Guided Nondual Meditation with Michael Taft
Streamed on Dec 16, 2021
Let’s start meditating as common. Let me get my timer, my meditation factor, going right here so I do know the place we’re at. What I’d such as you to do meditation followers is start by establishing your posture. Meditation posture is essential. Meditation is an embodied observe and your physique feeling good and in addition expressing the meditation is a giant a part of it, proper? So, what do I imply by feeling good? I simply imply, though we’re going to take a pleasant posture with an upright again, having your backbone upright, I need it to really feel good. I don’t need you to really feel such as you’re sitting at consideration in an uncomfortable approach. It is best to be certain that your physique is pleased with the best way you’re sitting, particularly as a result of we’re going to be nonetheless for a complete hour, proper? Once we’re doing these meditations the thought is to remain fairly nonetheless as a result of if you happen to transfer the physique the thoughts begins shifting. Additionally if you happen to preserve the physique nonetheless, the thoughts will change into nonetheless as nicely. We do, particularly initially of those sits, sort of wish to chill issues out somewhat bit, get the thoughts good and calm, so there’s that.
After which additionally what’s fascinating is that, in a approach, the essence of the shamatha a part of meditation is to be each alert and relaxed, and what’s fascinating is that we all the time consider that as occurring–this alert leisure–we consider as occurring within the thoughts, however after all alert leisure may happen within the physique. So the alert half is to sit up, proper? That’s the sign to the nervous system, when the backbone will get upright, that we’re alert, proper? We will even name it sitting at consideration, proper? We sit up, get that backbone good and upright, and that alerts–or we are able to say that’s the physique’s expression of alertness after which the remainder of our posture is relaxed. So we get our backbone good and upright after which we let every part else calm down and so we’re embodying the essence of the shamatha proper there; alert leisure, the physique is definitely doing it and that’s actually fascinating. That’s additionally why we keep fairly nonetheless as a result of that’s the deep peace or the deep relaxed a part of the physique. This isn’t a tense-tight or stiff-stillness. It’s the stillness of full leisure, the stillness of completely letting go.
So, I need you to take a seat up good and straight. You possibly can wave your backbone out, wave your backbone round like a younger sapling in a recent breeze. It’s sort of shifting in numerous instructions till you discover that spot the place the upright backbone feels completely balanced. There’s this lovely steadiness level. It feels excellent. As soon as we get that we calm down the remainder of your complete physique and, in actual fact, tonight we’ll do for the shamatha half a progressive leisure like we do generally earlier than shifting into the remainder of the meditation. So discover that good upright spot, prime of your head pulling upwards in a extremely nice method, chin tucked just a bit bit so the again of your neck is open. Your chest needs to be–truly it’s very nice if it feels good. Once more don’t do that if it doesn’t really feel good. But when it feels good the chest is kind of open, you’re not hunched ahead in any approach, or caving the chest. It’s truly; the shoulders are down and again, and the chest in a really, very, very gentle approach, not an exaggerated approach, however in a really gentle approach, feels virtually prefer it’s pulling outward and upward just a bit tiny bit. It’s obtained this type of upward, outward, expanded mode occurring, only a very light relaxed taste of that. And, after all, the decrease again has that curve within the backbone, in order that your like hips are barely rotated ahead so the backbone sort of goes up just a bit bit while you while you roll your that decrease backbone again you sort of slouch and your head goes down you roll it ahead just a bit bit the entire backbone goes upright.
Okay, so we’ve obtained that good upright backbone expressing the alert a part of shamatha, after which the remainder of our entire physique is relaxed expressing the tranquility of shamatha. So, alert tranquility, alert leisure, that’s the shamatha portion. Now, earlier than we go into that fully, let’s simply in a short time recall that we’re already absolutely woke up beings. We’re already absolutely enlightened beings. On the very foundation of your being is already full awakeness, already full consciousness, already full buddhahood. There’s nothing you must do in any respect to make it extra full, to make your self one way or the other extra woke up. It’s already there, proper? And all we’re doing after we sit is recognizing that truth, proper? We’re popping out of the dream of non-recognition and simply recognizing that truth.
So for only a second right here initially of the meditation I’d such as you to image in entrance of you–right this moment we’re going to make use of the visualization of a rose, the flower, a rose, proper? Simply think about essentially the most attractive, open, crimson rose. Okay. I truly could make it any colour you need however I’ll do it a crimson rose and it’s like that sort of rose in a tacky {photograph} the place it’s even obtained some little water droplets on the petals and stuff. It appears to be like fully recent. Think about that rose scent and actually see in your thoughts’s eye, a rose in entrance of you.
Okay. That is simply the visualization we’re utilizing tonight.Generally we use a bodhisattva being, generally we use a solar, or no matter. Tonight I simply really feel impressed to have it’s this lovely rose. Okay. This rose is a logo or an exterior–though we’re doing it internally in our creativeness we’re projecting it externally as a logo–of our personal already current awakening, our personal already current enlightenment, our personal already current buddhahood. And that’s why this rose is so lovely, and so good, and recent. It’s representing our personal woke up thoughts, which is already current. And so what I need you to do now’s permit that rose to provide forth the scent of knowledge. Usually we use gentle. Tonight it’s going to be a scent of knowledge, proper? Simply that rose scent wakes up the deep enlightened knowledge, the deep buddha knowledge within the thoughts. Okay. And simply really feel your thoughts clearing and opening with that rose scent. Clearly simply an creativeness train and but as a result of the buddha awakening, the enlightened woke up absolutely realized thoughts is definitely there already, this creativeness or visualization train truly has a strong impact of serving to us to acknowledge our personal indwelling awakening.
So, we’ve that scent of knowledge that opens the thoughts, opens the knowledge thoughts, after which one other scent pours forth from the rose, and we really feel our coronary heart of affection, compassion, and pleasure opening. Blossoming, unfolding like a gap rose with this sense of affection, this sense of pleasure, this sense of kindness. After which a 3rd scent arises from this rose and we really feel in our stomach the power of life, the power of playfulness and spontaneity filling our our bodies, simply pure life power, the scent of pure life power. And we all know there’s a variety of Buddhist scriptures and Hindu scriptures the place there are beings of scent, beings made from scent, and actually, entire universes made from fantastic scents. One among them known as Sarvagandha Sugandha. That’s the title of the universe: Sarvagandha Sugandha, and in Sanskrit which means “every part good smelling.” It’s a universe composed of fantastic scents. In order that’s what we’re tuning into right here, the scents of knowledge, the scent of compassion, and pleasure, the scent of this playful, spontaneous, lovely life pressure that’s flowing by our physique.
So simply really feel that now, after which deliver on this rose of knowledge, this rose of awakening, this rose of your personal Buddhahood into the guts the place it absolutely blossoms and provides forth this perfume to your complete world. It’s beaming out the perfume of knowledge, beaming out the perfume of compassion, bringing it, beaming out–or effulgently giving forth radiant spontaneity and life pressure. So really feel that now. And it’s simply filling your entire physique, filling the entire thoughts, filling the entire being with this glorious scent of awakening, proper? Scent of awakening, after which let that rose imaginative and prescient simply dissolve into this pure, radiant, vacancy of knowledge, readability, compassion, love, pleasure, spontaneous, playful vigor, and life pressure. And simply really feel that essence of awakening coursing by the physique, thoughts, by the guts, and beaming out to your complete world.
Okay. In order that’s just the start, that’s our opening visualization and simply if you wish to you’ll be able to then simply let that entire visualization vanish like a scent on the wind. After which it’s simply huge spacious consciousness, simply open empty consciousness and from this place, I’d love to do as I promised a progressive leisure to get us into the actual relaxed a part of shamatha, deep, deep, deep into the relief a part of shamatha. However do not forget that’s solely half in order we’re doing this leisure we additionally wish to keep in mind to remain very alert, very awake. The notice is brilliant and crisp and clear. Bear in mind the phrase Buddha means awake, proper? Not asleep, not dreaming. Awake, it actually means awake. So the Buddha’s title shouldn’t be like ‘god,’ or ‘the holy one,’ or one thing, it simply means ‘the woke up one,’ ‘the one who’s not asleep.’
So our already current Buddha nature is of the character of wakefulness, alertness, readability. So even whereas our physique turns into increasingly relaxed, we wish our thoughts to be brilliant. And even the physique in leisure is brilliant, proper? There’s power there. It’s not boring. It’s very up and alert. And but, like cat muscle tissues, simply completely–you know the way a cat relaxes the entire physique. It’s simply obtained that goopy fantastic sense of deep, deep, deep core leisure, proper? On the skeletal stage. So let’s go into that now. And I need you to start together with your brow and eyebrows, and also you let that calm down. And the meditation object right here is to really feel that leisure occurring there. Now if one thing doesn’t wish to calm down, one thing is tight, one thing feels prefer it desires to remain tight in your physique for no matter motive, don’t pressure it in any respect. Let it do no matter it desires.
So that is simply an invite to leisure and I need you to get targeted on the elements that do calm down, and the elements that do open, the elements that do really feel ease and gentle and open. Don’t concentrate on the stuff that’s tight, and get all concerned in it, and, “why is it tight? And now I’ve obtained to calm down it.” Nothing like that in any respect, it’s the alternative, I need you to double down, triple down, quadruple down on the elements of the physique that really feel relaxed. So really feel your brow enjoyable, and your eyebrows enjoyable, and actually really feel that deeply. Take it in. Breathe it in. Discover how good that leisure feels, even in that tiny space of the face. After which subsequent permit your eye eyelids to calm down, and your eye muscle tissues to calm down in such a approach we are able to shut our eyes throughout this shamatha meditation. Permit your eyes to calm down in such a approach that you could’t open them even if you happen to strive, as a result of with a view to open them you’d must put rigidity again into the muscle tissues to make use of them. And so the eyes are so relaxed, the attention muscle tissues are so relaxed that you simply truly can’t open them with out getting tense once more. And identical factor your cheeks, calm down your mouth and lips, calm down your entire jaw. Let go. And the scalp and the entire remainder of the top simply experiences this type of deep nice letting go. And I need you to simply tune into that proper now for a second and simply really feel how good that feels.
Good. Now persevering with to tune into that leisure and simply really feel the letting go, really feel the discharge, really feel the reduction in that. Let’s tune into our throat, neck, and shoulders the place we launch and calm down and let go. Now you’re retaining your head upright, however once more, we discovered that place the place the backbone simply feels so good, so balanced that there’s sort of a minimal rigidity or minimal effort required to maintain your head upright, and apart from that the entire space turns into relaxed, open, and launched, together with the throat. When your throat relaxes it’s that muscle that retains your, regulates your vocal cords to be tighter or looser, so it’s the factor you do while you decrease your voice. That’s enjoyable the throat. Calm down the throat all the best way, and to speak regular, I’ll put somewhat little bit of rigidity again in my throat, however you retain doing the enjoyable of the throat, and letting the shoulders launch.
After which, that is the vital half, feeling that launch, feeling the strain fading away, and the softness, and the openness, and the pleasantness, and ease coming into these areas. And actually specializing in that, and respiratory that in, and taking it in, and permitting your self to take pleasure in it. In order that’s what we’re doing with this progressive leisure sort of shamatha. And so your face and head are relaxed, your neck and throat and shoulders are relaxed, and now we’ll simply permit the arms to let go of all of the doing, all the strain, all of the tightness, all of the busyness of the day. We use our palms and our arms to take action a lot, proper? We’re thumb typing, or we’re keyboard typing, and swiping on screens, and swiping on trackpads, and all of that retains your palms very tight and so we wish them to be free. We would like our arms, our elbows, our wrists, our palms, our fingers to simply launch all that rigidity and really feel the strain draining out, really feel the strain draining away. And moreover really feel the arms and palms getting as limp as moist rags. So there’s not even that background rigidity the place you’re retaining your arms prepared to maneuver though they’re nonetheless. Generally we preserve them prepared to maneuver. I need them to shift out of readiness to maneuver mode into full non-readiness to maneuver, the place they’re simply limp like moist noodles, and really feel the limp like moist noodles in your arms, and in your palms, and in every of your fingers. Actually really feel that. Spend a while happening the fitting arm, and happening the left arm, and feeling that leisure, and tuning into it, and permitting your thoughts to be inside it and resonate with it, and open, open, open.
And really feel that leisure in your arms and your neck and your head simply sort of permeating consciousness. Good. Now let the entrance of your chest calm down, your pectoral muscle tissues, and the entire higher a part of your chest, and in addition in again round your shoulder blades and lats, and so forth. Let your entire higher chest area in entrance on the edges and again simply launch and calm down and let go. And really feel all the strain drain away, drains out, and it’s changed by virtually like reduction and leisure, and openness, and gentleness simply virtually descends into the higher chest. You are feeling it, growth, land there and simply permit the entire space to simply calm down, and launch, and open, and let go of all rigidity, let go of all cares, let go of all fear within the physique, all tightness within the physique, and all of it simply drains out. Once more, not combating something, not shifting, actually not stretching in any approach, however simply permitting pure intention, and pure care to permit the physique to launch. And really feel how good that feels now that your entire higher chest, and higher again, and your arms, and palms, and your neck, and throat, and face, and head have all relaxed?
I’m tuning in, consuming and savoring that leisure in a extremely open, easeful, nice, playful method. I need you to simply discover that that feels so good, that feels so relaxed, that it permits your thoughts now to simply sink down right into a deeper, deeper leisure the place the entire higher physique, and the entire physique, and even the thoughts simply sort of drops now right into a a lot deeper sense of openness, a lot deeper sense of undefendedness, a a lot deeper sense of leisure. So simply tune into that now. Spend a while with it.
Good. Now, on this a lot deeper mode of leisure, permit your diaphragm to launch and open, and really feel how good it feels when the diaphragm releases and opens, relaxes, finds settledness and peace. After which the stomach releases and opens, the edges of the stomach, and in again within the kidney space all calm down and open. And simply really feel how good that feels. We generally preserve a variety of rigidity in our stomach. It’s quite common spot for anxiousness, rigidity and so simply noticing that the precise muscle tissues within the entrance of the stomach could be very very relaxed, letting go of all that rigidity, simply letting the stomach flap out. With a sigh, you discover your self turning into rather more relaxed at this level.
After which the entire pelvic area releases and relaxes and lets go. Your hip joints really feel so good once they launch and let go and are crammed with a way of easefulness and openness. The perineal area can calm down and open. After which simply permit your complete legs and toes once more to do the moist noodle factor. They only change into utterly like moist rags. There’s no sense that you simply’re gonna do something together with your legs proper now. They’re simply utterly allowed to flop and so that you discover the large muscle tissues within the quads and the glutes all releasing, and enjoyable, and opening, letting go. These are sufficiently big muscle tissues that you could actually really feel that once they calm down. The entire physique relaxes additional after which your knees launch and open, and the calves and shins calm down and open, and the ankle joints calm down and open, and the toes calm down and open, soles of the toes open, tops of the toes open, and the toes calm down, and even between the toes relaxes and opens.
So while you really feel now the diaphragm and the stomach area, and the pelvic area, and the hips, and the legs, and the toes releasing and opening. Becoming a member of the chest and again, that are launched and open, and the arms and palms, that are completely, completely relaxed and open. Really feel how your palms now are broad open, the backs of the palms broad open, the throat broad open, face broad open. Every part relaxed and launched, calm and tranquil and but energized and alive, not asleep, not powering down into sleep, however somewhat feeling a sort of energized launch, energized openness. Simply really feel that now. Tune into that now as you drop into a fair deeper, much more profound, much more utterly enjoyable depth of openness and launch and tranquility. Let’s simply be with this now for a couple of minutes, respiratory collectively, feeling how good the physique feels to be this relaxed. Noticing how the core of the thoughts–that rigidity on the core of the thoughts–additionally relaxes, additionally melts, additionally releases and opens, in order that because the physique relaxes and opens, the core of the thoughts releases and opens, and there’s a way of deep tranquility and but great alertness, great awakeness. So let’s sit with that collectively now.
Really feel how with every in-breath we change into extra awake, extra energized, extra alert. And with every out-breath we change into extra relaxed, extra at peace, extra open and gentle and delicate.
Okay. Good. Now persevering with to remain alert and relaxed, I need you to note that on this stomach area the place we have been speaking in regards to the life pressure, the power, centered just under the navel, a couple of inches beneath the navel, and again in, you’ll be able to really feel, if you happen to test in that area, you’ll really feel a sort of heart of–it simply appears like a spot the place the power is centered. I don’t know the way else to explain it. And I need you to simply think about now, in a really relaxed, light, alert approach, that the life pressure power in that spot, the playful, spontaneous, vivacious life pressure power in that spot turns into tremendously extra harmonious, regulated, open and wholesome, robust and common, and wholesome and harmonious. And simply on the in-breath really feel that heart filling with power after which the out-breath really feel that heart turning into extra completely patterned, completely harmonious, completely wholesome and powerful, completely tuned. So on the in-breath that heart will get extra energized, on the out breath it turns into extra harmonious. We really feel the consequences radiating by our entire physique. The entire physique feels more healthy, stronger, extra alive. It’s purring like a kitten. It’s extra completely tuned as that heart turns into crammed with increasingly power. Breathe in. We really feel the power in that heart. We breathe out. We really feel this great concord radiating by the entire physique. So let’s try this collectively now.
Discover how good that feels. Excellent. Okay. Now as much as the brow. Really feel within the heart of the mind, on the stage of the brow, within the heart of your head, really feel, on the in-breath, the thoughts turning into increasingly alert, increasingly awake, increasingly clear. Really feel the thoughts filling with readability and in addition, once more with a way of knowledge on the in-breath, and on the out breath let this readability and knowledge radiate by the entire physique, proper? Our physique has knowledge and it shares that with the thoughts. So let this readability and awakeness and knowledge that we really feel filling the thoughts on the in-breath then radiate out to the entire physique and thoughts on the out-breath. A sort of good tuning of the thoughts itself.
Good. And now shifting between the 2, within the coronary heart heart on the in-breath, taking in a way of affection, feeling a way of pleasure and kindness, and love rising robust within the coronary heart. After which, actually tuning in on the out-breath, simply permitting that love and kindness to movement by your complete physique, knowledge of affection and kindness and caring movement by your complete physique, which is already, once more, tuned and wholesome, and already clever and clear, and now this power of affection and compassion is simply shifting by your complete physique. So on the in-breath we’re taking in additional of that feeling, the power and the guts rising, then within the out-breath that love, and kindness, and caring, and pleasure transfer into each tissue within the physique.
Now from this place of great readability, and aliveness, and compassion, and love simply come to resting in open consciousness, within the huge house of consciousness. You don’t make consciousness house huge. It’s already broad open by itself, so simply deliver this sense of complete leisure, complete openness, complete awakeness and aliveness into the sense of huge spacious consciousness. And this huge spacious consciousness is just resting, it’s clear, it’s brilliant, it’s awake and but it’s completely relaxed. It’s completely relaxed. It’s simply resting in itself. And permit this consciousness to simply merely relaxation in itself, uninvolved with something, probably not meditating in any respect on something. It’s already utterly awake. It’s already utterly a Buddha. There’s nothing to do. There’s completely nothing in any respect that must be carried out, nothing wants to vary. There’s simply resting on this awakeness. Let’s try this collectively now.
If you end up concerned with considering in any respect, simply drop it, come again to simply resting in openness, resting as huge spacious consciousness. The notice doesn’t get entangled with any thought. That doesn’t imply ideas cease however we’re not getting concerned in any psychological content material. We’re resting as huge spacious consciousness.
Okay. Good. Now permit that knowledge power to collect within the coronary heart, and that life pressure power to collect within the coronary heart, along with the love and pleasure and compassion that’s already current within the coronary heart, and permit that to radiate–not solely out to your personal physique and thoughts however–out to the entire world round you, everybody round you, everybody in the entire world, and actually everybody in all of the worlds and all of the universes all over the place, together with Sarvagandha Sugandha. Let that love power, the compassion, the kindness, the knowledge, the readability, and the enjoyment, and the playfulness, and spontaneity, let that power radiate out, radiate out powerfully in all instructions. Think about it truly impacting the minds, the hearts, the beings of all of the individuals, all of the animals, all of the beings round you and on the planet, and actually, all over the place.
So simply let that radiate out. Let that power beam out, pour forth, pour forth out of your coronary heart to the entire universe.
Dharma Speak
Okay. Good. Let’s finish the meditation there. So simply permit your self now to maneuver, and stretch, and possibly have a drink of water, or one thing. And simply deliver your physique now into motion and a distinct sort of ease. I discover it actually fascinating as a result of, , the shamatha fashion meditation–once more the phrase shamatha means resting in a single spot, it’s like peaceable or restful staying, proper? And but so many people deliver a sort of tense, yang, doership power to this observe, like we’re gonna meditate our butts off. Virtually the alternative temper, proper? A sort of striving graspy acquisitive or aggressive power to this observe after which surprise why we don’t get very far with it. You realize you’ll be able to kind of muscle your technique to some stage of shamatha however at a sure level you simply can’t do it by pressure. You simply can’t do it by getting tighter or extra motivated as a result of–and also you particularly can’t do it by getting extra aggressive and pumped as much as do it, . That’s simply not the temper in any respect.
As an alternative, once more, keep in mind the title is peaceable abiding or tranquil resting and so the primary temper is opening, and softening, and ease, and leisure, and application. We’re nonetheless alert. We’re not falling asleep and, in actual fact, we don’t wish to get sleepy whereas we’re doing it. That’s going too far within the different course. We wish to be alert and relaxed. And so, that sort of like curling up like a cat on a sofa within the sunshine–that power– like, “oh, I’m simply so cozy. I’m gonna curl up,” that’s going too far, proper? That’s going too far into the relief half. We wish to be alert and relaxed however at first I discover people who find themselves actually motivated to meditate and wish to do their meditation and particularly in the event that they’re like, “I wish to get enlightened,” and all that sort of stuff. There could be this type of pressure power in there in depth and simply–I don’t know, competitiveness and it’s simply the incorrect temper to deliver to this if you wish to go deeper into the observe, proper? And so in our leisure we wish to discover leisure, we wish to discover peacefulness, and openness, and ease, and have that sort of rigidity launch from our our bodies.
It’s actually fascinating. I’ve talked about this earlier than, within the West, particularly in America, however within the West typically, we sort of consider a extremely intense and in addition tense tight state as joyous. Like, “yeah, I’m feeling nice,” as your neck muscle tissues bulge, “I’m feeling actually good. I’m tremendous excited.” We in actual fact sort of suppose happiness and pleasure are synonyms, , however in a approach that sort of intense Yeah! power, I imply, it’s obtained its place in our lives, however that’s not essentially what pleasure and happiness and openness are about. They will have a really totally different expression that’s actually upbeat and has power however is easy and open very–once more like that sort of cat power the place irrespective of how a lot they’re doing there may be a second of rigidity nevertheless it’s primarily ease and smoothness and leisure even once they’re doing one thing actually bodily demanding that sort of looseness and wateriness and openness is there, proper?
So we wish that in our observe each in our physique and even in our thoughts, the place the thoughts is relaxed, the thoughts is open, the thoughts is relaxed. As I generally put it, , I stated it tonight, the core of your thoughts relaxes. There could be that tight core within the heart of your head the place it’s like; I’m directing, and I’m taking motion, and I’m doing this, and I’m not doing that, and I’m actually clear about… and it’s like… That’s not precisely what we imply by readability. You realize, readability is totally different than that. That could be a sort of tight strong seeming aggressive thoughts. And what we wish to do is have that core of the thoughts launch and open, and calm down, and change into virtually like a pool of liquid mercury reflecting the world with complete readability and consciousness and but completely relaxed, completely relaxed, completely at peace, proper?
So do not forget that coming to this and permitting your self to be relaxed is a giant a part of this. And so after we do the sort of meditation we did tonight, a progressive leisure, that’s actually serving to us to seek out that ease. Generally due to espresso, and due to anxiousness, and due to work stuff, and life stuff we are able to come to our meditation actually amped up, and actually tight. And so generally it’s vital to simply take the time to do that entire progressive leisure, progressive opening with a view to discover extra ease, to seek out extra openness, to seek out extra peacefulness, to seek out extra tranquility. And often, as a result of if we’re beginning out amped up, often the awakeness, the notice, the readability of thoughts is already going to be there. In order that’s how we try this.
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