What You’ll Uncover in Dzogchen Ponlop Rinpoche Mahamudra Meditation
Dzogchen Ponlop Rinpoche – Mahamudra Meditation
In Buddhism, knowledge will not be one thing we purchase or develop — it’s who we actually are, the true nature of thoughts. Via Mahamudra meditation, says Dzogchen Ponlop Rinpoche, we loosen up into the vacancy, readability, and consciousness of ever-current buddha knowledge.
Dzogchen Ponlop Rinpoche.
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Dzogchen Ponlop Rinpoche. Picture by Ryszard Ok. Frąckiewicz.
Buddhism is wealthy in strategies for working with the thoughts. One of the famend and highly effective is the traditional knowledge custom generally known as Mahamudra. Originating in India, the view and apply of Mahamudra steadily unfold throughout Asia and in the present day has reached the West. As a philosophy, it goals to speak clear data of the true nature of the thoughts. As a meditation apply, it’s designed to result in that have swiftly and unmistakably.
Mahamudra is a contemplative Buddhist custom identified for its simplicity. The apply is to be real, relaxed, and conscious in each state of affairs in life, to just accept and admire who we’re. To interact in its profound strategies, we aren’t required to alter our life-style, and any message opposite to that isn’t a real Mahamudra educating. The apply of Mahamudra is an expertise of our thoughts that’s fully free and joyful, it doesn’t matter what our life brings us. It factors us to thoughts’s true nature.
The which means of Mahamudra is present in its title. Maha means “great” and mudra means “symbol” or “seal.” The Nice Image referred to is the knowledge of vacancy, which is the very nature of our thoughts and of all phenomena—any object or thought the thoughts can observe or develop into conscious of. As a result of it covers the totality of our expertise, the Nice Image is named the all-encompassing actuality from which there isn’t a escape or exception.
Realizing the true nature of our thoughts doesn’t occur simply accidentally, pure luck, or willpower alone. We’d like some assist.
So, how do we start the apply of Mahamudra? First, we be taught with an open and thoughts what Mahamudra is. Then we mirror on and personalize that data in order that it turns into our personal expertise, reasonably than a principle. Then, having digested the which means, we merely sit, going past understanding about Mahamudra to turning into one with it.
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Realizing the true nature of our thoughts doesn’t occur simply accidentally, pure luck, or willpower alone. We’d like some assist. We’ve got to depend on key directions of the Mahamudra lineage imparted to us by a trusted and realized instructor. Mahamudra has a practice of skillful strategies for instantly stating the character of thoughts, which is a novel characteristic of this lineage. If we’ve the chance to obtain these directions and a honest curiosity in working with them, we’ve an excellent likelihood of understanding and realizing Mahamudra knowledge.
Mahamudra is split into three components: floor Mahamudra, path Mahamudra, and fruition Mahamudra. Floor Mahamudra is the place our dialogue begins. It’s basically a view of essentially the most fundamental actuality of our thoughts and world. We are going to then look briefly at path Mahamudra, which is the precise meditation apply. Final, we’ve fruition Mahamudra, an outline of what the trail leads us to. That may give us a whole image of the Mahamudra journey of awakening.
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Mahamudra teaches us with quite a lot of particular strategies for our thoughts to see its true nature. After we look inside with a transparent, regular focus, the thoughts we see is clear, spacious, and open. It seems like one thing’s there, however once we search for it, there’s no “thing” we will discover. Our ideas and feelings are vivid, but we will’t put our arms on them. They soften away as quickly as we discover them. Even sights and sounds, which appear to be actual, distinct entities, evade our grasp once we seek for their true id. After we acknowledge the flowing, open, and spacious high quality of all our experiences, even for a second, that’s the vacancy facet of the knowledge of vacancy.
After we take a look at our thoughts, nonetheless, we see that it’s not simply spacious. There’s a luminous, clear, and inventive vitality that’s the supply of our compassion and pleasure. There’s additionally a high quality of wakefulness, of all-encompassing consciousness. That is the knowledge facet of the knowledge of vacancy.
After we acknowledge the union of this brilliance, this consciousness, and the open, clear area, that’s what we name the popularity of the knowledge of vacancy, or the true nature of thoughts. In such a second, we don’t expertise only one facet of our thoughts; we expertise the wholeness of the thoughts. We see the union of area, compassion, and consciousness, which is known as Mahamudra.
This can be a approach of understanding the thoughts of enlightenment— buddha knowledge or buddhanature. This knowledge thoughts is wealthy in qualities that convey us boundless happiness, perception, and a corresponding need to assist our world. Proper from the very starting the minds of all beings have been freed from any inherent faults or defects. We would ask, “What is this ‘very beginning’ that we are talking about? Twenty years ago? A billion years ago?”
After we take a look at our thoughts, we see that it’s not simply spacious. There’s a luminous, clear, and inventive vitality that’s the supply of our compassion and pleasure. There’s additionally a high quality of wakefulness, of all-encompassing consciousness.
Truly, it’s this very second, now, once we fail to acknowledge the true nature of thoughts. That is the very starting. If we will loosen up on this second, we’re resting within the floor or elementary state of Mahamudra. The way in which we relaxation is thru the apply of meditation, which is path Mahamudra. After we can relaxation nicely, we’re naturally in union with the purpose, or fruition, of the trail. There’s no different Mahamudra to realize: we’re buddha, awake and free, on this very second.
However once we fail to acknowledge the essential nature of our thoughts, then we’ve an issue. The luminous, artistic vitality of authentic thoughts is misperceived because the dualistic world of self and different. Confusion arises, clinging begins, after which the entire world of struggling and bewilderment manifests. As an alternative of having fun with peace, illumination, and happiness, we expertise our thoughts as stricken with painful feelings. We’re bombarded by ideas that lead us this manner and that. We endure nervousness and worry whereas we lengthy for peace and contentment.
That’s what we name the spinning of samsara, or cyclic existence, which is limitless till we resolve to cease it by realizing thoughts’s true state. So the start of samsara is once we fail to acknowledge that floor, and the tip of samsara is nothing extra difficult than recognizing our personal nature of thoughts. When thoughts acknowledges itself and might relaxation freely and relaxed in a state of openness, that’s the finish of our confusion and struggling.
Luminosity, the readability nature of thoughts, manifests creatively as phenomena. As a result of we’re habituated to solidifying our expertise of this luminous show, it’s simpler for many of us to see the luminous facet of thoughts than to acknowledge thoughts’s empty nature. Nonetheless, if we’re lacking the expertise of vacancy, we would begin to think about luminosity as one thing that’s strong and actual sufficient to carry onto. Then it turns into a supply of struggling and confusion as a substitute of freedom. It’s vital to first be taught what vacancy truly means, no less than intellectually, earlier than we soar to the conclusion that the character of thoughts possesses all of the qualities of enlightenment. As soon as we’ve an excellent understanding of the vacancy nature of thoughts, then we will additional that view by seeing thoughts’s luminous nature.
So earlier than endeavor Mahamudra meditation, we should always first have a theoretical understanding of the true nature of thoughts—as empty, luminous, and conscious. Second, we should always perceive how confusion develops once we don’t acknowledge that nature. Third, we should always perceive that the essence of our confused ideas and feelings is freed from any innate negativity or fixation, that every one expressions and experiences of thoughts are empty and luminous.
These three elements of floor Mahamudra are vital to grasp by conceptual thoughts first, after which by the method of reflection to make it extra experiential. Lastly, we convey our understanding to finish realization by meditation.
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At first, Mahamudra meditation is a technique of turning into accustomed to our thoughts simply as it’s, after which studying the best way to loosen up inside it. Our first glimpse is prone to present us that our thoughts usually wanders aimlessly about, and there’s little group to our considering. It’s like a home with junk piled up in every single place. So, what do we have to do first? We have to convey a way of order and readability to our thoughts. By being extra aware of our thought course of, our consciousness naturally turns into sharper, extra exact, and extra discriminating. As soon as we’ve created some psychological area, we will start to glimpse thoughts’s nature and the play of its artistic vitality. Step by step, we will additional let go of the ideas, labels, and judgments that maintain our thoughts shifting, unsettled, and tense. We will start to loosen up, broaden, and inhabit a brand new dimension of presence and openness.
There are two major varieties of meditation within the Mahamudra custom: Mahamudra shamatha, or resting within the nature of thoughts, and Mahamudra vipashyana, or clear seeing. The main focus of our consideration is the thoughts itself, versus something exterior. You probably have a background of sitting meditation and are accustomed to that apply, then studying to relaxation within the nature of thoughts will be quite simple, straightforward, and easy.
What does it imply to relaxation within the nature of thoughts, and the way can we do it? We might imagine that to meditate, we’ve to pay attention, we’ve to give attention to one thing. The precise meditation of Mahamudra will not be actually about that. It’s extra about understanding the best way to relaxation our thoughts and let it loosen up in its personal state. That may be difficult, as a result of on one hand we have to be aware and keep current, and on the opposite, we have to let go of any stress and simply loosen up. So one of the best apply is the center approach, discovering a steadiness between nondistraction and leisure.
We could also be apprehensive that we’ve too many ideas and are usually not relaxed sufficient, or that our focus will not be in the appropriate place. However leisure will come naturally if we maintain doing it. That’s the important thing factor—to maintain doing it.
At first, that will really feel synthetic, but when we maintain doing it, it turns into easy. It’s like once we begin studying the best way to drive a automobile. It’s very worrying once we first get behind the wheel. Our eyes are glued to the highway. We’re holding onto the steering wheel so tightly we will really feel the strain in our shoulders. At first it’s an intense, scary expertise, however the extra we find out about driving, the extra we loosen up.
In the identical approach, Mahamudra meditation can really feel unnatural and worrying at first. We could also be apprehensive that we’ve too many ideas and are usually not relaxed sufficient, or that our focus will not be in the appropriate place. However leisure will come naturally if we maintain doing it. That’s the important thing factor—to maintain doing it. Then the expertise of area, consciousness, and leisure will come naturally.
Meditation: Mahamudra
First, take your seat on a cushion or chair in an upright and relaxed place. Take a second to really feel the cushion, the posture of your physique, the angle of the thoughts, and the motion of the breath. Sit quietly for a number of minutes, gently letting go of your ideas till you’re feeling a way of calmness.
Subsequent, convey consciousness to the eyes and look instantly into the area in entrance. Then merely loosen up comfy and relaxation within the current second, in nowness. On one hand, there’s a way of specializing in the area, however on the opposite, there’s no explicit spot to give attention to. The gaze is like area itself, extensive and spacious.
No matter comes up within the current, whether or not it’s a thought, emotion, or notion, attempt to meet it with out judgment or remark. Relaxation the thoughts in that very expertise, whether or not you regard it nearly as good or unhealthy, nice or disagreeable. There’s no want to alter or enhance it or search for a greater place to relaxation. Relaxation the thoughts the place it’s and simply as it’s.
In Mahamudra meditation, it isn’t adequate simply to acknowledge the presence of ideas and feelings; we have to acknowledge their true nature and relaxation inside that have. So infrequently in meditation, mirror on the three fundamental traits of thoughts: vacancy, readability, and consciousness.
The vacancy of the thoughts is one thing we will “see,” so to talk. After we take a look at the thoughts, it’s like infinite area. It has no restrict. It has no materials kind, shade, or form. There’s nothing we will contact. That area, that openness, is the empty nature of our thoughts. When considering thoughts’s vacancy, expertise the spacious, insubstantial, nonmaterial high quality of thoughts, of ideas and feelings, and go away the thoughts in a state of ease and complete openness.
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This thoughts isn’t just empty, nonetheless. It additionally has a vivid readability, an infinite and huge luminosity, which is the radiance of vacancy itself. It’s like a large, clear sky crammed with gentle. This expertise of area with gentle is the expertise of nice compassion and lovingkindness, or unbiased nice love past idea. It manifests within the vibrant vitality of our ideas, feelings, and perceptions. We will see it in each expertise of thoughts, particularly within the highly effective show of our feelings.
As soon as once more, sit quietly till you’re feeling a way of calmness. Then ponder the readability facet of thoughts. Look instantly at no matter varieties, ideas, or feelings come up: all are the pure expression of this luminous nature. Look past the article and expertise the radiance of vacancy, resting relaxed inside that fundamental presence of readability.
The readability facet of thoughts has the facility of understanding, seeing, and experiencing the world. When a room is stuffed with gentle, we will see all of the objects surrounding us. In the identical approach, the sunshine of our thoughts makes appearances clear and distinct. After we take into consideration an object, our thoughts naturally produces a picture for it. Whether or not we’re enthusiastic about Bart Simpson or His Holiness the Karmapa, the picture we see is an expression of thoughts’s clear, playful, artistic vitality.
Thoughts will not be solely empty and clear; it has the standard of panoramic and discriminating consciousness. Whereas readability is the compassion facet of thoughts, consciousness is the wakeful facet. It’s the sharp, penetrating intelligence (prajna) that sees by any confusion and completely understands the world it sees. With readability and consciousness coming collectively, we expertise the total energy and good thing about compassion and knowledge in our lives.
After we are capable of relaxation on this nature with out an excessive amount of stress from attempting too exhausting to focus or focus, we will start to expertise real leisure.
As earlier than, now relaxation the thoughts for a number of moments. Let go of any ideas of hope or worry, and calm the thoughts. Relaxation the gaze within the open area in entrance. Carry our thoughts into the current second and loosen up, merely experiencing the standard of consciousness. Then let go of even that and loosen up with none thought. Once more, we convey ourselves again into the current second of consciousness. Calm down comfy and expertise the thoughts as empty and luminous.
With consciousness, we expertise the three elements of thoughts in union and the wholeness of thoughts’s nature. After we hear directions to meditate on the thoughts or to relaxation in thoughts’s true nature, it’s this union of vacancy, readability, and consciousness. After we are capable of relaxation on this nature with out an excessive amount of stress from attempting too exhausting to focus or focus, we will start to expertise real leisure.
Enjoyable on this area is without doubt one of the strongest meditations resulting in a direct expertise of buddha thoughts. With this expertise, we will convey a brand new degree of understanding and ability into our on a regular basis life. The knowledge and compassion we manifest will remodel the as soon as disturbing energies of our ideas and feelings into one thing very helpful and highly effective that may convey concerning the expertise of enlightenment.
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