To be sensitive there has to be some degree of openness and awareness, so these three qualities are the basis of what it is to be a sentient being, whether animal or human or anything else. There is therefore a basic kinship between all beings that goes very deep; right to the very essence of what it is to be alive and sentient.
Yet we vary in the extent to which we experience the spaciousness, clarity and sensitivity of our nature. When fully experienced, without distortion, blockage or veil, it is the Buddha’s boundless enlightened awareness and responsiveness. In other words, it is boundless wisdom and compassion. So the very essence of what it is to be sentient and alive is also the very essence of the Buddha’s enlightenment. It is there in the heart of our being already and it never changes. It is our Indestructible Heart Essence.
Rigdzin Shikpo
This quotation is from Rigdzin Shikpo’s book Openness, Clarity, Sensitivity available from our bookshop. The Indestructible Heart Essence is also the name of the path of training taught in the Longchen Foundation. It is a comprehensive training in the entirety of the Buddhist path. For more information on our events and programmes please email events@longchenfoundation.org.