Being skilful

Being skilful has many levels: whatever we think we understand can always be refined.
As well as being compassionate to others, being skilful is protecting one’s own mind from pride. As we advance through the levels of perception, we become more precise, and this in turn becomes more challenging. Being challenging is not so much a chore, as a more accurate reminder.

Let’s take the six qualities of skilful means – in Buddhism these are known as the paramitas: generosity, patience, perseverance, discipline, concentration and wisdom knowledge. If you look up these human qualities in the dictionary you will understand them on that level. They are antidotes to selfishness: a means to conducting ourselves in daily life, in order to be a decent human being. They

are the means to acquire merit which will facilitate our understanding and actual engagement in daily life. This means our conduct: the continuity of the meditational experience of no “I”.

When in conversation with another, we normally talk about what we think, and the other person tells us what they think – and this often gives rise to subtle tensions. If, however, we merely talk about what the situation is, or seems to be, we remove the personal “I”. As an example, when I was learning to draw, the teacher would come round and explain that this or that was too large, or that the tones weren’t quite right: there was no criticism of me whatsoever, and therefore no emotions were involved. I hope that makes sense. The only emotion that did arise was my frustration with the lack of speed in my progress – and that was my problem 😉

These paramitas can also be applied to spiritual practice, which expresses compassion for others and reminds us of our present state of mind. There is, however, a deeper spiritual meaning, one that reflects direct insight into our true nature.

These six paramitas (generosity, discipline, patience, perseverance, meditation and knowledge – are included in Rigpa/Pure Awareness.

Rigpa Generosity.
Generosity here is non-fixating and so there is no clinging. Non fixation is the practice of generosity. Rigpa generosity is not the generosity of giving away, which is a conceptual generation of merit: when it is included in Rigpa, it belongs to wisdom – it is transcendent generosity. So we are practising generosity at the relative level, and at the absolute level simultaneously, as they are inseparable.

The essence of generosity is non-clinging.

Rigpa Discipline.
In Rigpa there is no attachment, and that is the paramita of discipline. In keeping discipline one may become conceited and attached. Discipline has the function of binding your negative actions so that you can remain in a virtuous state. But this has side effects – you can become conceited because you are so pure…and this can make a social I. This can also happen with the view – we can become attached to this view also.

The essence of discipline in non attachment.

Rigpa Patience.
While you are in the continuity of rigpa there is no fear and that absence of fear denotes the paramita of patience.

The essence of patience is fearlessness.

Rigpa Perseverance.
In rigpa there is no effort, and so therefore there is no perseverance. When we are distracted, we make effort.

The essence of perseverance is effortlessness.

Rigpa Meditation.
This is being undistracted.

The essence of meditation is effortless remaining.

Rigpa Transcendent Knowledge.
This is Rigpa wisdom itself – pure awareness. This is wisdom resting in the ground of its innateness.

The essence of Rigpa is clear view.

Within Rigpa, conduct is meditation in action – the six paramitas. Our mind does not leave the clear view. Conduct is the six paramitas being automatically expressed, without effort. We will be naturally generous etc.

There are the paramitas that are practised with effort, and those that come automatically out of the view (the all-sufficient king).

It is like a healing coming from within: if we are doing something wrong, when Rigpa is remembered, it will have an effect on our outer behaviour.