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The Tantric Approach - MilArepa

All this accords with practice as defined in the Great Vehicle, but in Milarepa's Kagyu system it is approached tantrically.To realize the pure view (of voidness) one needs the correct, complete rits of the series of four empowerments performed by a qualified lama which confer the wisdom and method to recognize it.

"Empowerment" means "conferral of the ability" to attain the profound view; one must then cultivate it gradually. When thus empowered to investigate personal egolessness, an (independently existing) personal ego is sought through the many examples of scripture and reasonings of logic.

It cannot thus be identified, yielding the understanding of personal egolessness. The mind must then be placed in a state of balanced concentration on this unfindability of a persona; ego, and while in this state freedom from thought-constructs occours sponateneously through stoppage of preconceptions (about the nature and identities of things).

When this state lasts for days, months, and evenyears without awareness (of the passage of time), so that one must even brought out of it by others, that is the inception of quiescene.

When this state is tempered by recollective awareness and critical awareness so that it is unaffected by mental sinking/sluggishness, such illumination, self-naturalessness, clear freedom from thought-constructs, and naked, brilliant purity is the (developed) experience of quiescene.

This is sometimes construed as analytic insight, but since real insight cannot occur in an ordinary individual (who has not esperienced voidness directly), I feel that true insight is encountered only on the first bodhisattva stage when the path of seeing is attained.

I feel that other experiences in quiescene practice-visons of dieties, etc-are merely signs of meditation and meaningless in themselves.

Moreover. I've realized that prior to any experience of quiescene one must be motivated by love and compassion and directed by the mind-for-enlightment aimed at others' welfare in any activity.

During such practice one should practice without fixed objective through pure view. And Afterwards the practice should be stamped with the seal of supplication (pranidhana) by dedicating (all results) to the welfare of others.

I've realized just as mere knowledge of food doesn't help a hungry man, it's not enough to understand the goal of voidness (intellectually);one must cultivate (its direct experience repeatedly). Also, the cultivation of analytic insight requires unstinting effort in compiling virtue and elminating faults (while performing action) in the post-attainment state.

In short, I now understand that the inexpressable, inconceivable voidness, equanimities cultivated in yoga constitute the view of the (Tantric) Vehicle related to the four empowerments.

Reference: Drinking the Mountain Stream- Songs of Tibet's Beloved Saint: Lama Kunga Rinpoche & Brian Cutillo