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Now, how should we do this? First we stop paying attention to any object.
Quite simple in reality. We stop paying attention to any object.
We should not think about anything but remain like a stone or a piece of wood.
You know Shantideva in Bodhisattvacharyavatara said, 'You should remain as a
piece of wood.'He taught this many times. So, like an inanimate object without
thinking or perceiving anything, we remain in this state for a few minutes.
Like this, through applying effort and determination because we understand
the great disadvantages of distracting conceptual thoughts, which is gross mind.
Even non-Buddhists in ancient times also had this kind of practice - had this
as their main practice. Nowadays I don't know, but in ancient stories many
non-Buddhist practitioners also concentrated like this because they understood
that this distracting mind causes so many problems and never allows us to
remain peaceful, calm, enjoying life. It never allows us to enjoy our human life.
We are like a naked person who is on thorny ground. Wherever he moves, it makes
problems beacause of these distracting thoughts. So they have big renunciation.
They stop paying attention to any object, not thinking about anything, forgetting
everything, remaining like a piece of wood or stone without thinking or
perceiving anything. So we should do similarly to this.
We remain in this state for a few minutes and learn this. Therefore, if you forgot
then every problem solved. The problem is that we never forget.
This is the problem. Also, normally our ordinary friends say, 'Forget, forget,'
whenever someone remembers bad things.
When they are angry, they say 'Forget, forget', this is giving advice.
But in reality forgetting is difficult. So we should learn this, how to
accomplish the cessation of gross mind, distracted mind.
Practically learning, this is temporarily very beneficial to solve our
day-by-day problems, anger problems, attachment problems, jealousy problems,
worry, discouragement, disappointment, discontentment and so forth.
Stop everything, forget, and perceive nothing. Remain like piece of wood,
like an inanimate object.
Because our original motivation is to attain enlightenment, for us this is
very good. If there is no original motivation then it looks like sleeping.
But our main aim is to accomplish the sixth stage that is realizing our
continually residing mind directly, and through this attain enlightenment.
Through this we want to benefit all living beings without exception.
This is our main aim.
So therefore to make progress in this aim, first we are doing this.
So therefore our aim is like bodhichitta, so therefore for us it is
part of bodhichitta practice. So therefore remain like a piece of wood,
without perceiving anything. In this way we experience the cessation of
all the gross minds.
This is like the basis. We then try to perceive our subtle mind by contemplating.
First cease gross minds and remain like a piece of wood. In this way we will
vaccomplish the cessation of all the gross minds.
We then try to perceive our subtle mind by contemplating: its nature is the
cessation of all gross minds, its function is to perceive an empty like space,
and it is located at our heart region.
So we contemplate our subtle mind, which possesses three characteristics,
a mind that possesses three characteristics:
(1) its nature is the cessation of all gross minds;
(2) its function is to perceive an empty like space and
(3) it is located at our heart region. We contemplate these three characteristics
of our subtle mind.
This is seeking. We are seeking to perceive clearly our subtle mind. We are
seeking the object of our meditation, that is our subtle mind. This is the
practice of seeking. When we are contemplating the three characteristics of
our subtle mind, that is: its nature is the cessation of all gross minds,
two, its function is to perceive an empty like space and three it is located
at our heart region. We are contemplating to perceive our object of meditation,
that is our subtle mind.
This is seeking. This is the practice of seeking. When through contemplating
in this way we perceive clearly the generic image of our subtle mind we have
found the object of our meditation, that is clear appearance of our subtle mind.
This is finding. Through contemplating in this way when we perceive clearly the
generic image of our subtle mind we have found our subtle mind, the object of
our meditation. This is finding.
This means that we have found our subtle mind, which is the object of our
meditation. Having found our object of meditation we then need to train in
holding it without forgetting, to learn until we can do so for about one minute.
First seeking, then finding, then learning to hold without forgetting for about
one minute. When we have ability to hold it for one minute this is holding.
Then through continually repeating the steps of seeking, finding, and holding,
when our concentration remains on its object, on the subtle mind,
for five minutes we accomplish the fourth step, remaining.
After accomplishment of holding then we have to learn to remain
first one minute, then two minutes, then gradually five minutes.
We have to train in increasing the duration of remaining through
practising again and again - just repeating
The more we gain familiarity - then our ability to remain increases.
Of course, this is natural. With familiarity there are no difficult things.
Without familiarity everything difficult. With familiarity everything is easy,
as Shantideva said. It is true.
If I ask you how to eat Tibetan 'tsampa pak' you have no familiarity,
difficult to understand. I will prepare in front of you all the necessary things:
tsampa, butter, tea, dry cheese, everything and put and say please help yourself
you cannot eat, how to do this because no familiarity.
With familiarity we can attain the enlightenment that takes a long time for
other practitioners we can attain in a few months, a few years with familiarity.
Everything depends upon familiarity. Familiarity depends upon practice.
If we ignore practice then impossible.
Normally we are engaging in meditation. Why? In order to get familiarity.
Our normal object of meditation is an object of attachment!
Because we have deep familiarity, which came from countless previous lives,
life after life, past lineage and experience. Even during retreat in meditation
sometimes we are still thinking about objects of attachment!
So therefore now is the time to change. Attachment is a distracting conceptual
thought destroying our mental peace, destroying our happiness.
Without peace of mind there is no happiness. Delusions, such as anger and
attachment, their main function is to destroy our inner peace, mental peace.
They are our real enemy.
A person who has the ability to control delusions is a real hero or heroine.
A persons who is under the control of delusions is not a hero or heroine.
So the real heroes and heroines are the people who have the ability to control
vtheir main enemy - the delusions.
So anyway, getting familiarity, gradually increasing remaining until we can
remain in pure concentration or pure meditation on our very subtle mind for
five minutes without forgetting the object, then we accomplish the fourth
step remaining.
At this point we accomplish the third stage in training in Mahamudra,
identifying our own subtle mind.