Introduction
We’re going to meditate for an hour, and I’m going to be speaking for that complete hour. I’ll be guiding the meditation, with the hope that you simply observe the steering, however for those who don’t need to, don’t. The settlement within the room is that you simply keep very, very, very, nonetheless and quiet, no matter which expertise you’re having internally. So that you’re free to have your individual inside expertise, apart from that allow’s simply do it.
Meditation
Discover a meditation posture that’s bought this sense of openness, possibly some steady fluidity and ease. This theme of openness, fluidity, and ease is maintained all through. So, to no matter extent potential, I would like you to take your pondering thoughts and simply throw it to the underside of hell, and let it burn there till it’s gone. In the meantime, you might be simply resting in an openness. There might be an infinite quantity of ideas occurring, that’s no drawback, however you might be merely resting in openness and ease. So what meaning is, irrespective of how a lot thought is occurring, you’re not partaking with it–however neither are you performing some type of tightly targeted absorption. You’re simply sitting in openness.
I haven’t achieved this in a very long time, however tonight we’re simply going to loosen up fairly a bit to start with, as a result of rest, ease, openness, and customarily feeling good in your physique actually issues to meditation. We frequently suppose meditation is a matter of buckling down, and tightening up, and getting my focus like a laser beam, and that’s simply fully the improper course. We need to breathe simple and really feel open and let go. So let’s start, as typical, by asking ourselves the query, what’s it prefer to be me proper now? After which, look. Don’t assume the reply–really look. What’s it prefer to be you proper now?
Discover all of the spinning ideas, wherever that’s occurring–on the backside of Hell. Discover all of the emotional waves, mini waves, wavelets, and tsunamis–or no matter is occurring–discover the assorted types of physique sensations which are arising, and take inventory, take a climate report. What does it really feel like? What’s it prefer to be you on this second?
Then half two: no matter is occurring proper now, I invite you, for the following hour, to only let or not it’s that manner. Not attempting to enhance your self, or change your self, or management it, or drive it down, or suppress it, or deny it, or twist it into form, or make it do the methods you need it to do, however, somewhat, drop all that, and let your self be precisely the best way you might be. That is simply basic kindness in the direction of others being expressed in the direction of your self. Elementary kindness in the direction of your self. You’re letting go of the continual undertaking of being completely different than you really are, and only for the following hour, simply letting your self be you.
Have you ever ever simply mentioned to a different particular person, will you simply let me be for a minute? Usually they’re doing one one hundredth of what we do to ourselves, so, right here, we’re saying to ourselves, I’m simply going to let myself be for a short while. Discover the nice a part of that–which is a whole lot of ease coming into the system, a whole lot of releasing and letting go. The troublesome half is that then you must really feel the way you really are, as an alternative of getting concerned in a fantasy of being completely different.
So, simply really feel how you might be for now. To ask in additional ease into the physique, see for those who can simply enable somewhat extra rest in your scalp and face, simply by merely enjoyable your scalp and face. You don’t must do something like workouts or one thing, simply enable it. If there’s voluntary stress there, simply let go of it somewhat bit, even when it’s simply 3%. Let your face launch any type of pinched, or tight, or mounted, expression, and are available right into a less difficult, open, repose. Enable your jaw to loosen up, just by separating your higher and decrease tooth barely, in order that they’re not clenched–feeling the comfort and ease that comes from permitting somewhat little bit of launch there.
See for those who can invite your shoulder, arms, wrists, and arms to be as limp as moist noodles, in order that for those who have been all of a sudden known as to take motion, it might really take a second or two to re-engage them. We sometimes preserve our arms and arms able to go, however I would like you to launch them in the best way that you’d launch them for those who have been about to go to sleep, the place they’re simply actually not able to go, however somewhat, totally limp, with no form of idling engine within the background. It’s the factor you do while you go from a better tone of voice to a decrease tone of voice, there’s a type of rest there in your throat. Simply let that rest occur, and permit your shoulders to launch. If nothing else, simply allow them to float down only a tiny bit, simply sufficient that you simply really feel barely extra letting go occurring there.
Now, discover out of your head and your face, throughout your throat and shoulders, all the best way right down to your arms, that it’s far more at peace, far more at relaxation, far more comfortable, than it was a number of moments in the past. Then, simply to no matter extent it’s potential to do that by intention alone, simply intend that your stomach area, each in entrance, on the perimeters, in again, and all the best way inside, simply launch somewhat bit. Let go of a number of the stress or tightness there, and it simply form of relaxes into a way more open, far more at-rest posture than it was earlier than.
If you know the way to do that, you’ll be able to loosen up your diaphragm. That seems to be not that simple for plenty of people, however, for those who can, simply let your diaphragm open up. Then, lastly, do the identical transfer together with your legs and ft, enable your legs, your higher legs, your knees, your decrease legs, your ankles, your ft, to return out of ready-mode into full noodle-mode–they’re very, very, very, relaxed.
Then, feeling how good your face feels from enjoyable somewhat bit, and your legs and arms really feel from enjoyable somewhat bit, and your stomach feels from enjoyable somewhat bit, simply tune in for a short while right here, not an extended whereas, however a short while, into simply letting go, and releasing. On the in-breath, you’re feeling peace and ease coming into the physique, and on the out-breath, you’re respiration out stress, respiration out tightness, respiration out constriction. In order that with every breath, you’re letting go an increasing number of. There’s no race, and we’re not attempting to grow to be literal puddles on the ground, simply enable no matter ease is current to be ok, and actually get pleasure from that for a couple of minutes right here.
We’re doing this from the form of body of being vast open, nearly just like the sky, simply releasing, releasing into the sky, nothing constricted, nothing crunched down, every thing open, every thing spacious. If you end up rising sleepy, sit up, open your eyes, staying good and relaxed, but in addition alert.
Okay, good. Now I would like you to discover a feeling of kindness and caring, and beam that in the direction of your self proper now. Do some self-metta, or self Tonglen, simply wishing that you simply for your self, that you simply be comfortable, that you simply really feel peace, that you simply really feel wholesome, and comfortable, and complete. Forgiving your self for all of the stuff you may have to be forgiven for, and really feel gratitude in a extremely constructive manner–not responsible gratitude, however true gratitude, for stuff that you simply do really feel gratitude for. Let’s do that self-metta or self Tonglen, letting your self off the hook, actually loving your self up somewhat bit. Let’s do that for a couple of minutes collectively.
That is actually necessary–that we open our hearts in the direction of ourselves. If you know the way to do Tonglen, you’ll be able to even open up the opposite a part of it, the place you’re really permitting the sky-like nature of thoughts to tackle all of your struggling, after which to beam again kindness, peace, pleasure, well being, braveness, gratitude, again to your self. It doesn’t must be large feelings–the primary factor is just that your coronary heart will get somewhat melty, somewhat extra open, rather less closed down, extra vast open, and smooth, and heat, and sort. Even when it’s only a tiny quantity, actually discover that kindness, and heat, and openness, and sweetness that’s there in your coronary heart.
Good. Now, do it for the others in your life–the individuals who you’re near, the folks you work together with. Really feel your coronary heart open, and soften, and grow to be kinder, even only a tiny bit, however possibly somewhat bit greater than that, in the direction of the folks in your life. If you wish to, you’ll be able to add the Tonglen, and want that you simply tackle all their struggling, whilst you beam this love and kindness in the direction of them. We’re all alike in a sure manner–all of us simply need to be comfortable, we’re going about it in numerous methods, however we will want that one another be comfortable, be free from struggling, be free from ache, can earnestly want that. We will actually perceive that about anyone.
Good. Now, as a result of, once we sit collectively on this room, we’re a neighborhood of individuals meditating collectively, let’s do the identical factor for every and everybody within the room. Explicitly wishing that everybody right here really feel protected, really feel comfortable, really feel wholesome, really feel pleasure, really feel peace. Discover how your coronary heart responds.
Okay, good. Now, let go of that, and are available again to easily resting as sky-like consciousness, vast open, wakeful, not specializing in something specifically, simply being current, easy presence. The one factor I would like you to be with, and I’m saying being with–not give attention to, however simply be with, is the move of thought exercise. So, despite the fact that we threw our pondering minds to the underside of hell, we will nonetheless discover the move of thought exercise occurring, with out narrowly focusing. Simply because consciousness is conscious, we’re noticing the move of thought exercise. It’s nearly as if we’re a sky and a panorama, and in that panorama, there’s a flowing river. The sky is conscious of the river, however the sky isn’t specializing in it, it’s not separate from it, it’s simply conscious of this move. In fact, for those who get caught within the content material, then the river freezes up into ice. For those who discover that taking place, simply loosen up once more, come again to being the sky. You possibly can let go of the river for a minute, after which progressively grow to be conscious of its exercise once more.
What we wish is to note that unfixated, completely flowing, fluid, constantly altering, stream of thought exercise, which we’re conscious of as a result of the sky of consciousness is conscious, however not grabbing on to or gripping down on–and even specializing in in any respect. If that’s too arduous, if the ideas simply preserve gripping–that’s what too arduous appears like then, you’ll be able to simply set them apart once more fully, not partaking with them, and see the move of breath within the physique once more–not specializing in, consciousness is just conscious of the move of respiration. That’s often fairly a bit simpler. However for those who can stick with this move of unfixed thought exercise, we’re going to do this collectively for some time right here.
Good. The concept right here is just not that we’re standing on the banks of a river taking a look at it. We’re not separate from it. If that’s the one manner you are able to do it, that’s advantageous, however keep in mind, the thought right here that the open area of consciousness is simply merely conscious of the move of thought, it’s not by some means separate from it, taking a look at it. It is it. So, for those who discover that you simply’re constructing this positionality, form of taking a look at it, simply loosen up that and see the way you’re conscious of the move of thought exercise, whether or not you make this psychological image of standing exterior it, taking a look at it, or not. In fact, constructing a psychological image of standing exterior it, taking a look at it, is a type of fixated thought, so we simply let go of that. Let that soften, and simply be swept away with the move of thought exercise. There’s no must by some means stand exterior it. Simply let the unfixated ideas move.
Good. As you’re doing this, you could discover that very, very bizarre ideas come up–dream kind ideas, nonsense kind ideas, possibly actually nightmarish or disturbing ideas, particularly for those who do that for a very long time, since you’re not filtering the content material such as you usually do. You’re letting the thought exercise move in an unfixed manner, so the unmediated unconscious will begin pouring into acutely aware consciousness. That’s advantageous, that’s imagined to occur. The essential instruction there’s to not fear about it. Don’t fear in any respect concerning the content material, irrespective of how bizarre, or disturbing, or graphic, or intense, or thrilling, or boring. We’re involved with the move the unfixed move, not with the content material, so simply count on that typically it will likely be not the traditional kind of pondering, and that’s okay. The much less you react to it, the extra that your deep unconscious thoughts works out its knots and tight spots.
On this huge, open, spacious consciousness, the move of thought exercise is definitely only a very, very, tiny a part of it. That’s why we’re not likely narrowly specializing in that–it’s simply one of many issues occurring on this vast open area, and all we’re doing is just not getting caught in our on a regular basis thought. Once we are tightly targeted down on that move of thought and actually involved with the content material, it’s as if there’s a large vast open sky, and we’re sitting out in our backyard, and we’ve bought our stamp assortment, and we’re targeted down on the stamp assortment, and we by no means discover the sky, despite the fact that it’s there the entire time. We’re simply actually concerned with this 1932 Argentinian stamp. We’re manner down in there, and we neglect this sky–so we’re doing the alternative right here. We’re simply being the sky and the “stamp assortment” is there, too, it’s simply one of many many issues that’s occurring, we’re not ignoring it, we’re noticing now–switching the metaphor, that it has some exercise occurring there. We’re permitting it to maneuver and alter in an unfixed manner.
If it freezes up, or fixates, simply loosen up. Let it go. Come again to only being the vast open sky. Don’t collapse down into trying out the stamp assortment.
Good. Now, merely let go of even following the move of thought, and simply come again to only being the sky itself, simply the open consciousness, with out paying explicit consideration to something. The move of thought remains to be there, the move of the breath remains to be there, and even the move of exercise known as being an individual remains to be there. Simply stuff arising within the sky of consciousness–however we are likely to give attention to that move of exercise known as being an individual, and establish with it. These ideas and emotions are me, and right here we’re simply letting them be a part of what’s arising on this huge openness. They’re not by some means not the huge openness–it’s not that you simply’re not that, however that’s only a tiny little subset, tiny little speck, on this huge, awake, open, readability that’s all the time there. Relaxation as that.
The vast open, vast awakeness is the one factor that’s not altering or shifting–it’s simply fully steady. You’ll think about that you simply’re an individual made from ideas and emotions who’s attempting to have a look at the steadiness, however that’s fully backwards. This wakeful openness that’s so steady is the so-called display upon which the ideas and emotions are arising. The particular person doesn’t take a look at that, the particular person is merely an exquisitely stunning expression of that–the artwork of God.
So, merely let the vast open awakeness concentrate on itself, and all of the shifting expressions inside itself–all of the ideas, all the emotions, all of the sights, all of the sounds, every thing that’s constantly shifting and altering, in a kaleidoscopic expression of that awakeness. Remaining totally unfixed, every thing simply flows, and consciousness is simply conscious of itself and the move, effortlessly, with out tightening, or constricting, or scrunching down, or collapsing. It’s simply open move.
Good. Now, we did metta, or Tonglen for ourselves, and we did it for these close to and expensive to us, and we did it for everybody on this room, however now let’s do it for the remainder of the world–everybody, all over the place. Could everybody, all over the place, be at peace, comfortable, and free from struggling, wholesome, beloved, and comfortable. Simply really feel that radiating out in all instructions. If you wish to do the Tonglen model, you additionally tackle all of the struggling and issue of the world into this area of open consciousness, which is giant sufficient to deal with it. Both manner, respiration out, beaming out, radiating out, love, kindness, peace, gratitude, pleasure, well being, security, to the entire universe. Make an earnest want that everybody, all over the place be protected; everybody, all over the place be at peace; everybody, all over the place be wholesome; everybody, all over the place really feel pleasure.
Let’s finish that there. Be happy to maneuver and stretch.
Dharma Discuss
As I used to be saying, it’s like we’ve simply discovered to concentrate to at least one little, tiny nook of expertise. The metaphor is: you’re exterior in a phenomenal backyard with distant mountains, and this large, beautiful, sky. You’ve bought tea, and one thing to eat, and there are folks round, and good animals, and flowers, and bushes. All of that is occurring, and also you’ve simply bought this one little e-book of stamps, and also you’re simply all the time targeted on it, and simply preserve specializing in it. Not precisely ignoring, however simply you’re simply so targeted on that, that the remainder of it’s simply–yeah, yeah, yeah, no matter, is occurring. I’m right here with my e-book of stamps. That’s the pathological, philatelic, model of meditation. All I can do is consider my ideas, I’m simply targeted on my pondering, targeted on my pondering, and every thing is my pondering. Regardless that I do know there’s a sky on the market, I simply keep in mind there’s a sky, so it’s a thought, and I do know there are bushes, and animals, and meals, and tea–however I’m simply remembering it, so it’s a thought. I neglect to only search for, or to pay attention, or to style it.
In fact, we will do an attention-grabbing factor with absorption-type meditation or focus-type meditation–of claiming, as an alternative of focusing in your stamp assortment, give attention to this flower. That has the impact of getting you to cease being so targeted in your stamps, and so it begins to open you up. Numerous absorption-type meditation is about that, simply refocusing on anything, and that’s very useful.
We’re doing one thing completely different, which is, hey simply search for only for a minute. Let go of that, for those who can, and simply look, pay attention. You don’t must narrowly give attention to one thing else, simply search for, simply loosen up for a minute. That’s a extremely tight, constricted type of focus you’ve bought going there. Are you able to simply search for, and see all the opposite stuff that’s occurring? While you do this, particularly for those who do it time and again, that seems to be fairly wonderful, as a result of there’s a whole lot of different stuff occurring. Moreover, it’s relaxed–that neurotic stress on the pondering is launched, so unexpectedly, there’s expertise. As a substitute of serious about all of the stuff that you simply keep in mind is round you, you might be experiencing it. It seems that ideas about issues are fairly useless, however the expertise of issues is vibrant and alive—it’s wakeful. So, the easy trick right here is, can we let go of that slim focus?
What occurs is–I’ll say time and again–I would like you to do that, after which folks attempt to do it with their pondering, attempt to refocus on this new manner by serious about it, as a result of that enables them to constantly preserve trying on the stamps. Okay, I’m trying on the sky now–it doesn’t work that manner. So that you simply launch–however it goes deeper than that, or will get weirder, since you acknowledge that the particular person is simply extra stuff arising in that area–and that’s cool! The stuff arising within the area is beautiful, stunning, beautiful, effulgent expression, however it’s simply a number of the many stunning issues which are being expressed proper then. In order that, even the emotions of the physique, and the ideas, and the feelings, are simply extra flowers, birds, bushes, vegetation, mountains, clouds, planets, and many others., arising within the subject.
You get to the purpose the place you’re the subject, you’re the awake, open, spacious half—not something specifically that’s arising. As I’m fond of claiming, you aren’t on this planet, the world is in you. You simply begin to discover that an increasing number of, and that there’s no must fixate. The fixation is the factor that hurts. Fixation is the factor that’s inflicting all of the [grrr]. You suppose you’ll be unsafe for those who loosen up the fixation, however it’s the alternative. While you loosen up the fixation, then some actual life can begin to occur.
So, I can speak in these methods perpetually–I really feel like I’m being actually clear, however it won’t be so clear. So, when you have questions, or feedback, or experiences about your expertise, increase your hand.
Q&A
Questioner 1: If I had higher focus, would I be capable of cease trying on the stamps for longer durations of time? And, is it improper to consider open spacious consciousness as a type of meditation object?
Michael: Sure, don’t consider it that manner. It’s not a factor you’re specializing in, it’s what’s focusing. It may well’t actually take itself as an object. It may well, as a result of it’s conscious, it may be conscious of itself, however you’re attempting to make it an object inside consciousness, and it’s the consciousness, so it’s like, can a mirror replicate itself? It doesn’t actually work. What occurs is, we attempt to be an individual taking a look at consciousness–that’s a very affordable factor, based mostly on the remainder of our lives. I can let you know to have a look at something, give attention to one thing, and also you give attention to it. However this isn’t like that, so the extra that you simply attempt to do it from a place, the much less you’re doing it.
As a substitute, you simply cease focusing in any respect. There’s no focus there, it’s simply–what’s left if there’s no focus. What’s left if there’s no focus? What’s it that will get targeted within the first place? Consciousness is the factor that’s being targeted, and for those who cease focusing, what’s left is simply the attention itself.
So, think about you’ve bought this tablecloth of consciousness, and the main target is crimping, crimping, crimping–attempting to get it multi functional spot. All I’m asking you to do is–not by some means transfer the crimping round, however simply let go. Then you definately’re left with the entire tablecloth, however that’s not a factor you’ll be able to give attention to like an object. There’s some type of effort if I’ve a behavior of simply trying on the stamp. We’re simply enjoyable that behavior, that’s why we began out with bodily rest, after which letting the thoughts simply move, move, move, move, move, and permitting issues to de-crunch somewhat bit, in order that the behavior relaxes, relaxes, relaxes.
You possibly can have a behavior of, each time I’m going right into a sure work state of affairs, I get tense, however for those who, on goal, loosen up each single time you do it, over time, you’re not going to get tense there anymore. In order that rubber band that retains snapping you again into this micro focus releases. It simply takes a whole lot of enjoyable time and again.
Questioner 1: Thanks.
Michael: Yeah, simply keep in mind, it’s already, itself, vast open–so that you don’t must make it vast open, you simply cease tensing.
Questioner 2: Hello. You have been speaking about move, and I have a tendency to consider it as a stream. A stream simply flows, and issues occur, like if a rock falls into the stream, it’s simply occurring, and the stream flows round it. What I used to be noticing was the distinction between what I’ll name consciousness and thoughts. Consciousness is like if somebody coughs consciousness is that which flows instantly in that course, with out being instructed to focus.
Michael: That’s consideration, what goes in that course. Consciousness is simply conscious.
Questioner 2: Okay, so consideration. So, when somebody coughs or one thing occurs that
arises in consciousness, then thoughts is, in my expertise, that which then names it, after which possibly has an opinion about it. The issues that I’ve a more durable time resting as consciousness in, is bodily–like ideas, they’re advantageous, it’s simply when it’s sensation, particularly disagreeable sensation, that feels extra private. Is there a manner in which you’ll work with that bodily discomfort, to be as open to it as with the environmental stuff?
Michael: Yeah, in actual fact, I’d say a number of folks have the alternative expertise, the place they’ve labored sufficient with their physique that it feels actual flowing, open, and permeable, whereas the exterior world is extra actual. So, sure, it’s very achievable to note that. You could have privileged entry to that–different folks won’t really feel your physique sensation, however it’s nonetheless merely current as an expertise, and similar to every other expertise, you’ll be able to start to note its lack of definability. You possibly can’t ever actually nail it down, and since you’ll be able to’t ever actually nail it down it’s…
Questioner 2: I attempt pondering, what’s the form of it? What are the qualities of it? Investigating it.
Michael: Yeah, that’s the phenomenological stage of vipashyana, which is nice, however for those who do this with a whole lot of focus, what do you discover about every of these variables–the
measurement, or just that they’re shifting on a regular basis. If each variable in a so-called object is constantly altering. How is one thing the identical factor if each a part of it’s completely different second to second? It’s the identical factor solely as a result of there’s a field in your thoughts calling it a factor, and in order that’s the fixation. Let go of that field. It’s the precise factor {that a} programmer defines as an object. Let go of that, after which the variables fluctuate, it’s simply flowing.
Questioner 2: Okay.
Questioner 3: Hello. I discover once I go extra deeply into meditation, there’s this realization the place there’s consciousness that appears outward, like consciousness that’s conscious of notion, after which I discover once I retract, that I flip away from my senses, it appears like consciousness nearly collapses in on itself, or turns in on itself, and turns extra into consciousness simply being. Then in that place of consciousness being, it appears like there’s a fair subtler, nearly indescribable dimension that just about feels prefer it’s solely knowable in distinction to consciousness being. Folks speak about a stage of consciousness that’s form of consciousness being, after which past that, absolutely the, and so they speak about understanding that in distinction to consciousness being. Like consciousness being is sort of this deepest inside stage of consciousness after which there’s a state of recognizing that even the beingness of consciousness is an emergent phenomenon. Does that resonate together with your expertise?
Michael: That’s solely half of what’s necessary. Positive, there’s a void, there’s stillness, there’s awakeness, however, as I used to be saying within the meditation, all of this isn’t nothing. It’s not a dream, it’s not meaningless, it’s not by some means delusion, it’s not a fantasy. That is the beautiful beginning from that factor you’re describing in each second. Then, what’s necessary to note is that they’re by no means separate–they’re not two various things, they’re simply completely different sides of the identical factor. That’s what’s necessary. So you’ll be able to go down that gap perpetually, however I don’t suggest it. That’s a useless finish. You’re simply constantly attempting to transcend the world, and attempting to transcend life, and go into this Brahman void of purity. However that purity is in every thing, in order that’s the necessary half. That’s the a part of my expertise that I need to be sure you’re grokking.
Questioner 3: Yeah. What’s attention-grabbing is that it appears like we are likely to grokk the bodily
world very simply by grokking that deeper half. In sustaining some form of connection to that extraordinarily deep depth whereas we’re interacting with the bodily is what could be very difficult, as a result of even when we deal with ideas because the stamp–the metaphor that you simply have been describing, you’ll be able to even then describe the beingness of consciousness as a stamp as effectively.
Michael: Who’s taking a look at?
Questioner 3: It appears like the attention itself is an emergent, like a meta-stamp inside the beyondness.
Michael: Nicely, simply preserve investigating that. You’re speaking Advaita Vedanta, and Advaita Vedanta is damaged. It’s solely midway there. They erase the world, and so I’m saying there’s extra to do. While you ask me what my expertise is, that’s what’s necessary.
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