Understanding Of Both Positive And Negative

Generally, we only want to hear nice things – nice ‘spiritual’ things – uplifting things to make us feel good. We don’t want to hear anything negative, but we have to be realistic to realise reality. Seeing the negative isn’t being negative.

The word ‘Buddha’ means awakening from the sleep of ignorance, having purified the dark fixations that obscure realisation. So we have to be aware of the dark side of our mind as well as the light side. In truth, they are one and the same thing, when appearances and recognition are simultaneous. To designate dark, light has to be already known.

Being told that we are enlightened and that we just have to realise this is a nice thing to hear – but that isn’t the whole picture. This enlightened view has to penetrate our thoughts and emotions, our self interest, which creates our habitual judgements, causing dissatisfaction.

The cessation of our obscurations is our work, our training and our practice.
That is why we are here.