How to Practice Shamatha Meditation The

In 1988, Gen Lamrimpa, a Tibetan monk, led a one-year retreat in the Pacific Northwest, during which a group of Western meditators devoted themselves to the practice of meditative quiescence (shamatha). This book is a record of the oral teachings he gave to this group at the outset of the retreat. The teachings are brought to life by Gen Lamrimpa's warmth, humor, and extensive personal experience as a contemplative recluse. An invaluable practical guide for those seeking to develop greater attentional stability and clarity, this work will be of considerable interest to meditators, psychologists, and all others who are concerned with the potentials of the human mind.

Gen Lamrimpa, Ven. Jampal Tenzin (1934-2004), was a close disciple of H.H. the Dalai Lama. He lived in meditative solitude in the mountains high above Dharamsala, India, where he gained a reputation for his deep experience of the "stages of the path" practices. He was renowned as an accomplished practitioner of meditative stabilization and tummo (psychic heat) as well as other tantric meditations. B. Alan Wallace has served as interpreter for many distinguished Tibetan lamas and has taught extensively in Europe and America. He is the author of the Attention Revolution and Minding Close/y. He has edited, translated, authored, or contributed to more than thirty works on Tibetan Buddhism medicine, and culture, and the interface between science and religion.

Editor's Note	p. ix
Introduction to the Teachings
Prelude to the Practice	p. 3
Unsuitable Motivations	p. 8
Meaningful Motivations	p. 10
Rebirth in the Form or Formless Realms	p. 10
Liberation, or Nirvana	p. 11
Full Awakening	p. 11
Guidelines for Practice	p. 15
The Seven-Limb Puja	p. 16
Building a Strong Foundation	p. 20
Patience	p. 20
Physical and Mental Obstacles	p. 21
Potential Problems	p. 21
Questions and Answers	p. 23
The Collection of Causes for The Cultivation of Shamatha
The Six Essential Causes	p. 31
Dwelling in a Favorable Environment	p. 31
Reducing Desires and Developing Contentment	p. 32
Rejecting a Multitude of Activities	p. 33
Maintaining Pure Moral Discipline	p. 33
Rejecting Thoughts of Desire for Sensual Objects	p. 35
Cultivating Shamatha in Dependence upon the Essential Causes
Preparation	p. 37
The Actual Practice	p. 38
Posture and Other Physical Aspects	p. 38
Counting the Breath	p. 41
Questions and Answers	p. 42
Cultivating Faultless Samadhi
How to Perform Prior to Directing the Mind to the Object of Meditation	p. 45
The First Fault; Laziness	p. 46
Four Antidotes to Laziness	p. 46
Pliancy	p. 46
Enthusiasm	p. 47
Aspiration	p. 47
Faith	p. 48
The Interaction of the Four Antidotes	p. 49
The Excellent Qualities of Shamatha	p. 51
Questions and Answers	p. 53
Another Look at Bodhichitta	p. 55
Directing the Mind to the Object During Meditation	p. 59
Ascertaining the Specific Object of Meditation	p. 59
The Second Fault: Forgetfulness	p. 60
Establishing the Faultless Approach	p. 60
Nondiscursive Stability	p. 60
Strength of Clarity	p. 61
The Third Fault: Laxity and Excitement	p. 62
Maintaining Awareness of the Object	p. 64
Antidotes to Laxity and Excitement	p. 66
Dispelling a Faulty Approach	p. 68
Duration of Sessions	p. 68
Understanding That Arises from Reflection	p. 69
Questions and Answers	p. 70
Meditating on Impermanence	p. 79
How One Performs After Directing the Mind to the Object	p. 83
The Practice When Either Laxity or Excitement Arises	p. 83
The Definition of Laxity	p. 83
The Definition of Excitement	p. 85
Cultivating Vigilance That Recognizes Laxity and Excitement	p. 86
The Fourth Fault: Nonapplication	p. 87
The Antidote to Nonapplication	p. 87
The Definition of Intention	p. 88
Additional Remedies for Laxity	p. 89
Additional Remedies for Excitement	p. 91
Recognizing the Causes of Laxity and Excitement	p. 94
The Fifth Fault: Application	p. 96
The Antidote to Application	p. 97
A Brief Summary of the Five Faults and Eight Antidotes	p. 97
Questions and Answers	p. 99
Meditation: The Cultivation of Virtue	p. 109
The Stages of Cultivating the Mental States	p. 111
The Nine Mental States	p. 111
Differences between the Nine Mental States	p. 115
Questions and Answers	p. 117
Patience and Fortitude	p. 121
The Mental Powers and Forms of Attention	p. 125
Accomplishing the Six Mental Powers	p. 125
The Four Forms of Attention	p. 128
The Criteria for Having Attained Shamatha
Pliancy	p. 131
The First and Last Antidote	p. 131
Signs of Pliancy	p. 131
Questions and Answers	p. 133
A Few Final Words	p. 137
Dedication	p. 141
Glossary	p. 143
Further Reading	p. 148
Table of Contents provided by Ingram. All Rights Reserved.

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How to Practice Shamatha Meditation The Cultivation of Meditative Quiescence

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