Streamed dwell on Jan 2, 2025
Hey you guys. Welcome to this guided meditation. As traditional, let’s do some brief motion factor. I’ll do it from my chair. You are able to do it out of your meditation cushion, however simply start by respiratory upward like this. Actually increasing your lungs and chest, stretching your arms up, stretching your neck, again. You’ll be able to take a pair breaths right here. Make it give you the results you want, in fact. Have it fit your physique. Then slowly deliver your arms down, respiratory out after which over a technique, opening your facet ribs. Taking a deep deep deep breath. Respiratory, taking a pair breaths right here—making it give you the results you want—after which again up. Respiratory within the middle place for a second, after which taking one other deep breath and opening up the opposite approach. Actually stretching open these facet ribs—feels so good—after which coming again to middle.
Okay, after which, once more, if it really works for you, let’s do a twist a technique. Maintain it for a short while, after which twist the opposite approach. Maintain it for a short while. Okay. Then you possibly can simply transfer backwards and forwards like this just a little bit, to really feel some looseness, some openness. Rotate your arms and wrists, taking some good deep breaths. Then slowly deliver that to an in depth.
What we’ll do is sit in our meditation posture. I’m in a chair after I’m doing this at residence, so we simply sit up within the chair, good and straight, strive to not stoop again in a chair. In actual fact, the perfect is when you lock the chair within the upright place, then sit ahead on it sufficient that my ft are flat on the bottom, and my again is definitely not being supported by the chair. I’m sitting up. However when you’re in your cushion, then identical factor. You’re simply getting your again good and upright, having your chin down just a bit—bit not approach down—however only a tiny bit, like 5 levels, in order that the again of your neck opens very barely. The very high of your head feels prefer it’s being lifted up in the direction of the ceiling in a nice approach, after which your shoulders actually calm down, actually calm down, actually calm down, and you’ve got your arms in your knees. If you wish to do mudras, you place them in your knees like this, down, along with your palms in your thighs. Or, utilizing the identical mudra, you possibly can flip them over, with the backs of your arms flat in your thighs. Don’t maintain them up like within the mindfulness images on-line. Nobody meditates like that. Both flat down or flat up, or you possibly can relaxation them in your lap like this—that Zen mudra. Any of these are positive.
Now, no matter feels good for you, okay. As traditional, you are able to do most of those meditations both open-eyed or closed-eyed. For doing nondual meditations like we’re doing on this channel, historically we’d do them eyes open, as a result of finally with nondual meditation you’re doing it as you’re strolling round, and also you wish to observe for that from the very starting. So that you are inclined to hold your eyes open whilst you’re meditating, however you don’t must, particularly if it makes it actually quite a bit tougher. Additionally, there’s type of an in-between one, the place you could have your eyes technically open, however you’re wanting straight down on the flooring or the carpet, or one thing uninteresting like that, so mild is coming in, however you’re not likely taking a look at something. In order that’s type of the in-between one.
Okay, we’re going to start tonight with the bodhisattva of nice compassion, Chenrezig. Avalokiteshvara, he who hears the cries of the world. Though, in East Asia, he switches gender and turns into a she, and is Quan Yin. Typically known as the Virgin Mary of Buddhism, which isn’t in any respect what a bodhisattva is. However, in any case, I’ve heard Quan Yin described that approach. We’re going to do the om mani padme hum mantra, which is, in fact, the mantra of Avalokiteshvara, the mantra of Chenrezig. Usually, it’s actually enjoyable after I do it within the room on the Alembic the place we have now a bunch of individuals, and we’re all doing it collectively. There’s no break within the sound, as a result of after I take a breath, different folks proceed chanting. However right here, with simply me and also you, every of us in our rooms, or wherever we’re at, we’re going to do the om mani padme hum mantra collectively. So I’m simply gonna begin doing it, and I like to recommend for the mantra chanting, you do this along with your eyes closed, and simply really feel that sense of affection and compassion, and focus on your third eye.
Basically, earlier than we begin, we simply open up, we drop into our greatest approximation of awake consciousness. Simply noticing the openness and house and freedom of consciousness that’s all the time there after we’re not caught up within the thoughts. It’s all the time there. That’s our pure state. That’s our primary nature, simply spaciousness, and consciousness. Complete freedom and complete awakeness, and it’s solely the layers and veils and confusion and muck of the pondering thoughts that will get in the way in which of that. However, in fact, it may’t actually get in the way in which in the long term, as a result of even that, all that pondering thoughts, is fabricated from nothing aside from this awake spaciousness. However, both approach, we drop into that for only a second. Discover that spacious awakeness, after which we start to chant. So let’s do this collectively.
[chanting]
Excellent. Now, feeling the power of chanting, that mantra radiating out by way of all of house, all of time, the entire universe. Discovering no boundary, discovering no obstacle, discovering solely compassion, kindness, love, caring, pleasure. Spreading that to all sentient beings in all places in the whole universe. Might everybody in all places be completely happy. Might everybody in all places be full of love. Might everybody in all places be wholesome and robust. Might everybody in all places have sufficient to eat and a lifetime of peace. Simply really feel that radiating out, radiating out the power of the mantra, simply radiating out in all instructions, and likewise radiating again into you, since you’re the recipient of that from everybody else additionally. Simply really feel that. Remaining in your pure state, remaining as simply large open, large awakeness, remaining fully outdoors the pondering thoughts.
And from right here, we simply swap into noticing our pondering thoughts. We’re not participating with the ideas in any respect, we’re simply noticing what I name the thought exercise, the effervescent up of a thought. And we simply discover it. Now, for some folks, that is the standard sound sort pondering, psychological speak—blah blah blah—for others, it’s psychological photos effervescent up after which fading away. For some it’s a mix of each psychological speak and psychological photographs effervescent up and fading away, however in fact we’re not being attentive to any of that content material in any respect. We’re simply noticing that it’s effervescent up after which fading away, after which effervescent up after which fading away once more.
Okay. Now, for a few of us, after we actually are noticing thought exercise, we’re not likely encountering it a lot as phrases and photos—though that’s there, it’s not that it’s not there—however a few of us really feel the thought exercise as nearly like a present or of a effervescent up of physique sensation or one thing like that. We are saying the power of thought, and it’s not one thing I’m making an attempt to get you to note, I’m simply conscious that some folks expertise it that approach. I definitely expertise it that approach usually, and so, whether or not it’s a movement of photographs, or a movement of psychological speak, or each, or a movement of power, like a movement of physique sensation, or bubbles developing, no matter it seems like, or is skilled like for you, simply be the awake house during which that thought bubbles up. And bear in mind, to be the awake house, will not be one thing it’s a must to attempt to do. It’s there routinely for you, it’s simply that you just don’t get entangled within the pondering— that’s all it requires. Once you’re not concerned within the pondering, you then’re current in house.
Okay, now, if that is too exhausting. If thought is so sticky, even after the mantra. If thought is so sticky that you just simply can’t detach from it sufficient to comply with it on this approach, then simply comply with the breath. However we’re nonetheless doing it, we’re nonetheless following it from awake house, as boundless, timeless, awakeness.
So, from boundless, timeless, awakeness, simply concentrate on thought exercise. We’d say the effervescent and churning and movement of thought itself, with out getting engaged in it in any respect. We’re not making an attempt to cease the movement of thought, we’re not making an attempt to vary the movement of thought, we’re not making an attempt to interrupt it, or in some way make it go away, or divert it, or something like that. You’re simply letting or not it’s precisely the way in which it usually is, however you’re watching it, and by watching, I imply, nonetheless it’s developing for you, you’re simply conscious of it. So that you’re resting as awake house, which, once more, bear in mind, is one thing that simply occurs whenever you’re not concerned in thought. Letting the ideas bubble up and cross, and bubble up and cross. It’s identical to the expression of the second, this fountain, this, burbling, gurgling, fountain of thought. So I’ll be quiet now for some time, and we’ll simply do that collectively.
Let’s hold going with that, remembering it’s fairly straightforward to get caught up in thought, as a result of we have a tendency to try this all day lengthy. So don’t give your self a tough time about it. Simply anytime you discover that you just’re again contained in the equipment of thought, you’re again grinding on it, simply let it go, let it go, and are available again to only resting as awake house. Simply resting as awake house. And you could have to try this again and again and over—and that’s fully positive. Keep in mind that we’re not making an attempt to in some way witness the thought or be separate from the thought. The thought is arising inside awake house, and so we’re simply conscious of it. Simply conscious of it, observing its movement however not getting concerned within the content material in any respect. Let’s proceed. We’re going to do that for some time, so simply hold going.
Okay. Excellent. Now we’ll go just a little deeper with this. As a substitute of merely observing the thought exercise, being with it, I need you to note specifically its flow-like nature. It’s flux nature. The truth that it retains shifting and altering, and shifting and altering. The truth that it’s by no means nonetheless. It doesn’t sit there. It simply burbles and gurgles and flows alongside, and is totally, totally, transient. It arises and passes, and arises and passes, and arises and passes. So we’re searching for this specific impermanent high quality within the ideas now. Don’t slim down. Keep in your nature is awake house, however simply discover just a little extra significantly—simply with just a little extra consideration on the thought—simply discover its steady altering nature. Let’s tune into that once more for a couple of minutes collectively.
Okay, good. Now to take this just a little deeper, start to note the place the ideas are coming from. So we’ve been watching them come up after which cross, and come up after which cross, now let’s look particularly, the place do they come up from? From the place did they come up? Trace: it received’t be any specific location. Even when typically it looks as if there’s a location, then different ideas will come up in different components. So simply attempt to look into the place ideas come from. The place do they arrive from? This movement of thought exercise—whence does it come up? Let’s look.
Keep in mind that we’re doing this phenomenologically. It’s not an concept—nicely, they arrive from my mind—not like that in any respect. You’re making an attempt to note in your expertise the place you expertise them as arising from.
Trace: it’s not that we’re going to discover a location. The ideas don’t actually come from any specific location. However whenever you look, or sense into, or really feel into, or discover, the place they’re coming from, what do you discover? The place are they coming from? That begins to get fairly fascinating.
Let’s watch the opposite finish of it. So, we have been watching them come up and cross, after which we have been taking a look at the place they arose from. Now, let’s discover the place they cross to. The place do they go after they’re completed, and the ideas vanish? Into what do they vanish? Let’s watch the vanishing of every thought, or pay attention, or really feel into, or discover, the vanishing of thought. Once more, we’re by no means getting concerned within the content material, we’re simply—blah blah blah blah blah blah—the top of every stream of thought, watch the place it goes. Don’t deliberately make thought simply so you could have one thing to look at. If nothing’s occurring, simply sit there as house, then when the thought arises, watch the place it goes. There is usually a tendency right here to attempt to type of watch it intently, and also you begin to tighten up, so bear in mind to remain relaxed, keep large open. Simply observe in an off-the-cuff approach.
Okay, good. Now, I need you to, with the arising of every thought, look into—once more, experientially, not as an idea, not as an concept, however experientially—into who or what’s pondering the thought? Discover the supply of the thought. Who’s pondering it? So, as every thought arises—right here comes this exercise—simply go look again at who’s pondering it. And the reply will not be an concept, like me, or my mind. You’re wanting, you’re experiencing, what’s the supply of the thought.
Okay, good. Now, you could have seen that the place, or the house the ideas are coming from is similar because the place, or the house, that they’re going to after they’re completed. And that very same factor is what’s pondering the ideas. It’s the awake house itself, not as a thinker, however because the supply of the thinker, as a result of the awake house is the supply of every little thing.
So, now, no matter that house is—that awake house beneath or round or inside—no matter phrase you wish to use—as a substitute of taking a look at thought now, let go of thought fully, and simply relaxation as awake house itself. Now, it could proceed to generate ideas, and issues might proceed to occur, in fact, however we simply relaxation because the awake house itself, which requires no doing of any variety. As quickly as there’s doing, you then’re in thought, so drop out of all doing, and simply relaxation as awake house itself, which is your pure state. There’s nothing it’s essential do, simply anytime you begin to get entangled in something, simply let go, come again.
If it’s, for no matter cause, too difficult, return to only working with the ideas. Like seeing from the place they come up, or noticing the place they go to. However, normally, we simply do that as the subsequent step. We simply let go of being attentive to ideas fully once more, not even the exercise of thought, and we simply relaxation because the wakefulness itself, unsleeping, and but not doing something in any respect. Not even meditating, simply sitting as our personal pure awakeness, our personal, already current readability, and large open consciousness.
Resting as awake house, recognizing that the stillness of awake house, and the motion of thought, are by no means separate. They all the time come up collectively, as does the stillness of awake house, and the motion of emotion, and the stillness of awake house, and all of the motion of the world, the entire actions of our thoughts and physique, and even of the world round us, the opposite folks, the vehicles, airplanes, birds, wolverines—particularly wolverines—within the tiger satellites, moons, stars, suns, all co-arising with awake house. By no means separate, all inside us, inside awakeness, inside being. A type of reflection, a type of present, however an exuberant, stunning, significant, present, that’s all the time enjoying out on the display screen, so to talk, of awakeness itself. Which is what we actually are—although it’s not a factor. So with that permit’s deliver the meditation to an in depth.
Very good to take a seat with you tonight. The solar set right here whereas we have been doing that, so now it truly is tonight. Thanks for meditating with me. Simply really feel how we’re not our ideas. That doesn’t imply ideas are dangerous, or unsuitable. Ideas are what come up within the awakeness. They’re simply as pure, simply as stunning, simply as recent and clear and clear as anything. Feelings, too. No matter feelings—tough feelings, stunning feelings, something emotional, simply arises because the pure, stunning, pristine, expression of awake house itself. Inside house, permeated by house, not separate from house, ever.
Once more, we’re speaking about awake house. The being that we think about ourselves to be—the being of thought and feeling and physique sensations—consists of nothing aside from awakeness. It’s composed of nothing aside from the supply of being, the groundless floor of being, burgeoning forth with an exuberant show. But when we needed to level at what we’re, so to talk, it’s that awake house, rather more than the sock puppet being, rather more than the looks being that’s mirrored within the mirror.
And but, our minds are all the time drawn again, time and again, to the reflections within the mirror, as a result of we’re simply all caught up in that. However after we meditate, like we did tonight, we discover—it’s nearly identical to a half-silvered mirror we begin to see by way of and do not forget that what we’re is what’s beneath the mirror, so to talk. A horrible metaphor, however it’s the one I’ve received: What’s beneath the mirror, that open awakeness, the house itself, the boundless, timeless, centerless, being itself. So there’s nothing we have to do to be that. We already are that. It’s solely the ruminations of the thoughts that make us really feel like we should do that, we should do this, we have now to unravel this, and heal that, and recover from this, and do this, earlier than we are able to relaxation as awake consciousness itself. However really, we all the time are awakeness. We all the time have been awake consciousness we all the time might be awake consciousness. So simply let go, and relaxation as awakeness itself.
Okay, subsequent week I’ll be coming to you reside from the Alembic, so I’ll see you then. Within the meantime, a lot love, a number of peace, concord, pleasure, magnificence. And actually really feel that awakeness. I’ll see you quickly.
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