Shunyata (Emptiness) Meditation

A teaching by Geshe Lharampa Jinpa Sonam Translated by Dr. Jhampa alsang Sunday! December "#! $##$! $%## p.m. ET Shunyata (Tibetan: stong-pa-nyid) is usually translated to mean emptiness, voidness, nothingness, or even relativity. The great master Tsong Khapa stated it is good to meditate on loving kindness and ompassion. !ut, this alone "ill not liberate you. #ou need to learn and understand emptiness. $onks debate a lot on ignoran e and delusion. They have developed many "ays to over ome these obsta les. The opposite o% ignoran e is emptiness. Kno"ing and understanding the &' (ependent )risings (Tibetan: Tendan) "ill greatly help you understand emptiness and be ome the antidote to ignoran e. *e ome to this samsari "orld li%e a%ter li%e due to our atta hment. To understand the real meaning o% emptiness "e must learn o"n to eradi ate our ignoran e. This an be done by understanding the &' (ependent )risings. !y studying sutra and doing analyti al meditation "e an learn to understand emptiness. (ue to investigation "e "ill learn emptiness. This "ill take time and many lasses. Shantideva stated,+% you don,t understand ho" to eradi ate ignoran e and delusion %rom the mind you,ll never understand emptiness. -othing e.ists by it,s o"n nature ((ependent /rigination). The real meaning o% emptiness an be %ound by using analyti al meditation. ()n ink pen "as used as an e.ample.) ) pen annot e.ist in and o% itsel%. +t is dependent upon many %a tors. )nother e.ample o% this is as %ollo"s0a Tibetan )bbot (Tibetan: Kempo) is in harge o% the monastery. $any people "ant this 1ob, so there are many andidates. 2is 2oliness (the (alai 3ama) re eives the names o% all the andidates %or this 1ob and uses divination to hoose the right andidate. -o", the person "ho gets the 1ob is no" a Kempo. So, i% he "as really a Kempo o% his o"n nature (independent) then he "ould have been born %rom his mother,s "omb as a Kempo. (The 4residential ele tions "as used as yet another e.ample.) +t takes many %a tors to bring about these things. +t is not by his or her o"n nature, 1ust as a pen does not e.ist by its o"n nature. 5hankia 6obia (or1e ("ritten as pronoun ed) stated0To understand emptiness study an ob1e t to see i% it e.ists on it,s o"n nature. 7mptiness is 1ust a man made label. *hen you understand emptiness you,ll understand the nature o% the mind. +n the 8elug lineage this is alled lear light mind. #ou must kno" "hat is mind to kno" its nature. The subtle level o% ons iousness is lear light mind.

There are three levels. $ind nature past, mind nature %uture, and mind nature present. $ind nature past is gone, mind nature %uture has yet to o ur, and mind nature present is no". So, "e an only investigate mind nature present. 4er. 2is 2oliness. The Kagyu lineage meaning o% nature o% the mind is the same. They also agree to present mind investigation. +% you don,t study or understand the nature o% mind it is most di%%i ult to do $ahamudra, (9og hen, et . The !uddha gave :;,<<< tea hings 1ust so "e ould understand emptiness. There are many te hni=ues. >irst put your mind in a alm mode. )tta hment, hatred, and ignoran e (the three poisons) disturb us and try to prevent us %rom understanding the nature o% mind. The study o% Samatha ( alm abiding) mind sho"s us that either the mind is very a tive or very slo". This is beyond our ontrol, at this time. Samatha single pointed meditation helps us to enter and %o us. +% you push too mu h "hile trying to meditate on this you "ill be ome sleepy. This is another obsta le. #ou need an ob1e t to %o us on, like !uddha. (o not push01ust %o us. +% your meditation is dull this an ause sleepiness too. #our mind should be lear. +% you %ind your mind is distra ted no matter ho" hard you try this is another distra tion?obsta le. ) good "ay to over ome this is to think,+ "ant to help others. This "ill help you %o us. 5ontrolling your moral ondu t helps as "ell. There are three ategories to this. &) 2o" to a umulate positive merit (pra ti ing the ten virtues)@ ') To help others and "ork to a umulate merit %or them. #ou a umulate a lot o% merit "hen helping others. #our motivation must be +,m doing this to help others@ A) 5ontrolling negative a tions. There are eight sub ategories to this. & and ') !hikus?!hikunis ($onks?-uns)@ A and ;) -ormal monk or nun, be%ore %ully ordained@ B and C) 4re epts (male and %emale). ( + kno" this only totals C, but this is "hat "as given.) The pre epts an be taken %or one day. 3aypersons a umulate a lot o% positive merit by taking the &< vo"s?pre epts. 4ra ti ing in this "ay "ill bring you loser to enlightenment. +% you "ish to %ollo" this pra ti e (pre epts %or a day) take them be%ore da"n?morning. )nd keep these vo"s?pre epts until sunrise the ne.t day. $ost Tibetans do no" o"n or "ear "at hes. So, they say to keep the vo"s?pre epts until you an see the lines in the palm o% your hands. $eaning until the light o% day allo"s %or you to see the lines in the palm o% your hands. 8eshe-la0/ne day is not so long, even %or a lay person. 8eshe-la also noted that during the pre epts day you are to only eat one meal and that is to be at noon. (o not eat at any other time. !y taking vo"s your a tions a umulate stronger merit.

The %ive pre epts are0&) )tta hment ') )version?2atred A) +gnoran e ;) 4ride B) -ot drinking into.i ants?al ohol. (Dust a note0the vo"s to these %ive pre epts, kno"n as the %ive vo"s are &) (o not kill. ') (o not steal. A) (o not indulge in se.ual mis ondu t. ;) (o not make %alse spee h. B) (o not take and?or drink into.i ants.) !y taking and honoring the %ive pre epts every day your a tions a umulate even stronger merit. $ake sure you are ready be%ore ommitting to these vo"s. -o one is saying you must take them or %or ing you to take them. This is up to you. #ou must de ide. The re%uge vo"s are the !uddha, (harma, and Sangha. +t is very important to kno" that on e you take any vo"s you must %ollo" them. +% you break them you ause mu h negative merit?karma. !y taking any o% the be%ore mentioned vo"s they all help you be ome stronger inside and train your mind. 8eshe-la then stated that you may o%ten see some lay people "earing monasti ?monk robes. These people have taken vo"s and it is okay %or them to "ear the robes during this time. -yingma and Kagyu lineage pra titioners do this o%ten. )ll these pra ti es help to remove obsta les. !ut, the main antidote is your moral ondu t and dis ipline. *hen you do meditation on Shunyata do your best to keep your mind lear and %o used. +% you are su ess%ul in doing this, "hatever you do at that moment "ill be very positive and meritorious. 5learness - single pointed meditation0this greatly helps you to understand emptiness. !y pra ti ing Shunyata it helps you lear your mind and be ome more %o used. The more you pra ti e the higher reali9ations you,ll a hieve. Tong-lam is Tibetan %or seeing emptiness. The %irst step is to get tea hings@ se ond step is to pra ti e@ third step is understanding. !y doing this your mind be omes so lear that you a hieve %irst !odhi (&st level !odhisattva). 8eshe-la stated0*e "ill do same as !uddha (pra ti e) and someday "e "ill be ome like him. The body positions %or meditation ome %rom the great translator $arpa. $arpa is a main %igure re ogni9ed in the Kagyu lineage. $arpa proudly states that even i% you no" te.ts (sutra) you still need to kno" and pra ti e meditation in the proper body positions to attain highest reali9ations. Tsong Khapa reated the 8elug lineage by ombing the "ays o% the already e.istent three Tibetan lineages (-yingma, Kagyu, and Sakya). The 8elug lineage is the re%ined essen e o% all the di%%erent !uddhist tea hings. Tsong Khapa in orporated $arpa,s body positions into the 8elug lineage meditation pra ti es.

There are seven body te hni=ues0-irmanakaya ? !odhi positions0 &) Sit in the %ull lotus position. (oing this strengthens and straightens important nerves and hakras. ') 4la e your right hand on top o% your le%t "ith thumbs tou hing. The right thumb represents method and the le%t represents "isdom. The hands should be 1ust under the naval hakra. A) Keep open spa e under arms?bet"een armpits. This keeps you %rom getting sleepy "hile meditating. ;) #our mouth and teeth should be rela.ed and in a om%ortable position. B) #our tongue should be tou hing the roo% ? pallet o% your mouth. This prevents you %rom be oming thirsty and prevents dre"ling. C) #our hin should be do"n slightly and om%ortable. E) The eyes should look do"n to the tip o% the nose. (o not lose your eyes. 5losing your eyes "hile meditating an ause sleepiness. 8eshe-la ontinued on postures, FThe shoulders should be broad and straight like the "ings o% an eagle. !reathing should be alm and rela.ed. G H 5on erning distra tions "hile meditating. Say these distra tions are positive. >or e.ample0you are trying to meditate on the !uddha, but %ind yoursel% %o using on the !uddha,s ompassion, love, et . *hat an "e do to over ome this obsta leI 8eshe-la H 7ven %o using on positive aspe ts, these distra tions are not good. /ne must %o us on the main point. )nything else "hether good or bad is still an obsta le. G H 5on erning the pre epts. 5an "e take a %e" or do "e have to take them allI 8eshe-la H +t is okay to take one, t"o, three, %our, or all. The %irst %our are the root o% the vo"s and the %i%th on erns avoiding al ohol. (There "as a brie% %i%teen-minute break %or tea and then lass resumed.) The -ine 5ir le $editation is a Tonglin (giving and taking) meditation pra ti e. +t means that "hen one is pra ti ing Tonglin meditation one should only do nine ir les? y les. (oing too mu h auses disturban es in body energy and ould ause illness. 7.hale %rom the nose, visuali9ing positive energy going to all sentient beings (health, "ealth, et .). +nhale taking in the negative o% all sentient beings. 4ra ti ing Tonglin "ill bring about rebirth in a ri h and "ealthy %amily. Dust as in the !uddha,s rebirth. 4andando"ntopa ("ritten as pronoun ed) stated0) umulating positive merit brings about positive.

$otivation is most important. Some people give money %or a good name?reputation. 4ra ti ing in this "ay denotes atta hment. 8eshe-la stated0(oing Tonglin avoids this. 8eshe-la restated that the lineage o% the Seven 4oint 4osture is %rom $arpa. Tsong Khapa introdu ed this "hen reating the 8elug tradition?lineage. 4osition is very importantJ +gnoran e and deluded nature o% mind is over ome by the real meaning o% emptiness. 8eshe-la stated0*e are doing something "e have never done be%ore. This is "hy it is di%%i ult. *hen you meditate try to investigate and analy9e the +. /n e you get to the level "here you understand that there is no independent + rest and %o us on that level. 8eshe-la stated0*henever you meditate, %irst you analy9e until there is no +, then you stay on that level. Dampa stated that physi ally it is very healthy to do the Seven 4oint 4osture be ause it aligns the hannels? hakras. )ny bending one-"ay or the other auses mis-alignment. >rom a Tantri point o% vie" the le%t hannel is 6oma, the right is Kama, and the enter hannel. *hen you onsolidate the t"o (6oma and Kama) into the enter (Kmma) hannel you rea h a very high attainment (&st !odhi or &st level !odhisattva). !lood and "ind %lo" through the hannels. +% the hannels are bent they get blo ked. *e have :;,<<< hannels "ithin our body. +t is most important to keep straight. (4reparations began at this point to begin meditation "hen a =uestion? omment "as posed.) G H Sin e this is the %irst time %or many on meditating on emptiness, should 8eshe-la mention something about the importan e o% not going too %ar or be oming nihilisti I 8eshe-la - )s previously said, 7ven %o using on positive aspe ts, these distra tions are not good. /ne must %o us on the main point. )nything else "hether good or bad is still an obsta le. () &B-minute meditation on emptiness began and lass ended at the on lusion.)