Original Innocence

With the directness of a farmer naming the crops in his fields, Traktung Yeshe Dorje—farmer, mystic, scholar and poet—points out that transformation and enlightenment are possible for each person. They are the soil out of which our lives have sprouted, and are not separate from the ground of the spiritual path itself. Original innocence, not original sin, is the intrinsic condition of the human mind, the author asserts. He is not alone in this declaration. Great mystics and sages who have discovered the essence of reality have also proclaimed “original innocence.” While their words and the flowering of this realization may have taken different expressions, the essence remains the same. This is good news for the weary traveler lost in samsara (confused perception). This confused perception is like that of a person with mental illness who thinks themselves to be Napoleon; or an anorexic who perceives themselves as fat. Such a complex of thought-feeling-behavior thus influences everything they do. And so, samsara brings suffering to one’s life. Essays, quotes from seminal texts, poetry and teaching stories weave throughout these pages, creating a rich meal that any serious student of life can enjoy and be nourished by. The book is a hologram of spiritual teachings—each page a blueprint, an invitation, and an immersion into the spaciousness of the author’s realization. From the highest, most advanced teachings to the core beginnings—the 4 Noble Truths of the Buddha—nothing is at odds. All work together to illuminate a vision for transforming life from suffering to wisdom bliss.