Compassion of Wisdom toward the Shaky Mind

Part 3 The next question I ask on your behalf is,” How do bodhisattvas maintain the equilibrium of seeing things as they are, empty of inherent existence, and still see the point of view of suffering sentient beings?” The nature of the perfected state is creativity, otherwise how could it possibly help you become free? Bodhisattva activity is supramundane creativity, aligning others with higher being and purifying with joyful energies.

There are different classes of bodhisattvas, and most of these enlightened beings do not approach the sense fields of ordinary beings out of a correct concern of being imprinted by ordinary mind. This is possible due to holding compassion so they can heal the injured energies of the suffering being without taking on characteristics of illusory karma. This can be a problem for the new bodhisattva who still contains stains of ordinary experience even though the production of dysfunctions is gone due to enlightenment. This is especially true when new practitioners in the preparation stages toward awakening are energizing themselves by inquiry into the nature of reality and are creating really strange ideas about what is and what is not enlightenment.

There is a lack of correct perceptions that becomes mixed with energies freed prior to higher alignment. The grasping mind would like to realign these newly released energies into either the original contaminated form, a different contaminated fantasy form such as developing an inner deity like character or a different form than the one that is indicated by inner bodhisattva guidance toward perfection. As these energies are being released by removing blockages and confused states of mind and the innate view is being challenged on an interior level, the natural impulse is to want to bring them back into a familiar, contaminated pattern. Getting up from meditation, the meditator shakes themselves back into the familiar dynamic that they had before they sat down.

So, the rare and special guidance toward perfection is an alignment that perhaps you have not yet experienced and need to have this information so you can behave appropriately when it comes. Buddha emanated bodhisattvas are specially trained to avoid becoming entangled in the confused mind because it is such dangerous work for extremely subtle beings to adapt to work with gross energy beings such as human beings. The practitioner does preparation practices to purify themselves and is cautioned again and again to remain calm and not get caught up in agitation, fear, blame, and doubt regarding their practice or their environment. When the grasping mind is freeing energies which have been causing suffering for a very long time; the rule is do not disturb or annoy your own mind. It is not a suggestion.

You also do not disturb the mind of your mentor who is trying to facilitate your understanding of the preparations needed for your transformation. The mental models presented in the teachings change the practitioners thinking enough to make them candidates for the inner guidance being who facilitates the process for inner minds. Not only that, but outer mentor who is connected already to buddha guidance being acts as the advocate for your process. In the ordinary sense, you should interact with your outer mentor in ways that do not disrupt their meditation or take them away from inner work for the benefit of many, for trivial reasons. So, when you do contact the lama, it is done calmly and without disturbing your own mind also. That is what real practitioners do.

You have a further responsibility to respect yourself and your inner process. Inner mentor, bodhisattva or buddha level being, has the work of assisting transformation of the inner process in an energetically quiet atmosphere. In that way, the needs and the function of this world system is fulfilled in order to provide the environment for a practitioner to practice carefully. The power of the wisdom Buddha emanated bodhisattva acts as a midwife for the transformation stage and preparation by inner encouraging, cautioning and helping that birthing process of the transformation. Since all living beings are perfection itself, do not know it, and cause suffering for themselves and others by that misknowledge, wisdom bodhisattva, out of compassion, teaches.

So, my next question is, "Rinpoche, if I am not doing it correctly and am caught up in self-cherishing, how do I understand that inner mentor is performing acts of compassion toward me when I become distorted?" For the benefit of all sentient beings who will benefit in the future, we all want the preparation for final alignment to go steady and smooth even while you are operating with an innate view that encourages your confusion by innately projecting the transitory to be permanent. For someone who has faith and trust in the Buddha, the dharma teachings of transformation and practices and the sangha enlightened ones, the inner glance of compassion wisdom bodhisattva instantly relaxes and smoothly moves into another closer alignment with enlightened, vast being. This is due to preparation by meditation and purifying.

However, that same glance for the confused can feel awful and punishing. The cause of this confusion might be only a temporary obstacle that prevents the meditator from gaining the alignment by inner bodhisattva. The skillful practitioner will throw the contaminated ideas that arise from confusion far away and resume their relationship with inner mentor based on love and trust without looking at the confusion. The unskillful practitioner will make a bodhisattva into a devil.

Because of their unsteadiness in practice, practitioners who flip from trust and faith to mistrust and confusion are difficult to train in the higher tantras. They properly belong to baby Buddhism and not to higher trainings. If you wish to receive the higher trainings, then you must have some levels of control of your conflicting emotions. Those who cannot are not suitable for higher trainings.

Even from a state of deep energetic confusion regarding the way you actually exist, you have to take responsibility and learn discipline. You are not expected you to be perfect, there is nothing to be afraid of, and no one is trying to harm you but the roiling up of purification process might cause strange thinking. "Oh my gosh, I felt a bump, or somebody looked at me! I thought this, and I saw something that looked like a dark shape." Please get control over your emotions so you can be practitioners. Do not be afraid when wisdom bodhisattva comes and touches you. Do not be afraid. That would be very inappropriate.

My personal lineage in Tibet worked with meditators who were themselves highly trained, even initiating lamas who received the guidance or midwife-type process of transformation. Do not force me, or your present qualified lama, to be a baby Buddhism teacher when you could be capable of higher practices. From the great bodhisattvas, buddhas and from perfection itself, you are being called home. There are myriad experiences and trainings you will need before then. The Buddhas who have compassion for your confusion, will touch you and all sentient beings again and again on the interior to see who is ready for transformation in accordance with the deep law. Be ready and receptive to that touch. To be continued……