(...cont'd)
If, either during or after meditation, one has experiences that one interprets as results,
they should not be made into anything special;
recognize that they are just phenomena and simply observe them.
Above all, do not attempt to recreate them as this opposes the natural spontaneity of the mind.
All phenomena are completely new and fresh and absolutely unique,
entirely free from all concepts of past, present, and future - as if experienced in another
dimension of time; this is absolute spontaneity.
The continual stream of new discovery and fresh revelation and inspiration that
arise at every moment is the manifestation of the eternal youth of the living dharma and its wonders;
splendor and spontaneity is the play or dance aspect of the universe as guru.
One should learn to see everyday life as a mandala in which one is at the center,
and be free of the bias and prejudice of past conditioning, present desires, and hopes
and expectations about the future.
The figures of the mandala are the day-to-day objects of one's life experiences
moving in the great dance of the play of the universe,
the symbolism by which the guru reveals profound and ultimate meaning and significance.
Therefore, be natural and spontaneous; accept and learn from everything.
See the comical, amusing side of initiating situations.
In meditation, see through the illusion of past, present, and future.
The past is but a present memory or condition, the future but a present projection,
and the present itself vanishes before it can be grasped.
One should put an end to conceptions about meditation and free oneself from memories
of the past. Each moment of meditation is completely unique and full of potentiality of new discovery,
so one is incapable of judging meditation by past experience or by theory.
Simply plunge straight into meditation at this very moment with your whole mind,
and be free from hesitation, boredom, or excitement.
When meditating it is traditional and best, if possible, to sit cross-legged
with the back erect but not rigid. However, it is most important to feel comfortable, so it is better
to sit in a chair if sitting cross-legged is painful.
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One's mental attitude should be inspired by the three fundamental aspects,
whether the meditation is with or without form, and it may often prove desirable,
if not essential, to precede a period of formless meditation by a period of meditation with form.
To provide for this eventuality many classes of preliminary meditation practices
have been developed over centuries of buddhist practice, the most important being meditations
on breathing, mantra recitation, and visualization techniques.
To engage in the second and third of these classes, personal instruction from one's guru
is required, but a few words on the first would not be out of place here as the method used
varies little from person to person.
First, let the mind follow the movement of the breath, in and out,
until it becomes calm and tranquil. Then increasingly rest the mind on the breath
until one's whole being seems to be identified with it.
Finally, become aware of the breath leaving the body and going out into space,
and gradually transfer the attention from the breath to the sensation of spaciousness and expansion.
By letting this final sensation merge into complete openness, one moves into
the sphere of formless meditation.
In all probability the above description of the three fundamental aspects
will seem vague and inadequate. This is inevitable since they attempt to describe
what is not only beyond words but beyond thought as well.
They invite practice of what is, essentially, a state of being.
The words are simply a form of upaya, skillful means, a hint which, if acted upon,
will enable one's innate natural wisdom and naturally perfect action to arise spontaneously.
Sometimes in meditation one may experience a gap in one's normal consciousness,
a sudden and complete openness.
This experience arises only when one has ceased to think in terms of meditation and the object of meditation.
It is a glimpse of reality, a sudden flash that occurs infrequently at first, and then,
with continued practice, more and more frequently. it may not be a particularly shattering
or explosive experience at all, just a moment of great simplicity.
Do not make the mistake of deliberately trying to force these experiences to recur,
for to do so is to betray the naturalness and spontaneity of reality.
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