Tony
7th July 2011, 10:28
Notes from a retreat.
In the west, we take teachings easily (entertainment of knowledge) but perhaps don't reflect so readily. Contemplation is not so much fun – you've heard it once already. It's not new and exciting. Without reflection you don't see how things work together, you don't go deep. Meditation you think you need because it helps lifestyle. Without reflection, you are just copying what someone else says – it is a good base but you have to have your own experience. You need the base (lineage) though – otherwise you will have no home.
Learning, reflection and meditation have to work together.
The way the view is sustained is by barely not forgetting. If the mindfulness is too strong, it will become conceptual. Just mindfulness that is barely non-distracted.
Everything is very light – to barely know your own nature is awareness.
We have a lot of reified (to make solid) patterns and so when we are trying to sustain the continuity of the view, we tend to reify that as well. Even if you don't reify with your conceptual mind, you will do with your subtle body.
Go to mindfulness of sensation and check whether the tension in the subtle or gross bodies are obstructing the view. Take some time there – massage your subtle body through a scan to bring it back to its own state. If you can find this unconditional well being – this essence – and from there re-recognise rigpa (empty essence). If you can do that, you will not become cut off from the intellectual and feelings. Otherwise you can be blocking.
Mind and body working together – synchronised. Once you have this flexibility, pliability, to connect with the mind and feeling. That is Essence Love. Essence Love is spaciousness well being. What else do you need?
Learning, reflection and meditation have to work together. In Essence Love you can accommodate anything.
In the west, we take teachings easily (entertainment of knowledge) but perhaps don't reflect so readily. Contemplation is not so much fun – you've heard it once already. It's not new and exciting. Without reflection you don't see how things work together, you don't go deep. Meditation you think you need because it helps lifestyle. Without reflection, you are just copying what someone else says – it is a good base but you have to have your own experience. You need the base (lineage) though – otherwise you will have no home.
Learning, reflection and meditation have to work together.
The way the view is sustained is by barely not forgetting. If the mindfulness is too strong, it will become conceptual. Just mindfulness that is barely non-distracted.
Everything is very light – to barely know your own nature is awareness.
We have a lot of reified (to make solid) patterns and so when we are trying to sustain the continuity of the view, we tend to reify that as well. Even if you don't reify with your conceptual mind, you will do with your subtle body.
Go to mindfulness of sensation and check whether the tension in the subtle or gross bodies are obstructing the view. Take some time there – massage your subtle body through a scan to bring it back to its own state. If you can find this unconditional well being – this essence – and from there re-recognise rigpa (empty essence). If you can do that, you will not become cut off from the intellectual and feelings. Otherwise you can be blocking.
Mind and body working together – synchronised. Once you have this flexibility, pliability, to connect with the mind and feeling. That is Essence Love. Essence Love is spaciousness well being. What else do you need?
Learning, reflection and meditation have to work together. In Essence Love you can accommodate anything.