Nature Of The Mind

Note: This mediation is recorded in Tibetan and translated to English.
In this session, Geshe Sonam guides a meditation on the nature and potential of the mind. Understanding a little bit about our mind and its nature is an excellent preliminary contemplation for our Lam Rim/Stages of the path practice. Geshe la gives an introduction, leads a short visualization meditation to settle the mind, and then gives impulses for meditation on the mind's fundamental nature.

Transcript

I am going to speak in Japanese. Hello, I am Tachi-ro. I am a teacher at the Tachi-delle. So first of all, Greetings, Tachi-delle, To all of my Dharma friends. I hope that you are well. I hope that you are happy. I hope that you are well. I hope that you are well. Today, As before, We will be continuing with the stages of the path, With the Lamrim, Specifically the sequence of around 22 that we started last week. Today, As before, We will be continuing with the stages of the path, The Lamrim, Specifically the sequence of around 22 that we started last week. Today, As before, We will be continuing with the stages of the path, With the Lamrim, Specifically the sequence of around 22 that we started last week. Today, As before, We will be continuing with the stages of the path, With the Lamrim, Specifically the sequence of around 22 that we started last week. Today, As before, We will be continuing with the stages of the path, With the Lamrim, Specifically the sequence of around 22 that we started last week. Today, As before, We will be continuing with the stages of the path, With the Lamrim, Specifically the sequence of around 22 that we started last week. Today, As before, We will be continuing with the stages of the path, With the Lamrim, Specifically the sequence of around 22 that we started last week. Today, As before, We will be continuing with the stages of the path, With the Lamrim, Specifically the sequence of around 22 that we started last week. Today we will be continuing with the stages of the path, With the Lamrim, Specifically the sequence of around 22 that we started last week. Today's topic is about the path through which we begin our life. I hope you know this video well. But then the holy beings, They explain that when we are trying to bring forth good things in the mind, Positive mental qualities and so forth, At first the mind is unsettled, So there are many obstacles. So in this way we're going to do a meditation as a way of kind of using the breath to expel those obstacles. And so this meditation in particular, It uses like you could say two words or maybe two syllables, And whether you use those specific syllables or not, That's really up to you. So it is said that within our body there are these chakras or energy channels that go through our body and these are like pipes, They're like hollow pipes. So the first step of this meditation is that we imagine that central channel or that central pipe and that within that central channel at about the heart level there is a brilliant white sphere which represents the essence of our mind. And what we're going to do is we're going to recite the syllable pe. As we recite the syllable pe we will imagine that our mind in the aspect of this white sphere shoots up that central channel out the head and into the sky. And then we will recite ha after that sphere is in the sky and when we recite ha we imagine that that sphere, The aspect of our own mind, As well as all of the winds that carry that mind along with any difficult feelings, Along with any mental projections and so forth, With this ha they dissolve into the expanse of space. So we will start with this easy meditation today. So first just abide, Sit and put the body and the mind in a relaxed state. Stress the mind's awareness on how is the breath operating, Coming in and out. Visualize that hollow central channel like a pipe and at the heart level your mind and the aspect of that brilliant white sphere. Think in a relaxed way the mind and the wind that carries the mind have been ejected into the sky. The essence of the mind together with any worries, Any projections, Nervous thoughts and so forth, They have dissolved into the vast expanse of the sky because they are not pinpointable because they do not exist from their own side, They dissolve into empty space. The body is at ease and the mind is vast and relaxed. Turn back the observation to the mind and think that in terms of this mind it is made up of these five sense consciousnesses and the sixth mental consciousness. Just be aware and observe. Think out of those five sense consciousnesses and the sixth mental consciousness, The sense consciousness are not the main thing, The mental consciousness is the focus. In order to be able to recognize that and to understand the mind we need to let go of any thoughts and memories of the past. We need to let go of any hopes and fears of the future. Instead focus on this present moment, What is happening in the mind right now. So because whatever object we could think of, The mind is able to see it, The mind is able to hold it, The mind is able to comprehend it, We say that the mind is clear. We think of the definition of the mind as being clear and knowing, This clear and knowingness it shows us that it is pure, It is able to see and it is able to cognize, Understand all. Another thing of the mind, Two points here, The nature of the mind is pure luminosity and the defilements, That which is unwholesome, These are adventitious, Removable. The power of the mind is such that it is able to clear away all problems and suffering. It is similarly able to achieve both temporary and ultimate happiness. So, The mind's true nature is like pure, Clear water. Without any particles, It is not in the nature of attachment and anchor. This mind is a precious thing whose ground gives us the capacity to, Whether we think of love, Compassion or bodhicitta, The capacity to be able to generate, To bring forth any of those. Another aspect of the nature of the mind is that there are changes or states of flux that are happening from moment to moment. So, If we understand this, We understand that because one of the characteristics of this mind is this characteristic of momentary change or momentary flux, Then all of the unpleasant emotions, Negative thoughts, False projections, They are also going to be momentary. They are in the nature of change, So they will dissipate. Yes, Samsara is in the nature of these difficulties, But that is not such a big thing. Why? Because also all of these things are in the nature of impermanence, They will change. The mind is the dependent arising. It is something that arises on the basis of many things. It does not arise independently. The nature of the mind also lacks inherent existence. If we try to find some pinpointable existence or essence, We will not be able to find. If we understand that this nature of the mind is something that lacks inherent existence, It is empty of inherent existence, Understanding that emptiness, Then we understand that attachment, Anger, Other afflictions can be dissolved, Can be cleared away. On that basis, We understand that on the basis of this mind, We can reach liberation. On the basis of this mind, We can become a bodhisattva. On the basis of this mind, We can even reach the final goal of complete Buddhahood, Full enlightenment. Thinking of all of these points, We understand the incredible potential of the mind and understanding all of that, Bring forth a feeling of joy. Because all human beings, All animals, Indeed all sentient beings possess this fundamental nature of the mind, There is none that is inherently bad. They are all precious and close. Therefore we need to bring forth a determination that on the basis of my effort, I will definitely put forth effort into being able to recognize the nature of this mind, The potential of my mind. So Geshe-la said that this was a brief introduction, We'll end it there, But in terms of the mind, We understand it has a relative nature, It also has an ultimate nature, And if you want to understand these more right, You can endeavor in some more studies, Some more exploration. And also the division of this mind into the aspects of the sense consciousness and the mental consciousness, This is a little bit on the coarser level. And then on this nature of it being something that is impermanent, Momentarily changing and so forth, These are all about the relative nature of the mind. And then if we explore, As much as we search for a pinpointable essence of the mind, We will not be able to find it if we think about the lack of the inherent existence of the mind, Then this will bring us up to the level of understanding its ultimate nature. So then we could think that on the basis of understanding the lack of inherent existence of this mind, How does this help us to come to the conclusion then that there will be an end to attachment, That there will be an end to anger and the other afflictions, How is that so? Because the root of all of these afflictions, Attachment and anger and so forth, Which are rooted in the ignorance, Grasping at the self, They are all rooted in a grasping at if one seeks some findable essence that one will be able to find that. And so that's really the direction that we want to sort of direct ourselves and of course we'll be explaining different aspects to get there, But this is the direction that we want to go and meditate on eventually. So this brings us to the end of the session here and Geshe-la said if you want a vaster presentation, A little bit more of an in-depth presentation, There are the other classes in particular on the weekend and those also have question and answer. So thank you very much.

Reviews

So insightful and useful ✨

Thank you from Sweden❤️