Stages of Meditation Series

Literary Genres › Stages of Meditation

English (7) | Deutsch (1) | Español (2) | Français (2) | Português (2) | བོད་ཡིག (7)


Kamalaśīla

Courtesy of Terton Sogyal Trust

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Texts that provide practical, step-by-step instructions on how to meditate on certain topics:

Bodhicaryāvatāra

Patrul Rinpoche was renowned for his mastery of, and fondness for, Śāntideva's classic guide to the way of the bodhisattvas, and this is his practical manual for applying its wisdom and meditating on its key themes.

This succinct guide to putting Śāntideva's classic text into practice through meditation, with an emphasis on the cultivation of wisdom (prajñā), was written by Rongtön Sheja Kunrig in 1447.

Dependent Origination

Belonging to the set of instructions known as the Seven Excellent Interdependent Connections (rten 'brel rab bdun ma), this text by the great Kagyü teacher Pema Karpo (1527–1592) explains meditative equipoise, which is "the dependent arising that gives rise to excellent qualities", and post-meditation, which is the "dependent arising for perfecting the capacity".

Middle Way

The revered Dzogchen teacher Khenchen Pema Tsewang Rinpoche here offers a practical, step-by-step instruction on contemplating individual selfessness and phenomenal identitylessness as a means to to arrive at non-dual wisdom beyond the conceptual mind—the nature of the Great Middle Way.

Prajñāpāramitā

In this practical guide to meditating on the teachings of the Prajñāpāramitā sūtras, as outlined in Maitreya's Abhisamayālaṃkāra, Patrul discusses the attitude and training of a bodhisattva. He repeatedly emphasises the fact that enlightened activity for others' benefit—and not simply realization—is the ultimate goal.

A set of pithy instructions for meditating on fourfold emptiness (stong nyid bzhi sbyor), as outlined in the so-called Heart Sūtra or Heart of the Transcendent Perfection of Wisdom.

Uttaratantra

This practical synopsis of the Mahāyānottaratantra-śāstra (theg pa chen po rgyud bla ma'i bstan bcos) or Ratnagotravibhāga, Maitreyanātha's classic treatise on buddha nature, was composed in 1447.

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