Tantric Techniques (32 page)

Through drawing on the resources of the tradition and of personal knowledge, one’s uncommon afflictive emotion is sufficiently conquered so that progress can again be made, at which point one returns to the original meditation. Now, mindfulness can reach maturity, due to which the object is no longer lost, and the fourth lev-el, called “close setting,”
a
is achieved. At this point, coarse laxity and excitement do not occur, but subtle versions persist. Since the factor of stability has greatly increased, this is likely the point at which a person cultivating the meditative stabilization of exalted body switches to cultivating the meditative stabilization of exalted speech, since Tsong-kha-pa says,
b
“Prior to repetition it is very important to achieve a firm meditative stabilization observing a dei-ty.” He is not indicating that one switches to mantra repetition
after
achieving actual calm abiding, since calm abiding is gained during the meditative stabilization of exalted speech in the phase called

a
nye bar ’jog pa, upasth
ā
pana.

b
Deity Yoga,
164-165.

Mantra Repetition
129

“concentration of abiding in sound.” The inception of mantra repetition must be at a time of considerable but not complete stability, this likely being the fourth mental abiding.

Since, to achieve such stability, the mind has been strongly withdrawn from scattering to outside objects, the mind tends to become overly withdrawn, at which point powerful introspection is required to recognize subtle laxity. Thus, the fifth mental abiding, called “disciplining,”
a
is achieved when introspection and application of the antidotes to laxity are able to relieve the mind of this fault.

Then, since the mind was revivified through tightening its mode of apprehension, the danger on the fifth mental abiding comes from subtle excitement; through introspection that has matured to full force, one recognizes subtle excitement and applies the antidotes, thereby achieving the sixth level, called “pacifying.”
b
Through this process, one eventually arrives at a point when even subtle laxity and excitement cannot interrupt meditative stabilization to any significant degree; this seventh level, therefore, is called “thorough pacifying.”
c
At this time it is difficult for any sort of laxity or excitement to create problems, but because strong ef-fort is needed, it is said that this level is achieved through the power of effort, though indeed effort has been required all along.

When a meditator is able to remain on the object for an entire session without interference by laxity and excitement, either coarse or subtle, this is the mark of having achieved the eighth mental abiding called “making one-pointed.”
d
At the beginning of the session, the practitioner initiates a little effort directed at maintaining mindfulness of the antidotes to laxity and excitement, and this alone is sufficient to keep these faults away. Then, through having become accustomed to this state, meditative stabilization dawns of its own accord, without requiring effort, this being the ninth level, called “setting in meditative equipoise.”
e
Now, the ob-ject is engaged spontaneously, whereas on the eighth level, though uninterrupted, it was not spontaneous.

Still, one has not yet achieved calm abiding which requires—in

a
dul bar byed pa, damana.

b
zhi bar byed pa,
ś
amana.

c
nye bar zhi bar byed pa, vyupa
ś
amana.

d
rtse gcig tu byed pa, ekot
ī
kara
ṇ
a.

e
mnyam par ’jog pa, sam
ā
dh
ā
na.

130
Tantric Techniques

addition to being able spontaneously to remain on the chosen ob-ject free from laxity and excitement and endowed with both clear appearance of the object and intense clarity of the subject—a full complement of mental and physical serviceability called “pliancy.” Pliancy is attained by becoming used to the state of spontaneous placement on the object, whereby a series of experiences occurs:

Gradually the “winds” (currents of energy) that are involved in unhealthy physical states are calmed and leave the body through the top of the head, where a tingly sensation is created.

Thereupon, a
mental pliancy,
which is a pacification of unhealthy states making the mind heavy and preventing its usage in virtue according to one’s will, is generated; this makes the mind serviceable.

Through its force, a “wind” of serviceability moves throughout the body, inducing a
physical pliancy
that causes separation from physical states of roughness and heaviness, whereupon one is able to use the body at will in virtuous actions (including meditation) without any sense of hardship. This physical pliancy it-self is an internal object of touch, an internal smoothness and lightness; the body is light like cotton and as if filled with this serviceable wind.

Experiencing this special internal object of touch, one has a
bliss of physical pliancy,
and due to the mental consciousness paying attention to this bliss accompanying the body consciousness, a
bliss of mental pliancy
is generated. At this point, one’s body seems to have dissolved, and nothing but the object of observation appears—in this case, one’s divine body. The mind is so buoyantly joyous that it is as if it is now almost una-ble to remain on its object.

The excessive buoyancy is gradually removed, at which point one attains an immovable pliancy, in which the mind remains stably and joyously on the object of observation. This is calm abiding.

The
Questions of Sub
ā
hu
, one of the four general Action Tantras, speaks of the immovable, serviceable, and clear nature of this state:
a

a
Cited in
Deity Yoga,
164.

Mantra Repetition
131

Look at the tip of the nose and abandon thought. When, though moving about, one is immovable, And a purity from states of unclarity is attained, The mind is certain to become serviceable.

It also speaks of pliancy and bliss:
a

In a person having a one-pointed mind Mentally arisen joy is strongly produced. Through joy, physical pliancy is attained.

Through suppleness of body, one has the fortune of bliss.

Through physical bliss, one-pointed mind, and meditative stabilization,

Repetition is then unobstructed.

Putting this passage together with the process outlined above, we could say that the “one-pointed mind” refers to the eighth and ninth mental abidings; “mentally arisen joy is strongly produced” refers to excessively buoyant joy; “through joy physical pliancy is attained” refers to the generation of physical pliancy; and “through suppleness of body one has the fortune of bliss” refers to the generation of the blisses of physical and mental pliancy. As with Tsong-kha-pa’s statement cited above, the last lines misleadingly seem to indicate that repetition is begun
after
the attainment of calm abiding, since “meditative stabilization” most likely refers to calm abiding. However, it is clear that actual calm abiding is achieved during the meditative stabilization of exalted speech since the new objects of observation of that phase are especially geared to removing laxi-ty and excitement, as will be detailed below.

A mind of calm abiding has many advantages; the Dalai Lama describes them vividly:
b

When such mental meditative stabilization has been achieved, external good and bad objects, such as visible forms and so forth, that generate desire, hatred, and obscuration do not appear to be as solid as they usually do; through the force of having familiarized with meditative stabilization, they appear to be less concrete. When, from the perspective of experiencing meditative stabilization, one views such objects, they seem to dissolve of their own

a
Ibid., 165.

b
The Dalai Lama at Harvard,
156.

132
Tantric Techniques

accord, and the mind immediately withdraws inside. Consequently, at this time there is no danger at all from the usual scattering of the mind outside. Again, as external distractions lessen, one’s mind remains experiencing its natural entity of mere luminosity and knowing; due to this, the internal generation of good and bad conceptions lessens. Even when conceptions are generated, they are like bubbles produced from water—they are not able to keep their own continuums going, they disappear immediately.

Actual
calm abiding has such qualities, and Tsong-kha-pa is concerned that it be properly identified, lest it be confused with lower levels of mental stability:
a

In all four tantra sets the time of initially achieving a fully qualified calm abiding is chiefly when being instructed in deity yoga. Therefore, if you do not distinguish between fully qualified calm abiding and a similitude of it and do not finely differentiate the time of achieving calm abiding in accordance with how it appears in the great texts, you will not know the extent to which you must be led when initially being instructed in deity yoga.

(“Deity yoga” at the end of the passage refers not just to the meditative stabilization of exalted body but includes the meditative stabilization of exalted speech.) Tsong-kha-pa is concerned with the proper identification of calm abiding not only so that a lower state is not mis-identified as calm abiding but also so that it is not confused with the greater bliss of Highest Yoga Mantra. As the Dalai Lama says about the bliss of calm abiding:
b

Though it is indeed blissful, it has no connection with the bliss described in [Highest Yoga] Mantra; it does not involve concentrated emphasis on important points in the body but is merely due to withdrawing the mind onto an object of observation—it is due to the power of just such meditative stabilization.

Calm abiding is a powerful tool to be used in the service of enhancing the force of the wisdom realizing the emptiness of inherent

a
Deity Yoga,
165.

b
The Dalai Lama at Harvard,
156.

Mantra Repetition
133

existence so that it can overcome intellectually acquired and innate conceptions of inherent existence. The aim is to undo the ideational process behind afflictive emotions and then to remove even the
appearance
of inherent existence that prevents Buddhahood.

The details of the process of achieving calm abiding yield a picture of how the human condition is viewed in these traditions. Hu-mans are trapped in a situation of repeated suffering not just by false assent to the seeming solidity of objects but also by a mind that is so mired in the extremes of either being too loose or too tight that attempts at correction push the mind between these two extremes. Also, the very structure of the ordinary mind prevents manifestation of certain chronic psychic problems, such that when this structure is disturbed by attempting to focus it and develop powers of concentration, deeply seated problems appear with greater force and others newly manifest.

Also, the mere fact that mindfulness and introspection need to be developed means that even though at present we have small versions of these, we have little idea of their potential—we are in a state of deprivation, sometimes arrogantly convinced of our wholeness and sometimes disparagingly reluctant to take cognizance of our potential. The system points to attainable states of mind that dramatically enhance the quality of life and that, of themselves, eliminate a host of problems, but whose attainment requires exposure to psychological pressures fraught with danger.

In one way, the systematic layout of stages gives the impression that mere application of the prescribed techniques would yield definite incremental results, but, in another way, examination of the complex techniques prescribed in the process of training yields a far different view of a mind that balks at improvement and enhancement, erects barriers, and places pitfalls in one’s path. In such a context, we can appreciate the plethora of techniques employed in the tantric systems to attempt to counteract and undermine these forces. Whether they could be successful is no easy matter to determine; a claim that they definitely are would be superficial and do disservice to the complex vision of the human situation that a system such as that found in Action Tantra evinces.