Inquiry Observe – Deconstructing Your self

Streamed on Dec 23, 2021

Guided Nondual Mediation by Michael Taft

So, as traditional, take your meditation seat. And your meditation seat might be seated. You might be sitting, however you might additionally lay in your again. So long as you’ll be able to keep awake, in a position to keep alert and awake in your again, you’re fantastic to meditate in your again. It’s also possible to meditate standing up. Standing up is an effective way when you can rise up on this alert relaxed posture. It’s an effective way to remain awake when you’re having hassle with drowsiness. So, rise up and meditate. As traditional this can be an hour of meditation so be prepared for that. 

Should you’re going to do seated meditation, I might advocate having a meditation cushion that you simply’re sitting on, both a zafu or a gomden. And when you don’t know what these are, look them up, however the zafu is actually the factor that’s formed like a legume. It’s sort of a pillow. After which a gomden is sort of a brick formed zafu, invented by Trungpa Rinpoche, curiously particularly for westerners. Nowadays, I have a tendency to take a seat on a gomden. I like these, they’re actually, very nice. So, that will be excellent as a result of it will get your butt up, which permits your legs to go down so your knees might be decrease than your hips. When your knees are decrease than your hips, it rotates your pelvis somewhat bit, so that you get that good curve in your decrease backbone. So, when you have it, sit in your meditation cushion, if not, sit in a chair however don’t lean towards the again of the chair. Sit, I’ll show, sit ahead within the chair and don’t lean towards the again and you then cross your legs on the ground like that, and that retains you good and upright. 

And utilizing your muscle mass to maintain your backbone upright will hold you extra alert, proper? We need to be alert and relaxed. That’s the fundamental stance of meditation; alert and relaxed. And in order I’ve typically talked about, our our bodies can partake in that alert rest by being each upright, that’s the alert half, and likewise bodily relaxed, and in order that’s the start of embodied, somatic side to our meditation, proper? Our our bodies and our minds are actually one factor. They’re not separate. So after we sit in an accurate posture it already helps our thoughts. If we sit each upright and relaxed, it helps our thoughts be each alert and relaxed, so the physique and the thoughts work collectively in our meditation. The opposite factor we need to do with our our bodies is be very, very nonetheless, not tense tight stillness, however the stillness of full rest. 

So tonight I’m gonna simply throw out a meditation picture. I need you to take a seat like a mountain. Typically we sit like an ocean. Typically we sit just like the sky, or no matter. Tonight I need you to take a seat like a mountain. When you consider how a mountain sits, it’s fully relaxed but it surely’s additionally upright, proper? It’s greater than the bottom round it. It manages to face but it surely’s as relaxed as it may well probably be. Which means the slopes are simply as at an angle, that’s, as relaxed because the rock must be. And likewise and extra curiously on this approach of speaking about it, in fact, this isn’t geologically true however in the way in which of the metaphor the rock is immovable and unchanging and that’s the metaphor we would like right here. We need to think about ourselves seated, sitting in a approach that’s immovable. We’re not simply any outdated mountain, we’re the world mountain or Mount Meru or Mount Olympus the place it’s kind of the middle of the world. 

And so the entire world rotates round. Every thing’s altering, every part’s doing its factor, the dance of the world is going down and but we, seated on our meditation seat, are Mount Meru. We’re Mount Olympus. We’re seated on the unmoving heart of the world and that’s the concept we’re totally, totally immobile. After which what I’d such as you to do is to stay good and nonetheless for the entire meditation.

Okay. Good. And nonetheless you’re gonna see me consuming from my grown-up sippy cup, and that i’ll do this proper now, and that’s as a result of I want to speak for the entire time. And if you recognize the the air-blown warmth is on on this home and if I attempt to discuss the entire time with out taking a drink, my throat will get actually dry, so I’ve to take a drink so I’ll be transferring. I’ll be breaking my very own guidelines however that’s as a result of I’m main the meditation–however that’s as a result of I’m the boss–no, it’s as a result of I’m main the meditation and I simply have to permit my throat to do its factor. Okay. However you then again mustn’t transfer if attainable. Don’t transfer for your complete time. That might be nice when you have been simply completely nonetheless, completely nonetheless in a approach that felt actually, actually good. Once more, that is a part of how the embodied or somatic part of the meditation mirrors the psychological or cognitive part. We’ve got the physique be good and nonetheless and that helps our physique be nonetheless or stay nonetheless.

Okay, after which from right here, as traditional, I’d such as you to carry up a picture of the bottom of being, a picture of your personal already current Buddhahood. We might even say a picture of your personal god-like nature, which already exists, proper? We’re not inventing this, we’re not making it up. Consciousness, the ability of your personal consciousness is already there. It’s not one thing you’re constructing or cultivating, it’s simply one thing you’re studying to acknowledge. Okay. So I need you to carry up a picture of that. And the picture we’ll use at the moment is the picture of a lovely diamond, okay? No matter form diamond you need. It’s a diamond that you simply visualize in entrance of you. You are able to do this along with your eyes open or your eyes closed however think about this extremely beautiful, pretty, shiny, sensible diamond. It’s completely clear, it’s shining with mild, and it’s a logo of your personal already current whole awakening. And so what I need you to do right here is image that in entrance of you, and simply discover this lovely diamond and see it glinting and shimmering and glowing with its personal sensible awakening, its personal sensible depth and readability. 

Okay, and from this diamond I need you to image a beam of sunshine coming from the middle of the diamond into the middle of your brow, and the diamond is filling you with its knowledge, the knowledge of a Buddha, the wisest knowledge there’s. It’s filling the thoughts with knowledge. It’s filling the thoughts with excellent readability and it’s filling the thoughts with a sort of suppleness. The thoughts can do something you need it to as a result of it’s obtained this Buddha suppleness or what we’d name pliancy. Okay, so into your thoughts–and that is once more that is your personal Buddha nature–you’re feeling the properties of your personal buddha nature. So permit that beam of knowledge to return into your thoughts and simply really feel the knowledge filling the thoughts. Enable that beam that additionally consists of large readability to fill your thoughts.And see the readability filling the thoughts after which additionally the beam consists of pliancy. It features a sort of psychological suppleness. Your thoughts isn’t caught. It’s not by some means fastened. It’s in a position to do no matter you need it to do, no matter you want it to do. It may well change in no matter approach it wants to alter to do every part we want it to do.

Okay, so simply sit for a second visualizing this beam of knowledge and readability and suppleness or pliancy coming into the thoughts from your personal Buddha nature, from your personal–lets say, if we needed to sound theistic, lets say from your personal god-nature. However it’s actually simply the ability of your personal pristine consciousness.

Okay. Good. And now from this diamond in entrance of you permit one other beam of sunshine to return out and strike you within the coronary heart. And this beam of sunshine is filling you with love. It’s filling you with pleasure. It’s filling you with an incredible peace and it’s filling you with good will in direction of others, proper? Goodwill in direction of women and men, goodwill in direction of beings. It’s filling you with compassion throughout this vacation season so that you’re feeling your coronary heart open. The grinch’s coronary heart was two sizes too small however after he heard the Who’s singing, after he stole Christmas, he hears all of the Who’s in Whoville singing and his coronary heart grows three sizes. So it’s an additional–it’s truly one measurement greater than it must be. It simply opens up. And I need you to have that measurement three coronary heart, simply absolute open, gushy, mushy coronary heart of affection, and pleasure, and large peace, and simply kindness. I imply compassion is such a valuable phrase, it makes it sound so kind of like such a giant deal. It’s simply being good, simply being sort. It’s not that tough. Give it a shot. 

So really feel this coronary heart opening coming from the diamond representing your personal already woke up thoughts, your personal already woke up being. Good, now additionally from this diamond in entrance of you this lovely radiant clear scrumptious diamond one other beam comes out and strikes you under your navel. So perhaps an inch or two under your navel and you’re feeling simply that one spot contained in the decrease dantian. You’re feeling this beam of power hitting you under your stomach, and you’re feeling the way it fills your physique with well being, fills your physique with life, fills your physique with a way of play and spontaneity. Play comes from feeling alive, feeling stuffed with vim and vigor, proper? Once we don’t have any power it’s very exhausting to play however after we really feel like we have now quite a lot of power play and spontaneity, and simply openness, and freedom, and lightheartedness comes about.In order you’re feeling this beam of life power coming into your decrease stomach area you’re feeling your self full of well being, full of power, full of life, and naturally you get that sense of playfulness, and spontaneity, and openness. So discover that now.

Good. Now, as traditional, I need you to take the knowledge within the thoughts and produce that down into the guts. Typically it’s referred to as the coronary heart thoughts and produce that power, and well being, and power, and playfulness from the stomach, and produce that into the guts. So it’s one ball of pristine awake Buddha nature in your coronary heart. And in reality, on the subsequent breath, we simply breathe in that imaginative and prescient of the diamond, in order that this sensible, radiant, pretty, valuable diamond in our coronary heart is simply radiating out our personal already current enlightened nature. And you are feeling it filling your physique as traditional with knowledge, readability, pliancy. You’re feeling love and pleasure and peace and caring and kindness and you’re feeling wholesome and robust and vivacious however all these issues collectively additionally actually carry you the sensation of confidence. I need you to really feel assured. I need you to really feel competent. You may have all–as a result of you have got already current Buddha nature, as a result of your pristine thoughts, your pristine consciousness is there–you completely have every part it takes to do something in meditation. And since you’ve obtained the pliant thoughts it’s even simpler. You may simply permit a few of these meditative insights to unfold. 

Okay, so simply radiate that, radiating out, radiating out, now radiating out all via the physique, all via the being, all via consciousness, your personal awake consciousness, your personal pristine nature, your personal buddha nature, radiating forth now. And simply really feel that that’s you. That’s who you actually are. That’s not some sort of fantasy. That’s not creativeness. That’s who you actually are. The precise fantasy is about being the story of you. That’s the fantasy, the dream that you simply’re shopping for into every day. Whereas this Buddha nature–that is what you actually are. That is your deep being, pristine consciousness itself, timeless, boundaryless, deathless consciousness. 

Good. Now from right here we’re simply going to spend a couple of minutes doing our shamatha with an object. So I need you to do sluggish, deep respiration if that’s comfy. For some those that’s not comfy however I’d such as you to do sluggish, deep stomach respiration and let the out-breath be longer than the in-breath. And for some of us you may–it’s going to really feel comfy to let the out-breath be lots longer than the in-breath. I don’t need you to push it. I don’t need you to pressure in any approach. It ought to really feel very comfy however do a pleasant deep, deep, deep stomach filling in-breath after which let the out-breath be lengthy, lengthy, lengthy, lengthy, lengthy, lengthy, lengthy, lengthy, lengthy. And if you wish to, on the out-breaths, to assist management your respiration and provides it extra size you are able to do ujjayi breath, proper? 

So bear in mind easy methods to do ujjayi breath? You do the factor along with your throat–I’ll do it proper now whereas I’m speaking, it’ll sound humorous–you do the factor that makes you sound like that once you discuss however you’re simply doing it respiration. So it’s such as you simply obtained that little tightness in your throat and it lets you regulate how briskly the breath goes out. And so you are able to do actually, actually lengthy out-breaths that approach. It’ll simply sound like a hiss. You don’t should do the sound I used to be doing. It’s simply hiss like. It’ll sound just like the surf going out after a wave the way in which it is available in after which with the ujjayi breath it’s just like the sound of the surf going up. So, deep in-breath lengthy, lengthy out-breath and I need you to be meditating on the sensation of that breath. Should you actually need to get into it, actually get targeted, actually search for the top of the in-breath, be sure to’re meditating you then discover the sensation of the top of the in-breath.  And you then’re following that out-breath, feeling it, feeling it, feeling it, feeling, it feeling, it feeling it, feeling it and noticing the top of the out-breath.

So so long as you discover the top of the in-breath and the top of the out-breath and every part in between you then’re good and targeted. You’re doing shamatha with an object on these lengthy breaths. So I’ll simply be quiet now for some time whereas we do this collectively.

Now stick with it. Don’t let your self get distracted. Stick with the sensation of the breath. Discover the top of the in-breath. Discover the top of the out-breath. Really feel every part in between and likewise really feel how good it feels to do these lengthy in-breaths and lengthy out-breaths. And ensure it does really feel good. You don’t need to be straining. You don’t need to do something that’s uncomfortable. You need it to really feel actually scrumptious. And once more, I all the time like including on this ujjayi breath particularly on the out-breath. You are able to do it on the in-breath too however particularly on the out-breath and that can provide help to get actually, actually lengthy out-breath, which is excellent for settling and stress-free. Now on the similar time that we’re settling and stress-free, discover that the thoughts is getting brighter, the thoughts is getting clearer, the thoughts is getting extra awake. We don’t need to settle in in such a approach that we get sleepy. We need to be shiny and crisp and clear.

Okay, good. Now let’s transfer into shamatha with out an object, or as I name it, dropping the ball. So the concept right here is that we let go of concentrating on the respiration and we simply permit consciousness to relaxation in itself. Now consciousness resting in itself signifies that we simply calm down the thoughts. You most likely ought to do that along with your eyes open, it’s simpler. You simply calm down the thoughts and relaxation consciousness, proper? And bear in mind you’re pristine consciousness. That’s your Buddha nature. There’s nothing you should do to make consciousness extra conscious. There’s nothing you should do to by some means make consciousness greater. It’s already huge. It’s nearly stress-free, permitting your thoughts to calm down and open and simply resting there with shiny, clear, vivid consciousness, however consciousness of simply consciousness itself, so if the thoughts grabs onto something in any respect drop that. If the thoughts grabs onto a thought simply let it go. If the thoughts grabs onto emotion simply let it go. Should you begin attempting to observe the breath simply let it go. Should you begin attempting to do one thing simply let it go. And particularly when you’re attempting to determine easy methods to do it simply let it go.

There’s no figuring this out. That is simply consciousness resting in itself and we simply permit our thoughts to be huge and open uninvolved with something, totally free. And if it begins to break down and get tight and begins to suppose, simply calm down, let go of that thought and are available again to the thoughts simply being open. It’s already open. It’s already huge and spacious. Simply discover that and relaxation in that. It’s not a doing, it’s a resting. So let’s do this now.

Keep in mind when you’re doing something in any respect simply let go of it. That’s the entire program right here for dropping the ball. Even the dropping is only a sort of rest. It’s only a sort of letting go. It’s the–after we attempt to do one thing that we’ve sort of left the meditation and so the minute you end up trying to do one thing simply calm down, simply open, simply drop the ball. Don’t even battle to drop, simply calm down and open. That’s it.

Okay. Now we’re going to do a extra energetic meditation right here. We’re going to do

inquiry questions. We haven’t executed this shortly. I like doing inquiry questions and I’ll present you easy methods to do it as we’re doing it. Okay, so the very first inquiry query is the place is your thoughts? Or, when you’re asking it to your self, “the place is my thoughts?” So how will we do that? Properly, right here’s how; you don’t do it, you don’t attempt to determine it out, you don’t search for the reply in your reminiscences, you don’t attempt to have an attention-grabbing philosophical reply, none of that. Should you go up into considering, that’s not how we do that, that is an inquiry query, so that you simply search inside your expertise.

Okay. Simply straight search. In order I typically say, it’s like a the place’s Waldo factor. If I say–when you open the ebook and take a look at the image and I say, “the place is Waldo?” You don’t go to Wikipedia and attempt to search for the suitable reply, otherwise you don’t you recognize bear in mind, “oh, I realized somebody stated that Waldo this or Waldo did that.” You simply look. That’s it, that’s inquiry observe.

Okay. So I need you to go looking in your personal expertise now. The place is your thoughts? Discover your thoughts. Do it now.

Once more there’s no figuring this out. That is direct expertise. You’re simply scanning via your personal being trying to find your thoughts. Simply hold looking. Discover the thoughts.

Okay. Good. Let’s let go of that query for a second and simply meditate on respiration for one minute.

Okay. Good. Subsequent we’ll do the traditional, probably the most traditional inquiry query there’s, which is; who am I? And so once more, simply this can be a the place’s Waldo. I don’t need you to consider your identify, or your physique, or the place you’ve come from, or something like that, your historical past, your loved ones, or one thing like that. I need you to look straight in your personal expertise. Who am I? Who am I?

And look, really feel, inhabit who am I? Look from time to time hold this. Look once more such as you’re sort of looking for your keys on the ground at midnight. Hold wanting, hold wanting, hold wanting. Who am I? Who’re you proper now?

This one is admittedly attention-grabbing. We predict we all know the reply to this however the extra you look the extra you look who am I it would turn into much less and fewer clear. As a result of all of the solutions that come to thoughts like I’m this and I’m that, these are simply ideas. Who’re you once you actually look? What do you discover?

Okay. Good. Now simply relaxation for a minute feeling your breath come and go.

Good. Now let’s strive one other inquiry query, one which I actually like and this one is; what is that this? What is that this? So simply ask your self that query after which look in your personal expertise. What is that this? What is that this? What is that this? Hold asking the query and hold wanting straight. And bear in mind the extra that your thoughts tries to search out a solution via considering, via reminiscence, via reasoning, via all that, you’re simply losing your time. As an alternative, look straight in expertise. What is that this? Keep it up, what is that this? Look, expertise, really feel, discover, what is that this?

Okay. Good. Now let go of that and simply think about relaxed respiration for a short while. 

Good. Now bear in mind after we tuned into our Buddha nature the Buddha nature is playful? So bear in mind this can be a playful train. Should you’re attempting to interrupt your thoughts on this simply quit on that. That is playful. We’re wanting, we’re experimenting, we’re noticing.

Okay. So the subsequent inquiry query is; what’s consciousness? What’s consciousness? So simply once more, we’re not attempting to reply that with concepts, we’re not attempting to reply that with theories, we’re not attempting to reply that with our thoughts by way of considering in any respect. I need you to note in your personal expertise playfully, spontaneously, proper now.

What’s consciousness? What’s consciousness? We might even ask what’s conscious? Look now, look in your personal expertise. Really feel, discover what’s conscious?

Okay. Good. Now let’s let go of that and are available again to our personal already absolutely woke up, totally pristine, Buddha nature. We might virtually say our already current godhood, the sense of timeless, spacious freedom, huge consciousness, large kindness, whole openness, playfulness, spontaneity readability, and even well being and power within the sense of liveliness within the physique. And I need you to tune into that proper once in a while really feel it as a giant ball of power within the coronary heart. Feeling knowledge, feeling readability, feeling love and kindness, feeling pleasure, feeling wholesome and pleased, feeling robust, and energetic, and playful, and spontaneous. And I—simply because you’re a Buddha—I need you to make use of your Buddha energy to simply radiate that out to the entire world proper now. Not solely taking it in your self however radiating out to the folks, and cats, and canine, and beings within the room round you, the home round you, but additionally the crops, and animals, and people within the neighborhood round you, and the world round you. This isn’t solely compassion, though it consists of compassion, it’s kindness, it’s love, it’s knowledge, it’s readability, it’s peace. 

And significantly for this vacation season let’s actually focus now on that taste of Buddha nature that we’d name peace on earth, good will in direction of everybody. So it’s a sense of large peace and large kindness, proper? Or friendliness. Goodwill is admittedly simply merely friendliness. What we’d name metta or maitri, it’s friendliness, proper? That’s how we translate that phrase. So, peace on earth, and friendliness in direction of all beings, and I need you to simply radiate that out as a result of you may’t assist however radiate it out. It doesn’t even take any effort. That’s what your pristine, already current, completely full and excellent consciousness nature, your Buddha nature, your godhood is about, proper? Easy peace on earth and kindness and friendliness to all beings. Simply radiate that in all instructions now with me and really feel it pouring out effortlessly. All beings in every single place. They’re contacting again and there’s only a sense of large peace, and kindness, large peace and friendliness. We would like good issues for all beings in every single place.

Okay. Good, let’s let go of that now and we’ll carry the formal a part of the meditation to a detailed.

However, in fact, nothing has modified. Your already current pristine consciousness, your Buddha nature continues to be there, nonetheless absolutely on. It’s not one thing you simply contact by some means mystically via meditation or one thing that you simply make occur. It’s all the time there, proper? And it’s all the time who you actually are. You already know this sense of being a physique and a thoughts with a historical past? That’s cool. That’s a part of it, however the greater wholeness of you is that this tremendously awake pristine consciousness.

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