The Structure of the Teaching: Ground, Path, and Fruition
In this lecture, we will discuss the view found in the teaching of Laya Yoga.
In terms of structure, every teaching has a ground, a path, and a fruition. The ground is what guides our worldview, or what we believe in. The path is our practice, the way we actualize our view. And what is fruition? Fruition is the result, the final destination, what we hope to attain.
The ground of the teaching may be called Brahman or prajnana, primordial awareness. In other words, it is nonduality. The path is the practice of meditation, contemplation, and working with energies. It is the specific tradition of the siddhas—Laya Yoga itself. And what is the fruition? Fruition is what we hope to obtain: realization. For example, attaining the realization of several enlightened bodies is a fruition. Attaining an illusory subtle body (pranava-deha), attaining an immortal physical body (siddha-deha), attaining infinite consciousness—that is, the wisdom body (jnana-deha)—or attaining all three bodies at once: all of this may be called the fruition of practice, a specific result. Becoming a deity and creating one’s own universe, one’s own mandala, is also a fruition. Finally, simply purifying one’s mind of duality and realizing a state beyond duality may also be called a fruition.
Tangible Fruits of Practice
When we speak of the fruits, these are not some ephemeral fruits, but quite tangible ones. Of course, at first we may not feel them. Initially, we experience only modest fruits of our practice. For example, we may say:
- “I was angry, but I overcame it through the power of awareness. I can control my emotions, feelings, and thoughts”
- “I was attached to something; I was torn apart by desires such as lust, greed, and other things, but I brought all of them under control”
- “There were pathogenic energies in my body, but I regulated the state of my elements, so now I feel lightness in my body and have strong immunity”
- “I attained an unshakable inner center that gives me an immense sense of confidence and inspiration. This center is ‘I Am’ awareness”
These are still only modest fruits of practice. Of course, this cannot yet be called realization, but it is already something about which we can say, “Yes, these are the fruits of our practice.”
And when it comes to the fruits of practice, we see that the teaching is alive and that it is precisely through it that we build our future reality. Whether our future is created or, conversely, not created depends precisely on how well we are able to integrate the teaching into our lives and apply it in our lives. Everything is in our hands, because the teaching is like a precious, highly advanced device or supercomputer. If you can master it, it will bring you great benefit. If your qualifications are insufficient, then the benefit will likewise not be very great.
Time and Influence on the Future
There is a point called the present. But as you know, the present is something transient. What is present now will be past tomorrow, and the day after tomorrow it will recede even further and the future will arrive. We live not in one time, but in three—the past, the future, and the present. Perhaps in two hundred years we will all be gone, and all that remains of what happened here will be a single line in encyclopedias or textbooks on the history of Advaita in Russia, saying that there once was a monk named Vishnu Dev who spread Advaita in Moscow. That is also possible. We live in time, so what was present yesterday becomes past tomorrow. The future is constantly approaching us. At the moment this future arrives, we can no longer influence it, because the causes of that future were laid down earlier; it has already ripened. This future is what is called “karma,” “cause-and-effect relationships.”
For example, from our present point in time, we can predict the future to some extent and even influence it. From where we are now, for instance, we can influence the future around the years 2020 and 2025. Perhaps we can no longer significantly affect the immediate future of 2009 and 2010, because all the main causes and preconditions have already been created. We are unable to influence it and can only passively acknowledge: “Yes, here it comes.” This is the so-called zone beyond our influence. But regarding the more distant future, we can say: “Yes, to some extent I am capable of influencing both my own future and, perhaps, the global future as well.” And how can we influence it? Through the course of our thoughts, through the power of our consciousness. Our future in 2020, 2025, and 2030 depends on the state of consciousness we have now. This can be called the zone of effective influence. The seeds of this future are being planted right now.
For example, we have already missed the point at which we could influence 2010. It may have fallen in 2001 or 2000. In other words, that point has already passed. The causes and effects have already been set in place; they are like inexorable laws that have materialized. Connections and relationships are already at work, and there is little we can do to influence them, except perhaps at bifurcation points. Bifurcation means variability, a certain probability of choice at points where branching occurs. If we find such a point and exert pressure on it, we can alter the balance of forces, connections, and relationships. But for the most part, we are not free to influence the future that is already approaching. The point at which we could have influenced it has passed; it was earlier. However, we can influence the future that lies a little farther away.
The future beyond 2070 or 2090 is already an event horizon—that is, something inaccessible to us. We can only speculate about what the year 2100 will be like and where we ourselves will be at that time. But we can influence a somewhat nearer future. On the basis of our present state of consciousness, we can plant certain seeds and determine the paths that future will take. And while this future has not yet been determined, it remains in a quantum state; it is probabilistic. Even the slightest changes in our mood can have a serious impact on this future. We can develop one chain of events or, by changing our state, set in motion a completely different course of events and create another possible universe. The teaching of parasattarka logic discusses this in greater detail.
The Teaching as the Key to the Future
Thus, when we practice the teaching, we must understand how important it is. The teaching is, in fact, the most important thing in the world, because it has an immense impact on our lives and determines our future. And it is not someone else’s future but our own that depends on how well we understand the teaching, integrate it into our lives, and apply it. The teaching gives us the keys to shaping this bright future, the keys to guiding it. If we use these keys correctly, we can truly create it. We become the creators of our own destiny. But if we lose these keys, nothing can be done.
For example, I consider the teaching and practice to be the most precious things in my life. I believe that nothing can be more precious, because through the teaching I can accomplish anything. I can remove everything that hinders me and create everything I desire. If I have the teaching, then I have everything; but if I do not have the teaching, then everything else is useless. Wisdom as such is the greatest treasure, valued both in the world of the gods and in the world of the sages.
And when we study the teaching, it is very important to put it into practice and to understand how it can genuinely help us in life. We are not even speaking of such transcendent things as liberation and enlightenment. At least on the level of simpler things, the teaching helps us become wiser and more harmonious in life and better understand our circumstances, our situation, our destiny, our prana, energy, body, and so on.
There is a story about this. A king in India had a teacher—a sadhu, a yogi—who gave him instructions. The king listened, but half of what he heard went in one ear and out the other. Since he was a king, he was fond of hunting, entertainment, and sensual pleasures: he liked to play dice, enjoy the company of dancing girls, drink wine, and wage war. And the sadhu saw that his teachings had little effect on him and that the king remained just as he had always been. Yet he kept telling his teacher, “I want to attain liberation.” The teacher grew tired of this and persuaded a servant to help him. One day, the servant rushed into the palace with a terrified look on his face and said:
— My lord, something incredible has happened! Camels from all over our country have gathered around the palace and are climbing the walls onto the palace roof.
The king burst out laughing and said:
“You must be out of your mind. What are you talking about?!”
Then the sadhu entered and said:
“My lord, there is nothing surprising about this. If you wish to attain liberation while indulging in distractions, sensual pleasures, and hunting, then why should camels not climb onto the palace roof? After all, that is just as unlikely as what you desire. So this, too, may happen.”
Likewise, when we receive the keys to the teaching, it is very important to practice—that is, to apply the teaching—so that we do not become like that king. Otherwise, our chances of attaining liberation and enlightenment will be just as great as those of camels climbing onto the palace roof.
There is another story in which Brahma asked the rishi Narada:
“What is the most astonishing thing in the world?”
Narada replied:
“I have seen three astonishing things in the human world. No matter how often I visit it, I never cease to be amazed. The first is that those who are themselves destined to die weep over the dead, without understanding that they are in the same situation. Yet they do not realize this. The second astonishing thing is that everyone understands that afflictions (sins) lead to unfavorable rebirths, yet they do not strive to free themselves from them, and that is astonishing. And the third is that everyone understands that merit, good deeds, and the development of consciousness lead to well-being and higher rebirths, yet they are in no particular hurry to accumulate them. These are three profoundly astonishing things.”
A World Without Limitations
Thus, the teaching is what enables us to radically transform our world and our future, and to create the world in which we would like to live. This need not be a world encompassing all of humanity; it can at least be our own world, which we can create through the power of our practice of the teaching. And what kind of world are we moving toward as we practice the teaching? A world where there will be no limitations of time, space, the universal course of things, or energy.
There is a saying in the Upanishads:
“When people roll up space like a hide, then they will become free.”
We are moving toward a world where there will be no death—that is, toward a world of immortality. Toward a world without limitations, where, for example, one can possess not one body but several. Toward a world unconditioned by time, whether past or future, because when consciousness becomes rooted in the single “taste,” past and future become relative concepts. Toward a world without spatial limitations. Toward a world without limitations associated with national identities; there will be no Russians, Jews, English people, or Americans, but one united divine humanity. Toward a world without limitations based on religious divisions; there will be no Muslims, Jews, Christians, Buddhists, or Hindus, but one unified awareness that may manifest in different ways, yet remains entirely transcendent and indivisible, because in the primordial nature of Mind there are no Russians, Jews, Germans, Muslims, Buddhists, Advaitins, or Christians. Primordial awareness is simply freedom without concepts or limitations.
And when we speak of the Laya Yoga teaching, this does not mean that we are trying to limit ourselves in some way by thinking, “This is what we Laya yogis are like.” We say that it is simply a path that allows us to free ourselves completely from all limitations and create the future we desire. We are moving toward a world in which we ourselves assume the role of a creator god, a mandaleshvara capable of creating his own universe, his own mandala. This is the sixteenth stage in the teaching.
How quickly this future can materialize depends on how well we can apply the teaching. If we embrace the teaching with great intensity, this future begins to materialize.
View, Meditation, and Conduct
Thus, we have discussed the ground, the path, and the fruit. The fruit is the future we wish to realize, the path is our practice, and the ground is what we orient ourselves toward and take as our basis—for example, nonduality.
Now we can discuss the path in greater detail. The path is how we directly unfold the teaching and apply it in our lives. The path itself can be described using the terms “view,” “meditation,” and “conduct.”
The View is how we see the world, our worldview. It need not necessarily be theoretical; it can be practical, as a direct experience. And we say, especially when speaking of Laya Yoga, that our View is not associated with concepts. In other words, it is not a philosophical vision of the world, but a View that arises through awareness, on a nonconceptual level. That is, I look at the world with bare awareness, without making judgments or evaluations, and this is the View that I cultivate. This is generally how the View is understood in the Laya Yoga teachings.
What is meditation? It is a specific meditative practice. You have been given handouts outlining a twelve-year sequence of practices for meditation in stillness and meditation in motion. If you work with these methods, devoting one year of attention to each of them, you will inevitably reach the point where the View begins to be realized in your life. That is, you simply adhere to a particular meditation technique and practice a specific method in order to gain direct experience. We have presented all our methods described in the booklet “Fundamental Practices of Laya Yoga” in a more convenient format. And now I hope you will have a clear understanding of what to practice. Students often say, “There are so many methods, but what exactly should we practice?” To answer this question and enable you to navigate this on your own, you can look at this plan and understand what to practice in each year.
At the same time, you should understand that the many different meditation techniques, sankalpas, and methods of contemplation are essentially one and the same. They are not actually different methods. They are simply different skillful means that help you deepen your principal method even further—contemplative presence. Regardless of which sankalpa you practice—“Divine Pride,” “Space,” or “Atma-vichara”—all these sankalpas ultimately revolve around your awareness; they serve it, so to speak. In reality, they are manifestations of the same natural state.
This twelve-year practice is an example of the “meditation” section of the teachings.
There is also another section called “conduct.” It relates to our outward expression. It is how we apply the teachings in life. For example, there is conduct associated with the monastic code, conduct associated with tantric samayas, etiquette for practitioners, the sphere of service and interaction with external energies, and specific instructions on how to apply flexibility in everyday life—all of this can be included in the section on conduct. Conduct is a way of embodying the teachings in specific relative circumstances.
When we have the View and meditation as a practice, and can integrate our View and meditation into our conduct, we are said to have become accomplished practitioners. Every area of our life is encompassed by the teachings; that is, the teachings manifest vividly in our life and bring us tremendous benefit.
The Importance of the View
And now we will discuss the View, since it is the essence of the teachings. If, as they say, our View has not been established, then even if we perform techniques or meditation practices, all of it will remain superficial, and we will make serious mistakes. Conversely, if the View has been realized, our meditation practices will inevitably develop, and we will move in the right direction. There is even a saying: “The main thing is not meditation, but becoming accustomed to the View.” In fact, abiding in the natural state (sahaja-sthiti) is precisely the continual establishment of oneself in the View until the View becomes uninterrupted.
In Dattatreya’s “Tripura Rahasya” and in the “Yoga Vasishtha,” the example of a mirror is often given. We will try to use it to explain the principle of the View. I will speak with one student, but try to imagine that I am showing the mirror to each of you personally.
— Look into it so that you can see yourself. Can you see?
— Yes.
— Tell me, whom do you see there?
— What I am accustomed to seeing.
— Yourself, presumably?
— Yes.
— Tell me, is that your image, or that of a monk, a layperson, or the god Shiva?
— Mine.
— Yours. Good. Now try to change it. Can you alter it? For example, turn your head, change your hairstyle, or make a face. It will change, won’t it?
— Yes.
— And can you say that you are responsible for it?
— Yes.
The Principle of the Mirror and Reflections
Since it is your image, you can influence it. In a certain sense, it is highly dependent on you. You can create it by appearing before the mirror, and you can destroy it by leaving the mirror’s field of reflection. Is that so? In a certain sense, you are its creator god.
“All right. So, in this example, does this reflection depend entirely on you?”
“No.”
“No? Then on whom?”
“On time.”
“On time. Yes, even I need to think about that. Let us suppose that our example takes place outside of time. Suppose we have moved into a timeless state.”
“Then it also depends on your questions.”
“On my questions.”
“On my mood.”
“All right. Within the framework of this example, we can say that neither monks, nor other laypeople, nor the gods on the altar have any power over your reflection or interfere with it. All of this is the result of your personal interaction with the mirror. Is that right? Try making a face. Can you affect the mirror?”
“Yes.”
“And if I make a face, will the reflection change? It still will not change, will it? I will not be able to affect it because it is your personal affair. It is your relationship with the mirror. If, for example, I turn away from the mirror, I cannot make the image disappear because it is yours. Outsiders do not participate in this because it is entirely subjective and belongs to you. So, do you acknowledge that only you are responsible for your reflection?”
“No, I do not acknowledge that.”
“You do not?”
“Because you influence the face I make every second. And everything here affects my reflection.”
“I influence the face you make every second, do I? All right, let us suppose that nothing can influence you.”
“If I decide that, then yes.”
“If you decide that, then only you are responsible for it. All right.”
So, this is the mirror example used in symbolic transmission. It is explained in the “Tripura Rahasya.” When we use an example, it is a kind of ideal experiment in which we imply that this symbol conveys a certain understanding.
Thus, you see your own reflection in the mirror. It is you who are connected with this reflection, no one else. It is you who can affect it. You can even make it appear or disappear. Now consider that just as a mirror shows you your physical body by reflecting it, so too the entire external reality, the entire external universe, is a reflection of your consciousness, a reflection of your higher Self. It is your reflection specifically, not anyone else’s. It is you who can affect it or not affect it. It is you, as the higher Self, who have power over it. And the universe is the intersection of many such reflections.
What we call the external world does not truly exist outside your consciousness. The external world only appears real; in fact, it is as real as a dream, as a reflection in a mirror. For example, if we reflect a rose in a mirror, it cannot be smelled. If you see an orange in a mirror, you cannot satisfy your hunger with the orange seen in the mirror. It is something unreal, like a mirage. In the same way, the entire external universe is like a mirage. It has been unreal from the very beginning, although it seems astonishingly real to us. It is entirely a product of our consciousness, its projections. And we ourselves are responsible for these projections. Of course, it is not our small “self,” but our higher “Self,” with which we have yet to reunite.
As for our body and our small “self,” they too are projections of our higher “Self.” Our higher “Self” has projected the body, the ego, personal qualities, and characteristics, and we regard all this as ourselves. But this too is a kind of reflection created by our higher “Self.”
The Nature of the Mirror and Reflections
Thus, every external manifestation in the universe can be likened to reflections. They are all different reflections flickering in a mirror. What, then, is the mirror? The mirror is our awareness itself; it is our “Self”-nature; it is the nature of our Mind, or Mind as such. Reflections are temporary and changeable. The mirror, however, is eternal, immutable, and unaffected by reflections. For example, hundreds or even millions of reflections may appear in a single mirror over the course of a day, but the mirror itself will remain unchanged: it will not become dirty, tired, or stained; it is, as it were, separate from all these reflections.
Sometimes an image of a deity may appear in the mirror—something sublime and beautiful, Dattatreya or the Buddha. Sometimes one may even see a dog or a pig in the mirror, something that seems not very clean to us. The mirror can also reflect a human being. But the mirror itself remains unchanged, whatever is reflected in it: a saint, a dog, a pig, or a human being. To the mirror, all these things appear equal, of equal value. They are simply reflections of different qualities.
Likewise, when hells and heavens, gods and demons are experienced in the stream of our consciousness, they are all reflections, but they have nothing to do with the mirror itself. The mirror cannot be purified by the appearance of deities. The mirror cannot be tainted by the appearance of demons. The mirror always remains itself; it is always pure because, in principle, it has a different nature. It is not connected with reflections; it is neither conditioned nor stained by them.
Thus, from the standpoint of the teaching, it is very important to understand the principle governing the relationship between reflections and the mirror. Reflections are all external manifestations, as well as internal ones, such as emotions, feelings, worldly desires, energies, and thoughts. The mirror itself is our higher Self, primordial wisdom, prajnana, which is like space. Reflections appear and disappear, but the primordial wisdom of our mind is never stained and never changes.
This can also be compared to a screen in a movie theater. When you enter a movie theater, various events are shown on the screen. People may love, hate, or wage war there. But as soon as the lights are turned on, everything disappears, and you see that there is only the screen. In fact, what was appearing was not real from the very beginning. But if you do not see the screen, these images may seem real to you, make a strong impression on you, cause you to become attached, or even frighten you. For example, actual cases have been documented in which, during screenings of the earliest motion pictures, people ran out of the theater in fear when a moving steam locomotive appeared on the screen. These are real historical facts.
Likewise, when we regard the external world as something real without understanding the principle of the mirror and reflection, we are like those people. In fact, everything arises within the field of our consciousness, which is the mirror. A reflection is what appears within it—the various manifestations of energy. To practice contemplation means precisely to distinguish the mirror from the reflections and to establish oneself in the state of the mirror.
Contemplative Presence
What do we mean when we say, “He contemplates,” “He abides in presence,” or “He is trying to remain in the natural state, in nonduality”? We mean that the person does not follow the reflections, does not pay attention to them, but abides in the state of the mirror. What does it mean to abide in the state of the mirror? It means remaining in naked awareness, without making evaluations or judgments and without paying attention to external things or to one’s own experiences, thoughts, emotions, and everything else.
Here is another example. The mirror itself may be very small, yet I can reflect a vast expanse of sky in it. If the moon or the sun were in the sky, I could place the moon, the sun, or even an entire star system within this mirror, and you would be able to see them. Thus, the mirror itself seems small, but its capabilities are limitless. Spatial and temporal relationships do not operate within it. In the same way, our Mind’s nature can encompass concepts that are incompatible from the standpoint of external matter, such as immense expanses of space.
There is a story about how Milarepa took shelter inside a yak horn during a snowstorm in the mountains. The yak horn did not grow larger, nor did Milarepa become smaller. When his disciple Rechung, fearing for Milarepa, looked inside the yak horn, he saw that Milarepa had made himself quite comfortable there, that he had no difficulties and was warm inside. He was greatly astonished because Milarepa was the same size as usual, while the yak horn also remained the same size. It was something incomprehensible and miraculous.
Likewise, when we enter the mirror, the nature of our Self, spatial and temporal relationships cease to operate within it. Our consciousness can contain countless billions of universes. Processes can unfold within our consciousness whose duration is incomparable to time in this world. All this is a property of consciousness, because it is consciousness that creates time and space, not the other way around. Both Dattatreya and Rishi Vasishtha speak of this.
The Subjectivity of Time and Space
Once, I was traveling by car to Divya Loka. I was practicing concentration on the Vishuddha chakra and meditation. Upon entering a meditative state, I felt that about an hour had passed within me. I thought, “Goodness. How can the driver keep driving for so long?” Yet during that time, the driver had perhaps traveled only five hundred meters. Then I continued concentrating on the Vishuddha chakra, entering an even deeper state. By my subjective perception, several hours passed, but during that time the driver advanced perhaps another twenty meters. I thought, “If we keep going at this pace, it will be very exhausting. When will we finally get there?”
We drove on, and all of this continued as I entered ever more deeply into a meditative state. And the deeper I entered it, the longer the periods of time that I subjectively experienced. And when I came out of it, it seemed as though everything was beginning to come to a complete standstill. I thought, “At this rate, we’ll never get there.” I went in and out like this about twenty times while we were driving, even though we only had perhaps five kilometers to go. And the last time, when I entered the deepest meditative state and subjectively experienced perhaps several days, the driver was already opening the gate. But when I came back out, the driver was still opening the gate. I thought, “This is a nightmare! When are we finally going to get home? How much longer can this go on?” I was simply in a different subjective consciousness at the time, one in which the temporal coordinates were completely different. And then, through sheer willpower, I stopped the meditation, thinking that this was already too much. At this rate, we might never get home; time would stop and everything would come to a standstill. How many billions of years would we have to wait then? Time began to flow differently, and I reached my cottage in “Divya Loka” in the usual way.
And although we know that the teaching speaks about this, when we experience it ourselves, it is always surprising. Because time is a subjective factor. Space, likewise, is a subjective factor. A billion universes can fit on one of your fingers if your consciousness abides in the state of the mirror. This is the property of the mirror as the nature of our Mind.
Freedom from the Enchantment of Reflections
To abide in contemplative presence means to recognize the mirror, become rooted in it, and not be enchanted by reflections. But what does an ordinary person who abides in ignorance do? They do not see the mirror and become enchanted by the reflections. The reflections cast a spell on them. They think that the reflections truly exist and begin chasing after them.
For example, there is a story about a dog. A large black dog approached a mirror and saw another dog there. It began to bark because it thought that another large black dog—its rival—was standing there. It barked and became increasingly agitated because the other dog (the reflection) was barking at it too. Eventually, the whole situation began to get out of control. But in reality, there was no other dog there; it was merely a reflection.
When we do not understand the relationship between the mirror and reflections—that a reflection is unreal and illusory, that the only reality that exists at all is the mirror, and that the mirror is the fundamental controlling element governing all of this—we often resemble such a dog barking at its own reflection.
What does it mean to “bark at a reflection”? It means establishing a relationship with various manifestations based on attachment or aversion.
Gaining Power over Reflections
Thus, when we understand the principle of the mirror, it is said that we have attained contemplative presence and entered the natural state. We stop chasing reflections. We know that all reflections are manifestations of the mirror and that the most important thing is to abide in the state of the mirror. And then we gain power over the reflections. Previously, the reflections had power over us. Cause-and-effect relationships, external events, and the world constantly swept us along: we were born, formed connections and relationships, became attached, suffered, and died. The reflections completely obscured our vision, and we chased after them. But when we become rooted in the state of the mirror, the reflections no longer have power over us; on the contrary, we have power over the reflections.
For example, having reflected the sky in this mirror, I can change it by turning the mirror. Or, having reflected a large number of people in this mirror, I can turn the entire image in another direction with a slight movement of my hand. This is possible because I control the mirror. But if I do not control the mirror, will I be able to turn the sky, this house, or all the people? Hardly, because I do not possess the controlling element.
In the same way, the supernatural magical powers of the gods seem miraculous, extraordinary, incomprehensible, and forever unattainable to people. Why? Because people do not know this secret. But the gods know that all supernatural magical powers, the ability to control the forces of the universe, arise from abiding in the state of the mirror. When we abide in the state of the mirror, all these reflections can be turned, rotated, and directed as needed. Then the universal elements, the cosmic forces of the universe, the powers of creation, preservation, destruction, concealment, the manifestation of the divine, and much more begin to respond to the impulses of our consciousness.
The Theory of Reflection (Pratibimba-vada)
Thus, the View as a category within the teaching is directly connected with this example. And this example is very important. It is no coincidence that Dattatreya pays attention to the example of the mirror. Rishi Vasishtha also describes the example of the mirror in the Yoga Vasishtha. And Rishi Vasishtha is one of the prominent theoreticians and founders of the philosophy of pratibimba-vada—the theory of reflection. He says that everything is a reflection of your consciousness. Nothing exists outside your consciousness as the higher Self, outside nondual consciousness. Everything that arises is merely a reflection of your consciousness, and these reflections are, in a certain sense, illusory. Of course, this is real matter; nevertheless, all these material reflections are manifestations of the mirror of your mind. Accordingly, there is an important branch of philosophy called pratibimba-vada (the theory of reflection), whose founder is Rishi Vasishtha.
As we acquire the View in the course of studying Laya Yoga, we gradually strive to become rooted in the state of the mirror and not be captivated by the reflections that arise within it. To engage in contemplation means constantly striving to abide in the mirror and to distinguish the real from the unreal, the reflection from the mirror.
The Path to Mastering Reality
One often hears people say, “I want to be happy. I want to be wealthy, healthy, successful, immortal, and so on.” To realize all this, one can offer them the following advice: “Try to understand the principle of the mirror. If you can become rooted in the nondual nature of Mind, in this state of the mirror, then everything you desire will come true, because you will find that controlling element or that wish-fulfilling jewel which can grant you everything. But if, without understanding this principle, you wish to become successful, healthy, or wealthy—let alone immortal and awakened to the Dharma—no matter how much you manipulate the reflections, you will still fail to achieve this, because the entire essence of all universal appearances lies in this very nature of Mind.”
When we master the principle of the mirror, it enables us to shape our own reality in accordance with sankalpa, our intention. We then cease to be dependent on reflections. Moreover, we can even create our own world and our own universe, at the center of which will be our own consciousness. Such a world is traditionally called a mandala in the teaching, and the yogi who creates it is called a mandaleshvara. And the yogi’s future goal is precisely to become such a mandaleshvara deity who, while abiding in the state of the mirror, can create various reflections.
Taking Refuge
To take Refuge means to find support in something, a potential for further development, and to make something very important, central to one’s life.
What is the Guru principle? It is the principle of discovering your inner Self, in the course of which the small “self” discovers this principle within itself as the inner guru. At first, of course, we take Refuge in a specific teacher, calling that teacher the guru. But gradually we discover that the guru is the consciousness within us that guides us as our higher Self.
In an external sense, the Dharma principle appears as a teaching, a specific practice, or a philosophy. But as we practice, we discover that the Dharma is nothing other than the clarity of realization that grows over the course of our practice.
What is the Sangha principle? At first, it is seen as a specific community of like-minded people striving toward one great goal, as brothers and sisters in the Dharma. This bond must be deeply respected and cherished. But as we deepen our practice, we see that the Sangha is not only the people around us, our brothers and sisters in the Dharma, but also the lineage, the saints, and ultimately the entire universe and all living beings.
It is with this understanding that we take Refuge.
Samaya Connection and the Sacred Lineage of Transmission
The practice of Refuge is an important practice that enables one to establish a samaya connection. To take Refuge means to enter into such a samaya connection, into the sacred lineage of transmission, or into the power line of transmission. This is the meaning of the words we utter.
Taking Refuge is like planting a seed that will grow into a great tree of enlightenment in the future. For this tree of enlightenment to grow, it must be watered and carefully tended, protected, nurtured, and cultivated in every possible way. This is precisely what we mean by the sacred connection, samaya. That is why I always tell my disciples: “Guard your samaya as the apple of your eye, as the most sacred thing you possess.” One who honors samaya attains true realization.
