Mahashanti is one of the essential practices, the foundation of foundations. It is a meditation in which the object of concentration is Emptiness, the mental screen (chid-akasha), and in which thoughtless awareness is revealed—a subtle layer of consciousness underlying all thoughts.
Mahashanti is not a withdrawal from life nor a special state of trance. It is a direct recognition that the ordinary mind is essentially the Absolute.
In this retreat, we learn to stop thoughts at their very root, at the moment of their inception. At the initial stage, this is done through effort, vigilance, and inner alertness. But the goal of the practice is not the suppression of thoughts as such. The goal is to discover the subtle, empty layer of awareness that exists before thoughts and beyond thoughts. When this layer is recognized and confidence arises within it, thoughts dissolve on their own, without struggle. This is the transition from effort to pure abiding.
The first stage of Mahashanti is the cutting off of thoughts. We cut the thought at its root, not allowing it to unfold into an idea. It is like standing vigilantly on a cliff: one cannot dither for even a moment. This is how the first state of peace is discovered—mental tranquility arising from clear discernment.
The second stage is non-reaction. Thoughts may appear, but they do not captivate. Awareness is separated from the flow of thinking like cream from milk. The mind remains in its natural mirror-like state. Sitting in an ordinary room, you feel as if you are atop Mount Meru.
At the retreat, we will:
- study Mahashanti as a meditation on thoughtlessness;
- analyze the stages of practice and typical mistakes;
- explore what contributes to the deepening of meditation;
- learn to maintain the subtlety of awareness in movement and daily life;
- recognize the thoughtless state and establish ourselves in it.
