To sit on the wall and make blanket statements that we shouldn’t criticise is dumbing down our intelligence. I’ve often heard such statements used as a spiritual weapons to make a person sound righteous.
Many spiritual discussions are confused: conventional responses are given to absolute questions, and absolute responses to a conventional questions. Everything is held to be real (eternalism) or nothing is held to be real (nihilism), which shows a lack of understanding of the two truths. Spirituality has turned into a philosophy, which turns into an argument – which can destroy a relationship for life.
To criticise, or judge, is correct on a relative level; discernment, discrimination and evaluation are tools for dissolving the path of confusion. Of course, voicing our view has to be done skilfully, or nor at all, as we all have filters of perception. I’ll have to admit I’m no expert in this 🙂 !
Criticism, without skill and intelligence, can be non-productive and can turn into anger and aggression – which is pointless. However, being realistic, we have to suck-it-and-see, and then learn that perhaps it wasn’t skilful to say a certain thing to a certain person… We only learn through experience, and not theory: to believe that no one should criticise puts a block on communication and freezes us in our own little worlds – whereas in actuality, we all have to toughen up!
Being honest is still a relative condition.
From an absolute level, criticism is pointless, so we could say it’s wrong, as anything and everything is allowed to come to pass, and the absolute remains untouched.
Criticism should not be harmful,
but there are times
when we have to cut through the crap!
And therein lies a minefield where we have to tread carefully…
Saying something creates a problem. Saying nothing also creates a problem. Our criticism can only be seen in the light of the four compassionate, enlightened activities of pacifying, magnetising, enriching and destroying. The difficulty is that we don’t have sufficient skill, intelligence and compassion to truly communicate.
Ultimately,
silence is golden
when silence is compassionate emptiness.
It is awareness and ignorance.
It is awareness of ignorance
and it is ignorance of awareness.
The opposite of awareness is ignorance.
However, the moment awareness recognises ignorance,
ignorance dissolves.
When knowing is present, not knowing vanishes.
Mind has two aspects:
an essential nature of clarity
…knowing…
…pure awareness…
…a vessel of no circumference…
and
its contents (thought)
of which awareness is aware,
creating a vessel of fixed circumference.
Mind essence, resting in its own nature, is absolute reality – non duality.
Its contents (thought) are conventional reality – a duality.
When pure awareness forgets its own pure awareness,
it becomes ordinary awareness
and only perceives that of which it is aware; thoughts.
Thus ignorance-duality-conventional-reality is born.
Mind essence is perfect clarity and indisputable.
The contents (thought) of mind are impermanent and disputable.
The conundrum. Our problem is a mind battling in conflict with itself.
When mind essence and thought are recognised as inseparable
– one reflecting the other –
we have the beginnings of enlightenment.
OM MANI PEME HUM is the mantra for the Lord of Compassion – Chenrezi (Avalokiteshvara in Sanskrit). This mantra within the practice enhances our own compassion for all beings in the six realms.
In the practice, there is a sentence; “May I be like Chenrizi in all my existences.” On hearing this, we may get the idea – as I did – “I’ll do it when I can. May I be like Chenrezi in all my future existences. I don’t need to bother too much now”. Actually, we can do this now. Doing it now means actually taking on all responsibility. This where real change happens, and where knowledge turns into wisdom. Information into reality.
The mantra OM MANI PEME HUM represents the six perfections (also called the six paramitas). When we read about these, we will get a vague understanding. It might even sound boring…“Yeah, yeah, heard it all before…be nice, do good.” However, within these six perfections is the complete method to clear the path to enlightenment.
This mantra OM MANI PEME HUM reminds us of the six perfections of generosity, discipline, patience, perseverance, meditation and transcendental knowledge.
From Wikipedia (edited): “The mantra Om Mani Peme Hum is easy to say yet powerful, because it contains the essence of the entire teaching.
Om it is blessed to help us achieve perfection in the practice of generosity. Ma helps perfect the practice of pure ethics. Ni helps achieve perfection in the practice of tolerance and patience. Pe helps to achieve perfection of perseverance. Me helps achieve perfection in the practice of concentration. Hum helps achieve perfection in the practice of wisdom.
“So in this way recitation of the mantra helps achieve perfection in the six practices from generosity to wisdom. The path of these six perfections is the path walked by all the Buddhas of the three times. What could then be more meaningful than to say the mantra and accomplish the six perfections?”
The essence of this mantra is the inseparability of emptiness and compassion – the Jewel in the Lotus. However, when considered within Dzogchen, our understanding of the six perfections becomes upgraded. Quite often, we hear about the different vehicles/ Yanas/levels and we may wonder what is meant by these. The following is a deeper level of the six perfections.
The six deeper paramitas – this how it works.
The six perfections are generosity, discipline, patience, perseverance, meditation and transcendent knowledge. When transcendent knowledge turns into wisdom (the understanding of emptiness), the six perfections are seen in a different light. In the Tibetan Nyingma tradition, wisdom is the unity of emptiness and awareness, known as Rigpa; this leads to an understanding of the three Kayas of Dharmakaya/emptiness, Sambhogakaya/awareness and Nirmanakaya/unlimited compassion.
Rigpa Generosity. Here, generosity has no attachment, and therefore, no clinging. Non-attachment is the practice of generosity. Rigpa generosity is not the generosity of ‘giving’ which is a conceptual generation of merit. When included within Rigpa, it belongs to wisdom; it is transcendent generosity. So, we are practising generosity at a relative level, and an absolute level at the same time, as they are inseparable. The essence of generosity is non-clinging.
Rigpa Discipline. In Rigpa, there is no attachment and so there is no holding on to commitment; there is just natural discipline. In ‘keeping’ discipline, we may become conceited and attached; there is a side effect of conceit because we are so pure…and this can give rise to a social I (an outer, righteous manifestation). The essence of discipline in non attachment.
Rigpa Patience. Within rigpa, there is no fear, and that absence of fear denotes the paramita of patience. The essence of patience is fearlessness.
Rigpa Perseverance. In Rigpa there is no effort, and so there is therefore no perseverance. When we are distracted, we make effort. The essence of perseverance is effortlessness.
Rigpa Meditation. This is non distraction. The essence of meditation is effortless continuity.
Rigpa Transcendent Knowledge. This is Rigpa wisdom itself – pure awareness. This is wisdom resting in the ground in its innateness. The essence of Rigpsa is clear view.
Within Rigpa, conduct is meditation in action; the six paramitas. Our mind does not leave the clear view. Conduct is the six paramitas automatically expressed, without effort; we are naturally generous etc. There are the paramitas that are practised with effort, and there are those that come automatically, without effort – like a healing arising from within. If we are doing something wrong, when Rigpa is remembered, it will have an effect on our outer behaviour.
“May I be like Chenrizi in all my existences.” This is how we do it – effortlessly.
It is interesting to note that compassion has four aspects – four enlightened activities of pacifying, magnetising, enriching and destroying. Chenrezi is seen as a peaceful deity, but he also has a wrathful aspect called Mahakala; this wrathful aspect is intense love.
It all depends on whether we see this as an external or internal matter. If this is an external matter, then we will need someone to intercede for us, as we are not quite sure what the reality is. If this is an internal matter, then we can see for ourself!
Forget all those old paintings of angels up there in the sky*; these are allegorical and symbolic, and not to be taken literally. Symbolic of what? Of an inner messenger between the divine and the temporal (mundane, earthly). Absolute and relative.
In Buddhist terms, angels are synonymous with clarity. “Angels in the sky” are called “Dakinis” or “Sky Dancers”. They dwell in space/emptiness. Our clarity is dakinis/angels. This allows divine energy to manifest, and also serves as a reminder. The messenger is our own clarity; a link of recognition between the absolute and the relative.
Someone, at some time, confused the message about the messenger!
We are all vehicles of clarity, depending on our receptivity and capacity. Our true nature is divine, pure, empty of contamination. It’s just a bit murky at the moment.
Angels with wings, depicted in paintings, are merely a representation of divine energy. It could depicted just as well be as an old person in rags. In all walks of life, there are moments of genuine kindness; you don’t have to be religious to be kind. It’s about our conscience being touched, and is not sentimentality. Our clarity is merely dwelling in unlimited space. Well, we can all do that – it’s what meditation is all about.
When our channels are open, we can become angels, benefitting others with unconditional acts of kindness. We can also get inspiration from other angels; a sort of blessing to pass on. Do we really think it’s all our own work?
The following are from Wikipedia:
Angel An angel is a supernatural being or spirit: benevolent celestial beings who act as intermediaries between Heaven and Earth, or guardian spirits or a guiding influence. Other roles of angels include protecting and guiding human beings, and carrying out God’s tasks. The term “angel” has also been expanded to include various notions of spirits found in many other religious traditions.
Dakini (in Tibetan Buddhism) Dakinis occur most notably in Vajrayana Buddhism There, the dakini, generally of volatile or wrathful temperament, acts somewhat as spiritual muse (or inspirational thoughtforms) for spiritual practice. Dakinis are energetic beings in female form, evocative of the movement of energy in space. In this context, the sky or space, indicates shunyata, the insubstantiality of all phenomena, which is, at the same time, the pure potentiality for all possible manifestations.
Messengers (in Greek and Roman philosophy) Mercury, like Hermes, is a messenger of transitions and boundaries; he moves freely between the worlds of the mortal and divine, as emissary and messenger of the gods. An intercessor between mortals and the divine.
Of course if there are angels,
there must be devils,
who also pass on their blessings.
We can be one of those as well!
Nothing is out there.
It’s all in the mind.
Mind to mind transmissions.
There are three reasons why we should meditate. One – to be free of our mental obstacles (concepts in the mind) and so realise our true nature. Two – to be free from everyone else’s mental concepts 🙂 And three – to be free from the programming of the Establishment’s mental concepts. If we can meditate at least twice a day and then, during the day, recall the qualities of that meditation, we will cope better with life – doing what needs to be done, and letting go. Being aware, but not being ensnared.
While we go about our daily lives trying to do our best, we cannot ignore that there is a “system” perpetually engaged in ‘its’ own maintenance. Our existence on earth may last for 70 years, more or less. The Establishment is here forever (so they think). We are meant to find this subject mundane and boring, so we don’t bother investigating, stupidly thinking that the Establishment is working on our behalf. It’s not…it’s working on its behalf! This affects the whole world, and involves both our home and work environments. It is all hidden in plain sight.
Protecting the establishment. The circle within a circle.
Even though we, as spiritual practitioners, are mainly concerned with spiritual development – usually our own 😉 – there are those who, although not interested in their spiritual development, are suffering. They are unaware of the causes of their suffering, and unaware of the three forces that create their lives.
We could just say, “Well it’s their karma”, and leave them to it. That isn’t very compassionate now, is it?
“Who guards the Guardians?” The Guards are there to protect the Guardians, not the public. The Guardians are self-serving. The public are the “outsiders”. That’s how it’s all kept secret! However, even though this is secret (Chatham House Rules) we can be aware of their effects, and not become unconscious supporters. The outer circle doesn’t know what the inner circle is actually doing. They (the inner circle) are constantly involved in control and, in order to control everything, the inner circle needs to control minds. The best way to do this is through deception. We need to take a close look at our own activities. Are we protecting the system?
A little history, from Wikipedia: The Establishment is a term generally used to refer to a dominant group or elite that holds power or authority in a nation or organisation.
The term suggests a closed social group which selects its own members (as opposed to selection by merit or election). The term can be used to describe specific entrenched elite structures, either in government or in specific institutions.
The American Sociological Association states that the term is often used by those protesting a small group that dominates a larger organization. For example, in 1968 a group of academics set up the “Sociology Liberation Movement” to repudiate the leadership of the American Sociological Association, which they referred to as the “Establishment in American sociology”.
In fact, any relatively small class or group of people having control can be referred to as The Establishment; and conversely, in the jargon of sociology, anyone who does not belong to The Establishment may be labelled an “outsider”.
The term is most often used in the United Kingdom, in which context it includes leading politicians, senior civil servants, senior barristers and judges, aristocrats, senior clergy in the established Church of England, the most important financiers and industrialists, governors of the BBC, and the Monarchy. For example, candidates for political office are often said to have to impress the “party establishment” in order to win endorsement. The term in this sense is sometimes mistakenly believed to have coined by the British journalist Henry Fairlie, who in September 1955 in the London magazine The Spectator defined that network of prominent, well-connected people as “the Establishment”, explaining:
“By the Establishment, I do not only mean the centres of official power—though they are certainly part of it—but rather the whole matrix of official and social relations within which power is exercised. The exercise of power in Britain (more specifically, in England) cannot be understood unless it is recognized that it is exercised socially.”
However, author and professor, Carroll Quigley of Georgetown University, in his book The Anglo-American Establishment used the term much more specifically than did Fairlie.
Quigley exposes the secret society’s (sic) established in London in 1891, by Cecil Rhodes. Quigley explains how these men worked in union to begin their society to control the world. He explains how all the wars from that time were deliberately created to control the economies of all the nations.
That society was established by Cecil Rhodes in 1891 and, following Rhodes’ death in 1902, was carried on by Alfred Milner, which society, Quigley refers to as the Milner Group, but sometimes referred to as the Round Table movement. That group, with significant American input, would, following the Paris Peace Conference of 1919, establish and control the Royal Institute for International Affairs, later to become known as Chatham House.
The Chatham House Rule.
Since its refinement in 2002, the rule states: When a meeting, or part thereof, is held under the Chatham House Rule, participants are free to use the information received, but neither the identity nor the affiliation of the speaker(s), nor that of any other participant, may be revealed.
Purpose. At a meeting held under the Chatham House Rule, anyone who comes to the meeting is free to use information from the discussion, but is not allowed ever to reveal the identity, employer or political party of the person making a comment. It is designed to increase openness of discussion of public policy and current affairs, as it allows people to express and discuss controversial opinions and arguments without suffering the risk of dismissal from their job, and with a clear separation from the opinion and the view of their employer.
The rule allows people to speak as individuals and to express views that may not be those of their organisations, and therefore, encourages free discussion. Speakers are free to voice their own opinions, without concern for their personal reputation or their official duties and affiliations. The Chatham House Rule resolves a boundary problem faced by many communities of practice, in that it permits acknowledgement of the community or conversation, while protecting the freedom of interaction that is necessary for the community to carry out its conversations. It is designed to reduce the risk of what has come to be described as groupthink, where unpopular views are excluded from discussion, reducing the range of opinions an organisation can discuss.
The aim of the rule is to guarantee anonymity to those speaking within its walls so that better international relations may be achieved. The rule is now used internationally as an aid to free discussion. The original rule of 1927 was refined in October 1992 and again in 2002. Chatham House has translated the rule into Arabic, Chinese, French, German, Portuguese, Spanish and Russian.
The rule is a contrast (or a compromise) between private meetings, where revealing what was said in the meeting is forbidden, and on the record events where the discussion is completely public.
Generally, the Chatham House Rule is imposed as a condition of being allowed to attend a meeting or event: all participants are understood to have agreed that it would be conducive to free discussion that they should be subject to the rule for the relevant part of the meeting. The success of the rule may depend upon it being considered morally binding, particularly in circumstances where a failure to comply with the rule may not result in sanction.
NB. All forms of media are meant to distract us, allowing us to play games on the merry-go-round happily, oblivious to what is actually going on. If we can be kept excited about the mundane, we will not realise that we are being programmed at every moment. While we are jumping up and down and reacting, the Establishment can do what it wants, thus maintaining the inner circle by using the outer circle. Gobbledegook is meant to be “TAXING!”
I’ve been a Buddhist for thirty years and am truly happy, so perhaps I have some insight…
The Buddha’s teachings are perfect. However, when the teachings move from one culture to another, there are problems, and adjustments are needed. Even though Buddhism is completely comprehensive, it may not be easy to comprehend the incomprehensible 😉 Only through proper instructions and logical reasoning of why and how, and then the putting of those into practice in order to experience, will understanding and realisations take place.
At the moment, we swim or sink, and there is very little back up. If we don’t ‘get it’, then it’s our problem – and there is little compassion shown to such students. People are still busy “acquiring”; they’re still too keen to be given a Tibetan name (I’ve got two!). When asking about problems we were having with meditation, my wife and I have both been told, separately, “You don’t have to meditate. No one’s forcing you; it’s up to you.” Not a helpful response.
The problem is elitism. I heard of an English man who lived nearby, and who was studying in the same tradition and practising the same deity practice as me. I thought, “Wow! It’ll be great to meet up!” At the end of a short phone conversation, he said, “I am addressed as ‘Dorje’” (a Tibetan honorific name): I just said, “Thanks, Greg,” – and we never spoke again…pity.
Buddhism has much to offer this modern, subversively manipulated world. Just yesterday, the front page of the TIMES newspaper ran two articles: “Governments admit to torture and paid $81m to psychologists to devise methods” and “Nearly half the British population are on prescribed drugs”. This is in the year 2014, and logic would wonder why the world was not at peace and why everything is not running smoothly.
The answer is, running smoothly does not make money! How did so much suffering come about? Answer: Greed. The reason why world is in austerity and recession is bankers’ greed; they were allowed – and are still allowed – to make insane profits at the expense of ordinary people. The manipulation comes about through a change in the use of language, and if think we’re free of this manipulation, look up Edward Bernays.
This is what Buddhism needs to be aware of: the suffering of our brothers and sisters, and not what Tibetan name to call your meditation cushion!
I ‘get the teachings’. I don’t ‘get’ the expensive, cultural bells and whistles.
The Buddha said,
“Do good.
Do no harm.
Tame the mind.”
What is ‘doing good’? What is ‘virtue’?
It is a sympathetic understanding of cause and effect. A simple sentence can have a whole load of profundity, and it’s worthwhile taking time to analyse. I sometimes feel that retreats have too much teaching; too many words and too much talking, when it’s sufficient to study one sentence, and reflect upon it in order to get to the root of our problem.
To act with virtue, we need a sympathetic understanding of cause and effect. The result of cause and effect is a build up of conditions for the future. The future is now! Because of this karma (or karmic reaction) in the past, conditions are created that appear now: this is sometimes termed ‘karmic debt’ coming to fruition, coming in the form of physical and mental productions. Whatever occurs or appears, we have a habitual karmic reaction, and so the status quo is maintained…we go round in circles, creating more of the same!
We should not underestimate how difficult it is to break out of this insane asylum.
A sympathetic understanding is compassionate understanding for whatever arises, both in the physical and in the mind. It is in our reactions that the potential lies. To react to the reactions merely creates more reactions = karma. So, “Do no harm”, thereby “Taming the mind.” We also have to remember that is it not only our mind for which we need a sympathetic understanding; it’s the minds of others as well. It is only through this sympathetic understanding that compassion can truly arise.
The cause of causes and effects is the emotions of desire and aversion; that which we want and do not want. These two go on to create the chain reaction of pride, jealousy and fear, which well and truly imprison us into the dungeon of cyclic existence – the asylum.
Where do desire and aversion come from? They come from ignoring our true nature; ignorance of our true nature is the root cause of emotions, which then go on to create karma. When we rest in our true nature – pure awareness, empty awareness – desire, aversion and ignorance do not arise. And so, when resting in our true nature, we automatically do no harm, do good and tame the mind… producing no karma!
Our greatest problem is our reactions, which are karmically produced. Unfortunately, our reactions seem to be part of us, and that is our curse.
How we deal with all this is down to the capacity of the individual, and how important we feel this is. Acting with virtue smooths the path to pathlessness.
There is one more aspect of which we need to be cognisant: there are actions that are neither good nor bad, but neutral. They are neither harmful nor beneficial, and it’s up to every individual to discern whether these are a delaying tactic, or emptiness itself.
True emptiness is bliss
True relief from fabricating is bliss
True confidence in recognition is bliss
True joy in knowing is bliss
True compassion and devotion is bliss
Bliss can easily be missed. What is bliss, or ecstasy? It’s a feeling of totally giving up and letting go. The effect can be anything from deep relaxation to goosebumps, tingles and tears* but these are not obligatory – we’re all different.
How does bliss come about? It’s simply awareness of nothing doing. Emptiness, which is pure empty space, is like another dimension to our conventional reality which we are unfamiliar with but which is naturally present, constantly, all by itself. The whole point of practice is to become familiar with this natural state.
However, we may find that this bliss is enjoyable, and we want it to last. This subtle wanting creates an earnestness, a tension; we are starting to try too hard to maintain it. Effort is being applied which obscures the effortlessness of bliss, and we feel tired. This is subtle clinging. It could be that we now want relief from our endeavours, and so stop the practice. We want to veg-out!
Instead of giving up, merely veg out a little and relax…and there it is again – bliss. No pills needed!
Tulku Urgyen stated, “Short moments, many times” to stop both clinging and drifting, and which emphasises the Buddha’s words, “Not too tight and not too loose”. Barely rest in meditation. The moment we stop meditating, there is meditation.
“Vegi-Bliss:The meditators’ friend at every moment!”
*One could say it’s like the moment before ejaculation – subtle energy, which is then wasted.
Essential Dzogchen Essentially, we are Dzogchen bliss
These teachings are principally about clarifying confusion. Tulku Urgyen wrote about Dzogchen; “It is what a spiritual practitioner needs to reach complete enlightenment in a single lifetime.”
Padmasambhava explains:
“You must make sure your dharma practice becomes the real dharma.
You must make sure your dharma becomes the real path.
You must make sure your path can clarify confusion.
You must make sure your confusion dawns as wisdom.
“When you have understanding free from accepting or rejecting, after knowing how to condense all the teachings into a single vehicle, then your dharma practice becomes the real dharma.
“When, in any practice you do, you possess refuge and bodhichitta, and have unified the stages of development and completion*, and means and knowledge, then your dharma becomes the real path.
“When you combine the path with the view, meditation, action and fruition, then your path clarifies confusion.
“When you exert yourself in practice, having fully resolved the view and meditation, then your confusion dawns as wisdom.
“No matter what practice you do, failing to unify development and completion, view and conduct, and means and knowledge will be like trying to walk on one leg.”
The following is from “Dzogchen Essentials”:
“Dzogchen is the pinnacle of Vajrayana, yet this pinnacle is poised upon the foundation of Hinayana and Mahayana, and includes all the precepts from the lower vehicles, even within a single practice. To quote Chokyi Nyima Rinpoche, “In Mahamudra and Dzogchen, the training is not to stray from the empty awareness that is the awakened state of the Buddhas. This empty, aware state of all Buddhas, the awakened state, is also compassionate…by not straying from the empty and aware awakened state, one automatically never breaks the precepts of the lower vehicles.
“At the same time, Dzogchen is not for the ambivalent. The path itself is like a very restricted package tour; we cannot make our own itinerary, even though we might be tempted to fall back into old habits of picking and choosing.
“As Tsoknyi Rinpoche states, “It does not make sense to grab at the highest teachings and reject the rest. It is pointless to invent some personal idea of Dzogchen to train in. If you do, then Dzogchen becomes something fabricated, something you have made up. Calling your own theories ‘Dzogchen’ is a foolish pretence that has nothing to do with the genuine and authentic teachings.”
*Development and Completion: We create a visualisation (a representation of a quality) and then, realising its emptiness, melt into emptiness, reminding us that all projections are emptiness. This apparent and empty form of the deity is a rainbow fabrication of emptiness in which we dissolve. Dissolve into bliss.
Development stage: the yoga of imagined deity.
Completion stage: the yoga of the deity of actuality.
This is in response to the points Daisy raised yesterday. What she wrote sounds familiar, although first we have to say that if we want to find out about the Buddha’s teachings, then we have to go to a Dharma centre where there is an authentic teacher. Books and blogs cannot tell us everything, although the purpose of this blog is to prepare people for Dharma centres.
A Dharma centre is a community of likeminded people, where we can make new friends, and it can even become an extended family. And therein lies the problem; family member can be irritating! Dharma centres can become quite intense, as we are taking a close look at all our dirty washing, coupled with teachings that the dirty washing doesn’t really exist!
From my experience, the problem lies in the tension between the inner circle around the teacher – the lama – and the outer circle of students. The inner circle comprises of people close to the teacher who become the organisers: they are also the go-betweens for the teacher and the outer circle, and thus, a certain dynamic is set up. The sane are the ones who just turn up, listen to the teachings and leave. The rest become involved in the politics of dharma-samsara 😉
Personally, I blame the teachers, because there is a spiritual/political set up, and as we know, politicians never want to hear genuine feedback, or admit that they were wrong. The whole point of the Dharma is to deal with our day-to-day emotions, and strangely enough, in Dharma centres these are often heightened; this needs to be acknowledged and explained, but teachers are usually so busy explaining their subject that they ignore what’s going on. There’s a possible reason for this. If we take Tibetan Buddhism, it’s very colourful – and therefore, expensive – and lamas have many projects requiring financial support, and so money is always needed. As a result, it takes delicate handling to avoid upsetting or alienating the people who are close to you, and working for you: the outer group has to sink or swim. Dharma centres are a bit like fire; move too close and you’ll get burnt, but stay too far away and you’ll not receive any warmth.
There is another solution however, and that is to become our own Dharma centre, wherever we are. Once we understand the essentials of the Buddha’s teachings – recognising awareness, and that awareness recognising the purity of awareness empty of contamination – then we are free. Until then, we have to cling to centres for support. Or we may wish to support a centre for others to be able to learn about the Dharma, remaining cognisant that it is all too easy to become elitist and arrogant. That’s the way all groups have to function. It’s something we have to decide for ourselves, while being aware of our own neediness. When we have inner confidence and therefore no resentment, we can be compassionate.
The object is liberation: once we feel free and happy, job done! We’re not obliged to keep on going back. Once we understand the Buddha’s teaching, then everywhere is a Dharma centre.
It’s important to remember that Dharma centres are peopled by people. Nothing special: just people. People who can become irritating. I know this for a fact – I am the most irritating person I know, and I have been kicked out of a few centres, basically because I can’t play games. The astonishing thing to me was, having left the centres, there was no communication and no concern for my wellbeing from people I had previously considered to be friends. That says everything – and strangely enough it actually helped as I began to look for the source of the Buddha’s teachings.
Does Spirituality Put You Off Spirituality?! “…OMG, they’re at it again…!”
When spirituality becomes a facade, we recognise this immediately, and it causes us confusion. Happy-clappiness is emotional blackmail to suck us in; “Everything is wonderful! And you’re being negative to say otherwise”. We begin to doubt our own sanity, as the whole point of spirituality is liberation from ‘self indulgence’, while realising unconditional happiness!
It’s a question of manifestation. We may all have the same inner wisdom-qualities, but these manifest differently – we are not all the same. We’re are not all one…but I’m sure you’ll disagree! 😉
When we encounter this facade, we find ourselves either accepting (joining in) or rejecting (walking away) when we should be using the very teachings to solve the problem. I say ‘facade’ because a smily face disguises nothing; underneath, there is still work to be done. Underneath that is the reality. The teaching is neither accepting nor rejecting (like or dislike), but merely perceiving perceptions, and dropping any clinging that causes discomfort. This teaching is known as “One Taste”. We may still experience a feeling of being p***ed off, but this is no different from happy clappy; one taste is beyond reactions.
Don’t let others ‘spirituality’ put you off.
We have to be sound in our own mind.
Recognising that we have made fools of ourselves
– all by ourselves –
is a very good start.
Becoming a Dharma students, doesn’t necessarily mean we have started being students of the Dharma. Read Chögyam Trungpa’s book, “Cutting Through Spiritual Materialism”; he leaves us nowhere to hide. He’s a tough managing director – “OMG, he’s having a go at us again!” – but he gets the job done! We can be grateful for being introduced to the real Dharma, dealing with the moment in the moment, without the need for a smiley facade.
If I’m being honest, much of this is to do with the people with whom teachers surround themselves: there could be an assumption by the teacher that we are all like that group, which we’re not. But here we are in the realm of spiritual politics!
Our choice of achievements, before we die, will be driven by our desires and interests – or maybe by the interests and desires of others! We live in a collective bucket list.
If we can accept or understand the notion of rebirth, then maybe our bucket list was set even before we were born. Desires and interests are part and parcel of our karma, and so the bucket list we are holding onto now was created by our past, and our present, unfulfilled desires are setting the stage for our next incarnation. We are the designers of all our lives. Our existence is one great, never-ending bucket list, each life finalising with thefive regrets of the dying…again!
Life is too short to achieve all our wishes, and firstly we have to sort out what is of true value – truly satisfying. One of the main problems in the human realm is desire itself, because not getting what we want or trying to maintain what we have is frustrating, and therefore we become addicted to our desires. It’s exhausting! Most of our life is driven by the material corporate world – and the rest of the time, we’re asleep.
“…Here is your radio and TV guide for today. Today you will identify with either program 1. 2. 3. or 4. Here is your censored ‘news’. Now take these pills…I mean, check your phone as many times as you can in a day and you will forget your troubles. Don’t forget to leave your phone under your pillow…just in case!”…
It doesn’t have to be like this; we do have a choice, and we can break out of this continuous programming and free ourselves from all this nonsense. We can be realise our full potential and know our true nature – our first nature, rather than the second nature we have acquired – or which has been given to us. I am not this given name of ‘Tony’.
When it come to reaching our full potential (Buddhahood) however, life seems a little short, so we have to be satisfied with every step we take in the right direction. If we haven’t reached our full potential in this lifetime, then that very longing or desire will carry us through to the next incarnation. Interesting, isn’t it? We set the stage. It’s just a matter of stabilising pure awareness, recognising that all appearances are merely projection in the mind….that’s all!
If we do want a wish list, then wish that our life has been fruitful, and hold the same wish for others.
The four mind changes Preciousness of human body
Impermanence and mortality
Consequences of actions – karma
The negative characteristics of social existence – samsara
It is not beyond our understanding to see how precious life is, and that everything is impermanent. It is not beyond our intelligence to realise that there are consequences to our actions, and that the search for lasting happiness in a material world will never be satisfying.
Reflecting on these four mind changes is the mechanism to changing our limited view, with its constant ups and downs. When we start to understand how our fixated ideas are limiting our experience, we may begin to wonder who we are and what on earth are we doing here. We may have considered these questions when we were younger, but we learned to conform and fit into a social lifestyle: we may secretly resent this. The problem lies in our sense of value.
When you are on your deathbed, what others think of you is a long way from your mind. How wonderful to be able to let go and smile again, long before you are dying.
Life is a choice. It is our life. Choose consciously, choose wisely, choose honestly.
Choose unconditional happiness;
a happiness that does not rely on conditions.
“The Light’s On and No One’s Home!” “The Light’s On but No One’s Home!”
The common usage of the saying, “The light’s on but no one’s home” can be defined as: “… a person lacks intelligence or awareness.” “…someone is stupid, or doesn’t react because they are thinking about something else.” “…they have a brain but they’re not using it.””
This morning, while meditating, I wondered, “How does one explain Dzogchen, which is pure open space; pure awareness?” There is light (or clarity) but no interaction. Just peace. Just sitting.
“The light’s on and no one’s home!” is Dzogchen.
One can only explain this after that open moment;
communication is an act of love.
In society, there is a assumption about how we should be – fully engaged, and bettering ourselves. This is an absolute truth squeezed into the relative; it’s a distortion of the meaning of being focused and realising our true nature. It’s sad and funny at the same time.
Much depends on how we communicate with others. We can either make them turn off the light, lock the door and hide behind the sofa, or – through love – allow them to open the door to share their light. Enable them to shine.
“Bucket List: a number of experiences or achievements that a person hopes to have or accomplish during their lifetime, before they “kick the bucket”. (die).”
The Top Five Regrets of the Dying from Bonnie Ware’s memoirs.
“For many years I worked in palliative care. My patients were those who had gone home to die. Some incredibly special times were shared. I was with them for the last three to twelve weeks of their lives.
“People grow a lot when they are faced with their own mortality. I learnt never to underestimate someone’s capacity for growth. Some changes were phenomenal. Each experienced a variety of emotions, as expected: denial, fear, anger, remorse, more denial and eventually, acceptance. Every single patient found their peace before they departed though; every one of them.
“When questioned about any regrets they had or anything they would have done differently, common themes surfaced again and again. Here are the most common five:
1. I wish I’d had the courage to live a life true to myself, not the life others expected of me.
This was the most common regret of all. When people realise that their life is almost over and look back clearly on it, it is easy to see how many dreams have gone unfulfilled. Most people had not honoured even a half of their dreams and had to die knowing that it was due to choices they had made, or not made.
It is very important to try and honour at least some of your dreams along the way. From the moment that you lose your health, it is too late. Health brings a freedom very few realise, until they no longer have it.
2. I wish I didn’t work so hard.
This came from every male patient that I nursed. They missed their children’s youth and their partner’s companionship. Women also spoke of this regret. But as most were from an older generation, many of the female patients had not been breadwinners. All of the men I nursed deeply regretted spending so much of their lives on the treadmill of a work existence.
By simplifying your lifestyle and making conscious choices along the way, it is possible to not need the income that you think you do. And by creating more space in your life, you become happier and more open to new opportunities, ones more suited to your new lifestyle.
3. I wish I’d had the courage to express my feelings.
Many people suppressed their feelings in order to keep peace with others. As a result, they settled for a mediocre existence and never became who they were truly capable of becoming. Many developed illnesses relating to the bitterness and resentment they carried as a result.
We cannot control the reactions of others. However, although people may initially react when you change the way you are by speaking honestly, in the end it raises the relationship to a whole new and healthier level. Either that or it releases the unhealthy relationships from your life. Either way, you win.
4. I wish I had stayed in touch with my friends.
Often they would not truly realise the full benefits of old friends until their dying weeks and it was not always possible to track them down. Many had become so caught up in their own lives that they had let golden friendships slip by over the years. There were many deep regrets about not giving friendships the time and effort that they deserved. Everyone misses their friends when they are dying.
It is common for anyone in a busy lifestyle to let friendships slip. But when you are faced with your approaching death, the physical details of life fall away. People do want to get their financial affairs in order if possible. But it is not money or status that holds the true importance for them. They want to get things in order more for the benefit of those they love. Usually though, they are too ill and weary to ever manage this task. It is all comes down to love and relationships in the end. That is all that remains in the final weeks; love and relationships.
5. I wish that I had let myself be happier.
This is a surprisingly common one. Many did not realise until the end that happiness is a choice. They had stayed stuck in old patterns and habits. The so-called ‘comfort’ of familiarity overflowed into their emotions, as well as their physical lives. Fear of change had them pretending to others, and to their selves, that they were content – when deep within, they longed to laugh properly and have silliness in their life again.
When you are on your deathbed, what others think of you is a long way from your mind. How wonderful to be able to let go and smile again, long before you are dying.
A man rode his donkey
from village to village
asking people,
“Have you seen my donkey?”
Spiritual practices are to realise our true nature, and not to just engage in a practice while missing the whole point. The whole point is to recognise and rest in our true nature of spontaneous presence. Nothing else.
If we miss the point, then we are no different from the man riding his donkey from village to village asking people, “Have you seen my donkey?”
It’s something we can all ‘do’… ..and it’s based on reasoning
Enlightenment is awareness of absolute clarity of the mind, free of contamination, resulting in pure awareness. Realising that ideas of self and phenomena (contaminates) are made up of parts and therefore have no solid, inherent existence, our grasping and attachment to these illusions drops away.
As a result, our habitual behaviour (karma/contaminates) softens and dissolves. When our habitual behaviour completely dissolves, enlightenment naturally occurs. It makes sense.
We don’t need to do anything but recognise,
neither accepting nor rejecting contaminates
as that involves ‘doing’.
All we need is a good atmosphere.
The Buddha’s teachings make sense.
That’s a load of bad karma.
It’s not just our bad karma;
we have to put with others’ as well!
On a personal level, the trouble we experience was created by our past decisions and reactions. Our future will be the same, if we don’t change in the present. This is karma at work: “As we sow, so we reap”. It’s something of our own making that we have to deal with. But there is another possible cause of our troubles, and that’s others’ karma. If we have karma, other people have karma – and as a collective, the dominant karma will rule, even though it is our own reactions that create our karma. We do tend to live in individual bubbles, but there is a collective froth – a foam of 😉 confusion
The reason I reintroduce this topic now and again is because, as spiritual people, we have to be aware of the suffering of others, and the causes of that suffering, which goes beyond mere personal ignorance. People are not living on an even playing field; it has a bias to it. When spiritual people sit on their cushions, enjoying their own company, they can lack empathy and compassion for ordinary people.
Because of bad, or mistaken, or stupid or deliberate actions by those in positions of power, a chain reaction of events occurs, which compounds over a period of time…Time-Release Trouble. In the Kali Yuga (the age of strife), all this is not only possible, it’s inevitable. At the moment, the dynamics of selfishness are too unbalanced to change this: there are far more selfish people on the planet than are not.
There those who are in power (those in the news and those hidden from the news) that make decisions which are intended to have long-term effects. These effects accumulate over generations, each generation feeding into society to the next generation. This comes in the form of propaganda and law, and it becomes part of our way of life or culture, to which we consent. It’s a sort of social virus.
This generates a knock-on effect. Have you noticed toxins in our food? Have you seen people’s waist lines? Have you experienced how difficult it is to lose weight? Have you noticed how much stress is created? Have you noticed how much illness is created? Have you noticed that we live longer and how many pills we take? Have you noticed how much unnecessary money we spend? Have you noticed how the elderly are treated? Are we just guinea pigs?
Someone is making a lot of money from our suffering!
Our attention span has become shortened and psychologists know how much we can suffer without noticing a cause. Hegelian dialectics are in operation – problem, reaction solution. Create a problem, wait for a reaction, come up with the intended solution. The effects are gradual and multiple so the cause is difficult to pinpoint, hiding the true source of disfunction. As long as people are reacting, they are being controlled!
Problems make money. To make money, control is needed. To have control, confusion in needed. When people are confused, they are weak, and that’s how you make money. This perpetuates samsara in the Kali Yuga, and creates a heap of bad karma for the future for those with selfish intent.
Like everything else, this has a very good side. When pointed out, it’s easy to see. If we are aware of what is going on – to put it bluntly, this is corruption of our true nature of loving kindness – we drop our need to conform, and know when we have enough.
Desire has a good side.
We desire freedom from our own karma, and that of others.
The more we want, the more we want The more we eat – the more we want to eat
The more we sleep – the more we want to sleep
The more we drink – the more we want to drink
The more we earn – the more we want to earn
=outlook dull.
However… The more we experience liberation-wisdom-pure awareness
the more we want to experience liberation-wisdom-pure awareness
= outlook brighter!
Looking at the image ‘we’ have created over a very long period of time and call ourself means that something is aware of something else. We – our true nature, absolute reality or pure awareness – decided to cling to a “graven image” of our true nature, creating a duality.
It’s interesting how we, as humans, can transfer idolisation onto something external…
“Thou shalt not make unto thee any graven image”. Gravenimage; an inscription or image on a surface. To fix something indelibly in the mind. ‘Idolatry’; the worship of idols (or images) including the worship of polytheistic gods, created things (trees, rocks, animals, astronomical bodies, or another human being) and the use of idols in the worship of God.
Nowadays we have “Pop idols”!
As a Buddhist, one could read the word ‘God’ to mean our true nature (non duality), rather than something ‘out there’, which would be a duality. In Buddhism, we can see for ourselves; it is not a belief in something that we cannot see which has control over us. As a Buddhist, it does make one wonder at the bible. Is it true? Was it a mistake? Was it mistranslated? Was there an intention to make people feel inadequate, and thereby have control over them? All this is for you to decide.
Buddhism would see “Put no graven image in front you” as our belief in our created illusory self; our graven image superimposed on to our true nature.
Take a look at yourself…
We can acknowledge that we have a temporary personality: this is a second nature, not a first nature, and may be pleasing or displeasing to ourselves and others, but for now, we – and they – are stuck with it. If we try and change, we only develop another ‘personality’.
Change comes by dissolving our contrived and acquired personality from a sleeping Buddha to an awakened Buddha. That’s all.
Have you ever wondered why
we ‘sort of know’ something,
but either cannot express it
or don’t quite get it?
From Wikipedia: SYNAPSES It is widely accepted that the synapse plays a role in the formation of memory. As neurotransmitters activate receptors across the synaptic cleft, the connection between the two neurons is strengthened when both neurons are active at the same time, as a result of the receptor’s signalling mechanisms. The strength of two connected neural pathways is thought to result in the storage of information, resulting in memory. This process of synaptic strengthening is known as long-term potentiation.
LONG-TERM POTENTIATION In neuroscience, long-term potentiation (LTP) is a long-lasting enhancement in signal transmission between two neurons that results from stimulating them synchronously. It is one of several phenomena underlying synaptic plasticity; the ability of chemical synapses to change their strength. As memories are thought to be encoded by modification of synaptic strength, LTP is widely considered one of the major cellular mechanisms that underlies learning and memory.
If we link this to spiritual teachings, we start to understand why practice makes perfect; it is the activity of firing and wiring.
Much of the advice from Buddhas and Bodhisattvas goes over our heads – or doesn’t quite register. This is basically because what is being conveyed is vaguely familiar…and our habitual mind has other ideas. 🙂
This may also account for ‘not quite getting it’; having acquired a load of complex ideas, the mind cannot process such simple, profound clarity as “not too tight and not too loose”. This is because of theoretical knowledge overlaying empirical experience. Our synapses are not quite joined up because of a lack of genuine, uncontaminated experience.
Synapse: a junction between two nerve cells, consisting of a minute gap across which impulses pass by diffusion of a neurotransmitter.
Firing and wiring
Hebbian theory is a theory in neuroscience which proposes an explanation for the adaptation of neurons in the brain during the learning process. It describes a basic mechanism for synaptic plasticity, where an increase in synaptic efficacy arises from the presynaptic cell’s repeated and persistent stimulation of the postsynaptic cell.
Hebb states it as follows: “Let us assume that the persistence or repetition of a reverberatory activity (or “trace”) tends to induce lasting cellular changes that add to its stability… When an axon of cell A is near enough to excite a cell B and repeatedly or persistently takes part in firing it, some growth process or metabolic change takes place in one or both cells such that A’s efficiency, as one of the cells firing B, is increased.”
This is why Experience is superior to Theory! – although we need some theory to get excited about experiencing…! 😉 We will need sound theory if we want to practise Vajrayana, and complete the preliminary practices of Ngondro 4 x 111,111. Doing the Ngondro fires and wires the understanding which forms the foundation of the main practice of Vajrayana (if we choose to do this; it’s an individual choice) – if we don’t do them mechanically.
Actual experience It is so important to catch ourselves in the middle of anger, pride, jealousy, fear, desire or indifference. If we recognise the nature of the emotion as wisdom, and experience the genuine, uncovered-up, raw nature of the emotion as clarity, this fires and wires neurons and the dots join up. If not, we are caught in emotional flare-ups and it’s business as usual: our wiring goes around in the circles we are all so familiar with.
This is why a simple teaching – if heard without assumptions – can cut through our complexity, and we ‘get it’! Our real problem is wanting more and more complex and ‘advanced’ teachings, when these are merely more toys.
An example of a short cut! When one of my teachers was a youngster, he crept out from his monastery one night to visit a highly advanced practitioner – Khenpo Goncha – for teachings. The high lama made him some tea, and they sat together, drinking. The youngest waited…and waited. Nothing happened. The lama suddenly said, “It is done!” The youngster thanked him, thinking he was crazy, and wandered back to his monastery saying to himself, “What did he do? What did he do?” He found that he couldn’t think of anything… 😉
Forty years later, that ‘youngster’ – a tulku – came over to my wife and me while we were helping build a shrine room; he held us firmly by the shoulders and said, “You are my friends.” We left to go to a cafe, ordered tea and sat and stared at one another. I said. “I can’t think of anything!” – and she was the the same. Of course, this was temporary, but very weird – and the memory of that has stayed with us both. Perhaps some firing and wiring went on..or perhaps there’s something in tea…… 😉 .
The truth is ordinary and simple. It is pure awareness. That is our essential nature. Our essence!
So why are there so many complex spiritual texts?
Ask the ‘entertainment’ officer!
The toys are to help us wire and fire;
we need some paraphernalia to inspire us to practice.
NB If we find ourselves projecting or making assumptions about how things ‘should’ be rather than how they actually are, maybe that is due to certain synapses not having joined up and so our view is not clear...just a thought.
This is why it is so, so, so important to ask questions rather than merely acquire answers!
Q.How do mind, brain and body work together?
A. Perhaps consciousness excites electricity to effect a change in chemicals.
Of course all this came about because essence ignored itself, and became occupied in consciousness. 🙂
What is most challenging?
To see the potential in others.
It is only when we are confident
that we can be generous.
Seeing the potential in others
can make us compassionate or angry.
It is in wisdom-confidence
that the outcome is wise – not otherwise.
Compassion and anger are two side of the same coin; deities have a peaceful side and a wrathful side. Through anger, we can be compassionate. Through compassion, anger can be expressed. They are both different intensities of love. Otherwise, compassion becomes indifference and anger becomes aggression. The balance between wise and other-wise is challenging.
Awareness in Stillness
Awareness in Busy-ness
It’s all the same a-w-a-r-e-n-e-s-s!
Through mindfulness meditation, the mind becomes still. Because of stillness, we become aware of the awareness of a still mind. Now, anything that arises in this stillness is allowed because awareness is still aware, but unattached. As this awareness is unattached to whatever arises in the mind, we take the first step towards non-duality.
In non-duality, there is no personified experiencer, but merely unattached awareness. Of course, in order to express this, a I is needed; a mere i. A mere ego. This can be illustrated as ‘essence’, and ‘essence love’, when essence is working for the benefit of all sentient beings. And so the absolute comes down into the relative to function at an altruistic level. This is essence love.
All appearances and experiences are merely projections in the mind. However, we become caught up in an experiencer, when that too is just an appearance in the mind. Ultimate reality is mere experience. There is nothing more and nothing less than recognition of pure awareness; however, that very recognition has to also be dropped for non-duality to occur.
As it says in the Heart Sutra, the Prajna Paramita:
“gate gate pāragate pārasaṃgate bodhi svāhā” Gone, gone, gone beyond…
“Form is emptiness; emptiness also is form.
Emptiness is no other than form.
Form is no other than emptiness”
‘THE PATH OF NO RETURN’ by 3rd Jamgon Kongtrul Rinpoche:
“In the Prajna Paramita Sutra, supreme emptiness is said to be ineffable and inconceivable. Ineffable means that it cannot be defined, inconceivable means that it can’t be found to exist anywhere as anything. Even if we understand, we foster false assumptions about phenomena. To acquire some understanding of what inconceivable emptiness really is, it is likened to space, which is beyond production and obstruction.”
.
NB. The Heart Sutra is absolutely profound and will take much reflection and experience to understand it, as it is beyond mere philosophy. As our perception refines, so our understanding of the language used refines. At this time, my understanding of “Form is emptiness; emptiness also is form” is the inseparability of the two truths. However, the Sutra goes beyond this bodily experience of form, and is only truly understood by Buddhas and Bodhisattvas.
“People have the habit of thinking that something is bound to happen after practicing meditation a while – like going through school – that after ten or fifteen years you will end up with a degree. “I can make it happen. I can do enlightenment!”
“Not in this case though. You cannot make enlightenment, because enlightenment is
unconstructing. Realising the awakened state is a matter of being diligent in
allowing non-dual awareness to regain its natural stability. It is difficult to reach enlightenment without such diligence, and without undertaking any hardship.
“…the very moment you open up in devotion, you receive blessings from the Buddhas. The dharmakaya of enlightened beings is like a butter lamp when the flame is burning brightly. The dharmakaya nature of a sentient being’s mind is like a butter lamp where the wick has not yet been lit. therefore, it is very important to allow the compassion and blessings of enlightened beings to enter us. The link between us and the state of enlightenment is faith and devotion. To simply think, “I will only worry about recognising mind essence” while not engendering any trust in the authentic enlightened state will not help us progress very much.
“To progress in the practice of recognising mind essence, it is exceedingly important to generate faith and devotion toward enlightened beings and compassion towards those who are not enlightened.”
The point is,
we have great abilities to push forward.
However, we need a stronger force
than our present, limited capacity
to pull us up the ‘stairs’!
We may ask, “Does this actually work?”
All I can say is, we can get some strange moments of inspiration!
From one point of view/level/vehicle, thought is ignorance/samsara
and
From another point of view/level/vehicle, thought is essence/nirvana.
….I laugh in the face of confusion…!
Plan A
When we start to investigate our mind, we realise that thoughts dominate our lives, especially when they develop into emotions. Firstly, we have to identify and then cut through thoughts, stopping them dead through focused meditation. We start to realise that essence (our essential, empty, pure nature) has totally ignored itself and become involved and obsessed with thoughts – and is therefore ignorant. It’s our idiot friend! We are attached to this ‘friend’ and so we (pure awareness) keep having to cut thoughts dead; this takes much continual effort, and in this way, a duality is still maintained. It is essential to identify this, and have good discipline and therefore control. We must first recognise duality in order to arrive at non-duality.
Plan B – change vehicles!
There is now a refined viewpoint: when thoughts arise, we (pure awareness) remain in neutral. Thoughts are not followed or identified. We merely stay disinterested. Habitually, the mind will want to do something…to think…but as a result of disinterest, thoughts do not come to fruition or manifest clearly; there is just a rumbling potential of ideas. Our senses are wide open. The eyes merely see but do not look: this applies to all the senses.
Gradually, thoughts cease, maybe bubbling up now and again. Now, if thoughts arise, they are merely an indication, a remembrance or recognition of essence. Essence rests in non-duality. As soon as a thought arises, it is clearly seen, and that thought becomes emptiness; our true nature.
Let’s say we’re sitting in a field. There is a sunrise, cows, trees, sky. In plan A, the mind identifies and drops, identifies and drops…let go… let go… let go. It’s a good discipline. In plan B, essence merely notes the quality of light, sound, smell, taste and touch…and relaxes rests in emptiness.
To put it another way, Plan B is more laid back…and smiles in the face of confusion, our idiot friend! 😉
The essence of mind is clear light.
Timeless awareness.
Thoughts are phantoms from the past.
A passing appearance.
Whether a thought is a rumbling potential
or a fully fledged, full bloodied movie
is dictated by our capacity in any given moment.
Movement in the mind is recognised by essence
and is therefore immediately liberated.
Thus, thoughts become emptiness.
Nirvana.
That which we ingest into our bodies and minds affects our physical and mental health. Chemicals, environment, media…everything we come into contact with affects the programming of our natural system. The pleasure-seeking environment in which we live has a compound effect upon us, generation after generation. We have to be aware of the zero-empathy, profiteering traps set for us: “Trust me; I have a nice voice.” We are here to evolve, not devolve. At every moment we are being helped to entertain ourselves to death, and have the pleasure of paying for it. Mental health depends on our spiritual awakening, when we realise that we can take back control of our bodies and minds…without pills for profit. Because of world austerity – for the poor, not the rich – there is more pressure on people, which creates strife. When people are under pressure, or even traumatised, they have less resistance. When it comes to the reptilian brain functions of fight, flight or freeze, it is freeze that takes control ..submission and conformity: “Trust me; I have a nice voice.” The dark new world is trying to destroy spiritual awakening, and people thinking for themselves; there is an insidious force that encourages us to believe that we are thinking for ourselves when in fact, we don’t have an original thought in our heads! Don’t doubt. Have confidence that spiritual awakening is constantly available. Recognition of pure awareness solves all ills. Although the process can take time as we have to cleanse the system, at least we are facing in the right direction…hooray! 😉
Trust your own awareness and control your own mind, before someone else does it for you!
We need confidence that is beyond belief and wishful thinking. Confidence must be without conceit. True confidence is unshakeable, which leads to unshakeable compassion. This is not for the faint hearted!
Although we have much to learn (or rather refine), we can still have confidence beyond doubt.
Once we understand, or get even a glimpse of the essential nature of a subject, we know that we are heading in the right direction. “I am looking in the right direction, and therefore my life is fruitful.”
We have to bear in mind that different spiritual traditions express the same essential nature differently, which can cause doubt. And then again, in Buddhism, there are the nine levels, each saying the same thing but with a different meaning. This can be very confusing. Compassion could mean compassion for the few we like, or compassion for the many, none excluded. This is not for the faint hearted!
Part of the Dharma says, “There is no I,” and another part says, “May I be reborn in Dewachen (Buddha realm)”. Comprehension depends on our understanding, and we have to remember that there is literal expression and expedient expression. Understood in the right context, there can be no doubt.
Even though, in Buddhism, there is much to learn and discuss, it all comes down to the awareness of awareness – pure awareness. Anything else is merely the “Emperor’s new clothes”; the passing-by of naked appearances. We can have total confidence in our own awareness, as this can be recognised and therefore proven. Nothing can destroy pure awareness, but it can be – and is – easily distracted.
The importance of having confidence beyond doubt may even mean that we might not totally agree with our teacher. We can accept what is said, but may not see it quite that way. This may be because a teacher may be using expedient speech at a certain level, at a certain moment….or it’s time to move on!
Eastern teachers may say (and quite often do) that westerners use the mantra, “I know, I know!”, meaning “I’ve heard that all before.” It is also possible to say that all sentient beings do know: they are pure knowingness, awareness, perception but do not recognise it. The teacher is there to help us see this. The student may say, “I know, I know!” for one reason…they have acquired answers before they had questions, and as a result, they lack confidence in what they think they know. They’ve heard and acquired the theory…and just want more theory!
We go to teachers to learn, and unfortunately, we merely collect answers to questions that have not arisen in our own lives as a result of personal suffering.
True confidence comes about by experiencing and admitting suffering, and discovering the cause of that suffering. This is tough, and not for the faint hearted! Through this empirical experience, we can truly empathise with others’ suffering, and show that we care: it is beyond theoretical discussion, which only makes matters worse. Unfortunately, many Buddhist cannot do this as they are stuck in re-education, rather than experiencing, which is where confidence comes from.
Perhaps to keep going to teachings just keeps us wanting more, when we have enough. Much learning is for scholars: genuine experience is beyond words, for simple practitioners. It is refinement, and it is through this that confidence is gained. The answer is within…and without.
Confidence beyond doubt is unshakeable The more we refine, the finer we get.
Glimpses of reality are
moments of nothingness
constantly present,
that fade unnoticed into
subconscious memory.
Therefore we remain
in an impure illusory state. Dream walkers.
It is rare to meet someone
who is aware of awareness.
It is rarer to meet someone
who rests in pure awareness. Dream wakers.
What is this Luminosity?
It is our own clarity.
It is our own wakefulness.
It is our own oneness
in the two truths. Awakened dreamers.
Dreamers dwell without light.
A magic spark in the dark reveals all. Dream-like dream.
Shakyamuni Buddha: “My dream-like form
Appeared to dream-like beings
To show them the dream-like path
That leads to dream-like enlightenment.”
Dharma – Magic or Psychology? …or a little of both?
Walking around a Stupa (a large circular structure with sacred objects inside, representing the Buddha) in order to gain merit; is there magic in it, or is it psychological? That’s for you to decide. Does it do something, or does it make us feel good? In Buddhism, there is practice called Tonglen. One visualizes taking onto oneself the suffering of others on the in-breath, and on the out-breath, giving happiness and success to all sentient beings. It’s a great idea.
“While this might seem like an outrageous thing to do – breathe in suffering and breathe out joy – part of the practice is to work with habitual patterns of mind and develop the psychological attitude of exchanging oneself for others.”Chogyam Trungpa
I attended a retreat where we had a heated discussion about Tonglen with the lama. The lama said, “It’s a good idea to exchange yourself for others, but would you actually do it?”
Dharma is the first step of intention towards actual experience.
The magic is being inspired, which changes our psychology… prayer has the same effect!
Is there magic, or is it psychological? Or is there a little bit of both? It’s for you to decide. We can become hooked on the good wish but that doesn’t make us stable: experience does.
First, we have to recognise that change is needed. If we feel dissatisfied, uncomfortable, bored, worthless, and are suffering in some manner, we will want to change. However, because of past events, we may have to accept that some suffering will remain until death, due to the frailty of the human body and the tendencies in our character.
Those who are satisfied, comfortable, involved and have a feeling of worth will not want to change; they just want more of the same.
In order to change, we need to see the point of changing. We feel that there is more to us than mere science, and the laws of nature. Change comes from breaking down our mental barriers – our fixed ideas – our self programming.
As we change,
our perception changes,
and so our capacity changes.
The four mind changes Traditionally, it is taught that there are four aspects of life to be considered; precious human birth, karma, impermanence, and the shortcomings of samsara. For more details: http://www.tsoknyirinpoche.org/2575/web-teaching-i-2/
The four noble truths Recognise the truth that we are suffering.
Recognise the truth of the origin of suffering.
Recognise the truth of the cessation of suffering.
Recognise the truth of the path leading to the cessation of suffering.
–
Admitting we suffer is the first step.
The origin of suffering is a mistaken view of ourselves.
The cessation of suffering is understanding the theory of removing that mistaken view.
The path is the actual recognition of that mistaken view.
Although we may meditate, chant and be a scholar, this does not necessarily mean we are changing. We can concentrate, analyse and know the theory, but we still may not change. Change comes from being confronted with a live situation: in that moment, we either close down, or we open up. By letting go of our limiting ideas when dealing with others who seem to be challenging, by listening to their needs, and by actually showing compassion, our potential is revealed. This is a rare occurrence, but means change is definitely happening.
Our confusion happened when we create a limited self identity.
Our realisation is that the confusion and self identity
– and therefore the path – never existed.
So here we are, in seeming confusion.
There are many outer spiritual paths, but our ‘real’ path is dis-covering our mistake. Our path is to cut through our concepts, and remain in spontaneous presence.
The outer path we choose is the one that suits our temperament and capacity. The path(s) that comes our way are part of our karma but, being part of our karma, our choice is still part and parcel of our habits; although a good habit, it can still a habit.
Spiritual paths are stepping stones. As our perception refines, our temperament and capacity also refine. We move from dissatisfaction to dissatisfaction, until we find satisfaction. We are our own teachers; outer teachers help us realise this.
By the way, on many forums, one reads the idiotic saying, “Those that can, do. Those that can’t, teach.” Tell that to the Buddha or Christ!
To start, we need discipline.
Gradually, we learn to love.
Love becomes duty.
Duty then expresses that love.
We naturally learn and teach.
The following may sound a little controversial but is meant kindly, in order to clarify: you may not see this the same way, but that’s ok… Realisations can be a shock in their obvious simplicity.
Before I go any further, we have to understand that Dzogchen is beyond what is called “Buddhism”: Dzogchen is beyond words and descriptions, being empty, compassionate cognisance.
In Buddhism – and especially Tibetan Buddhism – words and translations can cause problems. They can divorce us from the reality we seek. The problem is that a word or name can produce the opposite effect from the one intended Let’s take the word ‘merit’. It is said that if we walk around a Stupa – known as “circumnambulating” – we gain merit. Doing pujas, giving, going to holy places, chanting, meditating, playing instruments, Tibetan dancing, mudras etc all gain merit. We accumulate merit. It’s like an inner wealth – an inner, magical wealth.
It’s like the film “Karate Kid”. While the ‘kid’ is painting the fence or waxing the car, he is practising the correct karate movements without realising it.
The idea of ‘merit’ has the same effect, or should do. Merit is a reminder. The more reminders we acquire, the easier it is to recognise reality on the path. Therefore, merit is a means to remembering, and not a badge we collect. If we regard merit as something magical that does something all by itself, we may forget to remember what it’s all about; our own pure awareness, rather than something otherworldly. There are many such words that can throw us off the scent.
Bodhichitta is another of these. Bodhichitta means altruistic attitude, which means kindness; relative kindness and ultimate kindness. If we do not understand the meaning of words for ourselves, we may push the true meaning further away from us…I sit on an ordinary cushion, not a zabuton 😉
Everything we do is a reminder; we accumulate more reminders and therefore recognise more easily. Merit is a storehouse of reminders, and not a magic in itself. Conditions must be right for magic to happen, and conditions rely on the accumulation of wisdom and purity.
We live in an earthly realm, and so should keep our feet on the ground – the earth – and not keep looking for something beyond. We are that which is beyond! When the Buddha was attacked by Mara, he touched the earth, which bore witness to his realisation.
My understanding is that the earth, being relative truth, is the witness to the Buddha’s enlightenment because the earth represents the first noble truth of the recognition of suffering. When we recognise suffering, we embark on the path to eliminate suffering.
One’s own suffering is thus the reminder. A personal example: when I am attacked (usually in the form of indifference), doubt is thrown at me. As a result of this, there is a subtle suffering: this suffering is a reminder of my ignoring my true nature. In that moment, that suffering is a reminder…through clarity, the suffering ceases, and all is well (although, being sentient, it’s only a temporary reminder!)
Even though the teachings of the Buddha and the ancient masters are fully comprehensive and elaborate, they are all within us. We know everything there is to know; we merely have to take the steps to notice.
Tibetan Buddhism is colourful, elaborate and extensive, with mantras, deities, prayers, thousands of texts and commentaries, decorative gompas, stupas, prayer wheels, prayer flags, statues, prostrations, mandalas, mudras, dorjes, bells, praying to the guru from afar…and lots more 😉
All of these are reminders and inspirations to motivate us to discover one thing…
…pure awareness of awareness
of our essential compassionate nature.
When I first encountered Tibetan Buddhism it was fascinating – with many scary people! It wasn’t the lamas who were scary it was the westerners; many had a strange elitist attitude. Why were they so scary? It was because they were more interested in the bells and whistles – the methods and systems – than the one point. People are dogmatic. This is the same in all spiritual paths; they become religions!
The Buddha and the ancient masters taught one thing and one thing only – the purity of awareness and the obstacles to recognising that awareness. All inner wisdom manifest from there.
If we lose sight of empty compassion, we become fascinated with outer paraphernalia, and that fascination is the cause of ignorance. Of course, all paraphernalia can be helpful to ‘getting it’, but those who don’t ‘get it’ become stuck with the paraphernalia.
That’s why we have to be aware, and honest in order to be able to recognise the complete truth within us.
Sometimes we might find that we are not ‘getting’ the teachings, that they don’t make complete sense to us. Those around us seem to be happy enough, and we might be feeling left out.
Perseverance and tenacity are important, but we feel that we are not getting anywhere. This might not be a fault; it may merely be time to move on. We have every right to change teachers, systems and even traditions. Actually, it is all the same teaching but delivered in a different way.
Our spiritual welfare is in our own hands….minds!
I was in a Mahamudra system for many years, when all along I had a Dzogchen view, without knowing it. The outcome of Mahamudra and Dzogchen is the same, but the methods are different – and they don’t always tell you this!
I spent twenty five years wondering and waiting, asking questions that others laughed at. They only laughed because they couldn’t explain anything. I asked a Tibetan lama what is it was in meditation we were looking for. I didn’t get an answer…just more laughter (of course, it could just mean that I’m thick!), I had many conversations with other students, and everyone suggested that perhaps the teacher meant this or that…but no one knew for sure.
There is a problem with different language and culture, and sometimes a spiritual centre gets a little cultish; guru worship as opposed to guru devotion.
If we don’t take responsibility for what suits our temperament on our spiritual journey, we may find that we are getting grumpy in silence, and alienating others…and some of us are not so silent! I actually had to walk out of a meeting saying, “This is so boring!” It just came out 😉 Time to get out before I’m kicking out!
Getting it
If you find that you are sitting in a non-thought state, being mindful and vacant but without a vipassana knowing quality, this is what the ancients call ‘indifference’ or ‘ignorance’. There is an uncertainty about this state: it is resting in the all-ground of experience and is a relative state – we remain self conscious.
From a Mahamudra point of view, it is through constant practice that we gradually recognise the view of pure awareness. There are times when a teacher may do or say something, and we find our mind totally empty: this may, or may not last.
Dzogchen works in the opposite way. We are introduced to the view directly: looking at the mind in vacancy, seeing the vacancy and dropping any conclusions about the vacancy. There is merely pure awareness, that has a knowing quality. This is for those who do not want to study or practise; it is the path of the householder, the town yogi.
There may be a niggling question at the back of our mind; something we don’t quite get. If you’d like to share that with others on this blog, please feel free to do so, or write privately to buddhainthemud@hotmail.com
How much of our mind is taken up by hate, and how much by love? The problem arises when we realise – either way – that we are attached, and our attention is caught and held.
We are told to view everything as one taste, as mere appearances in the mind, so that we are not governed by pleasant or unpleasant situations. However, if we look more closely, we discover that we have a natural tendency for unconditional love…hooray!
When we look, we find that we wish those we hate (those who make us feel uncomfortable) would do the right thing – therefore, we wish them liberation from their actions. And, to those we love (those who make us feel comfortable) we also wish liberation – from all their cares and woes.
We naturally feel and exhibit unconditional love for all. Getting out of our imprisonment is recognising there is no lock, no door and no dark dungeon.
We are liberated from prison because we care.
We are imprisoned because we care too much.
It’s the rules and assumptions that people make, without discussion: there is an expectation that we all think the same way. What is crazy is our craziness becoming involved with their craziness 😉 . When this happens, we could kick ourselves for getting involved. The battle of selves is the craziness.
‘Self’ is an adornment; my teacher uses the analogy of diarrhoea earrings! It’s a mistaken self-created mental image which is observable by our pure nature. “There I go again, getting involved!” “Why don’t I do something about it?” The “I” can’t do anything about it. Even a God cannot do anything about it…he/she would, if they could.
It’s our pure nature that has to recognise what is going on, and for that we need help from sane people…and there aren’t many of those around!
Until then, we have to live in a world run by crazy people driving everyone else crazy.
We are all suffering; some more, some less.
Until enlightenment, this is our lot.
We exist in one or other of the six realms:
hell, hungry ghosts, animal, human, jealous gods, gods
– all psychological states.
We may think we are not suffering,
but who knows our next incarnation?
There has been much suffering in previous lifetimes,
each ending in old age, sickness and death.
We can go on pretending that this is not happening,
or we can get our heads and hearts ‘right’ about this…now.
With a good heart and right recognition,
this could be our last incarnation.
Sadness and happiness are indistinguishable
because samsara and nirvana are indistinguishable,
because the two truths are indistinguishable.
At this level, love is sadness.
Some suffering is acceptable.
Acknowledging suffering is indispensable.
It is because of love that we are sad.
We all have the potential of the omniscient understanding of a Buddha.
The less the cloudiness in the mind, the more the clarity, and the smarter we get.
Ultimate clarity is Buddhahood.
It is fixated ideas that keep us cloudy, confused and ignorant, limiting our intelligence and firing up our emotions.
Taking the next step ‘Clarity of mind’ and ‘clarity of essence’ is a very subtle arrangement; it is the distinction between stillness of mind and emptiness of essence.
To comprehend this, we need to understand the eight consciousnesses + our essential nature.
The first five are the sense consciousnesses, and the sixth, seventh and eighth are of the mind; the sixth is perception, seventh is judgement and the eighth is the reference library of karmic experiences. The eighth is also called the all-ground of experiences, and is like a library and the contents of that library, or a computer (the hardware) and the programmes loaded onto it (the software). In Sanskrit, these are called the Alaya and Alaya-vijnana, and there is more detail about this topic elsewhere on this blog.
When our memories of karmic experiences are quietened down – as recognised in meditation – the mind is still: there is an experience of stillness. However, this experience of stillness is an experience of “essential nature” experiencing “stillness”. We are therefore still at a conventional level, which is a duality.
This is a fine state in itself, but we must move beyond this to essential nature…pure awareness resting within itself. In the Dzogchen tradition, this is known as rigpa, and is a very subtle mode of being: there is experience but no experiencing, as the feeling of experiencing arises when we are out of pure being and looking at the experience (duality). Merely being is non duality: having an experience is duality. One is instantaneous and timeless, and the other has an element of past, present and future within in a milli-moment. The distinction between these is beyond words and is only understood in practice. This could be termed the ninth consciousness: pure awareness is clarity itself without an observer observing. There is merely immobile observation – pure awareness. Words make this all sound rather complicated, but it is absolute simplicity itself.
At a Dharmakaya level, when pure awareness happens, the eighth consciousness (the Alaya) totally collapses, and enlightenment occurs. So I’ve been told 😉
Recognising awareness stills and clears the mind. All obstructions vanish, allowing naturally clear essence to shine; clear light.
“An extraordinary and welcome event that is not explicable by natural or scientific laws and is therefore attributed to a divine agency.”
Let’s look at this from a Buddhist point of view. What is divine? That which is beyond the physical and mental, so that would be essence or pure awareness…the real you! The divine you!
What extraordinary things can we do that are welcome and not understood by ordinary sentient beings, or the laws of science? Well, that’s unconditional love! It can change a situation into something extraordinary. There you have it: we can perform miracles at any, and every moment.
What happens when we change,
when others do not like change?
When we are young, confused and talk trivia, people like us.
When we’re looking for answers, we become vulnerable:
others, more set in their ways, feel uncomfortable.
Change is seen as a threat, and they want to attack.
When we realise the answers we’ve been looking for, they hate us.
This is the theatre of attracting Mara.
That’s what happens when we change.
Then, we must leave our home.
(compassionate detachment)
