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1/ Woo! I’ve been accepted as an apprentice for Evolving Ground, a new group adapting Buddhist Vajrayana to a secular Western context.
This thread is about why I’m doing this when my principal interests are quite material: reducing XRisk, building towns, etc
This thread is about why I’m doing this when my principal interests are quite material: reducing XRisk, building towns, etc
2/ When I first saw that Vajrayana aesthetics were shockingly unlike the peaceporn of normal Buddhism, I knew I had to investigate.
I’d never seen anything this vibrant coming out of a spiritual tradition.
I’d never seen anything this vibrant coming out of a spiritual tradition.
3/ For context, Vajrayana is a Buddhist tradition that emerged sometime around the 700s. From its beginnings until now, it has apparently been in political conflict with mainstream Buddhism.
4/ Most mainstream Western Buddhism is derived from the older “sutric” forms of Buddhism, which is built around renunciation of things which keep you attached to the world: strong emotions, thought, sex, the body, self, pleasure, suffering, etc.
5/ From what I can tell, Western sutric-derived Buddhism has decided that: self, thought, suffering, and strong emotions = still bad, but the body, sex, and pleasure = good.
Vajrayana, by contrast, uses all these things as useful material for practice.
Vajrayana, by contrast, uses all these things as useful material for practice.
6/ Vajrayana almost successfully got introduced to the West a few times but then failed either due to suppression by Buddhist establishments or due to a few Vajrayana and “Vajrayana” teachers engaging loudly in bad behavior.
7/ At the time when I encountered it, I was inspired by the base reality that Buddhism points you toward. But I disliked that it anesthetizes many ppls minds on the way.
The vibe of Vajrayana teachers struck me as notably different. They seemed more alive, perhaps even…badass?
The vibe of Vajrayana teachers struck me as notably different. They seemed more alive, perhaps even…badass?
8/ Soon after, I came across Chapman’s Vividness blog-book and learned that this difference was not accidental.
Whereas mainstream “sutric” Buddhism is built around renunciation, Vajrayana (i.e., tantra) is world-embracing, emphasizing practical action. https://vividness.live/sutra-vs-tantra
Whereas mainstream “sutric” Buddhism is built around renunciation, Vajrayana (i.e., tantra) is world-embracing, emphasizing practical action. https://vividness.live/sutra-vs-tantra
9/ This was exciting to me, because the problems I’m interested in (eg pandemic risk) require practical action.
They also require tight coordination amongst diverse types (scientists, policymakers, mediamakers) thanks to their complexity.
They also require tight coordination amongst diverse types (scientists, policymakers, mediamakers) thanks to their complexity.
10/ I think diversified coordination is where Vajrayana may also shine.
11/ It seemed to me that Buddhism could facilitate coordination by helping people transcend pettiness (“ego”).
Yet trad Buddhism helps ppl transcend pettiness through conformity, the shedding of idiosyncrasies. This does not work well with diversified coordination.
Yet trad Buddhism helps ppl transcend pettiness through conformity, the shedding of idiosyncrasies. This does not work well with diversified coordination.
12/ A tradition that celebrates idiosyncrasy while still helping ppl transcend pettiness is needed.
So far Vajrayana is the best candidate I’ve seen. Instead of regarding idiosyncrasy at problematic, it regards it as useful raw material for transformation (eg anger
clarity)
So far Vajrayana is the best candidate I’ve seen. Instead of regarding idiosyncrasy at problematic, it regards it as useful raw material for transformation (eg anger
clarity)
13/ This celebration of idiosyncrasy is probably why you get practitioners who look like the first dude instead of the second dude.
14/ You might argue that many spiritual traditions bring practitioners to similar places (eg "experience of pure awareness")
While this might be true in a limited sense, I think it matters quite a bit what shape these traditions mould your mind into while they bring you there
While this might be true in a limited sense, I think it matters quite a bit what shape these traditions mould your mind into while they bring you there
15/ First of all, many spiritual traditions get you to believe in supernatural entities. You might attain some genuine realization, but at the cost of a rekked epistemology. https://twitter.com/TylerAlterman/status/1359533584806207503?s=20
16/ More, many traditions promise realization while causing u to censor large swaths of mind.
IMO these r going to warp u into shapes unfit for solving complex problems, which require a diversity of idiosyncratic perspectives, not zombie bodhisattvas. https://twitter.com/Meaningness/status/1356690266225213442?s=20
IMO these r going to warp u into shapes unfit for solving complex problems, which require a diversity of idiosyncratic perspectives, not zombie bodhisattvas. https://twitter.com/Meaningness/status/1356690266225213442?s=20
17/ In summary, if you want your spiritual tradition to enable coordination amongst diverse people solving complex problems, my opinion is that mainstream sutric-derived Buddhism is insufficient.
18/ Vajrayana may be a better candidate to redirect energy, given that right now lots of talented ppl in the West are becoming “Budd-ish” en masse.
19/ Large disclaimer: I’m only a year into investigating Vajrayana, so the truth is probably much more complicated than what a novice like me is presenting here.
20/ Overall, I’m looking for a tradition that affords coordination and whose methods bring one closer to clear-seeing.
I don’t think it’s possible for anyone living to create this from scratch on their own.
I don’t think it’s possible for anyone living to create this from scratch on their own.
21/ Vajrayana is the current leading candidate in my investigation. But it may be that in a year I discover that Vajrayana too is insufficient.
22/ If you would like to join in my investigation of Vajrayana, here is the starter pack I went with:
1. Chapman’s site for an intro: https://vividness.live/approaching-vajrayana
2. Evolving Ground for a practice community (scroll past membership stuff to posts and videos): https://www.patreon.com/evolvingground
1. Chapman’s site for an intro: https://vividness.live/approaching-vajrayana
2. Evolving Ground for a practice community (scroll past membership stuff to posts and videos): https://www.patreon.com/evolvingground
23/ ^^
This is only one secular nonmonastic perspective on Vajrayana. If you’re interested in a more religious route then…idk, you might have to travel to Tibet and do at least a couple years of esoteric rituals to get to the good stuff.
This is only one secular nonmonastic perspective on Vajrayana. If you’re interested in a more religious route then…idk, you might have to travel to Tibet and do at least a couple years of esoteric rituals to get to the good stuff.
24/ Evolving Ground isn’t the only game in town for nonmonastic practice. Other names I’ve come across are Pema Khandro and The Aro gTér.
25/ Finally, Vajrayana is not much concerned with metaphysics (eg “God lives in heaven” “A snake created the world”) so much as methods (eg meditation, yidam practice). So it’s a tradition to understand through practice. I recommend the Aro email course: https://aromeditation.org
26/ In closing, here is Vajrayana teacher Ngak’chang Rinpoche dual wielding pistols after talking about how fashion is useful as practice.
