Streamed stay on Feb 6, 2025
Guided Nondual Meditation by Michael Taft
Introduction
Welcome, I’m Michael Taft. We’re going to do an hour-long guided meditation. I invite you to test some stuff out in your expertise, and also you’re welcome to try this, and also you’re additionally welcome to not—if you wish to do your individual meditation, you wish to construct some form of astral temple in your thoughts whilst you’re sitting—nice—try this. No matter you need. You’ll be able to even do midway, like go along with me midway, after which, like, okay, no matter he’s doing subsequent I’m not into it, and then you definitely go off into your individual meditation. That’s advantageous. Simply come on Thursday evening and sit with the group. There’s an actual energy to sitting collectively. So it’s nice to have you ever right here.
Meditation
Okay, so from right here, let’s do some mantra. We’re going to return to our normal favourite, om mani padme hum. Do not forget that I chant at a sure pitch, however you chant at no matter pitch you need, that fits your voice, and we’ll all breathe at totally different occasions in order that the mantra simply retains going. We’re going to do it for a short time, possibly three or 4 minutes, and whilst you’re doing it, since that is the mantra of nice compassion, simply really feel your coronary heart. Really feel your coronary heart heart, really feel your coronary heart there, possibly even really feel it opening, softening, no matter. However discover that sense of kindness, caring, pleasure, and so forth.
[chanting] om mani padme hum
Good. Now, simply feeling that power of kindness, love, compassion, openness, pleasure—even when it’s very tiny, or even when it’s very massive. Simply really feel it, staying good and open, good and relaxed, with huge open consciousness.
Let’s start doing a little alternate nostril respiration. If you know the way to try this, go forward. Should you don’t, observe together with my directions, which all the time begin out placing your proper hand like this, closing your proper nostril along with your proper thumb, Be sure you’re sitting up good and straight. Breathe in via your left nostril—good deep breath, shut that left nostril with these two fingers. Breathe out the suitable nostril, good deep breath in the suitable nostril. Shut it with the thumb, breathe out the left, within the left. Shut out the left, breath out the suitable, in the suitable. Shut out the left, and simply preserve going with that for a couple of minutes right here. When you’re doing that, if you wish to, you possibly can depend alongside along with your respiration, utilizing om mani padme hum, and concentrating the power at your third eye.
So, let’s proceed doing this for a short time collectively. If the counting and mantra is an excessive amount of, simply do the respiration half. That is actually balancing the 2 hemispheres. It’s energizing, but additionally it offers fairly a little bit of stabilization and stability. It brings an incredible quantity of stability to the system. It’s additionally a thought to scrub out the power system. One of many names for that is anulom vilom which is alternate nostril respiration, however the different identify for it’s nadi shodhana, which implies actually cleansing your power channels. This is without doubt one of the few pranayamas which you could simply do as a lot of it as you want.
For now, we start on a left nostril in-breath, so preserve going to your subsequent left nostril out breath, after which convey it to a detailed. Simply sit for a minute in open consciousness, relaxed openness. Simply really feel the tonified system, the truth that you’re extra relaxed, extra open, but additionally extra balanced and harmonious.
Okay, let’s do some good old fashioned Brahmavihara work now, which implies we’re going to start simply producing some metta, some loving kindness. We are able to do that in a really relaxed, very mild, very open method. Should you’ve already obtained a metta observe, then simply go forward and try this. In any other case, the thought is to convey up photographs of individuals, or animal companions, or mates that you just care about in your thoughts. Image them feeling blissful, loving, energized, wholesome, thriving—blissful in each approach. And simply really feel how good that feels to see them doing so nicely. Replicate that again to them, want that for them in no matter approach it comes up for you. If you wish to use the usual Buddhist phrases, you possibly can say, could you be blissful, could you be wholesome, could you be free from struggling, and so forth. However you possibly can really use no matter language works for you.
We’re not making an attempt to essentially have an atom bomb of emotion go off. That is only a good, mild, sweetness that we’re bringing to our coronary heart. For some purpose, for some individuals, generally doing this makes them just a little unhappy. So don’t go within the unhappy route, go within the pleasure, blissful, candy, kindness, route. Let’s do that collectively for a couple of minutes. Mainly, you’re simply wishing them nicely—in a method of claiming it, praying for them to be blissful, and joyful, and peaceable, and wholesome, and thriving. And as you’re doing that, you possibly can stick with the identical particular person, or transfer to different people. Preserve it joyous, preserve it blissful. Really feel that glow of kindness filling your coronary heart.
And, to the extent you possibly can, preserve your thoughts from wandering. As a substitute, keep proper with the observe. That may actually assist it to develop stronger, and deeper, and extra loving. Strive to not permit your self to make it into an Olympic sport. That is about pleasure and kindness, so keep comfortable, and open. We’re not making an attempt too laborious. Once more, it’s not about having some form of main compassionate occasion or one thing. You simply need that heat glow.
Good. Now, let’s change the temper just a little bit, and go extra within the route of compassion. So, as an alternative of seeing them as doing rather well essentially, you may tune into somebody who’s having a tough time or varied people who find themselves having a tough time. You’re wishing them the identical factor—you’re wishing them peace, love, kindness, reduction, well being, finish of struggling, and also you’re imagining your self serving to. So, shifting from metta to karuna—to compassion. Once more, don’t let this go in a route that brings unhappiness. It’s extra concerning the temper of wanting to assist, and sending them assist, and being there for them, and being supportive.
I do know none of us don’t know anybody who’s having a tough time proper now. Should you can’t consider anyone, then make any person up. And see how that’s just a bit bit totally different of a taste, however nonetheless associated. It’s nonetheless coronary heart opening, it’s nonetheless inflicting that heat coal to glow within the coronary heart, simply with just a little bit totally different tone. Bear in mind, you’re an individual, too, so if you wish to, beam some compassion at your self. That’s okay, too. We simply did the mantra of nice compassion, and that is the compassion observe.
Good. Now let’s change. We did metta and karuna, now let’s do mudita, which accurately means sweetness and is the enjoyment you derive from others’ pleasure. We did just a little little bit of that within the metta, however let’s do it actually strongly now. You see others very blissful, actually doing nicely, getting what they want, getting issues which are good for them, doing issues which are wholesome, and life-affirming, and inflicting them to thrive. Simply really feel the enjoyment that that offers you from them doing nicely.
It’s like the final word anti-jealousy—simply how lovely it’s to see somebody doing rather well. Image that as clearly as you possibly can. It may be a single particular person or many alternative people, however see them thriving, and joyous, and smiling, and blissful, and energized—bright-eyed and bushy tailed. Doing what they had been meant to do, and simply discover the large pleasure that brings. It’s a specific form of pleasure, the kind of persnickety Victorian time period for it’s sympathetic pleasure, however I just like the literal translation—simply sweetness. It’s simply so candy. You probably have a baby, what it’s wish to see them after they’re tremendous blissful. What it makes you are feeling is healthier than your individual happiness—that’s mudita.
Good. Then, the final of the Brahmaviharas is upekkha, or in Sanskrit, upeksha, so equanimity. However discover, this isn’t some form of chilly, I don’t careness, which is how some individuals conceptualize equanimity. Moderately, it’s large stability, it’s large poise. Simply feeling so openhearted and so mild that there’s a form of large evenness, however it’s very heat. It’s not uncaring in any approach. The center stays huge open. Large stability, evenness, openness.
We did the alternate nostril respiration, which brings a way of actual stability to the organism, and now there’s stability within the thoughts as nicely.
Good. Now, from this actual balanced equanimity, simply set the considering thoughts apart totally, and simply speak in confidence to spaciousness with large ease. We don’t need to create house, or think about house, we’re simply not utilizing our thoughts in a slim method. Not utilizing our consideration in a slim method. So it’s simply naturally open, it’s simply open.
And from this open, sky-like thoughts, you are able to do considered one of two issues. Both sit feeling the breath wave come and go within the sky of the thoughts, and use that as a really, very mild, quite simple focus object. However holding your consideration very broad, and simply feeling the breath coming and going within the physique. Or, if you wish to do one thing just a little tougher, don’t focus your thoughts on something in any respect. Don’t do something in any respect. Should you discover your thoughts doing one thing, or making an attempt to not do, simply drop that. Come again to not inserting your thoughts in any approach in any respect, and resting because the awakeness, not the thoughts in any respect. Once more, if that’s not your cup of tea this night, then simply come again to resting as open awakeness, feeling the breath wave coming and going.
If it feels just like the thoughts is grabbing on to something, simply let go. Don’t seize on to something in any respect with the thoughts. We’re staying vibrant clear and alert, however unfixated on something. If it feels such as you’re making an attempt in any respect, that’s a fixation. Simply drop that. There’s no making an attempt occurring. If it feels such as you’re checking to see if you happen to’re doing it proper, simply drop that. There’s no checking to see if you happen to’re doing it proper. If it feels such as you’re doing one thing in any respect, simply drop that. There’s no doing of any type occurring. Should you’re fixated on any thought in any respect, simply let it go. Ideas could be there, however we’re not partaking in any approach.
Good. Now, from this place of sky-like openness, large, huge, spacious, boundless, centerless, awakeness, with no person there, no doing of any type, no person making an attempt, no person imagining something, let’s do some tonglen observe. So, in tonglen observe, we’re starting once more with only one different particular person, and on the in-breath, inhaling all their struggling, all their ache, all their misery, all their trauma, all the things into our being.
However, on this case, our being is bodhicitta, Buddha Nature itself, so it may take an infinite quantity of that with none bother. It’s simply sucking it in, after which respiration again out to that individual, pleasure, peace, well being, reduction, inspiration, magnificence, love. So once more, with out anyone there to do something, simply let your individual bodhicitta, your individual awakening heart-mind, breathe within the struggling, and breathe out the reduction. Breathe within the ache and the misery, and breathe out the enjoyment and the kindness. Giving it with out reserve, as a result of there’s simply no restrict.
You’ll be able to proceed working with one particular person, or transfer to a number of totally different people. Actually feeling that you just’re liberating all that struggling, all that ache, all that problem, all that misery, all that trauma. It vanishes with no hint. After which giving again magnificence, pleasure, kindness, well being, inspiration, energy, confidence, love.
As our means to do that kind of warms up, let’s now embrace everybody else on this room. All the opposite meditators right here. Breathe in all of the ache, all of the unhappiness, all the problem, all of the misery, all of the trauma, after which breathe out reduction, therapeutic, pleasure, love, kindness, knowledge. Really feel it coming again to you, since you’re within the room, too, in order that’s occurring for you as nicely.
Good. Now, since we’re coping with the Buddha Nature, and there’s no restrict, let’s simply open the valve all the way in which. Taking over all of the struggling of each sentient being in all places, and there’s quite a lot of it my mates, there’s an entire lot of it. And we’re simply taking all of it in on every in-breath, with out reserve, with out holding again, after which beaming out from this big heart-mind of large compassion, large love, large therapeutic, large pleasure, large knowledge. Giving it all the things we’ve obtained for each being, in all places within the universe. And, in fact, feeling it coming again to us as nicely.
And since what we’re doing is the exercise of the bodhisattva of compassion, whereas we’re doing this let’s additionally chant the mantra of Avalokiteshvara, which we had been doing earlier than. We’ll simply do it just a little softer. We’re persevering with the tonglen, so we’ve got to go away sufficient room to breathe in, to breathe in all that struggling.
[chanting] om mani padme hum
Now, simply sit as bodhicitta itself, because the heart-mind of large knowledge and love. Simply be that, with none considered any type.
Okay, let’s finish that there. Let’s simply see what you all need to say.
Questioner 1: I used to be having this superior visible in the course of the mantra of compassion of an infinite house with this little ball on the heart. And each time we mentioned om mani padme hum, a pink wave of power would zoom out, and go to the whole lot of the expanse. Then it will occur time and again, with all these pink waves. It was lovely. That’s it.
Michael: Thanks, thanks for sharing the gorgeous imaginative and prescient.
Questioner 2: Hey Michael. So for the doing nothing instruction, is it not doable to try this if you happen to’re sleepy? I felt like I needed to attempt to keep awake, after which I attempted to not attempt staying awake, after which I simply began to fall over.
Michael: Sure, it’s the one pitfall is that you just’re not presupposed to be sleepy. So, if you could preserve your self awake, preserve your self awake, okay. That’s it. It’s obtained a loophole there for sitting up straight, and staying awake, as a result of in any other case you’re simply falling asleep. It’s not likely a meditation at that time.
Questioner 2: Yeah, thanks for that.
Questioner 3: I had a factor right now that I’ve been having on and off in Ram observe the place it’s like my entire power is simply too activated. I don’t know, not too activated, however relatively activated. I’m undecided how a lot to let it go, however I additionally am kind of making an attempt to domesticate a coronary heart feeling. However I don’t wish to be making an attempt to power a coronary heart feeling, and it finally ends up with a form of elevated coronary heart charge. I particularly discover that if I’m doing tonglen, I’ll be making an attempt to breathe within the struggling and breathe out reduction.
Michael: That’s the way you do it.
Questioner 3: It’s like energy respiration.
Michael: So there’s simply quite a lot of power. Simply go along with it. I imply I wouldn’t attempt to ramp it up, but when it’s there, then that’s what’s there, okay?
Questioner 3: Do you could have any ideas? I really feel like generally it will get my thoughts just a little swirly.
Michael: Yeah, that is the attention-grabbing factor. In any meditation observe, we’re making an attempt to boost power, and we’re elevating power with the intention to reduce via the thickets of the thoughts, or let’s say, our ordinary psychological patterns. So we increase power to chop via, however generally we increase power, and the thoughts simply sucks it up and makes use of it to simply be loopy quicker, be insane extra intensely.
And so, we’ve obtained to be careful for that, and that’s why, for instance, after we’re doing respiration, we’ve got a spot to deal with, we’re utilizing a mantra, as a result of we wish to guarantee that the power goes the place we wish it. Not actually, however in simply the sense of, it’s used to chop via.
Should you discover, as an alternative, that it’s co-opted into the loopy system, and now issues are going actually quick, you are able to do this: you simply breathe it into your stomach. You actually simply intend that the power come into your decrease dantian. And, surprisingly, that’s the entire method: simply intend that the power come down. Most individuals can do it. That’s the entire instruction, simply convey the power all the way down to right here, and often, you’ll discover that your thoughts slows down.
Questioner 3: Then you definitely direct it in the direction of no matter. Thanks.
Michael: Simply depart it there.
Questioner 3: Thanks.
Michael: Yep, and, actually, if each time it’s squirrelly like that, you possibly can simply convey your power down into your dantian.
Questioner 4: Hello Michael. That is my first time at this occasion, thanks a lot. A observe up on this query about sleepiness. Throughout the do nothing meditation I additionally felt sleepy. My story is that I will be apt to dissociate, that places away my thoughts to keep away from inner expertise. I’ve skilled this in my solo observe for comparable meditations, even when not sleepy. Do you could have suggestions for this?
Michael: Can you are feeling your physique?
Questioner 4: A few of it.
Michael: A few of it. Should you’re feeling your physique, if you happen to can really feel your toes, if you happen to can really feel your self on the cushion, and stuff like that, you’re not dissociated. You’re current. You may not be totally feeling all the things as a lot as you’d like, however you’re nonetheless there. Should you’re having quite a lot of bother with dissociation, in fact that’s an excellent factor to do remedy on, however I’d say that as an alternative of do nothing observe, you may wish to do meditation extra like vipassana on physique sensation for a very long time. The place you’re simply staying within the physique, staying within the physique, staying within the physique, staying within the physique, in a long-term approach, till you actually reassociate totally. Over weeks, months, and years. And then you definitely’ll discover if you do that different form of meditation, it’s not some form of trying out.
Questioner 4: Yeah, that sounds fantastic, thanks.
Michael: Thanks, anyone else?
Questioner 5: Yeah, questions on not respiration. I seen myself, after I do tonglen, it’s not like I’m holding my breath, however I’m not respiration for a time period.
Michael: Okay.
Questioner 5: It looks as if the entire thing is like am I respiration?
Michael: It’s. Would you say that’s occurring if you find yourself distracted and checked out, and never having a lot of an expertise there, or if you’re really fairly in it?
Questioner 5: It’s after I’m actually in. It looks like the method of being linked to a physique that’s respiration it in is simply too small. It’s like there’s one other factor occurring.
Michael: Okay, simply let it try this. Typically after we’re having a meditation expertise, our respiration simply kind of suspends. However so long as you’re not doing it on goal in any approach, then no drawback. There’s even a phrase for that—kevala kumbhaka. Your breath simply stops, after which it’ll begin once more. No drawback, no breath, no drawback.
Questioner 5: Okay, thanks.
Michael: Yep, thanks for asking.
Questioner 6: My query is, how do you see the method of generally if you breathe in another person’s struggling, or your individual struggling, however you don’t really feel like you could have sufficient pleasure, happiness, positively, to breathe out in the identical size? How do you see that? As a result of I discover myself simply eager to both run away or settle for it.
Michael: It’s an excellent query. I imply, the observe is predicated on the understanding of the supply, equal to your Buddha Nature. So your common physique and your common thoughts and your ego doesn’t have sufficient room to take all that in, and doesn’t have sufficient to offer again. However that’s simply the common ego, is simply the little sock puppet that’s hanging out over the Buddha Nature, or the supply. The supply has greater than sufficient room to tackle infinite struggling, and greater than sufficient pleasure, greater than sufficient love, greater than sufficient kindness, greater than sufficient to offer again. There’s no restrict of any type. So even when in our personal little sock puppet ego we really feel like we’re insufficient, we’re setting that apart. Bear in mind, I mentioned set that each one apart.
We’re coming now from the enormous sky-like consciousness, the Buddha Nature itself, which has limitless capability and limitless useful resource. And that’s not just a few form of factor we’re imagining. What we’re imagining is that we’re this restricted little sock puppet, and after we set that apart, then what’s really there’s this large, limitless, useful resource that shines forth, okay? So simply droop disbelief.
Questioner 6: Okay, thanks.
Michael: Okay, thanks all for popping out and meditating collectively. See you subsequent week.
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