Shaktipat

HARD LIGHT CENTER OF AWAKENING

Excerpt of a talk by Mark Griffin...

In essence, the Intensive is a day-long conversation with the Guru, a day-long conversation with the force of Shaktipat. The very form of the Intensive is the instrument of Shaktipat, that energy which when transmitted into your system, carries the signal of awakening. Only a single atom of this energy is required for each person.



Shaktipat, once given, cannot fail. It's not a matter of if you will awaken, but when. It is only regulated by your own skill, the intensity of your nature, and what you are capable of enduring in the transformation process. Whether it happens fast or slow doesn't matter. The intensity, spread out over time, does not decrease the impact of its force.

Soham Mantra

HARD LIGHT CENTER OF AWAKENING

Excerpt of a talk by Mark Griffin...

As you come to recognize that the vibration of Soham is not your voice, but the voice of God, and you learn to watch the vibration of the speech of God within, you'll notice that it's one unbroken stream; the quality of consciousness at the point of individual identity and the quality of consciousness at the point of union with God are the same. It's just your attention which interprets them differently.



Having received shaktipat, the transmission of God's grace, the entire spectrum of attention becomes open to you. It's just an issue of learning to listen. Listening is the key; meditate and listen to what's inside.

Soham Mantra

HARD LIGHT CENTER OF AWAKENING

Excerpt of a talk by Mark Griffin...

With each and every breath, the Soham mantra vibrates within the sushumna, the central nerve that runs from the root chakra at the base of the spine to the crown chakra at the top of the head. This mantra is the spontaneous vibration of God resonating within the human form; it is not produced by the sound of your voice or your mind. This divine vibration within your being opens the gate at the base of the spine and at the crown of the head so that the light of infinite consciousness can flow in; when this happens, the vibration of the Soham goes higher and higher, raising your attention.



This is a profound mystery, and it is the way of awakening. In this way you will make the journey from the lower depths, where you have taken false refuge in confusion and ignorance, obsessed with the belief in your individual identity, to higher and higher frequencies of connection with God. In the end, your attachment to a personal identity will dissolve, and you will surrender the identity of your individual nature completely, merging with the universal nature of God.

The Ego

HARD LIGHT CENTER OF AWAKENING

Excerpt of a talk by Mark Griffin...

The ego is a despotic ruler and defines existence so very narrowly. You've gone through lifetime after lifetime wrapped so tight that your head's about ready to pop off your shoulders if anything happens to you that the ego can't take. The smallest upset causes a psychic seizure; you clench up and wall yourself off from the flow of your own truth, your own Self.



The study of the relationship of the spinal cord to the earth is one that you must learn to do at all times and all places. After a while you'll feel how the tension around the spine begins to release, restoring the flow of vitality within. It's like awakening from some strange dream. The experience of the Self is broad, generous, and fearless.

Arise Spontaneously in the Self

HARD LIGHT CENTER OF AWAKENING

Excerpt of a talk by Mark Griffin...

The bellows breath is the best method to release and surrender the spine to the draw of earth's gravity. This is especially important in times of intense pressure and transformation.



The ego-based identity attempts to hold the spine away from its basic relationship with the earth, and this breaks the flow of energy between the spine and the brain. The ego has as its fundamental nature the reflex of separation, and attempts to control the flow of consciousness at the level of the body because the body is the ego's basis of identity.



The whole idea of spiritual life, the whole idea of meditation, is not to form a belief system, but to arise spontaneously in the Self, to directly experience the subtle vibration of God within. It is the instrument of your being that has this experience, and relaxation is the key.

Red & White Bodhicitta

HARD LIGHT CENTER OF AWAKENING

Excerpt of a talk by Mark Griffin...

If you've studied yourself closely, you'll notice that there are two primary energies in the body. They are characterized by the red bodhicitta and the white bodhicitta. The red bodhicitta is analogous to the ida, the energy channel located on the left side of the spine. It is the feminine vibration that is the foundation of energy and mind capacity. The white bodhicitta is analogous to the pingala, the energy channel on the right side of the spine. It's the energy that produces the creation and dynamic of the world. 



The interaction between these two energies gives rise to all the dynamics of the architecture of the human form. The human form is an inconceivably complex equilibrium of these yin and yang energies. This equilibrium arises in the seat of the bodhicitta at the heart. It is the anchor and foundation of your existence. It is a deep, gravitational center that holds the atoms of consciousness into the collection of the appearance of your existence – physically, energetically, and mentally.

Four Bodies

HARD LIGHT CENTER OF AWAKENING

Excerpt of a talk by Mark Griffin...

The primary nature of enlightenment is empty. It does not have a point of origination where it comes into existence, nor does it ever cease to exist. It is neither infinite nor finite, as these would be qualities. Yet we see that the idea of enlightenment has a resonance in all of the dynamics of perception within a human being.



We as human beings are not a single body with a single perceptive field or point of view. The hard-wired architecture inside the human form manifests itself in four bodies: the physical body of matter; the subtle physical body of energy that animates the physical body; the causal body of mind and mental formation; and the atman, infinite consciousness.



Enlightenment comes into contact with these four tiers of human consciousness, comes into view, through the very act of perception itself. Yet it remains completely empty.

The Nature of Perception

HARD LIGHT CENTER OF AWAKENING

Excerpt of a talk by Mark Griffin...

When you have interruptions of attention, you have to recognize them and analyze them. The nature of an object will constantly change when observed, revealing more and more of itself.



This is one of the basic tenets of quantum mechanics: an object is changed by our observation or perception of it. This idea is fundamental to advanced yoga.

Uninterrupted Attention

HARD LIGHT CENTER OF AWAKENING

Excerpt of a talk by Mark Griffin...

It takes a while to learn how to use forceful, uninterrupted attention to squeeze a subject down to the point where you can manipulate extremely subtle layers of consciousness. That's why you have to sit around meditating for a few years.



You'll go through a period of time where you experience interrupted attention. One moment you'll be experiencing uninterrupted attention and then you'll touch a place and a huge throb of karma will release all kinds of wild emotions, and your attention will fly off in nine different directions. This is a typical experience when you're going through a phase of strong purification. Sometimes the blast of purification will be so strong that a couple of days will go by before you'll say, Wow, what happened? I was doing this and now I'm doing this and I don't remember changing.” Then you bring your mind back onto the object of your attention and you continue to squeeze it.



Once you fasten on to your thread you have to learn how to use forceful attention to hold the line; lots of details must be accounted for at the level of thought, mind, speech, and action until an uninterrupted chain of attention is fulfilled.



It's the same thing with everyday life. If you want to get anything accomplished in this world you have to clearly discern what it is that you want to do and pursue it in an uninterrupted, forceful line of attention and action. People who've mastered uninterrupted attention seem to be able to accomplish anything in life; whatever it is they want to get done, gets done. On the other hand, people who are easily diverted and interrupted can make a thousand great starts but just a short way down the road they wander off the path unable to remember what they were doing.

The Speech of Dharma

HARD LIGHT CENTER OF AWAKENING

Excerpt of a talk by Mark Griffin...

The world turns on kindness. The presence of kindness eventually draws the presence of dharma, and the possibility of liberation. There are world systems that do not have dharma. The evolutionary turn to get to that place where dharma would appear for the very first instant for the first time in any eternity changes everything for every single being in that world system.

There’s a very powerful... what you would call battle between the forces of light and darkness. A million acts of treachery and a million-and-one acts of kindness – that one extra act of kindness makes the difference. It’s the speech of love, the speech of dharma. The force of dharma is strong in this world. There is a rhythmic visitation to this planet by the Original Soul – incarnating physically. When He’s not present He leaves an army of servants behind. That’s a kindness.

See the Truth of Any Situation

HARD LIGHT CENTER OF AWAKENING

Excerpt of a talk by Mark Griffin...

Nine times out of ten, a given situation will be afflictive by its very nature; it will involve the suffering of any number of beings. But that doesn't mean the quality of truth is not unfolding within that setting.



The ability to see through to your obligation in any situation, to see the truth of any situation, is the dynamic expression of uninterrupted attention. Uninterrupted attention allows you to be present without diminishing yourself or withdrawing into fear. At the same time, you must not demonize others and place all blame on those around you while letting yourself off the hook.



You have to squeeze a subject long and hard to get to the heart of it. There is a very vivid and hair-raising space of awakening in every situation wherein the truth can be recognized. It is the flow of uninterrupted attention within oneself that makes this recognition possible.

Warrior

HARD LIGHT CENTER OF AWAKENING

Excerpt of a talk by Mark Griffin...

In spiritual life you are a warrior. You will become capable of placing your attention on any subject, even if it's painful, fearful, threatening or dangerous. This is a form of attention that all warriors must become trained in, because they must be able to place themselves intelligently into the proximity of danger, death, and injury, and yet keep their mind very clear and do what needs to be done.



This is why people are drawn to the life of a warrior; they love the challenge of being able to express uninterrupted attention in the face of the most terrifying situations. As a spiritual warrior, you will be called upon to face extremely intense situations; these will come in the form of information, knowledge and truth about yourself, about others, and about the world. You have to awaken to the fact that you are surrounded by universal suffering.

Karma

HARD LIGHT CENTER OF AWAKENING

Excerpt of a talk by Mark Griffin...

You can carry issues with you for years and years that you don't address. Because of fear, aversion, or afflictive emotions, every time you touched a difficult subject the mind was interrupted. And now suddenly you're old, and still you haven't addressed it. Then you die without having addressed it, and this just means that you'll have to reincarnate to deal with it.



Sooner or later, all these issues will have to be dealt with. They are the rocks, roots, weeds, and tree trunks that you'll most certainly run across as you plow the field of your life. Where do you get the energy to offset the obstacles in your life, to give you the courage so you can address these difficult areas? By giving rise to love of the enlightened condition, you draw energy from the very center of your being. It is a well of infinite consciousness, and a resource of infinite energy that will give you the power to deal with the problems and issues of your life.

Bodhicitta

HARD LIGHT CENTER OF AWAKENING

Excerpt of a talk by Mark Griffin...

The practice of Bodhicitta is a fundamental part of your daily spiritual training. By giving rise to love of the enlightened condition and sensing the presence of the spontaneously arising enlightened mind at the seat of the heart, you will experience the truth that enlightenment is not something outside of yourself, but exists within you as you.



Bodhicitta is the ultimate power of attraction that draws the infinite points of Self to a single place, encompassing the totality of the human experience in a single gesture. It posits the existence of the human form and its emptiness at the same time, expressing both the conditioned aspects of limited existence and the infinite consciousness of enlightenment.



It is the presence of enlightenment within that pervades all conditioned reality. As you bring your mind, energy, and attention to bear on the Bodhicitta, expressing it consistently, again and again, you establish a karmic connection to the ocean of enlightenment that exists within you.

Attention

HARD LIGHT CENTER OF AWAKENING

Excerpt of a talk by Mark Griffin...

You'll often find that when you bring your mind to bear on a particular topic, perhaps studying some painful part of your life, that in some uncontrollable way your attention is interrupted; the mind jumps and skips the subject. You'll think, "What was I thinking about?"; and you can't remember.



This is just how the mind works, and as dharma practitioners you must become accustomed to it. Ultimately, the mind is a machine and it can be trained to do anything. You must learn to recognize the interruption of attention and forcibly bring your mind back to the subject. This is the only way that you'll begin to see all the reasons why you didn't want to address the subject. This is how you process through a problem or an issue.

Nature of Attachment

HARD LIGHT CENTER OF AWAKENING

Excerpt of a talk by Mark Griffin...

Look around at the objects in your house, in your life. Look inside your closets. See what's there. Examine the emotional and psychological content of all these things. Is their vibration positive, having come about through generosity or love, or is it negative, having come from an attachment or aversion?



Perhaps many of your clothes are an attachment to an identity you seek to maintain, a way you thought of yourself at one point in your life, but which doesn't represent you now. You may not have worn many of your clothes in a long time, but they remind you of a good period in your life, and you don't want to give them up. So it goes with all your possessions.



It's actually easier to get rid of these things, remove them from your life, and clear up that psychic space; because you're connected to them, and even though you don't recognize it consciously, the connection holds you in the grip of all of those emotional states from the past.

Nature of Attachment

HARD LIGHT CENTER OF AWAKENING

Excerpt of a talk by Mark Griffin...

The poisons of attachment, aversion, and delusion produce an endless stream of negative behavior. The karma generated by this behavior is like an enshrouding blanket of negativity, making it impossible to see the truth of a given situation.



What was your thinking like the last time you felt anger, jealousy, envy, greed? What were you like when you were under their spell? You always ended up acting like some kind of demon. And afterwards, what did you feel? You felt shame, you felt guilt. And now you had to carry that around. Nothing is furthered by this kind of negative behavior.



The quality of love, all the higher angels of behavior, draws you into life with incredible force, and you see clearly. Your life becomes fantasy-free; you no longer live in some kind of fairy tale. You see the truth of things as they are.

Moving to a Condition of Clarity and Awakening

HARD LIGHT CENTER OF AWAKENING

Excerpt of a talk by Mark Griffin...

All negative thoughts, emotions, and behavior arise from one of three states: attachment, aversion, or delusion. Attachment is grasping, aversion is a form of fear, and delusion is a form of ignorance. These three dynamics define the separation between oneself and all others.



All the higher angels of behavior have as their essence love: the infinite power of attraction; the inclusion of oneself and all others into one's own identity. Any act of kindness, generosity, patience, compassion, or humility leads to the dissolution of the barrier of the false identity that separates us.



Over time, as you include these positive angels of behavior within yourself, and eliminate the poisons of attachment, aversion, and delusion, you will move from a condition of madness and insanity, to a condition of clarity and awakening.

Give Rise to Love

HARD LIGHT CENTER OF AWAKENING

Excerpt of a talk by Mark Griffin...

When you recognize the suffering of another, that knowledge can go in one of two ways.



You can be judgmental and feel that the person is getting what they deserve. When you do this you give rise to a lower, base energy. Whatever it is that this person has done or that they're going through, you've certainly gone through the same thing yourself. But through a process of self-denial, you refuse to see the interconnection of all life as it resists the forces of ignorance and struggles toward the light.



The person can be just on the verge of coming to some new understanding of themselves and their suffering, and you slam them with judgment, locking down the situation and knocking them back into their pattern of behavior. Their moment of awakening is lost.



Or, through an act of will, you can give rise to love. Giving rise to love can be something as simple as not giving way to judgment. Judgment is a heavy load, both for the person who judges and the judged. Not passing any judgment gives the situation an opportunity to breath and produces a kind of spiritual uplifting.

Love is an act of will

HARD LIGHT CENTER OF AWAKENING

Excerpt of a talk by Mark Griffin...

Love is an act of will, and it takes skill to be able to remember to give rise to it in all conditions. You have to practice it. You'll find yourself giving way to negative habitual behavior more frequently than you'd think, especially when you start to watch for it.



When you give rise to the lower energies, you commit the totality of your being to that energy, and you transmit it to everyone around you, whether they are consciously aware of it or not. This is how we all hold ourselves collectively in a state of darkness and obscuration.

The Witness

HARD LIGHT CENTER OF AWAKENING

Excerpt of a talk by Mark Griffin...

The impressions of everything we have ever done over countless lives are stored within us and act like an encumbrance upon our system of consciousness, locking us into a wheel of cyclic repetition. This is the fruit of behavior that is founded on the desire-based patterns of confusion, obscuration, fear, and ignorance.



There's a spiritual state known as the Witness wherein you engage and observe these patterns of your behavior. Over time, you learn to recognize and become familiar with all the chemical, biological, and energetic changes that occur within yourself and give rise to an endless stream of habitual responses.



Having gained access to a higher source of light through your spiritual practice, you must learn how to assert your will upon that point which you recognize as the seed of a negative pattern of habitual behavior; you learn to resist and transform it into a positive movement of energy towards the higher angels of your nature.

Karma

HARD LIGHT CENTER OF AWAKENING

Excerpt of a talk by Mark Griffin...

The seed emotions and thoughts of everything you have ever done are stored within you. These seeds, through the medium of your personal will, gave rise to an action which in turn became the seed for more action. This is the endless cycle of cause and effect, karma. And all this is stored in you. This is the basis for memory and is what is responsible for the habitual patterns of your behavior.



The entire point of spiritual life is to gain access to a new source of light outside of the system of your own karma in order to offset the force of these habitual behavior patterns. The transmission of grace introduces large quantities of light into your system that physically clear the karma from you. This process is called purification.

Path of Dharma

HARD LIGHT CENTER OF AWAKENING

Excerpt of a talk by Mark Griffin...

Through the grace of the guru we are brought onto the path of dharma and into direct contact with the light of consciousness. This light acts as a spiritual fire, generating a profound heat that reduces us to our purest qualities.



This process of purification is the daily bread of spiritual life. We experience it as a deep and profound pressure that flows into every place within our being. This is inevitable and cannot be avoided. Everything we have ever been or will be dissolves into the light of consciousness.

The transmission of grace is like a force of nature

HARD LIGHT CENTER OF AWAKENING

Excerpt of a talk by Mark Griffin...

The inherent fear of being extinguished is natural, and can't be avoided. We naturally fear being non-existent. I've seen this in all of you. You'll be meditating along, doing beautifully, and just as you're about to plunge into the ocean the fear will seize you, and you'll jump back out. You open your eyes, get up, walk around; try to avoid it. I see you do this all the time.



The transmission of grace is like a force of nature, like the weight of the ocean, an indescribable and unbearable pressure arising from all points. You can't resist it. It's important for you that you find a way to deal with that ever-increasing presence of truth and light within you. Find a way to align with it. When it bumps against one of those nodules of pain and fear, don't recoil. Just breathe deeply around it. The fear will be released.