Meditation according to Tibetan Buddhism
by Khenpo Tashi
Nowadays, there are some meditation classes in Manila, right? There are also many meditation practices found inside Tibetan Buddhism. There are many choices for many kinds of people.
In general, why does an individual look for ‘meditation’? That is a very important question – Why? And, how does an individual meditate? – How?
Meditation in Buddhism
What is meditation? The word ‘meditation’ in the modern times is about feeling peaceful, quietening the mind, smiling, something like that. Haha!
What do the meditation classes in our Manila temple aim to do? The topic of ‘meditation’ is not simple or straightforward. But we need to learn the proper picture, the full concept. An incomplete picture will not give the intended, long-term result.
In Tibetan Buddhism, the closest word for ‘meditation’ is ‘Gom’. Gom means ‘habit-forming’, ‘developing a habit’, ‘habituating’, to become a part of an individual.
The ‘relaxed meditation’ we normally know, and ‘habit-forming’, there is a difference between these two, right?
Topics:
- Formal and Informal Meditation
- Involving Body, Speech and Mind
- Meditation Has A View, Practice and Result
- Meditation as a Buddhist Training
- Incomplete Meditations, Wrong Meditations
Formal and Informal Meditation
So, for example, there is the sitting meditation most people know. A 1-hour class to sit, breathe, etc. That is, we may call that, ‘formal’ meditation. That is what people are looking for in Manila, right, this kind of meditation classes? We have that? In this Manila temple? haha!
When we do prayers or ritual ceremonies, that is also considered formal meditation. When we finish the ‘sitting meditation’, stand up and go around our daily business, that is called ‘informal meditation’.
What is longer? The formal or informal meditation? If we only focus our effort in the ‘formal’ one, then, our progress will be negligible. Because, ‘informal’ meditation is much longer than ‘formal’ meditation. Also, most of the time during the ‘informal meditation’ period, we are back to our old habits. We leave our practice in the ‘formal’ meditation period only.
Therefore, to properly say ‘meditation’, we must include both ‘formal’ and ‘informal’ periods.
Involving Body, Speech and Mind
Also, we involve body, speech and mind in meditation, whether during the formal or informal periods. During ‘formal’ meditation, we normally think that we must only involve our mind. However, this is very limited.
That is why, in formal meditation, we have prayer chanting and hand gestures, using the speech and the (physical) actions. Also, in many prayers, we walk and do gestures of bowing, offering, kneeling, pouring and so on.
Why do we involve body, speech and mind? Simply speaking, all of our negative Karmas and habitual tendencies are stored in these ‘three doors‘.
We want to become a Buddha, and what is a Buddha? It is someone who has completely purified one’s three doors! Through that, one obtains all the holy and extensive qualities and powers of the body, speech and mind. That is why, we also say, the purified and excellent Body, Speech and Mind of a Buddha, ku sung thuk (Tib). (Read: Three Aspects of the Buddha’s Mind)
Why do we involve body, speech and mind? Simply speaking, all of our negative Karmas and habitual tendencies are stored in these ‘three doors’.
Maybe, we don’t want to become a Buddha, but we want ‘mental peace’. Still, these three doors are important. Many people complain that there are so many worries about what they said or did, or about the past and the future.
In Buddhism, those endless thoughts and worries come from one’s negative habitual tendencies of body, speech and mind. It does not mean that we killed people or stole big things. It can be the small things – We said hurtful words. We are jealous, we lied. We did improper sexual relations. These disturb our mental peace, right?
So, these three doors are connected to each other. One must accumulate positive tendencies in these three doors to help achieve the mental peace one seeks in meditation.
Meditation Has A View, Practice and Result
Usually, the goal of modern meditation techniques is ‘to be happy’, ‘to be less stressed’, ‘to manage negative emotions’.
When we say meditation in Tibetan Buddhism, we need to consider the ‘vehicle’.
What is a vehicle? A vehicle brings us to a destination, right? Similarly, when we consider a Buddhist vehicle, there is an original location, a plan, a target destination, and reaching the destination.
A Buddhist vehicle does not bring us to an external destination. Rather, it brings us to an internal state. How do we get to that internal state? First, through the proper ‘motivation’. It is the desire to enter. Then, once we enter, we need a proper ‘view’. In modern terms, ‘objective’, ‘plan’, or ‘vision’.
We cannot reach a destination through the view alone. Yet, the view is extremely important. Because it is the direction. So, to achieve the intended result, after the view, there is the meditation, conduct and result.
To achieve the intended result, one needs the five aspects of motivation, view, meditation, conduct and result. They are all equally important.
Through these five aspects, 1)motivation, 2) view, 3) meditation, 4) conduct and 5) result, a vehicle is effective in bringing an individual to a desired destination.
Meditation in the Three Vehicles
In the Sutra tradition of Tibetan Buddhism, there are Three Main Vehicles. Buddha Shakyamuni, in his stainless and excellent human form, taught these three vehicles in the Sutras. These three vehicles are – Sravakayana, Pratyekabuddhayana and Mahayana. One finds the five aspects in each of these vehicles.
Where is meditation here? Let us talk about the first vehicle, as an example – the Srvaka vehicle.
Its motivation is to abandon Samsara. The view is to see the selflessness of the individual self. The meditation is through samatha or calming the mind and vipassana through contemplating the 16 Aspects of the Four Noble Truths. The conduct during ‘informal meditation’ are the 12 ascetic practices. Finally, the result is to attain the state of the Foe Destroyer, the Arhat. (Read here for the meanings of the terms)
All five aspects are equally important to make the “meditation” successful.
Meditation as a Buddhist Training
Observing ‘ethical discipline’. What is this? Through keeping the vows that one receives and following Buddhist disciplinary rules. This is so important for meditation.
Generally speaking, Buddha Shakyamuni gave three sets of teachings to his students:
The first is on the big topic of discipline, the second on the big topic of right view or meditative concentration, and the third on wisdom. We call these the Three Trainings (Tib: lab pa sum). (READ: Four Turnings of the Dharma Wheel)
Observing ‘ethical discipline’… is so important for meditation.
What is the point here? Discipline is taught at the bottom, supporting meditative concentration above it, which then supports wisdom at the top. The Buddha is skillful and wise to know that from our current state, we need these three, followed through a proper sequence.
The first, discipline, is coded in the Vinaya, the second in the Sutras, and the third in the Abhidharma. Ideally, these three volumes of texts, their contents, must be the topics of proper meditation classes in our Manila temple. It is not just about any modern topics that we like to hear.
Discipline assists us in obtaining meditative concentration. Also, in the Sutras, we are taught to correct our ‘wrong views’ to become ‘right views’.
With discipline and right view, meditative concentration will be achieved effortlessly. Meditative concentration is a natural result of following discipline and correcting ‘wrong views’. See, how beautiful is that?
Through the Three Trainings, discipline is taught at the bottom, supporting meditative concentration above it, which then supports wisdom at the top.
Through the Three Trainings, we cannot achieve meditative concentration without discipline. It is like the middle structure is unable to stand without the sturdy, hidden foundation underneath it.
Also, meditation is not an end-goal in itself. Meditative concentration is used to obtain wisdom. Wisdom is what permanently pacifies all of our emotional defilements and suffering.
Incomplete Meditations, Wrong Meditations
For instance, in our daily lives, as (Buddhist) students, we force ourselves to focus our minds during formal meditation. But afterwards, tired and exhausted, we don’t follow disciplinary rules, and we just do, say and think of anything that we want. One’s ‘formal’ and ‘informal’ meditations contradict each other – too much effort on the meditation part but too loose on the discipline part.
Therefore, ethical discipline, which we normally look down on as something unimportant and boring, is more than important! In reality, through keeping one’s vows and following Buddhist disciplinary rules perfectly, we are moving closer to meditative concentration.
Therefore, ethical discipline, which we normally look down on as something unimportant and boring, is more than important!
Also, others are becoming better at sitting meditation. They can focus their minds longer. But afterwards, in their daily busyness, their emotional turmoils remain strong, or stronger! Such as, when one feels lust, one is strongly controlled by lust, and so on.
So the meditative focus is on one side, separated. One cannot use it to benefit oneself. This is because they forget discipline and wisdom.
Conclusion
Meditation is not an easy topic. The meditation classes of many centers in Manila rarely present the teachings in this way. Partly because people are getting impatient and seeking quick results. But this is the proper way.
As we said earlier, ‘meditation’ is habit-forming. But, we can replace a wrong habit with a newer wrong habit. What good is that? Hence, we must hopefully form a habit that will allow us to pacify all kinds of our sufferings, or a habit that is going towards that aim.
To properly use meditation, one considers the ‘formal’ and ‘informal’ aspects of meditation. The ‘informal’ is longer, so we must also use that part to support the shorter ‘formal meditation’.
Next, in both formal and informal meditations in Tibetan Buddhism, we involve body, speech and mind – the three doors. This is because, ultimately, these three doors are what we need to completely purify, to achieve the state of perfect Buddhahood.
In addition, before practicing any meditation, we must involve the five aspects – motivation, view, meditation, conduct and result.
Also, meditation is the second part of the Three Trainings. Meditative concentration relies on ethical discipline. Then, it is used to achieve wisdom. Hence, ethical discipline is so crucial to meditation.
Through this teaching, we hope to present the proper topics according to the Buddha’s vast teachings. If the attendees of our meditation classes held in this temple in Manila can really absorb these, that will be of much benefit to them, isn’t it?