Guided Nondual Meditation by Michael Taft
What I need you to do is about your pondering thoughts apart for now. We’re simply not going to interact with it. You may suppose as a lot as you need. You may have all of the ideas on the earth. We’re not attempting to suppress it, deny it, management it. However neither are we participating with it. So, we’re simply setting the pondering thoughts apart and coming into easy relaxed openness. Simply presence. Presence. It’s what’s occurring robotically once we’re not misplaced in thought. If we aren’t engaged with thought, abruptly, magically, miraculously, we’re current with none effort, with none approach. We’re simply current.
I’d prefer to chant the Mani mantra for a pair minutes.
[chanting Om Mani Padme Hum]
Superb. So remaining disengaged from thought, simply sit in easy presence, feeling the power of that chant, the power of common love and compassion, simply within the room. It’s not one thing it’s a must to really feel emotionally essentially, however the power is right here. And simply relaxation in easy openness, pure presence.
Superb. Now remaining good and current, relaxed and open. Open your self as much as sensory expertise, the sentiments in your physique, the sights and sounds of the room round you, and so forth. Simply this type of every part that’s occurring within the 5 senses openness. We’re not concentrating on it. We’re simply staying actual open to it, permitting it to be there and remaining uninvolved with thought. So let’s try this collectively for some time right here.
That is the which means of presence in a single sense—we’re open to all sensory expertise that’s arising. Keep open, relaxed, simple. There’s no huge approach right here. We’re simply being attentive to all of expertise directly. And in case you discover that you just’re getting caught in any specific expertise, simply loosen up and open up once more. Simply loosen up and let go, and are available again to openness, to every part that’s arising.
Anytime you end up engaged with pondering, when the thoughts has narrowed down on a thought and grabbed onto it, simply loosen up once more. It’s you that’s grabbing on, and so that you simply let go, and the thought will simply run off of its personal accord. You don’t need to do something to it. But when you end up grabbing onto any specific sensory expertise, additionally loosen up, open that fist of consideration, and simply come again to being current with every part. When you’re drained, sit up. Open your eyes.
Good. Now, if that’s working for you, you’ll be able to preserve doing that. And if you wish to transfer to the subsequent factor, remaining relaxed, open, current, tune into feelings, moods, likes, dislikes, needs, not needs, that kind of stuff arising internally. It will probably embody the thought exercise, however you’re not participating with any thought exercise. You’re simply open to what’s occurring. Open to the thoughts exercise, the emotional exercise, that kind of factor. That is barely tougher as a result of we are likely to get extra caught up in it. However it’s actually a really comparable observe. We stay in simple pure presence. Simply noticing all these inner occasions, feelings, ideas, emotions, moods, needs, not needs, all that kind of stuff that’s occurring. And simply not participating with any of it, and but conscious of all of it.
We’re simply permitting feelings to return and go with out actually worrying about why they’re there. Even when they’re actually disagreeable or even when they’re actually nice. Typically these are even tougher to work with. Or perhaps we’re having loads of emotional neutrality. No matter is happening, let it do its factor with out interrupting it in any method. However neither are we sitting and watching it. It’s not like a cool fish tank with tropical fish swimming round in it that we’re simply observing. We’re open to it. We’re permitting ourselves to truly be it with out getting misplaced.
Superb. Now you’ll be able to proceed to work with that, or in case you’d like, you’ll be able to transfer into the subsequent part of this, which is deceptively easy. And that’s, I simply need you to open your coronary heart to expertise—that’s it. Open your coronary heart to expertise. Now, invariably, somebody will say, “How do I open my coronary heart?” And so I’ll simply say think about that you just noticed on the retailer this mom together with her two-year-old youngster who’s simply an absolute muppet—simply lovely—with a kind of hats with ears, simply toddling alongside. And no matter that does to your coronary heart, that temper, simply open your coronary heart in direction of no matter is arising, all this physique sensation that’s there, the sights and sounds and emotions—each inside and with out, the feelings, the psychological content material, all that. Simply open your coronary heart in direction of all of it.
And once more, in case you discover your self getting form of narrowed down on one factor or one other, simply loosen up, let go, come again to the broader discipline of every part that’s presenting proper now. Anytime you end up caught on something particularly, simply loosen up and are available again to being open and awake and current with all of it. Anytime you end up caught, simply let go. Come again to simply presence.
Okay, good. Be happy to proceed working there if you wish to keep there. Or we will come into being open to the expertise of consciousness itself. Open to the expertise of consciousness itself. When you marvel how to try this, in all probability the best method for most individuals is that if I ask you the query, what’s conscious of this expertise proper now? And also you simply attempt to discover it, after which relaxation in that place of awakeness. Most individuals at first solely relaxation in that place of awakeness for like 1 / 4 of a second earlier than they begin filling it in with ideas and concepts and attempting to seize onto it. The minute you attempt to seize onto it, is that it? You’re misplaced, as a result of it’s not one thing you’ll be able to take a look at. It’s what’s wanting.
So if it’s accessible to you, sustaining this openhearted love in direction of all that’s arising, simply come into openness to the expertise of awakeness itself, and it’ll come and go. Simply know that in case you attempt to cling on to it, it’s already gone. Simply begin over. When you attempt to have a look at it or one way or the other grasp it, it’s already gone. Simply begin over. And if that’s too irritating, then simply come again to what we had been doing earlier than.
The essence right here is to simply what relaxation as awakeness, as openness, as consciousness, with out grabbing on to something in any respect. The minute you seize on, simply loosen up and let go. Every time you end up hanging on to one thing. You’ve grabbed it, simply let go. You might have to try this one million occasions. However finally, you’ll discover that the essence right here shouldn’t be a way. The vital factor right here shouldn’t be doing one thing. The vital factor right here is permitting that doing to relaxation. You simply set it down and as an alternative sit in completely pure awakeness. Pure means it’s not a way. It’s not one thing you’re determining. It’s simply there already—pure awakeness. It’s not synthetic. You’re not producing it. It’s already there. It’s at all times been there. This pristine awakeness at any time when we’re not grabbed onto something. That’s what’s there. It’s very open. So, simply relaxation there.
It’s not relaxation like falling asleep or taking a nap. It’s relaxation like—loosen up. Take it simple. What’s even having this expertise? Look, after which simply relaxation as what’s wanting—not something that’s discovered. If you end up caught up, you already know what to do. When you’re doing this awakeness half, and also you simply preserve getting caught up and it’s irritating, once more, simply again up. You may go all the best way to the start and simply discover sensory expertise. Or you’ll be able to go to the second and begin noticing feelings and ideas, and being open to these with out participating with the content material. Or you’ll be able to sit within the third one, simply having your coronary heart open to expertise. That’s an incredible feeling.
Bear in mind, the essence of this observe is to return and relaxation. Return and relaxation. Return means in case you’ve gotten taken away by one thing that you just grabbed onto, you simply let go of it and then you definately naturally simply settle again into completely pure easy presence. You may’t cling on to it. It’s there whenever you let go.
Good. Now, persevering with to relaxation on this openness, let’s go forward and chant once more the Om mani padme mantra. In a method, house itself is chanting it. Awakeness itself is chanting it. It doesn’t actually take any form of effort. So let’s try this collectively now.
[chanting]
I don’t need it to finish, however let’s carry the meditation slowly, slowly, slowly, slowly to an finish. However discover that you just don’t have to simply go, “Oh, thank God.” and collapse after which rush again into being utterly concerned together with your obsessions. You may as an alternative discover that even when the formal sitting time is over, awakeness doesn’t go away. This openness, this relaxedness, this ease, this sense of spaciousness and boundary-lessness and timelessness. It’s proper there. It’s proper there. Anytime you’re not concerned in your fixation, it’s proper there. It’s not a particular state that we arrived at by means of meditation. All we did with the meditation is bear in mind to be that.
However, we will carry the formal meditation time to a detailed—and if you wish to, you’ll be able to change into completely concerned together with your obsessions once more, so long as they’re publicly acceptable.
So, in a single sense that is nondual meditation. We’re not specializing in one thing. We’re not attempting to give attention to one thing. That’s a distinct form of meditation, which is ok. Nothing mistaken with that. However right here, we’re not attempting to give attention to one thing, particularly within the fourth stage. however even within the first stage, be open to sensory expertise. However discover what I mentioned—we’re not grabbing on to sensory expertise after which hanging on to it, as an alternative, loosen up, be open, discover all of sensory expertise. So we’re not doing that factor.
Identical factor with the ideas and emotions, the feelings, all that. It’s not like, okay, preserve going and grabbing on to these and sticking with them or something like that. Simply be open to them coming and going. Discover them coming in a really relaxed, open method. However we’re not simply witnessing them both. It’s not like we’re sitting on the financial institution of a river, and we’re watching the river go by. That’s witnessing—then we’re aside from it. And even when we’re staying vast, we’re nonetheless focusing consideration from over right here on a factor over there. As a substitute, we’re simply open to it. We’re open to it—even our coronary heart is open. Okay.
Every thing occurs, and we’re simply conscious of it. Once we open our coronary heart to it, it can actually begin to soften the sense that I’m over right here and the issues over there. We’re superb at that form of distancing and separation. As a substitute, what we’re doing is opening our coronary heart, which removes separation and removes distance—or at the least lessens it.
After which, within the third stage, we’re actually on the point of do the fourth stage, which is relaxation is the awakeness during which every part’s arising. And spot that that takes zero effort. There’s no method to, on function, change into the awakeness during which every part’s arising, spreading your consideration with loads of effort so it’s huge and vast. None of that’s it. You’re already conscious, every part is already occurring, so that you simply loosen up and be awakeness.
There’s the inquiry technique, the place you ask your self, what’s having this expertise? What’s open to all expertise? What’s that? Look. Once you attempt to discover it, you’ll be able to’t discover it. However within the try to search out it, you discover you’ll be able to relaxation as awakeness itself. The minute the awakeness turns into one thing you’ll be able to level consideration at, you’re not doing it anymore. Now what you’re actually doing is pointing consideration at an concept of awakeness.
That’s what makes it nondual meditation. We’re not on function pointing our consideration at something. Moreover, we’re not going from factor to factor to factor to factor to factor, which is simply pointing our consideration at varied issues so as. Reasonably, we’re letting go of doing that. Each time you seize onto one thing, you simply loosen up. So, as an alternative of crimping consideration on one thing, we uncrimp—uncrimping shouldn’t be an motion. It’s letting go of doing.
So, all people with me, carry your fist up. Make a fist. Now, that is vital. Deliver your fist up. Squeeze it. Squeeze. Squeeze. Squeeze. Squeeze. Squeeze. That’s what you’re doing whenever you’re grabbing onto one thing. It’s known as greedy. For a motive. Now, simply cease doing that. You don’t need to go like that [throws it away]. You simply cease grabbing—really feel the distinction. So greedy looks like that. After which simply loosen up.
It’s a really specific feeling, and you’ll really feel it even in your thoughts with consideration. Consideration tightens, after which enjoyable is simply letting that go. And so on this method of sitting, time and again and over and time and again, each time the thoughts goes zrrt [tightens], you simply loosen up. And what’s humorous is in case you attempt to maintain on to the relief, that’s one other grabbing. That’s why you’ll be able to’t maintain on to it. The minute you try this, you’re already grabbing once more. So it’s a humorous factor. It’s bought a stability ingredient, the place you’re simply enjoyable and letting go.
And within the enjoyable and letting go, over time what occurs is you discover that the awakeness itself is tremendously steady. The eye can transfer round however the awakeness that’s like the sunshine of the eye, is at all times there. That’s why we don’t go along with the eye. We’re not attempting to try this form of focusing as a result of that transfer that comes and goes. That’s a factor that comes and goes. When you spend the entire retreat constructing that up so it’s good and man, you’ll be able to actually listen like that. Three days after the retreat is over, it’s gone. Oops. Went away once more. That’s cool. That’s highly effective.
It’s enjoyable. It’s attention-grabbing. However it’s a must to both reside on a retreat so you’ll be able to keep targeted, or it’s a must to discover that that’s not what we’re actually attempting to do on this kind of meditation. Reasonably, what we’re noticing is that the sunshine of awakeness, the awakeness itself is at all times steady. And once we relaxation as that. Discover the phrase relaxation. Once we relaxation as awakeness, we’re resting in super stability. After which the approaching and going of all expertise is ok. Anyway, give it a shot.
Now, as promised, you probably have one thing you’d prefer to share, or a query you’d prefer to ask, elevate your hand.
Q: I at all times really feel like in meditation I’ve this unlucky break up of no matter I really feel like is the thoughts inspecting the physique, and that there’s some half that I’m feeling is me, that’s actually investigating and analyzing. It has this hyper-vigilance. Okay, what’s that sensation? What’s that within the physique? After I realized that I had that kind of me versus the physique mindset, I’ve been attempting to get out of that perspective. What suggestions do you may have about how one can reduce that dynamic that I’m realizing I’ve?
MT: Who is that this person who’s wanting on the physique? Take into consideration the query. Who’s the person who’s wanting on the physique?
Q: It looks like a fiction.
MT: How do you even comprehend it’s there? What phenomenological qualities does it have that make you suppose there’s a factor wanting on the physique? Since you’re describing an expertise—and all of us have it. So it’s not nothing. So what’s it? Even when it’s imaginary, it’s fabricated from some possible items. Like what?
Q: Yeah. It looks like these sensations, there’s some half that’s attempting to make sense of that, put narration to that, that may be very arduous to relax.
MT: Okay, and the best way you already know it’s there’s since you in all probability—I’m going to place phrases in your mouth—in all probability you suppose it’s in your head, proper? Not someplace else in your physique that you just’re wanting from. In all probability someplace kind of behind your eyes. So there’s some physique sensations that you just’re ascribing to this so-called looker. After which there’s the sense that you just’re a lighthouse beaming a lightweight down on the sensations within the physique someplace. That’s a complete hallucination. That’s utterly imaginary. That spot behind your eyes shouldn’t be doing something. And definitely, it’s not that it’s a must to really feel your physique by beaming a highlight of consciousness down into it. That’s actually a form of imaginary framework that we’re placing round our expertise. Everyone does it—nevertheless it’s insane. I’m over right here my physique—that’s not how that works.
And so the best way round it’s, to begin with, actually acknowledge that it’s a complete development, after which, the phrases I used to be utilizing particularly to simply open to the expertise of your physique. Attempt it proper now. Simply open to the expertise—you don’t have to shut your eyes. Open to the expertise of your physique. Do it’s good to take a look at it in your thoughts’s eye to really feel it?
Q: No.
MT: And in order that received’t remedy it as a result of it’s a behavior. However each time you end up doing it, simply come again. Discover there’s no distance in any respect whenever you simply open to the expertise of feeling your physique. Feels fairly totally different. Yeah. Or no?
Q: It does, and I’m seeing this as this fiction, however I additionally understand how locked I’m into it.
MT: Properly, I’m exhibiting you how one can unlock from it. You may’t cease it, so don’t even attempt. As a substitute, simply open to the expertise of feeling your physique and step exterior the entire thing that’s happening. Okay? And as an alternative, simply really feel your physique out of your physique, not out of your head. Are you able to try this?
Q: It occurs at occasions.
MT: Okay, that’s what’s actually occurring. You’re feeling your physique. The remainder of it is sort of a MadMax Thunderdome. There’s that vast large man, and he’s bought a bit man on his shoulder. It’s such as you’ve bought a bit man in your shoulder. You don’t want that. You don’t want to know that entire further man on there that’s wanting, as a result of you’ll be able to simply really feel your physique together with your physique.
Q: Okay.
MT: In order that’s what I imply by open to the expertise. So attempt that out.
Q: Okay. Thanks.
MT: Yeah. And thanks for describing that, as a result of mainly all people does that. It’s actually the worst film ever made, however you should see it now due to Tina Turner.
Q: Hello. So, generally after I’m doing different kinds of sits and I’m…
MT: You do different kinds of sits? No. [laughter]
Q: Am I nonetheless allowed to ask a query?
MT: Sure.
Q: Typically I’ll be attending to totally different stress factors within the physique and seeing the diploma to which I’ve optionality round them. Is it attainable for me to let the fist go and permit consideration to loosen up? There are factors in my physique the place it looks like that’s quite simple—prefer it actually simply looks like letting go. And different occasions, the place I don’t really feel like regardless of the neurons are firing, the place I can simply let it go. And in these moments, I simply kind of let it’s as it’s.
MT: Positive.
Q: So generally I discover myself having an analogous expertise with the exercise within the thoughts. There are particular psychological tensions that really feel like I’ve the power to simply ungrasp, and different ones that really feel lots stickier. My query can be, upon encountering a psychological stress that I’m not fairly positive how one can ungrasp from, what to do?
MT: Yeah, that’s a really well-formulated query. So thanks for that. I respect a well-formulated query each from time to time. It nearly by no means occurs. [laughter] No disgrace.
Don’t get in a combat with it. Think about, and a few persons are doing this additionally. I can’t loosen up that, so I higher begin stretching proper in the course of my meditation—primarily doing yoga. No, through the meditation, no matter you’ll be able to’t loosen up, simply let it’s tight. Identical factor together with your thoughts. If there’s stuff that’s so sticky, you’ll be able to’t let go of it. You don’t need to get in a giant combat as a result of that’s simply even stickier. So, simply to one of the best of your potential, you form of go like, you do you—I’m gonna meditate over right here. Okay.
Q: Yeah. Yep. Thanks.
Q: Hey.
MT: Hey. Welcome.
Q: Sure. So, It was a very good sit. I had a bunch of dullness come up.
MT: Yeah. You had been falling asleep again there.
Q: So, I wasn’t falling asleep, [laughter] however I used to be very boring, so boring that it appeared like I used to be falling asleep—however I did really feel very awake by means of it. However so, whenever you do that, you’re [laughter] you’re simply getting boring. When that’s occurring, I believe I used to be conscious of it. There have been positively pockets the place I simply was not conscious of it occurring. However for lots of the time, I used to be conscious that it was occurring. I used to be like, “Okay, okay. Can I simply loosen up on it? Can I loosen up? Can I loosen up?” And in some unspecified time in the future, I assumed, “Really, I believe it may be higher if I simply attend to my breath.” Yeah. I assumed I’m going to see if I can simply—for this entire sit—simply attempt to loosen up. And I believe it in all probability let the dullness go on for longer than it wanted to, than if I simply attended to my breath. However I’m questioning what your take is for any given sit on that.
MT: I imply each are attention-grabbing in their very own method. You’re proper that you just in all probability, you already know, coming again to the breath and simply doing a decent meditation on it in all probability would wake you up a bit bit. What’s the primary failure mode of this type of tremendous openness meditation? There’s actually just one, and that’s you will get actually boring. And in case you discover that occuring, you need to get up, get up, get up. You suppose you’re not grabbing on to something, however actually you’re simply drifting into dullness, which isn’t useful at that time. Take a nap, you already know. However we wish our sits to be vivid and clear.
And so, you get to determine. And it actually comes all the way down to it’s arduous to meditate on dullness, proper? That’s not a straightforward meditation object. So, how a lot gasoline it’s a must to sit with that within the second can be the deciding issue. It’s value doing. Form of the deepest deepest degree of that’s simply unconsciousness, which is the last word klesha. There’s imagined to be three kleshas: grabbing on, resisting, and dullness. However actually, dullness, ignorance, unconsciousness is the deep one. The opposite two come out of it. So, you’re form of at that time meditating on basic ignorance. Basic unconsciousness. So, it’s arduous, nevertheless it’s additionally over time very value doing. So, it’s as much as you.
Q: Thanks.
MT: Yeah, it passes
Q: In an analogous vein to the final query, what’s the distinctive utility of utilizing a way object like your breath or concentrating on the sting of your lips versus open consciousness fashion meditation?
MT: Properly, the principle utility is that it’s lots simpler, and so you will get some reduction of struggling, you will get some stability of thoughts—and that’s good. And you will get it sooner. Some small proportion of individuals immediately get the open nondual fashion meditation—they simply get it. However most for folks, we’re programmed like little dressage horses, so we’re at all times asking, what do I do subsequent—it’s all we’re ever asking. And so when there’s nothing to do subsequent, it may be actually uncomfortable, and folks spin and spin and spin. So it may be useful to have somebody say, “I need you to focus in your breath actually arduous—as a result of now you already know what to do. You are able to do it. Then you should utilize that stability over time. And I’m not criticizing it. It’s truly very very helpful. However over time it slows every part down sufficient, so that you just might need sufficient openness to be like, “Oh, I can simply relaxation.” So it leads us in. It’s a pleasant gateway drug into openness. Alternatively, you already know, folks can get so targeted on it that it begins to construct an nearly defensive rind round simply enjoyable.
Q: Thanks.
MT: Yep. Typically, you already know most lecturers today most—I don’t find out about most—many who I speak to, which may be a choose few lunatics like me, discover that beginning with targeted meditation and main as much as open meditation is a pleasant one, two step. And so even right here I simply didn’t throw you in to do nothing. We had been first feeling our physique simply in a extra relaxed method, however nonetheless feeling our physique, feeling our feelings, form of strolling our method into it.
Q: How about all of the senses directly as a discipline? So somewhat than simply the breath, like stacking them till they burn out. Is {that a} factor?
MT: Properly, you’re describing the very effortful method of doing it. What I used to be saying is simply be open to every part in expertise. It’s totally different—as an alternative of that factor, which is a method of meditating—it can simply make you loopy, however it’s a method of meditating—you simply discover that each one of expertise is already in expertise. It’s already there. So what are you attempting so arduous to do? Is that making any sense? So once more, we take this one step at a time.
It’s very, very helpful to do breath meditation. It’s very, very helpful to do these dualistic meditations. However it’s additionally helpful to recollect these are focus states. They’re transient. They arrive and go. You can not depend on them. Whereas the awakeness you’ll be able to depend on, that’s there, it’s foundational.
Q: Okay. Hey, thanks.
Q: I form of get a bit caught on this level in regards to the phantasm of thoughts.
MT: Who mentioned something in regards to the phantasm of thoughts?
Q: Possibly that’s not the phrases that you just used earlier. This notion of in search of the thoughts and it not being behind the eyes. How is that totally different from the mind truly being behind the eyes?
MT: Yeah, it’s fairly totally different.
Q: Are you able to communicate to that a bit bit?
MT: Positive. Have you ever ever skilled your mind? I don’t suppose so. No, it’s simply an concept. I imply, I’m optimistic there’s one in there, however you’re not experiencing it. So, that’s coming from pure idea. You’ve gotten an idea. Oh, there’s this may of meat, and in there are some brains, and that’s imagined to be what’s experiencing every part. However all of that’s simply utterly conceptual. That has nothing to do together with your precise expertise. Okay? In order that’s what’s vital. Am I experiencing my mind? No. I simply have concepts about brains. You may expertise another person’s mind, particularly if their head is open—there it’s.
It’s vital—and that is very arduous for us in our society—to tell apart the thought of one thing from the expertise of one thing. These are tremendous totally different. All I’m saying is search for what’s experiencing. In expertise, you’ll be able to’t discover it; it’s unfindable. That’s actually the definition. What’s experiencing is unfindable in expertise. You don’t need to imagine me. Maintain looking out and looking out and looking out. You could find concepts about brains, however these are simply ideas. What is aware of these ideas? Look. Okay, that’s important. You bought it.
Q: Yeah, and on this level of openheartedness, you utilize this instance of the kid with the mom and was the thought there to tune into that feeling, then let the story go after which simply form of have that feeling that’s elicited by your coronary heart opening?
MT: Yeah. Open your coronary heart, after which no matter is arising, have an open coronary heart. Yeah. I gave the instance as a result of you’ll be able to really feel what it looks like on your coronary heart to open at the least a bit bit. Most individuals—and perhaps lots. Now have that in direction of every part.
Q: Yeah. I really feel like I’ve some training to do in that one.
MT: Thanks. All of us do. Yeah. Okay, we went method over, however there have been good questions.
So, we at the moment are going to sit down silently, silent because the grave for a short while right here—forty-five minutes. I need to do it each time. I’m by no means joking.
[silent meditation]
Okay, I’ll see you right here subsequent week. Thanks all people.
