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.

Have Or Are?
Complexity or simplicity?

Thinking we have consciousness,
we will never realise what we are.
Our collection of ideas is our reality.

Realising we are consciousness,
consciousness is our reality.
Nothing other.

Arisings are now within consciousness and are not separate,
as with the moon reflected in a pool.

How Do We Test A Teacher?

We are told to take a close look at the teacher before we commit ourselves,but how do we know if a teacher is suitable for our needs? Tricky. Just because someone is called a teacher doesn’t mean they are; they could just be someone who reads and repeats text without explaining its practical use.

Everything depends on our understanding, and how we see things. It is we who give another the authority to teach. Names, titles, palaces, temples, gompas have to mean something to us, rather than meaning something to others. We should not just follow others.

Is the person compatible?
Compatible: from medieval Latin compatibilis, from compati -suffer with. To be empathetic.

More importantly, are the students able to be empathetic? ‘Selflessness’ can very easily turn into indifference.

The problem is teacher worship, guru worship. That, in itself, takes away any understanding of others’ needs – or the ability to listen without judgement. Lack of compassion is fear, whereas the hallmark of any genuine teaching is genuine compassion.

Don’t take the Buddha’s word for it.
Don’t take the teacher’s word for it.
Don’t take a student’s word for it.
Don’t take my word for it.
Don’t even take your own word for it.

Start with the genuine experience of realisation beyond words.
When we take care, we are the ones in charge.

There is no greater teaching or teacher
than unconditional caring.
Love.

We Each Progress In Our Own Way

We each progress in our own way.
All we need is tenacity.

Tenacity comes from understanding, experience and a realisation that there is but one truth, and that is consciousness itself. It does not matter what we do, consciousness is always present. If we go online to read about truth, this subject can go off in many directions. Truth-seeking philosophers and universities may seek the truth about this and that, but they forget that consciousness came first. Many spiritual traditions care more about their display than simple truth that isn’t reliant on any thing.

So, for truth, we have to look into consciousness. We do this on our own, as no one else can do it for us. The confusion now arises, “Who are we?” We are the very essence of consciousness. Pure and simple.

All we have to do is stop, and see, smell, taste, touch, hear. The senses are non-conceptual – there is no thinking involved. That direct experience is pure perception, pure consciousness. Pure and simple. That is what we are – it’s not who we are. Who comes along a moment later to claim the event of sensation.

We keep using the word ‘meditation’ but, when we meditate, all we should be doing is shutting up, rather than closing down. There may be loads of methods, jargon, elaborations and confusion, but it all comes to the one point of purely being. Meditation is simply about noticing, and dropping whatever is noticed. We can come back to whatever was noticed when we reflect.

It’s all about consciousness being in union with its essence; purity. The word ‘purity’ needn’t be a scary word, or a holy word. It simply means unadulterated – not mixed or diluted with any different or extra elements; complete and absolute.

The moment when we sneeze, there is nothing to think about. That is pure experience. That’s it! The moment we walk through a door and just survey the scene – that’s it! The moment when … we give up!

Nothing Is Permanent

This has been said many times before, but it’s worthwhile reflecting on it so that we remember what reality is really is.

If things were permanent, then they could not change – and obviously, things do change. Due to attraction and repulsion, things are created, dwell, and come apart, ready to change into something else.

Things have no permanent existence because they are actually empty space occupied by temporary elements.

Consciousness is like that; cognisant unoccupied space. That unchanging cognisant unoccupied space is what we are. Thoughts are merely ever-changing elements within this.

When consciousness fixates on phenomena, however, a self identity is created, which becomes judgemental about temporary phenomena. It is this constant judging that causes us excitement and suffering.

When we realise this, then we cannot become so attached, and are free to see the beauty in how things change. Enemies become friends. Negative emotions become wisdom.

By acknowledging change, we ascend the levels.
When we separate ourselves and find fault,
we descend the levels, play the victim and suffer.

All we have to do is note which way we are facing,
and change just happens.
“We are free in the moment of seeing.”

Permanent: remain unchanged indefinitely.

There Will Always Be Problems To Worry About

As long as we believe that we need to solve these problems, there will be problems to worry about. As all things must pass, so why worry? It’s like watching the tide come in and go out; it’s what it does. Unenlightened humans stick to things and become bound; it’s what we do.

If we could get rid of all those who create problems, there would be none of us left 😀
It’s acknowledging the very cause of problems that is the path to enlightenment.
The cause is believing that problems are real, while consciousness sits and watches.

Getting Over-Excited About This World

Humans can always be stirred up about something and,
in relative terms,
this is understandable.
Having identified one problem, another will come along
and we compound it.

Throw a pebble in the water and watch the ripple effect.

How on earth do we release ourselves from this ripple?
Know that the ripple effect takes place in the mind:
We become stirred up.

In actuality, it is the mind that becomes over-excited
with retaliations.

When the mind is allowed to settle,
we are free to see clearly.

I’m Selfish

I thought I had problems.
I now realise that I am blessed.
I’m sorry for having taken everything for granted.

Redemption: clearing one’s debt.
Feeling fulfilled, blessed, fully satisfied, relieved.

I cannot believe in a God,
but believers feel fulfilled, blessed, fully satisfied, relieved.
In the moment of fulfilment, how can I say we are different!

Lobbing The Brick

There is a story/joke: a man visits an asylum, and is shown around by a nurse. He meets one of the inmates who’s gardening, and chats with him. The gardener was eloquent, calm and polite, and knew all about gardening and the natural world.

The visitor turned to the nurse and said, “This man shouldn’t be here!” The gardener interjected, “No, I shouldn’t be here! Thank you.” The nurse smiled and nodded, and the visitor promised to speak to the authorities about the man’s case. The two of them walked away, and a moment later, a brick hit the visitor on the back of the head … and the gardener shouted after him, “You won’t forget, will you?”

Five minutes with anyone is fine, and then we recognise the biased opinions and fixations – and the brick.

The potential of enlightenment is within every sentient being, but realisation of this has to be acknowledged through insight, in order for compassion to express itself. We need to remember this when we are about to lob our brick!

“Don’t forget!”

Earth: Dream? Nightmare? Enlightened Potential?

We are born into a world of dreams that create nightmares.
The realisation of these nightmares becomes the potential for enlightenment.

Simply put; we desire, we fear, we suffer, we look for the cause of that suffering. The cause of suffering is our clinging to those dreams about our self identity.

Our work is to transform those dreams and nightmares into enlightenment. How do we do this? There is no requirement to be religious or spiritual: we just need to see clearly that our true reality – which is pure consciousness – is already present and enlightened.

We are only here due to karma, which is our cloud of unknowingness.

This introduces the question of life before birth. We do not know what happens after death: others can tell us things about death, but we do not know.We can, however, infer, and that makes a great difference to the way in which we live.

Both the dream and the nightmare cost the earth.

Enlightenment costs nothing.
The earth should not be exploited by greed.

“We cannot serve both Truth and Mammon.”
Matthew 6.24

Restless and Restful

Feeling something is missing in life,
we become restless.

In meditation, we come to rest,
and miss nothing.

Nature Has No Evil Intent

Nature has no evil intent.
Evil employs nature.

Oxygen + Consciousness

Oxygen + Consciousness
= Good Health = Awareness = Realisation

Try it.
See how it works.
Look into it.

The Wim Hof method.
You’ll meditate better.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tybOi4hjZFQ

The Silent Me

The silent me
and the talkative me.

We may be confused about consciousness as we cannot give up the idea of a me, and think, “I have consciousness.”

This is understandable in the materialistic existence of things that I do, I think and I say. We identify with our thoughts, and think that we are those thoughts. We see consciousness as something that allows us to perceive, so the more information we collect, the greater and more intelligent we think we are, and the more established the ego. This is okay if that’s what we want – along with all the aloofness that goes with it.

Alternatively, there is another way to see consciousness; that we are consciousness, rather than having consciousness. It is realising that consciousness has always sat quietly throughout life, observing passing thoughts. The pure, silent me observes the talkative me.

“Two birds sat in a tree;
one (lower personality self) pecked of the fruit
while the other (higher wisdom Self)
sat and watched”.
-Upanishads

In Buddhism there is neither self nor Self,
but deluded consciousness and pure consciousness.

Can you see any difference?
😀

Different exoteric traditions see the spirit differently.
Different esoteric traditions have the same spirit.
We don’t need to be separated.

Intellectual Understanding and Realisation

Intellectual understanding says much.
Realisation says nothing.

Consciousness has nothing to say; it is merely aware. Through desire or aversion, however, consciousness adopts thoughts and clings to these, obscuring raw experience.

It is when consciousness silently looks in on itself and finds nothing but consciousness, that realisation takes place. This realisation is the recognition that consciousness has always been empty of contaminating thoughts that have restricted our potential. Consciousness realises that it has always been pure before the occurrence of thoughts, and that is the end of our search. Until enlightenment we are still not released from our biased behaviour, however, due to subtle desires and aversions (our karmic inclinations).

Intellectual understanding creates a clash of chattering minds.
Realisation is a union of silent hearts.
Compassion is a meeting of both hearts and minds.

A true meeting takes place in silence,
within the realisation and recognition
that nothing needs to said.

Our Ultimate Potential

Our ultimate potential is acknowledged
through our human manifestation.

Our ultimate reality is perfect consciousness.
Our human manifestation is biased consciousness.

Our human manifestation is our karmic teacher
that reminds us when we stray
from perfect consciousness.

This doesn’t change us;
it changes our behaviour, which reduces the effect of karma
until there is no more biased behaviour.

In this way, we can be free to make the most of life.

I Never Chose To Be Obsessive

I never chose to be obsessive:
I just mimicked others.

The magicians conjure up deceptions
for us to obsess over.

Observing this,
we are no longer their audience.

Never Doubt The Presence of Pure Consciousness

We have never been separated from pure consciousness;
we have just been looking the other way.

Looking the other way and finding no satisfaction, we doubt. Due to doubt, we cling even more to our ‘graven images’ (our ideas) for safety and adorn these, while at the same time obscuring the clarity of pure consciousness. We obscure the truth of our own ultimate reality. We become bound and wound-up.

Realisation is just a matter
of unwinding the stress
caused by doubt.