A Gift of Dharma for 12.5.09
Today’s quote comes from Anam Thubten Rinpoche, courtesy of Snow Lion Publications’ awesome “Dharma Quote of the Week” service.
Born in Tibet, Rinpoche received the traditional Buddhist education, but developed a special student relationship with the teacher and hermit Lama Tsurlo. His official biography states: “Lama Tsurlo’s kindness and wisdom gave him the firm base to advance in his Dharma practice and still serves as a source of inspiration on the spiritual path, as well as in his work as a teacher.”
Rinpoche came to America in the 1990s and began teaching and lecturing shortly thereafter. He is the founder of the Dharmata Foundation and the author of No Self, No Problem.
He currently lives in the San Francisco Bay Area, and says that his teachings “mainly draw from Prajnaparamita, the timeless non-conceptual wisdom of Buddha.”
Here’s the quote, from No Self, No Problem:
If we are still wondering how to awaken, I suggest that we meditate now and then and focus on the following question: “What is holding me back from realizing my true nature, my Buddha Nature?” This is a very powerful inquiry. I am sharing this based on my own meditation practice. This is one of my favorite meditations because it always takes me to the place where I cannot blame anybody or anything for my lack of awakening.
When we open our hearts and let go of all of our theories and speculations, when we are not distracted even by spiritual fantasies, when we simply wholeheartedly and courageously inquire into what is holding us back, that is all that we need to do. Sometimes it is good when we are by ourselves to.. shout loudly to the sky, “Who is holding me back from awakening right now?” Or we can just ask the truth, “What is holding me back from awakening right now?” Either way we can’t find any answer because there is nobody there. There is nothing holding us back and that’s why we never really find any answers.
If anybody tells us that they have the answer, they are obviously lying because there isn’t any answer. Next we might ask, “If there are no obstacles holding me back, then why am I not awakened right now?” And when we look we realize that we are attached to our thoughts. That’s all that is happening. Samsara is nothing more than our identification with thoughts. That’s all there is. There is nothing there except thoughts.
