Reside Guided Nondual Meditation with Michael Taft
Streamed dwell on Jan 6, 2022
Hey everyone, welcome to tonight’s dwell nondual meditation with me, anyone or one other sitting in a room someplace speaking about one thing. “A considerably one thing transferring a dream like on a fading street” as Lalla wrote in her spontaneous poetry from the Kashmir area–I overlook how way back that was. I feel it was at the very least within the 1500s possibly even earlier. (Observe: truly the 1300s)
Meditation
Anyway, right here we’re tonight and I’d love to start meditating with you now. So let’s go forward and do this. Typically we spend loads of time speaking about our posture, tonight I’m going to only say “get in a meditation posture. You realize what to do.” After which different occasions, after we get in our meditation posture, I spend loads of time we do visualizations – what we would name ‘useful resource constructing’ or if we have been talking extra conventional language, we would name it some sort of a Yidam apply or Ishtadevata apply, i.e. deity yoga. However tonight what we’re going to do as a substitute is, when you get settled into your posture, we’re simply going to start out. And to begin with I would like you to only test in with your self in essentially the most normal sense. What does it really feel wish to be you proper now? Otherwise you’d be asking your self “what does it really feel wish to be me proper now? What’s it wish to be me proper now?” And naturally you don’t ask that in phrases. It’s extra like a normal tune in ideas, feelings, the physique… simply checking in with all the pieces. How’s it going? And once more the reply isn’t phrases or some sort of guidelines. It’s simply feeling the way it’s going, tuning in, dropping in. You simply do this briefly.
After which from right here what I would like you to do is to think about belongings you’re grateful for. They are often small issues like “I’m grateful for the peanut butter sandwich I had this morning”, “I’m grateful for the odor of petrichor on the bottom outdoors, that after rain odor” or it may be “I’m grateful for air on the whole” and “grateful for meals on the whole”. You can also make it massive or small, grandiose or sort of micro. However both approach I would like it to essentially imply one thing to you. That’s what’s necessary. What it’s, is just not necessary. What’s necessary is that you just truly really feel gratitude. And so I would like you to sit down right here for a pair minutes citing belongings you really feel grateful for. You possibly can visualize them. You possibly can take into consideration them. You possibly can bear in mind them. And I would like you to really feel that gratitude warming your coronary heart, warming your coronary heart area. Simply really feel gratitude proper now. Let’s do this collectively.
And also you may simply discover that as you’re feeling extra gratitude, there is perhaps a touch of a smile coming… the sensation of a smile in your mouth, the place you may really feel sort of weepy–in a optimistic approach–round your eyes, and your coronary heart softens, it warms up and it softens and also you begin to really feel that glowing sort of sensation in your coronary heart. So let’s simply proceed picturing, remembering, appreciating issues that we really feel gratitude for. Actually really feel that gratitude.
Okay, good. Now you’ll be able to let go of the visualization and the remembering and all that. And I would like you to only sit and meditate upon that gratitude in your coronary heart, the gratitude within the chess area. Simply really feel it glowing. Really feel it. Really feel the gratitude. Don’t get into loads of ideas about it. Now don’t assume quite a bit about it. Simply really feel that nice heat melty coronary heart sensation and actually let it fill consciousness. Let it fill your entire consciousness. And simply sit with it in a very relaxed comfy open method.
Fabulous! Now, let’s start our standard sequence with shamatha with an object. Simply centered leisure. The thoughts is obvious and brilliant. And we’re meditating on a specific object. On this case, I would like you to be meditating on the physique sensations of respiration. However let’s breathe in a specific approach. You need to make this comfy. You need to make it give you the results you want. Don’t do it if it doesn’t work. However what I would like you to do is a standard in-breath after which a very lengthy out-breath so long as you’re feeling comfy. So that you’re inhaling usually after which the out-breath is lengthy, lengthy, lengthy. And on that lengthy out-breath, if you wish to make it even longer, you constrict your throat so that you just’re respiration–you’re inhaling the best way that it will make your voice sound like that for those who have been speaking. So it’s sort of a Darth Vader sound. And that’s referred to as ‘ujjayi breath’ in Sanskrit; ujjayi. And so forth the out-breath, you’re simply holding that a part of your throat slightly bit tight in order that it’s permitting you to do actually lengthy out breaths. Now I don’t need you to do an out-breath so lengthy that it’s uncomfortable. However I would like you to do an out-breath that’s possibly twice so long as you’re in-breath or one thing like that–it doesn’t need to be precise. After which you might be meditating on the sensations of respiration. Okay, so let’s start there. If you wish to, you should utilize a label “inhaling” on the in-breath, after which on the out-breath you might need to say it a pair occasions “respiration out, respiration out, respiration out, respiration out.” Psychological labels will provide help to stick with it. So, let’s start there.
Good, now on the in-breath I would like you to note the tip of the in-breath, after which on the out-breath maintain ready for the tip of the out-breath, finish of the out-breath, finish of the out-breath, and actually discover, actually discover when it lastly, lastly, lastly, lastly ends. Okay, so that you’re feeling the breath during however you’re giving additional consideration to the tip of the in-breath and the tip of the out-breath. And that’s going that can assist you stick with it. All this respiration is thru your nostril by the best way, not by way of the mouth – all by way of the nostril.
Now, let’s proceed to meditate on the breath. However I would like you to be sure you’re not coming from like a spot inside your head and beaming the flashlight of consideration on the breath. That is from huge spacious consciousness. Think about in a approach the entire room and even the entire sky is feeling the breath. And it’s probably not imagining. Simply discover that consciousness is broad. Consciousness is huge. It’s boundless and that feeling of the breath merely arises inside consciousness. Consciousness is conscious of it naturally. You don’t must focus. You don’t must make it like a highlight. The attention is simply vast and the sensation of the breath rises in consciousness. Nonetheless maintain doing the lengthy out-breaths. However simply discover that you just’re meditating on the out-breath from this very vast consciousness.
Simply maintain permitting consciousness itself to concentrate on the breath sensations. It’s quite simple. Going much more deeply, much more richly, much more fully concerned with the breath sensation, however permitting it to only come up in consciousness that’s already conscious.
Really feel how good that feels to only enable the breath sensations to come up in consciousness, actually noticing the tip of the in-breath, actually noticing the tip of the out-breath, and doing these lengthy, lengthy, lengthy, lengthy out-breaths. They get very settled and get very nonetheless and really brilliant. Consciousness itself could be very brilliant, very huge, very vast, very easy.
Feels so good. Now, what I would like you to do is enable the breath sensations to now transfer into the background. And permit simply that huge spacious consciousness itself to be within the foreground. I discover this a lot simpler to do with my eyes open. However your mileage might differ. You are able to do this together with your eyes open, your eyes closed, your eyes half closed, no matter works for you. However what I would like you to do is ‘simply enable consciousness to relaxation in consciousness’. There are different methods to say this. We will say ‘enable consciousness to note itself’ or ‘enable consciousness to give attention to itself’ or ‘take note of itself.’ It is a little deceptive due to course there’s no tightness or consideration in consciousness conscious of itself. However nonetheless, have the attention simply give attention to itself. Or one other strategy to say it’s to ‘merely present consciousness to consciousness.’ All proper, so we’re simply resting in consciousness conscious of itself. The rest that comes up: ideas–we’re not listening to these; emotions–we’re not listening to these; the breath sensations–we’re not listening to these; exterior sights and sounds–we’re not listening to these. If we discover ourselves listening to any of that stuff, we simply launch that spotlight, we simply drop the ball and are available again to consciousness conscious of itself. That is the least effortful meditation on the earth as a result of consciousness is already conscious. So consciousness is effortlessly conscious of itself and never getting concerned with anything.
Okay good, now, persevering with to only relaxation as huge spacious consciousness, we’re going to now transfer into vipassana. So there’s a little little bit of effort right here. And I would like you to note that we’re going to do it all of sudden: All the pieces arising in consciousness is empty. If it’s a thought that arises in consciousness, it’s empty. If it’s an emotion that arises in consciousness, it’s empty. If it’s a physique sensation that arises in consciousness, it’s empty. If it’s a considered ‘how I can’t do that’ or ‘that is troublesome’ or ‘I don’t like this’ or ‘I don’t know what I’m doing’ or ‘this takes me perpetually’ or ‘I’ll by no means get there,’ these ideas are all empty. Even concepts in regards to the surrounding world – like
the world round you, all empty; sounds of the world round you, all empty; photos of the world round you, all empty. All the pieces that arises in any respect in consciousness is empty. Bear in mind, empty doesn’t imply it’s not there. It simply means it’s like an ephemeral projection in consciousness. You simply discover its wispy, ephemeral, nebulous, undefined nature. So we’re resting as consciousness just like the sky, simply this huge, blue, empty, open sky, and all of the expertise that’s arising is rather like wind transferring in that sky–empty, empty, empty, not totally different from the sky and likewise having its personal form of motion, its personal form of wave or ripple. So simply discover the vacancy of all arising and permit your self to, enable consciousness itself to develop into fairly absorbed with this ‘seeing of vacancy’ which is able to really feel like seeing wispiness, seeing indistinctness, seeing the changingness, the impermanence, seeing the truth that issues come and go, however seeing that even whereas they’re current. They’re nebulous, vague, dreamlike, rainbowlike photos.
Should you’re caught up in considering, simply discover the vacancy of considering. Considering is simply wind in an empty sky.
If feelings maintain grabbing you, you retain getting absorbed into emotion, it’s like taking the entire sky and immediately cramming it down into an emotion – simply come again to being the sky and
discover that emotion is simply empty. It’s simply wind transferring within the sky – swirling, altering however probably not totally different than the sky and probably not in a position to entice the sky. The sky of consciousness is at all times boundless. It’s at all times huge. It’s at all times clear. It’s at all times brilliant.
All the pieces that arises is empty, empty, empty, empty – simply maintain feeling, maintain noticing consciousness noticing that vacancy. The sky noticing its personal winds. They don’t interrupt the sky. They’re not totally different from the sky and but they’ve their very own motion, their very own swirling paths. All the pieces that arises is totally empty. Hold noticing that time and again and time and again and over. If you’d like you’ll be able to even use a label like ‘empty,’ ‘empty,’ ‘empty’ to notice these.
Ideas are empty. Emotions are empty. The story of your self is empty. Your persona is empty. The world round you is empty. Concepts in regards to the world round you might be empty. Concepts of time, concepts of area all empty. It’s only a huge sky of consciousness with all these winds arising in it and the winds are all empty. And now I would like you to note the vacancy of some notably
fascinating arisings. Discover now the vacancy of the sense of effort, the sense that you just’re attempting to do one thing – within the sense that you’ve this intention to make one thing occur. Now once more bear in mind, vacancy doesn’t imply it’s not there. So you’ll be able to nonetheless have the trouble, you’ll be able to nonetheless have the intention to make one thing occur, however discover that it’s empty. It’s simply wind within the sky. It’s not totally different than consciousness. It’s in essence unfindable and but you’ll be able to nonetheless expertise it. However discover that that sense of attempting, that sense of effort, that sense of grinding, that sense of doing, it’s all empty. Discover its vacancy. And once you discover its vacancy how mild it turns into–which means buoyant and never heavy. It turns into very mild this sense of doing.
Good, so any sense of effort, any sense of attempting, any sense of doing–it’s simply empty. Now, discover that the sense of being a doer, the sense of being the one making one thing occur, being the one who’s attempting to meditate, being the one who’s attempting to sit down right here, being the one who’s attempting to do it proper, being the one who doubts they will do it, being the one, being the one, being the one…that sense of being a doer is simply empty within the vastness of huge spacious consciousness, within the open sky, that good, clear, brilliant, awake, conscious sky of consciousness. When the sense of being the doer comes up, the one who’s doing, discover, it’s simply wind within the sky. It’s simply wind within the sky, completely empty.
Good, now discover even the sense of doing a meditation in any respect is empty. That’s simply an concept. Doing a meditation in any respect, anyone doing something, however particularly the sense of a doer, within the sense of me doing a meditation, now that’s all simply an concept. That’s empty, empty, empty wind in an open
sky. That huge crisp sky of consciousness is just not modified by the wind in any approach. No effort, no one making an effort, no meditation in any respect, all empty.
Now, simply let go fully again into shamatha with out an object–again into dropping the ball. However discover, nothing modified. We’re not doing a meditation. All the pieces’s fully empty. There’s merely an enormous open sky of consciousness that’s already fully conscious of itself. Consciousness conscious of its personal consciousness with none effort, with none doing. All the pieces completely empty on this huge sky of consciousness. What is that this? … This has at all times been right here–vast open, completely awake, completely clear, completely pristine. There’s nothing to do. There’s nothing to alter. All the pieces arising in that is empty of its personal accord, already empty upon rising, no effort required.
Relaxation right here in the Aristocracy, in simplicity and dignity an empress of all of creation needing nothing, doing nothing, conscious, completely huge in countless vacancy.
Pristine huge awake consciousness, completely pure, completely easy, completely restful, completely awake. I’m going to learn some verses from the tibetan grasp Jigme Lingpa that refers to this consciousness:
Awakening thoughts is the essence of all expertise.
He says ‘awakening thoughts’ – I say ‘woke up consciousness’ or ‘awake consciousness’.
Awakening thoughts is the guts of all buddhas, the guts of all woke up ones.
Awakening thoughts is the life power of all beings.
Obvious and supreme will not be present in awakening thoughts.
Observe or not apply — consideration goes past.
Act or not act — choices soften away.
Empty or not empty — awakening thoughts is past.
Be or not be — there’s a vastness whereby
These variations fade away.
Consciousness — not a phrase, not a thought, no description in any respect —
Has as its axis no corrective, no holding a place.
Its nature is naked, regular, contemporary and unfolding,
A vastness free from all effort and issues.
Relaxation the place there isn’t any change or time.
Relaxation proper there in your personal pristine consciousness that has been right here since beginningless time.
[Note: read from Ken McLeod’s “A Trackless Path”]
Good, now simply discover a way of gratitude arising on this awake consciousness – a pure straightforward open gratitude, a gratitude for all times, gratitude for breath, a gratitude for the chance to meditate collectively, a gratitude for the chance to attach with sacred teachings. And simply really feel that gratitude, simply of its personal streaming by way of consciousness, arising and streaming all through the infinity of consciousness.
Dharma Speak
Okay good, now let’s carry the guided meditation to a detailed. However discover that nothing modifications. Pristine consciousness remains to be there, huge spacious consciousness remains to be huge – it at all times is. We’re not making it that approach. The meditation apply doesn’t by some means make consciousness huge. Consciousness is of course spacious, naturally boundless, and timeless. So although we finish the meditation, nothing has modified. And bear in mind, we observed that even the sense of being a doer doing one thing is empty. So not solely have been we in quotes “not doing meditation” however now, no matter we’re doing now–like me talking to you, you listening all of that–is finished with none effort. All of that’s taking place with none doer. All of that’s merely arising inside this crisp, clear, contemporary, brilliant, vivid consciousness that’s at all times there, completely candy, completely straightforward, completely open. Nothing to alter, nothing to repair, all the pieces alright simply the best way it’s. Simply discover that now.
That is nondual or essence custom meditation. A few of these traditions embrace the Tibetan traditions of Dzogchen and Mahamudra. There’s Hindu traditions of Advaita Vedanta and likewise nondual Shaiva Tantra. And a few Chinese language Taoist rules, even the Bhagavad Gita, one other Hindu basic, all of those are traditions that made discuss nonduality discuss consciousness barely in another way, however actually, they’re all getting on the identical factor. And after we apply right here we’re getting at that very same factor. And that very same factor is the primacy of consciousness itself, that all the pieces we expertise arises in consciousness. If we’re going to speak in a Buddhist approach, and we don’t need to as a result of we may discuss in a Hindu approach, we may discuss in a Taoist approach, we may discuss in sort of a western secular approach, however only for a minute, we’ll discuss in a Buddhist approach. If we’re going to do this sort of apply we should take critically the concept of bodhicitta, the concept of Buddha nature, the truth that we already possess pristine consciousness, that we already are totally awake and buddhas from the very starting. That’s how this meditation works. That’s why as soon as we see the vacancy of the churning of the thoughts. Once more, vacancy doesn’t imply it’s not there. That’s simply one of many meanings of vacancy, however that’s not what we imply. It’s nonetheless taking place, it’s simply that it’s totally different than what we expect it’s. One other which means of vacancy is, we will say ‘oh, that’s simply empty’ and in English that may imply ‘it doesn’t matter’ or that ‘it’s not necessary’ or that ‘it’s false’. We don’t imply vacancy that approach both. We imply that on this primacy of consciousness all the pieces that arises is solely like a present, like a magic present, like a picture, like an expertise arising in consciousness. It’s not separate from consciousness and it’s additionally not by some means outdoors of consciousness. As I’m at all times saying ‘you aren’t on the earth, the world is in you’ and what I imply by that’s, we now have the concept we’re consciousness and consciousness is behind my eyes and that’s a mind and the mind is in my head and the top is a part of the physique and the physique is on this room and the room is on the earth round me–that’s the best way we take into consideration that usually. However that mind-set about it’s inside out. It’s the opposite approach round: the mind and the top and the physique and the room and the world round is all inside consciousness. That means, right here is the attention and all of the stuff that’s taking place is solely like an image present, like a magic present, like a film within consciousness.
And don’t take my phrase for it. This isn’t some bizarre summary idea. Simply discover. That is simply what we see after we discover the vacancy of thought and feeling and persona and the vacancy of physique sensation and the vacancy of the world round us and the vacancy of area and time. You’ll then be left with the plain, apparent direct expertise: oh, it’s all taking place in consciousness. It’s like being in a online game. Let’s say you’re taking part in some sort of first-person shooter. And also you’re in that recreation and also you’re operating across the atmosphere and also you’re capturing stuff and blowing stuff up and therapeutic your self and therapeutic others and getting extra ammo–all that stuff that you just do in one in every of these first-person shooters–getting inside autos, crashing the autos, repairing the autos… getting worn out again and again and respawning on a regular basis. You’re so concerned after which… your canine barks and it simply snaps you out of it. And also you’re like ‘oh, all of that, all of that have is simply taking place within the mild of this monitor. It’s simply photons on this monitor that’s all it’s.’ Now, that’s to not say it’s nothing. It’s taking place, there’s every kind of knowledge there, there’s every kind of stuff happening. Once more, it doesn’t imply it’s nothing. Nevertheless it means it’s all simply this movement of photons that you just’re experiencing. In the exact same approach like these digital worlds that we expertise within the pc or in a online game or on like a PS3 or an Xbox or no matter, these give us a superb metaphor for our personal expertise. We get so wrapped up and ‘oh, I’m doing this and I’m me and I’m monitoring my hit factors you realize my well being factors and all the talents I’m racking up and all of the achievements I’m racking up in this sort of recreation of life’ after which somebody simply factors out: ‘hey! Discover, that is all only a stream of expertise taking place in consciousness. That’s all it’s. And also you go ‘Ohh!!’ and for the primary time, possibly the very first time, you understand what you actually are. It’s so totally different than what you’ve gotten
thought you have been. It’s so totally different than what you’ve been taught you might be and what you’ve gotten thought you might be in your entire life. You assume you’re ideas and also you assume you’re emotions and the story. ‘That is the story of me and that is the story of the place I come from and what I’ve accomplished and all my achievements and what I’m concerned in and what I care about and all that’s there.’ It’s not that it doesn’t matter. All of that’s there. Nevertheless it’s all simply–I’m gonna combine metaphors right here–it’s all simply photons within the brilliant sky of consciousness. It’s all photons within the brilliant sky of consciousness.
So, after we do these meditations it’s not about ‘oh me, my thoughts, my physique, my story of me, I’m gonna take a look at consciousness.’ That’s like saying I’m gonna take my flashlight and discover the sunshine. The flashlight is the sunshine. The factor that’s searching for consciousness is consciousness. We don’t want the particular person within the loop. The factor that’s searching for consciousness is simply consciousness itself. And within the mild of that consciousness we discover, the particular person is simply this movement of exercise, this movement of actions, movement of ideas and emotions and tales and stuff taking place. And the world is similar. It’s only a movement of expertise arising in our consciousness.
And when you see this, you’ll be able to by no means unsee it. You possibly can overlook it, you will get misplaced once more, but it surely’ll at all times be haunting you perpetually. And also you’ll come again to it again and again and go ‘that’s proper, that’s proper’. Possibly you’ll be sitting on the seaside and all caught up in your stuff. And also you simply take a look at the ocean and also you take a look at the sky. And there are seagulls simply sort of gliding on the wind and there are pelicans of their formation and simply superbly hovering proper over the water gliding actually, actually, actually low over the water. After which there are dolphins and there are waves, possibly there’s some surfers–are you able to inform I dwell in California?–and, you realize, you’re simply hanging out on the seaside. And also you’ll simply bear in mind ‘oh that’s proper, that’s proper. Consciousness. I’m consciousness’ and naturally, even that’s not an identification. We don’t need to reify consciousness, but it surely’s quite a bit nearer to what we actually are. It’s quite a bit nearer to what we actually are, to that uncooked, clear, brilliant, pristine awakeness, awakeness itself. And bear in mind, in Sanskrit the phrase for awake is “buddha” – that’s why they name him that. Once I’m saying awakeness, awakeness, awakeness, I’m saying bodhi, bodhi, bodhi, bodhi–which is one other strategy to say buddha. So bodhi-citta, bodhi-sattva, the buddha-nature. That’s what we’re speaking about–simply your uncooked consciousness. It’s not exhausting.
This isn’t exhausting. Should you get caught up in serious about it, you’re doing the unsuitable factor. Simply come again to only awakeness, proper now. Discover, proper now, that you’re having an expertise. Discover, you’re awake. And spot, that have contains physique sensations which can be only a sort of movement of expertise in consciousness. It contains feelings which can be only a movement of expertise in consciousness, like I stored saying, like wind within the sky. Otherwise you’re having ideas which can be attempting to determine this out. It’s a joke. They’re only a movement of expertise in consciousness. Similar with the outside world, all of the movement of expertise in consciousness itself, all completely empty, completely easy, completely stunning. They’re not totally different than consciousness. They’re consciousness. We don’t need to make a god out of consciousness. Though you’ll be able to, a number of traditions do. And even for those who do make a god out of it, simply discover that that’s empty too. In different phrases, it’s not an idea of god, it’s simply consciousness itself. It’s simply consciousness itself.
Let me learn this verse once more. That is from this nice e-book ‘A Trackless Path’. It’s by my good
good friend Ken McLeod, He’s a Mahamudra and Dzogchen meditation trainer or was and a really very expert Tibetan translator. So, he’s translating this poem by this Tibetan grasp Jigme Lingpa. And it is a poem about Dzogchen apply – so one in every of these traditions. And he’s attempting to speak about how radical it’s to be coming from consciousness and to have that consciousness itself, that pristine consciousness. It’s already there. It’s our–it’s at all times been there. There’s nothing to do. and after we come from this radical perspective, all the pieces shifts. So let’s simply hear this verse once more. And I would like you to only hear. Don’t give it some thought. Simply hear – consciousness conscious of those verses:
Observe or not apply — consideration goes past.
Act or not act — choices soften away.
Empty or not empty — awakening thoughts is past.
Be or not be — there’s a vastness whereby
These variations fade away.
Consciousness — not a phrase, not a thought, no description in any respect —
Has as its axis no corrective, no holding a place.
Its nature is naked, regular, contemporary and unfolding,
A vastness free from all effort and issues.
Relaxation the place there isn’t any change or time.
Relaxation the place there isn’t any change or time.
It’s an excellent verse. It’s an excellent particular person. And Ken (McLeod)—for those who get the e-book which I like to recommend you do—he then talks about methods how we will unpack that verse and perceive what Jigme Lingpa is saying. However discover, he’s saying, there’s a vastness whereby all the pieces is form of there and never there, on the identical time, a vastness whereby even area and time don’t make any sense. That’s the vastness of consciousness. All these traditions agree that the closest metaphor to consciousness–if we need to take into consideration consciousness of being like one thing–is area. It’s like area. House has no boundaries, area is huge. That’s why I’ve a category referred to as Huge Sky Thoughts, that’s why all these lecturers discuss vastness as a result of it’s like area. And the one distinction is that area itself–we consider that as sort of useless like a brick or one thing–whereas this consciousness area is awake, it’s gnostic. It has understanding. It’s awake. So all of the issues arising in consciousness are identified, they’re skilled.
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