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Malcolm said very different things about Advaita Vedanta in 2012: "What are the four seals? All conditioned phenomena are impermanent. All afflicted phenomena are suffering All phenomena lack identity Nirvana is bliss. You can find these four seals in Advaita Vedanta as well. Just substitute brahman for nirvana and you have a perfect match. It is very hard to differentiate brahman from nirvana. Really, go ahead and try. I once forced Khenpo Tsultrim Gyatso to admit (I have a witness, incidentally) that there was no substantial difference between Advaita Vedanta and Gzhan stong in terms of how they presented their view. His only response was a sectarian polemic "But there is no buddhahood in Vedanta!" Now, mind you, I am not saying that there is such a thing. But when you study these texts, you come to realize, even as Bhavaviveka and Shantaraksita both observed, that language of Advaita and the language of Madhyamaka are more or less identical. Shantaraksita complains in his Tattvasiddhi to the effect "If you accept the nature of things is non-arising, why do you not become Buddhist!?" Now, again, I am not saying that if you practice Advaita you will become a buddha -- I honestly do not know. But I am saying that when you study these things, philosophically, at any rate, it is very hard to show the difference between Advaita and Madhyamaka. The main difference between them is that Hindus accept the Vedas as self-originated and Buddhists do not. But in Dzogchen we accept that Dzogchen tantras are self-originated, that they arise directly out of the sound of dharmatā. So, this is not really very different than what the Vedic scholars believe. For example, the Song of the Vajra is just the intrinsic sound of dharmatā, the state of realization of Samantabhadra and Samantabhadri in union. Though Dzogchen tantras do take pains to differentiate themselves from Upanishadic doctrines of the atman, these very same ideas get used in Dzogchen in a very similar way -- which is why there is a rebuttal in Dzogchen tantras of certain ideas we find in the Upanishads so we don't run out and say "The Upanishads teach the same thing as Dzogchen". So we can find a lot of parallels in Dzogchen and non-Buddhist teachings."
This "Teacher" Smith is the most obnoxious, arrogant, i9norant, rude, superficial, frankly stvpid fellow in the world and sadly it really hurts Wisdom's brand being connected with him.
B Alan hit the nail on the head when he said that some of us need to burn off old karma causing craving and attachment. I needed to go thru some things and consciously put "practice" and any pursuit of a path on hold. I started meditating at 21yr old and stopped at 35 to fulfill a need to experience some very human experiences that most people take for granted but that I missed growing up in an orphanage and foster homes.. It turned out all wrong but that was all right. I returned to active seeking by the time I was 50 and it could not have gone any other way...
One more thing to add - if you say with one breath Dzogchen and Vajrayana don't have a foundation (all dharmas are empty) and that Trika Shaiva doctrine pronounces everything as real cause all is derived from Parabhairava you create inconsistency in your philosophy. Cause both these absolutist views are identical on the level of contemplative experience. No difference. It is for this sort of superficiality that scholars are for laughs for genuine yogis and siddhas. Literally manufacturing differences where there are none just for sake of having some point of dispute or disagreements, cause the real practice and actual knowledge is lacking and certain jeeva wants to belong to ''superior'' school of thought. Yogis and realized adepts of either of those mentioned systems all agree on this point - there is no fundamental difference in quality of realization or values of these respective teachings - they to themselves, in their own right are full and exhaustive systems with complete arsenals of skillful means and methods that lead to final realizations. Some negligible differences in philosophy, whereas unifying common ground in experience makes these differences absolutely unimportant.
Malcolm has zero realization. Dzogchen practitioners have faith they will be liberated in Bardo after death. This is a religion, not a real mystical practice. I have known many of them in US, EU, Nepal they are not even clairvoyant. The best among them have some good dreams. This is very sad. When you try to give them advice they overreact and become inflammatory. I can only offer them prayers.
I like the sukhavati beeing called "pureland of the proletariat". The pureland way is so inclusive and wonderfull. May all beeings be free of opression ,hate and ignorance. Namo Amida Butsu
@@ezeeproproperties8352 i think thats why pureland method is so good, since it also includes heavly deluded beeings and offers us a way to buddhahood regardless of our samsaric nature, karma and ignorance. Still good to practice virture but we should know our limitations with relying on "self power".
Namo Buddho🙏 Dear bhante, or dear brothers and sisters in Sasana, can u tell me how to practice in alone lay followed life-anapanasati or satipatthana practice according with bhante Analaos books? I mean Mindfulness of breathing and Satipatthana meditation.
I would like to hear Wallace's argument on the Pure Lands. He is always so critical of science being dogmatic and argues how we can come to know the mind and therefore the nature of reality through the mind, through meditation which I agree with. But I feel like there is no science behind the pure lands, that it is based solely on faith and even reminds me of the Christian heaven (maybe a transitory one?). When I hear about the pure land, I imagine it referring to the Earth, to how I view (or potentially could view) reality today. It is complete as it is. Why bother aspiring to something that I have no proof of its existence? I know wisdom and compassion to be true. I am skeptical of the pure lands. Is there a reasonable explanation for it?
Once you understand dependent origination and how the world which we know has arisen, the existence of the Pure Land becomes clear as well. You can't approach Buddhism with a materialist mindset. Mind and phenomena are inseparable.
You don't even have "scientific" proof of consciousness and the fact that consciousness happens is literally the most indubitable knowledge that we have. There are no tools of modern science that can measure the presence of absence of consciousness. Does that mean that we mustn't believe we are aware because science can't prove it?
Excellent content. Just an observation: In the future, could you please place the microphone a little closer to the speaker in order to improve sound quality. Thank you.
Thank you for chat with Rinpoche. Subject of motivation or good intentions is tricky one. There is well known proverb ,, way to hell is paved with good intentions,, . Having good intentions our actions can worsen initial state of matter. So it is not much about good intentions but knowledge about consequences of our actions. All best.
A great example how great scholars and translators end up entangled in their sophisticated nets of mental constructs. Indeed, Malcolm understands and explains Dozgpachenpo clearly and well enough, yet, his understanding of nondual teachings such as Shaivism and advaita vedanta is so so superficial. He barely scratches the surface. Shiva is Adibuddha, plain and simple. Saying Shaiva tradition has a substance and dzogchen doesn't is a prime example of scholarly bias. Where do you place Samantabhadra, Malcolm?
Very nicely put. This video is hilarious, one doesn't need a pile of concepts Dzogchen or Advaita to cognize the profound sublime radiance of Realized Beings!
if shiva was adibuddha you would be able to explain and assent to the buddhas position that persons are neither the same as mind and body nor different that mind and body. but of course only those realizing the 4 arya truths can perceive this, the rest perceive a self to persons in answer to the buddhas asserted position above.
Many traditions became lost or corrupted because the followers fails to become realized/enlightmened and start to theorize the teachings to others. Malcolm is an example. Moreover, you will have more realized persons as a percentage in Advaita, Kabbalah, Sufism and even magic than the whole Dzogchen community. Malcolm has done 3 years retreat without result, if you spend 3 years retreat with a mystic you will do miracles. Dzogchen practitioners tell you that they will be liberated after death in Bardo. This sounds to me like a religion which promises results after death !!
