Atisha, Indian in origin, spent his whole life spiritually liberating Tibet. It could be said that he founded Tibetan Buddhism which it is estimated has about 350 million adherents today – about 6% of the world population. He is highly unusual in that he had not one but three highly realized masters – Dharmakirti, Dharmarakshita, and Yogin Maitreya.
One of his most precious teachings is the ‘Seven Points of Mind Training.’ These are merely fingers pointing to the moon – the fingers are not the moon – so once you have opened yourself to these very practical ways of liberating your spirit from the prison of your mind, please forget about them. They will work their way into your unconscious mind and assist you in singing your own song and dancing your own dance. In other words, once absorbed they will polish your true nature, your Buddha Nature until it shines out into the universe. The mind creates all of our miseries in human life, so by following this formula you can become free of it.
It is important to say at the outset that this article represents my response to Atisha’s wisdom. I am simply a valley echoing it into your heart. I am simply an objective messenger passing the wisdom on.
1 : Learn the Preliminaries:
a) Truth is being – we are already immersed in it. Humans are truth.
b) Mind is a Barrier – the perpetual film playing out in the world distracts us from what we actually are.
c) No-mind is the door. Atisha called this Bodhicitta (to be explained later) – by putting aside the mechanism of your mind, you will attain the unattainable.
2 : Think that all Phenomena are like Dreams
The seer is never seen, the experiencer never experienced, the witness never witnessed because we are always looking outwards. What truth can there be in a dream?
3 : Examine the Nature of Unborn Awareness
We were not born and we will not die. We are pure energy. We are pure awareness. We can use this awareness as a crystal mirror.
4 : Let the Remedy Itself Go Free on Its Own
It is our habit to cling to what cures us, but for what reason. Once your are cured be in full health. You can forget the remedy and be grateful in every moment of your perfect existence.
5 : Settle in the Nature of Basic Cognition, the Essence
Do nothing. Relax into your True Nature, your Buddha moments. There is nothing to do.
6 : Between Sessions consider Phenomena as Phantoms
If you have to move away from your meditation, your True Nature, remember that you are walking into a dream and participating in it with phantoms.
7 : Train in Joining, Sending and Taking Together; Do this by Riding the Breath: Three Poisons = Three Bases of Virtue
Breathing is being so breathe each borrowed breath carefully. First, breathe in the suffering, ignorance and darkness of all humanity. Hold them in your heart to transform them with compassion. Then breathe out the pure joy contributing it to the whole of existence.
We can convert the 3 poisons – greed, hatred and ignorance – into the 3 virtues by overcoming Aversion, Attachment and Indifference. The 3 poisons will be converted into 3 nectars with this simple technique. This is No-Mind – Bodhicitta – the Mahayana ideal of liberating all beings.
The above is not philosophy or religion, but sheer science. So, experiment. Try it for yourself. In this way, you can experience your True Nature. At first, you may only get a passing glimpse, a faint scent of something. This is the energy of your true beauty and fragrance. The fragrance of your unique Truth!
I will focus on each of the 7 stages in the Soul Management daily meditation over the next 7 days if you would like to join me.
images courtesy of megapixyl.com
