This illusion,
this wave,
this self,
moving through space and time,
crashing unexpectedly,
rising once again,
neither nothing, nor everything,
not permanent,
always in motion,
a nice little fiction
for the unenlightened mind to grasp
when confusion is great,
moving, always moving,
not really knowing what that is,
not knowing what it is not,
these waves come and go,
just as self
comes and goes
in this great illusion;
Embrace this wave,
while you can,
be joyful, bring blessings
see transitory beauty as you travel
through this great ocean of suffering,
be bright, be spontaneous;
See these waves clearly;
Embracing energy crests,
as if they were real,
as if they were
something
substantial,
being nothing more than
some temporary condition
about to return
to this illusory ocean;
That everything notion
you have fabricated,
that is also not real;
Embrace these waves
in order to understand
what cannot be embraced,
cannot be fathomed,
by such shallow means,
embracing what cannot last
for even one moment;
Remain present in that,
Continually,
Throughout your entire life,
As it is.
A poem by Robert Aho © 2026
If you sit in meditation near any body of water, watching waves roll onto shore, you will witness an amazing teaching, especially if you see how those waves are similar to your own life. We are born. We spend an amazing amount of energy fabricating a self, which has its own energetic characteristics. We live our lives in the best way that we can, then it’s over upon reaching the shore. The energy that was the wave we thought was self is reabsorbed by the shore and the body of water. This energy was neither created nor destroyed—it continues to transmigrate.
Even though we can discover exactly how life is an illusion, we should embrace these circumstances that we are living. It’s our opportunity to shine. It’s our opportunity to send waves of blessings from our own wave-like existence. It’s our opportunity to Awaken.
If you truly look at this thing you call self, observing your own life realistically, you will see rather clearly that nothing about you stays the same for even a fraction of a moment. The more you realize this knowledge, the more it will actually freak you out, if you are not prepared for such a reality. As deluded beings, we insist that we are separate from everything else, not knowing how every single iota we call self could not be possible without absolutely everything else throughout all of existence. We are always in transition, though never separate.
When we see the illusion, we might take an extreme view, thinking that it is nothing, or that it is everything. If we make any extreme assumption, we invite tragedy; and, that tragedy will seem very real indeed. By truly understanding the nature of this illusion, we gain the power of being present in this wave we call our lifetime. This will empower us throughout all the lifetimes to come. This will also make it possible for us to Awaken, thus opening a way beyond cyclic existence.
It seems to me that we must embrace this life in such a way that we exhibit great compassion for ourselves and others. This is important to do in order to Awaken. If we Aspire to Awaken, then we are holding what is most precious. In order to contain something that valuable, we need an appropriate vessel, something truly wonderful. We need to make our life into something truly wonderful.
When we embrace this illusion that is our life, with the intention of Awakening, we carry blessings for all. Without grasping at what is not real, we embrace what can never be more than a transmigrating condition. We do this with great love and compassion. In doing so, we send blessings to all throughout all the infinite moments, rather than being inundated by our own sense of angst and dread that has haunted us since beginningless beginnings.
This thing you call self, this lie, this confused condition we find ourselves in, does not need to be one of futility and inevitability. You can purposefully make this life into something worthwhile, by simply Aspiring to Awaken, by creating a spark where we cultivate awareness and unification with enlightenment mind. There is a certain amount of joy in that, this idea of starting to live your life with the intention of enlightenment, with an indestructible purpose that stays with you in all circumstances.
It doesn’t matter if you Awaken now, later in this life, or in some other wave you may someday become. You have the power to become amazing, beginning with that Initial Aspiration, then carrying that from now on. Embrace that!
Life itself is a transitory process. We transmigrate with every breath. The death bardo is really just part of the same continuum. When we see that we create new selves, and that the old self never actually existed in any way that is substantial. We start to understand that we, as a wave, are riding a wave into oblivion. It is up to us to embrace these waves, so that we are no longer oblivious.
Awakening is like that. We embrace this impermanent illusion realistically. We remain at ease throughout such turbulence.
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 unlimited power within, which leads to Awakening. Both books are available on Amazon, Zenith Bookstore, as well as various other sources.