Note: this is an advanced 'non practice' that is not necessarily suitable for everyone. Just a sharing.
--------------------
From http://groups.yahoo.com/group/DzogchenPractice/
In
the many recent months we have been discussing various ways and
approaches to attain or come to an understanding of enlightened
Awareness, to actually be in that Awareness as that Awareness. But in
all these discussions there has been some sense of there being a
departure point and an arrival point, with the path being the bridge
between these points. But in real Ati Yoga of Dzogchen there is no
notion of there being a starting point and an arrival point with some
transitional process linking the two points. Rather the departure point
is the arrival point in this moment...now, just as we are.
Let's
examine this a bit. Your actual true nature and beingness is pure
Awareness in all moments. It does not require additional efforts or
understandings to be what it already is. What is this
Awareness? It has no physical characteristics and has no location in
space or time. It has no sense of self nor any sense of identity.
There is nothing personal about this Awareness such as my Awareness and
your Awareness. It is complete voidness or emptiness, yet it is fully
cognizant. There is no separation between it and the field of
perception as they exist as one unity without parts. In fact you can't
even call it Awareness, because Awareness implies that there is a
subject, such as Awareness, and objects such as external and internal
forms and energies that Awareness is aware of...like a witness.
But
in fact, our true nature is not even Awareness in that regard, as there
is nothing for Awareness to be aware of. Awareness is the field of
experience, not an observer of it. You may ask what
Awareness looks like... whatever you see, feel, think, imagine, hear,
taste, smell are
all the manifestations or appearances of Awareness and are therefore
perfect just as they are. There is no need to change your feelings,
your thoughts, sensations, emotions or perceptions in any way. Whatever
you are experiencing in each moment is Awareness appearing as that
moment. Even having the sense of being a limited and defined ego-self
is also this Awareness appearing as that.
The most essential
nature of Awareness is a totally empty Presence that just is. That
Presence is our own immediate awareness in the midst of whatever
experience is arising. That which hears a sound is this non-personal
Presence as Awareness. This is the same for sensory experiences and
internal mental events as well. So when we hear a sound, the awareness
that is hearing the sound is inseparable from the sound. Try it, close
your eyes and just listen. Notice how you cannot find a dividing line
between the sound
and your perceiving awareness. Actually you will discover that there is
no separation at all, just like waves being inseparable from the
water. This happens to be true for all your perceptions and thoughts,
feelings and emotions as well. Everything is Awareness appearing as
those experiences. To experience this directly is what is called
the non-dual state or samadhi. In Dzogchen we could call this non-dual
state of Awareness and its energy field the experience of Ati. But you
cannot really call Ati an experience as there is no subject as a witness
of the experience. Here is where words and concepts fail to convey the
reality of Ati. Ati is never an experience...but is that which has
experiences and yet appears as those experiences at the same time, and
yet remains changeless and unmoving.
Ati
is Reality as it is, however it appears in each moment. There are no
levels of Ati. That is because Ati is everything just as you experience
it. Even the sense of being a confused being looking for freedom from
suffering is Ati appearing as that. However, there is still an
Awareness of that experience of there being a confused being, that
Awareness is like a mirror, but is itself never the forms or reflections
that appear as a confused being. We are never other than this
non-personal Awareness as the unchanging mirror itself.
That
means there is no need for meditation nor practice because whatever is
your experience is already Ati. All states of consciousness are Ati.
There is no one to become enlightened as all there is, is only the
unified field of Being. The sense of being
a separate being is just an experience. There has never been any
separation at any time nor separate selves. Ati is just being as you
are in this and every other moment. When you are sad, that is Ati
sadness. When you are crazy, that is Ati craziness. This is true for
all conditions and states.
How is the Ati experience brought
about? The essence of Ati is your cognitive knowingness present within
all moments and as those moments. There is a sense of being conscious
within all experiences. It is that pure cognitive consciousness that is
the living heart of Ati. The essence of Ati is not thoughts, but is
the awareness that appears as thoughts. The essence of Ati is not your
emotions, but is the awareness appearing as those emotions. And so it
is for all sensations and perceptions: Ati is the awareness of all
sensory and perceptual experiences yet is
inseparable from them, again like water and waves.
Even though
Ati is really not possible to practice, whatever you think, say, feel or
do is already perfect Ati practice. Whatever conduct you engage in,
Ati is beyond any notion of virtue or vice. So all conduct and actions
are equal. All thoughts, delusions, distractions are also left as they
are as they too are perfect Ati practice. And when those delusions of
mind are left as they are, they self-liberate or dissolve
spontaneously. Since whatever state of mind you are in is fully the
perfection of Ati as it is, what other practice is needed? Even when
you feel lost and confused, that too is the perfect Ati state
manifesting as that harmless experience.
The key is simply
being Ati awareness, the Awareness present in each moment already. It
is empty, clear and undefined presence of Awareness. Notice that
Awareness has no
characteristics other than being a naked knowingness as a continuum of
consciousness in each moment of experience. Whatever arises internally
or externally, its just the empty naked cognitive aspect attending each
moment as a non-personal Awareness of whatever is as whatever is. We
enter Ati through the method of Direct Introduction. There is no path
of learning nor of practice in Ati. Ati Awareness is always your
default condition and it cannot be made more clear nor ever impaired.
For
those that wish to enter the experiential dimension of Ati... ask
questions as needed. But it might be easier to just simply notice that
your current condition is Ati perfectly expressing itself exactly as you
are... as the pure noticing within all experiences. However,
in Dzogchen there are many exercises and secondary methods that can
assist one to come to this Awareness that may be used as
necessary. And when all of this is clearly seen from the
viewpoint of Ati, mental events and ego-self dissolve into pure
Awareness leaving no one to liberate… and the natural bliss of Being
saturates each moment as the arising of sheer delight...
Jax
"Good sons, all hindrances are none other than ultimate enlightenment. Whether you attain mindfulness or lose mindfulness, there is no non-liberation. Establishing the Dharma and refuting the Dharma are both called nirvana; wisdom and folly are equally prajna; the method that is perfected by bodhisattvas and false teachers is the same bodhi; ignorance and suchness are not different realms; morality, concentration and wisdom, as well as desire, hatred and ignorance are all divine practices; sentient beings and lands share the same dharma nature; hell and heaven are both the Pure Land; those having Buddha-nature and those not having it equally accomplish the Buddha's enlightenment. All defilements are ultimately liberation. The reality-realms's ocean-like wisdom completely illumines all marks to be just like empty space. This is called 'the Tath�gata's accordance with the nature of enlightenment.' "
~ The Sutra of
Perfect Enlightenment
-------------------
Then the
venerable Sariputra said to the goddess, "Goddess, how
long have you been in this house?"
The goddess replied, "I have been here as long as the
elder has been in liberation."
Sariputra said, "Then, have you been in this
house for quite some time?"
The goddess said, "Has the elder been in
liberation for quite some time?"
At that, the elder Sariputra fell silent.
The goddess continued, "Elder,
you are 'foremost of the wise!' Why do you not
speak? Now, when it is your turn, you do not answer the
question."
Sariputra: Since liberation is inexpressible, goddess, I do not
know what to say.
Goddess: All the syllables pronounced by the elder have the
nature of liberation. Why? Liberation is neither
internal nor external, nor can it be
apprehended apart from them. Likewise, syllables are
neither internal nor external, nor can they be apprehended anywhere
else. Therefore, reverend Sariputra, do not
point to liberation by abandoning speech! Why?
The holy liberation is the equality of all
things!
Sariputra: Goddess,
is not liberation the freedom from desire,
hatred, and folly?
Goddess:
"Liberation is freedom from desire, hatred, and folly"
that is the teaching of the excessively proud. But those free of
pride are taught that the very nature of
desire, hatred, and folly is itself liberation.
~ Vimalakirti Nirdesa Sutra
-------------------
...The particular method of Dzogchen is called the Path of
Self-Liberation, and to apply it nothing need be renounced, purified, or
transformed. Whatever arises as one's karmic vision is used as the
path. The great master Pha Tampa Sangye [South Indian Yogin of the 11
century (ed.)] once said: It is not the circumstances which arise as
one's karmic vision that condition a person into the dualistic state; it
is a person's own attachment that enables what arises to condition him.
If this attachment is to be cut through in the most rapid and effective
way, the mind's spontaneous capacity to self-liberate must be brought
into play. The term self-liberation should not, however, be taken as
implying that there is some 'self' or ego there to be liberated. It is a
fundamental assumption...at the Dzogchen level, that all phenomena are
void of self-nature. 'Self -Liberation', in the Dzogchen sense, means
that whatever manifests in the field of experience of the practitioner
is allowed to arise just as it is, without judgement of it as good or
bad, beautiful or ugly. And in that same moment, if there is no
clinging, or attachment, without effort, or even volition, whatever it
is that arises, whether as a thought or as a seemingly external event,
automatically liberates itself, by itself, and of itself. Practicing in
this way the seeds of the poison tree of dualistic vision never even get
a chance to sprout, much less to take root and grow.(p33)
So the
practitioner lives his or her life in an ordinary way, without needing
any rules other than one's own awareness, always remaining in the
primordial state through integrating that state with whatever arises as
part of experience -- with absolutely nothing to be seen outwardly to
show that one is practicing. This is what is meant by self-liberation,
this is what is meant by the name Dzogchen - which means Great
Perfection - and this is what is meant by non-dual contemplation, or
simply contemplation....
Wow... more Dzogchen stuffs. Thanks for sharing.
Just a sharing and is certainly not definitive....
When one has experienced the bliss when the mind rest down and is with few thoughts and emotions... one will want to go towards pleasant states. This is a kind of dualistic preference as well.
So much so that we will view many things and emotions as negative and must be eliminated. This in itself is a form of desire and dualistic concepts. It is very very hard to let go of such a concept. For example, we alway think that we need to get rid of the defilements.. and this part is re-enforced in the teaching. .. or rather our assumption of the teaching. But the very concept of getting rid of the defilements is a dualistic concept leaning towards a wish for ever more blissful and pleasant state. This is a paradox.
From my understanding that which are negative emotions or discomforts can exist simultaneously with the peaceful acceptance of them. At the 'heart' level there can be a release and allow the arising of the so-call negatives. It is easier to see the spaciousness and luminosity when the mind is not stirred by negative emotions and discomforts. But the acceptance/equanimity can allow the negatives to co-exist... and surprisingly the 'negatives' will dissolve faster through the allowance of their arising and existence.
My experience is that by not regarding anything as particular important helps in smoothing things. When we view anything as particular important, the mind will pay extra attention to it and will 'drag' and slow down the release.
Hi.. thanks for the sharing... yes I do notice for meditators theres a common tendency to eliminate 'negative' feelings and sensations especially having experienced certain states of bliss and clarity... but the practice is really about allowing the full spectrum of our experience to be experienced without any fleeing or manipulation. Awareness is truly all-inclusive. Sometimes it is described as 'unconditional love'.
Originally posted by longchen:Wow... more Dzogchen stuffs. Thanks for sharing.
Happy new year longchen. :)
Originally posted by Thusness:Happy new year longchen. :)
Hi Thusness,
Happy New Year to you too.
So nice to hear from you :)
Originally posted by An Eternal Now:Note: this is an advanced 'non practice' that is not necessarily suitable for everyone. Just a sharing.
--------------------
From http://groups.yahoo.com/group/DzogchenPractice/
Recently we have had several new members join our list... Some have limited knowledge of Dzogchen and others have much experience. I want to make clear that the approach to non-dual Awareness known as Dzogchen, is not a progressive approach that leads through a gradual step by step enhancement to one's understanding and experience of ones natural state or true nature. Rather, through auspicious circumstances there occurs a sudden shift from relative self or ego viewpoint to the absolute Knowingness of Being. This shift is the realization of Dzogchen. Dzogchen means the Great Perfection. One realizes that all and everything is and always has been perfect just as it manifests and needs no correction or clarification, and that includes our thoughts, feelings, sensations and perceptions just as they appear in this moment, not in some future moment after things have been fixed-up a bit. Another name for Dzogchen in the tradition is Ati or Ati Yoga. When we refer to Ati we mean this realization of total perfection that becomes known directly through the intrinsic wisdom of Being/Awareness self-manifesting spontaneously. I wrote the text below during the summer as some of you may have already read. I think it may prove useful to share and review this material again. Please ask questions or share comments as desired...In the many recent months we have been discussing various ways and approaches to attain or come to an understanding of enlightened Awareness, to actually be in that Awareness as that Awareness. But in all these discussions there has been some sense of there being a departure point and an arrival point, with the path being the bridge between these points. But in real Ati Yoga of Dzogchen there is no notion of there being a starting point and an arrival point with some transitional process linking the two points. Rather the departure point is the arrival point in this moment...now, just as we are.
Let's examine this a bit. Your actual true nature and beingness is pure Awareness in all moments. It does not require additional efforts or understandings to be what it already is. What is this Awareness? It has no physical characteristics and has no location in space or time. It has no sense of self nor any sense of identity. There is nothing personal about this Awareness such as my Awareness and your Awareness. It is complete voidness or emptiness, yet it is fully cognizant. There is no separation between it and the field of perception as they exist as one unity without parts. In fact you can't even call it Awareness, because Awareness implies that there is a subject, such as Awareness, and objects such as external and internal forms and energies that Awareness is aware of...like a witness.
But in fact, our true nature is not even Awareness in that regard, as there is nothing for Awareness to be aware of. Awareness is the field of experience, not an observer of it. You may ask what Awareness looks like... whatever you see, feel, think, imagine, hear, taste, smell are all the manifestations or appearances of Awareness and are therefore perfect just as they are. There is no need to change your feelings, your thoughts, sensations, emotions or perceptions in any way. Whatever you are experiencing in each moment is Awareness appearing as that moment. Even having the sense of being a limited and defined ego-self is also this Awareness appearing as that.
The most essential nature of Awareness is a totally empty Presence that just is. That Presence is our own immediate awareness in the midst of whatever experience is arising. That which hears a sound is this non-personal Presence as Awareness. This is the same for sensory experiences and internal mental events as well. So when we hear a sound, the awareness that is hearing the sound is inseparable from the sound. Try it, close your eyes and just listen. Notice how you cannot find a dividing line between the sound and your perceiving awareness. Actually you will discover that there is no separation at all, just like waves being inseparable from the water. This happens to be true for all your perceptions and thoughts, feelings and emotions as well. Everything is Awareness appearing as those experiences. To experience this directly is what is called the non-dual state or samadhi. In Dzogchen we could call this non-dual state of Awareness and its energy field the experience of Ati. But you cannot really call Ati an experience as there is no subject as a witness of the experience. Here is where words and concepts fail to convey the reality of Ati. Ati is never an experience...but is that which has experiences and yet appears as those experiences at the same time, and yet remains changeless and unmoving.
Ati is Reality as it is, however it appears in each moment. There are no levels of Ati. That is because Ati is everything just as you experience it. Even the sense of being a confused being looking for freedom from suffering is Ati appearing as that. However, there is still an Awareness of that experience of there being a confused being, that Awareness is like a mirror, but is itself never the forms or reflections that appear as a confused being. We are never other than this non-personal Awareness as the unchanging mirror itself.
That means there is no need for meditation nor practice because whatever is your experience is already Ati. All states of consciousness are Ati. There is no one to become enlightened as all there is, is only the unified field of Being. The sense of being a separate being is just an experience. There has never been any separation at any time nor separate selves. Ati is just being as you are in this and every other moment. When you are sad, that is Ati sadness. When you are crazy, that is Ati craziness. This is true for all conditions and states.
How is the Ati experience brought about? The essence of Ati is your cognitive knowingness present within all moments and as those moments. There is a sense of being conscious within all experiences. It is that pure cognitive consciousness that is the living heart of Ati. The essence of Ati is not thoughts, but is the awareness that appears as thoughts. The essence of Ati is not your emotions, but is the awareness appearing as those emotions. And so it is for all sensations and perceptions: Ati is the awareness of all sensory and perceptual experiences yet is inseparable from them, again like water and waves.
Even though Ati is really not possible to practice, whatever you think, say, feel or do is already perfect Ati practice. Whatever conduct you engage in, Ati is beyond any notion of virtue or vice. So all conduct and actions are equal. All thoughts, delusions, distractions are also left as they are as they too are perfect Ati practice. And when those delusions of mind are left as they are, they self-liberate or dissolve spontaneously. Since whatever state of mind you are in is fully the perfection of Ati as it is, what other practice is needed? Even when you feel lost and confused, that too is the perfect Ati state manifesting as that harmless experience.
The key is simply being Ati awareness, the Awareness present in each moment already. It is empty, clear and undefined presence of Awareness. Notice that Awareness has no characteristics other than being a naked knowingness as a continuum of consciousness in each moment of experience. Whatever arises internally or externally, its just the empty naked cognitive aspect attending each moment as a non-personal Awareness of whatever is as whatever is. We enter Ati through the method of Direct Introduction. There is no path of learning nor of practice in Ati. Ati Awareness is always your default condition and it cannot be made more clear nor ever impaired.
For those that wish to enter the experiential dimension of Ati... ask questions as needed. But it might be easier to just simply notice that your current condition is Ati perfectly expressing itself exactly as you are... as the pure noticing within all experiences. However, in Dzogchen there are many exercises and secondary methods that can assist one to come to this Awareness that may be used as necessary. And when all of this is clearly seen from the viewpoint of Ati, mental events and ego-self dissolve into pure Awareness leaving no one to liberate… and the natural bliss of Being saturates each moment as the arising of sheer delight...
Jax
Hi AEN,
A good article. I do not know much about Dzogchen but at this point in time, it is still too early to talk about the natural state of self-liberation.
There is the maturing of non-dual experience into the realization of One Mind in this article but you may also want to explore further the question -- "Is the realization that All as Mind equivalent to the natural state of self-liberaton?"
My opinion is try not to talk too much about self-liberation as it is extremely misleading. :)
Originally posted by longchen:Hi Thusness,
Happy New Year to you too.
So nice to hear from you :)
Me too. Been real busy these days hope everything is fine with u. :)
Originally posted by Thusness:
Hi AEN,A good article. I do not know much about Dzogchen but at this point in time, it is still too early to talk about the natural state of self-liberation.
There is the maturing of non-dual experience into the realization of One Mind in this article but you may also want to explore further the question -- "Is All as Mind equavalent to the natural state of self-liberaton?"
My opinion is try not to talk too much about self-liberation as it is extremely misleading. :)
I see... thanks.
Yah I think non-dual is different from self-liberation... one has to go through the 'second door of impermanence'?