Human Spiritual Structure: Buddhist Meditation
Notes in progress © 1998-2002 Alan McAllister

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There are many schools of Buddhism, many of which have their own practices and meditations.

The Establishment of Mindfulness

The Buddha's teachings on the establishment of mindfulness are a series of meditations broken into four groups. Each group establishes mindfulness relative to one aspect of being.

Mindfulness of the Body

Conscious Breathing.
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Mindfulness of the Feelings

Mindfulness of the Mind

Mindfulness of the Objects of Mind

The Zogqen Teachings

Zogqen is a Tibetan Buddhist path. The teachings are organized in sets of threes. The basic set are the Base, the Path, and the Fruit. These are briefly the condition of existence, the way to overcome dualism, and the results of having done so.[CWL]

THE BASE (XI)

The Base is the fundamental ground of existence and of the individual. It is original, pure, and self-perfected [ Nirguna Brahma]. It is a state of being rather than a separate thing, existing in every aspect of the manifest universe. However, when a being enters into dualism the experience of the Base is masked by the passions, attachments, and aversions of the mind under the influence of the illusion of dualism. In such beings it is latent, becoming manifest again in the realized being. This realization is not knowledge about the universe, but the direct experience of its fundamental nature, the beingness of the self. Those who have realized the primordial state may transmit the state directly to their students. It is inherently inexpressible in words, but may be hinted at with metaphors and examples. In explaining the Base in words, it is broken into three aspects, however, these three aspects are completely interdependent. [CWL]

Essence. The fundamental voidness of the Base. In the mind thoughts have their source, their abode, and their end in nothing, in voidness. This does not refer to a place or thing, but to the transitory nature of all phenomena (things, thoughts, etc.). They are impermanent and constantly changing one into another. only the void in which they manifest remains unchanging, clear and pure. The symbol of this voidness is the fundamental clarity and purity of a mirror, which does not judge its reflections and maintains itself and its ability to reflect, no matter what image is being reflected. The void nature of the mind is similarly unchanging.[CWL]
Nature. The Nature of the Base is to manifest. Even is all the manifestations are essentially void things continue to arise and exist. The reflectivity of the mirror is the symbol of the nature of the mind, to reflect, without judgment, whatever is placed in front of it. [CWL]
Energy. The manifestations of the Base are energy. The reflections of the mirror are the symbol of the Energy of its Nature, the manifestation of its reflectivity. The energy of manifestation is itself described as having three components. Again these are not actually separate, with the first two being manifestations of the third.[CWL]
- Zal. The manifestations of an individual's own energy experienced as the external world. The illusion of dualism causes one to experience these manifestations of one's own energy perceived by one's own senses as external, separate, events and objects. The symbol of this process is the reflection and refraction of light in a crystal, which radiates back in many different patterns and colors. The realized person refers to this manifestation as Nirmankaya, the Manifestation Body (material forms).[CWL]
- Rolba. This refers to an individual's energy experienced as an internal image seen in the mind's eye. The symbol is a crystal ball in which an image is seen of any object that comes near it. The practitioner of the Path works at this level to transform impure in to pure vision. The realized being calls this Sambhogakaya, the Body of Wealth (non-material forms), due to the great multiplicity of forms manifested here.[CWL]
- Dan. This refers to the fundamental level of energy, as infinite and formless, but capable of taking on any form. It is the traces of karma in the consciousness (samskaras that give form to the individual's energy, giving rise to what is perceived as the external world and as the Body, Voice, and Mind of the individual. This is called karmic vision, and to those immersed in the illusion of duality is accepted as the individual's being. The symbol of this level of energy is the crystal ball which has no color, but takes on the color of any cloth on which it is placed. When the illusion is pierced one sees this fundamental level of energy as Dharmakaya, the Body of Truth, or of Reality as it is.[CWL]

THE PATH (LAM)

This is the key to opening the cage which has been explained by the teaching about the Base. It is the practice by which we make real, bring into experience, the intellectual understanding.[CWL]

The View (Dava). This refers to viewing oneself, to see the condition of ones being (body, voice, and mind) in order to understand the nature of one's bonds, one's cage. This means dealing with all ones problems, those of the body (food, shelter, etc.), those of the voice (sickness, nervousness, etc.) and the endless games of the mind and ego. This is used to determine which practices are appropriate (time, place, and person). [CWL]

Practice (Gomba). The practice of Zogqen is the practice of contemplation (as distinct from meditation). In this practice one abides in the non-dual state, beyond the limits of the conceptual level on the mind, and yet encompassing the workings of the ordinary mind. The distinction is that while thoughts may come they do not condition (one remains in non-attachment, or neutrality) so that the thoughts may freely go. This free awareness of the thoughts allows them to be liberated. There is no effort in this state and nothing is done. "Meditation", however, refers to practices that work with the mind (involve effort) in order to reach the state of contemplation.[CWL]
There are five qualities said to be necessary for the practice of Zogquen: participation, being actively engaged in learning; diligence, being consistent in participation; present awareness, being constantly in the present moment; actual practice, actually entering into contemplation; prajna, being able to grasp both the teachings and the unspoken (and unspeakable) lessons behind the verbal teachings.[CWL]
There are three series of teachings, Semde, Londe, and Mannagde, which each have four stages, the fourth of which in each case is contemplation. All the practices involve the position of the body, the breathing, and the focus of the eyes, but they vary in their emphasis. None is considered a gradual path as they all depend on the direct transmission of a master.[CWL]
- Semde is called the Series of the Nature of Mind and is based more on verbal explainations and analysis.
- Londe is called the Series of Space and involves working with the body and with breathing.
- Mannagde is called the Essential Series and is the most direct, working in paradoxes and the experience of the self as it is. It might be compared the teaching of the Sutra on the Four Establishments of Mindfulness.[CWL]
Yantra yoga is used as a secondary practice to still the body and emotions, making the main work of the mind easier. It is aimed at learning to control and develop the lun (the prana) and to awaken the Tigle ( Kundalini). In doing this it works with the Inner Mandala or subtle energy body. The various Tantras work with various chakras with the aim of controlling the prana and bringing it into the central channel. This prana supports the dualistic mind and bodies. When it has been concentrated and the kundalini aroused this energy enters the various channels and the dualistic minds are overcome.[CWL]
Conduct or Attitude (Jyodba). This is the way in which the practice is brought into daily life. This is the process of using present awareness actively to make use of ordinary dualistic experience as the path to remain in contemplation. Karmic seeds (samskaras) from the past condition the flow of energy in the present when secondary causes (current circumstances) cause them to unfold (in psychic terms, when existing pictures are lit up by present events). If no awareness exists the resulting reaction adds another layer to the existing samskara. By exercising awareness the secondary causes can be neutralized before they trigger the existing samskara. The goal is the reach a state of being completely unconditioned by any new experience, i.e. one can remain in neutrality or non-attachment.[CWL]
Jyodba is the ability to recognize and respect the conditions of dualistic life that exist around us without one's self being conditioned by them. This is awareness. [CWL]

THE FRUIT

The fruit is actually the same as the Base, i.e. realization is the experiencing of one's original non-dual nature. Realization is explained in terms of three capacities, or liberations:

Jerdrol in which the constancy of ones contemplation and awareness self-liberates all that arises. This level is of minor capacity. A dew drop melted by the sun.
Xardrol in which things self-liberate as they arise, without even the effort of awareness. At this level even the passions have no power more to condition, and can be observed as the play of ones energy. This level is of medium capacity. Snow melting as it falls into the sea.
Randrol which is completely non-dual, instantaneous self-liberation. Subject and object merge and one's vision opens out into what is. One is completely unbound and enjoys all as the pure play of energy. This level is of highest capacity. The speed of a snake uncoiling. [CWL]

The illusion of duality depends on the interdependent arising of subject and object, i.e. the senses and the sense media (e.g. hearing and sound) and the mind and existence. Once they arise they reinforce each other. As practice proceeds and the senses are self-liberated, they become unlimited, no longer bound by distance or scale, or even by intervening objects. These results of the reunification of the senses and their objects are termed the five Nonxes: of seeing (body), hearing (voice), knowing others thoughts (mind), the knowledge of dying and being reborn (due to being beyond time), the knowledge of miracles. These are seen as signs along the path. The final Fruit is the union of the mind and existence (internal and external space) which results in the manifesting of the Body of Light (beyond the astral body). [CWL]

The realized practitioner has realized the Base, their perfect original form and can manifest each of the three kaya (bodies) without conditioning themselves.[CWL]

In his essay on The Mirror Norbu says that it is a mistake to fixate even on a feeling of peace or pleasure as this is just another thought. It is the consistent awareness of ones own state that is important, relaxing the mind into its natural state. With that the state will work itself out, as the troublesome parts are let go, and also the pleasant parts. Until finally one just is in the awareness of self, unconditioned by whatever arises. This is essentially the same as the establishment of mindfulness.

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Human Spiritual Structure: Buddhist Meditation Notes in progress © 1998-2002 Alan McAllister [Spiritual Structure Home] [Whole Being Explorations Host Site] [Subscribe Here] [Sources]