Stay Guided Nondual Meditation by Michael Taft
Streamed stay on Feb 10, 2022
Introduction
Hello sentient beings, you realize, usually I make an inventory of beings you is likely to be like; good day people or non-humans or alien beings. Tonight, as a substitute of creating the checklist, though I assume I simply form of have made the checklist, tonight I’m going to only say good day sentient beings, beings with sentience, beings who’re aware, we might additionally say samsarins however I’m not going to imagine that you’re not bodhisattvas. I’m not going to imagine that you simply’re trapped in samsara. So I gained’t name you samsarin however I’ll say sentient beings. Hey, good day my earthly identify, they name this earthly vessel Michael Taft, not less than on this planet which is a technique of deciphering the time period earthly. And I’m right here with you this night or everytime you’re watching this to do some guided meditation.
Meditation
We’re going to do one thing actually enjoyable tonight so let’s leap proper in. What I’d prefer to have you ever do is take your seat, your meditation seat and prepare to do the factor. In order regular I would like you to–in case you’re sitting in a chair–scooch away from the again of the chair, permit your again to carry up your again as a substitute of the chair to carry up your again. However hopefully, you’re sitting on a meditation cushion, one which has your knees decrease than your hips and that makes sitting up straight very easy so that you simply’re not doing it with a lot effort. However you can too lay down. You may also stand. Simply be snug and alert. And usually we do form of a protracted part of useful resource gathering and typically, as you realize, in case you’ve been doing these meditations, I like doing those the place we have now a picture for sitting. Typically we sit like a mountain. Typically we sit like an ocean, that form of factor. Tonight we’re going to do a complete sequence of these so let’s simply–we’re going to skip the useful resource gathering as a result of in a method the entire meditation is useful resource gathering, okay? Or not less than three-quarters of it. So we’re going to essentially be specializing in that half tonight.
So simply settle in and I would like you to recollect and produce up for your self; why are you meditating? Why did you make the time to come back right here and meditate? What’s your motive for meditating? Get that clear. That helps to convey a little bit extra power, a little bit extra intention to the sit. So simply state that aloud to your self until you’re within the room with different individuals then silently state it to your self.
After which what I’d such as you to do is; let’s simply spend possibly a couple of minutes simply meditating on respiration. So we’re simply going to do easy shamatha with the breath. Simply to all be part of collectively right here and to start permitting the system to settle collectively, to form of come collectively, to combine. So what I would like you to start doing is just inhaling and respiration in and out a really mild mild simple method following that physique sensation of inhaling and respiration out we’re going to do that for about 5 minutes after which we’ll get going with form of the principle meat of the meditation right here if you wish to and provided that it’s snug I’d such as you to do deep stomach respiration throughout this half, not like pranayama, however simply deep stomach respiration. And with lengthy out-breaths, even in case you don’t do the deep stomach respiration, see in case your out-breaths may be longer than your in-breaths. These are often completed by way of the nostril, inhaling and respiration out by way of the nostril however you breathe in after which lengthy out-breath and one technique to make this simpler is to do the ujjayi breath, the Darth Vader breath. So on that out-breath, you do the factor that makes your voice try this–however in fact, you’re not talking nevertheless it’s the factor that makes your voice try this and also you’re simply respiration that method and that lets you regulate the pace of the out-breath and you may make it good and lengthy. And naturally, this goes with out saying, don’t do it in any method that’s uncomfortable, you realize don’t make your self get out of breath or one thing like that. Do it in a method that’s simple, a method that’s wholesome, a method that doesn’t pressure the system.
Okay, so lengthy and quick in-breath or common in-breath after which lengthy, lengthy, lengthy, lengthy, lengthy, lengthy out-breath. And also you’re simply staying with that. If you need you should utilize a label that can assist you stick with it so inhaling, inhaling after which respiration out, respiration out, respiration out, respiration out. And actually really feel that in-breath and really feel that out-breath. So let’s do that for a short while collectively. And simply stick with that feeling of the in-breath and stick with the sensation of the out-breath actually permitting it to settle the whole lot and permitting you to really feel built-in and picked up and grounded.
Okay. Good, and now only for a second, like one minute, I would like you to only speak in confidence to the already present naturally current huge spaciousness of your individual consciousness. So simply calm down as open consciousness, not forcing it to be open however permitting your self to only discover that consciousness itself is of course boundless huge open comfortable vivid clear, and so forth. And simply discover that for just a bit whereas right here.
Okay. Good. Now we’re going to undergo a five-element meditation right here. That’s going to be the beginning we’ll do some bit after the tip however we’ll begin out with a five-element meditation so we’re going to start and I would like you to sit down like a mountain. So that is in fact the earth component and the earth component on this mind-set about parts. Once more, these are the normal parts, so there’s simply 5: earth, air, hearth, water, area. And so we start with earth. Sit like a mountain and so I would like you to really feel–tune into the sense of large groundedness, large stability, to a way of integration and cohesion, proper? So sit like a mountain there’s this type of immovability. And so with this earth power, we really feel our scattered thoughts turning into unscattered and picked up. We really feel our form of like possibly energies which might be in all places coming into cohesion. The earth component has that sense of gravity, issues coming collectively and clumping and stabilizing and turning into built-in and strong. So sitting like a mountain additionally has this sense of permanence and stability and even the Aristocracy, proper? So start by sitting like a mountain–no matter meaning to you. And let’s work with that component first this earth power, this sitting like a mountain is nice, as I mentioned in case you really feel scattered otherwise you really feel off stability simply tuning in to the pull of gravity and the solidity and stability of the earth component. Remembering the physique has plenty of earth component and it’s very soothing and stabilizing, very gathering and connecting. So simply discover how good it feels to sit down like a mountain; the earth power.
Okay. Excellent. That’s sitting like a mountain; the earth component. Now we’ll go to the subsequent component so as and that’s the water component. And so the picture right here is to sit down like an ocean, a peaceful ocean. And after we sit with the water component, we really feel the sense of calmness, we really feel the sense of fluidity and we really feel a deep sense of peace and luxury and ease. Water is easy.
Okay? And naturally, it’s an unlimited ocean of water, and naturally, your physique itself is especially water, proper? It’s largely water and the blood transferring in your veins may be thought of water, there’s the lymph, there’s all the varied fluids however even our thoughts has a water component of this sense of deep fluidity and peace and ease and luxury and effortlessness. So now sit like an ocean tuning into these qualities. So simply discover the soothing comforting qualities of this water, the fluid ease-full effortlessness of it, and, in fact, the vastness of the ocean of water.
Okay. Good. So we sat like a mountain with the earth component after which we sat like an ocean with the water component. The subsequent component is hearth. Keep in mind final week we sat as hearth and the picture right here often I might use is the solar. If you need you should utilize the solar like a ball of fireside or you should utilize one thing nice like a campfire or a fireplace in a hearth. No matter works for you as a picture of fireside. And hearth is a superb component to meditate as. It’s the essence of pleasure and creativity and inspiration and naturally, hearth may be very purifying, and it’s very cell, proper? So it has this actual sense of inventive pleasure, inventive inspiration but in addition a way of purification. So sit as a fireplace and in addition really feel that heat and the consolation of fireside, proper? It’s very great. So benefit from the hearth component both as like a campfire and even one thing just like the solar.
Within the historical past of meditation follow, hearth has been a extremely essential component, a extremely essential picture, once more for purification but in addition the entire concept of meditation is typically in comparison with a fireplace. It’s the fireplace wherein we burn off the impurities or burn off the dross leaving this large power of fireside, the enjoyment of fireside, and the heat and luxury of fireside. So sitting as a fireplace may be very highly effective.
Feeling the enjoyment of that fireplace meditation we now transfer to a good lighter so to talk component which is air. So with air, I would like you to think about being wind, a delicate breeze, or perhaps a robust wind, and the air component is all about motion. It’s about flexibility. Once more, if we think about this type of boundless wind with a kind of power of motion, power of change that is very highly effective–particularly in case you really feel caught otherwise you really feel depressed otherwise you really feel down–this power of air may be very uplifting. It’s very–it will get issues transferring once more. And naturally in tantrism, in yoga, and so forth that is the component that we might name prana, proper? The component that we might name chi or lung it’s the actually essential component for lots of religious follow, plenty of meditation follow. So sitting just like the wind and feeling that motion and alter and adaptability may be very impermanent. Identical to the fireplace–actually impermanent feeling component and this provides you the flexibility to alter. It offers you the flexibility to maneuver and in addition energizes the entire physique in a extremely nice method. So let’s discover this power of air. So meditating just like the wind. After we tune into the power of air, after we meditate just like the wind, this brings plenty of equanimity as a result of we’re versatile. We will deal with no matter is arising as a result of we have now flexibility and the flexibility to alter and transfer. So the wind component can–and meditating just like the wind or the air component–it could convey an incredible sense of equanimity, even with all of the motion, all of the change, there’s this sense of like, “yeah, we are able to roll with that.”
Okay. Good, that’s the air component, meditating just like the wind and now let’s do my favourite meditating like area, like infinite unbounded area, the fifth component on this custom. And after we meditate like area we’re noticing that there’s boundlessness there’s room and there’s an actual sense of openness and acceptance of the whole lot. We will discover that area is particular, proper? All the opposite parts exist in area, and come up in area, and move in area. And area is the closest component to only pure consciousness itself. So meditate like huge boundless area and spot that there’s simply room, there’s simply sufficient room for the whole lot, and we are able to deal with no matter’s arising as a result of there’s simply a lot openness. House is accommodating, proper? The whole lot on this planet, whether or not it’s good or unhealthy, or large or small, or scorching or chilly, or no matter it’s all given area, proper? It has sufficient area to be. So area has this large high quality of lodging and openness and a form of–once more, only a form of a way of room for the whole lot. So now, simply sit like area, like huge spaciousness. Discover how peaceable and the way a lot ease it brings to sit down as this huge area, simply permitting the whole lot, being with the whole lot, completely open, completely free huge area.
Okay. Good, now let’s transfer from the 5 parts immediately into consciousness itself, which bear in mind may be very very like area. I at all times say huge spacious consciousness, proper? So in different phrases we let go of those elemental concepts, we let go of any visualization or any creativeness and simply relaxation in our nature as huge spacious consciousness. Now, what’s the distinction between area and consciousness? House is non-conscious however consciousness, in fact, is what consciousness is. It’s aware, however in each different method it’s very very like area, so it’s huge spacious however awake. It’s awake. It’s conscious. It’s experiencing.
So now I would like you to only sit as consciousness itself, not partaking with something, not grabbing on to something, merely resting as your deep nature, which is consciousness itself; awake, fairly conscious, vivid and clear. Keep in mind, the concept right here is to not get entangled with something. Consciousness itself permits for the whole lot, permits all the weather, permits for ideas, permits for emotions, permits the world to come up however it isn’t concerned with something. So if you end up getting concerned simply drop that, come again to only resting in your nature as huge spacious consciousness. Consciousness itself is sort of a mirror, the whole lot is mirrored in it, however not one of the reflection, not one of the issues mirrored truly disturb the mirror or change the mirror in any method. There may be each form of scene going by. There could possibly be a nighttime scene, a daytime scene, a number of individuals, no individuals, forest animals, cityscapes with skyscrapers, all that. All mirrored within the mirror and the mirror is uninvolved with any of them, unchanged by any of them, and but completely reflecting, completely clear. So sit as huge spacious consciousness with this sense of unaffectedness, this sense of uninvolvement.
Okay. Good, now inside this consciousness discover that area is there. House is arising. The component of area is there. There’s room, there’s spaciousness, there may be lodging, proper? So we have now area there and in addition discover that the component of air is there, the motion, the change, the wind, the sense of the flexibility to unstick. That impermanence is there and in addition, in fact, the power of wind, large power. So inside consciousness, there’s the area, there’s the air, after which there’s the fireplace component–that form of pleasure and inspiration and creativity, the heat and the purification of fireside, okay?
We will really feel the air that we’re respiration with our physique. We will really feel the heat of our physique, proper? We will really feel the area in our physique that permits the heat and the air that we’re respiration to be there. After which we really feel the water component, proper? We really feel our blood and we really feel the fluidity of our physique and in addition this sense of consolation and ease and that actual sense of effortlessness of the water. After which there may be the earth component, the soundness, our bones, and our weight, and that sense of cohesion and groundedness and connectedness and stability and solidity that’s so attribute of the earth component. So inside consciousness, all these 5 parts are current and simply sit with that now. Feeling them combine, feeling them work together in a super method. They’re simply flowing into one another and turning into each other and balancing in order that we have now, simply up inside ourselves, an ideal concord of those parts.
Good. Now let’s let all of those parts come along with a way of pleasure and inspiration and a way of freedom and openness and motion and a way of connectedness and a way of ease and openness and beam out love and pleasure to the entire world, beaming out, radiating out a way of inspiration and creativity and aliveness to the world, beaming out a way of therapeutic and energy to the world, and beaming out a way of equanimity and openness and lodging to the world. So actually, actually simply feeling how all of those 5 parts arising inside consciousness are simply streaming out to your complete universe, to the multiverse, to each sentient being within the multiverse, to whom all these meditations are freely given, we beam out this pleasure, this therapeutic, this sense of peace and ease, creativity, inspiration, groundedness, openness, the flexibility to alter, the flexibility to purify. We’re wishing the entire universe and each being within the universe, the entire multiverse, and each being within the multiverse, we’re wishing them effectively, together with ourselves. I would like you to only radiate out, beam out, stream with that power now.
Okay. Good, let’s finish the meditation now.
Dharma Discuss
That was a pleasant meditation, proper? It’s good to attach with these parts. So permit your physique to get cozy and transfer and stretch and really feel your self transferring. The physique loves to maneuver, although in meditation, after we’re doing this type of meditation, I’d such as you to stay very, very, very nonetheless, after we’re completed meditating then we get into the enjoyment of motion, not less than a little bit bit. Really feel, permit your physique to only do what it must do, don’t get in the best way, don’t prescribe what you assume it ought to do, however really feel into what it desires to do. And possibly have a drink of water. The white one is water, so we could have some water right here. There’s a little bit little bit of lemon in it too. That’s very good.
And so let’s speak about this for a minute. So, in fact, although I’m calling these the weather in trendy English these will not be parts, proper? Parts are issues like beryllium and cobalt, however within the historic method of talking, these are the component’s historic that means of the time period. And naturally, these phrases change over time, like, for instance, the time period planet, proper? Now it has a really particular that means, not the solar or the moon, a planet is a really outlined factor. However initially planet comes from the Greek phrase planetos which simply means one thing that’s transferring within the sky. As a result of planetos means wanderer, one thing that’s transferring within the sky, and particularly it meant stuff that’s transferring towards the background, the supposedly fastened background of these stars. So initially the that means was rather more open identical to the phrase power, proper? Now it’s acquired a really particular definition, extremely exact, mathematical, blah blah, however in fact, in years and centuries passed by we might use the phrase power in a way more open method. The definition is loads looser, and the identical with parts. So I’m utilizing an earlier, looser definition that has–it’s a little bit bit extra like what we might now name states of matter, proper? So there’s strong and liquid and gasoline and that may be earth and water and air, proper? After which there’d be hearth, the power, proper? And area continues to be the room for it to occur. It’s like area, space-time.
In order that’s form of a enjoyable semi-translation of how we might take into consideration what we imply by these parts now, however in fact, it’s extra of a mind-set about some completely different states of thoughts, some completely different states of our personal inside area, and possibly even the exterior area. Once more, with these states of matter, you realize the issue is now there’s new states of matter like plasma and superionic ice, every kind of stuff that don’t actually…you realize, individuals maintain discovering these states of matter so it doesn’t actually match the 5 component scheme both. So we’re simply going to say the five-element scheme is its personal factor, proper? It’s its personal imaginary method of contemplating the world and it’s truly fairly a nice method and a helpful method and form of a inventive and fascinating method to consider issues. After we do–you realize every time after we begin a meditation, fairly often we solely do considered one of these, so I wished to have a meditation tonight the place we do all of them collectively and really feel how they combine and in addition really feel how they exist inside consciousness itself. And that’s a strong factor.
If we have been doing conventional practices like tantric model practices, we use the weather in very particular methods. If we’re doing–even additional again, like shamanic practices, we use the weather otherwise. If we’re doing non-dual-like meditation traditions, we are able to even use the weather in a 3rd method, proper? And we did a few of that tonight the place–discover after we went to consciousness the weather are there however now we’re not utilizing them as form of states of thoughts, we’re saying there are issues which might be arising inside consciousness itself. And so there’s form of alternative ways to–or let’s imagine completely different ranges at which we’re partaking this concept of the traditional parts, or this extra open mind-set about parts.
And naturally, there’s even utilizing them psychologically like–oh, I really feel depressed so I’m going to meditate on air as a result of that provides me freedom and motion and you realize it form of loosens issues up as a result of melancholy can really feel like a form of stuckness. Or–I’m feeling kind of flat and uninteresting and uninspired so let’s usher in some hearth component as a result of that’s inspiration and creativity and it’s acquired power. Or–I’m feeling all scattered and my mind is in 600 locations, oh hey, let’s convey that earth component that has that cohesion and collectedness and stability, you realize. Or–I really feel like I’m working too onerous and the whole lot is troublesome and so let’s usher in water. The water component, which is easy and has that sense of ease and luxury. Or–the whole lot’s simply too up in my face, I’m anxious as a result of there’s simply an excessive amount of occurring and there’s no time to reply and the whole lot’s too…and so let’s convey within the area as a result of within the area there’s simply greater than sufficient room for the whole lot to occur. In order that’s form of a psychological technique to work with these. There’s you realize there’s simply so many ranges and so many strategies and so many ways in which we are able to play, creatively play, with this concept of those 5 parts.
So I’m not suggesting that that is the one true method of viewing the world or one thing, however it’s a great technique to work, and it’s superb for meditation, superb additionally psychologically, you realize, too as a metaphor. But additionally as kind of like properties to tackle. We will see the place we’re imbalanced and tackle these elemental properties not less than as an creativeness train.
So there you could have it; some five-element meditation and in case you go method again, I haven’t completed this for some time, however in case you go method again to the mandala meditation that we have now completed up to now on these YouTube movies we are able to make these work collectively too. That turns into very fascinating the place the–bear in mind we have now the mandala with the 5 quadrants, effectively there’s a motive it’s 5 quadrants as a result of these quadrants match parts and we are able to tackle these properties as effectively. So it will get actually fascinating. It’s form of a factor to assist arrange our follow, but in addition only a enjoyable technique to play with life and to play with expertise, proper? So there you could have it.
I believe the purpose I used to be making whereas we have been meditating that I wish to come again to is that area is form of the tremendous component. All the opposite parts come up in area after which consciousness is outdoors of the weather nevertheless it’s most like area. However in fact, it is usually aware. So we are able to say all these 5 parts, although the 4 parts come up in area, all 5 of them come up in consciousness and we are able to–identical to the whole lot–expertise itself is arising in consciousness. The sense of our persona, the sense of our physique arises in consciousness. The sense of stuff occurring outdoors; arising in consciousness. So all of that comes again to the whole lot arising in consciousness and if we go rather more deeply we are able to say even all of the issues arising in consciousness will not be separate or completely different from consciousness, proper? So there’s a a lot deeper educating out there there as we begin to be taught to contact consciousness.
It’s humorous once I say contact consciousness as a result of what’s it? My query, that is my koan for you; what’s it that contacts consciousness? I usually use that phrase, hey we’re contacting consciousness or we’re stabilizing our contact with consciousness, but when you concentrate on it deeply, who or what’s contacting consciousness? And if you try this, and naturally the form of typical reply the straightforward reply is; effectively I’m. However what do you imply if you say I? Due to course, the educating right here, not less than a part of the educating, is that you realize usually after we say “I” we imply my ideas and emotions and possibly my physique, however actually deeply my feelings and my ideas, that’s me. Since you might, for instance, lose an arm in an accident and that may be tragic, so a part of your physique’s eliminated however actually your ideas and emotions are nonetheless you, proper? You’re not–you wouldn’t consider that as altering the essence of your being regardless of how a lot it modified your life. So although we do have a tendency to consider the physique as us, much more deeply we consider the ideas and feelings as us. However this is without doubt one of the first belongings you be taught in meditation; the ideas are simply altering and transferring on a regular basis, these can’t be you, the feelings are simply altering and transferring on a regular basis, that’s not you. So who’s you? Proper? Who is you? If something it’s the attention wherein the ideas and emotions are arising, and naturally we–there’s issues if we attempt to decide on consciousness as a strong factor however the place, actually, it’s empty. However nonetheless there’s an enormous transfer to see oh once I say, “I’m connecting with consciousness,” we form of must get it nevertheless it’s consciousness that’s connecting with consciousness. And consciousness was by no means separate from itself.
So after we quote join with consciousness all we’re actually doing is enjoyable into what’s already there. That’s why I saved saying our pure, already present being as consciousness, proper? That’s at all times there, all we do is calm down into that. You don’t make that glad. You don’t actually join with it. You don’t in some way develop into conscious of consciousness, you’re already conscious. That’s the essence of your being. If there may be an essence, it’s consciousness itself. Humorous as a result of essence is one other method of speaking about parts however I imply otherwise, proper?
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