“The Relaxed Mind is a treasure on the indispensable stages of Buddhist trainings on the mind It takes us from the beginning steps on the meditation journey all the way to final realization, the perfection of the enlightened nature of the mind This book has it all There is no need to look for other trainings.” —Tulku Thondup, author of The Healing Power of Mind and The Heart of Unconditional Love “Refreshingly clear and simple instructions of the Tibetan path From beginning meditations to more advanced stages, The Relaxed Mind offers straightforward and wise guidance that is both nourishing and liberating.” —Jack Kornfield, author of Bringing Home the Dharma and A Path with Heart “Kilung Rinpoche elucidates the entire spectrum of meditation practices from the basic to highest level along with many precious insights applicable to everyday life This book can change your life.” —Anam Thubten, author of The Magic of Awareness and No Self, No Problem “A modern meditation masterpiece Brilliant, accessible and humorous, if you follow the instructions of this profound teacher you will indeed relax into your innate wisdom The best meditation manual I’ve read in years.” —Lodro Rinzler, author of Sit Like a Buddha and The Buddha Walks into a Bar ABOUT THE BOOK In the late 1990s, shortly after arriving in the United States, it became clear to Dza Kilung Rinpoche that his Western students were unable to progress in meditation as well as his students had back in Asia—and he realized that was because the pace of Western life made it difficult for them to relax The Relaxed Mind contains instructions for the seven-phase meditation practice Dza Kilung Rinpoche developed for Westerners It’s very traditional but adapted to help those of us who live in a culture of distraction The method is a way for tense meditators to relax and deepen their practice—but it’s also an excellent meditation manual for any beginner DZA KILUNG TULKU JIGME RINPOCHE was born in 1970 and is head of Kilung Monastery in the Dzachuka District of Kham, Tibet, which he has been working to reestablish as a center of learning and practice since he was a teenager He has been teaching in the West since 1998 and regularly accepts invitations to teach in Boston, Beijing, Denmark, Singapore, Malaysia, Taiwan, Brazil, and Argentina His home in the West is on Whidbey Island near Seattle, Washington, and he divides his time among Washington, his community in Tibet, and his students worldwide Sign up to receive news and special offers from Shambhala Publications Or visit us online to sign up at shambhala.com/eshambhala The Relaxed Mind A Seven-Step Method for Deepening Meditation Practice DZA KILUNG RINPOCHE EDITED BY Brian Hodel FOREWORD BY Tulku Thondup ILLUSTRATIONS BY Janice Baragwanath SHAMBHALA Boston & London 2015 Shambhala Publications, Inc Horticultural Hall 300 Massachusetts Avenue Boston, Massachusetts 02115 www.shambhala.com Cover photograph by Andrew Geiger Cover design by Katrina Noble © 2015 by Dza Kilung Rinpoche Illustrations © 2015 by Janice Baragwanath All rights reserved No part of this book may be reproduced in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying, recording, or by any information storage and retrieval system, without permission in writing from the publisher Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data Rinpoche, Kilung The relaxed mind: a seven-step method for deepening meditation practice / Dza Kilung Rinpoche; foreword by Tulku Thondup; illustrations by Janice Baragwanath pages cm eISBN 978-0-8348-0298-8 ISBN 978-1-61180-282-5 (paperback) Mind and body Meditation—Buddhism I Title BF161.R56 2015 294.3′4435—dc23 2014048119 CONTENTS Foreword Editor’s Preface Introduction PART ONE FIRST MEDITATION: Basic Sitting Meditation SECOND MEDITATION: Calm Abiding Meditation THIRD MEDITATION: Refined Basic Sitting Meditation FOURTH MEDITATION: Insight Meditation REFLECTION I: A Deeper Look into Topics Covered So Far PART TWO FIFTH MEDITATION: Open Heart-Mind Meditation SIXTH MEDITATION: Pure Mind Meditation SEVENTH MEDITATION: Nonconceptual Meditation REFLECTION II: An Overview of the Traditional Practices of Mahayana, Vajrayana, and Dzogchen An Afterword Suggested Reading Glossary Acknowledgments About the Author E-mail Sign-Up FOREWORD Dza Kilung Rinpoche is the fifth incarnation of Dza Kilung Jigme Ngotsar, one of the four principle disciples of the illustrious adept Rigdzin Jigme Lingpa, the discoverer of the longchen nyingthig teachings of the dzogpachenpo tradition After completing decades of studies and meditations in Tibet and India, Rinpoche has been tirelessly sharing the undiluted nectar-like wisdom of his unique lineage to all who are receptive in both the East and the West I n The Relaxed Mind, Rinpoche meticulously synthesizes instructions on the crucial steps of training the mind—starting with how to sit, breathe, and focus the mind correctly, up to how to free all of the mind’s concepts in order to awaken its enlightened nature Mind, or consciousness, is who we are The body, while precious, is but a guesthouse for us to reside in while we are alive After death, whether we will have a happy or unhappy rebirth depends on the positive and negative habitual tendencies that we generated in our mind stream and expressed physically during our lifetime If our mind is peaceful, kind, and respectful, then (and only then) will our physical expressions spontaneously become meritorious deeds We will then become a source of benefit for others If we perfect virtuous thoughts, our suffering will cease, and the wisdom nature of our mind will awaken Therefore, mindfully training the mind through the right steps as taught in this book is essential In the Cheddu Jope Tsom, the Buddha said, You will enjoy happiness if you preserve mindfulness In the disciplines of taming your mind Those who safeguard their minds Will certainly attain the cessation of suffering The Relaxed Mind is a treasure that presents the indispensible stages of the Buddhist training of the mind It takes us from the beginning steps on the meditation journey all the way to final realization, the perfection of the enlightened nature of the mind This book has it all There is no need to look for other trainings As Shantideva says, “What is the use of various disciplines, other than the one that trains the mind?” —Tulku Thondup EDITOR’S PREFACE I remember, vividly, the first time I tried to meditate It was decades ago, when there were few books on meditation available in the West I had found one that taught the basics of concentration, and my yoga teacher gave me some cursory advice It all sounded very cool So one afternoon I sat crosslegged on a puffy green sofa with my back more or less straight, closed my eyes, and peered into my mind Suddenly I found myself engulfed by the noise of jackhammers and buzz saws Where was I? Had I poked my head into the middle of a hornets nest? I couldn’t keep still and started sweating, like a child in the dentist’s waiting room Passing through a kaleidoscope of thoughts and emotions—some connected, others totally disjointed—my “meditation” resembled a roller coaster ride! My session didn’t last long, and I wasn’t very happy or encouraged by the experience, but one very good thing happened, although I didn’t realize its value till much later: I recognized that this cacophony was not abnormal—a rare event brought on by fatigue or indigestion or an argument with a friend This was the ordinary world of my mind and emotions This was going on in me all the time Only now had I stopped to listen And I had a vague sensation, a very creepy feeling, that all my life I had been a prisoner of my compulsions The sequence of seven meditations presented here is a pathway to inner freedom It is based on practices from Tibetan Buddhism, but you don’t need to be a Buddhist to train in them They could be helpful for anyone’s life and spiritual development, whether that person adheres to a specific religious tradition or not They were created for Westerners, although it might be better to say “for modern people,” since Western culture has spread everywhere and mixed with all cultures The author, Kilung Rinpoche, hails from the highest and most isolated reaches of Tibet There he grew up in an environment free from most of the distractions we experience in modern life Therefore, when he came to the West, encountered its engrossing complexity, and began teaching here, he was not completely surprised to discover that most of his students were unable to relax deeply enough to penetrate to the heart of meditation Also, for that same reason, they couldn’t detect the subtle differences and interconnections between traditional meditation techniques: techniques that should eventually lead to the deepest relaxation of all—enlightenment The speed, stress, and anxiety that pervade our society naturally influence those of us who practice meditation We are held tightly in its thrall So in divising this system of seven meditations, the development of deep relaxation was paramount These seven meditations were presented to Kilung Rinpoche’s students on a weekly basis in a yearlong cycle The results were so positive that his students have continued to receive and practice them enthusiastically year after year The topics and practices repeat, but the experience is continually refreshed and deepened This brings us to an important question: to achieve deep realization through this system, are the oral instructions of a meditation master required? Almost all viable and authentic meditation manuals available today, coming from the main contemplative traditions, are meant to complement the detailed instructions of a teacher Most often they are arranged such that an abundance of moral and philosophical topics are listed, followed by brief and general instructions on meditation The teacher is expected to unpack it and fill in the blanks This book is different Most meditators don’t have access to a qualified meditation teacher or don’t have the time to attend teachings regularly They rely on books—books that often leave them wondering, “How does all of this fit together? How I organize my meditation into a workable spiritual path?” and sometimes, after a while, “Why I feel stuck?” The Relaxed Mind is drawn directly from Kilung Rinpoche’s oral instructions, where he is able to track and find solutions to the often subtle problems that occur for students at each step along the path Here meditation comes first, with any philosophical or technical topics and definitions kept to a minimum and introduced briefly, in context with the meditations for which they are relevant (Two additional sections, Reflection I and II, are interspersed within the sevenfold sequence to explain these philosophical matters in greater detail and provide background.) The true experience of meditation has a special feeling, so it is extremely important to avoid its being taken over by the atmosphere of outlines, goals, and expectations common to the endeavors we ordinarily engage in—our projects, work, hobbies, and so on The Relaxed Mind is presented in a manner that avoids this, so the meditator who follows this practical yet nuanced guidebook can achieve a great deal unaided Of course, the instructions of a qualified master are of great help and, for most of us, essential for achieving the very highest realizations But the sincere and dedicated student can go far using this guide Relaxation, Simplicity, and Modern Life The key to meditation is the mind Each of these seven meditations is a different way of viewing the mind and relaxing it The mind can be described in many ways But it can only be understood by personal exploration—by seeing it directly and recognizing its true nature Realizing the true nature of the mind, which is the doorway to enlightenment, can occur at any stage, and the stability of this understanding and experience is the goal of this guidebook If this seems overly ambitious, the author continually reminds us that this enlightened nature is our true identity and not something that has to be acquired It is like the sun—always there, brightly shining, primordially pure—but our habits, like clouds hiding the sun, block it out The sun has not changed At the moment, we just can’t see it Our busy minds mask the utter simplicity of our true nature Certainly the release of stress and anxiety is a welcome side effect of genuine meditation, but the aim of complete peace and freedom—of enlightenment itself—is never to be forgotten The essence of these seven meditations is relaxation—relaxing our minds and opening up to allow clarity and simplicity to emerge naturally You will see that word— relax—repeated over and over here You will also find yourself encouraged to completely open, rest, focus gently, balance , and to not judge, again and again That’s because even though there are seven successive meditations, this is not entirely a step-by-step instruction manual Many things overlap As you go through the chapters and engage with the meditations, these repeated words will take on greater meaning The experience of these meditations moves like a spiral, with similar themes and instructions gaining added significance as you move higher and higher in the sequence Overall it’s a gradual process of enrichment, but deep insights can occur at any point because that depth is in us from the beginning The key to relaxation is simplicity How is relaxation possible if we have to deal with a multitude of details? In order for the reader to absorb the essential quality of each of these styles of meditation without having to wade through a prolonged study of Buddhist philosophy, Kilung Rinpoche is providing a shortcut That doesn’t mean these meditations are like fast food—convenient but without much nutritional value Rather, they provide the essence—the key points of the meditations from which they were derived—and genuine and profound qualities will emerge from practicing them But even so, isn’t this all rather daunting? You may wonder, “Where will I find the time?” As a meditation teacher with students in the United States, Europe, and South America, as well as in Asia, it became obvious to Kilung Rinpoche that modern life leaves many of those interested in meditation with little time to practice However, beyond formal meditation—where we are sitting quietly— Buddhism and other contemplative traditions have always spoken of the importance of integrating meditation into daily life Meditation should be part of life, and these seven meditations provide a bridge between formal meditation and meditation-in-action So if one has little time to be on the cushion, that can be made up for during the course of a normal day—at work, at play, while eating, while walking, everywhere And the more frequent and stable one’s meditation in life becomes, the better it will be in formal meditation They reinforce one another and are of equal importance The Unraveling of Mysteries There is only one way to know a cake, and that is to taste it The same is true of the mind: a lot can be said about it, but its essence cannot be captured in words You have already read some rather mysterious words—true nature of the mind, primordially pure, enlightenment —and some of the instructions that follow may not seem obvious at first because meditation always presents something fresh and new Even experiences that can be expressed with the same words are never identical Therefore, ease into each meditation gradually, and allow any instructions or commentaries that seem mysterious to percolate in the back of your mind As they sink in, you will begin to recognize their meaning through your own insights For example, a short mantra—OM, AH, HUNG—is introduced in the first meditation and elaborated on in each succeeding chapter (Buddhist mantras are chanted phrases that carry important symbolic meaning and also, at times, provide benefit through their sound alone.) It seems rather straightforward at first—perhaps only a way of relaxing the mind and body as a preparation for meditation But the meaning of these three words will take on greater and greater significance, embodying much more than a relaxation technique At some point it may seem quite mysterious, but with patience, over time you will understand and feel the deeper meanings of OM, AH, HUNG The same goes for the mind’s true nature and other words used to describe ever-deepening meditational experience—including the word relaxation There are two basic ways to present a topic: The information can be broken into subtopics and these then used as building blocks to create an outline—one thing following another in a logical sequence Or the material can be presented more organically, like the many strands of a rope or cable, each contributing to a unified whole The oral teachings of Kilung Rinpoche have that organic quality He approaches the pathway of meditation from many angles—repeating similar advice each time with a slightly different nuance, gradually filling in important details that reveal subtle connections and add color to an evolving understanding of a particular meditation or of meditation as a whole The nonlinear character of his presentation of these seven meditations is peppered with reminders, explanations, advice, humor, and enthusiam—all of it directed to counteracting our habitual patterns so that we can unravel the mystery of our minds through our practice This quality has been preserved as much as possible in this guidebook As you read through the seven meditations and try out each of them, keep the following in mind: effective meditation and its results may not come quickly In fact, patience is a key element in meditation, allowing qualities that we already have to emerge as our impatience for results subsides fears are really two sides of the same coin Tied to the attitude of hope is the fear that what we hope for won’t happen And if we fear something, like being fired from our job, we are also hoping we won’t be fired Recognizing that holding on to this habit only creates tension, we can find a middle way between them by simply relaxing and observing their appearance Our minds generate hope and fear as a result of the patterns and conditioning of samsara The conditioned bases of hope and fear can be extremely subtle We have carried them around for a long time, perhaps for many lifetimes If we don’t recognize, relax, and open to the subtle manifestations of hope and fear as we meditate, our practice will be taken over and guided by this illusion We will be practicing our own continued enslavement rather than our liberation Subtle fears and fixations are the most difficult impediments because they are so hard for us to detect But as our minds become more subtle and wise, these hidden traps are noticed more and more clearly, and we are able to wriggle loose simply by our becoming aware of them They have no power over us if we not grasp on to and engage with them Ritual Practices Because the seven meditations are a nonsectarian adaptation from Tibetan Buddhism, they don’t require religious rituals or religious faith Even so “religious” a term as blessings can simply be viewed as energy emanating from what we call reality There is no conflict here with Buddhist practice However, Buddhism—and Tibetan Buddhism especially—is well known now for its rituals You may have seen and heard in the media sacred dances, the sounds of unusual Tibetan instruments, intricate mandalas painted on the ground with fine, colored grains of sand, and the sacred images of thangka paintings These rituals in their great variety have many purposes—ranging from Tibetan New Year celebrations (Losar), to ceremonies promoting healing, long life, and prosperity, to elaborate rituals for the dead There are even rituals for aiding the deceased toward enlightenment or a good rebirth Ritual practice traditionally plays an important role in support of Mahayana, Vajrayana, and dzogchen practice One of the most important and universal of these—containing the bases for many other rituals—is ngondro, Tibetan for the “preliminary” or “foundational” practices Here the student engages in a five-part sequence: taking refuge in the Buddha, Dharma, and sangha (the community of practitioners); arousing bodhicitta; purifying one’s negativities and past karma with the mantra and visualization of the buddha Vajrasattva; accumulating merit (spiritual power) by making the offering of a visualized mandala (a sacred pattern representing the universe and symbolizing spiritual attributes); and engaging in guru yoga (a form of blessing connecting one to ultimate reality) Briefly described, refuge is a formal acceptance of the Buddhist path as a means of guidance and protection until enlightenment is attained A short refuge mantra is often performed simultaneously with prostrations before a sacred statue or image Bodhicitta, as we have seen, is loving-kindness and compassion—the wish to achieve enlightenment for the sake of all beings and the fundamental motivation for practice Purification helps clear the pathway of obstacles Merit is required to empower one’s practice, as are the blessings of guru yoga, which can also give one a taste of the true nature of mind Vajrayana Buddhism Traditional Vajrayana practice is centered on a deity In brief, deity practice includes receiving empowerment and instructions from a qualified teacher and visualizing a particular deity for which one has received empowerment, either outside one’s body or actually as one’s body, as one’s self The latter approach ideally requires that one recognize the emptiness of one’s ordinary personality, and having experienced this, the qualities of the deity saturate—or well-up from—one’s awareness Thus one “becomes” the deity Once this has occurred, one experiences pure perception (also called sacred outlook) All thoughts perceived are the mind of the deity, all things seen are the body of the deity, and all sounds are the mantra of the deity Furthermore, the entire environment is seen to be the pure land of the deity The student of Vajrayana is encouraged to maintain pure vision at all times This is a very basic description of deity practice, which is complex, involving many mantra recitations, numerous visualizations, and a sometimes-lengthy liturgy called a sadhana There are a wide variety of methods for learning deity practices, and it appears that unless one’s nonconceptual realization of emptiness is strong, in the beginning the practice must be done conceptually The deity represents enlightened qualities—even his or her clothing, jewelry, and implements are reminders of such qualities A bell may symbolize emptiness; a necklace, diligence As such, becoming the deity, one experiences enlightened mind and vision That is the pure perception of reality The key word describing Vajrayana is transformation Through pure vision, the ordinary world of our personalities and environment is transformed into its true, enlightened nature In our sixth meditation, we take a more organic, much less complicated approach to arrive at pure perception Dzogchen The final meditation is an introduction to dzogchen (Other names for dzogchen practice include atiyoga and mahasandhi Dzogchen is most closely associated with the Nyingma school of Tibetan Buddhism The other Tibetan Buddhist traditions have similar practices.) Longchenpa described dzogchen as the pinnacle of Buddhist practice from which all of the lower peaks—the other practices and traditions—are seen clearly That is to say they are all contained within dzogchen, which, being complete, stands above them The dzogchen teachings in particular are based upon the point of view that primordial purity is our natural condition, that buddha-nature, perfect enlightenment, is within all beings—it is the true nature of mind All of existence, inside and out, is nondual and the nature of enlightenment For this reason the possibility of experiencing this true nature exists through the practice of any of these seven meditations People who have never meditated in their lives experience it on occasion Perfect enlightenment is, in reality, who and what we are So, in the practice of shamatha and vipassana (simply resting with the body), the clouds of samsara may part, and the sun of enlightenment—which was always there—may break through But how can that realization be sustained so that we always experience our true nature? Of course this cannot be forced In a nutshell it comes down to relaxing deeply to the subtle level of mind that is one with the true nature of reality So we must practice as often as possible in order to become accustomed to a reality we have misperceived until now Here, it is crucial that we extend our practice of dzogchen from the cushion into ordinary life This is the practice of postmeditation In traditional dzogchen, deity yoga, guru yoga, and other practices are often used as supports Guru yoga is a practice whereby one’s personal guru is viewed as inseparable from Padmasambhava One then receives blessings of body, speech, and mind from Padmasambhava—viewed as a deity—finally resting in the true nature of mind Ngondro is also an important support for dzogchen And of course, as with all the other practices, bodhicitta continues to be the prime motivation in dzogchen In fact it will come more strongly and easily—gaining in stability—as one experiences absolute bodhicitta, recognizing that all beings are of this precious buddha-nature Devotion and faith are integral to all of these practices It is said that solely through devotion to one’s guru, the enlightened mind of the guru mixes with the student’s as “one taste.” Such devotion can lead to enlightenment Although the basic instructions of dzogchen are quite simple, obstacles can be extremely subtle There are many pitfalls, such as grasping at blissful experiences and recoiling from negative ones— all of which are expected to appear in dzogchen practice, and all of which should be considered impartially as signs of the path Therefore, for the great majority of students, a qualified teacher is essential for the full accomplishment of the dzogchen path * Madhyamaka is a critical Buddhist philosophy that developed in India, attributed to the third-century sage Nāgārjuna AN AFTERWORD Traditionally, in Tibet, meditation is practiced by yogis, yoginis, monastics, and householders Yogis and yoginis are monks, nuns or lay practitioners who, under the guidance of a meditation master, spend long periods in isolated retreat—in forests, caves, and cabins Monastics may practice under similar guidance in their monasteries, but not all of them practice meditation Many are dedicated to performing ceremonies required of the monastery by the local community, are engaged in support activities (such as running monastery facilities), or are scholars and teachers Householders may practice meditation a great deal or very little at all It depends on their inspiration and motivation, and the circumstances of their lives Marpa—the teacher of the great yogi Milarepa—was a prosperous farmer with a family, and a famed translator of Dharma Yet he was also a highly realized master—considered to be a saint in the Tibetan tradition—and he was the founder of a major lineage of Tibetan Buddhism Although yogis and monastics can be found among modern meditators, it would be hard for most of us to find the time and circumstances to practice according to those styles We have been brought up in a modern, fast-paced world, and most of us are tied to it by training, culture, habit, and—let’s face it—interest We are for the most part comfortable with it or at least resigned to it The majority of modern people interested in meditation are probably attracted to practice as an antidote to stress, which can be so overwhelming in today’s high-pressure environment of work, competition, study, and even family life We don’t have the time anymore to everything that needs doing in a leisurely or serene manner We have to rush, and that is stress But why, really, must our minds be so busy? I think it is because, although people are looking for happiness, friendship, comfort, love, success, and as sense of well-being—which is natural and good —we make a big mistake when we depend on the material world to fulfill those needs Lifestyles based on materialism create a world that is often insincere and uncaring, one tied to the ego and its desires Our rush to gain the material keys to happiness leads to plenty of stress, but the rewards are ultimately empty and fleeting Relief from anxiety and stress has been found to promote health, and meditation has been proven to lessen these symptoms Meditation allows us to slow down for a time and bring some balance to our lives Using meditation to ease the stress of life is all to the good Relaxation brings happiness— something we all seek But we also have within us the potential for true, inner happiness: a spontaneous joy that is intrinsic to the nature of our minds, to our very existence Once we relax through meditation we can begin to feel happiness and inner peace that doesn’t depend on outside stimulation Today a growing number of people have perceived the deep, underlying suffering of life referred to in the Buddha’s first noble truth For many of them, meditation is a cure for this, rather than just an antidote for some of its symptoms The seven meditations presented here provide a reliable path through which the true causes of suffering can be recognized and, with persistence, overcome And for those inspired to renounce samsara—to abandon the modern lifestyle and practice more intensely, perhaps according to the traditional methods—these meditations can provide an introduction, a first step, to such an adventure How to Practice? The Relaxed Mind can be read for general information on meditation, but this is essentially a step-bystep program Perhaps you have read this book quickly from cover to cover, borrowed a few ideas, and have begun experimenting with them Depending on your goals and interests, that may work just fine But you may get better results by being more patient and gaining experience with each style within the sevenfold sequence before moving on to the next As mentioned previously, my students seem to have gained a great deal by following the year-long course outlined in the introduction—and then repeating it and deepening their practice year after year As they’ve done that, of course they’ve found and introduced supplementary materials into their practice, drawn mainly from the Tibetan tradition (such as those outlined in Reflection I and II) But I am sure many of them have borrowed practices from other traditions to expand and deepen their meditation Like a good meditation posture, the seven meditations program is designed to be flexible while providing support Some suggestions for enriching this practice are provided in the Suggested Reading section that follows If you are new to meditation but sense that meditation may be helpful for you, then once again I urge you to sit for at least a short period every day If your daily schedule is crowded, perhaps you can shift things around to open up a little time for sitting Start off with short sessions and stick to each style long enough to feel the meditation Stay with it until it becomes your friend, one that you are comfortable with and understand Once you’ve reached that level, move on to the next meditation style From time to time it is also good to review the meditations you have become familiar with to see the connections between them A lot can be learned from that After you have grown accustomed to the good habit of meditating regularly, you will miss it when not meditating Then, once your sitting meditation begins to stabilize, try to extend it into your daily life Be mindful of where you are and what you are doing as you move through your day Use the short pauses that constantly occur between activities to relax your mind, maybe focusing on a visualized object, mantra, or positive thoughts As meditation-in-life becomes integrated with sitting meditation, you will begin to feel the benefits both in the strength and flow of your sessions and in a more harmonious relationship with your environment Being more at ease, you will be able to interact with friends, colleagues, and strangers more easily, and greater warmth, respect, and friendship will develop around you Eventually you will find that you can benefit others without even trying If you become more deeply involved with meditation, don’t underestimate the importance of finding a qualified teacher Both new and experienced meditators run into difficulties from time to time, and although you may be able to figure out these problems yourself, a teacher can often save you a lot of time And finally, never forget the importance of developing an altruistic motivation You may be surprised just how compassion and loving-kindness (bodhicitta) can open your heart and how the loving energy of that experience can propel your practice and your life When positive qualities such as these take root in your practice, you will rejoice greatly that you have made meditation part of your life I leave you with a well-known prayer, “The Four Lines of Bodhicitta”: May the precious, supreme bodhicitta Be awakened in those for whom it has not arisen And for those in whom it has been awakened, May it not decline, but ever increase SUGGESTED READING FIRST MEDITATION Johnson, Will The Posture of Meditation: A Practical Manual for Meditators of All Traditions Boston: Shambhala, 1996 SECOND MEDITATION The Dalai Lama Stages of Meditation Ithaca, NY: Snow Lion, 2003 [This is H H the fourteenth Dalai Lama’s commentary on Kamalashīla’s Stages of Meditation.] Lamrimpa, Gen Calming the Mind: Tibetan Buddhist Teachings on the Cultivation of Meditative Quiescence Ithaca, NY: Snow Lion, 1992 FOURTH MEDITATION Anā layo Satipatthana: The Direct Path to Realization Birmingham, UK: Windhorse, 2004 Wallace, B Alan Minding Closely: The Four Applications of Mindfulness Ithaca, NY: Snow Lion, 2011 FIFTH MEDITATION Khyentse, Dilgo The Heart of Compassion New Delhi: Shechen, 2006 [Reprinted as The Heart of Compassion: The Thirty-Seven Verses on the Practice of a Bodhisattva (Boston: Shambhala, 2007).] McLeod, Ken Reflections on Silver River: Tokme Zongpo’s Thirty-Seven Practices of a Bodhisattva Los Angeles: Unfettered Mind, 2014 Shantideva The Way of the Bodhisattva Translated by the Padmakara Translation Group Boston: Shambhala, 1997 Trungpa, Chögyam Training the Mind and Cultivating Loving-Kindness Boston: Shambhala, 2003 SIXTH MEDITATION The Dalai Lama The World of Tibetan Buddhism: An Overview of Its Philosophy and Practice Boston: Wisdom, 1995 Trungpa, Chögyam Journey Without Goal: The Tantric Wisdom of the Buddha Boston: Shambhala, 2000 Yeshe, Thubten Introduction to Tantra: The Transformation of Desire Edited by Jonathan Landaw Boston: Wisdom, 2001 SEVENTH MEDITATION Nyima, Chokyi Indisputable Truth: The Four Seals That Mark the Teachings of the Awakened Ones Hong Kong: Ranjung Yeshe, 1996 Schmidt, Marcia Binder Dzogchen Primer: An Anthology of Writings by Masters of the Great Perfection Boston: Shambhala, 2002 Tsoknyi, Drubwang Carefree Dignity: Discourses on Training in the Nature of Mind Hong Kong: Rangjung Yeshe, 1998 Wolter, Doris Losing the Clouds, Gaining the Sky: Buddhism and the Natural Mind Boston: Wisdom, 2007 RELATED TOPICS Buddhism in General Bhikkhu Ñā namoli The Life of the Buddha: According to the Pali Canon Onalaska,WA: Pariyatti, 2003 Chödrön, Pema Start Where You Are: A Guide to Compassionate Living Boston: Shambhala, 2001 Hanh, Thich Nhat The Miracle of Mindfulness: An Introduction to the Practice of Meditation Boston: Beacon Press, 1999 Patrul Rinpoche, Dilgo Khyentse Rinpoche The Heart Treasure of the Enlightened Ones: The Practice of View, Meditation, and Action Boston: Shambhala, 1993 Sogyal Rinpoche The Tibetan Book of Living and Dying San Francisco: HarperSanFrancisco, 2012 Surya Das, Lama Awakening the Buddha Within: Tibetan Wisdom for the Western World New York: Broadway Books, 1998 Tulku Urgyen Rinpoche Blazing Splendor: The Memoirs of Tulku Urgyen Rinpoche Hong Kong: Rangjung Yeshe, 2005 Reincarnation Stevenson, Ian Where Reincarnation and Biology Intersect Westport, CT: Praeger, 1997 Tucker, Jim B Life Before Life: Children’s Memories of Previous Lives New York: St Martin’s Griffin, 2008 Emptiness (Mādhyamaka) Nā gā rjuna The Fundamental Wisdom of the Middle Way: Nāgārjuna’s Mulamadhyamakakarika Translated by Jay L Garfield Oxford: Oxford Univerity Press, 1994 Chandrakirti and Ju Mipham Introduction to the Middle Way: Chandrakirti’s “Madhyamakavatara”with Commentary by Ju Mipham Translated by the Padmakara Translation Group Boston: Shambhala, 2005 Wallace, B Alan, and Brian Hodel Embracing Mind: The Common Ground of Science and Spirituality Boston: Shambhala, 2008 [Contains a simplified explanation of emptiness derived from Nā gā rjuna’s Mulamadhyamakakarika.] Spirituality and Science The Dalai Lama The Universe in a Single Atom: The Convergence of Science and Spirituality New York: Harmony Books, 2006 Ricard, Matthieu, and Trinh Xuan Thuan The Quantum and the Lotus: A Journey to the Frontiers Where Science and Buddhism Meet New York: Broadway Books, 2004 Wallace, B Alan (ed.) Buddhism and Science: Breaking New Ground New York: Columbia University Press, 2003 Wallace, B Alan The Taboo of Subjectivity: Toward a New Science of Consciousness Oxford: Oxford University Press, 2004 Meditation and Health Benson, Herbert Relaxation Revolution: The Science and Genetics of Mind Body Healing New York: Scribner, 2011 Thondup, Tulku Boundless Healing: Meditation Exercises to Enlighten the Mind and Heal the Body Boston: Shambhala, 2013 GLOSSARY absolute bodhicitta Compassion and loving-kindness arising from wisdom Synonymous with primordial purity, the nature of mind, rigpa, and so forth awakened state The recognition of the mind’s nature, the nature of awareness, and so forth blessings Spiritual energy, inspiration, often received from meditation practice or from realized beings bodhicitta Loving-kindness and compassion for oneself and others In Buddhism bodhicitta is divided into two aspects—relative bodhicitta, which is a conceptual practice of developing loving-kindness and compassion; and absolute bodhicitta, which is synonymous with rigpa, primordial purity, and so forth It is also defined as the aspiration to attain enlightenment for the sake of all beings Synonymous with the mind of awakening buddha Any fully realized being (as distinguished from the historical Buddha, Shakyamuni, or from any other specific buddha, such as the buddha of the coming age, Maitreya) Burmese posture Here the left foot is positioned at the groin, and the right foot is placed in front of it (Of course these can be reversed.) calm abiding (Tibetan: shi-ney, Sanskrit: shamatha) Mental calm developed by relaxed focus on an object chakras Energy centers located at specific points within the body According to one description, they are located at the center of the head, throat, heart, navel, sexual center, and base of the spine channels, winds, and energies (or essences) (Sanskrit: nadi, prana, bindu; Tibetan: tsa, lung, tigle) In Tibetan Buddhism this is the psychoenergetic system comprising the subtle body Brief and general description: the energies are propelled by the winds through the channels Chinese acupuncture, tai chi, and chi gong present a similar system Also called formless body compassion An open, generous attitude embracing self and others with the wish to end all suffering Dharma In the Buddhist religious context, this refers to the teachings and practices of Buddhism In a more general usage, this Sanskrit term (often lowercased) refers to any phenomenon dualistic perception Perception based on labeling artifical differences, such as subject and object, self and other, good and bad, and so on dzogchen (Sanskrit: ati-yoga, mahasandhi) Translated from Tibetan as “the Great Perfection” and “the Great Completion,” this is a form of nonconceptual meditation where one experiences the ultimate view of reality In Tibetan Buddhism it is considered part of the Vajrayana easy posture Here the legs are crossed with the left foot under the right thigh and the right foot under the left knee (and then periodically reversed) ego The sense of a personal self based upon the habitual tendencies of emotion, sensation, and thought (In its original usage, it is one of the three divisions of the psyche in psychoanalytic theory, serving as the organized conscious mediator between the person and reality.) ego clinging Fixating on a sense of and belief in a personal “I” or ego elements In Buddhism, the material elements in nature are divided into these general categories: earth (solidity), air (motility), water (fluidity), fire (warmth and cold), and consciousness emptiness Explained briefly and generally, this is the absence of independent existence for any phenomenon Rather than being discrete entities, all appearances are dependently related events Emptiness is perceived by the wisdom mind, free from extremes, and is not to be confused with a blank, empty “nothingness.” enlightenment The individual’s awakening to the mind’s true nature, attained through the purification of all obscurations and the perfection of omniscience equanimity An open, spacious, all-accepting, impartial attitude transcending such biases as good versus bad, self versus other, and so on the five aggregates Form (physical or material), feeling, perception, conception, and consciousnesses (in reference to the five sense consciousnesses plus mental consciousness) There are other formulations fixation An often habitual, subconscious attachment to an object or view Similar to clinging (as in ego clinging) grasping Engaging, manipulating, altering, fabricating, or creating a conceptual understanding of some object Similar to fixation half-lotus posture Similar to the lotus posture While the foot of one leg (e.g., the left foot) rests on the thigh of the right leg, the right foot remains on the floor underneath the left thigh or knee heart-mind Also wisdom heart-mind, heart, spirit A synonym for the human spirit—the energy center of goodness, positivity, and wisdom The physical location of this mind—which is not to be confused with the brain—is the center of the chest (The true, inner meaning of heart-mind has to be learned through experience and intuition.) impermanence In Buddhism, the momentary arising, abiding, and dissolution of all phenomena of conditioned existence All composite phenomena are impermanent Impermanence is one of the three marks of existence (along with suffering and self-identity) insight meditation (Pali: vipassana, Sanskrit: vipashyana, Tibetan: lhag-tong) Seeing beneath the surface to our inner nature and to the nature of all phenomena Seeing things as they really are Insight into the emptiness of all phenomena interdependence In Buddhism, particularly the Madhyamaka tradition, all phenomena are dependent on other phenomena for their existence This includes the consciousness that labels a phenomenon Being interdependent, all phenomena lack—are empty of—independence or inherent existence liberation upon arising A term from dzogchen practice where with the mere appearance of a thought it is liberated lotus posture Also called the full lotus posture, in which one is seated on the floor and the legs are crossed, with each foot resting on the thigh of the opposite leg loving-kindness The wish that all beings have happiness (Similar to compassion.) Mahayana Buddhism Sanskrit for “Great Vehicle.” A Buddhist tradition developed in India beginning in the first century, where the practitioner seeks enlightenment motivated by the wish to release all beings from the sufferings of samsara mantra This Sanskrit term is the short form of mana traya, which means “mind protection.” Buddhist mantras are chanted phrases that carry important symbolic meaning and also, at times, provide benefit through the sounds alone Middle Way When used generally (and usually, then, lowercased), it means to avoid extremes, such as indulgence in sense pleasures versus extreme asceticism, hope and fear, self and other, and so forth The term also refers to the Madhyamaka school of Indian Buddhism founded by Nā gā rjuna (second/third century) (In this case, in this work the term is capitalized.) mindfulness Mental presence One is undistracted while being focused on an object in a relaxed manner nature of mind Synonymous with nature of awareness, awakened state, primordial awareness, essential mind, ultimate view, ultimate wisdom, timeless awareness, transcendent knowledge, dharmakaya, rigpa, and so forth nirvana Sanskrit for “state beyond sorrow.” The world as experienced by an unconditioned mind, free of afflictive mental states nothingness The nihilist point of view representing a bland vacancy, meaninglessness, “a black hole lacking light and energy.” outer, inner, and secret levels The outer level generally refers to physical phenomena; the inner level to the mind in its normal, samsaric condition; and the secret level to primordial consciousness, the nature of mind Regarding body, speech, and mind, outer here refers to verbalization, inner to mental chatting, and secret to habitual patterns of thought that echo mental chatting pointing-out instruction This is an instruction given in person by a teacher of dzogchen that awakens one to the presence and nature of awareness postmeditation Maintaining dzogchen meditation practice in all situations outside of formal meditation primordial purity Synonym for nature of mind, timeless awareness, absolute bodhicitta, rigpa, and so forth pure land Synonymous with pure realm and buddha field A paradise—free from all suffering— arising from the altruistic aspiration of a buddha pure perception, pure vision Also called sacred outlook In general, seeing the pure enlightened nature of all phenomena Also used in reference to deity practice, where all thoughts are recognized as the mind of the deity, all sounds as the speech of the deity, and all things seen as the body of the deity relative bodhicitta Conceptually developed bodhicitta based on recognizing and empathizing with the suffering of our fellow beings rigpa Tibetan term translated as “knowledge” but referring to transcendent knowledge, timeless awareness (See nature of mind above.) sacred outlook Synonym for pure perception and pure vision samadhi (one-pointed meditation) Similar to the Sanskrit term dhyana, this is the Sanskrit term for “nondual consciousness.” There is no separation between subject and object—they are one samsara The world as experienced by sentient beings due to their obscured mental patterns and perceptions Also called cyclic existence self-nature Intrinsic identity, sometimes called “existing from its own side,” independence seven-point posture of Vairochana In brief, this posture is comprised of (1) sitting on the floor with legs crossed, (2) back straight and relaxed, (3) chin tucked, (4) the eyes slightly down, (5) shoulders like a yoke, (6) arms in equipoise, and (7) the tongue touching the upper palate shamatha See calm abiding spaciousness An open, alert, and undistracted state subtle body Also called formless body See channels, winds, and energy above Theravada (Hinayana) The most ancient surviving tradition of Buddhism, today prevalent in Southeast Asia Emphasizes the individual’s achieving freedom from samsara undercurrent thoughts Subtle thought patterns that are imperceptible or barely perceptible to normal mental consciousness Vajrayana Sanskrit for “Diamond Vehicle.” Buddhist tradition that lays emphasis on pure perception, viewing all experience as pure and enlightened in nature Arose in India in the middle of the first millennium wisdom Here this word generally refers to a direct, nonconceptual insight or awareness into the true nature of existence, as opposed to knowledge resulting from conceptual processes yogi, yogini Tibetan for “one who seeks to unite with the fundamental nature of reality.” ACKNOWLEDGMENTS I would like to thank the editors at Shambhala Publications for their encouragement and hard work bringing this book to publication—in particular senior editor David O’Neal and assistant editor Ben Gleason Thanks also to the copy editor, Matthew Zuiho Perez, and the proofreader, Nancy Crompton Special thanks goes to Tulku Thondup, a great practitioner, author, and teacher of Dharma, who graciously agreed to write the foreword A number of friends and Pema Kilaya sangha members collaborated in the early stages, including Jeanne Lepisto, Leslie Tinker, Karen Carbone, Shanti Loustaunou, Spirit Wiseman, Rob Harrison, John Helios Akef, Alice Treutlein (Tseringma), Suzanne Scollon, and Lynn Hays Excellent comments and suggestions were contributed by Diane Rigdzin Berger and Barbara Berger Beautiful drawings of the meditation poses were made by Janice Baragwanath The manuscript was compiled from audio files of my teachings (expertly recorded by Bruce Dobson), transcribed and edited with inspiration and enthusiasm by Brian Hodel (who takes responsibility for any mistakes appearing in this publication) Thanks also goes to all of those who have attended the Monday evening Seven Meditation Series over the past five years at the Pema Kilaya center—Yeshe Long House—on Whidbey Island, Washington, and to all of those Pema Kilaya staff members who have supported the program, including Cary Peterson, Jeanne Lepisto, Mully Mullally, Bruce Dobson, Tsering Wangmo, and Heidi Oman ABOUT THE AUTHOR H E Dza Kilung Tulku Jigme Tendzin Chodrak Rinpoche is the fifth reincarnation of H H Jigme Ngotsar Gyatso, the enlightened yogi who built Kilung Monastery in the eighteenth century, in the Dzachuka region of Kham, Tibet Rinpoche was officially discovered as a tulku in his youth, and he was recognized as the fifth Kilung Rinpoche by H H Dilgo Khyentse Rinpoche, H H Dodrupchen Rinpoche, and H E Dzogchen Rinpoche As a young teenager, he completed a three-year retreat and at the age of seventeen took over the running of Kilung Monastery Kilung Rinpoche embarked on a short pilgrimage to sacred Buddhist sites in India in 1993, a journey that was unexpectedly extended to seven years While in India he met Western students who invited him to teach in the United States He came to the United States in 1998, gathered a sangha in the Seattle area, and began dividing his time between Kilung Monastery and teaching tours in the West, eventually including Europe, South America, India, and Southeast Asia He is presently in residence on Whidbey Island, north of Seattle Kilung Rinpoche is the founding director of the Kilung Foundation, bringing humanitarian aid to Dzachuka in east Tibet while answering the call for Buddhist teachings in the West Sign up to receive news and special offers from Shambhala Publications Or visit us online to sign up at shambhala.com/eshambhala ... shambhala.com/eshambhala The Relaxed Mind A Seven- Step Method for Deepening Meditation Practice DZA KILUNG RINPOCHE EDITED BY Brian Hodel FOREWORD BY Tulku Thondup ILLUSTRATIONS BY Janice Baragwanath SHAMBHALA... Cataloging-in-Publication Data Rinpoche, Kilung The relaxed mind: a seven- step method for deepening meditation practice / Dza Kilung Rinpoche; foreword by Tulku Thondup; illustrations by Janice Baragwanath pages cm... stream, the bear grabs another and then another As it does so, the fish already caught slither back into the river, and finally the bear discovers they are all gone Like the bear, our mental excitement