Ice, water and waves
[ Home ]

 Source: The Nirvanic Path
The Yoga of the Great Symbol (xxx BC)
People who are immersed in the material world have knowledge only of what appears through their sense organs. Such worldly learning is in fact unreal. Its ego centred character obscures true understanding and causes most people to live in a feverish nightmare. 

people live in a feverish nightmare Yogins call the unenlightened state Avidya (Ignorance) and in their compassion they encourage people to live differently and meditate so that they may find peace of mind.
There is an extra-ordinary practice to help people realise that what appears to be things, thoughts and feelings are in fact fleeting aspects of an underlying and everlasting Oneness. The practice involves meditating on three themes.

Dreams and waking thoughts

Whatever you 'see' during sleep is part of mind. It is the same with what you 'see' when you are awake. Dreams and thoughts have no existence apart from in the mind.

Ice and water

Things (or what appear to be things) that appear in mind have no knowable reality other than in mind. They are not made of anything substantial and yet they appear to be real. So the thing and the thought-of-the-thing are of one substance. They are like ice and water - two aspects of a single thing.

Water and waves

As waves are produced from water so are all thoughts and things produced from mind. Thoughts and feelings are the offspring of the mind which of itself is the indescribable, omnipresent and vital source of everything.

Based loosely on Indian and Tibetan texts from the pre-Christian era as translated in

Evans-Wentz, W Y (1958) Tibetan Yoga and Secret Doctrines; 
Oxford University Press; ISBN 0 19 500278 4

[ Home ]