Glen Svensson: Gelug Tradition of Mahamudra (part 4)

0:10 So since we're about to embark on our shamatha explanation, I thought it might be nice to start with a short shamatha meditation. As Report an error in the passage at 0:10 Highlight the passage at 0:10

· · · silence, 1 minute

1:13 always, we can begin by preparing the body. Report an error in the passage at 1:13 Highlight the passage at 1:13

1:19 So again, allow your awareness to descend into your body, filling the entire space of your body, becoming aware of sensations throughout the body. Report an error in the passage at 1:19 Highlight the passage at 1:19

1:47 If you notice any areas of tightness or tension anywhere within the body, And simply relax and release that tightness or tension to the best of your ability. Report an error in the passage at 1:47 Highlight the passage at 1:47

2:27 And to complete the process of preparing the body, we can take three long, slow, deep breaths, maintaining awareness of sensations in the body while we breathe. Report an error in the passage at 2:27 Highlight the passage at 2:27

· · · silence, 1 minute

3:26 And then allow your awareness, your breathing rather, to settle into its natural rhythm. Not trying to control or force the breath in any way. Report an error in the passage at 3:26 Highlight the passage at 3:26

4:03 Using each out breath as an opportunity to relax deeper and deeper. And using each out breath as an opportunity to release, let go of any thoughts that have arisen. Report an error in the passage at 4:03 Highlight the passage at 4:03

· · · silence, 1 minute

4:58 And then settling the mind into its natural state. A state of ease and relaxation. Report an error in the passage at 4:58 Highlight the passage at 4:58

5:13 Thoughts of the past or the future. Letting go of any hopes or fears, worries or concerns. In particular, letting go of any expectations with regard to this meditation. Letting go of all of these things with the duration of this short meditation. Report an error in the passage at 5:13 Highlight the passage at 5:13

5:43 And bringing our mind into the stillness of the present moment by focusing on the breath. We can focus on the sensations of the breath at the entrance of the nostrils as we breathe. Report an error in the passage at 5:43 Highlight the passage at 5:43

· · · silence, 2 minutes

8:18 To help to overcome dullness or agitation, we can use each in-breath as an opportunity to sharpen our focus on the breath. Report an error in the passage at 8:18 Highlight the passage at 8:18

8:34 And we can use each out-breath as an opportunity to relax and to release. Any thoughts that may have arisen. If Report an error in the passage at 8:34 Highlight the passage at 8:34

· · · silence, 2 minutes

10:40 you've become distracted, then without getting upset, simply let go of the distraction and very gently come back to focusing on the breath. Report an error in the passage at 10:40 Highlight the passage at 10:40

· · · silence, 4 minutes

14:40 In breath, focus, out breath, relax and release any distractions. Report an error in the passage at 14:40 Highlight the passage at 14:40

· · · silence, 2 minutes

16:34 And then release all appearances, Report an error in the passage at 16:34 Highlight the passage at 16:34

16:39 simply stop focusing on the breath and allow the mind to come to rest. So without trying to do anything at all, without even trying to meditate, simply be present. Report an error in the passage at 16:39 Highlight the passage at 16:39

17:04 Simply rest in the present moment. Report an error in the passage at 17:04 Highlight the passage at 17:04

17:11 Just be. Just Report an error in the passage at 17:11 Highlight the passage at 17:11

17:30 be aware. Just Report an error in the passage at 17:30 Highlight the passage at 17:30

17:48 be aware of being aware. While Report an error in the passage at 17:48 Highlight the passage at 17:48

· · · silence, 1 minute

19:16 maintaining that awareness of the present moment, you can slowly open your eyes and begin our discussions. Report an error in the passage at 19:16 Highlight the passage at 19:16

19:53 So we're in the middle of talking about... Well, middle, beginning rather, of talking about the shamatha practice. Trying to develop this single-pointed concentration. Report an error in the passage at 19:53 Highlight the passage at 19:53

20:12 Still a little bit in the preparation stage. So we looked at six prerequisites here that are not only helpful and necessary to have good conditions to do a shamatha retreat, but these six prerequisites I think are very helpful in... Spiritual practice and life in general. But then if we go on to the next paragraph and it says, On a seat conducive to concentration. Report an error in the passage at 20:12 Highlight the passage at 20:12

20:44 That paragraph is talking about preparation in terms of what to do at the beginning of each meditation session. So let's have a look what it says. It says, On a seat conducive to concentration. What does that mean? It means a comfortable seat. In particular, usually there it talks about having enough cushions underneath your bottom so that your spine stays nice and straight. Report an error in the passage at 20:44 Highlight the passage at 20:44

21:16 If you're sitting on a cushion and you're forever straightening your back, generally it means you don't have enough cushions here. You should have enough cushions so that naturally your back stays nice and straight. Report an error in the passage at 21:16 Highlight the passage at 21:16

21:31 Basically that's the main point that's being emphasised there. It says assume the sevenfold bodily posture. So again the sevenfold bodily posture is the various aspects of the posture. We won't really go through those, but it's to do with leg position, hand position, head position, the spine, shoulders, arms, eyes. Report an error in the passage at 21:31 Highlight the passage at 21:31

21:57 There's something I want to mention about the eyes, but we'll look at that tomorrow. And it says here, dispel any negative states of mind with the nine round breathing exercise. The nine round breathing exercise we can do at a number of levels. Again, generally the nine round breathing exercise is a little bit of a tantric practice. And it involves, again, visualizing these channels and imagining that the breath goes in through one channel around and back out. Report an error in the passage at 21:57 Highlight the passage at 21:57

22:30 Very elaborate. Here at a beginning level, the nine round breathing exercise, is a simple exercise of, as it mentions in the next sentence, thoroughly cleanse your awareness. Particularly if we come into a meditation with a little bit of a negative state of mind, then this exercise helps us to get into a bit of a neutral state. Report an error in the passage at 22:30 Highlight the passage at 22:30

22:55 And it does that by, you know, if we come into a meditation with a little bit of a negative state of mind, by simply through nine breaths, focus on the breath, we are diverting our attention to the breath. We are letting go of that negative state of mind. So this nine round breathing exercise is a lot to do with bringing our mind into this neutral state. Report an error in the passage at 22:55 Highlight the passage at 22:55

23:17 And so often at the simple level, the nine round breathing exercise is simply when we're breathing, the first three breaths, imagine breathing in through the right nostril, out through the left. The second three, imagine breathing in through the left and out through the right. And the last three, in through both and out through both. Report an error in the passage at 23:17 Highlight the passage at 23:17

23:36 So again, it's just simply an exercise to focus on the breath, to let go or move away from focusing on any negative thing. So that's what the breathing exercise is. Then it says, then with prepare your mind by going for refuge and generating bodhicitta. So again, we need to prepare our mind for the meditation by first having that basis of the refuge and the positive motivation of bodhicitta. Report an error in the passage at 23:36 Highlight the passage at 23:36

24:06 And then it says, and thus with a virtuous and pure mind, meditate on the profound path of Guru Yoga, and then after making hundreds of very strong fervent requests, dissolve the Guru into yourself. So again here, the purpose of this Guru Yoga practice, or imagining your teacher in front of you and dissolving them into you, is to uplift the mind, to become inspired. Report an error in the passage at 24:06 Highlight the passage at 24:06

24:30 And so if our mind is... Positive, because first we made it neutral through the breathing, then we made it into a positive mind by refuge bodhicitta, and then we have uplifted the mind by imagining dissolving our guru, our teacher into ourself. So then our mind is in a very good state to begin the meditation. So now we're going to look at the actual practice. Report an error in the passage at 24:30 Highlight the passage at 24:30

24:55 Of course here we're talking about the shamatha practice, the shamatha practice aspect of mahamudra practice. So it says here the concentration to be accomplished here is a concentration possessing two aspects, vivid clarity, non-discursive single-pointedness. So Report an error in the passage at 24:55 Highlight the passage at 24:55

25:40 we're trying to develop this shamatha, this single-pointed concentration. So there are two qualities Report an error in the passage at 25:40 Highlight the passage at 25:40

26:05 that we need to develop. Here I mention vivid clarity, non-discursive single-pointedness. So non-discursive single-pointedness is basically being able to focus. Without distraction, meaning stability, a stable mind, meaning a mind that is focusing on the object without any distraction. But of course, we also need clarity, that not only do our mind needs to be stable, but the object needs to be appearing clearly as well. Report an error in the passage at 26:05 Highlight the passage at 26:05

26:44 Now, generally, we develop these qualities in this order. First, in our meditation, our mind is completely agitated, distracted. So, as a beginner, we're really putting a lot of effort in stabilizing the mind to focus on the object. Now, if we've done a little bit of this practice, particularly maybe focusing on the breath, you may have found that after a little while, your mind becomes a little bit stable, meaning that you can focus on the breath a little bit longer and longer and longer, not distracted too much. Report an error in the passage at 26:44 Highlight the passage at 26:44

27:22 What often there is missing is clarity. Even though you're focusing on the breath, the sensations are not very clear. You've got some idea there's some sensations there, but they're not very vivid. That's what it means here. So we need not only to be stable on the object, but the object needs to be appearing clearly. The two things that obstruct these two qualities is, for stability of course, is distraction. Report an error in the passage at 27:22 Highlight the passage at 27:22

27:53 But here in Shammata, in fact, actually you may in your handouts, you've got a little loose leaf at the back. We'll have a look at this chart here because a lot of things we're talking about now are mentioned here. Report an error in the passage at 27:53 Highlight the passage at 27:53

28:10 So in terms of clarity, the thing that is obstructing our arm, sorry, go back to the stability. Stability is distraction. But the thing... The most common reason we become distracted in this shamatha meditation is we are pulled away by something pleasant, some pleasant memory, something pleasant we're hoping for. Report an error in the passage at 28:10 Highlight the passage at 28:10

28:38 So we're quite often pulled away by sense attractions, pleasures, sense stimulus. And the sense stimulus, because this is the road to shamatha, in the diagram there are five sense objects. There's visual objects, sounds, smells, tastes, tactile objects, called the five sense objects. They are the most common thing that pull us away, distract us. Report an error in the passage at 28:38 Highlight the passage at 28:38

29:09 And they are mentioned here, if you go sort of a little bit in the middle here, you see on the left there's a bowl of fruit. So the bowl of fruit is taste. Report an error in the passage at 29:09 Highlight the passage at 29:09

29:22 To the right of that, then, that is actually supposed to be a silk cloth, which is touch, tactile. Then if we go up one, we see a shell. It's supposed to be a conch shell, I think. And then on the right, it's actually supposed to be two symbols. So the symbols, of course, are sound. And then the conch shell on the left is supposed to be some like perfume or nectar in there. Report an error in the passage at 29:22 Highlight the passage at 29:22

29:49 So this perfume is smell. And then if we go up one more, it's a funny looking thing here, which actually is a mirror. And so mirror reflects. So that's visual objects. So we have those objects there. Report an error in the passage at 29:49 Highlight the passage at 29:49

30:10 And I'm not sure whether, because I remember this in the text once, it may be coincidence, but I just realised, is that in terms of where our sense faculties are positioned in the body, the eyes are really a little bit the highest. Then comes the nose and ears, smell, and then the taste and touch is usually... Report an error in the passage at 30:10 Highlight the passage at 30:10

30:34 So I don't know if that's sort of a coincidence or not. Interesting. Report an error in the passage at 30:34 Highlight the passage at 30:34

30:43 So the most common thing that distracts us is getting pulled away by sense objects. And so here the fault is not listed normally as distraction but as excitement or excitation. And Report an error in the passage at 30:43 Highlight the passage at 30:43

31:08 the thing that's obstructing our clarity, a clear mind, is dullness. Our mind being very dull. Here the technical word for that is laxity. Report an error in the passage at 31:08 Highlight the passage at 31:08

31:26 These are the two faults that we need to overcome to develop these two qualities to achieve shamatha, excitement and laxity. Report an error in the passage at 31:26 Highlight the passage at 31:26

31:40 Using psychology language, excitement is hyperactivity disorder. Laxity is attention deficit. So laxity and excitement is attention deficit hyperactivity disorder, or ADHD. So according to Buddhism, we're suffering from ADHD. Attention deficit hyperactivity disorder. In fact, I've got a little quote on that, if I can find it here somewhere. Report an error in the passage at 31:40 Highlight the passage at 31:40

32:18 Yeah, I found on the internet, which I thought was very nice. It says, The symptoms of ADHD are especially difficult to define because it is hard to draw the lines at where normal levels of inattention, hyperactivity and impulsivity end and clinically significant levels requiring intervention begin. Report an error in the passage at 32:18 Highlight the passage at 32:18

32:47 So basically I think in mind psychology it's just accepted that we all have normal levels of inattention and agitation. It's only when they get to a certain level do we need to throw some drugs at them. Was it Ritalin or something, is it? And unfortunately those levels have been surpassed. It's like getting more epidemic in our society. There are many factors. I think one of them is heavy, is diet. I think diet has got a lot of, you know, it actually really scares me, you know, and I think sugar is one of the things that really is heavy on that. Report an error in the passage at 32:47 Highlight the passage at 32:47

33:26 And it really scares me sometimes because I'm mainly based in India. Now I come back and I go to the supermarket and I look in the drink section and the whole alleyway, the whole thing is Coca-Cola and all these sort of basically sugar drinks, the whole aisle. And then I see people come to the trolleys to the checkout with cases and cases of Coca-Cola. Report an error in the passage at 33:26 Highlight the passage at 33:26

33:52 So anyway, back on here is, according to Buddhism, Of course, we're all suffering ADHD. And that shamatha practice is going to get rid of even normal levels of inattention and hyperactivity. Report an error in the passage at 33:52 Highlight the passage at 33:52

34:09 And I think in most areas of psychology they would say that this is impossible. The qualities of shamatha to develop that level of attention would be impossible. I think it's fairly generally accepted in psychology that this would be impossible. Report an error in the passage at 34:09 Highlight the passage at 34:09

34:27 Some scientific tests have shown that our attention span is very short and very limited, and we can't develop it beyond that. But I think here, of course we can, according to Buddha speaking. So we're trying to develop these two qualities, overcoming these two faults. But as I briefly mentioned earlier, I think we really need to add one more quality here that we need to pay attention to. Report an error in the passage at 34:27 Highlight the passage at 34:27

34:57 And that comes before stability, Report an error in the passage at 34:57 Highlight the passage at 34:57

35:08 relaxation. We Report an error in the passage at 35:08 Highlight the passage at 35:08

35:13 need to first, in our shamatha practice, make sure that we're relaxed. Because if we're not relaxed, we're going to have a lot of problems. Sure, in the short term, if we're very tight, you know, really clamping down on the object, the breath, we can have a little bit of stability and maybe a little bit of clarity, in the short term possible, but at a huge cost. Report an error in the passage at 35:13 Highlight the passage at 35:13

35:39 Going to be very tense. Get headaches or shoulders or neck, fatigued. And if we continue to do that, we can end up with this condition called, we mentioned before, this loom, you know, this really, this mental disturbance. Quite serious, in fact. I have a couple of friends, unfortunately, who did longer retreat on this and really tight, tight, tight. And really, even now, years later, they still have some problems, really, from this. Report an error in the passage at 35:39 Highlight the passage at 35:39

36:06 So it's not something that we really want to go there. So again, we need to emphasize relaxation, relax, relax, relax. With a relaxed mind, then we can look at stability. With a stable mind, on top of that, we can work on clarity. So we need to work on them in this order. It's very important. Report an error in the passage at 36:06 Highlight the passage at 36:06

36:30 Now, in the text, it then says here, such an authentic shamatha arises from the ground of non-equipoist mind and single-point concentration. important. Report an error in the passage at 36:30 Highlight the passage at 36:30

36:41 It is quoting Maitreya saying, It arises from its causes, relying on applying the eight antidotes to abandon the five faults. Then the Panchalama comments on that and he says, Thus it is taught that shamatha is accomplished through the nine mental abidings arising from applying the eight antidotes to abandon the five faults. Report an error in the passage at 36:41 Highlight the passage at 36:41

37:04 So then we can look at this chakra because this is all about that. It says it goes through nine mental abidings. So each of these little diagrams here with the elephant, the monkey and the meditator, it goes through nine stages and then shamatha is the diagram in the middle at the top and then the one at the end is the passion which we'll talk about later. Report an error in the passage at 37:04 Highlight the passage at 37:04

37:30 So we go through these nine stages. How? By applying the... As it says here, by applying the eight antidotes to abandon the five faults, which, if you want to look on the back, are listed in a little table. So the first fault we need to overcome is laziness. Report an error in the passage at 37:30 Highlight the passage at 37:30

37:55 And again, like anything in our life, if we don't see any benefit in something, we're not going to put any effort into it. No matter how much someone says you should do this thing. If we really don't see any benefit, we're not going to put any effort in. So likewise here, the first antidote is faith. Report an error in the passage at 37:55 Highlight the passage at 37:55

38:19 And this is not talking about blind faith. Faith here is talking about understanding the benefits of this practice. Then we're going to have a lot of faith in the practice. If we really appreciate the benefits coming out of this shamatha practice, we're going to have a lot of faith in the practice. Which will lead to aspiring, the second antidote, to a lot of aspiration to do the practice. Then we're going to put a lot of effort in to do the practice. Report an error in the passage at 38:19 Highlight the passage at 38:19

38:49 And then the fourth one is called pliancy. And I'll probably look at that a little bit tomorrow morning. So here, of course, we need to understand the benefits of this practice. So, of course, here, shamatha practice, we're talking about developing a stable, clear mind. I mean, who wouldn't want a stable, clear mind? Report an error in the passage at 38:49 Highlight the passage at 38:49

39:09 If we develop a stable, clear mind, many, many immediate side benefits. Of course, our mind will be much more calm, will be more at peace, won't be agitated, will be able to be more focused, much more effective in everything we do, much less stress. We'll become the masters of our own mind because now... Report an error in the passage at 39:09 Highlight the passage at 39:09

39:35 We're the slaves of our mind. You know, some thought or emotion comes up in our mind, we get carried away. Doing this shamatha practice, we will literally become the masters of our own mind. And also, of course, and modern studies have shown this, is that while we have a lot of disturbing emotions, a lot of stress and so forth, very heavy negative physical impact on the body. Report an error in the passage at 39:35 Highlight the passage at 39:35

39:58 So shamatha practice is actually also... Very helpful for physical health as well. So there are many, many side benefits of doing the shamatha practice. Of course, the real long-term, high-level benefit is that if we really develop this shamatha, stable, calm, clear mind, and apply it in our Vipassanā practice, we can then penetrate nature of reality, we can eliminate ignorance, we can wipe out causes of suffering and suffering itself. Report an error in the passage at 39:58 Highlight the passage at 39:58

40:29 So this is, of course, the... Longer term benefit that we can, through shamatha, leads us to through vipassanā, through overcoming all of our problems and sufferings. But in the short term, many, many benefits. And if we can really appreciate this, we're going to have a lot of faith, aspiration and effort in doing this shamatha practice. Report an error in the passage at 40:29 Highlight the passage at 40:29

40:51 The second fault, of course, here mentioned is forgetfulness. Forgetfulness is talking about... Forgetting the instructions for this practice, but also forgetting the object. Because in Samatha practice, we're trying to focus on a single object. Report an error in the passage at 40:51 Highlight the passage at 40:51

41:10 And here, of course, the antidote to forgetfulness is mindfulness. Mindfulness. Again, mindfulness is a mental factor, which is the ability to focus on a given object without becoming distracted. That's mindfulness. The ability to focus on a single object without becoming distracted. But of course we have these faults here of excitement and laxity and so these interrupt our ability to focus on the object. Report an error in the passage at 41:10 Highlight the passage at 41:10

41:51 Either it becomes not clear or we get distracted. So the antidote for those is the next one, it's called introspection. Introspection is like a little spy in the corner of the mind. Which is checking how are we doing with our focus, with the mindfulness. And then it will notice when we've become distracted or we've become dull. Report an error in the passage at 41:51 Highlight the passage at 41:51

42:17 And so actually if you look over on the diagram here, you see that these two tools, so the main two tools we're using in the Shaman to practice is mindfulness and introspection. And they are symbolised here, right down the bottom you see the meditator in the left hand. They've got a rope, in the right hand a hook. So the left hand, the rope, is mindfulness. So we are trying to tie our mind with the rope of mindfulness to the object that we're trying to focus on. Report an error in the passage at 42:17 Highlight the passage at 42:17

42:53 So that's the job of mindfulness, to tie our mind to the object. Then the hook, the introspection is the hook. Introspection is to hook our mind back. When we've noticed that we've become distracted. So this is introspection. Now, Report an error in the passage at 42:53 Highlight the passage at 42:53

43:14 let's have a brief look at this diagram now. The other two faults, non-application, over-application, very briefly, non-application means if we notice that we're becoming dull or distracted and we don't do anything, that's a fault. So the answer is to application, means to do something, overcome the dullness or the agitation. But then, and the last one, over-application is not something that as a beginner is too much of a concern for us. Report an error in the passage at 43:14 Highlight the passage at 43:14

43:49 As we improve our concentration at the higher level of practice, then over-application means the fact that we're actually focused on the object quite well, but we keep adjusting the mind unnecessarily. That's over-application. So the antidote to that is equanimity, meaning leave the mind alone. If it's focused stably and clear, leave it. Report an error in the passage at 43:49 Highlight the passage at 43:49

44:16 What's the expression in English? If it's not broken, don't fix it or something. Exactly. So that's over-application. So let's go back and look at the diagram here. Now, all these steps are described on the back, of course. Report an error in the passage at 44:16 Highlight the passage at 44:16

44:36 As we progress in shamatha, the first stage of practice, in fact, let's symbolise first. The elephant is the mind. The fact that the elephant is black is dullness or laxity. The monkey is like this agitation, mental discursiveness. And the fact that it's black is symbolising this excitement that we're pulled away usually by pleasant things. Report an error in the passage at 44:36 Highlight the passage at 44:36

45:07 And so you see at the initial stage of practice, stage one, elephant and monkey are running wildly ahead of us. It means our mind is out of control. In fact, often it's called the crazy monkey mind. And so here at the first stage, which we look over the back, it's called settling the mind, is that we are simply trying to focus on the object. Report an error in the passage at 45:07 Highlight the passage at 45:07

45:33 And we'll talk about, we probably don't have time today, but tomorrow morning we'll have a little bit of a talk about... The different objects that are possible to use before we look at the mind itself. At the first stage here of the practice is simply what you've probably noticed if you've done any sort of shamatha practice is, you know, let's example, we're using the breath as the object. Report an error in the passage at 45:33 Highlight the passage at 45:33

46:00 You try and focus on the sensations of the breath and what happens is very quickly, usually after about three to five seconds, gone. Somewhere else. And then quite often we're gone and thinking about breakfast and what we've got to do that day. And usually maybe even five, ten minutes, five minutes later, we think, hang on, I'm supposed to be focusing on the breath. Report an error in the passage at 46:00 Highlight the passage at 46:00

46:24 This is actually introspection finally kicking in. Our introspection also not so strong. So mindfulness is weak, which means we forget the object very quickly, we're gone. Then a long time later usually. We suddenly recognise that we're distracted, so also our introspection ability is weak. It takes us many minutes to recognise that we're distracted. Then we come back to the object, back to the breath, usually for about another three to five seconds, gone again, gone again. Report an error in the passage at 46:24 Highlight the passage at 46:24

46:54 Back a little bit, gone again. So, if that's our experience, this is stage number one. Now, very common in people who begin to do the shamatha meditation, Report an error in the passage at 46:54 Highlight the passage at 46:54

47:10 Often people say, I just can't meditate. Report an error in the passage at 47:10 Highlight the passage at 47:10

47:17 In fact, it's worse than that. Not only can I meditate, but since I've started to try to meditate, my mind has got worse. If this is your experience, it means you can meditate and you're actually making progress. Why? Because now we have been... just can't meditate. Report an error in the passage at 47:17 Highlight the passage at 47:17

47:41 all our life out. fact, we're a little bit scared to look inside. when we're at home and things are a bit quiet, don't like to look inside, so we sort of distract ourselves, we busy ourselves to keep the focus out there. we've never actually ever really looked inside at our mind. And so we have this illusion that our mind is more or less under control. Report an error in the passage at 47:41 Highlight the passage at 47:41

48:08 You know, sometimes I space out, sometimes I'm a bit agitated. Okay. But generally I think I'm sort of, you know, not too bad. I've got my mind a little bit under control. That's what we tend to feel. That's our understanding. Because we never really look at the mind. We look out and we have this illusion that that's the case. So when we start this practice and we look inside and maybe we're trying to focus on the breath, suddenly we realise our mind is way out of control. Report an error in the passage at 48:08 Highlight the passage at 48:08

48:38 And we have this illusion as well that we should be able to focus on the breath, not too bad. Okay, I'll get a little bit distracted, but I should be able to hold the breath mostly for the session. We have this illusion. And of course, when that doesn't happen, we have this crazy expectation, then we just say, oh, I can't meditate. Report an error in the passage at 48:38 Highlight the passage at 48:38

48:57 In fact, I must be doing it wrong because my mind is worse now since I started. But again, your mind has not got worse. It just means for the very first time in your life, You're suddenly becoming to see how out of control your mind really is. And it's scary. Absolutely scary. So actually, you're improving. Report an error in the passage at 48:57 Highlight the passage at 48:57

49:19 You're getting to see how out of control your mind is. You can meditate. So if this is your experience, you can meditate. You're making progress. In fact, you've got the step number one. Good work. Good work. Then, of course, and usually it's actually worse than that. Particularly when I'm doing these courses in India, we have quite a big group usually, and so people are sitting there, and then they get this experience and they go, oh, I can't meditate. Report an error in the passage at 49:19 Highlight the passage at 49:19

49:48 And then they open their eyes and start looking around, and other people look to be quite still. They think, jeez, everyone else can meditate, it's just me. I'm the only one. Everyone says, look, they're so still, they must be able to meditate. It comes like that. But, if we continue to practice... We'll get round to step two. Step two here is called continuous setting. Now you may have this experience already and that is, you know, you're trying to, let's say, focus on the breath again and then there will be periods in your meditation where you're focusing on the breath not too bad. Report an error in the passage at 49:48 Highlight the passage at 49:48

50:29 Maybe you can hold it up to a minute or more. Not too bad. Maybe even up to five minutes. A couple of minutes. You can hold it. And during that time, the mind seems to settle a little bit. And that's signified here in the second one by the monkey and elephant not running so fast, and they have a little bit of white on top of their head. Report an error in the passage at 50:29 Highlight the passage at 50:29

50:53 For some short periods in the meditation, your mind is a little bit more calm now, a little bit more focused. Again, maybe you can hold the breath for one or two minutes, but even here you get distracted easily. And usually you've gone quite a lot. So even at step two, you're more distracted than you are on the object. But there are periods where the mind is a little bit more calm and you can hold the breath for a little bit longer. Report an error in the passage at 50:53 Highlight the passage at 50:53

51:23 If we continue to practice, we'll go around the corner to step number three, which here is called resetting. Now here, first, the thing you notice is another little animal coming here, a little rabbit on the back of the elephant. The rabbit... is shamatha meditator's enemy number one. That's our biggest enemy in shamatha practice. Report an error in the passage at 51:23 Highlight the passage at 51:23

51:53 The rabbit here is signifying what's called subtle dullness or subtle laxity. Again, the first thing we really start to develop in shamatha practice is stability. By the third stage, the stability is getting better, meaning we can hold the object, Maybe five or ten minutes now. And that if we get distracted, we quickly come back. And that's signified by the elephant turning his head backwards, meaning that we come back to the object very quickly. Report an error in the passage at 51:53 Highlight the passage at 51:53

52:25 You know, we're focused on the breath, maybe a good five minutes. We get distracted, quickly back. And that we signified here is our mindfulness has improved because now we have got the mindfulness hooked on, tied to the elephant of our mind. But what's happening here, of course, is the clarity is still not so good. Even though we're focusing on the breath pretty well, the sensations of the breath are not so clear. Report an error in the passage at 52:25 Highlight the passage at 52:25

52:55 There's maybe a lot of background noise. Maybe we're focusing on the breath. At the same time, there's thoughts about breakfast going on and lots of other things, sort of like a bit of interference in the background. So, this is subtle. Report an error in the passage at 52:55 Highlight the passage at 52:55

53:10 Now the first couple of stages of our practice, the most common fault is we get completely distracted or our mind becomes extremely dull, so dull we're just about falling asleep. So there the job of introspection is to notice those two things, complete dullness or completely distracted. But by step three, We've managed to get rid of that heavy dullness to a large extent and our distraction. We're not so distracted anymore. Report an error in the passage at 53:10 Highlight the passage at 53:10

53:45 So now from step three, around four, five and six, the next few stages, introspection's main job becomes checking the quality of our focus. Is our mind a little bit dull? Is our mind a little bit agitated? So a little bit dull is the rabbit. That our mind is a little bit dull. We're still focused on the object, but it's not so clear. And also we can have a little bit of agitation and still not lose the object. Report an error in the passage at 53:45 Highlight the passage at 53:45

54:15 So then what you'll see, particularly around stage five and six, you'll see that hook of introspection becoming more prominent. So by step four, actually, we see the rope of mindfulness is shorter. By step four, we can hold the object for the entire session without becoming distracted. So our stability by step 4 is pretty good, but our clarity is not so good still. That's why at step 5 and 6 we see the hook of introspection come out, meaning we're fine-tuning our focus. Report an error in the passage at 54:15 Highlight the passage at 54:15

54:49 If we're a little bit dull, we tighten our focus a bit. If we're a little bit agitated, we relax a little bit. And the analogy given there is a little bit like a guitar string. If a guitar string is too tight or too loose, it doesn't play well. Likewise here, if our mind is a little bit tight, a little bit loose, it's not good. Report an error in the passage at 54:49 Highlight the passage at 54:49

55:11 It won't work. So we need to fine-tune the focus a bit. So anyway, that's briefly a few things on the chart here. We've sort of run out of time now, actually, so we'll have a little bit more look at this chart tomorrow. But maybe, let me just... Add a few more bits and then we'll finish with the day, just to complete this chart a little bit better today. So again, by step four, mindfulness is good. Report an error in the passage at 55:11 Highlight the passage at 55:11

55:39 We can hold the object for the whole time. But our clarity is not so good because we still have some subtle dullness, a little bit of agitation. So step five and six, we're fine-tuning the focus. In fact, by step six, you see the rabbit is gone. Means that this subtle dullness is not a problem anymore. And then by step 7 around the corner we're saying goodbye to the monkey, bye bye monkey, bye bye agitation. Report an error in the passage at 55:39 Highlight the passage at 55:39

56:09 So by step 7 and 8 here we can hold the object with stability and clarity without any little agitation, any little dullness. For quite some time. If we get round to step 9, which is where they're in the cave, by step 8 we still need to make a little bit of effort at the start of the meditation and then the mindfulness introspection becomes fairly automatic. Report an error in the passage at 56:09 Highlight the passage at 56:09

56:40 It becomes quite effortless. In fact, that signified, if you look on the road going up, right down the bottom you see there's a flame attached to it. The flame is the amount of effort that we need to put in mindfulness and introspection. So as we move up, that flame gets smaller and smaller, and you see by step 8, 7 and 8, flame has disappeared, which means that it becomes quite effortless. Report an error in the passage at 56:40 Highlight the passage at 56:40

57:06 Step 8, we need to put a little bit of effort just to start the meditation, then it's effortless. Step 9 becomes completely spontaneous, effortless completely. By step 9, we can focus on the object without any little hint of dullness or agitation. For at least four hours. Four hours. That's the mark. But still, not shamatha. Report an error in the passage at 57:06 Highlight the passage at 57:06

57:35 What's the next step to shamatha? We'll look at it a little bit tomorrow morning. But the shamatha here is the meditator on the elephant and flying through the sky. Which goes back to this antidote back there where you talked about pliancy. Pliancy means like flexibility, serviceability. how we Report an error in the passage at 57:35 Highlight the passage at 57:35

57:54 And the thing that really marks shamatha is that our mind and body become completely serviceable, completely flexible, completely pliant. Meaning, when we achieve shamatha, it's said our body feels light like cotton, hence the analogy of flying through the sky. And the mind... There is no resistance left in our mind. We can turn our mind to whatever we want without any little resistance. And that's signified by the meditator riding on the back of the elephant of the mind. Report an error in the passage at 57:54 Highlight the passage at 57:54

58:27 You can direct it wherever you want to go. No resistance at all. The next, then, diagram, you see now the meditator's got a sword in the right hand. This is a sword of wisdom. So based on the shamatha, we then apply the paschana, which is... So on the basis of shamatha, we then use the sword of wisdom to cut through ignorance. So there, of course, you see the flame comes back right at the end. Report an error in the passage at 58:27 Highlight the passage at 58:27

58:58 So the flame means now we need to, based on achieving shamatha, we put some effort into penetrating the nature of reality with our Vipassanā practice. So anyway, that's the chart very briefly. Maybe we'll look at that a little bit more tomorrow morning. Report an error in the passage at 58:58 Highlight the passage at 58:58

59:16 Any questions on that chart before we wrap it up? Report an error in the passage at 59:16 Highlight the passage at 59:16

59:27 Why are they in the drawing? Because the most common form of distraction is sense stimulus. Oh, in that order? No. No, I don't think so. I don't know. I'm not sure. I mean, yeah, I'm not sure whether we... No, in fact, that's a very good point. As, because shamatha is a mental activity, so now, of course, our mind flips backwards and forwards between mental activity and physical sense input. Report an error in the passage at 59:27 Highlight the passage at 59:27

1:00:11 So, you know, we're even seeing something or thinking about something, sort of flipping backwards and forwards constantly. Shamatha practice, of course, we are developing mental concentration, the mind, which means, as we go along this path, As we progress, our stability and clarity become better and better and better. It means, actually, that effectively the sense consciousness is shut down. Report an error in the passage at 1:00:11 Highlight the passage at 1:00:11

1:00:41 In fact, it's said in the text, I've read a few places, someone who's actually in shamatha, you can fire a gun next to their head and they will not hear it. Report an error in the passage at 1:00:41 Highlight the passage at 1:00:41

1:00:52 I mean, now we know from our own experience... That happens a little bit. You know, if we're completely... I used to do as a child, my mum used to get upset about it, you know, I'd be sort of absorbed in the TV, and she'd be saying, oh, dinner's ready, and of course I'd never hear it. Even though, of course, you know, it hit my eardrum, but it didn't register because of the concentration on the TV. So here, we're taking that to the complete limit, is that actually the sense faculty is completely shut down. Report an error in the passage at 1:00:52 Highlight the passage at 1:00:52

1:01:22 Which means, of course... The implication of that is if we start to use the breath, sensations of the breath as the object, we can't go all the way to shamatha with that. In fact, what happens is that if we're using the sensations of the breath as an object, as we move along this, usually around stage 4, 5, 6, not fixed, we start to receive what's called an acquired sign. Report an error in the passage at 1:01:22 Highlight the passage at 1:01:22

1:01:48 And that's related to the air element. Because of the force of concentration, we receive, based on the air element, a mental appearance, which can be like a light, a star, it can be many things, depending on our own disposition. Then, if we're using the breath as an object, we switch to that. Because that's still connected with the air element, but it's a mental appearance. And then we go the rest of the way to shamatha with that. Report an error in the passage at 1:01:48 Highlight the passage at 1:01:48

1:02:18 So it's still using the breath. But not the physical sensations. Report an error in the passage at 1:02:18 Highlight the passage at 1:02:18

1:02:29 If you practice, you'll at some point start getting that appearance. If you don't know what it is, again, it's helpful to have a teacher because it can be all sorts of things and you may not understand what it is. You'll go, ooh, what's all that strength? You may actually try and sort of get rid of it. Well, you won't be able to get rid of it, but you may think it's an obstacle and you get upset about it. Report an error in the passage at 1:02:29 Highlight the passage at 1:02:29

1:02:56 But it depends a little bit on the person, but it's not like, usually you have to have done some fairly serious practice to start to have that appearance. And it can be very, very varied. Report an error in the passage at 1:02:56 Highlight the passage at 1:02:56

1:03:14 Okay, just to finish, and then we'll look at this more tomorrow, the next paragraph down says, through focusing on what type of object of meditation does one cultivate concentration? Although the Bhagavan, of course Bhagavan means Buddha, taught that in general there are limitless objects that are suitable basis for accomplishing faultless concentration, since most of the previous gurus of these instructions, except focusing on the mind, here also this very method will be used. Report an error in the passage at 1:03:14 Highlight the passage at 1:03:14

1:03:42 So what we're going to look at tomorrow then is, tomorrow morning, how to use our own mind as the object in Chanatha practice. Again, generally in Tibetan Buddhism, probably the most common object that is, certainly in the Galuk school at least, if you look in the Lamrim, often they talk about using an image of a Buddha. Report an error in the passage at 1:03:42 Highlight the passage at 1:03:42

1:04:09 I think for many of us it's a little bit problematic. One, we're not so familiar with the Buddha. Two, many of us have problems with visualisation. Report an error in the passage at 1:04:09 Highlight the passage at 1:04:09

1:04:20 Another object that is widely... recommended, particularly if you have a very agitated, discursive mind, is the breath. And there are many advantages with that. Maybe I'll mention briefly a little bit about the breath tomorrow morning. And then the other one, of course, particularly in the Mahamudra tradition, is the mind itself. Report an error in the passage at 1:04:20 Highlight the passage at 1:04:20

1:04:42 And there are many advantages for using the mind itself. My own personal recommendation With shamatha is to experiment a little bit and see what works best for you. Report an error in the passage at 1:04:42 Highlight the passage at 1:04:42

1:05:02 But generally what I find is that for many people looking at the mind, particularly if we're really the slaves of our mind, if we're always entertaining our thoughts and emotions and getting carried away, if that's our habit, strong habit, what people find as a beginner to look at the mind and not get swept away. Report an error in the passage at 1:05:02 Highlight the passage at 1:05:02

1:05:23 Very difficult. Then, if that's the case with you, it's probably good to start with the breath. Because the breath, see the thing is that when we get caught up in thoughts and emotions, basically we're off into the past or the future. We're all over the place. The breath, of course, is something physical. So it gets us out of the mind into the body. Report an error in the passage at 1:05:23 Highlight the passage at 1:05:23

1:05:48 And also the breath, being physical, only happens in the present moment. So it locks us. More into the present moment. So it's very helpful in breaking that discursive past-future wandering mind. Report an error in the passage at 1:05:48 Highlight the passage at 1:05:48

1:06:03 So the breath then can be very good to calm that very discursive mind. Then if we've used the breath for some time and our mind has become somewhat settled a little bit. Then maybe we can switch to looking at the mind itself. Then we're not so prone to jumping all over the place because of the breath practice. Report an error in the passage at 1:06:03 Highlight the passage at 1:06:03

1:06:26 So this is also something that I think can be a very good approach. Really if we're completely discursive, start with the breath and then maybe switch to looking at the mind itself. But some people find that looking at the mind itself as a beginning practice works really, really well. And there are a lot of benefits with that. Report an error in the passage at 1:06:26 Highlight the passage at 1:06:26

1:06:46 And we'll look at that a little bit more tomorrow morning. So on that note, I'm sorry I ran over time a little bit. Any last question before we finish for the day? We'll Report an error in the passage at 1:06:46 Highlight the passage at 1:06:46

1:06:59 leave it there. See you in the morning. Report an error in the passage at 1:06:59 Highlight the passage at 1:06:59