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7) The seventh mental state is called the full pacification' (Tib.
mam.par.zhi. bar.byed.pa). In this state, there is not really much
danger of the arisal of either sinking or excitement. They will
occasionally arise a little bit and. when they do, they are not
difficult to dispel and can be eliminated by the force of
enthusiasm. By and large, they are not there. In the illustration of
an elephant following a winding path, depicting the course of
mental development towards the attainment of clear stillness, at
this stage, the elephant, representing the mind, has a little tiny bit
of blackness on it symbolizing the fact that the mind, at this point,
is only slightly subject to sinking and excitement.
Here is a recent example of Geshe Rabkye, who was in the same
class with me. In cultivating clear stillness, he had definitely
attained the seventh of these nine stales. In his meditation for two
or three hours at a stretch, he would have impeccable concentration,
a very high degree of samadhi. At that point he died.
However, if he had lived, there seems no doubt that he would have
proceeded right to the full attainment of clear stillness. Once one
has attained the seventh state, to attain the following ones is a
matter of relative ease-
When I was in Dalhousie (another hill-station in northern India)
quite a few years back, I was living alone very, very simply with
only the most basic possessions. At that time, compared to Geshe
Rabkye, I was very wealthy. He really looked simply like a beggar;
all he had was a meditation cushion, a couple of pictures and that
was it. Sometimes Geshe Rabkye, who was very good in debate
would come to my place and talk or debate. Once I asked him
what realization had he gained and he replied, "Well, 1 have not
gained any real realization, but I have the feeling no one in the
world is happier than I am." This is an indication that he was tnily
a spiritual practitioner. His Holiness the Dalai Lama really took a
very special interest and had an especially great affection for
Geshe Rabkye. He invited him down from the mountain, where
he was meditating, into his own palace to meditate there. It is true
that His Holiness the Dalai Lama does take this very special
interest, have this special affection for people, be they Tibetans or
Westerners, who are devoting themselves very earnestly to
spiritual practice.
8) The eight mental state is called 'single-pointed application'
(Tib. rtse. gchig.tu.byed.pa). Upon the attainment of the eighth
menial state, sinking or excitement no longer arise. By this time,
at the beginning of one's sitting session, with just the slightest bit
the effort, the mind becomes focused upon the abject (in this case,
oneself as Kalacakra). One can then simply continue to abide in
the meditation for as long as one likes. For the duration of the
meditation, there is no sinking or excitement. This can be likened
to a person who falls asleep and is completely out for eight hours,
sleeping solidly the whole time without any effort. Likewise, with
just a little bit of effort at the beginning of the sitting, this person
can sit for a long time during which sinking and excitement do not
arise.
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