Fall 2012 Shamatha and the Four Applications of Mindfulness, 12 Oct 2012, Thanyapura Mind Centre, Phuket, Thailand
Teaching pt1: Alan gives his and the Dalai Lama’s commentary on the section on mindfulness of phenomena in verses 105-112 of Ch. 9 of Shantideva’s Bodhicaryavatara. Just as the mind does not come into existence, in the same way, we come to certainty that no phenomenon comes into existence. That which we perceive cannot be more real than our perception of it. Two objections are discussed. 1) If conventional truth doesn’t exist, then does nothing exist at all? If phenomena are just apparitions to a confused mind, then wouldn’t whatever anyone says be true? According to the Madhyamaka, entities and non-entities (e.g., a rabbit’s horn) are both conceptual designations—i.e., neither exists from its own side—but entities i) have causal efficacy and ii) can be established by verifiable cognition (incl. both perception and understanding). The mind which conceives and the object conceived are simultaneously interdependent, so neither is inherently real. An action depends on an agent, and an agent depends on an action. 2) Wouldn’t the analysis of that which is analyzed lead to infinite regression? Awareness that apprehends the emptiness of an entity is focused on emptiness, not the entity. Inverting the analysis upon awareness, one establishes that awareness is empty and emptiness is empty. There is nothing more to analyze.
Meditation: Mindfulness of phenomena preceded by mindfulness of the mind.
1) mindfulness of the mind. Let your eyes be open, gaze rested evenly. Simply be present without distraction, without grasping. Withdraw attention from all appearances and rest in the knowing of being aware. Probe into the nature of awareness. What is the thing that performs functions such as being still or following after an object and has these attributes of luminosity and cognizance? Can you find this awareness separated from all appearances? Know that absence and sustain that flow of knowing.
2) mindfulness of phenomena. Return your attention to objects of the 6 sense domains. Focus on one object, and probe its nature. What is really there from its own side? Rest in emptiness and sustain that flow of knowing
Teaching pt2: Alan speaks about William James who understood that introspection was the first and foremost method for the scientific inquiry of the mind. Although his vision has been ignored by much of the modern mind sciences, the contemplative observatory in Bangalore will offer a setting for contemplative knowing to engage with modern scientific knowledge.
Meditation starts at 57:03
2020 8-Week Retreat: The Vajra Essence – Part 1, 13 May 2020, Online-only
Lama Alan begins by addressing the issue of how we can say in the morning session, "I will liberate all sentient beings," and then in the evening session say that the "I" and "other" is empty of inherent existence. That is, if the "I" and "other" are empty, then when we say "I" will liberate all sentient beings, and when we generate compassion for sentient beings, who is generating the compassionate resolve and for who is it being generated? Based on this Lama Alan turns to an explanation of the Middle Way view between saying that phenomena really exist and that they don't exist at all. He cites some Theravada scholars who hold the view that the self does not exist at all, and comments that this view is disastrous if we actually live by it, because it cuts us off from any real compassion or love for ourself or others. At the same time, if we get stuck in inherent existence then we also run into problems. So, Lama Alan asks, how do we weave together the relative view of conceptual designations with the ultimate view of emptiness and Dzogchen? How can we say that we are generating compassion for a mere conceptual designation? How can we say all appearances are our "own" appearances, while also saying that we don't "own" any sentient being? Ultimately, Lama Alan comments that while the "self" might not exist inherently, suffering does happen, and the causes of suffering are perpetuated. Finally, Lama Alan also cautions against leaping into the view of the Great Perfection without doing this groundwork of understanding relative and ultimate truth, as it could lead us to saying "I am Samantabhadra" in a way that is inauthentic and which does not actually uproot our reification of ourself. As he says, we could then think "I'm Alan Wallace, and I'm Samantabadra, and that's really cool." Meditation on "Revisiting Our Friend Bahiya" begins at 20:05. After the meditation, Lama Alan returns to the text, beginning Phase 3: Revealing the Ground Dharmakaya. In this section of the text, the Lake-Born Vajra turns to the investigation of the emptiness of the "I." As Lama Alan goes through this section of the text, he emphasizes that we should always make this type of investigation into the "I" very personal, and not leave it as an intellectual inquiry. Lama Alan also reiterates that this "not knowing" and "getting it wrong" in relationship to the "I" is the taproot mental affliction from which all others arise. He likens it to continuing to drive even when lost. In terms of the nature of emptiness, Lama Alan explains that while things do appear they are not really there in much the same way that the moon appears in water but is not really there. He also comments on the process of delusion that takes place as it is described in the text, and relates it to the common presentation of the twelve links of dependent origination. Next, the text goes over the origin, location, and destination of the "I," followed by an investigation of whether the "I" exists in any part of the body. This is followed by looking for the "I" among external phenomena. Towards the end, Lama Alan mentions that this analysis can cut very deep, but that we should not be satisfied too soon, as we may only come to a very superficial understanding and fool ourselves into thinking we have realized something profound. Moreover, he comments that this investigation is not just of interest to those concerned with Buddhist philosophy, but concerns all of us and our experience of being in the world and our experience of suffering. Shouldn't we all want to know where we come from? Where we really are? And where we are going? Many people, he says, simply leave this inquiry with the notion that "nobody knows." But of course this actually implies that one has an understanding of all the knowledge held by all beings throughout history. Therefore, it is up to each one of us to engage in this inquiry and come to certainty ourselves. Because if we investigate and then come to certainty, then we really know, and the mystery is solved. Getting this right could be the biggest revolution in all our countless lifetimes.
2023 8-Week Retreat: The Vajra Essence – Part 4, 31 Mar 2023, Crestone, Colorado and Online
Lama Alan officially opens our 4’th and final 8-weeks retreat on the Vajra Essence text by Dudjom Lingpa, stating that this will be a retreat unlike any previous one, in the sense that it will be focused primordially on meditation rather than the imparting of knowledge. He will be teaching Phase 6 on Trekchö, but not on Phase 7 on Tögal, explaining his reasons behind this decision. He advises that it is high-time for us, his long term students, to assimilate and internalise the teachings of the past 3 years, with an urgency to foremost achieve shamatha for the benefit of all. These teachings were revealed by Lake Born Vajra at the most critical times in history, now, when the forces of materialism destruction are being stronger and more destructive than ever. It is a call for the power of Dharma, the power of Padmasambhava, to manifest through us, his disciples, by displaying siddhis and achieve rainbow body. It all starts at the ground floor of shamatha, which, without any doubt, is the foundational requirement in order for us to enter and progress swiftly on the Path. And Lama-la is offering a strong footstool for us so that we may become confident to ascend the ladder of 7-steps (phases) to Enlightenment. The first few days of the retreat teachings will be dedicated to an in-depth experiential review and fine-tuning of the meditation practices previously taught, before proceeding to Phase 6 of the text. He highlights the pre-requisites of accomplishing the Path, by discussing a number of paragraphs excerpted form Introduction of The Vajra Essence. Lama-la then proceeds with reading a number of powerful prophecies, and ending with a very inspiring prayer by Dudjom Rinpoche. As usual for a first teaching of the retreat, the content is very dense, encyclopedic, and an overall preview of what is yet to come. There is no meditation in this episode.
2023 8-Week Retreat: The Vajra Essence – Part 4, 01 Apr 2023, Crestone, Colorado and Online
Lama Alan first teaches about our precious lineage, starting with Venerable Gyatrul Rinpoche, Ngedon Chokyi Nyima. Lama Alan referred to the biography of his primary Dzogchen lama which was published as "Stories from the Early Life of Venerable Gyatrul Rinpoche" as compiled by his close students. The biography tells of Rinpoche's many amazing visions and siddhis as a child, of an astonishing tale of going to a pure land while ill and seeing the seat of Padmasambhava being empty and having that seat offered to him. How his main lama - one of five emanations of Dudjom Lingpa - told him it was time for him to leave Tibet when the invasion began and the miracles that happened during that trek of a year. Lama Alan shares Ven. Gyatrul Rinpoche's history of how Rinpoche came to North America at the request of His Holiness the 14th Dalai Lama, an astonishing story also, showing the siddhis of His Holiness, and more shares from this "must read" book. There are other recommended books and stories about Dudjom Lingpa, Dudjom Rinpoche, etc. Lama Alan suggest books to read (Read after this retreat if in retreat now.) Then Lama Alan explained the first step of the step ladder to Enlightenment. This seemed to be a core point to absorb as an absolute prerequisite to Shamatha, and it is mastering Settling the Body, Speech and Mind in their Natural States prior to Shamatha practice. It is the first rung and must be mastered before one can successfully climb the ladder. Referring to the book, "Natural Liberation" by Padmasambhava (with commentary by Ven. Gyatrul Rinpoche and translated by B. Alan Wallace) as a text on the Six Bardos, we are currently in the Bardo of Living. In the third chapter of this book there are instructions on settling the body in its natural state and explanations of how critical posture is for allowing the winds and vital energies to flow correctly in the channels, ultimately to the heart chakra (achieving Shamatha). There is an explanation of the translation of the Tibetan word Shinay (shamatha) as serene stillness, as another, possibly more refined translation for calm abiding. Then a detailed instruction of the meditation itself, with an explanation about placing one's gaze in the space in front, which is a critical instruction to understand, and the explanation and instruction for doing this technique correctly. The guided meditation which starts at 1:03:00 is on settling the body, speech and mind in their natural states. Lama Alan then gave recommendations for this retreat regarding meditation time based on differing circumstances.
2023 8-Week Retreat: The Vajra Essence – Part 4, 26 Apr 2023, Crestone, Colorado and Online
A synopsis will be added soon
THE SCIENCE OF MIND, 14 Nov 2021, Online Retreat
The Science of Mind - Day Two, Session Two
Fall 2014 Shamatha, Vipashyana, Dream Yoga, 18 Sep 2014, Thanyapura Mind Centre, Phuket, Thailand
Because a runaway, ruminating mind may still be an obstacle at this point of the retreat, Alan leads a meditation that spirals through the well-known shamatha practices of open presence, tactile sensations of the breath, and taking the mind as the path before settling into objectless awareness. Following the meditation, he answers questions about the role of vipashyana inquiry in awareness practice; a standard for judging the validity of views; dharmakaya as informed and informant; the logic of taking the fruit as the path; and what Buddhism has to offer to people who are mentally handicapped. Meditation starts at 1:10
2023 8-Week Retreat: The Vajra Essence – Part 4, 05 May 2023, Crestone, Colorado and Online
Lama-la starts with an announcement regarding Khandro-la, who will be visiting to teach in California this summer, and he wishes to invite her to teach next year at our Hermitage. Arrangements will be made in due course. He lingers over the paragraph in the text discussed in the last session on page 219, regarding obeying one’s guru, with a detailed explanation of the hyperbole used by Lake Born Vajra, using examples of difficult situations and avoiding pitfalls. We have the obligation not to commit prematurely to an unsuitable guru, to examine him thoroughly first, but if we have failed to do so, to disengage respectfully, and follow His Holiness’ advice as previously explained. Once devoted to a guru, suitable disciples need to display a number of qualities as highlighted in the text. A discussion ensues on the meaning of ‘disillusion and disgust with the affairs of this life’, with the explanation that this refers to the eight mundane concerns, the spirit of emergence which is essential to proceed on the Path. If not present, the disciples themselves may become maras for the teacher. Students are not equal regarding their propensity to Dharma, in the sense that some are already born with strong karmic imprints from past lifetimes for virtue, others apply themselves to practice in this lifetime. Lama-la discusses each of such type of virtue, with examples, as well as emphasises the importance of encouraging and nurturing spiritual aptitude in children, along with attention skills, by comparing psychologist William James’s point of view (the Western approach) to the Buddhist perspective which opens unlimited possibilities for mind training and purification. The meditation that begins at 01:03:40 is on shamatha without a sign. The aural transmission starts at 00:02:35 and covers pages 219-220.
Shamatha, Vipashyana, Mahamudra, and Dzogchen, 17 May 2016, Lama Tzong Khapa Institute, Italy
Alan begins by saying that Panchen Rinpoche has made a magnificent job in bringing together these two great traditions of Gelug and Kagyu. Alan then comments that if we are operating from the perspective of a sentient being, it is going to take at least 3 countless eons to achieve awakening. But, if we realise emptiness with the very subtle mind (rigpa), not with the substrate consciousness, then we will be slipping into the 4th time - this is the warp drive. In this way we will proceed very rapidly along the stages and paths culminating in Buddhahood, even just in one single lifetime. The meditation is on the closest approximation of resting in rigpa - “non-meditation” After the meditation, Alan concludes the oral transmission of Panchen Rinpoche’s text with the final section on dedication. Then Alan goes back to the book “Naked Awareness” and he begins giving the oral transmission of Chapter 12, which synthesizes both “A Spacious Path to Freedom” and “Naked Awareness”. Meditation starts at 19:30 ___ Please contribute to make these, and future podcasts freely available.
2021 8-Week Retreat: The Vajra Essence – Part 2, 26 Apr 2021, Online-only
We return to Phase 4 of the Vajra Essence where Vajra Pristine Awareness asks whether it is enough to have ascertained emptiness in order to fathom the ultimate nature of pristine awareness. The Lake Born Vajra answers that it is not like this, since knowing the actual nature of reality – emptiness – is the basis for all vehicles that takes one to liberation. This is so because one cannot be liberated without knowing reality as it is. Lama Alan raises the question if our civilisation knows the true causes of sustainable well-being, and sadly, by observing the state of the world with mass extinctions, economic inequality, the rise of mental illnesses, consumerism and so forth, we must admit that these are expressions of an delusional view of reality. Natural sciences are still searching to describe an objectively real environment, with very few exceptions in quantum physics, and mind sciences still seek to understand the mind and mind-related phenomena like meditation through studying brain functions. The actual nature of the internal and the external world remain a mystery to modern society. The Lake Born Vajra tells us that even virtuous meditations - if they do not lead to an understanding of reality - will bring us only fortunate circumstances within the cycle of samsara, but not to liberation. This is because any path that seeks liberation has bring us to an understanding of reality. According to the different constitutions of seekers, there are nine different yanas in Indo-Tibetan Buddhism that lead individuals to liberation. Although commonly viewed in a hierarchical way, with Dzogchen being the pinnacle, Lama Alan refers to the renowned Buthanese teacher Gangteng Tulku Rinpoche, who explains that each vehicle that suits a practitioner is his or her own Great Perfection. Yet Dzogchen, which is also called the Great Encompassment, embraces with its view all the views of the other yanas, whereas the so-called lower yanas cannot make sense of the teachings of the so-called higher yanas. Then Lama Alan quotes Padmasambhava on the many ways that the mind, with luminousity and cognizance as its main characteristics, can be viewed and named, all of them pointing to its unfathomable nature, the ground of all of samsara and nirvana: „It is a label, for it is named in unimaginable ways.“ Padmasambhava's view includes non-Buddhist approaches to fathom the nature of reality, for example the search for Atman, which is a middle way view between the extremes of nihilism and eternalism. This wide view is shared by His Holiness the Dalai Lama, who never tries to convert people to Buddhism but rather encourages them to go deeper in their own traditions. Then the Lake Born Vajra continues with the explanation that the view of the Great Perfection is great emptiness seen as the constant creative play of primordial consciousness (which was explained in detail during last year's 8-week retreat). The text continues with describing a primordially free being that has never dwelled in the realms of samsara or nirvana and that has never been stained by dualistic grasping, and it is given the name Samantabhadra, or Vajradhara, or Adi-Buddha. Samantabhadra and Samantabhadri form a divine couple, their basis of designation are two aspects of ultimate truth: primordial consciousness and the absolute space of phenomena. They are the ultimate objects of refuge, prayer and aspiration, and they are depicted in human-like forms in Buddhist art such as thangkas and statues. Here Lama Alan raises two questions: Is Ludwig Feuerbach's thesis that God is a father-like projection of the human mind similar to the Buddhist personification of Samantabhadra? And: Since Buddhism is characterized as being non-theistic, how can then the ultimate ground, basis of all the myriads of worlds of samsara and nirvana, be personified as Samantabhadra? Lama Alan then draws on his background and PhD in religious studies, where he found the approach of many contemplatives in theistic religions to know God's face through contemplative practices. Picking one example, Lama introduces us to the 15th century Christian scientist Nicolas of Cusa who made discoveries in the fields of mathematics, astronomy, philosophy and theology, which later inspired scientists such as Galileo. After reading to us some quotes of this great contemplative, which point to a notion of God beyond all sensory experiences and intellectual concepts, Lama Alan raises the question if there might be a Great Perfection within Christianity, within the Vedic tradition, the Islamic tradition, the Jewish tradition etc to be rediscovered? And might there also be a Great Perfection within Modern Science? Meditation starts at 01:11:30: While resting in awareness, cultivate empathetic joy in the myriad paths leading to liberation and perfect awakening.
2020 8-Week Retreat: The Vajra Essence – Part 1, 26 Apr 2020, Online-only
Lama Alan returns to his explanation of taking the mind as the path, emphasizing that in this practice we don't try to change anything, but simply stop reifying and identifying with the movements of the mind that arise. He remarks that while there is a time for cultivating good thoughts and abandoning bad thoughts, we don't do this during this practice. He also mentions taking this practice into daily life where we strive to experience a greater stillness in the midst of not only the movements of our own mind, but also the movements of the world around us. Lama Alan then turns to the issue of unpredictable meditative experiences arising during this process of taking the mind as the path. He explains the process through which Lama Karma achieved shamatha through this method and reads from Lama Karma's firsthand account of his time in solitary retreat, which includes some of the specific challenges that he faced. Particularly, he spoke of the cascading waterfall of thoughts that appear in the beginning of the practice, and that many people don't make it past this initial gate into the practice because it is so difficult. Therefore, Lama Alan emphasizes preparing well before venturing into this type of retreat. Finally, he reminds us that we cannot fully enter the path to enlightenment if we are still caught up in the five obscurations (that is, if we have not yet achieved shamatha). Meditation on taking the mind as the path begins at 23:30. After the meditation, Lama Alan returns to the text. In this section of the text the Lake-Born Vajra is speaking to the vast array of meditative experiences that arise depending on the qualities of the disciples practicing. He tells us that because there are an unimaginable variety of possible meditative experiences, the tantras only give the most general account of possible experiences that could come up. The Lake-Born Vajra then speaks to the ways in which accomplished teachers who are vidyadharas with extrasensory perception are able to effectively guide disciples because they can see into their minds and understand their experiences even if they themselves as the teacher have not had the exact same experiences. This leads Lama Alan to discuss the way Tibetan medical doctors assist patients, and how this relates to a wise and compassionate teacher who can truly see into us and understand our needs, so as to guide us most effectively on the path. Further, as shamatha or samadhi is the prerequisite for extrasensory perception, Lama Alan again emphasizes the importance of attaining this level of meditative accomplishment. He compares the mind of an ordinary being to a flashlight and that of an master of samadhi to a laser. At the end of the talk, he explains the idea that comes up in the text about focusing one's samadhi on seed syllables and how this relates to the kasina practices in the Theravada tradition. Lama Alan ends by saying that ideally our teacher would be a vidyadhara who can help us along the path from their elevated vantage point and suggests that we simply take the Lake-Born Vajra, a Buddha, as our guru.
2023 8-Week Retreat: The Vajra Essence – Part 4, 02 May 2023, Crestone, Colorado and Online
Phase 7 begins with a list of “methods and auspicious circumstances” that are necessary to achieve “enlightenment in this lifetime.” These Phase 7 methods are intended for Vidyadharas, and are considerably more advanced than the list of qualities needed to be successful in this path that are presented in Phase 1. Lama la provides commentary on two of the qualities needed to bring the path of Dzogchen to fruition: directly seeing your Guru as Buddha, and viewing your vajra siblings as viras and dakinis. To contextualize these “methods and auspicious circumstances,” Lama la provides an extensive exposition designed to make these Phase 7 methods relatable to us today. For those of us who have not yet gained a direct non-dual non-perceptual realization of pristine awareness, we have a choice of either holding onto our ordinary sense of identity as sentient beings, or of designating ourselves on the basis of ultimate reality, pristine awareness. Lama points out that designating ourselves on the basis of pristine awareness is not just blind faith, but can be known by “inference by way of belief.” Lama la carefully explains different ways of knowing in Buddhist epistemology: direct perception, cogent inference, inference by way of belief, and knowing by way of primordial consciousness. We can validly view our Guru as Buddha by way of the inference of belief, which is knowledge based on authority. This is a common way that we acquire every day knowledge. For example, knowledge of the physical world is mainly acquired through the inference of belief in science and scientists. Similarly, if we have confidence in the authenticity of the Buddhist teachings, and in our lamas, we can validly designate ourselves and our Guru on the basis of pristine awareness based on inference of belief. When lamas display siddhis, rest in tukdam, or display rainbow body, these help to strengthen our faith in the dharma and in the authenticity of the lamas and their teachings. Lama la then provides the transmission of the next two methods necessary to “follow the profound, swift path to enlightenment: ...merging your mind with that of your guru” and “regarding[ing] your companions as viras and dakinis.” (the transmission on p215 starts at 0058:29). Lama la explains that your companions are your spiritual friends. In the Vajrayana context, this refers to your vajra siblings. It is crucial that you cultivate pure view of your spiritual companions. If you disdain or scorn them, or elevate yourself in any way above your companions, this indicates that you are still clinging to your identity as a sentient being. If this is the case, then you are not suitable for Dzogchen, and are not practicing Dzogchen. You need to release entirely any quality, attribute, or possession that you think of as yours. When you look at yourself you need to look at the core, pristine awareness, and to view everyone else with pristine awareness. Viras and dakinis are designated on the basis of pristine awareness which is known by way of the inference of belief. Today’s meditation (01:08:21) continues Padmasambhava’s pith instructions on shamatha without a sign from the book Natural Liberation.
2022 8-Week Retreat: The Vajra Essence – Part 3, 16 May 2022, Online from Miyo Samten Ling in Crestone, Colorado, USA
We have now finished the Lake-Born Vajra’s presentation of View, Meditation and Conduct, following the presentation of the preliminaries. Now the topic will be to explore how we can see these three thoroughly integrate to be in perfect balance. Knowing that the disciples for whom this next section is specifically intended are those who have realized the view or are sustaining it in meditation, Lama Alan wants to bring this right back down to where we are in case we have not yet realized rigpa or emptiness or have not yet achieved shamatha, but are entering into Taking the Mind as the Path. We are reminded that this is the first phase of Dzogchen, not a preliminary and not simply mindfulness. He raises the question, 'with what is this practice of Taking the Mind as the Path imbued?' When you are going into your formal session of Taking the Mind as the Path, it is imbued with refuge, motivation of bodhicitta and the four immeasurables, the awareness that mind is primary and some insight that the mind that you are observing and the mind with which you are observing are both equally empty of inherent nature. Guru Yoga then takes this practice deeper into Dzogchen. In the coming days, Lama Alan will be adding more supplements to this baseline practice, but today he keeps it simple as in the instructions of the Buddha to Bahiya and removal of conceptualization and reification, viewing things realistically. He emphasizes the critical importance of letting our view and meditation be seamless and then bring it full force when we step off the cushion, maintaining that awareness of the mind so that we don’t walk backwards in our practice. When we are busy, we don’t need to be less dedicated to our meditation practice, we need to take on a greater challenge. This is our first step that will relate directly to the text. The meditation which begins at 53:33 is on settling body, speech and mind, taking the four empowerments and going into the practice of taking the Mind as the Path for a 30-minute session. At 1:24:25 Lama Alan continues with the transmission on pages 181, 182, 183 starting with „The essential point of conduct is not to forsake the view in midst of your daily activities.” He tells us that as this retreat will be over in two weeks and we turn to another way of life to not forsake the view and get caught up in our daily affairs, but that it permeates everything. When we immerse ourselves back into society where that view is nowhere to be found and there is an addiction to the opposites of these core insights, we need to bear in mind whatever insights we have gained, qualities of loving kindness, compassion, insight into emptiness and the true sources of wellbeing and mental distress. Now concluding this very important section, we end back with Padmasambhava and view as vast as space. But in terms of conduct be ever so precise and more and more subtle and conscientious the higher you go along the path. This balancing act, view and meditation on one hand, conduct on the other, know that we can apply all of this to where we are right now and it is extremely important.
Shamatha, Vipashyana, Mahamudra, and Dzogchen, 18 May 2016, Lama Tzong Khapa Institute, Italy
Alan continues the teaching on the four greats by venturing into Maha Mudita, Great Empathetic Joy. In the Mahayana Buddhist context, reaching the path of accumulation entails the achievement of shamatha and bodhicitta, and then sealing it with insight into emptiness – there is no going back from there. Alan comments that Buddhism is not evangelical. Moreover, there are many paths from all wisdom traditions, and the book by Aldous Huxley’s entitled “The Perennial Philosophy” he read many years ago, provides the idea that all these paths point in a similar direction to the ultimate ground of reality. Consummate scholars of comparative religion such as Huston Smith and Ninian Smart endorse the idea of the perennial philosophy. Maha Mudita then becomes the wish and the resolve that all people of all wisdom traditions find the path within their own tradition. Alan continues that also science could become a genuine path for which we can express the resolve of Maha Mudita. Alan quotes William James to suggest that philosophy can also be a path itself, where philosophy and science complement each other as when knowledge becomes consensual it moves from the discipline of philosophy to science. In each case, as demonstrated by the Galilean revolution, a strategy for developing and entering the path of inquiry is needed. This is evident in the modern ‘philosophy of mind’ where the nature of consciousness is not being properly addressed due to the path being the prevailing burying of heads in the sands of scientific materialism. An authentic path is thus critical, and we can express the aspiration that all people enter the path of their own wisdom tradition. Alan also comments on the power and blessings of devotion to Amitābha and the aspiration to enter Sukhāvatī. Alan continues commenting with examples on the lack of consensus in philosophy after more than 2000 years, and the dominance of modern science, and says there is a need for a revolution in the mind sciences to overcome the prevailing paradigm of scientific materialism to promote genuine well-being for all. Alan says the Tuscany retreat and potential Contemplative Observatory is in the right neighborhood for such a revolution, given the scientific revolution began in Galileo’s Pisa and the Renaissance in Florence. A renaissance in contemplative inquiry of all the paths of world religions is necessary so that all beings may never be parted from genuine happiness free of sorrow. For any of these to be a path, we need to explore the nature of the mind and the observer. We need to achieve shamatha, which is pure technology. The meditation is on Great Empathetic Joy. Following the meditation, Alan comments on the current prominence of movements throughout the world of religious fundamentalism and scientific materialism. The meditation starts at 1:00:00 ___ Please contribute to make these, and future podcasts freely available.
2022 8-Week Retreat: The Vajra Essence – Part 3, 04 May 2022, Online from Miyo Samten Ling in Crestone, Colorado, USA
Lama Alan returns to the text with the third paragraph on page 175. Although it may seem unusual to turn to the four revolutions so deep into the text, he notes there is a logical reason for it. While the first revolution — precious human birth — is uplifting, the reminder that it is finite is "a bit of a downer."" But, it is also a reminder that we can do something about it while we are still alive. While death is certain, the way we approach death varies widely, Lama Alan says, and the beliefs and attitudes we hold about death will have a big impact on how we choose to live. He offers several examples of how ordinary beings (i.e. non-practitioners) react to to death. Then he addresses how a Buddhist practitioner might respond: meditators of lesser capacity, who diligently practices virtue, die without regret; meditators of middling capacity, who "practice with their hair on fire," die without fear; and meditators of greater capacity, who devote their lives to the Bodhisattva path of liberation, die joyfully. Even beyond the types of death explained in this classical lam rim teaching, great yogis and yogini can rest in tukdam (Wyl. thugs dam) or attain rainbow body at the time the physical body runs aground. Lama Alan reiterates that, while death is certain, how we die is our choice. The aural transmission resumes at 45:45. Lama Alan calls particular attention to the text in the first full paragraph on page 176: "... if there is no way of determining when I will die, then without procrastination I must quickly come to understand why I should practice the profound pith instructions on the sublime, supreme yāna for gaining liberation in one lifetime. And I must apply myself to them assiduously." He notes that the "final exam" in this lifetime is not how well you live, but how well you die. The meditation on contemplating death and cultivating compassion begins at 1:21:35.
2022 8-Week Retreat: The Vajra Essence – Part 3, 26 May 2022, Online from Miyo Samten Ling in Crestone, Colorado, USA
As we approach the chapter “Liberation by Taking Primordial Consciousness, Pristine Awareness, as the Path” (page 187), Lama-la gives a short review on the practices of “Taking the Impure Mind as the Path”, and “Taking Dharmata as the Path”. He then likens the sacrifices that one needs to make in order to pursue the path of actualizing pristine awareness with exchanging a handful of sand for a wish fulfilling jewel — one would not hesitate to do that! The Lake-Born Vajra states that if one “gains mastery over primordial consciousness”, liberation will be attained “in this life and with this body”. Lama then explains what is meant by “gaining mastery over pristine awareness”: to have cut through and to be able to dwell in pristine awareness, free of the nine types of activity, so that one’s mind becomes Dharmakaya. The Lake-Born Vajra continues with a stunning series of analogies on the radical change that occurs through identifying pristine awareness: no matter of how violent and cruel one might have been, or how saintly and virtuous one might have been, upon identifying pristine awareness, one would immediately reach the same state of enlightenment without the slightest difference. This is promised by Samantabhadra. Lama Alan helps us to understand these radical, and maybe disturbing, statements with the analogy of the non-lucid dream versus the lucid dream: once the shift has occurred, the content of the dream and one’s actions in it have no more relevance. The key is to sustain lucidity, respectively to “gain mastery over pristine awareness”. Since pristine “awareness transcends cause and effect”, once it is realized, actions and their consequences are no longer efficacious. Lama Alan then elaborates on the power of habitual propensities, for the better and the worse, and raises the unanswered question of free will. Lama-la modifies it to a question we can answer: What is necessary for us to be able to make wise choices in regard to our own and others’ wellbeing? From this perspective the power of training one’s mind becomes obvious. Then the text continues with analogies regarding the transcending power through identifying pristine awareness. Lama Alan lays out the levels of practice according to the different yanas that enable us to cut through ignorance until we come to know who we truly are. The transmission ends on page 189 at end of third paragraph “...So know this!” Then Lama Alan picks up the theme of Vajrayana vows and introduces us to Dudjom Rinpoche’s advice to keep three things in mind in order to not commit a root downfall: Firstly, constantly view your guru as a buddha, secondly, view your vajra siblings with pure vision as viras and dakinis, and thirdly, view all sentient beings with compassion. As in regard to the samayas of the five Buddha families, since they are more complicated, Lama Alan kindly offers us the transmission of the 6-Session Guru Yoga. To engage in this short sadhana on a regular basis was not a requirement for the Lake-Born Vajra empowerment, but can be a skillful and even joyful way to keep our samayas. The meditation which is a transmission on "A Guru Yoga for Guarding the Samayas of the Five Families“ begins at 01:27:35
2022 8-Week Retreat: The Vajra Essence – Part 3, 02 Apr 2022, Online from Miyo Samten Ling in Crestone, Colorado, USA
Referring to yesterday’s teaching, Lama Alan began with making a correction regarding the particular empowerment he received from the late Düdjom Yangsi Rinpoche. He then went on to highlight that while yesterday he sought to prepare us for the teachings on the wrathful mandala, he recognises that some of us may have legitimate qualms about launching into Stage of Generation practices without having achieved shamatha, having no realisation of emptiness, nor any taste of rigpa. However, Lama reminds us that no matter what level we are at in our practice, it’s important to see ‘the big picture’ and keep the end goal in mind. Therefore, by being introduced to more advanced practices, we will always know where we are going, and when we are ready for such practices, they will be familiar to us. Lama then reminds us that alongside Yangchen’s teachings on the stage of generation practices over the coming weeks, his teaching will focus on the practices for transforming the mind - bodhicitta, the four immeasurables, lojong, shamatha and vipashyana, all of which are fundamental foundations for more advanced practices and realisations. He emphasises the importance of attaining stability of mind in preparation for stage of generation practices, firstly by achieving shamatha, and then through the realisation of emptiness. He points out that for stage of generation practices such as sadhanas we require a realisation of emptiness that is so stabilised that we do not do these practices with a sentient being’s mind and reify the deities and so on. Reminding us that the whole point of Dzogchen is to cut through to the original purity of pristine awareness, and realise that your mind has always been dharmakaya, Lama explores how we may make the huge leap from our habituated sense of grasping to ‘I am’, to recognising ourselves as a Buddha. He suggests that we could begin with acknowledging that, like Buddha, we sentient beings already have a consciousness that is imbued with the qualities of luminosity and cognisance that is not locked into dualistic grasping. Referring back to the importance of attaining a stable mind, Lama asks us “Where did your mind come from?” In contrast to the dominant view in modern science that this mind emerges from matter, Lama calls on the voices of Asanga, Buddha, Panchen Rinpoche and the Lake-Born Vajra to point out that this human mind emerges from the substrate through the faculty of mentation, and “Not being established in any way as a physical entity, it is a clear vacuity like space.” - Panchen Rinpoche. Moreover, Lama explores how when our minds are free of obscurations and we have achieved shamatha, the state of the substrate consciousness (the sign of the mind) becomes manifest, and the ordinary mind disappears. “At that time” says Asanga, “that is called the mind.”, or the “the essential nature [of the mind]” - Lake Born Vajra. Expressing his awe of these teachings, Lama Alan invited us to practice ‘Settling Body, Speech and Mind in Their Natural State’, and to continue doing this practice for as long as it takes to fully achieve it. The meditation begins at 1:25:06. Lama concluded with a reflection that this gentle sequence of settling body, speech and mind in their natural states is very good for us in many ways – for our bodies, our prana systems, and our respiration, given that we so often contract when we are trying to concentrate.
2022 8-Week Retreat: The Vajra Essence – Part 3, 07 Apr 2022, Online from Miyo Samten Ling in Crestone, Colorado, USA
A short history of disenchantment, tracing the pivotal historical moments and philosophies that led Eurocentric civilisation from the superstition and violence of the witch-hunts, via Galileo, Newton, Liebniz, and Einstein, to the radical materialism of today. The transmission of the text [260] - [266], runs from 34:30-68:30. Afterwards, Lama Alan recommends a reading from Santikaro (translator/disciple of Ajahn Buddhadasa), and speaksat length of the view of radical non-violence in Theravada, its roots in great impartiality, and how that root gives rise to a different flower in the bodhisattvayana, and the vajrayana teachings we are currently exploring. There is no meditation with this teaching but Lama Alan suggested practicing Immeasurable Impartiality.
2022 8-Week Retreat: The Vajra Essence – Part 3, 09 May 2022, Online from Miyo Samten Ling in Crestone, Colorado, USA
At 00:01:02 Lama Alan returns immediately to the text on page 178 and the very brief references to the view and pointing out our own face, read a few days ago, to which he and Yangchen have revised the earlier translation. The text then moves from conduct and view into meditation. As the Lake-Born Vajra describes the reality of the ground, Lama Alan discusses that 'beginningless lifetimes' does not mean infinite, but rather no beginning can be identified and we should be satisfied with that. He then describes how dharmakaya and the mindstreams of sentient beings are of the same nature, but not identical. But then samsara begins when one reifies oneself and perpetuates it by dualistic grasping. In this guide to meditation, what is it that pristine awareness transcends? Lama Alan is making a universal translation change from "intellect" to "cognition" as it is much, much bigger than just intellect. He then looks at seven kinds of cognition (blo - activities of the mind following mentation), which shows that it doesn't work to lump them all into a category of intellect. 1. Direct perception (མངོན་སུམ་, mngon sum) 2. Inference (རྗེས་དཔག་, rjes dpag) 3. Subsequent knowing (བཅད་ཤྗེས་, bcad shes) 4. Correct assumption (ཡིད་དཔོད་, yid dpyod) 5. Inattentive awareness (སྣང་ལ་མ་ངྗེས་, snang la ma nges) 6. Uncertainty(ཐྗེ་ཚོམ་, the tshom) 7. Mistaken knowing (ལོག་ཤྗེས་, log shes) Lama Alan then completes the transmission on these two concise paragraphs on meditation which he says could easily look like a vast departure from other schools such as Gelugpa. Lama la sees Atiśa as the bridge between the Old and New Translation Schools and draws from a classic text, A Guide to the Two Realities, which he interprets as coming from the perspective of Mahamudra. To continue this bridge, he then moves to three quotes from Saraha, Tilopa and Phagmo Drüpa in Karma Chagmé’s Spacious Path to Freedom in the Mahamudra tradition. At 1:22:41 Lama Alan leads a meditation with guidance from Düdjom Rinpoché on practicing by means of meditation (The Illumination of Primordial Wisdom) for those of us who have not achieved shamatha or vipashyana and don't yet have direct realization, but have been introduced to the view, dwelled in it a bit, meditated, investigated and maybe even picked up a ray of sunlight tracing back to Rigpa. After the meditation, Lama Alan makes two parallels. - The first is on the mundane level where you have sacrificed all the mental faculties of the mind of the desire realm that are gone while you are in meditative equipoise where you have full activation of the five jnana factors which you can use to cultivate bodhicitta, visualize the mandala, engage in vipashyana and so forth, which is a good trade. - The second is in Dzogchen, having been introduced to the view, imbued with shamatha and vipashyana, now you are not merely dissolving the mind of the desire realm, you are dissolving a sentient being’s mind, all the skills including the five jnana factors are being sacrificed as you rest in awareness as open and inactive as space. Releasing everything at once, that is nirvana, where you have traded in all the abilities of a sentient being's mind. You get five facets of primordial consciousness, which is a good trade. Take it! Lama Alan's concludes by making a defense of his interpretation of Atiśa's Mahamudra viewpoint in the text, A Guide to the Two Realities. He then encourages us that it is not too early to practice the pith instructions from Dudjom Rinpoche.
2022 8-Week Retreat: The Vajra Essence – Part 3, 13 Apr 2022, Online from Miyo Samten Ling in Crestone, Colorado, USA
After a very brief introduction, Lama Alan returns to the text on page 154 with the paragraph beginning "The three kayas are taught… The aural transmission begins at 00:02:30. Lama Alan indicates that, while prana and breath are closely related, they are not the same. Prana is linked to life itself and carries the "spiritual DNA" from life to life. He then provides a brief explanation of the bardo of dying and the bardo of becoming. While the substrate consciousness is not dependent on the brain, Lama Alan hypothesizes that certainly it must have physiological correlates. The yogi who has achieved shamatha and a person in deep, dreamless sleep are experiencing the same state, viz. the substrate consciousness. It will be interesting to see what neuroscience finds when comparing the two. Ninefold expulsion is necessary to eliminate "corpse prana," which is the result of self-grasping and mental afflictions. Because we get so caught up in our day-to-day existence, our nadis become knotted and our prana gets trapped and dies. According to Lama Alan, the more we can let body, speech and mind rest in their natural state, the less likely we are to trap our vital energies, and therefore to need to practice ninefold expulsion. Lama Alan explains that prana is what links immaterial thoughts, intentions and emotions with the material body. If you don't understand prana, it is impossible to understand the mind-body relationship. This was widely recognized across multiple cultures and spiritual traditions until the materialists "came along and stole the show.“ Samadhi is by far the best technology for exploring this relationship. Within Vajrayana Buddhism, although there is great deal of commonality, details of the subtle energy body differ across various tantric traditions. This is because the nadis, chakras and bindus do not inherently exist, but arise dependent on various views and types of samadhi. They are not objectively real, but exist pragmatically; i.e. they have causal efficacy. According to Lama Alan, "Prana is as real as stones or grapefruit.“ Lama Alan continues with the text on pages 154 and 155 at 01:09:50 with further details of the ninefold expulsion and the subtle energy body. There is no meditation with this teaching.
2022 8-Week Retreat: The Vajra Essence – Part 3, 18 May 2022, Online from Miyo Samten Ling in Crestone, Colorado, USA
Lama Alan begins the session by "cleaning up" several earlier points in the text, including a revision of, and expansion on, some of his previous remarks about actions and their consequences. He takes a "brief interlude" to share some of his recollections about Yangthang Rinpoche. He commends the recent documentary on Rinpoche's life. After reviewing the Buddha's instructions on sequencing (i.e. whether meditation precedes the view or the view comes before meditation), Lama Alan provides two analogs from the annals of particle physics and astronomy. If we were to look, he asserts, we would undoubtedly find similar examples in chemistry, biology and so forth. At 1:23:00, Lama Alan returns to the aural transmission with the fourth paragraph on page 183, beginning with „You may perceive …" He then offers a quote from Dudjom Rinpoche's Extracting the Vital Essence of Accomplishment to reinforce how best to respond to the obstacles that will almost certainly arise at this stage of the path due to our own karma. He returns to the life of Yangthang Rinpoche, as well as the response to the Tibetan people to the Chinese invasion, as inspiring exemplars of overcoming obstacles. There is no meditation with this teaching.
