What holds Buddhas back?

A fundamental principle in the Buddha's teachings is that all beings have buddhanature. This buddhanature is the nature of our own mind, and though it is always fully evident it often goes unrecognized. Instead of embracing the path of becoming buddhas, or being buddha (which really means the path of waking up, or being awake), we find ourselves entangled in the mess of life with all of our problems. As the Buddha says:

Noble child, all beings, though they find themselves with all sorts of afflictions,
Have a tathagata-garbha that is eternally unsullied, 

and that is replete with virtues no different from my own.

Tathagatagarbha Sutra

If the tathagatagarbha, or buddhanature, is our fundamental nature of mind, why does it go unrecognized and why we do lack fulfillment?

There are four obscuring factors that keep us entangled in the afflictions: cognitive obscurations, emotional obscurations, habitual tendencies and karma. The work of the path of waking up and actualizing our buddhanature is to untie these ropes and release ourselves from bondage. The path of liberation is the path of freeing ourselves from these shackles and actualizing the resultant state, which is our innate buddhanature and natural awakened mind.

Cognitive obscurations are obscuring factors of our understanding and view of who we are and the nature of the world around us. All of us have bias, views we hold to as true, and cultural associations that go unquestioned. The work of untying the knots of cognitive obscurations is to shine a light on the way we actually think and perceive the world around us and our place in it. 

Emotional obscurations are the five primary negative emotions: attachment, aversion, confusion, jealousy, and arrogance. Each of these emotions overwhelms our minds and is centered on me and mine. It is not that these emotions are inherently bad or can't be used for good, but that in the presence of these emotions we often go blind and function solely out of reactive, self-centered impulses. The work of untying the knots of emotional obscurations is to find space amidst the emotions, so that we can work and respond to the energy that is coming up rather than becoming overwhelmed by that energy and reacting impulsively. 

Habitual tendencies are subtle and hard to break. So much of our conditioning comes from our childhood and from our culture, so much so that we don't usually know why we do the things we do or care about the things we think we care about. Habitual tendencies are hard to break because they are the rails or ski tracks that our day to day life is built around. It is so hard to break out of the tracks, and even if we manage to escape for a moment, it is also very easy to slip back in. The work of untying the knots of habitual tendencies is to introduce a fresh fall of snow powder over the terrain, and then do the hard work of charting a new course through the fresh powder. 

Karma is our actions and the results of our actions. Karma is also hard to untie because we cannot undo the past. All of our past actions have led us to the present moment, and that is what we have to work with. The good news is that all of our current actions are creating the moments of our future, and so we can give our future self the gift of good actions that we can later enjoy. As long as we operate in this world we always have karmic conditioning and karmic relationships. Karma doesn't need to be a binding force, as we learn to work with karma on the path you can start to recognize how everything is naturally free in its own place, even if things aren't quite the way you would have liked them to be. The present is the only moment you have to work with, so work with it. 

As we loosen the shackles of these four binding forces, gradually our own true nature becomes more and more evident. Much like gold is slowly extracted and refined from its ore, so too our awakened mind is gradually revealed and made fully evident. 

Embarking on the path of meditation.

In the Buddha's first sermon, the Buddha stated the following:

Fully understand dukkha.

Let go of arising.

Actualize cessation.

Cultivate the path. 

What gives rise to dukkha is the three poisons of ignorance, craving and aversion, that is the truth of the origin. Craving and aversion reinforce a cycle of reactivity. Ignorance creates an underlying confusion about who we are, the nature of the world around us and our place in it. In meditation, we can train our mind to let go of craving, aversion and ignorance. The result is the actualization of the state of cessation, the third noble truth. 

Actualizing cessation can be interpreted according to different practice traditions. The common Buddhist tradition used the metaphor of a doctor to understand the relationship between the four noble truths and how we actualize cessation. 

The doctor metaphor goes like this: you are sick, I know why you are sick and I know what is best for you. Listen to what I say and follow my advice, and you will get better. 

That might work in many cases. A lot of times we know that we are not happy, that we have a deep dissatisfaction with our life and we simply don't know the way out. We don't know how to get better. We look for a good doctor, and faithfully follow his advice by practicing his prescription. And we get better.

The common tradition approaches the four noble truths like this: 1) truth of dukkha (you're sick), 2) truth of origin (I know the cause), 4) truth of path (I know how to make you better), 3) truth of cessation (you are better). One, two, four, three. 

 

The uncommon traditions of Mahamudra and Dzogchen approach the four noble truths differently. From the very beginning, we recognize your innate buddha nature, your innate potential and disposition for flourishing. These practice traditions recognize that you have something to contribute and they recognize your own innate wisdom, which is the wisdom of your own dukkha and life (the truth of dukkha). With this opportunity available to you comes tremendous responsibility, but we need to learn how to get out of our own way. We are the storm, the shit show is our own thoughts, feelings and actions. We need to learn to relax and self-regulate (let go of arising), in order to actualize our nature, which is the state of cessation. Then we are able to continue to walk and practice the path. 

 

The uncommon tradition starts by empowering you and approaches the four noble truths accordingly: 1) truth of dukkha (your innate wisdom of situation and life), 2) truth of origin (you learn to let go of arising craving, aversion and ignorance), 3) truth of cessation (you recognize and actualize the resultant state), 4) truth of path (you continue to practice the path).  One, two, three, four. 

You don't need to practice the path in order to attain some said result. The result is the path, each and every step. Actualizing the state of cessation doesn't mean that everything is perfect. It doesn't mean your a Buddha and that you never fall back into worldly existence. Not at all! Don't confuse yourself!

Actualizing cessation means that we recognize and abide in our true nature, or buddha heart. We are introduced to our nature through the teachings of the resultant vehicles and the grace of our teacher. When we recognize that nature, we embark on the long journey of the path of meditation. We carry that recognition into all of our activities, learning how to carry it in the form of the six perfections for the benefit of others. The practice of the path reveals the middle way between indulgence and beating ourselves up. We can enjoy life, and our practice makes everything workable. 

The uncommon traditions of Mahamudra and Dzogchen only bring final attainment if you live a life dedicated to practice. If you practice for a little while, have some kind of experience, then set the teachings aside and go about your normal existence then it will be no different than drinking a fine wine or going on some grand trip. Sure, you'll have some kind of memory of that experience, something you can hold onto and tell your friends about, but you won't be changed. 

A life of practice is a life of doing. To be, you have to do. You have to keep doing the inner work of being. Practicing the path in this way will give your life meaning and purpose. Your practice will present you with the opportunity to do art, to make a difference in others lives, to make an impact. You will always have the opportunity to be present, understanding and kind. 

Setting the angel free.

I saw the angel in the marble and carved until I set him free.

Michelangelo

Michelangelo, perhaps the greatest sculptor of all time, saw the result at the very beginning. The final form may not have been readily apparent and certainly was not fully evident, but there was no doubt that the angel was present in the marble. Michelangelo's practice was simple to remove layer after layer of obscuration, to remove the rough edges and distortion until the angel was set free. 

We might think that this quote is simply referring to a hard chunk of marble, but it is quite profound as it applies to our own practice and awakening. The angel represents our own inner genius, our inherent buddha heart. Maitreya uses a similar analogy from the Uttaratantra:

Suppose an image filled with molten gold inside

but consisting of clay on the outside,

were seen by someone who knows about this gold,

who would then remove the outer covering to purify the inner gold?

After we are introduced to our own buddha heart, introduced to its presence and nature, what choice do we have to remain idle? Who would waste such a precious opportunity and resource?

Having recognized our naturally abiding buddha heart (Skt. tathagatagarbha), the practice is simply to remove layer after layer of negative emotions, perceptual bias and confusion. We refine the rough edges of our intentions and actions. We chisel and carve out habitual tendencies and neurosis. 

The result of our work is that our naturally present buddha heart is made fully evident. Just as when the clouds dissipate in the sky to reveal the qualities of the sun, so too, once we eliminate the obscuring factors of our own inner genius then we can enjoy the qualities and activity of the naturally present result. 

The artist's practice is the set the angel free, to reveal our naturally abiding buddha heart to the world.

But then what? 

That is not the end of the road. The story doesn't simply end there. 

The artist must share her art. 

Art interacts with the world. It is experienced, impacts others, shapes the time and place. Art shifts postures, influences what people value and affects what they choose to engage in. 

Art shapes culture. 

The artist who does their work and brings it out into the world shapes the community of values. It is possible to step out into the world and share generosity, kindness and compassion. Equanimity, insight and selflessness can gain a foothold in our communities. There can be recognized value in chipping away the rough edges. Our communities can recognize the potential of everyone, identifying their inner genius and capacity to refine and reveal their own inner angel. Most of all we can start respecting and appreciating the work and the process. 

We can value the practice of the artist. 

The artist is committed to the practice of revealing the naturally abiding inner genius within. Art not shared is not art at all, so the artist moves into the world where their art interacts with people and the environment. As that art interacts with the world, it shapes values and what we believe to be possible and true. 

Art shapes culture, and it is possible to shape a culture of awakening. A culture that is eager to do the work, eager to show up, ready to be present, and that knows this is what we do here.

The artist always knows, this is what we are here to do.

Buddha heart.

Noble child, all beings, though they find themselves with all sorts of afflictions,
Have a tathagata-garbha that is eternally unsullied, 

and that is replete with virtues no different from my own.

Tathagatagarbha Sutra

All beings are natural Buddhas, concealed in a shell of afflictions.  When that shell is broken, their buddhahood is revealed. 

What is the shell?  It is our negative emotions, our bias and distorted lens. It is our habitual tendencies and conditioned actions. It is our innate self-grasping and fixation on identity, self and other, better and worse, pure and impure.

It's a thick shell.

The shell is adventitious, without a single iota of permanence. Yet we continuously reinforce it, wrapping ourselves up layer after layer. We don't choose the shell, because the shell is based on confusion. Confusion perpetuates itself in an endless cycle of becoming.

The escape is to recognize the tathagata-garbha directly.  Tathagata means one who has gone to suchness, the direct realization of the nature of the mind.  Garbha means heart, womb, essence or nature.  We often see tathagata-garbha translated as buddhanature or essence of enlightenment, but we could also translate it as buddha heart, or the womb of those thus gone. This buddha heart is the nature of our own mind, eternally unsullied and replete with all the virtues of a Buddha.  

We can recognize our own buddha heart, and when we do the shell loosens and the qualities of buddhahood become naturally present.

Once beings’ minds have thoroughly matured,
However, whenever, and for whomever,
There can be action that ensures benefit,
It manifests at just that time and in just that way.

Ornament of Clear Realization

There are emanations through artistry, through conscious rebirth, 

and as expressions of sublime enlightenment.
The nirmanakaya of buddhahood

is the supreme skillful means of total freedom.  

Ornament of the Sutras

Reverence.

Buddhanature awakens a certain reverence in us.

It is always present, but also inaccessible in our experience. We catch glimpses of it, moments when the clouds dissipate revealing our spacious, clear and peaceful natural condition.

Most of the time we are overwhelmed by everyday concerns. Our minds are busy, distracted. We may have a vague intention to bring benefit to others, but we do not know how to make this intention fully manifest.

Fighting against our own thoughts and emotions, we are unable to enjoy our natural condition.
Caught up in hope and fear, our natural fulfillment escapes us.
Collapsing into our own perspective and situation, we are unable to bring benefit to others.

The basis, our buddhanature, is always present.
The result, our buddhanature fully manifest, seems entirely remote.

With reverence in mind, we prostrate to the embodiment of the Three Jewels, the nature of our own body, speech and mind. Paying homage to our unborn natural condition, we open the doorway to actualizing our natural state.

Namo Manjushri. I prostrate to the glorious, youthful awakened body.
Namo Sushri. I prostrate to the excellent qualities of awakened speech.
Namo Uttamshri. I prostrate to the supreme awakened mind.
Soha. So it is.   

Metaphor for the nature of mind.

A glass of water.

What are the qualities of a glass of pure water?

Transparent, clear, refreshing, healthy, reflective surface.

The pure water represents the nature of our own mind, with its qualities of being pure, transparent, calm and clear.  A state of natural peace and health.  A pristine state of self-reflexive awareness. The Buddha referred to this as the tathagatagarbha, or buddha heart. The water represents our natural condition.  

What happens if we put a handful of dirt in the water? Now what qualities do we notice? The glass is mucky, cloudy, obscured, disgusting, impure.

The dirt represents all of our thoughts, emotions, beliefs, habitual patterns and conditioning. We really identify with the dirt. Do we even notice the originally pure water?

How many of us are busy and have to stay on top of many responsibilities? Me too. Start stirring the glass. 

Normally we spend most of our days stirring that glass up, cycling through various mental states and emotional responses.  Our habits and actions keep churning up that dirt in the glass, the dirt swirling and obscuring the qualities of the water.   

But what happens if we let the water rest.  Just set it down and let it rest. At first it continues to swirl for a little bit, right? As we let it sit for five or ten minutes, naturally the dirt starts to settle.  The natural qualities of the water reveal themselves without any effort.

The dirt doesn't go away. Actually the handful of dirt occupies very little of the glass once it settles out. In the beginning, the dirt occupies almost all of our identity, but once we learn to recognize our natural condition then we become less preoccupied with our own thoughts and feelings. They no longer overwhelm us, since we know how to work with them.

What this metaphor reveals to us is that we simply need to learn how to bring the mind to rest. As we learn to rest naturally, thoughts, sights and sounds settle into their own place.

Rest naturally and emotions and fears disappear revealing insight and clarity.
Rest naturally and our habits and karmic conditioning lose their impetus.
Rest naturally and the qualities of the nature of mind reveal themselves.
Rest naturally and our intrinsic buddhanature becomes evident.
Rest naturally, and there is nothing more to do.    

Practice of the path.

First, we are introduced to the nature of mind, our intrinsic buddhanature, which is unceasing luminous emptiness. 

Because we have not recognized its empty nature, we conceive of a self. 
Not recognizing the luminous clarity aspect, we reify appearances. 
Not recognizing the unceasing quality of the nature of mind, we get caught up in all that appears and exists. 

All of these obscurations- thoughts, emotions, karma, habitual tendencies- are merely adventitious stains without any inherent existence. Knowing these to be adventitious and impermanent without an underlying basis, we can confidently engage in the path to eliminate and purify them. With confidence in the ground continuum, we can engage in the path.

Understanding the abiding nature of the mind, our practice gives us something to work with in order to attain the result. 

I must have missed it.

Have you ever been too busy to catch a detail?

To agitated to see the connection?

To caught up in the routine to notice something that has always been there?

Have you ever been stuck on something and then realized the answer was in plain sight?

To understand and realize our buddhanature and the nature of our own mind we don't need something new.  Our buddhanature is fully evident. 

We just don't see it.

We get caught up in thoughts, emotions and habits.  We get stuck on identity, appearances and our situation.  It is not that we are far away from the result we are seeking.  It is more that we cannot recognize that which is right before us.

It is kind of like not being able to see you own eyelashes.  They are right there.

We have a tendency to complicate the path.  Really it is quite simple-

Tame your mind. 

Potential.

སྙིང་པོ་
Tibetan: nyingpo
English: potential, seed, womb, essence

Never having existed as anything whatsoever, 

it arises as anything at all. 

~Longchen Rabjam

There are two ways to think about potential.  One of them is that it is latent, the other that it is naturally present.  The latent approach likens potential to a seed that can gradually ripen into a fully formed fruit.  It requires effort and energy.  Drip by drip. 

The naturally present approach is a sudden encounter, a direct experience with our potential.  This can be compared to a mountain climber being introduced to a mountain, and then climbing it.

What is potential?  How can we relate to it?

It is not something tangible.  Not some thing.  It is completely pure and undefiled, beyond all expression or imagination.

Yet it is palpable, vibrant, luminous.  It is naturally and spontaneously present.

And it is responsive and dynamic.

We can learn to recognize our own potential.  We can learn to rest in that potential even amidst suffering, painful feelings and negative thoughts.  We can find rest, for that potential is the nature of our own mind and the nature of our entire world.

Everything is pure potential.  

Our practice is the tool by which we encounter our potential.  Our practice can use the latent approach, drip by drip.  Our practice can also use the naturally present approach, a direct encounter with the fullness of our potential.

Which approach do you use?
 

Homage to the nature of mind.

དཔལ་ཀུན་ཏུ་བཟང་པོ་ལ་ཕྱག་འཚལ་ལོ།

གདོད་མའི་མགོན་པོ་ཡོན་ཏན་གང་ཆེན་མཚོ།

མཁྱེན་བརྩེའི་རང་བཞིན་གཏིང་མཐའ་དཔག་ཡས་ཤིང།

རྒྱལ་བ་རྒྱལ་སྲས་ཡིད་བཞིན་འབྱུང་བའི་གནས།

ཕན་བདེའི་སྤྲིན་ཕུང་འཕྲོ་ལ་ཕྱག་འཚལ་ལོ།

འོད་གསལ་ཆོས་སྐུ་དྲི་མེད་རྒྱལ་བའི་ཁམས།

མ་རིག་འཛིན་པས་སྲིད་པ་འདིར་འཁྱམས་ཏེ།

ལས་དང་ཉོན་མོངས་མྱང་མ་ཐང་དཀྱིལ་དུ།

དུབ་པའི་སེམས་ཉིད་དེ་རིང་ངལ་གསོ་བྱ།

NAMO SHRI SAMANTABHADRA!

I pay homage to the primordial Lord, an immense ocean of precious qualities,

Whose depths of natural wisdom and compassion are beyond measure.

This wish-fulfilling jewel of the Victorious One’s and their spiritual heirs,

Gives rise to cumulus clouds of happiness and benefit for all.

The luminous clarity of the stainless dharmakaya is our own buddhanature.

Through fixation and not recognizing our own awareness, we wander in states of becoming.

Exhausted and wearied by karma and negative emotions,

Today, may we find rest in the nature of mind.

~Longchen Rabjam

From the Semnyi Ngalso

Our human dilemma.

Take a walk in a forest or park.  What do you see?

Trees and flowers of various sizes, shapes and colors.
Beautiful ones and strange ones and ugly ones too.
Look at the small details.  Feel them.  Smell them.
Perfect in all of their imperfections,
a wonderful enjoyment of natural freedom,
no need to alter, left to remain just as it is.

Then we have birds and bugs, even spiders and mice,
how amusing these creatures,
beautiful ones and strange ones and ugly ones too.
Look at their details.  Listen to them, watch them.
Perfect in all of their imperfections,
a wonderful enjoyment of natural freedom,
no need to alter, left to remain just as they are. 

And then we see humans,
how amusing indeed,
beautiful ones and strange ones and ugly ones too.
Look at their details, how do they act.  What do they say when you interact?
Could they be smarter or pick up the pace?
Could they excuse themselves for their wayward ways?
Are they agreeable, friendly and nice?
Or should they act better, c'mon remember 'Leave no trace!'
Are they perfect in all of their imperfections?
Do you enjoy their natural freedom?
If you could alter, just a tweak, would you?  Could you?

This is the root of the human dilemma,
the source of our problems, our wars and our rage.
The problem doesn't lie in the natural world,
it lies in our mind and our own faulty vision.
We won't fix it if we keep trying to fix others,
for others are too many and our time is too short.
Better to change our own lens, train our own minds,
Resolve our own faults and imperfections,
and imperfections become perfections,
a wonderful enjoyment of natural freedom.
Left to remain, just as we are.

Judgment of one, judgment of all.
Conflict in one, conflict with all.
Resolving one, we resolve all.
The essence of the path isn't to gain something new,
it is to resolve your own condition,
and rediscover your natural freedom.
Liberate one, and all is liberated,
just as it is.

Let's take a walk in the park.  

Akshobhya

OM AH HUNG AKSHOBHYA VAJRA HUNG

Akshobhya is one of the Five Family Buddhas.  

His pure land is Abhirati, Manifest Joy, representing the great joy and happiness experienced by the awakened ones.  His color is deep blue, like the depths of the ocean representing his activity of pacification.  His mudra is the earth-touching mudra symbolizing mother earth bearing witness to his victory over Mara.  His left hand rests in his lap in meditative equipoise holding a five pointed vajra.  The vajra represents the indestructible, immovable and impenetrable awakened mind which is the enlightenment of buddhahood.  

In regard to our own mind and self, Akshobhya represents the skandha of consciousness.  Consciousness serves as the basis for all of our experience, whether it is our experience of sense perceptions or our experience of mind and mental states.  Consciousness can be both non-conceptual knowing or experience or it can involve concepts and thought constructs.  It is important to recognize that the skandha of consciousness is not the forms that appears (the first skandha), it is not sensation (which is the second skandha), it is not perception (which is the third skandha) and it is not judgement or concepts themselves (which are the fourth skandha).  Consciousness as the basis of experience focuses on what is useful or what validates our sense of self and ignores whatever conflicts with what we perceive as our 'self'.  Our constant struggle to find 'who we are' involves this never ending play of the skandhas with consciousness serving as the stage in which these stories play themselves out. 

Akshobhya is the Buddha that represents completely purified aversion or aggression.  As our sense of self hardens we become more self-righteous, more opinionated and critical of others.  We become very authoritarian and assertive.  These mental states naturally encounter conflict and problems in our world and relationships which provoke anger and aggression.  This is much like being on the surface of a great ocean, the winds of change stir up great waves of emotion and we are constantly struggling to stay afloat.  Akshobhya represents the transformation of that aversion and aggression into mirror-like wisdom.  A mirror is crystal clear, empty and luminous.  It perfectly reflects whatever is placed in front of it without any distortion, manipulation or contrivance.  It holds everything but is not stained by the defects of whatever appears.  A mirror is like a completely placid ocean in which everything is perfectly reflected but you can also peer into the profound depths. 

Akshobhya rides an elephant possessed with all the major and minor marks.  A wild elephant represents the undisciplined mind and is very difficult to control and can easily cause a lot of damage.  A trained elephant is able to withstand much trauma and hardship, it can easily remove obstacles and can make its way through a thick jungle by clearing a path with its tusks of mindfulness and vigilance.  An elephant has great endurance and is unassailable by its enemies, yet it is also wise and dignified, moving with great majesty and beauty. 

When we deeply contemplate and integrate the wisdom and symbolism of Akshobhya, we can learn to transmute aversion into mirror-like wisdom.  Rather than getting caught up in situations and reacting to them, constantly fighting them like the waves of the ocean; we can relax into the depths of the ocean and experience the immovable and unshakeable depths of awakened mind.  Water seems fluid and ethereal, but it is extremely powerful and can carve out rock without requiring violence or aggression.  When we realize the indestructible nature of mind, like a mirror we can hold whatever hardship and adversity we experience, we can work with whatever problems and obstacles Mara conjures up and we can gain complete victory in the impenetrable fortress of the true nature of reality.  In this way all obstacles and negativity are naturally pacified and abiding in Abhirati, one experiences great joy and happiness at this triumph. 

It is easy for others to bear witness to this victory, because it is not stained by self-righteousness or egotism.  The holders of the indestructible awakened mind ride elephants, blazing paths where the way seemed too fraught with danger.  They move with majesty and poise and tirelessly carry others to the far shore. 

You could probably figure this out on your own.

Given the time, the discipline and the effort, you can learn and master anything.  You can start with curiosity, learn, study, read and reflect.  You could make mistakes, false starts and follow dead end paths.  You could make outlines, throw them out, rewrite them, correct them and then go back to what you read and try to see if it all matches up.

You could do all of those things, and in the end you might succeed.  You definitely would make progress and learn something.

Or you could consult an expert.

The expert could direct your efforts and attention to what is most worthwhile.  She could give you a foundation of knowledge and understanding so that you can easily build a fortress of knowledge and experience.  She would let you make mistakes, and then point out through your own experience how to improve.

Do this.  Don't do that.  

She will teach you how to connect the dots, draw out the implications.  When you are focused on the what and how, she slips in the why.  When your focus is narrow, she gives you the big picture.  When doubt and uncertainty creep in, she makes the unreasonable seem reasonable.  

You still need to put in the time, discipline and effort.  You still need to make mistakes, go back and learn, reflect and contemplate.  But you don't need to do it all by yourself.

Find yourself a good mentor.  Ask questions.  Listen.  And do the work. 

The best experts start out as amateurs. 

A prism.

When a single ray of white light enters a prism it is refracted and dispersed creating a rainbow-like effect.

Is the source light different than the dispersed light? No.
Is the source light the same as the dispersed light? No.

They differ in frequency, function, appearance and activity.  The degree to which the light is refracted depends upon the prism.  The prism doesn't create colors, it is a lens through which the qualities of the original light can be fully understood.

If your practice is the prism, what is the source light?  What is the refractive index?  What colors and qualities are refracted upon the world?

Are they the same as the source?  Are they different? 

Vairocana

OM AH HUNG BHAGAVAN VAIROCANA OM

Vairocana is one of the Five Family Buddhas.

His pure land is Akanishta, meaning Unsurpassed, representing the true nature of reality in which emptiness and dependent origination are inseparable.  His color is white, representing the activity of pacifying conflict, disease, problems and obstacles.  His hands are in the mudra of teaching the Dharma holding a Dharma Wheel, or Dharmacakra- representing the continual motion and change that forever turns and brings about transformation and development.

Vairocana is the Buddha that represents completely purified ignorance.  Ignorance is like a blank dullness, that state of unknowing where we don't know what to do to make our life meaningful.  Vairocana represents the transformation of that ignorance into the wisdom of the true nature of reality, thoroughly understanding the nature of our own mind and the world around us and how we are to unite compassion and wisdom in order to fulfill our own aims and the aims of others.     

He rides a lion possessed with all the major and minor marks.  The lion is the sovereign of all animals.  His sovereignty is not appointed by divine right or out of self-righteousness or self-promotion, it is the rightful authority to act.  To not act would be to fall from wisdom into the ignorance of selfishness and fear.  In this way, the lion is an unerring source of refuge and protection, carrying the bewildered and confused into the peaceful grove of clarity and insight. 

In regard to our own mind and self, Vairocana represents the aggregate of form.  We are all very attached to our physical bodies; how we feel, how we look.  Our fixation on our own condition and state lead us down the rabbit hole of self-grasping and ignorance, further intensifying our fear and discontentment.  As we purify this self-grasping and transmute it into wisdom and insight, we are able to break free from the confines of our own limited view and understanding.  We can embrace a larger scope.

When we deeply contemplate and integrate the wisdom and symbolism of Vairocana, we can learn how to transmute ignorance and selfishness into an opportunity for wisdom and purpose.  We are able to step outside of fear, doubt and uncertainty.  We attain the awakened form of the Buddhas that transcends the confines of place and time.  The form or shape of our life is one in which we guide, teach and lead others out of confusion and habitual patterns into wisdom and clarity.  Our body becomes like a rainbow- apparent yet empty of existing in any fixed manner- dancing like an illusion that carries out the benefit of others, teaching them how to overcome conflict and problems, setting out the path and providing the support and resources to embody their own awakened form.

To attain such a state would be unsurpassed- for not only would you have fulfilled your own aims, but you would have fulfilled the aims of others. 

Go ride that lion. 

Is this for me?

Have you ever witnessed the surprise and joy someone experiences when they discover something that was meant for them, but they previously didn't recognize was there or that it was their own?

It could be a gift, some kind of promotion, recognition or award.
It could be basic human rights- freedom, equality and the pursuit for happiness; the right to vote, to marry.
It could be their voice, their purpose, something they have to share but never recognized that it was there to be given.

The nature of our own mind is much the same.  It is right there, fully evident, but we do not recognize it and so are unable to enjoy it and experience its fulfillment.

The nature of our mind is originally pure, always and forever present.  It is flawless and unstained with nothing to improve upon.  It doesn't need to be made or cultivated, it just needs to be recognized.

It is your true nature, your innate buddhanature.
It is yours.
Enjoy it.  

A Rediscovery

Our culture values hard work.  If you want something, we go get it.  We push, train, finagle, leap, struggle, persist and pick ourselves up again and again until our aims are accomplished.  That is what we do, that is who we are.  

We do this to gain what we do not have, or to protect what we have so that we do not lose it.  

We work hard to get a new degree, a promotion, a new house or the latest gadget.  We push through the day to day resistance so that we have freedom and resources to do other things.  We persist so that we can give our kids and loved ones a future and opportunity that we ourselves did not have.  We struggle to protect them against states of loss and fear, in all its various forms.  We do it all to protect ourselves from fear and uncertainty, from poverty and loss. 

We want happiness, peace of mind, confidence and clarity.  We want to feel love and share it.  More so, we don't want to feel anxious or discontentment.  We don't want to feel like we are wasting our lives in meaningless work. 

So we work hard. 

We are used to looking outside of ourselves to acquire the things we want and to protect ourselves.  We are used to putting in a lot of effort in order to accomplish our goals, to accomplish what we don't have.  What other option do we have?

The Buddha said:

Ordinary beings are truly buddhas,
but this fact is obscured by adventitious distortions.
Once these are removed, truly there is buddhahood.

The nature of our own mind already has the qualities of peace, clarity, natural warmth and fullness.  
Being like the sky, it is boundless and unstained.  It is pure and completely open and accommodating.
Being like the sun, it has natural clarity and warmth.  Love and kindness effortlessly radiate.
Being like the moon, it dispels all darkness and is wondrous, profound peace and calm.  
Being like the earth, it is stable and firm, the source of confidence and walking with dignity.
Being like the water, it is refreshing, soothing and reinvigorating.
Being like the wind, it is the source of all movement and change, and yet there is nothing to hold onto.
Being like fire, it is luminous and warm, providing comfort and warmth.  
Being like space, it is unchanging and all-pervasive, the source from which everything arises. 

So we only need to work hard to recognize the nature of our own mind and to remove the distortions.  What are those distortions?  Confused thoughts and emotions, negative habits and mental states.  They are doubt, fear, uncertainty.  Most definitely we need to remove the ignorance of our own self-grasping, attachment and aversion.  The good news is that none of those distortions are permanent, they are but clouds that temporarily obscure the sun and the expanse of the clear, spacious sky.  

So continue to work hard but do it skillfully, knowing that which is to be eliminated and that which is to be rediscovered, our intrinsic awakened mind, our own buddhanature.  

Eyelashes in your eye.

You are not your neurosis.  You are not your flaws.
You are not your mood, your mental state, your anxiety or depression.
You are not the pain, the suffering, the highs or the lows.

Yet you identify with it because it is so prominent, so strong.  So irritating.

But you know that it is not right.

You have a basic wisdom, an inner knowing that knows it is not who you are, that this is not the way that you were meant to be.

So you look to get better.  You look to fix yourself, to improve your health, your life.  You might even look for a pill.

But before you do, let me tell you:

You've already done the hard part.

You've identified the gap.

The gap between your neurosis and your wisdom.  The gap between the energetic display and your true nature.

That may be a big step to take all at once.  But what if you stopped identifying with the neurosis, the anxiety, the pain and the discomfort?

What if you identified with the unerring and true?  What if you identified with your natural clarity and your innate goodness?  Your wisdom?

Now that you have identified the gap,
you only need to train.

The fact that you are going to work hard is irrelevant.

You are used to this for that, an equal exchange.  A profitable exchange.

Why else do you go to work each day?

Your used to working for you, your family, your loved ones and your dreams.  I get that, it is the world that we live in.  Is that any alternative?

The alternative is to be a father, a mother.

A father is unrelenting, tireless.  He cares not for his feelings.  Take me.  Every time.  Take me.
A mother is always open, accepting, loving.  No fault matters, I love you.  Always.

The alternative is that all of this- this life, this journey, this work-
is bigger than you.

Be a parent, a guardian, a grand father or mother, a friend, a son or a daughter.  Not only in your own family, but for all beings.

Both parties profit.

What am I going to get out of this?

Nothing.

Let's recognize what you already have.

Free from the distortion.