FOREWORD
by Lama Surya Das
The inherent freedom and completeness of authentic being is the radiant, beating heart of our Tibetan Dzogchen lineage. Enza well knows this way of being and how it expresses and manifests itself as naturalness and spontaneous doing without pushing, striving or resistance and inhibition. We say that nowness–awareness, or the immediacy of pure presence (of Mind, of Self), is the heart-essence of enlightenment, the innate wakefulness at the centre of our existence, even in sleep or coma.
To awaken to this makes all the difference, and liberates oneself on the spot. awaken from what? awaken from illusion, confusion and delusion; realizing autonomy within interconnectedness, not just a teenager’s half-baked idea of independence and freedom. as if carrying one’s own atmosphere wherever one goes and whatever happens, it’s a complete paradigm shift, a figure-ground turnaround from the small self to the supreme Self, from small thinking mind to non-conceptual Buddha-mind; from feeling like a mere cog in the wheel or a grain of sand in the universe, to the already complete and perfect wholeness and completion we call in Tibetan, The Natural Great Perfection – that luminous primordial awareness directly intuiting that all is complete as it is and should and must be.
The hevajra Tantra scripture of Vajrayana (tantric) Buddhism spells it out: “We are all Buddhas by nature. It is only adventitious obscurations which veil that fact.” The sole task is to awaken to who and what we truly are. This is the essence of enlightenment and the luminous, numinous heart of the Dharma.
Enza’s personal awakening story is worth the price of admission. Enlightened wisdom is like an endangered natural resource today, which we overlook at our peril; let’s join in exploring our true identity and developing our own innate transformational resources for a change. When I become clearer, everything becomes clearer. This great work unveils this profound understanding, as well as how to penetrate it and integrate it into daily life.
I myself had long wondered if enlightenment or total wakefulness was real or even possible. Is there a there there, and where and what could it be like? Who knows, actualizes and genuinely embodies this sublime truth, this universal gnosis or transcendental wisdom woven throughout the mystical traditions of the perennial philosophy? It turns out to be truer than I could have conceived. anyone can become awakened, and even enlightened, similar to what the historical teacher named Buddha realized, as well as sages throughout the ages. There is a there there, and it is right here! Who knew? Being (t)here while getting there is the heart of the secret wrapped in a koan inside a mystery, which only the beyond-conceptual mind can penetrate.
Pre-eminent Zen master of Japan, hakuin, long ago sang:
“This land where we stand is the Pure Land, paradise; this body the body of Buddha.”
He don’t mean Japan, or his body, but yours, mine, ours. Wake up, help yourself. Live authentically.