I used to imagine that the Buddha was so very far away. Enlightenment was so inconceivably difficult to attain, and the path there so very long. With my swirling emotions and obscurations, how long the journey seemed, and how very hard I had to strive in order to reach the state of perfect Awakening. When […]
Dharmakaya, Sambhogakaya, Nirmanakaya Read Post »
Things appear to change. Things appear to go through phases. I say ‘appear to’ as I’m not at all sure that they do. They appear to, but do they really? How do we know? We have memory of what was. How do we know how accurate our memory is of what was? Accessing a memory
Taking Mahamudra as the Path Read Post »
Yesterday in a place of worship ‘belonging’ to a different religion to my own, I noticed so many things about the nature of things, and the nature of those who wish to embrace and understand how things are. So many reflections came up, shedding light on my own practice and tradition, viewed as a result
Don’t do anything whatsoever with the mind — Abide in an authentic, natural state. One’s own mind, unwavering, is reality. The key is to meditate like this without wavering; Experience the Great [reality] beyond extremes. In a pellucid ocean, Bubbles arise and dissolve again. Just so, thoughts are no different from ultimate reality. So don’t
Niguma: Mahamudra as Spontaneous Liberation Read Post »
It’s funny how often recently when I’ve been reading other people’s Dharma blogs that I’ve found that the only thing I can contribute by way of a comment is a simple smile. So often something in their posts just ‘hits the mark’ and words are really inadequate to express what I feel in response. And,
Sometimes you make choices in life which seem as though they are going to have huge consequences. Sometimes it seems as though they are going to define the parameters of what will be possible and what will be for many years to come. From a conventional point of view, it seems obvious that if you
Where Does It Lead? Read Post »
This last few days I’ve been reading blogs from soldiers fighting in Iraq. I’ve also been reading the comments on those blogs, and some related materials from people around the world. The recurring theme throughout those comments has been how polarised people seem to be in their views. They are either ‘for’ or ‘against’ the
Always Taking Sides Read Post »
It’s funny how mind works when it is filled with the fullness of vision of Vajrayana. Right out the window of my office where I work are some flags advertising a car showroom. The flags flutter madly in the winds, often against blue skies and racing clouds. How similarly shaped are these flags to a
Renault Prayer Flags Read Post »
Driving in to work this morning, it really struck me how close to death we all are. Flying along the road, I was continually inches away from crashing into another car. One momentary misjudgement, on anyone of a hundred different drivers part, and the result would have been dramatic. More than that …. how many
How tempting it is for the mind to grasp onto what is directly perceived, and to ossify it into necessarily rigid and falsifying concepts. The raft of skilful use of conceptual understanding is a tricky one to ride, and one which seems to hold much potential for misuse. The Buddha described the Dharma as being
