Feeling Complete
There is a natural progression when investigating and realising our spiritual essence. Looking, seeing and letting be creates space for intelligence and wisdom – our relative and ultimate nature – to be recognised. Letting be is easier said than done. Once we can focus without distraction, that which needs to drop away, drops away, and that which needs to shine, shines.
If we rely just on scripture or text, it’s a bit like living in a travel guide: we become more interested in the guide itself than in the uncomfortable experience of actually exploring for ourselves when we engage in feeling, smelling, touching, tasting, hearing and examining our responses. If we do not experience for ourselves, then we will never find the origin of the truth.
Tibetan text is wonderful at breaking down a process for us, taking everything apart and leaving just the essential nature. But that is in theory. We shouldn’t take it for granted that if we follow Tibetan Buddhism, we are compassionate, kind, generous and truly understand the Dharma. I’ve met many spiritual students of all paths who are just as obnoxious as everyone else. Our carefreeness actually became careless.
Buddhism is about breaking down barriers, not creating more. Buddhists, theists, atheists, agnostics, humanists, pagans, satanists, aliens, non-believers and those who couldn’t care less, all claim to know the truth, or believe in something. We are deluded if we claim or believe anything.
The natural process is gradual realisation of more and more clarity that leaves all doubts behind.
If we rely on others to carry out this investigation for us, then we will never know and will always feel dependant and obliged. The whole point of dependancy is that it is a temporary measure: we do not need to become addicted to the support. As sentient beings, we are easily addicted and abdicate responsibility. If we make dependance a habit, we will never feel complete and may consider that we cannot cope, so becoming reliant. At the beginning of prayers, when we say that we go for refuge in the three jewels until enlightenment, we are maintaining a connection: it is not that we are subservient. We can cope with anything that comes our way because it is part of our karmic path.
We are complete (being the whole picture) when we drop our creation – ‘little me’ – but we have to acknowledge little me first.
There is another way of looking at the two truths:
common sense (the outer tutor) and intuition (the inner tutor).
There is a natural progression when investigating and realising our spiritual essence. Looking, seeing and letting be creates space for intelligence and wisdom – our relative and ultimate nature – to be recognised. Letting be is easier said than done. Once we can focus without distraction, that which needs to drop away, drops away, and that which needs to shine, shines.
If we rely just on scripture or text, it’s a bit like living in a travel guide: we become more interested in the guide itself than in the uncomfortable experience of actually exploring for ourselves when we engage in feeling, smelling, touching, tasting, hearing and examining our responses. If we do not experience for ourselves, then we will never find the origin of the truth.
Tibetan text is wonderful at breaking down a process for us, taking everything apart and leaving just the essential nature. But that is in theory. We shouldn’t take it for granted that if we follow Tibetan Buddhism, we are compassionate, kind, generous and truly understand the Dharma. I’ve met many spiritual students of all paths who are just as obnoxious as everyone else. Our carefreeness actually became careless.
Buddhism is about breaking down barriers, not creating more. Buddhists, theists, atheists, agnostics, humanists, pagans, satanists, aliens, non-believers and those who couldn’t care less, all claim to know the truth, or believe in something. We are deluded if we claim or believe anything.
The natural process is gradual realisation of more and more clarity that leaves all doubts behind.
If we rely on others to carry out this investigation for us, then we will never know and will always feel dependant and obliged. The whole point of dependancy is that it is a temporary measure: we do not need to become addicted to the support. As sentient beings, we are easily addicted and abdicate responsibility. If we make dependance a habit, we will never feel complete and may consider that we cannot cope, so becoming reliant. At the beginning of prayers, when we say that we go for refuge in the three jewels until enlightenment, we are maintaining a connection: it is not that we are subservient. We can cope with anything that comes our way because it is part of our karmic path.
We are complete (being the whole picture) when we drop our creation – ‘little me’ – but we have to acknowledge little me first.
There is another way of looking at the two truths:
common sense (the outer tutor) and intuition (the inner tutor).
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. 