Calm Abiding Meditation and Preliminary Practices at Thrangu Sekhar
Starting on January 18, 2024, Drupon Khen Rinpoche has been giving teachings of calm abiding (shamatha) meditation in Thrangu Sekhar Retreat Centre to those in the outer retreat.
Calm abiding meditation is the practice for the fourth year of the six-year retreat programme devised by Rinpoche for international students. Rinpoche reduced the ritual aspects of the traditional retreat programme, and placed the emphasis on the four thoughts and mind training alongside the main practices for each year.
Rinpoche kindly gave everyone in the outer retreat the opportunity to attend the first few teachings; not just those who had reached this stage of the programme. More than 140 students attended the first teachings – including the 73 children, the youngest being 6 years old, and all other long-term and short-term retreatants.
Rinpoche explained that since the first few teachings focus on the basics of how to place the body and mind, they are relevant to everyone and all practices we do. Rinpoche taught in detail the seven-point posture of Vairochana and its benefits, and the basic manner of placing the mind. He elucidated some common misunderstandings people hold about meditation, the difference between fabricated and unfabricated meditation, and so on.
Rinpoche himself continues to attend the four daily meditation sessions with the students, including the single daily practice session for the children. He kindly corrects the students’ posture, the height of the focal supports for the practice and pays attention to other such details that establish good habits. During the meditation sessions, Rinpoche also gives further clarifications, advice and reminders.
After these initial teachings on how to place the body and mind, subsequent teachings on specific focal supports, as taught in Mahamudra: The Ocean of Definitive Meaning, will be open only to those who dedicate all their practice sessions to these practices and will not be open to everyone.
Rinpoche also began teaching the preliminary practices (ngondro), using The Torch for the Definitive Meaning. This will be the 24th time Rinpoche has taught the text (the 23rd time is still ongoing for another group of retreatants.) This is primarily for the 19 students who have just begun their six-year retreat program (the third cycle in Thrangu Sekhar.)
Rinpoche does all of this alongside his activities involved with teaching and guiding the two groups of lamas in the inner retreats at Thrangu Sekhar, Tilo Ling and Naro Ling, and too many other side projects to list.
