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grihastha
USA
184 Posts |
 Posted - Jul 23 2009 : 09:11:01 AM
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Dedicating merit:
How does one do it?
Love & Peace,
gri |
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Konchok Ösel Dorje
USA
545 Posts |
Posted - Jul 23 2009 : 10:17:47 AM
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| You simply imagine all the sentient beings in all the possible universes in the three times (past, present and future) as having been your mothers in the past. Then, whatever merit you received in your practice, like more peace, joy, wisdom, etc., you offer it up to them and vow to attain complete enlightenment for their benefit. This practice allows the energy of your mind to spread out throughout all samsara. This practice actually multiplies the merit you receive in your own pursuit of liberation and gathers vastly more energy for use in your mind practice. |
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miguel
Spain
1197 Posts |
Posted - Jul 23 2009 : 11:26:34 AM
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It sounds great practice osel.It can be used like an ishta devata,a beautiful and powerful choosen ideal... |
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grihastha
USA
184 Posts |
Posted - Jul 23 2009 : 12:21:30 PM
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Wonderful, Konchok - thanks many times. Does one do this before and after sadhana? Is there a formula or prayer to recite?
Btw, I'm struggling daily to justify the I AM mantra - actually it's my unease with the mantra that's been moving me towards a Buddhist outlook. It makes me feel selfish and guilty (not that this applies in general - it's purely how it makes ME feel, and I understand the idea behind it. No criticism of Yogani's methods implied or intended!). Trouble is, it works... I suppose my main question here is, if I dedicate the merit from my AYP sadhana as well as others, does chanting I AM become skillful means, or am I just deluding myself? I'm having some success with watching my thoughts, but it's difficult to quantify without a teacher or knowledgeable Dharma friends.
Peace!
gri |
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Konchok Ösel Dorje
USA
545 Posts |
Posted - Jul 23 2009 : 2:37:50 PM
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I bow to the Guru. Before Sadhana one does the aspiration and action bodhichitta prayers, wishing all mother sentient beings have joy, and vow to act virtuously with body speech and mind from now until enlightenment. After sadhana, one does the dedication of merit.
Why do you need to justify the mantra? It is just a mantra. The mantra is "AYAM" or "EIM." These are sanskrit mantras. Yogani writes it as I AM, because he has an english speaking audience. Dharma practice has many mantras. There is no conflict between AYP and dharma, which is why I hang here. These are complimentary.
While you can examine the nature of mind and thoughts in your ordinary frame of mind, but one can be easily distracted. It is much easier to see the nature of mind and the unity of stillness/motion; thoughts/emptiness, etc., when you are examining from the state of shamatha (what Yogani describes as "stillness" or "silence.")
Shamatha practice is not emphasized in dharma; though it is described as an absolute essential element of examination. Dharma teachers will teach some breath following, sometimes watching a pebble, sometimes watching no thought state. Essentially, high level dharma teachers expect you to progress swiftly through deep levels of shamatha. They usually expect people to be already advanced. The "extreme sports" of shamatha practice like Tummo and deity visualization, will not be taught until the master has examined you for several years. Eventually, you will be taught to go beyond a "shamatha technique," and practice the unity of shamatha and vipashyana.
In other words, you need to engage a powerful shamatha technique. In my opinion, Yogani's AYAM mantra practice is such a practice, especially when you combine it with his pranayama techniques. I use these techniques. Most of these things I was taught as a young boy. I used AUM, and led to a powerful understanding of impermanence and emptiness. But Yogani's way of teaching them is very excellent and effective. I use AYAM and it is better for cultivating bliss.
The very best basis of conducting examination into the emptiness of phenomena is from the bliss. The unity of bliss and emptiness is enlightenment. From here one enters the path of buddhahood "full enlightenment."
In my opinion vajrayana, like Mahamudra and Great Perfection, pick up where Yogani leaves off, the advanced path of inquiry. But to get there and expect some fruition, one must cultivate bliss. Yogani provides these effective techniques; I suggest you use them. A vajrayana teacher will not make the very powerful practices available to you until you can enter a very long retreat. In that sense, Yogani's teachings are better, because they are readily available.
My hope is that I will receive the highest vajrayana methods and work with my lama to devise a way for these to be practiced without long retreat. But I can tell you, that if one cannot do at least 7 day retreats, the Vajrayana methods are not useful. Why? The tantric path involves many things that are like magic ceremonies to receive the blessings of the lineage masters and dharma protectors. These take many hours to complete and should be done over several days to cause the rapid and lasting build up of energy that suffuse one's inquiry with deep sublime free open spacious bliss.
The AYP methods are very skillful means, and lead to the flower of wisdom. This is why so many here have become interested in Advaita. It is the next phase of meditation, from stilling the waters to looking deeply within them and asking, "what am I seeing; who am I seeing? who is seeing?" These questions lead to observations about the nature of possibility and the fruit of one's potential. For me, Mahamudra and Dzogchen are the kings of Advaita view and practice.
Enjoy the path, and remember. It's about bliss, relaxed, with no attachment and no fixation. |
Edited by - Konchok Ösel Dorje on Jul 23 2009 3:00:02 PM |
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grihastha
USA
184 Posts |
Posted - Jul 23 2009 : 4:20:51 PM
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Many prostrations - you've set this to rights for me.
I found, not too long ago, the final teaching of Machig Labdron on Mahamudra. It was one of the most moving things I've ever read. It stirred me up to such an extent that I began to question my sadhana on the deepest level.
Now you put the mantra in the context of shamatha - which I could have done myself, but didn't - I should be able to give up all this second guessing. Apparently I'd become attached AND fixated to my interpretation of I AM - and when I look at what I just wrote, the irony was unintentional...
From my heart: many thanks.
gri
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Edited by - grihastha on Jul 23 2009 4:48:19 PM |
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Konchok Ösel Dorje
USA
545 Posts |
Posted - Jul 23 2009 : 5:55:33 PM
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Just a reminder in case you might fall into a sidetrack. The sexual bliss transmutation segues into a totally non-sexual bliss. I would liken to the feeling of being in a jail that smells putrid, like feces, urine, Bologna sandwiches, felons and vomit, getting used it and forgetting it's putrid and getting out into the fresh air. It's that first breath of really fresh air that is so delightful, liberating and wonderful. I illustrate by exaggeration.
It is when you cease pointing out: I am that; this is it; this is right, that the childlike spontaneous open freedom dawns as bliss. It is nothing so heavy and adult as rubbing bellies or moving energy in the physical body. Though, until one transmutes the sexual urge, the bliss of freedom is not possible. These are steps. |
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Konchok Ösel Dorje
USA
545 Posts |
Posted - Jul 23 2009 : 9:36:36 PM
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I bow to the Guru. I want to share with you my deepest realization: I am a yam.
Just kidding.
No seriously. I want to share with you what I feel is the closest dharma mantra to AYAM, and that OM AH HOONG.
Breathing in normal fashion, uncontrived, not *trying* to breathe in any sort of yogic way, just naturally, breathing.
As you inhale, think "OM." Just before you exhale, at the pause, think "AH." As you exhale, think "HOONG."
I love this method. It's my main shamatha practice, besides staring at a flame.
You can play with this as follows: When you inhale OM, inhale through your brow. At the pause AH, pause at your throat. As you exhale, HOONG, exhale through your heart.
You can further enhance this by breathing in white like through your brow as you inhale OM. Pause with red light in your throat at AH, and exhale blue light through your heart as you exhale HOONG.
See if you feel this has the same dual polarity as AYAM. I feel it has a third dimension with OM and that is from emptiness. I find it wonderful. |
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cosmic
USA
821 Posts |
Posted - Jul 23 2009 : 9:47:40 PM
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| Thank you for hanging here, Ösel |
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Dedicating Merit
