[OceanofDharma] Quotes of the Week: Self-Existing Pleasure

[Carolyn Gimian]

Ocean of Dharma Quotes of the Week

August 3, 2008

SELF-EXISTING PLEASURE

One of the definite characteristics of the Buddhist tantra, at least 
on the level of mahamudra [an advanced level of practice], is not 
running away from sense pleasures, but rather identifying with them, 
working with them as part of the working basis. That is an 
outstanding part of the tantric message. Pleasure in this case 
includes every kind of pleasure: psychosomatic, physical, 
psychological, and spiritual. Here it is quite different from the way 
in which spiritual materialists might seek pleasure -- by getting 
into the "other." In this case, it is getting into "this." There is a 
self-existing pleasureableness that is completely hollow from the 
ordinary point of view of ego's pleasure orientation...If you look at 
pleasure from the point of view of nakedness, the situation of being 
completely exposed, any pleasure you experience is full because of 
its hollowness.

 From "Mahamudra," in ILLUSION'S GAME: The Life and Teaching of 
Naropa. Pages 120 to 121.

All material by Chogyam Trungpa is copyright Diana J. Mukpo and used 
by permission.

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Carolyn Rose Gimian

Ocean of Dharma Quotes of the Week: teachings by Chogyam Trungpa Rinpoche.
Taken from works published by Shambhala Publications,  the Archive of 
his unpublished work in the Shambhala Archives, plus other published sources.
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