Want to try something other than single-pointed or breath meditation? Want to meditate, but not sure what to meditate on? A sahdna (daily meditation practice) can be more than watching the breath or growing concentration through one-pointed awareness. It is The Preliminaries that prepare the mind to have success in our meditation practice and realize the deepest truth of reality.
This practice is like the tillers that aerate and nutrients we add to the soil that prepare the ground to bear fruit. Understanding how The Preliminaries soften and open our heart and experiencing the joy that is generated when we practice them can only arise if we engage in them.
Elaine Jackson returns to Sacramento for one night to discuss these preliminaries and then practice them through Lama Tsong Khapa’s Guru Yoga. This practice consists of chanting, prayer and meditation. Sometimes it is intimidating to do this practice on your own, but with guidance and instruction, you can feel empowered to do them at home. The class is designed to deepen your current meditation practice or help you establish a Guru Yoga practice!
Elaine Jackson is a founding member of Vajrapani Institute and has been a student of Tibetan Buddhism since 1977, studying with many of the greatest Buddhist teachers of our time. Every year for 12 years she engaged in a month-long solitary meditation retreat to deepen her practice.
She served as Executive Director of Vajrapani Institute for over five years just prior to entering a three-year meditation retreat completed in April, 2014. She lives a contemplative life off-the-grid in the Santa Cruz mountains while offering Dharma teachings and meditation support.