(Starting from the 21st, the field feels special, and I feel quite tired… Is this a resonance with a vibrational wave? Does the 2012 field still exist and affect us? What adjustments should we make in our next stage of practice?)
I. Changes in the Field and Human Sensitivity
Actually, we do not perceive the vibrations of cosmic waves or changes in the field very clearly. We are quite insensitive; sometimes we are even less sensitive than small animals. Why are we so insensitive? Because we have too many stray thoughts and lack concentration, so we cannot feel certain things—our minds are not there.
Only when your mind is settled in one place can you be sensitive and responsive. You may have many stray thoughts or insufficient attainment, and so on, but that does not mean these things do not affect us.
II. Perspective and Cognition
Cultivation is indeed a long-term undertaking. When it comes to attaining Fruition, perspective is very important. I believe that, whether last year, this year, or in the future, your perspective must gradually come into place—in the way you see and understand things.
Because awareness is a form of Cognition, awareness is no-self—it is a degree of Cognition—the perfection of wisdom. Because your awareness is itself Cognition: Cognition of your own distraction, Cognition of becoming still, Cognition of Emptiness, Cognition of existence, Cognition of Form—this is a degree of Cognition.
This Cognition—you will gradually bring this degree of Cognition to fulfillment. As for what you think it is, when it comes to attaining Fruition, Fruition is the continual fulfillment of your Cognition, again and again.
At first, this Cognition carries false views, delusions, or limitations. In the end, when this degree of Cognition reaches fulfillment, your Fruition becomes complete. So perspective is always extremely important—within the very nature of the mind, this Cognition must continuously evolve and deepen, over and over.
All sitting meditation, quiet sitting, spiritual resonance, the transformation of the energy channels, and the opening of the chakras are for the fulfillment of this Cognition. The fulfillment of that degree of Cognition is awakening, complete enlightenment.
III. Sitting Meditation and Tuning the Mind
So in the end, we must keep refining our Cognition, so that we can understand things more fully. Whatever the case, much of it still comes down to sitting meditation; sitting meditation must continue. Treat it like eating and brushing your teeth. Do not treat it as, “I’m going to sit in meditation now.”
Sitting meditation should be utterly natural. When I’m tired, when I’m worn out, when I’m troubled, scattered, or just feeling empty—I simply sit down on the cushion.
It becomes a support for tuning your mind, not a support for realizing Buddhahood. The intention is simply: “I want to tune my mind, let it settle and grow calm, and then enter some state or other.” And in that state, I can see more clearly the affliction or attachment I’m clinging to.
From the highest teaching, I have always been telling you: this is the highest—you are already a Buddha, you have always been so, this is how it is, you already are. If you maintain awareness, that awareness has already gone beyond; in fact, it is already the highest calm-abiding and insight (śamatha–vipaśyanā). In other words, you do not cognize yourself as scattered or still; you abide in this awareness.
Of course, if you cannot maintain that awareness, then stop and use calming; you can use calming to still wandering thoughts and stray thoughts. What does this mean? Through calming, if you are no longer scattered, you have entered another appearance—the appearance of being free of distraction—and become attached to another appearance. This practice needs to continue for longer; spending more time practicing calm-abiding and insight is also a good method. The Sutra of Perfect Enlightenment introduces calm-abiding and insight throughout; that too is a good method.
But I hope you can begin with awareness, aware yet unmoving, and practice from awareness—more quickly. Because when I speak about awareness, everyone is unaware, so in the end we can only practice calming again. Then everyone says: “Teacher, I’m still scattered; talking about it over and over isn’t working, so let’s use calming!” In any case, they are all Dharma doors; any path will do.
IV. Striving in Cultivation and the Alternation of the Field
Because sometimes when I watch you cultivate, some of you work very hard, some are very diligent, and some stake everything on reaching something or other. Some practice a lot, thinking they are cultivating, thinking to themselves: “Ah, I have practiced so much, it has been so hard,” or, “I am practicing,” or whatever.
Everything is still caught up in struggle. In other words, 2012 passed, and last year we were at a cosmic transition, like the alternation of night and day; there are various accounts of this period. So, in the cosmic field, it was like the alternation of night and day. As we crossed this transition, I believe the cosmic field had its greatest effect on the energy within the human body, because human beings are microcosms.
Since last year, you have cultivated throughout the entire year; there is something different about that, you know. That accumulation, that field, that stirring. The darkness has passed, and when daylight arrives, it is not that daylight is bad—but you do not know how dark the night was.
You don’t know how hard your cultivation was in 2012! You don’t know that struggle, that inner impulse. In the future, you may no longer feel each different field. And before 2012, you could feel that oppression, that pain; they may never return.
And that deep struggle and pain in life are very helpful to your attaining enlightenment, you know. That stirring is because the cosmic field is changing intensely; you were at the forefront.
V. Growth That Is Hard to Notice
You will know later, because growth in the nature of mind is something we ourselves cannot notice. You cannot notice your own progress; what we do feel is that something sometimes stirs within, or there are subtle perceptions, or our meditative stability has grown stronger, or our capacity of mind has begun to expand. But before we attain Fruition, we still will not clearly feel that we are growing.
In fact, as long as your mind is on the Way, as long as you sit there, you will make great progress over the course of this year; you just will not notice it yourself. In fact, this is growth.
Note: This text was prepared from a teaching video by Yang Ning. If it differs from the video, the video takes precedence. Watch the video.