Oct 28 1992
I we look at our mind's consciousness, there is what is termed ocean like awareness. Ocean like awareness is the great mind that we have. And if we use an analogy of being like space, then there are various forms in space, various cloud formations and such, and they manifest in various aspects. Like having shape, form, color, texture, whatever. And yet they do not change the innate nature of space which is the non obstruction, the natural purity. When we as individuals, we are awareness. Sitting right here we nave awareness. Very often we look at awareness as from the senses outwardly. But we do have mind awareness. Conscious awareness.
To use an analogy, or what we should try to do is bring our mind into a state of reference. Being like we are the ocean like awareness, the ocean like conscious awareness. And if we can bring our perspective towards that type of view, then we can see that that is actually approaching what is called the one taste. The one taste of reality. Milarepa referred to that the ultimate nature of reality is of one taste. So if we can bring our mind to that level, sort of invoke that type of consciousness for ourselves, then what we have on a relative level, like just sort of to be looking down on a relative level, is is that we very often identify to the particular form, aspect, or shape which is appearing at this particular moment. And we identify with that. We have emotion based on that, and we act them out and such. And so we become very identified with the form, the cloud, and we do not recognize our innate nature which is the innate purity.
In that way, what happens is our conceptual mind looses its greater basis and shifts into a smaller mindedness. Like I say, holding to ones self image, and on the basis of that image, the various attributes of that image which we are generating and identifying. And each one of us generating and identifying that image in a unique way according to our experiences and upbringing.
For this evenings meditation you can use the bridge between space as being unobstructed, and our mind. To say those were equal. Then, you can take that as the basis of the premise. That there is the ocean like mind. And then, what you want to do, is to say, this is valid. Why? Because the very texture of my being here right now is actually reality completely at that! It always has been. It has never been separate from that and in the future it will never will be separated from that, it has always been that. And the basis of that, to help you recognize that, is to recognize that your very physical being sitting in the room is complete emersion with the environment around you. Try to use it in this sense to identify your mind with the nature of the innate nature of space which is pure and not muted, in that it is innate, unobstructed, alright? That is consciousness. Conscious awareness. And then to say that is valid. How is it valid? Because if my conscious awareness investigates various aspects, they actually dissolve.
For example, my body! It sort of feels quite separate. But your body, it is like the example of the fish in water. The fish cannot exist without being in the water. It would die immediately. We are actually a fish in this environment. In that way, to try to develop a consciousness which is an awareness which allows us to access that final nature, then we are using an analogy or an example. Which is like space. We are allowing our mind to try to ascend to that level of perspective. And when the mind goes out of it, it is just to bring the mind back by reflecting that when an image appears, it is just like the surface. With any deeper awareness, it completely dissolves again into the ocean like mind.
Meditation:

Copyright 1994  Daka's Buddhist Consulting  All Rights Reserved