Nontwin Guided Meditation with Michael Taft
Let’s start. What I need you to do is simply, type of, settle again into your seat, your asana. I need you to simply test in with your self to see what it’s prefer to be you proper now, feeling your physique and your feelings and taking the climate report in your thoughts and your complete being. No matter’s occurring simply let that be fully okay, even when it’s actually disagreeable for now, simply let that be simply the way in which it’s and that’s tremendous. So we’re checking in with ourselves, seeing what it’s prefer to be you proper now, and nonetheless that’s, is good for now.
Good, and now I’d such as you to simply do a slight imaginal journey with me right here and picture that you simply’re sitting like an ocean, like a boundless, huge ocean. It has that lovely placidity and leisure of water, there’s zero pressure in any a part of it. It’s actually unfastened and open. We’re not shifting in any method anymore we’re merely resting as water, huge, open, and on this case, completely clear water. So simply fake to be sitting like an ocean no matter meaning for you and see if yow will discover that sense of relaxation, that sense of leisure, and ease, and a few sense of actual openness and readability. And see that focus or focus could also be tight however consciousness itself is like this ocean.
Consciousness itself is of course relaxed and comfortable, naturally large open and easy, naturally clear. And permit consciousness to note, with out effort and with out focusing, with none consideration in any respect, simply permit this wide-open consciousness to note the rising and falling of the breath. If you wish to you could possibly even see it as a wave within the ocean however minimally, simply let your already large open, awake consciousness simply discover that the breath is rising and falling. Don’t put any pressure on it, no tightness, no focus, simply large open, noticing that the breath, the wave of the breath rises and falls within the huge ocean of wide-open consciousness. It doesn’t take any effort in any respect. It’s simple and relaxed.
I need you to simply preserve permitting consciousness to note that breath wave, once more, with out pressure, with out focus, simply know that it’s occurring. And you’ll preserve it virtually just like the heartbeat or background of the observe. And as you’re doing that I invite you to do some bodily leisure starting together with your head and face. So simply invite particularly your face to simply let go of any mounted expression or tightness or pressure, not stretching or shifting, however simply permitting pressure to empty from the face and get replaced with a way of ease and peace within the face. So that you simply discover your brow muscular tissues stress-free a bit of bit and feeling type of good in your eyebrows and particularly the tense muscular tissues round your eyes launch and loosen up, your eyelids let go, your cheeks and mouth and lips loosen up, and your jaw releases to the place the place your higher and decrease tooth aren’t touching. And simply discover that that already brings a deeper sense of ease, a deeper sense of letting go that you could tune into. It doesn’t require any effort, it’s only a type of letting go of effort, letting go of tightening on goal, simply releasing that.
After which, let’s do the identical factor with our neck and throat, and shoulders, releasing any pressure and changing that with openness and ease, and house. Now what typically occurs is: if individuals discover pressure in a spot, they’ll begin to struggle it, and attempt to eliminate it and all that, and that’s not what we’re doing. It’s merely no matter you may discover that you could simply let go, simply let go and luxuriate in that. And something that stays–needs to remain tense, then don’t struggle it, simply let or not it’s the way in which it’s.
If you end up getting drowsy, go forward and open your eyes and sit up a bit of straighter. It makes it a bit of simpler. You understand there’s the muscle in your throat that in case you loosen up, it makes your voice deeper. It’s only a type of leisure. So in case you can loosen up that, go forward and do this. And simply really feel now how your face and neck and throat and shoulders are. There’s just a bit extra ease. There’s a bit of extra space. And permit your arms and wrists and palms and fingers to simply go completely limp, limp like moist noodles, zero pressure. No want in any respect to do something together with your arms or palms or fingers. And see how good that feels, you may even really feel a bit of additional blood stream, or some tingling in your palms due to the relief. And so now simply discover that the arms really feel good and the shoulders and neck and throat really feel good and the face feels good, or a minimum of a bit of extra relaxed, a bit of extra open. And simply tune into that as a type of basic expression of the relaxed ease and openness of your already present spacious consciousness which is sort of a huge open ocean. Simply tune into that. And drop now extra deeply into letting go, noticing the rising and falling of that breath wave with none effort, and the way good it feels to simply launch and open. Wakeful, very clear, very brilliant, and really relaxed.
When you can simply launch any pressure in your diaphragm, in your stomach, let that loosen up and be comfortable. Your decrease again area to round your kidneys simply opens up, takes half within the respiration, lets go a bit of bit. After which discover, within the pelvic area, any pressure there stress-free and opening, and your hips–your hip joints–releasing. Perhaps your legs fall, simply naturally fall open, simply barely extra and your legs themselves grow to be limp like moist rags, no pressure of any sort.
And also you discover how this sort of relaxed, tension-free openness brings you to a spot of sitting nonetheless with none pressure in any respect. That is the sitting nonetheless of letting go and releasing.
And see how, as your physique turns into extra spacious feeling and open and releases and lets go, the core of your thoughts can simply type of loosen up and virtually soften, possibly simply soften into the ocean. In order that the core of the thoughts itself is spacious and comfortable grabbing onto nothing, holding on to nothing, releasing and opening, and letting be.
And let’s simply sit with that collectively, awake, brilliant and clear, an unlimited ocean of consciousness noticing the wave of the breath rising and falling with none effort. When you discover the thoughts grabbing onto one thing, simply loosen up permit it to fall again open with none effort. And no matter it was grabbing onto simply toddles off. Every time the thoughts grabs on, simply loosen up, let that open, and let no matter it grabbed onto simply go on its merry method.
The thoughts right here is sort of a huge spacious open ocean, grabbing onto, hanging onto nothing in any respect, merely noticing the rising and falling of the breath with none pressure or consideration. Good, excellent, now let go of even noticing that breath wave and simply permit consciousness itself to relaxation in itself, noticing the large openness and ease of consciousness. It’s already there, there’s nothing to do, it’s already current but additionally it’s large stability. If, for no matter purpose, that’s too difficult, simply preserve noticing the breath wave. In any other case, we are able to use consciousness itself as its personal meditation object, merely resting in consciousness of itself with none effort, it’s already conscious, nothing to do.
Now, if I used to be a standard trainer, I’d yell actually loud proper now however as an alternative, I’m simply going to ring this bell. We’re going to proceed meditating however I’m simply going to ring the bell as soon as simply to type of brighten issues up in right here a bit. So bell’s coming. Let’s hearken to that bell.
Good. Now we’re going to do one thing barely extra lively. I need you to easily discover no matter feelings are arising, if any are arising, and see that these feelings which can be arising are empty. That means: they’re there, you may really feel the emotion however it’s additionally type of not there, it’s like a mirrored image in a mirror, or like a rainbow or a cloud. There’s a sense tone of emotion that’s there and on the similar time, it’s acquired a sure type of nebulosity, which we historically name vacancy. And if there aren’t any feelings there, then discover that feeling of emotional peace or relaxation, and see the vacancy of that as effectively. So every time emotion arises of any type, regardless of how small, we’re simply noticing its vacancy, very simply, very naturally. It’s not one thing you could possibly seize and dangle on to. It’s not one thing you could possibly put in a field. It’s not one thing you could possibly label and place in a show case, it’s constantly shifting, altering, and in a method, virtually like a mirrored image of an emotion–there and never there. Though you recognize you’re feeling issues, you may by no means actually outline it or pinpoint it or decide on a remaining description. It’s constantly shifting and altering and nebulous. Discover that property of any feelings or moods or emotions which can be arising. In our conceptual thoughts we need to make them into distinct issues but when we’re permitting consciousness to contact it freely and brazenly and immediately we discover it isn’t a factor.
Good. Now persevering with to do this, discover the identical factor about any pondering that’s occurring, any type of pondering. Ideas are arising, however we are able to’t inform the place they’re coming from, they’re staying for a short time, however constantly altering after which they vanish and we don’t know the place they went. So, similar to with the emotions, with the feelings, it’s very onerous to say {that a} thought is a factor or one thing we are able to seize onto. And particularly in case you’re utilizing thought constructs to attempt to information your meditation, or do it proper, or choose your self about it, all of that’s simply the identical factor; simply the arising and passing of a way of motion within the thoughts however nothing you may dangle on to. It’s possible you’ll attempt to dangle on to it, it’s possible you’ll attempt to relaxation in it however it by no means rests, it’s not dependable like that, it’s empty. Ideas are like shining projections on nothing, simply there, but additionally type of not there.
Discover that now. It’s virtually like on this huge open ocean of brilliant clear consciousness that may be very awake there are simply ripples of thought and ripples of feeling, nonetheless simply extra ocean, not in some way totally different, nothing to hold onto. Now let’s do the identical factor with any concrete seeming physique sensations, all that discomfort in your legs, or some feeling in your again, or no matter is occurring merely arising in consciousness like ripples within the water, not in some way totally different than the water, not in some way in a position to injure the water or hurt the water, there however not there. Ideas, feelings, physique sensations all merely like desires, like clouds, like reflections within the water, there but additionally not there. Simply let go, don’t dangle on, there’s nothing to hold on to. If it’s tightening, simply loosen up. Discover that the huge house of consciousness, the ocean of consciousness is undisturbed, it’s completely comfortable, open and restful no matter what’s arising. Feelings are empty, ideas are empty, physique sensations are empty.
Now discover that even that sense of being you has that very same high quality, it’s like a mirrored image in a mirror, there however not there. That complete story of you; likes and dislikes, your historical past, the what you’re like, and the place you’re coming from all of that’s merely a mirrored image within the mirror of consciousness. It’s positively there, it’s simply additionally type of not there. It’s like a dream, desires are there however whenever you get up the place are they? Discover that that complete sense of self is sort of a dream. Don’t be the sense of self. Be what notices it. Discover that even the concept you’re doing a meditation, am I doing it proper? am I doing it mistaken? how am I doing this? its going effectively, this isn’t going effectively, that’s all simply empty ideas, just a few passing thought and feeling, like ripples within the ocean of consciousness, completely empty, completely to not be held onto.
And after we lastly truly discover our personal already current, completely easeful, open awakeness it’s at all times been there since beginningless time, we discover that that’s simply tremendous, that’s at peace. However it’s additionally playful and spontaneous and really alive, not caught up in a narrative, contemporary and current and pure. It’s by no means not been there, it’s by no means not been the bottom of your individual being, nothing to repair, nothing to vary, large open, completely current.
When consciousness acknowledges itself, acknowledges what it’s at all times been it feels a type of pleasure. It’s simply the enjoyment of openness, the enjoyment of no constriction, and likewise the enjoyment of connection. There’s no lack of connection and togetherness. Simply discover that kindness and pleasure and connection radiating out in all instructions, bringing reduction in all instructions to everybody in every single place. Kindness, peace, and ease to all beings in every single place.
Good. Go forward and let go of the observe. Be at liberty to maneuver and stretch.
Dharma Speak
You may additionally discover that the spaciousness, the openness, the wakefulness, the attention doesn’t go away, didn’t go wherever. It’s nonetheless there as a result of we’re not producing it, or in some way by getting in simply the fitting spot of meditation making it occur, or one thing like that. It’s at all times there. We’re simply getting nonetheless sufficient to note that. While you tune into that time and again, as a result of it’s at all times there to tune into, finally, as an alternative of the thought of you tuning into it, you kind of understand that you simply’re simply returning to the place you’re already at, or type of recognizing what’s already there. The extra that occurs the extra it’s type of a humorous factor.
I feel I used to be mentioning this verse from Rumi Jalaluddin the opposite day. It’s fairly well-known and I gained’t quote the poem accurately however you recognize the poem is describing the anguish and angst and energy of knocking on the door and knocking on the door making an attempt to get inside after which realizing, oh, I’m knocking from the within, already there. All of that was simply type of like a mistake or a humorous recreation, I’m already right here there was nothing to do and that’s the sensation. That’s the sensation after we acknowledge our personal awakeness. It’s such as you’ve been making an attempt to do the meditation proper, and also you’ve been making an attempt to get concentrated, and also you’ve been, you recognize, you’re warring with distraction, otherwise you’re warring together with your kleshas, otherwise you’re warring with you are feeling too drained otherwise you really feel too–what’s the right time period I’m on the lookout for right here? the phrase that’s developing is feisty that’s not the precise phrase I’m on the lookout for. Flighty, a bit of flighty, you recognize, simply type of an excessive amount of pace in your head so that you’re making an attempt to vary that, otherwise you’re simply continually preventing with the system to love get it proper. Bought to get it proper.
And that’s the identical factor, I’m knocking and knocking and knocking, and then you definately understand you’re knocking from the within. There was nothing to get proper there as a result of it’s the attention that’s already there, that’s already steady, that’s already clear, that’s already awake, that’s already fully free and joyous. There’s nothing to vary about it. And rapidly, you may simply loosen up, it’s okay. The attention is already awake. After which, you tighten up and neglect that once more, however simply loosen up and acknowledge once more, after which loosen up and acknowledge once more. When you acknowledge that even a bit of bit, and then you definately get type of assured, oh yeah, I’m recognizing it.
You’ll be able to’t ever neglect what that’s as a result of it’s simply–it’s such an uncommon factor. Have you ever ever learn in A Stranger in a Unusual Land they speak about how Michael Valentine Smith pushes individuals 90 levels to all the pieces. It simply disappears them on this kind of magic method within the ebook, said as a type of geometry. Like there’s a spot 90 levels from all the pieces and that’s kind of what it looks like the attention permeates all the pieces however in one other humorous method it’s 90 levels from all the pieces that we’ve been taught to concentrate to, like emotion, and naturally, emotion is extraordinarily necessary, useful lovely, helpful, deep, wealthy, typically disturbing, upsetting, life-wrecking, typically crucial factor and most therapeutic factor.
And so, there’s no sense through which I’m saying that’s not necessary or not there. But in addition it’s totally different than we predict it’s as a result of it’s a mirrored image or arising in consciousness. When you didn’t realize it was there, that’s totally different. Identical factor with ideas and for many of us both our ideas or our feelings are going to be type of central to gluing our sense of self collectively, often each. However a few of us are extra like type of psychological assemble individuals, a few of us are extra, you recognize, deep emoters, however everybody’s acquired each of these occurring. However within the case of ideas, it’s very easy to simply glom onto these and seize onto them and never–I don’t simply imply phrases, it’s not simply phrases, like we have a tendency to think about ideas as just like the sentences in our heads, however it’s additionally simply the general buildings, the ideas, the frames that we’re setting issues in, and the point of view. I don’t imply visible
viewpoint, I imply type of our sense of the place we’re in comparison with them. All that’s coming below the phrase thought or lets say thought assemble, or ideas and all in the identical method because the feelings, that’s there. We are able to construct an airplane utilizing that and it’ll fly and you recognize the stuff is beneficial however it’s additionally totally different than what we predict it’s. It’s reflecting, it’s an arising in consciousness, like a ripple in an ocean and it’s not separate from the ocean. It’s not one thing to seize onto.
Similar to feelings, you may’t dangle your hat on it, you may’t relaxation on it, you may’t try and be that. And that’s all we do is try and be these issues. And after we try and be these issues, we discover time and again, that you could’t truly do this and that’s irritating. So we attempt to constantly wrestle to make these in some way steady, in some way a spot to relaxation, in some way one thing to be. They usually by no means will be that. And there wasn’t a millisecond in your total life the place you’ve been that. That’s like believing you’re the avatar in your online game. It’s there, you may see it, however that’s not one thing you will be. However what’s noticing that? How do you even realize it’s there?
Once more, the attention is central. It’s how you recognize there’s a thought assemble there in any respect, or what the thought assemble is. And so, the sport right here is to to not do it proper, or to not be the right thought assemble, or to not have the right emotion, or to in some way stabilize these, or in some way make these all come into focus good, however relatively to simply cease grabbing on to any of that lengthy sufficient to simply discover the factor that’s at all times there.
The noticing itself. The noticing itself. And that’s what I imply, it’s type of 90 levels to all the pieces as a result of we’ve by no means been skilled to do this. It’s actually truly fairly simple however as a result of we’ve by no means been skilled to do it, it feels just like the weirdest factor on the earth. And the usual method, the usual type of like–in case you get into kind of the traditions and the scriptures and stuff what they are going to say is that it’s–I’ll neglect the complete listing–however that it’s like really easy you simply can’t imagine you’re doing it proper. And it’s so apparent that you could’t imagine that that’s what persons are making an attempt to get you to see, and it’s so good you may’t imagine that that’s actually it. There’s another, I can’t keep in mind what it’s proper now, however it’s like actually that simple, and actually that apparent, and actually that good. When you type of get the dangle of what we’re making an attempt to get you to note, which is the noticing.
In a bunch of my lessons, we’ve been going by way of this lovely translation of a poem a Sixteenth-century Tibetan poet and grasp, Jigmé Lingpa. The ebook is translated by Ken McCleod, it’s known as A Trackless Path. However in there, he says one thing actually attention-grabbing, which is: as an alternative of glomming onto the arising, be what is aware of the arising, be what notices it. And he has a extremely attention-grabbing metaphor for that, he says that’s like being an oak peg within the onerous floor. It’s a really odd metaphor when you concentrate on it. All these traditions speak about house and openness and ease and there’s nothing to hold onto however he’s saying that sense of coming from consciousness itself, openness, not a thought assemble, not any type of assemble, however simply consciousness, even consciousness, not as a assemble not as a factor, that has this property of being like an oak peg within the onerous floor.
And regardless that it too is empty, it does have this attention-grabbing sense of being tremendous steady and really unruffled, regardless that a lot of issues are altering. It has this sense it’s at all times been there, it’s by no means been totally different. And so forth now we’re not deifying that or refining that into the one everlasting factor, it’s nonetheless empty as I’m saying however nonetheless it has this property of–in comparison with
the constructs–of being like an oak peg within the onerous floor. It’s very attention-grabbing after we study to meditate by, let’s say, specializing in the breath, which is a phenomenal factor to do, I imply please do this, it’s an amazing meditation. We’re type of borrowing the soundness of the breath to stabilize our thoughts, proper? Or let’s say, you’re meditating on taking a look at a cushion in entrance of you, we’re type of borrowing the soundness of that visible presentation to nonetheless our thoughts. However finally, as you do this type of meditation increasingly more and extra you understand the factor itself is just not steady in any respect, it was simply comparatively steady.
However the extra you discover it the extra–relying on the way you’re doing the meditation–you may see it flip right into a type of like buzzy tremendous vibratory static or simply immediately see its vacancy, which is like only a reflection. And so the factor that you’re utilizing to stabilize the thoughts, finally, you see is totally unstable and what’s truly steady is what’s like Thoughts with a capital M. The attention itself is tremendously steady and the objects of consciousness aren’t. And so, we are able to permit what’s already there nothing particular, simply the truth that you’re awake, proper, now to be its personal stability.
It’s very attention-grabbing, it’s very highly effective, it’s type of releasing, or I might say radically releasing.
Particularly the extra you discover that that’s at all times accessible, at all times accessible and that’s whenever you’re like, oh I’ve been knocking and knocking to get inside to the nice place however I’m knocking from inside, the nice place I completely acquired it like I’m already there. It’s already there, I didn’t should make it, I didn’t have to love crawl my method there. It’s already there. So good, that’s my raving for this night. Any questions or feedback and even studies from you all?
Questioner 1: What’s the perform of this not shifting within the meditation?
Michael: Complete leisure.
Questioner 1: What in regards to the ache that’s increase?
Michael: Yeah, so if ache is increase then primary be happy subsequent time to take a seat within the wiggle room and never expertise that ache, that’s nice. However as you get increasingly more used to sitting like this, you’ll discover that the ache doesn’t come up as a result of your physique simply will get used to sitting nonetheless, or if it does, that turns into one other object to note the vacancy of and lets you join extra deeply with the attention that’s noticing. It’s truly actually, actually useful to take a seat nonetheless however you don’t need to do it earlier than you’re prepared as a result of then it’s type of simply agony, which is why we kindly present the opposite house. Ultimately although, you’ll discover that whenever you loosen up sufficient your physique simply–that’s what I used to be saying we don’t keep nonetheless rigidly, we’re not holding ourselves nonetheless right here, you’re stress-free to the purpose the place you may’t transfer as a result of in case you had been to attempt to transfer you’d should tense again up. And When you get used to doing that and also you sit such as you’re sitting in a method that you simply’re used to sitting, your physique will discover this spot the place it could possibly sit, the place it simply feels good the entire time.
So it simply takes a bit of getting used to, however when you’re used to it, it’s like there’s type of a BING! You simply need to simply be so relaxed and open that you simply simply, type of, can’t transfer. So it’s actually finally very, very good.
After I was first studying to take a seat this manner it was like jail and oh I simply gotta make it by way of it, and that may be helpful. Really, a lot of traditions work with that however it’s okay to not push it additional than you may push it proper now. However finally, you’ll discover–it would take months or years or no matter–however finally, you simply sit there and it simply feels good to simply actually loosen up. As a result of on a regular basis you’re prepared to maneuver–that is the humorous factor–readiness to maneuver is like 15-20 p.c pressure within the muscular tissues. That’s what readiness is. And so in case you let go of that, actually let go of it, you compromise right into a type of stillness that may be very, very nice after which your thoughts will begin to loosen up. So the physique and thoughts are one factor, proper? In order that large leisure fashion stillness within the bodily physique begins to induce relaxed open stillness within the thoughts, whereas if we’re retaining the physique actually tense and that’s like we’re making an attempt to maintain the thoughts tense. Generally we attempt to get thought-free by retaining the thoughts tense. That doesn’t assist. It completely doesn’t work. Or you recognize, if we’re simply continually fidgeting and scratching and altering our hair and zipping and unzipping our garments, or no matter, our thoughts simply will do the identical factor. So finally, we simply study that basically, you recognize, that is even the key of jhana. The key of jhana is just not in some way excessive focus, it’s truly studying loosen up, actually loosen up. As a result of after we actually loosen up the physique, the thoughts actually relaxes, and as an alternative of being some type of tight management that’s the true actual focus, the thoughts is simply completely nonetheless. And it comes from opening, releasing, letting go, releasing pressure, proper? In order that’s why we’re sitting nonetheless, okay?
Yeah however, you recognize, one factor I’ll say is typically it feels together with your legs like in the event that they go to sleep they’re gonna–you’re gonna be performed meditating and your proper leg from the knee down will simply snap off or one thing and that’s not gonna occur. They simply get a bit of numb typically as a result of the nerve is simply barely pressed just a bit bit and so long as you rise up sluggish they’ll be fully tremendous. Nice query although, thanks. What else?
Questioner 2: Is there some extent past which we are able to’t go? Is there some extent that’s truly invisible after we attempt to focus the attention? In different phrases, I used to be stunned how a lot I might really feel that taking place however mentally I’m pondering I would like to have the ability to choose the factor up and have a look at it which implies you’re separate from it.
Michael: Yeah, and in order that’s coming from idea, proper? That’s coming from the thought: there’s me over right here taking a look at consciousness over there and so naturally such as you’re saying, you get that feeling of–I’ve acquired to have the ability to choose it up and have a look at it or maintain it or deal with it. However you may let go of each little bit of that and since consciousness is conscious it doesn’t require any focus. You don’t have to take a look at it with tight consideration in any method, it’s already conscious of itself. It’s not a factor that you simply’re placing into focus, it’s already there. In any other case, you’d be useless or unconscious or one thing. Is there an expertise occurring proper now?
Questioner 2: There’s a consciousness…
Michael: No, reply the query. Is there an expertise occurring?
Questioner 2: Yeah
Michael: That’s it. You simply did it, you don’t should tighten it in any respect to take a look at it in some particular method. That’s what I imply. It’s really easy that you could’t imagine it. It’s simply that nakedness of the truth that there’s expertise. So something you’re doing to attempt to get an angle on it or flip round to take a look at, all of that’s simply nonsense. And I did it for years, so I completely relate to why you’re doing it however it’ll be fairly literal, throw it out, simply come again to it’s already conscious of itself. It’s that simple.
Okay. does that make sense to you? Are you able to do it proper now? Yeah? No?
Questioner 2: Sure.
Michael: Okay, proper. It’s proper there, no focus mandatory. So isn’t it attention-grabbing, we type of make what I’d name like a cartesian theater in our head, like okay there’s a me over right here and I gotta put it up that factor over there. All of that’s simply including stuff in that doesn’t must be there.
So simply each time you discover your self doing that, simply drop it, it’s only a waste of time.
Okay, superior, nice query. People?
Questioner 3: You stated one thing a bit of bit earlier that the place you had been type of speaking about thought and movement and my query is how do you are feeling as if thought and movement aren’t totally different from one another and the way the perform of them is totally different?
Michael: It’s an advanced query as a result of it’s like on many various layers, proper? And so within the context of this dialogue, I’ll simply reply briefly though there’s extra to it. I’d say in essentially the most type of childlike common method we discover that ideas are both sounds or photos, proper? They’re going to be speak speak speak or photos or even when they’re deep ideas they’re going to have that type of construction, whereas feelings are going to be a physique sensation principally, we would have concepts in regards to the emotion however that comes again to ideas. The feelings themselves really feel like a type of motion within the physique. So to place it in kind of an experiential however possibly childlike method; ideas are going to be sounds and photos, and feelings are going to be emotions in your physique, okay? So what’s attention-grabbing is as we go deeper and deeper with these all of them begin seeming like a type of motion and finally they kind of come collectively into one factor, proper, and it’s simply stuff shifting. After which finally you acknowledge it’s simply consciousness shifting, it’s not even a factor, it’s like an empty phantom in consciousness.
And but once more, after we say empty it feels like I imply nothing however I don’t imply nothing, there’s an expertise there. However as we go deeper and deeper into what we’d name the thoughts sense, proper, it appears to simply be increasingly more motion, no matter meaning. After which the motion–like I used to be saying, like ripples on the ocean of consciousness–are simply made from extra consciousness. You understand that the ideas and emotions and physique sensations and even the world round you, it’s not made from something however consciousness. Though it’s not made from it however it’s not totally different than it did anyway so however to get into the perform and all that, that’s an entire different…
I’ll say I don’t know. Does that reply your query in any respect?
Questioner 3: Yeah.
Michael: Okay. Good. Sure?
Questioner 4: So that you’re speaking about consciousness as a part of the self and to me…
Michael: I by no means stated that.
Questioner 4: Okay, are you speaking about consciousness? However what in regards to the will? Is the need assumed below consciousness or is it a separate factor? Or is it…
Michael: While you say the need what do you imply?
Questioner 4: I don’t merely have the sense that I’m conscious, I even have the sense that I can do issues. I can do no matter I need.
Michael: The place does that come from? How are you aware what you need?
Questioner 4: I select it.
Michael: How are you aware what to decide on? Like so that you select to, I don’t know, go to the lavatory?
Questioner 4: It’s a combination between figuring out and selecting, kind of.
Michael: All I’d say is look actually carefully on the concept of will and inform me the place it comes from and in case you determined it. Simply in your individual expertise look actually carefully. As a result of I can sit right here and say I feel it’s this or that however I don’t know the reality of the universe, I simply invite you to see if that factor of like effectively…
Questioner 4: I simply do it as a result of I need to.
Michael: Okay, effectively look into the wanting actually how do you even know you need that? The place does that come from? It’s an attention-grabbing factor to look deeply at.
Questioner 4: The wanting is just not the necessary factor, I didn’t will something even one thing I don’t need to I can watch nothing and I’ve 5 choices in entrance of me I simply will this one.
Michael: Okay, discover that second of keen then. The place does that come from? Look actually carefully. When does it–is there a second earlier than the keen? What’s there earlier than the keen? And what’s modified as soon as, proper in that second, when that sense of keen it seems? And the place did it come from? Test it out. I assure that might be fascinating.
Questioner 4: Okay
Michael: It’s extra necessary than my concepts about this or that. Simply look into your individual expertise.
Okay, superior. Time sensible I ought to go right here. I truly would like to preserve speaking and actually get pleasure from being privileged to hang around with you guys and listen to your questions and stuff.