The Bardo of Samadhi and Mental Stability
Kyema!
Now, as the bardo of mental stability appears, I should, by giving up the numerous distractions and delusions, Remain in a state free from distraction, without grasping and free from extremes And attain stability in generation and completion. Now, having abandoned activity, in one-pointed meditation Do not fall under the power of the afflictions and delusion.
The third intermediate existence is the bardo of samadhi and mental stability. It is described as an intermediate existence because through the practice of calm abiding (Skt. shamatha) and the attainment of stability in this practice within this human life we go beyond the existence of a normal being. We have
nevertheless not yet reached the first bodhisattva stage, the stage of ‘highest joy’ on the path of seeing, since we do not yet have a direct insight into the truth of this path. So we find ourselves in between the stage of a normal being and the first bodhisattva level. This intermediate existence is therefore called the bardo of samadhi and mental stability.
The path of seeing, and thereby the first bodhisattva stage, is immediately attained by direct realisation of the truth of dharmata. In such cases ‘directly attaining the path of seeing’ is spoken of. If we now practise shamatha meditation, developing a stable mental composure, without however having
yet directly reached the path of seeing, the meditation on the true nature of the mind is, because of its similarity with directly attaining the path of seeing, called ‘almost identically attaining the path of seeing’.
What is the relation between directly seeing and almost identically seeing? Before the sun has risen in the morning we cannot directly see it. But we deduce from the dawning light and the first rays of sunshine that it is there. This is similar to almost identically attaining the path of seeing. When the sun has risen, we can see it directly. That corresponds to directly attaining the path of seeing. In this sense the bardo of samadhi and mental stability is almost identically attaining the path of seeing.
To apply the bardo of samadhi and mental stability as a method, we use first of all the three seclusions.
These are:
These three seclusions should be included in our shamatha meditation. Seclusion of the body implies the avoidance of senseless activity. Seclusion of speech implies freedom from useless talk. Seclusion of the mind implies interruption of the flow of thought about worldly activities. In this way shamatha meditation is supported by the seclusion of body, speech and mind.
The seven point bodily posture of Vairocana can be taken as the physical position for this meditation.
There exists a variety of types of shamatha meditation, some with an object of concentration and some without. The practice of mahamudra comprises differing types of both shamatha meditation and of vipassana meditation (meditation of deep insight). Regardless of which type of meditation is applied in connection with the three seclusions, we reach the three different stages of pacification known as the ‘three stages of mental stability’:
Through the seclusion of the body we reach a stability of the mind that is not distracted by senseless activity.
Through the seclusion of speech we reach a stability of the mind that is not distracted by useless talk.
Through the seclusion of the mind we reach a stability of the mind that does not get lost under the influence of day-to-day thoughts.
Through these three seclusions we reach a stage of mental stability. It follows from this that the stability of our samadhi and of our mental composure is based primarily on shamatha meditation.
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The Root Verses o f the Six Bardos describe the practice of the bardo of samadhi and mental stability as follows:
Kyema! Now, as the bardo of m ental stability appears, I should, by giving up the numerous distractions and delusions, Remain in a state free from distraction, without grasping and free from extremes And attain stability in generation and completion. Now, having abandoned activity, in one-pointed m editation Do not fa ll under the pow er of the afflictions and delusion.
Now, as the bardo of m ental stability appears
The bardo of samadhi and mental stability is our meditation, for instance our shamatha practice.
I should, by giving up the numerous distractions and delusions
Distractions and delusions should be given up in shamatha meditation. We will not make any progress if we are constantly distracted by worldly activities and deluded by our own thoughts. So we should not give in to the distractions and delusions, but rather overcome them.
Remain in a state free from distraction, without grasping and free from extremes
Remaining free from distraction means maintaining exclusively a mere recognition. Remaining without grasping means not having any attachment to meditation. One should not, in other words, overestimate it by thinking: “I must now meditate really well!”. One should never let this kind of thought arise, as they lead to an overestimation of the
meditation. Remain without distraction and without overestimation of the meditation in a condition of freedom from extremes. Let the mind rest within itself.
And attain stability in generation and completion.
From time to time the generation phase meditation should be practised, that is the visualisation of the deity and the recitation of its mantra. The completion phase meditation should also be practised from time to time. If we remain in a state of undistracted samadhi, free from extremes, stability in both the generation phase as well as in the completion phase will be reached.
Now, having abandoned activity, in one-pointed meditation Do not fa ll under the pow er o f the afflictions and delusion. If all worldly activities are given up one can remain one- pointedly in the bardo of samadhi and mental stability. In this meditation one should not fall under the influence of afflictions and delusions.
Questions and Answers
QUESTION:
Rinpoche says that dream appearances should be recognised as not really existing. But if we meet our lama in a dream, isn’t that extraordinarily important?
ANSWER:
If you dream about your lama, the lama’s appearance doesn’t really exist. Milarepa says: “The lama too is no more than a dream or illusion”.
QUESTION:
How does space behave in the various bardos? We don’t normally take on two forms of existence in the bardo simultaneously, but one after another. But we share the place with other beings. Do all the bardos exist in a common space?
ANSWER:
The place of all the six bardos is the same. It is the aspect of the mind of appearances based on delusion. Because our mind deceives itself about appearances, the places seem different to us although they are the same. We are currently in the bardo of the natural place of birth, our place is on
earth. The places in the bardo of dream are the places of which we dream. During the meditation of the bardo of samadhi and mental stability the place is the attainment of stability in samadhi itself. So the places of the bardos appear to be different, although from the point of view of their inner being they are nevertheless identical. They are the appearing aspect of the mind.
QUESTION:
Prematurely born children will not complete for instance the eighth or ninth stages in which the channels of the nose and of the sense of taste develop. What happens?
ANSWER:
It is normally the case that a new wind arises each month until the tenth. In the tenth month the body is fully constructed and can leave the womb. If the baby is born in the seventh month, it already carries within it the life-force wind which allows the other winds to develop. So these winds then arise outside the womb. The development continues outside of the womb, and by the tenth month the child is fully developed.
