Meditation and the Ordinary Mind in the Mahāmudrā Tradition
Understanding Meditation and the Ordinary Mind
The ordinary mind, remaining undistracted, is what is called meditation. That very natural state of ease of the mind that we innately possess is referred to as ordinary mind. But when that same mind begins to contrive and fabricate—thinking, “this is good,” “that is bad,” “this is big,” or “that is small”—it is no longer ordinary mind. Thus, whatever arises and appears within the mind’s innate state of ease, so long as the naturally aware presence of mind sustains that primal ease without distraction, it is called abiding in meditation. If there is mental fabrication, then not even the slightest trace of true meditation is present.
Therefore, as long as the mind’s self-cognizant mindfulness remains undistracted, it is meditation—whether the mind abides in utter emptiness, serene bliss, a turbulent proliferation of thoughts, or the arising of diverse appearances. One must sustain mindfulness not only when the mind remains steady in one place, but also when it is in motion or when various appearances arise within it. When the mind is steady, do not intentionally make it move; when the mind is moving, do not deliberately try to stop it. Whether the mind rests in total emptiness, serene bliss, or is swirling with thoughts, nothing needs to be done except to avoid allowing the naturally aware presence of mind to become distracted.
In short, if the self-cognizant mindfulness of mind—the naturally aware presence of mind—is present, everything becomes meditation; but if it is absent, then whatever you do is not meditation. Therefore, understand well the importance of mindfulness.
Note: This translation is based on a Mahāmudrā instructional text composed by Dakpo Paṇchen Tashi Namgyal (16th century), a renowned master of the Dakpo Kagyu tradition.
What choying Rangdrol says about 'ordinary mind':
In the Mahāmudrā tradition, the term ordinary means allowing the body, breath, and mind to remain just as they are—without any attempt to modify or control them. Ordinary mind refers to a state of mind that is free from conceptual elaboration and beyond verbal expression. Yet, this notion must be carefully understood, as Mahāmudrā distinguishes between different forms of so-called ordinary mind.
There is, for example, the ordinary mind entangled in deluded thoughts, and the ordinary mind that becomes attached to meditative experiences such as bliss, clarity, or a non-conceptuality. Both of these must be relinquished.
Beyond them lies another, deeper sense of ordinary mind—the innate luminosity that is the ground of all appearances. It is this ordinary mind that is the true basis of realization and the path to buddhahood. (Translated by T. Dorji)