Knowledge and Religion

When the four parts become one, you end suffering

2009-11-06T20:23:55-08:00

Today we will continue with The Tibetan Book of the Great Liberation, transmitted by Padma Sambhava. This section is called The Fourfold Great Path. These four parts are: The actual teaching, the actual meditation, the actual practice or the practical application, and the actual fruit or results obtained.

Without the proper knowledge it is too easy to overlook the clear and immaculate nature of your mind, and if you do so you overlook the meaning of life. So let’s see what Padma says about this most excellent Wisdom:

The fourfold Great Path
All hail to the Wisdom here set forth, concerning the invisible, immaculate Mind!

This teachings is the most excellent of teachings.

This meditation, devoid of mental concentration, all embracing, free from every imperfection, is the most excellent of meditations.

This practice concerning the Uncreated State, when rightly comprehended, is the most excellent of practices.

The fruit of the yoga of the Eternally Unsought, naturally produced, is the most excellent of fruits.

Herewith we have accurately revealed the Fourfold Great Path.

This teaching without error, this Great Path, is of the Clear Wisdom here set forth, which, being clear and unerring, is called the Path.

This practice relating to this unerring Great Path is of the Clear Wisdom here set forth, which, being clear and unerring, is called the Path.

The fruit of this unerring Great Path is of the Clear Wisdom here set forth, which, being clear and unerring, is called the Path.
The Tibetan Book of the Great Liberation
By Padma-Sambhava
translated by Karma Sumdhon Paul, and Lobzang Mingyur Dorje
Edited by Evans-Wentz
Oxford University Press

The knowledge is that your mind is naturally clear and uncreated. The meditation is that which needs no particular state mind; where concentration will not bring you closer. The practice is discovering your natural state which being uncreated will never be destroyed. The fruit is freedom from limitation, including old age, disease and death.

If you can find the secret meaning of this verse you will put an end to suffering forever. Hint: look back over the past verses found in this blog and this verse will become very clear.

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Making Your Wisdom Come Alive is like a novel where you are the main character. It takes many surprising twist and turns, and in the end you find yourself standing in the place of wisdom and joy, where you always are,and always will be.

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Feel free to ask questions

Now I want you to experience your invisible, immaculate Mind in its full glory. So 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

Reality comes from what we are

2009-10-29T21:20:19-07:00

Ok, after another diversion we are back to The Tibetan Book of the Great Liberation. Because there is so much in this verse, I divided it into two parts. To review the first part go to: The Wondrous Experience of your Own Being.

Samsara is the Sanskrit word for the ups and downs in life. You know at one moment things seem to be going well, at the next moment you get sick and things seem to go down hill. To understand this verse you have to know that you just made a mistake. You were never really caught by the ups and downs of life. You were always the silent stillness that saw the changes, but you just overlooked it.

You were never caught in limitation
So your job is not to get out of the limitations of the world. Rather you just have to discover how you were never caught in them. So right in the middle of your everyday jobs and relationships you were always free of the world. To recognize this is to find the real beauty of these teachings.

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With this as a guide let’s see how Padma talks about this:

The Wondrousness of these Teachings, Part 2
Although wandering in the Samsara, it remains undefiled by evil. Wondrous is this.

Although seeing the Buddha, it remains unallied to good. Wondrous is this.

Although possessed by all beings, it is not recognized. Wondrous is this.

Those not knowing the fruit of this yoga seek other fruit Wondrous is this.

Although the Clear Light of Reality shines within one’s own mind, the multitude looks for it elsewhere. Wondrous is this.

The Tibetan Book of the Great Liberation
By Padma-Sambhava
translated by Karma Sumdhon Paul, and Lobzang Mingyur Dorje
Edited by Evans-Wentz
Oxford University Press

Not noticing that our sense of reality comes from the clear light of Consciousness, we hope to get our sense of reality from what we see. And thus we mistake reality for the thoughts in our mind or objects that we see. Now while these objects seem real enough while they last, they seem to come and go. As an example people are born, but they also die, houses are built, but they also get destroyed.

And so it appears that reality comes and goes. But this doesn’t feel right. Somewhere in our heart or gut we know that reality is more than a thing that lasts for a fleeting moment. And that is because reality comes from what we are, not from what we see.

Reality is clear
Our real being is the Consciousness that lights up the world, not the things that we see. But the problem is that Consciousness is clear. It is the light that lights up even darkness. But since it is clear, a person cannot stand separate from it to look at it. And so many people think that it doesn’t exist.

But the good news is that you can know your own being. But you have to know it in a different way. You know it by standing there and not by standing as an object that you see, such as the body or a few thoughts in your mind; so stand as the clear consciousness that you really are and see how things look from here.

In this beauty you are right at home
You will be amazed to find that the thing you were looking for in many ways was right here all along. It is here that you see how things are really connected; you are the thing that makes the world seem so bright. Also here in your real home you will find the happiness that you were looking for. This happiness is freer and more expansive than anything you could have imagined. In all of this beauty, you will find yourself right at home. Here there is a silence that cannot be put into words, that does not fit into any description. Wondrous is this.

Feel free to ask questions
Now I want you to experience your The Clear Light of Consciousness in its full glory. So 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.

Michael Gluckman

You can have what is really good

2009-10-22T20:35:57-07:00

In the past two weeks I received several promises telling me that I could not only have spiritual enlightenment, I could have millions of dollars, expensive cars and houses and a great relationship. Imagine all of this for just signing up for their course.

Although this course might make the teacher rich, I can tell you one thing for sure: this type of smorgasbord that attempts to give you everything, will not lead to enlightenment. That’s because enlightenment is discovering the source of happiness and happiness does not come from houses, cars, money or relationships. Happiness comes right from your center.

The desire for Lasting Happiness Comes from your nature
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Enlightenment is getting to the core of the universe and the one thing that the whole universe is built on. That is the desire for fulfillment and happiness. The basic characteristic of this happiness is your true identity; but this is the one spot that we look right past in our search for happiness. We look to objects for our happiness and never notice the place where we actually experience happiness. That place does not depend on what we have and don’t have. The good news is that you can be happy and at peace no matter what your circumstances seem to be.

However if you feel that your happiness depends on objects like cars and houses, you may get these things, but in the long run you will be disappointed. That’s because they just can’t give you the happiness that comes from inside of you. And in the end the thing that seemed to give you happiness will seem to snatch it away as when the house burns down, the car crashes or you will lose your ability to enjoy them.

Find the thing that will really last
So you have a choice, you can either spend your life gathering the things that seem to provide happiness, or you can dive within and find lasting happiness in the place where it actually exists. This does not mean that in order to wake up you have to live in poverty. It only means that the thing that you put the emphasis on in your life is the thing you might actually get. So just be sure to go after what you really want so when you get it you can be at peace.

In my stay here in California, I have seen too many people with expensive cars and houses who seem confused and miserable. Due to old age and disease they have lost their ability to enjoy their riches. When their wealth disappears, then what will they do? So look ahead and use your life to find your real nature. That's how you can find lasting satisfaction.

Feel free to ask questions
Now I want you to experience your Self-Nature in its full glory. So 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 more go to, www.light-up-your-life.com. And finally, if you enjoy these blogs please tell your friend

Best Wishes,

Michael Gluckman

The Wondrous Experience of Your Own Being

2009-10-15T20:37:49-07:00

After a few weeks hiatuses where we considered other questions, it is time to get back to The Tibetan Book of the Great Liberation by Padma Sambhava. Since this book was written for the future, it is straightforward without a lot of jargon.

The key to understanding these teachings is to stand in the place that Padma points. This is like visiting the Eiffel Tower in Paris as opposed to reading about it. When just reading about it, you will never get a full sense of the experience of the Eiffel Tower, the bright lights, the smells, the tastes and the people. That’s because your actual experience is much richer than what you can capture with the linear process that we call thinking.

The limitations that you see are not your limitations
The same is true of the experience of your own Self-Nature. It is much closer and much clearer than you could ever capture with your thinking. At best, with your thinking you will just get a one sided impression of what your being is really about. But if you can stand here, even for a few seconds, you will see that there is something very amazing going on in life that you just overlooked.

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Ultimately, when you realize that the limitations that you see are not your limitations, you will remain here forever. Your real identity is the light that shines on the mind. You do not take a trip to this state called Consciousness and Bliss. It is not a vacation spot; it is your real home. Thinking that you were limited by a body and mind, you felt limited. But now it is time to return to your real home and to find the place that you never left. To get here just stand in the place that Padma points to in the next verse:

The Wondrousness of These Teachings

This self-originated Clear Light, eternally unborn, is a parentless babe of Wisdom. Wondrous is this.

Being non-created, it is Natural Wisdom, Wondrous is this.
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Not having known birth, it knows not death. Wondrous is this.

Although it is Total Reality, there is no perceiver of it. Wondrous is this.
The Tibetan Book of the Great Liberation
By Padma-Sambhava
translated by Karma Sumdhon Paul, and Lobzang Mingyur Dorje
Edited by Evans-Wentz
Oxford University Press

So what is this Natural Wisdom that is unborn and non-created? In fact it feels so natural that we just look right past it and we take ourselves to be the limited objects that we see. But there is evidence to support your unborn and undying Self Nature. It is the place inside were despite all evidence to the contrary, you feel like you won’t die. It is the place inside where you feel like you do not change, despite the fact that both your body and mind are changing.

There is no one separate to look at you
You do not know about your home by reading about it. You know about your home because that’s where you reside. Similarly, you do not know your identity by reading about it. There is no one separate who can step back and look at it. The secret of identity is that you know yourself because you are yourself, not as a separate thing. This is the place from where you really view life, your body and mind. It is the thing that makes them seem so real. You shine by your own light without the need for a separate light. We call this light Consciousness.

If you can abide in your original place, be ready for some surprises. Things will seem the same and different, both at the same time. Although you will see changes, you will abide in the place that never changes. Although you will see separate things, you will also see how they are really connected by your real nature. And most important you will die to a sense of a limited self, so you will never die again. No matter how the states of your body and mind change, you will be right at home.

It is here that life fulfills itself by itself
Abiding here is the real purpose of life. It is here that life fulfills itself by itself. It is here that you find all of the happiness and peace that you’ve been looking for in a million different places. And you never dreamed that the thing you were wishing for is found in the place where you actually stand.

So best wishes in your exploration so that you can stand in the brightness that Padma points to. In this freedom everything becomes more beautiful and you find that which is free from every limitation, including death. This is the self-originated Clear Light, eternally unborn, that Padma talks about.

Michael Gluckman

The Difference between Self-Knowledge and Psychology

2009-10-09T21:28:48-07:00

The aim of Self-Knowledge is to find out who you are. This is an experiential type of knowledge. Experiential means you know the self by standing as the self, not as a separate thing.

Of course even now we are the Self. But now we mix up our own Self-Nature, the seer of objects, with the things that we see. That’s when we feel limited by these things. The reason that objects feel too limited for us is because or original nature is much more expansive than that which can be held by an object.

Our nature has no boundaries
Taking our Self-Nature to be an object is like taking space to be limited by the walls of a room. Then when there is an earthquake and the walls crash down, the room space again merges with space. But what really happened? Space was never really limited to a room. The same space was both inside and outside the room. It was also in and through the walls of the room. When the walls fell down nothing really happened to space. It was the same before and after the room was destroyed.

In the same way, we were never limited by the things that we see. To know if this is true or not, return your identity to its original place as unlimited Consciousness and Bliss and stand there free from the objects that you see.
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Thoughts are just an object in our awareness

Thoughts are one of the objects that we see. When we take our identity to be limited to our thoughts, we feel defined by these thoughts. This is unfortunate because our thoughts can be affected by many things that are out of our control like a chemical imbalance in the body and Alzheimer’s disease.

But once we blame thoughts for our limitations and suffering the next step is how to make our thoughts better. That’s where psychology comes in. But changing our thoughts is like trying to make the room bigger. No matter how big we make it, the room will never contain all of the space. In the same way, no matter how good we make the thoughts they will never be an accurate reflection of the changeless Consciousness and Bliss, which is the backbone of our existence.

Our nature is the stillness the see the fluttering mind
So no matter how we attempt to improve our thoughts we will never be able to hold them in the state that we want. That’s because the nature of thoughts is movement. But if you ask one simple question you will discover the reality behind your mind. How do I know about change? You know change because you are free from change. Your nature is the stillness that sees the ever fluttering mind.

And so with the slightest shift of your identity from an object that you see to the ultimate subject, you can stand in the freedom that you always wanted, unconcerned by your thoughts.

The more we attempt to change our thoughts the more we feel caught by them
Attempting to change our thoughts is like attempting to still the waves in a lake. The more we try, the bigger the waves become. Similarly, the more we attempt to change our thoughts the more we feel caught in them. That’s because we feel defined by what we think. But if we can find our real identity, we will find the peace that passes all understanding, unaffected by the thoughts in our mind. Standing here we will become the expansiveness that we really are.

So unlike psychology, we never define you by the thought patterns in your mind. That’s because you are much brighter and much more expansive than your thoughts can ever tell. Stand in your real nature, without doing anything else, your thoughts may start to reflect the peace of your own Being. And if your thoughts do not seem to reflect your natural state you will still be at peace. This is the peace that passes all understanding. It is a state of being, not a state of mind.

Michael Gluckman

Why commit suicide when peace is at hand

2009-09-22T20:11:53-07:00

Since September is Suicide Prevention Awareness month I wanted to take a break from The Tibetan Book of the Great Liberation to talk about Suicide Prevention. Since the emphasis of this blog is Self-Knowledge, we can bring a unique perspective to this subject.

If you have thoughts of suicide or feelings of depression, there are three things that you should know:

Life has surprising twists and turns
First you should know that if you continue to live, life will have many surprises in store for you. Life can turn on a dime. At one moment it can seem awful. In the next moment you can have revelations that can take you to the very source of happiness found at the core of your being. Although at times life can seem stressful, once you learn about your vast potential you will see that life in this world is a gift. So even if you feel depressed or out of sorts, have the perseverance to stick with life so you can find your real potential.
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The thought does not make it true
Secondly just because you think the thought, “I’m going to commit suicide”, doesn’t make that thought real. Although the thought may seem real when you think it, it is just as real as thinking, “I am a purple kangaroo.” No matter how many times you think “I am a purple kangaroo” you will not become a purple kangaroo. In the same way if you think, “I’m going to commit suicide”, it doesn’t mean that you have to commit suicide.

Find heaven within you
And thirdly you should know that the reason you are here is to find an answer for suffering, to find "The kingdom of heaven that’s within you." If you can find this place of happiness, you will find a sense of peace that is not born and will not die. It is not affected by the condition of your mind or body. You find this peace by finding your real identity, the real meaning of the word I.

This is sometimes called, “The peace that passes all understanding.” The reason for this is that when you identify with your thoughts it seems as if this peace does not exist. But in reality you are not your thoughts and that includes the thought I. You are not the one who is caught in your thoughts either. Rather you are the Awareness that sees thoughts. The thoughts change but this Awareness remains the same.

You know Awareness because you are Awareness, not as a separate thing
Your thoughts cannot grasp this still Awareness. That’s because thoughts can only grasp that which changes. So you have to know Awareness in a different way. You know Awareness because you are Awareness; not by standing apart and thinking about Awareness.

To start on the path of Self-Knowledge, when thoughts come up, both good and bad, notice that you are the witness of these thoughts, not the one caught in them. They do not apply to you. Then you will see that you no longer have to fight with your thoughts. Just remain in your rightful place as Awareness and let your thoughts be. Then even when the “bad thoughts” come up, you will remain at peace.

Your identity is not the thought I
Furthermore when you think, “I’m going to commit suicide”, you will know that neither the I nor the suicide applies to your real identity. Then you will be able to laugh and remain at peace. That’s because you will have let go of the limited thought, I, which the mind seems to capture as your identity, and you will remain in your true state as eternal and boundless Peace and Awareness.

Killing the body is not the answer
When you feel depressed and miserable, you should know that you can find an answer for this suffering. Killing the body is not the answer because the body is not the cause of suffering; after all the body is just inert. Rather the slightest shift in your identity from a thought in your mind called I, to your innate Awareness will cause a complete change in your experience.

Standing here you will no longer believe in your thoughts. That's because you will find peace and joy that is much more solid than the thoughts you took to be true.

So don’t cut your life short and deny yourself the opportunity to find your real identity. Instead dedicate your life to waking up to the real meaning of the word I, and finding The peace that passes all understanding.

Michael Gluckman

The Value of Wisdom

2009-09-13T13:14:04-07:00

Imagine, just by knowing the nature of our mind, we could know the nature of the universe. And yet we look right past this very important knowledge and focus on our thoughts and the objects that we see. Then we identify with these objects. At the end we feel caught in the hands of old age disease and death.

But the hope is that if we just go back the way we came, we will be able to rest in that which really supports us. We all know that we have a mind right. It is the shinning-ness of the mind that allows us to know, to think, and to remember.

What is everything anyway?
Now if you can discover the place from which this shining-ness comes from, you will discover something that is really deep. In fact you will discover the thing that makes the drama of our lives and the universe seem so real. If you ever have the question What is everything anyway?, you can discover the nature of your mind and there you will find the answer.

The answer is not intellectual, held by a few thoughts in your mind. Rather it is your real experience, and you just look right past it. With this introduction let’s see how Padma points to the essence of your mind in The Tibetan Book of the Great Liberation.
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What is Dharma-Kaya?
In this verse Padma uses the word Dharma-Kaya. This is the Tibetan Buddhists way of saying the place where reality sits. This is the place, described above that really supports us.

The Dharma Within Continued

When looking outwards into the vacuity of space, there is no place to be found where the mind is shining.

When looking inwards into one’s own mind in search of the shining, there is to be found no thing that shines.

One’s own mind is transparent, colorless without quality.

Being of the Clear Light of the Voidness, one’s own mind is of the Dharma-Kaya; and, being void of quality, it is comparable to a cloudless sky.

It is not a multiplicity, and is omniscient.

Very great, indeed, is the difference between knowing and not knowing the import of these teachings.

The Tibetan Book of the Great Liberation
By Padma-Sambhava
translated by Karma Sumdhon Paul, and Lobzang Mingyur Dorje
Edited by Evans-Wentz
Oxford University Press

What is the shinning quality of the mind?
You do not know your mind like you know an object. That’s why whether you look outward or inward you cannot find the place from which your mind shines. And yet you do know this place, but you know it in a different way.

We call this way your direct experience; it is knowing by being. In the same way that you know that you exist, even before the first thought, you know the shining nature of your mind. You cannot stand separate from yourself to look at it as if you were an object. But these words can act as a mirror revealing the clear changeless essences that knows everything that changes. This is: the essence of your mind.

So clear you cannot grasp it with your thoughts
This essence of mind is sometimes called the clear light. Clear, without boundaries means that there is no place for your thoughts to grasp it. So to your thinking, it seems like this doesn’t exist. But if you can shift the place where you stand, out of your thought processes and into your boundless original nature something will come into view that you didn’t even know was there.

Although, no words can express it, you will understand that this is what life is about. Everything that you sense and all the joy that you feel is nothing but this. All motion and all stillness is nothing but this. And best of all you will have found that which is completely free of the limitations called body and mind. It is the body and mind that grow old and die, not you. You will have discovered the holly grail, meaning that which lives eternally and it is simply the essence of your mind.

This is the difference between knowing this and not
So it may seem as if nothing is there. But now I hope you can understand why Padma said, Very great, indeed, is the difference between knowing and not knowing the import of these teachings. And never give up the hope that you can find the culmination of all desires. That’s because what seems like an ordinary person is nothing but the one mind. The highest truth that permeates all of life is closer than you think.

Feel free to ask questions
Now I want you to experience your mind in its full glory. So 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.

Michael Gluckman

If you want freedom look here

2009-09-03T20:32:15-07:00

Now we will continue with verses from The Tibetan Book of the Great Liberation by Padma-Sambhava. This verse is called: The Dharma Within.

If you can get the sense of how Padma uses the word Dharma, this verse will come alive. That’s because originally in Hinduism, dharma meant your purpose in life, and you had the same purpose as your father. So if your father was a priest you became a priest. If your father was a warrior you became a warrior, etc. This is how the cast system was formed.

Waking up to your original nature

But the Buddhist Masters had a different view of Dharma. They felt the purpose of life is to wake up to your original nature, which they called: the nature of your mind. When you look closely and without bias you will find that there is only One Mind, not many minds. Standing here you become the reality behind the whole universe. This is a brief description of waking up to the Dharma with a capital D, and accomplishing your real purpose in life.

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So now the question becomes what should you do and how should you meditate in order to find the Dharma? So let’s see what Padma says about this:

The Dharma Within
The Dharma being nowhere save in the mind, there is no other place of meditation than the mind.
The Dharma being nowhere save in the mind, there is no other doctrine to be taught or practiced elsewhere.

The Dharma being nowhere save in the mind, there is no other place of truth for the observance of a vow.

The Dharma being nowhere save in the mind, there is no Dharma elsewhere whereby Liberation may be obtained.
Again and again look within thine own mind.
The Tibetan Book of the Great Liberation
By Padma-Sambhava
translated by Karma Sumdhon Paul, and Lobzang Mingyur Dorje
Edited by Evans-Wentz
Oxford University Press

Look in the place where you lost it
Here’s a story that will illustrate the purport of this verse. A drunken man was looking for his lost wallet on the sidewalk under a street light. His friend came by and asked him, “What are you doing?” The drunken man replied, “I’m looking for my wallet.” His friend then asked, “Where did you lose it?” The drunkard pointed to the middle of the street. His friend then asked, “Then why are you looking for you wallet over here on the sidewalk?” The drunken man replied, "Because here is where the light is.”

The moral of this story is that you have to look for something at the place where you lost it. So the problem is that you’re taking your mind to be much too small, limited to just a few thoughts in your head. But did you know that your mind contains the whole universe and much more? If you want to know how this is true, follow this link to a previous blog Where do you experience the world anyway?

Look at your mind directly
So there is no way to throw off your limitations and see your mind as it really is, limitless and pristine, except to look at your mind directly. This is the meaning of “Again and again look within thine own mind.”

Nothing that you do or think can help you to discover your original mind; no vow, and no amount of studying and memorizing the scriptures can take you to the core of your mind. The only way left is to look directly and see what’s really here. Try Padma’s recommendation and you will be in for an amazing surprise. So look within thine own mind.

Michael Gluckman

The art of introspection

2009-08-26T20:45:22-07:00

Now that several pressing questions were answered we can get back to Padma’s The Tibetan Book Of The Great Liberation: The next few verses are my favorite. Here Padma is asking us to verify what he is saying by looking into our own mind. And if you think you know what your mind is, you will be in for a pleasant surprise.

How is your mind different than you think?
First, your mind is much bigger than just a few thoughts in your head. In fact it contains the whole universe.

Secondly, it contains time, but in itself it is free from time, unborn and undying. It is the still place where you stand that allows you to see the movement of time.

And thirdly it is indestructible. It cannot be burned by fire, or destroyed by wind or flooded by water.

For these reasons and more, if you are willing to look afresh at your own mind, you will be in for the ultimate adventure.

What is Voidness?
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So what is this Voidness that Padma often talks about? Voidness is not the same as a vacuum or thoughtless state. Rather it is a state that does not fit into your thinking process. So if you believe that the only way to know something is through your senses and thought processes, it will seem as if the Void is nothingness.

However, there is another way; you can know the void by standing in your original state, which contains its own wisdom. Here the Void shines by its own light without the need be another light. It is a light that shines even in darkness.

Also like space, it is not limited by boundaries or borders. In reality, space is not divided into room space, pot space, and drawer space. There is just one undivided space. In the same way, when you look at your mind, you will see that it doesn't have the boundaries that it's supposed to have. In reality there is just the One Mind and If you look into your own mind you will know how this is true.

How to stand as the Void?
So how then can you stand as the Void? Just take a fresh unbiased look into the nature of your mind. Then you will automatically be standing as the Void. Now let’s see how the master himself points to the nature of your mind. Just follow his pointers and you will be there too. In the same state that you are really in, even now:

The yoga of introspection

The One Mind being verily of the Voidness and without any foundation, one’s mind is, likewise, as vacuous as the sky. To know whether this be so or not, look within thine own mind.

Being of the Voidness, and thus not to be conceived as having beginning or ending, Self-Born Wisdom has in reality been shining forever, like the Sun’s essentiality, itself unborn. To know whether this be so or not, look within thine own mind.

Divine Wisdom is undoubtedly indestructible, unbreakable, like the ever-flowing current of a river. To know whether this be so or not look within thine own mind.

Being merely a flux of instability like the air of the firmament, objective appearances are without power to fascinate and fetter. To know whether this be so or not, look within thine own mind.

All appearances are verily one’s own concepts, self-conceived in the mind, like reflections seen in a mirror. To know whether this be so or not, look within thine own mind.

Arising of themselves and being naturally free like the clouds in the sky, all external appearances verily fade away into there own respective places. To know whether this be true or not, look within thine own mind.
The Tibetan Book of the Great Liberation
By Padma-Sambhava
translated by Karma Sumdhon Paul, and Lobzang Mingyur Dorje
Edited by Evans-Wentz
Oxford University Press

The world is not as stable as it looks
If you read my past blog, What do you experience anyway?, (see the heading: Where so you experience the world anyway) you will see how the objects that seem to be out there are really in here. What this means is that objects are really as unstable as the thoughts in your mind. In fact, when your state of mind changes, your world changes too. That’s why at times you dream, and at times you go into deep sleep where everything disappears. Your sense of reality remains the same, doesn’t it? It is just that your world changes and disappears.

The thing that makes the various states seem so solid, is the Void, which is the stable point that sees the changes. If you can return your sense of reality to its source, you will find yourself standing in a vast and blissful freedom that you could not even imagine. This is the source of the feeling of stability. It is so stable that it is free of birth and death; nevertheless, this is your natural state.

This ever-present freedom is your birthright
This is the freedom promised by Padma and every Buddha past and present. Not only that, you are not different from the Buddha. That’s why this freedom is your birthright and natural state.

So just take a little step and look with fresh eyes. Before long you will find this ever-present freedom.

Michael Gluckman

Wisdom can change your life

2009-08-18T21:29:40-07:00

If you want to see how your wisdom can change your life, the following is the perfect question. When your identity gets deeper, the world changes in a way that you did not expect. This is the real adventure that life has to offer you. When you change your viewpoint, the world changes right before your eyes and your situation begins to change too. Read the question and answer below for the details. The name was removed at the request of the questioner.

Dear Michael!

Everything in the last month is turning against me. There is something going on with me because I am losing faith and know that certain events in dealing with money were unwise but I cannot undo what is already history. The past is no more but the NOW the present is for some UNKNOWN reason meeting every job interview with a turndown or a negative impression from the person that does the Hire. I am becoming very discouraged and almost desperate. I know that is probably when I go for job interview like today I feel defeated before I go there and then sure enough it went bad again.
I have NEVER experienced this before. Usually things go great but what is going on?

Maybe if you have some time you can enlighten me. Without money we cannot live and money is becoming to me at this moment the most important item a job but where???? In desperation

Michael's reply:

Hi,

I am sorry to hear about your troubles. But if you can discover how, in the depths of your heart, we are not really separate people, you will discover something that will make all of your troubles seem worthwhile.

You will see that people are connected on a very deep level; the name for this is oneness. This means that when you go in for an interview you are not talking with a separate person. You are really talking with yourself. Having this knowledge, feel as comfortable talking with others, as you would talking with yourself.
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For more information go to:
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We are much greater than the person
As you know from reading Making Your Wisdom Come Alive, our identity is much greater than a body, mind, or even the thought, 'I'. Our identity actually encompasses the whole universe, every person and everything.

So when you meet someone for an interview, rather then thinking that you will fail, use the opportunity to explore how you are connected, and to make a friend. With this attitude you will surely discover how we are really one, in wisdom and joy.

The harmony that connects us all
Although this doesn't guarantee that you will get the job, your attitude will leave you at peace and who knows, when you make a friend, other opportunities may turn up. You should know that in this world there is a very deep harmony that connects us all. It is not really you against the world. Furthermore, if you want to wake up to the source of wisdom and bliss, everything in the world will give you a helping hand, and you will be taken care of. It may not be in the way you expect, but you can rest assured that things will work out.

Find the source of happiness and your cup will be full
As you probably know, jobs and money cannot buy happiness. But if you can find the source of happiness, your cup will be full with more bliss than you ever imagined. And best of all this bliss will not depend on the condition of your mind, body, or your situation in the world.

This means that as your situation in the world changes, your peace will remain the same. I hope that this helps.

Feel free to ask questions
Now I want you to experience your self-nature in its full glory. So 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.

Michael Gluckman