The root of samsara is the habit of impure perception. By regarding oneself as a deity, one gradually purifies, weakens, and removes that habit and replaces it with the positive habit of pure perception.
—Thrangu Rinpoche
Development stage meditation uses the power of the imagination and symbolic imagery to help us tap into our buddha nature. When you practice the development stage meditation, you would sit down to do your morning meditation and start your practice by reconnecting with the ideas of taking refuge, bodhichitta, and the bodhisattva vow. In the Vajrayana this would involve chanting lines from a liturgy—known as a sadhana in Sanskrit. As you chant the verses for refuge and bodhichitta, you remind yourself of what your practice is all about and why you are doing it. More specifically, you bring to mind the motivation to discover your buddha nature and, not only that, to help all other beings do the same.
After these and a few other preliminary steps to the meditation, you would likely imagine the presence of a yidam deity. A yidam is a symbolic representation of buddha nature, almost like an archetype, that you visualize, as though this being is sitting in the space before you. Each yidam—and there are hundreds— represents some aspect of buddha nature. Some represent compassion, wisdom, or purity. The yidam deity will have very specific imagery, such as color, ornamentation, clothing, and so on. All of this is symbolic. Every element of the visualization represents some aspect of our awakened nature. By imagining all this, you are effectively bringing these qualities to mind and embedding them in your present moment experience. You are thus making yourself receptive to the possibility of awakening. At this point, it will still feel like this awakened presence is outside and not within you, but it is an important step toward seeing all these qualities in yourself.
Depending on how simple or elaborate the practice is, there may be extensive chanting, mantras, and mudras (hand gestures)—all of which correspond to an inner meditative process that is underway. This is a process of loosening up the old habit of impure perception and making space for a radically new way of relating to yourself, others, and everything else.
At a certain point, the visualization will shift, and suddenly you are the deity. Instead of seeing yourself as a flesh-and-blood ordinary person, filled with bad habits and old baggage, you imagine yourself to be a completely awakened buddha. You are the very embodiment of compassion, wisdom, or purity. Although there are many steps to the process, the main emphasis is on having real confidence that this is who you really are. Tis isn’t to say that you really are a different color, with all sorts of strange attributes, but rather that boundless wisdom and compassion really are your true nature. This confidence is referred to as “vajra pride” or “the pride of the deity.”
To conclude the practice, you dissolve the visualization and rest in open, effortless awareness. After all the mental gymnastics of visualization and imagining, this often feels like a release. A moment of profound rest when you can directly experience the empty, radiant clarity of awareness. Then, as the final step, you chant a few verses to dedicate the wholesome, positive energy of your practice—traditionally thought of as “virtue”—to the awakening of all beings.
Development stage meditation might sound exceedingly esoteric and strange, but think about how natural it is to use our imagination in everything we do. We are imagining versions of ourselves all the time. We project ourselves into the future, envisioning what we might say, feel, think, or do. We replay old scenarios over and over in our minds. In doing this, we are reinforcing a particular set of beliefs and assumptions that we have about ourselves. When I first started meditating thirty years ago, for instance, I would imagine scenarios that strengthened the view that I was a deeply anxious, fearful person living in a scary world.
Development stage meditation utilizes the enormous power of our imaginations, but in a much more positive way. We start envisioning ourselves with intention, rather than out of habit, and we are reinforcing the very best possible version of ourselves that we could ever imagine.
Practice: Development Stage Meditation
To get a feel for this, let’s try a simple meditation practice loosely based on the development stage.
Begin by forming the motivation to discover your own buddha nature and to help all other beings do the same.
Next, let go for a few moments and give yourself permission to simply be. You don’t need to focus or concentrate. Just be present and aware.
Now bring to mind someone who represents the very best of humanity. It could be a historical fgure or someone you actually know. As you bring them to mind, reflect on what qualities or virtues they embody, and see if you can highlight one specific quality, like generosity or integrity.
Imagine that this person is sitting in front of you now and that you can feel them radiating this quality, like they are the sun—radiating love, wisdom, or whatever quality inspires you about them.
Imagine that everything they embody dissolves into light and that light flows into you. Now, you embody this quality, just like they did. Feel the presence of this quality in yourself, in its perfected state. You are the perfect manifestation of this quality. Rest in that trust and confidence.
To conclude, let go of the reflection and rest in awareness again. Whatever you are feeling and thinking, let that happen without any attempt to change or control your mind. Simply be present and aware.
From A Meditator’s Guide to Buddhism: The Path of Awareness, Compassion, and Wisdom by Cortland Dahl © 2024 by Cortland Dahl. Reprinted in arrangement with Shambhala Publications, Inc. Boulder, CO. www.shambhala.com
OTHER NEW & NOTEWORTHY DHARMA BOOKS THIS MONTH:
Storehouse of Treasures: Recovering the Riches of Chan and Zen by Nelson Foster. (Shambhala) — Read Constance Kassor’s review and an excerpt from the publisher now.
Paranormal States: Psychic Abilities in Buddhist Convert Communities by D.E. Osto (Columbia)— Read Constance Kassor’s review and an excerpt from the publisher now.
See also the latest reviews from Lion’s Roar magazine.
Visit Buddhadharma for more on the latest dharma books and to read more excerpts.
