Dwell Guided Nondual Meditation with Michael Taft
Streamed dwell on Jan 6, 2022
Hey everyone, welcome to tonight’s dwell nondual meditation with me, any person or one other sitting in a room someplace speaking about one thing. “A considerably one thing transferring a dream like on a fading street” as Lalla wrote in her spontaneous poetry from the Kashmir area–I neglect how way back that was. I feel it was a minimum of within the 1500s perhaps even earlier. (Be aware: really the 1300s)
Meditation
Anyway, right here we’re tonight and I might love to start meditating with you now. So let’s go forward and try this. Typically we spend numerous time speaking about our posture, tonight I’m going to simply say “get in a meditation posture. You already know what to do.” After which different occasions, after we get in our meditation posture, I spend numerous time we do visualizations – what we’d name ‘useful resource constructing’ or if we have been talking extra conventional language, we’d name it some type of a Yidam observe or Ishtadevata observe, i.e. deity yoga. However tonight what we’re going to do as an alternative is, when you get settled into your posture, we’re simply going to start out. And to begin with I would like you to simply examine in with your self in probably the most normal sense. What does it really feel prefer to be you proper now? Otherwise you’d be asking your self “what does it really feel prefer to be me proper now? What’s it prefer to be me proper now?” And naturally you don’t ask that in phrases. It’s extra like a normal tune in ideas, feelings, the physique… simply checking in with every thing. How’s it going? And once more the reply isn’t phrases or some type of guidelines. It’s simply feeling the way it’s going, tuning in, dropping in. You simply try this briefly.
After which from right here what I would like you to do is to think about belongings you’re grateful for. They are often small issues like “I’m grateful for the peanut butter sandwich I had this morning”, “I’m grateful for the scent of petrichor on the bottom outdoors, that after rain scent” or it may be “I’m grateful for air basically” and “grateful for meals basically”. You may make it massive or small, grandiose or type of micro. However both approach I would like it to essentially imply one thing to you. That’s what’s necessary. What it’s, will not be necessary. What’s necessary is that you simply really really feel gratitude. And so I would like you to take a seat right here for a pair minutes citing belongings you really feel grateful for. You’ll be able to visualize them. You’ll be able to take into consideration them. You’ll be able to bear in mind them. And I would like you to really feel that gratitude warming your coronary heart, warming your coronary heart area. Simply really feel gratitude proper now. Let’s try this collectively.
And also you would possibly simply discover that as you are feeling extra gratitude, there may be a touch of a smile coming… the sensation of a smile in your mouth, the place you would possibly really feel type of weepy–in a constructive approach–round your eyes, and your coronary heart softens, it warms up and it softens and also you begin to really feel that glowing type of sensation in your coronary heart. So let’s simply proceed picturing, remembering, appreciating issues that we really feel gratitude for. Actually really feel that gratitude.
Okay, good. Now you may let go of the visualization and the remembering and all that. And I would like you to simply sit and meditate upon that gratitude in your coronary heart, the gratitude within the chess area. Simply really feel it glowing. Really feel it. Really feel the gratitude. Don’t get into numerous ideas about it. Now don’t assume quite a bit about it. Simply really feel that nice heat melty coronary heart sensation and actually let it fill consciousness. Let it fill your complete consciousness. And simply sit with it in a very relaxed comfy open method.
Fabulous! Now, let’s start our typical sequence with shamatha with an object. Simply centered rest. The thoughts is evident and shiny. And we’re meditating on a selected object. On this case, I would like you to be meditating on the physique sensations of respiratory. However let’s breathe in a selected approach. You wish to make this comfy. You wish to make it be just right for you. Don’t do it if it doesn’t work. However what I would like you to do is a standard in-breath after which a very lengthy out-breath so long as you are feeling comfy. So that you’re inhaling usually after which the out-breath is lengthy, lengthy, lengthy. And on that lengthy out-breath, if you wish to make it even longer, you constrict your throat so that you simply’re respiratory–you’re inhaling the best way that it will make your voice sound like that should you have been speaking. So it’s type of a Darth Vader sound. And that’s known as ‘ujjayi breath’ in Sanskrit; ujjayi. And so forth the out-breath, you’re simply holding that a part of your throat somewhat bit tight in order that it’s permitting you to do actually lengthy out breaths. Now I don’t need you to do an out-breath so lengthy that it’s uncomfortable. However I would like you to do an out-breath that’s perhaps twice so long as you’re in-breath or one thing like that–it doesn’t must be precise. After which you’re meditating on the sensations of respiratory. Okay, so let’s start there. If you wish to, you should utilize a label “inhaling” on the in-breath, after which on the out-breath you might need to say it a pair occasions “respiratory out, respiratory out, respiratory out, respiratory out.” Psychological labels will make it easier to stick with it. So, let’s start there.
Good, now on the in-breath I would like you to note the top of the in-breath, after which on the out-breath preserve ready for the top of the out-breath, finish of the out-breath, finish of the out-breath, and actually discover, actually discover when it lastly, lastly, lastly, lastly ends. Okay, so that you’re feeling the breath during however you’re giving additional consideration to the top of the in-breath and the top of the out-breath. And that’s going that will help you stick with it. All this respiratory is thru your nostril by the best way, not by means of the mouth – all by means of the nostril.
Now, let’s proceed to meditate on the breath. However I would like you to be sure to’re not coming from like a spot inside your head and beaming the flashlight of consideration on the breath. That is from huge spacious consciousness. Think about in a approach the entire room and even the entire sky is feeling the breath. And it’s probably not imagining. Simply discover that consciousness is broad. Consciousness is huge. It’s boundless and that feeling of the breath merely arises inside consciousness. Consciousness is conscious of it naturally. You don’t have to focus. You don’t have to make it like a highlight. The attention is simply vast and the sensation of the breath rises in consciousness. Nonetheless preserve doing the lengthy out-breaths. However simply discover that you simply’re meditating on the out-breath from this very vast consciousness.
Simply preserve permitting consciousness itself to pay attention to the breath sensations. It’s quite simple. Going much more deeply, much more richly, much more fully concerned with the breath sensation, however permitting it to simply come up in consciousness that’s already conscious.
Really feel how good that feels to simply enable the breath sensations to come up in consciousness, actually noticing the top of the in-breath, actually noticing the top of the out-breath, and doing these lengthy, lengthy, lengthy, lengthy out-breaths. They get very settled and get very nonetheless and really shiny. Consciousness itself may be very shiny, very huge, very vast, very easy.
Feels so good. Now, what I would like you to do is enable the breath sensations to now transfer into the background. And permit simply that huge spacious consciousness itself to be within the foreground. I discover this a lot simpler to do with my eyes open. However your mileage could differ. You are able to do this together with your eyes open, your eyes closed, your eyes half closed, no matter works for you. However what I would like you to do is ‘simply enable consciousness to relaxation in consciousness’. There are different methods to say this. We are able to say ‘enable consciousness to note itself’ or ‘enable consciousness to deal with itself’ or ‘take note of itself.’ It is a little deceptive due to course there’s no tightness or consideration in consciousness conscious of itself. However nonetheless, have the notice simply deal with itself. Or one other option to say it’s to ‘merely present consciousness to consciousness.’ All proper, so we’re simply resting in consciousness conscious of itself. Anything that comes up: ideas–we’re not being attentive to these; emotions–we’re not being attentive to these; the breath sensations–we’re not being attentive to these; exterior sights and sounds–we’re not being attentive to these. If we discover ourselves being attentive to any of that stuff, we simply launch that spotlight, we simply drop the ball and are available again to consciousness conscious of itself. That is the least effortful meditation on this planet as a result of consciousness is already conscious. So consciousness is effortlessly conscious of itself and never getting concerned with the rest.
Okay good, now, persevering with to simply relaxation as huge spacious consciousness, we’re going to now transfer into vipassana. So there’s a little little bit of effort right here. And I would like you to note that we’re going to do it unexpectedly: Every little thing arising in consciousness is empty. If it’s a thought that arises in consciousness, it’s empty. If it’s an emotion that arises in consciousness, it’s empty. If it’s a physique sensation that arises in consciousness, it’s empty. If it’s a considered ‘how I can’t do that’ or ‘that is troublesome’ or ‘I don’t like this’ or ‘I don’t know what I’m doing’ or ‘this takes me without end’ or ‘I’ll by no means get there,’ these ideas are all empty. Even concepts concerning the surrounding world – like
the world round you, all empty; sounds of the world round you, all empty; photographs of the world round you, all empty. Every little thing that arises in any respect in consciousness is empty. Keep in mind, empty doesn’t imply it’s not there. It simply means it’s like an ephemeral projection in consciousness. You simply discover its wispy, ephemeral, nebulous, undefined nature. So we’re resting as consciousness just like the sky, simply this huge, blue, empty, open sky, and all of the expertise that’s arising is rather like wind transferring in that sky–empty, empty, empty, not completely different from the sky and likewise having its personal kind of motion, its personal kind of wave or ripple. So simply discover the vacancy of all arising and permit your self to, enable consciousness itself to develop into fairly absorbed with this ‘seeing of vacancy’ which can really feel like seeing wispiness, seeing indistinctness, seeing the changingness, the impermanence, seeing the truth that issues come and go, however seeing that even whereas they’re current. They’re nebulous, vague, dreamlike, rainbowlike photographs.
For those who’re caught up in pondering, simply discover the vacancy of pondering. Considering is simply wind in an empty sky.
If feelings preserve grabbing you, you retain getting absorbed into emotion, it’s like taking the entire sky and abruptly cramming it down into an emotion – simply come again to being the sky and
discover that emotion is simply empty. It’s simply wind transferring within the sky – swirling, altering however probably not completely different than the sky and probably not in a position to entice the sky. The sky of consciousness is all the time boundless. It’s all the time huge. It’s all the time clear. It’s all the time shiny.
Every little thing that arises is empty, empty, empty, empty – simply preserve feeling, preserve noticing consciousness noticing that vacancy. The sky noticing its personal winds. They don’t interrupt the sky. They’re not completely different from the sky and but they’ve their very own motion, their very own swirling paths. Every little thing that arises is totally empty. Maintain noticing that time and again and time and again and over. In order for you you may even use a label like ‘empty,’ ‘empty,’ ‘empty’ to notice these.
Ideas are empty. Emotions are empty. The story of your self is empty. Your character is empty. The world round you is empty. Concepts concerning the world round you’re empty. Concepts of time, concepts of house all empty. It’s only a huge sky of consciousness with all these winds arising in it and the winds are all empty. And now I would like you to note the vacancy of some notably
fascinating arisings. Discover now the vacancy of the sense of effort, the sense that you simply’re attempting to do one thing – within the sense that you’ve got this intention to make one thing occur. Now once more bear in mind, vacancy doesn’t imply it’s not there. So you may nonetheless have the hassle, you may nonetheless have the intention to make one thing occur, however discover that it’s empty. It’s simply wind within the sky. It’s not completely different than consciousness. It’s in essence unfindable and but you may nonetheless expertise it. However discover that that sense of attempting, that sense of effort, that sense of grinding, that sense of doing, it’s all empty. Discover its vacancy. And if you discover its vacancy how gentle it turns into–which means buoyant and never heavy. It turns into very gentle this sense of doing.
Good, so any sense of effort, any sense of attempting, any sense of doing–it’s simply empty. Now, discover that the sense of being a doer, the sense of being the one making one thing occur, being the one who’s attempting to meditate, being the one who’s attempting to take a seat right here, being the one who’s attempting to do it proper, being the one who doubts they’ll do it, being the one, being the one, being the one…that sense of being a doer is simply empty within the vastness of huge spacious consciousness, within the open sky, that sensible, clear, shiny, awake, conscious sky of consciousness. When the sense of being the doer comes up, the one who’s doing, discover, it’s simply wind within the sky. It’s simply wind within the sky, completely empty.
Good, now discover even the sense of doing a meditation in any respect is empty. That’s simply an thought. Doing a meditation in any respect, anyone doing something, however particularly the sense of a doer, within the sense of me doing a meditation, now that’s all simply an thought. That’s empty, empty, empty wind in an open
sky. That huge crisp sky of consciousness will not be modified by the wind in any approach. No effort, no one making an effort, no meditation in any respect, all empty.
Now, simply let go fully again into shamatha with out an object–again into dropping the ball. However discover, nothing modified. We’re not doing a meditation. Every little thing’s fully empty. There’s merely an unlimited open sky of consciousness that’s already fully conscious of itself. Consciousness conscious of its personal consciousness with none effort, with none doing. Every little thing completely empty on this huge sky of consciousness. What is that this? … This has all the time been right here–vast open, completely awake, completely clear, completely pristine. There’s nothing to do. There’s nothing to alter. Every little thing arising in that is empty of its personal accord, already empty upon rising, no effort required.
Relaxation right here in the Aristocracy, in simplicity and dignity an empress of all of creation needing nothing, doing nothing, wakeful, completely huge in countless vacancy.
Pristine huge awake consciousness, completely pure, completely easy, completely restful, completely awake. I’m going to learn some verses from the tibetan grasp Jigme Lingpa that refers to this consciousness:
Awakening thoughts is the essence of all expertise.
He says ‘awakening thoughts’ – I say ‘woke up consciousness’ or ‘awake consciousness’.
Awakening thoughts is the guts of all buddhas, the guts of all woke up ones.
Awakening thoughts is the life pressure of all beings.
Obvious and supreme aren’t present in awakening thoughts.
Observe or not observe — consideration goes past.
Act or not act — selections soften away.
Empty or not empty — awakening thoughts is past.
Be or not be — there’s a vastness whereby
These variations fade away.
Consciousness — not a phrase, not a thought, no description in any respect —
Has as its axis no corrective, no holding a place.
Its nature is naked, regular, contemporary and unfolding,
A vastness free from all effort and issues.
Relaxation the place there is no such thing as a change or time.
Relaxation proper there in your individual pristine consciousness that has been right here since beginningless time.
[Note: read from Ken McLeod’s “A Trackless Path”]
Good, now simply discover a way of gratitude arising on this awake consciousness – a pure simple open gratitude, a gratitude for all times, gratitude for breath, a gratitude for the chance to meditate collectively, a gratitude for the chance to attach with sacred teachings. And simply really feel that gratitude, simply of its personal streaming by means of consciousness, arising and streaming all through the infinity of consciousness.
Dharma Discuss
Okay good, now let’s carry the guided meditation to a detailed. However discover that nothing adjustments. Pristine consciousness continues to be there, huge spacious consciousness continues to be huge – it all the time is. We’re not making it that approach. The meditation observe doesn’t one way or the other make consciousness huge. Consciousness is of course spacious, naturally boundless, and timeless. So although we finish the meditation, nothing has modified. And bear in mind, we seen that even the sense of being a doer doing one thing is empty. So not solely have been we in quotes “not doing meditation” however now, no matter we’re doing now–like me chatting with you, you listening all of that–is finished with none effort. All of that’s occurring with none doer. All of that’s merely arising inside this crisp, clear, contemporary, shiny, vivid consciousness that’s all the time there, completely candy, completely simple, completely open. Nothing to alter, nothing to repair, every thing alright simply the best way it’s. Simply discover that now.
That is nondual or essence custom meditation. A few of these traditions embrace the Tibetan traditions of Dzogchen and Mahamudra. There’s Hindu traditions of Advaita Vedanta and likewise nondual Shaiva Tantra. And a few Chinese language Taoist rules, even the Bhagavad Gita, one other Hindu traditional, all of those are traditions that made discuss nonduality discuss consciousness barely in another way, however truthfully, they’re all getting on the similar factor. And after we observe right here we’re getting at that very same factor. And that very same factor is the primacy of consciousness itself, that every thing we expertise arises in consciousness. If we’re going to speak in a Buddhist approach, and we don’t must as a result of we may discuss in a Hindu approach, we may discuss in a Taoist approach, we may discuss in type of a western secular approach, however only for a minute, we’ll discuss in a Buddhist approach. If we’re going to do this type of observe we should take significantly the thought of bodhicitta, the thought of Buddha nature, the truth that we already possess pristine consciousness, that we already are absolutely awake and buddhas from the very starting. That’s how this meditation works. That’s why as soon as we see the vacancy of the churning of the thoughts. Once more, vacancy doesn’t imply it’s not there. That’s simply one of many meanings of vacancy, however that’s not what we imply. It’s nonetheless occurring, it’s simply that it’s completely different than what we predict it’s. One other which means of vacancy is, we will say ‘oh, that’s simply empty’ and in English that may imply ‘it doesn’t matter’ or that ‘it’s not necessary’ or that ‘it’s false’. We don’t imply vacancy that approach both. We imply that on this primacy of consciousness every thing that arises is solely like a present, like a magic present, like a picture, like an expertise arising in consciousness. It’s not separate from consciousness and it’s additionally not one way or the other outdoors of consciousness. As I’m all the time saying ‘you aren’t on this planet, the world is in you’ and what I imply by that’s, we’ve got the concept that we’re consciousness and consciousness is behind my eyes and that’s a mind and the mind is in my head and the top is a part of the physique and the physique is on this room and the room is on this planet round me–that’s the best way we take into consideration that usually. However that mind-set about it’s inside out. It’s the opposite approach round: the mind and the top and the physique and the room and the world round is all inside consciousness. Which means, right here is the notice and all of the stuff that’s occurring is solely like an image present, like a magic present, like a film inside consciousness.
And don’t take my phrase for it. This isn’t some bizarre summary idea. Simply discover. That is simply what we see after we discover the vacancy of thought and feeling and character and the vacancy of physique sensation and the vacancy of the world round us and the vacancy of house and time. You’ll then be left with the apparent, apparent direct expertise: oh, it’s all occurring in consciousness. It’s like being in a online game. Let’s say you’re enjoying some type of first-person shooter. And also you’re in that sport and also you’re working across the surroundings and also you’re taking pictures stuff and blowing stuff up and therapeutic your self and therapeutic others and getting extra ammo–all that stuff that you simply do in certainly one of these first-person shooters–getting inside autos, crashing the autos, repairing the autos… getting worn out time and again and respawning on a regular basis. You’re so concerned after which… your canine barks and it simply snaps you out of it. And also you’re like ‘oh, all of that, all of that have is simply occurring within the gentle of this monitor. It’s simply photons on this monitor that’s all it’s.’ Now, that’s to not say it’s nothing. It’s occurring, there’s all types of knowledge there, there’s all types of stuff occurring. Once more, it doesn’t imply it’s nothing. But it surely means it’s all simply this move of photons that you simply’re experiencing. In the exact same approach like these digital worlds that we expertise within the laptop or in a online game or on like a PS3 or an Xbox or no matter, these give us a very good metaphor for our personal expertise. We get so wrapped up and ‘oh, I’m doing this and I’m me and I’m monitoring my hit factors you already know my well being factors and all the abilities I’m racking up and all of the achievements I’m racking up in this type of sport of life’ after which somebody simply factors out: ‘hey! Discover, that is all only a stream of expertise occurring in consciousness. That’s all it’s. And also you go ‘Ohh!!’ and for the primary time, perhaps the very first time, you notice what you actually are. It’s so completely different than what you will have
thought you have been. It’s so completely different than what you’ve been taught you’re and what you will have thought you’re in your complete life. You assume you’re ideas and also you assume you’re emotions and the story. ‘That is the story of me and that is the story of the place I come from and what I’ve achieved and all my achievements and what I’m concerned in and what I care about and all that’s there.’ It’s not that it doesn’t matter. All of that’s there. But it surely’s all simply–I’m gonna combine metaphors right here–it’s all simply photons within the shiny sky of consciousness. It’s all photons within the shiny sky of consciousness.
So, after we do these meditations it’s not about ‘oh me, my thoughts, my physique, my story of me, I’m gonna have a look at consciousness.’ That’s like saying I’m gonna take my flashlight and discover the sunshine. The flashlight is the sunshine. The factor that’s on the lookout for consciousness is consciousness. We don’t want the particular person within the loop. The factor that’s on the lookout for consciousness is simply consciousness itself. And within the gentle of that consciousness we discover, the particular person is simply this move of exercise, this move of actions, move of ideas and emotions and tales and stuff occurring. And the world is identical. It’s only a move of expertise arising in our consciousness.
And when you see this, you may by no means unsee it. You’ll be able to neglect it, you may get misplaced once more, however it’ll all the time be haunting you without end. And also you’ll come again to it time and again and go ‘that’s proper, that’s proper’. Perhaps you’ll be sitting on the seashore and all caught up in your stuff. And also you simply have a look at the ocean and also you have a look at the sky. And there are seagulls simply type of gliding on the wind and there are pelicans of their formation and simply fantastically hovering proper over the water gliding actually, actually, actually low over the water. After which there are dolphins and there are waves, perhaps there’s some surfers–are you able to inform I dwell in California?–and, you already know, you’re simply hanging out on the seashore. And also you’ll simply bear in mind ‘oh that’s proper, that’s proper. Consciousness. I’m consciousness’ and naturally, even that’s not an identification. We don’t wish to reify consciousness, however it’s quite a bit nearer to what we actually are. It’s quite a bit nearer to what we actually are, to that uncooked, clear, shiny, pristine awakeness, awakeness itself. And bear in mind, in Sanskrit the phrase for awake is “buddha” – that’s why they name him that. After I’m saying awakeness, awakeness, awakeness, I’m saying bodhi, bodhi, bodhi, bodhi–which is one other option to say buddha. So bodhi-citta, bodhi-sattva, the buddha-nature. That’s what we’re speaking about–simply your uncooked consciousness. It’s not laborious.
This isn’t laborious. For those who get caught up in fascinated by it, you’re doing the unsuitable factor. Simply come again to simply awakeness, proper now. Discover, proper now, that you’re having an expertise. Discover, you’re awake. And spot, that have consists of physique sensations which are only a type of move of expertise in consciousness. It consists of feelings which are only a move of expertise in consciousness, like I stored saying, like wind within the sky. Otherwise you’re having ideas which are attempting to determine this out. It’s a joke. They’re only a move of expertise in consciousness. Identical with the outside world, all of the move of expertise in consciousness itself, all completely empty, completely easy, completely stunning. They’re not completely different than consciousness. They’re consciousness. We don’t wish to make a god out of consciousness. Though you may, a lot of traditions do. And even should you do make a god out of it, simply discover that that’s empty too. In different phrases, it’s not an idea of god, it’s simply consciousness itself. It’s simply consciousness itself.
Let me learn this verse once more. That is from this nice e-book ‘A Trackless Path’. It’s by my good
good friend Ken McLeod, He’s a Mahamudra and Dzogchen meditation instructor or was and a really very expert Tibetan translator. So, he’s translating this poem by this Tibetan grasp Jigme Lingpa. And this can be a poem about Dzogchen observe – so certainly one of these traditions. And he’s attempting to speak about how radical it’s to be coming from consciousness and to have that consciousness itself, that pristine consciousness. It’s already there. It’s our–it’s all the time been there. There’s nothing to do. and after we come from this radical perspective, every thing shifts. So let’s simply hear this verse once more. And I would like you to simply pay attention. Don’t give it some thought. Simply pay attention – consciousness conscious of those verses:
Observe or not observe — consideration goes past.
Act or not act — selections soften away.
Empty or not empty — awakening thoughts is past.
Be or not be — there’s a vastness whereby
These variations fade away.
Consciousness — not a phrase, not a thought, no description in any respect —
Has as its axis no corrective, no holding a place.
Its nature is naked, regular, contemporary and unfolding,
A vastness free from all effort and issues.
Relaxation the place there is no such thing as a change or time.
Relaxation the place there is no such thing as a change or time.
It’s a superb verse. It’s a superb particular person. And Ken (McLeod)—should you get the e-book which I like to recommend you do—he then talks about methods how we will unpack that verse and perceive what Jigme Lingpa is saying. However discover, he’s saying, there’s a vastness whereby every thing is kind of there and never there, on the similar time, a vastness whereby even house and time don’t make any sense. That’s the vastness of consciousness. All these traditions agree that the closest metaphor to consciousness–if we wish to take into consideration consciousness of being like one thing–is house. It’s like house. House has no boundaries, house is huge. That’s why I’ve a category known as Huge Sky Thoughts, that’s why all these academics discuss vastness as a result of it’s like house. And the one distinction is that house itself–we consider that as type of useless like a brick or one thing–whereas this consciousness house is awake, it’s gnostic. It has realizing. It’s awake. So all of the issues arising in consciousness are identified, they’re skilled.
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