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 »
This silence, this moment, every moment, if it’s genuinely inside you, brings what you need. There’s nothing to believe. Only when I stopped believing in myself did I come into this beauty. Sit quietly, and listen for a voice that will say, ‘Be more silent.’ Die and be quiet. Quietness is the surest sign that
Rumi – Live in silence Read Post »
I bow down at the feet of the supreme lama! It’s the mind fixated on objects that causes samsara.If you recognize as spontaneousThe luminous self-awareness, free of fixation,You’ll taste the fruit of the first yoga, one-pointedness. Some talk and talk about union, yet their meditation is all conceptual,They talk and talk about cause and effect,
Reflections on Milarepa – The Song of Distinguishing the Four Yogas Read Post »
To innermost bliss, I pay homage! Were I to explain Mahamudra, I would say—All phenomena? Your own mind!If you look outside for meaning, you’ll get confused.Phenomena are like a dream, empty of true nature,And mind is merely the flux of awareness,No self nature: just energy flow.No true nature: just like the sky.All phenomena are alike,
Reflections on Maitripa – Essential Mahamudra Verses Read Post »
Mental projections way outnumber the dust motes you see in the sunlight;A great yogi knows what appears for what it is. At bottom, the nature of things isn’t a product of causes, nor of conditionsA great yogi cuts to the core of the issue. Even a hundred men with spears couldn’t stop the thought-bubbles of
Reflections on Milarepa – Song of Six Essential Points Read Post »
I thought I’d once again share a comment I made on another blog I’ve enjoyed greatly of late – Sacred West. We’d had a brief dialogue about a post on Strong Back, Soft Front, after which Sacred West was relating their experience from that morning: Sacred West : I awoke and thought of a stressful
Working with Anxiety Read Post »
One of the things that I really appreciate about Mahamudra is that there are instructions that seem to just ‘hit the mark’ for me. Sometimes I feel I need detailed instructions, and there are many of those. There are primary texts such as those by Tilopa (The Six Words of Advice, The Ganges Mahamudra), Naropa
Mahamudra Inspiration Read Post »
I’ve recently discovered a blog called if you see the dhamma … written by Joseiem, which I’ve really enjoyed reading, and commenting on. I thought I’d just lift a set of replies I posted to Joseiem’s comments. I’ve used the title of this post to highlight what I’m trying to point at, not to characterise
Starting from Experience and Starting from Thought Read Post »
