Karma

The third preliminary is the contemplation on karma.  Karma means action, or cause and effect.  For the purpose of this contemplation it is necessary to give up any preconceptions based on pop culture's notion of good and bad karma for it does not encompass the Buddha's intent when he gave these teachings.  The key point of karma is summarized very well in the Essence of Dependent Origination dharani:

om ye dharma hetu prabhava hetun tesam tathagato hayavadat tesam ca yo nirodha evam vadi maha shramana soha
All phenomena arise from causes and those causes have been taught by the Tathagata,
Their cessation too has been proclaimed by the great practitioner of virtue.

There are several implications to consider when contemplating karma.  The first is that the world is shaped by our intentions.  We find in Vasubandhu's Abhidharmakosa:

The variety of the world arises from action.
[Action] is intention and that which is produced through intention.
Intention is mental action-
It gives rise to two types of action, physical and verbal action.

 And also in the Dhammapada: 

Our life is shaped by our mind; we become what we think.
Suffering follows an evil thought as the wheels of a cart follow the oxen that draw it.
Our life is shaped by our mind; we become what we think.
Joy follows a pure thought like a shadow that never leaves.

Right now we are the culmination of all of our past thoughts, actions, choices and habitual tendencies.  The thoughts, actions and choices that we make today will determine who and where we are in the future.  

Often we hear the following, "What are you gonna do, that's life."  I think we have all said that at one time or another, but if you think about that statement within the context of karma it is filled with ignorance.  A lot of the time we have this notion that life happens to us, rather than we who are responsible for creating our reality.  It is a matter of determining whether we are an active participant or a passive observer.  

Think of this in terms of worldly pursuits- our education, health, career and family.  How does this implication- that the world is shaped by our intentions- play out in these settings?  Are we active participants or passive observers?  

Think of this in terms of our spiritual growth.  Our religion is not simply some organization that we belong to,  it is an expression of our spirituality whether we acknowledge it or not.  I think this is the intent when the Buddha said the following:

I can show you the door, but you must walk through it. 

The second implication is that actions never fail to produce an effect.  In the span of a day we have numerous thoughts, choices and actions.  It is easy (easy for me at least) to write off the little things as 'This doesn't matter', or 'just this one time'.  But just as a birds shadow may not be readily apparent as it soars through the sky only to return again when it lands, every act we engage in influences the course of our life.  A great saying by Lao Tzu:

Watch your thoughts, for they become words.
Watch your words, for they become actions.
Watch your actions, for they become habits.
Watch your habits, for they become character.
Watch your character, for it becomes your destiny. 

And also the Buddha:

You will not be punished for your anger,

You will be punished by your anger.

The third implication is that the eight worldly concerns lead us astray.  The eight worldly concerns are getting caught up in happiness and suffering, praise or blame, fame or shame, and gain or loss.    Like a fish on a hook, we latch onto these concerns and through the process of cause and effect we are caught in an unending cycle of negative mental states.  

The fourth implication is that of generating merit.  Merit is a concept that isn't understood or appreciated in the West.  Merit really refers to a positive potential of mind.  It is a mind that, when adequately prepared and cultivated, is able to withstand significant hardship, loss, pain and suffering.  We often do not think of our mind in this manner, but it is equivalent to always carrying a trump card so that no matter what cards you are dealt in life you can still play the game. 

When we understand karma and its intimacy with our present and future state, then we can embrace the larger scope.  It is we who are responsible for our own happiness and suffering and our effect on the world around us.  Our intentions, choices and actions create the world around us each and every day.  Karma is not something you believe in, it doesn't matter if you believe or not.  Cause and effect do not operate on moral imperatives, it is we who punish ourselves. 

Having embraced the larger scope we come to a decisive experience of karma.  As long as we rely on conditioned phenomena we are subject to karma.  As long as we rely on mind and mental factors we will never move beyond suffering, because we will continue to plant seeds that will indefinitely ripen.  We need to come to a direct experience of the unconditioned nature of mind, only then is it possible to break free from the cage of karma, habitual patterns and afflictive emotions.  

It is vital that we come to a decisive experience of karma by studying, contemplating and meditating on the teachings. 

 

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. 

Mechanics of karma.

Karma is intention and that which is produced through intention.

Intention is mental action-

It gives rise to two types: physical and verbal action.

Vasubandhu

When we sit down to meditate we are directly working with our karma. Each meditation session, whether it involves meditation with an object or objectless meditation, must start with a clear intention. 

Suppose we were to meditate on the breath using a vague intention, "I'm going to meditate on the breath." If we set the intention to meditate on the breath, we would find that our focus might start with the breath at the nose, then drift to the breath filling our lungs, and continue to wander to the rise and fall of our belly. An unclear intention leads to mental wandering and distraction. If our intention is unclear, the actions that follow are sloppy. 

Vague intentions create careless actions, which perpetuate unforeseen karmic consequences.

In meditation, we have an opportunity to shape our karma and it starts with intention. 

Before, we were mindless, wandering and distracted. Now we are present, alert and aware. We are shaping our mind, like a potter working with clay. Who we are is not fixed. What we stand for, what we represent, all of that is malleable like a block of wet clay. We are able to change direction, shift our posture, plot a new course. 

And it all starts here, with a clear intention. 

Through intention, we plant the seeds of virtues like being present, mindful, open and aware. We can develop equanimity, peace and gentleness towards ourselves and others. We can be more caring, generous and kind.

While we are operating within the confines of mind, we must work with karma. That starts by working with intention.

Volition.

སེམས་པ་
Tibetan: Sempa
English: volition, to will, intention, a choice

The variety of the world arises from karma, 
Karma is volition and that which is produced through volition.
Volition is mental action,
it gives rise to two actions, bodily and vocal action. 
~Vasubandu

Our lives are created through action, both the individual and collective.  The key to understanding karma is to understand that it is a choice.  We made that decision and we are responsible for its result. Our intention gave rise to our actions and our actions determine our reality.  

Karma is simple.  It is living with the results of our choices that is not.   

Five elements of conscious leadership.

What does it mean to be a conscious leader who contributes meaningfully to the world? What posture would you have? What would you stand for? How would you organize your effort and activity to best meet the demands of your friends, family and community? In the Buddha's teachings we often find a reference to the five family Buddha's that depict the qualities and characteristics of conscious living. The five Buddha families provide a framework for understanding how to integrate our practice with our daily life so that we can remain genuinely grounded in our values, but also intimately participate with others around us. 

Buddha. Lead by example. 

The buddha element represents a grounded, present, truthful expression of the self. This element focuses on providing resources, making connections, revealing implications and seeing clearly. They are committed to the activities of learning, contemplating, writing and teachings others. They teach how to work with fear and hesitation in order to move beyond our habitual manifestation or the status quo. They use the power of metaphor and stories to teach others and to share their integrated vision. They are aware of their own constructs but not stuck on them. 

The primary emotional work of the buddha element is focused on confusion, uncertainty and fear. While these may never go away, training in the buddha element teaches us to dance with confusion, uncertainty and fear to create opportunities for wisdom or purpose. The form or shape of our life becomes one in which we guide, teach and lead others out of confusion and habitual patterns into wisdom and clarity. 

Vajra. Practical solutions. 

The vajra element emphasizes identifying and solving problems. They use logic, reasoning and critical thinking to figure out how to use and deal with conflict. Curiosity drives the vajra element to create, shape boundaries, contextualize or model innovative solutions. The vajra element is focused on bringing about fulfillment or actions that manifest the intended result. 

The primary emotional work of the vajra element is focused on aversion and anger. 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. As we learn to work with the vajra element, we can transmute the energy and power of aversion and anger into clear thinking and penetrating insight. 

Ratna. I am a contribution. 

The ratna element recognizes that we all co-create the world and how we show up matters. We can share gifts with the world, gifts of compassion, kindness and generosity to impact others. The ratna element is committed to demonstrating the abundance of inner wealth in a world of scarcity and selfish concern. Being values-oriented they are more focused on the long tail of generosity than the short finite game of results. 

The primary emotional work of the ratna element is focused on egotism and your status. Our actions are often concerned with the eight worldly concerns and how we will be perceived by others. Acts of generosity are often complicated by status roles and personal favors. As we learn to work with the ratna element we overcome the narrow confines of the ego and recognize the significance of their contribution. 

Padma. Caring for others.

The padma element recognizes that all human endeavors are co-created and that we share responsibility in shaping that global reality. They work to inspire, motivate and connect others. They embody an intimate presence in all aspects- their body, mind, energy, and emotions; to develop deeply personal relationships and extend their care and attention to their community. Their passion, joy and care engender connection, belonging and trust. 

The primary emotional work of the padma element is focused on selfish desire and attachment. All of us have strong desires and passions and our fixation on these leads to a very narrow view and limited understanding.  We become fixated on our version of what's right, what we think is the best way, what we want. As we learn to work with the padma element we overcome the tendency to focus on our own qualities and characteristics and direct our attention to nurturing and caring for others. 

Karma. Help others.

The karma element is committed to service, effort, availability, initiative and accountability. They express a willingness to step forward to benefit others. They are intentional about becoming more and more available to others and work to be in service to the processes that are unfolding around them. They joyously remain open and present amidst hardship and problems. 

The primary emotional work of the karma element is focused on greed and your own needs. Much of the work we do in this life is focused on gaining status, power or control over others. We dominate the situation so nobody else can outshine us. Elevating ourselves and our abilities becomes the main focus, rather than being meaningfully present or helping others. As we learn to work with the karma element we overcome this insecurity and paranoia, discovering a sense of natural ease and fulfillment. No longer focusing on our own position or qualifications, we can be present and available to meet others where they are at, on their own terms. 

The best thing about past karma.

Most of the time we look at our karma as a burden.  We are conditioned by all of our past decisions, actions and experiences, and perhaps we look back and wish how things could be different.

The best thing about our karma is that it has brought us to where we are today.

All of that hardship, pain and misfortune has brought us here, now.
All of those problems, lessons and bad decisions have allowed us to stand here, awake, at this moment.
If we had done things differently, we wouldn't be who we are right now.  Maybe we would still be asleep.

Maybe we needed to learn something through all of that pain and hardship.
Maybe we needed to work through something.
Maybe what we have to share is hidden in that struggle.
Maybe the wisdom needed to truly benefit others had to be experienced directly. 

So today, everyday, is a grand juncture.  We are the total sum of our past decisions and actions, and what we do with that now determines what and who we will be in the future.

The choice is up to you.

A world of difference.

The person seeking there own freedom and happiness is constantly at odds with the world around them.  Karma and dependent origination serve as a burden, a constant reminder of entrapment in this unceasing wheel of life.  Fear exists at every corner, constant threats are always presenting themselves and our own well being is always in a precarious position.

For the person seeking the freedom and happiness of others, everything in the world around them is an opportunity.  Karma and dependent origination reveal a deep connection with the world and all beings.  This connection allows for responsiveness- impact and growth.  There is a natural freedom and ease, because this thing that is happening, this struggle, this problem, this seeming end- it's not permanent nor lasting. 

Yes, karma and dependent origination reveal a wheel that just keeps going. 

But so do we. 

Travel with Purpose

We all seek to live a life of purpose.  You can be certain that we have a precious human life endowed with freedoms and opportunity, but how we use that life determines the degree to which we feel we fulfill our purpose. 

The Buddha described three types of traveler's on the path based on the scope of their practice.  Atisha in his Lamp for the Path to Enlightenment describes this threefold designation:

Know to be 'least' those persons
Who diligently strive to attain
Solely the joys of conditioned existence
By any means for their welfare alone.

* * * * *

Those persons are called 'medium' 
Who stop sinful actions, 
Turn their backs on the joys of conditioned existence
And diligently strive for their own peace.

* * * * *

Those person are called 'superior'
Who sincerely wish to extinguish
All the suffering of others
By understanding their own suffering.

Those traveler's of lesser scope work towards the benefit of this life and a higher rebirth, whether it be in the heavens or in this life in the form of promotions, power and fame.  Those traveler's of lesser scope are enshrouded in their identity and the eight worldly concerns.  We can see this all around us in the form of self-help guides, self-development programs, habits for success, fitness goals and competitions.  All of these activities are undertaken with the intention that they will bring about one's own welfare, that they will yield positive results and that your life will be happier, healthier, and more fun.

And in general it is true.

If you have healthier habits, you will be healthier.  You can definitely 'work your way up' through the levels of conditioned existence.  Surely we can say that we are able to use our freedoms and opportunities more in America than in many third world countries that are under authoritarian rule and wherever you happen to be born in the social hierarchy determines your fate.  Many Americans may not say they believe in karma, but they do live their lives with a full understanding of how cause and effect can bring about better states of existence.    

But we also never escape the cycle of distress and suffering that follow such an existence.  There is no escape from discontentment.  There is no refuge in samsara.  The higher levels of this world do not yield the desired result of inner wealth- peace, contentment, joy and love. 

We have the tendency to think that if we can improve our environment, body or external conditions then we will experience our desired result.  But all of these occur within the confines of our mind, a mind that is wrapped in identity, grasping, karma and negative mental states.  We cannot buy, bargain or work our way out of our mind.  It is only the wisdom that understands the true nature that can break through the confines of dualistic mind.

There are a couple of landmarks to be mindful of when you are traveling with lesser scope. 

The first is that all of these pleasures and joys that we experience are ephemeral and fleeting.  They are all impermanent. 
The second is the all-pervasive nature of suffering within conditioned existence.  When you begin to notice these two landmarks, you are on the verge of giving rise to the middle scope of practice. 

Those of medium scope seek liberation from the cycle of conditioned existence.  To put an end to suffering once and for all.  They rely on the Four Noble Truths and the teachings on Dependent Origination to come to an understanding of their own suffering and the most expedient means to eliminate it.  The goal is the complete cessation of suffering and distress.  It is the personal salvation of an Arhat.  This cessation of suffering is not to be confused with Buddhahood, but it is the state of nirvana or everlasting peace. 

There are also landmarks to be mindful of when you are traveling with medium scope. 

The first is a sense of hollowness.  Even though you can attain a great degree of inner peace and tranquility, there is an element of grace and fullness that is missing. 
The second is naturally arising love, compassion and kindness for others.  When you begin to notice these two landmarks, you are definitely on the verge of giving rise to the practice of great scope. 

The practice of great scope is that which seeks to liberate all beings from the discontentment and suffering of samsara.  It is a path that enacts the Four Immeasurables and Six Perfections, seeking to perfectly accumulate merit and wisdom that fulfills the aims of oneself and others.  This is the path traveled by all Buddhas and bodhisattvas.  A bodhisattva is a practitioner of great scope that chooses to intentionally take birth within the round of samsara until all worlds are emptied, from the darkest of hells to the highest of heavens.  Bodhisattvas rest with ease despite the adventitious suffering of conditioned existence.  They constantly rest in openness and honesty, not needing to project their identity or justify themselves.  They are the artisans of generosity, love and kindness.  You probably will not recognize them as they spread their art but you can witness how the shape of their life brings countless benefit to everyone around them.  

It is often said that those who give rise to the path of great scope are as rare as stars seen during the daytime.  This is true and indeed they are a precious jewel for the world.  But I think we can all see aspects of ourselves in each of these paths. 

Which path are you traveling on?

Seeds, imprints and predispositions.

We all know how difficult it is to start habits. We would like to work out more, meditate, spend more time with our family or friends, learn to paint.  We want to eat healthier, be more productive, be more generous.

Starting is hard. Continuing is harder.

Even harder is eliminating the imprints of bad habits.

The Buddha taught that we need to purify our karma, afflictive emotions, cognitive obscurations and habitual tendencies if we are to be completely awake.  Karma is our actions, we need to practice virtue and try not to harm others.  Afflictive emotions are things like attachment, aversion, ignorance, jealousy and arrogance. Cognitive obscurations are the way we perceive self and other, our understanding of reality. Habitual tendencies refer to the impressions, seeds, or predispositions of our past thoughts, actions and experience. Habitual tendencies are mostly unconscious. Most people rarely even think about them much less try to change them. 

Think about your perception of food. Why do you perceive some foods as wholesome and good, whereas others you perceive as disgusting? My dog has no problem eating an old hot dog off the street. The concept of 'this might make me sick' is not one that my dog has (or my child!).

Think about your perception of your body. In Nepal it is common to see men holding hands, it is a sign of friendship and affection. In the U.S. people might think you were invading their personal space or question their sexual orientation. One might incorrectly wonder, why are all these monks gay!

Why do you perceive yourself as strong, or weak, beautiful or ugly? Why do you seek out affirmation, or hide in the shadows? What is it that makes you outgoing, or shy?

These are not easy questions to answer, and often there is no answer. But the question is important.

Once you start to ask the question, you can start the hard work of relinquishing your grasping and fixation to concepts about the way things are or should be. Letting go of concepts is how we break free from the tight hold that habitual tendencies have over our minds and hearts. Then, as those seeds ripen, we can recognize them and let them go.

There is a chance that in our experience, we might catch ourselves asking 'why?', or simply notice how strange our reaction is. Recognize it and let it go.

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. 

Becoming.

Becoming is one of the twelve links of dependent origination.  It immediately follows craving and fixation and is part of the larger cycle leading to birth, aging, sickness and death.

The source of becoming lies in suffering, pain and dissatisfaction. Our unresolved condition leads to the experience of a deep satisfaction and the desire to escape that pain and sorrow. Craving and desire gradually build and grow in our mind until we eventually become fixated and attached.

Atttachment can take many forms. We can be attached to physical forms, ideas, perceptions, and routines. We can be fixated on food, habits, mental states or feelings. Anything that we perceive to be a solution to the suffering we are trying to escape.

That attachment gives rise to becoming. Becoming forges new tendencies, new actions (karma!). It becomes the patterning that eventually gives rise to a new life.

We continually cycle through these experiences. Birth isn't just our birth into this life. We are always going through the cycles of birth and death. We enter into new relationships, new jobs, new endeavors. We manifest new aspirations, accomplish new goals.

Birth is the result of becoming. We live hundreds of lifetimes in this one life.

Birth always leads to aging, sickness and death. We eventually grow tired of the way things are. We start to notice the problems and inadequacy of situations. Things start falling apart. The truth of suffering once again becomes apparent in our lives.

The habit that we have is to then start the process of craving and desire all over again. Seeking out a new rebirth. Seeking out a better life.

In our confusion, we cycle again and again.

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. 

Action.

What is the origin of our universe?  Was it created by a god?  Was there a big bang?  How did it come to be?

The Buddha taught that worlds arise and collapse due to action, or karma.  They arise dependently, not independently.  They arise and fall continuously, without beginning and without end. 

Within each of those worlds, infinite worlds unfold.  There is no limit to space, no center and no border.  Within the macro there is micro, and within the micro you will find macro.  These infinite worlds interact in endless ways such that where one starts and the other ends is indeterminate. 

And yet we feel trapped.  We feel trapped in our situation.  Our world feels stuck and static, like a prison.  What binds us is our habitual tendencies, negative emotions and thought patterns.  We are bound by erroneous views and biased perception.

There are those on the path whose sole motivation is to break free from this cycle.  They want out, they want it to be done. 

Then there are others who see that we can create something else. 

Our actions create the world and influence innumerable worlds.  Our path becomes one in which benefiting others and unlocking their own insight fulfills our path of awakening.  Our particular situation is not seen as a prison, but as an opportunity for awakening.  It is our naturally formed world in which we can enact benefit, in which we have potential to impact others.

And yet, neither here nor there, nor anywhere, have any of these worlds ever truly existed for a moment.    

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. 

Amogasiddhi.

OM AH HUNG AMOGASIDDHI AH

Amogasiddhi is one of the Five Family Buddhas.  

His pure land is Karmaprasiddhi, representing the accomplishment of perfect activity.  His color is green, representing the activity of subjugating and overcoming resistance, obstacles and problems.   His element is wind, representing movement and change, along with the continual energetic process occurring in the outer world and in our own body and mind.  His right hand is in the mudra of fearlessness, representing an authentic refuge that protects from the fears of cyclic existence.  His left hand rests in his lap in meditative equipoise holding a crossed vajra, representing an immovable foundation and support.  The crossed vajra also represents the vajra seat, the immovable posture in which the Buddha gained enlightenment.  The vajra seat, or vajrasana, in the outer world is Bodhgaya, but it also represents the unshakeable ground in which all beings awaken to buddhahood. 

Amogasiddhi is the Buddha that represents completely purified jealousy.  Jealousy or envy manifests as paranoia, an internal dialogue that plays itself out again and again with fear of failure or not being chosen at its very root.  In order to combat this internal struggle, we often assume very negative postures- we become power hungry, manipulating and controlling people around us to uphold and maintain our status.  We dominate the conversation so no one else has an opportunity to outshine us.  Amogasiddhi represents the transformation of that jealousy and insecurity into all-accomplishing wisdom, the wisdom of spontaneous fulfillment. 

Amogasiddhi rides a garuda possessed with all the major and minor marks.  A garuda is a great eagle-like bird, a mythological horned golden eagle.  The garuda is a powerful guardian, offering servitude and often shown biting down on nagas.  Nagas are serpent-like human deities that live in bodies of water.  They are said to be the holders of great treasures and secret teachings, but if upset cause disease and create unpredictable weather patterns.  The garuda also has an unusual birth, for as soon as it hatches from its shell it is able to soar in the sky.  The shell represents the limitations of our own five skandhas and upon breaking free from their confines, great spontaneous awareness is able to soar in the sky of awakened mind. 

In regard to our own mind and self, Amogasiddhi represents the skandha of mental formations, ideas, concepts and opinions along with the habitual patterns associated with these.  Throughout the day we enter into numerous mental states, high and low.  We are continuously trying to 'make sense' of our world and justify who we are and our place in the world.  This process of thought and intention creates action and karma.  As we cycle through this process of cause and effect, we are constantly fighting to guard ourselves from loss and vulnerability.  We fight day and night to control our fate in hopes of accomplishing our aims and finding happiness and prosperity. 

When we deeply contemplate and integrate the wisdom and symbolism of Amogasiddhi, we can learn to transmute this insecurity and paranoia into the wisdom of spontaneous fulfillment.  We take our vajra seat amidst the unceasing windstorm of thoughts and mental states with the firm resolve not to waver from this immovable ground which is the way of abiding.  Breaking out from the confines of the shell of ignorance and mistaken views, great spontaneous awareness takes its second birth and flies unobstructedly, riding the winds of change.  This awareness is practical and effective, efficient, timely and in sync with the world around it.  It does not manipulate or control, demand or distort.  No longer needing to justify your own position or qualifications, you discover a natural ease and fulfillment, a profound sense of inner wealth and satisfaction.  Having fulfilled your own aims, you are able to work for the aims of others, sheltering them from fear and vulnerability. 

Others see you in a dynamic dance, awed by your fearlessness.  Yet you never waver from your unshakeable ground, the unchanging vajra seat that supports the whole universe.  In this way you abide in Karmaprasiddhi, the accomplishment of perfect activity. 

Siddhearta's Essence of 2015.

2015 was a year of formation. 

Many of the changes that have occurred over the past several years are starting to take take on stronger forms.  One of the best new shapes in my life has been my daughter, I enjoy spending our mornings together, learning from each other and playing.  I appreciate this brief moment in time that we get to do this, to share and influence each other, to watch each other grow. 

I haven't been as consistent writing this year due to many changes in my life, both personal and professional.  I thank you for supporting me, for taking a moment out of your day to share this space, to influence each other and to bring new form to our life. 

Thank you.

Here are some of this years highlights:
1.  A story of my teacher and appreciating those before you.
2.  What it means to be remarkable.
3.  I wrote about doing no harm and how to work with anger.
4.  How passionate amateurs become professionals.
5.  The experience of groundlessness and how to rest in movement.
6.  How teachers change us.
7.  Compassion and its activity.
8.  Karma and the influence of our choices.
9.  Questioning ourselves and our potential.
10.  The difficulty in starting a daily practice.
11.  5 faults to developing a stable practice.
12.  What a perfect day looks like.

I wish all of you a great year, a year of health and happiness.
May you find what you are looking for,
May you share generously,
May your kindness bring light to the world around you,
and may your determination accomplish not only your own aims, but the aims of others.

Happy New Year!

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

A wicked cascade.

A discriminating mind gives rise to feelings.
Those feelings are interpreted and lead to craving or aversion.
Craving and aversion both affect our choices.
Choices create karma.

That is why renunciation is important.
That is why we need to appreciate impermanence.
That is why we need to eliminate perceptual bias.

Meditation is the vehicle that allows us to let go, to see clearly, to see truly, so that we can eliminate the discriminating mind.  

Your Practice

All teachings are instructions for practice.

Atisha

In our pursuit of happiness we are all practicing something.  

Central to all of the Buddha's teachings is the notion that all teachings are instructions for our own spiritual practice.   Every day we engage in actions of our body, speech and mind that seek to bring about our own welfare, our own happiness and peace of mind. 

If you understand the principles of cause and effect, or karma, then you also understand that we continually shape our experience and reality each and every moment.  But are we really sowing the seeds of our happiness or are we sowing seeds for our own suffering and discontent?  Are we planting seeds that bear their fruit one time or are we planting seeds that bring a bountiful crop year after year? 

Are you practicing generosity, patience and integrity? 


What about the practice of love, compassion, joy and equanimity?  

Do you find yourself unexpectedly practicing anger, attachment, jealousy or arrogance?

Would you like to be practicing for peace, contentment, mindfulness but instead find yourself practicing anxiety, stress and delusion?

If your life is your practice then what are you practicing?  Are you experiencing the desired result?  

Sorry if this seems rather heavy, but it is.  

What is your practice? 

Lit up.

The living practice tradition of the Buddha's teachings survives to this day because of two types of transmission- transmission of scripture and transmission of realization.

Transmission of scripture is the living transmission of the repository of Dharma from generation to generation. It is teaching, discussing and practicing the root and practice texts. The transmission of scripture should be wide spread and joyfully given to those who seek it out. 

The transmission of realization occurs between teacher and student. It is the lighting of a torch. Once lit, it burns just as bright and luminous as its source. The source doesn't lose anything, and the newly lit torch has nothing further to gain. 

This transmission of realization is the essence of the practice lineage (sgrub rgyud). It is the transmission of the awakened mind, the direct recognition of our innate buddha heart. In Dzogchen it is the direct realization of our own nature, rigpa as the natural great perfection. 

This lighting of the torch is not easy. It takes time, dedication, effort. It depends on a genuine connection, commitment and karma.

The source torch burns bright and without discrimination, but few torches can really be lit because they don't come prepared.  They are too loose, unkept, or waver once they get close.  Some, being lit, lack the merit to sustain the blaze and burnout. 

You should seek out the transmission of scripture widely and with great enthusiasm.  But for the transmission of realization, you need to get to work.