Nontwin Guided Meditation with Michael Taft
Let’s start. What I would like you to do is simply, type of, settle again into your seat, your asana. I would like you to only verify in with your self to see what it’s prefer to be you proper now, feeling your physique and your feelings and taking the climate report in your thoughts and your complete being. No matter’s happening simply let that be utterly okay, even when it’s actually disagreeable for now, simply let that be simply the best way it’s and that’s effective. So we’re checking in with ourselves, seeing what it’s prefer to be you proper now, and nonetheless that’s, is excellent for now.
Good, and now I’d such as you to only do a slight imaginal journey with me right here and picture that you just’re sitting like an ocean, like a boundless, huge ocean. It has that lovely placidity and leisure of water, there’s zero stress in any a part of it. It’s actually free and open. We’re not transferring in any means anymore we’re merely resting as water, huge, open, and on this case, completely clear water. So simply faux to be sitting like an ocean no matter meaning for you and see if you will discover that sense of relaxation, that sense of leisure, and ease, and a few sense of actual openness and readability. And see that spotlight or focus could also be tight however consciousness itself is like this ocean.
Consciousness itself is of course relaxed and comfy, naturally extensive open and easy, naturally clear. And permit consciousness to note, with out effort and with out focusing, with none consideration in any respect, simply enable this wide-open consciousness to note the rising and falling of the breath. If you wish to you can even see it as a wave within the ocean however minimally, simply let your already extensive open, unsleeping consciousness simply discover that the breath is rising and falling. Don’t put any stress on it, no tightness, no focus, simply extensive open, noticing that the breath, the wave of the breath rises and falls within the huge ocean of wide-open consciousness. It doesn’t take any effort in any respect. It’s simple and relaxed.
I would like you to only hold permitting consciousness to note that breath wave, once more, with out stress, with out focus, simply know that it’s occurring. And you may hold it virtually just like the heartbeat or background of the follow. And as you’re doing that I invite you to do some bodily leisure starting together with your head and face. So simply invite particularly your face to only let go of any mounted expression or tightness or stress, not stretching or transferring, however simply permitting stress to empty from the face and get replaced with a way of ease and peace within the face. So that you just discover your brow muscular tissues stress-free just a little bit and feeling type of good in your eyebrows and particularly the tense muscular tissues round your eyes launch and calm down, your eyelids let go, your cheeks and mouth and lips calm down, and your jaw releases to the place the place your higher and decrease enamel usually are not touching. And simply discover that that already brings a deeper sense of ease, a deeper sense of letting go that you would be able to tune into. It doesn’t require any effort, it’s only a type of letting go of effort, letting go of tightening on goal, simply releasing that.
After which, let’s do the identical factor with our neck and throat, and shoulders, releasing any stress and changing that with openness and ease, and area. Now what typically occurs is: if folks discover stress in a spot, they’ll begin to combat it, and attempt to eliminate it and all that, and that’s not what we’re doing. It’s merely no matter you’ll be able to discover that you would be able to simply let go, simply let go and luxuriate in that. And something that stays–desires to remain tense, then don’t combat it, simply let or not it’s the best way it’s.
If you end up getting drowsy, go forward and open your eyes and sit up just a little straighter. It makes it just a little simpler. You realize there’s the muscle in your throat that in case you calm down, it makes your voice deeper. It’s only a type of leisure. So in case you can calm down that, go forward and try this. And simply really feel now how your face and neck and throat and shoulders are. There’s just a bit extra ease. There’s just a little more room. And permit your arms and wrists and fingers and fingers to only go completely limp, limp like moist noodles, zero stress. No want in any respect to do something together with your arms or fingers or fingers. And see how good that feels, you may even really feel just a little further blood movement, or some tingling in your fingers due to the relief. And so now simply discover that the arms really feel good and the shoulders and neck and throat really feel good and the face feels good, or at the very least just a little extra relaxed, just a little extra open. And simply tune into that as a type of elementary expression of the relaxed ease and openness of your already present spacious consciousness which is sort of a huge open ocean. Simply tune into that. And drop now extra deeply into letting go, noticing the rising and falling of that breath wave with none effort, and the way good it feels to only launch and open. Awake, very clear, very brilliant, and really relaxed.
For those who can simply launch any stress in your diaphragm, in your stomach, let that calm down and be comfy. Your decrease again area to round your kidneys simply opens up, takes half within the respiration, lets go just a little bit. After which discover, within the pelvic area, any stress there stress-free and opening, and your hips–your hip joints–releasing. Possibly your legs fall, simply naturally fall open, simply barely extra and your legs themselves turn into limp like moist rags, no stress of any variety.
And also you discover how this sort of relaxed, tension-free openness brings you to a spot of sitting nonetheless with none stress in any respect. That is the sitting nonetheless of letting go and releasing.
And see how, as your physique turns into extra spacious feeling and open and releases and lets go, the core of your thoughts can simply type of calm down and virtually soften, perhaps simply soften into the ocean. In order that the core of the thoughts itself is spacious and comfy grabbing onto nothing, holding on to nothing, releasing and opening, and letting be.
And let’s simply sit with that collectively, unsleeping, brilliant and clear, an enormous ocean of consciousness noticing the wave of the breath rising and falling with none effort. For those who discover the thoughts grabbing onto one thing, simply calm down enable it to fall again open with none effort. And no matter it was grabbing onto simply toddles off. Every time the thoughts grabs on, simply calm down, let that open, and let no matter it grabbed onto simply go on its merry means.
The thoughts right here is sort of a huge spacious open ocean, grabbing onto, hanging onto nothing in any respect, merely noticing the rising and falling of the breath with none stress or consideration. Good, excellent, now let go of even noticing that breath wave and simply enable consciousness itself to relaxation in itself, noticing the large openness and ease of consciousness. It’s already there, there’s nothing to do, it’s already current but additionally it’s large stability. If, for no matter cause, that’s too difficult, simply hold noticing the breath wave. In any other case, we are able to use consciousness itself as its personal meditation object, merely resting in consciousness of itself with none effort, it’s already conscious, nothing to do.
Now, if I used to be a conventional instructor, I’d yell actually loud proper now however as an alternative, I’m simply going to ring this bell. We’re going to proceed meditating however I’m simply going to ring the bell as soon as simply to type of brighten issues up in right here a bit. So bell’s coming. Let’s take heed to that bell.
Good. Now we’re going to do one thing barely extra energetic. I would like you to easily discover no matter feelings are arising, if any are arising, and spot that these feelings which are arising are empty. That means: they’re there, you’ll be able to really feel the emotion nevertheless it’s additionally type of not there, it’s like a mirrored image in a mirror, or like a rainbow or a cloud. There’s a sense tone of emotion that’s there and on the identical time, it’s bought a sure type of nebulosity, which we historically name vacancy. And if there aren’t any feelings there, then discover that feeling of emotional peace or relaxation, and spot the vacancy of that as effectively. So every time emotion arises of any kind, irrespective of how small, we’re simply noticing its vacancy, very simply, very naturally. It’s not one thing you can seize and cling on to. It’s not one thing you can put in a field. It’s not one thing you can label and place in a show case, it’s constantly transferring, altering, and in a means, virtually like a mirrored image of an emotion–there and never there. Despite the fact that you realize you’re feeling issues, you’ll be able to by no means actually outline it or pinpoint it or choose a closing description. It’s constantly transferring and altering and nebulous. Discover that property of any feelings or moods or emotions which are arising. In our conceptual thoughts we need to make them into distinct issues but when we’re permitting consciousness to contact it freely and brazenly and straight we discover it isn’t a factor.
Good. Now persevering with to try this, discover the identical factor about any pondering that’s occurring, any type of pondering. Ideas are arising, however we are able to’t inform the place they’re coming from, they’re staying for a short time, however constantly altering after which they vanish and we don’t know the place they went. So, similar to with the emotions, with the feelings, it’s very laborious to say {that a} thought is a factor or one thing we are able to seize onto. And particularly in case you’re utilizing thought constructs to attempt to information your meditation, or do it proper, or choose your self about it, all of that’s simply the identical factor; simply the arising and passing of a way of motion within the thoughts however nothing you’ll be able to cling on to. It’s possible you’ll attempt to cling on to it, you could attempt to relaxation in it nevertheless it by no means rests, it’s not dependable like that, it’s empty. Ideas are like shining projections on nothing, simply there, but additionally type of not there.
Discover that now. It’s virtually like on this huge open ocean of brilliant clear consciousness that could be very awake there are simply ripples of thought and ripples of feeling, nonetheless simply extra ocean, not by some means completely different, nothing to hold onto. Now let’s do the identical factor with any concrete seeming physique sensations, all that discomfort in your legs, or some feeling in your again, or no matter is happening merely arising in consciousness like ripples within the water, not by some means completely different than the water, not by some means in a position to injure the water or hurt the water, there however not there. Ideas, feelings, physique sensations all merely like desires, like clouds, like reflections within the water, there but additionally not there. Simply let go, don’t cling on, there’s nothing to hold on to. If it’s tightening, simply calm down. Discover that the huge area of consciousness, the ocean of consciousness is undisturbed, it’s completely comfy, open and restful no matter what’s arising. Feelings are empty, ideas are empty, physique sensations are empty.
Now discover that even that sense of being you has that very same high quality, it’s like a mirrored image in a mirror, there however not there. That complete story of you; likes and dislikes, your historical past, the what you’re like, and the place you’re coming from all of that’s merely a mirrored image within the mirror of consciousness. It’s undoubtedly there, it’s simply additionally type of not there. It’s like a dream, desires are there however while you get up the place are they? Discover that that complete sense of self is sort of a dream. Don’t be the sense of self. Be what notices it. Discover that even the concept that you’re doing a meditation, am I doing it proper? am I doing it fallacious? how am I doing this? its going effectively, this isn’t going effectively, that’s all simply empty ideas, just a few passing thought and feeling, like ripples within the ocean of consciousness, completely empty, completely to not be held onto.
And once we lastly really discover our personal already current, completely easeful, open awakeness it’s at all times been there since beginningless time, we discover that that’s simply effective, that’s at peace. Nevertheless it’s additionally playful and spontaneous and really alive, not caught up in a narrative, recent and current and pure. It’s by no means not been there, it’s by no means not been the bottom of your personal being, nothing to repair, nothing to vary, extensive open, completely current.
When consciousness acknowledges itself, acknowledges what it’s at all times been it feels a type of pleasure. It’s simply the enjoyment of openness, the enjoyment of no constriction, and in addition the enjoyment of connection. There’s no lack of connection and togetherness. Simply discover that kindness and pleasure and connection radiating out in all instructions, bringing reduction in all instructions to everybody in all places. Kindness, peace, and ease to all beings in all places.
Good. Go forward and let go of the follow. Be at liberty to maneuver and stretch.
Dharma Speak
You may additionally discover that the spaciousness, the openness, the wakefulness, the notice doesn’t go away, didn’t go anyplace. It’s nonetheless there as a result of we’re not producing it, or by some means by getting in simply the best spot of meditation making it occur, or one thing like that. It’s at all times there. We’re simply getting nonetheless sufficient to note that. Once you tune into that over and over, as a result of it’s at all times there to tune into, finally, as an alternative of the concept of you tuning into it, you kind of notice that you just’re simply returning to the place you’re already at, or type of recognizing what’s already there. The extra that occurs the extra it’s type of a humorous factor.
I believe I used to be mentioning this verse from Rumi Jalaluddin the opposite day. It’s fairly well-known and I received’t quote the poem appropriately however you realize the poem is describing the anguish and angst and energy of knocking on the door and knocking on the door attempting to get inside after which realizing, oh, I’m knocking from the within, already there. All of that was simply type of like a mistake or a humorous recreation, I’m already right here there was nothing to do and that’s the sensation. That’s the sensation once we acknowledge our personal awakeness. It’s such as you’ve been attempting to do the meditation proper, and also you’ve been attempting to get concentrated, and also you’ve been, you realize, you’re warring with distraction, otherwise you’re warring together with your kleshas, otherwise you’re warring with you’re feeling too drained otherwise you really feel too–what’s the correct time period I’m on the lookout for right here? the phrase that’s developing is feisty that’s not the precise phrase I’m on the lookout for. Flighty, just a little flighty, you realize, simply type of an excessive amount of pace in your head so that you’re attempting to vary that, otherwise you’re simply always preventing with the system to love get it proper. Acquired to get it proper.
And that’s the identical factor, I’m knocking and knocking and knocking, and then you definitely notice you’re knocking from the within. There was nothing to get proper there as a result of it’s the notice that’s already there, that’s already secure, that’s already clear, that’s already unsleeping, that’s already utterly free and joyous. There’s nothing to vary about it. And unexpectedly, you’ll be able to simply calm down, it’s okay. The notice is already awake. After which, you tighten up and overlook that once more, however simply calm down and acknowledge once more, after which calm down and acknowledge once more. When you acknowledge that even just a little bit, and then you definitely get type of assured, oh yeah, I’m recognizing it.
You possibly can’t ever overlook what that’s as a result of it’s simply–it’s such an uncommon factor. Have you ever ever learn in A Stranger in a Unusual Land they speak about how Michael Valentine Smith pushes folks 90 levels to every little thing. It simply disappears them on this kind of magic means within the e book, said as a type of geometry. Like there’s a spot 90 levels from every little thing and that’s kind of what it seems like the notice permeates every little thing however in one other humorous means it’s 90 levels from every little thing that we’ve been taught to concentrate to, like emotion, and naturally, emotion is extraordinarily essential, useful stunning, helpful, deep, wealthy, typically disturbing, upsetting, life-wrecking, typically crucial factor and most therapeutic factor.
And so, there’s no sense during which I’m saying that’s not essential or not there. But additionally it’s completely different than we expect it’s as a result of it’s a mirrored image or arising in consciousness. For those who didn’t realize it was there, that’s completely different. Identical factor with ideas and for many of us both our ideas or our feelings are going to be type of central to gluing our sense of self collectively, normally each. However a few of us are extra like type of psychological assemble folks, a few of us are extra, you realize, deep emoters, however everybody’s bought each of these happening. However within the case of ideas, it’s very easy to only glom onto these and seize onto them and never–I don’t simply imply phrases, it’s not simply phrases, like we have a tendency to think about ideas as just like the sentences in our heads, nevertheless it’s additionally simply the general constructions, the ideas, the frames that we’re setting issues in, and the point of view. I don’t imply visible
viewpoint, I imply type of our sense of the place we’re in comparison with them. All that’s coming below the phrase thought or let’s imagine thought assemble, or ideas and all in the identical means because the feelings, that’s there. We are able to construct an airplane utilizing that and it’ll fly and you realize the stuff is beneficial nevertheless it’s additionally completely different than what we expect it’s. It’s reflecting, it’s an arising in consciousness, like a ripple in an ocean and it’s not separate from the ocean. It’s not one thing to seize onto.
Identical to feelings, you’ll be able to’t cling your hat on it, you’ll be able to’t relaxation on it, you’ll be able to’t try and be that. And that’s all we do is try and be these issues. And once we try and be these issues, we discover again and again, that you would be able to’t really try this and that’s irritating. So we attempt to constantly battle to make these by some means secure, by some means a spot to relaxation, by some means one thing to be. They usually by no means might be that. And there wasn’t a millisecond in your whole life the place you’ve been that. That’s like believing you’re the avatar in your online game. It’s there, you’ll be able to see it, however that’s not one thing you might be. However what’s noticing that? How do you even realize it’s there?
Once more, the notice is central. It’s how you realize there’s a thought assemble there in any respect, or what the thought assemble is. And so, the sport right here is to to not do it proper, or to not be the right thought assemble, or to not have the right emotion, or to by some means stabilize these, or by some means make these all come into focus excellent, however somewhat to only cease grabbing on to any of that lengthy sufficient to only discover the factor that’s at all times there.
The noticing itself. The noticing itself. And that’s what I imply, it’s type of 90 levels to every little thing as a result of we’ve by no means been skilled to try this. It’s actually really fairly simple however as a result of we’ve by no means been skilled to do it, it feels just like the weirdest factor on the earth. And the usual method, the usual type of like–in case you get into kind of the traditions and the scriptures and stuff what they’ll say is that it’s–I’ll overlook the complete listing–however that it’s like really easy you simply can’t imagine you’re doing it proper. And it’s so apparent that you would be able to’t imagine that that’s what individuals are attempting to get you to see, and it’s so good you’ll be able to’t imagine that that’s actually it. There’s yet one more, I can’t keep in mind what it’s proper now, nevertheless it’s like actually that simple, and actually that apparent, and actually that good. When you type of get the cling of what we’re attempting to get you to note, which is the noticing.
In a bunch of my courses, we’ve been going by means of this stunning translation of a poem a Sixteenth-century Tibetan poet and grasp, Jigmé Lingpa. The e book is translated by Ken McCleod, it’s referred to as A Trackless Path. However in there, he says one thing actually fascinating, which is: as an alternative of glomming onto the arising, be what is aware of the arising, be what notices it. And he has a very fascinating metaphor for that, he says that’s like being an oak peg within the laborious floor. It’s a really odd metaphor when you consider it. All these traditions speak about area and openness and ease and there’s nothing to hold onto however he’s saying that sense of coming from consciousness itself, openness, not a thought assemble, not any type of assemble, however simply consciousness, even consciousness, not as a assemble not as a factor, that has this property of being like an oak peg within the laborious floor.
And though it too is empty, it does have this fascinating sense of being tremendous secure and really unruffled, though plenty of issues are altering. It has this sense it’s at all times been there, it’s by no means been completely different. And so forth now we’re not deifying that or refining that into the one everlasting factor, it’s nonetheless empty as I’m saying however nonetheless it has this property of–in comparison with
the constructs–of being like an oak peg within the laborious floor. It’s very fascinating once we be taught to meditate by, let’s say, specializing in the breath, which is a good looking factor to do, I imply please try this, it’s a terrific meditation. We’re type of borrowing the steadiness of the breath to stabilize our thoughts, proper? Or let’s say, you’re meditating on taking a look at a cushion in entrance of you, we’re type of borrowing the steadiness of that visible presentation to nonetheless our thoughts. However finally, as you try this type of meditation increasingly more and extra you notice the factor itself is just not secure in any respect, it was simply comparatively secure.
However the extra you discover it the extra–relying on the way you’re doing the meditation–you may see it flip right into a type of like buzzy tremendous vibratory static or simply straight see its vacancy, which is like only a reflection. And so the factor that you’re utilizing to stabilize the thoughts, finally, you see is totally unstable and what’s really secure is what’s like Thoughts with a capital M. The notice itself is tremendously secure and the objects of consciousness usually are not. And so, we are able to enable what’s already there nothing particular, simply the truth that you’re awake, proper, now to be its personal stability.
It’s very fascinating, it’s very highly effective, it’s type of liberating, or I might say radically liberating.
Particularly the extra you discover that that’s at all times out there, at all times out there and that’s while you’re like, oh I’ve been knocking and knocking to get inside to the nice place however I’m knocking from inside, the nice place I completely bought it like I’m already there. It’s already there, I didn’t must make it, I didn’t have to love crawl my means there. It’s already there. So good, that’s my raving for this night. Any questions or feedback and even experiences from you all?
Questioner 1: What’s the operate of this not transferring within the meditation?
Michael: Whole leisure.
Questioner 1: What concerning the ache that’s increase?
Michael: Yeah, so if ache is increase then primary be happy subsequent time to sit down within the wiggle room and never expertise that ache, that’s nice. However as you get increasingly more used to sitting like this, you’ll discover that the ache doesn’t come up as a result of your physique simply will get used to sitting nonetheless, or if it does, that turns into one other object to note the vacancy of and permits you to join extra deeply with the notice that’s noticing. It’s really actually, actually useful to sit down nonetheless however you don’t need to do it earlier than you’re prepared as a result of then it’s type of simply agony, which is why we kindly present the opposite area. Finally although, you’ll discover that while you calm down sufficient your physique simply–that’s what I used to be saying we don’t keep nonetheless rigidly, we’re not holding ourselves nonetheless right here, you’re stress-free to the purpose the place you’ll be able to’t transfer as a result of in case you had been to attempt to transfer you’d must tense again up. And For those who get used to doing that and also you sit such as you’re sitting in a means that you just’re used to sitting, your physique will discover this spot the place it may possibly sit, the place it simply feels good the entire time.
So it simply takes just a little getting used to, however when you’re used to it, it’s like there’s type of a BING! You simply need to simply be so relaxed and open that you just simply, type of, can’t transfer. So it’s actually finally very, very good.
Once I was first studying to sit down this manner it was like jail and oh I simply gotta make it by means of it, and that may be helpful. Really, plenty of traditions work with that nevertheless it’s okay to not push it additional than you’ll be able to push it proper now. However finally, you’ll discover–it would take months or years or no matter–however finally, you simply sit there and it simply feels good to only actually calm down. As a result of on a regular basis you’re prepared to maneuver–that is the humorous factor–readiness to maneuver is like 15-20 p.c stress within the muscular tissues. That’s what readiness is. And so in case you let go of that, actually let go of it, you compromise right into a type of stillness that could be very, very nice after which your thoughts will begin to calm down. So the physique and thoughts are one factor, proper? In order that large leisure model stillness within the bodily physique begins to induce relaxed open stillness within the thoughts, whereas if we’re preserving the physique actually tense and that’s like we’re attempting to maintain the thoughts tense. Generally we attempt to get thought-free by preserving the thoughts tense. That doesn’t assist. It completely doesn’t work. Or you realize, if we’re simply always fidgeting and scratching and altering our hair and zipping and unzipping our garments, or no matter, our thoughts simply will do the identical factor. So finally, we simply be taught that basically, you realize, that is even the key of jhana. The key of jhana is just not by some means excessive focus, it’s really studying find out how to calm down, actually calm down. As a result of once we actually calm down the physique, the thoughts actually relaxes, and as an alternative of being some type of tight management that’s the actual actual focus, the thoughts is simply completely nonetheless. And it comes from opening, releasing, letting go, liberating stress, proper? In order that’s why we’re sitting nonetheless, okay?
Yeah however, you realize, one factor I’ll say is typically it feels together with your legs like in the event that they go to sleep they’re gonna–you’re gonna be accomplished meditating and your proper leg from the knee down will simply snap off or one thing and that’s not gonna occur. They only get just a little numb typically as a result of the nerve is simply barely pressed just a bit bit and so long as you rise up gradual they’ll be utterly effective. Nice query although, thanks. What else?
Questioner 2: Is there a degree past which we are able to’t go? Is there a degree that’s really invisible once we attempt to focus the notice? In different phrases, I used to be shocked how a lot I might really feel that occuring however mentally I’m pondering I would like to have the ability to decide the factor up and take a look at it which suggests you’re separate from it.
Michael: Yeah, and in order that’s coming from idea, proper? That’s coming from the concept: there’s me over right here taking a look at consciousness over there and so naturally such as you’re saying, you get that feeling of–I’ve bought to have the ability to decide it up and take a look at it or maintain it or give attention to it. However you’ll be able to let go of each little bit of that and since consciousness is conscious it doesn’t require any focus. You don’t have to take a look at it with tight consideration in any means, it’s already conscious of itself. It’s not a factor that you just’re placing into focus, it’s already there. In any other case, you’d be useless or unconscious or one thing. Is there an expertise occurring proper now?
Questioner 2: There’s a consciousness…
Michael: No, reply the query. Is there an expertise occurring?
Questioner 2: Yeah
Michael: That’s it. You simply did it, you don’t must tighten it in any respect to take a look at it in some particular means. That’s what I imply. It’s really easy that you would be able to’t imagine it. It’s simply that nakedness of the truth that there’s expertise. So something you’re doing to attempt to get an angle on it or flip round to take a look at, all of that’s simply nonsense. And I did it for years, so I completely relate to why you’re doing it nevertheless it’ll be fairly literal, throw it out, simply come again to it’s already conscious of itself. It’s that simple.
Okay. does that make sense to you? Are you able to do it proper now? Yeah? No?
Questioner 2: Sure.
Michael: Okay, proper. It’s proper there, no focus needed. So isn’t it fascinating, we type of make what I might name like a cartesian theater in our head, like okay there’s a me over right here and I gotta put it up that factor over there. All of that’s simply including stuff in that doesn’t should be there.
So simply each time you discover your self doing that, simply drop it, it’s only a waste of time.
Okay, superior, nice query. Folks?
Questioner 3: You mentioned one thing just a little bit earlier that the place you had been type of speaking about thought and movement and my query is how do you’re feeling as if thought and movement aren’t completely different from one another and the way the operate of them is completely different?
Michael: It’s an advanced query as a result of it’s like on many various layers, proper? And so within the context of this dialogue, I’ll simply reply briefly though there’s extra to it. I might say in essentially the most type of childlike common means we discover that ideas are both sounds or footage, proper? They’re going to be discuss discuss discuss or footage or even when they’re deep ideas they’re going to have that type of construction, whereas feelings are going to be a physique sensation principally, we’d have concepts concerning the emotion however that comes again to ideas. The feelings themselves really feel like a type of motion within the physique. So to place it in kind of an experiential however perhaps childlike means; ideas are going to be sounds and footage, and feelings are going to be emotions in your physique, okay? So what’s fascinating is as we go deeper and deeper with these all of them begin seeming like a type of motion and finally they kind of come collectively into one factor, proper, and it’s simply stuff transferring. After which finally you acknowledge it’s simply consciousness transferring, it’s not even a factor, it’s like an empty phantom in consciousness.
And but once more, once we say empty it appears like I imply nothing however I don’t imply nothing, there’s an expertise there. However as we go deeper and deeper into what we’d name the thoughts sense, proper, it appears to only be increasingly more motion, no matter meaning. After which the motion–like I used to be saying, like ripples on the ocean of consciousness–are simply manufactured from extra consciousness. You notice that the ideas and emotions and physique sensations and even the world round you, it’s not manufactured from something however consciousness. Despite the fact that it’s not manufactured from it nevertheless it’s not completely different than it did anyway so however to get into the operate and all that, that’s a complete different…
I’ll say I don’t know. Does that reply your query in any respect?
Questioner 3: Yeah.
Michael: Okay. Good. Sure?
Questioner 4: So that you’re speaking about consciousness as a part of the self and to me…
Michael: I by no means mentioned that.
Questioner 4: Okay, are you speaking about consciousness? However what concerning the will? Is the desire assumed below consciousness or is it a separate factor? Or is it…
Michael: Once you say the desire what do you imply?
Questioner 4: I don’t merely have the sense that I’m conscious, I even have the sense that I can do issues. I can do no matter I would like.
Michael: The place does that come from? How are you aware what you need?
Questioner 4: I select it.
Michael: How are you aware what to decide on? Like so that you select to, I don’t know, go to the toilet?
Questioner 4: It’s a mix between figuring out and selecting, kind of.
Michael: All I might say is look actually carefully on the concept of will and inform me the place it comes from and in case you determined it. Simply in your personal expertise look actually carefully. As a result of I can sit right here and say I believe it’s this or that however I don’t know the reality of the universe, I simply invite you to see if that factor of like effectively…
Questioner 4: I simply do it as a result of I need to.
Michael: Okay, effectively look into the wanting actually how do you even know you need that? The place does that come from? It’s an fascinating factor to look deeply at.
Questioner 4: The wanting is just not the essential factor, I didn’t will something even one thing I don’t need to I can watch nothing and I’ve 5 choices in entrance of me I simply will this one.
Michael: Okay, discover that second of keen then. The place does that come from? Look actually carefully. When does it–is there a second earlier than the keen? What’s there earlier than the keen? And what’s modified as soon as, proper in that second, when that sense of keen it seems? And the place did it come from? Test it out. I assure that might be fascinating.
Questioner 4: Okay
Michael: It’s extra essential than my concepts about this or that. Simply look into your personal expertise.
Okay, superior. Time sensible I ought to go right here. I really would like to hold speaking and actually get pleasure from being privileged to hang around with you guys and listen to your questions and stuff.
