On Saturday, December 7th we discussed the nine stages of Shamatha.
\nAcording to Sakyong Mipham Rinpoche:<\/p>\n
\u201cThese nine stages are a map of the meditative process.\u00a0 The first four stages\u2014placement, continual placement, repeated placement and close placement\u2014have to do with developing stability. Stages five and six\u2014taming and pacifying\u2014have to do with developing clarity. And the last three stages\u2014thoroughly pacifying, one-pointed and equanimity\u2014have to do with building strength.\u201d
\nClick here for a brief, elucidating article.<\/a><\/p><\/blockquote>\nSurprisingly, at the fourth stage, one is\u00a0NEVER distracted from the breath.\u00a0 Meaning there are five more stages of dealing with the mind that go beyond the ability to completely focus at will.\u00a0 Meaning complete absorption is intermediate.\u00a0 Well, I certainly have experienced greater steadiness during some of the weekend retreats I\u2019ve done, but as I\u2019ve never even participated in a week-long retreat much less a dahtun<\/a>, this kind of concentration seems like an elusive island in the setting sun.\u00a0 In non-retreat day-to-day life?\u00a0 To quote a Nichtern: \u201cmidnight at the oasis.\u201d\u00a0But the idea is pretty exciting.
\n
\nFurthermore, (and I don\u2019t know if I\u2019m breaking the rules here), I really want to know if anyone has tasted this concentration personally\u00a0and I absolutely want to hear if you experience it constantly.\u00a0 Why?\u00a0 Well because what I really like about the nine stages of Shamatha teaching is its implicit suggestion that these states are possible.\u00a0 That they are, in fact, ordinary steps on the pathand something (dare I say) to strive for.\u00a0 Sometimes I feel like the challenge of meditation is overstated.\u00a0 Yes there are times when it\u2019s difficult, but my mind is not the Alamo, thank you very much, and when I buy into the \u201cmediation is so hard!\u201d vibe too strongly I find that motivation and effort tend to fade.\u00a0 Conversely, really believing I\u2019m on the way to a mind that is so stable it can see through objects kind of gets me sitting.\u00a0 One of the reasons I liked \u201cTurning the Mind into an Ally<\/a>\u201d so much is that the Sakyong presents the taming of the mind as attainable for anyone who puts forth the effort.
\nIn conclusion: Goals.\u00a0 Can be bad, but also good!\u00a0 Like so many other frigging things.\u00a0 Ah dualistic youth, full of rigid\u00a0black and whites \u2013 if I hadn’t been so depressed when we were together, I would miss your blind, single-pointed didacticism.
\nSo the Hardcorers are brushing up on facts for our informal exam this coming Saturday, which will conclude our classes until we reconvene in 2009.\u00a0 In the meantime I\u2019ll continue to write these Sancho Panza<\/a>-esque posts for One City and I\u2019d love some ideas for winter session study, so if anyone has suggestions for a book or set of topics to explore during next few weeks I\u2019d appreciate it.\u00a0 Please weigh in!\u00a0 Otherwise I\u2019m just going to write over and over again about how Christmas is materialistic, New Years is too much pressure and family is irritating but we love them anyway.\u00a0
\nHappy testing! (Be it in classroom or life school)
\nLove, TF<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"On Saturday, December 7th we discussed the nine stages of Shamatha. Acording to Sakyong Mipham Rinpoche: \u201cThese nine stages are a map of the meditative process.\u00a0 The first four stages\u2014placement, continual placement, repeated placement and close placement\u2014have to do with developing stability. Stages five and six\u2014taming and pacifying\u2014have to do with developing clarity. And the…<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":190,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-345","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-arts-and-media"],"yoast_head":"\n
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Acording to Sakyong Mipham Rinpoche: \u201cThese nine stages are a map of the meditative process.\u00a0 The first four stages\u2014placement, continual placement, repeated placement and close placement\u2014have to do with developing stability. Stages five and six\u2014taming and pacifying\u2014have to do with developing clarity. 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