-
Join 505 other subscribers
-
Archives
- 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
HOW SIGNIFICANT ARE WE?
How Significant Are We? There is knowledge of the entire universe within us all. That’s how significant we are! All matter is made out of particles that react with other particles: each relies on conditions that arise from previous reactions. … Continue reading
WHERE IS HAPPINESS?
Where Is Happiness? It doesn’t matter whether we are sick, old, dying, depressed, meditating, chanting, banging drums, peeing, arguing, chopping wood, fetching water, knowing Samantrabhadra-Madyamika-Tathgatagabha (or not)…pure awareness is always present. Recognising the stability of pure awareness in whatever takes … Continue reading
WHY DO WE FEEL THE WAY WE FEEL?
Why Do We Feel The Way We Feel? Our feelings are a residue of past actions and thoughts stored in the subtle body. Ideas are stored in the mind, and feelings are in the subtle body. The subtle body, in … Continue reading
IS LIFE ALL ABOUT SUFFERING?
Is Life All About Suffering? We are here to realise our true nature. So what is stopping us? Mental obstacles prevent us from realising that true nature, and therefore we suffer. We have become walking, talking cliches. Cliche: a phrase … Continue reading
IS THERE ENLIGHTENMENT?
Is There Enlightenment? Who knows? Are there enlightenments? Certainly. Understanding something we didn’t before, we are no longer in the dark. Step by step, clarity enlightens.
WHAT TO DO ABOUT TERRORISM
What To Do About Terrorism Don’t support terrorism. Don’t support the causes of terrorism. Understand the causes of terrorism. Terrorism is the pursuit of political aims disguised as righteousness to impose power over others. What can we do? Not consent. … Continue reading
TOGAL – YOU DECIDE
Togal – You Decide Dzogchen has two aspects: in Tibetan, these are called Trekcho and Togal. Trekcho is seeing concepts as soon as they arise and ‘cutting through’ them. Togal is ‘leaping over’; it is direct experience of spontaneous presence. … Continue reading
KARMIC SYNAPSES
Karmic Synapses ‘Synapse: a junction between two nerve cells, consisting of a minute gap across which impulses pass by diffusion of a neurotransmitter. Our brain cells communicate with one another via synaptic transmission controlling the body and brain functions.’ Neurons … Continue reading
NEGATIVITY IS CONTAGIOUS
Negativity Is Contagious …and so is blind positivity. Look, see, recognise, understand, drop. Be wise, be compassionate.
THERE ARE NO PROBLEMS, ONLY QUESTIONS
There are no problems, only questions ..and questions have answers. I assumed that I was a worrier, which had a negative effect on my mind. On investigation, however, I found that the worry was merely a question; this had a … Continue reading
IS IT, ‘AS IT IS’?
Is It, ‘As It Is’? The Buddha’s teachings and commentaries are vast. How do we know they are true? How do we test them? What is true? It is we who have to recognise what it is we are dealing … Continue reading
‘OTHERS’ KNOW MORE ABOUT US THAN WE DO
‘Others’ Know More About Us Than We Do The enlightened know our potential and our weaknesses. The endarkened know our potential and our weaknesses. We have to know what both the enlightened and endarkened know. What is preventing knowing? Habitual … Continue reading
BEST RELAXATION = BEST MEDITATION
Best Relaxation = Best Meditation Tulku Urgyen said about Dzogchen, which is resting in pure awareness, “Short moments many times.” This is so we relax and stop trying to sustain, which is tiring. Short moments, is dropping effort, and so … Continue reading
EXPERIENCE IS BEYOND EXOTIC WORDS
Experience Is Beyond Exotic Words It doesn’t matter what words we learn, experience is just experience as it is. The dharma can then be assimilated into our own culture. That being the case… 😀
TRANSFORMING AN EMPTY FEELING INTO EMPTINESS
Transforming An Empty Feeling Into Emptiness Sometimes we may feel empty, as in deplete, emotionless, pointless. Disillusioned. We are no longer in the swing of samsara; we are in no-man’s land, neither in the groove of samsara nor dwelling in … Continue reading
THE AGE OF ABSURDITY
The Age Of Absurdity In the age of absurdity, we have become experts in absurdity and then complain about it. All life is precious, especially human life as we have the ability to become enlightened – to be lifted out … Continue reading
THE ANSWER WE SEEK IS…
The Answer We Seek Is… …that which asks the question! Don’t be fooled by appearances. The world is not what it seems. Life is not what it seems. Every thing is not what it seems. Whatever appears has absolutely no … Continue reading
DO YOU FEEL PROTECTED?
Do You Feel Protected? Feeling protected is relying on something that we consider to be more powerful than ourself, or our present situation. As we are still caught up in a sentient reality, we need help. This may mean different … Continue reading
BEING WELL BALANCED
Being Well Balanced To be balanced suggests two sides: these are our human side and our spiritual side. Being balanced is being in harmony or unity. This is the two truths. We need to be decent human beings to appreciate … Continue reading
THE DAWNING OF OUR TRUE NATURE
The Dawning Of Our True Nature When in meditation, thoughts subside and stillness is found. Stillness, if not observed, can easily turn into a state of vacancy, of not knowing, of being oblivious, of suspended animation. We have gone from … Continue reading
THE BUDDHA TEACHES US WHAT WE ALREADY KNOW
The Buddha teaches us what we already know… …but have never recognised. Our true nature. There are no special rules or languages for knowing. It is naturally, purely aware and present. What is preventing recognition? Absolutely nothing.
PRAYER IS SOMETHING MEANINGFUL TO US
Prayer Is Something Meaningful To Us Prayer may be a psychological expression, a request, a wish, a hope, a desire. Or a prayer can be a reminder of who and what we are. It is not a sweet dirge; it … Continue reading
UTILISING OUR PATTERN OF BEHAVIOUR
Utilising Our Pattern Of Behaviour. Our pattern of behaviour is a regular and intelligible sequence discernible in certain actions and situations. If you asked me what I’d like to eat, I’d generally say, “Grilled tomatoes on toast!” Because of our … Continue reading
THE MOST DIFFICULT ASPECT OF DHARMA TO UNDERSTAND
The Most Difficult Aspect Of Dharma To Understand Nirvana and Samsara are indistinguishable. Conceptual thoughts and emptiness are indistinguishable. Emotions and wisdoms are indistinguishable. We see these as separate, thus turning emptiness into something and giving it a relative value. … Continue reading
SPIRITUAL ORGANISATIONS
Spiritual Organisations A spiritual organisation – a centre – is an excellent place to learn about the Dharma that is not necessarily in books, because there is a teacher and a collective experience: this seems to heighten the emotions. However, … Continue reading
EGOLESSNESS – CHOGYAM TRUNGPA RINPOCHE
Egolessness Some teachers are so clear and to the point… Egolessness by Chogyam Trungpa Rinpoche “The effort to secure our happiness, to maintain ourselves in relation to something else, is a process of ego. But this effort is futile because … Continue reading
ACTING BADLY
Acting Badly There is a programme in the mind that conditions how we act and behave. This is the limited storehouse of biased judgements and memories to which we refer. We are all actors, working from a script in the … Continue reading
DISSOLVING DUALISTIC MIND
Dissolving Dualistic Mind Dualistic mind is one that relates to something. The key word here is ‘relates’, as this is the relative reality we hear about, which is sometimes called conventional reality. We are seemingly constantly caught up in a … Continue reading
Posted in Uncategorized
Tagged Dissolving Dualistic Mind., kindly bend towards ourselves.
3 Comments
TO BE SERIOUS OR NOT TO BE SERIOUS
To Be Serious Or Not To Be Serious We should treasure and take seriously the precious teachings that are so hard to find, and that liberate and cut through our mistaken view which causes suffering. However, once we have taken … Continue reading
LIFTING HEAVINESS
Lifting Heaviness Life can be hard, depressing, problematic, traumatic…followed by illness and death. Life is heavy with emotions. Even though we may be in the present moment, when karma strikes, the answer may not always be immediately available. We merely … Continue reading
PURITY IS NOT SOMETHING TO ACCOMPLISH
Purity Is Not Something To Accomplish To realise purity, we don’t have to keep washing, chanting or meditating, as it is naturally ever-present. Our spiritual evolution is dependant on maintaining the recognition of purity, and then letting be. Our differing … Continue reading
THE WORLD IS A CONSPIRACY
The World Is A Conspiracy A conspiracy is a small group making secret plans to do something harmful to a larger group. But what if the larger group was actually carrying out the conspiracy? Not wanting to realise our true … Continue reading
THE POWERFUL PULL OF DEVOTION
The Powerful Pull Of Devotion This can cause lot of problems 😀 …but needn’t! Traditionally, in Buddhism, we go for refuge in the Buddha, Dharma and Sangha – the three jewels. The root teacher, the teachings and those who uphold … Continue reading
Posted in Uncategorized
Tagged The Powerful Pull Of Devotion., Tulku Urgyen Rinpoche said
Leave a comment
HOW THICK IS YOUR MARBLE?
How Thick Is Your Marble? We might assume that we have far to go, to get to Dewachen/Heaven/Enlightenment. This very high place. What if we were there now, and that there wasn’t anywhere to go? We just hadn’t noticed, as … Continue reading
COMMUNICATE THROUGH A FOG OF CONCEPTS
We Communicate Through A Fog Of Concepts Verbal and written communication is unique to humans. It’s one means of transmitting information, intelligence, wisdom and love: our unspoken demeanour also says much. Communication is, however, tainted by veils that fog and … Continue reading
HARMONY IN DIVERSITY
Harmony In Diversity In essence, we are enlightened pure awareness that manifests wisdom and love for the benefit of confused beings. Complex confusion calls for suitable manifestations of wisdom and love. Until then, we imitate the Buddhas…or not 😉
THE SHOCK OF RIGPA
The Shock of Rigpa The Tibetan word Rigpa means pure awareness, our essential nature – what we are. Why is it a shock? It is because we suddenly see how easy it is for this essential nature to be obscured … Continue reading
“MEDITATION ISN’T A LEARNING PROCESS.”
“Meditation Isn’t A Learning Process” – Chogyam Trungpa “You see, meditation should not be regarded as a learning process. It should be regarded as an experience process. You should try to learn from meditation, but try to feel it. Any … Continue reading
Posted in Uncategorized
Tagged Chogyam Trungpa, Meditation Isn't A Learning Process.
Leave a comment
MINDFULNESS AND AWARENESS
Mindfulness and Awareness The experiences of mindfulness and awareness are not the same as the words that describe them. Our experiences will differ, so what I’m about to say may or may not make sense to the reader, and finding … Continue reading
Posted in Uncategorized
Tagged Mindfulness and Awareness., The Flooding in of Awareness.
Leave a comment
WHAT IS CONSCIENCE?
What is Conscience? It’s our innate, essential inner nature: instinctive, intuitive, spontaneous, untaught, silent, inner awareness, before anything is acquired. Conscience knows right from wrong. We know but we ignore. Why do we ignore? Because a belief in our acquisitions … Continue reading
UNCONDITIONAL LOVE COMES FROM UNCONDITIONAL LOVE
Unconditional Love Comes From Unconditional Love Unconditional love comes from compassion. Compassion comes from empathy. Empathy comes from insight. Insight comes from concentration/meditation. Meditation comes from discipline. Discipline comes from perseverance. Perseverance comes from patience. Patience comes from generosity. Generosity … Continue reading
FEELING AS IF YOU ARE NOT MAKING PROGRESS?
Feeling As If You Are Not Making Progress? This can have the effect of us becoming half hearted and merely going through the motions, or it can be the result of us actually noticing more. Some wise person said, “There … Continue reading
Posted in Uncategorized
Leave a comment
KARMA IS A PICTURE SHOW
Karma Is A Picture Show …of the two truths Every day – at every moment – karma presents a situation that, in the first instant, is absolutely neutral; it is an experience of pure lights, sounds, tastes, smells, sensations. Depending … Continue reading
Posted in Uncategorized
Leave a comment
DO THINGS JUST HAPPEN?
Do Things Just Happen? How can they? There is always a cause, because ‘things’ have parts: they are the result of a coming together of conditions. We call this karma, or perhaps good or bad luck. It’s the same thing. … Continue reading
Posted in Uncategorized
Leave a comment
WHY HAVE A METHOD AND NOT USE IT?
Why Have A Method And Not Use It? The method is the healing. The Buddha saw that life was pain and suffering. For ordinary person, this doesn’t make sense as we see life as enjoyment, and so constantly look more … Continue reading
CONFUSING TRUTHS
Confusing Truths Absolute mind and relative mind. Absolute mind in a relative world. When we first hear about Buddhism, we want the top info! “What do we want? Crazy wisdom! When do we want it?…NOW!” We want the shock treatment, now. … Continue reading
Posted in Uncategorized
Leave a comment
DEMONS FIND OUR WEAKNESS
Demons Find Our Weakness …and then exploit it. Just look at the tools available to us! If these words exist, then the experience exists: Machination – a plot or scheme to contrive. Divide – to force apart. Divide and rule … Continue reading
THE MIND IS JUST A REPEATER
The Mind Is Just A Repeater When essence is clear, the mind stops repeating. Then, we are original!
WAS THE BUDDHA A BAD BOY?
Was the Buddha a Bad Boy? …just like Christ, Socrates and Milarepa.. were they all rebels? Rebel: challenging society’s norms: nonconformist, dissenter, dissident, critic, sceptic, questioner; heretic, nonconformist, malcontent, rebel, subversive, renegade, mutineer; maverick; original, innovator, heretic, recusant, apostate; informal … Continue reading
IT IS AS IT IS
It Is As It Is “But I don’t like it as it is!” “Sorry; our karma chose this impure realm, and according to karma, it’s perfect. The good news is that we can end karma.” “How?” “By accepting everything as … 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. 