The Three Contemplations
SUMMARY KEYWORDS
The Three Contemplations, Natural State of the Mind, Bön tradition, Dzogchen, Tantra, Tantric practices, His Holiness, Yongdzin Rinpoche, fundamental idea, mantra recitations.
Tashi Delek to all of you,
I hope you are all having a good day today.
Today I want to talk about The Three Contemplations.
Often when I have visited certain places here in the West, I have met many people who practice the Bön tradition, the Bön religion. Especially Tantric teachings.
If you have followed some of my teachings or read some of my comments in the past, you may have heard me talking about The Three Contemplations.
And what I’ve always said about these Three Contemplations is that these are very, very fundamental ideas, very essential. These are very basic to all Tantric systems, you know. This is largely the idea shared by all Tantric systems.
So, you already know that Tantra is a very profound teaching. Whether it is the Tantric teachings from the Bön tradition, the Buddhist Tantric teachings, or both, there are four categories of Tantric practices.
However, you should also know that The Three Contemplations also constitute a fundamental idea in the Bön tradition. The Three Contemplations is a fundamental core concept. Why is that? Because that’s where you have to start. You must start from there if you really want to practice Tantra, you know.
And the problem that I also have seen in some places was that people would say, “I do Tantric practices, I practice Tantra” you know. And then my question to them was: “How do you practice?” » And they said: “I recite mantras.” So, you see, of course, they recognize the Yidams and recite the mantras. But that’s not enough, you see. This does not really mean that you practice Tantra. Of course, chanting, and reciting mantras is part of it. This is part of a Tantric practices. But I repeat, that is not enough.
If you want to properly engage into Tantric practices, or any type of Tantric teachings, there are certain points you need to consider. For example, you need to know there are higher Tantric practices and even highest Tantric practices. And then there are the lower Tantric teachings. This is something you need to know. On the other hand, whenever you practice all or any parts of these teachings, and this is true at the very beginning of every Tantric practice that you do, you must begin with the practice of The Three Contemplations. I repeat: the practice of The Three Contemplations is a fundamental, absolute practice.
When I was a student, this was made very clear as I received Tantric teachings and also Dzogchen teachings from Yongdzin Rinpoche and from His Holiness.
And now Yongdzin Rinpoche is the oldest Bön Master in the whole world. He is the most Senior Dzogchen Master and, a great Tantric Master, you know. He is a venerable, very great teacher. So, when he was giving teachings, he would always emphasize the importance of The Three Contemplations. Actually, he was always saying that they are some sort of doors, you see. Therefore, to enter the house, you must open the door!
Similarly, if you wish to enter into Tantric teachings, you should do so through, what is called, “The Three Contemplations”. So, these are actual specific and definitely, very important teachings. And this is the basic, foundational teaching of Tantra.
Now let’s have a quick look at the first contemplation.
The first contemplation is the Natural State of the Mind. The idea of the Natural State of the Mind, we have to know, we have to become familiar with the Natural State of the Mind.
In Dzogchen’s teachings, with the Natural State of the Mind, you simply remain there. Always, in Dzogchen teachings, the Natural State of Mind is involved. Now there are many different examples, many different methods. But always the most important thing is the Natural State of the Mind, so this is what we are talking about. How to practice the Natural State of the Mind.
The most important thing is the Natural State of Mind, that is the first contemplation, and it is called དེ་བཞིན་ཉིད་ཀྱི་ཏིང་ངེ་འཛིན། – Dé Zhin Nyi Kyi Ting Ngé Dzin – in the Tibetan language ཏིང་ངེ་འཛིན། – Ting Ngé Dzin- translates as to concentrate, as the deep meditative absorption, you see. In Sanskrit it is called Samādhi.
So, the main point, in the first one of The Three Contemplations is the Natural State of the Mind. And as I have mentioned to you, in Tibetan it is called Dé Zhin Nyi Kyi Ting Ngé Dzin.
This is very important. I think this is why the Natural State of the Mind puts Dzogchen and all the Tantric teachings on one level. In Tantra, the practice is about adding something to it. Whereas in Dzogchen, there is nothing to add, you simply continue to practice as it is. That is what Dzogchen is. However, the concept of a Natural State of the Mind happens to be fundamental in both Dzogchen and Tantra in the traditional Bön Ways.
Having said that, I wish to elaborate a little more on the first contemplation. Because that’s very, very important. Perhaps some of you already have some ideas about it. Some of you may know exactly what the first contemplation is and what the Natural State of the Mind is. However, some students who have come to some of the teachings had no idea about The Three Contemplations. They were not aware of the first of The Three Contemplations. Therefore, I will explain these Three Contemplations more thoroughly with as much detail as I can. So, I shall do so in the future.
A few weeks ago, I initiated a talk about the Namkha Truldzo root text, which is a very short text.
My first talk about it was meant to be an introduction to it. At that time, the talk was just about a few sentences from that text.
As I also told you, the Namkha Truldzo root text is very important, but it is very, very summarized. And I also told you, Namkha Truldzo root text is very special. Therefore, we are going to go back there together.I would like to continue to share further with you. Soon I will be continuing to talk about the Namkha Truldzo root text.
So that is it for today. I really appreciate all your positive comments on the teachings.
Thank you very, very much.
Until next,
Geshe Tenpa