Phil Nguyen
@philintheblank
Phil Nguyen
Because they are methods, the visionary and objective worldviews have functions . A main function of Tantric pure vision is to produce “divine pride”—the confidence, based on direct experience, that we are actually Buddhas. A main function of the objective worldview is to support practical activity in the physical world.
Visionary truth, objective truth | Vividness
Once we have completely calmed the mind—stopped thinking and reacting—then we can step over the threshold into our inner being, where everybody really belongs. What we experience at that moment of entry is utter delight. That is an indication that we are in the first jhana. Immediately after feeling this utter delight, the first reaction of the min... See more
Wes Nisker • Biting Into The Mango: Doing Jhana Practice With Ayya Khema - Inquiring Mind
The basic technique was finding a “meditation object” — something or someone that sparked a pleasant sensation — then trying to intensify and heighten that sensation. But we were told to experiment, because certain techniques were likely to work better for some than others. This, too, was a marked departure from the typical dogma of meditation retr... See more
Manufacturing Bliss
Basic instruction for tapping into jhanic states.
Money makes us think we know exactly what we are talking about when we do not. It substitutes for self-knowledge, or at the very least delays our inquiry into what we really want. It is a medium to forestall. What money means is “I don’t know yet what I want, but when I do, here is something I can get it with.”
From “Full Pockets, Empty Lives” -Wach
... See moreMoney is a means to an end. It is only valuable (to us) once we have defined what matters to us. Accumulating more of it for its own sake will thus not make us happy. What makes us happy involves knowing what we want, and going after it, enabled by money or otherwise.
The best advice? Act normal, even if you don’t feel like it. Who knows if true love will indeed find you in the end, but it certainly boosts your chances if you can pull off functional optimism. It helps to remember that everyone hates themselves, at least a little bit, and the more you can refrain from projecting that hatred onto the world the les... See more
Don't Be So Attached to Attachment Theory
It has been said that man is the only animal that can feel sad after sex. Perhaps what makes money seem sexy is that we can similarly feel sad after buying something.
From “Full Pockets, Empty Lives” -Wachtel, 2003
To me, divine discontent is about cheerfully seeking out dissatisfaction. It’s choosing to ask, What could be better? What can I improve? It’s a feeling that practitioners across many fields—in literature, art, music, performance, film; but also the sciences, engineering, and mathematics—can relate to.
Celine Nguyen • The Divine Discontent
Since the ideal strategy for many singles is to date around enough to find someone worthy of marrying, the “game” is of a finite length. At some point, singles will necessarily have to double down on a date, i.e. , switch to exploitation. If you don’t date around (explore) at all, you may very well get stuck dating (or even marrying or having child... See more
Shreeda Segan • Dangerous Dating Protocols Web
Coming to a meaningful, informed opinion might take a lot of work. There is no need for one unless I am deciding whether to become a student. Otherwise, all that matters is curiosity —or lack of it.
Opinions and curiosity | Vividness
Shades of blue