Blue Sky White Cloud edition by Aloka David Smith Margaret Holmes Rob Grant Religion Spirituality eBooks
Download As PDF : Blue Sky White Cloud edition by Aloka David Smith Margaret Holmes Rob Grant Religion Spirituality eBooks 
The immanent model of dharma training is well known for its epithet of being a 'practice of no practice'. The paradoxical nature of this form of training found traditionally in China, Japan and Tibet is one that so easily defeats the Western mind as this generally will only accept something that fits its logical conditioning.
In this new book Western dharma teacher Āloka David Smith, who has nearly 40 years of traditional dharma training experience, teaches this often misunderstood training model to the sangha of Western practitioners of his DharmaMind Buddhist Group. This teaching is delivered through a series of talks given on retreat, where he offers from his considerable experience how it is possible to become comfortable with this paradox and put it into everyday practise, both on the meditation cushion and off it. With dedication and commitment this training he proclaims will bear fruit and bring a level of contentment that offers spacious mental and emotional freedom from suffering, and the environment for profound life-changing spiritual insight.
Blue Sky White Cloud edition by Aloka David Smith Margaret Holmes Rob Grant Religion Spirituality eBooks
This book is about the non-conceptual dharma practice of 'silently-illuming'. It is based on a series of talks given by the author to his students over the course of a retreat. The main subject matter is explaining and teaching this immanent model of dharma training. This is no easy feat, since this paradoxical practice can be the source of a lot of confusion and misunderstanding, especially, as he contends, in the west.This book covers a lot of ground, and the author speaks with a lot of clarity and experience. What is wonderful about this book is that the author explains the paradox that even though genuine insight practice is non-dualistic by nature, it is also deeply personal. He clearly demonstrates that this form of practice must take place within stillness. He also shows how stillness is not enough for genuine breakthrough - insightful investigation is required to gradually let go of the 'self' and reveal the freedom of what lies beyond - our true nature. The metaphor he uses to teach the two aspects of this training is that of the 'blue sky, white cloud'. He shows how this practice is directly related to the traditional Soto practice of 'silent illumination', or more accurately translated, 'silently-illuming'.
What I found most useful about this book was how the author was able to clearly explain that even though the practice he teaches is a 'practice of no practice', it requires great dedication and commitment to bear fruit. This is in contrast to so many of the Neo-Advaitin books that I have read, which seem happy to dispense with so many aspects of training, for example, ethics, concentration, virya, the paramitas, just to name a few. They give the impression that the student doesn't need to worry about practice or take a good look at themselves, and is already enlightened. However, what I also liked about this book is that the author explains the paradox that even though great effort is required, our true nature is so close we cannot even see it and is something that we have never actually left!
I found the book to be very clear and easy to read. It's easy to put oneself in the position of a student on retreat - it has a conversational feel to it. It is broken up into short sections; I found myself reading a paragraph and pausing to reflect on what I'd just read. There is a lot to ponder in each paragraph! Also, the metaphor he uses is clear and easy to understand. I was inspired by the book and by how the author demonstrated how I could bring this practice into my daily life. Overall, I would definitely recommend it to any aspiring dharma practitioner, especially those interested in immanent forms of practice, for example Zen or Dzogchen. Also, for anyone curious to explore the difference between `developmental' and `non-developmental' forms of Buddhist practice, this book really reveals the richness of the latter.
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Blue Sky White Cloud edition by Aloka David Smith Margaret Holmes Rob Grant Religion Spirituality eBooks Reviews
This book is about the non-conceptual dharma practice of 'silently-illuming'. It is based on a series of talks given by the author to his students over the course of a retreat. The main subject matter is explaining and teaching this immanent model of dharma training. This is no easy feat, since this paradoxical practice can be the source of a lot of confusion and misunderstanding, especially, as he contends, in the west.
This book covers a lot of ground, and the author speaks with a lot of clarity and experience. What is wonderful about this book is that the author explains the paradox that even though genuine insight practice is non-dualistic by nature, it is also deeply personal. He clearly demonstrates that this form of practice must take place within stillness. He also shows how stillness is not enough for genuine breakthrough - insightful investigation is required to gradually let go of the 'self' and reveal the freedom of what lies beyond - our true nature. The metaphor he uses to teach the two aspects of this training is that of the 'blue sky, white cloud'. He shows how this practice is directly related to the traditional Soto practice of 'silent illumination', or more accurately translated, 'silently-illuming'.
What I found most useful about this book was how the author was able to clearly explain that even though the practice he teaches is a 'practice of no practice', it requires great dedication and commitment to bear fruit. This is in contrast to so many of the Neo-Advaitin books that I have read, which seem happy to dispense with so many aspects of training, for example, ethics, concentration, virya, the paramitas, just to name a few. They give the impression that the student doesn't need to worry about practice or take a good look at themselves, and is already enlightened. However, what I also liked about this book is that the author explains the paradox that even though great effort is required, our true nature is so close we cannot even see it and is something that we have never actually left!
I found the book to be very clear and easy to read. It's easy to put oneself in the position of a student on retreat - it has a conversational feel to it. It is broken up into short sections; I found myself reading a paragraph and pausing to reflect on what I'd just read. There is a lot to ponder in each paragraph! Also, the metaphor he uses is clear and easy to understand. I was inspired by the book and by how the author demonstrated how I could bring this practice into my daily life. Overall, I would definitely recommend it to any aspiring dharma practitioner, especially those interested in immanent forms of practice, for example Zen or Dzogchen. Also, for anyone curious to explore the difference between `developmental' and `non-developmental' forms of Buddhist practice, this book really reveals the richness of the latter.
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