Shamatha Retreat with Alan Wallace 2012 (part 12)

· · · silence, 1 minute

0:37 Settle your body in its natural state, your respiration in its natural rhythm and Report an error in the passage at 0:37 Highlight the passage at 0:37

· · · silence, 1 minute

1:19 settle your mind with the qualities of ease, of stillness and clarity. Report an error in the passage at 1:19 Highlight the passage at 1:19

· · · silence, 1 minute

2:20 Then once again focus your attention downwards on the rise and fall of the abdomen, the tactile sensations, Report an error in the passage at 2:20 Highlight the passage at 2:20

2:30 arousing and focusing your attention with each in-breath through the whole course of the inhalation and then deeply relaxing, relaxing in the body, releasing the breath, releasing thoughts as you breathe out. Report an error in the passage at 2:30 Highlight the passage at 2:30

2:48 And yet sustain that flow of mindfulness of the sensations there with the rise and fall of the abdomen. Arouse and relax. Report an error in the passage at 2:48 Highlight the passage at 2:48

· · · silence, 1 minute

4:23 And now we introduce the element of counting. There are different methods. Here's one that may be helpful. Report an error in the passage at 4:23 Highlight the passage at 4:23

4:33 And that is at the very end of inhalation, just before the exhalation begins. Mentally and very briefly, very succinctly, count one. Report an error in the passage at 4:33 Highlight the passage at 4:33

4:48 Relax as usual as you breathe out, maintaining the flow of mindfulness. There at the abdomen, quietly, non-discursively. Report an error in the passage at 4:48 Highlight the passage at 4:48

5:03 The breath flows in. Maintain that continuity of mindfulness, quietly, non-conceptionally, until you come to the very end of the next inhalation. And very succinctly, will staccato count two. Report an error in the passage at 5:03 Highlight the passage at 5:03

5:18 In between counts, let your mind be as silent as possible. And see that the mental count does not drag on one as you breathe out, but just one, and then silence. Report an error in the passage at 5:18 Highlight the passage at 5:18

5:36 One count at the end of each inhalation, you may count one through ten, one through ten, or you may simply continue counting as you wish. With Report an error in the passage at 5:36 Highlight the passage at 5:36

· · · silence, 2 minutes

7:49 introspection, note whether you've lost count or stopped counting altogether. With introspection, note the occurrence of the laxity and excitation, and then apply the appropriate remedies to balance your attention. Report an error in the passage at 7:49 Highlight the passage at 7:49

8:04 See that the counting is just like punctuation marks, that you're not shifting over to mindfulness of counting. But rather maintaining an ongoing flow of mindfulness of the breath, punctuated by these very brief counts, just to keep you on track. Report an error in the passage at 8:04 Highlight the passage at 8:04

· · · silence, 6 minutes

14:25 Remember to apply introspection not only to the mind, looking out for the occurrence of excitation and laxity, but also attending to the body, seeing very specifically that your whole face remains soft and relaxed, Report an error in the passage at 14:25 Highlight the passage at 14:25

14:46 fluid, effortless. Report an error in the passage at 14:46 Highlight the passage at 14:46