You may wonder how the whole world can be nothing more than your mind. When we show you some of the meanings of the following verses from, The Tibetan Book of Great Liberation, we will give you the opportunity to turn your experience right on its head. However, when you do this, you will discover what you actually experienced the whole time and just overlooked.
A few Buddhist terms
Here are a few terms to help you understand the following verses:
Sangsara is a Sanskrit name for the world. It means that which is in perfect motion.
Nirvana is endless stillness or peace. It is another name for Enlightenment.
If the world and enlightenment seem to be different, just note that they are both contained in the One Mind. Now let’s see what Padma says about duality:
There being really no duality, pluralism is untrue.
Until duality is transcended and at-one-ment realized, Enlightenment cannot be attained.
The whole of Sangsara and Nirvana, as an inseparable unity, are one’s mind.
The Tibetan Book of the Great Liberation
By Padma-Sambhava
Translated by Evans-Wentz
Oxford University Press
The key to understanding these verses is to know where reality comes from. Reality actually comes from you and not from what you see. The proof of this is that as your states change, reality remains the same. As you read this blog, reality seems to be inextricably connected to the waking state. And if you need proof, you might say, “I'll sock you in the head and ouch!!! That will prove that reality and the world are the same.”
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Step by step, Making Your Wisdom Come Alive points you to the source of
timeless Wisdom, the place of enlightenment; this is Bliss that does
not depend on what you do or what you think; it is your natural freedom.
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In a dream the sense of reality is the same as in the waking state
But what if as you read this, you begin to daydream. In this dream you are a completely different person. But you are sitting there with your parents, grandparents, spouse and children. Suddenly you realize that you are in a dream and tell your parents, “Do you know mom and dad, this is just a dream.” Your parents say, “No this is the waking state. See when I hit you in the head it hurts!”
No matter what state your mind is in, waking, dreaming or deep sleep, the thing that makes them seem so real is your mind and not the object that you see. That’s why when you are dreaming, the dream seems real and the waking state is gone.
Ramana Maharshi had a great analogy to explain this. In a movie many things are going on. People are rushing down the street. They are talking, making love, and making war. But when you reach out to touch the movie you touch only the screen. The screen is the real substance of the movie. In the same way your mind is the substance of the world. Believe it or not, as the screen is the reality behind the movie, your mind is the reality behind the world.
How to see that the world is just your mind
But in case you don’t believe this, let’s examine this statement a little closer so that you can experience what I am saying here. See if you can find what I am pointing to by your own direct experience.
When you see these words that are in front of you, where are you seeing them? Like a camera, your eyes capture these words. The image goes through the optic nerve and into your brain. Somehow the image then goes to your mind. And you see your mind. So are you seeing these words or are you seeing your mind? You can experiment with any object, whether a person or a thing. Where do you see these things? Is it out there or is it here in your own mind?
This makes the world a friendly place
If this seems strange, think of it this way: if the substance of the world is not different from you the world becomes a very friendly place. Think of your worst fear, like getting up in front of a large group of people to give a speech. If those people were actually the same as you, where would the fear go? After all you are not afraid of yourself, are you?
Finally you may notice that your mind is much bigger than you thought. It is much more than a few thoughts in your head. In fact it contains the whole universe. Contemplate the words of Padma until you know that you do not see many things. You only see the One Mind. Then you will just be a hop skip and jump from Enlightenment. Enlightenment is seeing things as they are, not by standing separate, but by standing as the One Mind. Next week we will continue with The Tibetan Book of Great Liberation so that you can get more insight into the nature of your mind, which is the One Mind.
Feel free to ask questions
Please
feel free to continue asking questions. I’m always glad to hear your
reactions and clarify my answers. Unlike the path of faith, on the path
of Self-Knowledge it is curiosity that destroys limitation and allows
you to abide in your natural freedom.
If the comment section of this blog doesn't work, please send your questions and comments to michael@ananya.com. To find out where this all leads go to, www.light-up-your-life.com. And finally, if you enjoy these blogs please tell your friend
Best Wishes,
Michael Gluckman
