Future Lives

Our destiny lies in our ability to sustain awareness undistractedly: this is pure awareness. This will ensure a better or higher rebirth in future lives, so that we can practise more freely, with fewer obstacles. We have to take responsibility now, for our future lives.

Pure awareness is just being. Being…is…to be. It is a thought-free state. Wakeful thoughtlessness.

There are subtle degrees in this thought-free state. Once we have had the nature of essence (which is emptiness) pointed out, we become more aware of intrusions. Before a thought fully forms, we can note a subtle activity, a movement. Upon becoming aware of this movement, the thought naturally frees itself. Sometimes, upon arising, it doesn’t linger. Sometimes, there is nothing for the thought to hold onto, so it just dissolves (traditionally, this is described in three allegories: a snake naturally untying its own knot, a drawing on water, or a thief entering an empty house). Throughout all this, the awareness is of paramount importance: the pure awareness.

We don’t have to be wealthy, be clever or be able to repeat a lot of text. We merely sustain awareness – pure awareness.

Firstly, become aware of awareness.
Then, note that it is unembellished and empty.
Finally, merely rest in the emptiness of emptiness. That is just being!

Awareness of awareness is a pretty high state, but it is still conceptual: “I am being aware” is a relative truth. There is effort involved.

If we then recognise that awareness is merely aware, we realise emptiness. Gradually, there is a recognition that this emptiness is just empty: in that moment the ‘we’ dissolves. There is effortless emptiness of emptiness. This is ultimate truth.

However ‘we’ do not get lost into oblivion! Awareness and emptiness are a unity of the two truths. This pure awareness will be the foundation for higher realms….don’t die without it!

To be practical,
we practise short moments many times,
in this non-doing practice.

Gradually,
we become more aware:
this affects our conduct in daily life,
which is expressed in compassion.

Gradually, obscurations fall away.
That is how the sustaining develops.