I sometimes listen to Rick Archer's podcast, Buddha at the Gas Pump.

Recently, he interviewed Elena and Ilona, whose contributions can be found here in the "Direct Pointing" sub-forum.

Very nice interview, and Rick keeps asking good questions, too. It seems they have more developed views on what it is they're doing nowadays.

Cheers,
Florian

I haven't checked out the interview yet, but I've talking with Thassa (a.k.a. Delma), Wylo and some of the other original direct-pointing folks and have to agree that most of them have a far clearer view of what they're doing now than was common in the earlier days. Great to see more people getting happier!

It was a very good interview. I thought they answered everything with a great deal of specificity and precision.

Eric

I appreciate their honesty in the second hour, in that they admit that "Passing the Gate" is a relatively superficial development which merely indicates the dropping of a belief and not the conditioning which has developed in support of that belief.

I havent listened to the interview yet myself, but I think Rick does a great job because he keeps things so normal and doesnt let people get carried away in dogma or bullshit.

@fivebells, not just arguing for the sake of arguing but for me some bits of conditioning fell away instantly tbh. It was a complete and utter game changer. I literally saw things differently in an instant, both conceptually but even physically sight wise.

For me Ive always pondered to myself since all this started (which was via RT btw), "Is direct pointing something significant and real that is a genuinely better technique than many other traditions and meditations?" or "Is it just another meditation and tradition that offers no more than any others?"

I say this from a very comfortable place where I feel absolutely no urge to defend RT, direct pointing or any of that general school of thought whatsoever anymore, but Ive reached a middle ground, where yes, it is something very very solid, effective, impressive, quick and delivers huge results within days or weeks, moreso than other schools of thought that I know of (that said Ive heard theres something similar called Enlightenment Intensive that does the same thing) ,however, its useless on its own and if you want to achieve what you thought it was supposed to achieve initially you have to practice your ass off as well.

The biggest issue is that the result seems different for everyone. Theres definitely different degrees of impacts.

Anyway, enough off topic ranting! I should really listen to the interview first

Someone mentioned in a topic that Direct Pointing is very similar to one form of a Buddhist method where the deconstruction of the I/self happens very similarly. I can't find that forum/Buddhist traditoin. Which one is it?

hey howdy,
in mahayana buddhism, or more specifically, vajrayana, there are terms like dzogchen, mahamudra which are direct pointing TYPES. most of these are advanced practices though which traditionally require LOTS of training before someone is ready to have the "pointing out instructions" or other analagous instructions.

in the direct pointing which has popped up in the last few years there are no long prerequisites to awaken. the person doing the pointing logically deconstructs the idea of a seperate and existing self until the instructee has an insight into whatever level of non-self they are prepared to accept.

its hard to define the levels they reach on the maps and differing opinions are out there.

Thanks. If I remember correctly the other forum/post mentouned a Buddhist tradition with the name beginning with a letter T, which is quite similar to Direct Pointing though I can't find that forum/post now.


No questions about LU/Direct Pointing, I am totally familiar with them. (I got the insight some time ago by just reading and contacting other teachers, though later I also got the confirmation from them.)