In a single instant, the light of a lamp can illuminate
A house that has been dark and uninhabited for a thousand years.
Just so, realizing the luminous nature of your own mind for even an instant
Will purify an aeon’s worth of negativity and obscurations.
🙏🏻 This reminds me of when I was introduced to Shabkar teachings by Matthieu Ricard after visiting his home in France (2017) and his book: The Life Of Shabkar: The Autobiography of a Tibetan Yogin.
Here's is piece from Ricard's book:
Shabkar Tsodruk Rangdrol (1781-1851) ~
"According to the space class (klong sde), the self-existing wisdom and all the phenomena sprung from its continuum never stray from the expanse of Samantabhadri: they have always been pure and liberated.
According to the most extraordinary of the three, the class of pith instructions (man ngag sde), in the true nature of samsara and nirvana there are no obscurations to be rid of and no enlightenment to be acquired. To realize this allows an instant arising of the self-existing wisdom beyond intellect.
The first class is meant for individuals who are concerned with the workings of mind, the second for individuals whose minds are like the sky, and the third for individuals who transcend all effort.
Mediation: In the mind class, having recognized that all phenomena are the indescribable dharmakaya, the self-existing wisdom, one rests in the continuum of the awareness-void in which there is nothing to add. The enlightened mind is like infinite space, its potential for manifestation is like a mirror. Since everything arises as the play of the enlightened mind, one does not need to obstruct the arising of thoughts; one simply remains in the natural condition as mind-as-such.
In the space class, having recognized that all phenomena never leave the expanse of Samantabhidri and are primordially pure and free, one abides in the continuum of the altimeter nature, without targets, effort, or search. There is no need to use antidotes: being void, thoughts and projections vanish by themselves. Phenomena are like stars naturally arrayed as ornaments in the firmament of the absolute nature: one needs not consider, as one does in the mind class, that they arise as the play of awareness. Everything is the infinite expanse of primordially liberation.
In the class of the pith instruction, having recognised as mind-as-such is primordially pure emptiness, one practices Trekchö, leaving mind and all phenomena in their natural state of pristine liberation. Then having discovered the natural present mandala of one's body, one practices Thögal and sees the very face of the naturally present luminosity, the pristine wisdom which dwells within oneself.
Without leaning either towards the "clarity" aspect of the mind class or towards the "void" aspect of the space class, without considering the self-liberation of thoughts (as in the mind class), or the way of letting them be in emptiness (as in the space class), one simple rests in the confident realization of primordial purity, which is inexpressibly, beyond intelligent, and of which phenomena are the natural radiance.
Trekchö, "cutting through hardness [or concreteness]", refers to breaking through the solidity of mental clinging, and Thögal, "direct leap," refers to going directly to the highest point of realization. These two are related respectively to primordial purity (ka dag) and spontaneous presence (Ihun grub). These extraordinary practices are found only in the teachings of the Great Perfection (Dzogchen). It is said that the first eight vehicles uses the mind (sems) , and only the ninth uses awareness (rig pa) as the path.
Action: Since everything that arises is the play of the absolute nature, one acts within the continuum of non-dual evenness, without taking or rejecting, free from clinging and fixation.
Fruit: One dwells right now on the level of the Ever-perfect Samantabhadra. Having mastered outer phenomena, they are realised as infinite Buddhafields; having mastered the inner aggregates of one's illusionary body this body can turn into radiant light; having mastered the innermost expanse of awareness, one puts an end to delusion. One has neither hope of attaining Buddhahood nor fear of falling into samsara as it is said:
The fruit of the Great Perfection.
Is primordially present as the Buddha nature.
It does not need to be obtained.
It is ripe within itself.
As said above the nine vehicles do not represent separate paths. Each of them is a step towards the next; all vehicles ultimately culminate in the Great Perfection."
Light / brings you home, my mothers door
Alistair, could Shabkar be the subject of your next tutorial? 😍🙏