Quelling the Storm

The third thought which turns the mind to practice is contemplation on

karma
1
. Karma is commonly described as cause and effect. Something
happens to us which then becomes the cause for our response, the
effect. We perceive something and this is the cause of our reaction. If
the perception is distorted then our response is also likely to be
distorted. If we perceive through the filter of our referential, neurotic
patterning, then our response will also be coloured by that referential,
neurotic patterning. To make matters worse, if we respond in
alignment with our distorted patterning, then we make that pattern
even stronger, even more ingrained. owever, our response, effect,
reaction is not predetermined ! even though it may sometimes feel as
though it is. We can discover the space between perception and
response, action and reaction, cause and effect. Spiritual practice
offers a real and potent opportunity to undermine our own patterning.
We can take control of our reaction and discover freedom from
patterned response.
1
"# $las%
Karma can be misunderstood to mean that everything bad that we
have ever done or thought is somehow stored up somewhere, and that
at some point we will have to e&perience the conse'uences ! like
(arley)s *host burdened by a long chain of interpersonal
misdemeanours. We may understand karma to mean )If I am nasty to
you, then at some point you are going to have to be nasty to me.) We
may think that merit, Sonam $bSod nams%
+
is a repository where the
good thoughts and deeds are stored ! like some helium balloon
relieving us of the weight of our chain ! but we may never feel
terribly confident that the )merit balloon) is as powerful as the
miscreant, chain.
+
Sonam $bSod nams% ! -n evildoer. a villain. -n infidel. a heretic $/ld
0rench mescreant, croire ! to disbelieve, mes- ! wrongly, not%
-lthough the approach of Sutrayana is to gradually replace unhelpful
actions and attitudes with helpful ones, this is often misunderstood as
increasing the balloon of merit and decreasing the weighty chain of
misdeeds. 1ause and effect however, is not some kind of mechanism
inherent in the fabric of reality. It is created by the way we have
trained ourselves to perceive. The root of karma is dualism ! the
perceptual separation of emptiness and form. Through attaching to
form and re2ecting emptiness, we distort our reality dualistically. This
leads us to manufacture our own discomfort. I hold on to the hurt I felt
I received from (rs 3ones, in order to remind me to be wary of her
ne&t time. When I meet her, I remember the hurt and protect myself
by being cold or aggressive towards her. (rs 3ones senses the
aggression and responds aggressively towards me. I feel 2ustified in
my approach because of her aggression, and congratulate myself for
effective self4protection. The pattern is laid down. -ny chance of
discovering that (rs 3ones is friendly is lost. /ur inability to enter
openly into the empty4opportunity of my second meeting with (rs
3ones, is instigated, by the pro2ection of the emotional form4memory
of my previous meeting. This is the process of duality and the
functioning of karma. When dualism ceases however ! karma ceases.
When form and emptiness are recognised as a unified e&perience,
there is no dualistic distortion woven into perception and therefore no
karmic cause. There is therefore no distortion to be e&perienced as a
karmic effect. I can meet (rs 3ones for the first time ! every time we
meet.
, to instigate5 To cause to happen. To urge on to some action $"at. instigare%
If karma is seen as independent of the individual e&periencing karma,
then we have a form of fatalism, which has more in common with the
predestination as it is presented in popular induism. 67ogchen
8
views karma in terms of )perception and response) rather than )cause
and effect). The essential meaning is the same but this approach opens
our understanding of karma so that we cannot mistake it for fatalism.
If the cause, which is our perception, perceives a focus of attraction,
aversion, or indifference, the effect will be our response to that cause.
There is no sense in which the actual circumstances of our lives are
preordained according to a system of rewards and punishments for our
previous actions. This is a primitive misconception which would make
enlightenment dependent upon karma.
8
9articularly The Ulukhamukha Upadesha Dakini Sutra $ug gDong mKha
gro sNying thig mDo% from the gTrma of Khyungchen -ro "ingma.
(y misunderstanding of cause and effect as predestination made it
seem as though there could be no escape, and that there was no room
to move or possibility of free will. This view offered no hope of
change or incentive to engage in spiritual practice. This view of karma
as a process of balancing merit and sin, did not function well for me as
a )thought to turn the mind to practice). It is a structural linear
approach and perhaps some people respond well to the discipline of
filling the merit balloon and avoiding additions to the chain of
egregious behaviour. owever for me this approach to the principle of
karma produced despondency, a feeling of powerlessness, and a belief
that grinding, sparkle4dimming self4control was my only method of
escape. 1onsidering karma as perception and response offered me a
sparkling, spontaneous approach. When I came to understand the view
of karma in terms of motivation, and as perception and response, the
process of cyclic e&istence became transparent.
-s a result of distorted perception, I respond in a manner which
conforms to the cyclic patterns of my neurotic conditioning. I interpret
a situation in a particular dualistic way, based on my habitual
referential patterning. I 2udge the situation and interpret it through
learned responses. I filter my clear, naked, unconditioned perception
through referential conditioning and self4protection. I am unaware that
I automatically measure every e&perience against previous e&perience
and roll out the response that seems to best fit the situation5 I see this
as a threatening situation $empty% so I must protect myself with
aggression $form%. I see this as an attractive situation $form% so I must
hang on to it as long as possible $make it more form%. I see this as a
neutral situation so I don)t really care. We respond with emotion,
action, behaviour or communication that is based in dualistic
perception. We look for the interpretation and response that seems
safest or most attractive for retaining and substantiating form. We
attempt to avoid emptiness. 6ualistic response reflects the distortion
we create through dualistic perception.
This could also be called action and reaction. This happens so I
respond with that. I e&perience a particular emotional response to a
situation and react to it in a particular way ! creating a cause ! and at
some point I will e&perience an effect of that cause which I have laid
down. 1ause and effect is often misunderstood in a fatalistic manner,
as if our lives are predetermined with no possibility of chance or free
will. Such an approach ignores the unknown factor of chaos and the
possibility of choice of response. It also negates the non4duality of
)form is emptiness and emptiness is form). If a particular cause always
created a definite, certain, corresponding effect, that would mean both
the cause and the effect were eternal and could never change.
-lthough this would appear to be eternal form, because it had become
permanent, separate and defined, in fact it would actually have
become emptiness. /nly emptiness is changeless. /nce movement
ceases, we are no longer dealing with form, because it is the nature of
form to move and change. (ovement, change, and impermanence
define form. 0orm arises, abides, and dissolves. The whole idea of
changeless eternal form is nonsense because perception can never be
independent of the perceiver, and effect can never be independent of
the effector.
"et us e&amine this using a mundane e&ample5 eating :russels
sprouts. If I have never come across sprouts in my life up till now,
then I have never created a sprout4reaction. The cause has not arisen.
(y taste sense has never perceived sprout taste, and I have never
e&perienced attraction, aversion or indifference to it. ;o cause, no
effect. /ne day however, I am given sprouts with my meal. (y
perception initially is likely to be open, because it is a new e&perience.
The minute the sprout stimulates the sense of taste, I perceive the taste
of sprout. I immediately 2udge that e&perience against previous
like<dislike responses, and say, )ey, this is nice ! crunchy and fresh,
with a good strong, vegetable flavour). With this response I have
created an attraction response, and begun a pattern of attraction to
sprouts. owever my response might be5 )*ood grief this tastes like a
mouldy sock. It tastes foul=). With this response I have created an
aversion response, and begun a pattern of sprout aversion. Sprout
perception and sprout attraction do not e&ist independently. Sprout
perception and sprout aversion do not e&ist independently. I may
remember the feeling, but the perception and response will not arise
again unless the cause of eating sprouts is revisited.
(otivation is the primary factor in karma. If we wish to perform an
action, engage in the activity, and are happy with its e&ecution ! then
that is a complete karma. - complete karma encompasses the feeling
of satisfaction after the act. We believe the activity was a good idea
and we are happy that we followed it through. This complete karma
creates a pattern, a tendency, a predisposition. If we are given the
opportunity to engage in that activity again, intention will most likely
arise to do so, and we shall follow it through to actually engaging in
the activity. If the following through from intention to
accomplishment was a satisfying e&perience, the pattern is now
strongly established and will function as a perceptual filter.
I decide to eat sprouts with the e&pectation of en2oying them. I en2oy
them and I am satisfied that I have fulfilled my e&pectation and
en2oyment. This is a complete karma, and establishes a strong pattern
of attraction. If I decide to eat sprouts with the e&pectation of hating
them, I hate them and am satisfied that my e&pectation of disgust has
been fulfilled. This is a complete karma and establishes a strong
pattern of aversion.
owever, if we wish to perform an action, we carry it out, and then
are not satisfied, this is an incomplete karma. If we regret the action in
some way and decide it was not such a good idea after all, the karma
is incomplete. It does not have the weight of patterning of a complete
karma. If we engage in the activity again, but continue to feel unhappy
about it, we will eventually give the action up. It is unlikely that we
shall carry on with activity that fails to provide us with satisfaction.
If I decide to eat chocolate but remember I am on a diet, I may en2oy
the taste but will not feel completely satisfied because I have
undermined my diet. This is an incomplete karma, and has not
established or strengthened the pattern of attraction. The result of
eating the chocolate is less defined. If I found I did not like sprouts,
but decide to eat some with the intention of seeing if maybe they were
not so bad after all, I may find I do not hate them 'uite as much as I
remembered. -gain the result is less defined. I may give sprouts
another try sometime.
The e&perience of lack of satisfaction keeps the activity in a state of
ambivalence ! we are unsure about the intention and result. 0rom the
perspective of Tantra, this is a workable state. It has the possibility of
movement and transformation. It lacks the fi&ity of a definite )yes this
is good) or )no this is bad).
The third possibility is that intention arises but is not acted upon. We
have the intention to engage in a certain activity, but decide not to
follow it through and are glad that we did not do so. In this case, the
intention has little impact of conditioning. We allowed the intention to
dissolve before it was carried through to response. ;o effective
karmic pattern is created.
When karma is viewed in this way as perception and response, we can
see that its nature is no mystery. It is logical. It makes sense. We do
not have to fear the effect of a bad activity lurking somewhere ready
to leap out and repay us at the first opportunity. It is simply that deep
ditches on our path are easy to fall into and difficult to get out of. -nd
these ditches of response become deeper every time we repeat a
response to a particular perception. We never know what
circumstances in our lives will cause us to fall into a particular furrow
of automatic response. /ur life circumstances are more chaotic and
unknown than we might care to imagine. /ur potential response is
also unknown but is patterned by previous responses to the same or
similar stimuli. /ur lack of presence ! ability to dwell with clarity in
the present moment ! makes us unable to recognise choice at the
moment of perception. We respond automatically without awareness.
9resence enables us to choose the direction of our response, regardless
of the furrow attempting to dictate our path.
The sub2ective definition of whether intention is positive or negative
has no bearing on whether or not the karma is complete. It is the factor
of intention carried through to action, and the e&perience of
satisfaction or regret at the completion of the action which dictates
whether the karma is complete. If we return to the idea of cause and
effect, we could say that positive intention carried through to action
creates merit and negative intention carried through to action creates
sin. owever, from the perspective of perception and response !
positive intention carried through to action creates a pattern which
tends to unwind the distortion we create through splitting emptiness
and form. ;egative intention carried through to action compounds the
distortion created through dualism. We give the terms >positive? and
>negative? meaning in terms of referentiality. We interpret )that which
supports my feeling of security of self) as positive, and )that which
undermines my feeling of security of self) as negative. 0rom a
practitioner)s point of view however, )positive) and )negative) are given
meaning with regard to whether the perception and response is helpful
or unhelpful in undermining our dualistic conditioning. 0rom the
perspective of realisation there is no positive or negative, but simply
perception and response that leads us towards non4dual realisation, or
perception and response that leads away from it.
Intention is the energy of perception that leads to response. If
perception is dualistic, the intention and response will be dualistic.
Intention or motivation is the energy that activates the process of
cyclic e&istence. So long as we continue to attempt to separate
emptiness and form, intention will drive the wheel of cyclic e&istence.
When perception is non4dual, response spontaneously arises as pure
appropriateness ! intention is simply the energy of non4dual
perceptual4responsive congruency. The cogs, of dualistic distortion
no longer click into action. Karma no longer arises because perception
and response are spontaneous and clear.
, cog5 one of the teeth on the rim of a gearwheel. a gearwheel, esp. a small
one
Intention is always present in any action and interaction with others,
whether we are aware of it or not. Intention and motivation always
arise as we perceive circumstances and respond to that perception
according to our conditioned patterns of response ! yet at the level of
intention we always have choice. We have the choice of allowing the
patterned response to kick in ! or not. We always have the choice of
how we respond to perception. We always have the choice to change
our response and to refrain from entering the pattern of neurotic
conditioning.
This process of patterning is also the mechanism that creates opinions.
/ur opinions are based on our e&perience. I like science fiction. I
think science fiction is entertaining and can open my mind to new
ways of looking at things. I en2oy books and films about science
fiction. I watch science fiction movies and usually en2oy them, which
strengthens my liking for science fiction. (y neighbour hates science
fiction. e thinks it is a complete waste of time. e thinks that the
storylines are usually farfetched, a traditional story in an alien setting,
or 2ust an e&cuse for techno4babble dialogue and fancy special effects.
e occasionally watches a science fiction movie and they confirm his
negative opinion of science fiction.
There is actually no problem with this situation. aving an opinion is
not a problem. aving a different opinion to my neighbour is not a
problem ! unless we feel threatened by our differing opinions. (y
neighbour can en2oy my appreciation of science fiction and retain his
feeling of not being keen on it. I can en2oy my appreciation of science
fiction and see that his opinion of it is sometimes true without this
spoiling my en2oyment.
9roblems arise because we tend to regard our opinions as fact, rather
than remembering that they are the result of our sub2ective e&perience.
We like to gather people around us who share the same sub2ective
view. We are less likely to become firm friends with people whose
sub2ective view is different. If I feel I have to start a )0riends of
Science 0iction) club so that I feel supported in my sub2ective view or
ridicule my neighbour for his small4mindedness ! then my liking for
science fiction is functioning as a strong reference point in my life. It
is not 2ust a straightforward preference based on perception and
personality. it has become a crutch to my need to feel substantial and
of value. I identify with this genre, have lots of friends who like it too,
and can talk endlessly to 2ustify the view that )science fiction is best). I
like science fiction, therefore I am.
In this way we attempt to feel substantial and safe in the form of our
sub2ectivity and feel threatened by the emptiness represented by
alternative views. The members of the )science fiction is rubbish) club
become my enemies. @ltimately I have to kill them. We maintain our
sense of e&istence in the process of separating emptiness and form,
and defining ourselves through the form we like, dislike or do not care
about. This is madness= We do e&ist. This much is certain. We do
e&ist ! as a continuity. Trying to prove we e&ist by fi&ing form
reference points does not work and can never work.
/nce the pattern of our response to particular perceptions has been
established, the only way to open our view to the possibility of choice
at the level of intention is to allow some space to develop. We need to
learn to become aware of intention arising in response to perception,
so that we have a space in that moment to decide whether to allow the
response to follow through, to let it dissolve, or to change it to another
response. /ne of the primary methods of developing this spaciousness
at the level of intention is through meditation techni'ues that teach us
to dwell comfortably in the space of mind4without4thought. We
discover Sky (ind. There are many methods of spacious meditation
in the different schools and traditions of :uddhism
A
. These methods
teach us to cease giving attention to the constant chatter in our minds
! cloud mind. Through letting go of cloud mind, we discover Sky
(ind. We sit and allow the movement in mind to settle. When a
thought arises, we let go of the content and allow the energy to
dissipate. When a memory arises, we let go of the content and allow
the movement to dissolve. When sensation arises, we do not 2udge it
as good or bad, attractive or unattractive, we let it subside and
disappear.
A
0or information on the practice of one of these methods, based in the -ro
gT#r lineage of the ;yingma Tradition see Roaring Silence by ;gakpa
1hBgyam and Khandro 6#chen $Shambhala 9ublications, +CC+%.
When we learn to be comfortable in the space of Sky (ind, we find
that we have discovered one of the most potent methods of
transforming dualistic perception and response into enlightened
perception and response. When we discover spaciousness at the point
of intention, choice becomes a possibility. We realise we can go down
the usual furrow, start a new furrow, or allow every perception be the
fresh, new, clear, vivid e&perience of the moment. I can see that the
grass is green. I can hear the sound of my beloved?s voice. I can smell
the roses. I can taste the honey. and I can feel the caress of silk on my
skin ! for the first time, every time. :ecause every time is the first
time in this mind moment. Dvery perception can be the ecstatically
empty perception of now.
If we never learn to dwell in this spacious moment, we remain slaves
to the automatic patterned 'uality of responses. There is no choice.
We plod down the same furrow or create new ones which are e'ually
constricting.
There are several ways to approach emptiness. If we are not able to
dwell in emptiness as a meditational e&perience, karma can still be
undermined through awareness and effort of will. We can approach
emptiness by learning to control our responses to perception through
mindfulness and self4discipline. (indfulness is a practice of
developing emptiness. Self4discipline is a practice of developing
emptiness. These are practices of the Sutrayana path and are
pragmatic and effective. They represent the path of renunciation. If
chocolate is a source of desire that, if indulged, leads to the deepening
of the ingrained pattern of desire, then I simply remove myself from
the sphere of chocolate. This approach works, and can be applied to
all sources of desire and aversion. The ultimate e&pression of the path
of renunciation is monasticism. ere the method of developing
emptiness through mindfulness and self4discipline is embraced by
letting go of as many of the reference points of ordinary life as
possible. The monastic practitioner lets go of the colourful perceptions
of ordinary life that function as causes for the stimulation of the
responses of desire and aversion. They adopt a restricted life with
fewer opportunities for distraction. This is an admirable commitment
to the development of emptiness in order to undermine the potency of
karmic patterning.
owever, the renunciate life may not be possible or desirable for the
ma2ority of us. It is fortunate, therefore, that different methods of
undermining karmic patterning e&ist. Dmptiness can be developed
through meditation and devotion. 6evotion can be understood as
form, through our interaction with a teacher and teachings in terms of
showing respect and listening with attention. :ut it can also be
understood as emptiness through our openness of heart and mind.
When emptiness is discovered through meditation, this ground
e&perience of spaciousness allows the practitioner to actively play
with perception and response in order to effect transformation at that
level. This is the path of Ea2rayana. It is an effective and pragmatic
method, but it can be more difficult to grasp than the path of
renunciation. We need to be aware of the danger of failure. If I fail to
dwell in spaciousness at the moment of perception, so that I fail to
open intention and realise choice, then I have simply reinforced my
patterning. (y practice may then become the cause of the
continuation of the cycle of samsara rather than the cause of
liberation. ence, Ea2rayana is a more advanced path than Sutrayana.
It is also regarded as potentially dangerous. /nly if response is rooted
in realisation of the emptiness of the form of perception can karma
begin to be undermined. Ea2rayana offers methods of symbolic
activity, to be employed as the empty form of intention and response,
so that the sub2ect and ob2ect of response are dropped. The e&perience
of non4duality is simulated through symbolic activity until the actual
e&perience as the co4emergence of bliss and emptiness is achieved
F
.
Dmpty or non4dual form is e&perienced as blissful. It is the potent
delight of the movement of form in the present moment. The ecstasy
of loving appreciation. the blissful en2oyment of sensory e&perience.
the inspiration of insightful ideation.
F
0or a full and detailed e&planation of symbolic method see Wearing the
ody o! "isions by ;gakpa 1hBgyam $-ro :ooks, 1GGF%.
/nce we are able to dwell in the e&perience of emptiness between
moments of movement in the mind, and even e&pand the scope of that
emptiness, our patterning becomes transparent. It is revealed and laid
bare. We can e&perience the naked empty nature of our perception,
and 2oyfully play with the movement of intention and response. We
can begin to recognise the processes we enter into at the moment of
perception that result in response. We can see how we 2udge
everything, categorise everything and separate ourselves from the
direct, naked e&perience of perception. We can recognise that we
continually filter perception through e&pectation and previous
e&perience, and are at the mercy of the three root misconceptions of
attraction, aversion, and indifference.
These three distracted tendencies are the grinding of the wheel of
samsara. Through ob2ectifying ourselves as substantial and separate,
as beings that can e&ist in permanence and continuity, we impute upon
ourselves the ability to own e&perience and to possess a definition that
can be harmed. Through our form4based definition of what we are and
how we e&ist, we create the duality of sub2ect and ob2ect. We are the
sub2ect of e&istence $perceiver% and everything else is the ob2ect
$perceived%.
This sense of sub2ectivity is known as 6ag $bDag%
H
. We believe 6ag
is substantial, separate, and defined and can be maintained as
continuous and permanent
I
. 0rom this misconception, whatever we
perceive is seen as having the potential to either substantiate 6ag,
threaten 6ag, or be irrelevant to the security of 6ag. 0rom this
perspective arise attraction, aversion, and indifference. In fact,
attraction, aversion, and indifference are simply the inevitable
outcome of dualism. If we split emptiness and form and define
ourselves as sub2ect and everything else as ob2ect, then we are
inevitably going to be attracted to that which appears to support 6ag,
be averse to that which appears to undermine 6ag and indifferent to
that which appears to have nothing to do with 6ag.
H
bDag ! pronounced dug, means >soul?, >self?, or >self e&isting unchanging
identity?.
I
The notion of a self4e&istent self is often referred to as >ego? in :uddhist
writings available in the West. This can be confusing, as we may be familiar
with >ego? in the conte&t of 0reudian psychology. Dgo has no 0reudian
implications in this conte&t. -lternatively, readers may be familiar with
atman#anatman5 inherent self<lack of inherent self.
The three root misconceptions of attraction, aversion and indifference
are often described as lust $or desire%, hatred, and ignorance. The
words lust and hatred are 'uite e&treme, reminiscent of the seven
deadly sins. The problem with using such colourful words is that we
can misunderstand the scope of the root misconceptions. -ttraction
encompasses the merest hint of preference right through to lustful
compulsion. -version embraces slight irritation through to roiling,
boiling, murderous hatred. Indifference includes the sense of not
having the energy to bother right through to wilful determination to
ignore what is in front of us. -lso the emotive words of )lust and
hatred) having the flavour of )sin) about them, suggests that these
reactions are )naughty) or )wicked) and must be abandoned for that
reason. The process of samsara is actually rather subtle and the words
)lust, hatred and ignorance? may cause us to miss the subtlety. The
alternative words of )attraction, aversion, and indifference) encompass
even the slightest of feelings, 2udgments, e&pectations, and
preconceptions we place upon naked e&perience. The strategies of
attraction, aversion, and indifference protect us from emptiness, so
that we can live as much as possible in the sphere of form.
While our view remains dualistic, attraction, aversion or indifference
arise from perception as night follows day. 0rom these three arise
responses that are coloured by the intention of attraction, aversion, or
indifference. In this way we turn the wheel of samsara and ingrain our
belief in 6ag more and more deeply. Spiritual practice offers the
opportunity to let go of 6ag and recognise the energy of attraction,
aversion, and indifference as being no different from the energy of
kindness, clarity and awareness. We do not have to learn new ways to
respond to what we perceive, we simply have to recognise the
distortion we inflict on the natural energetic flow of our response.
When we recognise the root cause of this distortion as addiction to
form, we can rela&. We can let go at the point of perception, and rela&
into the certainty that pristine perception naturally allows response to
flow as kindness, clarity, and awareness.
In Sutrayana we work at the level of response, ad2usting our activity to
purify ourselves and allowing perception to become empty. In
Ea2rayana non4duality is discovered through embracing the energy of
attraction, aversion, and indifference. Through dissolving the sub2ect
and ob2ect of emotions they self4manifest as the non4dual wisdoms. In
67ogchen there is simply direct perception, in which energy and
activity of response are naturally and spontaneously congruent.
owever, awareness of the distortion of perception and response, and
engagement with methods to clarify their flow, is dependent on
emptiness. Without the e&perience of spaciousness as the ground of
being, we do not have the opportunity of choice. Space allows us to
discover awareness at the moment of potential engagement with
e&perience, to realise the possibility of transformation at the moment
of perception, or to be mindful of our activity when we respond.
9ractice is the key that e&plodes the narrow confines of our ordinary
e&perience. 9ractice liberates the fatalistic, deterministic view of
karma as cause and effect. /nce karma is understood as self4
originated and self4maintained, we can let go of the cause and refuse
to support its maintenance. Through direct introduction to method by
our "ama, we can derail karma and burn the diesel as passionate
devotion
J
. We can turn around the causes that create samsara, and
transform their energy into creating the causes of eternal satisfaction
through the endless continuity of blissful now4moments.
J
9assionate devotion is the emptiness and form of who we are as Ea2rayana
practitioners. 6evotion is our passionate interest and involvement with the
teacher and teachings ! the way our devotion manifests. 6evotion is also our
capacity to be an empty vessel for the teachings, and to be open to hearing
and understanding.
/nce we have gained an understanding of karma as perception and
response, and have gained some e&perience of the spaciousness of
mind, we can celebrate that we have utter choice and total freedom to
be whatever we want to be. We can view karma as a snare that we can
avoid through practice. When we recognise that 6harma offers
methods to completely e&plode our neurotic patterning, understanding
karma inspires us to practise. Through the development of
spaciousness, our patterning can become totally open and transparent.
It becomes completely available to us to observe, to change, or to
en2oy. We can play. /ur patterning becomes a sparkling ne&us of
opportunity. We can view perception. We can recognise intention. We
can motivate responses. We are in control ! but not with rigid,
suppressive, )police state mind). We are in control simply because we
have become transparent to ourselves.
;gak)chang Kinpoche e&plains being in control as5
L. . . not being out of control. :eing in control does not mean that
one controls phenomena ! but that one has one)s hands on the
steering wheel or on the reins. olding the rein does not mean that
one completely dominates the horse. The horse always has
personal ideas about the landscape and what it contains. The
landscape is not controlled even though we attempt to follow
certain directions within it. The weather is not controlled either. In
fact little control is possible ! 9assionate devotion is the emptiness
and form of who we are as Ea2rayana practitioners. 6evotion is our
passionate interest and involvement with the teacher and teachings,
the way our devotion manifests. 6evotion is also our capacity to be
an empty vessel for the teachings, and to be open to hearing and
understanding. yet nonetheless we are in control, to the e&tent that
we have not abdicated responsibility for what is happening.M
When our patterning becomes transparent, we can laugh at the
compulsion of our desire, at the fearfulness of our aversion, and at the
wilfulness of our stupidity. Dvery moment becomes an opportunity for
freedom and realisation.
@ltimately, finding presence of awareness in the dimension of the
moment is the e&perience of non4dual emptiness and form. Within this
e&perience, all manifestations become the ornaments of spontaneous
presence and are e&perienced as purely appropriate, natural,
uncontrived, and free. Karma as a cause of cyclic e&istence no longer
e&ists. Spontaneous enlightened perception manifests simultaneously
as spontaneous enlightened response. We are no longer tossed about
on the stormy waters of hope and fear, e&pectation and preconception.
We can 'uell the storm.
Nuestioner5 When we talk about incomplete karma, it seems to me
that some patterns are strongly established even if we don?t e&perience
satisfaction. We keep repeating certain activities even though we
know they?re not a good idea.
;gakma ;or)d7in5 We have to look at what is meant by satisfaction.
We indulge in some peculiar psychological distortions= Satisfaction
may not always mean we feel >happy?. The satisfaction of engaging in
the activity may have become the misery of wishing we had not done
it. In this case the feeling of satisfaction that completes the karma is
the misery or guilt we feel. Sadly, there are many convoluted ways in
which we can distort our perception and response.
N5 ;gakma4la, when you gave the e&ample of the sprouts it seemed
clear, but what if we have other motivations at workO What if we don)t
like sprouts but think they are good for us, or we?re trying to set an
e&ample for a childO
;;5 (y e&ample was frivolous. -s you say ! our perception and
motivation is often mi&ed. There are subtleties and complications
which could be added to the e&ample. "ife is rarely simple or clear
cut. If we look at the e&ample of the chocolate bar and the diet ! if I
eat the chocolate when I am on a diet, the e&perience is more
convoluted. I may en2oy the chocolate, but feel dissatisfied because I
feel I should not have eaten it. If my intention is to resist eating the
chocolate bar, I succeed and feel pleased that I have succeeded, and
then I have added a degree of strength to the pattern of my resolve to
resist foods like chocolate bars. It is possible that this intention can
become a strong pattern, to the point that it becomes as compulsive as
indulgence, and I develop anore&ia ! not likely in my case $laughter%.
-lternately, the activity of deprivation may mean that my perception
is continually coloured by desire for chocolate bars, to a degree that
would not normally occur ! more likely in my case $laughter%.
We are complicated beings and the distortion we inflict on perception
can be subtle and convoluted. This is why the opportunity offered by
Ea2rayana is so precious. Ea2rayana offers us the method to work
directly with the patterns of our distortion and transform perception
and response. We do not have to laboriously unpick the knot of our
distortion. 0rom the perspective of 67ogchen, the knot is the snake,
but the snake does not have any sense of suffering from a knot. The
snake simply moves when it wants to move and mysteriously there is
no longer any knot. If we could rela& we would discover that there is
no knot of distortion and never has been.
N5 What is :uddhakarmaO
;;5. The :uddhakarmas have nothing to do with karma in the sense
we have been discussing. ere the word karma simply means action
or activity. Karma as we have been discussing it is "#4kyi $las kyi% and
karma as in :uddhakarma is thrin4l# $s$rin las%. There are four
:uddhakarmas which relate to the elements as they arise from space.
The :uddhakarma of the earth element is enrichment. The
:uddhakarma of the water element is pacification. The :uddhakarma
of the fire element is magnetisation. The :uddhakarma of the air
element is destruction. 6ifferent "amas manifest different
:uddhakarmas according to what is most helpful for their students.
Their :uddhakarmas are responses to whatever situations re'uire. It is
always compassionate activity
G
but it may not appear so to us, because
we 2udge everything by dualistic reference.
G
The 0our :uddha Karmas ! l#47hi $las b%hi%, or kinds of enlightened
activity, are5 enriching ! gy#4pa $r&yas pa%, pacifying ! shi4wa $%hi ba%,
magnetising ! wang $dang%, and destroying ! drakpo ngBn4g1od $6rak%.
Kyab2# 1hhimPd Kig?d7in Kinpoche was always kind, but could
appear 'uite terrifying. is response was always direct and personal. I
once asked him how one would know who was your root "ama. e
looked at me with a piercing glare and said, )Qou married, yesO? I
replied that I was. )Who is your root husbandO) he asked. The point
was clearly made.
N5 If I had the intention to do something kind, but it somehow got
screwed up so that it was actually unkind, is there anything I can do to
helpO
;;5 Qourself or the other personO
N5 :oth. $"aughter%
;;5 With regard to karma, it is incomplete because you recognised
that the kind motivation went wrong and you felt sorry about that. It is
best then to 2ust let it go. There is no point in hanging on to it with
feelings of guilt or self4recrimination. If there is something you can do
to help the other person that will not compound the situation, then that
is always possible.
N5 What is happening when I eat the twentieth chocolate bar and find
that I no longer want it or am able to en2oy itO
;;5 There is the physiological response of your body, and the
)wearing out) of your ability for that ob2ect to be a reference point for
you.
N5 So does appreciation )wear out)O
;;5 ;o. 0rom the non4dual view, appreciation is non4referential. If
there is a physiological reaction to the twentieth chocolate bar, non4
referential appreciation appreciates the e&perience of 'ueasiness and
disgust. ;on4dual appreciation is enthralled by the e&plosive
e&perience of vomiting $laughter%. When 'ueasiness and vomiting are
free of the referentiality of )this is a bad thing that shouldn)t be
happening to me), they are 2ust e&periences. -ll e&perience is simply
as it is ! we add the e&tra layer of 2udgement of good, bad or
indifferent.
N5 6oes our neurotic patterning changeO
;;5 Qes, in an ad4hoc way, depending on the associations and
reference points of our lives. D&perience means that we may have
different opinions, our tastes change, some patterns get stronger. Some
change, and some disappear. If our perception appears to confirm our
e&pectation, then we strengthen the pattern. :ut in any moment there
is always the possibility of naked direct perception that is free of
e&pectation and preconception.