Breaking Free in Awareness

Why would we choose to live in a dark, dingy and cluttered basement when a vast space of unlimited beauty, creativity and peace was also available to us? Without even realizing it, this is what most of us do all the time, when we limit ourselves unnecessarily by not seeing the true nature of who we are or the true nature of reality.

By learning to sit quietly and search deeply within ourselves, there is the opportunity to open our perceptions and become the master of our reality rather than its slave. With our every single thought, word and action we are creating our environment. Our minds lead the way, and everything follows from that. So, if we start to examine the workings of our mind, we will have obtained a very large and important clue into how to access the inner peace and wisdom which is contained in every one of us. Rather than running away from whatever circumstances we are experiencing, we begin to face them directly and with compassion. The process of seeing in this way, in the present moment, unfolds as we learn the way of life practice.

This practice may seem very simple, but it is actually very profound. It has been used for centuries with much success. Concentrated attention is placed on the breath and bodily sensations, in an experiential rather than theoretical practice. By experiencing this process, we gradually go deeper and deeper into ourselves. The noise and excessive stimulation of the outside world recedes into the background and we have new territory to explore. This is the foundation of the practice and it builds from there.

In order to find and sustain real happiness, we might first take a look at what is standing in the way of that happiness, at why we seem to be caught in a cycle of discontent. There are many, many versions of what we might label to be “suffering.” They can range from intense physical pain to the subtlest of emotional disturbances. We typically react to most circumstances in three ways – with attachment, or craving, for something we desire, with aversion or resistance to something we do not like or want, or with neutrality. Most of the time, we swing between the two extremes, at the mercy of external circumstances rather than in a state of acceptance of whatever it is that comes our way. All of our suffering, at its root, arises from what is called the “three poisons” -- attachment, aversion and ignorance.

For us to ever be able to change and transform our habitual emotional responses, we must first become acquainted with who we really are and how we typically react to situations or events. It is only with full awareness and presence in the moment that the clouds obstructing our vision will float away. The way of life practice provides a powerful tool for us to do this. Surface knowledge becomes wisdom, and awareness and equanimity become a part of our lives. The benefits of this practice are experienced directly and dramatically in everyday situations.

The breath alone has much to teach us. By observing its rhythms, temperatures and sensations, we may come to realize that nothing ever stands still, all is in constant, flowing movement. We cannot grasp tightly to the breath, as we cannot grasp tightly to experience, or even to our very selves. Have you ever thought about the fact that it is impossible to retrieve or relive a breath that has already been taken or to store up a potential breath for the future? Nothing in this world is permanent, and the breath points the way to the truth of impermanence. This provides the antidote to our fundamental state of ignorance, and once we experience this on a deep level, we may not feel as attached or as tempted to cling to what we desire, nor as frustrated when we do not get what we want. Today’s happiness may quickly turn into sorrow, and today’s sorrow may quickly turn into happiness. We cannot always control our external surroundings, but we may certainly control our reactions to what is happening. We can use the breath to stabilize our concentration, then observe our bodily sensations -- experiencing how we move from consciousness to perception, then to sensation and reaction.

By quietly observing our mind, we are in presence, there is “somebody at home.” If a house is unoccupied, there is a much greater chance that intruders may break in and cause problems. If we are not at home in our own minds and bodies, distracted by this and that all the time without even realizing it, there is a much greater chance that unwanted and disturbing thoughts may take over. It is a matter of awareness and of training the mind. The way of life practice allows us to fully reside in our own true natures. Instead of living in a world of fear, confusion and limitation, we gain access to the indescribable treasures that are right here, every moment. We begin to wake up rather than sleepwalking through our lives. We begin to step into the spring of true peace and happiness that flows within us at all times.

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Waking Up

The Mind as a Gateway to Perfection

All of our happiness and all of our suffering depends on our mind. Therefore, if we wish to avoid suffering and find true happiness, it is essential to understand how the mind works, to be able to watch it as it is working, and to use our understanding to bring our minds under control.  

We all experience different life situations, but we share in common a range of difficulties, from basic discontent all the way up to miserable suffering.  Circumstances may vary, but what we perceive of as problems or difficulties will inevitably arise   -- it is the nature of things in this world.  Typically, we become upset or frustrated because either we do not get what we want, we encounter what we do not want, or we have what we want but are afraid of losing it.  Our will, our strong desire for things to be other than what they are, stands right in the way of our happiness.  It stands to reason, therefore, that if we can change our mind-set, our attitude towards life, we can begin to get a taste of inner freedom.  We do this by changing our mind.

Whenever we have to tolerate something that we would rather avoid, our uncontrolled mind reacts by feeling unhappy, immediately.  These uncomfortable feelings can easily turn into rage, depression, and similar negative emotions, as we become progressively more disturbed.  

Our perceptions of problems stem from a response to feelings which arise when we meet with undesirable circumstances.  We allow our reactions to take hold; no matter how hard we try, we spin out of control. Negative emotions such as anger, jealousy, greed, pride, etc. are very quick to rise to the surface of our mind.  If we allow ourselves to be provoked, a chain reaction is set into motion.  Before we even realize what is happening, the mind turns to judgment, reaction, justification, condemnation.  Like a fire’s flames being fed with oxygen, we become more and more immersed in these feelings, and soon, they are controlling and consuming us.

Our habit of reacting in this way has been reinforced again and again. What we must do is stop, and recognize that it is our thoughts that are creating our reality; creating our world, both literally and psychologically.  As all actions ultimately stem from the mind, our external world is a mere reflection of our inner state.  If one works on inner reality, it follows that outer reality, the world as we perceive it, will be affected.  

Unfortunately, we often take the opposite approach – looking at, and judging what is going on “out there,” rather than focusing on the true nature of reality.  It is like gazing into a mirror and noticing something strange about the image, or a problem in what is being reflected to us.  Then, instead of addressing the real issue, we try to alter the reflection or repair the mirror.  It is like looking at the moon reflected in a tranquil pond at night, and believing we are actually seeing the moon.  Our misguided efforts will only be futile, no matter how hard we try.    

The world we inhabit is based on our karma. Karma refers to our action, and our actions arise from our thoughts.  Our minds, therefore, have the power to create the world of our choice – a pure and beautiful world is the result of pure actions and thoughts, and an impure world is the opposite.  The choice of the type of world we wish to create is right within our hands; we only need to wake up and realize that this power exists within us.

Our minds are extremely powerful, they can be the foundation of all our problems or they can be the solution to our problems – it is our choice.  We create everything with our mind, there is no other creator. The mind can be thought of as an artist, and all beings having a mind are seduced by the pictures drawn by their thought processes.  If we are under the control of our mind, we become its servant. However, if we learn to control our mind rather than the other way around, we gain a formidable ally to assist us in the process of waking up.   Lord Buddha himself said “we are our own protectors and our own enemies.”  We must learn to use our mind, rather than let it use us.  It can become the very gateway to perfection, if we know this and begin to act accordingly.

The seed of perfection, our innate goodness and peaceful state, is available for all of us.  It just needs to be uncovered.  Mindfulness, stillness, and an understanding of the mechanics of the mind can help us to find our natural state of mind.  This lies beyond what we traditionally think of as ordinary mind, or intellect. The true nature of our mind is wide open, expansive and limitless.  It is like the sky in that respect, but yet a little different in that the mind also cognizes, unlike the sky.  

Our countless delusions and negative emotions obscure the natural clarity of our mind, like dark thunderclouds. Fortunately, like the existence of thunderclouds, this is not a permanent situation.  In time, and with much practice, one may come to realize this clarity, this perfection.  No matter what appears to be occurring on the surface of our mind, there is peace and beauty always present in its most subtle realm. We must learn to access this place.

Most of us move through life without seeing this, without really examining and understanding the nature and function of the mind.  Initially, we can familiarize ourselves with our minds through the process of observation.  Watch how the mind habitually reacts, labeling everything it comes across, and sitting in constant judgment.  By learning to simply watch the workings of the mind, we become aware of patterns of resistance and negativity, and can then decide to move through them consciously. As the pure nature of our mind becomes discovered, it is like the sun emerging from behind persistent dark clouds.

Without such awareness, the mind holds us as an unwitting prisoner, or puppet, subject to is whims and distortions.  We think, say, and do things as though on automatic pilot, rather than commanding the controls ourselves.  We react to things out of stale habit, calling something beautiful or ugly without really looking at it, without seeing it with freshness. We totally miss the essence of things.

Being mindful, conscious, aware and present is essential. Thoughts and emotions need to be watched, but not judged, continually. And, very importantly, we must learn to observe our reactions.  It is our reaction to various circumstances that is more important than the circumstances themselves.  Recognizing this can be difficult, as we are habituated into abdicating responsibility to things “beyond our control,” and using external events as crutches or scapegoats for our pain and suffering.

Once a mind pattern, emotion or reaction is observed, merely watch it in acceptance.  The moment any sign of unhappiness arises – catch it.  See it and let it go without feeding it.  Like all phenomena, what we give our attention to, grows.  Thoughts are no different, and once we allow them to take root and grow, the next precarious step is ego identification with the story represented by that particular thought or way of thinking.  In that case, we are no longer in control and the thought pattern is ruling us.  Our deep-seated, longstanding, inherited collective mind patterns are a primary cause of our bondage to suffering.  We must clearly understand this in order to be able to break free.

It is also important to realize that our ordinary mind is simply making too much noise.  We are so accustomed to this constant stream of chatter that we do not even notice it; we do not stop to think that there may be a different way to be. It is only when one successfully quiets the mind, that we can find the natural, relaxed state.  A lovely sense of oneness, rather than separation, prevails.

We become able to move beyond name and form, labels and preconceptions, and able to embrace everything simply as it is.  There is no room for discrimination and judgment, or even justification.  Rather than seeing ourselves, and everything, as isolated fragments, we see our own wholeness and the interconnectedness of all things.    

Otherwise, we remain caught in an illusion of separateness, ardently misidentifying with our bodies and our minds.  It is from this place of delusion that our negative emotions and suffering arise.  We believe in a self and a world that doesn’t exist as we think they do, and this egoic viewpoint is continually reinforced and substantiated by societal and cultural conditioning and programming.

As ordinary beings, we have very strong tendencies to label and identify with our minds, our bodies and all phenomena as real and solid. Sleepily, we do not see what is actually going on – we spend all our time caught up in what is not real and we dismiss what is actually real.  Weighed down by delusions, negative emotions, tendencies and imprints, our minds are not allowed to be free and fresh, they remain distorted and confused.  Our long-standing patterns, habits and preconceptions shape our view of the world, and we live from that point of reference.  

A sense of unease and insecurity is ever-present while we are in such a state, and then we grasp tighter and tighter onto what we feel provides us an identity, something safe and familiar.  We don’t begin to realize that we are actually building a sophisticated trap for ourselves, a space with no breathing room, a confined and limited world where an imaginary “me” keeps us imprisoned.  We live in a dream world without even knowing it, and then we spend all our time stubbornly protecting and defending this fantasy.

To make matters worse, we add layer upon layer to our misperception of reality.  Like zombies, we sedate ourselves further with various distractions, substances and behaviors such as drugs, sex, alcohol, work, and even sometimes, spiritual pursuits. There is no end to the methods and techniques we employ to try to cover up the basic dread and unease that simmers below the surface of our lives.  Even behaviors and substances that may not be harmful on their own can take on an addictive or compulsive quality if they are used under the influence of delusion.  We should be especially alert to the presence of the feeling of an addictive charge or rush.  This can signal that we are out of control and at the mercy of our delusions. We cannot remain in this place or indulge in such behavior if we wish to be free, if we wish to know the true nature of things which lies beneath the distortions.

Satisfying our countless desires is impossible.  Even when we achieve a moment of relief, all that is really happening is that the desire is being fed, not abated.  Any short term pleasure will be eclipsed by long term dissatisfaction, until we put an end to this tired, worn-out game.

Every pleasure contains within itself the seed of unhappiness, of new suffering, in time.  After an initial period of elation, we rapidly become caught in protecting or defending the object of our desire so that we do not lose it, or we tire of it and turn our interest to something else.

It is vitally important to stay as present, conscious, and aware as possible.  We can even visualize guardians watching over our mind, ever-vigilant to catch deluded thoughts the moment they attempt to gain entry.  Whatever is occurring, try to accept it as it is.  Whenever we move into a place of defending, protecting, justifying, etc., it is the handiwork of our reactive patterns, the mind operating in its habitual survival mode.  The more we identify with whatever happens to be going on at the moment, the more it grows, but the more we merely observe it, the energy lessens. We minimize the tendency to “become” the emotion or
the feeling.  Watch what you are experiencing, notice your feelings, but do not let them turn into thinking.

When our mind is under the influence of delusion, we may notice anger, resentment, guilt, fear, self-pity and similar negative emotions.  It is crucial to remember that they are merely states of mind; they come and go, arise and pass, and have no solidity. Despite their illusory nature, these delusions keep us in their grip. Then, their effects can be compounded by imprints from long-standing delusions as well.  

Every single thing that we say, think or do leaves behind a trace, or imprint, in our consciousness.  So, every pain that we suffer or inflict or experience is stored in our mind, ready to resurface when conditions are ripe.  Similar imprints merge with each other, and as more difficult or painful traces pile one on top of the other, their combined force exponentially increases.  Even when apparently dormant, the right conditions and causes can trigger negative effects and reactions.  Old patterns may be activated, both in obvious ways or as a result of more subtle, casual causes.

It is not only negativity triggered by the past that causes us to suffer – speculation and fretting about the future can bring discontent and misery as well.  The only peace and freedom we have is right now, being completely in the present. Everything else involves mere daydreams or fantasies.  The only place where true inner peace can flourish is in a space not dependent upon external conditions or limited or constricted in any way, such as by perceptions of time.

Ironically, “right now” is the last place we usually look to find contentment.  In fact, most of us do all that we can to avoid that place, yet it is the moment which contains all the beauty of the universe.  It is strange that this place frightens us so deeply, that our ancient habituated patterns keep us from the very source of real happiness.

We are stuck, resisting and rehashing things that occurred in the past or fretting over a thousand “what ifs” about the future. We “bottle ourselves up,” letting negative thoughts and emotions build and build. In order to overcome this, we must remember that the past and the future have no reality, no existence of their own; we just create them as real with our deluded and confused minds. Past and future are like echoes – merely reflections, and not real.

Thinking along these lines, learn to understand and embrace the profound teaching that  “all phenomena are like dreams.”  Just as everything experienced in a dream is a mere appearance to the mind, all phenomena in our waking world are also mere appearances to the mind. We just ordinarily do not think about this in this way.

When we fall asleep, where are all the things which existed in our waking state?  They cease to exist for us at that point, because the mind to which they appeared does not exist at that point.  When we are asleep, only dream objects appear to us, yet when we wake up these objects cease to exist because the dream-mind to which they appeared does not exist either.

In our sleep, we may dream of our home, and our relatives or friends, as if they were actually present, and an expected strong feeling may arise. Although this place and these people are actually not present and we have not even left our beds, we experience them with the same vividness and intensity as in the waking state. Each and every experience of the senses in our lives is an experience just like the previous night’s dream. In the same way that we label, objectify and cling to dream entities as substantial, our mind in the waking state does the same thing.  Exactly like dreams have no substance, appearances to the mind are the same way. They do not exist as we believe they do.

The nature of mind is like space, and all experience, therefore, is like space.
When you look for the mind and cannot find it (where is its shape, form, color?)  such “ failure” is a total success.  The nature of mind in its purity is like a stainless crystal ball.  Its very essence is emptiness, its nature is clarity, and its responsiveness is a continuum.   

With careful consideration of these concepts, you many begin to get a glimpse of how all phenomena in life are like the objects in a dream – mere appearances to the mind. That understanding holds the key to understanding the true nature of reality.  From there, we may start to recognize the power of the mind as the gateway to perfection. Then, we face a simple, yet highly radical choice – do we wish to continue misunderstanding the workings of the mind, and the world reflected back to us from that mind, or do we wish to create a world free from the suffering of deluded thoughts?  Once we have gained this understanding, we can access this place of peace from only one place  -- this exact moment.

Perhaps it is time to begin.  This can be done by acknowledging, fully and honestly, if there are any problems stirring in our mind.  Once we identify the actual cause of whatever problems we are experiencing, merely see them as they are.  In realizing that allowing them to grow will only create more suffering, a conscious decision to respond more constructively can then be made. When we learn to do this skillfully, it will prevent problems from arising in our minds at all. We recognize that most of our difficulties originate from a failure to accept things as they are.

Patient and graceful acceptance, rather than trying to change external circumstances, is the solution.  By acceptance, we are not referring to simple passivity or resignation, but to proceeding in a spirit of tolerance, without blame festering in your heart.  See things as they are, do not blame yourself or others, and move forward in a clear and constructive manner from that point. This is how we begin to heal ourselves and others, to stop the feeding and momentum of pain and suffering.

When we learn to stop creating pain for ourselves, then we create no more pain for others or the world.  The natural clarity and beauty of our inner space begins to shine through, and the world mirrors this back to us and the collective. This state becomes our reality, perceptions of separation dissolve automatically, and only oneness remains.

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Illusory Happiness

We all have within us our own unlimited source of peace and happiness.  And yet, most of us cannot gain access to this source on a regular basis, if at all. This is because our delusions never allow us to reach it or sustain it, by making us see things in a distorted manner. They lead us to view ourselves, and the world around us in a false version of reality, and then we relate to this projection as if it were true. No matter how much we may think we are free, we are not, as most of the time our views and projections are influenced by our delusions. We are out of touch with reality, without even knowing it. 

If we analyze our everyday actions, we will come to the conclusion that we all seek happiness. In fact, every act, every single thing we do in this world, is search for happiness, or an attempt to escape or evade ourselves, to run from suffering, pain and death, even if it does not always appear this way on the surface.  Although we occasionally may experience some sort of momentary worldly pleasure by satisfying our desires, the very next moment the same things that gave us pleasure might turn into suffering. Happiness is always the goal, everyone wants to be happy, but experiencing true happiness is rare.

The most basic condition for happiness is freedom --  freedom from delusions such as anger, jealousy, despair etc. As long as these poisons remain in our heart, happiness cannot be possible. We must transform the pain and delusions within ourselves in order for happiness to thrive.
Happiness is our natural state of mind, arising from an understanding and acceptance of life exactly as it is. It is merely a state of mind, and so its main cause is not to be found outside the mind. Buddha said “Our actions are all led by the mind, mind is their master, mind is their maker. If one acts or speaks with a pure state of mind then happiness follows like a shadow that trails constantly behind.”

Real happiness comes by relinquishing opinions, views or ideas, for any pleasure stemming from opinions or ideas or beliefs can rapidly change into displeasure. The way we usually live is through an obsessive sense of not wanting to see and experience things as they really are in their uniqueness.  We always have to identify them with something we are familiar with. We need to name them, so we busy ourselves with the process of identifying and disidentifying, claiming and disclaiming, owning and disowning, while the very experience is passing right under our nose, unheeded.  This is, of course, actually an attempt to avoid the experience. We don’t want to be aware of this present moment because it terrifies us. But as we cannot get out of the present, our only escape is into memories or daydreams, because we feel that is safe ground --  for the past is fixed and familiar and dreams are merely fantasies.

One of the main reasons we cannot have happiness is because we allow our ego to control our mind, and we hold an attitude that demands that the world be exactly as we want and give us exactly what we want, when we want it. We build a fortress, imprisoning ourselves in the process, and we collect the scars as memorabilia to be examined with self- pity, condemnation and self righteousness.  Then, we perpetuate and reinforce the brick laying process around the fortress, and the more isolated and miserable we become. Our ego continuously demands that we satisfy the needs and wants of its outer reality rather than be content with what is found within our own inner nature. It causes us to constantly chase after mirages, in the end only to be disappointed when they do not give us the satisfaction for which we had hoped in the first place. With these erroneous perceptions and ideas we enrich the soil that nurtures delusion. The mind catches sight of some possibility of pleasure, accepts it at face value and the result is desire and greed. Then, when our hunger for gratification is not met, obstacles appear and we discover the breeding ground of suffering -- ignorance arises, self grasping arises and suffering results.

Of course we all have basic needs – we have to eat, we need clothing, medicine, and shelter, but most of our chasing is not for these things, but from emotional needs -- from a lack of peace. We chase objects and experiences for reassurance, comfort and security.  We seek praise, beauty, and wealth, all as proof of our worth.
Coupled with the ceaseless chasing of what we believe will provide inner security is the tendency to fight, or defend against, anything that we perceive as threatening to, or challenging, our views, beliefs and dreams.  It is important to look at what it is that we are really trying to defend – it is “me”, my false self.  The self that perceives an endless array of fears and desires, lifetime after lifetime.   As long as we continue this behavior, we will never realize ultimate happiness.  It is like living in a magnificent celestial mansion but spending all your time trying to make the dark and dingy basement look better.  Your efforts may be well-intentioned, but significantly misguided.

As we search for happiness, many of us turn to the pleasures of the senses, or self-indulgent behavior.  Once again, we are only wandering in a thick forest of confusion and delusion, looking for something where it cannot possibly be found.  We may catch a glimpse of temporary happiness here or there, but this is merely pleasure – not true, lasting happiness.  Pleasure is related to enjoyment experienced through the senses, and is highly dependent upon circumstances, objects and people.  It is the good feeling that comes from eating delicious food, watching good movies, enjoying social events, etc.  This kind of transitory happiness can disappear as quickly as it arrived. We may enjoy a moment or two of what we think is happiness, particularly if we associate it with the feelings that we have when everything is going well, going “our way. Many define happiness as the satisfaction of the will.  We perform countless activities to fulfill our wishes, dreams or desires, or to run away from what we do not want.  In fact, the very process of “wanting” or “not wanting” can become an addiction in itself.  We do not know how to simply be content with what we have. The false self is always goading us into cravings or aversions

 Buddha called the pleasurable feelings that result from worldly enjoyments “changing suffering”, because all that is really happening there is a temporary reduction of suffering – we experience pleasure merely due to the contrast of, or relief from, the previous pain.  For example, if one is sitting for hours and hours, then is allowed to stand up, the standing up provides great relief, or what seems to be a type of happiness.  We identify the standing position as one which is making us happy, however, once we have stood for a while, we begin to wish we were sitting again!  What we thought was making us happy is actually just a new form of suffering. And, clinging to what we think is happiness is the same thing as clinging to suffering, we just do not realize it.

When we do achieve whatever we desire, there is always a fresh, new desire just waiting to step into its place.  If we do get what we want, we spend all our time trying to control it, keep it, protect it, defend it.  Or, sometimes we simply tire of it and are ready to move on to a new and different distraction.  We spend our lives acquiring material possessions and pursuing worldly, sensory pleasures, only to come out dissatisfied or empty-handed at some point.  The dearest of lovers will eventually be separated , and when they meet again in a future life they may not even recognize each other.  Any material objects we may acquire cannot continue on with us in other lives.  Impermanence spares no one and no things – transitory happiness is as fragile as a water bubble.  

Our lives, for the most part, vacillate between an unquenchable thirst for pleasure and an irreconcilable fear of pain or suffering.  We spend our time see-sawing between these two extremes, rarely enjoying the peace of true contentment that is right in front of us. Unable to accept everything just as it is, without wanting anything in the first place, we continue to mistakenly believe that real happiness and satisfaction is just around the corner, just beyond the next horizon.  What we never stop to think about is this --  we have already experienced many, many lifetimes, and in those lifetimes we have already had every possible type of pleasure and suffering  And yet, here we are, continuing the relentless, blind chase, trying to use salt water to quench our samsaric thirst. Instead, we might want to just relax and enjoy what is happening to us, right now, this very moment, no matter what that may be.

Sariputtra, one of the chief disciples of Buddha, echoed the Buddha’s explanation of the five sense desires by saying to his brother monks; “there are, reverend sir, these five strands of sense desire. What five? There are forms, cognized by the eyes, longed for, alluring, pleasurable, lovely, bound up with passion and desire. There are sounds cognized by ears… smells by the nose… tastes by the tongue… contacts, cognized by the touch, longed for, alluring pleasurable, lovely, bound up with passion and desire. These, reverend sir, are five strands of sense desire; and the happiness, the well being arising there from is called sensuous happiness.”

Generally, we misconstrue the source of happiness; we think that by pleasing our insatiable desires we will be happy. But we do not realize that the means available to them to please our sense desires are limited by time and space.  Sooner or later, we end up in frustration and losing whatever little relative happiness we have. For instance, when our skin catches fire, the pain that is inflicted on us can never become pleasurable, because it is a true cause of suffering. Just as a true cause of suffering can never give rise to happiness, so a true cause of happiness can never give rise to pain. Since the pleasurable feelings resulting from worldly enjoyments eventually turn into pain, they cannot be real happiness.

Many of us have a mistaken idea of what constitutes true happiness. It is not attained through self- gratification, which can in fact become a strong internal knot. When the object of our pleasure disappears, we will miss it and we begin searching for it. We spend a lot of time and energy trying to experience it again. We cannot get it off our mind. We will always look for it and more. The strength of the internal knot is pushing us and controlling us. Like the body fastened with chains, our mind will be fastened with attachment. The mind is tied, controlled, chained by attachment. Our mind will be stuck like glue to the object. Like a fly that gets caught in a spider’s web, where its limbs are chained in the web, and it is very difficult for it to get free.

True happiness means ease and complete lack of restlessness, and the pleasures of the senses do not provide that mental ease.  Many people associate a sense of excitement with happiness, but that is misguided. Happiness and excitement do not exist together in the same mind at the same time, for these are diametrically opposite mental factors.. When happiness enters the mind through the front door, restlessness and excitement leave the mind through the back door. The excited person’s behavior is quite different from that of a happy person. When someone, for instance is excited he or she expresses his or her excitement by smiling, laughing, whistling and singing, dancing, kissing, hugging, running, crying or even saying things which he/she usually would never say. When real happiness arises, however, the person does not express anything either verbally or physically, but remains calm, peaceful, composed, and serene, for it is this real happiness that is leading their mind to true concentration.. As we know, it is not excitement but just the opposite of it that leads the mind to concentration. As the concentrated mind generates sufficient quietness of the mind, instead of expressing any mental agitation, the genuinely happy person sees the truth as it is. The real knowledge of the truth makes a person wise enough to be happy in the deepest sense of the word. 
Another thing that can cause confusion is the relationship between joy and happiness.  Joy and happiness link together in a close relationship, so that it may be difficult to distinguish them. Nevertheless, the two are not identical states --  happiness always accompanies joy but joy does not always accompany happiness. Where there is joy there is happiness, but where there is happiness there is not necessarily joy. Joy has been described as delight in the attaining of the desired object, and happiness as the enjoyment of the taste of what is acquired. Joy is like a weary traveler in the desert in summer, who hears of, or sees water or a shady wood. Happiness is like his enjoying the water or entering the forest shade. 

Now, let me describe a little bit about the different types of suffering.  I want to remind you that when Buddha taught the Four Noble Truths and spoke about suffering, the actual Pali word translated was “Dukha.” The meaning is deeper and more complex than what we might usually think of as suffering – it refers to the basic feeling of discontent and dissatisfaction that runs through our lives, not abject pain and misery.

The countless kinds of suffering can be divided into three categories:
1) The suffering of manifest pain -This type of suffering includes the pain, sadness and everyday suffering recognized by all beings. Any type of bodily or mentally unpleasant feelings are known as suffering of manifest pain. This type of suffering is primarily at the sensory level- painful or unpleasant feelings. No beings want this suffering so they try to run away from it. The very reason we (including all beings) are all so busy and active is that we are trying to avoid this type of suffering. Either fighting with one another out of fear, or incessantly striving for material objects or comforts to avoid is because of this type of suffering. This kind of suffering is more easily recognized than the other two.

2) Changing suffering- every experience of happiness or pleasure that arises from worldly enjoyments is changing suffering. This type first starts as happiness and then changes into suffering. These experiences are contaminated and have the nature of suffering. Most beings confuse happiness with this type of suffering because worldly happiness looks like happiness, but in time it will changes into suffering. When we are in the mountains we think how wonderful it would be if we were near the beach, filled with warm sunlight and ocean water in which to swim.  However, when we finally make it to the beach, there would be only a measure of satisfaction before the sun burns our skin and we start suffering, blaming ourselves about how foolish we  were to come here. Then, we begin to dream about how nice our mountain place is, filled with trees and snow. This is changing suffering. If we increase the cause of our worldly happiness, our happiness will change into suffering, but if we increase the cause of suffering, our suffering will never change into happiness. When two lovers meet for the first time they are delighted and don’t  want to be away from each other for even an hour, but if they remain continually together they start to feel tire of each other and begin fighting. So is with food as well.  At first, we enjoy eating  -- our pleasure may increase as we eat the first few mouthfuls, but if we continue to eat more and more our pleasure will turn into pain.
If such pleasures were real happiness, then sunbathing, romantic love or food would be a real cause of happiness- but we just found out they are not the real cause of happiness because they can cause us to feel sick, and a real cause of happiness can never be a cause of suffering. Everything pertaining to our life is subject to change and dissatisfaction. That is why the Buddha has explained that as long as there is craving for worldly pleasures or desire for existence, there is no way one could escape from suffering.  Desire is important for existence.  When existence takes place suffering is unavoidable. Day and night we are struggling to get rid of these unpleasant situations.  But the more we struggle to escape from this unhappy state of affairs in a worldly way, the more we entangle ourselves.  When we manage to get rid of one problem, intentionally or unintentionally, we create other problems.
This type of suffering includes anything that appears to be happiness and changes into suffering. If a person wants to become wealthy, works very hard and becomes rich, suffering is produced from the need for maintaining the wealth, fear of losing it, and more chasing after desire.
But most being (people and animals) think that the suffering caused by change is real happiness and spend their whole lives trying to achieve it. The first of these two types of suffering, manifest suffering, is more easily removed than changing suffering, because it is more easily recognized.  Thus, changing suffering can be more deeply harmful.

3) Pervasive suffering-  This type is even more difficult to recognize than the suffering caused by change. Pervasive suffering is so called because it is the suffering inherent in samsara ( the whole round of existence) and the cause from which all true sufferings arise. Just as the earth is the basic cause of our life, so this type of suffering is the cause of the other two but we the ordinary beings cannot realize it directly because for us it is hidden.

The fact that we are dominated by the negative emotions and their underlying root cause, namely our fundamental ignorance of the nature of our reality- self grasping. And as long as we are enslave of this type of emotion- the ignorance, we are always entwined with suffering.
All the delusions and the sufferings  arise dependent upon the base our self grasping. Therefore, without recognizing “I”, escaping from samsara is impossible. This suffering is like a wound that does not give pain until it is touched. It is the ground containing all suffering. If we want freedom from the various sufferings of samsara we need to develop the determination to abandon this fundamental ignorance call self grasping. All suffering has a cause. If the cause is not removed, escaping from suffering is impossible. If we are sick and take medicine for the symptoms alone. we may be able to stop them for a time, but we cannot be sure they will not recur. If, however, we eradicate the cause of suffering we can prevent its recurrence forever. Our self grasping are like a huge bundle of thorns that we are carrying on our bare back. As long as we carry this burden, suffering is inevitable.  With each step we take a thorn pierces our flesh. When we remove this suffering we attain perfect peace-happiness.

In conclusion, once we realize that all ordinary happiness and suffering comes from the mind in a complex and precise chain of links, we can no longer be harmed by external events.   We may still have natural feelings or emotions catalyzed by external events, such as when a loved one dies, but we are no longer captives of our reactions. When we are aware of, and in control of, our mind and our reactions, we no longer act as puppets, subject to the whims of outside circumstances or comments.  Whether someone praises us or criticizes us, whether we “get what we want” or not, is immaterial to our overall sense of well-being.

As long as we doggedly chase happiness, it will elude us.  We need to make space for it, in stillness and quiet, and it will come to us.  At the peak of happiness, thinking stops, concepts and preconceived notions fall away, and there is only inner calm, peace and silence.  The peace Buddha referred to, the peace of the mind that has given up preference, liking and disliking, chasing and fighting, desire and aversion, and duality. It is the peace of the mind which needs nothing and lacks nothing.

So now, we are faced with a choice and a responsibility.  We can continue to live life, heavy and stuck like huge elephants hopelessly mired in mud.  We can frantically pursue the fulfillment of the desires of the ego that give no lasting satisfaction and disappear when we die, or, we can wake up and work on realizing our full spiritual potential.  If we make the effort, we will definitely attain happiness, but if we do not make the effort, happiness will never find us, no matter how long we wait.
It is up to us.

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HAPPINESS so close yet far away.

It is clear that, from the moment of our birth until our death, all beings are driven by, motivated strongly by, a search for what we perceive to be happiness.  Every single thing that we think, say or do is designed to achieve happiness, whether we are consciously aware of this or not.  The great irony is that most beings are unclear on what happiness actually is, and we spend endless time and effort searching for it where it cannot be found.  Perhaps in the most ironic twist of all, we rarely see that looking for our own happiness actually keeps us from finding it.  

Once we think about this, we can look a little deeper and realize that all problems come from the deep- seated thoughts of “I want some happiness” or “I do not want unhappiness.”  First of all, we do not even begin to understand what true happiness is, or where it can be found. Then, we do not really understand who is driving this search, who is this “I” that so desperately wants to be happy. The very moment that the idea of “I “ arises, suffering arises as well.

It is only when we begin to think and act more in terms of considering the happiness of other beings that we find the true happiness within ourselves. It has even been said that the surest way to guarantee your own misery is to be on the constant hunt for your own happiness.  When we realize, deep in our hearts, that we are connected to everyone and everything in this world, we start to see that there can be no real way to separate “your” happiness from “mine” anyway.  All beings and phenomena exist in seamless interdependence; where everyone’s well-being relies on everyone else’s.

So, what is true happiness, and what is not?  Lord Buddha has said that “There is no happiness greater than the perfect calm.”  When we are truly happy, we are content with whatever arises; there is no need for anything at all, nor a perceived lack of anything.  Happiness is ensured only by the complete eradication and total absence of all delusions, especially craving.  Such craving, which arises from the ignorance of how things really are, is at the root of our suffering. The more desires which arise only bring more and more suffering, as the human mind is always searching yet never fulfilled.  

Most people perceive happiness as the satisfaction of all desires, either in the form of sensory satisfaction, or the fulfillment of one’s will.  This is actually only temporary pleasure, or a mundane, worldly form of happiness.  True happiness, in reality, only comes from the lack of desire in the first place.  Happiness is the result of the purification of the mind.  Try as you might, you will never find happiness in a hateful mind, a greedy mind, or an ignorant mind.  It is only when we see things as they really are that we begin to realize true joy and happiness.

Now, we may ask – - where is this true happiness to be found?
Happiness is beyond the constant wandering, the comings and goings, the highs and lows, which are so typical of our ordinary lives.  It lies beyond gain and loss, pleasure and pain, praise and criticism, fame and reputation, and is found only when we cross the inner threshold of our heart.

We must start within, and work outward from there.  Usually, we do the opposite and we end up always caught up in another crusade, another cause, another distraction. Contrary to our conditioning, the state of real fulfillment, being at ease and not wanting anything cannot be reached outside of us, in the external world – so why do we keep looking there? It is the constant “looking out” which prevents us from true understanding.  We must come to realize that we cannot rely on anyone else, or any thing, for our own happiness.  We must revolutionize our outlook.

Since the moment we were born, we have been allowed and encouraged to sink into materialism, to become enchanted by the physical world around us.  Therefore, our focus is always on the physical, or objective, side of phenomena. Continuing to operate in this way can only keep us stuck.  To free ourselves, it is absolutely necessary for us to begin looking INSIDE, at the subjective side of things.

Body and mind are together when in physical form, yet they can be distinguished as outer and inner, respectively.  Like a piece of fruit, comprised of outer rind and inner flesh – if we look only without, we see inedible rind, but if we look within, we find the part that is tasty and nourishing – the flesh.  Of course, the rind is essential and valuable, but to think that it is everything is misguided and extremely limiting. By only placing our attention on “without”, we are the slaves of external objects; if we look within, however, we become master of those objects.  The treasure within is totally hidden by the without.  In this manner, we live in ignorance of the truth that lies hidden in all things. Once we learn to look in, it will be revealed that concepts of “I” and “mine” are the cause of all our suffering. All of our delusions and misery arise out of this misperception.

We must come to see that happiness is not something distant, in the future, which needs to be attained, or is dependent upon circumstances. It is actually right here, right now, in this exact moment.  We already have it, we just do not know that we do because it is cleverly hidden from us under layers and layers of confusion, delusion and ignorance. How strange that we seek so vigorously for something that we already have!

Happiness is not something created outside of us, and neither is unhappiness.  These are just two states of mind.  Contrary to traditional notions that most of us carry around, happiness is not found in sensory pleasures or material achievements, which do not last anyway.  Even what seems to be happiness to us at first glance is really just sowing the seed of new suffering, as we try to get what we want, then protect and defend it, until we tire of it and move on to a new distraction.

We think that by pleasing our insatiable desires that we can be happy, not realizing that the means available to us to please our sense desires are inherently restricted by time and space.  It is an impossibility to find the unlimited, the constant and always available, in the limited.

The world is always in a state of flux.  At each moment, something new is being created, sustained, transformed, and then destroyed.  Trying to hold on to the ever-changing is like trying to capture quicksilver by grabbing it tightly – it just does not work.  If we allow ourselves to become attached to a certain state or condition, it is only a matter of time before we become disappointed.  

We can make a decision to find our innate happiness; it is certainly within our power to do so.  When we consciously move in this direction, we choose to walk through the gateway of a calm and detached mind. We choose to become familiar with and understand the workings of our mind and to no longer be a slave to our ego-driven, incessant thoughts, desires and fears.  Moral discipline, concentration and wisdom lead us there.   

But first, it is important to make that initial decision – do we really want to be happy?  Of course, everyone would respond “yes” to that question on the surface. Embarking on a quest for true happiness, however, requires great courage, fortitude and determination. Cherished ideas, beliefs and behaviors will have to fall by the wayside as one learns an entire new way of looking at the world.  Conventional ideals of material or intellectual success, thoughts of “being somebody,” powerful and admired, must be seen for the illusions that they are.  If we decide that we do want to go beyond traditional notions of happiness and realize a lasting peace and satisfaction, then we must be prepared to look at ourselves and everything around us in a radically new way.

We must be ready to ignore the comfortably familiar voice of our ego and move into uncharted territory.  Even if we have been chronically unhappy, discontent and dissatisfied, we have probably grown quite accustomed to those states of being.  Such habitual behavior, and states of mind, despite their negative effects, can be very difficult to give up.  However, once we have opened or eyes, once we have become resolved, we start to see that it is wholly within us to destroy our self-created and self-perpetuated suffering.  We only need to choose to do so.

Our suffering comes from the three poisons of ignorance, craving, and hatred. Once we become aware of this, we can set out on the path of transformation.  Becoming aware of our unawareness is the first step.    

Our ignorance is a form of blindness.  In this state, we stumble around in the dark, frantically searching outside of us for what we believe will bring us happiness, when all we really need to do is turn the spotlight inwards.  Our mind wanders, endlessly and carelessly, ever looking outward and enslaved to objects, experiences and sense pleasures. We do not realize that when we look inside instead, that is when we become free.  We move beyond “fun”, transitory pleasure and distraction, no longer constantly searching for things that bring no promise of fulfillment. Restlessness is replaced by peace, a peace which lacks nothing and needs nothing.

Lord Buddha explained the sequence like this “ In dependence upon feeling there is craving, in dependence upon craving there is pursuit, in dependence upon pursuit there is gain, in dependence upon gain there is decision-making, in dependence upon decision making there is desire and lust, in dependence upon desire and lust there is attachment, in dependence upon attachment there is possessiveness, in dependence upon possessiveness there is stinginess, in dependence upon stinginess there is safeguarding, and because of safeguarding, various evil unwholesome phenomena originate – the taking up of clubs and weapons, conflict, slander, falsehoods, quarrels, insulting speech.”

Until we learn to cease the fruitless external chase and start to look within ourselves for happiness, there will always be another desire, another perceived source of happiness waiting in the wings.  We will always be grasping for the “right” job, man, woman, clothes, title, house, car, etc.  – the list is endless. Ultimately, however, none of these things provide more than momentary pleasure.

No matter how things may appear, peace and happiness are not located outside of us.  They cannot be “obtained”, then somehow placed inside of us – there is just no space there, no opening through which they can enter in that manner. As long as our heart is full of likes and dislikes, how can there be any room for peace and happiness?  

Instead, we must become like empty vessels  -- open, at ease, and content for anything.  This, in turn, creates the space which allows our natural state of peace and happiness to awaken and flourish.  There is nothing to do, there is nowhere to go, there is no one to “be” – we only allow our innate goodness to sustain us, free from external distractions and delusions.  It is a matter of making room rather than crowding, simplifying and subtracting rather than adding.  An independent form of happiness arises, which is not reliant on anyone or anything. Only our conditioned and confused thoughts stand in the way of our experiencing such happiness.

Real happiness and peace depend only on our mind – we can find these experiences in a frenetic urban setting as well as in a secluded mountain retreat.  Outside circumstances do not matter, it is more important to have mindfulness, determination, concentration and focus. When our state of mind is disturbed, even a palace can seem miserable, while in a state of peace, the most pitiful hovel can seem magnificent.

We are the only ones with dominion over our own hearts and minds. No one can take our happiness unless we give it to them willingly. Everyday we encounter innumerable triggers for happiness and suffering, but we can choose our reactions. Our reactions can generally be summed up as craving or aversion, or equanimity.  Craving or aversion perpetuates suffering and keeps us enslaved lifetime after lifetime, while equanimity, or an even-mindedness toward all that exists, liberates us.

In a state of craving, we will always want “more.”  As soon as one desire is met, another calls out for our attention, in a never-ending and impossible to win, game.  We mistakenly believe that when we get what we want, we will be satisfied, but this is not the case – fulfilling a desire feeds, rather than abates, our incessant yearning.  Temporary, worldly, pleasures of the senses are like morning dew on the tip of a blade of grass  -- lasting only a short while then vanishing.

You may want to try looking at everything you do that gets in the way of your true happiness.  One effective way to do this is to look at a craving, or desire, as it arises, and resist the usual urge to satisfy or repress it.  For instance, you may have a strong impulse to go to the beach for a nice, relaxing swim.  You may feel quite certain that this will make you happy; however, if you really examine yourself you may come to realize that the pleasure you may experience from the swim is only fleeting.  Going for the swim today may only create a new urge to want to go again tomorrow, and on and on.  For a change, you could try not indulging that initial desire, and just watching it.  You may be quite surprised to see that not going for the swim, not automatically answering that desire, brings a different, more substantial sense of fulfillment and peace than if you had actually gone.  It should be emphasized that this is a very conscious choice not to act on the desire, not mere suppression or denial of the urge.

Experimenting with this kind of approach in your day –to- day activities may help to open your eyes to a refreshing and spacious new perspective. It is a step towards contentment with what is, rather than engaging in a very familiar yet pointless chase.

Letting go of desire IS letting go of suffering.  There is a story which illustrates this point nicely – the monkey and the trap.  A hunter had set a trap, which contained a sweet piece of fruit, to attract a monkey.  The monkey came along, was tempted, and put his hand into the cage.  He grabbed the fruit and was very pleased until he realized his arm was now caught in the trap.  Holding tighter and tighter to the fruit, the monkey twisted and turned, desperately trying to escape while the hunter approached. The hunter grabbed him and it was only then, too late, that the monkey understood what he had done.  If he had only let go of the fruit, there would have been space for him to wriggle his arm out of the trap, and he would have been able to get away!

Another story tells of a wandering Sufi teacher, who sat under a tree with one of his disciples and began eating a large bag of red-hot chilies.  The teacher began to sweat, his face turned redder and redder, but he still continued to eat. After a while, he was choking and seeming to be completely miserable, so his student asked him why he kept eating the chilies.  His response was that he was still hoping to find a sweet one that would not make him feel sick.

These stories vividly illustrate what we do to ourselves all of the time, due to our ignorance, craving and aversion. Once we see that we are acting this way, we may become motivated to change our behavior. One way that we can do this is by learning to calm our relentlessly ticking mind.  When we silence our chattering thoughts, our mind will become quiet, at ease, and relaxed, and from there we will be able to find our inner happiness. Rather than bouncing around on the tumultuous waves on the surface of our mind, we can go into a deeper place, we can sink down, down, into the perfect quiet of our innermost being.  Sakya Pandita described it beautifully, saying that “the precious gems stay at the bottom of the sea-bed, but the unwanted rubbish floats on the surface of the sea.”  We must learn to access that peaceful spot within ourselves.  We must learn to stop our old conditioned behaviors of being pulled here and there by external circumstances.

Even the initial instance of gaining some physical sensation of pleasure in meditation can illuminate the fact that there is something entirely inside of us that gives joy and happiness.  We start to see that, in addition to physical pleasure derived from touch, such pleasure can be gained at a more subtle level just through concentration.  An inner joy arises, and without “self”, the inner joy is much greater and more profound than any happiness that we usually encounter in this life.

We do not have to live governed by the senses.  Within their context, it is just not possible to find continued happiness.  Clearly, the answer does not lie in improving our sense contacts, but in improving our reactions, so that we come closer and closer to a place of equanimity.

If we choose, we can make each and every day and moment an adventure. Usually, we feel burdened or deprived, too much or too little to do, not enough money or friends etc.  Everybody wants to escape from perceived unsatisfactory conditions, but the escape mechanisms we choose do not provide real inner joy.  Constantly trying to catch even a moment’s pleasure, we fail to realize that anything and everything right here, right now, is fascinating if we approach it with mindfulness.  Simply watching grass grow in a field can teach us a lot. We may start to sense a lightness, a freedom, sensing wholeness rather than limitation, as we expand and explore in a mindful state.

It is only our ego which constantly distracts us by insisting that we satisfy the wants and needs of its outer reality rather than be satisfied with the abundance to be found within. Allowing the ego to control our state of mind, we associate happiness with a state of being where we “get our way.”  Then, tighter and tighter, we attempt to make all our experiences conform to the way we wish things would be, rather than just how they are.  The real way to be open and connect with true happiness is to live in sync, in tune with the natural flow of events, whatever that may be.  When we allow ourselves to enjoy whatever we are doing, whatever is occurring, at its own pace, we find the invisible rhythm of peace. We rest, at one with our own experience, and not under the influence of ego’s distortions.

Without realizing it, we are limited in our understanding of life by our ego’s individual perceptions and interpretation of the world around us. One key to happiness is to start to realize how our subjective experience operates.  The way everything appears to us is strictly a function of our ordinary mind.  We label things as good or bad, pure or impure, beautiful or ugly, etc., and then we build intricate elaborations from there.  As soon as the mind perceives something, it appraises it as attractive, repugnant, or neutral, and clings to it, pushes it away or feels indifferent. Then, when mental or physical action is taken on the basis of this distorted perception, karma is accumulated.  This cycle continues, on and on, until we wake up.  The awakened person lives a life of simple acceptance – giving up all preference, liking or disliking, chasing, aversion and duality.  It is a life content with what one has and not interested in wasting time worrying about what one does not have.

Objects and events do not have the intrinsic power to make us happy or sad, that power lies within us, and in how we react to life.  We can practice being peaceful and happy in our everyday experiences by remembering this.  You can even have a sense of humor about it -- once, a nice person was sitting down to what she thought would be a delicious dinner of Chinese food. It turns out that the restaurant had delivered beef instead of the chicken she had ordered.  The girl got very upset, very disappointed and sad, until her kind teacher and friend pointed something out to her -– he told her “Do you want your happiness to depend upon a chicken?”  Then, the girl had to laugh at the situation instead of feeling upset.

True happiness does not stem from rigidity or solidifying long held beliefs, but in relaxing and relinquishing opinions, views and ideas. It is like letting a cool breeze waft through your life, like gently blowing on a dandelion and watching it scatter. Typically, we spend our lives chasing jobs, money and lovers, we move to different places, get married and divorced, and sometimes even allow spiritual pursuits to throw us off the track. Instead, we might try to slow down, take some deep breaths and learn to make friends with ourselves, just as we are.

When we take the time to stop, and look within in an unhurried and nonjudgmental manner, happiness will slowly begin to reveal itself on its own.  No frantic searching is required, we just become more and more aware, and make the choice to choose happiness instead of suffering, in every moment.  As you begin to find the beauty and joy within, you will soon see more and more of it reflected back to you by the world.  It will be coming from the inside out, not vice versa.  Then, you can smile every day, and share your contentment with others.  You will have found a great treasure, without having to go anywhere.

In the words of Lord Buddha “To live without anger among the angry is, indeed, happy.  To live unafflicted among the afflicted is happy.  To live without ambition among the ambitious is happy.  To live without possession is a happy life like that of the radiant gods.  To live without competition among those who compete is happy, for he who wins creates an enemy, and unhappy does the defeated sleep. The one who is neither a victim nor the defeated sleeps happy.”

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The Power and Nature of the Mind, and the Importance of Awareness for all our Actions in Everyday Life

The mind is the universal basis of all experience; it is the creator of happiness and the creator of suffering.  The mind shapes and leads every single thing we do, as well as all that we perceive around us.  In turn, the body and speech follow its commands.  So, if we learn to recognize the true nature of our mind, and train our minds with mindfulness practice, we are on the way to revolutionizing our lives in the most positive whichever way as possible.  With an understanding of what the “mind” really is, and the development of mastery over the mind, body and speech naturally follow suit, and our own and others’ suffering will come to an end.

For the most part, we travel through life in a trance-like fog, unaware of what our mind actually is and how it really operates, oblivious to our ever-shifting states of mind and the role that the mind plays in our perception of the world. It is because we believe so strongly in the reality of the tangible, physical world, the world of the senses, that we develop such strong attractions and aversions.  Once we see that this is how we have been living, we can begin to step back a little and watch the process of how our ordinary mind rules us like a cruel dictator until we awaken, and how it actually keeps us from the sustained happiness which lies within each and every one of us.

We all want to be happy and avoid suffering, from the tiniest of ants to the largest of elephants. In fact, all of our actions are geared toward this goal, toward what we perceive to be happiness and away from what we view as suffering – and yet, we have no real understanding of how to achieve that. By developing awareness of how things really are, by recognizing the impermanent and interdependent nature of all conditioned phenomena, including our very minds and thoughts, we learn to free ourselves.  The prison door has been opened, we just need to walk through. It is like the story of the swarm of flies that were encased for a very long time in a covered glass jar. Eventually, someone came along and removed the lid. The flies, however, continued to swarm around in the same pattern within the jar, not realizing they were free.

Cultivating mindfulness practice can be the very basis, the cure, for all our negative emotions and suffering. We can begin by looking at what we usually think of as our “mind.” Typically, what we call the mind often really is our thoughts, emotions and reactions – we do not even stop long enough to ponder what the mind actually is. Mind has many aspects, only one of which is the ordinary mind.  The ordinary mind functions largely in relation to projections and falsely perceived external reference points.  It is the mind that is clouded by delusions and dualistic notions, clinging or rejecting whatever crosses it path.  It is the mind that constantly buffets us about, tossing like waves in a turbulent ocean, as we subject ourselves to fluctuating external influences and habitual tendencies.  

Ordinary mind is the mind which uses energy by searching and looking outward all the time.  It can be clever and devious, and yet also dull and heavy.  It is fickle and restless as a monkey, swinging from tree to tree without pause.  This is the mind that society and our conditioning generally acknowledges, supports and reinforces – intellect, not true wisdom.

Underneath all the noise, confusion and distractions of the ordinary mind, however, is a hidden jewel – our true mind, whose nature and essence is pure, radiant and unchanging.  This mind is within the reach of us all, and no matter what is happening, its pure nature is always there, always stable – open, free.  When we begin to seek the truth on the inside, rather than outside ourselves, when we decide to no longer be habitually distracted or asleep, we begin to see into the true nature of our mind, and subsequently, into the true nature of everything. Mindfulness in our everyday lives helps to bring us to this place.

It can be a huge lesson just to begin to see the extent to which we are usually completely unaware of our state of mind.  We may use any ordinary, everyday situation to observe this.  For example, we may be watching television and a thought may sneak into your mind about something a friend may have said recently that upset us.  The next thing we would know is, this thought has led to another, and another.  The mind starts to race, completely forgetting the television and now immersed in raging thoughts that seem to have taken over.  Agitation, anger, and hatred may arise.  These thoughts, like everything else in life, seem so real to us – they feel strangely concrete and alive.

Once we realize that we do this, there enters an opportunity – the chance to see that we are not our thoughts, we are not our mind, we are not our feelings (even though it may strongly appear that way to us.) All these things which seem to have form and substance are only a temporary confluence of causes and conditions, coming and going, arising and disappearing.  Everything changes, all the time.  Given the chance, sadness eventually turns into sorrow, and sorrow into happiness, if we do not solidify these things.

One basic way to begin experimenting with being mindful in everyday activities is to try simply eating a meal in mindfulness. When we first attempt to do this, we may be startled to see how difficult it is to even take a bite or two without our mind wandering all around like a wild animal. The good news is, we are taking a first step toward seeing how our ordinary mind operates. It can be quite a revelation, even shocking, but at the same time, we know that the beginning of any change in consciousness begins with awareness and acknowledgment. Do not worry – it is very natural that such restless thoughts arise.  We all do this.  Be glad – for now we are on our way to changing our entire outlook on life.

It is important to realize that when we refer to the mind, we are referencing something intangible, not a specific entity or object. The mind has the components of consciousness, or cognizance, and mental factors, or reactions, yet it has neither shape nor color, and cannot be measured in pure physical terms.  What we usually call the mind is really a succession of momentary occurrences, the mind stream – more similar to the ocean as a formation of billions of accumulated drops of water rather than a solid object.  

And, it is the same with our thoughts.  They, too, do not have properties such as color or shape—they leave no traces, like the flight path of birds in the sky. If we try to hold on to them, or find them, we cannot.  Past ones are already gone and future ones not yet arrived even present thoughts are gone as soon as we notice them. Ask yourself where do thoughts come from?  Where do they go? If we allow ourselves to become entangled in our thoughts, one leads to another, and another.  In this way, they gather strength and build into a rigid “chain of delusion” over time.

Try to use the image of thoughts as endlessly drifting clouds, ever moving and ever changing.  Once we try to chase them or grab on to them, we are engaging in a futile and frustrating exercise.  It is important to learn instead to just watch them pass by, and from there, we begin to view everything like this – as a dream, a movie, a mirage. We come to learn that the incessant thoughts which we take as intrinsically real, are not; they are only appearances to the mind, like a magician’s trick.

It is not possible to stop our thoughts, or will them away, but it is possible to free them.  Simply let them come and go, without attaching more thoughts to them. We will come to see that when the movement of thoughts is not fed, they actually start to dissolve on their own. “Trying” to get rid of them does not work, but “allowing” them to disappear, does.

It makes no sense to try to hold on to thoughts, or anything in life for that matter, if they simply do not exist as we think they do.  The way things appear to us is merely a function of the mind, of what we perceive. Things appear to us as good or bad, pure or impure, attractive or repugnant, only because of how our mind perceives them.  This is relative, not absolute, truth.  To a celibate holy man, a beautiful woman appears as a temptation to be avoided, to a man looking for a partner, she appears as an object of potential happiness, and to a lion prowling in the jungle, she looks like a tasty meal.

Once we start to witness the ceaseless activities of our mind, body and thoughts, we come to realize that all external phenomena, the “outside world,” is in continual flux as well. Nothing remains static, even for an instant.  Even a stone wall, that looks so solid and imposing, is undergoing constant change as its atoms race in never-ending motion.  And, long before it was a wall, the materials which eventually became stone underwent years of evolution.  When the wall finally crumbles, it will decay into dust.  Seeing that all phenomena, both subjective experience and external objects, come into existence as a result of causes and conditions, it begins to become evident that there is nothing really solid to hold on to in this life. In this recognition of utter groundlessness, is a clue to our eventual release from suffering.

It is interesting to note that, it is in this uncertainty, in what we are so instinctively afraid of at first and in what we have resisted and fought with all of our might for so long, that we are actually lead  to sustained happiness.  When we can simply abide and rest in the present moment, the here and now, we release habitual patterns, perceptions, delusions and disturbing emotions. In the tiny, yet infinite, gap where thoughts of the past have vanished and ones of the future have not yet arisen, there is a clear and immediate awareness of only the present, free of delusion and clinging.  Only pure clarity, pristine awareness exists. It is in this moment that our true nature may be reached, if we can achieve the necessary stillness and resist our compulsive urges to be anywhere but in the present.

If we are very fortunate, we may someday even be able to see what is the primordial, natural state, the “clear light” of our mind. What you can do now is to develop and cultivate a sincere longing, devotion and confidence that you can eventually reach this state of mind, which is the ultimate teacher and guide. With such a realization, all accumulated negative tendencies and propensities and mental obscurations are erased. We are now free.

As we have already noted, it is the mind which initiates our actions, with speech and body following.  The conduct of our body, speech and mind in the past and up until this very moment is the impetus for our current experience, and it also determines our state of being in the future.  Through increasing mindfulness, we witness how thoughts and emotions arise in the mind, then are stoked by the tendencies with which we have become intimately familiar.

With mindfulness, initially one starts to change the way one looks at the world, and then changes in behavior automatically follow.  Like all other practices, the process is one of slow unfolding. The importance of being mindful every single day, in all of our activities, cannot be over-emphasized. It keeps us from wallowing in the ignorance which accompanies our every perception -- the ignorance of our real selves and our continual grasping at a false self.  Mastery over the mind is only achieved by vigilant, constant awareness of all your thoughts and actions -- they must be checked and rechecked at all times.

Everything begins to be seen more and more simply as it is, free from the confines of judgment and misperception, free from the extremes of agitation and dullness. Feelings of being disappointed or disillusioned dissipate, because such feelings only arise when there is a discrepancy between the way a situation appears to us, and the way it actually is.

With growing awareness, we come to see the true nature of all things, and we create only the positive and eliminate the negative. We instigate not only the immediate cause of happiness but also the future cause of happiness as well, by planting and nourishing the seed of positive potential.

With this in consideration, it is now appropriate to discuss the various levels of mind, particularly as they relate to the body, to what we call “habits” and to future events.

Levels of mind, or consciousness, relate, or correspond, to various physical states and also to the energies that flow within the body. These levels are typically described as gross, or subtle, with the subtle states classified and broken down into increasingly subtle stages.  What is usually termed human consciousness is the gross consciousness that uses the human body and its sense organs as a support, or base. Often, this consciousness is associated with, but not limited to, the brain and its chemical processes. Gross mind relates to the sense consciousness of seeing, hearing, tasting, smelling and touching.

Next, is the subtle consciousness, which is mental and relies on ordinary, conceptual thinking. This is the part of our consciousness which weaves stories, has opinions and elaborates continually on the perceptions of the sense organs – “ I love chewing gum, I always have loved it since I was a child and my father to get me when ever he go out to the storel.”  Here, subjectivity rules, as we respond to external stimuli as attractive or repulsive to us although such objects have no such inherent qualities arising from their side.  Here is where we give inordinate power to such outside objects and events, as we have forgotten that the real power lies within us.

Going deeper still, we reach the very subtlest level of mind, our “root mind”, which is pure and free from concepts and obscurations.  
As our gross physical body is the foundation, or basis, for the gross mind, the subtle body is the basis for the subtle consciousness.  This is the energy body of the inner channels and chakras. Then, we reach the very subtlest of our energy, which is the support for the most subtle consciousness.  It can be described like a current of electricity, an extremely subtle energy and mind, which combines to carry our life force at the heart.

The various consciousness function at different cognitive stages as well.  Both gross and subtle are operating while we are awake, dream consciousness is more subtle, and sleeping without dreaming is subtler still.  Then, as we go through the death process, our gross mind and body separate first, with increasingly subtle activity following until only the most subtle consciousness remains – this is the component that continues from one moment to the next, and into tomorrow’s lives.

It is only this continuum that moves forward with us  -- it is the continuity of the most subtle consciousness and the energy which supports it that goes on into tomorrow’s lives. Even this is not static or solid, however, it is constantly changing from one moment to the next, as do all other forms of consciousness and everything else.  It is very different, however, in that it is the only thing that transmigrates into future lives.  

The positive energy, or merit, that we have built up is carried along with this subtlest life force energy.  This imprint is placed, and when the necessary conditions arise, it comes out of its latent state. Then, we often remark that there is a “habit” or “instinct” found in a certain person.  Even these habits are not concrete and solid, however. A series of similar events may occur over and over, such as drinking tea every afternoon, and we label this a habit.  There is a pattern that has repeated and is likely to continue to repeat, but calling it a habit is just a manner of speaking, of labeling. Therefore we need to be mindful of our any actions because we are putting the seeds of those action- when I say actions it means our behavior cause and effect. Because this seeds will grow and grow and one day we will be dictated by them and then we are in the mercy of them. 

The tendency to be kind once does create a tendency to be kind the next day, and the next, but it is not something concrete. Therefore, even the very most subtle level of consciousness’ and energy is just a continuum of individual moments.  Nothing, absolutely nothing, exists as we believe it does. When we realize the nature of our mind, we see that there really is nothing to hold on to in this world, and that all is merely a creation of our mind.  “The mind is an artist” and all appearances are only a magical display of the mind.  The practice of mindfulness is essential to help us to begin to realize this. As everything arises and passes, just let it be and do not cling – just watch.

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Transcending Pain and Suffering

The search for a spiritual path is often born out of, or at least accelerated by, what we perceive to be as suffering.  And, to be even more precise, the search for spiritual meaning truly stems from understanding and embracing suffering, rather than aversion to it.  The avoidance of, the resistance to, the suffering is actually worse than the suffering itself.  Most people do not realize this.  It is the corollary to the premise that it is not pleasure itself that presents obstacles to happiness, it is the clinging to, the craving of, such pleasure, that leads to our difficulties.

We employ countless devices in our attempts to resist, cover, or run away from what we view to be suffering.  It is actually our refusal to accept suffering for what it is that sets the stage for our difficulties. That is, unless we decide to look at suffering in a new way, face it directly and accept it as a great opportunity, or teacher.  

When things are going well for us in life, this may distract us from the spiritual path. Temporarily anesthetized by fame, wealth, power and the like, we can become indifferent to the inherent suffering of life and all that it has to teach us, as we are too busy, caught up in our own pleasures. And, what appears to us as pleasure, if carefully analyzed, will eventually turn into suffering at some point. For example, if it is a hot summer day and a friend offers you a nice glass of cold lemonade, we experience great pleasure as we begin to drink it.  After a while, however, as we have drunk more and more, the initial pleasure will turn into a stomachache.

 Our mind originally labeled our experience as pleasure because the unpleasant sensation of thirst had been abated.  Then, our emotional mind takes that and exaggerates it further. This is how the delusion of ignorance operates.  A delusion fabricates inherent existence, we see an inherently existent object, our mind magnifies the pleasure associated with it, and clings to the object or experience with attachment.  True inner peace cannot be obtained while operating under this delusion. We may even distort things, seeing negative people or circumstances as positive, or exaggerating very small positive traits out of proportion.

The state of being blinded and distracted by what we erroneously believe to be real happiness is like the Buddhist concept of the experience in the upper realms of demi-gods and gods.  There, these beings are so caught up in their pleasurable existence of the moment that they do not stop to consider their karma, and the danger that they will fall to the lower realms at some point.  They have no opportunity to learn, or progress karmically.

By living in the physical, or human, world as we do now, however, we are afforded a tremendous opportunity to learn and to work on our karma.  We can interpret and use everything that happens to us as part of the spiritual path, including what we normally perceive to be suffering. Here, we have first –hand experience of suffering, and if we decide that we want to be free from suffering, we have all the causes necessary  -- all that is needed is one’s persistent determination to escape. Once our inner realization has been triggered,  and we begin our spiritual search in earnest, we will encounter a powerful means to develop compassion towards others who are suffering in a similar manner as well, If one wants the best possible treatment for a disease, find a doctor who suffers from the same ailment, for that doctor will have understanding and empathy.

When we feel that things are “going wrong” in our lives, and we are encountering difficult situations, we have a tendency to label the situation as the problem.  In reality, however, the real problem comes from our own minds and from our reactions to it.  If we were to respond to perceived difficulties with a positive or peaceful mind, we may eventually come to see these situations as helpful challenges or opportunities for growth and development instead.  It is crucial to see that we have the profound ability to transform perceived negative events, circumstances, or emotions, rather than reacting to them in negative ways.  

On one level, this makes sense strictly from a karmic point of view – reacting to a negative situation with more negativity only adds to the negative karma which created the situation in the first place.  If you can turn your reactions into positive ones, then you will no longer continue to pile negative on top of negative.

In a deeper sense, one can also learn to use the tremendous velocity or “juice” of negative events or emotions by transforming them into a torrent of positive spiritual energy instead.  Imagine anger or fear as carrying the force of a gigantic waterfall, like Niagara Falls. Then, imagine transmuting this same energy into a positive force of love and compassion instead.  If one can accomplish this, one has completely transfigured a difficult situation and converted it into something entirely different and beneficial,.  Alchemists would term this “turning lead into gold”  -- a very high spiritual practice.

Another way that suffering, or our aversion to suffering, can propel us on the spiritual path, is to allow it to be a constant, nudging presence.  Even if our suffering is only simmering below the surface, rather than boiling, it can be a reminder and a beacon to us that there is a better way to live.  That there is another reality out there, even if we are not yet sure what that is.  Whether steadily whispering in our ears or screaming loudly, it can strengthen our resolve to break the pattern of suffering and cyclic existence once and for all.

 As our awareness of the inherent discontent of samsaric existence is awakened, over and over again, we may notice the arising of a deep inner urge to cease this way of being that has imprisoned us for so long. And, as this urge grows and develops, we may also develop a strong wish to assist all sentient beings in their movement toward happiness and away from suffering, as well.

In a seemingly paradoxical way, the very circumstances or emotions we may have once labeled and resisted with all our might as “curses,” can come to be seen as great blessings. All the strength, power and energy we may have handed over to such ego-based negative thoughts and actions is now available for positive use.  Like the peacock, who digests and transforms poison into its magnificent plumage.  A mighty, beautiful, creative force has been released and awaits its use for positive purposes.

One of our biggest obstacles is that, up until now, we have believed in a false self, and cherished that self above all others.  As long as we continue to do this, our suffering will never come to an end, it is that simple.  Having been slaves to our self-cherishing minds for so long, we trust it wholeheartedly and obey all of its commands, in the mistaken belief that we will discover happiness by putting ourselves before everyone else. Having been so preoccupied, and worked so hard at this, one might now ask – what do we have to show for all this effort?  True, lasting peace and happiness is as elusive as ever, despite any worldly success we may have achieved.  

If material success were a true barometer of happiness, all the world’s millionaires and billionaires would be ecstatic, and all poor people would be inherently miserable. And, we know this is not the case. There are many, many beautiful beings in this world that have very few wants and yet, are completely content. Developing a good heart and generating lovingkindness toward others is the path to bringing satisfaction, fulfillment and peace into our everyday lives.  If we have a good heart, we have all that we really need, even if we have no more to eat than a crust of bread.  

We must relinquish our instinctive views that we are somehow better than, superior to, or more important than, others.  This kind of judgmental, dualistic thinking closes the door to happiness and stands in the way of our being able to perceive the true nature of reality. It keeps us in separation rather than unity with all beings and forms of life. We are all the same, we are all trying to find happiness and avoid suffering.  We are all interdependent and could not survive without each other.

Cherishing the “I” is like having a chronic disease – it gives rise to all of our suffering and all the difficulties of this life, and is at the root of all our delusions. It is one of the greatest hindrances to developing love and compassion and is the primary delusion from which all other delusions are generated.  No matter how diligently you practice and pray, your efforts will not be effective until you have conquered this point of view and shattered your long-held and dearly-defended concepts of who you are and of what constitutes reality. There is just no other way to arrive at your destination of lasting happiness.

To be happy, we must free ourselves from delusions such as