Post on 04-Apr-2018
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
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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*
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