The personal identity that you take yourself to be doesn’t need any kind of examination or correction. Simply rely on open intelligence for a short moment—that’s your true identity. There has never been a person who needs to be handled or taken care of. There isn’t a single datum that has ever had independent existence, so what does that say about the “you” that you’re trying to fix up? Would you try to reshape space to make it into a better space? No, space is always as it is, and this is the nature of open intelligence as well—open intelligence is always as it is. It’s never made into a subject; it’s never made into an object. Wherever subject and object are seen, open intelligence is looking from within that subject and object. There’s never any separation or division anywhere. Be very clear about this.

1. ! At some point, in a very natural way the commitment to gain certainty in our innate open
intelligence and peaceful nature bears fruit. We’re no longer collapsed in an obsessive self-focus,
and through the tremendous release of energy that comes about by the instinctive
recognition of open intelligence, we naturally and spontaneously want to be of benefit to all.
Great changes in the world can come about, because mastery of open intelligence allows
access to a tremendous level of skill and intelligence that isn’t otherwise known.! !
THE DEMONSTRATION OF OPEN INTELLIGENCE!
! From the very first short moment of open intelligence, we experience full blown clarity
and compassion. Many of us have led most of our lives never hearing about what is authentic
about ourselves, but when we do hear it we start to relax into our authentic nature without any
effort on our part. We feel, “Ah ha, this feels right. There is something about this that is so
soothing.” From that very first moment of the soothing energy of open intelligence, there is the
tremendous release into clarity and compassion. !
In each short moment of open intelligence we harness the powers of clarity. Why haven’t we
had these powers of clarity before? Because we have been too wrapped up perpetuating all of
our stories about the way things are and the way we are. Initially in the practice of short
moments many times it’s important to not be distracted by the stories; we return to short
moments of open intelligence again and again, as often as is possible.!
Clarity and compassion are what is authentic, and this is what we want to be able to exhibit in
our lives. We want to see more and more of the balanced view of clarity and compassion in
ourselves so that those powers can benefit others. !
A wonderful metaphor for the powers of clarity and compassion is the sun and sunshine. Just
like sunshine naturally emanates from the sun and can’t be stopped in any way, so too clarity
and compassion shine forth from open intelligence. We know whether or not we are gaining
confidence in open intelligence by the presence of clarity and compassion—by becoming more
stable mentally and emotionally, by having more insight into ourselves and into other people,
and by experiencing the warmth of compassion. We can see in subtle and overt ways whether
or not we are becoming more skillful in life.!
There are a lot of fancy things that can be said about open intelligence, but what we want to see
is the demonstration of its balanced view in our lives. This is true evidence of confidence in
open intelligence.! !
MASTERY OVER PHENOMENA !
! The worst kind of addiction and the worst kind of cult is the one that we belong to without
knowing it! We might say, “I’m not addicted to anything; I’d never join a cult,” while in fact we
may be participating in full blown addiction and complete cultish behavior by believing in the
independent nature of data. Life based on data is a life of powerlessness, helplessness,
unmanageability and addiction to the idea that appearances have an independent existence. !
Once there’s an understanding of the true nature of data—that data appear without truly existing
independently and that they arise without ever being separate or apart from open intelligence—
then there’s an understanding that everything that appears is like a mirage. Just like we can’t
get anything from a mirage, there’s nothing whatsoever to be gotten from appearances. No
matter how desperately thirsty we are, we’re never going to get a drink from a mirage. !
It’s the same with looking for well-being in data. All of these mirage-like data are like last night’s
dream; there isn’t anything there. Whether you’re waking, dreaming or sleeping, the idea of
“you” and the entire cast of characters and parade of images you experience have never been
any kind of solid and graspable thing.!

2. ! To be crystal clear about the nature of reality is to have complete mastery over
phenomenal appearances. Without complete understanding of the nature of existence, not only
is there no mastery over data, there is a bouncing around between all the internal and external
data with you as the pivot point.!
! The personal identity that you take yourself to be doesn’t need any kind of examination
or correction. Simply rely on open intelligence for a short moment—that’s your true identity.
There has never been a person who needs to be handled or taken care of. !
There isn’t a single datum that has ever had independent existence, so what does that say
about the “you” that you’re trying to fix up? Would you try to reshape space to make it into a
better space? No, space is always as it is, and this is the nature of open intelligence as well—
open intelligence is always as it is. It’s never made into a subject; it’s never made into an object.
Wherever subject and object are seen, open intelligence is looking from within that subject and
object. There’s never any separation or division anywhere. Be very clear about this.!