Thursday, December 09, 2004

Reflections on Longchenpa - Seeing with Naked Awareness

Emaho!

It is the single (nature of) mind which encompasses all of Samsara and Nirvana.
Even though its inherent nature has existed from the very beginning, you have not recognized it;
Even though its clarity and presence has been uninterrupted, you have not yet encountered its face.
Even though its arising has nowhere been obstructed, still you have not comprehended it.
Therefore, this (direct introduction) is for the purpose of bringing you to self-recognition.
Everything that is expounded by the Victorious Ones of the three times
In the eighty-four thousand Gateways to the Dharma.
Is incomprehensible (unless you understand intrinsic awareness).
Indeed, the Victorious Ones do not teach anything other than the understanding of this.

Excerpt from 'Self-Liberation through Seeing with Naked Awareness'
A Terma hidden by Padmasambhava, and revealed by Longchenpa.


This *is* the fulcrum, the central turning point of the Dharma ... the understanding of the nature of the mind, of our intrinsic awareness. All the various means and views of the Dharma all lead to this one point - to understanding directly the nature of your mind. All the meditations, all the precepts, all the philosophy, all the skilful means - all of them point back to the direct, non-conceptual seeing of how things are, of the nature of mind.

All of the Dharma teachings are incomprehensible unless you experience directly your mind as it is. Not a foreign land to be reached for the first time after a long journey, our immediate sense of that land is carried with us, each step of the way, guiding us, supporting us, and infusing our sense of journey and not-journey.

Our practice derives by resting in this awareness, this nature, and permeating our activity with that resting.

The direct teachings of Mahamudra and Dzogchen continually point to how close, easy and immediate available is this nature, right here, right now ..... not far away, not something to be cultivated afresh. Our mind is like 'this', and it doesn't need to be changed. Just seen. Just ... Just .....

May I and all beings Awaken right now, and guide each other home!

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