WHY MEDITATE?

THE TIBETAN WORD for “meditate,” gom, means “to familiarize” or “habituate.” In this case, we intentionally habituate ourselves with beneficial and realistic attitudes and emotions. Thus, we familiarize ourselves with the meaning and experiences of these meditations in order to transform our minds. Similarly, the English word “practice” implies repetition and gradual development. Change does not occur suddenly but over time. We must practice continuously and meditate on the same topics repeatedly to gain familiarity with them and to shift our perspective.

The Buddha’s teachings describe meditation as the last of the trilogy of hearing (which includes studying and reading), thinking, and meditating. We begin by studying the Buddha’s teachings so that we will understand the role of meditation and the correct way to meditate. Then we think about these teachings, discuss them with others, and ask questions in order to assure that we correctly understand them. Finally, we integrate them with our mind and heart through meditating on them.

Some people would like to begin with meditation, and while their motivation may be sincere, they often encounter difficulties. If we do not first learn the proper way to meditate, we may try to do so but our efforts will not be successful. Furthermore, we may meditate incorrectly, which would obscure our mind even further. However, if we begin by studying the Dharma (the Buddha’s teachings), over the long term our practice will be more stable. We will gain an overall view of our present situation and have a sense of the direction in which we want to progress spiritually. We will also have the correct motivation for meditation, which is essential for accomplishing our sincere spiritual goals. For all these reasons, the great sages advise that we undertake all three activities—studying, thinking, and meditating.

TWO TYPES OF MEDITATION

There are two principal types of meditation: stabilizing meditation and checking (analytical) meditation. The former is done primarily to develop single-pointed concentration (samadhi) and serenity (shamatha) and the latter is done principally to cultivate understanding and special insight (vipashyana). To attain liberation and enlightenment, mastery of both forms of meditation is necessary. Some people think that concentration alone is sufficient to gain liberation. While they may gain single-pointed concentration by doing stabilizing meditation, their concentration will only suppress the gross afflictions temporarily. They will appear again once the state of concentration ends. However, direct realization of the ultimate nature of reality—the emptiness of inherent existence—eradicates the afflictions and their seeds from our mental continuum in such a way that they no longer exist. Such a profound realization depends on developing the union of serenity and special insight.

To gain a correct realization of emptiness, we must first have a correct conceptual understanding of it. While direct nonconceptual realization is our ultimate goal, we cannot actualize it immediately. Just saying “I will meditate to realize emptiness” over and over does not help us realize it. Similarly meditating on our made-up assumption of what emptiness means does not lead to insight. We may mistakenly think that the “empty” in “all phenomena are empty” has the same meaning as in “the refrigerator is empty.”

For these reasons, we must first hear teachings about emptiness and then think deeply about them so that we gain an accurate conceptual understanding. Next we meditate on this understanding in order to gain a conceptual realization of emptiness. This is followed by actualizing the union of serenity and special insight, which union directly and nonconceptually realizes emptiness. This realization of the ultimate nature is what will gradually cleanse our mindstream of all defilements. Here we see that thinking about emptiness is necessary, even though later on the path our meditation will go beyond thoughts and concepts.

Analytical meditation trains our mind to use reasoning in order to reduce mental afflictions. Subtler levels of analytical meditation go beyond thought and scrutinize the meditation object so that we can thoroughly understand and penetrate it. Using analysis or examination when meditating does not mean intellectually thinking about a topic. We don’t dryly recite, “The first point is ABC. The second point is XYZ.” Nor are we stuck in our head conceptualizing about abstract phenomena. Rather, analysis means checking, investigating, and seeing for ourselves what something is and how it relates to our lives. Initially this may involve thinking, but this is not discursive, intellectual thinking. In more advanced stages of analytical meditation, wisdom scrutinizes how things exist without employing thought.

A proper motivation for meditation is also essential because the results of our endeavors depend upon the motivation with which we do them. If we take the time necessary to build a strong and stable foundation, the rest of our Dharma practice will progress well. If we don’t, it is similar to someone trying to construct an elaborate roof on a weak foundation.

Since gaining a direct, nonconceptual realization of emptiness takes time, we must first learn antidotes that are easier to apply and use them to temporarily subdue our afflictions. For example, while the wisdom realizing the emptiness of inherent existence will eradicate anger from its root so that it can never arise in our minds again, meditation on patience and love will reduce it in the interim. Thus we practice patience and love and employ them to subdue our anger now, while also cultivating the wisdom realizing emptiness, which will eventually eliminate it from the root.

Analytical meditation on the gradual path to enlightenment has many benefits: it leads to a complete understanding of the path to enlightenment, helps us to generate a proper motivation for Dharma practice, and develops our meditative abilities. In addition, it is useful for cultivating the antidotes that temporarily counteract the afflictions.

There is another way of speaking about the two types of meditation. In this case, they are differentiated into 1) meditation that perceives the object and 2) meditation in which our mind is transformed into a specific affective state. An example of the former is meditating on impermanence and emptiness. These are subtle objects that we must use analytical meditation to perceive. An example of the latter is meditation on the four immeasurables (brahmaviharas)—love, compassion, joy, and equanimity. Here we are not trying to perceive a subtle object, but are practicing to transform our minds into those mental states. For example, everyone admires the quality of love, but we cannot just say, “I should love everyone,” and expect our deepest feelings to change. First, we must free our minds from the gross obstacles of attachment to friends, hostility to people who threaten or harm us, and apathy toward strangers. On this basis, we then train our mind to recognize the kindness of others, which arouses in us a natural wish to reciprocate and share our kindness with them. After this we meditate on love and cultivate a genuine wish for all sentient beings to have happiness and its causes. Initially that feeling will arise in us but will not be stable. Anger may still flash into our mind, making our good feelings toward others disappear. We need to cultivate love continuously and do so with a focused mind. The greater our concentration, the more stable and penetrative the experience will be.

HOW TO USE THESE GUIDED MEDITATIONS

An audio program of guided meditations is included with this book. To access the program, go to www.shambhala.com/guidedbuddhistmeditations. A list of meditations is also available in appendix 1 at the end of this book.

Find a quiet place in your home and if you wish, set up an altar with a Buddha image and offerings as described in the chapter “Preparing for Meditation.” Sit comfortably on a cushion or a chair with your hands in your lap, palms up, the right on the left with your thumbs touching. Keep your head level and lower your eyes. Begin each meditation session with:

1. The meditation on the Buddha along with recitations to prepare your mind and set your motivation. You can do these recitations quickly (track 4 of the audio), or take more time with the visualizations and contemplations that accompany them (track 2).

2. A body scan to establish a firm but relaxed meditation posture.

3. Several minutes of breathing meditation to free the mind from distractions. (Track 3 will guide you through the body scan and breathing meditation.)

These three points will be explained in more depth in future chapters. The chapter “Preparing for Meditation” contains instructions on topics such as setting up an altar, meditation posture, and preparing your body and mind for meditation. “Mindfulness of Breathing” explains one way to do the breathing meditation. The text for the meditation on the Buddha is in a chapter with that title, and an outline of this practice is in “Establishing a Daily Practice.”

Please note: some people find it more effective to establish their motivation, do the body scan and mindfulness of breathing, and then do the meditation on the Buddha and the recitations, followed by checking meditation on a lamrim topic. Either order is fine.

Having prepared your mind in this way, do one of the meditations on the gradual path to enlightenment found in subsequent tracks. Meditating while listening to the guided meditation is an excellent way to become familiar with and contemplate each topic. If you would like to meditate longer on a particular point, press the pause button and meditate on that point for as long as you wish before continuing. (However, don’t fast-forward if you’re feeling impatient!)

The points of each meditation are found in the chapter “Lamrim Meditation Outlines.” If you wish to guide yourself through the topic, read the first point on the meditation outline, contemplate it, read the next point, contemplate it, and so forth. If you do this, you may want to precede your meditation session by reading a section from a book on the topic you will be contemplating and jotting down a few notes in order to incorporate those points into your meditation session.

Regardless of whether you listen to the recorded meditation or read the meditation outline, first do checking meditation on that particular lamrim topic. Here, investigate that topic taught by the Buddha in order to understand it deeply. Think about the topic applying reasoning. In addition, relate the topic to your personal experience. When you have a deep feeling or strong experience of the meaning of that meditation, focus on just that experience with stabilizing meditation, concentrating on it single-pointedly so that it becomes part of you. In this way, do both analytical meditation by reflecting on the points in the outline and stabilizing meditation by remaining one-pointedly on the conclusion in one meditation session.

At the conclusion of the meditation session dedicate the positive potential by reciting the dedication verses (track 5) or by expressing a dedication in your own words. After meditating you may want to sit quietly and absorb what you reflected on for a few minutes before engaging in your daily activities.

For an expanded explanation of the practice of checking meditation and of its role in our overall practice, see Transforming Adversity into Joy and Courage by Geshe Jampa Tegchok, pages 52–53.

Please remember that these meditations are not philosophical exercises, but are intended to touch us profoundly and effect deep change within us when we do them repeatedly over a period of time. Apply the points in each meditation to help you understand your mind, emotions, and reactions. Meditation is a quiet time for more concentrated reflection, but its purpose is to affect our thoughts, feelings, words, and actions. Thus, integrate what you learn in meditation with your daily life activities and interactions with others. Similarly, bring your life into your practice by investigating and using your daily experiences as examples when you do the checking meditations.

Cycle through the entire lamrim outline, going through the checking meditations one by one, in order, focusing on one topic each day. A particular meditation might touch you in a deep way, and you may want to stay with that one for a few days. That is fine. When you have completed the cycle of all the checking meditations, begin again.

You will notice that each time you cycle through this series of meditations you will see new connections among them. Also, each time you do a particular meditation your experience will be different. Sometimes you will go slower than other times, or perhaps a different point in the outline will speak to your heart. Sometimes you will have strong feelings or come to a clear conclusion at the end of a meditation. Other times you may not. This is normal. Some days you may have a problem in your life that you know doing a specific meditation could help you resolve. Go ahead and do that, even if it is out of sequence. Practicing Dharma means transforming your mind, so if a particular negative emotion is arising in your mind that day, do the meditation that will help you to release it.

As you cycle through the meditations, approach each one freshly. Do not try to re-create a previous experience. Avoid labeling a meditation session “good” or “bad” depending on your feelings just afterwards. We cannot immediately see the effects of practice. It affects us in subtle ways and its results are cumulative over time. As His Holiness the Dalai Lama recommends, do not expect big changes in a short time. Instead, observe the transformation that has occurred in you after one year, five years, or ten years. Simply be content to create the causes for goodness.

This book and audio are only a beginning. Each topic is more vast than the summarized points recorded here. Please continue to study by attending oral teachings by qualified spiritual masters and by reading books on the topics of the stages of the path to enlightenment. As you do, bring what you learn into your meditations and expand on the outlines presented here. It is wise to check your meditation experiences with a teacher. If you have difficulties, seek advice. If you have insights, seek further guidance. However, in either case, do not get attached to whatever you experience. Simply learn from it and dedicate it for the benefit of all beings.