Venerable Khenchen Thrangu Rinpoche
Protecting One”s Mind
Instructions from the seminar on Pointing Out the Dharmakaya
by the Ninth Karmapa, Wangchuk Dorje,
presented at Vajra Vidya Thrangu House in Oxford, 2006, translated by Karma Choephel
Before beginning with the instructions, I would like to greet you kindly. In general, you are very interested in the Dharma and also have the intelligence to know what the Dharma is like. You are studying the Dharma out of devotion and with great diligence. I want to thank you very much. Please keep your enthusiasm up.
I will speak about the yogas of tranquillity and insight meditation according to the treatise, Pointing Out the Dharmakaya by the Ninth Karmapa, Wangchuk Dorje.1 If one is able to do these practices, it will pacify one”s afflictions of hatred, greed, and so forth. It will also pacify any difficulties or suffering that one may have and enable one to develop wholesome results. Practicing tranquillity and insight meditation will help one develop intelligence and wisdom. This is something that can happen. It is said in many instructions that all accomplishments really come from practice. It is because of actual practice that one is able to receive the blessings and can develop the power of the practice. However, attaining the power of the practice depends upon one”s diligence, which, in turn, depends upon one”s faith and devotion. So, in order to develop faith and devotion that are necessary when aspiring to practice the Dharma, one needs to do the four common and four special preliminary practices that I explained earlier.
When engaging in the actual practices, deep holding is primary, because samadhi2 of insight needs to have a basis. The basis for samadhi of insight is tranquillity or shamata meditation. It is important that one has a good, stable, and resting aspect. Since this is important, one first does the practice of tranquillity or shamata meditation.3
In the instructions on tranquillity meditation, there are the points for the body and the points for the mind. Of these two, the first one is the points for the body. They are usually described as the “Seven Points of Posture of Vairocana.” Many of you probably know them, but sometimes it is not possible to sit comfortably in this posture. If one can sit comfortably in the seven points of Vairocana, then one should. But if one can”t, it”s okay – it”s not absolutely necessary. What is said to be most important is that one sits in a way that is comfortable and relaxed, in a way that is not too tight. It is said that it is important not to grip, not to tighten, not to hold or pull oneself too much, rather to sit in a comfortable, relaxed, and easy way.
Whether sitting in the seven-point posture of Vairocana or not, it is important that one is comfortable. This was described by the teacher Machig Labdron,4 who taught that the points of the body are the four channels that run through the four limbs of the arms and legs. She taught that they should be loose and relaxed and that one should not tighten them in any way. If they are tightened, then one”s mind becomes tightened and the body tightens all the more. When the body tightens, it can be very harmful for meditation. It can be harmful for one”s body and it can hinder one from holding the samadhi that one has. If one makes the mind a little bit airy, then maybe that makes one shake and tremble a bit. Therefore, it is important to be at ease and relaxed in one”s body and four limbs.
No matter how one sits, it is very good if the spine is straight. The Ninth Karmapa explained why this is so and stated, “If the body is straight, then the channels will be straight. If the channels are straight, the winds will be straight. If the winds are straight, then the mind wil…
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