Mecca, 26/11

"I understood clearly that nothing dies. Citta certainly doesn't die; in fact, it becomes more pronounced. The more fully we investigate the four elements, dividing them into their original properties, the more distinctly pronounced citta appears. So where can death be found? And what is it that dies? The four elements - earth, water, wind and fire - they do not die. As for citta, how can it die? It becomes more visible, more aware and more insightful. This essential knowing nature never dies, so why is citta so afraid of death? Because it deceives itself. For ages and ages it has been deceiving itself into believing in death, when in fact nothing ever dies."

Ācariya Mahā Boowa Ñāṇasampanno Thera

Will the Brahmins recover from this? Let's find out 👹🙏🏻🔱

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, sky-like.

That’s Mahamudra, as we call it.
It doesn’t have an identity to show;
For that reason, the nature of mind
Is itself the very state of Mahamudra
(Which is not made up, and does not change).
If you realize this basic reality
You recognize all that comes up, all that goes on, as Mahamudra,
The all-pervading dharma-body.

Rest in the true nature, free of fabrication.
Meditate without searching for dharma-body

—

It is devoid of thought.
If your mind searches, your meditation will be confused.

Because it’s like space, or like a magical show,
There is neither meditation or non-meditation,
How could you be separate or inseparable?
That’s how a yogi sees it!

Then, aware of all good and bad stuff as the basic reality,
You become liberated.
Neurotic emotions are great awareness,
They’re to a yogi as trees are to a fire— FUEL!

What are notions of going or staying?
Or, for that matter, “meditating” in solitude?
If you don’t get this,
You free yourself only on the surface.

But if you do get it, what can ever fetter you?
Abide in an undistracted state.
Trying to adjust body and mind won’t produce meditation.
Trying to apply techniques won’t produce meditation either.

See, nothing is ultimately established.
Know what appears to have no intrinsic nature.
Appearances perceived: reality’s realm, self-liberated.
Thought that perceives: spacious awareness, self-liberated.
Non-duality, sameness [of perceiver and perceived]: the dharma-body.

Like a wide stream flowing non-stop,
Whatever the phase, it has meaning
And is forever the awakened state
—
Great bliss without samsaric reference.

All phenomena are empty of intrinsic nature
And the mind that clings to emptiness dissolves in its own ground.
Freedom from conceptual activity
Is the path of all the Buddhas.

I’ve put together these lines
That they may last for aeons to come.
By this virtue, may all beings without exception

Abide in the great state of Mahamudra!

Essential Mahamudra Verses

by Mahasiddha Maitripa

Mahayana bodhisattvas are needed everywhere. Especially in the underworld. A genuinely good and real person is welcome everywhere, can stand blameless beside the wicked. A selfless presence is a sanctuary, it protects and is protected by all. To share wisdom amongst the righteous is like bringing a lamp into the light of day. Imagine the light being received by those whose ignorance literally gets people killed.
If you have grown out of muddy waters, others can to. What makes the environment in the underworlds so dangerous is not poverty, it is the darkness of ignorance. Emerge.

Notes: awareness of awareness. Sharing thoughts on the path to realising Mahamudra. Feel free to join the discussion.

When you perceives sensory stimuli. Skin, hearing or seeing for instancing. Starting with the closest perception like skin and then moving to the further senses. Contemplate the following questions.

What and where is the observer and what and where is the observed?

Is there any distinct subject and object, are there more than one?

Is it possible to draw any boundary between the observation and the observatory/observer?

Notes 2: sharing thoughts on the path to realising mahamudra.

Any fetters and dualistic obscuration is released by pristine awareness. Awareness is completely fresh, a completely new experience. All we need to do is open up to the present and just see the unfolding, without grasping.

Everything is changing and transforming all the time, the delusions come from grasping and holding on to views and ideas. Observe, witness how everything is completely new and fresh.

Talk and description is just a tainted echo. An attempt to capture the present moment. Like this text.

When we think, we often fail to realise the unreality of those thoughts. The vast openness of space and phenomena is constantly self liberated.
This is realised in the moment, simply by applying gentle attention to the freshness of your present experience.

Arrogance really has to be addressed. As long as we are in arrogance, we cannot learn and cannot shed wrong views. It means we are so lodged within a belief that all views other than the one we currently hold are unable to be perceived. This on the face of it is retarded and bars one from coming closer to enlightenment.

Cultivating the students mind is infinitely important. Being a sincere and genuine seeker is infinitely important. Without these things one will find it hard to make progress on the path.

Part of being genuine is having brutal self honesty. This cannot be dispensed with. If we can't even be honest about our own intentions and cover up real motivations then how can we make any real progress?

Reality doesn't give a fuck about superficial reasons or hollow excuses. We can cope and side step and wiggle out of facing up to our own wrong views all we want, but reality responds to our actual shit we have going on. Frequency, vibration, state of being, heart - all the different ways of describing what it is that's the reality about our inner world. The ego is reactive in nature and a master of deflection. Doesn't matter though - it can squirm all it wants to, but reality just doesn't give a fuck. Reality responds to, well, reality. The stories we sell ourselves don't stop karma. If we're not real in our search for truth, then we won't find it. We get back what we put out.

This is actually a very difficult subject because the majority of the time this goes on, it is happening unconsciously. So, how do we work on something that we aren't even conscious of? This is the whole thing. And then it makes it even more difficult because when we're in an arrogant state of mind, we are not open to correction from others.

This is where I think humility comes into play. If we're going to cultivate the students mind we have to humble ourselves. We have to always be on the lookout that we might actually not be correct - or even if we are, that we might not be fully correct. We just have to realize our views are relative and not absolute - unless you're already operating as a fully realized Buddha. So, if you're not, then it's safe to say humility is probably something to consider.

The goal is to transcend relative reality and merge with the Absolute. This cannot happen as long as our consciousness is lodged within an ego that mistakes relative reality for absolute reality. The constructs of our mind ain't it. This limited viewpoint ain't it. Knowing this, why be arrogant? Unconsciousness, ignorance, is the only answer. Use the power of the tism. Autistically check yourself. Question yourself and make a point to be humble - not just towards others but towards reality. The Guru is everywhere.

Whether one believes in a religion or not, and whether one believes in rebirth or not, there isn't anyone who doesn't appreciate kindness and compassion."


Dalai Lama on Religion

Let the Buddha Walk
By Thich Nhat Hanh

I have a student named Sister Tri Hai who spent a long time in prison. She was a peace activist I knew since she was in middle school. She came to the United States to study English literature before going back to Vietnam and becoming a nun. When she was out in the streets advocating for peaceful change, she was arrested and put in prison.

During the day, the prison guards didn’t like her to sit in meditation. When they see someone sitting in a prison cell solidly and stably, it feels a bit threatening. So she waited until the lights had gone out, and she would sit like a person who has freedom. In outer appearance she was caught in the prison. But inside she was completely free. When you sit like that, the walls are not there. You’re in touch with the whole universe. You have more freedom than people outside who are imprisoning themselves in their agitation.

Sister Tri Hai also practiced walking meditation in her prison cell. It was very small—after seven steps she had to turn around and come back. Sitting and walking mindfully gave her space inside. She taught other prisoners in her cell how to sit and how to breathe so they would suffer less. They were in a cold cell, but through their walking meditation, they were grounded in the solid beauty of the earth.

Those of us who can walk on the earth, who can walk in freedom, should do it. If we rush from one place to another, without practicing walking meditation, it is such a waste. What is walking for? Walking is for nothing. It’s just for walking. That is our ultimate aim—walking in the spring breeze. We have to walk so that we have happiness, so that we can be a free person. We have to let go of everything, and not seek or long or search for anything. There is enough for us to be happy.

All the Buddhist stories tell us that the Buddha had a lot of happiness when he sat, when he walked, when he ate. We have some experience of this. We know there are moments when we’re walking or sitting that we are so happy. We also know that there are times, because of illness or physical disability or because our mind is caught elsewhere, when we cannot walk freely like the Buddha. There are those of us who do not have the use of our legs. There are those of us who are in prison, like Sister Tri Hai, and only have a few feet of space. But we can all invite the Buddha to walk for us. When we have difficulty, we can leave that difficulty behind and let the Buddha walk for us. In a while the solidity of the earth can help us return to ourselves.

If we sit mindfully, if we walk mindfully and reverently on the earth, we will generate the energies of mindfulness, of peace, and of compassion in both body and mind.
We are made of body and mind. Our body can radiate the energy of peace and compassion. Our mind also has energy. The energy of the mind can be powerful. If the energy of the mind is filled with fear and anger, it can be very destructive. But if we sit mindfully, if we walk mindfully and reverently on the earth, we will generate the energies of mindfulness, of peace, and of compassion in both body and mind. This kind of energy can heal and transform.

If you walk reverently on the earth with two other people, soaking in the earth’s solidity, you will all three radiate and benefit from the energy of peace and compassion. If three hundred people sit or walk like this, each one generates the energy of mindfulness, peace, and compassion, and everyone in the group receives that healing energy. The energy of peace and mindfulness does not come from elsewhere. It comes from us. It comes from our capacity to breathe, to walk, to sit mindfully and recognize the wonders of life.

When you walk reverently and solidly on this earth and I do the same, we send out waves of compassion and peace. It is this compassion that will heal ourselves, each other, and this beautiful green earth.