Selflessness Archives - Mindful Happiness

November 8, 2017 By Admin

Tibetan Tantric Meditation on Selflessness

Mahamudra meditations tend to unify emptiness and bliss, and represent many core principles of Tibetan Buddhism. Nagarjuna’s text on The Middle Way played an important and influential role in these practices. Selflessness of persons and selflessness of phenomena are highly represented in noted meditation practices. Therefore,, this can be considered an advanced post on the topic. The following general steps will note aspects of the meditation sequence. We begin with the idea that all realness related to perceptions of I/Me/Mine are imputed through thoughts and the projections of the mind. Humans tend to experience I/Me/Mine and objects of awareness as real, concrete, substantial, and permanent entities. This is one reason why we cherish human life so, so much. To open up awareness and experience to the opposites of these characteristics, we need to focus meditative practice within a series of specific steps. These modified steps are noted below.

First decide what the object of negation is. All will be related to emptiness of persons and objects. For our practice now, we will focus on the I/Me/Mine of “your” breath as our object of negation (selflessness and emptiness). Your breath is not permanent or self-originated; it contains properties of emptiness.
Using our mind, body, breath and object awareness as the sources of negation is quite difficult, and may require years of practice to achieve. This is due to the reality of using our mind and body in experiencing the perceived situations and negating their inherent existence at the same time. This can be confusing.
Defining inherent existence is a problem in and of itself. This depends on key Buddhist principles like impermanence, dependent origination, no-self, and ultimate emptiness of all things. I/Me/Mine ego perceptions of self, phenomena, and breath meet none of these listed Buddhist requirements.
Use of logic is important at first. Since the I/Me/Mine of self, mind, body, phenomena, and breath have never existed as permanent, self-originating, substantial entities the use of logic is a starting point. So now just focus strongly on how the breath is impermanent, not self-originating, and ephemeral. Tangle with your mind and body experience on this while you breath slowly and deeply in and out, in and out.
Realize it is your “self-grasping” mind (p. 189) that makes you “think” the breath is real in ultimate terms not simply in contemporary terms. Just because we mind-body experience breath does not mean it is ultimately real and ever-lasting. We all know that when we die, so does our breath.
Remember a time when you were insulted or harmed by the words and/or actions of others. Notice how quickly your mind-body system can produce that unpleasant emotional reactions – a temporary emotional reaction. You probably felt flattened, but for a short time related to your lifetime!
Now recall a time when you were joyous or happy by the words or actions of others, and how that pleasant emotional reactions was also quite temporary – not ever-lasting. You probably felt inflated but for such a short time.
Our pleasure-seeking and suffering-avoiding self does not bring us happiness; in fact this brings us more suffering exactly because of the core principles of impermanence and dissatisfaction with whatever we now experience. We always want more and more! We attach to and grasp at anything that we believe may make us happier. We do the same thing for suffering; we hope in vain to avoid, reduce or end it.
The I/Me/Mine of your breath is not part of the aggregates or it may be. If you are ill, it is not YOU who are ill but part of the body or mind that is ill. If the experience is and is not part of the aggregates then it cannot exist inherently, ultimately. It is only our contemporary experience that is being mind-body registered. It is the working of the “mistaken minds” (p. 194).
Recall that the aggregates (also named skandhas) of form, feeling, perception, volitional acts, and consciousness are the “heaps” related to attachment and desire. Each one upholds impermanence, self-suffering, and no-self. Our endless seeking desires and behaviors cause suffering due to general dissatisfaction with what is, and imply no underlying soul or self in this endless samsaric process.
If nothing exists concretely and permanently in ultimate time and space, what is there to fear and what is there to seek? Have you experienced anything like emptiness in your meditative being here now? Before you answer to yourself, note that emptiness experiences come is various forms.
Now slowly and with discernment, take a few more deep, slow, calming breaths. Be with yourself!

For more information on this complex process refer to Geshe Kelsang Gyatso (1982, 2014 end.). Clear Light of Bliss: Tantric Meditation Manual. London, UK: Tharpa Publications, pp. 187-204.

Anthony R. Quintiliani, PhD., LADC

From the Eleanor R. Liebman Center for Secular Meditation in Monkton, Vermont

Author of Mindful Happiness

New Edition of Mindful Happiness in Production…Coming soon!

Using Lectio Divina to Improve Your Self-Esteem LectioDivina is an ancient form of Christian (Benedictine) meditation. This meditative prayer is sometimes called “Sacred Seeing.” Lectio Divina follows specific steps as a process: lectio or reading a passage; Meditatio or meditating on the passage or image; Oratio or praying (I add – in your own way); […]

Polyvagal Interventions for Anxiety S. Porges and his Polyvagal Theory may provide innovative interventions for both anxiety and depression. Many people become trapped in ruminating about the past or worrying about the future; they cannot seem to keep their mind and body in the present moment. Some strong, fear-based, bodily defenses may not respond well to […]

Meditation Process in Chan Buddhism Chan Master Changlu’s The Deportmant for Sitting Meditation (12th century China) is a clear and helpful set of instruction. 1) It begins with the making of a personal vow for great compassion, personal liberation, and samadhi – all for the purpose of delivering sentient beings from their suffering and to their […]

Core Elements in Clinical Supervision In addition to what supervisors bring into group supervision and clinical training, the list below will be used for discussion about YOUR supervisory role. The order of content below is generally random. The content noted applies to clinical supervision; it could also apply to doing effective therapy. The skills and […]

Psychoanalytic Gems – Even More D. W. Winnicott has made significant clinical contributions to both building therapeutic alliance and maintaining a positive, helpful focus in psychotherapy. Below I have noted various approaches to use in your therapy. Use of these “gems” requires considerable knowledge and skill by the therapist. Here is the list: Respect the […]

Vipassana Meditation – Emptiness One of the great insights from regular, long-term vipassana practice is the experience of emptiness. The actual knowing of it by the experience of it. This is not your typical conceptual emptiness of the West; it is not total void, negative beings, or nihilistic pit, or suffering in endlessness. It is […]

Happiness Path – The 14th Dalai Lama His Holiness The 14th Dalai Lama has suggested, among many other important things, that humans may experience true inner happiness by regular practice on the path to enlightenment. In his 2012 book, From Here to Enlightenment, he noted that personal happiness may be attained via specific behaviors and ways of […]

Taoist Meditation on Healing Colors of Light In Taoist views the four seasons (five if you include “Indian Summer”) are strongly associated with emotional moods and bodily energies. Healing colored light is also part of this viewpoint. For each of the colors we use, follow the process noted below. Sit quietly and breathe calmly. Circle […]

Deepak Chopra Ideas on “The Future of God” – Part 1 Deepak Chopra’s new book, The Future of God… (2014) presents some very challenging perspective on spirituality, atheism, and formal religion. Here I will simply present some paraphrased details and my own ideas on these topics. Basic Foundations Human beings have special talents for searching […]

Mindfulness-Based Emotion Regulation The following emotional regulation practices (also called emotional balance skills) have been supported by over 2500 years of mindfulness training and current psychological research on human emotions. These practices/skills are to be practiced before they are needed, and directly applied when they are needed. Here is the list. 1) Practice noticing and […]

Meditation on the Feeling of Letting Go – Pacification! Pacifying the mind is a desired outcome of regular, stable meditation practice. Pacification may be done via meditating on the breath, general mindfulness awareness, vipassana, and various other forms of meditation. However, the wise mind skill of “letting go” of unhelpful, negative, and harmful thoughts and […]

Buddhist Thought on Joy and Suffering 1) You actually DO have some control over your emotional destiny. 2) The core “conceptual” view of reality is that your inner emotional experience – especially negative afflictive emotional states related to people, places and things you REACT to – are perceived as totally true. 3) In a non-conceptual […]

How to Offer Personal Tribute to Those Who Have Died The Four Noble Truths tell us sobering news. There is suffering, and impermanence of all things including us and our loved ones. Below I have listed several thing you can do to HONOR a person you have lost. Here is the list. Recall a special […]

Mindfulness Practices for Expanding Acceptance Mindfulness and contemplation can be great allies in our struggle to better understand each other. This is especially true when it comes to matters of interpersonal relationships and highly significant relationships. It is also important in diversity, or as some now refer to it – variation in human beings. Variation may […]

Advanced Practice in Tara Brach’s RAIN Protocol So often we humans find ourselves in a state of limbic disarray, with ego defenses stimulating our need to protect ourselves from others – even from ourselves. We feel something is very wrong in this moment, and we allow separateness to pull us into a frenzied effort to […]

Using Lectio Divina to Enhance Your Happiness Lectio Divina is an ancient Christian (Benedictine) meditation; it is a form of meditative prayer called “sacred seeing.” We will use a modified version of the process here. Follow the steps noted below. Sit quietly in meditative form, calmly abiding yourself here now. After a […]

Loss, Grief and Suffering in America By Anthony R. Quintiliani, Ph.D., LADC Other than our nation’s suffering during The Civil War, The Great Depression, and World War II this past year has been one of the most stress-filled, fear-filled times in our history. Here is a list of the reasons behind it all: the COVID-19 […]

Vipassana Meditation Practice – Introductory Journey 1 This is the first of a series of posts on vipassana-based meditation practices. The introductory journey set will not be pure vipassana; rather this set of meditations will be about practice with core principles and learning experiences in regular vipassana meditation. Rather than explain background information, I will […]

Self-Care as Ritual Self-care for Americans is often considered a luxury. Due to our technological demands and addictions (Demons as they are), and the slow slipping of our economic structures, we are often at the mercy of the bottom line at work. Over-paid CEOs and CFOs and their many assistants eat up so, so much […]

The Nine Bow Ritual for Those You Respect Deeply The Nine Bow Ritual is a simple practice of deep respect. Think of a person, living or not, for whom you have very strong positive feelings. If you select a person no longer living, you may be surprised at the emotional impact of this ritual. If […]