Looking Within

2023, March, Issue 34

If you have read my books, you already know very well how I instantly became that brilliant light when I died.  I didn’t go into the light, I became fully integrated with that.  Self disappeared completely.  Ego became dissipated into that ineffable condition.

Now, since reassembling my personhood into something approximately similar to what was there before, people have asked me to teach them this or that, maybe providing Dzogchen teachings or giving them practices of meditation to do.  I’ve been reluctant to do that; but, only because of traumas experienced in the life before my death.  My actual intention is to help people any way that I can.  It’s why I returned into a life.  I didn’t need to do that on a personal level.  I didn’t need to reconstruct a self once more for my own benefit.

If you’ve paid attention to my words in my books, my talks, as well as this newsletter, you already have what you need.  Everything has been provided by simple reminders about who you are, what is really going on here, what your potentiality is, where to actually look.  You are a sleeping Buddha, not to be limited in any way.  The light of your full potentiality is already right there in your heart center.  Just gaze at mind until you recognize the Nature of Mind.

To dissipate ego, many practices can be obtained throughout Buddhism.  Doing prostrations as part of Ngöndro practices is very useful.  Cultivating Bodhicitta to the point that you begin to live altruistically is amazing.  By far the best practice to do, however, is what I already told you—become the light instantaneously.  This is pure Guru Yoga practice.  Just sound AH and you are not separate from your Ultimate Guru.  Do this repeatedly, many short sessions, and this barrier of ego that you have set up for yourself will start to dissolve.  You will become that radiant light, even if it is only for a brief moment.

Sit quietly, observing mind.  Just sit, don’t do anything other that turning your gaze to your heart center.  Sound AH.  Sit again quietly, gazing at mind once again.  Sound AH.  Imagine that you and your Guru have become one.  If you know that you are not separate from your Guru, then you are beginning to dissipate ignorance.  Keep doing this everyday, throughout the day, at night, whenever you have time to practice.  Work with circumstances.  Don’t bother people when you practice.  You may need to practice quietly when others are near.

So, the structure of a complete session of meditation is very simple, being composed of three parts: the intention, the body of practice and the dedication of merit.  This is very much like the structure of a story or an essay.  We say what we intend to say, we say it and we reiterate what we have said.  With three reminders, we might just notice what we are trying to accomplish.  We are learning to reconstruct ourselves through meditative practice.  It’s very powerful, if we become very devoted to the notion of benefiting all beings, everywhere, all at once.

We must begin by cultivating intention.  This really means that we must start with Bodhicitta, simply stating that we are meditating with the intention of awakening, for the benefit of self and other.  This can be a prayer or a poem, or a simple statement.  Years ago, I simply whispered a statement at the onset of meditation that dreams and daily life are the same, and that I intend to awaken for the benefit of all beings.  If we begin with Bodhicitta, then we have a reason to meditate.  Other reasons don’t last, or they’re not nearly as powerful.  Having genuine compassion for self and other, with the intention of awakening, has more depth than we will ever realize, at least not until we have become realized beings.

The body of practice is just that, it is meditation.  This can mean many things, as there are thousands of types of meditative practices.  The first is usually just learning to focus on breath, so that we gain the capacity to focus our mind without wandering.  This practice, though the most simple, forms the basis of all practices.  Without the ability to focus our mind, other meditative practices will be of no use.  The body of practice should also be accompanied with an attitude of Bodhicitta.  Without Bodhicitta in the body of the practice, we will likewise lose a good reason to practice.  Simply wanting peace or happiness is not enough fuel for the practice.  We must fully utilize the key of Bodhicitta.

With the body of practice, don’t be afraid to gather practices from many sources.  Don’t think for one second that you must select only one teacher.  Find retreats, read books, meet teachers, and gather all the teachings you can.  Utilize what seems useful to you.  I recommend Tibetan Buddhism and Zen, simply because that is what benefitted me; however, don’t let that limit you.  Start where you are, by simply looking at where love and compassion exists in your own life.

Dedicating the merit is very simple.  We simply state that we are practicing for the benefit of all beings.  You can write a poem or simply bow, saying this in your head.  Do what resonates with you.  Again, Bodhicitta is the key.

We will all awaken, I have no doubt.

Blessings in Light,

Robert Aho