3.2.12. Returning to Saṃsāra

“Just as the lotus grows untainted from the mud, so the Bodhisattva dwells in saṃsāra unstained by its defilements.”

— Avataṃsaka Sūtra

There is something gently circular about this entire undertaking. Each time I imagine I am drawing closer to the end of the work, I find it loops back on itself, revealing new depths in old lessons. This chapter opens one of those subtle spirals: the return to saṃsāra, not out of ignorance, but from the profound clarity that comes with knowing. Here, I reflect on how the Bodhisattva—having reached the distant shore—turns back, embracing the very world they once sought to transcend.

I have come to see that this journey is not a straightforward escape from the human condition, but rather a deepening engagement with it, from ever clearer vantage points. In the beginning, we suffer acutely—startled by the raw truth of our restlessness. It is this distress that first sends us searching for something beyond. We come to learn that this tangible reality is not the only reality, and in our early fervour, we try to move away from what is painful toward imagined realms of bliss.

For the arahant, this yearning bears fruit. They cross to that “yonder shore,” recognising self as empty and encountering a life untouched by personal attachment. Their liberation is genuine. Yet for the Bodhisattva who arrives at this same threshold, the story unfolds differently. Though they too see through the illusion, they do not prevent it from manifesting. By the power of their vow, they turn back, understanding that their path is now wholly within saṃsāra.

Those on the gradual Mahāyāna way progress steadily through the ten bhūmis—stages of awakening—as they perfect each pāramī (transcendent virtue). Their bodhicitta, the compassionate resolve to awaken for all beings, grows strong enough to guide rebirth consciously, in any realm where their work might serve best. Some, like Tārā, even choose the form of their rebirth, taking female bodies lifetime after lifetime to uplift women.

Others tread swifter paths, often involving esoteric disciplines: meditations on the subtle body, deity yoga with intricate visualisations of buddhas and consorts, the recitation of mantras, or rituals of symbolic offering and sacrifice. These practices vary to suit the temperaments of different disciples and invariably demand great effort under skilled masters.

The most rapid of all is the path of Mahamudrā—the “great seal”—which points directly to the nature of mind. Paradoxically, it requires no structured practice. Here, insight arises by resting effortlessly in awareness itself, recognising all phenomena as identical in their lack of inherent nature. In truth, it is often those less entangled in intellectual complexities who grasp this most swiftly. This path, being pathless, cannot be described as “this” or “not that,” for it is the undoing of all contrivance.

The Bodhisattva, by any route, comes to see saṃsāra as a vast training ground. Here they voluntarily embrace suffering, perfect the pāramīs, and dismantle the final obstructions—both afflictive (emotional distortions) and cognitive (subtle misapprehensions of reality). There emerges a curious sense of redemption, where adversity is gratefully received as the opportunity to settle karmic debts, even those unknown.

Those following the tantric or vajra vehicles use ritual and vivid symbolism to accelerate transformations that might otherwise take countless lives. Their subjective reality becomes the very canvas upon which realisation unfolds.

As for the Bodhisattvas on the most rapid path, they understand that the highest serenity springs from becoming volition-less. Without striving, they simply rest in the uncontrived nature of awareness. This appears deceptively simple, but true success demands the deepest faith born of wisdom.

At this stage, the Bodhisattva’s mind is directly reshaping itself. Even apparent misfortune becomes a kind of nourishment, refining and healing them. The way home grows increasingly clear, each step easier than the last. As they retrain their responses to conditional existence, their capacity to transform experience into peace and insight only deepens.

With each bhūmi attained, subtle afflictions fall away. Freedoms multiply, psychic powers (iddhi) arise spontaneously—not as goals, but as natural expressions of expanding wisdom. Upon reaching the eighth bhūmi, ordinary cognition itself collapses; with the last residues of afflictive tendencies gone, there is nothing left for the mind to cling to.

The final three stages address the most refined cognitive obstructions—those very faculties of sense and discrimination that veil omniscience. These too will be transmuted, becoming the enlightened Buddha bodies. Thus unfolds the Path of Meditation, with all its tantric and vajra nuances. This, my friend, is our culminating work. In Rubedo, we will explore these final stages in greater depth. For now, simply take heart: we have crossed the hardest terrain, and from here the journey begins to glide downhill.

To return to saṃsāra after glimpsing what lies beyond is the Bodhisattva’s profound act of love. No longer fleeing suffering, they meet it with open arms, transforming it into fuel for liberation. This chapter marks the pivot from striving to effortless resting—a promise that the way forward, though still mysterious, grows ever lighter.

This text is excerpted from the upcoming book Citrinitas: A Course in Modern Alchemy. The complete volume will include additional study guides, glossaries, and extended teachings. Learn more about the book here.