2020 8-Week Retreat: The Vajra Essence – Part 1, 24 Apr 2020, Online-only
Session 7: Observing the Mind 1. Review 2. The actual practice 3. Meditation - observing the mind 4. Review of stages one to four 5. Stages five to nine 6. Q&A Glen begins with a brief introduction on how to meditate with the mind as the object. Meditation starts at 8:40 After a quick review of the first four stages of shamatha, we continue learning about the final stages leading to the achievement of shamatha. Stage 5, Tamed Attention: One takes satisfaction in samadhi through the power of introspection. Stage 6, Pacified Attention: One no longer has any resistance to training the attention, achieved through the power of introspection. Stage 7, Fully Pacified Attention: Pacification of melancholy, attachment and lethargy through the power of enthusiasm. Stage 8, Single-pointed Attention: One can sustain samadhi without any excitation or laxity through the power of enthusiasm. Stage 9, Attentional Balance: One can sustain flawless samadhi effortlessly through the power of familiarity. Q & A: Glen speaks about the importance of recognizing subtle excitation and laxity after Stage 4, as without that it could lead to a sense of complacency.
The 4 Yogas of Mahamudra 2019 Retreat, 17 Jun 2019, Shambhala Mountain Center
Lama Alan begins by explaining the concepts of the substrate (Skt. ālaya, Tib. kun gzhi) and substrate consciousness (Skt. ālayavijñāna, Tib. kun gzhi rnam par shes pa). He then relates them to the practice of observing the mind and lists all the kinds of phenomena that arise within the space of the mind, both objective and subjective. He also comments on emotions and their somatic correlates, and on the importance of being aware of emotions before expressing them (whether to express them, when to express them and how to express them). Otherwise we're just acting out of habit and don't have real choices. After the meditation Lama talks about overcoming our worst nightmares by becoming lucid in the midst of them and jump right into what we most dread. In the same way this practice can help us become thoroughly lucid with respect to our minds in the waking state. We then go back to "The Path of Shamatha". First we review the last two bullet items on each stage (the quality of the experience and the quality of the flow of involuntary thoughts). Then we move forward with the text and cover: * 5 Subdued attention * 6 Pacified attention * Medium laxity * Subtle excitation **Meditation** Shamatha: Settling the mind in its natural state, focusing on the subjective impulses. Meditation starts at 28:29
2020 8-Week Retreat: The Vajra Essence – Part 1, 24 Apr 2020, Online-only
Observing the Mind
Shamatha Teachings Presented by Glen Svensson, 24 Apr 2020, Originally part of 2020 8-week retreat
Observing the Mind
Fall 2010 Shamatha Retreat, 19 Nov 2010, Thanyapura Mind Centre, Phuket, Thailand
In the intro, Alan explained the difference between the space of the mind with its 6 fields of experience (dharmadatu) and ultimate reality, nirvana, emptiness, absolute space of phenomena (dharmata). Like Dudjom Rimpoche said: dharmakaya it’s the nature of your own mind. He goes from that and when he talks about open presence, “if excitation arises, then loosen up, if laxity arises, then focus more clearly”. So, within Dzogchen is it possible to take emptiness (sunyata, dharmata), as the object of your Shamatha meditation? The answer is yes, it is hard (you are taking nirvana as your object of meditation), but it is possible. But with the meditation in emptiness you can also achieve relaxation, stability and vividness. All the space between thoughts can be called, in this case, rigpa.
Spring 2012 Shamatha Retreat, 03 May 2012, Thanyapura Mind Centre, Phuket, Thailand
Tonight we finish a set of mindfulness of breathing as we move our attention to focus on the sensations at the apertures of the nostrils. The practice has been explained fully in previous teachings so we proceed directly into meditation.
Q&A
* [preceding the meditation] How much of the nostrils is a valid target? 25% 50%?
* Neurological disease and shamatha.
* Does the moon disappear when it's out of mind?
* Why are we afraid to release?
* From the research of Ian Stevenson, why don't children remember previous lives as animals or from hell realms?
* Experimentation with practices to get traction during our retreat.
* Does the achievement of shamatha with awareness of awareness leave a wake of unaddressed mental issues that would have been resolved by practicing settling the mind?
Meditation starts at 02:59
Fall 2010 Shamatha Retreat, 18 Nov 2010, Thanyapura Mind Centre, Phuket, Thailand
Before the meditation, Alan explained to us the importance of this practice –Settling the Mind is a crucial Shamatha practice and also has qualities of Vipassana. The practice was introduced by the Buddha. Alan explained also that there are 2 types of ignorance: Cognitive Deficit Disorder, when the mind is distracted and we don’t perceive the reality of the moment. The other is Cognitive Hyperactivity, when we perceive something that is not there, but rather is a projection of our thoughts, images, ideas, etc. We project permanency into them and we create an illusion.
Alan’s instructions for the practice were not to engage in grasping and aversion when we watch our thoughts. Like the Buddha said: In the seen there is only the seen; in the mentally perceived, just the mentally perceived.
2023 8-Week Retreat: The Vajra Essence – Part 4, 16 May 2023, Crestone, Colorado and Online
The continuation of Padmasambhava’s pith instructions on “Identifying Pristine Awareness” (from Natural Liberation), along with Gyatrul Rinpoche’s commentary, are presented. Padmasambhava on “Identifying Pristine Awareness” (Natural Liberation): “It is not grounded in the nature of any shape or color, so it is free of the extreme of eternalism. While it is not existent, it is a steady, clear, natural luminosity that is not created by anyone, so it is free of the extreme of nihilism. It did not originate from a certain time, nor did it arise from certain causes and conditions, so it is free of the extreme of birth. The mind does not die or cease at a certain time, so it is free of the extreme of cessation. While it is not existent, its unimpeded creative power appears in all manner of ways, so it is free of the extreme of singularity. Although it appears in various ways, it is liberated without having any inherent nature, so it is free of the extreme of multiplicity. Thus, it is called the “view that is free of extremes.” It is said to be ‘free of bias and partiality.’ This alone is called the ‘mind of the Buddha.’ The mind of a sentient being, that which becomes a buddha, that which wanders in saṃsāra, and that which experiences joy and sorrow are all this alone. If this did not exist, there would be no one to experience saṃsāra or nirvāṇa or any joy and sorrow, which would imply a comatose extreme of nihilism.
Fall 2011 Shamatha Retreat, 05 Sep 2011, Thanyapura Mind Centre, Phuket, Thailand
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!
THE SCIENCE OF MIND, 17 Nov 2021, Online Retreat
The Science of Mind - Day Five, Session One
THE SCIENCE OF MIND, 16 Nov 2021, Online Retreat
The Science of Mind - Day Four, Session Two
THE SCIENCE OF MIND, 19 Nov 2021, Online Retreat
The Science of Mind - Day Seven, Session One
THE SCIENCE OF MIND, 19 Nov 2021, Online Retreat
The Science of Mind - Day Seven, Session Two
THE SCIENCE OF MIND, 18 Nov 2021, Online Retreat
The Science of Mind - Day Six, Session One
THE SCIENCE OF MIND, 18 Nov 2021, Online Retreat
The Science of Mind - Day Six, Session Two
2020 8-Week Retreat: The Vajra Essence – Part 1, 05 May 2020, Online-only
Observing the Space of the Mind
Shamatha Teachings Presented by Glen Svensson, 05 May 2020, Originally part of 2020 8-week retreat
Observing the Space of the Mind
2020 8-Week Retreat: The Vajra Essence – Part 1, 19 May 2020, Online-only
Merging Mind with Space
Shamatha Teachings Presented by Glen Svensson, 19 May 2020, Originally part of 2020 8-week retreat
Merging Mind with Space
Fathom the Mind. Heal the World., 04 Oct 2022, Online and in person from Blazing Mountain Retreat Center, Crestone, Colorado
After taking refuge and arousing bodhicitta, we bring forth the aspiring bodhicitta which needs to be put into action (engaged bodhicitta). In order to do so, we turn to the practice of mindfulness of breathing as taught by Arya Asanga. We begin with settling body speech and mind in the natural states. We enter into this exercise by first all all relaxing and letting the awareness descent down to the ground and rest there in a quiet non-conceptual mode. We observe the tactile sensations arising in space and relax our entire body. We let our body be still without any unnecessary movement and assume a posture of vigilance both in the sitting and supine position. To facilitate settling the inner speech of the mind in its nature state of effortless silence, we settle our respiration in its natural rhythm, unforced, effortless and unimpeded. With our awareness resting in its own place, we let the light of our awareness illuminate the space of the mind and whatever mental activities or movements arise, simply noting them without appropriating them, identifying with them. As we sustain the stillness and clarity of our awareness our mind will naturally settle in its natural state. With this relative balance of body speech and mind we begin the formal practice of mindfulness of the inhalation and exhalation as taught be Arya Asanga. We bear in the mind that the vantage point from which we are noting the inhalation and exhalation is the stillness of our own awareness. To ensure that we are not getting caught up by thought after thought, we start with the exercise of counting one by one. Then we dispense with the counting while resting in the spacious awareness of awareness and simply note the rhythm of the respiration and the relative duration of the in- and out-breath. We are exercising and refining our faculty of mindfulness in an uninterrupted flow of mindfulness of the in- and outflow of the breath. Mindfulness alone is vulnerable, so we need to complement this ongoing flow of mindfulness with introspection, by which we monitor the flow of mindfulness. We use it intermittently as needed to banish laxity or dullness and excitation or distraction, respectively and restore the flow of mindfulness as soon as possible. Finally we engage in counting by pairs.
Fall 2014 Shamatha, Vipashyana, Dream Yoga, 22 Sep 2014, Thanyapura Mind Centre, Phuket, Thailand
In the teachings before the meditation Alan emphasizes that we have a choice in our daily lives whether we let ourselves be caught up in ignorance and delusion or not. This relates to dream yoga, to know the dream as the dream, which means to know that whatever we experience does not really represent something, it is just an empty appearance. But likewise during our waking state, when traumatic experiences or mental afflictions arise, we have the choice whether we want to be a victim and get abducted by them or whether we learn to see them too as empty appearances. We don’t have the choice whether they arise in our minds or not, but we can choose to remain like a piece of wood, as Shantideva puts it, and let them dissolve back into the space of the mind again. If we want to be able to make that choice it is important that we learn to recognize our mental afflictions, thoughts etc. as soon as possible as they arise. The method that can help us do this is Settling the Mind, which we did in the silent session today. Following the meditation we go on with Daytime Dream Yoga from Padmasambhava’s Natural Liberation, and that’s where our magic mirror comes in. In the first session, adorn yourself in a beautiful way (no joke), and praise yourself beyond limits. Let the natural creativity of your own mind come to its full play. When pleasure arises due to your exuberant praises, remind yourself that this body is just an empty appearance, and that there is nothing about it that is actually you. As if that weren’t enough, you will now turn around the wheel and start abusing yourself, and try to be really good at that, too, Padmasambhava is listening… When displeasure arises, again remind yourself that it is just an empty appearance that is abused. Then alternate between praise and abuse until your reaction to it is even. In the second session, you should ideally go to a place where you have good echo, but make sure you are alone. Okay, most of us don’t have such a desolate place, so don’t overdo it this time… When you speak different words to yourself, again remind yourself that your voice is just an empty appearance, too. Then for the mind, all thoughts should be regarded as being of the nature of a mirage. They can’t hurt you, only if you get deluded. Even if you don’t like Settling the Mind, do it at least for one session each day, because this will definitely help you to see your thoughts as empty, and to actually have a choice whether you react to them or not. Alan underlines the importance of this practice, that it could actually be a step towards worldpeace if it were taught in a broader context, i.e. in schools. Silent meditation cut out at 35:00 min
Spring 2012 Shamatha Retreat, 21 Apr 2012, Thanyapura Mind Centre, Phuket, Thailand
This afternoon we proceed again to awareness of the breath at the apertures of the nostrils. We review the significance of using subtle objects to develop vividness in awareness of breathing and settling the mind. Then with awareness-of-awareness, how it reveals the inherit clarity of the substrate consciousness by dispelling the five obscurations by releasing grasping.
Alan brings to question the validity of the instruction for use of the acquired sign in the final stages of shamatha, suggesting it is only an interpretation, and not what the Buddha actually taught.
Q&A:
* How to regard one's career in the pursuit of dharma.
* Status of previous retreatants.
* How to cope with bliss when it arrises.
* Medium excitation in settling-the-mind.
* How consciousness functions as pulses through time.
Meditation starts at 27:04
Q&A starts at 52:04
2023 8-Week Retreat: The Vajra Essence – Part 4, 15 May 2023, Crestone, Colorado and Online
With a more ‘polished’ translation of the text from Padmasambhava on “Identifying Pristine Awareness” (Natural Liberation), we repeat the practice from yesterday. Then, additional guidance is offered by Padmasambhava in the third paragraph. “At that time, the guru should provide the following instruction: Oh, now steadily observe this consciousness at the time of placing the mind steadfastly and without modification. Oh, once you have calmed the compulsive thoughts in your mind right where they are, and the mind is unmodified, isn’t there a motionless stability? Oh, this is called ‘śamatha,’ but it is not the essential nature of the mind. Now, steadily observe the essential nature of your own mind that is still. Is there a resplendent emptiness that is nothing, that is not determined in the essential nature of any substance, shape, or color? That is called the ‘empty essential nature.’ Isn’t there a radiance of that emptiness that is unceasing and unimpeded, clear, immaculate, soothing, and luminous, as it were? That is called the ‘luminous manifest nature.’ Its essential nature, which is sheer emptiness, not established as anything, and its unceasing, unimpeded, vivid radiance are indivisible. Such awareness, which is resplendent and brilliant, as it were, has reason to exist, but one cannot find a way to express it directly in words. This resplendent consciousness of the present moment is given the name ‘awareness.’ That which thinks is this alone, so it is given the name ‘mind.’ It is this that is mindful of all kinds of things, so it is given the name ‘mindfulness.’ While it is not seen, it is a special seeing that is clear, steady, unmediated, and steadfast, so it is given the name ‘vipaśyanā.’ It is that which makes distinctions among all specific phenomena, like separating the layers of a mushroom, so it is given the name ‘discerning intelligence.’ All terms such as ‘sugatagarbha,’ ‘sole quintessence,’ ‘absolute space and primordial consciousness,’ ‘the middle way,’ ‘ultimate reality,’ ‘Mahāmudrā,’ ‘Atiyoga,’ and ‘emptiness’ are names of this alone. This steadfast awareness exists, so it is that which sees form with the eyes, experiences sounds with the ears, smells with the nose, tastes with the tongue, and so on. All the experiencers of such things are just this clear conscious awareness of the present. However, since we have this, and it variously appears as liking and disliking, attachment, hatred, and so on, and because it knows, remembers, and is aware, we are given the name ‘sentient being.’” Continuing with further guidance from Padmasambhava, ... “Although there is constant, direct mindful awareness, it does not recognize itself, and that is given the name “inborn ignorance.” How is it ignorant? Although the eye sees everything out there, it does not reflexively see itself. Likewise, the mind does not see, does not know, and does not cognize itself, so this is called “ignorance.” Consciousness that appears to itself is called “pristine awareness” and “primordial consciousness.” In short, it is just this clear, steady consciousness that is ordinarily, naturally present right now.”
The Wisdom of Atisha and Knowing Our Own Minds, 14 Sep 2021, Online from Miyo Samten Ling in Crestone, CO
After arousing Bodhicitta we first settle the body in its natural state, relaxed still and vigilant. Then we move to the subtler challenge of settling the respiration in its natural rhythm by which we enable the discursive mind to gradual settle in its natural state by first settling the mental speech in its natural state of effortless mental silence, releasing thoughts with every out-breath. Eventually we settle the mind in its natural state, and allow for it to dissolve into a much subtler state. We enable this process by resting in awareness, relaxed, unwaveringly still, and bright and clear. We do so by releasing the grasping at all appearances that would set it in motion and by not appropriating the various activities of the mind. We rest awareness right where it is, holding its own ground, self-illuminatingly and self-knowingly. We our eyes at least partially open, and for the rest of the session we primarily rest in the ongoing non-conceptual flow of self-illumination, self-knowing awareness. Secondarily, we are aware of the rhythm of the breath without being aware of the body or any tactile sensations of the body and peripherally note the relative duration of the in- and out-breath. Simultaneously, we sustain the awareness of the stillness of the awareness and the movements of the in- and out-breath.
The 4 Yogas of Mahamudra 2019 Retreat, 20 Jun 2019, Shambhala Mountain Center
Since this is our last afternoon we will now move on to what is commonly referred to as non-meditation, open presence, cutting through, etc. At a first glance it seems like just doing nothing at all and there aren't many ways of doing nothing, but if you're doing something then you're not doing the practice. Everything hinges on what you bring onto that "nothing", what the practice is imbued with. Motivation is of course very important, and bodhicitta is the only suitable motivation here. Then the gold standard when it comes to open presence is open presence in pristine awareness, so you're not just resting in your ordinary consciousness or the substrate consciousness, let alone a wandering mind. An imperative preparation that is needed is some degree of insight into the emptiness of inherent nature, especially of one's own mind and at least implicitly of all phenomena. It may not be spectacular at the beginning, but that's how it starts. We will be following a method drawn from the pith instructions by Yangthang Rinpoche. * His method of shamatha * His method of vipashyana of probing into the nature of the mind * His method of transitioning from ascertaining the emptiness of the mind to resting in rigpa. After the meditation Lama Alan emphasizes that it's not too soon to begin this practice. If we postpone it, we'll never get good at it. Just like with shamatha, this can be broken down into smaller problems or challenges. Lama also shares several ways in which yogis approach this path, so we definitely have options. He then explains how relative bodhicitta arises effortlessly and spontaneously from ultimate bodhicitta. We then continue with the texts: The Four Yogas of Mahamudra * Yoga of One Taste * Medium stage Twelve Stages of the Four Yogas of Mahamudra: * The yoga of one taste * Medium stage **Meditation** Non-meditation: pith instructions by Yangthang Rinpoche Meditation starts at 27:55
Fall 2015 Stage of Generation, 26 Aug 2015, Araluen Retreat Center, Queensland, Australia
In introducing vipashyana, Alan speaks about the importance of overcoming reification to gain insight into reality. The key point is that reification of self, others and objects is not homogenous but rather comes in waves. The meditation aimed at recognising the types of insight that we experience including when reification arises and when we get glimpses of reality such as emptiness. Alan informs us that settling the mind is a good launching pad for tipping over into Vipashyana practice as it sits right on the threshold. Meditation is on Vipashyana via Settling the Mind. After the meditation, Alan comments on two types of ignorance - connate and acquired. Connate ignorance is the one that deserves our attention and is the basis of the Buddhadharma. However, we are easily swamped by acquired ignorance, especially through materialism which then gets in the way of addressing connate ignorance. Alan provides commentary on the first two pages of Chapter 4. Vispashyana is the method for escaping from samsara and reaching the path. The main obstacle is grasping at a non existent self, which is connate ignorance. The right domain for understanding this is the apprehension of self in the space of the mind. The way to stop self grasping is to know that we are doing it and that this is occurring in waves. The text alludes to the vast repercussions of self-grasping. Following commentary on the text, Alan discusses the significance of dream yoga to insight practice. We can watch closely the arising of self from the dream state or from deep sleep. A very deep level of understanding is that all appearances of others are appearances of your own mind whether in waking state or dream state. Alan then provides guidance on dream yoga practice in the waking state which will help to train the mind in lucid dreaming. The technique is to do a "state check" whenever anomalies or unusual, weird events are identified. For example, like a stranger who sees Alan walking around in a red skirt! Alan concludes with three different types of meditation practices when we are falling asleep to ensure that we get adequate rest. The meditation starts at 14:03.
2020 8-Week Retreat: The Vajra Essence – Part 1, 01 May 2020, Online-only
Session 9: Observing emotions 1. Review 2. Meditative experiences 3. Advice for the practice 4. The actual practice 5. Meditation - observing emotions 6. Length of sessions 7. Q&A Glen continues reading Lerab Lingpa’s text on settling the mind in its natural state, and begins by speaking about meditative experiences. In general, meditators should try not to make a big deal out of pleasant or unpleasant experiences, and let go of any attachment and aversion towards their practice. It is very common por modern meditators to overestimate their level of realization. Glen gives some guidance on our shamatha practice. Simply rest in your mind’s natural state and observe the movements of the mind. One technique to not get caught up in your thoughts is to gently note the mental events for what they are, such as desire, anger, fear, etc. If this does not work, then one can simply rest in stillness. It is much easier to get caught up in the subjective mental events than in the objective mental events, as subjective events are reactions to whatever appears in our mind. Meditation starts at 29:55 Glen speaks briefly about the duration of the meditation session, and how it is initially preferable to have shorter sessions, with an emphasis on quality instead of quantity. Q & A: Glen answers a question regarding our reactions to phenomena such as pain, and responds how we should simply observe the reaction and not the event itself. Glen sates how we don’t suffer because of pain, we suffer because of our aversion to pain. By observing unpleasant experiences, we can transform suffering into our spiritual practice.
Shamatha Teachings Presented by Glen Svensson, 01 May 2020, Originally part of 2020 8-week retreat
Session 9: Observing emotions 1. Review 2. Meditative experiences 3. Advice for the practice 4. The actual practice 5. Meditation - observing emotions 6. Length of sessions 7. Q&A Glen continues reading Lerab Lingpa’s text on settling the mind in its natural state, and begins by speaking about meditative experiences. In general, meditators should try not to make a big deal out of pleasant or unpleasant experiences, and let go of any attachment and aversion towards their practice. It is very common por modern meditators to overestimate their level of realization. Glen gives some guidance on our shamatha practice. Simply rest in your mind’s natural state and observe the movements of the mind. One technique to not get caught up in your thoughts is to gently note the mental events for what they are, such as desire, anger, fear, etc. If this does not work, then one can simply rest in stillness. It is much easier to get caught up in the subjective mental events than in the objective mental events, as subjective events are reactions to whatever appears in our mind. Meditation starts at 29:55 Glen speaks briefly about the duration of the meditation session, and how it is initially preferable to have shorter sessions, with an emphasis on quality instead of quantity. Q & A: Glen answers a question regarding our reactions to phenomena such as pain, and responds how we should simply observe the reaction and not the event itself. Glen sates how we don’t suffer because of pain, we suffer because of our aversion to pain. By observing unpleasant experiences, we can transform suffering into our spiritual practice.
The Wisdom of Atisha and Knowing Our Own Minds, 14 Sep 2021, Online from Miyo Samten Ling in Crestone, CO
Lama-la begins this session with some footnotes emphasizing his deep respect for science despite his earlier comments and a quote from Albert Einstein to show the comparison and between the Michelson-Morley experiment and the retrieval of veridical memories after reaching Shamatha. He mentions that the theme in the dialogue between Atisha and Drom Tönpa can also be found in the Mahamudra and Dzogchen tradition, which is that before going into the Shamatha practice for people of dull faculties, there is first the determination of what is primary among body, speech and mind, followed by an ontological probe into the origin, location and destination of the mind. Once one has fathomed that it doesn't really exist, one takes it as it path and is less likely to be thrown off by outer, inner and secret upheavals. The meditation is on the Dzogchen approach to mindfulness of breathing and begins at minute 12:50. After the meditation Lama reminds us that Shamatha is not a means to an end, but that we should use it because it is replete with the five Dhyana factors. He briefly lists them and mentions the three qualities that arise simultaneously once Shamatha is achieved. However since attachment can easily arise which shows that Shamatha is still conceptual. He also addresses the topic of trained virtue and asks us not the jettison it too quickly, because even a Vidyadhara engages in virtue in between sessions. Then he turns to the text and Droms question whether the mind is self-grasping. This is followed by a process of elimination—going through the sense faculties—in order to find out what the mind is. Finally, Lama-la discusses how conceptual fabrications come about when there weren’t any before and brings this understanding back to where we live by clarifying that the root cause of our mental states are within and that external things and persons are only contributing condition.
2019 8-Week Retreat, 14 Apr 2019, Lama Tzong Khapa Institute, Tuscany, Italy
Guided meditation is on the characteristics of the mind
2019 retreat - Open Mind, 08 Jan 2019, Online
Meditation - Taking the Mind as the Path
2019 retreat - Open Mind, 09 Jan 2019, Online
Meditation - Probing the Referent of the Mind
2022 8-Week Retreat: The Vajra Essence – Part 3, 23 Apr 2022, Online from Miyo Samten Ling in Crestone, Colorado, USA
Meditation: Become a Naturalist of Your Mind - Part I
2022 8-Week Retreat: The Vajra Essence – Part 3, 25 Apr 2022, Online from Miyo Samten Ling in Crestone, Colorado, USA
Meditation: Become a Naturalist of Your Mind - Part II
2022 8-Week Retreat: The Vajra Essence – Part 3, 27 May 2022, Online from Miyo Samten Ling in Crestone, Colorado, USA
Meditation: Merging Mind with Space
2020 8-Week Retreat: The Vajra Essence – Part 1, 22 May 2020, Online-only
Merging Mind with Space (Releasing)
Shamatha Teachings Presented by Glen Svensson, 22 May 2020, Originally part of 2020 8-week retreat
Merging Mind with Space (Releasing)
2020 8-Week Retreat: The Vajra Essence – Part 1, 03 Apr 2020, Online-only
Settling Body, Speech and Mind
The Seven Preliminaries according Düdjom Lingpa, 03 Apr 2020, Online - Originally part of 2020 8-week retreat
Settling Body, Speech and Mind
2018 8-week retreat- The Essence of Clear Meaning, 29 Apr 2018, Lama Tzong Khapa Institute in Pomaia (Pisa), Italy
This afternoon we began exploring section 3, titled "Revealing the Ground Dharmakāya", which emphasizes the emptiness of persons and of all other phenomena. Lama Alan started commenting that, being this a Dzogchen text, what's unique in this approach is that we're achieving emptiness on the basis of rigpa - or the very subtle mind - and not the subtle mind, as is presented in the Mahayana context. Lama then made some comments using a dream analogy, to mention first the incompatibility between lucidity and reification (if one settles in, the other one cannot), and then to mention that from the perspective of rigpa, as sentient beings, we simply do not exist, never have, and never will. He then front loaded the meditation, explaining its different segments, with first resting in the stillness of our awareness, in our best approximation of non-meditation, and then observing the mind from there (if needed, generating a thought to help identify that space, and then resting there until the following mental event comes up). Then, letting the mind generate a thought of personal identity that you take seriously, like "I am a German, etc." (a self-concept), as it comes up, examine: here's a familiar sense of I am, what is the basis of designation? Upon what am I projecting the sense of "I am"? Investigate the basis of designation upon which we project such thought of "I am". If an image of your body comes up, is that you? See the basis of designation, are "you" in there? Is there anything that is actually you? Do that deliberately, then rest in your best approximation of non-meditation, where your awareness is unimpeded, coextensive with space. When you are doing this practice correctly, you are opening all the six sense doors, you are opening your awareness unimpededly and it is coextensive with space. Within that space, appearances arise unimpededly like rainbows. They self-arise and self-release without perturbation. Your awareness is still - now we have stillness in motion again. As you rest there, you may start thinking about yourself and others, and you may find that the space collapses, it freezes. Watch the space freezing into an object of concept, and watch your awareness crystallize into a mental operation of conceiving of yourself. Watch how you move from your best approximation of pristine awareness to being deluded, where you freeze into mind. That's the first half of the meditation. In the second part of the practice, we would go through the same process, but this time bringing someone else to mind. Watch how the mind crystallizes and reifies the person into something self-existent and self-enclosed (especially if you are upset about that person). Watch how the mind designates that person and observe the basis of designation: is the person's body coming to mind? The speech? The attitude? And in each case see whether the person that is being conceived (yourself or anybody else) is identical to that upon which you've imputed, projected. The meditation is a vipashyana practice, investigating the emptiness of persons. We then proceeded with the transmission of the text, with Lama Alan making additional comments about the beginning of samsara not being on any specific point in history. Finally, he also made a technical note regarding translations, to mention that in English the expression "selflessness of objects" doesn't make much sense, hence his preference for "identitylessness of objects". The meditation starts at 35:13 Text p. 65-66
2019 8-Week Retreat, 23 Apr 2019, Lama Tzong Khapa Institute, Tuscany, Italy
Lama begins by transmitting to us the last pith instructions of the series from Yangthang Rinpoche. In this occasion the instructions explain how we should practice in the post-meditation period. In short the idea is to bring the sense of luminosity, emptiness and freedom from grasping from our meditation session and into our daily experience. That is, bring the view in the form of a fundamental shift to see reality. Likewise, when you are in a dream ask where are these dream events coming from? Where are they located? Where do they go? Origin, location and destination. The meditation practice starts with awareness of awareness moving into the shallow end of the pool of vipashyana and finalizing in open presence. After the meditation Lama continues reading the text on page 180 and he explains how this path is about taking the mind, whichever one you have at that moment, as the path. That is, taking the impure mind as the path to identify consciousness, then take citatta as the path to identify the actual nature of your mind and then recognize pristine awareness and take that as your path. Finally, Lama explores the common analogy of pristine awareness as flowing water and the substrate consciousness as ice and compares it to descriptions of the vacuum in science. The meditation starts at 25:28
Fall 2013 Shamatha and the Seven-Point Mind Training, 17 Oct 2013, Thanyapura Mind Centre, Phuket, Thailand
The two bodhicittas may seem incompatible, if there is not someone really there, then how to feel compassion? From the other side, when seeing someone in anguish, it seems so real. This is falling to the extremes of nihilism and substantialism, as we deepen the practice the two enhance each other. From ultimate bodhicitta, we realise the lack of inherent nature, so self centeredness seems silly. From conventional bodhicitta, always attending to others, we come to see that we only arise in dependence on others, this is not just a play on words but literally true.
Post meditation: The sixth point of the mind training text, now focusing on lifestyle- the pledges you are making to yourself in order to guard, nurture and sustain the core: ultimate and relative bodhicitta, because that is what will liberate you. This is where prospective mindfulness comes in - bearing something in mind. 'Always practice the three principles'.
Meditation starts at: 35.05 (silent, front loaded at start of session)
Fall 2015 Stage of Generation, 15 Aug 2015, Araluen Retreat Center, Queensland, Australia
Alan starts with a brief recap of the Buddha’s meditation advice for Bahiya. Alan invites us to come out of our imaginary realm that we call reality and to come to our senses in order to see what is manifestly appearing to our senses. Appearances do not exist in physical space, they do not exist in neurons (the brain is only chemicals and electricity). Awareness is the most indubitable reality we know. Alan says that there is no evidence he can present to persuade us that we are not conscious. Awareness happens. All that we know is awareness and appearances to awareness. Is there a world out there independent of appearances? The mind alone is real. The appearances to the mind are real, and they have causal efficacy. A world that exists out there is a fantasy. Alan presents the two bulls that are bound for an head-on collision: the Chittamatrin bull and the materialist bull. Someone is profoundly wrong. Alan also touches on the two types of ignorance in Buddhism: connate ignorance and acquired ignorance, providing examples of each. This discourse comes down to showing Padmasambhava’s strategy. Before launching into shamatha, Padmasambhava shows us how the mind is crucially important. The meditation is on vipashyana focused on the mind. After meditation, Alan asks why do we take ourselves as sentient beings so seriously? Where is this sentient being’s mind? Alan concludes with a compelling quote from David Ritz Finkelstein (from "Emptiness and Relativity" published in Buddhism & Science: Breaking New Ground, edited by B. Alan Wallace (New York: Columbia University Press, 2003), 365-386.) and also with a quote from a Rime master. The meditation starts at 40:22 ___ Course notes, other episodes and resources for this retreat are available here The text for this retreat can be purchased via the SBI Store. Finally, Please contribute to help us afford the audio equipment we rent to make these, and future podcasts freely available.
Spring 2012 Shamatha Retreat, 28 May 2012, Thanyapura Mind Centre, Phuket, Thailand
Our shamatha practice can help keep us cognitively tuned while back in the big world, even if we can only practice briefly during the day. In times when we are fatigued from stress, full-body awareness in the shavasana pose is the most healing; on brimful days when the mind is agitated, mindfulness of breathing can bring the best benefit; when we're more relaxed and grounded, settling the mind in its natural state or awareness of awareness can be the tonic that enriches our lives.
Alan gives us 'le grande tour' of the paths available in dharma; how buddhahood can be attained by various combinations of realizing emptiness and rigpa, cultivating bodhicitta, samadhi, and different options and complements of the practices.
Silent meditation 45:38
Q&A 01:10:40
* Techniques to calm the pranas in preparation for meditation.
* Distinction between attachment and commitment.
* Drug use for spiritual gain.
The 4 Yogas of Mahamudra 2019 Retreat, 17 Jun 2019, Shambhala Mountain Center
Shamatha: Settling the mind in its natural state
2019 8-Week Retreat, 12 Apr 2019, Lama Tzong Khapa Institute, Tuscany, Italy
Guided meditation is on taking the mind as the path.
2018 8-week retreat- The Essence of Clear Meaning, 12 Apr 2018, Lama Tzong Khapa Institute in Pomaia (Pisa), Italy
Guided meditation on the empty nature of the mind.
2019 8-Week Retreat, 12 Apr 2019, Lama Tzong Khapa Institute, Tuscany, Italy
Guided meditation is on merging the mind with space
2018 8-week retreat- The Essence of Clear Meaning, 13 Apr 2018, Lama Tzong Khapa Institute in Pomaia (Pisa), Italy
Guided meditation on Releasing the Mind into Space.
2019 8-Week Retreat, 15 Apr 2019, Lama Tzong Khapa Institute, Tuscany, Italy
Guided meditation is on vipashyana on the nature of the mind
