Rest in the nature of alaya, the essence.

Bunched Bunnies - Photo by Hollis J. Works

          In 1959, students in Durban, South Africa decided to see how many people they could fit inside a telephone booth. They managed to squeeze in 25 students and reported their results to Guinness Book of World Records. That was the start of a new fad, and young people all around the world began trying to break the record for how many folks they could fit in booths, cars and other tight spaces. Comparing the tight space of ego's created awareness to natural (unborn) awareness is like comparing the capacity of a thimble with that of the sky. My little thimble holds so many preoccupations that there is little room left for other possibilities. I'm too caught up in my concerns and preferences and see only a tiny part of the whole. Yet alaya, the sky-like vastness of the unbiased mind, is limitless; there's room for all with room to spare. Instead of feeling squeezed by only being able to view how things affect me, I can see from a larger perspective. As Pema Chodron explains, I can rest in this openness and "enjoy the display of whatever arises without making a big deal." In classical Sanskrit, alaya means "home;" it is similar to the experience of coming home and relaxing after a long, stressful trip. I can drop the baggage of my discontent, irritability and worries and just "be."

For more information on the fifth slogan, go here.

Slogan Five

Rest in the nature of alaya, the essence.

From the Lojong for the Layperson booklet:

            Certain Buddhist traditions describe eight types of consciousness. The first five are connected to the senses (sight, hearing, taste, smell, touch) and the sixth is mental awareness (reflexive perception). Egoistic awareness is formed by our memories and experiences and becomes the repository that shapes our identity. The last type is alaya, pure awareness untainted by life experiences, judgments or preconceptions. This unbiased expanse of the mind is a place of refuge, a place that can prepare the ground for compassionate action. When we rest in this openness, we notice what is there but don’t cling to it – we gently let it go.

Photo: Hawk feather in Mondo grass.

            I was reading a book last night before bed, and one of the story’s characters had gotten his fingers caught in a Chinese handcuffs toy. This cylinder of woven bamboo allows for a finger to be placed in each end. The action of pulling the fingers back out makes the shape lengthen and shrink in diameter. The harder a person struggles to get loose, the tighter the toy squeezes. The not-so-obvious solution for releasing trapped fingers is to relax. We may struggle in the same manner with our thoughts. To borrow a line from Otis Redding, we don’t often sit on the dock of the bay and watch our thoughts roll away. We’re way too busy struggling; we throw rocks at the boats we don’t want tied at our dock or swim out to the boats we want to secure. But if we take Redding’s advice and observe our thoughts and emotions without judgment, without pulling or pushing, we’ll find a peaceful place to rest.