Timeless Luminosity Newsletter

Podcast 131

Robert Aho — Sun, 05 Jul 2026 09:00:42 GMT

Participation in your Spiritual Community is essential, whether you know it or not. Even though Spiritual Practice is largely a solitary event, we need to connect to the teachings that will help us Awaken, along with the support of others in order to remain inspired, stay dedicated and diligent, as well as finding some confidence in what we are doing. I think this has to do with simply being human.

Thank you everyone all around the world once again. Please seek teachings and teachers who will help. When you look within, everything is possible—even Awakening.

Blessings in Light,

Rigdzin Robert Aho

Robert Aho is the author of Timeless Luminosity and The Frog: A Spiritual Autobiography, Spanning Many Lifetimes. Both books, written after his death experience, give advanced spiritual advice regarding the complete Spiritual Path, inspiration for living each day and words of encouragement, with the intention of helping people to stay committed to their Spiritual Path, as well as preparing for death. This ultimately leads to discovering your own power within, which leads to Awakening. Both books are available on Amazon, Zenith Bookstore, as well as various other sources.

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Flying

Robert Aho — Thu, 02 Jul 2026 09:00:20 GMT

Imagine

Imagine you are an eagle

Waking up in a dream,

you, this eagle,

having no idea,

no idea

that you once

held great knowledge,

that you once were

human in a bigger dream,

having no idea, not a clue

that you are an eagle,

waking up in this crazy

confused dream

as an eagle, not knowing

not knowing what eagles do,

Trapped, trapped I tell you!

There you sit

among the reeds and willows,

stranded without hope

on a small island,

not understanding,

not knowing what any of that is,

not understanding,

not knowing where you are,

not understanding,

not knowing

your true potentiality,

having no clue

about what you can do;

There you are,

this magnificent eagle,

stumbling around

sloshing in the water

tripping over yourself

in this tangled mess;

Do you want to know every detail,

Everything there is to know

About each blade of grass,

About the sky and wind,

And mosquitoes,

About the distance

to the far shore,

About every aspect

of your body, not being able

to swim or walk, or build a boat,

All these things, every detail,

Panic sets in, trapped!

Before you even move a muscle,

Before you devise a plan,

Before you even muster courage?

Do you really need to know

each detail, every subtlety

with this situation?

Clinging to the minutia,

infinite depths of microscopic topics,

Every single nuance,

All about this tangled mess,

And the way to escape,

Everything to know ad nauseum?

Or do you want to see this big picture,

that View from the sky?

Do you want to fly?

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Sometimes the way I teach causes confusion. I start with the big picture, relating the first step with the final result. I point out the similarity with having a strong Aspiration to Awaken with full Enlightenment itself. In order to benefit from my teachings, it is important to relax. It’s possible for you to see the similarity between a lit candle and the blazing sun. You don’t need to know every single detail in order to see that bright light has the same characteristics as even brighter light. You can relax in the knowledge that they are the same on some level.

Teaching is not something that I really ever wanted to do. It only became apparent that it was essential for me to teach while I was returning from the death bardo. Up until that point, I was quite content to do what I could without any sort of title or designation.

While people often look to teachers who are qualified, they also have difficulty realizing just what sort of qualifications are useful, relying instead on institutions for such designations. Real qualifications have to do with realizations. If you wish to understand emptiness, you need a teacher who has realized emptiness. If you wish to realize the Nature of Mind, you need a teacher who has attained great confidence in this realization. This has nothing to do with institutional authority. As a Spiritual Practitioner, we need to encounter Spiritual Friends who have genuine realizations. Those are the qualifications that matter. It has nothing to do with how many followers a teacher might have or which institutions have given them authority.

When we step onto the Spiritual Path, we Aspire to Awaken. With this Aspiration comes teachings that will help. If you come to me, I will show you the complete Spiritual Path, then ask you to deal with the details on your own. When I show someone the Spiritual Path, I am showing you your own infinite potentiality. It’s a big wide view of the inexplicable, starting with your own confusion.

When I tell you that the first spark is the same as full Enlightenment, I am telling you something about your own potentiality. I am telling you that you have the capacity to wake up, to become fully Enlightened. This is actually very simple to understand, if you hold that spark as something very precious. You don’t need to think about the details, you only need to plunge into Spiritual Practice, taking every available moment as an opportunity to Awaken.

We should not be timid about the Spiritual Path, simply because there is no time to waste. We must begin at once. We must take every opportunity to Awaken before it is too late. As humans, we are prone to procrastination, as well as underestimating our true potentiality. We waste time waiting for permission. We waste time thinking we need more information. We waste time thinking that we’re not good enough for this amazing journey.

In reality, the best thing to do is to simply take the leap. See what happens. When we don’t understand something, look at it. When we realize something, allow our capacity to increase.

When I was in the death bardo, I knew that I must return to teach, if only just a few people. I don’t rely upon texts, I rely upon my own realizations. I don’t seek approval from institutions, I commune with Buddhas as part of my realizations and ongoing Spiritual Practice. If you are seeking teachings from me, I want you to supplement whatever I tell you with teachings from other sources. You need to fly.

Blessings of Source,

Rigdzin Robert Aho

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Podcast 130

Robert Aho — Sun, 28 Jun 2026 09:00:53 GMT

Preparing for death, learning about our real condition, will help us to Awaken, there is no doubt about that. It will also help others to Awaken. Today I talked about someone close to me who recently passed away. This should give you another clue as to why I returned to Earth, even though I could have easily stayed in that bright condition for an eternity. It has to do with helping at least one other person to Awaken. This is doing what we can, this is what Spiritual Practice looks like when we pragmatically put it into action.

Blessings in Light,

Rigdzin Robert Aho

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Realizations

Robert Aho — Thu, 25 Jun 2026 09:02:21 GMT

Realizations await!

Oh, Spiritual Practitioner!

See your Path to Liberation!

All this eternal

nonsense and clutter,

clinging to darkness,

clinging to suffering,

clinging to belief,

clinging to what is not real,

Stop doing that!

Letting go of this

useless self, this

closed heart and mind,

It’s time to discover reality!

Aspire to Awaken,

Aspire to realize,

Realize fully

All that is beyond our

Senseless existence, our

Senseless eternal suffering;

It’s very simple!

Enlightenment,

nothing to it,

easy-peasy,

Awakening is just so,

just here in this moment,

just as simple as can be!

You can’t do that?

You can’t Awaken?

You don’t know why yet?

Okay, no problem,

Just look at this world around you,

Just keep this cycle of misery going,

See how well it has never served you in the least!

If your attachments and misery

are important to you,

then cultivate delusion, cultivate desire, cultivate hate;

Don’t forget fear and greed and anger!

There you go,

he says with as much sarcasm as possible,

your demise is ensured,

you can keep flailing in the bardos,

you may never Awaken,

and, since this was your choice to keep it going,

you will have nothing to complain about!

See this world for what it is!

Realize the futility of perpetual suffering!

Realize this, you must Awaken!

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When we talk about realizations in relation to the Spiritual Path, we are really talking about milestones in how we see reality, which means seeing more clearly, catching glimpses of Ultimate Reality. When we step onto the Spiritual Path, we only see a spark at first, maybe just a small flash of light that we somehow sense is truth. We can call that a spark of truth; however, with each realization, we discover that truth is really something far more simple and far vaster than we had ever imagined possible. We realize we’re trapped by delusion.

Here we are as ordinary humans, clinging for the most part to those things we were born into, our national identity, religion, politics, family, socioeconomic status, culture, ethnicity—all the things that somehow give us identity and a sense of self. This was never our choice, except that we created causes and condition in lifetime after lifetime that made it all possible. We might, despite objection from those in our lives, start to question that. When we start to look at all that nonsense we were born into, we start to see that it is a very small dark corner of what we assume is reality, assuming without any real knowledge. It’s just a relative point of view that cannot actually withstand the questions necessary. It’s actually rather easy to see that absolutely every concept and belief we’ve ever had are completely erroneous.

When we examine the boundary between self and other, we can’t find a boundary. We share air. We share water. We share ideas and language, and being human.

We can examine our boundaries between humans and all other beings, as well, finding similar results. We can see that we all require each other or we wouldn’t exist at all. We easily discover this boundary does not exist. We discover Oneness at some point.

In this swirling turbulent mess we call the life bardo, we need only realize that appearances are teachings, resting in that observation, and it becomes obvious that cyclic existence is futile. We can see that we create our own demise. It becomes obvious that none of it is necessary.

At that point, we have the realization that we must let go. We might spend a little bit more time and energy seeking or dabbling among various philosophies, spiritual points of view, ideas about reality; however, we develop a sense that our own clinging and attachments are holding us back. This leads to the realization that we must Awaken. When that happens, we’re ready for the first step. This is a major realization.

So, we begin to look at mind. We begin to develop a repertoire of Spiritual Practices that might lead to awakening. Most of all, we realize that we must Aspire to Awaken and never give up. We hold this realization as most precious; it dominates each and everything we do from that point forward.

Realizations vary from one individual to another. It depends upon what we don’t know. We might not understand at first, for instance, that love and compassion are vitally important. When we see that this spark embodies love and compassion, that we must cultivate that with each action, we discover an essential realization. Sometimes people miss this important teaching, thinking that it’s more important to keep battling the world around them. This sends people off the Path, back to a place that is much worse than when they first started.

Another important realization is when we discover Emptiness. Everything looks magical, truly crisp and clear with this realization. With Emptiness we discover the illusory nature of existence. It’s important.

When we realize the Nature of Mind, it will shake your world, because we have finally recognized the basis for enlightenment itself. Related to this, we have many stages of realization, which are levels of spiritual progression. The point is to Awaken. When that happens, we have everything.

Blessings of Source,

Rigdzin Robert Aho

Podcast 129

Robert Aho — Sun, 21 Jun 2026 09:02:03 GMT

When we start to meditate on impermanence, we start to realize how vitally important it is to prepare for death. In preparation for death, we need to look within, learning to open our heart and mind, we need to practice love and compassion. We also need to avoid clinging to those things that are preventing us from awakening, such as ignorance and any disturbing emotions. Looking outside of ourselves is not conducive to awakening. It’s important to take care of ourselves by discovering our true potentiality within.

Death is just another passage into another impermanent condition, that is unless we awaken. In order to awaken, we need to discover reality, we need to remove all obstacles that are preventing us from truly understanding and becoming Ultimate Reality. If you look at mind, genuinely spending time getting to know who you really are, in time you will awaken. This needs to be a serious effort, and we must never give up, or there is simply no way to remove yourself from cyclic existence.

Blessings of Source,

Rigdzin Robert Aho

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Presence

Robert Aho — Thu, 18 Jun 2026 09:01:22 GMT

Present in Awareness,

in this moment,

in all that appears,

Instantly Present,

Awakening is at hand!

Here we are,

no longer distracted,

by this great illusion,

no longer thinking about past,

which is gone completely,

no longer obsessed with future,

which cannot happen,

no longer deluded

by those things not real,

in this present moment;

We are present!

We have found awareness!

It is time to Awaken!

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If we are to Awaken, we must remain present, we must pay attention to what is happening now, we must pay attention to mind. If we keep looking outside of ourselves, remaining distracted by all the obscurations and embroilment of the world, then we will simply remain in cyclic existence, maybe forever. This world is not real. This great dream we call daily life is just a figment of our imagination, something that can never be real. Unless we are present, we can’t even begin to fathom the nature of the world around us. It will continue to bind us, and we will continue to suffer.

Being present is not the same as being mindful; although, that is closely related to what being present means. Being present, in the sense that I am using it is more like remaining in awareness, more like looking at mind, being aware of our internal condition and what is obscuring our View. Mindfulness is more like being aware of what we are doing and our surroundings. It’s very superficial by comparison.

In the Dzogchen sense, Instant Presence means that we are liberating all appearances in each instant by our own realization of the Nature of Mind. When we first step onto the Spiritual Path, this is the same, even though we haven’t yet achieved any sort of realization, other than the realization that Awakening is supremely important. If you are a beginner, you look at that initial spark of your Aspiration to Awaken, you look within, you remain present in that Aspiration. This helps you to increase your capacity.

On the first step of the Spiritual Path, you do not need to believe that life is like a dream, you only need to be aware of your own Aspiration to Awaken. If you can do this, then you can remain on the Spiritual Path. If you are careless with your Aspiration to Awaken by not remaining present in that, then you will simply go back to where you were—and that place where you were is an eternal mess of tremendous suffering that has never helped you in the least!

Remaining present means that you are generating Bodhicitta. It means that you are remaining in awareness of that which cannot be fully understood until you achieve full enlightenment; and, when that happens, you won’t be able to explain it to anyone in a way that can be understood. When Buddha Shakyamuni achieved enlightenment, he almost walked away into obscurity, simply because he knew at once that there was no way to explain what enlightenment truly means. Since it is not conceptual, since it is beyond what we can imagine, there’s very little point in trying to explain it to anyone. Enlightenment is something you must discover by remaining present, by examining your own mind, by investigating all that appears.

Presence is at the essence of our Enlightenment Mind, this spark that I have mentioned repeatedly, this most precious thing that we can ever possess, which is our Aspiration to Awaken, sometimes called Bodhicitta. When we are present, we are present in Bodhicitta, which is much more important than mere compassion. It is this precious jewel that we hold in our heart center. When we have Bodhicitta, even if it is just the fragile understanding of what that is that we discover on the first step, we have something that will unlock all doors. Remaining present in Bodhicitta means that we begin to develop true compassion, not just something superficial that can easily become destroyed by seemingly external factors or various difficulties in life.

Presence keeps our Aspiration to Awaken safe. It keeps us on the Spiritual Path. It helps us to discover this great illusion, without creating additional obstacles, which are demons related to attachments, aversions, and delusional thinking.

We focus on this spark, then watch it grow. This is what presence offers us in our spiritual life. Even the worst tragedy in life cannot wipe away Bodhicitta, if we have sufficiently and genuinely cultivated our Spiritual Path. People who do not hold this Aspiration to Awaken as most precious are easily discouraged from becoming enlightened. Their Spiritual Practice soon falls by the wayside, as if it were a piece of garbage, something sent away, then forgotten. Even people who have spent decades practicing meditation find themselves right back where they began, simply because of a little bit of hardship, simply because they never made the commitment to awaken in the first place, simply because they did not remain present with each step on the Spiritual Path.

I have no doubt that each and every person who genuinely approaches the Spiritual Path with Bodhicitta will awaken. What this looks like is simply remaining present in that aspiration, meditating often, living peacefully with growing compassion. It is simple.

Blessings of Source,

Rigdzin Robert Aho

Podcast 128

Robert Aho — Sun, 14 Jun 2026 09:01:10 GMT

Genuine compassion can only arise when we Awaken. Until then, we can live with and create an artificial form of compassion that is based upon our relative point of view. Even if we strive throughout our lives to generate compassion, it is often rather fragile and prone to us becoming embroiled in the world, forgetting that we have Aspired to Awaken. This is why we need to continue into full Enlightenment, not just create a superficial form of compassion. Awakening means Ultimate Reality, and that means something real that we call Absolute Bodhicitta.

You’ve got this. Aspire to Awaken. Recognize that that spark of compassion is the same as full Enlightenment. Continue with this Aspiration and never give up!

Blessings of Source,

Rigdzin Robert Aho

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Fools

Robert Aho — Thu, 11 Jun 2026 09:01:41 GMT

Embroiled

Distracted

Ignorant,

Attached to what is not real,

Averse to these perplexities of mind,

The sleeping Buddhas find themselves

in eternal suffering,

not because of anything they did,

not because of anything done wrong,

not because of punishment,

nor accident, bad luck, or misfortune;

It is foolishness itself

that keeps these wise ones

floundering in this great ocean of suffering;

It is forgetting

that we all possess infinite potentiality;

It is not knowing

that we are truly Buddhas

A fool is someone who, after realizing that they are trapped in a box, will pick up a hammer, then immediately begin bludgeoning their own head, rather that using that tool to escape confinement. They won’t even begin to consider why they might be in that box to begin with. The fool is indistinguishable from a crazy person, in that they make no effort to discover why they are in this predicament, and will take no steps that make any sense at all in order to escape.

The same could be said about anyone who has received teachings about cyclic existence, then do everything possible to keep their eternal trap together. We’ve all received vast teachings that could liberate us from this mess we’ve created, sometimes elaborate wisdom and knowledge about our condition here in cyclic existence, this thing we call samsara. Very few have actually taken the steps necessary to remove themselves from this eternal suffering. Many people actually do things that make it worse than before these teachings.

It has been said that we are all sleeping buddhas. That is, perhaps, a nice way of putting it. What we really are, what our actions indicate, is that we are foolish buddhas. We continue to sleep even though we have had ample opportunities to awaken. Here we have all that we need in order to escape our eternal suffering, this trap, this dark box of ignorance and delusion, and we simply squander this great opportunity. We don’t look within. We don’t apply ourselves through meditation and deep investigations of mind. We simply remain as fools, slumbering in pain and angst.

Sometimes people think that they are somehow above it all, not really suffering or prone to cyclic existence in any way. It’s somewhat of a hipster thing to do, this idea of going to Buddhist retreats, hanging out with the cool kids, learning about things that are deeply spiritual, maybe from books or some other sort of intellectual endeavors, or by simply meeting someone famous. People add these types of experiences to their spiritual repertoire. It’s a spiritual accumulation of events and associations that feeds ego. It’s spiritual materialism, which is something that is utilized for ego, status and bragging rights.

It’s very common for people to go from one teacher to another, learning profound Spiritual Practices that could lead to awakening. Rather than actually returning home to apply these practices, they’re quickly forgotten and the fool goes to another retreat, another meeting with a famous teacher, another feather in the cap is accumulated. The opportunity is squandered and the Spiritual Practitioner remains as before, not really yet on the Spiritual Path, even though boasting about so much more than that. I really can’t tell whether this is a comedy or a tragedy unfolding. It makes me laugh and cry at the same time. This is samsara, the realm of fools.

Our misfortune, along with our eternal suffering, is completely preventable and avoidable. We’ve had ample opportunities to remove all suffering, ample opportunities to awaken instantly, even in this moment. Flashes of clarity come our way all the time, and we foolishly ignore rather than walk through that door. We are fools who do not need to be this way.

This life, this wandering through confusion in cyclic existence, is not really something that we need to think of as being insurmountable. In reality, since we refuse to let go, we make it so. Our own foolish efforts perpetuate this condition. We lament all this suffering, then we do everything possible to make sure that it continues. Awakening is actually the easiest thing we can do.

I’m sorry if my little letter sounds harsh this time. It had to be said. We all need to know that our own suffering is caused by our own attachments, our own clinging to what is not real, our foolish ego, which we defend to the hilt.

Enlightenment is our natural condition. We keep forgetting that, even though we are reminded at times of trauma, in both dreams and daily life, as well as repeatedly within the death bardo. When we are reborn, we adopt the beliefs of the confused beings who we are born to. We continue as they want us to, or we become seekers, or we take the next step, which is the Spiritual Path that leads to enlightenment. Even those born into families who understand the process of awakening have issues with this actual commitment to awakening. We must make this commitment for ourselves; and, in doing so, we let go of all the things that are holding us back.

If we are to awaken, we need to let go. We must Aspire to Awaken. We must never give up!

Blessings of Source,

Rigdzin Robert Aho

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Podcast 127

Robert Aho — Sun, 07 Jun 2026 09:00:58 GMT

Having an open heart and mind is essential, if you wish to awaken. If you wish to continue and enhance your suffering, then close your heart and mind. It’s that simple.

If we wish to awaken, we must be open to different perspectives, adopting and examining what is helpful, letting go of anything we find is of no use. This is the attitude we must have, if we are genuine Spiritual Practitioners. Our own enlightenment means we must find a way to examine all teachings, which means examining all that appears to mind. It is a process of discovering reality for ourselves, acknowledging that we must go beyond belief.

Blessings in Light,

Rigdzin Robert Aho

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Rimé

Robert Aho — Thu, 04 Jun 2026 09:01:42 GMT

Gathering all wisdom,

All wisdom,

All that we can, we

Open our heart and mind

to the ineffable,

with the attitude

that everything is a teaching,

everything that we encounter,

All will bring benefit,

if only, if only

We can stabilize

our turbulent view,

if only, if only

We can hold that

which is most precious,

bringing benefit to All,

if only, if only

We can rest,

remaining completely at ease

in the eternal now,

if only, if only

We can realize that all this,

all that is here for us now,

So that, so that,

gathering all these teachings,

these precious flowers of wisdom,

all these perspectives, all this wisdom,

We can begin to make some sense,

Some sense in a way

In a way that is

beyond concept,

beyond belief,

beyond our limited point of view,

Our limited point of view…

Knowing this,

Knowing that

we don’t yet know,

Knowing this illusion

has gotten us, confused us,

Knowing this quite well,

gathering all these perspectives,

investigating

that, seeing all

these relative points of view,

We can relax

in our real nature,

Finding,

Discovering at last,

Glimpses, dramatic vistas

Beyond what we thought possible,

as we walk through that door

Into Ultimate Knowledge,

We can Awaken!

Rimé is a nonsectarian approach to Spiritual Practice. It does not discriminate, placing one spiritual tradition above another. It is an open-hearted approach to awakening that can bring great benefit, if you are open to the notion that differing perspectives give us additional depth and understanding that cannot be provided by one religion or one sectarian view. Rimé requires great spiritual capacity, as well as the ability to simply remain at ease. This means that we must remain appreciative of all traditions, with the ability to learn deeply in a genuine manner.

Originally, Rimé was meant to alleviate rivalry and competition between various Buddhist sects. It promoted an appreciation of differences and an open-minded approach to Spiritual Practice. Personally, I see Rimé as a way to include and appreciate non-Buddhist philosophies and spiritual traditions, without becoming rigid or creating obstacles that could cause harm to self and others. Developing this attitude of inclusiveness offers the Spiritual Practitioner the opportunity to truly examine all that appears. If we treat everything as a teaching, we can cut through the nonsense. This gives us the ground and the opportunity to awaken much more quickly. It is also necessary if we are Seekers, not yet on the Spiritual Path.

In my life, I have explored and questioned everything that came my way, starting at a very early age. When I was still a Christian, I began to explore the teachings of various denominations and institutions. This gave me perspective, as well as a deep appreciation for the teachings of Yeshua. My contention with my pastor, who was accusing me of having no faith when I was only twelve, was that truth could not be harmed by a question. This outraged him and it gave me all the more confidence to question and investigate even more. I wanted truth, not just someone else’s word for anything.

What was obvious was that I had a natural Rimé attitude about spiritual matters. Through my spiritual endeavors, I was still seeking truth, and I had no use for filtered dogma or spiritual manipulation. I took it to heart that looking within I would find the truth. This was a teaching of Yeshua that simply made sense to me. I didn’t know at the time that it was also a teaching of Buddha Shakyamuni and all the great masters who followed him.

I left Christianity and became a very adamant Agnostic, delving into science, dabbling with this or that, exploring religions and philosophies, various ways of life, including Shamanism. I was a Seeker. I gathered as much as I could, and I sifted through that. If something was proven untrue, I discarded it at once. If I encountered truths, I looked deeper, trying to develop clarity through different perspectives. My attitude was that I should always adopt the best knowledge. Many people in my life said I was always right. I objected to that assessment, because I didn’t cling to any knowledge in particular and I didn’t want to think that I was always right about things. What I wanted was something that could withstand scrutiny and investigation, something, some truth, that could withstand a question without becoming damaged in some way.

As various ideas and notions about reality were examined closely, everything began to fall apart. I found myself in a bit of a crisis. That’s when I discovered Buddhism. What occurred to me almost immediately was that Buddhism was everything I had wanted Christianity to be. It embraced science and deep inquisitiveness. It encourages lots of questions.

With Buddhism, I began to gather teachings and teachers of many sectarian viewpoints and philosophies, comparing each with intense scrutiny. As my relationship with a certain sectarian viewpoint came into crisis, I then found Dzogchen, which is beyond the constraints of Buddhism.

My rather intense death experience went beyond what can be explained logically. That became possible because I had come to Dzogchen through an attitude of Rimé. I had gathered many viewpoints.

Blessings of Source,

Rigdzin Robert Aho

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Podcast 126

Robert Aho — Sun, 31 May 2026 09:00:38 GMT

Clarity begins right now, within your own Spiritual Practice. When we meditate, we are discovering reality, we are investigating mind, we are striving to awaken. There is a certain simplicity to Spiritual Practice. We look within in order to discover everything, we discover Ultimate Reality, which is a condition beyond obstacles. In order to do this, we must stop embroiling ourselves in the world. We must do the most simple thing at all, which is to see reality, as it is.

Blessings of Source,

Rigdzin Robert Aho

Clarity

Robert Aho — Thu, 28 May 2026 09:00:43 GMT

Open heart

Vision of mind

Clarity unending,

Here we gaze

inwardly

at that vast openness,

at that open oneness

beyond imagination,

without naming

that luminous quality,

that amazing as it is,

beyond within thusness,

clearly seeing

our unending condition

that has been forgotten,

though we are reminded

in every moment;

Why have we become

so closed,

so rigid,

so fixated

on what is not real?

Clearly our mental body perceives

what is Ultimately Real,

what is plainly evident,

what is beyond concept,

beyond belief,

Clearly, clearly, clearly!

It is simply, as it is,

Time to Awaken.

When we are confused about existence, we look for examples; and, then, when we receive those examples, we proceed to create beliefs and ideas that are also not true, equally confusing, providing very little relief from our state of eternal misery. We do what we’ve always done, which is to create just another way of misunderstanding reality. This is why we are trapped in cyclic existence, we keep applying effort, and that effort creates obstacle that must then be overcome. Awakening is beyond any sort of effort, beyond concept and belief. When we awaken, it’s very simple, very clear. We open ourselves up to a natural luminous clarity that has always been there, just there in our heart center. When we examine that, we realize how foolish we have been. We’ve been searching for something that has never gone missing.

Clarity can be thought of as something synonymous with awakening; however, the actual meaning must be discovered directly through intensive examination of mind, leading to the realization of the Nature of Mind. This can be done gradually or instantaneously, it doesn’t matter. Whatever happens must be a process of discovery that is unique to the individual. The realization is like stepping through a door, suddenly realizing where you have been all along, suddenly seeing this magical display for what it is.

We can look at the example of a clear sky; however, be careful not to think that is the same thing as awakening. The clarity of the sky only gives us a glimpse, a hint at something far more brilliant, a realization that is neither subject nor object. The vast clarity of the sky is a much smaller example of something similar to what we must discover by looking within. How can we look within in order to discover something far vaster than the sky? You will need to explore your own mind in order to find out.

When we are meditating, the whole point is to awaken. This means clearing away obstacles. We start with the spark of total enlightenment, holding that as most precious. Then we face everything and anything that is standing in our way. We learn our best to clear away obstacles. We increase our clarity of mind, thus increasing our capacity.

It’s not possible to awaken while remaining dependent upon examples, concepts and beliefs. We must let all of that go. We must find natural clarity, which is very simple and effortless.

Emotions, random thoughts, agitation with the world around us, a failing body, birth, old age, death, and rebirth, these are all obstacles, simply distractions that prevent us from awakening if we find ourselves attached in any way. The natural clarity of awakening occurs when we let go, when we allow the clutter to fall away into emptiness. Awakening occurs because we remain at ease in all circumstances, without attachment, without grasping at this or that, simply because we allow our own vision to become clear.

Our habitual mind continually creates new obstructions as a matter of practice. Even if we receive teachings from a fully enlightened Buddha, we are unlikely to see the benefit in that or realize what has been transmitted. It seems to me that even the creation of Buddhism by the followers of Buddha Shakyamuni was a vast departure from what the Buddha actually taught. By creating a religion, it generated a significant number of obstacles through the creation of rituals and philosophies, as well as grasping at sectarian identity or creating some tribal points of view. Awakening is not something that any religion or sectarian view can ever give to us. We must do the hard work of looking within all by ourselves, discovering what is naturally there. This discovery is not beholden to labels or institutional authority.

When the clarity of your natural condition arises as part of your view, you discover a power within that is far greater than anything on Earth. You discover unlimited potentiality. This is what all the great masters have taught, it is what you discover when you look within, it is what you encounter in the death bardo. It is your unlimited potentiality, and it is important that you see it that way, without being discouraged or distracted by people who want to keep you away from this discovery. Yeshua and Buddha Shakyamuni both taught this. Many other great masters taught this, that you must look within in order to discover your own infinite potentiality.

Clarity happens when you rise above the clutter and muck of an embroiled world. Clarity is this vast condition of luminosity we discover within. Clarity is mind discovering Ultimate Reality.

Blessings of Source,

Rigdzin Robert Aho

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Podcast 125

Robert Aho — Sun, 24 May 2026 09:01:48 GMT

We have all been Tulkus, all of us are reborn spiritual masters. When you start to look within, you discover that you have been a teacher in many lifetimes. You discover that you’ve had encounters with your own innate wisdom many many times. Although it’s not important to look into your past lifetimes, it does bring about some confidence in your own Spiritual Practice when you start to sense who you have been. It gives you the proper attitude of treating yourself with some respect as you start to get past all these obstacles that you’ve inadvertently created for yourself.

Today, right now, Aspire to Awaken. Start treating yourself with the respect that you deserve. When you do this, you honor your own innate wisdom, your own Buddha Nature. You will Awaken.

Blessings in Light,

Rigdzin Robert Aho

Mind Fog

Robert Aho — Thu, 21 May 2026 09:02:10 GMT

Clarity,

Shrouded in mist,

Covered,

obscured somewhat

with horizons vanishing

in the distance

with banks of fog rolling through,

an amazing distraction of not knowing,

unable to function,

unable to find meaning where there is none

in that most terrible Rorschach test

where objects and reflections fade

into hazy befuddlement;

even that mind fog

springs from clarity;

Be at ease young traveler!

You have always known the way,

You have always been there,

Just here in your real nature!

Look within and see,

See with mind,

See with empty cognizance,

remaining perfectly at ease,

remaining without tension,

at ease without straining yourself any further,

Enjoy what appears,

seeing that illusion for what it is,

allowing that to be,

allowing that appearance

to simply be

A close relative wanted me to write about brain fog. Well, not being a medical professional, I’m not so sure about that, or how the brain functions for that matter, nor do I have any sort of qualifications to discuss how that bodily organ actually works. From my point of view, the brain is just a transmitter, not much more than that. Mind is not in the body, nor is it outside, nor is it something else that can be located. Even though we are sometimes aware of when our mind becomes foggy or confused, it’s not dependent upon a physical body. This becomes quite obvious with just a little bit of investigation through meditation.

My knowledge, carried by transmigrating consciousness through many lifetimes, revealed through a very strenuous application of Spiritual Practice, is more specific to practices of mind and the Nature of Mind. Since the Nature of Mind is continually clear, mind is where this lack of clarity occurs; and that, having personally spent many lifetimes examining mind through a wide variety of meditative and spiritual practices, is something that I can discuss with you with great confidence, maybe even give you some suggestions that could be utilized to help clear away the clutter and the fog.

If we are to awaken, the mind fog must be cleared away. All obstacles must be overcome. In order to do this, we must examine mind. We must look within. When we do so, we start to see the illusory nature of thoughts, emotions, memories, as well as all that appears to mind. We start to have some idea of how unaware we have been from throughout the infinite expanse of time immemorial. This realization should be the impetus for staying focused on Spiritual Practice in general. It’s important to start learning about just what is going on here.

Our mind is clouded by the three poisons of ignorance, attraction and aversion. If we see something and immediately start judging whether it is good or bad, all while not really knowing much about it, thinking that our separateness has some sort of validity in this discernment, then our mind is clouded. We are not observing phenomena as it is when we have mind fog.

If we are not being realistic, which is seeing with clarity, then we will continue in cyclic existence. If we start to see things realistically, then we can begin to awaken. This means that early in our Spiritual Practice we must begin to understand the illusion. We must pay attention in our daily life, as well as in our dreams. When we realize that there is absolutely no difference between dreams and daily life, then we have discovered something rather useful. Our Spiritual Practice can become energized at that point.

It is important to remember that we must utilize Bodhicitta with this realization. If we think that this illusion is nothing, then we will create problems for ourselves, which could become a much larger obstacle than this fog of delusion. We must develop great compassion in everything that we do, without forgetting our Aspiration to Awaken. A good sign is that nightmares diminish or disappear altogether. Our dreams and daily life become filled with joyfulness and love.

It is very important to pay attention to how our mind is clearing. If we are less agitated, that is a good sign. If we are able to remain undistracted, that is a good sign. If we feel like our heart and mind are opening more and more, then we will know the fog is clearing. Our capacity will naturally increase.

In reality, we have millions of types of meditative practices that we can do. The important thing, however, is to find practices that will help, then keep it simple. If we take on too much or make it too elaborate, we can become easily discouraged. We start with our very simple Aspiration to Awaken, then expand that as needed. This Aspiration to Awaken is the same as full enlightenment, even though we don’t know that at first. It is a bright spark that can be cultivated with our own Spiritual Practice, remaining focused on clearing away the mind fog so that we can realize just what that bright clear condition actually is.

I have no doubt that every single person who Aspires to Awaken will actually Awaken. Even if you stumble or forget, it will come back. You will definitely Awaken.

Blessings of Source,

Rigdzin Robert Aho

Podcast 124

Robert Aho — Sun, 17 May 2026 09:01:52 GMT

Spiritual Practice means looking within in order to Awaken. We all have equal access to infinite potentiality. The key is this notion of Bodhicitta, which is having great compassion for all beings, wishing that you and all beings Awaken.

Please find it within yourself to discover unlimited potentiality by practicing meditation every day. As you go about your life, carry that love and compassion with you in all that you do. The world will change for the better, there is no doubt about that.

Blessings of Source,

Rigdzin Robert Aho

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Distractions

Robert Aho — Thu, 14 May 2026 09:02:11 GMT

Habituated being!

Eternal addict!

Stop with the distractions already!

You’ve been doing this,

This insanity,

This nonsense,

This this unreality,

without hesitation

and it has never,

never ever helped you in the least!

Focus on reality!

Discover the Nature of Mind!

Stop chasing emotions,

Stop chasing

appearances,

Stop chasing belief!

Here you are,

missing the point altogether

the point of wisdom,

the point of knowing

beyond ideas about this or that,

beyond silly notions that come and go,

beyond nonsense springing from not knowing,

beyond nonsense springing

from arbitrary beliefs,

arbitrary notions out there

assumptions that can never be true!!

Stop obsessing about what cannot be,

stop being distracted by your own senses,

stop thinking

your own emotions are real,

stop thinking

your own unproven assumptions

about reality,

distractions

that can never be real!

Oh Sleeping Buddha,

Wake up!

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It’s not particularly difficult to understand that we are continually distracted, especially when we examine the notion that we are actually Sleeping Buddhas, all of us, everyone, everywhere, in all times throughout this infinite existence. We come from primordial wisdom, an infinite number of us, existing in complete open awareness; and, yet, here we are remaining distracted by what is not real, remaining confused by our own senses, by our own thoughts and emotions. It is understandable that we suffer, that we remain in a state of delusion, thinking this illusion is real.

When we are in our natural condition, we are completely open and at ease, we are Buddhas, aware of all, as it is. As confused and distracted sentient beings, however, it is said that we have Buddha Nature, remaining in a state of thinking the illusion is real. When we begin to awaken, we start to have some idea about our primordial condition, which is Timeless Luminosity, we stop being so distracted, agitated and embroiled by life’s nonsense. We open our heart and mind to the ineffable; and, in that, we discover a condition where we no longer need to be distracted.

This is difficult for us to learn, primarily because we have been conditioned by our own habits to remain in distraction. We conceptualize something, everything, we need to be distracted. When we have a belief, distraction is necessary. We must depart from reality in order to support that belief. Various ideas, various thoughts come and go—they are all distractions. Our natural condition, on the other hand, is one of remaining in awareness, without distraction, without the clutter and chaos of emotions or distracting thoughts.

If we wish to no longer remain in distraction, we must look within. In so doing, we start to become aware of the Nature of Mind. This realization can be abrupt and immediate, or it can take time through gradual meditative endeavors. Whether it is immediate or gradual is irrelevant. Time is an illusion; so, naturally, we must discover reality in the way that is uniquely suitable for each of us. Realizing the Nature of Mind is like walking through a door where everything becomes crystal clear and bright, a dazzling magical display that you had not noticed due to your distractions. It is bright expansive reality, more dazzling than anything you could ever encounter in this dull dark realm of mind on Planet Earth. With this realization, we develop a very intense compassion for all sentient beings.

In order for this realization to be more than a mere flash of light, we must become accustomed to enlightenment itself. We must find a way to remain in awareness, without becoming easily distracted once more. This is the stability that many great masters talk about. It is remaining present in a very turbulent existence. It is remaining in a state of contemplation where we no longer lose our awareness. In order to do this, we must continually examine mind, addressing all of those things that obstruct our vision. Our Spiritual Practice becomes 24/7, no matter what happens, under all circumstances we remain aware of our real condition, the Nature of Mind which is Timeless Luminosity or Dharmakaya.

This idea that we exist beyond time in a state of complete and total awareness, and yet, here we are distracted, needlessly suffering for all eternity, is not so easy to fathom. It takes real dedication to discovering who we really are. It requires the ability to remain at ease, despite the turbulence and terrible contradictions. When we look within, we start to realize just how much our ordinary life, both dreams and daily life, have really become something that is fixated on appearance that spring from our own insanity. We start to see that we are obsessed with a life that cannot be real. We start to see the necessity and the urgency of our own Awakening.

On this day, if you have not already done so, please Aspire to Awaken. Take that first step that you will need for going beyond what is constraining you to this eternal cycle of life, dreams, getting old and ill, then death and rebirth. See the illusion without elaboration. Gather all the meditative techniques, teachings and practices that you can, then apply those teachings. Look within for everything that you will ever need. Remain at ease. Awaken.

Blessings of Source,

Rigdzin Robert Aho

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Podcast 123

Robert Aho — Sun, 10 May 2026 09:01:40 GMT

We look within, if we wish to Awaken. Everything we need is within. We look at mind, we discover reality. This is meditation.

Blessings of Source,

Rigdzin Robert Aho

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Meditation

Robert Aho — Thu, 07 May 2026 09:01:28 GMT

Now, here you are,

Aspiring to Awaken,

Here you are

with that supreme encounter

with enlightenment mind itself,

Now what?

You go from here to there,

getting distracted by life,

getting embroiled by life’s battles,

life’s futility,

all the things in life that won’t help you at all,

There you go!

You’ve neglected yourself once again!

forgetting why you made this aspiration,

forgetting all about enlightenment mind,

chasing phantasms and nonsense;

Meditation must be placed above nonsense,

At the very least, the very least,

Meditation must occupy some time

in your busy life, some time,

more time when you remember,

when you see the necessity,

more time than that!

When you see the urgency,

this great urgency of awakening,

when you finally understand

what is most precious,

when you start to get into that

knowledge of what is most supreme;

Here you are,

sitting on a meditation cushion

looking at your phone

or gazing out the window,

with distractions in every direction

just begging you to stop waking up,

begging you to make some use of yourself,

begging you to go back

to your agitated misery and angst;

Have some pity on yourself

by utilizing this precious human life

in the best way possible!

Gather every opportunity,

every meditation practice,

all techniques possible,

all that you can;

See Spiritual Friends,

Teachers who can help;

Look within, apply

all that you learn

as you gaze at mind,

as you gaze at mind, as you

see this reflection

of reality upon cool clear waters,

as the reflection and the object

merge into wisdom beyond belief;

Evolve!

Remain at ease!!

Look within!!!

Awaken!!!!

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Without the Aspiration to Awaken, there is little benefit to meditation. It’s not about peace or escape. With meditation, we look at mind in order to awaken. The reason for making this commitment can be many things; however, chief among this is a simple notion of seeing that things aren’t really working out very well for you in general, that you can’t remain chained to this eternal suffering, this eternal cycle where we are reborn, get sick, old and die, then repeat. This simple observation requires us to slow down enough to see just what is going on here. When we become aware of the futility that is life, then we need to know what to do about it. We mustn’t be hasty about what to do next, it requires very kind actions on our part.

We start investigating just what is happening here in our life. This will lead us to meditation, because we will want to know more. Gazing at mind, we start to acquire wisdom. To meditate without understanding that wisdom is being revealed is to miss the point of it. It’s not about peace, it’s about removing obstacles that have been preventing us from realizing what we need.

We might experience a moment of peace when we meditate; however, life soon overwhelms us and we are rather likely to treat our time in meditation the same way we treat our membership to a gym or our New Year’s resolutions, procrastinating, forgetting to put that to good use, getting easily distracted and embroiled with emotional nonsense, etc. Meditation must be supported by a strong Aspiration to Awaken, or there is no point to it at all. Meditation is about remaining committed to awakening. It is about developing something indestructible that will actually help us, and all beings, for that matter.

Meditation has three parts: 1) Intention, 2) the Spiritual Practice, 3) Dedication of Merit. This is very important to keep in mind when we meditate. This seals our actions, creating good karma and lasting benefit. It helps us to make progress.

With intention, we might say or think a short prayer or mantra, something like, “May all beings benefit from my Spiritual Practice today. May all beings awaken!” It doesn’t need to be elaborate. Keeping it simple is sometimes the best thing that you can do.

The body of the Spiritual Practice can be simply sitting still, listening to breath, or it can be various elaborate mantras and recitations. It depends upon you, what it is that you need. An efficient Spiritual Practice goes right to the core issues, such as purification or transformation, or foundational issues that support your practice, such as Peaceful Abiding. It can be very simple, or many practices. This depends upon you, just what it is that you need at the moment. It’s good to adapt and to change your Spiritual Practice as needed. Success is measured by how much your heart and mind open, not by intellectual endeavors. Practice what you need in order to awaken.

The dedication of merit is very similar to the intention. You are basically acknowledging that you did a Spiritual Practice in order to bring benefit, either to yourself or to all sentient beings. This increases good karma, which helps to move things along without regret. Our Spiritual Practice needs the support of our own dedication and genuine intention. In this way we can develop confidence in how we change the world. It is a reminder that what we are doing in life has benefit to all. It helps us see the vital necessity of Awakening.

Blessings of Source,

Rigdzin Robert Aho

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Podcast 122

Robert Aho — Sun, 03 May 2026 09:01:34 GMT

Dzogchen is simply realizing the Nature of Mind. It cannot be realized through intellect. All practices of meditation are practices of mind, except Dzogchen, which is the practice of our real nature, the Nature of Mind. Vajrayana is transformation. Mahayana is being ready to help all beings. Hinayana is the foundation of this all—very important.

As a Dzogchen practitioner, I am not afraid to utilize all vehicles of meditative practice. Returning to the basics of Peaceful Abiding Meditation is sometimes the best remedy for any agitation I might be experiencing, for instance; and, even Dzogchen practitioners feel agitation from time to time. What is most important is to remain at ease in all situations. If we become agitated, our practice of remaining present in this continued awareness immediately prompts us to calm ourselves. In this way, we practice with enlightenment itself.

In this state of cyclic existence, which is currently dominated by a materialistic paradigm, our habit is to remain distracted. Dzogchen means we remain undistracted in awareness. This means that it doesn’t matter what happens, we see this condition of our real nature. We see the All-Good.

Blessings in Light,

Rigdzin Robert Aho

Robert Aho is the author of Timeless Luminosity and The Frog: A Spiritual Autobiography, Spanning Many Lifetimes. Both books, written after his death experience, give advanced spiritual advice regarding the complete Spiritual Path, inspiration for living each day and words of encouragement, with the intention of helping people to stay committed to their Spiritual Path, as well as preparing for death. This ultimately leads to discovering your own power within, which lead to Awakening. Both books are available on Amazon, Zenith Bookstore, as well as various other sources.

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Worry

Robert Aho — Thu, 30 Apr 2026 09:00:37 GMT

Love,

Love and worry,

Loss is the great suffering,

Loss of attachment,

Loss of what gave us great joy,

Suffering manifested through love,

when we worry about our loved ones,

when we worry about our life,

when we worry about what has happened,

when we worry about what has not happened,

when we worry about what might be,

when we worry about this or that,

that, that has not yet happened,

that did not happen,

that is not happening now;

Even in our worst dreams,

when the worst seems to happen,

it is not as bad as we imagined,

it can never be that bad,

not even close,

because, because

we and all beings are

completely indestructible!

Our real self,

beyond these constraints of cyclic existence,

beyond this thing we call self,

this idiotic mind-blowing thing,

this fabrication,

we don’t want to lose that thing,

even though it never existed;

Rest assured, assured for this idiotic self,

this self will be lost, lost entirely,

because it is already lost,

never having really been there to begin with,

this ego-clinging self

thinks much too highly of itself!

As it plunges from the joys of love into

this agony of anger,

From the pain of love,

This extreme suffering of love,

manifesting in its downfall

through worry,

it cannot be worse than that,

not even in the torments of hell!

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Once upon a time, I was a really stupid stubborn man. I drove myself to the hospital, after experiencing chest pains, getting dizzy, along with a fast irregular heartbeat. The usually thirty-minute drive included two stops by the side of the highway, because I had almost passed out. It might have taken me an hour to get there. Don’t worry, I know I was stupid, as every female friend and family member informed me about that quite adamantly. I hadn’t realized before this how many worried about me.

Somewhat telling about how men are, however, I had a different reaction from them. The men in my life just laughed about it or made jokes when I told them. We know we are stupid in the way we interact with the world, being careless about our own wellbeing, and we cause people to worry about us fairly often.

What I worried about, personally, as I sat there alongside the road, wondering if I would even make it to the hospital, was more than just my family, it was the people I had been helping to awaken through meditation. I told this to people afterwards and many people laughed at me for that. My aspiration to help people awaken was fraught with attachment and worries connected to people who weren’t really depending upon me in the way that I had imagined. I almost gave up because of that; however, I then realized that there were a small number of people who were depending upon me. This brought me back with a new attitude about taking better care of myself, as well as remaining focused on awakening, not letting myself waver because of some minor setbacks.

It is no wonder that a few years after this event that I returned from death. This attachment, this genuine desire to help people awaken, had been etched permanently into my psyche. Without completely knowing if I had ever helped anyone or even if I was necessary, I had connected helping people with my Aspiration to Awaken. Our muddled lives are filled with such notions that may or may not connect with what is really going on here, we only see a certain truth shining through. The important thing is that we make this genuine effort, without being reckless about our own lives. Sometimes people need us, and they want the best for us.

When we care for people, it brings terrible suffering when we see them going through difficulties, or we realize that we can’t really do anything for them if they won’t help themselves. We’ve all had a person in our lives, whether they be an elderly relative or a reckless friend, who simply won’t listen to others. The pain we feel because we want the best for them can be excruciating, especially if we are helpless in any way, closed off from them or unable to reach out to them. It can be too much.

Let us all find it within ourselves to take good care of ourselves, as well to find ways to allow people who care about us into our lives. It’s easy to think that we exist in some sort of bubble; however, that sort of mentality just causes great suffering. We’re not insulated from each other, even if we do our best to make it so. We need to be kind, starting with ourselves. We need to take good care of ourselves, without creating unnecessary worry for others.

A person can live the happiest life imaginable, filled with love and joy, and it can all come crashing down in an instant, without any sort of warning. We worry, though that can’t help us in the least. I think what is crucially important is to remain at ease, to not become attached to life. If we can let go, then we can awaken.

Blessings of Source,

Rigdzin Robert Aho

Robert Aho is the author of Timeless Luminosity and The Frog: A Spiritual Autobiography, Spanning Many Lifetimes. Both books, written after his death experience, give advanced spiritual advice regarding the complete Spiritual Path, inspiration for living each day and words of encouragement, with the intention of helping people to stay committed to their Spiritual Path, as well as preparing for death. This ultimately leads to discovering your own power within, which lead to Awakening. Both books are available on Amazon, Zenith Bookstore, as well as various other sources.

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