Could you explain how does golden dragon body and rainbow body differs from each other in terms of benefits and function? Which one would you personally prefer? And can we achive both at the same time? I tried to dig about golden dragon body before but didnāt find anything convenient enough. I donāt have much idea about golden dragon body but if rainbow body is what it is then I dobut one can obtain both feats at the same time. Or are the the same thing with different name? Would like to hear your explanation if you donāt mind.
Beautiful explanation Maoshan Ji
I think for most people, Kala Mrityu is when theyāve seen the faces of their grand children and ālived out their lifeā something like Vito Corleone in Godfather series.
Sorry missed this one.
My primary tradition is Kashmir Tantra Tradition where we have a concept called MahÄÅÄmbhava ÅarÄ«ra (ÅÄmbhava = Åiva +Åakti, aka one who has realized the Self as the perfect harmony of Shiva and Shakti).
In rdzogs chen (an esoteric school of Tibetan Buddhism), we talk of Rainbow Body. One does not need to materialize the Rainbow Body for enlightenment. It essentially means one has actualized Buddhahood. One of my teachers who attained Rainbow Body in Bhutan in the earlier part of this century has appeared in front of me and said, now he exists as ānothingnessā which is essentially the stateless-state in this case. In most systems, when we say a person has achieved enlightenment, it pertains to liberation from the current matrix of Samsara, but there are higher realizations possible even beyond this stage of Arhat-hood. Such enlightened beings, after dropping their physical body on earth, move on to higher dimensions and continue their spiritual practice. The realm I am most familiar with is the Pure Land of Bodhisattvas where multiple enlightened masters have confirmed this theory (thanks to Dream who helped me establish this connection). So, Rainbow Body is a state where no higher realization is needed, or present, not just in this realm, but in other realms as well. The other purpose of Rainbow Body is for the sake of guiding others on the path.
Essentially, the duality of mind and matter is what causes us to be bound to this matrix called samsÄra. There are degrees to which one can release this duality, and based on the degree, subtle elements are released into nothingness, or if the realization is full, intense, and stable, the body literally dissolves into light, sometimes leaving hair and nails/bones, and at times, not even that. However, such instances are becoming increasingly rare. The body, the mind, etc., are all constructs held together due to attachment aka duality - the more one sheds duality, the more of these covers fall away and the constructs are dissolved.
Also, in Tantra, we have the theory of elements. The origin of these is from Nothingness (or Everythingness) which is pure awareness to localized impersonal awareness and further deteriorated into duality which is the origin of material creation - starting with subtle elements (space, air, etc.) all the way till the earth, the grossest of the lot - and physical body hence is the farthest state away from Pure Consciousness. So, what then is the Rainbow Body? The reversal of this descent from Nothingness to Physical Body - and is a very difficult task.
The same phenomenon is described as Golden Dragon Body (or Golden Phoenix Body for women) in Taoist Mystery Schools (like our Maoshan school of Sorcery). The Hindu Tantric Schools call it the ShÄmbhava Body. In my humble opinion, they are all the same, described based on oneās own metaphysical framework. Interestingly, when I do some Rainbow Body related practices, I always experience the presence of several Bushmen Shamans (remember the Bushmen Medicine field?) who correct energy, at times even move my body in certain positions - which makes me believe that this phenomenon was present even among ancient Shamans, who probably called it something else, probably never recorded and lost in the annuls of time. It may also be noted that Tantric Buddhism absorbed the teachings and concepts of Rainbow Body from pre-existing and much older Bon Shamanism - so these techniques are Shamanistic in origin - although, Tantric Buddhism and Daoist schools codified and systematized the process.
Thanks for your explanation
The really old stuff is fun.
