A：
The state of mind itself, is beyond control. That is one thing that we have to understand.
Many people they think that ‘I have to control my mind. I have to control it. I need to have it the way I wanted.’ We have such strong perception about that. Of course, that’s nothing wrong. That’s just simply a human nature illusion due to our past lives. We should not feel unfortunate because of that.
I think the most important practice for us, is the Shamata practice. Shamata practice can be based on the deity. For example, you can visualize Avalokiteshvara or Buddha Shakyamuni, or other enlightened beings. Visualizing and then do the Shi-ne practice. These are the important and simple steps that we must do.
Once you start, then instead of saying ‘Oh, where is the good sign? Where is the special sign, as the result of my practice?” Instead of hoping and thinking like that, the greatest sign, the real sign, if you are doing a real good practice, is that your state of mind becomes naturally needless. Like, ‘Oh, I’m fine. Everything is good.’ Being courageous with great strength, but yet at the same time needless.
Once you have such kind of a glimpse of that quality…you know… you may have a glimpse of that moment, then instead of saying ‘Oh I have realized something…’, instead of catching it, just let it be. Positive quality of state of mind, and other different experience comes, and then let it be. Continue with your practice and your commitment. All the positive accumulations that you have been doing, will affect your way of thinking, way of doing, way of practicing, way of helping other people. It will do it on its own. All the positive quality to your body, speech and mind, will react naturally.
Don’t try to force yourself and saying that ‘I have to get it the way I wanted.’ I’ll give you an example to explain this. Knowing that under the ground there is gold or precious gem, then digging and trying to find it, that’s one thing. But blindly believing that, without any information, without knowledge, and saying to yourself that ‘There has to be gold, there has to be precious gems, under this ground.’ and then forcing yourself…then even you have a positive motivation, it would not come any result that you may wanting to have.
Therefore, instead of grasping for positive quality, you should grasp more towards your commitment, towards your practice, yet without any kind of obligational way of thinking, like ‘Ah, I need to be positive, I need to have positive qualities…’. That kind of assumption, that kind of habitual way of thinking, should be distanced.
Just being present, doing Shamata and Shi-ne practice, and then slowly, all the positivity will come naturally. At first it would come by a glimpse to a glimpse. Then it will start to be hours to hours. Then it will start to be day to day.
With love and respect from your Kalu Rinpoche
Live talk Q&A on Facebook, Sep. 2 2018
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