Experience versus realization.

Experience is temporary, fleeting, easily lost.
Realization is unchanging, seen, known, directly recognized.

Nyam is the Tibetan for experience. We have all kinds of experiences.
Bliss, clarity, non-conceptuality.
Visions, sounds, feelings.
Physical sensations, thoughts, emotions.
Sometimes we feel energetic and focused, sometimes tired and sleepy.
We get confused, then a moment of being awake.

We have all kinds of nyam, the point is to realize that they are illusory and to not become attached to them. We create all kinds of problems for ourselves once we try to recreate nyam, or always try to get back to a particular mental state, a particular feeling tone or perspective.

Tokpa is the Tibetan for realization. It is seeing directly free from concepts. You know and understand without an intermediary.  It is direct recognition.

Tokpa is recognizing your friend in a crowd. There is no question of whether it is, or is not. 
It is knowing fire is hot, water is wet. Realization is embodied and informed by the senses, we see things as they truly are. We see our own face, directly. 

The danger with tokpa is confusing conceptual understanding with actual realization.  Conceptual understanding can seem very certain and logically refined, but it is all thoughts and words.  We need to constantly recreate and reinforce our story to confirm our realization.

If you find yourself scrambling, feeling your realization slipping from you and trying to conceptualize your way back to that state, then you are holding onto a nyam that you are calling tokpa. Be careful, ego and grasping can create a very precipitous path. 

Transparent awareness.

A unique feature of Dzogchen is learning to recognize and abide in transparent awareness.  Awareness itself is not some thing.  It is not a state of mind that we cultivate.  It is completely open beyond description, beyond thoughts or concepts, beyond perception and value judgements.  It is utterly lucid, crystal clear, free of obscuration.  It is spontaneously present, free from the extremes of existence or non-existence, acceptance or rejection, is or is not.  It is non-dual, without distinction between self and other, inner and outer, this or that.

Why is it transparent?  Because there is no ground.  Why is there no ground?  Because everything that manifests is naturally freed in its own place, without having to do anything.  The unique feature of transparent awareness is liberation upon arising.  Liberation upon arising puts buddhahood within reach, maybe even right in the palm of your hand. 

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.  

Craving Light.

We are all looking for more light in our life.

To bask in its warmth, to let its energy lift us.  To soothe our sorrows and dispel our doubts.

Most of us go looking for it outside.  In nature, in temples and books.

When we recognize it, it is because we recognize it in ourselves.  If we didn't already have it, we couldn't recognize it and all hope would be lost.

But you do have it.  So uncover the clouds and let it shine.

Recognize it.
Clear away confusion, doubt and obscurations.
Continue with confidence and clarity.