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    What's What
    What's What
    What's What
    Ebook119 pages1 hour

    What's What

    By Sherab Gyatso Alex

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    About this ebook

    Purpose of this book is to outline issues that never become less relevant. What is Buddhist practice? And why there can be an effective teacher. Letting these issues to be outlined, allowing reader to arrive as they may. To define, not in a way of dogma but rather inviting anyone interested onto the path that is their own. We all know where the home is and how it feels. Buddhism on the other hand is often complained by Buddhists to be too complex. If we were to make it our home, it would simply reflect our inner situation.
    Topics mentioned are: Impermanence, Renunciation, Many lives.
    Then Buddhist Refuge with point of view towards practice. Why Guru? Nine Yana classification of practices of Hinayana, Mahayana and Vajrayana as is common to Tibetan Nyingma tradition. Also included towards the end is a short list of books and materials for further reading and research with extensive reviews.

    LanguageEnglish
    PublisherSherab Gyatso Alex
    Release dateJun 23, 2016
    ISBN9781311228819
    What's What
    Author

    Sherab Gyatso Alex

    Alex Sherab Gyatso is a married, Russian born yogi practitioner residing in Upstate NY with focus in practice lineages of Buddhist Dharma of Tibet, mostly as it reaches us today in the West through Nyingma traditions.Born in 1974 in Soviet Union, Moscow. The country that at time did not have a state-wide religious following and although since the time of 2nd world war Russian Greek Orthodox Church was allowed to have the doors open in just about every city, it still would remain to be very private undertaking to go in.A most memorable story about the spirituality that in a way very definably “set me sail” was a moment when I stood in from of the bookshelf and pointing to several volumes of old, beautifully bound books titled “Religions of the World” I asked my father: “Which one is the best?”To which my father rather fast but in a thoughtful way said:“Buddhism for sure”As I was eight and have read captions and looked all over the books, I could place it in the book somewhat. So, in same thoughtful way I asked:“Why Buddhism?”Then answer arrived that had to be explored again, my father said:“It is the easiest one”To that I surely had to ask, again:“How is it easy?”My father then continuing:“All you need is to know your mind” With a slight puzzling feel I asked then:“How do you know your mind?”Assuredly my father said to that:“Through reflective contemplation, of course” Somehow taking it at a face value, I seemed to know what he was talking about, likely only a child of eight could be so sure about such things. Through that I had unfailing connection to the Buddhism to this moment. I have gone on to become a fine arts painter, through that I was always interested in urban sage figures and painting sounds of music bands in performance. With my mother immigrating through Eastern Europe to America I could rebuild my understanding of what is around me, what is to be my home, ideas, and furnishings, all from scratch. Lack of fluency in English language seriously hampered my art career as well. This turned into a blessing in reality, because I have met American life face-to-face while working in antique stores, antiquarian book stores and at some point becoming a chef and running a kitchen of a restaurant, all prompting very intense self-examination.-From What's What (published summer 2016) chapter titled: "About the Author"

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      Book preview

      What's What - Sherab Gyatso Alex

      What’s What

      Hearsay and stories to define common ideas and Buddhist perspectives.

      To be of help to anyone on the path of search for the truth.

      by Sherab Gyatso Alex

      Published by Sherab Gyatso Alex

      Distributed by Smashwords

      sherabgyatso@gmail.com

      http://www.choying.org

      Copyright © 2016 Sherab Gyatso Alex

      All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photography, recording, or any information storage or retrieval system or technologies now known or later developed without permission in writing from the publisher.

      Table of Contents:

      Text Outline

      Homage and Dedication

      Preface

      Few words of introduction

      The direction is easy to find

      Characteristics of the path

      Two famous biographies

      On established habits

      Impermanence

      Many lives

      Buddhist Refuge

      The view

      The views of three types

      Point of view from at the gate

      Point of view of on the path

      Point of view of the result

      There is a reason

      Entry into Buddhism and descriptions of the direction of the path

      On manifestations of the Guru

      Manifestations of the Guru Rinpoche, the Padmasambhava

      On the modes of practice in Mahayana and Vajrayana

      Upward Inclusion

      Practice and the role of the Guru

      Final three remarks that I feel may summarize all of the above

      Review of books

      About the author

      Text Outline

      4. Dedication

      5. Preface

      6. Introductory words on the main tone of what can be discovered in this book

      -I would like to sound as a friend that walked you home in the evening, late and held you up in front of your apartment building door, telling stories of flight, Himalayas and moments of awakening.

      7. More on the Here and Now

      -It is never too early or too late, that time is always now.

      8. In addition to the here and now there should still be effort

      -Without effort to integrate, even the best knowledge is wasted.

      9. The direction is easy to find

      -Life stories of past masters are stories of liberation.

      10. Characteristics of the Path

      -Path of the search for the truth is not outward or inward, it is rather directionless, to avoid solidification of departure, path and arrival, with emphasis on the immediacy of available experience and depends on the spacious Buddha wisdom, wisdom of awakening.

      11. Two Famous Biographies

      - Biographies of Jetsun Milarepa and Marpa the Translator by Tsang Nyon Heruka

      12. On established habits

      -What to do, establish new habits, or try to be free?

      13. Habits of this life with the view of:

      -Impermanence

      -Many Lives

      -Buddhist Refuge, which is the actual continuous application of Buddhist ideas that we can connect to in many ways.

      14. The View

      -Purpose of writing this book is to encourage examination of all available points of view.

      15. The views of three types

      a). Views towards the path and towards the traveler.

      b). View from the point of start, or a beginner.

      This method of application is most consistent with practices of the householders and also monks and nuns in a monastery concentrating into the pure outer conduct of upholding the Refuge and Vows of Individual Liberation.

      c). View from the point of view of the middle, or of an experienced practitioner.

      This method is most consistent with practices of the Bodhisattvas that uphold Refuge Vows and can be ordained within lineages of vows of individual liberation but places intention and meditation above manifesting of external conduct wherever it is beneficial for others.

      d). View from the point of view of the result of the path, or of the fully accomplished one, even if conceived conceptually at the outset of the practice.

      16. There is a Reason

      -Why Buddha remained silent in reply to several questions. Non conceptual, non ideational nature of experiences that step by step bring us beyond mind’s labeling of ideas through clinging and rejection. Experience is the point beyond communication.

      17. Notes on the formal entry into Buddhism, Two modes of seeking refuge, requesting refuge vows from an actual person, a refuge vows holder, or seeking refuge in front of any representation of the Buddha.

      18. On Buddha’s Manifestations in this World

      a). Recounting of some of the events related to appearance of Guru Rinpoche the Padmasambhava in this world.

      b). Helpful notes on general calendar observance days throughout the year and a month.

      c). Description of main 8 manifestations of the Guru Rinpoche with additional mention of the12, month-specific names usually used every month.

      19. On Mahayana and Vajrayana

      a). The upward inclusion.

      b). The relationship of the view of 3 types to the 9 yana system.

      c). Practice and the role of a Guru on the path.

      20. Review of Books

      Review of just a few of my favorite books and texts that are highly suitable to augment any points brought forth in this book.

      21. About the author

      a). General, somewhat biographical musings.

      b). Selected reminiscences of where I have gone and what has changed my life the most.

      Homage and Dedication

      To all teachers throughout space and time,

      To all beings everywhere.

      Preface

      An exploration of the issues that make up some of the ideas we call Buddhism, which could be complex and hard to understand. So, let’s try to clarify some of the things. I have met many people born in countries of very strong Buddhist influenced culture that told me Buddhism is very complex or Buddhism is too complex. I even heard that some one born into a family of Grand Lamas complained Why does Buddhism have to be so complex? One of my early teachers addressed these issues with his own version of the point: Our mind is very complex. So, the method to liberate it must be equally complex, not to fall short. As I have always considered my self to be a follower of Guru Rinpoche even when I took teachings from other points of view in other traditions, my explanations on all of these complexities will come to the term so well known to the Nyingmapa followers of Guru Rinpoche discussions as One Taste or in the New Age teachings what most of us heard as Become One with… So, taking note of the number given as one, the answer here becomes:

      -How complex a single, that one thing is?

      Now, we are not talking as it appears about many things, apparent differences or actual complexities, rather an approach to cut through styles and words to find some meaning, which by definition is supposed to set us free. In regards to my perception of the atmosphere of today and why a book like this may be of benefit. Now it is possible through books, translations, periodicals, online publications and social media to encounter most wonderful things. However the presentation all too often seems a bit removed from the subject, similar to:

      -He said that they said,.. So on and so forth.

      Which in this instance could not be anything direct, the writer seems to be just reporting something that was said by some one else. Sometimes all this happens in order to mitigate the fact that there is all too often no request or willingness from the recipient side to receive any of these. All this marvelous quotes and bite sized teachings pop up on many screens and if are too personal, are feared to offend. So the point of view here shifts and it is never:

      This one is for you,

      You,

      And especially: You.

      So, we go on inventing complexity to hide behind of.

      The phrases that are associated with this often are His teachings are so simple, yet so profound – where the word profound draws the line of, this is the teaching and this is the teacher then this is me the observer unable to grasp any of these ideas that are nevertheless also are designated as simple. A wonderful example arrived on my facebook timeline on the day of writing this preface it was not much longer then something along these lines: … Dzongsar Khyentse Rinpoche teaches that Jigme Lingpa advised that a practitioner needs humility and confidence… Now, unless this is a translation effort work on one of the Great Jigme Lingpa texts or an actual transcript of Rinpoche’s teaching, even if partial, it could all be just both, humility and confidence are important on a spiritual path In a way of teaching, this is simple enough to be beyond necessity of constant attribution. At some point the karma that connected both parties of speaker and listener to

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