Stages Of Meditation: Book Club III, Episode 8

In the eighth episode of Book Club III, Sarah Sati reads from chapter nine of the text Stages of Meditation. This book, by his holiness of the Dalai Lama, serves as a concise commentary on the text of the same name by Kamalashila.

In chapter nine, the Dalai Lama elaborates on the concept of special insight and the key instructions for how to approach the practice and how to balance it with calm abiding.

Sarah recaps the previous session before reading and offers space for 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, a synopsis of reading, and optional practice homework.

Transcript

Hello,

Welcome to the eighth session of book club,

Our book club series,

Working with the stages of meditation by His Holiness the Dalai Lama,

A book based on the book by the same name by Kamalashila.

So it's a commentary,

As many of Buddhist texts are.

I'm Sara Sati,

And I'm your host for these gatherings,

For these book clubs.

This is the third series.

So this is the third book that we've worked with together.

If you've been joining me from the beginning,

Which some people I know have,

It's wonderful to be back together and to have these opportunities to continue to deepen our understanding of these profound teachings.

So thank you so much for joining me today.

Today we are exploring chapter nine,

The name of the chapter is Actualizing Special Insight.

And this chapter is really providing essential guidelines now on how to cultivate wisdom through the use of analytical meditation and why understanding the nature of the self,

Which is something we'll really get into today,

Why an understanding of the nature of the self is essential to our practice.

So we're going to cover some pretty heady stuff.

We're really getting towards the end of book club.

This is the second to last chapter.

So next session will be the last chapter.

In this session today,

We're going to cover the key points and those being things like what it means for the self to not depend on the aggregates.

So we'll be talking about the aggregates a little bit,

Breaking down the five aggregates,

And then we'll make a distinction between existence and how the self exists.

So these two different concepts,

I'll talk a little bit about how negative actions arise from misconceptions about the self.

This is a really important topic amidst the Buddha's teachings,

I think especially relevant for us in modern day living.

And then I'll talk about the importance of logical analysis.

This is really the essence of the entire book and how we bring shamatha into vipassana and how these two come together and how important this idea of logical analysis is in realizing selflessness.

And then lastly,

I'm going to speak about the balance between concentrative meditation and special insight.

When I say me,

I'm really going to be reading about that,

And then I'll be unpacking it a little bit at the end of our session,

As I normally do.

And we'll just really take our time today exploring these ideas and again,

Always coming back to how can we take these more abstract or philosophical ideas and integrate them in a very literal sense and practical way into our own practice.

That's where the benefit of the teachings come from.

But first,

Let's begin as we typically do by coming together as a group and setting our intention.

You can change your position if that feels good,

Adjusting your seat slightly to take a more meditative posture or stay exactly as you are and simply turn your awareness inward.

And perhaps take a few deep breaths here,

Letting your mind soften.

And for a moment,

Just reflect on why you're here,

What has brought you to this point in your practice,

Perhaps asking what your motivation is for studying these teachings,

Just allow the intention to arise in any way that it does.

Don't try to control its expression.

Maybe you notice a feeling or a sensation,

An emotion,

Perhaps there's a thought or a vision or even a numbness.

This is all perfectly okay.

We're just planting the seed of beginning to look at our motivations.

So checking in,

What's your motivation for studying these teachings?

And then holding your own personal motivation close to your heart,

We'll set a collective intention together.

You can just simply listen to the words.

If they resonate,

Wonderful.

And if not,

You can set them aside.

May our study and practice today benefit not only ourselves,

But all beings.

May we cultivate the wisdom of selflessness with clarity and compassion.

And may this understanding guide our actions in daily life.

And perhaps you want to take a deep breath in and just seal this intention into your inner heart,

Your inner world,

Your inner sky.

And then let go of your focus on it.

If you close your eyes,

You can open your eyes now and come back to our space together.

So I'm going to briefly just recap our last session.

It's been a little bit of time-consuming.

Since we've been together,

I've been sick.

So I've taken some time off a sickness that just keeps persisting.

But as we know,

It will,

Of course,

Change in some way or another.

If you were with me for the previous session,

Though,

This is when we really explored calm abiding.

So the entire text so far has really been about,

First of all,

Expanding on the idea of the gradual path to awakening.

And that's what this teaching from Kamalashila is for us.

It's instructing us on the gradual path to awakening.

And we begin with shamatha,

Or the idea of calm abiding.

And then from there,

We move into this next area,

Focusing on analytical meditation or vipassana.

So in our last session,

We really focused deeply on shamatha.

We talked about why it's important.

We defined it.

I spoke a little bit about how to overcome the five hindrances.

So I went into the five hindrances deeply,

The things that obstruct or get in our own way,

Get in our way for our meditation practice.

And I talked about the eight antidotes.

These are things that the Dalai Lama expanded upon in the reading as well.

And then we discussed how stabilizing the mind is really what lays the foundation for deeper insight and prepares us for the next stage in our process,

Which is developing special insight.

So this is a crucial component.

And one thing that we touched on,

And I actually don't 100% remember if I put a lot of emphasis on it or not,

But I just want to reiterate it today or place some emphasis on it today,

That the Dalai Lama and Kamalashila speak about calm abiding alone is not enough for realization.

So again,

We're talking about the Buddha's teachings here.

So this is all in the context of Buddhism.

And the reason I bring this point back up is because in the modern world,

Meditation has really become a place for relaxation.

Calm abiding has really been central to the practice of meditation in the developed world.

And so that's great and wonderful.

But if we're really looking to push ourselves to understand the nature of reality,

To have an awakening or an awakened mind,

Which is what these teachings are inviting us to work towards,

Then it's not enough.

At some point,

We have to say,

I am calm.

I have stabilized my capacity to be one pointedly focused.

And once we have achieved that,

Now we need to bring in the next step.

And so if you're somebody who's really been practicing a lot of meditation for relaxation alone,

You may have already noticed that it only gets you so far.

Because I think what we're all really after is the transformation.

This transformation of the mind where the things that cause us suffering in our day to day life are no longer holding so strong on us.

And that's very important,

That transformation for our capacity to find joy in this single lifetime.

We have to change the way we're relating to experience.

And the only way to do that is to change the way we understand reality.

So if you're somebody who's been practicing a lot of calming meditation,

Relaxing meditation,

At some point you want to set that aside and you want to integrate it.

So it's not fully setting it aside,

But now it's using it as a tool to go deeper.

And this is what we'll be discussing today,

Which is this next chapter,

Chapter nine,

Actualizing Special Insight.

And in this chapter,

We start to explore the deeper teachings of the Buddha,

Things like the idea of selflessness and the nature of reality and the nature of the self.

And we employ these analytical methods to help us deepen this understanding.

But of course,

Primarily,

We have to deal with cleaning up the mind.

And that's what shamatha does for us.

If the mind is very busy,

If it's very crowded,

If we aren't able to stabilize,

If we can't even focus on the breath for a single cycle,

Then it's going to be very hard to have deep realization.

I mean,

You can imagine anytime you've tried to do a very big project,

Perhaps a very big knowledge-based project,

You need focus in order to accomplish the task.

Otherwise,

It's sort of,

As my parents would always say,

Stop doing things so half-assed.

That's really an American term,

Half-assed.

And that's really what it becomes.

And in the Buddha's teachings,

I think we would refer to it using the word frivolous,

Which errs on the side of nihilism.

And we want to avoid that.

We don't want to undertake things in a frivolous manner.

We aren't approaching these teachings in a frivolous way.

We're using these teachings in a very authentic way to help us transform the mind.

So we need to eliminate any frivolity that we might have in that and find that capacity to focus deeply.

So before we begin with our reading today,

I want to set our proper motivation for listening.

It's okay if you aren't familiar with this,

But before we do each reading,

We just bring to mind the motivation that the Dalai Lama has provided for us.

So let's do that now.

Perhaps closing your eyes and taking a deep breath in and out.

And just listen.

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 vast as the expanse of space.

And in that way,

Let us listen.

In this text,

We are talking about engaging in the practice of the six perfections as cultivated by a Bodhisattva.

In this context,

The purpose of calm abiding meditation is to be able to cultivate a transcendental special insight.

Therefore,

After having cultivated calm abiding,

We should endeavor to cultivate special insight.

After realizing calm abiding,

Meditate on special insight thinking as follows.

All the teachings of the Buddha are perfect teachings and they directly or indirectly reveal and lead to suchness with utmost clarity.

If you understand suchness,

You will be free of all the nets of wrongs.

Just as darkness is dispelled when light appears,

Mere calm abiding meditation cannot purify pristine awareness,

Nor can it eliminate the darkness of obscurations.

When I meditate properly on suchness with wisdom,

Pristine awareness will be purified.

Only with wisdom can I realize suchness.

Only with wisdom can I effectively eradicate obscurations.

Therefore,

Engaging in calm abiding meditation,

I shall search for suchness with wisdom and I shall not remain content with calm abiding alone.

The altruistic thought that inspires to the highest enlightenment is generated on the basis of compassion.

Having strongly established such an altruistic motivation,

The practitioner engages in virtuous activities such as calm abiding meditation and special insight.

Now let us discuss meditation on special insight.

In order to meditate on the special insight that realizes ultimate reality,

We need to develop the wisdom that understands selflessness.

Before we can do that,

We must search for and identify the self that does not exist.

We cannot be satisfied with merely believing in its absence.

We must ascertain from the depths of our heart that there is no basis for such a self to exist.

It is possible to reach this ascertainment by way of bare perception or by reasoning just as we ascertain any other phenomena,

Secular or religious.

If an object is tangible,

We do not have to prove its existence because we can see and touch it.

But with regard to obscure phenomena,

We have to use logic and lines of reasoning to establish their existence.

Selflessness is of two types,

The selflessness of persons and the selflessness of phenomena.

So the self to be negated is also of two types,

The self of persons and the self of phenomena.

A person is defined in relation to the mental and physical aggregates,

But to ordinary perception,

The self or person appears to be the ruler over the body and mind.

The person thus appears to possess a self-sufficient entity or self that does not have to rely on the mental and physical aggregates,

Their continuity or their parts and so forth.

The notion of a self-sufficient person,

Which we ordinarily cling to very strongly,

Is the self of persons we are seeking to identify.

It is the self to be negated.

Through intellectual processes,

A practitioner can come to understand that such a self does not exist.

And at that point,

He or she develops the wisdom understanding the selflessness of persons.

The selflessness of phenomena refers to the perceived objects lacking true existence and the perceiving minds lacking true existence.

Perceived objects are of the nature of the perceiving mind,

But normally they appear to exist externally.

When we cling to that external existence,

It becomes the basis for developing attachment and aversion.

On the other hand,

When we see the reality that perceived objects are devoid of external existence and that they are merely of the nature of the perceiving mind,

Then the force of desire and animosity are naturally reduced.

The perceived objects lacking external existence and the perceiver and the perceived objects lacking separate identity or substance constitute the grosser level of the selflessness of phenomena.

The perceiving mind too is devoid of true existence.

When we say things lack true existence,

We mean that things exist under the sway of the mind to which they appear,

And the objects do not have a unique or substantial existence from their own side.

To our mistaken mind,

Things appear to exist from their own side,

And we cling to that appearance.

But in actuality,

Things are empty of such an existence.

This is the subtle emptiness according to this school.

Thus,

By negating the apparent true existence of things,

We develop a sense of their illusory nature.

Understanding the reality that things are like illusions counters the generation of negative emotions like attachment and aversion.

Here,

The author very clearly explains that all the teachings of the Buddha are ultimately intended as instructions to guide practitioners toward realizing the state of enlightenment.

In pursuit of this goal,

An understanding of suchness is crucial.

The Buddha himself achieved enlightenment by actualizing the meaning of ultimate truth.

There are countless philosophical views,

But if we follow correct views,

We can make progress on the spiritual path and gain insight into ultimate truth.

On the other hand,

Following incorrect views leads to the wrong paths and unpleasant consequences.

Practitioners who gain proper insight into the view of suchness can thoroughly eliminate all their wrong views from the very root.

What is suchness like?

It is the nature of all phenomena that ultimately they are empty of the self of persons and the self of phenomena.

This is realized through the perfection of wisdom and not otherwise.

The unraveling of the thought sutra reads,

O Tathagata,

By which perfection do the bodhisattvas apprehend the identitylessness of phenomena?

Avalokiteshvara,

It is apprehended by the perfection of wisdom.

Therefore,

Meditate on wisdom while engaging in calm abiding.

Suchness refers to the selflessness of both persons and phenomena,

But mainly to the selflessness of phenomena.

When expounding it in detail,

Scholars differ in their interpretations.

According to this text,

The selflessness of phenomena is described as subtler than the selflessness of persons.

A person is posited in reliance upon the mental and physical aggregates.

When we talk about the selflessness of a person,

The person refers to a self-sufficient person existing in its own right,

Without relying on the aggregates.

Such a person does not exist even on a conventional level,

And therefore to be devoid of such an identity is what is known as the selflessness of persons.

The great Kamalashila,

A renowned student of the esteemed Shantarakshita,

Belonged to the Yogacara Svantaratrika Majjhimika school of thought.

This school asserted two levels of the selflessness of phenomena,

Subtle and gross.

The non-duality of subject and object,

Or perceiver and perceived,

Is the gross level of suchness,

While seeing all phenomena as empty of true existence is the subtle level of suchness.

Of all the sutras that the Buddha taught,

The perfection of wisdom sutras deal with this subject in its greatest depth.

It is extremely important that the notion of I,

The selflessness of persons,

And the selflessness of phenomena be scrutinized thoroughly.

Each of us has an innate and spontaneous feeling of I.

This is what experiences happiness and sorrow,

And also what gives rise to happiness and sorrow.

Different schools of thought have posited various views since ancient times on the way in which the I exists.

One of the ancient Indian philosophical schools viewed the self,

Or I,

As the user,

And the mental and physical aggregates as the objects to be used.

Thus,

The self and the aggregates are viewed as different entities.

According to other philosophers,

The self is a permanent,

Single,

And independent entity.

The self is what has come from previous lives and what travels to the next when the mental and physical aggregates disintegrate at the time of death.

I have the impression that other religions,

Like Christianity,

Also believe in a self that is permanent,

Single,

And independent.

By implication,

Such a self does not depend or rely on its aggregates.

None of the four schools of thought within Buddhism believe in such a self.

They deny the self's having any substantial existence apart from the mental and physical aggregates.

Nevertheless,

According to Buddhist philosophy,

The self does exist.

If we were to contend that the self does not exist at all,

We would plainly contradict common perception.

We should examine and analyze the way in which the self does exist.

Through logical analysis,

We can determine that the self exists in dependence on the mental and physical aggregates.

Different schools provide different levels of interpretation of the aggregates,

But it is generally agreed that the perception of the self is formed by relying on the perception of the aggregates.

In other words,

The existence of the self can only be posited in reliance upon the aggregates.

Why make the effort to search for the self or I and investigate the nature of its existence?

By and large,

We think of people as belonging to two camps,

Those belonging to our own side and those belonging to the other side.

We are attached to those on our side and we generate animosity towards those on the other side.

Motivated by attachment and animosity,

We commit various negative actions of body,

Speech and mind.

At the root of all of these unwholesome and unhealthy thoughts and actions lies the feeling of I or self.

The intensity and scope of our negative actions depends on how strongly we hold to the misconception of self.

It is important to realize that this clinging onto the I is innate,

And yet when we search and try to pinpoint the I,

We cannot find a self-sufficient I that has control over the mental and physical aggregates.

Because of this innate misconception of the I,

We have an endless succession of desires.

Some of these desires are very peculiar.

An ordinary person recognizes someone else's physical beauty or intelligence and desires to exchange them for his or her own inferior qualities.

The true mode of existence of the self is that it is imputed in relation to its root causes and other factors.

We are not trying to negate the sense of self or I as such,

But we should definitely be able to reduce the strength and intensity of our sense of a self-sufficient I.

Yogis should analyze in the following manner.

A person is not observed as separate from the mental and physical aggregates,

The elements and sense powers.

Nor is a person of the nature of the aggregates and so forth,

Because the aggregates and so forth have the entity of being many and impermanent.

Others have imputed the person as permanent and single.

The person as a phenomena cannot exist except as one or many,

Because there is no other way of existing.

Therefore,

We must conclude that the assertion of the worldly I and mine is wholly mistaken.

There is no self or person existing in isolation from the mental and physical aggregates.

This is to say that a person exists in reliance upon the aggregates.

This can be well understood by observing our everyday conventions.

When the body and other aggregates are young,

We say the person is young.

When they age,

We say the person is old.

These conventional expressions concur with the actuality that the person exists in dependence on the aggregates.

Meditation on the selflessness of phenomena should also be done in the following manner.

Phenomena,

In short,

Are included under the five aggregates,

The twelve sources of perception and the eighteen elements.

The physical aspects of the aggregates,

Sources of perception and elements are,

In the ultimate sense,

Nothing other than aspects of the mind.

This is because when they are broken into subtle particles and the nature of the parts of these subtle particles is individually examined,

No definite identity can be found.

Phenomena here refers to everything that is enjoyed or used by a person,

Such as the five mental and physical aggregates,

Twelve sensory sources and eighteen elements.

All of these external objects,

Such as physical form and so forth,

Appear to have an identity separate from the perceiving mind.

But in reality,

This is not the case.

If they possessed an identity separate from the perceiving mind,

Then the two,

The phenomena and the perceiving mind,

Should by definition be wholly unrelated entities.

This would also contradict the notion that things are posited by the perceiving mind.

The object perceived does not have an identity separate from the mind that perceives it.

If things like physical form were to have external existence,

We should be able to find it even after we had removed the form's component parts piece by piece.

Since this is the case,

Not the case,

We can conclude that things are devoid of external existence.

This also implies that the perceived object and the perceiving mind do not exist as separate entities.

Therefore,

Proponents of this school of thought say that there is no external existence apart from being of the same nature as the mind.

Ordinary people have misconceived physical form over beginningless time.

Therefore,

Forms and so forth appear to be separate and external to the mind.

Just like the physical forms that appear in dreams.

In the ultimate sense,

Physical form and so forth are nothing other than the aspects of the mind.

Thus,

Suchness or emptiness refers to a lack of substantial separation between the subjective mind and the objective perceived by that mind.

This is because when physical things are broken into small particles and the identity of those particles is sought,

No definite identity or self can be pinpointed.

This view of the Chittamatra or mind-only school is very similar to the contention of the Yogacarya Chara Svantantrika Madhyamika with some subtle differences.

But this view is not acceptable to the latter Madhyamika schools.

So,

The next lines explain the exclusive philosophical viewpoint of the Madhyamika.

In the ultimate sense,

The mind too cannot be real.

How can the mind that apprehends only the false nature of physical form and so forth and appears in various aspects be real?

Just as physical forms and so forth are false,

Since the mind does not exist separately from physical forms and so forth,

Which are false,

It too is false.

Just as physical forms and so forth possess various aspects and their identities are neither one nor many,

Similarly,

Since the mind is not different from them,

Its identity too is neither one nor many.

Therefore,

The mind by nature is like an illusion.

Even among Buddhist schools of thought,

The interpretation of the meaning of emptiness differs.

The interpretation of the Chittamatra school is not acceptable to those who propound the Madhyamika philosophy.

Likewise,

The proponents of the Chittamatra school too have their own logic to refute the Madhyamika viewpoint.

We need to develop a broad perspective enabling us to see the wholeness of the Buddhist philosophy rather than its fragments.

The views presented by the lower schools should directly or indirectly aid the practitioner in realizing the views of the higher schools.

The above passage deals with the selflessness of phenomena as it is presented exclusively by the Madhyamika school.

According to this school,

Every phenomena is a mere label imputed by the mind.

It is not only external existence,

But the mind that perceives the various categories of false phenomenon that is devoid of true existence.

In this way,

The Madhyamikas assert that all phenomena,

External or internal,

Lack true existence or do not exist ultimately.

When things appear to the mind,

They appear to exist truly,

But in reality they lack such an identity.

There is a discrepancy between the way things appear and the way things exist.

Such a discrepancy is unacceptable as the ultimate nature of phenomena.

Therefore,

All phenomena are devoid of true existence.

Analyze that,

Just like the mind,

The nature of all phenomena too is an illusion.

In this way,

When the identity of the mind is specifically examined by wisdom,

In the ultimate sense,

It is perceived neither within nor without.

It is also not perceived in the absence of both.

Neither the mind of the past,

Nor that of the future,

Nor that of the present is perceived.

When the mind is born,

It comes from nowhere,

And when it ceases,

It goes nowhere,

Because it is inapprehensible,

Undemonstrable,

And nonphysical.

If you ask,

What is the entity of that which is inapprehensible,

Undemonstrable,

And nonphysical?

The Heap of Jewels states,

O Kasyapa,

When the mind is thoroughly sought,

It cannot be found.

What is not found cannot be perceived,

And what is not perceived is neither past nor future,

Nor present.

Through such analysis,

The beginning of the mind is ultimately not seen,

The end of the mind is ultimately not seen,

And the middle of the mind is ultimately not seen.

All phenomena should be understood as lacking an end and a middle,

Just as the mind does not have an end or a middle.

With the knowledge that the mind is without an end or a middle,

No identity of the mind is perceived.

What is thoroughly realized by the mind,

Too,

Is realized as being empty.

By realizing that,

The very identity which is established as the aspect of the mind,

Like the identity of physical form and so forth,

Is also ultimately not perceived.

In this way,

When the person does not ultimately see the identity of all phenomena,

Through wisdom,

He will not analyze whether physical form is permanent or impermanent,

Empty or not empty,

Contaminated or not contaminated,

Produced or not produced,

And existent or not existent.

Just as physical form is not examined,

Similarly,

Feeling,

Recognition,

Compositional factors,

And consciousness are not examined.

When the object does not exist,

Its characteristics also cannot exist,

So how can they be examined?

The above passage deals with ultimate reality.

Its meaning is that in the ultimate sense,

The object of imputation is not findable.

In this context,

We find in the Heart Sutra phrases like,

There is no physical form,

No sound,

No smell,

No taste,

And no object of touch.

The mind,

Too,

Is not findable in the ultimate sense.

Since in the ultimate sense,

Such things are non-existent,

There is no point examining whether they are permanent or impermanent.

Ultimately,

All phenomena,

Including the aggregates and so forth,

Are devoid of true existence.

Within the notion of ultimate reality,

Things are devoid of true existence.

In the same way,

Suchness,

Which is an attribute of phenomena,

Is also devoid of true existence.

This is important.

Even when we understand that phenomena,

Like physical form and so forth,

Are devoid of true existence,

There is a danger of thinking that ultimate reality may have true existence.

In this way,

When the person does not firmly apprehend the entity of a thing as ultimately existing,

Having investigated it with wisdom,

The practitioner engages in non-conceptual,

Single-pointed concentration,

And thus the identitylessness of all phenomena is realized.

The above passage conveys what it means to realize selflessness.

The wisdom realizing selflessness must ascertain selflessness.

It is not simply a matter of no longer having any misperceptions about the self.

For example,

The mind conceives of things like physical form in various ways.

There is a mind that conceives of physical form as having true existence,

Another that conceives of it as having the attributes of true existence,

Yet another that conceives of it with attributes lacking true existence,

And again one that conceives of it without assigning it any attributes of true existence or non-true existence.

So the analyzing wisdom must discern the self to be refuted.

After refuting that self,

Its opposite selflessness will be actualized.

Those who do not meditate with wisdom by analyzing the entity of things specifically,

But merely meditate on the elimination of mental activity,

Cannot avert conceptual thoughts and also cannot realize identitylessness because they lack the light of wisdom.

If the fire of consciousness,

Knowing phenomena as they are,

Is produced from individual analysis of suchness,

Then like the fire produced by rubbing wood,

It will burn the wood of conceptual thought.

The Buddha has spoken in this way.

In order to understand the true nature of things,

It is vital that a practitioner use intelligence and wisdom in the process of examination.

As the author clearly states,

The mere elimination of mental activity does not constitute meditation on suchness.

When mentally inactive,

An individual may not be misconceiving the self,

But he or she also lacks any sense of discerning selflessness.

This sheds no light and so the individual is not free from the fabrications of misconceptions.

Therefore,

We need to generate sparks of wisdom that enable us to fathom selflessness.

The Cloud of Jewels also states,

One skilled in discerning the faults engages in the yoga of meditation on emptiness in order to get rid of all conceptual elaborations.

Such a person,

Due to his repeated meditation on emptiness,

When he thoroughly searches for the object and the identity of the object,

Which delights the mind and distracts it,

Realizes them to be empty.

When that very mind is also examined,

It is realized to be empty.

When the identity of what is realized by this mind is thoroughly sought,

This too is realized as empty.

Realizing in this way,

One enters into the yoga of signlessness.

This shows that only those who have engaged in complete analysis can enter into the yoga of signlessness.

It has been explained very clearly that through mere elimination of mental activity,

Without examining the identity of things with wisdom,

It is not possible to engage in non-conceptual meditation.

Thus,

Concentration is done after the actual identity of things,

Like physical form and so forth,

Has been perfectly analyzed with wisdom,

And not by concentrating on physical form and so forth.

Concentration is also not done by abiding between this world and the world beyond,

Because physical forms and so forth are not perceived.

It is thus called the non-abiding concentration.

Such a practitioner is then called a meditator of supreme wisdom,

Because by specifically examining the identity of all things with wisdom,

He has perceived nothing.

This is as stated in the Space Treasure Sutra,

And the Jewel in the Crown Sutra,

And so forth.

When it is investigated,

The perceiving mind is understood to be empty,

And the objects of the mind are also empty of true existence.

A practitioner with such knowledge engages in what is known as the signless yoga.

In the ultimate sense,

All imputed phenomena,

Including objects of perception,

Such as physical form and the perceiving mind,

Are all empty of self-identity.

It is important to note that in order to enter into non-conceptual absorption,

It is crucial to engage in thorough analysis first.

When the objects of imputation are sought by discerning wisdom,

Nothing is findable.

The true meaning of understanding selflessness needs to be appreciated in perspective.

Mere lack of mental activity does not constitute understanding of selflessness.

Mere absence of a misconception of self does not imply a knowledge of selflessness.

Selflessness is understood by the wisdom that finds that both the perceiving mind and the perceived objects lack any self-identity in the ultimate sense.

This knowledge dawns on the practitioner after thorough and discerning scrutiny and analysis.

In this way,

By entering into the suchness of the selflessness of persons and phenomena,

You are free from concepts and analysis because there is nothing to be thoroughly examined and observed.

You are free from expression,

And with single-pointed mental engagement,

You automatically enter into meditation without exertion.

Thus,

You very clearly meditate on suchness and abide in it.

While abiding in that meditation,

The continuity of the mind should not be distracted.

When the mind is distracted to external objects due to attachment and so forth,

Such distraction should be noted.

Quickly pacify the distraction by meditating on the repulsive aspects of such objects and swiftly replace the mind on suchness.

If the mind appears to be disinclined to do that,

Reflecting on the advantages of single-pointed concentration,

Meditate with delight.

The disinclination should be pacified by also seeing the defects of distraction.

If the function of the mind becomes unclear and starts sinking,

Or when there is a risk of it sinking due to being overpowered by mental torpor or sleep,

Then as before,

Quickly attempt to overcome such dullness by focusing the mind on supremely delightful things.

Then the object of suchness should be held in very tight focus.

At times,

When the mind is observed to be excited or tempted to become distracted by the memory of past events,

Of laughter and play,

Then as in the earlier cases,

Pacify the distraction by reflecting on such things as impermanence and so forth,

Which will help subdue the mind.

Then again endeavor to engage the mind on suchness without applying counter-forces.

These lines explain the method of meditation on special insight with respect to ultimate reality.

The mind that single-pointedly concentrates on suchness sees nothing but vacuity after rejecting the object to be refuted.

Nothing appears to that mind except vacuity.

That mind that is absorbed in selflessness discards the basis of all misconceptions.

It is therefore referred to as one that is free of concepts and analysis,

A single-pointed mind beyond expression.

When the mind single-pointedly meditates on suchness,

It is described as absorbed in suchness and entering suchness.

When clarity is gained through prolonged practice,

The meditation should be continued without distraction.

Seeing selflessness but once is not enough.

You should make effort to maintain the momentum of understanding.

The meditation on special insight is developed by force of analytical wisdom and by the power of such analysis,

Mental and physical ecstasy will be generated.

As discussed before in the context of calm-abiding meditation,

The practitioner should be aware of the interfering forces such as mental excitement and dullness.

In the process of analytical meditation,

When you lose the clarity of the object,

The mind is distracted to other objects.

When the sharpness or intensity wanes,

Dullness has arisen.

When these impediments obstruct your meditation,

You should apply the necessary antidotes.

In this respect,

Kamalashila clearly states that when the mind is distracted by external objects as a result of desire,

You should meditate on repulsive aspects of the object and on impermanence.

When the practitioner's mind,

Under the sway of mental torpor and sleep,

Lacks clarity,

He or she should meditate on supremely delightful objects such as an image of the Buddha.

By applying such antidotes,

Interfering forces will be pacified and your meditation should be enhanced.

If and when the mind spontaneously engages in meditation on suchness,

Free of sinking and mental agitation,

It should be left naturally and your efforts should be relaxed.

If effort is applied when the mind is in meditative equipoise,

It will distract the mind.

But if effort is not applied when the mind becomes dull,

It will become like a blind man due to extreme dullness and you will not achieve special insight.

So when the mind becomes dull,

Apply effort,

And when in absorption,

Effort should be relaxed.

When by meditating on special insight,

Excessive wisdom is generated and calm abiding is weak,

The mind will waver like a butter lamp in the wind and you will not perceive suchness very clearly.

Therefore,

At that time,

Meditate on calm abiding.

When calm abiding meditation becomes excessive,

Meditate on wisdom.

Here the author has explained in clear and lucid terms that when the practitioner can single pointedly place the mind on suchness,

Free of mental dullness and excitement,

He or she should continue the meditation.

After analysis,

By the wisdom of understanding suchness,

If you can maintain the placement of the mind on suchness,

The meditation should be allowed to follow its natural course.

When meditation is free of mental agitation and dullness,

Application of the antidotes will only be counterproductive.

Until you achieve special insight into suchness,

It is vital to maintain a balance between the analytical and concentrative meditations.

Through analytical meditation,

You will gain an understanding of selflessness.

The strength of this knowledge should be complemented by single pointed concentration.

Over analysis harms concentration and excessive concentration detracts from analytical wisdom.

So practice a harmonious blend of the two types of meditation.

Gradually,

You will attain the union of special insight and calm abiding meditation.

The Dalai Lama's books are heady.

He is such a gem and such a rich well fountain of wisdom that I find personally,

It can sometimes feel like I'm bogged down by the particulars of Buddhism.

And so I want to invite you if that's the case for you,

You know,

Sometimes reading books like this,

It can feel like,

Did I even understand what I just read?

And I find that to be a really important component of the practice that we actually want to have that experience on some level,

Because it is enabling us to ask questions.

And like Mingyur Rinpoche says,

You know,

Confusion is often the beginning of clarity.

And so I mentioned this because it's not a bad thing.

If there's confusion,

It doesn't mean that there is something wrong happening or that you're not understanding.

It actually rather becomes an invitation to understand on a deeper level,

To ask these deeper questions.

So that's also why we do this in book club.

We go chapter by chapter really at a slow pace so that we can ask ourselves,

So that we can check,

You know,

Am I getting this?

Does this make sense?

And is there something I need more of or some area that I need to deepen my understanding in?

So I want to go back now to some of these key points that I talked about at the very beginning.

The first one being,

What does it mean for the self to depend on its aggregates?

And I just want to unpack some of these teachings from this chapter,

Because I find this chapter to be especially important,

But also especially heady.

So the Dalai Lama is really explaining that what we conventionally call the self,

It's merely a label.

And then he goes into talking about the five aggregates.

If you're already a Buddhist practitioner or have studied Buddhism quite some,

Then you know about the five aggregates.

But if not,

I'll just jog your memory or I'll inform you now.

The first is form,

And this is considered the physical body.

And then we have,

So it's form,

Feeling.

These are like sensations and experiences.

Perception.

Perception is like the recognition of things,

The categorization of things.

Then we have the mental formations.

These are our thoughts,

Our emotions,

Our ability to choose or act on those.

And then lastly,

The fifth one is consciousness or awareness itself.

And so although these aggregates,

They arise and function interdependently,

It's not like you have just one.

Nothing is like that,

Really.

That's what these teachings are informing us.

Although they appear that way,

They appear to arise and function interdependently,

And they do.

We tend to mistakenly believe that there is this independent,

Singular self that is able to control somehow or owns the aggregates,

Like an overseer of the aggregates.

So again,

Saying that there's this self who owns and controls form and feeling and perception and mental formations and consciousness,

And that's actually a mistaken belief.

And when we realize that the self is merely a dependent designation,

And I really love this phrase,

A dependent designation,

That this is crucial to dissolving our attachment and aversion.

And if you know anything about the Buddhist teachings,

Then these are these very important kleshas that we work with,

Attachment and aversion.

And ignorance as the primary one,

Right?

And ignorance would be the mistaken view of the self.

So as we free ourselves of the ignorance of the mistaken view of the self,

We simultaneously begin to dissolve our attachments and aversions that lead to unnecessary suffering.

So this is what the Dalai Lama is talking about when he's talking about this belief that a self that controls the aggregates,

Rather than the aggregates being what makes up the idea of the self.

And so the second thing I want to unpack is this distinction between existence and how the self exists.

The question is not whether the self exists or not.

And this is something I really feel like is important to clarify.

We're not suggesting here,

I'm not suggesting the Dalai Lama is not suggesting that there is no self,

But rather we are asking the question,

In what way does it exist?

So it's not does there or does not there exist a sense of self,

But in what way does the self exist?

That's what we're looking at.

And from a conventional perspective,

We can say that the self exists independence on the aggregates.

So rather than the self being the controller of the aggregates,

Actually the perception of the self is independence on these aggregates coming together.

When these aggregates come together,

We have what appears to be a self.

So in that way,

The self is not existing independently or inherently.

And this is a key distinction to breaking free from this false belief in an autonomous and persistent self.

And so it's a key piece of information into dissolving this ignorance that mistakenly perceives the self as solid and permanent and unchanging.

And the third key point that I want to unpack is how negative actions arise due to a misperception of the self.

And I think that that's a really important point.

So you may be thinking to yourself,

Well,

So what?

Who cares if I perceive the self in one way or another way?

How is that really affecting me?

And Kamalashila and the Dalai Lama are suggesting that actually misperceiving the self is the cause of negative actions and hence unnecessary suffering.

So the idea is that when we believe in a solid and unchanging self,

We're naturally developing strong attachments and aversions.

And these strong attachments and aversions are what lead to negative emotions and actions.

And this misunderstanding is fueling these cycles of craving,

Grasping,

And suffering.

And when we recognize the self as a dependent phenomena,

This helps dissolve these tendencies.

So you can imagine here that when you think of yourself as independently existing,

It's much easier to harm someone else because you don't recognize the interdependent relationship that's existing there.

So when we start to dissolve the ignorant way that we perceive the self,

Then we start to see more clearly this interdependence that happens.

And then creating harm actually is lessened just naturally without having to work directly on that.

And then the fourth thing that I want to unpack is this idea that there's the importance of logical analysis in understanding selflessness.

And I talked about this right at the very beginning.

The Dalai Lama is emphasizing here that simply calming the mind is not enough.

If you go back to when we started and I mentioned that,

It's such an important thing to remind ourselves of.

We have to apply reasoning to investigate the self's nature.

So once the mind is calm,

Then we're able to apply that reasoning.

But as the Dalai Lama gets to at the end of the chapter,

He's really talking about we're learning to dance between the two and never over or under apply one technique,

Calm abiding,

Or special insight.

So logical analysis allows us to really deconstruct our mistaken notions and see reality with more clarity.

And this invites questions when we're looking and working with logical analysis,

We invite questions such as,

Where is the self located?

Does it exist apart from the aggregates?

And asking these questions to ourselves is what helps cultivate this insight.

So we calm,

We rest,

We find one pointed focus,

And then we begin to investigate the self.

And this is how we find this unity between shamatha and vipassana.

And then the fifth point that I feel like is worth mentioning is this idea of balancing concentrative meditation and special insight.

So again,

As I said,

Analysis is crucial and concentration is crucial.

The two things are both crucial.

They have to come together.

And if we focus too much on analysis,

Then the mind can become restless and distracted.

And of course,

We get nowhere.

And if we rely too much on concentration,

We risk becoming dull or stagnant.

And again,

We get nowhere.

So the antidote is really to alternate or learn this dance between stabilizing the mind and investigating its nature in a way that complements both.

And how do we do that?

We have to observe ourselves constantly.

And this is where we bring in our mindfulness.

Mindfulness is not meditation itself.

Mindfulness is a tool,

A technique that we use to keep us on track with our meditation.

So we have mindfulness at the door as a guard,

Observing,

Am I becoming agitated?

I need to step back and calm and rest.

Am I becoming dull?

Then let me move more into some vibrancy.

Meditating on things that bring me great delight.

And then again,

Working towards understanding the self through special insight.

So it's worth coming back and revisiting this book again and again.

It's worth coming back and working with these concepts again and again.

Because even an hour and a half once a week,

Breaking this very short book.

It's not a thick book.

It's a short book.

And here we are on our eighth session working with chapter nine.

And that's a long time.

We've been working with this book at this point nearly 10 hours,

Maybe more.

And so because of that,

You see that even with that amount of work on the book,

There's still stuff that may be confusing or eluding you.

And that's why it's really important,

One,

To come back and remind yourself what were the things that I'm learning about?

What is the self supposed to be?

How am I supposed to be investigating the self?

But then also we need practice.

We're not going to get anywhere just by analysis in our thinking mind.

We also need to go into our meditation practice and work with our practice deeply so that we can cultivate that insight in a very direct way.

It's not enough to just hear somebody talking about these things.

We want to experience them directly.

So let's do that now together if you're with me here.

We're going to move into a brief meditation practice,

Just exploring the concept of selflessness through logical analysis.

So however you are now is perfect.

But if you'd like to adjust yourself slightly,

Taking a more meditative posture,

Sitting up straight,

Elongating the spine,

Relaxing the shoulders,

And just bring yourself into this meditative state of mind by positioning the body in this way.

And your eyes can stay open or closed,

Whatever feels best for you.

And just begin here by focusing on your breath and allowing your mind to settle,

Finding some stability in the breath before we move into this analytical reflection.

And maybe you want to spend a little time extending the exhalations and using that as a tool to help you settle,

But also just simply keeping the mind with the breath and changing nothing,

Allowing the mind to just sort of rest on the movement of the breath,

Coming in and going out.

Now keeping some part of the mind with that feeling and that movement of the breath,

I want you to begin to ask yourself some questions.

Questions such as,

Where is the self located?

In the body,

In thoughts,

In consciousness?

Where is the self located?

And if the body changes,

Does the self change?

And is the self one thing or is it made up of parts?

Is it many things?

Just playing with these questions,

Asking them,

And letting the answers arise naturally without trying to rush to any conclusion.

Just observe what arises without grasping.

Where is the self located?

If the body changes,

Does the self change?

And is the self one thing or many?

Perhaps you want to ask yourself,

What is the self?

How are you perceiving or understanding your sense of self?

Notice here if you become really activated or you feel distracted.

And any time you feel distracted,

Just simply return your awareness to the movement of the breath.

And then when you feel relaxed again,

Come back to the questions.

So begin this practice of toggling back and forth between calm abiding and special insight.

Noticing when you need to relax and rest and drop it.

And noticing when you're in a place where you can ask the questions and have enough clarity to experience some effect of asking.

And then no matter where you are in the practice,

Just drop the focus on the breath,

Drop the inquiry,

And simply allow your mind to rest in a very open way.

Just free from labels and conclusions and observing experience naturally as it arises.

And then perhaps you want to deepen your breaths a little.

If your eyes have been closed,

Allow them to gently open.

Maybe move around a little bit.

Okay.

So it's homework time.

As you know,

If you've done this with me before,

Which by this point I imagine if you're here with me at this moment in time,

This far into it,

You've done this before with me.

I offer some practice homework.

And this just allows us to start working with these teachings in a practical way in our life experience.

And so for this session,

I want you to continue with where we have been with this shamatha practice,

This calm abiding practice.

Just 15,

20 minutes.

Let it be a stable thing now.

You know,

You have a daily practice.

15 minutes is good.

And I'm going to invite you now to start incorporating analytical reflection on selflessness by just gently bringing into your practice an inquiry of the nature of the self.

And you can ask questions just like we did here.

And let that be the practice for settling into calm abiding and then asking,

You know,

What is the self?

Where is the self?

What is my experience of the self?

And then toggling back and forth between calm abiding and this special insight.

And then if you feel free and you want to,

You can spend some time reflecting on the aggregates.

This is sort of like bonus homework in your practice.

So investigating the self but then also beginning to reflect on the aggregates and how they function interdependently.

And maybe challenging habitual tendencies that you might have or assumptions that you might have about the self's existence.

So just going back to these five aggregates and saying,

You know,

In what ways are these interrelated form,

Feeling,

Perception,

Mental formations,

And consciousness?

And investigating those and seeing is it true?

Is what I'm saying true?

Is what the Dalai Lama is saying true?

And check,

You know,

Really truly check with yourself.

Is this true?

Is myself dependent upon these things?

Or is there a self that is in control of these things?

You know,

Have some direct experience,

Some experience for yourself.

And then off the cushion,

I want you to just notice throughout the day when your sense of self feels its strongest.

Maybe that's times when people are giving you like a lot of praise or maybe it's a time when someone is blaming you.

I can think of some people right off the top of my head where if you challenge them at all,

If you suggest even a small amount that they might be wrong,

Their sense of self is at its all time high.

So maybe that's true for you.

Maybe it's during times that you're feeling especially attached to something or averse to something.

Just simply reflect on,

On when you notice that this sense of I feels its strongest.

And when you do that,

I want you to reflect on whether this self is as solid as it actually appears in those moments.

So using this really activated sense of self as a bell ringing and then immediately jumping in and saying,

Is this as solid as it seems or not?

And just checking there.

So that's the homework that I am offering to you.

Of course,

It's always optional,

But if we are really looking at,

At applying these teachings in a way that transforms our lives,

We have to do the work.

It's not going to happen for us.

If we want to become an engineer or a scientist,

An astronaut,

An astrophysicist,

Whatever,

You know,

If you want to become a nurse or if you want to even become a call center worker,

Whatever you want to do,

You know,

You have to learn the ropes of that thing and to do that takes time.

So we have to be willing to take that time and put it in and prioritize it in our lives.

And that's where we'll see the greatest benefit.

And let's close now.

We've reached the end of our time together.

I'll close with a brief dedication,

Just one last time settling into yourself,

Perhaps closing your eyes and maybe even bringing your hand to your heart,

Reminding yourself of that earlier intention or motivation for why you're even interested in these teachings in the first place.

And then simply listen to the words.

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

May our understanding of selflessness bring greater wisdom,

Compassion and freedom.

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

Okay.

Thank you so much for joining me again today.

It's our second to last session before the end of this third series of book club.

And I'm looking forward to finishing it out in our next session with chapter 10.

So I hope to,

To practice with you again then.

And I hope you have a beautiful rest of your day until next time.