The Skeleton Visualization Method
I will describe another visualization method that one can use. In place of the merging of self and the Personal Deity visualization, one can elect to do the Skeleton Visualization instead.
How is this visualization done? After finishing the Nine Round Buddha Breath Exercise, one visualizes one's left big toe becoming swollen. As it is the right big toe of the Yellow Jambhala that is afflicted, does one pick the left big toe so it won't be confused with the Yellow Jambhala Practice? [audience laughter] This is probably not the case! Perhaps, when Buddha Shakyamuni first taught this method, he was sitting cross-legged with his left foot above his right foot and, when he looked down, it was the left big toe that caught his eye; therefore he talked about the left big toe. If he had crossed his legs the other way, he would have mentioned the right big toe instead. [audience laughter] Buddha Shakyamuni taught that, after one finishes the Nine Round Buddha Breath Exercise, one then visualizes one's left big toe swelling up. After swelling up, the left big toe starts to rot and, as a result, the flesh falls off, leaving only a whitish bone. One then focuses the mind on that very whitish piece of bone. What is this method called? It is known as the "thought fastening method."
At the beginning of this visualization, one directs all one's thoughts (mental energy) to that piece of white bone. When may one move on to visualize the whole body turning into a white skeleton? One may move on when the white bone of the left big toe starts to emit white light, which will take both some time and effort to happen. When Buddha Shakyamuni taught this technique of "thought fastening," he explained that one had to fasten one's thoughts completely on that section of white bone of the left big toe and think of nothing else until that one section of white bone started to radiate white light. This requires great skill After this, one proceeds to visualize the whole body swelling up. I am speeding up the whole process, as Buddha Shakyamuni actually taught that this visualization be done one body section at a time. But this might overwhelm one and make one's head dizzy [laughter] The whole process also takes quite a long time. Therefore I suggest that, when one sees the white bone of the left big toe radiating light, one can visualize one's whole body swelling up, rotting, and all flesh falling off, resulting in a white skeleton. The head of this white skeleton is drooping and completely devoid of vitality. This visualization is considered successful when the whole skeleton starts to radiate a white light. At this time one enters into a state of egolessness, because one has already died and what is left is just a skeleton.
Next, one visualizes the people one hates most in this life appearing before one. These are people against whom one holds grudges. They appear one by one in a row in front of one: one's ex-husband or ex-wife, the grade school teacher who used to administer physical punishment, the boss who consistently refuses to give one a salary raise yet hands out harassment every day, the people who often criticize and put one down. One visualizes all these people suddenly swelling up and their flesh rotting away. [audience laughter] When all the flesh is gone, they turn into skeletons with their heads hanging down —just as one's head hangs down.
The former visualization eliminates self-cherishing and brings about egolessness while the latter visualization eliminates grasping attitudes towards others. One has turned oneself into a heap of white bones — emptiness of ego. All one's enemies are dead and have turned into white bones — emptiness of others. Next, one visualizes countless sentient beings appearing before one, all swelling and decaying until they turn into rows and rows of white skeletons, all with heads drooping. At this moment, one is in a state wherein the self, others, and all sentient beings have turned into emptiness. At such a moment, if one is an adept in the practice of inner fire, one can ignite the spark at the dan-tien and start a fire which is used to incinerate one's own skeleton.
Now, the fire spreads to the row of other beings and, in an uproar, engulfs them in flames. Next, all of the rest of the sentient beings become entirely consumed by the great fire. At this moment, a stabilized awareness known as the Flame Samadhi will be generated.
Basics [28]. More to come.....
Readers can write to purekarmaservices@gmail.com for a .pdf or .doc copy of this book.
Om Guru Lian Sheng Siddhi Hom
Lama Lotuschef
I will describe another visualization method that one can use. In place of the merging of self and the Personal Deity visualization, one can elect to do the Skeleton Visualization instead.
How is this visualization done? After finishing the Nine Round Buddha Breath Exercise, one visualizes one's left big toe becoming swollen. As it is the right big toe of the Yellow Jambhala that is afflicted, does one pick the left big toe so it won't be confused with the Yellow Jambhala Practice? [audience laughter] This is probably not the case! Perhaps, when Buddha Shakyamuni first taught this method, he was sitting cross-legged with his left foot above his right foot and, when he looked down, it was the left big toe that caught his eye; therefore he talked about the left big toe. If he had crossed his legs the other way, he would have mentioned the right big toe instead. [audience laughter] Buddha Shakyamuni taught that, after one finishes the Nine Round Buddha Breath Exercise, one then visualizes one's left big toe swelling up. After swelling up, the left big toe starts to rot and, as a result, the flesh falls off, leaving only a whitish bone. One then focuses the mind on that very whitish piece of bone. What is this method called? It is known as the "thought fastening method."
At the beginning of this visualization, one directs all one's thoughts (mental energy) to that piece of white bone. When may one move on to visualize the whole body turning into a white skeleton? One may move on when the white bone of the left big toe starts to emit white light, which will take both some time and effort to happen. When Buddha Shakyamuni taught this technique of "thought fastening," he explained that one had to fasten one's thoughts completely on that section of white bone of the left big toe and think of nothing else until that one section of white bone started to radiate white light. This requires great skill After this, one proceeds to visualize the whole body swelling up. I am speeding up the whole process, as Buddha Shakyamuni actually taught that this visualization be done one body section at a time. But this might overwhelm one and make one's head dizzy [laughter] The whole process also takes quite a long time. Therefore I suggest that, when one sees the white bone of the left big toe radiating light, one can visualize one's whole body swelling up, rotting, and all flesh falling off, resulting in a white skeleton. The head of this white skeleton is drooping and completely devoid of vitality. This visualization is considered successful when the whole skeleton starts to radiate a white light. At this time one enters into a state of egolessness, because one has already died and what is left is just a skeleton.
Next, one visualizes the people one hates most in this life appearing before one. These are people against whom one holds grudges. They appear one by one in a row in front of one: one's ex-husband or ex-wife, the grade school teacher who used to administer physical punishment, the boss who consistently refuses to give one a salary raise yet hands out harassment every day, the people who often criticize and put one down. One visualizes all these people suddenly swelling up and their flesh rotting away. [audience laughter] When all the flesh is gone, they turn into skeletons with their heads hanging down —just as one's head hangs down.
The former visualization eliminates self-cherishing and brings about egolessness while the latter visualization eliminates grasping attitudes towards others. One has turned oneself into a heap of white bones — emptiness of ego. All one's enemies are dead and have turned into white bones — emptiness of others. Next, one visualizes countless sentient beings appearing before one, all swelling and decaying until they turn into rows and rows of white skeletons, all with heads drooping. At this moment, one is in a state wherein the self, others, and all sentient beings have turned into emptiness. At such a moment, if one is an adept in the practice of inner fire, one can ignite the spark at the dan-tien and start a fire which is used to incinerate one's own skeleton.
Now, the fire spreads to the row of other beings and, in an uproar, engulfs them in flames. Next, all of the rest of the sentient beings become entirely consumed by the great fire. At this moment, a stabilized awareness known as the Flame Samadhi will be generated.
Basics [28]. More to come.....
Readers can write to purekarmaservices@gmail.com for a .pdf or .doc copy of this book.
Om Guru Lian Sheng Siddhi Hom
Lama Lotuschef
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