The preliminary practice, main practice and final practice are crucial stages in a Vajrayana practice, particularly the preliminary practice. There are many practitioners who, after sometime, tend to forget about the importance of the preliminary practice, which is actually an important preparatory stage.
It is important for us to be mindful about practicing for the benefit of others; we practice for the sake of others. Some people thought that they will reap the benefits of doing the practice: their families will be well, their careers will be good, their health will be rosy etc. However, all these have nothing to do with the preliminary practice. Actually, the preliminary practice is aimed at benefitting others.
There are many practitioners who visualize inhaling pure energy and exhaling dark energy during their practice. The enlightened masters, on the contrary, inhale dark energy and exhale pure energy in order to benefit the sentient beings. Many enlightened masters ended up in poor health, but they expected and accepted such ordeal. The enlightened masters only thought of benefitting others.
I just read an article on a Q&A session between the students and Grand Master. I found it funny because the one asking the question did not seem to understand the preliminary practice. He asked Grand Master if he could be given the pith instruction for attaining the state of Vajra Samadhi. He asked if Grand Master could transmit the Vajra Samadhi to a few students and bring them to the Maha Double Lotus Ponds in the Western Blissful Pure Land. This is an impossible task! Grand Master was only joking. How could it be possible for you to just be given a special blessing and you could end up in the Maha Double Lotus Ponds? Finally, Grand Master said, you folks like to ask for short cuts but there is none!
Grand Master gave the analogies of 3 kinds of meditator. The first kind of meditator will find his thoughts flowing like a waterfall, with his mind wandering about non-stop. The second kind of meditator would have already practiced for at least 8 to 10 years, and his mind is likened to a sea, with its waves rising and ceasing in rhythm. However, there are small gaps between the waves, with at least a little space of emptiness in between. His thoughts will still re-appear soon after, in a repetitive cycle. Nevertheless, the meditator has at least developed a little power of stability. The third kind of meditator is likened to a still lake, with his thoughts completely ceased, and he dwells in a state of Samadhi - like a moon reflected on the surface of a lake, completely still! There is no thought. He is in a state of samadhi. When you are in such state of being, you have entered the state of Vajra Samadhi. When you are in a state of Vajra Samadhi, I don’t have to bring you to the Maha Double Lotus Ponds, because you can go there on your own; only when you are in such state of being. This is the answer given by Grand Master.
Lastly, Grand Master explained how one could enter the state of samadhi. The secret lies in our daily practices. If we offer whatever we have to others, abide by the precepts very strictly, always thinking about helping others, being indifferent to the criticisms lashed out by others on you etc, and when you have perfected all your practices of meditation, offering etc, you will, very naturally, enter the state of samadhi. When your mind is still wandering about, your mind will not be in a state of samadhi. If you claim that you are in a state of samadhi, you are just lying – that probably is not samadhi, but a Sleeping Samadhi – you are snoring!
How can one enter the state of samadhi? Maintain a very quiet mind during your daily activities by simplifying your lifestyle, purifying every thought of yours, letting go of everything around you, including your attachment to your career, the feelings of love and hatred, desires for good food etc. As long as you cling on to something, feel attached to anything that is pleasant, you will not be able to enter the state of samadhi. Be indifferent to what you hear – be it criticism or praises about you. Be indifferent to your sense of touch. When you don’t cling on to anything, you are in a state of purity: you will not be agitated by others no matter what they say about you; you will become a very humble person, always ready to learn from others; you will have no pride but will always be prepared to start from the lowest point; you will not argue with others. If you are still very fond of debates, you will not be able to break free from the cyclic existence of birth, aging, sickness and death. Instead, you will continue to cry in pain when you are in a state of critical illness.
We should be humble and always learn from others, simplify our lifestyle, and practice the Six Perfections. When all these are practiced to perfection, you will enter a state of purity, samadhi, completely void of thoughts, with great ease.
Just now I entered a state of samadhi, with my mind completely free of thoughts. When I was reciting the Heart Sutra, my mind was in a state of purity, with no anxieties at all. When your life is purified, with nothing more to ask for, you will be able to enter the state of samadhi very swiftly, and it can last for 1 to 2 hours. When the mind is still, it is like a still lake. I actually wanted to just remain in that state for 1 to 2 hours, but I was worried that you folks might come grab my bell and ring it, urging me to end my meditation. My mind was still, like the statue of a Buddha, completely still, with the thoughts completely ceased. You will need to reach this stage in order to enter the state of Samadhi.
I find Grand Master’s answers wonderful! We must perfect our skills of meditation, practice well and practice with humility. Learn any practice with humility, persevere and practice it to perfection. That is the only way to achieve great spiritual attainment in this life. Otherwise, it will be difficult.
