Everything is a Symbolic Teacher

In this context, ‘teacher’ means reminder. For everything to be a re-minder, we must first know what it is that we are being reminded of, and that is the nature of mind, pure clarity.

For everything to become our symbolic teacher, we must first know our inner teacher – our own pure clarity – and for that to happen, we need a root teacher. A root teacher is someone who directly “shows” us the nature of mind. To enhance this “showing”, we need a scriptorial teacher, and this comes in the form of text and commentaries.

So, there are four teachers:

Root teacher
Scriptorial teacher
Inner teacher
Symbolic teacher

To see everything as the symbolic teacher, we have to develop our understanding of “one taste”.

In awareness meditation, we sit with eyes open, senses wide open, and with a panoramic view…’seeing’ without looking. Fundamentally, it comes down to awareness, and the awareness of awareness in emptiness.

Statues
Stupas
Yidams
Mantras
Malas
Prayers
Drums
Cymbals
Trumpets
Zafus
Zabatons
Shrines
Gompas
Thankas
Prostrations
Mandalas
Dorjes
Bells…
…are all reminders.

We do not get hooked by anything and everything.
However, for some of us, merely taking part in rituals is satisfying,
until we can refine our understanding.

A reminder has two functions: to remind us of awareness through mindfulness, and to refine that awareness into resting in pure emptiness.

Spiritual objects/reminders are supports for awareness: it is awareness that is important, and not the objects. Everyday objects are also merely a support for “one taste”: one taste is empty of comment.

Look, see, drop!

NB We may sometimes feel guilty that we aren’t doing a practice properly, and that we don’t experience the sacredness of objects; I went through that for years, feeling detached from ceremonies. The whole point is to recognise the awareness of the feeling of guilt – or whatever feeling arises.

Never feel guilty!
Never, ever feel that you’re not good enough!
Always have a sympathetic understanding of causes and conditions.