Guided Nondual Meditation with Michael Taft
Streamed reside on November 11, 2021
So let’s start our meditation now. What I’d such as you to do is to arrange your posture and keep in mind that in these meditations, the best way we’re doing this, you’re welcome to meditate standing up if that makes it simpler to stay alert and to maintain you current along with your meditation. You’re additionally welcome to meditate mendacity down. For some folks mendacity down meditation really will increase their capability to loosen up. Now, we don’t wish to improve your capability to loosen up a lot that you simply go to sleep. However assuming you possibly can keep awake, then for a lot of people laying in your again typically along with your knees up, is a really very highly effective solution to meditate. As I’ve talked about previously in the event you’re going to meditate along with your knees up you both wish to have a bolster like a robust pillow beneath them so that you simply’re not holding them up along with your leg muscular tissues. You’re simply permitting them to relaxation on a pillow. Or a really conventional yogic solution to do it’s; you are taking a belt–like a yoga strap or perhaps a belt like a out of your pants–and also you simply put them put it round your knees gently in order that the knees can’t separate after which that may maintain your legs collectively once more with out you having to make use of your muscle energy to do it. And in order that’s how we lay on our again with our legs. And that, once more, can permit us to loosen up far more deeply than we’d be capable of in any other case.
So arrange your posture, no matter that’s. As traditional on this meditation–I’m going to sneeze–you possibly can (thank god for the mute button) There. In these guided meditations, I’m going to do mine sitting up and with my glasses on as a result of I’m watching the pc, however for you, you wish to do it sitting. If you wish to do it sitting up or laying down and even standing up you most likely need glasses off, when you have glasses.
And for sitting make it possible for your again feels very nice. Your again is upright. Your decrease again is curving in, and your again is sweet and erect, not tense, not such as you’re a soldier sitting up, however nonetheless good and upright. And the highest of your head could have this fascinating feeling that it’s being pulled on this very mild nice method and that causes your chin to tuck just a bit bit. And there’ll be this sense that your again, now your backbone, is good. It’s on this good spot within the center the place it’s not an excessive amount of effort. It doesn’t take an excessive amount of effort to maintain it upright, feels completely balanced, and actually relaxed and good. That’s what we wish. So set that every one up and make it possible for your face is relaxed, and your neck and throat are relaxed, and your shoulders are relaxed. Okay, so the backbone is upright however the remainder of the physique is admittedly free, actually open, actually relaxed, actually mild, feels good, proper?
After which, from there, we’re going to begin out with a metaphor tonight. We prefer to meditate with metaphors. And tonight–bear in mind not too long ago we did the metaphor of being like a mountain, after which earlier than that we have been doing it like being hearth, we have been utilizing the ingredient hearth–tonight we’re going to meditate like we typically do utilizing the ingredient area.
Okay, so within the conventional Indian system there should not 4 parts; earth, air, hearth, water, there are 5. There’s hearth, water, and area and in order that’s the quintessence, proper? The fifth ingredient. So on this case the fifth ingredient is just not Leeloo Multipass however in actual fact is area, proper? And we’re simply pretending or taking up the metaphor of being area, proper? So I need you to take a seat as in case you are huge area. We’re not imagining area within the sense of picturing the sky in our thoughts or one thing. However in a method sky is one other solution to say the ingredient area. The true phrase for it’s akash in sanskrit like in the event you’ve ever heard Akashic information that’s what they’re speaking in regards to the information which can be saved in area and that’s coming from the theosophy custom which is form of humorous. However akash is simply the phrase for the tattva or the ingredient of area. So, we’re being area proper now.
You typically hear me speak about huge spacious consciousness after we’re speaking about pristine consciousness proper? Rigpa, or awake consciousness, or pristine consciousness–the thoughts with no conceptualization of any sort. The thoughts of the Buddha that I’m all the time speaking about. The thoughts of a completely woke up being, that’s rigpa, that’s awake consciousness, that’s pristine consciousness. The closest metaphor to pristine consciousness, it’s a metaphor however the very closest one, is area. It’s simply spacious, there’s room as a result of there’s no conceptualization, there’s no reification of self and world, and subsequently it simply feels…it has this sense of expansiveness and openness.
Why is area only a metaphor for awake consciousness? Effectively, as a result of after we consider area as a component it’s useless. It’s simply; there’s no one, there’s nothing and no one there, proper? However after we’re speaking in regards to the thoughts of a Buddha, after we’re speaking about Rigpa, after we’re speaking about awake consciousness, it’s like area but it surely’s received one further vital function that’s totally different than area and that’s what? It’s cognizant. It’s realizing. It’s having an expertise, proper? It’s awake. It’s not simply useless area. It’s alive area. It’s area with realizing, in different phrases, it’s acutely aware, proper? So I need you to only settle in proper now to feeling like awake area or acutely aware area or we might simply say huge spacious consciousness as I all the time do, proper?
So we’re meditating like we’re an enormous sky, proper? An unlimited limitless open sky with no clouds, no obstructions, no boundaries. It’s larger than the precise sky, proper? As a result of the precise sky has boundaries however this has no boundaries of any sort. It’s simply area and so get that feeling of being awake, conscious area, huge spacious consciousness and simply settle into that and simply really feel that now.
And tonight we’re going to–once more–we’re going to visualise our personal buddhanature, our personal already present woke up thoughts, our already present pristine consciousness, which is already there. The one motive you’re not noticing it in the event you’re not on this very second is simply known as not noticing. The technical time period can be avidya, it’s like ignorance, but it surely’s not like ignorance in English, which has a form of a destructive connotation, it simply means you’re not conscious of it. And so we make ourselves conscious of it. We make ourselves conscious of our already present, absolutely good and pure Buddha consciousness proper on this second, and oftentimes we are going to image a selected deity in Buddhism, or no matter.
Tonight we’re going to do–I’m going to go away it as much as you–I’m going to say I need you to image a mom deity, a mom goddess, or some form of mom archetype that may be very optimistic.This may be the Virgin Mary, it may be Inexperienced Tara, it could possibly be Kuan Yin, it could possibly be many many different feminine deities. Nevertheless it might additionally simply be form of the thought of mom, however not a human mom, it’s a completely enlightened, absolutely awake, or I ought to say not only a regular human mom, however a traditional human mom, or a deity mom manifesting full pristine consciousness, manifesting even past that full liberation, full Buddhahood with all its powers. And so image this loving being earlier than you now. And perhaps that’s a–after I say image I imply perhaps it’s actually a picture in your thoughts–but it surely may also simply be a sense or a temper or no matter.
So there’s this mom archetype in entrance of you now and I need you to actually settle in with this mom archetype. She is in entrance of you now, beaming a way of whole unconditional love and acceptance. You’re advantageous simply precisely the best way you’re. You’re cherished precisely the best way you’re. She’s beaming proper now to you great knowledge and readability, proper? She is sensible, like one million years sensible, a billion years sensible, and that’s coming into your thoughts now, and she or he has good readability, nothing is foggy, or muddy, or sleepy, or fuzzy, or darkish. It’s crystal clear, proper? That’s the wakefulness property of Buddhahood. That’s in actual fact what the phrase Buddha means, it doesn’t imply a god or one thing. It means awake. So when folks mentioned to the Buddha–when he first received enlightened, they have been like, “are you a god? What are you? And he simply mentioned, “I’m awake,” and once you say that in his language which was one thing like Mahdi however near Pali he mentioned, “I’m Buddha, I’m awake.” So it’s simply the phrase which means awake. So this archetypal mom is awake, good readability, good knowledge, that’s that Buddha nature absolutely awake and that’s beaming into your thoughts proper now along with what? Crucial property; confidence, confidence in your self, confidence in your follow, confidence in your capability to note and acknowledge your individual enlightened nature, your individual Buddha thoughts. So simply take that into your being actually clearly now.
Good, and now what I’d such as you to note subsequent is, in fact, the divine mom has a coronary heart like dripping honey, is stuffed with love, and stuffed with kindness, and compassion, and caring, and never simply that; it’s joyous, so blissful, so joyful and joyful for you all the great issues that occur for you trigger this mom archetype to really feel mudita, like that honey-like sweetness, that joyfulness in your pleasure. And so really feel this mom deity beaming like to you, beaming kindness and caring, gentleness beaming pleasure, great pleasure, and pleasure in your pleasure, proper? The issues that deliver you true pleasure make her blissful for you. That’s mudita, proper? So these qualities of karuna-compassion, mudita that pleasure in your pleasure, and maitri the standard of friendliness, and caring, and kindness, proper? So that is simply lovely vitality coming from her coronary heart into your coronary heart, melting your coronary heart, opening your coronary heart, permitting you to beam with kindness and caring, but additionally with nice pleasure, great pleasure. So really feel that now.
Good, after which once more we’ll go right down to the stomach, the stomach of the nice mom and from this great stomach that births the entire world–proper? It offers beginning to your entire universe second by second–the stomach of the nice mom is beaming to you well being and power. It’s beaming to you vitality, life pressure, life-giving life pressure vitality, and it’s beaming to you what comes with all that well being and life pressure, which is that this sense of play, playfulness, proper? When we have now spare vitality, after we really feel actually wholesome and joyous, we grow to be playful, we grow to be spontaneous, we grow to be free and open and free, proper? So, beaming from the stomach of the nice mom, which provides life to your entire universe, you are feeling life coming in, well being and power coming in, life pressure vitality coming in, and that’s citing this sense of playfulness and spontaneity. So, tune into that now.
Good, now as traditional I need you to breathe in that picture of the nice mom and take it into your coronary heart in order that she is your coronary heart, and permit the vitality of knowledge and readability within the head to return into the center. And let this vitality of spontaneity and playfulness and well being and power and life pressure come into your coronary heart. So, it’s all one huge ball of awake consciousness shining in your coronary heart, tremendously brilliant, tremendously mushy and sort, tremendously sensible, deep, and clear, tremendously, in fact, simply radiating love, radiating pleasure, radiating kindness, and friendliness. And simply sit with that now. We’re going to take a seat with that for a couple of minutes collectively. I need you to only permit that great enlightened mom vitality to only radiate in your coronary heart and radiate out. Let’s try this now collectively.
Feeling all that stunning vitality radiating inside you, bear in mind the boldness. Discover that that is coming from your individual Buddha nature, your individual already present, absolutely enlightened nature, and so really feel that confidence. Perceive that you’re a Buddha and so meditating is, in the long term no drawback, awakening in the long term no drawback, stuffed with liberation in the long term no drawback. Why? As a result of even within the quick run, even on this very second, it’s already right here and all we’re doing is studying to acknowledge it, studying to see it extra clearly. So, really feel that, really feel that confidence, really feel that readability, and actually tune into that.
Okay. Good. Now let’s do our Shamatha with an object. It means, in fact, we’re going to get good and steady. And with an object means we’re going to make use of some exterior, or apparently exterior, or apparently not-our-mind, sort object to stabilize our thoughts with. And so let’s try this on the breath. So, I need you to note as your breath is coming in–we’re feeling it, feeling it, feeling it, feeling all of it the best way to the underside of the breath, and spot the top of the in-breath. Actually discover that second when the in-breath ends, after which feeling the breath going out, out, breath out, breath out, breath out, breath going out, after which feeling all of it the best way, after which discover the very finish of the out-breath. And ensure you discover the very finish of the out breath. Don’t miss it. Then we’re taking the breath in once more, and feeling, ready, ready, noticing, noticing, noticing, till we mark the top of the in-breath. Respiration out once more, respiratory out, respiratory out, respiratory out, respiratory out, till we discover the top of that out-breath. Don’t miss these.
And so long as we stick with these you’re gonna get an increasing number of centered on the breath. So don’t lose these two moments; finish of the in-breath, into the out-breath. And if you wish to you possibly can label when you’re respiratory; inhaling, inhaling, inhaling, inhaling, respiratory out, respiratory out, respiratory out, respiratory out, like that, in a really mild tone, perhaps much more mild than I simply did it. Inhaling, inhaling, inhaling, respiratory out, respiratory out, respiratory out. And staying with it very very clearly and repeatedly. Don’t miss a second, and in the event you do, simply come proper again, staying proper with that breath. We don’t have to stick with it like with tight focus however we wish to get repeatedly concerned with the breath, noticing each second of the in-breath, and each second of the out-breath. And it’s actually useful to note the top of the in-breath and the top of the out-breath as a result of that’ll simply ensure you’re staying with it, you’re staying with it, you’re staying with it. So, get as concerned as doable with that breath’s sensation.
Okay. Good. Now, if that’s working for you and also you’re getting good and centered on that breath then simply stick with that. If the following transfer is simply too troublesome then simply stick with the breath, that’s advantageous. The subsequent transfer we’re going to do is Shamatha nonetheless, however Shamatha with out an object. So, we drop the breath now, and it’s simply there within the background however we’re not specializing in it, and as an alternative we’re simply being area. We permit the attention to only be its pure vastness, its pure spaciousness. We’re not making the attention spacious. We’re not someway pushing it or no matter we’re simply permitting consciousness to be naturally spacious. After which in that area, method within the background, we’d really feel the breath coming and going, however all we’re actually doing is permitting that huge spacious consciousness to pay attention to itself. It simply rests in itself. It’s naturally very nonetheless, and so this wakeful area is simply conscious of itself, after which and that takes no effort. That’s not some sturdy doing, it’s simply–you’re already conscious, proper? You’re not doing something to remember and in order that consciousness is simply conscious that it’s conscious. That’s it, and it’s resting like that whereas the breath comes and goes within the background. If ideas come up we’re simply not partaking these in any respect, feelings come up we’re simply not partaking these in any respect, even the sense of the outside world, the sights and sounds, or any form of physique sensations, we’re simply not partaking these in any respect. They’re there however no engagement, as an alternative we’re simply permitting this huge spacious consciousness to relaxation completely nonetheless in itself. So let’s try this now collectively. I often do that with my eyes open, by the best way.
Once more, consciousness is simply resting in itself, partaking with nothing, so if ideas come up–let’s simply let that occur, but when you end up concerned within the thought in any respect simply drop that. If feelings come up and you end up concerned in that in any respect simply drop that. The place consciousness is barely conscious of itself; huge, spacious, nonetheless, brilliant, clear, cognizant, and simply utterly immobile, utterly at relaxation, uninvolved with something.
Once more, if that is too exhausting, be happy to return to specializing in the breath. Typically since that offers you a extra stable seeming object, one thing just a little extra concrete-seeming to give attention to. But when you are able to do this, there’s the sense of consciousness simply resting, and it doesn’t exit to something, it doesn’t exit and seize a thought. For those who really feel it exit and grabbing a thought you simply drop that and permit it to return again to resting. For those who really feel it going out to seize something simply let go of that come again to resting, over and over. Simply permit consciousness to only be nonetheless and clear with out doing something, proper? It doesn’t have to do something in any respect. It’s already brilliant, clear, nonetheless, good, fairly, clear, brilliant. Discover how nonetheless that huge spacious consciousness may be. Consciousness is completely nonetheless however you additionally discover that issues come up typically, and maybe typically you get entangled with them, notably ideas, however ideas should not our enemy. We simply must be taught to work with them correctly.
So, let’s swap now from shamatha with out an object to some Vipashyana. Vipashyana means perception, proper? So we’re going to get perception into the character of thought. Trace–ideas are empty, identical to feelings are empty, identical to the outside world is empty, identical to persona is empty. All empty, proper? And so, what I need you to do now’s preserve that skylike consciousness and bear in mind the sky, the huge spacious sky of consciousness continues to be. It’s completely nonetheless, completely cognizant, brilliant, clear realizing. After which discover how–now we’re going to take a look at one thing now, that is engagement–discover how ideas come into that sky of the thoughts, and so they’re transferring identical to birds via the sky, or one thing, clouds via the sky. So the sky itself is completely nonetheless, after which there’s ideas that transfer via the sky, and I need you to only have a look at that now.
Simply permit this consciousness to effortlessly discover that ideas transfer via it. You don’t have to focus tightly, don’t use consideration on the ideas, simply permit this huge consciousness–as a result of it’s conscious–to only discover the ideas transferring via. It’s remaining uninvolved within the ideas, however now really noticing them transferring, noticing them transferring. Let’s do that for a couple of minutes. The ideas are transferring. The thoughts continues to be.
Stay utterly uninvolved within the content material of the thought. Simply permitting consciousness to note that ideas are transferring like birds within the sky. They’re simply transferring, transferring. We’re not attaching to them. We’re not getting concerned. We’re not going for a experience with the chicken. We’re simply noticing that it’s motion within the nonetheless sky of thoughts.
Okay. Good. Now, persevering with to relaxation on this huge spacious consciousness, the sky-like thoughts. I need you to note now; the place are these ideas occurring? These transferring ideas, the place are they occurring? And I don’t imply in your head, I imply within the sky of consciousness is there any precise location that we will pinpoint and say they’re there? In an actual bodily location? As ideas simply sail via the sky of the thoughts, the place is that even occurring? Look into that, and in the event you suppose you discovered a location, ask your self; the place is that location in actuality? What spot on this planet is that? Trace–there isn’t one. So fascinating, within the huge sky of the thoughts, the huge sky of consciousness, ideas come and go, transferring in opposition to the nonetheless background of consciousness, and but you can’t really find them in a spot. However perhaps they’re coming from someplace. So, now permit consciousness to easily examine the place ideas come from. What’s their supply? Is there like a gap they arrive out of? Is there a selected spot they come up from? Can you discover that spot? Permit consciousness to look very clearly, very rigorously now and preserve wanting. Preserve wanting. The place do these ideas come from? By way of area, what’s their origin? Trace–you possibly can’t discover an origin however preserve wanting.
Good. So, discover that not solely is there no location of thought, there’s no origin of thought. It’s simply showing. It simply seems in consciousness someplace, transferring. A transferring thought seems from nowhere, dances in consciousness for a number of moments, after which what occurs? It disappears. However perhaps, although we don’t know the place they’re coming from, and we don’t know the place they’re whereas they’re there, perhaps there’s a selected spot they disappear to. So, I need you to look at, or to place it extra clearly, I need consciousness to only concentrate on the place the place ideas disappear to. And see if yow will discover such a spot. Permit consciousness to look with great readability now.
So, ideas disappear, however they don’t disappear to anyplace. So we have now this fascinating scenario the place ideas haven’t any origin, they simply seem out of nowhere, and so they haven’t any location once they seem out of nowhere. They’re not positioned anyplace. They’re simply in consciousness, no matter which means. We’re conscious of them. They’re someplace flying within the huge sky of consciousness however that’s not likely a location after which once they disappear. They disappear once more to someplace we all know not. We don’t know the place they go. So, we don’t know the origin, vacation spot, or location of thought, and which means ideas are empty. It doesn’t imply there’s no content material. It doesn’t imply there isn’t a thought but it surely means it’s empty. And so now simply permit your self, permit consciousness to only relaxation in itself once more, uninvolved with thought resting. Consciousness resting on its lotus, not reaching out for something, divinely in divine repose, utterly relaxed, utterly open, utterly brilliant, and vivid, and clear, and sharp, uninvolved with something, particularly thought.
Okay. Good. Now let’s discover once more this solar of full enlightenment radiating within the coronary heart. It’s just like the solar within the huge sky of consciousness. So we have now this huge, huge infinite consciousness sky, and the solar within the coronary heart of it’s radiating knowledge and readability out to the entire universe, and it’s radiating love and pleasure and kindness and caring to the entire universe, and it’s radiating well being and power and life and vitality and playfulness and spontaneity to the entire universe. And really feel the solar of consciousness within the sky, and the huge sky, the solar of enlightenment within the huge sky of consciousness radiating out, radiating out, radiating out now, shining and flowing with all these buddha properties all these enlightened mom properties. Really feel that simply spilling out, overflowing in all instructions, this beautiful solar of full pristine totally full liberation buddhahood shining on this huge huge sky of consciousness, touching all beings in every single place.
Okay. Good. Okay, let’s finish that there. Now permit your self to maneuver and stretch. Stretch like just a little kitty cat, oh, good huge cat stretch. Really feel good, that feels…perhaps a unique cat stretch. Permit your physique to really feel free, and free, and open, and really, very, very mild and mushy. Have a drink of water. Regulate in no matter method it is advisable alter to really feel cozy.
I wish to discuss for just a little bit about what we checked out after we did Vipashyana, proper? Which is evident seeing, that’s what it means; clear seeing, or perception. And what have been we getting perception into there? We have been taking a look at ideas. We have been permitting consciousness to only discover ideas, ideas coming and going. Fascinating factor about ideas is what we checked out you possibly can’t–you’re having a thought and you may have a thought so strongly you get utterly concerned in it, proper? So it’s not that there’s no thought there. There are ideas there however the fascinating query is; the place is that occuring? After all, the trendy method we’re taught to suppose is–oh, that’s occurring in my head–however I don’t imply it that method as a result of that’s an concept about the place it’s occurring. I imply in expertise. In consciousness the place are the ideas occurring? While you have a look at it like that from contained in the expertise, not referring to concepts about thought however fairly simply the moment-by-moment expertise of thought. They’re not occurring anyplace specifically. They’re simply, let’s imagine, in consciousness. However consciousness–the place’s that? It’s an enormous sky. Can’t find that both. To even speak about a location is absurd. Consciousness is simply conscious. It’s huge and boundless.
And so discover that although these ideas which can be occurring–you possibly can inform one other individual the content material of it, you realize there’s a thought there–you possibly can’t actually decide a location. Moreover, you possibly can’t decide a supply. They simply appear to return from nowhere. They pop into consciousness and the place are they popping into consciousness? Once more, in a method, the query doesn’t even make sense. They’re simply popping into consciousness, wherever that’s. And that’s actually fascinating. So, they’re simply popping into consciousness and from someplace, from nowhere actually, and so they’re positioned someplace, or let’s imagine nowhere, actually. After which once you watch them disappear, consciousness can see the thought come to an finish, or hear it blah blah blah blah blah blah blah, it’s coming to an finish however the place does it go? The place does it go when it ends? Effectively, once more the reply is evident at this level. However consciousness appears carefully, consciousness appears carefully and what does consciousness discover? The ideas don’t go anyplace, they’re simply gone. And so what sort of factor on this planet–we take into consideration our expertise on this planet–what sort of factor comes from nowhere, and isn’t positioned anyplace, after which goes to nowhere? Proper, that is actually odd, proper?
It’s like usually we might simply say that’s one thing that doesn’t exist if it didn’t come from anyplace, and even when it’s right here it’s not positioned anyplace, after which when it lastly goes away from being right here, which is nowhere, it goes to nowhere. In our regular method of speaking about that we’d say that doesn’t exist. It doesn’t exist. That’s not a factor! Nevertheless it’s humorous as a result of, in fact, it does exist within the sense {that a} thought is occurring; there’s phrases there, and ideas, and you may expertise it, proper? You’ll be able to expertise it. The notice skilled a thought there. So, it’s each not there in any method that we will decide and on the similar time it’s there as an expertise. And so there’s a technical time period for that in Buddhism and that’s known as vacancy. That’s vacancy there–however not there, proper?
One other solution to speak about it’s, nicely, what’s vacancy? Empty, that is simply the English translation of the phrase Shunyata. Shunya is Sanskrit for empty or zero. It’s additionally the quantity zero. Shunya. Ta means zeroness or vacancy, and it has the connotation of a hole reed, like what you’ll make right into a flute, like a bamboo flute, like a hole reed that you might put holes in and use as a flute. So, it’s hole in the best way it’s like there, but it surely’s hole it’s there, however not there, proper? It appears to be there, however in the event you poked it you couldn’t even discover it to poke, however in the event you might poke it your finger’d go proper via it. It’s simply not there.
So, a pair photographs that come to thoughts for me after I take into consideration vacancy. One is after I was a child I’d exit into the fields in Michigan, there’s much more fields again then, you’ll exit into the sphere in the summertime and you’ll discover these huge grasshopper husks, proper? So, a grasshopper is an insect that has an exoskeleton and it sheds that exoskeleton in an effort to develop, proper? It’s gotta get out of its previous go well with of armor after which it bulks up after which grows a brand new exhausting go well with of armor round that larger bulk, proper? So it’s molting, or no matter, however what you discover–identical to a snake pores and skin or no matter–you discover a grasshopper exoskeleton hanging on a reed. It grabbed onto the reed when it broke out and it’s simply this–it appears precisely like a grasshopper besides it’s like an empty shell. You’ll be able to see proper via it, and it’s cracked open, and there’s nothing inside, but it surely’s nonetheless the form of a grasshopper. There’s not completely nothing there but it surely’s completely hole, completely empty, proper? There–however not there. One other picture that involves thoughts is a film. So, let’s say you have got a film of a horse, and also you’re watching this film of a horse, and I requested you the place– okay you’re seeing a horse on a display screen–and if I mentioned the place is that horse positioned? Once more, from reminiscence you might say–nicely, that horse that they’re filming was in Montana, or no matter. However that’s not my query, the horse you’re seeing proper now, the place is it? And you might say–nicely, it’s on a display screen, it’s on a display screen. However actually is there a horse on that display screen? Is that horse positioned on the display screen? Or are photons hitting a display screen, and so they’re bouncing off the display screen, and so they’re hitting your eyes. And so, you might say–nicely, perhaps the horse is positioned in my eyes. However right here’s the reply; you possibly can’t discover the place that horse is positioned. And is it even a horse? It’s simply a picture like “n’est pas une pipe” proper? It’s it’s not a pipe. This isn’t a pipe. It’s not a bomb. It’s not a horse. It’s simply a picture of a horse, so even asking—the place’s the horse?—is like, weird.
It’s an unanswerable query. That’s vacancy. That’s vacancy. And it seems that every part is like that. All the pieces. The pc in your desktop is empty in that particular method, your finest good friend is empty like that in that particular method, even you, your deepest innermost stuff. Keep in mind your ideas are empty like that. Effectively, similar factor along with your emotions, similar factor along with your sense of historical past, all that’s there–however not there. It’s empty on this very fascinating method and that is what we’re making an attempt to note after we do the Vipashyana part of the meditation.
It’s crucial to note that something that we attempt to congeal round, something that we attempt to make a self round, something that we attempt to make an different round, something that we attempt to concretize, or solidify, or give a particular place, or give a particular time, is–we’re really simply making that up, proper? It doesn’t have any of these properties. It’s there within the sense of an expertise however that have is arising in consciousness, and it has no location, no origin, no vacation spot. It’s empty. So, even the expertise you’re having of being you proper now, in the event you look rigorously, it’s simply arising in consciousness. That’s why I’m all the time saying, “you’re not on this planet, the world is in you” which means; the world is arising within the huge sky of your individual consciousness and that’s not positioned anyplace. So after we say perception this is the perception I need you–the elemental perception–I need you to actually grock. Grock vacancy. Grock {that a} thought that you simply’re concerned with is admittedly simply empty, a sense you’re concerned with–empty, even the sense of involvement, who’s concerned, that’s empty. The place are you when you’re meditating? That’s empty. Who’s meditating? That’s empty. All of it’s empty. Once more, that doesn’t imply it’s not there, it simply means the best way it’s there may be utterly basically unknowable. It’s a loopy thriller. It’s not a factor in the best way that we usually think about issues to be issues.
So that is vacancy and it’s a core idea that we should perceive, and moreover, it’s what helps us to stabilize the attention of consciousness. So, after we permit consciousness to relaxation in itself and I’m like–okay, right here come the ideas, right here come the ideas, and don’t be concerned with them. Discover that that’s exhausting to do. For those who suppose the ideas are issues they grow to be fascinating, and you may climb onto them and get all concerned. Getting concerned in a thought is like curling up inside just a little dream. “Oh, I’m going to get inside one other little dream. Oh, I’m going to get inside one other little dream.” That’s what being fused with ideas is, you’re simply getting sucked into just a little mini dream, and that’s why the woke up thoughts is named awake, proper? They use the phrase awake for a motive, since you’re popping out of that little dream and simply noticing.
One of many issues that may assist us come out of the dream of thought is to get that ideas are empty. They’re completely empty, and so is the thinker, so is the entire sense of why the ideas can be vital, so is the sense of emotion across the significance of the thought. It’s all received this loopy, nebulous, fog-like vacancy that may be very lovely and really empowering, proper? So, every part, the fullness of your entire world, comes from this great vacancy.
Be part of Michael’s mailing checklist and get notified of recent choices and programs.
Donate to assist create extra of those movies and extra.