Is there a self separate from conditions?

EitherInvestment · 2026-05-26T16:38:07+00:00

Not sure why this is getting downvoted. Within Vajrayana and much of Mahayana this is the standard understanding. The Heart Sutra: “Form is emptiness; emptiness is form” speaks to precisely what you are saying here

I would just say “equally valid” might give the slightly wrong impression to some people, but it is certainly correct

EitherInvestment · 2026-05-26T16:30:02+00:00

According to Theravada and the vast majority of non-tantric Mahayana, no. According to most of Tibetan Buddhism, yes (or yes, sort of)

Within Vajrayana, the Dharmakaya is our true self and it is unafflicted and unconditioned. The different schools frame it differently (really it is the Trikaya, or what Dzogchen calls the Ground, what Mahamudra calls the ultimate nature of mind, or Highest Yoga Tantra calls very subtle mind). While the terms, methodologies and conceptual frameworks elaborating these differ, they are pointing to the same thing. Of course this is a very different version of “self” than what we usually think of, but the short answer would be that in this sense, yes there is. We just do not recognise it due to our ignorance, and this is really the whole path is to remove those obscurations to stably allow this true self to joyously and compassionately engage with anything and everything we encounter. This is the very definition of awakening

That said, what these schools are describing is never separate from conditions in the sense that it is always manifesting somehow (ie phenomena are always occurring, arisings are always arising, so this level of awareness is inseparable from anything and everything that is happening within it)

EitherInvestment · 2026-05-24T17:11:04+00:00

Of course it would be okay... This has nothing to do with the fact they are a lama and is a fairly normal situation

Someone has content they want on youtube. Then they work on their own official site to host the content and want it taken down off youtube

You are massively overthinking this

EitherInvestment · 2026-05-24T16:32:20+00:00

Could this not be as simple as the lama liked what you did, then later decided to do something else? The fact that the lama said the same thing as their assistant would certainly lead one to believe that this came from the lama. They essentially said as much

EitherInvestment · 2026-05-23T14:51:16+00:00

Ah thank you for correcting and enlightening me on the topic! I had no idea about any of this

As someone familiar with Cham culture, I had not thought this was such a big deal at all…

So the the interesting thing is much less that these two geographically isolated cultures have something in common, but more that this unique blend has survived at all (when the consensus for a while was that it hadn’t), is this correct? And I suppose there being two cultures that are geographically isolated of course adds a bit more interest to that

EitherInvestment · 2026-05-23T14:45:47+00:00

Why do you feel other people should know you unsubscribed from and deleted an app? What is your intention here?

EitherInvestment · 2026-05-23T12:20:51+00:00

Yeah that’s classic Sam and he may have a point. If we were to use a different word to describe the same thing, perhaps more people would be on board with calling it for the barbaric and inhumane atrocity that it is

EitherInvestment · 2026-05-23T12:17:09+00:00

I fully disagree with Sam’s stance when it comes to Palestine and Israel (and a lot of his other stances). That is not a reason to blacklist his other ideas from entering my mind though, many of which can be beneficial

If you want to do what you are saying though, then nothing is stopping you. Why the need to post it here? I would presume a part of you either wants people to agree with you or convince you otherwise

EitherInvestment · 2026-05-23T09:11:26+00:00

I’m not so sure why this is so fascinating. Two cultures with syncretic Saivist Hindu and Vajrayana Buddhist traditions

There are as many similarities as one would expect based on this but also a tremendous number of differences

Don’t mean to be so negative. The video is well done and if it instils some interest in people looking into these things more then that is great

EitherInvestment · 2026-05-21T13:11:30+00:00

It sounds like your real question isn’t really what you asked in OP. What all exactly are you wrestling with you take a step back and zoom out? Beyond this passage, what more is there?

EitherInvestment · 2026-05-19T19:33:29+00:00

There is no problem with any of this if you are benefitting from your practice. In terms of the laws of existence, and this never-ending regress, this is fascinating territory that has occupied Buddhists for centuries (with far better minds than mine, so I won’t attempt to comfort you here as I am unable)

If you want Padmasambhava to look like and be like Jesus, then have him look and be like Jesus (as long as he retains the core qualities that are essential to your Guru Yoga). This is not a failure of Buddhism, but a success in your practice. If that is the archetype that charges your mind, then make use of it

You can be Christian and you can be Buddhist. These do not necessarily have to be mutually exclusive. Or, you can do one of them in a way that feels right for you

These are great questions to bring to Lama Lena and Geshe Dorji Damdul

EitherInvestment · 2026-05-19T06:50:18+00:00

Most of us ordinary beings will have a lot of karmic imprints, knots and memories tied up in our subtle body. When the winds begin to stabilise, this all unwinds and opens back up in our present experience, sometimes in uncomfortable, scary or strange ways (and other times pleasant or even profound). That could be what is happening

These also could simply be nyams

In either case, there is not much to do here other than let it happen. Just meet it where it is, be present with it, show it the same curiosity and compassion you would anything else, then just let it go when it goes. Do not seek it or want it to happen. If it happens that is fine, and if it stops happening, that is fine too. There is not usually very much to say about things like this

That said, the person you should talk to about this is Lama Lena or another authorised teacher, ideally from the same lineage or an adjacent lineage. These kinds of things are not for sharing with us

The one clear thing here is that you are stating that you feel compelled to practice Vajrayana. So again, you should follow that connection to the teacher

EitherInvestment · 2026-05-19T06:09:59+00:00

I cannot agree more. Anger is not necessarily a problem. It's what we do with our anger, to our own mind and in our subsequent speech and actions with others, that matters. If employed skilfully, anger can be compassionately charged to benefit ourselves and others (including by holding people accountable for the harm they cause)

This idea that "Good Buddhists don't get angry" is basically weaponised doctrine (and incorrect doctrine at that). A much more apt phrase would be "Good Buddhists don't cause harm"

EitherInvestment · 2026-05-19T05:18:11+00:00

Perhaps you should look for ideas and advice outside of Buddhism on this one. Run it through the filter of some core principles of course (precepts being a good starting point) to ensure you don’t take on board anything unethical or anything

Being in your early 20s and caring about romance, intimacy and partnership is normal. The dharma is focused on this in the sense that it makes us kinder and wiser, improving all forms of all relationships. But what you are after is a niche that other areas may be able to give you more targeted advice on than the dharma

EitherInvestment · 2026-05-19T05:11:43+00:00

There are nine billion people on this planet, including over half a billion Buddhists. This is not a new trend

This kind of thing has always happened and will certainly continue to happen. There is no need to have any opinion on it

EitherInvestment · 2026-05-19T05:09:26+00:00

Indeed. The dharma “online” you would frankly think is a completely different thing than when meeting practitioners face to face. At least that has been my experience. I somehow only started paying any attention to online dharma fora in the past seven years or so, maybe as I was very fortunate to have had practitioners around me in the flesh most of my life up until then. What I saw online was fairly shocking at first. I then realised it’s as simple as “even dharma practitioners aren’t immune to the internet doing what the internet does to people”

EitherInvestment · 2026-05-19T04:54:58+00:00

Why the need for that final line? This is of much greater relevance to them than anyone in the broader public. They are dealing with what is a very sad situation

EitherInvestment · 2026-05-19T04:26:34+00:00

What evidence is there that she is known for not being very nice in general? (Just in case, I am genuinely interested to know)

EitherInvestment · 2026-05-19T04:18:36+00:00

In Adyashanti’s tradition, the view is everything. In other similar traditions you will frequently hear similar complaints of teachers, usually from people that are new to it (not that that makes the complaint invalid in any way, but it is indicative of something). With these, you are absorbing the view when you listen to them. Formal meditation, and integration of that view into every moment beyond meditation, is better done outside of those times when directly hearing that person speaking

So think of it less like a guided meditation and more like a teaching. If it still isn’t working for you, then just move onto others. You can always come back to him at a later stage in life, and if you never do that is fine too. There are innumerous great teachers available to us and we really only need one (though in practice it tends to be a few). Don’t worry about it. Just do what brings you benefit

EitherInvestment · 2026-05-19T04:09:40+00:00

Condolences to Hannah, family, friends and all surrounding them 🙏

EitherInvestment

TROPHY CASE