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