Realizing the basis of everything itself is not symbolic speech

Our goal as spiritual aspirants and students often seems symbolic, because some of the language is culturally symbolic, or sounds cultural, embedded in 2,500 hundred years of flavoring.

But the goal of enlightenment, which involves experiencing emptiness first hand, is not symbolic - it is literal to reach the state of liberation from illusion which starts with recognizing the true nature of the mind as being empty and luminous without duality - and that's it, there are no objects of reference in this state which we can achieve because it is about letting go of everything.

To refer to this state, which is the basic state of the mind (mostly unrecognized), people who have realized it, or have a teaching tradition call it many things -

"Some call it by the name Dharmadhatu or "the dimension of Reality."

Some call it the Prajnaparamita or "the Perfection of Wisdom."

Some call it the name Tathagata-garbha or "the embryo of Buddhahood."

Some call it by the name Mahamudra or "the Great Symbol."

Some call it by the name "the Unique Sphere."

Some call it by the name Dharmadhatu or "the dimension of Reality."

Some call it by the name Alaya or "the basis of everything."

And some simply call it by the name "ordinary awareness."

Now, when you are introduced (to your own intrinsic awareness), the method for entering into it involves three considerations: Thoughts in the past are clear and empty and leave no traces behind.

Thoughts in the future are fresh and unconditioned by anything.

And in the present moment, when (your mind) remains in its own condition without constructing anything, awareness, at that moment, in itself is quite ordinary.

And when you look into yourself in this way nakedly (without any discursive thoughts),

Since there is only this pure observing, there will be found a lucid clarity without anyone being there who is the observer; only a naked manifest awareness is present.

(This awareness) is empty and immaculately pure, not being created by anything whatsoever."

That is what Padmasambhava said about it in Self Liberation through Seeing with Naked Awareness http://www.flickr.com/photos/wonderlane/sets/72157615037339490/show/

That's what we are talking about...

Once this state is reached, and can be reached / or maintained with ease, true creative power is possible -- subsequently the great love for all that live is actionable. This is true because it is a different basis than what we generally understand.

In other words once you are directly in touch with your own mind without any filter - of the body or mental states ( though such means as dropping everything) - you can begin to manifest a different reality with a clean slate because you can direct your reality from a different basis. Like a great shaman or an universal wizard, however close to enlightenment you come, it is a technology - if the heart is also engaged - then that has much more potential (for reasons like karma, all things connected etc) because you can feel everyone is on this same plane, and such knowledge and love tend to wipe out static, convoluted, charged energy and in this open field everything becomes possible.

That state we know from Buddha and latter enlightened people is possible.

And as I understand gender has absolutely nothing to do with achieving this state --two of the first three students to gain enlightenment from Hevajra practice, during its later introduction were women.

Test What I Said, verses How High should I Jump?

Lord Buddha said "Test everything I said for yourself, don't just accept it at face value, if it works for you, then use it."

Traditional Tibetan Buddhism teaches "if your lama says "jump!" you should only ask "how high?" as you leap.

Which is the path to truth?

One sounds real to me, the other sounds like a cult. We all have to ask questions of ourselves because we can not give up our spiritual sovereignty, not really.

Giving up spiritual sovereignty is an illusion. We come and go alone depending on the kindness of others always. Wanting things to be easy is the reason fundamentalism exists. It's easy. One knows who is responsible and what all the rules are, or at least who to ask.

Do whatever your lama says is Buddhist fundamentalism, it's old school but not necessarily good school. For those who have taken truly mistaken paths, and can not love nor listen to others, the path of placing the lama first is a good, tried and true path, such as for Milarapa...

But really we do know, we just have to be patient enough to inquire and wait for the answers to appear. A highly qualified guru makes the light and dark spots clearer, and the path quicker.

Any where there is enough great food, the leaders should eat last, not first, so as to make sure everyone is provided for.

Up with their arms for peace!

Up with their arms for peace! Lamas blessing the protection armbands (red cord on left arm for women and right arm for men) with nectar, Sakya Lamdre, Tharlam Monastery of Tibetan Buddhism, Boudha, Kathmandu, Nepal
Originally uploaded by Wonderlane

Lamas blessing the protection armbands (red cord on left arm for women and right arm for men) with nectar, Sakya Lamdre, Tharlam Monastery of Tibetan Buddhism, Boudha, Kathmandu, Nepal

Kubota Tree Garden for meditation, deep pine shadows, Julie on bench and Rosie foreground

Kubota Tree Garden for meditation, deep pine shadows, Julie on bench and Rosie foreground
Originally uploaded by Wonderlane

Kubota Tree Garden for meditation, deep pine shadows, Julie on bench and Rosie foreground, Tukwila, Washington, USA

Plateau, the higher meaning of the Nirvana song

Many a hand has scaled the grand old face of the plateau
many people have attempted to become enlightened using that old time religion and reached a plateau

Some belonged to strangers, some to folks you know
Some of them were Pratyekabuddhas (don't teach), some were Samyaksambuddhas (do teach)

Holy ghosts and talk show hosts are planted in the sand
over time even the most enlightened subjects tend to disintegrate into meaningless drivel

To beautify the foothills, and shake the many hands
these produce beautiful culture providing a sense of what is possible, and those who are helped by enlightened ones

nothing on the top but a bucket and a mop
in emptiness of enlightenment there is much work remaining to help others clean up karma and deluded thinking, it's normal

And an illustrated book about birds
and the biographies and hagiographies of those who have become enlightened and have gone beyond before you

See a lot up there but don't be scared
there is a lot of information about the various techniques, but don't be frightened of all the paths and choices

Who needs action when you got words?
because you don't need to worry about karma or other forms of action tantra when mantrayana exists

finished with the mop then you can stop
once you have calmed your own mind and cleaned your karma out, you can stop

And look at what you've done
observe the real, observe yourself

The plateau's clean, no dirt to be seen
where you are is perfection itself, pure emptiness

And the work it was fun
self realization is fun but work

nothing on the top but a bucket and a mop
from the highest view there is pure body speech and mind

And an illustrated book about birds
and illusion is obvious, such as greed, hatred, and delusion (see http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bhavacakra)

See a lot up there but don't be scared
there are left handed and right handed paths

Who needs action when you got words
but mantrayana works if you don't choose action tantra or yoga

Many a hands began to scan around for the next plateau
lots of seekers start to look for yet another plateau

Some say it was Greenland, and some say Mexico
thinking it is someplace else they will go north or south, or choose some other path


Others decided it was nowhere except for where they stood
but the wise and realized understand that samsara and nirvana are the same - where they stand now

But those were all just guesses, wouldn't help you if they could
But this is just a story, you have to have the experience yourself

Thanks to Fred, Nathan, and Chris for this idea...