The Two Truths, Part 2
- Aug 11
- 6 min read
Updated: Aug 12
It is good at this point to remember that in Buddhism, at least with respect to Tibetan Buddhism and Mayahana in general, there are two wings, wisdom and compassion. Wisdom I think of as getting to the truth of nonduality and non-self as a prescription for human suffering, and compassion is what flows naturally as we become more present and selfless. Indeed, with all the focus on the self in the earlier stages of the work, one can be forgiven for thinking that this is surely missing the point, of reducing and indeed seeing through the centrality of the ego as a source of suffering for oneself and others in everyday life.
One of my previous teachers used to say that we will likely become more self-centered for a period of time as we focus inwardly on (to use a Dzogchen metaphor) the clouds of ego identity that cover up the (nonetheless) ever-present sun of our true nature. The Indian sage Ramana Maharshi used to say that if we have stepped on a thorn, sometimes we might need to use another thorn to dig it out to become free of it, and I think that’s a good way of looking at it. Using ego to help understand and reduce the impact of ego, so some effort is required, though the fruit can be increasing effortlessness in life.
At some point however in this process, though rarely linear, we genuinely become less ego-centric, more selfless, and the interesting question then becomes: what will motivate us now, as our usual way of looking at the world, as a forum for our desires and needs, fades onto the background (somewhat)? I have talked to others who have told me that they have felt a bit unmoored at this stage, and I have noticed this too - so what happens now?
What has slowly dawned on me during this process, is that as we become more intimate with life - a good way of describing the reduced sense of separation that comes from a degree of realization - the most natural way of integrating the deeper nature of awareness into everyday life is through compassion, through reaching out with helping, whether it be the environment, politics or work with individuals - the possibilities of being creative here are unlimited. Compassion is both a result and cause of deeper connection and engagement with life, less time spent in one’s head, to put it simply.
Integration
The Dzogchen tradition of Tibetan Buddhism has an integration practice it calls “mixing,” which simply means that our awareness and our ego experience are not fundamentally at odds, we can allow them both to be here in the moment. When we have done some work and established a sense of the awareness that it always there, our background realization, we can use this to address whatever is arising in the moment. Many of us, for example, have had the experience after a retreat of finding ourselves in the larger space of spacious awareness, calm and peaceful and open, and then arriving at the airport the next day, and maybe the flight has been delayed and all of a sudden irritation and frustration appear as if we hadn't even been on our retreat at all. How best to deal with this?
Mixing
The simplest and most straightforward way to practice mixing is simply to be present with whatever is arising without our usual impulse to either push it away if we don't like it, or grasp it if we do, in other words to sense into the experience without the usual judgment, or at least listening to the judgment. One way of looking at this approach is that whatever one thinks of the relationship between pure awareness and everyday human life, whatever is arising right now, even if it is very egoistic or otherwise unpleasant, is reality and in some sense therefore true nature appearing in this fashion; Dzogchen calls it the “display of awareness.”
Our usual impulse is to manipulate this experience, which is a very difficult tendency to overcome, and of course perfectly natural, but it keeps us from a more direct experience of what is actually occurring in the moment. This is something that is recommended across many traditions, spiritual and psychotherapeutic - facing your experience. But the difference is that if we have done a fair amount of practice, we have some more knowledge of awakened awareness which in some way is always with us, and which can act as a secure base internally to help us weather whatever is arising, especially if it is difficult or uncomfortable. Here we are talking about developing internal stability to better weather internal storms and discomforts, rather than endlessly attempting to influence the contents of our inner life.
Principles of daily practice
1. Awakened awareness
As mentioned in this post and elsewhere, waking up involves exactly that, a sense of spacious awareness waking up inside us - it is not the separate ego-self waking up. In fact, the experience shows us the insubstantial nature of who we usually take ourselves to be - not a solid individual entity, but rather an historical mixture of memories and self images. The more this sense of what I call background awareness - the inner secure base - is established, the easier mixing will be.
2. Relaxed, open presence
I deliberately use the word presence here rather than being present, which can suggest some entity that has become present. Here we refer to the shift that occurs when we realize we are presence itself, here and now, as our true identity. When engaging in daily activities, keep your senses wide open but relaxed. Don’t stare intensely or try to block out sights and sounds. Let your visual field and sensory inputs be present without actively following or analyzing them. I like the word “noticing” for what we are doing here here.
3. Recognize all experience as the display of awareness
When emotions like anger, desire, or anxiety arise, or when you experience daily activities like eating, walking, or working, do not view them as obstacles. Instead, recognize them as the display of your mind. By looking directly at the essence of any arising thought or emotion, it naturally dissolves back into the vast expanse of awareness—a process known as self-liberation.
4. Ongoing present-moment awareness
Whatever you are doing, simply stay with the direct recognition of the present moment. Over time we can learn to not interfere with, and allow, our inner experience to such an extent that our emotions, thoughts and sensations simply come and go of their own accord, though in full awareness. Everything that appears is allowed to self-arise and self-liberate effortlessly, as the ancient texts put it.
Of course, this is easier said than done, and is a practice, and as with every practice, we get better at it with time. While specific spiritual experiences may have a sudden, all or nothing quality to them, everyday integration is much more about progress, not perfection. Accepting this has been a big part in allowing me to calm down about not “being there” yet on my spiritual journey. Our deeper nature is always here and available, but our ability to access it and stay in it is very much about practice, and in this understanding, it may never stop.
Though these are many exercises to increase our compassion, especially in Buddhism, I can recommend the “Metta” and Tibetan “Tonglen” meditations, both easy to find on YouTube and elsewhere, I think the most genuine love and compassion arise on their own as a result of sincerely doing the work of the path you have chosen. With compassion in particular, we also want to see action taken; it is all well and good to feel compassionate, but are we truly helping others? Jesus tells us that “You will know them by their fruits,” that is to say, we can see how people are doing on the spiritual path by their actions and their character.
In my view, this is where the true goal of spiritual work lies. Ramana Maharshi said that at a certain point, with any luck, the experience of the Self (pure awareness in the Hindu tradition) drops into the heart, which is the summit of the spiritual life, the combination of wisdom and love.
Conclusion
While it may be a summit, it is not the end of the path, which continues to unfold. All of these traditions of course, talk about life after death, whether it be the heaven or hell of Christianity, or rebirth as in eastern religions. It is not for me to pass judgment on what happens after we die - though after long spiritual work I’m much more inclined to be open to this - but whether we’re referencing the present or the future, remember that we only have now.
I’ll leave you with some suggestions about some nondual-type groups I know directly so can recommend them, but of course there are many others. In general, while meditating on one’s own, and online groups are excellent places to start, I can recommend the intimacy and power of finding a group to belong to and practice with in person. Also, meditation is a powerful tool, so start small, say 10-15 minutes daily and see how it goes, I don’t think an immediate 10 day silent retreat is always a good idea, work up to it, and find experienced guidance and support. It will be there if you look for it. Good luck!
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