Awareness and Knowledge, 13 February 1989, part 1

So we’re trying to engage in the practice of the great vehicle. And what what means are we making use? What is the purpose of practicing or seeking to engage in the great vehicle? We’re seeking to So in developing our mind, it’s necessary to understand how we’re going to improve our mind. And this is coming from an understanding of the nature of reality.

It’s due to our confusion or delusion that we’re As the best way of developing a mind, improving our mind is that on the one hand we must accumulate positive potential, but this in itself is not enough. This practice of accumulating positive potential or positive energy and merit must also be accompanied with the practice of listening to the teachings. But again, this is not sufficient in itself. We must meditate on the teachings. So it’s this threefold method whereby to improve our mind.

That is the three of accumulating the collection of positive potential, listening to the various teachings, and meditating on them. In the case of planting a field, simply having the seed is in itself not sufficient to to have to develop a crop. We need all the various types of cooperative conditions and such as water, earth, fertilizer, etcetera. And likewise, we need various cooperative conditions to come together in order to improve our mind. So according to the the tradition of the great master, Je Tsongkhapa, in coming to quick realizations of the path developing our mind, he said that the quickest method before bringing this about is at first to create a great accumulation of positive potential, listen to the teachings, and make requests to one’s meditational deity as inseparable from the one’s lama. In in this regard, to this effect, in order to improve our mind, to develop our mind, to actually engage in mind training, one of the most efficient methods for developing And this is complemented with the practices of listening and meditating on the teaching. And so on the one hand increasing the collection of merit, the accumulation of positive potential, and on the other hand the necessity to increase our wisdom. And this is done through the practice that we just did previously making a request to But is to be seen as inseparable from one’s one’s from one’s spiritual teacher and seen and holding this bond of the inseparability of the teacher and in one in one’s mind making request to that the teachers might increase one’s wisdom. So when we talk about one spiritual master, the lama, if making request to one’s individual lama, that is what other spiritual teaching that you have that you have faith in, that making it seem that your lama is inseparable entity or inseparable by nature, So, you know, please think about these things that I I just mentioned that if creating these these states working in this way, then it’s it would be extremely beneficial for developing your mind, for training your mind, and not only will it help yourself, but it would also help others.

This is, you know, this this advice that Rinpoche has given you, he’s directing toward those who are coming to the regular teaching schedule or regular courses that we’re giving at Buddha House for those types of public talks where people aren’t perhaps as involved in the actual practice, then he does not give such such types of advice. So in our teaching on opening the eye of new awareness, we have completed the first of the three higher trainings, the higher training ethics, and we’ve arrived at the the second of the three higher trainings, higher training meditative meditative stabilization. So in talking about the previous training that is the higher training in ethics. This involved the going for refuge to the Three Jewels and taking and abandoning the three destructive actions, the three non virtuous actions, the three, the 10 destructive actions, and implementing the opposite of those, the 10 constructive actions. And this is the basis of training in ethics.

So ethics is the foundation of the two further trainings in in meditative stabilization and wisdom just as in the case of the earth is a foundation in which we plant the the ground in which we plant the our field and we we are able to give rise and produce worldly crops. Likewise, ethics is the foundation of the field in which we plant the remaining two higher trainings of of Meditative Stabilization meditative stabilization and wisdom. So the meaning of meditational stabilization is that is the mind abiding, resting, abiding one pointedly without distraction on a virtuous object is the meaning of meditative stabilization. So if we give an example of what we mean by meditative stabilization, simply that when we’re meditating, if we take as an object of observation, constructive object, a virtuous object such as emptiness, and we rest our mind, abide on that object single pointed without being distracted to other objects. This is an example of meditative stabilization.

The object can be, for example, selflessness, impermanence, any type of constructive or virtuous object. The mind rests or abides on that object without a single point in the without diffusion and without being distracted to other objects. These are all examples of meditative stabilization. So the the Meditative Stabilization meditative meditative stabilization is common both to Buddhist and non-Buddhist practitioners. It’s not confined to Buddhist practice.

But here we’re talking about the higher training in meditative stabilization. And the reason it’s called it’s referred to as higher is because because it’s higher than non-Buddhist practices whereby from the point of view of taking refuge in the Buddha Dharma and Sangha, having taking refuge in those taking refuge in those objects, one engages in meditative stabilization and such a meditative stabilization So in dependence upon meditative stabilization as it increases in strength, we can obtain calm abiding and gaining the various types of special insights. But also it acts as a cause for the development of four concentrations and the four absorptions and rebirth in such types of form and formless realms. If if we use the Meditabl state stabilization accompanied accompanied with the understanding of emptiness, then it acts as a cause for attaining liberation. If in addition to that, it accompanies the mind of enlightenment, bodhicitta that serves as a cause for Buddhahood.

So we use use meditative stabilization as a means of progressing through the a means of foundation to the foundation for progressing through the path. First, developing the simple single-minded concentration which is increasing the stability of such a line until we actually attain calm abiding. Taking calm abiding depends upon that gaining special insight. And finally, coupling these two calm abiding and special insight as it means to progress along the path. So meditative stabilization is extremely important.

Only depends upon meditative stabilization that we can progress through either of the three vehicles. The vehicle of the hearer, the vehicle of the solitary realizer, the the great vehicle, the great vehicle, that we are able to attain all the various paths and grounds without meditative stabilization, then there’s no way that we can attain these realization. So in the actual development progressing through meditate in meditative stabilization till one actually attains calm abiding, there are the actual method is overcoming the various faults, and there are said to be five faults in attaining eventual calm abiding. So the the first of the five faults which act as discordant factors in the cultivation of meditative stabilization is laziness. And this is a lack of enthusiasm for the attainment of calm abiding that and a lack of faith in the excellent qualities of calm abiding that one simply puts it off again and again.

One doesn’t meditate today and thinking again thinking that you will meditate tomorrow and then tomorrow come. And again, you put it off. So then the second fault is forgetfulness. And then initially in training of calm abiding, we may actually we take an object of observation. We for example, an image of a Buddha, and we we examine the image very well.

And though we’re examining it with the eye, the meditative stabilization or calm abiding is not is not a function of the eye consciousness. We’re not trying to see things with the eye. We’re trying to see things with the mental consciousness. So look, examining it, thinking, oh, where is the foot? Where is the hand?

Examining it very well with the eye. And then, actually, when you’re in meditation, then one is no longer using the eye consciousness. One is trying to have the appearance arise before the mental consciousness. So this is a you know, we like we all like to meditate. And so this is, you know, going through this method of actually taking calm abiding is is quite a useful discussion.

So in developing calm abiding, we can we can take various objects as an object as a basis for observation a base for observation. And within the Sūtra tradition, the most preferable object is is a Buddha image. It is said that it’s you’re taking a Buddha image, then it’s an easy image to take and to make use of, and it’s in trying to have it appear to our mind, we actually are involving our mind in a very constructive action. It’s a very we develop a virtuous mind simply by seeking to have this appear in our mind by the very nature of the object. Of course, we can take if we’re involved in the the Tantric tradition, then we can we might take another object observation.

In non-Buddhist tradition, they develop in calm abiding. They take various objects such as a piece of a piece of wood or a stone, a piece like this. So when we have examined the object and we’re seeking to have it appear to our mental consciousness, that is we’re trying to remember the object, we will we will have a tendency to forget the object. When we forget the object of observation, this is called forgetting the precept or forgetting the advice, And this forgetfulness is the second fault, which is the which is acts as an obstacle to to develop the meditative stabilization. The third fault.

With respect to laxity, first the object is simply not clear to our mind. As this would begin to degenerate and there will the actual object will be as if covered over with darkness. There’s obscuration of black a darkness or blackness appears. And finally, this will degenerate into sleep. So then the the second of this pair is excitement.

And this is when the mind is able to abide on the object, it’s unable to rest on the object. It keeps going outside. That is, you know, we might think about our home. We might think about going to town. We might think about having a cup of tea, eating some food, wherever.

It’s always going somewhere else than than investing on the object itself. In neither of these two cases is the mind able to abide on the object. These are, you know, going to one extreme or the other of the other, and therefore, both of these are said to be at fault. So in in actually developing calm abiding, we need to make use of two aspects of two factors of mind simultaneously as if two parts of there are two parts of our mind acting together. One of them is able to actually rest, abide on the object, and the second that is introspection or sometimes as awareness is checking, and observing whether the mind is resting, abiding on the object and how well it’s resting and abiding on the object.

So it requires that we have this that the have this factor of both being being able So one one part of our mind that is the factor of introspection awareness is acting as if a spy. It’s it’s examining whether the mind is abiding, is is resting on the object of observation, and if and how it’s resting object of observation. It’s and so it’s always examining sort of like a spy. If if in fact, the mind is either involved in the faults of laxity or excitement, then then it’s necessary to make use of an antidote to correct that. If if instead of making use of an antidote, we do not cease this fault of excitement or laxity, we let it continue, then this is the fourth fault of the which is to be abandoned.

The fourth fault in developing calm abiding that is not applying the antidote. Having come to through this introspection coming to identify the fault of laxity or excitement and applying applying the proper antidote to correct that that fault. Then once the fault has ceased, if we were to still apply an antidote unnecessarily, though there, in fact, is no laxity or there’s no excitement present, we are still applying the antidote as if there were, then this would be the fifth fault or the overapplication of antidotes when it’s not necessary. The overapplication. Overapplication.

By that, I mean, applying an antidote when it’s not necessary, when there’s no fault. It in itself is a fault itself is a fault. So these are the the five faults for the development of calm abiding. The first being laziness, and this is having no no enthusiasm for the development of calm abiding. The second is forgetting the advice. So in overcoming these faults, we we employ we employ the various antidotes, and there are there are eight antidotes which overcome them.

So with respect to the first fault with respect to the first fault of laziness, there are four antidotes. Then with the remaining four remaining four faults, there is an antidote for each of those. One antidote for each. So with respect to the four antidotes overcoming the the first fault of laziness, we’ve talked about these when we studied awareness and knowledge before. These the four antidotes are faith, aspiration, effort, and pliancy.

So how do we actually employ these four antidotes? And actually thinking about the method for overcoming the fault and the laziness. First, we have to consider the excellent qualities of meditative stabilization whereby we develop faith. So in the same way that developing, looking at the excellent qualities, the excellent and the great benefits to be derived from developing that stabilization. We developed this as a means of gaining faith.

As a way of example, that if someone were very lazy, they looked at on, you know, going into business, for example, as very difficult, lots of trouble, too much they can’t be bothered with it. But if another person were to come along and said, you know, well, look, you know, it’s it’s look what you could all the profit that you could get this year, You know, it talks about all the great advantages of going into business, the great profits that could be gained, all the the benefit that you could get out of she could get out of going into business. Two years from now, could have so much money. Three years from now, you could have so much property. In this way, developing your enthusiasm, seeing the big benefits to derive, likewise, and developing and seeing excellent qualities of meditative stabilization.

What the big benefits are we develop faith in the benefits.