Guided Nondual Meditation by Michael Taft
Streamed reside on Jan 27, 2022
Let’s bounce proper in. Tonight we’re going to work on what known as taking the thoughts as path. It will likely be our fundamental factor.
Let’s begin out with our posture. As common I need you to principally wiggle your physique, really feel good, be goofy along with your physique, wave it round, shake your mouth out – all these sorts of issues simply to loosen up and open up. Let your physique really feel good and good. Crack your neck if you happen to’re a kind of those who at all times cracks their neck. However when you’re prepared then I need you to sit up. That’s the important level. You gotta sit up. In case you’re on a cushion I need your knees to be decrease than your hips, so that you simply get a pleasant curve in your decrease backbone. In case you’re sitting in a chair it’s finest if you happen to sit ahead, so that you simply’re away from the again of the chair. You may get it to the place the place you let your knees grasp off the entrance fringe of the chair, so that they’re additional down than your hips. Then you definitely get that good again curve and also you cross your ft. You received’t have your ft flat on the ground relying on the peak of your chair. With out even making an attempt – simply by having your knees and hips in the correct place you get a pleasant upright backbone. That’s the principle posture whether or not you’re in a chair or you might be on a cushion. However as I at all times say you too can “sit” or meditate mendacity down. In that case you wish to use a bolster or a strap to maintain your knees up so your decrease again feels good and comfortable on the ground. Solely try this if you don’t get sleepy. The opposite factor you are able to do significantly if you happen to’re sleepy is arise and do the entire meditation in a pleasant relaxed standing pose.
So get into your meditation posture and I need you to sort of – particularly if you happen to’re sitting and also you’ve received the upright backbone – I need you to simply slowly wave forwards and backwards such as you’re a bit of seaweed in a really light, very mushy ocean. And your head is that a part of the seaweed that has like an air bladder in it, so the very high of your head is simply rising straight up. After which the present within the water will get smaller and gentler and slower to the purpose the place finally you’re simply sitting completely straight up. It looks like your head is simply being lifted up – the very very high most a part of your head is simply lifted up. That causes your chin to tuck just a little bit. And now you’re in that candy spot, that goldilocks zone the place your again stays upright with the completely least quantity of effort.
From right here what we do subsequent is we set our intention. You get to set no matter intention you need. Why are you meditating in any respect? In case you don’t do that what tends to occur is you’ll sit down and also you’ll simply begin sloppily meditating. It’s such as you wade in and your thoughts continues to be again in no matter you had been doing earlier than you’re meditating. So what we wish to do is to set our intention. After taking your posture, setting your intention is the following step in leaving every little thing behind and transferring into the meditation with goal. So depart every little thing behind and say “I’m meditating as a result of ‘x’ or I’m meditating in an effort to ‘why’.” Get it good and clear.
The following factor I need us to do is our useful resource constructing interval or lets say our resilience constructing interval. It’s fascinating as a result of after we meditate, it’s totally different than different issues we do. In case you’re gonna paint a fence otherwise you’re going to create an internet web page otherwise you’re going to work with some bodily stuff or some digital stuff, your temper issues. However it doesn’t matter that a lot. It issues how good you might be on the approach. It issues what the scenario is. And particularly if you happen to’ve completed a number of it your temper is sort of superfluous – it’s not superfluous however virtually superfluous. It’s extra situational. It’s extra what’s happening with the stuff. Like if you happen to gotta unclog your kitchen drain at residence your temper about it helps just a little bit or hurts just a little bit. However it doesn’t actually change the info of what you’re going to do to unblock that drain. However after we’re working with inner issues, psychological issues or meditation issues the temper actually issues. And folks are inclined to suppose it’s like exterior, bodily stuff. Like “oh, my temper doesn’t matter if i’m doing the approach proper. That’s all that counts.” And that’s true for the outside world if you happen to’re going to alter a tire in your automobile. Being in a superb temper helps nevertheless it doesn’t assist that a lot. Nonetheless, if you happen to’re going to meditate, getting your thoughts in the correct place to meditate actually issues as a result of the thoughts is the factor we’re engaged on. So the state of your thoughts is essential.
What we’re going to do right here is we’re going to work on constructing assets. And if you happen to’ve completed a bunch of those movies you recognize that we do that in many alternative methods. We will visualize deities or visualize numerous sorts of lights and beams coming into chakra. There’s all types of stuff we are able to do. These days I’ve simply been doing the gratitude one. It’s quite simple. It’s very simple. It doesn’t require a number of visualization. We’re going to try this once more tonight. So for the following jiffy all I need you to do is the next: I need you to simply sit and consider issues that you simply really really feel grateful for. After which really feel gratitude. That’s it. That’s the entire apply. However you gotta do it. You bought to sit down there and consider the stuff and really feel the emotions. Okay, so let’s go.
Now, discover this isn’t a apply of issues it is best to really feel grateful for. That finally ends up turning into principally a ‘feeling ashamed’ or ‘feeling dangerous about your self’ apply since you don’t really feel grateful for the stuff it is best to really feel grateful for. So I don’t need you to do the apply of issues I ought to really feel grateful for. Moderately I need you to do the apply of stuff you really really feel grateful for. I’ll let you know each single evening after I go to mattress I really feel grateful for the cup of black tea I’m gonna have within the morning. That cup of black tea tastes so good and each day it actually simply.. I simply look forward to it. And adore it and it’s simply such a candy second and it’s simply the correct heat. I normally drink PG suggestions. I actually like PG suggestions and it’s like tremendous bitter in simply the correct approach. Every little thing about it’s wonderful. So particularly if it was within the night I would sit and say I really feel grateful for my cup of PG suggestions I’m gonna have tomorrow or the one I had this morning – no matter. And you recognize I really really feel grateful for it. It makes me really feel good. You would possibly even sit there and go ‘I really feel grateful for the air that I breathe in’ or ‘for my mom’ or no matter. And people are the stuff you’re speculated to really feel grateful for. In case you do then extra energy to you. Nonetheless I’ve seen that sitting and making an attempt to really feel grateful for the truth that there’s air to breathe or no matter. For lots of people that simply doesn’t resonate. So use one thing that resonates. That’s one thing you really really feel grateful for or many stuff you really really feel grateful for. Discover, while you do stuff you really really feel grateful for, you get a smile in your face, your coronary heart feels extra open, your coronary heart feels extra melty, your form of physique armor falls away just a little bit – you’re simply extra open and your thoughts state is extra optimistic and nice. That’s the thoughts state we wish to be in after we meditate. That’s how we wish to begin. It simply helps.
From this state of feeling gratitude – that there’s air to breathe and that there’s water to drink – I then need you to start with me to do our unification meditation, our settling meditation, our staying meditation, our shamatha with an object. On this case you may at all times use no matter shamatha object you need. This time – as common – we’re going to do sort of the Dzogchen model of shamatha with an object, the place we relaxation as huge spacious consciousness and we simply discover the breath wave coming and going. That’s it. It’s very straightforward.
Now, one thing I’m going so as to add this week to this meditation whilst you’re doing it – so go forward and do it – is that I need you to note that it doesn’t take any effort to have a spacious consciousness. It’s not an altered state. It’s not one thing that it’s a must to work to attain. Proper now you don’t should work to attain feeling your physique. Your physique is simply presenting emotions into consciousness. The emotions are simply there. If you wish to focus on it then that’s work. However simply feeling your physique it’s simply there to really feel. In case your eyes are open you don’t should do any work to see. The visible discipline is simply blasting into consciousness. It’s simply there. Similar factor with sounds: You’re not working onerous to listen to. It’s simply presenting itself in consciousness. Now all these issues – the visible discipline, the sound discipline, your physique, every little thing else – all that’s simply arising on this massive house of consciousness. And also you don’t should do something for that consciousness to be there. That’s what I’m saying. It’s simply there. How have you learnt it’s there? Effectively, in case your eyes are open, sights are blasting into it. sounds are trumpeting into it and your physique sensations are burbling up inside it. And that factor, that consciousness, that’s simply there with out you doing something. That’s huge spacious consciousness. There it’s. It’s simply there!
When individuals say to me ‘Effectively, I’m working to get into huge spacious consciousness’ that’s speaking inside out and backwards. You’re not working to get into huge spacious consciousness. What you’re doing while you do that’s you’re making an attempt to calm down out of being tightly targeted on one thing. You’ve been tightly targeted all day. And it means you’ve sort of forgotten the huge spacious consciousness that’s at all times there. And so that you don’t should do something to have spacious consciousness besides let go of the demise grip, of the tightness round no matter you’re making an attempt onerous to concentrate to. Simply calm down. Simply calm down. Huge spacious consciousness is already huge. It’s already conscious. It’s already spacious. You don’t should do something in any respect for it to be that approach. After which the apply right here is, simply discover that effervescent wave of the breath that’s presenting itself effortlessly into that consciousness. The attention is easy. The breath is easy. If there’s any effort on this half in any respect it’s that while you begin getting wound up in considering once more, you let go of that and are available again to this easy breath wave that’s arising and passing in consciousness. So let’s try this now.
Consciousness is already spacious. Consciousness is already open. Consciousness is already relaxed. It by no means leaves that. It’s at all times open. It’s at all times spacious. It’s at all times relaxed. It’s at all times peaceable and settled. It’s at all times mushy and mild. That’s what consciousness is. You don’t should do something particular for that to be that approach. And the physique sensation of breath is simply arising in that with out you doing something for it to come up in that. In reality right here’s what I need you to do: Cease respiratory! Simply maintain your breath for a minute. Discover that sensation of holding the breath arising in consciousness nevertheless it’s a holding-the-breath sensation. Now you’re doing one thing. You’re holding your breath. Okay, cease holding your breath and simply return to respiratory usually. Discover that that breath wave is simply doing itself. That’s totally different than holding your breath which is doing one thing. Physique sensations of breath are simply arising in consciousness effortlessly. And also you’re simply staying with that and permitting your self to journey this peaceable openness. That is shamatha with an object and shamanta is peaceable. It’s settled. It’s staying. It’s easeful. So let’s stick with this for a short while longer.
Okay, good. That’s our shamatha with an object. Now we’re going to dig into the principle shamatha object right here which goes to be the thoughts itself. We’re taking the thoughts as the trail. We’re going to sit down with this for some time. However the directions are straightforward: Relaxation as huge spacious consciousness and observe the stream of considering. That’s it. We’ve already talked in regards to the huge spacious consciousness. You’re not doing something to get huge spacious consciousness. It’s simply the notice that’s naturally current. And all we’re doing right here is as an alternative of being conscious of this breath wave arising and passing – that’s after all going to be within the background. However we’re not significantly staying with that. Now we’re staying with the stream of thought. However the trick right here is, to not become involved with the ideas. We’re resting as consciousness and simply noticing that there’s this stream of considering occurring. We’re not making an attempt to make ideas occur. If ideas cease – nice. Observe the stop-ness of the stream proper then. It’ll begin up once more in all probability. However it doesn’t matter if it’s streaming or not. We’re simply noticing the ideas. And that’s it – not getting concerned in any approach. Now we’re going to do that for some time. That is your focus object. If you end up getting caught up within the considering, simply come again to resting as huge spacious consciousness and letting the ideas go by. But when it’s too onerous as a result of this is tougher normally than meditating on the breath. So if that is too onerous return and do the breath meditation as an alternative. Moderately than simply sitting right here, getting actual annoyed, meditate in your respiratory. For the remainder of us who’re going to proceed with the ‘taking the thoughts as path’: We sometimes do that with our eyes open. And simply relaxation as huge spacious consciousness. You’re not narrowing down with tight deal with the ideas. You’re resting as huge spacious consciousness. And once more permitting the ideas to simply be in consciousness. They’re already there. You don’t should do something to love bolt your thoughts to them or one thing. It’s like no. Consciousness is already conscious. Ideas are arising in consciousness and also you’re simply being with them – as like a stream of thought exercise. That’s it. That’s the entire meditation. Let’s go.
As you may see this generally is a little bit tough as a result of in most different meditations of this kind we’re one thing else, like physique sensations and never getting caught up within the considering. However right here we’re wanting proper on the considering – or actually extra like listening, most of it’s auditory. We’re listening on to it and never getting concerned. We’re simply resting as huge spacious consciousness conscious of the stream of considering and actually noticing it. Utilizing it as a meditation object. We’re resting on it. However not getting concerned.
Moreover getting caught in thought, the opposite approach this may go incorrect is if you happen to get sort of drowsy. Typically if we’re not paying tight consideration and we’re resting in consciousness like this, you can begin to get drowsy. So if that occurs sit up, be sure that your eyes are open, reaffirm your intention, your dedication and hold going. In case you’re actually drowsy like actually actually drowsy then do the meditation standing up.
Okay, good. Now let’s simply let go of getting a meditation object in any respect. So despite the fact that the breath may be there within the background we’re not paying any consideration to that. And despite the fact that we had been being attentive to considering and considering would possibly proceed we’re not now paying any consideration to it in any respect. And we’re simply resting as huge spacious consciousness. That is referred to as shamatha with out an object. There is no such thing as a meditation object. Or one other technique to describe it’s, consciousness is solely conscious of itself. Okay, that’s not an object. However lets say roughly you’re concentrating on consciousness – or a greater technique to say it’s, consciousness is conscious of itself and we’re not getting concerned with something. In case you become involved with something that’s referred to as ‘grabbing onto the ball’. The canine grabs onto the ball. In case you discover your self grabbing on something in any respect – considering, the breath, something in any respect – simply drop the ball. And simply come again to resting as naturally occurring huge spacious consciousness that’s at all times current. This meditation is usually referred to as ‘do nothing’ as a result of there’s nothing to do. You possibly can’t make your self have huge spacious consciousness. It’s already there. Relaxation in that now. Once more, if that is too onerous, come again to certainly one of these meditation objects.
Stay uninvolved with something. Consciousness is shiny and clear. It’s very very awake. It’s additionally huge. It’s spacious. It’s open. It’s relaxed. It’s restful. There’s a way of house, of room. It’s simply wakeful and resting – resting like an ocean, resting like a mountain. It’s simply being. It’s wakeful itself – uninvolved with something. Discover that any concept, that you simply’re even doing one thing, is a sort of involvement. So let go of the sense of doing a meditation, of making an attempt to do a way. Simply relaxation because the huge spacious consciousness you already are and at all times have been.
Okay, good. Now we’re going to let go of that and are available again to some ‘state of the thoughts kind’ apply that takes just a little effort. So, I need you to simply discover any pleasure in your being and radiate that out to the whole world, to the whole universe, to all universes in every single place, to all sentient beings in all universes in every single place. If there’s any peace that you simply’re feeling, I need you to radiate that out to all sentient beings in all universes in every single place. In case you’re feeling any love, any kindness, any caring, I need you to radiate that out in all instructions to all beings in all universes in every single place. And simply hold radiating love and kindness and pleasure and peace in all instructions. Persevering with to simply beam out that love and peace and pleasure and kindness to all beings in every single place – even beings sooner or later, even beings in each different multiverse. Simply beaming and beaming and beaming love and pleasure and kindness and caring, friendliness and peace to all beings in every single place.
Okay, good. Let’s finish the meditation there. So now you can be at liberty to maneuver and stretch and shake out your fingers and ft once more if you need. Have a drink of water. Do no matter it is advisable do to permit your physique to be glad.
Dharma Discuss
I wish to return once more to this concept of the effortlessness of consciousness. So usually I simply hear this remark. And once more it’s a remark that’s sort of inside out and backwards. Though it’s a standard approach of talking – a very regular approach of talking. However from the perspective of the nondual meditation it’s simply inside out and backwards. So the factor that I usually hear is one thing like “I’m working to seek out huge spacious consciousness” or “I’m making an attempt to make my consciousness huge and spacious” – one thing like that. And like I say it’s not that that’s dangerous or no matter. It’s a very regular approach of talking. However I wish to just remember to perceive that that’s inconceivable. You possibly can’t work to make your consciousness extra huge and spacious. you may’t attempt to do something to consciousness and a very ‘inside out and backwards’ one is when somebody says “I’m making an attempt to note huge spacious consciousness” – so my query is who’s noticing. Proper, if you happen to’re making an attempt to note your personal huge spacious consciousness, who’s doing the noticing. Proper, the reply is “the notice is noticing the huge spacious consciousness” or to place it much more clearly “huge spacious consciousness is noticing the huge spacious consciousness”. So the entire sentence like “I’m making an attempt to note huge spacious consciousness” as quickly as there’s that phrase ‘discover’ in there – that’s the notice. It already notices itself. There’s nothing to do.
Besides relaxation in that noticing. It doesn’t imply, “hey, there’s nothing to do, so go and play Pokémon Go proper now. There’s some actually fascinating Pokémon across the Pokéstop in your neighborhood. Possibly it is best to go and try this as an alternative as a result of consciousness is already…” no, no, no, I’m saying that consciousness already notices itself. Now relaxation in that, effortlessly. If we’re going to do ‘shamatha with out an object’, consciousness is simply resting in itself. Consciousness is simply resting in itself. So you may say the sentence “I’m making an attempt to note my huge spacious consciousness” however – and once more it’s not that I’m criticizing that, I’m simply making an attempt to level one thing out which is – that factor that’s noticing is the huge spacious consciousness itself. You already are huge spacious consciousness. It’s at all times there. So there’s nothing to do.
Moreover it’s not like consciousness is typically slender and generally huge. It’s at all times huge. It’s at all times spacious. So once more, proper now, do it with me. Don’t simply hearken to me. Do it with me proper now. Along with your eyes open, discover the entire visible discipline. It’s like pouring within the entrance of your head. Proper, there’s simply visible stuff – identical to an ocean of imaginative and prescient pouring within the entrance of your face. You’re not doing something to make that occur. An ocean of sound is simply coming in your ears proper now. It’s nothing you’re doing, it’s simply occurring. A whole universe of physique sensations is simply effervescent up in consciousness proper now. You’re not doing something for that to look that approach. And naturally, as we seen, there’s this stream of ideas simply pouring by way of consciousness on a regular basis. We’re not doing something to make that occur. And all of these items – an ocean of imaginative and prescient, an universe of sound, one other universe of physique sensation, additional multiverses of considering – all of that’s by some means, so to talk, inside consciousness. Consciousness is already spectacularly huge, completely huge open, effortlessly infinite, effortlessly boundary-less. With all these items occurring inside it.
Okay and so from that understanding then we did three totally different meditations:
- We did ‘shamatha with an object’ – the article being the breath. And once more the notice is already huge and with out doing something particular, you simply discover the breath inside that consciousness. That was the primary one we did.
- The second we did was ‘taking the thoughts as path’. All meaning is meditating on goal, as an alternative of on the breath, on the considering. The considering turns into the meditation object. Discover how that’s actually totally different than virtually any meditation custom the place you’re both speculated to cease considering or meditate on one thing apart from the considering. Once we ‘take the thoughts as path’ – the second – it’s nonetheless a sort of ‘shamatha with an object’ – the article is solely the considering itself. Now we’re not following the considering within the sense of getting caught up within the practice of thought. That’s simply referred to as sitting there considering. Once we’re doing the shamatha on the considering or what we’re calling ‘taking the thoughts as path’ we’re on goal being attentive to the considering however not getting concerned in it. One other approach of claiming it – once more it’s not tremendous correct however – we’re outdoors the considering, it. That might be a extra vipassana approach of describing it. That’s probably not what’s occurring. We’re resting as huge spacious consciousness and the considering is arising. However the considering is our object. That’s the factor we’re resting on – with out getting concerned within the content material. The content material is irrelevant. In reality you could have seen – despite the fact that you weren’t supposed to note the content material – you could discover that the content material will get actually actually bizarre generally. Why is that? As a result of while you’re not being attentive to the content material very a lot, the conventional filter in your unconscious thoughts turns into permeable and would possibly even simply not be there in any respect. So the deep unconscious thoughts begins to throw up ideas that usually you’d solely have in goals or one thing. There might be disturbing ideas, violent ideas however usually they’re simply bizarre – just like the jellyfish ideas which can be simply unusual. However we’re not being attentive to that. So I don’t need you to suppose “Oh, I hope there’s some unusual ideas after which I’m actually going to concentrate to them” no, you’re simply permitting ideas to come up and that’s the eye object.
- After which the third factor we did was ‘shamata with out an object’ – once more that’s simply ‘dropping the ball’, that’s ‘do nothing’. We simply relaxation as our naturally occurring huge spacious consciousness not even resting on the considering, not even resting on the breath. You’re simply resting on consciousness itself.
So these had been the three issues we did. And to do them the best way I described requires this foundational understanding – that consciousness is already conscious with out you doing something. It’s already wakeful with out you doing something. All this sensory stuff is going on in consciousness with out you doing something. That’s the foundational understanding. So while you sit and I say “relaxation in huge spacious consciousness”, it’s like saying “sit there and simply be awake”. Do it proper now. Simply sit there and see this awakeness that’s occurring – the actual fact the entire visible discipline is simply pouring within the eyes, sound is pouring within the ears, physique sensation is flowing up by way of the physique, ideas are streaming by way of the mind, all of that is occurring inside consciousness itself. And consciousness doesn’t do something to pay attention to it. It’s simply conscious. That’s what it’s.
The metaphor for consciousness – the clearest most exact metaphor – is consciousness is like house. Discover house is huge and naturally spacious, spacious, spacious… Consciousness is spacious
So consciousness is like house. However identical to all metaphors, it’s not excellent as a result of house – like bodily house – is simply non-sentient whereas consciousness is sentient. Consciousness has a gnostic high quality. It has gnosis. It’s understanding. So lets say ‘consciousness is like understanding house’ or ‘like house that is aware of’.
So after we relaxation as huge spacious consciousness it’s simply tuning in to the truth that consciousness is occurring now and never narrowing it. See, that is the factor: You possibly can’t make it extra spacious however you may attempt to slender it – doesn’t actually work as a result of every little thing’s nonetheless coming in. However that’s the true problem that usually we’re narrowing it and solely giving any credence to that slender half – and that slender half we name consideration. However after we calm down the narrowing – the obsession with the slender half – we acknowledge that consciousness is huge. It’s at all times been huge. It’s at all times been spacious. It’s there. After which that makes these ‘shamatha with an object meditations’ a lot simpler. You simply sit, resting as consciousness, permitting regardless of the object is to have only a slight quantity of consideration on it. As a substitute of claiming ‘consideration’ we simply say that ‘we enable the huge spacious consciousness to in a approach relaxation on that object, so despite the fact that technically the notice of the breath is rising into the notice. It’s virtually tautological to say ‘the physique sensations of respiratory are arising in consciousness and we’re simply sort of resting on that after we’re doing the ‘shamata with an object on the breath’. Then after we’re ‘taking the thoughts as path’ we’re simply permitting this stream – and it looks like a stream, it looks like a river – of considering that’s simply pouring effortlessly by way of consciousness with out us doing something in any respect – and we’re simply resting on that. In a approach that’s uninvolved. Let’s say that river has plenty of fish in it. We’re not catching and consuming the fish – yummy fish, little gollum. No, we’re not gollum. We’re not consuming yummy fish. We’re simply observing the dashing river. That’s it. After which, after we do the ‘do nothing’ or after we do ‘dropping the ball’, we hand over all these objects and we enable the notice to simply relaxation in itself. And that’s very very nice. In order that’s how that works.
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