Streamed dwell on Nov 4, 2021
Guided Nondual Meditation with Michael Taft
Let’s start with our setup. What’s the primary a part of our setup? The primary a part of our setup is getting in our meditation posture. So I need you to sit down up good and straight in a method that feels good however can also be alert and upright. I need you to weave round slightly bit. Weave your again like a reed within the wind, a supple recent younger reed within the wind. And simply discover that place the place the again feels completely completely nonetheless and nice, the place it naturally balances after which the wind dies down and we’re simply completely completely nonetheless. After which we elevate the highest of our head slightly bit, the again of the top, tuck our chin slightly bit and breathe in, after which simply let go and loosen up utterly.
Now for the earlier a number of weeks at that time we spent like quarter-hour stress-free however we don’t at all times try this. Tonight we’re not going to undergo the lengthy guided rest half however discover there’s a second as soon as your posture is ready you are able to do an extended rest there. As an alternative I need you to set your intention for this meditation; I’m going to meditate for an hour together with Michael’s steerage with a view to…no matter it’s proper, no matter your targets are. “With the intention to save all sentient beings,” can be a typical Bodhichitta model vow, but it surely may simply be, “with a view to deepen my observe.”
So, state your intention after which from right here fairly often we do like form of a visualization, proper? Of a deity picture or no matter and generally we now have a metaphor. The metaphor for tonight’s meditation is that we’re gonna sit like a mountain. So we’re sitting like a mountain completely nonetheless, completely immovable, completely silent. In order that’s our metaphor; sitting like a mountain. Now this isn’t only a common mountain. That is the world mountain, possibly Mount Meru, and so it’s like this sort of final mountain. So tackle that mountain-ness. We’re sitting in good stillness, good silence, whole immovability. That’s how we’re sitting tonight after which as an alternative of a deity picture we’re simply gonna do extra of a psychological factor.
I need you to consider a time and produce up a reminiscence of while you had whole confidence, not while you had vanity or while you had some form of blow-hearty overconfidence however relatively while you actually simply knew what you have been doing and also you knew find out how to do it. And I need you to image in entrance of you; you having that great confidence. So keep in mind a time while you had nice confidence Maha confidence after which see it. See that point. See what that was like and really feel the emotions of that point of getting nice confidence after which as soon as that’s very clear what I need you to do is simply convey that in, proper? So as an alternative of seeing it in entrance of you, you’re bringing it in and also you’re feeling that degree of confidence now. You’re feeling how that felt in your physique and the way that felt in your being, proper? So that you’re simply taking over a sense of confidence.
Okay. And now in the identical method I need you to recollect a time while you felt great pleasure let’s say love and pleasure, the place all this sort of spontaneous coronary heart opening was taking place and possibly it wasn’t spontaneous, who is aware of, possibly it was due to one thing specifically however you felt all this love and pleasure arising. And I need you to see that scene in entrance of you. Keep in mind it, and see it, and really feel in your physique, what it felt wish to have all that love and all that pleasure arising, and see it actually clearly. After which I need you to–on an in-breath–simply take that in. Take the picture in and now it truly is you. And really feel that love and pleasure arising in your being proper now, proper? So there it’s. It may not be as robust or it would…possibly it’s fairly robust but it surely’s the identical vibe. So, you’re feeling all this confidence, and now you’re feeling all this love and pleasure, and simply discover how you’re feeling now; assured, joyous, loving… and simply tune into that.
These are the precise properties of the already absolutely enlightened Buddha that you just actually are, and so imagining a time while you felt that and bringing it up is an train in creativeness however you’re imagining your self right into a state that’s your true state, method down deep contained in the state of your already present Buddhahood. So it’s slightly extra highly effective than simply imagining as a result of it’s beginning to reveal what’s beneath. It’s just like the clouds slowly parting to disclose the moon, proper? It’s lovely and beginning to present what’s actually there. So though it’s a creativeness train, psychological train, you may really feel that confidence, you may really feel that love, you can really feel that pleasure.
And subsequent I’d such as you to think about a time in your life while you simply felt so alive and energized and vivacious, proper? It doesn’t need to be excited however only a great quantity of energy and well being and life and aliveness and engagement in your physique, such as you simply felt absolutely there, like one of the best day you ever had at sports activities or one thing like that the place your physique’s simply absolutely alive, absolutely engaged, absolutely alert, and simply bursting with the vivacity, proper? Vivaciousness, bursting with life vitality, and film that in entrance of you, and really feel that aliveness, that life drive actually actually burgeoning and effortlessly upwelling, proper? And see that point, do not forget that time in your thoughts, after which I need you to convey that in. Deliver that in and really feel the way it uplifts your physique, it uplifts your thoughts, you’re feeling extra energized, extra awake, but additionally it brings these different qualities to the drive. So it makes the love and the enjoyment much more effulgent. It makes the boldness much more strong, proper? Much more current. So, you’re feeling the boldness, you’re feeling the love and pleasure, and you’re feeling this sort of great energy of the life drive.
Okay, and so once more that is tuning in to among the few, only a few of the properties of the Buddha inside. And so though we’re remembering and mentioning these items in an imaginary method they’re actually pointing to what’s truly at all times already there. And so we’ve realized to do that in a bunch of how; we will do it with deity photos, and generally visualizations of issues like diamond spheres, and so forth, or a solar. In case you go over the past many months we do issues like that however generally we will do that in simply this reminiscence method. Simply keep in mind having these qualities and take them on they usually’re already there so that is extra…I’m displaying you a lot strategies of doing this and that is just like the extra imaginative, psychological technique, slightly bit extra of a secularized technique, however discover you continue to really feel the boldness, you continue to really feel the love and pleasure, nonetheless really feel that great vitality in your physique, and it feels nice.
So, there you’ve got it. Good, now from this place we’re going to start doing a little Shamatha.
We’re going to only saddle our minds and so the primary object I need you to work with right here, in a really relaxed method–you’re relaxed however you’re very energized. Proper, clean vitality, it’s not energized like agitated, able to go begin kicking chairs round some room someplace however relatively very nonetheless, very clean, however very awake. Okay, and so the very first thing I need you to note from this place–keep in mind meditating like a mountain–I need you to note the stillness, and it’s not simply stillness in your physique, it’s stillness in your thoughts, and it’s not simply stillness in your thoughts and physique, it’s stillness in every thing. Okay, so now we’re simply we’re simply respiration out and in very usually, however we’re not meditating on the breath, we’re meditating on stillness. Simply discover stillness in your expertise and begin noticing that. Let’s sit with that for some time collectively.
Good. Now, after all, in case you’re distracted, in case you’re concerned in ideas and psychological speak, and imagining stuff, and remembering stuff, and all that–that’s not stillness, proper? So we simply let that go and refocus the thoughts on this great stillness–the stillness that exists within the physique, the stillness that exists within the thoughts. It’s not that the thoughts needs to be silent or the physique has to cease respiration or one thing as a result of that’s motion–the pondering, the respiration can occur however you’re not specializing in that, you’re not concerned in that in any method, you’re refocused on every thing that’s already utterly nonetheless.
Okay. Good. That’s the stillness of the mountain. Now, I’d such as you to note an adjoining property, one thing that comes along with the stillness, and that is the silence. The silence on the coronary heart of the world mountain, proper? That is utter silence. So, discover the silence within the physique once more. Perhaps your abdomen is rumbling or no matter. That doesn’t diminish the truth that there’s great silence within the physique. And see the silence in your thoughts. Even when there’s ideas taking place there’s additionally silence there. There’s additionally silent components of the thoughts, specializing in these. Even when there’s sound on this planet round you there’s additionally silence on this planet round you. So, you’re focusing now on not solely stillness of the infinite world mountain but additionally the silence. It’s very lovely silence, very restful. So, let’s be with this silence now.
Now, after all, in case you’re getting distracted by non-silence, keep in mind all that noise and hubbub is allowed to be there, however I need you to come back again to only the silence. Relaxation within the silence within the physique. Relaxation within the silence that’s there within the thoughts. Relaxation within the silence that’s there on this planet round you. Hold letting go of… simply letting it’s. Let go of the noise, come to the silence and give attention to that. Be with the silence.
Great. Now, once more remaining energized, remaining alert, not solely will we contact stillness and silence we contact huge house. There’s great house inside and round this world mountain–it’s simply boundless house, house with no boundary of any variety. It’s nonetheless. It’s silent and it’s tremendously huge. I don’t need you to think about house. I need you to only discover no boundaries. If boundaries come up that’s similar to noise or motion, we simply form of look previous these to stillness, look previous these to silence, previous the boundaries to spaciousness that’s already current. We don’t need to make spaciousness occur. So, relaxation in huge spaciousness. Don’t battle with discovering spaciousness, it’s there. Wrestle is tight and battle is constricted and battle collapses house, so let go, loosen up, don’t battle, and see that house is already at all times current along with the silence and the stillness. So simply loosen up and see house. Simply enable this house to permeate every thing. The stillness of this huge house, silence of this huge house, the openness and receptivity of this huge house all come collectively to be great, completely restful and likewise alert, awake, vibrant, clear.
Good. Now, let’s discover that from this place of silent spacious stillness we will enable consciousness to easily relaxation in itself, consciousness rests in that simply means consciousness reveals itself to consciousness and we discover the steadiness like a mountain. The soundness of consciousness itself–similar to the silent stillness and spaciousness–the notice itself is silent, continues to be, is spacious…
Issues might come and go inside consciousness however the consciousness itself is sort of a rock. It’s like a mountain. It’s immovable. So, simply enable consciousness to relaxation in itself.
Now, many individuals discover it’s simpler to do that with the eyes open however you may meditate along with your eyes open or closed no matter you want. Simply be with this vibrant crystal clear pure consciousness resting in itself like an infinite world mountain, large mountain completely immovable, completely at peace. If that feels actual unstable or actual exhausting to do come again to focusing consciousness on stillness, silence, and spaciousness, however discover the notice itself is already the stillness, the silence, the spaciousness itself. It doesn’t want anyone to give attention to it. It’s already conscious of itself. We’re simply resting in that. So, every time consciousness strikes up away from relaxation into grabbing onto one thing, into making an attempt to manage, or manipulate, or change, simply let go. Simply relaxation. Come again to resting in stability. It’s very very secure, this consciousness, like a mountain. Relaxation as stability.
Keep vibrant. Keep alert. Keep clear. This huge nonetheless consciousness may be very very alert, very awake.
From this house of huge silent nonetheless consciousness, tremendously clear consciousness, I need you to attempt to discover your persona. The place is the traditional you that walks round on this planet and has opinions and likes and dislikes and a historical past and a narrative and a biography and…the place is that now? And by the place is it I don’t imply as an concept. Don’t consider a solution prefer it’s proper right here and I need you to look and discover it. Let this huge nonetheless consciousness merely look and see if it could possibly discover any such entity, any such persona. And if it finds ideas and emotions of a persona I need it to look very, very clearly. I need you to look very clearly now and see; do you actually know the place they’re positioned? Do you actually have a way that they’re positioned wherever? Look clearly now into that. Hold trying, discover that the extra you attempt to pin it down, this persona, the extra you may’t truly discover it.
Good. Now I’ve one other query that I need this huge silent stillness to research, which means; look now, don’t reply from the thoughts, don’t reply from pondering, don’t reply from reminiscence, don’t reply from idea. Simply look straight and that query is; the place is your thoughts? Discover your thoughts, proper now. In case you suppose you discovered it look and see in case you truly know the place that’s. The place is it positioned? So discover your thoughts, proper now. Hold trying.
The place is your thoughts? Are you able to truly discover your thoughts? Have nonetheless silent spacious consciousness simply look straight. You don’t want to consider this, you simply look in expertise. The place is the situation of the thoughts?
Okay. Now, discover you may’t discover your persona, you may’t discover your thoughts, however possibly you’ll find some effort. I need you to note, proper now, the place is there any effort?
And as this consciousness huge, nonetheless, silent consciousness discover any effort? See in case you can truly pin it down. Can you discover effort? Even the hassle of on the lookout for effort, the place is that effort?
Good. What if there’s nothing to do? What if there’s completely nothing to alter?
What if there’s no one to do or change something? What if this huge silent nonetheless consciousness is already good? Already full. What if it’s at all times been right here? And at all times might be right here within the everlasting current? What if this consciousness is sort of a mountain resting in itself?
Totally at peace, completely comfy, completely crisp, vibrant, awake, alert, clear…
What if this consciousness is completely tender and mild and type, at battle with nothing, at peace with every thing? What if there may be nothing that’s aside from this consciousness? And what if this consciousness itself is just not a factor in any respect however is completely empty and but current on the identical time? What if?
Dharma Discuss
All proper my mates, let’s finish the meditation there. And really, very slowly and gently, and at your individual tempo and ease, be at liberty to maneuver your physique. Be at liberty to stretch and wiggle and shake it out if you want. Be at liberty to take a drink of some variety and simply discover that this huge silent nonetheless consciousness continues to be current; it didn’t go wherever. You’re simply maybe permitting it to bind its consideration into thought and feeling now, and entering into physique sensations, and testing the room round you, and getting extra concerned.
Discover behind all that there’s, the notice continues to be there. It’s completely nonetheless completely clear, completely lucid, completely awake, completely spacious, completely with out persona, completely with out thoughts, completely with out effort. It’s merely empty awakeness, at all times there. It by no means goes away. It’s at all times there.
So, though we’re achieved meditating you may discover that, as I’m at all times saying, the world as we conceive it’s inside out. We predict that consciousness is slightly factor that occurs in our mind, and our mind is in our head, and the top is a part of the physique, and the physique is roofed in garments, and sitting maybe in a room, and that room is in a metropolis, in a rustic, on a continent, on a planet, in a photo voltaic system, and we see the world like that. And that’s one perspective. It’s not a false perspective but it surely’s not the angle of consciousness.
The angle of consciousness is completely the other of that. It’s inside out from that. What we see is that the world, the galaxy, the photo voltaic system, the world, the continent, the nation, the town, the room, my garments, my physique, and even my thoughts, my mind, my sensations, my experiences, all of that exists inside consciousness. All of that’s inside consciousness, and the physique sensations merely come up in consciousness and are seen. The ideas and emotions merely come up in consciousness and are seen. The exterior sights and sounds and sensations come up in consciousness and are seen, they usually then do their factor after which vanish away. After which they simply vanish away, however even the sense of your persona merely arises inside consciousness. Even the sense of your thoughts is one thing that arises in consciousness. Even the sense of a physique in any respect, your physique, arises inside consciousness. It’s probably not inside however that’s how generally we discuss it as a result of consciousness is major, these different issues are inside it. You aren’t primarily an individual with a thoughts having consciousness, consciousness is simply conscious of the emotions, an individual, or the ideas and emotions of a thoughts. However none of these issues even have their very own existence from their facet, so to talk. They solely exist as a result of they come up in consciousness and even consciousness isn’t a factor as such, it’s empty.
It’s very lovely to see how all of the issues that come up in consciousness; the ideas, the emotions, the physique, the thoughts, the individual, and all the opposite issues that come up in consciousness; the world, the sky, the timber, the sundown, the ocean, some geese, all of these items that come up because the world come up in the identical consciousness as the notice of the persona, the ideas, the emotions, within the thoughts. And so they’re all collectively in the identical consciousness, and in that sense they’re not separate in any respect. In truth, they’re brethren. They’re household. All these items, all different individuals, all animals, all life, and even all matter, all house, all arises inside this consciousness, and thus, is indirectly household, is a way equal. Despite the fact that it has all its personal variations too. We’re not erasing the undeniable fact that blue is completely different from yellow, or that the attractive geese are completely different from the wetlands over which they fly honking. They’ve their variations and but all of them come up throughout the identical consciousness and thus have an underlying unity, and underlying familial connection, and underlying brotherhood and sisterhood and siblinghood, that we will connect with and actually that we have been by no means ever separate from.
So, discover that proper now. Discover that proper now. Every part has its personal distinctive distinction, individuality and but it’s all united collectively in consciousness. And even consciousness itself is just not a factor. You possibly can’t attain out and contact it. You possibly can’t discover its location. You possibly can’t discover its origin or vacation spot. It’s not an object. Discover that now.
In order that’s what we’re taking a look at; that this pristine full timeless boundless stillness of good consciousness has at all times been current, isn’t positioned wherever, and is–if there’s any identification in any respect that’s identification–every thing else is stuff arising in consciousness and is in reality form of product of consciousness.
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