Spiritual Practice - I. LAMA

highest god of the upper astral (Pure Heavens). The Almighty is the Buddha. This means that he has reached the state of nirvana (mahanirvana) and is constantly in this state. The Almighty is that very rare soul who, at the highest divine level, is engaged in the universal salvation of souls. This means, that the Almighty is able to lead a very large number of his disciples to the highest state. Since the deepest essence of the Almighty and the essence of the Absolute coincide, the image of the Almighty may well be presented as identical with the Absolute. However, one can notice some difference in the features of the "first love" for the Absolute and the "first love" for the Almighty. If love for the Absolute is accompanied by bliss, then love for the Almighty is accompanied by mobilization. To love the Almighty means to be faithful to him: "be faithful." "To be faithful" means to do what the Almighty requires; to do what the Almighty teaches, what the Almighty calls for. The essential attribute of the Almighty are the four highest spiritual qualities: maitri, karuna, prashansa and shanti.

2. 1. Maitri – is holy love. First Karuna. This is the same love that the Bible speaks of: "Love your neighbor as yourself" – the second most important commandment. In the strictest sense, holy love is a strong desire for this or that soul to reach the highest spiritual state.

2. 2. Karuna – translated as compassion. Second Karuna. In a broad sense, in the Mahayana system of practice, the Buddhist Karuna includes all four states of the soul: Maitri, Karuna, Prashansa, and Shanti. In its own, not expanded, meaning, in the strictest sense, karuna is a strong regret that this or that soul has not yet reached the highest spiritual state, the state of nirvana.

2. 3. Prashansa – translated as praise. Third Karuna. In the strictest sense, prashansa is a strong praise for the fact that a particular soul is advancing to the highest state or has reached the highest spiritual state.

2. 4. Shanti – translates as steadfastness. Fourth Karuna. Whatever happens and whatever she does, the soul of shanti always remains in a calm, peaceful state.

The above six qualities do not turn on in a person at the snap of a finger. To master these qualities, you need to engage in appropriate meditations. In particular, one should practice the six Karuna meditations. All meditations should be done while sitting in the correct sitting posture. You need to sit in the lotus position or as close as possible to it, straighten the spine, raise the top of the head as high as possible. Hands can lie in any position. The duration of the classes is from one minute to one hour for each meditation.

1. Meditation of the Absolute. Imagine that the whole world around you and you yourself have disappeared, that everything has turned into a transparent void. At the same time, you practice pratyahara (stopping the senses): "no feelings – no suffering, no suffering – no movement". Maintain, in accordance with this formula, immobility. The key phrase to start this meditation is "nothing".

2. Meditation of fidelity to the Almighty. Form an inner attitude to fulfill any command of the Highest God. The key phrase to start this meditation is: “Lord! Lord! Lord!" As another variation of this meditation, you can practice the following. Repent that you are not doing what the Highest God tells you to do. The key phrase to start this meditation is: “Forgive me, Lord! Forgive me, Lord! Forgive me, Lord!"

3. Shanti (steadiness) meditation. Imagine, one after another, situations that occur in your life and that make you suffer to one degree or another. Repeating again and again the mental experience of these situations or unpleasant sensations from them, maintain inner peace of mind. As you live through these various situations in your life, remain unwavering, no matter what happens in these situations. The key phrase to start this meditation is "don't care".

4. Prashansa (praise) meditation. Introduce one by one those who are superior to you in some way, and praise their excellent qualities from the bottom of your heart. The key phrase to start this meditation is: “Glory to Thee, Lord! Glory to Thee, Lord! Glory to Thee, Lord!”

5. Karuna (compassion) meditation. Experience great pain, great regret that all souls are suffering, that all souls do not know the Truth, that they are not engaged in spiritual practice, that they are captured by delusions, that they are captured by worldly desires. Imagine these souls one by one and try to warm them up, try to share your inner warmth with them. The key phrase to start this meditation is "what a pity".

6. Shanti (holy love) meditation. Think how wonderful it would be if all souls were happy. Imagine souls near and far one by one, and think that you wish from the bottom of your heart that these souls destroy their worldly desires and that these souls achieve spiritual awakening and liberation. The key phrase to start this meditation is: "I want all souls to be happy".

One should be able to understand the difference between “philosophical absolute truth”, “spiritual absolute Truth” and that “Truth to which the Buddha awakens” and by the name of awakening to which this title of Buddha has this title. You should also be able to understand between the concept of "Truth" with a capital letter and the concept of "truth" with a small letter.

Truth with a small letter is called the content of the thought about the essence of the knowable, which has overcome the status of a hypothesis in the procedures for checking for compliance with the knowable; coincidence of thinking and reality as opposed to delusion (contradiction of thinking and reality). The criterion of truth is practice. Truth with a small letter is also called the statements of a person when it corresponds to reality