The Pointing Out Way of Indo-Tibetan Buddhist Meditation

Course Outline & Master Schedule*

* Begin/End Times each day may vary slightly depending on course location.

Elephant Path Master Nagarjuna

"Nine Stages of the Mind Staying" and "Master Nagarjuna"

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Day 1 (6:00 PM - 9:00 PM)
  • Introduction–An overview of meditation practices
  • Basic principles of intensive concentration meditation
  • Review of the 7-point posture
Day 2
  • 10:00 AM - 12:30 PM
    • Introduction to concentration using the 3-point breath
    • Ordinary vs. extraordinary forms of practice
  • 2:00 PM - 4:30 PM
    • Factors that potentiate the practice
    • Common problems and methods to deal with them
      • Distracting thought
      • Drowsiness & flightiness
  • 7:00 - 9:00 PM
    • Application of methods to deal with thought and drowsiness/flightiness
    • Vigilance practice
Day 3
  • 10:00 AM - 12:30 PM
    • Deepening concentration: Intensifying & Easing up
    • Skill in concentration
  • 2:00-4:30pm
    • Concentration using the 7-point object
    • The problem of partial staying
  • 7:00 PM - 9:00 PM
    • Concentration using the mind-perspective
    • Concentration with support–an overview of the state
Day 4
  • 10:00 AM - 12:30 PM
    • The development of physical pliancy
    • Concentration without support
    • Skill in intensifying & easing up
    • Stabilizing the flow of mind-moments; stream access
  • 2:00 PM - 4:30 PM
    • Automatic concentration, one-pointedness, and equanimity
    • Assessing progress–The Nine States of Staying using the elephant path model
    • Meditation on movement & stillness
    • Stabilizing concentration from the mind-perspective
  • 7:00 PM - 9:00 PM
    • Overview of the ordinary insight meditations
    • Meditation on emptiness of self representation
Day 5
  • 10:00 AM - 12:30 PM
    • Emptiness of self meditation continued
    • Emptiness of phenomena meditation–the ‘Mind Only’ perspective
    • Developing skill in emptiness meditations
  • 2:00 PM - 4:30 PM
    • Emptiness & compassion combined meditations
    • Developing mental pliancy & its role in insight meditations
    • Meditations on emptiness of temporality
      • Nagarjuna’s Eight Extremes meditation
      • Mahamudra meditation on the Unelaborated Mind and the Always There Mind
    • Stabilizing the Simultaneous Mind, from the mind-perspective
  • 7:00 PM - 9:00 PM
    • Extraordinary or essence insight meditations–an overview
    • Stabilizing the Simultaneous Mind as always there
    • Simultaneous Mind meditation on coarse-level thought–water & waves meditation
Day 6
  • 10:00 AM - 12:30 PM
    • Water & waves (continued)
    • Simultaneous Mind meditation on coarse-level sense perception–dreamer & dreams meditation
    • One Taste meditation–non-duality of the Simultaneous Mind
    • Advanced One Taste meditation–Sealing whatever occurs as empty upon arising
  • 2:00 PM - 6:00 PM
    • Sealing all occurrences as empty upon arising
    • Automatic emptiness practice during and after the meditation session
    • Overview of Non-Meditation Instructions
      • Gampopa’s Four Means to Set Up Awakened Wisdom
      • Maitripa’s negation instructions
      • The extraordinary version of compassion meditation

Day 6 evening practice: automatic emptiness each moment, off the pillow (no formal class, participants practice on their own with given instructions)

Day 7
  • 10:00 AM - 12:30 PM
    • The problem of artificial vs. spontaneous activity of mind
    • How making something happen or preventing something from happening obscures awakened wisdom
    • The problem of conceptualization
    • Review of the practice as a means to set up awakened wisdom
    • Skillfully identifying & removing the obstacles to awakened wisdom
    • Protecting instructions–real mindfulness without artificial activity, with awareness-itself as both the vantage point of and the object of meditation
  • 2:00 PM - 4:30 PM
    • Continuation of protecting instructions
    • Individualized assessment of habits of mind that obscure awakened wisdom
    • Setting up meditation; shifting the locus to the ground of awareness; practice from the vantage point of awakened wisdom
  • 7:00 PM - 9:00 PM
    • Practice that never ceases; continuous awareness of whatever arises moment-by-moment, sealed as empty upon arising
    • Made calm/set-free as empty upon arising
Day 8 (10:00 AM - 12:00 PM)
  • Application of the practice to everyday living–the issue of spontaneous presence
  • How to deepen the gains
    • Path-walking instruction
    • Precious opportunity meditation
  • Closure