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Genpo Roshi
September 2009 
Integral Buddhism - Outline for "progressing" in meditation...
Posted on Nov 15th, 2006
by 
Cain
Cain
The Integral Awareness Tradition - Integral Buddhism School Presents:
An outline for fully realizing meditative "states"... and transforming them into "stage" development.This is what we have discovered as one of the best paths to follow to go from a "novice" to an "expert" in meditation within the Buddhist context...
While following the stages below also be doing "shadow" work, through the practicing the 3... 2...1... process, working with an integral psychotherapist, doing Landmark Education courses, or any other path that help you "own" any aspect of your mind that you've disassociated with.
To start you may want to use the Integral Life Practice Kit which covers 3...2...1, Big Mind, Ken Wilbers AQAL model, and some other "goodies"...
Stage One: Genpo Roshi's "Big Mind" meditation...
Watch this completely at least 3 times... Then for 3 or more times a week... watch the second half "nondual" aspect until you feel it is a stable realization in your consciousness, and you can "call up" or are abiding in "the master" at any moment of your life... This should take at least 3-6 months...
Here you should read and apply 'Kensho: the Heart of Zen", and generally begin to study/apply the "works" of Arhata Osho, J. Krishnamurti, & Ken Wilber. With Ken's work focus on the IOS or Integral Life Practice Kit Mind Module: The AQAL Framework videos & Kosmic Consciousness audio book at first... and it will be helpful to watch this video, and keep coming back to it until you have a full "intellectual" understating, and then a full experiential understanding.
Stage Two: Osho's Dynamic Meditation, Chakra Sounds, or any other of Osho's "Active" meditations...
You should start doing these immediately, or at most, within a month or two of starting your "study" of Big Mind...
We recommend focusing primarily on "Dynamic" for the first few months then exploring the others...
Do these for at least 6 months to a year, at least 3 times a week...
Here continue studying the above... now... add Osho's teachings, as well as Sri Aurobindo.
Stage Three: Once you feel a "shift" in your consciousness from doing the active meditations... We recommend finding a Kadampa Temple near you and attending all the "general program" and "foundation program" classes... and experiencing the Tibetan guided meditations that the teachers will take you through...
If there is not one near you contact us for specific instruction...
Here we start with with the sincere study of Mahayana Buddhist teachings in the Tibetan context... We recommend studying "stages of the path" teachings preferably with a guide... like the New Kadampa Tradition's "Foundation Program" OR at the very least in an extremely sincere self study program. Go through the teachings SLOWLY, only a few pages at a time, and meditate on what you've learned for a couple of days before going on to the next few pages... You may be in a hurry to receive these teachings; however reading it quickly will not serve you or the darmha well... Sometimes going slow is the "fastest" route...
This is a 5 day a week commitment... for 1-99 years...
Stage Four: At this point you will be well versed enough in meditation to create the "program" that most makes sense for you, and begin teaching others...
Here you probably want to continue on in your study of Tibetan Buddhism focusing on the Vajrayana path... Being involved with the New Kadampa Tradition you should be able to find some opportunities and guides to assist you with this.
This is a 7x24 commitment for the rest of your life...
Access: PublicTagged with: meditation, buddihsm, integral, enlightenment, growth, spirituality, consciousness, transformation, kadampa, osho, Aurobindo, arhata osho, ken wilber, J. Krishnamurti, shadow work, Mahayana, Vajrayana, AQAL, Tibetan, genpo roshi, zen, kensho, Genpo Roshi
A most humble thanks to you for sending this to me. It is always invigorating to smell the signs that others have posted along the path. I will devour accordingly. :)
Thank you so much for sending this to me. This has arrived at the perfect time in my life. Again, thank you. :)
very interesting.
right on cain!
i assume you have looked at the bits on my blog about pre rational and trans rational spirituality?
love the big mind stuff - and i was actuallly at the osho ashraam for a couple months in 94. love the active dynamic/kundalini.who is in stuff!
i actually have a critique of version 1.0 of the ILP if you are interested in seeing it….
i will research your links above too!
~julian
right on cain!
i am assuming you sent me this because you had seen my making the transition and/or beyond the new age blog posts?
love big mind and was also in the osho ashraam for about 2 months in 94 - the kundalini/dynamic/who is in stuff is awesome.
also an amateaur dj - looking forward to listening to your stuff!
i have a written critique of ILP 1.0 if you are interested in seeing it…
look forward to more!
~julian
Thanks for sending this along Cain. I am a meditation teacher and am always interested in how others approach this. I have bookmarked some of your sites and will return to savor them more deeply. Namaste ~Ramona
Thanks for posting this.
“As soon as you get some sense of contact, you want to be teachers of others. This is a big mistake.” –Zen Master Ta-sui
At the risk of offending millions, I'd just like to humbly observe that Buddhism is already a soulless religion (by definition), and Integral Theory tends toward the abstract. So if you put the two together, chances are high that you won't end up with the most inspiring spiritual path in town…And I do wonder if enlightenment–or the revelation of that which is always already inherently WHOLE–can actually be realized through any amount of step-by-step piecemeal conglomeration of practices, paths, and spiritual experiences… Personally, I've always felt that radical simplicity was the more direct route to…radical simplicity. :)
Soulplex/Tom,
While I feel your comments are well intentioned I'll be direct and say they aren't useful.
You haven't followed these instructions, so you have NO first hand knowledge of “what this path looks like”… Much like Genpo Roshi says when teaching Big Mind, “You can be a Zen master and not know what I'm talking about here, I know, I've done this with Zen masters”… This process is similar… it is an organic whole that is GREATER than the sum of it's parts… So please don't “stand on the sidelines” and try to referee a process you REALLY have no idea about.
Hi Cain,
I'm sorry if I upset you. But isn't hearing other people's opinions of your posts half the fun of blogging? Even when they disagree? I have this nagging sense that dynamic engagement, debate, discussion, and real conversation are very hard to come by on Zaadz. On the one hand, it's really great–everyone gets along wonderfully and seems to share many of the same views. On the other hand, it doesn't seem entirely conducive to authentic relationship and co-evolution, which is something our hyper-individualistic, self-seeking society rather desperately needs. To evolve together, we need some creative friction. Yes?
As for “first-hand knowledge” of the path you outlined, I never claimed such. I was only responding to the post, as written. Nothing more, nothing less. I, for one, am all for converting states to stages. Believe me, I've dedicated my life to the process. What I was primarily objecting to is the “3 days a week, 5 minutes a day” tone of your step-by-step process. Seems too easy, too prepackaged… Granted, I may just be a cynical Gen-Y punk who doesn't know what he's talking about, but that being the case, you can add my response to your marketing research. :)
Tom,
I have no interest in debate… I think this is useful… so here it is to try out and test for yourself, like all of Buddhism… If it makes sense to you GREAT!!! If not, then please forget about it…
And so it goes…
Thanks from me too.I am only sorry that I did not see this earlier.It is almost scary to get in to something that can cause an amazing transformation in ones life…