There was a time when I enjoyed, craved even, elaborate visualizations and meditations.
It felt rich and enlivening to envision colourful imagery and story dancing across my mind and focused into healing parts of my body or psyche!
However, these past few years, whenever I find myself in guided meditation, tension arises. My mind and head feel tight and there is little ease or enjoyment in the imagery. There’s simply no room for any more.
Recently, while taking my foundation classes in Buddhist studies, Lama Tsultrim Allione guided us through several different meditations. One such meditation felt like a soothing balm to me.
Lama Tsultrim Allione talked about the wild horses around Tara Mandala and that to tame a wild horse, you don’t chase it or force it to comply. You sit quietly in the field and allow it to run about, eventually calming and coming closer to you.
This is the essence of the meditation: thoughts are like wild horses. Let them run about.
I feel myself relax into the meadow even as these thoughts run wild. I don’t chase them. If I discover I am indeed running after one or more of them, I remind myself that I am simply resting on my back in this beautiful fragrant meadow, sun on my face, while wild horses run. And eventually, they settle down — through no effort of my own except the gentle reminder that I am simply in the field, enjoying myself.
I choose it each day in practice. Or I simply listen to the birdsong, lapping river or train chugging near me.
While scrolling Facebook, Jetsunma Tenzin Palmo’s post caught my eye. She put into words how I’d been feeling these past few years.
If you go to Tibet, you will see, as my Lama said, “The one thing we had in Tibet was space.” You can go for hours and hours and see nothing except a few yak. The outer landscape was empty. And so when it came to decorations, it’s so jam-packed. All their thangkas, there’s no space at all, it’s all covered in things, right? Because outside it’s so empty.
So likewise, because their minds were so empty, they could be filled like an empty canvas with very complex, philosophical thinking and very complex visualisations. And they loved it, because it got their mind very open and expansive and decorated with all this beauty of all the deities and all Buddhas and Bodhisattvas and the lights coming in and the lights going out and so on and so forth.
But in the modern world, our lives and our minds are already so full, mostly junk, but filled to the top. There’s hardly any space. And everybody’s stressed out like anything. So to put on top of that all these complicated visualisations, I’m not sure it’s always very helpful in the beginning. And many Lamas are also thinking like this now, that maybe some years of doing basic Shamatha and Vipassana is much better. Clear out, quieten down. Put some space there first.
– Jetsunma Tenzin Palmo
So, my friend and dear reader, rest in the field. Let the wild horses run. Notice when you chase after them. Call yourself gently back to the meadow. Allow the vast space to return.
Much love,
Stephanie
p.s. This practice is quite lovely if done while actually resting on your back on the earth and softly gazing into the sky.
p.p.s. If you’re looking for an inspiring read, pick up one of my books below.
Stephanie Hrehirchuk - Author 