Wholesomeness is what enlightenment reveals. Suffering comes and goes, but wholesomeness is unshakable.

Buddha mentioned how parts of a drum are replaced with different materials overtime. Dharma does not age, but the messing by ppl who don't understand Dharma don't want Dharma to continue ages it and replace or mix it with other stuff. Everyone is free to create something of their own, but not using Dharma as the framework or name

😂😂😂

@HumbertoMaynoldi Honestly I agree that Delson and David really could have handled the situation in a better manner. And I can understand why you are so against them now. However, the one thing that I feel you really messed up on was not making it extremely clear in your interview with being untangled that TWIM’s practice is not to blame here. Bhante really did rediscover the relax step central to the suttas and seeing as you are still practicing TWIM just like me, because it definitely works, I just wish it was made clearer. I don’t think you and I disagree on very much here actually.

Also one more thing, they did end up returning all of your money back to you right? I’m not trying to prove a point but I’m genuinely curious. If they haven’t returned the money then I’ll likely reconsider some things.

@@PlasticAccountto clarify I’m not against anyone and David you know fair well no monies were refunded or returned to me - I’ll come out in another video if you wish after I do my taxes and prove I used the deduction for the contribution if anyone says they returned or refunded any monies is a blatant lie that can and will be proved.

@@HumbertoMaynoldi Again, I’m not David lol. what motive would he have to make an alt account for these comments? He would have wayy more credibility on his own account. Is it really so hard to believe that out of the thousands of people Bhante has helped out, one of them has been paying close attention to what’s been going on in TWIM recently and is disappointed in how bhantes legacy is being treated? Everything I’ve mentioned is publicly available information in delsons recent talks on KZbin.

@@PlasticAccount ok David 👍

I’m sorry what was the elephant in the room that was addressed?

@@HumbertoMaynoldi it was the arhat elephant, or is it elephant arhat?

He has stated repeatedly That TWIM is only one of the methods he teaches. People are different and need different methods, and sometimes a combination of methods. Nirodha is not a trance like state. 🙏

Delson doesn't sound like he's someone who's focused at all on what the Buddha taught. He's now seems more of a cross between Teal Swan and Swami Poobah with his chopra-fu. Like 95% of what's he talking about not only isn't TWIM or Theravada, it's not even really Buddhism anymore. Like he says, he's got his own thing, Delsonism. But why have any emphasis on what the Buddha actually taught like the Suttavadins urge -- when the star teacher now believes anything goes ? It must be a bit hard for Suttavadins not to cringe a bit eh?

@@wolfk2258 No cringing here. I am a TWIM practitioner, and I have had positive changes. However, I appreciate having a range of tools to handle my particular condition. It is not "anything goes", It's anything that WORKS goes, based on experience from this recent time and place. I am not constricted by Bante V, Goenka, Mahasi, or any other tradition or teacher. Good luck on your spiritual journey, with whatever tradition you have chosen. 🙏

​@@tomtillman The thing is that TWIM sells itself as being what the Buddha taught. That's debateable. But they think that, and it sells. Then Delson throws in yoga, chakras, narodha samadi, grace -- whatever. And now that's fine because it's whatever helps people! TWIM could have gone without the whole "we teach what the suttas say -- we are THE SUTTAVADINS!" -- WHEN its clear that they're now okay with whatever Delson pulls out of his butt or his experience of the day. It's weird. I guess the suttas weren't really important to TWIM afterall though i saw a recent post by David Johnson with sutta footnotes and references. Why bother? Couldn't you just say now this a technique Bhante Vimalaramsi conceived of and taught ? Or that Delson thinks its okay? Or everything is cool now?

I don't know if that's a great idea. How about this - let's have a discussion between Shinzen Young and Shinzen Young on that topic.

@@hippiechixx Yep. Shinzen needs to be all by himself in an interview.

When you look at the drama and changes of characters and sayings in different videos regarding this topic and ppl involved, it is clear to see the characteristics of the monkeyish mind and nonself. It is not permanent , dukkha. Let go. This can clearly be used in the mindfulness practice of observing other's mind in expressed thoughts. Always check the intention for what we intend to do and check the possible results it might lead to for ourselves and ppl, then make decisions if it should be acted out.@delson

Hi. Delson is not a palm reader. He is teaching Kriya, only as an aid to deepening a students practice in TWIM if they so wish. He is still teaching TWIM and the path to Nibbana. However, I have to say he has done a not so great job at explaining this in the “renouncing attainments” video. So i understand the confusion.

@PlasticAccount thanks for the clarification. He mentioned he has been interested in palm reading since January last year on the other video. But it does not matter, and it's not the main point. Palm does show some trace of ppl's lives, like clouds show the possibility of rain anyway, although it is not related to the path. Are you Delson or David, or the speakperson for TWIM and Delson? 😀 it is actually a good idea to have a PR person to answer the comments to straighen things up. It is an opportunity and good place for a well-thought, calm clarification and friendly communication from them to clean up the mess and drama the interviewes have made, and it will benefit the TWIM community. Some comments called the ppl who have different views haters and threatened them with karma, but it's not called for .Delson himself provided all the interview content with flipfloping and finger-pointing. I would not blame ppl who see some aspects of the story through his words. All the interviews should not have happened starting with the announcement, rennoucement, and upto this one, and it should have been dealt with within the circle regarding the allocation of the donation to the teaching and relationships with international TWIM community. It is a failure that the community was not able to harmonize it within. He actually owes ppl a sincere apology for creating such chaos on KZbin, disturbing peace of ppl who are relevant and had confidence with him.He needs a mentor who is mature on this path and in life matters to guide him on endurance, patience, calmness, kindness/boundless big heart, and manners facing temptation, emotions, money and fame, and relationships with ppl, and to understand himself more clearly through mindfulness of the eight fold path through life. Tantrum,gaslighting, and complaints are signs of hindrances and taints, be aware. May he be free from suffer through the power of confidence, kindness, endurance, diligence, mindfullness, stillness, wisdom, and peace. ❤❤

@PlasticAccount so TWIM itself is not deep enough needing add-ons? If it is, please make it clear. According to a lot of TWIM practitioners and the statistics frim Bhante V., TWIM itself is intact and deep. If Kriya does not deepen TWIM practice but messes up TWIM practice, would other techniques be added on?

@@helpfulinfo2630 TWIM is absolutely deep enough for the vast majority of people in order to experience cessation and then see the links of dependent origination/anatta themselves. However, occasionally, some people can have a fear of no longer existing arise in their bodies before they tip into cessation from the 8th jhana, which prevents them from going deeper in their practice. This is specifically where Delson mentioned in this interview a use case where he’d (if the student is interested in kriya) have them do some kriya techniques to let go of the fear. Otherwise the student normally just gets over the fear over time, and intellectually contemplating D.O and that there never was a self helps with that too. Also, no I am not an official spokesperson that David or Delson has asked to be PR. I am however a student of theirs that has benefitted in more ways than I could possibly express. So that’s why I’m clearing the air here, as I feel it would benefit others greatly.

At least wear a bib if you’re gonna throat down Delson’s slop like that. Unsightly.

But he has to be careful not to end up in one!

The way Delson is teaching it is mixing it with TWIM at the core level. Thus, yes it does aim to get off the wheel. Because it has TWIM as the underlying foundation (via the relax step and jhanas). He is still a TWIM teacher, he just teaches kriya occasionally.

Yep. Unfortunately, the trolls have a long way to go. Sad indeed.

@@martinspiering5817 To be fair, he is a lay person that charges so much because his sister and mother rely on him a whole lot for support in India. He is not earning money other than through teaching. His father was the breadwinner of the family but unfortunately he passed away around 2020 or so.

​@@PlasticAccount Is it really that or is it simply attachment to "the better things in life"? We all have attachments with varying intensities, but if someone publishes a book titled "A Mind Without Craving" and displays overt signs of craving, bells go off. As the saying goes, be wary of skinny chefs.

​@PlasticAccount eveey lay person needa find ways to support themselves and their family, struggling with managing work and life. I believe most of the guides and teachers in the Dhamma Sukha center not only donate teaching but also time for free and find other ways to earn money to support their lay life. Buddha"s teaching is not for sale. Ppl or their family have to rely on their karma and diligence to make a living. If a person wants to teach spiritual things as a career for money，feell free to do so as a Inc/company with clear charges instead of acting as a spiritual leader or master or the highest achieved one of Buddhists or Hinduism or brahmism, Daoism, Zen, or whatever. A lot of ppl seeking for buddha's teaching are the ones who need to be protected since they suffer through their precious lives to pursue enlightenment , I plead ppl not to mislead them. The teachers in Goenka's meditation retreat are all 100%volunteers for free and it seems work well.

Erosion occurs within but not from outside. Coming in becomes one part of it and then trying change it under the name of help or reformation of it. That is why the sangha worked so hard to maintain Pali Canon generation by generation. Please don't let opportunists erode TWIM. I am not indicating any person, but in general.@plastic account

​@@PlasticAccount😊

Ppl in the Buddhism society have been trying to mix what Buddha taught with other religions and teachings for centuries, even more common in the modern days because that gains popularity in society that is not for enlightenment. Please don't mix Buddha's teaching with other things knowing they do not philosophically match. It is a disgrace. Please only teach Yoga if you want to make a living. The community dont feel comfortable that the suttas are being read and explained by someone who would derail them.

Interesting take that I sort of agree with. I am a TWIM meditator. Are you against TWIM or for it? I can’t tell.

@PlasticAccount I am not against TWIM but think TWIM is pretty good, so I don't want anyone to twist it. Delson can come up with his own branch that is different from TWIM. but if he teaches TWIM, he should be loyal to the original teaching and keep fidelity to its original way.

​@@PlasticAccount Delson can feel free to build his own system and find his own audience, but i would suggest him not to use TWIM or Buddha's teaching as the viechle to teach his own stuff, for example changing the 10 fetters to whatever number of fetter or definition of enlightenment to anything ppl want. 😉

@@helpfulinfo2630 Yes I actually agree with you there. However, in this interview he kind of clears that up. He basically says TWIM is absolutely deep enough for the vast majority of people in order to experience cessation and then see the links of dependent origination/anatta themselves. However, occasionally, some people can have a fear of no longer existing arise in their bodies before they tip into cessation from the 8th jhana, which prevents them from going deeper in their practice. This is specifically where Delson mentioned in this interview a use case where he’d (if the student is interested in kriya) have them do some kriya techniques to let go of the fear. Otherwise the student normally just gets over the fear over time, and intellectually contemplating D.O and that there never was a self helps with that too.

He said a number of very suspicious and contradictory things, and it seemed like he was perfectly fine with all of it. If he doesn’t see the problems, then he doesn’t but it is in blind spots like those that leads him and his flock astray. He’s started showing much looser standards than before and pretty clearly is lost in terms of direction. That is not a sign of clarity or arhatship but of self-delusion and immaturity.

@@kai19821 You've provided a series of accusations with no actual examples. Right or wrong who's to say.. It's really nothing but character assasination.

@@kai19821 What Arhatship? He doesn't claim to be an Arahat, Your attack is unethical and without evidence or reason. Your behavior breaks the precepts of Buddhism.

@@dyseroll012 Time will tell. It always does. I wish him and his followers all the best.