Stages Of Meditation: Book Club III, Episode 6

In the sixth episode of Book Club III, Sarah Sati reads from chapters six and seven of the text Stages of Meditation. This book, by his holiness the Dalai Lama, serves as a concise commentary on the text of the same name by Kamalashila. In chapter six, the Dalai Lama elaborates on the concept of wisdom, how to cultivate it, and why it is so crucial for a meditator to develop.

In chapter seven, the prerequisites for calm abiding and special insight are elaborated upon.

Sarah recaps the previous session before reading and offers space for practical application through guided meditation practice, as well as practice homework between sessions.

Book Club is an opportunity to look deeply into a spiritual text using a Western perspective. Each session includes a practice opportunity, reading, synopsis of reading, and optional practice homework.

Transcript

Welcome,

Welcome back.

This is our sixth session of book club series.

This is the third series of book club,

And this is the sixth session in the third series.

And in this series,

In this third series,

I'm working with the text,

Stages of Meditation,

By His Holiness the Dalai Lama,

And it's a commentary on a text of the same name by Kamala Shihla.

It's wonderful to be back and to be exploring this text together.

So I'm really glad to be here again.

This is a slow text.

It's not a fast read,

Even though it's a small book.

So a lot of really important concepts inside of this text that we've been going through so far.

And that is why I record the sessions so that people can go back and have an opportunity to re-listen to the sessions and really expand understanding.

That's the idea of book club.

Today we'll be reading from chapters six and seven.

Chapter six focuses on wisdom,

Really just how to cultivate it and why it's essential on our path.

And chapter seven is outlining the prerequisites for what are known as shamatha and vipassana,

Or calm abiding and special insight meditation.

And these chapters are really,

Again,

Just in line with the text,

Providing us with practical guidance for establishing the right conditions for meditation.

And if we remember the import of that,

The reason that is so important is that when we establish the right conditions for meditation,

Then we enable ourselves to more successfully elicit this awakened mind of bodhicitta,

Which is if you are on the Buddhist path or Buddhist curious,

That is essentially what we are after,

This ultimate mind of awakening.

But before I go any further,

As usual,

Let's begin with a short introspection and set our intention for today's session.

However you are is perfect.

I think that's probably my favorite thing to think and also to say,

However you are is perfect.

If you want to adjust your position slightly,

Then go ahead and do that now.

I'm finding a more meditative posture,

But otherwise just bringing attention inward for a moment,

Eyes closed or open.

We can join in together from this exact space.

Very natural,

Very authentic.

Your eyes can be closed or open,

Whatever feels best for you.

Maybe it's good to take a few deep breaths in and out.

And as you exhale,

Just imagine that you're letting go of any distractions,

Any obstructions that are interfering with your ability to be fully here.

And perhaps just allow yourself to feel a sinking away from day-to-day responsibilities and towards a deeper connection to your inner world.

And as you do this,

Perhaps bring to mind your motivation for being here today.

Asking yourself why you've chosen to study these teachings,

What is it about the teachings of the Buddha that draw you to them?

And give it a moment here,

Allowing your motivation to arise clearly in your mind.

What brings you here?

And that motivation may show up as words,

Thoughts.

It may seem very clear and crisp,

Or it may be more vague and come in the sense of a feeling or emotion.

Drop any expectation of what that motivation should present itself as,

And simply rest in what is coming up for you right now.

And then let's set a collective intention.

Bring your awareness to your ears and let your ears be open.

And with these open ears,

Try to make a connection between hearing and your heart.

And just listen.

May our study and practice today benefit not only ourselves,

But all beings.

May the wisdom we cultivate guide us toward compassion,

Clarity,

And liberation.

And if your eyes have been closed,

Gently open them and get comfortable settling in for today's session.

In our last session,

I just want to recap briefly our last session.

Whether you joined or not,

It's no problem.

These sessions are really standalone,

But also they,

Of course,

Work cohesively.

This book,

If you are not already familiar,

Is about taking our time.

I think that's really fundamental to the essence of this text,

Is that we're reminded that things that are really meaningful and valuable don't happen overnight.

They happen in small increments,

And those small increments eventually build to reveal something much greater and more beautiful than we could imagine.

So remembering that,

We can go back to the last session,

Which was the.

.

.

I just worked with Chapter 5 in the last session.

And if you remember,

It was a very long chapter and it was really filled with a lot of information.

The crux of it was about suffering and recognizing suffering.

And one of the main teachings was the idea that we have three types of suffering.

And so if you remember,

That was the suffering of suffering,

The suffering of change,

And then the all-pervasive suffering.

I talked about this last session,

But I'll just remind you of it again.

Suffering can be a challenging word to lean on from the teachings,

Because in Buddhism,

We're not just talking about these giant tragic events that we typically associate with a suffering event.

In Buddhism,

We're talking about any level of dissatisfaction.

So very small and subtle dissatisfaction is also a sense of suffering in the Buddhist teaching.

And this is really the idea behind all-pervasive suffering.

And we were invited to explore that no matter who exists on this planet or what they have,

All the money and resources in the world don't take away this experience of all-pervasive suffering,

Which when we really break that down,

We can ask ourselves,

What is it?

It's constant desire for more and aversion from what is unpleasant.

Basically,

Aversion from loss.

So we're always desiring more and we are always averse from loss,

And that doesn't matter if we are the lowliest person on the planet with absolutely not even the resources to live in a cardboard box or the highest person on the planet with gazillions of dollars and all the resources in the world to have anything they could ever wish for.

Both of those individuals,

If they have not followed a proper mind training,

Still have the recipe for suffering,

Which is this constant desire for more and this aversion for loss.

And so that is what we are doing in our meditation practice.

We are not trying to manifest millions of dollars or find some sort of thing in our lives that we're missing right now.

We're trying to reveal to ourselves the truth that suffering is really because of this ignorant belief that more is going to lead us to somehow a better or more joyful life.

And when we can eliminate this at its root,

When we can eliminate desire,

When we can eliminate aversion,

And that doesn't mean we just become like lumps on logs and don't do anything with our lives.

It's really saying,

Okay,

We just recognize desire for what it is and aversion for what it is,

Which are essentially these misleading and yet highly intoxicating elements of experience that keep us locked in this all-pervasive suffering,

Which at its very worst is a subtle undertone of our life experience that is nearly invisible.

So we walk through our day-to-day reality as though we are fine,

And yet underneath all of it is this little vibration that things just aren't quite good enough.

And that is actually the worst kind of suffering we can experience because it is so sneaky.

And because it is so subtle,

It allows us to continue the cycle of thinking if we just get more or if we just protect ourselves from losing,

Then in some way we will quell or quiet that subtle dissatisfaction.

And the truth is we may for a moment,

A very small fleeting moment,

But again it comes up because the problem isn't anything more than our desirous or aversive minds.

And so we were really invited in this last chapter to explore how everybody,

No matter where they are in the world,

Experiences this and to begin to look at that clearly both on and off the cushion.

So the understanding of suffering really serves as a foundation for today's topics,

Which are the development of wisdom,

And then what do we need to do to create these right conditions for deep meditation?

That's a recurring theme in this text is that there is a specific order of how we go about training our minds,

And that is indicative of the Buddha's teachings.

It isn't haphazard.

It isn't inconsequential.

It isn't unintentional.

It's a highly systematic process,

And it's based in logic and reasoning.

And that's what we're going to explore,

Especially in chapter six today,

Is this idea of logic and reasoning and how crucial they are to the practice of Buddhism,

Really the whole path of the Buddha's teachings rely on this idea of logic and reasoning.

And this is,

If I'm talking from a personal perspective,

What I have found so attractive in my own life about the Buddha's teachings is that it's not mere belief.

It's not mere faith.

It's definitely not blind faith.

It's really betting the teachings against experience,

And that is why meditation is so crucial because it's within our meditation practice that we gain the experience for which we can vet the teachings against.

So a lot of stuff going on,

As you can tell,

And I don't want to waste any more time.

Let's get into the reading because it's quite long today.

I did talk about possibly having a session that was just focused on practice,

And we do need that,

But I think I'll have a little time for practice again today,

And I'll continue to work that into the preceding sessions.

And then as we get towards the end,

I think I'll try to carve some time for a specific practice-only session.

But before we listen to the teachings,

Let's follow the guidance of the Dalai Lama and set our proper motivation for listening.

I go back again and again to this because it's such an important teaching,

Not just for following the Buddha's teachings,

But also for day-to-day life,

Like throw the Buddha's teachings to the side.

Look,

If you're having problems in your life,

Check in.

Are you listening to life in a flawed way?

And so if you remember the Dalai Lama gave the teaching on the three flawed ways of listening,

That's listening like a dirty vessel,

So with all these biases or chatter in the mind,

Listening like a vessel that's filled with holes in it,

So whatever comes in immediately goes out,

Or listening like a vessel that's overturned,

So nothing can even get in in the first place.

And so we want to eliminate those three flawed ways of listening and position our minds in such a way that we can really gain the most benefit from these teachings.

It's crucial to always remind ourselves,

Listening to Buddha's teachings are not meant as forms of entertainment.

This is a path to find our most meaningful and joyful life experience,

And so we should be listening with a level of seriousness in that way.

So set yourself up for that,

You know,

Lie down,

If you're walking,

Walk,

But bring your mind to a state of presence.

And just listen to these words and allow them to resonate in your heart as you hear them,

Preparing your mind to listen in the right way.

I shall listen to the intermediate stages of meditation by the great Kamalashila in order to attain supreme Buddhahood for the sake of sentient beings and their vast as the expanse of space.

And then settle in and just listen.

Chapter Six,

Wisdom.

According to Buddhist tradition,

The validity of a philosophical doctrine is determined by logical reasoning.

The Buddha very clearly stated,

Bhikshus and scholars should examine my words in the way that a goldsmith tests gold by burning,

Cutting,

And rubbing.

Only then should my words be accepted,

Not out of respect for me.

Therefore,

In the process of establishing both external and internal phenomena,

We must rely on reasoning.

There's no need to rely on scriptural authority alone.

What is taught in scriptural texts can be analyzed in the light of reason,

And the validity of their contents can be established.

The Buddha's own words are open to examination.

One of the most wonderful features of Buddhist culture is that the practitioner has the right to examine the teachings.

The words of the teacher can also be examined.

The Buddhist approach to knowledge is similar to that of modern science.

Initially,

You should not make any definitive statement on a subject of contention,

But examine the issue impartially.

The result should be determined through analysis.

Examining the evidence with reason.

In general,

Buddhism has a high regard for logical reasoning.

It is important to establish the basis,

Path,

And result.

Basis here refers to the fact or reality of phenomena.

We follow a spiritual path based on that fact,

And so achieve a result.

Spiritual practice is not a mere fabrication of the mind,

But something that really exists.

If the basis of spiritual practice were a mere figment of the imagination,

It would not have the potential to change and transform our minds through the practice of the path.

Consequently,

Liberation and so forth could not be explained as a result.

The resultant state of a Buddha is endowed with many great qualities.

These qualities are produced by cultivating the appropriate causes and conditions,

And by engaging in the practice of the spiritual path.

The ten powers and other attributes of a are developed in due course because individuals have the potential to produce such qualities.

Generally speaking,

Nothing can be produced without a base or a foundation.

It would be absurd to assert that omniscience is produced from rocks and mountains.

It is much more logical to say that engaging in the combined path of skillful means and wisdom on the basis of consciousness can produce omniscience.

Establishing the base is a very crucial step.

It distinguishes what exists from mere mental fabrication.

It refers to proper identification of the laws of nature and reality.

Therefore,

In order to establish the true nature of the base,

It is important to be objective.

There are various interpretations of Buddha's scriptural teachings by his followers.

When a scriptural teaching cannot stand logical analysis,

Its meaning is interpreted within the context of three criteria,

Intention,

Purpose,

And contradiction.

For instance,

If a sutra deals with ultimate reality,

But under analysis the apparent meaning is found to be faulty,

It is interpreted according to the intention and purpose for which it was taught.

Similarly,

When those aspects of selflessness that are obscure are found to be faulty through examination by inferential logic,

There is no need to accept them.

These days,

The sun and the moon,

Along with their size,

Their distance from the earth,

And their movements,

Have become more obvious to us.

So,

If a scriptural text describes such obvious things in ways that contradict our direct,

Valid perception,

We no longer accept them as true.

In general,

Buddhism and science take a similar approach to such things.

Buddhist teachings are presented within the context of the spiritual base,

Path,

And fruit.

The fruit concerns the many great qualities the practitioner manifests when he or she attains Buddhahood.

In order to achieve such qualities,

You need to produce the right causes and conditions.

This process consists of an integrated spiritual practice.

It is important to know that each one of us has the potential to develop the ten powers and other wonderful qualities of a Buddha.

This potential is innate within the continuity of our consciousness.

Generally speaking,

Nothing can be produced without an appropriate basis or foundation.

Just as it would be absurd to state that rocks and mountains can attain omniscience by way of spiritual practice,

It is clear that those who possess consciousness can attain omniscience.

The spiritual basis,

In this case,

Refers to the intrinsic nature of the mind that has the potential to awaken to the state of full enlightenment.

The spiritual path consists of aspects of method and wisdom,

Which means that a practitioner accumulates merit and insight and so transcends to Buddhahood.

It is essential to understand these fundamentals of Buddhist philosophy.

They are not figments of someone's imagination but conform to reality.

If they were mere imaginary things,

No matter how much effort you put in,

You would make no progress on the path.

You would gain no result and you would not be able to explain how to attain liberation.

You should be open-minded and impartial in examining these fundamental principles.

If you have preconceived ideas influenced by other philosophical views,

You will find it hard to appreciate these principles objectively.

We should examine and analyze questions and accept those findings that are logical.

There may be matters for which Buddhist tradition has an explanation that science has not yet discovered and so has nothing to say about them.

But when we're dealing with scientifically proven facts,

We should not be dogmatic about what is stated in our texts.

As I said earlier,

This text primarily deals with the two truths as the basis,

The practice of meditation and wisdom as the spiritual path,

And the attainments of the wisdom and the physical body of enlightened being as the result.

Those who wish to attain that transcendent wisdom that is totally free of all obscurations should meditate on wisdom while abiding in single-pointed concentration.

The Heap of Jewels Sutra says single-pointed concentration is achieved by adhering to moral ethics.

With the achievement of single-pointed concentration,

You meditate on wisdom.

Wisdom helps you to attain a pure,

Pristine awareness.

Through pure,

Pristine awareness,

Your moral conduct is perfected.

In order to accomplish the purposes of both others and ourselves,

All obscurations should be eliminated.

Those who intend to realize transcendent wisdom in such a way should initially practice calm-abiding meditation.

A practitioner who has the ability to analyze phenomena with the wisdom realizing suchness while engaging in calm-abiding meditation can generate special insight.

In terms of practice,

The three trainings are presented in a definite sequence.

Let me elaborate.

The text reads,

Wisdom helps you to attain a pure,

Pristine awareness.

A perfectly transcendent wisdom has the ability to eradicate the obscurations along with their seeds.

Wisdom realizing conventional truth,

However powerful,

Does not have that ability.

Therefore,

We can conclude that to do so,

It must be a wisdom realizing the ultimate truth.

In this context,

Perfectly transcendental wisdom refers to and in order to attain omniscience,

Obscurations to liberation or disturbing emotions and obscurations to knowledge must be eliminated.

Wisdom alone is the direct opponent that enables us to eradicate the two obscurations and their seeds or latent potencies.

Neither ethical discipline nor single- pointed concentration can confront them directly.

Wisdom here refers to the wisdom derived from meditation,

Not that derived from listening and contemplation.

Therefore,

To actualize that special insight realizing ultimate reality,

You must first become proficient in calm-abiding meditation.

Since this single-pointed concentration is a positive thought,

Subtle mental dullness and excitement must be abandoned.

In order to abandon these faults,

You must first train in practices of ethical discipline.

The meditation on faith in the Mahayana Sutra says,

O child of noble family,

If you do not abide by wisdom,

I cannot say how you will have faith in the Mahayana of the Bodhisattvas or how you will set forth in the Mahayana.

This concerns generation of faith or the conviction that comes with knowledge.

Unless the child of noble family or a practitioner is able to develop the wisdom of special insight,

Generation of faith based on knowledge is not possible.

Of course,

A person can have devoted faith,

But when he or she develops faith as a result of comprehending ultimate reality,

It is supported by reason and knowledge.

For instance,

True renunciation can be developed when the system of liberation is properly understood.

The individual gains certainty that,

In general,

Liberation is possible and is something that can be developed within our stream of consciousness.

Such a sense of renunciation definitely has distinctive qualities.

Similarly,

The strength of our taking refuge improves as we refine our knowledge of emptiness.

O child of noble family,

You should know that this is because Bodhisattva's faith in the Mahayana and setting forth in the Mahayana occurs as a result of contemplating the perfect Dharma and reality with a mind free of distraction.

This clearly indicates the need to develop a wisdom examining conventional and ultimate reality single-pointedly in order to enable the practitioner to gain firm conviction and faith in the spiritual basis,

Path,

And result that are taught in the Mahayana system.

A yogi's mind will be distracted to various objects if he develops a calmly abiding mind.

It will be unstable,

Like a butter lamp in wind.

Since clarity of pristine awareness will be absent,

These two,

Special insight and a calmly abiding mind,

Should be cultivated equally.

Therefore,

The Sutra of the Great and Complete Transcendence of Suffering says,

Hearers cannot see Buddha nature because their single-pointed absorption is stronger and wisdom is weaker.

If this is interpreted in terms of the philosophical system that asserts that followers of the path of hearers and solitary realizers do not realize the selflessness or emptiness of phenomena,

It is said that they do not see Buddha nature with a wisdom analyzing reality.

They only realize the selflessness of persons,

Not the selflessness of phenomena.

That is because their concentration is more powerful than their wisdom.

If this is interpreted in terms of the Aryas or exalted beings among the hearers and solitary realizers who are like Mahayana Aryas in realizing emptiness,

Then the assertion that hearers are not able to see Buddha nature means that their realization of the nature of the contaminated mind is not based on the application of a wide variety of reasoning.

This is because their single-pointed concentration is strong and their wisdom is weak.

Bodhisattvas can see it but not clearly because their wisdom is stronger and their single-pointed concentration is weaker,

Whereas Tathagatas can see all because they possess a calmly abiding mind and special insight to an equal degree.

This point is difficult,

Isn't it?

But we can provide a couple of interpretations.

First,

I think that the author meant to say here that even though Bodhisattvas have direct apprehension of suchness,

They apprehend suchness directly only during meditative absorption,

Not during the post-meditation period.

However,

For Buddhas,

Realization of suchness is total and complete.

Therefore,

They have direct apprehension of suchness at all times,

Regardless of whether they are meditating or not.

Second,

This verse could mean that even though Bodhisattvas directly apprehend the suchness of the mind,

They do not apprehend it clearly.

This is due to the latent potency of mental defilements which they have yet to eliminate.

On the other hand,

Buddhas are completely and thoroughly free of the slightest defilement and have eliminated their latent potential entirely.

Their knowledge of suchness is excellent.

Due to the power of calm abiding meditation,

The mind will not be disturbed by the wind of conceptual thoughts.

Like a butter lamp undisturbed by the breeze,

Special insight eliminates every stain of wrong views.

Thus,

You will not be affected by the views of others.

The Moon Lamp Sutra says,

By the force of calm abiding meditation,

The mind will become unwavering and with special insight it will become like a mountain.

Therefore,

Maintain a yogic practice of them both.

This indicates the characteristic or meaning of calm abiding and penetrative insight.

Calm abiding is a quality of the mind that single-pointedly attends to its object,

Free of all external and internal distractions.

The mind does not focus on any object except the object of its concentration.

Since it is free of any mental dullness,

The object is apprehended with utmost clarity.

Prolonged development of such a single-pointed mind results in the bliss of physical and mental pliancy.

And when such a single-pointed concentration is conjoined with bliss,

It is characterized as calm abiding meditation.

Special insight is a wisdom realizing emptiness conjoined with physical and mental bliss.

This bliss is derived from the analytical wisdom which examines the reality of its object over and over again based on the bliss of calm abiding meditation.

This insight does not remain satisfied with the mere placement of the mind on its object.

Whatever the object,

Whether it concerns conventional or ultimate reality,

It is thoroughly examined by analytical wisdom.

Chapter 7.

Common prerequisites for meditating on calm abiding and special insight.

How should calm abiding and special insight be practiced together?

Initially,

The yogi should seek the prerequisites that can assist him in actualizing calm abiding meditation and special insight quickly and easily.

It is clear that practitioners need to rely on these prerequisites in order to gain spiritual realization.

The prerequisites necessary for the development of calm abiding meditation are to live in a conducive environment,

To limit your desires and practice contentment,

Not being involved in too many activities,

Maintaining pure moral ethics,

And fully eliminating attachment and all other kinds of conceptual thoughts.

Kamalashila next explains what a conducive or favorable environment means.

A conducive environment should be known by these five characteristics,

Providing easy access to food and clothes,

Being free of evil beings and enemies,

Being free from disease,

Containing good friends who maintain moral ethics and who share similar views,

And being visited by few people in the daytime and with little noise at night.

Limiting your desires refers to not being excessively attached to many or good clothes,

Such as religious robes and so forth.

The practice of contentment means always being satisfied with any little thing,

Like inferior religious robes and so forth.

Not being involved in many activities refers to giving up ordinary activities like business,

Avoiding too close association with householders and monks,

And totally abandoning the practice of medicine and astrology.

Association in this context refers to gathering and gossiping on and on without any purpose.

For those who are able to meditate with much concentration,

The practices of medicine and astrology become impediments.

Therefore,

Unless there are special reasons to do otherwise,

Practitioners are instructed to avoid these worldly pursuits.

Even in the case of the statement that a transgression of the hearer's vows cannot be restored,

If there is regret and an awareness of the intention not to repeat it,

And an awareness of the lack of a true identity of the mind that performed the action,

Or familiarity with the lack of a true identity of all phenomena,

That person's morality can be said to be pure.

This should be understood from the sutra on the elimination of Ajatashatru's regret.

You should overcome your regret and make special effort in meditation.

The two types of moral ethics refer to vows of individual liberation and the bodhisattva's vow.

It could also mean the vows of ordained people and the vows of lay people.

The following passage deals with the futility of desire and the need to distance yourself from mundane activities.

To this end,

It is important to discard all types of misconceptions.

Being mindful of the various defects of attachment in this life and future lives helps eliminate misconceptions in this regard.

Some common features of both beautiful and ugly things in the cycle of existence are that they are all unstable and subject to disintegration.

It is beyond doubt that you will be separated from all these things without delay,

So meditate on why you should be so excessively attached to these things and then discard all misconceptions.

What are the prerequisites of special insight?

They are relying on holy persons,

Seriously seeking extensive instruction,

And proper contemplation.

In this context,

Contemplation concerns meditation on both conventional and ultimate realities.

Now the text explains the characteristics of a spiritual guide.

What type of holy person should you rely on?

One who has heard many teachings,

Who expresses himself clearly,

Who is endowed with compassion,

And able to withstand hardship.

Clear expression means skillful speech,

But without compassion it does not go very far.

When compassion is missing,

Even great learning is of little use.

For a teacher to be productive and effective in the process of teaching,

Compassion or a kind heart is explained here as the most crucial quality.

There are other defects in teaching,

For example,

Being tired of explaining to the students,

So being tolerant and patient in the face of such difficulties is also important.

What is meant by seriously seeking extensive instruction?

This is to listen seriously with respect to the definitive and interpretable meaning of the 12 branches of the Buddhist teachings.

The unraveling of the thought sutra says not listening to superior beings teachings as you wish is an obstacle to special insight.

The same sutra says special insight arises from its cause,

Correct view,

Which in turn arises from listening and contemplation.

The questions of Narayana Sutra says through the experience of listening to teachings you gain wisdom,

And with wisdom disturbing emotions are thoroughly pacified.

The above passage clearly and succinctly explains the advantages of acquiring vast knowledge by way of listening and contemplation.

This specifically refers to the value of a rich and versatile knowledge of the scriptural teachings.

What is meant by proper contemplation?

It is properly establishing the definitive and interpretable sutras.

When bodhisattvas are free of doubt,

They can meditate single-pointedly.

Otherwise,

If doubt and indecision beset them,

They will be like a man at a crossroads,

Uncertain of which path to follow.

Whatever you have heard,

It is extremely important to ascertain its meaning by means of contemplation.

Otherwise,

You'll be like an indecisive person at a crossroads.

Indecision and doubt naturally impede your proficiency in teaching and explaining the subject to students.

In the above passage,

The text refers to definitive and interpretable sutras.

What is meant by definitive and interpretable?

What are the definitive and interpretable sutras?

This is one of the crucial concerns of Buddhist philosophy.

Popularly,

The Buddha is said to have given three rounds of teachings,

Which are known as the Three Turnings of the Wheel of Dharma.

The first round presented the Four Noble Truths.

The exposition of the Four Noble Truths formed the framework and foundation of Buddhism.

The Four Truths are the truth of suffering,

The truth of the origin of suffering,

The truth of the path,

And the truth of cessation.

In the second turning of the Wheel of Dharma,

The Buddha dealt exclusively and exhaustively with the Noble Truth of Cessation.

There are indications that the perfection of wisdom scriptures originated from this teaching.

Since there were individuals who could not comprehend the notion of selflessness as taught during the second turning of the wheel,

And since it was possible that some people might develop wrong views in relation to this teaching,

During the third turning of the wheel,

The discourse on selflessness was clarified in the context of three different phenomena—imputed phenomena,

Dependent phenomena,

And thoroughly established phenomena.

Imputed phenomena are said to be selfless because they do not have an intrinsic identity.

Dependent phenomena are said to be selfless because they lack the identity of being self-produced,

And the thoroughly established phenomena are said to be selfless because they lack any ultimate identity.

However,

Certain sutras taught during the third turning of the wheel,

Such as the Tathagata Essence Sutra,

Explain the clear light of the subjective mind in addition to the clear light of the object,

Or the emptiness that had been flawlessly explained during the second turning of the wheel.

The nature of mind was dealt with in greater detail.

Since the Fourth Noble Truth,

The truth of the path,

Was more explicitly and profoundly expounded,

This naturally established a link to understanding the teachings on Tantra.

The Buddha gave his teachings with the sole purpose of benefiting those who listened to them.

He employed skillful means to achieve this goal,

Giving teachings on greater and lesser vehicles in the context of people's greater or lesser mental scope.

The various philosophical tenets were taught to suit varying degrees of intelligence.

Consequently,

There are four Buddhist schools of thought.

Broadly speaking,

Some schools contend that during the first sermon,

The Buddha taught only the 16 attributes of the Four Noble Truths.

They assert that there were no teachings on emptiness,

But only on the selflessness of persons.

Some of the scriptures containing the Buddha's teachings cannot be accepted literally.

This is why we need to categorize them as definitive and interpretable teachings.

The definitions of these terms also vary according to different schools of thought.

The Chittamatra school defines definitive teachings as those whose meaning can be accepted literally,

And interpretable teachings as those whose meaning cannot be accepted literally.

The Svatantrika Madhyamika school defines definitive scriptures as those teachings that have ultimate truth as their direct and principal topic of discussion.

And that can be accepted literally.

Teachings of the Buddha other than these belong among the interpretable scriptures.

In order to ascertain the ultimate truth,

Subtle emptiness,

We must follow the sutras and commentaries that flawlessly expound the subject.

To this end,

We must understand the scriptural texts in their proper sequence,

And according to whether they are definitive or require interpretation.

This may not initially be very simple,

But if we follow the great beings who have pinpointed exactly which scriptures are definitive and which are interpretable,

And search for emptiness by studying these sutras and the commentaries to them,

Then we will be able to realize the view of emptiness.

Thus,

Kamalashila stresses the importance of studying both definitive and interpretable sutras.

The text here deals with the common prerequisites of calm abiding meditation and special insight.

Yogi should at all times avoid fish,

Meat,

And so forth.

Should eat with moderation and avoid foods that are not conducive to health.

Meditators need to be physically healthy,

Therefore a proper diet is essential.

On the other hand,

Their mind should be clear and strong,

And this will also contribute to physical health.

For these reasons,

It is recommended that they give up eating fish,

Meat,

Garlic,

Onions,

Etc.

Appropriate food should be eaten in moderation,

For indigestion can cause havoc with meditation.

What's more,

Those who overeat can hardly stay awake.

Thus,

Bodhisattvas who have assembled all the prerequisites for calm abiding meditation and special insight should enter into meditation.

There are other practices such as not sleeping during the first and last periods of the night.

While sleeping during the middle period of the night,

Cultivate mindfulness and maintain a proper posture.

If a vegetarian diet does not result in protein deficiency,

It is a wholesome way of living.

Even if you cannot be a strict vegetarian,

At least moderating the amount of meat you eat is beneficial.

Within the southern schools of Buddhism,

Eating meat is not strictly prohibited,

But the meat of certain animals,

Such as those that are not clove and hoofed,

Or those that have been slaughtered specifically for your consumption,

Is forbidden.

This means that meat bought casually in the market is acceptable.

Such meat that may be eaten is referred to as pure meat and is distinguished by three qualifications.

That you've not seen the animal being killed for you to eat,

That you've not received any information in this connection,

And that you have no doubt that the animal has not been killed for your consumption.

In general,

Mahayana Buddha schools do not prohibit the eating of meat.

However,

Certain scriptures,

Such as this descent into Lanka Sutra,

Strictly prohibit eating meat at all times,

Whereas other scriptures,

Like the Essence of Madhyamaka by Acharya Bhavaviveka,

Seem to permit it.

Thus,

Some Mahayana texts concerning the perfection of wisdom prohibit eating meat,

While others do not.

The three lower classes of Tantra strictly prohibit the eating of meat,

Whereas the highest class permits it.

Certain ritual practices within this class of Tantra require the five kinds of meat and five kinds of nectar.

The general standard,

Therefore,

Is that meat openly available in the market may be eaten,

But we are prohibited from killing animals for our own consumption.

As explained earlier,

Interested practitioners who enjoy the necessary facilities and freedom from interference should fulfill the preparatory practices before beginning calm-abiding meditation.

When meditating,

The yogi should first complete all the preparatory practices.

He should go to the toilet,

And in a pleasant location,

Free of disturbing noise,

He should think,

I will deliver all sentient beings to the state of enlightenment.

Then he should manifest great compassion,

The thought wishing to liberate all sentient beings,

And pay homage to all the Buddhas and Bodhisattvas in the ten directions by touching the five limbs of his body to the ground.

Invoke a merit field by visualizing Buddhas and Bodhisattvas in the space in front of you and make prayers.

This is an exclusively sutra practice.

When the invocation is done in relation to Tantra,

You generate the commitment being and merge the wisdom being with it.

When you make prostrations,

Tradition recommends that you do so by touching your five limbs,

Your sights for forehead,

Two palms,

And two knees to the ground.

The important thing is that it should be done properly and with delight.

It is unwholesome to perform prostrations either as a mere formality or under coercion.

Representations of the Buddha's body,

Speech,

And mind can be arranged physically on an altar or can be visualized in the space in front of you.

Offerings should be made according to your means.

If you're fortunate and wealthy,

Well and good.

But if you do not have the means to obtain many images of the Buddha,

There's no need to acquire them improperly.

Statues and Tantras acquired by fraud and deceit instead of bringing virtue bring only negative consequences.

If you're a solitary monk in retreat in the too many religious images will only tempt thieves to no great purpose.

In the past,

Great saints like Milarepa possessed high realizations but no such images.

Milarepa lived in an empty cave.

There's a story that one night a thief entered his cave searching for something to steal.

Mila laughed and asked,

What are you looking for?

When I cannot find anything in the daytime,

What do you expect to find at night?

Thus,

We should remember that spiritual realizations are developed within and that external objects are not of much consequence.

There are people who in the name of religious practice struggle hard to erect an elaborate and costly altar.

Loaded with images,

It becomes part of the household furniture and ceases to be of much significance or purpose.

So if you can obtain representations of the Buddha's body,

Speech,

And mind in an acceptable manner,

You should have a statue of Shakyamuni Buddha,

The founder of Buddhism.

To represent his speech,

You can set up a copy of the Perfection of Wisdom Sutra as the main text,

Together with a copy of the Avatamsaka Sutra,

Which deals with the deeds of bodhisattvas.

Next to them,

You can place those things which represent the mind of the Buddhas.

If you cannot obtain these things,

Don't worry about it.

But if you can,

They should be arranged in a proper way.

In the center should be a painting,

Statue,

Or similar image of Buddha Shakyamuni.

Around him should be representations of meditational deities in both peaceful and wrathful aspects,

And representations of the Buddha's eight great immediate disciples.

If on the other hand,

These images are arranged according to their monetary value,

The quality of the material from which they're made,

Or whether they are new or antique,

Then you're making a serious mistake.

To do so would reveal that you viewed these holy images as nothing more than material possessions.

So with understanding of its meaning and purpose,

Arrange your altar in the proper order.

Make prostrations and arrange offerings before the holy objects.

You should be careful about what you offer.

If you offer what are called pure materials,

You can accumulate immense virtue.

Conversely,

If the materials are impure,

Then instead of gaining virtue,

You are liable to face negative consequences.

Impure materials refers to things acquired by the five wrong livelihoods,

Such as flattery,

Deceit,

And so forth.

This is a particular concern for ordained people.

When people treat scriptures and statues or photos of Buddhas as commercial items and do business with them for personal gain,

It is wrong livelihood.

It is certainly unwholesome and has serious negative consequences.

On the other hand,

When people work to publish scriptural texts,

Make statues,

And so forth,

In order to propagate the Buddha's doctrine,

It is a different matter.

In such cases,

When individuals are motivated to help those in need of such religious support,

They are engaged in wholesome activities.

We must therefore realize the importance of offering pure materials.

There is a widespread tradition among Tibetans of offering bowls of water and butter lamps.

This too should be done respectfully and in a proper manner.

The practice of making offerings is followed by confession,

Rejoicing,

Requesting teachings,

Beseeching the Buddhas not to enter parinirvana,

And dedication.

Together,

These steps are known as the seven-branch practice.

Highly realized beings engage in such valuable practices in their quest to accumulate vast merit.

He should place an image of the Buddhas and Bodhisattvas such as a painting in front of him or in some other place.

He should make as many offerings and praises as he can.

He should confess his misdeeds and rejoice in the merit of all other beings.

The meditator should first perform the seven-branch practices such as prostration,

Offering,

Requesting the teachings,

And so forth.

Then he should sit in the full lotus posture of varochana or the half lotus posture on a comfortable cushion.

The eyes should not be too widely open or too tightly closed.

Let them focus on the tip of the nose.

The body should not be bent forward or backward.

Keep it straight and turn the attention inward.

The shoulders should rest in their natural position and the head should not lean back,

Forward,

Or to either side.

The nose should be in line with the navel.

The teeth and lips should rest in their natural state with the tongue touching the upper palate.

Breathe very gently and softly without causing any noise,

Without laboring,

And without unevenness.

Inhale and exhale naturally and slowly and unnoticeably.

Meditators need to pay special attention to the way they breathe.

Breathing should be free of any noise or congestion.

Violent breathing is harmful.

Breathe gently and deeply.

Inhale and exhale calmly and evenly.

Okay,

That was chapter six and chapter seven.

I want to start really at the end.

I think I did this last session also,

But the Dalai,

You know,

If you have never read a book with the Dalai Lama before,

It can,

Or really any Buddhist text like this,

It can sometimes be a little overwhelming because an author is assuming that you are a student of the Buddha's teachings.

And so often the author will be talking about some esoteric practices that you may have no experience with.

And because of the way the mind works,

And actually I'm going to take the word mind out of it,

I'm going to say because of the way the brain works,

How learning takes place,

If you don't have any contextual reference for what the author is speaking about,

It can actually make it more likely that you're listening in such a way that the words don't have anything to stick to.

For us to be able to make meaning out of what we're learning,

And this is true for anything,

This is like outside of the Buddha's teachings,

For us to make meaning out of what we're learning,

We often need some sort of scaffold in the mind,

Some already existing structure of information that new information can be transposed onto.

And in that way,

That structure begins to grow.

But that doesn't mean that we can't take in new knowledge if we don't already have a structure.

So what I'm essentially trying to get at here is that the words of the Dalai Lama,

Some of them may be too esoteric for you to understand right now,

And that is no problem.

Letting those words come in anyways,

Hearing them and becoming inquisitive and curious about them is a wonderful seed to begin to allow you to develop understanding and curiosity that will take you further in looking into the teachings and studying the teachings,

If that's something that moves you.

On another level though,

These teachings offer quite some wisdom that can aid the general human's life,

Whether or not they're a Buddhist practitioner.

So if it's the case for you that you're looking to improve your life circumstances,

But you're like,

Look,

I know that the teachings of the Buddha can help me do that,

But I'm not really interested in becoming a Buddhist or really deeply studying the Buddha's teachings,

Then much of this can be put aside.

What I'm speaking specifically about is like the seven branch offering practice.

The Dalai Lama,

In this last chapter,

When he's speaking about what the prerequisites are,

He begins to talk really about some deeper,

More esoteric practices that are the preliminary practices in most Tibetan traditions.

And this includes prostrations,

Setting the right motivation and intention,

Offering prayers,

Taking refuge vows,

Developing bodhicitta.

These are all processes that are involved once a practitioner gets deeper into their practice,

But they're not necessary for us right now.

Like for instance,

In my personal practice,

That's where I am.

You know,

That's where I'm working,

Mostly terribly,

But that is where I'm working.

But for many people that I work with or connect with,

They're really just,

I like to call it like Buddhist curious.

They're curious because they see that there's some truth to the way the Buddha has presented teachings that allow us to eliminate some of the suffering that exists.

They're not quite yet all the way in or wanting to make a sort of religious doctrine out of it.

And that is perfectly okay.

We don't need that mindset in order to benefit from these teachings.

So I really want to get that out of the way first.

The whole last section of chapter seven deals with these esoteric practices.

And for our purposes,

They aren't necessarily important.

So if there was any feeling of overwhelm,

Like I don't get this,

What are we even talking about?

At any point in the teaching,

Just put that to the side.

And what does make sense to you,

That is where we should start to be working at.

We,

And this is,

I think when the Dalai Lama talks about the three turnings of the wheel of dharma,

The three turnings are so important for a Buddhist practitioner to understand because what we're essentially given is an acceptance that no matter where we are at mentally,

No matter how much we do or don't understand,

There is a teaching that will enhance our life.

There is a teaching that will resonate to us.

And that is essentially what the three turnings of the wheel of dharma are.

They are sequential,

Essentially teachings to help a practitioner at every stage of mental development.

Okay.

So it's important to know that,

But now let's,

Let's go back and just,

Just recap the chapters a little bit.

Chapter six is focusing on wisdom.

We have to ask ourselves,

Like,

What is wisdom?

I think that's a really important question to ask.

And why does it matter?

You know,

I can remember a story one time,

Somebody asked me what I wanted from them.

And I said,

I just want you to give me some wisdom.

And they were like,

What does that even mean?

And I had to really take pause.

What did I mean by that?

What I meant was that I was looking for somebody who knew a little bit more than I did that relied on the real essence or truth of reality.

Because when we understand how things are actually operating,

And we can apply that understanding to our life,

Well,

Then we can call that wisdom.

Because understanding how things are actually working,

And then applying that understanding allows us greater access to the benefits of those things.

I mean,

And this is like,

This isn't just about the Buddha's teachings,

Right?

It's like,

If you understand the mechanics of a vehicle,

And you can apply that understanding,

You can build vehicles,

You can fix vehicles,

You become somebody who can work intelligently or wisely with vehicles.

But if you're someone like me,

And you don't understand anything about a car or the way it works,

And you try to go into that car and,

Let's say,

Open the coolant tank,

But,

And I do know this,

So this is why I'm using this example.

It's like the only thing I know.

And the car hasn't had enough time to rest,

So you go to unscrew the lid on the coolant tank,

Then steam blows in your face,

And you burn yourself.

Okay,

That is not wise.

So wisdom is not just knowing how things actually work,

But it's the ability to apply that knowledge.

And chapter six starts to go into this,

Like,

We need to develop wisdom in our practice,

And the way to do that is to start investigating the true nature of reality.

As the Dalai Lama so beautifully points out,

Logical reasoning is the method to do this.

We have to analyze and question the way things appear.

Things appear a certain way,

But are they that way?

Are they that way?

My daughter often says,

We have,

Like,

A game that we play.

I say,

Everything is actually soft.

And she loves to say,

Mom,

Mom,

Mom,

Mom,

She's four.

Is this true?

Everything is soft.

And I say,

Everything is actually soft.

What I mean by this is nothing is truly solid.

Everything is permeable in some sense,

Able to be broken down into pieces.

And because of that,

We can begin to understand how things work more clearly.

If everything can be broken into pieces,

How can I work with the pieces of a thing to more successfully use that thing in my life?

And so these are the ways that we start to question reality and the true nature of it.

We start to look at the way things appear,

And we start to ask ourselves,

Is how they're appearing to me the right truth?

Is it real?

So this is a really important point and something that we've talked about a few sessions ago.

For most of us,

Appearance seems to be unchanging,

Permanent,

And independent.

But when we apply logical reasoning and we look more closely at at appearance,

We see that the truth is things are actually constantly changing.

Nothing stays the same,

Not even for a single second.

Things are totally impermanent.

Nothing in conditioned existence,

Nothing in conditioned existence lasts.

And things are completely interdependent.

There is no way to pluck sunlight,

Air,

Soil,

Or water out of a flower.

A flower is made up of those pieces.

So we start to see the way things appear and how we understand that appearance is actually quite different than how they truly appear.

Once we begin to see that,

We apply reasoning to ask,

Is that true?

And we look at it in many ways.

So we can use the flower as one example,

Investigating what is true about the flower.

Is it independently existing?

No.

Is it permanent?

Definitely not.

Is it unchanging?

Without a doubt,

No.

That's true for the flower,

But what about for the building?

What about for yourself?

What about for anger or love?

All of these things can be used as tools to apply this analytical and logical mind to.

And that is what the Dalai Lama is inviting us to do,

To begin to use analysis in our meditation practice to understand reality more clearly and examine our assumptions about self and others and all phenomena.

And in this way,

By challenging these deeply held beliefs,

We begin to see the world as it truly is.

And this is allowing us to clear these obscurations that lead us to act in ignorant ways.

And what do I mean by ignorance?

We mean,

When we use the term ignorance,

By relating to reality as though it is permanent,

Unchanging,

And independent.

When we relate to any experience in that way,

We are relating in an ignorant manner,

And it necessarily leads to more suffering.

So chapter seven then goes into the prerequisites for practice.

And we're talking here about shamatha and vipassana.

These are the words that you may be familiar with,

Or calm abiding and special insight.

The first step is to develop single pointed concentration.

And in that way,

I think the Dalai Lama really talks about like a bliss state,

This sort of bliss state.

You should be able to stay with something for a long period of time.

You should be able to do that in a calm and relaxed way.

Whether that's the breath,

Open awareness,

An object in vision or sound,

Whatever that is,

You should develop the capacity to be with that thing with some clarity,

Restfulness,

Silence,

And focus.

And only then,

The Dalai Lama says,

Are you going to be able to actually elicit from inquiry,

Special insight?

And that's what we're doing.

We're getting our minds to a certain place that they become very receptive vehicles for developing special insight through analytical inquiry.

And that's the vipassana aspect of things.

So there are a few specific qualifications,

And I really love how the Dalai Lama talks about eating meat.

I think this is like,

It just feels very relevant,

Right?

The Dalai Lama goes into all of this explanation of eating meat.

Like in some sutras,

Yes,

You can eat meat.

In some traditions,

Yes,

You can eat meat.

And in other traditions,

No,

You cannot eat meat.

And in other sutras,

No,

You cannot eat meat.

In some tantric practices,

Meat is necessary.

And in other practices,

Meat is forbidden.

You know,

When I'm reading this,

And I'm questioning it,

I'm thinking,

Why is he going into such detail about meat?

Well,

First of all,

I think the Dalai Lama eats meat.

Many of my teachers eat meat.

Personally,

I hold the belief that men should eat meat.

I haven't met a man yet on a vegan diet that is getting adequate protein intake,

But that's not the same.

That hasn't been my same personal experience for women.

And I personally choose not to eat meat.

But meat's kind of inconsequential.

It's not really what we're talking about.

What we're really talking about here is that hard,

Fast truths like black and white thinking is actually not helpful because it's not always under every circumstance.

It's sometimes under some circumstances.

So this lends itself to this awareness of discriminative mind,

The discriminative capacity of mind,

The ability to look at a situation and discriminate.

Is now the time for this or not?

Is this the right place to apply this or not?

And using discriminative mind in a successful way is a result of wisdom.

So you can start to see it's really a circular approach.

It's the mandala of experience,

Essentially.

And so I love that Dalai Lama really goes into that.

Are you going to be a meat eater or not if you practice the Buddha's teachings?

Look,

If you can be a non-meat eater,

Great.

And if you can't be a non-meat eater,

Also okay.

The Buddha's teachings are not about shaming us or telling us we have to always be a certain way.

They're about helping us express our most amazing and intrinsic qualities outwardly to make not just our own lives better,

But the lives of all sentient beings.

So drop any notion that things have to be a specific way.

They are absolutely much more free than that.

Phenomena is much more allowable and accepting.

And so then we talk about some other things inside of this text,

Like having a conducive environment,

Some moral discipline,

Some ethical code of conduct,

Not being a liar and a cheater.

Those things are valuable,

But we can see that right away.

You can clearly see that if you are somebody who is a liar and a cheater,

Let's use those terms,

Life is worse for you.

And you are making life worse for others.

We can apply logical analysis to that.

So we can see clearly,

Yeah,

If I do bad things,

Bad things happen.

And if I do good things,

Good things happen.

It's quite logical.

It's quite simple.

It doesn't take a lot of brain power to understand that.

It's just the application of that that can be challenging.

And then the other thing that Kamala Sheila discusses are we want to eliminate desires and attachments as much as possible.

This doesn't mean that we no longer love our kids or our mother or that we don't love our partner anymore.

It doesn't mean that we get rid of love,

Not even.

If anything,

We have more love.

We have more expression of that.

And in the same way,

It doesn't mean that we aren't allowed to say no to things.

That's not what's happening here.

The underbelly of it all is that we should live in such a way that we recognize grasping after and pushing away from are part of the problem in terms of suffering.

And when we recognize that,

We can begin to apply discriminative mind to say,

Well,

Some attachment is necessary.

And also some aversion is necessary.

You know,

I may have a lot of compassion and kindness and acceptance and love for a crack addict on the street who has raped people in their lives.

That may be true,

But I'm probably not going to invite them into my home at night when I'm alone.

And that's OK.

You know,

That's really relative experience using discriminative mind.

But when we understand that there was no home to invite them into anyways and no me to invite,

Then we are applying wisdom where the relative exists.

We're using day to day lived experience to awaken a deeper understanding of reality.

So it's very important.

It's not that we want to get rid of day to day experience.

We don't need to go live on a mountain and have no attachments and no aversions.

What we want to do is cultivate a mind that sees beyond mere appearance into the actual,

Absolute nature of things.

And that takes a lot of time.

I'm nowhere near that.

But I'm working on it.

And you can,

Too.

And that's something the Dalai Lama really says,

Is like,

We have to recognize that it's possible.

And when we see that it's possible,

OK,

Then we can really have some faith.

We can generate some faith.

And then Kamalashvila also talks about just having a more balanced life,

A more even life.

And this lends itself to the discussion on equanimity that we had a few sessions back.

So these prerequisites are really highlighting that meditation isn't isolated from daily life.

But actually,

It's deeply influenced by how we live.

It's not now I'm meditating and now I'm living.

It's I'm meditating inside of how I'm living.

And how I'm living affects how I'm meditating.

And how I'm meditating affects how I'm living.

Once again,

We see the nature of reality,

That meditation is not unchanging,

Permanent.

And at the same time,

It's absolutely not independent.

It's an interdependent experience for the rest of our life.

And so we want to remember that.

And in our day-to-day waking reality,

We want to go through our actions and our behaviors each day with the mind of knowing the interdependence of how we behave in life and how it will affect us in our mind.

And that is really ultimately what's important.

So I want to take just a moment for practice.

If you have time to stay with me for a little while longer,

We will do just a short sit and then I'll close with a little homework and the closing dedication.

This is where it matters,

Right,

In our practice.

That's really what we're looking to do.

We're looking to enhance our practice on and off the cushion.

So however you are is great,

But if you want to move around,

If you want to find a more comfortable meditative seat,

Please do that.

Remember that lying down is certainly okay.

Sitting against a wall or on a chair is absolutely fine and walking is also no problem.

It's not about the thing.

It's about the way the thing is happening.

So sit,

Walk,

Lie down with the mind of meditation.

You can close your eyes or leave them open.

It's no problem either way.

Just take a few moments here to focus on your breath.

Totally normal breathing.

You don't have to change it at all.

And as you breathe,

Simply allow your mind to settle.

Keeping the settled mind,

Begin to reflect on the nature of reality.

You can do this by asking yourself a series of questions.

Questions like,

What are the causes and conditions that give rise to this moment?

Or how are the experiences I perceive connected to impermanence or interdependence?

What is impermanence?

What is interdependence?

You can begin to ask questions like this.

Are my assumptions about myself and others rooted in permanence?

Rooted in independence?

Begin to look at things and ask what is true about the way reality appears?

And as you ask these questions,

Notice any obstacles or distractions that are there.

And use those obstacles,

Not as something to be annoyed with or put off by,

But rather as tools and sources to investigate even further the nature of reality.

Where are your obstacles coming from?

Are they related to desire,

To attachment?

Are they about wanting more or things to be different?

Or better?

Or are your distractions about wanting to push away or stop?

Are there unresolved emotions that you are trying to hide from?

Begin to inspect every experience,

Whether it's a distraction,

A sound,

An image in the mind.

Begin to inspect it by asking,

What is true about this?

Is it independent?

Does it exist all by itself?

Is it permanent?

Unchanging?

Ask those questions and then let yourself experience a felt sense as an answer.

A lived experience of what is really true as the answer.

If you find that you're experiencing a lot of distraction or a lot of obstacles,

That's wonderful because you can really investigate these teachings even more.

What is the cause of the distraction?

Are you missing some of these prerequisites?

Is your life overly busy?

Is your life filled with activity?

You know,

If yes,

Is your life full of activity?

Is this the reason for distraction?

How could simplifying life,

How could living more ethically reduce the busyness of your mind?

Don't push too hard,

You know,

With asking questions and inquiry,

If it creates some more tension,

Just relax.

This is exactly what the Dalai Lama is talking about and Kamala Sheila is talking about.

First,

Let's relax,

You know,

If you find that inquiry is too challenging right now,

Settle,

Stop,

Calm,

Rest,

And just be with the gentle movements of the body caused by the fluctuations of the breath,

By the beat of the heart.

Don't be afraid to allow yourself to be soothed by the rhythm of natural experience.

Now,

Whether you're in inquiry or you're simply riding the movement of the breath,

Just let go of all that.

Just for a few moments in silence,

Practice allowing everything to be exactly as it is without interference.

Maybe take a few deep breaths,

Letting your eyes open if they've been closed.

I want to give you some practice homework,

Like I usually do,

And I just invite you to to apply it in your life,

Just apply it in your life,

You know.

Life is more meaningful when we are in every moment of our day looking at what is real and investigating and bringing ourselves into more and more connection to it.

To experience and our relationship to experience.

So for this homework,

I'm just inviting you to continue with a formal meditation practice,

15-20 minutes a day.

And in this practice,

I want you to begin really exploring the nature of reality using this analytical technique to ask questions about interdependence,

To ask questions about impermanence,

And ask questions about what assumptions you hold of the world and how they may or may not be flawed.

And then I want you to begin to examine your day-to-day life and start to ask,

Like,

What prerequisites am I missing?

What in my life could actually be a hindrance to my ability to apply these teachings?

Things like,

Am I making myself overly busy?

And am I over committing myself and burning my energy in the wrong ways?

You know,

Where can I simplify my life more?

Am I acting ethically?

How could I reduce distraction?

And as you do this investigation,

Perhaps begin to make some small changes and allow those changes to support your practice.

Let's close with a brief dedication.

Just bring your consciousness right to the ear on the right and the left side.

Just bring the awareness right up to the space in the ear and listen.

May the merit of our study and practice today benefit all beings.

May the wisdom we cultivate bring clarity and liberation to ourselves and the whole world.

And may all beings be free from suffering and find lasting peace.

Thank you so much for joining me today.

I'm Sarah Sati,

Your host for Book Club,

And I will see you next time.