What Meditation Really Is — Advice on How to Continue
What Meditation Really Is — Advice on How to Continue
As we conclude our studies together, many of you might be thinking about how to continue. Of course, the most important thing is to keep the continuity of regular practice, and if you can, regular study. The practice we have been introduced to in “What Meditation Really Is” is a wonderful starting point both for a daily meditation practice and the entire spiritual path.
Whatever your practice is, stay with it and don't give up. The most important thing is to establish and maintain a regular practice, even if it is only a few minutes a day. And even if you have occasional "breaks" when you cannot keep up the practice, you can always re-establish your motivation and start afresh.
Even though we talked a lot about integration, it is important to continue to practice in "formal" sessions. Sogyal Rinpoche always says that if you don’t practice first, there is nothing to integrate. While practicing informally can be a helpful bridge to integration, there is no substitute for regular, formal practice in a quiet environment, free of distractions.
We encourage all of you to continue to look for ways of working with the teachings that work for you, even after the course ends. As your practice continues to develop, you may discover more about yourself and the aspects that you want to work on. Many people find keeping a Book of Insights and working with a checklist for integration to be very helpful tools.
A great way to continue to study the teachings and have support for your practice, is to take another online course next term. The continuation of "What Meditation Really Is" will be "What Meditation Really Is - Modules 2 & 3". This course will build on what you have learned in Module 1 and deepen your understanding of meditation. It will introduce additional methods including using the senses and also thoughts and emotions as a support for meditation. It will also deepen your understanding of Shamatha with and without support.
Outline of What Meditation Really Is - Modules 2 & 3:
Content includes teachings which build on Module 1, and presents the following new topics:
- using the senses as an object of shamatha
- using thoughts as an object of shamatha
- using emotions as an object of shamatha
- shamatha without support
- practise throughout the day
- shamatha without support—awareness
It also revisits important principles that were established in the first module:
- the ultimate goal of meditation
- key principles of shamatha with support
- the source of genuine contentment
- an understanding of the two aspects of mind—its appearance and essence
- the complete structure of the teaching on meditation
- the three noble principles
For a detailed course description and to enroll go here:
You might also consider enrolling again in this course, "What Meditation Really Is Module 1".
This might be very beneficial if:
• You have not been able to fully study this course. If this is the case, you can try watching all the teachings online or using the course DVDs. The online teachings will remain available to you for the next term. After you have done that, you can see if you feel sufficiently familiar with the materials to move on to the next course, or whether you still feel it is best to repeat this course.
• You feel you haven't yet established a good understanding of the basic principles of meditation and a regular meditation practice
It is really up to you decide what the best choice for the next term for you is. If you do not feel ready to move on, it might be most beneficial to repeat this course. You can actually take this course again in the next term and then move on to Module 2 & 3 in after that. There are three terms offered each year - Autumn, Winter and Spring.
Of course, it is wonderful to feel one is progressing and moving on to the next course, but also to repeat a course is not an indication of failure. The teachings in this course are so deep that you could spend a lifetime studying them. The best teaching is the one that helps you most with where you are at right now. Sometimes it said that on the spiritual path the slower you go the faster you progress.
However, if you generally feel you have a good sense of the teachings from this course, but don't feel you have everything, don't worry! The important points from the teachings in this course will come up again and again in future courses.
If you need any advice deciding, please don't hesitate to contact your instructor.
Retreats and special programs
To deepen your understanding of the teachings and the practice Rigpa offers national and international retreats with Sogyal Rinpoche and visiting masters, and special programs and events led by senior students. Retreats offer an opportunity for people to come together in person to enter more fully into the teachings and practice. Special programs and events are held regionally, and offer the opportunity in-person (and sometimes 'virtually', via on-line webinar technology) to receive teachings and practice support on particular topics.
Program information can be found on the Rigpa website www.rigpa.org.
The US Programs can be found at the Rigpa USA website.
The Rigpa Curriculum
Rigpa offers a full online program of study and practice of the Buddhist teachings, as taught by Sogyal Rinpoche. Beginning with the 'Foundation Series' of introductory courses, the Rigpa Online Courses provides a graduated path of study and practice, so that each student has a clear understanding about what area of study and practice to concentrate on, and the care and support to know how to proceed with study and practice. To get an overview of the curriculum you can go to: http://rigpaonlinecourses.org/en/meditation-other-courses.html
Recommended Study Materials
In terms of study, The Tibetan Book of Living and Dying can be read again and again. You might also find it helpful to go back and study this course again on your own. Especially watching the course DVDs with Rinpoche's teachings from time to time will refresh your understanding and renew your inspiration.
There are a number of written and video teachings on the Rigpa website, www.rigpa.org/en/teachings.html. A wealth of study materials is available through Zam, the Rigpa Store, either through Zam America, or through Zam Europe http://www.zamstore.com/.
Through Zam you can also join RigpaLink, through which you receive monthly CDs or DVDs of recent teachings by Sogyal Rinpoche. They can be ordered through Zam as a monthly subscription or on an individual basis. Sogyal Rinpoche recommends subscribing to RigpaLink to all his students as a wonderful way to keep up our inspiration and our connection with him and the teachings.
In this course, we talked about creating an inspiring outer environment for practice, such as designating a space for practice, or creating a shrine. Listening to the teachings helps you create the right mental environment. For example, if you are feeling a need for inspiration and the thought of "practice" seems too much, just listening to a teaching can create an atmosphere of practice and can change your attitude.
Free “Glimpse of the Day” email
Rigpa also offers a free daily email with inspiring quotes called “Glimpse of the Day”. You can sign up here:
http://usa.rigpa.org/index.php/teachings/glimpse-of-the-day
Video Streaming Archive
You might also like to check out the Rigpa video streaming page. Of special interest in the context of this meditation course is the one hour public talk, given by Mingyur Rinpoche, in Lerab Ling, 11 September 2010, on: The Practice of Awareness Meditation. It would be an excellent supplement to this course.
What Meditation Really Is website
Rigpa also recently launched a new website called “What Meditation Really Is” with a free ten-step video course. This course essentially covers many of the things you learned in this course. On this site, you will also find a blog, a community forum, and brief videos on meditation by different teachers.
Staying in Touch with each other
This week provides an opportunity for saying good bye and making plans on how to keep in touch and continue our study and practice. We invite you to post a good-bye message in the general discussion forum or along with your homework post.
We encourage all of you to keep in touch not only with the teachings, but also with each other. A great way to do that is to become friends on Facebook. If you are not already on Facebook, simply go to www.facebook.com, and sign up (it is free). All of the instructions are on the site. Sogyal Rinpoche also has a page on Facebook: click here. You can mention your Facebook name in your good bye message, if you would like to invite people to connect with you on Facebook.
Rigpa centers provide community support worldwide
It is much easier to continue applying the Dharma in our life if we can be part of a sangha community whose members help each other follow the teachings of the Buddha as authentically as possible. Students who wish to follow the spiritual guidance and teachings of Sogyal Rinpoche are invited to participate in our sangha community at our local centers worldwide, and, if you can’t do that, of course through our online courses.
If you live close to an established Rigpa center, you might find it very supportive to make a connection with that local center and find out how you can participate in-person with that local sangha.
For more information about established Rigpa centers and groups located in the United States, Canada, and worldwide, see the Rigpa US national website at:
http://usa.rigpa.org/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=63&Itemid=189
For other countries go to the bottom of the page at http://www.rigpa.org/.