Progressive Stages of Meditation on Emptiness, Week One: Emptiness of Self

Notes from the video:

Buddhism is actually a science of mind. It works with two aspects:

• The nature of mind, which is totally free and awakened.
• Relative mind, which relates to emotions, thoughts, and ego clinging.

Mainly the teachings of Buddha are about working with the mind, nothing else. We do this via practice with body, speech, and mind.

Our mind fixates on things as really true and existing. This becomes the cause for our endless suffering. 

There are three forms of ignorance. We take things to be real in three styles:

• Ignorance regarding time
• Ignorance regarding objects
• Ignorance regarding the skandhas*, or causes & conditions

In more detail:

• Time: We develop a mind that clings to things as being permanent.
• Objects: Unable to differentiate between objects that appear to be the same, we develop a mind that clings to singularity.
• Skandhas or causes & conditions: We develop a mind that clings to autonomy or independence.

There are two objects of perception related to these ignorances, to which we cling:

• Self of persons – We think we are permanent, singular, and autonomous, which gives us the misperception of a solidly existing self.
  
• Self of phenomena: We cling to appearances as real and truly existing, also with the three ignorances: permanent, singular and autonomous.

Releasing the self of persons and realizing no-self is the realization leading to nirvana. Clinging to the self of phenomena is the obscuration keeping us from the complete wisdom of the Buddha.

Buddhism defines the nature of reality in terms of the two truths: 

• Conventional or relative
  
• Ultimate or absolute

Conventional truth is how things appear, as "merely existent" phenomena. When you do not analyze them, they work perfectly fine. We do not deny that reality. The conventional truth is the relative reality we should respect.

Absolute truth is how things are. It is beyond conception, beyond words, so we use labels to point at it, such as emptiness and egolessness. Emptiness doesn't mean nothingness, it means going beyond all concepts of existence and non-existence. Freedom from all conceptual elaborations. 

You can't mix up the two by saying, "If the chair is empty, how can you sit in it?" Rinpoche says, "You are trying to put my relative body in an absolute chair." 

There is a relative self, which is a mere appearance of a self that serves as the basis for karmic accumulation. 

There are two levels of this relative self:

1. Innate Self – This is the fundamental level of our clinging to self or "I." It is free from sophisticated labels and is the fundamental reference point of subject and object. 

From the commentary on Valid Cognition (Sanskrit: Pramana)

Through clinging to the existence of self,

One develops the notion of others.

From this basic duality of self and other arises clinging and aversion.

Through thorough habituation in these, all faults arise.

2. Imputed Self – These are labels which are integrated based on experience. They may be mundane labels learned from the environment, family, friends, etc., or non-mundane labels such as philosophical or religious labels. The imputed self is very conceptual. The innate self goes much deeper. Even so, sometimes imputed labels become habitual tendencies that can deepen into a very deep reference point. 

When we look at these two sets of self-clinging, they become the basis for basic self. 

• Clinging to self brings a sense of self and other.
• Then we engage in actions based on this.
• From action, we accumulate karma (cause and effect).
• When the karma fruitions, we experience suffering.

We have a fixation on the five aggregates* as equaling a self or person, with the three ignorances. So we are trying to work with this clinging. 

Identifying what is to be refuted is important. We are trying to transform our clinging onto things as inherently real. We are not trying to refute mere appearances. 

Shantideva said, "Mere appearances are not to be refuted. What is to be reversed is thinking of them as real."

In other words, mere appearances do not cause suffering. Clinging onto them as real causes suffering. How do we cling to them as real? We cling to them as permanent, singular and autonomous.

Tilopa said to Naropa: "Son, you are not bound by appearances. You are bound by clinging. Cut through clinging, Naropa."

[The teaching continues, refuting the three ignorances as related to the skandhas, one by one. At this point, the video began to skip. I'll attend to the video and we'll start here next time.]

Homework: Begin meditating each day on arising experience. Start with physical sensations, then include emotional and mental phenomena. Do not identify with what you observe; just open to experience and note how it arises, abides, and dissolves. 

For a good resource on how to do this kind of meditation, I recommend Ken McLeod's podcast on Releasing Emotional Reactions. Particularly sections 2 & 3 regarding Releasing through bare attention. Look under Retreats > Releasing Emotional Reactions >RER02 and RER03. Link to Unfettered Mind Podcasts

You might prefer to work with the vipassana method as taught in Insight Meditation: notice whatever is the strongest sensation at the moment, as it arises, abides, and dissolves, then notice what is next. Click here to link.

More resources on vipassana from the Insight Meditation Society: click here.

A Kagyu teaching on the Four Foundations of Mindfulness: click here.

_______________________

*Five Skandhas (or aggregates) are the appearances which we take to constitue a self: form, feeling, perception, mental formation, and consciousness. For a fuller description of the five skandhas, click here.

Plan for Ongoing Study

We had our first study group Friday night, May 28, and it was splendid. Wonderful teachings by the Dzogchen Ponlop Rinpoche followed by a focused discussion. There was a felt sense that the people present are committed to working through these teachings in a very real way. 

Buddhism teaches the three ways in which wisdom is acquired: the "three wheels" of hearing, contemplation, and meditation. As described in the Introduction to Progressive Stages of Meditation on Emptiness by Khenpo Tsultrim Gyamtso Rinpoche:

Three Stages in the Process of Understanding

Meditation should be understood as the third stage in the development of one's understanding. The first stage is to listen to or study the teachings with an open and receptive mind that does not distort what is being heard or studied. The second stage is carefully to reflect on what has been received in order to clarify its true significance. The third stage is to integrate the newly acquired knowledge or understanding into one's being or character. In a sense this is like putting it into practice. When one talks about meditation practice one does noit mean one is practicing meditation so that one day one will have perfected it and will be able to give a perfect performance. Rather, it is a practice in the sense of actually doing or being it as opposed to just thinking about it.

Accordingly, we will study this series according to the three wheels. Here's the plan:

• ONE: VIDEO – The first Friday night, we watch the teaching on video and discuss.

• REVIEW NIGHT - The following Monday night we have a make-up opportunity for anyone who missed it Friday night, or for anyone who simply wants to review. This is an hour of watching the video only, no discussion, so we can all fit it into our busy schedules. Email or call me if you want to come so I know what to expect... info@luminousmind.net, 463-2374. 

• TWO: BOOK/REVIEW/MEDITATE – The next Friday night, we will add supplementary material from the book, review what we've learned, and then work on the actual meditation for the stage of emptiness we're studying.

• No video review following the second week.

• DISCUSS – Each week, I will post notes from our Friday night session to this blog and fellow students may discuss using the comment function. This gives a way of sharing insights that arise over the week as we take the inquiry to the cushion and to the street. 

• REPEAT – We will repeat this one-two approach throughout the series. It is indicated as such on the new calendar posted on the Luminous Mind website. You can go there to see whether it's a video week or a book/review/meditation week. The Monday night reviews are posted there as well.

Click here to go to calendar.

In this way, we will be working with the authentic teachings on emptiness according to the ancient way of acquiring wisdom. 

Let's wake up!

Love,

Rita

Maori Proverb

Never spend time with people who don't respect you.


(as seen on the Unfettered Mind website)

The Elephant in the Room

So what happens when gossip runs amuck among friends or even in a spiritual community?

The first basic in Buddhist ethics is, "Do no harm." Bottom line. Everything else is on top of that. Then Buddha taught the 10 Unwholesome Actions to show us what would harm ourselves and others. Of these, four are related to harmful speech: gossip, slander, harsh speech, and lying.

Harmful speech may seem less serious than some of the other Unwholesome Actions, such as killing and stealing, but the effects can be devastating and violent. Words can utterly destroy a person's reputation, create division between people where there was none, and wipe out a future.

Sound familiar?

So if we are on the hearing end of gossip or slander, what to do? As much as possible, we can try to avoid being a safe harbor for gossip and instead, confront those spreading wrong speech. Here are some ideas.

• First, check in with your experience. How does it make you feel to hear this? What is arising in you? Do you have a physical sensation? Does your mind run to want to hear gossip? Do you immediately believe it? Does it make you feel dirty? Superior? Sad? Connect with the space beyond the arising sensations, thoughts, and emotions, and go from there.

• Remember your direct experience of the person being talked about and ask yourself if this even makes sense or if they could have been misunderstood.

• Hold to the actual facts without a perceptual overlay. It is one thing to say what happened and another to say what you think it means. As soon as you start saying what a person's reasons or motivations are without getting it first-hand from them, you are surely making stuff up... i.e., lying.

• Interrupt the person gossiping and encourage them to speak directly with the person they are criticizing.

• Interrupt the person and point out that they are speculating on intention, which they cannot really know.

• Interrupt the person and let them know you'd rather not discuss the faults of others, whether real or perceived.

• Ask, "Why do I need to know this? This doesn't help my mind be peaceful so I'd rather not know."

• If you know the truth to be otherwise, say so. "I was there and that's not true."

• If it's coming from a person who habitually participates in harmful speech, you might sit down and have a heart-to-heart with them about how it makes you feel.

• Even if it's coming from someone you respect or an authority figure, remember... according to Buddhism, only a fully realized Buddha has complete omniscience. They could be mistaken. And even then, Buddha said not to believe anything simply because he said it. We are never to abandon our own wisdom mind.

• If the people involved are from different cultures, remember that it could be an invisible culture clash. Some things which are valued in the west, such as open communication, are seen differently in other societies. Asian cultures in particular often have difficulty in confronting directly so open communication may be felt as argumentative or confrontational when it is not intended to be.

• Either don't believe the gossip or else go directly to the person being criticized and ask their side, with an open mind and heart. To believe the gossip without going to the person themselves is to become a participant in it. Not going directly to a person denies them the opportunity to grow if they need it, or to tell you what is true for them.

• Become someone who creates harmony between others. Instead of slander, be a peacemaker. Instead of harsh speech, speak with kindness, remembering the basic good heart of the other person. Instead of lying, speak only what you are 100% sure is the truth. Instead of gossip, make your speech meaningful and helpful.

• If, despite your best efforts, the environment is rife with gossip and slander, leave it if you can. If you can't leave it, minimize your exposure to those who carry tales. Get in, get out. Toxic environments can affect one's own energy and health.

• Finally, remember that those who are engaging in harmful speech are suffering too. Moreover, they are creating the cause of more suffering for themselves in the future. No matter what they've said, don't attach to it too strongly and don't throw them out of your compassionate heart, even if they appear to have thrown you out of theirs.

Harmful speech is like a runaway train that can ruin even the best of relationships and organizations. And it's all based on perception. The Heart Sutra teaches us that perception is empty, as well as forms, feelings, mental formations and consciousness. Which means that it is our own mental habits that cause us to perceive the way we do. It's called "karmic vision;" it's just the way we see things. If we consistently hold pure view when thinking of others, we may be more inclined to give them the benefit of the doubt.

So we might ask ourselves, when I think and speak of others, am I spacious or suspicious? Our answer says much more about our own minds than about the objects of our perception.

With that being the case, where do we get off being judge and jury of anyone? I am reminded of a quote by Brendan Behan: "I was court-martialled in my absence, and sentenced to death in my absence, so I said they could shoot me in my absence."

Or Pema Chodron, when speaking of forgiveness: "They were that way for only an instant, and even then, only in my mind."

For this reason, I am committed that Harmless Speech be at the very foundation of Luminous Mind. This organization will not operate according to gossip and slander. If you study here, you will not be discussed by me privately or publicly. Decisions will not be made on the basis of gossip. If there is ever a conflict, I will come to you directly and listen with my ears and heart wide open. And you are always welcome to come directly to me as well. Even if we ultimately disagree, I will not speak in a way to harm your reputation, privately or publicly. In every way possible, Luminous Mind will be a refuge where students' basic good hearts are nurtured, free from an atmosphere of suspicion and negativity.

Amen.

Unwholesome Speech according to Buddha

The Ten Unwholesome Actions are actions of body, speech, and mind which harm ourselves and others and which therefore have karmic consequences. They are the basis for ethics in Buddhism. In this, Buddha doesn't speak as a lawgiver saying, "Thou shalt not," but rather as a physician, who counsels his patients on what will cause themselves harm, both now and in the future. 

The ten unwholesome actions are:

Three of body:  Killing, stealing, sexual misconduct

FOUR of speech:  Slander, harsh speech, gossip, lying

Three of mind:  Avarice, malice, false views

Note that of the ten unwholesome actions, there are more harmful actions of speech than any other category. It's just so easy to slip that tongue. 

The following is an extended quote from Tibetan Buddhism from the Ground Up: A Practical Approach for Modern Life by B. Alan Wallace. It was one of my first Buddhist books and became a kind of handbook for learning the basics. In it, he describes the unwholesome actions of speech:

"Of the four verbal unwholesome deeds, the first is lying. This may be vocal, but it also includes intentionally misleading someone with a nod or a gesture. One may even lie by keeping silent.

Slander, the second of the verbal deeds, depends on motivation. Imagine two individuals, or it could be two or more communities, who have a harmonious relationship. If one speaks with the intention of creating disharmony or distrust between them, this is slander. Or if two parties are already at odds, and one speaks in order to prevent a reconciliation between them, this too is slander. Such speech may be true or false – it is still slander.

The third of these verbal acts is abuse. As with slander, what determines whether one's words are abusive is one's motivation. If one speaks with the intention to inflict harm, this is abuse; and, as we know, this may bring greater suffering to another person than physical injury. The abuse may be directed toward the person with whom one is speaking, or it may be directed to someone else. In either case, as soon as one utters words in order to inflict harm, one accumulates the karma of abuse.

With this brief introduction to slander and abuse, let us review our own verbal behavior. We may find that on occasion we do speak of the faults of others, saying so-and-so is conceited, aggressive, or selfish. As soon as we speak about the faults of another person with an unwholesome motivation, it is guaranteed our speech is unwholesome. It is bound to be abusive or slanderous, and if we exaggerate, we also accumulate the karma of lying. 

So we may ask: 'When is it appropriate to speak about the faults of other people?' The answer is: 'Hardly ever.' If at times we feel it necessary to speak of someone's faults, we are well-advised to look first into our own hearts to see if we are motivated by any mental distortion. If we find our intention is thoroughly wholesome, that we sincerely wish to speak out of a desire to benefit the other person, then we may proceed, drawing on our full capacity of wisdom and kindness.

Many people find that by this simple act of discipline, their minds become more serene. Try to recall a person who rarely or never speaks of others' faults. We can feel very much at ease with this person, because if we never hear him or her speak of others' shortcomings, we can feel confident the person is not abusing us behind our backs either. Such simple restraint creates harmony in the mind of the person who practices it, and it is refreshing for others to hear as well. 

Idle gossip is the fourth of the verbal misdeeds. For speech to be included under this heading, it must be stimulated by a mental distortion. So, if we engage in friendly, casual conversation, we need not fear we are doing something unwholesome. But if our speech is dominated by any mental distortion, including attachment, it is bound to be a form of idle gossip, even if it is not included in the other three verbal misdeeds. Moreover, unlike the other three, one can accumulate the karma of idle gossip without anyone else hearing one's words. Tibetan Buddhist teachers often comment that idle gossip is the most innocuous of the ten unwholesome deeds, but it also provides the easiest way to waste one's life."

© 1993 B. Alan Wallace, Wisdom Publications

Peace, baby

Better than a thousand useless words is one word that gives peace.

– Buddha

Working with others instead of attacking

"If we divide into two camps--even into violent and the nonviolent — and stand in one camp while attacking the other, the world will never have peace. We will always blame and condemn those we feel are responsible for wars and social injustice, without recognizing the degree of violence within ourselves. We must work on ourselves and also with those we condemn if we want to have a real impact."

—Ayya Khema, Be An Island, © Wisdom Publications 2001

How harmless is lying?

From Buddha's lips to our ears:

"Monks, I say there is no wicked deed that may not be committed by... the human being who has transgressed in one thing. What one thing? I mean, the intentional uttering of a falsehood."

— Shakyamuni Buddha, Itivuttaka

So important is our word that Buddha says if your word loses integrity, anything else is up for grabs too. Wow. Something to think about, huh?

True Spirituality

"Always recognize the dreamlike qualities of life and reduce attachment and aversion. Practice good-heartedness toward all beings. Be loving and compassionate, no matter what others do to you. What they will do will not matter so much when you see it as a dream. The trick is to have positive intention during the dream. This is the essential point. This is true spirituality."

CHAGDUD TULKU RINPOCHE

The Sixty Aspects of Melodious Speech

“Gentle, soft, appealing, and attractive,
Pure, flawless, distinct, and captivating,
Worthy, indomitable, pleasant, melodious, and clear,
Not rough, not coarse, and extremely pleasing to hear,
Satisfying for body, for mind, and delightful,
Creating happiness, without sorrow, and instigating insight,
Comprehensible, elucidating, and generating joy,
Utterly enjoyable, bringing comprehension and full understanding,
Reasonable, relevant, free from the fault of repetition,
Melodious like the sound of the lion, the elephant, and the dragon,
Like the naga king, the gandharvas, and the kalapinga bird,
Like the melodious voice of Brahma and the shangshang bird,
Majestic like the voice and the drum of Indra,
Not boastful and pervading all sounds without utterance,
Without corruption of words, without incompleteness,
Not feeble, not weak, extremely magnificent,
Pervasive, free from rigidity,
Connecting interruption and perfecting all sounds,
Satisfying the senses, not inferior, and unchanging,
Not blurting and fully resounding to the assembly,
Endowed with the supreme of all aspects,
He teaches in the manner of the profound and vast teachings.”

— From Sutra on the Inconceivable Secret

Einstein on Success

If A is a success in life, then A equals x plus y plus z. 

Work is x; 

y is play; 

and z is keeping your mouth shut.

Now, that's genius.

The Four Agreements

The Four Agreements by Don Miguel Ruiz seem particularly relevant to those taking the Harmless Speech Agreement:

Be impeccable with your word. 

Don't take anything personally. 

Don't make assumptions. 

Always do your best.

Be Impeccable With Your Word: Speak with integrity. Say only what you mean. Avoid using the word to speak against yourself or to gossip about others. Use the power of your word in the direction of truth and love.

Don't Take Anything Personally: Nothing others do is because of you. What others say and do is a projection of their own reality, their own dream. When you are immune to the opinions and actions of others, you won't be the victim of needless suffering.

Don't Make Assumptions: Find the courage to ask questions and to express what you really want. Communicate with others as clearly as you can to avoid misunderstandings, sadness, and drama. With just this one agreement, you can completely transform your life.

Always Do Your Best: Your best is going to change from moment to moment; it will be different when you are healthy as opposed to sick. Under any circumstance, simply do your best, and you will avoid self-judgment, self-abuse, and regret.

Take the Harmless Speech Agreement

"Words have the power to destroy or heal. When words are both true and kind, they can change our world." -- Buddha's Little Instruction Book, Jack Kornfield.

I'd like to invite you to participate with me in an experiment of harmless speech, for whatever time you'd like. I'm going to start with a month, then see where it goes from there. 

Harmless speech meets a threefold criterion: "Is it true? Is it kind? Is it necessary?" 

Buddha described harmful speech as lying, slander, abusive speech, and gossip. 

Jesus said, "Blessed are the peacemakers." 

The first time I took a vow related to speech was in the early 80s. I was in a leadership training program with Landmark Education, in preparation for being trained as a seminar leader. The first program was six months long and was like boot camp for life in many ways. As part of the program, we made a number of agreements: clean your home, clean your car, get your finances straight, etc. One of the most impactful agreements was about speech. "No gossip or undermining conversation for six months."

When I first heard that agreement, I thought it would be a challenge, but I really didn't think I gossiped that much. But once the vow was taken, I was shocked at how often gossip or undermining comments would want to LEAP to my lips. By the power of the vow, I wouldn't say it, and so mindfulness began.

After awhile, the thought would still leap to my mind but not to my lips. It was still a struggle not to gossip, but I wasn't on "automatic" anymore. 

Then after a while, the thought would come to mind but I wasn't tempted to say it.

Finally, toward the end of the program, the tide of negative thoughts literally quit coming to mind. Not all, but I was out of the habitual power of it. 

I remember the first time after the program was over that I broke the new habit and said something that was a little bit sniggering about someone. It was like a shock to my system, as though I'd opened up a door in my brain and thrown a load of dust into my mindstream. 

The connection between speech and thought was clear. Calming down my speech had allowed my perception to become subtle enough to see it. Participating in harmful speech hurts ONESELF. And it is a destroying fire with others -- damaging relationships, reputations, and whole futures. 

When we participate in harmful speech, we are strengthening the illusion of friend/enemy, self/other, the whole dualistic trip. Which only leads us further away from living an awakened life. Besides, all we can know is our own experience. If we really want to know what's going on with someone, we have to ask them ourselves.

These days, I've been hearing a lot of gossip, slander, and actual lies second hand. So after a short fit of moral outrage, I looked inward and decided the best answer was to restrengthen my own commitment to speech that is kind, true, and healing, and bring that energy into my environment. What goes around comes around, right?

Anyone want to try the experiment? Join me in "Harmless Speech Month" (or day or week, etc.)

Hey, maybe we can create a wave of kind speech. Feel free to pass it on.

Love,

Rita