Guided Nondual Meditation with Michael Taft
Meditation
Okay, so we’ll do one thing we haven’t achieved earlier than. Sit together with your fingers like this in your thighs. Palms up. And I would like you to only breathe in by your fingers. So the palms of your fingers have holes which you could breathe by. Simply take massive deep breaths by the palms of your fingers for a couple of minutes. Really feel the air speeding up your arms and down into your stomach after which again up out of your stomach and out your fingers.
All proper. So on the out-breath, you possibly can put your fingers again wherever you need them. And simply examine in with your self asking the query: what’s it wish to be me proper now? So simply tuning into your way of thinking, your state of coronary heart, your state of physique, the state of life. What’s it wish to be inside your pores and skin on this second? And only for the time of this meditation, let that be good. That means it doesn’t matter what’s occurring there, let it’s that approach. Don’t have any agenda to alter it. Simply enable your self to be precisely the best way you might be. For as soon as letting go of the agenda to consistently make it one thing completely different, make it one thing higher, make it one thing it ought to be, and as an alternative simply letting it’s precisely what it’s.
After which into the area of being you proper now, simply enable your self to note, with none explicit focus, the rising and falling of the wave of the breath. So we’re not narrowly attending to that, we’re simply, in a totally regular approach, noticing the approaching and going of the breath, or let’s imagine, the rising and falling of the breath wave. So your thoughts stays good and open, good and vast. Not narrowing down on something specifically, however conscious of this rising wave of breath after which the falling wave of breath. And let’s stick with that collectively for a couple of minutes right here.
Simply persevering with to permit the thoughts to be relaxed and open and easily noticing that the breath comes and goes with out doing something explicit with it, however simply sitting and enjoyable and opening.
And if it’s obtainable to you, I would like you to take up a metaphor of meditation tonight as if we’re meditating like a tree. Meditate like a tree and in reality, if this works for you, think about in entrance of you a stunning tree. It may be no matter form of tree, nevertheless it’s historical and thriving, and tremendously lovely. So both really feel that or think about it or simply really feel like a tree, however this tree has roots that go down into the core of the Earth.
And so Earth power is rising up spreading out by the trunk and branches and leaves of the tree. This historical, grounded, humble power that’s paradoxically each humble and noble. And the branches of the tree unfold out into the huge, open sky, and the good heat, therapeutic, sacred gentle of the Solar is soaked up by all of the leaves of the tree and runs down the branches and into the trunk.
Bear in mind we’re staying completely immobile.
And you may think about within the middle of the tree within the trunk there’s a spot the place the daylight power and the earth power meet and mingle within the core or the center of the tree connecting the earth and the sky. And when these join the tree is crammed with blossoms and with fruit and with birds and animals. Now both really feel that, or image that, or think about that as clearly as you possibly can.
And when you’re doing that simply enable your self to actually let go. Let go of any pressure in your head or face, or any in your entrance or again, your stomach or your again. Launch all pressure out of your legs and arms and fingers and toes. Permitting your self, as you form of bask within the presence of this lovely tree, to only utterly loosen up and let go with none effort. Simply being within the presence permits you to merely drop now way more deeply right into a relaxed, open, nice, being with.
And during which not solely your physique relaxes however your coronary heart loosens and opens. And on the following set of breaths, you discover your self coming collectively or merging with the tree in order that the tree physique and your physique are one physique. Your roots go all the way down to the core of the earth. And on the in-breath, you are feeling the daylight pouring in from above filling your whole physique. And on the out-breath, you are feeling the earth power rising from under assembly within the coronary heart and opening your coronary heart increasingly fantastically, increasingly completely. Feeling the great vitality and aliveness and generativity and wonder and style of this tree, and the concord and stability of the earth power and the sky power coming collectively in your coronary heart.
Now steadily permitting the thoughts to broaden upward and outward into increasingly of the sky. As a result of we’re rooted so deeply within the earth, the thoughts can broaden upward and outward and upward and outward. Naturally, simply, effortlessly rolling open just like the sky. If the thoughts begins closing down round any explicit object–grabbing on, tightening, constricting–simply loosen up. Let it return to its pure easy, vastness just like the sky. Holding on to nothing, permitting every little thing, totally simple and open.
Good. Discover now, on this sky of consciousness, that physique sensations seem. There’s the sensation of physique and people are simply sensations flowing by the sky of consciousness, similar to wind within the sky. The sensations are there. They’ve varied properties. Flowing like wind within the sky and never remaining wherever. Continually altering and shifting and open and free. Even troublesome sensations, even painful sensations merely like wind shifting by the sky. Discover that these physique sensations haven’t any explicit middle. They simply come up within the sky of consciousness and circulate there for some time like wind after which go away like wind, with none explicit location.
Let’s discover one thing comparable about any feelings which are arising. No matter they may be. Irrespective of how sturdy or how wispy and minute, emotional sensations merely go by the sky of the thoughts like wind, not sticking on something, not disturbing the sky and but there in all their complexity and element. The sky of the thoughts remaining tremendously open and simple, relaxed and huge. There’s room sufficient for all physique sensations. There’s room sufficient for all feelings. None are rejected, none are suppressed or denied. They’re all welcome.
And simply enable the query to come up within the sky of the thoughts: What emotion have I been making an attempt to not really feel, making an attempt to keep away from, making an attempt to suppress? And no matter that’s, simply let that come up now unimpeded. There’s greater than sufficient room within the sky of the thoughts for no matter we’ve been making an attempt to not really feel to be current. After which enable the query to come up: What feels this? after which look. What feels this? after which look.
Good. Now discover that into the huge sky of the thoughts of consciousness the winds of ideas are rising and falling. Varied ideas coming and going with no residence, no place they arrive from, no place they go to. The winds of the ideas don’t disturb the sky of the thoughts in any approach. Not an issue in any respect and likewise not particular, they’re simply winds.
After which into this huge, vast, open, effortlessly boundless sky of consciousness, enable the query to come up: What is aware of these ideas? What’s conscious of the winds of thought? What’s that? Look. You may’t reply that query with extra ideas it’s important to look.
Now into the sky of the thoughts is arising the sensation of being you. And the sensation of being me, that sense of persona and historical past and story that you just have a tendency to hold round, that’s simply arising like wind within the sky, distinctive, fascinating, blowing round like winds in an enormous, open, brilliant blue, heavenly sky, not disturbing the sky in any approach. Coming from nowhere, returning to nowhere. Mercurial zephyrs of being you swirling round.
Into the sky of the thoughts enable the query to come up: What is aware of this being? What is aware of this persona? After which look, What is aware of it?
Good. Now into the huge sky of the thoughts arises the winds of this expertise meditating. Possibly with aches and pains, perhaps with troublesome feelings, perhaps with chaotic ideas, perhaps with a way of self that’s judgmental or harsh. Discover the winds of this second of expertise rising and falling within the sky of the thoughts. By no means the identical in a single second to the following. Altering this fashion and that. Not bothering the sky in any respect and but there in all their richness and element.
And the following second of the expertise arises and blows across the sky of the thoughts and the following second. And a query arises: What is aware of this second? You may’t reply that with phrases it’s important to look. Look now. What is aware of this second? If you happen to assume you discovered it, look nearer. And what notices that the winds of physique sensation, and the breezes of emotion, and the Zephyrs of thought, and the varied airs and winds of being a self, and being an expertise are all a part of the sky of consciousness. Not separate in any respect. Naturally and spontaneously every of them realizing themselves, effortlessly, with none middle and with no rim.
What is aware of that? Now look. Look. Look. Noticing that even the branches and roots and trunk of the tree and the leaves aren’t completely different than the sky. And feeling the sunshine, the nice and cozy, life-giving gentle of the solar flowing within the branches on the in-breath and the grounding, therapeutic, earth power flowing on the out-breath. And feeling the groundedness and aliveness of this tree.
And in your picture permitting the tree now to shrink down in order that it lives in your coronary heart, totally alive, tremendously lovely, burgeoning with flowers and fruit, birds and animals dwelling within the tree, the nests have infants in them and the tree glows with a lightweight of sanctity and style, blessedness. And the place will you plant the seeds of that tree? The place will they discover wealthy soil and take root?
Excellent. Now, with me, collectively let’s chant Om mani padme hum very loudly, very resonantly a couple of instances, like perhaps 9 instances.
Om mani padme hum, Om mani padme hum Om mani padme hum…
Good. Let’s finish the meditation there. Be happy to maneuver and stretch.
Dharma Discuss, Q&A
Om Mani Padme Hum is the mantra of the Bodhisattva of compassion referred to as Avalokiteshvara often which suggests she who hears the unhappy cries of the world. She who listens to the cries of the world. And Om is after all Om, the common Mantra. After which on the finish we’ve bought Hum. Generally I hear folks say Om mani padme om. It’s Om mani padme hum. That hum or hung, relying on the way you’re saying your Sanskrit, is the seed syllable of Mahakala, this tremendous intense protecting deity, tantric type of Shiva. So Mahakala. After which in between we’ve bought the Mani Padme which accurately means Jewel Lotus. And so you possibly can hear translations prefer it means the jewel is within the lotus, however after all that’s not there linguistically, nevertheless it’s actually simply saying to the Jeweled Lotus. So in all probability we’re calling Avalokiteshvara by one other title like a Bodhisattva title Jewel Lotus, like a fairly title. So Om to the Jewel Lotus Hum. It’s form of an open-source Mantra. You don’t need to have any initiations or no matter to make use of. I like that one.
So discover what it’s wish to be you proper now. We did a complete bunch of trying out stuff, what it felt wish to really feel your physique and really feel your feelings and permit ideas to only be there. And even: What it was like to permit persona to easily come up? Or this expertise of this second to come up? So discover now could be it completely different in any approach from after we began? And what’s that like? And it’s form of paradoxical as a result of I mentioned try what it’s wish to be you proper every now and then don’t change it, or don’t really feel like it’s important to change it in any approach after which we principally spend an hour altering it, however not with any agenda, however merely that it’s all the time altering anyway. So you possibly can simply form of undergo these steps and as an experiment and see what occurs, not as some form of mechanistic sequence of change.
So what’s it wish to be you proper now? And way more importantly, who is aware of it? Or what’s realizing that? Actually usually you’ll hear a solution to that query however actually you possibly can’t reply it with phrases and you may’t reply it with reminiscences and you may’t reply it with rationalization you possibly can’t reply it with, a minimum of you possibly can, however you possibly can’t do it truthfully simply from serious about it. It’s a must to look. In order I’m all the time saying, it’s like a the place’s Waldo puzzle, you possibly can’t determine that out, you simply look.
So once I say, what is aware of this? It’s not, Oh I bought to determine that out or I do know the reply to that, it’s no, look, proper now, look. So do it proper now. Look. What’s realizing this second? Can you discover it? And what’s so fascinating is, while you discover you possibly can’t discover it, trace, you possibly can’t, that it is vitally simple to start out saying, Oh that’s the particular separate factor that is aware of, regardless that I can’t discover it, it’s just like the area of the factor that’s conscious. After which the ideas and physique sensations and emotion and sense of self and all that may be a form of like taking place inside that or that’s like fish within the water of consciousness or one thing. And it’s not that that’s not true nevertheless it’s like that’s solely half true.
It’s solely half true as a result of all these issues are, in a way, not any completely different than consciousness. They’re the expressions of consciousness. They’re the waves on the ocean or no matter. In order that it’s not the case that now we have this particular consciousness that is aware of expertise and expertise is one thing else. If something it’s the expertise. We’re the expertise or a minimum of aren’t separate in any approach from the expertise. We may nearly say the expertise is the decoration of consciousness. So even your form of most darkish, judgy, contracted, shitty thought remains to be a pure expression of this realizing, completely completely pure, as pure as anything.
So the arising of this room proper now and everybody and every little thing in it and all of your most intimate inside sensations and feelings and reminiscences are like this effulgent expression of realizing.
So I’m curious if that’s touchdown for you? Or in case you had a meditation expertise you’d wish to share? Or if some burning query is arising that you just really feel like throwing at me. Though why I might know the reply, who is aware of, but when one thing’s arising for you that you just’d wish to share, elevate your hand and I’ll name on you and be at liberty to share it. We all the time need to form of break the floor pressure right here. There’s like the primary goer. So in a minute, I’ll simply name on some random sufferer except any person’s courageous sufficient to share their expertise or ask a query or critique me intensely that may be enjoyable.
Questioner 1: It was the primary time the place I felt like I used to be capable of meditate and it was very particular.
Michael: What did it really feel wish to meditate for the primary time?
Questioner 1: It felt like I took a step away from myself. I went into one other room of like a really wholesome distance.
Michael: So you bought to form of have just a little little bit of perspective on your self.
Questioner 1: Yeah, it felt like watching a film the place I used to be a personality
Michael: Yeah, and that felt impactful.
Questioner 1: Yeah, I feel I’m just a little uninterested in myself.
Michael: Aren’t all of us, proper? This may very well be an actual reduction. Glorious thanks for sharing and letting me simply name on you. Who else has one thing to share earlier than I simply begin calling on you? You’re feeling the rising pressure…
Questioner 2: Okay, selecting your journey. My query is why, what’s the purpose of doing this? What’s the purpose of doing something?
Michael: That’s two questions and do you imply them to be expansions one of many different or would you like it to actually be two questions?
Questioner 2: The second query is a broadening of the primary query as your studying advised.
Michael: Okay so that you’re form of asking me what’s the which means of life proper? Would you say that’s a superb…
Questioner 2: Within the context of the stuff that you realize about that I gained’t go into nice element. I’m form of having a tough time and the best way during which I’m having a tough time with one thing that I had practiced for a number of years within the hopes of not having occur to me, and on condition that that did occur to me, I form of don’t know why I ought to present as much as the non secular observe moreover issues prefer it feels good and it’s enjoyable.
Michael: Okay
Questioner 2: That’s why I mentioned you selected your journey.
Michael: No, yeah, I’m down for it. So, to start with, it feels good and is enjoyable. That’s already one thing. That’s already a motive and in case you utterly shrug these off, then the remainder of the explanations will in all probability be shrug-off-able as nicely, however I might say there’s one thing about greeting our destiny with grace and with acceptance and perhaps even with love that’s the which means of knowledge as a result of each life goes to come across actually troublesome shitty stuff. Maybe even the very issues that particular person dreaded probably the most and but all of us need to work with that.
One thing that we are able to–I nearly by no means do that, you guys know I don’t do that–however okay, so basic Buddhist story… That is when the historic Buddha was strolling round in India and a lady got here to him with a… whose toddler youngster had lately died and she or he was in abject grief after all and the Buddha comforted her and was very variety and so forth. And but she stored asking why? So it wasn’t nearly being comforted, there was this query of why. And so he mentioned you realize we’re in such and such a village right here. I would like you to knock on the door of each home on this village and ask them if they’ve had any misfortunes or grief. And so she goes from home to accommodate and naturally, each one in all them have additionally had family members die, have additionally had horrible issues occur to them, have additionally seen their worst fears come true, have additionally suffered.
And the purpose there wasn’t form of the dickish transfer of making an attempt to reduce her struggling in any respect, it was about that query why and to level out that this befalls everybody and the which means of knowledge is to reply gracefully and maybe even fantastically to that have. And that in a profound approach we’re not picked out for particular punishment, regardless of how a lot it feels that approach or regardless of how painful it really is and it’s painful, however each human and doubtless each being experiences that grief, that ache, that sorrow and ask themselves why.
I bear in mind one time once I was like perhaps 5 I bought actually excited concerning the pasta that was cooking and grabbed the pot of boiling water with one hand, form of by chance, and I can nonetheless really feel the spot of my hand there. I simply burned myself so badly and I’m like sobbing and I used to be actually little, and I simply stored asking “however Mommy why, why did that occur to me? why did that occur to me?” and naturally, my mother is crying. And I imply it comes with having a stomach button, proper? I imply that’s life. Nevertheless it’s not that’s life in form of a callous, Buck up Buttercup form of approach, it’s a why will we do that? We do that in order that we are able to reply with grace and with magnificence and perhaps even meaning-making to tragedy, in addition to rejoice and create and be generative and provides thanks for every little thing.
In order that’s a minimum of a few of the causes to do stuff. And spot we’re all right here collectively. You aren’t alone. See if you’ll find somebody on this room who hasn’t suffered one thing horrible and hasn’t felt alone and like a particular you realize punching bag of God or no matter. Inform me in case you discover somebody as a result of everyone knows that and with our open hearts and camaraderie we are able to
meet you there. That’s one more reason we do that. Okay? I’m glad you got here tonight.
The rest? Different questions, feedback?
Questioner 3: I discover the prospect of turning into extra sensible and swish very motivating and but to date, I suppose by observe, I’ve seen ways in which I perhaps don’t seize so exhausting on expertise.
Michael: That’s already wiser and extra swish. Discover that after we’re tense and contracted and grabby that’s graceless and likewise tends to harm.
Questioner 3: There’s part of me that’s curious if alongside that, I suppose absence of clutching or absence of greedy, I observed that at finest to date it’s like I can form of gently see that I’m flailing or rejecting my expertise. It’s like I’m extra gently rejecting my expertise.
Michael: Glorious or reject it intensely however simply discover it clearly.
Questioner 3: I discover there’s curiosity whether or not continued observe results in a supply of motion that feels wiser as nicely, extra attuned to what the second wants someplace, or what would add to the second in a approach that may be wiser and extra swish?
Michael: I really like the query. I feel you possibly can’t assist it. It’s not observe such as you’re gonna beat your self into that or in some way file your self into that. It’s simply by enjoyable and opening and perhaps simply by giving thanks that form of responsiveness begins to occur extra simply and extra usually. It may be the case like I used to be saying final week, that simply saying sure to no matter is arising may be the entire thing. Irrespective of how exhausting that’s. Proper? Thanks.
Questioner 4: Reflecting from the final two questions, I feel for me both accepting or discovering a solution to take care of troublesome instances feels extra pure or nearly the factor that feels safer to just accept that that’s what’s gonna be the longer term and be prepared for it. Then take pleasure in issues and even have the or the prospect of it may very well be unhealthy nevertheless it is also wonderful, the wonderful facet of it within the second and once I even envision the longer term, that half feels tougher. It doesn’t come naturally. So I nearly really feel like I’m simply attending to this degree of peace and contentment, however pleasure appears a lot tougher.
Michael: So that you’re saying the concept of discovering pleasure in no matter might come up is tougher.
Questioner 4: To permit myself to benefit from the second or to permit myself to assume that life may very well be good. It’s simpler for me to be like, Oh life may very well be very unhealthy, I’m gonna nonetheless be pleased even when issues go unhealthy however the considered issues being good…
Michael: Is extra terrifying. How come? What could be the draw back of every little thing going nicely?
Questioner 4: It’s uh, I don’t know why, I can not think about it as a lot, however I suppose it comes all the way down to worry that I might quite not even have the hope of it as a result of then I’ll be dissatisfied.
Michael: Proper, if somebody got here to you, let’s say you had a youthful sister. Do you may have a youthful sister? Okay, so good, so pure creativeness. You may have a youthful sister and she or he got here to you and mentioned, “I’m so in love with this particular person, however I can’t inform them and I don’t need to do something about it as a result of I’m so afraid that it’s going to go away.” What would you say to your sister? Would you say “Don’t do this, protect yourself and go be secure?”
Questioner 4: I wouldn’t say that, however I might actually battle saying go for it.
Michael: Wow yeah, okay.
Questioner 4: It’s deep.
Michael: It’s deep and but you see that in case you stored saying that what would life turn into?
Questioner 4: Lame.
Michael: Lame, yeah extraordinarily lame and nonetheless unhealthy issues would occur. So that you get solely the unhealthy facet proper.
Questioner 4: Effectively that’s why I introduced this up.
Michael: However you already know the reply. It’s a must to do it anyway. We don’t get born right here as a result of it’s secure. In order for you ‘secure,’ this isn’t the planet.
Questioner 4: What’s stopping me? How do I get previous it?
Michael: Simply see the worry for what it’s and acknowledge, like I’ve been saying, like unhealthy stuff will occur too however that’s okay. Good things occurs and I imply it’s important to take pleasure in and rejoice the good things, in any other case why even trouble?
Questioner 4: It’s a lot tougher accepting the nice.
Michael: Yeah nicely, there you go there’s your work.
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Thanks, thanks to your questions and feedback everybody.
