81 Shamatha without a sign

Fall 2013 Shamatha and the Bodhisattva Way of Life

This 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 crucial, also, that one has a deep conviction that the time spent on the cushion is, for the time being, the most meaningful thing once can do. After the meditation, we go back to finishing the topic of stages of the path to Shamatha. Alan begin by Garchen Rinpoche's quote who said that the reason why many well-aspiring practitioners don't see the results they would like to see is that they lack faith in themselves. Hence, one has to have not only faith in the practices themselves and their source but also in oneself and the power within that is capable of bringing about profound transformation. Afire that we go onto the Vajra Essence text where Padmasambhava by way of Dujong Lingpa summarizes the path of Shamatha and its effects possible through the power of familiarization. The text also points out how important the many turbulent struggles along the path (nyam) are and how they are signs of progress, and finally, how they can be transformed into wisdom of realizing emptiness and stability, and eventually: primordial consciousness.

Meditation starts at: 7:29 (silent, not recorded)