Resting in naturalness

These excerpts from the Aspiration Prayer of Samantabhadra:

“Through this aspiration prayer of myself, the buddha, may sentient beings full of attachment and clinging neither cast out the torment of desire nor welcome the craving of attachment,
but may awareness take its very seat through letting mind relax in its own state and may discriminating wisdom be attained.”

“Through this aspiration prayer of myself, the buddha, when fierce hatred flares up
in all sentient beings of the six realms,
may it relax in its own state without adopting or rejecting, may awareness take its own seat, and may lucid wisdom be attained.”

“Through this aspiration prayer of myself, the buddha,
when sentient beings give rise to such haughtiness,
may they let their mind relax in its own state,
may awareness take its very own seat,
and may the wisdom of equality be realized.”

“…when a competitive mind, fighting, and struggling dawn, may we not entertain enmity but let it relax in its own place, may mind take its very own seat,
and may the wisdom of unimpeded enlightened activity be.”

Samantabhadra is saying is rest in “naturalness”. In other words, just being as you are, allowing all to be as it is. Not trying to not think, not trying to meditate on something, not striving to become or working an idea. No effort towards attainment or silly ideas of buddhahood. Rather, abiding in awareness, simple letting our attention rest. In doing so the mind gently melds with any circumstance, emotion we may be experiencing, person, place or thing effortlessly. Duality drips away and equanimity oozes in.

There is a method of meditating that Mingyur Rimpoche teaches which is, to allow all the random profusion of thoughts to pervade effortlessly unimpededed in the mind. Then he says “Now raise you hand when you become distracted.” Ha! Distracted from what…distraction?! This is one way of embracing “naturalness”.

In the 4 Vows we say “Dharma gates arise choicelessly, I vow to pass through them.” Dharma gates can be anything! Even thoughts. The fact is, if you sit for a few minutes and try to think of one thing, moments later you are choicelessly thinking of something else. Simply resting in the naturalness or “allowing the mind to take it’s own seat” results in the dissolution of duality and the pristine awareness that illuminates our inherent compassionate nature.

Being as you are.

Ahhhhhhhh…..!

Schedule:

Monday, 6:30AM, Zazen at the Tea House.

Tuesday, 7PM, Dream Koan, at the Tea House or Zoom

Wednesday, 6:30AM, Zazen at the Tea House or Zoom with Zenho Sensei

Thursday, 6:30, Green Tara Sadhana, In person at the Tea House

Friday, 6:30AM, Zazen at The Tea House with Victor opening.

“Abiding in emptiness,

resting in awareness,

life and death, an ordinary moment.

No gate.”

~IME

Deep Peace and Great Love,

Issan and Zenho