Sat, 28 Jun 2008
Mindfulness and Awareness
Brad kicked up a fuss on his blog by criticizing the misuse of the term mindfulness in Buddhist circles. That was a month ago, but the subject has stuck with me, so I'm going to say something about it. The Sanskrit word for mindfulness actually means remembering. The real meaning of mindfulness is reminding yourself of something. In the context of meditation practice, this mean reminding yourself of the object of meditation when your attention slips: "Oh, I'm supposed to be watching my breath. Let's do that again." Outside of meditation, it usually means reminding yourself of the precepts you've taken. When one of your actions goes against the precepts, you should notice that.
Somehow the notion of being mindful during meditation practice got confused and turned into the concept of being in the moment. This is closer to the Buddhist concept of awareness. Traditionally, awareness notices you have strayed from the object of meditation and mindfulness returns you to it. So if people confuse the two, it seems not much harm would be done, except for one point. And that is that awareness can't be forced. Trying to be aware is like trying not to be nervous. It's likely to turn out badly. Instead, one has to see what awareness is. This goes to the heart of what mahamudra and dzogchen are about. I'm not competent to speak about it much, so I'll just point out the problem. Trying to be mindful in the sense that most people mean it is just piling pretense on top of pretense.
Thu, 26 Jun 2008
Counting Yaks
I've been studying my Tibetan vocabulary lately, which takes some time away from the Internet. Last Sunday we went over the numbers from one (gcig) to one hundred thousand (gcig.'bum). So now when I lie awake at night I can count yaks instead of sheep. (Gyag gcig, gyag gnyis, gyag gsum ...)
Sun, 22 Jun 2008
Monk to Dragon
During the Spring Retreat Khenpo Choephel taught on the sixth chapter of Gong Chik. The Gong Chik is a collection of sayings of Jigten Sumgon, the founder of the Drikung Kagyu school of Buddhism. I only caught part of Khenpo's teaching, but he told stories about two monks who were able to transform themselves into nagas. Unfortunately, they weren't able to transform themselves back. So kids, don't try this at home. In case you were wondering, a naga is a snake-like creature that lives in bodies of water, more or less equivalent to Chinese dragons. In Western esoteric terms, they would be water elementals.
a monk at one of the Karmapa's monasteries in Eastern Tibet was able to take the form of a naga without leaving this life. The first monk lived during the life of a previous Buddha, when the lifespan was 20,000 years. That Buddha was surrounded by a retinue of thousands of arhats and bodhisattvas, all practicing meditation. A naga was caught by a garuda and carried off into the sky. He saw the monks and nuns meditating and thought how peaceful they looked. A feeling of faith arose in him and he was reborn as the son of a brahmin. When he grew up he was ordained and achieved arhatship under that Buddha. As he had clairvoyance, he could recall the circumstances of his previous life. He went to the naga who were his parents during his previous life, taught them the dharma and explained how he had achieved his current birth as a result of his faith. They were delighted and asked him to return every day for food. The other monks asked him where he went every day for food and he told them. Another monk accompanied him when he went to visit his parents by holding onto the hem of his robe as he travelled by his psychic powers. The nagas made seats for both and offered nectar to the arhat, but ordinary food to the other monk as he could not digest the nectar. The monk thought the arhat was receiving better food than he and cursed the arhat. He vowed that he be reborn as a naga to replace the arhat who was receiving these offerings. He was able to accomplish this through the power of truth and instantaneously became a huge naga. Also through the power of his vow, the two other nagas contracted a disease. The two nagas requested the arhat to heal them. He upbraided the previous monk, saying he should not have done this. The monk felt regret, but he could not restore himself to his previous form.
The second story is about a student of Palden Lhamo who was in retreat. Instead of practicing meditation, he practiced transforming himself into a naga. The servant who brought him food saw him in this form, got scared, and told his teacher. The teacher visited him and criticized him for wasting his time in retreat. The naga became sad and cried, but remained in that form.
Thu, 19 Jun 2008
Self Improvement
I'm taking another class in Tibetan at the Ja Ling Center. It's being taught by Jigme Lodro, one of the Tibetan residents I haven't met before. The first class was well attended. However, after the first exposure to the Tibetan alphabet, attendance dropped for the second class. So I don't know if the class is going to go forward. The Ja Ling Center is in a bad part of town, the "projects" near Hopkins Hospital. I haven't had problems, but Christian almost had his bike stolen last week. The Tibetan language is one of those things I always promise myself I'm going to learn, but I always lose my resolve and give it up. So we'll see if I stick with it this time.
I'm also on a physical self improvement kick. I was putting on too much weight, so I went on a diet. I've lost about ten pounds in as many weeks and I would like to lose about five more. Today I stumbled on the Hundred Pushups training program and I thought I'd give that a try staring next week. Back when I was taking martial arts one of my instructors wanted me to do a hundred push ups a day. I worked up to fifty or sixty, but that was as far as I got. He also wanted me to learn how to do a kip up, but that was another skill I didn't master. Today I tested myself and was able to do thirteen push ups. If I start the six week program I should finish it and my diet about the same time, in August. I figure if I mention all this here, it will shame me into not backing down.
Sun, 15 Jun 2008
Perfect Conduct
Here's a little more from Khenpo's talk on Gampopa's Pricious Garland. The topic is perfect conduct. In can you didn't know, Precious Garland has been translated with a commentary by Khenpo Karthar Rinpoche.
Guarding one's conduct like the pupils of ones eyes is the perfect conduct for a person of lesser capacity. My cousin gave up his monastic vows. He was criticized and responded by saying in the Madhyamika there is no such thing as a monk or no monk. Sometimes people use this kind of excuse for their own conduct. But until you realize emptiness you cannot talk this way. As long as you get angry when criticized or happy when praised, you cannot adopt this view. You should judge your understanding and act accordingly. In Drikung Thil a retreat master drank tea every day from the same cup that was spoiled with rancid butter, but he would not allow others to drink from it. Because he was realized he could do that. It is better to act as you are than pretend to have an understanding that you don't.
To judge all experience as dreams and illusions is the perfect conduct for a person of middling capacity. I told you the story of Saraha, who adopted the conduct of a siddha and said, "Today I am truly ordained." That is because he saw all phenomena as illusory. That is something we cannot yet do. There was a student of Rechungpa who meditated on the element of water. A hunter who went by his retreat saw a spring and threw a rock in it. When the student arose from meditation, he felt uncomfortable. Rechungpa told him to re-enter the meditation and took the rock out. We do not control our mind, much less our body. There's a saying that if a fox tries to leap as a lion does, he will break his back. So seeing all phenomena as illusory is the conduct of a middling person.
Being without any conduct whatsoever is the perfect conduct for one of highest capacity. At this level one does not commit to either virtue or non-virtue.
Sat, 14 Jun 2008
The Four Unions
I've finished correcting my notes from the Spring Retreat in Frederick. I didn't get to attend as much of the teaching as I had hoped, as I've been busy at work. Hwere's part of a teaching on Gampopa's Precious Garland that I found particularly inspiring.
Beings are divided into three groups, based on their spiritual capacity: either greater, middling, or lesser. Trusting in the results of actions is the perfect view for one of lesser capacity. Therefore, Shakyamuni taught the four noble truths. All phenomena of samsara and nirvana are included in the four noble truths. They are taught to gain insight into the law of causality. Although it's said the four noble truths are taught for beings of lesser capacity, they are also necessary for beings of higher capacity. It's necessary to hold this view so one doesn't fall into nihilism. Therefore, Jigten Sumgon said if one understands the law of causality, one understands how all objects function.
If beings of middling capacity do not understand causality, they cannot understand the four unions. Therefore one should understand the deep meaning of the law of causality. When one understands things arise in dependence, one can gain the wisdom that sees that phenomena do not exist inherently.
The view that all phenomena are the union of appearance and emptiness is the perfect view for middling practitioners. The four unions are appearance and emptiness, awareness and emptiness, bliss and emptiness, and clarity and emptiness. When you try to find appearances, you see that they do not inherently exist. This is the union of appearance and emptiness. The understanding of the union of awareness and emptiness comes mainly through the teaching of Saraha. This is the view of mahamudra, which teaches the union of awareness and emptiness. Tilopa taught the mahamudra that arises from seeing the union of bliss and emptiness. The union of clarity and emptiness is seeing the nature of mind, which is free of characteristics. This is how the view is introduced in the Sakya tradition. From realizing the union of the two, one goes to the highest level where there is no distinction between the viewed and the viewer. So one progresses in the practice step by step.
This is also how Jigten Sumgon taught it. If one lacks conviction in the law of causality and one tries to realize this unity of viewed and viewer, one falls into nihilism. So it is necessary to progress in this way. Sometimes our mind goes blank and we mistakenly think that is emptiness. If one understands causality, one will see the nature of phenomena and the true understanding of emptiness will arise.
Fri, 13 Jun 2008
What Do You Get?
Someone asked the question, "what do you get out of your practice?" The question is an interesting one, because, as I learned back in my college philosophy class, every question is also a statement. The statement here is that practice is about gain and loss. You practice in order to get something, peace of mind or whatever. But gain and loss are samsara. Practice is watching the mind, always obsessed with seeking gain and avoiding loss. Peace of mind is giving up your obsession with gain and loss. Practice is like drinking water. Water is plain and no one wants to drink it. They would rather drink something sweeter and juicier. But water is what satisfies in every drink, no matter what it is.
Wed, 11 Jun 2008
Karmapa Wrapup
The Seventeenth Kamapa's visit is long over and all that's left now is the sweeping up. The Krmapa Visit blog is reduced to flogging the merch that they couldn't move during the visit and fishing for inspirational stories. The picture of the Karmapa frowning while drinking Starbucks coffee is making the rounds. There was a famous picture, taken more than thirty years ago, of the Dalai Lama smiling while drinking a Coke. I'm sure that Starbucks would have preferred something similar. The picture graces the blog of a Buddhust who attended the Karmapa's talks in Seattle. He liked the talk, but apprently was put off because the Karmapa attracted so many filthy hippies.
Nothing makes me want to head the other way more than a large crowd of Buddhists at a Dharma event. It is the weird combination of a "New Age" vibe, hippy dippy commentary and attitudes, and a general feeling like I'm in the middle of a giant human herd.
Mon, 09 Jun 2008
Consecrating Tormas
Khenpo Choephel gave a teaching on tormas during the Spring Retreat in Fredericj. Tormas are thos nifty little cones of dough that are used as offerings during empowerments and tantric sadhanas. Before tormas are offered, they are consecrated by reciting the syllable "om ah hung" three times. Khenpo explained the significance of this:
Recitation of "om" eliminates problems with the materials used in the torma. "Ah" makes the offering vast. And "hung" transforms the taste of the torma into amrita. "Om ah hung" is the essence of the Buddha's body, speech, and mind, so it is very beneficial. The first recitation eliminates negativities. The second round transforms the torma and the vessel. The third round makes the offering vast in extent. In the first round "om" purifies the faults of the vessel, "ah" purifies the fault of the food, and "hung" purifies the faults of the water. During the second round "om" transforms the vessel into precious objects, "ah" transforms the food into food of a hundred tastes, and "hung" transforms the water into amrita. In the third round, "om" makes the vessel vast in extent, "ah" makes the food as vast as Mount Meru, and "hung" makes the water as vast as the ocean. This is the ninefold benefit of the three rounds.
Sat, 07 Jun 2008
Retreat's End
Today was the last day of teaching at the Spring Retreat at the Tibetan Meditation Center in Frederick. I've only been able to get there on weekends, as I've been very busy at work. That's also the reason why I haven't been posting. I've been too tired after finishing work. Drupon was teaching the second of two days on a short mahamudra text from the Drikung tradition. In some ways it resembled the Ninth Karmapa's "Pointing Out the Dharmakaya." So there were no great surprises to be had, for me at least. Attendance was up from last week. I don't know if that was because of the subject or the teacher. I have notes and I'll try to figure out what to do with them.
Mahamudra is a gray area for me. I will post on sutra teachings but not post on advanced tantric teachngs. My rule is any teaching a newbie could get walking through the door is fair game to post about. The reason why I hesitate to post on mahamudra is that I feel that the instruction in mahamudra to just relax and don't try to change anything is confusing to new practitioners and can possibly hinder their practice. The point is, once you have understood what the nature of mind is, attempts to alter the mind will obscure that nature, After all, the nature is what the mind always is--empty. The belief that mind can be improved, that it could have more or less of that nature is mistaken. But until that nature is recognized, one must use expedients in practice. So it seems I've gone ahead and talked about what I had said what I said I shouldn't talk about. As I said, a gray area.
Drupon and Lama Gyaltsen have been working on the stupa over the past couple of weeks. They've applied stucco to the base and carved designs in it: vajras and snow lions. So it's beginning to look more impressive. So that's it for now. Ihope to have more extracts from my notes from the Spring Retreat here soon.
Sun, 01 Jun 2008
The Four Empowerments
As I've mentioned, the Spring Retreat is currently underway in Frederick at the Tibetan Meditation Center. Sometimes when I listen to a teaching, I get the feeling that it's meant especially for me. I know that I'm not the only one who has had this feeling, as other people have told me in the past that they've felt the same way. I'm going to include several excerpts from Khenpo Tsultrim that I found helpful. Khenpo Tsultrim is a real treasure and the Tibetan Meditation Center is lucky to have him. Here's the first excerpt, an explanation of the four empowerments.
To enter the practice of tantra the ripening empowerment and actualizing instructions in practice are required. It is not allowed to practice without an empowerment. You cannot achieve realization without empowerment. It is like playing a fiddle without strings or trying to squeeze oil out of sand. To enthrone someone as king, the king must have a royal lineage. And achieving enlightenment is only possible because we have the tathagatagarbha. The wisdom of the four empowers are intrinsic in us. To make them manifest we need the ripening empowerment and the actualizing instruction. A tantra says sentient beings possess buddha nature, the mind whose nature is clear light. But without the empowerment it cannot be made manifest. Empowerment transforms what is impure to purity. It ripens what is unripe. The real empowerment is not the ceremony, but the meaning. Abhisheka, the Sanskrit for empowerment, has the meaning of cleaning impurities and receiving wisdom.
When you receive the vase empowerment, you are authorized to visualize the body as a deity. In the secret empowerment you are authorized to practice the winds and channels. The wisdom empowerment authorizes you to meditate on the union of bliss and emptiness. The word, or fourth empowerment authorizes you to meditate on the union of clarity and emptiness.
There are four empowerments because there are four impurities to be purified. To purify physical impurities, there is the vase empowerment. To purify speech, which is an aspect of wind, there is the secret empowerment. The purify the ordinary drops, or bindu, there is the wisdom empowerment. To purify the mind, there is the fourth empowerment. Relative bindu is purified by the the third empowerment and ultimate bindu is purified by the fourth empowerment. In the jenang empowerment, the third and fourth empowerment are combined into a single empowerment.
So the vase empowerment should purify your perception of yourself and others. That is the most important aspect of the vase empowerment. But the other aspects of the visualization are also helpful as they are part of the method aspect of the path. Without first receiving the vase empowerment you cannot receive the other empowerments, as it purifies the body. Without it, the experience of bliss would not be possible. The secret empowerment purifies one's speech. All sounds are heard as echoes or mantras. The recitation of mantra works because you hold his pure view of speech. All sounds are transformed into vajra speech. The secret empowerment purifies one's subtle energy, which makes the practice of tummo possible. One can practice tummo and through the generation of the four joys, realize the union of bliss and emptiness. This makes you ready for the third empowerment, which is the control of the drops. This is the conveyance of the example wisdom which is actualized through the fourth empowerment. Through the fourth empowerment you are introduced to what mahamudra calls the ordinary mind and dzogchen calls pristine awareness. This is the mind that is not the result of contrivance. The empowerments purify one's channels, winds, and drops. This transforms the ordinary perception of body, speech, and mind into pure perception. This actualizes the three bodies of a buddha. So empowerment introduces you to the three bodies, which are innately yours.
