A poem by Nyendrak Lungrig Nyima

Although subject and object are not two,
They appear to us as fundamentally distinct entities.

And through attachment to them, we further strengthen this tendency.
Samsara is nothing else but that.

While good and bad actions are devoid of true reality,
By the power of our intention they produce joys and sorrows,
Just as seeds of sweet or bitter plants
Give fruits of corresponding taste.

Thus, the world appears similarly
To those with common karma,
And differently to those whose karma is different.

In fact, even if one “goes” to hell or elsewhere,
It is only a change in one’s perception of the world.
As in dreams, where the things that appear do not exist,
The root of all our illusory perceptions is the mind.

The nature of mind transcends the notions of existence
And nonexistence, eternity and nothingness:
To this nature is given the simple name “absolute space.”

That space, in itself perfectly pure,
That immaculate sky, empty and luminous, with no center or periphery,

Has always been in the heart of every being,
Its face obscured by the temporary veil of mental constructs.

It is hard to put an end by force
To the continuous chain of thoughts,
But if, when they occur, their nature is recognized,
Thoughts have no choice
But to be liberated in their own sphere.

Without pursuing past thoughts
Or inviting future thoughts,
Remain in the present moment, and simply recognize
The nature of whatever arises in your mind.
Relax in simplicity, free of intentions and attachments.

Although there is nothing to meditate on
Remain fully present without getting distracted.
By getting used to the way things occur of themselves, without altering anything,
Primordial wisdom, self-luminous, will arise from within.

“How is this so?” you might ask.
If you leave cloudy water undisturbed,
It will naturally become clear.
Most other meditations
Are only temporary ways to calm the mind.

The space of great unchanging emptiness
And the simple luminosity of uninterrupted wakeful presence
Have always been inseparable.
You must yourself experience that essential thing
Which is within you: no one can do it for you.

Ricard, Matthieu. On the Path to Enlightenment: Heart Advice from the Great Tibetan Masters (pp. 166-167). Shambhala. Kindle Edition. 

Forget about your brain

Everything you think of as "reality" is a construction or projection of your own mind. If you see this clearly, you will awaken.

Instead, most people think "well sure, everything I think of as reality maybe, but obviously there's also a real reality that's not a construction of my mind." Whether or not that's true, your rabid clinging to this belief will forestall realization.

Or maybe you think "obviously this is all a construction of my brain." But this is a grave mistake as well. You are convinced that if you could ever step outside your reality, all you would find is more of your reality -- in particular, a brain. Even the subtlest expectation of this kind thwarts what needs to be seen.

It is like trying to bungee jump, but every time you step off the platform, you carefully and transparently lay down more platform in front of you to catch you. You may think you've jumped, but you haven't.

The Marvelous Primordial State

From a root Dzogchen text (the Mejung Tantra):

The definitive secret instruction is the meaning of the marvelous [state]. The marvelous secret is that all phenomena originate from me, are created by me, expand from me, and I manifest in them. They emanate from me and are reabsorbed into the expanse [of my nature]. 

I enjoy myself in all phenomena that originate from me. I reveal and proclaim the greatness of myself in the qualities [that arise from me]. I show the total self in the phenomena that originate from me. As to their arising, phenomena originate from me and are re-absorbed into [my] expanse. Not a single phenomenon exists that does not originate from me or is not me.

Translator's commentary:

The definitive instruction consists of the fact that just as waves arise from the ocean, exist as the ocean, and subside in the ocean, all things originate from one’s self, exist as one’s self, and dissolve in one’s self. Without renouncing anything, enjoying the creations of one’s state, one meets the true condition, thus openly revealed as the all-inclusive reality.

Lama Gendun Rinpoche on the Nature of Mind

"The recognition of the nature of mind is the only thing that we actually need – it has the power to liberate us from everything and to liberate all beings in the universe, too.

All phenomena of the external world are only the manifestations of the luminosity of our own mind and ultimately have no reality. When we allow our mind to rest in the recognition that everything that it experiences is its own projection, the separation between subject and object comes to an end. Then there is no longer anyone who grasps at something and nothing that is being grasped at – subject and object are recognized to be unreal.

In order to experience this, we allow our mind to remain in its ordinary consciousness, the awareness of the present moment, which is the deep, unchanging nature of mind itself and which is also called “timeless awareness.” That is the natural insight that arises spontaneously when in every moment we look directly at the true nature of mind.

In seeing the nature of mind, there is nothing to “see” since it is not an object of perception. We see it without seeing anything. We know it without knowing anything.

The mind recognizes itself spontaneously, in a way beyond all duality. The path that leads to this is the awareness of the present moment, free of all interference. It is an error to think that the ultimate truth is difficult to recognize. The meditation on the nature of mind is actually very easy, as we do not have to go anywhere to find this nature. No work needs to be done to produce it; no effort is required to find it. It is sufficient for us to sit down, allow our mind to rest in itself and directly look at the one who thinks that it is difficult to find the nature of mind. In that moment, we discover it directly, as it is very close and always within easy reach.

It would be absurd to worry that we might not succeed in discovering the nature of mind, as it is already present in us. It is sufficient to look into ourselves. When our mind directs its gaze upon itself, it finds itself and understands that the seeker and the sought are not two different things. At the moment, we cannot see the nature of our mind because we do not know how we must look. The problem is not that we do not possess the capacity for doing this but that we do not look in the right way.

To become capable of recognizing the nature of mind in the way described, we have to work at relaxing deeply and letting go of all wanting, so that the natural state of mind can reveal itself. This work is the exact opposite of worldly effort, in which we strive to obtain concrete things and put ourselves into a state of strain. In the practice of Dharma, we must “strain without effort.” This does not mean that we do nothing at all and simply remain as we are, because then we would continue to reproduce the same behavior patterns that have existed in us since beginningless time. We must make an effort to purify our ego-centered tendencies and become aware of our intentions.

We must also make an effort to meditate, otherwise no awareness, no insight will arise in us. But this effort should be free of ambition and of the wish to accomplish something. In a deliberate but relaxed way, we give all of our thinking and acting a wholesome orientation. Merely having the wish to become awakened is not sufficient. But we should also not strain after it, full of tension and impatience. The crucial thing is to change our attitude of mind – everything else follows naturally.

When we become proficient in accepting the movements of our mind in a relaxed manner that is free of judgment, even when these movements are strong and lively, greater clarity and transparency will arise in our mind. To have strong thoughts and feelings is actually a good thing – provided we deal with them in the right way. If we feel uneasy when emotions come up, then evidently we are still attached to a desire for a quiet mind.

Because of this attachment, we are easily tempted to want to have a pleasant meditation, a meditation without thoughts, problems and disturbances. We desire quiet and believe that when thoughts no longer arise, our mind will feel well. As soon as this wish is stirring, we can be sure that ego-clinging dominates: our longing for personal well-being pushes itself to the fore. This attitude is called hope – hope that something good will happen to us. It blocks the mind and prevents it from being truly free."


Rinpoche, Gendun. Heart Advice from a Mahamudra Master (p. 150). Norbu Verlag. Kindle Edition.

Pointing out instructions by Padmasambhava

This needs to be in more places on the web.


To introduce this by pointing it out forcefully: it is your very own present consciousness. When it is this very unstructured, self-luminous consciousness, what do you mean, "I do not realize the mind-itself"? 

There is nothing here on which to meditate, so what do you mean, "It does not arise due to meditation"? 

When it is just this direct awareness, what do you mean, "I do not find my own mind"? 

When it is just this uninterrupted clear awareness, what do you mean, "The nature of the mind is not seen"? 

When it is the very thinker of the mind, what do you mean, "It is not found by seeking it"? 

When there is nothing at all to do, what do you mean, "It does not arise due to activity"? 

When it is enough to leave it in its own unstructured state, what do you mean, "It does not remain"? 

When it is enough to let it be without doing anything, what do you mean, "I cannot do it"? 

When it is unified, indivisible clarity, awareness, and emptiness, ness, what do you mean, "It is affirmed and unaffirmed"? 

When it is spontaneously self-arisen without causes or conditions, tions, what do you mean, "I can't do it?"

When the arising and release of thoughts are simultaneous, what do you mean, "They do not occur together"? 

When it is this very consciousness of the present, what do you mean, "I do not recognize it"? The mind-itself is certainly empty and unestablished. 

Your mind is intangible like empty space. Is it like that or not? Observe serve your own mind! 

Empty and void, but without a nihilistic view, self-arisen, primordial wisdom is original, clear consciousness. Self-arisen and self-illuminating, it is like the essence of the sun. Is it like that or not? Observe your own mind! 

The primordial wisdom of awareness is certainly unceasing. Uninterrupted awareness is like the current of a river. Is it like that or not? Observe your own mind! 

The dispersing discursive thoughts are certainly not being grasped. This intangible dispersion is like a hazy sky. Is it like that or not? Observe your own mind! 

Recognize all appearances as self-appearing. Self-appearing phenomena are like reflections in a mirror. Is it like that or not? Observe your own mind! 

All signs are certainly released in their own state. Self-arising and self-releasing, they are like clouds in the sky. Is it like that or not? Observe your own mind!


Karma Chagme. A Spacious Path to Freedom: Practical Instructions on the Union of Mahamudra and Atiyoga (Kindle Locations 1354-1361). Kindle Edition.