BUDDHA IN THE MUD is a blog – a living book based on the Dzogchen teachings. Our teacher is life, and life is karma. We are all Buddhas in the mud of concepts.

………………………..!

Some days nothing happens.

Have a great day!

A personal perspective 1.

 I thought it might be helpful to write a personal account from time to time. This year, I have taken the decision not to do any formal retreats: normally,  I would be on an intensive retreat now, but decided not to conform.

Sometimes we find ourselves looking for something, and may not know what it is, but we know it’s there. I’ve been full of doubts recently, wondering if I’m doing the right thing. I found Dzongsar’s last night video, and it answered all my doubts…funny that! I’m sure we all get this from time to time. We need courage to trust our instincts.

I love listening to the teachings while on retreat, and if the lama is ‘in tune,’ a little magic happens, with inspiration, and an approach to a topic from a slightly different angle. We all get jaded from time to time, and a fresh angle is always beneficial.

What I find very difficult is dealing with the strange western students! They do funny, self-conscious things which seem to be unnatural. Sometimes people are such sticklers for procedure that immediate compassion is totally forgotten.

Sometimes we just have to conform, and allow all those feelings to take place, in order to cut through our personal likes and dislikes, and just be one in a crowd.

However…there are times when we have to dare to take responsibility for our own progress, therefore taking responsibility for other’s well being,  by living the teachings instead of acquiring them.

It’s funny that we need to conform to find a firm foundation, but then drop the conforming to find the ‘magic’ (although I still conform every morning with supplication rituals and practices, to receive blessing, the ‘magic’).

In one’s practice, one sends out light from one’s heart to all the enlightened ones, when then comes back in the form of blessings, which one immediately sends out again to all sentient beings. The light returns from all sentient beings, and one sends it out the enlightened ones again, in a cycle.

Sometimes, this light just goes up in the atmosphere, and sometime it’s as high as a distant galaxy. It also encompasses all demons, which are only our own likes and dislikes to which we cling, but still have compassion for. The essence of all negative emotions is wisdom. It’s true that if we indulge in our hopes and fears, we attract negative energy – rather like gossiping about someone and others come and join in which only makes things worse. One can drop it at any time!

This blog.

 This world is full of distracting, mistaken and vague information. There is also an underlying truth. Sorting out which is which can be a nightmare, full of foggy-good-feeling-dead-ends!

 I know about those foggy-good-feeling-dead-ends…been there, done that! My only advice is to use Occam’s Razor – reducing everything to its simplest aspect, when all things are equal. That is where the Dharma works best – recognising awareness, and then recognising pure awareness (pure awareness meaning totally open with no interference). This is the natural state of a clear mind – totally normal and ordinary – allowing essence to just…be.

 Writing about this could well be criticised, but there is a bigger picture involved…the secret corporate world we live in, which can no longer be ignored by Buddhism. Many of my dharma friends will only want to do formal practices, when the real dharma is in our moment-to-moment living in this corrupt, samsaric world.

 The unity of the two truths is living the real dharma.

 When standing alone, and not conforming, magic may happen.

Grounding the body 2.

We are still learning about this subject.

We are putting the theory into action, and seeing how we feel.

We have put a conductive sheet on the bed which is wired to earth. This wire may go to an earthed socket or an earth radiator. One can make the sheet oneself by sewing conductive thread through the material…it’s cheaper!

We also have wired straps to radiators when using computers. Plus we have turned off the wifi and are using cables.

I think the wire straps should have resistors in line in case of electrical thunder storm. The ground could become live at those times. Do check on this.

My main concern is tiredness, so we’ll let you know how it goes.

Samsara within Samsara.

Part three.

It’s important to be aware of what is going on out there – and within. Funny enough, this is still a spiritual question. We are not beings of this body, but over generations, we have been made to believe that we are these temporary bodies…which is idiotic in itself! This distraction of consciousness could be termed as using spirituality as a weapon.

This is why we have to know our own mind: we need be aware that what is in there may not be of our own making. Neurolinguistic programming is very subtle!

Now for the good news 🙂 When all this is pointed out, it’s suddenly so bloody obvious! The Kali Yuga is the age of intense emotions: this intensity makes them easier to spot. These teaching on the secret life on emotions may not be available in future generations. It is here that we can make fast progress, as this so-called turmoil that we are in actually enhances recognition and practice.

To understand the Dharma we need:

Intense emotions.

Intense intelligence.

Intense compassion.

This is a perfect time

Although it may not feel comfortable.

Giving up.

 Inferior giving up: business as usual.

Middling giving up: mindfully letting go.

Superior giving up: nothing to give up.

Why do Shamata practice?

 Shamata meditation is focusing the mind on an object, usually the breath: this is called Shamata with support.

We then start to notice a gap between the breaths and the thoughts, and that gap expands as we rest in stillness, or nowness. That is Shamata without support (we still keep breathing!)

Although our essence is Buddha nature, most of the time we are pre-occupied. The mind is in turmoil about this and that. So, resting in awareness – let alone pure awareness – is a bit of a leap. However, it’s not a gigantic leap: Shamata is but a short step away from Emptiness.

Once Shamata has become stillness, we are aware of the present moment. The point is, there is still an I present: “I am aware of stillness in this present moment.” That is awareness. Then, this awareness merely looks in on itself and becomes aware that there is just awareness. It finds nothing to hang onto, self identity dissolves and that is Emptiness.

Of course this needs practice, as we will oscillate between clarity and finding things         to do!

The strange thing is that,  in emptiness, thoughts are allowed to arise, but now there is space to let them be. We just do not follow them. So, empty essence isn’t too far away,    is it?

This is why Shamata is so good. I used to think it was a basic practice to be undertaken for years and years, wondering was there something more interesting…or was this it?! But Shamata is the foundation and doorway! It is all about refining the view.

Now for the tricky bit – exhausting karma!

Karma is our habitual patterning and behaviour. This too has to be looked at very carefully, as our patterning is also part of our unique qualities and means of expression.

The trick is to avoid reacting to situations in our habitual way, taking ‘self’ out of the picture, while working for the benefit of others…tricky! This is all about compassion in action.

Dzogchen and Guru Yoga.

 The purpose of this blog is to help others understand the essence of the Buddha’s teachings. So, when you look for a teacher, a spiritual centre, or read a book, you may have an inkling for what is meant – rather like cracking a code!

 Quite often, in centres, we get bound up in procedures and stories. We get a nice feeling, but when we get home, the core essence may seem vague, or even be missed. One can practise for years, and either become adept in a ‘practice,’ or even start making up one’s own dharma. Either way, people get touchy because they can describe what they are doing, but not the meaning behind the actions.

 Why this happens, I’m not sure. In the past, it might have been due to differences in language and culture, and so we just follow along, feeling ‘buddhist’. Maybe we enjoy the exotic more than the esoteric…who knows? I used to go around asking people what does this or that meant: the answers were not at all satisfying. People just seemed to enjoy being there…which is not without merit on their part.

 The Dharma is all about Empty essence, Cognisant nature and unconfined Compassion: these are called the three Kayas. Empty essence is the Dzogchen teachings. There is no practice – it is merely recognising Emptiness. This will include the understanding of awareness and compassionate conduct.

 Everything else is either symbolic of this, or serves to lead up to it. The realisation of the three Kayas is wisdom, and there is also ‘method’ or ‘skilful means’. Basically, we need to warm up a little in order to become healthy human beings, and to be able to open to these more subtle teachings. So, meditating on the breath is important, as is study, loving kindness, and not being subject to emotions such as pride.

 These basics are very important, and we should incorporate them into our daily practices, keeping our heads and hearts on straight!

 This bring us to Guru Yoga. Most modern westerners find this difficult – or even, a big no-no!

 Once one gets a ‘taste’ of the Dharma, appreciating its value, and how it works in all situations, we feel, “Wow! Without this, I was floundering like a fish on hot dried sand!” So we feel grateful to those who are the holders of knowledge – the Sangha – spending their precious time explaining the teaching for our benefit. This is a unbroken lineage by word of mouth from the time of the Buddha.

 This is why, every day until enlightenment, we go for refuge in the Buddha, Dharma and Sangha.

 As the teacher represents the Buddha’s teachings, we start to see the teacher as a symbol of the Buddha, and therefore respect their presence. The principle of Guru Yoga is calling on the lineages, and all those who are enlightened, for blessings.

 At the beginning of the devotional practices we invoke the three Kayas (resting in natural empty awareness). We then go through a very complex visualisation stage, called development stage, ending with the completion stage – back to resting in natural empty awareness, which was actually present throughout. The point of the completion stage is to drop any attachment to the practice, although straight after that, one reunites with that deity and embodies it for the rest of the day and night. Like the compassionate qualities of Avolekishvara (Chenrizig), the lord of compassion…this practice helps us to remember our own compassion.

 So you can see how Dzogchen (in some traditions called Mahamudra, or Vidya) works with devotion. It is all for our benefit, not the benefit of the teacher.

 Yes, in this modern slick world there are many ‘teachers’ that come our way, and we just have to test them to see if they suit us. Maybe we need many teachers, like stepping stones! The search for truth is down to our own intentions. If you want a quick fix, you can get it. If you want a strong foundation, you can get that too.

Ego

Identification with self-me-I,

which does not exist.

~

Somebody said that Nobody had an ego.

Nobody thought that Everybody had an ego.

Everybody asked if Anybody had an ego.

Nobody knew that nobody did.

.

That very, very old ego.

Unfortunately this is a subject that we don’t want to talk about. But we have to! It’s why we are here!

Everything we do is probably ‘ego maintenance’. Ego is just our consciousness clinging to ideas about an artificial self, and the world it inhabits. It can even try to polish itself up by chanting OM MANI PEME HUM!

It can be uncomfortable to acknowledge this. Not to worry…that is precisely part of the process …feeling uncomfortable! That very feeling is the doorway to stepping out into the open – the real Dharma …or closing that door again, again!

Some translate ego activity as grasping, but I’m not too keen on that word. It can produce a feeling of guilt and worthlessness. Ego activity is merely mistaken identity.

We spend much of our time covering up our feelings, by projecting an even bigger, artificial, self image. Again, not to worry. Here we have to be relaxed about this: if we over-react to the suggestion of ego-clinging, that is still ego maintenance. Of course, we have an ego! We’re not enlightened yet.

The mere acknowledgement of what is happening is awareness. Let any reaction drop, and rest – that is pure awareness. It’s that simple! There nothing to protect. There will a residue ‘feeling’ which may feel uncomfortable, but that is in the subtle body (video to follow!).

In one instance of switching on the light, a room that has been in darkness for thousands of years is illuminated. All we have to do is remember…don’t forget!

Quote from Tsoknyi Rinpoche’s book: Fearless Simplicity. This came from The Pundarika website.

Two accumulations can be perfected.

Vajrayana practitioners should not belittle the emotions. Emotions are like smoke, and if there is smoke, there is also fire. In other words, when you look at somebody who has very strong emotions, that person may also have a lot of wisdom. Who knows? Such a person may perhaps, through skillful methods, be able to realize the original wakefulness within the emotions.

 Right now, however, as we have the opportunity, rather than suppressing negative emotions, to realize their natural purity. To apply this, and to truly understand Vajrayana, you must have a strong intelligence, otherwise you cannot pick up the methods.

You need a very sharp innate intelligence in order to eliminate or break free of the conceptual frame of mind. Conceptual mind wants to make you stay within the boundaries of concepts.

 Through the profound methods of Vajrayana, the two accumulations can be perfected on a tremendous scale. By utilizing certain skillful means to further enhance the recognition of mind essence, we can develop even more quickly, reaching progressively deeper levels. Let me mention some of these methods.

 The first entrance to the Buddhist path, which is taking refuge, involves regarding the Buddha as your teacher, the Dharma as your path, and the Sangha as your companions on the path and using all three of these as support. In other words, you could say, ‘I place my trust in you, the outer Three Jewels, in order to recognize and actualize the inner Three Jewels.’

No matter what Buddhist practice we apply, we should always remember that the two accumulations must be perfected. This holds true from the beginning level of shravaka training all the way up to and including Ati Yoga.

Fearless Simplicity, p. 34

The Bell

(The importance of the clanger!)

Self = the clanger

Empty Essence = dropping the clanger.

Over lifetimes of indifference, the clanger now fills the entire bell.

The bell is therefore no longer working!

We have created a solid entity – an Ego.

So we practise, and the clanger dissolves. However we still do not have a working bell!                                                                                                                                                                                                    

We need the union of both the mere clanger and the bell, to ring nicely.

Some say, 

“Those who know, do (no clanger). Those who do not know, teach (mere clanger).”

Thank goodness not everyone loses their clanger!

.

Living in a world of fear.

 Everything goes in cycles, so nothing lasts. We are living in an age called the ‘The Age of Strife’ ,The Kali Yuga – The Iron Age. There was a Golden age, a Silver age, and a Bronze age, and we’re probably at the bottom of the Iron age, so don’t expect things to run smoothly! This process will move in reverse, back to a Golden age at some time.

The world in which we live is full of self serving deceit: war engineering, financial engineering, social engineering, health engineering, law engineering, education engineering, surveillance, control engineering… they use naturally occurring situations to control the world. And, remember those who instigate these deceits will also fall victim to them. It’s strange they do not see this!

Fear is expectations about the future, and so fear is in the mind. Of course, there are situations in the present moment that have to be dealt with, and we can either do something about these, or we can’t.

The problem is fear-mongers: those who keep up the hype, which creates tension and therefore more strife. There are two aspects to this; intentional and unintentional.

There are those who know the inclinations of sentient beings, and the ways in which we are governed by our hopes, fears and indifferences – the three poisons. They use these traits intentionally order to control us, feeding a little information here or there, and the virus spreads like wild fire. And so, the unintentional jump on the ‘bandwagon’ and actually make things worse, believing and disbelieving anything that comes along. They are confused and easily swayed to create more fear. The unintentional work for the intentional!

Fear is fear of ourselves – “I don’t think I can deal with that.” Fear, hope and ignorance are the natural survival instinct of our primitive (reptilian) brain. But we are not that brain.

This is why spiritual transcendent knowledge is so important. Fear is not our true nature – fearlessness is! Spirituality is not about appearing to be meek and mild: it’s about taming our minds, causing no harm, and benefitting others.

So what can we do?

We can become informed about the practical things that are happening in order to be aware of subtle changes that could create reactions in us. We are then in a position to inform others in an intelligently manner. They may not want to believe us now, but there will come a time when the dots will join up for them. It is the same with the process of understanding spiritual knowledge! Everyone learns in their own good time – nothing is a do-or-die situation.

Know your own mind, and tame it (through meditation on clear view)  so that others cannot control it for you.

Remember fear is a perception in the mind.

Pure perception is that which is aware of all this – our Empty Essence.

THE FIVE BUDDHA FAMLIES.

Wisdoms.

Buddha………….all encompassing.

Varjra…………….mirror.

Ratna……………..equanimity.

Padma……………discriminating.

Karma…………….all accomplishing .

Enlightened style.

Buddha……………spacious, accommodation.

Varjra………………clarity, precision.

Ratna……………….generosity, richness.

Padma……………..selfless appreciation, love.

Karma……………..efficiency without ambition.

Neurotic style.

Buddha…………..spaced-out, stupid.

Varjra……………..aggressive, irritable.

Ratna………………territorial, suffocating.

Padma…………….clinging, grasping, poverty stricken.

Karma……………..competitive, pugnacious.

Unconditional happiness within ordinary happiness.

 I used to think that unconditional happiness was “up there” somewhere, and ordinary happiness was where we are…not so!

 “Unconditional happiness is that which does not rely on any conditions: it is our true nature. No outside force can disturb it (yes, the mind can be disturbed, but not our essence).                          Ordinary happiness relies on conditions, so if we take that condition away, the happiness goes. In fact, the searching and maintaining of ordinary happiness is the cause of our suffering!”

 This is pretty straightforward. However, on closer inspection, maybe there is another way of looking at this.

 If we look at ordinary happiness, it is desire, because it relies on a condition of wanting something. However, as we now know, desire has a wisdom aspect, which is the wisdom of discrimination – and it is very precise. This is one of the five qualities of pure awareness. These five wisdoms are known as the five buddha families.

( see the previous piece, The Five Buddha Families )

 So how do we find unconditional happiness in ordinary happiness? It is in the very first instance!

 Let’s say, you fancy a cup of coffee. In the very first instant of tasting, it is totally satisfying: it’s got to your brain – satisfied! You can then finish the cup – or not. It’s the same with a meal: we just have to know when enough is enough…and it’s actually the same with sex! We can enjoy, but we do not have to over indulge all the time. Have you noticed how huge cups of coffee are nowadays?! They’ve  even changed the name of sizes, and “small” is now called “regular”….do we really need such massive coffees?

 The body has needs, but does it really need such large portions? That’s advertising for you. And men…do we really always have to exhaust ourselves with ejaculating every time? We can enjoy a gentle coasting: over indulgence pays a toll on the body, and subtle energy is lost.

 This all down to personal choice, but one can notice in sex that there is a moment of satisfaction, just before the ‘point of no return’. There are no hard and fast rules, but it can help just to be aware of the body. Coasting can keep the mind alert and bright, whereas when we over indulge, it can dull the mind, and that is what the modern world is all about!

 Unconditional happiness within ordinary happiness is equivalent to unconditional love within ordinary love. The unconditional part creates space…it is not sticky!

Live long and prosper!