Fearless Simplicity. Drubwang Tsoknyi Rinpoche

glass spheres—you just put them into the water and leave them there. That is how you should leave your eyes.

      Do not twist your eyes or move them in two different directions. If you do, your eyes will start hurting. You might as well be natural. When you listen to a sound, you do not have to sit like this either, in order to hear. [Rinpoche crooks his neck] You can just allow the sound to be heard. It’s the same with any sensory input—we can be totally natural about how that sensory input is being received. So right now, let’s be relaxed and comfortable. Happy mind. Choose your object.

       [Practice session]

      RINPOCHE: All right. Now, what is the difference in the feeling of this state compared to the previous one? Any difference?

      STUDENT: Brighter.

      RINPOCHE: How about feeling? Which one felt nicer, the first time or the second?

      STUDENT: The second.

      RINPOCHE: I disagree. I prefer the first one, it feels better. Now, what’s the main difference?

      STUDENT: More wakeful.

      STUDENT 2: There’s no sense of “I” in the first one.

      RINPOCHE: During the session, there was somebody beating a drum over there. Did you all hear this?

      STUDENT: Yes.

      RINPOCHE: Very good. What else did you notice?

      STUDENT: The light dimmed.

      RINPOCHE: Wasn’t that being distracted?

      STUDENT: No.

      RINPOCHE: How do you know that? How do you know the difference between being distracted and noticing that the light is dimming or that someone is beating a drum? Could it be that the moment the light dims, you switch your focus from the support of your attention over to the electric light?

      STUDENT: Well, no, maybe not, because being able to perceive that object depends on the light, because it could be dark. [Laughter]

      RINPOCHE: Is it possible to be open and yet at the same time notice that someone is beating a drum?

      STUDENT: Yes.

      RINPOCHE: I said open, yes. But I did not say undistracted. Wide open. Now, what is it we call “the present”? Is it the presence of the electric light, the presence of what you were using as the support, or what? Right now, in the context of shamatha with support, you pay attention to one spot. Is it possible to pay attention to more than one thing at the same time, without being distracted from the first one and then moving over to the second?

      STUDENT: I would have to be totally blocked off to not notice what took place. I acknowledged it, but quickly returned to the stillness practice.

      RINPOCHE: Shamatha with support is similar to what you are saying. You pay attention to the object with 80 percent attention. Twenty percent is still allowed to register everything else. That is the best way. Otherwise, if we pay 100 percent attention to the object of focus, there is a risk of getting stuck in that and becoming absorbed. So what you said is actually very good.

      Now, for the second type of shamatha, do not worry about the breathing, and don’t worry about using an object as support. Just leave the attention as it is, right now. Let whatever happens happen, but do not get caught up in it. Do not hold any special object in mind. At some point a thought will form. When that happens, do not follow it. Just remain in the present.

      Do you understand what is meant by “the present”? Not following the past, not planning the future, not holding an object in mind right now. Just leave your attention totally relaxed, and remain like that. Remain in nowness. Following thoughts is not good enough. Trying to stop thinking is not good enough. Shamatha without support remains in the nowness without getting caught up in thought.

      Did you understand what I said? Is it clear? What did I say?

      STUDENT: Remain in the nowness without getting caught up in thought.

       [Laughter]

      RINPOCHE: Please explain what that means.

      STUDENT: When a thought comes up, you just let it go rather than following it.

      RINPOCHE: But still remaining in the present. You need to stay in the nowness. The main focus here is presence of mind, knowing whatever is. Keep to that. In this context as well, you keep your eyes open. A lot of you seem to like to close your eyes. That is not a good habit. If you close your eyes today, then tomorrow you might be closing your ears. You will bring along your earplugs. Then you will want to close your nostrils too, so you don’t have to smell anything. Let’s not get into attitudes like that. You’re allowed to notice whatever takes place. It’s okay. If you train with closed eyes, then later on when you leave here and you have to carry the practice with you in daily life, how will you be able to function walking around with closed eyes? Wouldn’t it be better to be capable, to have open eyes right from the start? The purpose of our present meditation training is to become capable of dealing with any emotional state that is triggered while we walk, talk, eat, or lie down, rather than being overwhelmed. When the emotions well up, do you always have time to sit down and close your eyes in order to deal with it?