Tergar Asia 8 Days Retreat in Thailand (2018) -1

【2018泰國八日禪明就仁波切 ・首日開示摘要】

■找到平衡，不要太緊也不要太鬆

閉關一開始，除了要「生起好的動機」，還要「找到平衡」。

在生起好動機這一點，只要「想要」生起慈心、悲心、菩提心就可以了，其實我們一直和慈悲菩提心在一起，所以不必太擔心動機的質量，懷疑我生起的動機是不是不夠好，「想要」生起好動機是最重要的。

另一個重點是要「找到平衡」，不要太緊也不要太鬆。

今天來到這裡閉關，也許你會想：我好不容易存了錢、求了老闆讓我來，好不容易讓太太或先生答應讓我來，所以「我一定要得到證悟」，即使不證悟也要很靠近證悟，而且決定「從今天開始，我要生起喜樂、清明、無概念的覺受」，你這樣一想，「瘋猴子」就來找你了。

不相信嗎？現在做個練習證明一下，我們來做一個「披薩禪修」：
好，現在脊椎挺直，全身放鬆，
一分鐘內不可以想披薩，
一想到披薩，你的禪修就毀了，
也不可以想「不可以想披薩」，這樣就是在想披薩。

結果如何？叫你不想披薩，你心裡想的就都是披薩。

同樣的道裡，如果你告訴自己不要擔心，不要有情緒，不要有煩惱，不要有痛苦，結果煩惱痛苦反而更多。如果你追求的是喜樂、平靜和無概念，喜樂、平靜和無概念反而會告訴你它們很忙，就消失了。

只要想要有好動機，好動機就在那裡。不要太擔心動機的質量，但也不要放棄，要放下擔心但不要放棄。

所謂「放棄」是這樣（仁波切先緊抓住念珠，手向下一放，念珠就掉到地上）；
但「放下」是這樣（仁波切拿念珠的手向上，手指鬆開，念珠還在手裡）
放下是一種智慧，你只要想到放下，就和智慧連結上了，覺知一直在那裡，慈悲也是，智慧也是，你所要做的就是認出來，和它在一起。

從今晚開始，無論上座或下座，要試著不要丟失覺知，但也不要抓太緊。

2018.09.09

https://www.facebook.com/TergarAsia/posts/647146705680795

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Finding balance - not too tight and not too loose

At the beginning of this retreat, apart from having good motivation, finding balance is also very important.

In order to have good motivation, just "wanting" to have loving-kindness, compassion and bodhicitta is already enough. Actually, loving-kindness, compassion and bodhicitta are with us all the time. Therefore, don't worry too much about the quality of your motivation. The most important thing is, you really "want" to have good motivation.

Another important thing is "finding balance", meaning, "not too tight and not too loose."

You might wonder, "In order to attend this retreat, I have to save up my money, beg my boss so that I can take my leave, persuade my husband/wife so that I can come here..." So, "I must get enlightenment!" or "Even though I cannot achieve enlightenment this time, I must be really close to enlightenment!", and "I decided that from now on, I must have bliss, clarity, and be non-conceptual!"

If you think like that, "crazy monkey" will come after you.

You don't believe this? How about we try an exercise to prove it? Let's practice the "pizza meditation" :

First, keep your spine straight, relax the muscles in your body, and then for the next one minute, you can't think of pizza. Even if you think of pizza just once, your meditation will be destroyed! Also, you can't think of "can't think of pizza" - because when you think of "can't think of pizza", that means you are thinking of pizza.

How was it? If I ask you not to think of pizza, your mind is thinking about pizza all the time.

It's the same analogy - if you tell yourself not to worry, not to have emotions, troubles, pain etc... actually they are getting stronger. If you chase after bliss, peace and non-conceptual experience, then bliss, peace and non-conceptual experience will tell you that they are busy and disappear.

The moment you want to have good motivation, good motivation is already there. Don't worry too much about the quality of the motivation, but don't give up either. Let go of your worries, but don't give up.

"Giving up" is like this... (Rinpoche grasped the mala with his hand facing down, then when he loosened his grip, the mala fell onto the floor)

But "letting go" is like this ... (Rinpoche placed the mala in his palm with his hand facing up, the mala stayed in his hand even though he loosened his fingers)

Letting go comes from wisdom. When you think of letting go, actually you are connecting with your wisdom. Awareness is always there, and so is loving-kindness, compassion, and wisdom. All you have to do is to recognize that, and to be with them.

Starting from tonight, whether in your practice session or elsewhere, try not to get lost and maintain awareness, but also, don't be too tight.

(Excerpt from Mingyur Rinpoche's teachings on 9 Sep, 2018 during Tergar Asia 8 Days)

https://www.facebook.com/TergarAsia/posts/647466918982107