The Problem With Repeating Words

Every day, I am self critical while writing this blog, the reason being that words are meaningless unless experienced, and put into practice. Practice makes perfect ‘-) .

Merely repeating, “It is emptiness” is of little value in relation to genuine experience. Of course, we need a little theory to be able to identify the truth, and that which is not quite the truth. We need to investigate and see if this ‘truth’ is in fact true. There are no short cuts. There is a difference between knowing about something and . . . !

Just yesterday, I was searching for an expression, and the words, “Ah! It’s pure awareness!” popped in to mind. Then I realised that I’m always saying the words, “It’s pure awareness”! It is…pure…awareness! The words “pure awareness” fit the experience perfectly.

Pure is emptiness = absolute truth
and
Awareness is knowingness = relative truth.

Together they are the unity of the two truths;
the Middle Way.

(every time I see this, I go “Wow!” but it may not mean the same to others).

Back to the problem of the words, “It is emptiness”. We need to see the truth of this for ourselves; we need to take ‘self’ and ‘phenomena’ apart and see what’s left. If a thing can be taken apart, then it has no inherent reality, as it is reliant on other parts for its existence. We need to investigate this ourselves in order to truly understand its significance. Unfortunately, the more we use words, the less we may value them so we’re not so much looking for the experience of the words but finding the words to describe the experience, without overlaying it with conceptualisations.

The problem (a very subtle problem) is being left with a final observer still holding on to a duality – me and it – which also has to be released. That is done in the stillness of meditation. There is no knower and nothing known; just a knowingness (pure awareness). In non duality, an eye cannot see itself; it just sees, empty of any contaminations, impurities, poisons, pollutants or defilements.

If we are really not convinced, then we have to study Madyamika… “Oy! That’ll do yer ‘ead in!” Madyamika takes everything apart precisely, to the extent that there is no book, no words, no teaching and no one reading 🙂 🙂 🙂 …you’ll end up wondering whether you even walked into the room!

The real problem is that we still think we are human beings!
All we can do is “Share and Enjoy”.