Cultivating Meditative Concentration: Calm Abiding (8 February 2011)

0:00 The completely perfected, fully awakened being, perfect in knowledge and in good conduct, Sugata, knower of the world, supreme God of human beings to be tamed, teacher of gods and human beings, to you, the completely and fully awakened one, the endowed transcendent destroyer, the glorious conqueror, the subduer from the Shaky clan, I prostrate, make offerings and go for refuge. Report an error in the passage at 0:00 Highlight the passage at 0:00

0:22 To the founder, the endowed transcendent destroyer, the one gone beyond, the foe destroyer, the completely perfected, fully awakened being, perfect in knowledge and in good conduct, Sugata, knower of the world, supreme guide of human beings to be tamed, teacher of gods and human beings, to you, the completely and fully awakened one, the endowed transcendent destroyer, the glorious conqueror, the subduer from the Shakyat clan, I prostrate, make offerings and go for refuge. Report an error in the passage at 0:22 Highlight the passage at 0:22

0:50 Was it three? My mindfulness. When, O supreme amongst humans, you were born on this earth, you paced out seven strides, then said, I am supreme in this world. To you who are wise, then I prostrate. With pure bodies formed supremely pure, wisdom ocean like a golden mountain, fame that blazes in the three worlds, winner of the best, Lord, to you I prostrate. Report an error in the passage at 0:50 Highlight the passage at 0:50

0:53 us. Report an error in the passage at 0:53 Highlight the passage at 0:53

1:16 With the supreme signs, face like spotless moon, color like gold, to you I prostrate. Dust free like you, the three worlds are not, incomparably wise one, to you I prostrate. The savior having great compassion, the founder having all understanding, the field of merit with qualities like a vast ocean, to you the one gone to thusness I prostrate. Report an error in the passage at 1:16 Highlight the passage at 1:16

1:38 The purity that frees one from attachment, the virtue that frees one from the lower realms, the one path, the sublime pure reality, to the Dharma that pacifies, I prostrate. Those who are liberated and who also show the path to liberation, the holy field qualified with realizations, who are devoted to the moral precepts, to you, the sublime community intending virtue, I prostrate. Report an error in the passage at 1:38 Highlight the passage at 1:38

2:02 Homage to the Supreme Buddha. Homage to the Dharma refuge. Homage to the great Saṅgha. To all three, ever devout homage. To all worthy of respect, bowing with bodies as many as all realms, atoms and all aspects. With supreme faith I pay homage. Do not commit any non-virtuous actions. Perform only perfect virtuous actions. Subdue your mind thoroughly. Report an error in the passage at 2:02 Highlight the passage at 2:02

2:25 This is the teaching of the Buddha. A star, a visual aberration, a flame of a lamp, an illusion, a drop of dew or a bubble. A dream, a flash of lightning, a cloud, see conditioned things as such. Through these merits may sentient beings attain the rank of all seeing, subdue the foe of faults, and be delivered from saṃsāra's ocean, perturbed by the waves of aging, sickness and death. Report an error in the passage at 2:25 Highlight the passage at 2:25

2:50 And on page 98 is Refuge and Bodhicitta. Report an error in the passage at 2:50 Highlight the passage at 2:50

3:01 I go for refuge until I am enlightened to the Buddha, the Dharma and the Supreme Assembly. By the merits I create through listening to the Dharma, may I become a Buddha in order to benefit all sentient beings. I go for refuge until I'm enlightened. To the Buddha, the Dharma and the Supreme Assembly. By the merits I create through listening to the Dharma, may I become a Buddha in order to benefit all sentient beings. I go for refuge until I am enlightened. Report an error in the passage at 3:01 Highlight the passage at 3:01

3:27 To the Buddha, the Dharma and the Supreme Assembly, by the merits I create through listening to the Dharma, may I become a Buddha in order to benefit all sentient beings. All right. Report an error in the passage at 3:27 Highlight the passage at 3:27

3:45 So we've been talking about cultivating faultless meditative stabilization. And so last time, I want to do a bit of a review from last time because what we covered in the last class is very important, you know, very essential, like the essential basis of meditative stabilization. And first of all, Lama Tsongkhapa talks about the two features of faultless meditative stabilization being this intense clarity as well as this non-conceptual stability. Report an error in the passage at 3:45 Highlight the passage at 3:45

4:17 So this clarity. And the clarity specifically, the clarity of the mind, right? The mind being very clear, right? Not dark, not dull, right? But very clear, as well as stable, being able to stay on the object without distraction. So staying on the object with a very clear mind and gradually, you know, in a more and more clear object as well. Report an error in the passage at 4:17 Highlight the passage at 4:17

4:48 Okay, so... The two obstacles, the main obstacle of clarity is laxity, and the main obstacle of stability is excitement. I don't know if that's the main, but Lama Tsongkhapa says that clarity is impeded by laxity and stability is impeded by excitement. So these are considered the main obstacles to accomplishing calm abiding, laxity and excitement. Report an error in the passage at 4:48 Highlight the passage at 4:48

5:19 But actually each of these is more subtle than, like laxity is more subtle than lethargy, right? And excitement is more subtle than, well not necessarily more subtle, but it's a subset of distraction. But we'll talk about laxity and excitement in today's class. Report an error in the passage at 5:19 Highlight the passage at 5:19

5:39 So it's essential for both calm abiding and special insight to know how to identify and stop subtle and gross laxity and excitement. and specifically you know not just intellectually but In our own experience, right? Being able to identify those in our experience and then know how to counteract those. Report an error in the passage at 5:39 Highlight the passage at 5:39

6:03 Also, last time we talked about the two requirements for meditative stabilization. We need a means for not letting the mind get distracted away from its original object, right? And that means is mindfulness, the mindfulness that... Holds on to the object as well as an awareness of knowing exactly whether or not there is a distraction in the mind, which is introspection. Report an error in the passage at 6:03 Highlight the passage at 6:03

6:39 So the main antidote to forgetting the object or losing the object of meditation is mindfulness. Report an error in the passage at 6:39 Highlight the passage at 6:39

6:48 So Lama Tsongkhapa said the principal method for sustaining the accomplishment of meditative stabilization is that of sustaining mindfulness. So mindfulness is really essential for us to really understand. Because this is really the basis in which we'll be able to develop and maintain calm abiding. Report an error in the passage at 6:48 Highlight the passage at 6:48

7:13 So what was mindfulness? Asanga's definition was non-forgetfulness of the mind with respect to a familiar object, and its function is non-distraction. So mindfulness is that mental factor, that function of the mind that holds tightly onto the object. It ties the mind to the object like a rope. Well, we use that example of the elephant being tied to the pillar, right, with a rope. So mindfulness is that part of the mind that holds, right, that holds, you know, the mind to the object, right, kind of sticks the mind with the object. Report an error in the passage at 7:13 Highlight the passage at 7:13

7:58 I question about this. I understand how we... hearing more psychology that, They're using mindfulness meditation for everything. And what they're talking about is not holding on to, it's very different. Report an error in the passage at 7:58 Highlight the passage at 7:58

8:19 And I'm very hesitant. I mean, I am not using that at all. So I just wondered. Yeah, we talked about that in the last class. Okay. I mean, a very common usage of the word mindfulness is broader than this. This is specifically, you know, this is the way Asanga taught mindfulness and the way that Lama Tsongkhapa talks mindfulness. Report an error in the passage at 8:19 Highlight the passage at 8:19

8:47 I mean, it's very common in the vernacular, right, to talk about mindfulness as being present, you know, in the present moment and nonjudgmental, you know, just aware. You know, and you need this kind of mindfulness in order to be present, right, because we need to be not distracted, right, to be present. Report an error in the passage at 8:47 Highlight the passage at 8:47

9:06 But it's a broader understanding of mindfulness. This is very specific. And in the context of calm abiding, it's very important to understand this specific understanding. Report an error in the passage at 9:06 Highlight the passage at 9:06

9:27 Yeah, I mean, apparently it's very helpful to people, but it is a different application of the same term. Also, the word in Tibetan for mindfulness is... can understand but the other thing Report an error in the passage at 9:27 Highlight the passage at 9:27

9:39 Is similar to the word for remembering or memory, right? So remembering the object, right? Remembering not in the sense of, you know, just remembering what the object looks like, but remembering, oh yeah, I'm supposed to be meditating on this object, right? Report an error in the passage at 9:39 Highlight the passage at 9:39

9:58 So yeah, I'm meditating on the Buddha image or whatever it is. I'm meditating on the breath, not... Not whatever the distraction is that's carried us away in the moment. Report an error in the passage at 9:58 Highlight the passage at 9:58

10:13 So again, Report an error in the passage at 10:13 Highlight the passage at 10:13

10:19 Lama Rinpoche was saying that as we set forth in the meditation, we need to alternate the emphasis in the practice. So we need to be on guard for the arising of laxity, watching carefully for the state of your clarity, as well as being on guard against excitement or... Scattering your distraction and checking on the strength of your stability. So as we're meditating, we might think, okay, I sit there, I focus on my object of meditation and that's all I do, right? Report an error in the passage at 10:19 Highlight the passage at 10:19

10:54 I just stabilize on my object of meditation and I don't need to do any adjusting, right? But actually we need to do a lot of adjusting. We need to constantly be aware of, oh, is my mind getting lax? Is my mind getting excited? Is it getting distracted? Is it getting dull? And constantly kind of do this adjusting thing. Kind of like driving a car. You don't just put your hands on the steering wheel and just go. Report an error in the passage at 10:54 Highlight the passage at 10:54

11:26 We're constantly adjusting in the road. So similar in our meditation. Report an error in the passage at 11:26 Highlight the passage at 11:26

11:35 We're on guard for laxity and excitement. Report an error in the passage at 11:35 Highlight the passage at 11:35

11:42 So again, Lama Rinpoche continues by saying, so at first you're emphasizing one and then the other, and no one but you can determine what the suitable level of awareness is. When you're developing the strength of clarity, there's a tendency for excitement to arise. If you feel it arising, taper off a bit on the clarity side. Report an error in the passage at 11:42 Highlight the passage at 11:42

12:03 Likewise, when you're going for stability, you're prone to laxity arising. When you see that happening, then you want to uplift the mind. So if we put too much emphasis on clarity, then excitement is prone to arising. It's like we're holding on too tightly and getting tense. Versus if we're focusing too much on stability. Report an error in the passage at 12:03 Highlight the passage at 12:03

12:30 Peace and stillness, then it's easy to kind of get into this relaxed, lax, dull state, right? So we need to, you know, kind of constantly do that adjusting. And last time I gave the example of, like, the amount of attention we have when we're driving, right? And I gave the example of... Driving on Highway 17 in the dark, in the rain. You know, we have a very attentive mind, right? Report an error in the passage at 12:30 Highlight the passage at 12:30

13:07 And I was thinking, okay, well, that's the amount of attention. But then the more I was thinking about it, I think that's more likely to be excitement, right? Because we've got the tension going, right? Report an error in the passage at 13:07 Highlight the passage at 13:07

13:22 If we're driving, you know, down 280 in the sunshine and feeling really relaxed and, you know, kind of paying attention, or maybe we're paying attention, but, you know, we're kind of, you know, we're thinking about other things and all of that. That's laxity, right? For sure, that's laxity, right? So that's excitement and that too relaxed is like laxity. So I was trying to think, okay, well, what's a nice balance? Report an error in the passage at 13:22 Highlight the passage at 13:22

13:51 I was thinking, okay, if we're driving in an unfamiliar neighborhood and we're looking for like a house that we've never been to before, right? So we're really attentive. We're not tense, right? Well, unless we're stressed out for some reason. But if we're, you know, if we're, you know, fairly relaxed but very attentive, maybe that's akin to kind of the balance that we're trying to get in meditation, right? Report an error in the passage at 13:51 Highlight the passage at 13:51

14:19 Does that make sense? Not perfect examples, but that's the best I could come up with. Report an error in the passage at 14:19 Highlight the passage at 14:19

14:31 Okay. So what you want is to balance right in the middle. The middle is something that can only be sought out by means of your own experience, right? So we'll learn the words, but the main thing is to be able to identify these states in our own minds, in our meditation. Report an error in the passage at 14:31 Highlight the passage at 14:31

14:55 And then in addition to mindfulness, we need introspection. Right, which as we talked about is like the watcher or the spy that knows the state of the mind, whether in the mind it's distracted, whether if it's lax or excited, right? So mindfulness is holding on to the object and introspection is watching the mind to see the state of the mind. So from within our state of abidance and meditative stabilization, you merely watch whether or not the mind is still remaining on the object of meditation Report an error in the passage at 14:55 Highlight the passage at 14:55

15:32 Excited or lax. And then once our mind is placed in meditative stabilization, you should watch it now and then, neither too often nor too seldom. So this is interesting. With mindfulness, we're constantly trying to be glued to the object. So mindfulness is always present if we're in faultless meditative stabilization. Report an error in the passage at 15:32 Highlight the passage at 15:32

15:59 But with introspection, we're We're not trying to apply introspection all the time, because if we do that, then that can be a distraction, like we're focusing too much on the quality of the mind. So Lama Tsongkhapa is saying we should watch it now and then, not too often and not too seldom. And we'll find out from experience what too often and too seldom is. Report an error in the passage at 15:59 Highlight the passage at 15:59

16:27 There's no kind of... Set formula for everyone, like every three seconds, right? You know, we need to gauge that in our experience. Report an error in the passage at 16:27 Highlight the passage at 16:27

16:40 But Lama Tsongkhapa does say that if you do this while the intensity and force of the previous awareness are not quite gone, it takes place within the perspective of this awareness. Report an error in the passage at 16:40 Highlight the passage at 16:40

16:52 So if our introspection... You know, is alert and watching whether or not our mind is lax or excited. If we do it too infrequently, right, by the time we notice, our mind is already off the object of meditation, right? So it needs to be often enough that the intensity and force of that awareness is not quite gone, right? Report an error in the passage at 16:52 Highlight the passage at 16:52

17:23 And this has the purpose of enabling long-lasting intense stability. And letting you quickly recognize laxity and excitement. Does that make sense? Report an error in the passage at 17:23 Highlight the passage at 17:23

17:38 So that's how we sustain our mindfulness. So for a necessary cause of powerful and continuous mindfulness is sustaining your meditation by repeatedly minding yourself at intervals of the intended object of meditation. So mindfulness also, it's not that we just glue our minds to the object and then... Report an error in the passage at 17:38 Highlight the passage at 17:38

17:35 all right Report an error in the passage at 17:35 Highlight the passage at 17:35

18:02 Not adjust it, right? So every once in a while we're reinforcing our mindfulness, right? Kind of tightening our grip or loosening our grip depending on if we have laxity or excitement. Report an error in the passage at 18:02 Highlight the passage at 18:02

18:21 Okay, so that's mindfulness. So I want to do a meditation for just three minutes where based on your object of meditation, you know, so focus on your object of meditation. Remembering to keep our, well, remembering the eight points or the seven points of the Virachana posture. Keeping straight and trying to keep your eyes open if we can. Report an error in the passage at 18:21 Highlight the passage at 18:21

18:56 Creates obstacles down the line if our eyes are closed. Report an error in the passage at 18:56 Highlight the passage at 18:56

19:03 And focus on the mental image of our object with strong mindfulness. Or if it's the breath, focus on the breath with strong mindfulness. Report an error in the passage at 19:03 Highlight the passage at 19:03

19:26 It's like a muscle that ties your mind to the object. And see if we can notice that factor of mindfulness. So Report an error in the passage at 19:26 Highlight the passage at 19:26

· · · silence, 3 minutes

22:45 did you notice mindfulness or a lack of mindfulness? I think the example of a muscle is very good. It's a muscle that we need to develop, right? In the beginning is... It's Report an error in the passage at 22:45 Highlight the passage at 22:45

23:02 Quite weak. We need to work it out. It's like if we haven't walked our whole entire lives and so we don't have strong leg muscles and we have to start walking in order to strengthen the muscle. And the mindfulness is similar. You know, in the beginning we find, okay, we can hold the object and then it kind of, you know, it takes a lot of effort, right, in the beginning. Report an error in the passage at 23:02 Highlight the passage at 23:02

23:27 But over time it becomes... Less and less effort until later on it becomes effortless. Later on, later on. I think it's the eighth mental abiding of the nine. Karen. Report an error in the passage at 23:27 Highlight the passage at 23:27

23:48 You're welcome. Report an error in the passage at 23:48 Highlight the passage at 23:48

23:53 You know when I lead meditation I tell the students to Close their eyes because it's sometimes distracting when you have them slightly open. I tell them that you can gaze off unfocused in front of them, but I usually tell them to close their eyes. And you mentioned that it could lead to obstacles later on. I wonder if you can tell me what the obstacles are. Yeah, so Lama Tsongkhapa is very clear about keeping the eyes open. Report an error in the passage at 23:53 Highlight the passage at 23:53

24:18 And Gen Lam Rimpa mentioned also that even if it's difficult, In the beginning, to keep your eyes open, it's important because later on there are obstacles. So for one thing, you're more prone to laxity and dullness if your eyes are closed. So one of the signs of laxity is that you start having mental darkness. Report an error in the passage at 24:18 Highlight the passage at 24:18

24:49 Instead of it being bright, it starts... Getting like foggy, like the clouds have covered, you know, the sun. So similarly with our minds. And so with our eyes closed, you know, we're much more prone to that happening. There's one thing. Carol and I were just talking about this as well. And Carol, you found in His Holiness the Dalai Lama's book, Cultivating a Meditation, whatever it's called, Cultivating a Daily Meditation. Report an error in the passage at 24:49 Highlight the passage at 24:49

25:20 The point is, as in the beginning, need Report an error in the passage at 25:20 Highlight the passage at 25:20

25:32 Yeah, so different people say different things about that. But the thing is, if we do start to get in the habit of keeping our eyes closed, it's very difficult to change that, right? So then we have to unlearn that habit. So if we can keep the eyes open from the beginning, that's great. And we are more prone to distraction, right, if our eyes are open, right, because we see. Report an error in the passage at 25:32 Highlight the passage at 25:32

26:01 You know, shadows and, you know, objects. But if we can keep them open, that will prevent problems, you know, more problems later. And then what Carol read in His Holiness' book. Report an error in the passage at 26:01 Highlight the passage at 26:01

26:20 So he says, as to the position of the eyes, at the beginning it might give you a clear visualization when they are closed, but in the long run this is not good. You should not close your eyes. Visualization is done on a mental and not a sensory level. If you train yourself to meditate with open eyes and become used to it, then even when an object comes in front of your eyes, you will not lose the mental image you are meditating on. Report an error in the passage at 26:20 Highlight the passage at 26:20

26:49 On the other hand, if you train yourself and become used to meditating with closed eyes, you will lose the mental image the moment you open them. Report an error in the passage at 26:49 Highlight the passage at 26:49

26:59 So that makes sense, right? This is called Cultivating a Daily Meditation. Was this one of the Indian prints? Yeah, yeah, so I don't, yeah, because I think I have that too or used to have that from the library. So, yeah, I don't know if it's available. I don't know. Yeah. And then there's eyes wide open meditation as well. Yeah, like in Dzogchen there's the eyes wide open as well. Report an error in the passage at 26:59 Highlight the passage at 26:59

27:26 And then I've heard various things about why you do that, right? Because, right, meditation, ultimately, right, you're meditating so that you can bring that mindfulness, All day long, right? So with our eyes closed, there's a big disparity between meditation and post-meditation, right? With eyes open, it's much easier to bring your mindfulness into daily life. So there's various reasons mentioned. Report an error in the passage at 27:26 Highlight the passage at 27:26

28:00 Okay. Any other comments or questions about mindfulness? Did you get in touch with? What we're supposed to be doing there, what that mindfulness looks like. Yeah. Report an error in the passage at 28:00 Highlight the passage at 28:00

28:18 Yeah. And I'm not asking if you were able to keep your mindfulness for three minutes, right? Because even three minutes is amazing how hard it is to keep it for three minutes, right? But just knowing what it is that we're trying to do is all I'm asking at this. At this stage, right? What that muscle is that we're trying to cultivate. Okay? All right. Report an error in the passage at 28:18 Highlight the passage at 28:18

28:46 Okay, so then we'll move on to the length of sessions. Report an error in the passage at 28:46 Highlight the passage at 28:46

28:54 So, question. When you fix your attention on the object of meditation with mindfulness, is there a definite length for the session? Such as you say, I will stabilize my mind on that object only until then. Report an error in the passage at 28:54 Highlight the passage at 28:54

29:09 Lama Tsongkhapa says, well, on this matter, all earlier gurus of the various... Tibetan lineages say that you have to do numerous short sessions. Why? Some say that if you meditate in brief sessions and stop when it is going well, you will still be eager to meditate at the end of each session. While if the session is long, it is easy to fall under the sway of laxity and excitement, so it's hard to develop flawless concentration. Report an error in the passage at 29:09 Highlight the passage at 29:09

29:38 So I very much, you know... Relate to this, because when I first started meditating, it was in a tradition where you do 45 minute sessions, right? So, so you, so I'd sit there, you know, on the object of meditation for about five minutes and then the rest of the time, you know, my mind would be sleeping or thinking about my day or, you know, and it, you know, so you, so we, we don't develop that. Report an error in the passage at 29:38 Highlight the passage at 29:38

30:04 That strength of mindfulness, right? We develop bad habits in meditation. So it's very easy to fall, right? Because in the beginning we're not capable of keeping mindfulness for 45 minutes, right? So especially, you know, if we're doing calm abiding meditation, it's better to start with numerous short sessions. Report an error in the passage at 30:04 Highlight the passage at 30:04

30:28 You know, and they can be, you know, five minute sessions. Do a five minute session. Take a break. Another five-minute session. Take a break. Report an error in the passage at 30:28 Highlight the passage at 30:28

30:47 We can't be very spontaneous here. Report an error in the passage at 30:47 Highlight the passage at 30:47

30:56 Carol's getting wrapped up in there. Report an error in the passage at 30:56 Highlight the passage at 30:56

31:03 Good it wasn't wrapped all the way around you. I think it's in that little blue book. The blue book? Report an error in the passage at 31:03 Highlight the passage at 31:03

31:15 The extra readings, that little blue, the little thin blue book. The Attention Revolution? No, no, the other one. Oh, Gendan Rippa's book. Right. Okay. So in there he says, if you forget your subject three times, you're supposed to quit. And I assume that's like once you can hold it nonstop for quite a while, right? Yeah, because in the beginning you quit right away. Report an error in the passage at 31:15 Highlight the passage at 31:15

31:41 Right. Yeah. So that's well along down along. After you have some stability and you've lost. Like you've lost your meditate, you know, you become distracted, right? And then you put your mind back on the object and you become distracted again. And then you put your mind on the object and you become distracted again. At that point he says then it's good to just cut the session. Report an error in the passage at 31:41 Highlight the passage at 31:41

32:05 Because every time we bring our mind back to the object, we've already lost some strength of mindfulness, right? Because he was using like little, you know, like... you hear a sound you know and I guess you think oh what's that so it was like in the third time I think it was something Yeah, Report an error in the passage at 32:05 Highlight the passage at 32:05

32:45 because those teachings were... It wasn't like... planning what you're going to do tomorrow or what you're going to do when you get out you know wasn't like didn't sound like some long lengthy head trip where you go but I but I'm assuming that he meant like you're really pretty good at this already by the time you do that Report an error in the passage at 32:45 Highlight the passage at 32:45

32:48 In a common abiding retreat, right, so you can get stability, right, a one year common abiding retreat. Well, I mean, it was the first week of the retreat that he was giving these teachings, but nonetheless, right, I think that's advice that you give for people who are a little bit down the line, right? Report an error in the passage at 32:48 Highlight the passage at 32:48

33:10 Not at the beginning, because otherwise our sessions wouldn't be longer than... Two minutes, right? Or whatever, five minutes. Yeah. Because the first of the nine mental abidings is when you're not able, you know, when distraction happens more than you're on the object, right? I mean, that's our first step, right? And then you get to the point where you're, you know, you're on the object more often than you're off the object, right? Report an error in the passage at 33:10 Highlight the passage at 33:10

33:41 So, you know, gradually, slowly, slowly. So when you get to the point where you're on the object more than you're off the object, then I think maybe that would apply more. Report an error in the passage at 33:41 Highlight the passage at 33:41

33:54 Okay, Report an error in the passage at 33:54 Highlight the passage at 33:54

34:00 so Asanga in his Shravaka levels does not state the length of sessions clearly, but Kamalashila says that gradually you should sit for 24 minutes, one and a half hours, three hours, or as long as you can. Report an error in the passage at 34:00 Highlight the passage at 34:00

34:19 In 24 minutes, actually he said 1 60th of a day, which turns out to be 24 minutes. But Gen Lamrimpo was encouraging the students in this year-long retreat to start with 15 minutes. And this is in a retreat. Report an error in the passage at 34:19 Highlight the passage at 34:19

34:41 So these numbers were set forth in the context of special insight teachings. When calm abiding has already been accomplished, but here Lama Tsongkhapa is saying, but in the context of calm abiding in the beginning it's evidently the same. So he's taking this quote from the Special Insight teachings and saying, okay, well for calm abiding it would be the same. Report an error in the passage at 34:41 Highlight the passage at 34:41

35:10 And then he says, if you recall the object every so often and watch it every so often, the method for sustaining mindfulness and introspection as explained earlier is indeed faultless, even for long sessions. So if we're able to keep... Pretty good mindfulness and pretty good introspection, then it's fine to have longer sessions. But for most beginners, forgetfulness arises if the sessions are long. Report an error in the passage at 35:10 Highlight the passage at 35:10

35:39 We get distracted and wander off. And although laxity and excitement occur in the meantime, we don't identify them quickly but only recognize them after a long time. So in the beginning, if we have a long session, we'll be sitting there and then we'll wander off into thinking about something else. And then five minutes later, we realize, oh, yeah, yeah, I'm meditating on the body of a Buddha. Report an error in the passage at 35:39 Highlight the passage at 35:39

36:09 So that's what happens to most of us in the beginning. But then... Right? It's like, yeah, yeah. OK. Right? Report an error in the passage at 36:09 Highlight the passage at 36:09

36:18 Another problem is, okay, even if we're able to stay on the object, we don't forget our mindfulness, it's easy to fall under the power of laxity and excitement when we do not identify them quickly. So even if we're able to stay on the object, we're not able to identify laxity and excitement easily in the beginning. Report an error in the passage at 36:18 Highlight the passage at 36:18

36:39 So the first of these two problems, right? Not being able to stay on the object impedes the arising of strong mindfulness, whereas the latter problem, keeping the meditation object but not recognizing laxity and excitement impedes the arising of strong introspection. So then it's difficult to cut through laxity and excitement. Report an error in the passage at 36:39 Highlight the passage at 36:39

37:09 of course, it's A lot worse to forget the meditation object completely, get distracted, and then fail to identify the occurrence of laxity and excitement than to not identify the occurrence of laxity and excitement quickly while still remembering the meditation object. So of course it's worse to lose the meditation object than to keep it but have laxity and excitement. Report an error in the passage at 37:09 Highlight the passage at 37:09

37:38 So therefore, as the antidote that counteracts a deterioration of mindfulness upon distraction, the way of sustaining mindfulness explained above is very important. So I don't, you know, so this is like the third time Tsongkhapa says in this small middle lamrim text on how important mindfulness is, right? Report an error in the passage at 37:38 Highlight the passage at 37:38

37:58 So, so to kind of get it in our heads. So if we, if the forgetfulness of getting distracted and wandering off is great, And if the introspection that quickly identifies laxity and excitement is weak, then we need short sessions. If we're easily distracted, we don't have good introspection, then we need short sessions. Report an error in the passage at 37:58 Highlight the passage at 37:58

38:22 But if forgetfulness hardly arises and laxity and excitement can be recognized quickly, then there's nothing wrong with slightly longer sessions. So that's a sign that we can lengthen our sessions when we're able to... Stay on the meditation object and also recognize laxing excitement quickly. Session after session. Report an error in the passage at 38:22 Highlight the passage at 38:22

38:49 Not only after we've had one really good session. Oh, that means I can lengthen my sessions. We need to do it consistently. And then once we can do it consistently, then we can lengthen our sessions. Report an error in the passage at 38:49 Highlight the passage at 38:49

39:11 So basically, you're saying, okay, well, you know, you just proceed with... Where you are based on your own ability. So use your own judgment as long as you can. Report an error in the passage at 39:11 Highlight the passage at 39:11

39:28 As long as you can in the sense of being able to stay on the meditation object and maintain introspection. Report an error in the passage at 39:28 Highlight the passage at 39:28

39:41 So again, Lama Rinpoche says the crucial thing is not how many minutes have passed, but that you do not indulge in meditation after being heavily subject to excitement and laxity. Report an error in the passage at 39:41 Highlight the passage at 39:41

39:55 So I've heard His Holiness say, yeah, a lot of us engage in dullness meditation, right? So we have this habit of, oh, I'm meditating now, you know, and just fall into, you know, relaxing, right? Report an error in the passage at 39:55 Highlight the passage at 39:55

40:11 I've heard other, like, Dzogchen masters say, oh, yeah, you're very good at sitting up straight and closing your eyes and, you know. You know, and looking like you're meditating on the outside, but what's going on in your minds, right, is what's important. Report an error in the passage at 40:11 Highlight the passage at 40:11

40:41 So then Tsongkhapa says, if temporary injury to your mind or body does not occur, then set your mind in equipoise. But if such injury does occur, do not persist in meditating, but immediately stop your session and then clear away the impediments in your mental and physical constituents. Then meditate. Report an error in the passage at 40:41 Highlight the passage at 40:41

41:00 All right, so this is very important, right, not to push through meditation. Like if we're meditating and we're getting a headache, like it's not a good idea to just say, okay, I can, you know, I can push through this, right? And that's a good way to really mess up our wins, actually, right? So if we're getting a headache, then it's... Report an error in the passage at 41:00 Highlight the passage at 41:00

41:29 It's important to stop and get rid of that headache. Or if it's knee pain. Or also mentally, if mentally we find that we're becoming really unhappy in the session, like, oh gosh, I really don't want to meditate. Report an error in the passage at 41:29 Highlight the passage at 41:29

41:48 And we start getting this kind of big aversion to meditating, it's better not to just push through that. We have to keep a happy mind, joyous effort. In our practice, if we have a, you know, get this, I'm Report an error in the passage at 41:48 Highlight the passage at 41:48

42:08 losing the word, but anyways, but if we develop this habit of having aversion when we sit down to meditate, that's going to be a huge obstacle, right, in our practice. So, you know, to meditate as long as we're happy to meditate. Report an error in the passage at 42:08 Highlight the passage at 42:08

42:29 This is what the adepts intended. So recognize that doing this is an aspect of how long a meditation session should be. So that's pretty clear. So then, okay, what to do when laxity or excitement occur? Well, first of all, what are laxity and excitement? So the third of the five faults or obstacles to calm abiding is laxity and excitement. We had talked about laziness being the first obstacle we have to overcome. Report an error in the passage at 42:29 Highlight the passage at 42:29

43:03 And then secondly is forgetting the object or losing the object of meditation. So, okay, so, the. So then, you know, once we're able to keep on the object of meditation, then the next obstacle to overcome is laxity and excitement. And we do that, as we said before, by applying introspection. Introspection or vigilance. Report an error in the passage at 43:03 Highlight the passage at 43:03

43:30 Maybe introspection isn't really the best word. It doesn't mean, oh, I'm very aware of, you know, my faults. Being aware of laxity and excitement. So what's excitement? Asanga says excitement is an unpeacefulness of mind that pursues pleasant features or attractive objects, right? And belongs to attachment. Its function is to disrupt calm abiding. So it's that mind, you know, when we're meditating that starts, you know. Report an error in the passage at 43:30 Highlight the passage at 43:30

44:10 Fantasizing about the beach or thinking about how nice it would be to take a vacation that's attracted to pleasant objects, specifically is excitement. We can have distraction of all kinds, being distracted by the problems at work, even actually a distraction to a virtuous object. If I'm meditating, I'm thinking, oh, I need to do prostrations, right? That's a distraction. But actually, technically, it's not excitement because a distraction toward a virtuous object is not considered excitement. Report an error in the passage at 44:10 Highlight the passage at 44:10

44:57 So it's that mind that's buzzy, right? We're meditating. It's not, like, excitement isn't a dull mind, right? It's not falling asleep mind. It's like, yeah, I want to. After this, then I'm going to go to the beach, and then I'm going to, oh, and then there's this great restaurant, and then I'm going to order the pod thai. Report an error in the passage at 44:57 Highlight the passage at 44:57

45:20 We really get into it, right? We're pretty alert, and we're, well, excited, right? But we have that kind of buzzy energy, right? That's excitement. Report an error in the passage at 45:20 Highlight the passage at 45:20

45:37 So the three features, right? The object is attractive or pleasant. Report an error in the passage at 45:37 Highlight the passage at 45:37

45:45 It's all my fault. Report an error in the passage at 45:45 Highlight the passage at 45:45

45:50 And the aspect, oh gosh, Peter, I'm sorry about your voice. The aspect is the mind being unpeaceful, right? Unpeaceful in that, like that agitated, like usually we don't think of excitement, you know, as being unpeaceful, but it is very much like, I want this. You know, it's not content actually with where you are, right? It's wanting, wanting, unpeaceful and scattering outward. Report an error in the passage at 45:50 Highlight the passage at 45:50

46:17 So excitement is distracted to outward objects, fantasies, and it engages its objects through the aspect of craving. Oh, wouldn't it be nice then to whatever. And then the function disrupts the mind abiding on its object. Report an error in the passage at 46:17 Highlight the passage at 46:17

46:48 While the mind is tied to an object within, through the excitement of attachment to forms such as sounds, the mind is... Drawn without control toward those objects and becomes distracted. So with calm abiding we're trying to maintain our focus on an internal object, a mental image for the most part, or the breath. Report an error in the passage at 46:48 Highlight the passage at 46:48

47:14 But excitement is being brought out of that. Report an error in the passage at 47:14 Highlight the passage at 47:14

47:22 So the praise of confession says, regardless of how you are focused on calm abiding, your mind directed at something again and again is drawn away by the noose of the mental afflictions without control, with the rope of attachment to objects. Report an error in the passage at 47:22 Highlight the passage at 47:22

47:40 Very interesting when we're meditating, especially if we're meditating a lot, we really notice how incredibly pervasive attachment is. We don't necessarily notice walking around on a day-to-day basis, but when we're meditating we see how hard it is to just keep our mind on an object and how our minds so much want to fantasize about. Report an error in the passage at 47:40 Highlight the passage at 47:40

48:11 I remember when I was doing retreat, I don't know, I'm pretty slow when it comes to learning this stuff, and I remember when I was in one retreat and I thought... Oh my gosh, my whole entire life, all I've been doing is following attachment. Oh yeah, I want food. Oh, then I want this and then I want that. Let's have comfort and let's watch TV because then I'll be entertained and then let's go to sleep because I'm really attached to my sleep and then it's like we're following around this noose of attachment. Report an error in the passage at 48:11 Highlight the passage at 48:11

48:52 So with calm abiding, you know, we need to bring that attachment under control. Report an error in the passage at 48:52 Highlight the passage at 48:52

49:03 So interestingly, Lama Tsongkhapa doesn't talk about what gross or subtle excitement is, but I see it in other sources. So this one's particularly clear. Geshe Loden says that gross excitement is where your mind completely loses its object of concentration. Due to a pleasant object, due to attachment. Our mind has completely lost the object and has absorbed into our little fantasy. Report an error in the passage at 49:03 Highlight the passage at 49:03

49:35 Whereas subtle excitement is where you retain your focus on the object of concentration clearly, but a subtle part of the mind, below the level of conceptual thought, moves toward an attractive object. Report an error in the passage at 49:35 Highlight the passage at 49:35

49:49 So this is where... You haven't lost your meditation object. You're still focused on your object, but part of your mind is absorbed in something else. That's like me driving. I'm driving and listening to the radio or thinking about something else at the same time. Our attention is divided. Report an error in the passage at 49:49 Highlight the passage at 49:49

50:17 So the illustration that's quite common is it's like water moving beneath a layer of ice. So there's a part of your mind that's still, but then there's a part. Like we can become really adept at this, right? Where, okay, my mind's on the object, and then I can do all sorts of other things at the same time. Report an error in the passage at 50:17 Highlight the passage at 50:17

50:38 Yeah, we're a multitasking. Report an error in the passage at 50:38 Highlight the passage at 50:38

50:47 So I already mentioned this, right? Not all forms of mental destruction are caused by excitement, but only those that are brought about by our attachment to or desire for an agreeable contaminated object, Report an error in the passage at 50:47 Highlight the passage at 50:47

51:04 some sarik object, let's say. Report an error in the passage at 51:04 Highlight the passage at 51:04

51:10 But when we practice calm abiding, it's necessary to free our minds from all forms of distractions, right? Not just excitement. So why is excitement singled out? Report an error in the passage at 51:10 Highlight the passage at 51:10

51:23 Geshe Loden says this is because excitement is the most insidious form of distraction. The others tend to be of shorter duration and relatively easy to control, whereas because of the strength of one's desire to enjoy attractive objects, excitement is very difficult to control. Report an error in the passage at 51:23 Highlight the passage at 51:23

51:43 So we get this under control only at the eighth mental abiding. It's completely gone. Don't expect to get it under control right away. Okay, so that's excitement. Report an error in the passage at 51:43 Highlight the passage at 51:43

52:09 Any questions on that? Okay, this is a good breaking point. We can take a break and then we'll talk about laxity after the break. Report an error in the passage at 52:09 Highlight the passage at 52:09

52:21 Oh, Report an error in the passage at 52:21 Highlight the passage at 52:21

52:27 wait, before you take a break. sorry. I'm sorry. Report an error in the passage at 52:27 Highlight the passage at 52:27

52:06 Okay, so that's excitement. Report an error in the passage at 52:06 Highlight the passage at 52:06

52:29 break? Shiny Yeah, shiny objects. I come bearing gifts because I brought some gifts back from Nepal. When did I come back from Nepal? So I have these if you want one. Report an error in the passage at 52:29 Highlight the passage at 52:29

52:53 So I'll put them up here. These are wrist malas. That, um, just done. Report an error in the passage at 52:53 Highlight the passage at 52:53

53:04 which are very, you know, Very convenient, right? Those longer ones are harder to carry around, you know, this is like a bracelet. So there's, you know, so everybody, you know, who wants one, take one of those. And then I have a mala bag. So if you want a mala bag, choose your shiny object. Report an error in the passage at 53:04 Highlight the passage at 53:04

53:24 So help yourself to rose and then have your tea and sweet teas. Stop, stop. Report an error in the passage at 53:24 Highlight the passage at 53:24

53:32 to see you. Report an error in the passage at 53:32 Highlight the passage at 53:32

53:43 Yeah, these, you know. Some of them have 21 and some of them have 28. I think, I don't remember, 2, 4, 6, 8, 10, 12, 14, 16, 18. 20, 22, 24, 26, 28. These have 28, yeah. Yeah, because sometimes, you know, you get commitments to do 28, you know, mantras, like 21, 28, 108, etc. So, anyway, so. does that to do? I'm talking with your cough medicine. I like it. I like it. You're so smart. Report an error in the passage at 53:43 Highlight the passage at 53:43

54:21 You're so smart. She was made for a child. She likes to smoke. Yeah. Report an error in the passage at 54:21 Highlight the passage at 54:21

54:30 I know, check them out. There needs to be some different sizes. Oh my god, I'm not in there. And some of them probably have tighter elastic than others. Report an error in the passage at 54:30 Highlight the passage at 54:30

55:04 Yeah, exactly. 21 longer, 28 short. Let's do 28 short. Report an error in the passage at 55:04 Highlight the passage at 55:04

55:15 Yeah, I didn't even think about the size because I have a really small wrist. I'm like, oh yeah, this works, but yeah, it might be some... Some of them are bigger than others. Report an error in the passage at 55:15 Highlight the passage at 55:15

55:32 How long did you have this? Thank you, Emily, and then I'll post that one. Report an error in the passage at 55:32 Highlight the passage at 55:32

55:40 This is the two-week-to-go thing where it's like, well, I didn't get better for it right now, my God. We didn't do that about it two weeks ago. There's nothing to do with the stars. They're both wood. I'm like, is it a cold? Yeah, it's a cold. It sounds like it's not a regular cold. I was really sick. Report an error in the passage at 55:40 Highlight the passage at 55:40

56:07 We're practicing patience. Ergo, not eternal. Yeah. Report an error in the passage at 56:07 Highlight the passage at 56:07

56:18 Find a bigger one? Is that one too small? Report an error in the passage at 56:18 Highlight the passage at 56:18

56:24 You can put it around your finger. What's that? You can put it around your finger if they're too small. Report an error in the passage at 56:24 Highlight the passage at 56:24

56:44 Oh, it's nothing. Report an error in the passage at 56:44 Highlight the passage at 56:44

56:53 not enough, but we're still keep talking. Yeah, it's been what a week since you've or more than a week. Oh, that's good. I feel fine. Report an error in the passage at 56:53 Highlight the passage at 56:53

57:04 That's good. Yeah. Uh-huh. I was hoping I'd lose someone. Oh, but that's one of your charms is your... Yeah, when you live with someone, of course, the charm... Yeah, you guys balance each other. Does your throat hurt anymore? don't know, really. It's just a worse, worse. I sounded just like that. I didn't get better until I got out of anybody. Yeah, because you were out a couple of weeks. Report an error in the passage at 57:04 Highlight the passage at 57:04

57:39 Oh, good. Is this my copy? Thank you. Oh, this is great. It's so nice to have a hard copy, you know? Electronically, I have it difficult. I'm not sure they got all my last changes in there, which was the study we did here. Report an error in the passage at 57:39 Highlight the passage at 57:39

58:04 Oh, great. Okay. And I have all the beads, yeah, and I have Report an error in the passage at 58:04 Highlight the passage at 58:04

58:13 I haven't read it yet. Okay. All right. Well, yeah, of course. These are brakes. They're so good. Uh-huh. That's red. Yeah, she goes from there. Thank you. Oh, my pleasure. Oh, it really is. I just went to my mother's 98th birthday and I've grown like 80. pleasure. This was so sweet Report an error in the passage at 58:13 Highlight the passage at 58:13

58:43 Is she a Christian? Oh gosh, I'm sorry. Report an error in the passage at 58:43 Highlight the passage at 58:43

58:54 98, that's amazing. You have some good genes. The bar up the corner, the atheist, but she's accepted. -huh 98 that's Report an error in the passage at 58:54 Highlight the passage at 58:54

59:01 MS. It's between the theater and the bar. Okay. Oh yeah, you weren't. Report an error in the passage at 59:01 Highlight the passage at 59:01

59:19 Makes sense, right. Right, because even though you weren't practicing, but that view was... realized that it's not a way I was raised there and there is no actual life in Jesus. Christians have that. Uh-huh. Everybody says things. Report an error in the passage at 59:19 Highlight the passage at 59:19

59:37 right yes yeah It's amazing how difficult it is to let go of those views that we were brought up with. Report an error in the passage at 59:37 Highlight the passage at 59:37

59:56 Great. I had a really weird experience at Stanford last Monday, I was invited to be a part of that group. Report an error in the passage at 59:56 Highlight the passage at 59:56

59:59 And I was talking to a scientist, we all had told that, but we had been going to spend years in preparing. The last 20 years? Yeah. Okay, in one hour or less? And this guy has been hanging out with His Holiness in Ekman and Oliver for years. I talked to him a little bit and said, you would love to hear all your stories. And he said, who's your teacher? Do you believe in reincarnation? Report an error in the passage at 59:59 Highlight the passage at 59:59

1:00:25 He said, well, why do you want to do that? Even His Holiness says in living out of reincarnation. Report an error in the passage at 1:00:25 Highlight the passage at 1:00:25

1:00:44 Yeah, I can understand that. Report an error in the passage at 1:00:44 Highlight the passage at 1:00:44

1:00:51 But scientists and not necessarily Buddhists. These are people that are hanging on doing the research. Report an error in the passage at 1:00:51 Highlight the passage at 1:00:51

1:00:56 My research brought -huh. Yeah. Yeah. Are there some left? Yeah. Please. Yeah, don't we all? Yep, that's what we have to deal with sometimes. Yeah, yeah, of course. I love these. I have a bunch of different ones because there's so much. I mean, I have the big ones, you know, but sometimes it's just a lot easier just to wear it. Report an error in the passage at 1:00:56 Highlight the passage at 1:00:56

1:01:30 It is, and you can be more subtle about it, right? That's what I'm saying. Sometimes I have to be like... fun of me. Report an error in the passage at 1:01:30 Highlight the passage at 1:01:30

1:01:36 You know, a little more, like if you're gonna dress up or something, you know. I have one that I got, it's beads, like without the little fringe and everything. People still recognize it, people that know, but without the fringe and the little strings, you know, it's kind of, I just have it next to my watch. Report an error in the passage at 1:01:36 Highlight the passage at 1:01:36

1:01:56 I always cut the, I usually cut the strings off. Is that bad? Is it like bad? These aren't bad. You know, see like this one, it had, This one I think I got. I think it's so pretty looking after a while. Yeah, that would just be like 10 years. Like I'm going to be reborn in the hell now. I remember being Copa. Don't worry about it. You won't remember it later anyway. Yeah, those kind of things stress me out because I'm sure I do stuff bad. Report an error in the passage at 1:01:56 Highlight the passage at 1:01:56

1:02:27 I remember being Copa and everyone would freak out with those. Yeah. Oh, yeah. With what? What the descriptions are? Oh, all the hell realms. Well, you go through the text, you know, the hell realms, and then, you know, and then if you, if you, if you, um, doing the water bowls, if you actually, you know, do something wrong, then that would be, like, bad. Report an error in the passage at 1:02:27 Highlight the passage at 1:02:27

1:02:50 I know, I, well, I got really paranoid. Oh, good. Okay, so it's, it's the latest. Okay. Good! Then I can read all about it. and offerings in the middle of this ridiculous place like you know where there's no level ground and so but she wanted the water to be exactly so she'd be like that's not falling out for what are you doing you know and how she is so i'm so like paranoid now you know one day because i mean it was great it was great training to know what the water bowls here and then she's like Report an error in the passage at 1:02:50 Highlight the passage at 1:02:50

1:03:28 full enough. taught you? I know. Who taught you this? I know. Like it has to be like, she wants it to be active. Well and now I always have this bad thing about, actually I need to ask somebody, I don't care, you know, because, you know, when we would set up our things, you would do the lights, you know, the light offering, right? Report an error in the passage at 1:03:28 Highlight the passage at 1:03:28

1:03:49 And then, you know, we would just leave them burning, obviously, because somebody wouldn't clue one out and she would freak out, it's bad, love her, bad something. Right? To blow out the candle that you've lit for an offering? Yeah, you're not supposed to. You're not supposed to. Well, it depends. I mean, I have an altar at home and I don't leave candles burning on the altar. Report an error in the passage at 1:03:49 Highlight the passage at 1:03:49

1:04:08 See, me neither. So I always blow them out. I have a light offering that's on all the time. Okay. So I will offer a candle as well. It makes me feel a lot of relief that you bring. Yeah. What they say is that you have to remove out of the altar. Well, that's probably a good thing to do. You don't want to blow on it anyway. Report an error in the passage at 1:04:08 Highlight the passage at 1:04:08

1:04:27 I don't want to go like when it's, like if I go there and learn how that can, but if I remove it from there. Okay, because I was like, I've been really stressed about this because I don't want to leave a candle burning in my house when I'm gone. Or you get one of those little things. Exactly, okay. Yeah, but then I had this voice in the back of my, you know, like, no, no, no, it's bad. Report an error in the passage at 1:04:27 Highlight the passage at 1:04:27

1:04:53 And I was like, well, I don't want my house to renounce, so I'm just going to do it. Well, you have to have motivation. You know, or you get one of those little tempers. Report an error in the passage at 1:04:53 Highlight the passage at 1:04:53

1:04:58 motivation. If my house brings down, then I can't make offerings anymore. So, you know, to benefit others, this is what I would do. I've been wanting to ask that question now. I'm still mentally making offerings. You know, you can offer every life you see. Yeah, that's true. All right, I'm feeling good now. Thanks. I needed that. Thank you so much, Emily. Report an error in the passage at 1:04:58 Highlight the passage at 1:04:58

1:05:21 be so nice. Three or only. I got it. I got it. Oh, my God. Three rejections in a row. Oh, really? Oh, I'm sorry. Oh, no. Dude, just leave it. It's all right. It's all right. It's all right. It's all right. It just shows me what I mean. Yeah. I've been interviewed for 100 years, so. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Thank you. Report an error in the passage at 1:05:21 Highlight the passage at 1:05:21

1:05:46 What kind of questions are you asking? So much of what they can ask me is just like fresh out of school, like all algorithms, like yeah, I could do that if I had to do that, but like I've kind of come past it. Report an error in the passage at 1:05:46 Highlight the passage at 1:05:46

1:06:32 Maybe I'm supposed to learn something. He's not afraid to. Report an error in the passage at 1:06:32 Highlight the passage at 1:06:32

1:06:43 Or you just need to brush up on this other stuff. I know, man, but, you know, it's really confusing because when I went to the interview, you know, I thought, what's so much? I just kind of walked out of there and, you know, I was like, all the questions I had about today, I was like, you know, like, initially when I got there to be a response, I confused. Report an error in the passage at 1:06:43 Highlight the passage at 1:06:43

1:07:09 It's kind of like, you know, what? Right. It's just like, what? Yeah, I was just kind of questioning myself all the way. Report an error in the passage at 1:07:09 Highlight the passage at 1:07:09

1:07:22 But you don't know what's behind that. No, no, my wife, you know, maybe they had some return for the hire, and just, you never know, and maybe they just decided to... Report an error in the passage at 1:07:22 Highlight the passage at 1:07:22

1:07:41 give up. There are positions that open up. There are so fast. Thank you. You know, they're interviewing a lot of people. Maybe they found somebody that was looking at us. I don't know. Report an error in the passage at 1:07:41 Highlight the passage at 1:07:41

1:07:55 They're a young company now. Yeah, I mean, they might be looking for some money. You'll see, that's the thing. That's what it's like. I just heard 40 this year, and I'm like, over the hill already with these guys? Come on. I'm supposed to have wisdom to, like, you know, based on what I've heard. Right. Report an error in the passage at 1:07:55 Highlight the passage at 1:07:55

1:08:16 So do I know. Yeah, well, you need to work at a company that values that, you know, your experience. Yeah, and that's hard to do, too. Because we need to refer to it as a fungible resource. That's when it's time to look around. Report an error in the passage at 1:08:16 Highlight the passage at 1:08:16

1:08:35 Thank you. Report an error in the passage at 1:08:35 Highlight the passage at 1:08:35

1:08:49 Thank you. Report an error in the passage at 1:08:49 Highlight the passage at 1:08:49

1:09:03 Thank you. Report an error in the passage at 1:09:03 Highlight the passage at 1:09:03

1:09:10 have one? Yeah. Thank you. to get him or I am for a follow-up. Report an error in the passage at 1:09:10 Highlight the passage at 1:09:10

1:09:24 Thank you. Report an error in the passage at 1:09:24 Highlight the passage at 1:09:24

1:09:52 And you'll say yeah. Thank you. Report an error in the passage at 1:09:52 Highlight the passage at 1:09:52

1:10:24 I think it was like, are you just visiting? Report an error in the passage at 1:10:24 Highlight the passage at 1:10:24

1:10:40 Thank you. Report an error in the passage at 1:10:40 Highlight the passage at 1:10:40

1:10:54 We don't want to put you out. Report an error in the passage at 1:10:54 Highlight the passage at 1:10:54

1:10:59 Thank you. Report an error in the passage at 1:10:59 Highlight the passage at 1:10:59

1:11:25 This group really likes the breaks. Report an error in the passage at 1:11:25 Highlight the passage at 1:11:25

1:11:44 make sure we're still close. Please. It's not my French car. I was close. It's just a mirror. All right. Oh, cool. You've got your symbol of wisdom. don't. Report an error in the passage at 1:11:44 Highlight the passage at 1:11:44

1:12:13 Did everybody get one that wants one? Thank you very much. Thank you. I wasn't soliciting your appreciation. Thank you. Report an error in the passage at 1:12:13 Highlight the passage at 1:12:13

1:12:35 It's very easy to please people. you. Thank you. Thank you very much. Report an error in the passage at 1:12:35 Highlight the passage at 1:12:35

1:12:32 be here. We'll be here. We'll be satisfied. Good morning. Report an error in the passage at 1:12:32 Highlight the passage at 1:12:32

1:12:51 give. Come bearing gifts. Report an error in the passage at 1:12:51 Highlight the passage at 1:12:51

1:13:02 What are you doing next week? Report an error in the passage at 1:13:02 Highlight the passage at 1:13:02

1:13:09 I'm hoping. Beware of attachment. Report an error in the passage at 1:13:09 Highlight the passage at 1:13:09

1:13:20 Laxity. Report an error in the passage at 1:13:20 Highlight the passage at 1:13:20

1:13:25 Interestingly, okay. So Tsongkhapa says that laxity means that your mind's way of apprehending the object of meditation is slack. It does not apprehend the object with much vividness or firmness. Report an error in the passage at 1:13:25 Highlight the passage at 1:13:25

1:13:42 So not a firm, vivid holding on to the object. Report an error in the passage at 1:13:42 Highlight the passage at 1:13:42

1:13:56 And then Kamala Shila says that you should understand that at times when the mind does not see the meditation object clearly, Like someone blind or someone entering darkness or someone closing his eyes. At those times there's laxity. Okay. Report an error in the passage at 1:13:56 Highlight the passage at 1:13:56

1:14:14 And then Genlamrimpa says it's defined as a mental factor which is distracted inwardly while cultivating virtue due to a diminishing of the strength of clarity. Report an error in the passage at 1:14:14 Highlight the passage at 1:14:14

1:14:26 So this is, so in contrast to excitement, excitement is distracted outwardly, right? Excited. How about the object? Whereas laxity, you know, laxity, we have some stability on the object and we're kind of, you know, get complacent or too relaxed, right? And so we're distracted inwardly, you know, we're withdrawn from the object of the senses, right? But the mind is becoming like lax, a little bit too relaxed. Report an error in the passage at 1:14:26 Highlight the passage at 1:14:26

1:15:02 So laxity is actually... In my mind, an accomplishment. We have to kind of get to the point where we can stay on the object in order to experience laxity. Report an error in the passage at 1:15:02 Highlight the passage at 1:15:02

1:15:30 Hey, I have laxity. So then Lama Tsongkhapa distinguishes between laxity and lethargy because apparently there are not many writings on what laxity really is. Lama Tsongkhapa was saying Kamala Shila, he had quoted Kamala Shila in the middling stages of meditation and he said he couldn't find clear definitions of laxity in other texts. Report an error in the passage at 1:15:30 Highlight the passage at 1:15:30

1:15:58 Because there's this teaching on the 51 mental factors, what distraction is, what ignorance is, what lethargy is, etc. And Asanga wrote... Report an error in the passage at 1:15:58 Highlight the passage at 1:15:58

1:16:13 Kind of a definitive text on these mental factors, but laxity isn't one of those mental factors. So it's not clearly stated in many texts what laxity is. So here Lama Tsongkhapa is trying to dispel some misconceptions about what laxity is. And he's saying that laxity is, in many translations, laxity is also rendered as discouragement. Report an error in the passage at 1:16:13 Highlight the passage at 1:16:13

1:16:40 So some people consider a lethargy where the mind lacks lucent limpidity and abides without scattering to other objects to be laxity, which is incorrect. For it says in Kamalashila, right, and the sūtra unraveling the thought that laxity arises from lethargy. So laxity isn't lethargy, but laxity arises from lethargy. Report an error in the passage at 1:16:40 Highlight the passage at 1:16:40

1:17:10 So consequently, So in the compendium of Abhidharma, as well as the commentary on the treasury. So this would be Asanga's text and I believe Vasubandhu's text on the Abhidharma. Lethargy refers to a heaviness and unserviceability of the body and mind that is part of delusion. So we're all, you know, familiar with lethargy, right? Report an error in the passage at 1:17:10 Highlight the passage at 1:17:10

1:17:35 The mind has become dark and heavy and unserviceable in this sense. I mean, I think of me doing my... My evening practice after I've done a class and I sit down and I'm trying to do my practice and the mind's getting heavier and thicker fog. It's really hard to remember, okay, did I do my Succession Guru Yoga yet? I've been doing practice for an hour, but I don't know what I've been doing. Report an error in the passage at 1:17:35 Highlight the passage at 1:17:35

1:18:13 I think I did my mantra. doing? You know, I was like... Report an error in the passage at 1:18:13 Highlight the passage at 1:18:13

1:18:17 You know, lethargy, right? Lethargy. Definitely not a clear alert mind, right? And then you start sinking into the horizontal position. Whereas laxity is much more subtle, right? This is our mind's way of, well as I was saying before, the mind's way of apprehending the object of meditation is slack, right? It doesn't apprehend the object with much vividness or firmness. Report an error in the passage at 1:18:17 Highlight the passage at 1:18:17

1:18:51 So even if it's limpid, if your mind's way of apprehending the object is not highly vivid, then laxity is set in. So highly vivid, right? Report an error in the passage at 1:18:51 Highlight the passage at 1:18:51

1:19:07 So this is, you know, this is a state of mind I don't think many of us are in very often, right? A mind, you know, free of laxity, right? Because I think about when I'm driving, how often is my mind highly vivid, right? It's, I mean, I think I'm in laxity most of the time when I'm driving. Report an error in the passage at 1:19:07 Highlight the passage at 1:19:07

1:19:27 Well, I don't know, maybe you guys aren't, but in my experience. Report an error in the passage at 1:19:27 Highlight the passage at 1:19:27

1:19:35 So is that making sense, the difference between lethargy and laxity? Laxity still is on the object, but it's just not very clear and vivid, whereas lethargy is this heavy. Report an error in the passage at 1:19:35 Highlight the passage at 1:19:35

1:19:58 Was the slide before saying that laxity arises from lethargy? So that's a little confusing to me because it looks like in order to be lax, then you should have lethargy before that. Report an error in the passage at 1:19:58 Highlight the passage at 1:19:58

1:20:19 Yeah, so here it's saying, yeah, laxity arises from lethargy. So I had this question too, but I was thinking, but doesn't lethargy arise from laxity? Because don't you have laxity first and then lethargy? So I was thinking, how is this? You know, I didn't see anything. I mean, I saw this statement in a number of different places. Report an error in the passage at 1:20:19 Highlight the passage at 1:20:19

1:20:37 But then I thought, I thought, but laxity, laxity happens. If you start to get tired, though, right? Like if we start in our object, you know, start in our meditation with a strong, clear mind holding on to the object, you know, after a little while we start getting tired, yeah? Lethargy hasn't really set in yet, right? But laxity arises. But it's from tiredness, right, that lethargy, I mean, that laxity arises. Report an error in the passage at 1:20:37 Highlight the passage at 1:20:37

1:21:17 That's why we're not able to send it. That's all I could think of. This is Emily's interpretation, right? No authoritative source. But it's interesting. It's interesting because laxity does arise first and then lethargy. Report an error in the passage at 1:21:17 Highlight the passage at 1:21:17

1:21:39 I don't know. So that's all I've come up with. If I find out anything different, I'll let you know. Not dumb. Report an error in the passage at 1:21:39 Highlight the passage at 1:21:39

1:21:52 I found it interesting that none of the commentaries explained that one. It was like it was self-evident. Report an error in the passage at 1:21:52 Highlight the passage at 1:21:52

1:22:07 So once again, Lama Tsongkhapa doesn't talk about subtle versus gross laxity, but Geshe Loden says that gross laxity is where you remain mindful of your meditation object and its image is stable but unclear. So we're on the object, the image and the mind is unclear. Whereas subtle laxity is your... You're mindful of your meditation object. You have stability and clarity, but the factor of clarity is not intense. Report an error in the passage at 1:22:07 Highlight the passage at 1:22:07

1:22:40 So they say, right, that one of the biggest dangers of calm abiding meditation is it's easy to mistake a meditation where you have subtle laxity, where you stay on the object as long as you want. Your object is clear, your mind is clear. People think, oh, I have calm abiding, but they've fallen into subtle laxity. Report an error in the passage at 1:22:40 Highlight the passage at 1:22:40

1:23:09 So not only do we need clarity, but we need vivid or intense clarity. I think the example I've heard before is turning up the wattage of the light bulb. right instead of instead of a 40 watt bulb, you know, 100 watt bulb or 60 watt bulb or something. Report an error in the passage at 1:23:09 Highlight the passage at 1:23:09

1:23:38 Okay, making sense? So we can see how subtle these things are, right? How easy it is to fall into laxity and excitement. Report an error in the passage at 1:23:38 Highlight the passage at 1:23:38

1:23:57 And then another difference between laxity and lethargy is that laxity may be virtuous or ethically neutral, whereas lethargy is either a non-virtuous or ethically neutral mental obstruction. And it is invariably a derivative of delusion or confusion. So lethargy is a mental affliction and it's related to the mental factor of ignorance or confusion. Report an error in the passage at 1:23:57 Highlight the passage at 1:23:57

1:24:23 We can kind of see that, right, as we sink into our comfortable chair. But laxity, you know, we're focused on a virtuous practice, right? But the intensity of the clarity is lost, right? Or the clarity is lost. So it can still be virtuous, right? If we're in meditation on our object, but it's just not clear, it still can be virtuous where lethargy isn't virtuous. Report an error in the passage at 1:24:23 Highlight the passage at 1:24:23

1:24:59 I have a question about why I had thought lethargy is when you sit down to meditate and you're really too tired. Yeah. And you haven't slept enough. Yeah. Report an error in the passage at 1:24:59 Highlight the passage at 1:24:59

1:25:11 That that leads to lethargy, but it's not derivative of delusion and confusion, I don't think. It's truly a physiological, you're going to get tired. How do you think about that? But that sleepiness is lethargy, and sleepiness is related to ignorance, right? We're not, we're not, it's not a... Sharp, clear, wise mind. But if you've been sleep deprived. Yeah, I mean it's physiological, but the mind, right, that state of mind is still related to ignorance. Report an error in the passage at 1:25:11 Highlight the passage at 1:25:11

1:25:58 I mean that's a big cause of lethargy and sleepiness, right, is not getting enough sleep or eating too much. It's physiological, but it's also considered... Sure. Or you just haven't slept enough. Report an error in the passage at 1:25:58 Highlight the passage at 1:25:58

1:26:18 Yeah, you know, I have a question about this in my own mind, too. Lethargy being ethically neutral or non-virtuous. Because sleep, the mental factor of sleep... Can be virtuous, right? Like if you go to sleep with a virtuous mind, right? Thinking of the Buddha or with bodhicitta, you know, they say sleep can be virtuous. Report an error in the passage at 1:26:18 Highlight the passage at 1:26:18

1:26:52 So I'm not getting why sleep could be virtuous but not lethargy. That's maybe a question for Geshe Dagpa. Or Chodron Rinpoche, if we are going to Chodron Rinpoches. Teachings at Vajrapani because he's teaching on calm abiding right in June. So we'll try to pursue that one. Because I would think that lethargy is a subset of, or sleep is a subset of lethargy, right? Report an error in the passage at 1:26:52 Highlight the passage at 1:26:52

1:27:23 I mean, if it's sleep, do we have? Well, I guess actually you can go to sleep. We can learn to sleep with a lucid mind, right? So then that wouldn't be lethargy. So I'm, I'm, but I'm not clear about the distinction between lethargy and sleep. I've never seen one in the texts and I haven't seen, I haven't heard. Report an error in the passage at 1:27:23 Highlight the passage at 1:27:23

1:27:48 Has anyone heard Geshe-le talk about lethargy versus sleep? Maybe culturally they were in a situation in which they were sleep deprived. Report an error in the passage at 1:27:48 Highlight the passage at 1:27:48

1:28:02 I think Report an error in the passage at 1:28:02 Highlight the passage at 1:28:02

1:28:07 it has to do with intention. No, I mean like when you're lethargic. If you're not lethargic, there's no way to have an intention of either. And maybe sleep can be virtuous if you set your motivation beforehand. But I'm thinking if you're doing your practice, you're meditating on bodhicitta and you're getting lethargic, is that still a non-virtuous or neutral mind? Report an error in the passage at 1:28:07 Highlight the passage at 1:28:07

1:28:41 I have my doubts personally. only thing that I'm Thank you. Report an error in the passage at 1:28:41 Highlight the passage at 1:28:41