Fall 2013 Shamatha and the Bodhisattva Way of Life

Before the silent meditation, Alan mentions a few points about Bodichitta. After the silent meditation, we go back to the last few aphorisms of the Lo-Jong. We finish the Seven Point Mind Training with a quote from Dilgo Khyentse Rinpoche... and then go back to the very first aphorism of the Lo-Jong: the preliminaries. Meditation starts at: 03:21 (silent, not recorded)

Meditation front loading: The porousness of the mind. It is possible that influences can go both into and out from the mind. Like when praying to your guru and getting a response. Does the response come from the guru or from a deeper aspect of your own mind? All that matters is that the advice is taking you further along the path. So in practice of tong len, using the power of the mind, it is possible that we are providing genuine relief from suffering. Post meditation: Covering the following aphorisms in the seven point mind training text. Cultivate three things without letting them deteriorate. Maintain three things inseparably. Meditate constantly on the distinctive ones. Do not depend on other factors. Now practice what is important. Alan also answers questions on why tulkus still require training in this life, the karmic responsibility of mental afflictions and if Shamatha is required for higher realisations. Meditation starts at: 11:30 (silent, not recorded)

From the seventh point of Atisha's mind training: 'Adopt the three principle causes' These causes are: 1. Following a qualified mentor - Alan told the story of the first person to encounter the Buddha. - Alan taught that we should see through the person and not reify them (or ourselves). Seeing all teachers equally whether it be as a emissary of the Budhha, like a Buddha or as a Buddha. - If there is one with an inner heart connection, a root guru, see that guru in the centre and other teachers as emanations of that one. 2. Devoting ourselves to all stages of the practice - Have a panoramic vision of all the teachings but focus primarily where you have traction. 3. Cultivate the outer and inner conditions for fruitful practice. - One of our greatest freedoms is to choose our environment - Inner conditions are the 5 faculties that when cultivated and developed become the 5 powers. Meditation started immediately with no 'front loading'

Alan begins with two quotes from William James regarding aspiration. The guided meditation is on developing your personal aspirations and the causes to fulfill them. Discussion of Aspiring Bodhicitta and engaging Bodhicitta. Within engaging Bodhicitta, shepherd like Bodhicitta, Navigating Bodhicitta, and King like Bodhicitta. Alan continues with the 7th point of the Seven Point mind training. Meditation starts at: 9:23

Tonight the meditation is front loaded by looking at two ways we can view the adversity that will no doubt effect us and those we see as belonging to us. Firstly, non lucidly with relative bodhichitta which still has an element of self centeredness, or secondly with ultimate bodhichitta, the view from the bardo, from emptiness or from rigpa. After the meditation we move on to the practices of Seven Point Mind Training which look at the constructive things we can do to support our ongoing dharma practice. Here Alan focuses particularly on the practice of setting a motivation of Bodhichitta and dedicating. Questions: How can we help some one in the throws of anger? Do we have to believe every sentient being has been our mother to practice Bodhichitta? Clarification about the practice of Merging Mind With Space. Meditation starts at: 19:40 (silent, not recorded)

Tonight we return to the meditation on the two bodhicittas. Before the silent meditation, Alan give a short preamble on the importance of motivation for one's practice. Once one engages in any virtuous practice such as meditation, charity work or any other type of work for others, one accumulates merit. But how this merit will manifest will depend on the motivation that lead to the practice. If the motivation is mundane, one can possibly enjoy a prosperous next lifetime, but this merit would be then used in that lifetime as well and will not continue from lifetime to lifetime. On the other hand, if one is propelled by genuine bodhicitta, such motivation and merits accumulated by it will continue from lifetime to lifetime, eventually leading to perfect fruition. The key to remember here is that merit (like karma) can be accumulated but it can also be lost or burned. Hence, one should always check on his/her motivation. Ask yourself a question: what is it that you really want? And as motivation can change or weaken over time, one should make sure to keep checking this motivation and its sincerity. Alan concludes by saying that investing in the motivation of genuine bodhicitta is like investing in a secure, long-term, inexhaustible investment. After the meditation, we go back to the Seven Point Mind Training and the last six pledges, which are tools to protect one's Dharma practice. At the end, Alan answers one participant's question on how to handle abusive people. Shall we be doormats or how do we respond if someone is abusing us. Alan explains how settling the mind in its natural state can be helpful in such situations to distinguish between wholesome and unwholesome impulses arising in oneself and how to skilfully chose the most appropriate response. Technical note: the older computer here snagged, and 2-3 minutes of the lecture were unfortunately lost. Apologies. Meditation starts at: 24:33 (silent, not recorded)

The session starts with a silent meditation on the two Bodhichittas. After the meditation, Alan talks about ultimate and relative bodhichitta and their connection. Next, we go to the subject of lucid dreaming: 1) waking induced lucid dream, 2) dreaming induced lucid dream, and 3) state check and prospective memory/mindfulness. Then the Lojong is further discussed: the pledges of the mind training. Alan comments on the aphorisms "Do not speak of others' limitations" and "Do not stand in judgement of others". In the context of the latter aphorism, the guru-disciple relation is also paid attention to. Finally, some nice stories you don't want to miss! Meditation starts at: silent meditation, not recorded

The two bodhicittas may seem incompatible, if there is not someone really there, then how to feel compassion? From the other side, when seeing someone in anguish, it seems so real. This is falling to the extremes of nihilism and substantialism, as we deepen the practice the two enhance each other. From ultimate bodhicitta, we realise the lack of inherent nature, so self centeredness seems silly. From conventional bodhicitta, always attending to others, we come to see that we only arise in dependence on others, this is not just a play on words but literally true. Post meditation: The sixth point of the mind training text, now focusing on lifestyle- the pledges you are making to yourself in order to guard, nurture and sustain the core: ultimate and relative bodhicitta, because that is what will liberate you. This is where prospective mindfulness comes in - bearing something in mind. 'Always practice the three principles'. Meditation starts at: 35.05 (silent, front loaded at start of session)

Before the meditation Alan discusses from which perspective you can do the tong-len practice - from your ordinary self or from the platform of Avolokishrvara. Alan explains how shamatha can be developed in the context of stage of generation practice. After the meditation Alan continues with the fifth point of the text - 'The whole of Dharma is synthesised in one aim'. Self grasping is not steady, constant. If we can recognise how frequently and robustly they come up and look for triggers, we can transform to give a deeper insight. Once we release self-grasping, we have the opportunity to begin to realise our actual nature - primordial awareness. The next line of the text - 'Attend to the chief of two witnesses'. Others may praise you as an exemplar Dharma practitioner, but they are not the chief witnesses, for they see only small portions of your overall behaviour, and they do not fathom the depths of your heart and mind. Distinguish between mundane concern over "what the neighbours think" and meaningful regard for others. The next line of the text - Constantly resort to a sense of good cheer'. Good cheer from the centre of your mandala. As you become more clear, mature in Dharma practice, then you experience more sense that the blessings are continuous. Then you always have a sense of good cheer. Meditation starts at: 16:09 (silent, front loaded at start of session)

Meditation – continue as described yesterday with one meditation on ultimate Bodhicitta and one on relative Bodhicitta. Continuation of the discussion on transmuting the death process. If have habitual practice of converting adversity into the path then when the final adversity of death arises you will be able to convert that. During the dying process go back and forth between the meditations on ultimate and relative Bodhicitta. Discussion of dream yoga as best preparation for the bardo of becoming. Importance of not identifying with body or mind but staying with awareness. How do you know when your dharma practice is working? When self-grasping gets softer – less frequent and less intense. Questions: Is rigpa an individual mind or part of a larger universal mind? Why are there four major schools of Tibetan Buddhism and what are the differences? Many of the great yogis had families – how were they able to do both? When you were explaining the 9 stages of shamatha, does it only apply to the practice settling the mind in its natural state? Meditation starts at: 3:10 (silent, front loaded at start of session)

Alan again front loads the meditation by comparing Atisha's Lam Rim texts and Seven Point Mind Training text and the role of discursive meditation in both. We can be encouraged that although Ultimate and Relative Bodichitta might seem high and complex ideals we have already begun training our minds in each of these with our range of meditations. After the meditation, Alan begins to unpack the next aphorism taking the advice from living well to dying well. He shares advice on preparing for death, propulsive karma, the bardo and rebirth. Meditation starts at: 28:40 (silent meditation)

Today's evening session begins with the continuation of the discussion on the power of prayer and blessings. Alan gives a few examples of how blessings work and their possible bandwidth and draws analogies with the so-called placebo effect. After that, we move onto a beautiful practice of the stage of generation of Avalokiteshvara - the embodiment of compassion. The practice is based on a text titled "A spacious path to freedom" by Karma Chagme (which Alan translated) and the sadhana from the text together with its commentary will be made available to listeners of the podcast via the SBI website. Alan explains that this practice is part of public Dharma, which means that it can be done without an empowerment and/or oral transition, unlike other deity practices that do require an empowerment. In fact, it is highly recommended by Karma Chagme to begin one's daily practice with it as a means of obtaining blessings for the rest of the practice of meditation. First Alan explains the sadhana in detail and then we have a guided meditation. After this beautiful meditation, we continue discussing the four practices of the Seven Point Mind Training and the aphorism: "do not rely on the individual, rely on the Dharma; do not rely on the words, rely on the meaning; do not rely on the provisional meaning, rely on the definitive meaning." Alan also stresses the importance and meaning of a genuine teacher and the possibility of receiving blessings form one. Meditation starts at: 37:58