ཡེ་གྲོལ་
Tibetan: ye-drol
English: timeless freedom, liberated since the beginning, eternally free, already free
In Tibetan, there is a common metaphor for understanding the spacious awareness of rigpa, which is that of a thief entering an empty house. The meaning of the metaphor is that the thief has nothing to gain by entering an empty house, and the house has nothing to lose. When we have a decisive experience of resting in rigpa, or open presence, we experience the timeless freedom of that state and understand the significance of the metaphor.
Another way we can understand the metaphor for yedrol or timeless freedom is to imagine a room. The room accommodates everything that is taking place in the room, you might change the furniture around, make a mess, clean up, have fun with your family, or get in a vicious fight. The room accommodates it all. The spaciousness of the room is unchanging and ever-present. Recognize that for a moment, it's also your nature.
From the perspective of open presence, many things happen in our day. We are busy, dealing with problems and challenges. We are interacting with our families, friends, neighbors and community. We sit alone, we sit among others. We are silent, we are talking. We are awake, we are tired, we rest, we move. All of our day plays out in the spacious awareness of rigpa.
This awareness is timelessly free. It has never known bondage and yet within that space we have been tied up in knots and untied ourselves countless times. Distinguishing between mind and rigpa, we can see how this is possible. Mind goes through endless manifestation and fluctuation. Rigpa is beyond mind, it is the open presence in which mind plays itself out endlessly.
Getting caught up in mind, we struggle with ourselves and with the world around us. Recognizing rigpa, we recognize we are already free.
Clarify your practice. Let your practice clarify you.
Showing posts with label Great Perfection. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Great Perfection. Show all posts
Friday, March 6, 2020
Wednesday, October 9, 2019
Distinguishing mind and awareness.
When resting in the natural state it is crucial that you distinguish between resting in mind and resting in awareness. If there is any struggle, any tension, any effort or striving, you can be sure that you are still resting in mind. If you are utterly relaxed in an open, expansive presence free from reference point, then you have relaxed into the natural state and can reveal the lucid clarity of awareness.
Recognize how you deviate into mind's play of appearances. Recognize how you get hooked by thoughts or feelings. The essence of deviating from awareness is a diminished presence. Whenever we are resting in the natural state and we start to fixate, reify or grasp to our experience, that is deviation and the result is a diminished presence in which we enter into mind and mental states.
Recognize the straying. Recognize the tension or struggle setting in. Then let go. There is no other method. There are a lot of other methods involving mind, but by relying on mental fabrication we cannot escape the cage of conceptuality.
Once we can rest in the natural state by simply letting go, we need instruction on how to maintain that state. Have settled naturally, we need to maintain the continuity of that natural state, which is the next instruction on rang-nay, or naturally abiding.
Recognize how you deviate into mind's play of appearances. Recognize how you get hooked by thoughts or feelings. The essence of deviating from awareness is a diminished presence. Whenever we are resting in the natural state and we start to fixate, reify or grasp to our experience, that is deviation and the result is a diminished presence in which we enter into mind and mental states.
Recognize the straying. Recognize the tension or struggle setting in. Then let go. There is no other method. There are a lot of other methods involving mind, but by relying on mental fabrication we cannot escape the cage of conceptuality.
Once we can rest in the natural state by simply letting go, we need instruction on how to maintain that state. Have settled naturally, we need to maintain the continuity of that natural state, which is the next instruction on rang-nay, or naturally abiding.
Monday, September 23, 2019
Daylong Retreat: Resting in Nature of Mind
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Event to be held at the following time, date, and location:
Sunday, October 20, 2019 from 8:00 AM to 6:00 PM (PDT)
Private Residence
Green Lake Seattle, WA 98103 |
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Thursday, September 5, 2019
Dzogchen view and practice.
It is crucial to have a grounded understanding of the four noble truths in order to appreciate the Dzogchen view and practice. The four noble truths teach us to:
Understand the human predicament.
Let go of the arising of attachment, aversion and ignorance.
Actualize the state of cessation.
Practice the path.
In the first turning of the wheel of dharma, the Buddha did not go into great detail on the third noble truth of actualizing or beholding the state of cessation. In the first turning, the Buddha described the state of cessation as what it was free from, namely attachment, aversion and ignorance. He did not go into depth about the actual experience of that state.
In the second turning of the wheel of dharma he made it more clear by introducing the five features of emptiness, but even this is a more conceptual and elaborate way of understanding and recognizing the truth of cessation. By understanding the relative and ultimate truth, we can better understand the nature of the mind and gain clarity about the resultant state of the nature of our own mind.
In the third turning, the Buddha explicitly described the truth of cessation, introducing the tathagatagarbha or buddha heart. By understanding our primordial state as originally pure and ever-present, the resultant state is not something newly acquired but instead something that we come to recognize or reawaken. It is as though we have lost something for a long time, only to find it and at that same moment experience complete resolution and certainty.
The third turning of the wheel of dharma and the teachings on the tathagata-garbha opened the door to the Vajrayana, including practices like Buddhist tantra, Mahamudra and Dzogchen. Tantra introduced the buddha heart as something to purify and transform. It is only in Mahamudra and Dzogchen that we find the completely unelaborate introduction to the nature of the mind itself as the basis of the path. While Mahamudra and Dzogchen are similar in many aspects, they do have critical differences in terms of method of introduction and differences in working with the resultant state of awareness.
Dzogchen, or the Great Perfection, is a direct introduction to our primordial state of authentic presence, our intrinsic awareness or rigpa in Tibetan. However, being introduced to rigpa is not enough, we must engage in the practice of Dzogchen in order to actualize the resultant state of awareness. Garab Dorje introduces the Dzogchen path in this Three Statements that Strike the Vital Point:
One is introduced directly to one's true nature,
Be decisive about this unique state,
Continue directly with confidence in liberation.
The teacher directly introduces the student to their intrinsic awareness, or rigpa, which is the primordial state of authentic presence. There are many methods and teachings which can introduce rigpa, my own teacher Younge Khachab Rinpoche wrote a short mind treasure entitled Drop of Secret Nectar which introduces the primordial state of rigpa. When one has recognized rigpa in their own experience, they can study Longchenpa's Way of Abiding to gain a deeper understanding of that state as the four samayas of Dzogchen.
After one has been introduced to rigpa and recognized that primordial state of being, you need to be decisive about this unique state. This can only be resolved through the practice of meditation, in which you work with and resolve all that appears and exists. As you learn to work with the unceasing display of the primordial state, you move through the practices of trekchod to come to a decisive experience of one's own nature as the unborn awakened mind, or ultimate bodhicitta. Longchenpa's masterpiece on coming to the decisive experience of awakened mind can be found in the first nine chapters of the Choying Dzod, the Treasury of the Basic Space of Phenomena.
Having come to a decisive experience of rigpa, our own primordial state of authentic presence, one perfects the practice of trekchod and the practice of thogal naturally unfolds as one continues with confidence in liberation. Much can be said about the practice of thogal, and of course their are books to read, but by the time you get to this state in your practice you recognize that you already have all the teachings you need. You have been decisive after all, haven't you?
The easiest part of Dzogchen is the introduction. You can get introduced to your own awareness as the primordial state of being. You can be introduced to the result, the truth of cessation, directly, in your own experience. Many do, and then they leave it at that. Off to the next thing. Just like meeting a person and then later forgetting their name, the introduction itself it not enough.
The hardest part of Dzogchen is to be decisive about this unique state. That second point of Garab Dorje's. Padmasambhava, the "Guru Rinpoche" who brought the Vajrayana to Tibet, spent twelve years contemplating Dzogchen in the charnel grounds of India after he was introduced to his primordial state by Shri Singha. Twelve years for one of the greatest Dzogchen masters. If you want to practice Dzogchen, much less realize the natural Great Perfection, you need to meditate. Demand clarity in your practice. Demand confidence in your realization. Be decisive. Then you continue with confidence in liberation, which connects back to the fourth noble truth. Practice the path.
An important aside: it is probably going to help if you have a good teacher and some supporting companions on this journey. You know where to find us.
Understand the human predicament.
Let go of the arising of attachment, aversion and ignorance.
Actualize the state of cessation.
Practice the path.
In the first turning of the wheel of dharma, the Buddha did not go into great detail on the third noble truth of actualizing or beholding the state of cessation. In the first turning, the Buddha described the state of cessation as what it was free from, namely attachment, aversion and ignorance. He did not go into depth about the actual experience of that state.
In the second turning of the wheel of dharma he made it more clear by introducing the five features of emptiness, but even this is a more conceptual and elaborate way of understanding and recognizing the truth of cessation. By understanding the relative and ultimate truth, we can better understand the nature of the mind and gain clarity about the resultant state of the nature of our own mind.
In the third turning, the Buddha explicitly described the truth of cessation, introducing the tathagatagarbha or buddha heart. By understanding our primordial state as originally pure and ever-present, the resultant state is not something newly acquired but instead something that we come to recognize or reawaken. It is as though we have lost something for a long time, only to find it and at that same moment experience complete resolution and certainty.
The third turning of the wheel of dharma and the teachings on the tathagata-garbha opened the door to the Vajrayana, including practices like Buddhist tantra, Mahamudra and Dzogchen. Tantra introduced the buddha heart as something to purify and transform. It is only in Mahamudra and Dzogchen that we find the completely unelaborate introduction to the nature of the mind itself as the basis of the path. While Mahamudra and Dzogchen are similar in many aspects, they do have critical differences in terms of method of introduction and differences in working with the resultant state of awareness.
Dzogchen, or the Great Perfection, is a direct introduction to our primordial state of authentic presence, our intrinsic awareness or rigpa in Tibetan. However, being introduced to rigpa is not enough, we must engage in the practice of Dzogchen in order to actualize the resultant state of awareness. Garab Dorje introduces the Dzogchen path in this Three Statements that Strike the Vital Point:
One is introduced directly to one's true nature,
Be decisive about this unique state,
Continue directly with confidence in liberation.
The teacher directly introduces the student to their intrinsic awareness, or rigpa, which is the primordial state of authentic presence. There are many methods and teachings which can introduce rigpa, my own teacher Younge Khachab Rinpoche wrote a short mind treasure entitled Drop of Secret Nectar which introduces the primordial state of rigpa. When one has recognized rigpa in their own experience, they can study Longchenpa's Way of Abiding to gain a deeper understanding of that state as the four samayas of Dzogchen.
After one has been introduced to rigpa and recognized that primordial state of being, you need to be decisive about this unique state. This can only be resolved through the practice of meditation, in which you work with and resolve all that appears and exists. As you learn to work with the unceasing display of the primordial state, you move through the practices of trekchod to come to a decisive experience of one's own nature as the unborn awakened mind, or ultimate bodhicitta. Longchenpa's masterpiece on coming to the decisive experience of awakened mind can be found in the first nine chapters of the Choying Dzod, the Treasury of the Basic Space of Phenomena.
Having come to a decisive experience of rigpa, our own primordial state of authentic presence, one perfects the practice of trekchod and the practice of thogal naturally unfolds as one continues with confidence in liberation. Much can be said about the practice of thogal, and of course their are books to read, but by the time you get to this state in your practice you recognize that you already have all the teachings you need. You have been decisive after all, haven't you?
The easiest part of Dzogchen is the introduction. You can get introduced to your own awareness as the primordial state of being. You can be introduced to the result, the truth of cessation, directly, in your own experience. Many do, and then they leave it at that. Off to the next thing. Just like meeting a person and then later forgetting their name, the introduction itself it not enough.
The hardest part of Dzogchen is to be decisive about this unique state. That second point of Garab Dorje's. Padmasambhava, the "Guru Rinpoche" who brought the Vajrayana to Tibet, spent twelve years contemplating Dzogchen in the charnel grounds of India after he was introduced to his primordial state by Shri Singha. Twelve years for one of the greatest Dzogchen masters. If you want to practice Dzogchen, much less realize the natural Great Perfection, you need to meditate. Demand clarity in your practice. Demand confidence in your realization. Be decisive. Then you continue with confidence in liberation, which connects back to the fourth noble truth. Practice the path.
An important aside: it is probably going to help if you have a good teacher and some supporting companions on this journey. You know where to find us.
Saturday, December 8, 2018
Upcoming Meditation Workshop
You are invited to the following event:
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Event to be held at the following time, date, and location:
Sunday, December 9, 2018 from 10:00 AM to 12:00 PM (PST)
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Monday, January 22, 2018
Where does one go?
The tathagata-garbha. The Buddha heart.
The Buddha taught that all beings are Buddhas, but that this is obscured by temporary defilements and obscurations. Just as a treasure buried under the earth, or a precious statue wrapped in a dirty cloth, once the obscuring factors are removed the treasure can be enjoyed in all its splendor.
But what is this Buddha heart and how can we come to experience it?
The Buddha taught many different vehicles by which we can actualize and realize this Buddha heart. The Mahayana sutras describe the tathagata-garbha as a seed or potential, which we can cultivate and nourish until it becomes manifest and bears fruit. The Vajrayana, or resultant vehicle, describes the tathagata-garbha as being fully manifest since beginningless time, but obscured and unrecognized. The Vajrayana employs various skillful means to try to purify and remove these obscurations. Within the Vajrayana vehicle, the highest understanding of the tathagata-garbha is understood within the Dzogchen tradition.
Dzogchen, or the Great Perfection, describes the tathagata-garbha as being timelessly liberated. There is nothing to change, manipulate or improve. The true nature of reality is perfect just as it is, there is nothing to purify, nothing to cultivate, nothing to attain. Failing to recognize this true nature, we wander in and out of various mental states. Recognizing this, one is primordially free.
Where does one go when they have actualized the tathagata-garbha?
Tathagata is a name for the Buddha, which means 'One who has thus gone', 'Beyond coming and going' or "One who has gone to the true nature'. Garbha means heart, essence or womb. So one who has actualized the tathagata-garbha is the 'heart of one who has gone beyond', or the 'heart of one who has gone to the true nature'.
The tathagata-garbha is beyond mind. It is not the coming and goings of our mind. It is not an idea or a projection of what should be. It is not a belief or a philosophy. It is not 'in your head'. Awakening isn't in your head- its embodied, manifest.
The practitioner of Dzogchen is introduced directly to awareness beyond mind. The are introduced to the timelessly liberated natural state of being. Once introduced to this unique state, the practitioner clarifies doubt and uncertainty about this unique state, until they have truly gone beyond to the true nature. Then, they can continue with confidence in liberation. As Garab Dorje wrote in his Three Words that Strike the Essential Point:
One is introduced directly to one's true nature,
Be decisive about this unique state,
Continue directly with confidence in liberation.
Or as Garab Dorje also states:
Mind's nature is and always has been Buddha,
it is neither born nor ceases, like space.
When you realize the authentic meaning of the equality of all things,
To remain in that state without effort is meditation.
The Buddha taught that all beings are Buddhas, but that this is obscured by temporary defilements and obscurations. Just as a treasure buried under the earth, or a precious statue wrapped in a dirty cloth, once the obscuring factors are removed the treasure can be enjoyed in all its splendor.
But what is this Buddha heart and how can we come to experience it?
The Buddha taught many different vehicles by which we can actualize and realize this Buddha heart. The Mahayana sutras describe the tathagata-garbha as a seed or potential, which we can cultivate and nourish until it becomes manifest and bears fruit. The Vajrayana, or resultant vehicle, describes the tathagata-garbha as being fully manifest since beginningless time, but obscured and unrecognized. The Vajrayana employs various skillful means to try to purify and remove these obscurations. Within the Vajrayana vehicle, the highest understanding of the tathagata-garbha is understood within the Dzogchen tradition.
Dzogchen, or the Great Perfection, describes the tathagata-garbha as being timelessly liberated. There is nothing to change, manipulate or improve. The true nature of reality is perfect just as it is, there is nothing to purify, nothing to cultivate, nothing to attain. Failing to recognize this true nature, we wander in and out of various mental states. Recognizing this, one is primordially free.
Where does one go when they have actualized the tathagata-garbha?
Tathagata is a name for the Buddha, which means 'One who has thus gone', 'Beyond coming and going' or "One who has gone to the true nature'. Garbha means heart, essence or womb. So one who has actualized the tathagata-garbha is the 'heart of one who has gone beyond', or the 'heart of one who has gone to the true nature'.
The tathagata-garbha is beyond mind. It is not the coming and goings of our mind. It is not an idea or a projection of what should be. It is not a belief or a philosophy. It is not 'in your head'. Awakening isn't in your head- its embodied, manifest.
The practitioner of Dzogchen is introduced directly to awareness beyond mind. The are introduced to the timelessly liberated natural state of being. Once introduced to this unique state, the practitioner clarifies doubt and uncertainty about this unique state, until they have truly gone beyond to the true nature. Then, they can continue with confidence in liberation. As Garab Dorje wrote in his Three Words that Strike the Essential Point:
One is introduced directly to one's true nature,
Be decisive about this unique state,
Continue directly with confidence in liberation.
Or as Garab Dorje also states:
Mind's nature is and always has been Buddha,
it is neither born nor ceases, like space.
When you realize the authentic meaning of the equality of all things,
To remain in that state without effort is meditation.
Friday, October 20, 2017
Goals for the state of unification.
The state of unification has two main goals:
1. Recognize the error of subtle dullness.
2. Persevere in the practice until effortless mindfulness unfolds.
As we gain stability in the immovable state, our practice transitions to the state of unification. Now we have considerable stability in our meditation. We are no longer bound by fixation on appearances such as thoughts, sounds and sensations. We strive to remain in this uncontrived, open presence for as long as we can, but the practice still requires a degree of effort at this state to eliminate potential errors.
The biggest error at this state is to confuse resting in rigpa with resting in the alaya-vijnana, or the foundational consciousness. The alaya consciousness is the unconscious aspect of our mind, in which reside our habit patterns, memories, karmic imprints, and various unconscious sense perceptions and emotional and cognitive obscurations.
We can rest in the alaya consciousness, which has a knowing aspect, but lacks clarity and vividness. Resting in the alaya consciousness is often stable and free from thought, and may even have a pleasant, peaceful feeling. This can also be described as being similar to daydreaming, where you are awake, but not really, as the mind drifts in and out of various mental states.
We should recognize these signs of subtle dullness in our meditation and make an effort to correct for them when we see them. As a precursor to these signs of subtle dullness, often we can notice vigilance starting to wane and lose its alertness. Oftentimes though, by the time we notice vigilant awareness waning we are already on the slippery slope of being caught up in subtle dullness. It may even be necessary to move around a little, refresh yourself and settle back into meditation.
Knowing the errors of subtle dullness in our meditation, we simply must persevere in our practice. During the state of unification, we will experience many states of bliss, clarity and non-conceptuality, as well as many sessions where nothing seems to be happening at all. Stick with the practice. Continue to apply effort and be diligent. Don't let doubt, uncertainty and boredom create rifts in your practice.
As you are able to sustain and deepen your practice of resting in the uncontrived, natural state, eventually the effort of mindfulness falls away and you enter the effortless state of equanimity- a vast, limpid ocean of awareness.
1. Recognize the error of subtle dullness.
2. Persevere in the practice until effortless mindfulness unfolds.
As we gain stability in the immovable state, our practice transitions to the state of unification. Now we have considerable stability in our meditation. We are no longer bound by fixation on appearances such as thoughts, sounds and sensations. We strive to remain in this uncontrived, open presence for as long as we can, but the practice still requires a degree of effort at this state to eliminate potential errors.
The biggest error at this state is to confuse resting in rigpa with resting in the alaya-vijnana, or the foundational consciousness. The alaya consciousness is the unconscious aspect of our mind, in which reside our habit patterns, memories, karmic imprints, and various unconscious sense perceptions and emotional and cognitive obscurations.
We can rest in the alaya consciousness, which has a knowing aspect, but lacks clarity and vividness. Resting in the alaya consciousness is often stable and free from thought, and may even have a pleasant, peaceful feeling. This can also be described as being similar to daydreaming, where you are awake, but not really, as the mind drifts in and out of various mental states.
We should recognize these signs of subtle dullness in our meditation and make an effort to correct for them when we see them. As a precursor to these signs of subtle dullness, often we can notice vigilance starting to wane and lose its alertness. Oftentimes though, by the time we notice vigilant awareness waning we are already on the slippery slope of being caught up in subtle dullness. It may even be necessary to move around a little, refresh yourself and settle back into meditation.
Knowing the errors of subtle dullness in our meditation, we simply must persevere in our practice. During the state of unification, we will experience many states of bliss, clarity and non-conceptuality, as well as many sessions where nothing seems to be happening at all. Stick with the practice. Continue to apply effort and be diligent. Don't let doubt, uncertainty and boredom create rifts in your practice.
As you are able to sustain and deepen your practice of resting in the uncontrived, natural state, eventually the effort of mindfulness falls away and you enter the effortless state of equanimity- a vast, limpid ocean of awareness.
Tuesday, October 17, 2017
Unique Dzogchen Mindfulness and Vigilance
Everyone is familiar with mindfulness. Mindfulness is often described as focus or attention directed towards a particular object. We can be mindful of our breath, mindful of the way we walk or our daily activities, like washing the dishes. In this sense, mindfulness is synonymous with attention or focus.
Jon Kabat-Zinn defines mindfulness as paying attention on purpose, in the present and without judgment. That is a useful definition, but again here the indirect meaning is that we are paying attention to some thing.
In Dzogchen we also employ mindfulness, but in Dzogchen there is no object of focus. The practice of Dzogchen is said to be without support.
How do we be mindful, but not mindful of any thing?
We can define mindfulness in the Dzogchen tradition as an uncontrived, open presence free from judgment.
It is uncontrived because we are not directing our attention towards anything in particular and we are not trying to make anything happen. It is open presence because we are alert and aware, here and now. It is without judgment because we are not concerned with the contents of what is arising in our experience, whether it is good or bad, painful or pleasurable.
We simply rest in uncontrived, open presence free from judgment.
At first this takes a lot of effort. The habitual instincts of our mind is to be engrossed and fixate on our experience. We chase after sights and sounds. We follow trails of thought and get caught up in a web of stories. Our attention picks out objects, clings to them and gets caught up in distraction. This is where vigilance comes into play.
Vigilance is a clear, alert peripheral awareness that guards our meditation. Vigilance can be both extrospective and introspective awareness. We are aware of various appearances to our senses, but we also clearly see the array of thoughts and emotions coming up in our internal experience. In this way, vigilance is like a transparent looking glass, it sees everything but doesn't react to it. It is mindfulness which does the fine tuning, when it is necessary.
Vigilance notices when our attention has strayed towards an object or appearance. Noting that we have strayed, we use mindfulness to again rest in the uncontrived, natural state. As we train ourselves to rest in the natural state, the wandering of attention becomes less and less, eventually giving way to effortless mindfulness.
In effortless mindfulness, the strength of vigilance becomes further intensified and more powerful. It is like a sharp razor that cuts through appearances in all their variety. As we continue our training, eventually effortless mindfulness gives way to baseless mindfulness and the actual path of Dzogchen.
Jon Kabat-Zinn defines mindfulness as paying attention on purpose, in the present and without judgment. That is a useful definition, but again here the indirect meaning is that we are paying attention to some thing.
In Dzogchen we also employ mindfulness, but in Dzogchen there is no object of focus. The practice of Dzogchen is said to be without support.
How do we be mindful, but not mindful of any thing?
We can define mindfulness in the Dzogchen tradition as an uncontrived, open presence free from judgment.
It is uncontrived because we are not directing our attention towards anything in particular and we are not trying to make anything happen. It is open presence because we are alert and aware, here and now. It is without judgment because we are not concerned with the contents of what is arising in our experience, whether it is good or bad, painful or pleasurable.
We simply rest in uncontrived, open presence free from judgment.
At first this takes a lot of effort. The habitual instincts of our mind is to be engrossed and fixate on our experience. We chase after sights and sounds. We follow trails of thought and get caught up in a web of stories. Our attention picks out objects, clings to them and gets caught up in distraction. This is where vigilance comes into play.
Vigilance is a clear, alert peripheral awareness that guards our meditation. Vigilance can be both extrospective and introspective awareness. We are aware of various appearances to our senses, but we also clearly see the array of thoughts and emotions coming up in our internal experience. In this way, vigilance is like a transparent looking glass, it sees everything but doesn't react to it. It is mindfulness which does the fine tuning, when it is necessary.
Vigilance notices when our attention has strayed towards an object or appearance. Noting that we have strayed, we use mindfulness to again rest in the uncontrived, natural state. As we train ourselves to rest in the natural state, the wandering of attention becomes less and less, eventually giving way to effortless mindfulness.
In effortless mindfulness, the strength of vigilance becomes further intensified and more powerful. It is like a sharp razor that cuts through appearances in all their variety. As we continue our training, eventually effortless mindfulness gives way to baseless mindfulness and the actual path of Dzogchen.
Monday, October 9, 2017
Symbols for awakened mind.
A mirror perfectly reflects anything that is placed in front of it. The various aspects of color, shape and qualities is complete just as it is. Because the mirror is clear, there is no distortion. Whether the object is pure or contaminated, the mirror is not improved upon or brought to ruin.
So it is with awareness.
Space is without support and never comes into existence. It does not abide in any way and it is utterly beyond all description. Yet, anything and everything comes and goes within the sphere of space. Space is not defiled by the arising of impure phenomena. Space is not made more pure by the arising of pure phenomena. It is unchanging, completely unbiased, and encompasses all.
So it is with awareness.
The sun is forever utterly lucid, unobscured and radiant. The sun and its rays are inseparable, they do not come together or separate. Where there are light rays there is no darkness and warmth is felt without bias or expectation.
So it is with awareness.
So it is with awareness.
Space is without support and never comes into existence. It does not abide in any way and it is utterly beyond all description. Yet, anything and everything comes and goes within the sphere of space. Space is not defiled by the arising of impure phenomena. Space is not made more pure by the arising of pure phenomena. It is unchanging, completely unbiased, and encompasses all.
So it is with awareness.
The sun is forever utterly lucid, unobscured and radiant. The sun and its rays are inseparable, they do not come together or separate. Where there are light rays there is no darkness and warmth is felt without bias or expectation.
So it is with awareness.
Friday, October 6, 2017
Spontaneous Presence.
Within the expanse of spontaneous presence is the ground for all that arises.
Empty in essence, continuous by nature,
it has never existed as anything whatsoever, yet arises as anything at all.
Within the expanse of the three kayas, although samsara and nirvana arise naturally,
they do not stray from basic space- such is the blissful realm that is the true nature of phenomena.
Longchen Rabjam, from the Choying Dzod
When we enter into the state of spontaneous presence in our meditation, we have arrived at naked awareness beyond mind. This is the actual introduction to rigpa. Our teacher introduces rigpa through language and signs, but the actual introduction is based on our own experience. That is the real introduction.
The expanse of spontaneous presence is baseless. We say that it is baseless because there is no ground, there are no concepts about emptiness or the way things exist. The spontaneously present luminosity of the mind is not divided into subject or object, there is no distinction between meditation and post-meditation, no distraction by thoughts, appearances or emotions. Everything dawns as the ornament of awareness, which is itself nothing at all. Longchenpa's quote captures how this single expanse of awareness, which is timelessly pure and spontaneously present, manifests as all that appears and exists whether it is of samsara or nirvana.
Once we have been directly introduced to this unique state of the natural Great Perfection, our own awareness, we need to gain certainty and perfect its potentiality. To stop here, having been introduced, is not enough. We need to resolve all doubts and uncertainty in order to be decisive about this unique state, not to mention the uncertainty with how to work with this within the world. Once we can carry on this conviction regardless of what is coming up in our experience, whether on the cushion or off, then we can continue with confidence in liberation.
The great master Longchen Rabjam in his Choying Dzod, the Basic Space of Phenomena, skillfully lays out this path of resolution. He takes a look at questions like:
How do we account for ordinary and pure appearances?
How are we to understand different types of beings?
How do we approach confusion and suffering?
How are we to understand this unique state of the awakened mind?
How do we understand karma and dependent origination from this unique perspective?
Where are the potential errors and pitfalls in this approach?
What brings accomplishment, what is accomplishment?
How is this different than buddhahood? How is it the same?
Once we have come to a decisive experience that everything is subsumed by the expanse of awareness, we continue with confidence in liberation. The way in which we come to that decisive experience is through the practice of trekchod and thogal, which are the two paths of training in the practice of Dzogchen.
Wednesday, October 4, 2017
Equanimity.
The four foundations of Dzogchen naturally unfold in our meditation if we are able to maintain the uncontrived natural state. Each stage is marked not by a sense of accomplishment or progress being made, but rather by what we are not able to resolve in our meditation or where we are getting stuck.
Initially, we are distracted by the play of appearances and the diverse experiences that arise in our meditation. As we gain agility in working with appearances, we can have a very clear appreciation of our meditation moving from the immovable state to single-pointedly abiding in rigpa. As we continue to cut through dualistic appearances and to not fall prey to subtle distraction or dullness, the single-pointed state becomes like a vast limpid ocean. This is the state of equanimity.
In the state of equanimity, stability and clarity are equal. Whatever arises in our meditation is equal in being the dynamic energy of awareness, or rigpa tsal.
There is no need for other methods. There is no doubt, no excitement. Everything is equal.
Clarity and dullness are equal in nature, equal in experience. Clarity and emptiness are equal. Stability and clarity are equal.
Often in meditation, too much stability can lead to dullness. Here, abiding in equanimity, stability induces clarity.
Often in meditation, too much clarity can lead to agitation. Here, abiding in equanimity, clarity induces stability.
It is here that the subtle Dzogchen mindfulness that we employed moves from effort to effortless. Mindfulness here is really mindfulness of the instruction, of the pointing out. While previously, as we struggled to resolve appearances, we employed a subtle mindfulness that allowed us to cut through appearances. Here, that mindfulness becomes completely effortless.
As we gain greater stability in the state of equanimity, we eventually cut through to baseless spontaneous presence, naked awareness beyond mind.
Initially, we are distracted by the play of appearances and the diverse experiences that arise in our meditation. As we gain agility in working with appearances, we can have a very clear appreciation of our meditation moving from the immovable state to single-pointedly abiding in rigpa. As we continue to cut through dualistic appearances and to not fall prey to subtle distraction or dullness, the single-pointed state becomes like a vast limpid ocean. This is the state of equanimity.
In the state of equanimity, stability and clarity are equal. Whatever arises in our meditation is equal in being the dynamic energy of awareness, or rigpa tsal.
There is no need for other methods. There is no doubt, no excitement. Everything is equal.
Clarity and dullness are equal in nature, equal in experience. Clarity and emptiness are equal. Stability and clarity are equal.
Often in meditation, too much stability can lead to dullness. Here, abiding in equanimity, stability induces clarity.
Often in meditation, too much clarity can lead to agitation. Here, abiding in equanimity, clarity induces stability.
It is here that the subtle Dzogchen mindfulness that we employed moves from effort to effortless. Mindfulness here is really mindfulness of the instruction, of the pointing out. While previously, as we struggled to resolve appearances, we employed a subtle mindfulness that allowed us to cut through appearances. Here, that mindfulness becomes completely effortless.
As we gain greater stability in the state of equanimity, we eventually cut through to baseless spontaneous presence, naked awareness beyond mind.
Thursday, July 20, 2017
Stillness within movement.
Settle the mind. Let it rest naturally. Let it rest in its own place.
Let go of any thoughts or stories playing out in your head. Let go of your plans and projects. Simply rest in open presence.
Calm, peaceful, expansive presence.
Stillness.
Within that stillness,
thoughts will drift like tumbling leaves,
sensations will burst forth and disappear like water bubbles,
voices and sounds reverberate like an echo in a canyon.
Movement within stillness.
Nothing to do, simply rest.
Movement is free in its own place, naturally freed without having to do anything.
Resting deeply, we become like a vast ocean of equanimity; the variety of sights, sounds and thoughts rise and fall, yet we remain unmoved in the expanse of naturally settled meditation.
Resting deeply in stillness we can accommodate movement without being disturbed. Gaining proficiency with movement within stillness, we can begin to recognize stillness within movement.
Extending an arm, lifting a glass, walking, conversing, working. All thoughts, expressions and movement manifest as a grand play of awareness.
There is no need to fight or struggle, movement doesn't destroy stillness, it enhances awareness.
Don't bind your mind to stillness. Don't block movement. The inseparability of stillness and movement is the wisdom mind of pristine awareness, the natural Great Perfection.
Let go of any thoughts or stories playing out in your head. Let go of your plans and projects. Simply rest in open presence.
Calm, peaceful, expansive presence.
Stillness.
Within that stillness,
thoughts will drift like tumbling leaves,
sensations will burst forth and disappear like water bubbles,
voices and sounds reverberate like an echo in a canyon.
Movement within stillness.
Nothing to do, simply rest.
Movement is free in its own place, naturally freed without having to do anything.
Resting deeply, we become like a vast ocean of equanimity; the variety of sights, sounds and thoughts rise and fall, yet we remain unmoved in the expanse of naturally settled meditation.
Resting deeply in stillness we can accommodate movement without being disturbed. Gaining proficiency with movement within stillness, we can begin to recognize stillness within movement.
Extending an arm, lifting a glass, walking, conversing, working. All thoughts, expressions and movement manifest as a grand play of awareness.
There is no need to fight or struggle, movement doesn't destroy stillness, it enhances awareness.
Don't bind your mind to stillness. Don't block movement. The inseparability of stillness and movement is the wisdom mind of pristine awareness, the natural Great Perfection.
Friday, July 22, 2016
Missing the fullness.
If you have been around meditation circles long enough you will start to hear people say, "Meditation is boring, and that's just part of the experience."
Well, that's kind of true.
Once the monkey mind settles down and you achieve some kind of calm abiding or shamatha meditation, meditation itself can seem kind of boring. You have passed one milestone and settled into some kind of space, but you are missing one key ingredient.
Compassion.
Compassion you say? Of course I have compassion and generate the wish to benefit others through my practice.
Well, that's also kind of true.
You have the aspiration, but are you actually embodying compassion? Free from a physical act, what does compassion look like?
Openness embodied. Without center or limit, free of all reference points and elaboration.
Openness embodied is alive. It is vibrant, luminous. A spacious expanse. It is blissful, full.
The state of completely open awareness is the embodiment of grace. Grace, embodied.
Recognize boredom for what it is, a reference point for you and your experience. Get a bigger bucket.
Well, that's kind of true.
Once the monkey mind settles down and you achieve some kind of calm abiding or shamatha meditation, meditation itself can seem kind of boring. You have passed one milestone and settled into some kind of space, but you are missing one key ingredient.
Compassion.
Compassion you say? Of course I have compassion and generate the wish to benefit others through my practice.
Well, that's also kind of true.
You have the aspiration, but are you actually embodying compassion? Free from a physical act, what does compassion look like?
Openness embodied. Without center or limit, free of all reference points and elaboration.
Openness embodied is alive. It is vibrant, luminous. A spacious expanse. It is blissful, full.
The state of completely open awareness is the embodiment of grace. Grace, embodied.
Recognize boredom for what it is, a reference point for you and your experience. Get a bigger bucket.
Friday, July 15, 2016
Change without change.
The spacious sky is unchanging, accommodating unending movement in the form of weather fronts, cumulus clouds modeled in apparitional forms, various life forms coming and going.
Constantly changing, yet without change.
The vast oceans are unchanging, accommodating wave after wave, teeming with life and biodiversity.
Constantly changing, yet without change.
The market squares are unchanging, accommodating various vendors coming and going, pedestrians and dogs, birds scrambling to catch a crumb, regulars and travelers, rich and poor.
Constantly changing, yet without change.
This characteristic of change without change is known as symmetry in physics. It is beautiful and it is all around us, the nature of reality and the nature of our own mind.
To appreciate it, you only need to rest in a silent awareness.
The expanse of awareness is unchanging, accommodating all that appears and exists, an endless dance of appearances, days and nights come and go, yet not a single moment comes to pass.
Constantly changing, yet without change.
Constantly changing, yet without change.
The vast oceans are unchanging, accommodating wave after wave, teeming with life and biodiversity.
Constantly changing, yet without change.
The market squares are unchanging, accommodating various vendors coming and going, pedestrians and dogs, birds scrambling to catch a crumb, regulars and travelers, rich and poor.
Constantly changing, yet without change.
This characteristic of change without change is known as symmetry in physics. It is beautiful and it is all around us, the nature of reality and the nature of our own mind.
To appreciate it, you only need to rest in a silent awareness.
The expanse of awareness is unchanging, accommodating all that appears and exists, an endless dance of appearances, days and nights come and go, yet not a single moment comes to pass.
Constantly changing, yet without change.
Wednesday, May 25, 2016
Our biggest challenge.
We are all looking for resolution to the problems in our life.
Disease cured.
Work done.
Problem solved.
But resolution is momentary, impermanent. Something is always arising.
Problems keep coming up, more work needs to be done. Aging, sickness and death continues to play itself out.
Our struggle is with the unresolved state. It is uncomfortable, unpredictable, worrisome. Not knowing how to work with it, we seek solutions in order to escape the unease.
Our biggest challenge is learning how to work with the unresolved state.
Let's change how we orient ourselves to resolution.
Resolution does not equal done.
Resolution is allowing whatever is coming up to be free in its own place.
By changing our orientation we can work with whatever is coming up without being pushed over the edge. The problem might not be solvable, maybe not even for many ages, but we simply work with our situation as it is.
Then problems and illness become methods by which we engage in our practice of resolving whatever arises. Resolving into their own place, we don't experience dissatisfaction from fighting against them. We can occupy a space of presence, clarity and ease. We allow for moments of enjoyment and reflection. Generosity and abundance become possible amidst unfortunate conditions.
The best part of learning to resolve phenomena in their own place is that we can enjoy the fruit of our practice now, not some day in the distant future when all of our problems are solved.
Disease cured.
Work done.
Problem solved.
But resolution is momentary, impermanent. Something is always arising.
Problems keep coming up, more work needs to be done. Aging, sickness and death continues to play itself out.
Our struggle is with the unresolved state. It is uncomfortable, unpredictable, worrisome. Not knowing how to work with it, we seek solutions in order to escape the unease.
Our biggest challenge is learning how to work with the unresolved state.
Let's change how we orient ourselves to resolution.
Resolution does not equal done.
Resolution is allowing whatever is coming up to be free in its own place.
By changing our orientation we can work with whatever is coming up without being pushed over the edge. The problem might not be solvable, maybe not even for many ages, but we simply work with our situation as it is.
Then problems and illness become methods by which we engage in our practice of resolving whatever arises. Resolving into their own place, we don't experience dissatisfaction from fighting against them. We can occupy a space of presence, clarity and ease. We allow for moments of enjoyment and reflection. Generosity and abundance become possible amidst unfortunate conditions.
The best part of learning to resolve phenomena in their own place is that we can enjoy the fruit of our practice now, not some day in the distant future when all of our problems are solved.
Wednesday, February 3, 2016
Heavy.
Guru.
The word guru has a really negative connotation in the West. We have a natural distaste for it. It could be our Judeo-Christian upbringing. It could be due to the fact that we don't like to put others above us. It could be a lot of things, but we are missing one important point.
A guru is a spiritual teacher. Our spiritual teacher. My spiritual teacher.
That is not a title that comes easily. It is not and should not be easily given. Very few deserve this title, regardless of their achievements or renown.
When we think of spiritual teachers that impact our life, we think of Martin Luther King Jr, Mother Theresa, the Dalai Lama, Mahatma Gandhi. These are people that have impacted us as a society and we can receive their wisdom, their truth. We can digest it and make it our own. They are spiritual teachers and we could have a strong connection with them, but in most cases it is often a safe connection. Safe in the sense that we can enjoy their teachings and their message from the privacy of our own comfort zone. We don't need to extend ourselves at all, we don't need to form a connection, we can just stay in our comfort zone.
The Tibetan word for Guru is Lama. Lama has a connotation of being heavy, or serious. Seriously heavy.
Heavy in this sense doesn't mean a burden on one's shoulders. Heavy means that you can never pay back the impact that your spiritual teacher has had on your life. You can never pay back the impact they have had on your mind and how they have transformed your path.
We don't worship the guru as an idol. You shouldn't worship a guru as an idol. We pay reverence to the spiritual teacher because they have impacted our life and our life is precious. Their generosity, their kindness, has transformed our being.
We aren't the same because of them. We will never be the same because of them and their teachings. We can only work from this point. We move forward and we hope to repay their kindness.
We become the working basis. We become the teaching. Each step. One by one. We start out as a likeness of their generosity and kindness, until the likeness becomes inseparable and we become generosity and kindness.
Then there is nothing left to hold onto, nothing left to repay and no one to repay to. Everything is complete. Your mind and the guru's mind inseparable.
The word guru has a really negative connotation in the West. We have a natural distaste for it. It could be our Judeo-Christian upbringing. It could be due to the fact that we don't like to put others above us. It could be a lot of things, but we are missing one important point.
A guru is a spiritual teacher. Our spiritual teacher. My spiritual teacher.
That is not a title that comes easily. It is not and should not be easily given. Very few deserve this title, regardless of their achievements or renown.
When we think of spiritual teachers that impact our life, we think of Martin Luther King Jr, Mother Theresa, the Dalai Lama, Mahatma Gandhi. These are people that have impacted us as a society and we can receive their wisdom, their truth. We can digest it and make it our own. They are spiritual teachers and we could have a strong connection with them, but in most cases it is often a safe connection. Safe in the sense that we can enjoy their teachings and their message from the privacy of our own comfort zone. We don't need to extend ourselves at all, we don't need to form a connection, we can just stay in our comfort zone.
The Tibetan word for Guru is Lama. Lama has a connotation of being heavy, or serious. Seriously heavy.
Heavy in this sense doesn't mean a burden on one's shoulders. Heavy means that you can never pay back the impact that your spiritual teacher has had on your life. You can never pay back the impact they have had on your mind and how they have transformed your path.
We don't worship the guru as an idol. You shouldn't worship a guru as an idol. We pay reverence to the spiritual teacher because they have impacted our life and our life is precious. Their generosity, their kindness, has transformed our being.
We aren't the same because of them. We will never be the same because of them and their teachings. We can only work from this point. We move forward and we hope to repay their kindness.
We become the working basis. We become the teaching. Each step. One by one. We start out as a likeness of their generosity and kindness, until the likeness becomes inseparable and we become generosity and kindness.
Then there is nothing left to hold onto, nothing left to repay and no one to repay to. Everything is complete. Your mind and the guru's mind inseparable.
Friday, January 29, 2016
Difference between mind and rigpa.
Mind experiences appearances and has a quality of inner fixation.
Rigpa is free from external objects and internal fixation.
Mind as a perceiver gives rise to secondary mental factors which give birth to a chain of karmic actions.
Rigpa has no causes or conditions to give rise to karma because there are no secondary mental factors.
Mind is obscured by cognitive, emotional and habitual patterns and imprints.
Rigpa is primordially free of obscurations and imprints. Its nature is originally pure kadag.
In meditation, we can recognize the characteristics of mind.
Rigpa has no characteristics.
How do we recognize rigpa?
Leave the mind in its uncontrived, natural state. Without chasing after thoughts or appearances you arrive at a calm, clear and pristine state. Dissolve all thoughts and appearances into the ground of the nature of mind like waves dissolving into water or clouds dissolving into space.
Sustain that through unique Dzogchen mindfulness and vigilance.
The clarity aspect of the nature of mind will intensify.
The ultimate aspect of that luminosity is rigpa.
This meditation instruction was received from Younge Khachab Rinpoche, September 2011.
Rigpa is free from external objects and internal fixation.
Mind as a perceiver gives rise to secondary mental factors which give birth to a chain of karmic actions.
Rigpa has no causes or conditions to give rise to karma because there are no secondary mental factors.
Mind is obscured by cognitive, emotional and habitual patterns and imprints.
Rigpa is primordially free of obscurations and imprints. Its nature is originally pure kadag.
In meditation, we can recognize the characteristics of mind.
Rigpa has no characteristics.
How do we recognize rigpa?
Leave the mind in its uncontrived, natural state. Without chasing after thoughts or appearances you arrive at a calm, clear and pristine state. Dissolve all thoughts and appearances into the ground of the nature of mind like waves dissolving into water or clouds dissolving into space.
Sustain that through unique Dzogchen mindfulness and vigilance.
The clarity aspect of the nature of mind will intensify.
The ultimate aspect of that luminosity is rigpa.
This meditation instruction was received from Younge Khachab Rinpoche, September 2011.
Wednesday, January 27, 2016
The 3 Nails.
Namo Samantabhadra.
1. The nail of perfect determination.
2. The nail of great confidence.
3. The nail of remaining with the result.
Persevere in your meditation, through it will come a pure and perfect experience free from all doubt. Recognize the view, meditation and realization all have the same nature. When you are free of all doubt, you will realize there is no nail to drive and nothing to drive into. Awareness is groundless, completely transparent.
If you meditate, everything becomes a reflection of awareness. If not, your experience will be bound by concepts and elaboration.
Remaining with the result is the union of transparent awareness and unobstructed wisdom.
This upadesha of the Three Nails was given by Younge Khachab Rinpoche in February 2010.
1. The nail of perfect determination.
2. The nail of great confidence.
3. The nail of remaining with the result.
Persevere in your meditation, through it will come a pure and perfect experience free from all doubt. Recognize the view, meditation and realization all have the same nature. When you are free of all doubt, you will realize there is no nail to drive and nothing to drive into. Awareness is groundless, completely transparent.
If you meditate, everything becomes a reflection of awareness. If not, your experience will be bound by concepts and elaboration.
Remaining with the result is the union of transparent awareness and unobstructed wisdom.
This upadesha of the Three Nails was given by Younge Khachab Rinpoche in February 2010.
Monday, January 25, 2016
Four foundations of Dzogchen meditation.
The Dzogchen kama, or oral lineage, taught four foundations prior to the practice of trekchod and thogal.
1. Immovable.
2. Unification.
3. Equanimity.
4. Spontaneous presence.
By mastering these four foundations one arrives at naked awareness beyond mind. As your experience of the nature of mind becomes more and more subtle, you elicit the unobstructed, transparent nature of rigpa. That subtle experience of baseless clarity transitions one to the practice of the four methods of resting which are the main practice of trekchod.
1. Immovable.
2. Unification.
3. Equanimity.
4. Spontaneous presence.
By mastering these four foundations one arrives at naked awareness beyond mind. As your experience of the nature of mind becomes more and more subtle, you elicit the unobstructed, transparent nature of rigpa. That subtle experience of baseless clarity transitions one to the practice of the four methods of resting which are the main practice of trekchod.
Friday, January 22, 2016
Immovable meditation.
Outwardly, body is unwavering like a mountain.
Internally, not following thoughts, not altering the mind.
Secretly, the profound stage of original purity.
From this immovable state, all that appears is naturally arising,
without emotion or reaction everything dissolves into the expanse,
arising from and dissolving into original purity.
Internally, not following thoughts, not altering the mind.
Secretly, the profound stage of original purity.
From this immovable state, all that appears is naturally arising,
without emotion or reaction everything dissolves into the expanse,
arising from and dissolving into original purity.
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