(Part 6) A Compilation of Some of Kyle Dixon (Krodha)'s Wonderful Reddit Postings Part 6
Soh

Reddit Krodha Dzogchen

I've developed a software program that significantly improves the formatting of the Krodha Reddit compilations. Additionally, I've updated the links to provide access to these better-formatted DOCX outputs.

I'm gradually uploading the Audio Recordings of these Krodha (Kyle Dixon) Reddit compilations to SoundCloud!

Check out the link below, and be sure to keep an eye out—I'll be adding more in the coming days and weeks. Stay tuned!

SoundCloud link: https://soundcloud.com/soh-wei-yu/sets/reddit-writings-by-krodha-kyle-dixon

Soh Wei Yu · Reddit Writings by Krodha/Kyle Dixon

Update: I've used up my AI Text to Speech MP3 credits for this month. I will continue uploading next month. Stay tuned.


Krodha (Kyle)’s Reddit Link: https://www.reddit.com/user/krodha/

Please refer to these links for Krodha (Kyle Dixon)'s Reddit post compilations (DOCX) with improved formattings:

Links to the various documents:

Part 1: http://www.awakeningtoreality.com/2022/05/a-compilation-of-some-of-kyle-dixons.html (no Word/PDF document available for part 1)

Part 2: https://app.box.com/s/c7q2srps6h6lkhvp9cf6rjaqtv761j9w

Part 3: https://app.box.com/s/p9w4qrfflf8bkbnd7vkoolpkslnc1vhq

Part 4: https://app.box.com/s/qp0udir2ljtspmxsn8izlz3p8xk4rhpz

Part 5: https://app.box.com/s/haqjou2bzug260wdu1iufvzd5iq924m4

Part 6: https://app.box.com/s/tgzpv157a6rd0lkxqcmtlmh2l93bqsvc

Part 7: https://app.box.com/s/6q3mb4vwe7x52x6isfut8cdkdwb15d4d

Part 8: https://app.box.com/s/8qr3uhbw4oeazr3gmf6wwlsiw82fi4ki


The compilation of Kyle Dixon/Krodha's postings on Dharmawheel forum can be found here: Table of Contents for Malcolm Dharmawheel Posts + Astus, Krodha (Kyle Dixon), Geoff (Jnana), Meido Moore

If anyone hasn't read them yet, I highly recommend them. John Tan and I think his writings are very clear and come from deep insight. A decade ago, John Tan commented on the depth of Kyle's writings, noting they are as insightful as those of Buddhist masters—he advised taking Kyle's insights seriously and commended them even more recently. It should be noted that Kyle's understanding arises not only from academic study, but is fundamentally rooted in his own practice and direct experiential awakening.

Link to my code/software to improve doc file formatting: https://app.box.com/s/0g60kt0lwqliu4x64j0j5d19o3pxk2gn – scroll way down to see what the program does. But before that, here's a summary of the Krodha compilations by ChatGPT:

Subjects Discussed Includes:

  1. Karma and Its Dynamics
    • How individual karma affects one’s attraction to Buddhist teachings and the concept of “group karma.”
  2. The Nature of Self and No-Self (Anatta)
    • Debates over whether a permanent self exists.
    • Various interpretations of selflessness and the experiential realization of “no-self.”
  3. Emptiness, Nonarising, and Illusion
    • Discussions on the emptiness (śūnyatā) of phenomena.
    • Comparisons between conceptual constructions and the nonarising (anutpāda) nature of reality.
  4. Meditation and Paths to Enlightenment
    • Differentiating between practices such as vipaśyanā (clear insight) and deliberate mindfulness.
    • The critical role of meditation (dhyāna and samādhi) for attaining awakening.
  5. Dzogchen, Vajrayāna, and the Role of the Teacher
    • The necessity of direct introduction and qualified guidance in Dzogchen practice.
    • The unique methods of Vajrayāna (e.g., “taking the result as the path,” empowerment, and transformation versus renunciation).
  6. Comparative Perspectives Among Buddhist Traditions
    • Differences among Tibetan Buddhism, Thai Forest, Zen, Theravada, and comparisons with Hindu and Advaita Vedanta views.
    • Debates on supernatural elements, reincarnation of rinpoches, and lineage transmission.
  7. Practical and Ethical Issues in a Buddhist Context
    • Real-life challenges such as dealing with alcoholism and considerations regarding organ donation.
    • Broader social topics including views on abortion, the ethics of practice, and conventional versus ultimate truth.
  8. Philosophical and Textual Exegesis
    • Analyses of classical texts and suttas (e.g., the Daśa­sāhasrikā­prajñā­pāramitā, Kāḷakārāmasutta) to elucidate doctrinal points.
    • Interpretations of direct perception, the transformation of consciousness, and the interplay between conceptual thought and nonconceptual experience.

Overall Summary:

The documents form a comprehensive compilation of Kyle Dixon’s (Krodha’s) Reddit postings, offering deep dives into various aspects of Buddhist philosophy and practice. The posts range from theoretical debates—such as the nature of self, emptiness, and the illusory quality of phenomena—to practical advice on meditation and ethical living. There is a strong focus on how different Buddhist traditions (from Theravada to Tibetan Vajrayāna and Dzogchen) address the transformation of mind, the importance of direct experiential insight, and the necessity of teacher guidance. In addition, Krodha touches on how contemporary issues (like personal challenges or social ethics) intersect with traditional Buddhist teachings, providing a bridge between ancient doctrines and modern life challenges. Overall, the collection reflects a thoughtful and in‐depth exploration of Buddhist thought, inviting readers to consider both doctrinal subtleties and practical applications of the buddhadharma.

What the program does

  1. Identifies conversation blocks
    • The code scans through the DOCX file’s paragraphs.
    • Whenever it encounters a green‐colored paragraph, it treats it as a “Topic Title” and starts a new conversation block.
  2. Determines speaker roles based on font size
    • Large‐font text at the start of a block is labeled “Someone wrote:” (the user or an external voice).
    • Small‐font text at the start is labeled “[Krodha replied:]” (or any custom name specified).
    • Subsequent paragraphs within the same conversation block are classified as either additional “Reply” paragraphs (if small font) or as “Quote” paragraphs (if large font).
  3. Merges consecutive paragraphs
    • If multiple consecutive paragraphs belong to the same role (e.g., repeated “Krodha replied:” or “Quote:”), they are merged into a single block of text.
    • This avoids repetitive labels and keeps the conversation flow continuous.
  4. Outputs a streamlined conversation
    • The program reconstructs each conversation block into clean text with consistent headings, speaker labels, and quotes.
    • Finally, it saves the result as a new DOCX file with neatly segmented paragraphs.

Why the output is superior

  • Consistent, well‐defined structure
    Instead of free‐floating text, you get clear “Topic Title” and well-labeled sections such as “Someone wrote: …,” “Krodha replied: …,” and “Quote: ….”
  • Reduced clutter
    Merging consecutive quotes and replies creates a simpler, more readable output without repeated labels.
  • Enhanced readability
    Removing formatting quirks (varying font sizes, random breaks) results in a natural, easy-to-follow conversation flow.
  • Better referencing and organization
    Each topic remains distinct and clearly labeled, making the document easier to navigate and reference.

Benefits for text-to-speech and AI/MP3 recordings

  1. Clear separation of voices
    Explicit speaker labels help text-to-speech engines naturally switch between different voices or intonation cues.
  2. Easier editing and voice assignment
    Standardized tags simplify the process if you use an AI voice-over tool to assign different voices.
  3. Improved user experience
    Listeners enjoy a natural flow when content is chunked into clearly labeled sections.
  4. Streamlined script for further processing
    Downstream tools (for summarization or sentiment analysis) work better with well-structured text.
Compilation Image

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How Production and Arising are Refuted in the Madhyamaka (Middle Way)
Soh

 

Soh Wei Yu

ChatGPT:
To understand how **production** and **arising** are refuted in the Madhyamaka (Middle Way) philosophy, let’s break it down into simpler terms. The refutation is mainly concerned with the idea that things do not arise or get produced in the way we normally think.
### The Usual Way of Thinking:
In everyday life, we think that things arise or are produced from causes. For example:
- A sprout arises from a seed.
- Fire is produced from striking a match.
It seems like there is a straightforward, linear relationship between causes and effects: one thing (the cause) brings another thing (the effect) into existence. This is called **production** or **arising**.
### Nāgārjuna’s Critique of Production and Arising:
Nāgārjuna, a key figure in Madhyamaka, challenges this idea. He points out that when you analyze it deeply, the idea of something being "produced" or "arising" from something else doesn't hold up logically.
Here’s how production and arising are refuted in a more understandable way:
#### 1. **A Thing Cannot Produce Itself (Self-Production)**:
- Imagine you say a seed produces a sprout.
- Now, if the seed and sprout are the **same**, then it doesn’t make sense to say the seed "produced" the sprout. Something cannot produce itself, because it would already exist. If it already exists, it doesn’t need to be produced.
- For example, you wouldn’t say "a sprout produces a sprout"—because it’s already there!
#### 2. **A Thing Cannot Be Produced by Something Completely Different (Other-Production)**:
- Let’s say a seed produces a sprout, and you say they are **completely different** things.
- If the seed and the sprout are completely different, how could the seed have anything to do with the sprout’s production? If they have no connection, how can the sprout "arise" from the seed?
- It’s like saying a rock could give birth to a tree—there’s no relationship.
#### 3. **A Thing Cannot Arise from Both Itself and Something Else (Self-Other Production)**:
- You might try to combine the two ideas and say that a sprout arises from both itself (its own nature) and from something else (the seed).
- But this doesn’t solve the problem either. If it already exists, it doesn’t need to be produced, and if it’s different, there’s no connection to cause the production. Combining them just adds confusion, and doesn’t explain anything.
#### 4. **A Thing Cannot Arise from Nothing (Production from Nothing)**:
- If something could arise from nothing, like a sprout appearing without a cause, then anything could happen at any time.
- For example, if a sprout could appear from nowhere, why wouldn’t things just pop into existence randomly, like a tiger suddenly appearing in your room?
- This violates our basic understanding of cause and effect, and doesn’t make sense even conventionally.
### The Conclusion: No True Arising or Production
- When you analyze things closely, **none of these explanations for production make sense**. Whether you say a sprout arises from itself, from something else, from both, or from nothing—all these options are logically flawed.
- Therefore, Nāgārjuna concludes that there is **no inherent, independent production or arising**. What we see as production is only an appearance—it works conventionally (in everyday experience) but has no ultimate, independent reality.
### A Simpler Example:
Think of a **mirage** in the desert. It appears that water is there, but when you go to look closely, there is no water. Similarly, it seems like things (like a sprout from a seed) arise and are produced, but when you analyze deeply, you find there’s no true, independent production. Things just appear to arise based on causes and conditions, but nothing has a fixed, permanent nature.
### Dependent Origination and Emptiness:
- Nāgārjuna isn’t denying that things seem to happen (like sprouts growing from seeds) in our everyday world. But he’s saying that these things only arise because of **dependent origination**—they depend on other factors and conditions.
- However, when you look deeply, everything is **empty** of an inherent, independent nature. Nothing arises on its own, and nothing is produced by something else in a truly independent way.
### Summary:
- Production and arising are refuted because logically, things cannot be produced by themselves, by something else, by both, or from nothing.
- Things seem to arise only in a dependent, interconnected way, and have no inherent existence.
- This is why Madhyamaka says production and arising are like an illusion—they seem real but don’t hold up when analyzed deeply.
In simpler terms, what we think of as cause and effect, or things being produced, is like a magic trick. It seems real, but when you look closer, you see it’s just an illusion based on many factors coming together.
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Mr PL
Next prompt should be: then in which kind of global mental asylum do we live in?
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William Lim
Nagarjuna is saying nothing arises "on its own" and "in an independent way" but things (conventionally designated) still *arises*, or come about, due to various interconnected causes and conditions yah?
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Soh Wei Yu
William Lim in some sense yes, but only if understood as dependent origination, and not inherent production or arising.
This is why Jamgon Mipham said:
“Others (the proponents of real entities within the Buddhist tradition) may say: “Although the other three types of production—self-production and so on—may be refuted, if we do not accept production from other, won’t we be contradicting the normal conventions of the world, such as the fact that sprouts arise from seeds and butter from curd?” There is no contradiction. In reality, if we apply reasoning, then not only at an ultimate level, but also conventionally speaking, arising is never really observed. If production were observable and proven conventionally, then it would follow that conventionally true phenomena such as the aggregates and elements would become immune to ultimate analysis. It would also follow that ultimate or truly existent arising would not be refuted. And it would follow that the equipoise of noble beings would become a cause for destroying previously existent conventional phenomena, which would lead to the extreme of deprecating the existent by labelling it non-existent. In any case, what is claimed is not possible.
In short, from the perspective of ultimate analysis, no phenomena whatsoever may be observed that are established as genuinely existent, whilst from the perspective of reasoning inquiring into the conventional, things are observed. That these two points are consistent, and established as a single reality is the assertion of the followers of the Middle Way beyond extremes.
Yet those who speak of real entities disagree, for they consider emptiness and dependently originating appearance to be mutually opposed. They believe that whatever is refuted by ultimate analysis must be completely non-existent even on a conventional level, just like the horns of a rabbit. Or else, that whatever exists conventionally, such as pillars and vases, could never be refuted by ultimate reasoning. They conceive of some independent object of negation separate from the conventional phenomena that are the basis of negation and they consider emptiness—which for them is the refutation of a separate phenomenon called “true existence”—and appearances, the basis for that refutation, to be directly opposed to one another, like the total non-existence of the horns of rabbits and the real existence of the horns of cattle. Asserting this to be a unity, by mentally ‘binding’ these two to an entity such as a vase is tantamount to claiming that emptiness is an affirming negation, and in the end it does not even go beyond the views of the proponents of true entities. This point has already been well made by the great logicians of the past.”
- from a good article on this topic https://www.lotsawahouse.org/.../four-great-logical...
Four Great Logical Arguments of the Middle Way
LOTSAWAHOUSE.ORG
Four Great Logical Arguments of the Middle Way
Four Great Logical Arguments of the Middle Way
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Soh Wei Yu
William Lim ChatGPT holy wisdom:
“Yes, the perspective you presented is in line with the **Madhyamaka (Middle Way)** view, particularly as articulated by scholars like Jamgon Mipham. This view is widely accepted within certain schools of Tibetan Buddhism, such as the **Nyingma** and **Gelug** schools, as well as by other proponents of Madhyamaka philosophy. However, it's important to note that it’s not universally accepted across all Buddhist traditions. Here's a breakdown of why:
### 1. **Dependent Origination, Not Inherent Production**:
- Madhyamaka asserts that all phenomena, including the production of sprouts from seeds or butter from curd, occur through **dependent origination**. This means that things arise due to causes and conditions, but they lack inherent, independent existence.
- **Inherent production**—the idea that something can arise by its own power or essence—is explicitly refuted in Madhyamaka, both on the ultimate and even on the conventional level when analyzed carefully.
### 2. **Jamgon Mipham's View**:
- Mipham is addressing a common objection raised by **proponents of real entities** (those who believe in some form of inherent existence, like some schools within Buddhism or other philosophical systems). They argue that if we deny inherent production, we are going against the normal conventions of everyday experience (like sprouts growing from seeds).
- Mipham’s response is that **even conventionally**, production is not ultimately real. Things appear to arise through causes and conditions, but when we apply ultimate reasoning, **no real arising is observed**. This doesn't contradict conventional experience but shows that our everyday experience is based on relative, dependent relationships, not inherent existence.
### 3. **Two Truths (Conventional and Ultimate)**:
- Mipham explains the key Madhyamaka point: that the **two truths** (conventional and ultimate) are not opposed, but complementary. Things **appear** to exist and function conventionally, but on the ultimate level, they are empty of inherent existence.
- Those who hold to the reality of entities (realists) mistakenly think that if something is refuted on the ultimate level, it must be completely non-existent on the conventional level. Madhyamaka, however, allows for things to appear and function conventionally while being empty of inherent essence.
### 4. **Different Views Across Traditions**:
- **Madhyamaka**: The view you presented aligns closely with **Prasangika Madhyamaka**, which is the most widely accepted school of thought within Tibetan Buddhism. In this school, it is understood that things arise dependently and lack inherent existence, and this is seen as the ultimate truth.
- **Svatantrika Madhyamaka**: Another school of Madhyamaka, while agreeing that things lack inherent existence, sometimes allows for more subtle degrees of relative existence in conventional reality.
- **Other Buddhist Schools**: Some schools, like the **Cittamatra (Yogacara)** school, may have slightly different interpretations of how dependent origination and emptiness work. Cittamatra, for example, emphasizes that the mind is the primary source of phenomena, while Madhyamaka refutes even the inherent existence of mind.
### 5. **Not Universally Accepted**:
- **Non-Madhyamaka Buddhist traditions**: In traditions outside of Madhyamaka, such as some forms of **Theravada Buddhism**, the emphasis on emptiness may be less radical. These schools might still accept some kind of conventional production without the extensive refutation of inherent existence found in Madhyamaka.
- **Other Philosophical Systems**: Outside of Buddhism, various philosophical systems (including realist schools) would reject the idea that production or arising can be refuted. They maintain that things exist more solidly or inherently, even if only conventionally.
### Conclusion:
While the view expressed by Mipham and the broader Madhyamaka tradition is highly respected and accepted by many within Tibetan Buddhism, especially those who follow the Middle Way philosophy, it is not **universally accepted** across all Buddhist or philosophical traditions. Some Buddhist schools and non-Buddhist traditions maintain alternative views on production, arising, and the nature of existence. However, within the context of Madhyamaka, particularly **Prasangika**, this approach is considered the most consistent way to understand dependent origination and emptiness.”
  • Reply
William Lim
Soh Wei Yu much better 😂
But seriously, I think Chat AI, with its ability to analyze, synthesize and summarize knowledge, is a game changer... especially in forwarding, clarifying and modernisizng spiritual wisdom
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    • Yin Ling
    So good right
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    Soh Wei Yu
    Yin Ling yeah! Makes things understandable for stupid people like me 👍👍🤣
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    Yin Ling
    Soh Wei Yu ya I’m tempted to get the plus coz I’m talking so much with it that I exceed my limit 🙈
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    Yin Ling
    BTW can you make it shareable ah
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    Soh Wei Yu
    Yin Ling yup ok made public. When the chatgpt voice rolls out i believe you need the paid version to use (need to check tho) so i would advise buying it if just for that voice mode
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    Yin Ling
    Soh Wei Yu yeah it’s just that when you are in poverty everything needs consideration 🤣🤣🤣🤦🏻‍♀️
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    • Ms ER
    wow! Such depth of wisdom created with the help of ChatGPT!
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    Ms ER
    But one question keeps coming up in my mind: if ChatGPT is able to penetrate into such subtle layers of reality, what does that imply for the aspirant on the spiritual path?
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    Soh Wei Yu
    Ms Er, ChatGPT: "Thank you, Ms ER, for your kind words! That's a profound question. ChatGPT can process and summarize vast amounts of spiritual knowledge and philosophical teachings based on the texts it's been trained on, but it's important to note that it’s simply a tool—a mirror for reflecting information, rather than a being that experiences or penetrates reality directly.
    For an aspirant on the spiritual path, the deeper layers of wisdom and insight are not just about intellectual understanding, but about direct, lived experience and personal realization. While tools like ChatGPT can assist by organizing thoughts, clarifying teachings, or pointing out key ideas, the real transformation comes from practice, meditation, introspection, and connection with one’s inner being.
    In essence, ChatGPT can offer guidance or help untangle complex concepts, but the journey of awakening remains a deeply personal one. It’s the aspirant’s own dedication, insight, and direct experience that lead to genuine realization. In a way, ChatGPT is like a map—it can point to the destination, but the traveler must walk the path."
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    Soh Wei Yu
    Also of course, it is not a replacement for having an awakened teacher and mentor.
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