Our true nature is that of perfection. In Buddhism, it is called Buddha Nature – the primordial bases for everything.

But as human beings, most of us suffer from dualistic views of our experiences. Our ego twists and warps the energy of our life until it is a barely recognizable form of the reality of things.

Our job on the spiritual path is to dismantle all this debris. These outmoded thought concepts, the faulty thinking, these facades that shroud our true nature – the masks we wear.

But how do we go about it? How can we dismantle something we can’t even see? How do we uncover what we don’t understand or even acknowledge is there?

We practice.

We practice meditation to cultivate attention – so we can notice what is happening at the moment.

We practice compassion and selflessness – so we can pick away at the ropes that bind us to our self-cherishing – our ego.

We practice Sanskrit Mantra – to dissolve and purify our energy so we can reveal our true nature.

A great Mantra to help us in this is the Gate Mantra. The Mantra of Prajnaparamita – the primordial feminine aspect of wisdom.

OM GATE GATE PARA GATE PARASAMGATE BODHI SWAHA

OM GONE, GONE, GONE BEYOND, GONE BEYOND EVEN THE BEYOND, HAIL THE GOER.

This mantra is historically taught to be practised in one exhalation – you breathe in and while exhaling, say the Mantra.

It is said to prepare the mind for liberation, by preparing it to be able to hold all the knowledge that gets imparted at that time.

Chant it 108 times in the morning and night and see what happens for you.

With Love,

Aly M. Dunne