Stay Guided Nondual Meditation by Michael Taft
Streamed dwell Mar 10, 2022
Meditation
Let’s start our meditation this night by beginning out with getting in our meditation posture. In order normal I need you to sit down together with your knees, if doable, your knees beneath your hips. When you’re on a chair, like, I’m on a rolly chair, you simply sit method ahead and the chair, not a lot that the chair squeezes like a lemon seed out from between your fingers, and y’know, shoots out from behind you. However reasonably you simply sit very balanced on the entrance in order that your knees are down and also you’re simply supporting your individual again. However discover, as a result of your knees are down, your again simply sits up good and straight, completely naturally, completely with out effort. Or if in case you have a meditation cushion; that’s the purpose of that cushion. You too can lay in your again together with your knees within the air, in order that your again is flat. So these are the positions that we prefer to meditate in, if doable. You possibly can even meditate standing up in case you’re actually drained. So get in, or if it feels good, get in a kind of positions, or truthfully every other place you’re feeling like, which you can keep in for an hour with out shifting.
After which I need you to simply transfer round it ‘until it feels very nice, actually settled, actually calm, actually secure. After which what we’re going to do is ready our intentions. So what which means is, perhaps ‘set intention’ shouldn’t be precisely the precise option to say it; bear in mind intention, recall our intention, why are we meditating? What’s the aim general for our meditation follow? Why can we do that in any respect? So no matter that’s for you, simply carry that up now. Bear in mind why you do that.
After which subsequent we’re going to do a useful resource gathering, a visualization, okay? And a part of why I’ve this hilarious ‘cult chief’ t-shirt on is as a result of, the visualization tonight, we’ve by no means achieved this, we’re gonna sit like a rainbow, okay? So typically we sit like a mountain, typically we sit like an ocean, and so forth. Tonight we’re gonna sit like a rainbow. So I need you to image this lovely rainbow, and that’s what this shirt is there for, that can assist you bear in mind what a rainbow appears like. Bear in mind, blue on the within of the arc, pink on the skin of the arc and every thing in between, in between. So that you’re visualizing this exquisitely attractive, beautiful shining rainbow, okay? And also you’re sitting as in case you’re a rainbow. What does it imply to sit down like a rainbow? Properly [sit like] a rainbow, on this case metaphorically, the place it’s lovely. So sit with a way of magnificence, of getting magnificence. It’s received all of the completely different colours, so it’s not like all condensed down into white mild; it’s the total expression. So it’s sitting with a full expression. Let’s imagine full expression of your already present Buddhahood, or full expression of awake consciousness, full expression of the thoughts of awakening, proper? So, it’s not solely lovely, it’s received this temper of simply full unimpeded, pleasant and celebratory expression.
Proper? So, sitting like a rainbow. Additionally, it’s easy, proper? The rainbow simply seems. No one paints it, it’s not some sort of effortful creation; it’s completely easy. So there’s a way of effortlessness and there’s additionally, bear in mind final week the place we did the mandala visualization, up and down the central channel? The rainbow accommodates all these mandala qualities as nicely, proper? So you’ll be able to actually really feel all of the completely different qualities. When you did the mandala follow then these are all current for you. After which, I might go on and on, we might do an entire meditation simply visualizing this rainbow as a result of that might be very nice. However, the final one I’ll say is that – perhaps it’s two extra – the rainbow is simply sort of hanging there in house; it’s, it has no weight. So not solely is it easy nevertheless it’s weightless. There’s this extremely lovely show, having no mass, proper? It’s simply, I imply, scientifically we might in all probability say the photons making up the rainbow have some sort of mass. However we’re interested by it metaphorically. It’s similar to this piece of paintings hanging within the sky with no weight in any respect; it’s feather-light. It’s like, completely, like floating, like hovering with none effort. So we’re sitting like that. After which lastly, the rainbow is an emblem of vacancy, proper? As a result of vacancy doesn’t imply issues aren’t there. It’s not a void. It’s not after we see a rainbow we see a black void of nothing. We see the alternative. We see this beautiful expression of all the colours and but you’ll be able to’t contact it, you’ll be able to’t exit and discover it, you’ll be able to’t, you already know; it’s each there and never there. It’s like, sort of like a dream or a imaginative and prescient. It has this empty high quality of ‘there and never thereness’ on the similar time. So I need you to, no matter it means to you, I received’t go over all these qualities once more. However simply consider probably the most lovely and profound issues a couple of rainbow and sit with that, and simply visualize this rainbow. Sit like a rainbow. And we’ll try this collectively for a couple of minutes right here after which we’ll transfer on from there.
Good. Now to go slightly deeper into this. As we see the empty nature of the rainbow that enables us to tune into our personal empty nature, the truth that regardless of – in the identical method that the rainbow is each there and never there, it’s full of colour and but you’ll be able to’t actually discover it – in the exact same method, regardless that you’ve got ideas and emotions and an expression as an individual, in case you look inside looking for the supply or the fact of those ideas and emotions, you’ll be able to’t actually discover it. You possibly can’t actually contact it. And so in the identical method that the rainbow is each lovely and alive and vibrant and actual and on the similar time empty; our self, our feeling of being a separate self can be vibrant and alive and in a way actual, and in one other sense, completely empty. So permit your self to gaze upon that rainbow awhile and spot its vacancy. The truth that it’s like hanging within the sky like a dream, a shining dream. And but you’ll be able to’t, similar to a dream, you’ll be able to’t really attain out and contact it. In the identical method, you your self are simply hanging within the house of consciousness, ideas, and emotions passing in consciousness, and but there’s nothing to the touch; there’s nothing to achieve out and discover. So, the vacancy of the rainbow displays the vacancy in you. The vacancy of being displays the vacancy of the rainbow and that is very, very nice, very lovely. So sit with that for a couple of minutes.
Good. Now from right here, as a result of we’re empty and the rainbow is empty, simply permit the rainbow to return inside you. In order that as an alternative of being a human physique, respiration and digesting and all of the issues {that a} human physique does, and as an alternative of being ideas and emotions or no matter we think about ourselves to be; we’re merely a rainbow shining within the sky. That’s all there may be, is a rainbow shining within the sky. It’s violet, indigo, blue, inexperienced, yellow, orange, pink; all shining vibrant in an infinite, huge, empty sky. Image that now, really feel that now, be that now.
And actually really feel the great thing about the colours and the shining mild, the effortlessness of it. Completely easy, shining rainbow. Actually discover the truth that it’s weightless, unfindable, and empty, and but additionally there; it’s not nothing. And it’s shining with this great pleasure and wonder.
Okay, Good. Now from right here we’re gonna start meditating on our breath. And so there’s sufficient contact with physique sensation to simply really feel the breath however right here’s how I need you to breathe, okay? If you want to otherwise you need to, simply breathe usually. However in case you can, what I’d such as you to do is definitely breathe as gently and softly and barely there as doable. So we’re doing a extremely, actually, actually mild breath. Now don’t do it so gently that you simply, you already know, really feel such as you’re not getting sufficient oxygen such as you’re not getting sufficient air or no matter, that’s not the purpose. I simply need you to breathe as gently and shallowly as you’ll be able to and have it nonetheless really feel good, okay? So it’s a really, very mushy breath, very barely shifting in any respect, okay? Once more, don’t do it a lot that you want to yawn or no matter, make it be just right for you; however inside the parameters of consolation breathe tremendously, tremendously gently. After which simply permit that wave of the breath to come up within the sky of consciousness. We are able to let the rainbow imaginative and prescient go now. Simply permit the wave of the breath to be observed in consciousness rising and observed in consciousness falling. So we’re not pointing consideration on the breath, we’re simply letting the breath itself simply come up with none effort in consciousness and fall once more with none effort in consciousness.
Good. Now proceed with this. Remembering that once I say the sensations of the breath are simply rising in consciousness, that’s easy. Consciousness is already conscious of the sentiments of the breath, that’s how you already know they’re there. So there’s nothing to do besides permit the wave of the breath to be observed effortlessly by consciousness. However once I say consciousness I imply that huge, sky-like thoughts. The huge, spacious consciousness during which the sky, during which the rainbow, was showing earlier than. So it’s simply this wave of breath sensation effortlessly arising in an unlimited sky of thoughts; so let’s proceed.
Okay. Now persevering with to do this actually mild breath, if that feels good to you, I need you to modify from noticing the breath wave rising and falling in consciousness. Once more effortlessly, consciousness simply already is aware of, already can concentrate on the breath wave. I need you to do the identical factor with all ideas and feelings, however particularly ideas. Whether or not they’re visible or verbal ideas there’s the sky of consciousness and considering is only a trickle of vapor shifting by way of that sky of consciousness. It’s like just a bit, little ripple within the air of the sky of consciousness. It’s not disturbing the sky in any method and it’s not one thing to essentially concentrate on. We’re not, we don’t, we’re not participating with the content material however we nonetheless are literally very conscious of it. So it’s slightly completely different than dropping the ball as a result of we’re not simply utterly disregarding it and simply letting it’s there. We are literally, regardless that we’re not sharply specializing in it, we’re giving it some consideration; noticing it as a spotlight object. So it’s nonetheless shamatha with an object, reasonably than on the breath, simply very evenly on considering itself with out getting concerned within the considering in any respect. Give {that a} shot and if that’s too tough come again to meditating on respiration.
Discover that ideas don’t disturb the sky of consciousness, the huge sky of consciousness in any method. They’re similar to ripples on the ocean or similar to currents of air within the sky. It’s not disturbed. The sky is sufficiently big and huge sufficient and nonetheless sufficient for these ideas to maneuver by way of it, for air currents to maneuver by way of it with out it being disturbed in any method.
Okay. good. Now in case you’re used to meditating together with your eyes open, this can be a good time to do this. When you’re not used to it however you need to strive it out then now’s the time to do this. Simply have your eyes open however they’re not likely targeted on something. You’re not likely trying with them, they’re simply open. They usually’re relaxed and never narrowly something. They’re simply sort of relaxed and open. They don’t need to be out of focus and so they don’t need to be nonetheless. Typically if we go away our eyes nonetheless the visible area will begin to disappear primarily based on, you already know, the retinal cells getting drained. So be happy to blink and transfer your eyes and all that. However they’re simply, it’s simply relaxed, it’s simply a straightforward gaze.
After which what we’re doing as a meditation now – and I need you to hearken to this instruction fastidiously as a result of I imply it – we’re gonna do nothing in any respect, okay? You’re not focusing however you’re additionally not not focusing. You’re not doing something in any respect. You’re not following ideas, you’re not attempting to stick with one thing, you’re not even really meditating, okay? You’re letting go even of the thought of meditating. You’re nonetheless in your posture, you’re nonetheless sitting nonetheless however you’re letting go of every thing–except letting go turns into a doing, during which case we let go of letting go and simply sit. In order that’s what I need you to do.
Now in case you discover that you simply’re getting actual caught up in stuff, simply let go of it. Or if you wish to, simply be caught up in it till you’re achieved. However what we’re actually doing is letting go utterly; we’re not doing something. And so if you’re caught up in thought, that’s sort of a doing. So we simply, the standard factor is to simply let go of it. And let go of every thing. Once more, even the concept you’re meditating, even the concept you’re supposed to alter one thing in any respect. That’s why I say, in a method you don’t have to alter something, simply sit there. Simply sit there and permit your self to let go. Completely easy, completely with out doing, merely being.
What if there’s nothing to alter in any respect? Nothing to do, nothing to strive, every thing is already good, every thing is already full, every thing is already fulfilled. And there’s completely nothing to do. Unsleeping.
Simply resting naturally as huge, spacious consciousness with none effort, with none doing of any type, with out even the thought of meditating or a meditator. Not even anyone doing something. Simply pure resting as open consciousness. Now, if once more if that is too tough or chaotic, be happy to return and easily meditate on the breath wave arising and passing in consciousness; in any other case let’s proceed.
Good. Now into this huge house visualize once more the rainbow shining effortlessly, superbly, radiantly with all its numerous colours. See that very, very clearly now.
Simply radiantly shining with magnificence and pleasure and variety with these easy, weightless, unfindable, liquid colours, radiant shining. After which allow them to simply fly out. Colours simply fly. They dissolve or like, break up and fly in all instructions to all over the place; each particular person on the earth, each being on the earth, each being in your entire universe will get touched by this rainbow mild and feels that pleasure and feels that magnificence, feels that radiance and feels that variation, the variety. After which simply let that go and be simply utterly empty once more for simply one other second.
Okay, excellent. Let’s let go of the meditation there and simply permit your self to open up slightly bit bodily, loosen up slightly extra, transfer and stretch in no matter method feels actually, actually good. Perhaps you wiggle your fingers and toes or simply sort of permit your backbone to wiggle in a method that feels actually scrumptious, or no matter. Have a drink of water, have a drink of tea, or no matter it’s you utilize to moist your whistle on the finish of sit.
Dharma Discuss
Okay, so I need to discuss slightly bit about consciousness itself. And typically folks discuss consciousness like, it’s a sort of a factor that they’re going to have a look at. So, I’d even use language like that typically as a result of that’s simply how our language is structured, and in reality, all languages are structured this fashion. Some educational stuff from the Twenties and 30s about different languages that supposedly don’t try this, really that seems to be incorrect. A technique they didn’t actually perceive the languages very nicely, so we all the time–our language all the time makes it sound like one factor over right here is one other factor over there. And so we will typically see, it could possibly typically sound like the thought is, ‘oh I’m over right here and I’m going to take a look at consciousness over there and an consciousness is a factor, some sort of particular factor I’m going to see,’ okay? And that’s not what’s happening with consciousness. As a result of with a view to see something, so as to concentrate on it, of something you’ve received to bear in mind, proper? And so there’s a humorous round factor happening, just like the particular person over right here who thinks he’s trying on the consciousness over there may be actually–that trying itself is consciousness. So in case you assume you’re over right here consciousness over there then my query is: who’s trying?
And naturally, that leads, that’s sort of an inquiry query, proper? Like we did the opposite week, we get into inquiry. As a result of in case you strive to take a look at who’s trying you’ll discover that it’s consciousness itself consciousness. And so you’ve got this paradox of the–prefer it looks as if perhaps consciousness is cut up into an consciousness, over right here is consciousness over there. And also you notice all of that isn’t crucial, or let’s imagine all of that’s nonsense. There’s nothing over right here something over there in any respect.
Consciousness is already effortlessly conscious. Consciousness has no location so it could possibly’t be over right here one thing over there. Or to place it in one other method, to say it has no location is similar factor as saying it’s positioned all over the place. However it has no positionality so it’s not trying a technique or one other; that’s only a method we discuss. And it’s additionally a method that we’re used to sort of encountering our personal visible expertise. After we take into consideration positioning our head and our eyes and all that. However that place of the top, within the eyes, or that place of the ears, all of that’s completely different than consciousness itself. Consciousness itself has no place, it has no course. It’s by no means the case that I’m over right here and that particular factor known as consciousness over there. Consciousness is simply conscious of itself, proper? And if we needed to consider it, every of the sense gates solely operate due to consciousness. So even when I really feel like my physique is over right here and my eyes are pointing over there and I’m trying on the lovely after-sunset clouds that are on the market proper now, it’s getting slightly a couple of months previous the winter solstice, proper? So it’s slightly lighter out right now and I can see these after-sun clouds. So I’m over right here and my eyes are trying over there. All of that, the sensation of being a physique over right here, the entire perspectival take of eyes over right here which are trying in a sure method at clouds which are over there; all of that perspective stuff and positionality stuff, all of that’s one thing I’m conscious of.
And so once more, all of that’s simply arising in consciousness, and consciousness is positioned in all these locations and centered in none of them. Consciousness has no heart, no edge, and no center. It’s simply all consciousness itself. So, you already know, the thought–positive my eyes are positioned someplace and so they’re a factor over there–however consciousness is in each places and all over the place in between and is definitely underlying that entire course of. And so every of the sense gates may need a sort of positionality, may need a sort of seeming dualism. However the minute we come from consciousness and perceive that the after-sunset clouds over there and the sensation of eyes over right here, perceiving these – all of these are arising in the identical consciousness – that dualism collapses, proper?
There’s nonetheless distinction, there’s nonetheless the sensation in a single a part of consciousness and the clouds within the different a part of consciousness, and all that. So distinction shouldn’t be annihilated. We don’t need to make it into the grey goo situation, the oatmeal situation the place every thing is only one factor and there’s no distinction, due to course there’s distinction. There’s the sensation of being a physique, there’s the colours of being after-sunset clouds, proper? There’s a rainbow as an alternative of a void and every colour of the rainbow is completely different than the opposite colours. So distinction shouldn’t be annihilated and on the similar time every thing is joined within the, in consciousness itself.
And naturally, I don’t need you to make consciousness itself into some sort of object. Consciousness shouldn’t be an object, proper? It’s empty like every thing else – remembering that empty doesn’t imply it’s not there. In fact, consciousness is there, you’re having an expertise of it proper now, you might be consciousness itself, in a technique of it. And but that’s empty too: don’t make that into an object, don’t make that right into a factor, don’t make that into the brand new deity to worship, don’t make that into the brand new, you already know, object of need that you simply’re attempting to get. Anybody who’s attempting to get consciousness doesn’t perceive what the fuck they’re doing as a result of, you already know, consciousness is on the foundation of every thing, proper? The truth that you even know that you really want one thing is since you’re conscious of wanting. So there isn’t a particular consciousness to get, proper?
It’s not an object and neither are you. Each time you catch your self considering of your self as an object, look fastidiously, look. Who’s having the expertise proper now of considering they’re an object? And also you’ll look and proper on the core of that feeling of being ‘you’ is that this nebulous consciousness expertise of shifting and shifting physique sensations, shifting and shifting feelings, shifting and shifting ideas of varied sorts. And it’s all sort of there however sort of not there; it’s very nebulous, it’s very undefined. There’s a sample to it and but it’s not a totally outlined sample and so it’s empty, proper? The sensation of being a self, a separate ego, is made up of ideas and emotions and desires you to assume these ideas and emotions are stable and actual with a view to come ahead as this reified object. Properly, guess what? Reified objects get harm, reified objects endure, reified objects actually have a tough time. And it’s not required that we consider ourselves as a reified object, proper?
Let go of the hypostatization that, you already know, the ‘making it actual’ that you simply habitually do. And as an alternative see that on the core of, no matter we will name it: the core of your being, or deep down in your soul, or trying proper on the seeming heart of your individual expertise like a number of–and once more it’s not coming from a positionality, consciousness has no positionality–so simply concentrate on no matter looks like the middle of no matter’s happening, like probably the most intimate spot within the deepest, secret place in your coronary heart. Discover that that’s simply gnostic house, it’s understanding house, it’s empty and but shiningly, blazingly conscious. And stuff is going on, there’s ideas and emotions however that’s not, they’re all simply sort of ripples in consciousness.
So it’s essential to get this concept of how we’re seeing this, proper? That is all about ‘the view’. This sort of nondual meditation is all concerning the view, that means all about drishti in Sanskrit. I like that phrase, ‘drishti’, that means ‘the view’. Let’s imagine it’s an entire understanding of the place we’re coming from or an entire understanding of who we’re, or who we expect we’re or the place we expect we’re coming from. So long as you assume you’re positioned in a physique and also you’re popping out your eyes, or no matter, you’re going to have one sort of expertise and it’s going to in all probability be fraught with struggling. However in case you permit that to indicate its personal vacancy–the truth that it’s nebulous flowing, simply expertise–and your view is consciousness positioned nowhere, is simply conscious and it’s not a factor both, you’re gonna have a, that’s a special viewpoint; it’s a special viewpoint. You nearly can’t even name it a viewpoint however we’ll name it a drishti, in Sanskrit, a view. And that’s a lot much less fraught, there’s a lot much less struggling in that view so it’s very price testing.
And likewise discover that’s, you already know, that’s accessible simply with none effort in any respect. When you simply sit and loosen up and permit your self to open you’ll discover that view arising fairly naturally, fairly effortlessly, fairly spontaneously. And that there’s a sort of magnificence in that and a sort of the Aristocracy in that and a sort of peace and readability in that that’s a lot deeper than you might have imagined. And but it’s not some sort of particular state, it’s not some sort of altered state, it’s not some sort of factor; the item of need that you simply’re attempting to get. It’s all the time already there.
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