Meditation
Earlier than we sit nonetheless, what does it really feel like? what sort of motion does it need to make? As traditional, don’t cease, maintain going, and what I need you to do is step by step simply come right down to shifting your backbone all the best way—head to tail. All the best way as much as your head, the entire backbone shifting, after which, step by step simply make these motions smaller and smaller and smaller, till you’ll be able to’t inform if you happen to’re shifting your backbone or not. And as soon as you’ll be able to’t inform, then simply relaxation there. Possibly you’re nonetheless shifting and possibly you’re not, however that feels very completely different than locking your self in place.
Discover how there’s a method that it’s not clear whether or not it’s nonetheless shifting or not. So long as the motion is tremendously small, is it ever the case that your physique can really be immobile? I don’t assume so. You’re going to be adjusting your backbone just a little bit, you’re going to be respiratory, in fact, and that strikes issues round. Numerous little modifications within the physique. However, for essentially the most half, when it comes to massive motions, on goal shifting your fingers, or something like that, we’re not doing it.
You’re going to chill out, and let go of any fidgeting as a lot as you’ll be able to. We’re not doing that in a good, inflexible method, however somewhat a very relaxed method, the place we simply let go of pressure to the purpose of a lot looseness and rest within the muscle mass that it will take plenty of effort to tighten them up sufficient to maneuver. And since we’re not making that effort, they simply keep relaxed and immobile, like moist rags. So it’s a really nice, relaxed, open stillness. Simply really feel into that relaxed, open, stillness within the physique, within the face, within the eyes, within the fingers. And simply let that stillness seep out into all areas of the physique in order that there’s an actual sense of relaxed open ease. Discover how as we tune into that sense of relative stillness within the physique that’s accessible for the wandering a part of the considering thoughts to settle in with. It begins to leap round much less or much less intensely and begins to only easy out just a little bit, be just a little extra relaxed and open within the considering.
And, only for a second, look straight in your expertise ask your self: What’s having this expertise? Don’t reply that query with an concept or a thought or an idea—even when you already know for certain it’s the precise reply, that’s the improper reply. Simply look, really feel: What’s even having this expertise? If you happen to actually look, what you’ll discover is simply awake presence. Inside that awake presence, there are ideas, there are emotions, there’s the sense of a world—all of that, however all of that’s not what’s having the expertise. There’s simply awake presence, by which the expertise is arising, huge open, relaxed, crystal clear, completely pure awake presence. Outdoors of any considering, exterior of any concepts of who I’m, or what I do, or what I’m about, or any of that. Completely, completely, exterior of that’s merely presence, openness, awakeness, readability. It might be the case that a lot of ideas are taking place, verbal ideas, visible ideas, every kind of ideas. However to the extent you’ll be able to handle it, don’t interact with any of these ideas in any respect. Simply allow them to roll on by, and simply relaxation on this open, awake, easy, presence.
To start with, it might actually assist to easily discover the bodily sensation of respiratory. You don’t have to trace it, or depend it, or tear it aside, along with your intense focus or one thing—simply within the easiest doable method, simply really feel the respiratory from exterior the considering thoughts. Really feel the respiratory from this house of presence. Let’s do this collectively for a short while right here. If, at any level, you end up again being concerned with considering—ooh, that’s an fascinating thought—simply chill out, open, let go. Keep in mind, we’re not attempting to cease considering, or management considering, or suppress considering, or change considering, we’re simply letting it run within the background, and never participating in any respect. It’s not an issue in any respect, simply don’t interact. For now, simply sit in open presence and awakeness, feeling the breath. We’re not inhaling any particular method, we’re simply feeling the breath.
When you’re not engaged in thought, you may discover that it’s extremely nice to easily sit exterior the thoughts in open, clear, wakefulness. Respiratory feels good, it’s an underrated joyous exercise. The great a part of this, which can also be the dangerous a part of this, is that, if you happen to’re not all misplaced in thought, it’s a must to expertise what you’re really feeling. The respiratory feels good, however possibly there’s bodily ache, possibly there’s an enormous emotional issue. Often, we take care of these by considering ourselves into distraction from them, and right here you’re simply not permitting your self to be caught up in ideas, so there’s no distraction. In the long term, that’s a very good factor, that leads us a lot, a lot deeper into our personal presence, our personal being. However, at first it’s uncomfortable.
We’re not used to sitting with how we’re really feeling, unengaged with thought, huge
open, easy presence, feeling the breath. We’re not likely concentrating on the breath, so feeling every thing else, too. Feeling your complete physique. We’ve had individuals faint in right here earlier than, or should run to the restroom, so if, for any motive, it’s worthwhile to stand up and go away, you’re welcome to try this. Simply do it in a method that you just don’t disturb everybody. Now, with out attempting to control your breath in any method, discover the tip of the out-breath, and simply on the finish of the out-breath, simply let your thoughts crumble.
If you happen to’re already resting in presence exterior the thoughts, you received’t actually discover something completely different there, however if you happen to are inclined to get caught up within the ideas, on the finish of the out-breath, that final second of the out-breath, simply let the thoughts dissolve. That’s a really mild launch, it’s not a pushing, or destruction, or some type of smashing. It’s merely the tip of every out-breath, simply letting every thing go, simply coming into unsleeping presence, if you happen to’re not there the entire time already.
On the finish of every out-breath, simply let go. If you happen to’re already staying, let go in between, then simply let go much more deeply. Something that feels caught, something that feels constricted, anyplace you’re hanging on, anyplace you’re velcroed, simply let it go with none battle. With no battle in any respect, simply let go. Let go of character, let go of self and world, let go of the room, simply let go.
With out participating the thoughts in any respect, search for what is aware of the breath. What’s conscious of the breath? Discover what’s conscious of the breath. Simply look. It’s not a puzzle to determine, it’s simply one thing to search for. What is aware of this second?
Superb, now, if that’s working for you, maintain simply sitting inside open presence, not participating with thought, feeling the breath. You don’t should ask the query anymore, simply return to only feeling the breath in easy presence, unengaged with thought. If that’s fairly simple for you, then transfer to the following part. This time we’re going to look at the arising of every thought, from the very very very first second it arises. So we’re not participating with it. In a method, we don’t care concerning the content material in any respect, we’re simply noticing the arising of a thought. Virtually as if you happen to’re watching bubbles developing from the underside of the aquarium. Simply discover that first second of the bubble developing, after which simply let it go—that means, it might do no matter it needs. You’re not participating, however simply discover it arises, discover when it arises. Sitting as easy, unsleeping, huge open house, tremendously clear, tremendously brilliant, easy, merely watching the arising of thought with out participating with it in any respect.
If that’s too exhausting, if you end up repeatedly participating, then return and simply really feel the breath. Work the sphere that’s productive, wherever it’s really feeling good, go there. If it feels prefer it’s working, so to talk.
Ideas streams have a tendency to come back in surges or waves however don’t attempt to predict it or get entangled with it, simply allow them to. Discover after they come up and so they’ll stream previous, and also you don’t interact in any respect. Remembering to not suppress, or management, or attempt to form, simply discover. In a method, welcoming each thought, saying sure to all of the thought that’s arising, however not participating with any of it. Isn’t it fascinating, which you could stay in presence, have a complete expertise, that doesn’t contain being concerned in thought in any respect. It’s very easy to type of find yourself believing that we’re our ideas.
However, right here, you might be being exterior of thought, and, with out excited about it, however simply wanting, you’ll be able to ask your self, What’s even considering proper now? Don’t go to thought to reply it, simply look. What do you discover? What do you discover doing the considering? You’ll be able to’t discover something doing the considering. It’s simply taking place, so the concept you, in some way, are your ideas, otherwise you personal your ideas, or are answerable for them—it’s simply nonsense. They’re simply taking place. You might be what is aware of the thought. So, ask your self, and, once more, bear in mind, don’t go to thought to reply it. What is aware of the thought? What is aware of the respiratory? What is aware of this expertise proper now? After which, really feel into it. Discover it. It received’t be a thought, and it received’t even be a physique sensation. What is aware of the thought and is aware of the physique sensation? Really feel your method into what is aware of, letting go of any image of what is aware of, any idea of what is aware of, any reminiscence of what you assume is aware of. Simply come into the figuring out itself, proper now. It’s a type of huge open, unsleeping, presence. It’s not tranced out, it’s not in some type of particular state. It is perhaps, but it surely doesn’t should be. It it’s simply merely current.
If you happen to really feel into that knowingness, it’s acquired a type of radiance, it’s energized, and the radiance is loving and joyous. Even when, within the regular method of speaking about our expertise, we really feel actually actually crappy, actually shitty, this presence, this radiant presence, feels a type of pleasure and love. Outdoors of ideas, and even, paradoxically, exterior of emotion, it feels pleasure and love, it’s radiant, it’s pure, it’s unsleeping. Discover that because the breath rises and falls, this radiant wakefulness stays fixed, as all of the ideas come and go in burble by and burble by, this radiant wakefulness stays fixed. Because the expertise round us continues to unfold, this radiant, joyous, loving, presence is just current. Enable that to easily relaxation in itself. It doesn’t have to do something, it doesn’t want issues to be any completely different. It says sure to all expertise, completely exterior the thoughts.
To place that much more clearly, the thoughts is just one of many many issues current inside it. Really feel that radiant presence because the radiant presence from the radiant presence inside radiant presence. Letting all have to battle simply fall away. Letting all striving, and greedy, and neediness, simply drop away like heavy boulders, simply falling off. Let all tales of any type simply fall away, and permit the loving facet of this radiant current to be within the foreground, radiant presence to be within the foreground. Doesn’t should be love for something or anybody particularly, it’s simply a part of the radiance. It’s very, very, very, linked. It cares, it’s type, it’s comfortable, it’s mild, it understands. Simply really feel that a part of the radiant presence most clearly from throughout the radiant presence.
Be the nice I Am that you just already are. Letting go of every thing else, and simply feeling that radiant, loving, caring, kindness high quality. Letting go of any involvement with thought, coming again to easy openness, radiant presence, profound kindness. For many individuals, it might appear as if the radiance is centered within the coronary heart. However, actually, if you happen to chill out, and simply come from expertise, with out participating thought, you’ll discover the radiance is in all places—it’s the sphere. The sector is radiant, the room is radiant, everybody’s radiant, house is radiant, it’s effulgent with love and kindness, and even a type of Pleasure. It’s the enjoyment of openness.
Discover there’s nothing to do to generate that, or in some way construct it up. You simply chill out, and it’s there. Don’t get caught up in thought, and it’s there. You may additionally discover the vertiginous void that’s additionally there, however you won’t. Discover each a part of expertise, in all instructions, is radiant, openness, radiant presence. Discover that intimacy of all expertise. Nothing is admittedly separate, exterior of tales, exterior of ideas, exterior of ideas. With out doing something in any respect, there’s radiant presence taking place on a regular basis. With on a regular basis, enable the radiant presence once more to note its personal pleasure, its personal love, which is already there, already current. Possibly very quiet, possibly fairly robust—doesn’t matter, simply discover it’s already there. It’s solely the machinations of the thoughts that make it appear not there.
Now, once more, look from this radiant presence, not from the thoughts, look from the radiant presence itself, which is unsleeping—it’s huge awakeness. Enable that huge awakeness to see itself. What’s it? Look. Look deeply. What are you? What are you, actually? What have you ever at all times been, actually? What is aware of this second? Get up to this second, and keep there. Discover that the breath will not be separate from the radiant presence. Discover that even the ideas aren’t separate from the radiant presence. Along with your eyes open, discover the room will not be separate from the radiant presence. No a part of expertise is separate from this at all times already primordially pure, unsleeping, huge open, loving, presence. Nothing will not be it.
Dharma Discuss
Now, simply by no means re-engage thought, and also you’re all set. Elevate your hand if you happen to really feel like you might sit at the very least for just a few seconds at a time exterior of thought in easy presence, even when it was only a couple seconds. Okay, nearly everyone. It’s not that onerous in any respect, for at the very least a short while. So, after I say, now, simply do this ceaselessly—don’t re-engage the thought—I’m critical, that’s all you bought to do, simply don’t re-engage the considering. It doesn’t imply cease considering, you let the considering do your work, and stuff like that. It’ll do all of it of its personal accord. It at all times has been doing it of its personal accord, so that you simply let it do its factor.
Due to the best way we’re taught, and the best way we’re socialized, and possibly one thing actually deep even in our biology, we’ll have a tendency to come back again time and again to being concerned within the thought, and much more, being recognized—like, “that’s me.” And the identical with the emotions, the feelings I’m having about these ideas, that’s me, too. The truth is, we type of outline ourselves, with out essentially being aware of it, as these complexes of thought and feeling. That’s what’s happening for me, these kind of ideas, these sorts of emotions, that’s it.
However, you simply noticed, you’ll be able to sit there exterior of these ideas and emotions, and also you’re in all probability nonetheless feeling stuff, however you don’t should determine with it, and also you’re nonetheless completely current. The truth is, you’re possibly much more clearly current. So, if you happen to do this, even just a little bit, the inescapable conclusion is that you just’re not your ideas and emotions. They’re taking place, identical to the climate’s taking place, like a stampede of untamed horses within the desert is going on. Numerous stuff is going on, it’s lovely, it’s highly effective, it’s beautiful in all these methods, but it surely’s not essentially yours. To place it one other method, if the ideas and emotions are yours, then the moon is you, the stampeding wild horses are you, the lakes and rivers are you. It’s one or the opposite.
Are you able to discover, as you sit in easy presence, that the room is a part of that straightforward presence—it’s not in some way separate. And that each aware being on this room is a part of that straightforward presence, they don’t seem to be actually separate on that degree. You’ll be able to simply straight discover it, so it’s not like some type of factor it’s a must to consider in, simply discover it. However as quickly as you begin to make that transfer of, like, okay I can sit in easy presence for a minute, however now I’ve acquired to come back again as a result of I’ve acquired to take care of stuff, I’ve acquired to not neglect my keys, and I’ve acquired to do my job, and never appear to be an fool, not be an area child up stumbling into partitions, and saying that wild horses within the desert are me. Folks don’t like that if you happen to discuss that method, higher not discuss that method.
However, as I stated, you’ll discover that that simply takes care of itself. All of the ideas have been considering on their very own this complete time—they’ll simply maintain considering and doing stuff. What’s essentially the most highly effective solution to be inventive—you’re going to give you an enormous concept, you’ve acquired to unravel an enormous drawback—everybody is aware of one of the simplest ways to do it’s to only neglect about it, and let the factor resolve itself. It’ll—one morning you get up, and there it’s—the reply is there. It’s simply solved. It doesn’t imply issues aren’t effortful, when it’s a must to clear the closet. It’s actually painful—I’ve acquired to scrub, however that each one simply does itself. The radiant wakefulness simply is there, unperturbed by any of that, and, the truth is, the alternative—it’s not simply impartial, it loves, it’s joyous. Once more, it’s not regular pleasure—it’s not, “oh, I’m so comfortable cleansing the closet!” It’s nearly like the enjoyment of being is there, even in one thing that’s very disagreeable, there’s nonetheless pleasure of being.
What’s fascinating is that we simply maintain distracting ourselves from that time and again, by grabbing onto considering. Like I used to be happening and on about final week, a lot of the grabbing into considering is simply because we don’t need to really feel some tough emotions. There’s no judgment there, I imply anyone pulls their hand away from a sizzling range, so, in fact, we don’t need to really feel that stuff at first, however, ultimately, you understand you’ve acquired to really feel. It’s there to be felt. All the emotions you’ve ever distracted away from are nonetheless saved ready so that you can really feel them. They by no means really simply go away. You’re simply kicking the can down the highway.
Discover how lovely it may be to assume lovely ideas. There’s nothing improper with considering, it’s superior. Among the most beautiful human experiences are simply pure considering, so it’s not that it’s forbidden, it’s simply—don’t take that on as work, or as id, or as who or what you might be. It’s merely one other lovely expertise, like watching the northern lights, or an eclipse, it’s simply taking place. Nothing improper with that, and it’s not that we’re some type of particular radiant awakeness that’s separate from emotions, and separate from ideas, and separate from the world, and separate from our smelly our bodies, and from the difficulties of earth. All of these issues—the ideas, the emotions, the our bodies, all of the difficulties, all of the mountains, and rivers, and forests, but additionally poisonous wastes, and horror and demise—are all of the radiant expression of that awakeness. It’s not separate in any respect. It’s all that stuff. In the identical method, you assume that your awakeness is a factor that your physique does, however your physique is a factor that the awakeness does.
Q&A
So, I can babble on like this for a very long time. I really feel actually good proper now, so I’ll shut up at the very least just a little bit, and allow you to guys ask some questions, or, you don’t should ask questions, simply discuss to me. Reuben has perfected the artwork of bringing the microphone round. Keep in mind that this microphone is broadcasting dwell to the Web, so if you happen to don’t need your feedback to be completely a part of the Wayback machine, or no matter, then don’t make them.
Questioner 1: Hello. Tonight what you’re speaking about looks as if it’s going into
Sam Harris territory just a little bit.
Michael: I’m not saying something political. [Laughter]
Questioner 1: I do know that, the opposite facet of Sam, that we’re not essentially driving
the automobile.
Michael: Yeah, however you might drive a automobile simply like this.
Questioner 1: However I’m speaking concerning the sense by which possibly we’re type of watching a film. I don’t disagree with this, but it surely looks as if you’re saying this factor goes to occur, and you’ll watch it, and you’ll be unhappy when the unhappy half comes up, and you’ll be comfortable when the comfortable half comes up, and simply take all of it in. There’s going to be each, however possibly we’re not–I don’t need to use the time period however the FW factor. Does that come into this?
Michael: Say one thing till I’ve one thing to reply, simply maintain speaking. Who’re you is the query.
Questioner 1: That’s me. I’m the query.
Michael: I might say, good, we’re completed. There’s the doing stuff on the planet, which goes to maintain doing, which might embody like, let’s go cease a genocide. Stuff like that. Let’s do this. Awake house does that too, it doesn’t simply sit there and go, cool! genocide away, mom fuckers. No, in fact, it does stuff, and it’s nonetheless simply radiant awakeness. The concept that it equals passivity is a mistake.
Questioner 1: I don’t fairly imply that. However the peace that we’re on will not be the driving force.
Michael: It’s repeatedly unfolding of its personal accord and any concept that this—the small particular person—is the one doing something is hilarious.
Questioner 1: Fascinating.
Michael: If I appeared to make an ontology there, I didn’t, I’m simply speaking about expertise.
Questioner 1: Thanks.
Michael: Steadfastly, didn’t make an ontology.
Questioner 2: Hello, that was an ideal sit.
Michael: Thanks.
Questioner 2: One thing that got here up, I used to be considering like ideas appear to be type of like Tinder, the place a like Tinder, the place it’s like there’s instances the place I’m actually wanting on the particulars and the photographs and all that, however then if I deliver it again to presence, I maintain swiping, and if I maintain swiping and coming again. I don’t know, there was one thing there, I don’t know.
Michael: So, certainly that is essentially the most noble, gracious, metaphor for awake consciousness or ideas I’ve ever heard.
Questioner 2: That’s what it seems like. I believe that’s in all probability why they designed it that method. My query is, I do that meditation with you each Thursday, how can it really feel this fashion–exterior of simply with me, as a result of it simply hit completely different.
Michael: Effectively, you simply did it, simply maintain doing that. I’m not attempting to be flippant. Step exterior all that engagement with thought, and spot the presence, after which simply maintain feeling the presence. That simply brings you proper in, and if it’s type of too exhausting to leap begin by yourself, then there’s loads of guided meditations and stuff both on my stuff or on varied different platforms that type of provide the leap begin. The extra you do it, the extra clear will probably be. So, as a substitute of being like a factor it’s a must to jump-start, you simply discover—oh yeah—it’s extra such as you simply acknowledge, I picked up all of the junk once more. Simply drop the junk, simply drop it, that’s all you bought to do. However you type of acquired to be just a little OCD about it.
Questioner 2: Yeah, I positively use your meditations to jump-start this on coaching wheels. I admire that encouragement.
Michael: You’ve gotten every thing you want for that.
Questioner 2: Thanks.
Michael: So glad you got here up. Once more, you don’t should have a query, simply no matter you need to share.
Questioner 3: Hiya, that is my first time with y’all.
Michael: Welcome.
Questioner 3: Thanks. There was a metaphor once you have been asking the query that got here up in me, that woke up presence appears to be a automobile driving however with none electrical energy. The automobile is shifting, and expertise is going on, and we’re both the automobile itself, or within the automobile.
Michael: Okay. If we’re going to make use of that metaphor, then you’re the sky, and the bottom, and the highway, and the automobile, and every thing else—all of what’s taking place.
Questioner 3: However, is there a high quality of presence the place unengaged with the ideas, it’s like there’s a turning on like on this metaphor, too, possibly just like the sky will not be lighted ultimately, or there appears to be an engagement with presence that’s a turning on and illuminating the ideas themselves.
Michael: That’s the presence, the illumination is the presence. There’s no turning on—it’s at all times on. All that’s taking place when it looks as if it’s not is that you just’ve acquired your VR goggles on, and also you’re one thing else. Even that one thing else is the awakeness. So, once more, simply drop it for a minute, and spot it’s already unsleeping. We didn’t do something to wake it up. All you probably did was not be concerned within the dream. However even the factor that is aware of the dream is the awakeness, so it’s at all times simply this slight letting go, this tiny letting go.
Questioner 3: Yeah, there was another factor that I wished to ask about. In my sit, there’s these two experiences…
Michael: There have been two wolves…
Questioner 3: There have been two wolves, and one in all them was this sense of enlargement outward. That state of feeling all issues, just like the room, the individuals, sky, self. And the opposite one was this deep inner expertise of identical to this factor. Is all of it current?
Michael: Simply discover that nothing is increasing outward. It’s already figuring out all that, and nothing is type of going deep inside. It already is aware of all that, and that the deepest half inside and the furthest a part of the enlargement already know one another. There’s no distance between them. All that concept of distance, and inside and outdoors—all that’s simply framework, ideas. The figuring out is identical in each locations—it’s not even two locations. The figuring out is identical.
Questioner 3: Hmm. Thanks.
Michael: Okay, final query, final remark, very last thing.
Questioner 4: What number of ideas do you’ve gotten per day?
Michael: As many as anyone else, simply not listening to them.
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