Corona from the Perspective of Tantra

 

Corona from the Perspective of Tantra

According to tantra, epidemics and pandemics are a response by mamo-spirits that are "the main natural forces which may respond to human misconduct and environmental misuse by creating obstacles and disease." https://www.rigpawiki.org/index.php?title=Mamo

Early last year, when the corona hassle started, I took this into meditation and felt the presence of mamos who were full of rage towards the mankind. Looking at what humanity has done on Earth, I don't blame them and understand why they feel that way. Most people would do the same if their and their loved one's lives were repeatedly abused. No doubt we would fight to live. Through this pandemic, mamos are doing the same on behalf of all flora and fauna, and the planet itself. In this way, mamos in the form of the virus, are acting as a medium of karmic retribution. This is the explanation of pandemics given by yogis and master meditators of countless generations from ancient times until today but of course most people are unaware of this as main stream religions and modern worldview is ignorant of such things.

Fransisco Varela said that man behaves like a cancer cell in the human body, destroying his own habitat. This destruction is true both physically as well as psychologically. People live and rule this planet without respect and it is not easy to find people who live in peace and harmony with their surroundings. It is not easy to find people who have pure light in their eyes and love in their hearts. The reality of mass extinction of species and global warming is widely known but too little is done about it because the mind of humanity is fixed elsewhere. From the perspective of sober and selfless mind, it is stunning to see how self-based ignorance of man actually creates such massive negative consequences. To make it worse, in the case of corona pandemic it is dealt by secular specialists and politicians who don't have the full picture and who don't seem to have an idea how to bring this to an end.

To put it in a nutshell, all this would go away if people became less selfish in their thoughts, words and actions because that would re-establish the harmony between him and the surrounding life. Reinstating basic kindness, morality, respect and compassion towards others would make the anger of the mamos melt away. But to be realistic, except in the case of few individuals, this is not going to happen and the natural disasters of great scale will continue to pound on humanity to remind it of its place in the whole. According to Eastern astrology, we will remain in dark times (skt dwapara yuga) for another 2000 years before the vision of reality begins to dawn on humanity. Consequentially I think we will see one massive disaster after the other for many generations to come.

So, what we are seeing is the karma of humanity in play, that is not the business or responsibility of mahasiddhas to intervene with. If you want to do something about it, pray and meditate. Bring goodness and sincerity back into your heart. Become aware of your selfishness and resolve to become a better human being. Think about your everyday choices and make better choices that have less environmental impact. Bless your life, your friends, your family, bless your food and all sentient beings. These are not difficult things to do. It makes no difference which God or gods, or buddhas we believe or don't believe in. The most important thing is to become aware of what we do in our everyday lives.

Kim, 25.3.2021

Generosity - The Foundation of Mahayana Buddhism by Kim Katami

Generosity - The Foundation of Mahayana Buddhism

I was just talking with my teacher about money and generosity. To me and her, money was always means to do something, not something to accumulate or to hoard because there'd be no point in that for us. I give away money all the time for good purposes, like animal shelters, and people who need it. I am generous because that's who I am and that's who I want to be. I am not rich though and here's the thing: Why are people who have lots of money, so attached to it? It is always people who have lot of money, who are the most stingy. Vice versa, people who don't have so much money, give it away easily without reservations. There are of course exceptions to the rule but in general wealthy people seem to be attached to their money. From the point of view of humanity, this is embarrassing. From the point of view of dharma, this is a major pitfall.

Mahayana & Generosity

The first foundational guideline (paramita) of mahayana buddhism is generosity or dana. Why did the masters who constructed the mahayana buddhist doctrine, set generosity as the basis of mahayana buddhist practice? This clearly suggests that this is something important, though I always find it surprising how little dharma practitioners give thought to it.

Mahayana buddhism teaches that all beings have buddhanature and that it is possible to attain it. In this way mahayana buddhism empowers us by telling and giving us the tools how full enlightenment or buddhahood can be attained and actualised. Mahayana teaches wisdom (prajna) and compassion (karuna) as means to realise our innate wakefulness. Simultaneosly both wisdom and compassion are the two main characteristics of our buddhanature which means that someone who has some or complete first hand experience, is both wise and compassionate in terms of existencial matters. Wisdom means absence or lessening of self-based ignorance and compassion is the lively flowering of that wisdom that cares for others, I would say primarily from the perspective of mind-based suffering (dukkha) but also from the perspective of common suffering, such as poverty and illness.

The opposite of wisdom and compassion is self-based ignorance that only thinks for itself. In ignorant mind there is a lot of energy or power in the "I" thought. This is samsaric mind, which repeats the same thoughts and confusions again and again based on the deeply ingrained belief that there is "I" or "me" and "others". According to buddhism, this is the root of existential confusion that makes life a confusing and unsatisfactory experiece. Thinking in terms of me and other also creates separation and inequality between people. That is not normal or healthy in any way. This is duality and duality is pain.

So, ignorant mind thinks, talks and acts in ways that are selfish and narrow minded, and it is this deeply rooted habit of self-based ignorance that generosity is designed to break. Imagine what happens in a mind that begins to think, talk and act for the welfare of others, rather than oneself. This is the medicine of dharma that uproots our self-belief and removes the gap between me and others, lettin the buddha within to shine through as understanding and love.

Generosity is actually a geniously designed practice because money is related to our basic safety which in turn relates to our root chakra. A wise man knows the difference between real safety and illusory safety. That is really the only difference between someone who is caught up by samsara and who is liberated. Giving money away can change your life. It literally has the power to liberate you.

Vehicles

Vajrayana is the tantric interpretation of mahayana buddhism. Tantra that involves gurus, empowerments, deities, mantras and such, is or should be built on solid understanding of both mahayana and hinayana teaching. In the context of this article - generosity - this means that one cannot reap the promise of vajrayana, which is to attain buddhahood in this life, without the foundation of mahayana. Without genuine care for others - bodhicitta/compassion - one cannot reap the benefits of either mahayana or vajrayana. This downgrades vajrayana into a hinayana practice. It is not bad but it is not how it should be because tantra is not designed for that.

The three vehicles of buddhism: hinayana or small vehicle, mahayana or big vehicle and vajrayana or tantric vehicle, can be compared to woodwork. A carpenter takes a piece of wood that has the potential to be made into a fine work of art. In the beginning it's just a block of wood with bark on it. First, the carpenter makes a sketch of his sculpture on the wood, and begins to work on it with rough tools, like axe and chainsaw. After applying some skill and effort, he manages to make a rough outline of the design that already looks a lot like what the design is about. It is like a Lego-man compared to a fine work done by an Italian master sculptor. This is hinayana. Then the carpenter takes finer tools, like big and small chisels and continues to work with those. After some more applied effort, we really begin to see many details. We can also see a great difference between the former stage and present stage. This is mahayana. Then finally, the carpenter takes out a collection of sandpapers of various roughnesses and continues the work. He keeps working and finally... the finished sculpture looks so beautiful that we are amazed! This is vajrayana. We cannot expect to understand the fineness of vajrayana if we never even tried the foundational practices of mahayana, such as generosity.

The point with this analogy is that all three stages – vehicles – follow each other. Gross, middle and fine are all part of the same process and if any of them is missing the sculpture cannot be finished. This explains perfectly the progression from hinayana to mahayana to vajrayana teaching, and their corresponding practices and levels of insight. Not understanding this progression also explains why practitioners of the higher vehicles sometimes have lesser insight and understanding than those of lower vehicles. If vajrayanis don't have a solid foundation from gross and medium level insight, they cannot possibly understand the subtlety and fineness of vajrayana.

Jesus by Gian Bernini

Readiness

The sole purpose of dharma is removing our self-based views from our subtle nervous system or mind. The meaning of dharma is not in making our lives better, happier or more pleasurable while remaining arrogant and selfish. Committing to a dharma practice necessarily stings a bit but for someone who is fed up with self-created nonsense, this is both necessary and unavoidable. To such a practitioner, the process that gets lighter and easier with every insight and moment of practice. For someone who doesn't understand this and is in it only to make ones self-based life better, dharma is like ripping one's hair off one by one, that is, highly unpleasant. Such practitioners should look into the teachings of hinayana and mahayana because they are not ready or prepared for vajrayana.

Beginning to think about the welfare of those around us is a good place to start.

May you come in contact with the Buddha within,

-Kim Katami, 30.7.2020

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Pemako Buddhism

www.pemakobuddhism.com

Lama Glenn Mullin: Ordinary People Cannot Practice Dzogchen

Lama Glenn Mullin: Ordinary People Cannot Practice Dzogchen

”Mahamudra I think is easier for the West. Just sitting in meditation and noticing the natural flow of the body and how it has natural joyful quality, play of the universe. Form is emptiness, emptiness is form, sitting between those two, can be a way of generating great bliss and so forth. These four mudras (samayamudra, karmamudra, mahamudra, and dharmamudra) often are put in reverse order in terms of who is qualified to practice successfully. In other words, ordinary people don't get much success from, much benefit from mahamudra or dzogchen practice because they're not wangpo rab (have maturity from previous lives). They can't sit between form is emptiness, emptiness is form in a way in a very stable way or conscious way. Once they go into very deep meditation everything just sort of flows into nothingness... like a sleeping marmot. So it's very difficult I think for ordinary people, meaning those who don't come with full trunk of good karmic forces from previous lives to have much success in mahamudra or dzogchen, in my opinion.” 
- Lama Glenn Mullin, Guru Viking Interview, Ep 19, 56:00.

I agree with Lama Glenn that people who might have sincerity, devotion and effort in trying to remain in the natural state, are unable to do that. I've seen it so many times how practitioners and lamas who try to practice dzogchen meditation, are actually unable to remain in the natural flow. Karma plays a part in this but as Open Heart teacher, my view of this is also different to Lama Glenn's. Eleven shifts in perception or bhumi openings, as we call them, enable anyone not only to have a brief recognition of the natural state but to rest in it without time restriction. We accomplish this mainly through Two-Part Formula and Dynamic Concentration, combined with tantra. 30-40% of our sangha has reached this stage. On some retreats where the majority of participants have reached this stage, group practice is like being in Pure Land of buddhas. I have not seen anything like this in any other sangha that I have trained with or visited. I would be curious to see a traditional lama witness our group meditations.



-Kim, 10.10.2019

Becoming a Master of Pranayama or Tsa Lung

Becoming a Master of Pranayama

or Tsa Lung

Our mind is like an engine that runs on the fuel of prana (tib. lung), through the numerous pipes and bits of machinery, or channels (skt. nadi, tib. tsa) and centers (skt. chakra). Obstructions (skt. klesha) and karmic files are stored on the inner walls of channels and centers, like dirt and grease sticks to the kitchen drain. This dirt is the impulsive self-based reactions we experience in our everyday mind. Me this, me that, on and on, round and round.

Buddhist meditation adresses the existential confusion (skt. dukkha) created by this with emptiness meditation which means removing the sense of self from all and any dirt that arises. The dirt from the inner walls of the pipes is removed and in this way the fuel or prana that courses through the system becomes a manifestation of wisdom and natural liberation.

It is a somewhat common belief in the world of yoga, that this could be achieved through breathing practices, that is, pranayama or tsalung. That is not the case. In fact, anyone who has tried solving existential confusion mainly with breathing practices of any sort, knows that it simple cannot achieve that. Actually, increasing the amount of prana in the system can make one's confusion even worse, even physically and mentally ill. Imagine a greater quantity of prana coursing through the system without the reduction of selfing... That's a recipe for disaster. For this reason, in all old yogic systems I am aware of, breathing practices were never practiced separately from prayers, mantras, guru yoga and deity yoga, that cultivate energy subtler than prana, that is, energy of awareness. Energy of awareness keeps prana in check, so one who follows this principle never ends up having health problems because of pranic overload, although problems can arise from one's karma.

As a principle, mastery of prana is mastery of the mind. In other words, mastery of prana is the mastery of samsara. Only fully liberated ones have complete mastery of prana. Others don't.

Mastery of the yogic practice of pranayama or tsalung, on the other hand, I would say, is when the mind and the prana coursing through it makes no surprises anymore. By surprises I mean not having entirely new experiences, positive or negative, anymore.

In the context of Open Heart practice and Open Heart Bhumi Model, this comes about around opening of all bhumis and perfecting few of them.

Thank you,

• Kim, 20.6.2019

Open Heart, www.en.openheart.fi

Introduction to Tibetan Heart Yoga

Introduction to Tibetan Heart Yoga

by Kim Katami

Open Heart, www.openheart.fi

• Man has three bodies:
  1. physical body
  2. energetic body/mind and
  3. awareness.
  Physical and energetic bodies are three-dimensional, awareness is non-dimensional.

• Practice of dharma is centered on removing dukkha or unsatisfactory and confused existence, as is taught in the Four Noble Truths. Existential confusion means perceiving our life in dualistic fashion. Because we perceive ourselves as individual entities or selves, we get confused and suffer. When this self-based dualistic perception does not arise, even momentarily, that is a moment free of suffering. 
  
  

  Introduction to Tibetan Heart Yoga: Lecture about the Principles: 

  
  

   

• Selfing is spread over the energetic body or mind. It can be removed according to the laws, functions and mechanisms of the mind. Selfing cannot be removed by denying it or by disregarding the way how the mind works. Selfing cannot be thoroughly removed by physical exercises or by the means of plain awareness approach alone, although both are very relevant. Psychology cannot be bypassed. If profound transformation or realisation is attained it is through the delusion stored in your mind, not in any other way. 
  
  

  Tibetan Heart Yoga: Guided Practice:

  
  

  
  
   
• When samsaric mind is ”seen through” by sutra or tantra practices, it gets transformed into wisdom mind. Seeing through refers to the principle of vipashyana meditation which means ”seeing clearly”. Seeing clearly or vipashyana is a principle that can be applied in sutric or tantric fashion. When a mental element, such as a thought is seen through, it means that the self-charge in it is released. Thereafter it has no binding power that causes selfing. In this way, our sense of self is seen through and released by piercing through it, not by transcending it. As vipashyana practices are applied, the practitioner's mind becomes growingly more lucid, while one's true self, selfless awareness, becomes the dominant mode of living. 
   
• Samsaric mind, in other terms, the psychology of man, has four main aspects:
  1. subject-self
  2. object-selves referring to thoughts and emotions
  3. subconscious mind (energetics inside the physical body, bhumis 1-6) and
  4. substrate consciousness (energetics outside the body, bhumis 7-10, skt. alaya vijnana).
  All aspects of the mind correlate directly to energy channels (nadi) and energy centers (chakra). The ”mind” consists of numerous energy channels and centers. Having a samsaric mind that goes round and round in thoughts, emotions, fantasies and dreams means that the channels and centers are filled with junk, junk that is our selves with all the habits, tendencies, needs and drives. 
   
• By tantra practice, all of samsaric mind is transformed into wisdom mind. This means that the self-charge, self-delusion, is released from the mind elements. This is the outcome of vipashyana practice. ”Wisdom mind” means that all the thoughtforms and formless energies of the subconscious mind (numbers 3. and 4. together) become embodiments of awareness itself. When the self-charge is released from mental elements, their true nature is experienced. True nature refers to qualities such as sense of freedom, openness, lucidity, clarity, lightness, elation, naturalness, aliveness and utter ordinariness. All these are qualities of awareness or buddha nature.
  
  
• In tantra, the self-charge is removed with the help of a guru and buddha-deities, that the master or guru has assigned for practice. In Open Heart we ask blessings and meditate many different masters of the Mahasiddha Family, but the main masters are Guru Padmasambhava and Guru Ma Yeshe Tsogyal. Buddha-deities are cultivated through singing and repeating mantras, verbal sounds, which are the main technique of tantric yoga. Also Guru Yoga is one of our central practices where master's presence is invoked and felt in one's own bodymind. 
   
• Deities are always learned or received through empowerment given by the guru or his representative so that the practitioner gets the deity or deities correctly. 
   
• In Tibetan Heart Yoga, there are over 20 different buddha-deities. The list can be found from the website.
  
  
• By using mantras relating to buddhas, the practitioner's mind goes through a transformation where the self-charges are released from all mentioned areas of the mind systematically. While some effects can be instantly experienced, thorough transformation takes time and committed effort because selfing is so deeply ingrained in the channels and centers of the energy body. 
   
• In addition to mantras, the practices include mudras (hand gestures), visualisations and breathing techniques. 
   
• Open Heart-method includes three approaches: sutra, tantra and dzogchen. Tantra is recommended to householders because it is easy to learn and practice, and it gives fast results. Results of Tibetan Heart Yoga can be observed from publicly released bhumi studies from the Open Heart-blog and Open Heart-YouTube-channel. 
   
• In Open Heart, progress in practice is measured with Open Heart Bhumi Model. 
   
• The first task in practice is to open the bhumis, all the way up to the 11^th bhumi which is the first ”mahasiddha bhumi”. Throughout this process one has glimpses and insights into the selfless nature of the mind and also grows in experiencing natural awareness. 
   
• When the 11^th, 12^th and 13^th bhumis open up, awareness becomes one's default mode. Opening of the 11^th bhumi brings an important paradigm shift as one mostly rests in the natural state. There is no need to ”get back to it” anymore. From this point onwards, tantric and dzogchen practice is continued for the reason of removing all habits, tendencies and karmas which in other words is perfecting the bhumis.
  
  
• First (of three) stages of buddhahood is attained when the whole energetic body, including all channels and centers, relating to the four aspects of the mind, and the first 10 bhumis, is fully purified. After this there are no impulsive actions in one's mind at all. Being a ”buddha” means being free of one's mind while still having it. This is what the famous line from the Heart Sutra means: ”Form is emptiness, emptiness of form. Form is form, emptiness is emptiness”. A buddha does not experience selfing at all and because of this is no longer a samsaric being. The first stage of buddhahood could be described as ”mental nonduality” while the latter two stages, referring to 12^th and 13^th bhumis concern ”physical nonduality” and the so called ”light body” or ”rainbow body”. 
   
• In Open Heart, attaining the first stage of buddhahood where all of psychology has dissolved into awareness, is seen as a realistic goal to be achieved in this body and life. It is not something that should be postponed because that is what we truly are.

Open Heart

www.openheart.fi

*

May be freely copied and quoted with mentioning the source

Copyright Kim Katami 2017

What to do when the world goes down hill

What to do when the 
 world goes down hill

An answer to an email.

P. had a similar peak of anguish because of the Paris attacks which is interesting from the viewpoint of "collective" subconsciousness (krishna yoni), which is your main job now. Of course, this kind of worried or frustrated reactions are nothing new to spiritually inclined people who often since childhood feel the pain that humanity inflicts on itself and on other beings. I know it too. This might sound a bit indifferent but I think that even us who are empathetic and try to be compassionate towards other beings, shoud not be too concerned about what is going on in the samsaric world. I think it is not good to be too bothered, troubled or burdened of what is going on. This planet with human beings in the lead is largely a place of blind action. That is how it is. I doubt, and I am not saying this negatively or cynically, that it will ever change from being like that. I hope it would change but at this point I am not too troubled about it or loosing my night's sleep because existentially blind people keep doing what they have done for ages and what they no doubt will keep doing in the future. I am saying this from a practical point of view. It doesn't mean I am indifferent to the pain and suffering of so many innocent victims of all these violent terrorist acts out there, I am not. But let's be smart about this and look at the core issue of it.

We who are on the yogic path, we try to understand our minds with the help of some meditation and mind training practices. We who have the possibility and circumstances to do this, are in a unique position because it is the ultimate way to eradicate that very existential blindness which causes hate, intolerance, fundamentalism and violence. I think it is the responsibility of us meditating yogis to practice what we have been taught, which is a priviledge that most people of the world do not have, and actualise the teachings. A politician will do his job, a police officer his, a soldier his, a doctor his and a lawyer his. Us yogis should do ours. Why? Because it is in the mind of ours where the causes of these terrible actions lie at. If you are just a bit angry  with some strong religious views in this life, maybe it doesn't seem so bad now but what will happen to this seed of anger and sectarianism in the next life or the life after that? Floods are created by small drops of water. We might end up like religious terrorists doing terrible things to others, violating our very own nature of wise compassion because of taking thoughts too seriously. We really should realise the dharma teaching. This is important. The matter of samsara and nirvana is serious for people who understand this because they realise that actions have consequences. But for others, it may not be so serious, they just act after their thoughts and ideas whatever they may be. Only person him- or herself knows what is best to him because it is all relative. From the absolute point of view, a yogi should be able to say what is wise and what is unwise, what is helpful and what is harmful, but we cannot make anyone accept our views because ours is the "right view" or the "only view". Earth as a realm is like that and human beings, often within their worlds of limited options, can and should be allowed to do what they want. It is like a big samsaric pot of many sorts of ingredients affecting each other. Life on Earth can be heavenly or hellish to people depending on their karma. Initially, it all comes from former tendencies and as we make further use of options available to us, we stir the pot, each in a way that we see as best. We all try to get to permanent happiness. I don't think anyone really attempts to lengthen their confusion, pain and suffering. No, we all try to get to happiness. But we are confused and do not know what happiness really is. There are so weird conceptions of what it is. What is crazy about humans is that you can take basically any weird thought-pattern and create a religion out of it. And get many followers! That is how poorly humans at large know themselves.

I think it is logical to think that planet Earth is not the only place where dharma-teachings are available. Surely not. We are not that special, although us humans would like that thought a lot, wouldn't we. Ha! No, I don't think we are that special. Human life is special because it has enormous spiritual capacity, enormous potential. But to tap it one needs to have liberating karma which means connections to teachings and teachers, plus circumstances to practice in order to release and make use of that potential. How many people in the world or in your city do practice meditation daily? It's a tiny portion of the whole population. Tiny. It may not have a great instant impact on the world or our city but it makes all the difference to ourselves, doesn't it? And when the karmic weather and the factors are there, yes, it is possible to tap all of that spiritual potential and become buddhas and christs.

We are human beings now so let's make the best of our lives and the circumstances we are in now. However, being human is just a temporary condition we are in at the moment. None of us is going to remain as a human for ever. None of us is going to be here in these same bodies after 100 years (or maybe few newborns will). To be a human now, with a human body and a human mind, with human circumstances and human friends is temporary. We have not always been humans and will not always remain as humans. At some instant, we will shed our bodies. As children we might be able to remember past lives as humans or in other forms, such as animals or in subtle form as spirit beings. But when we grow up, we usually forget about all this and become identified, locked, to being a human. However, this is just a temporary condition and if our minds becomes locked to believing that all we are are these bodies with four limbs, walking on two feet with an erect spine, talking and thinking about whatever it is that humans talk and think about, well, that's just another way of locking ourselves in a cage. An actor rehearses and acts different roles. Sometimes a master actor may have difficulty in shaking off of a role but in general actors know that they are acting a role, they do not really believe them being the acted character. I assume Sylvester Stallone always knew that he was acting Rocky Balboa and he didn't continue to talk and behave as Rocky when the film was done. However, us people do really come to believe all kinds of things, including that we are essentially human beings with 70 kg and 170 cm bodies doing all the stuff we do. But it's just a momentary role. How seriously you want to take that? Essentially, in the most profound meaning of the word, we are not limited to human body or the human mind. Essentially, we are colourless, shapeless, centerless, perfectly pure, transparent and selfless awareness. We are buddha nature. We are clarity itself. We are love itself. We are kindness itself. We are connectedness. We are not merely the relative condition we are in as human being with physical bodies, thoughts and ideas. We should know who we really are. That is what you should do, if that is something you want to do.

When we mature in this view, we should make this knowhow available to others. Share and guide others who have recognised the same problem. That's the way to go about it.

- Kim Katami, 18.7.2016

Open Heart, 
www.openheart.fi

Herääminen ja karminen puhdistuminen

Herääminen ja karminen puhdistuminen

A.W. kirjoitti: Eikö minä voi hiipiä salakavalasti takaisin vuosien mittaan? Miten karman puhdistaminen liittyy heräämiseen?

Baba kirjoitti: Ei se voi hiipiä vaikka kuinka salakavalasti yrittäisi, heh. Kun on kerran nähnyt miten taikatemppu tehdään niin ei se enää toistamiseen illuusiolta näytä.

Kysymys karman/mielen puhdistamisesta on kurrentti. On tavallista, että herääminen ja mielen puhdistaminen menevät sekaisin eli niitä ei usein osata erottaa toisistaan vaikka ne koskevat kahta selvästi erotettavissa tai erikseen havainnoitavaa osaa mielessämme. Monesti näkee sanottavan, että jotain "harjoitusta tai meditaatiota tehden mieli puhdistuu ja jossain vaiheessa valaistuu kun mieli on tarpeeksi puhdas". Se on vähän sinnepäin toki mutta käytännön tasolla ei mene ihan niin.

Karmista puhdistumista voidaan saada aikaan niin ennen kuin jälkeen heräämisen mutta karmista puhdistumista ei saada vietyä loppuun ilman heräämistä. Hyvä esimerkki tästä on eräs ranskalainen oppilaani joka meditoi "päätoimisesti" 30 vuotta, josta 12 vuotta munkkina, ja siten sai aikaan paljon mielen puhdistumista kuitenkaan saavuttamatta heräämistä.

Herääminen eli minä-harhan poistuminen on universaali asia, joka tunnetaan kaikissa merkittävissä mielen harjoittamisen suuntauksissa. Se on asia, jota ei voida eikä pystytä sivuuttamaan siitä syystä, että ihmismielen harhan anatomia sitä vaatii. On siis myös suuntauksia, joissa sanotaan, että heräämistä ei tarvita koska "meidän perinteen harjoitus on vain olla koko ajan läsnä" tai että "herääminen tapahtuu kun mieltä puhdistetaan tarpeeksi" mutta nämä molemmat näkökannat eivät pidä paikkaansa käytännössä. Kuten olen itsekin selostanut tänne postaamissani teksteissä niin jatkuva läsnäolo tai katkeamaton mindfulness on mahdotonta ilman minä/subjekti-harhan lävitse näkemistä. Se ei ole tulkinta kysymys vaan se on yksinkertaisesti mahdotonta. Toki jääräpäät saavat pitäytyä tulkinnoissaan niin halutessaan, heh.

Herääminen ja karminen puhdistuminen koko kehon alueella tarkoittaa vapauden saavuttamista. Theravadassa, josta mindfulness oppi kumpuaa tätä sanotaan nirvanaksi tai arhat-saavutukseksi. Heräämisiä tapahtuu nykyisin niin Suomessa kuin maailmallakin jo aika mukavaan tahtiin. Minä tunnen henkilökohtaisesti noin 60 herännyttä, joista suuri valtaosa on heränneet tämän vuosituhannen puolella. Vapautuneitakin on ympäri maailmaa mutta huomattavasti harvemmassa kuin heränneitä.

Olen vanhassa Guru's Light-blogissani selostanut karmisen puhdistumisen ja heräämisen suhdetta laajalti. Tekstejä voi hakea sieltä.

Jos aihe ylipäätään kiinnostaa niin suosittelen liittymään tähän ryhmään jonne olen ladannut paljon heräämiseen liittyvää materiaalia, myös monilta ulkomaalaisilta opettajilta. https://www.facebook.com/groups/1494821560780620/?ref=bookmarks

 

- Baba Kim Katami, 4.2.2016

Open Heart,

www.openheart.fi

Karma

 Karma

Lue selostukseni "Nondualismi" ennen tätä tekstiä.

Karma. Selostukseni ja opetukseni koskee siis mieltä ja tietoista kokemusta, enkä toistaiseksi ole kokenut aiheelliseksi selostaa muita asioita vaikka niin nondualismi kuin karmakin ulottuu myös mielen ulkopuolelle muihin aihealueisiin. Mitä tulee mieleen eli psykologiaamme ja sen ehdollistuneeseen tai ehdollistumattomaan tilaan niin siihen liittyy keskeisesti syyn ja seurauksen laki, joka tarkoittaa toimintaa ja toiminnan seurausta. Puhutaan karman laista. Tämä tarkoittaa, että on olemassa jokin tai jotkin syyt siihen miksi mielemme on sekava ja ehdollistunut, toisin sanoen dualistinen. Mielen ehdollistuneisuus on seurausta siitä, että olemme mieltäneet asioiden olevan tavalla miten ne eivät todellisuudessa ole. Tämä harhakuviin ja -käsityksiin uskominen, niiden totena pitäminen on syy tyytymättömyyteemme eli siihen miksi koemme, että jokin meissä tai elämässämme on pielessä. Niin syy kuin seurauskin eli "karma", on (ensisijaisesti) mielessä. Päästäksemme pois tästä virhehavaintoihin perustuvien käsitysten ja ehdollistumien kierteestä, karmisten pinttymien luomasta samsarasta, meidän täytyy korjata asia tietoisen kokemuksen tunnistamalla. 

Syy siihen miksi tämä on lääke dualististen ehdollistumien eli karmisten jälkien poistamiseksi on siinä, että tietoinen kokemus ei ole dualistinen vaan nondualistinen. Se puolestaan voi tapahtua monin teknisin tavoin, eri jooga/meditaatiomenetelmin. On siis syy ja seuraus niin mielen ehdollistumiselle kuin myös sen ehdollistumattomaksi tekemiselle. 

Tämä ehdollistumattomaksi tekeminen tarkoittaa mielen sisältöjen asettamista laajempaan perspektiiviin ja niiden todellisen luonteen näkemistä, niiden oivaltamista (insight). Tätä puolestaan seuraa todentaminen elävässä elämässä. Tämä saadaan aikaan harjoittamalla, joka siis myös noudattaa syyn ja seurauksen lakia. On syy tyytymättömyydellä ja on syy tyytymättömyydestä vapautumisella. 

Puhun usein karman kolmesta lajista: hyvä karma, huono karma ja vapauttava karma. Näistä kaksi ensimmäistä viittaavat suotuisiin ja epäsuotuisiin olosuhteisiin. Näin mielen harjoittamisen ja nondualismin näkökulmasta katsottuna niiden arvo ei ole siinä miten ehdollistunut mielemme eli minämme nämä karmamme eteentuomat asiat ja olosuhteet mieltää (mieluinen vs. epämieluinen) vaan siinä miten nämä ensisijaisesti mielessämme koetut mieluiset tai epämieluiset ehdollistumat saavat aikaan tyytymättömyyden kokemuksia ja sitä kautta saavat ihmisen etsimään tietä siitä ulos. Tästä näkökulmasta katsottuna sekä hyvät, että huonot olosuhteet voivat toimia mielen ymmärtämistä vauhdittavina tekijöinä. Mielen harjoittaminen, joogaaminen ja meditoiminen, (jos opetus huomioi validilla tavalla mielen harjoittamisen ulottuvuuden) on vapauttavaa toimintaa, jolla on looginen seurauksensa eli vapautuminen mielen ehdollistumisesta. 

Tämä on selostukseni karmasta. Ehkä se ei ole kovin hienostunut tai kattava mutta näkisin, että toimiva ja sovelluskelpoinen.

- Baba, 1.2.2016.

Open Heart,
www.openheart.fi