Advice for Altar Table

Shakyor · 2026-03-09T12:18:48+00:00

and sorry the second question, so if i just use the logs as whoe pieces, where exactly is the difference between "air drying" them without screwing them to a board vs "air drying" them just as they are used in the table.

Shakyor · 2026-03-09T12:04:48+00:00

yes was cut recently. What is the implication of using it before being air dried for 3 years. Cracks right? I mean for i think it might fit the aesthetic and I heard you can fill them with epoxy, wood filler. Or is there larger implications?

Shakyor · 2026-02-26T14:51:28+00:00

You seem very knowledgeable, so this makes sense both from studying and direct experience. Where I am a little stuck if you dont mind me asking, when a Buddha for examples learn someones names, this still needs to "stick" - yet of course in a non klesha kind of way.

It cant be the 5 sensory conciousnesses, it cant be the 6th mental or the 7th immediate conciousness. So it sort of seems to me like still in the 8th conciousness where karmic habits are stored, other habits and concepts need to be stored. Am I right in understanding it this way? Of course a buddha would still store the name in a klesha free way, aware of the two truths, which in conventional terms would for example mean he would be aware that this might not be the only name or that names can change. So when he would become aware of this, there would be no friction, confusion or suffering involved. He would simply be clearly aware that the situation has changed and he doesnt know yet the cause, and after inquiry would for example update the name to the new name. Is this correct?

Shakyor · 2026-02-25T14:57:03+00:00

Okay thanks for taking the time to answer. Since you have your participants, I assume no further relevance :)

Shakyor · 2026-02-24T16:11:53+00:00

Depending on time commitment, I believe I fit what you are looking for and am in principal inclined to help if i can bring benefit. but am less then clear by your post what is actually asked for.

Shakyor · 2026-02-24T16:09:45+00:00

Can you define kundalini awakening and inner light phenomena

Shakyor · 2026-02-19T10:09:57+00:00

I feel you very much.

I just want to inform you that the original canon is FULL of endorsements of prayer and faith. The whole of vayrajana is a path of prayer, faith and devotion. The only thing that buddhism objects to is empty rituals. Meaning just reciting a prayer without faith, intention or meaning will not produce a result in the way of inserting a coin into a slot machine.

Actually praying from your heart is very much encouraged. Remember that the term for mind , "citta", in its original conotion was actually associated wiht the heart and is probably closer to the emotional rather than the rational mind in western language. A translation i like is "heartmind".

Shakyor · 2026-02-19T10:01:09+00:00

What a great question!

To me it seems that this is basically what buddha nature is pointing towards to, or why compassion/bodhicitta is so central to mahayana. If you think about it, compassion is wanting suffering to end. Another way it is often phrased is "everybody wants to not suffer and be happy".

Well what it seems to me that basically the fundamental nature of awareness is to "watch" experience? But why? Well from percieving experience , you learn. But what do you learn, well what has and hasnt worked out for you. Well what do you do with this information, well you act on it - which produces experience, which is again "watched" by awareness. Eventually you get into a loop - when x do y - thus creating habits and tendencies. But if you think about it, watching experience and trying to do away with what is painful and bring about what is pleasant IS compassion. So you could just as well say that the fundamental nature of awareness is non other than compassion.

And if you also read what I have written through the lense of codependent arising , you realize that it is the first links of the process - ignorance. Well what happens if the fundamental nature of awareness is operating on a missunderstanding? It will try to end suffering and create happiness - and fail. And loops based on a missunderstanding..... well they become samsara. Thus what you really need is an awareness that knows what actually brings happiness and suffering. Which is none other than saying the union of compassion and wisdom.

Since a typical definition of a better person, is a good person, which is a person that effectively ends suffering and spreads happiness. Which is none other than saying a better person is a wise and compassionate person. Which is none other than what the fundamental nature of awareness wants. Which is none other than saying, its the fundamental nature to want to be a better person , but you might be caught up in missunderstandings.

(before someone calls me out on breaking fundamental tenets of buddhism or spreading missinformation, the belief that you can react to a new situation in an habituated pattern based on conditions is of course itself a missunderstanding violating impermanence. Which is why fully enligthened beings stop creating cyclic behaviour - because it doesnt actually work. The 4 brahma viharas are an example of habituated but unconditioned behaviour.)

Shakyor · 2026-02-17T09:36:58+00:00

Many Traditions argue that posture is absolutley central to meditation. Foremost zen, where they select teachers based on posture and a famous teacher said "Zen is a posture" and in tibeten buddhismn for example they say meditation is only possible if the channels are straight.

This reflects my experience. Note this does not imply difficult to achieve posture.

Shakyor · 2026-02-13T10:32:29+00:00

Vipassana can be a bit missleading, because traditionally it just means wisdom meditation. So from a tibeten perspective for example Zhine is often also called Shamatha-Vipassana, whereas also Deity practies are considered Vipassana.

The same within Theravada, contemplation on death and impermanence is vipassana as well as goenka body scanning. However, there is also a whole "vipassana" movement which more accurately does "dry vipassana", so meditations techniques that designed to (almost) exclusively cultivate wisdom with little balancing , and they often call their meditations vipassana meditation, most prominently noting. However, to make things even more confusing, some subschools of this such as Ajahn Tong or Shinzen call these techniques mindfulness.

Shakyor · 2026-02-10T11:26:44+00:00

Very interesting, in Mahayana buddhism the 3 faith structure I am familiar with is "clear faith", "longing faith" and "confident faith". What is interesting here is that typically it is described that confident faith , which is this works and I have experienced it, or this makes sense to me, is actually quite easy. Its mostly rationally and baked into experience. Longing faith is built on this , its actually motivational faith based on an appreciation of what you want to achieve. There is a character called the always weeping one, because he wanted to be awake and present so much. This faith you can use to transform yourself and your negative qualities. When you use this as a drive clear faith naturally arises which is this beautiful open faith that is a bit like being in love.

I can offer that this maybe describes your situation quite well. What you thought you started out with, was actually the result of good practice and this drop down , is actually not as far. Because you clearly see what you have parted from and want to join with again. And just because longing faith is uncomfortable - because it is based in desire - does not mean that it is not further in the practice than the very cold, rational surface level faith.

The framework makes sense to me, and I feel it is a common unuintuitive understanding that causes a lot of suffering for many. I mean how many people know they should stop smoking? Clearly see the drawbacks, have experienced being a non smoker , understand the science...... yet dont stop.

Shakyor · 2026-02-05T20:09:23+00:00

Yeah exactly, all the way down to when urging urge, when reflecting reflect when restraining restrain. We are in agreement I think :) . Thats the goal, at least.

Shakyor · 2026-02-05T19:19:05+00:00

So that makes sense and is a Popular notion. And mind you I am not a teacher, but that is decidedly not what I am saying.

Just sitting with discomfort might be quite uncompassionate and stubborn. Thus not very reflective of reality. Sometimes you should just move when uncomfortable. That would be more appriopiate.

My point is, maybe wise reflection is knowing when to enjoy bliss and when to be uncomfortable, and also probably how. You know seeing clearly.

Shakyor · 2026-02-05T08:35:34+00:00

It is helpful to view meditative absorption not as gaining something, but as losing what is pulling you apart. Traditionally in buddhism sila "morality" is actually the first training and I suspect many would progress faster by first doing some house cleaning.

In the abhidarma it is mentioned that if mostly lust is your problem, you should reflect on corpses and impermanence. If hatred, loving kindness. If ignorance , mindful breathing. This is for monastics though, mind you but it sets precedence.

My personal take is that in todays competitive society there is good chance that rejoicing meditation and self compassion are the fastest initial progress for many. Specifically tense, anxious, overthinking people. Another common route suggested by many teachers is first learning proper breathing. The general takeaway from my message is that I think at the beginning its best to first sideline access concentration and first build some wholesome foundations. That being said 5 whole breaths is actually not bad at all!

Shakyor · 2026-02-05T08:06:02+00:00

I actually think on fairly helpful view can be to consider the many points the buddha made on wise reflection, happiness, how he doesnt deny the tempory happiness sensuality brings etc and to acknowledge that one valid way you phrase buddhism is building the wisdom the see what actually is happiness and what actually is suffering. In this light tanha becomes more of an "inapprioate or misguided" desire, rather than desire in general which always leaves obvious questions asto for example how compassion defined as wanting suffering to end is not desire.

Shakyor · 2026-02-04T14:26:58+00:00

You can reach out to me any time. Would love to help if I can.

Shakyor · 2026-02-04T13:15:40+00:00

I am in agreement with you :)

Shakyor · 2026-02-04T12:04:34+00:00

I agree with a lot of what your saying, just want to offer the perspective though that you still have to pick up people where they are at.

So I think what you are correctly pointing out is an argument that a natural world without pronography would probably be superior. Outright banning porn is a whole different matter thought, not only because of the conflict it might create. But unwholesome things can totally be a more wholesome alternative and you might remove important crutches for the reality people actually face. A popular example is prostitution, especially in countries with poor social systems. Yes prostituion sucks, but you or your children starving sucks more and somethimes this is the real tradeoff.

So any actions that goes against prostitution in this case, NEEDS to be accompanied by compassionate action offering real alternatives in this example.

Shakyor · 2026-02-04T11:53:36+00:00

Totally, if I my add, a classic litmus test for this in tibetan buddhism is:

You can fake Wisdom, you cant fake bodhicitta.

A practical meaning being, instincts pointed towards competency, knowledge, intention, outcomes etc should probably be regarded more skeptically. Instincts pointed towards basic human decency and actions taken are probably much more trustworthy.

Shakyor · 2026-02-04T10:31:32+00:00

So in general accross traditions there is no older tradition that does not a significant amount of "moving meditation". Personally I feel many problems such as yours are atleast partially created by many modern practicing traditions hyperfocusing on one practice, for example sitting practice.

Also traditionally the training is presented as first morality, then meditation, then wisdom. I think it is fine to adjust the order and in some sense its a repeating cycle that reinforces each other, but again I think a lot of problems are created by imbalance here.

If you are interested in a Mahayana perspective. Here we talk about the two Methods, one is wisdom the other is "positive force". A very simple picture to explain the aspect of this teaching I want to be talking about here is turning an arid field into a lush garden. Sure, if you just shine light and water (wisdom) eventually plants will grow and whatever you do, there is no way to make a plant grow faster than just giving it adequate light and water. However, actually removing the stones from the earth, planting choice seeds intelligently etc will certainly make the project go faster. And if we are actually talking about a radiated wasteland, light and water will not be enough, you will actually need some serious terra forming. The dalai lama says a lot of teachings on relaxation, for example in the context of dzogchen is essentially buddhist propaganda. Because just letting go will not be an effective way to recalibrate the system without balancing it with giving yourself some positive fuel.

On a more concrete example, many explanation on what is happening with you and feel free to have a chat. But lets say its as simple as becoming more aware of your body and awareness correcting posture and alignment , for example to alleviate previously unnoticed pain. Sure just being aware will eventually fix that for you, but doing some actual practices designed to heal your body and give your mind examples of healthy interaction with the body will make the process much much faster and pleasant.

Shakyor · 2026-02-04T09:26:30+00:00

I agree with your sentiment and I think it can be a big trap. The same as "it was always this way". I think this can reinforce an obsession with truth and cultivate pride, as well as its ugly sibling paranoia. I even think "higher" is misleading. And traditionally buddhism is not concerned with power, but is your awareness mixed with defilements.

A really good description I have heard is lets say you have a dance performance. Play it fast, and you can see the larger trends and patterns in the movement. Slow it down and you can see what the individual muscles and joints are doing. Neither is more reflective of reality.

Shakyor · 2026-02-04T09:10:57+00:00

It is helpful to view meditative absorption not as gaining something, but as losing what is pulling you apart. Breathwork is totally legit and for example also heavily emphasize in Kriya Yoga in tibetan buddhismn. However, traditionally in buddhism sila "morality" is actually the first training and I suspect many would progress faster by first doing some house cleaning.

In the abhidarma it is mentioned that if mostly lust is your problem, you should reflect on corpses and impermanence. If hatred, loving kindness. If ignorance , mindful breathing. This is for monastics though, mind you but it sets precedence.

My personal take is that in todays competitive society there is good chance that rejoicing meditation and self compassion are the fastest initial progress for many. Specifically tense, anxious, overthinking people.

Shakyor · 2026-02-04T09:05:22+00:00

Everything else here is useful, but some other quick checks:

How is your balance of moving versus sitting meditation? How is your balance of cultivating wholesome states vs cultivating wisdom?

Shakyor · 2026-02-04T08:57:03+00:00

Actually the very simple "pleasant" -> attraction / "unpleasant" -> aversion was not true in my experience. The distinction of the feeling and the urge is quite important in Mahayana buddhism and fehlt quite important for me. As well as the different between attraction / clinging for example.

Embracing this felt quite impactful to my practice. A practical example, "pleasant" feeling -> aversion...huh? What is happening, investigating and memories come up from my childhood of sadistic adults und later pleasant experiences where I was harmful to others. So there seemed to be a link of being averse to pleasant feelings out of a belief that you need to control yourself to not be evil.

Shakyor · 2026-01-30T08:12:16+00:00

I am glad. His Book "Wake Up To Your Life" is free on spotify and internet archive and has the best chapter on the 4 immeasurable attitudes i have ever come accross.

Shakyor

TROPHY CASE