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.

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The Dharma Is Pure Psychology

Ordinary psychology is the study of the mind on a conventional level. It can be used to understand how the thinking mind works or to sell ideas or, through conformity, it can return us to the factory floor. It is about understanding our unconscious behaviour in a materialistic world.

Dharma psychology is personally knowing the above, but also understanding more about why and how the mind thinks, realising the very essence of mind – consciousness – which leads to the realisation of pure consciousness and enlightenment.

Ordinary psychology does not lead to enlightenment;
it leads to conformity.

Dharma psychology leads to the realisation that we are what we seek;
enlightenment.

Until we deduce this, we will stay in confusion, trying to make that which is already perfect fit into an imperfect, impermanent, immaterial (1. unimportant under the circumstances; irrelevant) world.

Once we know our true essence, the materialistic mentality of self-importance becomes our toy, our path to immaterial (2. spiritual, rather than physical) enlightenment.

If we mix up approaches to life, this will not enhance the perfect view of pure consciousness. By virtue of investigating the essence of one, however, the other can be known.

We Are A Patchwork Of Ideas

We are a patchwork of ideas that never quite fit together.

Because of events when we were young, we hold ideas about life, and then try to fit everything that comes along into those ideas, and it never works. This is how and why we remain confused.

It’s like trying to fit together two jigsaw puzzles into one picture. It won’t work!
It’s like sewing with a two-headed needle. It won’t work!

This is how people turn spiritual consciousness into a religion, as they have been primed in religious beliefs and songs about unknowable holiness when young. We are introduced to traumas of ‘good’ and ‘evil’ that become a fixation infecting our later encounters; even if we don’t like the idea of a deity above, no one can get away from this priming that has sown an idea.

Our minds are patchworks of confusion;
that’s why people do not make sense.

Once we realise the complete picture,
we know how everything fits together,
and how to take it apart.

Complacency

Complacency: a feeling of smug or uncritical satisfaction with oneself or one’s achievements – self-approval – pride – I’m-alright-jack.

Complacency is self-complacent, which is a very sad state to be in.

Complacency describes our fitting into our own little world that has no room for improvement. We have our way of life, and that’s all there is. It’s comfortable.

Feeling uncomfortable has possibilities. We don’t feel right, and that the very cause of suffering – and the path to enlightenment. Whoopee!

In pure awareness, there is no time for complacency, as complacency is an idea from the past we have overlaid on to the present.

We should have compassion for all those who are complacent,
and empathy for all those who suffer.

Appreciating The Truth

To realise the Buddha’s words in this world of chaos and confusion is both a relief and a comfort. To finally find a true meaning to life after spending decades in anger and frustration is the cause of deep appreciation.

Once we realise the truth, we should never take it for granted. Realisation isn’t an achievement to be proud of. Pride is excessive self-esteem, whereas truth is the birthright of every sentient being.

Realisation is understanding the full implications of why this world is in such chaos and confusion, which can be used to gain advantage. My anger and frustration was due to programmed people enabling this evil to continue manipulating us.

Once we see it, we are free not to react.
Re-acting is self-programming.
It’s that subtle.

Because of deep appreciation for seeing clearly,
empathy and compassion arise for those who haven’t yet realised the truth.

Judging And Being Judgmental

We all have to discern whether something is beneficial or harmful. It’s how we get through life; we recognise possibilities. When that judgement becomes a fixation, however, we become narrow-minded, and demons of our own making.

To be sentient is to have a mind that can make decisions, and therefore there is consciousness present that sees this mindclinging to likes and dislikes. The amazing thing is that this consciousness can realise its true reality of pure consciousness, which is the goodness within that doesn’t need eloquent words.

The next time you see your own judgements and fixations,
tell ’em to fuck off and leave you alone!
They are just figments of imagination anyway.
😀

Just Because Someone Says Something …

Just because someone says something
doesn’t make it true.

Even if they say it’s true, it doesn’t mean it’s true.
It is for us to decide, through experience,
whether something is true or not.

We are history’s manipulation.
As long as we are told to believe
we are in great danger.

Know your own mind.
Others do!

The Knock-On Effect

Whenever something happens in the world, there is always a knock-on effect, which is the consequence of action. Could it be that the consequence was the aim? Hatred and division have been stirred up in the world for thousands of years. All that is needed is a nudge and we react. Result? The knock-on effect .

Advertisers and governments all know this,
and so do we.

Ever made flirty suggestion?
😀

Fight Or Flight … Really?

Here is a perfect example of omitted information. A meme appears in society and, if not questioned, becomes a ‘fact’. Even at Buddhist retreats, I’ve heard the phrase “fight or flight” used many times, and I just sit there, amazed.

My chickens know that there is a third aspect to reaction, and that is freeze. We all suffer from fight, flight or freeze; when we walk into a room full of people, there are some we’re attracted to (do battle with), others we avoid (they look scary), and those we ignore (blank out).

When we add ‘freeze’ to the equation, we get the complete picture of the three poisons of desire, aversion and ignorance which, in Buddhism, represent the three wisdoms of emptiness, cognisance and compassion. How do they miss this?

The word ‘freeze’ has been introduced officially, but is used in a conventional way.

Wikipedia:
The fight-or-flight response the state of hyper-arousal results in several responses beyond fighting or fleeing. This has led people to calling it the fight, flight, freeze response (or fight-flight-faint-or-freeze, amongst other variants). The wider array of responses, such as freezing, fainting, fleeing, or experiencing fright, has led researchers to use more neutral or accommodating terminology such as hyper-arousal or the acute stress response.

Experts want to sound like experts, don’t they?
And we, not wanting to look stupid, just accept their version.

Once we realise the essence of our reality,
everything falls into its right place.