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8ilent Meditation
by
H. E. C>harmar Qinpoche
Pu6 {isfietf 6y
BOOK t'AITII INDIA
414-416 Exprc&!l Tower. Azadpur Commercial Complex Delhi, India 110 03?
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Calm Abidin8
and
Insi8ht Meditation
fOREWORD
Meditalion is at the heart of all reli8ious expression.
Without it. one cannot really understand Buddhism.
With iL. the truth within all reli8ions become apparent.
This book is about meditation
which is neither a technical exercise
nor a means of 'lhinkin8 about".
Rather a way to confront reality for ourselves.
-vii-
-Swami.9lmarw Samarpan
-viii-
CONTENT&
LIMITATION& OF LANGUAGE
CALM ABIDING
&TAGE& OF PQOCQE&&
DI&TQACTION
INNEQ DI&TQACTION
BEYOND DI&TQACTION
NEED FOQ A TEACHEQ
PROJECTION
CLAQITY
EMPTINE&&
-be-
EQllANIMITY
IN<>ICHT MEDITATION
ANALYTICAL MEDITATION
QEALI<>ATION
ACCOMPLI<>HMENT
YOGA
QE<>ULT<> Of ANALY<>1<>
BENEfiT<>
COMMITMENT
fiNAL QEMAQK<>
<>0NC Of MAHAMUDQA
CLO~AQY Of NAME<> AND TEQM<>
-~-
LIMITATION& Of LANGUAGE
My advice lo everyone is lo slarl oul simply.
As simply as possible.
Medilalion is an exlremely profound praclice,
il becomes considerably more so as one pro8resses.
In honesly however. il is necessary lo lell you
of lhe inadequacy fell in underlakifl8 the lask
of conveyin8 lhe true experience
of even lhe mosl fundamental form of medilalion
lhrou8h the limiled medium of lan8ua8e.
-1-
Thus lhe lerms hol and cold have a fairly precise meani18
which everyone can asree upon.
as everyone has experienced lhese sensalions
lhrou8h direcl physical conlacl al one lime or another.
Iiowever, in whal way can we verify our mulual acceptance
of terms used lo communicate ineffable experiences
such as slales of awareness arisin8 oul of meditalion?
While il is true that over lhe precedi18 cenluries.
a philosophical laf18Ufi8e has arisen in Tibel
consisli18 of various dharma terms invenled by medilalors.
understandin8 lhe aclual meanin8 of lhese lerms
requires a subslanlia! bac~round
of information and familiar experiences.
-3-
However.
nolwilhslanding lhese views on lhe limilalions of language.
lhe following is an allempl
lo share my understanding of medilalion.
-6-
CALM i\510INC
i\s slaled earlier. lhe mosl profound medilalion
be(Sins wilh simple medilalion.
-8-
0TACE0 Of PQOCQE00
Al firsllhe medilalors mind is like a wild horse. yel
by en8a8if18 in lhe consislenl praclice of calm abidif18 me~ilalion,
il can 8radually be lamed as evenlually
lhe mind will become clear and completely free of 8.8ilalion.
This aclivily of mind al firsl is like a cascadin8 walerfall.
later becomif18 like lhe 8enlly flowin8 currents of a broad river
finally. like lhe slill waler of a clear mounlain lake.
-9-
DI&TQACTION
In order lo lay lhe foundation
for developing lhe conlemplative abilities
which are al lhe hearl of calm abidin8 medilation.
we should be8in by exploring lhe nalure of dislraction
lo delermine whal il consisls of and how il arises.
There are lwo main cale8ories of dislraction; Inner and Ouler
Ouler dislraction
refers lo dislurbances in lhe physical environmenl
such as sounds which diverl allenlion.
-10-
-11-
INNER DioTRACfiON
Inner dislmclion can lake many forms.
some apparenlly posilive and some seemingly negalive.
Negalive dislraclions include all lypes of obscuring emolional slales
such as anger. jealousy and fear.
Incidenlally. il is possible for inlense emolions lo appear
magnified by medilalion praclice inlo even more
slrongly overwhelming feelings;
lhis happens due lo lhe facl lhal in ordinary life
lhe mind is usually jumping aboul here and lhere
in random. heclic molion. challering on and on ...
-12-
-13-
-14-
BEYOND DI&TQACfiON
In the absence of inner and outer distractions.
a sense of well beif18 and clarity
with an intuitive appreciation of emptiness spontaneously arises.
Iiowever. in our ordinary way of thinkin8
pausif18 and 8azin8 at a tea cup resUf18 on a table in front of us.
we would not feel any pristine qualities of mind arisin8.
Even if we were able to maintain a state of attentive awareness
while focusif18 on an object.
it would be like holdif18 a wild pony on the end of a lasso.
-15-
-16-
-17-
PQOJECfiON
As we have seen,
Lhe arisin8 of an aulhenlic sense of well beifi8,
characlerised by empliness and clarily
is an indicalion of havin8 successfully pracliced
calm abidifi8 medilalion.
This, in lurn, will nalurally 8ive rise
lo an increasin8 abilily lo abide one-poinledly.
for example, if an experience of well-bein8 arises
and focusin8 one-poinledly in Lhal experience develops,
il will evenlually become slable and laslitl8.
-19-
-20-
CLARITY
This deceplion can likewise be applied lo
lhe experience of clarily so easily dislorled.
However. before examinin8 lhis. lel us firsl define clarily
as nolhifi8 olher lhan awareness aware of its' own nature.
oomelimes il is spoken of as a clear li8hl presence.
a reference lo ils qualily of vivid. lucid awareness.
Clarily has lhe abilily lo illuminale
in lhe sense of makifi8 whal is unknown known.
ll does nollilerally 8ive off li8hl in lhe way a slreellamp does!
-21-
-22-
-23-
-24-
EMPTINE80
Whal holds lrue for well being and clarily
also applies lo empliness. and yel.
lhe nalure of mind as emptiness
is normally nol experienced due lo ignorance.
When lhere is lension or neurosis in lhe mind,
inevitably il is viewed as solid and intrinsically real,
consequenUy being mistakenly seen as lruly exislenlial.
-25-
-26-
EQJlANIMITY
To summarise.
il can be slaled lhal praclicing calm abidin8 medilalion
is a primary cause for achievin8 lhe peace of equanimily.
In lhis slale. lhe mind is capable of clearly focusing.
remaining aware of it.s profound nalure as joyous well bein8.
namely clarily and empliness.
nol imposin8 lhe mislaken concepl
of a lruly subslanlial inherenl exislence. as mind ilself
-27-
-29-
IN81CtiT MEDITATION
In order to obtain the expansive awareness
which characterises the enlightened state
as well as to obtain freedom from mundane states of awareness.
it is crucial that the practice of calm abiding meditation
be conjoined with the superiority of insight meditation
which can also be occasionally termed. analytical meditation.
Once. having already increased the ability to focus clearly
through calm abiding meditation.
superior insight meditation comes very easily and naturally.
-30-
-31-
-32-
ANALYTICAL MEDITATION
As beginners,
we need to analyse our present state of mind
realise that it is deluded and through lqsical investigation
discover the cause of mental confusion.
Our search will undoubtedly lead us to the insight
that both inner and outer phenomena
(mental sensations and objects of sense perception)
are insubstantial and unreal.
-33-
-34-
-35-
QEALI&ATION
Once lhe nalure of lhese mental projections is understood.
il is possible lo reverse lhe menlal process
lhal creales lhe seemingly solid conslrainls of ordinary realily.
In lhis way. il is possible lo transcend ordinary stales of mind
which are controlled by confusion.
Our presenl experience. rele8aled lo lhe conlexl of relative reality.
causes us lo see lhe passing menlal events. lhe external phenomena.
as substantially real when in facl
lheir nalure is illusory like imSBes in a dream.
As a result. we are being controlled by lhese illusions.
-36-
-37-
ACCOMPLI8HMENT
lJ3otfliisattva. beif18s who have realised the nature of emptiness,
who have successfully cullivated perfect compassion for all beif18s.
are able to utilise and even transform illusory reality
in order to spontaneously fulfill the needs of sentient beif18S;
furthermore. lJ3otfliisattva are able to manifest simultaneously
in various realms in order to 8uide them.
-38-
-39-
YOCA
The level of maslery of a Buddha such as Amilabha is quile 8real.
bul even al much earlier sLBBes, 8real abilities can manifest
for inslance,
a praclilioner who has maslered Lhe six yo8as of Naropa
will be able lo ef1888e in Lhe practice of conscious dreamif18.
f>ein8 able lo mainlain awareness in a dream slale
leads lo lhe abilily lo harness Lhe causal forces in a dream
which are nol as slrof181y fixed as lhey mi8hl appear;
wilh practice, lhey can be understood by lhe practitioner.
-40-
-41.-
-42-
QE&ULT& Of ANALY&I&
Analysis be8ins with very basic observations.
for example, we see lhat mind is nol of a physical nature.
havin8 qualities other lhan those which are ascribed lo the brain
when viewed and touched.
Nevertheless, mind is not an absence
but a livifi8 presence which is vivid and dynamic
althou8h its actual nature is clear. empty and unobstructed.
-43-
-44-
from this, you can see that many thoughts arise and pass on.
Thou8hts are not solid entities
it is impos3ible to hall their arisif18 and ceasin8.
IJ'ty afso to count tfie co fours you see 6efore you tftis instant.
-45-
-46-
BENEfiT&
~meone
-47-
-48-
of frustrating experiences
registered by mind.
By the time a level of attainment
which allows one to engage in vipashyana
superior insight meditation. is achieved.
disturbances relating to karmic effects do not intrude much.
-50-
COMMITMENT
-51-
-52-
-53-
-54-
-55-
-56-
fiNAL QEMAQK&
In conclusion.
lel me ask everyone lo deeply consider lhe value of medilalion.
One can easily feel a greal inspiration lowards praclice
bul please undersland lhe need lo really decide upon
lhe imparlance of lhis.
Anolher poinl worlh considering is lhe need for a guide
for when one is following a leaching. il is requisile lo receive guidance
and relying on an aulhenlic leacher will be of a 8real benefil lo you.
-57-
-59-
60NC6 Of MAHAMUDRA
by
H.H. Rangjung Rigpae Dorje
-61-
-63-
-64-
-65-
-67-
-69-
The present reprint, which was the first comprehension work on Buddhism in
Ef18lisli. represents authors lectures delivered al ~L Peters Hall. Oxford. and covers
the whole r8f18e of BuddhisttholJ8hl
Paperback. Pages: 212 Price: U~ c$ 5.50
~hippif18: &a/Air c$ 1.00/8.00
&tiAMBtiALA
By Nichofag Qoerich
&hambhala is the ma!lt sacred word of Asia. It means the 8reat Advent or New
Era. and represents the hope that pulsates throu8hout all Asia in a new Renaissance
of the &piril.
It is this &pirit of Asia that Professor Qoerich reproduces in his new book. Atler
prolof18ed travel in many parts of India and Tibel. he has 8athered to8ether what he
had heard and seen and now interprets it for lhe modern reader. Not only admirers
of Professor Qoerich but also all who deli(!,ht in beauUful. inspirin8 wriUn8 will want to
read this book.
Paperback. PB.8es: 316 Price: U& $ 8.00
l&BN 81-86880-05-4 &hippif18: &ea./Air$ 1.50/7.50
PRAJNAPAQAMITA IN TIBETAN
lJy 0 Obermiller
BUDDHI~M