B. Alan Wallace, 01 Aug 2015
Alan begins by quoting Shantideva (Chapter 8 on meditation): “Those whose minds are distracted live within the fangs of mental afflictions.” He further comments that if we are ever to overcome the three mental afflictions of ignorance-delusion, craving-attachment, hatred-hostility, we need persistence during our entire lifetime, and if we have enthusiasm, the better. On the importance of silence, he adds that yogis have known for a long time that unnecessary speaking is detrimental to meditation and throws fire on mental afflictions.
The meditation is on Mindfulness of Breathing.
After meditation, Alan talks about the importance of a conducive lifestyle that supports meditation practice. He introduces the triad of View, Meditation and Way of Life. He comments that there are ways to view reality that are corrosive to the practice of meditation (e.g. holding a materialistic view). He also mentions the 5 prerequisites for achieving shamatha. He encourages us to establish a default mode of being present. The mainstream is going down the toilet, so don’t go with the flow! This is reminiscent of the Buddha’s words: “My teachings go against the grain.” Alan finally mentions the persistence and unwavering enthusiasm of HH the Dalai Lama.
Meditation starts at 10:03
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