[Lamrim·Meditation] PREPARING FOR MEDITATIVE SERENITY P12

　This explanation of the meditative process has two sections:
　1. How to develop flawless concentration (Chapters 2-4)
　2. The stages in which the mental states are thereby developed (Chapter 5)

(1″) How to develop flawless concentration
This has three parts:
　1. What to do prior to focusing the attention on an object of meditation
　2. What to do while focusing on an object of meditation (Chapters 2-3)
　3. What to do after you focus on an object of meditation (Chapter 4)

(a)) What to do prior to focusing the attention on an object of meditation
If you cannot stop the laziness of being disinclined to cultivate concentration and of enjoying things that are not conducive to it, from the outset you will not gain entry into concentration; even if you do attain it once, you will be unable to sustain it, so it will quickly deteriorate. Therefore, it is most crucial to stop laziness in the beginning. When you attain pliancy in which your mind and body are full of delight and bliss, you will stop laziness inasmuch as you will be able to cultivate virtue all day and night without weariness.
　To develop this pliancy, you must be able to have continuous enthusiasm for the concentration that causes pliancy. To develop this enthusiasm, you need a continuous, intense yearning that is intent on concentration. As a cause for this yearning you need steadfast confidence in and fascination with the good qualities of concentration. So to start with, cultivate again and again a confidence that is aware of the good qualities of concentration. When you see this process in practice, you will understand this most vital point with the clearest sense of certainty. Maitreya’s Separation of the Middle from the Extremes states:
　　The basis and what is based upon it
　　Are the cause and its result.

Here, the “basis” is yearning, which is the basis of endeavor; “what is based upon it” is the endeavor or enthusiasm. The cause of yearning is confident faith in the good qualities of concentration. The result of endeavor is pliancy.
　In this context, the good qualities of concentration are as follows: When you reach serenity, your mind is filled with delight and your body filled with bliss, so you are happy in this lifetime. Also, since you have attained physical and mental pliancy, you can turn your attention to any virtuous object of meditation you choose. Since you have quelled uncontrolled distraction toward the wrong sort of objects, you are not constantly involved in wrongdoing and any virtue you do is very powerful. Based on serenity, you can achieve good qualities such as the superknowledges and supernormal powers. In particular, it is on the basis of serenity that you develop the knowledge of insight that knows the real nature, whereby you can quickly cut the root of cyclic existence. If you reflect on any of these good qualities, you will become aware of, and meditate upon, things that strengthen your inclination to cultivate concentration. When this inclination arises, you will be continually prompted from within to cultivate concentration, so it will be easy to attain concentration. Also, since you will cultivate it repeatedly even after attaining it, you will be unlikely to lose it.

Lamrim Chenmo Pg33L11-Pg34LL12