Fall 2011 Shamatha Retreat

97 Finishing with loving kindness (and a lovely ceremony)

Fri, 21 Oct 2011 23:16:00 +0700

We come to our very last session with a meditation on loving kindness and dedication of merit (0:50)
Afterwards our group prepared such a lovely closing ceremony that we figured other people might like to cultivate some empathetic joy :)

Thank you for listening!
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96 For a moment, everything can be ok

Fri, 21 Oct 2011 22:40:59 +0700

We come to the last day of the retreat, where Alan invites us to reboot our mind by way of shamatha.
Silent meditation starts at 01:16
Afterwards Alan shares a story and shows us how through shamatha, for a moment everything can be ok

95 From chaos to calm

Fri, 21 Oct 2011 11:57:36 +0700

Alan leads the group, who has started talking now, through a shamatha session (02:13) designed to bring the mind down from agitation to calm. He speaks to a question (35:53) regarding the Dzogchen view of rigpa and the extent to which one can provide a reason as to why one who awakens from the dream of reality won’t fall asleep again.

Note: The first 5 or 10 seconds were missing because Alan started talking before the computer had finished loading. Sorry about that! We were coming back from our (hectic) group photo session so he was talking about that, and that's also why this session is shorter.

94 Infusing the day with shamatha

Thu, 20 Oct 2011 14:18:06 +0700

Alan briefly speaks on how to infuse a busier day with shamatha and mindfulness. He also announces that he will do 6 months retreat at the end of 2012, so there will be no 8 week shamatha retreat in Spring 2013. Silent meditation starts at 01:38

93 The tornado of OCDD

Thu, 20 Oct 2011 14:16:06 +0700

There are three strategies to protect from the tornado of thoughts in the mind. The first is to go to a shelter which is mindfulness of breathing – releasing and releasing the thoughts. The second is the tornado chasers who learn a great deal about tornadoes without getting caught in them – that is settling the mind in its natural state. The third is to go up into the tornado and come out on the other side in the expanse of blue sky – that is awareness of awareness. Silent meditation starts at 04:18
Questions (29:02)
Were the four immeasurable taught as a part of the year of shamatha practice with Gen Lamrimpa?
Could you discuss further the role of the observer participant related to frozen time.

92 Whenever there's meeting, there's parting

Thu, 20 Oct 2011 14:14:25 +0700

We are beginning our final descent. The deva realm of Tushita and the pure land of Tushita sit side by side. In the deva realm when it is time for a deva to leave their flowers fade and they suffer great mental anguish over leaving. However in Tushita, the pure land, beings have been training their minds in dharma and leave there because of their great compassion to help suffering sentient beings. So when they leave it is a time of celebration. Likewise, if we were at the sports and leisure center down the street we might feel sadness to be leaving the sun and the pool and the fit people. But since we are leaving the mind center with the intention to offer our best to those we meet it is not a cause of sadness but a cause of celebration.
Silent meditation starts at 22:34

91 Purifying our vision

Wed, 19 Oct 2011 08:59:45 +0700

Silent meditation (no introduction) starts at 0:18
Questions (25:28):
1. Comment on the concepts of time and space.
2. What role do the “Hidden Lands” play in the context of Buddhist practice?
3. In the Vajrayana, there is the practice of the illusory body. Is there anything like this in the Mahayana? What is the concept of “wilderness” in practice?
4. What is the role of devotion and reverence in practice?
5. Pondering the metaphor of the carriage and the Four Immeasurables being like four horses,
I have explored what the other parts of the metaphor are in my own practice. For example, the reins (which must be held not too tight or not too loose) are the discipline of my practice in the hands of the driver—who might be inattentive or alert, a good driver or not so good on any given day. The wheels and undercarriage are the Four Thoughts that Turn the Mind (Precious human existence, Death and Impermanence, the Law of Karma, and the Defects of Samsara). Who is inside the carriage (a passive passenger or a master who knows the destination and the route to it and can keep the driver going in the right direction). Are there other interpretations? A similar metaphor appears in the Upanishads. Is there an expanded metaphor in Buddhist text?

90 Moving from coal to solar energy

Wed, 19 Oct 2011 08:56:35 +0700

Relying on hedonic pleasure is like a town that relies on a coal-fired generator. We begin to realize how much pollution this represents and seek more environmental friendly energy sources. In the same way we can begin to gradually shift into the "solar panels" of genuine happiness, by way of simplicity and contentment.
Alan comments how even the Dalai Lama has stopped watching TV as he says it clouds his mind.
Silent meditation starts at 8:30

89 A wellspring of good advice

Wed, 19 Oct 2011 08:51:38 +0700

This last Monday afternoon’s session, which we can say that is indispensable to listen to, Alan offered a huge number of pieces of advice that are extremely useful for those that are going to do a long retreat, for those that are going to meet their daily activities and for all of us that want to keep practicing Dharma the rest of our lives: how can we deal and respond to the eroding of our Shamatha practice and the striking back of our OCDD? What is a balanced Dharma practice and the role of Shamatha within it? With the aspiration of undertaking a long retreat: how to avoid a waiting attitude and neglecting the practice in the present day? How to avoid being like the cat that is either flapping in the surface of a pond or sinking to its bottom, but rather become like the happy elephant in a long term retreat? Also, how to avoid expectations but keeping joy and gratitude during it? What to do when we have days during which we cannot even count until three? And most important: how is our Dharma practice affecting our way of viewing reality, others and our values?
And many many more jewels that you will find in this session with inspiring anecdotes.
So as you can see, Alan has been very generous again.
Then as it is usual for these last days, the session was in silence (51:24), followed by two questions (76:26): clarifications about the sequence of Shamatha methods taught in Padmasambhava’s Natural Liberation; and how to keep inspiration, faith and enthusiasm for our practice as Westerners?
So, please make yourself comfortable and enjoy… See you around

88 Karma must ripen

Wed, 19 Oct 2011 08:46:24 +0700

The root of all Buddhist teachings and practice is compassion. We start out with the reality of suffering – something that we have all experienced. The background radiation of anxiety has got to go. It is the result of grasping onto what is not – what is not is “I” and “me.”
We must discover who we really are. We are born with inborn ignorance then we learn some more fabricated ignorance. Go to that which I am before I reified all my human roles.
Shamata is not easy. There is nothing left of who you thought you were. The substrate consciousness is bare, raw being. Go in and observe the agent – who, who, who? Is there anything more than a concept?
Karma must ripen.
Silent meditation starts at 21:03

87 The built-in antidotes

Sun, 16 Oct 2011 12:50:35 +0700

In this session Alan reminds us that shamatha is designed to dispel the 5 obscurations and as the imbalances are built-in, the remedies are also built-in. In the same way, among the 4 Immeasurables one naturally arises as the remedy for the near enemy of another one.
For Loving Kindness' facsimile which is self centered attachment, the remedy is Equanimity
For Compassion's facsimile which is depression, grief, despair, the remedy is Empathetic Joy
For Empathetic Joy's facsimile which is frivolous joy or hedonic fixation, the remedy is Loving Kindness
For Equanimity's facsimile, which is aloof indifference, the remedy is Compassion

Silent meditation starts at 4:08

Questions (29:10):
• How do the 4 immeasurables transform into bodhichitta and into the stages of a bodhisattva. Is there any text you would recommend?
• What happens when one realizes emptiness? Does it happen in meditation? Do your senses go dormant or the opposite? Can you lose it?
• If a being in the bardo chooses parents not only out of karma, but out of wisdom, why would we choose, for instance, to be born in Africa from parents who are starving?
• According to Tibetan culture, to have a few consorts at the same time as some lamas do, is not against ethical values?
• Can you tell a little bit about the range of ways of working with the fear that is holding us back from seeing things the way they are? There is much evidence right in front of us but it seems like our hearts and minds uncontrollably prefer to remain blind and ignorant to it.
• The Dharma has been described as the law of nature or as encompassing the nature of reality. If that is true, then sentient beings are involved in the dharma, whether they are formal students of it or not. For instance, I have met people who show an intuitive understanding of Buddhist concepts without any exposure to the teachings.
• In a sense that we are all bumbling through the universe of our experience, some more skillfully than others, perhaps, just like the early cosmologists bumbling their way through heavens, such reflections help me with humility, with connectedness and with devotion to wellsprings of life itself.

86 The Path

Sun, 16 Oct 2011 08:35:37 +0700

The Four Immeasurables unguided meditation. Alan reiterates how important it is to have a sense of direction, a path. You really need to have a vision in your heart of where you want to go. He mentions that on the Dzogchen path he has the sense that rigpa breaks through to our side, whereas on other paths one has to break through to rigpa.
Meditation starts at 7:44

85 Practicing after the retreat

Sat, 15 Oct 2011 10:33:30 +0700

For those of us returning to our ordinary lives, Alan suggests that we avail ourselves of all the shamatha practices depending on our body and mind at that moment. For those of us continuing in retreat, Alan suggests that we focus primarily on one practice and deepen that.

Non-guided meditation (7:18) on shamatha practice of our choice.

Questions (33:02)
Q1a) It takes one countless eon to achieve the Path of Seeing. Why not take the shravaka path of realizing selflessness and using that wisdom from the very start?
Q1b) Where are we after achieving shamatha and vipashyana?
Q2a) Please tell us about Sakya Dagmo-la
Q2b) What is Samantabhadra’s pure land of Akanishta?
Q3) Who are Alan’s 2 principal teachers?
Q4a) How can we practice shamatha during ngöndro?
Q4b) I haven’t had any success with lucid dreaming, so are there easier practices?
Q5) Please give advice on preparing for retreat.
Q6) In Settling the Mind, is there subtle preference in letting thoughts arise in free association?
Q7) Since dzogchen is less complex and possibly easier for realizing clear light mind, why did the New Translation Schools move away from this towards the stages of generation and completion practices?

84 Maturation

Sat, 15 Oct 2011 10:29:14 +0700

Experienced meditators can move through a process of maturation where the Dharma and practices become ever more central to their lives. They come to practice without preference for good or bad meditations but continue regardless of their personal experiences - much like a veteran sailor has learned to ply the seas regardless of the weather.
Silent meditation starts at 7:05

83 Lucid dreaming and dream yoga

Thu, 13 Oct 2011 19:08:03 +0700

After a silent meditation (1:40) Alan gives an overview and brief ‘how to guide’ of lucid dreaming and dream yoga.
Then questions (67:20) include eyes closing as we progress along the path of mindfulness of breathing, the use of tonglen for shamatha and discussion of the life of Dudjom Lingpa and other great Dzogchen masters.

82 Envision the novel of the rest of your life

Thu, 13 Oct 2011 10:14:51 +0700

“Shape your mind, shape your life.” Having completed the cycle of guided meditation, Alan speaks briefly about envisioning the transition from retreat into daily life, and in particular the difference between “aspiration” and “hope and fear”.
Silent meditation starts at 8:11

81 Shamatha without a sign, part 4

Thu, 13 Oct 2011 10:08:55 +0700

Reading from Vajra Essence regarding the difference between consciousness, substrate consciousness and Rigpa.
Meditation on awareness of awareness expanding out to all directions (26:30)
Questions (51:23)
How does the "naked" healing process of the mind by way of settling the mind happen with other shamatha methods?
How lasting or fleeting are the changes to the coarse and subtle bodies caused by altering the flow of prana through shamatha practice?
Person getting headaches from meditation – what suggestions to prevent it?
Question related to rigpa being necessary to explain extrasensory perception such as precognition and remote viewing
What is meant by the compassionate display of rigpa? Difficulty seeing rigpa as compassionate.
Question regarding how to move away from not liking oneself and feeling guilty over past unwholesome activities.

80 Equanimity, part 2

Thu, 13 Oct 2011 09:58:08 +0700

Meditation on equanimity. Start with loving kindness for ourselves. Mental afflictions come to us just like the flu – don’t fuse your identity with the mental afflictions. The more loving kindness you have for yourself, the more you can extend it to others.
Meditation (16:23)
Can do usual Tonglen practice. Can also visualize receiving blessings from your teachers and all the Buddhas in the form of light coming in to you and then breathe it out to others.

79 Shamatha without a sign, part 3

Wed, 12 Oct 2011 09:51:10 +0700

Dharma talk and meditation on Awareness of Awareness with the focus on the observer: Is there someone in there?
The Bahiya (of the Garment) Sutra. Bahiya received a short discourse from the Buddha and immediately became an arhat. Bahiya was a merchant who had sailed the seas. On his eighth voyage, he was shipwrecked and washed ashore naked. He used the flotsam on the beach to cover himself and the local villagers saw him and thought he was a holy man. He became well-regarded as an arhat from whom the villagers often asked spiritual and mundane advice. Eventually Bahiya began to wonder if he was, indeed, an arhat. However a feminine diva appeared to him and said that he was not, but that he should go to the Buddha who could give him instructions. Bahiya walks a long way across India to find the Buddha and asks on three different occasions for instruction. The third time, the Buddha consents and gives the short discourse on selflessness. Bahiya becomes immediately liberated as an arhat. Three days later, he is gored by a cow and dies.

There is no self/observer/agent inside, outside or in between. There is no correlate to a self in the brain.
After the horrible period between about 1400 and 1750 which saw the bubonic plague and witch hunts, there was a rise in science and a mechanistic view of the world. This continues today despite enormous evidence to the contrary. 96% of the universe is metaphysical (i.e. it can’t be measured; physicists call it “black matter” and “black energy”).
Everything we experience is appearances – non-physical (although there is a physical existence). What we see is the space of the mind.
Being awake is dreaming with physical constraints. Dreaming is waking experience without physical constraints.
The universe is enchanted with consciousness.

Meditation starts at 57:44

No Question and Answer session this time.

78 Equanimity, part 1

Tue, 11 Oct 2011 10:09:14 +0700

We come back to equanimity and Alan talks about it from 3 different levels:
Coarse mind - Shantideva: "If there is something you can do about it don't worry. If there's nothing you can do about it, don't worry"
Subtle mind - Everything arises as a manifestation of our own karma. "I will paint from my own mind. All I'm seeing/experiencing are appearances from my coarse mind" Consider what you've contributed but don't respond with craving or hostility.
Rigpa - Everything is an expression of the Buddha Mind. An all-pervasive display of compassion
Meditation starts at 10:47

77 Shamatha without a sign, part 2

Tue, 11 Oct 2011 10:00:34 +0700

Deep…During this extremely inspiring afternoon, Alan started by explaining how to recognize the object of attention of the practice of awareness of awareness for those that find this practice elusive. Also he explained, with the parallel of mosquitoes flying around a fan, how the oscillation works against thoughts. At the end, this practice leads to resting the mind into luminosity and emptiness.
After this clarification, he went on to present his opinion of some aspects of how is being presented the dharma related to these degenerated times. We should try to avoid to be playing the last piece of music with the orchestra of the sinking Titanic by relying on the notion of the path that starts with afflictions and finishes free from them. He mentioned again the lack of emphasis put into shamatha nowadays.
Moving on, Alan kindly shared with us another sublime passage from Dudjom Lingpa’s Vajra Essence that distinguishes the ground of the coarse mind from rigpa, giving detailed and extremely inspiring descriptions, and clarifying the notion of the path.
Then it followed the practice of awareness of awareness (55:02), probing into the agent to ascertain its nature, essential.
Finally, we got a very rich question (79:44) about the differences between the Mahamudra terminology and its path and those of Dzogchen. Alan made again a gift to us of it…
Please settle your body, speech and mind to listen to these teachings. Enjoy

76 Empathetic Joy, part 2

Tue, 11 Oct 2011 09:56:51 +0700

Instruction and meditation on cultivating Empathetic Joy:
Calling upon the Buddhas, Bodhisattvas, and gurus for blessing and remembering that they are not outside of ourselves but within us.
Meditation starts at 11:26

75 Shamatha without a sign, part 1

Sat, 08 Oct 2011 18:28:56 +0700

Alan talks about the up and downs of the practice and how to keep the enthusiasm and where to draw the inspiration from. Then he shares an excerpt from Dudjom Lingpa's The Vajra Essence about the difference between the substrate, the substrate consciousness and rigpa.
The practice for today is awareness of awareness (46:53)
Alan shares some more stories, and then there's one question (79:44) about Shambhala

74 Empathetic Joy, part 1

Sat, 08 Oct 2011 18:18:55 +0700

Why couldn't we all never be parted from genuine happiness free from suffering? Cultivating Empathetic Joy is not just an emotion but also an aspiration. When we take on the personal commitment, "May I make it so" we go from immeasurable Empathetic Joy to great Empathetic Joy. We place a marker in the future for this commitment that we can't fulfill right now. Alan calls the Four Immeasurables the heartbeat of Bodhicitta - the four great steads that pull the Mahayana chariot with wisdom as the charioteer.
Meditation starts at 11:34

73 Settling the mind in its natural state, part 3

Fri, 07 Oct 2011 19:18:36 +0700

Alan goes into greater detail about ascertaining the space of the mind between mental events in settling the mind. He explains the danger of complacency at Stages 4 and 7 and the importance of overcoming remaining faults by sharpening the blade of introspection in order to progress further.

Guided meditation on settling the mind in its natural state (36:23)

Questions (71:34)
Q1) If it takes 2 years to achieve shamatha, how long does it take to achieve vipashyana, trekchö, and thodgyal?
Q2) If the Buddha could see all his past lives at enlightenment, why not the first?
Q3) In a personal interview, Alan mentioned that grief was a wholesome emotion. How can we learn about the range of wholesome emotions?
Q4) If labeling is not part of the shamatha practice and may be counter-productive, how can we know if we’re on track?

Note: For a series of free online recordings of Tenzin Palmo on shamatha and the 4 immeasurables, check: http://www.tushita.info/resources/audio-downloads/287-jetsunma-audio

72 Compassion, part 3

Fri, 07 Oct 2011 19:15:11 +0700

Compassion, understood as the suffering of conditioned phenomena, is conditioned by ignorance. Suffering in its broadest manifestation involves the understanding of a dualistic vision. How we tend to see others as outer, ourselves as inner, and experience suffering as if we are its personal victims. But there are 7 billion people on earth, meaning that there are 7 billion universes. The core message of Dzogchen is that we have all created our personal universe, and that we can all be free, if we simply understand what’s going on.
Meditation starts at 14:03

71 Settling the mind in its natural state, part 2

Thu, 06 Oct 2011 18:30:29 +0700

Alan takes us through a comparative study of texts from the time of the Buddha up until the 19th Century, comparing the way shamatha has been dealt with amongst a variety of Buddhist traditions. Meditation starts at 38:04 He reveals the particular relevance of settling the mind in its natural state to dealing with the suffering of change and answers questions (75:53) regarding the karmically neutral nature of the substrate and the problems that arise from concepts of beginninglessness and infinite time.

70 Compassion, part 2

Thu, 06 Oct 2011 10:04:14 +0700

“Give up attachment to this life and let your mind become Dharma” Alan explains how to approach the suffering of change and elaborates on the role of shamatha in dealing with this particular kind of suffering.
Meditation starts at 14:31

69 Settling the mind in its natural state, part 1

Thu, 06 Oct 2011 09:51:26 +0700

Settling the mind in its natural state. When mental afflictions come up, if you recognize them as such, you have a choice regarding whether you act on them. If you don’t recognize them you will simply act on the basis of the mental afflictions. Be present and observe with interest all that comes up even if they are not pleasant.
Description of how to do the gentle vase breathing. Discussion of prana and the dangers of practicing pranayama without a qualified teacher; it is much easier to damage prana than to repair it.
Meditation starts at 49:58
Questions (75:01)
Question on the differences in Alan’s books particularly between Genuine Happiness and the Four Immeasurables.
Question regarding the emptiness of the mind – that practice as the soft spot on the death star, leading to realization of other emptiness. Question regarding emptiness as a negative, what is the positive aspect? Discussion of different strategies between Tsongkhapa where it is just the sheer absence of inherent nature, and Mahamudra and Dzogchen which attends to emptiness with awareness in the nature of luminosity.

68 Compassion, part 1

Thu, 06 Oct 2011 09:49:26 +0700

Meditation on Compassion. Why couldn’t we all be free from suffering and the causes of suffering? There is a dearth of knowledge regarding the causes of suffering. When resting in awareness of awareness, how many mental afflictions do you experience? Cultivate compassion from the perspective of purity – from your Buddha nature to theirs. Compassion coming from a place of purity addressing a place of purity.
Meditation starts at 13:27

67 Mindfulness of breathing, part 3

Wed, 05 Oct 2011 10:04:39 +0700

Instruction and meditation on Mindfulness of Breathing: the focus on anapanasatti (focusing on the sensations at the opening of the nostrils and/or on the upper lip under the nostrils)
The problem with this foundational practice is that the mind has a thirst for entertainment and it gets bored with the practice and makes up its own entertainment. Thoughts will come up in this practice but you do not cognitively fuse with them (fall into daydreaming).
The problem with Settling the Mind in its Natural State is that you get sloppy and just get caught up in what arises in the mind.
In Awareness of Awareness, the most common error is just sitting there, zoning out and not knowing anything – which is the root of samsara.
In Mindfulness of Breathing, the antidote to restlessness/too much kinetic energy is to relax and release the energy gently on the out breath. If it gets boring when the sensations become very subtle, attend closely while releasing all control of the breath.
If stability isn’t getting better, your shamatha isn’t working
Asanga does not mention the acquired sign or the counterpart sign. He discusses attending to the whole body and the route of the passage of the breath. He also discusses prana – a subtle energy (and it might be what he is referring to when he speaks about breathing through the skin).
Some discussion of Tibetan medicine and the notions of the three humors: wind, fire, and phlegm.
Meditation starts at 48:19

Q&A (73:07)
Discussion of the differences between the discovery and the development models.

66 Loving kindness, part 3

Tue, 04 Oct 2011 10:16:11 +0700

We continue with the practice of metta, or loving kindness, expanding out as in the Pali suttas, combined with the Tibetan liturgy of Mahamaitri (great loving kindness)
Helping others can mean to help them hedonically, not just to fulfill legitimate needs/desires but also ultimately to help them see through 'hedonic fundamentalism'
Why couldn't we all find happiness and the causes of happiness? May it be so! We can!
With the help of the Buddha, deity and guru may I make it so!
Celebrate different aspirations for happiness - diversity of desire
Meditation starts at 14:50

65 Mindfulness of breathing, part 2

Mon, 03 Oct 2011 18:54:04 +0700

Welcome to all! This afternoon Alan started by stating that stability is usually regarded as the core of the shamatha practice and how it is developed by the rope of mindfulness. Then following a text of Panchen Lobsang Chokyi Gyaltsen that describes that with practicing settling the mind in its natural state one can attend also to the luminosity and cognizance of the mind (which is none other
than awareness of awareness). So the two ends of the rope of mindfulness will be applied to the practice of this afternoon: mindfulness of the breath focused on stability (49:58).

Next Alan covered a wide range of topics from the different control over the bardos by bodhisattvas and common sentient beings to the fact of being able to remember when we become lucid but never when non-lucid. All of these topics were to point out the fact of the common and permanent denominator of them: the presence of awareness.

After the practice we got two questions (80:14): one about the different explanations of our need to sleep and what happen to the sleep of one who has achieved shamatha, and the second about if all sentient beings share the same rigpa.

Please enjoy, most interesting…

64 Loving kindness, part 2

Mon, 03 Oct 2011 14:15:19 +0700

Meditative cultivation of Loving Kindness: The focus was Great Loving Kindness, seeing through the outer manifestations of people, including ourselves, and attending to the essential Buddha nature of each sentient being.
Meditation starts at 7:20
If you have trouble with the “ball and chain” you carry around that is the picture of yourself that you have constructed from your past, “reboot” you system. Recreate yourself. See yourself as having Buddha nature, as the Dalai Lama, as Chenrezig. You created the negative picture of yourself; you can create the new picture.

63 Mindfulness of breathing, part 1

Sat, 01 Oct 2011 19:01:59 +0700

Once again we start the cycle, beginning with mindfulness of breathing. Alan first gives an overview of the whole path, from settling the body, speech and mind in their natural state, all the way up to dzogchen, by using the analogy of a computer. We start with a very old, big and clunky computer that barely works, and we upgrade it over and over with the "software" of shamatha, vipashyana, bodhichitta, etc. that reboots and enhances it until we end up with a perfect machine, which stays turned on "for as long as space remains, for as long as sentient beings remain..." Quite nice!

Meditation starts at 38:00

Questions (63:08):
1) Why is it said that when we see a negative quality in someone else like anger, we're reflecting our own, like a mirror; when the Buddha got rid of his defilements couldn't he see any more anger, envy, etc in other people?
2) Differences between science and buddhism in terms of goals (hedonic vs eudaimonic) and how each treats meditation accordingly

62 Loving kindness, part 1

Sat, 01 Oct 2011 13:10:29 +0700

In this round, Alan will lay emphasis on the Mahayana approach to the 4 immeasurables. „Why can’t all sentient beings find happiness and the causes of happiness? May all sentient beings find happiness and the causes of happiness. I shall make this happen. By the blessings of the guru and yidam, may I be able to do so.“

Guided meditation (6:33) on envisioning our own flourishing. What is our heart’s desire? What would we like to receive as support? What qualities would we like to be rid of, and what qualities would we like to attain? What would we like to offer?

61 Shamatha without a sign, part 4

Fri, 30 Sep 2011 19:25:45 +0700

Alan reviews the process of relinquishing control/agency in the 3 shamatha practices. Given the buddhist assertion that something true should appear truer with increasing scrutiny, the truth of emptiness is now reinforced with insights from modern quantum physics. Yet the insight in modern science does not appear to alter lifestyles and world views, whereas buddhist practice grounded in ethics, concentration, and wisdom do.

Guided meditation (46:20) on projecting awareness up, right, left, down, center, release, and rest. This meditation should be considered a stretching exercise to help us understand that awareness is totally open, without center nor periphery.

Questions (71:13):
Q1) How can we overcome the lion at the gate of „I am the observer“?
Q2) What are other methods to weaken the veils of luminosity in addition to oscillation in awareness of awareness?
Q3) When does the birth process begin?
Q4) What are the Tibetan terms for settling the mind in its natural state and awareness of awareness and their connotations?
Q5) In terms of Hawking’s theory of the past as being in superposition, how is the present different?
Q6) Can you clarify the terms appearance and perception, nangwa and nangyul, within the contexts of mind and space of mind and the 8 consciousnesses?

60 Equanimity, part 2

Fri, 30 Sep 2011 19:10:31 +0700

Equanimity is the final fruition of the path. In the Theravada tradition, equanimity is envisioned as a composure of imperturbability, of not being thrown out of balance by adversity or felicity. In the Mahayana literature, it's also seen as an even open-heartedness and caring for all sentient beings without exception. Three steps to descend to deeper levels of authenticity are outlined, involving ethical restraint, settling the mind in its natural state and uprooting the conceit of 'I am.'
Meditation starts at 21:19

59 Shamatha without a sign, part 3

Thu, 29 Sep 2011 18:45:34 +0700

Alan expands upon some of the ideas from physics he dealt with in the previous day’s talk and explains how the Dzogchen view and the Prasangika-Madhyamika view are complementary. He weaves this within a broader explanation of the path of taking the breath, mind and awareness as one’s object. The practice for today (41:14) deals with probing more deeply into the agent. Questions (65:53) raise issues such as the benefits of solitude and the cultivation of the 4 immeasurable in this context, how karmic imprints travel from life to life, the concept of the ‘mere I’, the ineffability of rigpa, how one can view the idea of beginninglessness and the benefits of mantra.

58 Equanimity, part 1

Thu, 29 Sep 2011 09:57:56 +0700

Alan covers the prerequisites for the development of equanimity, which involve one transcending one’s ordinary deluded outlook. He discusses how one may become able to do this: how one may cultivate a sense of contentment, how one may more strongly identify a common ground between self and other and how to then develop an evenness of caring that is founded upon reality based hope and warmth.
Meditation starts at 12:03

57 Shamatha without a sign, part 2

Thu, 29 Sep 2011 09:53:52 +0700

We all experience taking voluntary action such as raising an arm. Who is the agent for voluntary actions? In Awareness of awareness meditation during the inversion into awareness, look for the agent who is doing the inversion and release.
In the seen there is just the seen – Buddha said when you look at appearances you are not with them. Discussion of scientific views regarding physical world and its objectivity. Discussion of quantum mechanics. Anton Zeilinger’s position that nothing which exists is independent of our system of measurements. Alan presents other physics theories that he views supports the philosophical view of emptiness and refutes materialistic scientific views.
Afternoon meditation (69:51) – Awareness of awareness looking for the agent of voluntary actions.

Sorry, no time for questions this time!

56 Empathetic joy, part 2

Thu, 29 Sep 2011 09:52:17 +0700

Morning talk – Empathetic Joy – Finding commonality with others
Meditation (13:12)
Taking Joy in others joy – first in conventional joy, then in those creating virtue through their service to others, then in those creating virtue through Samadhi practice and finally taking joy in those creating virtue by practicing wisdom.

55 Shamatha without a sign, part 1

Tue, 27 Sep 2011 18:35:15 +0700

Many people have expressed confusion about this practice, probably because of looking for something to happen that isn’t happening. Therefore, they miss what is happening.
The basic practice is something you already know: being aware of being aware. You know when you are aware. Begin there. The oscillation is between being aware of your own awareness and releasing into something brighter, emptier, non-conceptual, and of no objects. You can mount the oscillation on your breath at first and then do it at your own pace. But release the oscillation in the middle. Let it rest in its own place. It is the best approximation of the substrate consciousness.
Meditation starts at 47:35

Q & A (72:32):
Is the dark near attainment before the clear light of death the same as the substrate?
Let's say my girlfriend wants to dance and I don’t. What would be examples of the applications of the Four Immeasurables in this circumstance?
What is dream yoga and what is it for?

54 Empathetic Joy, part 1

Tue, 27 Sep 2011 13:10:18 +0700

We come back to the cultivation of mediate, starting with oneself, but not an immutable self, a dependently arisen self.

Alan again comments on our way of evaluating our practice: "Meditation, what have you given me this week?" No, no, no!
All that comes up is a maturation of our karma

From the lo jong (mind training) teachings: everything that comes up, transmute it into fuel for the path.
"This happened. Others see it as poor you. I take it as a lesson to deepen my practice and wisdom."
Become the alchemist of your life.

From the perspective of rigpa: with deep intuitive faith seeing all experiences arising as coming from Buddhas to help us become enlightened - we can have an ongoing flow of gratitude for this!
The one taste of felicity and adversity

Meditation starts at 14:21

53 Settling the mind in its natural state, part 3

Tue, 27 Sep 2011 12:54:51 +0700

Alan started the session of this afternoon explaining why among the immense variety ofmethods to achieve shamatha, he presents these three, and how they are fit for modernity.

Then he enlightened us with a global parallel between each of these practices with one of the three yanas: starting from the roles of mindfulness and introspection in each of these three until the different lifestyles of the shravaka, the bodhisattva and the tantric or dzogchen practitioner. Also he covered how each practice deals with the coarse, subtle and very subtle minds.

After this he connected this presentation with the practice of settling the mind in its natural state practice that followed up (42:17).

Finally, the questions (67:04) addressed the topics about the connection between body and mental feelings and how to focus only into the mental for the practice of settling the mind; reincarnation and Christianity; what does it mean “ola so” (I thought it was Spanglish); and how to consider those that seem that go in an opposite direction than genuine happiness.

As usual… inspiring…don’t miss it.

52 Compassion focused on pervasive suffering

Mon, 26 Sep 2011 18:23:37 +0700

Dharma talk on Compassion
Suffering relates to the “conceit of ‘I am’” – the delusion that there is an “I” that exists outside of conceptual constructs.
There is a current trend among some people that one must develop a strong sense of “I am” before one can meditate. However, it is important to develop confidence rather than ego. Confidence and humility along with a sense of gratitude for one’s teachers can be developed simultaneously. Rather than a strong ego, one must have a realistic sense of who you are.
A dream sign to develop (regarding lucid dreaming) is the psychological impulse of “I am.” Develop this in your so-called “waking state.” Observe your reaction when you are either blamed or praised, not given enough respect. There is a surge of emotion. When you experience anger, resentment, fear, anxiety, self-loathing, pride, do a “reality check” (or as is done in developing lucid dreaming, a “state check”). Ask “Is there really somebody here or is it just a thought?”
Meditation (16:00) on all three types of suffering: blatant suffering, the suffering of change, and the suffering that arises due to our vulnerability because of our vision of who we are.
Carrying practice: Throughout the day, when you have a sense of “I am,” do a reality/state check. Just jumping up and down won’t be enough. Go deep into your awareness that is obscured by mental afflictions but is never contaminated by them.

51 Settling the mind in its natural state, part 2

Sat, 24 Sep 2011 19:40:41 +0700

Alan starts by explaining the concept of rang dröl (self-liberation or natural liberation) in the context of shamatha practice. He then talks about the 5 obscurations and its antidotes, which are:

The five factors of stabilization remove the five obscurations
1. The factor of coarse examination removes the obscurations of laxity and dullness.
2. The factor of precise investigation removes the obscuration of uncertainty.
3. The factor of well-being removes the obscuration of malice.
4. The factor of bliss removes the obscurations of excitation and anxiety
5. The factor of single-pointed attention removes the obscuration of sensual craving.

Water similes of the five obscurations
1. Sensual craving is like water mixed with various colors.
2. Malice is like boiling water.
3. Laxity and dullness are like water covered over by moss.
4. Excitation and anxiety are like agitated water whipped by the wind.
5. Uncertainty is like turbid, muddy water.

Today we continue with the practice of settling the mind in its natural state, now focusing on both the objective as well as the subjective aspects of the foreground
Meditation starts at 44:33

Questions (69:17):

1) What does it mean to achieve shamatha in the water, air, earth, etc elements?
2) How does the physical world map to the model of the 3 levels of consciousness, as related to this morning's talk?
3) Advice on what to do when one experiences waves of energy and a sense of "buzz" while practicing loving kindness
4) If one who has achieved shamatha but didn't have time to proceed along the mundane or supramande paths...what should this person do in order to avoid losing it in his/her future lives?

50 Compassion focused on the suffering of change

Sat, 24 Sep 2011 19:33:44 +0700

Back to Compassion focusing on suffering of change because of the mental affliction of attachment. The internal antidote is samadhi. Alan relates a true story of a hyena and a lion which perfectly illustrates why we should have compassion even for those who apparently have a great life hedonically. In the meditation session we start with ourselves.
Meditation starts at 17:10

49 Settling the mind in its natural state, part 1

Fri, 23 Sep 2011 18:33:40 +0700

Alan begins by giving examples of how one could experience the substrate directly before achieving shamatha. As with emptiness and rigpa, such direct experiences of the substrate are veiled by concepts. As such, the first quality of the substrate to strive for is non-conceptuality. Reminder: the core practice is to attend to mental phenomena without distraction, without grasping.

Guided meditation (17:55) starting with focusing one’s attention on the visual, the auditory, and the tactile before moving on to the mental.

Alan explains the meaning behind snapping his fingers before sitting down.

Questions (43:07):
Q1) At what stage can vipashyana be integrated with shamatha?
Q2) At advanced stages of shamatha, breathing gets less frequent, stopping for periods at a time. What are the 4 immeasurables good for then?
Q3) Developing buddhanature according to dzogchen.
Q4) What’s the difference between buddhist teachings and buddhism in the highest levels of shamatha?
Q5) Can we experience the substrate consciousness in various states like sleep?
Q6) What is resistance to samadhi that one encounters through stage 5?
Q7) Is the clear light of death the same as rigpa?
Q8) Please elaborate on the term appearances in the expression „taking appearances and awareness as the path“
Q9) What are some physiological reasons for keeping the eyes open during meditation?

48 Compassion focused on blatant suffering

Fri, 23 Sep 2011 16:23:00 +0700

The most obvious form of suffering is blatant suffering, which is both physical and mental. Physical suffering involves lack of necessities such as food, clothing, shelter, health, while mental suffering is such that people can be in wonderfully endowed in all the necessities but suffer terribly mentally. The black plague of mental suffering is carried on the fleas of mental concepts - suffering encroaches via concepts. With mindfulness of breathing, one blows concepts and thoughts away with the out-breath and the stages of shamatha involve the progressive diminishing of this conceptual realm. Achieving bodhicitta is a second way of achieving liberation. By cherishing others more than yourself, this too leads to the cessation of mental suffering.
Meditation starts at 14:10

47 Mindfulness of breathing, part 3

Thu, 22 Sep 2011 18:32:24 +0700

“When did the Buddha stop teaching?” Alan launches into a wide ranging discussion loosely revolving around shamatha but focusing upon the authenticity and reliability of the teachings of different Buddhist traditions. After the meditation (48:40) focusing on the sensations at the apertures of the nostrils, he then deals with questions (73:29) about differences between Buddha Nature and the substrate consciousness, their location, how one rests in each and the uniqueness of the Vajrayana method of realization in general. He also refers to some writings dealing with the 5 factors of stabilization and 5 obscurations.

46 Loving kindness, part 3

Thu, 22 Sep 2011 10:02:50 +0700

Alan leads a meditation in which one utilizes one’s own experience of loving kindness from a person who embodies such qualities as a means to develop greater loving kindness in oneself. He notes that our limitations in being loving come substantially from the limitations we impose and accept upon ourselves.
Meditation starts at 8:07

45 Mindfulness of breathing, part 2

Thu, 22 Sep 2011 09:56:38 +0700

Afternoon talk
Mindfulness of breathing. Cultivating stability of attention while focusing on the rise and fall of the abdomen. Maintaining the same sense of relaxation. Breathe in to arise wakefulness and eliminate dullness. Breathe out to release all distractions. Discussion of counting technique with breathing. One thing you bring to the practice is your substrate consciousness with its stillness. Clarity is an intrinsic quality that gets covered over but not eliminated. Importance of releasing grasping.
Meditation starts at 30:43
Questions (55:55)
How do you know when medium and subtle excitation are occurring in the settling the mind in its natural state meditation? How about medium and subtle laxity?
Is it true that merely attaining shamatha, the body remains fresh after death? What level of realization is needed to be liberated in the bardo of the Dharmata?
Why do we need to be in solitary retreat to attain shamatha?
Question regarding free will and the self. How does rigpa impact the coarse mind and does it influence free will? Are there parallels in Christianity?

44 Loving kindness, part 2

Thu, 22 Sep 2011 09:52:45 +0700

Morning talk
Four immeasurables – Loving Kindness. Why can’t all sentient beings have happiness and the causes of happiness? In the Tibetan prayer it is posed as a rhetorical question because the answer it that they can because the causes of happiness are within each sentient being.
Meditation (8:47)
Meditate on the causes of happiness and the wish that all sentient beings develop these causes. Includes visualization of specific individuals and sending this wish to them in the form of light.

43 Mindfulness of breathing, part 1

Wed, 21 Sep 2011 10:01:49 +0700

Alan mentions that he inverted the teachings. The Loving Kindness Immeasurable was given during the morning session. However, the teachings are complementary.

Teaching:
What is your vision of happiness? How much do you really need? After several weeks of intense practice, people might be re-evaluating their priorities. There is a possibility of dissolving the mind into the substrate.

Perhaps you see that you might need long-term retreat of a year or more. But is it worth the risk of two years of practicing? Is it a good investment? What if you don’t achieve shamatha? You have to have your motivation rooted in reality: see how the cultivation of attention contributes to the causes of sanity. You want to live longer so that you can practice dharma more.
Long-term retreat has to be at the right time. You cannot just ditch young children for two years. If you find the timing is right, you have to ask “What do I bring to the practice?” For this two-month retreat we have the right conditions for basic training: a good environment with most of our needs met and few distractions.
In shamatha, continuity is the key. You can’t get fire by rubbing sticks together for a few seconds or minutes until you get bored or tired. You have to keep up the friction.

The prerequisites for long-term retreat:
1. Contentment: if you can’t sit and do nothing, you’re not ready for it
2. Few desires: you have to have a radical shift from seeking hedonic pleasure to seeing genuine happiness. For many people, #1 and #2 are deal makers or deal breakers.
3. Ethics: don’t do anything with your body, speech or mind that imbalances your practice or anyone else’s practice. What is the impact of our behavior? (i.e. Don’t throw sand into your car’s gearbox).
4. You must have very few activities and concerns. You have to reboot your life, do a forced shut-down from your old lifestyle. It’s hard.
5. During and between sessions, get rid of all obsessive, compulsive thoughts.

Meditation (33:30) on settling the body, speech, and mind in the natural state. Do not shortchange this process: Mindfulness of breathing.

Q&A (58:54)
1. Discussion of nyam (transient experience – physical or psychological – that is an anomaly and is the result of correct practice) Prana, the subtle energy, is being activated. You are getting an extreme makeover.
2. Discussion of taking refuge. Dharma is the most important. As for a teacher, you want a “genuine happiness doctor/dentist” who can pull the “unwisdom teeth” of hostility, craving, and delusion. Your teacher should know more than you about the path. His/her motivation is altruistic/to be of service/from compassion. You should feel you are getting benefit. Being accomplished, or at least a lineage holder, is important.

42 Loving kindness, part 1

Wed, 21 Sep 2011 09:54:24 +0700

We have begun to see the promise and the obstacles - our minds bare and naked. We have seen some glimmerings of our potential. In the vajrayana path we can take the fruit as the path. Go where you have never been before and invite this into the present actuality through imagination.

We are at an important moment in history - a lot changing and going and being destroyed. A lot of possibility will be dharma to have a little bit of this and a little bit of that. But few teachers can show a full path to liberation - not many out there who know the real path.

There is no way to peace, peace is the way.
There is no way to freedom, freedom is the way.

We come back to the practice of loving kindness focused on one self, again posing these four questions:
1) What would make you truly happy, and provide you with a sense of fulfillment, the realization of your innermost heart's desire?
2) In order to find the fulfillment that you seek, what would you love to receive from the world around you; hedonically, which of course is very important; and what would you love to receive from others in order to find genuine happiness at its perfection?
3) In order to realize your heart's desire, from what qualities would you love to be free, with what qualities would you love to be endowed, how would you love to transform and mature, evolve, so that you can become the person you'd love to become?
4) What would you love to offer to the world around you, to those near and far, over the short and the long term, what is the greatest good you can offer?

Alan also shares his own vision of this, comprised mainly of: following the path to true awakening, and helping other people to do so.
Meditation starts at 8:14

Note: No, we didn't skip a session :) Alan has decided to switch the format so we're now having the 4 immeasurables in the morning and shamatha in the afternoon. He talks more about this in the next episode, so stay tuned!

41 Equanimity, part 2

Tue, 20 Sep 2011 08:57:27 +0700

As riding a dolphin… Today, as the last session of a 10 day cycle on Shamatha and the 4
Immeasurables, the session was about equanimity conjoined with tonglen. Before jumping
into it, Alan touched the topic of how mindfulness of breathing, once the breath is settled in
its natural rhythm, can never be boring because the cause itself of boredom is removed with
this practice, and it becomes like riding a dolphin.

Next, he explained how these three methods to achieve shamatha help or can provide
depth for the cultivation of equanimity, going to the substrate and from that perspective
carry on with this discursive meditation (36:14).

Finally, we had three detailed questions (61:05): one about the measure of releasing during each
out-breath when settling the respiration in its natural state; second one was about until
which point does the practice of settling the mind in its natural state purify unwholesome
deeds, and if it might be needed additional purification practices; the third one was about
the Buddhist approach with respect to free will and determinism. We were delighted with
extremely interesting answers that went beyond the questions themselves.

Please don’t miss this podcast. Enjoy

40 Awareness of Awareness, part 4

Mon, 19 Sep 2011 16:27:28 +0700

Instruction and meditation: Awareness of awareness (“The Shamata Express”)
The most common question/concern asked by current retreatants about this practice is “Am I doing it correctly?” It is simpler than you think. In fact, don’t think. If you have uncertainty, it is a sign that you are doing more than necessary. There’s already the seed of the practice in both the mindfulness of breathing and settling the mind in its natural state. Now we are just peeling away the layers, seeing what is left: awareness. Don’t elaborate or adorn. You are simply not attending to anything else except awareness. You are withdrawing into awareness. It’s not that you are coming into your head, into a cramped space. It’s not that. Awareness has no locus/no location. However much you extend your awareness is where it is. It’s not attending to appearances or locality. It is no place in physical space. You might feel hyper, tense or tight – especially in your chest. Then balance the practice with mindfulness of breathing. Go out on a limb and then go back to the trunk.
Meditation starts at 6:13

39 Equanimity, part 1

Sat, 17 Sep 2011 19:10:34 +0700

Back to meditative cultivations of equanimity, Alan emphasizes maintaining the equilibrium in the face of whatever arises. Alan also talks about the cognitive and affective aspects of equanimity.
Meditation starts at 34:46

Questions (59:40):
Alan answers questions about the feeling of energies in circulating in the body while practicing, the visions a non-Buddhist can expect in the dying process in reference to the descriptions posed by several texts on the bardos, if the acquired sign can arise if one focuses on a rock and about the conditions and time necessary to achieve shamatha.

38 Awareness of Awareness, part 3

Sat, 17 Sep 2011 16:22:57 +0700

Shamatha without a Sign - all discovery no development. With Awareness of Awareness we discover bliss, luminosity and non-conceptuality of the substrate consciousness. Alan discusses the things that are in the way of discovering our natural inner resources: looking outside instead of inside, to many commitments, addiction to hedonic pleasures and mental afflictions. The lion guarding the gate is a sense of self which is just an appearance, a mental construct.
Meditation starts at 14:29

37 Empathetic Joy, part 2

Fri, 16 Sep 2011 18:41:11 +0700

Alan continues his talk by emphasizing that hedonic pleasure cannot be the sole measure of something good/beneficial. Only through difficulties we encounter with others can we develop the paramitas. Whatever happens is also presenting an opportunity and helps us develop strength of mind in order to digest whatever the world dishes up.

Guided meditation (33:08) focusing on the causes of happiness, starting with rejoicing in those who are doing something beneficial, those who are cultivating samadhi, those who are cultivating wisdom, and in one’s own positive factors both inner and outer.

Questions (58:13):
Q1) The events during the bardo of dying even when experienced cannot be reported upon because the has died. What are possible avenues of collaboration between buddhism and modern science to shed light on such questions?

36 Awareness of Awareness, part 2

Fri, 16 Sep 2011 18:14:54 +0700

Shamatha without a sign is a process of discovery and exploration rather than development. It involves experiencing and discovering, through one's own experience the natural states of mind of bliss, luminosity and non-conceptuality. In this practice, one looks deeply into cognition itself to discover the blockages, these being a sense of I am. So we look deeply into such questions as: Who is in charge? Who is the agent of action?
Meditation starts at 10:11

35 Empathetic Joy, part 1

Thu, 15 Sep 2011 18:34:57 +0700

Alan discusses how to approach one’s shamatha practice in a wise way - not by focusing upon “how it went” but rather on one’s application and effort. One should see that in every moment, no matter how good or bad, one is “accomplishing shamatha”. Turning to empathetic joy (47:47), he urges us to attend to and draw out the goodness in others. He deals with questions (72:26) regarding the notion of attending to thought without grasping, how to induce lucid dreaming, distinctions between vipashanya and shamatha and discusses the Buddhist perspective of Carl Jung’s concept of the collective unconscious.

34 Awareness of Awareness, part 1

Thu, 15 Sep 2011 13:00:31 +0700

“Not in a million years”.
Alan discusses modern concepts of mindfulness and meditation practice, which involve mere non judgmental attention to the present moment and whatever arises in that moment. He discusses their origin, the similarity they have in name to the awareness of awareness/shamatha without a sign practice, their benefits, and the extent to which they provide a suitable vehicle for the attainment of shamatha and other types of meditative attainment.
Meditation starts at 14:46

33 Compassion focused on ubiquitous suffering

Thu, 15 Sep 2011 13:01:13 +0700

Talk
Last night’s discussion of pointing out instructions may have left some feeling hopeless as so many of the qualified teachers have died. Important to know that if receive authentic teachings that is enough don’t need the pointing out instructions. Referenced teachings on DVD from five years ago in which Yangthang Rinpoche said to rest in luminosity and emptiness and said don’t tell me you can’t do it. Discussion of the emptiness of the mind.

Meditation (43:26)
Meditate on compassion at the deepest level which is our essential vulnerability to suffering. Visualize your own suffering and the causes of suffering as darkness dissolving into the light orb at your heart. Then continue with the same meditation for others.

Questions (68:25)
1) You talked today about the emptiness of the mind. When I attend to the space of the mind it ripples like Jello.
2) In Dzogchen you talk about clarity and emptiness. How does that relate to the awareness of awareness meditation?
3) As you said, everything in the world we get we eventually loose. This is so obvious to understand intellectually but that is not enough; we must experience at a deeper level. Can you comment on that?
4) How does the subtle energy body exist? Is it mental energy or physical energy? Does your knowledge of physics help explain how it exists?

32 Settling the Mind in its Natural State, part 3

Thu, 15 Sep 2011 13:00:50 +0700

Talk
Comparison of breathing meditation and settling the mind in its natural state. Breathing meditation is best done in a quiet environment – settling the mind can be done in a noisy active environment. Much like the difference between a monk in a monastic environment and a Bodhisattva engaged in life.
Meditation (18:20)
In settling the mind in its natural state one can focus on the foreground – what thoughts etc. are going on in the space of the mind or the background – the space of the mind between thoughts – this way you are never left without an object. The ongoing flow of knowing both when there are contents and when there aren’t. Enhance vividness and may detect murmurings of the mind that you might not otherwise be aware of.

31 Compassion focused on the suffering of change

Wed, 14 Sep 2011 09:49:10 +0700

Dharma talk: Meditative cultivation of Compassion and the Suffering of Change
On the “most wanted” list of mental afflictions is hatred. Craving/attachment is the #1 culprit in the suffering of change. Craving and attachment are always carried by a conceptual line (i.e. they are one step removed from reality). There is the sense of “If only……” (I had this or that, I would be happy). The object of desire seems static (it is an object), but everything is in flux. Arhats are free of suffering because they are free of attachment. They feel pain, but the experience is different because there is not grasping at “my body.” The pain just arises in space.

The two parts of Buddhist ethics are (1) doing no harm and (2) being of benefit. If we were all ethical, 95 percent of the blatant suffering in the world would vanish.
Shamatha is one level of Samadhi. You achieve a more balanced mind and have the experience of bliss, non-conceptuality, and luminosity (it is moment to moment, but the experience is there). These three qualities are how craving/attachment, delusion, and hostility are experienced from the view point of rigpa. We can get glimpses of this in shamatha which is designed to lead us along our authentic intention and actually has a chance of success.

There are three types of desires which can be expressed thus: “I want to feel good,” (pleasure), “I want to feel alive, alive, awake, excited,” and “I want to feel safe, unafraid, secure.”
However, if you get what you want, it will eventually erode and change (therefore, the suffering of change).
Our aspirations must be in the realm of possibility (e.g. to be free of unnecessary suffering via releasing attachment to the desire realm and to have a balanced mind; it is still not permanent and unchanging, but we can work in that direction). We will still have to experience natural catastrophes, sickness, old age, and death.

Meditation on Compassion and the Suffering of Change (46:27), beginning with ourselves and moving to those whom we care about and eventually further and further out.

Questions and Answers (71:10):
1. What are pointing out instructions?
2. When you are experience laxity and excitation at the same time, which do you tackle first?

30 Settling the Mind in its Natural State, part 2

Tue, 13 Sep 2011 12:48:19 +0700

In this session Alan talks about the parallels of settling the mind in its natural state with rigpa.
Nirvana and samsara are of one taste and without preference from the perspective of rigpa.
Relationship of space/time, consciousness and energy to the different levels of the mind.
Anger from the perspective of the substrate maps to the luminosity aspect.
Craving from the perspective of the substrate maps to the bliss aspect.
Delusion from the perspective of the substrate maps to the non-conceptuality aspect.
Story of whole/half/no hamburger.
Practice (9:38):
Awareness of the body -> from whole body to abdominal breathing -> up to lip/nostrils -> to space of the mind and its contents

29 Compassion focused on blatant suffering

Tue, 13 Sep 2011 08:56:02 +0700

Vast and Profound, it’s the minimum we can say about this afternoon’s session. Alan gave
us an exquisite exploration of the mechanics of the practice of Settling the mind in its
natural state: how by one step it can heal our minds from mental afflictions developing an
equanimity towards all kinds of mental events; this is through cutting their continuity by
being aware of them and leading us to shamatha. But not only shamatha, even it can help us
for the subsequent practice of Breaking Through.

He also gave us a bright presentation of the workings of attachment and anger, especially
the latter one putting the Iphone as a good example. How anger is rooted in delusion and
how it prevents from imploding into the substrate consciousness.

The meditation (50:28) was about compassion, at this time focusing on the most obvious suffering:
the suffering of pain. Alan wanted to focus not only onto any kind of suffering of suffering
but on the one that we can do something about it here and now: compassion for the mental
suffering.

For the questions and answers (75:24) the topics of lucid dreaming, the 4 thoughts that turn the
mind towards the Dharma, differences between intuition and reason and the difference
between the realization of emptiness and rigpa (most inspiring!!) came up.

Please don’t miss this podcast, enjoy…

28 Settling the Mind in its Natural State, part 1

Tue, 13 Sep 2011 08:51:21 +0700

This is the most used method in the Dzogchen tradition. Allowing thoughts, images, perceptions to arise in the space of the mind without labeling, categorizing, preference. Watch them arise from the space of the mind and return into it. The object of meditation is the space of the mind. If nothing seems to be arising in the mind, try generating a discursive thought such as “What is mind?” and don’t try to answer it, just watch it.
Meditation starts at 9:08

27 Loving Kindness, part 3

Sun, 11 Sep 2011 09:14:40 +0700

In this session we continue with the practice of loving-kindness.
Alan starts by talking on the meaning of having a day off from a contemplative perspective.
He then discusses the possibility that practicing loving kindness can have an effect on the other person
Also, how the faults of others are a reflection of our own propensities, as referred to in the lo jong literature.
Meditation starts at 34:20

Questions (59:21):
1) Advice on compulsive thoughts, with relation to the prerequisites for achieving shamatha
2) What does it mean to truly do nothing in meditation?
3) What is the dualistic mind?
4) Why haven't we been covering stage of generation and stage of completion?

26 Mindfulness of Breathing, third phase

Sun, 11 Sep 2011 09:08:16 +0700

Mindfulness of Breathing - focusing on the sensations at the apertures of the nostrils. Here we have the full synergy of relaxation, stability and vividness. As we relax the breathing slows down and the sensations get subtler, everything gets more interesting so one has to pay more attention. At the same time we deactivate the sense of self as a controller of the breath, we are only the agent who controls attention.
Meditation starts at 7:42

25 Loving kindness, part 2

Fri, 09 Sep 2011 18:29:34 +0700

Alan discusses on developing loving-kindness for even disagreeable people by starting with oneself (as for myself, also for you). Beware to avoid its near enemy: self-centered attachment. The trigger of loving-kindness is this primal yearning for happiness within the continual flow of awareness.

Traditional meditation by Buddhagosa starting with oneself, a close person, a neutral person, and an enemy. With the in-breath, may each find happiness and its causes, and with the out-breath, may it be so.
NB: It is important to attend beyond sheer appearances, but we shouldn’t probe too deeply as to wind up at emptiness.
Meditation starts at 42:00

Questions (67:10):
Q1) In Chap. 3 of the Attention Revolution, it is said that in order to attain stage 3, one needs to take on practice as a serious advocation.

Q2) If there is no cultivation of bodhicitta in the dzogchen path, what aspiration is necessary to avoid becoming an arhat?

Q3) What are similarities and differences between the Theravada and Mahayana in their treatment of shamatha and vipassana/vipashyana?

24 Mindfulness of Breathing, second phase

Fri, 09 Sep 2011 16:28:02 +0700

Observing the rise and fall of the abdomen is the most effective method for the subsiding of compulsive thoughts and to help quiet the mind. Coarse excitation is the primary imbalance in Stages 1-4 and observing breathing at the abdomen is helpful all the way to Stage 4. The first phase involves a gently caring approach. In this second phase, one begins to bring some discipline and effort to the practice. This is when one begins to train the mind, to calm it and to develop stability.
Meditation starts at 12:41

23 Loving kindness for oneself

Thu, 08 Sep 2011 18:27:32 +0700

Return to loving kindness and the world of possibility. In imagination and in dream, one can create one’s reality completely. Alan adds visualization to the loving kindness practice and explores the potential of accepting possibility and its impacts upon reality. Meditation starts at 26:38
Questions (59:00) about: Alan’s meditation practice, how to make the loving kindness practice more tangible, how to find the subtle breath, whether awareness of awareness extends to the sense fields and how to deal with vivid disturbing dreams. See how Harry Potter, Yangtang Rinpoche, Tulku Urgyen Rinpoche, The Matrix, Tarthang Tulku, Chairman Mao and pirates can help explain all of this.

22 The infirmary

Thu, 08 Sep 2011 10:01:59 +0700

What does the preparatory practice of settling the body, speech and mind have to do with rats, fleas and the Black Plague? Why are we in modernity actually still living in the Dark Ages? All is revealed in this edition of Alan’s shamatha expedition.
Meditation starts at 13:58

21 Equanimity, part 2

Thu, 08 Sep 2011 09:51:46 +0700

Introduction
Discussion of self cherishing and why it arises. Developing new habits – reconfiguring using the four immeasurable culminating in equanimity.
Settling the mind in its natural state – not trying to transform the contents of the mind but the way we relate to the contents. The discovery approach versus the developmental approach of transforming the mind.

Guided meditation (37:17)
Settle the mind in its natural state. Instead of letting images of people go, this time when an appearance of a person comes to mind attend closely. Use tonglen to breath in the person’s sufferings and wish them to be free of suffering and breathe out may you be well and happy. Can also breathe in the blessings of the Buddha and then breathe them out to the person. Then open the door and wait for the next person to appear.

Questions (64:24):
What is the relationship between these terms: introspection, clear comprehension, contemplation and bare attention?
What is the space of non conceptuality? In Awareness of Awareness meditation during the release part, do you release everything or maintain a level of knowing?
What is the best way to begin to develop lucid dreaming?

20 Awareness of Awarenesss, part 4

Thu, 08 Sep 2011 09:50:12 +0700

Introduction
Description of the difference between Awareness of Awareness practice and Open Presence/Open Awareness.
Imagine you are in a sensory deprivation tank so have no sensory input and Merlin removes all activities of mind. You have just had three espressos, so you are awake. What are you aware of? All that is left is awareness of awareness.

Guided meditation (9:15)
Expanding the field of awareness. Awareness pulled out to right, left, up, down and then into the heart chakra.

19 Equanimity

Tue, 06 Sep 2011 19:13:27 +0700

Equanimity - the "crown jewel" of the Four Immeasurables
In both Shamatha and the Four Immeasurables, we cultivate balance and a sense of "evenness of heart." The Four Immeasurables are immeasurable only if they flow out evenly, without partiality or bias. They cultivate “virtues of the heart” and an understanding of causality. They help us overcome the dehumanizing tendency to only see others as a means of fulfilling our hedonistic desires – it becomes an “I” v.s. “it” relationship. We often respond to people’s agreeable, disagreeable, or neutral appearances. The fusion of appearances with a person is a delusion. We also fuse ourselves with aspects of ourselves (e.g. behaviors, mental afflictions, etc.).

Meditation(48:07): Cultivating equanimity by reviewing our own lives and working with positive and negative times. Then doing this with others (one we “like”, one we “don’t like,” and one to whom we have neutral feelings.

False Facsimile of Equanimity is “Aloof Indifference” (sometimes called “Stupid Indifference”).

Questions(72:50):

1. How do you have a natural measure for practice so that you neither burn out nor become lazy?
2. How do you burn up merit and what's the role of dedication?
3. In the “awareness of awareness” practice, how do I know if I am doing the practice correctly?
4. Is “open presence” the same as shamatha without a sign?

18 Awareness of Awareness, part 3

Tue, 06 Sep 2011 19:03:42 +0700

A discussion of substrate, substrate consciousness and pristine awareness. How klishtamanas comes out of the alayavijñana creating a sense of "I am" and subject and object. Also a discussion of the dying process.
Practice(10:53):
Awareness of awareness, oscillating between non-objectified knowing and reflecting on who is knowing (and who is knowing that person knowing)
Final comment:
Padmasambhava: awareness of awareness is a shamatha practice but you may slip into pristine awareness as well.

17 Empathetic Joy, part 2

Tue, 06 Sep 2011 08:59:17 +0700

Uplifted and inspired. If you want to start the week in this way, I recommend this podcast.
This afternoon Alan explained one feature in common between the 3 practices of settling the mind in its natural state, awareness of awareness and empathetic joy. In the first one we withdraw the tentacles of identification that say "this is mine, I am such and such...". In the second one we go into the heart of the matter, to the actual experience of being the agent through our "cognoscopy" of withdrawing and releasing the awareness. In the third one we take the innate identification, usually limited to I and mine to make it unlimitedly benevolent by taking delight in all good fortune and virtue, wherever it is. Empathetic joy counteracts depression and low self-esteem, and balances the mind. The meditation (21:22) consisted of taking delight, step by step, from transient good fortune of others to the enlightenment of the awakened ones. Beautiful!
Then there were interesting questions (47:00) about the relationship between confidence/arrogance and being humble/having low self-esteem; about the practice of settling the mind in its natural state: where do thoughts go, why do they disappear when being acknowledged, its connection with mindfulness of feelings; and a final question about the influence of the agent in the practice of awareness of awareness.
As usual Alan gave juicy and fulfilling answers.
Please enjoy!

16 Awareness of Awareness, part 2

Mon, 05 Sep 2011 18:20:55 +0700

Practice comes in phases. There is a withdrawal from appearances, and inversion into the very nature of awareness, and a release (like a flower opening in all directions into a space of no object, no thought, no concept). What is the experience of being the agent of the inverting and releasing of awareness? Is there a sense of someone who is in control? Investigate the immediate experience.
Meditation starts at 8:07

15 Empathetic Joy

Sat, 03 Sep 2011 19:01:17 +0700

Teaching:
Alan introduces the 3rd immeasurable: empathetic joy, defined as taking delight in virtues of oneself and others. While an antidote to grief and general negativity in life, beware of pride which elevates oneself above others.

Meditation (31:09):
From your early childhood through the present, bring to mind those who have treated you well and enriched your life. Invoke a feeling of gratitude and gladness as you recall others’ virtue.
From your early childhood through the present, bring to mind what you have brought to others. Take delight in your own virtue, without slipping into pride.

Q&A (55:47):
Q1) Are bursts of creativity during meditation nyams? And if so, should we not follow through on them?
Q2) During awareness of awareness, can I remind myself with „knowing“ and „aware“?
Q3) Can we be in one stage in one method and another stage in another method?
Q4) Should we release inner guidance when it comes up?
Q5) Is it possible to be at different stages at different times?
Q6) In the Vajrayana, one brings the energies into the central channel in order to realize the dharmakaya. What’s the relationship to settling the body, speech, and mind in their natural state?
Q7) In settling the mind in its natural state, I felt happy that images were appearing and wanted to manipulate them.

14 Awareness of Awareness

Sat, 03 Sep 2011 18:57:06 +0700

In this session Alan introduces the practice of awareness of awareness, or shamatha without a sign. Alan first reviews mindfulness of breathing and settling the mind in its natural state. In the practice of awareness of awareness there is no object, awareness is inverted into itself and one just rests in the knowing of knowing. Alan adds: "But don't expect too much"
Meditation starts at 20:12

13 Compassion, part 3

Sat, 03 Sep 2011 13:52:23 +0700

Teaching: Alan introduces the 3rd type of suffering—ubiquitous or all-pervasive suffering—and the last two of the eightfold noble path—authentic intention and authentic view—which belong to wisdom.

Meditation (25:40):
Based on your own experience, do you see link between grasping at I/mine and suffering?
Generate aspiration for yourself to be free from all-pervasive suffering
Generate aspiration for others to be free from all-pervasive suffering
Generate aspiration for all sentient beings to be free from all 3 types of suffering
Rest awareness in awareness

Teaching: Alan reveals sources for the practice of resting awareness in awareness and discusses the complementarity of the developmental approach (e.g., cultivating compassion) and the discovery approach (e.g., dzogchen).

Q&A (60:05):
1) Do you need shamatha and vipashyana to get rid of all mental afflictions? If so, will only those who take the path of meditation and achieve shamatha and vipashyana have genuine happiness?
2) Within the context of references to the jhanas (aka dhyanas) and samapattis in the tibetan tradition: In the Abhisamayalankara, a bodhisattva on the 6th bhumi trains and perfects all the levels of samadhi. How does this relate?
3) Does the acquired sign arise when one rests in meditation or does it only come when focusing on an object such as the sensations of the breath?

12 Settling the mind in its natural state, part 3

Sat, 03 Sep 2011 13:32:36 +0700

In this session we continue with the practice of settling the mind in its natural state. In shamatha, one must maintain constant flow of knowing at all times. When there is no mental object in the foreground to ascertain, know 1) the absence of thought or 2) presence of space in the background.

The meditation starts at 8:10

11 Compassion focused on suffering of change and Q&A

Sat, 03 Sep 2011 13:13:24 +0700

In this session we continue with the cultivation of compassion, now focusing on the suffering of change, which we typically see as a source of happiness.
The meditation starts at 39:55
QA starts at 65:10:
1. The acquired sign
2. Eyes open when one is used to having them closed

10 Settling the mind in its natural state, part 2

Sat, 03 Sep 2011 11:08:50 +0700

In this session we continue with the practice of settling the mind in its natural state, now starting by focusing on the space of the body and whatever tactile sensations arise within it, to then proceed to the actual practice.
The meditation starts at 9:44

09 Compassion focused on alleviating pain and Q&A

Sat, 03 Sep 2011 11:08:13 +0700

In this session Alan introduces the practice of the cultivation of compassion, focused on alleviating pain, especially the one caused by behavior.
The meditation starts at 32:52
QA starts at 57:50:
1. Center of attention for settling the mind during stages 5 and 6
2. How to make best use of the personal interview time
3. How to know the right amount of effort

08 Settling the mind in its natural state

Sat, 03 Sep 2011 11:07:25 +0700

In this session Alan introduces the practice of settling the mind in its natural state, this time first starting by focusing on the visual, auditory and tactile senses, and then switching to the mental. The practice entails attending to the space of the mind and whatever arises within that space, without distraction and without grasping.
The meditation starts at 5:23

07 Loving-kindness in all directions and Q&A

Sat, 03 Sep 2011 11:06:28 +0700

In this session Alan introduces the practice of loving-kindness extended in all directions.
The meditation starts at 9:34
QA starts at 34:40:
1. Why is the question "what would make us happy" instead of "what would make us happier"?
2. Meditating with eyes open vs eyes closed
3. How to overcome the "fuzzy" quality of attention
4. Can the meditator know the difference between the different degrees of laxity?
5. Perceiving one's heartbeat while meditating
6. If the large flame of effort depicted in the image of the stages of shamatha does not mean trying so hard, what does it actually represent?
7. Where do the pictures in my mind come from?
8. How do you spell "alaya"?
9. Images coming up just before falling asleep
10. If you dissolve your mind into the substrate, is there some similarity to schizophrenia or psychosis?

06 Mindfulness of breathing: Sensations at the nostrils

Sat, 03 Sep 2011 11:05:40 +0700

In this session Alan introduces a subtler practice of mindfulness of breathing, focusing on the sensations at the tip of the nostrils in order to enhance vividness. This is a method that can be used to achieve shamatha.
The meditation starts at 3:12

05 Loving-kindness for oneself and others and Q&A

Sat, 03 Sep 2011 11:04:53 +0700

In this session we continue with the practice of loving-kindness, beginning with ourselves and then gradually extending outwards where it's easiest
The meditation starts at 4:39
QA starts at 29:24:
1. When doing the loving-kindness practice and it becomes strenuous, can one switch to shamatha for a bit instead?
2. When we invite images, are we supposed to do it like open a room and invite everyone and extend the wish, but at the same time just rest with it?
3. Can you explain the objects of attention while settling the body, speech and mind in their natural state?
4. Using a mental image as the object of attention instead of the sensations of the breath

04 Mindfulness of breathing: focusing on the abdomen

Sat, 03 Sep 2011 11:04:05 +0700

In this session Alan introduces the practice of mindfulness of breathing, focused on the abdomen sensations of the breath in order to cultivate stability.
The meditation starts at 4:16

03 Loving-kindness for oneself and Q&A

Sat, 03 Sep 2011 11:03:26 +0700

In this session Alan introduces the practice of loving-kindness for oneself, a vision quest answering 4 questions:
1. What would bring you a true sense of well being and happiness?
2. What would you love to receive from the world around you?
3. From what you qualities would you love to be free, and with what qualities would you love to be imbued?
4. What would you love to offer to the world around you?
The meditation starts at 8:31
Alan then talks a little more about shamatha before the QA starts at around 51:00 with these questions:
1. Physical discomfort during meditation and meditation postures
2. What does a buddha do?
3. Different physical manifestations of buddhas and how does a buddha benefit sentient beings

02 Mindfulness of Breathing: Full body awareness

Sat, 03 Sep 2011 11:01:10 +0700

In this session Alan introduces the practice of full body awareness (aka the infirmary), starting by settling the body, speech and mind in their natural state.
The meditation starts at 4:51

01 Introduction (teaching only)

Sat, 03 Sep 2011 08:19:59 +0700

In this session Alan welcomes the participants and gives an overview of what the retreat will entail. He also talks a little about the Thanyapura Mind Centre and its vision.

Note: Several sections concerning logistical issues have been removed from the recording