Meditation Advice to Beginners Meditation Advice to Beginners Bokar Rinpoche English Translation Christiane Buchet English Version Edited by Jennifer Pessereau San Francisco, California Meditation Advice to Beginners by Bokar Rinpoche Published by: ClearPoint Press PO Box 170658 San Francisco, CA 94117 The original text of this book was published in France and was titled: La Meditation, conseils aux debutants. Copyright reserved for all countries: Editions Claire Lumiere 5 avenue Camille Pelletan 13760 Saint Cannat, France. Copyright © 1992 English Edition: ClearPoint Press Printed in the United States of America Book printed on acid-free paper Third Printing 2001 Library of Congress Catalogue Card Number: 92-075390 ISBN 0-9630371-1-0 Cover Design: Robin Spaan Vajrasattva Cover Drawing: Cynthia Moku INTRODUCTION Meditation is currently a fashionable practice and there are already books published on this subject. Why this new book? What will you find in this volume? You will find teachings given by an authentic Tibetan teacher, Bokar Rinpoche. Not only does Bokar Rinpoche know meditation, but years of skillful practice allow him to guide students on this path. For him, Buddhism constitutes the essence of the spiritual domain and his teachings transmit the teachings given by the Buddha. Furthermore, they are perfectly adapted to our time and cultural environment. Bokar Rinpoche knows how to make clear that which, at first approach, seems obscure and complex. He really embodies the essence of these teachings. When one meets with Bokar Rinpoche, one is bathed in a radiant peace which he extends to all beings through his immense love and compassion. In his presence, one may experience a taste of the true nature of the mind. It is my hope that this book will convey to the reader Bokar Rinpoche's wisdom and compassion. Since the series of teachings translated here come from public and private teachings given in France between 1985 and 1987, they sometimes address the people of a particular city. Their contents, however, are directed toward each of us, regardless of where we reside. You may sometimes find a repetition of themes from one chapter to another. We did not edit the teachings. As repetition may increase understanding, you will encounter the same view presented in a different context in some instances. They are true teachings that one can read, put directly into practice, reread and practice again and again. For the person who wants to practice with others, there are many meditation centers throughout the world where one may receive instruction from a qualified teacher. This book is not a substitute for a living teacher but a guide to the path, a friendly companion on the journey sharing wisdom and experience. Many familiar words, such as suffering, love and compassion, have a more specific meaning in the context of this book. To clarify their meaning, we have added a selective glossary of Buddhist terms in order to help the beginner more easily understand the text. This glossary is not exhaustive. Advanced students of Buddhism may refer to more scholarly publications for comprehensive definitions of these terms. This book is the result of the love and efforts of many people. I am deeply grateful to Bokar Rinpoche who gave these simple but extraordinary teachings and to Lama Choky (Franc;ois Jacquemart) who translated them from Tibetan into French. In translating the book into English, I have had my work made easier by the generosity of a number of individuals. The following people have contributed substantially in the form of advice or assistance. Special thanks are due to Gene Meyer, Hubert Godard, Chiao and Ernie Crews for their love and support. Jacqueline Cattani read the first draft, corrected and checked the translation against the French. Don Iocca read the manuscript, and Dan Jorgensen helped with his computer expertise. Elson Snow shared his knowledge and art of printing. Franc;oise Buchet drew the illustrations pages 69, 108 and 112. Rosemary Gilpin helped in all the phases of this work, patiently rereading the text and offering encouragement and love. May the reading of this book bring you much happiness! The translator TABLE OF CONTENTS APPROACHING MEDITATION ................... 1 General Introduction to Meditation .................. 3 Why meditate? .................................. 3 Helpful conditions for meditation .................... 4 How to meditate ................................ 5 Fruits of meditation ............................. 8 Conclusion .................................... 9 Questions and answers . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10 More to Consider .............................. 15 The sky and the mind . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 15 Ego and the five poisons . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 17 The mind on vacation ........................... 19 Meditation in daily life ........................... 20 An open face .................................. 21 Subjectivity ................................... 21 Meditation: already present in us . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 21 Perseverance . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 22 The taste of meditation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 24 Questions and answers . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 24 Fertile Ground ................................. 27 Including oneself in a tradition .................... 28 Understanding our situation ...................... 29 Fertile ground . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 30 Distraction . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 30 Taking an object ................................ 31 Meditating on the mind .......................... 33 Knowing how to meditate . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 34 Questions and answers . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 37 The Three Hindrances . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 43 Attachment to the world ......................... 44 Lack of trust . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 47 Distraction . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 49 Questions and answers . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 53 PRACTICING MEDITATION .................... 57 Mental Calming- "Shinay" . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 59 Preliminary practices in the context of meditation . . . . . . 59 The four reflections . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 59 The four specific preliminaries . . . . . . . . . . . . . 60 The four conditions . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 60 The body in practice . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 65 Bodily posture . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 65 Placing the mind . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 66 Meditation exercises . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 67 Dealing with thoughts . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 71 Further Information on Mental Calming-"Shinay" . . . . 73 The grace of the teacher . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 74 Measuring our good fortune . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 75 The stages of the meditation ...................... 76 Posture ....................................... 76 Three supports for the mind ...................... 77 Breathing . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 77 A white tigle . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 77 The Buddha . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 78 Shinay without a support ......................... 78 Sleepiness and agitation .......................... 78 From the river to the ocean . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 80 Clarity and absence of thoughts .................... 81 Questions and answers .......................... 82 Superior Vision- "Lhatong" . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 97 Distinction between shinay and lhatong ............. 100 The practice of lhatong .......................... 101 The example of the stuffed tiger .................. 104 Taking the remedy ............................. 106 Message to the people of Provence ................ 107 Questions and answers ......................... 109 Further Information on the Superior Vision-"Lhatong" 113 The mirage of the thoughts . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 113 The practice of lhatong .......................... 114 First exercise . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 114 Second exercise ......................... 115 Third exercise . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 115