Session activities:
26 Oct 08:
Practice in session:
Chants
Expel
Shamatha #1 (08:00): Online Ch. 1 Resting Mind, (2) Attending to Visual Appearances (spots)
Shamatha #2 (08:00): Online Ch. 1 Resting Mind, (3) Blue Light at the Heart
Shamatha #3 (08:00): Online Ch. 1 Resting Mind, (6) Following Breath
Shamatha #4 (08:00): Online Ch. 1 Resting Mind, (8) Just Sit
Discussion
Vipashyana #1 (8:00): ACI: Dropping the Object (pp 5-7)
Discussion
02 Nov 08:
Practice in session:
Expel
Shamatha #1 (10:00): Visual object: empty spot in circular cutout
Shamatha #2 (10:00): Online Ch. 1 Resting Mind, (5) Counting Breaths
Shamatha #3 (10:00): White spot at forehead (Like Online Ch. 1 Resting Mind, (3))
Discussion of practice: what was the same about these? What was different?
(10:00) Taranatha: First subject (lines 20-22) - loosen
(10:00) Taranatha: Second subject (lines 22-24) - loosen
Discussion of text
09 Nov 08:
Practice in session:
Expel
Shamatha #1 (10:00): Online Ch. 1 Resting Mind, (3) Blue Light at the Heart
OR White spot at forehead OR black spot under seat
Shamatha #2 (10:00): Online Ch. 1 Resting Mind, (4) Sounding AH
Shamatha #3 (10:00): Online Ch. 1 Resting Mind, (8) Just Sit
Discussion of practice: what was the same about these? What was different?
(5:00) Taranatha: First subject (lines 20-22) - loosen
(5:00) Taranatha: Second subject (lines 22-24) - loosen
(5:00) Taranatha: Third subject (lines 25-27) - tighten
(5:00) Taranatha: Fourth subject (lines 28-32) - tighten/loosen
Discussion of text
16 Nov 08:
Practice in session:
Read TG: lines 79-86, Four Faults
Expel
Shamatha (10:00): no oral instruction, pick a prop if you wish
(5:00) Taranatha: First subject (lines 20-22) - loosen
(5:00) Taranatha: Second subject (lines 22-24) - loosen
(5:00) Taranatha: Third subject (lines 25-27) - tighten
(5:00) Taranatha: Fourth subject (lines 28-32) - tighten/loosen
Discussion of practice: what was the same about these? What was different?
(5:00) Taranatha: Fifth subject (lines 37-38) - high gaze
(5:00) Taranatha: Sixth subject (lines 39-40) - low gaze
(5:00) Taranatha: Seventh subject (lines 41-42) - middle gaze
Discussion of text
(8:00) DogZen9: "Direct Knowing"
23 Nov 08:
Practice in session:
Expel
Shamatha #1 (10:00): no oral instruction, pick a prop if you wish
(5:00) Taranatha: First subject (lines 20-22) - loosen
(5:00) Taranatha: Second subject (lines 22-24) - loosen
(5:00) Taranatha: Third subject (lines 25-27) - tighten
(5:00) Taranatha: Fourth subject (lines 28-32) - tighten/loosen
Discussion of practice: what was the same about these? What was different?
Taranatha: Eighth subject (lines 44-46) - mixing with sutras
Taranatha: Ninth subject (line 47) - mixing with mantras
Taranatha: Tenth subject (lines 48-50) - mixing with sounds
Discussion of text
30 Nov 08:
Practice in session:
Expel
(4x5:00) Taranatha: Subjects 1-4 (lines 20-32)
Preparation for Contemplation
Taranatha: Eleventh subject (lines 52-57)
Read Taranatha 145-146
Read Taranatha Vipashyana Subject #1 (69-71)
"Look at mind like an entomologist looks at a bug."
Online Vipashyana #1 (10:00): Exploring Mind: (1) "Shape of mind"
07 Dec 08:
Practice in session:
Expel
Shamatha: (4x5:00) Taranatha: Subjects 1-4 (lines 20-32)
Vipashyana #1: Taranatha Subject #1 (69-71)
"Look at mind like an entomologist looks at a bug."
Vipashyana #1 (10:00): Online Exploring Mind: (1) "Shape of mind"
Vipashyana #2 (10:00): Exploring Mind: (2) "Colors of mind"
Vipashyana #3 (7:00): Exploring Mind: (3) "Location of mind
Christmas Break homework:
Read introductions for chapters 1-3 of Online Manual
Read pages 48-72 of online Ocean2
For meditation:
Shamatha: use Taranatha: Subjects 1-4 (lines 20-32)
Vipashyana: (from Online) Spontaneous Coemergence: (4) Ordinary Mind
11 Jan 09:
Practice in session:
Expel
Shamatha: (4x5:00) Taranatha: Subjects 1-4 (lines 20-32)
Vipashyana #1 (8:00): Taranatha Subject #1 (69-71)
"Look at mind like an entomologist looks at a bug." - Thrangu Rinpoche
Vipashyana #2 (8:00): Taranatha Subject #2 (72-77)
Vipashyana #3 (8:00): Exploring Mind: (5) "Origin, Abode, Destination"
Discussion
Vipashyana #4 (8:00): Exploring Mind: (5) "Origin, Abode, Destination", focusing on one's
awareness or attention
18 Jan 09:
Practice in session:
Expel
Vipashyana #1: (from Online) Spontaneous Coemergence: (4) Ordinary Mind
Shamatha: (4x5:00) Taranatha: Subjects 1-4 (lines 20-32)
Vipashyana #2 (10:00): Taranatha Subject #2 (72-77)
Vipashyana #3 (8:00): Exploring Mind: (4) "Luminosity and Voidness of mind":
focus on one's awareness/attention and compare with empty space
Discussion
Vipashyana #4 (6:00): Exploring Mind: (4) "Luminosity and Voidness of mind":
focus on one's awareness/attention and compare with luminosity
25 Jan 09:
Practice in session:
Expel
Shamatha #1 (8:00): General shamatha, any object
Shamatha #2: (4x5:00) Taranatha: Subjects 1-4 (lines 20-32)
Vipashyana #1 (10:00): Taranatha Subject #2 (72-77)
Vipashyana #2 (8:00): Exploring Mind: (6) "Self-aware Primordial Wisdom"
Discussion
Vipashyana #3 Exploring Mind: (6) "Self-aware Primordial Wisdom" again
this time with relaxing/loosening/letting go. Does this change the meditation?
01 Feb 09:
Practice in session:
Expel
Shamatha #1 (8:00): General shamatha, any object
Shamatha #2: (4x5:00) Taranatha: Subjects 1-4 (lines 20-32)
Vipashyana #1 (8:00): Exploring Mind: (6) "Self-aware Primordial Wisdom"
Vipashyana #2 (8:00): Spontaneous Coemergence: (1) Coemergent Mind
Vipashyana #3 (8:00): Spontaneous Coemergence: (1) Coemergent Mind
Discussion
08 Feb 09:
Practice in session: focus on appearances
Expel
Shamatha #1 (8:00): General shamatha, object is colored spot
Shamatha #2 (8:00): From ACI: Kedrup Je's Four-Part Meditation on Emptiness applied to
selected object from room
Shamatha #3 (8:00): From ACI: Rock Meditation on same object
Read TG: lines 24-52
Vipashyana #1 (8:00) Taranatha: Subjects 1-4 (lines 20-32)
Vipashyana #2 (8:00): Exploring Thoughts: (7) "Investigating Appearances"
Vipashyana #3 (8:00): Exploring Thoughts: (8) "Investigating the Perceiver of Appearances"
Discussion of K17a: How does this teaching relate to mahamudra practice?
15 Feb 09:
Practice in session: focus on appearances
Expel
Shamatha #1: (4x5:00) Taranatha: Subjects 1-4 (lines 20-32)
Using a rock or stone or small object from shrine room
Vipashyana #1 (8:00) Taranatha: Vipashyana Subject 3 (lines 78-82)
Vipashyana #2 (8:00): Exploring Thoughts: (8) "Investigating the Perceiver of Appearances"
Vipashyana #3 (8:00): Online ch. 6, Facets of Being: (6) Ground of Being and Self-Identity,
section (2) Self and Visual Appearances
22 Feb 09:
Practice in session: focus on moving mind
Expel
Shamatha #1: (4x5:00) Taranatha: Subjects 1-4 (lines 20-32)
Shamatha #2: (4x5:00) Preparation for Contemplation
Read Taranatha Vipashyana Subject #4 (lines 83-87)
Vipashyana #1 (8:00): Online Exploring Thoughts: (1) "Shape of Thoughts"
Vipashyana #2 (8:00): Online Exploring Thoughts: (2) "Location of Thoughts"
Vipashyana # 3(4:00): Online Exploring Thoughts: (2) "Location of Thoughts" done via "letting go"
01 Mar 09:
Practice in session: focus on moving mind
Chant: "Aspiration" (Aspirational Prayer of Mahamudra)
Expel
Shamatha #1: (4x5:00) Taranatha: Subjects 1-4 (lines 20-32)
Vipashyana #1 (8:00): Online Exploring Thoughts: (4) "Luminosity and Voidness of Thoughts"
Vipashyana #2 (8:00): Mindlessness meditation (maintain continuous opposite of mindfulness)
Discussion
Vipashyana #3 (8:00): Mindlessness meditation (done by loosening instead of tightening)
08 Mar 09:
Practice in session: focus on appearances
Expel
Shamatha #1: (8:00) Free form shamatha
Shamatha #2: (4x5:00) Taranatha: Subjects 1-4 (lines 20-32)
Vipashyana #1 (8:00): Taranatha Vipashyana Subject #5 (lines 88-91)
Vipashyana #2 (8:00): Online Exploring Thoughts: (5) "Origin, Abode, Destination", eyes open
Vipashyana #2 (8:00): Online Exploring Thoughts: (5) "Origin, Abode, Destination", eyes closed
15 Mar 09:
Practice in session: focus on moving vs still mind
Shamatha #1: (8:00) Shamatha with a visual object
Shamatha #2: (12:00) Physical practices (12-fold breathing, belly breathing)
Shamatha #3: (4x5:00) Taranatha: Subjects 1-4 (lines 20-32)
Vipashyana #1 (8:00): Taranatha Vipashyana Subject #6 (lines 93-97)
Vipashyana #2 (8:00): Online Exploring Thoughts: (10) Comparing Positive and Negative
Thoughts"
Vipashyana #3 (8:00): Tonglen - does nature of mind change from in-breath to out-breath?
22 Mar 09:
Practice in session: focus on moving vs still mind
Shamatha #1: (12:00) Physical practices (12-fold breathing, belly breathing)
Shamatha #2: (8:00) Formless meditation
Vipashyana #1 (8:00): Taranatha Vipashyana Subject #6 (lines 93-97)
Vipashyana #2 (3:00): It's the moment just before enlightenment. What is happening?
Vipashyana #3 (3:00): This is your last breath. What is happening?
Vipashyana #4 (3:00): "Ingression of Novelty" from DogZen9
Vipashyana #5 (8:00): Online - Spontaneous Coemergence: (7) "Loosening Mind"
29 Mar 09:
Shamatha #1: (12:00) Physical practices (12-fold breathing, belly breathing)
Shamatha #2: (4x5:00) Taranatha: Subjects 1-4 (lines 20-32)
Vipashyana #1 (10:00): Taranatha Vipashyana Subject #7 (lines 99-104)
Vipashyana #2 (10:00): Online Exploring Thoughts: (12) Certainty Regarding Moving and Calm
Mind, first third
05 Apr 09:
Shamatha #1: (12:00) Physical practices (12-fold breathing, belly breathing)
Shamatha #2: (4x5:00) Taranatha: Subjects 1-4 (lines 20-32)
Vipashyana #1 (10:00): Taranatha Vipashyana Subject #7 (lines 99-104)
Vipashyana #2 (8:00): Online Exploring Thoughts: (12) Certainty Regarding Moving and Calm
Mind, second third
Vipashyana #3 (5:00): Online Exploring Thoughts: (12) Certainty Regarding Moving and Calm
Mind, second third again, done via loosening mind
Vipashyana #4 (5:00): Online Exploring Thoughts: (12) Certainty Regarding Moving and Calm
Mind, last third
12 Apr 09:
Read Taranatha Four Faults, lines 159-170
Shamatha #1: (12:00) Physical practices (12-fold breathing, belly breathing)
Shamatha #2: (4x5:00) Taranatha: Subjects 1-4 (lines 20-32)
Vipashyana #1 (8:00): Taranatha Vipashyana Subject #7 (lines 99-104)
Vipashyana #2 (8:00): Spontaneous Coemergence: (1) Coemergent Mind
Vipashyana #3 (8:00): Spontaneous Coemergence: (2) Coemergent Thoughts
Vipashyana #4 (5:00): Spontaneous Coemergence: (3) Coemergent Appearances
19 Apr 09:
Read Taranatha Four Faults, lines 159-170
Shamatha #1: (12:00) Physical practices (12-fold breathing, belly breathing)
Shamatha #2: (4x5:00) Taranatha: Subjects 1-4 (lines 20-32)
Vipashyana #1 (8:00): Taranatha Vipashyana Subject #7 (lines 99-104)
Vipashyana #2 (6:00): Spontaneous Coemergence: (4) Ordinary Mind
Vipashyana #3 (6:00): Spontaneous Coemergence: (4) Meditation on Ordinary Mind
26 Apr 09:
Shamatha #1: (12:00) Physical practices (12-fold breathing, belly breathing)
Shamatha #2: (4x5:00) Taranatha: Subjects 1-11 (lines 20-57)
Vipashyana #1 (8:00): Spontaneous Coemergence: (7) Loosening Mind
Vipashyana #2 (2:00): Spontaneous Coemergence: (7) Loosening Mind
28 Jun 09:
Read Taranatha Four Faults, lines 159-170
Shamatha #1: (12:00) Physical practices (12-fold breathing, belly breathing)
Shamatha #2: (4x5:00) Taranatha: Subjects 1-4 (lines 20-32)
Vipashyana #1 (8:00): Spontaneous Coemergence: (4) Ordinary Mind
Vipashyana #2 (8:00): Spontaneous Coemergence: (4) Meditation on Ordinary Mind
Vipashyana #3 (8:00): Taranatha Vipashyana Subject #1 (lines 69-71)
Vipashyana #4 (8:00): Taranatha Vipashyana Subject #7 (lines 99-104)
05 Jul 09:
Shamatha #1: (8:00) Free-form shamatha
Shamatha #2: (4x5:00) Taranatha: Subjects 1-4 (lines 20-32)
Vipashyana #1 (8:00): Spontaneous Coemergence: (7) Loosening Mind
Vipashyana #2 (6:00): Taranatha Vipashyana Subject #1 (lines 69-71)
Vipashyana #3 (6:00): Taranatha Vipashyana Subject #4 (lines 84-87)
Vipashyana #4 (6:00): Taranatha Vipashyana Subject #6 (lines 93-97)
Vipashyana #5 (6:00): Taranatha Vipashyana Subject #7 (lines 99-104)
28 Jun 09:
Shamatha #1: (8:00) Free-form shamatha
Shamatha #2: (4x5:00) Taranatha: Subjects 1-4 (lines 20-32)
Vipashyana #1 (6:00): Taranatha Vipashyana Subject #1 (lines 69-71)
Vipashyana #2 (6:00): Taranatha Vipashyana Subject #2 (lines 73-77)
Vipashyana #3 (6:00): Taranatha Vipashyana Subject #3 (lines 79-82)
Vipashyana #4 (6:00): Taranatha Vipashyana Subject #7 (lines 99-104)
Listen to brief talk by Adyashanti from "The End of Your World, Disk 2, track 9
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Last updated: 01 Dec 09
Weekly Practice Group Schedule During 2008-2009
Texts: Two versions of The Amulet Mahamudra
"Ocean" = An Ocean of the Ultimate Meaning, Commentary by Thrangu Rinpoche
on text by Wangchuk Dorje, Shambhala Publications, 2004. Available online at
Namo Buddha Publications.
"Ocean2" = The Ninth Karmapa's Ocean of Definitive Meaning, Commentary by
Thrangu Rinpoche on text by Wangchuk Dorje, Snow Lion Pubs, 2003; available for
free online in its entirety
"Online" = "A Meditation Guide For Mahamudra", available online
"Pointing Out" = Pointing Out the Dharmakaya, Commentary by Thrangu Rinpoche
on text by Wangchuk Dorje, Snow Lion Publications, 2003
"DogZen9" = "Nine Introductions to Awareness" available online
"Aspiration" = "The Aspirational Prayer for Mahamudra of Rangjung Dorje". Online.
"ACI" = "Emptiness Meditations" available online
"Preparation" = "Preparation for Contemplation" available online
"Taranatha" = Taranatha's "Instructions Called The Amulet Mahamudra, or
Threefold Letting Go" (handout)
"TG" = Thangtong Gyalpo's "Instructions on Niguma's Branch Subject,
The Amulet Mahamudra (handout)
"Expel" = Expel the dead air breathing (from Pointing Out, p35)
"K17a"= Talk by 17th Karmapa available online
Texts: Two versions of The Amulet Mahamudra
"Ocean" = An Ocean of the Ultimate Meaning, Commentary by Thrangu Rinpoche
on text by Wangchuk Dorje, Shambhala Publications, 2004. Available online at
Namo Buddha Publications.
"Ocean2" = The Ninth Karmapa's Ocean of Definitive Meaning, Commentary by
Thrangu Rinpoche on text by Wangchuk Dorje, Snow Lion Pubs, 2003; available for
free online in its entirety
"Online" = "A Meditation Guide For Mahamudra", available online
"Pointing Out" = Pointing Out the Dharmakaya, Commentary by Thrangu Rinpoche
on text by Wangchuk Dorje, Snow Lion Publications, 2003
"DogZen9" = "Nine Introductions to Awareness" available online
"Aspiration" = "The Aspirational Prayer for Mahamudra of Rangjung Dorje". Online.
"ACI" = "Emptiness Meditations" available online
"Preparation" = "Preparation for Contemplation" available online
"Taranatha" = Taranatha's "Instructions Called The Amulet Mahamudra, or
Threefold Letting Go" (handout)
"TG" = Thangtong Gyalpo's "Instructions on Niguma's Branch Subject,
The Amulet Mahamudra (handout)
"Expel" = Expel the dead air breathing (from Pointing Out, p35)
"K17a"= Talk by 17th Karmapa available online