7/30/2019 Essential Advice on Meditation Excerpts From Teachings by S

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Copied(from:consciousness)byScottParksusingtimEd.

ESSENTIALADVICEONMEDITATIONexcerptsfromTeachingsbySogyalRinpoche

Whenyoureadbooksaboutmeditation,oroftenwhenmeditationisispresentedbydifferentgroups,muchoftheemphasisfallsonthetechniques.IntheWest,peopletendtobeveryinterestedinthe"technology"ofmeditation.However,byfarthemostimportantfeatureofmeditationisnottechnique,butthewayofbeing,thespirit,whichiscallledthe"posture",aposturewhichisnotsomuchphysical,butmoretodowithspiritorattitude.

Itiswelltorecognizethatwhenyoustartonameditationpractice,youareenteringatotallydifferentdimensionofreality.Normallyinlifeweputagreatdealofeffortintoachievingthings,andthereisalotofstruggleinvolved,whereasmeditationisjusttheopposite,itisabreakfromhowwenormallyoperate.

Meditationissimplyaquestionofbeing,ofmelting,likeapieceofbutterleftinthesun.Ithasnothingtodowithwhetherornotyou"know"anythingaboutit,infact,eachtime

youpracticemeditationitshouldbefresh,asifitwerehappeningfortheveryfirsttime.Youjustquietlysit,yourbodystill,yourspeechsilent,yourmindatease,andallowthoughtstocomeandgo,withoutlettingthemplayhavoconyou.Ifyouneedsomethingtodo,thenwatchthebreathing.Thisisaverysimpleprocess.Whenyouarebreathingout,knowthatyouarebreathingout.Whenyoubreathin,knowthatyouarebreathingin,withoutsupplyinganykindofextracommentaryorinternalizedmentalgossip,butjustidentifyingwiththebreath.Thatverysimpleprocessofmindfulnessprocessesyourthoughtsandemotions,andthen,likeanoldskinbeingshed,somethingispeeledoffandfreed.

Usuallypeopletendtorelaxthebodybyconcentratingondifferentparts.Realrelaxationcomeswhenyourelaxfromwithin,fortheneverythingelsewilleaseitselfoutquitenaturally.

Whenyoubegintopractice,youcenteryourself,intouchwithyour"softspot",andjustremainthere.Youneednotfocusonanythinginparticulartobeginwith.Justbespacious,andallowthoughtsandemotionstosettle.Ifyoudoso,thenlater,whenyouuseamethodsuchaswatchingthebreath,yourattentionwillmoreeasilybeonyourbreathing.Thereisnoparticularpointonthebreathonwhichyouneedtofocus,itissimplytheprocessofbreathing.Twenty-fivepercentofyourattentionisonthe

breath,andseventy-fivepercentisrelaxed.Trytoactuallyidentifywiththebreathing,ratherthanjustwatchingit.Youmaychooseanobject,likeaflower,forexample,tofocusupon.Sometimesyouaretaughttovisualizealightontheforehead,orintheheart.Sometimesasoundoramantracanbeused.Butatthebeginningitisbesttosimplybespacious,likethesky.Thinkofyourselfasthesky,holdingthewholeuniverse.

Whenyousit,letthingssettleandallowallyourdiscordantselfwithitsungenuinenessandunnaturalnesstodisolve,out

7/30/2019 Essential Advice on Meditation Excerpts From Teachings by S

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ofthatrisesyourrealbeing.Youexperienceanaspectofyourselfwhichismoregenuineandmoreauthentic-the"real"you.Asyougodeeper,youbegintodiscoverandconnectwithyourfundamentalgoodness.

Thewholepointofmeditationistogetusedtothethataspectwhichyouhaveforgotten.InTibetan"meditation"means"gettingusedto".Gettingusedtowhat?toyourtruenature,yourBuddhanature.Thisiswhy,inthehighestteachingofBuddhism,Dzogchen,youaretoldto"restinthenatureofmind".Youjustquietlysitandletallthoughtsandconceptsdissolve.Itislikewhenthecloudsdissolveorthemistevaporates,torevealtheclearskyandthesunshiningdown.Wheneverythingdissolveslikethis,youbegintoexperienceyourtruenature,to"live".Thenyouknowit,andatthatmoment,youfeelreallygood.Itisunlikeanyotherfeelingofwellbeingthatyoumighthaveexperienced.Thisisarealandgenuinegoodness,inwhichyoufeeladeepsenseofpeace,contentmentandconfidenceaboutyourself.

Itisgoodtomeditatewhenyoufeelinspired.Earlymorningscanbringthatinspiration,asthebestmomentsofthemindareearlyintheday,whenthemindiscalmerandfresher(thetimetraditionalyrecommendedisbeforedawn).Itismoreappropriate

tositwhenyouareinspired,fornotonlyisiteasierthenasyouareinabetterframeofmindformeditation,butyouwillalsobemoreencouragedbytheverypracticethatyoudo.Thisinturnwillbringmoreconfidenceinthepractice,andlateronyouwillbeabletopracticewhenyouarenotinspired.Thereisnoneedtomeditateforalongtime:justremainquietlyuntilyouarealittleopenandabletoconnectwithyourheartessence.Thatisthemainpoint.

Afterthat,someintegration,ormeditationinaction.Onceyourmindfulnesshasbeenawakenedbyyourmeditation,yourmindiscalmandyourperceptionalittlemorecoherent.Then,whateveryoudo,youarepresent,rightthere.AsinthefamousZen

master'ssaying:"WhenIeat,Ieat;whenIsleep,Isleep".Whateveryoudo,youarefullypresentintheact.Evenwashingdishes,ifitisdoneone-pointedly,canbeveryenergizing,freeing,cleansing.Youaremorepeaceful,soyouaremore"you".Youassumethe"UniversalYou".

Oneofthefundamentalpointsofthespiritualjourneyistoperseverealongthepath.Thoughone'smeditationmaybegoodonedayandandnotsogoodthenext,likechangesinscenery,essentiallyitisnottheexperiences,goodorbadwhichcountsomuch,butratherthatwhenyoupersevere,therealpracticerubsoffonyouandcomesthroughbothgoodandbad.Goodandbadaresimplyapparitions,justastheremaybegoodorbadweather,yet

theskyisalwaysunchanging.Ifyoupersevereandhavethatskylikeattitudeofspaciousness,withoutbeingperturbedbyemotionsandexperiences,youwilldevelopstabilityandtherealprofoundnessofmeditationwilltakeeffect.Youwillfindthatgraduallyandalmostunnoticed,yourattitudebeginstochange.Youdonotholdontothingsassolidlyasbefore,orgraspatthemsostrongly,andthoughcrisiswillstillhappen,youcanhandlethemabitbetterwithmorehumorandease.Youwillevenbeabletolaughatdifficultiesalittle,sincethereismorespacebetweenyouandthem,andyouarefreerofyourself.Things

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becomelesssolid,slightlyridiculous,andyoubecomemorelight-hearted........

*WaveRider1.31#270*

---Gecho/RA/USR-V.34*Origin:1:343/70(1:343/70)