependently originated, floating in air, with no owner, appear because of conditions, completely empty. If u see that, u will never be burdened be thoughts. 
10) a lot of human suffering come from the noise in the head, not physical. I sit in my clinic seeing ppl with horrible relationships with thoughts.. they push and pull and mess with their thoughts, taken it to be real, and wanting me to validate its realness. I feel very bad for them, because i know how it feels like.

1 Year Ago
See your memories

Yin Ling

Tips to reduce thoughts in meditation. 
This was my biggest problem when I first started meditating and I sought advice from so many people who are more advanced than me. Amongst the things that work for me is : 
1) see thoughts, label and and “step over” it in your mind to go over to the space beyond thoughts. 
2) go to the source where it springs out. Look closely, ask, “come on, anymore to say?” 
Mind will go silent 😂
3) know that thoughts are what you already know. There is nothing new with thoughts and they can never be something that you don’t know. Don’t be fascinated with it. Sometimes I go “duh boringggg… how many times you want to come?” and step over. 
4) remember whenever you see a thought, you see the Buddha- this was told to me by an advanced meditator. 
So I tried label “Buddha” when thoughts come 😂it works for me. Buddha is your clear light of awareness. If you are not entangled in thought world, you are aware, you see Buddha. 
5) positive reinforcement. 
Don’t beat yourself up when you got carried away, it will happen for a long time before your awareness is powerful enough and it will come a point where thought doesn’t pull you away at all. 
6) practise 
But practise is key. With practise, you will see many layers of thoughts, a thought judging another thought judging another thought, an “I” thought. 
My experience is there cannot be no thoughts. It is always there. The importnst thing is to be able to see it as one and not get carried away. At advanced level you can detect preverbal, not well formed thoughts, before it arises in the mind. There will be something stirring and you catch it and it never form a full formed thought. 
I told my partner I’m playing a alien shooting game like him everyday. I just became very good at it like he does with his console. 😂
5 Comments
Yasmin El-Hakim
precious 🙏❤️
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Yin Ling
Yasmin El-Hakim thanksb
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KeanLiang Lim
Thanks. You made it so plain, simple and helpful 🙏
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Yin Ling
Kl Lim welcome. This was what was helpful to me.. from self experimenting😂
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Esther Okay
Great and thanks you very much, Yin Ling, I have learned a lot from your sharings.
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Yin Ling
I’m the nature of mind, and 
1) the mind is self-knowing (put me in strong non duality) 
2)The mind is vast 
3) The mind is like a hallucination (appearing yet empty of existence) 
*hallucination works well for me coz I’m a medical dr, who sees hallucination and its effect a lot. Rainbow, or echo, or watermoon might work for others.. 
Then I am in clear right view, and I keep myself there for as long as I can in formal sitting meditations and let the momentum seep into post-meditation. 
When right view is not clear, I tell myself again, so this happens many times a day . I also take time after each patient to reset about 10 seconds. 
Meditation is Hard work, but when delusion is so deep from eons, it’s the only thing that it’s effective, do you have a better way?
15 Comments
Sredharan Ramakrishna
That which does not know, that appears hard insurmountable. That which knows, know means self evident , revealed and not a mystery. Again we come from different traditions, the effulgent TRUTH see no such divide.
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Yin Ling
Sredharan Ramakrishna
Yes truth sees no divide. Hence mind is non dual and empty.
It’s only whether we actually live in truth constantly.
The mere fact of us being human is that we have come back to samsara because of ignorance, it is the 12 links of DO in Buddhism.
That mere fact that we have a body.. means we better practise .. hard.
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Yasmin El-Hakim
🙏❤️
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William Lim
Thanks for the prescription doc!
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Yin Ling
William Lim description not prescription , as u always say!!
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Jachym Jerie
Love it. One thing I noticed in your posts is the emphasis on hard work. As someone who has worked as a hypnotist and coaches people for a living, I'm sensitive to the way people use words.
They often skew our views and how we engage with things greatly.
For me personally, it was very beneficial to drop the notion of hard work and instead use positive reinforcement through appreciation. Any shift in the right direction, even if it's tiny I appreciate. It helps tremendously to build momentum. This practice came about by it being pointed out by my teacher. I probably would have kept going pushing too hard with little results. 😅
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Yin Ling
Jachym Jerie my classic Asian genes and conditioning 🤣🤣
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Jachym Jerie
It does seem to be quite prevalent in the Asian culture, but it happens everywhere. Anyways, I really can recommend trying positive reinforcement loops. They totally changed things for me.
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Yin Ling
Jachym Jerie agree. Positive reinforcement is wonderful. It does no help whatsoever to talk yourself down.
But I’m the kind of person that cannot positively reinforce myself if I hadn’t give my best. I will feel very lousy 😂 it doesn’t work for me.
But then again I have demanded a lot from myself since very young and that is probably why my writings come across Damn intense 😂
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Jachym Jerie
Luckily these things can be changed. 😉 Anyways, I enjoy your posts. I'm a rather intense person myself so I resonate with it.
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Tyler Jones
"It’s the only thing that it’s effective, do you have a better way?"
Can't speak from personal experience on this, but I can repeat what I have heard others say, in the spirit of Wei Yu's recent exhortation to me to encourage others to total liberation. The paths that claim to be the "fast path" to total liberation always have some notion of energetic practice, saying that the karmic imprints that must be exhausted to reach total liberation are stored within the energy body, and the state of awakened consciousness must be integrated down into the very physical body for total liberation. Daoists add an additional detail that qi is the catalyst for all change, so to deeply change the entire being, one needs lots of qi.
Another interesting point on total liberation is the use of jhana states, even after awakening. This isn't so easy to get information on, many who have some type of non-dual realization are quick to be dismissive of jhana as merely prerequisite practice to insight. But I saw an interview with an extraordinary practitioner who did a personal retreat for a year in which she was practicing treckchod, tummo, dream yoga, and metta essentially 24/7, and had stable nondual realization and kundalini awakening, then afterward went and studied jhana with Pa Auk Sayadaw. She said spending long periods of time in formless jhanas had a purifying and rewiring effect on her mind that was greater than her non-dual realization, a very striking claim indeed. I personally speculate that many esoteric Dzogchen methods are ways to do the same work as these deep jhana states through a different mechanism.
May your dharma aspirations be fulfilled!
Reply1wEdited
Yin Ling
Tyler Jones thanks for wiriting!
I actually agree v much to both points though I don’t have a clear way how everything works haha
Intuitively I have took a turn back to polishing up the concentration and it has been helpful so I will keep doing that..
And yes the body needs to be stretched like the mind too.
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Aditya Prasad
Tyler Jones Do you know where we can find this interview? I would really love to watch it!
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Tyler Jones
Aditya Prasad this one:
https://youtu.be/Z9gr7aqGsOw
Ep22: Jhana Master - Tina Rasmussen Ph.D
YOUTUBE.COM
Ep22: Jhana Master - Tina Rasmussen Ph.D
Ep22: Jhana Master - Tina Rasmussen Ph.D
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Aditya Prasad
Tyler Jones Thanks for sharing that! I really like her Dzogchen in 5 steps:
1. Bodhicitta
2. Shamatha with an object
3. Shamatha without an object, and without identification with contents (she calls this vipassana).
4. Noticing the effortlessness (non-doing) of this practice.
5. Turning attention back on itself to realize the absence of an agent.
Reply1w




One day I will get sued for copyright infringement. 😅
But this is very very important few pages on the non dualism in Buddhism elucidating the nature of mind and it’s very hard to find such clear and simple description. Read CAREFULLY sentence by sentence. 
Most of buddhism and advaita teachings stop at page 2, which is awareness teaching, even teachings from some monastic, sadly. One must be able to tell the difference between page 2 and page 3 - it is a whole world of difference. 
Page 2 is like ultimate Brahman, page 3 is Buddhism no self, anatta. If u cannot tell apart, u must read and contemplate until u understand coz the whole fundamentals of Buddhism lies here. If u miss the mark u turn 180•.. finish, lol
Tenzin palmo brilliant words. Great practitioner.
17 Comments
Sarah Zulaikha Samad
Yes lol.
My editor friend would kill u. That's why I only share very little from books
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Daniel Lester
What is the name of that book thank you for that review. Now I want to buy that book  🙏🏼
Reply1wEdited
Yin Ling
Daniel Lester Ahahahah thanks u gave me some redemption for infringement .. it’s jetsunma tenzin palmo heroic heart, her new book. Got it from Amazon.
I like it coz she teaches from her xp. Very intimate .
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Daniel Lester
Yin Ling ah the one who wrote cave in the snow yes? Thanks, nothing wrong with snippets of books  and written reviews in my book. It’s not plagiarism as long as you state the source and name of author 👍
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Yin Ling
Daniel Lester yep that’s it 🙂
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Daniel Lester
Yin Ling yes i like her writing style too, direct intimate & no fluff.
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Yin Ling
Daniel Lester yes the way she teach is super direct for someone from a Tibetan lineage
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Yasmin El-Hakim
precious 🙏❤️
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Tony Taylor
This is excellent. Don’t worry about infringement. I’ve bought at least half of the books you mentioned based on you’re sharing so if you get sued I’ll be a witness in trial 😂
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Yin Ling
Tony Taylor thank you for the solidarity haha.
I try to not do it too much, but when sthg helpful and profound comes up, I risk my own karma 🤣
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Jason Lee
I think you are paid by publishers to "show" previews lah. 😂
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Yin Ling
Jason Lee I wish lah then I wouldn’t be so broke 😂 my ambition was to be a book reviewer so that I get free books to read 🤣
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Jason Lee
Yin Ling the non-halal way to be less broke, pdfdrive.com . Halal way try applying w publishers lah. Not that hard kuaaaa 😬😬
PDF Drive - Search and download PDF files for free.
PDFDRIVE.COM
PDF Drive - Search and download PDF files for free.
PDF Drive - Search and download PDF files for free.
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Yin Ling
Jason Lee thanks!
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Tan Jui Horng
Actually I did think it'll be nice if you would do something like the Maria Popova lady that Tim Ferriss mentions and interviews from time to time. Then people can dana you for the effort to keep the site going 😃 .
Reply1wEdited
Yin Ling
Tan Jui Horng oh no that’s too much work 🙈 hahaha.
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Aditya Prasad
It looks like the whole thing is published almost verbatim on her site (starting on page 4) here: https://tenzinpalmo.com/gatsal/GatsalTeaching37-English.pdf
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Yin Ling

https://www.facebook.com/yin.l.chok/posts/pfbid04YssEvMe3pGFU6FfbAZXzQ8a4NySSpE5N6bazHhJhpe7YYrtL9Q7aviRcdgg5w2Pl?__cft__[0]=AZVq6Rad7zvg0KWalXGuPJpPpNL9edXG-VDykt3GiVkiJ7ToQc7PmQSmhzB4OZlzIoOHYdbDIM1rNU-JjTJRG1ch9PlVf5akYhPc6c3OWstgp8mSwBASLbeO9Qetwz-blrH_u5rqt2sTbg3xeejDJxY4&__tn__=%2CO%2CP-R


For Buddhists or any wisdom tradition, To really cultivate and get insights into the nature of reality, it is crucial to actually step away from the bustling of society for a period of time, calm down one’s mind, and contemplate hard. Very very hard. 

Everything need to quiet down for a bit. Outside Volume needs to be turned down before the wisdom can be heard. 

The right view needs to be forefront of a person’s life for a period of time to have some insights/realization . 

Like holding “Mu”. 

Then there will be fruition. 

Yes it can be done while meddling with society , but only for very high caliber ppl. For most ppl, It is hard, almost impossible, very rare. 

I went through a very quiet and intensive 2 years meditating and contemplating 6-8 hours a day to only touch the surface, so I cannot tell ppl they will get insights when washing dishes or sweeping floors. Or at work(erm). 

It’s a lifetime work to wake up. 

One even need to change their jobs for it. Or lifestyle. 

It’s hard it have to all, really. 

If ur life is just busy3, tbh, it is almost impossible for insights. U might die without any, and human life is gone. 

Just some honest stuff from nobody 😂

16 Comments

Tai Zee Kin

  · 

People thought the Vinaya and Sangha was a result of decision made to go forth.

what you wrote, corroborated with what Ive been believing all these while - the Sangha and its observation of Vinaya rules, is to volumne down all distraction.

A traditional Vihara/Monastery is built to accomodate good meditation environment. And the conduct of a Bikkhu is to mitigate/reduce/abate distractions.

Reply2w

Yin Ling

Tai Zee Kin yeah. Just look at The buddhas life. He protrayed 6 years of isolation, despite his caliber. 6 intense years of sitting quietly in contemplation.

I believe historical Buddha is a nirmanakaya, nonetheless, the message is quite clear.

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Jayson MPaul

It is possible. You just need to be very very determined. I did it without retreat by practicing every moment I was awake. In fact if you turn your entire life into lifelong retreat, always practicing you can do a lot. Nothing happened until I made it the most important thing in my life tho. You need to want it more than living to be successful with this method as far as I can tell

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Yin Ling

Jayson MPaul jayson.. u r high caliber u know 😉

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Jayson MPaul

Yin Ling I always thought of myself as the lowest caliber. I couldn't stay on focus for anything when I started. Then I realized it was not about staying focused and more about noticing all the little shifts while everything was going on 🙂

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Yasmin El-Hakim

I can’t step away from society 😕

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Yin Ling

Yasmin El-Hakim we do our best ! This post is just to talk about the work involved.

Ppl sometimes don’t realise this simple insight thing takes a lot of work and commitment. Like bringing up a child. Hard work.

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Oskar Melkeraaen Aas

Yasmin El-Hakim l was really inspired when l read about Yuthok nyithig, which is a lineage that was designed particularly for doctors (like Ling Yin :)) who cant step away from society, but potentially are in a position of needed deep boddhicitta in their work. The lineage is really different in terms of preliminaries both in length (just one week intensive) and the uncommon preliminaries which is volentar work !:) ! Yuthok achived rainbow body and so they say did his wife and dog!

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Yin Ling

Oskar Melkeraaen Aas wow I have never heard of this? Will check it out thanks. But tbh I’m actually less busy than any one in business. Less mentally draining I should say.

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Oskar Melkeraaen Aas

Yin Ling I think I read about this style in Dr. Nidas book mirror somethin something.. but in general this is how it goes.

They have one set of prelimiz which includes everything, I have the transmission and did it few times and its rocket hardcore, guru yoga + many other things, has it all.

Then you are meant to do it at least one week a year I think in retreat. There probably are other takes as well and people doing longer retreats etc.. but I really adore this style.

Also in Amrita Mandala, previously Pemako, we are just lay people and the teachings are tailor made for us, very high emphasis on blessing power and regular retreats (which I am doing this weekend hehe). Love that you are a doctor, though not that busy 😊😅

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Yasmin El-Hakim

Yin Ling absolutely, it needs concentration and always reminding oneself.

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Yasmin El-Hakim

Oskar Melkeraaen Aas I’ll check this out. Thank you 🙏

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Yin Ling

Oskar Melkeraaen Aas thank you I will have a look 🙂

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Yasmin El-Hakim

Oskar Melkeraaen Aas found the book mirror of light on Amazon and Dr Nida Chenagtsang on Facebook.

Thank you 🙂

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Oskar Melkeraaen Aas

Yasmin El-Hakim jupp, thats the one.

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Stian Gudmundsen Høiland

> I can’t step away from society.

Then do tantra. Seriously. I think doing only sutra-based practices outside of their intended context can be seriously detrimental to your ability to realize the teachings. Don’t do that to yourself.

I *highly* recommend the Karmamudra book by dr. Nida in Yuthok’s lineage for some powerful reorientation towards tantra.

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Yin Ling https://www.facebook.com/yin.l.chok/posts/pfbid0352qKjbQigomio79vMu1HMxebA5PSHNWeEjUCLqffrhjUQQMgsQUJP5YpCU4E5cr9l?__cft__[0]=AZVCcyptgSmWSvJNjyN5Tf37TEcwH-SSkfgYigJq0Soay9DpBTxgonHwGznrAVI2y155p53opKubdW2DHLRI4-MqQcLpyh_caZU4VXPaNoPEw7m5HDu15BUGZ8JhUHxKXqfQsyFV1LWxx_7FqS7yiL123ON1mkfqdAYphWzFX0TdrZpRWIGTAWervgZbbPfKGQKb34CPw6uXu5LyF8Vy39fZ&__tn__=%2CO%2CP-R

Beautiful and profound description of anatta (no self) and emptiness. Dogen is one of the very best ❤️

If one wants to have insights into the nature of reality , it is beneficial to step away from society for awhile, calm the mind, learn the view and go into quiet contemplation and meditation for a period of time... months to years. Then insight as below can be realized and embodied. Otherwise it will be very hard.. almost impossible unless u r gifted from prev lives. It’s an important job to do before one dies. But u can do anything with your life.

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Zen Master Kusan Sunim

To penetrate the buddha way is to penetrate yourself. 

To penetrate yourself is to forget yourself. 

To forget yourself is to be actualized by myriad things.

To be actualized by myriad things is the dropping away of your body and mind as well as the bodies and minds of others. No trace of realization remains, and this no-trace-realization continues endlessly.

To learn what the path to Buddhahood is - is to learn what the True Self is. To learn what the True Self is - is to forget about the self. To forget about the self is to become one with the whole universe. To become one with the whole universe is to be shed of ‘my body and mind’ and ‘their bodies and minds’.

- Dogen Zenji



15You, John Tan, Tony Taylor and 12 others

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Mark Scorelle

What I found...years ago I had a great meditation approach, get up at 5am and go right to the cushion, mediate into the dawn. Do japa or mantra helps to stay awake. Advantage is your body is totally relaxed and your brain is half dead. I found I had to stop because of work. I was too happy. You don't get paid to be happy. And I almost killed one of my clients (a nursing home patient I was taking to the hospital. I didn't realize how weak he was and as he was getting out of the car both his legs broke and he crumpled under the wheel-well.) That was the end of it. What I found is that there is a low frequency of the mind that is constantly churning stuffover. The Bass notes, the background drone. If you can get it onto a question, what is Enlightenment?, what is Unity Consciousness?, what is Anatta? it will eventually bring an insight. Its like the creative process in a art project. Spend time collecting the thoughts, examples, readings etc keeping it loose, then at some point that will mature into an insight. Become a supersaturated solution that just needs one dust mote to crystalize an insight or revelation. It helps to see teachers and holy men because sometimes that will trigger it. My 2 cents. Love Dogen!

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Daniel Lester

I have to say the most profound insights or changes in perception for me came about on retreats. And for others i know it was often on an intense retreat.

I dont think its necessary to be a recluse or monastic and spend years in that dogmatic environment. I do think its important to plan ones year around multiple intense retreats. 7-10 day retreats minimum. At least 2 times per year with a good home practice and direction & mentor. Ive seen great results from this, moreso sometimes than monks who dedicate 20 years living in a monastery but still only meditate an hour daily then spend the rest of their days in ritualistic dogma and temple drama.


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Yin Ling https://www.facebook.com/yin.l.chok/posts/pfbid0cw5CiQHg9WjvWMXCr4QdmLgD74DPv1rUSSsr6HjTTi178zZ6nXhb5xNXu8p7o3P1l?__cft__[0]=AZVGI6cnWrWAMDhPxokaLINsdZUkwmMU3agXUoQt9z-WrarPIngUIJXBVfIs1iocWPS5g7VvbnHr0Li8LW3P1mwnY_bUfaBkB50hw_yCsvoyBk_WDqxaEt-i_i2BSi020oYx1iWJSy-hl6m7M21OgabLijrQEAITmqcQolOBSbBErHUylavPp12ThqP4Yr4Ga5tKj_gchtmDcM90QMLsveWM&__tn__=%2CO%2CP-R


Very precious advice for practice. 

I do mine early in the day, for 3.5 hours before work 

Because I’m just too sleepy at night 😂😅

0:15 / 3:36

Jetsunma Tenzin Palmo 

Setrsopdon


Jetsunma gives us some advice about setting up a practice which becomes the pillar for our daily life.

Excerpt from the previous Q&A session with Jetsunma.



7J.P. Hamilton, Mark Scorelle and 5 others

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Jason Lee

Ya man, struggle at night after a long day at work 😭


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Yasmin El-Hakim

Yeah, I guess that’s what I’ll do from tomorrow morning.

Get up one hour earlier and meditate ❤️


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J.P. Hamilton

You sit in one big chunk like that? Wow. I do 3 or 4 sits for 1 hour each, but I would like to do it all at once like that.


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Yin Ling

J.P. Hamilton haha actually no,don’t have that capability! I read, contemplate, and meditate in the morning, then do some yoga to release energy. Take awhile to do everything.

Sitting only was for an hour in the morning but am gonna increase it because I’m always so tired in the evening after long day at work that I fall asleep in meditation (from sitting to lying, from breathing to snoring🤦🏻‍♀️) rather than becoming more awake 😒😒

I will probably practise more in the morning and read at night then.. we shall see 😂

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J.P. Hamilton

Yin Ling Hearing that you fall asleep in meditation brings me great comfort 😂 I did that this morning and was telling myself "what an amateur move" haha. I like your routine. It sounds very nice. You ever try Qi Gong...this is good stuff too.

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Yin Ling

J.P. Hamilton all the time 😂 still trying to find my footsteps balancing not being fired from work and not being too tightly trapped in samsara😂tough job.

I haven’t properly try qi gong but heard it’s good. Gonna try to get yoga into routine for the next few months( i keep falling on and off routine it’s getting lame 🤦🏻‍♀️) and see if that’s sthg I could try thank you


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Daniel Lester

I was experimenting with hatha yoga & qigong earlier this year whilst on retreat. Im not very good at either but after a few weeks its amazing how quick the benefits accumulated. I found a good qigong channel on YouTube  to get you started. https://youtu.be/y2RAEnWreoE

Shaolin Qigong 15 Minute Daily Routine

YOUTUBE.COM

Shaolin Qigong 15 Minute Daily Routine

Shaolin Qigong 15 Minute Daily Routine

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Yin Ling

Take the 4 thoughts seriously - it’s a powerful practise. I always think I’m so extremely fortunate.
I am highly educated as a female, have above average intelligence, have a fit healthy body with zero pain, born to very loving parents, to be given a boddhisatva job to practise compassion, hear the dharma since very young, have the blessings to understand, have the blessings to want to practice,blessed with teachers and peers who are enlightened and can teach me, meaning my past lives forms has done serious work for many lifetimes and the baton has been passed on to this form this life, I cannot piss on all these good karma, and this life becomes very very crucial for the long path ahead. With that thought carry throughout the day, I don’t take the piss and practise hard. Any time wasted will not sit well with me because to me this is just samsara. I don’t want to be arranging deck chairs on a sinking titanic. I will die, and I don’t need to leave a legacy in a dream 😂😝
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“TODAY I HAVE A FORTUNATE OPPORTUNITY…”
No one will make you meditate, no one requires you to cultivate deep spiritual happiness, no one can insist that you become aware. Meditation practice is not a prescription, obligation, or punishment. In the absence of authoritarian requirements, we must each discover for ourselves the tender discipline that sustains us. Spiritual discipline is a precious resource for maintaining a practice, even when it feels dry, tedious, and difficult. We need effort to progress on this path. Only after all need for effort ceases are we entitled to make the ancient declaration of enlightenment: "What had to be done has been done.
It can be helpful to write out your intentions for practice.
What is your highest purpose? Focus on your deepest aspirations for yourself and all beings. This can serve to inspire you when progress appears slow. Knowing your intentions can keep you going even when you are tired, bored, or busy. Try to use language that resonates for you personally; write it to inspire yourself; and then use it to remind yourself of your deepest aspirations.
I wrote out my intention at the start of one personal retreat. When the meditation became difficult, when my body throbbed with aches and pains, when I wanted to take a nap, lose myself in fantasy, or distract myself with books, I would recite it, encouraging myself to realign with my deeper values. Since I am greatly inspired by the early discourses of the Buddha, I included some lines that refer to his teachings. I share it as an example, but please compose one that is meaningful to you.
Today I have a fortunate opportunity, not easily come by, supported by the sacrifice, trust, and generosity of many benefactors.
Let me not waste this precious chance to free the mind from habitual obstructions, to unclog the conditioned tendencies of judging, selfing, craving, and distraction.
May my practice this day be energetic and bright, earnest, steadfast in the face of any difficulty.
Concentrated, focused, unwavering.
Happily, I apply myself with vigor,
Until this mind is utterly freed
Beyond the range of grasping,
Having willingly done,
What needs to be done.
- Sheila Catherine, 'Focussed and Fearless'
You, Oskar Melkeraaen Aas, Tan Jui Horng and 16 others
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"Habituated lightning speed contraction generate the illusion that there is self/another, objects and externality. But just like in a dream, there isn’t. "
"With some familiarity, awareness will come prefer itself over external object. Because this practice reveal there is no external, there is no object, there is just awareness. Hence awareness of awareness. Mind only. "
"mind is perceiving itself. Precisely like when we die, and we don't have any body to refer back to."
Tony Taylor, Ken Nishiyama and 3 others
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