Start With the Conceivable

When we begin to practise the Dharma or meditation, we must start with something we can conceive of. Many of us start with the inconceivable, which we do not and cannot understand at first. We conjure up an idea of what the inconceivable is and focus on that, assuming we are focusing on the inconceivable rather than a fabricated idea of it.

This practice cannot take us very far because it is based on a fallacy.

To give a practical example, rather than jumping straight to trying to practise the nature of mind, we start with instructions such as “Do not pursue the past, do not invite the future, but remain one-pointedly concentrated in the present awareness.”

We can conceive of the past and future, and understand what it is to be distracted by such thoughts, and what it might be to remain aware in the present moment. By doing this practice, we are putting ourselves in a position to come to understand the higher practices. But we tend to dismiss what we deem the lower practices as beneath us, and chase after the higher ones.

This puts us at great risk of becoming jaded. We dismiss the “lower” practices while being unable to properly do the “higher” practices. So, despite feeling that we have been practising for many years, we fail to see any progress. Then we think that the Dharma is ineffective with thoughts like, “I have been practising for years, and it hasn’t done me any good.” The truth is, we have not been following the teachings as prescribed.

If we had focused on the simpler instruction given above, for instance, we would have gained more stability and clarity of mind, which we could then apply to our current practice to gain new insights. Take the example of “Do not pursue the past”: by applying that, we would have gained experience of what it means to pursue or recall the past and what it is to not do so. We use that greater clarity of mind we have cultivated to then, under a lama’s guidance, look into whether we can actually recall the past or not. The past is past, gone; is it recallable or not? We feel we can remember the past, but is it actually the past? If it isn’t the past, what is it?

Like that, by starting with the conceivable, with the right instruction, trust and perseverance, we can reach a point where we can authentically penetrate the inconceivable.

Drupon Khen Rinpoche