Course theme

Meditation Course – Preliminary Practices to the Great Seal

All the four Preliminary Practices were taught by Buddha himself 2,500 years ago. They could be traced as a comprehensive work (a publication) for the first time at the university of Nalanda five hundred years later.

The Preliminaries are priceless, as they work precisely with those things that daily bring us difficulties and that prevent us from experiencing and manifesting our enlightened nature.

Mind’s clinging on various impressions that are constantly changing is the main obstacle. This ceaseless involuntary circle is our habitual state. We are not free to choose what to experience. Buddha wishes us to instead experience what is our essence since beginningless time: the open and clear unboundedness of mind.

Mind is as open as space, it has no form, colour or weight, it is radiantly clear, rich with possibilities and free of any limitation. That means it knows everything and can do anything. It true essence is immense joy, active compassion absolute fearlessness.

To be able to experience our mind’s essence we need so called dual accumulation. First, it is the accumulation of useful impressions in our subconscious, unshakeable and full of power, on which we can always rely. Since we shall be clinging to impermanent impressions for a longer time, it is better for us that they are pleasant. This accumulation continues until we build an unshakeable capital of good impressions, which gives mind the confidence and wish to look inside and see itself.

The other kind of accumulation lies in developing wisdom, which does not mean ordinary lay wisdom that one can obtain at a school or university. It is not about filling mind new knowledge, but about allowing it to become spontaneous and effortless. That will enable us to act effortlessly.

Accumulating good impressions increases spontaneous insight and we realize the merit of meaningful action. The Preliminaries provide us an opportunity for all of this. We can observe accumulation of useful impression throughout our practice. At the beginning it’s the substance lies in purification and opening to meaningful action. Later becoming one with buddha’s mind gain in importance. If we trust our Buddha nature, it is possible to polish the inner diamond perfectly through different practices.

This gradual path, the result of which is the Great Seal (Sanskirt: Mahamudra), the highest enlightenment, was taught by the 9th Karmapa Wangchhug Dordje. The Tibetan title of these practices, chhagchhen ngöndro, stands for “the preliminary path to the practice of Great Seal”, in which enlightenment is the basics, the way and the goal.

The Preliminaries for the Great Seal are the first step on the way towards enlightenment. The Preliminary Practices aim exactly as the true nature of our mind and cut through all illusion.

There are Tibetans who have accomplished the Preliminary Practices as many times as twenty-five. Thanks to indestructible experience they radiate extraordinary power which does not need any proof, they are as strong as a rock in surf.

Hromadění užitečných dojmů můžeme sledovat během celé praxe. Zpočátku leží těžiště v očištění, otevírání se a užitečném jednání. Později získává stále více na významu splývání se s myslí buddhy. Důvěřujeme-li naší buddhovské podstatě, je možné tento vnitřní diamant pomocí různých praxí dokonale očistit.

Tuto postupnou cestu, jejímž výsledkem je Velká pečeť (skt. mahámudra), nejvyšší osvícení, učil devátý Karmapa Wangčhug Dordže. Tibetský název pro tato cvičení, čhagčhen ngöndro, znamená „přípravná cesta k praxi Velké pečeti“, ve které je osvícení základem, cestou i cílem.

Přípravy pro Velkou pečeť jsou prvním krokem na této cestě k osvícení. Přípravná cvičení zamíří přímo na opravdovou podstatu naší mysli a protnou všechny iluze.

Existují Tibeťané, kteří Čtyři přípravná cvičení udělali až pětadvacetkrát. Díky nezničitelným zkušenostem vyzařují neobyčejnou sílu, kterou není třeba ničím dokazovat. Jsou pevní jako balvan v příboji.