Calm Abiding (Shi-nä) Practice

Calm Abiding (Shi-nä) Practice

Endorsement of a Book by Kyabje Chöden Rinpoche
Date of Advice:
January 2020
Date Posted:
November 2023

Lama Zopa Rinpoche gave this commendation of a new book by His Eminence Chöden Rinpoche and praised his qualities.

Kyabje Chöden Rinpoche was kinder to me than all the three times’ buddhas. His teachings are not just words but come from a learned mind and from experience. So [the book] is really showing the path, not just intellectual words. There will be a great effect even just to read it, and especially to practice, because you get the essence of Rinpoche’s own experience. It shows the unmistaken path, giving you incredible guidance. So when you practice, there will be fewer obstacles for your enlightenment.

On the basis of this, it is easy to realize bodhicitta, to develop the lamrim, in particular the generation stage and completion stage. It helps with every aspect of the path up to full enlightenment. But of course, people in Western countries may think only of calm abiding, not of renunciation and bodhicitta. That is not wise. Then you only want some kind of peaceful, happy mind, but that is not the real motivation for life.

We should have a general understanding of the whole lamrim, and why we need calm abiding. Calm abiding is essential to benefit and not harm numberless sentient beings, and to bring them to enlightenment.

Prajnaparamita Recitation Before Trying Shinä
Date of Advice:
January 2017
Date Posted:
April 2020

Rinpoche advised a student to request Prajnaparamita recitation by a monastery in Nepal in order to remove obstacles to shinä (Skt: shamatha; calm abiding).

My dear one,

Before trying shinä, you need to ask Shelkar Monastery in Boudha, Nepal, to recite the Prajnaparamita (the elaborate, middle and short versions). You can discuss how much it will cost to read the whole thing, with the offering to the monks, tea and bread, and if you wish to offer lunch, then you can do this. You can discuss how many days it will take to recite this sutra. So, you can try that and it can pacify problems for shinä.

Otherwise, at the moment it doesn’t come out to do shinä. There are obstacles, so this is one way to collect merit.

With much love and prayers ...

The Most Exciting Thing in the World
Date of Advice:
November 2014
Date Posted:
August 2017

Rinpoche offered this advice and encouragement to a student who had received extensive private teachings on lam-rim and calm abiding [Tib: shi-nä].

Most dear, most precious, most kind, wish-fulfilling one,
I am very happy that you got this great opportunity to receive teachings on bodhicitta and shi-nä.

Shi-nä needs bodhicitta and bodhicitta needs shi-nä. Please try to continue what you can. It’s very important.

Numberless times we have won the world cup in soccer but that is nothing. That only leads to the lower realms. If you continue, it is possible you can get to the ninth stage. Then it is easy to achieve the realizations of the lam-rim path and even emptiness, then the realizations of tantra.

This is very exciting, the most exciting thing in the world.

With love and prayer…

Lamrim and Calm Abiding
Date of Advice:
October 2016
Date Posted:
June 2017

A student asked about going to Myanmar to do meditation. Rinpoche advised the student to study lam-rim and then focus on calm abiding.

My most dear, most kind, most precious, wish-fulfilling one,
Thank you for your letter and kind service. In response to your question, according to my observation going to Myanmar comes out very bad.

According to my observation what comes out best for you is to study Liberation in the Palm of your Hand. Study the whole lam-rim from beginning to end, and after studying it then focus on the part on calm abiding, shi-nä, the explanation there. But first study the whole lam-rim and by realizing that, then study shi-nä.

When you get to the shi-nä, do one-pointed concentration at your navel, using a visualization of a small buddha, the size of a thumbnail or smaller.

Make sure to dedicate every day as much as possible, by collecting extensive merits then dedicating to actualize correctly devoting to the virtuous friend, renunciation, bodhicitta, emptiness and tantra. Always do very strong dedication.

With much love and prayers...

Successful Shi-nä Practice
Date of Advice:
October 2013
Date Posted:
October 2014

A student wrote that he wanted to practice shi-nä. Rinpoche gave the following advice.

My most dear, most kind, most precious, most wish-fulfilling Peter,
Success in shi-nä comes out very good for you generally, but you need very strong renunciation of this life and renunciation of samsara—seeing samsara as totally in the nature of suffering. So you need very strong realization of this, and also pure morality—those are the main causes of success.

Also at the place where you do the meditation, there needs to be less distraction for shi-nä, but the main thing is to have strong renunciation, otherwise the eight worldly concerns (this means the delusions) arise and cause trouble. Even though the place is perfect, enemies from within the mind arise and cause trouble. I have seen this many times with shi-nä meditators.

There was one student trying to do shi-nä, but during the retreat she fell in love with another meditator, who was planning to be a monk. She wanted  to marry him, but that didn’t happen, and also she didn’t succeed in retreat. These things happen, so you need to start off with strong renunciation and very strong morality, very clean, then find a perfect place and then you can have realizations.

But before you try that, it is very good for you to study the lam-rim. Read it two or three times, then do effortless meditations. Please see attached my advice for your preliminary practices. This is in addition to what __ Rinpoche advised.

I am very, very sorry it took a long time to answer your letter.

You are most welcome to enlightenment and most welcome to free numberless sentient beings from the oceans of samsaric sufferings and bring to full enlightenment. There is nothing more important than meditating on the lam-rim and having realizations most beneficial for sentient beings, which also means yourself. Please live your life with bodhicitta night and day, and with every action that you do.

With much love and prayers...

Preliminary Practices:

Follow the outline of either Liberation in the Palm of your Hand or the Middle Lamrim, using this as basis for effortful lam-rim meditation.

 

Whether to Practice Shi-nä
Date Posted:
November 2012

A student asked Rinpoche if it would be more beneficial for him to train as an interpreter or to practice shi-nä (shamatha), over the next three to five years.

My dear Joel,
I would like to say to your question that you should aim your mind to bodhicitta, in this life as much as possible. In order for that, then shi-nä is ok, but do not think that shi-nä is the main one, the main plan, which is to achieve enlightenment for sentient beings.

Anyway, I checked your question and to be a translator is good; it’s not the best, but it is good. Shi-nä doesn’t come out.

Anyway we have shi-nä realization numberless times. We have been born in form and formless realms numberless times. Even Hindus have the method to achieve shi-nä, to achieve the full characteristics, so it’s nothing special for Buddhists.

At the moment shi-nä doesn’t come out for you.

With much love and prayers...

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