Shamatha Retreat with Alan Wallace 2012 (part 43)

· · · silence, 1 minute

0:31 But first we slip into our comfort zone, slipping right into the body like an old pair of slippers, easy, comfortable, relaxed, softening the body, letting it be still, clear, Report an error in the passage at 0:31 Highlight the passage at 0:31

0:57 releasing the respiration. Report an error in the passage at 0:57 Highlight the passage at 0:57

1:03 And just for a short time practice mindfulness of breathing in any of the three modes to get the mind to quiet down. Report an error in the passage at 1:03 Highlight the passage at 1:03

· · · silence, 1 minute

2:30 Let your gaze, your Report an error in the passage at 2:30 Highlight the passage at 2:30

2:36 awareness, resting evenly in the space in front of you with no object, just present, mindful, without distraction or grasping. Report an error in the passage at 2:36 Highlight the passage at 2:36

2:52 We come to this stillness not by effort so much as a release of effort, releasing the exertion to going out and latching onto objects. We just come home and stay home. Report an error in the passage at 2:52 Highlight the passage at 2:52

· · · silence, 1 minute

3:53 And now direct your awareness, your mental awareness, straight up above your head if you're sitting upright, straight up into the sky, into the space above you, Report an error in the passage at 3:53 Highlight the passage at 3:53

4:09 as if you're setting a rocket up into space. Catapult, propel your awareness up into space as far as you can reach. Report an error in the passage at 4:09 Highlight the passage at 4:09

4:19 Again, as if you're... Listening for a distant sound. But you're not. Just directing your awareness straight up with no object. Report an error in the passage at 4:19 Highlight the passage at 4:19

4:34 Pushing the limits of the space of your awareness. Report an error in the passage at 4:34 Highlight the passage at 4:34

· · · silence, 1 minute

5:25 Then relax and let your awareness descend, come back to its own place with no exertion, no extension, no directionality. And just rest in your own place. Report an error in the passage at 5:25 Highlight the passage at 5:25

· · · silence, 1 minute

6:16 Then in the same way, extend your awareness now, your mental awareness out to the right, to your right. Out into the space, as far as your awareness can reach. Report an error in the passage at 6:16 Highlight the passage at 6:16

6:31 Without visualizing, without latching onto any object, just reach out to space. Openness without object. Report an error in the passage at 6:31 Highlight the passage at 6:31

· · · silence, 1 minute

7:29 Relax and let your awareness descend, almost as if it's coming back by the power of gravity. Back to its own gravitational center, just resting. Resting in that awareness of awareness without mediation, without configuration by thought. Report an error in the passage at 7:29 Highlight the passage at 7:29

· · · silence, 1 minute

8:48 Extend your awareness in the same way out to the left, as far as your awareness can reach. Report an error in the passage at 8:48 Highlight the passage at 8:48

· · · silence, 1 minute

10:04 Then back to center and relax. Report an error in the passage at 10:04 Highlight the passage at 10:04

· · · silence, 2 minutes

11:45 And like shooting an arrow, direct your attention. Directly downwards. Downwards into the space of the mind. So the fact that there is other solid substances is insignificant, irrelevant. Just direct your awareness straight down into the space of your mind. As far as your awareness can reach. Without visualizing or without latching onto any object. Report an error in the passage at 11:45 Highlight the passage at 11:45

12:09 Show Report an error in the passage at 12:09 Highlight the passage at 12:09

· · · silence, 2 minutes

13:58 you that comes back to the palm. Let your awareness return to its own place, its own ground. Report an error in the passage at 13:58 Highlight the passage at 13:58

· · · silence, 1 minute

14:47 To facilitate the next step, for a little while let your eyes close. Report an error in the passage at 14:47 Highlight the passage at 14:47

14:55 Continuing to let awareness rest in its own place, without directionality. Report an error in the passage at 14:55 Highlight the passage at 14:55

15:11 And to the extent that you feel the locus of your awareness is up in your head, Report an error in the passage at 15:11 Highlight the passage at 15:11

15:23 then see if you can relax and let go so deeply that that very vantage point, that locus of awareness, descends as if in an elevator, descends straight down to your heart or heart chakra in the middle of your chest. Report an error in the passage at 15:23 Highlight the passage at 15:23

15:48 Let your awareness come to rest there in your heart. Report an error in the passage at 15:48 Highlight the passage at 15:48

16:04 This comes not by forcing it down, but by releasing the sense that your awareness is behind the eyes, looking out from there like a lighthouse. Report an error in the passage at 16:04 Highlight the passage at 16:04

· · · silence, 1 minute

17:26 Now once again, with your eyes at least a little bit open, Report an error in the passage at 17:26 Highlight the passage at 17:26

17:33 now utterly release your awareness into space, Report an error in the passage at 17:33 Highlight the passage at 17:33

17:48 wide open, expanding out into space, with no object, not attending to any appearances. Just utterly release your awareness into space. Report an error in the passage at 17:48 Highlight the passage at 17:48

18:25 And in that awareness that permeates the space of your own mind, Report an error in the passage at 18:25 Highlight the passage at 18:25

18:31 let your awareness rest in its own nature, illuminating itself, without deliberately focusing or attending to any appearance, inside or outside, beyond any demarcations of inside and outside. Report an error in the passage at 18:31 Highlight the passage at 18:31

18:53 Just rest in the awareness of awareness, doing nothing, simply being aware of being aware. Report an error in the passage at 18:53 Highlight the passage at 18:53

· · · silence, 1 minute

19:52 Whatever appearances do arise, whatever thoughts emerge, let your awareness be utterly still. And release the thoughts as soon as they occur, Report an error in the passage at 19:52 Highlight the passage at 19:52

20:08 sustaining as usual this flow of mindfulness without distraction and without grasping, but now also without object. Let's continue practicing in silence. Report an error in the passage at 20:08 Highlight the passage at 20:08