Stay Guided Nondual Meditation by Michael Taft
Streamed dwell Mar 10, 2022
Meditation
Let’s start our meditation this night by beginning out with getting in our meditation posture. In order regular I would like you to sit down together with your knees, if potential, your knees under your hips. When you’re on a chair, like, I’m on a rolly chair, you simply sit approach ahead and the chair, not a lot that the chair squeezes like a lemon seed out from between your fingers, and y’know, shoots out from behind you. However slightly you simply sit very balanced on the entrance in order that your knees are down and also you’re simply supporting your personal again. However discover, as a result of your knees are down, your again simply sits up good and straight, completely naturally, completely with out effort. Or if in case you have a meditation cushion; that’s the purpose of that cushion. You may as well lay in your again together with your knees within the air, in order that your again is flat. So these are the positions that we prefer to meditate in, if potential. You may even meditate standing up for those who’re actually drained. So get in, or if it feels good, get in a type of positions, or actually another place you are feeling like, which you can keep in for an hour with out transferring.
After which I would like you to only transfer round it ‘until it feels very nice, actually settled, actually calm, actually secure. After which what we’re going to do is ready our intentions. So what which means is, perhaps ‘set intention’ will not be precisely the fitting approach to say it; keep in mind intention, recall our intention, why are we meditating? What’s the aim general for our meditation apply? Why can we do that in any respect? So no matter that’s for you, simply deliver that up now. Bear in mind why you do that.
After which subsequent we’re going to do a useful resource gathering, a visualization, okay? And a part of why I’ve this hilarious ‘cult chief’ t-shirt on is as a result of, the visualization tonight, we’ve by no means carried out this, we’re gonna sit like a rainbow, okay? So generally we sit like a mountain, generally we sit like an ocean, and so forth. Tonight we’re gonna sit like a rainbow. So I would like you to image this lovely rainbow, and that’s what this shirt is there for, that can assist you keep in mind what a rainbow seems to be like. Bear in mind, blue on the within of the arc, crimson on the surface of the arc and every part in between, in between. So that you’re visualizing this exquisitely attractive, pretty shining rainbow, okay? And also you’re sitting as for those who’re a rainbow. What does it imply to sit down like a rainbow? Effectively [sit like] a rainbow, on this case metaphorically, the place it’s lovely. So sit with a way of magnificence, of getting magnificence. It’s received all of the totally different colours, so it’s not like all condensed down into white mild; it’s the total expression. So it’s sitting with a full expression. Lets say full expression of your already current Buddhahood, or full expression of awake consciousness, full expression of the thoughts of awakening, proper? So, it’s not solely lovely, it’s received this temper of simply full unimpeded, pleasant and celebratory expression.
Proper? So, sitting like a rainbow. Additionally, it’s easy, proper? The rainbow simply seems. No person paints it, it’s not some sort of effortful creation; it’s completely easy. So there’s a way of effortlessness and there’s additionally, keep in mind final week the place we did the mandala visualization, up and down the central channel? The rainbow comprises all these mandala qualities as effectively, proper? So you may actually really feel all of the totally different qualities. When you did the mandala apply then these are all current for you. After which, I might go on and on, we might do a complete meditation simply visualizing this rainbow as a result of that will be very nice. However, the final one I’ll say is that – perhaps it’s two extra – the rainbow is simply sort of hanging there in house; it’s, it has no weight. So not solely is it easy nevertheless it’s weightless. There’s this extremely lovely show, having no mass, proper? It’s simply, I imply, scientifically we might most likely say the photons making up the rainbow have some sort of mass. However we’re interested by it metaphorically. It’s similar to this piece of paintings hanging within the sky with no weight in any respect; it’s feather-light. It’s like, totally, like floating, like hovering with none effort. So we’re sitting like that. After which lastly, the rainbow is an emblem of vacancy, proper? As a result of vacancy doesn’t imply issues aren’t there. It’s not a void. It’s not once we see a rainbow we see a black void of nothing. We see the other. We see this beautiful expression of all the colours and but you may’t contact it, you may’t exit and discover it, you may’t, you already know; it’s each there and never there. It’s like, sort of like a dream or a imaginative and prescient. It has this empty high quality of ‘there and never thereness’ on the similar time. So I would like you to, no matter it means to you, I received’t go over all these qualities once more. However simply consider probably the most lovely and profound issues a few rainbow and sit with that, and simply visualize this rainbow. Sit like a rainbow. And we’ll do this collectively for a couple of minutes right here after which we’ll transfer on from there.
Good. Now to go slightly deeper into this. As we see the empty nature of the rainbow that enables us to tune into our personal empty nature, the truth that irrespective of – in the identical approach that the rainbow is each there and never there, it’s crammed with shade and but you may’t actually discover it – in the exact same approach, regardless that you have got ideas and emotions and an expression as an individual, for those who look inside looking for the supply or the truth of those ideas and emotions, you may’t actually discover it. You may’t actually contact it. And so in the identical approach that the rainbow is each lovely and alive and vibrant and actual and on the similar time empty; our self, our feeling of being a separate self can be vibrant and alive and in a way actual, and in one other sense, totally empty. So permit your self to gaze upon that rainbow awhile and see its vacancy. The truth that it’s like hanging within the sky like a dream, a shining dream. And but you may’t, similar to a dream, you may’t really attain out and contact it. In the identical approach, you your self are simply hanging within the house of consciousness, ideas, and emotions passing in consciousness, and but there’s nothing to the touch; there’s nothing to succeed in out and discover. So, the vacancy of the rainbow displays the vacancy in you. The vacancy of being displays the vacancy of the rainbow and that is very, very nice, very lovely. So sit with that for a couple of minutes.
Good. Now from right here, as a result of we’re empty and the rainbow is empty, simply permit the rainbow to come back inside you. In order that as a substitute of being a human physique, respiratory and digesting and all of the issues {that a} human physique does, and as a substitute of being ideas and emotions or no matter we think about ourselves to be; we’re merely a rainbow shining within the sky. That’s all there’s, is a rainbow shining within the sky. It’s violet, indigo, blue, inexperienced, yellow, orange, crimson; all shining shiny in an infinite, huge, empty sky. Image that now, really feel that now, be that now.
And actually really feel the fantastic thing about the colours and the shining mild, the effortlessness of it. Completely easy, shining rainbow. Actually discover the truth that it’s weightless, unfindable, and empty, and but additionally there; it’s not nothing. And it’s shining with this great pleasure and sweetness.
Okay, Good. Now from right here we’re gonna start meditating on our breath. And so there’s sufficient contact with physique sensation to only really feel the breath however right here’s how I would like you to breathe, okay? If you want to otherwise you wish to, simply breathe usually. However for those who can, what I’d such as you to do is definitely breathe as gently and softly and barely there as potential. So we’re doing a extremely, actually, actually light breath. Now don’t do it so gently that you simply, you already know, really feel such as you’re not getting sufficient oxygen such as you’re not getting sufficient air or no matter, that’s not the purpose. I simply need you to breathe as gently and shallowly as you may and have it nonetheless really feel good, okay? So it’s a really, very comfortable breath, very barely transferring in any respect, okay? Once more, don’t do it a lot that you want to yawn or no matter, make it be just right for you; however throughout the parameters of consolation breathe tremendously, tremendously gently. After which simply permit that wave of the breath to come up within the sky of consciousness. We will let the rainbow imaginative and prescient go now. Simply permit the wave of the breath to be seen in consciousness rising and seen in consciousness falling. So we’re not pointing consideration on the breath, we’re simply letting the breath itself simply come up with none effort in consciousness and fall once more with none effort in consciousness.
Good. Now proceed with this. Remembering that after I say the sensations of the breath are simply rising in consciousness, that’s easy. Consciousness is already conscious of the sentiments of the breath, that’s how you already know they’re there. So there’s nothing to do besides permit the wave of the breath to be seen effortlessly by consciousness. However after I say consciousness I imply that huge, sky-like thoughts. The huge, spacious consciousness wherein the sky, wherein the rainbow, was showing earlier than. So it’s simply this wave of breath sensation effortlessly arising in an enormous sky of thoughts; so let’s proceed.
Okay. Now persevering with to do this actually light breath, if that feels good to you, I would like you to change from noticing the breath wave rising and falling in consciousness. Once more effortlessly, consciousness simply already is aware of, already can pay attention to the breath wave. I would like you to do the identical factor with all ideas and feelings, however particularly ideas. Whether or not they’re visible or verbal ideas there’s the sky of consciousness and considering is only a trickle of vapor transferring by way of that sky of consciousness. It’s like just a bit, little ripple within the air of the sky of consciousness. It’s not disturbing the sky in any approach and it’s not one thing to actually give attention to. We’re not, we don’t, we’re not participating with the content material however we nonetheless are literally very conscious of it. So it’s slightly totally different than dropping the ball as a result of we’re not simply utterly disregarding it and simply letting or not it’s there. We are literally, regardless that we’re not sharply specializing in it, we’re giving it some consideration; noticing it as a spotlight object. So it’s nonetheless shamatha with an object, slightly than on the breath, simply very frivolously on considering itself with out getting concerned within the considering in any respect. Give {that a} shot and if that’s too troublesome come again to meditating on respiratory.
Discover that ideas don’t disturb the sky of consciousness, the huge sky of consciousness in any approach. They’re similar to ripples on the ocean or similar to currents of air within the sky. It’s not disturbed. The sky is sufficiently big and huge sufficient and nonetheless sufficient for these ideas to maneuver by way of it, for air currents to maneuver by way of it with out it being disturbed in any approach.
Okay. good. Now for those who’re used to meditating together with your eyes open, this can be a good time to do this. When you’re not used to it however you wish to attempt it out then now’s the time to do this. Simply have your eyes open however they’re not likely centered on something. You’re not likely wanting with them, they’re simply open. And so they’re relaxed and never narrowly something. They’re simply sort of relaxed and open. They don’t must be out of focus they usually don’t must be nonetheless. Typically if we depart our eyes nonetheless the visible discipline will begin to disappear based mostly on, you already know, the retinal cells getting drained. So be at liberty to blink and transfer your eyes and all that. However they’re simply, it’s simply relaxed, it’s simply a simple gaze.
After which what we’re doing as a meditation now – and I would like you to hearken to this instruction fastidiously as a result of I imply it – we’re gonna do nothing in any respect, okay? You’re not focusing however you’re additionally not not focusing. You’re not doing something in any respect. You’re not following ideas, you’re not attempting to stick with one thing, you’re not even really meditating, okay? You’re letting go even of the thought of meditating. You’re nonetheless in your posture, you’re nonetheless sitting nonetheless however you’re letting go of every part–except letting go turns into a doing, wherein case we let go of letting go and simply sit. In order that’s what I would like you to do.
Now for those who discover that you simply’re getting actual caught up in stuff, simply let go of it. Or if you wish to, simply be caught up in it till you’re carried out. However what we’re actually doing is letting go utterly; we’re not doing something. And so while you’re caught up in thought, that’s sort of a doing. So we simply, the standard factor is to only let go of it. And let go of every part. Once more, even the concept that you’re meditating, even the concept that you’re supposed to alter one thing in any respect. That’s why I say, in a approach you don’t have to alter something, simply sit there. Simply sit there and permit your self to let go. Completely easy, completely with out doing, merely being.
What if there’s nothing to alter in any respect? Nothing to do, nothing to attempt, every part is already good, every part is already full, every part is already fulfilled. And there’s completely nothing to do. Unsleeping.
Simply resting naturally as huge, spacious consciousness with none effort, with none doing of any sort, with out even the thought of meditating or a meditator. Not even anyone doing something. Simply pure resting as open consciousness. Now, if once more if that is too troublesome or chaotic, be at liberty to return and easily meditate on the breath wave arising and passing in consciousness; in any other case let’s proceed.
Good. Now into this huge house visualize once more the rainbow shining effortlessly, fantastically, radiantly with all its varied colours. See that very, very clearly now.
Simply radiantly shining with magnificence and pleasure and variety with these easy, weightless, unfindable, liquid colours, radiant shining. After which allow them to simply fly out. Colours simply fly. They dissolve or like, break up and fly in all instructions to in every single place; each particular person on this planet, each being on this planet, each being in the complete universe will get touched by this rainbow mild and feels that pleasure and feels that magnificence, feels that radiance and feels that variation, the range. After which simply let that go and be simply utterly empty once more for simply one other second.
Okay, excellent. Let’s let go of the meditation there and simply permit your self to open up slightly bit bodily, chill out slightly extra, transfer and stretch in no matter approach feels actually, actually good. Perhaps you wiggle your fingers and toes or simply sort of permit your backbone to wiggle in a approach that feels actually scrumptious, or no matter. Have a drink of water, have a drink of tea, or no matter it’s you employ to moist your whistle on the finish of sit.
Dharma Speak
Okay, so I wish to speak slightly bit about consciousness itself. And generally folks speak about consciousness like, it’s a sort of a factor that they’re going to have a look at. So, I’d even use language like that generally as a result of that’s simply how our language is structured, and in reality, all languages are structured this fashion. Some educational stuff from the Twenties and 30s about different languages that supposedly don’t do this, really that seems to be incorrect. A technique they didn’t actually perceive the languages very effectively, so we at all times–our language at all times makes it sound like one factor over right here is one other factor over there. And so we are able to typically see, it might probably typically sound like the thought is, ‘oh I’m over right here and I’m going to have a look at consciousness over there and an consciousness is a factor, some sort of particular factor I’m going to see,’ okay? And that’s not what’s occurring with consciousness. As a result of with the intention to see something, so as to pay attention to it, of something you’ve received to bear in mind, proper? And so there’s a humorous round factor occurring, just like the particular person over right here who thinks he’s wanting on the consciousness over there’s actually–that wanting itself is consciousness. So for those who suppose you’re over right here consciousness over there then my query is: who’s wanting?
And naturally, that leads, that’s sort of an inquiry query, proper? Like we did the opposite week, we get into inquiry. As a result of for those who attempt to have a look at who’s wanting you’ll discover that it’s consciousness itself consciousness. And so you have got this paradox of the–prefer it looks like perhaps consciousness is cut up into an consciousness, over right here is consciousness over there. And also you notice all of that’s not obligatory, or let’s imagine all of that’s nonsense. There’s nothing over right here something over there in any respect.
Consciousness is already effortlessly conscious. Consciousness has no location so it might probably’t be over right here one thing over there. Or to place it in one other approach, to say it has no location is similar factor as saying it’s positioned in every single place. Nevertheless it has no positionality so it’s not wanting a method or one other; that’s only a approach we speak. And it’s additionally a approach that we’re used to sort of encountering our personal visible expertise. After we take into consideration positioning our head and our eyes and all that. However that place of the pinnacle, within the eyes, or that place of the ears, all of that’s totally different than consciousness itself. Consciousness itself has no place, it has no path. It’s by no means the case that I’m over right here and that particular factor referred to as consciousness over there. Consciousness is simply conscious of itself, proper? And if we needed to consider it, every of the sense gates solely perform due to consciousness. So even when I really feel like my physique is over right here and my eyes are pointing over there and I’m wanting on the lovely after-sunset clouds that are on the market proper now, it’s getting slightly a number of months previous the winter solstice, proper? So it’s slightly lighter out right now and I can see these after-sun clouds. So I’m over right here and my eyes are wanting over there. All of that, the sensation of being a physique over right here, the entire perspectival take of eyes over right here which can be wanting in a sure approach at clouds which can be over there; all of that perspective stuff and positionality stuff, all of that’s one thing I’m conscious of.
And so once more, all of that’s simply arising in consciousness, and consciousness is positioned in all these locations and centered in none of them. Consciousness has no heart, no edge, and no center. It’s simply all consciousness itself. So, you already know, the thought–positive my eyes are positioned someplace they usually’re a factor over there–however consciousness is in each areas and in every single place in between and is definitely underlying that entire course of. And so every of the sense gates might need a sort of positionality, might need a sort of seeming dualism. However the minute we come from consciousness and perceive that the after-sunset clouds over there and the sensation of eyes over right here, perceiving these – all of these are arising in the identical consciousness – that dualism collapses, proper?
There’s nonetheless distinction, there’s nonetheless the sensation in a single a part of consciousness and the clouds within the different a part of consciousness, and all that. So distinction will not be annihilated. We don’t wish to make it into the grey goo situation, the oatmeal situation the place every part is only one factor and there’s no distinction, due to course there’s distinction. There’s the sensation of being a physique, there’s the colours of being after-sunset clouds, proper? There’s a rainbow as a substitute of a void and every shade of the rainbow is totally different than the opposite colours. So distinction will not be annihilated and on the similar time every part is joined within the, in consciousness itself.
And naturally, I don’t need you to make consciousness itself into some sort of object. Consciousness will not be an object, proper? It’s empty like every part else – remembering that empty doesn’t imply it’s not there. In fact, consciousness is there, you’re having an expertise of it proper now, you might be consciousness itself, in a method of it. And but that’s empty too: don’t make that into an object, don’t make that right into a factor, don’t make that into the brand new deity to worship, don’t make that into the brand new, you already know, object of want that you simply’re attempting to get. Anybody who’s attempting to get consciousness doesn’t perceive what the fuck they’re doing as a result of, you already know, consciousness is on the foundation of every part, proper? The truth that you even know that you really want one thing is since you’re conscious of wanting. So there isn’t a particular consciousness to get, proper?
It’s not an object and neither are you. Each time you catch your self considering of your self as an object, look fastidiously, look. Who’s having the expertise proper now of considering they’re an object? And also you’ll look and proper on the core of that feeling of being ‘you’ is that this nebulous consciousness expertise of shifting and transferring physique sensations, shifting and transferring feelings, transferring and shifting ideas of varied varieties. And it’s all sort of there however sort of not there; it’s very nebulous, it’s very undefined. There’s a sample to it and but it’s not a very outlined sample and so it’s empty, proper? The sensation of being a self, a separate ego, is made up of ideas and emotions and wishes you to suppose these ideas and emotions are strong and actual with the intention to come ahead as this reified object. Effectively, guess what? Reified objects get damage, reified objects undergo, reified objects actually have a troublesome time. And it’s not required that we consider ourselves as a reified object, proper?
Let go of the hypostatization that, you already know, the ‘making it actual’ that you simply habitually do. And as a substitute see that on the core of, no matter we are able to name it: the core of your being, or deep down in your soul, or wanting proper on the seeming heart of your personal expertise like quite a lot of–and once more it’s not coming from a positionality, consciousness has no positionality–so simply pay attention to no matter seems like the middle of no matter’s occurring, like probably the most intimate spot within the deepest, secret place in your coronary heart. Discover that that’s simply gnostic house, it’s understanding house, it’s empty and but shiningly, blazingly conscious. And stuff is going on, there’s ideas and emotions however that’s not, they’re all simply sort of ripples in consciousness.
So it’s essential to get this concept of how we’re seeing this, proper? That is all about ‘the view’. This sort of nondual meditation is all in regards to the view, that means all about drishti in Sanskrit. I really like that phrase, ‘drishti’, that means ‘the view’. Lets say it’s a complete understanding of the place we’re coming from or a complete understanding of who we’re, or who we expect we’re or the place we expect we’re coming from. So long as you suppose you’re positioned in a physique and also you’re popping out your eyes, or no matter, you’re going to have one sort of expertise and it’s going to most likely be fraught with struggling. However for those who permit that to indicate its personal vacancy–the truth that it’s nebulous flowing, simply expertise–and your view is consciousness positioned nowhere, is simply conscious and it’s not a factor both, you’re gonna have a, that’s a unique viewpoint; it’s a unique perspective. You virtually can’t even name it a perspective however we’ll name it a drishti, in Sanskrit, a view. And that’s a lot much less fraught, there’s a lot much less struggling in that view so it’s very price trying out.
And likewise discover that’s, you already know, that’s accessible simply with none effort in any respect. When you simply sit and chill out and permit your self to open you’ll discover that view arising fairly naturally, fairly effortlessly, fairly spontaneously. And that there’s a sort of magnificence in that and a sort of the Aristocracy in that and a sort of peace and readability in that that’s a lot deeper than you might have imagined. And but it’s not some sort of particular state, it’s not some sort of altered state, it’s not some sort of factor; the article of want that you simply’re attempting to get. It’s at all times already there.
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