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Dwell Guided Nondual Meditation by Michael Taft
Streamed stay Mar 10, 2022
Meditation
Let’s start our meditation this night by beginning out with getting in our meditation posture. In order common I need you to take a seat together with your knees, if attainable, your knees under your hips. Should you’re on a chair, like, I’m on a rolly chair, you simply sit approach ahead and the chair, not a lot that the chair squeezes like a lemon seed out from between your fingers, and y’know, shoots out from behind you. However relatively you simply sit very balanced on the entrance in order that your knees are down and also you’re simply supporting your individual again. However discover, as a result of your knees are down, your again simply sits up good and straight, completely naturally, completely with out effort. Or when you have a meditation cushion; that’s the purpose of that cushion. You may also lay in your again together with your knees within the air, in order that your again is flat. So these are the positions that we wish to meditate in, if attainable. You’ll be able to even meditate standing up should you’re actually drained. So get in, or if it feels good, get in a kind of positions, or truthfully some other place you are feeling like, that you may keep in for an hour with out transferring.
After which I need you to only transfer round it ‘until it feels very nice, actually settled, actually calm, actually steady. After which what we’re going to do is ready our intentions. So what which means is, possibly ‘set intention’ just isn’t precisely the correct method to say it; keep in mind intention, recall our intention, why are we meditating? What’s the purpose general for our meditation apply? Why will we do that in any respect? So no matter that’s for you, simply deliver that up now. Keep in mind why you do that.
After which subsequent we’re going to do a useful resource gathering, a visualization, okay? And a part of why I’ve this hilarious ‘cult chief’ t-shirt on is as a result of, the visualization tonight, we’ve by no means finished this, we’re gonna sit like a rainbow, okay? So generally we sit like a mountain, generally we sit like an ocean, and so forth. Tonight we’re gonna sit like a rainbow. So I need you to image this stunning rainbow, and that’s what this shirt is there for, that will help you keep in mind what a rainbow appears to be like like. Keep in mind, blue on the within of the arc, purple on the surface of the arc and all the pieces in between, in between. So that you’re visualizing this exquisitely beautiful, beautiful shining rainbow, okay? And also you’re sitting as should you’re a rainbow. What does it imply to take a seat like a rainbow? Nicely [sit like] a rainbow, on this case metaphorically, the place it’s stunning. So sit with a way of magnificence, of getting magnificence. It’s bought all of the completely different colours, so it’s not like all condensed down into white mild; it’s the complete expression. So it’s sitting with a full expression. Lets say full expression of your already current Buddhahood, or full expression of awake consciousness, full expression of the thoughts of awakening, proper? So, it’s not solely stunning, it’s bought this temper of simply full unimpeded, pleasant and celebratory expression.
Proper? So, sitting like a rainbow. Additionally, it’s easy, proper? The rainbow simply seems. No person paints it, it’s not some sort of effortful creation; it’s completely easy. So there’s a way of effortlessness and there’s additionally, keep in mind final week the place we did the mandala visualization, up and down the central channel? The rainbow incorporates all these mandala qualities as effectively, proper? So you possibly can actually really feel all of the completely different qualities. Should you did the mandala apply then these are all current for you. After which, I may go on and on, we may do a complete meditation simply visualizing this rainbow as a result of that may be very nice. However, the final one I’ll say is that – possibly it’s two extra – the rainbow is simply sort of hanging there in area; it’s, it has no weight. So not solely is it easy nevertheless it’s weightless. There’s this extremely stunning show, having no mass, proper? It’s simply, I imply, scientifically we may in all probability say the photons making up the rainbow have some sort of mass. However we’re eager about it metaphorically. It’s identical to this piece of art work hanging within the sky with no weight in any respect; it’s feather-light. It’s like, completely, like floating, like hovering with none effort. So we’re sitting like that. After which lastly, the rainbow is an emblem of vacancy, proper? As a result of vacancy doesn’t imply issues aren’t there. It’s not a void. It’s not once we see a rainbow we see a black void of nothing. We see the other. We see this beautiful expression of all the colours and but you possibly can’t contact it, you possibly can’t exit and discover it, you possibly can’t, you realize; it’s each there and never there. It’s like, sort of like a dream or a imaginative and prescient. It has this empty high quality of ‘there and never thereness’ on the identical time. So I need you to, no matter it means to you, I received’t go over all these qualities once more. However simply consider essentially the most stunning and profound issues a couple of rainbow and sit with that, and simply visualize this rainbow. Sit like a rainbow. And we’ll do this collectively for a couple of minutes right here after which we’ll transfer on from there.
Good. Now to go a bit deeper into this. As we see the empty nature of the rainbow that enables us to tune into our personal empty nature, the truth that regardless of – in the identical approach that the rainbow is each there and never there, it’s stuffed with coloration and but you possibly can’t actually discover it – in the exact same approach, despite the fact that you could have ideas and emotions and an expression as an individual, should you look inside looking for the supply or the fact of those ideas and emotions, you possibly can’t actually discover it. You’ll be able to’t actually contact it. And so in the identical approach that the rainbow is each stunning and alive and vibrant and actual and on the identical time empty; our self, our feeling of being a separate self can also be vibrant and alive and in a way actual, and in one other sense, completely empty. So enable your self to gaze upon that rainbow awhile and spot its vacancy. The truth that it’s like hanging within the sky like a dream, a shining dream. And but you possibly can’t, identical to a dream, you possibly can’t really attain out and contact it. In the identical approach, you your self are simply hanging within the area of consciousness, ideas, and emotions passing in consciousness, and but there’s nothing to the touch; there’s nothing to succeed in out and discover. So, the vacancy of the rainbow displays the vacancy in you. The vacancy of being displays the vacancy of the rainbow and that is very, very nice, very stunning. So sit with that for a couple of minutes.
Good. Now from right here, as a result of we’re empty and the rainbow is empty, simply enable the rainbow to come back inside you. In order that as a substitute of being a human physique, respiratory and digesting and all of the issues {that a} human physique does, and as a substitute of being ideas and emotions or no matter we think about ourselves to be; we’re merely a rainbow shining within the sky. That’s all there may be, is a rainbow shining within the sky. It’s violet, indigo, blue, inexperienced, yellow, orange, purple; all shining brilliant in an infinite, huge, empty sky. Image that now, really feel that now, be that now.
And actually really feel the fantastic thing about the colours and the shining mild, the effortlessness of it. Completely easy, shining rainbow. Actually discover the truth that it’s weightless, unfindable, and empty, and but additionally there; it’s not nothing. And it’s shining with this great pleasure and wonder.
Okay, Good. Now from right here we’re gonna start meditating on our breath. And so there’s sufficient contact with physique sensation to only really feel the breath however right here’s how I need you to breathe, okay? If you might want to otherwise you wish to, simply breathe usually. However should you can, what I’d such as you to do is definitely breathe as gently and softly and barely there as attainable. So we’re doing a very, actually, actually mild breath. Now don’t do it so gently that you just, you realize, really feel such as you’re not getting sufficient oxygen such as you’re not getting sufficient air or no matter, that’s not the purpose. I simply need you to breathe as gently and shallowly as you possibly can and have it nonetheless really feel good, okay? So it’s a really, very delicate breath, very barely transferring in any respect, okay? Once more, don’t do it a lot that you might want to yawn or no matter, make it give you the results you want; however throughout the parameters of consolation breathe tremendously, tremendously gently. After which simply enable that wave of the breath to come up within the sky of consciousness. We will let the rainbow imaginative and prescient go now. Simply enable the wave of the breath to be seen in consciousness rising and seen in consciousness falling. So we’re not pointing consideration on the breath, we’re simply letting the breath itself simply come up with none effort in consciousness and fall once more with none effort in consciousness.
Good. Now proceed with this. Remembering that after I say the sensations of the breath are simply rising in consciousness, that’s easy. Consciousness is already conscious of the sentiments of the breath, that’s how you realize they’re there. So there’s nothing to do besides enable the wave of the breath to be seen effortlessly by consciousness. However after I say consciousness I imply that huge, sky-like thoughts. The huge, spacious consciousness during which the sky, during which the rainbow, was showing earlier than. So it’s simply this wave of breath sensation effortlessly arising in an unlimited sky of thoughts; so let’s proceed.
Okay. Now persevering with to do this actually mild breath, if that feels good to you, I need you to change from noticing the breath wave rising and falling in consciousness. Once more effortlessly, consciousness simply already is aware of, already can concentrate on the breath wave. I need you to do the identical factor with all ideas and feelings, however particularly ideas. Whether or not they’re visible or verbal ideas there’s the sky of consciousness and considering is only a trickle of vapor transferring by that sky of consciousness. It’s like just a bit, little ripple within the air of the sky of consciousness. It’s not disturbing the sky in any approach and it’s not one thing to actually concentrate on. We’re not, we don’t, we’re not participating with the content material however we nonetheless are literally very conscious of it. So it’s a bit completely different than dropping the ball as a result of we’re not simply utterly disregarding it and simply letting or not it’s there. We are literally, despite the fact that we’re not sharply specializing in it, we’re giving it some consideration; noticing it as a spotlight object. So it’s nonetheless shamatha with an object, relatively than on the breath, simply very calmly on considering itself with out getting concerned within the considering in any respect. Give {that a} shot and if that’s too troublesome come again to meditating on respiratory.
Discover that ideas don’t disturb the sky of consciousness, the huge sky of consciousness in any approach. They’re identical to ripples on the ocean or identical to currents of air within the sky. It’s not disturbed. The sky is large enough and huge sufficient and nonetheless sufficient for these ideas to maneuver by it, for air currents to maneuver by it with out it being disturbed in any approach.
Okay. good. Now should you’re used to meditating together with your eyes open, this can be a good time to do this. Should you’re not used to it however you wish to strive it out then now’s the time to do this. Simply have your eyes open however they’re not likely centered on something. You’re not likely wanting with them, they’re simply open. They usually’re relaxed and never narrowly taking a look at something. They’re simply sort of relaxed and open. They don’t must be out of focus and so they don’t must be nonetheless. Typically if we depart our eyes nonetheless the visible subject will begin to disappear based mostly on, you realize, the retinal cells getting drained. So be at liberty to blink and transfer your eyes and all that. However they’re simply, it’s simply relaxed, it’s simply a simple gaze.
After which what we’re doing as a meditation now – and I need you to hearken to this instruction rigorously as a result of I imply it – we’re gonna do nothing in any respect, okay? You’re not focusing however you’re additionally not not focusing. You’re not doing something in any respect. You’re not following ideas, you’re not attempting to stick with one thing, you’re not even really meditating, okay? You’re letting go even of the thought of meditating. You’re nonetheless in your posture, you’re nonetheless sitting nonetheless however you’re letting go of all the pieces–except letting go turns into a doing, during which case we let go of letting go and simply sit. In order that’s what I need you to do.
Now should you discover that you just’re getting actual caught up in stuff, simply let go of it. Or if you wish to, simply be caught up in it till you’re finished. However what we’re actually doing is letting go utterly; we’re not doing something. And so if you’re caught up in thought, that’s sort of a doing. So we simply, the standard factor is to only let go of it. And let go of all the pieces. Once more, even the concept you’re meditating, even the concept you’re supposed to alter one thing in any respect. That’s why I say, in a approach you don’t have to alter something, simply sit there. Simply sit there and permit your self to let go. Completely easy, completely with out doing, merely being.
What if there’s nothing to alter in any respect? Nothing to do, nothing to strive, all the pieces is already good, all the pieces is already full, all the pieces is already fulfilled. And there’s completely nothing to do. Awake.
Simply resting naturally as huge, spacious consciousness with none effort, with none doing of any type, with out even the thought of meditating or a meditator. Not even anyone doing something. Simply pure resting as open consciousness. Now, if once more if that is too troublesome or chaotic, be at liberty to return and easily meditate on the breath wave arising and passing in consciousness; in any other case let’s proceed.
Good. Now into this huge area visualize once more the rainbow shining effortlessly, superbly, radiantly with all its varied colours. See that very, very clearly now.
Simply radiantly shining with magnificence and pleasure and variety with these easy, weightless, unfindable, liquid colours, radiant shining. After which allow them to simply fly out. Colours simply fly. They dissolve or like, break up and fly in all instructions to all over the place; each individual on the earth, each being on the earth, each being in all the universe will get touched by this rainbow mild and feels that pleasure and feels that magnificence, feels that radiance and feels that variation, the variety. After which simply let that go and be simply utterly empty once more for simply one other second.
Okay, superb. Let’s let go of the meditation there and simply enable your self to open up a bit bit bodily, loosen up a bit extra, transfer and stretch in no matter approach feels actually, actually good. Possibly you wiggle your fingers and toes or simply sort of enable your backbone to wiggle in a approach that feels actually scrumptious, or no matter. Have a drink of water, have a drink of tea, or no matter it’s you utilize to moist your whistle on the finish of a very good sit.
Dharma Speak
Okay, so I wish to discuss a bit bit about consciousness itself. And generally individuals discuss consciousness like, it’s a sort of a factor that they will have a look at. So, I’d even use language like that generally as a result of that’s simply how our language is structured, and in reality, all languages are structured this fashion. Some educational stuff from the Twenties and 30s about different languages that supposedly don’t do this, really that seems to be incorrect. A technique they didn’t actually perceive the languages very effectively, so we at all times–our language at all times makes it sound like one factor over right here is taking a look at one other factor over there. And so we are able to typically see, it will possibly typically sound like the thought is, ‘oh I’m over right here and I’m going to take a look at consciousness over there and an consciousness is a factor, some sort of particular factor I’m going to see,’ okay? And that’s not what’s happening with consciousness. As a result of in an effort to see something, so as to concentrate on it, of something you’ve bought to bear in mind, proper? And so there’s a humorous round factor happening, just like the individual over right here who thinks he’s wanting on the consciousness over there may be in actual fact–that wanting itself is consciousness. So should you suppose you’re over right here taking a look at consciousness over there then my query is: who’s wanting?
And naturally, that leads, that’s sort of an inquiry query, proper? Like we did the opposite week, we get into inquiry. As a result of should you strive to take a look at who’s wanting you’ll discover that it’s consciousness itself taking a look at consciousness. And so you could have this paradox of the–prefer it looks as if possibly consciousness is cut up into an consciousness, over right here is taking a look at consciousness over there. And also you notice all of that isn’t needed, or let’s imagine all of that’s nonsense. There’s nothing over right here taking a look at something over there in any respect.
Consciousness is already effortlessly conscious. Consciousness has no location so it will possibly’t be over right here taking a look at one thing over there. Or to place it in one other approach, to say it has no location is identical factor as saying it’s situated all over the place. Nevertheless it has no positionality so it’s not wanting a technique or one other; that’s only a approach we discuss. And it’s additionally a approach that we’re used to sort of encountering our personal visible expertise. After we take into consideration positioning our head and our eyes and all that. However that place of the top, within the eyes, or that place of the ears, all of that’s completely different than consciousness itself. Consciousness itself has no place, it has no path. It’s by no means the case that I’m over right here and taking a look at that particular factor known as consciousness over there. Consciousness is simply conscious of itself, proper? And if we wished to consider it, every of the sense gates solely operate due to consciousness. So even when I really feel like my physique is over right here and my eyes are pointing over there and I’m wanting on the stunning after-sunset clouds that are on the market proper now, it’s getting a bit a couple of months previous the winter solstice, proper? So it’s a bit lighter out presently and I can see these after-sun clouds. So I’m over right here and my eyes are wanting over there. All of that, the sensation of being a physique over right here, the entire perspectival take of eyes over right here which might be wanting in a sure approach at clouds which might be over there; all of that perspective stuff and positionality stuff, all of that’s one thing I’m conscious of.
And so once more, all of that’s simply arising in consciousness, and consciousness is situated in all these locations and centered in none of them. Consciousness has no middle, no edge, and no center. It’s simply all consciousness itself. So, you realize, the thought–certain my eyes are situated someplace and so they’re taking a look at a factor over there–however consciousness is in each places and all over the place in between and is definitely underlying that entire course of. And so every of the sense gates may need a sort of positionality, may need a sort of seeming dualism. However the minute we come from consciousness and perceive that the after-sunset clouds over there and the sensation of eyes over right here, perceiving these – all of these are arising in the identical consciousness – that dualism collapses, proper?
There’s nonetheless distinction, there’s nonetheless the sensation in a single a part of consciousness and the clouds within the different a part of consciousness, and all that. So distinction just isn’t annihilated. We don’t wish to make it into the grey goo situation, the oatmeal situation the place all the pieces is only one factor and there’s no distinction, due to course there’s distinction. There’s the sensation of being a physique, there’s the colours of being after-sunset clouds, proper? There’s a rainbow as a substitute of a void and every coloration of the rainbow is completely different than the opposite colours. So distinction just isn’t annihilated and on the identical time all the pieces is joined within the, in consciousness itself.
And naturally, I don’t need you to make consciousness itself into some sort of object. Consciousness just isn’t an object, proper? It’s empty like all the pieces else – remembering that empty doesn’t imply it’s not there. In fact, consciousness is there, you’re having an expertise of it proper now, you might be consciousness itself, in a technique of taking a look at it. And but that’s empty too: don’t make that into an object, don’t make that right into a factor, don’t make that into the brand new deity to worship, don’t make that into the brand new, you realize, object of want that you just’re attempting to get. Anybody who’s attempting to get consciousness doesn’t perceive what the fuck they’re doing as a result of, you realize, consciousness is on the foundation of all the pieces, proper? The truth that you even know that you really want one thing is since you’re conscious of wanting. So there isn’t a particular consciousness to get, proper?
It’s not an object and neither are you. Each time you catch your self considering of your self as an object, look rigorously, look. Who’s having the expertise proper now of considering they’re an object? And also you’ll look and proper on the core of that feeling of being ‘you’ is that this nebulous consciousness expertise of shifting and transferring physique sensations, shifting and transferring feelings, transferring and shifting ideas of assorted sorts. And it’s all sort of there however sort of not there; it’s very nebulous, it’s very undefined. There’s a sample to it and but it’s not a totally outlined sample and so it’s empty, proper? The sensation of being a self, a separate ego, is made up of ideas and emotions and desires you to suppose these ideas and emotions are stable and actual in an effort to come ahead as this reified object. Nicely, guess what? Reified objects get harm, reified objects endure, reified objects actually have a troublesome time. And it’s not required that we consider ourselves as a reified object, proper?
Let go of the hypostatization that, you realize, the ‘making it actual’ that you just habitually do. And as a substitute see that on the core of, no matter we are able to name it: the core of your being, or deep down in your soul, or wanting proper on the seeming middle of your individual expertise like lots of–and once more it’s not coming from a positionality, consciousness has no positionality–so simply concentrate on no matter appears like the middle of no matter’s happening, like essentially the most intimate spot within the deepest, secret place in your coronary heart. Discover that that’s simply gnostic area, it’s realizing area, it’s empty and but shiningly, blazingly conscious. And stuff is going on, there’s ideas and emotions however that’s not, they’re all simply sort of ripples in consciousness.
So it’s crucial to get this concept of how we’re seeing this, proper? That is all about ‘the view’. This sort of nondual meditation is all in regards to the view, which means all about drishti in Sanskrit. I like that phrase, ‘drishti’, which means ‘the view’. Lets say it’s a complete understanding of the place we’re coming from or a complete understanding of who we’re, or who we predict we’re or the place we predict we’re coming from. So long as you suppose you’re positioned in a physique and also you’re popping out your eyes, or no matter, you’re going to have one sort of expertise and it’s going to in all probability be fraught with struggling. However should you enable that to point out its personal vacancy–the truth that it’s nebulous flowing, simply expertise–and your view is consciousness situated nowhere, is simply conscious and it’s not a factor both, you’re gonna have a, that’s a unique viewpoint; it’s a unique viewpoint. You virtually can’t even name it a viewpoint however we’ll name it a drishti, in Sanskrit, a view. And that’s a lot much less fraught, there’s a lot much less struggling in that view so it’s very value trying out.
And likewise discover that’s, you realize, that’s obtainable simply with none effort in any respect. Should you simply sit and loosen up and permit your self to open you’ll discover that view arising fairly naturally, fairly effortlessly, fairly spontaneously. And that there’s a sort of magnificence in that and a sort of the Aristocracy in that and a sort of peace and readability in that that’s a lot deeper than you might have imagined. And but it’s not some sort of particular state, it’s not some sort of altered state, it’s not some sort of factor; the thing of want that you just’re attempting to get. It’s at all times already there.
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