Tuesday, March 08, 2016

Lojong 5: Rest in the nature of the present moment

If you've been following along in your own practice, by this point you've had at least glimpses of the emptiness of everything. That is, you've seen for yourself, if only for a moment, how nothing has intrinsic existence on its own, but rather depends on everything else.

It's fairly easy to notice this in the moment for a few seconds, but very difficult to hold onto this awareness without distortion. Thoughts return, life intrudes. Mind works actively and automatically to ressurect the ego, turn the flow of sensation into "things", and stop the awakening. It attributes substance, intention, and personhood to other people, groups, animals, even phenomena.

Realization comes and goes. When it's present, rest in it. When thoughts begin to return, look straight at them. Notice their emptiness, their dependence, their lack of substance. Stay with realization as long as possible. When it goes, trust that it will return.


Rest in the swirl of the present moment without words, without concepts, with just what is. Notice each sensory impression as it rises and falls away without label or judgement.  

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