Author: Chodpa Page 6 of 72

Savaripa on the Nature of Mind

On 01/06/2010

In the process of searching for all that manifests as mind and matter

There is neither anything to be found nor is there any seeker,

For to be unreal is to be unborn and unceasing

In the three periods of time.

That which is immutable

Is the state of great bliss.
Savaripa

The great Maha Siddha, Shavaripa, on the Nature of Mind — Savaripa

I thought I’d share this quote from Savaripa (Shavaripa) – the eighth century India mahasiddha.

Mahamudra meditation uses insight or vipassana meditation methods just like any other Buddhist path. Indeed, surprising to some it uses a lot of questioning, which is often thought to be more the realm of Madhyamika rather than Mahamudra. The texts don’t always tell you how you work with questions – leading to the impression that it’s a conceptual investigation. This couldn’t be further from the truth.

One the mind is resting (through Mahamudra Shamatha) you can then turn mind on itself, and pose a question:

Where is my mind?

Once this question is posed, don’t seek to intellectually understand the answer. Just rest in the what follows. Should a gap arise, then rest in that gap. Don’t seek to do anything other than rest, right there. Whatever that shift is like – rest there. However comfortable or uncomfortable it is – just rest there.

After a while, you could pose another question:

Where is experience?

Again, let go of intellectual speculation, and just rest in what follows. If an experience of where experience *is*, or more likely, of where it *isn’t* arises, then rest in that. Should an experience of experience not being found arise, then rest in that. This is an insight into the lack of fixed location of experience – an characteristic that experience, or mind lacks.

Just rest there in that experience, if you can, and the experience may deepen. Or it might drop off, either into conceptualisation, or into distractedness.

What am I?

Rest there. You might find this seems to give rise to a shift. That shift may be related to what is arising in experience, and knowing that experience, to what knows that experience. Ultimately you may not be able to separate these – they are inseparable, but there’s a definite shift possible when changing questioning to this aspect.

I generally don’t ask ‘who am I?’ as that will most likely bring up all sorts of connotations which might not be helpful.

Rest in the shift

In this way we use the conceptual aspect of the mind to pose questions, and rest in whatever arises out of this.

When you are able to rest in the shift that results from both these types of questions, you may find a knowing arises, a knowing that there is nothing to be found, and no seeker either.

Please forgive my inane ramblings on practicing Mahamudra, inspired as they were by Savaripa’s beautiful song.

Dharma Song (excerpt) from Kalu Rinpoche

By Chodpa

On 28/05/2010

In Mahamudra

I was reading and meditating on this Dharma song from Kalu Rinpoche last night, and thought I’d share the beginning of it.

Rinpoche’s description of Mahamudra meditation comes from the Shangpa Kagyu tradition, but is no different to the Kagyu teachings I’ve received. Rest in awareness, without trying to do anything – and mind will free itself, all of itself.

E Ma Ho!
How wonderful!

Remain relaxed, without clinging or contrivance
Within mind’s nature, like space,
Free from any reference point
And with the vigor of vivid, mindful awareness.

Whatever outward or inward movement of thought arises,
Don’t lose hold of the vital inner glow of the expanse of mindfulness.
Don’t fabricate [mental states].
Rest your mind as it is –
It will be liberated into the absolute expanse.
Kalu Rinpoche

Kalu Rinpoche and his Mahamudra Dharma song — Kalu Rinpoche

Don’t take this or that as a vantage point, as a frame of reference, and indulge in comparisons. Don’t strive after this or that. Just rest in awareness, just as it is. However it is – is fine. It’s ok. It doesn’t need to be anything else.

Whatever thoughts arise – it’s fine. Whatever experiences arise – it’s fine. Whatever arises that appears as outer experience – stuff seemingly going on ‘out there’ in the world, or as inner experience – stuff seemingly happening ‘in here’ – this dreamlike mirage of experience – just rest in that experience.

Kalu Rinpoche describes beautifully the difference between the resting and doing nothing of Mahamudra or Dzogchen, and the doing nothing of just zoning out, or being lost in thought. It’s easy to imagine that you are doing Mahamudra by thinking I don’t need to do anything – whatever it is, however it is …. that’s Mahamudra. But what’s missing there, in that not-doing?

Awareness.

… and resting in that.

Don’t do anything in meditation – that’s for sure. Don’t try to fabricate anything, and make this or that experience arise, or try to get away from or transform this or that experience. But without awareness you are just lost. Lost in dualism and caught up in your ‘normal’ daydreaming state. This isn’t ‘ordinary mind’.

Just rest in whatever is – whatever is – without losing hold of the vital inner glow of the expanse of mindfulness – as Rinpoche calls it.

Rest in whatever is – and knowing will arise, and liberation is right there.

E Ma Ho!

How wonderful!

Simply Wait – Franz Kafka

By Chodpa

On 25/05/2010

In Other

I love this quotation from Franz Kafka – it really speaks to me about how easy it is to do something in meditation, to try to fabricate experience. It speaks so well of how I can let go of a sense of effort, of a sense of goal, or even of something to evaluate the meditation by, and how underneath that letting go there’s often something else which I’m clinging to which in turn can be let go of.

You do not need to leave your room.

Remain sitting at the table and listen.

Do not even listen, simply wait.

Do not even wait, be still and solitary.

The world will freely offer itself to you to be unmasked, it has no choice.

It will roll in ecstasy at your feet.
Franz Kafka (1883-1924)

Franz Kafka and his poem: The world will freely offer itself to you — Franz Kafka

The path to effortless meditation is often for me a shedding of onion layers. I see something clearly once my mind relaxes and rests in a seeing, and then I’m in a position to simply let go. Not a ‘doing’ let go – just a ‘letting go’ which happens of itself.

Only then can I hope to see a more subtle clinging, or a more subtle fabrication.

I can’t just drop it all at once, I find. And that too is part of the letting go.

Kafta describes beautifully the reorientation away from needing experiences ‘out there’ – the constant search for stimulation and meaning and resolution ‘in the world’, towards contemplation, towards knowing the nature of all that arises in experience. Instead of being transfixed by the seemingly dazzling variety of solid experiences, we find a dreamlike nature to experience itself, and of ourselves. And then, strangely enough, a fascination arises at this utter emptiness, yet play of appearances.

And Kafka’s punchline here? That the nature of things will reveal itself, all of itself – it has no choice. Let go and be. Let go and allow experience to unfold. Let go and know.

You don’t have to strive after a goal, of enlightenment, of freedom from suffering, as it will come to you on its own, effortlessly. Trust in that, and let go.