如果我們想開始修大手印，首先必須要修「止」。止的修 持有兩種方法：有所緣以及無所緣。對於剛開始修止的人 而言，以特定本尊形相等有所緣的方式來進行，幫助會很 大。若有本尊的法相，可先非常仔細地觀看，研究本尊的 各種莊嚴和法器（手幟）等等，在心裡加以熟悉，然後閉 上眼睛，用心眼來看。你的心並不會就這麼停留在這個對 境上，事實上，它會晃來晃去。一開始，心會到處亂跑， 以致很難讓這個有所緣的禪修得以穩定。

許多人在看到心續中有種種念頭如不間斷的鍊條般一生 起時，很容易感到挫折。人們因此沮喪並對禪修感到厭倦。

此時，應該要了解，我們並非突然生起更多的念頭，只不 過是因為開始做禪修而體認到心的狀態。由於過去從未培養這種覺知，我們讓念頭奔馳而不作檢視，因此對於心的 狀態沒有覺知。

例如，房間中有許多塵埃。如果房間很暗，我們就不知道 塵埃的存在，但是如果有一道陽光從窗戶照進來，我們就 會看見數不清的塵埃。塵埃並非因為我們的看見而突然存 在，它們本來就在。念頭也是一樣，它們本來就在，是由 於止的照射力，我們才覺知到它們。

就像你出門散步時，臉是髒的，而你不知道；等回家照鏡 子時才發現：「噢，我臉上有髒東西。」這是直接的覺受，而禪修也是如此。當我們終於能夠覺知時，不應該感到挫 折，只不過需要洗臉而已。

When we want to begin the practice of Mahamudra, first it is necessary to start with the practice of tranquil abiding. We can meditate on tranquil abiding in two ways - with a support to our meditation and without a support. For people who are just beginning the practice of tranquil abiding, it is very helpful to meditate with a support, such as the form of a particular deity. If we have a picture of a deity and we look at it very carefully, we study its ornaments and attributes and so forth, habituate the mind to it, then we close our eyes and see the deity in our mind's eye. The mind will not rest on this object; in fact, it will waiver. In the beginning, it will go all over the place, and it will be very difficult to stabilize this meditation with support.

Many people when having this kind of experience will easily become when seeing just how many thought forms are arising, one after the next like an unbroken chain in their mind-stream. People become discouraged and tired doing their meditation practice.

At that time, we should realize that we aren't suddenly thinking more thoughts, but having started to meditate, we are simply recognizing the state of our mind. Not having cultivated this kind of awareness in the past, we have let our thoughts run unchecked. We have been unaware of the state of our minds.

Now through the practice of meditation, we are becoming aware of our thought forms. For example, there are many dust particles in a room. If the room is dark, we are not aware of them, but if a ray of sunlight shines in the window, then we see the countless particles of dust. It's not that those particles exist because suddenly we see them, they were there all along. So it is with thought forms. They were present all along, and through the illuminating power of calm abiding, we become aware of them.

It's like if you go for a walk and your face is dirty, but you don't know it. When you go home and look in a mirror, you recognize—oh, I have this dirt all over my face. This is a matter of direct experience. So it is with meditation practice. We shouldn't get discouraged when we finally become aware, we should just wash our face.