How to Do Green Tara Practice

To me believing ego is needed to be spiritual is not a good belief to hold. To me, ego is not even real. It's a creation. It is taking our content to be who or what we are. Right now, this very moment, what are we? Are we arguing whether or not one dog is biting another or are we simply seeing things as they are?

If we are simply seeing things as they are, where is ego? If we simply are here now empty, fully aware of what is, but not identified or attached to it in anyway where is ego? What have I got to assert? I say that dog is biting that other one. That's all. Put me on trial for it lol. Look you have an ego! Ok, that's fine. One is above, the other below. One is right and one is wrong. That's what one creates through an assertion of an idea, that is what one sees through identification with a thought. Conflict and division is created.

I have posted several times one can point at others too much. It's never about the other. It's about ourselves and what we are in this moment. Are we asserting an ego? Or just stating the facts as we understand them?

Is it "higher" to do one or the other? We do what we do. Based on our self understanding and awareness. Our understanding and awareness creates action. Actions lead to karma. Action is a natural product of who or what we are in any given moment. Who and what we are in any given moment creates a vibration of being. Attachment or detachment from various energies which all have their particular alignment or vibration. The source, the divine, has it's own particular vibration. Our Buddha nature, our true self, is aligned with the source. With loving kindness, with emptiness, peace, love. Non-judgement. That all has a vibrational frequency.

People can assert their human nature or the nature of the source or Buddha nature in any given moment. The one we choose creates our future as we are drawn to places that match our vibration. To escape the cycle of rebirth, we need to not have the energy of this physical dimension, to have the attachment and association with various lower energies. So it's wholly up to us. My advice, is don't have an ego. Ego is human. Self centered. Be nobody and nothing. Raise our vibration.

Be selfless. I was reading some Buddhist web site once and it was describing the eightfold path and Buddha's teachings and it said quote "Buddha transcended self interest." That was a beautiful way to describe it to me. That was Buddha's teaching.

Really belief does not matter in one sense. Anything someone posts here. Why does it matter? But in another sense it matters as what we believe affects what we do, and what we do affects the world and each other. But then there is you and me. We are identical. Exactly the same. Different ideas in our minds, but if we leave those ideas, put them to the side, just be,..... "empty" we meet and love is there. No judgement, no higher or lower, no right and wrong, just awareness and light. The mystery of being. Connection to each other and the source. No past, just now as it is. Peace, love.

[Miss Hepburn]

You guys are great...but I forgot to place this somewhere in the Buddhist Section.

General reminder I'm placing on some random threads and for some new people unaware - welcome here:
*The Administration has asked for almost a year now when quoting others
please quote only 2-3 sentences...example, 'Ref to Post 32' can help things along.
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[Miss Hepburn]

Originally Posted by Antilope

If you could imagine no ego you probably attain nirvana right there

Hahaha, I know when 'I forgot self completely' - I did
see the Thousand Petaled Lotus Flower inside!
And the second, (sorry, I laugh here), that 'I' thought ---"Oooo, the Thousand Petaled Lotus Flower!"
Bam - gone.
Hahahahahahahaha!

[sky]

(Quote AbodhiSky........Be selfless.)
But don't forget to love ' Oneself '

[sky]

Thanissaro Bhikkhu a very respected Buddhist Monk and Translator of Buddhist Scriptures has written a good article on why the Ego is important. For anyone who is interested, here is a Link.

https://tricycle.org/magazine/healthy-ego/

Originally Posted by sky123

Thanissaro Bhikkhu...has written a good article on why the Ego is important. For anyone who is interested, here is a Link.

Geoffrey DeGraff (Thanissaro Bhikkhu) writes stuff like this in that article:

"A person devoid of ego functions would be...either a beast with uncontrolled impulses, or a neurotic, repressed automaton with no mind of her own, or an infantile monster."

No ego = A beast? A monster?

Geoffrey sure is defending ego there lol. So consciousness without an ego is a beast or a monster? Nope it's love! Geoffrey should try emptiness sometime! No beast or monster is there.

Selfless, not self centered, means a consciousness of love and peace. A being or consciousness full of compassion and empathy.

I was just thinking, since Geoffrey (Thanissaro Bhikkhu) went there, what would make one in Geoffrey's words "a beast with uncontrolled impulses, or a neurotic, repressed automaton with no mind of her own, or an infantile monster." Seems like one thing, severe mental illness. So Geoffrey is equating selflessness, a giving loving nature, no ego, with severe mental illness? Strange.

"On the air they rise and fly an invisible course. Their food is knowledge. They live on emptiness. They have seen how to break free." Gautama Buddha

Buddha makes an important point there. Understanding/knowledge is an aspect of our Buddha nature, of consciousness itself. With no ego, we still have understanding/knowledge, self awareness and identity. We are more ourselves, not less, with no identification with our temporary conditioning or ego. (false identity) We also have more awareness, not less! "An infantile monster" with no ego in Geoffrey's words? Nope. The opposite.

[BigJohn]

How to Do Green Tara Practice?

Some people get a poster or statue of Green Tara and meditate on that.

[sky]

Originally Posted by AbodhiSky

Geoffrey DeGraff (Thanissaro Bhikkhu) writes stuff like this in that article

Yes I know, He's a highly respected Buddhist Monk and has Translated over 10000 Suttas, amazing..... as well as Teaching and writing Books....

Originally Posted by sky123

Thanissaro Bhikkhu]

Nice little video of his community here:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GNZObPHlFwQ

[sky]

Originally Posted by Antilope

Lama Palden Drolma teaches how to visualize the deity Green Tara, who embodies one’s buddhanature. Illustrations by Tomi Um.

lionsroar.com/how-to-do-green-tara-practice/

Ask her for a teacher

Here's the Link Antilope...... https://www.lionsroar.com/how-to-do-...tara-practice/