Also see: Vajrasattva

From a thread last year: Facebook Post

Soh Wei Yu

On the importance of merits, something I wrote before like a decade ago:

"I remember years ago Thusness would have me explain the dharma to people from various forums. One time many years ago I thought it would be better if Thusness explained by himself to the others, so I told Thusness why don't you post yourself or something like that. Thusness suddenly appeared serious (he seldom talk in this tone) and asked me so are you going to do this or not? Then he told me the reason (not exact words now but along this line) he had me to do this was because I was lacking in merits to gain enlightenment. And then he said something like... you think I'm joking? Suddenly at that moment I realized why he was always taking the trouble and instructing me to do all those things... when he could have done it himself.

Not long later I had a meditation experience... he informed me it is due to my merits ripening due to a particular instance of explaining the dharma to someone some time ago. He informed me there is a direct causal relation. When asked how does he know that merits is important for experience and realization, he simply says this is his experience. He says it may not make a lot of sense to a dualistic mind, but this is how it (dependent origination) works.

Today he no longer makes me explain this and that to others, since I am in a much better position to explain myself based on my insight and experience. But even today he said one of the reasons that contributed to my quick progression of insight is the merits accrued by actively participating in Dharma discussions... apart from the practice and establishment of right view."

Even my breakthrough last year was the result of my actively engaging in contemplating and writing the AtR guide. It is all intimately connected.

---

January 2007

Marc Teng posted:

Kamma being a form of energy is not found anywhere in this fleeting consciousness or body. Just as mangoes are not stored anywhere in the mango tree but, dependent on certain conditions, they spring into being, so does kamma. Kamma is like wind or fire. It is not stored up anywhere in the Universe but comes into being under certain conditions.

John Tan replied:

This is very well said. This is Emptiness. This is Buddhism.

---

Conversation — 10 December 2012

Soh Wei Yu: Kyle Dixon said, "Merit was something that I sort of passed off as a made up thing (like sin etc..) for a long time but I'm starting to see how that applies with ones intentions and that compassionate resonance."

"Interesting.. My mentor hammers on merit so much and I used to just think he was being dogmatic but I see that it's a viable and legitimate facet of experience. I've just recently been starting to really focus on that and have been wanting to get back to doing more group practices like I used to... I noticed that when I was doing ganapujas regularly at the local practice center I was having far more peak insights and I never made that correlation til this last month. So interesting that it comes up here with you I feel that's no coincidence My mentor just said last week 'Get your ass to the ganapujas I don't want you missing any more of them' ...he dedicates his merit everytime he does anything (especially before eating/drinking and after practice) and was really stressing that I do the same."

John: What Kyle said is important. You told him about merit?

P.S. Nowadays I share dharma not because I want to "cultivate merits" but out of genuine compassion for others. When you wake up, you can't help but want others to wake up too. I'm sure many of you understand.

---

Yin Ling

Hi guys! I am curious of your views regarding new age “law of attraction”, “abraham hicks teachings” and the likes.

I understand co-creation is part of post awakening, I would like to hear your views or experiences with it if you have any?

I have been attracted to these spiritual teachings in the past month for some reason I am not really clear 😂🤷🏻‍♀️ 🙏🏻

Nafis Rahman:

Related article from the blog: Total Exertion, Omniscience, Magical...

Excerpts:

Someone held the view that through quantum physics, somehow our 'mind' is able to (somewhat magically) change the course of global events like global warming, simply through some kind of positive or more enlightened projection (reminds me of teachings like The Secret). His views are influenced by his study of quantum physics and use of psychedelics. I had a back and forth exchange with him.

There was a thread a while back that talked about manifestation as well, Soh shared a few personal experiences:

My experience with manifestation has got to do with praying to Green Tara and it has got to do with some of my personal life situations in the past which I do not want to discuss. I did not try other methods of manifestation (including new age ones like 'The Secret').

But suffice to say, I had some miraculous encounters where Green Tara's presence appeared (not visually but I could feel the presence and it spoke mentally to me) to me and informed me that my wish will be "granted" that day, and then truly it was granted that day after many months. Without that encounter I would have no idea. At the same time there was a strange pleasant smell when I felt 'her Presence', and the last time that happened was when I did Garab Dorje guru yoga for the first time in 2012 after ChNN's transmission (and my bunk mates also smelled that pleasant thing, and by the way burning incense is not allowed in army so I have no ideas how that came about).

Maybe that may sound superstitious but after that event I was convinced there is something to this promise in this sutra: The Tara Sutra

1.28

Those who want children will come to have them,

Those who seek wealth will come to have that,

Each and every wish will be fulfilled,

And obstacles, entirely vanquished, will be no more. (emphasis by Soh)

(Update by Soh: For a fuller account, see Tara and "Manifestation")

Soh Wei Yu

While not negating the power of intentionality and visualisation, one must be careful not to fall into false thinking of agents and inherency but realise the emptiness of self/Self/Agent/agency-action and penetrate into dependent origination. Means something seemingly miraculous can happen, but it must be understood as dependent origination. Even if a yogi displays a siddhi of rising up into the air (just making an example), it is immediately understood as dependent origination without agency. Even if Jesus heals your leprosy by the touch of his hands, it is understood as dependent origination without agency. This is how all phenomena are directly seen after anatta insight.

This is why it is important to make merits (see On Importance of Merits), and as Buddha said before, if you have the good karma as conditions then whatever you intend, or wish, or visualise, in the next life you will get it — whether you want to be a billionaire or be reborn as a deva, but not if you do not have these merits or good karma. So these intentions can be a condition but will not be fulfilled unless other conditions come into play.

Buddha:

"This humankind is attached to self-production

Or holds to production by another.

Those who have not understood this

Have not seen it as a dart.

But one who sees (this as it is),

Having drawn out the dart,

Does not think, 'I am the agent,'

Nor does she think, 'Another is the agent.'

This humankind is possessed by conceit,

Fettered by conceit, bound by conceit.

Speaking vindictively because of their views,

They do not go beyond samsara."

Also related:

On the disease of non-doership, John Tan said:

“Nihilistic tendencies arise when the insight of anatta is skewed towards the no-doership aspect. The happening by itself must be correctly understood. It appears that things are accomplished by doing nothing but in actual case it is things get done due to ripening of action and conditions.

So the lack of self-nature does not imply nothing needs be done or nothing can be done. That is one extreme. At the other end of extreme is the self-nature of perfect control of what one wills, one gets. Both are seen to be false. Action + conditions leads to effect.”

Kyle Dixon (2019):

“As to the specifics of your question I’m not sure, but here are a few major differences between classical “determinism” and Buddhist karmic causality:

Determinism proper necessarily involves inherently existent causes giving rise to inherently existent effects in a unilateral manner.

Karmic cause and effect in the context of the buddhadharma is only valid conventionally, and since every cause is an effect and every effect a cause, they are, in a coarse sense, bilateral in nature.

Karma can be “determined” in a certain sense, but since karma takes direction from intention, change can occur, certain results can be averted, suffering can be mitigated and ideally uprooted altogether.”

Soh Wei Yu:

I will make the same explanation if someone asks me whether a god, a guru, or a God, can exercise power over you, heal your diseases, grant your wishes, trigger your enlightenment, shower you with grace, and so on. In this case the person may be attached to the idea that a miracle may happen as the result of other-production or other-agency, whereas on the other extreme one may fall into the wrong view of self-agency or self-production. In either case it is not that something miraculous may not appear to happen, but its nature is not correctly apprehended.

For example:

---

Conversation — 30 November 2015

Soh Wei Yu: My mom told me to chant for my Uncle who had stroke. Though I did chant last time I told her my opinion is it only helps if he chant himself. Then she say don't I believe in masters being able to bless other people (加持). I told her I don't believe in these things.

John Tan: Told you to see in terms of Yin Yuan (Yin = Causes, Yuan = Conditions).

Soh Wei Yu: What you mean?

John Tan: You are only the conditions. Your mum is thinking inherent cause.

Soh Wei Yu: I see. Can you give an example? Not sure what you are trying to say.

Soh Wei Yu: Oh you mean like sickness as dependent arising and cannot be solved by inherent cause. Suddenly I was reminded of what Malcolm said a few days ago: "Meanings are invented, consensual and conventional."

As for your second sentence, it is very questionable that metaphysical naturalism is necessarily grounded in utilitarianism — I think you are making too broad a claim. For example, take this definition in which there is no species of utilitarianism mentioned:

Naturalism, in recent usage, is a species of philosophical monism according to which whatever exists or happens is natural in the sense of being susceptible to explanation through methods which, although paradigmatically exemplified in the natural sciences, are continuous from domain to domain of objects and events. Hence, naturalism is polemically defined as repudiating the view that there exists or could exist any entities which lie, in principle, beyond the scope of scientific explanation.

Buddhadharma [and Jaindharma] in this respect is also a species of metaphysical naturalism — in Buddhadharma there is no mystery precisely because "whatever exists or happens is natural" and there does not exist nor could exist "any entities which lie, in principle, beyond the scope of Dharma explanation."

In other religions however [sans philosophical Taoism and Confucism], there is a profound mystery, God, through whose agency all things are created.

Indeed, this is one of the reasons why Buddhadharma is so appealing to westerners with liberal educations. The naturalism of Buddhadharma and philosophical Taoism fit well into our already metaphysically naturalist predilections.

HH Dalai Lama exemplifies this view with his confidence that indeed science can explain confirm, and justify any and all Buddhist beliefs, but even more than that, he recommends abandoning any Buddhist tenets that are directly contradicted by scientific explanation and found to be definitely false from a scientific point of view. — Malcolm

Soh Wei Yu: So Buddhism is naturalism without agency. If someone could cause something to happen then that would contradict d.o.

Soh Wei Yu: Oh ok it's like eating is the whole conditions of biting tasting swallowing it's not that the biting cause eating etc. So you are the conditions not the cause of an effect.. Cause and effect are also conventionally designated based on conditions. Sun doesn't cause sunshine because Suns and sunshine are designated based on the conditions.

Conversation — 1 December 2015

Soh Wei Yu: This is why I no longer go Ren Cheng center. So different understandings.

John Tan: Now saying 'will not' is also not true... saying 'will' also. Both are self view. Seeing whatever arises requires right causes and conditions is then the right view. One must practice to have faith, concentration and clarity and conditions from awaken masters and sincere practitioners. Just like how is to possible to awaken someone else? If it is not possible then is buddha's teaching valuable? Is meeting Buddha in person valuable? Does meeting a skilful master that can observe conditions help? Does meeting a compassionate master help?

When you feel total exertion, you must not feel it is own power or other power...

Soh Wei Yu: I see.

John Tan: Do your insights arise without condition? By its own?

Soh Wei Yu: Arise with conditions.

John Tan: If you meet me, then it triggers an insight, is it by me or by you?

Soh Wei Yu: Neither. By conditioned arising.

John Tan: Yes. I told you the success stories right about the 3 friends few years ago. About 3 friends forming a company then becoming successful and then split, failed and come back again and fail again.

Soh Wei Yu: Can you repeat the story?

John Tan: Smack your head. 3 friends formed a company and done very well and successful. Then each thinks it is their effort. They split and formed their own companies, all failed after struggling for many years. Then they met up and came together and still fail. So is success their effort or not their effort? If it is their effort then why fail? If not their effort then is there any need to strife?

Soh Wei Yu: I see. It is by the combined effort.

John Tan: If combined effort then why they failed again when they come back together?

Soh Wei Yu: Not sure. The yuan is not there anymore.

John Tan: First you must feel the 3 individuals. You must feel them that they truly believe it is their effort. How is it like to be their effort...

Soh Wei Yu: I see. The second time they no longer believe it is their effort so they no longer strive and exert like the first time.

John Tan: That is not important. You then must feel are you thinking and having the same mindset? Is it solely self effort? Then you must see they split and they failed...they came together again...yet they failed...

Soh Wei Yu: It is neither by their effort Nor not by their effort.. Their effort is part of the conditions for success. There are other factors.

John Tan: They can't understand...feel them...puzzled... When one self view is too strong, he can't see the true picture. Even he is willing to see after those failing experiences, he still is unable to feel the conditions in an intimate way because of the deeply rooted view.

Soh Wei Yu: I see. So they fail because they can't feel the conditions in an intimate way?

John Tan: Like hearing sound in a non-dual mode...only sound and understanding as dependent origination and emptiness compared to sound is Me in non-dual.

Even if they can feel the conditions in an intimate way, it does not assure them success too...they just understand the nature of "success and failure".

Soh Wei Yu: I see.

John Tan: Because one has a very narrow view...they only see gaining in a very specific way... Like you failed but you gain other stuff. Gain and lost, profit and loss... Like life and death.

Soh Wei Yu: I see.

John Tan: Some people see death as death but some spiritual people see it as the door towards abundant life.

Soh Wei Yu: You mean afterlife?

John Tan: So first you must not see jia chi (blessing) as non important ...but to think that jia chi as having the power to effect is also incorrect. Similarly seeing self effort as the only way is also incorrect.

Soh Wei Yu: I see.

John Tan: When you first meet your grandmaster, how you feel? Or Chen Ming An?

Soh Wei Yu: I can't remember meeting Master Shen Kai because I was 2 years old. When I first met Teacher Chen when I was 13 I felt his presence was very strong.. like an aura. Don't know how to describe.

John Tan: Now you meet him?

Soh Wei Yu: The last time I met him I just feel respect for him. His practice and his vows.

John Tan: Now when you say his presence is very strong, is he affecting you or you are affecting yourself?

Soh Wei Yu: Hard to say.. neither and both?

John Tan: Or it is solely psychological or is he sending energy to you?

Soh Wei Yu: I don't think he is sending energy. His presence is just there.. his stare, expression, samadhi feeling. And being attentive to him can probably bring myself to meditative state.

John Tan: First you must understand you do not have to "interact". Or two things do not have to send anything to affect each other. Get it?

Soh Wei Yu: I see.. yeah.

John Tan: We are thinking it has to in order to effect... But it does not have to...

Soh Wei Yu: I see.

John Tan: When you think it is purely psychological, you also missed the point. We are molded to understand in a certain way ... But not by the way of "conditionality". Yin yuan suo sheng fa (dharma that arise due to causes and conditions). We are molded to understand in a certain way ... But not by the way of "conditionality".

Soh Wei Yu: Yeah I don't think he is psychological. I believe it's he was in some meditative state. Probably if Ramana Maharshi was there he might be like that. I see.

John Tan: Do you understand what I mean?

Soh Wei Yu: Yea.

John Tan: He is sending energy to the sick person...the energy actually teaches him or it is just purely psychological... We are thinking this is actually how things works or it must work that way. Get it? We are taught to understand in certain way. Just like in non-dual you truly feel everything is you but they are not you too...then the mind is confused. But we do not understand it in terms of conditionality or yin yuan.

Soh Wei Yu: I see.

John Tan: Like someone tell you psychological... When you see your teacher. But why all those feelings and sensation arise at all? Why thoughts arise at all? Or why is there sound at all? Get it? With this as condition, that arises.

Soh Wei Yu: I see.

John Tan: Don't think of explanation of psychological or sending energy here and there...let go of all these and feel as how total exertion works.

Soh Wei Yu: I see.

John Tan: Do you understand what I mean?

Soh Wei Yu: I think so.

John Tan: I going to sleep...good nite.

Soh Wei Yu: Ok good night.

Conversation — 2 December 2015

Soh Wei Yu: Yesterday I sent my mom a quote by Buddha: "Misdeeds cannot be washed away with water, the suffering of living beings cannot be removed with the hand, my realization cannot transferred to another, but by showing the true nature of things, there will be liberation.”

John Tan: Quite a good quote. You must not see yourself as an entity but purely as fa de cheng xian. Yin yuan suo sheng fa. (the manifestation of dharma, dharma arising due to causes and conditions). Then self will be eliminated, what remains is DO, emptiness and non-arising phenomena.

Soh Wei Yu: I see.

John Tan: So without causes and conditions, nothing can manifest.

Soh Wei Yu: I see. Just read this [article]. I suspect jia chi is like that. Can't say its useless but can't say it causes effect. If 30% feel that the jia chi is effective then its hard for the community to deny the effects. Even if they know it is a placebo, still 30% will experience positive effects. So if someone believes jia chi will help I'm sure they will find it helpful.

John Tan: What is jia chi? 加持? Then it depends on the master.

Soh Wei Yu: Dunno. I remember they mention the master visualise healing light or light of some sort.

John Tan: The master must of course impart right understanding and knowledge.

Soh Wei Yu: Jia chi usually the master will also put his hands on the disciple head. And probably visualise light.. not sure. Shen Kai shi fu says the student karma will pass to him and he becomes sick etc. I don't believe in transference of karma or merit as I said before and Malcolm said before. What you mean? But in the case of Teacher Chen he simply do long distance jia chi. Its almost like reiki. But reiki I think has more to do like qigong or what. What you mean then it depends on the master? How does jia chi help actually?

John Tan: No I mean the master must give right knowledge. Otherwise the master will be claiming what is not true. We must also understand that there other dimensions and negative energies that are influencing consciousnesses. This can be done with the help of the master. What Buddha said is merits, enlightenment and liberation cannot transferred. Also know what Buddha is talking about. He is talking about something much more fundamental and deeper...you are understanding the surface of the meaning.

Soh Wei Yu: I see.

John Tan: Now what cannot be given?

Soh Wei Yu: Insight cannot be given but can be shown or pointed.

John Tan: You do not know what I meant. To truly know what cannot be given...you need wisdom. That is, you must know what is most fundamental and most treasured in our human experiences. What that can be transferred and given will not precious. So you must deeply know what that is most valuable... A transformative insight for example...cannot be bought, given or transferred. You can read from books, your parents can tell you, your masters and Teachers and keep repeating and force you to meditate upon it...but there is just no realisation.

Soh Wei Yu: I see.

John Tan: Also know that some healing effect arises like dispelling negative energies and spirits or whatsoever is not transferring merits or granting enlightenment.

Soh Wei Yu: I see. I think nowadays I have somehow become deeply skeptical of supernatural. Even though I have experienced seeing ghost when I was young (Soh: I was skeptical of many supernatural explanations for various phenomena for what can be explained via simple causality, although not entirely dismissive. But nowadays I am convinced based on many examples that there are indeed many illnesses, not necessarily all, that are triggered by spiritual interference, and can even be mitigated by spiritual means or even a medium's negotiations, but I do not dwell on such areas or topics).

I mean I'm still open to the possibility of such influences but I'm skeptical. But theres an interesting article: What a Shaman Sees in A Mental Hospital

John Tan: Supernatural is true. But it is a complex issues and must be in line with science. Overclaiming is the problem. Shamanism is one area I am always studying...but always involved in plants having psychedelic content in an extreme way. I prefer yoga and meditation. Oneness experience is a daily activity to me and intensity is there due to yoga and meditation. However to involve and control, visualization and concentration is key. Non-dual is doing away with the boundaries that are artificially created by the dualistic paradigm...but to invoke and control consciousness, you need to master concentration and visualization. Modern practitioners are not strong in this area due to lack of discipline and perseverance. So seldom we see results...making claims without right and genuine knowledge is unwise and unhelpful. Interesting article but I no more see consciousness as an entity.

Soh Wei Yu: I see. Yeah dharma dan say he could visualise colours get into jhana and put out a flame via his intention and other siddhis like remember past life.

John Tan: Concentration is a mental skill just like exercises...yogic Siddhis cannot be accomplished without mastering concentration. In almost all energy practices, this skill is required.

Soh Wei Yu: I see.

John Tan: But I am not into that, I prefer clarity over concentration for now...

Soh Wei Yu: I see.

John Tan: I believe intensity of luminous clarity can also alter the energetic frequencies or vibrations but may not be the right approach as compared to concentration and visualization which is much more rich and elaborate in this area.

Soh Wei Yu: I see.

John Tan: For you now you are still young. Focus on your body and health and improve your clarity. Your new house has a place for yourself where you can have a quality time to get in touch with your bodily sensations in an intimate way....not just going through the steps but get in touch ...

Soh Wei Yu: I see. [images omitted]

John Tan: Imo what Khenpo Tsulstrim Gyamtso can led one to the experience of non-dual and anatta but not addressing the nature of mind/phenomena as empty and non-arising.

Soh Wei Yu: I see.

John Tan: Actually when you practice yoga, if you got the hui gen (root of wisdom)...you will realise the purpose of the asanas to prepare the body to fully open up itself. It is quite ironical coz you practice to be natural, tender and flexible...but if you practice, you will realise. The body is tense, rigid and it can't relax and open up itself...it is similar to a mind full of proliferated views and dualistic tendencies going through the 7 phases of insights to open up.

---

Yin Ling: Soh Wei Yu wow, is John Tan trying to convey “things arises because of its conditions” here and we can’t really see or understand all conditions? Life is getting more mystical 😂 And thanks!

Soh Wei Yu: Yin Ling, seeing through inherent existence and penetrate into total exertion... this are very crucial insights in AtR... such that when you see X it is not just X as a discrete separate element but rather the total exertion of X.... like the success story but really in everything. like touching this table is the total exertion of whole body-mind-universe even into the ancient past along with all the trees and woodcutter and all the conditions that gave rise to this moment.

On the secrets of becoming rich:

---

Conversation — 28 February 2015

John Tan: Now you cannot understand the broader view by doing logical analysis...it is a way of life and how embrace that view and understanding. Let's say your mum always strike 4d, you didn't...you explain by merit. You help others and suddenly there is a break-through, an opening of your dharma eye... What is that link? Is it really because of merit? The rich, great and powerful very often believe in feng shui...is it true?

Soh Wei Yu: Maybe that is part of the conditions?

John Tan: Some did so badly in business but instead of looking into business, they were advice to do charity and their business recover like the case of Liao Fan...

Soh Wei Yu: I see. Interesting.

John Tan: So you must understand some will say superstitious but some have embrace it as part of their life in understanding thing. So how are you to understand this?

Soh Wei Yu: [Laughs]

John Tan: You can't and never will but if you go through life, you will understand. If you practice you will also understand.

Soh Wei Yu: I see.

John Tan: For example I told you to be thankful that you have a healthy body, 2 hands and 2 legs...good family...etc...to me that is a great merit done in your past life.

Soh Wei Yu: I see.

John Tan: You must treasure it but for others they might say why habour such a superstitious view...so it depends on the path you choose. Then you go through life...slowly taste it and understand it. Embracing dependent arising is not just understanding intellectually ... To me it includes all these.

Many say that I am very successful and intelligent and so many rich multi-millions asked me for financial advices... But deep in my heart I know my success has very little to do with that — my intelligence and hardwork...though they are definitely factors that contribute to my success, it is not the main cause...rather I see it as my merit.

Soh Wei Yu: I see.

John Tan: Now if you asked me why, I can give you many reasons that can cause me failure in my business career...I never know why I become successful (hopefully it continues)...though I plan and work really hard...I know it is never due to that for I am aware of the factors that can cause my failures are so vast and beyond control....but I am aware of certain merits in the workings...precisely why I feel that I do not know... Now if you do small jobs it is within control but when your deals are bigger, you can't possibly control.

Soh Wei Yu: I see. So you feel that you became successful because you did charity?

John Tan: Just like the deal your dad is doing now, he can only tell you he works damn hard for it but he has absolutely no control at all....there are so many factors including political situation in Malaysia.

Soh Wei Yu: I see.

John Tan: No...maybe my past life merits.

Soh Wei Yu: [Laughs]

John Tan: So in addition to "logic" and "analysis", you must also learn not to be bounded by them...they are just tools to help you orientate yourself in this world...you must go beyond them. The entire universe and us is one great intimacy, only an unbounded mind can appreciate this intimacy.

---

Conversation — 6 December 2021

Soh Wei Yu: X person got X. [images omitted]

John Tan: What do you understand from that? You remember what I told you?

Soh Wei Yu: Told me about what?

John Tan: About very successful people doing charity and Liao Fan Si Xun (The Four Lessons of Liao Fan).

Soh Wei Yu: Oh yes... I have been telling donate to monks, etc. in fact just two days ago X ... donated to Thich Nhat Hanh sangha.

Soh Wei Yu: Btw what did you say again? Was many years ago right?

John Tan: Yes.

Soh Wei Yu: I also had intuition that X [will happen quickly] because i've been asking X make merits. Think I had this intuition one week ago during meditation.

John Tan: Don't want to repeat as it promote graspings.

---

Nafis Rahman:

So why did you suggest I pray to Tara?

Malcolm:

"Very simply put, taking refuge in sublime beings such as Buddhas and tenth stage bodhisattvas is meritorious because they are pure, uncontaminated and free of all afflictions. This alone eliminates traces of obscuration."

"I recommend Tara practice regularly. I also practice Tara from time to time."

"Tara, as a deity, is just a name for our own state. As ChNN puts it, "Tara is the state of Dzogchen."

"But generally, if you want mundane siddhis, then you need to practice some creation stage practice, like Tara, Kilaya, Amitayus, etc. depending on one needs."

Malcolm also said in 2017:

"The Buddha has said very clearly, one cannot wash away misdeeds, he cannot remove suffering with his hand, he cannot give one liberation, but he can teach.

So then, what is the use of praying to Buddhas and bodhisattvas, apart from accumulating merit? "

"But they really cannot do anything to help sentient beings. If they could, they would act without bias for all sentient beings, without respect to their beliefs or merit, and we would not be living in such trying conditions.

All they can do is teach. That is all Buddhas and bodhisattvas can really do to help sentient beings. It is well known that when one does wealth practice for example, one is using up ones own merit of wealth in the process unless one very carefully dedicates one's practice to make the merit of practice inexhaustible.

I am afraid I find your view very theistic, it seems to me you think of Tāra the same way Catholics think of saints."

"You missed the point of that example. Shabkar, for example, uses it to point out that strong traces in other people's minds can generate perceptions in our own minds.

As to your second statement, this merely proves my point. Buddhas are powerless to help sentient beings in any kind of material way. What Buddhas can do is teach the Dharma. That is all they need to do."

Soh Wei Yu:

But just for lols I want to mention that after Aditya Prasad told me to try 'law of attraction' type visualising, I tried it immediately and visualised that I already have X amount of money that will suddenly manifest in my life within this very month. Then only about 3 days later, due to receiving an email I discovered I have cryptocurrencies I totally forgotten hidden in an exchange. Funny part: Almost exactly same amount.

Damn, I should have wished for $1 billion to manifest. Let me get to it.

Just kidding about the last part though. I do not want to promote kleshas or exhaust my merits 🙂

“If you are attached to this life, you are not a true spiritual practitioner.

If you are attached to samsara, you do not have renunciation.

If you are attached to your own self-interest, you have no bodhichitta.

If there is grasping, you do not have the View.”

Also Nafis posted something I wrote about a miracle I experienced related to Green Tara. If you've read my post carefully you'll understand it is completely non contradictory.

Earlier i mentioned about a sutta where buddha spoke about intention joined with good karma results in wish fulfilled in next life. I cant remember was it this sutta, there could be another one:

Sick (Citta the Householder’s Last Hours)

Gilāna Sutta (SN 41:10)

On that occasion Citta the householder was diseased, in pain, severely ill. Then a large number of garden deities, forest deities, tree deities, and deities inhabiting herbs, grasses, & forest giants assembled and said to him: “Make a wish, householder: ‘In the future, may I become a king, a wheel-turning monarch!’”

When this was said, Citta the householder said to the garden deities, forest deities, tree deities, and deities inhabiting herbs, grasses, & forest giants: “Even that is inconstant; even that is impermanent; one must abandon even that when one passes on.”

[...]

“But what compelling reason do those garden deities, forest deities, tree deities, and deities inhabiting herbs, grasses, & forest giants see, master, that they say to you, ‘Make a wish, householder: “In the future, may I become a king, a wheel-turning monarch!”’?”

“It occurs to them: ‘This Citta the householder is virtuous, of admirable character. If he should wish: “In the future, may I become a king, a wheel-turning monarch!”—then, as he is virtuous, this wish of his would succeed because of the purity of his virtue. A righteous one, he will wield righteous power.’1 Seeing this compelling reason, they assembled and said: ‘Make a wish, householder: “In the future, may I become a king, a wheel-turning monarch!”’ And I said to them: ‘Even that is inconstant; even that is impermanent; one must abandon even that when one passes on.’”

Found the other one:

Middle Discourses 120

Rebirth by Choice

So I have heard. At one time the Buddha was staying near Sāvatthī in Jeta’s Grove, Anāthapiṇḍika’s monastery. There the Buddha addressed the mendicants, “Mendicants!”

“Venerable sir,” they replied. The Buddha said this:

“I shall teach you rebirth by choice. Listen and pay close attention, I will speak.”

“Yes, sir,” they replied. The Buddha said this:

“Take a mendicant who has faith, ethics, learning, generosity, and wisdom. They think: ‘If only, when my body breaks up, after death, I would be reborn in the company of well-to-do aristocrats!’ They settle on that thought, stabilize it and develop it. Those choices and meditations of theirs, developed and cultivated like this, lead to rebirth there. This is the path and the practice that leads to rebirth there.

[...]

Furthermore, take a mendicant who has faith, ethics, learning, generosity, and wisdom. They think: ‘If only I might realize the undefiled freedom of heart and freedom by wisdom in this very life, and live having realized it with my own insight due to the ending of defilements.’ They realize the undefiled freedom of heart and freedom by wisdom in this very life. And they live having realized it with their own insight due to the ending of defilements. And, mendicants, that mendicant is not reborn anywhere.”

That is what the Buddha said. Satisfied, the mendicants were happy with what the Buddha said.

Brian Murphy:

My experience is similar to Nafis.

Intention is at the heart of karma. Intention can manifest into experience with or without action. Recognizing “I am not my body,” one can use intention to cause things beyond the reach of one’s body. This is the basis of manifestation.

As Ajahn Chah once said, there are benefits to such practices, but they are like the benefits of alcohol - first, you drink for the benefits, then you get drunk.

It takes more advancement to learn the wisdom necessary to manage the power than it takes to learn to use the power. So, I suggest treading carefully.

Albert Hong:

I'll give you a simple answer. everything is produced by causal conditions. there is no moral implications. except virtuous energy or merit is the casual condition for favorable conditions. favorable conditions depend upon one's karmic vision, which also includes acceptance and rejection.

anyways a lot of the karmic links have been laid down in the teachings. they at first seem very non-intuitive and somewhat makes no sense. but that is because we haven't ourselves seen the links and relationships between them.

and a lot of the practices in dharma have such relationships mingled in.

for instance the releasing of fish into the sea. which is the freeing of life or giving of life so to speak has the causal benefit of extending one's life. So if one finds oneself sickly and always on the edge of dying, then one would actively seek to create impressions that cultivate life, etc.

if one wants wealth. in the broad sense. of good foods, good friends, good land, money, etc. then one would cultivate generosity. but there are other causal methods available. for instance one could also connect to Jambhala and learn to resonate at that frequency. Then one is wealth. To be wealth is much different than having wealth.

But anyways that's my short answer. Dharma is about studying causality to the max. So that we can lead virtuous, full lives. All for the benefit of all sentient beings and the development of wisdom.

There in the end is no greater merit.

Soh Wei Yu: Cula-kammavibhanga Sutta: The Shorter Analysis of Action