Śamatha without a
Sign (From Padmasambhava’s Natural Liberation):
While steadily
gazing into the space in front of you, without meditating on
anything, steadily concentrate your consciousness, without
wavering, in the space in front of you. Increase the stability and
then relax again. Occasionally seek out “What is that consciousness
that is concentrating,” steadily concentrate again, and then check
it out again. Do that in an alternating fashion. Even if there are
problems of laxity and lethargy, that will dispel them. In all your
activities rely upon unwavering mindfulness. Do that for one
day.
Then position your body like before. Cast your gaze downwards,
gently release your mind, and without having anything on which to
meditate, gently release both your body and mind into their natural
state. Having nothing on which to meditate, and without any
modification or adulteration, place your attention simply without
wavering, in its own natural state, its natural limpidity, its own
character, just as it is. Remain in clarity, and rest the mind so
that it is loose and free. Alternate between observing who is
concentrating inwardly and who is releasing. If it is the mind,
ask: what is that very agent that releases the mind and
concentrates the mind? And steadily observe yourself. Then release
again. By so doing, fine stability will arise, and you may even
identify pristine awareness. Do that,
too, for one day.
Then do as before. Now alternately tightly concentrate your
consciousness, wholly concentrating it without wavering, and then
gently release it, evenly resting it in openness. Again
concentrate, and again release. In that way, meditate with
alternating constriction and release. At times, steadily direct
your gaze up into the sky. Steadily focus your awareness with the
desire to be without anything on which to meditate. Relax again. At
times, steadily, unwaveringly, direct your awareness into the space
on your right; at times, direct it to the left; and at times,
direct it downwards. During each session, rotate the gaze around in
those directions.
Occasionally inquire, “What is that awareness of the one who is
focusing the interest?” Let the awareness itself steadily observe
itself. At times, let your mind come to rest in the center of your
heart, and evenly leave it there. At times, evenly focus it in the
expanse of the sky and leave it there. Thus, by shifting the gaze
in various, alternating ways, the mind settles in its natural
state. As indications of this, if awareness remains evenly,
lucidly, and steadily wherever it is placed, śamatha has
arisen.
If awareness becomes muddled and without mindfulness, that is the
problem of laxity, or dimness; so clear it up, inspire it, and
shift your gaze. If it becomes distracted and excited, it is
important that you lower your gaze and release your awareness. If
samādhi arises in which there is nothing of which you can
say, “This is meditation,” and “This is conceptualization,” this is
the problem of oblivion, so meditate with alternating concentration
and release, and recognize who is meditating. Recognize the flaws
of śamatha, and eliminate them right away.
Flawless śamatha is like an oil-lamp that is unmoved
by wind. Wherever the awareness is placed, it is unwaveringly
present; awareness is vividly clear, without being sullied by
laxity, lethargy, or dimness; wherever the awareness is directed,
it is steady and sharply pointed; and unmoved by adventitious
thoughts, it is straight. Thus, a flawless meditative state arises
in one’s mind-stream; and until this happens, it is important that
the mind is settled in its natural state. Without genuine
śamatha arising in one’s mind-stream, even if
pristine awareness is pointed out, it becomes
nothing more than an object of intellectual understanding; and one
is left simply giving lip-service to the view, and there is the
danger that one may succumb to dogmatism. Thus, the root of all
meditative states depends upon this, so do not be introduced
to pristine awareness too soon, but
practice until there occurs a fine experience of
stability.”