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.

To Be Inferior Or Not To Be Inferior

Relating to gurus and lamas shouldn’t be like relating to a leader of North Korea; bowing and scraping and prostrating is totally unnecessary, and shouldn’t be encouraged – it’s a form of mass intimidation, and it’s another’s culture.

We don’t do that to individuals in any other walks of life. We pay respect to a teacher by simply turning up because we’re interested in what they have to say, which means that we’ve made a commitment of time and money. The appreciation comes in the form of whether we go away and practise – and change occurs.

Subservience is not required to realise our true reality. Realisation is not a socio-political event. How did such compliance come about? 

The Buddha saw that all sentient beings are Buddha nature, but for thousands of years, we’vebeen taught that we are inferior.

The Pointing Out And The Realisation

Become aware that, although there are comings and goings in the mind, there is that which never changes. This is the pure observation of consciousness. Our original being is without thought; it is clarity – pure consciousness – the essence of mind. This is what we are, but we’re embroiled in a muddled mind full of memories, information, stuffing. 🙂

Embroiled: deeply involved in an argument, conflict, or difficult situation; from French embrouille ‘to muddle’.

If we see a red car go by, we don’t have to think, “There’s a red car!” We already know it. This is the same as encountering an opinionated person, for example; we know instantly, without thought.

Even before this silent identification, there is just pure consciousness, just awareness. That is what we are.

When we realise what we are, we notice distractions
– the stuffing and the stuffers at work –
and so we don’t get carried away.

Distraction: a thing that prevents someone from concentrating. A diversion or recreation, almost to a state of madness.

There is nothing religious or cultural about this.
Observation is not judgement.

Finding Others In The Light

Finding others in the light of reality is a rare event.

Everyone is the light but they don’t know it as either their interests lie elsewhere, or the light has been formalised, dwelling in dim ideas, concepts and obsessions, all relating to a ‘me’.

Can we recognise the light in others who know that they are the light? Tricky. People may talk or write about the light (I’m doing this now), but actually connecting is an extremely rare event. 

This light isn’t something ‘holy’ or special; it’s natural clarity – perception without expectations.

Never Think You Know The Answer

Never think you know the answer.
You are the answer!

Thinking that we know is Mara activity, demonic activity, where we just go round and round in conflicting circles in pointless, polemic, controversial debate or dispute. When we actually realise what we are – pure awareness – there is no debate.

Polemic: from Greek polemikos, from polemos ‘war’.

Some people like conflict; it entertains them. 
How can anyone dispute awareness?

Fear And Hope In Spiritual Groups

Adoration is spiritual materialism. 

It’s the eternal play of hope and fear 
– hoping to be accepted, and fearing rejection. 

We fall into acting, 
while the essence of the teaching is to know thy self thy self. 🙂

To Be Hinged Or Unhinged 

To be hinged or unhinged; that is the question.

Whether to suffer the unhinged or, by opposing, become hinged. 
Whether to assume we are normal or to question this ‘normality’.

We all assume that we are hinged and working properly, when we are actually unhinged by merely conforming to another’s idea of normality. 

When we are fully hinged, we are free of obstructions. 🙂

Being Out Of Sync

We read or hear words, but they don’t quite hit the spot. Why not? 

We’re all at different stages of evolving/awakening; the words stay the same, but our understanding is out of sync. There is recognition, but there’s no training, no discipline, no experience … yet.

If we are always looking for something new,
it’s because we haven’t started yet.

When we start, we see the world differently, 
because we are different.

With the right intention, we will synchronise with the words
when the experience is realised before the words.

What’s Inside Comes Out

If we have wisdom, that’s what comes out.
If we have hatred, that’s what comes out.
If we have indifference, that’s what comes out.

Whatever’s inside comes out.

Mysticism

Mysticism: Transcending ordinary human understanding. A sense of spiritual mystery, awe, and fascination concerned with spirit, rather than with material things.

Whether mysticism is a mystery or not 
depends on our understanding

When we wake up from our idealistic dream 
to our reality of pure consciousness,
life – the mystery – is no longer a mystery.

Why We Don’t Perceive Reality

Reality – which is pure consciousness – has been sidetracked due to education, society and the media to see through a veil of concepts-restrictions. Concepts alter our pure perception. As long as we go along with the state of collective social understanding, we will think exactly the same way as others, and repeat the same everlasting conversations. 

This is living in a disguised dictatorship where we have the freedom to choose between ‘this’ or ‘that’ from a pre-written menu.

We learn to love and take pride in our menu.
Menu: from Latin, minutus, ‘very small’.

What Are We Proud Of? 

We’re proud of our menu of ideas.
Menu: from Latin, minutus, ‘very small’.

Pride is our personal dungeon of existence.
What are we trying to impress?

Others’ menus.
😀

Emptiness Is The Ultimate In Sophistication

Emptiness is the ultimate in sophistication.
There is nothing more sophisticated than pure awareness.

Like infinite space, it contains everything.
The essence of mind is total openness,
without exaggerations.

There’s Something Wrong, Isn’t There?

There’s something wrong, isn’t there?
Or are things going right?

It all depends on one’s point of view.

If we are evil, things are going right.
And if we understand about cause and effect, 
things are going right.

Things are only going wrong when we live in hope.

Buddhism Isn’t Anti-Life

Buddhism is living life to the full, 
experiencing everything that comes our way as our teacher.

Life teaches us something when perception is fully open. Buddhism isn’t about suffering; it is the path to alleviatesuffering, dissatisfaction, conflict, confusion …

It is happiness beyond reason
– or it should be.
😀

Have You Ever Met Anyone …

Have you ever met anyone you can truly talk to?

People talk about anything but actual reality. 
To truly talk, we have to step outside the cycle of speculation.

Gaining confidence is expanding our horizon – our view.
Our pure view is pure consciousness.

It’s All A Cover-Up

It’s all a cover-up.
“What is?”
Our true reality.

We live in a make-believe world, 
where truth is rarely spoken.

We may talk about a cover-up, 
but do we know what the cover-up is covering up?

As long as we see through a filter of beliefs, 
we will never know our true reality.

My Turning Point

My turning point was when I realised
that the Dharma is within,
and isn’t reliant on anything or anyone external.

The Buddha was right.

The external is a starting point to realising 
that corruption and the path are the same thing.

The Vicious Cycle Of Existence?

The vicious cycle of existence … really?

The phrase ‘the vicious cycle of existence’ is an idiom that is trotted out all the time among Buddhists. Do you ever wonder why we say things – or rather repeat things – that sound right, and then think … “Hang on a minute!? I don’t see it as a vicious cycle of existence but rather, a confused cycle of existence.”?

There are many things we hear and just accept, when they were actually written by a translator who saw it to their level of understanding – in this case using the archaic use of the word ‘vicious’ which means ‘imperfect or defective’. In contemporary English, however, ‘vicious’ is defined as ‘deliberately cruel or violent’, and that makes no sense to the modern ear in this context.

We have to see things in the way we experience and understand, and go from there – and so you have every right to disagree with my conclusions. 🙂

It’s a process of refining personal understanding, as there isn’t one answer to suit all. This is why the Buddha saw the Vedanta in a new light, and why he said, “Do not take my words for the truth; test them for yourself.”

If We All Come From One Source …

If we all come from one source,
what source would that be? 

What qualities is this source projecting?
Are people a representation of that source?

We’re in constant conflict with one another.
Does this represent a compassionate source?

Belief in a source is belief in the magical power
to apparently influence minds and events.

Source: a point of origin.

Pure consciousness has no origin, and so it has no source, 
and it has no desire to influence.
It is the corrupted mind that influences consciousness/people.

What a strange world we live in.

We Are Closer Than We Think

How many people are stuck in their minds, in memories and illusions obscuring the present? This is the sad world we live in but, at the same time, it’s also enlightening because we see that it’s only memories which obscure our enlightened reality. 

In dropping memories,
we are spontaneously present.

Unfortunately, we want something more ‘interesting’,
so reality stays closed.

Reality isn’t in front of us;
it’s where we are.

It couldn’t be simpler

Why Are Things Going Wrong?

Have you considered the fifth column(s)?
The means behind the scenes.
Whatever is happening will happen anyway; it always has.

“A fifth column is a group of people who undermine a larger group or nation from within, usually in favour of an enemy group or another nation.

“Their activities can be overt or clandestine, and can involve acts of sabotage, disinformation, espionage or terrorism, while secret sympathisers can mobilise openly to assist an external attack.”

What can we do?
Recognise that this is Mara at work.
Be aware of whatever is going on in our mind, and why.

We used to say, ‘Sticks and stones can break my bones but names will never hurt me.’ Now, names seem to hurt people, but they never noticed this change in events. That is the illusion that we live in.

George Orwell wrote about this in ‘Animal Farm’, when the pigs who were in charge stated, “Two legs bad, four legs good’ which later changed to “Four legs good, two legs better.” Once people are taught to believe, they will continue to believe.

We can tell people about a fifth column,
but they won’t see it as they’re living it.

Free Will

Free will means free consciousness.

It’s not a matter of being free to choose, 
as that is determined by our minds’ judgements, based on preconceived ideas.

Free will is being free of everything.

Evil Takes Naturally Occurring Events …

Evil takes a naturally occurring event
and exaggerates it to manipulate, 
which will cause conflict.

The natural occurring event is compassion
which becomes my compassion, my caring.

Encouraged To Follow Our Dreams … 

Our dreams are just desires.
Desires hold us spellbound.

We just deal with whatever comes our way
rather than chasing sentimentalities.

Our way is our path.

Losing The Connection

When we lose the connection with reality, 
we lose the connection with each another. 

The ability to connect has nothing to do with ideas or culture.
It is knowing our commonality of pure consciousness.

Realising this connection is the birth of compassion.

We Think That What We Think Matters

We think that what we think matters.
What actually matters is realising what thinks.
🙂

The mind does not think: it’s just memories and bits of information.
The essence of mind is pure consciousness; it’s what we are.

When we stop grasping at memories,
we become what we have always been.

Why Are We Offended?

We’re offended because we don’t know that evil takes naturally occurring events and exaggerates them. We’re controlled by our ideas – or rather, others’ ideas which we’ve acquired – that form our likes and dislikes. If others don’t validate what we like, we dislike them. This is what’s called ‘being offended’; it’s our gross human mind at work, which we think is normal.

The opposite to being offended (disliking) is being pleased (liking); these personal traits are what cause us confusion and conflict. The so-called crime of hate is merely Mara taking advantage of the ordinary human conditioning of desire and aversion – hope and fear – to ignite emotions.

Not realising that our opinions are made up from age-old media in all its forms which we think ‘entertains’ us but which actually programmes us, we bumble along from one conflict tf another.

May this stupidity be exposed for what it is – the manipulation of the mind on a global scale of being offended. I am offended at stupidity being encouraged! 🙂

We’re only offended when we hold onto a idea, 
and don’t recognise 
the truth of our being of pure consciousness, 
which is the observation of thoughts. 

Letting go is the path to enlightenment.

Happy, But Still Feeling Wrong

Why? Most people’s happiness relies on a condition that they can talk about with others.

Being happy for no reason doesn’t rely on conditions as there’s nothing to talk about. This isn’t at all interesting to a conditioned person, and that’s when we can feel wrong.

In perfect emptiness,
may peace and peace and peace be everywhere.

This Cannot Be Repeated Enough 

Chasing the exotic ignores that which is already present;
this cannot be repeated enough.

Direct awareness is common to all. Anything else is merely a symbol, and we can become hung-up on symbols. Exotic customs can help remind us, but our own breath – or any of the senses – can do exactly the same thing – remind us of that which perceives. 

Consciousness is common to all. 
It is right here, right now.
That is where we start and end.

It is we who have to test 
whether whatever appears is direct, 
or is an addition.