Q: Can you explain about the nature of mind, རིག་པ་ Rigpa, སེམས་sem ?
A: “Can you explain about the nature of the mind” – there’s nothing to explain about the nature of the mind, you know? That’s the thing. By explaining, it really doesn’t give any kind of solution. Because I’ve been explaining here and there, but it really doesn’t help anybody. It gives them more imagination, more imagination. The more imagination there is, the more far away you are from the recognition to the nature of the mind. Because the nature of the mind is a non-duality state. See?
Like an example, when we are visualising a deity, we are projecting the idea of what we heard, we are projecting that idea in our front, in our self, in our mind.
So the nature of the mind is beyond the duality, and it is a state of non-duality. It is absent from any sort of a fixation, therefore there is a clarity. And then it has a clear state of knowing, and therefore it is absent from all the distraction, that’s two. And number three, is that, and then witnessing the emptiness itself, and all these three combined together, simultaneously experiencing it, is the nature of the mind.
Empty, empty and nothingness is not the nature of the mind. Clearly only knowing is not the nature of the mind. Simply not being distracted is also not nature of the mind. And then duality state is not a nature of the mind. Nature of the mind is a non-duality state. Experiencing and seeing the emptiness, beyond the idea of “I” looking into a certain direction or any form of shape or colour and so on. And then at the same time, continuity of knowing.
So continuity of knowing, sense of clarity, and emptiness, and transparency, all of these experiences, simultaneously experiencing at once, is the nature of the mind. So that’s it.
But then again, you can hear these teachings so many times, it really doesn’t solve any problem. At the end it comes down to the foundation of your practice. If you have too much ego, and saying “I am important, so therefore I require important teaching” if you have that then you are wrong.
So like I was saying in Tibetan language little bit earlier, and saying do not put a hierarchy within the Lord Buddha’s teaching. Treat all the teachings of the Lord Buddha equally as possible, that’s number one. Number two, just because somebody says that is very important, not necessarily it will really help you in your spiritual growth or spiritual practice, so therefore you need to have some sort of a Dharma instructor, not necessarily a “guru”. Dharma instructor who can reflect the truth within you, to practice, and maintain, and keep a secular point of view, that you respect all the religions, all the traditions, and you just want to learn based on your capacity, and so on.
Kalu Rinpoche
FB Livestream – 14 November 2021 (66’)
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