Audio recorded at Buddha House Adelaide. Transcript auto-generated and AI-corrected; may contain errors.
About this talk. A sentry who watches for enemies but cannot fight them — Khensur Rinpoche uses this image to define introspection in this 49-minute session on calm abiding. Opening with Śāntideva’s argument for using human rebirth now rather than later, he then focuses on the two faults that make calm abiding impossible if unchecked: sinking and scattering. He maps out four varieties — gross and subtle sinking (object dim, then dim and weak) and gross and subtle scattering (object lost, then mind partly drifting elsewhere) — using melting ice beneath a frozen surface to illustrate the subtle forms. Introspection is the watcher, not the fighter: engage it only when concentration wavers, not continuously, or it becomes its own distraction. The session closes tallying all eight antidotes. Suited to practitioners engaged in active calm abiding retreat.
File metadata (for organising)
File: 08 CA 1994 06.mp3
UUID: 1fe1bd87-7ea8-4faa-a6a6-2dbfa9cd3040
Teacher: Khensur Rinpoche
Collection: Calm Abiding Retreat (Khensur Rinpoche)
Date: 1994 (exact day not recorded)
Recorded at: Buddha House Adelaide
Duration: 48.8 minutes
Words: ~3,122
Teacher Śāntideva advises, at this time when I have been born as human with all the freedoms and endowments, if I do not engage in virtuous actions once fallen in the lower rebirth, how can I dare do the virtuous activities? In the universes, there are various species of beings, sentient beings and they all equally do not want suffering, they equally do want happiness. But in our case as humans born with all the capability we have special, we have distinct quality where if we from our side put the effort we can do meaningful correct spiritual practice, can do Dharma practice. If that’s the case then it becomes necessary that this is the time we really should be doing something in the correct and meaningful spiritual way. And that’s at first in brief that advice is explained.
At present when we know and when we can go about with removing sufferings and attaining happiness, it is time we should be doing them because if we miss this opportunity once if we are in those states of lower rebirths unfortunate rebirths the migrations, there we will not have similar knowledge or awareness and the capability to remove suffering and to attain happiness in that situation due to ignorance, there will be continued sufferings all the time. In those lower rebirths, one from one side due to ignorance would not know how to attain happiness and how to remove suffering, on top of that one would not encounter someone who would show the path how to achieve those two. In that way it is a situation where really one is completely helpless, one doesn’t have anyone to rely upon because one can’t, one doesn’t have that source at all, so one even doesn’t have someone who would show the correct path correct path to start with. Talking about the lower rebirths and their situation, we can relate even with reference to those forms of lower rebirth which visibly we can see such as same species of beings in the ocean, the marine life, more so when we look on television documentaries about marine life you see how terrible and despicable in the sense how pitiful their appearances, their place of residence and the way how they live it out amongst each other.
It is very pitiful because appearance wise it’s very ugly even though in western sense someone might say it’s beautiful, some of them look but actually speaking yeah appearance was it’s very ugly and the place so crowded and gloomy and so forth. And the way how they deal with each other is full of attachment and hatred, one eating the other or attacking attacking the other and so forth so it is where not only there is problems and sufferings there is also impure thoughts so grossly engaged and they are in a situation where they don’t have the knowledge, the awareness, how to remove sufferings and how to attain happiness. Now these are the cases where we visibly can see. Now there are so many countless of forms of lower rebirths inclusive to the three which are not subject to our ordinary senses inside but which are far more unbearable and so much of suffering. There are so many of them.
Now thinking in such a way it would really make us feel some sort of restlessness that I can’t afford myself be let down to be born in such lower forms of rebirths. The forms of lower rebirth others are experiencing. But it is, after all, even in our case, a matter of just a birth because so far the life is sustained by birth. The ones we breathe in and not able to breathe out, well that’s it. We are dead and rebirth has to be assumed, rebirth has to be taken and it is definitely uncertain that we would attain higher rebirth and we cannot be sure that we as well would be born in such form of rebirth and can we imagine if whether we can actually bear such sufferings if we are say born in those rebirths?
Now, how then we are to make ourselves rescued from such sufferings? Well, it is only the Dharma, the perfect guide, the instructions which would rescue us from such sufferings and regarding the Dharma, the instruction, teaching themselves there are something which we have to acquire as part of our mental continuum that we have to produce, generate Dharma within our mental continuum, mind stream. It is not something that Dharma is to be put up higher on some abstract platform and our mind and our state of mind has to be distant somewhere lower, that’s not the case. It is where the Dharma, the instruction, the teaching, the qualities need to be generated onto our mind stream on torment or continuum. And to be able to do that we then have to rely on the three supreme rare ones, Three Jewels, that we need to rely on someone who shows that unmistaken path, the Dharma, therefore we rely on Buddha and we also rely on someone in the community and someone who guided us as a companion, as an inspirational source on our practice and that’s why we have the third Jivasandha which is not spelled so Dharma including and are whom we rely on in order to produce Dharma in our mind stream.
Here, what is meant by producing Dharma onto our continuum, here it would more specifically refer the excellent qualities and the path realization in accordance with the Mahāyāna and the great vehicle system. As regards with that, that would mainly start with firstly generating within one’s mind stream bodhicitta the mind of enlightenment, so here as well in the beginning it becomes necessary for us that we try to generate this mind of enlightenment, bodhicitta, and in trying to do that we think that in order to benefit all mother sentient beings, I must somehow at any rate attain Buddhahood. To be able to achieve the state of enlightenment one needs to start by making one’s body and the mind peaceful. As how to make one’s body peaceful it involves practice of morality where mainly one concentrates in guarding or controlling the misdeeds done through body and speech which comprise of seven non virtuous actions, three through body or physical actions, four through verbal actions or speech, so these needs to be controlled and guarded and one then makes one’s body peaceful. As how as how to make one’s mind peaceful, one applies the practice of meditative concentration where one overcomes the five mental forms in meditative concentration by applying the eight antidotes and gradually even achieving the state of calm abiding.
So that’s how one makes the two peaceful and then relating these two practices here as our present topic we can here in the beginning think due to such foundational linked importance of the calm abiding practice. I will here for the coming day engage in the learning, reflection, and meditation on the topic of calm abiding. Now here with regards to the calm abiding, there is the instruction that one needs to overcome the five one needs to overcome the five faults and apply apply the eight antidotes through which it is possible so that is what is explained in the teaching called Differentiating the Middle and the Extremes by Acharya Asaṇga. Now in accordance to that, we first, yesterday went through the during the preparatory stage, the whole to overcome was laziness, which, would initially one may not have the interest, the lacking to do the practice at all. Later on if one does happen to pick it up, one may not endure long.
Or one may think I won’t be able to do it, then I will not be achieve it. So laziness can come through those three ways and to overcome that one needs to apply faith, interest, effort and plant which is considered as knowing the benefits of calm abiding. So that’s how laziness is overcome. The second fault when one does the practice on calm abiding meditation is forgetting the instruction. Let’s say by that it means if the concentration object, the focus object was a Buddha, then it means forgetting that object or focus, that image when one is meditating or concentrating on that object.
To overcome that fault or weakness or hindrance one needs to apply the force or power of mindfulness by retaining the object within one’s concentration, within one’s focus, and not letting it be lost. So it is the power of mindfulness one applies to overcome the hindrance of forgetting the object. Later, when one is still maintaining the object of focus through mindfulness, then while maintaining that, then the faults which might creep into are the next two faults combined into one list, sinking and scattering. How they would happen is with regards to sinking, when one remains focused on the object, there would be the mind concentrating on the object, therefore there would be abiding part, but the object may not be very clearly appearing to one’s concentration. And that is sinking and it is gross sinking.
Later on, although there is the abiding and the clarity of the object appearing, but yet there is not enough strength of concentration. When that happens, it is the fault of subtle sinking. By scattering, it means when one’s mind is focusing on the object, later on one may altogether lose the object due to the mind wandering or scattering away to some other objects or directions. So the object is not retained anymore in concentration in one’s focus. That is scattering, but it is gross scattering.
And now when one’s mind is focused on the object of focus and mind still is not losing the object of focus. There is a retention of of the object, but yet one portion of one’s mind is thinking about something else. It is one portion of one’s mind is distracted towards others. When that happens, that is called subtle scattering. And these two are then the two types of the scatterings.
Now with regards to subtle sinking or subtle scattering, we can give an example, say, frozen water, which which becomes ice. And although being in the nature of water, presently frozen as ice, when sun shines and if part of the ice melts, then underneath, although on the surface it may be ice, underneath the melted ice would drift away into liquid water away. So that is an example where we observe the ice on the surface on the top is there, but some part of it is drifting away. If sinking and scattering creeps into one’s practice, then it is not possible at all to achieve, calm abiding in the sense as long as if they creep into one’s practice. Therefore, one needs to, keep watch, keep a watch, that these two do not creep into one’s, meditation on calm abiding.
It would be similar case like as if we would install sentries who would keep an eye if there are some sabotage or enemies, agents creeping into the territory or not. Like that, that suggests an extent of example like that. Here one needs to install a sentry of watchers and how that is done in the context of practices. One’s mindfulness part of the mind retains the object of focus. While retaining it one needs to have a portion of one’s mind keeping an eye whether sinking and scattering are creeping into one’s focus or not.
One needs to watch if gross scattering is creeping or subtle scattering is creeping or gross sinking and subtle sinking is creeping or not. And that very other part of the mind keeping an eye, keeping watch that these do not creep into is called the mind of introspection. So whatever its English, literal meaning would be, it is called the mind of introspection by that way of definition and it is therefore a mind which keeps an eye on these two faults. Or we can say inspecting mind and introspecting mind. When the object of focus is being retained well by mindfulness, then it is not necessary for one to apply introspection, keeping an eye on keeping an eye on sinking and scattering.
It is only when one feels that perhaps there now may have crept into in one’s focus, sinking and scattering, then one applies introspection, watchfulness of the mind. So in a way we can say when one is quite doubtful due to the mindfulness and the focus of the object is not that one one feels not that clear clear and right. With such then it is necessary to apply introspection. This in essence would then mean that one need not apply introspection all the time when the object of the focus is being retained by mindfulness. It needs to be applied only if one thinks that perhaps one’s focus and concentration is not that going well.
The reason why introspection need not be applied all the time is because it could become hindrance for the mind retaining the object of focus. Because by nature introspection is a part is a function of mind which is doing something, an act of watching, and that itself is, if it is not necessary, that itself is taking the mind away from retaining the object of focus. Time and the moment when to apply introspection is only when one is doubtful about the quality of retention of object or focus. Apart from that, it is not appropriate time and moment to apply introspection. By way of example, we can say nations install sentry of spies and watchers only if there is a doubt that war might break out or some kind of hostile activity may be launched by the other camp.
Apart from that, it is not necessary during all the peacetime, generally speaking, it is not necessary to, install sentry of watchers and espionage spies and so forth. So like that here, it is not necessary to, apply all the time. But then also it would mean it is not as well not correct to not apply introspection at all. To do without it completely would be wrong. That would be like a case where, some amount of sentry of watcher needs to be applied, needs to be installed on the border territory, because in the complete absence of that, once the enemy agents have crept into and then if all the damages has been done, then one has lost.
So that’s where the human part was, one has lost. And how one has lost is one would be bashed, one would be robed, one would be sabotaged and all that. So that’s what would happen. And in that way, yes, one needs to apply when there is a doubt, but not do without it completely. And if one does what’s called do without introspection completely then sinking and scattering would creep into one’s focus as a consequence one will never achieve calm abiding.
What then is introspection? Well, Śāntideva explains in his writing, Engaging in the Bodhisattva Deeds, analyzing the state of one’s body and mind again and again. That in brief is explained in the discourses as the definition of introspection. Here of course we must be clear that that is introspection in general as regards to all spiritual Dharma practices that one repeatedly analyzes one’s state of body by which it means that one keep watch on one’s physical actions done through body such as non virtuous actions amongst the ten non virtuous actions. Along with that are included the watching of the misdeeds, non virtuous actions through speech, and in brief we can say in terms of general reference keeping an eye watching the activities whether they are virtuous or non virtuous would be included as watching the misdeeds of the ten non virtuous ways and by nature, by that very nature we can say introspection by nature is inclusive to wisdom, analyzing whether one is going the right direction or one is falling into the wrong direction.
Here in the specific context of calm abiding practice, introspection mainly refers to the mind which keeps an eye whether the object of focus is appearing clear to one’s concentration or not, and if that is appearing clear, then making sure whether the retention is of enough strength. And in that way, it is, watching the quality of concentration which implies which inclusively imply keeping an eye on the hindrances such as sink scattering and thinking that would would not let that happen. So if there is the retention of the focused object, but if it is not appearing clearly, that means gross sinking has crept into one’s practice. If the object of focus is lost altogether, then gross scattering has crept into. If the object of focus is still retained, but a portion of one’s mind is distracted somewhere else, that means subtle scattering has crept into.
And as an initial approach, one needs to apply introspection, applying introspection, checking that these are happening to one’s meditation, to one’s concentration or not. Now here the point is by nature introspection itself is not the antidote which overcomes sinking and scattering. It is just the watching preliminary part to the actual applying of the antidote because introspection itself does not remove sinking and scattering. It is only the next antidote, which is application or applying the antidote, which is the actual means to overcome scattering and sinking. The sentry of spies themselves do not combat against the enemies.
They only pass on the message that the enemy has crept into the territory. It is only the actual army, the soldiers who combat against the enemies who have come into the territory. So like that example, introspection itself is not the actual means to overcome scattering and thinking. The actual means are applying the antidote, and that is followed by not applying the antidote when it is not necessary. So introspection is just the one which keeps an eye.
And if, if the actual thinking and scattering does or do creep creep into it, then one applies the antidote and, one doesn’t apply the antidote if it is not necessary. Now going through the number of lists of the antidotes so far covered were the four. And the and in this present list against thinking and scattering, we have the next four list of the, antidotes. Introspection mindfulness, introspection, application, and non application. So application is applying when it is right, and non application is not applying when it is not necessary.
And therefore, we have eight antidotes.