Dzogchen Practice of Contemplation

[jonesboy]

FIXATION WITHOUT AN OBJECT

GYUWA - MOVEMENT

The aim of fixation without an object is to become
familiar with another important natural function of
the mind, the movement of thoughts, but without
being distracted by it. The movement of thoughts is called gyuwa: in Tibetan the word gyuwa means a leap, a movement.

Fix your gaze on any point in the space in front of you.

When you start to practice fixation without an
object you should direct your attention in the same
way as when you started fixing on the object.

Even though there is no object on which to fix your
gaze you must act as if there were in order to prevent a
sudden and spontaneous proliferation of thoughts.
Subsequently you will be able to start gradually to relax
your attention too. As the mental tension is gradually
relaxed, control of the body and the breath also relax;
that is, all your tensions relax, and then thoughts start
to arise again.

If you do this, and relax your attention more and
more, you will clearly notice that the 'calm state' that
we encountered doing fixation with an object, and
'movement' , that is the arising of thoughts, co-exist
simultaneously.

If, while we are practicing with an object 'the bee
leaves' (that is, if we let thoughts wander freely as they
are accustomed to do) then this will damage the calm
state; that is, we lose the experience of nepa.

In the same way, at the start of the practice without
an object thoughts arise more abundantly: why?
Because concentrating the fixation acutely on the
object causes thoughts to stop by themselves,
automatically. Whereas now, in the absence of this
support the fixation 'relaxes' and naturally the
occurrence of thoughts intensifies.