The Royal Seal of Mahamudra

The III Khamtrul Rinpoche,
Drodul Ngawang Kunga Tenzin

(...) Similarly, regarding whatever is in the field of the tactile sense organ, such things as fabrics that are soft or rough to the touch, this tactile sensation itself is your own mind. Avoid slipping into grasping or rejecting.

Whether soft or rough, do not try to find the mind anywhere apart
from the softness or roughness itself, but rest at ease right there without distraction. If a pleasant or an unpleasant feeling arises, recognize it and rest mindfully.

Likewise all thoughts arising in the field of the mental sense organ—
right or wrong, good or bad, subtle or coarse—are also your own mind.

Avoid liking the right ones and spurning the wrong ones. No matter what thought arises—good, bad, or neutral; subtle, tangible, or gross—recognize its identity through awareness and sustain it naturally. If any fixation arises, such as thinking of this and that in regard to thoughts of right and wrong, that itself is a fixating thought. So identify that grasping thought and rest on it at ease. In short, even when it is not the case of good or bad thoughts but is one of stillness and movement, avoid making choices. Do not taint with blocking or pursuing. If the mind is still, relax on the identity of that stillness. When it is dispersed, let loose in the identity of that dispersion. When still or when anything arises, relax on that. Keep to the very identity of what occurs, and sustain its
continuity without clinging elsewhere to good or bad.

In fact, no matter what perception of good or bad arises in the six sense fields—forms in the field of the eyes, sounds in the field of the ears, smells in the field of the nose, tastes in the field of the tongue, tactile sensations in the field of the body, or thoughts in the field of the mind—don’t judge as good or bad, and don’t indulge in likes and dislikes. Whatever appears, whatever arises, first identify it, then relax and rest in that state, and finally let it be released by itself.

For us, who have been in beginningless samsara all our lives due to very strong habits formed long ago, there is no way for thoughts of passion and aggression not to arise; these thoughts will no doubt occur!

Determined not to slip into delusion, you must identify these thoughts and let go directly on them. Rest in the state of knowing the nature of the very thoughts of attachment and aversion.

Lord Gotsangpa said:

"In general, the apparent myriad of phenomena is one’s own mind. Since phenomena and emptiness have never been abiding as two separate entities, there is no need to restrain cognizance within."

Also:

"When there is an appearance of a form in the field of the eyes,that appearance of form itself is one’s mind; the apparent form and emptiness are not two. By resting gently right on the form without grasping, subject and object become naturally liberated. The same applies to sounds, smells, tastes,
textures, as well as mental occurrences: by resting on the occurrence itself, it becomes self-liberated. That is to say, instead of meditating on cognizance, by meditating without grasping right on the outer objects of the six sense perceptions, the six senses arise as meditation and enhancement will ensue."

Siddha Orgyenpa said:

"Static or mobile things of the outer world that may be seen, including any possible inanimate object—such as earth, stones, mountains, rocks, houses, and estates—or the diversity of beings, both high and low, in the three spheres of existence—such as gods and asuras, and those in the three
miserable realms—no matter what is perceived, none of these things has even a single hair of existence as an outer entity.

They are the natural luminosity arising from the radiance of one’s own mind.

At the time of practicing this, proceed as follows. When inanimate things such as earth, stones, mountains, or rocks appear, don’t go into the fixation of perceiver-and-perceived in relation to the inanimate object. No matter how it appears, relax loosely right on it. Avoid tainting it with hopes for good experiences and fear of bad ones. No matter what appears, apply the central practice on that itself. Uninterrupted by any other thought, in that state rest loosely and at ease. Resting in this way, you do not need to block appearances, try to accomplish emptiness, or search elsewhere for an antidote. A vivid union of the inanimate object and awareness is what is called “using phenomena as the path,” “merging phenomena and mind into one,” and “seeing the essence of indivisibility.”

By doing so you are capturing the key point of practice.

If you don’t know how to relax right on phenomena in this way, but instead indulge by means of thought activity in a lot of corrections intended to improve the situation, phenomena
will not arise as meditation.

Also when seeing any of the six kinds of beings—high or low, good or evil, happy or sad—whoever it is, practice as in the case of an inanimate object. Recognize whoever appears, and in a state of nonmeditation, barely undistracted, rest loose right on it. By this, phenomena and mind are indivisible.

Do not regard present appearances in terms of fault or virtue. Avoid fabricating or modifying. Do not taint with the intention to reject or accomplish. Take them as the practice exactly as they are."

The method of resting should not be limited just to what we have seen. Using the six sense perceptions as the path should be carried out all the time as the main practice. Otherwise, although you may somehow maintain composure during formal meditation, later when encountering outer desirable objects of form, sound, smell, taste, or touch, you will respond with a total lack of determination, enjoy the sense pleasures in an ordinary way, and slip into delusion. If you turn
the wheel of passion and aggression or hope and fear, the training we discussed will not show up when needed. You would then be neglecting the great objective, so the crucial point and main purpose would be absent. Rather, during the main practice of meditative composure, and
especially at all times, you should learn to use all perceptions as they are in their own nature.

To use the six sense perceptions as the path has many purposes. The initial effect is that you will cease to slip under the influence of the six senses thus giving them free rein, and phenomena will no longer negatively affect your meditation; later, phenomena will arise as ornaments; and finally, there will be no duality between phenomena and mind, and you will have arrived at the expanse of the great pervasiveness of the dharmakaya.

Source: awakeningtoreality.blogspot.com.br