Introduction
The meditator eager to get exact instructions on
meditating may be tempted to breeze through the sections on devotion, faith,
the lineage prayer and focus on the very practical techniques such as how to
hold one's posture in meditation, but this is to miss the whole essence of
meditation, which is an all encompassing way of viewing the world, a method of
developing one's individual relationship to self and others. To get the most
out of these instructions is to read each sentence as if it were embossed on
the page in gold, which is how some of the early sacred texts were done.
Since everyone's mind is different, everyone's
meditation is also different. This is why individual instruction is so
necessary. It is extremely important that before one actually begins to
practice meditation, one seeks advice from a qualified meditation instructor.
Karma Triyana Dharmachakra (352 Meads Mountain Road, Woodstock, NY 12498)
maintains a list of Tibetan meditation centers around the world if one is
seeking instruction. For more detailed information on meditation, one can
consult Thrangu Rinpoche's Shamatha and Vipashyana Meditation.
- - Clark Johnson, Ph. D
Studying the Dharma
We should begin by examining our mental disposition,
which means turning our mind inwards and examining whether our attitude is
pure or impure. Because we are just ordinary beings, sometimes our attitude
will be pure and at other times it will be impure. There is nothing surprising
about this. When we find our attitude is pure, we can rejoice and let it
remain pure. When we find our attitude is impure, there's no reason to become
disheartened, because we can change it. If we change it, again and again,
little by little our negative attitude will naturally become pure. To develop
this disposition for enlightenment, we should think that whatever we are
doing, we are doing it to help all beings reach Buddhahood.
The Need for Meditation
When we do a physical action, this action can have
either a positive or a negative result. When we say something, it can be
either good or bad. So with words and actions we can see tangible results, but
with thoughts there is no concrete action expressed. The mind, however,
determines all of our physical and verbal actions because whatever we do,
there is thought behind it. When that thought is positive, the actions that
follow are good; when that thought is negative, the actions that follow are
negative. The starting point of changing what we do is to change the way we
think.
When we try to change a mental disposition, we must
modify our habits. We can do this though meditation, that is, using our mind
in a more concentrated, controlled way. What is troubling the mind can be
removed with meditation so our mind can exist in its purity. If our mind is
distracted, we can change it into an undistracted mind through meditation. We
can change bad habits into good habits through meditation. Then when we manage
to change our mental habits, we can change our physical actions and verbal
behavior. Once we have changed these, we can reach the ultimate goal of our
practice, Buddhahood.
Faith and Devotion
The one thing common to all meditation practice is
having the right motivation of wanting to benefit all persons, not just
ourselves. Besides this, we also need to have very strong devotion to our guru
and all the gurus of our lineage. If we pray to them with really sincere
devotion, we can receive their blessings which lead to a very quick growth of
our meditation. It is said that the source of the growth of the four main and
eight lesser schools of the Kagyu lineage was the blessings created by these
persons praying to their gurus with true devotion. They received the blessings
and were able to develop their meditation and understanding quickly.
With the practice of meditation, we can actually get the
mind to rest on, what we want it to rest on and the mind becomes clearer and
more peaceful. The Vajrayana tradition (footnote 1 - see below) has developed
a practice that makes it possible to go through this process much more quickly
than other meditation practices. In this practice one prays to one's guru and
to all the gurus that have come before and develops a very strong devotion--an
openness to receive their blessings. If one prays to the gurus, one receives
the blessing, and through this blessing one's meditation progresses rapidly
and naturally.
How is it possible that blessings are not felt by some?
It is not because the Buddhas and the gurus feel, "Well, he doesn't pray to
me, so I'm not going to give him blessings." The Buddhas and gurus look upon
all beings with the same kindness and love as a mother has for her only son,
but only persons open to these blessings can feel them. For example, if we
have a hook and try to catch an egg, we can't do it. However, if we try to
catch a ring with a hook, it is easy. In the same way, the compassion and the
blessings of the Buddhas are there constantly, but there has to be something
in beings that is open to receive the blessings. Faith and devotion are like a
ring for the hook of the Buddhas' compassion and blessings to pull us out of
samsara. No matter how much compassion the Buddhas have, without devotion
nothing will happen.
The Lineage Prayer
To develop devotion we imagine our guru as the
embodiment of all the Buddhas in the form of Dorje Chang (Skt. Vajradhara).(fn
2) The prayer to Dorje Chang is of special value. It was composed by the guru
of the seventh Karmapa. (fn 3) For 18 years he lived on a very small island in
the middle of a lake in Tibet and meditated on the mahamudra. (fn4) He spent
all that time just meditating until he reached full realization of the
mahamudra. At this point he spontaneously composed the Dorje Chang prayer, and
so this prayer has a great deal of blessing connected with it. When we say
this prayer,(fn 5) we should be aware of the meaning of the words. We should
do this prayer trying to really concentrate on what we're saying, to be very
attentive, and not to let our mind wander to other things, all the time
praying with sincere devotion to remember all the qualities of our guru.
When we begin meditation, we should put our mind in the
disposition of enlightenment so that the other conditions for true meditation
will arise in us. In the vajrayana teachings, it is said real meditation will
arise naturally if we receive the blessing of our guru and the gurus of the
lineage. This is why we say the prayer to Dorje Chang, who is visualized in
the space in front of us surrounded by the lamas of the lineage. If we cannot
manage to visualize that many objects, we can just imagine the form of Dorje
Chang, but think of him as a condensation of all the qualities and essence of
the lamas of the lineage.
The Dorje Chang prayer has four parts. The first part is
to turn our mind away from samsara so that we can see its illusion and develop
disgust with samsara and want to practice the dharma. The second part is to
cultivate devotion towards the lama and the dharma so we will be able to
receive the blessings of the lamas and develop true meditation. The third part
is that we pray to achieve peace of mind and not be distracted so we will
develop true meditation. The fourth part is trying to understand that the
essence of our thoughts is the dharmakaya. When we have understood this, we
actually become Dorje Chang. After that we just remain in meditation. Whatever
thought comes up, we just rest within the essence of that thought.
When we imagine Dorje Chang, we think of him as being
blue in color, with one face and two arms, holding a dorje and a bell. He is
sitting in the vajra posture. (fn 6) We can either think of him as being on
top of our head or being in front of us in space. We usually visualize him in
front of us and if possible with all the gurus of the lineage around him. We
imagine that the lamas are not in their ordinary form with a solid body with
flesh and blood, because if we did, they would arouse ordinary thoughts in our
mind. Having ordinary thoughts during this meditation is a sign that we do not
have much devotion. So we visualize our guru in the form of Dorje Chang to
develop a pure vision in us and to see him not as ordinary flesh and blood,
but in a pure way. We know that it is our guru, but in the form of Dorje
Chang. If we cannot visualize all of these lamas, we simply imagine Dorje
Chang and think that he represents all the aspects of the three jewels. (fn 7)
While praying, we try to remember all the good qualities of our lama and the
lamas of the Kagyu lineage and try to feel as genuine devotion as we can. We
try to feel as much genuine faith from the bottom of our heart. Feeling this
we say the lineage prayer. (fn 8) When this happens, we think, "I have
received all the blessing of body, speech, and mind of all the Buddhas and the
guru." At the end of the prayer, we imagine that our guru and all the other
gurus melt into light and this light is absorbed through the top of our head
and goes into our heart. At that particular moment we think we have received
all the blessings of the body, speech, and mind of our guru and all the other
gurus. We think we have received exactly the same qualities that they possess
because our mind and their minds are now one. So all their qualities of
complete freedom from obscurations and their complete realization are now
ours; it is as if they had imprinted a picture of their enlightened qualities
on us. We think we've obtained the full blessing and whatever realization is
in the mind of our guru is now in our mind.
The Posture in Meditation
There are two important points in meditation--the body
and the mind. As far as the body is concerned, it is important to keep the
body straight so that the subtle channels (fn 9) of the body will be straight,
too. If these subtle channels are straight, then the subtle energies within
these channels will circulate freely. It is said that the mind is like a horse
riding the circulation of the subtle energies of the body. When it is riding
this energy freely, it is relaxed and peaceful.
There are many descriptions of good meditation posture
and we will use the fivepoint description. (fn 10) The first point is that the
body should be straight and upright. It should be "as straight as an arrow"
which means one's back should be straight and one shouldn't lean forwards,
backwards, or to either side. The second point is that the throat should be
slightly bent downwards like a hook. There are two subtle channels inside the
throat, and if they are bent slightly forward, the energy will circulate in
them reducing mental agitation in one's meditation. The third point is that
the legs should be crossed in "patterns of latticework" which means that the
legs should be kept in a crossed position. If one can put them in the full
lotus posture, good. If not, simply cross them in the half lotus posture. The
fourth point is the body should be "gathered together like chains." After
straightening the body, lock it in that position as with iron shackles. The
way to do this is to join the hands, placing them the width of four fingers
below the navel. The fifth point is to keep one's mind and body reasonably
tight exerting a certain amount of effort so the body and mind are composed
and focused. This is compared to one's tongue when one, for example,
pronounces the Tibetan letters "li" and "ri" which requires a certain amount
of tension in the tongue. In the same way, one should always maintain a
certain amount of effort and alertness in the body and mind.
The great teacher, Marpa, said that there are many
different instructions on meditation posture, but he preferred this fivepoint
posture saying that if one could keep the body in this posture, the subtle
energy circulating in the body would be ideal and would actually circulate
though the central channel of the body.( fn 10)
The Mind in Meditation
When one meditates, do it for a short time; but do it
again and again and again. The whole point is to develop a habit of
meditation. If one meditates at first for too long, the mind just becomes more
and more agitated and difficult to control. If one meditates for a short time
and renews the session many times, then each time the mind will be fresh and
clear and able to settle down more easily. So meditate again and again until
the habit of meditation grows stronger.
It is important to control the mind in meditation. The
uncontrolled mind is very strong and dangerous like an angry elephant. Not
only can it not be controlled, but the mind just goes its own way. If a very
strong negative feeling of anger or desire arises, we are normally not able to
control it. But it is our mind, so we can control it if we use the right tools
of mindfulness and awareness. Awareness is knowing exactly what we are doing
while we are doing it. Mindfulness is having control of our mind and not
letting it run out of control.
When meditating, we should not follow a thought about
the past, we should not anticipate the future, and we should not be involved
with thoughts of the present. Thoughts of the past are like what we did
yesterday; thoughts of the future are like what we are planning to do tomorrow
and thoughts of the present just pop up. In all cases we shouldn't follow the
thread of these thoughts. We should just relax and leave them alone by not
following them one way or another. For instance, in our meditation we may
think of something that happened a month ago or think of a thought we just had
and think, "I've been thinking about this." We then just end up following that
thought. So we should not follow any of these thoughts. Similarly, we may be
planning something for next week and immediately think, "I shouldn't be
thinking of this!" We must avoid following thoughts in our meditation because
meditation is simply leaving things just as they are without being too relaxed
or too tense. If we manage to do this, we will find that the mind calms down
quite naturally by itself.
General Obstacles to Meditation
During meditation the mind must have the right tension.
For example, if we have a cat and we lock the cat up in a room, the cat will
go crazy. Not finding a way to get out, it will start running up and down,
mewing, and tearing things apart. But if we leave the door open, the cat will
go out and take a little walk and then just come back in and fall asleep in
the room. Similarly, if we begin our meditation thinking, "I really must stop
thinking and keep my mind very concentrated and peaceful," we will constantly
be worried and think, "Oh, I've had a thought!" or "Now I'm getting too
tense." We will then work ourselves up so much that we can't stop thinking. So
relax, just let the mind go and think, "Whatever comes, it just comes and
goes." If we sit there very relaxed and let it all happen, we won't have very
much trouble meditating.
If we use mindfulness and awareness properly in our
meditation, our mind will become tranquil. There are two main obstacles to the
tranquility of the mind. One is becoming too relaxed and the other is becoming
too tense. When we become too relaxed, we start to follow our thoughts and
become absorbed in them. When we are too tense, we make too much effort
focusing on the idea of concentrating and being tranquil so that in the end
our mind cannot remain tranquil and we become distracted. We have to
constantly try to find the balance between being too tense and too relaxed by
finding just the right amount of effort to put into our meditation. Saraha, a
great mahasiddha, said that when we meditate, the mind should be like a thread
of the Brahmin. In India the Brahmins used to spin a lot of thread. If one
puts too much tension on it, the thread breaks. If the thread is too loose,
then it won't be strong enough. In the same way, when we meditate, the mind
should maintain the right amount of alertness; neither too tight, nor too
loose.
Meditating on an Outer Object
There are three main techniques of meditation:
concentrating on an outer object, concentrating on an inner object, and
concentrating on no object. The goal of meditation is to reach the point of
not needing any object in meditation. But to prepare for this goal we need to
gain familiarity with meditation using outer objects and then inner objects.
In the beginning it is useful to meditate on an outer
object such as a statue of the Buddha. Meditating on an outer object is not to
examine or think about its shape or composition or color, but to simply remain
aware of the statue in front of us and not become distracted by other
thoughts. When looking at the statue, our eyes shouldn't strain and we should
just register the picture of the Buddha in our mind. If other thoughts arise,
we should try to become aware of these thoughts as quickly as possible and
immediately drop them and return our awareness to the statue.
For the beginner this meditation is difficult to do for
a very long time because we become lost in our thoughts very easily. So we
meditate for a brief time with good concentration so our meditation doesn't
become entangled with thoughts all the time. We do it for a short time in the
beginning, and when we find that it is becoming a little easier, we can extend
the duration of the meditation session.
Tilopa said that one should abandon all physical
activity and just remain very quiet when meditating. One should stop talking
and stop thinking; just leave the mind at rest. If we meditate on a buddha
statue, we should not stare at it with a forced or fixed gaze because this
will just give us a headache and eye strain. We must relax letting our eyes
rest on the statue, merely registering the image. Whether our sight is sharp
or blurred makes no difference. And when we look at it, we don't think,
"Statue, statue, statue." We just look at it and try not to let the image
drift out of our mind. If we start having an important thought that is taking
us away from the statue, we just gently bring our attention back to the statue
because if we follow the first thought, then another will come, then another
and we will completely forget about the object of our meditation. When the
thought comes, it is important to acknowledge its presence. If our mind starts
to follow the thought, just recognize this fact and bring the mind back to the
statue.
We should always focus on what is called the "support"
of the meditation which is the statue or other object we are focusing on. If
we develop the habit of trying to avoid the two defects of being too tight or
too loose in our meditation, our meditation will improve. If we practice this
kind of meditation more and more, we will then gradually have more and more
mental peace with the mind being able to concentrate and there will be
increasing clarity of one's meditation.
Insight Meditation
In the practice of dharma, we have to work with our
body, speech, and mind. The mind determines the quality of our physical and
verbal activity. We are trying to free ourselves from problems and suffering
and thus go beyond samsara. The root of samsaric existence is the defilements
and as long as these are present, we cannot expect to have any lasting
happiness.
There are two ways through which we will be able to gain
freedom from the defilements; both involve meditation. Through meditation we
will first gain some mental tranquility which leads to having fewer thoughts.
With fewer thoughts, we will have fewer negative thoughts leading to fewer
defilements. But the seed of the defilements is still present, so we must
develop an understanding of the nonexistence of "self." We therefore meditate
on the actual nature of phenomena.
The second aspect of meditation that can clear the
defilements away is insight meditation (vipashyana meditation). But to develop
strong insight meditation, we must first develop strong tranquility
meditation. Without tranquility meditation the mind just goes everywhere and
we are not able to control it. Once we have developed tranquility meditation,
we are able to use the mind in a controlled way. So if we decide to let it be
at rest, we can do that. If we decide to focus it on something, we can also do
that. The ideal way to gain tranquility meditation is to just let the mind
rest naturally without any thoughts. But this is extremely difficult to
achieve because we have become so used to having thoughts and being involved
with them. Because we have always turned our minds towards objects outside of
us, it is easier to use an external object for our meditation when we first
begin to meditate. So the first step is to meditate on an outer object such as
a small Buddha statue.
Obstacles to Tranquility Meditation
In meditation there are two main obstacles to actual
tranquility meditation. The first obstacle is "thinking" which means that when
the mind starts thinking, it becomes heavy and lethargic and we start feeling
sleepy. It's a feeling of apathy and wanting to sleep but we can't, so there's
no clarity in the meditation. The other obstacle is agitation in which the
mind becomes wild and one has many thoughts and follows these thoughts in all
directions--into the future, the present, or the past--so that the mind cannot
rest at all.
The way to correct this dullness is to think of the
qualities of the Buddha and the dharma and how much we can gain through
meditation. Thinking this will create a feeling of happiness, and our
inspiration and enthusiasm will be renewed so we will automatically correct
our sinking mind. To do this, we think that through meditation we will become
free from defilements and emotional difficulties and gain freedom. Even before
achieving complete freedom, meditation will bring peace of mind, which will
help us gain more happiness. Remember, we have so many difficulties and
tension and frustrations because we have so many thoughts and are involved
with these thoughts. If we start thinking, "I want this" or "I need this" our
mind will expect these things and there will be a constant tension from this
wanting. Then if we can't have or achieve what we want, there will be the
constant pain and frustration of being trapped. If, however, we can pacify the
mind, there will be fewer thoughts which means our craving will diminish and
this constant thirst will be reduced. So meditation has the shortterm effect
of creating tranquility and the longterm effect of making one free from the
defilements, the cause of all unhappiness.
Mental agitation is caused by distraction which can come
from pride or desire. The remedy to this problem is to think of all the
suffering that is inherent in conditioned existence (Skt. samsara) and to
become aware of the drawbacks of being distracted. We've been wandering in
samsara for a very long time because we have allowed our minds to be
continually distracted and this generates only suffering. By allowing the mind
to be distracted, we gain nothing. Also, if we are distracted in our daily
life, we can't achieve very much. So when we think of the drawbacks of
distraction and wandering in samsara, we will automatically work on calming
the mental agitation in our meditation.
The way to eliminate drowsiness in meditation is to
imagine that there is an eightpetalled lotus in our heart which is facing
upwards. Then we imagine there are very white, very bright little light dots
on the lotus. We send these white dots up to the top of our head at about the
level of the hair. We should also straighten our body a little more and
generally make it move a little upwards. To eliminate agitation in meditation,
we should imagine a black lotus which is turned upside down (facing
downwards). In this lotus we imagine a black dot and send it downwards to the
ground. At the same time we should relax our posture, letting the body stoop a
little.
Developing Clarity in Meditation
If we want our meditation to be clear, we should
cultivate a feeling of great joy towards the meditation. That feeling can be
developed by thinking of all the qualities that come from meditation. The
opposite of these qualities comes with distraction. What is the harm in
distraction? The harm is that whatever we do is of poor quality when we are
distracted and therefore is a waste of time. If we are distracted when we are
meditating, or studying, or visualizing a deity, then that time is wasted.
However, if we leave our mind in a natural state without following thoughts,
then what we do is very precise, very clear, and very efficient. When
distracted, we are wasting some of the time of our precious human existence
which can never be recovered.
We might think that it may be nice to let ourselves just
follow our thoughts and this will bring about mental comfort. But if we fall
under the influence of negative feelings such as passion, aggression, pride,
or jealousy, it is not very pleasant. Once one of these emotions gets started,
it is very hard to stop it and it only brings about suffering. For example,
once we start feeling anger, it brings about a lot of mental discomfort and if
that feeling remains for a long time, it can actually make us feel physically
and mentally ill. Similarly, the negative feeling of desire is constant
craving. We are always looking for something which we think is going to give
us pleasure, satisfaction, or contentment. But somehow we never seem able to
get this something, so we keep wanting constantly. It becomes very painful
because we never seem to achieve what we are aiming for. So if we look
carefully at these negative feelings and thoughts, we see that their nature is
basically suffering.
However, by practicing meditation, we can eliminate pain
because our mind will be under control and peaceful. By developing
concentration through our meditation, we can attain tranquility. It is taught
that once one reaches a certain degree of mastery in meditation, it
automatically brings great physical and mental comfort. This is because
meditation reduces thoughts that are constantly distracting us and this
reduces our negative feelings. Meditation will also bring a very great feeling
of happiness because little by little, we will be able to gain control over
our thoughts and feelings.
PostMeditation Practice
As our concentration gets better little by little
through the power of meditation, we will be able to expand this natural
concentration to the rest of our life. Whether we are walking, sitting,
talking to other people, or working we can learn to stop our mind from
wandering. If we are distracted while working, we can't do our work properly.
If we can eliminate distractions and develop better mental concentration, our
life will automatically be better, which will also improve our worldly and
dharma practice. If we had to depend on other people to modify our state of
mind, it might be a very involved process. Controlling our mind is entirely up
to us. This is something we can do ourselves with a little mindfulness and
awareness. Little by little as our concentration improves, we can turn our
mind inwards more easily.
Sending and Taking Practice
Our goal is the birth of true meditation. So we have to
try to arouse devotion in ourselves, which doesn't necessarily arise very
naturally in most people. So we have to work on it by praying to Dorje Chang,
the dharmakaya, who is the union of our guru and all the other gurus and all
the aspects of refuge. If we want the blessing to come, our meditation has to
be supported by the right kind of motivation. This motivation should be that
of enlightenment, thinking that we are doing this for the sake of all beings;
that we may reach Buddhahood in order to help all other beings. This
motivation is known as "basic motivation," and we have this before we start to
practice. There is also "immediate motivation" which is what we have from
instant to instant when we are actually practicing.
Normally, we are not very concerned about others.
Because of this, we have developed this very strong belief in the "I." From
this arises all our emotional negativity. To eliminate all our emotional
negativity and thoughts of "I," we have to learn how to train our mind which
can be done by sending and taking meditation. Sending and Taking (Tib. tong
len) meditation is meant to help us develop a pure attitude by diminishing our
involvement with ourselves and increasing our thoughts of others. Sending and
taking meditation will help us develop bodhicitta, (fn 12) the aspiration to
achieve Buddhahood for the sake of all beings. In this practice we exchange
our happiness for the unhappiness and suffering of other beings. This
meditation is also connected with breathing. When we exhale, we imagine that
we send a very bright light which goes out to reach all beings. This white
light represents all our happiness, everything that is good in our life. We
also think that it contains the seeds of happiness, which are all our virtues.
So this white light reaches all beings and as it reaches them, it brings them
great happiness and joy. In return, when we inhale we imagine that we are
taking in a very dark, black light which carries with it all the suffering,
problems, difficulties and all the causes of those problems. We do this
meditation just following the natural rhythm of breathing. We know we want
happiness and with sending and taking practice we realize that others want
this happiness also. So whatever we have, we offer it to them. Whatever
unhappiness and suffering they do not want, we imagine taking it. So sending
and taking meditation is an excellent tool to further the growth of bodhicitta,
the motivation of enlightenment.
It is a very good thing to think in terms of accepting
our suffering and trying to really be open to others in a compassionate way.
But to do it properly, we have to train our mind first. We try to think that
we really want to give something to others and really want to take on and
relieve their suffering. It is only through training ourselves that really
pure motivation can be born in us. Once we have this pure motivation, then we
can really help others. We can't change another person's karma, but we are
able to change the immediate conditions that are affecting them. If we have
true compassion, we will be able to do a great deal. What is most important is
to have pure motivation. Once we have the genuine wish to help other beings,
we will really be able to help them. We find that if we try to help others
when we're not ready, we will regret it afterwards. For example, when
Shariputra took the resolution to reach enlightenment for the sake of all
beings, he decided to give anything that was asked of him. One day a demon
wanted to make trouble so he came along and said, "Give me your hand." Because
Shariputra didn't want to refuse, with much courage he cut off his right hand
and gave it to the demon. The demon just laughed at him and said, "I didn't
want your right hand. I wanted your left hand." Then, of course, Shariputra
thought it was a bit too much and regretted it.
When doing Sending and Taking practice, we shouldn't
fear that we will receive the difficulties of others, because we are imagining
that we are taking the troubles of everyone. But we shouldn't think that there
is no point in doing the meditation because we are not really taking on any
real suffering or sending any real happiness. This practice is important
because while we are doing sending and taking meditation, we are training our
mind to gradually change our very selfish attitude to a more open and loving
relationship to others so we can develop the true disposition of
enlightenment.
Inner Meditation
We begin meditation by stabilizing our mind with the
help of an external support. When we become more proficient, we can
concentrate the mind inwards. One practice of inner meditation is using
breathing. The Buddha taught six different points of shamatha meditation. (fn
13) There are three main meditations based on breathing, such as counting the
breath, following the breath, and so on.
In the beginning our mind is not stable and this is why
we can fall under the influence of our emotions so easily. With meditation we
try to refocus the mind by focusing on something that is fairly small, but not
too small. So we learn how to focus using a statue of the Buddha. Little by
little our concentration improves, and we can then focus on a letter
representing the Buddha's speech.(fn 14) Later on we concentrate on a symbol
of the Buddha's mind which is a small dot. In the beginning our attention is
scattered over hundreds of objects, then gradually it becomes centered on
something much smaller such as a statue of the Buddha. The statue has a face,
arms and hands, etc., and when we have developed more concentration, we focus
on a single letter and still later a single dot. In all cases, the technique
is the same with the object of our concentration becoming more and more
focused producing a finer and finer type of concentration.
The first method is counting the breath. We should,
first of all, breathe quite naturally. When exhaling, we think, "Now the air
is coming out, now I'm exhaling." When inhaling, we are aware of this air
entering our body. Each time we are aware of the air going in and going out,
we count this as one. We count it mentally. This becomes easier when we
develop the habit of this meditation. Just keep a very clear count of how many
times one is breathing.
The second method of meditation is called "following the
breath." We breathe normally, but when we are inhaling, we imagine the air
that is being taken in fills up our whole body. When we are exhaling, we
imagine all this air inside us goes out through the nose and dissolves in
space. As we are doing this, we are following this movement with our mind so
our mind and the air are connected continually during the meditation. This is
a very good way to develop mental tranquility.
The third method is to combine the counting of the
breath and following the breath, so first we count our breath up to 21 with
each inhalation and exhalation being counted as one. This keeps our mind
concentrated on breathing and not forgetting to count. As soon as we finish
counting up to 21, we begin doing the following breath meditation.
When we practice breathing meditation, we should
practice it in very short sessions, but multiply the sessions. While we
actually meditate, we should do it with much care and with as much precision
as possible.
While meditating on the breath, we may find our mind has
a tendency to grow a bit dark and not be very clear. When this happens, we
should sharpen our attention. To make meditation clearer we can do "the three
cycle meditation." First we take the air in (first cycle) and keep it inside
us (the second cycle) and then exhale (third cycle). When we are inhaling we
think of the sound OM. When the air is inside of the body think of an AH. And
when the air is going out of the body think of HUM. All three cycles should be
natural and not forced and one should try to make the three cycles equal. If
we do this, we will find that we don't become too agitated or too drowsy. This
meditation keeps the mind clear so when we find the mind becoming agitated or
drowsy, we can just switch to the three cycles of breathing.
Mahamudra Meditation
Receiving the blessings at the end of the Dorje Chang
prayer is the way that true meditation will be born in us and we will achieve
the realization of the true nature of phenomena. This true nature is both
voidness and clarity. In an ordinary being this clarity is called buddha
nature (Skt. Tathagatagarba). When Buddhahood is realized, this clarity is
called the dharmakaya. On the path to Buddhahood, buddha nature is the gradual
realization of all the good qualities and the gradual elimination of all the
bad qualities. This is why it is so important to meditate on the true nature
of phenomena and on the nature of the mind. First one gains a theoretical
understanding of this through the great teaching such as the Uttara Tantra.(fn
14) Then through mahamudra meditation, one comes to the direct recognition of
the true nature of phenomena by looking at the true nature of the mind.
Dorje Chang Lineage Prayer
Great Vajradhara, Tilopa, Naropa
Marpa, Milarepa, and lord of the dharma Gampopa.
Knower of the three times, the omniscient Karmapa.
Lineage holders of the four great and eight lesser schools.
Drikung, Taklung, Tsalpa, and glorious Drukpa and others
To all those who have thoroughly mastered the profound path of mahamudra
The Dagpo Kagyu who are unrivalled as protectors of beings
I pray to you, the Kagyu lamas, to grant your blessing
So that I may follow your tradition and example.
The teaching is that detachment is the foot of
meditation;
Not being possessed by food or wealth.
To the meditator who gives up the ties to this life,
Grant your blessing that attachment to honor and ownership cease.
The teaching is that devotion is the head of meditation.
The lama opens the gate to the treasury of the profound oral teachings,
To the meditator who always turns to him,
Grant your blessing so that genuine devotion is born in him.
The teaching is that unwavering attention is the body of
meditation,
Whatever thought arises--its nature is empty.
To the meditator who rests there in naturalness,
Grant your blessing so that meditation is free from conceptualizing.
The teaching is that the essence of thought is
dharmakaya,
Thoughts are nothing whatsoever, yet they arise.
To the meditator who reflects on the unobstructed play of the mind,
Grant your blessing so that he realizes samsara and nirvana are inseparable.
Through all my births may I not be separated from the
perfect lama
And so enjoy the glorious dharma
May I quickly accomplish the good qualities of the path and stages
And quickly attain the state of Vajradhara.
Glossary of Terms
bindu - (Tib. tig lee) Vital essence drops
located within the body and visualized in vajrayana practices.
bodhicitta - (Tib. chang chup sems) Literally,
the mind of enlightenment. There are two kinds of bodhicitta - absolute
bodhicitta: which is completely awakened mind that sees the emptiness of
phenomena and relative bodhicitta: which is the aspiration to practice the six
paramitas and free all beings from the sufferings of samsara.
dharma - (Tib. cho) This has two main meanings:
Any truth such as the sky is blue, and secondly, as it is used in this text,
the teachings of the Buddha (also called buddhadharma).
dharmakaya - See kayas.
dorje - (Skt. vajra) This is an implement held in
the hand during certain vajrayana ceremonies.
insight meditation - (Skt. vipashyana, Tib. lha
tong) Meditation that develops insight into the nature of mind. The other main
meditation is shamatha meditation.
Kagyu - One of the four major schools of Buddhism
in Tibet. It is headed by His Holiness Karmapa. The other three are the
Nyingma, the Sakya, and the Gelupa schools.
kayas, three - (Tib. ku sum) The three bodies of
the Buddha: the nirmanakaya, sambhogakaya and dharmakaya. The dharmakaya, also
called the "truth body," is complete wisdom of the Buddha which is
unoriginated wisdom beyond form which manifests in the sambhogakaya and the
nirmanakaya. The sambhogakaya, also called the "enjoyment body," is a realm in
which the Buddha manifests only to bodhisattvas. The Buddha manifests in the
world as an ordinary being as the historical Buddha.
mahamudra - Literally means "great seal" or
"great symbol." This meditative transmission is especially emphasized in the
Kagyu school.
mahasiddha -(Tib. drup chen) A great practitioner
who has achieved great realization.
nadi - (Tib. tsa) Psychic channels through which
the psychic energy flows.
shamatha or Tranquility Meditation - (Tib. she
nay) This is basic sitting meditation in which one usually follows the breath,
while observing the workings of the mind, while sitting in the crosslegged
posture.
samsara - (Tib. kor wa) Conditioned existence;
ordinary life suffering which occurs because one still possesses passion,
aggression, and ignorance. It is contrasted to nirvana.
sambhogakaya - See the kayas.
tathagatagarba - (Tib. deshin shekpai nying po)
Thathagatagarba, also called buddha nature, is the seed or essence of
enlightenment which all persons possess and which allows them to have the
potential to attain Buddhahood.
vipashyana meditation - Sanskrit for "insight
meditation" (Tib. lha tong) This meditation develops insight into the nature
of mind. The other main meditation is shamatha meditation.
Thrangu Rinpoche
The VII Gyalwa Karmapa founded Thrangu monastery about
500 years ago and appointed one of his most gifted disciples, the first
Thrangu Rinpoche as abbot. Many recent incarnations of Thrangu Rinpoche have
spent much of their lives in retreat. The present incarnation, the ninth, was
recognized at the age of four in 1937 by the Gyalwa Karmapa and Palpung Situ
Rinpoche.
From the age of seven until sixteen he learned to read
and write, memorized texts and studied the practice of pujas. He then began
his formal studies in Buddhist philosophy, psychology, logic, debate, and
scriptures with Lama Khenpo Lodro Rabsel. At the age of twentythree along with
Garwang Rinpoche and Chgyam Trungpa Rinpoche he received the Gelong
ordination from the Gyalwa Karmapa.
Following this Thrangu Rinpoche engaged in a period of
intense practice and received further instructions from his lama, Khenpo
Gyangasha Wangpo. At the age of 35 he earned the degree of Geshe Ramjam from
the Dalai Lama and was appointed "Vice Chancellor of the Principle Seat of the
Kagyu Vajra Upholder of the Three Disciplines" by His Holiness Karmapa. He is
full holder and teacher of all the Kagyu vajrayana lineages and has a special,
direct transmission of the Shentong philosophical tradition. Being so gifted
he was chosen to educate the four great Kagyu Regents.
Thrangu Rinpoche has traveled extensively in Europe,
North and South America and the Far East. He has a threeyear retreat center at
Namo Buddha in Nepal, is abbot of Gampo Abbey in Canada, and offers three
yearly Namo Buddha Seminars for beginning and advanced students of Buddhism.
Footnotes
1. There are three main traditions in Buddhism: the
Hinayana, the Mahayana, and the Vajrayana. The Vajrayana is principally
practiced in Tibet.
2. Dorje Chang is a sambhogakaya form of the Buddha.
3. The Karmapa is the head of the Kagyu Lineage of Tibetan Buddhism.
4. Mahamudra is the principal method of meditation of the Kagyu lineage.
5. This lineage prayer is given at the end of this text.
6. The vajra or full lotus posture is with both legs crossed.
7. The three jewels are the Buddha, the dharma (the teachings of the Buddha),
and the sangha (the Buddhist practioners).
8. The lineage prayer to the Kagyu lineage is given at the end of this text.
This prayer and the visualization is available from Namo Buddha Publications
($1.00).
9. These are channels (Skt. nadi, Tib. tsa) that carry subtle energies (Skt.
bindu, Tib tiglee). These are not anatomical structures, but more like the
meridians in acupuncture.
10. The seven point method of Vairocana is given in Thrangu Rinpoche's
Shamatha and Vipashyana Meditation, Namo Buddha Publications.
11. There are three main channels that carry the subtle energy: the right,
left, and central channel. The central channel runs roughly along the spinal
cord.
12. Bodhicitta is the original Buddha Nature which all persons have.
13. These are (1) having correct posture, (2) holding the mind on any visual
object, (3) cutting the stream of conceptual thoughts and mental chatter, (4)
eliminating dullness and agitation in meditation, (5) not keeping the mind too
tight or too loose, and (6) not breaking the continuity between meditation and
non-meditation.
14. These are usually seed syllables such as OM AH HUM.
15. Thrangu Rinpoche's The Uttara Tantra is available from Namo Buddha
Publications.
