Samantabhadra

Some of you asked about my painting if samantabhadra, so here is a brief expanation of the imagery (From Ken Wilber's One Taste)

Samantabhadra, the deep blue/black figure at the bottom, represents the dharmakaya or radical Emptiness, which is completely formless and therefore "black" (as in deep dreamless sleep). The sylable "hum" radiates out from his heart, repressenting the great cosmic sound filling all forms in the universe (uni-verse, "one song"). The Woman clutching the egg in the center represents Samantabhadri, the rupakaya, the entire world of Form, which is a brilliant white luminous display. Emptiness and form, consciousness and matter, spirit and the world, emerging and dissolving.

This depiction of Samantabhadra and Samantabhadri (emptiness and form, wisdom and compassion) is not merely a symbol. It is a depiction of a direct realization experienced in meditation. When you settle back and rest as the formless Witness, you literally are Samantabhadra; you are the great Unborn, the radically unqualifiable Godhead. You are a great black Emptiness of infinite release. And yet, in the space of that Emptiness that you are, the entire universe is arising moment to moment. (right now the room and sounds and feelings are continuously arising in the space or samantabhadra that you are.) Or as wilber puts it: "You, as formless Witness (Samantabhadra), are one with the entire World of Form (Samantabhadri), and it is forever an erotic union. You are literally making love to the entire world as it arises. The brutal, torturous gap between subject and object has collapsed, and you and the world have entered an intimate, sexual, ecstatic union, edged with bliss, radiant in release, the thunder and lightning of only One Taste."

Pointing out instructions

Here is a great example of the Tibetan Dzogchen Pointing Out Instructions (The Looking Directly at Mind meditation) based on a passage from Ken Wilber's "One Taste." Enjoy!

The Deathless, Eternal Presence or Awareness that is already Buddha or Pure Mind is fully available in any state or stage of conciousness, including your own present state of awareness right now. (It is also known as the "Ground Consciousness" or "Dharmakaya.") So I'm going to talk you into this state, or try to, using what are known as "pointing out instructions." I am not going to try to get you into a different state of consciousness, or an altered state of consciousness, or a non-ordinary state. I am going to simply point out something that is already occurring in your own present, ordinary, natural state.

So let's start by just being aware of the world around us. Look out there at the sky, and just relax your mind; let your mind and the sky mingle. Notice the clouds floating by in the sky. Notice that this takes no effort on your part. Your present awareness, in which these clouds are floating, is very simple, very easy, effortless, spontaneous. You simply notice that there is an effortless awareness of the clouds. The same is true of those trees, and those birds, and those rocks. You simply and effortlessly witness them.
Look now at the sensations in your own body. You can be aware of whatever bodily feelings are present-perhaps pressure where you are sitting, perhaps warmth in your tummy, maybe tightness in your neck. But even if these feelings are tight and tense, you can easily be aware of them. These feelings arise in your present awareness, and that awareness is very simple, easy, effortless, spontaneous. You simply and effortlessly witness them.

Look at the thoughts arising in your mind. You might notice various images, symbols, concepts, desires, hopes and fears, all spontaneously arising in your awareness. They arise, stay a bit, and pass. These thoughts and feelings arise in your present awareness, and that awareness is very simple, effortless, spontaneous. You simply and effortlessly witness them.
So notice: you can see the clouds float by because you are not those clouds-you are the witness of those clouds. You can feel bodily feelings because you are not those feelings-you are the witness of those feelings. You can see thoughts float by because you are not those thoughts-you are the witness of those thoughts. Spontaneously and naturally, these things all arise, on their own, in your present, effortless awareness.

So who are you? You are not objects out there, you are not feelings, you are not thoughts-you are effortlessly aware of all those, so you are not those. Who or what are you?
Say it this way to yourself: I have feelings, but I am not those feelings. Who am I? I have thoughts, but I am not those thoughts. Who am I? I have desires, but I am not those desires. Who am I?
So you push back into the source of your own awareness. You push back into the Witness, and you rest in the Witness. I am not objects, not feelings, not desires, not thoughts.

But then people usually make a big mistake. They think that if they rest in the Witness, they are going to see something or feel something-something really neat and special. But you won't see anything. If you see something, that is just another object-another feeling, another thought, another sensation, another image. But those are all objects; those are what you are not.

No, as you rest in the Witness-realizing, I am not objects, I am not feelings, I am not thoughts-all you will notice is a sense of freedom, a sense of liberation, a sense of release-release from the terrible constriction of identifying with these puny little finite objects, your little body and little mind and little ego, all of which are objects that can be seen, and thus are not the true Seer, the real Self, the pure Witness, which is what you really are.

So you won't see anything in particular. Whatever is arising is fine. Clouds float by in the sky, feelings float by in the body, thoughts float by in the mind-and you can effortlessly witness all of them. They all spontaneously arise in your own present, easy, effortless awareness. And this witnessing awareness is not itself anything specific you can see. It is just a vast, background sense of freedom-or pure emptiness-and in that pure emptiness, which you are, the entire manifest world arises. You are that freedom, openness, emptiness-and not any itty bitty thing that arises in it.

Resting in that empty, free, easy, effortless witnessing, notice that the clouds are arising in the vast space of your awareness. The clouds are arising within you-so much so, you can taste the clouds, you are one with the clouds. It is as if they are on this side of your skin, they are so close. The sky and your awareness have become one, and all things in the sky are floating effortlessly through your own awareness. You can kiss the sun, swallow the mountain, they are that close. Zen says "Swallow the Pacific Ocean in a single gulp," and that's the easiest thing in the world, when inside and outside are no longer two, when subject and object are nondual, when the looker and looked at are One Taste. You see?

drawings

Here is a picture of my final drawing critique

KU Art Scholarship Show

Here is a picture of my grammy in front of the wall i got to decorate for the scholarship show.

the blessings

Imagine a large u-shaped monastery on the top of a mountain, the open side revealing the mountains stretching back into infinity, complete with heavenly clouds. In the courtyard, sitting amongst some trees and under some canopies, six thousand people, mostly monks, nuns, and Tibetans, all awaiting His Holiness to appear behind the large iron gate at one end (his home is attached by a small stretch of road and forest). As soon as he arrives, the entire arena becomes silent, and all gaze at the presence smiling and laughing as he makes his way down the center of the crowd to the throne at the opposite end. Shortly after he sits, every prostrates, we sing prayers with him, and then, believe it or not, a river of monks and nuns flow from behind him with rolls and tea for everyone!

Today i managed to make my way to the edge of the crowd at the end of the teachings (teachings are twice a day, from 9:00-11:30, and then 1;00-4:30), and i knelt down, by the gate (guarded with two soldiers), kneeling with mostly Tibetans, some crying, some holding up prayer beads, (and babies) to be blessed. The Dalai Lama takes time to look into everyone's eyes. When ours met, i felt more alive then i ever have, and a confidence and joy filled my mind, pushing a smile onto my face that lingers even now.

Today's teachings were about the horrible suffering experienced in the womb, at birth, during life, aging, and at death. ("When we are old standing up feels like uprooting a tree, and nobody can understand what we say") our bodies can’t do things that they used to, and do things that they didn’t used to do. He would of course tell us very funny stories. He is very funny and makes everybody laugh. Then he talked about the process of dying, the despair of leaving everything and everyone you love, knowing that you will never see any of them ever again, and then the dream objects and illusions that appear in the mind as the last breath dissolves into space.

Interestingly, Tibetans believe that if you do not recognize the "clear light mind" which is your very nature, at the moment of death, you will contract away from that light, follow after various projections of your mind, until finally you are attracted to two beings you see, a man and a woman. You will see them lying next to each other and then you will see their genitals merging; you will step between them, and descend into the womb. We choose our parents based on our karma, or work we need to do. Can you all see why you chose your parents?

Oh, and you should know that contemplating the suffering of life in the dramatic way i mentioned above is meant to be a useful method to help cultivate the desire to free ourselves from our afflictive emotions, such as anger and envy and fear, as apposed to being enchanted by and addicted to them, all in order to train ourselves to better benefit others. Remember, the whole point in Buddhism is to first tame our minds and then train our minds to be of better service.

Today before the second set of teachings Charlie and i got into a fight about where we should eat for dinner, (and about money), ending in both of us storming off in opposite directions, me toward the teachings (he went to go read). And the very teaching the Dalai Lama started of with was about, you guest it, anger! And how when we are angry we become blind and do things that aren’t rational, and usually feel embraced after the anger leaves (and we do and say things we usually regret later). How true! And how amazing that while i am in such a wonderful place n the world i am so easily stirred and bothered by my good, dear friend. "the fist thing we need to do is see suffering as suffering and honestly wish to liberate ourselves and others."

Before and after every teaching, the Tibetans (and westerners) walk along a narrow path around the temple and home of the Dalai Lama, all chanting "Om mani padme hum." He really is considered a deity, i think.

much love,
david

may all beings everywhere be free

mcleod ganj

hunter s. thompson killed himself yesterday.
my last day in delhi i saw a funeral (where the body is paraded through he streets) and charlie arrived with an awful story about being tricked by his taxi driver. The train station was so exciting,packed with crying children, rats, and eyes, tiny jewels, heaven's ocean of humans reflect pain and suffering... we got there two hours early and sat with insanity for over two hours, and then, you wouldn't believe it, but who do we find already sitting in our sleeper, two tibetan monks! one 33 and the other 72, the former laughed all the time and the latter picked his nose all the time. he also tucked me into bed like a grandfather. i felt healed and whole. i meditated with them in the morning.

Oh, and the train ride was enchanting...i had no idea trains were this alive! the swaying, the rhythms, the rhythms! the family in the sleeper next to us wore all yellow (must be on a pilgrimage, i think); a photographer's dream, considering the monks wore all maroon and the morning sunlight streamed through the windows, wet, chai and coffee mugs steaming in the fresh morning sunlight...it was so cold, everyone wrapped in blankets (yellow blankets sit next to the windows, what a sight!) i took plenty of pictures.

at our stop we met young newlyweds from Israel, both studying massage and alternative medicines, and both glowing with joy to see us and the indian countryside, rolling hills of bright green, with flowers and trees, roads winding up and up,...we shared the cab our new friends and laughed all the way, stopping at a restaurant where we met a couple of women who own an ashrum and have met the dalai lama many times...did i mention they were animal rights activists...they hugged us and fed us like mothers, and, some monkeys stole their omelets right off our table!

and then we set off to Mcleod ganj (up the hill from dharmsala, and actually the place where all the action is) it was literally swarming with monks and nuns, more bald heads than i have ever seen before in my life, each and all gleaming like suns, tibetans are the most beautiful race, the lepers are there too,and they walk with prayer beads passing through their fingers, (not the lepers) i have never seen so many happy people in one place before, it was also flooded with foreigners, a sea of happy faces, i assume everyone really wants to be there because this town is nestled deep in the countryside, snuggled up into the mountains, the Himalayas standing like gods in the distance. it is a long and difficult climb by car, i prepared for death many times.

Charlie and i are staying at a guest house right outside of dharmsala, about a thirty min. walk to the teachings, and, i am not kidding, the guest house we are staying at cares for a baby cow named bonnie and sits next to a mountain perfect for exploring. a glorious stream runs right next to our room, down the rocky mountainside, and into an orchard of cherry trees and a quilt of green meadows that streches out into the remaining foothills...Ridiculous, i know. i tear up. i am so fortunate to be here, in india, again, and to be surrounded by such honesty, and such divinity. thank you mom. thank you dad. Believe it or not, i miss you both so much.

breathing out,
david
may all beings everywhere be free

PS-
for those who are interested, the train ride was 12 hours, the cab ride was 3 hours, and the website to guesthouse is www.freewebs.com/vidyaniwas.

incense

Greetings all. I am in an internet cafe and the incense is burning my nose...and a mouse just ran past my foot! and another! outside this hole in the wall a man is sitting on the curb picking his feet, dogs are sleeping in the sun, a woman is digging through trash, and a fat man in a suit is talking on his cell phone. I went to the zoo today and the bahai temple. i also visited a jain temple. there are so many people here. the other people in this room are staring at me, and the incense is too much now, so so long.

threaded in a love without end,
david

may all beings everywhere be free

greetings

greetings all. I hope this letter finds you well, happy, and peaceful. I am leaving for india today just wanted to let you all know how grateful i am to have you in my life. As Charlie says "my karma is somewhere between good and very good." i truly am fortunate to have so much support-a constant current of care and kindness and concern to carress and keep me comfortable and conscious and kind. Thanks again!
Fondly,
david

may all beings everywhere be free