5 Parts Meditation – Deconstructing Your self

Reside Guided Nondual Meditation by Michael Taft

Streamed stay on Feb 10, 2022

Introduction 

Hello sentient beings, , usually I make an inventory of beings you could be like; whats up people or non-humans or alien beings. Tonight, as a substitute of constructing the record, though I assume I simply type of have made the record, tonight I’m going to only say whats up sentient beings, beings with sentience, beings who’re acutely aware, we may additionally say samsarins however I’m not going to imagine that you’re not bodhisattvas. I’m not going to imagine that you just’re trapped in samsara. So I received’t name you samsarin however I’ll say sentient beings. Good day, whats up my earthly identify, they name this earthly vessel Michael Taft, not less than on this planet which is a technique of deciphering the time period earthly. And I’m right here with you this night or everytime you’re watching this to do some guided meditation. 

Meditation

We’re going to do one thing actually enjoyable tonight so let’s soar proper in. What I’d prefer to have you ever do is take your seat, your meditation seat and prepare to do the factor. In order traditional I would like you to–when you’re sitting in a chair–scooch away from the again of the chair, enable your again to carry up your again as a substitute of the chair to carry up your again. However hopefully, you’re sitting on a meditation cushion, one which has your knees decrease than your hips and that makes sitting up straight very easy so that you just’re not doing it with a lot effort. However you may as well lay down. You may also stand. Simply be comfy and alert. And usually we do type of an extended part of useful resource gathering and typically, as , when you’ve been doing these meditations, I like doing those the place now we have a picture for sitting. Typically we sit like a mountain. Typically we sit like an ocean, that type of factor. Tonight we’re going to do a complete sequence of these so let’s simply–we’re going to skip the useful resource gathering as a result of in a means the entire meditation is useful resource gathering, okay? Or not less than three-quarters of it. So we’re going to essentially be specializing in that half tonight. 

So simply settle in and I would like you to recollect and convey up for your self; why are you meditating? Why did you make the time to come back right here and meditate? What’s your cause for meditating? Get that clear. That helps to deliver a little bit extra power, a little bit extra intention to the sit. So simply state that aloud to your self except you’re within the room with different individuals then silently state it to your self. 

After which what I’d such as you to do is; let’s simply spend perhaps a couple of minutes simply meditating on respiration. So we’re simply going to do easy shamatha with the breath. Simply to all be part of collectively right here and to start permitting the system to settle collectively, to type of come collectively, to combine. So what I would like you to start doing is just inhaling and respiration in and out a really light mild straightforward means following that physique sensation of inhaling and respiration out we’re going to do that for about 5 minutes after which we’ll get going with type of the primary meat of the meditation right here if you wish to and provided that it’s comfy I’d such as you to do deep stomach respiration throughout this half, not like pranayama, however simply deep stomach respiration. And with lengthy out-breaths, even when you don’t do the deep stomach respiration, see in case your out-breaths will be longer than your in-breaths. These are normally performed by means of the nostril, inhaling and respiration out by means of the nostril however you breathe in after which lengthy out-breath and one option to make this simpler is to do the ujjayi breath, the Darth Vader breath. So on that out-breath, you do the factor that makes your voice try this–however after all, you’re not talking however it’s the factor that makes your voice try this and also you’re simply respiration that means and that permits you to regulate the velocity of the out-breath and you may make it good and lengthy. And naturally, this goes with out saying, don’t do it in any means that’s uncomfortable, don’t make your self get out of breath or one thing like that. Do it in a means that’s straightforward, a means that’s wholesome, a means that doesn’t pressure the system.

Okay, so lengthy and quick in-breath or common in-breath after which lengthy, lengthy, lengthy, lengthy, lengthy, lengthy out-breath. And also you’re simply staying with that. If you would like you need to use a label that will help you stick with it so inhaling, inhaling after which respiration out, respiration out, respiration out, respiration out. And actually really feel that in-breath and really feel that out-breath. So let’s do that for a short while collectively. And simply stick with that feeling of the in-breath and stick with the sensation of the out-breath actually permitting it to settle all the things and permitting you to really feel built-in and picked up and grounded.

Okay. Good, and now only for a second, like one minute, I would like you to only speak in confidence to the already current naturally current huge spaciousness of your personal consciousness. So simply loosen up as open consciousness, not forcing it to be open however permitting your self to only discover that consciousness itself is of course boundless huge open comfy brilliant clear, and so forth. And simply discover that for just a bit whereas right here.

Okay. Good. Now we’re going to undergo a five-element meditation right here. That’s going to be the beginning we’ll do some bit after the tip however we’ll begin out with a five-element meditation so we’re going to start and I would like you to take a seat like a mountain. So that is after all the earth ingredient and the earth ingredient on this mind-set about parts. Once more, these are the normal parts, so there’s simply 5: earth, air,  fireplace, water, area. And so we start with earth. Sit like a mountain and so I would like you to really feel–tune into the sense of large groundedness, large stability, to a way of integration and cohesion, proper? So sit like a mountain there’s this sort of immovability. And so with this earth power, we really feel our scattered thoughts turning into unscattered and picked up. We really feel our type of like perhaps energies which can be in every single place coming into cohesion. The earth ingredient has that sense of gravity, issues coming collectively and clumping and stabilizing and turning into built-in and strong. So sitting like a mountain additionally has this sense of permanence and stability and even the Aristocracy, proper? So start by sitting like a mountain–no matter which means to you. And let’s work with that ingredient first this earth power, this sitting like a mountain is nice, as I stated when you really feel scattered otherwise you really feel off steadiness simply tuning in to the pull of gravity and the solidity and stability of the earth ingredient. Remembering the physique has loads of earth ingredient and it’s very soothing and stabilizing, very gathering and connecting. So simply discover how good it feels to take a seat like a mountain; the earth power.

Okay. Excellent. That’s sitting like a mountain; the earth ingredient. Now we’ll go to the following ingredient so as and that’s the water ingredient. And so the picture right here is to take a seat like an ocean, a peaceful ocean. And after we sit with the water ingredient, we really feel the sense of calmness, we really feel the sense of fluidity and we really feel a deep sense of peace and luxury and ease. Water is easy.

Okay? And naturally, it’s an unlimited ocean of water, and naturally, your physique itself is principally water, proper? It’s largely water and the blood shifting in your veins will be thought-about water, there’s the lymph, there’s all the assorted fluids however even our thoughts has a water ingredient of this sense of deep fluidity and peace and ease and luxury and effortlessness. So now sit like an ocean tuning into these qualities. So simply discover the soothing comforting qualities of this water, the fluid ease-full effortlessness of it, and, after all, the vastness of the ocean of water.

Okay. Good. So we sat like a mountain with the earth ingredient after which we sat like an ocean with the water ingredient. The following ingredient is fireplace. Keep in mind final week we sat as fireplace and the picture right here normally I might use is the solar. If you would like you need to use the solar like a ball of fireside or you need to use one thing nice like a campfire or a fireplace in a hearth. No matter works for you as a picture of fireside. And fireplace is an excellent ingredient to meditate as. It’s the essence of pleasure and creativity and inspiration and naturally, fireplace could be very purifying, and it’s very cell, proper? So it has this actual sense of artistic pleasure, artistic inspiration but additionally a way of purification. So sit as a fireplace and likewise really feel that heat and the consolation of fireside, proper? It’s very fantastic. So benefit from the fireplace ingredient both as like a campfire and even one thing just like the solar.

Within the historical past of meditation observe, fireplace has been a very vital ingredient, a very vital picture, once more for purification but additionally the entire thought of meditation is usually in comparison with a fireplace. It’s the hearth through which we burn off the impurities or burn off the dross leaving this large power of fireside, the enjoyment of fireside, and the heat and luxury of fireside. So sitting as a fireplace could be very highly effective.

Feeling the enjoyment of that fireplace meditation we now transfer to an excellent lighter so to talk ingredient which is air. So with air, I would like you to think about being wind, a delicate breeze, or perhaps a robust wind, and the air ingredient is all about motion. It’s about flexibility. Once more, if we think about this sort of boundless wind with a kind of power of motion, power of change that is very highly effective–particularly when you really feel caught otherwise you really feel depressed otherwise you really feel down–this power of air could be very uplifting. It’s very–it will get issues shifting once more. And naturally in tantrism, in yoga, and so forth that is the ingredient that we’d name prana, proper? The ingredient that we’d name chi or lung it’s the actually vital ingredient for lots of religious observe, loads of meditation observe. So sitting just like the wind and feeling that motion and alter and suppleness could be very impermanent. Identical to the hearth–actually impermanent feeling ingredient and this offers you the flexibility to alter. It provides you the flexibility to maneuver and likewise energizes the entire physique in a very nice means. So let’s discover this power of air. So meditating just like the wind. After we tune into the power of air, after we meditate just like the wind, this brings loads of equanimity as a result of we’re versatile. We will deal with no matter is arising as a result of now we have flexibility and the flexibility to alter and transfer. So the wind ingredient can–and meditating just like the wind or the air ingredient–it may deliver an incredible sense of equanimity, even with all of the motion, all of the change, there’s this sense of like, “yeah, we are able to roll with that.”

Okay. Good, that’s the air ingredient, meditating just like the wind and now let’s do my favourite meditating like area, like infinite unbounded area, the fifth ingredient on this custom. And after we meditate like area we’re noticing that there’s boundlessness there’s room and there’s an actual sense of openness and acceptance of all the things. We will discover that area is particular, proper? All the opposite parts exist in area, and come up in area, and move in area. And area is the closest ingredient to only pure consciousness itself. So meditate like huge boundless area and see that there’s simply room, there’s simply sufficient room for all the things, and we are able to deal with no matter’s arising as a result of there’s simply a lot openness. House is accommodating, proper? Every thing on the earth, whether or not it’s good or dangerous, or massive or small, or scorching or chilly, or no matter it’s all given area, proper? It has sufficient area to be. So area has this large high quality of lodging and openness and a type of–once more, only a type of a way of room for all the things. So now, simply sit like area, like huge spaciousness. Discover how peaceable and the way a lot ease it brings to take a seat as this huge area, simply permitting all the things, being with all the things, completely open, completely free huge area. 

Okay. Good, now let’s transfer from the 5 parts immediately into consciousness itself, which keep in mind could be very very like area. I all the time say huge spacious consciousness, proper? So in different phrases we let go of those elemental concepts, we let go of any visualization or any creativeness and simply relaxation in our nature as huge spacious consciousness. Now, what’s the distinction between area and consciousness? House is non-conscious however consciousness, after all, is what consciousness is. It’s acutely aware, however in each different means it’s very very like area, so it’s huge spacious however awake. It’s awake. It’s conscious. It’s experiencing.

So now I would like you to only sit as consciousness itself, not participating with something, not grabbing on to something, merely resting as your deep nature, which is consciousness itself; wakeful, fairly conscious, brilliant and clear. Keep in mind, the thought right here is to not become involved with something. Consciousness itself permits for all the things, permits all the weather, permits for ideas, permits for emotions, permits the world to come up however it’s not concerned with something. So if you end up getting concerned simply drop that, come again to only resting in your nature as huge spacious consciousness. Consciousness itself is sort of a mirror, all the things is mirrored in it, however not one of the reflection, not one of the issues mirrored really disturb the mirror or change the mirror in any means. There will be each type of scene going by. There might be a nighttime scene, a daytime scene, a lot of individuals, no individuals, forest animals, cityscapes with skyscrapers, all that. All mirrored within the mirror and the mirror is uninvolved with any of them, unchanged by any of them, and but completely reflecting, completely clear. So sit as huge spacious consciousness with this sense of unaffectedness, this sense of uninvolvement.

Okay. Good, now inside this consciousness discover that area is there. House is arising. The ingredient of area is there. There’s room, there’s spaciousness, there may be lodging, proper? So now we have area there and likewise discover that the ingredient of air is there, the motion, the change, the wind, the sense of the flexibility to unstick. That impermanence is there and likewise, after all, the power of wind, large power. So inside consciousness, there’s the area, there’s the air, after which there’s the hearth ingredient–that type of pleasure and inspiration and creativity, the heat and the purification of fireside, okay?

We will really feel the air that we’re respiration with our physique. We will really feel the heat of our physique, proper? We will really feel the area in our physique that permits the heat and the air that we’re respiration to be there. After which we really feel the water ingredient, proper? We really feel our blood and we really feel the fluidity of our physique and likewise this sense of consolation and ease and that actual sense of effortlessness of the water. After which there may be the earth ingredient, the steadiness, our bones, and our weight, and that sense of cohesion and groundedness and connectedness and stability and solidity that’s so attribute of the earth ingredient. So inside consciousness, all these 5 parts are current and simply sit with that now. Feeling them combine, feeling them work together in an excellent method. They’re simply flowing into one another and becoming each other and balancing in order that now we have, simply up inside ourselves, an ideal concord of those parts. 

Good. Now let’s let all of those parts come along with a way of pleasure and inspiration and a way of freedom and openness and motion and a way of connectedness and a way of ease and openness and beam out love and pleasure to the entire world, beaming out, radiating out a way of inspiration and creativity and aliveness to the world, beaming out a way of therapeutic and power to the world, and beaming out a way of equanimity and openness and lodging to the world. So actually, actually simply feeling how all of those 5 parts arising inside consciousness are simply streaming out to your entire universe, to the multiverse, to each sentient being within the multiverse, to whom all these meditations are freely given, we beam out this pleasure, this therapeutic, this sense of peace and ease, creativity, inspiration, groundedness, openness, the flexibility to alter, the flexibility to purify. We’re wishing the entire universe and each being within the universe, the entire multiverse, and each being within the multiverse, we’re wishing them effectively, together with ourselves. I would like you to only radiate out, beam out, move with that power now.

Okay. Good, let’s finish the meditation now.

Dharma Speak

That was a pleasant meditation, proper? It’s good to attach with these parts. So enable your physique to get comfortable and transfer and stretch and really feel your self shifting. The physique loves to maneuver, although in meditation, after we’re doing this sort of meditation, I’d such as you to stay very, very, very nonetheless, after we’re performed meditating then we get into the enjoyment of motion, not less than a little bit bit. Really feel, enable your physique to only do what it must do, don’t get in the best way, don’t prescribe what you suppose it ought to do, however really feel into what it desires to do. And perhaps have a drink of water. The white one is water, so we could have some water right here. There’s a little bit little bit of lemon in it too. That’s very good. 

And so let’s speak about this for a minute. So, after all, although I’m calling these the weather in trendy English these should not parts, proper? Parts are issues like beryllium and cobalt, however within the historic means of talking, these are the ingredient’s historic which means of the time period. And naturally, these phrases change over time, like, for instance, the time period planet, proper? Now it has a really particular which means, not the solar or the moon, a planet is a really outlined factor. However initially planet comes from the Greek phrase planetos which simply means one thing that’s shifting within the sky. As a result of planetos means wanderer, one thing that’s shifting within the sky, and particularly it meant stuff that’s shifting in opposition to the background, the supposedly fastened background of these stars. So initially the which means was far more open similar to the phrase power, proper? Now it’s received a really particular definition, extremely exact, mathematical, blah blah, however after all, in years and centuries passed by we may use the phrase power in a way more open means. The definition is lots looser, and the identical with parts. So I’m utilizing an earlier, looser definition that has–it’s a little bit bit extra like what we’d now name states of matter, proper? So there’s strong and liquid and fuel and that might be earth and water and air, proper? After which there’d be fireplace, the power, proper? And area continues to be the room for it to occur. It’s like area, space-time. 

In order that’s type of a enjoyable semi-translation of how we may take into consideration what we imply by these parts now, however after all, it’s extra of a mind-set about some completely different states of thoughts, some completely different states of our personal inner area, and perhaps even the exterior area. Once more, with these states of matter,  the issue is now there’s new states of matter like plasma and superionic ice, all types of stuff that don’t actually…, individuals hold discovering these states of matter so it doesn’t actually match the 5 ingredient scheme both. So we’re simply going to say the five-element scheme is its personal factor, proper? It’s its personal imaginary means of contemplating the world and it’s really fairly a nice means and a helpful means and type of a artistic and fascinating means to consider issues. After we do– every time after we begin a meditation, fairly often we solely do certainly one of these, so I needed to have a meditation tonight the place we do all of them collectively and really feel how they combine and likewise really feel how they exist inside consciousness itself. And that’s a robust factor. 

If we had been doing conventional practices like tantric fashion practices, we use the weather in very particular methods. If we’re doing–even additional again, like shamanic practices, we use the weather differently. If we’re doing non-dual-like meditation traditions, we are able to even use the weather in a 3rd means, proper? And we did a few of that tonight the place–discover after we went to consciousness the weather are there however now we’re not utilizing them as type of states of thoughts, we’re saying there are issues which can be arising inside consciousness itself. And so there’s type of alternative ways to–or let’s imagine completely different ranges at which we’re participating this concept of the traditional parts, or this extra open mind-set about parts. 

And naturally, there’s even utilizing them psychologically like–oh, I really feel depressed so I’m going to meditate on air as a result of that offers me freedom and motion and it type of loosens issues up as a result of melancholy can really feel like a type of stuckness. Or–I’m feeling kind of flat and boring and uninspired so let’s usher in some fireplace ingredient as a result of that’s inspiration and creativity and it’s received power. Or–I’m feeling all scattered and my mind is in 600 locations, oh hey, let’s deliver that earth ingredient that has that cohesion and collectedness and stability, . Or–I really feel like I’m working too laborious and all the things is troublesome and so let’s usher in water. The water ingredient, which is easy and has that sense of ease and luxury. Or–all the things’s simply too up in my face, I’m anxious as a result of there’s simply an excessive amount of happening and there’s no time to reply and all the things’s too…and so let’s deliver within the area as a result of within the area there’s simply greater than sufficient room for all the things to occur. In order that’s type of a psychological option to work with these. There’s there’s simply so many ranges and so many strategies and so many ways in which we are able to play, creatively play, with this concept of those 5 parts. 

So I’m not suggesting that that is the one true means of viewing the world or one thing, however it’s a fantastic option to work, and it’s excellent for meditation, excellent additionally psychologically, , too as a metaphor. But additionally as kind of like properties to tackle. We will see the place we’re imbalanced and tackle these elemental properties not less than as an creativeness train. 

So there you’ve it; some five-element meditation and when you go means again, I haven’t performed this for some time, however when you go means again to the mandala meditation that now we have performed previously on these YouTube movies we are able to make these work collectively too. That turns into very fascinating the place the–keep in mind now we have the mandala with the 5 quadrants, effectively there’s a cause it’s 5 quadrants as a result of these quadrants match parts and we are able to tackle these properties as effectively. So it will get actually fascinating. It’s type of a factor to assist arrange our observe, but additionally only a enjoyable option to play with life and to play with expertise, proper? So there you’ve it.

I feel the purpose I used to be making whereas we had been meditating that I need to come again to is that area is type of the tremendous ingredient. All the opposite parts come up in area after which consciousness is exterior of the weather however it’s most like area. However after all, it’s also acutely aware. So we are able to say all these 5 parts, although the 4 parts come up in area, all 5 of them come up in consciousness and we are able to–similar to all the things–expertise itself is arising in consciousness. The sense of our persona, the sense of our physique arises in consciousness. The sense of stuff occurring exterior; arising in consciousness. So all of that comes again to all the things arising in consciousness and if we go far more deeply we are able to say even all of the issues arising in consciousness should not separate or completely different from consciousness, proper? So there’s a a lot deeper educating out there there as we begin to be taught to contact consciousness.

It’s humorous after I say contact consciousness as a result of what’s it? My query, that is my koan for you; what’s it that contacts consciousness? I typically use that phrase, hey we’re contacting consciousness or we’re stabilizing our contact with consciousness, but when you consider it deeply, who or what’s contacting consciousness? And if you try this, and naturally the type of typical reply the simple reply is; effectively I’m. However what do you imply if you say I? Due to course, the educating right here, not less than a part of the educating, is that usually after we say “I” we imply my ideas and emotions and perhaps my physique, however actually deeply my feelings and my ideas, that’s me. Since you may, for instance, lose an arm in an accident and that might be tragic, so a part of your physique’s eliminated however actually your ideas and emotions are nonetheless you, proper? You’re not–you wouldn’t consider that as altering the essence of your being regardless of how a lot it modified your life. So although we do have a tendency to think about the physique as us, much more deeply we consider the ideas and feelings as us. However this is likely one of the first belongings you be taught in meditation; the ideas are simply altering and shifting on a regular basis, these can’t be you, the feelings are simply altering and shifting on a regular basis, that’s not you. So who’s you? Proper? Who is you? If something it’s the attention through which the ideas and emotions are arising, and naturally we–there’s issues if we attempt to choose consciousness as a strong factor however the place, the truth is, it’s empty. However nonetheless there’s an enormous transfer to see oh after I say, “I’m connecting with consciousness,” we type of should get it however it’s consciousness that’s connecting with consciousness. And consciousness was by no means separate from itself. 

So after we quote join with consciousness all we’re actually doing is stress-free into what’s already there. That’s why I stored saying our pure, already current being as consciousness, proper? That’s all the time there, all we do is loosen up into that. You don’t make that glad. You don’t actually join with it. You don’t one way or the other change into conscious of consciousness, you’re already conscious. That’s the essence of your being. If there may be an essence, it’s consciousness itself. Humorous as a result of essence is one other means of speaking about parts however I imply differently, proper? 

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