Kalu Rinpoche Podcast – Episode 3 – 2 Dec. 2020 (7 min) – Shamata part 2 of 3
Hello everyone, this is Kalu Rinpoche’s podcast, and thank you for being here with me again.
As you continue to establish yourself in the beginning, just like that, and then you will be able to concentrate gradually, gently through the breathing state.
As you breathe out, don’t think about where your direction of your breath went. Or how long you have to breathe out, don’t think about how long you have to breathe out. Don’t think about where it has to go, or where it is. Simply breathe out. And breathe in. And focus your mind on that breathing sensation of externally when it’s going out, internally when it’s going in. Don’t try to breathe out more than it is needed. But at the same time, keep a gentle attitude at all times. The very definition of the gentle attitude comes down to simply being the witness to the reflection of thoughts. And that is the meaning of awareness.
First, you start your meditation practice based on breathing. You start with rigid objects, such as breathing, external Buddha statues, objects, peaks of the mountains, beautiful landscape, flowers. And then, after that, you move into visualization, echo of the sound, and then you can visualize the syllable, the mantra, in a very simplest way as possible. And then over time you can multiply the mantras, the syllables, the object of the deities, whether it is a Green Tara, or Avalokiteshvara, or Buddha Shakyamuni.
So now let’s go back to the… how we should bring this sense of reflection into our state. As you are in the meditation posture, keeping your back straight, keeping your shoulder more straight, and then open your mouth little bit to breathe, and then keep your eyes below, do not look up, or all the way down. Just keep it neutral, and do not close your eyes. Keep your two hands on your knee cap, and keep your leg in a meditation posture, or if you are simply sitting on the chair, or in the bed.
As you are in this natural posture, in the teachings of the great masters, it says “When your body is straight, the channel within you is straight. When the channel within you is straight, then the air quality is without any blockade. When the air becomes without any blockade, then the mind becomes more clear.” So therefore meditation posture is important, because everything is interrelated.
So as you are in this meditation posture, your eyes gazing little bit in front. Your attitude is very soft and gentle. Your body is in a very natural state. And then you see all the projection of thoughts in your mind. Not having any judgement towards it, either in a positive, either in a negative. The most important method is never gossip with the projection of thoughts. Simply be the reflection towards the water. And you simply see the reflection of all the projection of thoughts. And be the witness. Be like a stupa. There can be a bird, coming on top of the crown of the stupa. There may be people worshiping you as a symbol of the Buddha, Dharma, Sangha, yet your reaction, and your approach to them, is equal. So that is how we should have, in terms of quality, as a witness.
And don’t think that you need to achieve this overnight. Try to have an open mindset. Don’t try to go into the idea of wanting to achieve something very fast, in this very moment. Try to have a very calm attitude. The very definition of calm attitude comes down to simply being the witness and seeing all the projection of thoughts as it is. There may be the ugliest projection of thoughts; there may be a beautiful projection of thoughts. Yet you do not react. You simply witness. And that is important to keep in mind.
Thank you for listening, bye for now.
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