What If? – Deconstructing Your self

Nondual Guided Meditation with Michael Taft

So let’s start just by checking in. Simply tune into your self and see what’s happening. Ask your self the query, what’s it wish to be me proper now? And also you test into your physique, test into your feelings, your thoughts, and no matter else. Simply test in with your self, what’s it wish to be you proper now? And no matter it’s like, that’s the proper option to be proper now. So, nevertheless it’s, no matter you discover, is strictly the suitable option to be proper now. So let’s simply test in with that for a minute.

What if precisely the way in which you’re proper now’s the very best option to be?

Good. Now, as standard, let’s simply start with just a little little bit of some stabilization. So I need you to simply calm down into the huge open sky of your thoughts and into that huge unimpeded boundless sky simply discover, with none focusing, with none effort, simply discover that the feeling of respiration is seen and the feeling of respiration rises and falls and is seen within the sky of consciousness, with none effort it rises and falls like a wind rising and falling on this huge open sky. And let’s simply be with that collectively for some time right here.

We’re not focusing our thoughts, our consciousness is large open. The feeling of the breath rising and falling in consciousness is obtainable with out consideration, with out the strain of consideration it’s simply naturally current. If the sky of consciousness tightens down right into a ball round considering, simply enable the considering to dissolve again into the sky, and calm down again as consciousness. If the thoughts tightens round a thought, simply calm down the tightness, enable the thought to, simply of its personal accord, drop away and the thoughts returns to the vastness of boundless sky.

Good, now into this sky of consciousness, this endless sky, enable a picture to come up, a picture of a fountain. It may be fabricated from something and it could possibly have any liquid in it, however this fountain is the fountain of pure liberation, fountain of pure enlightenment. I need you to see very clearly this fountain is flowing with the waters of liberation. I bear in mind one time I used to be at an artwork set up in Los Angeles and there was a big fountain with a transparent liquid in it and the signal mentioned that it was a fountain of pure liquid LSD. You may have no matter liquid in your fountain you need, however discover that it’s obtained sure qualities, this fountain has sure properties. One is that it’s stuffed with power, it’s consistently shifting and flowing and shifting and altering. It’s by no means static or stale, it’s contemporary and clear and stuffed with power. Actually discover these properties of its freshness and cleanness and vivacious, full of life, energized high quality, and really feel that very same energetic high quality coming into your physique now.

Good, now discover that the fountain has extra qualities, it has the standard of kindness, and it’s flowing with a way of affection and pleasure and compassion, overflowing, spraying, effervescent kindness and pleasure and love. And really feel these properties too, coming into your coronary heart now, coronary heart overflowing as a supply of affection and pleasure and kindness. Good. Moreover, discover that the waters, or the liquid on this fountain, has a way of super readability and knowledge, it’s overflowing with awakeness, vivid, vivid, clear, stunning awakeness. 

And this hyper-lucid high quality of wakefulness and readability and knowledge is getting into your thoughts now all collectively. See the fountain flowing with knowledge and readability and vivid, shining awakeness, lucidity, love, pleasure, and compassion, and a form of springy, bubbly, playful power of spontaneity and liveliness. On an in-breath deliver that fountain into your physique and have your physique flip into the fountain, so that you simply your self are the fountain of liberation, you your self are the fountain of awake consciousness, you your self are the Buddha, and really feel the power of the fountain flowing upward out the highest of the pinnacle into the sky and raining again downward, as a rain of all these qualities, stunning peaceable rain of liberated and joyful kindness and full of life playfulness. 

What would it not be wish to be a fountain of pure liberated love and knowledge? Simply be with that now. Be that now.

And now let that every one fall away and simply relaxation as boundless, timeless sky of awakeness. That is merely resting something in any respect that arises within the sky of awakeness. It simply dissolves again into the sky with out leaving a hint of any variety. Should you’re sleepy sit up, when you’re actually sleepy, or simply when you really feel prefer it, sit along with your eyes open. It is a sky of boundless wakefulness. And I need you to ask your self now, what would it not be wish to be fully free? What would it not be wish to be completely liberated? I don’t like to consider a solution or think about something, simply ask that query and are available again to resting because the sky, it’s a boundless sky. What would the thoughts of excellent freedom be like?

Once more, if ideas come up, we’re simply letting these go, concepts come up, they only dissolve again into the sky. We’re not imagining solutions or considering.

Good, now ask your self the query, what would it not be wish to have a coronary heart overflowing with love and kindness and pleasure? Good, now ask your self, what would it not be like if the physique itself have been the power of pure freedom, playfulness, spontaneity? The physique, simply as it’s, precisely the way in which it’s, what if that have been the power of pure liberation? Not another physique, not your physique is in some way higher or fastened however this actual physique, the power of pure liberation, pure playful, spontaneous freedom. What would it not be like if there have been completely nothing to vary, no plans to make, nothing to repair, all the pieces already full and excellent? All ideas of any variety simply dissolve into boundless sky effortlessly, naturally, unimpeded. What if the place of your saddest most terrified damaged aloneness, what if that place, have been similar to your deepest awakening?

Good, what if all these issues are literally true and also you, proper now, simply precisely the way in which you’re a totally awake enlightened buddha? Proper now, totally free, totally variety, awake. Acknowledge that now. Acknowledge your already current woke up coronary heart and relaxation as that, with out altering something.

Now once more, into the sky of liberated totally joyous, boundless awakeness think about this fountain once more, the fountain of pure, on this case, pleasure, kindness, belonging, and compassion, love, and film this fountain radiating out out of your physique in all instructions, taking pictures out so excessive and so large that it’s bringing this love and pleasure and kindness to everybody in all places, all folks in all places, all animals in all places, all beings of each variety in all places, and by in all places I imply in all universes, the power of touching their coronary heart filling them with an actual sense of being seen and held and beloved and nurtured and cared for after which as a result of it’s an imaginal fountain flip it up 10 occasions, 10 occasions as sturdy, 10 occasions as light, 10 occasions as candy, after which much more, after which much more. Soaking universe after universe in divine love and pleasure and kindness.

After which, let go of all of it and simply relaxation as house, basic freedom, basic fullness. 

Chant

Good, now you’ll be able to let go of the meditation, be happy to maneuver and stretch.

Questions and Solutions

Michael: Good, so anybody have any feedback or questions?

Questioner 1: So it was simpler to sit down this time.

Michael: Excellent. Have been you practising within the meantime?

Questioner 1: I went to the fitness center.

 Michael: You went to the fitness center. That’s its personal form of apply. Excellent. Different feedback or questions?

Questioner 2: What was the very final thing that you simply mentioned to finish the meditation? What does it imply?

Michael: So, that’s a really conventional Sanskrit verse, Lokah Samastah Sukhino Bhavantu. Bhavantu comes from the verb to be, it’s cognate to the English phrase be, so the Bha there is identical as be. Bhavantu is a subjunctive so possibly. It’s attention-grabbing bhavana or bhava, similar verb, may also imply to meditate, so there’s a form of attention-grabbing valence there. However on this sentence, it means to be. Sukhino, let’s go away that for later. The primary half lokah is identical because the English phrase location. On this case, it means in all places in all places, lokah in all places. Samastah–might all beings, everybody in all places, might all of them be. After which the third phrase out of 4 is sukhino anybody know the phrase sukha? Sukhino–might all of them be comfortable, so might everybody in all places be comfortable. Very, very easy Sanskrit verse that I actually like, and since Sanskrit is linguistically associated to English elements of it are comprehensible if what to hear for. 

What else?

Questioner 3: Once you use phrases like huge sky or huge thoughts within the meditation, nothing actually occurs and like…

Michael: Good, nothing’s purported to occur.

Questioner 3: However there’s a motive why you point out these phrases, proper?

Michael: Sure. So, it could possibly typically appear as if the thoughts is form of tight, or form of small, and positively, if we’re feeling actual agitated or anxious or ashamed or one thing, it could possibly actually really feel like we’re locked inside a good little ball, a really uncomfortable little ball in our thoughts. However it’s humorous, that’s form of a trick we play on ourselves as a result of one factor the thoughts can do is form of curl again on itself, if it feels prefer it. And that may be form of uncomfortable.

However for a motive that no one is aware of, though it’s most likely just a few form of playfulness, we select to try this, and we’ve discovered to try this, and our society reinforces us doing that, curling again in that tight little ball. However that’s not the true situation of the thoughts, in any respect. The true situation is simply boundless house and a luminous cognizance. So it’s not simply useless house, it’s actually awake house with none tightness in it in any respect, and so I’m simply inviting you to note that about your individual thoughts. And when you don’t discover it, it’s since you hold wanting contained in the tight ball, utilizing tight power to look contained in the tight ball, and so it’s such as you hold taking part in the trick on your self. And but, the minute you simply calm down for a second from doing that, it’s simply open.

Okay, so it’s not that one thing’s purported to occur or like, , the sunshine shines–it simply goes from slim to tight, that form of effort, to simply relaxed, open, okay? However what’s attention-grabbing is even me doing that’s extra effort than it actually takes, simply that gesture of my fingers is extra effort than it actually takes. Severely, it’s simply because the more durable you effort, the tighter you’re making the ball, so just like the Chinese language finger entice factor? I don’t know what we actually name that, however it’s like a factor the place you attempt to pull your finger out and it will get tighter and tighter, that’s what it’s like. So the extra that you simply attempt to get out of the tight thoughts by pressure or pulling or tightness, it simply will get tighter. However it’s a form of magic trick the place you simply calm down and it’s simply not tight anymore. Okay? If that doesn’t make sense, simply hold–I hold inviting you to note and finally you go, oh yeah, that was all the time there. 

So if there was a gunshot proper now off within the distance, that is America, there’s a gunshot off within the distance, would you hear it? Sure or no?

In all probability, after all, you’d hear it. How did you hear that? How did you hear it? As a result of consciousness is in all instructions, proper? It’s already there, so consciousness is already naturally large in all instructions. And it’s solely as a result of we’re on goal tightening down into just a little ball, and we get skilled to be centered in that method, and we receives a commission to be centered in that method, and we get praised for being centered in that method, we overlook that you may simply be open. However that’s what your thoughts desires to do, simply calm down and be open. So after I say these phrases, I’m simply pointing to what’s all the time been there and alluring you to acknowledge what’s already there, okay? You don’t consider me however that’s okay.

Questioner 3: No, I consider you. 

Michael: Please, don’t consider me, simply discover it for your self. 

Questioner 3: If I calm down an excessive amount of, I really feel like I simply go to sleep. That’s my problem proper now. 

Michael: Positive. And once more, that’s as a result of we hold ourselves so tight with numerous nervousness and pressure and if we calm down the pure factor is to conk out. Okay, however even after we’re conked out the attention is simply as awake. You’ll nonetheless get woken up by the gunshot. So the fixed background of our lives…and so finally you’ll discover that even within the deepest sleep you’re simply as awake. Okay, so for now, if conking out is an issue meditate along with your eyes open, sit up, and simply calm down. Sometimes, not in your case, I don’t know you, however very generally there’s one thing we’re making an attempt to not discover, one thing we don’t wish to really feel, or one thing we don’t wish to take into consideration, and so we both keep actual anxious or if we begin to calm down we go unconscious, so we don’t need to really feel it or discover it. So the trick there, not essentially for you, however for plenty of folks, is to on goal search for the factor you don’t wish to really feel and really feel it, or take into consideration the factor you’re making an attempt to keep away from fascinated by, and simply be with it for some time. After which hastily you will be extra awake whenever you calm down as a result of there’s nothing to keep away from. Sounds fairly straightforward. Thanks in your query. 

What else? I need some laborious questions or some actually silly questions.

Questioner 4: How strict is the no-moving rule?

Michael: Method stricter than what you probably did.

Questioner 4: I picked a place, I used to be making an attempt to avoid wasting my again, and I spotted midway by means of that my knees are on hearth. That’s all I might take into consideration the entire time.

Michael: I noticed it. So both sit in a chair or get a better cushion. You may stack two up in order that your hips are method above your knees. That’ll most likely do it or like I say, simply sit in a chair.  It’s not–we’re not sitting rigidly nonetheless, it’s relaxed, okay? So if it begins to be actual uncomfortable I invite you to both enable that discomfort to be the opening that you simply undergo to awakeness. It may possibly actually work or once more subsequent time simply have a chair. It’s nice to have you ever right here. 

Questioner 5: In a scenario the place it’s form of laborious to calm down like that’s it nonetheless preferable to try to like enter that huge house? I overlook the way you worded it. Or do you wish to try to give attention to that factor that you simply’re most likely avoiding?

Michael: It’s a judgment name. Should you’re actually agitated, then simply see when you can calm down however when you’re actually conking out, see when you can get up just a little bit by sitting up straight or opening your eyes. However when you discover you’re too agitated, which suggests your thoughts goes throughout, see when you can simply breathe deep and calm down. Should you’re conking out, strive to perk up, open your eyes. But when what you’re noticing is a form of resistance or avoidance or a bouncing-off feeling, such as you’re bouncing off, you then may wish to examine and as an alternative of ‘what’s it wish to be a superbly woke up dachshund’ or no matter my questions have been, you’d say, what am I avoiding proper now? After which simply open and it’ll come up.

Okay, in order that’s the way you may do this. And that is likely to be a wild experience. It won’t be 5 minutes. That is likely to be a complete hour of sitting with that however finally, I imply that’s price doing, after which finally you’ll discover you’ll be able to actually begin to drop in. Okay?

Questioner 6: I’m fascinated by this second within the meditation whenever you mentioned one thing about you’re form of inviting all these actually form of optimistic experiences of kindness and love and no matter, after which I believe in some unspecified time in the future you invited one thing like emotions that we battle with after which mentioned one thing like, what in the event that they have been the identical factor?

Michael: I mentioned, what in case your most damaged unhappy aloneness have been the identical as your deepest awakening? 

Questioner 6: Are you able to converse extra about that?

Michael: Yeah, so once more it’s form of associated to what we have been simply saying or what I used to be simply saying the place on this method of working it’s not that you need to really feel nice on a regular basis or try to be this excellent factor, or solely have good feelings, or solely good ideas, or no matter. All ideas, all feelings all states of thoughts, all states of being are nonetheless doorways to awake consciousness. They’re simply as awake. 

And, actually, what begins to form of impede that’s if there’s issues we don’t wish to really feel and don’t wish to assume and don’t wish to expertise. That begins to construct a form of obfuscatory Berlin Wall, , like an actual wall seemingly between you and awake consciousness. In order that stuff that we’re making an attempt to keep away from, in essence, we’re form of avoiding our self. And so, the way in which by means of, the way in which in is all the time by means of, proper? We go in, in, in, in… So these locations the place you’re like, I’m so damaged and alone and and and… it’s I’m too sick to ever be healed and too insane to ever be awake, and no no one might presumably love me, and the way can I… , that form of feeling proper inside the middle of that–I imply really feel it proper now, proper inside the middle of it. It’s simply as awake as the rest. It’s simply as clear. It’s simply as spacious. It’s simply as sacred. It’s simply as pure. We don’t keep away from that, or in some way put that within the basement and, , attempt to by no means really feel that. As a substitute, we make pals with all, all, all ideas, all emotions, all the pieces that arises, proper? It’s the one method. It’s the one method. And it’s that factor of, , you’re sitting there and also you get up at 3 a.m and simply how magnified a few of that unfavorable content material can develop into, proper? It may possibly simply seem to be you’re just a little baby once more, and also you’re simply so afraid, we’re so alone, or so damaged, or no matter and that second will be like the perfect meditation you’ve ever had. 

You realize the place you simply say sure to that and simply discover that the core of that’s shining with actual readability, and wonder, and a form of aliveness, proper? A form of actual aliveness. No, it’s not that we’re on goal, , soaking in that. Though, if you wish to do this certain, however when that comes up that we’re used to considering like, oh, that’s the unhealthy factor, that’s what I wish to make go away, and banish it endlessly. And that banishing is sort of a banishing of ourselves, it banishes our personal awakening. Our personal liberation means all of the issues are accepted, all of the issues are included, all this. 

How might any state of thought or feeling ever harm your awake consciousness? They will’t and, actually, they’re really the expression of it. They’re fabricated from it. All of the highs and lows and wonder and darkness, all of it. So we welcome all that. And also you’ll discover, hastily, you’ll be able to drop in in a method that you simply weren’t capable of earlier than as a result of earlier than you have been bouncing off, and bouncing off, and bouncing off, however since you mentioned sure you didn’t bounce off, you went in. Okay?

Once I was a very little child my sister went to lady scout camp and she or he got here again after weeks, and I used to be–we have been little sufficient that her being gone for like two weeks was an enormous deal–I used to be like, oh my god, you’re again! And he or she introduced along with her just a little toy, it’s like just a little bare man with huge hair, a troll. Yeah, a type of, and she or he had this wood plaque like that huge that utilizing a magnifying glass somebody had burned into it the slogan do the factor you concern and the dying of concern is definite which I nonetheless bear in mind although I used to be like 4 after I first noticed it as a result of she introduced again the engraved plaque and I used to be like, oh it’s like actually essential. Do the factor you concern and the dying of concern is definite and it’s the identical thought. Not that we’re making an attempt to kill concern however go in and the wholeness is there. After we don’t wish to really feel one thing, we don’t wish to expertise one thing, that’s we’re creating fragmentation inside ourselves. And what we’re practising right here is wholeness, actual wholeness, not simply fairly wholeness. So what factor are you avoiding? What factor are you–I really feel like I give this discuss each week–what factor are you making an attempt to not really feel or assume? That’s the way in which ahead. Thanks in your query. Yeah.

Be part of Michael’s mailing checklist and get notified of latest choices and programs.

Donate to assist create extra of those movies and extra.

Associated