Pith Explanation of Thogal Practice

From The Six Lamps:

For the explanation of the methods of training dynamic energy, catch the golden fish of the moving mind in the net of light in the dark room. 

Put the all-illuminating mirror of Rigpa on the clear expanse of space. 

Aim the spear of the thinking and knowing mind on the shields of luminous visions. 

At that time, you can see the seeds of the Form Bodies. Like stars shining in space. 

Commentary:

First some clarification of the words used in these verses. Dynamic energy is not only the dynamic energy of rigpa but includes all external phenomena –the objects of the five senses– and inner phenomena of thoughts, feelings, and perceptions. This golden fish can also be called a “moving fish of rays.” Form Bodies are the two Enlightened bodies of the Buddha, the Sambhogakaya and the Nirmanakaya bodies of the Buddha.

Next, an explanation on the meaning of these four lines. These four lines are the root text of the practice of thogal. This root text explains the essential point of integrating body, eyes, and mind during thogal practice. 

For the explanation of the methods of training dynamic energy, catch the golden fish of the moving mind in the net of light in the dark room. 

The first line explains the practice of dark meditation. Where did the practice of dark retreat come from? Who taught the practice of dark retreat? It is found in the teachings of the Six Lamps from the Zhang Zhung Nyen Gyü, taught from Kuntuzangpo and all of the root masters of the Zhang Zhung Nyen Gyü.

This line refers to the dark retreat. When all external appearances are cut off by darkness. The inner awareness or rigpa arises as luminosity. One must allow the shifting thought to dissolve naturally into that inner light. That is the main purpose of dark meditation.

Dark meditation is not about the experience of sitting in the dark. That is not the purpose of dark meditation. Dark meditation is about first recognizing how all appearance, both external appearance and internal appearances of thoughts, feelings, and perceptions arise from causes and conditions. And then “dark” does not mean black, but instead dark here means to cut off – cut off the outer appearances and inner thoughts. Then leave everything as it is. This is what is meant by dark.

When we leave things as they are they transform themselves into their own nature – the inner light of rigpa. This is the inner light of our awareness. This is the main point. Even if you are sitting in the light, if you can do this, then this is dark meditation.

The golden fish of the moving mind is this shifting movement which refers to our discursive thoughts and subtle wind energies. Thought and wind energy always goes together. If thoughts arise, there is subtle wind energy present. They are like best friends. They are like a fish in water, very slippery, restless, and difficult to grasp. The purpose is to rest in the wandering of thoughts within the realm of luminosity and guide the mind to a state of natural tranquility. 

Put the all-illuminating mirror of Rigpa on the clear expanse of space. 

This line explains the practice of thogal skygazing and sunlight practice. Where did the practice of thogal skygazing and sunlight practice come from? Who taught the practice of thogal skygazing and sunlight practice? It is found in the teachings of the Six Lamps from the Zhang Zhung Nyen Gyü, taught from Kuntuzangpo and all of the root masters of the Zhang Zhung Nyen Gyü.

The mirror of awareness is the essence of our inner clarity or knowing. Here the mirror does not mean the eyes as it is the mirror of awareness which is our own essence of knowing. The sky or space is the emptiness of the expanse. The Tibetan word here means both sky and space. This is the lamp of the empty expanse. By gazing into the clear cloudless sky, the inner awareness merges with the external space arising with vivid clarity. This is the method of meditation on clear light. Two things must be mixed – our inner awareness and the external expanse. External expanse means the emptiness of the expanse. Inner awareness and emptiness of the expanse need to combine. That is the main point. The purpose of this clear light meditation – whether using the clear sky or sunlight – is to merge the inner awareness and outer expanse into inseparable unity. This is the method and purpose. The practice is not about looking at something or for something. Instead you are opening inner awareness and trying to combine with the emptiness of the expanse.

Aim the spear of the thinking and knowing mind on the shields of luminous visions. 

The spear symbolizes onepointed mindfulness and presence. The shield of light refers to the thigle – the luminous spheres, drops or circles of light that appear during the thogal practice. When various appearances of light and thigle arise in your field of vision during thogal practice,  keep the mind undistracted and fix your attention on these light forms as precisely as the tip of a spear hitting a target. This is the practice. The purpose of this practice is to gain stability in the visionary appearance so that all perceptions arise as the dynamic energy of awareness/mind/rigpa.

At that time, you can see the seeds of the Form Bodies. Like stars shining in space. 

This line is the result of practice. When you practice these three methods, by applying the point of these three practices, many tiny, brilliant, thigle will appear in your vision like stars in the sky. These are the seeds or root of the two form bodies – Sambhogakaya and the Nirmanakaya bodies of the Buddha. Sambhogakaya means the energy of the clarity (or clear light) of our mind. Nirmanakaya means the energy of the manifestation or capability of our mind. Together these are two powers of clear light (clarity of mind) and the power of manifestation of our mind which appear as tiny seeds. They appear in our thogal vision. But what does that mean? You cannot see these with your eyes. 

This is a sign of the second stage among the four visions of thogal known as the vision of increasing experience. 

Four Visions of Thogal

1. Vision of manifestation of the nature of reality.

2. Vision of increasing experience.

3. Vision of perfection of awareness.

4. Vision of dissolutions into the nature of reality.

The summary of these three practices of thogal is to remember that the practitioner must combine three expanses. The external expanse of the clear sky, the internal expanse which is the light within the subtle channel, and the secret expanse which is the thigle or awareness. By merging/combining these three expanses the practitioner will eventually achieve the rainbow body. This is the most precious pith instruction within the Bon tradition. 

Three Expanses

1. External expanse of the clear sky.

2. Internal expanse which is the light within the subtle channel.

3. Secret expanse which is the thigle or awareness.

How do we combine these three expanses within the context of the three practices of Thogal? When the root text says “catch the golden fish of the moving mind in the net of light in the dark room.” at that time we use the secret expanse – the thigle of awareness. When the root text says “Put the all-illuminating mirror of Rigpa on the clear expanse of space.“ at that time we should use the external expanse – the clear sky. When the root text says “Aim the spear of the thinking and knowing mind on the shields of luminous visions. “ at that time we should use the internal expanse – the inner light of the subtle channel. Three meditations with three aspects of the three expanses.

Thogal practice does not depend on light or dark. It depends on these three expanses and understanding the reality of nature of mind. Even though you can sit in the dark or sitting in the light, nothing will happen in your meditation without connecting these three expanses. The main purpose is to open your mind, open your mind through the secret central channel and open to the space of empty appearances. Space/sky is the empty appearances. If in dark, “dark” is the emptiness of the objects. Thigle is the empty energies. That's why we are using these three empty expanses.

Body Posture & Gazes

Within the context of these three meditations, the body postures and gazes are very important. In the root text of the Six Lamps and Twenty-one Nails there are five body postures. But here I will mention three postures.

In the practice of thogal the posture of the body is crucial because by aligning the body the channels are aligned. By aligning channels the winds are aligned. By aligning the winds the natural state of mind is directly revealed. 

According to the Bon dzogchen, you must focus upon the appearance of the form bodies – the seeds of the form bodies. Primarily through the three postures and three gazes.

Three Postures

The first posture is the lion posture or Dharmakaya posture. Press the souls of the feet together. Spread the knees outwards. Support the body with the hands on the ground. Lift the shoulder upwards to mimic the majesty of a lion. The purpose of this body posture is to stabilize rigpa in its natural seat and purify the stain of ignorance. 

The second posture is the elephant posture or Sambhogakaya posture. Place the knees and elbow on the ground. Support the cheeks with the palm of the hands. The purpose of this posture is to expand the power of rigpa and purify the stain of anger.

The third posture is the rishi/sage posture or Nirmanakaya posture. Sit with the ankles crossed. Either grasp the knees with the hands with a knot or wrap the hands around the knees and draw them close to the chest. The purpose of this posture is to clarify the appearance of rigpa and purify the stain of attachment/desire.

Three Gazes

In the Six Lamps it says, “The clear appearance are shown in the expanse of the sky. To implement these the following three gazes are essential.”

The first gaze is the upward gaze or Dharmakaya gaze. The eyes are looking upward staring into the great expanse of the sky.

The second gaze is the straight gaze or Sambhogakaya gaze. The eyes are looking straight outward neither up nor down.

The third gaze is the downward gaze or Nirmanakaya gaze. The eyes are looking downward down the angle of the nose.

The Essential Point of the Mind

Regarding the instruction in the Six Lamps, it says “mindfulness is the spear of the mind.” When the eyes are fixed upon the spheres of light (thigle), the mind must not be interrupted by other thoughts. Two things need to be maintained with the mind. First, one-pointedness or single-pointedness like a spear aimed directly and unerringly at a target. The focus must remain stable without any distraction or wavering. Second, relax. This single-pointed focus is not maintained through tension or force. Instead, one should remain in the state of natural relaxation. Single-pointed focused but also natural and relaxed. Natural and relaxed, but focused single-pointedly. In Dzogchen, we always keep everything we do very natural. Just keep it natural and let everything unfold as it is.

Results

Through this meditation of the vision of the seed of Form Bodies by relying on these three key points of body posture, gaze, and essential point of the mind two lamps will appear to the eyes. First, the lamp of the pure expanse. Second, the lamp of the empty sphere. Having become stable in this experience one eventually sees the actual form of the Buddhas and their Pure Lands. This is called seeing the seat of the form body. 

What does it mean to see the actual form of the Buddhas? Buddha is the nature of our mind. To see the Buddha means to see the form of the nature of our mind. 

What does this Pure Land mean? This is not something out there somewhere. This is the pure kunzhi, the pure ground or base of this natural mind – the pure base of ourself, our actual form. 

To see the Buddha does not mean seeing someone coming with three hands and ten heads. Seeing the Buddha is to see our reality. We can see our actual form and base as it is. Form means the manifestation, and the actual base means the foundation of that manifestation. This is what is seen. And this is not seen with the eyes. The eyes cannot see these kinds of things. The eyes can only see color and shape. But the actual form of the Buddha is not color and it is not shape. The actual Pure Land is not color nor shape. It is not by eye consciousness we see them. So how do we see it? Some texts call it a “divine eye” which are beautiful words. But what this means is we see through our own natural state of mind by itself. It is the natural state of mind seeing itself through itself naturally. Without any cause, without any condition, not by force, the nature of mind simply and naturally knows itself.

Three Expanses Guided Meditation

We can begin by sitting comfortably upright, and taking three deep breaths. As you breathe out, whatever you may be holding onto in this moment, simply release it, put it down for the time being, and settle into a comfortable place within yourself to practice.

Now slowly close your eyes and bring your attention inward. Turn your attention inward to your inner mind – your thoughts, feelings, emotions. And if there are any challenging thoughts, feelings, or emotions there – that is okay – allow them to be there as they are. Allow yourself to notice them and feel them. We don’t need to judge them, or analyze them, or comment on them. No need to make a story about them. Just simply notice and observe them as they are.

As you observe what is in your mind at this moment, see if you can feel and experience the expanse or space around them. We are noticing the expanse in which all our thoughts, feelings, and emotions arise within. Like the shift from noticing a bird or plane flying in the sky to the great sky expanse itself. There is so much space – space around and within them. Within your own mind. A vast expanse. 

See if you can be fully aware and present to that spacious expanse – great openness inside. It is like a deep resting, an ultimate resting, resting in the nature of mind. Try to connect with that expanse. Let yourself settle into and be grounded into that expanse. Allow yourself to feel the experience of that great expanse – that spaciousness of mind. What is the embodied felt experience of connecting with this expanse?

Now see if you can allow that embodied experience to expand through your body into your subtle channels. See if you can feel the openness and expansiveness moving through you. Moving through your heart. Moving through your channels. Moving through your thoughts, feelings, and emotions. Moving through and with the breath. Moving more and more expansive opening space through your sensations. Feel that space. Connect with that fully embodied expanse as it moves through you. It is not dead empty space, a dead expanse. See if you can feel the aliveness, the vitality of this expanse – a dancing stillness. What is the embodied felt experience of connecting with this expanse?

Now open your eyes. Notice all that you perceive with the eyes. All the things you experience. All the objects you see. See if you can notice the space around them. The expanse of space which all these objects are being seen in. The biggest “thing” in the room is this vast empty expanse of space. Let your awareness shift from the objects to the expanse or space around the objects. Let yourself connect with this expanse. So often we only focus on the things, the objects but for a moment we can simply shift our awareness from things and objects to this great open space in front of us. Connect with that space. What is the embodied felt experience of connecting with this expanse?

Allow yourself just to rest in whatever may be arising for you. Whatever your experience is, without trying to modify or change it, just let yourself rest within it. We are simply recognizing these three expanses and letting them connect. Just allow these three empty expanses to come together. In reality there is no separation between them. See if you can notice that. Your inner expanse of awareness, your embodied expanse of the channels, and the outer expanse of the space right here in front of you. Allow yourself to rest in the unification of these three expanses.

As we rest in this union of these three expanses, what is the embodied felt experience? 

As we end this meditation, check in with the quality of your body and mind. What qualities are present right now? How do you feel in body and mind? Take a moment to check.

[This meditation can be especially beneficial to practice when challenges arise in our thoughts and feelings, within our body, and in our perceptions of the world and others.

When you feel anger, or any of the negative emotions in that moment look right at where your anger comes from. Don’t judge the anger, don’t ask the anger where it comes from. Simply look right at the source. Don’t look outward, but open your wisdom, open your vast space and look inward. And see the anger slowly disappear when you look towards the expanse.]