Guided Nondual Meditation by Michael Taft
Welcome to guided meditation tonight with me, what’s my identify? Michael Taft.
All proper now we’re going to do guided meditation, it’s going to go on for an hour and the thought is to sit down nonetheless for an hour, okay? A few issues; flip off your telephone if it’s on this room and also you haven’t checked flip it off, ensure that it’s off, the opposite factor is; there’s a pair issues one, once more, strive to not transfer and mainly you don’t need to observe the steerage, proper, so long as you sit nonetheless and meditate. You are able to do no matter you need in your thoughts, do no matter meditation feels good to you. We’re gonna do one thing sort of difficult tonight so in the event you’re into what I’m main then, by all means, get into it however in the event you’re like, ‘whoa, not for me,’ then simply sit and do your personal meditation and utterly ignore the steerage, okay?
So, the primary half, or no matter, is not going to be the difficult half. So a minimum of for the primary half hour we might in all probability all sit collectively however you’re by no means required to observe the steerage at any half, okay? So in the event you simply wish to sit with a gaggle and do your personal factor, so long as it’s silent and immobile, you’re very, very welcome to try this.
All proper, so let’s start as typical by checking in with ourselves simply how are you doing proper now? Discover the ideas within the thoughts, discover the sentiments within the physique, discover simply the overall temperature and texture of your existence, and nonetheless that’s, simply let that be okay. In different phrases, there’s no state we’re attempting to realize that’s the proper state, slightly, nonetheless you are feeling is ok, nonetheless your thoughts is correct now, nonetheless your feelings are, even when it’s very chaotic, even when it’s very disagreeable, that’s the best way it’s proper now and in order that’s excellent. So simply tune in to no matter’s occurring and simply let it’s nonetheless it’s. In the event you simply had a large mood tantrum about not having sufficient time then that’s how you are feeling. In the event you really feel deeply ashamed about that then that’s how you are feeling, proper? That’s okay. Alternatively, in the event you’re experiencing complete pleasure that’s okay too. All good.
What if we simply begin out with the angle that there’s nothing to vary, that every little thing is ok, that we’re in a position to completely settle for no matter’s occurring simply the best way it’s, even the state of not with the ability to settle for? We are able to settle for that and simply enable no matter is to be the best way it’s. Discover how totally different that is than the everyday angle of our society which could be very aggressive in direction of our personal expertise, very aggressive in direction of having to vary the best way we really feel, and alter the best way we’re, and alter what’s occurring with our ideas, and alter every little thing. It’s very aggressive and judgmental however what if it’s all okay? Our thoughts is is likely to be only a sewer stuffed with chaos and our feelings is likely to be deeply upsetting and random-seeming. What if that, for now, is okay? And we simply enable the house for that to be?
And now, I would like you to take the temper or angle the bhavana to make use of the sanskrit phrase, use the temper, the bhavana, of the sky. So take the temper of the sky, being tremendously huge with out boundaries, tremendously open, tremendously accepting. Sky welcomes every little thing, every little thing can transfer by means of the sky, tremendously welcoming or accepting and, in a manner, completely impervious, completely undamageable. The sky is ok it doesn’t matter what occurs within the sky. Planes can undergo, clouds can undergo, birds. Every thing occurs within the sky however the sky shouldn’t be broken, sky stays simply high-quality, simply the best way it’s.
So take this temper of huge boundlessness and openness and acceptance and even centerlessness. What’s the middle of the sky? There isn’t one, it’s simply–each a part of it’s the middle. The sky is the closest factor to our personal deepest consciousness, house, openness, readability. The one variations are; the sky of the thoughts, the sky of our personal consciousness is awake, it’s cognizant, it’s gnostic, it has understanding, it’s not like a rock or a piece of cement, it has expertise. So it’s the sky and expertise, be that sky. You may’t assist however be that sky since that’s your personal deepest nature, it’s open consciousness, huge spacious consciousness.
Now, I would like you to image one thing rising within the sky from the horizon and it’s an attractive full moon. In the event you’re not good at picturing, then simply really feel the complete moon. See this full moon, which is that lovely cool white towards darkish, darkish, darkish blue, rising–effulgent, vivid, cool, calm and clear. And simply image it, simply now, above the horizon, proper within the middle of creativeness, this excellent circle of a vivid white moon towards darkish, darkish blue background. And let’s simply stick with that for a short while collectively.
So the meditation object is that vivid white circle towards the infinite blue sky background. In the event you lose it simply carry it again up. Keep in mind you don’t want your bodily eyes to do that. So there’s no have to pressure or attempt to focus. It’s occurring within the thoughts’s eye. If you wish to make it a little bit tougher and a little bit stronger of a meditative focus see in the event you can discover the curvature, the dimensionality of the sphere of the moon
in addition to the depth of the sky, so it’s not a flat visualization. Now think about that this moon is the sunshine of your personal awake consciousness and film a beam of sunshine coming from the moon into your stomach and this beam of white gentle is bringing power and playfulness and spontaneity into the physique. Filling the complete physique with this moonlight brings the complete physique into stability, brings super life pressure and uplift and power to the physique, regulates the physique, uplifts the physique, turning the physique into virtually like a crystal bottle full of gentle or a tent, a white tent full of gentle. It feels very, superb. Beautiful power that feels therapeutic and soothing and loving within the physique.
In the event you really feel sleepy open your eyes. Do the meditation–even the visualization–along with your eyes open so that you keep awake. It’s essential to remain awake. And now see a second beam of sunshine coming from this moon of consciousness into the center middle permitting it to blossom into full openness, extensive openness, feeling kindness, feeling caring, feeling pleasure, feeling love beaming into the center inflicting all of the metaphoric petals of the center to open extensive and filling the complete physique with much more of this soothing gentle.
You could discover fairly a little bit of power within the physique as you do that, particularly as these optimistic feelings of pleasure and kindness and caring and love actually begin to glow within the coronary heart. Simply loosen up and let that power simply beam out as gentle. Clear, crystal physique lit up with gentle. Actually really feel that pleasure, that love, that caring kindness radiating out from the center middle and radiating into the center, from this moon of consciousness, of your personal deepest awake consciousness.
Good and now a 3rd gentle beams out from the moon into the middle of the brow and into the mind filling the complete thoughts with knowledge and readability and, most significantly, confidence, an amazing sense of confidence, which isn’t conceitedness however a way of understanding, knowledge, readability. Confidence within the thoughts radiating out like a vivid lamp, vivid shining gentle within the thoughts filling the physique with much more gentle, our personal deepest knowledge.
Now the three lights within the physique come collectively so the sunshine within the stomach strikes as much as the center. The sunshine within the thoughts strikes down into the center in order that the center turns into its personal vivid moon of awake consciousness. After which, on an in-breath, the moon within the sky comes into the center as nicely, bringing the knowledge and readability and confidence into the center, bringing the spontaneity and playfulness and power and therapeutic into the center in addition to the love and kindness and compassion and pleasure. All of those qualities shining vivid. And the type of the physique drops away so the complete physique is, as an alternative, simply the sky with the moon within the sky, nothing however sky with this moon of vivid consciousness shining inside it. Stick with that now.
Any person’s psychic powers are messing with the lights. So, that’s cool.
Now let go of the visualization and simply stick with the temper, an enormous house full of this
awake consciousness or we’d simply say; an enormous house of awake consciousness, tremendously clear, vibrant, awake, form, joyous, playful, most significantly assured.
Simply relaxation as that sky. No visualization, the sky of consciousness is at all times there, it’s only a sense of openness and readability–totally easy, already current with none effort.
Now let go of time solely, any considered the longer term vanishes upon arising, any considered the previous vanishes upon arising. Even ideas of the current are nonetheless ideas of time they vanish upon arising and we relaxation in timelessness, which isn’t a time in any respect. We relaxation in simply openness. With out time boundlessness is a sort of spaciousness however with out the boundaries of house, timelessness with none boundaries of time. If that appears arduous to do exactly ask your self the query how lengthy has this awake consciousness been right here? After which look and any sense of future previous and even now will vanish into timelessness. Simply pure wakefulness in time, pure awakeness, primordial perfection, pristine primordial perfection, simply awakeness outdoors of time and house.
Now, we’re going to start doing the difficult half. So in the event you’re not feeling up for a problem then simply relaxation as this primordial consciousness. It’s a really highly effective meditation to simply proceed with. In the event you really feel up for some intense tantric stuff, that’s what we’re going to do subsequent however it is going to be difficult. So if it turns into too difficult for you come again to this moon, come again to house, come again to simply resting with this useful resource house, okay? You’re at all times welcome to bail on it, again to this.
However for these of you who wish to take awake consciousness for a little bit spin I’m going to try this now. So the very first thing we’re going to do this can be a sort of set off apply. We’re going to be actually feeling some sturdy feelings and permitting these feelings to simply be on this house however we’re bringing them up on function. So, once more, if that doesn’t sound like what you wish to do proper now don’t do it, simply maintain with this primary house as a result of we will be within the primordial purity like this. However now we’re going to make make an extra transfer which is shifting into spontaneous presence. That’s the type that may come up out of this consciousness. And these varieties are like rainbows, they’re actual experiences however in the event you attempt to cling on to them there’s nothing there. It’s essential to know that out of the primordial vacancy primary house experiences come up however they’re additionally empty.
So right here’s the very first thing I would like you to do, it’s easy, I would like you to get in contact with sorrow, your deepest sorrow. And it doesn’t have to simply be one, it’s issues that carry up super disappointment, super damaged brokenheartedness, all of the struggling you’ve endured, all of the struggling of individuals you like, the actually unhappy issues which have occurred. I would like you to carry that up as strongly as you possibly can after which enable that have of this disappointment to shine like a rainbow in house. It simply shines as an expertise in house, we’re not negating it, we’re not pretending it’s not there, we’re truly amping it up and permitting it to be there, very strongly. However on the identical time noticing its dreamlike property there–however not there vivid, vivid, clear and but intangible. Don’t maintain again I would like you to essentially dig into the deepest sorrow you will discover after which stick with it. We maintain ourselves armored away from this sorrow, attempting to maintain it at bay however now we’re going to utterly open to all of it the best way. All of the considered all of the murdered youngsters, ravenous youngsters, the stupidity that causes cruelty that hurts all people not solely our personal struggling however the struggling of all beings is tremendously unhappy. Really feel that disappointment as sharply as now you can whereas on the identical time noticing that it’s like an look within the sky, the sky of consciousness itself shouldn’t be harmed in any manner. And we’re not blanking out our ideas right here. We’re actually engaged on bringing the disappointment up on function. Consciousness could be very assured, very courageous, and it can’t be harmed so there’s room for this disappointment, let it break you open now.
Good, now simply spend a second again with the rainbow, let the picture of disappointment recede and simply relaxation as this huge spacious consciousness, the primordial purity, the pristine vacancy however discover how your presence has deepened. Discover how your reference to openness has deepened. As a result of it’s armoring ourselves towards these emotions that retains us out of our personal deepest awakeness.
Good, subsequent let’s carry up rage, anger, the pictures, the ideas that make you essentially the most enraged, all of the belongings you’d prefer to smash, that sense of super power that’s there in anger. Don’t maintain again. That is the other of moving into, really feel the anger as intensely as you possibly can, as actually as you possibly can. What are you actually mad about as we speak? Really feel it, really feel the trend.
And spot that this rage is a rainbow within the sky, its spontaneous presence, its type arising in vacancy, a vivid vivid clear type of rage and but intangible, not disturbing the sky of consciousness in any respect, and actually, if we go proper into the white-hot core of the trend delivering us again into pristine consciousness again and again. However don’t shortcut it, really feel the trend, don’t be afraid of it. Once more, this can be a very difficult strategy to meditate, so if it’s an excessive amount of simply come again to simply resting because the sky. Really feel that depth of rage and see the way it truly sharpens the readability of awake consciousness, really feel the ability of the darkish facet,
it’s pure type arising within the huge empty house of consciousness, harming nothing in any respect, merely one other sort of power, one other colour within the rainbow.
Good, now let’s let go of that. Coming again to simply house, all type dissolving again into pristine open house. Discover that the house is simply high-quality. Area is unmoved and tremendously open. And spot that it’s much more open than it was and simply relaxation as house for an additional second.
Good, once more, take a break in the event you want a break, in any other case, I would like you to carry up into this huge house of consciousness the shape, the shimmering rainbow of worry. This may be simply all of the stuff you’re anxious about and anxious about, all of the stuff that you simply don’t wish to have occur, all the best way to the truth that the earth is on fireplace and polluted and dying, in every single place is warfare, we’re all getting older, there’s a pandemic, there’s many issues to be afraid of. Faucet into that uncooked chopping fringe of worry and really feel it shining in consciousness, carry up no matter it takes to truly really feel some actual worry. What do you actually hope isn’t going to occur? Discover how tremendously energizing, fears brings a lot of power into consciousness. The rainbow of worry shines vivid within the sky of consciousness. We’re not resisting it, we’re not attempting to manage it, we’re letting it shine as intensely and brightly because it desires, not holding it again. Let the actual worry of worry–simply let that go and let the worry be as large and as terrifying and uncontrolled because it desires to be, don’t maintain again. The sky of consciousness is greater than large enough.All these ideas you’re afraid of getting, all these emotions you’re afraid of getting, simply let all of it occur. Don’t maintain again. This meditation is all about not holding again. Discover, irrespective of how afraid you turn into, the sky of consciousness is unhurt, unconcerned, simply as fascinated about worry as the rest, extensive open, conscious. However our contact with this awake consciousness might even be deeper, a lot deeper as a result of we’re not holding again, we’re not attempting to not have this expertise. Letting go.
Good, now let’s take a break once more, simply resting as pristine consciousness, simply the huge sky with nothing in it totally pure, totally pristine empty.
Okay, final one. This is likely to be the toughest one. Once more, in the event you’re overwhelmed, simply maintain resting as sky, let the huge sky simply carry its personal peace. However in the event you’re prepared for extra I would like you to carry up disgrace and self-loathing, all of the methods you are feeling silly, ugly, undeserving, damaged, fucked up, a nugatory piece of shit. Convey that up as actually and deeply as you possibly can, all of the belongings you’ve carried out fallacious, that solely an fool might have carried out fallacious, all of the methods you’ve let individuals down, all of the dangerous actions you’ve carried out, that sense of actual disgrace and self-loathing, and see that too is sort of a rainbow shining within the sky, vivid, intense, highly effective and but intangible, virtually only a reflection or a mirage and but vividly there like a scene in a mirror which you’ll brightly clearly see and but by no means contact. Simply shining within the sky of consciousness, mirrored within the mirror of consciousness, and consciousness is rarely harmed, the mirror is rarely harmed by what it displays, in the identical manner the sky of consciousness can expertise this deep, deep disgrace and be simply high-quality with it, really feel kindness and acceptance and caring in direction of it as a result of it doesn’t hurt consciousness, this awake consciousness that we actually are always, it’s simply one other expertise.
Discover how a lot deeper that takes you into this awake consciousness since you’re not avoiding something, all of the belongings you don’t wish to really feel you’re open to feeling and it means that you can settle into the super, deep, huge, timeless, pristine consciousness.
So you possibly can let go of this cloud within the sky of disgrace and simply come again to this stunning clear open consciousness, utterly unsullied, pure, unhurt, undisturbed, huge timeless spaciousness. Discover how way more deeply you’re resting in that with none effort. That is the primordial purity, the fundamental awakeness, unstained, clear, and vivid. After which really feel and see once more the moon shining within the middle of the center. This sky within the coronary heart beaming out confidence and readability and knowledge, suffused with kindness and caring and love, shot by means of with vibrancy and spontaneity and power, shining vivid within the sky of consciousness, radiating out therapeutic and caring to everybody on this room, shining out knowledge and confidence and the Aristocracy to all of the beings in every single place, not simply on earth however all different planets and all different universes. Actually really feel that shining moon suffusing all the multiverse with pleasure and love and kindness and knowledge and power
Superb, so let’s let go of the meditation now. Be happy to maneuver and stretch.
Dharma Speak Q & A
All proper, that was–for these of you who took half in that second a part of the meditation–that was…that’s actual meditation, that’s the great things, proper? That’s the place we aren’t merely gathering useful resource, proper? Gathering useful resource is essential however we’re not simply solely gathering useful resource after we meditate we’re utilizing that useful resource to remodel.
And so we did some actual–that’s some very grownup industrial power meditation, touching the magic, proper? Actually getting in there. So good on you for doing that. In the event you try this in your personal apply on daily basis that might be good, proper? Actually overcoming the limitations, overcoming our limitations of feeling like we–there’s simply a lot we wish to keep away from, proper? However as an alternative what we’re doing right here is taking the view of awake consciousness critically, taking the view of the bodhisattva critically, taking the view of the buddha nature critically. Our awake consciousness actually is indestructible and actually is unafraid and totally assured and completely welcoming, actually welcoming of something that arises within the sky. Welcomes every little thing into it and so we’re taking that at face worth after which noticing that wow, there’s all these experiences that I attempt to keep away from, there’s all these experiences which might be disagreeable. And there’s such an odd alchemy to life as a result of if we maintain attempting to keep away from inner unpleasantness life will simply get smaller and smaller and smaller, and increasingly flat, and increasingly uninteresting, and increasingly concrete, and finally we’re primarily lifeless. It’s like a Princess and the Pea phenomenon, simply get increasingly delicate to what you don’t wish to really feel, and every little thing simply will get smaller and extra fragile, and smaller and extra fragile, till we’re so small and so fragile we will’t do something.
And so this tantric temper is the other, the place we go into it–no matter is arising, we welcome and go into it and acknowledge that consciousness is large enough to deal with it, large enough to be with it, and large enough to be assured with it. That confidence is tremendously essential. All the time sit with supreme confidence. Why? As a result of inside we’re already a buddha. Buddhas are tremendously assured. What have they got to be afraid of? And so we tackle that temper of the interior buddha and sit with confidence and
discover that no matter comes up consciousness can deal with it. That, after all, doesn’t imply we’re at all times able to do such a meditation. We’d want some preparation, we would discover ourselves in a bit over our heads, which is why you at all times have the in-case-of-emergency-break-glass factor you possibly can pull and simply come out and are available again to simply awake consciousness and don’t proceed with the apply if it’s too intense.
However over time you’ll discover an odd factor; you get superb at dealing with the interior depth even when it’s actually disagreeable. But in addition life begins shifting, exterior life begins shifting fairly a bit. So we wish to look into our personal awake consciousness, look into our personal shining core of wakefulness. That is the one factor we all know that we’ve acquired, proper? In the event you come again to first ideas like what do you truly know? There’s just one factor you truly know and that’s you’re having an expertise proper now, that’s it. That’s the solely information. The lights are on in your thoughts, you’re having an expertise, every little thing else is–might be fallacious, every little thing else might be a fantasy, every little thing else might be, , information being pumped into the mind within the fish tank, or no matter, it might all be simply completely false. However the truth that you’re having an expertise is totally the one factor that .
So look into that have proper now. That’s it. Every thing else is ideas and emotions and so forth, which is ok. That’s all the shape arising, however the wakefulness itself, the expertise itself, that’s it. That’s the true information. What can we name this awakeness in Tibetan? We’d name it rigpa, proper? What does rigpa imply? Information. If we had been speaking in Sanskrit, we name it vidya. What’s vidya? Information, proper? It’s simply the one factor we all know. It doesn’t imply information like stuff out of an encyclopedia. It means Oh! The one actual factor or the one certain factor having an expertise proper now. Have a look at that proper now, that’s it.
And this isn’t to someway make the world appear insignificant. However the stuff that’s arising in expertise–experiences turns into much more fascinating, much more vivid, crisp, clear, attention-grabbing, salient as a result of we’re seeing it as if for the primary time. It’s not all this stale, identified, predictable, quotidian mundanity that we’re simply slogging by means of. It’s the one factor that’s experiencing, being skilled proper now. It’s proper there like a lightning bolt within the darkest night time or some sort of, once more, shining rainbow proper in the midst of the rain, proper? It’s as contemporary and crisp and clear as something might ever be. And that’s the angle from which we don’t wish to maintain again, ‘oh, I wish to see that one rainbow however not the opposite one,’ or ‘I would like…’
We don’t need to take this concept of consciousness, or the thought of the buddha nature, as some sort of perception system or fantasy or an thought. Please don’t have it as an thought that you simply, , like have a look at. It’s simply this reality of your personal consciousness proper now, that’s the one reality. There it’s, have a look at it now, it’s simple. It’s the one simple factor. There it’s.
And if we take that at face worth, as a result of nicely, how else are you able to presumably take it? Then you definitely’ll discover your self creating super confidence and super fearlessness and super openness. It’s not an boastful, armored confidence. It’s a wide-open, broken-hearted, loving sort of confidence that claims sure.
So once more, kudos for having gone there with that sort of meditation. That’s not the sort of meditation that tends to fill meditation halls. If we had been solely visualizing cute bunnies or no matter, which–that’s high-quality nothing fallacious with visualizing cute bunny’s noses, , it’s all good however that solely will get you to date. And finally, now we have to do that. So what do you–it doesn’t need to be feelings, we solely labored with feelings, however what are you avoiding? And does the attention once more, look into it proper now, it’s the factor that’s awake proper now, it’s not even a factor, it’s simply awake awakeness. What’s that avoiding? Trace; it’s not avoiding something. It has the other impulse. It desires to include every little thing.
Questions? Feedback? Reviews?
Questioner 1: Report. That was highly effective shit.
Michael: That’s highly effective shit. That’s true.
Questioner 1: So, I used to be struck by the final emotion that you simply had, disgrace.
Michael: That’s not an issue for any of us.
Questioner 1: It felt so constricting. I simply felt like there was this pressure round me that was simply squeezing me down and there wasn’t a rainbow of any sort in any respect.
I observed the type of tremendous high-profile teeny little rainbow, I feel it was in rage or anger, however this one simply felt like this sturdy highly effective factor and it was simply, I used to be simply in that place. After which I stayed with it and I used to be simply feeling it, I used to be in it. And then you definitely stated, ‘okay, now it’s time to return to the openness,’ and I felt misplaced. I didn’t know the place I used to be and thank goodness you stated ‘the moon,’ and I used to be in a position to return to that open place. And I simply…there was no sense of…I simply dropped into it like the underside went out. I used to be like, what the fuck simply occurred? I’m nonetheless in that open place.
Michael: That’s proper. What the fuck did simply occur? So once more, that is–after we strive to not really feel that on a regular basis, and it’s a function of our society, it’s not the function of all societies. It’s a function of our society that there’s this core layer of disgrace and self-loathing that will get embedded. And so, if we’re at all times attempting to not really feel that, there’s a complete a part of like there’s a backside on expertise, we’re constrained. However after we enable that in, it is likely to be very intense, proper, very intense, however then a breakthrough will happen. It doesn’t imply it went away, . It’s nonetheless there. We’re not–this isn’t like, oh
all of it goes away and then you definitely really feel like a contented bunny without end. The purpose is that each one of this stuff will be skilled and that openness simply will get extra open, and as you discover that it’s like the underside went out, proper?
So if you wish to like, in the event you really feel caught in your apply or I’ve been meditating for thus lengthy and I simply don’t appear to get any additional, or it’s sort of like there’s some sort of bizarre magnetic pressure discipline holding me again, it’s not a bizarre pressure discipline. It’s the constriction. It’s the need to not really feel one thing. There’s one thing that we’re holding again from and the sky of consciousness doesn’t maintain again, proper? So we search for the horrible factor, search for the horrible factor in there, the factor that you simply actually don’t wish to discover inside, and it’s going to really feel dangerous, it doesn’t–it’s not prefer it magically feels good.There’s a motive you’re avoiding it, . It seems like shit.
Nonetheless, when you enable it, once more, you probably have sufficient useful resource. You don’t wish to do that from an unresourced place, or in the event you’re already feeling overwhelmed, however underneath the appropriate circumstances you go into that and expose it to this sky of consciousness. After which, such as you stated, all of a sudden it’s like open extensive and we drop into a totally deeper degree of our apply as a result of we aren’t avoiding that anymore.
Am I simply saying the identical factor each week? Okay, yeah I’ll get this, , this stuff are available in waves, so that is the month of non-avoidance.
Different questions or stories? That’s fucking fabulous by the best way.
Questioner 2: What I discovered actually attention-grabbing was simply noticing the totally different manner
every of these 4 circulation by means of me. I felt virtually no constriction round sorrow it was identical to oh that is simply flowing, after which I observed with anger and with disgrace I observed a number of the constriction. There I used to be like, oh these two, I like sorrow I’m like letting circulation, and these two I’m probably not eager to be there as a lot. After which I additionally observed, actually apparently, with worry that the issues that I’m most scared of, once I invite them and are simply a lot much less intense than once I’m resisting them. And so it was attention-grabbing that that one truly wasn’t as like–it was like extra scary off the cushion than on the cushion as a result of I used to be identical to, all proper, I’m going to consider all of the issues, pull in all of the issues that make me essentially the most afraid after which they’re simply there.
Michael: That is the key to working with worry, proper? A lot of the worry is the worry of worry. So we let it in after which all of a sudden it’s not that large of a deal. Yeah, that’s superior.
Different stories or questions? What’s s in your thoughts right here about this?
Questioner 3: I’ve a query. I suppose my query since now lots of people are speaking about yeah like recession and in addition like two years of Covid how would you
juxtapose this type of meditation with stoicism? That’s very talked-about proper now in sure circles or simply generally.
Michael: I imply all this stuff share some stuff in widespread, proper? I feel the principle factor with that is that we’re open to life, proper? I imply we’re actually wanting on the true terror of being alive and the truth that, , we’re falling by means of house, and who is aware of what the fuck? And all we’ve acquired is awakeness. That’s it and nothing goes to save lots of you. We’re nonetheless all going to get outdated, we’re all going to get–I imply in the event you’re fortunate you get outdated–we’re gonna get sick. Horrible shit is gonna occur to us and to individuals we love. And, , on an excellent day then you definitely die.
So that is the scenario by which we discover ourselves, proper? In the event you’re fortunate, you simply croak. However who is aware of? Does the attention truly go away? We don’t know. So that is the scenario by which we discover ourselves and it’s odd as a result of someway that sounds pessimistic or like actually morbid but it surely’s identical to a primary reality. Like nobody’s ever alleged to say this but it surely’s only a primary reality. You can not deny it. So let’s begin from the fundamental reality. Begin with consciousness itself, which is the one primary reality, after which begin participating with life from the understanding that that is an intense expertise.That is actually intense.And but it’s actually fascinating how the attention itself is into it. The attention itself loves it. The intenser the higher, by way of the setup. It’s simply as into peace as it’s to depth. However what I imply is the truth that there are sort of no ensures is nice for awake consciousness.
So I’m probably not answering your query however that is what’s coming to thoughts. I imply I’m not gonna sit there and examine it level by level with stoicism or one thing. However I really feel like that is the tantric temper. The tantric temper–go into it. No matter the issue is, go instantly into it. And it’s actually superb apply and it’s not simply emotional, it’s issues in life. What’s the toughest factor it’s important to do proper now? Go into it. What’s the factor you’re essentially the most afraid of doing? Do it.
That’s the temper and it begins to strip away the layers of mummification and necrotic, , cement-mind and full checked-outness that we have a tendency to assemble to attempt to insulate ourselves from the fundamental reality.
You discover that you simply did that to really feel snug however the extra snug you
really feel in that one specific manner the extra lifeless you’re. It’s like a nasty commerce and but every little thing tells us to try this, like that’s the sensible factor to do and, in actual fact, I’ll promote you some stuff that’ll enable you to try this higher. That’s our entire society. and so we’re simply unraveling that. Throw off the mattresses that we lined ourselves with, throw away the numbness of the necrotic flesh, and are available again into vibrant awakeness and consciousness proper now. I don’t know what else to say. Another angle on the query?
Questioner 3: No, I imply that was stunning commentary and truly, I had the same
expertise with going deep into disgrace and sort of falling manner too deep into it. Once I simply didn’t know what to do and it felt like being thrown out of the helicopter with
no parachute or a parachute that didn’t…
Michael: That’s the appropriate feeling. That’s tantric.
Questioner 3: Yeah after which I noticed that there isn’t a floor, so then the worry like falling and dying disappeared as a result of there isn’t a floor. There’s no manner for me to die as a result of I’m simply endlessly falling. However then if I’m actually falling am I truly falling? Or simply suspended in place?
Michael: So then, how did that really feel?
Questioner 3: It felt superb. It felt empty and impartial.
Michael: Proper, then simply come again to that sky, tremendous vivid clear sky. The error, in addition to avoidance, that individuals make is to solely go into the vacancy, proper? Such as you gotta begin out going into the vacancy as a result of it’s a distinction to being connected to every little thing on this planet, and so it’s like an enormous miracle to seek out the vacancy. And that’s very, very cool however the mistake individuals make is simply to remain there. I’m simply going to maintain going into voidic cessation. That feels nice however then that’s one other entice like now you simply acquired to go sit in a meditation cave for the remainder of your life as a result of that’s the place you’re discovering. You’re in your groove.
So as soon as we’ve acquired the sky of pure awakeness then we discover the spontaneous presence,
the stuff that arises in expertise. It’s in all probability even the case that we are inclined to make an object out of that pure consciousness, but it surely’s not an object, proper? It’s empty identical to the rest however moreover, it in all probability doesn’t exist with out the stuff that’s arising. It’s in all probability like that the awakeness and this perceptive stuff, the perceived stuff, the spontaneous presence, the rainbows, the peacock tails cauda pavonis right here in our alembic, that stuff is all simply co-arising with the attention. They want one another. They invite one another. They arrive collectively and, in actual fact, consciousness is empty, the stuff that’s arising is empty however the notion is empty too. However that’s what’s actually occurring. That’s all there may be. So we don’t keep in our void. We come into being and are available into expertise and are available into what’s occurring within the fullness of it, okay?
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