Guided Nondual Meditation by Michael Taft
Okay now, we’ll get into our meditation. So when you haven’t been here before, we’re going to take a seat for an hour, and the thought is to take a seat for an hour without moving. We’re going to have a guided meditation, which suggests me guiding you thru a practice, but so long as you sit quiet and still, I don’t actually know what’s happening inside your mind, so if you would like to do a very different practice, be happy to do this and just benefit from the energy of meditating with the group. You’re all the time welcome to do your individual practice.
Should you think you’ll be able to’t sit still for an hour, I encourage you to go within the room round the corner where we’ve this camera broadcasting into there. So you’ll be able to do the entire meditation, but you’ll be able to wiggle quite a bit or rearrange your legs quite a bit. Stuff like that. So when you need that, try this now, because once we get going you’re locked in. Literally. (laughs)
All right everyone. Everyone’s staying, so excellent. Allow us to begin our guided meditation. In order all the time, we start out by just asking the query, “What’s it wish to be me straight away?” After which looking. What’s it wish to be you straight away? Just check your thoughts and your emotions and your body and just take the weather report on you straight away. How are you doing? And a minimum of in the course of the meditation, whatever is occurring is completely perfect, no matter how difficult or intense or whatever.
Whatever you’re finding it’s wish to be you straight away just completely let that be that way. Don’t try to vary it, just attempt to be with it, accept it, let or not it’s there. Several folks have glasses on. It is advisable to take those off. You don’t need to. Good.
Next, I just want you to assume being a lake, meditating like a lake and this lake has a spring feeding it from beneath, of cool, fresh, clear water. So there’s this continuous refreshing of this very cool, clear water from below. And from above, the lake may be very still, placid, wide open and intensely relaxed. Water is nice at being really, really relaxed.
So that is an imagination exercise. Just imagine being a lake. What’s it wish to be a lake and to meditate like a lake? So just play with that for a minute.
So here we’re, meditating like a lake that’s fed by this glorious spring. It’s an attractive, clear, fresh spring and each from time to time the rain comes from a special direction and this very, very gentle rain. And sweet gentle rain falls on the lake and refreshes the waters that way too. And various fish live within the water and deer and badgers and marmots and so forth come and drink from the water. So it’s not some form of sterile, all-alone lake. It’s got numerous activity, numerous life. It’s friendly, and it has friends.
Now just specifically let your mind and body come into total leisure, similar to the water of that lake. Feel your body just really letting go, really settling, and your mind too, similar to water, just settling, settling, and becoming tremendously still since it’s so relaxed.
It doesn’t mean it’s stuck or rigid or in some way sterile. It’s alive and moving and flowing, but it surely’s, in one other way, very relaxed, very pleasantly still. And this lake, again, accepts whatever is occurring straight away. Totally lets or not it’s that way, totally is nice with whatever little critters are coming and having a drink or whatever. Fish are within the water; it’s all good. So it’s possible you’ll be picturing this, or you may just feel it, perhaps just feel what it looks like to be a lake.
Now just allow the mind to fall all the way in which open. No force. Don’t attempt to make it open but just allow it to be as wide because the sky, utterly relaxed, utterly broad. And just notice the breath rising and falling into the sky of awareness. The breath not being something that you simply’re focused on. You’re not intensely directing attention to the breath; you’re just relaxed, open, spacious sky-like awareness just with none effort, noticing the rising and falling of the breath.
And as we’re noticing the rising and falling of the breath, let’s just make sure that that we notice that our face is fully relaxed. If there’s any form of tension within the face just let that fall away. The eyes becoming really relaxed, not focused on some extent, unfocused, and the cheeks and lips and mouth relaxing. The upper and lower teeth not touching. So the entire face and head just feels really gentle and soft and open.
Continuing to only allow that breath to rise and fall in awareness. Allow your neck and shoulders to release. Just allowing. Just almost like the thought of leisure, or simply feeling them letting go. And your arms and hands becoming utterly limp. Limp like wet rags. Zero tension in your arms and hands.
Should you get your arms and hands relaxed enough, you’ll immediately notice some tingling and perhaps even warmth because the blood flow increases. Your hands–your palms–can are inclined to get somewhat warmer and somewhat tinglier. So now your face and your neck and your shoulders and your arms and your hands are all released and relaxed and open.
And just notice how that permits you to effortlessly just drop right into a much deeper sense of openness and ease now where that breath is coming from an excellent deeper and more effortless place. And the mind feels advantageous just staying very broad, very open, not congealing around anything.
Good. Now notice the entire torso relaxing, the front of the torso, the belly, but in addition the back. All the way in which down the back just releasing, opening, softening, becoming gentle, becoming restful and comfy, especially that belly just letting go, opening up layer after layer of tension just falling off the belly.
Feel how good it feels. Notice how good it feels to be so relaxed and open. Whenever you notice that that feels nice, it permits you to calm down and open much more completely. Much more fully. Allowing the breath to rise and fall within the sky of the mind, easily and with none tension just noticing. And permit your hips and legs to calm down. Your legs and feet especially just becoming utterly limp, utterly and totally relaxed. Zero tension.
And spot you could feel your whole body now. All the things from the top to the feet, from the front to the back, backward and forward. The entire body is open and comfy, nice and relaxed. And just breathe here for somewhat while, feeling that openness. Really feeling the parts of it which might be nice, not fighting with anything, not struggling to calm down another part. Feel whatever is already released, whatever is already open and just enjoy that as you breathe.
Simply feeling how good that feels. And allowing the body to now model leisure in order that the mind can follow suit, the mind can simply also completely much more fully calm down, fall much more totally open. Remaining untight, uncongealed, but in addition wide awake, vivid, crisp, clear. Utterly free, utterly natural, utterly authentic.
And if the mind starts to tighten up around anything, become involved in something, just let it calm down and nothing will fall away of its own. No must hang on to anything. Because the breath comes and goes within the sky of awareness.
Good. Now just allow awareness of body sensation to arise and experience. Again we’re not specializing in it, it’s just happening. So just notice that occuring. Just feel your body in probably the most natural, untechnical way. Just feel the sensation of your body. And as you’re feeling the body and its various sensations, I need you to have a look at what’s feeling it.
That is an lively looking take a look at what’s feeling it. The body sensations will proceed to arise but how do you recognize they’re arising? What’s noticing? Where is the noticing coming from? Look deeply into the noticing. Do this now. And when you think you discover something that’s noticing, then take a look at that thing that’s noticing. What’s noticing that? What’s noticing that?
Proceed to look deeply into the noticing. Should you’re getting drowsy remember you’ll be able to open your eyes. Also, it’s just good to open your eyes during this meditation, if that works for you.
Good. Now, along with the body, notice any emotions which might be arising, feeling them in your body. Should you’re bored or joyous or frustrated or perhaps somewhat bit sad, whatever’s arising, perhaps all of those directly. Notice the emotion after all, as you’re feeling it in your body, that’s where we feel our emotions in our body, but then I need you to have a look at what’s noticing. How do you recognize you’re having it? Where is the noticing coming from? What’s it? Should you think you notice a spot it’s coming from, take a look at that place closely after which ask yourself “What’s looking?”
So we’re having our emotional experience and at the identical time, we’re not denying any of it. We’re fully allowing all of the emotions, nice, unpleasant, awful, wonderful, neutral. They’re all advantageous to be there, but I need you to look rigorously. How do you recognize you’re even having one? Where is that noticing coming from? What’s it? If that’s a straightforward thing so that you can do, then just rest there doing that very deeply. What’s noticing? How do you even know you’re having an experience straight away? Look into that experiencing. All emotions are completely welcome. There’s nothing we’re avoiding feeling. All welcome.
Good. Now notice thoughts arising. Thoughts as words, thoughts as pictures. Perhaps each happening, arising in awareness. All thoughts are welcome. We’re not attempting to stop thoughts. We’re not trying to manage thoughts, we’re not attempting to have good thoughts versus bad thoughts. They’re just thoughts. But take a look at what’s listening to the thoughts. what notices the thoughts? How do you recognize there’s any thoughts?
Notice what knows the thoughts, that’s the vital part. Look deeply and thoroughly. What knows that there’s a thought in any respect? Or if there’s no thoughts, perhaps your mind is silent. Okay, what notices the silence? Look into that deeply.
All that energy going into attempting to think this thought or attempting to stop pondering that thought or learn certain varieties of pondering or unlearn other varieties of pondering. None of that matters here. We’re simply knowing what knows the pondering. An increasing number of deeply experiencing what experiences the pondering.
Superb. Now notice the sounds of the world around you. There’s the sound of the guidance, there’s birds, there’s the sound of the air circulators, there’s other sounds, the sound of your individual respiratory. The sound is sort of a 3d experience, it’s in all directions throughout. We’re not attempting to only get good sounds happening and take away all of the bad sounds. There’s just sound. A world of sound.
Listening very rigorously. Notice what’s listening. What hears? What hears all that? What’s hearing straight away? Look rigorously. Listen. What notices the listening?
Superb. Now feel similar to we did in the beginning, what it’s wish to be you straight away? The thoughts, the sentiments, the body sensations, the final way it’s to be you. All that’s good about that, all that’s terrible about that, all that’s somewhere in between about that. Bring up the sensation of being you very clearly.
You possibly can probably guess, I need you to now take a look at what notices that feeling of being you. Very rigorously notice what notices what it’s wish to be you. How do you recognize what it’s wish to be you? That’s just an experience that’s arising. What’s experiencing that? Look.
What’s knowing you on this moment? What’s experiencing you? Hint, it’s not you.
Now in case your eyes are closed, just open them a minimum of somewhat bit. You possibly can open all of them away, but when you don’t wish to, only a crack and see that there’s a room here. There’s a room around you. There’s a world. We were listening earlier. Now I need you to see it. Having the experience of there being a room around you with people in it and plants and electric candles and such.
What knows this? Not what sees it, because after all you’re seeing it, but what’s experiencing the seeing, and subsequently, experiences this room? I almost wish to say what experiences room?
How do you recognize there’s a room here? What knows that? Have a look at that knowing. What sees this space? What sees this room? What experiences the seeing? Look now. Notice the shocking fact of experience it just keeps happening. No person’s doing anything to make it occur. That’s fucking insane. It’s a miracle. How is that occuring? Just take a look at it now. In case your brain doesn’t explode and fall off your head, keep looking until it does.
Now just rest in that experiencing. Notice you’ll be able to’t ever find what’s experiencing since it’s not a thing. There’s just experience happening. No person knows how. Rest in that. It takes no effort in any respect to experience so just rest in that effortless experience.
It’s all the time fresh and all the time vivid and clear. As soon as you notice turning it right into a thing try to seek out that thing and see you’ll be able to’t since it’s not a thing. It’s not in anyplace. It’s utterly unfindable. Drop right into this moment straight away. It’s not even a moment. Just drop into this experience.
It’s this radiant, vibrant display in awareness rippling with color, light, sound, feeling, energy and yet also oddly unfindable or unlocatable and even what knows it’s unknown. Now once I sound this bell. What’s the query? The query is what knows this sound?
Okay good, let’s end the meditation there. Be at liberty to maneuver and stretch.
Questions and Answers
Michael: So questions comments reports
Questioner 1: Did you hear my head explode over here?
MT: Is that what that was!?
Questioner 1: I had numerous fear around that.
MT: Which that?
Questioner 1: That place of awareness.
MT: How come?
Questioner 1: I’m unsure. I all the time find it difficult to verbalize the experience. I feel like there aren’t any words that appear accurate. It looks like there’s numerous energy and it’s concentrated in certain parts of my body and I am going there and it’s like whoa!
MT: And what it got here blurping out within the open.
Questioner 1: Blurping? Yeah, you recognize it looks like it’s already doing that.
MT: Oh my god and is that the scary part?
Questioner 1: Perhaps.
MT: And what else?
Questioner 1: My each day experience may be very curated and that is like an uncurated experience.
MT: Is the each day curated experience being experienced by something else? No! So it’s really not any different right? In that sense yeah?
Questioner 1: It’s less in my head and more just…
MT: So why do you think that you may go into the top to curate a each day experience that doesn’t contain this noticing of the experience itself?
Questioner 1: Conditioning
MT: Or since it’s scary or something. But isn’t it interesting that it’s only you doing it. It’s only you that’s attempting to not feel that.
Questioner 1: But then I’m like what’s the ‘you?’
MT: What’s the use? I ask you that. What’s the use?
Questioner 1: Should you perhaps that’s what’s scary, like there’s really not a ‘you’ here.
MT: Oh, did you say what’s the you?
Questioner 1: Yeah, the Y-O-U.
MT: Well, it is dependent upon what you mean–so the thoughts and feelings and emotions and the body sensations and being in a single place not one other place that’s all experienced right?
Questioner 1: Yeah.
MT: But alternatively, you’ll be able to’t find the experiencing thing, since it’s not a thing, but there’s still an experience. So isn’t it form of fascinating you could’t actually find what you’re? Now that that might be terrifying but in one other way it’s not fat or skinny or ugly or beautiful or this or that right, it’s beyond all that or outside of it, it’s a special dimension from all that stuff. So there’s a form of extreme freedom there, perhaps freedom’s scary. We discuss that each week about how freedom is horrifying. Okay, excellent. Someone will glue your head back together so you’ll be able to drive home.
Other comments or questions? Yes?
Questioner 2: A two-part query.
MT: I can’t guarantee I’ll answer each parts.
Questioner 2: Yeah, you may not wish to answer the primary part and I’ll move to the second part. The primary part is: how did you come to learn this? Did you discover this in reflection? Were you helped together with one among your individual teachers?
MT: Each and numerous other stuff, you recognize, sometimes it really helps to have one other person “keep going, no not that, take a look at this part, this part.” So having someone guide you actually helps, but in addition every from time to time you simply come back to this basic, the one fact is there’s literally just one fact and that’s —- Right and so sometimes you simply end up going ‘gonk’ and in order that helps after which there’s other things too that bring you there, a friend, an intense experience, every kind of stuff. However it’s super easy. It’s probably the most obvious possible thing and if it’s difficult in any respect to note, it’s since you’re making it too complicated and it’s not complicated. That was the primary part?
Questioner 2: Yeah, and the second part is I can’t help but still search for it, or conceptually search for it, simply because it’s so interesting, that absence and I’m wondering if perhaps it’s just external. Like a blanket.
MT: And still it looks as if one would have the opportunity to seek out it, even when it was external. But that’s interesting… Look. “Okay it’s external.” Go find the spot it’s coming from.
Questioner 2: The opposite thing is that it’s just the character of this, the condition of sentience, but it surely’s invisible to a certain… beyond a certain point.
MT: Yeah now we’re pondering right, now we’re really pondering. So just drop all that and are available back. That’s cool stuff but for what we’re doing here it doesn’t really help.
Questioner 2: Thanks
MT: Thanks for coming again this weekend.
Questioner 3: Are you able to ask who’s seeing or what you’re seeing?
MT: What you’re seeing.
Questioner 3: Is it correct – is that the thing to be noticing?
Are you saying that there isn’t a scene to be seen?
MT: It’s just there. So long as you’re making a scene you’re adding something. So long as you’re making a scene you’re adding something.
Questioner 3: And that seems really interesting. It looks as if something that I can choose. But this sounds cheeky
MT: Oh good! Come on! Come at me bro! I mean that that is everyone’s probability to ask some stuff and everybody’s being really…
Questioner 3: Well what do I do, so what?
MT: So what? Why do I care? Well, perhaps you don’t. Most individuals don’t. I mean actually it’s not like we’re in Madison square garden doing this with 1000’s of individuals, right? Perhaps most individuals don’t and that’s okay.
Questioner 3: What I mean by the query I suppose, meditation or moment-to-moment experience was unpleasant.
MT: And the way do you recognize you’re having an unpleasant experience?
Questioner 3: Right a set of bodily sensations and like this negative valence…
MT: Sure and so what everyone tries to do is change the valence of those experiences, and to a certain extent that’s skillful. And after all, let’s say that if, for instance, the negative valence of bodily experience was coming since you kept hitting yourself in the top with a mallet. Stopping that may probably be smart. Nothing incorrect with that. However, life keeps happening and it just keeps happening and there’s all the time going to be some really difficult shit happening. Some really wonderful stuff too. And let’s say, you recognize, there’s like a basic condition of just probably not liking various things. Or feeling some really heavy shit about stuff. All of which is an element of what’s arising. It’s just a part of life and we will try to change that and to the extent that we try to change it and we’re successful, great.
However, there’s all of the stuff you’ll be able to’t change in any respect. Which is loads. And so what do you do there? What do you do there? You notice that the thing that’s noticing is advantageous. The thoughts and feelings, the emotional valences, all of that could be upset, however the thing that’s noticing isn’t upset. Neither is it actually neutral. It’s joyous since it’s free. It’s totally , unchanging. It’s totally unconditioned. It’s got this sort of joy and that’s really interesting.
And moreover, that’s type of like a practical operationalized thing since you ask why I care. But beyond that, there can just be the enjoyment of exploration since it is an unfathomable mystery that’s incredibly deep. And it’s right on the core, not in some way peripheral to what matters, the core of what matters. And so just going into that could be beautiful, exquisite, meaningful etc. So those are some answers. I could give lots more. Does that make any sense? Doesn’t mean you have got to care. You don’t need to agree.
Questioner 3: I do find it really interesting
MT: There you go. Other stuff?
Questioner 4: Yes, rather more a practical query. Each time I sit on the cushion my leg falls asleep.
MT: So what. That’s the true response. Your leg falling asleep won’t hurt you. It doesn’t rot and fall off or turn purple or anything. It just feels numb somewhat bit and when you sit for somewhat longer it’ll feel numb in a way that feels advantageous. And so just don’t stand up fast and also you’ll be advantageous. Individuals who do that for his or her whole life and their legs get somewhat numb after they sit. Their legs work advantageous. So it’s just somewhat bit uncomfortable at first. When you get used to it it’s advantageous. The opposite answer is: sit in a chair. Each are cool, it’s not like we must do that posture so as to notice our experience.
So, solve it in probably the most practical way that is sensible for you. But what I’ve noticed is you recognize once your legs form of try this little semi-numb thing you’ll be able to sit there perpetually and so they’re still advantageous. They’re getting all of the blood and all that, it’s just somewhat little bit of nerve pressure has made them tingly. That’s it. So it’s really not an issue unless it’s like you simply can’t stand the sensation. Okay, sit within the chair. However, when you’re actually hurting your joints or something by trying to take a seat in a posture you’ll be able to’t really hold. Don’t try this. That’s definitely… Don’t damage yourself. All right. Superb, thanks. Other stuff?
Questioner 4: So if you said ‘where are you feeling the emotions within the body?’ Often, my answer is I can’t find it within the body.
MT: How do you recognize you’re having one?
Questioner 4: Yeah, I just realize it. I don’t know where I’m feeling it. Even with regards to anxiety, people ask me where I’m feeling it… I find the access to the body harder.
MT: It’s just the case that some people find that harder at first, but once… You understand the thing to do is wait until you’re feeling a huge emotion such as you’re really sad and your face is distorted, you’re crying and there’s snot coming out of your nose… You’ll feel it in your fucking body. It’s not like a thought.
And so just notice, Oh right, now I actually feel that in my body, otherwise you’re enraged and your face is scrunched, your jaw is tight and your heart is racing and you simply feel your muscles such as you’re going to do something. It’s very physical. So when it’s really big it’s easy to note and when you form of, oh it’s like that, then if you get somewhat more sensitive to when it’s just little tickles of emotion coming up in your body. So it’s only a matter of getting used to noticing it.
Nonetheless, when you’ve been really used to not noticing it, it is advisable to walk in there slowly, because it could possibly be really intense if you start to truly tune into the physicality of it. But I might say one in five people start on the market or report that it’s a rough guesstimate. So it’s not that unusual, but I’ve never worked with someone who couldn’t eventually feel it. So it’s only a matter of getting used to it.
Questioner 4: Notice it more?
MT: Notice it more or notice it when it’s very easy to note. After which that may begin to make it easier. But feeling the embodied emotion may be very vital. So I might say that’s a worthwhile enterprise.
Questioner 4: Why is it vital?
MT: The reply is sort of a 90-minute talk but just let’s just say knowing what you’re feeling matters, especially when it’s subtle. What else you guys? Yes
Questioner 5: Whenever you say the thing that you simply experience shouldn’t be a thing?
MT: I said the thing that’s experiencing shouldn’t be a thing.
Questioner 5: What does that mean?
MT: Did you discover something that was experiencing? What did you discover?
Questioner 5: I don’t know.
MT: That’s what I mean, that’s straightforward, thanks. Other stuff. Any person really bust out with a extremely incredibly weird or incredibly silly or incredibly difficult query. It’s crow o’clock, so we realize it’s sunset. There all of them go. Yes?
Questioner 6: I don’t know if my query is any of that, but I don’t remember the person’s name within the yellow shirt but your answer to their query made me somewhat uncomfortable since it felt prefer it was speaking loads to what could turn out to be spiritual bypassing. Like there’s this really joyful type of backdrop of awareness, so why not only bliss out on that each one the time.
MT: Sure, did I say to bliss out in it on a regular basis?
Questioner 6: No.
MT: Okay, so it is a query that comes up, I appreciate the query. Nonetheless, so there’s a but, it’s like if I say, here’s this beautiful pen and paper and a well of ink. And you’ll be able to write with it, you’ll be able to draw with it, you’ll be able to make paper airplanes, and draw insignia on it, and fly them and all that. And also you say, But it’s also possible to use the pen to stab yourself in the attention and I’m afraid I’m uncomfortable that you simply’re telling people to make use of the pen to stab themselves in the attention. And so my answer, and I’m being serious, my answer is, so don’t spiritually bypass. Don’t try this. That’s it. Just don’t. You can try this, but it surely’s an unskillful thing to do.
Questioner 6: What’s spiritual bypassing?
MT: Yes, oh good will you define it please? I can when you don’t feel prefer it.
Questioner 5: I might say that it’s finding ways to avoid doing type of the either emotional work, growing up or being engaged on this world in a way that produces suffering for yourself and others.
MT: Superb definition thanks, I couldn’t have defined it higher. So like how I used to be saying that awareness is all the time joyful. Definitely one could use that to only say, well I’m an owner of a factory and I’m ripping off all my employees and really none of them can live or afford to live and that’s kind of creating me feel bad, but I’m just hanging out in my awareness and just form of blanking that each one out. So I’m good. It’s advantageous that they’re all ravenous to death and their children can’t go to high school. So that may be an example of spiritual bypassing and so it’s an issue. People can do it that way. And yet, no solution I give is simpler than saying don’t try this, right? Although bringing it up is beneficial, so I appreciate that.
It’s like okay, it’s value mentioning, but that’s an unskillful option to work. However, if we’re really checking into experience itself, the miracle of just being alive straight away, right here on this moment, not as an idea, but just —- it’s hard to spiritually bypass. It makes it really hard since you’ve got to wish to hide something to bypass. The entire move of bypassing is about hiding something from yourself. And in order that assumes that that form of openness that I’m describing allows for hiding something from yourself, when you see what I mean.
So if we take this to the direction it desires to go deeper and deeper, it becomes very hard to wish to hide like that and as an alternative, very easy to begin engaging. And that’s one other a part of the reply is that individuals don’t want to interact with those form of difficulties since it hurts and it’s hard and it’s work. But when we will tune into that joy and tune into this openness and the power–we will do the work and we will experience the issue in a way that we will manage and we will actually be open because it’s less threatening to vary ourselves. We are able to change how we’re acting on the planet. So thanks for bringing that up. It’s very vital to not try this.
Questioner 7: Hi, one among the instructions that I assumed was form of hard for me was if you said open your eyes and bear in mind that you simply’re in a room and I noticed…
MT: It’s hard to note you’re within the room?
Questioner 7: Well, it’s hard to love – if I take a look at the plant I’m having this experience within the now of seeing like, oh this plant is green and I get all that. And the experience of the notice that I’m in a room or that that could be a plant it didn’t really feel like, it was well it wasn’t all the time there or something it didn’t feel prefer it was type of arriving…
MT: Okay, so what I said is notice you’re in a room straight away. I didn’t say it has to reach on this moment or be something recent. Did I?
Questioner 7: Yeah.
MT: Nope just, I’m coming back that’s what I used to be saying. It’s so easy. Just notice you’re within the room, not in any special way. Just the actual fact of experiencing being here okay? So it’s again, it’s form of easier than it seems to do the thing. So it’s not a special looking or a special experience. It’s just regular miracle experience.
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