THE CHANGING MIND AND THE NATURAL MIND
When we recognize the nature of the mind and develop the capacity to remain in it, nothing can distract us.
It is important to distinguish between the ordinary, conceptual, or changing mind (sem, sems), which we have described before, and the nature of the mind (sem yi, sems nyid), which in Bon Dzogchen thought is synonymous with kunzhi, the basis of everything. In the Zhang Zhung Nyan Gyud, four qualities are mentioned that characterize the nature of the mind:
Absence of thoughts. Being the basis of the changing mind. Being neutral, not tending to be virtuous or non-virtuous. Having unlimited potentiality for manifestation. Four qualities are also listed during the process of reconnecting the changing mind with the natural state, which are: Sight and memory.
When the mind thinks, it can manifest any thought. When one stops thinking and observes, the changing mind is liberated into kunzhi. If one allows one's own mind to dwell in the unchanging natural state, "mother" and "son" unite inseparably. By "mother" (ma) here we mean the basis (kunzhi), the emptiness of the natural state, experienced by the individual as the uncreated essence of the mind. "Son" (bu) is clarity (rigpa) in the natural state, experienced by the individual as unobscured wisdom: the luminous self-awareness of the mind. The clarity and emptiness of the natural state are inseparable. These qualities refer to the ordinary mind, the changing mind: not to the basis of consciousness but to the form, a form of consciousness.
When you say: "What does the mind have to do when carrying out the practice?" this is a correct question, because it is the mind that is responsible for carrying out the practice. To illustrate the difference between the form and the basis of consciousness, I will give an example: the mind can take the form of "I need breakfast" or "I haven't had breakfast," and this is a form, a certain structure that is created; but the basis of consciousness is not what we call mind, but rather the potential, the continuum of consciousness. The mind comes and goes and adopts different forms in different situations; in contrast, this continuum of consciousness is always there, it does not stop, regardless of whether one is in a coma, unconscious, or dead: that consciousness continues.
We can ask ourselves: "What is continuity or continuity of consciousness?" The continuity of consciousness is that which never stops. Consciousness of what? Consciousness of itself. What would be the definition of this consciousness? It is said that awakened consciousness is clear in itself and luminous. And between the moment a thought ends and the moment the next one begins, there is something that is continuously there, and that something is the continuum of awakened consciousness.
Kunzhi, Rigpa, and Lo
In the Dzogchen text of the Zhang Zhung Nyan Gyud, we speak of: kunzhi, which is the basis of everything; rigpa, which is innate awakened consciousness; and lo, which is the mind (the form of the mind).
The first, kunzhi, is the basis of everything; it corresponds to wisdom that arises by itself and to the principle of enlightenment, and all of us have this aspect. The all-pervading quality of kunzhi is symbolized by the limitless space of extension and direction. Space is the infinite basis of all experience. By "space," we mean the external space of the sky, the inner empty space of the mind, and the space occupied by objects. Therefore, according to Dzogchen teachings, this space is not limited to external space or the space of the mind. In fact, in kunzhi, there is no distinction between inside and outside: we share the quality of space that the external world also has. Within us, there is that quality of open space which is the basis of everything.
Rigpa refers to the clarity of the natural state. The essential reality of the mind is pure, non-dual consciousness, that is, rigpa. Its essence forms a unity with the essence of everything that exists. During practice, it should not be confused with the more subtle serene and expansive states of the changing mind. When we have not yet recognized the nature of the mind, it manifests as the changing mind; but when we recognize it directly, it becomes both the path of liberation and liberation itself.
Dzogchen teachings use a mirror as a symbol of rigpa. The mirror reflects everything without judging, preferring, or choosing; it reflects beauty and ugliness, the large and the small, the virtuous and the non-virtuous. There are no limits or restrictions to what it can reflect; in fact, it never stops reflecting, and yet it is not affected or stained by what it reflects.
In the same way, the phenomena of experience arise in rigpa—thoughts, images, emotions, and the object to which one is attached: any apparent subject or object, that is, any experience. The conceptual mind itself arises and remains in rigpa. Life and death occur within the nature of the mind, but it is neither born nor dies, just as reflections come and go in the mirror without creating or destroying it.
By identifying with the conceptual mind, we live as if we were one of the mirror's reflections, reacting to other reflections, suffering confusion and pain, and incessantly living and dying. We confuse the reflections with reality and spend our lives chasing illusions.
When the conceptual mind is liberated from attachment and aversion, it spontaneously relaxes into rigpa. When that happens, there is no longer identification with the mirror's reflections, and we can appreciate each moment and effortlessly accommodate whatever arises in experience. If hatred arises, the mirror fills with hatred, and when love arises, it fills with love; for the mirror, neither has special significance; both are merely manifestations of its innate capacity to reflect. This is what has been called "mirror-like wisdom"; when we recognize the nature of the mind and develop the capacity to remain in it, no emotional state can distract us. Rather, all states and phenomena, even anger, jealousy, or any experience, are liberated in the purity and clarity that are their essence. When we remain in rigpa, we can cut karma and its roots, as well as free ourselves from the bonds of samsara.
When we develop stability in rigpa, we facilitate the achievement of other spiritual aspirations; it is much easier to practice virtue when one is free from attachment and the feeling of lack; it is easier to practice compassion when one is not obsessed with oneself, and it is also easier to practice transformation when one is not bound by false and limiting entities.
Lo is the aspect that the conceptual or changing mind adopts (see # Chapter 4). If envy appears, that is Lo; if anger appears, that is Lo, and so on.
The Mother Tantra calls the nature of the mind "primordial mind." This is like the ocean, while the ordinary mind resembles rivers, streams, and lakes which, although sharing the nature of the ocean and returning to it, exist temporarily as apparently separate entities. The changing mind is also compared to bubbles that constantly form and dissolve in the ocean of the primordial mind and depend on the force of karmic winds. For its part, the nature of the ocean does not change.
Rigpa arises spontaneously from the basis; its activity is an incessant manifestation, and all phenomena arise within it without disturbing it. The result of fully dwelling in the nature of the mind is the generation of the three bodies (kayas*) of the Buddha: Dharmakaya, which is the thought-free essence; Sambhogakaya, which is the incessant manifestation; and Nirmanakaya, which is compassionate activity not subject to delusion.
As we said, rigpa refers to clarity, to innate awakened consciousness. It is the unobscured self-awareness of the primordial state, a non-conceptual wisdom that is aware of itself and is beyond thought. It is the essence, which is clear in itself and is not obscured. When we say rigpa, we are talking about pure awakened consciousness. In philosophical terms, we can say that not all consciousness is pure. When I am angry, that is impure consciousness. Thus, all minds have consciousness, but not all minds have the experience of rigpa, which is awakened consciousness.
If we use the analogy of a film, we can say that the film is the basis. When we film images on that film, that is the changing mind, or karmic traces, which can be positive or negative: laughing, crying, etc. Now, to see these images, light is required, a bulb. If we have these things, we can project these images onto the wall and see; what we see is karma, the mind, but we see it thanks to the light, that is, consciousness. When we see, we think we are seeing images, but in reality, we are seeing light. However, no one would pay a movie ticket just to see light; we pay for the ticket to see the images and judge the film, the director, the theme, and the photography.
It is possible to see the light through the images, although it is not very common for us to do so. When a yogi or yogini achieves great realization in their life, the world does not disappear for them; they see the same world as everyone else, but the difference is that they see it through light. They see light through all experiences: when they see a flower, they see it full of light, and they also see what we perceive as negative full of light. That light is rigpa, it is pure awakened consciousness. The most common thing is that this light is perceived as obscured by the images. When we see the form, we tend to lose the quality of luminosity. It is not necessary for the Dzogchen practitioner to abandon their life to find themselves; they do not need to renounce experience to find the truth, which can be found where it is. The practitioner is, and simply needs to see who or what they are, and needs to understand it. It is through all experiences.
Discovering the Nature of the Mind
I believe that understanding the nature of the mind is a goal for every spiritual tradition and for humanity in general, and therefore I will begin by referring to the mind and the nature of the mind. In general, the mind is very dynamic: if one feels happy, that happiness is produced by the mind; if one is sad, it is due to the mind; likewise, if one feels confident, if one has clarity, or if one is completely confused, this confidence and clarity or confusion are products of the mind. The nature of the mind is like a mirror. The mirror reflects all kinds of images: they can be beautiful images or ugly images, but it is all the same reflection; whatever is reflected in it—no matter what—is done in a pure and clear way. So, we have the nature of the mind, which is like a mirror, and also the dynamic mind, which is full of images. We all have the possibility to rediscover the nature of the mind, and we also have the possibility and the potential to become confused about what the nature of the mind is; we all have this experience.
It is necessary to be aware that there are different types of obstacles to discovering the nature of the mind. There are external obstacles, which are karmic; internal obstacles, which are linked to emotions; and secret obstacles, which are those of ignorance, also called the "secret demon."
Whenever our mind is unclear and we are disconnected from ourselves, we ask ourselves: "Why am I like this?" And we attribute what we feel to things happening outside, in our interactions with other people. We believe that the problems we have in our lives with our relatives, with our partners, are the cause of our mind being confused; that is why it is unclear: we call these external obstacles because they are karmic relationships we have with these people. We think that the people who cause us problems in our lives are the reason we cannot discover our true self, our true nature.
Then comes the internal level, which has to do with our own mind, with the emotions, thoughts, and ideas we have about whether it is good for a certain thing to happen or whether what is happening is what we want. Basically, they are thoughts and emotions that become an obstacle to discovering the nature of the mind, and because of this, our mind is like an old mirror in which we cannot see ourselves well because something prevents it; it may be full of dust or fogged up for any other reason. A typical example of these internal obstacles are the five poisons: ignorance, hatred, attachment, envy, and pride. But we will not address the five here, only two: anger and attachment; those are enough for us.
See how you feel when you are angry; observe how anger prevents you from perceiving yourself clearly; observe how there is an absence of clarity when anger is present. There is also an absence of clarity when one has a very strong attachment. Both attachment and anger are internal obstacles. Another very important problem is fear; especially in the West, everyone asks: "What about fear?" Yes, fear is something strong.
On one occasion, I led a retreat on the theme of death, which is currently a very important topic in the West, due to the increased awareness of death. I had everyone think about their own death, and many did not want to; it is possible that you yourself, or you yourself, do not want to think about your own death. It is very difficult to discover the nature of the mind if one does not penetrate or go beyond these fears, if one does not go beyond external, internal, and secret obstacles. The nature of the mind looks very beautiful from afar, but when one approaches these obstacles—for example, fear—at that moment, it would seem that the nature of the mind does not exist. There are two options in this meditation: you can do a deep reflection on your own death, or on a very strong change you have had in your life.
Think about your life. At this moment, you are afraid that it will change: of separation from your partner, of losing your job... The point is to reflect on what kind of fear you have: to see if you have a really strong fear that dominates your life and permeates your existence to the point that you are living based on that fear. In reality, the nature of the mind is not ahead of fear but behind fear. If we are truly interested in coming into contact with the nature of the mind, perceiving it, we must pass through fear; otherwise, we will not have a real experience of the nature of the mind but an experience fabricated from ideas; this is what happens most of the time.
In your life, you enjoy things: you enjoy food, and you do this despite the fear that is there; you probably have no idea what the experience of all these things would be like if fear were not present. Fear is truly something that permeates or dominates our entire experience.
In the Tibetan tradition, for example, practices like contemplating impermanence are suggested, and some people think: "I don't like doing that practice because I want things to last, I want to stay young forever, I want things to go well forever, I want the world that is familiar to me to remain, and if this practice tells me that it won't be like that, that it won't be forever, it really seems unpleasant to me," and in a way, it is.
In the biographies of great masters, we see that when they discover an aspect of wisdom, generally that discovery does not happen during a party but comes when they are going through a tragedy or a significant loss or much suffering or pain. Often it is in these situations that the truth is discovered, not when one is dancing; I haven't known the latter to happen. It's not that the spiritual path aims to create uncomfortable circumstances, but rather it's about discovering the discomforts that are already within us, and for this, skillful means are used, and circumstances are created for this type of change to occur.
When I reflect on my death or see my death, I relate to the discomfort it causes me and continue to penetrate and reflect more and more deeply, and I enter that fear and reach an extremely dark place; and then, from there, much space opens up, much light arises, and I discover, in this deep reflection on fear, that passing through it allows me to reach the nature of the mind. It's about transcending fear, and this is very important.
Due to karmic circumstances, often in life there is no other option but to discover the nature of the mind through pain and suffering; it is through that contact with profound losses and pains that the spiritual path opens up, and this leads to great realization. There are other people who are not forced in this way, and they spend their entire lives avoiding this fear and live with it constantly. I say they laugh with fear, go to the party with fear, finish the party with fear, and start the next party with the same fear. It is something that is always there, and the same happens with any emotion that obstructs us.
As long as you do not face these internal obstacles, you will not be able to discover the nature of the mind, you will not be able to discover who you really are. Unless you go through this fear and these emotions with practice and strength, it is not possible to discover it, and it is better to do so before circumstances force you to.
I have referred to external obstacles, which are karmic, and internal obstacles, which are thoughts and emotions; now I will address secret obstacles.
Ignorance is one of the secret obstacles. It is also called the "secret demon," and sometimes this idea of the demon is a bit difficult to understand. This expression refers to the fact that ignorance—not recognizing oneself—is the most subtle obstacle (demon) we have. Ignorance is a demon; it is like not recognizing Kuntu Zangpo or not recognizing the Truth or the Light. And this secret demon gives rise to the emotions of fear, attachment, anger, envy: to all internal obstacles. If one has much fear, external obstacles are generated (problems caused by fear); this fear produces external manifestations at the karmic level with relatives, partners, associates, etc. All obstacles are related to each other.
The nature of the mind is the experience of oneself without all these obstacles.
Reconnecting with the nature of the mind or with sacred energy, with sacred sounds, with sacred places, with sacred images, are means to approach your true nature. For example: let's say someone is having difficulties with another person, with their "famous person"—and when I say "famous person," I mean that person in our life who seems to have been born on this earth with the mission of creating problems for us. You probably know who this person is. And why is that person famous? Because they are the first thing that comes to your mind: you wake up in the morning, and without even intending to think about them, they appear; at night, you light your incense, pray, or whatever, and when you fall asleep, they are the first thing that appears in your dreams—that's why they are famous.
What is your reaction to your "famous person"? You are always thinking about how terrible they are, how badly they speak, how badly they do everything. You activate all these negative qualities in yourself and project them onto the person, who is like a screen where you reflect yourself, and as a result, you cannot see anything good in them, nor in the relationship, nor in the process you are in with that person. You cannot see their true nature, nor yours: you project your internal obstacles onto your external obstacles. Imagine changing that and trying to see all the good things that person has; at least, try.
It is beautiful to be in a room full of people and be able to see the space in the room. However, sometimes you can be in a place with 200 people, and what you are doing is seeing if your "famous person" came or not: you are actively looking, you are feeling with your whole body, hearing, because you have the idea that perhaps they were going to come and perhaps they are sitting in the back and you haven't seen them: that person is everything in that room: there is no other person, no walls, no light, no teachings, but a single person occupies your entire mind. When you can see that, and you realize that if you can do this with your famous person, why can't you do the same with light, with those things that are positive and favorable?
Just as in Mexico City on a certain day cars with license plates ending in a certain number are not allowed to circulate, with the purpose of reducing pollution, imagine what it would be like to think good things about that person for a day. You wake up in the morning, and your "famous person" appears in all their splendor, and you say, "Today is a day when I will discover all the positive qualities of that person." Maybe it's not very easy, but that's your practice. Perhaps you won't find many qualities, but find some, even if the process is very slow. If you need a cup of coffee to find them, drink it; if you need a shot of tequila, drink it: use any resource that can help you discover some positive quality of that famous person, and perhaps after a month, you will have discovered many qualities in them.
Believe what is happening, and thus you will not only begin to discover positive qualities in that person, but you will actually be discovering positive qualities in yourself. You will be discovering within yourself the possibility of finding qualities in your famous person, which is extremely magical, and by doing so, you will come much closer to the nature of the mind: you will be directing your attention toward yourself, toward Dharmakaya, toward the Light.
To connect with the nature of the mind, we use the support of sacred images such as the one representing Kuntu Zangpo or Tapihritsa. What do you see in that image? A naked, luminous being. Remember that an image not only represents something external but is a means to achieve understanding of what is within, to discover the nature of the mind; and when you have these internal realizations, you approach your true nature. The same happens when you discover the positive qualities of your famous person. Certainly, you could adopt the attitude of keeping the famous person in the closet and pretending they don't exist, setting up a beautiful altar, and sitting down to meditate; but in reality, that doesn't work: the first noise or the first phone call will be enough to disturb you.
If we look at an image like Tapihritsa and meditate on that image, at that moment what is happening is that we are having an experience; we are having the experience of what that image represents, which is nakedness: what the image represents is naked awakened consciousness—naked of thoughts such as fears, angers, attachments. When we look at an image like this, we are having that experience of clarity within ourselves; we experience what we see. It is like looking at the sky or contemplating it or meditating on it: we can go to the top of a mountain, and we are perceiving that pure, open, and luminous space that is the sky, and it is not just an experience of something happening externally, because if we can see this open, pure, and luminous space, we are having that experience within ourselves, and we must recognize that this experience within us counts more than the external experience, because it is discovering ourselves. It is discovering the nature of the mind by remaining with our gaze and mind focused on the sky; it is the same as what happens when we focus on sacred images. The practice of looking at the sky is a way to discover the essence of the space element within oneself.
The Nature of the Mind and the Sound of Seed Syllables
We can discover our true nature within ourselves by relying on images, but also through the practice with the sounds of the seed syllables A, OM, HUNG.
The first seed syllable is A, a white A, and it is a primordial sound that represents the natural state of the mind; or one can say it is an access or a door to the experience of our true nature.
Another way to speak of sounds is to say they are more direct doors leading to that experience. In all cultures, when a discovery is made, people say, "AH!"; it is universal. In meditation, we emit the sound in such a way that it opens the channels, clearing the energy in these channels: subtle thoughts and emotions, and as a result, we perceive openness and discover the secret space, provided there are no overly strong obstacles.
We can have a connection with this sacred experience of the mind simply by being, or through sound, or through images. Images are a bit coarser, sounds are subtler, and simply being is the best. We need images and sounds because we are full of emotions and thoughts that disturb us; but when we have none of these, we need neither images nor sounds because we are in that state of connection with ourselves.
Begin by working with the first syllable, which is the sound A, related to the element of space.
Think of an obstacle you currently have in your life. We all have the three types of obstacles: external, internal, and secret. Choose one that currently causes you suffering and confusion, or that even prevents you from seeing yourself clearly. You may have confusion; but it is more problematic not to know who you are or to be disconnected from yourself. Choose an obstacle that makes you feel this way. It could be an external person, an internal fear, an emotion, or a lack of clarity, or ignorance. Find one that is clear, significant. Now look at the obstacle and try to see the other side: what would be the antidote for that obstacle? For example, if you are very angry with someone, if you have a strong anger that greatly disturbs you and prevents you from flowing in your life, you can then think of love. If what you feel is envy, think of openness; if it is attachment, think of generosity. Try to find the quality that serves as an antidote; only you can find it.
First, do the practice with the sound; later, in the next stage, we will talk about how to meditate with the antidotes you are seeking.
Practice with the Syllable A
Sit in the five-point posture and close your eyes. Focus your attention on the obstacle, on that block you feel, on that emotion: loneliness, fear, lack of will, etc. Connect with the obstacle consciously and try to locate it in your physical body. What images come with this obstacle? What feelings? What energy? Be aware of those places in the body where you feel discomfort or pain that accompanies these emotions or conflicts or is caused by them. Now perceive with great clarity what energy or energies you feel in relation to this conflict. Be aware of how the result of this conflict feels in the mind: if there is a lack of clarity; if there is confusion, simply connect with what happens in the mind when you are connected with the conflict. Emit the sound A. Do it as if you were emitting it from the forehead chakra and sending it into space; along with the sound, all those fears, all the lack of will, all the loneliness, etc., go out into space. Continuously and repeatedly, keep emitting the sound A, perceive these sensations at the physical, energetic, and mental levels; as you emit the sound, open your body, your energy, and your mind so that all tensions and energetic and mental blockages can be released into space, and you feel increasingly clear. The greater the clarity with which you focus on the obstacle, the clearer the connection with it at the three mentioned levels, the more the obstacle is released with the emission of the sound, and the more space is created. What you are doing is connecting with space, as when you use an image or look at the sky on a clear night. Imagine that there are numerous enlightened beings and masters singing the syllable along with you. As you do this, how do you feel? Perhaps you find it difficult to imagine that simply saying A is enough, given that you have many problems; but this is truly something that operates at a very subtle level. Do you have a very clear physical location where conflicts are reflected? Are you trying to make that release? Do you have a very clear energetic sensation related to the conflict? With the mind? Perhaps you have the experience that the conflict is very physically painful, or that it greatly alters your energy, or that it greatly alters you at the mental level.
Remember that you are working with a single obstacle in your life. But how would you feel if you didn't have that obstacle? Imagine the absence of that conflict. Discovering that is getting a little closer to the experience of the nature of the mind.
Could you feel the presence of enlightened beings who were emitting the sound? Yes, they are there, and they are working for you and with you when you connect and produce these sacred sounds; these sounds are working for you and with you at that moment. Then the magic happens, and you say, "Where did the problem go?" It seems the problem is gone, and one might even say it was never there.
The purpose of this first part of the practice is to create space; it is very important to recognize that opening.
For example, a problematic emotion can be loneliness. To some extent, we all feel it from time to time; but there are people who feel it more intensely. Perhaps you perceive that experience of loneliness very clearly, and then you try to avoid it, or approach it. Let's say you decide to approach the experience and start asking yourself: "Why do I feel lonely? What am I lacking? A partner?" But it happens that you find a partner, and then you want to get rid of them. That is probably not the cause of your loneliness, but the point is to enter that experience to discover its cause. In reality, the cause of the feeling of loneliness is not the absence of another person, nor the lack of something; what you lack is connecting with yourself: you are lonely for yourself. If you can feel or know yourself, you don't feel alone; but if you don't know or feel yourself, you need to seek something to substitute for what you feel you lack, and when you obtain those things that can alleviate your loneliness, you still feel it.
I once met a person who had this conflict of feeling lonely and thought their conflict was due to not being comfortable in the city, so they decided to move to the beach. They believed that was the solution, and very excitedly they looked for tables, chairs, carpets, everything perfect for their new home. But although the house and the beach were perfect, the person was not: they felt the same as before. They thought perhaps they would feel better if they changed a table or a window, but the feeling of loneliness persisted, so they said to themselves: "No, it was really a mistake to come to the beach; I should have gone to the mountains, because there is so much fresh air there; the sky is blue and there is no humidity, etc." Then, for two months, they looked for a property in the mountains, fixed it up to their liking, with great care, and the same thing happened: now the same wrong person who had been by the sea was in the right house.
This meditation with the seed syllable A can help us center and focus.
Personally, I don't believe this is the only way to face problems; there are many ways to do it, and different things work for different people. There may be people for whom the sound is enough, there may be others for whom the sound is not enough, and there may be some who feel no connection with the practice.
Earlier, I mentioned the "famous person." Why is that person famous? Because all I know about that person is that they are wrong, and I feel that way and I know it, I tell everyone I know. It's not that just saying "A" during a single practice session makes the "famous person" disappear; but sometimes you tell yourself: "My mind is bad: I shouldn't be thinking this, I shouldn't have conflict with that person, especially if it's my dad or my mom or my husband." You talk more about it with yourself than with your therapist, trying to solve the problem. The more you talk to yourself, the worse the result can be; perhaps talking can be a good solution, but it is not always so. For some, talking can worsen the situation. The more you talk, the more you reinforce your idea that your famous person is bad. Sometimes what works is to feel and be, what I call connecting directly with the experience you are having. I am not talking about philosophical ideas; I am talking about concrete individual experiences: "That person who causes me conflict—the 'famous person'—has hurt me, and that hurts, and this is something that is happening here and now. When I think of that famous person, everything darkens around me; I don't see anyone laughing, I don't see anyone happy."
All these experiences are real; I don't have to look for them anywhere, nor analyze them, but I have them here. And what do I do then? I connect with this pain, I am feeling it, the famous person caused it, and I even feel it physically. I see my energetic aspect: I feel depressed, dark, I lose my energy, my creativity, my joy, my laughter. I look at my mind, and it is confused; it cannot see beyond.
And when, by doing the practice, I emit the sound A, energetically there is a direct relationship with the seed syllable A: I have the experience, and therefore I have no doubt.
However, I am not saying that this works for everyone in the same way it works for me. That is why I say that these teachings are not for everyone; perhaps it is because they are very easy, and many people like complications; if things are too easy, they don't like them: they like complicated partners—not everyone—but in a way, people seek complexity, and they don't call it complexity but stimulation; but when they are already stimulated, then they think perhaps it wasn't stimulating but complicated.
When a famous person is active and destroys something sacred to you when they become energetically aggressive towards you—if you believe in non-violence, in non-aggression, then do not react with violence. This does not mean you have to be weak: you must show strength so that violence does not approach you. You can be compassionate and thus create more space, but sometimes it is better to simply withdraw. I have had the experience of people behaving that way towards me, and I simply leave. Allow the experience to be, let what is happening happen, but do not do it passively but with strength; let them see that you are not afraid, that you are strong, and that is enough; it is not necessary to destroy them, and yet they can see that you are not afraid. I think in a way it is always useful to have a different response. Someone has to do the right thing, and hopefully, that someone is oneself.
We have said that by practicing with the syllable A, we are creating space. Everyone understands the notion of creating space. If you want to have some space with respect to another person, what do you do? Either you feel the space in your mind and heart, and therefore there is space, or if you don't feel it, you go to another room, or another house, or another city, or another country. The notion of space ranges from the perspective you have—how you see things—to the geographical notion, a change of country. Sometimes we say, "I need space today"; everyone has experienced this. It is very important to have space, especially when it comes to resolving conflicts both with oneself and with others: space is the first thing.
Practice with the Sounds of the Syllables OM and HUNG
The next stage is to practice with the antidote or what is called quality; that is why I said earlier to look for the antidote to the conflict you are having.
Emit the sound OM from the throat chakra and imagine a red light energy emanating from there; feel that quality and connect with it. For example, if you feel anger, the first thing when emitting the sound A is to allow it to be released; then emit the sound OM, what you are doing is connecting, remembering the quality of love, since this is the antidote to anger: you feel it, you have the real experience of love, and then, when emitting the syllable HUNG from the heart chakra, you activate that quality, give it life, make love something that is truly interacting, that is like a work of art, like music, like a play, like a poem, like an architectural work, like a Stupa*—whatever is necessary for love to have an expression, and that is how that quality is exercised. And if we can exercise it, that is something very powerful for someone living in this conditional world.
We all have love, but it is not always alive, and I sometimes ask:
… Have you told that person you love them? … and they answer: … No … And why not? … I don't know … Have you written it to them? … Well, no … How clearly have you expressed that love, or why haven't you been able to express it? … Because I'm afraid of rejection …
There is another fear there, and it is possible to work with it.
In this tradition, the syllables A, OM, HUNG are considered seed syllables, and we truly believe they are true seeds that have real power; this does not mean that at some point this practice will be useful for everyone: for some, it may have a very rapid and almost magical effect; for others, it may take a long time, and for others, it may never work; but the potential is there, and therefore what we are doing is opening ourselves to that potential. In the body, we have many bad samsaric experiences—that if I hurt here, if I hurt there—but we also have good samsaric experiences. But how often do we have sacred experiences in the body? This is a very important question, and that is why we work with these chakras: because they open the door to sacred experiences in the body, and through this work with the body, we can discover illumination, and therein lies the beauty of having an understanding of the body in its relationship with spiritual development.
Practice with the Syllable OM
Now, bring your attention and focus on the throat chakra, with your body upright, eyes closed, and in the space you had created with the previous sound. Feel the antidote corresponding to the obstacle, whether it is love, kindness, gentleness, compassion, whatever the antidote is for the obstacle, and when you emit the sound OM, imagine that there are many Masters and enlightened beings also emitting this sound, and the power of the sound activates the antidote in such a way that it becomes powerful within you, it becomes very alive. For example: if love is very active and alive within you, there is no room for anger. And so, for every obstacle you have, work with the corresponding antidote. Practice with the Syllable HUNG
When emitting the sound HUNG, connect with the heart chakra and feel and imagine that antidote or quality with which you are connected and which you are feeling at this moment, and allow this antidote to radiate as energy, as light, as sensation, and as feeling towards those people towards whom you feel hatred, envy, or attachment; radiate that love, that openness, that generosity, that compassion towards your famous person or towards the situations you are working with. What you are seeing is a direct path, a very simple perspective: you make the connection with the conflict through the syllable A; then, you connect with the antidote to that obstacle, with the syllable OM, and finally, you radiate it, with the syllable HUNG.
It is a very simple means that has no complications, that we can all do, and that is worth trying; you lose nothing, although it may be that it doesn't work for someone. For it to really work, it is important to understand the principle of what you are doing.
The first thing you do is create space, adequate space. This is sometimes not understood; when you want to resolve something, you start making more mess and filling yourself with more things: you try to resolve it from the analytical mind or from the ideas or emotions you have. What is important here is to create space, however minimal, in relation to the conflict; but after creating that space, it is necessary to use an antidote, because if this is not done, the conflict will return immediately: it is as if we found a thief in the house and kicked them out, but they returned again; if there is a good guard, the thief will probably not return.
And not only must you find the antidote, but you must activate it so that it radiates, and this can be, for example, by sending an email or a letter, making a phone call, or speaking well of your "famous person"; we said that you can practice a whole day of reflection on the qualities of your famous person. This can be very difficult, and possibly at the end of the day, we will have found very few qualities; but then, what do we usually do? Generally, we don't tell anyone that we have discovered good things about the "famous person." Activating would be putting into motion all that energy you cultivated when you connected with those positive qualities, and then you can speak more actively, you can make a call and say, "Do you remember that famous person I was telling you about? Actually, she's not so bad. Look, I discovered she has these qualities." Probably the person you are talking to will say, "Yes, I already knew that." The point is that you have to activate those qualities, and perhaps what happens next is that your "famous person" calls you and says, "Hello, how are you?" A transformation has occurred, a change has happened. This is the principle we need to understand.