The core tenets of Buddhism are expressed in the teaching known as the Heart of the Great Wisdom Sutra. Although it is the shortest of all the sutras, containing only 632 characters in the traditional Chinese translation, it explains the essence of Buddhism, which is KU, or Emptiness. The meaning is essentially that by letting go of your preconceived notions, opinions, and attachments, you can become open to all the wonders of our life. All things are empty. This is the realization of nothingness. But, emptiness or nothingness does not just mean nothing. It means not being attached to anything; especially your own perceptions and ideas so that you can see your life clearly.

Gate, Gate, Paragate, Para Sam gate Bodhi svaha

Gate, Gate, Paragate, Para Sam gate Bodhisvaha.

Bodhi Svaha

English:

Gone, Gone, Gone beyond Gone utterly beyond

Oh what an Awakening

Gate means gone. Gone from suffering to the liberation of suffering. Gone from forgetfulness to mindfulness. Gone from duality into non-duality. Gate gate means gone, gone. Paragate means gone all the way to the other shore. So this mantra is said in a very strong way. Gone, gone, gone all the way over. In Parasamgate sam means everyone, the sangha, the entire community of beings. Everyone gone over to the other shore. Bodhi is the light inside, enlightenment, or awakening. You see it and the vision of reality liberates you. And svaha is a cry of joy or excitement, like "Welcome!" or "Hallelujah!" "Gone, gone, gone all the way over, everyone gone to the other shore, enlightenment, svaha!"

Tibetan Buddhist Dzogchen teachings from which dream yoga practice is derived say that at some point the dreams stop and one rests in pure awareness without attachment to phenomenon in the waking or sleeping dream states. Dream yoga prepares one for the ultimate experience in life which we call death. With a greater understanding of and less attachment to phenomenal reality one is better able to navigate through waking dream and the bardo states during the time of transition from waking life to and through the gateless gate, into the beyond, and beyond the beyond.

No Coming No Going

No coming, no going

No after, no before

I hold you close to me,

I release you to be so free

Because I am in you, and you are in me