A Trackless Path

I've listened to a few inspiring interviews with Ken McLeod on Michael Taft's Deconstructing Yourself podcast.  In one of them he mentioned this translation of and commentary on a poem written by the the 18th century Tibetan monk Jigmé Lingpa. The poem itself is a very condensed set of Dzogchen practice instructions, including descriptions of possible pitfalls and remedies.  Like most of these types of works it would be almost indecipherable without McLeod's commentary.  However, given the slipperiness and, well, I guess, emptiness of the Dzogchen approach, this commentary can only remain very light and suggestive.  Fortunately, this doesn't mean it has to be abstract.  On the contrary, McLeod writes in clear simple language about his direct experience with something that's ultimately ineffable.  As a result, there's not much point in attempting to summarize the thesis of a book like this.  The main theme is clearly rest.  Resting in awareness.  Looking and resting.  But the only way to read the text is to use it, to drop these seemingly vague instructions into a meditation and see what happens.  This is also the only method that befits McLeod's experimental conception of a path which ultimately dissolves, as the title suggests, into a wide open landscape.

Like an oak peg in hard ground

Stand firm in awareness that knows

And go deep into the mystery

 

#reread