Nanaimo 1993 uk4
We have been on the theme of aligning ourselves with the true nature of reality. In that we have doing a variety of techniques. We followed the basic texts to a certain point then I diverged into two sub commentaries of my own making. Now I would like to bring us back to the text and actually finish it because it would be nice to do something new.
The previous techniques that were presented were involved the observations of the world around us. About two months ago we presented the idea of looking at the world, and having your mind go through through the wall and beyond and recognizing the wall and its components don't stand there by itself. So there is no independent wall. Independent watch. Independent carpet or window. Everything is interrelated. And that is how it is allowed to manifest, to appear. The watch can appear because there is clarity between the space and myself. Therefore the image of the watch is able to present itself to you as an individual. But at this moment, we only see it in our own way. Each has a different angle, so you are seeing it that way. And in your mind will be different thoughts about it! So it does not have it's own existence. It's existence is in relationship to ourselves and our relationship as to how we input on it. We talked about that.
Then we moved into the thing with the mirrors. We put mirrors around the room and talked about looking at the world as like a reflection in the mirror and recognizing that when you realize something as like a reflection in a mirror, that you actually withdraw grasping at it as being real. If you can have that experience of seeing an image and first not realizing it is just a mirror image, and you sort of believe there is someone over there! And then suddenly you realize it is an image, you can literally sense the withdrawal that it was real. That ability is a powerful experience in starting to realize that we look at each other as being very independent. I look at each of you and you seem so separate. But reality is, we are swimming in the atmosphere around us fully.
If we recognize our interdependence, as you become more in tune with that, you actually do withdraw the projection of independent separate entities and start realizing the interdependence. That I am affecting and being affected. I am in relationship with others. Within that realization is unbelievable potential for compassion. That was with the mirrors.
Then we moved into the third of dreams. And in the dream analysis we discussed the phenomena of trying to become conscious in our dreams. In being conscious in the dream time, allows us to recognize the dream imagery is a projection and created from our own mind. In that dream moment we have an opportunity to gain a handle on reality. The confidence we can gain at the time can be transferred back into day to day activity and we can be more confident in our relationships with others. Also it is powerful in helping us realize that we are the creator of our experience in our day to day activity. Especially if you gain realization of your dream imagery in your dream time, and recognize that your positive or negative feelings create the imagery of the dream. At that point that realization actually gives you power in understanding yourself. And if you can bring that back into daily activity you have an opportunity to transform your relationships with others and the world around you. We talked about that.
What I would like to do is bring it back to the actual text. It says that you can do these things, the major point of realization is the realization of the mind. If you can do that, you have the key to everything!
" In this state when you have realized the true void nature of your mind in the above manner, you should single pointedly settle your mind on this realization without any mental wandering. In this way you cultivate the placement of single pointed concentration on Voidness which is empty of the obstructions of true independent existence a space is empty of obstruction and tangibility."
The example is, if your mind becomes realized, it becomes open or does not have obstacles. Doesn't turn to cement! Our mind on occasions when we have strong delusions about something and it appears, our mind sort of turns into cement. Goes so solid and so hard and so unable to change in any way. Delusion is like that! Whereas when your mind starts to come into realization, it says realization is like space in that it does not obstruct what goes through it. For example, the definition of space is the lack of obstruction. So if space has the quality of not obstructing anything, then whatever appears in it has the freedom of expressing itself. The main example is the clouds in the sky. because the nature of sky is spacious, i.e. empty of obstructiveness, therefore the clouds can do their various formations due to the pressures and temperature and such, and do whatever they want! It doesn't hurt space. Space does not become affected by that because the nature of space gives the freedom for those expressions.
So if your mind comes in realization, your mind has the ability to allow the various things to come through it without grasping at them as being very concrete or independent self existent. So that is what the text meant.
The mind or realization is the mind which is similar to space and it is free of empty of obstruction, tangibility. Space is not something tangible, because if it were it would obstruct in one way or another.
"In this state of single minded concentration on space like voidness, you should further analyze the true nature of your mind, this bare clarity that appears wit no form. Upon it many different conceptual thought arise, without any obstacles, causing you remember many things and make associations which your then wanders after. But the mind or consciousness itself is merely a steady flowing stream of unobstructed clarity or awareness without discontinuity. Such a mind, however, appears to be an independently existing entity which does not rely on anything else for its existence, and you grasp at it as such."
Meaning, the mind has a freedom. It continuously is manifesting itself in different forms. But we do not understand that flow of mind. Rather we grasp at individual thoughts individual sensations, we grasp at individual emotions, and by grasping at those we then establish certain situations for ourselves and therefore suffer or get happy. So that is because we grasp at our mind as being truly existent, and that is the way we hold ourselves and have done so for lifetimes! That is the mistake we have been making.
Concerning the object implied by such grasping, a mind existing truly independently, the great protectors Santideva has said, "It is false to consider streams of instants and groups of parts, such as rosary or an army, to be independently existing entities in themselves." Thus as Santideva has explained with scriptural authority and logic, you should single pointedly concentrate on this state of the non self-existence of the mind, a mode of existence that is completely different from the way things ordinarily appear.
Let me record a few words from the mouth of my root Guru, Sangya Yeshe, a truly omniscient Buddha, who has said succinctly "If you can see whatever thoughts arise in your mind a a process of mental labelling, then the Sphere of All Things, Dharmadatu, the true supreme voidness is dawning on you without reliance on other forces of logic. In this state, when Voidness has appeared on your mind's perception, fixing your consciousness single pointedly on that Voidness is truly a wonderful feat.
Similarly Padampa Sangya has said "Consciousness applied in the perception of Voidness, once it has understood Voidness, should be turned round full circle to destroy the ignorance of grasping for its own true independent existence. Voidness itself and the perception of Voidness are both void of being tangible concrete entities obstructing anything, O people of Dingry." All such quotations lead to the same idea."
Padampa Sangya was an Indian yogi who went to Tibet in the tenth century. It is said he lived for two or three centuries. He went to China and started the Zen Chan tradition and then came back to Tibet. It is said he lived at the same time as Milerepa. They met and had an encounters displaying their various magical powers!
At the conclusion of your meditation session, you should dedicate whatever virtue has accrued from meditating on Mahamudra, as well your ocean like accumulation of virtue in the past, present and future, towards your attainment of the peerless Enlightenment of Buddhahood for the sake of all beings."
That is where we will stop for today.
I would like to use an image in your mind which gives you some sense of clarity about the meditative process. The objective of enlightenment or the meditative process is essentially to be happy. To have a sense of joy and bliss about ones state of being. And what obstructs that is the clinging and the grasping. We can go happily along and then something gets to us! Then our happiness disintegrates. It is because our mind has no internal realization but rather reliant upon external circumstances. So we need to more internalize, bring our mind to realization.
The example which is best given is the analogy of space. Space is not sullied or stained by the various things which appear in it because it 's nature is unobstructed and intangible. In that way, space can be an analogy of voidness is that the various delusions and thoughts, good or bad, can arise within the mind but if we do not cling to them, they will of their own nature subside or basically disappear. It is said, when a thought arises, it almost comes out of nothing. Like out of no where comes the thought! And see how you will experience it! You will be sitting there and suddenly something comes into mind. A relative, a car, a house, something of the past and it becomes an object of consciousness. Similarly suddenly it disappears like it was never there!
Like that our mind is free form. But we don't look at it that way. We see ourselves as real, holding ourselves in a particular way. And that is what we do. k We make yourselves very segmented or in chunks. So for you meditation, try to relate to your mind, as it is said, as a state of consciousness which is clarity and which as no discontinuity. Just always there with it's awareness or clarity. And allowing your mind to settle in that which is like space like voidness, then let the various thoughts come through you without clinging or grasping at them.
Meditation:

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