There are many who claim to realize emptiness, but few realize the ultimate natural state

"All the key points of the Innermost Heart Essence are indeed contained within essence, nature and capacity. When a person doesn't understand there are ways of going astray. To explain this, there are four points: the way of straying, the sign of having gone astray, the shortcoming of this, and the effect of going astray .

First, the way of straying from the essence. Generally, "essence" simply means the natural state of your nonduall awareness uncontrived and uncorrupted wakefulness. From primordial beginning until now this wakefulness remains as an empty cognizance that is not made out of anything whatsoever.

When, instead of just remaining as that, someone trains in imagining it to be emptiness, he is not free from the conceptual attitude of fixating on emptiness. Therefore he goes astray into what is called "nihilistic emptiness."

The sign of having gone astray is to start making statements such as "There are no buddhas above! The are no sentient beings below! Everything is emptiness since it doesn't exist!.

The shortcoming of this way of straying is the conceptual thought, "Ev- erything is emptiness!". Such an attitude makes you abandon all forms of spiritual activity such as devotion and pure perception, refuge and bodhichitta, loving kindness and compassion, and so fort Instead you become involved in mundane pursuits. With regard to evil, this attitude makes you wantonly engage in unvirtuous actions. Someone who acts in this way of perverting what is true will have no other place to go than Vajra Hell .

Having perverted the truth of what is virtuous, the effect of such demented practice is to take rebirth as someone holding the extreme view of nihilism. Having perverted the truth of cause and effect, you flounder through the ocean of suffering. Tsogyal, there are many who claim to realize emptiness, but few realize the ultimate natural state.

Now, about "nature" there are also four points to going astray, of which the first, the way of straying from the nature, is as follows. The natural radiance of empty awareness that is luminously present as kayas and wisdoms has no forms with faces and arms, no wisdoms with colors, and is not comprised of any limiting attributes.

This natural radiance of emptiness simply remains as a cognizant quality that is indivisible from emptiness. Failing to recognize this cognizant emptiness as an indivisible unity is called "awareness straying into[dualistic] perception."

The sign of someone having gone astray in this way is that he phrases Dharma terms in a extremist manner. Though taught the words describing this unity, his mind cannot grasp them.

The shortcoming of straying in this way is that the conceptual attitude of regarding the perceived [objects] as being concrete prevents you from under-standing the teachings of Mind Only.

Through strong philosophical partisan-mindedness, you are separated from the paths and stages to omniscience enlightenment. He who fixates on what is perceived as being solid reality is not a candidate for liberation!

The effect of this way of going astray, is, outwardly, to take rebirth in the Realms of Form and so for due to attributing solidity to manifest luminos ity. Inwardly, this one-sided attitude, the failure to recognize awareness as empty cognizance, is not the cause for liberation Sogyal, many claim have recognized luminosity, but few train in the to unity of empty cognizance!

Now, concerning "capacity" there are four points to going astray, the first of which is the way of straying from the capacity. In essence, no matter how they manifest, the various thoughts that manifest from awareness as the natural radiance of empty cognizance are never beyond being empty awareness. Failure to understand this is called "straying from empty awareness."

The sign of having gone astray in this way is that one's thoughts, words and deeds become involved in the [mundane] pursuits of this life.

The shortcoming of this type of straying is that such a conceptual atti tude, in which thought occurrence doesn't dawn as dharmakaya, binds you in the web of any arising thought, thus paralyzing your spiritual practice. The predominant negative habits of your latent tendencies make you pursue nothing other than the aims of this life.

Caught in the shackles of dualistic doubt, you have chained yourself to hope and fear.

The effect of going astray in this way is to solidify habitual tendencies because of failing to recognize the straying of thoughts; to spend ones life in distraction because of not remembering the consequences of cause and effect; and, when you die, to stray into the three realms. Many claim to be free of thoughts, but few realize the key point of how they are freed upon arising.

The master replied: Tsogyal, the empty essence of your awareness is not created by anyone. Without causes and conditions, it is originally present. Don't try to change or alter awareness. Let it remain exactly as it is! Thus you will be free from straying and awaken within the state of primordial purity. In the same way, your cognizant nature is originally and spontaneously present indivisible from emptiness. Its expression, the unconfined capacity of whatever arises, has no concrete existence. Recognize that all three aspects[of awareness] are a great indivisible unity. Thus you awaken as the indivisibility of the three kayas.

Notes :

THE THREE KAYAS ARE :

1. The Dharmakāya or Truth body which embodies the very principle of enlightenment and knows no limits or boundaries;

2. The Sambhogakāya or body of mutual enjoyment which is a body of bliss or clear light manifestation;

3. The Nirmāṇakāya or created body which manifests in time and space.

Submitted August 06, 2016 at 03:52PM by SereneMountain http://ift.tt/2aINxLu