The Kagyu Way of Study, Contemplation and Meditation

Study, contemplation, and meditation are the steps that have to be followed in order to make progress in Dharma. As Kagyupas we have our own unique way of going about this, which is epitomised by Milarepa when he said, “I do not study the black words printed on paper but study the mind’s perceptions of existence.” This means that the way that we as Kagyupas traditionally go about study, contemplation and meditation is that first we find an authentic Lama, we stay with that Lama receiving instructions and doing practice sessions simultaneaously; seeing the Lama daily, being asked about our understanding, being given the next thing to think about, going back to our practice thinking about the instruction and so on over many years. These are the steps of study (hearing the instructions and coming to understand those instructions) and contemplation (looking again and again for/at the mind and thoughts through the instructions we’ve been given and thus totally sever any doubts or superimpositions we have about how mind and thoughts are). Only when those two steps have been completed is there meditation (a process of familiarisation with what we have understood in order to clear away our habitual tendencies to that which is mistaken). Our study and comtemplation then, from the outside, look like meditation, there is someone sitting upright in meditation posture, but the step of meditation (in its true sense) is only being done once the steps of study and meditation have been completed.

This is an excerpt from a teaching given by Drupon Rinpoche at Samye Ling during a 10 day retreat in the summer of 2013. Excerpted by Karma Kunga.