The Nine Levels of Stability of Meditation*

[jonesboy]

The Nine Levels of Stability of Meditation*

1. Resting the mind

(One places one’s mind on an object for a brief duration.)



2. Resting the mind longer

(One places one’s mind on an object and it wanders and

then one places it back again on the object.)



3. Continuously resettling the mind

(One keeps placing one’s mind, but there are still thoughts

such as "this is important" or "I like this" which prevent

complete placement.)



4. Intensely settled mind

(The mind appears to be vast and the thoughts appear only

as small intrusions on this vast space.)



5. Taming the mind

(One feels joy, enthusiasm, and relaxation in one’s meditation.)



6. Pacification of the mind

(The mind appears tame, but it still wanders because

we are still attached to these wanderings.)



7. Complete pacification of the mind

(Whatever the distraction that appears in mind, one

immediately applies the right antidote.)



8. One-pointed mind

(One can place the mind almost completely, but it still

requires some exertion.)



9. Resting in equanimity

(Mind rests simply and naturally in its own nature.)



*These nine ways were first given in the Ornament of Clear Realization by Maitreya.



From the book An Introduction to Mahamudra Meditation by Khenchen Thrangu Rinpoche Geshe Lharampa

[Bubbles]

I can't say I am 100% with all of this, but I am pretty sure I do identify my experience in meditation with what's written here at least 80%. This clearly shows why I prefer 1 hour +- long meditation. Although even shorter may be beneficial... many other things do and don't happen about the 1 hour mark... I never meditated 3 hours or more, I wonder what it like? I also heard that the more a person meditates, the faster he can enter the meditative state. I can agree on this :)

Actually now I read the thread again... don't mind my % I wrote above.... it's just my perception. I try to think more about what's written and my experience... and regarding stage 9) .. what exactly does it mean? I say I know but I still ask.

And when I meditate for long enough, I can get to a focus where it is just me and me....either subc. mind talking or maybe a guide? I do not know, but it is like the voice in my head I usually control for my thoughts, it turns~ and talks to me as in 3rd person like it's addressing to me. Normally one would say I talk alone to myself, like many other people do. But how can that be, since I listen in the same time and think about what I hear and process that. It is not like I talk to myself alone, is different. Some may say it's the subc. mind, or guardian spirit or guides? I do not know... maybe it doesn't matter... but shouldn't I know for sure?

Few months ago, I did a shadow work type of meditation, used a black obsidian as well, during the night.... for 1 hour+. I reached again to the same point where I talked about above, and when I was looking for my problem and the roots of it, this voice was saying 'go deeper' (into the root of the problem), so I went deeper and found a new cause which triggered the chain.... the voice again said "deeper..deeper" and I went deeper and deeper, root of the root of the root....of the problem.. all back to many years ago... of course I cried, but oh my, it felt so liberating afterwards.... it removes the complex and problem~ if you acknowledge and identify the root problem... (I went a bit offtopic into shadow work meditation....) Still, my question stands... what do you think this voice is? I think this voice from our heads can be used by many entities, evil good neutral... hmmm.... aha! you know that cliche, little devil on your left shoulder and the little angel on your right? advising you? might be related, there's surely more than we think

[shivatar]

Originally Posted by Bubbles

I can't say I am 100% with all of this, but I am pretty sure I do identify my experience in meditation with what's written here at least 80%. This clearly shows why I prefer 1 hour +- long meditation. Although even shorter may be beneficial... many other things do and don't happen about the 1 hour mark... I never meditated 3 hours or more, I wonder what it like? I also heard that the more a person meditates, the faster he can enter the meditative state. I can agree on this :)

Actually now I read the thread again... don't mind my % I wrote above.... it's just my perception. I try to think more about what's written and my experience... and regarding stage 9) .. what exactly does it mean? I say I know but I still ask.

And when I meditate for long enough, I can get to a focus where it is just me and me....either subc. mind talking or maybe a guide? I do not know, but it is like the voice in my head I usually control for my thoughts, it turns~ and talks to me as in 3rd person like it's addressing to me. Normally one would say I talk alone to myself, like many other people do. But how can that be, since I listen in the same time and think about what I hear and process that. It is not like I talk to myself alone, is different. Some may say it's the subc. mind, or guardian spirit or guides? I do not know... maybe it doesn't matter... but shouldn't I know for sure?

Few months ago, I did a shadow work type of meditation, used a black obsidian as well, during the night.... for 1 hour+. I reached again to the same point where I talked about above, and when I was looking for my problem and the roots of it, this voice was saying 'go deeper' (into the root of the problem), so I went deeper and found a new cause which triggered the chain.... the voice again said "deeper..deeper" and I went deeper and deeper, root of the root of the root....of the problem.. all back to many years ago... of course I cried, but oh my, it felt so liberating afterwards.... it removes the complex and problem~ if you acknowledge and identify the root problem... (I went a bit offtopic into shadow work meditation....) Still, my question stands... what do you think this voice is? I think this voice from our heads can be used by many entities, evil good neutral... hmmm.... aha! you know that cliche, little devil on your left shoulder and the little angel on your right? advising you? might be related, there's surely more than we think

You have heard "we are all one" right? every living thing is God but different, each an individual with uniqueness.

Inside your mind is like that too. It's all you, but there are many different you's inside of you. The consciousness that you normally experience, "the ego", is like the mayor of all the little you's inside of you. It is a very prestigious position indeed, but no more important than the shoe shiner on the city streets. Everything lends itself to the whole. Every self inside you has a similar purpose.

For myself, over the years I have tried to identify certain voices as different parts of myself but I forget about them in time. Over time it doesn't really matter what part of me is saying what, only that it is saying something to me. It has relevant information for me. Like the assistant to the mayor, all my little selves bring things to my attention and I deal with them as a mayor would.

To continue this analogy, the higher self or the mysterious self (or any of the other thousands of names it goes by), is like the wealthiest person in town. They are so wealthy they have nothing to worry about, they simply sit back and watch everything go on. They could influence, sure, and they sometimes do, but for the most part they just watch. When things are really really bad they show up, for the other 99% of you life the mayor is in charge.

In my experience, the 9th level of meditation is free from thoughts. Or, there is an intelligence there that far surpasses thought so when thoughts arise they are not so much "listened to" as they are brought to awareness, and immediately discarded and forgotten as if they never came up, or utilized on very rapidly. spontaneously almost (although if a person is very aware of their mind they will see the mind anticipating their next action before they do it, the mind seems to encourage things to be done by doing them first).

the 9th level of meditation is not a practice, it is an experience. It's like watching a movie, except the movie is reality. The few times I have experienced (what I consider 9th level to be, I may have experiened something similar but different) the 9th level it was like i wasn't myself. It was like my higher self took over and was living through me. Experiencing the world like a child might, full of joy, bliss, and wonder, but with the insight and knowledge of a very old and wise person!

I think there have been maybe 2-3 times I have experienced it and they were brought about my intense self-reflection, but one I reached this level it seemed to go about effortlessly. I surrendered to the experience and a higher intelligence overtook my body an acted through me. It was amazing because I only had the deepest and most profound thoughts, I only said the most loving and connecting things, I only felt the best of emotions. It was like heaven on earth. Because it was like heaven on earth I immediately attached to it and have been unable to reach the experience again.

I think after 5-10 more years of meditation and spiritual pursuit I will be able to do it though. and maybe by the end of my life i will be able to live in such a state

[Unseeking Seeker]

Interesting to know about all these levels of meditation, so well categorised. However, if we apply effort, there is an applicator of effort, meaning a sense of separateness where we are here and want to get there. Possibly first peaking accentuated intuitive attention (rather than concentration) effortlessly, then resting it, with an unexpectant yet receptive orientation, allowing the divine energy to manifest within is all it takes.

Yet in all humility, I accept that there are many paths and I know of only this one. Thanks for the shared experience and knowledge.