Discover Yourself!

DISCOVER YOURSELF!

By

Ozmo Piedmont, PhD

In the scripture “The Most Excellent Mirror Samadhi”, one reads the following:

“The sage will tell a trainee,

Who is feeling he is low and all inferior,

That on his head there gleams a jeweled diadem,

And on his body rich robes hang –

And at his feet there is a footrest. 

If the trainee hears this teaching with surprise and doubt,

The sage assures him that of cats there are some kinds,

As also some white cows,

That perfect are just as they are.”

            We all need support, hope, and faith in order to progress along the spiritual path. At times one may feel superior and more advanced than others en this path, as if it were a competition in which only one can win the prize.  But this is only one side of the coin of insecurity, because in the very next moment, the situation may change, and one feels like a failure, inferior, and without self worth.  Nevertheless, the two extremes are examples of duality in the mind of little self, the ego.  It is a delusion base don the belief that one is alone in the universe, isolated, with fixed characteristics that are in themselves permanent.  If one attaches to this mistaken concept, one sets up a constant battle between the dualistic extremes of superiority and inferiority.   

            The good news is that we can liberate ourselves from the suffering caused by this belief.  Everyone is equal in this respect.  Every being has his or her own karmic tendencies, which give one the opportunity to see where one has made mistakes in the past, with intentions and impulses that create patterns that bring about suffering in the present.  If one judges others and oneself, these patterns are maintained continually, one life after another.  However, every being has the birthright to be free and in peace.  A fundamental law of the universe is “anicca”, which means that everything changes, nothing is permanent, not the body, not the ways of thinking, nor the ways of perceiving reality, not even our character.  One can choose in each moment a new way to respond to the difficult situations of life.  Therefore, one’s appearance, one’s former beliefs, one’s sex, gender, race or mistakes of the past are not important in how one lives right now.  Since everything changes, everyone can change his or her attitude and reactions to the world. In this sense, the ego serves as a tool in the discovery of one’s true identity, which is the Buddha Nature, the real self.  The ego can support this transformation, using faith and hope to open oneself to the Dharma as something real. 

            The Dharma can liberate and purify one’s karma.  This is done by choosing the spiritual path, following the examples of the Buddhas, the masters, and the Bodhisattvas of the past, those that show us how to live in flesh and bone the Four Noble Truths and The Precepts.  It just requires taking the first step in a new direction, listening to the still, small voice in one’s heart, which is there to show us in each moment how the path can best be walked.  If the ego listens to this innate wisdom, it discovers a profound joy beyond imagining.  One discovers, “that perfect are just as they are,” because everything is part of the Infinite manifesting itself here and now as Life just as it is.  Karma is showing each one of us exactly what one can do to liberate him/herself, discovering one’s connection to the Infinite.  This is the invitation that every spiritual teacher is encouraging us to make: Discover yourself!