Stillness Within
Introduction to the three meditations from the clear mind audio tracks
There are two ways of introducing what is the mind:
- Intellectual/theoretical
- practical with the help of pointing out instructions
This course is more concerned with the second - which means really try to give people time in meditation.
There are four classes to this course
- Introduction
- Meditation on Body of Light
- Meditation on Clarity
- Meditation on the Root mind
The resources to rely on for this course are
The most important one is the booklet of coming with the audio tracks
Clear Light of Bliss - the section on Introduction to the General Mind in the chapter Introduction to the Nature of Mind
Mahamudra Tantra chapter The Six Stages of Training in Mahamudra the section on Identifying Our Own Mind
01 Introduction
Introduction Class
These introduction notes are probably the most important ones - how you then teach the reminder of the meditations is up to you.
Things to mention
- This course follows the 3 audio tracks - and is based on the booklet accompanying them
- The course builds up for the retreat - so please mention the retreat during your teachings
- The course and the retreat work together - the course opens up the meditations the retreat helps to get more our of these meditations.
- the course is designed to help people develop a daily practice
Things to bear in mind
The important thing about this is to help people gain some experience of what is the mind as well as the peace and opportunities which come from understanding our mind better
Motivation
please refer to the motivation part in the booklet
Six analogies
Please refer to the six analogies to be found at the end of the booklet - these analogies can also be found in Clear Light of Bliss - the book
How to meditate on the mind
There is a great section in Mahamudra Tantra page p.101 has a great explanation on how to meditate - it is the paragraph starting with:
To identify our own mind, the first of the six stages of training in Mahamudra,
The above points are the threads you should weave into your teachings as you go through the classes.
The firs teaching You can follow the booklet -
Happiness and suffering depend upon the mind
The source of these meditations
Why do we need these meditations - there is no less suffering in the world today
The meaning of happiness and suffering - therefore we should search for what we want in our mind - not outside it
Peaceful mind === happy person
Meditating on the mind brings inner peace
What is the mind
This is where you need to spend some time - because of the special presentation which is challenging the materialist mind set that is all around us and that we quite easily accept
(Mahamudra Tantra p.97-101 has a fantastic explanation on the nature and function of the mind)
Difficult points for people about the mind
Clarity - something that has no physical characteristics but still has function
Mind has no beginning
The relationship between mind and matter
Things that people can understand about the mind
- Its function
- How things exist as a conceptual constructs
- How the mind is what determines our experiences
The above are some ideas to help you introduce the topic and meditations we shall be doing in the next three weeks
02 Body of Light Meditation #1
Body of Light Meditation #1
As the booklet states -
This meditation lays the foundation ...
Think how come this meditation "lays the foundation for meditating on the mind" Hint - remeber most people have a problem with the idea of clarity - that the mind has no physical properties
Since it is alway true when meditating - during your teaching try to emphasize the need to memorize the instructions. In what way does memorizing the instructions helps us during our meditation?
And do not forget to point out the experience of peace that comes with this meditation
03 Clarity Meditation #2
Clarity Meditation #2
This meditation is an introduction to the clarity of the mind - which is its nature. And it builds from the previous meditation about the spaciousness coming from body of light.
Here the emphasise is on clarity
Refer to all the previous points about:
- Motivation for these meditations - we do we put all this effort
- How to conduct our self during meditations - as the booklet says - "When you start your mind will probably be very busy..."
When you explain clarity - again Mahamudra Tantra is a great place to read. p.97. But be careful - it can tie you in a knot, so just try to understand this and explain it in a rough way. This is similar to how we meditate on it - with a rough generic image.
Here one important point is
Your thoughts and mental activity are not physical objects but simply formless phenomena appearing within the space of your mind.
One possible main point to take from this meditation is as the booklet says:
An important technique to develop in this meditation is simply to watch your thoughts without following them. You may need to practise this many times to become proficient at it.
You can explain the benefits coming from being able to watch thoughts without following them
04 Root mind Meditation #3
The Root Mind Meditation #3
Remember all the previous points - motivation, ways of conducting our self during the meditation and anything else you shared with your students
This now brings it all together with a gentle focus at the centre of the heart.
Learning:
- meditate from the heart
- feeling as if the natural 'home' of the mind is the heart
- thoughts are like waves arising from and returning to the root mind
We perceive clarity(remember rough generic image - don't strive for too much clear perception as it will distract)