Thoughts And Thinking
Thinking is not the same as already having pre-existing thoughts. Thoughts are the fixations which cloud our minds and are our evil jailer. We need a shock to wake us up in order to be free.
The Buddha said that the first noble truth is to recognise that we suffer. People focus on the word ‘suffer‘ – “Oh, Buddhism is all about suffering!” – when they should be focusing on the word ‘recognise‘ for, without that recognition, we wouldn’t see the need for change.
Thoughts are what we have.
Thinking is what we do about the thoughts.
The Buddha was shocked to see old age, sickness and death; we all need a shock to break out of our illusion.
When we obsess or rely on thoughts about the word ‘suffering’, we exaggerate the image of suffering and conclude that, “Yes, there is suffering, but I get by.” This transference back to thoughts misdirects us, and we no longer see what our tricky mind is doing.
BUDDHA IN THE MUD is a blog - a living book based on the Dzogchen teachings. Our teacher is life, and life is karma. In this way, Dzogchen is practical - no bells and whistles required. 
Conditioned From The Start
Open up your mind
Willing to change your thought
All that you believe
Is just what you were taught
Condition from the start
Rules, dogma and fear
The controlling force of the world
Yes, born and bred to scare
Stop and sit in silence
Not listening to your mind
And you will find true freedom
Able to leave the lies behind
Ask yourself some questions
Search for truth in thought
You answer questions with questions
In the lies then you won’t get caught
A Day Of Reflection Take
A day of reflection take
Observe your thoughts from afar
You create your own suffering
When you’re stuck to them like tar
Why do you think what you think?
Who is creating your thoughts?
Where do your thoughts originate?
How is it in them you get caught?
Attached to time is the mind
But past and future are illusion
Your attachment to the unreal
Is the minds greatest delusion
What happened is not happening
But only in the mind’s eye
A projection on movie screen
Don’t buy into this lie
Put your thoughts aside
Observe them from behind
You needn’t be tethered to them
For you are not the mind
Thoughts coming & going
Identity grabs and conceives
Awareness simply observes them
Not attached just perceives
Truth found through inquiry
Silent answers heard within
Know thyself completely
In light then life you may begin
Ask your being some questions
In the past now am I?
In the future now am I?
No, only now do I clearly see!
The past no more is
Change it you cannot
Why waste the present there?
Accept what is, not what is not
For all of man’s suffering is
Created himself from within
Identifying with the mind’s delusions
False selves create his greatest sins
When one dwells within the now
Ever present moment of eternity
Free from attachment to the past
One rest’s in peaceful certainty
So next time you’re feeling down
Thoughts of sorrow that last
Never forget now you’re present
Only those thoughts are in the past
Give them not your energy
For thoughts can ruin your life
If you let them control you
They keep you in fear and strife
Start each day a new
Empty of thoughts of past
For now is all life gives you
And true presence eternally lasts
So, in this simple poem
As you read between the lines
Be present in your presence now
For there is no such thing as time!
Hello Ken,
Years ago it was brought to my attention that I’d engaged in idiot meditation for about 25 years, just sitting there waiting – like many others. I was angry at this news.
It wasn’t until receiving ‘the pointing out instruction on the nature of mind’ that I realised, “Is that all? That’s a piece of cake! What have we been doing?!”
Clearly seen, few see it. With clarity comes sadness, and that sadness is love.
This is where empathetic compassion comes in, and that isn’t a piece of cake.
In our conduct or attitude towards others, we have to drop our self. We constantly need reminding that our interactions are a perfect practice of compassion, and that can be challenging.
How we relate to others concerns the compassionate activity of the six perfections. This is our actual path to enlightenment, through generosity, patience, discipline, morality, concentration and transcendent knowledge.
There are no clever answers to acquire. We each have to honestly question our own mind and motivation. True communication is rare, as few realise we are all in the same dream boat.
Tony