There is a phrase by a Russian spiritual master, Grigori Grabavoi, that I really like: “There is no objective reality outside of consciousness.”
The same concept is abundantly taught in thousands of ways in the Sutras and Tantras of Tibetan Buddhism. In fact, it is one of the premises of Buddhism, that of shunyata, or emptiness. Everything is empty in the sense that it has no intrinsic reality. This can be difficult to understand, because we have the impression that what our senses perceive is a reality, that they really exist, that if we were not there, they would still be there. This is not the case. What you see in front of you comes from you. It is you, your mind, that creates your reality.
And this you is not your thinking. Your thinking is very limited; thinking is always in duality. Ultimate reality is beyond concepts. Nothing that is real can be definitively grasped by concepts, or by the five senses.
That is why meditation is so important for everyone. Because, in the end, if we want to progress on the path to realization and enlightenment, if we want to reach a state where there is no more suffering and pain, then we must unite with what is eternal and immortal in us. It is not in the mind or thoughts, nor in emotions or feelings, nor in the body or even in the soul. In fact, what we really are is impossible to identify. It is beyond thought, body and emotion, beyond any definition. It can only be experienced.
The path to this lies in the awakened consciousness of the present moment. Much more than being in the here and now, we need to be fully conscious and awake in every moment and in a continuous way. An example of what this state of consciousness entails is that those who have developed this state of consciousness are conscious even when they sleep and are conscious that they are dreaming during their dreams.
Those who have this awakened consciousness will eventually reach the rainbow body. Whether in Indigenous America, where wise elders have attained this state or Tibet, the same phenomenon of ultimate realization manifests itself in those who transcend the limitations of their karmic obscurations. In the Western tradition, you have an example of this in the manifestation of the light body of Jesus Christ after his resurrection. He could be seen and touched by his apostles, but most humans did not see him. He could pass through doors and walls; nothing could stand in the way of his manifestations. He was in his immortal, eternal body, which has since manifested itself through emanations to thousands of devout believers around the world. It is the same in Tibet with a being like Padmasambhava. In America with White Eagle. In fact, there are many fully enlightened beings and many walk among us. But the general level of our states of consciousness is so low that we do not see them. One must be at a certain level of spiritual development to see, hear and receive teachings from these enlightened beings. Especially in the dark times we live in, few beings reach this level of development.
That doesn’t mean that we shouldn’t work on it. We all have this potential. All beings from all realms have this luminous body that can manifest the ultimate reality. When we achieve this, we see things as they are and not as our conditioning makes them appear. We see water for what it is, and we can walk on water. We see fire for what it is, and we can be in an enormous blaze without being burned. We can see and really understand the earth and walk through a mountain.
The way to achieve this? We must aspire to it and seek the teachings that seem most suited to our level, those that will encourage us to do the work, those that will teach us to practise, to meditate, that will give us the methods to transcend our obscurations.
Already, right now, be awake in your consciousness. Be aware. Vigilant. Witness to all your thoughts and emotions, without judgment, accepting everything as it is. Always be attentive but without effort, learn to relax in this vigilance. And do good to others. Accumulate merit through good deeds towards all our relations. Be of service of those who teach the way. For they are the ones who light the way to our ultimate reality.
With love and joy
Blue Eagle