Streamed on Dec 23, 2021
Guided Nondual Mediation by Michael Taft
So, as normal, take your meditation seat. And your meditation seat may be seated. You may be sitting, however you might additionally lay in your again. So long as you’ll be able to keep awake, in a position to keep alert and awake in your again, you’re high quality to meditate in your again. You may also meditate standing up. Standing up is a good way for those who can arise on this alert relaxed posture. It’s a good way to remain awake for those who’re having bother with drowsiness. So, arise and meditate. As normal this shall be an hour of meditation so be prepared for that.
In the event you’re going to do seated meditation, I might suggest having a meditation cushion that you simply’re sitting on, both a zafu or a gomden. And for those who don’t know what these are, look them up, however the zafu is basically the factor that’s formed like a legume. It’s type of a pillow. After which a gomden is sort of a brick formed zafu, invented by Trungpa Rinpoche, apparently particularly for westerners. Today, I have a tendency to take a seat on a gomden. I like these, they’re actually, very nice. So, that might be supreme as a result of it will get your butt up, which permits your legs to go down so your knees may be decrease than your hips. When your knees are decrease than your hips, it rotates your pelvis slightly bit, so that you get that good curve in your decrease backbone. So, when you’ve got it, sit in your meditation cushion, if not, sit in a chair however don’t lean towards the again of the chair. Sit, I’ll reveal, sit ahead within the chair and don’t lean towards the again and you then cross your legs on the ground like that, and that retains you good and upright.
And utilizing your muscle tissue to maintain your backbone upright will preserve you extra alert, proper? We wish to be alert and relaxed. That’s the fundamental stance of meditation; alert and relaxed. And in order I’ve usually talked about, our our bodies can partake in that alert leisure by being each upright, that’s the alert half, and in addition bodily relaxed, and in order that’s the start of a great embodied, somatic facet to our meditation, proper? Our our bodies and our minds are actually one factor. They’re not separate. So after we sit in an accurate posture it already helps our thoughts. If we sit each upright and relaxed, it helps our thoughts be each alert and relaxed, so the physique and the thoughts work collectively in our meditation. The opposite factor we wish to do with our our bodies is be very, very nonetheless, not tense tight stillness, however the stillness of full leisure.
So tonight I’m gonna simply throw out a meditation picture. I would like you to take a seat like a mountain. Typically we sit like an ocean. Typically we sit just like the sky, or no matter. Tonight I would like you to take a seat like a mountain. When you consider how a mountain sits, it’s fully relaxed but it surely’s additionally upright, proper? It’s greater than the bottom round it. It manages to face but it surely’s as relaxed as it may well probably be. That means the slopes are simply as at an angle, that’s, as relaxed because the rock must be. And in addition and extra apparently on this manner of speaking about it, in fact, this isn’t geologically true however in the way in which of the metaphor the rock is immovable and unchanging and that’s the metaphor we wish right here. We wish to think about ourselves seated, sitting in a manner that’s immovable. We’re not simply any previous mountain, we’re the world mountain or Mount Meru or Mount Olympus the place it’s form of the middle of the world.
And so the entire world rotates round. Every thing’s altering, the whole lot’s doing its factor, the dance of the world is going down and but we, seated on our meditation seat, are Mount Meru. We’re Mount Olympus. We’re seated on the unmoving middle of the world and that’s the thought we’re completely, completely immobile. After which what I’d such as you to do is to stay good and nonetheless for the entire meditation.
Okay. Good. And nonetheless you’re gonna see me ingesting from my grown-up sippy cup, and that i’ll try this proper now, and that’s as a result of I would like to speak for the entire time. And if you already know the the air-blown warmth is on on this home and if I attempt to speak the entire time with out taking a drink, my throat will get actually dry, so I’ve to take a drink so I’ll be shifting. I’ll be breaking my very own guidelines however that’s as a result of I’m main the meditation–however that’s as a result of I’m the boss–no, it’s as a result of I’m main the meditation and I simply have to permit my throat to do its factor. Okay. However you alternatively shouldn’t transfer if doable. Don’t transfer for the whole time. That might be nice for those who had been simply completely nonetheless, completely nonetheless in a manner that felt actually, actually good. Once more, that is a part of how the embodied or somatic part of the meditation mirrors the psychological or cognitive part. We’ve got the physique be good and nonetheless and that helps our physique be nonetheless or stay nonetheless.
Okay, after which from right here, as normal, I’d such as you to carry up a picture of the bottom of being, a picture of your personal already present Buddhahood. We might even say a picture of your personal god-like nature, which already exists, proper? We’re not inventing this, we’re not making it up. Consciousness, the ability of your personal consciousness is already there. It’s not one thing you’re constructing or cultivating, it’s simply one thing you’re studying to acknowledge. Okay. So I would like you to carry up a picture of that. And the picture we’ll use in the present day is the picture of a wonderful diamond, okay? No matter form diamond you need. It’s a diamond that you simply visualize in entrance of you. You are able to do this together with your eyes open or your eyes closed however think about this extremely attractive, beautiful, brilliant, good diamond. It’s completely clear, it’s shining with gentle, and it’s a logo of your personal already present complete awakening. And so what I would like you to do right here is image that in entrance of you, and simply discover this lovely diamond and see it glinting and shimmering and glowing with its personal good awakening, its personal good depth and readability.
Okay, and from this diamond I would like you to image a beam of sunshine coming from the middle of the diamond into the middle of your brow, and the diamond is filling you with its knowledge, the knowledge of a Buddha, the wisest knowledge there may be. It’s filling the thoughts with knowledge. It’s filling the thoughts with good readability and it’s filling the thoughts with a type of suppleness. The thoughts can do something you need it to as a result of it’s acquired this Buddha suppleness or what we might name pliancy. Okay, so into your thoughts–and that is once more that is your personal Buddha nature–you’re feeling the properties of your personal buddha nature. So permit that beam of knowledge to come back into your thoughts and simply really feel the knowledge filling the thoughts. Enable that beam that additionally consists of super readability to fill your thoughts.And see the readability filling the thoughts after which additionally the beam consists of pliancy. It features a type of psychological suppleness. Your thoughts isn’t caught. It’s not one way or the other mounted. It’s in a position to do no matter you need it to do, no matter you want it to do. It may possibly change in no matter manner it wants to vary to do the whole lot we want it to do.
Okay, so simply sit for a second visualizing this beam of knowledge and readability and suppleness or pliancy coming into the thoughts from your personal Buddha nature, from your personal–let’s imagine, if we needed to sound theistic, let’s imagine from your personal god-nature. Nevertheless it’s actually simply the ability of your personal pristine consciousness.
Okay. Good. And now from this diamond in entrance of you permit one other beam of sunshine to come back out and strike you within the coronary heart. And this beam of sunshine is filling you with love. It’s filling you with pleasure. It’s filling you with an incredible peace and it’s filling you with good will in the direction of others, proper? Goodwill in the direction of women and men, goodwill in the direction of beings. It’s filling you with compassion throughout this vacation season so that you’re feeling your coronary heart open. The grinch’s coronary heart was two sizes too small however after he heard the Who’s singing, after he stole Christmas, he hears all of the Who’s in Whoville singing and his coronary heart grows three sizes. So it’s an additional–it’s really one measurement larger than it must be. It simply opens up. And I would like you to have that measurement three coronary heart, simply absolute open, gushy, mushy coronary heart of affection, and pleasure, and super peace, and simply kindness. I imply compassion is such a valuable phrase, it makes it sound so form of like such an enormous deal. It’s simply being good, simply being variety. It’s not that onerous. Give it a shot.
So really feel this coronary heart opening coming from the diamond representing your personal already woke up thoughts, your personal already woke up being. Good, now additionally from this diamond in entrance of you this lovely radiant clear scrumptious diamond one other beam comes out and strikes you under your navel. So perhaps an inch or two under your navel and you are feeling simply that one spot contained in the decrease dantian. You’re feeling this beam of vitality hitting you under your stomach, and you are feeling the way it fills your physique with well being, fills your physique with life, fills your physique with a way of play and spontaneity. Play comes from feeling alive, feeling stuffed with vim and vigor, proper? Once we don’t have any vitality it’s very onerous to play however after we really feel like now we have loads of vitality play and spontaneity, and simply openness, and freedom, and lightheartedness comes about.In order you’re feeling this beam of life vitality coming into your decrease stomach area you’re feeling your self full of well being, full of power, full of life, and naturally you get that sense of playfulness, and spontaneity, and openness. So discover that now.
Good. Now, as normal, I would like you to take the knowledge within the thoughts and produce that down into the guts. Typically it’s known as the coronary heart thoughts and produce that vitality, and well being, and power, and playfulness from the stomach, and produce that into the guts. So it’s one ball of pristine awake Buddha nature in your coronary heart. And in reality, on the subsequent breath, we simply breathe in that imaginative and prescient of the diamond, in order that this good, radiant, beautiful, valuable diamond in our coronary heart is simply radiating out our personal already present enlightened nature. And you are feeling it filling your physique as normal with knowledge, readability, pliancy. You’re feeling love and pleasure and peace and caring and kindness and you are feeling wholesome and robust and vivacious however all these issues collectively additionally actually carry you the sensation of confidence. I would like you to really feel assured. I would like you to really feel competent. You could have all–as a result of you might have already present Buddha nature, as a result of your pristine thoughts, your pristine consciousness is there–you completely have the whole lot it takes to do something in meditation. And since you’ve acquired the pliant thoughts it’s even simpler. You may simply permit a few of these meditative insights to unfold.
Okay, so simply radiate that, radiating out, radiating out, now radiating out all via the physique, all via the being, all via consciousness, your personal awake consciousness, your personal pristine nature, your personal buddha nature, radiating forth now. And simply really feel that that’s you. That’s who you actually are. That’s not some type of fantasy. That’s not creativeness. That’s who you actually are. The precise fantasy is about being the story of you. That’s the fantasy, the dream that you simply’re shopping for into each day. Whereas this Buddha nature–that is what you actually are. That is your deep being, pristine consciousness itself, timeless, boundaryless, deathless consciousness.
Good. Now from right here we’re simply going to spend a couple of minutes doing our shamatha with an object. So I would like you to do gradual, deep respiration if that’s snug. For some those who’s not snug however I’d such as you to do gradual, deep stomach respiration and let the out-breath be longer than the in-breath. And for some people you possibly can–it’s going to really feel snug to let the out-breath be quite a bit longer than the in-breath. I don’t need you to push it. I don’t need you to pressure in any manner. It ought to really feel very snug however do a pleasant deep, deep, deep stomach filling in-breath after which let the out-breath be lengthy, lengthy, lengthy, lengthy, lengthy, lengthy, lengthy, lengthy, lengthy. And if you wish to, on the out-breaths, to assist management your respiration and provides it extra size you are able to do ujjayi breath, proper?
So bear in mind methods to do ujjayi breath? You do the factor together with your throat–I’ll do it proper now whereas I’m speaking, it’ll sound humorous–you do the factor that makes you sound like that if you speak however you’re simply doing it respiration. So it’s such as you simply acquired that little tightness in your throat and it lets you regulate how briskly the breath goes out. And so you are able to do actually, actually lengthy out-breaths that manner. It’ll simply sound like a hiss. You don’t must do the sound I used to be doing. It’s simply hiss like. It’ll sound just like the surf going out after a wave the way in which it is available in after which with the ujjayi breath it’s just like the sound of the surf going up. So, deep in-breath lengthy, lengthy out-breath and I would like you to be meditating on the sensation of that breath. In the event you actually wish to get into it, actually get centered, actually search for the top of the in-breath, be sure you’re meditating you then discover the sensation of the top of the in-breath. And you then’re following that out-breath, feeling it, feeling it, feeling it, feeling, it feeling, it feeling it, feeling it and noticing the top of the out-breath.
So so long as you discover the top of the in-breath and the top of the out-breath and the whole lot in between you then’re good and centered. You’re doing shamatha with an object on these lengthy breaths. So I’ll simply be quiet now for some time whereas we try this collectively.
Now stick with it. Don’t let your self get distracted. Stick with the sensation of the breath. Discover the top of the in-breath. Discover the top of the out-breath. Really feel the whole lot in between and in addition really feel how good it feels to do these lengthy in-breaths and lengthy out-breaths. And ensure it does really feel good. You don’t wish to be straining. You don’t wish to do something that’s uncomfortable. You need it to really feel actually scrumptious. And once more, I at all times like including on this ujjayi breath particularly on the out-breath. You are able to do it on the in-breath too however particularly on the out-breath and that may assist you get actually, actually lengthy out-breath, which is superb for settling and enjoyable. Now on the similar time that we’re settling and enjoyable, discover that the thoughts is getting brighter, the thoughts is getting clearer, the thoughts is getting extra awake. We don’t wish to settle in in such a manner that we get sleepy. We wish to be brilliant and crisp and clear.
Okay, good. Now let’s transfer into shamatha with out an object, or as I name it, dropping the ball. So the thought right here is that we let go of concentrating on the respiration and we simply permit consciousness to relaxation in itself. Now consciousness resting in itself signifies that we simply calm down the thoughts. You most likely ought to do that together with your eyes open, it’s simpler. You simply calm down the thoughts and relaxation consciousness, proper? And bear in mind you’re pristine consciousness. That’s your Buddha nature. There’s nothing you have to do to make consciousness extra conscious. There’s nothing you have to do to one way or the other make consciousness larger. It’s already huge. It’s nearly enjoyable, permitting your thoughts to calm down and open and simply resting there with brilliant, clear, vivid consciousness, however consciousness of simply consciousness itself, so if the thoughts grabs onto something in any respect drop that. If the thoughts grabs onto a thought simply let it go. If the thoughts grabs onto emotion simply let it go. In the event you begin attempting to comply with the breath simply let it go. In the event you begin attempting to do one thing simply let it go. And particularly for those who’re attempting to determine methods to do it simply let it go.
There’s no figuring this out. That is simply consciousness resting in itself and we simply permit our thoughts to be huge and open uninvolved with something, completely free. And if it begins to break down and get tight and begins to suppose, simply calm down, let go of that thought and are available again to the thoughts simply being open. It’s already open. It’s already huge and spacious. Simply discover that and relaxation in that. It’s not a doing, it’s a resting. So let’s try this now.
Keep in mind for those who’re doing something in any respect simply let go of it. That’s the entire program right here for dropping the ball. Even the dropping is only a type of leisure. It’s only a type of letting go. It’s the–after we attempt to do one thing that we’ve type of left the meditation and so the minute you end up trying to do one thing simply calm down, simply open, simply drop the ball. Don’t even battle to drop, simply calm down and open. That’s it.
Okay. Now we’re going to do a extra lively meditation right here. We’re going to do
inquiry questions. We haven’t achieved this shortly. I really like doing inquiry questions and I’ll present you methods to do it as we’re doing it. Okay, so the very first inquiry query is the place is your thoughts? Or, for those who’re asking it to your self, “the place is my thoughts?” So how can we do that? Nicely, right here’s how; you don’t do it, you don’t attempt to determine it out, you don’t search for the reply in your reminiscences, you don’t attempt to have an attention-grabbing philosophical reply, none of that. In the event you go up into considering, that’s not how we do that, that is an inquiry query, so that you simply search inside your expertise.
Okay. Simply instantly search. In order I usually say, it’s like a the place’s Waldo factor. If I say–for those who open the e book and take a look at the image and I say, “the place is Waldo?” You don’t go to Wikipedia and attempt to lookup the appropriate reply, otherwise you don’t you already know bear in mind, “oh, I discovered somebody mentioned that Waldo this or Waldo did that.” You simply look. That’s it, that’s inquiry follow.
Okay. So I would like you to go looking in your personal expertise now. The place is your thoughts? Discover your thoughts. Do it now.
Once more there’s no figuring this out. That is direct expertise. You’re simply scanning via your personal being trying to find your thoughts. Simply preserve looking out. Discover the thoughts.
Okay. Good. Let’s let go of that query for a second and simply meditate on respiration for one minute.
Okay. Good. Subsequent we’ll do the basic, probably the most basic inquiry query there may be, which is; who am I? And so once more, simply this can be a the place’s Waldo. I don’t need you to consider your title, or your physique, or the place you’ve come from, or something like that, your historical past, your loved ones, or one thing like that. I would like you to look instantly in your personal expertise. Who am I? Who am I?
And look, really feel, inhabit who am I? Look from time to time preserve this. Look once more such as you’re type of looking for your keys on the ground at the hours of darkness. Hold trying, preserve trying, preserve trying. Who am I? Who’re you proper now?
This one is de facto attention-grabbing. We expect we all know the reply to this however the extra you look the extra you look who am I it’d change into much less and fewer clear. As a result of all of the solutions that come to thoughts like I’m this and I’m that, these are simply ideas. Who’re you if you actually look? What do you discover?
Okay. Good. Now simply relaxation for a minute feeling your breath come and go.
Good. Now let’s strive one other inquiry query, one which I actually like and this one is; what is that this? What is that this? So simply ask your self that query after which look in your personal expertise. What is that this? What is that this? What is that this? Hold asking the query and preserve trying instantly. And bear in mind the extra that your thoughts tries to seek out a solution via considering, via reminiscence, via reasoning, via all that, you’re simply losing your time. As a substitute, look instantly in expertise. What is that this? Keep it up, what is that this? Look, expertise, really feel, discover, what is that this?
Okay. Good. Now let go of that and simply think about relaxed respiration for a short while.
Good. Now bear in mind after we tuned into our Buddha nature the Buddha nature is playful? So bear in mind this can be a playful train. In the event you’re attempting to interrupt your thoughts on this simply hand over on that. That is playful. We’re trying, we’re experimenting, we’re noticing.
Okay. So the subsequent inquiry query is; what’s consciousness? What’s consciousness? So simply once more, we’re not attempting to reply that with concepts, we’re not attempting to reply that with theories, we’re not attempting to reply that with our thoughts when it comes to considering in any respect. I would like you to note in your personal expertise playfully, spontaneously, proper now.
What’s consciousness? What’s consciousness? We might even ask what’s conscious? Look now, look in your personal expertise. Really feel, discover what’s conscious?
Okay. Good. Now let’s let go of that and are available again to our personal already absolutely woke up, completely pristine, Buddha nature. We might virtually say our already present godhood, the sense of timeless, spacious freedom, huge consciousness, super kindness, complete openness, playfulness, spontaneity readability, and even well being and power within the sense of liveliness within the physique. And I would like you to tune into that proper every so often really feel it as an enormous ball of vitality within the coronary heart. Feeling knowledge, feeling readability, feeling love and kindness, feeling pleasure, feeling wholesome and pleased, feeling sturdy, and vigorous, and playful, and spontaneous. And I—simply because you’re a Buddha—I would like you to make use of your Buddha energy to only radiate that out to the entire world proper now. Not solely taking it in your self however radiating out to the folks, and cats, and canine, and beings within the room round you, the home round you, but in addition the crops, and animals, and people within the neighborhood round you, and the world round you. This isn’t solely compassion, though it consists of compassion, it’s kindness, it’s love, it’s knowledge, it’s readability, it’s peace.
And notably for this vacation season let’s actually focus now on that taste of Buddha nature that we might name peace on earth, good will in the direction of everybody. So it’s a sense of super peace and super kindness, proper? Or friendliness. Goodwill is de facto simply merely friendliness. What we might name metta or maitri, it’s friendliness, proper? That’s how we translate that phrase. So, peace on earth, and friendliness in the direction of all beings, and I would like you to only radiate that out as a result of you possibly can’t assist however radiate it out. It doesn’t even take any effort. That’s what your pristine, already present, completely full and excellent consciousness nature, your Buddha nature, your godhood is about, proper? Easy peace on earth and kindness and friendliness to all beings. Simply radiate that in all instructions now with me and really feel it pouring out effortlessly. All beings in every single place. They’re contacting again and there’s only a sense of super peace, and kindness, super peace and friendliness. We wish good issues for all beings in every single place.
Okay. Good, let’s let go of that now and we’ll carry the formal a part of the meditation to a detailed.
However, in fact, nothing has modified. Your already present pristine consciousness, your Buddha nature continues to be there, nonetheless absolutely on. It’s not one thing you simply contact one way or the other mystically via meditation or one thing that you simply make occur. It’s at all times there, proper? And it’s at all times who you actually are. You recognize this sense of being a physique and a thoughts with a historical past? That’s cool. That’s a part of it, however the larger wholeness of you is that this tremendously awake pristine consciousness.
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