Confession

[sky dancer]

Here is a Mahayana Buddhist confession practice. It is done with full length prostrations.
The Bodhisattva's Confession of Ethical Downfalls

 

[sky dancer]

This one is in my lineage. It's especially for Losar. (Tibetan New Year)
http://dakinimusic.com/wp-content/uploads/kilaya_english_pdf.pdf

 

[chloe]

Here is a Mahayana Buddhist confession practice. It is done with full length prostrations.
The Bodhisattva's Confession of Ethical Downfalls

Interesting

 

[sky dancer]

Interesting

That particular practice is encorporated into a fasting purification practice and is done four times a day.

No food. On the last 24 hours, no water either.

Prostration, confession, sitting meditation and fasting.

The practice is called nyungne.

The Nyungne Retreat is a Tibetan Buddhist practice designed to purify negative karma and accumulate merit and wisdom. It involves two and a half days of practice centering on the strict keeping of vows (including a day and a half of complete fasting from food and drink); the generation of the Bodhisattva attitude; and the recitation of the sadhana (meditation practice) of the 1000-arm form of Chenrezig, Bodhisattva of compassion. Additional commitments include strict silence and abstinence from intimate contact.

The Nyungne Retreat is comprehensive in that it combines practice methods from all three Yanas, or Vehicles, of Buddhism. The vows reflect the rigorous discipline of the Common Vehicle, the generation of the Enlightened Attitude reflects the Greater Vehicle, and the actual practice of 1000-Armed Chenrezik reflects the Vehicle of Secret Mantra.

 

[chloe]

That particular practice is encorporated into a fasting purification practice and is done four times a day.

No food. On the last 24 hours, no water either.

Prostration, confession, sitting meditation and fasting.

The practice is called nyungne.

The Nyungne Retreat is a Tibetan Buddhist practice designed to purify negative karma and accumulate merit and wisdom. It involves two and a half days of practice centering on the strict keeping of vows (including a day and a half of complete fasting from food and drink); the generation of the Bodhisattva attitude; and the recitation of the sadhana (meditation practice) of the 1000-arm form of Chenrezig, Bodhisattva of compassion. Additional commitments include strict silence and abstinence from intimate contact.

The Nyungne Retreat is comprehensive in that it combines practice methods from all three Yanas, or Vehicles, of Buddhism. The vows reflect the rigorous discipline of the Common Vehicle, the generation of the Enlightened Attitude reflects the Greater Vehicle, and the actual practice of 1000-Armed Chenrezik reflects the Vehicle of Secret Mantra.

I will have to spend more time reading that and see what all in entails. I did the Scientology purification program with fasting and niacin. Kind of a sci-fi sweatlodge really.

 

[sky dancer]

That's cute chloe. A sci-fi sweatlodge.

 

[chloe]

That's cute chloe. A sci-fi sweatlodge.

buddhist seems really disciplined in there practice

 

[sky dancer]

buddhist seems really disciplined in there practice

Don't look my way, lol.

I've done four nyungne's and look at all my flaws hanging out!

 

[Agnapostate]

I have been to precisely one Roman Catholic confession...my First Confession. Most of us just closed the screen partition between us and the priest, and read our notes.

 

[sky dancer]

I'll tell you what blew my mind tonight. The Lama stated that we should be prostrating to the buddha nature within our worst enemies.

We don't bow to their flaws, we bow to their pure essence that is obscured by their flaws. That means taking the people we truly have a hard time with, and remembering that they have a purity within them that cannot be destroyed by their negativity and remembering that each has been as close to us as our dearest loved ones.

Buddhist practice is simple but not easy.

 

[chloe]

I saw the dali lama once

 

[sky dancer]

I saw the dali lama once

What was your experience?

 

[chloe]

What was your experience?

It was a weird one i will tell you in my next confession...he he...there was a translator that translated everything he said, he seemed very gentle.

 

[Agnapostate]

Kinky.

 

[chloe]

shes married and Im straight ....he he

 

[Agnapostate]

No, I was referring to the Lama.

 

[chloe]

No, I was referring to the Lama.

he was a gentle being

 

[Agnapostate]

bang? what?

 

[Cecilie1200]

I'll tell you what blew my mind tonight. The Lama stated that we should be prostrating to the buddha nature within our worst enemies.

We don't bow to their flaws, we bow to their pure essence that is obscured by their flaws. That means taking the people we truly have a hard time with, and remembering that they have a purity within them that cannot be destroyed by their negativity and remembering that each has been as close to us as our dearest loved ones.

Buddhist practice is simple but not easy.

Another tenet of Buddhism that resembles Christianity. We're supposed to love everyone, even our enemies, because of the immortal soul in each of us.

 

[catzmeow]

However, speaking as an agnostic adult I have to say that facing up to my own shortcomings and faults (I have a list but it wouldn't fit on here) helps me to deal with them. Denying them is bullshit. I don't need a god to absolve me, I do need secular advice to help me deal with them.

I keep a journal. I think confession is good for the soul, but it doesn't have to be done in a church.