Source Text
PREFACE
When we are willing to look directly and honestly at where we actually find ourselves in life, the very limitations that we identify become the doorways to greater potential. In society today, we elevate the status of our conceptual mind and seek change through our intellect. But how we experience the mind itself is a product of wind, or lung. (The “u” is pronounced like the “oo” in the word look.) In other Eastern cultures, lung is referred to as prana, qi, or ch’i. The mind’s capacity for either subtlety and clarity or confusion and turbulence is all dependent upon lung. In the wisdom traditions of India and Tibet there is a vast knowledge about lung that has not fully taken root in the West. How can we have access to this wind? It is not through the conceptual mind, but through our direct, nonconceptual awareness. We access the wind by connecting directly with our body, our speech, and our mind—known as the three doors in both Bön and Buddhism.
Life gives us so much opportunity to work spiritually. And I feel very thankful for the difficult situations I have encountered in my life because when I face something that is difficult and bring it to my practice, I can see real change. Every time I teach on these topics it is very lively for me. I am teaching them not as an expert but as one who is on the path. I feel that what I know is small, but the possibility to realize is vast.
We often posit a “later” after we’ve finished certain tasks, when conditions will be better and we will be able to relax. But there is more available to you right now in the very midst of your agitation. Our agitation, conflicts, and habits can be the doorway to another dimension of being, an experience of clear and open awareness, vitality, and positive qualities. Sometimes, when we are bothered by a problem, we think of the problem as being “out there.” We externalize the problem entirely, and we simply conclude that the other person needs to change. Or when we try to fix a problem, we strategize and analyze over and over. Yet, as we mull over our challenges, our strategies and actions are driven by the energy of agitation and discomfort. No action that is driven by our discomfort will solve anything. It will only contribute to the problem. It is only when actions come from openness that true resolution is possible. According to the wisdom tradition of Bön, by nature the mind is open and clear. This is who we are, fundamentally. Openness is the source of our being, and in openness we are connected to all of life. What obscures us from recognizing this source is similar to the way clouds obscure the sun. The sun is always shining, but from our vantage point—namely, our identification with our problems—we don’t recognize the radiance.
But it is through nonconceptual awareness that we are able to directly experience the mind’s openness. The purpose of this book is to support you in becoming more familiar with the power of nonconceptual awareness, so that you can recognize the source within you and the positive qualities that flow from it. How do we go from a sense of being stuck in our problems to accessing the open state of mind that is the source of positive qualities? When you want to make a change in a situation or in your own behavior, it is essential to shift your attention from the story you are telling yourself about what is happening to the inward experience you are having. The first place to draw your attention to is your body, to experience the discomfort and agitation directly. Your pain is the opportunity for transformation, and simply being directly with your pain will bring positive change.
How is this possible? By drawing your attention to your body, you can clearly feel the tensions and agitation that arise when you’re experiencing something challenging. Sometimes the muscles of your abdomen are contracted or your jaw is clenched. You may notice that your breath is shallow or even that you are holding it. Your thoughts may be racing. We identify with our pain, making what is a product of temporary causes and conditions into something that is much more solid than it actually is. While not who you fundamentally are, identifying with your story and your reaction to it becomes a habit. Bön texts refer to this pattern as the karmic conceptual pain body. And this body is not by…
Our moving mind actively produces all manner of stories and logic. This mind actually rides a wind, and when you catch this wind with your awareness, it can be guided. By connecting to the wind, it is possible to cause the dissolution of the structure of the pain body. Catching the underlying wind is like catching a horse, a horse that you can now ride in a positive direction. Through focusing the mind and exercising the body and breath in specific…
In the yogic traditions of Bön there are many methods of working with the internal winds to transform our afflicting emotions (such as anger, attachment, and ignorance) into positive qualities, and transform our confusion into wisdom. By connecting with the internal wind, we catch the horse of the problematic mind and…
But if instead of getting caught up in the logic of the stories, you can simply become aware that you are thinking, it is possible to shift the focus from the content and to discover the wind, the momentum, or force behind thinking. Once you discover and connect with this wind, you can apply skillful methods to clear it and connect with the open space of the natural mind. And having connected with openness, many more possibilities are available to you. It is…
Open awareness means recognizing the fundamental, ever-present natural mind, which is clear and open like a light-filled sky. This state is natural to each of us, and the path of meditation leads us to…
AI Summary
Awakening the Sacred Body by Tenzin Wangyal Rinpoche presents key insights from the Tibetan Buddhism tradition. The 10 passages above capture the essential teachings.
Core Themes:
- [To be expanded]
Key Passages: Highlights 1, 3, and 10 are particularly representative.
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