Butterfly's Dream

  the Transformation of Things

Once a butterfly flitting and fluttering around, happy with himself and doing as he pleased. Then the butterfly awoke as a man. But he didn't know if he was a man who had dreamt he was a butterfly or a butterfly dreaming he was a man. Between the butterfly and the man, there must be some distinction!

This is called the Transformation of Things. 

 Robin Trower Too Rolling Stoned

Oh a stitch in time, just about saved me
From going through the same old moves
And this cat is nine
He still suffers
He's going through the same old grooves
But that stone just keeps on rolling
Bringing me some real bad news
Takers get the honey
Givers sing the blues

Too many cooks yeah spoil such a good thing
I know I laughed out loud but that was then
Ain't it funny, a fool and his money
Always seemed to find was those real good friends
That stone just keeps on rolling
Bringing me some real bad news
The takers get the honey
The givers sing the blues

Well that stone keeps on rolling
Bringing me some real bad news
The takers get the honey
The givers sing the blues

A stitch in time, helps to unfold me
Circus starts at eight so don't be late
Please be so kind not to wake me
I think I'll just sit this one out

Well I'm too rolling stoned
I'm too rolling stoned, yeah
Like a rolling stone
Just, just, just like a rolling stone
Rolling, rolling, rolling, rolling stone
Yeah, too rolling stoned
Oh just like a rolling stone

Songwriters: Robin Trower

Too Rolling Stoned lyrics © BMG Rights Management

 Zen for: Autumnal Equinox 2020

(Northern Hemisphere Tuesday, September 22, 8:30 AM)

MILAREPA’S SONG Ocean & Waves

Milarepa said to the girl Paltarbum, “If you sincerely wish to practice the Dharma, in my tradition you don’t need to change your name. Since one can awaken to buddhahood as either a monk or layperson, you don’t need to shave your hair off or change your dress.” Then he sang this song on meditation guidance in training the mind with four meaningful analogies.

Take this sky as your example,
And train in the meditation state without center or edge.

Take the sun and moon as your example,
And train in the meditation state without increase or decrease.

Take this mountain as your example,
And train in the meditation state without shifting or change.

Take the great ocean as your example,

And train in the meditation state without surface or base.

Take your own mind as the meaning,

And train in the meditation state without worry or doubt.

Teaching her the key points of posture and mind, he set her to practice meditation. The girl had some fine experience and understanding. In order to clear up her uncertainty and hindrances, she sang these questions.

It was easy to meditate like the sky,
But I felt uneasy when training with clouds.
Now please give me advice on training with clouds.

It was easy to meditate like the sun and moon,
But I felt uneasy when training with planets and stars.
Now please give me advice on training with planets and stars.

It was easy to meditate like the mountain,
But I felt uneasy when training with bushes and trees.
Now please give me advice on training with bushes and trees.

It was easy to meditate like the ocean,
But I felt uneasy when training with waves.
Now please give me advice on training with waves.

It was easy to meditate with my mind,
But I felt uneasy when training with thoughts.
Now please give me advice on training with thoughts.

The Jetsün thought, She has gained the meditation experience, and he was very pleased. In reply to her request, he then sang this song of clearing hindrances and bringing forth enhancement.

Since it was easy to meditate like the sky,
The clouds are the sky’s magical display,
So let them be as the very state of the sky.

Since it was easy to meditate like the sun and moon,
The planets and stars are the sun and moon’s magical display,
So let them be as the very state of the sun and moon.

Since it was easy to meditate like the mountain,
The bushes and trees are the mountain’s magical display,
So let them be as the very state of the mountain.

Since it was easy to meditate like the ocean,
The waves are the ocean’s magical display,
So let them be as the very state of the ocean.

Since it was easy to meditate with your mind,
The thoughts are the mind’s magical display,
So let them be as the very state of your mind.

 Feelings of a Sensible Body 

The second area concerns the vedanā sensible through body. Body does not just exist materially; it is sensate, it feels. In life, feelings of pleasure and pain, comfort and discomfort cannot be escaped. While negative vedanā irritate us, positive vedanā satisfy us.

Such contentment or satisfaction has two levels that are mentioned in connection with mindfulness with breathing.

The first, known as rapture (pīti), is more intense; these can be strong and disturbing. Once that level of pleasure or satisfaction calms down, happiness or joy (sukha) remains.

After calming body in the first section, these two kinds of vedanā become available for further study and training. One is busier, more energetic and tumultuous. The other is subtler, calmer, and cooler. Both rapture and joy are pleasurable but in different ways. It is important to mindfully taste the flavor of each until we are thoroughly familiar with them, because they lead to difficulties in life.

As we’ve already explored, vedanā leads to craving, clinging, egoism, and suffering. If we are unable to regulate feelings of pleasure and pain, we will not be able to regulate the flow of dependent co-arising. In other words, we will not be able to regulate suffering. That we must regulate pleasure, satisfaction, and happiness to be free of dukkha may seem strange to you. So it is important to explore this matter carefully. We will investigate and study vedanā until seeing clearly — and this is important — that the feelings of body and its senses concoct the inner experiences we call mind. The ability to regulate the sensible feelings makes it possible to regulate the power they have over the experiences of mind. We call this understanding “knowing that vedanā are fabricators of mind,” and we are able to regulate that power so it does not lead to craving, clinging, and suffering. Being able to regulate the vedanā is the path to regulating mind. Thus, we first get to know feelings, then we train in mastering their power to concoct mind. That is the core lesson of the second area of practice.

 

Mindfulness of Breathing
Ānāpānasati Sutta  (MN 118)

Mindfulness of in-&-Out Breathing

“Now how is mindfulness of in-&-out breathing developed & pursued so as to be of great fruit, of great benefit?

“There is the case where a monk, having gone to the wilderness, to the shade of a tree, or to an empty building, sits down folding his legs crosswise, holding his body erect, and establishing mindfulness to the fore.1 Always mindful, he breathes in; mindful he breathes out.

“[1] Breathing in long, he discerns, ‘I am breathing in long’; or breathing out long, he discerns, ‘I am breathing out long.’ [2] Or breathing in short, he discerns, ‘I am breathing in short’; or breathing out short, he discerns, ‘I am breathing out short.’ [3] He trains himself, ‘I will breathe in sensitive to the entire body.’2 He trains himself, ‘I will breathe out sensitive to the entire body.’ [4] He trains himself, ‘I will breathe in calming bodily fabrication.’3 He trains himself, ‘I will breathe out calming bodily fabrication.’

“[5] He trains himself, ‘I will breathe in sensitive to rapture.’ He trains himself, ‘I will breathe out sensitive to rapture.’ [6] He trains himself, ‘I will breathe in sensitive to pleasure.’ He trains himself, ‘I will breathe out sensitive to pleasure.’ [7] He trains himself, ‘I will breathe in sensitive to mental fabrication.’4 He trains himself, ‘I will breathe out sensitive to mental fabrication.’ [8] He trains himself, ‘I will breathe in calming mental fabrication.’ He trains himself, ‘I will breathe out calming mental fabrication.’

“[9] He trains himself, ‘I will breathe in sensitive to the mind.’ He trains himself, ‘I will breathe out sensitive to the mind.’ [10] He trains himself, ‘I will breathe in gladdening the mind.’ He trains himself, ‘I will breathe out gladdening the mind.’ [11] He trains himself, ‘I will breathe in steadying the mind.’ He trains himself, ‘I will breathe out steadying the mind.’ [12] He trains himself, ‘I will breathe in releasing the mind.’5 He trains himself, ‘I will breathe out releasing the mind.’

“[13] He trains himself, ‘I will breathe in focusing on inconstancy.’ He trains himself, ‘I will breathe out focusing on inconstancy.’ [14] He trains himself, ‘I will breathe in focusing on dispassion [or: fading].’ He trains himself, ‘I will breathe out focusing on dispassion.’ [15] He trains himself, ‘I will breathe in focusing on cessation.’ He trains himself, ‘I will breathe out focusing on cessation.’ [16] He trains himself, ‘I will breathe in focusing on relinquishing.’ He trains himself, ‘I will breathe out focusing on relinquishing.’

“This is how mindfulness of in-&-out breathing is developed & pursued so as to be of great fruit, of great benefit.

The Four Establishings of Mindfulness

“And how is mindfulness of in-&-out breathing developed & pursued so as to bring the four establishings of mindfulness to their culmination?

“[1] On whatever occasion a monk breathing in long discerns, ‘I am breathing in long’; or breathing out long, discerns, ‘I am breathing out long’; or breathing in short, discerns, ‘I am breathing in short’; or breathing out short, discerns, ‘I am breathing out short’; trains himself, ‘I will breathe in…&… out sensitive to the entire body’; trains himself, ‘I will breathe in…&…out calming bodily fabrication’: On that occasion the monk remains focused on the body in & of itself—ardent, alert, & mindful—subduing greed & distress with reference to the world. I tell you, monks, that this—the in-&-out breath—is classed as a body among bodies, which is why the monk on that occasion remains focused on the body in & of itself—ardent, alert, & mindful—subduing greed & distress with reference to the world.

“[2] On whatever occasion a monk trains himself, ‘I will breathe in…&…out sensitive to rapture’; trains himself, ‘I will breathe in…&…out sensitive to pleasure’; trains himself, ‘I will breathe in…&…out sensitive to mental fabrication’; trains himself, ‘I will breathe in…&…out calming mental fabrication’: On that occasion the monk remains focused on feelings in & of themselves—ardent, alert, & mindful—subduing greed & distress with reference to the world. I tell you, monks, that this—careful attention to in-&-out breaths—is classed as a feeling among feelings,6 which is why the monk on that occasion remains focused on feelings in & of themselves—ardent, alert, & mindful—subduing greed & distress with reference to the world.

“[3] On whatever occasion a monk trains himself, ‘I will breathe in…&…out sensitive to the mind’; trains himself, ‘I will breathe in…&…out gladdening the mind’; trains himself, ‘I will breathe in…&…out steadying the mind’; trains himself, ‘I will breathe in…&…out releasing the mind’: On that occasion the monk remains focused on the mind in & of itself—ardent, alert, & mindful—subduing greed & distress with reference to the world. I don’t say that there is mindfulness of in-&-out breathing in one of lapsed mindfulness and no alertness, which is why the monk on that occasion remains focused on the mind in & of itself—ardent, alert, & mindful—subduing greed & distress with reference to the world.

“[4] On whatever occasion a monk trains himself, ‘I will breathe in…&…out focusing on inconstancy’; trains himself, ‘I will breathe in…&…out focusing on dispassion’; trains himself, ‘I will breathe in…&…out focusing on cessation’; trains himself, ‘I will breathe in…&…out focusing on relinquishing’: On that occasion the monk remains focused on mental qualities in & of themselves—ardent, alert, & mindful—subduing greed & distress with reference to the world. He who sees with discernment the abandoning of greed & distress is one who watches carefully with equanimity, which is why the monk on that occasion remains focused on mental qualities in & of themselves—ardent, alert, & mindful—subduing greed & distress with reference to the world.

“This is how mindfulness of in-&-out breathing is developed & pursued so as to bring the four establishings of mindfulness to their culmination.

The Seven Factors for awakening

“And how are the four establishings of mindfulness developed & pursued so as to bring the seven factors for awakening to their culmination?

“[1] On whatever occasion the monk remains focused on the body in & of itself—ardent, alert, & mindful—subduing greed & distress with reference to the world, on that occasion his mindfulness is steady & without lapse. When his mindfulness is steady & without lapse, then mindfulness as a factor for awakening becomes aroused. He develops it, and for him it goes to the culmination of its development.

“[2] Remaining mindful in this way, he examines, analyzes, & comes to a comprehension of that quality with discernment. When he remains mindful in this way, examining, analyzing, & coming to a comprehension of that quality with discernment, then analysis of qualities as a factor for awakening becomes aroused. He develops it, and for him it goes to the culmination of its development.

“[3] In one who examines, analyzes, & comes to a comprehension of that quality with discernment, persistence is aroused unflaggingly. When persistence is aroused unflaggingly in one who examines, analyzes, & comes to a comprehension of that quality with discernment, then persistence as a factor for awakening becomes aroused. He develops it, and for him it goes to the culmination of its development.

“[4] In one whose persistence is aroused, a rapture not of the flesh arises. When a rapture not of the flesh arises in one whose persistence is aroused, then rapture as a factor for awakening becomes aroused. He develops it, and for him it goes to the culmination of its development.

“[5] For one enraptured at heart, the body grows calm and the mind grows calm. When the body & mind of a monk enraptured at heart grow calm, then calm as a factor for awakening becomes aroused. He develops it, and for him it goes to the culmination of its development.

“[6] For one who is at ease—his body calmed—the mind becomes concentrated. When the mind of one who is at ease—his body calmed—becomes concentrated, then concentration as a factor for awakening becomes aroused. He develops it, and for him it goes to the culmination of its development.

“[7] He carefully watches the mind thus concentrated with equanimity. When he carefully watches the mind thus concentrated with equanimity, equanimity as a factor for awakening becomes aroused. He develops it, and for him it goes to the culmination of its development.

[Similarly with the other three establishings of mindfulness: feelings, mind, & mental qualities.]

“This is how the four establishings of mindfulness are developed & pursued so as to bring the seven factors for awakening to their culmination.

Clear Knowing & Release

“And how are the seven factors for awakening developed & pursued so as to bring clear knowing & release to their culmination? There is the case where a monk develops mindfulness as a factor for awakening dependent on seclusion, dependent on dispassion, dependent on cessation, resulting in relinquishment. He develops analysis of qualities as a factor for awakening… persistence as a factor for awakening… rapture as a factor for awakening… calm as a factor for awakening… concentration as a factor for awakening… equanimity as a factor for awakening dependent on seclusion, dependent on dispassion, dependent on cessation, resulting in relinquishment.

“This is how the seven factors for awakening are developed & pursued so as to bring clear knowing & release to their culmination.”

That is what the Blessed One said. Gratified, the monks delighted in the Blessed One’s words.

Notes

1. To the fore (parimukhaṁ): An Abhidhamma text, Vibhaṅga 12:1, defines this term as meaning “the tip of the nose or the sign of the mouth.” However, the term appears as part of a stock phrase describing a person engaged in meditation, even for themes that have nothing to do with the body at all, such as sublime-attitude (brahma-vihāra) meditation (AN 3:64). Thus it seems more likely that the term is used in an idiomatic sense, indicating either that mindfulness is placed face-to-face with its object, or that it is made prominent, which is how I have translated it here.

2. The commentaries insist that “body” here means the full length of the breath, but this is unlikely in this context, for three reasons: (a) The first two steps already require being aware of the entire length of the breath. Otherwise, the meditator wouldn’t know if a breath was short or long. (b) The fourth step—without further explanation—refers to the breath as “bodily fabrication.” If the Buddha were using two different terms to refer to the breath—“body” and “bodily fabrication”—in such close proximity, he would have been careful to signal that he was redefining his terms (as he does below, when explaining that the first four steps in breath meditation correspond to the practice of focusing on the body in and of itself as a frame of reference). But he doesn’t. (c) As AN 10:20 indicates, the fourth step refers to bringing the mind to the fourth jhāna, a state in which in-and-out breathing grows still (SN 36:11; AN 10:72) and the body is filled with pure, bright awareness (after awareness has been extended to be sensitive to the entire body beginning with the first jhāna (DN 2; MN 119)). Because the fourth step focuses on the stilling of the breath, there has to be a step in which the awareness is extended to fill the entire body. That would be this step.

3. “In-&-out breaths are bodily; these are things tied up with the body. That’s why in-&-out breaths are bodily fabrications.” —MN 44

“And how is a monk calmed in his bodily fabrication? There is the case where a monk, with the abandoning of pleasure & pain—as with the earlier disappearance of elation & distress—enters & remains in the fourth jhāna: purity of equanimity & mindfulness, neither pleasure nor pain.” —AN 10:20

“When one has attained the fourth jhāna, in-and-out breaths have ceased.” —SN 36:11 & AN 9:31

4. “Perceptions & feelings are mental; these are things tied up with the mind. That’s why perceptions & feelings are mental fabrications.” —MN 44

5. AN 9:34 shows how the mind, step by step, is temporarily released from burdensome mental states of greater and greater refinement as it advances through the stages of jhāna. MN 111 shows how a meditator, using discernment, can be released from the factors of a jhāna attainment while still in that attainment.

6. As this shows, a meditator focusing on feelings in themselves as a frame of reference should not abandon the breath as the basis for his/her concentration.

 TMI <--> Mahamudra/Dzogchen <--> Ānāpānasati 

Meditating on the mind itself involves bringing attention and awareness together in a completely open state. Essentially, you’re fusing attention and awareness.

This practice is similar to the Tibetan Kagyu practice called the Great Seal (Mahamudra), and the Nyingma practice of the Great Perfection (Dzogchen).  __TMI

Elephant Path

• The monk is the meditator.
• The rope he holds represents vigilant, alert mindfulness.
• The goad in his other hand represents strong intention and firm resolve.
• The elephant represents the mind.
• The black color of the elephant represents the Five Hindrances and the Seven Problems they give rise to.
• The monkey represents scattering of attention, and the black color represents subtle and gross distraction, forgetting, and mind-wandering.
• The rabbit represents subtle dullness.
• The flames represent vigilance and effort, and when the effort is no longer required, the flames disappear.
• The length of the road between successive Stages indicates the relative time required to progress from one Stage to the next.
• The Stages come closer together until Stage Seven, then they begin to stretch out again.
• Because the road folds back, it is possible to jump up to higher Stages or fall back to lower ones.

The Ten Stages

1. A monk chasing a black elephant and a black monkey. Black elephant means that the mind has no stability and is easily distracted by the 5 hindrances. The black monkey represents a distraction. This stage is considered the beginning level where a meditator have no control over the mind and it is a challenge to even sit for meditation. 
2. A portion of the head of the elephant and monkey turned white. With regular effort, the monk finally created a condition to sit regularly but conditioned by the habituated distracted mind, it is an upheaval task to sustain the focus.
3. The head of the elephant and monkey turned white and looking back at the monk, which means through persistent effort, he now reduced the mental wandering. But now a rabbit appeared, which means laxity in the form of forgetfulness and sleepiness appeared in the stage. 
4. The little part of the body of elephant, monkey and rabbit turned white. The monk finally got hold of the elephant with the rope of mindfulness. Strong dullness and sporadic mental scattering has been overcome. But subtle dullness and distraction is still present and turns into coarse dullness and distraction.
5. Chase is over for the monk. Finally monk is in front of the elephant, monkey and rabbit. Now he needs to instruct and train further on the path. The monkey is at the back, which means the mind is now malleable. But the rabbit is still riding the back.
6. The monk started leading the monkey. The rabbit has now disappeared and the monkey seems to be almost white.
7. The monkey finally turned white, with no gross and subtle distractions to afflict the mind. But even then, the monkey is doing what he always does, “hanging out”. Means, the monk still need to pay attention time to time as one can never leave the monkey out of sight. The elephant can now walk the path on its own with little guidance.
8. Monkey disappeared completely!!! Imagine for a minute. A mind in complete vacuity without a single thought? How does it even sound like, let alone to feel like? This is what the adept call Mental Pliancy; mind is in complete control. The elephant is fully trained and the monk can guide him wherever he wants.
9. The elephant sits down with the monk, in unification.
10. Both physical and mental pliancy are achieved and no more introspection and awareness are further necessary. A state of tranquility and equanimity arises where you do not react to pleasant and unpleasant feelings anymore. You will experience meditative joy and can sit for a longer time and can come out of the session when you want. A state of Samadhi. Just like a hot knife slices butter effortlessly, likewise your mind is now sharp to investigate the nature of reality. How do we exist? What is the nature of the body and mind? Who am I?

Every major tradition in the world from Hindu to Buddhist, Christian to Islam share the same path of Calm Abiding meditation which supposedly originated in India and practiced by mahasiddhas for 5000 years. This ingenious mental doctrine has been completely overlooked by Modern Science refuting the idea of consciousness outside the brain. Only with the advance of Neuroscience for the last decades and their sophisticated technology they are becoming interested in meditators. Yet, they are not fully sure of consciousness and termed meditation in the form of “Brain Mapping”. Hopefully, a day comes when science discovers that Mind actually exists and it is not physical.

Anapanasati

1. First Tetrad: Contemplation of the Body (kāya)
   1. Discerning the in and out breathing (SA 8.10 begins with "he trains" in the first step)
   2. Discerning long or short breaths (Ekottarika Agama 17.1 version adds "warm" and "cool" breaths)
   3. Experiencing the whole body (sabbakāya). Pali versions add "he trains" in this step. Some Samyukta-Agama sutras meanwhile have "bodily-formations" in this step.^[12]
   4. Calming bodily formations (kāya-saṃskāra)
2. Second Tetrad: Contemplation of the Feeling (vedanā)
   1. Experiencing rapture (pīti)^[14]
   2. Experiencing pleasure (sukha)
   3. Experiencing mental fabrication (citta-saṃskāra)
   4. Calming mental fabrication
3. Third Tetrad: Contemplation of the Mind (citta)
   1. Experiencing the mind
   2. Satisfying the mind
   3. Steadying the mind (samādhi)
   4. Releasing the mind
4. Fourth Tetrad: Contemplation of the Mental Objects (dhammā)
   1. Dwelling on impermanence
   2. Dwelling on dispassion (virāga). SA 8.10 instead has 'eradication'.
   3. Dwelling on cessation (nirodha). SA 8.10 instead has 'dispassion'.
   4. Dwelling on relinquishment (paṭinissaggā). SA 8.10 instead has 'cessation

Vase Breathing Meditation

THE BLISS OF lNNER FIRE

Heart Practice of the Six Yogas of Naropa

LAMA THUBTEN YesHe

Chapter 16. - Vase Breathing Meditation

• DISPELLING THE IMPURE AIRS
• VASE BREATHING

16.

Vase Breathing Meditation

As I mentioned earlier, Having the Three Convictions lists vase breathing

meditation as the first of the six hatha yoga exercises, although Lama Tsongkhapa

describes it only briefly in that section.

Vase breathing is not an insignificant practice. The other five hatha yoga

exercises are performed while holding the vase breath, and, most important, the

inner fire meditations are performed on the basis of this breathing technique.

Successfully bringing all the airs into the central channel and stabilizing and

absorbing them there depend upon vase breathing.

DISPELLING THE IMPURE AIRS

Before attempting to practice vase breathing, you should first dispel all the impure

airs with the nine-round breathing exercise.

Holding your left nostril closed with the back of your right index finger, breathe

in slowly through your right nostril. Then block your right nostril with the front of

the same finger and exhale through your left nostril. Think that you are breathing

out all your impure desire energy. Do this three times. Actually, you don’t need to

hold the nostril closed; you can just visualize the air leaving through the other

nostril.

Now do the reverse, breathing in three times through the left nostril. As you

exhale through your right nostril, think that you are breathing out all your impure

hatred energy. Finally, breathe in and out three times through both nostrils to

make all the energies clean-clear and equal. As you exhale, think that you are

breathing out all your impure ignorance energy. In total this makes nine rounds.1

Lama Tsongkhapa emphasizes that you should breathe in and out only through

your nostrils, not through your mouth. He recommends breathing in first through

the right nostril, but because the female principle of mother tantra is normally

associated with the left side, you might want to emphasize the auspiciousness of

female energy by breathing in first through your left nostril. If you want to

emphasize the father tantra approach, breathe in first through your right nostril.

Breathe in slowly and gently. While breathing in, you can think you are inhaling

pure blissful energy from Tilopa, Naropa, and all the Buddhas and bodhisattvas of

the ten directions. When you exhale, think that all your physical and mental

difficulties, the symptoms of your blocked energy, disappear. This is not simply

visualization. As soon as you begin to practice nine-round breathing, you will feel

some change. When exhaling, first breathe out gently, then strongly, and then

gently again.

VASE BREATHING

Ideally, you should practice vase breathing when your stomach is empty and

comfortable; in other words, before eating a meal or after the food has been

digested. Posture is also important. Your body should be very straight; vase

breathing cannot be effective if your body is bent and squeezed.

The vase breathing meditation comprises four steps: inhaling; filling the right

and left channels with air; milking the air from the two side channels into the

central channel; and exhaling, or “shooting up like an arrow.”

Begin the practice by making your hands into vajra fists: place the tip of the

thumb at the base of the ring finger and then close the four fingers over the

thumb. Place your hands on top of your thighs, with your arms very close to your

body and locked straight. Stretch your body upward as much as possible; this

enables the airs to flow better. However, you don’t have to sit like this all the time;

after a while, you can sit normally.

Visualize yourself as the deity and visualize clearly the three main channels and

four principal chakras as described earlier. Concentrate on the short a in the navel

chakra.

The first step is inhaling. Breathe in slowly and gently through both nostrils

until your lungs are completely filled, visualizing that the air is filling the two side

channels. Remember not to inhale through your mouth and to bring in a complete

breath. Although some lamas say to breathe in strongly, Lama Tsongkhapa

emphasizes that the inhalation should be very slow and very gentle.

In the second step, visualize that the right and left channels are filled with air,

like inflated balloons.

With the third step, while holding the breath, you swallow a little saliva, tense

your diaphragm, and press firmly down. Feel that these downward movements

push the inhaled air all the way down the two side channels to the short a at your

navel chakra. You might need to exert a little force to hold the air there.

Then, still holding your breath and pressing down with the diaphragm, tighten

the lower doors by contracting your pelvic muscles. This brings up the lower airs

to embrace and unify with the upper airs at the navel chakra. Feel that the short a

is magnetizing the air energies, drawing them all into the central channel.

Imagine that the upper and lower airs unite precisely at the short a,2 which is in

the central channel in the navel chakra. (The reason this breathing technique is

called vase meditation is that the short a is held by the upper and lower airs as if it

were in a vase or a teapot.) Hold your breath and tense the upper and lower

muscles for as long as you can.

Don’t think that the process is complicated or that you will have difficulty doing

it. Many things seem to be happening at the same time, but the main steps involve

bringing the airs from above and below and unifying them at the navel chakra.

Rather than forcing the process, you should feel that the short a automatically

draws all the airs into the navel chakra. Good concentration helps all this to

happen naturally.

Finally, we come to the fourth step. When you can no longer comfortably hold

your breath, you should exhale through your nostrils, visualizing that the unified

upper and lower airs held at the short a shoot up the central channel like an

arrow. They completely absorb inside the central channel, energizing much bliss.

You should exhale slowly at first, but toward the end of the expiration breathe

the air out forcefully until your lungs feel empty. Although Lama Tsongkhapa’s

text does not mention to breathe out strongly (in fact, he advises us to release the

breath gently and quietly), I have seen many lamas do it this way.

While some lamas say that you should visualize the air leaving the body at the

crown, Lama Tsongkhapa says that it should be kept inside the central channel.

This is understandable since our main aim is to have all the winds enter, stabilize,

and be absorbed there. From the navel chakra the air goes to the heart, throat, and

then crown, but it does not exit from the crown chakra.

Although we visualize all the air going into the two side channels when we

breathe in, our purpose is to fill the central channel, not the side channels. In

order to accomplish this, we bring the air down completely and hold it below the

navel, where the side channels enter the central channel. When we swallow saliva

and then milk the airs from the side channels into the central channel at the navel

chakra, the central channel automatically opens, and all the airs from the side

channels enter into it.

When the side channels are open and functioning, the central channel is closed;

and when the central channel is open and functioning, the side channels are

closed. Lama Tsongkhapa says that these are the only alternatives.

According to Lama Tsongkhapa’s experience, holding the unified upper and

lower airs at the navel chakra can be uncomfortable in the beginning, with the

abdomen sometimes becoming a little bloated. He explains, however, that with

practice the discomfort passes and the abdomen naturally shrinks.

Some people might feel that they cannot bring the airs from above and below to

unify at the navel chakra; others might feel that their abdomen is too small. The

solution is not to force anything. Don’t rush to unify the two airs. Of course, it is a

good idea to apply a little force at the beginning, but not so much that you have

difficulty or pain. Don’t think that you can only do this practice forcefully. Just try

to bring the energy inside in a relaxed fashion.

If you don’t like to do the meditation forcefully, imagine that the short a itself

magnetically attracts the airs from above and below, drawing them into union at

the navel chakra. It is as if the short a sucks the entire energy of your body into the

navel chakra. Without any effort, you visualize that the short a forcefully draws

the airs from the two side channels, as well as from all the other channels, and

from above and below, into one unified absorption. This is an easy way to do vase

meditation.

If you apply too much force, you may experience wind disorders, known as lung

in Tibetan. You could also experience strong heart palpitations, suffer cold sweats,

or feel sick. Don’t strain. Just practice in a relaxed and natural way. Perform the

technique slowly and gently, and allow the process to develop in accordance with

your personal capacity. Everyone’s body is different. Some people have large

stomachs, others small; some have large channels, others small. Everyone should

breathe according to their individual proportions. In any case, the process is the

same.

In my opinion, Lama Tsongkhapa is saying that each individual person can

judge how much air to bring in and how long to hold it. A lama can instruct you in

the techniques, but you should decide from your own experience what works best

for you.

The more gently you go in the beginning, the more forcefully you will

eventually be able to bring all the airs to the navel chakra. Lama Tsongkhapa says,

however, that at a certain point vase breathing will come naturally. As your

concentration becomes stable, you will find that you can hold the upper and lower

winds together effortlessly and naturally. You might be finding the technique

difficult, but then suddenly and unexpectedly one day your breathing will become

more natural, more subtle, and more easily controlled. You will be able to tell

from your own experiences when you have succeeded.

You might not be meditating, simply talking or doing some ordinary activity, yet

you suddenly notice that you are doing vase breathing. You press down a little, and

the energies spontaneously move around inside your body. With regular practice

the process becomes very natural, and you will find yourself bringing the airs

inside automatically.

Of course, if you really do find the technique too complicated, just breathe

naturally and develop concentration on the short a. Lama Tsongkhapa’s

commentary actually says that vase breathing is not absolutely required for

success in the inner fire meditations. You can breathe with small natural breaths,

yet deep down you hold the energies.

Holding the upper and lower winds together at the navel chakra is the key to

success in inner fire meditation. You should practice vase breathing over and over

again, until you can do it effortlessly. It is not a difficult technique; in fact, it is

unbelievably easy. A sense of bliss arising from the secret chakra will indicate that

you are making progress. Even performing the vase meditation without much

concentration will induce bliss. You don’t need to be a great meditator. All you

have to do is practice, live peacefully, control yourself, relax, and you can

experience blissful energy even without good concentration.

Vase breathing can also be used as a way to extend your life span. It is said that

each of us takes a fixed number of breaths during our life, and if we can learn to

control our usual rapid breathing and breathe more slowly, we can prolong our

life.

Also, I think that slowing the rhythm of our breathing slows down our nervous

system, and then our mind automatically slows down as well. In this way our

concentration spontaneously becomes much stronger and our mind less distracted.

There are various ways to assess your progress in vase breathing. Kagyu

practitioners have a method of timing the vase breath in which you touch one

knee, then the other, then your forehead, and finally snap your fingers three

times. This cycle is counted as one unit of measurement. Being able to do 108 of

these while holding a vase breath is considered a sign of great success; seventy-two

indicates middling success; and thirty-six, small success. The Kagyu texts explain

that this success is only from the point of view of a beginner. For advanced yogis

and yoginis, there is no question of counting; they can hold their breath for an

extremely long time.

Lama Tsongkhapa has a different way of counting. You place your right palm on

the left palm and stroke it three times, touch both knees, then snap your fingers

six times. The Kagyu method seems simpler to me. Concentrating deeply on inner

fire and performing complicated counting at the same time would be difficult. I do

not negate Lama Tsongkhapa’s method. I’m sure that someone with indestructible

concentration could count in his way; but those who are easily distracted would

find it better to count by the other method. There were no watches or clocks in the

old days, so time couldn’t be calculated accurately. Anyway, these days we all have

watches so we don’t need to count in either Lama Tsongkhapa or Kagyupa style.

We can count in twentieth-century style.

We should now dedicate the merit. “May the hatred and desire energy from the

right and left channels totally absorb into the short a. May all sentient beings

experience the wind energies entering into the central channel, becoming stable,

and then absorbing there. May they all discover the clear light.”