Audio recorded at Buddha House Adelaide. Transcript auto-generated and AI-corrected; may contain errors.
About this talk. In this 102-minute session, Khensur Rinpoche surveys four classical methods for cultivating calm abiding. He opens with Shāntarakshita’s elephant metaphor — the wandering mind staked to a meditation object by the rope of mindfulness and checked by the iron hook of introspection — then presents the Vinaya approach, which requires cutting off laxity and excitement immediately with antidotes. Two contrasting methods follow, from the Great Brahman and the siddha Saraha: rather than suppressing thoughts, one simply observes them as they arise and dissolve — like a bird released over open ocean that finds no perch and returns to the ship. Rinpoche weighs Tsongkhapa’s concern that these freer methods risk weakening mindfulness, then closes by explaining how Nyingma, Kagyu, Sakya, and Gelug each approach practice from the perspective of fruit, path, or base respectively. Suited to practitioners already working through a Mahāmudrā instruction series.
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File: 11 MM 1997 02 04.mp3
UUID: 29b8c87e-807e-4c47-821b-818ee47cb893
Teacher: Khensur Rinpoche
Collection: Mahāmudrā 1996-97 (Khensur Rinpoche)
Date: 1997-02-04
Recorded at: Buddha House Adelaide
Duration: 102.3 minutes
Words: ~3,851
We’ll begin by cultivating as our motivation the precious awakening heart by meditating for a few moments. I must free all sentient beings equal to space from all of their undesired suffering and lead them into consummate happiness. But when we question and look to see whether, in fact, we do have the ability whereby to free all living beings from suffering and to lead them to complete happiness, we see that, in fact, we don’t. That at present, we merely have a kind hearted attitude that wishes to do so. How are we to gain such an ability in fact?
It’s necessary that we eliminate all our various faults, that is to say the afflictive emotions, and through that gathering together all the excellent qualities. If we do that, then we have gained such an ability. If we are to free others from their suffering and to lead them to complete happiness, there is no way that we can do that if we ourselves still have faults, if we ourselves have not brought consummation our excellent qualities. Therefore, I must attain a state where I have eliminated all my faults and brought to consummation all my excellent qualities. And having once attained such a state, then I will lead all living beings to a state of complete bliss.
This is the awakened heart. In order to accomplish this task, I must initially begin by listening to the essence of the universal vehicle, those teachings on the great seal, the Mahāmudrā. Having listened to them, I can then reflect upon again and again upon their meaning, and then finally meditate on them, and thereby eliminate all my various faults and bring to fulfillment all my excellent qualities. And to that end, I’m going to listen to today’s teaching on the great seal. And having listened, I will put it into practice.
So within our present text, which is composed by Pänchen Lama Losang Chökyi Gyaltsen, he does not set out the method of cultivating calm abiding in terms of abandoning the five faults by means of application of the eight antidotes. The reason that he doesn’t set it out is that this has been set out in great detail by Je Tsongkhapa in his extensive explanation of the graduated path, the Lam Rim. But he does set out the method of cultivation in terms of the nine mental abidings. So I have previously explained the method abandoning the five faults by means of application of the eight antidotes in accordance with the explanation given in Jetsün Tsongkhapa’s Lam Rim, the graduated path. So one can cultivate calm abiding in accordance with this, what has been explained up to now in terms of abandoning the five faults by means of applying the eight antidotes.
And I will not at present go into the explanation of the means of cultivating calm abiding in terms of the nine mental abidings. I will now turn to the means as explained in the present text by Losang Chökyi Gyaltsen. So the method of cultivating calm abiding which Losang Chökyi Gyaltsen is setting out is that which was used previous to Je Tsongkhapa by such great meditation masters as the translator Marpa and Milarepa previously in Tibet. So it is taught here that beginning one begins with a practice of union with the spiritual master or Guru Yoga, making very intense requests to the spiritual master upon having made requests. In answer to that request, the spiritual master dissolves into oneself, into one’s mind, becoming an inseparable entity with one’s own mind.
How are we to proceed in accordance with this present method? We are to set aside any thought of the future, any thoughts which might think toward the future time of having desires. I hope this goes well, or I hope I might get this. Or on the other hand, I hope this doesn’t happen in the future. I hope I don’t have these types of troubles in the future.
There’s various types of conceptions which might arise with regard to future possibilities. Also, with any types of future hopes that we might have about the future. We are setting aside all of those various hopes and conceptions about what may come in the future. We set aside all our thoughts about the past, whatever we may have done, the various activities, the works that we’ve been involved in. We set aside those.
So we are seeking to set aside all thoughts which pertain both to the future and the present, and beginning to dwell only within the immediate present. So there are different textual sources on how we are to proceed. The first of which we will look at is that of the great Indian master, Acharya master Shāntarakshita. So in setting out the means of cultivation according to Shāntarakshita, he makes use of a metaphor in the means of how we are to conceive of cultivating, and then it goes on to explain his metaphor in terms of the actual mind itself. Here in this metaphor, we’re going to make use of an elephant, and thinking of an elephant that’s continually running off, running away, and that how are we to confine the elephant?
How are we to stop it from running away? Well, it’s necessary that it be staked. So we have the idea of firm, stable stake, and that the elephant is now tied to the stake, this firmly implanted stake, by means of a rope. But even in this case, if the elephant is still in uncontrolled, that we we we then apply an iron hook in subduing it. So in this metaphor, the elephant is analogous to our own minds.
Just as in the case of an elephant, our minds are always running around, always running loose, especially running to the outside objects. So it’s necessary to begin, just as in the case of elephant, to begin to subdue the elephant of our mind. So just as in the case of in the process of bringing the elephant under control and then so it doesn’t run off, it’s necessary that we tie it to a stake which is firmly planted. And here, the stake which is firmly planted is analogous to the object of our observation, the object which we have taken on the basis of which we’re cultivating calm abiding. So we’re going to tie the elephant of the mind to that object of our meditation, and we tie it with a rope, and the rope is analogous to mindfulness.
Having having tied the the elephant of the mind to the stake of the object by means of the rope of mindfulness, we then have to go on to look to see is the elephant still moving away? Is it still out of control? Is it still going out in terms of our meditation? Is the mind still straying outside? And that which does this examination is the factor of introspection.
So this is in the case of the elephant, that in order that it not stray, even with the length of the rope which is provided, it’s necessary that we begin to bring it we begin to draw it in, begin to bring it under control. And this is done by means of the iron hook that and this iron hook is analogous to the factor of introspection, that when the mind is strained, and here the strain is in terms of whether laxity or excitement are rising. If laxity is arising, then it is introspection, the iron hook of introspection, which brings it back to a correct balance. Or if the mind is beginning to become excited, it is introspection which is aware of that and initiates the bringing back into a balance. So the hook is analogous to introspection.
So this is the the method of cultivate the proceed the the process of meditation according to Shāntarakshita. So it is also taught here a method of cultivating and calm abiding according to Vinaya or the moral discipline. So, again, we’re making use of a metaphor and then explaining the meaning of this metaphor. So here, the metaphor is presented in terms of a gathering of monks who, in order to adhere to a strict discipline of ethics, are confined to perimeter in which they are to stay, and there is a doorway into this perimeter which they are not allowed to leave nor is anyone allowed to enter. So there’s a place where they their living quarters, and then there’s a a set around this living quarters.
So in the cultivation of calm abiding, it’s necessary that we make effort in developing powerful introspection and mindfulness. It is mindfulness which holds the mind to its object. And it is introspection which is able to examine to see whether the mind is upon the object or whether laxity and or laxity or excitement are arising. So in the meaning of this metaphor that we just made use of where the monks are confined to a confined area. And this being confined to this area, the perimeter fence, is analogous to mindfulness.
This is what confines them to their living quarters, to this compound where they are to remain. That factor is mindfulness. And if, in the case of the mind, if the mind is being held to the confine of the object of meditation by means of mindfulness. And it is introspection which observes whether laxity or excitement are arising, and immediately upon the detection of either of these, the mind does not allow these to continue, but immediately applies antidote. So, introspection examines to see whether the mind is upon the object, is being confined while being confined by mindfulness, and in context of being confined to the object of meditation.
Introspection also examines to see whether the factors of laxity or excitement are rising and upon the seeing that either of these are rising does not allow them to continue, but immediately cuts them off by applying an antidote. So it is through the through the factor of introspection that we we do not allow various faults to arise, that we, and if a fault were to develop, it immediately is brought to an end, It’s stopped. And if this is done, then the mind becomes extremely clear. In this stage the mind has no afflictive emotions present, nor is there any discursiveness. There are no conceptions arising within the mind. That, and taking that mind as the object, one then proceeds in the cultivation of calm abiding, either making, either loosening the mind, either loosening the mind with respect to that object, or perhaps tightening, but adjusting in terms of loosening and tightening with that particular mind as the object of cultivation.
If we can remain in that state, that is to say a state where the mind there is an absence of afflictive emotions, there is an absence of conceptuality, of discursiveness or thoughts, and the mind becomes extremely clear. We then hold that mind with our mindfulness, the factor of mindfulness, and we can begin, we will recognize the nature of the mind, the clarity of mind. So and then another explanation of cultivation from a text which I believe is called The Great Brahman. Here it talks about taking the mind as the object of observation and it is held by the factor of mindfulness, and it is observed by the factor of introspection. And within that context, one loosens and tightens.
So moving, holding the mind with mindful, holding the object of observation in the mind, holding that object of observation in the mind by means of the factor of mindfulness and observing it by means of the factor of introspection. One simply proceeds in that manner, first tightening and then loosening one’s grasp to object, and simply observes the mind. Now the difference here in this means of proceeding and previously, which was according to Vinaya or the moral discipline, was that if conceptuality were to arise, if laxity or excitement were to arise, we are to immediately put them to a stop, applying antidotes. Here, we don’t do that. We simply, whatever arises, we allow that to continue but simply observe the object of mind.
So, conceptions, whatever types of conceptions may arise, we, they, that may develop, we don’t seek to, to put them to an end. We simply observe them whether they are skillful thoughts or unskillful thoughts, whether they are thoughts associated with laxity or excitement. We simply remain observing the mind itself and what is arising within it. If we observe the various thoughts arising by means of our introspection, we will come to see that these thoughts do not remain, that they are continually dissolving back into emptiness, not into vacuity. They do not remain. They dissolve back into emptiness.
So as we observe, the concepts which are continually arising in the mind, the thoughts which are continually arising in the mind will dissolve of themselves. We will then begin to recognize that the mind itself in which the thoughts are arising is unobscured. It is pure. We will develop the ability to be able to see the continuity of this unobscured purity of the mind from one moment to the next. And then this becomes very stable meditation.
And then eventually in dependence upon that one will achieve calm abiding. So then there is another method listed in the text which is that of the accomplished Saraha, the siddha Saraha who was the teacher of Marpa. And he suggests this is similar to as it was mentioned in the great Brahman text, mindfulness holds tightly to the object of observation, and then there is a slightly loosening, slightly, slightly, one slightly loosens the grip of the mindfulness upon the object. If one exerts too strong a grasp at the object of observation, there is the danger of excitement arising. On the other hand, if one loosens, overly loosens, then there’s the danger of laxity.
So as was in the case Initially, holding tight and then slightly loosening is the means to proceed. So one abides in observation of the mind, whatever conceptual, simply observing whatever concepts or whatever thoughts may arise, whether they’re skillful or unskillful, whether they’re good or bad, one does not try to bring them to a stop, but simply continues to observe. So this great Indian siddha, this highly accomplished yogi, goes on to make use of a metaphor in describing the method. So this metaphor which is made use of, it concerns a ship which is set out on a vast ocean seeking a jeweled isle. And within this great ocean, I don’t know what this animal’s called, but it’s maybe like a dragon.
A huge, you know, a tree. Sea lion. Sea dragon. Serpent. A serpent.
Okay. Sea serpent. A huge mouth. Anyway, with a huge mouth. And there’s danger of this ship being lost down this sea serpent’s throat and sailing into its mouth.
It’s so big and being lost. It is and the sea serpent sleeps with its mouth open. There’s always this danger. And so to ensure that this doesn’t happen, that they don’t accidentally sail into the sea serpent’s mouth, on board they carry a bird and from time to time they set the bird free to flight and if the bird finds nowhere to alight, it returns to the ship. And then they can be sure that the sea serpent is not around because if the bird were not to return, then they can be assured that it’s alighted on the sea serpent and therefore is not returning and therefore they will know that they’ve got problems.
So knowing so knowing that when the bird returns, they know that the that the area is safe to continue. So they’re explaining this metaphor in terms of the cultivation of calm abiding, that in the course of the meditation many thoughts are arising. And we don’t try to stop the thoughts, that the thoughts will not remain, that the thoughts will, upon once arising, they will dissolve back into the mind itself. Just as in the case of the bird, having set the bird free, the bird circles and circles and circles, but there’s no place place for it to alight. So it returns from the place once it was set free.
It returns back to the ship. So in the cultivation of calm abiding, whichever of these methods that we might consider, it’s necessary that we cultivate mindfulness and the concern with the rising of laxity and excitement. But, so we’ve outlined in this explanation four different textual sources. Now the first one, there is the first one that of Shāntarakshita, and then the second was that according to Vinaya. In Vinaya, it’s clear that we are, with the rising of thoughts and the rising of laxity and excitement, we are to bring them to a stop.
In the latter two, the great Brahman and that of Sahara, we are not to bring these faults nor thoughts to a stop. In in the first death of Shāntarakshita, it’s not clear whether we are to observe. So in the explanation according to Shāntarakshita, it simply mentions that we are to hold the object by means of mindfulness and to observe by means of introspection, but it does not clearly mention whether we are to allow the thoughts and the faults to continue or not. So, you know, we, there have been these various texts for the, mentioned and as sources for the cultivation of achieving calm abiding. Je Tsongkhapa wonders whether these masters have seen the great texts which set out the means for calm abiding.
And by the great texts, he means Ārya Maitreya’s Discrimination of the Middle and Extremes which sets out the means of abandoning the five faults by applying the eight antidotes or that of Ārya Maitreya which sets out the means of achieving calm abiding by means of the nine mental abidings. What they’re saying and what has been mentioned is that one is to hold the object observation tightly and then loosen it and then loosen. And this is the means to achieve calm abiding. And it depends upon that comment. Tsongkhapa is wondering if these masters have seen these great texts of Maitreya and Asaṇga.
So the reason that this question comes up as to whether these masters have seen the great texts of Maitreya and Asaṇga is because, as was mentioned when we went through Maitreya’s method for achieving calm abiding, it was by means of overcoming the five faults by means of applying the eight antidotes. Lacked for examples that the antidotes, one of the antidotes was application, and one of the faults is that of non application. So if laxity, according to this system of cultivation, if laxity or if laxity or excitement were to rise, then this is a fault. And if one were simply to allow them to continue, then this would be a fault of non application. And therefore, this system, immediately upon the rise of any fault, and amongst those faults are laxity and excitement, one is to immediately apply an antidote.
If one does not immediately apply an antidote, then that’s a fault, a fault of non application. If we were to allow thoughts to continue, then this would bring about a deterioration of mindfulness. Our mindfulness would no longer be able to hold as objects of observation. And along with the deterioration of mindfulness would come the inability to develop introspection. So we have to examine the system that we’re going to make use of in the cultivation of calm abiding.
If there is an unclarity, then perhaps we should set that particular method aside and make use of that method which is extremely, it clearly sets out the method and that we can be assured of benefit and we can quickly achieve calm abiding. So Tsongkhapa has taught that there is a difference in presentation amongst the four sects in setting out practice. The former sects of Nyingma and Kagyu in setting out practice. In general, practice is set out in terms of bases, paths, and fruits. The previous, the earlier sects, those of Nyingma and Kargu, in their presentation of practice emphasized the factor of fruit, the fruit amongst these three basis paths and fruit.
They emphasized that of their presentation is from the point of view of the fruit. The Sakya emphasize the path, so their presentation is from the point of view of path. And the Gelug tradition emphasizes the base, so their practices from the point of view of the basis. So there is a difference in presentations of these four sects. So there is a difference amongst the trainees in terms of their development.
In the Gelug tradition the basis is emphasized in that for a beginner the basis is set out extremely clearly as a means of beginning one’s practice. Having developed oneself in terms of the basis, one enters in the path. And this is very much emphasized in the Sakya tradition. So a different level of practice emphasized for someone who is actually traveling the path. And then when one is actually near to the fruit of the training, that is, say one is near to Buddhahood, that this is, the practices are emphasized by the Nyingma and Kagyu tradition.
So we’re going to stop there for the this evening. If you have some some qualms or some questions, I will we will spend the rest of the time on those. K. What is that? Shall I ask the question a different way?
Okay. Well, my original question was how do you know which of these methods is best for you as a was as practitioner, whether the ones set up on the trigger, the ones not by a second or the four that were, they’re set up the same way, four different methods set up same way. The cultivation of calm abiding. Yeah. And does Rinpoche, do the differences that Rinpoche just outlined in the difference of presentation of the different sex actually coincide with differences in the proclivities of the development of the training?
So the method of abandoning the five faults by applying eight antidotes is set out in the Discrimination of the Middle and Extremes, which is a text by Maitreya. Also the means according to the nine mental abidings is set out in the text Ornament for the Mahāyāna Sutras, which is also by Maitreya. All of this is set forth in great detail and clarity by Tsongkhapa in his extensive exposition of the graded path to enlightenment, which would be excellent to follow as a means for the cultivation of calm abiding. The She the the Would you repeat your second question for me?
I’m not sure I can, actually. Rinpoche was saying that the presentation of the four different sects emphasizes places with different differing emphasis on the base places