Being Here. The masters of all the times have told it: the happiness that cannot be lost lives in our relationship with the infinite, that aware luminous source of finite reality undreamt of in the thoughtful slumber of human reason and belief. Our perennial dilemma is the resolution of this primordial duality and the realization of the prior interdependent unity of these two dimensions, these “Two Truths”—relative and ultimate. How do we do this? Continue in fear and trembling, then in confidence upon your path. This path is the result of your life as it is here and now—whatever you’ve made—what you’ve been given. Begin precisely here, today and work it with wisdom and kindness. Take all responsibility for your negativity, your problems, your projections and your disconnects with others. Don’t believe everything you think. We limit ourselves most through our emotional attachment to our present concepts and beliefs. Then we become the advocates of these lifestage limits. So relax your defenses—clinging, pride, aggression—along with their inexorable pain and negativity. No blame, anywhere. Wisdom abides prior to thought. Train your mind to open and receive it. Receiving is prior to giving. Now act in kindness. The profound peace of our wisdom mind begins here. “Use the mind like a mirror, receive but do not cling” (Chuang Tzu).
The View. Know now that your essential nature—your heartmind essence—is radically open, awake, selfless and kind. That is who you actually are. Know now that this inherent capacity may be beyond your current understanding. You can and will grow. Your present view and condition will change. This is certain. Trust in this promise of your healing and awakening. Seek qualified teachers. Study and practice the wisdom teachings. Find a spiritual community. Then open your heart and mind to receive power and love from a qualified living spiritual master. Now unify your mindstream with That. Then you may give it in equal measure. This radical liberating activity of selfless love and devotion is the essential cause of lasting happiness. How to begin? Ask “What more may I do to help?” Do some good. Meanwhile, do no emotional or physical harm. Don’t take life. Be truthful in speech and action. Practice generosity, patience and kindness moment-to-moment all day long. Begin with yourself.
The Path. In his concise masterpiece, Zen Mind, Beginners Mind , Suzuki Roshi teaches us that 99% of our thought and activity—our energy—is in service and defense of the ego-self. Yet ultimately, there is no such self! There is only Spirit, here now. All embraced in Spirit. Therefore, intend kindness toward others. Be kind to yourself. Be kind to all beings. If the intention is kind, then the ultimate result will be good. Purity of intention requires awareness of selfish intention. So give wisely. Give unwisely (until you know the difference). Help everyone you can. Be exceedingly generous in word and deed. Be glad for the gift of your life now, just as it is. Make this very path your goal. Practice that. Your life and your death are right here. Each breath remember. How? Practice the voice/mantra OM AH HUM. Google it.
How do we experience the suffering and death of our own bodymind, and pain and death in the world without dissociating? This legacy need not be our destiny. In the horrific face of pain, uncertainty and chaos, train your mind in equanimity, peace that abides at the Source, here and now, prior to the cycle of ignorance that is the positive-negative projections of your own mind—acquiring, clinging, pride, envy, fear/anger. (Of these, pride is the most insidious). The great secret is utter surrender of it all, the bad and the good. This radical moment-to-moment openness or letting go of self is the courage to be. It dwells at the Heart in generous, compassionate, selfless activity of love that is the wisdom of kindness. Wisdom and compassion are an inseparable unity. As we learn to recognize, then trust and relax into the uncertainty of this bright unbounded whole, step by step, compassionate wisdom spontaneously arises. Practice that. You can do it. Each breath surrender.
Choosing Reality: The Two Truths and the Four Views. As the egoic self-contraction (pride, fear/aggression) away from our ultimate Source arises, let it be, as it is. Train to relax into the very essence of the negative emotions that cause this painful contraction. That essence is the timeless purity of Ultimate Truth, our “Big Mind,” the infinite unbroken whole that is non-dual Spirit. This concept-free pure intrinsic primordial awareness is, in this very moment now, fully present and awake at the Heart as your indwelling Christ/Buddha
nature. The presence of this perfect clearlight mind sees the temporal objects of all experience—physical, emotional, mental, spiritual—as “one taste.” It’s all interconnected and none of it endures. This bright post-conceptual awareness presence outshines as the unified field of all knowing subjects and their perceived objects. No subject/object split. No concept, no belief, no judgment, no dilemma. Thus informed, act with compassion and wisdom in the stormy realm of Relative Truth that is the “Small Mind” of our everyday finite spacetime reality. This is the world of all too real empirical events that conceal our clearlight mirror that is ultimate reality itself. Witness now this dialectic of the prior unity of these two realms—ultimate and relative—of being the primordial whole. The presence of this is who we actually are.
The “problem” lies not with the world, but with our own present mindstate. From self-centered ego self arises negative perceptions, concepts and emotions that are the cause of unhappiness and human evil. The enemy is within, not in an external person, group or condition. “If you do not conquer this demon your external enemies will be never ending” Adzom Rinpoche. Therefore, learn to liberate the destructive emotions at the very instant of their arising, before they ensnare you. The savior is within, our innate indwelling wisdom mind, not in an external person, group or God. Let the master mirror that you. Practice this freedom and choose your destiny. “To change the world, begin with yourself” (H.H. The Dalai Lama). Practice, then be the change you wish to see. Now breathe and relax into it. Let being be. No problem at all. Great beauty.
Consider and remember the dialectic of The Four Views—the four dimensions, the four levels of understanding and explanation—outer, inner, innermost secret and non-dual (Gross Body/Waking State, Subtle Body/Dream State, Causal Body/Deep Sleep State, Essence Body/Non-Dual State). These are a unity. Don’t get stuck in one or the other. And when you do, breathe deeply and relax into the brightness of that prior unity. Learn these practices of our perfect wisdom mind from a qualified master. Just so, you will spontaneously transmit it unto others. Pure joy.
The Result. What is the cause of happiness? How do we change? With support, choose here and now the peace and equanimity of your always already present witness, the luminous state of presence of your supreme identity. That is all you can control. From this base, from this primordial seed at the Heart naturally arises the wisdom of kindness that is our perfect wisdom mind. Can we really be this presence, that space of sky, in the chaos of our splendent earth? But we already are. Spirit is always fully and perfectly present at the Heart. Buddha is always here. Christ is always here. Enlightenment/happiness is always here. Seeking happiness is a form of unhappiness. We cannot become happy. We can only be happy. No need to seek it. No need to improve it. You are always already Spirit! Step-by-step train your mind to rest in That. Tolerate the paradox. Then feed the kids, show up for work, and practice the wisdom of kindness all day long.
Who Is It? Consider often this urgent koan: Who is it that desires to know, and to be happy? Who is it that is confused, afraid and angry? Who is it that is born, suffers and dies? Who is it that shines through the mind and abides at the heart of all human beings, forever liberated and fully awake? In whom does this all arise?” Relax now into That . That is your selfless supreme identity. That is who we actually are. All together we share in this one. Here then, to thine own divine nature be true. Patiently practice prayer, meditation, devotion and kindness. “Then, arise and make of yourself a light” (Shakyamuni Buddha). “Perseverance furthers; no blame” (I Ching). Then shall Christ shine upon thee.
This then, is the faith (surrender) and certainty (wisdom) of the radical truth of happiness told by the highest, most subtle innermost secret and non-dual teaching of our Great Wisdom Tradition. Thus begins the recognition, then realization of our always, already present non-dual perfect wisdom mind. When you forget, Remember The Teaching. Keep the view. Recognize the presence of the source of all of this, abiding steadfastly at your luminous Heart. Unify your mindstream with That, momenttomoment.Now,byyourselflessdevotion, intention and action, be trulyhappy.
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