ATIKOPA


Methods of meditation

Purifying the mind leads to emptiness.

Methods of meditation

There are many methods of meditation, including visualizing the Tibetan seed syllable "Ah"; counting breaths; and the practice of energy channels and subtle points, which involves visualizing the Buddha Vajra, Manjushri's sword, etc., at the heart chakra, visualizing a vajra and sword as small as a sesame seed, and focusing the consciousness on the syllables and counting breaths to prevent distraction. Another special meditation method is the "Mindfulness and Contemplation Meditation."

 

1. The Meditation Method of "Observing the Mind and Actions"
When your mind is calm, all thoughts return to "blankness".
Because the eighth consciousness, Alaya-vijnana, does not have obvious thinking activities and is relatively calm, returning the mind to "emptiness" and stopping above Alaya-vijnana means that no matter what you do, whether it is what your eyes see or what your ears hear, your consciousness does not think, judge, or analyze. Your mind stops in a blank space, and your mind is calm without any thoughts. This state is essentially the same as the state of meditation.

The meditation practiced in the form of "observing the mind" involves focusing attention on a state of inner peace, observing one's own consciousness without any observer or observed.
Practicing meditation on "observing the mind" will make the mind increasingly transparent, reduce distracting thoughts, and may even lead to the emergence of "supernatural powers." Some practitioners may believe they have reached enlightenment, but they have not yet attained it, as there is still a difference between the two in essence. Their gross thoughts have merely returned to a state of "emptiness" and "peace," remaining at the level of "consciousness," without transcending the eighth consciousness (seed consciousness) or entering the pure essence of mind.
This key to "contemplating the mind and observing actions in meditation" is the realization of the "Six Non-Teachings" of the patriarch Dorje Changti Lopa: "Non-thinking, non-attachment, non-searching, non-clinging, non-seeking, and holding onto the original nature."

 

2."Counting Breaths Meditation"

Zen, Pure Land, Tantra, and Exoteric Buddhism all have meditation methods that teach "calm abiding and insight meditation." There are Lesser Calm Abiding and Insight Meditation, Mahayana Calm Abiding and Insight Meditation, and Perfect and Sudden Calm Abiding and Insight Meditation, among others. Among the methods of "calm abiding and insight meditation," "breath counting meditation" is one of the methods for entering the practice of meditation. If practitioners can practice diligently, they can see good results in a short period of time.
"Counting" refers to counting numbers; "breath" refers to one's breath. The meditation method of "counting breaths" involves silently counting numbers in one's mind as one's breath goes in and out, thereby stopping the wandering and dullness of the mind.
People typically experience four states: delusions, lethargy, boredom, and amnesia.
1. Delusions are a jumble of thoughts. Good and bad thoughts arise endlessly. Only by practicing the meditation method of "counting breaths" to stop the flow of thoughts can one cultivate concentration and wisdom.
2. Drowsiness; that is, a state of mental dullness and confusion, like when one is drowsy, with the mind falling into a state of confusion and unawareness. By practicing concentration and insight, the mind can become clear and distinct, not only will one not dream at night, but one's mind will also not be confused during the day, and one can always abide in mindfulness and concentration.
3. Boredom; the mind feels aimless and disoriented, indicating a loss of concentration and wisdom. Practice mindfulness and insight meditation to remedy this.
•             4.No Mistake: No Mistake includes two types: "Void No Mistake" and "Single-Head No Mistake".
Emptiness and non-duration mean that when meditating, if one becomes attached to the state of purity and tranquility, one cannot attain enlightenment. Therefore, one should not cling to the state of emptiness and forgetfulness.
"Single-headed and uncorrupted" refers to the activity of a solitary consciousness, such as dreaming at night when the mind is confused and unable to control itself. Through diligent practice of meditation, one can attain a state of mental stillness, purity, and clarity.

Counting method

When seated, adjust your posture and maintain a calm and relaxed state of mind. First, regulate your breathing, inhaling through your nose to the lower abdomen (Dantian), then slowly exhaling the stale air from your abdomen through your mouth. Repeat this three times, and then you can begin counting breaths.
If the breath exhibits signs of panting, wind, or gas, then it should not be practiced accordingly.
Panting: When breathing in and out, if the breath is not fully inhaled or exhaled, some breath remains in the body, creating an unbalanced panting state. Practicing based on panting can easily lead to chest tightness, dizziness, and difficulty in achieving concentration.
The wind aspect: the breath in and out is audible. If one practices according to the wind aspect, the mind cannot be concentrated and it is not easy to attain samadhi.
Breath quality: The breath is not subtle or even in its inhalation and exhalation. Practicing based on breath quality easily leads to fatigue and mental distress, and makes it difficult to attain concentration.
Therefore, before practicing breath counting meditation, one should first adjust one's breath to make it smooth, silent, subtle, and even before proceeding with the meditation.
When practicing breath counting meditation, one should not count both inhalation and exhalation at the same time. One should only count either exhalation or inhalation to avoid causing stagnation of qi in the abdomen; generally, counting exhalation is better.
When counting breaths, one should be relaxed and focused, silently counting "one, two, three, four, five, six, seven, eight, nine, ten" without uttering a sound, each syllable distinct and uninterrupted. If the breath is too short to count to ten, one can count to five or seven; if the breath is longer, one can count to seven or ten; the count should stop at ten and not be longer. If the count is interrupted due to wandering thoughts, one can start counting again from the beginning. If the mind is filled with chaotic thoughts and cannot be focused, one can count backwards to subdue the wandering thoughts.

"Breath Counting Meditation" can be practiced during seated meditation or before sleep, but not while active. When attaining a state of concentration through breath counting, one should not cling to any good or bad sights or sounds, but rather remain unattached, neither joyful nor sorrowful, focusing the mind solely on the breath counting. Clear and conscious awareness is "insight," while continuous and uninterrupted focus is "concentration." If one can practice both concentration and insight diligently, and become proficient, deluded thoughts will vanish, awareness will remain, and a state of concentration will arise, bringing harmony, lightness, and comfort to the body and mind.

3."Buddha Recitation Meditation"
The principal deity of Dzogchen is White Avalokiteshvara. Focusing intently on silently reciting the mantra "Om Mani Padme Hum," or focusing intently on silently reciting Buddha's name, such as "Namo Amitabha Buddha" or "Namo Medicine Buddha," can purify karmic obstacles, increase compassion, increase wisdom, and increase merit. At the same time, one can cultivate "calm abiding" through this practice.
Visualization is wondrous; when practicing visualization, it can enhance concentration. When we focus intently on silently reciting "Om Mani Padme Hum," our minds become highly focused. Furthermore, because the mantra is blessed by Avalokiteshvara, it possesses powerful energy capable of purifying our karmic obstacles.
"Contemplation" is the best method to attain liberation from samsara and achieve Buddhahood. The practice of Avalokiteshvara meditation offers many powerful means. For example, visualizing Avalokiteshvara as the seed for manifestation is crucial. After enlightenment, to help sentient beings, we must possess the ability to manifest, which can be obtained through visualizing Avalokiteshvara's form during meditation. Visualizing Avalokiteshvara's compassion, and manifesting Avalokiteshvara's compassion, is the "cause" for manifesting compassion like Avalokiteshvara after enlightenment; these manifestations arise from the accumulation of visualization.

Regardless of the method used, the goal is to calm the mind, to think of nothing—nothing about the past, present, or future—and to let go of all thoughts, allowing the mind to settle on the Alaya consciousness. If one cultivates the mind well, practices the preliminary practices well, and has faith in the guru, one may attain enlightenment even before hearing the Dzogchen teachings.