There are moments when we just don’t feel ‘right’.
Unfortunately, we look for solace
to get us back into the action in order to feel good.
We have been bombarded from cradle to grave
with cultural nonsense and spiritual platitudes
that only seem to be the path to happiness, but are not.
They’re just more programming.
Humans have a naturally decent programme
but are easily influenced,
and become reliant on those influences.
It’s a seductive trap.
In those moments of not feeling ‘right’,
there is a glitch in our programming.
We can’t sustain feeling right,
and panic because we are out of our habitual pattern.
In that moment, we can step out of this programming.
Just fall silent, switching off and pulling the plug out.
There is no software calculating,
and no hard drive to store it on.
Suddenly, life is like a wild jungle full of wild people.
The rawness of life is fine out in the wilderness,
where we have to watch every step, but feel alive.
It might seem that we are falling down a bottomless pit.
A bottomless pit has no limitations
and is perfectly safe.
Whoopee!
Cringe: aninward shiver of embarrassment when thinking about our past actions.
We follow others. We assumed a posture, but suddenly we don’t believe any of it any more. We remember all those things we did and said that justified our beliefs. This is especially so with spiritual groups that create a culture within a culture, and we follow along blissfully.
Spirituality is the observation of psychology at work within the essential nature of pure mind consciousness. It is not about belonging, believing and justifying.
When we recognise this in our mind, we have to forgive our selves, as we knew not what we did – or why we did it ;D That honest cringe is the shock needed to wake up, and stop following the crowd. Conforming may seem as if it’s going somewhere, but is it going to where we want to go? True understanding.
To wake up, we need to drop our need for fancy dress, fancy names, or fancy traditions. They attracted us at the start and, as such, are useful, but then we need direct experience and realisation. Ordinary people can do this. We just have to realise that we are ordinary pure consciousness, and then the rest of our life merely plays itself out without us re-enacting any fanciness. The more we realise, the simpler it all becomes.
We don’t even need a teacher or exotic texts, or have to study anything. Life itself is both our teacher and text. We are naturally aware because we are natural awareness, pure awareness. Our path is go from cringing to unshakeable confidence.
Don’t cringe for others,
as there is no end to that.
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This isn’t meant to upset anyone; the intention is to clarify, and identify the mistakes that may happen when we become attached to experiences, believe in them, make rules about them and worship them with sincerity. Spiritual texts are translations from someone’s mind, which is tinted through their experiences and their understanding … as this writer is doing now 😀
Whatever we experience, we translate into language. Pure experience of non-duality is corrupted the moment we speak. Language is an approximation as we use generic terms. If we become attracted to this language and attach ourselves to it, we create commentaries which compound and confuse. Enter the mysteries! This is exactly why the Buddha said, “Do not take my word for it.” Secondhand knowledge is not direct knowledge that leads to wisdom and realisation. Secondhand knowledge merely keeps us in the cycle of conventional existence, because it creates subtle doubts about we actuallyexperience.
Our highest achievement is the realisation of pure consciousness – which is the highest achievement in the infinite universe and, in that, there is no special language. This achievement may be experienced right now. Merely fall silent and be aware that awareness is already present, and recognise that we are that awareness, with nothing attached to it. That pure awareness is pure consciousness. It is very simple and has no rules save one; don’t muck it about or add to it.
When we have meditation experiences, we can mistake them for realisation – or the inspiration of God. It isn’t unreasonable that this happens. A ‘Nyam’ is the meditation experience of bliss, clarity or non-thought, and when we become attached to these experiences and make claims, we corrupt purity.
If there is a God, it must be pure consciousness that is before words. Words corrupt. When we realise our true nature as pure consciousness, we are at one. No words needed.
The Buddha realised that Shiva means that which is not.
There is nothing to become attached to.
There is no such thing as spirituality.
Attachment leads us astray.
We may get – and then seek out – nice feelings of bliss, clarity or absence of thoughts. But it’s never enough and we want more, and thus become attached to these experiences.
In Tibetan, the word ‘nyam’ means meditation experience of bliss, clarity or absence of thoughts. In themselves, these are good experiences, but if we grow attached to them, they become our obstacles. These experiences are not, in themselves, realisation but, if we remain free of attachment and drop them, they become the path to realisation, where we return to the non-duality of pure consciousness.
These feelings are seductive; attachment causes a practitioner to wander away from the true Dharma – the path to realisation – and become a ‘space cadets’, attached to their feelings and easily upset (‘Dharma snowflake’ could be the modern term :D)
Attachment to bliss
can lead into a subtle, desire realm, never being satisfied.
Attachment to the experience of clarity
can lead into heavenly distraction.
Attachment to absence of thoughts
can create an inability to communicate.
When we drop the inspiration,
this, in itself, is the inspiration.
Spirituality is a science, and not a belief.
As children, are made to believe that we must believe. Spirituality is pure consciousness: we are pure consciousness and without that, we wouldn’t know anything. We know because we are knowingness itself. That is the simple proof. We are not a belief. When we can actually know, why would anyone promote a belief? As children, we’re taught to first believe in Father Christmas and then in God the Father … coincidence? 😀 We live in a topsy turvy world of make believe.
Why would anyone want to deceive us? Because it turns us away from the truth. Why would anyone do that? To gain control over us, and get us to conform and belong. When we do not believe, then we are free to think for ourselves.
A belief is something we cannot explain and so cannot talk about. We just worship and belong. It is a form of self-censorship that keeps us imprisoned in a world of fantasy, and we then pass this story on as we don’t want to be alone in our beliefs.
We are encouraged to belong to something to such an extent that we cannot be alone. We gossip, check our phones, become addicted to news and leave the TV on constantly. Radio air waves are filled with music, and there is music playing in every shop.
In peace and quiet,
we may realise something wondrous.
When we finally recognise that we are pure consciousness, we do not have to belong to or believe in anything or anyone. As long as we belong or believe, we are attached. To be attached means to be tethered and, unfortunately, we like being tethered as it feels safe. Abusive relationships are like that.
True spirituality is the true psychology into the nature of mind. It is not limited to a conventional mind of ideas, beliefs and false harmony.
To realise oneness with others,
we first have to realise the unity within.
Harmony: a combination that works as one.
Unison: oneness.
Conventional harmony and unison are temporary.
Ultimate harmony and unison are our reality.
True harmony comes from the realisation of inner unison.
Harmony is being at one, but at one with what?
On a conventional level, a harmonious environment is one where people work well together, but this needs a focal point to which all consent. Who chooses the speed and direction of where we are going? It is because of the need for a focal point that this harmony is of a temporary nature, so harmony on a conventional level is being at one – for only a short period of time.
This need to have a focal point is the cause of false harmony, as we may feel in conflict with the conventional focal point but cannot talk about these problems and fears. And so, we have to stay silent and obey the focal point of others’ choosing. False harmony is therefore the cause of subtle friction and division.
At a conventional level, harmony is an illusion that pressurises others to conform. This is especially evident in spiritual groups, and results in false harmony.
On a conscious level, we all make an effort to deal with our emotions, but we haven’t faced them at a deeper level, where they lurk at the back of our minds and we try to avoid them. We evade conflict by refusing to engage in in-depth conversations. As a result, it looks as if people are getting along, but we don’t feel right with one another and the core issues are not being addressed because we are all following a generic idea that has been established. For example, compassion; we can say prayers about compassion for those afar, but can’t deal with those close to us.
True harmony is the unity of non-duality, that can harmonise with everything and is at peace with everything, as inner realisation is the spontaneous recognition of appearances that are simultaneous with that recognition.
Conventional and absolute realities become inseparable. When we (pure consciousness) are at one with our self (this confused mind), then empathetic compassion can work easily in a conventional world.
When we can admit that we have problems, then we will have true harmony. There will be difficulties and distractions up to and until the moment of true enlightenment. As these problems and distractions reduce, they become subtler and subtler.
True harmony comes from the realisation of inner unison.
When we look for our mind and a self, nothing is found.
All that is left is empty awareness.
This is such a simple realisation that it is unbelievable!
We have found what remains…pure is-ness.
First look. Then see. In that moment, realise.
Looking is questioning.
If we think we know, then we are stuck with an answer.
Having arrived isn’t enough.
We now have to recognise and eliminate
the habitual mental residue that now serves as a reminder
of what remains in our minds.
Never feel guilty:
the life we lead comes from the residue of a wounded mind.
Awareness of this is the start of healing.
We can always go back to applying
a social sticking plaster to cover up the wounds,
but that is what created the wounds in the first place.
Once we arrive at pure awareness,
it’s about “Stayin’ Arrived!”
When we do not know our true nature, then we are lost in a world of unknowing, and so we busy ourselves in life activities.
When we find out about our true nature, then we are on our path to knowing, and we find time in life to investigate further.
When we realise that we are knowingness itself, we have arrived, and we sustain this realisation which affects the entire way we see life and history.
Proviso 1: Not all paths lead directly to realisation. Followers just use time to busy themselves in upgrading life activities.
Proviso 2: Realisation naturally upgrades life to further realisations.
Proviso 3: We accept whatever comes our way – or doesn’t come our way – in life; it’s all one. It’s all one because all empty appearances and empty recognition are simultaneous. When we awaken to our true reality, that is enlightenment.
What are we and what are we not?
This is the very essence of spiritual questioning about what is real,
and what is seemingly real.
The truth about our reality and why we came into existence.
The word ‘existence’ comes from the Latin word ‘exsistere’ meaning, ‘to appear’, ‘to arise’, ‘to become’, or ‘to be’ – but literally, it means ‘to stand out’. We became form with a particular nature or personality that distinguishes itself from others; the qualities that make one individual or unique.
Oh dear. We have a problem; it appears that we appeared for a reason. To understand this, we have to blow our minds! We have always assumed that we are our thoughts; we learn and we become a programme. It works pretty well, and can be creative, scholarly and functional, allowing us procreate and earn a living. And we think that this is all there is to life – or so we have been led to believe. Those of us who are not enlightened are ‘believers’ in this self, this programme.
It is because we are believers that we function on a level of hopes and fears, while ignoring the truth that, on investigation and realisation, we are and always have been pure consciousness that needs no body. In ancient scriptures, it is said that we took on an ‘appearance’ – a form commensurate with our level of consciousness – and thus, we came into physical existence by default, because we ignored our true nature.
Default:from Old French defaut, from defaillir ‘to fail’, based on Latin fallere ‘disappoint, deceive’.
We want to exist in a particular way, and this is why life isn’t totally satisfying. We chose another path that downgraded us into confusion and now, this confusion is our path to enlightenment. All we have to do is analyse our self.
Can our true nature be said to exist?
Realisation is achieved through proper meditation.
Can we be said to exist?
Can’t say yes.
Can’t say no.
Playing By Ear This is something really difficult to talk about, and not for everyone’s ears. 😀
Everything can be done either by learning the ‘notes’ (text) or experiencing and realising. Again, this brings to mind the words, “Do not take my word for it; test it for yourself.”
The short video below is about playing the piano by ear, rather than reading the notes on a page. It’s the nearest I’ve come to someone explaining how experiencers – rather than those who learn by rote – work. There is no right and wrong to either method, but one may feel more natural to us.
Both the realisation of the nature of mind and the creation of a self cannot be achieved through theories. We only understand through experiencing and then realising.
The point to acknowledge is that the note reader has to have the notes to play the tune, while the ear player has to know the tune first.
To be a teacher, we have to be a scholar of some sort, but realisation can take place by being an ‘ordinary’ being who does not teach. As shown in the video, those who play by ear cannot teach it, but only indicate the way that they see it or play with it.
The trick is finding a key element that works for us, and improvising on that. This is what the Buddha did, and this is what we have to do. My key element is, “Do not take my word for it”, so I don’t have to copy others. I’ve lost count of the number of times I’ve asked, in private interviews with a lama, “Do I have to be like them? Like the other students?” This was always met with a blank expression 😀 For you, the key element that works may be different.
It’s a problem that I’ve had all my life: when going to retreats or teachings, I feel there are too many words, too many hidden rules, too many answers. I always wish we could just sit together, quietly.
In spiritual groups, there are the scholars (word lovers), the ritualists (the worshippers), and the experiencers (those who play by ear), which all bring us into subtle conflict with other students because of the different ways in which we all see and hear things. When talking to others after a teaching, I used to wonder if we had actually attended the same teaching!
The Buddha found his own way. Any Buddha would the same, and we have to too. This isn’t about inventing a new path which is self-orientated; it’s about how we see, and what works for us.
As I have many ‘melodies’ going around my mind at the same time on a similar theme, I’m putting this forward as well:
How Far Away Is Enlightenment?
This blog is about conclusions formed over fifty years of spiritual practice. after having come into contact with many teachers. Maybe, like me, you thought that enlightenment was way, way up there – something very mysterious, with a fancy dress and a fancy name. After all, the term ‘Rinpoche’ means ‘precious one’ or ‘jewel-like’ (or, one could say expensiveness!).
If this was the case, we have all those steps up the ladder to climb to enlightenment, with all those special practices to adopt: the 4 x 111,111 (or more) Ngondro practices, for example, are very intense. But what if the ladder wasn’t like that at all? What if there is no ladder? What if there is only a suggestion of a ladder? What if all the rungs of this ladder are made of illusory obstacles?
In reality, we are not, in fact, refining our practice; we are taking away all the nonsense! We have been standing on the ground all along, being told there is a ladder to climb when, in fact, we are already where we should be, on the ground here and now.
One might say, “Well that’s ego talking – wishful thinking.” One might say that, but I’m not saying that.
What would an enlightened person be doing right now? Just seeing, smelling, tasting, touching, hearing. No magic tricks, no supernatural powers, but just being aware, content and happy. We may be tired and aching, with lots to maintain in our life, but we can still be aware, content and happy.
Humans can develop skills. They can lay bricks, run fast, talk eloquently, write marvellous verses, gather a crowd together, tell stories of miracles … but these are all just things that humans can do. Or we may have no particular skills. Karma brings different things to different people, or nothing at all.
What if enlightenment was just being ‘ordinary’, with feet on the ground, here and now? The point is that we don’t want to be ‘ordinary’; we do not think of ourselves as ordinary. We want to special. We want to believe in old texts and stories, rather than that which is actually experienced. What if this dualistic believing only creates more rungs on the ladder?
We know enough by knowing we are pure knowingness itself. Pure awareness, pure consciousness. The moment we hear the wrong note in the mind, it is satisfaction enough! 😀
How “Branding” Controls Us Branding: to burn with a hot iron as a mark of ownership.
For ‘Branding’, read programming. We are fed information, and this information is always biased; if we are of a certain frame of mind, it builds on our preconceived ideas, and we become further infected. Given the ‘right’ stimulus and the ‘right’ candidate, a reaction occurs. We are, en masse, very much like the film, “The Manchurian Candidate”, with technology, via media, programming and brainwashing the population. Human beings herd, and are easily addicted. Like Pavlov’s dogs, we salivate when hearing the word, ‘sale’ or ‘secret teaching’.
Surveillance reads, builds and stores profiles of our activity. It knows our tendencies and what stimulates us. We may think it’s about money and selling us something, but the thing that is being sold – and we are buying it – is the power to rule us. Unless we see this clearly, we will be controlled. We’re constantly being fed fear and hatred in the guise of love and, if we think that we are free thinkers, then we are deluded.
Meditation trains the mind, taming it to recognise distraction when we realise that we are not these ideas set up in our minds. We can walk away. However – and this is extremely important – while we can step away from the herd, we need compassion towards the insanity of doing and saying the same things and expecting a different result. We need compassion so as to not become one of the elite, entitled to abuse others. And that isn’t easy.
We must first look and scrutinise our own mind to see what has been placed there. Such self-investigation is a rare occurrence because for thousands of years, humans have been manipulated into believing whatever we are told, and, in turn, we manipulate others.
We cannot be reminded enough of the words of the Buddha – “Do not take my word for it” – as they can change our life entirely. This is how we avoid getting the same results. If we think that we do not know enough, then we will never realise that all those complex teachings are about just seeing.
Making something complicated creates an overload in the mind, and the rational side of our brain shuts down. Have you ever read the small print??
Spiritual paths are branding – even Buddhism. I love Tibetan Buddhism and I’m grateful to it, but I also have a problem with the adoption of another’s culture. The Buddha’s teachings obviously came from the Vedantic tradition of India – all teachings are the same at the deepest, esoteric level. The Tibetan culture is a vehicle for the Buddha’s teaching: it is very colourful and meaningful, and needs to be preserved. Modern people don’t have to adopt the Tibetan culture. We can chose to if we wish, or we can just follow the Buddha’s teaching, digesting it, implementing it, and rediscovering it, rather than buying into the branding.
Rediscovering is what the Buddha did.
We have to do the same, through simple realisation.
and wipe away ownership.
Theories are fake news.
The real news is in our realisation.
That is the true Dharma.
Proof That We Are Being Influenced And Manipulated
We are taught to react,
and cannot stop our self.
In an experiment by Bangor University Psychology Laboratory, people were asked to press a button every time they saw a branded item that they recognised on a screen. Then, they were asked NOT to press the button when the branded item was presented on the screen … they still pressed the button! They couldn’t stop themselves. Even though they do not want to react, the brain said otherwise.
This experiment was about being a consumer, but it also relates to everything we see and hear – even spiritual teachings. We hear or read a word and off we go; we relate to it. Relating is not the same as realising it. Rigpa, God, compassion, nowness, ego, guru yoga, mantras, pure consciousness, good, bad … these are just words that we are taught to identify with. This is exactly why the Buddha said, “Do not take my word for it; realise it.” Don’t take anyone’s word for it.
We become attached to a brand, a culture or a tradition, and even though there is a better offer, we stick to OUR brand. We can only stop our self when we realise pure awareness.
There is a word in Sanskrit; ‘samsara’.
It means the vicious cycle of existence,
in which we go round and round in circles,
never escaping.
If you want a shock to upgrade consciousness,
realise that you are being manipulated at every moment
by those whose mind merely repeat words.
Don’t just be aware.
Be very aware.
Better still, realise pure awareness.
Are we complicit in overthrowing truth
by adopting a culture of ideas?
Absolute truth is that which is always present, and that is pure consciousness. Anything that pure consciousness observes can never be the truth, as all phenomena is impermanent.
All cultures are built on sets of idea which are promoted through exoteric teachings that are not totally accurate. We adopt these ideas and so are complicit in a deception concerning absolute truth.
When we investigate our mind’s tendencies, we discover that none of those ideas are our own. Even reactions to others’ ideas is still an involvement in others’ ideas 😀 Complicity creates complexity, as we try to make things work but find that there is always something missing. That ‘something’ is the realisation of absolute truth.
The truth will out only when we realise
esoteric vision of pure consciousness.
Positivity and negativity
– good and evil –
are what life is all about.
Clarity and whatever obscures that clarity;
it is that simple.
Positivity is seeing clearly and understanding a situation for the benefit of all, and that starts with valuing the perfect quality of consciousness.
Negativity allows personal thoughts and emotions to take control, and consciousness becomes hostile, and therefore imperfect.
In the first instant of a situation, we all just see. That ‘just seeing’ is positive consciousness. But instead of standing back to realise the bigger picture – that this consciousness is perfect – judgement steps in due to our personal preferences, and we react, leaving an aftertaste or residue that lingers. The object of not holding on – dropping all reactions – is that we leave the mind clear for the next moment, so that we do not contaminate that next moment (or our entire life!).
We are all allowed to have a view, but hanging onto this view unnecessarily creates a negative mindset of constant justifications, and a feeling of righteous superiority. This is how evil starts: all negative reactions give rise to consequences for the future, especially in relationships with others.
The negativity quality of ignoring the perfect quality of consciousness causes us suffering as we are relating through a self-construct. The quicker we can drop our reactions, the more control we have. That is being positive and kind. If we don’t drop it (whatever ‘it’ is), then we are not only part of the problem … we are the problem.
Influenza-ers Persuading others to catch their virus
The modern, scientific world knows the DNA of everything, including the mind. Science is now the Creator and Destroyer. If we know how to create something, then it stands to reason that we know how to take it apart and destroy it. It has become a scary world when we become reliant upon so-called ‘benefits’.
Actually, the Dharma does exactly the same thing. We know how a self is created and we know how to dissolve this self-creation, thereby bringing an end to suffering.
The Dharma is an influence to counter influences. It is a reminder to drop all influences – even the Dharma. Can we even trust the Dharma?
Dropping everything, we relax into the emptiness of pure awareness. In that moment, there is no Dharma. No thing can influence emptiness, but only obscure this uncontaminated state by attachment to influences.
We only know due to pure awareness being present. That is where everything begins and ends. Pure awareness becomes conscious of some thing and, as appearances and recognition are simultaneous, pure awareness remains untouched.
“But my feelings that we have to change the world are important to me!”
Sentient existence is all about surviving as a sentient being.
We have never been separate from the enlightened state.
Not having recognised this, we were led astray,
looking elsewhere for this ultimate truth.
Whether we are happy or unhappy,
this state is neither improved nor impaired.
We merely rest at ease with whatever occurs.
Realisation is enlightening relief.
Resting at ease with whatever occurs is our spiritual path,
leading to the realisation of this enlightened state.
Once realised, we retire from the distractions of excessive worldly activities.
When we are alone, it is then that we gain true confidence,
without a need to refer.
To doubt this is to keep returning to a book of no experience.
We’re deliberately fed provocative nonsense day in and day out.
This feeds and turns our small desires and aversions into exaggerated ones.
Those who feed us also feed off our reactions, as we feed off theirs.
This is the vicious cycle of deceptive existence.
The result is that we are divide from our reality
and stay in ignorance of that reality.
Redirecting our mind into the future becomes a substitute for dealing with whatever is happening where we are now. Transferring our attention away from the present moment to something we hope for in the future not only becomes sentimental, but also lazy.
This attitude makes our life (and the life of those around us) so much more complicated. It also gives us an excuse not to start to change our life now. We lose focus, and therefore energy. Living in hope makes us hopeless at dealing with now; “I’m too busy to help because I’m thinking about higher things, like saving others.” And so, we merely go round in righteous circles, blaming and pontificating.
The totality of the Dharma – our ultimate potential – is in this moment now, just being present, without contaminating comments on cultural ideas.
We know enough from our past to change our future.
Life changes when we are present now,
un-fixated and flexible.
In one sense, the world will never be perfect.
In another sense, it is perfect.
These are the perfect conditions for growth.
Something is needed to wake us up. It is then our responsibility to stay awake by seeing the dilemma we are in. Eloquent commentaries may be inspiring and we become euphoric, but the reality we seek is within us. When we do wake up, the shock keeps us awake.
As long as we are occupied by our mind’s reactions, we will never leave this maze of information. This mind maze – or trap – is very subtle, and has many levels.
There are many tantalising exits that promise, “This Way Out”, but these become dead ends when we believe in the sign and join the queue. As long as we believe that there is an exit, we will never leave because we believe we are inside, trying to get out. Little do we know that we are already out, as the maze never existed. Again, we can say these words, but we should watch how we busy ourselves in this ‘non-existent’ maze.
Our thoughts bind us to an illusion that we are whatever we are told we are. Even if the sign on the exit tells us it’s all an illusion, we still believe in the illusion. There is no point in saying, “It’s all an illusion” while busily decorating the illusion. Many so-called ‘elevated’ spiritual people fall into this trap.
There is no way out of this dilemma because we still believe we are in a mind maze created by the collective. We cannot blame others for this illusion because we are its construct, holding it together with our futile diligence and hope.
The method is to become still and accept wherever we are.
Realise that there is nothing to escape.
The illusory maze dissolves when we stop reacting.
The trick of the maze is to hold our attention. According to estimates, there were over 2 billion video gamers in the world in 2018. Then, there is alcohol, drugs, news, politics, personal status, wealth, fashion, music, movies, fluffy kittens, religion, spirituality, philosophies, books, high culture, religion …
Religion means to bind. If we are bound to anything, then that is our religion; it’s whatever we attend to. To realise is to accept and escape all illusions.
This is a delicate matter,
and one I’m still learning about.
We can inform others, but ‘waking’ means going deeper, and they may not be ready for that, in the sense of not being able to see subtle differences intheir deeply-held views.
People have to be ready to give up their ideas in order to see things afresh. Waking starts with doubts and inner questioning: if questions are not asked, then the channel of communication is not open. In such a case, do we have to leave others alone? We can be supportive of another’s view to a point, but then we have to keep our peace. If we become over-enthusiastic, they may – and do – back away.
People awaken once they realise that their dream has become a nightmare; they then have to recognise that are unhappy or dissatisfied before before they can do something about it. Not everyone is ready to look for the true cause of that unhappiness, which is a belief in our self image (and nowadays, we are encouraged to have ‘belief’ in ourself, and that only makes us more obstinate and arrogant).
When people are told things at the wrong time, this goes in as information and stays as information, rather than as an experience of knowingness that leads to realisation.
This is a problem that I’ve found with spiritual groups. We may join a group to see what they know, and we may find that they have answers … their answers. If we ask questions, they give us their response – rather than an answer to our question. We then wonder whether we should wake them up 😀 because their answer is only satisfying to them, coming from the mould of their tradition.
Plastic People Plastic: from Greek plastikos, ‘to mould’.
Aren’t we all moulded, until we decide to break out?
We are plastic believers until
genuine pure awareness is realised,
resulting in genuine empathy and genuine compassion.
Practice is more than appearance.
There are westerners who call themselves ‘shaman’, and who adopt indigenous cultures because they don’t like their own: they completely miss the point that realisation takes place within one’s own mind and within one’s own culture, here and now.
This modern, new age movement (or fashion) probably started with Madame Blavatski in the mid 1800’s. Ever since then, the ‘something else’ that people have been seeking has been provided for them. Spiritual groups adopt others’ cultures and languages, while pure awareness or consciousness is beyond such fashion accessories.
We cherry pick teachings and rituals to show that we’re different and now belong to something else. Becoming elitist, we dilute the essence of the teachings while still all being in the same boat of confusion. To resolve our confusion, we merely have to acknowledge this confusion. That which recognises is exactly what we’ve been looking for. For this realisation, we can stay in the same house, in the same street.
The Buddha sought instruction within the Vedic tradition, which was foreign to his upbringing in confined luxury, until he realised the essence of the teaching where nothing is needed – no rattles, no drums, no protection cords, no exotic chants.
Toys are nice for a while,
and then true boredom sets in.
When the truth is realised, things have no interest.
There is far too much plastic in the world anyway!
😀
Our Problem Is Our Relationship With Consciousness
Our true, essential nature is pure being that is conscious; these two cannot be separated, like light and its luminosity. But when this luminosity plays on something and becomes attracted to it, we are caught and held, and things appear solid. As a result, we forget that phenomena has no permanent nature.
We then relate to this distraction and build an image of our self relating to this object of desire, based on our cherished ideas about this object. Unfortunately, all too often this turns into aversion because we start judging, and so we suffer. This is all because we ignored or forgot our essential nature of clear light.
Being in a human body, this relating helps us to survive but, when we don’t let go, we can be imprisoned by ideas for a lifetime. Our self image – or ego – is created by relating to me and my ideas about what’s out there: this constant relating to things and thoughts takes us further and further away from our source of pure essence, and we become stuck in a material and mental world. This relating and judging, rather than what is happening ‘over there’, is the cause of our suffering.
This suffering causes panic to arise, and we become desperate to survive in our made-up world, while trying to hold on to our self image. Holding this all together creates our emotions, while we blame the world for doing exactly what we are doing. We are in danger of becoming narcissists, lacking empathy, feeling we are right, and trying to control others, and then throwing up smoke screens which disguise our true intention, which is to bolster up our selves and undermine others. In other words … pride.
In the very moment when we recognise that we are doing these mental gymnastics, there is a gap and, for that moment, we actually are free! It only takes familiarity to sustain this natural moment of clarity, of the light shining. Never feel guilty or ashamed, or hold onto the past; just a little regret and a motivation not to do this again and again. As we aren’t yet fully enlightened, we have to grin and bear it, accepting a difficult or unpleasant situation without complaining because we know there is nothing we can do to make things better (of course, if we can do something then we do it – if we have the skills).
The purpose of meditation is to slow down and notice our clinging, our relating to memories, our judgements, and what all those are doing to us. Reactions are not instantaneous – there’s a whole lot going on before that. We need to take time to notice what we’re doing to ourself. We – rather than the emotions – are supposed to be in charge after all; then we are free.
A meme (pronounced meem) is that which is imitated.
Are we just a copy of others’ ideas?
We may take a side because of a condition brought about by others.
Is this not divide and conquer?
What if memes are created for this exact reason?
Pure consciousness has no sides; it has no religion.
It is, “That which is not”.
Call that ‘Rigpa’ or ‘Shiva’ or whatever you want
but the realisation is beyond identity.
We are Rigpa.
We are Shiva.
We are original consciousness.
Meditate and see,
and then drop the meditation.
This ‘I’ is merely consciousness clinging to ideas.
The indicator of empathetic consciousness is compassion,
and compassion is challenging to the ‘I’, the ego.
Compassion does not accept rubbish.
We Need To Exorcise Our Demons Rather Than Exercise Them
Our demons are our early trauma – some bad, some good, some mediocre.
All early events leave a mark of some sort
which help to create an attitude that we carry throughout life. We can either bring an end to the effect of trauma or recreate it, and pass it on.
Don’t let anyone pass on their old rubbish.
Comply And Obey This is the new world order
Spiritual teachings should directly confront
our habitual tendency to conform.
They are definitely not about conforming to conventional beliefs and thinking.
Surveillance keeps us in line,
staying in a pattern to be sold ‘something’.
If we’re not aware, we can be ‘sold’ any old rubbish.
Whatever We Believe Is Nonsense
Belief is all in the mind.
Truth is that which recognises beliefs in the mind.
Feeling Exorcised
Conjure up evil spirits – likes and dislikes – to see them.
Realise that they only exist in the mind.
They therefore never truly existed in the first place.
Our monkey minds cannot keep still.
Why is this?
It is because our lives have speeded up.
Monkey minds do monkey tricks
to make money for monkey business.
The problem is that the monkey makers
have become powerful gorillas.
Even though we may see them, we don’t realise their influence.
Illusions work by confusing and misdirecting our attention.
Edward Bernays was a pioneer in the field of public relations and propaganda; he was named one of the 100 most influential Americans of the 20th century. Have you heard of him?
The gorilla business creates illusions and deceptions by taking advantage of the way in which we perceive stimuli and process information. Illusions separate perception from reality by misdirection. We may have seen the gorilla, but that doesn’t mean we see everything – our attention has already been compromised by being misdirected!
We are here to realise – and not ignore – that we are homo sapiens; we are wise beings rather than clever monkeys.
Gautama Buddha said, “Don’t trust me; test the teaching for yourself.” That is the most advanced teaching on truth. We will never actually know anything unless we experience it, as whatever we think we know is merely a belief that we just accept as being true.
The same goes for every ancient and contemporary teacher – we don’t take their word for it. We do not worship them, as this puts a distance between us, giving rise to a feeling of the haves and the have nots. We all have. We are all pure consciousness beyond intellect.
There have been thousands of years of teachings from many traditions on this planet, and they all come down to one point – our true nature of the natural clarity of consciousness that is aware. This fact cannot be over-stated.
It is the Age of Psychological Data Mining. When we are connected, everything we do, say, type, look at, creates a profile that is compiled by AI super-computers. We may think that, if we are doing the ‘right’ thing, why bother about all this – but doing the ‘right’ thing entails conforming to standards set by social engineers whom we naively trust to be right and do the right thing. This is why we have to be fully aware: nothing is free, except pure consciousness.
It is pure consciousness that sees all that goes on. If consciousness is contaminated and therefore impure, it will not see the big picture.
We are unique beings with unique qualities, but at the same time, we’re nothing special, as everyone has the potential to become a Buddha. We only have to realise this and sustain that view – and this is the big picture.
We shouldn’t even trust our self, as that has been contaminated, being a mind-construct full of subtle trauma of hopes and fears, tunes, images, thoughts, sentimentalities and vulnerabilities. We can, however, trust that which re-cognises all that appears. That never changes.
We are usually too occupied and busy to realise our true reality, the source of absolute truth. When we stop being occupied for a moment, we fall into vacancy, a state of not knowing. There is a moment of subtle confusion, and we become disorientated as the ‘usual’ has stopped. It is here when we look for something to occupy us, or turn something on. If this knowingness is unnoticed, we remain confused. If, however, we just observe this moment of vacancy, we become aware that there is an awareness present: when pointed out, we realise that this is a pure knowingness which has always been there.
This is the turning point. When this observation is acknowledged, we realise that we are not confused at all, and that there never was any confusion. Previously, we fell into the trap of believing in the importance of everyone else’s ‘importance’ and, because we want to be important too, we focus on being something, and pay to stay busy. The empty moment – or shunyata – usually goes unnoticed because we have been primed to keep doing something, to be engaged.
We constantly switch our self on, and watch our self go – whereas the moment of awareness is switching our self off.
Realisation is where absolute reality detaches from relative reality. Once this is in full working order, the relative becomes synonymous with absolute reality. They are now inseparable, and the reflection of the relative in the absolute becomes an instant reminder. We are no longer carried away. This unity is the essence of all ancient teachings; it’s our reality! The teaching of Shiva means, “That which is not”. Wasn’t that simple? No elaboration required; no money changes hands; no meditation necessary. Just honest realisation.
Meditation is no big deal. Making it a big deal will have the opposite effect, as we stick to doing something. The whole point of meditation is realisation. When realisation takes place, all techniques drop away. In this realisation, there is no unhappiness, no indifference, and therefore we find we are happy, and this happiness does not rely on conditions. It’s our natural state.
If we still want Togyal – the ‘leaping over’ by the dissolving of the bodily elements into a rainbow body leaving only teeth and nails – then we cannot be the person we think we are. Until we have that capacity (which is truly rare), we should just be happy to be facing in the right direction, looking out, while knowing that that which is looking out comes from within in. 😀
We switch off the dark of occupancy, to switch on the light of clarity.
We all want to know things that we think we don’t know, believing that this gives meaning to life! The enchantment of belief feeds our longing for purpose. This puts us in a inferior position where we feel that we never know enough, and opens up the path to suspicion, superstition, sentimentality, and theory, thus binding us. Belief is expensive; knowing is free.
All we need to recognise is that we know already; there is knowingness present before the contamination of speculation. Pure knowingness is clarity. It is the primordial state of mind and of essence.
Truth does not put doubt in the mind. The word Bud-dha means ‘beyond intellect’. This doesn’t mean that truth is unknowable; it refers to the realisation of knowingness itself, beyond the intellect of knowing something. When it is suggested that there are things we do not know, this merely keeps us in the realm of concepts and so, we are subject to doubt. We do not worship the Buddha – or any teacher – but merely acknowledge our own Buddha nature, beyond intellect.
We do know. We are pure knowingness itself; pure awareness, pure consciousness, pure clarity … pure compassion. And yet, we think we don’t know. When we stop running after the exotic and take time just to be, we will have arrived. Just be cooking, shopping, working, cleaning, sitting with others, enjoying the aches and pains of the present moment. It’s all natural. In all ways, be happy, even though governments, commerce and religions may be running amuck! 😀
We are knowing beings without a programme. Now, that’s freedom. We can take part in others’ programmes, while remembering that we can leave the stage and take the ‘make-up’ off at any time.
Thinking is the process of reasoning and questioning.
Thoughts are the conclusions.
Thinking is now.
Thoughts are from the past.
To think, we need a clear mind: in this way, we can function properly in the world. If we hold on to the past, this will affect our thinking now, and we won’t think clearly – and therefore, we’ll suffer.
If we ignore the empty quality of clarity, we will merely walk around with a mind full of conclusions, which limits insight into the realisation of our reality.
It is always our choice whether we either walk around within the precision of clarity, or the fixation of conclusions. When we ask, “What is it?” we are aware of now. When we state, “It’s this” or “It’s that”, we deny the present moment.
The present moment tells us everything we need to know, especially about the state of our own mind. The moment of possibilities.
We Do Not Arrive At Enlightenment … … as we never left!
Enlightenment here means realising or acknowledging our true nature of pure consciousness, and that which obscures it; the ideas that we create about our self. Any other definition of enlightenment will be ‘extraordinary’ enlightenment, beyond ordinary realisation. And this creates a huge problem.
If we don’t accept ordinary enlightenment about our true reality, and instead long for something vague called ‘extraordinary’, omniscient enlightenment, then we are back in the realms of belief, ideas, projections, desires, and relative truth. We’re in the mental world again, and that is the precursor to unhappiness. Life is very short, and we have to be happy and confident with what we can realise now, and stop chasing.
All esoteric teachers and traditions say the same thing (more or less) about realisation; understanding non-duality – the inseparability of experiencing and realising. There is, however, a suggestion of something else, something extraordinary, something beyond. It’s someone else’s claim that someone else has extraordinary enlightenment. This keeps us in poverty, when in reality we are rich enough in ordinary enlightenment, where we can work and enjoy life, and die happy in realising what life is about, surrendering all pretensions.
If we met an ‘extraordinary’, enlightened person, would we recognise it? Being able to say extraordinary things in different ways isn’t difficult. A comedian who understands humour can come up with lots of jokes. A chef can design lots of recipes. A song writer does the same. We can all do this in our own way if we have confidence, and don’t limit ourselves with a feeling of unworthiness.
Once we realise our true nature, we can see and talk about all the nonsense that obscures it. If enlightenment is indeed extraordinary, then it has to be proven for us all to see. We can no longer rely on historical stories. The one truth is that we can all see and realise our true nature; pure consciousness. We don’t have to search for enlightenment: we can realise that it is here right now … we never left!
It’s like this. Do we believe that there are aliens here on earth? 98% of our mind may say no, but we could leave 2% as a possibility. We’ll not actually know until they reveal themselves to us – and the same goes for ‘extraordinary’ omniscient enlightenment. We could spend 98% of our lives believing, waiting and hoping, or we could spend 98% of our lives knowing our true nature – leaving 2% for further possibilities 😀
To an unskilled person,
a skilled person can seem magical.
Once we develop that skill,
we know it isn’t magic,
but just tenacity in letting go of limitations.
Tsoknyi Rinpoche – The Pointing Out Instruction 2020 Pundarika UK Easter Retreat. 30th March – 5th April. 2020
Bruton School for Girls, Bruton, Somerset.
This will be an open retreat, by Tsoknyi Rinpoche on our ultimate reality,
where he will point out the nature of mind. (Trekcho)
Contact: info@pundarika.uk.net, or carole@pundarika.uk.net
This is a strange dilemma.
We need both, but remember the meaning of those words,
“Don’t take my word for it.”
Anyone who ever realised something
has had to let go of whatever they were taught,
because the experience of realisation is beyond words
and the world isn’t that neat and tidy.
If we overlay experience with teaching,
the experience will be obscured.
Teachings are generalisations.
It is experience that leads to realisation.
Realisation is not adhering to a system or technique:
we are not robots.
It is seeing all the dots join up, while acknowledging
whatever is interfering with those dots.
We drop the guilt, pride, jealousy, fear, desire
and, most of all,
ignorance.
We do not ignore that which is experiencing experience!
Everyone has the potential to care.
We do not need to be learned to care.
Blinkered by futile diligence,
we don’t notice that we are the product.
Because we rely on outer knowledge and outer conditions to enhance our lives, we find ingenious ways – with the help of others – to engage our attention and our desires. But any satisfaction never lasts, and then we just want more of the same.
We are highly adaptable beings and can cope with anything, but we’ve become dependent to the extent that, in the future, we’ll no longer know how to drive a car, and the car or the road may even decide that it no longer needs us to be there. 😀
We can get off this ‘self’ made world.
It is within meditation that we will find perfect peace and perfect satisfaction, and that life is indeed fruitful. This peace, contentment and confidence is realised within the meditation. Peace is not the meditation; it is the result of meditation. The result of meditation is non-meditation. Just being. Just being anywhere, at any time. Inner wellbeing will have a great effect on outer wellbeing, whereas only being concerned with outer wellbeing, we become obsessively attached to everything.
The world around will always demand over-activity to promote its political agenda, wars, substance /food abuse and pharmaceutical treatments. In this way, commerce is shaping human consciousness.
The more we are aware, the more we wake up, stop believing and regain our consciousness. Are we the product of evil intent? No, that supposedly evil intent is just an illusion for the intellect to play with. Real intelligence rests in seeing, realising that our energy is better placed in enlightened, compassionate activities.
The moment that we recognise we are confused is very significant. That which recognises is not confused. If we don’t know something, that’s okay; we can find out – or not – but, either way, we can realise that there is knowingness already taking place. Without that, we wouldn’t know anything – or even exist.
Here, it is imperative to recognise the difference between absolute reality and conventional, relative reality. Absolute reality which never changes is pure consciousness. This is what we are, and it is that which just sees without comment. Always look up the original meaning of words:
Comment: from Latin commentum ‘contrivance’.
We dwell in conventional, relative reality when pure consciousness forgets that it is present, and relates to whatever is seen or experienced. Relating and clinging is the process that gives rise to our ego, our ‘I complex’. Seeing and experiencing isn’t the problem; clinging is, as this fixation imprisons us in ideas.
Our quality of life depends on the amount of time we spend considering what reality is, rather than just surviving. The time given to the insight of wisdom will influence and improve our daily life.
To think, ‘I know’, is limited as we have arrived at our conclusions and opinions and that’s it … until we die. If we think we don’t know, then we may seek to know, and realise that this longing is knowingness itself which wants to return home to its primary state of pure consciousness where there is a realisation of peace.
Anything we do not directly know, we have to believe. As long as we are with our own kind, we feel safe believing together, but outside this class or group, we feel uncomfortable. Human intelligence is at its best when it doesn’t know something, as it then becomes more aware and searches rather than following a routine.
When we want to know, we become more conscious and aware. If we identify ignorance, that is wisdom. The I-actor cannot know everything, but pure consciousness knows the nature of everything.
The first noble truth of the Buddha was to first admit that we are suffering and confused, and then we will look for the cause of that suffering. If, on the other hand, we think we are happy, we will not bother to go any further.
So the joy of recognising confusion is our path to enlightenment.
Insight: Awareness by a mentally ill* person that their mental experiences are not based in external reality.
The term ‘mentally ill’ is often used as a spurious or false statement in the popular media, suggesting a crazy or insane person, while the dictionary reveals a more accurate description of ordinary human existence. The medical profession has made inner dis-ease (unhappiness) into a disease for which treatment is necessary. In reality, until enlightenment, we will all be confused about our true nature, and a certain level of depression will result.
Wisdom insight is the realisation of our true nature, which is pure consciousness. Anything that obscures this perfect state causes confusion and inner conflict. We spend our entire life in distraction, so we are able to cover up our disappointments. When we strip away all the subtle suffering, dissatisfaction and wounds, we realise that it is the idea of a self – of me and mine – that interferes with clear seeing. We constantly refer to a memory or an idea when we experience something, and then apply that to the situation. From a spiritual point of view, these memories are due to collective fixations and collective mental disorders. Our true state has never ever been confused: we have merely learned to be unnatural in order to fit into others’ acquired ideas. We can play the game, but we don’t have to believe the game is real. As it states in the dictionary, insight is awareness, and there is nothing more aware than pure consciousness.
Insight isn’t a meditation technique. It is the result of looking within and realising our true reality and that which is obscuring it. This is not difficult – but what is difficult is dropping all those ideas that we’ve learned, which cause subtle trauma, guilt, pride, jealousy, fear and hope. Insight is seeing the games the mind plays, while pure consciousness (the grown up) merely watches with generosity, patience, discipline, morality and concentration as the child plays, thus sustaining transcendent wisdom.
Of course, in realising the insight of transcendent wisdom first, everything else arises naturally, manifesting in our conduct.
*A mental disorder, also called a mental illness or psychiatric disorder, is a behavioural or mental pattern that causes significant distress or impairment of personal functioning. Such features may be persistent, relapsing and remitting, or occur as a single episode.
Feeling sad or down.
Confused thinking or reduced ability to concentrate.
Excessive fears or worries, or extreme feelings of guilt.
Extreme mood changes of highs and lows.
Withdrawal from friends and activities.
Significant tiredness, low energy or problems sleeping.
Belief says: “I am the lord thy God.
Have no other gods before me.
Have no graven images or likenesses.
Do not take the lord’s name in vain…” Duality is created.
Truth says: Our being is pure consciousness. Belief obscures pure consciousness. Pure consciousness has no image. Pure consciousness comes before name. Original non-duality.
Someone says: There is exoteric and esoteric knowledge.
The exoteric is intended for the general public.
The esoteric is intended for the few.
If we seek within, however, we find.
Believing in God and not believing in God
is the same dualistic reality.
Within consciousness is our true reality.
Dualistic mind is confused.
Non-dualistic mind is not.
Escape … now!
The one absolute truth about pure consciousness is that it is already pure; we do not have to make it pure. Without knowing this, we remain imprisoned in falsehoods, dullness and guilt. It is the fact that we don’t recognise or acknowledge this consciousness that keeps us from realising our true reality. We will forever think that we are unworthy, when the truth is that we are perfect beings caught in a web of inaccuracies. Tremendous efforts are taken to distract us in this world, which creates mental instabilities for which pills are produced on an industrial level. Depression is a modern creation.
World Health Organisation: “Depression is a common illness worldwide, with more than 300 million people affected. It can cause suffering and we function poorly at work, at school and in the family. At its worst, depression can lead to suicide. Close to 800 000 people die due to suicide every year.”
And this is only those whom the WHO has acknowledged: many of us just continue with life, thinking that this is normal.
Because of the subtle distractions in a confused world, our investigations into our true reality have to be more accurate. There are stages in these investigations: we first identify that we are consciousness of something – phenomena, thoughts, emotions and fixations.
Using this ability to be conscious of something, we deliberately focus our attention on an object, such as the breath. This is called mindfulness meditation, when we cut out the mental clutter and just watch our breath and relax.
Then we become aware that awareness or consciousness is present. This is known as awareness meditation, where we become aware of awareness.
Finally, while being aware of awareness – or conscious of consciousness – we realise that there is nothing other than consciousness. Simply resting there, realisation takes place that we are this consciousness and, when nothing other is interrupting this consciousness, that is pure consciousness. We do not actually have to do anything, but be aware and realise.
This is nothing highfalutin, grandiose or ornate. It is, in fact, ordinary. We only think it’s ‘special’ because of exotic stories created by religions, but these are merely compounded beliefs. Ornamentation may attract people initially, but therein lies the central problem, because we become addicted to belonging. That is self-perpetuating duality with no chance of freedom. We bind ourselves.
If I were a teacher (which I’m not), once a student had ‘got it’, I’d say go away and live life with all that it brings. That which is beneficial will be realised naturally, and that which is unnecessary will drop away naturally. I speak from experience. Life may not be a bed of roses, but there’s manure for cultivation.
