FOCUSING YOUR MIND

(2)) How to focus your mind on the object of meditation

(a’)) The flawless method

(b’)) Eliminating flawed methods

(c’)) The length of sessions

(2)) How to focus your mind on the object of meditation

This has three parts:

(1) presenting the flawless method,

(2) eliminating flawed methods, and

(3) indicating the length of sessions.

(a’)) The flawless method The concentration that you will accomplish here has two special features: vivid intensity—an intense mental clarity—and non-discursive stability, staying one-pointedly on the object of meditation. Some add bliss to these, making three features; others add limpidity as well,

making four. However, limpidity is included in the first feature, so it does not have to be listed as a separate item. Delight and bliss which impart a sense of well-being do occur as results of the concentration that you will accomplish here, but they are not concomitant with all of the concentrations

which are included in the access to the first meditative stabilization. Also, the concentration of the fourth meditative stabilization—which is said to be the best basis for achieving the good qualities of all three vehicles—is not associated with any physical or mental bliss. Thus, delight and

bliss are not counted as features here. [505] While some of the concentrations on the formless levels lack highly vivid intensity, there is nothing wrong with presenting vividness as one of these two features. For, Maitreya’s Ornament for the Mah›y›na SÒtras91 refers to “meditative stabilization other than the formless realm.” This means that bodhisattvas—except for some powerful bodhisattvas92—achieve good qualities by relying on concentrations within the

levels of meditative stabilization. Since the development of this sort of vivid intensity is blocked as long as there is laxity, while one-pointed non-discursiveness is blocked as long as there is excitement, laxity and excitement are the chief obstacles to achieving genuine concentration. So if you do not understand how to identify accurately the subtle and coarse forms of laxity and excitement, or if you do not know how to correctly sustain a

concentration which stops these once you have identified them, then it will be impossible for you to develop serenity, not to mention insight. Hence, those who diligently seek concentration should master these techniques. Laxity and excitement are conditions unfavorable for achieving serenity. Later, I will discuss how to identify these unfavorable conditions and how to actually stop them. Now I shall explain how to develop concentration in a manner conducive

to achieving serenity. Here, concentration refers to your attention remaining one-pointedly on an object of meditation; in addition it must stay with the object continuously. Two things are needed for this: (1) a technique in which your attention is not distracted from whatever it had as its original object of meditation, and (2) an accurate awareness of whether you are distracted and whether you are becoming distracted. The former is mindfulness; the latter is vigilance. Vasubandhu’s Commentary on the “Ornament for the Mah›y›na SÒtras” (Mah›y›na-sÒtr›la˙k›ra-bh›˝ya) states:93 Mindfulness and vigilance bring

about close mental focus because the former prevents your attention from wandering from the object of meditation and the latter clearly recognizes that your attention is wandering. If a lapse in mindfulness leads to forgetting the object of meditation, you will be distracted and will immediately lose the

object upon which you are meditating. Therefore, the foundation of cultivating concentration is mindfulness which does not forget the object. How does such mindfulness focus your mind right on the object of meditation? [506] Once you have at least visualized the object of meditation in the minimal manner as explained above, generate a powerful apprehension of the object that tightly holds it with your attention. After you have set your attention at a high level, stabilize it on the object without newly analyzing anything. With regard to mindfulness, Asaºga’s Compendium of Knowledge says:94 What is mindfulness? In regard to a familiar object, your mind is not forgetful and operates without distraction. This indicates that mindfulness has three features. (1) Its observed object is “a familiar object,” since mindfulness does not occur with regard to a previously unfamiliar

object. In this case, the image of a previously ascertained object of meditation appears. (2) Its subjective aspect or manner of apprehension is your mind’s not forgetting the object, as indicated by the phrase “your mind is not forgetful.” In this case, it is your mind’s non-forgetfulness of the object of meditation. What does non-forgetfulness mean? It is not mentioned in reference to merely being able to remember what your guru taught you about the object of meditation, thinking or saying “The object of meditation is like this” when you cast your mind to it or when someone asks you about it. Rather,

it refers to how your attention is fixed on the object of meditation and brings it to mind clearly without even the slightest distraction. If you are distracted, you lose your mindfulness to the extent that you are distracted. Therefore, after you have set your attention on the object of meditation in

the manner explained above, you think, “In this way, I have fixed my attention on the object of meditation.” Then, without new examination, you sustain the force of that awareness in unbroken continuity. This is the most critical point in the technique of maintaining mindfulness. (3) Its function is to keep

your attention from wandering from the object of meditation. Fixing your attention on an object of meditation in this way and controlling it is said to be like taming an elephant. An elephant trainer ties a wild elephant to a tree or sturdy post with many thick ropes. [507] If it does as the trainer teaches

it, then fine; if not, it is subdued and controlled, struck repeatedly with a sharp iron hook. Your mind is like the untamed elephant; you bind it with the rope of mindfulness to the sturdy pillar of an object of meditation such as I explained above. If you cannot keep it there, you must gradually bring it under control by goading it with the iron hook of vigilance. Bh›vaviveka’s Heart of the Middle Way states:95

The erring elephant of your mind Is securely bound by the rope of mindfulness To the sturdy pillar of the object of meditation And is gradually controlled with the iron hook of intelligence. Also, KamalaŸıla’s second Stages of Meditation states:96 With the ropes of mindfulness and vigilance, tie the elephant

of your mind to the tree trunk, the object of meditation. It is not contradictory that the former text likens vigilance to an iron hook while the latter text compares it to a rope. Mindfulness directly and continually fastens your attention to the object of meditation. However, indirectly vigilance also

focuses your attention on the object of meditation, for you depend on noticing actual or incipient laxity and excitement with vigilance, and then stabilize your attention on the primary object without falling under their influence. Also, as cited above, the master Vasubandhu97 says that both mindfulness and

vigilance focus your mind on the object of meditation. It is said that you achieve concentration on the basis of mindfulness and that mindfulness is like a rope that actually fastens your attention to the object of meditation continuously, so mindfulness is the main technique to sustain in achieving

concentration. Also, mindfulness has a way of apprehending its object that carries a sense of certitude. If, while maintaining concentration, you stabilize your mind casually without a solid sense of certainty about the object, then your mind may take on a limpid clarity, but it will not have the vivid

intensity of certain knowledge, so you will not develop powerful mindfulness. [508] Therefore, subtle laxity will be unchecked, and only flawed concentration will ensue. Those who cultivate just non-discursive attention without stabilizing their attention on other objects of meditation, such as a

divine body, bring to mind the personal instruction, “Stabilize your mind without thinking of any object at all.” Then they must keep their attention from being distracted and wandering. This nondistraction is synonymous with mindfulness that does not forget the object of meditation. Thus, since this

meditation is simply the technique of maintaining mindfulness, those who meditate in this way must also rely on a mindfulness that carries the force of certain knowledge.

(b’)) Eliminating flawed methods

There are misconceptions to dispel, such as the following.

Wrong position: If you set your consciousness at a high level as you have explained above and then tightly stabilize it without discursiveness, there will indeed not be even the slightest fault of laxity. However, since this increases excitement, you will see that you cannot prolong stability, and your

elevated consciousness is brought down. As you will see that relaxing a well-tightened mind quickly leads to stability, this technique is a great personal instruction. Reply: With a sense of assurance, these words proclaim in a loud voice, “Good relaxation is good meditation.” Yet, they fail to differentiate

laxity and meditation. Thus, as I explained above,98 flawless concentration must have two features; the firm stability of nondiscursive attention does not alone suffice. Wrong position: At that time, laxity is when your mind darkens and becomes clouded; without this, your mind has a limpid clarity, so your

concentration is flawless. Reply: As this statement does not differentiate lethargy and laxity, I will elaborate on them later.99 Thus, if you use an intense cognition that is too tight, you may have clarity, but excitement will predominate so that it will be hard to develop stability. [509] If you

sustain your meditation after becoming greatly relaxed, then you may have stability, but laxity will predominate so that there is no vivid intensity. It is very hard to find the right balance of tension so as to be neither too taut nor too relaxed, and for this reason it is hard to develop a concentration free

from laxity and excitement. With this in mind, the master Candragomin stated in his Praise of Confession (DeŸan›-stava):100 If I use exertion, excitement arises; If I abandon it, slackness ensues; It is hard to find the right balance in this— What should I do with my troubled mind? The meaning of this is as

follows: “Use exertion” means your mind is too tight; when you do this, excitement arises. When you let the tightness go and relax too much, you produce slackness, with your attention remaining inward. So it is difficult to find the proper balance for an even state of mind, free from laxity and excitement.

Again, BuddhaŸ›nti’s Commentary on the “Praise of Confession” (DeŸan›-stava-v¸tti) says:101 “Exertion” here refers to tightly focusing your mind on virtue with clear enthusiasm. And:102

After you see the problem of incipient excitement, you abandon your exertion; that is, you give up your effort. Thereupon, your attention becomes slack. Candragomin’s Praise of Confession also states:103 If I strain to engage the object, excitement occurs; If I relax, slackness develops. It is hard to find

a practice midway between these two— What should I do with my troubled mind? BuddhaŸ›nti’s commentary on this is clear:104 If you strain for a tight focus

on the object and exert yourself, your mind becomes excited and distracted, and you thereby destroy your concentration. Therefore, you are not attaining mental stability through exertion. This is problematic, so in order to avoid it you relax your mind, which has been straining to engage the object, and

give up your exertion. [510] Then faults such as forgetting the object of meditation lead to slackness and laxity. Therefore, Candragomin says “it is hard to find” a concentration that is the right balance or midway practice free from the two extremes of laxity and excitement. If getting quite relaxed were

adequate, there would not be any problem at all. Since the text says that this leads to laxity, it is obviously improper to use this method to achieve concentration. It is not enough to have the clarity which is simply the limpid quality of a very relaxed mind; there also must be a degree of tightness in

the way you apprehend the object. In his discussion of the method used in the first two of the nine mental states,105 the noble Asaºga says:106 For stabilizing and properly stabilizing your mind on this object, there is the attention of tight focus. Also, KamalaŸıla’s first Stages of Meditation

says:107 After you clear away laxity, firmly hold just the object of meditation. And KamalaŸıla’s second Stages of Meditation states:108 Then, after you have quelled laxity, by all means make it so that your mind very clearly sees just the object of meditation. When KamalaŸila says “your mind very clearly sees,” he does not mean only that the object is clear; he means that your mind’s way of apprehending the object is clear and firm.

The above-mentioned way of maintaining mindfulness is extremely important. Without knowing it your meditation will show a great number of faults, such as slipping into great forgetfulness commensurate with the amount of your meditation or dulling the wisdom that differentiates phenomena. Nevertheless you

mistakenly presume that you have a solid concentration. Question: While mindfulness fixes your attention on the object of meditation as explained above, is it appropriate to monitor your meditation and think about whether you are holding the object of meditation well? Reply: You have to do this, for

KamalaŸıla’s second Stages of Meditation states:109 [511] After you have thus set your attention on whatever your chosen object of meditation may be, fix it there continuously. While you stay right with the object, analyze and investigate your mind, thinking: “Is my mind apprehending the object of meditation

well? Or is it lax? Or is it distracted by the appearance of external objects?” It is not that you stop your concentration and then look at your mind. Rather, while maintaining your state of concentration, you just look to see whether your attention is staying where it was previously set on the primary

object of meditation and, if it is not, whether there is laxity or excitement. After you have settled into concentration, you monitor this at moderate intervals, neither too often nor too seldom. If you do this while the intensity and force of the previous awareness are not quite gone, it takes place

within the perspective of this awareness. This has the purpose of both enabling long-lasting, intense stability, and letting you quickly recognize laxity and excitement. Accordingly, this is how you sustain your mindfulness, for a necessary cause of powerful and continuous mindfulness is sustaining your

meditation by repeatedly reminding yourself, at intervals, of the intended object of meditation. Asaºga’s ⁄r›vaka Levels says:110 In this regard, what is a one-pointed mind? Any continuum of attention that remembers again and again, focuses on a consistently similar object, and is continuous, free of misdeeds,

and possessed of delight is called “concentration,” as well as “a onepointed virtuous mind.” What does it remember again and again? You perceive the object of meditation—the characteristic of someone in equipoise—

from the viewpoint of any teaching that you have memorized or heard, and upon which you have received instructions and explications from your gurus. You engage and focus on this object with continuous mindfulness. [512] Also, Sthiramati’s Explanation of the “Separation of the Middle from the Extremes” (Madhy›nta-vibh›ga-˛ık›) states:111 The statement “Mindfulness means not forgetting the object of meditation” means that you mentally express the

instructions on stabilizing your mind. Therefore, you maintain mindfulness to stop forgetfulness wherein you stray from the object of meditation. Hence, non-forgetfulness of the object of meditation—wherein forgetfulness is stopped—is when you “mentally express” the object of meditation; you bring the

object of meditation to mind again and again. For example, when you are anxious about forgetting something you know, it will be hard to forget if you recall it again and again. Thus, you have to remind yourself of the object of meditation at moderate intervals in order to develop strong mindfulness. The

way to strengthen your vigilance, which notices laxity and excitement, is to lock your attention on the object of meditation without distraction, and then to monitor it. Realize that if you repudiate such a procedure by thinking, “This is discursiveness,” it will be extremely difficult to develop powerful mindfulness and vigilance. (c’)) The length of sessions Question: When you fix your attention on the object of meditation with mindfulness, is there a definite length for the session, such that you say, “I will stabilize my mind on the object only until then”? Reply: On this matter, all earlier gurus of

the various Tibetan lineages say that you have to do numerous short sessions. Why? Some say that if you meditate in brief sessions and stop when it is going well, you will still be eager to meditate at the end of each session, while if the session is long, you will become weary. Others explain that if the

session is long, it is easy to fall under the sway of laxity and excitement, so it is hard to develop flawless concentration. Asaºga’s ⁄r›vaka Levels and other classic texts do not state the length of sessions clearly. However, KamalaŸıla’s third Stages of Meditation does say:112 At this stage engage in meditative equipoise for twenty-four minutes, an hour-and-a-half, three hours, or as long as you can. [513]

While this statement occurs in the context of the length of the session for cultivating insight after you have already achieved serenity, it is clearly similar when you are first achieving serenity, so do it this way. If you practice the techniques of mindfulness and vigilance explained above—reminding

yourself of the object of meditation and monitoring your meditation at moderate intervals—it does not matter if the session is a little long. However, usually one of two things will happen when you are a beginner and have a long session. On the one hand you may become distracted due to forgetfulness. In

this case, you will not recognize the occurrence of any laxity or excitement quickly but only after a long period of time. On the other hand, though you may not lose your mindfulness, it is easy to fall under the sway of laxity and excitement, and you will not quickly recognize them when they occur. The

first situation hinders the development of strong mindfulness; the latter hinders the development of strong vigilance. Hence, it is very difficult to stop laxity and excitement. In particular, failing to recognize laxity and excitement after you have become distracted due to forgetting the object of meditation is much worse than failing to quickly recognize laxity and excitement while not forgetting the object of meditation. So the techniques for maintaining mindfulness—the previously explained remedies which stop the breakdown of mindfulness ensuing from distraction—are very important.113 If you

have great forgetfulness ensuing from distraction, as well as vigilance so weak that it does not quickly recognize laxity and excitement, then your session must be short. If it is hard for you to forget the object and you can quickly notice laxity and excitement, it does not matter if the session is a little

long. This is the idea behind KamalaŸıla’s statement above that the duration of a session is indefinite—twenty-four minutes and so forth. In short, since the duration has to comport with your mental capacity, KamalaŸıla says “as long as you can.” If temporary injury to your mind or body does not occur, set

your mind in equipoise. [514] If such injury does occur, do not persist in meditating, but immediately stop your session and then clear away the impediments in your mental and physical constituents. Then meditate. This is what the adepts intended, so recognize that doing this is an aspect of how long a meditation session should be.