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.

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.

What Starts An Argument?

What starts an argument?
Karma.
What ends an argument?
Recognising the effect of karma.

‘Karma’ is a Sanskrit word for our load of acquired ideas that affects our behaviour. In modern terms, it’s our programme ‘guide’, that runs and replays our entire life. It’s what makes us predictable.

When we fixate, we become intense. If meet someone who is also fixated, there is a clash of karma. The clash of ideasisn’t the problem; it’s the intensity that causes trouble as it transforms into a verbal weapon. Because we identify with our ideas so strongly, this build-up can explode at any moment when karma creates the perfect storm.

So what do we do?
Recognise what is happening, and wait. No reaction, no retaliation.
We rant when we see something as unjust. This is normal for human beings (and our chickens do the same thing!). Trying to put things right may even make things worse, because the whole situation then seems even more real, when it’s just about ideas. Holding on is hell.

We all just want to be heard.
The karma has to play itself out.
Merely wait.
Suddenly, we’ll wonder what the fuss was about.

Such trauma is very uncomfortable; it’s something that we don’t want to face, but it’s a special, cathartic moment of release.

Cathartic: early 17th century: via late Latin from Greek kathartikos, from katharsis ‘cleansing’. 

Demons are said to cause trouble for practitioners: we become more sensitive and pick up more, so we need to be skilful. It’s just a spiritual hazard. 😀

These clashes can feel like a demon attack. Demons are ego, and ego does not exist. They’re just a mental flare ups and, if that is so, then that is wisdom. In the very first instant of anger, the mind brightens and illumines. That is pure wisdom, before our demon sets in 😀 The same applies to all negative emotions.

We do not need antidotes:
we just need to see clearly to neutralise the effects.

When Did My Ignorance Start?

The universe is infinite. Sentient beings are infinite, each having an enlightened essence that goes unnoticed. We are infinite consciousness. To ask, “When did my ignorance start?” is an impossible question to answer, as it always starts and ends now.

There may be dimensions, realms and planets that are more conducive to enlightenment, but here we are, now. We can only deal with now, which is a pretty good place to start as there is so much dissatisfaction! This is because we dwell in such an illusory state that we cannot “see the wood for the trees” – unable to understand a situation clearly because we are too involved in it. This involvement created a self image, which is our forest of ideas, all made out of emptiness.

Emptiness is our natural, pure state which is fully aware, before we become involved in thoughts of this and that. We use the method of meditation to arrive at emptiness, and then the method of meditation is dropped. We stop asking questions the moment we arrive. Enlightenment is “Stayin’ arrived!”

To see how ignorance starts, watch the moment in meditation when we become attracted to the feeling of meditation – and we find consciousness wandering off … again! 😀

The Practice Of Meditation = Clarity And Calm

Meditation brings about a simpler way of life that is satisfying; we do not succumb to the collective hopes and fears. Through clarity and calmness we see what is happening – and the consequences.

There is much in the world that divides people. Even if we could eliminate whatever we think is causing division, division will still remain. It’s what humans do, even though we call ourselves ‘social’ beings.

We may agree for five minutes, and then the divisions appear. There is no point in being disappointed or expecting anything else, as we all have different backgrounds and cultures. We just remain clear and calm, and from that view, we use whatever skills of empathy we have to deal with situations. Our countenance says more than words as it reflects how open or closed we are; an open face goes a long way towards healing.

There is a rightness about everything. When we complain about the traffic jam we’re part of, who are we going to blame? If we (consciousness) ignore consciousness, we will remain confused. By becoming involved, we are entangled in a sequence of events that must come to fruition.

Trungpa Rinpoche said, “When awaiting someone’s arrival, we aren’t waiting; we are just sitting.”

Enlightened beings come along to show us a way – a path – out of our confusion, but our salvation is up to us. It is we who have to become still and calm to see clearly and realise that our confusion never existed. We just reacted and became distracted, and were thus divided from our true nature.

Humans will run around trying to make things ‘right’ but this creates conditions for further sequences of division. The world is has a ‘rightness’ about it; if we ignore, we will be confused. Our true rightness is consciousness. Within consciousness is the clarity of calmness, and that is pure consciousness. The purpose of life is to realise this ultimate truth.

Enlightenment comes to fruition through sustained calmness and clarity arising from the sequence of realisations that lead to full enlightenment.

Or … we can stay in the traffic jam.
Actually, bodhisattvas do exactly that!

Darkness Suddenly Lifts

There are times (many times :D) when we feel heavy, out of sorts and down – and then, suddenly, that feeling changes and we feel happy and lighter for no reason. It’s a karmic moment from our past: we must have done something good as nothing comes from nothing.

This means all things come to fruition and all things must pass, so don’t worry too much. It’s just either a karmic cloud or clarity passing by. The more the selfless deeds, the more the clarity. Unfortunately, the opposite is also true – the more the self-centredness, the more the clouds.

“Nothing comes from nothing
nothing ever could.”

What Do We Value Most?
Turning the mind to reality.

If we choose money, power, football, family, friends, freedom, God, religion, science, nature … the question then arises, “What is it that values these things?”

Most will simply say, “I do”, and that’s that, but the conjuring up of desires is our dream state. This dream state arose because consciousness identified with objects and ideas rather than the origin of recognition. We are trapped in our illusion through ignorance of our true reality.

The answer must be consciousness for, without consciousness, these things and ideas would not be known. When we value consciousness, everything changes. We now see consciousness in everything, because consciousness is the reality of the observation. Everything becomes brighter – literally.

There is more.
When investigated, the very essence of consciousness is clarity and pure vision, free of human intrigue. Thus, we do not have to be scholars, academics, gurus or saints. We can be what we originally are. Now, everything makes sense because we see that whatever we value obscures this pure vision beyond intellect. This isn’t something holy or religious – it’s a fact!

Nothing compares to the joy of realising consciousness, which is free of limiting ideas. Everything is now a plaything, a toy – but then, we recognise how much others suffer for their dreams. Consciousness becomes the compassionate bridge over troubled, muddy waters!

Consciousness is my shepherd; I shall not want.

Gratitude is enabled, leading to stillness.

Recognising consciousness restores inspiration on the path.

Walking towards death, I fear nothing; clarity and compassion comfort me.

Karma prepares a table of abundance in the presence of adversity.

Goodness and inspiration present themselves, dwelling in pure consciousness forever.