Some drowsy reflections on Niutou Farong’s Song of Mind (Xin Ming) when unable to sleep whilst ill … The nature of the mind is non-arising,What need is there of knowledge and views?Originally there is not a single dharma;Why discuss inspiration and training? Niutou Farong begins with the view, a view which includes the need to […]
Reflections on Niutou Farong – Song of Mind (Xin Ming) Read Post »
From a reply on a Dharma list, where someone asked: I have an object such as watching the breath but I am constantly distracted. Please elaborate on “In order to keep from being distracted, that object is a support”. Hi there, one way you could approach this is by reviewing your intention – what is
Using an Object as a Support for Concentration and Awakening Read Post »
Reflecting and meditating of Naropa’s teaching – the Summary of Mahamudra these questions urgently arise: What is our life? What does it consist of? Homage to the state of great bliss!Concerning what is called MahamudraAll things are your own mind.Seeing objects as external is a mistaken concept;Like a dream, they are empty of concreteness. This
Reflections on Naropa’s The Summary of Mahamudra Read Post »
Niguma invites us to embrace the nature of mind, cut through illusions, and directly realize liberation with her Vajra Verses of Self-Liberating Mahamudra. The wisdom dakini known as Nigupta, illustrious Narotapa’s sister, was a self-manifest yogini, a powerful lord bodhisattva on awakening’s tenth stage, who received direct instruction from Conqueror Vajra Bearer. She sang these
Niguma’s Vajra Verses of Self-Liberating Mahamudra Read Post »
One thing that’s been coming into view lately in meditation is how my common sense notions that ‘I’ am somehow taking the decisions and choices and thereby the active agent of my life is not actually backed up by experience. My conventional notion is that, for example, when I decide to switch my focus in
Nobody is Running this Show Read Post »
Sitting in meditation today, After the Autumn rain; The smell of wet leaves lingers.
I’ve been reflecting more on my experience of Mahamudra Shamatha … resting with the breath. Continuing from where I got to in my last post … the breath isn’t anywhere … and it’s not a thing. There is no breath as such, nor is it in a particular place. So how do I rest on
My Breath Don’t Live Here No More Read Post »
I’ve noticed a change in my meditation lately. After quite a period of formless mahamudra meditation, I’ve recently been practicing Shamatha with the breath as the focus. But, funny thing, I can’t really find the breath to focus on. It’s pretty much there when I start … a sense of it popping up here and
Where did my breath go? Read Post »
The birds have vanished into the sky,and now the last cloud drains away. We sit together, the mountain and me,until only the mountain remains. from Endless River: Li Po and Tu Fu: A Friendship in Poetry, Translated by Sam Hami. This is so evocative. A truly beautiful image, of Li Po sitting *with* the mountain,
Li Bai / Li Po – The Birds Have Vanished Into The Sky Read Post »
I was driving into work today, and suddenly run into a traffic jam. We inched forward, and eventually I could see cars signalling to pull across into the right hand land. Clearly there’s a car ahead, probably an accident, I thought. When I got alongside it was a Porsche, with the driver down on his
Money can’t buy you everything Read Post »
