The Natural Mind

Meditating on the nature of the mind is something you can do anytime. You do not have to go somewhere special to acquire the nature of the mind; you do not need to buy it from a store or dig it up from the earth; it is always available. During meditation you do not need to think any particular thoughts or make any effort to change what you are. Just simply maintain where you are and what you are, without trying to do anything unusual. If you meditate by simply maintaining the natural state, then everything unnatural will be removed. You do not have to do anything except remain on your cushion. In one sense this is something of a joke, but in another sense it is true. You simply relax on your cushion, and that's it!

Although meditation does not demand any physical activity, you do have to maintain the meditative state, and this takes some effort. Effort is not actually part of the basic ground nature, but since our obscurations and ignorance are so strong it requires effort to make meditation natural. When meditating in this way, it is not necessary to fight with the obscurations. As your practice develops power, it will spontaneously remove the obscurations since they are not part of the primordial nature. This practice will reveal more and more of the basic ground of primordial wisdom. The rising sun does not fight with the darkness; just as its presence makes darkness disappear, in the same way, when we meditate, the presence of the primordial nature overcomes ignorance. It is like the heat of the sun in springtime penetrating the cold ground so that green plants naturally begin to grow. When meditation practice causes primordial wisdom to shine, the enlightened qualities manifest according to one's level of meditative stabilization.

The natural mind is inexpressible and inconceivable. It cannot be expressed verbally, but it can be experienced through your own awareness. When you meditate you should not follow your monkeylike thoughts; instead try to remain in a state of mindful awareness all the time. Of course, at some point you will begin thinking, but try not to analyze or follow your thoughts; simply watch with the mind. This is called mindfulness. Mindfulness means that the mind is watching how the meditation is going.

Do your meditation with a relaxed mind; do not worry or force yourself to meditate. Do not be in a rush, but be concerned enough that you do not postpone it until tomorrow. If you put it off, there is always another tomorrow, and you can extend that for endless tomorrows without developing your practice. Once in a while it is good to watch your meditation and see how it is going, but do not do this all the time because that is spying too much. On the other hand, you should not be so relaxed that you are careless, since that will not bring good results either. There has to be a balance.

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Three Kinds of Compassion

Compassion can be divided into three types. The first is compassion that focuses on sentient beings, the second is compassion that focuses on ignorance, and the third is compassion without any focus. The first type of compassion is easy to understand; if we look closely at the painful situations that sentient beings experience, we feel compassion and want to change their miserable conditions.

The second kind of compassion is directed toward a deeper level; it is compassion for the ignorance that sentient beings have about the true nature of phenomena. Everything about their bodies, possessions, and emotions is constantly changing, but due to ignorance, sentient beings grasp and cling to their lives as if they will last for aeons. Then, when things change, they suffer. This type of compassion focuses on ignorance as the root of all suffering.

The third type of compassion is objectless compassion. The first two types of compassion have objects: the first has the suffering of sentient beings and the second has their ignorance, but the third type has no particular focus. It is the deepest level of compassion; it is the meditation on the absolute state of equanimity. With this kind of compassion there are no distinctions between sentient beings and nonsentient beings; one's compassion is equal for all. One simply rests in the absolute, natural state, without any particular ideas or judgments. This compassion arises from the realization of emptiness and is free from all desire and duality. This level of meditation is achieved gradually and it is not as easy to understand as the first two types of compassion.

Practicing compassion will bring about the recognition of emptiness as the true nature of the mind. When you practice virtuous actions of love and compassion on the relative level, you spontaneously realize the profound nature of emptiness, which is the absolute level. In turn, if you focus your meditation practice on emptiness, then your loving-kindness and compassion will spontaneously grow.

Subtle Physiology

The Channels, or the nervous system, are like the roots of the body. There are 1,072 major channels in the body. When a baby is conceived from the initial mingling of consciousness with the two elements of the parents in the mother's womb, the first things that form are the channels. The first channel that appears in the fetus is the navel channel. Right after that, the two channels of the eyes are formed. These three main channels, the navel channel and the two channels of the eyes, are the foundation of the body. As a baby grows, each week there are major developments and changes inside the mother's womb, and gradually the other large channels form until the body structure is complete.

According to the inner teachings of the vajrayana, the body has three main channels. The most important is the central channel, which is known as the avadhuti in Sanskrit and as the uma in Tibetan. The central channel starts four fingers below the navel and goes straight up to the top of the head. On the right side of the central channel there is another channel, in which the white elements of the body flow. It is half as big around as the central channel, and it goes up to the head and comes down to the right nostril. The third major channel is on the left side of the central channel. It is the same size as the right channel, and it goes up to the head and down to the left nostril. The left channel is red, since the red elements of the body pass through it.

The four chakras, or wheels of the channels, are joined to the three channels. At the crown of the head is the "crown chakra of great bliss," which has thirty-two spokes or petals. The second chakra is the "enjoyment chakra," which is located in the throat and has sixteen spokes. The third chakra is called the "dharma chakra," and it is in the heart center. This chakra has eight spokes, which are related to the heart as well as to the main channels. The fourth chakra is the navel chakra, with sixty-four spokes or petals. It is called the "manifestation chakra" because it is the source of everything you experience; everything is reflected or manifested from that center.

The three channels and four chakras are the basic ground of the body; they are the source and the main condition for all of one's experiences and sense consciousnesses. In all human beings, the three major channels and the four chakras are basically structured in the same way. However, the minor channels are formed differently in different people. Because of differences in the minor channels, people have different personalities, different ways of talking and acting, and different experiences.

We invite you to read a related article on
The Passing of Khenchen Palden Sherab Rinpoche.