Knowledge and Religion

What does enlightenment look like?

Here is another classic blog that I wanted to bring to your attention. It will deepen your understanding of what is enlightenment.

On Tuesday at our meeting I was asked, what is the experience of enlightenment? This is a great question that I thought I could address in this blog. People who I talk with tend to put enlightenment way up on a pedestal, fit for Jesus and the Buddha but not for me.

If someone declares that they are enlightened it is like declaring that they are God, and you know what happens to people who think that they are God. For this reason, instead of talking about enlightenment, I often talk about self-knowledge. Since even now we are the self, for most people self-knowledge seems more normal and obtainable. As it turns out, enlightenment is finding reality; reality and your identity are one.

Your sense of reality comes from where you are centered

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Give the gift of enlightenment when you give Making Your Wisdom Come Alive. This book points to the wisdom and joy that you find at your center. Here you can find the light that makes life shine in its full glory.

For more information go to:
Amazon.com

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The reason it is hard for most people to fathom their identity is that their sense of reality depends on where they are identified. For instance if they are centered in their bodies, then the objects in the world seem real. If they were to develop a spiritual practice based on the assumption that they were centered in the body, then they might want to develop the body, making it more flexible or stronger. Also they might want to do something to the things that they have. To them this would be the path to perfection.

If you were to tell them that it is not the condition of the body that is important but the condition of the mind, they may not be able to grasp what you are talking about. However, if they were centered in the mind, then reality would seem like a state of mind. A spiritual practice for someone centered in the mind might be quieting the mind, thinking only good thoughts, or obtaining the correct understanding. To this person perfection would be a state of mind. The condition of the body would be less important.

Now if you were to tell these people that reality was not a state of mind they would have trouble comprehending what you were talking about. That’s because they would attempt to understand what you were saying with their thinking, the reality that they know. But their thoughts would never reach reality, which is closer in than the mind.

So the first step to finding enlightenment is to just notice that reality might be greater then what you are seeing right now. That’s when you get curious and wonder, “What is enlightenment anyway?"

You see limitation and that proves you're beyond limitation
The answer is that you are the seer of limitation, not the one stuck in limitation. Enlightenment is returning home, to the place where you can rest at ease. When the mind and the world appear, it is your identity that makes them seem so real. Indeed the world that you thought was out there is really in here. Its substance is the Consciousness and Bliss that comes from you.

You know freedom directly without the need for another sign
From here you will see that the condition of the body and mind are not your condition. Enlightenment is a state that has no sign. You know it by the freedom that you feel on the inside. In enlightenment you die to the limited sense of ‘I’ and all of its attachments like a mind and body.

And when the world disappears like in sleep or at death you remain at home, just as you are. You get to see that the feeling that I will never die, against all perceived logic, makes perfect sense. That’s because changelessness comes from what you are, not from what you see. When you die to limitation you will never die again.

The surprise of waking up
Since this is beyond what you can think, waking up is a real surprise. Things are different than you thought and the same, both at the same time. You were always here but just looked right past it. Standing here as the perfection that you are, everything makes perfect sense. 

If this seems like a description of something that is very far away, just remember that even now, you are what you are looking for. Although you can’t see your identity as a separate thing, it is closer in than you can imagine. If you take the challenge and look within, you will find the beauty that makes all of life shine. Being reality will be as normal as being a man or woman. Who would have thought that the highest enlightenment, attributed to Christ and Buddha is just who you are.
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Question everything
Here I always encourage questions. People take too much for granted about the world, their body, mind, and their nature. Questioning encourages you to take a fresh look. Looking afresh, once again life becomes fresh and a real adventure. Without changing a thing, everyday experiences become completely new. If you need help with your questions you can write me at 
michael@light-up-your-life.com.

Please join us
Every Tuesday we hold a meeting here in our house in Los Gatos California. All too often it is only my wife and I that attend. But we still have a wonderful time. If you find yourself in this area and would like to attend here is a link where you can find more information

www.light-up-your-life.com/talks.html

Other resources available to you
If you need a more basic understanding of this Self-Knowledge or if you just want support for your practice, go to www.light-up-your-life.com and read down the main column. Also check out the different links that we provide as resources. They can help you to sharpen the focus of your meditation practice.

Another resource that we offer is the book, Making Your Wisdom Come Alive, a step by step guide taking you from your everyday experience to the highest wisdom and truth. To find out more, click on the link below:

wisdom.light-up-your-life.com

To join our mailing list go to: http://www.light-up-your-life.com/join.html

Please Tell Your Friend
Please tell you friends. Although we don’t have an advertising budget, we hope that everyone who wants to can find out about and wake up to this wisdom.

You have my best wishes,

Michael Gluckman

Five reasons to be thankful:

Since in the United States we are celebrating Thanksgiving I thought I would list the things that we can be thankful for. Although they are not physical, they put the world that we see in its proper perspective. 

First, that our real identity is the unbounded Self that was not born and will not die.

Second, that we are Aware of what we are and do not look past this perfection, which is found on the inside.

Third, that we do not mix up our identity with that which is limited to a body or a few thoughts in the mind.

Fourth, we know where to find the happiness that most people look for in many different places. They do not notice that happiness comes from their own Self-Nature, the place where they actually experience it.

And fifth, with this knowledge, everything else in our life falls into its proper perspective.

With this I wish you a very joyous Thanksgiving.

Feel free to ask questions
Now I want you to experience your true identity 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

The next step in evolution

If we follow the supposed chain of evolution from the simplest creature to a human being we may ask: what’s next? Where are we going from here? I say that the next step is spiritual, to drop off the human and discover the nature of our being. The most exciting thing about this stage of evolution is that we have a say in it. This does not happen to us—it happens by us. And when this stage is complete we will discover that we are a completely different creature than we thought.

Treasure that was hidden inside the whole time
The reason for this is that up until now, evolution dealt with bodies. As the bodies got more intricate the bodies evolved to a higher degree. But now we have the opportunity to step in a new direction and step out of the limitations of the body completely.

We can do this by discovering what we already are and just overlooked. Indeed in this step we go back before the beginning of time when there weren't different things. After all, things appear limited by the container called a body. But when we break through that boundary, what is there to keep us separate? Without that boundary we can know love in its original form where connection and love comes from our identity. This is the meaning of oneness.

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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.

For more information go to:
Amazon.com

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We are the seer of limitation, not the one caught in it
The secret to leaping into this new realm of identity is to notice that we are the seer of limitation not the one caught in limitation. Bodies and minds are objects that we see. They are not us. Pots and rooms do not really divide or limit space. In the same way we are the Consciousness that like space pervades the limitations like the body, that we see. Standing as Consciousness what we thought was outside, turns out to be inside of us. Here we stand free of the things that seemed to limit us.

If you can find the meaning of these pointers you will find yourself standing at the pinnacle of life that sparkles with its own glory. It is here that you will see the real meaning of life that was buried in your own being the whole time. Here you will stand in your true identity which is free from separation. Like the depth of the ocean is free from the waves, you are free from the ups and downs of life. With this as my promise, step on the path of self knowledge, so that you can become the next step in evolution.

Feel free to ask questions
Now I want you to experience 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.

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

When the four parts become one, you end suffering

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.

For more information go to:
Amazon.com

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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

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.

_____________________________________________________________________________________

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.

For more information go to:
Amazon.com

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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.

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

You can have what is really good

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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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.

For more information go to:
Amazon.com

____________________________________________________________________
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

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.

_____________________________________________________________________________________

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.

For more information go to:
Amazon.com

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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 Difference between Self-Knowledge and Psychology

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.
_____________________________________________________________________________________

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.

For more information go to:
Amazon.com

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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.

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

Why commit suicide when peace is at hand

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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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.

For more information go to:
Amazon.com

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The thought does not make it true

The Value of Wisdom

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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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.

For more information go to:
Amazon.com

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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.

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

If you want freedom look here

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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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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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.

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.

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