Beloved Students:

I greet you once again in the goodness and wonder of the Source expanding. May each of you know your deep connection with all that is and may you continually rise in the stature of grace that is your true potential.

Have you ever wondered what it would be like to “step into” or perhaps “put on” the mind of a Christ or a Buddha? What might you see, were you able to look through the eyes of such undisputed spiritual mastery? If you could see yourself through the eyes of one of these what would you see? What kinds of thoughts might you have in so seeing yourself? Stepping into the radiant spectrum of such great awareness, how might you advise yourself at the present moment?

There is a use, or application, of mind that transcends the realm of mental projections. While you may not have experienced such as yet the Great Ones who came to show sentient beings how to transcend the mind did in fact, demonstrate such applications. These, and other Great Ones, set profound examples for all to witness in the journey of consciousness that transcends ego mind and realizes Essence mind. Their journey is your journey and they are your examples, even if you have not yet received the full benefit those precious examples have to teach you.

So, what is this journey of consciousness anyway? It is the destination of all spiritual paths - no matter how divergent they may appear no matter how dissimilar their tenets and terminology. Of course, this is not to say that every practitioner of every spiritual tradition is aware of this fact. Disparate ways of understanding the path are, however, less a function of the path and more a distortion of the mind which presents itself for transformation to (and by) the path.

Every spiritual tradition that has arisen in the history of this Earth has, of course, sought to re-train the minds of its respective aspirants in order that they may view whatever reality the tradition espouses in terms specific to its traditions and beliefs. In all cases, the aspirant is to learn to see the big picture in the same manner that the primary teacher sees/saw it. While the type of ultimate perception sought may vary tradition to tradition, each tradition does, nonetheless, seek to provide a definition of “reality” that conforms to the construct of the original prophet or teacher. To that end, religions seek to “convert” one’s old way of seeing (i.e., thinking and/or believing) to a new, or at least different mode of seeing along the lines set forth by the great teachers and thinkers of the tradition. While there is probably nothing new for most of you in this “revelation,” it does, at least, place before us the landscape of the spiritual journey. That landscape is, of course, the mind.

In our studies together, we have traveled many miles discovering the complexity of that landscape. We have looked at attitudes projections, karmic imprints, fears, illusions, fixations, habits of mind techniques for working with the mind, meditation practices and strategies applications for calming the mind and means for discovering repeating patterns of resistance and/or delusion. We have encountered comparing mind, complaining mind, judging mind, hungry mind, prideful mind, jealous mind, even lazy mind. Additionally, we have explored the terrain of ego mind and essence mind, and sought to discover when one masquerades as the other. We have explored the higher self and the lower self, recognizing each to have its roots in some faculty of mind. What a landscape we have traversed! Clearly, the goal is to help each of you become skillful at sorting through the myriad of diversionary tactics the ego mind is capable of injecting into the “mind mix,” so to speak.

While most of you do understand the difference in ego mind and essence mind, making what we might call the “switchover” still seems to be at best illusive, and problematic at levels less than best. If one is to indeed make the switch, initially one must hold appreciation for the power of ego mind. Even though ego mind is usually perceived as the lesser of the two one must clearly appreciate its holding power - a force that, indeed, must be respected. Herein lies a potential stumbling block, however, for most do not want to actively respect a force that they are seeking to transcend.

I notice a tendency for many of my students to move into a judging stance, or a comparing mind stance when these two applications of mind arise for consideration. I think it is here interesting to note the difference one might mean between using two very familiar phrases. When one “changes her mind,” this is usually seen as a small and transient matter, affecting the outcome of relatively small matters in the course of events. For example one might change her/his mind about going to the movies. While a shift in outcome results, for the most part the shift refers only to the incident at hand, not something more encompassing in the flow of one’s life. However to say someone has had “a change of heart,” is to say that a big shift has taken place, one which will likely influence many events or points of reference in the course of a life.

Regardless of whether we consider a change of mind or a change of heart, we are left to ponder the question of what actually changes. When one “converts” to a new spiritual perspective, we easily recognize this comes about only after training the mind to see in a different way. However correct this may be, it is always said that the true conversion occurs in the heart. Perhaps this is to say that a change of mind may not necessarily affect the heart, but a change of heart has wide-reaching influence into all the products of mind, both thinking and feeling.

Still, we must ponder: what actually changes? It is utterly clear that something changes, particularly when one considers “putting on the mind of Christ,” to borrow a phrase familiar to some of you. Of course, the categorical change would apply to taking on the mind of any Great Being, and should not necessarily be attributed to only one teacher. As most of you have discovered in your own personal journey into the mind, both thoughts and feelings are extremely mutable. Generally speaking, the ego mutates the thoughts/feelings in whatever way appears useful to it. But what of the heart change? Usually, when this phrase is used in a careful or considered way, you will discover that some level of devotion is implied as well as the specific internal shift in the person about whom the change is actually noticed. Granted, the level of devotion may vary widely from case to case; but in the consideration of the proverbial “change of heart,” devotional energy is always present. As a case in point, witness the energy of the change of heart that might arise when a person converts from one political party to another. Often this is done with great emotional surges of devotion inspiration - even epiphany!

If such powerful emotional content can (and does) present in the shifting from one political party to another, consider the power of the energetic emission when one shifts into her or his enlightened state! For those of you serious about making this shift, perhaps a significant area for contemplation may be found in discovering the difference between the “mind of Christ,” or “Buddha mind,” and the state of mind in which you currently dwell. Ask yourself over and over again, in every conceivable situation, “What is the difference in the Buddha’s mind (or Christ’s mind) and my mind?” Please note that the goal of this exercise is not to get the “right answer” so much as it is to stretch the part of mind that 1) considers itself; and, 2) determines what criteria to use to recognize or label itself. You see, these are the areas that change with the power of the experience you call “religious conversion.” These are the areas that will someday project the truth of your enlightenment.

Please join me this month in listening to Putting on the Bodhisattva’s Mind, a talk I delivered from Glenwood Springs this past July 15th. The teaching works with two topics, showing how they are interrelated in the Bodhisattva’s mind. The first area is that of projecting mind. The second area is the Bodhisattva’s approach to practicing the Prajnaparamita. It is my hope for each of you that you find at least one gem in this teaching; and that as you receive it, you will think of all the Great Ones who have preceded you, generously showing you the way to realization and enlightenment. May you harvest well the gifts of this lesson, and may you joyfully share the fruits of all your efforts with all other sentient beings! Walk in love and generosity.

Djwhal Khul