Meditation technique

It is not necessary at first to sit cross-legged, but it is a good idea to become accustomed to sitting in the posture of Buddha Vairochana. If we cannot hold this posture we should sit in one which is as close to this as possible while remaining comfortable.

1. The legs are crossed in the vajra posture. This helps to reduce thoughts and feelings of desirous attachment.
2. The right hand is placed in the left hand, palms upwards, with the tips of the humbs slightly raised and gently touching. The hands are held about four fingers' width below the navel. This helps us to develop good concentration. The right hand symbolizes method and the left hand symbolizes wisdom - the two together symbolize the union of method and wisdom. The two thumbs at the level of the navel symbolize the blazing of inner fire
3. The back is straight but not tense. This helps us to develop and maintain a clear mind, and it allows the subtle energy winds to flow freely
4. The lips and teeth are held as usual, but the tongue touches against the back of the upper teeth. This prevents excessive salivation while also preventing our mouth from becoming too dry
5. The head is tipped a little forward with the chin slightly tucked in so that the eyes are cast down. This helps prevent mental excitement
6. The eyes are neither wide open nor completely closed, but remain half open and gaze down along the line of the nose. If the eyes are wide open we are likely to develop mental excitement and if they are closed we are likely to develop mental sinking
7. The shoulders are level and the elbows are held slightly away from the sides to let air circulate

A further feature of Buddha Vairochana's posture is the preliminary breathing meditation, which prepares our mind for developing a good motivation.

When we sit down to meditate our mind is usually full of disturbing thoughts, and we cannot immediately convert such a state of mind into the virtuous one we need as our motivation. A negative, disturbed state of mind is like pitch-black cloth. We cannot dye pitch-black cloth any other colour unless we first remove all the black dye and make the cloth white again.

In the same way, if we want to colour our mind with a virtuous motivation we need to clear away all our negative thoughts and distractions. We can accomplish this state temporarily by practising breathing meditation.

To gain further experience you can attend one of our weekly meditation classes. You can either

• Find a meditation class in South London & suburbs
• Find a meditation class in the UK, or
• Use the search box below to find a class worldwide - you will be redirected to the main website for Kadampa Buddhism

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