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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Tony

Enlightenment, Constant Enlightenment And Super-duper Enlightenment

Enlightenment:
Realising pure consciousness and purifying karma.

Constant enlightenment:
Realised pure consciousness and purified karma.

Super-duper enlightenment:
Carrot before donkeys.

Conclusion:
There is no carrot. There are no donkeys.

This Is Exactly The Right Time For Spiritual Progress

Like the Buddha, we see people suffering and we see that life is tenuous. In these turbulent times, the Dzogchen teachings on Rigpa (pure consciousness) are perfectly relevant to know what is real and what is seemingly real. We suffer because of identification with this body and the contents of the mind.

Pure consciousness – that which actually sees – can never suffer as it is non-material. We may wonder if something non-material exists; we cannot see it because we are it. It is extremely subtle, but obvious when investigated – which means that we have to investigate 🙂 Being told something isn’t realising it. We have to see pure seeing in experience, and there are no shortcuts.

We can empathise with others’ suffering and, in this recognition, are moved to be of benefit, avoiding the creation of further harm and suffering.

Our precious opinions of blame are unnecessary. We must maintain inner sanity for the sake of others, and this inner sanity comes from understanding, experience and realisation of the true nature of things and self. This is why it is said, “Know thy self.” It isn’t said, “Make assumptions about thy self.”

Knowing that death is not the end, we never give up. It is because we see the impermanent nature of things and self that we know this is all an illusion. What knows? Pure consciousness.

Illusions may feel real, but that which sees without comment is the real reality. Whatever is seen has no reality – things and self image come and go. When we realise that we are not this self image, our view changes. It is our desperation to hold on to illusions that causes us suffering. When we wake up, we see that we have been living others’ dreams. Who have we been trying to impress?

Whatever happens in the next moment is uncertain, but what is certain is that pure consciousness is always present. That is the most important realisation we can achieve, by simply doing nothing.

With this understanding, our actions, speech and thinking will be a guide.

The time is always now.
There are no excuses in Dzogchen.
Every moment is a teaching.

Get up, see what needs to be done, and relax.
When we look after our world,
our world will look after us.

If we make assumptions about our world,
the world will reflect our assumptions.

If the teachings are present in every moment,
love is present in every moment,
and our world is brighter.

Inaccurate Balance In Life

We have two aspects to our life: material consciousness and spiritual consciousness.

Material consciousness is our ordinary thoughts, while spiritual consciousness is that which perceives ordinary thoughts. To put it simply, our reality is the knowingness of knowing.

It is the misunderstanding of our reality that is the pernicious trap in which we live, especially when it comes to considering the unveiling of enlightened essence and the use of meditation.

Merely reading and hearing about consciousness doesn’t mean we are conscious. Such activity is just part of our material consciousness. To understand consciousness accurately, we must first realise the experience in everything we do and say. We not only do things mindfully, but with conscious awareness. We can recognise the truth, but that is not the same as realising the truth.

Imagine a see-saw; one end represents material consciousness and the other, spiritual consciousness. If we are only concerned with material consciousness, then the see-saw at that end goes down and spiritual consciousness goes up-in-the-air! Conversely, only being concerned with spiritual consciousness, we become ineffectual in the world – and our material life goes up-in-the-air! 😀

These two extremes are termed ‘eternalism’ and ‘nihilism’ – everything either feels permanent or is not worth bothering about: in this way, we end up either in fixations or depression … or we see-saw in between.

When our material consciousness and spiritual consciousness are in balance, it’s like seeing a reflection of the moon in a pool of water: the moon and the reflection are simultaneous, a unity, non-dual. We can enjoy the senses and, as we are in balance, we no longer have to hang on to either the experience or the experiencer. We remain in experiencing.

At the start of our journey, the see-saw is long. As we progress, the see-saw gets shorter and shorter, until there is only the fulcrum left. We are on a sharp knife’s end! 😀 “Not too tight and not too loose.”

The unknowing of knowingness:
Knowingness experiences at first hand
rather than second hand.
We constantly feel the situation.

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Covid-19, Isolation, Unusual Times

These are empathetic times: we isolate so that hospitals may cope more effectively with caring for the sick. Isolation can be seen as a retreat. It is a chance to focus on our moment-to-moment routines and, for that, we need discipline to realise what is truly beneficial, and what is now unnecessary.

Living with others is challenging, so we have to know when to stay silent and remain happy with whatever occurs – that is the discipline. We don’t become drawn into others’ neuroses. Neurosis comes from an over-reactive mind. Staying resolute and disciplined, we keep our sanity and that will give direction to others. Being precise in whatever we do is mindfulness meditation.

A retreat is a wonderful chance to observe our own neuroses without feeling guilty, and understand how these neuroses develop, and why we hold on to them.

We are not this neurosis: we are pure consciousness. The neurosis is of a temporary nature, and does not actually exist. It’s time to realise that everything is known from the pure, uncontaminated state of consciousness. Our opinions about the world are not necessary. We merely deal with whatever occurs and create an atmosphere for others to be happy.

This will be challenging but, through inner conflict and awareness, we rise above the mundane. It is a chance to review our life – and cooking and dining together will become very important!

All things must pass.

Practical, Three-Month Isolation Retreat

Practical, Three-Month Focused Exercise, Educational Meditation
and Fresh Air Retreat = Gardening!
Or window box-ing.

Maintained by focused weeding … but you can eat the nettle tops.
In three months, you will have your own food, and enough to spare.

When you stop digging, you will end up with perfect meditation.

Having Our Consciousness Drained

Be aware that the consciousness of others can drain us,
and this is why we do not react.

Sensitivity Isn’t Irritation

Becoming spiritually sensitivity, we develop insight.
Becoming sensitive to our attachments, we develop irritation.

Trapped by our intellect and drowning in a reservoir of ideas about our self and our world, anyone who projects their view irritates us.

Insight is the ultimate witness of pure consciousness; our essential nature that feels and understands other energies. Do you know what? Even dogs know this! (watch the dog-whisperer Cesar Millan at work).

As a practitioner, we dedicate our life to consciousness, not the mind. Now, when we encounter others’ ideas, we merely recognise that that is the way that their consciousness sees. There isn’t anything to argue about or become irritated by.

Sensitivity is coming to one’s senses and just perceiving, noting and learning. People-whispering is like that – we can transfer consciousness!

Perhaps We Should Revert To Ancient Greetings

Perhaps we should revert to ancient greetings,
showing recognition, appreciation, respect
and reverence for life.

Understanding Fellow Beings

Our relative reality is created by consciousness relating to everything. This is our dualistic existence; we believe appearances in the mind to be real. The mind is where our world takes place – but there is something we forget 🙂

Ultimately, nothing can be said to exist, as everything is a temporary event in the mind to which we have been relating. All appearances in the mind are witnessed by pure consciousness that does not relate to anything. Pure consciousness is our ultimate reality, and just is. Ordinary, relative consciousness has cluttered itself with relationships within the ultimate reality of empty cognisance.

From an ultimate point of view, appearances and recognition are simultaneous; there is no relating. Now, if we choose, we can relate but this is no longer a permanent arrangement. 😀

In relative reality, we rely on dependency, and so remain needy because we doubt our ultimate reality of pure consciousness. We create associations, such as God and someone to blame (the Devil/Mara). God and the Devil represent hope and fear. In ultimate reality we are free of doubt, and there is no need for dependency on either a God or someone to blame.

Our original nature is pure consciousness, which is all encompassing wisdom and compassion. It is our ego – our ideas – that deny this purity of consciousness.

Ultimate consciousness is the clear mirror.
Relative reality is the reflections in the mirror
to which we relate and believe to be real.

Esoteric, relative reality is vertical thinking – “It is this!”
Exoteric, ultimate reality is lateral thinking – “What is it?”

(Vertical thinking is a sequence of logical steps to come to a conclusion from information gained.  Lateral thinking, on the other hand, is directly questioning the source of that information to see if it is valid.)

A Very, Very Important Video For You By Sadhguru

https://www.youtube.com/watchtime_continue=247&v=GG67ni3ADkY&feature=emb_logo 

Sadhguru: “If you generate a powerful thought, you can make certain things happen. You can have a certain power over other people and situations. This will give you a high, but it is not the ultimate solution to life. You may be effective in the world, but within yourself, you’re still a mess.”

Is Madness Catching?

I’m afraid so 😀 … but it’s temporary.

Madness:
A state of having a serious mental illness – unable to control one’s mind.
Extremely foolish behaviour – unable to control one’s speech.
A state of wild or chaotic activity – unable to control one’s body.

Remedy:
Be aware of what we are doing, and be shocked.

If we cannot be aware,
then we seek help from someone who is sane.

If we can recognise someone who is sane,
then we don’t need help.

Sanity is also catching!
😀

Vagueness

As long as we are vague about our and others’ reality, believing in mysteries and magical mantras, we might feel safe but will go no further in our evolution. Teachings will never become practical and we cannot be relied upon because we are merely adhering to theoretical Dharma. It’s easily done; we slip into routines, and never realise that we are still clinging to a confused cycle of existence.

The question is why.

As long as we are vague, we stay needy and fearful, and feel that we have to follow covert rules, thus showing submissive obedience. We mistakenly think that the more humble we appear, the more the teacher will notice our piousness. This merely exposes our hopes and fears.

An idea, a mystery, a mantra may make us wonder, or may inspire us for a while, but that is only in the beginning. We need to do some work to cut through our acquired ideas, and question everything until there are no more questions.

Only when we know the meaning of an idea, a mystery or a mantra can these devices become practical. We can spend years – decades even – chanting OM MANI PEME HUM and hope it’s doing something for us, but that is merely to remain within a belief system (I remember a Tibetan teenager asking the Dalia Lama what it meant. I was shocked …)

OM MANI PEME HUM is said to be the mantra of compassion – but how? That is still vague; we have to know what it means.

There are several aspects to becoming a decent person, and showing compassion – in the Tibetan system – is said to be the five perfections: generosity, patience, discipline, morality, concentration.

These reminders help us to be able to listen with a compassionate ear. Many Buddhists can’t do this as all they want to do is chant OM MANI PEME HUM or another mantra :D. It’s all about their compassion, whereas true compassion takes self identity completely out of the picture.

These five perfections open us up to be responsive – that is, if we are practising their meaning. Once we are open and less contaminated with self interest, we can then start to realise the wisdom of beyond, and that is the pure consciousness that is aware of a situation within a compassionate atmosphere of these five perfections. That is the sixth perfection – the wisdom of pure consciousness itself.

Once realised, then the five perfections help sustain this pure view through our conduct: we live in accordance with OM MANI PEME HUM. It is now practical advice to cut through the cloud of vagueness and confusion in the mind.

Why Do People Believe?

Ever wondered why so many people believe in a God? Perhaps we should look at world history 5,000 years ago. Was it a political aim to control the masses through belief? Did that have the effect of creating a more subtle belief? If we believethat others’ beliefs are ridiculous, we consider them to be wrong, and that becomes a part of the belief scenario. Thinking something is ridiculous might make us feel superior, while we ignore the truth within all of us.

5,000 years ago, in the area of Iran/Persia, there were two groups; the Aryans and the Zoroastrians.

The Zoroastrians believed in God the creator, and this led to Judaism, Islam and Christianity – and all their variations.

The Aryans realised consciousness to be the source of creation. That understanding migrated to northern India and led to the Vedic system, early Hinduism and Buddhism – and all their variations.

The rest of humanity believed in the ideas of survival and entertainment given to them.

To look for the truth, we need personal investigation rather than personal assumptions that are merely reactions to others’ beliefs. There is truth in everything if we look in the right way and, for that, we need to recognise and value consciousness itself.

The enquiry into consciousness is all about what we actually are; that which is beyond this body/mind consciousness – pure consciousness, ultimate consciousness, god consciousness.

There is much truth in the Bible and other spiritual texts, but we have to be aware of how this may have been elaborated and exaggerated – and watered down. Spiritual text has to be practical, and never a belief. Spirituality has been presented as a belief by those who do not see – or want us to see – clearly. Once we give up belief and addiction to the contents of our mind, we will all realise that the very nature of consciousness is pure and uncontaminated. We are pure consciousness, ultimate consciousness, god consciousness.

What is the purpose of life, the universe, and everything?
We are the ultimate answer
to the ultimate question.

It’s so simple, we won’t believe it!
😀

(Ever wondered why, in polite company, we’re told never to discuss religion or politics? If we consider this ‘one’ subject, we may discover the truth – that’s if people can put their prejudice away for a moment. If we keep making assumptions, we remain in a fantasy. We are so easily programmed: equally, we are so easily awakened – and that’s why there are so many distractions 😀 )

Being Interested in Spirituality But Not Going Beyond

Knowledge can either be used as a weapon for us to control others and feel superior, or it can help us to find our path to realising our true reality of pure awareness, and gain freedom from ‘weaponised’ knowledge.

Of course, we think that we do good, do no harm, and have a trained mind. This is what all humans think, isn’t it? From a spiritual perspective, however, the very opposite is happening. Our actions are always directed to me first – my knowledge, my comfort – and thus, in subtle ways, we cause harm. We develop pride or jealousy and find fault, becoming competitive, antagonistic and angry, and create a dark place in our mind through our likes and dislikes which are born of ignorance of our true nature. We constantly separate ourselves from others.

All beings have the potential to evolve further and further, until we see the light of enlightenment. How long this process takes is up to us.

Everything Counts

This is how karma works,
and this is why we must be aware.

Whatever we do, say, and think causes our programming, our behaviour, and we create our programming by consent. The Sanskrit word ‘karma’ means the results of our actions are stored in our minds. This is the glass which we see through darkly!

If we are careless, then that creates an effect.
If we are careful, then that creates an effect.If we ask question, we get answers that help us step out of this programme.
If we don’t ask questions, we don’t get answers; our programme and behaviour remain the same.

Realisation means to resolve, to bring to an end the mind’s programming. The ‘robot’ can now switch its self – its programme – off. When we resolve or realise what has happened to us, we can then see what is left: ultimately, we realise that all we are is pure consciousness. The moment that we realise pure consciousness, our karmic programming starts to fall apart and “We are free in the moment of seeing” (Tulku Urgyen).

Ordinary human consciousness is only concerned with survival, which becomes our programme, the same as all other creatures: flight, fight or freeze. We are blind to subtle cause and effects, and the consequences of our reactions.

As we evolve, however, we realise that everything matters. We pay more attention, and our presence is required all the time. Life itself becomes more and more meaningful – not in an academic sense but in a liberating way, directly showing us our spiritual path to resolve everything.

Karmically, our deeds are counted out, and that dictates our future. It’s not fate – we wrote it – and there is nowhere to hide as the calculator follows us everywhere.

Karma is our teacher to release us from the effects of karma. The realisation that we have been following karmic charisma is a hot potato . . . Follow the teaching, not the charisma.

It is easy to become charismatic with an ostentatious identity
when we have the knowledge
and others do not.
This creates a perpetual separation.

The teacher and the teachings are reminders.
That’s it.

In solitude, we realise the teaching of non-duality.
Beauty is in the eye of the beholder.
All that is required is pure presence.

Feel Good About Yourself
You should!

Usually, we talk about the ‘self’ as an illusion, a make believe personification of what we think we are – our karmic neuroses. This self is created by our confusion and, as such, is our precise path to liberation and enlightenment. Feeling good yet?

There are those who are totally caught up in their self image and self importance, and so are more narcissistic: they lack empathy and want to be adored, and are well and truly running around in circles loving themselves and whatever they do. Be kind to them, as we have all been through that stage.

Once we see that this attitude of ‘self first’ has got us nowhere, and we are in fact suffering – or at least dissatisfied – we reach a stage of conflict. It’s a truly uncomfortable but wonderful moment because we are starting to recognise this self image, and how it is holding us back. That is the start of inner discovery, inner happiness and inner wealth – that old self was making us feel unworthy.

Our self is like a doll that we keep with us. It’s precious to us but, gradually, the more we look at it, we find that it’s fading and bits have dropped off. We use what’s left of it to interact with other dolls, but now we see through the doll to that which is holding on to it – an enlightened consciousness that has gone unnoticed.

This self (our karmic load) is our teacher.
Having recognised this feels good,
as the attachment has loosened.

The more we puff up this self with exotic practices,
the more we delay the process.

Voice Of God?

That which is called the voice of God
is our own clarity of insight.
It’s that “Aha!” moment of a realisation … “Oh, of course!”

Without this clarity of insight, nothing would be known.
The problem lies in attaching too much importance to this insight,
as there are further realisations to come.

These insights are little realisations which are common to us all.
It is these that clear away our confusion
– our spiritual path –
and we gain more confidence.
This is how it works.

Such insight is not an exclusive link to an outer deity.
It is an expression of our ultimate truth
and whatever obscures that.
We are this ultimate truth of pure consciousness,
but we have been led astray by distractions.

“All we like sheep have gone astray;
We have turned, every one, to his own way;
And the LORD has laid on Him the iniquity of us all.”
Isaiah 53:6

Individual karma leads astray collective karma.
Collective karma leads astray individual karma.
We repeat whatever we are told:
this is the vicious cycle of duality …

… until we wake up to our true reality
and stray no more:
this is non-duality.

Trouble With Meditating?

Intelligent people are full of doubts, and the ignorant know everything. What we do not know, we believe, and when we believe, we ignore experience. Becoming too intellectual with theories can also turn us into believers.We can easily lose the plot! This affects our meditation and state of being. It is here that we need to experience the ‘gentle breath practice’ of controlling the subtle body’s inner energies. This breath control settles the effect of our inner anxieties. It’s yoga without the gymnastics, rather like the meditation practice of watching the breath, but deeper.

Practice
We simply and gently take a slightly deeper breath, and push this down as if it is going just below the navel; we hold it there for a few seconds or more. While holding the gentle breath, we focus on awareness. Then we gently release the breath, while leaving a little of this sensation in place at the navel. We repeat this until we feel more relaxed. This practice takes away inner tensions or feelings that are held higher in the subtle body, and we may find the eyes don’t blink so much or feel so tired and dry. The subtle body is the core of our energy, and it is worth trying to see if this practice improves meditation and our daily life.

This practice helps us to realise our true nature of pure awareness, where we release all anxieties and return to being. When we are relaxed and open up, new realisations can occur. For example, a doubt that we may have held as to whether there is a God or not can simply be seen as God being our true nature. Of course, not everyone may view it this way; we all realise whatever we need to realise in order to clarify and release doubts that we may have held on to for a very long time. 😀

Calm And Clear

Sounds simple enough, but this is incredibly profound.

When the mind becomes calm, it becomes clear.
We have to reason this out for ourself,
and then practise for the rest of our life
as it doesn’t stay clear until enlightenment.

Meditation calms the mind.
It becomes clear when we drop the meditation.
Calmness is half the picture.
Clarity or direct seeing is the complete picture.

A project is only complete when it is finished
and completely dropped,
to be clear for the next moment.

This is the way we realise happiness.
Happiness is the satisfaction
derived from the realisation of accomplishment.

The Four Reflections That Change Our Life
Valuing human existence

1. Our human life is precious, because we can communicate at the highest level.
2. We shouldn’t miss the opportunity to realise our ultimate truth.
3. Instead, we become attached to the pleasant and unpleasant.
4. There are consequences to becoming attached to the pleasant and unpleasant.

Taking human life for granted – being attracted to trivia and arguing – we lose sight of how unique this opportunity is to realise enlightenment. We are capable of much more than merely reciting the same old story while thinking that we have something interesting to say when, in fact, we are just repeating whatever others repeat.

Our story starts to change when we truly consider the four reflections about life. When we realise we are suffering, we can then look and find how to end this suffering, by realising that its cause never truly existed. It was all in the mind. This is an individual matter; we do not become realised collectively. We don’t do what songwriters and reactionaries tell us to do, and go around shouting, “Freedom, freedom!” It doesn’t work like that. 😀

If we try to realise our true nature collectively, we give our power and resolve away. In joining a group, we will not understand what we need to understand, and it is for this reason that we retreat into solitude. We can still be among others, but they now become a constant reminder of what we are about – which is remaining in pure awareness.

We are enlightened beings that have become comfortably numb.
We have this precious human birth, and what do we do with it?

I Can’t Do Nothing!

Simply watch the breath.
When thoughts arise, return to watching the breath.
We are doing nothing.

In simply being aware and watching the breath,
we realise that we are the happiness we seek.
And we are still doing nothing.

When the body and mind go about their daily routine,
awareness simply watches.

In simply watching and doing nothing,
we see the causes and effects of everything.

Gradually,
awareness lets go of fixated thoughts that control us.

A problem is only a problem
because of the way we see it.

There Is Nothing To Do

There is nothing to do but recognise.
In that simple recognition,
we realise that, doing nothing
is the ultimate essence
of pure consciousness.

When this is realised,
we find we can know so much more.

Meditation illuminates all activities.

Why I was Kicked Out Of A Dharma Centre
(this isn’t for delicate minds :D)

Actually, I don’t know why I was kicked out … but it did leave a trauma. And actually, I have been kicked out of other spiritual centres, but each time, the teacher/guru/lama never had the insight to be able to explain why.

We either have to believe in whatever they say and the way that they do things, or we have to leave … or get kicked out. Each time, there was a lack of empathy, and I was left to start alone all over again. On reflection, these were the most influential moments is my life; they were very painful, but turned out to be a refreshment. Emotional pain can be enlightening. It was like being guided … or dragged … from one place to another. 😀 Why? Because the right intention was still present.

Conclusion
Every spiritual tradition has its tradition, and they rarely talk about other points of view. Once we bond with a particular tradition, we become stuck in a narrow way of thinking. All path have truth in them, so no complaints there – the only problem in the world is … people 😀 People (especially ‘spiritual’ people) can talk and pray about compassion, but the empathy needed for compassion to arise is mostly theoretical. Still no complaints – we’re all in the same boat. It’s not until we have been dragged through the mud a few times that we think, “Enough of this! There is something within that knows and sees inconsistencies.” Spiritual evolution isn’t about the teacher’s wellbeing: it’s about the students’ wellbeing!

The problem is method
Methods suit some and not others. All along, I was a Dzogchen/Maha Ati student and didn’t know it – until I found it. And here is a very important point. There are Dzogchen/Maha Ati students who aren’t Dzogchen/Maha Ati students: they are still religious students who adhere to dogma. And the reverse is also true, when Dzogchen/Maha Ati students try to squeeze themselves into a narrower path and just can’t fit in.

Perhaps this shouldn’t be said in public, but if anyone is having problems trusting others, maybe the view and conduct are inconsistent. As an example, in the lower yanas, people stick to rules whereas, in Dzogchen, there is simply seeing; “We are free in the moment of seeing.”

Following others can lead us up a blind alley. I’m not saying those practitioners are blind but, for some of us, their view and conduct may be too serious and lack empathy. Our true spiritual path is our own confusion. That is what we have to deal with, and if things aren’t working for us, maybe we need to take responsibility, and change our approach.

The funny thing is that, once we realise that we are what we seek, all paths look alike. Realisation isn’t for weak minds – weak minds have to be told. Teachings are there so that we realise our true, inner confidence. Don’t ever take the Buddha’s words for it. The Buddha said, “Test it for yourself”. Humility can still be dynamic.