{"id":35630,"date":"2020-06-29T06:20:00","date_gmt":"2020-06-29T13:20:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/nalandabodhi.org\/?p=35630"},"modified":"2026-04-22T11:15:57","modified_gmt":"2026-04-22T18:15:57","slug":"four-reasons","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/nalandabodhi.org\/nl\/2020\/06\/29\/four-reasons\/","title":{"rendered":"Four Reasons We Don\u2019t Get It"},"content":{"rendered":"
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The \u1e0d\u0101kin\u012b Niguma\u2019s Vajra Lines of Self-Arising Mah\u0101mudr\u0101<\/em> presents four flaws that make it difficult to recognize mind\u2019s nature: the main practice of Mah\u0101mudr\u0101 is to allow these four flaws to be free in themselves.<\/p>

  1. Though our buddha nature lacks any meeting or parting, it is not recognized, because it is too close. This is like trying to press our eye against the surface of a table to see it better. Doing so gets our eye as close to the table as possible but also means that we cannot see the table clearly. Rather than seeing all its details because of being very close, we do not even recognize that it is a table, and it moreover hurts. The way ordinary beings do not realize their mind\u2019s nature is exactly like that: it is too close to be recognized, and the more we try to zoom in on it the tighter our mind becomes, which hurts. Therefore, it is said that relaxation is important in the beginning when we start with the view, and even more important in meditation and conduct. The Mah\u0101mudr\u0101 tradition says that those people who can relax the best have the best meditation, those who relax in a medium manner have a medium meditation, and it is obvious what happens to those who cannot relax.<\/li>
  2. Not only is the nature of our mind too close to be recognized, it is also too simple. Though, or rather because, it is utterly simple, we do not trust it wholeheartedly, which is the reason why we cannot remain undistracted from its simplicity. If someone says to us, \u201cYou are such a simple person,\u201d we usually do not take that as a compliment. But when we hear, \u201cYou are such a sophisticated person,\u201d we are very happy and feel appreciated. We usually love sophistication: nobody wants a simple iPhone 1 anymore; it must be the latest model, no matter how overpriced it is or how few of its thousands of functions we actually use. Since our mind\u2019s nature is what is most simple, we don\u2019t get it and are always on the lookout for something more pompous.<\/li>
  3. Though the nature of our mind is always present within us and even sends us wake-up calls all the time, we don\u2019t recognize it, because it is too profound. It is not found in the ever-agitated waves on the surface of our busy dualistic mind with all its projections, but only in the depths of the vast ocean of mind\u2019s luminosity and emptiness.<\/li>
  4. Our buddha nature is too excellent: it is too good to be true. Its infinite spaciousness, overwhelmingly brilliant awareness, and limitless qualities of awakening do not fit into our small and claustrophobic, dualistic minds; thus, since we only know the framework of our little narrow mind, we lack conviction in the boundless freedom of Mah\u0101mudr\u0101 and continue to roam sa\u1e43s\u0101ra.<\/li><\/ol>

    Suggestions for contemplation:<\/h2>