Tibetan Buddhism has many techniques of meditation practice. All of these practices are concerned with defusing our ego, negative emotions, and fixed ideas, and revealing our Buddha Nature. Tibetan Buddhism has developed an orderly, integrated system of practice that has been tried and verified in the experience of meditators and enlightened beings for over a thousand years. This approach can be summed up in the Three Vehicles (Yanas) of Buddhism. These vehicles are practiced simultaneously, but can also be presented sequentially as a guide to learning the practices of Tibetan Buddhism.
In general, it is suggested that you lay a good foundation for yourself by progressing gradually. None of this is set in stone, but for someone seeking some guidance for how to begin and continue with Buddhist practice, the following is offered as a rule of thumb. Best of all is to make contact with teachers and practicioners in an authentic lineage of Buddhism and learn from them.
This overview of Buddhist practice is presented in three sections:
The Hinayana is the foundation of all Buddhist practice. Generally, we begin with meditation as a way to calm our minds and experience peace. As we begin to extend the peace we find in meditation into our daily lives, the practice of ethics becomes important as a way to maintain and develop our spiritual growth. Meditation and ethics are practiced by anyone, but someone who begins to have a certain level of understanding and appreciation of the Buddhist teachings may choose to formally become a Buddhist, through the ceremony called "taking Refuge".
Sitting Meditation. We begin to defuse our attachment, aggression and ignorance and to dissolve our ego through sitting meditation, called shamatha (Tib. shinay) or "Calm Abiding". Shamatha meditation is the basic practice of sitting meditation common to all Buddhist traditions. Normally our minds are very busy and restless, thinking about what we want to happen or worrying about what we are afraid might happen, or we just get bored and "tune out". When we are upset, we find it very difficult to control our minds, to let go of what's bothering us and just be happy.
Through shamatha meditation, you learn to relax and calm your mental restlessness, and gain more control over your mind. When you let go of distractions and worries, you can experience a state of happiness and inner contentment that doesn't depend on whether things are going OK in your life or not.
Another result of meditation is that as your mind becomes calmer, you see things more clearly. Through meditation you develop a more relaxed perspective on life that is known as vipashyana (Tib. lhagtong) or "insight".
Buddhist Ethics. The main practice in daily life (which we can call "post-meditation" practice) is to behave in a mindful and ethical manner at all times. Buddhist ethics primarily involve not harming other beings. Through meditation, we develop mindfulness, and through restraint, we refrain from acting on our harmful impulses. Sometimes people formalize their commitment to ethical behavior by taking Lay Precepts, which encourage the practitioner not to (1) kill, (2) lie, (3) steal, (4) commit sexual misconduct or (5) take intoxicants, as a way to reduce the harm we cause ourselves and others, and to pacify much of the agitation in our minds for meditation.
A famous summary of the Buddha's teachings, given by the Buddha himself, goes:
Refuge. Basic sitting meditation can be practiced by anyone, whether you are Buddhist or not. However, after practicing a while and learning more about Buddhism, some people decide to make a more formal commitment to studying and practicing the Buddhist tradition. This commitment is called "Taking Refuge". It represents a decision to orient your life to spiritual practice, based on confidence in the Buddha and his teachings.
This commitment is symbolized by the Refuge Ceremony, which is the formal ceremony that "officially" makes you a Buddhist. The tradition of receiving refuge from a teacher goes all the way back to the Buddha himself. When you take refuge, you become part of a 2,500 year old tradition of Buddhist practicioners. Through the ceremony, you are acknowledging your confidence in the Buddha as a teacher, the Dharma as the path, and the Sangha or community of realized teachers as the support along the path.
The commitments of refuge include:
- 1. To respect images of the Buddha, and not to take refuge in beings that cause you to harm others. From the Buddhist point of view, there is nothing wrong with a Christian taking refuge in Buddhism, because these approaches are very compatible. But animal sacrifice is out!
- 2. To respect Dharma texts, and not to harm any living being, to the best of your ability. The ideal of non-violence is the fundamental principle shared by all Buddhists.
- 3. To respect Buddhist practicioners, and to avoid associating with people who undermine your spiritual practice. Your own spiritual practice will benefit tremendously by associating with other people who are also genuinely committed to the spiritual path. And while it is possible to get started learning about Buddhism through books, you will eventually need to find a qualified teacher to take your farther on the path.
Learn More: For information about Refuge, see Chagdud Tulku, Gates to Buddhist Practice, and Gampopa's Jewel Ornament of Liberation. Khenpo Karthar's book Dharma Paths discusses meditation, Refuge and Lay Precepts.
Shamatha meditation tames the mind, and provides a "vacation" from negative emotions. But to really permanently uproot the negative habits of mind that cause us suffering, we need to go farther and train the mind in compassion and emptiness, which are the true antidotes to ego, the root of all suffering. The mind that realizes compassion and emptiness is called bodhicitta, and one powerful practice for developing bodhicitta is tonglen or "sending and receiving" meditation.
Bodhicitta. Once we have some experience of the nature of our minds settled in peace through meditation, we realize that all beings share this same nature equally. All beings become equally dear to us, and we wish for all beings to be happy and free from suffering. This marks an important turning point in the maturity of the spiritual practitioner, who up until now may have been focused primarily on their own peace and happiness. The generation of the compassionate wish to benefit other beings is called bodhicitta, and also contributes to our own spiritual growth. It powerfully defuses our ego, removing negativity and helping our positive qualities to shine out.
We develop compassion through reflecting that all beings are equally dear to us. They are all exactly like us in wanting happiness and wanting to be free from suffering, although in their confusion they only create the causes of more suffering in their lives. And from the Buddhist perspective of rebirth, all beings have been our mothers, fathers, children and dear ones in countless lifetimes, so they all deserve our love and compassion now.
Bodhicitta involves both intention, which is developed through meditation, and action. In our daily lives, we practice compassion in action through the Six Perfections (paramitas) of generosity, ethics, patience, effort, meditation, and wisdom. The practice of compassion and the six perfections helps to counteract ego-clinging and purify the mind, so that wisdom spontaneously arises.
Learn More: An wonderful discussion of the Six Perfections can be found in Gates to Buddhist Practice, by Chagdud Tulku. See also Chogyam Trungpa, Cutting Through Spiritual Materialism. For a traditional Buddhist teachings on bodhicitta and the six perfections, see Shantideva, A Guide to the Bodhisattva's Way of Life (translated by Stephen Batchelor) and The Jewel Ornament of Liberation by Gampopa (translated by Khenpo Konchog Gyaltsen).
The Kagyu lineage teaches two main meditation techniques to develop compassion for beginners: Sending and Receiving (Tonglen) and the Chenrezig sadhana. Sending and receiving is discussed next, while Chenrezig is discussed in the section on Vajrayana.
Sending and Receiving (Tonglen). After you have some grounding in Shamatha meditation and some taste of the tranquility of mind that results from meditation, you generally begin working with practices to develop compassion. One of the main practices is called "Sending and Receiving" or Tonglen. Through this meditation practice, we practice exchanging ourselves for others, putting ourselves "in their shoes" and developing compassion for them. Tonglen is a simple meditation practice where you imagine taking on the sufferings of others and sending them your own merit and happiness. It is a powerful practice for dissolving ego, which wants exactly the opposite, of course -- to keep all happiness for ourselves and send all negativity to others!
The main post-meditation practice accompanying Tonglen is called "Mind Training" (Tib. Lojong). It consists of a series of slogans to study and integrate into your daily life.
Learn More: For more information about tonglen and lojong, see Start Where You Are, by Pema Chodron. It is based on the Tibetan text by Jamgon Kongtrul Rinpoche, translated in The Great Path of Awakening. Pema Chodron also has a great set of tapes on these teachings, called "Awakening Compassion" published by Sounds True.
Entering the Mandala (Vajrayana)
Through practicing meditation and developing compassion, our view of the world begins to change. Our ordinary, confused perception of the world is called "samsara". In a very real sense, "nirvana" is just a change in perspective -- developing a more enlightened outlook. Achieving nirvana doesn't mean that we abandon this world for a better one. In fact, two beings can be sitting side by side, whether on a peaceful retreat or in the middle of a traffic jam in a busy city, and one could be experiencing samsara while the other experiences nirvana.
Vajrayana practice is based on the recognition that nirvana is here now, if we could only change our perception. Our confused perception actually is not based in how things really are. By developing pure perception of our world and the beings in it, a practice known as deity yoga, we can rapidly transform our perception and unlock our enlightened potential. We also practice resting in the nature of the mind, which is called mahamudra (or dzogchen in the Nyingma tradition). Because these practices are so powerful, they are generally preceded by ngondro or the preliminary practices which help prepare the mind of the practitioner so that these practices can be effective. In the Kagyu lineage, these practices may also be supplemented by advanced yoga practices known as the Six Yogas of Naropa, which are primarily taught in retreat settings. Mahamudra and the Six Yogas of Naropa are held to be the distinctive teachings of the Kagyu lineage.
Deity Yoga. The main way that we transform our perception in Vajrayana is through practicing sadhanas. A sadhana is a guided meditation that is usually chanted in Tibetan. Sadhanas include prayers to yidams, usually translated as "deities". These deities are not gods in the Western sense, but are enlightened beings who represent the potential for enlightenment that we all have. There are many different yidams, male and female, and each one represents a different aspect of enlightenment.
For example, Chenrezig (Skt. Avalokiteshvara) is the bodhisattva of compassion. No matter how confused, hurt, or angry you might feel now, we all have the potential to be wise, calm and compassionate. This is what Chenrezig represents. Through visualizing Chenrezig, reciting his mantra "OM MANI PEME HUNG", and meditating on compassion and wisdom, you can awaken the compassionate nature of enlightenment that is inherent in your own mind.
Other Sadhana practices you may see at our centers include Green Tara, the female bodhisattva who represents the enlightened activity of the Buddhas, and Medicine Buddha, a Buddha of healing.
Mahamudra: The Nature of Mind. The goal of all Vajrayana practice is recognizing the fundamental enlightened nature of the mind. In the Kagyu lineage, this is known as mahamudra (Tib. Chag Chen), the "Great Seal", which refers to the experience emptiness which "seals" all phenomena. Mahamudra is experiencing the nature of mind as complete openness to experience, without grasping at ego or object. All the practices of the Kagyu lineage aim at developing the experience of Mahamudra in practicioners.
In fact, the goal of ALL Buddhist practice is to experience this basic nature of mind, though it may be called by different names. The Nyingma refer to it as Dzogchen, the "Great Perfection". This experience is also referred to as Prajnaparamita (Transcendent Wisdom), Madhyamaka (the Middle Way), Emptiness (Shunyata), the Clear Light (Tib. Osel), and so forth.
Ngondro: the Preliminary Practices. The practice of Mahamudra or Dzogchen is traditionally preceded by the Preliminary Practices (Ngondro). Ngondro includes extensive repetitions to eliminate negative habits and build up positive habits of mind. In the Kagyu lineage, it includes 100,000 repetitions of each of the following:
Ngondro may take several years to complete for Westerners who are busy with jobs and families.
The 6 Yogas of Naropa. In order to enhance the experience of Mahamudra, the Kagyu lineage has preserved a series of exercises known as the Six Yogas of Naropa. The 6 Yogas include: tummo (heat), clear light, dream yoga, illusory body, bardo and phowa. These advanced teachings are normally restricted and taught during retreat. It is extremely important to learn these practices directly from your teacher, rather than from books.
Learn More: Chokyi Nyima Rinpoche discusses the Vajrayana path quite clearly in The Bardo Guidebook, and The Union of Mahamudra and Dzogchen. See also Heart Treasure of the Enlightened Ones by Dilgo Khyentse Rinpoche. Nyoshul Khen Rinpoche has a great introduction to Dzogchen, which is essentially the same as Mahamudra, in Natural Great Peace. For an introduction to the Kagyu practice of Mahamudra, see Cloudless Sky by Jamgon Kongtrul Rinpoche, or Song of Karmapa by Chokyi Nyima Rinpoche.
How Do I Know If Practice Is Working for Me?
Buddhist practice will definitely have effects if you practice regularly, with a good motivation. It's a lot like exercising the body. You can't practice once in a while when you feel like it and expect to see progress. And merely reading books about exercise sure won't get you in shape. But if you do even a little bit each day, you will see results.
Although people make progress at different rates, there are several signs that your practice is headed in the right direction:
You become more relaxed, peaceful, and happy, even in the middle of all the ups and downs of your life;
You become more patient, tolerant, forgiving, and understanding of others;
You begin to relax your opinions and fixed ideas about how things are "supposed to be";
You become more committed to spiritual practice, and your wish to benefit beings grows stronger;
You begin to experience moments of inspiration and spiritual fulfillment more frequently, and these gradually become a more regular way of being for you.
On the other hand, if your practice makes you more inflexible, opinionated, judgmental and intolerant, this is a sign that you have misunderstood the teachings. BEWARE -- you are moving towards "Ego-hood", not Buddhahood! You need to re-examine your motivation for spiritual practice.
It is a common mistake to
do a little practice, and think you are a great practitioner;
understand a little bit, and think you understand a lot;
accumulate intellectual knowledge, and think you don't have to practice;
have a few intense experiences, and think you have realization.
Instead of using the Dharma to build up our ego and self-importance, we need to have the attitude that we are like patients, and the Dharma is like medicine. If we want to see any benefit from our practice, we must actually TAKE the medicine and APPLY the teachings to ourselves in our daily life.
The most important test of your spiritual practice is to look at your own life and see whether your self-centeredness, negative emotions, and fixed opinions are diminishing, and whether you are becoming more peaceful, loving, and compassionate in your daily life. If our spiritual practice makes us more judgmental of others, it is only a sign of our own lack of compassion and spiritual maturity. It is said that we must use the teachings as a mirror, to examine ourselves, not as a window, to judge others.
However, don't get discouraged when you look in the mirror! We all have a lot of negativity and confusion. That's exactly why we need to practice -- otherwise we would already be Buddhas. It is important to remember that no matter how much confusion and negativity you may see in your life, your basic nature is loving and compassionate and wise and pure. Through practice you will gradually get in touch with that nature more and more. You've been confused for a long time -- don't expect instant results! As a Kagyu teacher once said, "I make mistake after mistake, but I know I'm on the right path!"
Let's all walk along that path together.
May all beings be happy!