Analytical Meditation  Editors' Note: Acharya Lama Tenpa Gyaltsen was
born in the region of Trakar, in Nepal. At a very early age, he began studying dharma texts with Lama Amji of Trakar. He moved to Kathmandu at the age of 13, where he entered the monastery. Some years later, he was instrumental in building the Kagyu monastery in Matopanai, Pokhara, Nepal. He joined the Karma Shri Nalanda Institute at Rumtek in 1981, and graduated as an acharya and karapjampa. In the 1990's, he completed a traditional three-year
retreat at Pullahari Monastery in Kathmandu, Nepal. He has been a very important teacher of Nitartha Institute in North America and Europe, and he leads the Institute with The Dzogchen Ponlop Rinpoche. He is currently resident teacher at Thegsum Tashi Choling in Hamburg and oversees other Karma Kagyu centers in Europe.
The following discussion is the first in a series of talks on analytical meditation given by Acharya Lama Tenpa Gyaltsen at the Nalandabodhi
Sangha Retreat 2001. Bodhi will present additional discussions by Lama Tenpa on this subject in future issues. Anne Burchardi served as Lama Tenpa's translator.- - - - - - -
by Acharya Lama Tenpa Gyaltsen According to the instructions of Milarepa, when dharma friends who have some experience of practice meet, they should share their experiences.
Such discussions of our experience are one of the purposes of gathering, and they are a benefit to our minds. Milarepa, in response to a question from Rechungpa, said that the two main purposes of meeting with dharma friends were to share one's experiences with each other and to repair any broken samayas through performing the ganachakras or feast practice. Therefore, this is an auspicious opportunity to follow Milarepa's instructions. Meditation: Two Types Within the Buddhist tradition, one generally distinguishes between two types of meditation. One type is a resting meditation or settling the mind, and the other is an analytical or investigating meditation. Some practitioners think that these two forms of meditation are in opposition to each other, like water
and fire. That view implies that if you have one, you cannot have the other. One might think that if you practice analytical meditation, you will not be able to place the mind evenly in absorption meditation, and if you practice absorption meditation, it will exclude the possibility of analytical meditation. However, great lineage masters such as Khenpo Tsultrim Gyamtso Rinpoche and Dzogchen Ponlop Rinpoche have expressed the view that
one should not regard these two types of meditation in this way. Instead of seeing resting and analytical meditation as being in opposition to each other, one should understand that in order to gain a genuine meditation, one should practice these together; moreover, each one will benefit the other. This view is similar to the understanding of the interrelationship of shamatha and vipashyana. How one practices these two types of meditation together, however,
depends on one's individual inclination. For instance, you may want to emphasize analytical meditation more and spend comparatively less time on absorption meditation, while another person may have an inclination to spend more time on absorption meditation and less on analytical meditation. Therefore, the type of meditation to be emphasized depends on the individual. Generally speaking, individuals who have had less education,
or who have lacked the opportunity for formal education, may spend more time on absorption meditation. On the other hand, individuals who have received extensive education, or who have had the opportunity to develop their mental capacities, may spend more time on analytical meditation. Preferences: One Thought or Many
It seems that most people actually prefer absorption meditation because they think of analytical meditation as a lot of work. They think, "Oh, analytic meditation is not good because you have to use a lot of effort, you have to read many books, and generally you have to think a lot." It seems that most students would prefer simply to practice a form of resting meditation. Thus, we should ask why there seems to be this preference for resting meditation
and so little enthusiasm for engaging in analytical meditation. This is an interesting question, especially as the importance of analytical meditation has been emphasized by teachers such as Khenpo Tsultrim Gyamtso Rinpoche and Dzogchen Ponlop Rinpoche. One reason that meditators may not be so enthusiastic about analytical meditation is that they think thoughts and concepts will increase through engaging in the process of analysis. From books they have read, they have
understood that the meaning of meditation is to "be without thoughts." As a result, many people have developed the preconception that meditation should be without any mental activity, whatsoever. They think that the ability to rest or meditate as if one were a stone is a sign of good meditation. When it appears that analytical meditation increases conceptions and thoughts, then their preconception that "good meditation is without thoughts"
prevents these meditators from considering analytical meditation to be true meditation. When practicing this type of meditation, one does have the feeling that thoughts are increasing. This is how it apparently is; thoughts do increase, apparently. |
