Some useful tips on meditation emailed to me by friend who knows my recent rekindled interest in meditation but still poor at practice :P
----------------------------------------------
You must train the mind like a muscle.
If you want to train your body you must practice exercise regularly.
Likewise, if you want to train your mind, you must practice meditation on a day to day basis. You will not be able to carry a heavy load with weak muscles.
Training is a gradual process.
You must persistently and constantly train your mind on a day to day basis if you wish to overcome difficulties and become stronger.
Every time you recognise a thought, your mindfulness has become that much stronger. Slowly you will gain in inner strength.
In the beginning it is not easy to overcome very powerful emotions.
If the emotions are too overwhelming and you are unable to overcome them with mindfulness, you must apply a different method.
You should then think of a deity, like Tara, immediately without allowing yourself to indulge in the bad feeling.
In the beginning you do recognise the emotions but they still won't go away.
That is because your mindfulness is not strong enough.
Therefore you must train the mind in all circumstances,
not only when you encounter problems.
You should train the mind first by recognising the less intense thoughts.
And if you train consistently with diligence, then eventually you will be able to overcome even more powerful thoughts.
And later, no thought or emotion can trouble you anymore.
Everything becomes the same.
Then even though the body is in samsara, the mind is liberated.
You have to make an effort to liberate your mind rather than your body. "Consciousness the guest, will cast aside the guesthouse of the body." (37 Bodhisattva Practices)
When your mental grasping diminishes, you will see how everything is so fleeting and doesn't truly exist.
This life is like a dream.
Nothing ever stays, suffering and happiness come and go.
You must be able to let go of your fixation to the things that cannot last. Thoughts of desire and attachment are the delusion of a confused mind.
Best is if you need nothing.
>
>
>
> Reminders of Kindness, Compassion, and Your Own True Nature by Kyabje Garchen Rinpoche
>
> Translation copyright © 2012 Ina Bieler. All rights reserved.
> The quotes may be forwarded to friends, but all other uses are reserved.
>>
> You can help spread the teachings of Rinpoche by distributing the sign-up
> link to others:
>
> http://www.garchen.net/gar-quotes.html
>
> Archive of past Gar Quotes:
>
> http://www.garchen.net/gar-quotes-archive.html
>>
> German Translation:
>
> http://garchen-rinpoche-zitate.blogspot.com/
>
> Chinese Translation:
>
> http://jangchubdrolma.blogspot.com/
>
> Spanish Translation:
>
> http://drikungcusco.wordpress.com/
>
> Vietnamese Translation:
>
> http://www.vietnalanda.org/Translations/GAR%20Quotes/tchnghatgionggiacngo.Garquotes.html
>
> Russian Translation:
>
> http://groups.google.com/group/gar-quotes-in-russian
>
> Hungarian Translation:
>
> http://stupa.hu/zalaszanto/category/idezetek/
>
> Ukrainian Translation:
>
http://www.facebook.com/l/3b84dqE_wa3W1_H4pTkzbyy1OXA/groups.google.com/group/gar-quotes-in-ukrainian
>
> Estonian Translation:
>
> http://budism.weebly.com/gar-quotes.html
>
> Japanese Translation:
>
> http://garchenrinpoche.blog.fc2.com
3 comments:
Guidance for daily practice:
In the morning your should reflect on the difficulty to obtain a precious human birth; in the evening you should reflect on death and impermanence, and throughout the day you should reflect on karma, cause and effect, and act according to the 37 Bodhisattva Practices.
Meditate in shorter but more frequent sessions to ensure the good quality of your meditation. It is best to just observe the nature of mind, the ordinary bare mind, and preserve it. When thoughts appear neither reject nor accept them.
Do not try to stop thoughts, allow them to arise, but recognize their arising and do not pursue them. The goal is not to have no thoughts but for thoughts to… More
(https://m.facebook.com/story.php?story_fbid=1806116989607426&substory_index=0&id=1417453198473809)
只要你禪修，我們的心就會在一起
噶千仁波切開示
日常修持指導
早晨應思惟珍貴人身難得，傍晚應思惟死亡與無常，而一整天
當中應思惟業力因果，並依照《佛子行三十七頌》來做人處
事。
禪坐的時間短一點，次數多一點，可以使禪坐的品質好一
些。 最好是就觀察心的本性，那個赤裸的平常心，並且如此保
任。 念頭出現時，不要抗拒也不要接受。 不要試圖停止念頭，
讓念頭生起，但要覺察念頭的生起，不要追逐念頭。 禪坐的目
的不是要達到無念，而是要讓生起的念頭無法影響你。 你必須
要這麼串習，如此未來當負面的念頭與情緒生起時，你就不會
為他們所支配。 這些念頭的能量可能會生起，但無法以任何方
式影響你。 禪坐當中有時會有無念的時刻，在那一刹那，你將
了知這是你心真實的本性－如虛空般安住、鮮明空朗、廣闊而
毫無執著。 你必須在行住坐臥中隨時保有這份靈敏的覺知。
因此，不要試圖停下念頭，只要松坦進入覺知的本質之中。 不
論何時，只要你禪修，我們的心就會在一起。 如果瞭解這一
點，你對禪坐便不會感到厭倦。
(https://m.facebook.com/photo.php?fbid=406805829504672&id=100005257744695&set=a.103819423136649.4404.100005257744695)
Question & Answer
nature of mind and enlightenment
Published on Wednesday, 29 June 2016 00:00
Q: Can Rinpoche please explain 1) what is the nature of the mind? 2) What is enlightenment? 3) How does realization of nature of mind become enlightenment? Thanks
A: The nature of mind is empty but then you know it is empty when there are no thoughts in your mind. This essence of that mind is empty but then there is a clear awareness that consciousness that knows its own empty nature so that is the indivisible union of clarity and emptiness.
If you do not grasp at any thoughts and no thoughts but you know that there is no thoughts, the mind is very clear but also it is empty. That is nature of the mind. It is the indivisible nature of clarity and emptiness.
Second part of the question, when you attain enlightenment, you first have to purify and you have to accomplished, without that you will not attain enlightenment.
So now your love and compassion is very weak. So when you cultivate love for all people in the world and for all sentient beings, day and night you only want to benefit sentient beings then finally, self grasping will be clarify and altruistic mind arises in your mind.
Then your mind becomes like space because this compassion pervades all sentient beings, so then you see the nature of mind is like space.
Within the space there is no two, there is no division in space, whenever you go there is only one space. So one’s own mind and the mind of sentient beings is the same.
So at that time, the dualistic grasping is cleared away and you realizes non-dual primordial wisdom. You understand that there is no self and no others, that is the explanation of “Sang Gye”, where “Gye” means vast and expansive and “Sang” means clear away dualistic grasping. There is only two bodies but there is no two minds. When you realized that, then you will realize what enlightenment is.
So then when you have habituate it for long time, then your body will become like a rainbow body. So your mind attains enlightenment in dharmakaya. Those sentient beings who do not realize that, they suffer greatly. So you cultivate compassion for them, from that arises the sambhogakaya.
The third part of the question. So first when you understand (you know) that there is no duality, then you experience when thoughts and affliction arise, then they all fall apart, they are liberated. The mind becomes non dual (and they become non dual from the mind) this means they dissolve. So that is the experience that you will gain.
Second part, you will realize that even though if thoughts arise, they won't affect you, there is no fear because you know the nature of mind is beyond birth and death. At this point you realize, so habituate with that. Turn slow then enlighten qualities will dawn in your mind. When you understand the view of dharmakaya, from that expanse the quality of sambhogakaya and nirmanakaya appear. Sambhogakaya appears like a rainbow and the nirmanakaya like rain drops falling down, benefitting countless sentient beings. When you attain enlightenment, then all those qualities of the Buddha become manifest.
(http://www.amidewa-retreat.com/web/question-answer?start=3)
Post a Comment