In looking for the Truth…it will never be found!

This is as daft as a man on a donkey riding from town to town, asking people whether they seen his donkey! The truth is that which is looking is the truth. You are it. It is nowhere else..it’s now-here!

The problem is that we are seeing through a filter of karmic programming. Therefore we have no generosity, discipline, patience, perseverance, meditation or transcendent knowledge.

As soon as we see anything and give a value to it, and it becomes a seeming reality. We invest a value judgement on appearances, and in doing so we totally forget our pure awareness; that which is actually seeing all this.

Of course, this doesn’t help us, as we immediately fall back into usual confusion, and so we continue searching. You’ll have to admit that there is something daft here! It’s like peek-a-boo – now you see it, now you don’t!

Our karmic programming is very heavy, that’s all. If we can just admit and recognise the habitual confusion, then that very recognition is our awareness. Hooray! Then the karma kicks in again. Boo! And so, we go round in circles: that is called Samsara.

The only way to break this vicious cycle of existence is to recognise the nature of awareness. To be aware of awareness. In that awareness, nothing is found. That nothingness, that emptiness, that uncontrived-ness, is essence. There is nothing more…that is the truth. It’s not a million miles away.

But of course, while knowing this, we still find ourselves stuck in Samsara. But now Samara is merely the karmic programming playing itself out. What happens now will depend on our reactions, and this is where the six paramitas come to the fore: generosity, discipline, patience, perseverance, meditation and transcendent knowledge.

Once we have a glimpse of pure awareness (in the Dzogchen tradition this is called Rigpa) the continuity of that is conduct. Conduct is the practice while the mind is in Rigpa, and also in everyday life. The words: generosity, discipline, patience, perseverance, meditation and transcendent knowledge, have deeper meaning than at first glance.

 The six deeper paramitas.

These six paramitas – generosity, discipline, patience, perseverance, meditation and knowledge – are included in Rigpa/pure awareness.

Rigpa Generosity. Generosity here is non-fixating and so there is no clinging. Non fixation is the practice of generosity. Rigpa generosity is not the generosity of giving away which is conceptual generation of merit. When it is included in Rigpa it belongs to wisdom – it is transcendent generosity. So we are practising generosity at the relative level, and the absolute level at the same time, as they are inseparable. The essence of generosity is non-clinging.

Rigpa Discipline. In Rigpa there is no attachment and that is the paramita of discipline. In keeping discipline one may become conceited and attached. Discipline has the function of binding your negative actions so that you can remain in a virtuous state. But it has side effects – you can become conceited because you are so pure, and this can make a social I. This can also happen with the view – we can become attached to this view also. The essence of discipline in non attachment.

Rigpa Patience. While you are in the continuity of Rigpa there is no fear and that absence of fear denotes the paramita of patience. The essence of patience is fearlessness.

Rigpa Perseverance. In rigpa there is no effort, and so therefore there is no perseverance. When you are distracted you make effort. The essence of perseverance is effortlessness.

Rigpa Meditation. This is not being distracted. The essence of meditation is effortless abiding.

Rigpa Transcendent Knowledge. This is Rigpa wisdom itself – pure awareness, this is wisdom resting in the ground in its innateness. The essence of Rigpa is clear view.

Within Rigpa, conduct is meditation in action – the six paramitas. Our mind does not leave the clear view. Conduct is the 6 paramitas being automatically expressed, without effort. You will be naturally generous, etc.

There are the paramitas that are practised with effort, and those that come automatically out of the view (the all-sufficient king).

It is like a healing coming from within: if we are doing something wrong, when Rigpa is remembered, it will have an effect on our outer behaviour.

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