self-arising yidam
05 Aug 2024 - 08 Dec 2025
- A concept from Vajrayana
Vajrayana is a system of practical methods, not philosophy...One of the most important methods is self-arising yidam: you experience yourself as a different person, a different self, who is enlightened. That person is a “yidam,” often explained as “a god,” which is not exactly accurate, but close enough for now.
- StRev commented that various SubGenius practices are like this.
- Also reminded of Minsky's imprimer technique of solving a problem by imagining what someone smarter than you would do. Not quite the same thing, but has that imaginal-bootstrapping quality.
- Went to this: An Evening of Vajrayana Conversation with David Chapman and Charlie Awbery Tickets, Sat, Jan 11, 2025 at 6:00 PM | Eventbrite
- Yidams are deities, you imagine them or imagine being them (there was a term for that but I think of it as third-person or first-person).
- Yidams are supposed to be enlightened so entering into their being is a way of working on your own enlightenment.
- They aren't archetypes, because they are supposed to not be projections of the (normal) psyche but extra, better states of being.
- Yidam practice involves various stances (mudras), images, all of which are supposed to help get into the right mindset.
- Actually all the ideas are here: Yidams: a godless approach, naturally! | Vividness