Only when we have a genuine, abiding desire to free ourselves from suffering and all its causes does our spiritual journey begin. That original desire is very potent and very real. It is the basis upon which we enter the path that will lead us to our goal. Yet from the point of view of the Vajrayana, or tantric, school of Buddhism, there is no place to go on that path, no end of the road where we will one day satisfy our thirst for liberty. Why? Because the very thing that we are looking for—freedom, wakefulness, enlightenment—is right here with us all the time.
Adapted from a 2004 talk given by the Dzogchen Ponlop Rinpoche. To read the complete talk, visit Young Tibet Online. This October, Ponlop Rinpoche will be discussing his upcoming book, Rebel Buddha, online at the Tricycle Book Club. We hope you can join us then!