Guided Nondual Meditation by Michael Taft
Welcome to guided meditation tonight with me, what’s my title? Michael Taft.
All proper now we’re going to do guided meditation, it’s going to go on for an hour and the concept is to sit down nonetheless for an hour, okay? A few issues; flip off your cellphone if it’s on this room and also you haven’t checked flip it off, ensure it’s off, the opposite factor is; there’s a pair issues one, once more, strive to not transfer and principally you don’t must observe the steering, proper, so long as you sit nonetheless and meditate. You are able to do no matter you need in your thoughts, do no matter meditation feels good to you. We’re gonna do one thing sort of difficult tonight so in case you’re into what I’m main then, by all means, get into it however in case you’re like, ‘whoa, not for me,’ then simply sit and do your individual meditation and fully ignore the steering, okay?
So, the primary half, or no matter, won’t be the difficult half. So no less than for the primary half hour we may most likely all sit collectively however you’re by no means required to observe the steering at any half, okay? So in case you simply wish to sit with a bunch and do your individual factor, so long as it’s silent and immobile, you’re very, very welcome to try this.
All proper, so let’s start as ordinary by checking in with ourselves simply how are you doing proper now? Discover the ideas within the thoughts, discover the sentiments within the physique, discover simply the final temperature and texture of your existence, and nevertheless that’s, simply let that be okay. In different phrases, there’s no state we’re making an attempt to attain that’s the proper state, reasonably, nevertheless you’re feeling is ok, nevertheless your thoughts is true now, nevertheless your feelings are, even when it’s very chaotic, even when it’s very disagreeable, that’s the best way it’s proper now and in order that’s excellent. So simply tune in to no matter’s occurring and simply let it’s nevertheless it’s. In case you simply had a large mood tantrum about not having sufficient time then that’s how you’re feeling. In case you really feel deeply ashamed about that then that’s how you’re feeling, proper? That’s okay. Alternatively, in case you’re experiencing complete pleasure that’s okay too. All good.
What if we simply begin out with the perspective that there’s nothing to alter, that the whole lot is ok, that we’re in a position to completely settle for no matter’s taking place simply the best way it’s, even the state of not having the ability to settle for? We will settle for that and simply permit no matter is to be the best way it’s. Discover how completely different that is than the everyday perspective of our society which could be very aggressive in the direction of our personal expertise, very aggressive in the direction of having to alter the best way we really feel, and alter the best way we’re, and alter what’s occurring with our ideas, and alter the whole lot. It’s very aggressive and judgmental however what if it’s all okay? Our thoughts is is likely to be only a sewer filled with chaos and our feelings is likely to be deeply upsetting and random-seeming. What if that, for now, is okay? And we simply permit the area for that to be?
And now, I would like you to take the temper or perspective the bhavana to make use of the sanskrit phrase, use the temper, the bhavana, of the sky. So take the temper of the sky, being tremendously huge with out boundaries, tremendously open, tremendously accepting. Sky welcomes the whole lot, the whole lot can transfer by means of the sky, tremendously welcoming or accepting and, in a approach, completely impervious, completely undamageable. The sky is ok it doesn’t matter what occurs within the sky. Planes can undergo, clouds can undergo, birds. The whole lot occurs within the sky however the sky shouldn’t be broken, sky stays simply wonderful, simply the best way it’s.
So take this temper of huge boundlessness and openness and acceptance and even centerlessness. What’s the middle of the sky? There isn’t one, it’s simply–each a part of it’s the middle. The sky is the closest factor to our personal deepest consciousness, area, openness, readability. The one variations are; the sky of the thoughts, the sky of our personal consciousness is awake, it’s cognizant, it’s gnostic, it has figuring out, it’s not like a rock or a piece of cement, it has expertise. So it’s the sky and expertise, be that sky. You may’t assist however be that sky since that’s your individual deepest nature, it’s open consciousness, huge spacious consciousness.
Now, I would like you to image one thing rising within the sky from the horizon and it’s an attractive full moon. In case you’re not good at picturing, then simply really feel the complete moon. See this full moon, which is that lovely cool white towards darkish, darkish, darkish blue, rising–effulgent, vivid, cool, calm and clear. And simply image it, simply now, above the horizon, proper within the middle of creativeness, this excellent circle of a vivid white moon towards darkish, darkish blue background. And let’s simply stick with that for a short while collectively.
So the meditation object is that vivid white circle towards the infinite blue sky background. In case you lose it simply convey it again up. Bear in mind you don’t want your bodily eyes to do that. So there’s no have to pressure or attempt to focus. It’s taking place within the thoughts’s eye. If you wish to make it a bit more difficult and a bit stronger of a meditative focus see in case you can discover the curvature, the dimensionality of the sphere of the moon
in addition to the depth of the sky, so it’s not a flat visualization. Now think about that this moon is the sunshine of your individual awake consciousness and movie a beam of sunshine coming from the moon into your stomach and this beam of white mild is bringing vitality and playfulness and spontaneity into the physique. Filling the complete physique with this moonlight brings the complete physique into stability, brings super life drive and uplift and vitality to the physique, regulates the physique, uplifts the physique, turning the physique into virtually like a crystal bottle full of mild or a tent, a white tent full of mild. It feels very, superb. Beautiful vitality that feels therapeutic and soothing and loving within the physique.
In case you really feel sleepy open your eyes. Do the meditation–even the visualization–along with your eyes open so that you keep awake. It’s necessary to remain awake. And now see a second beam of sunshine coming from this moon of consciousness into the guts middle permitting it to blossom into full openness, vast openness, feeling kindness, feeling caring, feeling pleasure, feeling love beaming into the guts inflicting all of the metaphoric petals of the guts to open vast and filling the complete physique with much more of this soothing mild.
Chances are you’ll discover fairly a little bit of vitality within the physique as you do that, particularly as these constructive feelings of pleasure and kindness and caring and love actually begin to glow within the coronary heart. Simply chill out and let that vitality simply beam out as mild. Clear, crystal physique lit up with mild. Actually really feel that pleasure, that love, that caring kindness radiating out from the guts middle and radiating into the guts, from this moon of consciousness, of your individual deepest awake consciousness.
Good and now a 3rd mild beams out from the moon into the middle of the brow and into the mind filling the complete thoughts with knowledge and readability and, most significantly, confidence, an incredible sense of confidence, which isn’t conceitedness however a way of figuring out, knowledge, readability. Confidence within the thoughts radiating out like a vivid lamp, vivid shining mild within the thoughts filling the physique with much more mild, our personal deepest knowledge.
Now the three lights within the physique come collectively so the sunshine within the stomach strikes as much as the guts. The sunshine within the thoughts strikes down into the guts in order that the guts turns into its personal vivid moon of awake consciousness. After which, on an in-breath, the moon within the sky comes into the guts as nicely, bringing the knowledge and readability and confidence into the guts, bringing the spontaneity and playfulness and vitality and therapeutic into the guts in addition to the love and kindness and compassion and pleasure. All of those qualities shining vivid. And the type of the physique drops away so the complete physique is, as a substitute, simply the sky with the moon within the sky, nothing however sky with this moon of vivid consciousness shining inside it. Stick with that now.
Any individual’s psychic powers are messing with the lights. So, that’s cool.
Now let go of the visualization and simply stick with the temper, an unlimited area full of this
awake consciousness or we’d simply say; an unlimited area of awake consciousness, tremendously clear, vibrant, awake, variety, joyous, playful, most significantly assured.
Simply relaxation as that sky. No visualization, the sky of consciousness is at all times there, it’s only a sense of openness and readability–totally easy, already current with none effort.
Now let go of time solely, any considered the longer term vanishes upon arising, any considered the previous vanishes upon arising. Even ideas of the current are nonetheless ideas of time they vanish upon arising and we relaxation in timelessness, which isn’t a time in any respect. We relaxation in simply openness. With out time boundlessness is a sort of spaciousness however with out the boundaries of area, timelessness with none boundaries of time. If that appears laborious to just do ask your self the query how lengthy has this awake consciousness been right here? After which look and any sense of future previous and even now will vanish into timelessness. Simply pure wakefulness in time, pure awakeness, primordial perfection, pristine primordial perfection, simply awakeness exterior of time and area.
Now, we’re going to start doing the difficult half. So in case you’re not feeling up for a problem then simply relaxation as this primordial consciousness. It’s a really highly effective meditation to only proceed with. In case you really feel up for some intense tantric stuff, that’s what we’re going to do subsequent however will probably be difficult. So if it turns into too difficult for you come again to this moon, come again to area, come again to only resting with this useful resource area, okay? You’re at all times welcome to bail on it, again to this.
However for these of you who wish to take awake consciousness for a bit spin I’m going to try this now. So the very first thing we’re going to do it is a sort of set off follow. We’re going to be actually feeling some robust feelings and permitting these feelings to only be on this area however we’re bringing them up on objective. So, once more, if that doesn’t sound like what you wish to do proper now don’t do it, simply hold with this primary area as a result of we might be within the primordial purity like this. However now we’re going to make make an additional transfer which is shifting into spontaneous presence. That’s the type that may come up out of this consciousness. And these kinds are like rainbows, they’re actual experiences however in case you attempt to hold on to them there’s nothing there. It’s crucial to know that out of the primordial vacancy primary area experiences come up however they’re additionally empty.
So right here’s the very first thing I would like you to do, it’s easy, I would like you to get in contact with sorrow, your deepest sorrow. And it doesn’t have to only be one, it’s issues that convey up super disappointment, super damaged brokenheartedness, all of the struggling you’ve endured, all of the struggling of individuals you like, the actually unhappy issues which have occurred. I would like you to convey that up as strongly as you’ll be able to after which permit that have of this disappointment to shine like a rainbow in area. It simply shines as an expertise in area, we’re not negating it, we’re not pretending it’s not there, we’re truly amping it up and permitting it to be there, very strongly. However on the identical time noticing its dreamlike property there–however not there vivid, vivid, clear and but intangible. Don’t maintain again I would like you to essentially dig into the deepest sorrow yow will discover after which stick with it. We hold ourselves armored away from this sorrow, making an attempt to maintain it at bay however now we’re going to fully open to all of it the best way. All of the considered all of the murdered kids, ravenous kids, the stupidity that causes cruelty that hurts everyone not solely our personal struggling however the struggling of all beings is tremendously unhappy. Really feel that disappointment as sharply as now you can whereas on the identical time noticing that it’s like an look within the sky, the sky of consciousness itself shouldn’t be harmed in any approach. And we’re not blanking out our ideas right here. We’re actually engaged on bringing the disappointment up on objective. Consciousness could be very assured, very courageous, and it can’t be harmed so there’s room for this disappointment, let it break you open now.
Good, now simply spend a second again with the rainbow, let the picture of disappointment recede and simply relaxation as this huge spacious consciousness, the primordial purity, the pristine vacancy however discover how your presence has deepened. Discover how your reference to openness has deepened. As a result of it’s armoring ourselves towards these emotions that retains us out of our personal deepest awakeness.
Good, subsequent let’s convey up rage, anger, the photographs, the ideas that make you probably the most enraged, all of the stuff you’d wish to smash, that sense of super vitality that’s there in anger. Don’t maintain again. That is the other of getting into, really feel the anger as intensely as you’ll be able to, as actually as you’ll be able to. What are you actually mad about in the present day? Really feel it, really feel the craze.
And see that this rage is a rainbow within the sky, its spontaneous presence, its type arising in vacancy, a vivid vivid clear type of rage and but intangible, not disturbing the sky of consciousness in any respect, and in reality, if we go proper into the white-hot core of the craze delivering us again into pristine consciousness over and over. However don’t shortcut it, really feel the craze, don’t be afraid of it. Once more, it is a very difficult technique to meditate, so if it’s an excessive amount of simply come again to only resting because the sky. Really feel that depth of rage and see the way it truly sharpens the readability of awake consciousness, really feel the facility of the darkish aspect,
it’s pure type arising within the huge empty area of consciousness, harming nothing in any respect, merely one other sort of vitality, one other shade within the rainbow.
Good, now let’s let go of that. Coming again to only area, all type dissolving again into pristine open area. Discover that the area is simply wonderful. House is unmoved and tremendously open. And see that it’s much more open than it was and simply relaxation as area for one more second.
Good, once more, take a break in case you want a break, in any other case, I would like you to convey up into this huge area of consciousness the shape, the shimmering rainbow of worry. This may be simply all of the stuff you’re frightened about and anxious about, all of the stuff that you simply don’t wish to have occur, all the best way to the truth that the earth is on hearth and polluted and dying, in all places is battle, we’re all getting older, there’s a pandemic, there’s many issues to be afraid of. Faucet into that uncooked reducing fringe of worry and really feel it shining in consciousness, convey up no matter it takes to really really feel some actual worry. What do you actually hope isn’t going to occur? Discover how tremendously energizing, fears brings numerous vitality into consciousness. The rainbow of worry shines vivid within the sky of consciousness. We’re not resisting it, we’re not making an attempt to regulate it, we’re letting it shine as intensely and brightly because it needs, not holding it again. Let the actual worry of worry–simply let that go and let the worry be as enormous and as terrifying and uncontrolled because it needs to be, don’t maintain again. The sky of consciousness is greater than sufficiently big.All these ideas you’re afraid of getting, all these emotions you’re afraid of getting, simply let all of it occur. Don’t maintain again. This meditation is all about not holding again. Discover, regardless of how afraid you develop into, the sky of consciousness is unhurt, unconcerned, simply as enthusiastic about worry as the rest, vast open, awake. However our contact with this awake consciousness might even be deeper, a lot deeper as a result of we’re not holding again, we’re not making an attempt to not have this expertise. Letting go.
Good, now let’s take a break once more, simply resting as pristine consciousness, simply the huge sky with nothing in it totally pure, totally pristine empty.
Okay, final one. This is likely to be the toughest one. Once more, in case you’re overwhelmed, simply hold resting as sky, let the huge sky simply convey its personal peace. However in case you’re prepared for extra I would like you to convey up disgrace and self-loathing, all of the methods you’re feeling silly, ugly, undeserving, damaged, fucked up, a nugatory piece of shit. Deliver that up as actually and deeply as you’ll be able to, all of the stuff you’ve carried out flawed, that solely an fool may have carried out flawed, all of the methods you’ve let individuals down, all of the unhealthy actions you’ve carried out, that sense of actual disgrace and self-loathing, and see that too is sort of a rainbow shining within the sky, vivid, intense, highly effective and but intangible, virtually only a reflection or a mirage and but vividly there like a scene in a mirror which you’ll be able to brightly clearly see and but by no means contact. Simply shining within the sky of consciousness, mirrored within the mirror of consciousness, and consciousness is rarely harmed, the mirror is rarely harmed by what it displays, in the identical approach the sky of consciousness can expertise this deep, deep disgrace and be simply wonderful with it, really feel kindness and acceptance and caring in the direction of it as a result of it doesn’t hurt consciousness, this awake consciousness that we actually are always, it’s simply one other expertise.
Discover how a lot deeper that takes you into this awake consciousness since you’re not avoiding something, all of the stuff you don’t wish to really feel you’re open to feeling and it means that you can settle into the super, deep, huge, timeless, pristine consciousness.
So you’ll be able to let go of this cloud within the sky of disgrace and simply come again to this lovely clear open consciousness, fully unsullied, pure, unhurt, undisturbed, huge timeless spaciousness. Discover how way more deeply you’re resting in that with none effort. That is the primordial purity, the essential awakeness, unstained, clear, and vivid. After which really feel and see once more the moon shining within the middle of the guts. This sky within the coronary heart beaming out confidence and readability and knowledge, suffused with kindness and caring and love, shot by means of with vibrancy and spontaneity and vitality, shining vivid within the sky of consciousness, radiating out therapeutic and caring to everybody on this room, shining out knowledge and confidence and the Aristocracy to all of the beings in all places, not simply on earth however all different planets and all different universes. Actually really feel that shining moon suffusing the entire multiverse with pleasure and love and kindness and knowledge and vitality
Excellent, so let’s let go of the meditation now. Be at liberty to maneuver and stretch.
Dharma Discuss Q & A
All proper, that was–for these of you who took half in that second a part of the meditation–that was…that’s actual meditation, that’s the good things, proper? That’s the place we aren’t merely gathering useful resource, proper? Gathering useful resource is necessary however we’re not simply solely gathering useful resource once we meditate we’re utilizing that useful resource to remodel.
And so we did some actual–that’s some very grownup industrial energy meditation, touching the magic, proper? Actually getting in there. So good on you for doing that. In case you do this in your individual follow day by day that may be good, proper? Actually overcoming the obstacles, overcoming our obstacles of feeling like we–there’s simply a lot we wish to keep away from, proper? However as a substitute what we’re doing right here is taking the view of awake consciousness significantly, taking the view of the bodhisattva significantly, taking the view of the buddha nature significantly. Our awake consciousness actually is indestructible and actually is unafraid and totally assured and completely welcoming, actually welcoming of something that arises within the sky. Welcomes the whole lot into it and so we’re taking that at face worth after which noticing that wow, there’s all these experiences that I attempt to keep away from, there’s all these experiences which are disagreeable. And there’s such an odd alchemy to life as a result of if we hold making an attempt to keep away from inside unpleasantness life will simply get smaller and smaller and smaller, and increasingly more flat, and increasingly more boring, and increasingly more concrete, and finally we’re primarily useless. It’s like a Princess and the Pea phenomenon, simply get increasingly more delicate to what you don’t wish to really feel, and the whole lot simply will get smaller and extra fragile, and smaller and extra fragile, till we’re so small and so fragile we are able to’t do something.
And so this tantric temper is the other, the place we go into it–no matter is arising, we welcome and go into it and acknowledge that consciousness is sufficiently big to deal with it, sufficiently big to be with it, and sufficiently big to be assured with it. That confidence is tremendously necessary. All the time sit with supreme confidence. Why? As a result of inside we’re already a buddha. Buddhas are tremendously assured. What have they got to be afraid of? And so we tackle that temper of the inside buddha and sit with confidence and
discover that no matter comes up consciousness can deal with it. That, in fact, doesn’t imply we’re at all times able to do such a meditation. We’d want some preparation, we’d discover ourselves in a bit over our heads, which is why you at all times have the in-case-of-emergency-break-glass factor you’ll be able to pull and simply come out and are available again to only awake consciousness and don’t proceed with the follow if it’s too intense.
However over time you’ll discover an odd factor; you get superb at dealing with the inside depth even when it’s actually disagreeable. But additionally life begins shifting, exterior life begins shifting fairly a bit. So we wish to look into our personal awake consciousness, look into our personal shining core of wakefulness. That is the one factor we all know that we’ve acquired, proper? In case you come again to first ideas like what do you truly know? There’s just one factor you truly know and that’s you’re having an expertise proper now, that’s it. That’s the solely information. The lights are on in your thoughts, you’re having an expertise, the whole lot else is–could possibly be flawed, the whole lot else could possibly be a fantasy, the whole lot else could possibly be, you already know, knowledge being pumped into the mind within the fish tank, or no matter, it may all be simply completely false. However the truth that you’re having an expertise is totally the one factor that you already know.
So look into that have proper now. That’s it. The whole lot else is ideas and emotions and so forth, which is ok. That’s all the shape arising, however the wakefulness itself, the expertise itself, that’s it. That’s the true information. What can we name this awakeness in Tibetan? We might name it rigpa, proper? What does rigpa imply? Information. If we have been speaking in Sanskrit, we name it vidya. What’s vidya? Information, proper? It’s simply the one factor we all know. It doesn’t imply information like stuff out of an encyclopedia. It means Oh! The one actual factor or the one certain factor having an expertise proper now. Take a look at that proper now, that’s it.
And this isn’t to someway make the world appear insignificant. However the stuff that’s arising in expertise–experiences turns into much more fascinating, much more vivid, crisp, clear, attention-grabbing, salient as a result of we’re seeing it as if for the primary time. It’s not all this stale, recognized, predictable, quotidian mundanity that we’re simply slogging by means of. It’s the one factor that’s experiencing, being skilled proper now. It’s proper there like a lightning bolt within the darkest night time or some sort of, once more, shining rainbow proper in the course of the rain, proper? It’s as contemporary and crisp and clear as something may ever be. And that’s the attitude from which we don’t wish to maintain again, ‘oh, I wish to see that one rainbow however not the opposite one,’ or ‘I would like…’
We don’t must take this concept of consciousness, or the concept of the buddha nature, as some sort of perception system or fantasy or an concept. Please don’t have it as an concept that you simply, you already know, like take a look at. It’s simply this truth of your individual consciousness proper now, that’s the one truth. There it’s, take a look at it now, it’s plain. It’s the one plain factor. There it’s.
And if we take that at face worth, as a result of nicely, how else are you able to probably take it? Then you definately’ll discover your self creating super confidence and super fearlessness and super openness. It’s not an conceited, armored confidence. It’s a wide-open, broken-hearted, loving sort of confidence that claims sure.
So once more, kudos for having gone there with that sort of meditation. That’s not the sort of meditation that tends to fill meditation halls. If we have been solely visualizing cute bunnies or no matter, which–that’s wonderful nothing flawed with visualizing cute bunny’s noses, you already know, it’s all good however that solely will get you up to now. And finally, we have now to do that. So what do you–it doesn’t must be feelings, we solely labored with feelings, however what are you avoiding? And does the attention once more, look into it proper now, it’s the factor that’s awake proper now, it’s not even a factor, it’s simply awake awakeness. What’s that avoiding? Trace; it’s not avoiding something. It has the other impulse. It needs to include the whole lot.
Questions? Feedback? Reviews?
Questioner 1: Report. That was highly effective shit.
Michael: That’s highly effective shit. That’s true.
Questioner 1: So, I used to be struck by the final emotion that you simply had, disgrace.
Michael: That’s not an issue for any of us.
Questioner 1: It felt so constricting. I simply felt like there was this drive round me that was simply squeezing me down and there wasn’t a rainbow of any kind by any means.
I observed the type of tremendous high-profile teeny little rainbow, I believe it was in rage or anger, however this one simply felt like this robust highly effective factor and it was simply, I used to be simply in that place. After which I stayed with it and I used to be simply feeling it, I used to be in it. And then you definitely stated, ‘okay, now it’s time to return to the openness,’ and I felt misplaced. I didn’t know the place I used to be and thank goodness you stated ‘the moon,’ and I used to be in a position to return to that open place. And I simply…there was no sense of…I simply dropped into it like the underside went out. I used to be like, what the fuck simply occurred? I’m nonetheless in that open place.
Michael: That’s proper. What the fuck did simply occur? So once more, that is–once we strive to not really feel that on a regular basis, and it’s a function of our society, it’s not the function of all societies. It’s a function of our society that there’s this core layer of disgrace and self-loathing that will get embedded. And so, if we’re at all times making an attempt to not really feel that, there’s an entire a part of like there’s a backside on expertise, we’re constrained. However once we permit that in, it is likely to be very intense, proper, very intense, however then a breakthrough will happen. It doesn’t imply it went away, you already know. It’s nonetheless there. We’re not–this isn’t like, oh
all of it goes away and then you definitely really feel like a contented bunny eternally. The purpose is that each one of this stuff might be skilled and that openness simply will get extra open, and as you discover that it’s like the underside went out, proper?
So if you wish to like, in case you really feel caught in your follow or I’ve been meditating for therefore lengthy and I simply don’t appear to get any additional, or it’s sort of like there’s some sort of bizarre magnetic drive area holding me again, it’s not a bizarre drive area. It’s the constriction. It’s the will to not really feel one thing. There’s one thing that we’re holding again from and the sky of consciousness doesn’t maintain again, proper? So we search for the horrible factor, search for the horrible factor in there, the factor that you simply actually don’t wish to discover inside, and it’s going to really feel unhealthy, it doesn’t–it’s not prefer it magically feels good.There’s a cause you’re avoiding it, you already know. It seems like shit.
Nevertheless, when you permit it, once more, when you’ve got sufficient useful resource. You don’t wish to do that from an unresourced place, or in case you’re already feeling overwhelmed, however underneath the appropriate situations you go into that and expose it to this sky of consciousness. After which, such as you stated, abruptly it’s like open vast and we drop into a totally deeper degree of our follow as a result of we aren’t avoiding that anymore.
Am I simply saying the identical factor each week? Okay, yeah I’ll get this, you already know, this stuff are available in waves, so that is the month of non-avoidance.
Different questions or stories? That’s fucking fabulous by the best way.
Questioner 2: What I discovered actually attention-grabbing was simply noticing the completely different approach
every of these 4 move by means of me. I felt virtually no constriction round sorrow it was identical to oh that is simply flowing, after which I observed with anger and with disgrace I observed plenty of the constriction. There I used to be like, oh these two, I like sorrow I’m like letting move, and these two I’m not likely desirous to be there as a lot. After which I additionally observed, actually curiously, with worry that the issues that I’m most petrified of, after I invite them and are simply a lot much less intense than after I’m resisting them. And so it was attention-grabbing that that one truly wasn’t as like–it was like extra scary off the cushion than on the cushion as a result of I used to be identical to, all proper, I’m going to consider all of the issues, pull in all of the issues that make me probably the most afraid after which they’re simply there.
Michael: That is the key to working with worry, proper? A lot of the worry is the worry of worry. So we let it in after which abruptly it’s not that large of a deal. Yeah, that’s superior.
Different stories or questions? What’s s in your thoughts right here about this?
Questioner 3: I’ve a query. I suppose my query since now lots of people are speaking about yeah like recession and in addition like two years of Covid how would you
juxtapose this type of meditation with stoicism? That’s very fashionable proper now in sure circles or simply typically.
Michael: I imply all this stuff share some stuff in widespread, proper? I believe the principle factor with that is that we’re open to life, proper? I imply we’re actually wanting on the true terror of being alive and the truth that, you already know, we’re falling by means of area, and who is aware of what the fuck? And all we’ve acquired is awakeness. That’s it and nothing goes to save lots of you. We’re nonetheless all going to get outdated, we’re all going to get–I imply in case you’re fortunate you get outdated–we’re gonna get sick. Horrible shit is gonna occur to us and to individuals we love. And, you already know, on a great day then you definitely die.
So that is the state of affairs during which we discover ourselves, proper? In case you’re fortunate, you simply croak. However who is aware of? Does the attention truly go away? We don’t know. So that is the state of affairs during which we discover ourselves and it’s odd as a result of someway that sounds pessimistic or like actually morbid nevertheless it’s identical to a primary truth. Like nobody’s ever speculated to say this nevertheless it’s only a primary truth. You can’t deny it. So let’s begin from the essential truth. Begin with consciousness itself, which is the one primary truth, after which begin participating with life from the understanding that that is an intense expertise.That is actually intense.And but it’s actually fascinating how the attention itself is into it. The notice itself loves it. The intenser the higher, you already know by way of the setup. It’s simply as into peace as it’s to depth. However what I imply is the truth that there are sort of no ensures is nice for awake consciousness.
So I’m not likely answering your query however that is what’s coming to thoughts. I imply I’m not gonna sit there and evaluate it level by level with stoicism or one thing. However I really feel like that is the tantric temper. The tantric temper–go into it. No matter the issue is, go straight into it. And it’s actually wonderful follow and it’s not simply emotional, it’s issues in life. What’s the toughest factor it’s important to do proper now? Go into it. What’s the factor you’re probably the most afraid of doing? Do it.
That’s the temper and it begins to strip away the layers of mummification and necrotic, you already know, cement-mind and full checked-outness that we have a tendency to assemble to attempt to insulate ourselves from the essential truth.
You discover that you simply did that to really feel snug however the extra snug you
really feel in that one specific approach the extra useless you might be. It’s like a nasty commerce and but the whole lot tells us to try this, like that’s the good factor to do and, in actual fact, I’ll promote you some stuff that’ll enable you to do this higher. That’s our complete society. and so we’re simply unraveling that. Throw off the mattresses that we coated ourselves with, throw away the numbness of the necrotic flesh, and are available again into vibrant awakeness and consciousness proper now. I don’t know what else to say. Every other angle on the query?
Questioner 3: No, I imply that was lovely commentary and really, I had an analogous
expertise with going deep into disgrace and sort of falling approach too deep into it. Once I simply didn’t know what to do and it felt like being thrown out of the helicopter with
no parachute or a parachute that didn’t…
Michael: That’s the appropriate feeling. That’s tantric.
Questioner 3: Yeah after which I noticed that there isn’t any floor, so then the worry like you already know falling and dying disappeared as a result of there isn’t any floor. There’s no approach for me to die as a result of I’m simply endlessly falling. However then if I’m actually falling am I truly falling? Or simply suspended in place?
Michael: So then, how did that really feel?
Questioner 3: It felt superb. It felt empty and impartial.
Michael: Proper, then simply come again to that sky, tremendous vivid clear sky. The error, moreover avoidance, that folks make is to solely go into the vacancy, proper? Such as you gotta begin out going into the vacancy as a result of it’s a distinction to being hooked up to the whole lot on the planet, and so it’s like a giant miracle to seek out the vacancy. And that’s very, very cool however the mistake individuals make is simply to remain there. I’m simply going to maintain going into voidic cessation. That feels nice however then that’s one other entice like now you simply acquired to go sit in a meditation cave for the remainder of your life as a result of that’s the place you’re discovering. You’re in your groove.
So as soon as we’ve acquired the sky of pure awakeness then we discover the spontaneous presence,
the stuff that arises in expertise. It’s most likely even the case that we are inclined to make an object out of that pure consciousness, nevertheless it’s not an object, proper? It’s empty identical to the rest however moreover, it most likely doesn’t exist with out the stuff that’s arising. It’s most likely like that the awakeness and this perceptive stuff, the perceived stuff, the spontaneous presence, the rainbows, the peacock tails cauda pavonis right here in our alembic, that stuff is all simply co-arising with the attention. They want one another. They invite one another. They arrive collectively and, in actual fact, consciousness is empty, the stuff that’s arising is empty however the notion is empty too. However that’s what’s actually occurring. That’s all there’s. So we don’t keep in our void. We come into being and are available into expertise and are available into what’s taking place within the fullness of it, okay?
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