Laya

Laya (T. bying-ba, བྱིང་བ) is a Sanskit term that is translated as "dullness", "stupor", etc.

Kenchen Thrangu Rinpoche states: "In stupor the mind is cloudy and dull. In its obvious form there is a loss of clarity of mind. In its subtle form there is some clarity, but it is very weak."

Laya may be coarse (audārika, rags-pa) or subtle (sūksma, phra-mo). Lethargy (styāna, rmugs-pa) is often also present, but is said to be less common.

Laya is identified as:

• One of the five faults or obstacles to shamatha meditation according to the Madhyānta-vibhāga

Alternate translations

The Sanskrit term laya is translated as:

• Dullness (Kenchen Thrangu)
• Drowsiness (Traleg Kyabgon)
• Mental dullness (Alexander Berzin)
• Sinking (Alexander Berzin)
• Stupor (Kenchen Thrangu)

Sources

• Dalai Lama (1975), The Buddhism Of Tibet and the Key to the Middle Way, Harper & Row 
• Denma Locho Rinpoche; Lati Rinpoche (1996), Meditative States in Tibetan Buddhism, Wisdom, ISBN 0-86171-119-X 
• Geshe Gedun Lodro (1998), Calm Abiding And Special Insight: Achieving Spiritual Transformation Through Meditation, Snow Lion 
• Guenther, Herbert V.; Kawamura, Leslie S. (1975), Mind in Buddhist Psychology: A Translation of Ye-shes rgyal-mtshan's "The Necklace of Clear Understanding, Dharma Publishing, Kindle Edition 
• Khenchen Thrangu Rinpoche (1993), The Practice of Tranquility & Insight: A Guide to Tibetan Buddhist Meditation, Snow Lion, Kindle Edition 
• Traleg Kyabgon (2001), The Essence of Buddhism, Shambhala 
• Zahler, Leah (2009), Study and Practice of Meditation: Tibetan Interpretations of the Concentrations and Formless Absorptions, Snow Lion 

External links

• Achieving Shamatha, StudyBuddhism
• Sanskrit dictionary: laya

This article is developed by our editors based on the sources cited.