The Three Profound Pith Instructions: Selections of Tibetan Buddhism Texts by the Venerated Mipham Rinpoche (vegetarian), Part 2 of 2

Let’s proceed with “The Three Profound Pith Instructions,” by the revered Master Mipham Rinpoche, which provides instructions offering guidance on overcoming fear, pain, and mental anxiety.

The Three Profound Pith Instructions 2. The Pith Instruction for Dissolution of the Internal Body Into the External World

“[…] Think that your body is entirely gone. Finally, with a single utterance of P’HAT, blend your mind with space. Rest without grasping to anything whatsoever, free of thoughts. During post-meditative awareness, repeatedly focus your attention on the thought that the five internal elements have merged indivisibly with the five external elements, and that your ephemeral body is no more. By doing so, all painful discomfort and problems, such as those caused by sickness, harmful influences, evil spirits, and defiling substances, will be completely expelled. This is the second profound pith instruction that sprung forth from the secret awareness of Mipham Jampel Dorje.”

3. The Pith Instruction for Non-dual Dissolution in and of Itself

“When mental afflictions and discursive thoughts arise in the mind, and no methods can remove them, think as follows: Because these thoughts bubbling and churning inside me are a composite of causes and conditions, they are intermittent. They come about through the construct of dualistic perception. If this construct were absent, they wouldn’t arise, similar to space. While the diversity of possible phenomenal appearances is boundless, amongst these, we grasp to the narrow mind and body as the experiencer and to the diverse good and bad objects as the experienced. See the hidden flaws of the many concepts that arise based on that. Then, blend the inner body and mind, [external] objects, space, and the universe and beings in their entirety, as one taste. Thoughts of ‘this’ and ‘that’ and the thinker and what is thought are not different; instead, they are equally and pervasively open like space. Sustaining that experience, rest for as long as you can without thinking about anything, while everything has vanished into the primordial fundamental nature. Familiarize yourself by practicing like that repeatedly, and eventually through relaxing so that thoughts stop rising, the thoughts will vanish in and of themselves. […]”