The Oral Instructions of Mahamudra. Geshe Kelsang Gyatso

‘clarity and cognizing’. Clarity is the nature of the mind and cognizing is its function.

      Now, if someone were to ask what clarity means, how would you answer? For myself, I have not found anyone who can give a clear answer. When I was in the monastery I did not find satisfactory answers in the textbooks. Only later when I was in retreat in the mountains did I understand clearly the meaning of clarity from a Mahamudra text. I thought, ‘This text, which is a real oral instruction, is wonderful’, and I developed a deep feeling of joy. Now I have confidence to explain clearly the meaning of clarity.

      The meaning, or definition, of clarity is something that is empty like space, that can never possess form and that is the basis for perceiving objects.

      Space, for example, is by nature empty and so it is ‘empty like space’, but it can possess form because it can have shape and colour. During the day it can be light and during the night it can be dark. Therefore space is not clarity.

      Emptiness is also ‘empty like space’, and it too can never possess form, but it cannot be a basis for perceiving objects so emptiness is not clarity.

      Only mind can be clarity. There is no conventional nature of the mind other than clarity.

      Having understood this, when we try to identify our own mind, if we understand very clearly something that is empty like space, that can never possess form and that is the basis for perceiving objects, we have recognized, or identified, our own mind. At that time we have found the object of meditation of tranquil abiding observing the mind.

      In the practice of Mahamudra we need to accomplish tranquil abiding observing our own mind. There are many reasons for this, which will be explained below. For this purpose it is very important to identify one’s own mind through relying on the instructions on identifying our own mind given above.

      THE ACTUAL MEDITATION ON TRANQUIL ABIDING

      Here, in the context of Mahamudra, it is necessary to take the mind as the object of meditation on tranquil abiding. There are many special purposes for doing this, but first we need to dispel a doubt.

      It might be said that since here the object of meditation is the mind and that which is meditating is also the mind, the mind is cognizing itself and so self-cognizers exist, which contradicts the Madhyamika-Prasangika view. There is no such fault because the mind that is the object of meditation and the mind that is meditating are not the same. The mind that is the object of meditation is our own very subtle mind and the mind that is meditating is our gross mind. So the gross mind is meditating on the very subtle mind.

      The actual way to meditate on tranquil abiding is as follows. In our sessions we first engage in the practice of Guru yoga using either The Hundreds of Deities of the Joyful Land According to Highest Yoga Tantra or Offering to the Spiritual Guide, from going for refuge up to dissolving the Guru into our heart. Then we need to find the object of meditation of tranquil abiding.

      To do this, through the force of the mind of great bliss of Guru Heruka mixing inseparably with our own mind we develop a feeling of great joy. Then with this feeling of joy we search to identify our own very subtle mind, remembering the instructions for this as explained above.

      As explained, the mind that is the object of meditation is our very subtle mind. When we investigate to see what our very subtle mind is like, this investigation is searching for, or seeking to find, the object of meditation. When through searching in this way we perceive clearly our very subtle mind to be something that is empty like space, that can never possess form and that is the basis for perceiving objects, we have found the object of meditation of tranquil abiding.

      In general, the meaning of tranquil abiding is as follows: ‘tranquil’ means that our mind is free from distraction to external objects and ‘abiding’ means that our mind remains, or abides, single-pointedly on a virtuous object. Therefore, speaking broadly, tranquil abiding can be said to be a mind free from distraction to external objects that remains single-pointedly on a virtuous object. This much is not difficult to achieve.

      More precisely, tranquil abiding is a concentration that possesses the special bliss of physical and mental suppleness that is attained in dependence upon completing nine levels of concentration, the nine mental abidings. Such tranquil abiding is a very peaceful, subtle mind. It is able to pacify anger, attachment and other delusions, including the self-grasping of beings of the desire realm and form realm; it is a cause of achieving clairvoyance and miracle powers; and it functions as the cause of rebirth as a god in the upper realms.

      However, achieving clairvoyance and miracle powers or taking rebirth as a god in the upper realms is not of prime importance. The main purpose of meditating on tranquil abiding is to attain permanent liberation from the sufferings of samsara and to attain the bliss of Buddhahood for ourself and others.

      It is especially important to know that in Mahamudra practice we accomplish tranquil abiding observing our own very subtle mind. The purpose of this is that when we attain the concentration of the fourth mental abiding observing our own very subtle mind, then in dependence upon the practice of the yoga of sleeping we will be able to recognize our clear light of sleep and transform it into ultimate example clear light, and then gradually into meaning clear light. Then it is definite that we will attain the Union of enlightened Buddhahood very quickly. Thus, we can understand that the way of accomplishing tranquil abiding according to Mahamudra practice is a very profound and skilful method.

      The branches of tranquil abiding, or outer and inner conditions for attaining tranquil abiding, are explained extensively in the books Joyful Path of Good Fortune and Guide to the Bodhisattva’s Way of Life. Having understood these explanations clearly, it is very important to maintain the outer and inner conditions for attaining tranquil abiding. Then it will not be difficult to attain tranquil abiding even though people these days are very distracted.

      If we are qualified in meditation on tranquil abiding according to the Mahamudra teachings, then when we attain the concentration of the fourth mental abiding observing our very subtle mind, this concentration has the same function as the actual tranquil abiding explained in Sutra teachings. This is because the power of the blessings of the instructions on tranquil abiding explained in the Mahamudra teachings and the way of meditating are both superior to other methods. Therefore, until we attain the concentration of the fourth mental abiding observing the very subtle mind we need to apply great effort.

      HOW TO TRAIN IN THE MEDITATION ON TRANQUIL ABIDING OBSERVING THE VERY SUBTLE MIND

      Remembering our previous experience of our mind being mixed with Guru Heruka’s mind of great bliss we develop a feeling of great joy. We then think:

      What is my very subtle mind like?

      We remember the instructions given above on identifying the mind and how to understand clarity, and we then apply these instructions to identifying our very subtle mind. We contemplate:

      My very subtle mind is clarity because it is mind, so it is something that is empty like space, that can never possess form and that is the basis for perceiving objects.

      We contemplate like this again and again without distraction. When through this we perceive clearly our very subtle mind as something that is empty like space, that can never possess form and that is the basis for perceiving objects we have identified our own very subtle mind that is the object of tranquil abiding observing our own very subtle mind. We hold this very subtle mind without forgetting it and single-pointedly meditate on it for a short time. If we forget the object of meditation, we should remember it again and meditate on it.

      Through the force of practising like this again and again every day we will achieve a stable familiarity with perceiving our own very subtle mind. With this familiarity we focus our mind on our own very subtle mind single-pointedly and meditate on it. This meditation is the first mental abiding, called ‘placing the mind’.

      We then meditate continuously with the concentration of the first mental abiding, and whenever we forget the object of meditation we again remember it and meditate on it. By practising like this again and again every day we will be able to maintain our meditation on our own very subtle mind for at least five minutes without forgetting it every time