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Essays listed in chronological order starting with most recent. For archives, please see previous volumes below.
Writer's pictureRudy Bauer

Dzogchen as Self Liberation through The Ground of Wisdom Awareness


Within the nature of the  primordial  ground of Being ,there  is  Spontaneous Presence.This spontaneous  presence  is the nature of the ground. This spontaneous presence abides  as the inner radiance of the ground, the ground is basic space and is original purity of Being.

The presence of the ground unceasingly manifest appearances, the  appearances are the nature of the ground.  The radiance of the appearances are the very nature of the ground of Being.  To experientially recognize, to directly know or directly perceive whatever arises  as the  appearance of the ground   is the source of liberation. To know experientially that whatever appears, whatever  manifeest  is the nature of the of the primordial ground  of Being is to become liberated. Being itself is not a being. Being itself manifest  beings as Being itself.  When we do not know that whatever is appearing or manifesting   is the ground of  Being manifestations we will  bewildered and not  experience the fullness of what is. Our view only will be limited and dualistic.

To experience everything that appears  is the true nature of the spontaneous presence of  the ground of Being is the experience of self liberation.The ground of Being is Being itself and is not a being or an entity. The ground of Being is no thingness and  manifest everything and anything. In this way all things are ultimately no thingness.  The ground of Being is primordial awareness.   Awareness is no thingness. No thingness is awareness. The ground of primordial awareness becomes awareness in us as us. No thingness manifest us and within us as no thingness. No thingness is our whoness. Our subjectivity is no thingness manifesting in a mind and body.

Within the space of our heart is  LIGHT . Basic space and  luminous awareness are abiding  in our heart as the source. This presence of awareness allows for the appearance of the ground to become evident and visible to us. The invisible becomes visible. The radiance of the ground as purity abides in our heart  essence as the basic space of radiant awareness.

Even if the actual experience of radiant awareness is not experientially present,radiant awareness is always presencing , always ,always. Radiant awareness is us in essence. We are illuminated and radiant light.

If you practice the gaze of meditative awareness(which is gazing from within awareness as awareness into awareness.)   we are able to experience the radiance of awareness as the radiance appears directly both inwardly as well as outwardly. The radiance of awareness appears from the perspective of awareness and from the perspective of appearance.

When the radiance of awareness  appears from the perspective of awareness, this sustains the nature of the  radiance of awareness of awareness (rigpa). This sustaining of awareness sustains the  experience of appearance as  the nature of radiance. The various appearance of light such as  such as tigles, vortexs, bindus, vajra chains, archetypical  apparitions  are the natural radiance of awareness. So we experience the gaze non dualistically within the dualism of phenomena. Naked awareness becomes visible and the appearance of the radiance of awareness can be sustained within our vision and within our life. These visions are the visions of appearance as well as the luminous visions that are apparitional.

The radiance of appearances is experienced from the perspective of the radiance of awareness.The radiance of  awareness  also  appears  within the  perspective of awareness.  The radiance of awareness   manifest  within  the  perspective  of appearance.  The pervasive radiance of light is  the radiance  of phenomena . The radiance of external   phenomena   manifest within the fields  of the kayas.  Appearances become  translucid  and  appears within  the transparency of  light. The radiance of awareness  opens both within us and around us. The radiance of awareness  opens up within us  and within  phenomena . The same radiance manifest within us and manifest phenomena surrounding  us. The brightness opens within  us. There is a co emergent brightness opening  within the phenomena  of the world. The bliss of  samadhi is the bliss of the world.

Knowledge is action. Dharmic  action  arises from within  the ground manifesting as phenomena. Action can arise from mind alone, action can arise from awareness  of mind,   action can arise from awareness of the awareness field.  Action can arise  from kayas as the dimensions of awareness. All action is  manifestations of the ground.   The extension of   awareness  can be  the manifestation of the ground.  Extension of the mind is not the extension  of the personal  field of awareness but mind alone.

The action from the superego  is a manifestation of primordial awareness. There is the action of awareness that is beyond the superego. This action is discernment or discrimination of direct  perception. This is called prajna, jnana or gnosis.

Wisdom Awareness And The Nature Of The Ground

The discernment between mind and awareness is necessary for the method  of awareness to become actualized.  The  practioner of awareness  must  abide in wisdom awareness,must abide in the field of awareness. Abiding in wisdom awareness means sustaining  the experience of  view,meditation and conduct. And so the result of self liberation is fast and relatively brief.  Method itself is  result. This unique  upadesha of discerning mind and awaress facilitates entering  rigpa, wisdom awareness  and facilitates abiding in wisdom awareness. This is the essence of this method of living in the field of awareness of awareness.

The nature of the ground is the  self appearing of the ground as appearances. The grounds nature is self  appearing, self manifestation.  The experience and view of the grounds  nature as the  self appearing of all appearances brings forth self liberation. The nature of the ground is the wisdom gnosis of emptiness or spaceousness or openness. This is the  wisdom gnosis  of  radiance lumenous knowingness. This  wisdom gnosis is all pervasive compassion. And so the radiance of  compassion brings forth all appearance. Space and light…space as light and light as space. Knowningness is  luminous spaceous compassion bringing forth radiance as worlds.This knowningness of compassion is the direct perception of potential space in all beings and all things. Direct knowningness of what is wthin everyone and everything is the vast affection of the great compassion. Compassion is not simply an affect but is perception itself.

The  ground of Being   is the nature of these three wisdoms,these qualities..The nature is empty  and this openness is the intrinsic nature  of all appearances.  Pervasive compassion is the grounds creativity, When three wisdoms are not appearing  outwardly as spontaneous presence. These wisdoms abide as the inner radiance of the ground . The inner radiance of the ground  manifest unceasingly as the outer radiance of appearance. The nature of the ground is not some voidness .like empty vacuity,like a house with nothing within it. The ground is the  three kayas as  dharmakaya, sambhogakyaa and nirmanakaya. The potential for the arsing of the three kayas is the nature of the ground. The three kayas abide as the nature of the ground. The ground is Being but Being is not a being .Being is no thingness and manifest all beings and all things as Being which is ultimately are no thingness.

The radiance of Being abides as the nature of the ground, the nature of Being .Luminousity indwells as the grounds nature. In Guhyagarbarbha  Tantra   appearances are understood to be  perfectly pure. There is the understanding of the inseparability of purity and evenenss of all phenomena,   All appearance.  are totally pure and  are in total evenness. There is no better best, neither bad nor good, neither right nor wrong. This understanding  is  the  non duality of  emptiness and appearance,  the non duality of  basic space and  appearances.  Emptiness or openness  is always including wisdom appearances. Wisdom appearance always includes spaceousness. The nature of awareness appears   as the  kayas and always as  pure phenomena.

Emptiness as no thingness and appearance are totally indivisible, the experience of indivisibleness. Becoming aware of awareness  reveals the  open spaceous  nature of phenomena  , the original purity of all phenomena .  Appearance  is the spontaneous presence of the  clear light  and this radiant light  indwells within the nature of no thingness. The three kayas are abiding in the nature of the ground.  The appearances of the  light of phenomena  are the outer radiance of the inner nature of the ground.

 All appearances  are the spontaneous presencing  of the indwelling nature of the inner radiance that is presently appearing as outer radiance. You and I  can awaken to the nature of the ground as Being  because  the indwelling presence of the spontaneous  appearance of the  light of awareness and light of phenomena abides within us as us.

The  spontaneous presence that abides within  ground of Being is the nature of the ground. The presence of the world is   the presence of the ground presenciing. This view is wonderfull and amazing  because this view of experience  reflects that the  arising of the spontaneous appearances  manifest all of human experience.    Divinity   manifest as the outer radiance of appearances including  all of  human experience. Wisdom gnosis appears as everything and everyone.This understanding of the indwelling nature of the ground is both the basic space of phenomena, the  space of  purity. Witihin this  space of   purity there is  unceasingly  this vast spontaneous presence of the  qualities of luminous wisdom gnosis. This unceasing presence is presencing. This presencing is within every human being as the very presencing of the human being as person…person as presence, person as whoness.

 This view of dzogchen is that  both  the  space of  purity and the clear radiance of light  are in total oneness. These historically  seemingly different views are joined together within  this view of nature   involving both emptiness and the radiance of manifestation of appearance. To make these views separate is not the actually  of the great perfection.

Whatever appears is appearing as radiant awareness and whatever  appears is appearing within  luminous  awareness. Whatever appears appears within wisdom awareness. The nature of everything that appears is awareness. All phenomena appear from within awareness and dissolve back within awareness...Awareness alone exist. As the great master Dudjom Rinpoche said so often to know this is to know everything.

 Purity and spontaneous presence are   the fundamental nature of the ground. In and through meditation you and I take this understanding into  direct experience . Both understanding  and practice are necessary. This basis of understanding and practice are together

To know this  manifestation  directly and experientially is to become  awakened   and self liberated.This view is the experience that the  entirety of phenomenal existence is radiance apperances that appear within field of awareness. Phenomenal appearance are  radiant appearances that appear from within the field of awareness. Phenomena and appearances are the very nature  of awareness. What ever appeares is appearing from within wisdom awareness as wisdom awareness. When an appearance disappears it vanishes into the great expanse of awareness.Although all phenomena appearing as something that appears as it appears, its nature is simply that of  awareness. Apperances appears from within awareness and dissolves back into awareness. To know directly this dynamic of manifestation to be primordially awakened  and self liberated. Awareness self liberates through you as you.

The opening   focus is  ordinary appearances. A meditator is looking at ordinary phenomena and integrating the  experience of phenomena into awareness. Gazing is the main focus is on the spontaneously present luminous appearances and  apparitional appearances.Ordinary appearances  arise from  expanse of awareness  and appearances   dissolves or vanish back into the expanse of awareness.  In this  play all appearances  are primordially awakened and liberated

All appearance are primordially awakened, and liberated .Samsara appearing is  the nature of luminous space. Confusion and bewilderment are the manifestion of the appearance of awareness. Confusion itself is liberation.The dzogchen view is not simply about emptiness but is about the luminousity  of radiance and the spontaneous presence .Samsara appears from the nature of luminous space  and it is the appearance of luminous space .All  phenomena and thoughts are primordially awakened and pure as self awareness.This is the fully apparent path for everyone. wheither a person  knows it or they are on this path of the unfolding and dissolving of appearance. This is the path of the  unfolding of light and dissolving of light. This is the natural path for everyone since they are already living within the appearance of luminous awareness as phenomena. All phenomena are the radiance of the elements in various luminous configurations contextualizing all human experience.

The path of life is the experience of unfolding of appearances being manifested as primordial awareness. Whether or not the nature is directly and reflectively understood is not the only marker of self liberation.  Experiencing phenomena or appearance is self liberating . Self liberation  is the power of love..the love of a face ,the love of the person,the love of qualities incarnate, the love of great range, the love of singular range, of love of love itself. Love in all forms is the radiance of great compassion manifesting appearance and experiencing appearance. Appearance wheither known reflectively or not is the appearance of radiance awareness. The appearing of appearance is always direct and always experienced. The depth and range of the experience of appearance depends the manifestation of the knowningness which is the radiance and the known is the manifestation of the radiance.  In all  radiance of appearance there is the simple prereflective  experiences of the radiance as radiance. This experience itself is a transmission of love. All love is transmission of awareness and not simply and  affective state. Thus liberation is continuously and unceasilngly present in all beings.This presence is the very presence of appearance and the experience of the very presence of appearance appearing.

This is the secret essence of  incarnation and manifestation of luminous openness becoming flesh.What ever is appearing and to whomever the appearance is appearing is radiance. The qualities of human experience and the perfections of human experience are the very nature of radiance embodied in human form. This is natural liberation. The goodness of goodness in its many and various infinite manifestations are all the manifestation of total goodness itself.Radiance is goodness.

The great play of awareness is the play  and manifestation of what is as it is. This understanding takes us beyond judgmentalness  in all its infinite variations.The vast array of terrible violence is itself the manifestation of radiance awareness. All the infinitely  various situations bring forth the perfection of goodness. Suffering in all its forms is the manifestation of radiance. All desire is the manifestation of radiance. Unbound radiance is creating and destroying, appearing and disappearing, manifesting and vanishing, concealing and unconcealing. All variations of primordial awareness, all of the infinite situations are completely ineffable. Some of us through the giveness of awareness  are givien the gift of clair voyance..of seeing into and through phenomena as light.This gift is the gift within all beings as they are the radiance of light and the completion of this capacity is manifested at both sambogakaya and nirmanakaya realms.and is completed in dharmakaya which is pure luminous radiance spaceousness..such knowningness is never limited to the mind body  configuration of the beingness of Being.The beingness of Being is always becoming beings and beings are always dissolving  back into the beingness of Being.The beingness of Being  manifest as spontaneous presence of purity and radiance.All beings  participate timelessly and non dualistically within duality.I love you is not simply an emotional but  the very radiance of awareness being manifested by the radiance of awareness. The manifestation of non duality within duality is the play of primordial awareness manifesting radiance..relentlessly and unceasingly.

This can never be comphrehended by mind alone and is only known directly as radiance of phenomena within phenomena. This naturally  happens wheither or not the person can think or conceptualize the actuality of radiance or not.


Rudolph Bauer,Ph.D.  A.B.P.P.

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