Shamatha Retreat with Alan Wallace 2012 (part 46)

· · · silence, 1 minute

0:48 Settle your body in its natural state, your respiration in its natural rhythm, and for a short time calm the mind with mindfulness of breathing. Report an error in the passage at 0:48 Highlight the passage at 0:48

· · · silence, 2 minutes

2:58 Then let your awareness permeate the whole field of the body, this whole somatic field, Report an error in the passage at 2:58 Highlight the passage at 2:58

3:06 and take as your object of mindfulness the space of the body and whatever arises within that somatic field. This will include sensations correlated with the four elements, earth, water, fire, air, Report an error in the passage at 3:06 Highlight the passage at 3:06

3:27 but there are also feelings. These subjective modes of experience, you may experience some sensations in the body as uncomfortable between the sense of discomfort, Report an error in the passage at 3:27 Highlight the passage at 3:27

3:44 other feelings as well, neutrality, perhaps even pleasure. Report an error in the passage at 3:44 Highlight the passage at 3:44

3:52 But attend to the space of the body and whatever arises within it and sustain the quality of mindfulness without distraction, without grasping. Report an error in the passage at 3:52 Highlight the passage at 3:52

· · · silence, 3 minutes

7:04 Let your awareness be still like space, clearly illuminating the space of the body and whatever arises within it. Report an error in the passage at 7:04 Highlight the passage at 7:04

7:17 The space and its contents immediately without labeling, without conceptualizing, without categorizing, without imagining. Report an error in the passage at 7:17 Highlight the passage at 7:17

7:33 Whatever arises simply observes its nature without preference, without seeking to modify in any way. Report an error in the passage at 7:33 Highlight the passage at 7:33

· · · silence, 1 minute

8:15 Then let your eyes be at least partially open, but your gaze vacant, Report an error in the passage at 8:15 Highlight the passage at 8:15

8:23 resting in the space in front of you. Report an error in the passage at 8:23 Highlight the passage at 8:23

8:29 Turn the full force of mindfulness to the domain of the mind, Report an error in the passage at 8:29 Highlight the passage at 8:29

8:40 which as we explored yesterday is all around you, wherever mental images can arise. They arise within the space of the mind and they can arise anywhere. But Report an error in the passage at 8:40 Highlight the passage at 8:40

9:10 if you're new to the practice to help locate this one domain out of six, you may deliberately generate a discursive thought or an image, focus on it, allow it to fade and keep your attention right where it was, ready to observe the next thought or image that arises spontaneously. After Report an error in the passage at 9:10 Highlight the passage at 9:10

· · · silence, 2 minutes

11:16 the flow of mindfulness with introspection, as soon as you see that you've been carried away, relax, release and return. Report an error in the passage at 11:16 Highlight the passage at 11:16

· · · silence, 2 minutes

13:48 Now take special interest in the intervals between thoughts, attending to the space of the mind. Report an error in the passage at 13:48 Highlight the passage at 13:48

14:04 While this space is most evident for lack of competition during these intervals between thoughts, it's always present. The space out of which thoughts emerge, in which they are present and into which they dissolve. Sustain an ongoing awareness of the space of the mind. Then Report an error in the passage at 14:04 Highlight the passage at 14:04

· · · silence, 2 minutes

16:12 withdraw your interest away from the contents of the mind and even from the space of the mind. Rest your awareness evenly in space. And now taking nothing as an object, not meditating on anything, just resting, Report an error in the passage at 16:12 Highlight the passage at 16:12

16:34 resting in awareness, Report an error in the passage at 16:34 Highlight the passage at 16:34

16:43 resting in stillness in the present moment, without distraction, without grasping, onto anything. And Report an error in the passage at 16:43 Highlight the passage at 16:43

· · · silence, 1 minute

18:07 as you allow your awareness to rest in its own place, without reaching out to any appearance or any object, you Report an error in the passage at 18:07 Highlight the passage at 18:07

18:19 have an increasingly clear experience simply of being aware. Report an error in the passage at 18:19 Highlight the passage at 18:19

18:39 So rest in that awareness of the sheer luminosity, the sheer cognizance of awareness itself. Report an error in the passage at 18:39 Highlight the passage at 18:39

· · · silence, 1 minute

19:59 And then to more deeply balance your attention. Arouse, focus, concentrate and invert your awareness right yet upon itself as you withdraw from all appearances and Report an error in the passage at 19:59 Highlight the passage at 19:59

20:19 utterly release. Release your awareness into space with no object. Report an error in the passage at 20:19 Highlight the passage at 20:19

20:28 As you arouse, you overcome the tendency of laxity, of being spaced out, dull. And as you release, you release all that energy, the turbulence behind. The rumination, the wandering thought. Report an error in the passage at 20:28 Highlight the passage at 20:28

· · · silence, 2 minutes

22:21 Release the oscillation. Report an error in the passage at 22:21 Highlight the passage at 22:21

22:25 Let your awareness come to rest in its own place right in the middle, right into the center without extending outwards or inwards, right where it already is, before you extend it or direct it. Report an error in the passage at 22:25 Highlight the passage at 22:25

22:46 Let your awareness hold its own ground, doing nothing, Report an error in the passage at 22:46 Highlight the passage at 22:46

22:54 just sustaining the awareness of awareness. Report an error in the passage at 22:54 Highlight the passage at 22:54