Meditation Isn’t Something We Do
Meditation isn’t something we do –
it’s something we are.
We realise that what we are
is watching what we do.
We’re not waiting for something.
We are.
We are pure spirit
– whether we meditate or not.
When awareness of pure spirit is present,
that’s all we need to know!
😀
Covid and Ivermectin
There are people who ask questions,
and those who don’t.
Then there those who just want to lockdown and vaccinate.
We all have a right to a view.
This video was given moments after speaking before the Senate Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee.
Here https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Tq8SXOBy-4w&feature=youtu.be
Dr. Pierre Kory president of the Frontline COVID-19 Critical Care Alliance (FLCCC) called for the government to swiftly review the already expansive and still rapidly emerging medical evidence on Ivermectin.
Important clinical review on Ivermectin findings by Dr. John Campbell:
Our Minds Need Challenging
Our minds need challenging, otherwise we function habitually in auto-pilot. At the moment, we may think we’re normal when, in fact, we are living in a repetitive reality, saying and doing the same things every day of our lives, without noticing that this isn’t our true reality.
This programming should be provoked as our ideas are never our ideas … ever! When people say that the world is turning into a mind controlled environment, it has always been that way. It’s nothing new, but technology makes human control faster and more efficient.
No? Are you in control of yourself?!
Try being more precise today. This may create resistance in the mind and we might want to run to our safe place, but that is the process we need to break out of our ‘endarkenment’.
Feel and hear each note of life.
Don’t just repeat your favourite little mechanical riff all the time!
To do so merely gives the illusion of playing.
(riff: a short repeated phrase in popular music)
Goodness Knows Why
Why does goodness know? Goodness is naturalness, and there is nothing more natural than pure consciousness. It is our natural, essential being – the essence of knowingness itself. It’s where love, empathy and compassion come from, as it is selfless.
When we have a selfish, heavy-hearted, calculating mind, we can never know knowingness as we care more about things (me and mine) and therefore never truly experience love, empathy and compassion.
Goodness will always prevail over selfishness because goodness can recognise when it is being selfish. Selfishness cannot do this, and so it never knows peace.
With all the troubles in the world,
the light of selfless goodness can never be extinguished,
whereas calculating selfishness lives in perpetual darkness.
The more precise we are in our methods and execution, the more challenging everything becomes; for the courageous, happiness ensues. This is precisely how we ascend the levels to enlightenment.
We do this by no longer being mechanical and half-hearted. We feel each moment. This doesn’t mean we will necessarily get it right, but practice does make perfect. If we just want to be right, we will take short cuts to achieve a form; an appearance without substance.
When we know that we make mistakes, we are learning.
Awakening Spirituality
Why is this important?
It releases us from the materialistic, worried mind.
Spirituality is not a cover-up.
Awakening is the clarity of consciousness,
whereas religion binds us.
We can be bound to anything.
Spiritual awakening is freeing consciousness of fixations,
thereby realising pure consciousness
– what we truly are.
There is no mystery about this.
Mystery is for the materialistic.
Ordinarily, consciousness binds itself to me and mine,
and to fantasies, sentimentalities and politics.
Extreme Mara has no boundaries
– it’s all ‘mine’!
Now for the real shock
(we need a shock to wake us up,
otherwise we’ll continue to dream small dreams).
We have always been spiritually awake – enlightened –
but we are too busy to notice.
This is the reason to be cheerful!
Fake: An Imitation – An Illusion Of Reality
An illusion distorts our perception of reality.
News is not reality; it’s someone’s account.
The Buddha’s teachings are like that;
an imitation for us to prove.
Reality is whatever is actually taking place now.
It is direct experience.
Suddenly, I’m Not ‘Buddhist’
This may sound crazy …
I am devoted to and have deep appreciation for the Buddha’s teaching, in the same way I have for the Vedas, Christ’s teaching, Plato, the reality in the Ten Commandments … and any esoteric teaching. They’re all the same.
Most of all, I appreciate my self as my immediate teacher,
poor, deluded creature though it is.
When we hear about ‘aliens’ watching us to see if we are ready for them to reveal themselves – a bit like God – this is exactly the same as pure consciousness watching to see if this self-illusion is ready to realise that it does not exist.
To aliens who might be out there:
get your shiny head around that!
What do you think you are watching over?!
Some days, inspiration goes off the chart …
I said it may sound crazy.
😀
Why Do We Want More And More Dharma?
Dharma is the teaching about our own true nature of just seeing. When we just see, we are free.
We simply have to see that we see, and rest there. Resting in just seeing, the idea of self disappears and that which is left is pure consciousness. The physical universe is a play of constantly changing, impermanent phenomena, so its apparent reality is an illusion.
The more we fill our heads with teachings, the more likely it is that we will doubt our own sanity and stay confused and needy, wanting yet more teachings because we think we don’t know enough.
The teachings aren’t about know more; they are about knowingness itself.
Meditation isn’t some hocus pocus to trick our minds, or to hold a physical pose. It is looking, seeing and dropping the meditation into just seeing, just being. We can do this anytime, anywhere.
All teaching is a reminder, but this can become the maintenance of an indigenous culture. The Dharma is held within us already, while adhering to a culture is an additional personal choice. We can learn from untainted indigenous people, but we don’t have to become like them as, at heart, we are untainted indigenous people too.
From early schooling, humans are screened into some sort of conformity which indicates how much we want to belong; this is the carrot for our ascent of the social ladder and it is this that adds the taint. We run around wanting to know more, and as long as we do this, we will never know. This running around after information is believing the phantoms on Plato’s cave wall.
We know everything that we need to know because we are knowingness itself. This is a totally different way of looking at life; we can step off the world stage and just be the ‘audience’.
Pure consciousness doesn’t get better as we practise as it’s always present.
It only becomes more obvious.
All media is but a distraction,
like Plato’s shadow images on the cave wall of the mind.
We note that we are addicted to certain media/teachings,
and as these are never complete, so we stay addicted.
They are complete when we test them for ourselves.
That is the completion stage – and we no longer need the media.
Media: mass communication = exoteric.
Completion stage: realisation = esoteric.
*The completion stage is the end of a practice where we drop or rest into pure consciousness.
Clarity And Cleverness
Clarity is esoteric. Cleverness is exoteric.
Clarity is just seeing.
Cleverness is what we do with that seeing.
Esoteric: intended for or likely to be understood by only a small number of people with a specialised knowledge or interest.
Exoteric: intended for or likely to be understood by the general public.
Our clever practice is our reminder to recognise our clarity.
This clarity is nothing other than pure consciousness.
Before we can be clever, there has to be clarity present; just seeing. This is the moment we miss. We might declare, “I have clarity!” but we have just declared how clever we think we are 🙂
Spiritual beliefs are exoteric knowledge; we turn the esoteric into the exoteric, and cling to its uniqueness. It’s what we do.
There is nothing unique or special about the esoteric as it is the pure simplicity of our being. Uniqueness, on the other hand, is to appear particularly remarkable, special, or unusual.
And it’s what divides us.
Pure seeing is the moment of silent stillness. How we then express this silent stillness is up to us, but it’s easy to downgrade pure experience into the mundane.
It all depends on how we see, and on our motivation which modifies that seeing.
Life Doesn’t Change Dramatically When We Realise The Truth
Life doesn’t change dramatically when we realise the truth.
We just become honest in our confusion, and let it be.
Appearances and recognition are simultaneous;
thus, pure consciousness is present.
It’s all we need to know!
“But what about all that fancy, esoteric stuff?”
If you want fancy, esoteric stuff, you’ll get fancy, exoteric stuff.
The real stuff is Ordinary.
Not at all dramatic.
No drama.
“What about enlightenment?”
That’s what the unenlightened call it.
Enlightenment:
there is no longer anything to realise.
Why Is The Word ‘Duhkha’ (Suffering) So Important?
If we become familiar with the origins of our suffering,
our heart will open to suffering of others.
To recognise suffering is the path to enlightenment;
recognition brings an end to suffering.
Even if we cover up suffering by making do with distractions, we still suffer.
This has always been our choice.
‘Duḥkha’ in Sanskrit translates as suffering, unhappiness, pain, dissatisfaction or stress. It is the fundamental dissatisfaction and pain of mundane life. It is the first of the Four Noble Truths.
This first truth is caused by an identification with the self-image that we cherish: we become vulnerable and protective of this self-image which feels constantly under attack, and so attacks others.
Suffering is what Mara (negative mind) feeds off. Mara lies in ambush, which is significant as we do not attack outright, but need a hook, a vulnerability for us to pounce on. Our vulnerability is our ignorance, our not-knowing.
A bad situation arises, and we can indulge in it, making things seem worse. People never win; people pay and people suffer, and so it goes on …
The good news is that, in times of catastrophe, we suffering en masse. At this moment, the world is ‘suffering’. It may get – or seem to get – worse, but it is the beginning of mass waking up. When we experience total confusion, we experience emptiness.
This is something Mara mind cannot understand.
The emptiness of experience
is
the experience of emptiness.
Before we get involved in anything, we just see, feel, taste, hear or smell. That is always a moment of pure perception, of pure experience empty of contamination. There are no expectations; we are just ‘tasting’. The yoga of experiencing is the moment we step outside, and before we judge whether it’s warm or cool.
This is the experience of emptiness, and the emptiness of experience. As this is so, we can also consider that whatever is experienced is empty of permanent reality, despite whatever designation we may give.
The experience of emptiness
is
the emptiness of experience.
This is the spiritual and material understanding of everything.
It is the basis of the Heart Sutra: “Gone, gone, gone, beyond … ”
THE GREAT PRAJNA PARAMITA HEART SUTRA
Avalokitesvara Bodhisattva doing deep Prajna Paramita
Perceived the emptiness of all five conditions, and was freed of pain.
O Sariputra, form is no other than emptiness, emptiness no other than form;
Form is precisely emptiness, emptiness precisely form;
Sensation, perception, reaction and consciousness are also like this.
O Sariputra, all things are expressions of emptiness, not born, not destroyed,
Not stained, not pure; neither waxing nor waning.
Thus emptiness is not form; not sensation nor perception, reaction nor consciousness;
No eye, ear, nose, tongue, body, mind;
No color, sound, smell, taste, touch, thing
No realm of sight, no realm of consciousness
No ignorance, no end to ignorance
No old age and death, no cessation of old age and death
No suffering, no cause or end to suffering, no path
No wisdom and no gain. No gain—thus
Bodhisattvas live this Prajna Paramita
With no hindrance of mind—no hindrance therefore no fear.
Far beyond all such delusion, Nirvana is already here.
All past, present, and future Buddhas live this Prajna Paramita
And attain supreme, perfect enlightenment.
Therefore know that Prajna Paramita is
The holy mantra, the luminous mantra
The supreme mantra, the incomparable mantra
By which all suffering is cleared.
This is no other than truth.
Therefore set forth the Prajna Paramita mantra.
Set forth this mantra and proclaim:
Gate Gate Paragate Parasamgate Bodhi Svaha!
Never Believe In Your Self
Never believe in your self.
Better to know your self.
This self is consciousness
holding on to a mental construct.
Recognise an untruth when you see it.
Even if we’re told that the Buddha said it, see if it is true.
This misquote from the Buddha
is exactly how we can be deceived,
and separated into two sorts of people.
Humanity has been misled for millennia
by such subtle changes in wording.
The question to ask is,
“Why would anyone do this?”
We Only Know What We Experience
We start with a belief:
our problem lies in holding on to that belief and ignoring experience.
We need to test beliefs in order to verify them.
We only know what we experience. Anything else is a belief or a theory, and theories are just thoughts. Empirical knowledge is verification by experience, rather than belief or pure logic.
Belief is acceptance that something exists or is true – without proof. Don’t take my word for it! 😀
Anything that we read or hear from others is hearsay; it’s a belief. We can note beliefs, but needn’t accept them as true. In fact, we shouldn’t. We should be sceptical, rather than easily accepting and being convinced.
In order to know, we have to verify for ourselves. Of course, there are things that we cannot personally verify and so take on trust, while keeping an open mind.
When it comes down to the truth, we can only know what we know. This is especially significant when it comes to realisation and enlightenment. Never take anyone’s word for it. Taking others’ word for the truth is the opposite of truth.
“But what about all those things I believe to be true? I know them!” We can recognise them, yes, but knowing isn’t about ideas – it is about that which knows. That which knows is pure consciousness. This pure view is the starting point. Now, when a belief arises and is seen, the belief becomes a tool, in the same way that mindfulness is just a tool.
Are the people in white coats or robes telling us the truth?
How do we know?
The Buddha said “Do not take my word for it; test it for yourself”,
so the Buddha was saying, “Do not believe in me.”
If that is good enough for the Buddha, who are we to disagree?
We first need the clarity of mind to think clearly.
For that, we need to meditate.
Our only reality lies in not believing.
In not believing, we are questioning.
What Are Demons?
A demon – Mara in Sanskrit – is a troubled mind.
Demonic attacks do not come from outside;
they’re a residue in our own mind.
When we stop our habitual patterning,
we stop feeding the habitual patterning of others.
Different cultures (groups) express phenomena in different ways. Just because a culture says, “It’s like this”, doesn’t mean it’s like that for us. It is tremendously important that we do not obscure our own mind by trying to force it into the ways of others.
What may be beneficial for a relaxed culture will not do for a speedy culture. Performing hundreds of thousands of prostrations may be good for Tibetans but, for westerners, it’s like going to the gym for a work out. Similarly, terms such as wind, channels and energies in one culture are just neurotransmitters in another.
This bring us on to the subject of demons or Mara. Demons in history have had excellent propagandists who portray them as something out there that preys on the innocent in order to exert control over the masses … “The bogeyman will get you!” … What fun those propagators have had scaring us with this haunting theme which has become our entertainment. The truth is that we have been led astray by not noticing our actual experience of everyday demons.
Demons – or Mara in Sanskrit – are troubled, un-empathetic minds. A troubled mind is full of likes and dislikes, and waits in ambush to pounce and feed off others. Yes, it’s us. We want to create a reaction in others. You know what I mean! Even if we say nothing, there is still a reaction present because our thinking shows in our demeanour.
Some cultures understand evil as an external force. In one practice, Tibetans go to a graveyard at night to face their fears, while we might just get bored. Better for us to go to a ‘spiritual’ centre to face our fears! 😀
That troubled mind is our self that creates dualistic fixations. Now, we see that these demons are closer to us than we thought – we are full of likes and dislikes.
Until we are fully enlightened, we will have Mara-ego attacks. It is said that, just before enlightenment, even the Buddha experienced attacks symbolised by fear and lust.
The more we become consciously aware, the more raw and sensitive we are, being aware of distractions. We pick up more, and some of it is challenging to deal with. Our path to enlightenment is clearing away our confusion and vulnerability. It’s not about following others. That is for the religious-minded.
So, we can see that the more our practice refines, the more we are aware of the attacks that trigger a residue from past experiences. As practitioners, we become a target. Many historical figures, as you know, received more than just threats.
Tsoknyi Rinpoche 1st –
Don’t wander, don’t wander, place mindfulness on guard;
Along the road of distraction, Mara lies in ambush.
Mara is this mind, clinging to like and dislike;
So look into the essence of this magic, free from dualistic fixation.
Realise that your mind is unfabricated primal purity.
There is no buddha elsewhere; look at your own face.
There is nothing else to search for; rest in your own place.
Non-meditation is spontaneous perfection, so capture the royal seat.
Seeing demons at work:
Do we get a buzz from money, or from the power that it represents? We know what it’s like when someone is controlling us – it’s horrible and scary. Imagine now having the power to manipulate: Mara is like that, feeding off vulnerability.
It is for this reason that being consciously aware is so important, because truly understanding this gives rise to compassion.
The Thickening Of The Plot!
We constantly need to review the reality of how things seem at this moment. Below is a list of events that lead us awayfrom our reality. We may assume that ‘spirituality’ is the way out, and should therefore be at the top of the list but, in the beginning, it’s just an idea that has the potential to lead either to reality or sentimentality. As a result, spirituality has moved down the list, as it’s something we decide upon, as opposed to actual spirituality which is pure consciousness – the realisation of our being where no thought or conjuring occurs.
Pure consciousness
Consciousness
Thoughts
Beliefs
Psychology
Spirituality
Religions
Politics
Warring –
a state of competition or hostility between different people or groups
We are pure consciousness. When we ignore or forget this reality, we fall into ordinary consciousness and develop a feeling of self. Thoughts about me and mine follow, maintained by beliefs and the psychology of those thoughts and beliefs. Then we turn to spirituality for a way out, which can either take us back to our origin or become an organised religion. Organisations become political with inner circles, and people who want to rule. This is where our differences come to be a problem, and wars begin.
Once we realise pure consciousness,
we see through all machinations and plots.
The more we become involved, the more the plot thickens 😀
At what point does the devil step in?
Hope And Fear In The Moment Now
Hope and fear are two aspects of awareness that we need in order to do anything – in the moment now.
Hope and fear help us to be aware, look and see.
“I would like a sharp blade.” “I don’t want to cut my finger.”
Being aware in the moment now, we have a chance to consider.
If, however, we carry these hopes and fears around with us – “I’m never touching a blade again because I might cut myself!” – this becomes our ‘lifestyle’; a constant load of anxieties, and our ‘unique’ personality of limitations. We can’t – or won’t – let go.
Being aware, looking and seeing is the fun of life – in the moment now.
It’s An Inside Job
We live in stressful, confusing and modified times.
Who caused this to happen?
It’s an inside job.
Who invaded our minds?
Who allowed it to happen?
It’s an inside job.
If we don’t realise our true inner reality,
we will allow the outer to obscure our mind.
Meditative insight is our reality.
Practise and see inside for yourself.
History: A Series Of Gambits And Sacrifices
A gambit is an opening chess move
that offers up a piece as a sacrifice to gain advantage.
When playing chess, we must always ask the question,
“Was that move by the opponent a cockup or deliberate?”
Now ask the same question for events, both current and historical.
May the scales fall from our eyes.
“We are free in the moment of seeing” – Tulku Urgyen.
Being Gaslighted
An induced state of denial
Gaslighting is the manipulation of someone by psychological means into doubting their own sanity.
Propaganda is information of a biased or misleading nature, used to promote a political cause or point of view; gaslighting en masse.
We lose our sanity when we are led to believe anything. Our sanity rests in realisation of our original nature beyond imagination, and that is the clarity of consciousness. When we are led to believe, we move away from this simple, safe reality.
We shouldn’t doubt our reality.
We should doubt others’ reality.
Know thy self –
and that which knows thy self.
Look At Your Self
Look at your self.
Practice makes perfect.
Our self is the adoption of ideas that manifest in our behaviour.
Our spiritual practice is being aware of the ideas that affect our behaviour.
What is looking?
Pure consciousness, which is beyond names.
Just being aware is our natural clarity
that dissolves the figment of our imagination.
As long as consciousness holds on to a self-image,
consciousness will live in a self-dream.
Consciousness, becoming aware of consciousness, finds nothing other,
and we arrive at pure consciousness.
Practice makes perfect.
Living In The Real World
Spiritual practitioners are often accused of not living in the real world.
It depends on what we think the real world is 🙂
Is whatever’s going on a reality?
Or is that which perceives whatever’s going on the reality?
Whatever’s going on is changeable,
whereas that which perceives whatever’s going is unchanging.
Whatever goes on is perceived in the mind.
Whatever goes on in the mind is perceived by consciousness.
So what is real?
Is the essence of consciousness itself
– pure consciousness, free of judgement –
the only permanent reality?
Meditate, and find out.
When The Mind Becomes Still
When the mind becomes still and silent,
everything is different.
We are no longer obsessed,
relating to memories and judgements.
We merely observe distractions
that try to disturb inner peace.
A clear view is maintained,
by just noting reactions.
So what do we do?
Forever recognise the source of everything.
Don’t Rely On The Teacher
Don’t rely on the teacher.
Don’t rely on the words.
Don’t rely on the meaning.
Rely on personal experience and observation.
If we stop at the teacher, the words, the meaning, that is all theory, with the result that we only think we know. Experience is confirmation realised through observed karmic reactions. When we understand, we stand under these findings; we can then take responsibility, for we now know that they are absolutely true.
Not relying isn’t being negative. There is a right time to rely on the teacher, the words, the meaning but, when it counts, through experience, the moment now tells us everything we need to know.
The great Tibetan master Marpa went to India to find teachings and text to take back to Tibet. During part of the return journey on a boat, his friend became jealous and threw all the texts overboard. As a result, Marpa could only take back what he’d actually experienced and understood. That is what made him a great teacher.
Rely on confirmation.
True teachings are passed on through confirmation. They are not passed on through hearsay and repetition. Confirmation is the scientific empirical method which involves careful observation, applying rigorous skepticism about what is observed, given that cognitive assumptions can distort how one interprets the observation. Based on such observations and deductions, refinements or eliminations are made.
Confirmation is all you need to know!
😀
Truth should be challenged to see what is left.
All spiritual teachers and students can talk the talk,
but can they listen?
Ignorance And Compassion
Humans ignore their reality –
and want everyone else to ignore it too.
We agree to a limited view
that obscures panoramic vision;
seeing the complete picture.
For this foolishness, we need compassion?
(… hands flailing out in a gesture of “Are you crazy?” :D)
We first need to understand how ignorance came about so that we can empathise when we remember what we too ignored. This what spiritual practice is all about – cutting through our own concepts.
To study and meditate is a piece of cake compared to having genuine compassion for those locked in exaggerated and obsessive enthusiasm for one preoccupation: self.
No one said it was easy.
🙂
The joy of realisation is accompanied by sadness.
Breaking The Human Code
The code that binds us.
The continuity code carries a set of ideas about our self and our sort of world from one moment to the next; it’s the mind genome. Whether we know it or not, we all live by some sort of code, and will do so until enlightenment. This code could be a positive one, joining the dots in different ways to see how the code suits any given situation, or negative in the form of unconscious habitual patterning.
Once we decipher that code (which is our programme), we see its true purpose. Everything comes in two parts, like a lock and a key, and we can either open a door, or keep it locked.
The basic human code for survival is desire, aversion and indifference; in animal terms, this is fight, flight or freeze. We can be attracted or repulsed to things and people, or we can ignore them. This is the code of self survival.
For the word ‘code’, we could use ‘agenda’ or ‘bias’. We all acquire agendas – this blog has an agenda of recognising our absolute truth, and the spread of deceit.
How do we break this human-animal code?
The code is all about me and mine. We are constantly either looking for or maintaining something. Our mind projects into the future or the past, and is rarely in the now. It is the now of spontaneous presence that breaks this coding, and the door of our mind unlocks. ‘Now’ is the key! Now, we have a choice.
In the very moment of now, when something is seen, there is a instant of natural, absolute clarity. This is the presence of pure consciousness – our original nature. Before the code starts to work on us, there is pure seeing without agenda, as if we have just woken up. It’s quite ordinary until we realise its true worth, and then it becomes extraordinary. We are free of the code in the moment of seeing.
When the door is open, we see exactly where we are!
The trick is to keep the door open,
rather than closing it for ‘safety’ and retreating into the code.
We are pure spirit; codeless.
Should We Be Decent Or Indecent?
Words can be misleading.
We may think the word ‘decent’ describes a kind person, while indecent means a vulgar person.
Decent: conforming with generally accepted standards of respectable or moral behaviour – fitting in.
Indecent: not conforming with generally accepted standards of behaviour – not fitting in
Doesn’t it all depend on the culture?
If we fit in to external standards, are we decent people?
If we do not fit in with external standards, are we indecent people?
If we fit in to organised religion, are we decent people?
If we do not fit in to organised religion, are we indecent people?
From an enlightened (interior knowledge) point of view, unenlightened people are indecent because they do not conform to enlightened standards.
From worldly (exterior knowledge) point of view, enlightened people are indecent people because they do not conform to conventional standards.
Should we be decent or indecent?
In order to be be skilful, we need to be both.
Decent people live on indecent islands of paranoia.
Indecent people sail between these islands, realising that, at heart, we are all decent, enlightened, pure consciousness.
Paranoia: a mental condition characterised by delusions of persecution, unwarranted jealousy, or exaggerated self-importance, typically worked into an organised system. It may be an aspect of chronic personality disorder.
From Greek, from paranoos ‘distracted’, from para ‘irregular’ + noos ‘mind’.
Can Truth Trap Us?
Can truth trap us?
Er … yes!
How?
We become too excited,
and miss the whole point.
Real truth, isn’t some thing to hold on to.
Life Was Hell; Now It’s Wonderful
Life was hell; now it’s wonderful!
Why?
Realisation of the truth.
The more hell is imposed,
the more obvious the confidence trick.
The more freedom is taken away,
the more obvious freedom is.
Once we know the true laws
of attraction, repulsion and inertia,
we are free.
Pure consciousness is like space;
it doesn’t matter what we do within these,
they stay the same.
Whether we are good or bad,
pure consciousness never changes,
but the consequences are different.
Thank goodness that there are consequences.
Thank goodness the goodness is there.
Meditation
It’s not what you think!
Confusion will dawn as wisdom.
First, we have to recognise that we are confused and dissatisfied. This honest admittance creates the necessary motivation for change to occur, to find a natural solution to just being happy. There are all sorts of meditation, but they all come down first to focusing, and then to realising that we are that which is focusing; pure consciousness, rather than whatever we think we are.
Our confusion comes from acquired thoughts that feed negative emotions which control us. Our self is merely a construct of concepts that we never question; if we are controlled by these thoughts and emotions, we are definitely not in control of ourself.
Our mind affects our behaviour. The purpose of meditation is to control the mind and bring it to silent, pure awareness, which is our natural state. Once the mind becomes still and free of movement, we realise the empty clarity of mind essence – pure consciousness.
Meditation prevents us from losing our reality to constructs in the mind. We can always change our mind but never pure consciousness, as it’s what we truly are!
To meditate, we focus the mind in order to stop it following thoughts. For this, we simply become aware of the breath and don’t wander off. It’s that simple. When we (inevitably) become distracted by thoughts, we simply return to the breath. We can do this anytime, anywhere.
While watching the breath,
we notice that we are aware.
We now rest in that awareness.
Resting there, we find nothing else.
It is empty of other.
Therefore, we realise we are that empty awareness.
Pure consciousness.
We no longer follow thoughts, and simply rest in awareness. Once this awareness is realised, we have confidence that awareness/consciousness is ever present. Meditation is being awareness – anytime, anywhere. The moment awareness is recognised, we drop the recognition so that it doesn’t turn into a concept, and thus the recognition ascends into pure awareness.
We now just get on with whatever life (karma) presents to us but, in being aware, we now don’t react out of habit. We look again. In this way, we transcend the levels, and ascend towards enlightenment.
Habits will arise. Confusion and doubt will arise. Emotions will arise. These are all immediately recognised by consciousness and dissolve, because appearances and recognition are simultaneous. They are a unity. Inseparable.
Thus, confusion dawns as wisdom.
The moment we acknowledge confusion arising in the mind is the light of wisdom!
The confusion never existed.
We only believe we are confused due to others’ interpretations.
We have always been wise-beings:
we now see that we are the light.
Homo illustratum; enlightened beings
😀
Once we know, we can never not know.
You Don’t Have To Be Buddhist
You don’t have to be Buddhist to study the Buddha’s teaching.
The Buddha wasn’t.
The teachings are about the psychology of our being:
our mind, the mind essence, consciousness itself.
What we are.
It is the psychology of how we appear.
There is nothing wrong with labels if you need one,
but they do separate us.
In Praise Of Reincarnation
Two views:
Does such an idea do harm or is it of benefit?
For most of us, reincarnation is a belief and isn’t worth considering, so we do whatever we want, with no long term feeling of consequences to our actions.
For some of us, reincarnation is a belief and is worth considering, so we don’t do whatever we want, because there are long term consequences to our actions.
It’s our choice how we live, and die.
There isn’t anything to argue about.
In praise of reincarnation, we never give up. Whatever is learnt in this incarnation, some quality may carry over to the next, with the hope of refining understanding. It is as one moment is to the next; a continuity of intention which can either be of benefit or harm. That’s how karma works.
We are born with certain tendencies, which have nothing to do with our family, being drawn to certain topics or words that others aren’t interested in. Of course, we are influenced by whatever is around us in life – but we still see things differently.
On a personal note, I have attended many retreats and teachings with, on average, 120 other people, and found that I don’t see it the same way, or react in the same way. They aren’t wrong – and I’m not wrong; we just experience the situation differently. To some, the teaching may be satisfying, while to others it isn’t complete.
Why is that?
Good question.
There are many levels of understanding of the same words, with different meaning depending on personal experience. It is the experience of the words that is more important than the words.
Don’t take my word for it.
Anxiety
Anxiety: concern that something might happen.
All we need to do is be aware, cautious and prepared.
In the moment now, there is no anxiety.
We just see.
Being without agenda (things to do) means consciousness is clear and pure; therefore, when we rest without agenda, we are pure consciousness – our original reality. This is the essence of mind, the essence of being which is clear intelligent space, but the mind has been invaded by distracting thoughts that obscure this pure consciousness, and so it becomes ordinary consciousness with worldly woes.
We (pure consciousness), being ignorant of our true reality, believe thoughts to be our reality, to be us. We create a self-image, and this affects our behaviour, our reactions and our lives when, in fact, this self-image is a temporary phenomenon – we can change our mind! 😀
All the while, pure consciousness, pure essence, remains the unchanging spirit of awareness.
Throughout history, consciousness had been bombarded with ideas, gossip and rumour, and has become distracted, fearful and anxious. It’s a control thing that has been used against humanity for millennia, where promises are projected to lure us into a false reality, and then turned against us.
“This is good” … “Now it’s bad!”
“This bad” … “Now it’s good!”
Just watch the sequence of event in the ‘news’.
We need insight, and to make use of intuition. Anxiety manufactures our future, which affects our present moment. Humans are brought up to fear, as opposed to just being cautious. All we have to do is be aware, rather than go along with crowd-fear.
It’s vital that we see for ourselves and trust that, but this seeing should be without any agenda other than seeking absolute truth.
The Buddha’s first noble truth is for us to realise and admit that we suffer, or are dissatisfied, depressed or angry; then, we can do something about it. We all have a good heart, and that heart is the essence of consciousness and the source of wisdom.
Most of us are of the mind only; we all have a good heart, but it is clouded by sentimentality. We don’t have to be clever to realise our true nature; being knowledgable doesn’t necessarily make us kind people. We just have to see, and trust that seeing rather than our reactions, which are just the outcome of habitual programming.
All questions that come up in our mind are relevant
as they are the means to clear away all doubts.
Those question can then be put under the microscope
– as long as the lens isn’t dirty!
😀
Seeing That We Don’t See
When we do see that we don’t see, then actual seeing is taking place.
This is the entire teaching of the Buddha.
Trusting in this moment of just seeing,
the truth unfolds by itself.
What is stopping us seeing?
That which holds our interest.
Enlightenment means
continuous pure seeing.
While we see through a glass darkly – our fog of ideas – we will never realise inner clarity and inner peace. Our different levels of understanding correspond to our different levels of empathy. Evolution depends on our stepping out of collective thinking.
Do you see that you see?
Truth Is Challenging To Our Programmed Mind
Our mind is full of ideas: we want to know the truth, but cannot find it. The problem is actually recognising it when it is presented, and we have to know the difference between relative truth and absolute truth.
Only wanting to know the truth about things is our relative relationship to things, and we go astray from absolute truth. We become people with answers about the relative things to which we relate. As long as we only look at ideas about things, it will be impossible to realise absolute truth.
The truth is in the seeing. It asks, “What is that?” and “What is its effect?”
It is awareness – pure awareness – that is the truth. It’s what we are – absolute truth.
Pure awareness or consciousness comes first.
It’s how we know!
What we know is relative truth,
and we won’t give that up easily
as we are programmed to relate.
The moment we are aware of awareness,
the programme stops, and we (consciousness) are free.
Still Think You Are Thinking For Yourself?!
The Nudge Unit; causing people to change their behaviours.
The Behavioural Insights Team (BIT) – also known unofficially as the “Nudge Unit” – is a social purpose organisation that generates and applies behavioural insights, officially to inform policy and improve public services.
Following nudge theory, using social engineering and techniques in psychology and marketing, the purpose of the organisation is to influence public thinking and decision making. This is to improve compliance with government policy to thereby decrease social and government costs related to inaction and poor compliance with policy and regulation. B.I.T. has expanded into other countries.
Psychologists have been running the world for years. If you think it’s about money then think again. One influential psychologist, Edward Louis Bernays, was an Austrian-American pioneer in the field of public relations and propaganda in the 1950s, and is referred to in his obituary as “the father of public relations”.
Little Innocuous Ideas
Little, unfounded, innocuous articles
are put out to air an idea,
sow seeds and monitor traction.
Through the media, an idea is circulated
to see how far it will travel
and how many will adopt it.
Big ideas start from innocent-looking ideas,
and are then adopted by us.
Where do you think ideas come from?
If we don’t ask this question,
we aren’t looking and so we don’t see.
Manipulation hopes we stay ignorant.
The only thing we can trust is self-monitoring.
Why do I think this or that?
In meditation, we note these flights of fancy.
What is that notes such distractions?
It is consciousness, pure consciousness.
That cannot be taken away from us.
Why Do We Say Truth Is Relative?
Relative truth is the doctrine that there is no absolute truth.
This is where the world divides into the esoteric and the exoteric.
Relative truth is consciousness relating to something other.
This is a disastrous misunderstanding of the word ‘truth’. Truth is in accordance with reality, which is something constant that never changes. The only truth about relative truth is that ideas, phenomena and situations change as they are impermanent, and so have no reality of their own. That is why the material world is called an illusion, which we believe to be real.
Any discussions within our relative reality are merely opinions, and something to argue about or even fight over. It keeps the world in turmoil, and that is the disastrous effect of relative ‘truth’. To say, “The truth is that this smart phone is better than that smart phone” is a personal view, an opinion, and has nothing to do with truth. If we use the term ‘truth’ in such a way, we downgrade this precious word – and our life. This is what exoteric religion does; it separates us and conflict arises. It’s only at the deepest level of the esoteric that all is a unity.
While we have an image of self and ideas, there will be strife because we believe this relative world of impermanence to be the only reality.
Being stuck in a relative view, we lack generosity and openness; these can only come about when we realise absolute truth.
Absolute truth is our being – pure consciousness.
We can say anything and think anything,
but pure consciousness sits all the while, in pure silence,
and inspires wisdom.
Dumbing Down Of The World
The great devolution:
If we don’t see it, we are part of its structure.
‘Dumbing down’ is the deliberate oversimplification of intellectual content in education, literature, religion, news, music and films. Have you heard what’s playing on the radio and in shops? Mindless chatter and music! Dumbing down involves the lowering of critical thought by undermining language, thus trivialising meaningful information in favour of a “popular culture”. Resetting of the world order is a constant theme in history. Remember the word deliberate.
If we think this virus is bad, just consider the intellectual viruses spread throughout history to scare us into dark corners. This realisation should shock us into waking up but, unfortunately, it doesn’t because we lack clarity and insight into consequences.
We are pure consciousness,
but have abdicated that power
because it’s easier to follow than to investigate.
When we realise that we are pure consciousness,
we can live happily in a dumbed down world
precisely because we don’t believe any of it.
Everything becomes a joke 😀
Spiritual practice: realise that which sees the joke.
Are We Institutionalised Mavericks?
In taking someone else’s word as our own,
do we become branded ?
Unbranded cattle which were not part of the herd came to be labelled as ‘mavericks’.
Realised masters removed their brand.
Unfortunately, their followers … well, you know what happens!
😀
Institutionalised: apathetic and dependent on an institution. Conforming to an organisation or culture.
Maverick: an unorthodox or independent-minded person, an unbranded non-conformist.
Maverick: mid 19th century from the name of Samuel A. Maverick (1803–70), a Texas rancher who did not brand his cattle.
Gross, Subtle And Innermost Subtle Modes Of Being
We live in three ways: a gross survival level, a subtle inner feeling driving force level, and fully conscious level.
The gross level is our behaviour.
The subtle level is our hidden feeling of ‘me’ and ‘mine’ that we rarely share.
The innermost subtle level is pure consciousness.
Our gross level is the outer world – the one we create for ourselves.
Our subtle level is a feeling of identity centred around a self image; this is something that we cannot share with others, even though we’d like to. Generally, we live in a gross physical world, with our hidden agenda of a vulnerable self. This is the cause of our frustrations; it’s the driving force and sets the pattern of our outer behaviour.
The innermost subtle level isn’t something we have; it’s what we actually are.
As long as we are tied up in our gross and subtle worlds, we miss – or ignore – our innermost subtle being of pure consciousness itself. This is the universal trap for all sentient beings caught and held in the three laws or three commandments –
These universal laws are desire, aversion and ignorance,
or
attraction, repulsion and indifference.
All we need is to look and see. It’s not something that we read about and understand: it needs analysing and putting to the test. As long as we are engrossed in the physical and mental aspects of life, we will never find happiness or understanding.
Pure consciousness is happiness itself. Life is simple, and only becomes complicated when others unconsciously demand adherence to gross collective thinking. Believing everything that we are told keeps us bound to the collective ‘religion’ which requires us to conform (think the same way), and that actually manifests and perpetuates disorder, chaos, confusion, and suffering. Just look and see.
It stands to reason that there those who utilise our desires, aversions and ignorance for gain. They sell ideas and we buy them.
We can step out of this gross existence at any moment.
To wake up, we have to be woken
to come out of our gross and subtle dreaming.
To be awoken, we have to be aware that
we may indeed be dreaming,
but are on the verge of waking up.
The modern term ‘woke’ has nothing to do with our waking up to being pure consciousness. It’s a political term meaning to be aware of social injustice that actually seems to create further upheaval and divisions.
When spirituality (consciousness) is hijacked by religion, politics and commerce,
be aware that our culture is being affected.
The Positive Dopamine Effect
The pleasure centre in the brain.
Ordinarily, we do things for some sort of reward or pleasure which we think brings us happiness – conditional happiness. If the conditions change, we become unhappy.
That is the negative side of desire, but there is a positive side to the dopamine effect which is natural, when each moment is naturally rewarding. There is no point to life if we cannot connect with spiritual inspiration. 😀
With the understanding that each moment is a product of the past, and that there is no past in the present moment, we stop worrying. When we no longer react out of past habits, our karma, our behavioural patterning is wearing itself out. There is only a residual feeling left, and that’s nothing to worry about 🙂
Bliss is absence of worry, and lack of tension.
\That is the happiness we seek.
We no longer worry
because we can play with the illusions of being human
with all its peculiar patterning.
Be positive about being negative!
😀
Let’s say you don’t like what is written here … it’s too intense … it’s all ego! What is it that sees these ideas? It’s consciousness of course – but, if we then let go of our peculiar judgements, we are left in pure consciousness. It’s all about that which sees, rather than whatever is seen.
We might get some satisfaction from identifying things about this peculiar author, but that would be a negative satisfaction to carry on to the next moment. There is always a residual of feeling, and if we act on that, we rebuild that residue into something concrete.
The positive side to seeing something peculiar in others is that, in first moment before judgement, the mind brightens – lights up – and just sees. That first moment is pure consciousness. Rest there.
If, on the other hand, we identify with these judgements in our peculiar way, consciousness turns into conscious-mess. 😀 And again, that which sees our conscious-mess is pure consciousness – it’s a win-win situation!
Can A Lazy Person Realise Truth?
Can a lazy person realise truth?
No.
Can an uneducated person realise truth?
Yes.
To realise truth, all we do is see.
In being lazy, we become dependent; we limit our reality and so, our freedom. Never be put off by feeling guilty about being lazy; just acknowledge this behaviour, and see how it affects your motivation. We all need a proper teacher, and there is no better teacher than our own mind!
Spiritually speaking, we are all more or less lazy, particularly when it comes to knowing the truth about our reality, as this means we have to give up something dear to us … the concept of ‘me’.
The idea of being lazy isn’t easy to accept as we tend to transfer the picture of laziness onto others rather than ourself. Transforming our ‘laziness’ isn’t actually a great problem, and the solution is very simple; we merely have to see what is going on within our own mind, and we are free – but having the heart – the courage – to see is challenging. We have to acknowledge the need to transcend.
“We are free in the very moment of seeing.”
Tulku Urgyen (a realised being).
When we hear the word ‘lazy’, we might think of someone lying on a sofa doing nothing; a total slob. This is as much of a fanciful idea as thinking the devil has horns and tail, and is truly evil. It’s all much subtler than that. Both images are advertising gimmicks to separate us from the facts, which are that it’s all in the mind.
We are lazy because we seek comfort and happiness through the dopamine effect caused by neurotransmitters responsible for reward and pleasure to which we become addicted and obsessed, and which becomes an habitual way of life. This pleasurable sensation can come from either being vacant (can’t be bothered, too sloppy) or occupied (an uptight fundamentalist, possessed by the gods).
The Buddha described this point while watching a lute player tuning the instrument and noting if the strings were too tight or too loose. If we want to be ‘in tune’, we shouldn’t be either too tight or too loose. 🙂
This is an important point when viewing our spiritual practice of being aware. We may become too enthusiastic, chanting away and waving vajras, bells and beads, feeling we have done something good, while missing the whole point. We fall under the dopamine enchantment; terms that describe this are ‘futile diligence’ and ‘spiritual materialism’. Spiritual practice is about letting go, dropping any attachment to practice in the final stage known as ‘completion’. In fact, we can do this all the way through a practice by just being there, rather than following a chant-along.
Lazy people are quick to find fault because they lack experiential empathy. The cause of laziness is an absence of purpose, which is essential to give our life meaning. If we don’t have a goal, we won’t be motivated. People will pick up on the flimsiest excuse to keep busy, and meditation can, unfortunately, be a vehicle for laziness if we do not know how to drop it. For this reason, we need to know why we are meditating.
We need discipline to cut through old habits. Of course, once we love what we do, we don’t need discipline … unless we then become attached to love! 😀 Actually, once we see properly, everything become effortless and carefree.
Laziness is self-deception; we play hide and seek. We seek something, but hide away from it if it gets too close for comfort. Long-term goals do not provide immediate gratification. Laziness can lead to depression, exhaustion and apathy, when the dark hole of depression swallows up anything positive.
Laziness masks fear, where we seek a comfortable bed to escape from reality. Meditation is realising our reality.
The Buddha: “Don’t Live Vicariously”
Living vicariously through the actions of others
can cause us to become dependent
when it comes to happiness and fulfilment in life.
Trying to avoid living vicariously isn’t easy to do
as we all seek acceptance
and conform to others’ conformity
To find our originality,
we have to find our origin.
Investigating Truth – Recognising Evidence
The problem with investigating truth is knowing the difference between wanting proof (something acquired or borrowed) as opposed to proving as a personal experience.
If we want proof without proving, whatever we come up with will still be a theory; it’s someone else’s proof. Once we have proven something for our self, then we have genuine proof.
This is why the Buddha said,
“Do not take my word for it; test it for yourself.”
As long as we merely follow orders,
and do not truly investigate our self for ‘ourself’,
others’ embellishments can lead us back to square one – doubt.
😀
Of course, we have the choice not to be bothered looking, seeing, and dropping whatever is seen in order to realise what exactly is left to see, but truly, it is the dropping that is of utmost importance to prevent duality deforming non-duality.
Realising what remains … that’s what it’s about.
Original pure awareness.
Once we realise what it’s about, we can then recognise whatever obscures that pure awareness. And in fact, this is what practice is all about: the moment of seeing distraction becomes the unity of the two truths – absolute and relative. Seeing and the thing seen.
Now we can get on with our lives in the knowledge and wisdom that every appearance in the mind which causes a distraction is our original teacher. Once all clinging formations drop away, that surely is enlightenment. We are not just surviving; we are living in happiness.
Religion is now no longer required,
as it merely takes us back to square one.
Is There God?
Is there God?
It all depends on view.
In self identity,
there is something relating to other.
In the moment now, there is no relating:
no identity, no other.
Just oneness.
Without proving, we will never know.
The Self Is A Likeness
Likeness: the fact of being alike; a semblance, guise, or outward appearance, especially when the reality is different.
From Old French, from sembler ‘seem’, from Latin similare, simulare ‘simulate’.
Our self is an adopted reflection in the mind that seems real due to our ignorance.
We forget that it is consciousness (our true reality) that sees this adopted idea of self, and imbues it with reality, thus creating a seeming reality while ignoring our actual reality.
Humanity adopted an idea a very long time ago; this has been fostered throughout generations – and the consequences are truly shocking.
It is said:
“Then God said, ‘Let us make man in our image, after our likeness’ …”
We could read this as:
“Then they said, ‘Let us make man in our image, after our likeness (our reality)’ …”
If we are free,
we are free to see as we choose
– as long as we know we have a choice.
Are We In Speculative Or Contemplative Mode?
Speculation: the forming of a theory or conjecture without firm evidence.
Contemplation: looking deep within for a long time.
Modern societies are more speculative than contemplative.
One is full of excitement, while the other rests in quietude.
One searches outside, while the other, in finding what it’s looking for, delves deeper within.
At sometime, we have to come to a conclusion about our life. Even if this isn’t totally accurate, we can then contemplate to find evidence and flaws.
This is why all ‘news’ is speculation, and only serves to create more of the same, giving rise to a world in chaos. We depend too much on the ‘experts’ who run on theories, computer models and cultural bias, and claim, “We know what’s best for you!” In this way, we give our power to others.
We can only rely on others so far, and then it’s up to us. Don’t even take the Buddha’s word for it! Find what works for a happy life, and keep it simple. Our spiritual path is undoing years of adopted, cultural and speculative bias.
Speculation is mental turmoil and ends in mental confusion.
Contemplation is analytical meditation and ends in realisation.
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