Streamed on Dec 23, 2021
Guided Nondual Mediation by Michael Taft
So, as typical, take your meditation seat. And your meditation seat could be seated. You could be sitting, however you could possibly additionally lay in your again. So long as you’ll be able to keep awake, capable of keep alert and awake in your again, you’re wonderful to meditate in your again. You can even meditate standing up. Standing up is a good way in the event you can get up on this alert relaxed posture. It’s a good way to remain awake in the event you’re having hassle with drowsiness. So, get up and meditate. As typical this can be an hour of meditation so be prepared for that.
In the event you’re going to do seated meditation, I might advocate having a meditation cushion that you simply’re sitting on, both a zafu or a gomden. And in the event you don’t know what these are, look them up, however the zafu is actually the factor that’s formed like a legume. It’s form of a pillow. After which a gomden is sort of a brick formed zafu, invented by Trungpa Rinpoche, apparently particularly for westerners. Today, I have a tendency to take a seat on a gomden. I like these, they’re actually, very nice. So, that may be perfect as a result of it will get your butt up, which permits your legs to go down so your knees could be decrease than your hips. When your knees are decrease than your hips, it rotates your pelvis somewhat bit, so that you get that good curve in your decrease backbone. So, when you have it, sit in your meditation cushion, if not, sit in a chair however don’t lean towards the again of the chair. Sit, I’ll display, sit ahead within the chair and don’t lean towards the again and you then cross your legs on the ground like that, and that retains you good and upright.
And utilizing your muscular tissues to maintain your backbone upright will preserve you extra alert, proper? We wish to be alert and relaxed. That’s the fundamental stance of meditation; alert and relaxed. And in order I’ve typically talked about, our our bodies can partake in that alert leisure by being each upright, that’s the alert half, and in addition bodily relaxed, and in order that’s the start of embodied, somatic side to our meditation, proper? Our our bodies and our minds are actually one factor. They’re not separate. So after we sit in an accurate posture it already helps our thoughts. If we sit each upright and relaxed, it helps our thoughts be each alert and relaxed, so the physique and the thoughts work collectively in our meditation. The opposite factor we wish to do with our our bodies is be very, very nonetheless, not tense tight stillness, however the stillness of full leisure.
So tonight I’m gonna simply throw out a meditation picture. I need you to take a seat like a mountain. Typically we sit like an ocean. Typically we sit just like the sky, or no matter. Tonight I need you to take a seat like a mountain. When you concentrate on how a mountain sits, it’s fully relaxed nevertheless it’s additionally upright, proper? It’s increased than the bottom round it. It manages to face nevertheless it’s as relaxed as it may well presumably be. Which means the slopes are simply as at an angle, that’s, as relaxed because the rock must be. And in addition and extra apparently on this means of speaking about it, after all, this isn’t geologically true however in the way in which of the metaphor the rock is immovable and unchanging and that’s the metaphor we wish right here. We wish to think about ourselves seated, sitting in a means that’s immovable. We’re not simply any outdated mountain, we’re the world mountain or Mount Meru or Mount Olympus the place it’s kind of the middle of the world.
And so the entire world rotates round. The whole lot’s altering, all the pieces’s doing its factor, the dance of the world is happening and but we, seated on our meditation seat, are Mount Meru. We’re Mount Olympus. We’re seated on the unmoving middle of the world and that’s the concept we’re totally, totally immobile. After which what I’d such as you to do is to stay good and nonetheless for the entire meditation.
Okay. Good. And nonetheless you’re gonna see me ingesting from my grown-up sippy cup, and that i’ll do this proper now, and that’s as a result of I would like to speak for the entire time. And if the the air-blown warmth is on on this home and if I attempt to discuss the entire time with out taking a drink, my throat will get actually dry, so I’ve to take a drink so I’ll be shifting. I’ll be breaking my very own guidelines however that’s as a result of I’m main the meditation–however that’s as a result of I’m the boss–no, it’s as a result of I’m main the meditation and I simply have to permit my throat to do its factor. Okay. However you alternatively mustn’t transfer if attainable. Don’t transfer for your complete time. That will be nice in the event you have been simply completely nonetheless, completely nonetheless in a means that felt actually, actually good. Once more, that is a part of how the embodied or somatic element of the meditation mirrors the psychological or cognitive element. We’ve the physique be good and nonetheless and that helps our physique be nonetheless or stay nonetheless.
Okay, after which from right here, as typical, I’d such as you to carry up a picture of the bottom of being, a picture of your individual already present Buddhahood. We might even say a picture of your individual god-like nature, which already exists, proper? We’re not inventing this, we’re not making it up. Consciousness, the ability of your individual consciousness is already there. It’s not one thing you’re constructing or cultivating, it’s simply one thing you’re studying to acknowledge. Okay. So I need you to carry up a picture of that. And the picture we’ll use at this time is the picture of a good looking diamond, okay? No matter form diamond you need. It’s a diamond that you simply visualize in entrance of you. You are able to do this along with your eyes open or your eyes closed however think about this extremely attractive, beautiful, vibrant, sensible diamond. It’s completely clear, it’s shining with gentle, and it’s an emblem of your individual already present complete awakening. And so what I need you to do right here is image that in entrance of you, and simply discover this lovely diamond and see it glinting and shimmering and glowing with its personal sensible awakening, its personal sensible depth and readability.
Okay, and from this diamond I need you to image a beam of sunshine coming from the middle of the diamond into the middle of your brow, and the diamond is filling you with its knowledge, the knowledge of a Buddha, the wisest knowledge there’s. It’s filling the thoughts with knowledge. It’s filling the thoughts with excellent readability and it’s filling the thoughts with a form of suppleness. The thoughts can do something you need it to as a result of it’s obtained this Buddha suppleness or what we’d name pliancy. Okay, so into your thoughts–and that is once more that is your individual Buddha nature–you’re feeling the properties of your individual buddha nature. So enable that beam of knowledge to return into your thoughts and simply really feel the knowledge filling the thoughts. Permit that beam that additionally contains great readability to fill your thoughts.And spot the readability filling the thoughts after which additionally the beam contains pliancy. It features a form of psychological suppleness. Your thoughts isn’t caught. It’s not one way or the other mounted. It’s capable of do no matter you need it to do, no matter you want it to do. It may possibly change in no matter means it wants to vary to do all the pieces we’d like it to do.
Okay, so simply sit for a second visualizing this beam of knowledge and readability and suppleness or pliancy coming into the thoughts from your individual Buddha nature, from your individual–let’s imagine, if we wished to sound theistic, let’s imagine from your individual god-nature. But it surely’s actually simply the ability of your individual pristine consciousness.
Okay. Good. And now from this diamond in entrance of you enable one other beam of sunshine to return out and strike you within the coronary heart. And this beam of sunshine is filling you with love. It’s filling you with pleasure. It’s filling you with an incredible peace and it’s filling you with good will in the direction of others, proper? Goodwill in the direction of women and men, goodwill in the direction of beings. It’s filling you with compassion throughout this vacation season so that you’re feeling your coronary heart open. The grinch’s coronary heart was two sizes too small however after he heard the Who’s singing, after he stole Christmas, he hears all of the Who’s in Whoville singing and his coronary heart grows three sizes. So it’s an additional–it’s truly one measurement larger than it must be. It simply opens up. And I need you to have that measurement three coronary heart, simply absolute open, gushy, mushy coronary heart of affection, and pleasure, and great peace, and simply kindness. I imply compassion is such a valuable phrase, it makes it sound so kind of like such a giant deal. It’s simply being good, simply being form. It’s not that arduous. Give it a shot.
So really feel this coronary heart opening coming from the diamond representing your individual already woke up thoughts, your individual already woke up being. Good, now additionally from this diamond in entrance of you this lovely radiant clear scrumptious diamond one other beam comes out and strikes you beneath your navel. So perhaps an inch or two beneath your navel and you are feeling simply that one spot contained in the decrease dantian. You are feeling this beam of vitality hitting you beneath your stomach, and you are feeling the way it fills your physique with well being, fills your physique with life, fills your physique with a way of play and spontaneity. Play comes from feeling alive, feeling stuffed with vim and vigor, proper? Once we don’t have any vitality it’s very arduous to play however after we really feel like we’ve plenty of vitality play and spontaneity, and simply openness, and freedom, and lightheartedness comes about.In order you are feeling this beam of life vitality coming into your decrease stomach area you are feeling your self full of well being, full of power, full of life, and naturally you get that sense of playfulness, and spontaneity, and openness. So discover that now.
Good. Now, as typical, I need you to take the knowledge within the thoughts and produce that down into the center. Typically it’s known as the coronary heart thoughts and produce that vitality, and well being, and power, and playfulness from the stomach, and produce that into the center. So it’s one ball of pristine awake Buddha nature in your coronary heart. And actually, on the following breath, we simply breathe in that imaginative and prescient of the diamond, in order that this sensible, radiant, beautiful, valuable diamond in our coronary heart is simply radiating out our personal already present enlightened nature. And you’re feeling it filling your physique as typical with knowledge, readability, pliancy. You are feeling love and pleasure and peace and caring and kindness and you are feeling wholesome and robust and vivacious however all these issues collectively additionally actually carry you the sensation of confidence. I need you to really feel assured. I need you to really feel competent. You’ve gotten all–as a result of you have got already present Buddha nature, as a result of your pristine thoughts, your pristine consciousness is there–you completely have all the pieces it takes to do something in meditation. And since you’ve obtained the pliant thoughts it’s even simpler. You may simply enable a few of these meditative insights to unfold.
Okay, so simply radiate that, radiating out, radiating out, now radiating out all via the physique, all via the being, all via consciousness, your individual awake consciousness, your individual pristine nature, your individual buddha nature, radiating forth now. And simply really feel that that’s you. That’s who you actually are. That’s not some form of fantasy. That’s not creativeness. That’s who you actually are. The precise fantasy is about being the story of you. That’s the fantasy, the dream that you simply’re shopping for into every day. Whereas this Buddha nature–that is what you actually are. That is your deep being, pristine consciousness itself, timeless, boundaryless, deathless consciousness.
Good. Now from right here we’re simply going to spend a couple of minutes doing our shamatha with an object. So I need you to do gradual, deep respiratory if that’s snug. For some those who’s not snug however I’d such as you to do gradual, deep stomach respiratory and let the out-breath be longer than the in-breath. And for some of us you possibly can–it’s going to really feel snug to let the out-breath be rather a lot longer than the in-breath. I don’t need you to push it. I don’t need you to pressure in any means. It ought to really feel very snug however do a pleasant deep, deep, deep stomach filling in-breath after which let the out-breath be lengthy, lengthy, lengthy, lengthy, lengthy, lengthy, lengthy, lengthy, lengthy. And if you wish to, on the out-breaths, to assist management your respiratory and provides it extra size you are able to do ujjayi breath, proper?
So bear in mind how one can do ujjayi breath? You do the factor along with your throat–I’ll do it proper now whereas I’m speaking, it’ll sound humorous–you do the factor that makes you sound like that while you discuss however you’re simply doing it respiratory. So it’s such as you simply obtained that little tightness in your throat and it permits you to regulate how briskly the breath goes out. And so you are able to do actually, actually lengthy out-breaths that means. It’ll simply sound like a hiss. You don’t need to do the sound I used to be doing. It’s simply hiss like. It’ll sound just like the surf going out after a wave the way in which it is available in after which with the ujjayi breath it’s just like the sound of the surf going up. So, deep in-breath lengthy, lengthy out-breath and I need you to be meditating on the sensation of that breath. In the event you actually wish to get into it, actually get centered, actually search for the tip of the in-breath, be sure you’re meditating you then discover the sensation of the tip of the in-breath. And you then’re following that out-breath, feeling it, feeling it, feeling it, feeling, it feeling, it feeling it, feeling it and noticing the tip of the out-breath.
So so long as you discover the tip of the in-breath and the tip of the out-breath and all the pieces in between you then’re good and centered. You’re doing shamatha with an object on these lengthy breaths. So I’ll simply be quiet now for some time whereas we do this collectively.
Now stick with it. Don’t let your self get distracted. Stick with the sensation of the breath. Discover the tip of the in-breath. Discover the tip of the out-breath. Really feel all the pieces in between and in addition really feel how good it feels to do these lengthy in-breaths and lengthy out-breaths. And ensure it does really feel good. You don’t wish to be straining. You don’t wish to do something that’s uncomfortable. You need it to really feel actually scrumptious. And once more, I all the time like including on this ujjayi breath particularly on the out-breath. You are able to do it on the in-breath too however particularly on the out-breath and that can make it easier to get actually, actually lengthy out-breath, which is excellent for settling and stress-free. Now on the similar time that we’re settling and stress-free, discover that the thoughts is getting brighter, the thoughts is getting clearer, the thoughts is getting extra awake. We don’t wish to settle in in such a means that we get sleepy. We wish to be vibrant and crisp and clear.
Okay, good. Now let’s transfer into shamatha with out an object, or as I name it, dropping the ball. So the concept right here is that we let go of concentrating on the respiratory and we simply enable consciousness to relaxation in itself. Now consciousness resting in itself signifies that we simply chill out the thoughts. You in all probability ought to do that along with your eyes open, it’s simpler. You simply chill out the thoughts and relaxation consciousness, proper? And bear in mind you’re pristine consciousness. That’s your Buddha nature. There’s nothing it is advisable do to make consciousness extra conscious. There’s nothing it is advisable do to one way or the other make consciousness larger. It’s already huge. It’s nearly stress-free, permitting your thoughts to chill out and open and simply resting there with vibrant, clear, vivid consciousness, however consciousness of simply consciousness itself, so if the thoughts grabs onto something in any respect drop that. If the thoughts grabs onto a thought simply let it go. If the thoughts grabs onto emotion simply let it go. In the event you begin making an attempt to observe the breath simply let it go. In the event you begin making an attempt to do one thing simply let it go. And particularly in the event you’re making an attempt to determine how one can do it simply let it go.
There’s no figuring this out. That is simply consciousness resting in itself and we simply enable our thoughts to be huge and open uninvolved with something, totally free. And if it begins to break down and get tight and begins to assume, simply chill out, let go of that thought and are available again to the thoughts simply being open. It’s already open. It’s already huge and spacious. Simply discover that and relaxation in that. It’s not a doing, it’s a resting. So let’s do this now.
Keep in mind in the event you’re doing something in any respect simply let go of it. That’s the entire program right here for dropping the ball. Even the dropping is only a form of leisure. It’s only a form of letting go. It’s the–after we attempt to do one thing that we’ve form of left the meditation and so the minute you end up making an attempt to do one thing simply chill out, simply open, simply drop the ball. Don’t even wrestle to drop, simply chill out and open. That’s it.
Okay. Now we’re going to do a extra lively meditation right here. We’re going to do
inquiry questions. We haven’t executed this shortly. I like doing inquiry questions and I’ll present you how one can do it as we’re doing it. Okay, so the very first inquiry query is the place is your thoughts? Or, in the event you’re asking it to your self, “the place is my thoughts?” So how can we do that? Nicely, right here’s how; you don’t do it, you don’t attempt to determine it out, you don’t search for the reply in your recollections, you don’t attempt to have an attention-grabbing philosophical reply, none of that. In the event you go up into considering, that’s not how we do that, that is an inquiry query, so that you simply search inside your expertise.
Okay. Simply straight search. In order I typically say, it’s like a the place’s Waldo factor. If I say–in the event you open the ebook and take a look at the image and I say, “the place is Waldo?” You don’t go to Wikipedia and attempt to lookup the precise reply, otherwise you don’t bear in mind, “oh, I discovered somebody mentioned that Waldo this or Waldo did that.” You simply look. That’s it, that’s inquiry follow.
Okay. So I need you to go looking in your individual expertise now. The place is your thoughts? Discover your thoughts. Do it now.
Once more there’s no figuring this out. That is direct expertise. You’re simply scanning via your individual being making an attempt to find your thoughts. Simply preserve looking. Discover the thoughts.
Okay. Good. Let’s let go of that query for a second and simply meditate on respiratory for one minute.
Okay. Good. Subsequent we’ll do the basic, probably the most basic inquiry query there’s, which is; who am I? And so once more, simply it is a the place’s Waldo. I don’t need you to consider your identify, or your physique, or the place you’ve come from, or something like that, your historical past, your loved ones, or one thing like that. I need you to look straight in your individual expertise. Who am I? Who am I?
And look, really feel, inhabit who am I? Look from time to time preserve this. Look once more such as you’re form of looking for your keys on the ground at nighttime. Preserve trying, preserve trying, preserve trying. Who am I? Who’re you proper now?
This one is basically attention-grabbing. We expect we all know the reply to this however the extra you look the extra you look who am I it’d turn out to be much less and fewer clear. As a result of all of the solutions that come to thoughts like I’m this and I’m that, these are simply ideas. Who’re you while you actually look? What do you discover?
Okay. Good. Now simply relaxation for a minute feeling your breath come and go.
Good. Now let’s attempt one other inquiry query, one which I actually like and this one is; what is that this? What is that this? So simply ask your self that query after which look in your individual expertise. What is that this? What is that this? What is that this? Preserve asking the query and preserve trying straight. And bear in mind the extra that your thoughts tries to seek out a solution via considering, via reminiscence, via reasoning, via all that, you’re simply losing your time. As an alternative, look straight in expertise. What is that this? Keep it up, what is that this? Look, expertise, really feel, discover, what is that this?
Okay. Good. Now let go of that and simply focus on relaxed respiratory for a short while.
Good. Now bear in mind after we tuned into our Buddha nature the Buddha nature is playful? So bear in mind it is a playful train. In the event you’re making an attempt to interrupt your thoughts on this simply quit on that. That is playful. We’re trying, we’re experimenting, we’re noticing.
Okay. So the following inquiry query is; what’s consciousness? What’s consciousness? So simply once more, we’re not making an attempt to reply that with concepts, we’re not making an attempt to reply that with theories, we’re not making an attempt to reply that with our thoughts when it comes to considering in any respect. I need you to note in your individual expertise playfully, spontaneously, proper now.
What’s consciousness? What’s consciousness? We might even ask what’s conscious? Look now, look in your individual expertise. Really feel, discover what’s conscious?
Okay. Good. Now let’s let go of that and are available again to our personal already totally woke up, totally pristine, Buddha nature. We might nearly say our already present godhood, the sense of timeless, spacious freedom, huge consciousness, great kindness, complete openness, playfulness, spontaneity readability, and even well being and power within the sense of liveliness within the physique. And I need you to tune into that proper every now and then really feel it as a giant ball of vitality within the coronary heart. Feeling knowledge, feeling readability, feeling love and kindness, feeling pleasure, feeling wholesome and pleased, feeling robust, and vigorous, and playful, and spontaneous. And I—simply because you’re a Buddha—I need you to make use of your Buddha energy to simply radiate that out to the entire world proper now. Not solely taking it in your self however radiating out to the individuals, and cats, and canines, and beings within the room round you, the home round you, but in addition the vegetation, and animals, and people within the neighborhood round you, and the world round you. This isn’t solely compassion, though it contains compassion, it’s kindness, it’s love, it’s knowledge, it’s readability, it’s peace.
And notably for this vacation season let’s actually focus now on that taste of Buddha nature that we’d name peace on earth, good will in the direction of everybody. So it’s a sense of great peace and great kindness, proper? Or friendliness. Goodwill is basically simply merely friendliness. What we’d name metta or maitri, it’s friendliness, proper? That’s how we translate that phrase. So, peace on earth, and friendliness in the direction of all beings, and I need you to simply radiate that out as a result of you possibly can’t assist however radiate it out. It doesn’t even take any effort. That’s what your pristine, already present, completely full and excellent consciousness nature, your Buddha nature, your godhood is about, proper? Easy peace on earth and kindness and friendliness to all beings. Simply radiate that in all instructions now with me and really feel it pouring out effortlessly. All beings all over the place. They’re contacting again and there’s only a sense of great peace, and kindness, great peace and friendliness. We wish good issues for all beings all over the place.
Okay. Good, let’s let go of that now and we’ll carry the formal a part of the meditation to an in depth.
However, after all, nothing has modified. Your already present pristine consciousness, your Buddha nature remains to be there, nonetheless totally on. It’s not one thing you simply contact one way or the other mystically via meditation or one thing that you simply make occur. It’s all the time there, proper? And it’s all the time who you actually are. this sense of being a physique and a thoughts with a historical past? That’s cool. That’s a part of it, however the larger wholeness of you is that this tremendously awake pristine consciousness.
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