Karmic Momentum And Spontaneous Arising

John Ahn:

How do you distinguish between what is karmic momentum and what is spontaneous arising?

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Kyle Dixon: Karmic momentum would be action/occurrence governed by mind i.e. delusion and spontaneous arising would be the way experience occurs from the standpoint of vidyā. Even in vidyā though there will be karmic influences which may arise until they're exhausted.

March 29 at 8:42pm via mobile · Like · 3

Kyle Dixon: Once you're stable in the natural state you're essentially not incurring any new karma, so older karmic debts from this life (or previous lives) will start to arise in the form of adverse circumstances. A friend of mine's teacher, who's a master of Mahamudra, had to exhaust his karmic debts and got stomach cancer. He had to just maintain his view and it eventually went away.

March 29 at 8:55pm via mobile · Like · 1

John Ahn: No, no this isn't a good answer. I would like answers from personal experience. The difference in direct experience of how to distinguish what is karmic and what is spontaneous!

March 29 at 8:57pm · Edited · Like

John Ahn: Edit: had to make it more polite...

March 29 at 8:57pm · Like

Soh: When the linking self/thinker/doer/seer is seen through, everything is a disjoint and spontaneous happening rather than being produced from some continuous underlying self. It feels like things just happen and dissolve on the spot without anything behind that does it or anything that persists beyond this disjoint and spontaneous happening. No linking, continuous ground. Rather than one thought movement becoming another in a linked up way, it's just one thought.... one thought.... springing from nowhere (but still inseparable from causes and conditions) like the diagram by the Thai master to David Loy in http://ccbs.ntu.edu.tw/FULLTEXT/JR-JOCP/jc26559.htm

Without wisdom, one may also feel that things happen spontaneously but it is a whole different level when it is viewed through wisdom. Perceiving spontaneity of things does not imply wisdom, but wisdom does lead to a sense of spontaneity. I remember a couple of years back (before true realization or insight of any kind arose), I had a glimpse that everything is happening spontaneously. I coughed, and the whole body jolts up, the whole thing is a spontaneous movement on its own accord and I just watched it. But this sense of spontaneity is still under the influence of karmic propensity as it feels like there is a Watcher of the spontaneous movement. It leads to a sense of dissociation. One may experience non-doership, but that is not the same as seeing through the very view and sense of a doer or agent.

Hopefully Kyle can share something on this too.

Nondual Thinking

ccbs.ntu.edu.tw

March 29 at 9:30pm · Edited · Unlike · 3 · Remove Preview

Kyle Dixon: When you're in recognition of your nature, experience becomes a spontaneous expression of that nature. When you're functioning through the veil of avidyā then you experience karmic vision. In karmic vision, the structuring of the 12 nidanas and all the interrelated causes and conditions which arise as a result of one's clinging are governed by the law of cause and effect, ergo karmic momentum.

March 29 at 9:28pm via mobile · Like · 1

Albert Hong: Spontaneous arising is not solid. 

Karmic shit is solid.

When wisdom arises then karmic shit is just wisdom.

When in ignorance karmic shit sucks.

March 29 at 11:04pm via mobile · Like

John Ahn: These answers are not very insightful. They are interpretive.

March 30 at 7:41pm · Like

John Ahn: Soh Your answer was a bit of a question itself. As you say, karmic momentum can be seen as disjointed and spontaneous. Ok...so again, what is the distinction between karmic momentum and spontaneous arising? No Watcher? Not necessarily. Even without a watcher, karmic propensities can dominate. No sense of doer or agent is the same. Karmic propensities can be present even without the sense of agent, actually even more so than when there is a sense of an agent.

March 30 at 7:45pm · Like

John Ahn: @ Kyle Dixon This nature is said to be the union of luminosity and emptiness. What exactly is the expression of this nature? How do you distinguish between what is the expression of this nature and what is karmic propensity when the nature is not fully recognized?

March 30 at 7:47pm · Like

Soh: The sense of a self is a large chunk of karmic propensity, so anatta releases that chunk of karmic propensity. After that, karmic propensity may arise, but through insight of anatta and emptiness it can be experienced as self-releasing, so like Dzogchen teachings say they become "harmless" or like "thieves entering an empty house". Rather than engaging in karmic propensities they become experienced as insubstantial, disjoint, self-releasing.

March 30 at 7:48pm · Edited · Like · 1

John Ahn: So..ok, how do you know in experience what is karmic propensity and what is not?

March 30 at 7:50pm · Like

Soh: Actions that arise out of habitual, latent, tendencies is karmic propensity. Our (mental, verbal, physical) actions causes imprints... the imprints causes reaction.

March 30 at 7:52pm · Edited · Like · 1

John Ahn: That seems to describe almost every action.

March 30 at 7:54pm · Like

John Ahn: Is there action that does not arise in that way?

March 30 at 7:54pm · Like

Soh: I would not see all karmic propensities as a problem, perhaps only those addictive, afflictive kinds. (or in Buddhism the three poisons of craving, aggression and delusion) When one is awakened, then rather than engaging in karmic propensities in an addictive way, those addictive patterns can be released. If one engages with them then it becomes a vicious cycle - each action creating deeper imprint, causing another reaction creating deeper imprint, etc. If one does not engage them then imprints are being gradually released, the imprints will gradually be 'lifted' like the imprint on patch of grass being seated on is being released. Other ways of releasing imprints includes insight and practice, as those can really reverse or burn away some of the latent imprints being held. When one is totally liberated from samsara then, all the mental afflictive imprints are burnt, then there is no more tendency to grasp.

Also I'm not saying that when you are enlightened you no longer have action (karma), but the Buddha stated that the difference with Arahants is that they do not perform action/karma out of delusion, grasping or addiction which thus leads to samsaric karmic results (i.e. they do not plant samsaric karmic imprints that will results in more samsara), their action is not performed out of craving/anger/delusion: 

AN 3.33: Nidana Sutta — Causes {A i 134; Thai 3.34; BJT 3.34} [Thanissaro]. - http://www.accesstoinsight.org/tipitaka/an/an03/an03.033.than.html

An action (kamma) performed by an arahant bears no kammic fruit. This sutta explains why.

Nidana Sutta: Causes

www.accesstoinsight.org

"Monks, these three are causes for the origination of actions. Which three? Gree...

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March 30 at 8:09pm · Edited · Like · 2 · Remove Preview

Soh: It's interesting to note that in Buddhism, all latent tendencies are defined in the afflictive sense, and thus are completely removed in liberation: http://dharmafarer.org/wordpress/wp-content/uploads/2010/02/31.3-Anusaya.-piya.pdf

If defined in that way then yes, actions that occur in one who is liberated is free from all latent tendencies.

March 30 at 8:18pm · Edited · Like · 2

John Ahn: Great links! I'll read the 23 page paper later though. However this still doesn't address the question of applying this knowledge to direct experience. What exactly is action that arises free from all latent tendencies? How do we distinguish what is action arising from craving vs. a liberated action in immediate experience? For instance how do I know if my spontaneous desire for chocolate is spontaneous arising or a karmic propensity? How do I know if my compassion for another person is spontaneous arising or karmic residue? I don't believe this distinction is made via an intellectual evaluation.

March 30 at 8:33pm · Like

Dannon Flynn: If for any gain or happiness expected as an outcome of the action then it is karmic.

March 30 at 9:06pm · Like

John Ahn: @ Dannon...that's still interpretive and even an intellectual evaluation. It's not direct.

March 30 at 9:11pm · Like

Soh: Actually the way I see it, everything including karmic propensity, arises spontaneously. I don't really see a karmic/spontaneous dichotomy.

Spontaneous here does not mean 'arising without causes and conditions', it just means the experience is experienced as a disjoint and spontaneous occurrence as there is no construing of an agent or doer or linking ground/self. This is felt experientially rather than something interpretive. Karmic propensity is also arising not out of a self. For example walking down the road it may be seen that there is no controller of the action nor is planning "left foot, right foot, left foot" needed, it is accomplished spontaneously. However, we should also know that walking is something that is being learnt and taught by our parents until it becomes habitual. So even habitual and learnt actions are kind of spontaneous. Even anger or fear may be arising spontaneously, however those are also karmic actions.

However, obviously one can, and should, discern if an action is arisen out of (afflictive) karmic propensities. And furthermore it makes all the difference whether karmic propensity is released or held. How can we discern? I think there is no methodical 'how', as any complex 'hows' are again 'interpretive' and not direct experience. The Buddha in Mahasatipatthana Sutta tells us to directly experience our mind state as it is and discern it as it is - it requires no interpretation. Red comes, red. Black comes, black. Angry mind comes, angry mind. Clearly discerned, clearly felt. Without mindfulness we will not be aware of our mind states. So that's the 'how' for you.

If we have mindfulness, we will not be blind or in a state of self-denial, e.g. shouting and yet saying "I'm not angry! Who says that?" Instead our karmas/actions arising out of latent afflictive tendencies is being seen in action as they arise.

http://www.accesstoinsight.org/tipitaka/dn/dn.22.0.than.html

"And how does a monk remain focused on the mind in & of itself? There is the case where a monk, when the mind has passion, discerns that the mind has passion. When the mind is without passion, he discerns that the mind is without passion. When the mind has aversion, he discerns that the mind has aversion. When the mind is without aversion, he discerns that the mind is without aversion. When the mind has delusion, he discerns that the mind has delusion. When the mind is without delusion, he discerns that the mind is without delusion.

"When the mind is restricted, he discerns that the mind is restricted. When the mind is scattered, he discerns that the mind is scattered. When the mind is enlarged, he discerns that the mind is enlarged. When the mind is not enlarged, he discerns that the mind is not enlarged. When the mind is surpassed, he discerns that the mind is surpassed. When the mind is unsurpassed, he discerns that the mind is unsurpassed. When the mind is concentrated, he discerns that the mind is concentrated. When the mind is not concentrated, he discerns that the mind is not concentrated. When the mind is released, he discerns that the mind is released. When the mind is not released, he discerns that the mind is not released."

Maha-satipatthana Sutta: The Great Frames of Reference

www.accesstoinsight.org

The word "satipatthana" is the name for an approach to meditation aimed at estab...

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March 30 at 9:49pm · Edited · Like · 2 · Remove Preview

Dannon Flynn: Is there a subject/object dichotomy between seeing and seen?

March 30 at 9:34pm · Like

Soh: Just found something Thusness wrote in 2007/2008:

After cycles of refining and stabilizing non-dual experiences,

karmic propensity too reveals itself as empty.

Momentum arises spontaneously and subsides instantaneously;

Yet has never in anyway obscured its own luminosity.

All experiences though diverse are always so,

this is the unborn always found present in all diversities.

Never personify or objectify 'unborn' into an entity,

but sees all phenomena that dependently originate as luminous and empty.

If any non-dualist finds difficulty in sustaining non-dual experiences,

this the pathless path of spontaneous presence and natural clarity.

March 30 at 9:36pm · Like · 1

John Ahn: I'm going to meditate on this for another day. Thanks!

March 30 at 9:39pm · Like · 1

Stian Gudmundsen Høiland: Quite synchronisly (word!), I recently wondered:

"Can thoughts about the future arise spontaneously?"

It seems obvious to me that 'it's spontaneous all the way down', so I don't know exactly what my issue with thoughts about the future is, but there's something dissonant...

- - -

It's all 'flat', no hierarchy, no governing principles or structure, zero dimensions. "Exhaustion of phenomena", I've gathered that it's called.

March 31 at 12:58pm via mobile · Like

Albert Hong: From the book entited, The Great Secret of Mind: Special Instructions on the Nonduality of Dzogchen by Tulku Pema Rigtsal.

"In the yoga of crucial simultaneous arising and release, the mere arising of desire and anger does not generate bad karma. To take a single thought as an example—the thought has gone as soon as it arises. Until it is created, it exists only in the future. In the present, it has no time to rest, and since the object, agent, and action have no time to interact in the timeless present, karma cannot be accumulated. Karma can be accumulated only in the continuity of thought, and because in Dzogchen yoga, thoughts are released as they arise, thus inhibiting continuity, no karma is accumulated and suffering does not arise. No aggregation of circumstances can establish itself in the first moment, so no continuity is possible and no result is possible. Whatever appears in the daytime did not first appear in a dream, but if we have a strong impression of a beautiful object again and again in the daytime, it may arise in a dream. If we are not attached to the beautiful object even for a moment, then there is little possibility of its arising in the dream. It is the repeated attachment to it that makes a continuity of it and that causes it to arise in a dream. Likewise, consider a seed for which the conditions of its germination last only a second; there is only a very small chance of its producing a shoot. If the seed is planted and lasting conditions obtain, then the seed will most probably germinate and shoot. Surely it is true that a single watering of a seed will not engender growth. Whatever thought arises, if it is released in the moment, even though emotional affliction may arise as in ordinary beings, because of the difference that immediate release makes, we are not touched by karma. In his Treasury of the Dharmadhatu, Longchenpa says, Arising, abiding and release in an uninterrupted flow— No break in the arising and dissolving— In an unbroken stream, cause and effect are inseparable. Because there is no causality, the abyss of samsara is crossed,And if the abyss is traversed, how can there be any downfall? When in the first moment of arising, thought releases itself and there is sameness, there is neither the chance nor the possibility of either karma or causality. We neither judge a negative thought as sin and abandon it purposefully nor judge a positive one as meritorious and cultivate it. Attachment to positive thoughts may be virtuous attachment, but it casts a shadow over natural perfection. It is a critical point that we are released into the naked emptiness of pure presence without abandoning the bad thoughts or cultivating the good. Kyabje Dudjom Rinpoche says in his commentary on the Heart-Essence of the Dakini, Generally, the informal contemplation has two kinds of meditator, the real and nominal meditators. The real informal contemplation between sessions allows only an unelaborated formal contemplation to take place so that later the meditator will arrive at the crucial place of buddha where formal contemplation and informal contemplation between sessions are identical. When the nominal between-session meditator arises from formal contemplation, his experience is the ordinary activity of body, speech, and mind lacking the arising/liberating function. His experience consists of the perception of material objects in a concrete sensory field. The nominal informal contemplation is no antidote to the apprehension of things as concrete and substantial, so it cannot release us from emotional afflictions such as desire and lust. These days many people with spiritual pride say that religious practice does not affect the mental life and that meditation cannot transform the mind. In The Three Incisive Precepts, Patrul Rinpoche says, Knowing meditation but not release, Isn’t that the divine trance of the gods? The mere ability to abide in formal contemplation free of mental elaboration does not necessarily take us into informal contemplation that is different from the ordinary activity of body, speech, and mind. If we are unable to mix the practice of unelaborated formal contemplation with informal contemplation, there will be no benefit. If, on the other hand, we can integrate our experience of simultaneous arising and liberating and our experience of reflexive release and liberation into pure presence, and so on, with the happiness and sadness of body, speech, and mind, real benefit will emerge. If we cannot integrate the two, our meditation is like the concentration of child’s play—bound by attachment. During formal contemplation, gross happiness and sadness will not arise, but when we get up from shamata, the joy or the pain will come as before. Just as we contain a heap of dust by sitting down slowly on it, but upon our getting up, the dust arises in clouds, in the concentrated absorption of child’s play, gross thoughts are stopped for a while, and we seem to experience happiness, but when we arise from the concentration, we find that more gross thoughts intrude than before. This is why people say there is no benefit from meditation. These days it is rare for informal contemplation practitioners to have certainty in the profound view. Due to this, their meditation is just like taking time out and that will not release anyone from the threefold world. When strong sufferings, acute pains, or misfortunes temporarily afflict our minds and sickness afflicts our bodies, it sometimes seems that we react like ordinary people. That occurs first because we are not recognizing the profound Dzogchen view of Cutting Through. Second, even though we are meditating, our meditation is based on a mere intellectual understanding of the alpha-purity free of all propositions, and therefore we do not abide in the essence of naked pure presence. Finally all effort is meaningless if we lack confidence in its reflexive function of arising and release during informal contemplation between sessions . During life, death, and the bardo, when we are tortured by intense fear, sickness, and sadness, and there is no help, to remember this instruction is the crux. "

March 31 at 5:53pm · Like · 2

Albert Hong: 3.6 A CATEGORICAL ASSERTION THAT DZOGCHEN TRANSCENDS CAUSE AND EFFECT 

In the informal contemplation phase, if the crucial function of release upon arising is recognized at all times and in every circumstance, then no matter what act of body, speech, or mind is performed, since it cannot go beyond the display of dharmakaya—the natural creativity of pure presence—karma is not accumulated. As the rigzin Garab Dorje said, “Dzogchen is beyond causality.” For those who have doubt regarding that statement, consider these two aspects. First, during the actual engagement in formal contemplation that is free of any conceptual elaboration, because we cannot see even an iota of karmic relationship, we can assert that causality does not exist in the natural state of reality. It is said that no recognition nor any actor or action can ever be established in that state. When Jampel Shenyen heard that the rigzin Garab Dorje was giving teaching beyond the law of karma, he was incensed and went out to challenge him with the intention of defeating him in debate. These two debated for many years and finally Jampel Shenyen admitted defeat and regretted his denigration of Garab Dorje. In contrition and in order to expiate his fault, he tried to cut out his tongue, but Garab Dorje stopped him, advising him that he should instead study and then teach the precepts beyond karmic cause and effect, predicting that all his sins would be purified thereby. Jampel Shenyen became devoted to Garab Dorje and finally asked him to accept him as his student, and they become guru and disciple. The key point here is that while Dzogchen prevails, there is no causality—the great perfection is beyond causality. Moreover, while sustaining the view that is part and parcel of the natural informal contemplation, there is no karmic cause and effect to be seen. In instantaneous release upon inception, cause and effect are inseparable, so there can be no perception of causality. In The Treasury of the Dharmadhatu, Longchenpa says, If we examine our authentic nature, nothing can be said to exist therein; Likewise, taking authenticity as the path, becoming one with it, Knowing it only in a moment of unimaged, nonconceptual vision, Consumed by it, we are completely, transparently naked. Without any base or support in this supermatrix, Afflictive emotion, karma, and habitual propensities Create magical, illusory, apparitional games, And since we need freedom in it, let causality be resolved. Whether we are in formal contemplation free of all conceptual elaboration or in the informal contemplation sustaining reflexive release of whatever arises, beyond all causal propositions, causality cannot be recognized. That is the first aspect for consideration. The second point is that Dzogchen transcends karmic causality

only in the state of pure presence. When pure presence goes outside the natural condition or wanders during the mundane informal contemplation phase, karmic causality is inevitable and must be heeded. That is discussed below.

March 31 at 5:55pm · Like · 1

Albert Hong: 3.7 SO LONG AS DUALISTIC PERCEPTION OBTAINS, HEED KARMA AND ITS EFFECTS 

The straight answer to the question whether Dzogchen yogins and yoginis should follow the laws of karma in all situations is “Yes!” When we leave the state of basic pure presence or formal contemplation and enter what is called “informal contemplation,” we should follow the laws of karma as nondeceptive, without any disavowal. We should never denigrate causality even conventionally. On the level of definitive meaning, causality cannot be held as a truly existing process; immaculately transcending the two extremes of permanent and impermanent, it becomes the sovereign of all gradual approaches. In the Treasury of the Dharmadhatu, Longchenpa says, Creativity projects display into another dimension, Where it appears as the multifarious variety of the universe. Never say categorically that there is no cause and effect. The complex conditions that arise from interdependence are incalculable; The states of samsaric delusion and nirvanic joy are incalculable; A mass of causes and conditions constitutes a sublime synchronicity. When contemplation and real informal contemplation are broken, we enter the state called “nominal informal contemplation.” Due to the flickering of dualistic thought that seems to possess concrete attributes, increasingly subtle karmic causes and effects should be taken into account. In The Chronicles of Padmasambhava, discovered by Orgyen Lingpa, Padmasambhava says, My view is higher than the sky. My karma is finer than barley flour. The meaning here is that every single trivial action is determined by previous action and that every present action will have its repercussion in the future. Also in The Chronicles of Padmasambhava, it is related—as in The Legend of the Great Stupa of Boudhanath—that in a past life Padmasambhava, king Trisong Deutsen, and the bodhisattva abbot Shantarakshita were three brothers who constructed the Boudhanath Stupa in the Kathmandu Valley. After they had built the dome of the stupa, they prayed in front of it, and by the power of each of the brother’s prayers, the first was born as Padmasambhava, the second as king Trisong Deutsen, and the third as the bodhisattva Shantarakshita. When they met in Tibet, buddha-dharma flourished in that demonic land. This was by virtue of the merit that they had accumulated by constructing the great stupa and making such strong aspirations. When the Buddha had a headache and his disciples asked the reason, the Buddha told them that once he had been the son of a fisherman in the Sakya kingdom. One day his father caught two big fish and bound the line to a pillar, leaving the fish to flounder on the hot sand, and he had laughed at their suffering. “Now, even though I have become enlightened, due to the residual karma of that laughter, I have a headache,” said the Buddha. “Furthermore, if I had not become enlightened, at this very moment the Licchavis would be plundering the Sakya kingdom.” Karmic causality is beyond the intellect to comprehend or calculate. It is impossible to explain it here. Until the thoughts of sentient beings cease, karmic causality will prevail. In The Wish-Fulfilling Treasury, Longchenpa says, The mind sets the pattern, And mind accumulates karma, Mind projects appearances, And mind applies labels. Strive to subdue delusive mind. Those who enter the natural state of Dzogchen are not themselves affected by karma and can therefore explain the particular karmas of the conventional world, disciples, and ordinary beings. They can become the teacher of the inevitable repercussions of karma, wise in describing the stages, paths, and cause and effect. It was during the first turning of the wheel that the Buddha, our teacher, taught karmic cause and effect, giving us provisional instruction in the presentation of the four noble truths. Some may think that the provisional teaching is not even conventionally true and that the Buddha was actually deceiving his disciples, but that is a seriously wrong-headed way of thinking. Until mental concepts and mental events vanish into spaciousness or disappear in the natural state of Dzogchen, the mind is not exhausted. Until the mind is exhausted, the five poisonous emotions that depend upon it will inevitably arise. Sentient beings in their environments will be created continuously, like pots flying off a potter’s wheel: good karmic effects will eventuate in the upper realms of samsara, the realms of the gods, titans, and men, and bad karmic effects in the lower realms, those of the hells, hungry ghosts, and animals. For that reason, so long as there is a mind, we are tied to samsara, where the laws of karma are established. So long as beings exist, it is certain that causes gave them birth and their present actions produce effects. In his Ornament of the Middle Way, the abbot Shantarakshita said, Depending upon causes before and before that, After and after that, effects will arise. Just now we need to train in both the formal and informal contemplation of Dzogchen and dissolve all the conceptual elaborations of mind. Then one day the mind that grasps at all phantoms will be completely exhausted, and when light-forms of primal awareness arise, there will be no causal interference, in the same way that the sky remains unaffected when we throw colored powders into it. Since there is utterly no desire for, or hatred toward, material objects any more, and there is no attachment to causation or to samsara or nirvana, we develop strong trust in the inevitability of relativistic moral laws and become wise in showing them to others. Some contemporary teachers of Dzogchen, without differentiating between formal and informal contemplation, state categorically that karmic cause and effect does not operate in Dzogchen and that that is the special characteristic of it. This is not only self-deluding but destroys the seeds of faith in others. Be careful of those who would lead us astray. Again, I repeat the famous lines of Longchenpa in The Treasury of the Dharmadhatu, Creativity projects display into another dimension, Where it appears as the multifarious variety of the universe. Never say categorically that there is no cause and effect.

March 31 at 5:55pm · Like · 1

Albert Hong: Jowoje Atisha said, Karma exists until thought is exhausted. You can depend upon the maturation of your karma! Until thoughts are exhausted, until we are free of all mental and sensory elaboration, and so long as there is dualistic perception, there is karma. From that karma sentient beings and their projected environments are established, and thereby all the various sufferings of the six realms, high and low, are inevitably endured. That is certain. Until the dualistic grasping of mind is either quickly exhausted through Dzogchen nonmeditation, or very slowly exhausted on the sutric path of Approach with Signs, which may take three countless eons, in short, until the mind is free of concepts, the abuse of karmic causality is a damnable risk. Longchenpa says in The Treasury of the Dharmadhatu, If we vacillate, losing that essential space, The intellectual mind at work becomes samsara itself, Involving the causal concatenation that precludes resolution, And, inevitably, confused beings fall lower and lower. In the supreme secret that is Dzogchen, on the other hand, We never stray from intrinsic spaciousness, And its creative expressions naturally fall back into their source: This vision implies resting in immutable sameness. So long as pure presence abides in the dharmakaya, we are untouched by karmic cause and effect because in that space there is no opportunity for the movement of dualistic thought. When we waver from pure presence, the speculative concepts that are the function of the dualistic mind tie us to samsara, and in that dualistic condition, samsara and nirvana, cause and effect, are established, and we cannot go beyond it. Unable to transcend cause and effect, clinging to things as substantially true, we are caught in the trap of samsara, and mistaken in that way, we go down to the lower realms and suffer accordingly. For that reason the supreme secret of Dzogchen yogins and yoginis is that they are never separated from the space free of conceptual elaboration. No matter what positive or negative thought arises, right from the moment of its appearance, they hang loosely, without rejecting or accepting it, in the primordially released ground of the dharmakaya. That is unwavering mind abiding in the magnificent sameness of reality, uninfluenced by karmic cause and effect, where they cannot be harmed by karmic retribution, and no matter what concepts arise, however they arise, they are all released in the matrix of the dharmakaya. Only Dzogchen yogins and yoginis with such an understanding can boast of freedom from karma. Just as when we fall sick, we need a doctor to heal us, or when attacked by an enemy, we need to fight, or when we suffer some great loss and thus endure some acute pain—as long as we are at the mercy of circumstances, we should never say that there is no karmic cause and effect, or even consider the possibility of its absence, because we cannot hide it from ourselves. In Entry into the Middle Way, Chandrakirti said, “Take karmic cause and effect for granted!” Just a single erroneous thought about the validity of karmic cause and effect will bring endless negative karma. So it is imperative that we trust in the conventional law of karma and follow correctly the rejection of vice and the cultivation of virtue.

March 31 at 5:55pm · Like · 1

Albert Hong: TLDR:

Authentic Vidya or contemplation = spontaneous arising/liberation.

No Wisdom = karmic momentum.

March 31 at 6:09pm · Like · 2

John Ahn: Thanks Albert Hong, still contemplating all this.

March 31 at 11:17pm · Like

Dairin Ashley: WOW!! reading these excerpts from The Great Secret of Mind made me cry. Thank you for posting this Albert

April 1 at 2:59am · Like