Fall 2013 Shamatha and the Bodhisattva Way of Life
94 episodes - English - Latest episode: over 10 years ago - ★★★★ - 11 ratingsAlan Wallace Fall 2013 8-Week retreat on Shamatha and the Bodhisattva Way of Life, including teachings on the Seven-Point Mind-Training and A Guide to the Bodhisattva's Way of Life, by B. Alan Wallace at the Thanyapura Mind Centre in Phuket, Thailand, from September 2nd- October 28th, 2013
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Episodes
93 Merging the Mind the Space and a Discussion of Kalachakra
October 26, 2013 03:41 - 43.9 MBFollwing the silent meditation, Alan gets to a few remaining questions, including one about his experience with Shambala and Kalachakra. A fascinating discussion and series of stories follows. Meditation starts at: 0:05
92 Merging Mind With Space and the Final Aphorisms of the Seven Point Mind Training
October 25, 2013 14:10 - 48.2 MBBefore the silent meditation, Alan mentions a few points about Bodichitta. After the silent meditation, we go back to the last few aphorisms of the Lo-Jong. We finish the Seven Point Mind Training with a quote from Dilgo Khyentse Rinpoche... and then go back to the very first aphorism of the Lo-Jong: the preliminaries. Meditation starts at: 03:21 (silent, not recorded)
91 Merging Mind With Space and How to Apply the Teachings in Daily Life
October 25, 2013 03:47 - 27 MBBefore the session's meditation, Alan raises the issue of retreat and expedition for after the retreat is over. After the meditation, there are a few questions about the relevance of doing short-term retreats in Dzogchen/Mahamudra/Vajrayana; is it worthwhile to chase after lamas, teachings and empowerments? How to live in the modern world after a long term retreat? Meditation starts at: 22:48 (silent, not recorded)
90 Ultimate and relative bodhicitta and point seven of seven point mind training
October 24, 2013 11:55 - 50.4 MBMeditation front loading: The porousness of the mind. It is possible that influences can go both into and out from the mind. Like when praying to your guru and getting a response. Does the response come from the guru or from a deeper aspect of your own mind? All that matters is that the advice is taking you further along the path. So in practice of tong len, using the power of the mind, it is possible that we are providing genuine relief from suffering. Post meditation: Covering the followi...
89 Merging Mind with Space
October 24, 2013 06:21 - 15.4 MBSilent session, followed by one question regarding the origin of people within a lucid dream. They all stem from the substrate consciousness. Even when lucid, they are not puppets on your string. As the relative dharmadhatu has no clear boundaries, it is porous so it is possible for a visitation to occur. There are accounts of people having visions of tara, padmasambhava etc. It is hard to say if these are actually tara or some figment of your imagination. But if a teaching leads to enlighte...
88 Ultimate and Relative Bodhicitta Meditation and the Seventh Point from Seven Point Mind Training
October 23, 2013 11:20 - 47.3 MBFrom the seventh point of Atisha's mind training: 'Adopt the three principle causes' These causes are: 1. Following a qualified mentor - Alan told the story of the first person to encounter the Buddha. - Alan taught that we should see through the person and not reify them (or ourselves). Seeing all teachers equally whether it be as a emissary of the Budhha, like a Buddha or as a Buddha. - If there is one with an inner heart connection, a root guru, see that guru in the centre and other...
87 Merging Mind with Space
October 23, 2013 05:15 - 10.3 MBThis practice is a variation for shamatha without a sign. The method this morning being balancing earth with sky: shamatha with support, with quasi support and without support. Alan taught more on what rigpa is (and what it is not) and on the analogies with dream yoga. Meditation starts at: 13:18 (silent, not recorded)
86 Aspirational Meditation
October 23, 2013 02:53 - 64.7 MBAlan begins with two quotes from William James regarding aspiration. The guided meditation is on developing your personal aspirations and the causes to fulfill them. Discussion of Aspiring Bodhicitta and engaging Bodhicitta. Within engaging Bodhicitta, shepherd like Bodhicitta, Navigating Bodhicitta, and King like Bodhicitta. Alan continues with the 7th point of the Seven Point mind training. Meditation starts at: 9:23
85 Merging the mind with space
October 23, 2013 02:51 - 6.11 MBAs you merge the mind with space, maintain a flow of knowing of the sheer absence of thought. It is a knowing of emptiness that can lead to an open expanse. Meditation starts at: 6:40 (silent, not recorded)
84 The Practices of Seven Point Mind Training
October 21, 2013 11:40 - 48.7 MBTonight the meditation is front loaded by looking at two ways we can view the adversity that will no doubt effect us and those we see as belonging to us. Firstly, non lucidly with relative bodhichitta which still has an element of self centeredness, or secondly with ultimate bodhichitta, the view from the bardo, from emptiness or from rigpa. After the meditation we move on to the practices of Seven Point Mind Training which look at the constructive things we can do to support our ongoing dh...
83 Return to Merging the Mind with Space
October 21, 2013 03:00 - 9.43 MBIn this short session Alan front loads our week of meditation practice speaking of how we can rollback the layers of conceptual overlay to conceptual and then primal mentation - the first raw sense of presence different from space. This too can be melted away to the substrate consciousness. Meditation starts at: 10:15 (silent, not recorded)
82 Meditation on two bodhicittas and Pledges of the Seven Point Mind Training
October 20, 2013 11:09 - 41.4 MBTonight we return to the meditation on the two bodhicittas. Before the silent meditation, Alan give a short preamble on the importance of motivation for one's practice. Once one engages in any virtuous practice such as meditation, charity work or any other type of work for others, one accumulates merit. But how this merit will manifest will depend on the motivation that lead to the practice. If the motivation is mundane, one can possibly enjoy a prosperous next lifetime, but this merit would...
81 Shamatha without a sign
October 20, 2013 11:02 - 22.8 MBThis morning we have our last silent meditation in the second cycle of Shamatha without a sign. Alan gives a short preamble, stressing the importance of having contentment in once's practice: knowing right in the moment of the practice that one does it correctly and taking satisfaction in it. Also, having deep faith that one can, in fact, achieve Shamatha is indispensable for progressing along the path as hoping, doubting, fearing, aspiring, and giving up can diminish one's progress. It is c...
80 Shamatha Without a Sign, Lucid Dreaming and The Pledges of the Seven Point Mind Training
October 18, 2013 12:17 - 53.3 MBThe session starts with a silent meditation on the two Bodhichittas. After the meditation, Alan talks about ultimate and relative bodhichitta and their connection. Next, we go to the subject of lucid dreaming: 1) waking induced lucid dream, 2) dreaming induced lucid dream, and 3) state check and prospective memory/mindfulness. Then the Lojong is further discussed: the pledges of the mind training. Alan comments on the aphorisms "Do not speak of others' limitations" and "Do not stand in j...
79 Shamatha Without a Sign
October 18, 2013 03:26 - 20.1 MBThe session starts with a short explanation of today's meditation (silent meditation, not recorded), a variation of Shamatha without a sign as taught by Padmasambhava. After the meditation, Alan talks about the significance of Shamatha on the Path and how to deal with all the suffering of which we become more and more aware as we expand our awareness. Alan emphasizes the importance of Shamatha as a platform/base camp for Vipassana and Bodichitta. Furthermore, it is the union of Shamatha and...
78 Ultimate and Relative Bodichitta and the sixth point from Seven Point Mind Training
October 17, 2013 11:28 - 48.6 MBThe two bodhicittas may seem incompatible, if there is not someone really there, then how to feel compassion? From the other side, when seeing someone in anguish, it seems so real. This is falling to the extremes of nihilism and substantialism, as we deepen the practice the two enhance each other. From ultimate bodhicitta, we realise the lack of inherent nature, so self centeredness seems silly. From conventional bodhicitta, always attending to others, we come to see that we only arise in de...
77 Shamatha without a sign
October 17, 2013 03:32 - 25.6 MBFrom the substrate, which is in the nature of delusion, a stirring of karmic energies eventually leads to the full elaboration of conceptual designation, everything crystallising in its place with its defined borders. In this practice we are trying to roll this back by oscillating between inquiry (who is the agent) and relaxation. All actions performed out of a reified sense of I only perpetuate samsara even though they might be virtuous. For this not to be the case, actions must be grounded...
76 Ultimate and Relative Bodhicitta and the fifth point from Atisha's text, 7 Point Mind Training
October 16, 2013 11:20 - 44.9 MBBefore the meditation Alan discusses from which perspective you can do the tong-len practice - from your ordinary self or from the platform of Avolokishrvara. Alan explains how shamatha can be developed in the context of stage of generation practice. After the meditation Alan continues with the fifth point of the text - 'The whole of Dharma is synthesised in one aim'. Self grasping is not steady, constant. If we can recognise how frequently and robustly they come up and look for triggers...
75 Shamatha without a sign
October 16, 2013 05:34 - 24.6 MBFor the practices of awareness of awareness, Alan begins by saying to release your awareness into space with no object, then let awareness of beginning ware be most explicit. Then begin the oscillation. Meditation starts at: 8:30 (silent, front loaded at start of session) Alan discusses the inner and outer mandala - the inner and outer conditions for retreat. Alan quotes and gives commentary from Atisha's lam rim - 'A Lamp for the Path to Enlightenment'. The quotes are: 'Just as a bird ...
74 Ultimate and relative Bodhicitta
October 16, 2013 03:06 - 48.2 MBMeditation – continue as described yesterday with one meditation on ultimate Bodhicitta and one on relative Bodhicitta. Continuation of the discussion on transmuting the death process. If have habitual practice of converting adversity into the path then when the final adversity of death arises you will be able to convert that. During the dying process go back and forth between the meditations on ultimate and relative Bodhicitta. Discussion of dream yoga as best preparation for the bard...
73 Awareness of awareness
October 16, 2013 03:05 - 23 MBWe lock onto an object, reify it and then attachment or aversion arises. The discovery model allows the mind to heal itself by doing nothing but maintaining cognizance. Discussion of blessings arising from Buddha nature. Meditation – Rest for a while without grasping. As the clarity and warmth of awareness becomes really obvious then explicitly attend to it. Discussion of the five inner qualities necessary for long term shamatha retreat. Meditation starts at: 18:15 (silent, front load...
72 The Mahayana teaching on transferring consciousness is precisely these five powers...
October 14, 2013 11:52 - 50.7 MBAlan again front loads the meditation by comparing Atisha's Lam Rim texts and Seven Point Mind Training text and the role of discursive meditation in both. We can be encouraged that although Ultimate and Relative Bodichitta might seem high and complex ideals we have already begun training our minds in each of these with our range of meditations. After the meditation, Alan begins to unpack the next aphorism taking the advice from living well to dying well. He shares advice on preparing for d...
71 Return to Awarness of Awareness or Shamatha Without a Sign
October 14, 2013 03:52 - 38.2 MBAlan front loads this session by looking at the difference between this practice and Dzogchen - grasping - and looks at how practice is ideally couched in a supportive way of life. After the meditation session Alan shares with us Atisha's list of complete conditions for achieving Shamatha, starting with the outer conditions. This takes us naturally to discussion of the contemplative observatory. Meditation starts at: 15:30 (silent meditation)
70 Practice of the stage of generation of Avalokiteshvara
October 13, 2013 05:45 - 68.2 MBToday's evening session begins with the continuation of the discussion on the power of prayer and blessings. Alan gives a few examples of how blessings work and their possible bandwidth and draws analogies with the so-called placebo effect. After that, we move onto a beautiful practice of the stage of generation of Avalokiteshvara - the embodiment of compassion. The practice is based on a text titled "A spacious path to freedom" by Karma Chagme (which Alan translated) and the sadhana from th...
69 Settling the mind in its natural state
October 13, 2013 05:43 - 25 MBThis morning we start with the last session in the second cycle of settling the mind in its natural state. Alan gives a short preamble before we go into a silent meditation emphasizing the utter simplicity of the practice and its very nature of presence and stillness. Alan also talks about how this stillness and presence can be applied to a more engaged way of living once we come out of the retreat. After the meditation, we go onto discussing the post-meditative effects of achieving Shamatha...
68 The Positive and Negative Aspects of Modern Science and the Future of Contemplative Inquiry in All Religions
October 11, 2013 13:05 - 70.7 MBBefore the guided meditation, Dr. Wallace comments on Malala, a 16 year old girl from Pakistan, who currently fights for the right of education for women amidst Taliban death threats against her. After the meditation, we pick up where we left yesterday. In the last 150 years, the growth of knowledge coming from science is unprecedented. However, at the same time, the last 150 years have also lead to severe damage of the environment, destruction of an increasing number of species, and man's ...
67 Settling the Mind in Its Natural State
October 11, 2013 04:25 - 27.1 MBBefore the meditation, Dr. Wallace starts with a prelude to the meditation of settling the mind in its natural state. The focus should now be on the ongoing flow of mindfulness, whether thoughts and images arise or not. Special attention for "what's there" when there are no thoughts. After the silent meditation, Dr. Wallace comments on various quotes of great masters form Theravada, Sanskrit and Tibetan traditions on "what it is to rest in Shamatha". Meditation starts at: silent meditatio...
66 Ultimate and Relative Bodhicitta meditation and scientific evidence
October 10, 2013 12:48 - 60.5 MBSilent meditation session and then a continuation of yesterday's theme related to the 'power of prayer'. "We don't believe in anything without sufficient evidence". That's the creed of scientists and so called skeptics alike, but in practice they don't follow it. Newton believed he could find the philosopher's stone, Miller believed he could create life from inorganic compounds and neuroscientists believe that the mind is the brain. What is merely belief is presented as evidence with great a...
65 Settling the mind in its natural state and achieving Shamatha
October 10, 2013 05:42 - 24 MBWe revisit an important facet of settling the mind in its natural state: to observe not so much the objective appearances to the mind, but the subjective impulses to the mind. This is not as easy as we only become aware after it occurred. But we can observe them and not identifying with them. There are three points: 1) The importance of this practice cannot be over emphasised, we can’t just wish for no mental afflictions and apart from arharts, everyone has them. Now we have the great fort...
64 Ultimate and Relative Bodhicitta meditation and the 'power of prayer' from the text
October 09, 2013 11:32 - 54.5 MBSilent meditation on relative and ultimate Bodhicitta (not recorded) at 6:08. Fourth point of the text 'To synthesise the essence of this practical guidance, apply yourself to the five powers', the last of which is the power of prayer. Alan discusses the last 150 years of the 'dark age' of scientific materialism. This is the view of the 21st century that is important to understand to relate to the world in which we live. Much of science hinges on the causality being closed, and the con...
63 Settling the mind in its natural state and the 9 stage of shamatha
October 09, 2013 05:15 - 18.8 MBFocus simply on the observation of the so call objective appearances that appear in the space of the mind. When we have difficulty doing this practice, the way to counter is to learn to relax more. OUr prana systems are so wired. We can also request the blessings of the guru as explained earlier. Alan discusses the so called placebo effect with respect to trust. After the silent meditation Alan goes on to explain the 9th stage prior to achieving shamatha - attentional balance. Sile...
62 Meditation uniting ultimate and relative Bodhicitta
October 09, 2013 03:04 - 52.7 MBMeditate for half the session on shamatha without a sign – probing right into where you think the observer is – this can lead to ultimate Bodhicitta. Spend the second half of the session on Tonglen, relative Bodhicitta. Alan provides commentary on the line from 7 point mind training – “Whatever you encounter, immediately apply it to meditation. Description of the five powers: resolution, familiarization, positive seeds, revulsion and prayer. Under power of prayer, given the law of karma,...
61 Settling the mind in its natural state
October 09, 2013 03:04 - 13.4 MBWhat makes us so vulnerable to suffering? We identify so closely with the body and mind. This meditation starts to put some distance as you roll back from the environment, roll back from your body and attend to the mind without fusing with it. Meditation – Focus on the space of the mind and observe when it is still and when there is motion. When there is motion there is grasping. Alan describes stage eight of the shamatha path – Single-pointed Attention. Silent meditation (not recorded) w...
60 Whatever you encounter immediately apply it to meditation
October 07, 2013 11:31 - 47.5 MBHere Alan continues the Lojong text and addresses how we can eliminate the tug of war between dharma and our everyday life by transforming everything into dharma. We look at different ways of viewing adversity - external and internal - in terms of our hedonic and eudonameic happiness. Alan then looks at the difference between hope and aspiration before moving on to talk about transformation at a psychological level and an ultimate level. Meditation starts at: Silent meditation not recorded...
59 Return to Settling the Mind
October 07, 2013 03:29 - 24.6 MBWe return to this practice also known as Appearances and Awareness as the Path. Alan reminds us to examine the essential nature of the thought arising rather than the content or referent and discusses stillness and motion as the type of mindfulness we are working with here. Next we look into stage seven of the Shamatha Path: Fully Pacified Attention. Alan relates this to the five paths and ten stages. Meditation starts at:11:35 (silent meditation not recorded)
58 Tong Len meditation and The Seven Point Mind Training
October 06, 2013 01:38 - 56.9 MBWe begin the evening session with a silent Tong Len meditation by focusing on a person, group of people, or other sentient beings - those who come to mind. The session is briefly introduced by Alan right before. After the meditation, we go back to the explanation of the sixth stage of Shamatha path and the wide range of experiences that might occur as a result of dredging up the psyche and the importance of seeing them simply as appearances to the mind: see them for what they are. After that...
57 Mindfulness of breathing and the sixth stage ofthe Shamatha path
October 06, 2013 01:36 - 24.9 MBThe morning session starts with a silent meditation on mindfulness of breathing of our preferred mode (not recorded). After the meditation, stage six of the Shamatha path is commented, which is: pacified attention. What is achieved in this stage is that one no longer experiences any resistance to training attention (as opposed to as it was in the fifth stage and its biggest obstacle). This stage is achieved by the power of introspection. The problems that occur in this stage are: desire, let...
56 Continuation of commentary of "Scientific View" from 17th Century (Thomas Sprat) to nowadays
October 04, 2013 14:24 - 49.1 MBAfter el short introduction, we go into a silent meditation session on the three spaces. Right after the meditation, we go back to the theme of the "spirits". Alan talks about how scientific studies, from halfway through the 17th century up until now, have "dealt" with both internal and external spirits. He points out that a contemplative inquiry has been more and more ignored over this period, which ultimately yields a disenchanted Universe. At the end of the session, we go into the subj...
55 Mindfulness of Breathing
October 04, 2013 03:36 - 22 MBThe morning session starts with a footnote on the subject of yesterday's evening session, i.e. spirits. Then we continue with a silent meditation on mindfulness of breathing (not recorded). After the meditation, stage five of the Shamatha path is commented: tamed attention. Special attention is given to the quality of vividness. Finally, Alan answers a question about the relevance of the nine stages in relation with awareness of awareness. Meditation starts at: Not recorded (Mindfulness o...
54 Three spaces meditation and the four practices
October 03, 2013 11:55 - 64.1 MBAgain returning to the three space meditation, this time front loaded with a readings from the Bāhiya Sutta and instruction from Sera Khandro Dewé Dorje, an accomplished yogini. Also references to the heart sutra - giving a range of ways to connect with this practice. Post meditation: Returning to the seven point mind training text and the next aphorism, "The best strategy is to have four practices." This refers to 1) accumulate merit 2) purify vices 3) make offerings to spirits. Looking ba...
53 Mindfulness of Breathing: Asanga's method
October 03, 2013 05:19 - 22.2 MBAs in the three fold space meditation, where we are trying to view space from the perspective of rigpa, here in Asanga's method we are trying to attend to the object from the perspective of the substrate. The substrate illuminates but does not enter into the object - no grasping. So we attend to the tactile field and within that field the sensations of the flow of prana correlated with the breath but without grasping. Alan also explains stage four of the nine attentional states leading to Sh...
52 Seven Point Mind Training - four kayas and meditation on inner and outer space of mind
October 02, 2013 11:33 - 68.1 MBLine from Seven Point Mind Training - 'By meditating on delusive appearances as the four kayas, emptiness is the unsurpassed protection'. Alan gives an analogy of lucid dreaming and the 'waking state' to refer to the way inner and outer space is perceived and how they can be non-dual. Alan explains how to transmute equally all that comes up, whether we are in a spa or if people treat us badly. It is easy to practice Dharama in the 'spa' but you know how you are doing (with your practice) ...
51 Mindfulness of Breathing
October 02, 2013 05:21 - 25.1 MBAlan discusses the Theravada classical approach of attending to the sensations and the tip of the nostrils, as described by Buddhagosa. Although the Buddha did not teach this specific technique, we can have confidence in the Sangha who have practiced it and learn from them too. Alan emphasises the need to not create tension in the face when doing this practice. Alan talks about the acquired sign and the counterpart sign. Alan outlines the characteristics of the 3rd of the 9 stages of sha...
50 Three spaces meditation
October 02, 2013 03:06 - 63.3 MBAlan starts the session by describing his first interview with His Holiness on the topic of pride in one’s dharma knowledge. Kyabje Trijang Rinpoche presented three approaches to learning and practicing dharma. The first is to study a great deal like eating a banquet. The second is to really focus on a few texts and the third is to receive quintessential teachings from a qualified lama. All of them fill you up. You can come to meditation by way of the view or come to the view by way of ...
49 Mindfulness of breathing - rise and fall of the breath at the abdomen
October 02, 2013 03:05 - 17.4 MBWe go right into meditation on the rise and fall of the breath at the abdomen. Burmese method to stabilize the mind. Stage 2 of Shamatha is reached when you can stabilize your mind for up to a minute at a time. Alan discusses how to use the 9 stages of Shamatha – as sign posts, not as goals. If you set as goals then turn the 9 stages into poison. Achieve this stage by the power of thinking such as counting the breaths. Most of the time your attention is not on the object. This is to be...
48 The Intersection of Emptiness and Lojong
September 30, 2013 11:52 - 65 MBHere we look at how an understanding of emptiness informs the Lojong teachings with a meditation asking questions designed to help us understand the origin, location and destination of the mind. Knowing this gives us different perspectives to view the world and Alan lays out options comparing theistic, materialistic and Buddhist views. We then look at how karma and emptiness sit together to explain our common and unique experiences.
47 Return to Mindfulness of Breathing and Excitation
September 30, 2013 03:33 - 39.3 MBWe return to Mindfulness of Breathing after Alan cautions us to avoid putting pressure on ourselves to try harder. Relaxing rather than pushing down is prescribed and Alan suggests the infirmary or mindful walking. He goes on to say that at this stage of our practice we are working with the imbalance of coarse excitation, where the mind is like a cascading waterfall. He guides us to see this as a successful experience at stage one and to have realistic expectations of the path. Meditation s...
46 Tong Len practice and kindness of difficult people
September 29, 2013 02:04 - 70 MBWe begin the evening session with the practice of Tong Len, focusing on gratitude towards all those people in our lives who enabled our physical survival, then those who helped us on our spiritual path, and finally on all the difficult people we encountered in our lives who catalyzed our mental afflictions and, hence, provided us an opportunity to see the afflictions and realize their impact. The practice of seeing kindness in difficult people is not to become ignorant, but to see beyond the...
45 Merging mind with space and the importance of a genuine path (marga)
September 29, 2013 01:44 - 41.5 MBWe start today's morning session with the last (silent) meditation in the cycle of merging mind with space. After the meditation, Alan gives a big-picture context of the path (marga) in Mahayana Buddhism, namely in Mahamudra and Dzogchen. By elaborating on the steps and stages of each path, Alan makes it clear - once again - how Shamatha is an indispensable step if one aspires to cultivate genuine realizations on his/her path. He also points out how often unskilled teachings/teachers can co...
44 Tong Len Meditation and Mental Afflictions
September 27, 2013 13:30 - 72.7 MBThe session starts with the Tong Len meditation. After the guided meditation, we go back to the aphorism "Blame everything on the culprit", using a verse of Shantideva (chapter 4, verse 34 of the Bodhicaryavatara) and the story of Ben Gungyal, the leader of a gang in Kham. Mental afflictions always point to other people than yourself. Alan tells about three remedies for when mental afflictions come up, as taught by Geshe Rabten: 1) apply antidotes, 2) settle the mind in its natural state, o...