Shinay (Tranquility meditation)
Please Subscribe | One of the very first practices of Tibetan Buddhism is Shinay (a Tibetan word, which in Sanskrit is called Shamata), also called Tranquility meditation. In shinay, we sit quietly and comfortably and rest our awareness either on the breath or an external object, such as a flower or a statue of the Buddha. By settling our awareness and calming our minds, we come to see that thoughts and emotions in the mind arise and disappear as easily as clouds form and dissipate in the sky. This helps us understand that our self-concept is not a solid, changeless entity, and that our minds ac- tually are quite workable and changeable. This under- standing—and the gradual mental stability that comes from regular practice of shinay—can help us work with all the other practices of Tibetan Buddhism.
That’s why lamas call shinay the foundation of all practice. Without developing some mental stability, it will be impossible for us to deal with ego-clinging and conflicting emotions. We will see every thought and emotion as being solid and “real,” which will catch us in a constant web of hope and fear - hoping for a cer- tain outcome, or fearing another. We won’t be able to relax and deal with our lives and experiences calmly - we’ll always be locked in some sort of struggle. Shinay shows us we don’t have to struggle to gain awareness, and that awareness itself can be a powerful tool for spiritual transformation.
The ultimate goal of shinay is a sense of calm abiding, in which the mind is undisturbed by (although not devoid of) thoughts and emotions. It is in this state that one can gain a glimpse of the true nature of mind and phenomena—an experience called Lhaktong in Tibetan, Vipassana in Sanskrit or “insight.”