Replay on Zoom:
Transcript → Virtual Hangout [#61]
Some questions answered in session:
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Hi Andrew, Have you ever come across a ‘grading system’ for lucid dreams (kind of like Asanga’s nine ‘elephant path’ steps for śamatha states)? I’ve journaled close to 500 lucid dreams over the years and developed a simple ten level system based on duration, clarity and agency. It’s been a helpful way to catalogue and track progress, but I’ve often wondered if I just reinvented the wheel and some better system exists. If anyone knows of one, it would be you. Any thoughts appreciated. Thanks.
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At the end of his interview Ian Baker said he is working on research about meditation with an organization called something like “Shalalab”… do you know what the name is? Great that we are doing more somatic meditations now…
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What role do nagas play in our world? In the naga practice, we nourish them with an offering, but in a fire puja text, we repel them. So, are they good or bad or …? Also, can you have moments of enlightenment where everything seems perfect and there doesn’t seem like anything needs to be done without being enlightened? And, lastly do dharmapalas just protect us on a spiritual level or are they helpful on a physical level?
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What Protector Practice do you do?
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Andrew, I enjoyed the conversation you had with Karen— using the water / whirlpool metaphor but where in this sort of metaphor is there room for any kind of “ indestructible drop” kind of thing? I have trouble reconciling this “ drop” idea once the whirlpool has dissolved into the full body of water— or the child light has turned to face and dissolve into the mother light?
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Being relatively new to the teachings of buddhism what should I start learning first?
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Is Quetzalcoatl a naga? Or a Protector? Do all sentient beings have dreams? Since appearance is a dream… At what point in species complexity do dreams start happening? Since samsara is the dream all sentient beings reside in.
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The teachings say the last thought before the moment of death is so important. It may dictate or influence the continuation of thought that arises when our consciousness is restored from a lapse. The last thought is also important before going to sleep, and affects the dreaming experience. What is the connection, or stays connected through the lapse, or unconsciousness?
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Recently you were talking about anger and working with it. I remembered that Gampopa wrote that one act of anger can erase aeons of merit. I asked my wife about it and she said “That’s why we dedicate merit when we finish our activity.” In her tradition, she calls it finishing prayers. So, the more we do meritorious things, the sooner we should dedicate our merit to make sure it benefits others (before we get angry)
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Hi Andrew, If everything comes out of the Pure Light Mind which is the essence and source of all that is, how is it that we see such an amount of evil and suffering on our planet today. In your understanding what is the Tibetan Buddhist teaching on this issue? Thank you for your insight.