Transforming Storms

2025, March, Issue 141

Storms

And other unfortunate circumstances,

Trauma, and all the pain,

along with the booming echoes,

reverberating agony for all eternity,

all lifetimes, swimming in confusion, grasping,

seemingly inescapable

karma spinning out of control,

holding us just there, in our bondage

All that insanity, we realize,

That can be transformed

in an instant;

It takes no longer than a moment,

or less,

Splitting the moments

with a bolt of lightning,

if you are diligent,

if you persevere,

if you know how to, how to

Move that energy,

sending that tragic

delusionary phantasmic enigma,

sending that nightmare

any place that you want it to go;

If you place awakening above all else,

then you have this power,

this unlimited potentiality,

this ability to transform

anything at all;

Demons beware!

This great potentiality has been discovered

Within our own inner light,

And you are no match!

A poem by Robert Aho © 2025

Trauma is not something that we should ever ignore. If, however, we wish to go beyond such pain and agony, we must know what to do. Just as we do with thoughts, we must allow it to pass us by. We should never cover it up, or push it away, nor should we engage in it, making it much bigger than it is. Trauma is a storm that has entered your life, one that we only imagine has power over us. This is a problem, if we don’t know what to do. If we know what to do, we can transform anything, and then it’s no problem at all.

When I give spiritual advice, I am calling upon my own experiences, which can range from something really simple to something that takes more of a complex knowledge of certain advanced Spiritual Practices that are available to us mere humans. Even though we come from a limited point of view, if we tap into our infinite potentiality, we can do anything. Nothing can ever overcome us when we realize who we really are.

With Spiritual Practice, we learn how to act with our own instant presence and spontaneity. This can be explained in simple terms; however, with some things, they happen so quickly that I’m at a loss when it comes to explaining what actually happens. We must investigate mind, learning about our real potentiality, rather than something quite restrained, based upon what others might tell us. We need direct experience, something that springs from within us, or we will have no idea what we can actually do. Transforming can be that way. You have to discover for yourself before you can actually experience with direct knowledge.

When we train our mind, we train with energy, with efficiency, with instantaneous understanding of just what we are doing. We don’t hesitate when the opportunity arises to transform an obstacle, when the clouds suddenly clear. We transform without judgement, knowing our own mind has intuitive characteristics, experiencing our own condition as clear light.

Now, usually when we are talking in a Buddhist context about transformation, especially with Spiritual Practice, we are talking about the Vajrayana. Transformation is the whole point of practicing the Vajrayana. It’s very powerful and not to be taken lightly. It’s important to take it slow before committing to such a Path. We must be prepared and committed to such power, such amazing control over the elements, which are essentially energy.

The Vajrayana takes complete commitment. If we do not have that, then we should not dabble around the edges with such things. It should only be attempted if we have a very strong commitment to awakening, as well as a strong foundation in our own Spiritual Path.

This is where my experience has been; and, now that I am Dzogchen practitioner, one who has traversed the death bardo with ease, I have something to say about transformation that applies to all levels of Spiritual Practice. The power really resides in the ability to let go of what might seem negative, turning that in an instant into something very beneficial. It is also about understanding this illusion of life that we only think is real. It’s really not so much about all these other advanced practices. If we can let go of something negative, going back to our bright heart center, we can transform anything we want. It’s that simple. Letting go is an amazing ability that we can achieve quite easily, no matter if we are a beginner or a really advanced yogi.

Another way that we transform is by looking directly at whatever we see in our mind. When we pay attention to what is happening, we really see what is happening, without filters, without adding narrative. If someone is causing you harm, you look into their mind, you see what is happening completely. We become a mirror. This can be very uncomfortable for them.

This does not mean that we are merely imagining or fantasizing something, it means that we are observing in a direct way. We can be disturbed about something and our own spontaneity liberates. When we look directly at that, it instantly becomes empty of inherent existence. It becomes dissipated into emptiness, even if we don’t know what emptiness is. It becomes transformed instantly. We discover in this our true power.

Blessings in Light,

Robert Aho