sustaining focus on the chosen object.
The practice begins by setting the intention or motivation, clarifying the direction and purpose of
one’s engagement. It is comparable to setting the goal and direction at the beginning of a journey.
In the Buddhist context such practices are not solely for one’s personal accomplishments, but for
the welfare of all beings.
All systems and categorizations agree that after developing a positive motivation you first need to
train attention. This can be done by focusing on an external object (for example a candle or an
image), an internal object (thoughts), or something in-between the two extremes of outside and
inside, such as the breath. Traditionally the breath is preferred, because it serves as an ideal basis
for reference and observation, and is readily available. There are countless methods and
techniques on how to follow and observe the breath. By observing the chosen object (such as the
breath), one primarily becomes aware of how busy the mind is.
By using mindfulness, vigilant introspection and carefulness to guide the mind, you then
continuously bring your attention back to the object of focus. While there are various definitions of
mindfulness and vigilant introspection, it is useful to think of mindfulness as never forgetting what is
to be done, and what is not to be done; of vigilant introspection as examining one’s conduct in
thought, word and deed constantly; and of carefulness as an attentive and responsible
implementation of the principle of what to adopt and what to reject.
Through these efforts one’s mind will become more stable, clear, peaceful and workable. Once the
mind is calm and unwavering, the focused and clear mind can be used to investigate the mind’s
own processes, like a microscope for the scientist. This method of calming the mind is the first part
of Śamatha practice, of Calm Abiding. Following that, one will be able to develop the mind’s
positive qualities much more effectively.
The Tibetan tradition introduces another dyad of categorizing meditation: analytical and stabilized
meditation. During analytical meditation the meditator investigates multiple aspects of a chosen
object and of one’s assumptions, while during stabilized meditation the meditator single-pointedly
fixes his or her mind on an object without examining the aspects of the object analytically.
Once the mind is gradually familiarized with the practices, positive qualities such as compassion
have a firm foundation and can be developed even further. With respect to the scope and aims of
the practices, Tibetan Buddhism postulates two traditions: the vehicle of the
Sravakas
and
Pratyeka
-Buddhas (Hinayana Buddhism) and of the Bodhisattvas (Mahayana Buddhism). While in
the Hinayana tradition the main purpose is to still and overcome one’s afflictive emotions, the
aspiration of developing positive qualities of Mahayana Buddhism culminates in Bodhicitta – the
intention to achieve Buddhahood and freedom from suffering for the sake of all beings.
With regard to the progression of developing compassion, there are two critical stages. The first is
to feel empathy and to resonate with the other (suffering) being, and the second is to develop a
wish to relieve that suffering.
It is not enough to solely resonate with suffering. There is a danger of getting stuck in resonating
alone and one can become despondent. This is not beneficial for anybody – neither for you, nor for
anyone else. It is essential for the next level to follow, which is to move beyond resonating with the
suffering and to actually want to relieve that suffering, and its causes, on several levels. It could be
the alleviation of the actual situation, or, if one can, removing the causes that led to the suffering in
the first place; this is true of personal suffering as well as that of others.
482
