What It Feels Like to Be Awake
I live in a state of joy and gratitude. Immigrants are happily accepted.
If you’re reading this, you may die in the next few seconds, minutes, hours, days, months, or years. If you’re alive and not reading this, you may die in the next few seconds, minutes, hours, days, months, or years.
That’s a prime example of impermanence.
One of the joys of living in the last year of my eighth decade on Earth is knowing with greater certainty and clarity that the rest of my life is in the shorter range. A year ago, I began a spiritual data dump. I felt a calling to share what I have learned with anyone who might benefit from it while I still can. The result has, so far, been 253 From the Pure Land blog posts, 40 podcasts, and a book, The New Middle Way, whose Kindle edition is currently the “#1 New Release” and 25th overall in Tibetan Buddhism on Amazon.
Writing and publishing The New Middle Way has been my consuming spiritual and intellectual practice. It requires honesty in examining what I write about myself and research to ensure that everything else I write is accurate. When it was completed, I realized that it was my spiritual equivalent of a Ph.D.
It brought me to a new level of understanding myself and my Buddhist practice and a new willingness to believe in myself as a teacher. So I’ll say something I’d hold back before:
I am awake!
The traditional teaching is not to declare one’s level on the path. It may be bragging and deter others who might feel inferior. But stated with humility, it can be an example offered to others as one possible result of one path. That’s how I intend it.
And note that I didn’t say I’m Enlightened. Even with my “Ph.D,” I can’t define Buddhist Enlightenment in a way that would suit all of the schools and esteemed teachers. Besides, my status regarding that state is something I wouldn’t share with others.
I’m declaring my awakeness to tell you what it feels like.
While geographically situated in the Commonwealth of Virginia, I live in the State of Joy. That doesn’t mean I walk around with a big grin and never feel anger or sadness.
It means I know that my default state is one of joy and that I will soon return to it if I slip out.
It means I’m awake to my ego, especially when it tries to pull me toward feeling different and unique.
It means I’m awake to my preferences and prevent them from becoming attachments and aversions.
It means I know I can handle anything that comes my way without losing my equanimity for more than a few minutes.
It means that loving-kindness toward others, as well as myself, is never out of reach.
It means I’m fully aware that everything I do, say, or think has an impact on everyone and everything else.
It means that the State of Joy also encompasses the State of Gratitude.
The route to awakening needn’t take you as many decades as it did me, but it requires experiential as well as intellectual learning. For most of us, that means a well-qualified teacher who can guide us toward the Nature of Mind—our Buddha Nature.
If you need a qualified teacher and are willing to look online, check Mingyur Rinpoche’s Tergar Meditation Community and Lama Tsultrim Allione’s Tara Mandala.
On June 5, From the Pure Land will be one year old, and I’ll implement the changes I announced on May 9. I’ve already lowered the subscription cost. Starting on June 5, only paid subscribers will have access to new posts. If you buy a subscription before then, you’ll continue to receive all posts and have access to the archive. The first year’s posts will remain available to anyone, but not those from June 5, 2025, on.
Subscriptions are $30 a year or $5 per month. In addition to new posts, paid subscribers will have access to six guided meditations I’ve recorded. You can become a Supporting Subscriber for $50, in which case you’ll also receive an autographed copy of The New Middle Way in addition to my gratitude (although I may ask for a shipping fee for deliveries outside the U.S.) Free subscribers receive unlimited access for a one-week trial.
Now would be a good time to upgrade your subscription.
If you can’t afford $30 a year and want continued access, send an email to melpine@substack.com. You don’t need to include financial details.
Mel’s newly released book, The New Middle Way: A Buddhist Path Between Secular and Ossified - Enlightenment for Regular Folks is available from Amazon.
Subscribe to Mel’s Awakening for Regular Folks newsletter and receive six guided meditations.
From the Pure Land has thousands of readers and subscribers in 38 U.S. states and 27 countries, and the podcast has thousands of listeners in 79 countries.
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I'm about 1/5 of the way into "The New Middle Way" and am enjoying it a lot, as well as learning from it.