Crystal Clear: Practical Advice for Mahamudra Meditators

180 Pages·2004·5.64 MB·English

by  Khenchen Thrangu Rinpoche

rystal Clear
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Clarifying the Natural State
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rystal Clear
PRACTICAL ADVICE FOR MEDITATORS
1\J:.:nchen CI'hrangu '1\Lnpoche
Tramlated by Erik Pema Kr.msang
Compiled atzd edited by A!iclzael Tweed
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RANGJUNG YESHE PUBLICATIONS 2003
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copyright© 200) Khenchen Thrangu Rinpoche
& Rangjung Yeshe Publications
First edition 200)
All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced
without wrmen permission from the pubhsher
Printed in the United States of America
on recycled acid-free paper
Publication Data:
Thrangu Rinpoche, Khenchen (b. 1933). Translated from the
Tibetan by Erik Pema Kunsang (Erik Hein Schmidt).
Edited by Michael Tweed.
1st edition.
T1tle: Crystal Clear: Practical Advice for Meditators
isbn 962-7341-5 I-7 (pbk.)
I. Crystal Clear: Helpful Advice on Mahamudra. 2. Vajrayana
ph1losophy-Buddhism. ). Buddhtsm-Ttbet. I. Title.
An oral commentary on: T1becan titles: phyag rgya chen po'i
khrid yig chen mo gnyug ma'i de nyid gsal ba
Engli~h title: Clarifying the Natural State, Dakpo Tashi
Namgyal (dvags po bkra shis rnam rgyal), (I 5 I 2-1587).
CONTENTS
PREFACE 9
INTRODUCTION I 3
PURE MOTIVATION I 3
BACKGROUND I 5
Clarifying the Natural State 15
The Buddha's Enlightenment and Teaching 17
The Special Quality of Mahamudra 19
PART ONE: PRELIMINARY STEPS OF GUIDANCE 24
General Preliminaries 24
Specific Preliminan'es 25
PART TWO: THE MAIN PART OF THE MEDITATION STAGES 29
SHAMATHA WITH ATTRIBUTES 29
Posture 29
The Nature of Mind and the Purpose of Shamatha 34
Supported Shamatha 35
Unsupported Shamatha With Breathing Practice 38
Unsupported Shamatha Without Breathing Practice 41
Hindrances-Agitation and Dullness 42
SHAMATHA WITHOUT ATTRIBUTES 43
Tightening and Loosening 43
The Threefold Freely Resting 45
Importance of Shamatha 45
VIPASHYANA 47
VVhat is Vipashyana? 47
The Paths of Reasoning and Direct Perception 48
Establishing the Identity of Mind and the Perceptions 53
Establishing the Identity of AJind-the Basis 55
Establishitzg the Identity of Thoughts and Perceptions-the
Expression 58
CLEARING UP UNCERTAINTIES ABOUT BASIS AND EXPRESSION 63
Resolving that Thoughts and Emotions are Mind 63
Resolving That Perceptions Are Mind 72
Investigating the Calm and the Moving Mind 74
Resolving That All Experience Is Nonarising 76
STEPS OF POINTING-OUT INSTRUCTION 79
Pointing Out of the Innate 79
Pointing Out Imzate Mitzd-Essence 8o
Pointing Out the Innate in Thinkirzg 87
Pointing Out the Innate in Perception 89
THE FLAWED AND THE FLAWLESS MEDITATION PRACTICE 9 I
Mistakes and Faulty Meditation 92
Flawless Meditation Practice 97
PART THREE: SUBSEQUENT WAYS TO CONTINUE THE
TRAINING 102
GENERAL REASONS FOR MEDITATION TRAINING I 02
SPECIAL TRAINING WITHOUT SEPARATING MEDITATION AND
POSTMEDITATION 105
CUTTING THROUGH HINDRANCES, SIDETRACKS AND STRAYINGS
IIO
·The Straying with Regard to the Nature of Knowables 11 o
Strayirzg with Regard to the Path 111
Strayirzg with Regard to the Remedy 112
Straying with Regard to Generalization 113
SIDETRACKS I I 3
ENHANCEMENT BY TRANSCENDING INTO NON ARISING I I 5
Time for Transcending 115
Investigating Thoughts and Perceptions 117
Investigating the Meditation and the Meditating !v!ind 118
Tize Actual Tramcending into Nonarising Openness 119
Mingling AJeditation and Postmeditation, Day and lVight 119
DEVELOPING STRENGTH BY UTILIZING THE CONDUCTS 121
The Time for Utilizing and the Conducts 121
Utilizing Thoughts 123
Utilizing Emotions 125
Utilizing Gods and Demons 127
Utilizing Suffering 128
Utilizing Sickness 130
Utilizing the Death Process 131
SIGNS OF REALIZATION I 3 3
The Four Schools and the Eight Consciousnesses 133
HOW REALIZATION ARISES AND THE ENHANCEMENT PRACTICES
140
The Various Ways Realization Arises 141
One-Pointedness and its Enhancement 143
Bad Influences and Unfavorable Circumstances 145
Simplicity and its Enhancement 147
One Taste and its Enhancement 150
Nonmeditation and its Enhancement 152
PART FOUR: THE WAY TO TRAVERSE THE PATHS AND STAGES
THROUGH MEDITATION TRAINING I 55
COMPARING THE FOUR YOGAS TO THE PATHS AND STAGES 155
POSTSCRIPT I 6 3
GLOSSARY OF TEXTS, PEOPLE AND TECHNICAL TERMS I 66
FURTHER SUGGESTED READING I73
SHORT BIOGRAPHY OF KHENCHEN THRANGU RINPOCHE I75