Home Page: Inspirations of Love and Hope

Tag: pith instructions

  • A Glimpse of Rigpa: The True Nature of Our Mind

    A Glimpse of Rigpa: The True Nature of Our Mind

    Yesterday Rinpoche gave me the simple instruction: to keep my thoughts in the room.
    As I practiced, the winds of memory and worry fell quiet, and what remained was a stillness like a pond untouched by breeze. In that moment I glimpsed the unity of ordinary and pristine mind—waves arising, yet nothing but ocean.

    Beloved Rinpoche,

    I write with gratitude for the instruction you gave yesterday, which opened a new door for me into the experience of Rigpa. Your words were simple, yet carried such profound kindness: to keep my thoughts in the room.

    As I sat in meditation, I followed your guidance. Thoughts about the ceiling, the plants, the breath, even the quiet pulse of tinnitus—all of these belonged to the room. They could be held gently within awareness without struggle. But when thoughts drifted toward memories of the past, or worries of the future, or stories beyond this room, I could see them clearly as outside. And so, with care, I let them go and returned to what was here.

    This way of practicing felt so different—so much more tender. Instead of wrestling with ordinary mind, I could simply remain rooted in this space, in this moment. And in that resting, the movements of the mind, the vrittis and pratyayas, began to settle of their own accord. Like a pond no longer stirred by wind, a natural stillness revealed itself. Within that stillness, I began to glimpse what you have pointed to again and again: the open clarity of pure awareness.

    In that glimpse, awareness shone with very little disturbance. An “I” was still present, but the usual fluctuations of thought were momentarily quiet, allowing the stillness of pure awareness to appear directly. To rest, even briefly, in that clarity was both humbling and wondrous.

    I could sense then that ordinary mind and pristine mind are not two separate realities, but two sides of the same coin. The waves of thought arise, yet they are nothing other than ocean. The ordinary shines as the pristine. To realize this in a living way, even if for only a moment, fills me with wonder and gratitude.

    Rinpoche, I bow in thanks for this precious instruction. It has shown me that Rigpa is not distant or hidden, but present in the immediacy of the room, in the simple presence of what is. May I return to this again and again, and may this glimpse ripen into lasting recognition.

    And may whatever merit arises from this glimpse and this practice be dedicated to the benefit of all beings everywhere. May it ease suffering, open hearts, and become a cause for the enlightenment of all sentient beings throughout time and space.

    With devotion and gratitude,
    Richard

    🙏✨️💛✨️🙏

    If you would like to learn more about the teachings of Orgyen Chowang Rinpoche and explore Dzogchen practice in greater depth, you can visit his website at pristinemind.org.

    In this talk at Google, Rinpoche offers instruction and a guided meditation based on his book Our Pristine Mind: A Practical Guide to Unconditional Happiness. He introduces a unique form of meditation called Pristine Mind meditation and explains how cultivating a Pristine Mind can transform every aspect of our lives.

    By resting gently in the fullness of the present moment, allowing the mind to settle naturally, and recognizing its luminous, pristine nature, one opens to profound serenity and enduring contentment.

  • Awareness Remains Our Most Vital Ally

    Awareness Remains Our Most Vital Ally

    —A Tapestry of Heart Guidance from a Variety of World Teachers: Awareness remains our most vital ally—guiding us gently back to what is real, what is whole, and what is ours to reclaim.

    Each tradition, in its own sacred language, whispers this truth. Beneath the surface differences, a deeper unity calls us home. Here, we gather pith instructions—simple, distilled heart-guidance—from some of the great spiritual teachers, each inviting us to cultivate awareness as a path of return.

    The Buddha
    “Be mindful, O monks, of body, of feeling, of mind, of dharma.”
    The Buddha offered the Four Foundations of Mindfulness not as a doctrine but as a doorway—to observe without clinging, to witness without judgment. Awareness, he taught, is not a tool but a way of being, illuminating the path with each breath.

    Jesus of Nazareth
    “The kingdom of God is within you.”
    Jesus spoke not only of heaven but of presence—of turning inward, of being awake to the Spirit within. His pith instruction was love in awareness: to see the sacred in each face, to forgive with open eyes, to walk gently because we are never alone.

    Ramana Maharshi
    “Who is aware of this awareness?”
    Ramana, the silent sage of Arunachala, directed us not toward accumulating insights but toward returning—to the source of all seeing. Awareness, he said, is not something we practice but what we are. The true ‘I’ is ever awake.

    Thich Nhat Hanh
    “Feelings come and go like clouds in a windy sky. Conscious breathing is my anchor.”
    His way was simple, tender, and profoundly deep. Return to the breath. Feel your feet on the Earth. Bow to the moment. This is the miracle—not walking on water, but walking mindfully on dry ground.

    Rumi
    “Do you know what you are? You are a manuscript of a divine letter.”
    Rumi’s pith instruction was to listen to the inner music. Become the witness of your longing. Awareness is not a discipline but a dance—an intoxication with the Real, a turning toward the Beloved in every moment.

    Tenzin Palmo (Jetsunma)
    “We have to bring the Dharma into our hearts and make it real.”
    For those walking the mountain path of practice, she reminds us: awareness must be intimate. Not abstract, but embodied. Not somewhere else, but here—in how we rise, rest, and respond to life.

    Tony Bernhard
    “Be kind to yourself. This is your practice.”
    For those living with chronic illness or grief, Tony offers a heart-softening path: make awareness gentle. Let it hold you rather than interrogate you. This, too, is awakening.

    —

    Each voice, each teaching, brings us back to the same sacred truth:

    Awareness is the ally that walks with us, even when we feel most lost.

    Not to fix, not to strive, but to be with.
    To illuminate the path that was always underfoot.
    To remember what we are.

    May we walk with these teachers in our hearts.
    And may our own awareness become a quiet blessing to the world.

    🙏🕊🙏