Okay, let’s simply take some deep breaths. You don’t need to do it like this, you are able to do it any manner you need. I used to be simply having type of an intense dialog. It’s simply type of shifting some power right here, after which do some motion. The loopy motion we do, which is something your physique desires to do this feels good—simply do it—even when it’s sitting nonetheless. However don’t train or stretch, as a substitute, let your physique simply categorical no matter feels good. End up in your physique, shifting, maintain shifting just a little longer. After which, as common, what we type of do is begin to simply get into spinal motion. Then with the spinal motion, we make our spines really feel good. Spines prefer to really feel like liquid, so the much less it feels tight or strong, and the extra it feels relaxed and fluid, the higher.
Then, simply let the circles or the actions, the S-curves—no matter it’s doing—let it get smaller and smaller and smaller and smaller, till you possibly can’t really inform in case your backbone continues to be shifting or not. After which, keep there, the place it’s nonetheless fluid, nonetheless relaxed, nonetheless supple, nonetheless open, and perhaps even shifting. Then, simply form of land there. Discover how completely different that’s than assuming a decent posture, it’s very relaxed, very open. It’s very comfortable.
Then, simply permit your self to take a look at the way you’re feeling proper now. What’s it prefer to be you? How your physique feels, how your feelings are doing, how your thoughts is doing. The trick right here, the essential level is: nevertheless the thoughts and the physique and the feelings are doing, simply allow them to be that manner. Feeling it, or experiencing it clearly, however letting go of any agenda to one way or the other manipulate, or management, or deny, or change it. As an alternative, simply letting it’s precisely the way in which it’s, and to seek out some sense of ease with the way you’re doing, even when the way you’re doing is basically not easeful or straightforward in any respect. Even when it’s actually disagreeable, or one way or the other anxious, or one way or the other tight, or no matter. Discovering some ease with even that. Letting it’s that manner, as a result of making an attempt to make it go away simply makes it worse, extra tight, extra disagreeable, extra anxious. So, simply let it’s how it’s.
If that’s actually tough—I simply wish to change it, I want it to go away, I want it to be completely different. Okay, then settle for that you just really feel that manner. Let that be the way in which it’s. A method or one other, permit what your expertise is to only be your expertise, simply precisely the way in which it’s, simply as unhealthy as it’s, pretty much as good as it’s, as boring as it’s, as ecstatic as it’s, as jangly as it’s, as upset as it’s, as depressed as it’s, as depressing as it’s, or as fantastic. Simply surrender making an attempt to vary it for some time.
A giant assist for doing that’s to step exterior the considering thoughts, so if that’s out there to you, simply do this now. What I imply by that’s, you could be there, there could be as many ideas. As at all times, we’re not making an attempt to vary the quantity of considering, however relatively, we’re merely not partaking with thought. You possibly can have interaction with physique sensation, you possibly can have interaction with emotional sensation, you possibly can have interaction with the sights and sounds, and smells and tastes of the room round you, you possibly can have interaction with every part besides, for now, besides thought. Feeling your butt on the cushion or chair, listening to the sound of the heater and the rain and the automobiles. For those who’re meditating along with your eyes open—and I do suggest that, though you don’t need to, however I like to recommend you’ve got your eyes open, resting on the sights, the colours, the shapes, the textures, the patterns, of the room round you, partaking with all of that in easy presence. Simply merely being current.
Every time you end up engaged with thought, simply simply drop it—and by drop it, I don’t imply make it go away, I imply simply don’t have interaction. It might sit there and assume as a lot because it desires, in the meantime you’re resting in easy presence.
If you would like just a little one thing extra to hold on to, discover the complete physique expertise of respiratory. Not intimately, we’re not specializing in it, simply really feel that the physique is increasing and contracting with the breath, within the easiest way attainable. Non-engagement with thought, merely current within the room, feeling the breath going out and in. This can be a manner of being completely open, as a result of it’s solely within the considering thoughts that we’re accepting and rejecting, and accepting and rejecting, time and again, however in easy presence, no matter is current, we’re open to it, we’re completely open, completely right here.
If you end up actually working actually onerous ultimately whereas sitting right here, simply let go of that. For those who’re making an attempt actually, actually onerous to be targeted or one thing, simply let go of that. If you would like one thing actually large to occur, otherwise you desire a large mind-state shift to happen, simply let go of that expectation.
See if you will discover any ease and any openness, any letting go, any acceptance, any softness, any aid or launch. That is the path, simply stress-free and opening, stress-free and opening. Coming into easy presence. If we go away all of it—and leaving means getting concerned in a psychological daydream, getting concerned in thought—as quickly as you discover, simply turn out to be lucid within the thought—oh, I’m in a psychological daydream, and are available again to only being current. Being current in a room full of individuals meditating just isn’t thrilling, notably, there’s not loads of actually loud, vibrant, chaotic, stuff happening, there’s not loads of explosions and helicopters crashing and gunfights.
So, in case you’ve skilled your self quite a bit on that type of stimulation, or large social interplay stuff,
it may be, at first, difficult to take a seat in presence, as a result of we’re not used to this degree of stillness. So the considering thoughts will get actual grasping, it desires an increasing number of stimulation, and an increasing number of stuff to chew on, and we’re, in a manner, setting it apart, and simply saying, only for an hour, simply sit there. We’ll feed you extra later, however for now, I’m simply going to relaxation in easy presence, and let go of all that stimulation, and all that depth, and all of the dopamine. As an alternative, I’m simply going to really feel my physique be within the room, and really feel some ease, really feel some openness, really feel some relaxation.
Time and again, simply return to easy presence. It’s really very straightforward. For those who discover your thoughts grabbing onto the considering, like grabbing one thing in your fist, the place you’re grabbing onto an entire bunch of stuff and holding on to it—which is what engagement with thought is like—all it’s important to do is chill out the fist, and the ideas fall out of your palm. Then your palm is simply open and easeful. So, every time that grabbing movement happens—and see that that’s a voluntary exercise, you’re really grabbing onto the thought. It might be so automated you’ve misplaced the sense that it’s a volitional act, however you’re really doing it on goal. You need to contract on goal, like grabbing one thing along with your hand on goal. You do have company right here. Once you discover that you just’ve grabbed on, simply chill out once more—metaphorically chill out the fist—and the ideas will simply pour out of your hand like sand. Then your hand is simply extensive open, simply sitting there, extensive open, comfortable. So, let’s proceed to observe with that for a short while right here.
Keep in mind, we’re not making an attempt to cease the considering, or suppress it, or deny it, or management it. It might assume as a lot because it desires. We’re simply not grabbing on, we’re letting the ideas metaphorically simply circulate by. As an alternative, our consideration is on physique sensation, emotional sensations, the sights and sounds of the room, and so forth. Coming into our precise being, not misplaced within the digital world of thought. Feeling your legs on the chair or cushion, feeling the way you’re linked to the core of the Earth by way of gravity. Simply really feel that tug, that’s maintaining you on the cushion. Feeling the growth and contraction within the breath, feeling no matter feelings are arising—perhaps it’s frustration, perhaps it’s type of a pleasing sense of contentment, perhaps it’s the rest, perhaps an entire bunch of feelings without delay. Don’t take into consideration them, simply really feel them. If ideas are taking place concerning the feelings, don’t seize on to them. In case your eyes are open, seeing the sights of the room, listening to the sounds of the room. Coming again into this presence, many times, with large ease and openness.
Let that fist of doing-doing–doing, simply launch, simply let it go. Don’t make that into a brand new doing—such as you’re making an attempt actually onerous simply let go.
Good. Now, you possibly can proceed sitting with that, however you could start to note one thing else is right here within the easy presence. It’s not precisely the physique sensations, and it’s not precisely the emotional sensations, and it’s not precisely the sights and sounds of the room. It’s not precisely any of that stuff. Let’s imagine it’s the stillness behind all that the house of figuring out itself. Once I say one thing like “the house of figuring out,” there could be an urge to search for that, “I’m going to seek out the house of figuring out, and take a look at it.” However, it’s the factor that’s wanting.
So, if that awake house, that Gnostic, boundlessness, is obvious, then come to a fair deeper sense of presence in that. It’s not a thought, it’s not a sense, it’s not a sight or a sound, it’s not a particular expertise. It’s simply the house of expertise itself, the awake house itself. There’s no thought that may get at that. There’s no manner of wanting that will get at that. It’s the wanting. For those who attempt to be the one discovering it, the one it, that’s just a few thought and feeling pretending to take a look at it. It’s the wanting, it’s simply expertise itself.
For those who can discover that, then distinction that with sights, sounds, emotions, even thought—all of that are shifting, all of that are altering, all of that are vividly displaying. For there’s the figuring out, however, in a manner of speaking about it, the figuring out is exterior of the thoughts. It’s even exterior of the physique. The thoughts and the physique are contained in the figuring out. Discover the distinction between them. There’s the stillness and readability of awake house, after which there’s all of the stuff taking place inside it, together with ideas, together with feelings, together with emotions, together with sights and sounds, and so forth., and the figuring out is completely nonetheless. It’s by no means modified, ever. It’s completely awake, it’s been completely full and pure since beginningless time. Discover how, in opposition to this backdrop of stillness, no quantity of considering or feeling or sights or sounds—or the rest—can disturb that stillness. For those who make stillness in your thoughts, it is going to at all times turn out to be unstill once more, as a result of the thoughts is unstable. Attempting to make your ideas secure can’t work besides briefly, so we do it briefly, simply to permit issues to die down a bit. However the true stillness has at all times been current, and can’t turn out to be unstill. It’s the extensive open, sky-like, house that is aware of.
Discover the easeful, open, restful, relaxed, openness of that house. That house welcomes all expertise, that house pushes nothing away. That’s your true id—awake house. For those who attempt to take a look at it from the thoughts, you’ll at all times miss it. The thoughts is simply the sock puppet of awake house. Time and again, let go of being the thoughts and the physique, and all of that, and simply chill out into being openness, being readability, being stillness, being comfortable.
For those who attempt to determine it out, you’ll at all times miss it. The transfer into the thoughts to attempt to determine it out is already hopeless. For those who’re resting as awake house, and then you definately go, “I ponder if that is it? It appears fairly boring, however perhaps it’s it,” and also you begin checking from the thoughts, you simply misplaced it. Once you style sugar, you don’t go, “Was that sugar? That should have been sugar, let me determine it out. Was that the style of sugar?”
Relaxation because the sky-like awakeness, not because the ideas and emotions. They may constantly change, constantly come and go, constantly show their fantastic transience. Nothing fallacious with that—that’s their nature, it’s the character of the awake house to be the openness that hosts all that exercise. Relaxation as that openness, not making an attempt to get a specific type of thought, not making an attempt to get a specific type of feeling, as a result of that openness is its personal distinctive taste. An individual within the regular thoughts constantly tries to get a particular thought, or a particular emotion, or a particular physique sensation, all of the whereas figuring out that it’s simply going to go away. And, once more, that’s nature, that’s the order of issues—superb, they arrive they usually go. Nobody’s complaining about that, however discover you could relaxation because the awake house itself, and never chase after something, or push something away.
Excellent. So, if this can be a good place so that you can proceed resting, please do this. If that is pretty acquainted, then discover one thing fascinating. Discover that, despite the fact that I maintain calling the boundless house nonetheless, it’s really full of large energy-like potential. You possibly can really feel it. It’s an incredible potential, and that potential retains bursting forth creatively in each second. It offers delivery in each second to a bloody, squalling, writhing, second—time and again, once more. Stunning, squalling, writhing, bloody, second, time and again, once more. And, what’s that? That’s the thought, that’s the feeling, that’s the emotion, that’s the sights and sounds, that’s self and world and others. The awake house constantly, creatively, offers delivery to every part. The physique sensations aren’t separate from awake house, they’re the expression of awake house upon itself. Ideas, emotions, world, sights, sounds—it’s all awake house, portray upon itself with itself for itself. All that motion, all that change, is just awake house dancing, joyously, effortlessly, spontaneously, playfully.
So, from that stillness of awake house, all exercise is just the exercise of house bringing us again into our true nature, time and again and over. Letting go of all considered any variety, simply take a look at what’s having this expertise proper now. If you are able to do it as a wordless query, “Who or what’s even conscious of this second? What’s it that is aware of this second?” Look. Look, actually deeply. For those who’re in your thoughts, you’ll be saying stuff like, Nicely, me—or, I don’t know, my mind or one thing. These are simply ideas. We’re letting go of that, and truly wanting, actually wanting. Simply really curious. For those who’re caught being depressing, simply let go of it, only for a minute, and simply really look. How do you even know you’re depressing? What is aware of that? What’s awake? What does it imply that the lights are on?
Look straight, nakedly. What’s having the expertise? Discover that you just discover openness—an area—and you discover knowingness, awakeness, no matter you wish to name it, consciousness, expertise. And, the very openness of that have, the truth that it says no to nothing, and sure to every part is a type of heat, variety, welcoming, presence. So, consciously now, and actually connecting with that from the core of awake house, from the depths of awake house, discover this basic heat and kindness and presence. Discover the way it fills all of house. It’s not situated in a single spot, it’s in all places. There’s a basic goodness, and a basic openness, and a basic sanity and readability in all places. See in case you can discover this heat, variety, presence, radiating out in all instructions, filling all of house, touching each coronary heart, in all places, but additionally returning again, or being radiated again from all house, from all beings in all places. Coming and going, giving and receiving this basic presence of kindness, openness, heat, caring.
Really feel that clearly, and from the power, and the potential, and heat, but additionally the uplifted joyous high quality of this presence, let’s do some bit only a quick little bit of om mani collectively, like we at all times do. Once more, the sound of the mantra comes from house itself, not from the ego, not from the thoughts, not from even the voice, however from house itself. So, you simply let go, and let the mantra radiate.
[chanting] Om Mani Padme Hum
We’d like just a little extra pleasure and power.
Now, simply really feel it within the silence, stillness, openness.
Okay, let’s finish that there. Be happy to maneuver and stretch, run to the restroom, no matter is important. There’s a—we’ll name it a tug of battle—there’s been a tug-of-war because the very starting of individuals doing meditation, or doing religious stuff, it’s a type of a rigidity that’s constructed into what we’re doing. The stress could be characterised as a query about who’s even doing the exercise, and it’s there in all religious traditions in a single type or one other. In Buddhist observe, it’s the distinction between sudden Awakening and gradual effort. The trail of accumulation—the trail of doing stuff, versus simply there it’s. However you will discover it in each custom. It’s at all times there, in Christianity is it Religion or good works that get you to heaven? It’s the very same query—are you doing it, or is one thing else doing it, or it’s simply taking place. And this rigidity is there in all religious exercise. Are you doing it, or is God doing it? Is there one thing to achieve and obtain, or is it already there, and also you simply type of discover it? It’s been such a central factor for thus lengthy, you possibly can in all probability guess that it doesn’t ever resolve. There’s no proper reply.
You’ll see completely different traditions land actually onerous on one facet of that or the opposite, often, however then, due to the character of the query, they then fill within the different facet one way or the other or one other, since you want each side.
One thing that I’ve discovered fascinating in my very own actually unhappy and pathetic meditation path that has taken without end, is that, with no outcomes in any respect, sure facets of which were actually annoying and irritating for a very long time, after which out of the blue aren’t. It’s bizarre. It was once the case that if somebody within the entrance of the room was saying one thing to me, like, “there’s nothing to do, and even making an attempt to do it’s—you’re misplaced, and you may’t actually do it. I’d simply wish to throw my shoe at them, I can’t get it, and it’s making me insane. However, you discover I’m up right here saying that, and it’s as a result of—and I don’t imply to suggest that there’s one large factor, there’s many little issues like this. We’re all someplace alongside the journey in varied methods, however it’s as a result of you possibly can’t see the factor till you see the factor, and so the instance I wish to give within the meditation we’re doing, is that I’m telling you to step exterior your thoughts, or not have interaction with ideas. And that may be its personal type of wrestle factor. If it’s a wrestle—please don’t wrestle—simply try to only maintain stress-free, and the ideas simply do their very own factor. Wrestle doesn’t actually assist.
Discover that’s an try, in a manner, to permit the thoughts to settle down, permit the ideas and emotions to type of settle just a little bit, to let the snow globe that’s whipped up simply form of settle down, get just a little clearer, get just a little stiller. We’re doing one thing to do this. We may do much more stuff. We may do a bunch of mantra observe, and a bunch of pranayama observe, and a bunch of visualization, and creation part yidam observe. There’s quite a bit we are able to do to make issues actually nonetheless, and all that in our ideas and our emotions. And it’s tremendous useful to do this—it’s extremely useful, as a result of it’s solely when that stuff will get nonetheless you could begin to see—to place it in a horrible manner—what’s behind all that. As an alternative of all that thought-feeling exercise, the form of awakeness through which that’s displaying, if the ideas and emotions are simply too large and thrilling, you simply can’t see the background.
It’s like in case you’re in a film that’s actually, actually a giant motion movie, and stuff’s taking place, and spaceships are flying, and stuff’s exploding. It’s actually onerous to do not forget that it’s a bodily display there, to consider the white reflective display behind all the sunshine. So in case you wished to have an viewers see the display, you wouldn’t have a giant thrilling movie like that, you’d have a nonetheless shot of concrete, or one thing actually nonetheless, and then you definately’d begin going discover the wrinkles within the cloth of that factor behind the pictures. You could possibly begin to level to it, and since you wouldn’t be distracted with all this motion within the ears, with sounds and shaking of the constructing, you possibly can really begin to see that display.
So it’s actually helpful to calm issues down. Discover, that’s doing one thing that’s gradual, that’s the trail of effort. However, then one thing actually bizarre occurs, and it will probably occur actually slowly—like in my case, it takes without end to sink in, or it will probably occur actually quick. You discover the display, and then you definately maintain noticing the display, after which it’s bizarre as a result of now they’ll begin enjoying type of a busy film, and you may nonetheless discover the display. When you’ve seen it, you simply get good at seeing it, after which, after some time, you possibly can’t unsee it. There’s at all times a display there. So, finally, whenever you get actually good at noticing the display, since you’ve simply seen it so clearly. You possibly can have an enormous motion movie taking place, and it doesn’t matter. You continue to see the display. That’s whenever you go, it doesn’t matter what the ideas or emotions are doing, the awakeness is simply there. You could possibly have seen that each one alongside, you didn’t have to calm something down—Grace—it was at all times there.
In order that’s how folks find yourself sounding annoying, however it’s true—it’s at all times there to be seen—it’s no more there from observe. So, that is why it’s type of an irresolvable factor, as a result of effort is required till it’s not, and also you understand, it by no means was, so each are there, and it’s not some ultimate factor, it retains repeating, so that you get good at noticing the display, after which it simply so occurs they present a film that triggers a bunch of stuff out of your childhood, and now you’re again in it, and also you neglect there’s a display, and it’s important to begin over, calm issues down, and finally come again to, okay there’s the display once more. So it’s not some ultimate, I’ve arrived, and I can by no means fall out of it. Little by little, beneath an increasing number of conditions, with an increasing number of issues taking place on the display, you’re simply resting because the display.
And, after all, this can be a metaphor. There isn’t any display, and, who’s wanting on the display, anyway? The display sees itself, so the metaphor falls aside. However, discover, we at all times do stroll, we calm issues down, we step exterior the thoughts to make it actual nonetheless, so you possibly can discover, What’s this factor that’s noticing? Oh, there it’s, that’s there. After which, whenever you’ve performed that sufficient you could’t unsee it, then letting all of the ideas and emotions occur—no drawback. However, they are going to be remodeled in a extremely fascinating manner at that time.
So, I’ll shut up there. If something’s arising you wish to speak about, we’ll carry a microphone round—elegantly saunter round with a microphone in a manner that can not be skilled, however can solely be appreciated—it’s God’s present. So, if one thing’s come up for you, increase your hand, and I’ll attempt to reply to it. Or, in case you have a query, as at all times, bear in mind that is dwell to the Web, so despite the fact that this may increasingly appear to be a comfortable room of variety meditators, it’s additionally the open large eye of the Web.
Questioner 1: Hey, so, there’s one thing about talking that appears to perturb the stillness for me, prefer it looks like as quickly as we did the om mani, it’s simply nothing may perturb the stillness besides my very own voice, or one thing. Then I quiet it out, and let others maintain going, after which I used to be extra involved with consciousness itself, however perhaps I’m considering the phrases earlier than talking them, or one thing like that’s taking place.
Michael: It’s simply concerning the readability of recognition. So, drop into recognition, after which communicate, and then you definately’ll come out, and drop into recognition once more, after which communicate, and also you come out. For those who do this sufficient, you received’t come out anymore. It’s only a matter of getting used to it. Nothing really disturbs the stillness, it’s the that means of imperturbable. However you’re grabbing onto—the Thoughts kicks up, like I used to be saying over the weekend, the hybrid automobile on the cease lights, the engine kicks on. It’s just like the ideas sit back up, and also you seize on, so that you simply obtained to get used to that taking place, and noticing that the attention doesn’t change when that occurs. So, it’s an extended technique of deep recognition, however I’d say, acclimatizing to recognition.
Questioner 1: Thanks.
Michael: There’s a bizarre esoteric instructing—I’m not saying I do know this, however it’s fascinating, they’re speaking concerning the nadis, the power channels within the physique, and the Prana, the power within the channels, they usually have been saying that breath that we use to talk, or the Prana of considering, is within the facet channels. And if it goes into the central channel, it turns into silent, so that you actually can’t communicate it. I simply thought that was fascinating. Once more, I’m not saying I do know that from my very own expertise, however that’s type of fascinating.
Questioner 1: Thanks.
Questioner 2: I can see the worth of, if I’m tremendous offended, disidentifying with my anger, however the way in which that you just folks [laughter] speak about ooh, I’m the attention, I’m the awakeness, like what’s the deal?
Michael: What the large deal, who offers a fuck? Is that what you’re asking?
Questioner 2: Simply properly that’s like extra disidentification for usefulness and like there’s one thing far more than simply the pragmatism of, oh I can get higher at issues in my life if I don’t get hooked on every part that passes by way of. It simply looks like there’s one thing extra, one thing so important…
Michael: It’s important.
Questioner 2: Are you able to speak about that extra?
Michael: Have you learnt who you’re? Who’re you? We are able to say that I used to be born in such and such a spot, in such and such a time, with this tradition, to those mother and father, with these siblings, or no matter. All of that, however does any of that reply the query? And, if it doesn’t, that’s already type of fascinating. You may wish to know who we’re, deeply. And it doesn’t imply like what we like and dislike, or something like that, one thing rather more basic. One thing rather more important, one thing rather more true, than all these sorts of random incidentals.
Folks generally do that factor on social media, like right here’s a pile of my books and DVDs, and that is form of a definition of me. For those who like these books and DVDs, you realize what sort of particular person I’m, and I imply that’s cute, however what a pile of random bullshit. It’s simply likes and dislikes—that’s not an individual. That particular person has no thought who they’re. None. I’m a Disney movie—no you’re not. That’s not against the law, I’m not in opposition to them, I’m saying, wouldn’t it’s fascinating to look just a little extra deeply than your bookshelf or your DVD assortment, or your Pinterest, and truly begin to come into some literal self-knowledge? So, I’ll simply say, it has to do with that. And to me, that’s extremely essential, and perhaps, even to make use of your phrase once more, important.
What I’ve found, anyway, and I believe different folks have a tendency to find this as properly, is, I had not the slightest clue who I used to be. And the extra that you just outline it with these likes and dislikes, the much less you’re, you’re much more misplaced about who you really are. It’s 90 levels from every part. In order that’s one reply, anyway. Discover, the large query is, “Who’s even having this expertise?” It will get proper to it: Who’s having this expertise? What’s the reply? Look. Anyway, thanks, it was nice having you on the retreat.
Questioner 3: Hello Michael, I simply wished to comply with up on that query. I don’t know if I’m going to get your entire query I didn’t hear the primary half, however the final half, I believe, when you reply the query, who you’re, as soon as it’s answered for you, and also you not determine with the likes and the dislikes, and no matter else may determine you, the larger query is, Why you’re right here, and what it’s good to do, and the way—that is one thing that I’m grappling with. As soon as you’ll be able to drop in and keep constantly drop in that doesn’t essentially reply that query.
Michael: Actually?
Questioner 3: Nicely, perhaps I’m doing it fallacious, so please enlighten me, however that’s one thing I’m continually going forwards and backwards. Am I doing what I’m purported to be doing? Am I doing it proper, or am I not doing sufficient, or ought to I simply cease doing and simply keep within the dropped in state.
Michael: As I stated, the awake house itself continues to be, however it additionally has large power. It’s like potential power, and that power doesn’t want your thoughts to know what to do. It’s already doing it, and it by no means stops doing it. So, it’s not like a job description, life is a steady flowing forth, and all you do is cease making an attempt to determine it out, and chill out into doing it. However it could actually battle with what our temper board says we’re, what our ego desires us to be, or what we’re skilled to do, or any of that stuff, though in all probability not, in all probability if we actually labored with one thing for a very long time, it’s in all probability a part of that.
I’ll say that, once more, that is the place it flips to that, Are you doing it, or is it taking place by way of you? Is it simply taking place, and the stuff that’s simply taking place is already taking place. It by no means stopped, it didn’t go dormant, it’s making an attempt to occur on a regular basis. So that you don’t need to determine it out, simply let go of making an attempt to determine it out, and you will note it’s already doing it. I do know, from one facet of the equation, that appears like bullshit, however the minute you discover it, you’ll understand, it was at all times doing it, because the first day you bear in mind of your life, you’ve been doing it.
Questioner 3: So the impetus doesn’t come from…
Michael: The artistic factor that’s making self and world shine into existence proper now could be creating all of the exercise that you just do. If we have been in nondual Shaiva Tantra, it’s known as iccha-shakti, it sounds very like Crowleyan or one thing, “the ability of the desire”, however it it doesn’t imply what I wish to do, it means simply what the power already is doing, and it’s at all times doing it, and perhaps every part that your thought and feeling thoughts has induced you to create has simply been a giant distraction from the factor it’s at all times doing.
Questioner 3: Thanks.
Michael: Yep.
Questioner 4: I’m interested in your encouragement to maintain your eyes open. I’ve meditated with eyes closed, and really feel like that helps me go deeper, so I’m type of curious to see what you assume are the advantages of maintaining your eyes open.
Michael: It’s about whether or not we’re making an attempt to nonetheless the thoughts, or, as soon as we get up, to have the ability to stroll round in a waked-up place. So, in case you’re within the factor of making an attempt to get into an altered state of stillness and quiet, in order that it’s simpler to note, then throughout that half, closing your eyes may assist. However the minute you’re like, okay, that is the awakeness, now I wish to rise up off my meditation cushion and stroll round whereas remaining right here—having your eyes open when you’re meditating clearly makes that quite a bit simpler. So it’s type of stage dependent.
Actually in most nondual traditions, they simply maintain the eyes open the entire time, as a result of in case you don’t get used to closing your eyes, you study to meditate along with your eyes open simply superb. I’ve a zillion yr background of meditating with my eyes closed, and so for some time—there was a yr of like, whoa, that feels bizarre. However, after some time, it’s simply no drawback. However the entire level is: nothing modifications, proper?
Questioner 4: Yeah, it’s useful, thanks.
Michael: Different stuff arising on the market?
Questioner 5: Hello, probably not certain how one can ask the query, however I’ve observed that it appears straightforward to get misplaced in considering daydreams once they’re particularly associated to love romantic or sexual stuff, and so there’s one like a thought that may like wrestle with that—that’s probably not taking place now, be current. However then there’s additionally simply having fun with the present, so do you’ve got any recommendation?
Michael: There’s a lot I may say there, however I’ll simply say, if that’s the place you’re at, then do this. Ultimately you’ll acknowledge that simply nothing’s happening. It’d simply be that that’s enjoyable and fascinating, however it may be that there’s some basic discomfort that you just don’t wish to really feel, perhaps. Or, perhaps that there’s a deeper pleasure, deeper enjoyable in not daydreaming, perhaps even deeper than that. Or, coming again right into a daydream, however fully lucidly for as soon as, stuff like that. what? Daydream all you need, and whenever you’re bored with it, right here’s what you do, okay?
All proper, let’s finish that there. As at all times, it’s actually fantastic to take a seat with you guys.
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