In dzogchen and in mahamudra we are encouraged to “take Gods and Demons” into the path. This meditation practice is one of the more advanced stages of the great perfection and it calls forth considerable skill and fortitude from the practitioner. “Gods and Demons” are classed as one of the “adversities”: we may experience hallucinations or fears we ascribe to external circumstances, thus, dualistic thinking stays intact if we don’t remedy it. The objective of taking Gods and Demons into the path is to view those experiences as void. The main characteristic of what we call “God and Demons” is an experience of intense fear. Fear can, of course, be perfectly reasonable and rational, but often our fear is irrational, experiences that arise for no apparent reason. We may not see this as activity of Gods or Demons, but fear, whatever its source, can create immense suffering for us and for other sentient beings.
So, how to deal with the Gods and Demons? How to take them into the path? The first step is to recognize the presence of fear in your mind. We don’t try to stop fear, or get rid of it, but we also don’t indulge it. We simply look directly into its nature, and try to find out from where it came, where it abides now and where it goes to. We do this with a mind that is utterly unaltered. In this way we directly experience the nature of fear, and notice that it has the same nature as our mind has. It has the same nature as all our thoughts and kleshas. It has no substance. The moment we recognize that anxiety of fear has no substance, we recognize that there is nothing to be afraid of. The fear hasn’t vanished, but now we comprehend its nature and it has become meditation, it has been “taken into the path”. Once fear is meditation, even before it vanishes, it is no longer called fear. This is called the “spontaneous self-liberation” of the emotions. If we take the Gods and Demons into the path, if we take fear into the path, so that it becomes meditation, what would otherwise be adversity is pacified and liberated and becomes a source of benefit to our meditation.
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is this what you meant about what lies ahead?
no, this is what you accomplished, and in an eminently skillful manner, may I add. of course, daily life offers us many opportunities for precisely this practice, but you are already on the path.
so what did you mean?
the main point is that all is skillful means. that we see the nature of fear does not mean that fear ceases to be. that we see the nature of anger does not mean that anger ceases to be. that we see the nature of suffering does not mean that suffering ceases to be. the point about dzogchen is precisely that all these remain, but that our view of them changes. that in itself is not without its measure of pain. because your view expands, you’ll notice more. it is why i asked you to be very attentive to your dreams.