Fall 2013 Shamatha And The Bodhisattva Way Of Life

Before the meditation Alan discusses from which perspective you can do the tong-len practice - from your ordinary self or from the platform of Avolokishrvara. Alan explains how shamatha can be developed in the context of stage of generation practice. After the meditation Alan continues with the fifth point of the text - 'The whole of Dharma is synthesised in one aim'. Self grasping is not steady, constant. If we can recognise how frequently and robustly they come up and look for triggers, we can transform to give a deeper insight. Once we release self-grasping, we have the opportunity to begin to realise our actual nature - primordial awareness. The next line of the text - 'Attend to the chief of two witnesses'. Others may praise you as an exemplar Dharma practitioner, but they are not the chief witnesses, for they see only small portions of your overall behaviour, and they do not fathom the depths of your heart and mind. Distinguish between mundane concern over "what the neighbours think" and meaning