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- THIS BLOG SHOULD BE SECRET June 17, 2026
- FREEDOM FROM THE CYCLIC EXISTENCE June 17, 2026
- THE SHARED HALLUCINATION June 17, 2026
- WHY THE OBSESSION WITH THE PAST? June 16, 2026
- THE MUD IS JUST A DIRTY LENS June 16, 2026
- STARVING THE MONSTER June 15, 2026
- THE NOVELTY TRAP June 15, 2026
- NO LONGER SATISFYING June 14, 2026
- THE MORE WE REALISE June 13, 2026
- REALITY IS CONTENTMENT June 13, 2026
- THE DANGER OF ADOPTING STORIES June 13, 2026
- WHAT ARE WE A PRODUCT OF? June 13, 2026
- WHAT REINCARNATES? June 12, 2026
- THE HABITUAL LOOP June 11, 2026
- WHY DO PEOPLE ACCEPT LIES SO READILY? June 11, 2026
- THE PARADOX OF RITUALS AND WORDS June 11, 2026
- WHAT DO WE BASE OUR LIFE ON? June 10, 2026
- SPIRITUAL AUTONOMY June 10, 2026
- THINKING THERE MUST BE MORE TO LIFE June 9, 2026
- NOT TOO TIGHT AND NOT TOO LOOSE June 9, 2026
- OUR GREATEST PERSONAL ACHIEVEMENT June 8, 2026
- PRIDE STOPS US EVOLVING June 8, 2026
- THE TINKERBELL EFFECT June 7, 2026
- EVIL IS ANYONE WHO THINKS THEY ARE SUPERIOR June 7, 2026
- FOUR OPIUMS OF THE PEOPLE June 6, 2026
- THE CONSUMER BECOMES CONSUMED June 6, 2026
- ULTIMATE MATURITY June 6, 2026
- THE BUDDHA SAID, “I SEE YOU MARA” June 5, 2026
- THE TWO ASPECTS OF ‘HIDDEN IN PLAIN SIGHT’ June 5, 2026
- SULKY SELF June 4, 2026
- THE COMPLETE PICTURE June 3, 2026
- GIVING UP GUILT June 2, 2026
- TESTING MARA AND GURU June 1, 2026
- THE BUDDHA. JESUS, SOCRATES AND OTHERS WERE REBELS June 1, 2026
- ABSOLUTE TRUTH IS REALISED BY ABSOLUTE TRUTH June 1, 2026
- FINDING WHAT WE’RE LOOKING FOR May 31, 2026
- WE ALL LIVE IN DIFFERENT ECHO CHAMBERS May 31, 2026
- A HARD LESSON TO LEARN May 31, 2026
- BUDDHIST FORUMS CREATE CONFLICT May 31, 2026
- ONE MIND, OR MANY MINDS? May 30, 2026
- SPIRITUAL AND PHILOSOPHICAL MATERIALISM May 30, 2026
- SPONTANEITY IS THE ONLY REALITY May 29, 2026
- REALITY IS BEYOND WORDS May 28, 2026
- HUMANITY: SEEKING VALIDATION OF A SELF May 28, 2026
- DISPELLING THE GURU May 27, 2026
- EVERY DAY I THINK, “I COULD BE WRONG” May 27, 2026
- THE DARK AND UNSETTLING ASPECT OF EXISTENCE May 26, 2026
- ‘JUDGING’ FROM A DZOGCHEN POINT OF VIEW May 25, 2026
- WE BECOME THE COMPANY WE KEEP May 24, 2026
- WE ARE ALL HYPOCRITES May 24, 2026
Category Archives: Uncategorized
SHOULD I HATE OR SHOULD I LOVE?
Should I Hate or Should I Love? What a strange question. Or is it? There are strong connotations and assumptions about the words we use – supposition, presupposition, presumption, premise, belief, expectation, conjecture, speculation, surmise, guess, theory, hypothesis, postulation, conclusion, … Continue reading
WARMTH AND WISDOM
Warmth And Wisdom Warmth and wisdom = integrity = conduct = compassion This is easier to say than do. In our relative spiritual world, genuine warmth and wisdom are lacking. Giving money for bigger temples may be splendid, virtuous and … Continue reading
I CAN’T FIND PURE AWARENESS WHEN I MEDITATE
I can’t find pure awareness when I meditate That means you’re trying too hard. Just relax. Our modern mind has been speeded up: pressure, time, job/career, family, mortgage, speedy food and drink lacking real nutrition, and over stimulation from media. … Continue reading
Posted in Uncategorized
Tagged I can't find pure awareness when I meditate., Meditation
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TRUTH – YOU HAVE TO DO IT YOURSELF
Truth – You Have To Do It Yourself No one has a monopoly on truth. No one owns truth. Truth is for everyone and is expressed to suit all types of minds. We don’t have to belong to this or … Continue reading
AGENTIC PERSONALITY
Agentic Personality An agent: a mouthpiece of conformity. There have been many experiments that show how easily we conform, out of fear and hope, and so we lose control of our lives. We rely on others’ ideas and forsake our … Continue reading
“SOME DAYS, I LACK ENTHUSIASM TO PRACTISE”
“Some Days, I Lack Enthusiasm To Practise” Just remember the “pointing out instruction” of pure awareness. Whatever we are doing or not doing, pure awareness is always present, whether we (pure awareness) notice or not. Practice is only a reminder … Continue reading
SEEING THE ILLUSION IN THE RIGHT WAY
Seeing The Illusion In The Right Way and not in a negative way. If we see the insubstantiality of all phenomena in a negative way, we make it appear real. Seeing everything as ‘hollow’, we don’t get hooked. A sense … Continue reading
AUSPICIOUSNESS=TIMELINESS=GOODNESS
Auspiciousness = Timeliness = Goodness At the right time, remarkable coincidences come together, creating good fortune. An inner impulse or longing directs us, creating refined energy. Love is always timely and good, creating more of the same. Having a precious … Continue reading
EGOLESSNESS
Egolessness is not being a vegetable! All our psychological problems originate in a neurotic mind – an abnormally sensitive, obsessive and anxious mind. It is not sure what is real and what is not real. This mind creates projections to … Continue reading
THE PROBLEM WITH SPIRITUALITY
The Problem With Spirituality is that we can use it for a sense of security. When we do this, teachings become dogma, and dogma becomes a ‘religion’, to which we adhere because of our insecurity. Acquiring all the answers makes … Continue reading
THE DHARMA IS CONFIRMATION AND CLARIFICATION OF EXPERIENCE
The Dharma is Confirmation and Clarification of Experience It is not something to acquire As Trungpa Rinpoche said, “We are not trying to become Superscholars – a bank of information, with all the answers.” We need to reflect on our … Continue reading
MAKING LIFE MEANINGFUL
Making Life Meaningful Life becomes meaningful when we wake up. Waking up is not being in a dream. A dream is dwelling on the past or future. In the precise, present moment there is nothing whatsoever to refer to. We … Continue reading
THE UNIQUENESS OF TIBETAN BUDDHISM IN REVEALING OUR TRUE NATURE
The Uniqueness of Tibetan Buddhism in Revealing Our True Nature Tibetan Buddhism is awareness of the clarity of our true nature, and does not rely on a belief system. In the modern world, we’ve been so indoctrinated with belief systems that … Continue reading
GOODNESS KNOWS
Goodness Knows To know goodness is to know truth. To know truth is to know happiness. To know happiness is to know goodness. How do we know this? It is through pure knowingness itself. Pure knowingness is pure awareness, which … Continue reading
MAHAMUDRA AND DZOGCHEN – FOUNDATION AND GOLDEN ROOF
Mahamudra and Dzogchen – Foundation and Golden Roof The result of Mahamudra and Dzogchen is the same: they are just different methods. The Dharma has to be able to accommodate everyone at any level, so that it is complete at … Continue reading
THE DHARMA IS NOT SO EXOTIC
The Dharma Is Not So Exotic Do you want the complete Dharma? Reflect on the six perfections! Do you want to know about reincarnation? Reflect on unchanging awareness! Do you want to see the compassion in action? Forget yourself! The … Continue reading
HOW DO WE FOCUS ON OUR TRUE NATURE?
How Do We Focus On Our True Nature? We can’t, because that would be a duality. We can only Love. When we focus on others and not on ourselves, then our true nature is naturally revealed. This is emptiness (empty … Continue reading
THE VALUE OF PRACTISING IN ISOLATION
The Value of Practising in Isolation Practising in isolation is traditionally thought of as going alone into a forest, cave or long term retreat centre so as not to be disturbed or distracted, for long periods of meditation. But we … Continue reading
ENLIGHTENED ESSENCE
Enlightened Essence That’s what we are. That’s what we have always been, and that’s what we will always be. That is the nature of mind. This enlightened essence is pure, empty and uncontaminated. It cannot be found – only realised, … Continue reading
MEDITATION IS THE MEANS TO NON-MEDITATION
Meditation is the Means to Non-Meditation Meditation is awareness. But aware of what? Awareness becomes aware of the awareness itself. Not finding anything else but awareness, awareness realises there is nothing else, and that it is pure empty clarity. In … Continue reading
COMMUNICATION IS LIKE A VIRUS
Communication Is Like A Virus It can make us ill-at-ease (disturbed) or at-ease ( a feeling of wellbeing) We start with inner communication. There is communication between pure essence and awareness, between awareness and the eight consciousnesses (three of the … Continue reading
WE ARE SUFFERING FROM MENTAL ILLNESS
We Are All Suffering From Mental Illness If we weren’t, we’d be enlightened! When the mind wanders, it suffers, because of ideas it holds about itself and the world in which it lives: this is conventional, relative reality. The mind … Continue reading
LIGHT RELIEF!
Light Relief! Kathie and I brought one of these: although ours is sprung loaded, it does the same marvellous job. Kathie is a slicer with a knife, and I’m a cracker and surgical peeler which is a very messy business … Continue reading
THE CORNFLAKES OF CENTIPEDES
The Cornflakes of Centipedes I once had a Tibetan teacher whose accent was very strong, and so his pronunciation sometimes seemed a little strange. At the end of one teaching session, several of us asked ourselves, “Centipedes?” “Cornflakes?” “What was … Continue reading
TAME THE MIND: TAME THE DEMONS
Tame the Mind: Tame the Demons Until we can tame the mind – and therefore, tame the inner and outer demons – we will remain as human apes, controlled by our primitive (reptilian) brain. Even though mammals have a caring … Continue reading
RECALLING THE TEACHER
Recalling the Teacher Tibetan Buddhism is about Guru Yoga – connecting to the lineage of realised masters, which supports our endeavours. Even though this blog is more inclined towards the inner teacher and symbolic teacher of all phenomena, the outer … Continue reading
Posted in Uncategorized
Tagged Guru Yoga, More important than the Buddha., Tibetan Buddism.
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DEDICATING ONE’S PRACTICE
Dedicating One’s Practice and One’s Life to Others This is a tall order – and challenging – but we have to start somewhere! In Buddhism, there are prayers at the end of a session to dedicate the merit (blessings) received … Continue reading
THE GREATEST SECRET IN THE UNIVERSE
The Greatest Secret In The Universe …and it’s right in front of our eyes… You and I are the gatekeepers to this greatest secret. This gatekeeper can either open the door, or keep it shut. The door is kept closed … Continue reading
I NEVER KNEW I KNEW, AND NOW I KNOW
I Never Knew I Knew, and Now I Know Throughout countless incarnations since beginning-less time, I have been looking for something. I found that the thing I was looking for was the thing that was looking. I Never Knew I … Continue reading
PADMASAMBHAVA on GOODNESS
Padmasambhava on Goodness The word ‘goodness’ can remain either as a philosophical idea, or be a practical expression of compassionate wisdom. “Master Padmasambhava said: When you persevere in Dharma practice, it is essential to trail always in turning any virtuous … Continue reading
PRACTISING DHARMA IN A TROUBLED WORLD
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 … Continue reading
TEACHERS HAVE MANY STUDENTS…
Teachers Have Many Students… …so they do not have the time to know us all. This is why we have to look into our own minds and realise that we can see what is going on there. There is an … Continue reading
MINGYUR RINPOCHE – “BUDDHISM IS NOT A STRAITJACKET”
Mingyur Rinpoche – “Buddhism is not a straitjacket.” “…Meditation is about learning to work with the mind as it is, not about trying to force it into some sort of Buddhist straitjacket. “The … Continue reading
MAKE IT NICE, MAKE IT SPECIAL
Make It Nice, Make It Special ..and then stop making it! We make our practice special to realise our true nature. When we sit to meditate, the place should be nice and special; it should outside the normal business of … Continue reading
WE CANNOT BE HONEST IN A SPIRITUAL CENTRE
We Cannot Be Honest In A Spiritual Centre We can be honest outside… …but in being honest, we are acknowledging a part of ourselves that we are frightened of, and that we fear could open a floodgate of doubts. We … Continue reading
HOW TO BE ENLIGHTENED IN ONE LIFE TIME
How To Be Enlightened In One Life Time (…information will only be of benefit when you make these thoughts your own…) This is from “Rainbow Painting” by Tulku Urgyen Rinpoche. THE TRUE FOUNDATION. Page 132 “Let me tell you another … Continue reading
WHAT IS HAPPINESS?
What Is Happiness? It is not needing anything, being carefree. It is sense of relief, of contentment. Happiness is emptiness awareness without elaborations. It’s associated with bliss, a word that comes from blithe. Blithe: showing a casual and cheerful indifference, … Continue reading
DON’T BE A SLICK BUDDHIST
Don’t Be A Slick Buddhist Be an investigative journalist, seeking the truth The Buddha understood what others did not understand: that the purity of awareness is our true nature, and not the trappings. Trappings: The outward signs, associated with a … Continue reading
BEWARE: THIS MAY WAKE YOU UP
Beware: This May Wake You Up Beware: you may want to go back to sleep! Approach the present moment as if you have never approached this present moment before. Of course, the present moment hasn’t been experienced before, but we … Continue reading
WHY CAN’T I SEE MY TRUE NATURE?
Why Can’t I See My True Nature? This question describes the perfect prison, and the perfect key to that prison. All we need now is the perfect understanding to turn that key and be free. It is simple, but no … Continue reading
A VERY PECULIAR SELF DOUBT
A Very Peculiar Self Doubt When we have doubt, WE…HAVE…DOUBT. We are not this doubt, because we are aware of this doubt that appears in the mind. Because we have identified with this doubt – which is merely a confused … Continue reading
WHAT IS THIS MOMENT, NOW, LIKE?
What Is This Moment, Now, Like? This spontaneous presence. It’s ordinary. It’s special in its ordinariness. I’ve looked and looked, hoping for something more, something interesting, but no – it is looking and seeing awareness that always stays the same. … Continue reading
MEDITATION AND ITS EXPRESSION
Meditation And Its Expression When we just rest, we relax. When relaxed, the mind clears. This clarity makes it easier to be aware of awareness. When aware of awareness, clarity sees nothing but awareness. That is pure, empty awareness: it’s … Continue reading
AS WE MAKE, SO WE BELIEVE
As We Make, So We Believe We are pure awareness trapped in a body because of our previous action, in a make-believe world of the mind and the senses. The senses are, by their very nature, non-conceptual: they just sense. … Continue reading
BUDDHISM FOR THE GRITTY
Buddhism For The Gritty “True Grit” 😉 Gritty: showing courage, resolve, tenacity. Being aware of the unpleasant, and unwaveringly seeing it as it really is; uncompromising. There are many ways to obtain peace of mind – a mind that is … Continue reading
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Tagged BUDDHISM, Buddhism For The Gritty., Buddhism is for everyone., Dzogchen
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WHO, OR WHAT CAN WE TRUST?
Who, Or What Can We Trust? Trust: reliable, consistently good in quality The only quality we can trust is spontaneous presence…now! Spontaneous presence is the quality of consistently pure awareness, free from any contaminations. It is just being awake, although … Continue reading
THE UNIQUENESS OF OUR PATH
The Uniqueness Of Our Path Because of our personal fixations and inclinations, we have to confront a unique karmic obligation, bound by universal law. Our spiritual path (to knowing our absolute nature) is our own relative confusion that obscures that … Continue reading
THE COLLECTIVE EGO IS THE DEVIL!
The Collective Ego Is The Devil! Realising the urgency to practise There is a plethora of complexity 😉 written about spirituality and the dharma, offering lots of advice. But sometimes it may all seem too much; “Yeah, yeah, I’ve heard … Continue reading
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. 