Zhine Calm Abiding

The practice of Zhine Calm Abiding

by Geshe Tenzin Gelek

The practice of calm abiding has the preliminary and actual practice. The preliminary has two subdivisions: To abandon what is unsuitable and what is a suitable support.

First, as to what to abandon, to cultivate correct meditative stabilization, it is unsuitable to stay in the house of worldly people, have impure companions who only pursue worldly aims, or care too much about food, wealth, possessions and so forth. These three are very big obstacles on the path of experience and it is necessary to abandon these. If they are not abandoned then it is a hindrance to cultivating meditative stabilization.

Second, as for what is a suitable support, to rest the mind in the single-pointed profound meditative stabilization depends on the place and so forth and conditions and the places that are suitable are the residence of a pure being and so forth, a remote forest, solitary valley, or cave. The means to dealing with such conditions is fortitude, having faith and good health, without concealing any aspect of vows. The yogi who is able to clear human and non-human obstacles can stay alone. For those who stay alone it is unsuitable to be with even two companions.

Those who are unable to be alone may stay with their lama or friends whose view and behavior are harmonious. For whatever necessities and so forth, rely on the four preferences of the noble ones; simple food, simple clothing, simple dwelling-place, and simple possessions. Be satisfied with just the bare necessities of food and clothing. In short, abandon spiritual practice, inappropriate companions, vehicles, food, clothing and so forth and abide by withstanding hardship. These are the good conditions that are suitable and support meditative stabilization.

The four parts of the actual practice of calm abiding are: 

1. The essential point of the body

2. The essential point of the mind

3. The way experience develops

4. The union of calm abiding and special insight meditation to pass beyond suffering

The first part, the essential point of the body and what is required, for the body to be comfortable one must have a good cushion that is not too hard to sit upon. Sit with the legs crossed and the hands in equipoise position. The back is straight like an arrow. The shoulders are stretched out like a vulture’s wings. The neck is bent forward a little like a hook. The teeth and lips are left naturally as they are. The eyes are half-open looking down at the tip of the nose. This is the mudra of the Buddha Kunnang Khyabpa or moreover abiding in the manner of the Bönku Kuntuzangpo.

The second part, the essential point of the mind, if you have a comfortable cushion your body is comfortable. If your body is comfortable then your mind is comfortable and stable and your body and mind will become supple. Furthermore, just as the body is supple, you can do what virtue you wish how you wish. Because of that, the suppleness of the mind, you can do what virtue you wish how you wish. Nothing other than this is necessary when the body and mind become flexible.

The second point is the support of what the mind observes and how to focus on that. First, when the object of support is a syllable, the Speech of the Buddhas is remembered. When focusing on thigle, the Mind of the Buddhas is remembered. Especially when the mind is held on an image of the Buddha, the Body, Speech, and Mind are remembered and this is of great merit and that image being distinct and clear is the support of paying homage and making offerings, aspiration prayers and so forth, for collecting merit and confession, vows, and for purifying obscurations so on. At the time of death, by remembering the Buddha, by that power one can gain liberation. To master transformation on the deity yoga meditation of the path of the Mantra, it is particularly of great importance.

Second, how to actually focus the mind and correcting flaws. First, how to focus the mind, the posture as was explained before about the essential points of the body, in front of you is an image of any Buddha painted or caste, well made, as the single object of meditation and focus the mind and remain in single-pointed meditation on that. With regard to that, tighten and loosen the focus to establish completely pure clarity of the meditation object and do not go after the mind’s six consciousnesses, remaining quiet and relaxed.

Do many brief sessions repeatedly and the non-conceptual view of meditative stabilization can arise in the mindstream. Furthermore, strongly focusing continuously is like going across a single wooden beam. The way to relax is like when you stay under the rules of the king. The way to keep the mind on the object is to have these two equal. In this regard, when you have tightened focus, dullness will not arise and when you have relaxation, agitation will not arise. Then you can have flawless meditative stabilization.

Second is recognizing and remedying flaws. Flaws in meditative stabilization consist of two types; dullness and agitation. Regarding this, dullness and agitation arise when tension and relaxation is imbalanced. Dullness occurs when the mind’s tension weakens and agitation occurs when the relaxation is lost. When the mind is not wandering from the object of meditation but the object is not very clear there is dullness or if you cannot stay with the object of meditation, losing the mind’s place wandering, there is agitation.

If we look at dullness, it can occur when the strength of the earth element is predominant then the emotional affliction of ignorance becomes predominant.

Dullness can also occur because of having too much meat or alcohol or from hard work, by which you become tired and worn out. Dullness can also be caused by practicing in the mid-day or midnight if you fixate the mind too strongly.

Agitation can occur if the strength of the fire and wind element are predominant then the emotional affliction of desire and pride becomes predominant. Agitation can also occur due to the condition of the mind not staying stable and relaxed, distracted by samsaric activities which causes emotional afflictions in the mind. Agitation can be caused by practicing insincerely, perhaps only because others are watching and the mind cannot remain with the object of focus.

Furthermore, there are the distinctions of subtle and course. Course dullness is when you lose the aspect of strength of clarity that observes the object and have nothing more than brightness of the mind. The subtle dullness is when you have the brightness and clarity but the ascertainment of the object of focus by the ascertaining consciousness is finely tuned but has become a little weak. Also, the reason for dullness and torpor, the torpor occurs when your mind is not scattered from the object of meditation but is without clarity and brightness. Dullness occurs when the brightness is there but clarity is not.

Coarse agitation is when the mind follows attractive characteristics and engages with desire and attachment so it cannot be stable. Subtle agitation is when the mind just about goes to whatever kind of object and there is difficulty focusing on the object.

Second, meditation remedies, when dullness arises, to make the mind clearer, sit in a high, shining place like a mountain, wear light clothing, and eat cool food that is not solid. The gaze is directed upwards. If agitation arises, to relax the mind, sit in a low place in a shaded area. Wear warm clothing and eat warm, organic food. The gaze is brought downwards.

Furthermore, if these flaws arise but are not cleared and are not attempted to be corrected then this is flawed meditative stabilization. Thus, one should recognize and correct all the flaws of meditative stabilization. Not forgetting to focus on the meditation object is drenpa “remembering” and being aware whether dullness and agitation arises or not is shezhin “watchfulness”, carefully watching the meditation.

Third is how the three kinds of meditative experiences arise. They are explained in terms of example, meaning, and application. Like water coming down a steep mountain which does not descend smoothly, with strongly flowing waves coming down; at first, beginners have many conceptual thoughts that are more course and one has the feeling of roughness which is the first experience.

Like water coming down a canyon, sometimes descending strongly and sometimes smoothly; at the intermediate time, conceptual thoughts are a little pacified, sometimes settle down more than before and sometimes arise, the experience becomes smooth which is the second experience.

Like a great ocean that is still and without wind, at that time the meditation is being perfected, that meditative stabilization, if there are no adverse conditions and the mind is not disturbed then the mind can stay in meditative equipoise for however long one meditates. Like that, there is the experience of the mind remaining immoveable that much which is the third experience. These three experiences arise in stages.

Like that, if one exerts through these three kind of experiences in stages but it is not getting better, then that mind is similar to the single-pointed desire realm calm- abiding. However, what is it when get that real calm-abiding? At that time you get the suppleness of the body and mind. The suppleness of the body and mind means the negative tendencies of the body and mind that were unsuitable to do virtue are reversed and the body and mind are very easily and happily used for virtue. Like that, when we get that meditative stabilization, in a small moment that situation can be used completely for virtue. With the suppleness and the single-point, these two mutually help one another, growing together and as a result the calm-abiding has both.

Furthermore, as soon as that suppleness arises, the mind becomes separated from the negative tendencies and the previous antidotes arise. Then from the power arising from that suppleness which is the support of the body, the wind produces what is the cause of the suppleness of the body, that wind pervades the body, causing the separation from the negative tendencies of the body. This produces the suppleness of the body’s antidote of the negative tendencies. By that power the experience of great bliss arises. By that power of experience of mental bliss suppleness arises. Furthermore, when suppleness of the body arises, in the mind arises increasing experiences of more joy and bliss.

After getting the first suppleness, the strength gradually goes down to a small level. Furthermore, this gross level of the suppleness is not finished. Another experience of total peace of the mind which the gross level becomes smooth suppleness and the immoveable meditative stabilization arises. The mind is full of joy and furthermore when the mind turns away from object of focus it abides firmly and is free from being moved from great joy and the feeling of peace will be attained in this calm-abiding. That calm abiding is the preparatory stage of the first level of meditative absorption by which the mind is subsumed, abiding in the desire and form realm meditative equipoise of the small mental engagement level.

This practice of calm abiding is not exclusive to Bön. The sages of other religions of the world have this practice including up to the third level of the four levels of formlessness and becoming free of attachment to form and desire realms. Accomplishing clairvoyance and miraculous powers and so on also rely on this practice. For Bönpo’s, accomplishing determination to be free from Samsara and bodhicitta embraced with meditation on selflessness and by that liberation from samsara and the level of omniscience rely on this practice of calm abiding. So calm abiding is common to both Bön and other religions.

From having actualized the extraordinary bliss of the suppleness of the body and mind of the calm abiding then there is generating the primordial wisdom of special insight. By the meditation of the union of calm abiding and special insight, apprehending the dichotomy of subject and object is released and the level of liberation from samsara is will be attained (Complete Buddhahood not yet attained. This level corresponds to the level of the direct perception of emptiness, but still after that is the path of meditation and so on.)

By the actualization of the special insight of the primordial wisdom of the nature of reality, the nature of phenomena and the mind, there is complete liberation from Samsara.