Meditation topics for this session: The danger of lower rebirth, refuge practice, and actions and their effects (Topics 4,5, & 6)
Ok...we are almost through the darker topics...stick with it, and remember topics of love, bliss, and truth are coming up...
For now, we still have to come to terms with all possibilities...after that, we will focus on the potential for permanent bliss.
There is a lot of information to contemplate today. I suggest reading through all of the below first (Parts 1, 2 and 3). Then go back and take some time to study the points of contemplation. Then go into the preliminaries, contemplation (again - this time with some familiarity since you read through them and studied them), meditation, dedication, subsequent practice. If you have time to meditate twice today, that will be great so you have a chance to process all the information and come to single pointed concentration.
To be clear, take at least 10-15 minutes to read and study what is in this blog before going through the classic 5 steps of your meditation (prelim, contemplation, meditation, dedication, subsequent practice).
Enjoy, and know that brighter topics are coming up in the following days!
Topic 4: The Danger of Lower Rebirth
When we die, negative karma may take us to rebirth in one of the lower realms. Meditating on this danger, develops fear of the suffering of the lower (hell) realms. This fear becomes a cause to go for refuge in order to purify and practice well and learn about the creation of bliss.
Contemplation Part 1
When our body dies, our consciousness will find another abode. Our mind doesn't really have freedom or choice about where to go next. Our past actions -- our karma -- will determine the place of our next rebirth.
Heavy negative karma can cause rebirth in hell, less negative karma can cause rebirth as an unhappy ghost, and the least negative karma causes rebirth as an animal.
It's pretty easy to commit negative karma - lying, hurting other's feelings, speaking harshly - unless we purify and practice, the potentialities of negative actions remains and can ripen at the moment of death. We should ask ourselves, "If I die today, where will I be tomorrow?"
Meditation Part 1
Contemplate on the sufferings of the three lower realms, the dangers of being reborn there, until you generate a strong fear of being there. This fear is actually the object of meditation.
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I know it may seem strange to meditate on fear when yoga is all about letting go of our fears. But, yoga is also about personal responsibility for everything that we do, say and think. Yoga is about being hyper sensitive to how we treat others and ourselves. Are we honest? Are we helping people? Are we hurting people? Do we, as yogis, truly understand Oneness - that if I hurt you, I hurt myself because you are an extension of me...you are a part of me...the only way for me to experience bliss is if I give bliss to others by helping others in countless creative ways - big ways, small ways - perhaps just a smile or putting someone through school - the actual act does not matter - is my heart open and warm towards others?
There are ramifications to our actions. Karma is not just an eastern, esoteric teaching. As, Jesus said, "As you sow, so shall you reap." This is karma in a nutshell.
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Contemplation Part 2: Refuge
Having developed fear of lower rebirth, we now consider how Yoga has the power to protect us.
If we look for refuge in our teacher or our yoga studio or our home, we will be disappointed. The only thing that has the power to free us, the only thing that we can truly take refuge in, is our own understanding of ultimate reality - our own wisdom of how things work, what actions lead to liberation, and what actions bind us to cyclic existence.
Our real refuge is our spiritual realizations that protect us from delusions. For example, if we gain realizations of impermanence and death (yesterday's meditation topic), it will help us to reduce our attachment to things in this life. If we have a firm awareness of the inevitability of death and the uncertainty of its time, we naturally will value disciplined spiritual practice over transitory sense pleasures, wealth and power. If we realize karma and its consequences, we will not be tempted to engage in non-virtuous actions such as lying, stealing, hurting others in any stark or subtle way.
So, we build a strong determination to build the foundation for realizing ultimate reality within our minds by relying on/taking refuge in a teacher, these teachings and a sangha (group of friends to encourage us to practice).
Meditation Part 2:
Generate a strong conviction that these teachings, a teacher and a sangha are together your objects of refuge. Meditate on the mental attitude of faith until your feel your mind is transformed into that state and then hold it single-pointedly as if your mind has merged with an ocean of faith.
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Contemplation Part 3
The actual method to protect ourselves from rebirth in the lower realms and the way to lay a foundation for spiritual realizations, is by observing the laws of karma and generating good, positive karma so that nothing comes in the way of your practice.
All our suffering comes from hurting people in the past. All our joy comes from helping people. Conviction in the laws of karma is the root of future happiness.
Contemplate these points until we develop a conviction in the truth of karma. Again, don't believe anything anyone says! Debate these points in your mind, with your teachers, with your sangha. Debate karma from every angle until you feel clear and firm in your belief. Is karma true?
Meditation Part 3
Contemplate the above until you develop conviction in the truth of karma. Take your time. Consult with many people. Consult with every aspect of your mind. Then, make the determination: Since I wish to be free from every misfortune and enjoy uninterrupted happiness, I must abandon harmful actions and engage only in kind, helpful actions. Make this determination firm by meditation on it.
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Dedication (see previous meditations - it is always the same)
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Subsequent practices: During the day, remember the danger of taking lower rebirth. This helps maintain mindfulness and conscientiously avoid harmful actions that would hurt others. Be inspired to seek refuge in training your mind to be free of delusions. Feel inspired to spend time with teachers, teachings and a spiritual community that will help you to train your mind to reach the ultimate goals. Keep reminding yourself to engage in actions that help others and avoid actions that harm others in order to make your life meaningful and avoid any negative karma that would come in the way of your practice and your liberation. Generate faith in the laws of karma and its consequences - actions and their effects - engage in as much contemplation and debate as you wish.
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There is a lot to contemplate today! There is a lot to get comfortable with. This is why we have two meditations in a day! By the time we meditate, we almost have to have the points of contemplation memorized so that we don't spend all our meditation contemplating (which is more like study and review) and we spend some of the meditation time actually engaged in single-pointed concentration on the meditation topic.
This is why the lamrim can take months or years to master. Remember, in these two weeks, we are just getting a glimpse of the path leading to bliss...
With Love,
Reema
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