for my mom | bardo prayers
day nineteen – today [ excerpt from bardo prayers]
….look closely at the nature of what makes you afraid, and you will see emptiness
which has no nature whatever; this is called the dharmakaya ? the absolute Buddha
nature of all things. But this emptiness is not blank nothingness. The emptiness of your
fear manifests as wakeful clear awareness. That is called the sambhogakaya, the ideal
appearance aspect of Buddha nature.
The emptiness aspect and the clear wakeful awareness aspect are not two separate
things; the nature of emptiness is luminously clear awareness, and the nature of
luminously clear awareness is emptiness. Now the indivisible emptiness-clarity
awareness is stripped bare and the naked mind abides in the natural unfabricated state;
this is called the svabhavikakaya, the state of resting in own-being. Then the mind?s
own natural creative energy manifests everywhere spontaneously and without obstruction;
that is called the nirmanakaya ? the compassionate emanation body.
Look carefully in this way without distraction. As soon as you recognize your own
mind, you will attain complete enlightenment manifesting in these four ways. Do
not be distracted. This is the dividing line where buddhas and sentient beings are
separated. It is said of this moment:
In one moment they are different,
In one moment there is perfect awakening.

