Practising Dharma In A Troubled World
We complain about how life seems so cheap.
We complain about continual changes happening in the world.
We complain about others’ attitudes.
We complain about the constant suffering.
“With all these traumas in the world, how can I practise the Dharma?”
If we reflect and take to heart these complaints – which are justified – we will arrive at the precise reasons for following the steps of the Dharma which alleviate suffering.
These four complaints are known as the Four Mind Changes. They are what is actually needed to change our mind into doing something about suffering and the causes of that suffering.
The Four Mind Changes:
Considering the preciousness of the human body.
Considering the impermanence of everything.
Considering the consequences of karmic action.
Considering the negative characteristics of samsaric* existence.
We are not going to change the world, but we can change our view of it. The real cause of our suffering is our identification with a mistaken ‘self’; this obviously applies to everyone on the planet. This is mass confusion. To be free, we have to step outside (metaphorically) this mistaken illusion.
In this “dark age”, the world is not going to change for us, so we have to look into its reality. This “dark age” is full of fears and hopes, keeping people ignorant in a collective illusion that we have created = samsara*!
Below is a video revealing the kind of programming to which we are constantly being subjected. This is why, especially now, we should practise dharma and meditate, clarifying the mind for our own sanity and the sanity of our loved ones – now and in the future.
“There Is A War On Truth”
https://www.youtube.com/watch?t=377&v=ixuJGyXSOUs
*samsara is the constant striving for ‘happiness’ and being frustrated.
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. 
“This “dark age” is full of fears and hopes, keeping people ignorant in a collective illusion that we have created = samsara! [..] Samsara is the constant striving for ‘happiness’ and being frustrated”
Maturity of spirit. It’s true that the moment is now and that it only takes remembering/recognizing to cut through, to see reality as-is. But, what if there is still some residual clinging to fear or hope? What if we are still holding on, somehow, to avoid samsara or to run after nirvana? Are we truly honest or are we still fooling ourselves, somewhat? The stoic Aurelius and the biblical Preacher comes to mind.
A letting go completely of any fear and hope. “Nowness is the sense that we are attuned to what is happening. The past is fiction and the future is a dream, and we are just living on the edge of a razor blade.” Trungpa
Continuation of emptiness without any expectations. It seems that “daring” is also part of the equation, somehow, to rise above the mud 🙂 Seeing the true human condition as-is is not for the faint-hearted. Sapere aude*! Dzogchen is sacred, and should be approached with a lot of modesty and with an utter respect.
* Sapere aude is the Latin phrase meaning “Dare to know”; and also is loosely translated as “Dare to be wise”. Originally used in the First Book of Letters (Horace, 20BC), the phrase Sapere aude became associated with the Age of Enlightenment (Kant, 1784).
Good morning Marcel,
That residue is our path. Much of it is stored in the subtle body. Something occurs and our ‘button’ gets pressed, and we get a feeling of stress or anxiety somewhere -the gut, heart, throat or head area.
The practice of “loong”(inner wind) is useful here. By using the gentle vase breath we take the extraneous energy down to below the navel, where it should be.
Even just meeting someone or reading a name can bring the “loong”up.
As for reading the news and seeing the corruption going on…my loong is up all the time! Which serves as a reminder.
There a video somewhere on this blog about how to do the loong.
Tony