How’s It Working For You?
Even though we are pure awareness and unconfined compassion, we still have obstacles, so we need certain methods, understanding, techniques or ways of seeing in order to see through these impediments.
How we address these obstacles will depend on our temperament and attitude. Some of us have a rebellious approach; some are drawn to meticulous detail; some just want the key point, and so there are different techniques for all. That is why the Buddha’s Dharma is so complete.
The trick is to face the obstacles in the mind with the method that suits us; this is how we can best understand and achieve success. We can follow a path, but if we are not careful, the path can turn into a track – and that track becomes a tram line, with deepening grooves.
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If we see things differently from other Dharma students, remember that our path is created by our own confusion. Finding our own path (meaning the clearing away of obstacles that we’ve maintained) is a “blessing” whereas following the path of others (their confusion) could be a curse.
Many students hear the term, “Monkey mind” and so they repeat, “I have a monkey mind”, describing a mind that swings all over the place and cannot settle. The danger with this repetition is becoming stuck in a groove that sounds “cool”, as if there is an understanding of the mind of everyone else.
We are not all the same, thank goodness.
Realising this will be a relief, thank goodness.
Thank goodness we realise our path!
When people use the term “monkey mind”, I don’t see a ‘monkey’ mind: I see a ‘tram line’ mind, as the same things are being repeated. This may work for others, but not for me. I’ve had many chats with lamas, and although I agree with them, I seem to see things slightly differently, perhaps because of being from a different culture.
And, do you know what? That’s ok, thank goodness!
The Buddha’s words are not the truth.
The experience of the Buddha’s words
is beyond the word.
The Buddha’s teaching is a travel brochure:
we have to make the journey ourselves.
BUDDHA IN THE MUD is a blog - a living book based on the Dzogchen teachings. Our teacher is life, and life is karma. We are all Buddhas in the mud of concepts. 
And another piece of writing that makes me feel a great sense of relief, Tony, so thank you! I can’t be the only one out there who has a continuous feeling of not quite seeing things the same way as others do 😉
“Our path is created by our own confusion”….of course it is! The trick is to be open to recognising the tram lines we are constantly carving out.
Daisy