WARNING!!! Buddhism ahead

[Xue Sheng]

Some intersting reading

Buddhist Basics

Feeding Your Demons

 

[OnlyAnEgg]

oooooo! more reading material! thank you :asian:

 

[JadecloudAlchemist]

Xue nice of you to post on the Chod ritual.

I do not think it was well known it is an advance practice though there are writings on and a book was published explaining how to perform the ritual.

 

[JadecloudAlchemist]

Just adding some info for those interest in Chod.

http://www.amazon.com/Chod-Ganden-Tradition-Instructions-Rinpoche/dp/1559392614/ref=pd_sim_b_title_2


http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chöd

 

[MA-Caver]

step two: Personify the Demon and Ask It What It Needs

In the second step you invite the demon to move from being simply a collection of sensations, colors, and textures that you’ve identified inside your body to becoming a living entity sitting right in front of you. As a personified form appears, a figure or a monster, notice its color, size, expression and especially the look in its eyes. Don’t try to control or decide what it will look like; let your unconscious mind produce the image. If something comes up that seems silly, like a cliché or a cartoon character, don’t dismiss it or try to change it. Work with whatever form shows up without editing it. Then ask three questions aloud in the following order: What do you want from me? What do you need from me? How will you feel if you get what you need? Once you have asked these questions, immediately change places with the demon. You need to become the demon to know the answers.

Wow, I've done this... even before I read this.
Number of years ago I was plagued with a series (yes series) of dreams/nightmares which I realized that it was my inner (demons) that I was struggling with. Finally after months of struggle I manged to (through lucid dreaming??) sit down with said "demon" and have a heart to heart with it.
It proved most interesting.

Thanks for finding those and sharing them with us... definitely worth-while reading material.

 

[CuongNhuka]

So while we're on this thought process, I recently bought a statue of a Bodhistattva (Guan Yin/Kwan Yin if you want to know). I was wondering of there is any specific I should to show proper respect to Her? Ie, a specific way to arange an at-home shrine.

 

[JadecloudAlchemist]

I offer Tea/Water and fruit. I also light incense when I approach and pray.
Also the same thing I give is the same thing I would eat.

 

[CuongNhuka]

OK, so any ideas for how to set up an at-home shrine?

 

[Errant108]

Are you a part of a sangha?

Do you have a teacher?

 

[CuongNhuka]

nope.