u/Ap0phantic

Hello friends, I try to be cautious about not reading inappropriate texts, but it's not always easy to tell what is restricted. I know it's best to ask my teacher, but we have limited bandwidth and I don't want to bother her with this if I can avoid it.

I'm specifically wondering about the first volume of the English translation of Jigme Lingpa's Treasury of Precious Qualities on sutric teachings, and Erik Pema Kunsang's Wellsprings of the Great Perfection. I thought I'd gather opinions from people familiar with these texts. Are they open and readable by anyone, without wang, lung, and tri?

I've often thought of sutras as stuffy, repetitious, and somewhat unreadable, but I've been reading the Vimalakirti Sutra and I'm finding it spellbinding. I also really thought the Samdhinirmoccana Sutra (Sutra Unraveling the Thought) was great, and quite interesting - I'm thinking I should probably read a lot more, to shore up my foundational knowledge.

What sutras have you found particularly interesting and - dare I say - beautiful, and a pleasure to read?

Hello friends, I'm considering a mid-career shift into hospice, and I am looking at a few pathways to providing spiritual and emotional support to people in care and their families. Pursuing some kind of MSW/CPE combo with an emphasis in grief seems like one way to go, so I'm exploring it as an option.

One concern I have is that I'm a Buddhist, and realistically speaking, I'm wondering how much that would limit my options for palliative care or hospice work in the United States. I'm assuming that many Christian-run organizations would prefer Christian chaplains and may even not hire non-Christians for such roles as a matter of policy. Any perspectives or suggestions?

Friends, I'm studying a commentary of this text, but cannot find an English translation of the text itself, though I know at least one exists. If anyone can direct me to a copy, I would be grateful. Thanks so much!

Friends, I've read the Commedia several times and I love it, but I don't know much about the genesis of its composition. In particular, it seems to me that it must be rooted in some actual, biographical spiritual epiphany, though I don't know for sure. I do know that much of it obviously comes from religious literature and allegory, and there is a certain conspicuous element of score-settling, obviously. But there are other elements details that always strike me as though they must be grounded in deep personal experience, especially certain details of Purgatorio and Paradiso.

Is there anything anyone can say of this - do we know from the historical record if Dante had some sort of mystical experience that may have inspired him?

Friends, I'm looking for a copy of the long-out-of-print book The Tantric Tradition of the Nyingmapa by Tulku Thondup. If anyone has a lead on where to find a copy (ideally one that could ship to Europe), please let me know. Thanks!

I'm reading a Dzogchen text by Longchenpa which makes frequent reference to རྡོ་རྗེ་སྙིང་པོ་ (rdo rje snying po). I am not familiar with that term. The general sense of it is clear enough from context, but I would like to know a bit more about its specific meaning, since the Omniscient Master uses it quite frequently. I have consulted two commentaries and a couple general works on Dzogchen, but have not found anything.

Can anyone add a bit of color to this term, or refer me to a good source? Many thanks!

Friends, I don't think I've ever had a mala last more than two or three years before breaking, no matter how carefully I keep it. I wonder if this is a common problem - but either way, when your mala cord/string breaks, what do you do? Do you have any advice for keeping them intact, or for restringing them relatively easily when they go?

It is the destiny of all things that come together to one day come apart, but I'd rather slow down the process as much as possible! Thank you.

"The unconscious should be treated with grave discretion, like surgery. Many issues can be satisfactorily addressed consciously. If the unconscious does not obtrude, it should be left alone."

From Jung's vital essay "The Psychology of the Transference." I think this should help problematize the notion that Jung generally encouraged people to call forth the unconscious, or to set out into a fantastical voyage into the depths of the dreamworld. On the contrary, he frequently stated that it's best to create and maintain effective mechanisms for keeping it from surfacing.

Hello folks, I may be spending a fair amount of time in Santa Fe over the next few years and I wonder if anyone has any suggestions for practice opportunities in the region, including Albuquerque and Taos. I know that Ewam Pema Khandro Ling is there, but honestly I don't know anything about it or its resident teacher Gochen Tulku Sang-ngag except what I have read on the website. I gather there's also an FPMT center, and maybe a Kagyu center, as well as a Zen center with a fairly prominent senior teacher.

Not looking to gossip or anything like that, of course, just looking for impressions and tips by anyone who's familiar with the area - if it's a good place to lay a foundation for practice, especially in Dzogchen.

Many thanks!

This is an incredible, unbelievable milestone - the 84,000 project has translated 80% of the Kangyur and published 50% of it already, in a little more than a decade. This is a miracle for modern times. May all beings benefit, now and forever.

https://www.youtube.com/live/flR78NySlIo

Hey folks, Zalando has plastered my neighborhood parks and walkways with advertising graffiti - on the sidewalks along the river, for example, you see it every hundred meters or so. I suppose it's "temporary," but it's been there for weeks with no sign of fading at all.

If you're on the fence about buying something on Zalando, I'd appreciate it if you'd consider using one of their competitor sites as a way of letting them know that they should probably not appropriate the streets of the city and turn them into a giant rent-free billboard at our expense. If you feel as I do, please consider shopping somewhere else. Thanks!