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Post by sagacious simian on Jun 11, 2024 4:34:15 GMT
Hello lovely people. I am Sagacious Simian, and I would like to officially introduce myself to this forum by outlining my personal approach to the Dharma.
I consider myself a student-practitioner of the Buddhadharma, but do not formally identify myself as a member of any particular lineage or tradition, per se. My approach to the teachings of the Buddha is a form of syncretic "Indo-Tibetan Buddhism" that is primarily built upon two specific traditions of Mahayana Buddhism. The first is the Madhyamaka tradition from Northern India and the second is the Kadam school from Tibet (hence, "Indo-Tibetan").
From the Madhyamaka tradition we have a line of masters (starting with Arya Nāgārjuna and extending up to Santideva) who helped to establish and propagate the profound, ubiquitous view of emptiness (essencelessness) and the skillful middle-way between the extremes of nihilism (the over-negation of phenomena) and reification (the under-negation of phenomena) that this understanding facilitates... And from the Kadam school of Tibet we have a wide variety of masters (especially Atisa and Je Tsongkhapa) who developed and refined two powerful methodologies for guiding Buddhist spiritual practice: the Lamrim ("Stages of the Path") and Lojong ("Mind Training") teachings, which provide a pragmatic basis for grounding one's daily practice in a mode of directly actionable spirituality. Taken together, this approach personally provides me with the perfect combination of theory and practice for actualizing meaningful spiritual growth amidst the tumult and commotion of the modern Western world that I was born into.
Overall, these two traditions form the backbone of my Mahayana practice and my spiritual aspirations, and I hope to show others how profoundly practicable and transformative they can be when they are taken seriously. I also look forward to reading and experiencing the paths that others are taking along their own spiritual journeys, and am always excited for the prospect of mutual benefit and growth.
As a husband, father, son, brother, neighbor, university instructor and academic, and a mentor within my community, I know that I need to be the best that I can be for the sake of those who rely upon me to guide, support, and live with them. The Dharma has been the single most powerful force in my evolution within this leadership stage of my life. And I am so happy that I have others to discuss these things with!
With that being said, I am happy to answer any questions you might have about the approach I have outlined here. Thank you for reading! |
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Post by JustaWhistleStop on Jun 11, 2024 16:03:13 GMT
As a husband, father, son, brother, neighbor, university instructor and academic, and a mentor within my community, I know that I need to be the best that I can be for the sake of those who rely upon me to guide, support, and live with them. The Dharma has been the single most powerful force in my evolution within this leadership stage of my life. And I am so happy that I have others to discuss these things with!
With that being said, I am happy to answer any questions you might have about the approach I have outlined here. Thank you for reading! Welcome, Sagacious Simian. It's good to finally meet you in a quiet, civilized setting. Your posts intrigue me, but the chatter that surrounded them was too much for my short attention span. It seems like you could be a great teaching asset to this community. Tibetan Buddhism has been one of the most difficult forms for me to comprehend. Yet it's been the most intriguing, since my early interest in Zen and Buddhism hinged on it being from a Tibetan source. I just haven't been able to break through the teachings. Maybe you'll be able to help me climb this last branch on my Buddhist tree. All I've been able to take from Tibetan Buddhism is the teachings of Bardo, a concept that makes absolute sense to me. I see it as an essential part of the belief in rebirth. I'm the sort of fellow that hates to take chances. My personal belief is that Indian Buddhism is the root of Zen, especially the EBT (Early Buddhist Texts branch). To think otherwise is to be afloat in a raft in the middle of a vast ocean, without a shore on either side. Thanks for introducing yourself. If there is anything in my comments that you might take as a question, of which I have many, feel free to answer them. If not, then take this as my, and I'm sure everyone's hearty, Welcome! Namaste. |
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Post by White Lotus on Jun 11, 2024 16:58:11 GMT
Greetings and welcome to the community! I have appreciated everything you've shared with me, and I look forward to getting to know more about all you have learned.
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Post by lcl1qp1 on Jun 11, 2024 23:05:31 GMT
"I consider myself a student-practitioner of the Buddhadharma, but do not formally identify myself as a member of any particular lineage or tradition, per se. My approach to the teachings of the Buddha is a form of syncretic "Indo-Tibetan Buddhism"
"...from the Kadam school of Tibet we have a wide variety of masters (especially Atisa and Je Tsongkhapa) who developed and refined two powerful methodologies for guiding Buddhist spiritual practice: the Lamrim ("Stages of the Path") and Lojong ("Mind Training") teachings"
Sounds quite similar to my approach! I've done Lojong training, which I found to be deceptively powerful. My favorite comprehensive text is Longchenpa's Trilogy of Rest. I also do a little dream yoga (referenced in Finding Rest in Illusion). I've enjoyed your comments on other forums. Nice to have you here! |
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