Genuine Happiness: Meditation as the Path to Fulfillment

252 Pages·2005·9.61 MB·English

by  B. Alan Wallace

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Genuine Happiness
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Meditation as the
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Path to Fu!tdlment
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B.
ALAN WALLACE
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Foreword by His Holiness the Dalai Lama
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WILEY j
John \Vilcy & Sons, Inc.
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Copyright <D 2005 by B. Alan Wallace. All rights re"erved
Published by Joh11 Wiley & Sons, Inc., Hoboken, New Jersey
Published simultaneously in Canada
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Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data:
Wallace, B. Alan.
Genuine happiness: meditation as the path to fulfillment / B. Alan Wallace
; foreword by H.H. the Dalai Lama.
p. cm.
Includes bibliographical references and index.
ISBN 0-471-46984-X (cloth)
1. aAnaapaanasmorti. 2. Meditation-Buddhism. 1. Title.
BQ5630.A6W35 2005
294.3'4435-dc22
2004027098
Printed in the United State~ of America
10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2
Contents
FOREWORD BY HIS HOLINESS THE DALAI LAMA
ACKNOWLEDGMENTS
Introduction
PART ONE
Refining the Attention
1 Mindfulness of Breathing
2 Settling the Mind in Its Natural State
3 The Awareness of Being Aware
PART TWO
Insight through Mindfulness
4 Mindfulness of the Body
5 Mindfulness of the Feelings
6 Mindfulness of the Mind
7 Mindfulness of Phenomena
VI co~ 1 FKTS
PART THREE
Cultivating a Good Heart
8 Loving-Kindness
9 Compassion
10 Empathetic Joy and Equanimity
PART FOUR
Exploring the Nature of Consciousness
11 Bodhichitta: The Spirit of Awakening
12 Daytime Dream Yoga
13 Nighttime Dream Yoga
14 The Great Perfection
ApPENDIX: THE SANTA BARBARA INSTITUTE FOR
CONSCIOUSNESS STUDIES
NOTES
RECOMMENDED READING
BIBLlOGRAPHY
INDEX
Foreword by His Holiness
the Dalai Lama
MEDITATION IS AN INSTRUMENT or technique to shape or trans
form the mind. According to my own meager experience of med
itation as a simple Buddhist monk, as I get older, even though
many of the problems I face become more serious and my respon
sibilities become more challenging, my mind is becoming calmer.
The result of a calmer mind is that I am happier. When faced with
problems, my peace of mind is largely undisturbed. This is cer
tainly the result of meditation.
Meditation is important as a tool for transforming the mind. We
do not have to think of it as something religious. Like compassion
and the spirit of forgiveness, I would include it among our basic
good human qualities. When we are born we are quite free from
ideology, but we are not free from the need for human affection.
Compassion, love and forgiveness, the spirit of harmony, and a
sense of brotherhood and sisterhood are all taught by our religious
traditions. And yet this does not mean that if you accept the value
of compassion or forgi veness then you must take up religion as a
whole. Meditation is the same; we can use it as a means of strength
ening our basic good human qualities.
Generally speaking, our awareness is normally attracted
toward physical sensory experiences and mental concepts. With
meditation we learn to withdraw our mind inward; we don't let
it chase after sensory objects. However, we don't withdraw it so
much that it becomes dull. We have to maintain a very full state
of alertness and mindfulness so that an awareness of our natural
state of mind emerges. This is a state of mind in which awareness
..
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"Ill
is not afflicted by memories and thoughts of the past, nor is it
afflicted by thoughts of the future, anticipations, fears, and hopes.
Rather, our mind remains in a natural and neutral state.
When we withdraw our mind from external objects, it's almost
as if we can't recognize it as our mind. There is a kind of absence,
a kind of vacuity. Howevel~ as we slowly progress and get used
to it, we begin to notice an underlying clarity, a luminosity. And
that's when we begin to realize and appreciate the natural state of
the mind.
Now, the Buddhist tradition of meditation includes many dif
ferent techniques and practices. But it is very Important to be skill
ful in how we apply them. We need a balanced approach,
combining studying and learning with the practices of contem
plation and meditation. Otherwise, there is a danger that too much
intellectualization will kill the more contemplative practices. But
then, too much emphasis on practical implementation without
study can kill the understanding.
In this book, Alan Wallace describes a range of meditation tech
niques from the simplest mindfulness of breathing up to the
exalted methods of Dzogchen. From a perspective of long experi
ence of study and practice, he has tried to present these techniques
with reference to the universal qualities of the human mind, free
from the cultural embellishments that may have become associ
ated with them as they were developed in India, Tibet, and else
where. This is, I believe, entirely appropriate. When the Buddha
and other great teachers of the past first gave these instructions,
they did not do so in order that only Indians, Tibetans, or Asians
should benefit, but in order that all sentient beings should find
peace and happiness. It is my prayer, too, that whoever puts these
instructions and words of advice into effect may find the tran
quility and insight that is their fruit.
September 29, 2003
Acknowledgments
THIS BOOK IS BASED on a series of lectures I gave in Santa Barbara
from the autumn of 2000 through the spring of 2001. These lec
tures were recorded and then transcribed by many volunteers
among my students, to whom I am deeply grateful. These raw
transcripts were then edited into book form by Brian Hodet after
which I made various changes, which he polished once again. It
has been a pleasure working with Brian, and I thank him for his
unflagging enthusiasm and skillful editing. The manuscript was
then sent to my agent, Patricia van der Leun, who coached me
with enormous patience in writing a book proposal and polish
ing my writing style. It was thanks to her that the manuscript was
submitted to John Wiley & Sons, and due to the kind interest on
the part of Thomas Miller, executive editor, general interest books,
that it was accepted for publication. I have very much enjoyed
working with TerynJohnson, the editor at John Wiley & Sons who
line-edited the manuscript and made other helpful suggestions. I
am grateful to all those who have contributed to this book, espe
cially my many teachers, including His Holiness the Dalai Lama,
Geshe Rabten, and Gyatrul Rinpoche, without whom my life in
Dharma and this book that has resulted from it would have been
impossible. Finally, I wish to express my thanks for the loving sup
port of my wife, Vesna A. Wallace, and stepdaughter, Sarah, who
have brought so much joy to my life.
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