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