Mingyur Rinpoche elaborated on this, emphasizing that the teaching in both is not to reify the awareness as self nor to perceive objects as having independent, substantial existence. Khyentse Rinpoche makes the same point: “Those who cling to the lucid or to the void aspect of the mind are caught in dualistic attachment to subject and object.”

In any instruction to rest in awareness, we need to understand that awareness implies recognizing its empty nature as well as its lucid aspect—and not getting attached to emptiness is equally important. Nagarjuna, one of the greatest of the Indian adepts, warns that even the view of emptiness can become a trap when grasped as a view. He writes, “It is sad to see those who mistakenly believe in material, concrete reality, but far more pitiful are those who are attached to emptiness.”

The question then arises: How do we cut through this subtle identification with the knowing capacity of mind, with awareness itself? At one point in my practice, a simple linguistic shift became a pathway for cutting through this identification. By changing how we language our experience (even silently to ourselves) from the active voice to the passive voice, we can settle effortlessly into a receptive, selfless mode.

For example, we usually think of what we’re doing in the active voice: “I’m moving, I’m thinking, I’m hearing.” In the passive voice, this might become: “Movement being known, thought being known, sounds being known.” This shift is striking because the “I” is no longer the subject of the action. Instead, things simply arise and are known effortlessly without a sense of self. As the Austrian philosopher Ludwig Wittgenstein noted, much philosophy is “a shadow cast by grammar”; our language habits easily conjure a “self” behind experience.

The Buddha gave a succinct and powerful teaching on this in his discourse, The All. In this sutta, he described the totality of our experience in just six concise phrases: “the eye and visible objects, the ear and sounds, the nose and odors, the tongue and tastes, the body and tactile objects, the mind and mental phenomena.” By being mindful of these six categories as being known, we gain glimpses—and sometimes sustained experiences—of selflessness, of empty phenomena rolling on.

To deepen this experience of selflessness, we can then ask the simple yet profound question: Known by what? In meditation, as different sounds arise, I may ask myself, Can I find what’s knowing this sound? The sound is being known—but by what? There’s nothing to find. And yet, as the Tibetan Dzogchen master Tulku Urgyen remarked, in searching for awareness, “the not finding is the finding.” This inquiry helps dissolve the subtle identification with the knowing itself, which, when unnoticed, perpetuates the felt sense of a knower.

Even after these transformative insights arise, the path continues. The 12th-century Korean Zen Master Chinul expressed this in his teachings on sudden awakening and gradual cultivation:

Although we have awakened to original nature, beginningless habit energies are extremely difficult to remove suddenly. Hindrances are formidable and habits are deeply ingrained. So how could you neglect gradual cultivation simply because of one moment of awakening? After awakening, you must constantly be on your guard. If deluded thoughts suddenly appear, do not follow after them. Then and only then will your practice reach completion.

Chinul’s follow-up reminder is equally vital:

Although you must cultivate further, you have already awakened suddenly to the fact that deluded thoughts are originally void and the mind’s nature is originally pure.
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Free Buddha Dharma ebook

Mountain Dhamma
A Collection of Dhamma Talks by Ajahn Suchart Abijhato

Mountain Dhamma is a well-known book by the highly respected Thai Forest monk Phra Ajahn Suchart Abhijāto. It is a compiled collection of his insightful Dhamma talks and Q&A sessions focused on core Buddhist meditation practices, developing wisdom, and training the mind to overcome mental defilements. The book reflects the classic, direct style of the Thai Forest Tradition. Rather than focusing on heavy intellectual or scriptural study, it emphasizes practical, everyday mental cultivation.

Free download available:

https://drive.google.com/file/d/15MNiCNA8Bt5sGnbkryjIKA2bgvgIEWjL/view?usp=drive_link
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Insight Meditation, The Practice of Freedom by Joseph Goldstein

Liberation Through Non-Clinging Across Buddhist Traditions

How approaches from different Buddhist traditions can complement and support each other on the path to awakening

By Joseph Goldstein

Part 2 of 3


The Distortions of Perception, Mind, and View

After realizing selflessness or emptiness, some may mistakenly believe their work is finished, assuming that everything they do arises from that realization. This misconception can then become a rationale for not paying attention to the defilements that remain. Teachings in the Pali canon explain how hindrances and strong habit energies can still influence our minds, even after uprooting the belief in self. This is the teaching on the vipallasas, or the distortions of mind. The Buddha says in the Vipallasa Sutta:

These four, O Monks, are distortions of perception, distortions of thought, distortions of view. . . . Sensing no change in the changing, sensing pleasure in suffering, assuming “self” where there’s no self, sensing the unlovely as lovely.

The distortions differ in degree and consequences. Misperception, such as mistaking a rope for a snake, is easily corrected through closer observation. Distorted thought refers to the thoughts and feelings that arise from such misperceptions, which also can be remedied with careful attention. The deepest and most challenging to uproot is distortion of view, an entrenched belief that persists despite contrary evidence. This is particularly evident in deeply polarized political landscapes, where no amount of reasoning can break through attachment to certain views.

Even after the strong view of self has been uprooted, distortions of perception and thought will persist. The good news is that although these two are still operative, they are easier to dispel over time. Once we are free from the view of self, these distortions naturally diminish.

However, there is a cautionary note: Unless we recognize Chinul’s reminder about the ongoing work required, these distortions may remain unnoticed. Even those with genuine realization can fall into unskillful behavior by failing to recognize these lingering tendencies. This can foster the conceit of “I am the one who has awakened,” reinforcing a subtle sense of self.
Impermanence and Dukkha as Gateways to Nondual Awareness

Along with nonself, insight into impermanence and dukkha also open the door to the freedom of the non-clinging mind. The Buddha repeatedly emphasized the transformative power of contemplating impermanence: “When perception of impermanence is developed and cultivated it eliminates . . . all ignorance, and it uproots all conceit ‘I am.’ ”

After teaching contemplation of impermanence, the Buddha added: “Contemplating thus, one does not cling to anything in the world. When one doesn’t cling, one is not agitated. When one is not agitated, one personally attains nibbana.”

As I was sitting during one retreat, a familiar line from the Pali texts came to mind: “Whatever has the nature to arise will also pass away.” Although I had read this many times, in that moment it settled deeply into my experience. Because everything that arises must also pass away, there seemed little point in craving a new or different experience in meditation, since whatever I desired would inevitably disappear. With this understanding, the mind naturally relaxed, releasing any sense of wanting or striving. When I then turned my attention to the nature of this non-wanting mind, it was the same experience as awareness, empty of self.

The experience of dukkha can also function as a gateway to nondual awareness. My first teacher, Munindra-ji, described how, during meditation, he felt as if his entire body was being consumed by fire. It was through the intensity of this dukkha that his mind opened to the unconditioned.

Another powerful illustration involves a monk in the Buddha’s time, affectionately known as the dullard, who struggled to remember even a four-line verse of teaching. The Buddha instructed him to stand in the sun and briskly rub a white cloth in his hands. As the cloth grew soiled, the monk contemplated impermanence and the unattractive aspect of the body. This insight led to his full enlightenment through non-clinging.

In another discourse, the Timsamatta Sutta, the Buddha reminded thirty forest-dwelling bhikkhus of the beginningless cycle of rebirth, prompting their minds to be liberated by non-clinging:

Bhikkhus, this samsara is without discoverable beginning. A first point is not discerned of beings roaming and wandering on hindered by ignorance and fettered by craving. . . . Enough to be disenchanted toward all formations, enough to become dispassionate toward them, enough to be liberated from them. . . . And while this exposition was being spoken, the minds of the thirty bhikkhus were liberated from the taints by non-clinging.

In this context, the phrase empty phenomena rolling on, which emphasizes nonself, might become endless phenomena rolling on, reminding us of the liberating power that comes from deeply understanding the nature of samsara—the beginningless rounds of rebirth.

Years of dedicated forest practice had prepared the minds of these monks so well that simply listening allowed the words to carry a transformative power. The lesson here is that both teaching and listening to the dharma are themselves acts of meditation, and that awakening can arise from either. Liberation can occur through myriad insights, with practices tailored to each individual’s unique conditioning and capacity.

Integrating the Teachings from Different Practice Traditions

The question then becomes how different approaches can support each other rather than be in conflict. This integration occurs quite naturally when we realize that different systems of practice can each serve as skillful means for cultivating non-clinging—the essence of a free mind. One helpful way to understand the differences in various approaches is to reflect on the union of knowing and object. While some practices emphasize non-clinging to the object, others focus on non-clinging to the knowing itself.

A clear example of this distinction appears in the Mahamudra and Dzogchen traditions of Tibetan Buddhism. In these traditions, the nature of mind is described as the unity of emptiness and clarity (or cognizance). Although the two traditions use different terminologies and methods, their underlying essence and endpoints are the same. Mahamudra emphasizes a gradual development, initially working with the appearances in the mind, such as thoughts and sense objects, in order to recognize their empty nature. Once this recognition is stabilized, the training is to then rest in the unity of clarity and emptiness. Dzogchen, on the other hand, emphasizes a direct introduction to resting in awareness itself. Thus, even in these liberating nondual traditions, we find different emphases at various stages of practice.

We can observe similar differences in emphasis across many Buddhist traditions and lineages. Yet regardless of the particular emphasis, genuine freedom requires non-clinging to both the object (appearance) and the knowing (clarity). Each of us may be drawn to a particular path that resonates deeply, but as we learn from other traditions, we may find that different teachings become interwoven strands of practice, with each strengthening the other. Much as a rope gains its strength from multiple strands woven together, our practice can become stronger through this integration. While each tradition offers its own skillful means, a shift in perspective from another system of practice can sometimes reveal new insights that serve the ultimate goal: the end of suffering.

That said, it is important to develop some depth of experience and understanding in one practice before attempting to integrate teachings from others. Rushing this process and jumping from one method to another before establishing a solid foundation can lead to confusion and doubt. But when approached skillfully, the breadth of wisdom from different traditions can be a powerful resource as we continue on the path.
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20. Attanà coday' attànam
pañimàse attam attanà 16
So attagutto satimà
sukham bhikkhu vihàhisi. 379.
21. Attà hi attano nàtho
attà hi attano gati
Tasmà saññamay' attànam
assam bhadram' va vàuijo. 380.

HE WHO GUARDS HIMSELF LIVES HAPPILY

20. By self do you censure yourself. By self do you examine yourself. Self-guarded and mindful, O bhikkhu, you will live happily. 379.

YOU ARE YOUR OWN SAVIOUR

21. Self, indeed, is the protector of self. Self, indeed, is one's refuge. Control, therefore, your own self as a merchant controls a noble steed. 380.

Story

A poor ploughman who had for his only possessions his loin cloth and his plough became a monk. Several times he thought of leaving the robe, but finally, taking for his object of meditation his loin cloth and plough which he had preserved, he attained Arahantship. Commenting on his success, the Buddha uttered these verses.
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At Savatthī.


“What do you think, bhikkhus, how is a bhikkhu’s teaching of the Dhamma pure?”

“A bhikkhu teaches the Dhamma to others with the thought: ‘The Dhamma is well expounded by the Blessed One, directly visible, immediate, inviting one to come and see, applicable, to be personally experienced by the wise. Oh, may they listen to the Dhamma from me! Having listened, may they understand the Dhamma! Having understood, may they practise accordingly!’ Thus he teaches the Dhamma to others because of the intrinsic excellence of the Dhamma; he teaches the Dhamma to others from compassion and sympathy, out of tender concern. Such a bhikkhu’s teaching of the Dhamma is pure.

He teaches the Dhamma to others because of the intrinsic excellence of the Dhamma; he teaches the Dhamma to others from compassion and sympathy, out of tender concern.

Partial excerpts from SN 16.3 Candūpamāsutta: Like the Moon

The Experience of Insight, A Natural Unfolding by Joseph Goldstein

Liberation Through Non-Clinging Across Buddhist Traditions

How approaches from different Buddhist traditions can complement and support each other on the path to awakening
By Joseph Goldstein

Part 3 of 3

Practical Integration in Practice

This integration can unfold in many ways. Imagine, for instance, that you are practicing within a nondual frame of reference, and the mind becomes entangled in a compelling narrative about the past or future. Perhaps this narrative carries a strong emotional charge—regret, confusion, or delight. When such a story is particularly seductive it may be difficult to sustain awareness or remember nonduality as a means of release. In such moments, a simple teaching from the Buddha in the Dhammapada can be a powerful anchor: “Let go of the past, let go of the future, let go of the present and cross over to the further shore.”

This straightforward instruction is remarkably effective for returning to awareness. Letting go of thoughts about the past and their associated emotions reminds us that the past is gone and that the story is simply thoughts arising in the present. In the same way, letting go of thoughts of the imagined future, remembering it has not yet come, grounds us in immediate experience. And the final instruction, letting go even of the present, encourages us not to cling to whatever experience has emerged in dropping the past and future. This last step naturally settles the mind in spacious awareness, characteristic of Dzogchen and other nondual practices. This example illustrates how complementary teachings can skillfully reinforce each other.

The reverse can also be true: A nondual perspective can sometimes bring balance to vipassana practice. While engaged in traditional vipassana meditation or simply navigating daily life, we may get entangled in thought patterns, embroiled in some life story. At such times, recalling a nondual perspective can often disentangle the mind from attachment. A well-known story from the Chinese Chan tradition illustrates this: Huike, in a state of great suffering, beseeches Bodhidharma to pacify his mind. Bodhidharma responds, “Show me your mind, and I will pacify it.” Huike replies, “I looked for it everywhere and cannot find it.” Bodhidharma responds, “There, it is already pacified.”

Although this could be read as a classic Zen story, it points to an effective method for coming out of a self-absorbed state. At times when I find myself lost in troubling thoughts, I may remember this exchange and quietly remind myself, “Already pacified.” In those moments, the mind naturally settles into peace.

Nondual frameworks can similarly support vipassana practice in balancing our efforts. While on retreat with Sayadaw U Pandita, a revered teacher immersed in classical Theravada teachings on the progressive stages of insight, I found myself pushing too hard, caught in the wanting mind. When I recognized this, I reminded myself, “Already aware, there’s nothing to do.” This simple phrase, echoing Dzogchen’s relaxed awareness, released the tension of unskillful striving and allowed my vipassana practice to continue with ease.

We are fortunate to live in a time when these varied teachings are accessible. Each teaching style has its unique strengths, and these examples illustrate how different styles of practice can complement one another. It is not a matter of one path being superior but of recognizing that all are skillful means for cultivating non-clinging, the essential path to the end of suffering. Even as we pursue our particular paths of practice, we have the opportunity to genuinely honor and learn from them all.
Acknowledging Differences

Although liberation through non-clinging is at the heart of most Buddhist traditions and serves as the foundation for realizing different aspirations, there are some fundamental differences of understanding about the ultimate nature of reality.

For example, the terms nibbana and nirvana have different meanings in early Buddhism compared to later traditions. In the Pali canon, nibbana is described as the unconditioned, experienced as the cessation of craving and clinging, beyond all conditioned phenomena. It entirely transcends samsara, not as a place but as freedom from the cycle of birth and death. In contrast, the nature of mind teachings in Dzogchen describe ultimate reality as the inseparability of awareness and emptiness. In this view, samsara and nirvana are said to be “one in basis, different in recognition”: The nature of mind is the same—obscuration vs. recognition makes the difference. This distinction carries significant implications for the understanding of buddhahood itself.

In early Buddhism, the Buddha is regarded as a historical figure who attained supreme enlightenment through his own efforts. He famously declared, “Unshakeable is the liberation of my mind. This is my last birth. Now there is no more renewed existence.”

Later Mahayana and Vajrayana traditions describe the Buddha as a transcendent cosmic principle manifesting through three bodies: the dharmakaya (truth body), which is the nature of ultimate reality beyond form; the sambhogakaya (bliss body), the subtle dimension of enlightened presence accessible to advanced bodhisattvas; and the nirmanakaya (emanation body), in which Buddha appears in human form in this world. These traditions teach that multiple buddhas exist in different realms, working to alleviate the suffering of beings.

What does this mean, then, for our own practice? Despite these quite different views of buddhahood and the ultimate goal, both approaches aim to reveal the nature of reality and support awakening. For me, this inquiry has led to the realization that at this point in my understanding, I simply cannot know which view is ultimately true—or even if that is the right question. Perhaps each framework of understanding serves the unique needs and aspirations of different practitioners.

Some find it best to follow a single tradition exclusively, while others, like me, after being well-established in one practice, then draw inspiration from multiple traditions, finding strength in their common roots. When asked what I practice, my response is simple: I practice not clinging to anything as being “I” or “mine,” and then wait to see where that leads.
A Moment Beyond Tradition

Sometimes a single moment can capture the essence of what many words are trying to convey. In the 1970s, during the annual three-month retreat at the Insight Meditation Society, we hosted Dipa Ma, one of our most revered and beloved teachers. She had extraordinary attainments in vipassana practice and various stages of enlightenment, along with mastery of all the various levels of concentration and the siddhis, or powers, which can arise from those practices. When asked what her mind was like, she replied, “There is concentration, peace, and love.” We all felt that in her presence—a vast emptiness and boundless love.

We also had the good fortune during that retreat to host a visit by H.H. the Sixteenth Karmapa, one of the greatest Tibetan Buddhist masters of the last century. His Holiness was giving a talk and blessings in the meditation hall, seated on a high brocade-covered seat, as is customary for a high lama giving teachings. After his talk, the Karmapa touched each of us with a ritual whisk in blessing. When Dipa Ma stepped forward, however, he took her head in his hands and touched foreheads, a Tibetan gesture of respect and deep connection. Although they had never met, there seemed to be a profound recognition of the vast inner dharma realm they shared. Even though they had each mastered different practices and traditions, in that moment it felt like a mutual recognition of the boundless emptiness and love at the heart of their realization. While I could only imagine the depth of their understanding, that moment seemed to transcend differences in methods and viewpoints—an inspiring aspiration for us all.
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Joseph Goldstein is cofounder and a guiding teacher of the Insight Meditation Society in Barre, Massachusetts, and its Forest Refuge program, and helped establish the Barre Center for Buddhist Studies. His books include A Heart Full of Peace, One Dharma: The Emerging Western Buddhism, and Mindfulness: A Practical Guide to Awakening.
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