Guided Nondual Meditation with Michael Taft
Welcome. Okay, so now let’s start by checking in with ourselves, simply take the climate report in your being proper now. What’s it prefer to be you? Go inside. What are your ideas like? What are your feelings like? What’s your physique really feel like? What’s your soul really feel like? What’s the cosmic climate inside there like? And no matter is happening let that be okay. So that you’re each checking in very, very clearly, very distinctly, with quite a lot of granularity. What’s it prefer to be me proper now? However you’re additionally letting or not it’s that means, not attempting to vary it, or management it, or reject it, or decide it. What if it was simply okay to be the way in which you might be proper now? What for those who even beloved the way in which you might be proper now with none modifications in any respect?
Okay, good. Now I need you to think about meditating like a cloud, an extremely fluffy white cloud towards a vibrant blue sky. That cloud is shining vibrant, virtually as whether it is illuminated from inside, and it’s obtained that form of factor the place it seems to be like a mountain of marble floating within the sky. An unlimited white marble mountain floating within the sky that’s a cloud. And simply image this cloud as clearly as you’ll be able to or really feel it for those who can’t image it. Simply think about, no matter meaning to you, a cloud however I’ll use visible language vibrant, vibrant white, monumental like an entire mountain within the sky, and but simply floating there. Clouds can weigh 1000’s and 1000’s of tons and it’s simply floating there, vibrant white towards an excellent huge blue sky.
And also you see the cloud is slowly being pushed by the wind in direction of you, an increasing number of majestic, an increasing number of monumental, an increasing number of sensible, shining white. And as you’re respiration out and in, simply pay very shut consideration to that stunning white cloud, fluffy white cloud, permitting your total physique to chill out as if it have been floating like a cloud. So that you’re noticing the floatiness of the cloud, and also you’re taking over a few of that property, the sense that the physique is so gentle that it may float, so relaxed that it has virtually no construction in any respect, however is as an alternative only a area of associated particles quickly floating collectively right here. And simply discover as you retain picturing this cloud very, very clearly, tremendous vibrant, brighter and brighter in your thoughts’s eye, the sky wider and bluer, shining blue towards this virtually completely white cloud.
Discover your total physique releasing and enjoyable and letting go and opening in order that motion turns into unimaginable, every thing relaxes so deeply that it’s unimaginable to maneuver. Your eyes are relaxed so utterly that they simply come to a relaxation, your jaw is relaxed in such a means that your higher and decrease tooth should not touching however you’re feeling such a leisure occurring that there’s virtually a sensation that your lips are getting simply barely bigger due to further blood movement. You may really feel them enjoyable that a lot. And all pressure goes out of your arms and palms, they develop into identical to moist ropes, simply dangling there with zero pressure, they’re unimaginable to maneuver. They’ll stay unimaginable to maneuver as a result of (17:21)- they’re so livering there, like a spaceship manufactured from platinum, shiny towards the blue sky, permitting your total torso to launch and chill out and let go. A lot so that you just really feel like a wave of vitality transferring by your physique as varied issues chill out and open and release and launch. And you’ll simply really feel that wave of vitality permitting you to chill out much more, much more deeply, much more utterly. Once more, to the purpose the place any kind of movement turns into mainly unimaginable since you’d must tense as much as do it, aside from respiration, it’s nonetheless simple to breathe. Though it’s possible you’ll discover that turning into quieter and quieter over time as properly.
After which really feel that stunning vitality, the enjoyable vitality, permitting your legs to launch and open, your toes to chill out. And once more the sense that your toes are tingling, or truly barely hotter, as extra blood flows into your toes. And your total physique turns into completely relaxed, so relaxed that it begins to really feel actually good to simply stay very nonetheless as a result of the physique has discovered a form of full stillness and the thoughts begins aligning to that. As an alternative of the thoughts kind of shoving the physique round, the stillness of the physique is now starting to be mirrored, rising stillness within the thoughts.
And the picture of the cloud begins to be mirrored within the thoughts in such a means that the thoughts seems like a floaty cloud, very relaxed, lighter than air, tremendously sensible, totally awake.
Okay, so I need you simply to note the respiration now. On every in-breath you’re feeling nice, enjoyable, therapeutic, clarifying vitality coming into the physique. The physique likes to breathe, that in-breath is like consuming meals with all its oxygen. In order that turns into very nice on the in-breath. And on the out-breath the thoughts flows out the nostrils and turns into only a cloud, simply vapor within the sky. And that is simply the thoughts returning to its pure state. Noticing now, as you proceed to breathe on this nurturing air after which respiration out as a form of vapor, that the cloud disperses. And all that’s left is sky in order that with every out-breath the thoughts returns merely and naturally to its authentic skylight high quality with none effort.
Inhaling, in such a pleasing means, feeling the relief the pleasure, the pleasantness, the readability, the vitality flowing by the physique. And on the out-breath, the thoughts simply flows out to return to its pure state of skylike vastness and openness.
So let’s proceed that for a couple of minutes collectively right here.
Permitting every in-breath to be nurturing, every out-breath to return the thoughts to house, completely huge, open, uncongealed house. If it needs to re-congeal, okay, it may occur on the in-breath with the nurturing high quality, however then, on the out-breath, once more it simply falls open to develop into the sky with none effort in any respect, zero effort to do this.
Okay, the physique turning into an increasing number of wholesome, an increasing number of relaxed, extra and
extra nonetheless, super stillness descending with this actual sense of ease and pleasantness and openness and being nurtured, and the thoughts, in the same means, simply enjoyable and turning into an increasing number of huge and open, an increasing number of relaxed and comfortable, tremendously awake, tremendously relaxed.
Now simply let the physique dissolve too. On the out-breath, the physique turns into sky as properly, not merely the thoughts, the physique too. All ideas develop into sky, all feelings develop into sky, all common physique sensations develop into sky on the out-breath, sky.
In the meantime, on the in-breath, discover the sensuous contact of the air inside the physique, the pleasantness of sitting this manner. Discover no matter feelings are arising in all their element.
Permit the ideas to be completely current in all their vivid show in the event that they’re visible or sonic. Symphony-like high quality in the event that they’re verbal. Every thing there in all its magnificence on the in-breath after which on the out-breath it simply all dissolves into sky.
So relaxed you’ll be able to’t transfer. Discover any tingling high quality within the physique on the in-breath, that sense of vitality within the physique, or Prana, a way of chi, sense of piti, sense of vibrant life vitality within the physique on the in-breath. And really feel its varied rhythms, its patterns, the locations the place it’s stronger or weaker, the locations the place it’s scrumptious, perhaps different locations the place it’s extra atonal. On the in-breath all that’s current after which the out-breath that simply disappears into sky.
Letting go of it totally till it returns on the in-breath, coming again to sky, huge expanse, huge open on each out-breath, completely with out effort. It simply falls again open on the in-breath. It’s possible you’ll discover maybe ideas are occurring. In the event that they’re visible discover all the brilliant colours and shapes, in the event that they’re verbal discover all of the burbling sound. However it might even be the case that due to coming again to the sky so usually perhaps not a lot thought is going on. It virtually can’t occur. It’s not an issue if it does simply observe its magnificence but when it’s not there simply observe the great thing about the silence and stillness earlier than returning as soon as once more to huge, open sky-like high quality of thoughts.
On occasion, it’s possible you’ll discover that you’ve got already merely dropped right into a a lot deeper state of relaxed openness, the sky even wider and extra boundless. So that just about a form of forgetting happens the place we overlook for there to be time, forgot the boundaries of the physique.
Once more, if feelings are current, really feel each element of that within the physique, no matter qualities that emotion has on the in-breath actually really feel it very clearly, very deeply. It’s a physique sensation, someplace in your face, your throat, your torso, someplace, your stomach. After which on the out-breath all of it simply dissolves into–and vanishes–into vastness. After which perhaps it’s there once more on the in-breath and we see its magnificence but once more. Even when it’s a really tough emotion discover no matter is gorgeous concerning the sensation just like the phenomenology of it may nonetheless be lovely.
Identical factor with common physique sensations, perhaps you’re noticing some numbness in your legs or one thing, actually discover what’s lovely about that; the main points of it, the beautiful textures and contours of that on the in-breath. Once more, even an disagreeable bodily sensation can have an exquisite phenomenology after which it simply falls into open sky on the out-breath. Noticing maybe, much more vitality on the in-breath, much more awakeness, much more readability, however particularly that tingly, buzzy vitality. A really nice frequency obtainable within the palms of your palms, the soles of your toes, maybe in your smile. After which dissolving on the out-breath into simply sky once more, all the time again to simply huge openness.
Even ache within the physique turning into simply sky on the out-breath. After which on the in-breath, we don’t resist the ache in any respect, not in any means. We let or not it’s there fully in its full expression with none holding again and see what’s lovely about it.
The breath turns into much more attention-grabbing as a result of on the in-breath the room round us turns into very clear, very vibrant, full of colour, form, kind, texture, sample, tremendously lovely. And on the out-breath, it simply dissolves into boundless house nonetheless there and but boundless house. And the sounds of the room round us varied hums and buzzes and breathings and stirrings, swallowings, shiftings, all of the sounds are lovely on the in-breath. And on the out-breath it simply turns into boundless, timeless house, awake, totally comfortable.
Then we begin to get this very humorous sense, this very odd instinct, that within the depths of the readability of our personal exact wisdom-seeing of this, the in-breath and out-breath aren’t any totally different. And the great thing about all these phenomena is not any totally different than the open house. The 2 are collectively as one factor huge, open sky completely dissolved into nothing. And this beautiful expression of all that’s showing, it has no middle and no boundary, it has no floor, and but, there’s nowhere to fall to.
And we notice that the meditation is simply doing itself, the respiration is simply doing itself, and all this beautiful expertise is simply doing itself, even the sense of me doing something is simply one other look that dissolves into sky after which seems once more after which dissolves within the sky, till the sky and the looks should not any totally different, not any totally different…or, if there’s a distinction, they’re merely two sides of the identical coin.
In order that we see that each look, our emotions, our ideas, our physique sensations, the others round us, the room round us, the sounds, the sights, it’s each extremely lovely, totally beautiful, and completely spacious and awake on the similar time. Floating on air like a cloud.
And we start to note that every look has a spot,all of the appearances, all the numerous appearances in each second has its proper place.The tough ones, nice ones, every has their very own good spot, their proper place on this second. And so they’re all balanced in such a means that the entire look and awakeness is gorgeous and balanced and complete. Each half belongs with nothing ignored or left over.
It takes every bit of this second to finish the puzzle of every second, nothing ignored, nothing doesn’t belong, every thing as an alternative, totally beautiful and totally sky on the similar time.Tremendously lovely and floating like a cloud, on empty air on the similar time. Unsleeping and on the similar time totally comfortable. You may’t make this second extra good than it already is.
Good, now be a part of me in chanting the Prajnaparamita mantra
gate gate paragate parasamgate bodhi svaha
gate gate paragate parasamgate bodhi svaha
gate gate paragate parasamgate bodhi svaha
Let’s finish the meditation there.
Dharma Speak, Q&A
So, the Paradox is that every thing is current and in addition form of not current on the similar time. And it’s very–like I used to be saying final week–it’s quite common that we actually, particularly as starting practitioners, emphasize that not current half, that vastness, that openness, that readability. If you actually get a style for it, it begins to be tremendous scrumptious to search out this kind of vacancy, vacancy, vacancy. However as I used to be saying final week that’s actually simply midway there. And even lower than midway there. It’s vital and it’s an enormous benefit over being caught up in stuff. You be taught to be uncaught up in stuff. After which simply see openness, openness, openness, simply the sky, simply the sky, simply the sky, simply the sky. And it’s virtually just like the issues of the world appear to fade or dissolve or disappear time and again and over and time and again.
And there’s an actual launch, and an actual letting go, and an actual satisfaction and aid that comes with every of these letting go’s. However finally, that turns into its personal form of place to cover. It turns into its personal form of useless finish as a result of then the remainder of your life is simply chasing this deeper and deeper nothing that you just simply form of wish to retreat to discovering. You recognize, I’m going to maintain going to simply an increasing number of nonetheless bodily areas with fewer and fewer folks with much less and fewer occurring, so I can simply try this. After which, you simply form of–that’s it. If that’s your path, or no matter, cool. Go forward and try this however so far as I’m involved–once more that’s higher than, I don’t know voting to remove folks’s liberty, or no matter. So it’s a very good factor on that stage nevertheless it’s nonetheless solely partially there so far as I’m involved as a result of what about every thing? What about every thing? You recognize, what concerning the feeling of your physique? And the way in which feelings run by you? And what concerning the ideas? And what concerning the world round you? And the others round you? And the colours and lights and sounds? And all that?
Is that every one that simply there to be nothing? Or is it, worse but, is it like some form of deluded fantasy that’s pulling you away out of your scrumptious nothing and it’s truly form of evil? Which is de facto frequent viewpoint. Or do you see that it’s by no means separate from that sky of vacancy? It’s by no means ever, ever even for a millisecond totally different. Or whether it is totally different, it’s totally different as a result of it’s this, you already know, effulgent, radically lovely show and the opposite factor is kind of non-display. However they’re arising collectively. They’re by no means aside and that–seeing that factor–is beginning to come again round to wholeness once more.
It’s not simply that we shut ourselves in a cave after which see nothing endlessly. We come again out. However we come again out reworked. I imply the nothingness, the vacancy, the sky is extremely vital as a result of then you definately see the world and your self because it actually is it’s like hanging like a dream in vastitude, proper? Each a part of it’s exquisitely lovely. Each a part of it’s precisely in its proper place for that second. And the subsequent second it may be in one other place. However each a part of it’s essential to fill the puzzle of the second. For those who took any of it away it will be incomplete. So it’s like excellent, excellent, excellent, excellent, even whereas repeatedly altering. Every second is excellent. And it’s excellent not as a result of it’s void, although that’s there, however as a result of even all the looks is–it’s obtained a spot, so to talk, within the mandala, proper? It’s positioned. And all of them are needed. And so that’s–that’s coming again round to fullness. We don’t simply need vacancy we wish to come again round, all the way in which again round to fullness and full expression.
In any other case, I imply to place it in form of a humorous means, what are you even doing right here? Why’d you even get born if it was simply to enter nothingness? You might have finished that and not using a physique. And that’s one other factor that arises with this that’s so attention-grabbing–is even there’s the sense that even–not solely are you your self in the suitable place however every a part of you is in its proper place on this second, although that may change within the subsequent second and so there’s a form of lovely bouquet of selfhood that’s there simply the way in which it’s, even when a number of the flowers are useless or dried or strewn on the ground or it’s a bizarre association. On this second that’s precisely the suitable association. It’s complete. It’s full. There’s nothing lacking. There’s nothing to vary in that second.
I’m going to learn a quote, a really unusual quote, which is I’ve to learn from this piece of paper and besides for individuals who I used to be speaking to this afternoon, if anybody can guess who that is or you already know who it’s, even higher, I’ll be impressed.
“I wish to be taught an increasing number of to see as lovely what is critical in issues; then I shall be a kind of who make issues lovely. Amor fati: let that be my love henceforth! I don’t wish to wage warfare towards what’s ugly. I don’t wish to accuse; I don’t even wish to accuse those that accuse. Wanting away shall be my solely negation. And all in all and on the entire: sometime I want to be solely a Sure-sayer.”
Michael: Does anybody know who that’s?
Questioner 1: Marcus Aurelius?
Michael: As a result of I exploit the phrase amor fati, you’re simply guessing. Yeah, no it’s Nietzsche truly. However speaking about amor fati that every thing, you already know, that our destiny the fati half is, in essence, not solely one thing that we settle for, I’m gonna settle for my destiny, proper? No. It’s one thing that we truly love and see the great thing about. And that that stance is on the market to us it doesn’t matter what our situation. And in order that’s simply humorous. That’s written in just like the 1860s however he’s speaking about what we’re training right here tonight in a really direct means simply noticing that every one that’s arising is precisely as an alternative it doesn’t matter what it’s, there’s a form of perfection to the second. And that we don’t merely form of grudgingly settle for it, oh that’s you already know that’s my lot however moderately discover it lovely and even like it.
I believe maybe he’s speaking about one thing somewhat extra, form of, cognitive. However nonetheless, the temper is there of like understanding the well-platedness of every thing in every second and in addition the truth that it’s obtained this cosmic depth to it, the vastness is all the time there.
So right here’s the experiment; are you able to, for the subsequent 24 hours, see each single factor in your life not as one thing to vary and attempt to eliminate, or one thing to attempt to maintain on to, or one thing that you just’re ashamed of, or one thing that you just want was totally different? Oh my God, I’m within the incorrect marriage, oh my God, I’ve a silly job, oh my God, oh my God–the infinite litany of the way it ought to all be totally different. However moreover, not the form of nihilistic despair of, properly it’s not going to ever be totally different so I higher simply buck up and settle for it or kill myself. However what’s past these issues? Are you able to see its precise magnificence simply the way in which it’s? After which, even like it simply the way in which it’s? Doesn’t imply you’ll be able to’t change it, doesn’t imply you’re locked in. However in every second let or not it’s simply what it’s.
For most individuals that, at first, sounds actually dangerous like, oh my God I’m trapped, after which I’ll be, you already know, I’ll quit and by no means change something. However what’s bizarre is you’ve already given up and aren’t altering something since you’re caught within the mode of considering every thing should change on a regular basis, I’ve to work actually laborious to make, to hold onto good issues, and eliminate dangerous issues, by no means recognizing that that’s infinite. There isn’t a ending that, or profitable that. That’s everlasting incarceration.
And so, simply as an experiment, it gained’t flip you right into a vegetable, it gained’t flip you into, you already know, some form of agency-less sufferer, I promise, however you don’t must–simply attempt it for a short while. What if it’s all excellent? And even altering it’s excellent however the temper is; it’s lovely, and I even like it. And it’s not an concept. I can see that it’s lovely, and I actually do like it.
The form of meditation we did is one technique to discover that since you see this complete house that’s there and the overall vibrant show and completely placed-ness of the looks placidness nonetheless we are saying that, so try this. And see if it turns you into an agency-less sufferer or for those who truly begin to form of really feel higher.
So questions or feedback? Or simply experiences about your meditation? Questions on different issues? Simply opening up the ground right here.
Questioner 2: I’m unsure if I’m correctly distinguishing between the formless jhanas and samatha with out an object. Okay I believe perhaps I used to be doing samatha with out an object and considering that it’s jhana.
Michael: Positive, they’re carefully associated clearly fifth jhana is Infinite house, sixth jhana infinite consciousness. We’re form of doing them on the similar time consciousness and house. I’d say that they’re not fairly the identical factor as a result of normally a jhana is form of dualistic, kind of me over right here trying on the Infinite house, me over right here trying on the infinite consciousness. And once we do it this different means the place it’s not break up up like that–now perhaps some folks do observe them within the different extra non-dualistic means, it simply is dependent upon the way it’s taught, and so forth however in one other means it’s like, effective they’re related.
Good, you’ll be able to even have you already know a temper the place the house will flip to love some extent of nothingness, identical to the seventh jhana, though we’re not attempting to make that occur. And also you form of must–you’ll wish to maintain that if it was a jhana. And if it simply happens in non-dual meditation you simply–if it’s there, it’s there and if it goes away, it goes away, proper? So we’re not attempting to do a scientific transferring by, nor does it result in these different, you already know, essentially to nothingness or to non-perception and notion or these sorts of different phases, proper? So I’d simply say they’ve some similarities for certain and many individuals assume that–bear in mind initially they’re not referred to as jhanas, they’re referred to as ayatanas, which suggests realms. And so, some folks assume that every one of–they speculate–that Mahayana Buddhism comes out of this concept of realms, so folks doing not simply the unique Buddha ayatanas however form of spreading out from there as a result of when you uncover ayatanas yow will discover an entire bunch of them, and so forth, and so forth. So it’s attention-grabbing, proper? Rather more attention-grabbing than saying properly are these precisely the identical or not I don’t know we’re form of doing one thing totally different however definitely a number of the territory we’re crossing over there’s fairly related, proper? Yeah, it’s cool, proper?
What else? How was that meditation for you? What’s in your thoughts? Are you a clean cloud floating in an open sky? I really feel like I’ve succeeded. I’ve pummeled you all into silence, I all the time be ok with that.
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