許多人領受了各種「止」、「觀」、「大手印」等等的教言，他們認為：「我得趕緊上手。先修『止』一小段時日，但接著就該趕快結合『觀』的修持。」其實，對於初學者來說，最好的修持方法是在一開始先將「觀」的教言擺一邊，以一月或一年的時間單單專注於「止」的修持，就只是想著：「我要專心平息念頭。」這是獲得進步的最佳方法。持續 做上幾個月，並求得穩定。如果你有任何個人的禪修了悟 覺受，就向自己的上師描述並尋求進一步的指示。

在嘗試修「止」並求取穩定的時候，念頭會像強勁的瀑布 那般，接二連三地出現。但在獲得穩定之後，就會發現心 念之流比較接近河流，而根據帝洛巴祖師的教授，則如恆 河那般，沿著途徑緩慢而穩定地流動，意指心中生起的念 頭愈來愈少。

若你心中生起許多念頭或任何煩惱，都必須要中斷它們、 識破它們，並且嘗試瞥見離於念頭的心。如果心和身都很 緊張，看來念頭將會接二連三地出現，有如層層網結。當 我們放鬆時，會比較容易洞察心中生起的念頭。最重要的 是要先認出心中所生起的念頭，然後努力中斷它們。

當我們嘗試穩定這種禪修的時候，也可以在呼吸方面下功 夫。經典中說：心與氣的細微能量是相通的。氣有如馬匹，心則有如騎士，意思是各種型態的念頭都是騎乘在細微的 氣之上。我們可以配合呼吸，以意念持誦「唵啊吽」來穩 定氣：在鼻孔吸氣時默念「嗡」，在暫時持氣於臍部時默 念「啊」，在以口吐氣時默念「吽」。如此將有助於穩定 氣，並可平息心中生起的許多念頭。在我們能以非常穩定、 清晰、專注的心坐下來禪修之前，都需要如此修持。

Many people have received all of these instructions on practicing calm abiding, special insight, Mahamudra and so forth. They think, "I really need to hurry up and get on with this. I will do Samantha for a little while, but then soon I need to integrate the practice of insight." Actually, the best way of practicing is, if you are a beginner, to just leave behind instructions on special insight in the beginning. Just focus on calm abiding for a period of one month, or one year. Just say, "I am going to focus on pacifying my thoughts." This is the best way to progress. Do this for many months and get some stabilization. If you have any direct experience of meditation realization, then go to the guru with that experience to seek further instruction in the way of progress.

Now, in the beginning, when we are trying to stabilize this calm abiding meditation, at first thoughts will arise one after the next, like a very powerful waterfall. But then after stabilizing, we find that mind flows more like a river, like the Ganges according to Lord Tilopa. It flows along its course in a slow and steady manner, which is to say fewer and fewer thought forms arise in the mind

Whenever we have many thoughts arising in the mind, many negative emotions or thoughts of any type, it is necessary for us to cut through them, penetrate them and catch a glimpse of the mind free of thoughts. If the mind and body are tense, then it seems that thoughts follow one after the next. When we can relax a bit, it becomes easier to pierce through these thoughts that arise in the mind. The important thing is at first to recognize the thoughts that arise in the mind, and secondly to make effort to cut through them.

Whenever we are trying to stabilize this kind of meditation, we can also work with our breath energy. It is said that the mind and the subtle energies of the winds are mixed; the wind energy is like the horse and the mind is like its rider. That is to say all types of thought forms and so forth are mounted on the subtle wind energies. Then we can stabilize these wind energies by the mental recitation of the syllables OM AH HUNG in conjunction with the breath. We breathe in through the nostrils mentally reciting OM, briefly hold the breath at the navel mentally reciting AH, and exhale through the mouth mentally reciting HUNG. This will help to stabilize the wind energies and pacify the many thoughts that arise in the mind. Until we reach the state where we can sit down and engage in a very stable, clear one-pointed meditation at will, then we need to practice in this way.