My Brain is Empty, My Brains is Empty . . .

2023, February, Issue 32

I asked my youngest daughter what she thought I should write about for this newsletter; and, that is what she told me, “My brain is empty, my brains is empty”.  I think she was trying to be funny as she said this in a sort of weird accent, a little bit like Goofy from Disney; however, it’s a good subject.  We need to know about our brain, if we wish to truly know about mind and awakening.

With my death experience, it became abundantly clear that looking inwardly, gazing upon mind is very important.  If we wish to awaken, we need to know just what is going on here with mind.  It is essential; however, what is mind?

Mind is not the same as brain.  That can be determined relatively easy with meditation.  It’s also not all the electrical discharges going on in the brain. 

If we die or have an Out of Body Experience, it is even more certain that mind is not brain.  Our brain is more like a transmitter.  When we die, or leave our body, we leave our brain behind.  It is no longer useful, just as our body is no longer useful.  A brain is something that helps us with our senses in this healthy physical dimension.  If we have illness, the brain becomes less useful.

Although our real condition is Dharmakaya, we cannot perceive that in our physical dimension.  It is completely hidden to us if we have not realized the Nature of Mind.  It’s also very difficult to perceive the Sambhogakaya, or energetic dimension, without gaining some sort of sensitivity to that, or a little bit of realization.  You might have heard about some people who can sense auras or see energy.  That’s just the beginning of such possibilities.  Our life is not separate from either the Dharmakaya or the Sambhogakaya.  It is all here now in the Nirmanakaya, or our physical dimension.

This is good to know; however, our Spiritual Practice must make this obvious for us, through direct experience.  We can’t simply utilize our brain in order to rationalize our way into awakening.  A conceptual framework of belief is of little value, when it comes to truly knowing.  When it comes to awakening, we simply open our heart and mind to the ineffable reality that has always been here.  We may need to learn to become flexible with our mind.  A little practice here or there, in time it becomes more obvious, but not because of our brain.  Awakening is not an intellectual exercise.  Intelligence is hardly relevant when it comes to awakening. 

Our brain is truly empty.  It is of no use whatsoever when it comes to directly experiencing reality.  It can only help us in establishing the aspiration for awakening.  A brain is useful in that way; however, it has no inherent existence, other than as an appearance.  Please examine my words, see if you can see mind, locate mind.  Just where is it caged?  Take as much time as you need.

I try to be very careful in how I explain what I discovered in my death experience.  As I explained above, I describe what can be perceived from various viewpoints, as we proceed on the Spiritual Path.  Our heart and mind must open completely, or we will remain very limited in our viewpoint.  Simply knowing the answer is not enough, we must develop our capacity for knowing directly through Spiritual Practice.  Even great masters must practice.  It’s not enough to simply hear that we are already Dharmakaya.

In order to understand the Dharmakaya, we must look within, we must start where we are, be respectful of that.  Our clear luminous condition is always here now; however, simply saying that isn’t very helpful.  We need to know, without any sort of doubt whatsoever.  We need our Spiritual Practice to mature by knowing directly what we really are.  It cannot be explained through concept or belief.  You personally need to discover that on your own. 

Even if you meditate with the help of a great master, it still comes down to you discovering for yourself.  Even Buddha Shakyamuni knew that you needed to discover for yourself.  He couldn’t simply provide the answer to everything you need in order to awaken.  He knew that; and, that’s why he taught a Path for you to utilize.  It’s not the ultimate answer, it’s a way for you to discover what is real for yourself. 

Although it is said that there are 84,000 doors to awakening, it seems to me that everyone awakens in their own way.  Every Spiritual Path is unique.  That’s why we must respect our own Path, our own vision as it opens to what is, as it is.

As you proceed on your very amazing Spiritual Path, please spend time everyday gazing at mind.  Learn to practice in your dreams, as well.  In time, you will awaken, if you have firmly established this aspiration.  Please make awakening your personal mission in life.

Blessings of Light,

Robert Aho