Discovering Buddhism at Home -FAQ

Module 2 – How to Meditate (page 1)

If strong negative feelings arise during meditation, should we stop and immediately engage in the practice of purification, such as prostrations or Vajrasattva practice?

When Lama Zopa Rinpoche says we must get rid of superstitions for meditation, how does he define “superstitions”?

I am having trouble following the direction to believe that the Buddha is actually present when I am practicing visualization.  I feel like I’m just pretending and deep down I feel like I am lying to myself.

If strong negative feelings arise during meditation, should we stop and immediately engage in the practice of purification, such as prostrations or Vajrasattva practice?

A student writes:

I have a question for the elders on purification as a remedy to regret (as described in Module 2). I know that purification is an important ongoing part of dharma practice in the Tibetan tradition, including the prostration and Vajrasattva practice. But when
purification is given as an antidote to strong feelings of regret that arise during a meditation session (session five, page 46), is it recommended that we stop and do a form of purification right then and there during the actual meditation session? Thanks!

Kendall replies:

Regret is actually one of the four opponent powers that makes a purification practice complete. There is, however, a difference between regret and guilt. Regret is an acknowledgement that something we did was a mistake – in the sense that it will only produce suffering for ourselves in the future and very likely only produced suffering for ourselves and others in the short term! It is taught that it is similar to finding out that we drank poison – we just want to get it out of our system, we do not make a value judgement about ourselves as human beings or our potential because we drank it. At the same time, it is an urgent feeling to get it out of our system!

I do not believe that in the midst of a session of meditation that one would stop to do a purification practice. Rather, finish the meditation that you set out to do and then do a separate purification practice with all four of the opponent powers complete. Otherwise, you could easily end up continually interrupting your meditation session with purification practices and this might become quite disruptive! As we start to take a deep and serious look at our mind and our actions and our motivations throughout this life, and only imagine what we must have done in previous lives, the wish to purify becomes extremely strong! This is why Vajrasattva and prostrations are such an integral part of DB so that we can clear our conscience and consciousness so-to-speak. Then, with that clean clear mind, our meditation practice can really take off in a very powerful way.

As much as possible, if you set out to do a particular meditation, it is important to do that particular meditation and not have the mind suddenly deciding to do something else. Note the regret, acknowledge it, determine to do something about it, and then go back to the meditation at hand. This is more conducive to developing the power of a concentrated mind. At least, this is my understanding.

Thanks for the question.

When Lama Zopa Rinpoche says we must get rid of superstitions for meditation, how does he define “superstitions”?

A student writes:

I don’t think my definition of superstition is the same as Lama Zopa Rinpoche. Can someone please explain what he means when he is saying we need to get rid of our superstitions for mediation? I have a feeling he means just our thoughts, opinions, judgments, and so forth, but I want to be sure I’m getting his meaning.

Thubten Yeshe responds:

I’m not familiar with the passage in Lama Zopa’s teaching that you are referring to, but we do have superstitions about meditation. Superstition doesn’t just refer to black cats and walking under ladders.

A superstition can also be simply any ‘fixed irrational idea’ not based in understanding or reality.

Some people think meditation refers to a trance state, to mere relaxation, to a blank-minded state…none of which has anything to do with meditation from a Tibetan Buddhist point of view.

Superstition is a word Lama Yeshe often used in reference to our ignorant view of reality in general.

Hope this helps,
Thubten Yeshe

I am having trouble following the direction to believe that the Buddha is actually present when I am practicing visualization.  I feel like I’m just pretending and deep down I feel like I am lying to myself.

A student writes:

I’ve been having some trouble lately with the very last meditation in Module Two, the visualization of the Buddha. Actually, we had a very similar meditation as the last one in Module One, so I guess my troubles have just been accumulating since then.

Thanks to the clear instructions, the visualization itself is not the problem, but what I find difficult is the part where we are asked to really believe that the Buddha is there, or to think a certain way, or to feel a certain way. This makes me kind of uncomfortable because it’s literally asking me to believe things that aren’t true, or to pretend to think and feel things that I don’t, or at least wouldn’t think or feel on my own. Oh, I can generate some facsimile of the beliefs, thoughts, or feelings, but… it’s still just pretend, and deep inside I feel like I’m lying to myself.

Yesterday I had to just stop meditating because of that, so before this becomes a big problem, I thought I would see if anyone has any thoughts about it.

I suppose the process of taking the result into the path must always be like this, and in a sense it’s like role playing, which is a good way to practice anything. Sometimes I think I’m just taking the idea of “believe this, think this, feel that” too seriously, and other times maybe not seriously enough. After all, that clear light Buddha mind really is here, so in a sense I’m imagining something that does exist, but which I just can’t perceive well. Maybe deep down I’m just frightened of giving up a particular limited point of view?

Thanks!

Kendall responds:

The meditations are written in such a way to help people relate to the fact that meditation is an experience, not just a mental exercise. You can always modify a meditation a bit to suit your mind if the languaging isn’t working for you. It did sound like you answered your own quandary though – Buddhas are everywhere – it’s just that we haven’t tuned in and can’t see them at the moment.

I think of meditation sometimes as a handshake. The Buddhas are always there, waiting for us to extend our hand and make the connection. When we meditate, we make a conscious effort to extend our hand and connect with that enlightened energy – which isn’t inherently separate from us anyway – we are just not conscious of it and haven’t developed ourselves enough to operate under its constant influence. When we meditate, we make the connection and then invite and allow that energy to work within us and affect our lives.

I find for myself that often I don’t have a “heart connection” with my visualizations and practice. I am just going through the motions. But if I pause to feel (there’s that word!) what it would be like to actually be in the presence of an enlightened being, a spiritual friend, whose only wish is to help me fulfill my deepest longing to be able to help others….then the meditation becomes much more transformative and, for me anyway, it is often a very emotional experience as well – an opening of the heart.

There is a dependent-arising – we are not make-believing there is this nice guy Buddha there who we can talk to. There are enlightened beings’ minds pervading all of existence and we can connect with them if we make effort. Often when I have been practicing well, or strongly, I will have dreams that give me guidance and sometimes even my teachers will come to me in my dreams. So, as these kinds of experiences begin to happen, it gives me confidence that when I am meditating on the Buddha and “communicating” – somebody IS listening!

It is extremely subtle really. Reality is utterly subjective and we are creating it every moment. Meditation is taking a little time every day to consciously create the reality we want to experience, and be, for ourselves and others.

Still, the meditation has to move your mind. You may need to make some adjustments. Although it does sound like the meditation is certainly “working” in the sense of your getting in touch with that part of ourselves that isn’t so sure enlightenment is possible and so, why play this mind-game?! Sometimes I think that is really the only thing that keeps me stuck in “samsara” – at some level, I must not really believe freedom and enlightenment are possible. Otherwise, why would I waste so much of my time and allot such a small percentage of my life to doing what it takes to attain awakening?! Seems to me like you are hitting a very profound point – what is “real” and what is “possible” and what does meditation have to do with any of it?

Sincerely,

Kendall

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