Meditative States in Tibetan

1 Opening RemarksToday we are going to talk about how to live our lives. How should we live our life? There are some people who mainly seek happiness and comfort in this life only and do nqt think at all abourfuture lives. Among them, there are many types. There are those who are engaged in the means of achieving happiness and comfort in this lifetime and who succeed in achieving them. No matter how many houses they want, they are able to buy them; if they want to go somewhere, they are able to arrange the necessary transportation - plane, train, car, or whatever. They are able to obtain a mate and children according to their wish and are able, also according to their wish, to bring together the food, clothing, and important circumstances for living. There are indeed people who spend their lives in seeking only the happiness and comfort of this lifetime and who actually live in happiness and comfort, except for the unavoidable sufferings of aging, sickness, and death. Then, too, among the people who seek happiness in this lifetime, there are those who do not succeed and who live only in hardship, whether it be from the point of view of their house, their car, their food and clothing, or other circumstances. There are others who do not experience difficulty with these external con- those who succeed in the means of achieving happiness and comfort are better than those who do not. such as house and car. mainly consider the future. we could not explain all the many and different ways in which people choose to spend their lives. but among them. Those who are concerned only with happiness and comfort in this lifetime have a small thought. among those who pay attention only to the happiness and comfort Of this lifetime. all of them involve a vast thought that is directed toward the future. The best among them are those who not only are concerned with future lifetimes but give up most of their concern with this lifetime as well. The methods for achieving help ih the future are called religious practice or religion . they are better. Even though. from the point of view of their succeeding within this lifetime. there are many people who are considering future lifetimes and who have determined that the achievement of happiness and comfort within this lifetime does not help the future. Below those two are people who are concerned equally with happiness and comfort in this and future lifetimes. Within this world.dharma in Sanskrit. however. even though they cannot entirely give up concern for happiness and comfort in this lifetime. Those who not only do not consider future lifetimes but put all their attention on the happiness and comfort of this lifetime without achieving them have neither the future nor the pres~m lifetime. but who suffer from sickness and thereby are caused to live in hardship. There are also people who do not have prosperity with respect to these external concordant circumstances but who nevertheless have an adequate amount. From the point of view of religious practice. Beneath them are those people who. All of them are good. There are many different religious systems in the world. the most vast in thought is that of people who do not mainly seek happiness and comfort in this lifetime but are concerned with future lifetimes. it is like the thought of a child.Opening Remarks 17 cordant circumstances. Indeed. Indeed. their thought is small. in terms of their not having any consideration for the future. We would say that so-called religious systems that involve harming other sentient beings are not religious systems because a . rkyen). which served as the root for the special mind. rgyu) and conditions (pratyaya. What does renunciation of happiness and comfort in this lifetime mean? It means renouncing the type of thought that worldly beings have. the Bodhisattva attitude. He came to discard his own welfare (artha. whereas any system involving techniques that help oneself and others now and in the future is a religious system. 1 like us. sems can). a being with a mind. if the system involves techniques that harm oneself or others and is called a religious system. who likes great fame and does not like disgrace. 2 Then he met with excellent teachers and gave up seeking happiness and comfort in this lifetime. when Buddha met with excellent teachers. 'khor ba)." Thus. he is not a being who independently from the beginning was a Buddha. byang chub). First of all. having faults. wandering in cyclic existence (sa1?Zsiira. who likes material goods and dislikes not obtaining them. who did not become a Buddha through causes (hetu. What is the worldly mode of thought? Who is this wor~dly being? One who likes happiness and dislikes suffering.18 Meditative States in Tibetan Buddhism religious system must be a method for achieving health and happiness for oneself and others. Bodhisattva (byang chub sems dpa) means "hero with respect to· contemplating enlightenment (bodhi. What is the status of Buddha? Who is Buddha? He is not a being who was always a Buddha. he gave up this type of thought. snying rfe). byams pa) and compassion (karu1Jii. Now. who likes to be praised and does not like to be blamed. I am today beginning an explanation of the Buddhist system. it is to be valued. Therefore. Among the many religious systems in the world. and he cultivated love (maitri. 3 The worldly being is one who thinks of nothing deeper than his own purposes until death. its speaker Buddha. it should not be identified as such. he changed his original attitude of cherishing himself and discarding others to that of cherishing others and discarding his . he was a sentient being (sattva. don) and to have concern for the welfare of others. What is the Buddhist system? It was set forth by its teacher. even if it is not vast in the sense of being thoroughly altruistic. Once he achieved enlightenment and became a Buddha. For persons who were able to achieve enlightenment in one short lifetime. bskal pa). He set these forth not only from his own point of view but also in accordance with the types of people he was talking to. lam) . the altruistic mind of enlightenment. -and through accompanying these practices with the six perfections (paramitii. rgyud) and to accomplish all auspicious attributes. and no more learning (ashaik~hamarga. He was able to achieve the wisdom that knows phenomena (dharma.6 For those who were not able to engage in the means of achieving . tshul khrims). He set forth many different doctrines. he set forth one type of doctrine. sbyin pa). mi slob lam) . brtson grus). Thus.he ascended the five paths (miirga. 5 For those who were not able to achieve enlightenment in our usual short lifetime. he is produced in dependence on causes.Opening Remarks 19 own welfare.the paths of accumulation (sa1Jlbhiiramiirga. shes rab) . ethics (shila. effort (vzrya. what did he do? He taught doctrines from his great sense of mercy to his students. and when he did this. a Buddha is not someone who is produced causelessly. sbyor lam).and the ten grounds (bhumz~ sa) and completed the collections of merit {put)ya. stong pa nyid). he set forth the means for extending the lifetime so that enlightenment could be achieved over one very long lifetime. dbang po ). He also meditated on emptiness (shunyata.4 He was able to extinguish all faults in his own mental continuum (sa1?1tiina. preparation (prayogamiirga. short or long. phar phyin) . chos) and their status. concentration (dhyana. powers. And for those who are not able to achieve enlightenment in one lifetime. bsam gtan) and wisdom (prajiia. bag chags). he set forth the means for achieving enlightenment over many aeons (kalpa. bsod nams) and wisdom (jiiiina. meditation (bhiivaniimiirga. seeing (darshanamiirga.cultivating the wisdom realizing emptiness and the special Bodhisattva attitude. he became a Buddha. mthong lam). in accordance with their faculties (indriya. patience (k~hiintz~ bzod pa). interests. sgom lam). Through meditating on these in union . tshogs lam). and predispositions (viisanii.giving (dana.ye shes). one group that suffers mainly from heat and another that suffers mainly from cold. We divide animals into two kinds. who were temporarily unable to aim for such a high attainment. . Bad lifetimes -what are called bad migrations (durgati. only those who. Worse than hungry ghosts are the hell beings. even worse are the bad conditions and sufferings of hungry ghosts. he set forthone type of teaching for those who were able to achieve liberation from cyclic existence in one lifetime. All of us have experienced with our own eyes the bad conditions and the suffering and pain of animals. he set forth a path that involves techniques whereby one would not be reborn in a bad lifetime. but there are a few who do.20 Meditative States in Tibetan Buddhism Buddhahood itself. those that are scattered about the surface of the earth and those that are in the ocean. they cannot even hear the words "food" and "drink. ngan 'gro) -are of three types. and within this system. For those who could not achieve liberation from cyclic existence at all. he set forth a path for achieving liberation (vimo~ha. Above that. midge ba). nyi tshe ba) hells. nye 'khor ba) and trifling (pradeshika. he set forth the means for rebirth in a pure place. is that of hungry ghosts (preta. Through a middling non-virtue. yi dvags). for these two. and through_ a small non-virtue. The lowest is that of hell beings (naraka. In the past. one is reborn in the hells. but still a bad migration. Not only can they not find food and drink. Above it. but still a bad migration. he set forth the path of a Solitary Realizer (pratyekabuddha. he set forth the path of a Hearer (shravaka.8 And for those who were not able to do even that. he set forth a path whereby they could achieve liberation from cyclic existence in several lifetimes. thar pa) from cyclic existence." People do not usually see hungry ghosts. For those who were not. there were many people who saw these. one is reborn as a hungry ghost. develop the ability to create magical emanations are able to go to those places and observe them. las). rang sangs rgyas). is that of animals (tiryaiich. nyan thos). dud 'gro). There are other types of hells also -neighbouring (utsada. People like us cannot see them. through meditation. dmyal ba). and for those who were duller than Solitary Realizers. As a fruition of a great non-virtue (akushala.7 Thus. One is born in all the levels of the Desire Realm through actions (karma. through a little less virtue than that.") There are also other places of rebirth for humans. (Jambudvipa means "the Land ofjambu. and humans (manu~hya. performing an act of giving . Through the greatest of the smaller virtuous actions that one can perform. ba lang spyod). snyoms 'jug) that correspond to those realms. Later. Buddha set forth a means of overcoming the tendency to be reborn in these states. one is born in a continent called Great Body (videha. one is reborn in a continent called Using Oxen (godiiniya. On this lowest type of path. Thus. and. mz). sgra mi nyan) where humans live. Through engaging in a small virtuous (kushala. Furthermore. there are special causes. through cultivating the meditative absorptions (samiipatti. however. gzugs med khams). and below that. there are three types of happy migration. one is born as one of the four types of demigod. one is born in what is called Jambudvi"pa ('dzam bu gling). through still less virtue. say. lha. there are many divisions within the small virtuous actions through which one can be reborn as a human. again. through a great virtue. I will explain the various states within the Form Realm and Formless Realm in which one can be reborn through engaging in these meditative absorptions. a path for being reborn in high status. Why are these called high status? What does it mean to be high? It means to be higher than the three bad migrations. 'dod khams). Within these types. and. !us 'phags po).one can attain rebirth as a human. one can be reborn in the Form Realm (rupadhiitu. demigods (asura.these are temporary gods). the eight subcontinents. our own world. gzugs khams) or in the Formless Realm (iirupyadhiitu. lha ma yin). Through greater virtues. These are the migrations ofgods (deva. One group is the six types of gods of the Desire Realm (kiimadhatu. one can be reborn in a continent called Unpleasant Sound (kuru. one can be reborn as a god. Through a higher type of virtuous practice. there are many divisions.Opening Remarks 21 one is reborn as an animal. three types of . bde 'gro).maintaining ethics and. From the performance of the middling virtues. one can attain rebirth as a demigod. Through a middling type of virtue. one can attain rebirth as a god. or happy migrations (sugati. dge ba) action . In brief. you would understand many facets of the topic of meditation and that this would be helpful. various means that accord with the many and various dispositions and abilities of people. there are many who are greatly interested in meditation. These are very easy to achieve. he set forth even the circumambulation of a temple or an image. I thought that if this system were explained. except for the fact that people may not wish to practice them. Thus.there are many people nowadays who are paying attention to religious practice. and gods .aad Buddha set forth a path for achieving such lifetimes. Among the limitless number of techniques that Buddha taught.means of purifying the non-virtuous actions that bring about great suffering. Buddha set forth many different techniques of paths for the achievement of virtue in accordance with the ability of a great variety of sentient beings. Buddha also set forth means by which one would undergo less suffering even when one would be reborn in any of the three bad migrations . anyone can do them. For the lowest. among them the cultivation of calm abiding (shamatha. /hag mthong). . In the West . Thus.22 Meditative States in Tibetan Buddhism high status .in Europe and especially in America . Among them.those with the physical life support of humans. what I am going to explain here are the meditative absorptions of the Form and Formless Realms. there are also the repetition of mantras and bowing down to images. demigods. The reason for explaining them is that the presentation includes many types of meditation. zhi gnas) and of special insight (vipashyana. he set forth many and. Documents Similar To Meditative States in TibetanSkip carouselcarousel previouscarousel nextA.K. 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