When strong passion arises for objects of desire or strong hatred toward the undesirable, joy from favorable events, pleasures, and so on, and sorrow from unfavorable events, illnesses, and the like—whatever happens—at that time the energy of the natural state manifests.
When an ordinary person experiences feelings or thoughts, he does not know that everything manifesting in his mind or body is a manifestation of the luminous energy of the natural state, the luminous energy of emptiness. He thinks that it is something separate, something existing in itself. It is like looking at a finger and not seeing the hand, looking at the tip of an iceberg and not seeing its underwater part.
When a person is aware of what is manifesting in his mind and body but does not know their true source, does not understand whose manifestation they are, who their true master is, then he comes into contact with these parts of his “self” and with these energies as if they existed in themselves. This contact is accompanied either by grasping or attachment, or by negativity.
In the case of attachment, imprinting occurs, that is, the impressing into consciousness of stable karmic traces that accompany a person not only throughout this life, but even into the next one. For example, some people may see recurring dreams. This is called bakshas. It is the consequence of a karmic trace from a past life manifesting in this life.
In the case of rejection, a certain closedness appears in consciousness and a shriveling of the mind.
Discovering Luminous Emptiness
When the yogin discovers the luminous emptiness of his “Self,” he sees that thoughts, the movement of inner energies, emotions, experiences, and in general everything he perceives through the eyes, ears, and other sense organs are manifestations of this primordial luminous empty “Self.” And instead of entering into direct, immediate contact with these experiences, he enters into contact with their Source, with the energy of the Clear Light.
How can this be explained? For example, I often see Ananda Lila because of the nature of her service. If I see her simply as a being, a person, a woman, or a nun, then corresponding judgments may arise in me: she has such-and-such qualities, such-and-such virtues or shortcomings; she has such-and-such a form, such-and-such a past, she behaves in such-and-such a way; accordingly, one should behave with her in such-and-such a way and do such-and-such things. This will be a dualistic state. If she performs some actions that contradict my attitudes, anger will arise; and if she performs some actions that satisfy my attitudes, joy will appear. This is how an ordinary person acts.
If, however, there is an understanding of the principle of the Clear Light, then you immediately shift the focus from superficial qualities and look at the essential foundation abiding in the living being. You then regard secondary qualities, regardless of how they manifest, simply as manifestations of this primary foundation.
The same thing happens with inner data. If there is anger within you, this anger cannot fool you; as soon as it breaks out, you quickly find its basis (and its basis is the Clear Light) and return to the nature of Mind. If grasping and attachment to something arise, you do not follow their lead, but discover their essential foundation and return again to the contemplation of the Clear Light. If an emotion, desire, or thought arises, you do not let them enchant you. You know that behind thoughts there is an essential foundation, that in the absolute sense no intellectual knowledge is reliable; it can be reliable only in a relative sense.
For example, you are told: “The bus to Nizhny Novgorod leaves at eleven thirty.” And if you come by that time, it will arrive. But in the absolute sense you know that both the bus and Nizhny Novgorod as such are an illusion. That is, this is not reliable knowledge, but merely conditional knowledge, which we accept as certain conventions of this world in which we live.
So, whatever happens, we instantly shift consciousness to the Source of intellectual knowledge, emotions, experiences, and assessments. And then, instead of falling into habitual attachment, we always remain in the vision of this Source.
How to Find the Luminous Source
Someone may ask: “Up to this point everything is clear. One simply needs to shift consciousness to the luminous Source of everything. But how can one find this luminous Source if one has never experienced it even once?”
The very moment we try to find it, we lose it, because the attempt itself already implies a certain movement that takes us away from the center. Instead of trying to find it in some place or at some time, we should simply relax and remain here and now, without making any judgments, abiding in a state of vigilant, aware observation. We simply relax and remain in such observation; we make no judgments about what is perceived, but abide in vigilant awareness.
When we abide in this way, we begin to approach the Source of all thoughts and emotions, this luminous, empty foundation, the primordial matrix of all that exists, of the entire Universe. As soon as thoughts arise in us to seek it somewhere else, or tomorrow, or in connection with some method, mantra, or something else, we immediately lose it. That is why the saints say: “It is so close that it is difficult to discover. It is so simple that it is hard to believe in.”
A Change in Perception
When we discover this Source, we suddenly see that everything is immersed in it, that we were totally mistaken in seeing the objects of the world as self-existing, separate from it. No matter how many times this had been repeated to us, we would still have remained mistaken. This is truly a profound change in perception. Nevertheless, when we discover it, our attitude toward thoughts, emotions, and what is experienced changes.
Outwardly, everything may continue in the same way; someone may not notice your enlightenment at all, and you may still play the role of an ordinary monk. But inwardly everything is turned upside down: you become completely empty, and nothing can mislead, bewitch, or enchant you anymore, provided that you remain vigilant in your understanding of the Source. Now your life becomes simply a play of relative forms and a honing of mastery.
Now everything that manifests, whatever it may be, is the very manifestation of this primordial Source. Anger is an emotion of the same order as joy. Thoughts about pure and impure, about holy and worldly—these are things of one and the same order. You know that in themselves these things are worth nothing; they are significant only because they point to the primordial Source.
Saraha said: “The one who has known what lies beyond words is the only one who begins to understand the value of words.” Of course, in the relative sense, words have value, and it is determined by how well they point to the absolute Truth.
The Self-Liberation of All Thoughts and Energies
Such a yogin never again experiences any negative emotions, any negative states. In principle, he can never have grief, guilt, depression, or serious confusion. All these energies may still be present in his body, since the body has not yet merged with the Clear Light. That is, both impure karmas and impure energies may still manifest until his body has been fully purified, until the channels have been freed from polluted prana. Nevertheless, whenever any energies or emotions manifest, they are instantly recognized and released.
It is like a person in the dark who suddenly saw someone walking toward him and instinctively tensed up and became frightened, since one does not know what to expect at night from a random passerby; but as the person approached, he realized that this passerby was his best friend, and so he immediately relaxed and calmed down.
In the same way, the self-liberation of all thoughts and energies takes place. As soon as they manifest, within a fraction of a second we immediately recognize them, seeing them as our very best friends in the sense that they come from the Source, from the primordial foundation, from luminous emptiness, and therefore we instantly relax.
At higher levels, there is no need even to recognize them in some special way or to train with effort, because such recognition occurs through simple abiding in the true nature. It is said that this is like a thief who has slipped into an empty house. The thieves are impure thoughts and energies. But as soon as they appear, they immediately encounter our understanding of the Clear Light, and therefore they can neither harm nor change our state. They are instantly liberated, revealing their true nature. Thus, they are seen simply as an ornament, as play, as the circulation of energy.
An example can be given from worldly life. A person may see a practitioner or a monk and think that he does not share his principles, that he is some strange person altogether, and therefore become afraid of him. But if this person is himself a practitioner, he will rejoice upon seeing the monk, because he will see him as a kindred spiritual being. He will instantly recognize in him the essential consciousness that he himself is seeking.
The Wisdom of Self-Liberation
Therefore, it is important to recognize the primordial wisdom of the basis of liberation.
The wisdom of self-liberation is the most essential knowledge that must be assimilated when becoming a monk. Numerous techniques and secret methods work only when we have assimilated this wisdom of self-liberation. Until this wisdom has been assimilated, we may accumulate many initiations, but we will not have a single foundation upon which all of this can be strung; therefore, our practice will be ineffective at best. By contrast, one who has attained this wisdom of self-liberation, even without possessing a large arsenal of technical methods, confidently moves toward full enlightenment. This is as much a fact as that there is one sun and one moon in the sky.
It is said that this is the path of all Buddhas and all saints: all the saints of the past came to liberation by following this path; all the saints of the present are moving toward liberation by following this path; all the saints of the future will come to liberation by following this path. Without following this path, it is impossible to come to liberation.
The Accumulation of Karma and Its Cessation
Moreover, if you lack the key point of the practice of liberation upon arising, then whatever events occur, whatever hidden streams of discursive thoughts arise, they all lead to the accumulation of karmic causes of the cycle of existence.
Simply put, if you have learned to self-liberate, then karma does not accumulate, or if it does, it accumulates only very slightly. But if you have not learned to self-liberate, then new karma inevitably accumulates. For example, in the case of monks, of course, merit is accumulated for the most part, but some portion of impure karma also accumulates, since we do not always abide in a state of merit. Even as a monk, one can manifest certain impure thoughts, kleshas, and so on.
However, the saints say that as soon as you have discovered the principle of self-liberation, both merit and negative states cease to influence your mind, and accordingly, new karmas are not created, and strong imprints are not formed. Moreover, the very abiding in such true presence is the greatest merit.
Liberation upon Arising
Therefore, when any thought appears, subtle or gross, it is extremely important to maintain liberation upon arising, which leaves no trace.
Liberation upon arising means instantly noticing a thought or emotion that has arisen and not following it habitually, not becoming attached to it, but remaining in choiceless awareness, without expressing any attitude toward it whatsoever—that is, seeking its Source, the Clear Light, which will devalue the action of the emotion and neutralize its consequences.
Devaluing the action does not mean devaluing the energy. If someone thinks that this is about devaluing the energy, then that is simply the principle of suppression in the sutra. To devalue the action of a thought means to reunite it with the Clear Light and stop perceiving it as something separate from the Clear Light, as self-sufficient—that is, to stop believing in it.
When you have devalued the action of a thought and the energy continues to move as before, the following happens: you are relaxed and deeply immersed in the natural state, yet you have thoughts; that is, you do not manage to achieve complete thoughtlessness even after many years of meditation. Why does this not succeed? Because in principle it is impossible to achieve. If someone thinks it is possible, then it is not so.
It is, of course, possible to block thoughts in mahashanti for some time. It is possible to achieve some stable interval in order to experience the samadhi of the world without forms (I have experienced this myself), but it is impossible to attain a permanent state of thoughtlessness while fully perceiving all energies, because the property of the Clear Light is to manifest as energy, and the property of energy is to move. If you want to stop thoughts, you will have to stop the entire Universe at the same time, and it does not want to stop; it moves according to its own laws.
Therefore, we let go of thoughts instead of trying to block and stop them, and leave everything as it is; that is, we abide in the natural state. And then they no longer have any influence on us; they are like mirages, moving pictures. As an example, they cite a situation in which an old man watches children playing in a sandbox. The children frolic, while the old man simply looks at them and rests. In the same way, our mind is one-pointedly concentrated on the Clear Light, while thoughts and energies move in their own course, and perception produces circulation.
Moreover, at higher levels of practice it is even necessary to stimulate the movement of energy and thoughts so that there is no stagnation, in order to acquire the flexibility of the natural state. If someone believes that the natural state implies withdrawal inward, a frozen mind, and blocked perception, then he is, of course, mistaken. At best, such a tendency will direct consciousness into the world without forms, into the unmanifest, followed by an understanding of the deficiency of this state and the need for another reincarnation in order to obtain a new body in which one can continue training in awareness of the Clear Light.
Liberation Like a Drawing on Water
Whatever thoughts arise, without allowing them to slip away into the hidden stream of delusions, and without dwelling on the attachment generated by them, one must continuously maintain attention to naturalness in its undisturbed state, recognizing any thought that arises. It is necessary to maintain the state of liberation upon arising, which leaves no trace, like a drawing on water.
One who has mastered this first level in the liberation of thoughts as they arise always has an unwavering mind and knows how to change his state. As already mentioned, such a yogin does not have a bad mood or anger. Even if it does manifest, it disappears instantly. One could say that an angry state manifests for one or two seconds and then is instantly liberated.
A true practitioner does not experience depression or despondency, because he reunites everything with the Clear Light, which is the great source of joy, bliss, and wisdom. He does not experience any serious confusion, when he is bewildered and, in despair, clutches his head, not knowing what to do. Such moments are completely absent from his life.
Gradually, his life becomes filled with a very even, joyful, and happy state, because he never again loses connection with this Source, with the primordial basis of the Universe. Whatever events may occur, he views everything only in connection with the primordial basis. It can be said that such a yogin has already roughly sensed the essence of the expression “all is Brahman.” Although he has not yet fully revealed it, because there are further stages of realization.
The Difference Between Recognition and Natural Liberation
If thoughts are not purified in natural liberation, then the mere recognition of thoughts does not cut off the continuity of obscured karma.
This is a very important phrase. It refers here to the initial practice. Recognizing the arising of thoughts and not following them is also possible in practices simpler than self-liberation in presence. This is possible, for example, in observing the body, in anapanasati, in any practices of mindfulness, and in point-focused atma-vichara.
When you practice a method and separate yourself from thoughts, you can learn not to follow thoughts through adherence to the method. For example, if you practice atma-vichara, you tirelessly hold on to the feeling of “I”; thoughts arise, but they will not knock you off course, because you will continue to hold this feeling of “I,” even if someone waves a shaft at you, even if that shaft is used to beat you.
However, in the true sense, this cannot yet be called self-liberation that leaves no karmic imprints. This is only half the matter, because the Clear Light has not yet been revealed, while the method is at work. That is, the method protects you, like armor, from all emotions and thoughts; however, the nature of the Mind has not yet been recognized by you. At best, you do not suffer from the activity of the mind, but reunion with the Source is something else: it is when the method has led you to the natural state, when your mind is not fixed only on the method but is wide open, when the infinite luminous emptiness and clarity have been discovered.
This is a very important point. One can be a good practitioner of the method and practice it for twenty years, yet still not understand this; one can experience deep states of clarity, yet remain in a vexing lack of understanding of this difference.
So, alongside recognition, one must nakedly observe one’s own nature, recognize the already familiar primordial wisdom.
And then abide in this state. It is said that this is the key point in the practice of liberation. That is, it is not enough to observe the arising of thoughts and instantly liberate them; it is also important to penetrate the essential nature of the Mind, which is like space, and abide in it, and then self-liberation will be true. It is precisely at this stage that the purity of everything that manifests arises — thoughts, emotions, energies, kleshas, and everything external.
