CHRISTIANS AND BUDDHISTS DO NOT UNDERSTAND

Christians and Buddhists Do Not Understand
that they tread the same path of confusion,
following religious translations rather than direct experience.

A Buddhist cannot disagree with the Gospel of Thomas:
These are the secret sayings which the living Jesus spoke and which
Didymos Judas Thomas wrote down.
http://gnosis.org/naghamm/thomas_poxy.htm

Jesus said, “The pharisees and the scribes have taken the keys of knowledge (gnosis) and hidden them. They themselves have not entered, nor have they allowed to enter those who wish to. You, however, be as wise as serpents and as innocent as doves.”
This is still happening today, with the dumbing-down of society through a multitude of distractions.

His disciples said, “When will you become revealed to us and when shall we see you?”
Jesus said, “When you disrobe without being ashamed and take up your garments and place them under your feet like little children and tread on them, then will you see the son of the living one, and you will not be afraid.”
When we admit that we are enslaved by emotions and confusion, we will find confidence.

Jesus said, “No prophet is accepted in his own village; no physician heals those who know him.”
When we are acquainted with someone, we only see their faults.

“If you do not fast as regards the world, you will not find the kingdom. If you do not observe the Sabbath as a Sabbath, you will not see the father.”
If we don’t find the time to practice regularly and abstain from obsessive worldly activities, we will never recognise emptiness.

His disciples said to him, “Show us the place where you are, since it is necessary for us to seek it.”
He said to them, “Whoever has ears, let him hear. There is light within a man of light, and he lights up the whole world. If he does not shine, he is darkness.”
Clarity is the light that is passed on. If we have no clarity, we have no light.

His disciples questioned him and said to him, “Do you want us to fast? How shall we pray? Shall we give alms? What diet shall we observe?”
Jesus said, “Do not tell lies, and do not do what you hate, for all things are plain in the sight of heaven. For nothing hidden will not become manifest, and nothing covered will remain without being uncovered. Recognize what is in your sight, and that which is hidden from you will become plain to you. For there is nothing hidden which will not become manifest.”
Everything arises within emptiness.

“If those who lead you say to you, ‘See, the kingdom is in the sky,’ then the birds of the sky will precede you. If they say to you, ‘It is in the sea,’ then the fish will precede you. Rather, the kingdom is inside of you, and it is outside of you. When you come to know yourselves, then you will become known, and you will realize that it is you who are the sons of the living father. But if you will not know yourselves, you dwell in poverty and it is you who are that poverty.”
We will recognise our true nature by realising its relative and ultimate aspects.
This is our wealth.

And he said, “Whoever finds the interpretation of these sayings will not experience death.”
Turning words into experience and experience into wisdom, there is no such thing as death.

“Let him who seeks continue seeking until he finds. When he finds, he will become troubled. When he becomes troubled, he will be astonished, and he will rule over the All.”
Once we realise our true nature, sadness arises and that is compassion. In that realisation, nothing can control us.

 

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THE PURPOSE OF ROUTINE RITUAL

The Purpose Of Routine Ritual

To counteract the effects of misplaced energy of body, speech and mind during daily activities when our actions are self centred, we engage in routine prayers, pujas and meditation. This routine ritual calms the body, inspires speech and stills the mind.

The purpose of routine ritual is to break down the habitual pattern of self admiration which is the cause of confusion, leading us down the path of narcissism without us even noticing.

Routine ritual is a purification, a healing activity. It releases stress and rebalances the system (however, if ritual is not understood properly, it can be the cause of stress and anxiety).

After a session, we notice that we are calmer, creating the merit of good karma. Calmer karma is good wealth! 😉 Because we feel an abundance, we can be generous towards others. This is goodness ‘going viral’.

Narcissism: Excessive interest and admiration of oneself and one’s physical appearance. Extreme selfishness, with a grandiose view of one’s own talents and a craving for admiration. Self-centred and lacking empathy towards others. Cannot stop wanting to manipulate situations.

This is the purpose of simple, routine ritual
to counteract wrong doing.

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IS GOD A MEME?

Is God A Meme?*

Is the ‘idea’ of God a meme? Not that God is a meme: ‘God’ is a word to describe a quality of pure existence. We can experience pure existence by recognising our own pure awareness, and so we are the very nature of God.

“The Kingdom of God is inside you and all around you,
not in a mansion of wood and stone.
Split a piece of wood and God is there.
Lift a stone and you will find God.”
Gospel of Thomas

In the very act of splitting, lifting and seeing, our true nature is revealed. We are not separate from that which is seeing and that which is found.

However, if this truth has been hijacked in order for us to believe that pure existence is outside our own pure nature, then we have been led astray for thousands of years. This meme requires intercessors who keep us as lowly sinners who will never understand (it wasn’t until the 16th century that ordinary people were able to read the bible themselves) – when we can, in reality, have direct experience.

To take Christ’s quotation, “I and my father are one”: From a Buddhist perspective, this means that ‘I’ – a relative identity – is no different from my absolute nature. This is the unity of the two truths: by virtue of one, the other is known.

Translations can be hijacked to serve those who would want power over us by separating us from our true nature, thus confusing the mind. Our only crime is that we are too willing to follow and too accepting of ‘knowing our place’, which means consenting to be at the bottom of the pile. Throughout history, social engineering has played with society, and in modern times it’s easy to see memes being transmitted through social media: the psychology of feeding additions through “going viral”.

We can break out of memes by cutting through concepts and meditating on emptiness, revealing pure awareness.

There is nothing in which to believe. There is nothing to obey except love.

*A meme is an idea, behaviour, or style that is meant to replicate, spreading from person to person within a culture. It comes from the word “mimeme” – to imitate – and was first used by Richard Dawkin. A meme acts as a unit for carrying cultural ideas, symbols, or practices that can be transmitted from one mind to another through writing, speech, gestures, rituals or other imitable phenomena with a mimicked theme. Supporters of the concept regard memes as cultural analogues to genes in that they self-replicate, mutate, and respond to selective pressures.

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POINTLESS LIFE?

Pointless Life?

The human potential is complete enlightenment – to be a Buddha. This is one who has awakened to inner clarity and dissolved all confusion through the continuity of clarity at every moment, which is the practice of purification.

However, we decided to spend this precious time as humans in pointless pursuits and confusion. Traditionally, this is described as going to an island full of jewels, but coming away empty-handed. Our collective karma has decided that this is the Age of Confusion.

It’s not my fault!”
Actually, it is down to us. Even the Buddha can’t ‘do’ enlightenment for us. A Buddha can only show the way, and then we tread the path, which is undoing our own confusion to which we consented.

How do I start?”
We start by finding instruction that we feel we can trust. Much will depend on our temperament: we either employ the path of inner peace to realise clarity, or we employ the path of clarity to realise inner peace. The result is the same: Mahamudra and Dzogchen are different methods to achieve the same end.

What do I trust?”
Your own awareness.

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THE SECRET OF TIBETAN BUDDHISM IS…

The Secret of Tibetan Buddhism is…
that the three wisdoms are the three poisons.

The three wisdoms are
Empty essence, cognisant nature and unconfined compassion.
The three poisons are
ignorance,* desire and aversion.

Our absolute being is wisdom.
Our relative being is the poisons.**

However, they are not different.
The poison is the medicine.
This is the meaning of the two truths as a unity.

Pure awareness sees and an emotion arises:
that is when a new timeline can open up!

The very moment an emotion arises, the mind brightens with the energy of clarity. A new timeline or cross road occurs, and we break the cycle of samsaric existence. But this is just a moment, and if it passes unnoticed, the emotions explode into the same old dark, habitual prison. If, however, we know the nature of the three wisdom (the kayas), energy creates space and we return to wisdom. It is instantaneous. We still have to respond to the situation but there is now no obsessional clinging, no aftertaste.

Before we can understand the process of the unity of the three wisdoms and the three negative poisonous emotions, we must recognise them as being separate so that we can understand how they are seen as a unity. This is why we need subtle instruction in discerning the difference between the 8th and 9th consciousnesses – the Alaya Vijnana and Rigpa (see archives for further information under The Eight Consciousness)

Our absolute being is empty, pure, aware and compassionate expression. Because we identify with a mental self image, we forget this absolute nature and become protective of an acquired nature, our baby. We become narcissistic. Because of this, ignorance, desire and aversion therefore arose, and are reinforced at every moment in an habitual continuity, each moment of ignorance creating the next moment of ignorance, filling emptiness.

Here is the correlation:

Desire = Emptiness.
Our ‘being’ is Empty.
Desire fills emptiness with concepts.

Aversion = Awareness.
Our ‘being’ is Awareness.
Aversion arises when an “I” starts comparing and judging.

Ignorance = Compassion.
Our ‘being’ is Compassion.
Ignorance arises when empty awareness forgets its true nature, and that of others.

Emptiness is Ultimate truth.
Awareness is Relative truth.
Compassion is the unity of ultimate and relative truths.

If we remain just in Emptiness, we can become spaced out = Nihilism.
If we remain just in Awareness, everything – including ourselves – will appear solid = Eternalism.

Real love is the wisdom-understanding of the middle way.

* ignorance: forgetting or not knowing, giving rise to the emotions of pride, jealousy, desire, fear…
** ‘poison’ in the sense of something that has a destructive or corrupting influence.

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BEING OF BENEFIT

Being of Benefit

The more we practise,
the more we benefit,
the more we want to practise,
the more others benefit,
the more we practise.

Practice is taming the mind, and the benefit is insight. We have to be careful when revealing insights to others to avoid appearing odd, as this can cause uncertainty in the Dharma, and in us. Our practice will then be doing harm. Once others receive the wrong impression, this uncertainty sticks! First impressions count.

Note to self:
Insight is the natural outcome of practice and of having received teachings.
It is our wealth. Be careful how the wealth is spent. 😀

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THE LIFE WE LEAD WAS BUILT BY OTHERS

The Life We Lead Was Built By Others

The life we lead was build by others.
We follow and suffer in silence,
dumbing ourselves down as a result.

Resting in pure awareness, insight just happens
and we lose the dumbness and suffering as a result.

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ARE WE OUT OF OUR MINDS?!

Are We Out Of Our Minds?!

Of course we are…
we just have to know it
as we don’t know it yet.

We may have the idea that we are outside our mind,
but we still believe that we are the mind.

The mind and the nature of mind.
Contents and that which is aware of the contents.
Concepts and empty awareness.

The path is the unity of the two.
When this is recognised, then we know.

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THE PATH

The Path

“The lotus needs the mud in order to grow, but it is not stained by the mud.”
“Through knowledge we find the method,
and the method becomes an aid to increase knowledge.”
Tsoknyi Rinpoche.

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ORDER OUT OF CHAOS

Order Out Of Chaos
Magic trick…and real magic!

This is a motto circulating on the internet which has two distinct aspects, negative and positive. If we substitute the word ‘order’ for ‘control’, we see the picture more clearly.

Order out of Chaos – Hegel style.
Hegel’s reasoning (dialectic): The manipulation of people’s pattern of thought and behaviour. When we fight against or defend an idea, we are consenting to play our role in designed chaos. Dis-order is brought about so that people will demand order. The price of ‘order’ always entails a handing over of control and loss of freedom, and we don’t realise that it’s happening. It’s a magic trick.

Order out of Chaos – Dzogchen style.
Dzogchen reasoning: In the very acknowledgment of chaos – which is an illusion – the essence of awareness is realised. Chaos itself is the very tool for enlightenment. That is wisdom. That is real magic!

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HUMANS ARE EASILY DIVIDED

Humans Are Easily Divided

Even when we meet someone whom we feel thinks the same way as us, we notice divisions occurring. These may even become hostile. We appear to be so close, but there is a ‘backing away’, a fear felt. Why?

That which we feel to be precious, we do not want to be contaminated. If we can take teachings from everyone and everything, then our understanding can be enhanced. This doesn’t mean we are satisfied with what is said, but we are testing our compassion and remaining in pure awareness. We are not disturbed, so that neither stress nor anxiety arise. We might find that we need to leave well enough alone, finding the right balance according to our capacity.

If we cannot liberate a desire, we abandon it.
If we can liberate the desire, without having to and abandon it, then we are using sensual objects as the path.

We have to remember that careless conduct can cause others to lose their faith.

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SPECULATION IS TIRING

Speculation Is Tiring

Speculation, concepts and philosophies are tiring: they are the cause of inner and outer conflicts. But true experience of awareness – or rather, ‘pure awareness’ – is energising, and is the source of inner joy, as contaminations of speculation, concepts and philosophies have dropped away. ‘Pure awareness’ is our true nature, for without this ‘pure awareness’ nothing would be known, would it?

Pure awareness it what we are: it is non-duality.

This is missed by most of us, as we do not recognise this pure nature, and so are only concerned with that of which pure awareness is aware. So we become stuck in a material world, beautiful though it may be, and the outcome is conditional happiness; a happiness that relies on conditions. When these conditions are taken away, we become unhappy, not noticing that unconditional happiness has been present all the time! The same applies to love. And true love is concerned with others’ suffering, and the cause of that suffering.

The place in which we live is a mess. The previous owner – the ‘I’ – has allowed things to run down, so there is much tidying to do in the garden. It’s a labour of love.

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MY ROOT TEACHER

My Root Teacher
is
Tsoknyi Rinpoche

Without his intelligent commentaries on wisdom,
I would not know the essence of awareness,
for which I am deeply grateful.

Practice is having compassion for and letting go of anything
that obscures the recognition of this essence.

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THE DHARMA ISN’T FOR SLEEPWALKERS

The Dharma Isn’t For Sleepwalkers

Tibetan practitioners go to charnel grounds (graveyards) or other inauspicious places to train to bring about realisation, as this strengthens resolve. Energy in the mind after liberation can then be used for the benefit of others. We need energy in order to transmit energy in a beneficial way.

Our everyday life is a charnel ground. If we care to look, we see that we are bombarded psychologically by words, sounds and chemicals that are dulling us or creating anxiety and fear*. If we choose to be unaware, our bodies, speech and minds will be contaminated.

Spirituality is not a delicate thing that has to be protected, as in “I must protect my soul”. There is no soul to capture. ‘Soul’ is just a vague word with many meanings: it’s a concept that creates fear, confusion and control.

Cutting through ignorance requires the strong sword of wisdom. At the beginning of our spiritual journey, we need soft toys to feel comfortable, but when we recognise the energy of the essence of awareness – compassion – we strengthen our resolve to help all sentient beings.

*George Orwell and Aldous Huxley knew all about this.

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WE NEED INTELLIGENT STUBBORNNESS

We Need Intelligent Stubbornness

We need to be determined in order to succeed. Being too open, we can fall into confusion, lose direction and dither. If we feel that karma is something that happens now and again (or that God’s hand is sometimes involved and sometimes not), then we are part timers. Mediocre intelligence comes with problems which are revealed in confusion and vagueness. We lose our way if we choose to practise now and again: we need to be vigilant now, and again now…

The waves of karma are happening at every moment. We are creating those waves now, which bear fruition in either fortunate or unfortunate karma. Every moment is a product of karma and our every reaction is generated by our past. That is why, when we pause and stop reaction in its tracks, we break the chains of reaction! We prevent more of the same.

To get to our destination, we need a firm sense of direction without a clinging residue: if we don’t clean our tools, they will remain dirty. Every moment counts.

Practitioners of the Buddha’s teaching want to achieve liberation for all. We need to be convinced of this and to practise completely and cleanly.

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THE OUTCOME OF ‘KNOWING’ IS COMPASSION

The Outcome of ‘Knowing’ Is Compassion

It doesn’t matter how much we think we know,
if compassion isn’t present,
we are no more than clever, tinkling bells.

Teachings are given so that we become a light for others,
passing on the light rather than our light.
Light is not to dazzle but to illuminate,
so that others may pass on the light.

The light of love is what we are.
There’s no getting away from it.

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ONCE WE KNOW, WE CANNOT NOT KNOW

Once We Know, We Cannot Not Know

Whenever we hear, read, touch, smell or taste something
and understand it,
we get the transmission of pointing out
like a bolt of lightening.

We then cannot say that we don’t know.

As we progress – and we will, through meditation – we become more responsive and less reactive. We see more and react less in accordance with our previous programming, our karmic production. Even if we feel that we are more reactive and less responsive, there is still awareness of that fact, and that conflict is our path. Let’s be honest, old habits do flare up…

Awareness and clarity are auspicious signs: “auspicious: conducive to success, a divine sign.” This beneficial motivation is achieved through the merit of compassionate activity. This is ‘waking up’. Unfortunately, waking up can be annoying to others (make that very annoying), as they are fixed or locked into a matrix – a cultural, social, or political environment.

There may be times when we wish to go back to sleep and have fun like we used to, rather than seeing so much suffering, but that is to live in ignorance in the corporate prison. The corporate ideal is based on fear-and-hope mongering, facilitated by sweet-talking politicians and media personalities convincing us into submission, to send us back to sleep; “Move along; there’s nothing to see here.” Such activity is a bad virus, and we can see one of the outcomes in how hostile people are online.

There is no going back, especially if we care about the next generation, which – if we believe in rebirth – we will be part of. Sometimes, we just have to let go of old ‘friends’. If we feel strong, confident and compassionate, we can mix with all sorts – enjoy sports, watch a film, have a meal out – and not lose our sacred awareness.

Once we see the brutality and corruption that is destroying this world, we cannot turn a blind eye.

We should be joyous now that we see
– painful though it is.
Knowingness is ever present.
It is always with you
because it is you.

Not knowing is a temporary affair.
Knowingness is forever.

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THE DILEMMA OF RECEIVING THE POINTING OUT INSTRUCTION

The Dilemma Of Receiving The Pointing Out Instruction

The dilemma is that we may either expect too much and miss the simplicity, or it may go over our head and we miss the point – but nevertheless, a good seed has been planted. Much depends on the teacher – and probably the translator – and much depends on the student.

I have been given the pointing out instruction alongside people who have come to Buddhism for the very first time (lucky individuals!) and people who have been practising for forty years (slowcoaches like me).

It may just be about being in the right place at the right time. For most, the pointing out instruction is like a good seed, and will give us a sense of direction. Sometimes, after much searching and heart ache, it is seen unexpectedly.

When one of my teachers was young, he crept out from his monastery one night to visit a lama who had a very scary reputation (some teachers are like that – they talk straight, which means that if you ask a question, you cannot ignore the answer, and so you have to be careful what you ask!). This lama did something unexpected – he served tea and said nothing. After they had drunk their tea, the scary lama just said, “It is done!” and my teacher thought, “What did he do? What did he do?” – he couldn’t think of anything. That was transmission by gesture. Years later, when my wife and I were his students and doing some building work for him, he put his arms around us and said, “You are more like friends than students.” We left and went for tea, and just stared at each other: we couldn’t think of anything. Perhaps it was the tea! 😀 (the scary lama was Khenpo Goncha).

It was only years later that I recognised that same feeling when receiving the pointing out instruction formally. The pointing out instruction is a little shock to the mind. We may or may not notice it.

In theory, it is awareness looking at itself and finding nothing – emptiness – but these are just words. The pointing out instruction is an experience. The experience is silence of sacred space. (maybe the sacred space came first!). That sacred space is clarity, and the pointing out instruction is dropped in so that that clarity is recognised: it is a direct transmission, and is clearly seen.

Incidentally, a few years later, the teacher who called me ‘friend’ suddenly – after eleven years – threw me out! That was one crazy shock 😉

There is a difference between ‘knowing’ and ‘pure knowingness’.
Expect the unexpected.

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TOWN YOGI

Town Yogi
who doesn’t want to practise

Some of us can’t practise, won’t practise, or don’t see the point of practising, but we still want to know. Well, we can! All that is needed is for ultimate reality to be pointed out, and then it is our job to remember and sustain it. It’s a back door to practising. 🙂 We are practising remembering and seeing. If we find this too difficult or our mind is still confused, we then use formal practices. I do both.

As individuals, formal practice prepares us with the right motivation and understanding for the moment of recognition of our true nature. Does it work? I’m not sure. However, when the right moment arrives, and the pointing out instruction is given, then that moment can be quite powerful.

Between you and me, my response was, “Is that all?”!

This approach may not work for everyone as the mind still needs convincing, so study and practice are needed.

Usually, the pointing out instruction is given within a special atmosphere so that we take it in…we ‘get it’! This is why it is regarded as secret. The short text used is often, “The Lamp That Dispels Darkness” by Mipham Rinpoche.

It is not understood through intelligence but by direct experience. Throughout this blog, there are expressions of this, without formality. It is merely awareness looking at itself and finding nothing but awareness which is recognised and indescribable.

“Is that all?”
“That is all.”

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WANT SOMETHING NICE TO HAPPEN TODAY?

Want Something Nice To Happen Today?

Then do something nice for someone else!

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STRESS INFLAMES THE BRAIN

Stress Inflames the Brain

Longterm stress erodes memory,
which means we neither function properly nor think straight –
and we live in a world of stress!

Being aware of stress and the causes of stress, and finding a solution to relieve that stress, is a psychological – and ultimately, a spiritual – matter, culminating in the cessation of stress.

Acknowledging this stress is the first of the four noble truths taught by the Buddha.
This is why we rest the mind and body in meditation.

Meditation – going where no pill has gone before! 😀

Notes from https://news.osu.edu/news/2016/03/01/long-term-stress-erodes-memory/ :

Recent research by Ohio State University has shown that sustained stress erodes memory and that the immune system plays a key role in the ensuing cognitive impairment. It has established the relationship between short-term memory and prolonged stress as a result of inflammation caused by the immune system’s response to outside pressure.

Long term psychosocial stress continued to have an effect on the development of new neurons for a period of 28 days after the stress had ended.

The inflammation and memory loss did disappear when anti-inflammatories were administered, but the depressive-like behaviour and social avoidance remained, showing that post-stress memory loss is linked to the immune system.

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INTENSE CONFIDENCE & INTENSE DOUBT

Intense Confidence & Intense Doubt

Writing is talking to oneself,
mulling over experiences and possibilities:

“It can’t possibly be that simple!”
“Why so much religious elaboration on emptiness?”
“It costs nothing to be what we naturally are.”
“Why do I keep meditating when there is no meditator?”
“I know I am mistaken.”
“Compassion for ignorance.”
“I can do no more than give up.”
“Joy in depression.”
“Knowing dispels not knowing.”
“We cannot say we are not aware!”
“The miracle of waking up is enough.”

Intense doubt & intense confidence put us in tune,
by being not too tight and not too loose.

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WHAT IS SO SPECIAL ABOUT US?

What Is So Special About Us?

It is hard to believe that everyone is a potential Buddha,
an enlightened being.
So what on earth are we doing with our lives?

The Buddha taught the path to enlightenment:
Look into awareness, finding nothing but emptiness,
and stay there.

The hallmark of this decadent age of deception is intensity.
Intense negativity and intense, painful emotions –
but also, intense wisdom!

If we are able to practise the Dharma,
we can use this intensity to strengthen and gain accomplishment faster.
Human means and capacity have increased.

The problem is,
Who are you going to believe?

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OUR INTENTION IS TO BE HAPPIER

Our Intention Is To Be Happier
But how?

Doing spiritual practices to be happier is good. But first we need to be clear about the obstacles to realising the happiness that is already present, but goes unnoticed. If our intention to be happy overrides our clarity, then these obstructions will remain, obscuring recognition of genuine happiness. To be genuinely happy, we have first to clear the obstacles, the klesha.

Klesha is a Sanskrit word for the mental states that cloud the mind – such as anxiety, fear, anger, jealousy, desire, depression, afflictions, defilements, destructive emotions, disturbing emotions, negative emotions, mind poisons – and manifest in unwholesome actions. These are, in fact, the root of our problems, and all derive from the three basic poisons of ignorance, attachment, and aversion, the main root being ignorance of our true nature.

Happiness is not realised by gaining anything: we arrive there by losing attachment to everything. We become happier by getting rid of our attitude – our stored-up preconceived ideas that create reactions which we then maintain, through ignorance. These reactions come from forgetting, or not applying, the six perfections: these are not an imposition on us or a set of rules to obey. They are our natural manner of expressing wisdom. We are happier by expressing compassion – happiness in caring. When I sharpen a tool, I am happy that it cuts better, and the tools sounds happier as well!

We are happier when we let go.

The six perfections – giving of oneself, morality, patience, diligence, concentration and wisdom insight – are the six elements of compassion. Compassion is realised through acknowledging empty awareness within all beings. Empty awareness is our absolute nature which is naturally and unconditionally happy, as it does not rely on conditions in order to be happy. Happiness is uncontaminated pure awareness.

When we become empty of any attitude, we are in happiness. We are in love.

As we progress (if we progress 😉 ) the knife-edged path we walk gets sharper and sharper, and so we have to become more and more careful of our conduct. Assimilating the teachings takes time, and we gradually upgrade and begin to see more clearly. Meditation in the method to achieve this, and our conduct is the continuity of the meditation. This is being mindful. Gradually, we reach empty awareness of non-meditation, non-duality. We read between the lines to reach higher levels.

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DIFFICULTY IN TALKING TO OTHERS?

Difficulty In Talking To Others?

That is the price of sanity.

Waking up has its problems
because compassion is challenging.
It is an insane world,
run by and for the insane.

The conventional world will talk for hours about trivia. Any discussion of a spiritual nature, which is true healing, is difficult because we each have our own private view. Even when we do find someone who is interested in spirituality or in meditation, the conversation is still uneasy, and goes nowhere. None of us like being lectured to, unless we choose to go to a lecture!

We may feel isolated – and this happens even among people who feel a similar way. There will be differences. This is why there are so many traditions, and saying that we need ‘harmony in diversity’ still won’t make it happen. There will always be divisions…perhaps we don’t all come from the same place! 😀

We practise alone,
and we progress alone.
As a community, it’s sad to say that we remain ignorant
because there will always be subtle frictions.

We have to be skilful when communicating with others. This is the whole point of compassion, and the way in which we achieve compassion is through inner confidence and inner joy. This naturally comes about through understanding the nature of everything; pure awareness of emptiness.

C.S Lewis gave a lecture* where he spoke about the human desire to join the ‘Inner Ring’ and the fear we have of being left out, and how this obsession exposes circles within circles which are exclusive by nature. To find true satisfaction, we drop that longing to be on the inside and ‘in the know’ and instead, love whatever presents itself, getting on with it as best we can: in this way, we find we are naturally the centre of a true inner circle of satisfaction. Others may be attracted, or not – either way, it doesn’t matter because:

This above all: to thine own self be true,
And it must follow, as the night the day,
Thou canst not then be false to any man.”
William Shakespeare

Sanity is being true to our natural essence.
Insanity is trying to impress others’ insanity.

* http://www.lewissociety.org/innerring.php

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HOW DO WE LET GO?

How Do We Let Go?

It is arrogant to think one could answer such an important question, but if an answer arises, why not share it? 😉

How do we let go?

This is dependent upon the level of understanding and motivation. In ordinary life, we can let go but that ‘letting go’ is to do with fight, flight or freeze controlled by the reptilian brain: it’s not letting go in an intelligent, spiritual way, and life is a struggle. We become so accustomed to ‘getting by’ that things don’t seem to matter too much one way or another. This is normal sentient functioning: we can progress to higher brain functions, but it’s still ‘all about me’!

Letting go in the spiritual sense is more demanding: it is more finely tuned to ‘being’ beyond mere brain functions. We are aware of pure awareness, where everything is perceived without habitual programmed comments.

The more we recognise that any holding on to thoughts and emotions will cause suffering – even on a subtle level – then we will drop it like a hot potato. Any sense of clinging, grasping, holding or claiming is the opposite to just being, merely resting in our true nature (it’s interesting to note that, on first meeting someone, communication is free and open and there is harmony and unity, but after a few minutes, personalities step in and that openness develops boundaries as the programming takes over). When we are less easily distracted, we cannot be controlled by others. If we look into our mind, we find that most of our thoughts are products of our environment – those thoughts are not our own. That in itself should shock us into letting go!

In practical terms, if we are bombarded by thoughts and emotions, we use shamata meditation, focusing the mind on the breath or a mantra sound. But this is just an antidote, a temporary fix, as thoughts will arise again.

It is important to recognise distractions in the mind as they arise, rather than following them uncontrollably (it may sound cynical, but once the initial moment of meeting a person has passed, our standpoint becomes clear and habitual reactions come to the fore: every comment is a repetition of that programming).

Remain in spaciousness awareness. This doesn’t mean that we do not think and respond; we merely take time to step back for a second look – or two. Then, whatever we decide to do, we do it and let it go because of right intention, which is compassionate understanding. There is no aftertaste of guilt or worry. We let go precisely because there is the next moment to deal with.

If we regard spirituality as something fluffy and personal that cannot be analysed, then we are not ready to upgrade our present understanding. The spiritual process is tough and challenging as it exposes our neuroses. Genuine spiritual practitioners may appear meek and gentle, but there is a diamond quality that cuts through everything – even itself: that is the nature of a diamond. True understanding and confidence can stand up to everything, and true happiness cannot be disturbed by any outside force. That is pure awareness. Life may still be messy, but pure awareness is noted as present.

Letting go creates spontaneous presence. Spontaneous presence is revealed by cutting though concepts that arise in the mind. This is how Trekcho works together with Togal; that is the complete Dzogchen.

If we don’t understand, we just let it go, and we will!
It’s like throwing a knotted snake in the air – it unties itself.
In other words, “Phuck it!”
😀 😀 😀
Total confusion is mind blowing.

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SHIT DOESN’T JUST HAPPEN

Shit Doesn’t Just Happen

I’ve heard spiritual teachers say, “Shit just happens” and “It is as it is” and that we should just deal with it and let it go.

Shit does not ‘just happen’: it has a cause and under the right conditions, it will manifest, in the same way as everything else in the universe. Things don’t just happen. If we’re not careful when listening to others, and don’t look closely enough, we can become sucked in to repeating phrases that please the natives – phrases that are easily digested and turn out to be shit (waste matter left after the nutritious content has been digested). This shows a lack of understanding, especially of the modern world.

We have to take into account that there are many traditions which offer slight different methods and understandings, and within those traditions there are teachers who each employ slightly different methods. And of course, the students have different approaches and abilities so we follow that which resonates with us, while being very careful. In each tradition of Buddhism, there are nine levels (yanas), and although the same words may be used, the meaning changes and refines.

This is where the material world and the spiritual world have to meet. If we don’t understand how the material world works and are blinkered by just listening to ‘the teachings’ we may find ourselves happy but vulnerable. Here, I have to say that Tibetan lamas are ignorant of the degree to which deception is being used against people, and the psychology that is behind the manipulation human understanding. In short, we are being made more left brained than right brained, and as such, are easier to control.

Due to the laws of like-attracts-like and karma, we fall into the same cyclic patterns: it’s important to remember that there is individual karma and there is collective karma, held together by our karmic responses to everything. Our ignorance. Reaction to any situation is our karmic response, which is a product from the past. The situation in which we find ourselves is one that we created. We usually find that the same things keep happening to us.

OK, now I can get to the point! Most of the time, we can track how the present moment was due to our inattention to detail at some point, when we ignored something. But when deception is part of the equation, this is not so easy to see. When our bodies break down and something goes wrong and an illness of some sort occurs, religion puts this down to karma or God, and the world puts it down to ‘these things happen and we don’t know why but here’s the treatment’. Quite often, the treatment triggers something even worse…things don’t just happen.

Here, I need to refer you to a book called Trick and Treat, by Barry Groves, who is a food investigator. His website is http://www.second-opinions.co.uk This is something for you to investigate as it is a huge subject: basically, it transpires that we are eating too many carbohydrates and not enough natural fats (along with the designation of cholesterol levels being deliberately set too low). We have an imbalance in the body. The point is that we are being tricked into eating so-called healthy food by Big Food and then treated by Big Pharma. Of course, Big Agriculture is also involved. Ill health makes a lot of money…shit doesn’t just happen.

For the past few decades, shit has been designed. We are made ill by ignorance: we just have to be aware of this. Ignorance is costly. We are not blaming anyone, we are merely being aware of what is happening in this modern global world. After all this is the Kali Yuga. This is not a conspiracy theory, it is conspiracy fact.

Wars are designed, by dividing and conquering, by Big Military and Big Government with a Big Idea.

Conspiracy: a secret plan by a group to do something unlawful or harmful.

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SEARCHING FOR ‘CONSCIOUSNESS’

Searching for ‘Consciousness’

If we search for consciousness (pure awareness)
then consciousness remains a mystery.
It is consciousness itself that has to recognise itself
and let go.

Scientists are trying to discover consciousness
to put into their machines.

Will absurdity never end?

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DEPRESSED?

Depressed?
Low spirited?
We should be.

Recognising suffering is the first noble truth
leading to the cessation of suffering:
we are therefore ready for the journey.

We live in a perverted travesty where rulers feed off the populace: this is the Age of Demons, according to the Mahabharata. We do not live in accordance with loving wisdom that is our true nature. If we are not disheartened about life, then we have covered our hearts with justifications and delusions.

Our body, speech and mind are constantly being disturbed so that we are unable to think straight, let alone go beyond thought. Our body, speech and mind should be full of positive energy but they are being attacked and put under stress, and we become run down, and therefore depressed. We need to recharge our wisdom through transcendent knowledge, which is spiritual psychology beyond this mundane, depressing world.

The antidote is simple, without the need for pills or stimulants. Know that depression is not a permanent state. There is light in the darkness precisely because ‘we’ recognise the depression in the mind! If we believe we are the mind, then we will become the depression and remain depressed, mistakenly claiming, “I am depressed”. Stimulants may make us feel better temporarily, but they only dull the mind and thus we lose insight because we cannot connect with the direct experience that can awaken us.

It is inner awareness that can immediately loosen the mud in the mind. Life will, of course, still be disturbing but we can now deal with it better. This is the purpose of meditation.

If we go too far down the road of identifying with depression, then everything is dark: it seems there is no light and we can become demonic. But there is always light, once it is pointed out in the calmness of wisdom.

There is the possibility of indulging in depression in order to justify doing nothing and blaming the world. This is a very sad state to be in: it is a heavy karmic load, with a heavy heart. Been there, done that!

There is no need to be depressed about feeling depressed. When we finally do feel a sense of relief from depression, we look around and see others in depression – and that is depressing. It’s a mixture of joy and sadness, which is wisdom realising the temporary state in which others find themselves. This is compassion. Recognition uplifts depression.

If we do not know there is a way out,
we don’t get out.

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TO BEGIN, WE HAVE TO KNOW WHERE WE ARE GOING

To Begin, We Have To Know Where We Are Going
and that is non-dual awareness.

Non-dual awareness means there are not two.
Dzogchen/Mahamudra/Maha Ati
is non-dual awareness.
It is not a practice;
it is the outcome of practise.
It is beyond language and culture,
being at one.

We can spend years in spiritual practices without knowing where we are going. It doesn’t have to be like that. We only practise when we forget, or when the mind, body or speech are disturbed.

We need a calm body, calm speech and calm mind to realise an enlightened body, enlightened speech and enlightened mind.

We are
Dzogchen/Mahamudra/Maha Ati.
Non-dual awareness
being at one.

That is the point.

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SOME DAYS

Some Days

Some days,
one is inspired to say nothing!
shhhh…

🙂

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THE TRAUMA THAT JUST KEEPS ON GIVING!

The Trauma That Just Keeps On Giving!
The subtle suffering of early life
and why we feel insecure and misunderstood in later life.

We need to take a closer look at the maintenance of suffering; it’s a two-headed beast. Our early years intensify our own karmic tendencies: due to the law of attraction, like attracts like.

The prayer of compassion (the mantra of which is OM MANI PEME HUM representing the six perfections*), goes through the six realms of neurotic states that beings experience, wishing them release from unendurable suffering and for them to be reborn in a higher realm.

Here is how part of the prayer goes…

..from beginningless time, beings experience, as the result of the force of hatred, the suffering of heat and cold by being born in the hell realms

…from beginningless time, beings experience, as the result of the force of miserliness, the suffering by being born a hungry ghost

…from beginningless time, beings experience, as the result of the force of ignorance, the suffering of stupidity by being born an animal

…from beginningless time, beings experience, as the result of the force of desire, the suffering of excessive activity and constant frustration by being born a human

…from beginningless time, beings experience, as the result of the force of jealousy, the suffering of dispute and quarrel by being born a jealous god

…from beginningless time, beings experience, as the result of the force of pride, the suffering of decline and fall by being born a god…”

We can see that all beings – including ourselves – suffer from one or more of these afflictions, and these dominate our lives. We need to be aware of and have compassion for those stuck in the mud of habitual tendencies. Like attracts like: we are reborn (by the driving force of karma) into a family that has similar tendencies to our own, more or less. If our family cannot bring about balance to counter these tendencies with kindness, then we are stuck with a certain family personality – a trait. That is until we decide to change and seek help! So the tendency of the family may be to hate, to never be satisfied, to have no humour, to engage in excessive activity, to quarrel, or feel that they are above others.

Later on in life, when certain situations present themselves, our ‘button’ gets pushed and we explode or break down. We all have an undercurrent of insecurity, feeling misunderstood and a victim, but this is the cycle of existence from which we are breaking out.

We need to recognise and be aware of the forces weighing us down. When knowingness is present, release is possible. Then we can be kind to ourselves and to others.

.

.

*generosity, tolerance/patience, perseverance, discipline, concentration/meditation
and transcendent wisdom/meditation.

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HOW DO WE START OUR SPIRITUAL JOURNEY?

How Do We Start Our Spiritual Journey?
The joy of sorrow.

Now and again, we have to go back to the beginning. What’s it all about?

For some reason, we are attracted to a spiritual tradition. We may feel unfulfilled, or we may be interested in the philosophy, or we may want good company.

Joining a spiritual tradition doesn’t mean we have started our spiritual journey: we have joined a system that may lead to our spiritual journey.

Learning to do practices does not mean we are spiritual practitioners: we are learning a system. We are assuming a posture – an attitude – and that’s all.

We start our spiritual journey when we recognise that our outer life has no satisfaction, and that life is suffering for all. We feel this in our heart and not just as philosophical speculation, and so we genuinely care for what is in front of us.

We may repeat words about the cause of suffering being a mistaken identification with an illusory self – which is a mental idea – but it is the actual uncomfortable experience of realising that we are holding on these ideas that shocks us into realising that this self has absolutely no reality. The emotions are key to this experience.

Our spiritual journey starts when we realise this secret: that everyone is enslaved by clinging to their emotions – even ‘spiritual’ people. This secret is hidden within everyone. This secret is pure, uncontaminated awareness; our absolute nature. The joy of realising this reality is surrounded by the sadness that others do not see this, yet. We realise the joy of sorrow when we meet someone facing their suffering and beginning their spiritual journey. The moment we have genuine, empathetic compassion for the causes of suffering and do not ignore this, we start our spiritual journey. It is no longer hearsay.

It doesn’t matter how uncomfortable a situation may be, we deal with whatever comes up because we understand and experience the causes of suffering. We are no longer covering this discomfort up with prattle.

Doing practices doesn’t mean thatwe understand; we are just doing practices. I’m sorry to say that the ‘spiritual’ people I have met cannot deal with being presented with the problems of others: they can only have compassion for those afar. They turn their backs on anyone who questions their system, as they have only reached the level of system.

We become spiritual practitioners when we experience suffering and the causes of suffering. This is what happened to Siddhartha Gautama, who became the enlightened one 2500 years ago.

Our spiritual journey starts when we listen.

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CREATIVITY

Creativity

We spend our days being creative in some way or other, or in maintaining something that was created. We can create a good atmosphere, or a dull atmosphere, or chaotic one. We are naturally creative creatures.

Just listening and smiling is being creative; that’s love in action. What could be more creative than allowing a good space for others to be in? What could be more creative and beautiful than caring? That’s Dharma in action.

Once we ‘get’ the Dharma, we can run with it, and all sorts of inspiration comes our way. Inspired energies are blessings if we just go with them, and on completion, let go. Letting go allows spontaneous moments – refreshing moments – to come along, by the recognition of a need beyond one’s own needs. The symbolic teacher in action. One’s own needs are taken care of precisely because of our caring. Recognising the symbolic teacher sees to that! (the symbolic teacher is anything that arises within awareness of empty essence; it’s a reminder that all arisings are without any true, inherent existence).

If we don’t let go, and instead claim ‘our’ creativity, it may turn out to be a curse because we become emotionally addicted, and crave more of the same. And that’s what we get – more of the same, just going round in circles. The demon in action.

I used to think (being a lowly Buddhist) that creativity was a samsaric thing, because we have to go beyond this materialistic world. But I’ve discovered that creativity can be an expression of love. Compassion in action. If spiritual teachers tell you creativity is a distraction…

Have you seen Tibetan temples and shrine rooms?!!! They’re full of beautiful colours!!!
Have you seen inside Zen temples and dojos? They’re full of beautiful wood!!!
Have you seen the beautiful architecture inside churches?!!! They’re full of beautiful echoes!!!
Have you seen inside your heart? It’s beautiful!!!

Creativity has to stick to the point.
No Fiddling. No Frills.
Just an enlightened attitude.

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THE BEST MEDITATION IS…

The Best Meditation Is…
when we stop meditating!

Tulku Urgyen said, “Short moments many times.” This is essential in awareness meditation. We don’t hang on to anything, effortlessly relaxing, without the mental gymnastics of mindfulness. The Dzogchen approach is that no one ever became enlightened by meditating, but only by breaking the meditation.

Meditation is dualistic.
Non-meditation is non-dualistic.

There are two approaches to meditation: one is to tame the mind through the non-distraction of focused shamata/shine practices, and the other to rest in the naturalness of direct perception, barely aware in open emptiness to whatever arises within clarity.

If there is dullness or turbulence in the mind, we use the focused, non-distraction methods.
When the mind become still and open, we let go and rest effortlessly.

Servicing the mind
When the mind is not running freely,
it needs servicing.

Once the mind is running freely,
stop servicing it.

When a problem reoccurs,
service the mind again.

We don’t have to keep servicing the mind
if it’s running perfectly well!

If we interfere,
we create confusion and doubt
and so believe that the mind need more servicing.
This is incorrect because open emptiness is naturally present.

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REPULSED BY ATTRACTION

Repulsed by Attraction
The reason that we are dissatisfied

We are interested in and attracted to something or someone, and then find that it is not precisely what we are looking for. This is usually because of the way people act: we are discouraged because of something in their attitude. It feel like a force constantly working against us. Everyone is suspicious. So what do we do? This is a strange conflict and not one that all will admit to. Most simply join in for safety in numbers.

Once we realise the state of play, we can maintain our natural state of inner joy – outer joy may be a little too much to ask for! As Thích Nhất Hạnh said, “The art of happiness is also the art of suffering well.”

This state of play is our innate, inner joy trying to find harmony with others and somehow failing. Good news! This is the Kali Yuga! 😀 In Sanskrit, the Kali Yuga means strife, discord, quarrel and contention. The age of demons! And demons can’t help themselves.

Prophesied events during a Kali Yuga
A discourse by Markandeya in the Mahabharata identifies some of the attributes
of Kali Yuga.

In relation to rulers, it lists:

Rulers will become unreasonable: they will levy taxes unfairly.

Rulers will no longer see it as their duty to promote spirituality, or to protect their subjects: they will become a danger to the world.

People will start migrating, seeking countries where wheat and barley form the staple food source.

“At the end of Kali-yuga, when there exist no topics on the subject of God, even at the residences of so-called saints and respectable gentlemen of the three higher varnas [guna or temperament] and when nothing is known of the techniques of sacrifice, even by word, at that time the Lord will appear as the supreme chastiser.”

With regard to human relationships, Markandeya’s discourse says:

Avarice and wrath will be common. Humans will openly display animosity towards each other. Ignorance of dharma will occur.

People will have thoughts of murder with no justification and will see nothing wrong in that.

Lust will be viewed as socially acceptable and sexual intercourse will be seen as the central requirement of life.

Sin will increase exponentially, whilst virtue will fade and cease to flourish.

People will take vows and break them soon after.

People will become addicted to intoxicating drinks and drugs.

Gurus will no longer be respected and their students will attempt to injure them. Their teachings will be insulted, and followers of Kama will wrest control of the mind from all human beings.

Brahmans will not be learned or honoured, Kshatriyas will not be brave, Vaishyas will not be just in their dealings.

Being aware is being prepared.
Note how much depression and mental illness there is in world now…

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RECOGNISING THE SIZE OF THE PROBLEM

Recognising The Size Of The Problem
We step out of the problem
only when we recognise the size of the problem.

On the internet, there is phrase circulating: “I am infinite consciousness having an experience”. This could be countered by, “From time without beginning, beings wandering in samsara experience unendurable suffering.” (Perhaps it would make more sense to say, “I am infinite consciousness having a problem”!)

Phrases are often ‘cherry picked’ from ancient teachings to suit a limited understanding and acquire an easy following. It is true that beings are infinite consciousness – or awareness – having an experience. But what sort of experience? It is suffering upon suffering.

The easy part to understanding the equation to our essential nature is that we are infinite awareness – pure awareness – enlightened beings. But only as our potential. The problem is that thoughts obscure that potential. And thoughts, ideas, concepts and habitual fixations are deeply engrained in our minds and bodies even before we are born.

The more we recognise the size of this problem, the easier it is to step out of it. Actually, the more we see, the larger the problem appears – and the greater the sense of urgency. This keeps us sharp! 😀

We can start by looking at the top first – at the 8th and 9th consciousnesses*. During the pointing out instruction (if we have a good teacher), we go through an exercise of moving in and out of Rigpa – pure awareness – empty essence.

Here is an example of the extremely subtle nature of the problem: in the 8th consciousness (called Alayavijnana) there is an experience of ‘I am in stillness’. In the 9th consciousness (pure awareness) there is just stillness itself. No ‘I am’. There is no observer observing. No duality. The 8th is a relative state and the 9th is absolute reality. There is a very subtle difference to be acknowledged, so that we recognise this difference and are not imprisoned in a vague state.

This is a matter of precision, and begs the question, “Where are we most of the time?” Answer: In our thoughts, ideas, concepts, fixations. In our imagination. We have been caught in this illusion since beginningless time, wandered in samsara, suffering. If we ignore this, then who knows what form we will acquire in the next incarnation? A rabbit may have infinite consciousness having an experience, but can do nothing about it, and is not even aware that it is infinite consciousness having an experience – it’s not aware of its own awareness.

There are two parts to our potential enlightenment: recognising our true nature of pure awareness, and sustaining it. We sustain it by stepping out of our karmic enslavement. First, we have to recognise the size of the problem…and then panic! 😀 😀 😀

*type in search for ‘eight consciousnesses’

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DOES SPIRITUALITY HAVE TO BE DRESSED UP?

Does Spirituality Have To Be Dressed Up?

This will depend on the individual’s needs. To start with, we need a clear distinction between conventional life and spiritual awareness. We need something special that attracts us and that can be integrated into daily life. Ultimately, we become an unceasing expression of unconfined love, but we have to take first things first.

Reminders are vital, to go beyond this all-consuming, mundane, materialistic world. A special place to go. This may be either plain or vividly ostentatious, depending on one’s taste. We have to suck it to see. 😀

It’s important to be mindful of how simplistic it is to become caught up in quality of form, exchanging this for the simple quality of reality.

Of course, there are times when we like to cruise along as a group in regular, formal rituals: this can be encouraging and a good support, but we have to realise that real practice – real dharma – is a living and breathing experience that we do on our own. This is true courage.

Letting go is for the brave and confident. Then, compassionate love comes from our heart. Doing something because we ‘should’ is second class: doing it because we recognise responsibility is first class.

We do not need a holy ‘attitude’:
we need wholly empathetic compassion.
Unceasing expression of unconfined love in a relative world.
The unity of the two truths.

Ultimate reality is beyond.
Ultimate expression is love.

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THE ‘FOUR’ IGNORANCES

The ‘Four’ Ignorances

Traditionally, in Buddhism, we speak of two ignorances, or veils: ignorance of our true nature and the ignorance of maintaining that mistaken view, which is our own doing.

It is obvious that if we have these veils, then so does everyone else. That being the case, there are also external ignorances that influence our own mistaken view: peer pressure can overwhelm our intelligence.

These external ignorances fall into two categories: intentional and unintentional, or conscious and unconscious.

There are those who wilfully pull the wool over our eyes to keep us confused so that they can rule over us. In addition, there are those who, having had the wool pulled over their eyes, maintain this deception unconsciously…well…almost unconsciously, as we all experience guilt and discontent.

We are subject to peer pressure: that is what keeps us in line to conform. Look up the Asch Experiment and the work of Professor Stanley Milgram, who wrote: “It may be that we are puppets — puppets controlled by the strings of society. But at least we are puppets with perception, with awareness. And perhaps our awareness is the first step to our liberation.” We will consent to incorrect ideas through peer pressure, even though we know that what is being suggested is make believe.

Also look up “The Invisible Gorilla” (www.theinvisiblegorilla.com) – we don’t see what we actually see!

Understanding and realising the nature of mind is simple.
It is awareness of awareness that makes no comment:
it just sees clearly.

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THE ONE THING THAT SOLVES EVERYTHING

The One Thing That Solves Everything
..and you don’t have to be religious to understand this!

Awareness.

Awareness is the one thing that is undeniable.
By awareness, everything is known.
When awareness knows itself,
it is half way to enlightenment.

We can see this in meditation, by just sitting quietly and letting of the meditator! Pure awareness rests in pure awareness. That’s it.

Once this is recognised, then the many things that distract this one, extra-ordinary, simple reality are but mindful remembrances of some thing occurring within awareness. We stop filling up our precious, limited time chasing after things, and anything that comes our way is our guide back to reality of our true nature. Everything becomes a toy.

Once this is assured, then we are protected against the suffering of change.

Once we have no further use for the guide – the exhausting, fixated concepts called karma that we have been holding onto – then that is the other half of the journey to enlightenment.

Enlightenment is pure awareness that is unbroken.
Enlightenment solves everything
– except others’ toys.

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I WANT TO BE A BETTER PERSON!

I Want To Be A Better Person!
The cake of compassion’s ingredients
are the six perfections.

We’ve had five builders come to our house about a project: each had a different approach to an agreed, basic problem. Teachers and traditions are like that. We all have a karmic bias, which is also our working base. By wanting to be ‘a better person’, we may be wanting someone else’s working base: this would only confuse and delay progress. Our karmic base was created long ago, and it’s what we have to work with in order to undo that very working base. So, is there any point in wanting someone else’s karma?

Our working base is in the way we see things. For example, I read yesterday, “In the beginning was the word.” Reflecting on that, my thought was, “How can the word be in the beginning?” Before the word must be a motivation, and before that was pure experience – pure awareness – pure consciousness. Once the word is formed, reaction takes place and “The word becomes flesh.” It is the word that creates karma; the idea that takes on a form.

So we can see things differently. Words are merely a translation of experience, and that translation can mean different things to different people. During retreats, we often compared different translations of Tibetan text: we are still relying on the words of a translator, and the ‘right’ one for us is the one that connects with our experience, our working base.

Yesterday I met a very charming gentleman who spoke as if he was mentally offered us cake in his every word! He was so lovely, I thought, “Hmm…I wish I could be like him.” Then I looked at my mind and it just doesn’t work that way, even though it would like to. It’s more direct as it is more angry: it cuts through. The flavour of my cake is more intense, and not to everyone’s taste.

Some builders woo you. Some clarify the situation and give you confidence. Of course, they’re all doing it for money, but we choose what we feel we can trust. We can learn from a builder. We can learn more from five builders to help us choose the one.

Being mindful of the mud, the very moment the mud is recognised, it drops away leaving pure experience – pure awareness – pure consciousness. If our bias is to panic, pure experience – pure awareness – pure consciousness is covered up again. This is our patterning. The more we practise properly, the more the bias weakens. We will have bias until enlightenment.

Breaking the chain of our own reactions creates positive change. When we stop the reaction, space is experienced and we have time to assimilate the situation and reflect. In that moment, we can offer the cake of compassion! This allows space in the other person: that’s how it works. The outcome is a mutual smile – life is funny that way 😀

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MUDFULNESS

Mudfulness
🙂

No Mud, No Lotus.
The Art of Transforming Suffering
by Thích Nhất Hạnh

“Without suffering, there’s no happiness.
So we shouldn’t discriminate against the mud.
We have to learn how to embrace and cradle
our own suffering and the suffering of the world,
with a lot of tenderness.”

“Most people are afraid of suffering.
But suffering is a kind of mud
to help the lotus flower of happiness grow.
There can be no lotus flower without the mud.”

“The art of happiness is also the art of suffering well.”

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THE PLANET OF SLEEPING BUDDHAS

The Planet Of Sleeping Buddhas

If we want to wake up, we have to follow in the footsteps of those that have awoken. This is the purpose of devotion/inspiration.

However, we need the right motivation. This is the purpose of empathy/compassion towards all sentient beings.

Firstly, we need the capacity to tame the evil-spirited: those who create obstacles. It is the evil-spirited that keep us sleeping by latching on to our weaknesses of being evil-spirited, as we are governed by our limited judgments of likes and dislikes without discrimination. And so, we remain in the sleep of ignorance of our true potential of seeing everything as emptiness.

Once we recognise this potential in all beings (even the evil-spirited), this creates the right motivation to succeed – to go beyond this mundane life.

“May we attain enlightenment for the sake of all sentient beings.”
“May all sentient beings attain enlightenment.”

This would make a nice change
from all the c r a p*
that this planet displays and conceals,
day in and day out… 😀

*Crap: extremely poor in quality, dregs of beer, residue of fat.

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COPING

Coping

Studying is good to learn theory.
Experience (practice) is real evidence.

Study gives us the language to express experience. Study is not reality until what has been learned is experienced. There are two ways of coping, one using theory and the other, experience. My father in law, who was an engineer, told me, “If you want to solve a problem, look for visual evidence first, and then look for the invisible.” I have never found ‘invisible evidence’ 🙂

To cope in life, we usually rely on routines, rules and rituals, and can become quite expert at this. The same thing happens in spiritual life: we cope by adopting a theory, a partial truth. We can invest a lifetime on the invisible, rather than in what is actually being experienced. We can find ourselves following mysteries, believing there is more to come. This narrows our ability to cope with the reality of how it actually is, and of how we find wisdom in the uncomfortable emotions. If we do not control our emotions, they can make us ill.

The tendency to cling to terminology is how religious attitudes are formed, and this is a step away from spiritual experience which is beyond words, thoughts, mudras and bowing. We may find ourselves saying and doing things which are not natural to us, acquiring something that obscures the simple truth. Some teachers encourage this, as it keeps us ‘coming back’ because we are not quite ‘ready’. This creates conflict and doubt, and destroys confidence and joy.

Whatever we think we know, the thing that is important is that which realises this thinking and knowing. Pure awareness – essence – is not complicated; it is the simplest experience in the universe. Everything is merely a reminder to a practitioner, as every thing is a symbolic teacher.

People who are ‘projectors’ hate talk of experience, as it is threatening. We see this in ordinary life, with people trying to outdo one another. Dealing with those who cope by adhering to conventional rituals isn’t easy. There are always visible signs produced by emotions.

Best to stand clear 🙂

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‘DARK MATTER’

‘Dark Matter’
Invisible Mud
Predisposition
Karma!

Before a thought fully develops, we have unclear predispositions in the mind, which are prejudices. We walk around with the stuff that dreams and nightmares are made of, full of bubbling possibilities. When we meet others, notions and vague ideas form, and we prejudge.

Realising that this is happening means that clarity has woken up, and the dream stops. If clarity is dim, our shadowy opinions become a fixed personality of defensiveness and aggression.

It’s like a background ‘white noise’. Some automatically have to argue. Some automatically feel like a victim. Some automatically pretend that they don’t see. These predispositions lurk there in the background, and when a situation presents itself, our vulnerability lies in ambush and we hold on to the hurt. We reveal our dark weakness which exposes us to negative forces.

However, further in the background is the light. If we are not introduced to the power of the light then our dark and light sides remain in conflict. And we remain miserable.

Look and see: we are that light – clarity – that dissolves the dream, the nightmare. ‘Dark matter’ is the causes and conditions that create everything in the universe: collective karma!

Everything is within space, arising out of emptiness.
Everything is known by the clarity of light.

That is what matters!

.

.

.

lurking

This is an illustration I started -“Picking up ideas from here and there.”
There is always something to distract us!

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SPIRITUAL CONDUCT

Spiritual Conduct
Padmasambava:
“Descend with the view, while ascending with the conduct”.

This means allowing absolute compassion to pervade all our actions. Learning to be kind and express love in a troubled world is challenging to a spiritually-inclined person. ‘The troubled world is one where the only challenge is seeking pleasure without finding satisfaction, and the suffering that results from this. That is the addiction of human existence.

The view is absolute pure awareness realising absolute compassion. However, as conceptual beings, our expression of compassion is limited as any fixation is a hinderance. But that’s why we’re here…to practise being perfect, and let go of fixations!

We have the problem of wanting to be kind: in wanting to be kind, there is an element of fixation, and this can be misunderstood and even abused. Accepting this, we do it anyway.

Compassion is our natural expression.
Natural expression is the Lord of Compassion.

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THE WISDOM OF UNCERTAINTY

The Wisdom Of Uncertainty

Life is about change: everything is impermanent. When we believe things to be solid and lasting, we restrict our ability to deal with change. We suffer because we are holding on to ‘how it was,’ or ‘how it should be’. Life is a constant cycle of temporary gain and loss, praise and blame, the pleasant and unpleasant. There’s no knowing what will turn up next.

However, knowingness itself (uncontaminated awareness) will always be present, ready to deal with the next unexpected phenomenon. We only have to see how people try to keep everything the same, and become disturbed when change occurs or defensive when they encounter another point of view.

Wisdom lies in the understanding that everything has no true, lasting existence: that everything begins in emptiness, resides in emptiness and dissolves back into emptiness. It’s the same with our thoughts, ideas and beliefs. And it’s the same in with dealing people – relationships come and go.

This understanding is tough to appreciate as we would all like to ‘cruise’ for a while and have a rest from all this change. Well, that’s exactly what we have to do – cruise with uncertainty! This means taking everything as it comes to pass, adapting to everything with a light – and enlightened – touch. Life is short and getting shorter! Of that, we can be certain 😀

When we meditate, we step out of the control of gain and loss, praise and blame, and the pleasant and unpleasant. We just let go, and relax…rest.

We would all like to ‘put things right’…now! Things (and this is usually directed towards people) become right in their own good time. People are uncertain and confused, but with support, they too will see the wisdom in their uncertainty and confusion.

Take a moment during the day to stop and relax.
Gradually, the moments join up.

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THE REAL POWER OF OM MANI PEME HUM

The Real Power of OM MANI PEME HUM
is in the realisation of not applying it!

Buddhism is not for the complacent:
it’s for those who investigate everything.

In Buddhism, compassion is highlighted through the practice of the mantra of the lord of compassion, Chenrezi – Om mani peme hum. Compassion is the combination of practising the six perfections of generosity, discipline, patience, perseverance, meditation and transcendent knowledge, for the benefit of all beings suffering in the six psychological realms (hell, hungry ghosts, animal, human, jealous god and god realms) .

This sounds wonderful 🙂 All we have do is repeat, “Om mani peme hum” and we are practising the six perfections. Not so!

“But it makes me feel good!” That’s great, but not quite the point. If we walk around assuming that, because we chant “Om mani peme hum”, we are practising the six perfections simply because we are repeating a mantra, we will never upgrade our capacity, our understanding, our intelligence and love.

It is when we realise that we are not totally applying the six perfections of compassion in any given situation, that we understand that we are still self-centred. Because of the discomfort of this realisation, we can loosen our grip and change occurs. If we then apply the six perfections to ourselves – starting with generosity – the warmth that was missing from the situation arises, and we transcend our limitations.

We realise with sincere regret that we haven’t been that compassionate! Every cloud has a golden lining!!!

Confront.
Drop.
Don’t fester.

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PHRASEOLOGY, NOMENCLATURE, PARLANCE, TERMINOLOGIES

Phraseology, Nomenclature, Parlance, Terminologies
can go over our heads and make us feel that we will never understand.
😀 😀 😀

‘The indistinguishability of samsara and nirvana’…?
‘Thought and dharmakaya are a unity’…?

It’s like this:
Water and wetness are inseparable.
Fire and heat are inseparable.
Awareness and that which awareness is aware of are inseparable.
It’s that simple.

That of which pure awareness is aware becomes all-consuming
and pure awareness forgets itself:
that is a separation, a duality.

Doubt can be very expensive!

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THE DHARMA IS DANGEROUS

The Dharma Is Dangerous

The teachings of the Buddha are absolutely true: we can test and prove them for ourselves. They teach about the true nature of reality – pure awareness – and the obstacles of defilements – desire, fear and ignorance – that prevent the recognition of the true nature of reality.

So where is the danger?

It is the very knowledge of these obstacles that has enabled manipulators to enslave people for centuries. Manipulators have taken the teachings on the human weaknesses of desire/hope, aversion/fear and ignorance/indifference to get what they want, by putting people to ‘sleep’. Obedience to distractions is so ingrained in our minds that each generation unwittingly teaches it to the next through trivial pursuits. As long as we consent to being dumbed down and following the herd, we will remain in this dungeon of darkness, unable to concentrate because of our preoccupation with the pleasant or unpleasant. Look at the world of the ‘media’: it is merely repetition, year in and year out, generation after generation – and we are addicted!

Dharma is a double-edged sword – for good and evil.

It is said that it is as rare for someone to turn to the Dharma (to realise the unity of absolute and relative truth) as it is for a blind turtle to surface from the bottom of the ocean once every hundred years and stick its head through a ring floating on the surface. Counting the number of people who practise the Dharma is like counting the number of stars that can be seen during the day. This being so, it will not matter that some know what’s going on, as the majority do not, as they are addicted to maintaining fear, hope and ignorance – they can’t keep their hands off their i-Phones. Intelligent? Smart? For whom? We are playing someone else’s games and the controllers are laughing all the way to the bank. Even though we may see what’s going on…it will still go on!

However, the Dharma is dangerous to the manipulators, who are overplaying their hand. In this dark age of technology, it is more obvious what is going on. The internet is also a double-edged sword: knowledge is getting through. The turtles are rising, and gradually people will surface to that which is beyond knowledge – wisdom.

Wisdom destroys ignorance!

The constant dilemma for those who write about the Dharma is; who is reading it? This is why it is so important to get a complete picture that is usable within our own culture. There has to be a proper transmission from culture to culture to enable each to deal with what is actually happening within that culture. Having a good wish is not good enough: we must see and recognise. Karma is something we all have to face.

If we want to change this world of corruption, we must seek the truth for ourselves. The Buddha said, “Don’t take my word for it; test it for yourself”. He did not answer all questions, enabling practitioners to think and reason for themselves in order that they can realise the ring of truth floating on the surface.

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