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Archives
- NOT SEEING THE FOREST FOR THE TREES October 9, 2026
- THE CATCH IN THE BARDO = THE WINDS OF KARMA October 9, 2026
- WATERED-DOWN DHARMA October 8, 2026
- THE CONSTANTS October 8, 2026
- GURUS ARE PEOPLE, AND PEOPLE ARE GURUS October 7, 2026
- DOUBT AND CONFIDENCE October 6, 2026
- HAVING SOMEONE TO TALK TO October 5, 2026
- MISTAKING DISTRACTION FOR PURPOSE October 4, 2026
- WE ADOPT A STORY October 3, 2026
- SANITY IS WISDOM October 3, 2026
- SOCIOLOGY AND THE DHARMA October 3, 2026
- LIVING IN OUR BUBBLE October 3, 2026
- FEEDBACK IS VITAL FOR PROGRESS October 3, 2026
- PURE CONSCIOUSNESS IS INNOCENT October 2, 2026
- THE ULTIMATE PSYOPS October 1, 2026
- WAKING UP IS DISTURBING October 1, 2026
- FROM SIGHT TO INSIGHT September 30, 2026
- WE KNOW ABOUT PLATO’S CAVE … BUT DO WE? September 30, 2026
- LOST SOUL, LOST CONSCIOUSNESS September 29, 2026
- RITUALISTIC DHARMA AND REAL DHARMA September 29, 2026
- LOVING LABELS – OTHERS’ LABELS September 28, 2026
- THERE IS NO DHARMA, NO BUDDHISM, NOTHING INTERESTING September 28, 2026
- RETREATS, AND GOING FOR A BUN September 27, 2026
- HOW DO WE KNOW WE ARE DREAMING? September 27, 2026
- CLEARING AWAY THE DARK IGNORANCE OF MIND September 26, 2026
- IS THE EXOTIC ESCAPISM? September 26, 2026
- WHY DOES LIFE FEEL LIKE A SCAM? September 26, 2026
- KNOWLEDGE WITHOUT COMPASSION September 25, 2026
- BELIEVING VERSUS KNOWING September 24, 2026
- BORN INTO A WAY OF LIFE September 23, 2026
- COMPASSION ONLY FOR THOSE AFAR September 22, 2026
- ARE WE AWAKE OR DREAMING? September 22, 2026
- DID YOU GET WHAT YOU CAME FOR? September 22, 2026
- REALISING THE REAL TEACHER September 22, 2026
- BELONGING TO AN UNSTABLE TRIBE September 21, 2026
- WORDS ARE NEARLY THE TRUTH September 20, 2026
- THE LESS THE JUDGEMENT, THE MORE THE INSISIGHT September 19, 2026
- IF YOU’RE BONKERS AND YOU KNOW IT, CLAP YOUR HANDS September 19, 2026
- THE DHARMA IS IN LIFE, NOT IN A BOOK September 18, 2026
- THE IMPORTANCE OF RECOGNISING BLIND ALLEYS September 18, 2026
- SPIRITUALITY ISN’T A PERFORMANCE September 17, 2026
- WHY GO ON ABOUT HAPPINESS? September 17, 2026
- TO WRITE OR NOT TO WRITE? September 16, 2026
- WHY DON’T PEOPLE KNOW WHAT THEY ARE? September 15, 2026
- DO YOU WANT TO BE A BODHISATTVA? September 14, 2026
- WISDOM IS USELESS UNLESS IT IS PRACTISED September 13, 2026
- WHAT HAPPENS WHEN WE DIE? September 13, 2026
- THE IMPORTANCE OF UNDERSTANDING September 12, 2026
- WE ALL HAVE DARK PASTS September 12, 2026
- MOST PEOPLE LIVE IN THE PAST September 11, 2026
Category Archives: Uncategorized
STILL NOT CONVINCED?
Still Not Convinced? The answer is so simple, and our confusion is so complex. We buy hundreds of spiritual books and go to teachings and retreats because we keep doubting. When we keep doubting, we play the role of pauper, … Continue reading
PERCEPTION AND REFLECTION ARE INSEPARABLE
Perception And Reflection Are Inseparable This is the realisation of the two truths – non duality. For most of us, what usually happens is that perception gets caught up in the reflection of perception (the object). This creates a subject … Continue reading
COMPOS MENTIS
Compos Mentis Having full control of one’s mind. Normal Conforming to a standard. Conventionally, we conform to a standard set for us. This conforming controls the mind to stay within limits – ‘normal compos mentis’. We consent to self imprisonment. … Continue reading
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Tagged addicted to football, Having full control of one's mind
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THREE REASONS TO MEDITATE
Three Reasons To Meditate To be aware of distracting thoughts. To be aware of the awareness of distracting thoughts. To be aware that the awareness of distracting thoughts is free from distracting thoughts. That’s clarity for you! 🙂
SENTIENT BEINGS ARE CREATURES OF HABIT
Sentient Beings Are Creatures of Habit We are creatures of addiction, dependence, craving, compulsion, fixation, enslavement; monkey-see money-do. It’s our weakness. It’s ‘what’s best for me’. We have our routine – orders from our karmic repository. Habit is our personal … Continue reading
MORE INTERESTED IN THE MANIFESTATION THAN THE TRUTH
More Interested In The Manifestation Than The Truth An image is a reflection in the mind. This image can either awaken us or divert from the truth. The truth is the pure perception, not the thing perceived. The funny thing … Continue reading
HOW DID THE BUDDHA BECOME ENLIGHTENED?
How Did The Buddha Become Enlightened? He became unstuck. Letting go is not being stuck on any thing or idea – or even a personal identity – and therefore our nature stays pure. Of course, we are not enlightened yet, … Continue reading
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Tagged EGO AND EGOLESSNESS, How Did The Buddha Become Enlightened?
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FEELING SMOTHERED WITH OTHER’S FIXATIONS…
Feeling Smothered With Others’ Fixations… This a feeling of being stifled by collective consciousness. We may feel despondent and in low spirit, and it’s important to acknowledge what is going on. People are governed by their karma of fixated ideas. … Continue reading
LIGHT AND ITS REFLECTION
Light And Its Reflection The source of light/clarity is more powerful than the reflection upon which light/clarity shines. We – the light/clarity – are inseparable from the en-light-ened state. So what went wrong? Light/clarity believed more in its reflection than … Continue reading
EUGENICS v ENLIGHTENMENT
Eugenics v Enlightenment Eugenics: the science of improving a population by controlled breeding to increase the occurrence of desirable heritable characteristics. Enlightenment: the wisdom of spiritual insight attained through awareness which frees a person from ignorance of desirable heritable characteristics.
THE DILEMMA OF SECRECY
The Dilemma Of Secrecy The Dharma teachings are vast, simple and complex, and all centre around one point; pure compassionate awareness. Some regard the finer aspects of the teachings as secret. In fact, there is a very compassionate reason for … Continue reading
ARE WE LOOKING FOR MORE?
Are We Looking For More? If so, we have gone too far; we need to back up and review what we already know. One of the purposes of this blog is to share experiences of how the mind can work … Continue reading
BE HAPPY WITH YOUR SELF
Being Happy With Your Self This is so important! We are pure awareness. Your self is ordinary awareness’s confused projection. It is by virtue of this confused projection that pure awareness is realised. Gradually, confusion refines and dawns as wisdom. … Continue reading
WE ARE BEINGS COVERED BY WORDS
We Are Beings Covered By Words …!…
TRANQUILITY
Tranquility Words can have a synchronicity and energy. Suddenly, the synapses wire up and we get it! Of course, we first we have to have been looking, which means practising of some sort, asking an inner question. This seems to … Continue reading
MAHAMUDRA OF CONDUCT
Mahamudra of Conduct (In Karma Kagyu, essence is known as ‘Mahamudra. In Nyingma, it is called ‘Rigpa’) If we have a feeling of not making progress in meditation training, it is because we are not applying the result of meditation … Continue reading
TURNING ARROWS INTO FLOWERS
Turning Arrows Into Flowers On the night that the Buddha attained enlightenment, he sat under a tree. While he was sitting there, the forces of Mara shot arrows at him to distract him from becoming enlightened; he merely turned their … Continue reading
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Tagged Buddha and the Evil one, Mara, Turning Arrows Into Flowers
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MATERIAL WEALTH AND SPIRITUAL WEALTH
Material Wealth And Spiritual Wealth We are told that material wealth filters down. It doesn’t; it filters up! It is knowledge that filters down. Unfortunately, knowledge may be used to illuminate or to confuse. When used to benefit self in … Continue reading
“KILL THE BUDDHA”
“If You Meet The Buddha On The Road, Kill Him” This can be so easily misunderstood – and is. It means that if we meet the Buddha (or any deity) on our path of confusion, drop the idea that reality … Continue reading
BE YOUR OWN TEACHER
Be Your Own Teacher …but don’t make up a teaching. The following is taken from Rainbow Painting by Tulku Urgyen Rinpoche: “The great teacher, Atisha, explained four aims: “ Aim your mind at the Dharma. Aim your Dharma practice at … Continue reading
MUNDANE AND SUPRA-MUNDANE
Mundane and Supra-mundane Try counting your breath (exhalations) for 108 times without following thoughts (if you can’t cope with 108, just try 10!). If you get lost, start at one again. This really does focus the mind, and it can … Continue reading
WHAT IS “EMPTINESS OF AWARENESS”?
What Is “Emptiness Of Awareness”? It’s the next step up from “awareness of emptiness”. Logically, we can arrive at awareness of emptiness; emptiness means unadulterated. But the experience of emptiness is beyond logic and description. We need a glimpse that … Continue reading
ADVERSITY = EMPATHY = COMPASSION
Adversity = Empathy = Compassion …or can do, if we don’t claim to be a victim or blame others. Of course we are victims and we can blame others, but that is merely part of path-journey-uncovering. The difference depends on … Continue reading
IT’S A DESTABILISED WORLD
It’s A Destabilised World It’s a destabilised world run by destabilised people destabilising everyone. The antidote is recognition. Knowing destroys not knowing. A single lamp can illuminate a room that has been in darkness for a thousand years.
IS THERE INJUSTICE IN THE WORLD?
Is There Injustice In The World? Yes! From a Dharma point of view, whatever happens just is, according to our karma – our past actions. This will include actions and reactions from previous incarnations. This concept isn’t easy for everyone … Continue reading
NOT FORGETTING OUR TRUE NATURE
Not Forgetting Our True Nature When pure awareness is forgotten, we are like ordinary people. We forget when awareness relates to ‘something’. When awareness is captured by ‘something’, this is a relating reality; absolute reality relating to something outside itself. … Continue reading
THE DHARMA IS NOT OVER THERE
The Dharma Is Not Over There It is funny how, during practice, some insight may occur, usually as a subtle change in understanding. Take the words Ground, Path and Fruition. They are referred to as: Ground = our true nature … Continue reading
I AM NOT GOOD ENOUGH
I Am Not Good Enough In trying to be perfect, we create obstacles to understanding perfection that already exists. We are already perfect. In ordinary life, this perfection is obscured. Forgotten. When we engage on a spiritual path, we wish … Continue reading
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Tagged I Am Not Good Enough, Spiritual Nappy Rash, Spiritual Perfection
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DO WHAT IS MEANINGFUL TO YOU
Do What Is Meaningful To You Spiritual paths are full of helpful symbolism. However, the symbols must mean something to us. If they do not, then the symbols work as an illusory crutch to which we adhere and become reliant, … Continue reading
A REAL FRIEND
A Real Friend A real friend talks about real things. A spiritual friend talks about the non-reality of ‘real things’. A super-duper spiritual friend talks about what is real within the non-reality of things.
WHAT IS THE MAGIC IN SPONTANEOUS PRESENCE?
What Is The Magic In Spontaneous Presence? It’s in trust! Trust is acceptance of the truth of a statement, without evidence or investigation. Through a thorough understanding of theory and implied inferences, we can freely take the leap into the … Continue reading
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Tagged Eureka moments, The Magic In Spontaneous Presence, Trust
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GAINING CERTAINTY IN SPIRITUALITY
Gaining Certainty In Spirituality What is spirituality? It is pure-awareness. Pure-awareness is timeless spontaneous presence. There is nothing else; that is non duality. When pure awareness turns its attention outward, it is relating to things and ideas; this ‘relating’ is … Continue reading
REGRET
Regret Something we all experience, all the time 🙂 Regret: sadness, disappointment, dismay, dejection, sorrow, guilt. The opposite to regret is happiness. So, we are talking about unhappiness = suffering. Regret is recognising that we are suffering, which is the … Continue reading
DEVOTION IS COMPASSION
Devotion Is Compassion On could say that compassion’s an expression of devotion, but it sometimes feels like it is spontaneous. When we understand, we become confident, and can therefore be compassionate; this understanding and confidence comes from a deep appreciation … Continue reading
NOT REINFORCING KARMA = PURIFICATION
Not Reinforcing Karma = Purification Actions and reactions stem from a karmic seed bank in the mind. ‘Karma’ is a word used to indicate the result of causes and effects, which germinate under pre-programmed conditions. We just have to hear … Continue reading
DEVOTIONAL INFLUENCES
Devotional Influences This is a thorny subject for modern people, and must be understood on an individual basis. Many of us find it difficult to trust, and there are spiritual teachers who expect us to trust them because they call … Continue reading
FROM SHAMATA TO SHUNYATA
From Shamata to Shunyata Mind-full-ness to Mind-emptiness A psychiatrist will scream, “You are stripping personality!” …No more fees… A yogi will whisper, “Gone, gone, gone beyond.” …It’s free…
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Tagged From Shamata to Shunyata, Mind-full-ness to Mind-emptiness
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MEDITATION – THE PATH TO SANITY
Meditation – The Path To Sanity We cannot know everything in the universe, but we can know the true nature of every thing in the universe. Every thing is made out of parts, causes and conditions: they are created, dwell … Continue reading
POSITIVE FEELINGS
Positive Feelings The depth of our experience depends on honesty, and that can be very challenging. Sometimes, texts are written in a beautifully poetical ways and so we have beautiful, positive feelings, or the teacher has beautiful charisma, and we … Continue reading
UNDERSTANDING OUTER DEMONS
Understanding Outer Demons We can misunderstand, and be confused about the concept of outer demons within our culture, and therefore either dismiss it, or move into a realm of fantasy. Tibetans call demons, Mara. They believe in outer mara as … Continue reading
STILLNESS OF MIND AND STILLNESS OF RIGPA
Stillness Of Mind And Stillness Of Rigpa Stillness in the mind is a temporary event. In shamata practice, we block thoughts coming out of our memory storehouse in order to remain in stillness; to be in the now*. But this … Continue reading
SATISFACTION IN A UNSATISFACTORY WORLD
Satisfaction In A Unsatisfactory World Is ignorance bliss? 🙂 Satisfaction can describe either a state of ignorance or of wakefulness. ‘Ignorance’ is not knowing (a lack of awareness or knowledge): it is confusion about reality (confusion: to mingle together). In … Continue reading
LETTING GO…?
Letting go..? We use this phrase quite a lot, but in Dzogchen there is no ‘letting go’ of thoughts. In recognition, thoughts naturally dissolve. We don’t have to do anything. When rigpa is present, grasping isn’t. When grasping is present, … Continue reading
RIGPA: THE ALL SUFFICIENT KING
Rigpa: The All Sufficient King In Rigpa – which is pure awareness/emptiness – thoughts will still arise, because the alaya (the karmic bank) is not empty yet. We do not block thoughts, as that would be doing something to something … Continue reading
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Tagged journey without a goal, rigpa all sufficient king, Trungpa
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BY NOT PRACTISING, WE ARE PRACTISING
By Not Practising, We Are Practising Once we ‘get’ pure awareness, there is nothing upon which to meditate. The only thing we do is maintain that clarity, by noting when awareness drifts away from emptiness. If the mind is sleepy … Continue reading
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Tagged By Not Practising, Spiritual practise, We Are Practising
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THE MIND INTERPRETS EVERYTHING
The Mind Interprets Everything …while empty essence merely notes experience with one taste Depending on how the mind is set-up (programmed), it will interpret things in a certain way, which will then be seen as its norm. By this, it … Continue reading
