Naropa's Wisdom by Khenchen Thrangu

Author:Khenchen Thrangu
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Shambhala
Published: 2020-01-20T16:00:00+00:00

THE MAHAMUDRA OF REALIZATION

5. Naturally and without contriving, allow it simply to be,

This unimagined dharmakaya.

Letting it be without seeking is the meditation training,

But to meditate while seeking is deluded mind.

We can explain the nature of the Mahamudra of realization in a very short and somewhat unpolished way or we can explain in very fine detail how to practice and train in Mahamudra. Let us explain it in terms of a method called “looking while being still.” In this context still refers to our Shamatha meditation after it has developed and we feel that our mind is quiet, our attention remains calm, and we are concentrated, so there is a sense of being fully relaxed and at peace in our meditation. During this time when our attention remains at peace, look into exactly what it is that remains at peace. We then question ourselves: “Where does this stillness remain? How does it remain? What is it that remains?” When we simply look into this, we fail to find any concrete entity that is at peace, that remains calmly. This stillness of mind has no real concrete identity to be found. Yet, at the same time, it feels as if there is a mind that is calm and resting in stillness. This feeling is only superficial because the moment we investigate, asking, “Does this mind have a dwelling place? Is there something that abides calmly?” we discover nothing. At the same time, there is a feeling of stillness! The apparent and the real, the relative and the ultimate, are thus indivisible. While remaining in the calm of Shamatha, we can see the mind as it actually is by looking into its nature.

Unfortunately, our mind is not always still. Sometimes it moves with a thought or an emotion, but there is also a method to look or perceive its identity at those times when we leave the peaceful state of Shamatha meditation and begin to think that this thinking seems more tangible than the stillness. Strong thoughts, such as emotions, give us the very distinct impression “I am thinking; I am feeling such-and-such about that.” Anger, attachment, jealousy, stupidity, and pride are all particularly strong attachments that create a very clear impression “I am feeling.” Even during the more subtle formation of concepts or neutral ideas, it still seems like something is arising, or being formed, in our mind. We must look into this thinking or feeling to discover whether or not there is actually some “thing,” some entity, there that thinks or feels.

There are two ways that we can observe this event or movement. One is to label our thoughts when they arise: “Well, now there’s a thought; there’s another thought.” With this method, we are one step behind in our pursuit of the thought, always running after it, trying to attach a label to it. This is not a technique used in Mahamudra. In Mahamudra, the practitioner looks directly into that which thinks. He or she doesn’t label it as being such-and-such.

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