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“In Dzokchen, compassion is much more than the virtue of loving kindness. Nor does the word compassion in the Dzokchen context denote its English etymological meaning, “suffering together” or “empathy,” although both these meanings may be inferred. Essentially, compassion indicates an open and receptive mind responding spontaneously to the exigencies of an ever-changing field of vibration to sustain the optimal awareness that serves self-and-others’ ultimate desire for liberation and well-being. The conventional meaning of compassion denotes the latter, active part of this definition, and, due to the accretions of Christian connotation, response is limited to specifically virtuous activity. “Responsiveness” defines the origin and cause of selfless activity that can encompass all manner of response. On this nondual Dzokchen path virtue is the effect, not the cause; the ultimate compassionate response is whatever action maximizes Knowledge—loving kindness is the automatic function of Awareness.” ― Keith Dowman, the Flight of the Garuda

Hi Konchog, Yes, I will take you up on that discussion about clear light. You see, even though you were underwhelmed with rest of the book, I kept reading it and I'm in love with this book now. The concepts in this book resonate very deeply with the rest of what I've been learning and experiencing. As you sit, with neither grasping nor averting, letting be, making no effort to 'do' anything but watch, and not become attached to what you see or think about it, the veils drop away, everything you see becomes brighter and brighter until it just radiates. As you progress, you see the light, brighter than anything. That is the manifestation of the child clear light or child rigpa (according to this book). It manifests into several different spectacles. But if you grasp at them, if you think about them, they dull out. This is training is watching and not thinking about what you are seeing. Then, once you are well established in child clear light, it breaks through and joins mother clear, mother rigpa, enlightenment. That book mentions the five lights of primordial wisdom, the five elements, the Bon teachings. How the clear light manifests into the five lights, and depending on how they are percieved, they are either the five primordial wisdoms or the five manifestations of samsara. The theme that samsara and nirvana are just two sides of the same coin is also present in this book. And, you also find the disregard of ethics, or good and bad, and other forms of dualistic grasping. I don't think you read the book. I think you abandoned it after a while and didn't finish it. For, if you had, I think you would have understood what clear light is. The fourth Vajra verse describes it so wonderfully, I don't see how anyone could have missed it, or not understood it. And, I was also quite suprised when the book mentioned that breath meditation is an opportunity to buddhahood: Notice, he says "without deliberate effort". Breath meditation is a way to practice "neither grasping nor averting, resting in the natural state". But, on the topic of clear light. Clear light is the source of samsara and nirvana. It is that which is inextricably mixed into the dharmakaya. It's brilliance and shine reveals itself the more you still the mind, let go, neither grasp nor avert.. The book calls it non-meditation.. This has been my experience. As I progress in watching the breath, I'm getting better at not consciously controlling the breathing. As I progress, the thoughts and images appear crystal clear and very luminous, bright, shiny and radiant. Vivid. When the reflection of the child clear light manifests, it is very bright.. I haven't broken through to mother clear light yet, but when I do I will let you know. Here are some quotes from that book about the clear light. There is no need for discussion. I'm just presenting something that I love: So, I don't know what you need in order to think that this is a great book. Although there is the odd non-conventional term, like "absence" and lots of big words, this book is right on. TI