Teaching with the Door Open
2026, March, Issue 193
Our Nature of Mind,
Pervasive,
Obscured!
This Rigdzin,
after riding the winds of existence,
turbulence beyond madness,
gone beyond, beyond belief for an eternity,
this Awareness Holder lives
with the intention of bringing benefit to all!!
He is done coddling egotistical Spiritual Practitioners,
done pretending to be impressed by Tulkus and Rinpoches,
done catering to institutional interests
and canned teachings!
This Rigdzin has no need
for books or teachings or teachers
in this degenerate age!
What more is there that he has not already discovered?
This Rigdzin has become Dharmakaya,
has returned from death,
has remained at ease
throughout the energetic winds of Sambhogakaya,
has entered this very small
limited
confined
uncomfortable
painful
embarrassing
excruciatingly traumatic
physical existence once more,
with the intention
of bringing benefit to all,
even though this venture
seems rather futile right from the start!
The door is open to the ineffable,
The teachings are flowing,
Nothing is hidden!
You who think it is not possible,
or necessary for that matter,
Will Awaken!!
A poem by Robert Aho © 2026
I’ve sometimes used the phrase, “Teaching with the Door Open”, when I am giving teachings, leading retreats or giving talks. This doesn’t mean that I am referring to an actual door, it means that I am not creating restrictions, obstructions or keeping secrets. When I teach, we are keeping our attention on our bright condition, which is reality itself, or Ultimate Reality. If you receive teachings from me, you will have some idea where this thing we call meditation will actually lead. There is no need to create obstacles for the student who is genuinely seeking to Awaken. This is my intention, my methodology, this is the way that I am. I see no point in being anything other than an open book. My only request is that you are genuine and that you meditate every single day, as much as possible, until you actually Awaken.
When I teach, I am not restricting access to anything at all. I’m not keeping secrets or obstructing your view, because that, in my view, would be creating demons. It is not necessary, even though it is a beneficial practice, for students to complete Ngöndro before asking me for Dzogchen teachings. I don’t ask that you complete various courses first or that you proceed only after some offerings are made. I don’t ask for anything in particular. I am here to help everyone Awaken.
Some people might be offended by this, simply because certain institutions, teaching lineages and schools do not approve of that sort of thing. This doesn’t worry me one iota. I really don’t care what they think. I’m not at all impressed by authority. I teach in a very open way, giving people a View of the Complete Path. If you receive teachings from me, I cannot help but give you Dzogchen transmissions in some way, even if you aren’t aware of it.
My Root Guru taught in such a way, and he was often criticized for that. His explanation was that Garab Dorje taught without holding anything back, without restrictions, always being very open; and, so, there is no point in creating any sort of restrictions in the way that I teach either. The door is open to the Nature of Mind. The Complete Path is always open. Even if you do not know what it is that you receive, in this or in future lifetimes, this seed of Enlightenment Mind is guaranteed to mature.
When I talk about this spark of our Aspiration to Awaken being the same as complete and full Enlightenment, I am telling you the truth and giving you a pointing out instruction. You nurture this spark, treating it as the most important thing that you can possess, and you will Awaken. If you treat this spark carelessly, as just another item you are consuming with your ravenous spiritual appetite, simply adding to your repertoire, you will continue to suffer endlessly. A person who does not nurture their own Aspiration to Awaken is no different than a beginner, or worse. We must continue until Full Enlightenment or there is no point whatsoever to this Spiritual Path.
Understand that this Spiritual Path occurs after you are done seeking. It occurs when you have concluded that seeking and remaining in delusion serve nothing and no one, no matter what you do. This Spiritual Path occurs when you have concluded that your own obscurations and embroilment in this agitated condition of physical existence have never brought any benefit. This physical existence is nothing other than a fantasy, a bad dream without end. Even those who have fame and fortune have absolutely nothing of value. We must Awaken to truly discover what is of value, to find what can actually be taken with us when we die.
I’ve sort of tiptoed into this role that I find myself. I haven’t received or asked for institutional permission—and I don’t need it! I’ve been the Dharmakaya for an eternity. My reason for returning to life is to help people Awaken. I remain aware throughout my day and night, remaining present in our Real Nature. This is the authority that I give this person who wants to bring blessings to all.
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, inspiration and words of encouragement, with the intention of helping people to awaken. They are available on Amazon, as well as various small bookstores.