Comments Are Necessary …
Comments are necessary
for the Dharma to be practical.
This blog is merely a continuity of comments which lead to further understanding through constant re-vision, re-seeing.
We don’t go to teachings just to receive; we also need to transmit feedback to boldly go where not many have gone before 🙂 It’s therefore bound to be unnerving as we step into the unknown, and this builds practical confidence.
In this way, we become our own teacher.
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. 
An experience I had years ago led me to study world religions, but not necessarily so I could understand the religion. What I wanted to understand was what had happened to me, and why. There was nobody I could ask, so I started with the Christian Mystics and worked my way up through Buddhism and Hinduism over many, many years, all the while trying to understand what had happened. For that reason I’d have to say that I know -about- various religions, but I don’t know them well enough to speak intelligently about them, and that’s why I don’t leave many comments here.
Though I visited and joined various Christian denominations as a boy, what the experience I had showed me was that any interest I once had in religion was due to a fear of death. (Guilt and fear are strong motivators, and religions do them well.) But since the experience itself removed any fear of death I once had, for me religion has become unnecessary in that regard.
That’s not to say that I don’t still enjoy reading them; I just no longer do it for the same reasons.
Hello,
Thank you for your comment, it sounds familiar.
What you are talking about could be the difference between the exoteric = general discussion, and the esoteric = direct experience silent awareness.
Words or speech are a generalisation. The direct essence of reality (pure consciousness) is beyond words.
At this time of year in the UK I watch the lambs bouncing around like exuberant crazy
things – love it! Then they learn to just follow the herd.
Tony
Tony,In a world of impermanence this blog has a permanent standing view: The Dzogchen teaching as a standing ground. Fair enough to begin with, but only as an initiating starting ground. If we are to become our own teachers I suggest that this blog could be opened (beyond commenting your wise ideas) to other primary new posts written by anyone, provided a polite and reasonable standing. It is a free and dangerous path but I think that as long as you are the sole administrator you may deal with all possible future problems. This is my 5pence comment.Promitheus
Hello prometheus,
Thank you for the suggestion – I’ve been approached on this subject before: the comments section here is a tippy-toe attempt at giving people a voice.
I’ve had some experience with forums where people become hostile because we all have our individual journeys. The approach of this blog is quite precise on an esoteric level, to refine the exoteric. This journey is a delicate matter, and requires compassion and understanding.
It’s more a one to one relationship, where we rub shoulders for a while and then move on.
Tony