Left Brain, Right Brain, Whole Brain, Half Brain
Too much left-brain-academic-analysis-activity blocks right brain intuition.
Too much right-brain-intuition-insight-instinct blocks the ability to express experience.
They need to work together, but one naturally comes before the other, depending on the type of person we are. We should note that perception (right brain) comes before judgement (left brain).
The Dharma has the same two approaches; we can either start at the beginning, or at the end.
Take the six perfections of generosity, patience, morality, discipline, meditation and transcendent wisdom: we can start with the first five and finally realise the sixth, or be introduced to and realise the sixth, and use the first five to sustain realisation.
We don’t learn from a book: we learn through experience.
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. 
And yet Garab Dorje said that reading the words of the masters could lead to right understanding.
Hello Allen,
Yes that’s true, but realisation comes from experiencing those words.
Knowing about something, isn’t the same as knowing.
Actually, knowing is far simpler than knowing about something.
Knowing about has many variation, knowing is pure perception – reading these words, hearing noise outside the room, smelling, tasting, feeling bum on the seat, all with no comment.
Realising that which perceives is pure, and we don’t have to learn anything.
Tony
Hi Tony,
Here in small town America we don’t have a Guru on every street corner. Last time I checked the nearest Buddhist temple was 40 miles away from here.
I just read about a poll that asked people if they’d had an “awakening experience” and over 60% said yes, and nearly all of them said they had told no one. Is this a good thing? Is this helping anyone?
Who do people turn to? I also read recently that Buddhism is in decline. I’d never pretend to be a Buddhist but I’d rather not see that happen.
When I look back I can see the good in this in my own life. Since I had nowhere to turn and no one to ask I learned to simply sit with my eyes closed and be quiet, and answers did and do still come. As it turns out this is the best thing I could have done. The writings of people like Garab Dorje (The Gospel Of Garab Dorje by Roger Calverly ISBN 978-1608692774) are excellent resources if you want to check the validity of whatever experience has taken place.
Anyhow, all I wanted to point out is that books can indeed be useful. You don’t read them and say “Aha, I am that.” You read them to find out if there is any truth to what you have experienced after the experience. If 2 or 3 books by the likes of Nisargadatta or Garab Dorje confirm that you’re on the right track then you stay where you are.
Contrary to what some seem to believe you don’t instantly become an all knowing saint. Quite often I’ve had to ask “Is this reality or has the cheese slipped off my cracker?”
I hope this might help someone somewhere. Thanks Tony, for the space.
Hello Allen,
The question is what exactly are people waking up to?
This why I keep repeating the Buddha’s words, “Do not take my words for the truth; test them for yourself.”
Testing means watching one’s minds reactions when we meet or see others. How stable does it stay?
A lot of people read a lot of books, but what is their behaviour? There are many levels of understanding and realisation.
Tony
I would expect that eventually they would wake up to the truth of what they really are, but since they don’t dare talk about it with anyone I don’t suppose we’ll ever know.
From my own experience I know that none of what has been said here matters absolutely and I shouldn’t care but still, I do care.
Hello Allen,
The path to unravelling our true reality is seeing the games our mind plays, that has adopted others’ mind games.
It is this seeing which is consciousness that is our reality.
Through meditation it is realised that there is nothing else present but consciousness, that is pure consciousness.
Once this is realised compassion (care) arises for all sentient beings caught up the in suffering of a self identity.
We are all caught up in a very subtle web of deceit. Recognising this darkness is the light of pure consciiousness.
Tony
Yes, assumptions become beliefs and beliefs become rigid dogma, and it all becomes a whirlpool in an otherwise calm sea.
One day for whatever reason I asked myself what I really knew, without doubt. I started with something simple like “the sky is blue.” First I made myself explain in writing “sky,” and then I had to explain “blue.” By the end of this several page long exercise I found that everything I thought I knew was just second hand information fed to me by others who thought they knew. In the end I had proven that in fact I knew nothing at all. All I could say with certainty was “I am,” and then even that came into question.
Thank you Tony, for your time. It’s been nice speaking with you again.
Allen, you are so right in asking the question, “What do I know?”
The only thing we can prove is that which asks the question – consciousness, for without that nothing could be known.
Consciousness does not change, so that is our only true reality.
That’s what it’s all about.
Tony
Yes, and one way to realize what you’ve said is by persisting in asking yourself the “what do I know” question until you realize that “I am” is just another assumption. This assumption becomes a belief which can harden into an unyielding dogma that says “I am this, or I am that, and I will fight to the death if need be if I am challenged.” The false “knowledge” we are spoon fed throughout our lives slowly builds a wall between the innate gnosis we have at birth and the assumptions we are forced by society to assimilate.
It’s an ancient story, found in texts like the allegory of Plato’s cave or the story of Jesus. The words he spoke posed such an existential threat to the pharisees and sadducees, in their minds they simply had to silence him. And all for what really began as little more than a thought.
And if he were here today it would happen again in the same way, because people have learned nothing. They’ve worshipped the messenger and completely forgotten the message.
It’s a crazy thing to watch, Tony.
🙂
Tony
Hello again Tony,
I just stopped in to apologize for taking over your blog yesterday. My only excuse is, lately the doctors seem to want to try every new drug they have on this body and wow! I can say that I haven’t felt like this since 1970.
I can’t think of another time that words poured out of me in a torrent like they did, and I hope you didn’t have to climb to higher ground. I don’t have an issue with what was said but I do have an issue with the delivery. I hope you got through it with a heart full of joy and a smile on your face. If nothing else it should inspire many future blog posts.
Take care.
Many 🙂 🙂 🙂
It’s all about off loading, and yes it does inspire. I’m grateful for the interaction.
Tony